28 November, 2010

concrete jungle where dreams are made of...

After a hard days shopping we went to New York for dinner.

I had the cob salad and friend chicken with spicy bbq sauce



and dessert was New York cheesecake and chocolate cake with ice cream and the best burnt caramel sauce. ever.


yeah.


and i managed to pretty much get all my christmas shopping finished,  やった!

peace and minnie mouse ears.

making up is hard to do...

I feel like everyone is writing about their makeup routines and their beauty habits, so i'm joining in! Since the colder weather has set in and I can finally wear makeup without it sliding on off and leaving me with a sweaty and freckled face.

For a friends birthday recently I decided to do a full face of makeup (as opposed to the slightly quicker and less "done" look I wear everyday). A few friends commented and said they really liked it, and I have to agree! I also really like how it looked in the photos...


done and dusted.




(and for the record I always pose like this.)


baseline.


So after I wash my face I moisturise with Clinique Moisture Surge and use Clinique Surge Extra Refreshing Eye Gel. I then use Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot - pre-foundation skin primer.

THE face!



Ok so it kinda looks like a lot and well it kinda is, but i think its worth it!
  • I mix the Dodo Pearl Base (which is like a tinted primer/liquid bronzer) with Innoxa Oil Free Makeup SPF15 Flawless Matt Finish Foundation in Natural Beige and apply that with the foundation brush.
  • I then touch up any blemishes with the Dermablend Concealer using the smaller end of the foundation brush or my finger (the heat from my fingers warms it up a little which makes it easier to apply).
  • After that I use L'Oreal Bare Naturals Gentle Mineral Makeup in Natural Beige to give some colour and set the liquid foundation.
  • Finally I use Revlon Skinlights Face Illuminator Loose Powder in Warm Light as a bronzer to give me clour and a bit of a glow, using the other brush in the picture.
The eyes have it.



  • First I apply the Dermablend Concealer to my eyelids to ensure an even coverage and make my eyeshadow last a bit longer.
  • Next, i've been using this eyeshadow for so long and I love it..although looks like i'm going to need more! Napoleon Perdis Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad #13. I use the darkest brown as the main colour and then accent in the corners with the gold and lighter bronzy gold colour at the top.
  • I line my eyes with Maybelline Eye Definer - Liquid Eyeliner in Noir Black.
  • I finish off with Maxfactor Masterpiece Volume and Definition Mascara.
I left my lips quite neutral - i'm not big on lipsticks...unless it's red! I just used a simple lip balm and L'Oreal Glass Shine lipgloss in Mauve Twinkle.

So that's it! This is my "for special occasions" face, my everyday face is a lot less time consuming but much the same colour wise. Hope you enjoyed this peak into my makeup life.

peace and primer
xx

22 November, 2010

giving thanks is easy to do..

It must be Autumn, and I must have a lot of American friends, because it's thanksgiving season yo! I celebrated my first proper thanksgiving this past weekend, with the whole shabang...turkey, stuffing, candied yams, mashed potatoes, gravy and finished with my favourite in the whole wide world pumpkin pie! This actually sounds a lot like Christmas dinner in my house (minus the candied yams).

Enjoying time in the company of friends and family, eating good food and sharing reasons for being thankful are things to celebrate and this couldn't be a more perfect time for me to share my thankfuls with ya'll..


but first things first - here's me getting busy on a turkey leg.



These are the things that I am thankful for...
  • All the small things that make me smile. I don’t acknowledge or notice these enough. Fantastic sunny days that are becoming so rare! A student extending his English vocabulary to say “Maire Sensei, you are elegant”! The greatest pleasure that the smallest of flowers can bring, especially flowers received. Cute, random, surprise messages left on my facebook or on skype, my song being played when I least expect it, hugs – when I least expect them, the deliciousness of a small cheesecake...
  • My fantastic friends. Ya'll are fantastic. Nuff said.
  • The cooler weather. It is finally here and I can start having great hair days again.
  • My iphone. yup.
  • That it's November and I get to go home next month! (Thanks Ma and Pa!)
  • This month was what it was, so I can move on, learn from my mistakes and become a better me.
So on a related but unrelated note I made pumpkin pie! It wasn't for said thanksgiving dinner but for a friends baby shower the week before...this is how it all went down..

this is it..
Probably over it already.


In lieu of cooking spray I took it way back old school with the ol' rub some butter around the pan and then sprinkle with flour...


Something about cooking in Japan makes things 100x more difficult and I make 100x more mess then necessary..

Wizz this shit up...



and viola!!




I forgot to take a pic after it was cooked but it was delish! Well kinda, not my best pumpkin pie by any standard, but passable. And before you say anything yes I cheated, I used brought pastry...don't judge me.

So let's be thankful for all the fantastic in our lives, and let the less fantastic become background noise until it eventually fades into silence.


Loves
Peaces
Thankfuls
BOOMS.

11 November, 2010

Polsih lovin'

Just quickly...

I was recently given this amazing nail polish from a friend for my birthday.




I have to admit I was a little sceptical about the colour at first, but after I put it on I loved it! It dries quickly and the consistency is really nice – I flows on evenly. I know, I’m going on and on, but I really do like it! The next time I am in the city I am going straight (ok maybe not straight – I need coffee first) to the store to get some more - in other awesome colours!

I love how the colour looks with my fantastic (but a little dirty) orange H&M flats!





Today I am grateful…for my fabulous friend, for giving me the fantastic nail polish in a colour I would never have picked myself!


Peace and love.

Fresh starts...like freshly cut grass

Aparently starting over is easy, so let's try..

Before I get all deep and philosophical on yo ass, this is me and here's some things I like...

the beach, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, fresh flowers in my house, reading a really good book, taking a bath with nice bath salts, blue powerade, smelling my perfume in the wind when I walk outside, the food network channel, Chuck Taylors, drinking tea, listening to homegrown music while cleaning, lying with my legs in the sun, doing the hula, watermelon, finding the best presents for people, singing really loud while I drive, Nike Shox, lindt dark chocolate, funny movies and TV shows, playing Wii, the ariport, gossip magazines, getting the best bargins, freshly washed sheets (and towels), Body Jam (and Combat), making homemade cards and invitations, decorating cakes, making cocktails, comfy home pants, getting things just right, knitting, high heels, big earrings, soy lattes, being a barista, cutting things out of magazines, recipe books, making lists, grocery shopping, eating out, reading magazines in bed on Sunday morning, watching basketball, coke zero, the colour purple, flowers in my hair, 0.5mm pens, green highlighters, having the afternoon off work, Iron Chef American…oh yeah and SHOES.

Until next time..

Tiffany hearts and Bear (Grylls) hugs.

Peace.