My beauty Holy Grails

1. 1.  Clarisonic Mia: I begrudgingly bit the bullet and purchased this expensive tool after much rave reviews.  And after a failed try at the Olay Pro-X cleansing brush, I half expected this brush to be all hype and no results.  But, surprisingly this brush actually does do good things for my skin - nothing dramatic or life changing, but I do notice that when I don't use it, my skin has more whiteheads.  This brush along with the replacement brush-heads is the most expensive beauty item I own, but I do think it was worth the investment.
2. Woman by Banana Republic: My first perfume I fell in love with.  It took years for me to finish this, and I loved spritz it gave.
3. Olay Foaming cleanser: Cheap, gentle, and efficient.  Not much else I can ask for in a product.
4. St. Ives Apricot scrub: This picture was taken at a time when I hadn't realize how abrasive this stuff is on the face. This stuff is great for the body though.
5. Eyelash curler:  My stick-straight Asian lashes need to be curled and curled and curled.  This curler happens to be a fancy Shu Uemura one that I bought years and years ago before I even knew what a fancy eyelash curler is.  I haven't used any other one, but I assume any curler will work fine.
6. Cream blush: This palette was Stila's Empowered in Pink for October's Breast Cancer Awareness edition complete with a pink cream blush and four eyeshadows.  I don't really care for the eyeshadows, but the cream blush is fantastic.  Cream blush is great for lasting power and adds great life to the cheeks.  Blush in general is my makeup weakness; I can't get enough of it!
7. Essence gel liner:  Smooth, blackest black, lasts and lasts, and cheap as dirt.  A beautiful combination in my book.
8. Gel liner brush:  I got this brush in Michael's craft store - it was the only thing I could find with the smallest tip to make the finest line on my Asian eyelids.  And only $2.
9. Covergirl Lash Blast mascara: Adds great volume, doesn't smudge, and cheap.
10. Physician's Formula powder: This is the compact that I was working on all year long to finish, and I never really did - it lasted and lasted for so long!  I've come to find that I hate liquid foundation - it's mask-like and heavy, and it just feels weird to put it on, like I'm putting a layer of paint on my face.  So though powder foundation doesn't cover all of my imperfections, it's light and feels natural, so I love it. 
11. ELF powder brush: Soft and great at applying my powder.  The quality of the handle is a bit shady as the ferrule of the brush is flimsy and comes off easily, but at $1.50 I can afford to have it replaced every few months, though I've not needed to for the past 2 years. 
12. Clinique City Block SPF 40: I've come to really understand the importance of daily sun protection, but it's so friggin' hard to find a sunblock that doesn't turn me into a greaseball.  This sunblock is great for being too greasy, and it lasts a really long time too - with daily use all summer long this tube still feels very full.
13. RoseBud lip salve: I am addicted to lip balm - I always need some sort of slip on my lip.  And this is great for my bedside.
14. Tarte LipSurgence in Enchanted: Again, my addiction of lip balms.  This feels like a lip balm but puts a great berry tint on my lips and livens up my face.
15. Tarte eyeshadow sticks: These are quick and easy to use, adds great color, and lasts all day long. I love these for travel.
16. Pointed-tip tweezers: This is my absolute must-have item.  I love it so much that when I forget it during travel, I get so anxious and irritated. 

It's Genius: The EZ-Squeeze

Ask anyone who knows me my #1 pet peeve in life, and they'll tell you about my toothpaste squeezing habits.  I have to, have to, have to squeeze toothpaste, or any product in tube form, from the bottom of the container to the top, in a neat and efficient manner.  I absolutely cannot stand it when other people take my toothpaste and squeeze it haphazardly with their entire fist in the center of the tube - it will literally make a good day sour, so fast.  

The solution to my madness came from Dollar Tree, in the form of the EZ-Squeeze: a plastic device that makes everyone follow my crazy tube-squeezing habits too!  It's genius really - insert part of the flattened end into the EZ-Squeeze and it winds the emptied portion of the tube so that you're always left with the fullest part of the tube to squeeze.  I love how it's so efficient that it can help squeeze out the last drop of anything - seeing the flattened tube at the end of its life is one of life's little thrills.  I actually love it so much that at one point I found myself hoarding flattened toothpaste tubes - I quickly took a picture and threw them away before H called Intervention.

Who knew that something that could curve my OCD and give me such thrills is so simple and costs only $1. 

Makeup diet #4 : Last empties of 2012

As the new year creeps in, I start believing in an age-old superstition again.  I believe that we should welcome the new year with as much freshness and cleanliness as possible.  Starting a brand new year when you're surrounded by junk and mess would not bode well for the rest of the year... and 365 days is a long way to go if you're on the wrong foot from the start.  So of course I wait until today to vacuum, dust, take out all trash, get rid of dead plants, ... general tidying up of the place.  My no trash rule also applied to a small box of emptied beauty products that I've been collecting since October.  Thus, this will be the last batch of emptied products for my makeup diet in 2012.

Pan p0rn!

1. Target brand baby wipes: I realized, quite late in the game, that since I don't wear heavy foundation I don't need to shell out $$$ for those makeup remover wipes that don't work anyways.  These baby wipes are fantastic for getting my makeup off before I cleanse.  And they are dirt cheap: $1.78 for 88 wipes, that's $0.02/wipe and that's a beautiful thing.  TTK: ~3 months
2. Biore pore strips:  These are a bit pricey, but they work really well.  I used the bulk of it on H when he lets me... and I have cringe in disgust and amazement every time I peel it off his nose.  TTK: ~3 months
3. Dove Dry Shampoo:  This thing actually works!  It smells very clean, and buys me an extra day of not washing my hair when I spray it in the night before and the morning of skipping hair washing.  It can leave a white powder residue if not brushed out.  TTK: ~5 months.
4. Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion: I liked this product a lot, and use it in the morning after I wash my face to get rid of any excess oil from the night.  It's great because its the only toner I've used to not reek of alcohol, and so it doesn't make my face feel tight and unbearable.  TTK: ~2.5 years!
5. Organix' Moroccan argan oil shampoo: Meh, nothing special - claims went undelivered.  TTK: ~3 months.
6. Olay moisturizer: Light, otherwise unremarkable.  TTK: ~3 years.
7. BBW Carried Away lotion: Smells sweet and feminine. Loves it.  TTK: ~2 months. 

1. 1.  Buxom mascara: Yuck.  Very watery, did nothing for my Asian lashes. 
2. Covergirl Lash Blast: These are my favorite mascaras as they don't smudge and they add volume.
3. Neutrogena lip balm: This is my 3rd tube of this balm.  I like it enough.  

1. 1. Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser: I love the way this smells - very clean.  It does clean and foam really well - I do have to moisturize a bit more after using this, but I like it very much.  TTK: ~3 months.
2. Kate Sommerville ExfoliKate: Smells like herbs.  The first time I used it it stung like crazy, and then perhaps it lost its potency after opening, but I didn't get that feeling again at all.  I liked it because it really did make my face smooth after use.  The effects don't really last past a few hours though.  TTK: ~6 months
3. Clinique gel cleanser: Whenever I used this and accidentally get it around my mouth, it tasted salty... don't know what that's about, but this cleanser is really unremarkable.  TTK: ~1 month
4. Bliss foaming face wash: unremarkable.  TTK: ~1 month.

1. 1. OPI rapid dry top coat: Not really rapid-dry anything. 
2. Estee Lauder Repair serum: I like this stuff, 2nd bottle I finished.  TTK: ~3 months.
3. Clinique eye roller thingamabob: really didn't do anything.  TTK: ~ 2 months.
4. Floss!

Trash begone for 2013!  Side note: I also took extra time in the shower today to make sure I am extra, extra clean for for the new year.

Muffin Overload

True to form, it is 7:06pm EST on December 31, 2012 and I am furiously sprinting to finish all of my intended posts before 2013 begins... on the East coast of the continental USA, to be very specific.

Back in August 2012 I went on a muffin kick.  The culprit of this obsession was, no doubt, Pinterest.  I browse Pinterest when I am at work waiting for something to finish, or when I am sick of reading journal articles, or when I come back early from lunch and everyone else is still eating... Anyhow, I saw a few recipes for muffins and decided it was easy enough for me to try - my #1 criteria for recipes is that they have to be simple both in ingredients and directions. 

The first set was strawberry banana yogurt bread from fromthelittleyellowkitchen.  

Ingredients:

-2 cups flour

-1/4 cup sugar

-2 tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp salt

-1 tsp cinnamon

-1/4 cup butter (I used 2 TBSP)

-3 extra-ripe bananas

-1egg

-1/2 cup greek yogurt

-2 tsp vanilla extract

-1 cup diced srawberries (tossed with a bit of flour to prevent sinking)

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray muffin pan

2. Combine wet ingredients separately, combine dry ingredients separately. Combine wet and dry ingredients together.

3. Fold in strawberries.

4. Bake for ~40 minutes until golden brown.

I also stumbled on another muffin recipe with Nutella, and I was all over that like a spider monkey on a banana tree.  The original website was chef-in-training.com.

Ingredients:
-1.5 cups flour
-1 cup sugar (I omitted this because Nutella is enough sweetness)
-1/2 tsp baking soda (what's the difference between this and baking powder??)
-3/4 cup shortening (I used ~2 TBSP melted butter)
-2 ripe bananas
-1 egg
-NUTELLA (as much as you want)

Once you figure out what to do for one muffin mix, it's pretty much the same for all muffins.  The only variation is in the ingredients.  For these Nutella muffins, though, take a butter knife and slice in the chocolatey goodness once you've poured the muffin mix into the pan.  This makes pretty swirls and keeps them from turning muddied, although they'd probably taste all the same in the end.

I also tried my hand at some savory muffins, but these didn't go over well, even H - the man who eats anything - declined them after one bite.  For these I cheated and used Bisquick mix, layered with some sausage egg and cheese.  It seemed foolproof, but these muffins were dry like the Sahara... perhaps I will rework them in the future.

Blueberry muffins straight from the oven

Butta my muffin!

Makeup diet #3

Dieting is not for the faint of heart.  It takes dedication, resolve and perseverance to maintain course and succeed.  Funny thing though, once you feel that rush of accomplishment, it gets easier and easier to stay motivated and succeed.  Most things in life work that way, so I guess this should be no different.  

My diet might seem comical to some most, and it is to me too if I am honest.  Really, I am showing off my trash!  The sheer ridiculousness of it all doesn't escape me; but I still can't deny the pleasure from finishing off a beauty product and seeing the empty pan/bottle.  It used to be hard to finish up stuff, but like anything else, this task has become easier with time.  I recently moved to a new shindig and wanted to rid as much excess as possible, and this was the result:

Pan P0rn! SFW

1. Revlon blush: I got this in Big Lots 2 years ago; it was probably a few years old when it arrived in Big Lots before it came home with me, so I decided it was time to put it out of its misery.
2. Estee Lauder blue eyeshadow: inherited from my sister.  I also let this die because really, I can't rock blue eyeshadows.
3. NYX cream blush: This is the one that I tried and tried with all my might to kill.  I got more than halfway through the thing before saying goodbye.
4. L'oreal Youth Code: yet another purchase made based on the over-exaggerated marketing lies.  
5. Victoria's Secret highlighter: also inherited from my sister.  Zero pigmentation, 100% chalk city.  
6. Clinique mascara: clump central.  Blech!

1. 1. Biosilk hair serum: inherited from my sister.  I liked the shine it gave, but I never bothered to use it because I am just that lazy.
2. Baby oil gel: I used this to trap moisture in my dry ashy legs.  Not bad, but really greasy.  TTK: ~2 years.
3. Freeman's clay mask: Smells delicious!  Didn't really do anything for my skin.  TTK: ~1.5 years.
4. St. Ive's apricot scrub:  I used to go to town on my face with this because it was so grainy & rough, and I thought the harder I scrubbed the more dead cells I am taking off.  I cringe now thinking about all the micro-abrasions I must'ved given my face by doing so... I think halfway through I started using the scrub on my legs which made them very smooth.  TTK: ~8 months
5. Aussie 3 minute "Miracle" conditioner: 3rd tube that I finished!  I thought I liked this a lot, but really it's not any better than my cheap-o Tresemme conditioner.  TTK: ~3-4 months.

1. 1. EOS lip balm in honeysuckle: Pure novelty sucked me in.  This stuff smells artificial and really doesn't moisturize my lips.  TTK: ~ 3 months.
2. Alpha Hydrox 12% cream: Yet another exfoliating acid I bought with the hopes of making my face baby-smooth.  Funny thing is this is marketed as a foot cream because of the high AHA percentage... and I used it on my face.  Well, I only used it a few times before giving up because all it did was make me greasy.  I used the rest of the tube for its intended purpose on my scaly legs, which did improve.  TTK: ~ 1 month on legs.
3. Archive travel shampoo and conditioner: unremarkable.  TTK: 1 week.
4. Clinique moisture surge face cream: This reeked of alcohol, so after a few times on my face I decided my legs could withstand the brunt better than my face.  TTK: ~1 week on legs.
5. Dunno what they're called in English, but these are gel/liquid masks by Cong Son that you put on congested areas of your face to remove blackheads and whiteheads.  These are industrial strength and can remove the deepest, grossest plug on your face.  TTK: years because they're so strong.

1. Tommy Hilfiger body wash: Generic manly perfume that totally washes away after a shower.  TTK: ~1 month.
2. Bliss Grin & Bare It lotion: Smelled fresh.  TTK: ~2 weeks.
3. Bliss body lotion: Loved the way this smelled.  TTK: ~2 week
4. Bliss face lotion: used on my legs because it was too greasy on my face.  TTK: ~2 weeks.
5. Clarisonic face washes:  totally generic & unremarkable.  TTK: ~1 month each.

1. Hope in a Jar by Philosophy: Completely & totally overrated.  This stuff reeked of herbal medicine and did nothing positive for me.  TTK: ~ 1 month.
2. Colgate toothpaste: Again, nothing to write home about, but the empty tube still gives me a rush.
3. Secret Clinical strength deodorant:  Probably the first deodorant that I've ever finished.  TTK: ~ 2-3 years... yep, 2-3 years to finish a deodorant stick...
4. BBW lotion in sparkling citrus (?): Smelled sweet and citrusy, I liked it. TTK: ~2 months.
5. Tarte Maracuja oil: It was really weird to be putting oil on my oily self, but I tried it out... and I don't like it.  Most of it went on the tips of my hair, and I really didn't notice any difference.  TTK: ~5 months.
6. Estee Lauder Night Repair serum: This smelled like tomatoes to me, though not unpleasant.  I actually liked it a lot - it might have been psychological but I felt it made my skin more bright and supple in the morning.  TTK: ~ 4 months.
7. Garnier Moisture Rescue gel lotion: Smells like cucumbers, very refreshing to put on, especially when it's cold.  TTK: ~5 months
8. Aveeno Smart Essentials face scrub: Not as harsh as the St. Ive's apricot scrub, but it felt more oily.  I would have to wash with a cleanser after using this.  TTK: ~1 month.

And finally, a special dedication to my Woman Eau de Parfum by Banana Republic.  This was my very first "big-girl" scent that I bought for myself.  I loved the way it smelled: floral & feminine, very welcoming... if a scent can be welcoming.  The only con was the smell didn't last all day.  But while it lasted I would get many compliments about the way I smelled.  This perfume bottle, 3.4 fluid ounces, lasted a good 5 years.  On one hand I was so completely happy when it spritzed its last spritz, but on the other hand I really loved the way it smelled and was sad to see it die.  This perfume will always have a special place in my olfactory memories, and I might buy it again in the distant future... the future that has me finishing off many more bottles of scents before I can revisit this smell again.

Better late 2012 than 2013!

In January of 2011, I made a list of resolutions. Numbers 3 and 7 on the list:

3. Keep organized: no more hoarding of junk, give away more stuff, thin out closet
7. Procrastinate less

I made good on #3 as I actually did it in 2011, however I failed miserably at # 7 as evident by the timing of this post... Better late 2012 than 2013! Hah!

Clunky palettes that were taking up way too much storage space

Post de-potting, i.e. removing the makeup pan from the original container.  

Looks like art, no?

I had a few mishaps with my safety pin & scissors when depotting some shadows.

Neatly organized in the Z palette.  Some pans did not make it in obviously.

Empty makeup container p0rn! So cluttered and inefficient.

Space saved + easy access = profit.

"Banh xeo"

Banh xeo is a savory crepe dish that's probably a product of French occupation during the Indochine era.  (I should wikipedia this before posting, but seeing as how I'm currently sitting on the train without power... my speculations will have to do.)

To be perfectly honest, this is not my favorite dish.  I don't ever crave it actually - never ordered it when eating out; only eating it when my mom or my sister makes it for the family.  Nevertheless, I decided to make this at home because H has never had it.  Perhaps H still has never had it because my cooking is far - miles and legions away - from being authentic... What I told him is banh xeo (below) would probably be unrecognizable and utterly laughable to my mom...

Ingredients:

-Flour mix for the crepe (yep, that's me and my authenticity!)

-coconut milk

-Veggies of choice (I had chinese broccoli, radishes, green bell peppers, and basil)

-Meat of choice (I had Hormel pepperoni... o yes, I did)

Traditional banh xeo are usually made with shrimp, pork, scallions, and a heaping pile of bean sprouts. Obviously, the following is not a traditional banh xeo.  However, the concepts are still the same.   Good enough!

Ingredients

Because my veggies are not leafy, I sauteed them first so they wouldn't be raw to eat.

Meat goes in first to brown.  Ladle in the crepe mixture.  Pile in the veggies, cover & cook.

Fold over when golden brown on one side.  These probably could've cooked for a few minutes longer...

Overall, not my best attempt.  H, being the dear, still polished his plate and asked for seconds...