100th Post: GIVEAWAY & Miloberry Favorites!

FINALLY! My 100th Post. What a milestone! Thank you all my subscribers, readers, random visitors, friends and just everyone!!! Love you guys for all your continuous support and comments! It kept me going to this milestone!  Hopefully there will still be 200th, and 300th... and so on...

For my 100th post, I decided to list my all time favorites (as of October 2012) for my 100th post.  These are products that I absolutely loooooove!!!! I didn't have a chance to review all my favorites, so I'll just be listing them here. And keep reading for the Giveaway information!

 SKINCARE:

Facewash- Philosophy Purity

Moisturizer- First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream (see my review here)

SPF Moisturizer- First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Face Cream

Eye Cream- Clinique Moisture Surge

Face Cleansing Oil- Shu Uemura

Sunscreen- Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50

All in One Product- Embrolisse Lait-Creme Concentre (24 hour miracle cream)

Tool- Tanda Zap for zits

Exfoliator - Philosophy Microdelivery Peel
Treatment: Skinceuticals Blemish + Age Defense Corrective Serum

FACE MAKEUP:

Foundation - YSL Le Teinte Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation (see my review here)

Under Eye Concealer- Benefit Erase Paste

Face Concealer- Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil (see my review here)

Powder- Chanel Loose Powder (see my review here)

Blush- Benefit Coralista

Bronzer- Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base

Highlighter- Dior Diorskin Shimmer Star in Amber diamond
Brushes: Real Techniques Brushes

EYE MAKEUP:

Mascara - Dior Show Waterproof

Eyeliner- MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

Eyebrow- Shu Uemura Hard Formula
Eye Shadow- Urban Decay Naked Palette

Eye Primer- Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Face Primer- Smashbox Photo Finish SPF 15 with Dermaxyl Complex

LIPS:
Lipstick: Dior Addict in It Pink
Lip Gloss: Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Sandy
Lip Balm: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Rose

HAIR PRODUCTS:

Shampoo/Condition- Ovation Cell Therapy (see my review here)

Hairspray- Living Proof Hold Flexible Hairspray

Misc. Hair Product- Living Proof Thickening Mousse

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY: 

These are the items that will be included in the Giveaway Bag!  (Chosungah Luna Pore Tightening Shu, Urban Decay All Nighter Spray XL size, Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Collection, Clinique High Impact Mascara, Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Palette, All Human Hair Eyelashes)

Now for the rules:

1. You must be a follower on either one of these: If you follow all four, then even more chances for you!

Blogger

Bloglovin

Facebook

Twitter

2.  Please tell me in the comment below, your favorite blog post of mine, OR what other posts you'd like to see.

3. You can also comment on the facebook post that has the link to this post.

(These are not requirements, but more chances you can win)

4.  For more chances to win, share this facebook post on your wall! And have them like my Facebook page! I welcome new readers! :)

5. For more chances to win, share this post on twitter: Copy and paste this:
"Follow @miloberryblog #miloberrygiveaway for a chance to win 100th Post Giveaway Bag! http://tinyurl.com/8l2p948"

You may enter either of these ways ONCE! The last day to enter will be November 11, 2012 by 11:59 PM.  I will announce the winner via Blogger Post, Facebook, and Twitter.  You will have 48 hours to claim your prize!  Good Luck Everyone!!! And Thank you!

Review: YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation

I have been trying the Yves Saint Laurent's newest foundation, Le Teint Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation ($55) for the last two months.  And I thought it was about time I review it.

WHAT IT CLAIMS:
For the first time, the magic light of Touche Eclat is in a foundation with the added benefit of SPF 19 sun protection.  Infused in a weightless fluid, this foundation targets shadowy areas and highlights the contours of the face.  Free of opaque fillers, its perfecting texture evens the complexion and helps conceal imperfections while enhancing your skin's natural beauty. Available in 17 shades with SPF 19 broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection.

Free of
-Parabens
-Sulfates
-Petrochemicals
-Phthalates
-GMOs
-Triclosan

I was quite excited about this foundation when I first heard about it.  It's a foundation version of the Touche Eclat Radiant Touch ($40) which has been a cult favorite for decades.   A lot of people use the Radiant Touch underneath their eyes or as an illuminator.  Personally I think the foundation is worth it considering the Radiant Touch is only 0.1 oz for $40 while the Foundation is 1.0 oz for $55.  You do the math.

COLOR: I picked this up in shade Beige 30.  I'm about MAC NC25, MUFE HD #120, Clinique Even Better Foundation Buff #25, Urban Decay Naked #4 for reference.  The shade looks a lot darker through the bottle than the actual product when dispenses.  One of the reasons I was quite happy with Beige 30 was because it had a yellow undertone to it.  I have problems with so many foundation claiming it to have yellow undertone, yet when I put it on, I still see the pink undertone.  I think this is perfect for light colored asians like myself.  However, you have 17 different shades to choose from.

PACKAGING:  It's in a heavy glass bottle with gold writings and gold cap.  Very Yves Saint Laurent signature packaging if you ask me.  It comes with a nice pump and the lid fits perfect over the pump.  It is a little heavy to be carrying around everywhere, but personally I don't carry my foundations except when I'm traveling.  And this bottle is not cheaply made glass that will easily crack.  However, I'd be devastated if I broke this!  It has 1 fluid ounce of product, which is a pretty standard foundation size.

COVERAGE AND FINISH:  Slightly dewy, glowy but dries semi-matte.  I know Allure recently gave this a Best of Beauty Award in the medium to full coverage foundation category.  At first, I thought it was going to be a sheer light to medium coverage because of the natural coverage and finish it has.  However, after some thought I'd agree with Allure.  The consistency appears to be very sheer at first, but it's quite pigmented and it gives decent medium coverage with one pump and one application.  I was quite happy with one pump, so I have never tried layering.  It has a dewy and slightly glowy finish at first, but once it settles it turns into semi-matte.  Also it absorbs into the skin quickly making it look sooooo natural and sooo beautiful and probably easy to layer flawlessly as well.  Even after many hours of wear, it stays on really well and makes it look more and more natural.  It also surprisingly has good oil control for a dewy/glowy foundation.  I personally like to wear this on it's own because it is so beautiful without the powder, but when lightly powdered, my nose doesn't get shiny utnil the 9th or 10th hour.  It also does not settle into fine lines and make you look older.  It actually reflects light to give you the lifted radiant appearance.  Also it does not dry out my face throughout the day as some foundations do (even glowy ones).

THIS FOUNDATION IS LIKE:  I'd say similar product to this foundation from what I've used is NARS Sheer Glow Foundation is the closest comparison, but I'd say YSL has much better coverage.  It's also similar to the Urban Decay Naked Foundation, however Naked foundation dries more matte, and it tends to dry my face more than the YSL.YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat is unique and much better.

APPLICATION:  I like to either use a buffing brush (Real Techniques), paddle foundation brush (Bobbi Brown), or my fingers.  I think they all apply beautifully.  When I apply with my fingers, it almost feels like a tinted moisturizer, but with really good coverage.  I just love the radiance it gives. ♥  And this foundation, YOU MUST SHAKE BEFORE USING!  Don't forget! :)

GREAT FOR:  Women of all ages.  I'd say all skin types, but I'm guessing people who have oilier skin tend to stay away from glowy/dewy type foundation.  For those, I'd say skip moisturizer and just put this on. 

Here are some pictures of before and after in different lighting.  Also I had a lot of time before I did this review, so luckily I had a lot of pictures. :) 

This one is with natural lighting and with no makeup, with just foundation, and full makeup.  With just foundation, it did an awesome job of covering up the discoloration underneath my eyes, giving it that nice lifted look.  Also you can see that the coverage is quite good without any concealers.

In this picture, I had put on my eye makeup and brows, so you don't get distracted by me not having any makeup on.  In natural lighting, I did just eye makeup & brows, and then I added foundation, and then full makeup.  You can see all of my redness and freckles disappear and giving but also giving it a nice natural finish.

This picture is the same but with flash photography.  No flash backs or ghostly white face with flash. Yay!

MY THOUGHTS:  I am more than satisfied with this foundation.  Even with the hefty price tag of $55, I think it's worth every penny.  It really gives you that nice glowy but not overly glowy, healthy skin look.  It has good coverage.  Also I thought maybe this would be a better foundation for the winter, but it has good stay power even in the month of September in Southern California, I think this would do just fine in the summer.  It does not dry out my combination dry face.  I think it's perfect for someone looking for a natural finish foundation but still looking for coverage.  Also I really love the scent.  It has almost a cucumber but a light oil smell?  Sorry I don't know if that makes sense, but that's how I'd describe it.  It photographs well even with Broadspectrum UVA/UVB coverage of 19.

WOULD I REPURCHASE: Absolutely YES YES YES!  I'm so happy with this foundation.  It's so light, that I can see myself wearing this every day!

YOU CAN BUY IT AT: Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!  Sorry for this long post.  I'm still trying to figure out what kind of format to have when I'm reviewing, so I'm trying out different formats.  And this foundation, I obviously had a lot to write about. :)  And if you have any thoughts on the type of reviews I've done, please let me know!

ANNNNNDDDD.... This is my 99th post! Yayyyy!!!  Next one will be my 100th post and a giveaway announcement!!!  Please subscribe, LIKE my facebook page, FOLLOW me on Twitter for my next post and more chances to win!  Thank you all!

Sephora Gift: Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Collection

I had to do a quick post about this because Sephora is doing 250 Points gift this weekend only! Or until supplies run out.  For 250 Sephora Beauty Insider points, you get Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Collection.  It's a good one for 250 points!  You can redeem this on-line or at the stores.  I thought it was quite good, so I grabbed two.  One for me and I'll add one for the Giveaway! :)  I love mini deluxe sizes! Easy to carry and good amount enough to try before buying the regular size!  I already have their Lip Polish in Sandy which is a really good lip plumper!  Get one while you can this weekend... it's till supplies last!

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Collection Lip Polish in Dolly (0.07 oz), Lip Cream in White Russian (0.07 oz), Lip Stick in Brooklyn (0.015 oz)  I'd estimate that this is about $20 value.

NARS Debbie Harry Eye and Cheek Palette Swatches

If you haven't read my review of the NARS Debbie Harry Eye and Cheek Palette, go here first.  I just wanted to do the swatches for you, so you can see what I was talking about.  Since when I went the first time to purchase this palette, they didn't have on display yet, so the Sephora Rep had to show it to me.  I didn't bother taking pictures, but I went back today and did the swatches.  (I quickly took pictures with my iPhone, and I have to say iPhone 5 picture quality is pretty darn good. :)

This is the swatch of everything in the palette minus the cream highlighter/blush. 
You see how the colors are not as vibrant as it appears on the palette?  Also it's not so silky feeling either, very rough due to the glitter.  I say glitter a lot while describing this palette.  hahahahah

Here's the palette again if you really want to see it... kekeke

And this is after I swiped it couple of times with my hands.
All gone! Little traces of the Starry Black left.

Close up of the palette... look at all the silver glitter!

Here I swatched similar colors from other NARS eyeshadows...
These are much silkier and the good quality I'm used to.  Much better color payoff with same amount of swipes.

And after I swiped it off the same amount of times as the Debbie Harry palette.  You can at least still see the colors!

Anyhow, I had to share this again, so if you are considering this palette thinking it'd be as awesome as their other palettes from the past.  This one is a NO NO NO.  NO GOOD QUALITY!  bleh... so disappointed still....

Review: NARS Debbie Harry Eye And Cheek Palette (Andy Warhol Collection)

Just look at this palette.... isn't it gorgeous?  It's from NARS Andy Warhol Pop Collection, Debbie Harry Eye and Cheek Palette ($65). And with NARS eyeshadows being pigmented and silky... I thought this was going to be a dream.... Blush, highlighter, and four gorgeous eyeshadows...  This palette is exclusive to Sephora.

image source: Google.com

I was so stoked.  I work right across from Sephora, so I went in to get this palette at lunch.  It technically wasn't even released two days ago.  I believe it was released at the stores today.  So I asked the Sephora Rep to get it from the back to show me.  I wouldn't be able to buy it, but she said she'd show me to play with it.  When she came back, the palette was about 3/4 size of the Danmari/ Joie de Vivre Palette.  I liked the size and I like NARS packaging.  When I opened it, it was a brand new sample Sephora was going to put out into their display.  Holy Crap, there was so much silver glitter, I thought I was at Mardi Gras. And I mean BIG CHUNKY GLITTER. And these glitters are not even incorporated into the shadows or blushes.  It looked like it was sprinkled on.  I made the "ewwwww" face and the Sephora rep said let's go the station and play with it.  I was so disappointed, I didn't even want to play with it.  But I decided to give it benefit of the doubt and swatch it.  Especially the purple and teal eyeshadows. Oh my... all I got was glitter and NO COLOR PAYOFF.  The eyeshadow wouldn't even stay on my hand.  And all I was left was glitter and that just fell off after few swipes.  Fine... glitter falls off, but what's up with no pigment on vibrant colors like the purple and teal?  I'm still shaking my head. And to make things waaaay worse, there were same glitter on the blush and the highlighter too. I MEAN TO MAKE SURE I WAS SWATCHING CORRECTLY, I EVEN SWATCHED IT AGAIN TO SHOW MY FRIEND.....(See swatches here)

You can see in this enlarged picture the silver glitter.  I thought it was just going to be small glitter, but it's big glitter.  Trust me.  BIG SILVER USELESS GLITTER that doesn't stick.

WHY NARS WHY? And Sephora... WHY?  Didn't anyone look at this and say, this glitter just falls off and it's way too big?  I'm surprised NARS and SEPHORA allowed this poor quality product in the market.  And put Andy Warhol's name on it.

In conclusion, I obviously didn't buy it.  If you are looking to buy this on-line, please don't.  I will beg you not to.  Go to the store and check it out first.  I will guarantee you, you will not want it.  If you check the Sephora website, you'll see reviews like mine.  There are few that says the pigment and color payoff is great.  I don't know what they are smoking or what palette they got.  But it is not the case.  I reviewed it on sephora, but I don't know where my review went.... or wasn't posted yet.

I cannot recommend this palette to ANYONE in the right mind.  Actually even if you are crazy, don't get it. LOL

First GLOSSYBOX (September 2012)

I gave in and subscribed to the beauty subscription box, GLOSSYBOX. Basically it's a box sent to you with 5 deluxe and/or full size products every month for $21/month (this already includes shipping and taxes) and cheaper if you decide to do 6 months or 1 year.  I've tried few other beauty box subscription service and I think with GLOSSYBOX, you get way more things that you can use or valued way more than the other boxes. 

Also as a sidenote, if you go through ebates.com you also get 15% back.  So think of getting this box for a little less than $18.  Great deal.

So to show you what I got this month.  By the way, I love the box it comes in.  It's totally reusuable for a gift or to store things in.  Real sturdy, cute pink box!  And when you open it, it's wrapped up with a bow like a gift. :)

They have a theme/ or a name for the box each month.  This month was Fall Forward, inspired by the Fall Fashion Runways from Fashion Week.

Description and the price for each of the items received.   Sorry the picture is crooked. >.<

And in my box:

From left to right:
1. OC8 Professional Mattifying Gel - It controls your shine for 8 hours.  I received full size valued at $30.
2. GKHAIR Hair Taming System, Balancing Shampoo (the description didn't match the actual bottle).  From the look of it, it looks to be about 3 to 4 ounces of product.  Valued at $7-8.
3. GKHAIR Hair Taming System, Balancing Conditioner.  Balued at about $7-8.
4. Kryolan Moisture Rich Lipstick in GLOSSY pink.  I received full size valued at $14.
5. Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 in Color #31.  I received full size valued at $29.99!!!!!  I actually already own this BB Cream.  I just didn't know they make number #31, which was more perfect for olive tone ladies.  But wow... worth $30 alone!

So I received total of approximately $90 worth of products.... Wow!!!!

I'm definitely keeping this subscription. Definitely worth it... From what I've seen in the past, it's always worth over what you are paying and you get awesome products.  I'd recommend GLOSSYBOX. 
Don't forget to go through ebates for your rebate.  And if you'd like to join this, please let me know so I can send you a personal invitation for GLOSSYBOX!

Current Wishlist (October 2012)

Wow, just checked my stats, and I'm at exactly 51,000 views.  Kinda cool...  :)  Thank you for those reading!  I don't really get anything out of blogging other than just pure enjoyment... but that's a lot... So thank you!  It's kind of good to know that there is someone reading this. :) :) :) 

So, I always have something I want to buy next....  and I feel like I have been buying up more than usual amount of makeup, or more pricier ones these days, so I thought I cut down... but now wishlist is piling up! So here are some things that I'm looking to buy, or kind of hesitating..

Velour Mink Lashes:  Aren't these gorgeous???  Even tho these are made of 10% mink, it's actually PETA friendly.  They were brushed off the minx (?) and they are from fallen out furs/hairs.  Not killed to make eyelashes.  These are pricey, so I have been hesitating.  But I hear they are great quality and you can wear them over 30 times.  And they are comfortable!

Are Those Real? ($29.99) very natural looking

You Complete Me ($29.99) a little oomph for that perfect cat eye   (I feel like these will really complete me... hahahaha)

With my red lip obsession, this list is growing with pricier lip products.
YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain in Color 9 Rouge Laque ($32.00)
I can't even get this even if I wanted to.  It's only being sold on-line through Sephora (exclusive color) and it's SOLD OUT!  I hate it how I want it even more when I can't have it!

hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Raven-Orange Red ($28.00)  It's a liquid lipstick that dries matte, so it stays on your lips.  It's perfect for me!

MAC Ruby Woo ($15.00).  This is a vivid blueish red, matte lipstick.  Probably a cult favorite/ classic red color.

MAC Russian Red ($15.00).  This is a intense blueish red.  I hear Gwen Stefani wears this color a lot.

MAC 219 Pencil Brush ($25.00)  I have been searching for a perfect pencil brush forever!  I still haven't found one that will fit my small eyes.... so this was my number two choice... so I'll get this one at some point....

And lastly, Living proof Prime Style Extender ($20.00).  For those of you know me, I preach about the Living proof products.  Especially their Volumizing sprays, hairspray, and their full thickening mousse/cream (can I say... holy grail status....) are freakin awesome... These are always stocked up in my bathroom.  Anyhow, Living proof just came out with Prime Style Extender, which is basically a primer for your hair, so your styles will last.  And if I know them well, I'm guessing it has heat protectant built in just like their thickening mousse/cream.  I'm holding off on buying these because they are currently giving away deluxe samples through their facebook page.  They are giving away 1,000/a day until they reach 25,000.  From what I hear, it takes 58 seconds to give away 1,000.  I tried on the weekend when no one was on. It worked.  So before I buy this sucker, I'm gonna try using my deluxe sample Yay!  If you want in, go to their facebook page (I think it has to be on the computer) and go to the prime style extender app.  I recommend trying this at 9 AM sharp saturday or sunday is your best bet!

So these are on my current wish list... What's on yours?  Please share with me!!!! Pleaseeeeee~~~

Red Sexy Lips: Get yo Sexy On~

I have been O.B.S.E.S.S.E.D. with Red Lipsticks lately.  I just recently started trying this bold statement, so I had a lot of learning and catching up to do.  I didn't know there were so many different shades of red lipsticks that can really alter your skin tone, color of your teeth, etc....  There are orangey tone lipsticks, pinky tone lipsticks, vampy tone lipsticks... so you do have to try quite a bit before deciding on what looks good on you.  It can be scary... and you may not be used to it... but keep searching... nothing says sexy like a bold red lipstick.....

So since I'm a newbie, thought I share some of the cheaper options I went with, since I didn't want to spend tons of money getting the wrong shades or formula in expensive brands.  Even though except for one, are drugstore prices, I really like the formulas and the colors I ended up with.

For me, I've realized that I want something that will stay on and it's not going to bleed all over my teeth, or when the wind blows, I'm going to have streak of hair in red, lining across my face... so long wear was an important factor for me.  Which meant, I had to get all day wear type lipstick or line with red lipliner, or go with matte lipstick. 

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense- No. 42 ($19)
Texture: Soft Matte
Stay Power: Pretty good, exceptionally good with lipliner filled in
Color: True Red
I think this color suits me the best.  I like the formula and it doesn't rub off when I'm drinking coffee...  However because it is matte, and it'll get drier throughout the day, it can accentuate your lip lines.

Rimmel Kate Moss- No. 10  ($5.99) I was able to get mine for $3.99 at CVS
Texture: Slightly Matte with Creamy Shiny Finish
Stay Power: It won't come completely off your lips, but a lot of it does come off. Definitely will need to reapply
Color: Dark, slightly vampy red
I'm not sure if you can see it well in the pictures, but this was a little too dark on my lips.  People mentioned... like "woah... your lips are redddddd"... I'm guessing almost like a vampire... LOL.  Even I thought it was a bit dark. Definitely not my number one choice.  Although for the price of Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick line, I think the quality is really good.

NYX Matte Lipstick - MLS 18 Bloody Mary ($5.99) On Sale at ULTA for $4.19 and you can use $3.50 off coupon. :)
Texture: Matte
Stay Power: Really good.  It really sticks on your lips.  It can possibly be drying if you don't reapply or don't apply lipbalm throughout the day.
Color: Pinky toned red
This one is definitely not a true red.  It has slight fuscia tint to it.  But still very pretty and I think it looks good on my skin tone.  NYX Matte lipsticks are so pigmented.  For the price, I think the quality beats MAC matte lipsticks.  But MAC does have a lot of colors. :)

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - SMLC10 Monte Carlo ($5.99)
On sale at ULTA for $4.79
Texture: Creamy, slightly jelly but dries semi-matte.  Still keeps the shine a little bit.
Stay Power:  It won't rub off completly, but it does come off.
Color: Bright red
From the packaging, I thought this would be a vampy red, but when I put it on, it actually goes on bright red.  I like it. It's like a cross between a lipgloss and a lipstick/stain.  However, because it does come off, you have to becareful not to get it on your teeth.

Revlon ColorStay Overtime Lip Color - Forever Scarlet ($8.99 at ULTA)
Texture: One side has liquid/creamy lipstick that dries completely matte, and the other side has a clear shiny moisturizing lipgloss to seal it in and keep it moist.
Stay Power:  THIS SUCKER DON'T BUDGE.  You'll probably have a harder time trying to get it off at the end of the day.  (see my blot picture below)
Color: Even though the name of the color suggest that it's gonna be a scarlet letter type red, it's actually a very orangey red.
I have to really give it to Revlon for this one.  There are few other brands that have the same concept.  Make Up For Ever is one of them.  And I have yet to try, but, MUFE is $24.  You can get the Revlon one for fraction of that price if you find the color you like.  The stay power is freakin awesome.  And as long as you reapply the gloss or your own lipbalm to keep your lips moisturized, it actually doesn't flake (which is some of the problems I had with other stay all day type lipsticks.)  The formula on this is great.  At the end of the day, I use little oil or moisturizer to loosen it up and remove.

Right after the gloss application, I harshly patted and moved the napkin around... but as you can see, all you got was slight stain from my lip pencil.

My redlipstick collection is growing!

If you are afraid or think you don't look good in red, you are wrong.  You just haven't found the right shade yet.  Red is such a bold, sexy color but at the same time, such a classic color that never ever goes out of style.  Just by putting this on, it gives you that boost of confidence that makes you wanna strutt like it's the runway. kekeke  okay maybe it's just me.  But just look at, Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, and Gwen Stefani.... They got their sexy on.... if I still haven't convinced you.... it really makes your teeth look really white. kekekeke :)  Go get yo sexy on ladies....