Battle of Mascaras: L2 De Guerlain, L'Oreal Telescopic, L'Oreal Voluminous, Benefit BadGal, Maybelline Colassal

Separates and Extends:

L2 de Guerlain mascara $50, from Sephora. Double wands gives lashes extra length before separating them into chunks, which after many strokes can look very clumpy.  Nonetheless, for its price and luxurious gold tube, it still does what it promises and the result is a very dramatic look.  The mascara stays on too well.  I have trouble removing it with eye makeup remover.  Initially, I purchased the waterproof one but it was impossible to remove at all with makeup remover.  I would've rated it higher, but since I find that I can achieve similar effects with average brands and it's so hard to remove, I give it a 4/5.

L'Oreal Telescopic mascara, $9.98 for 2 bottles and a liquid liner from Costco (approximately $3.30 each).  This tiny wand gets around every corner the big wands couldn't.  Lashes look fanned out and are extended just as long as using Guerlaine mascara. Although I feel like there is more control using the ball tip applicator, getting the bottom lashes can be sort of tricky and I have to be very careful.   The downside is the opposite of Guerlaine, it smudges easily and doesn't stay on for long.  Try coating with Clarins Double Fix mascara, no more smudges and runs! Oh, and every time I use this mascara, I have the biggest urge to bobble my head like this girl did here! 3.5/5

Voluminous and luscious:

L'Oreal Voluminous, $7.90, is by far the best for creating volumes and most affordable mascara.  I've been using this product for years and still finds it is working right up there with the high end mascaras.  Eyelashes look full and not clumpy.  I have very short lashes so it looks much better if I curl them before using this mascara.  It looks great for day or evening wear.  I would call this a classic, or a pair of black shoes I always keep around.  Good to have and worth the price. 4.5/5

Benefit BadGal Lash mascara, $19 from Sephora.  It does a great job of volumizing, in terms of lengthening, I feel like it could do more.  Very easy to apply but after too many sweeps it tends to clump.  Otherwise, it lasts all day with minimum smudging.  Removing it is not as painstaking as Guerlain, which I am thankful for.  4/5

Maybelline Colossal Volume Express mascara, $7 works the best when used with fake lashes or on bottom lashes.  It makes eyelashes look fuller but not too the point that it looks very different or dramatic than what any other mascara can do.  It also works way better on very long lashes since it is light and plumps up volume.  However, for short eyelash folks like myself it is not the right tool for everyday wear.  Removal is very easy. It comes right off.  3/5

Natural Beauty Blog

Anarin , my latest beauty blog about Thai natural spa and skincare products as well as easy to make skin care treats!  Online shopping for natural skin care products made from herbs and virgin coconut oil coming soon!

That perfect coverage, I found it...

After visiting Asia this past trip, I was still in search for the perfect makeup that gives a natural coverage without looking too caked on.  All I kept hearing about is the magical BB cream which was initially widely sold in Korea but now has become the biggest makeup essential all over Asia.

What exactly is BB Cream?
BB cream stands for blemish balm which was originally used as therapeutic moisturizer in Germany to treat irritated skin after facial treatment. BB cream becomes popular because mainly for its ability to conceal pores, blemish and acne while giving your skin a natural glow.  Most BB cream only comes in one or 2 shades.  BB cream has become so popular that almost every makeup brands have their own line of BB cream.  Special functions are also added to cater to clients' different needs ie. SPF, anti-wrinkles, whitening functions etc.  The prices for BB cream also range from $8 to over $50.

Picking out BB Cream
I was lucky enough to be shopping at the source of BB cream, South Korea.  Myong Dong in Seoul is a shopping street littered with shops after shops of cosmetic brands.  Picking and choosing BB cream with no prior experience or comparison can be quite overwhelming.  Missha has a reputation of carrying the best like of BB cream, so I decided to test it out for myself.  I picked out a tube of Missha M Perfect Cover BB cream in 23 natural beige.  The price was around $13 which was quite reasonable.  Once I put it to the test, I wasn't sure how much to use.  It turns how that you only need very small amount.  The  texture of the cream is more like a lotion but you get more coverage than using a foundation and concealer combined.  The cream also doesn't cake.  It blends in naturally on to my skin and evens out the complexion.  I was pleasantly surprised at how well it works.  The BB cream gives my skin a flawless and natural glow.  It looks like I was born with great skin!!! I have honestly never used anything as cost effective and has such great result!!  The only downer about this is that to keep it cost effective, you'll have to buy the BB cream straight from Korea.  Online websites obviously jacked up the price for something that are well sought after.  But I guess if you are looking to try it out, it is definitely worth a try.

I will even post comparison pictures up between the $13 M Perfect BB cream from Korea versus the $50 Classified Era Airbrush foundation I bought from Beauty Junkie (which does the trick, but my face feels like I'm wearing a mask).

Hot girls at Shibuya 109

The majority of the girls we saw at Shibuya fall into the generic category of "brown hair, big eyes, fake lashes" look.  Having said that, I have to admit that many of them are pretty hot and props to their makeup skills to being able to stand out of thousands that are rocking the exact same look.  The trend this spring became obvious to us after almost all stores at Shibuya 109 are selling almost exact same items.  In almost every shop, sales and patrons are dressed in floral print tops with light colour denim, an oversized bow or do-rag headband, and caramel colour leather accessories. At the time, I felt a huge urge to conform and jump on the floral, big bow bandwagon. I ended up buying an outfit that looked like a school girl uniform out of spur of the moment.  Maybe because I was in Japan and I wanted to get down with the fashion culture (Kogal?) and turn back the hands of time back to my youth.  I will post the picture of the outfit later.   The store I bought the outfit/costume from is called Scandals (....), a himegyaru store.  I've always been intrigued with hime dolly looks, so it was sort of a part of the list.  In the meantime, here are some info. on Japan gyaru fashion.

How to do gyaru eye makeup:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcmVUftrM50&feature=related

My latest crush

I am absolutely digging this violet colour nail polish I discovered at my aunt's salon. It has just the right shade, hue, and gloss. It's not too flashy and not too light. I haven't stumbled upon this unique shade before. Unfortunately, it is from a no name brand which is leading me to a quest to find where exactly I can get more for myself! And another journey begins...

Urban Decay's Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows

Talk about genius marketing! The Alice in Wonderland package wows girls of all ages with the 3D pop-up scene of Alice wandering in the mushroom forest. The palette comes with 16 popular eyeshadows, which wouldn't otherwise send makeup fanatics into a frenzy , are given character names such as "White Rabbit", "Jabberwocky", etc. Also come with the palette are 2 24/7 eye pencils and a travel-size eyeshadow primer 'potion'. Alice in Wonderland Book of shadows offers more of a fantasy experience than just applying makeup, and will for sure be a hit.

Cheap Prostitute Look

I stumbled upon this hilarious parody while browsing through Michelle Phan's tutorial vids on Youtube. Check it.

Plus another Michille Phan parody of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance look by DavidParody. This one brought me to tears.

I got myself a treasure set

The Tarte Treasure Set from Sephora which folds out with layer after layer of goodies. This little jewel box got everything you need from eyeshadow, lipgloss, bronzer, highlighter, and 4 colours of blush. I especially love the huge spectrum of eyeshadows! It's branded natural so I assume it's better for your skin. Great quality, looks appealing, and I get excited every time I pull everything out like a transformer. It's only here for a limited time so get it before it's gone!

My top picks for cosmetics

Best Moisturizer - Neutrogena Moisture Oil Free Formula for Sensitive Skin

It's great for combination skin and in any type of weather. The lotion is non-sticky and you can tell the difference in skin softness right away.

Bare Escentuals (exclusive at Sephora) is 100 % bare minerals and comes with UV shield. The introductory kit comes with a How To dvd for beginners. I use it as all in one concealer, foundation and powder. The powder is really light and doesn't clog pores. I would recommend it for all skin types.

Dior 5 Colour Eyeshadow in Night Butterfly, really beautiful colour palettes.

Le 2 de Guerlain mascara adds volume and length like no other mascara. It's quite an investment but definitely worth the price if you have short eyelashes like me.