Updates, Winner, Likes and Dislikes

Update: I apologize for the lack of updates lately. I have been busy with moving back to school so things will be a little slow around here for a few days.

Sigma Brushes Coupons 2012 »

Sigma Giveaway: If you've noticed my giveaway post update, I've drawn a winner using random.org. Congratulations to the winner: out of focus. Please respond to my email with your full name and mailing address. I will always give the winner one week to respond to my email before drawing a different person. Don't be upset if you didn't win. There is another giveaway going on right now and many future giveaways. In addition, I will ask that the winner provides a short review or some sort of feedback for the readers.

Like:

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser

Dislike:

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Towelettes

Since I like the Purity facial wash so much, I thought that I would enjoy these towelettes as well. I imagined they would take off all my makeup with a quick wipe here and there. In reality, these towelettes are small, overpriced ($20 for 45 wipes) and without the cleansing power of the original face wash. One wipe will not thoroughly clean your face. I feel like I've bought moist towelettes. I suggest sticking to the facial wash.

Egg White Blackhead Mask

Egg whites are good for facials because they can temporarily tighten your skin and pores and leave your skin feeling soft and supple. But did you know that egg whites can also be used to remove your blackheads?

I have horrible blackheads all over my nose. I sometimes use the Biore Pore Strip, which works, but not very well. One strip won't do it for me and many strips just seem abrasive and unnecessary. When I have time to spare, I like to use an egg white facial mask. It is all natural, gentle and removes most of my blackheads.

Removing blackheads with an egg white mask is a very time consuming process and can become quite messy if you are not careful. If you don't add enough layers of egg white or get the drying time right, it will not work. I think it requires some sort of skill actually. Growing up, my mother always applied my mask for me. Even now, I am not as good as she is. I will always opt to have her help if possible.

Directions:
1. Crack an egg and separate the white and yolk. Place the egg white in a bowl and let it sit for a bit to thicken. (The yolk can be saved for hair treatment or to cook.)
2. Pick up a few cotton swabs (or whatever works for you) and bunch them together to pick up the egg white to slather on your clean face.
3. Generously cover your entire face with the egg white and let it partially dry before adding another layer. Add anywhere from 3-5 layers. Concentrate on problem areas.
4. Use some sort of thin tissue or toilet paper to place over your wet face, leaving room for the eyes, mouth and nostrils.
5. Reapply another layer of egg white on top of your tissue, careful not to let the moisture rip or ruin the tissue on your face.
6. Let your mask fan dry or air dry (doesn't matter). As it dries, the egg white will tighten your skin and you may feel some discomfort. It's okay though, because your skin and pores are tightening (temporary effect).
7. After your mask completely dries, peel the mask off. Your blackheads should come off with it.
8. Wash the egg white and tissue residues off of your face and moisturize as usual. I like to use an aloe vera jelly to moisturize afterwards because it feels refreshing.

When trying to make this mask, remember that patience is your best friend. Let a layer dry partially before adding another layer. I have failed many times before succeeding. If you want, you can have a friend try it on you while you lie down. The whole process including drying time may take anywhere from an hour to several hours, depending on how thick your egg white is, how much you apply and how you dry the mask. If you still find blackheads after peeling off your mask, you can always repeat the process. It's really nonabrasive.

I just peeled off my mask and feel really good right now. I can't help it but touch my smooth new nose. I just wish I had the time to do this every night.

Popular Post: Sigma Coupon Code 2015

ASOS Outfit Collage

I love putting these little outfit collages together. I get a bit of the shopping thrill without having to purchase anything.

ASOS Life always has a competition to win a £50 ASOS voucher/gift card. A common competition includes putting together an outfit from their shop. Since only about 30 people ever enter a competition, I thought I would try my luck. I've entered about twice but have never won. I don't mind though, because it's fun to put a fashion collage together. I thought I'd bring this up in case someone who is actually good at these things wants to give it a try. Good luck to those interested!

ASOS Basic Bandeau Body, Oasis Lace Skirt, KG By Kurt Geiger Eleanor Platform Heeled Shoe: Black/White, ASOS Bright Leather Obi Belt: Red, Swarovski Gemma Satin Clutch Bag, Michael Kors Mk5161 Watch, Lipsy Large Beaded Diamond Shape Earrings (+), L&B Vogue Matte Velvet Lipstick: China Red, O.P.I LA Collection De France: A Qui Bit of Red

Do you enjoy making these collages? Ever entered one of these competitions?

Sigma Brushes Giveaway and 2012 Coupon

Sigma 2012 Coupon Codes»10% Off, FREE Gift & Shipping

GIVEAWAY CLOSED: See New Giveaways»

I have some exciting news today. Sigma Makeup has been generous enough to sponsor a giveaway for Handmade Reviews. One follower will get a complete Eyes Kit (retail $45). To enter this giveaway, you must be a follower and comment with your email address and your favorite type of blog post. One entry per person. This is open internationally and ends one week from now (August 23, 2010).

If you have never tried Sigma brushes, you should take some time to look up the reviews. Sigma brushes are very popular among beauty bloggers/vloggers. I find them to be an affordable dupe of MAC brushes. The Sigma brushes that I bought pick up makeup very efficiently and are better quality than Coastal Scents or other similar brushes. They are the best quality for the price.

If you want MAC quality brushes without the MAC prices, you have Sigma brushes.

Brushes in this kit:
Medium Angled Shading - E70, Small Angle - E65, Large Shader - E60, Pencil - E30, Tapered Blending - E40, Eyeliner - E05, Eye Shading - E55

Thank you so much Sigma for sponsoring this giveaway. The winner will be chosen at random by random.org. I will contact the winner for his/her full name and mailing address and forward that information to Sigma who will then ship the prize out.

Even if you don't want to enter this giveaway, please do me a favor and tell me what types of post you would like to see. It would really help me out. Thank you, lovelies!

FTC: This giveaway is sponsored by Sigma. Sigma will ship the prize directly to the winner. I am not being compensated in any way. I am not getting paid nor am I getting anything for free. I paid for the Sigma brushes that I own by myself.

Interested in Sigma Beauty? Use Sigma coupon codes for 10% off your Sigma purchase.

Haul and FOTD

That bag does resemble the Mulberry Alexa in some ways, doesn't it? It is a brand-less bag without designer name or label and is made of leatherette. When I saw it selling on Ebay for about $30, I knew it would be perfect for carrying my books. I did buy it because it reminds me of the Alexa. Shame it is not the real deal, but I wouldn't carry bulky college textbooks and exploding pens in an expensive bag anyway, so this seems to be a good choice.

I also got the Osis+ Dust It Mattifying Powder off of Ebay because they don't sell them here. I'm not sure the Osis+ powder is doing anything for my hair so far. I've rubbed a bit of it onto my roots for more volume, but my hair goes poof for only 10 minutes before going back to normal. I blame the heat, but let's give it another try.

I bought these adorable ZIGIny flats to brighten up my dark dreary outfits from time to time. Plus, they come with the most adorable shoe sleeves and box. I'm a sucker for nice packaging. But aren't we all?

I picked up the softlips lip balm in raspberry because my other lip balms were running out and I always need to have a billion lip products all over the place. And also because I love raspberry and SPF lip balms. I always get a few of the softlips to throw in my bag, pocket, drawer, etc.

And that's it for my little haul. My favorite purchase? Why, the bag, of course. I can never buy too many bags.

Today's Face:
Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer in Ivory, Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF15 Foundation in Light, Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel, NARS Blush in Orgasm, Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil, Urban Decay Primer Potion, Victoria's Secret Eyeshadow in Bronze Ambition, Victoria's Secret Eyeshadow in Brown to Earth, Sephora Eyeshadow in Aspen Summit, Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Onyx, NYX Round Lipstick in Jupiter, NARS Lip Gloss in Strip Tease, Prescriptives False Eyelashes Mascara, Bobbi Brown Brow Pencil in Mahogany

What have you been shopping lately? What are some essentials you'll be getting for the Fall? I'm super excited for my favorite season of the year. xx

Updates and Upcoming Reviews

It has been a little slow around here, but this is basically what I've been up to:

As I was getting ready to leave the house this morning, my plans got canceled. I had already gotten a good part of my makeup done so I figure I would snap a shot before taking everything off again. On my lips are Origins lipstick in Sugared Peach and NARS lipgloss in Dolce Vita (once again). I am still in the process of trying to use up my MAC Studio Mist Foundation that has been discontinued since who-knows-when. My favorite Revlon Colorstay eyeliner is almost out so I'll probably pick one up tomorrow. Today was a fair day to stay in even though the makeup was kind of wasted. But what can one do on days like these?

Today, I received the quick fix sticks that Solutions That Stick sent to me for consideration. It is a pack of double sided adhesive to fix up broken, ripped, slipping, bursting clothes. I am actually using one of the sticks on my (cotton) shirt today. I am liking it a lot more than I had anticipated. It isn't just double sided tape, after all. It sticks to your clothes firmly without actually being sticky. I will give it a little more time before doing a thorough review though. I have to see how well it will adhere to different fabrics before deciding whether it's a hit or miss.

The face primer I am currently using is Skin Prep FX. I really wanted to like this product. I really did. I was expecting to love it after reading so many positive reviews on it. As of now, this primer is not cutting it. I have only used it twice or thrice, so I won't judge prematurely. Just two days ago, though, I used it under my Bare Minerals foundation and finishing veil and saw no difference at all. My foundation didn't last longer or anything of that sort. I don't have oily skin, but noticed a bit of shine on my t-zone area that day. I don't know if it was the primer or just my skin. And on a more shallow sense, I don't like the look of the primer, which reminds me of oil. It's without oil, I know, but it just looks it. Anyway, I will try to give this primer a fairer and more thorough review in a week or so.

Have you tried the Skin Prep FX? Or any primer you especially like/dislike?

Bliss Love Handler Review

I must admit that I have some cellulite on my thighs. I have tried quite a few creams and lotions hoping to reduce the effect, tighten the skin or something, anything. After months of using Love Handler, I thought to myself, this is it.

Love Handler is another one of Bliss' cellulite reducing and body toning products. I don't really know the difference between this and their Fat Girl Slim except that Love Handler is a gel and Fat Girl Slim is a cream. I am only going to review Love Handler today since I have not tried most of the other products. If you have never heard of any of these Bliss products, here is what Bliss claims about the Love Handler:

A liquid workout for lazy abdominals!
Why we love it
•stimulates skin surface for improved firmness and contour
•energy releasing amino acids firm and burn with creatine
•caffeine stays active for up to 8 hours!

Want to whittle your wiggly waist, tone tummy pudge and keep back fat at bay? Wage war on those not-so-hard 'core' areas with this genius gel, formulated for extended 8-hour caffeine release. With cooling mint oil and naturally-derived amino acid ingredients. 

clinical studies show:*
• 54.5% saw a reduction in the appearance of bloating in the abdominal area
• 50% reported an improvement in tone and contour
• Testers saw a trimmer waist in just 2 weeks
*Results reported from an independent clinical study conducted over a 6 week period.

It must have taken me at least four bottles and over two years to realize that this product didn't flatten my stomach, erase my cellulite or remove any pudge. But don't let that turn you off from it completely. There are good reasons I kept coming back to this product despite its high price ($36 for a 8.5 oz. bottle).

First and foremost, I must warn you that Love Handler is a very runny gel with a strong minty scent. It doesn't smell bad, but strong. That isn't much of a problem for me because I rather like mint, but those sensitive to any sort of medicinal or minty scents should beware. It also feels really minty once applied.

I apply the gel from my ankles to my waist when I feel generous but usually concentrate on problem areas like my thighs and tummy. Immediately, I feel a cool, minty sensation. And that is the feeling that tricks you into believing that something is happening; that it is working.

The product dries very quickly and doesn't leave my skin sticky... but it is no lotion. It will do absolutely nothing to moisturize your skin. So if it doesn't work for you, you can't even depend on it to be a good moisturizer. The scent does not linger too long, but the cooling sensation goes on for half an hour or more, depending on how much you apply.

So does it work? Well, it surely does something. If you apply it religiously (as I had) for several weeks twice a day, you will notice that your skin will appear firmer. It will not take off any fat or reduce your size in any way, but it does seem to miraculously tighten that bit of loose skin. Maybe massaging twice a day contributed to that, but it does tighten. No noticeable cellulite reduction though. =(

The ultimate downfall of Love Handler is that the tightening effect won't last. Like many products of its kind, its effect wears off after you stop using it. So if you want to maintain optimum tightness, you'll have to keep repurchasing this gel. One bottle won't even last you a full month if you are applying as much as you should. Personally, I don't think it is worth the trouble and money.

I still have half a bottle of Love Handler left in my possession. I am not using it right now, but I keep it just in case I have a big pool party or beach trip coming up. I would probably use it a week or two prior to the event so I could look better on that day.

What are your experiences with body firming or anti-cellulite products? Anything you would recommend? Pretty please. I will give up on them if you don't recommend.

Louis Vuitton Antheia Hobo

First of all, I apologize for the lack of updates in the past few days. Secondly, remember that NARS lip gloss in Dolce Vita that I got free from the last NARS haul? Well, it has quickly become my favorite gloss! I am running to buy a full size very soon. I get overly excited when I find a new favorite. I think this one is a keeper, guys. It is super pigmented so I can just throw it over my lips throughout the day without worrying about lipstick. Though I'll show swatches of it over different lipsticks once I purchase the full lip gloss. (Pairing Dolce Vita with OPI Germanium polish today.)

Now, onto the little LV discussion:

Image: louisvuitton.com

In case you are wondering, the true reason I have been looking at Louis Vuittons is because they have this picture of Zinedine Zidane plastered all over their website.

I have never been that into Louis Vuittons because I don't like their emphasis on their logo and quite frankly, I find the price tag to be ridiculous. I also think that at this point, it is a little unoriginal to own one of those monogram bags. One look and someone will be able to tell how much your bag is and conjure up in her mind the list of people she knows with that same bag. For designer wearers, a monogram LV says, I have one too. For those not into designer-wears, the bag says, you know I am an LV so look at me. I have always felt that wearing an LV, I would be judged prematurely.

Image: louisvuitton.com

Now, there are the bags without the monogram, but I think they can get a little boring. If you are going to purchase an LV, why not make it worth the money? This new Louis Vuitton Antheia Hobo may just solve all the problems. It is made of luxuriously soft lambskin leather and has embroidered flower monogram that doesn't scream, look at me. It's classy and subtle while maintaining all its LV goodness. But hey, what do I know? Maybe I am just partial to the slouchy lambskin.

At a price of nearly $3000 though, I know I won't be purchasing this bag.

Image: louisvuitton.com

What is your view on LV? What has caught your eyes lately? (Also: any Zizou fans?)

NARS Haul

My NARS order came in today, a day earlier than the tracking report. Yay! I love getting packages in the mail. It always feels like Christmas. Even though I paid for it and know exactly what I ordered, I still get so excited. And NARS packaging is great. The black tissue paper is a nice touch.

I am a little disappointed with this order though. Just a little. The mini lip gloss trio I was supposed to receive turned out to be a mini lip gloss duo in Dolce and Striptease. :( I won't complain because it was a free gift and NARS probably ran out, but I wanted the gloss in Turkish Delight. I like Striptease so it isn't all bad.

In case you missed my previous NARS post, I bought the blush for $26 plus tax and everything else (including shipping) was free. Yay deals! Here is what I got:

NARS blush in orgasm. 

Orgasm is my favorite blush color from NARS. The name is quite risqué, but the color is fair and flattering. This powder blush is finely pressed and goes on very smoothly when applied with a fluffy blush brush. Orgasm is probably best on people with lighter skin as it won't show up well on darker skins. When it works for you though, it will give you a believable peachy pink flush. It's light but vibrant with a slight hint of sparkles without the glitter mess.

NARS half size nail polish in orgasm.

I have not tried the nail polish yet, but I think it is very nice that the freebie comes in half the size of the original (retails $16), not a little sample size. Don't let the photo fool you, this nail polish is a beautiful orange-tone pink with fine gold iridescence.

The cute little pouch that the nail polish came in.

I was pleasantly surprised that NARS threw in this black pouch. This will be useful to store small makeup items. :) 

Mini Lip Gloss Duo in Striptease/Dolce Vita

The mini lip gloss duo is no trio, but not too bad. Each gloss color is 0.07 oz, 1/4 of the full size tube. Surprisingly, this little duo contains half the product of a full lip gloss. Either the mini duo is bigger than it seems, or NARS makes their regular products look like they contain a lot more gloss than they do. Striptease is a pearlized beige sheen that is perfect as a sheer gloss. It pairs well with a nude lipstick, but Turkish Delight is more vibrant and glossy pink, which I find more flattering. Dolce Vita, a dusty rose with good consistency, is great to soften a red or brown lipstick. This is my first time trying Dolce Vita and I've got to say that I love it. I think it looks fantastic by itself. The earthly tone makes it glamorous and natural at the same time. NARS lip glosses are a bit sticky, but worth it for its vibrant color and good staying power. 

My attempt at swatches with a phone camera. *shakes head* Bare lip gloss.

Have you been shopping lately? Is there anything you have been dying to try?

Nude Lipstick Comparison: MAC, Revlon, Nyx

MAC Creme d'nude

I am doing a review of my nude lipsticks today. I only have three at the moment, but they are similar enough for a comparison review.

NYX Circe, Revlon Nude Attitude, MAC Creme d'nude

MAC Creme d'nude - This is my favorite nude lipstick. It is a pink-toned opaque beige. It feels super soft and moist upon application. Because it is creemsheen, it is glossy and slips around my lips quite easily. I wish it had more staying power because it will transfer onto any surface it comes into contact with. In addition, it is quite opaque and sheer, so I must apply generously for good coverage. Of course this lipstick does wear perfectly well with a good lip liner under it. This is one nude that I feel comfortable wearing without a gloss. I have never been able to do that with Myth, a satin finish, because it can get chalky alone. Beware of Creme d'nude melting. It is so soft that it will easily melt and break in the heat.

Revlon Nude Attitude - I read somewhere that Revlon's Nude Attitude is similar to MAC's Myth or Creme d'nude, so I wanted to give it a try. It's a matte lipstick, which I adore for the season. I love the packaging, with the see-through plastic on top of the lid. It was all so perfect when I got it. The color looked beautiful when I opened it. Matte always gives a very clean look. As soon as I applied it on my lips, however, I knew that it wasn't for me. I found it drying, chalky and orange. I understand that mattes will emphasize dryness, but this lipstick practically sucked the moisture from my lips. It also left me with orange nude lips, kind of like a tan gone wrong. Now I know that this is not that case for everyone, but this lipstick just doesn't cut it for me. I use this lipstick only after a good lip scrub and lots of lip balm in addition to a slab of shiny gloss on top. I won't be repurchasing though. It's not bad for a $6 lipstick, but I can do without it.

NYX Circe - This is one of NYX's round lipsticks that are sold for less than $3 at Cherry Culture. You don't expect too much from a $3 lipstick, but I always find NYX products to be excellent quality for their price so I gave this one a try. Circe is a brown taupe nude. It is clearly darker than the other two colors with less indication of pink or peach. It is less sheer than Creme d'nude, which I enjoy. It covers my lips up very nicely and gives that covered up nude without the concealer consistency. Surprisingly, this lipstick is extremely soft and moist. It does not dry out my skin when I wear it. The downfall is that it does not last and I have to reapply throughout the day. Regardless, I prefer this over the Revlon Nude Attitude for its color, moisture and price.

From left to right: Creme d'nude, Circe, Nude Attitude

Do you like nudes? What is your favorite lipstick? Please recommend one to me. ;)
I am always in search of a moisturizing lipstick. Like, always.