TGIF!

 

Good Morning! I’m so glad it’s Friday. This will be more of a personal blog but I needed to change some things up. =P I’m looking forward to this weekend for some fun filled events with friends and the dentist. =(

My plans this weekend? For today – After work I’m heading out to Pyscho Suzy’s  to celebrate my birthday with my two other friends. I call it the “August Trio Birthdays.” I have never been to Pyscho Suzy’s but I’ve heard of great things. I’m pretty excited to see everyone tonight. One thing I do NOT want to do is be drunk. Ugh, I hate that feeling and do not want to wake up hungover because I have a dentist appt at 8am the next day. I know my dentist (who is my uncle) would not appreciate my alcohol breath. LOL

Saturday- I have a dentist apptmt at 8am. I’m doing a deep cleaning so it will take anywhere from 3.5-4 hours.I’m dreading this. The s/o is doing a regular clean up as well. Later on the day we are heading out to Vikings preseason game with the Cowgirls. Oh yea! I’m excited! Lucky me won the tickets from work. We have suite tickets too.

Sunday- Made plans to head out to the MN State fair. I’m super uber stoked! I didn’t get to go last year so I’m planning to pig out as usual. I want turkey legs, cheese curds, fries, corn on the cob, deep fried candy bar, and lots more! Eheheheh I love going to the state fair.

Other than that, I need to do a makeup haul. I bought some Japanese makeup a few months back from Chicago. It was a big dent on my wallet. Luckily, I put half of what I wanted back or else I would have been scolded by the s/o. ehehehe So far I’ve tried two of the japanese mascara and I only like one of them. Then I’m also trying out this Japanese exfolient as well. So far I’ve only used it once and I’m liking it a LOT. I will have to use it more often to give it a full review.

What are your plans for the weekend? Anything exciting? Anything you would like to share?

Have a great weekend all!

<3, Lilly

Think Twice About Gel Manicures and Pedicures

Who doesn't desire gel manicures and pedicures? It makes your nails shiny and chip-free longer. Yet, it can  be risky and hazardous. 

At the American Academy of Dermatology’ Summer Academy Meeting, there was discussion about the ways gel is applied and removed. "They require regular exposure to ultra violet light, and there have been a couple of articles which suggested that damage of the nails has occurred," says Richard K. Scher, a dermatologist at Columbia University in NYC.

Other dermatologists are treading carefully with this trend, too: "I heard about gel manicures and thought what a great idea—until I got one and realized how much exposure to UV light the skin surrounding the nail is actually getting," says Heidi Waldorf, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in NYC. "That could increase your risk for squamous-cell carcinoma (aka cancer) in the area." 

And along with UV exposure, Scher points out that acetone can be a culprit, too: To remove gel polish, women dip their nails—or entire fingers—into acetone. If you're getting a manicure every two to three weeks, he says, this can dry out the nail and even cause inflammation to surrounding skin.
 

Tell us your thoughts.

♥ Khou

Photos: http://screamcute.tumblr.com/page/2; http://www.flickr.com/photos/lelalobo/5631654035/in/faves-46536312@N06/; http://www.flickr.com/photos/lelalobo/5792152720/in/photostream/; http://imgur.com/Y7srY&8EzJ0&8lYMU&sqRNEl Info: allure

Smile With Your Eyeglasses

Wearing eyeglasses is not for nerds anymore. It has become a fashion and makeup statement. Complete your look with these eye-catching tips in glasses.

 

Stay Neutral

Less is definitely more. Wearing glasses draws attention to your eyes, so it’s best to keep your eye makeup simple. Stick to neutral shades on the eyes, but remember to blend a darker color into your crease for definition. Save the bright, bold colors for your lips. Don’t forget corrector and concealer—this is a must if you’re wearing glasses.

Don’t Be Afraid of Mascara 

Apply 2-3 coats of mascara to really make eyes stand out. Always use black mascara because it makes the biggest difference.

Get In Line

 Adjust the thickness of your liner is important when you’re wearing glasses. If your frames are thicker, you’ll want to apply a thicker line to the upper lash line so that eyes stand out. If your frames are thinner, a softer liner works.

Define Your Brows 

Eye brows make a huge difference when you wear glasses— the frames draw attention to them. Learning how to shape and color your brows can change the entire frame of your face.

Share your makeup tips wearing eyeglasses with us.

♥ Khou

Info: fashionista; Picture: http://gabrielaaaa.tumblr.com/post/5383452599

Do you really need to moisturize?

When it comes to beauty rules, most of us believe that moisturizing is just as important as proper cleansing. But as an “Oily” type, the truth may surprise you. The fact is, your “Oily” skin has plenty of natural hydration, and this extra step may not be necessary for you.

When your skin is “Oily,” you have to consider your skin’s other attributes, since concerns such as aging and redness are addressed with specially formulated moisturizers. But the last thing your “Oily” skin needs is more oil, especially if you’re trying to fight excess shine. Many anti-aging creams also contain harsh acids that can aggravate “Sensitive” skin—even more reason to shy away.

Instead of a true moisturizer, try a lighter serum or gel that contains ingredients designed to quell your other skin concerns. Antioxidant-rich offerings are effective for fighting wrinkles and other signs of aging, and formulas with anti-inflammatory ingredients can help with redness. As an added bonus, serums may contain higher concentrations of good-for-your-skin ingredients than moisturizers anyway. A few to try: Olay Regenerist Fragrance-Free Regenerating Serum, iS Clinical Hydra-Cool Serum, Caudalie Firming Concentrate and Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel.

If you find it hard to break the moisturizer habit, you can get an extra dose of moisture with your daily sunscreen. When paired with the right serum, you can get all the skin-improving ingredients and environmental protection your skin needs, without the extra oil and shine.

Cited from Skin Type Solutions

How to minimiz pores

While you can't decrease the actual size of your pores, there are several strategies that can make them look less noticeable:

• Exfoliate. When pores are clogged with oil and dead skin cells, they are easier to see. Regular exfoliation with ingredients like alpha hydroxy acids (like glycolic or lactic acids) or salicylic acid will help rid the debris that collects inside. ( Definitely exfoliate with a facial brush like Sigma's cleansing and polishing tool. http://www.sigmabeauty.com/?Click=4779) 

• Stimulate cell turnover. Once pores are cleared out, look for ingredients that will keep them that way! Horse Chestnut extract is proven to speed cell turnover and slough off dead skin cells before they can clog pores. Find it in Babor Calming Sensitive Couperose Serum and in Pevonia Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser. Retinoids are also helpful here, and in addition to decreasing oil production, they help you look younger, too!

• Plump skin. The next strategy is to prompt the skin around pores to swell slightly. As the skin plumps, pores will appear to contract. Topical Vitamin C (available in a variety of facial serums), and light in-office light procedures like IPL are effective ways to add volume to the skin and minimize the appearance of large pores.

• Keep in mind that enlarged pores are easier to prevent than to treat after the fact: Wash away makeup every night, and avoid popping or picking pimples because that can permanently stretch pores.

Cited: Skin Type Solutions

New Makeup Tips

 

Makeup artist are the go-to person when it comes to makeup tips. They know the latest and greatest secrets to looking gorgeous. Be ready to be wowed.

Ditch the oil slick
To keep shine in check, Revlon Global Artistic Director Gucci Westman always keeps blotting papers on hand. Yet, she has an unusual way to keep oil at a minimum. "Believe it or not," she says, "I sometimes put deodorant on my finger and dab under my eyes and t-zone to help create a matte look."

Try a colored eyeliner
Changing your eyeliner can make eyes look bigger and brighter, says makeup artist Tina Turnbow, who has worked with stars such as Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. "Try swapping black for plum, olive green or indigo," she suggests. "Black can close up the eye and make it appear smaller, because darker colors make the eye recede. Some colors, even brown, can be softer."

Go for sheer foundation
Adding aloe to foundation gives it excellent slip, says makeup artist Brett Freedman, who's helped women like Vanessa Hudgens and Leighton Meester get gorgeous. "Sheer out your favorite base by adding a half a pea size of aloe to your foundation before you apply," he explains. "Also, you can apply aloe to your face and while still dewy, spread on a little foundation. You're ready for summer!"

Style your brows, size up your eyes
Doug Howell, NARS makeup artist, has an easy trick for making eyes stand out more. "Use a powder to define the entire brow, but give extra attention to the center arch area of the brow," he says. "Since this is the highest area of the brow, it tricks people's eyes into thinking your eyes look bigger." Use a brow brush to apply powder eye shadows that correspond with your hair color. He recommends NARS single eye shadows in these shades: Blondie for lighter hair, Bali for medium hair and Coconut Grove for dark hair.

Create a wet look — for your lashes
"There’s nothing sexier than the way lashes group together when they’re wet, like after getting out of a pool," says MAC Senior Artist Victor Cembellin. "Here’s the secret to the look: Apply MAC Brow Set in Clear to the eyelashes first, and then top with a coat of black mascara." The result: grouped, wet-look, sexy lashes.

Leave your lipstick in place
The same product can be used to keep lipstick in check, says MAC Senior Artist Louise Zizzo. "MAC Brow Set in Clear used around the rim of the mouth will help prevent lipstick from bleeding," she explains.

Get Bambi lashes without mascara
You don't need mascara to make your eyelashes stand out, says mark celebrity makeup artist Mai Quynh, who has worked with actors including Emma Stone and Ashley Greene. Just add eyeliner, she says: "To get voluminous-looking lashes, apply dark brown or black waterproof eyeliner to the upper rim of your eye — not on top of the lashes, but in between and underneath them. This gives the illusion of thicker, fuller lashes without having a lined eye." 

♥ Khou

Photo: tumblr | Info: bellasugar

Timeless Summer Makeup

Summer is our favorite time of the year. Yet, with heat and humidity summer makeup can be au natural or more high maintenance. Here's tips to help you look amazing while having fun in the sun:

• After applying sunscreen, use a mineral powder foundation or a tinted moisturizer instead of foundation
• Conceal any blemishes with concealer and immediately use powder to set it
• With humidity, skip powder on the rest of your face because it can get cake-y
• For oil or shine on the face, use blotting papers that has no mineral oil because mineral oil could clog your pores and cause breakouts
• For your eyes, go waterproof with eyeshadow, liquid liner, and eye liner
• Complete your eyes with a waterproof mascara
• If you are tan, use a blush instead of a cream blush because it will not last long in the heat. If you are protecting your skin with a hat and sunscreen, use a bronzer on top of your forehead, nose, cheekbones and chin
• Go for a a tinted lip balm or sheer (or bold) lipstick

♥ Khou

Photo: http://beautyfantasy.tumblr.com/page/3; Info: thebeautydepartment

Kardashians' Nail Polish

Be inspired and captivated by the new Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolor Kollection. There are 14 "kolors" filled with glitz and glamour. You also got to love the nail polish names like "Kim-pletely in Love", "Sealed with a Kris", and "Hard Kourt Fashionista". The Kardashian Kolor Kollection will be available Holiday 2011.

It's All About Glam

Kim-pletely in Love

 All Kendall-ed Up

Wear Something Spar-Kylie

 Sealed with a Kris

 

Rainbow in the S-Kylie

 

Disco Dolls

 

Kendall on the Katwalk

 

Listen to your Momager!

 

Follow Me on Glitter

 

My Empire...My Rules

 

Khloé Had a Little Lam-Lam

 

Hard Kourt Fashionista

 Kourt is Red-y for a Pedi

Tell us which is your fave.

♥ Khou

Photos: OPI

NYX Cosmetics Haute Jersey Leopard Couture

What's stylish, sassy, and tan? It's NYX Cosmetics' new Haute Jersey Leopard Couture palette ($25, available at NYX Cosmetics). This palette offers four bronzerss, two lip glosses, two blushes, and 24 eyeshadows.  This is your ultimate go-to palette for the beach, parties, and girls' night out. Get ready to unleash your wild side.

♥ Khou

Japanese Makeup?

Are you a fan of Japanese makeup? If so what brands and products? I will be sharing my personal haul and reviews on some japanese product i picked up in Chicago this past weekend.

Stay tuned...

-Lilly

NARS Love San Francisco

If you're going to San Francisco, I've got the perfect gift for you. Try NARS Love San Francisco makeup kit. The limited-edition is available exclusively on narscosmetics.com. There are five hot shades "designed to complement and reflect the women of San Francisco." The set includes: Duo Eyeshadow in Haight Asbury - a metallic green paired with dove gray. Eyeshadow Angel Island - a sheer lilac shimmer. Blush in Golden Gate Bridge - a sheer, shimmering 24k gold and Nail Polish in Alamo - a subtle, sexy, beautiful bronze pink. Hurry, there's limited quantities and time - 100 sets only and one week left to purchase. It's $75 and shipping is free! 

If you had the opportunity to design a makeup kit for a city, which city would you choose. Share your thoughts with us.

♥ Khou 

Photo:refinery29; Info:narscosmetics

Beautiful Brows

When it comes to your eye brows, do not over-pluck and use a shaver or razor. Learn how to shape them, fill them in, and elongate them. Because your eye brows frame your eyes.

 

Tools:

• Spooly brush or disposable mascara wand
• Cuticle scissors
• Angled/slant tweezers
• Pointed tweezers
• Brow shadow (taupe for blondes and brown range for everyone else)
• Brow shadow brush
• Pencil (to line up the angles)

Here's how to get a beautiful shaped brows: 

1. With a disposable mascara wand or spooly brush, brush the hairs upward to prepare for Step 2

2. With a pair of scissors, trim any hairs that are longer than your brow shape

3. With angled tweezers, pluck areas above and below the brows, grabbing a couple at a time

4. With pointed tweezers, grab stubborn single hairs and shorter ones

5. To determine where your brow should start, hold a pencil or make-up brush along one side of your nose. Where it crosses the inner corner of your brow, that’s where it should begin

6. Now angle the pencil across the iris; that’s where the arch should begin

7. Angle it to the end of the outer corner of the eye; that’s where the brow should end

8. With those angles and lengths in mind, fill in the brows using light, feathery strokes as if you were drawing individual hairs

♥ Khou

photos: Justin Coit for thebeautydepartment.com; Info: thebeautydepartment.com

Happy Fourth of July!

"Firework" by Katy Perry

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag,
drifting through the wind
wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
like a house of cards,
one blow from caving in?

Do you ever feel already buried deep?
6 feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
'Cause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite, the light, and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe your reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow
And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite, the light, and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through-ough-ough

'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

♥ Khou

Photo: http://weheartit.com/entry/11488302; Video: http://youtu.be/QGJuMBdaqIw

Fourth of July Sale

Happy Fourth of July! Pink Blossom Cosmetics is having a sale - $4 off all palettes. Hurry! You do not want to miss out on this great deal.

Be safe, wear sunblock, and enjoy the holiday with family and friends.

♥ Khou

Blue Crush

Rock your eyeshadow this Fourth of July. Why not color it blue? It's mood-lifting and vibrant. If you want a sophisticated look, go for a dark blue eyeshadow. If you want a girly look, go for a light blue eyeshadow. Complete your look with a natural or nude lip color. Yes, your eyes will definitely be a show-stopper.

  

 Keri Hilson

 Freida Pinto

 Diane Kruger

Try:

120 Color Palette 2nd Edition, available at Pink Blossom Cosmetics, $30

How blue are you willing to go?

♥ Khou

Photo: glamour