Get ready guys because it's time for Bittersweet Musings very first episode of....

This time around I'm reviewing Giorgio Armani's Eyes to Kill mascara which retails for $30. Now I just received a small trial size from one of my favorite clients but let me just say WOW. I actually really love it. Love it enough to contemplate buying a full size version when I run out.

While I didn't end up doing a post on YSL Effet Faux Cils mascara I did make it a point to say to everyone that while it was nice I didn't think that one was worth the money - it dried up in 2 months for goodness sake. Plus as volumizing as it was I felt I achieved a very similar look using my two Rimmel mascaras.

Now Eyes to Kill might be marketed as "length & volume lash artillery" but I think the place it really shines is length and separation. The brush didn't look that special when I first pulled it out but maybe the bristles are made from something different but I really felt that I would have had to WORK at it to make my lashes clump. With every stroke and coat my lashes just got longer and more defined with no clumping in site.

I do have to say though that this isn't the most volumizing mascara I've ever tried. It doesn't do badly but it doesn't do great either. But I'm a woman who likes ridiculously long lashes over volume because in my opinion too much volume can leave you with that "spider lashes" effect.

Now on to a few pictures:

Sorry for the blurrines but ya'll know my camera is still broken. Still what you can see here is just how long both my top and bottom lashes are. On top they extend far beyond the liner I've got and below this mascara makes my bottom lashes almost fake looking. Which is just cool. 

And from another angle:

Here again you can see how long and separate all my lashes are. Another fantastic thing I want to mention about this brush is that it's shape and bristles made it much easier on me to keep it off my eyes. The mascara went on the lashes and no where else, which makes it a lot easier to keep the soft smokey eye look I've got going on here clean and precise.

Final Verdict? I really liked this mascara and would recommend it to anyone who loves lots of length with great brush control.

that it is very hard to be satisfied with what you have today. I can't just be happy, be satisfied, be complete with what I have. 

Life isn't about 100% perfection. As I said to a friend while looking at skin products - "Perfection is Unrealistic".

Unrealistic.

The grass isn't always greener - it's just always there. Realizing that your grass might have some brown spots but it's ok anyway is the hard part.

My grass has some brown spots. I'm trying to be ok with that. And accept that I can be happy - or mostly happy - where I am and not always have be looking for something different. Different isn't guaranteed to be better, again, it's just different. Who know what that will mean?

I like being a little lazy. I like not having to be stressed about something all the time. I LOVE the fact that when I get off at 5:30pm I don't care what the hell is happening at my office. 

Is that bad? I don't know. Can I change that? Doubtful. Do I want to change that? Even more doubtful.

I don't know if my hobbies, my passions, will ever be something I do 24/7. If they'll be things that take up my every waking moment. All I know is that right now things don't suck. And I'm ok with that. I just need to remember to remind myself that it's ok that I'm ok.

Just because I'm type-A doesn't mean I have to be type-always looking. I can be happy. I can be satisfied.

I think.

(Excuse the random alcohol-life-stress-self doubt imposed ramblings. They happen. Hopefully some it makes sense, lol, but I make no guarantees.)

......or it could be a ridiculous Asian corset thing, but really who cares because this ad is f*cking fantastic.

(Sorry if you've already seen this video since I posted it on Facebook, but I'm under the strange delusion that at least a few of the people who read my blog aren't actually friends with me already. Go figure.)

Ok it seriously took me forever but I finally buckled down and did my own take on Natalie Portman's black swan look. From the very first movie stills I loved this look. It was so dramatic, so different that even though it had no practical applications for me AT ALL I still had to give it a try.

Michelle Phan did a great take on the look on YouTube channel (you can see that video here) and I learned a couple things from it 1) there was never gonna be one right way of creating this look, and 2) because of my slight OCD tendencies when doing makeup this was definitely going to take me awhile. And boy was I write. I started with just the eye on the right, because it's easier to do and I was still testing the method. The black wasn't actually that hard it was the silver the really took up the time. 

I hadn't started on doing it the same way Michelle did but ultimately I did my black outline, did some preliminary lines across the lid and brows and then filled in with the silver. It's incredibly time consuming, especially if you're doing what I did which was take a teeny tiny brush from e.l.f. and run it across the head of an eyeliner pencil to get the color. And then after applying the silver I went back with the black, adding more lines, extending others - you get the idea.

I attempted a more sculpted cheek look with a combination of MAC Mineralize Skinfinish and a NARS bronzer, which I don't think turned out too badly. I'm cursed with a round face and puffy cheeks so sometimes I feel like no matter how much 'definition' I add to the face it always comes off a little awkward. 

Either way, even taking 2 hrs, this was fun and I hope you guys enjoying seeing my take on this look!

Products Used -

~~UDPP

~~Rimmel Soft Kohl eyeliner pencil in white

~~e.l.f. Cream Liner in Black

~~Milani Liquid'eye in 02 Silver

~~Stila matte eyeshadow in makalu

~~Sephora kohl eyeliner pencil in 01 keep black

~~Clinique High Impact mascara in black

Lips

~~MAC Nightmoth lip pencil

~~NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil in Burgundy

~~Revlon Colorstay lipstick in Divine Port Wine

Let me start off my saying that I haven't been trying to be a complete bum with this post. With my camera down I couldn't just do my normal review with pics - which seemed sad to say the least. So then I had to decide to make a video - which create a whole host of other issues. The most annoying? I'm having a hell of a time trying to use Blogger to upload it on this post. I didn't really wanna go the YouTube route because the beauty vlogging community can be brutal and I just wanted to get up a quick in-person show of the HD Dual Foundation in action since my camera is kaput (mostly). 

Sigh.

I think I'm just going to give it and upload it there so I can least embed it in this post at the end, but I haven't decided. I guess you'll know when this post finally goes up huh, as it'll show there either way.

The only positive thing about having to wait this long to review it is that I've had the opportunity to really put the foundation to test. Good skin days, bad ones, dry skin or oily - while it's not summer for the most part I think I've put it through its paces and I've got mostly nothing but positive things to say, especially about the experience I had when I bought it.

The Eve Peal Experience 

Going into the Eve Pearl's New York store was fantastic! It's just like you see on YouTube (there were some internal squealing moments), bright and filled with rows of Eve Pearl products. The only thing I don't think you can tell is how vast the display/test area in the back is. The mirror takes up the entire width of the store and allows for a seat for you and your guest or whoever's waiting their turn. (Look! It's me with an Emmy! It might not be mine but who cares!)

I went in a Sunday afternoon a couple hours before closing and met with Karla, the artist on staff. She was so nice and very open to not only showing me how the foundation worked with no appointment, but letting me ask any dumb questions I had along the way. Plus - one of the best bits - is that she took pictures. Before, during, after, she sent me home not only with a face chart but a detailed look of where the product should be placed and how it looked afterward. It's something I've never seen done anywhere else and it speaks I think to Eve Pearl's commitment to her customers; people are not sent home with a bag of stuff they'll never figure out how to use on their own. 

But yes to continue, Karla did a great job applying the HD Dual Foundation I was interested in, explaining the use and technique with the sponge, and then going further. I got my full face done Eve Pearl style including her signature cat eye. That part was probably even more interesting to my makeup soul because of where she placed the product on my eye; she brought the cat eye up and around my crease which not what I was expecting at all but was very beautiful. I walked out not only with a foundation that I'm currently enjoying very much, but also a free lipgloss duo - minty and refreshing it was a very pleasant surprise. Thanks Karla!

I think I found a perfect Winter foundation for me in Eve Pearl's HD Dual Foundation. Not only does it feel light weight (almost non-existent) on my skin, it gives me a more natural, dewier finish which is perfect for the season. Most of the time, because my skin is so oily, I prefer a very matte finish. I try to do everything possible to make sure that my makeup doesn't slide off and that I don't look like a disco ball by the end the day. The issue I'm experiencing right now is that some parts of my face are getting a little dry and I don't know if the flat matte look is as flattering. This gives me the chance to not only start with a powdered down satin finish at the start of my day, it wears really well and I end up with a dewey like look at the end of the day. Even if I never touch my face again except to give it a blot or two. 

I think that's the power of the product. It's very soothing and non-irritating to my face and ultimately I consider it, even with it's $54 price tag, a very worthwhile purchase. I feel like all of us makeup geeks out there are looking for their HG product, probably especially when it comes to foundation, and while this isn't perfect, for winter it's pretty darn close. I think between this and my NARS Sheer Matte (which I'll bring back in the summer) I'll be good for awhile. 

Highly recommended and I really hope that you stop by the NY store before you buy, just because the experience was unforgettable! (Thanks again Karla!!)

(Muahahaha my video is unlisted - yes!)

Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel/Cream

Clearprep FX Matte Foundation Primer and Anti-Acne Treatment

Eve Pearl HD Dual Foundation in Tan

MAC Studio Fix Concealer in NC42
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark

For the first time in awhile I sat down last night and watched the Grammys. The whole thing from start to finish.

Amazing right?

Well I have to say that it mostly didn't suck. There were some amusing moments, some laugh out loud moments, even some amazing moments (which I think is about all anyone can ask for from an award show). But looking back, here are a collection of moments worthwhile enough to remember this morning:

1. Jennifer Hudson. I'm working on forgiving you for the whole Weight Watchers debacle, but ruining a perfectly good red carpet dress by showing your bra was just annoying. I don't care if the lace was pretty or if you were trying to make it 'strategic' - it didn't work. And your stylist should have told you hell no.

2. Ciara. Too cute for that ugly dress.

3. J-Lo. Not gonna lie, I did like her extra sparkly dress/hair combo. The little 'overbearing wife with embarrassing husband' bit she did with MA? Not funny. Extremely awkward-turtle for anyone who missed it.

4. Katy Perry. I'm a big sap and though I don't love her music, the performance she did showcasing parts of her wedding video made me go 'Aw'.

5. Usher. Fantastic as USUAL, though he also managed to showcase how much of a poser Justin Bieber is. 

6. Mumford & Sons, Avett Brothers, & Bob Dylan. Fantastic performance. FANTASTIC. I want to go out and buy the M&S album right now.

7. Nicole Kidman. Singing along to Katy Perry AND grooving to Mick Jagger? I kind of love you even more.

8. Rihanna. I may have let the Jean Paul Gautier half naked dress from your red carpet go because it was straight off the runway, but I did not need to become intimately familiar with your cooch. Please do not grind facing the television. My eyes and brain just cannot take it.

9. Eminem. Pretty fucking great I must say. Not really surprised but still - GO BEST RAP ALBUM OF THE YEAR!

10. Cee Lo Green and Gwenyth Paltrow. A good song, an actress who doesn't actually enjoying singing, and random puppets - what's not to like?

11. Mick Jagger and his Liberace cape moment. Loved it. That man will never die and if he does it will be on stage dancing as Tina Turner taught him. 

12. Gaga. I guess I have to say something right? Well her fashion was weirdo-tastic as usual, and her song sounded exactly like Madonna's 'Express Yourself'. Not really hiding the copying tactics so well now huh, Gaga?

13. Selena Gomez. Random I know but I didn't want to forget this point because her dress was unbelievable. Simply, elegantly, gorgeous and she should be commended for it. And for putting up with all those death threats from the Bieber fans....

Well I thought a lot about what I might do for Valentine's Day. I don't have any particular plans so it's a matter of what I would wear or what is just a lot of fun to wear. The 'fun to wear' has definitely made me think of some other looks to try later but realistically I like feeling pretty. I like naturally accentuating what I like best about my features and making them stand out that way. Thus the look I settled on could be described as 'me but on a REALLY good day', lol.

What this really is a slightly cat eye smokey look. I used a vary dark brown and an angled brush to lay down the powder along the outside corner of my eye. The base on the lid is a shimmery pink color from one of my Lorac palettes. I think it would work well on anyone around my skin tone, though for my darker skinned friends it could end up looking a little harsh so it might be better to switch it up with a deep gold or bronze on the lid and then keep everything else the same. 

Products Used:

~~LORAC Behind the Scenes eye primer

~~LORAC Little Black Palette

~~Too Faced eyeshadow in Cocoa Puff

~~Prestige liquid liner in black

~~Stila matte eyeshadow in makalu (to set the liner)

~~Clinique High Impact Mascara

Finally to make myself feel even more ridiculous, I put together a little video where I talk about the products and hopefully give you readers a better look at the eyeshadow. Unfortunately I think it's a little glare-y (stupid laptop cam!) but at least it's better than nothing :-/

Hope you guys have a great time doing whatever you're doing with whoever you're doing it with!

sometimes that my style was different. I guess as much as I don't mind the shopping itself being an effort, I'd love if my brain could just randomly come up with 'outfits' and 'looks'.

Ugh ASOS you're killing me! I originally saw this cape on Gabi at YFF and loved it. But as all the ASOS Curve stuff fits too big on me I have to consider the one in their main line - which is $30 - $40 more expensive! For something I'm not even positive will look good on me!

I've been sucked in and I don't know what I'm gonna do about it. 

While it's been awhile since I've watched one all the way through, there's a special place in my heart for Asian dramas. I'm such a sap for a happy ending that even when the story line is ridiculous I'll still be sucked in. I think my friend put it best, American soap operas are designed to go on forever - no one is guaranteed happiness, but Asian dramas have a ending. People get married and you have the proverbial 'ride off into the sunset' feeling to keep you happy. And if any of you guys out there have noticed what I read the majority of the time, my love for Asian dramas is probably not TOO surprising.

The one I've been watching lately is1st Shop of Coffee Prince, or just Coffee Prince. And when I say 'watching' I mean spending almost my every waking moment frantically getting through the next episode or 2. Total the series is 17 episodes long, long enough that you get emotionally attached to the characters but not so long that you get sick of it. Synopsis from Wikipedia:

Sounds great doesn't it? No cancer, amnesia, or other life threatening injuries. Yay! LMAO! You might think I'm exaggerating but seriously, with Korean dramas you never know and the most popular seem to have horrible things happen to their main characters. Coffee Prince though is pretty on the level and the romance between Han-Gyul and Eun-Chan is terribly addicting. They're just both so ridiculous! Han-Gyul is the rich, carefree bachelor and Eun-Chain the naive tomboy, frantically trying to work enough to support her family. When Han-Gyul mistakes her for a boy and decides to her hire as his pretend lover it seems like the perfect way to pick up some quick cash. Unsurprisingly things snowball from there and for her it doesn't seem like there's ever a good time to tell the truth!

SO MUCH DRAMA! Oh it was great! Is it bad to say that someone's a good crier? Well either way it's the truth because it was heartwrenching to watch Gong Yoo after he learned the truth. And then to watch Yoo Eun Hye be just as emotional in response....I mean there was just no way I wasn't going to enjoy it. The supporting characters are good too, though don't get me wrong, and without them I'm sure the show itself wouldn't have been such a hit. 

I HIGHLY recommend Coffee Prince, though make sure to grab some coffee and some tissues, because it's good enough to make you cry and keep you up all night.

First let me apologize that this post took so long! I'd been meaning to take pictures of everything for forever and then my camera broke! It was an epic adventure of WTF*ckery especially since just 1 or 2 pictures ago it had been acting fine. Apparently the older Cannon Powershot's have a factory defect that I unfortunately fell victim to, but it doesn't really matter why does it because it still means I'm stuck with a over-exposed taking sh*tty camera. Sigh. 

Either way I coerced my roommate into taking some mostly usable pictures of the items I bought from ASOS. The website is pretty easy to navigate through (though you can't search by size which I think is really dumb) and the free shipping is a great extra (return shipping is free too!). Everything I bought was from the plus sized ASOS Curve line and I think I'll have to admit defeat on it. I was hoping that since it was a UK brand things would run a bit small but in reality it seems that when something says it's a size US 16 it's pretty true to life.

I was impressed by the quality though and feel like it was a worthwhile attempt and I'll definitely head back and take a look through later for things in size 14!

1. Animal Print Mini Skirt (Size 16)

I was so sad this didn't work :(. The skirt was incredibly soft and I didn't mind at all that it was stretchy because I'd been planning to wear it with a tank top tucked in anyway. But as you can see from the second pic there's no way it would have stayed up on my hips brand new, let alone after I'd worn it a few times. 

2. Brown Pencil Skirt (Size 16)

Again, loved the fabric, loved the cut, loved length, but it was just too big. In the first picture I'm holding it in at the waist to give you guys an idea of how I wanted it to fit. This type of beige-y brown would have been a great wardrobe staple for me too. Sigh. Returned.

3. Purple Skinny Jeans (Size 16)

These were a little weird. They were very fitted from about mid thigh down, but the waist was really big. I think these pants have to be made for women who just carry their weight a lot differently then I do. I liked the color though and even on my 5'6'' frame they were many inches too long, so I think they'd work really well on a longer limbed beauty. Returned.

4. Military Green Biker-eque Skinny Jeans (Size 16)

These were just a mess. I appreciated the attempt to add some tough chic-ery to the design with some patterned stuff around the knees, but it was just big all over. No way would these ever work. Returned. 

5. Pleat Detail Skirt Dress (Size 16)

 **Stock Photo

This dress turned out to be an unexpected surprise - for my roommate! The fabric on this dress was nice and stiff, which allowed the neckline and the pleats to sit very complimentary. Unfortunately since it was not stretchy all, including the waistline you can see in the stock photo above, it was baggy on me pretty much everywhere. Luckily it looks great on my roomie though and for $17 it was a quite a bargain! Kept - but passed on!

So what does this mean for ASOS? I think it means that 90% of the time they have nice quality, reasonably priced items - that run truer to size than I expected. I'm probably not going to get a lot from the Curve line but I'm very excited to try my hand at their other pieces and I highly recommend that people give them a try on their own, as free shipping to US costumers makes this a bargain even if things don't fit.