Date Nights and the Makeup that Goes With It

Welp, a month since my last post has dazzled by. I've been a software engineer (!) a little over three months now, and I'm happy to report that I no longer feel the crushing imposter syndrome and anxiety I felt when I first started. I'm grateful for the many women who've paved the way before me in this industry and having the chance to participate in clubs like Women in CS, because hearing their stories made me realize that my feelings were normal, even expected, and completely self-imposed. In an Instagram post written three months ago, I wrote: "posting this as a reminder to my future self that we all start somewhere and felt hopeless once upon a time, but it’ll get better." I'm glad even as I was in the throes of doubting myself, I knew I could wait it out.

I'm pleased to report that my absence from writing was due to an incredible month of catching up with dear friends (all of whom lament the lack of time time time) and meeting (hopefully) new ones. They say it's difficult to make new friends in your 30s, but that's also the age they say you stop changing, and I refuse any notion that limits me from living the life I want. As luck had it, sometime in the past month I found myself in a four hour conversation with a couple I just met, which only ended because a) the restaurant was closing and b) we all had to wake up at a reasonable hour for work the next day. It felt like a really good first date, a feeling that's elusive to find in couple friends — it always seems like you get along better with one person, not both equally — and you bet I'm going to hit them up for a next hangout.

Speaking of dates, here's a serious throwback in more ways than one: a look I wore to a date night a few weeks ago featuring mostly old school classics (permanent products! taupe!) and some strong deer in headlights cheekbone action. After all, some things do stay the same.



Products Used (clockwise):
Chanel Joues Contraste in Rose Initiale (I love that Chanel.com has free shipping for all orders)
Chanel Les Beiges Fresh Water Tint in Medium Light
Suqqu Retouch Pressed Powder in Porcelain
Burberry Eyeshadows in Trench, Rosewood and Midnight Brown
Rouge Bunny Rouge Succulence of Dew Sheer Lipstick in Perfume of His Gaze
Cle de Peau Luminizing Face Enhancer in Delicate Pink
Not pictured:
Guerlain Multi-Perfecting Concealer in Medium Cool
THREE Mesmerizing Performance Eyeliner Pencil 10
Heroine Make Long and Curl Mascara



I'm possibly the last person to get to the Chanel Fresh Water Tints. The hype does not disappoint. I love that it feels like water and gives just a hint of coverage. It's enough if you have pretty good skin and all you want is a little rounding out, a tone down of the redness around the nose and cheeks. Spot conceal where needed — ever since I stopped using hormonal birth control I've started getting breakouts on my face again. /lament



Burberry Trench as base, Rosewood all over lids, Midnight Brown on outer edges and lower lash line. Nice thick eyeliner to give the appearance of ample eyelashes, swipe of mascara to create said eyelashes. I smudged the edges of the eyeliner just a smidge for a more natural look.



Blush above the hollow of cheekbones, highlight atop. Don't forget the middle of the nose, above the cupid's bow, inner corners of eyes. Lipstick and done!

A Fall Look with THREE and Suqqu

A brief interlude between cataloguing my shopping excesses to show you a look created with the products from Taiwan shopping part 1.



Repeat of the photo of the products for good measure:



The colors from top left to bottom right are: a shimmering pale gold, an auburn cream, a matte brown, a light barley. All of them pull warm. In the picture above, I used the palette traditionally. Started with a wash of the auburn all over the lids and the bottom lash line, then I targeted the pale gold on the inner lid and the matte brown on the outer lid. I blended them into each other using a fluffy brush. With my ring finger, I dabbed the lightest bit of the barley on the inner corners of my eye. To finish off, I tightlined my eyes using my favorite Suqqu eyeliner and applied a coat of mascara.

I placed the Suqqu blush in Usumoya higher up on my cheeks than usual (apparently the placement trick that's all the rage in Taiwan right now) and blended it to the sides. Lips are one coat of the Lyrical Lip Bloom 16 featured above. It has a smooth but not overtly silicone-y texture. Unfortunately, I realized belatedly that it catches on dry skin, so as much as I love how it looks when applied, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with dry lips.

These colors are getting me excited for fall! Bring on the foliage!

Products used in this post:
Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Intense in Medium Pink
Guerlain Multi-Perfecting Concealer in Medium Cool
THREE Dimensional Vision Eye Palette 03
THREE Mesmerizing Performance Eyeliner Pencil 10
Heroine Make Long and Curl Mascara
Suqqu Pure Color Blush 10 Usumoya
Glossier Haloscope in Quartz (you can get $10 off as a new customer with this link)
THREE Lyrical Lip Bloom 16

Beauty Shopping in Taiwan, Part 1

So... remember that large suitcase I was telling you about in my travel post. True to my prediction, exactly half of it was filled with food, and the other half filled with skincare and makeup (I only brought one packing cube worth of clothes). I was doing so well with my skincare no-buy before the trip and making headway on working through some of my stash, but traveling to Asia does crazy things to me. Now that I'm back, I'll put myself back on that no-buy so I can actually work through these goodies.

I spent two weeks in Malaysia and three days in Taiwan. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen the barrage of food content on my stories. Most of my time in Malaysia was spent with family and friends, while most of my time in Taiwan was spent eating everything I saw and trawling through pharmacies and department stores. I was particularly ecstatic to find that my favorite Japanese brands (Suqqu, THREE and Addiction) were all available in the same department store, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Hsinyi Place A8, so that was the first place I went.



The difference between beauty shopping in Taiwan and the US is that the sales associates in Taiwan are more savvy when it comes to skincare. I went to the THREE counter with the express purpose of purchasing my HG eyeliner (thwarted because they don't sell the black one in Taiwan /anguish) but got waylaid and treated to a whole skincare and makeup routine instead. THREE's skincare philosophy centers around "naturally derived ingredients," which I take to mean lots of essential oils and plant extracts. This doesn't necessarily speak to me, because I'm a believer of clinically proven results when it comes to skincare ingredients (see: Vitamin C, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, etc). However! I've heard great things about the cleansing oil and balancing foam and was willing to try them because my requirements for cleansers are less stringent. I also impulse purchased the balancing cream because the SA put it on me and I liked it.

The risky buy here is the balancing clear lip lotion. For context, I have terrible peeling lips that no amount of water drinking or lip balm applying has ever fixed. It has gotten to the point that I suspect it is caused by allergies, but it peels even if I have nothing on it! The lip lotion, I surmise, is like a serum for the lips. I bought it even though the ingredients don't suggest that it would... do anything, but I am desperate enough about the situation to try any new thing I can find. Right now, I'm dutifully using it morning and night. We'll see if it changes anything!

On the other hand, the lip balm has a pleasant yuzu scent and a nice melty texture. Definitely a new favorite.



I think I was just feeling particularly trigger happy that day. The model in their Autumn/Winter campaign was wearing the Dimensional Vision Eye Palette 03 and her eyes were a vision of fall. I also picked up the peach-toned lip gloss/cream she was wearing, which the brand calls Lyrical Lip Bloom 16. I AM NOT IMMUNE TO MARKETING, OKAY? Both pieces are limited edition for fall.



Suqqu went through a packaging revamp since I last saw them (admittedly, years ago) and damnnnnn are they sleek now (action video here)! I briefly regretted purchasing the THREE palette instead of going all Suqqu when realizing the disparity between their packaging, but of course it's what inside that counts... right?

Pictured here are the Retouch Pressed Powder 02 and Pure Color Blush 10 Usumoya. Both are from the permanent collection. They're both housed in the thinnest black and gold palettes and it's such a joy handling them that I'm battling waves of regret for not getting more Suqqu things to pepper into my stash.



I also got the Extra Rich Glow Cream Foundation, mostly because of Wondegondigo's recommendation. I waver back and forth whether this or the THREE Flawless Ethereal Fluid Foundation was a better choice, but I guess I'll never know. Such are the pitfalls of purchasing products with no window for testing.

I'll stop here for now. Part 2 will feature my drugstore picks!

Suqqu Frame Fix Cream Foundation N 102

When I think about my skin, I always mutter a silent thank you to my mom for blessing me with good genes. All I need to do to keep it in shape is minor maintenance, comprising of a basic cleansing and skincare regimen. Thus, foundation is usually the last on my list of priorities.

I say that, but there are at least six different jars and vials of second skins sitting on my vanity, collecting dust. And when I heard whispers of a magical foundation from an elusive (at least in the US) Japanese brand, I decided I had to find out if the rumors were true, even if I didn't use foundation. The beauty blogger's curiosity kills common sense (and the wallet), if not the cat.

Opportunity strikes! A dear friend's visit to Japan enabled me to obtain the hallowed Suqqu Frame Fix Cream Foundation N, in shade 102.

I think this is a fantastic full-coverage foundation for oily skin. It's drying not in the sense that it sucks moisture out of my skin, but it would look dry without adequate prior moisturization. The trick to applying this foundation is to make sure your skin is moist when you pick up half a pea-sized dollop and dab it at the key areas of your face. Use both hands to quickly spread the foundation around. Once your skin dries, the foundation will no longer be pliable.

Also, while moist skin makes application infinitely better, wet skin does not. I applied it once after spraying on face mist and the foundation ended up swimming around unevenly.

Was it everything I dreamed of and more? I'm not sure. There is a definite learning curve to application – sometimes I treat it like a video game, racing against time to finish applying the foundation before my skin soaks up the goods (toner, serum, moisturizer). Perhaps it's due to this rushed application method that occasionally I would notice accentuated smile lines, like the foundation couldn't properly meld with my skin. Or maybe I am not used to the effects of foundation after all.

That said, this foundation is perfect for photography. I will not hesitate to use this for a wedding, for example, because it will stay on all day and in the immortalized photos I will look like I have Photoshopped skin. If you'll excuse my bout of vanity, I am in awe with my skin in the photos I take for the blog, so much so that I actually find myself wishing that my skin looked like that in real life (which to be fair, it probably does. I recognize that I may just be far too critical of my real life self, i.e. scrutinizing my face an inch from the mirror).

Suqqu Frame Fix Cream Foundation N 102 retails for something like $110 at the cutthroat ichibankao.com.

Products Used:
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow Palette 01 Moss Green
Suqqu Frame Fix Cream Foundation N 102
Le Metiér de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur Concealer Shade 1
Clé de Peau Beauté Luminizing Face Enhancer in Delicate Pink
Guerlain Crazy Paris Meteorites Radiance Powder Compact (Holiday 2013)
THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencil 08
Le Metiér de Beauté Nouvelle Vague Kaleidoscope
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Burberry Earthy Blush
Shiseido Lacquer Rouge VI324

Suqqu Spring 2013: EX-13 Ginusudama

Several pieces of the Suqqu spring collection landed on my doorstep a couple of weeks ago, courtesy of a (well placed) loved one in London. I didn't find many of the US releases this season exciting and haven't been making new purchases, so the package was a welcome dose of beauty. I've mentioned on Twitter some time ago that I've largely weaned myself off the need to buy and own lots of things, but it's always nice getting something pretty in the mail.

A review of the spring palettes would not be complete without mention of this different, duochrome-ish white-silver packaging (as opposed to the usual black). I assume it is an allusion to the color of pearls, as the products from the entire spring collection ends with the word pearl (genius, I am).

Swatched clockwise from the top left, Ginusudama contains a pearlescent pink, a bronze-copper, an ivory, and a decidedly duochrome purple-gray. Though really, those are crude words to describe the colors above. Each shade flickers and changes slightly in the light. The formula, if you can believe, is even more buttery smooth compared to the regular quads. It's pigmented but light – you can't overwhelm the eyes with this palette, no matter how much you pile on.

The Look

For the look above, I used the palette in the most generic way possible. White as under brow and inner corner highlight, pink all over then layered with the copper, and purple-gray shade as liner. Because the color palette was so light, I knew I couldn't rely on my go-to nude. I reached for a shade I've never tested before, NARS Velvet Gloss in New Lover, and was surprised that it complemented the look very nicely indeed. Perhaps it's in the coolness of the shades? Nevertheless, that's a friendly pink added to the trusted stash, and we all know doesn't happen very often.

Suqqu EX-13 Ginusudama is available at ichibankao.com in the US, albeit with a high markup.

Products Used:
Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream in Light Medium
RMS "Un" Cover-Up in #22
Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow in Moss Green
Suqqu EX-13 Ginusudama Blend Color Eyeshadow
THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner in 08 Eye On
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Guerlain Blush G Sakura (Asia Exclusive)
NARS Velvet Gloss in New Lover

Spring Butterfly Makeup

L-R: Addiction Twig, Suqqu Mizuaoi

Not even gonna lie, the "butterfly" part was coined by the editors of Harper's Bazaar to describe the below, taken at Roberto Cavalli's Fall 2012 runway show. To my dismay, I don't have purple or green eyeshadow that vibrant, but as usual I took matters in my own hands and cobbled up a look with what I had. I only noticed after editing that the result is similar to the Rouge Bunny Rouge look I did a couple months ago, with slight adjustments to placement.

I wish I used a brighter green. Can we just imagine that the dark green I used on my lids was brighter and popped (I hate using that word, but in this context it's really apt) more? Would have made this more interesting.

Anyway, let's get down to the nitty-gritty. I covered my eyelids and my bottom lash line with the green eyeshadow. For the blueish lilac shade, I stuck my brush by the side of my nose bridge and blended the shade into the lid, stopping just before it touches the eyebrows. The definition achieved by the model above is envy-inducing—alas, I have no such nose.

For the outer half, I used the purple brown shade from the Suqqu Mizuaoi quad (sadly discontinued) and blended it into the two colors. I lined both top and bottom lash line with a black liner, then applied mascara. For the finishing touch, I dipped a liner brush into the white and highlighted the inner corners of my eyes.

While the makeup on the rest of the model's face was kept bland, I added just a hint of pink on my cheeks (the trick is a really fluffy powder brush, a light pink blush, and an even lighter hand), then highlighted on top of my cheekbones and down the center of my nose. I also went for lipstick that didn't wash me out.

Oh! I tested a new trick to applying foundation. I sprayed a mist between every layer. Basically, mist –> foundation –> mist –> powder -> mist. The aim was to create dewy-looking skin.

The Look






Products Used:
Rouge Bunny Rouge Time Defying Foundation in Wheat Cream
Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Light
Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist
Guerlain Perles du Paradis Meteorites
Benefit Dandelion Blush
RMS Living Luminizer
Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow Palette in Moss Green
Suqqu Mizuaoi
Addiction Twig Eyeshadow
Pop Beauty Peak Performance Mascara in Blackest Black
Cle de Peau Enriched Lip Luminizer in #201

Suqqu EX-08 Hanamari Blend Color Eyeshadow

I think we bloggers are secretly most gleeful when we can blame a fellow blogger for our purchases. My latest fall was not only Lizzie of Glossed in Translation's fault, she even went as far to procure it for me all the way from London. Seeing her post about Suqqu EX-08 Hanamari Blend Color Eyeshadow was one of those "I see, I want" kind of moments that usually leads to buyer's remorse. In my case, it has led to the kind of satisfaction you only get when time has proven that you've made a very good decision. I think of Hanamari as an effortless eye palette, and I know we abuse superlatives often, but I really, really mean it.

Like I always say, sometimes all one asks for is pretty, and pretty this is. The quad contains a pinkish pearl, a taupe meadow green (I'm at loss what color this is), a light shimmery pink, a warmish brown. If I were perfectly honest, I'll tell you I bought the quad solely because of the green shade, but it's always good to know everything else works.

What I do with it is dreadfully simple. I layer the three lightest shades on top of each other (pearl, pink, then green), with only the barest of afterthoughts in placement, such as more of the pearl around the inner corner, more of the green at outer corner etc. I tightline my eyes with a brown liner, then sort of fluff out the brown shade from the lash line (I wish this was a video so you understand what I mean by fluffing out).

For this particular look I accidentally applied a little too much of the pink. Usually the result is more of a gray-green-pink combination that's marvelous because I cannot tell you for sure what color it is.

If I look a little haggard in these photos, it's because it was taken after about eight hours of frantic running around the big city. There is just so much work to do before the holidays, which perplexes me a little. Why are we working so hard and stressing out for a holiday?

I don't know if Suqqu EX-08 Hanamari is still available since it is a limited edition Selfridges/Hankyu exclusive, as Lizzie explains. But uh, pretty!

Products Used:
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
Suqqu EX-08 Hanamari Blend Color Eyeshadow
Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Waterproof Eyeliner in Brown #2
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Suqqu 03 Hinageshi Balancing Cheeks
Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro #200 Terra

What Works For Others May Not Work For You

Case in point: I attempted to re-enact what I think of as the typical Asian smokey eye, where basically you rim your top lash line and 1/3 of your bottom waterline with black liner, add a ton of highlight in the inner corner and extend it to the edge of that 1/3 of black line. Color on lids optional. I used Le Métier de Beauté Nouvelle Vague, which has basically become my to-go eye palette for anything that involves black shadow. I swear that shade alone may be worth the $95 for the entire kit. On a side note, I love how frequent use changes my perception of a product. For reference, see my previous thoughts on the palette here.

Two things happened:
1. The tear duct-ish area of my right eye decided it refused to accept black liner of any form (when powder failed I tried liquid and cream. Nope) and I'm hoping it's a freak protest or my right eye and I will have words
2. I realized that even though this makeup is eye-widening and flattering on most Asian eyes, it's somehow just ill-suited to my face. I'm not saying it's ugly, it's just not the best thing I've seen on me.

The moral of the story, which I have already given away in my catchy post titling (!), is what works for a lot of other people may not work for you, but that's alright. You can figure out what does instead. After all, sometimes it's equally important to know what doesn't work.

The bonus I got out of this experiment is the really pretty lip that basically reaffirmed my love for Suqqu Creamy Glow Lipsticks and Le Métier de Beauté Creme de la Creme. Not that they needed any, of course.

Products Used:
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
Le Métier de Beauté Nouvelle Vague Eye Kit
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
RMS Beauty "Un" Cover-Up #22
RMS Beauty Living Luminizer
Benefit Dandelion
Suqqu Creamy Glow Lipstick 05 Suzumecha
Le Métier de Beauté Creme de la Creme Lip Creme

Before It's Gone: Suqqu Kakitsubata 01 Eyeshadow Quad

The word around the blogosphere (Drivel About Frivol, The Non-Blonde, and @GlossedTweets) is Suqqu has discontinued their 01-06 eyeshadow quads. Of those, I own Ginbudou 06 and Keshizumi 04 (seen here). Here is a look at Kakitsubata 01 before it's gone forever.

taking cues from Alexander Wang Fall 2012

Kakitsubata is the most "neutral" of the Suqqu palettes I own. It's made up of a fleshy peach, coppered brown, matte violet and matte ivory. The violet was splotchy in the swatch but performed well when used as a liner, which is its official purpose anyway. The rest of the quad are buttery smooth. 

I am weird with earthy tones because I actually find it very hard to wear brown. I think Kakitsubata works for me because it leans copper, and I stumbled upon the right shadow placement. When I place browns on my crease the look ends up muddy, so instead I blended it all over my brow bone and it looked much better. I love making new discoveries. Eyeshadow suddenly became much more fun.

Cheeks: Paul & Joe Color Powder CS Inseparables; Lips: RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Rapture

I suppose this post is dedicated to those lucky 'uns from London and Japan where Suqqu counters exist, as it is no longer stocked on ichibankao.com for US folk. I do think the colors in this particular palette are easily dupe-able, and I was really excited about the look and wanted to share... Please don't throw your makeup brushes at me.

One Woman's Freckles Is Another Woman's...

... skin condition. I kid, I kid!

On a whim – I blame that taupe eyebrow pencil I had lying around – I decided to dot on some freckles to see how I'd look. 

image via

While the model above is cute as a button (and potentially leopard-sexy), I on the other hand look like I need to put on sunblock. Maybe the trick is more concentrated dots?

If you're interested in replicating the look, here are the products I used:

Clockwise: Serge Lutens makeup base, Suqqu Keshizumi, By Terry 100, By Terry 200, LMdB Fawn*, Guerlain Rouge Automatique #100

L-R: bT 200, bT 100, LMdB Fawn, Suqqu Keshizumi

To dot on the freckles, warm the pencil on the back of the hand, then put the pencil on your cheek and roll it a little without altering position. Taupe shades replicate freckles in the most natural way.

As an aside, that Serge Lutens makeup base costs $80, and unless I'm using it wrong (I sweep it onto the eye, how else am I supposed to use it?), it's absolutely horrible. Creases within application. What's wrong with this picture?

The product(s) marked with * is provided by the company as a gift during a press event.