Beauty PSA: Clinique Happy Heart

I was one of those young 'uns that had a bottle of Clinique Happy (fine, stealthily spritzed on my sister's) and wore it like it was the only perfume worth wearing on my sleeve... because that was where I thought I was supposed to put perfume.

So, it's quite clear I've never been a big perfume person – that one-quarter-empty bottle of Happy was about the most used fragrance I've ever owned. As such, perfume reviews are obviously not my strong suit. I can't wax lyrical about notes because I can never remember what anything actually smelled like, I can only tell you what kind of memory a scent evokes. When I received this, I sprayed it on (my wrist, this time) and it smelled like high school, which was personally one of the happiest times in my life.

To be formal about it though, the press release describes it as "bright and floral with hints of sweetness from mandarin orange and cassis mingled with soft floral notes of water lily, rose, and geranium." Dry notes of sandalwood, musk, and blondewood are somewhere in there as well. I'm sorry, all I smell is perfume flowers, guys.

So, why is this a PSA? The regular Happy Heart fragrance bottle is actually not as decked out with love as this one. Clinique has been partnering with the Happy Hearts Fund (since November 2012) to build and rebuild schools in areas affected by natural disasters, and a portion of the sale of this limited edition Happy Heart perfume, as well as the coral-red Happy ♥ nail polish will go to the fund. In fact, there's so much love to go around that they also created a limited edition t-shirt, pictured above.

Make someone happy. :)

The limited edition Clinique Happy Heart Perfume Spray retails for $37, A Different Nail Enamel in Happy ♥ is $12.50, and the t-shirt is $16.

Full disclosure: This entry contains sample products sent by PR or the manufacturer for editorial consideration.

Headphones and lipstick, who knew?

I was pleasantly surprised to receive this in the mail. Unexpected packages, after all, is no longer the norm. That said, since beauty products remain on short supply (actually, I still have an unmanageable amount, but I'm pretty sure you've seen everything), I thought I'd switch things up a little.

This is the Monster Ncredible Ntunes On-Ear Headphones. It comes in five different colors, and I chuckled to see that I was sent "Candy Apple Red." The people responsible obviously intuited my love for red lips.

Knowing that Monster was the company responsible for Beats by Dr. Dre, I went in with certain expectations (the sound will be bass-heavy, only good for rap, classical music will sound terrible etc.). Instead, here are my findings:

• The sound is indeed bass-heavy, but not as much as I thought it would be. Basically, if you're listening to a song, the bass comes through a little more prominently and can sometimes dampen the vocals a little. 
• To my surprise, it performed well with classical music. Crisp sound even on the higher registers. 
• In fact, I would say for headphones that I would expect the bass to be the prominent feature, the bass sounds aren't as crisp as it could be. The image that came to my mind is if you struck a glass with a fork and it just didn't ring as crystal clear as you expected it to.
• Though it doesn't claim to be totally noise-cancelling, the sponge-y thing (never knew what this was called) does help significantly reduce noise. I tried it on the subway and it drowned out the sound of human movement, which made me bump into a few people since I couldn't feel them. You can still hear louder sounds, like car honks and shouty conversations, so wearing it on the street shouldn't be too dangerous.

The sponge-y thing makes the headphones quite comfortable. I managed to wear it for two hours (with intermittent removal when I had to talk to people) without my ears protesting. Since receiving it, I've also twisted it, tossed it into my cavernous bag o' stuff that I lug around on a daily basis, slung it around my neck, bumped it around, and it proves to be quite durable.

And the most relevant bit of information: the headphones match perfectly with my Le Metier de Beaute In The Know Bordeaux Lip Creme! If I had a favorite niece, I would gift it to her with the matching lip product (so start currying your favors, nieces!).

To win your very own pair of N-Tune headphones (valued at $150), read all about the Monster headphones here and let me know in the comments of this post which color you prefer. The comments on this post will be aggregated with the comments on the posts from the other bloggers participating in this review, and 25 pairs will be given away. This giveaway will close on Nov 1.

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The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 10/2/13 – 11/1/13.

Roaring Red

Visual reminder of my lopsided eyes, hello!

This past weekend I did something I haven't done in a long time – put on makeup that's not stashed in my work drawer. Sad to say, of late the art of painting my face has been relegated to obligatory strokes in the attempt to look "professional," or hasty primping before a night out. Those efforts always end up looking half-finished, and are neither fun nor creative.

As you can see, I started small. Clean skin, faintly blushed cheeks, tightlined eyes, mascara, eyebrows (i.e. the basics) and concentrated color on the lips.

Addiction Lip Crayon in Paprika is a juicy tomato red (which based on the runways, is going to be the lip du jour of Spring 2014). The lip crayon formula delivers a finish that's usually more matte, but in these photos I layered it over a lip balm because my lips were peeling like crazy. I like this finish though, and I'm in awe of the amazing formula. It never feathered throughout the day, even without lip liner and on such a slippery base.

Another recent obsession of mine is The Reformation, a clothing store based in New York and Los Angeles. The Reformation repurposes vintage and surplus fabric to create its wares, which is why most items are limited edition and have a very tiny run and is the source of many a heartbreak. I had to get this Rawr Sweater as soon as I laid my eyes on it. People don't really get why I'm so happy about having a roaring dinosaur on my sweater, but I guess that's the point.

Addiction products, as usual, can only be found with a high markup on ichibankao.com.

Products Used:
Shu Uemura Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur in Light/Medium
Le Métier de Beauté Eye Brightening and Setting Powder in Revive
THREE Flash Performance Eye Liner Pencil in 08
Guerlain Noir G Mascara
Addiction Brown Toast
Addiction Lip Crayon in Paprika

Tatcha Gold Collection

That guilty smudge in the pot of lip balm is mute evidence of my enthusiasm in being able to try the new Tatcha Gold Collection. "Enthusiasm" being that I tore the two products out of their beautifully wrapped boxes and immediately set to rubbing the contents on my face. I've sang praises about every single Tatcha product ever created (all reviews can be found under the Tatcha label) so I didn't have any reason to expect singing another tune, and of course, Vicky Tsai does it again. Could she please start a Japanese-inspired makeup line?

First, the Tatcha Camellia Nourishing Lip Balm. Forgive me for sounding like a saleswoman, but this has the whole package: feel, taste, smell, look. The camellia-oil infused formula has a delicate scent, and goes on lips just like how a lip balm should—I don't know if i can be more specific about the feeling. It's just really really comfortable and moisturizing. It also looks like a very mild gloss when applied, and elevates bare lips to a certain degree of polish. The gold leaf is what I think of as a beautiful accessory. It's not needed, but definitely adds charm to the whole package by being there. When crushed and applied, the resulting effect is little morsels of shimmer on your lips.

I've tried some of the more popular face oils in the market, and the Tatcha Camellia Beauty Oil is my favorite so far, again because it possesses the whole package. I apply a couple of drops onto my face and neck, and usually smooth the remnants on my fingers onto my hair. I do usually use it over a serum, because I realized that beauty oils are better substitutes for moisturizer (to retain moisture) than a moisturizing serum. Somehow, the Tatcha oil is oily but not oily—it's closer in texture to the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, which means it dries down relatively quickly, but feels more moisturizing like the Rodin Olio Lusso Luxury Face Oil. Camellia oil also smells fantastic.

Tatcha Camellia Nourishing Lip Balm retails for $36, while the Camellia Beauty Oil goes for $125, both available at tatcha.com.

Full disclosure: This entry contains sample products sent by PR or the manufacturer for editorial consideration.

Lipstick Bandits: A Flailing Pick

Like all Lipstick Bandit posts, the idea came from a Twitter conversation. The details by now are fuzzy in my mind, but the outcome was a curiosity among us bandits — what does the opposite sex have in mind when they think of our lipsticks? And if they had to choose, what would their "ideal color" be?

I brought this up with my boyfriend months ago, and I remember his reaction being one of the flailing sort; we avoided a conclusion then. A few weeks ago I asked again, and he said "classic red," to my surprise. I said, "really?" And he sheepishly said, "that should go with smokey eyes, right?" Apparently, his idea of ideal makeup is 100% bombshell (though I did try to explain that I wear nudes with smokey eyes more often).

Then finally, with an answer worthy of a Bandit Boyfriend, he named a specific lipstick I once had on that he really really liked. It was Chanel Rouge Allure Rouge Noir, which I wore to the Gatsby party a couple of months ago. In the pictures below, I cheated by adding a layer of Dior Black-Tie Plum Gloss because my eternally dry lips make dark colors look patchy.

You haven't seen me in a while (hi, *sheepish wave*) and my hair has grown a fair bit. Remember how I looked like a 13-year-old Chinese high school boy in my pixie days? I can now pass as an emo Korean rockstar. Case in point:

But I assure you this is how I look like usually.

The hair is now at the awkward stage of trying to be a bob but is just not quite there yet. I usually just tuck the excess behind my ear and call it a day. As for makeup, this is kind of the most I've been wearing in months. Usually it's a brows, conceal, and blush situation, which I'm oddly pleased about. I've never felt like I needed anything else for daily life, except perhaps a fuller set of brows? I may seriously consider feathering when all this shading in gets old.

Anyway, there were rumors that some bandits had really unexpected feedback from their other halves (green lips, anyone?) and I can't wait to see if those rumors are true!

• Beauty Reflections
• BellaChique‎
• ChloeAsh‎
• Eye Heart It
• Getting Cheeky
• Glitter Geek
• Mostly Sunny‎
• My Funny Valentine
• Rocaille Writes
• theNotice: a beauty blog‎

Products Used:
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur in Light/Medium
Le Métier de Beauté Precision Liner in Noir
Burberry Sheer Summer Glow Natural Highlighting Compact
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light
Guerlain Noir G Mascara
Make Up For Ever Aqua Lip Waterproof Lipliner #13C
Chanel Rouge Allure Rouge Noir #109
Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in Black-Tie Plum #982
Illamasqua Raindrops

Larger Than Life 20s Makeup

I went to a Gatsby-inspired party some time ago! Makeup was the only thing I didn't have to scramble for to fit into the theme (the headband was generously lent to me by a co-worker, earrings are by Dannijo). Since I've been on a minimalistic binge, I actually wasn't used to the look – there was so much makeup on my face! My lazy self sometimes looks back at this picture and sighs, this is how you look when you try, Xiao.



The 20s was about being over the top: huge smokey eyes, red/wine heart-shaped lips, pale but flawless skin. As usual, a complete list of what I used to create the look is at the end of the post, but here are the highlights - I used LMdB Nouvelle Vague on my eyes, layering from top to bottom. With a flat eyeshadow brush, I dipped into the soot black shade and ran the tip along my bottom lash line, blending furiously.

For the lips, I used a combination of lip pencil and lip brush to achieve the pointed edges. Just carefully outline the shape you want – I over-lined mine on the cupid's bow just a tad to get it nice and sharp. The color is Chanel Rouge Allure Rouge Noir.

Though truth be told, while I prepped and primed liberally, the makeup didn't last super long on the dance floor. I suppose that's what dark rooms (and drinks) are for though, right?

Products Used:
Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge #2
Burberry Fresh Glow Fluid Base
Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur in Light/Medium
Le Métier de Beauté Eye Brightening and Setting Powder in Revive
Le Métier de Beauté Creme Fresh Tint in Mystique
Le Métier de Beauté Nouvelle Vague
Guerlain Meteorites Perles d'azur
Benefit Dandelion
NARS Pro Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base
Guerlain Noir G Mascara
Make Up For Ever Aqua Lip Waterproof Lipliner #13C
Chanel Rouge Allure Rouge Noir

Mashed Potato Stuffed Mushrooms

One of my burgeoning interests is cooking beyond simple stirfry and (any manner of) egg. I genuinely enjoy being in the kitchen and being able to whip up Instagram-worthy food is a point of pride. Since new beauty products/looks are in scarce supply, perhaps you wouldn't mind reading about my culinary adventures?

I've been on a mushroom kick lately and made mashed potato stuffed mushrooms. They taste insanely good and are super easy to make. Bonus points for looking really cute on the plate!
I adapted my recipe from this one I found on allrecipes.com. Basically, I used actual ingredients instead of packaged ones, and took away the cheese because I'm lactose sensitive.

Ingredients:
3 medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes
5 strips of bacon
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of minced garlic
12 large mushrooms, or more depending on size
salt, butter, black pepper, italian herbs to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Skin potatoes and chop into 1" cubes. Place in medium saucepan, cover potatoes with water, set to boil for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
3. Chop bacon into bite-size pieces, fry till crispy.
4. When potatoes are ready, drain and mash. Add herbs, salt, butter, and pepper to taste.
5. Remove stems from clean mushrooms* and stuff with mashed potatoes.
6. Spread olive oil and minced garlic on a walled cookie sheet or baking dish. Place mushrooms on top.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

*To clean mushrooms, take a damp kitchen towel and gently wipe the grit and dirt off. To remove stems, gently wiggle the stem till you hear a popping sound. This part is really fun.

When buying mushrooms, try to get them more or less equal in size. This is to make sure some of your mushrooms won't be overcooked/undercooked. I also like to scoop up the baked garlic (baked garlic tastes so good) and place it on top of the stuffed mushrooms before serving.

My boyfriend (the resident wine picker) paired it with Rioja. All in all, a fantastic meal.