I haven't used my She Space piggies in months! Here is a look featuring one of the eye kits Heather makes (it's under Kits for Eyes). I used Broken Rules wet using my MAC mixing medium, and applied the rest dry. I didn't know that Broken Rules has pretty nuances of taupey rose and I see some pink thrown into it for good measure. It's really pretty, and perfect for school, work or any daytime activity.

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I am featuring two looks in this entry, and I better do this quick before I forget what I wore in these photos.

First of all, let me say I am truly in love with Milani's Runway Eyes shadows. I have not come across a single review that says they are absolutely atrocious. Most of the reviews I've read say that these are not only good, but great eyeshadows, especially for a drugstore brand. I am particularly mystified over Beach Sand because I love how smooth the pigment glides on my lids even when foiled (and dry gives off a pretty shimmery neutral color that is just chic). I really like how this eye look turned out because I love how light, neutral but definitely polished Beach Sand was. It totally elevated the look in my humble opinion.

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Here are a couple of looks featuring my Milani Runway Eyes Wet/Dry eyeshadows and Quad 5 of The She Space. I am a little disappointed with Rockin' Egyptian from that particular quad because I didn't think it was pigmented enough even though I applied it foiled. I should have used All That Buzz instead from She Space's Drama Queen collection because the one is pigmented with a capital P. I just mentally filed that observation away and will use All That Buzz next time (a vivid pure gold color). The other colors in that quad, namely Down and Dirty and One Dark Night, were pretty pigmented especially when foiled, and they pretty much met my standard for vivid, pigmented eyeshadows.

In my She Space look, I used Lumiere's Cashmere foundation in a mix of Medium Golden and Light-Medium Golden. I am more inclined to use Medium Golden straight when summer really unleashes its full force here in a few weeks. I love how Lumiere's Cashmere gives off a really soft glow on the face, very much like MAC's mineralized loose foundation but in a purer mineral formula.

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During The She Space's last sale, I ordered several full-size pigments and a couple of quads which I was really excited to get. Heather just mailed them to me this week because she never received a notification of my order and just found out about it after checking her Paypal account. Good thing she shipped my package via Priority Mail (free upgrade) because I just received them last night. They are beautiful! I love the intensity of the pigments and I actually am glad about my lone custom pigment purchase (Round the Town which I chose Gold Twinkle to be added). It makes for a pretty wash on the lid, and I can't wait to play with these! All pigments were swatched with a damp brush:

Doesn't this eeriely remind you of the MAC Smoking Eyes quad from the Smoke Signals collection? Yummy!

Pampered Feet

Many people from California, especially in the L.A. area are probably familiar with the $15-an-hour foot reflexology craze going on. For 15 bucks an hour, Chinese-speaking attendants will massage, stroke, knead and apply pressure on every nook and cranny of your toes and feet and other parts of your body using the ancient Chinese technique to de-stress, detoxify and flush out impurities from your system. I tried one of the better foot reflexology salons in Southern California when I went there several weeks ago, and it left me in Cloud 9 and craving for more. They bring out this bamboo bucket filled with very hot water with herbs mixed in it for you to immerse your feet in. They let you soak your feet for a good 15 minutes then they start a massage on your head, neck, shoulders, back, arms, hands for 20 minutes, then they concentrate on your feet and legs for about 40 minutes. You get out of the salon really sore but totally de-stressed!

I left California with a heavy heart as I thought I'd never find that kind of foot reflexology using asian techniques here in the valley. I have been looking high and low for something like that in my area (and with the same price as well), and although I didn't find service as cheap as that, I did find a foot reflexology spa that is as good, and I'd say even better, than the one I tried in California.

First, for those of you who are new to this kind of massage, what is Reflexology? Wikipedia describes it as "the practice of massaging, squeezing, or pushing on parts of the feet, or sometimes the hands and ears, with the goal of encouraging a beneficial effect on other parts of the body, or to improve general health. Reflexologists posit that the body contains an energy field, invisible life force, or Qi, the blockage of which can prevent healing. Other reflexologists claim to be able to relieve stress and pain in other parts of the body through the manipulation of the feet. Other proposed effects of reflexology include the release of endorphins (natural pain killers found in the body), the promotion of lymphatic flow in the body or the dissolving of uric acid crystals." They say that every part of your hands and feet corresponds to a certain area or organ of the body. Reflexology is a complex system that identifies and addresses the mass of 7,000 nerve endings that are contained in the foot and hands. Reflexology is a completely natural therapy that affords relief without the use of drugs.

(Click for more She Space swatches and my foot reflexology experience)

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I just received some samples of new darker yellow-toned foundations that DreamWorld owner Ellie had just concocted for her avid fans (me included). She was so nice to offer them to me for free, and her generous samples are just SO beautiful. I do have my own custom mix of DreamWorld foundation in Theia and Tethys, but sunny days are here again and I am bound to get darker as the days go by. In fact, I feel that I am already darker and my previous mix of Theia and Tethys no longer cuts it. She sent me original Amenti, her new versions of Amenti (Amenti IV and Amenti V), plus a new version of Theia (Theia IV) and Hebe. Today I used my original Theia foundation mixed with original Amenti, and I thought it was a bit dark in person (I may have to change the recipe a bit, but more or less using the same shades). However, miracle of miracles, it still looks so luminous in pictures - not white, mind you, but just luminous and as the day wore on, it looked more and more natural on my face. I just love Ellie's foundations, they are just right up there, creme de la creme, I should say. I can't wait to try my other DreamWorld minerals, everything is just so gorgeous and softly similar to each other in shade that I think I can wear any of them. That's what I love about DreamWorld foundation, the shades are so forgiving and you look great either way.

I also wanted to have an iridescent blue/green eye look so I wore my favorite Lumiere eyeshadow on the lid, Peppermint Patti (a gorgeous iridescent green/blue/grey that changes colors at the slightest movement), coupled with Valerie Beauty's Papillon (a beautiful light teal shade) on the inner to mid-lid. I used a little of Valerie Beauty's Ancient and Bootcut eyeshadows on the crease and outer V. I applied MAC eyeshadows in Ricepaper and Nylon on the browbone to highlight. Of course, I prepped my eyes by using MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base. I also used Indelible gel liner in Black Out to line and Rimmel and MAC mascaras.

I used one of my favorite mineral blushes, Lumiere Cherry Blossom (I love all of Lumiere's silk and veena blushes, as in there are no duds; every one of them is beautiful IMO).

(Click for FOTDs)

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At first I wanted to name this entry "Swim With the Fishes in the Blue Lagoon Near the Caribbean Sea", but I felt it was too long and cheesy. I re-named it Blue Ice because that is what comes to mind when I look at the pictures. I used two of my Milani Runway Eyes Wet-Dry Shadows, my newest ones actually, Blue Lagoon and Caribbean Sea. They were not included in the swatches and product images of my previous Milani Runway entry, so here they are:

I don't wear blue shadows that much (preferring my greens anytime), so I bought these two just to add blues to my collection. I used these shadows wet and I prefer Blue Lagoon over Caribbean Sea because the latter is a tad too streaky for my taste. It's still a gorgeous color though, and I love the cool iciness of it. I also used She Space's Swim With the Fishes into the mix and I am floored at how gorgeous the color was. So beautiful! I look forward using Swim With the Fishes in tandem with my other teal, blue and green colors this coming summer (I can already feel it!).

I told you guys that I am a mineral makeup purist that would only use mineral makeup of the fewest and purest ingredients, but I have to confess that in this particular look, I dared go where I had never gone before in my mineral makeup existence. I used a liquid foundation for the first time in three years. I saw a girl on TV wearing the most beautiful, dewy, luminous flawless face ever, and it seemed to be that she was using liquid foundation. I may be wrong about that but I figured maybe I can use liquid just once and see how my skin would react. I have been avoiding non-mineral makeup in its purest form because my skin has always been acne-prone, but I took the plunge anyway. I've been eyeing Maybelline's Mineral Power liquid mineral foundation and I really wanted to try it because it's talc-free. I bought the Light 4 shade (Nude), and it was the perfect shade for me. I was TOO scared to use it alone, though, so I applied Meow Naughty Abyssinian mineral foundation (Flawless Feline formula) over it. I know I shouldn't have done that just to see how my skin would look and react using that product alone. I will have to try wearing it alone next time, but I've been wearing it all day and - yay! No breakouts at all. It feels light and coverage is very buildable. I like that I can just squirt a few drops onto my MAC 187 stippling brush, dot my face with it and just blend in circular strokes, and that godsend of a brush just gives the most flawless finish of liquid foundation ever. So impressed with the 187. Anyways, here's the look and liquid mineral foundation is not as bad as I thought it would be.

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Here are some more neutral looks featuring some of my mineral shadows from Valerie Beauty, She Space and DreamWorld. Not much drama here because these looks were mainly for work and I didn't want to spend too much time in the morning. I am loving these neutral shadows that I've been using lately, though. There were a couple that I used for the first or second time with this look, specifically Wasted Intrigue and Atlantean Treasure, and I really am loving the shades.

I also used a heavier hand in applying my MAC beauty powder blush so the gorgeous shade can really register on the screen. There is some slight sheen to it that is not obvious in my pics but are subtly noticeable in real life. I really love these new blushes!

(Click for FOTDs and list of products used)

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I tried some of the products from the MAC Strobe collection, specifically the tinted lip conditioners, and I was surprised myself when I realized I actually like them. I was never a fan of MAC's tinted lip conditioners, preferring other chapsticks or lip balms, but these products are really good at keeping your lips luscious, soft and well-moisturized. You can even wear them on their own for those no-fuss days because they give the subtlest glimmer of color, although on my slightly pigmented lips, Strobe Rays and especially Strobe Blossom hardly show up, except if I really pack them on. Strobe Current is a favorite because it gives this natural, just-bitten lips on me. I love the fresh, sweet vanilla flavor, and how it instantly softens and moisturizes the lips. I like it as a base for all my lip products, and for those carefree days, I even wear them on their own.

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(Click for Swatches and FOTD)

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I got my full-size Buff'd foundations in Chamois and Almond, and a mix of those shades is my perfect match. I love the coverage, creamy finish and amazing texture of this foundation - this is definitely going to be one of my faves. I love that I only need so little to do my entire face, just like Monave. I went out with some friends wearing Buff'd, and I really liked the feel and look of it. We went to a resort spa to try out the spa's latest "vinotherapy" (all products used for treatments are made from wine or the fruit of the vine). I love the grapeseed body oils, body souffles and lotions they worked on us, and the massages were heavenly! They also served free hors d'oerves like dill and pepper spears with creamy ranch dip, and the luscious desserts all had a wine-grape theme as well. The custard on top of the fruit compote was spiked with brandy. So yummy!


Just divine

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