Milani Baked Blush

The Milani Baked Blushes ($7) are quite unique among drugstore blushes.  First of all they are baked which means they are very pigmented.   Most of the shades are shimmery, some more than others.  There are a total of nine shades of which I own four.  

These blushes have a marble texture with glittery veining.  Upon first look it might appear that the glitters are just an overspray but in fact the glitters are baked into the blushes.
 

01-Dolce Pink is a medium pink with a peach undertone.  There are some very fine shimmers that doesn't show up as glitter on the cheek.  In fact it looks like you have a very subtle glow as if you are wearing a highlighter.  This shade is my absolute favorite and the one I reach for regularly.

Too Faced Natural Eye Palette

I am a huge fan of neutral eyeshadows and even more so if they are packaged in a convenient palette such as the Too Faced Natural Eye palette ($36).

Honey Bee Cupcakes

Here are some honey bee cupcakes I baked today.  These were inspired from HEA's cupcakes for her little girl's first birthday.  When I saw them I knew that I had to try to replicate them because they were so darn cute.  Mine are not as nice as her's but not bad on a first attempt and they were really fun to make.  Enjoy!

These are chocolate fudge cupcakes with a pale yellow buttercream icing.  The bees are made of chocolate covered almonds with sliced almond wings and yellow icing stripes.

Cheap & Cheerful | Eyes Lips Face (E.L.F)

Eyes Lips Face has got to be one of the most comprehensive beauty lines I have come across.  The list of products that they offer is very long but I would like to highlight a few items worth discussing about here.

Studio High Definition Powder ($6)

This powder has been widely compared to Make Up Forever's (MUFE) HD Microfinish Powder ($30) so right off the bat you can see the appeal of the E.L.F version.  I do not own the MUFE version but from what I can gather from other blogs, they are very similar.  They are both white, silica based powders that are very finely milled.  The purpose of these powders are to "create a soft-focused effect that diminishes lines and imperfections."  It is a nice setting powder that reduces shine but I am not sure I can see the soft-focus effect.  For $6 it is a nice way to try an inexpensive version of the MUFE HD powder.

Overall Grade:  B+

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters | First Impressions

Taken in natural light.  Notice the scraping on the bullet of the Candy Apple. That was a new, never used lipstick.

I think the whole world must be in love with these lip butters because they have been very difficult to find.  I finally got my hands on these babies a few days ago at my local Ulta.  They were running a special buy one get one half off on their Revlon products.  These usually retail for somewhere between $7-8 depending on where you buy them.

There are a total of 20  shades but I only grabbed 4 because many of the shades were out of stock.  Luckily, these were 4 of the shades that I was interested in.  I might go back and get 1 or 2 more later if they come back in stock.  Don't fret if you cannot find these lippies at your local drugstores because these are not limited editions and should be more readily available once the buzz has died down a bit.

Luxy Hair Extensions

I have always wanted super long hair ever since I was a child.  I have attempted to grow my hair out numerous time but it seemed that it would never grow pass the middle of my back.  Getting it to that length would take such a long time that I would get bored and cut it short.  This vicious cycle went on for several years.

Currently I am growing my hair out once again.  Surprise.  To help it along I am laying off the hot tools and regularly doing the weekly deep conditioning.  So until it grows to the length I want, I am using the Luxy Hair Clip-In Extensions.

I saw these extensions being used in a youtube tutorial and was intrigued.  They looked so natural and beautiful and more importantly easy to use.  I must have watched their videos for about a year before I seriously considered purchasing them.  They offer a total of ten colors ranging from $119.95 for the 120 gram set to $139.95 for the 160 gram set. 

Brocato Cloud 9 Miracle Repair Shampoo & Treatment

My search for a good shampoo and conditioner has finally lead me to the Brocato Cloud 9 Miracle Repair Shampoo and Treatment.  Before I get into the products, a little background on my hair.

My hair is somewhat typical for Asian hair.  It is long, somewhat coarse, thick and wavy and also color-treated.  I am currently coloring my hair a soft black because after years of coloring it a medium, ash brown with highlights, it has gotten to be too much of an upkeep and the lightning process was damaging my hair.   It has gotten to be pretty dry; not straw mind you but dry nonetheless.

Though my hair is pretty resilient, I figured that if I went back to my natural color, I wouldn't have to color it so often.  The ironic thing is that after several years of continuously coloring my hair lighter, I am now having a hard time keeping color on my hair.  Every six months or so, I have to re-dye it black otherwise, I revert back to the medium brown color.

Now onto the products.   I purchased mine at the Ulta semi-annual Liter Sale.  I believe this takes place in January and either June or July.  Basically this is when their liter size salon brand shampoos and conditioners go on sale.  I wouldn't suggest purchasing these babies at any other time because you will reel from sticker shock.

I believe at full price, the shampoo and the conditioner retails for about $36 a piece.  Ouch, I know but on sale they are $14.99 each. 

Lets start with the shampoo shall we?  The shampoo is rather light (as oppose to a thick, cream-like texture).  To my nose, it has a light cucumber scent which I find pleasant and I generally do not like anything with a cucumber smell.  It is so neutral in fact, that I think men could use these products and not complain that they smell like a girl.

The shampoo is sulfate free (good for holding on to that black color) but still lathers very well.  It cleanses thoroughly but never leaves me with that stripped, dry feeling (and I shampoo twice every time I wash my hair).   It is one of the most moisturizing shampoos for being so lightweight.

The conditioner has a light creamy texture with the same cucumber scent.  It is labeled as a Treatment but it is sold in the same size container as the shampoo.  I think most people would use it as an everyday conditioner following the shampoo.  Again, despite its light texture, this treatment really moisturizes my hair.

I usually apply a generous amount to the ends of my hair, comb it through to distribute the product and put it up in a hair clip.  I let it sit there while I wash my face and proceed with the rest of my shower routine.  The final step is to rinse thoroughly and voila, I get super soft, moisturized hair that does not feel weighed down or oily.

Overall I would say that it does live up to its name.  I have loved these two products so much that I have religiously used them for the last year and a half.

Overall Grade:  A