Soak-off Gel wear update!

Back from my wedding! It was very nice, but I'm happy to get back to "real life" again.

Today marks exactly 14 days since my first gel manicure (OPI GelColor in You're Such a Budapest), so I thought I would post a quick update on my experience with wear time.

I didn't get any chips until today (just a tiny one on my right index finger), otherwise no chips or lifting. There were some hairline cracks along the free edge of my longer nails (not visible in pics), but I experience that with regular nail polish as well (if I've been wearing it for about a week).

Here's what my left hand nails look like with 2 weeks of wear, including travel (my nails usually chip handling my luggage, so I am impressed these held up so well!) You can see the re-growth is very obvious, but the glossy finish has held up well (minus a few scuffs).


I just removed it, and it was quite an ordeal! I probably soaked my nails (using pure acetone & glycerin mix) using the foil method (and applying a microwave heat pack on the nails) and it took me about 2 hours (on and off) to get all the gel off!! I didn't even get all of the base coat off, but decided to just live with it. LOL. From what I've read online, it should only take 10-15 minutes to soak off. I'm going to try and get some of those silicone finger cots next time I need to remove a gel mani, though.

I guess there is a trade-off for the excellent wear time, huh?

Overall, I was very satisfied with the gel mani. And I'll even make an admission... I ordered the OPI GelColor LED light, base coat, top coat, and a few GelColors the other day >.> Since the mani cost me $40, I thought I might as well "invest" in the system so I can do it myself on future vacations. I'm going on a quick trip in August for a friend's wedding, then honeymoon is in September, then trip back to Canada over the Christmas holidays. So I figure by some time next year, I should "break even" (given the mani cost me $40 including tip at the salon). SO I SAY.

Here's a close-up of the needle felted Doraemon I'm holding in the pic (also a wedding favour):


Anyone else into Soak Off Gels? Am I totally late to the party (I think so, since my MIL told me she had Shellac done for the wedding, and it sounded like it was not her first time LOL)

I'm glad it's a long weekend here in the States! I plan to thoroughly enjoy NOT PLANNING MY WEDDING ANYMORE!!! :) :) Have a great one!!

OPI You're Such a Budapest (gel color)

Got my first professional manicure today :O!!

My wedding is next Saturday, and I figured it would just be easier to get a gel manicure now and not have to worry about painting my nails the night before (plus, now I don't have to bring all my manicure stuff with me to Napa!)

The colour selection was kind of dinky, but I settled on OPI You're Such a Budapest, even though it was on the nail wheel labeled "Gelish" (*side eye*). It's a hair more purple than Essence Forget Me Not:





Originally, I wanted to wear Essie Cocktail Bling, but this will do.

The right hand nails turned out well, but the left hand index finger has a big ol' bubble :/ The left hand pinky has two little bubbles too... oh well, it was quite humid today, so I'll give the nail tech the benefit of the doubt.

FYI, I'm holding a needle felted narwhal, since I don't have the bottle.

Here's the narwhal in all its glory (a wedding favour! I'll post all of them when I get back)

Kiko now Stateside! :O

Last week, I was shopping online for a necklace for my wedding. My comprehensive search of the internet included a search of all the jewelry stores at my two local shopping malls, one of which is Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ. Upon landing on the site's splash page, I saw they were promoting a new wing of the mall (I guess someone decided the mall was not big or crowded enough already... /dripping sarcasm) which included a Kiko store!! WUT WUT?? After my trip last April to London/Paris/Berlin was canceled, I had dejectly put my Kiko wishlist on the backburner. Apparently, the mall announced this wing and the list of stores back in December, and I guess no one in the beauty community noticed.

Anyway, they opened this past Thursday, and I forced DF to take me to the mall today. I had been looking forward to today very much, as the last two weeks of work have been incredibly hellish. Here's a picture of the facade I took before going in (and before DF went to Starbucks and then parked his butt outside the store waiting for me).


Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any photos of the inside, as their store policy does not permit pictures inside. The store is very large (much larger than the Inglot and MUFE Boutique stores also at this glorious mall) and well organized. The permanent line flanks the left side of the store, the nail polishes on the right, and the stands on the floor display repeats of the permanent line as well as limited edition collections. The SAs were very nice, helpful, but not pushy. They all had great makeup, of course! I was very tempted to get the blue mascara that one was sporting, but I had to restrain myself since I would never, ever, get any wear out of it.

My very modest haul:


The infamous eyeshadow sticks which have been compared to the By Terry Ombre Star eyeshadow sticks ($43 USD... uhhhhh... ) and are $12 USD each, but were on offer for $7.90. I'm not sure what Kiko's sales strategy is (i.e., will these effectively always be on promotion?), but this pricing is consistent with the UK pricing (retail 6.90 GBP, currently on sale for 4.90 GBP. At today's exchange rate, this is equivalent to $11.38 and $8.08, respectively).


I picked up the following four shades:



The entire permanent line of eyeshadow sticks were there (black tubes), but I didn't see any of the white or silver packaging ones indicating LE. Since I suck at swatches, here are the some blogs with great swatches of the eyeshadow sticks: Drivel About Frivol, Cassandra Makeup Artist, Susielfa.

My crappy swatches, taken with bounce flash. One swipe each, guys. Now, I'm pretty sure these are going to crease on me (even with primer), but I couldn't resist getting these ones.


Taupe comparison... too many taupes, what am I doing with my life



I picked up 36 because it reminded me of Shiseido Beach Grass trio. Check out this love sandwich:




The nail polishes were $6 for the regular line, and $7 for their quick-dry line. I picked up the minty green shade, as I'm always looking for a dupe of American Apparel Office. Here are the bottles side by side, along with the last "dupe" I tried, Essie Fashion Playground.


My cuticles are in bad shape, so just swatch sticks comparison: 3 coats of the Essie and AA, 2 coats of the Kiko. The Kiko is pretty close to AA, but lighter and slightly less blue.


I chatted with the Assistant Manager while I was checking out, and I inquired about whether they will be taking phone orders: as of now, they don't, but they plan to launch their US site for online shopping in the near future. They are also planning on opening more locations in the US in the coming months (she mentioned another mall here in NJ and a NYC location). Apparently this is on the DL, but I figure if she told me, it must not be that top secret :P

Anyway, my trip to the mall was pretty successful. Picked up some seamless panties and a clutch for my wedding. We also went into every jewelry store to look for a necklace and earrings for the wedding, and I gotta say, jewelry SAs are 100x more invasive than beauty SAs. *autoplay* "No, I'm just looking." I did try on a very nice estate Y-necklace for $890 (all plat), but the chain was very short... DF said it was probably once upon a time for a rich little girl. LOL. I'll need to write-up a post for my wedding accessories, I think! :)

Have a great weekend!

My Brush Collection with mini-reviews

Makeupalley MUB had a bit of a brush stash theme this week, and I decided to join into the foray. I thought I would cross post here as well, with some additional verbiage.

Oh, the platter is from Anthropologie, but long gone.

Face brushes


L to R: RT Setting Brush, Sigma F84, RT Expert Face Brush, Hakuhodo K020, Chikuhodo Z-4, Suqqu Cheek, Chikuhodo Z-2, Hakuhodo H603 (retractable)

• Sigma F84 and RT Expert Face Brush: I use both for liquid foundation, thought I slightly prefer the Sigma because the bristles are a bit softer and more flexible. I'm happy to own both, though, and since they are relatively inexpensive, I don't feel bad when I clean them aggresively!
• RT Setting Brush: This brush is a great size and density for setting undereye concealer with powder. However, I'm in the market for a natural hair version (hopefully squirrel hair). Do you have any recommendations?
• Hakuhodo K020 was my first brush splurge, and also my first squirrel haired brush. It changed the way I applied blush! I still love it, but after getting the Suqqu Cheek brush, I now use this for loose powder instead.
• Suqqu Cheek brush: Irritatingly hyped and expensive, I love this little guy. Super soft, not too dense, and nice and small (my preference for a blush brush)! So glad I splurged on this! I purchased it from Selfridges.co.uk.
• Chikuhodo Z-4 is great for my blushes where I want to pick up a little more pigment than Suqqu Cheek (but just a tiny bit more, since it's denser, but still ultra soft). I purchased it in Ginza, Tokyo at the Tau Hiroshima Brand Shop.
• Chikuhodo Z-2 is a cool shaped brush, but I actually don't reach for it much. I should try to wear more highlighter I guess! I purchased it in Tokyo at the Tau Hiroshima Brand Shop.
• Hakuhodo H603 Slide Face Brush: I purchased this for travel, as it retracts. It's very convenient, but I often find myself missing my other blush brushes when I use this. If you are hesitant to travel with your blush brushes, this is a great one to have. It's very soft (mix of blue squirrel and sohoko goat).
• Here's a video I made last year when I got it showing the sliding action :)

Eye Brushes


L to R: Hakuhodo J146, J5523, K005, G5520BkSL (I think), G5529BkSL, G515, S123Bk, G537s, Shu Uemura 10N, 5R, Sigma ss266 (E65 now, I think), Yojiya Ebony Eyeshadow Brush Squirrel, Chikuhodo Artist Series 10-1, 8-5, 8-1

• Hakuhodo J146: Super cute, soft white goat hair brush. I use it for light blending between shades.
• Hakuhodo J5523: Infamous for being a "dupe" for MAC217, this is a great brush to own. Very soft, and great for blending. Can't go wrong with this one. I do wish I had a slightly smaller and shorter version of it, though (small lid space to blame, again!)
• Hakuhodo K005: a must have for me, use it to line lower lash line with shadow, and sometimes a soft wing with black/dark brown shadow
• Hakuhodo G5520BkSL: A standard pencil brush, but very soft! I don't use it much, but it gets the job done!
• Hakuhodo G5529BkSL: I use this to darken my small outer corner area, and it applies colour very softly (so it's hard to over do it).
• Hakuhodo G515: My first doe-foot shaped brush, this is SUPER soft and really versatile. I can do a whole eyelook with it. A pleasure to use and I should really give it more love!
• Hakuhodo S123Bk: This 100% Kolinsky brush is only available in Japan, and is similar to the Shu 10N, but larger. I prefer the shorter handle, and the gold ferrule is gorgeous too. I do wish the head was smaller though. Still, it's incredibly versatile just like the Shu, so I am happy to have it!
• Hakuhodo G537s: Another 100% Kolinksy brush only available in Japan. It is *so* good for applying and blending concealer, and I also use it to apply dots of foundation to my face before using a Beauty Blender. I purchased both these brushes from the Hakuhodo boutique in Omotesando, Tokyo.
• Shu Uemura 10N: My first expensive eye brush, but worth every penny (... 20% off, that is). It's incredibly versatile (both laydown and blending). My only gripe is that the handle is too long (I'm near-sighted so I like to get up real close to my mirror to do my eyemakeup, and the handle sometimes gets in the way)
• Shu Uemura 5R: This picks up and applies pigment brilliantly. I have to say I slightly prefer the Hakuhodo G5529 because the 5R puts down so much colour, that I usually need to blend the edges out, whereas the Hakuhodo applies colour more softly so I don't need to blend the edges (but I do need to layer and concentrate colour if I want it)
• Sigma ss266/E65: One of the few Sigma brushes I still own from the original set I purchased years ago. I use it for gel eyeliner exclusively, but I rarely wear gel liner anymore!
• Yojiya Ebony Eyeshadow Brush Squirrel: I purchased this at the Fa-So-La Tax Free Akihabara duty free shop at NRT for 3400 yen (slightly discounted from retail). It has been cited as a close "dupe" for the discontinued Suqqu S eyeshadow brush. It applies colour softly and blends amazingly well too, but is not great if you're looking to really pack on the colour. The handle is gorgeous, though!
• Chikuhodo Artist 10-1: This line is discontinued (or simply unavailable for direct purchase). This brush really picks up a lot of pigment!
• Chikuhodo Artist 8-5: This laydown brush also does a good job at applying pigment, but I do find it a tad pokey on my lids.
• Chikuhodo Artist 8-1: This brush is stiff, but not pokey, and is good for lining with dark shadow. I like these three for travel because they are so petite! I purchased at the Tau Hiroshima Brand Shop in Tokyo as well.

Lip Brushes
Not Pictured!

• I forgot to photograph my Hakuhodo Misako lip brush! It's my one and only lip brush, and I love it! :)

Not brushes, but related

L to R: MUJI Powder Puff, Koh Gen Do Powder Puff, scrubby pad I use to clean all my brushes, black and pink Beauty Blenders

• I use the powder puffs to apply loose powder (before brushing off the excess with my Hakuhodo K020). I find both the Muji and KGD perform identically. I purchased the KGD from Barneys in a pack of 2 for $16, while the Muji one costs $5.75 (probably much cheaper in Japan). The KGD one does come with a nice zip pouch for travel, though!

Phew! That took a long time to write up! I hope you enjoyed it! It's hard to believe I went from no brushes in 2010 to this collection four years later! I'm so happy with my brushes, but I do have some editing to do! (*whispers* and also some shopping, ho ho ho)

Bloglovin, if you use it

I had a request to add my blog to Bloglovin. I think this will do it...
Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Lipstick stash arm swatches

I should have taken pictures of the lipsticks themselves, but I was too focused on the arm swatches, haha.

Since I always seem to buy the same 3 lipstick colours, I decided to swatch all my lippies and keep the pictures on my phone, so next time I go shopping I can at least try and prevent myself from buying another dupe.

For reference, my face is around NC25 with strong yellow undertones. I wear NARS TM Alaska, Bourjois HM 53, and GA Luminous Silk in 3.5.

First, I did swatches on paper so I knew how to group them for arm swatching. Lipstick bullets are so deceiving! These look more vivid on paper than IRL, though.



Berry / Fuchsia Group


L to R:
Beaute Liqui-Gel Stain Harlot
Fresh Sugar Berry
Lipstick Queen Butterfly Ball Fly
YSL Glossy Stain 5
YSL Glossy Stain 13
YSL Glossy Stain 15
Shiseido Lacquer Rouge RS404 Drama
Maybelline 875 Vivid Rose
Revlon Lip Butter 063 Wild Watermelon
(I forgot to swatch my Annabelle TwistUp Retractable Lipstick Crayon in Cherry, but I think it's close to the Beaute stain)

Pink / Coral / Red Group


L to R:
Maybelline 870 Shocking Coral
Dior Addict Extreme 536 Lucky
YSL Rouge Volupte Shine 4 Rouge in Danger
MAC Viva Glam Cyndi
Guerlain Rouge Automatique 164 Chamade
Guerlain Rouge G 76 Gracy
YSL Glossy Stain 12
Lipstick Queen Red Sinner
Revlon Lip Butter 035 Candy Apple
YSL Glossy Stain 9


MLBB Group


L to R:
Shiseido Lacquer Rouge RD203 Portrait
Shiseido Lacquer Rouge RD311 Rubelite
Shiseido Lacquer Rouge RD305 Nymph
YSL Glossy Stain 7
Revlon Super Lustrous 637 Blushing Nude
Revlon Lip Butter 001 Pink Truffle
Revlon Colorburst 040 Soft Rose
Shiseido Rouge Perfect RD732 Blush
(I'm missing Fresh Sugar Lip Balm in Petal, which is at the office)

A weekend after I took these pictures, I loaded them up on my phone and went lipstick shopping for a bridal lipstick! I wanted to find a colour between Shiseido Lacquer Rouge in Portrait (a bit too nude) and Nymph (which I love, but is a bit dark). The Shiseido Lacquer Rouge formula also transfers very easily, so I wanted the colour in a lipstick formula.

I went to Barney's and tried on Surratt Lipsliques. Thanks to bellyhead's Surratt Lipslique swatch post, I knew I wanted to try on Perfectionniste. I did, and loved it, so I boughts it.

When I got home from shopping, my Ichibankao order also arrived containing Visee Creamy lipstick in RD400.

Here are swatches next to a couple Shiseido Lacquer Rouges and my Guerlain RA in Chamade (all bridal lipstick contenders).

L to R
Shiseido Lacquer Rouge RD203 Portrait
Visee Creamy RD400 (from Ichibankao) - 4g for ~$23 USD
Surratt Lipslique Perfectionniste (from Barneys) ~ 1.5g for $34 USD
Shiseido Lacquer Rouge RD305 Nymph
Guerlain RA 164 Chamade

Top picture is natural (though weak) light, bottom is flash



The Surratt is a tiny bit pinker than Visee (which is a little more orange/beige on my lips), but they look very, very similar, and feel very similar on the lips too. Price per gram, the Visee is a better deal, and also imo the Visee packaging feels more luxe.

I'm feeling addicted to lipstick lately! Especially after my HE lipstick haul last month... I want moreee! :) I should maybe purge my existing stash a bit, though, huh.

Updated Blog Sale... huge purge O_O

I've been meaning to update my blog sale for a long time now; I finally had time over the last two weekends to take and edit the pictures! Lots of nail polish and makeup, as well.

If you're interested, please take a gander and help me de-clutter! :)

Click to go to my Blog Sale!