Geisha beauty

Geisha women are perceived to be the ultimate in beauty, poise, and elegance in feudal Japan. When I was approached by the folks at Tatcha, they sent me samples of their star products. I've had a couple months to try out the products since they were samples and easy to travel with.
My favorite items include: Classic Rice Enzyme Powder, Deep Brightening Serum, and the Moisture Silk Cream

Classic Rice Enzyme Powder

This is one of their bestsellers and I can see why. The powder is mixed in with a bit of water in your palm and it becomes a silky creamy exfoliator!  Since moving to the tropics, my skin has gone haywire and became fairly sensitive to the environment. All the grime from walking around in a hot/humid (translation: ALWAYS sweating!) urban climate has made my skin look less than ideal. I have to keep up with a skincare regime of exfoliation 1-2 times a week so I don't get clogged pores. I tried this powder out and like how gentle and soft it feels against my sensitive skin. I'm always on the lookout for exfoliators that are super gentle on sensitive skin but also clears the skin of dead skin cells.

Deep Brightening Serum
I've always been a fan of serums. I think its because I like the texture of most serums. It just melts into the skin without feeling sticky or heavy like moisturizers and creams. This serum is no different. The lightweight texture and the fact that it does indeed brighten up my dull complexion (especially if I haven't gotten enough sleep!). This didn't irritate my sensitive skin so its good for all skin types. Whats different about this serum though is the fact that it does moisturize well for a serum. You could probably get away with using this serum without layering moisturizer on top of it if you have really oily skin or on a super hot/humid summer day.

According to the Tatcha website: Non-irritating. Non-sensitizing. Dermatologist tested. Formulated without mineral oil, synthetic fragrances, sulfate detergents, parabens, PEGs, PPGs, urea, DEA, TEA or phthalates.

Moisture Silk Cream
As mentioned above, I'm not a big fan of heavy creams/moisturizer. I was a little skeptical about trying this moisturizer out because of its name. When I opened the little container, I was surprised to find that its surprisingly light! I've been using it as my day moisturizer for the past couple months and noticed my fave becoming less splotchy from the environmental changes.  According to the Tatcha website, this product contains silk extract, ginseng root, green tea, red algae, and Japanese rice bran extracts. Silk extract acts as moisturizer and binding element so the skin is able to retain moisture. Ginseng root is an antioxidant that promotes elasticity and prevents premature aging. Green tea, red algae, and rice are soothing to the skin. No wonder my skin is repairing itself from all the environmental changes.





The only downside I have about this skincare is that its fairly expensive and I'm not sure if its available in Singapore!
If you're not ready to commit and want to try it out or traveling quite a bit, Tatcha has a sampler set for sale at $49. It contains quite a generous amount of product to last you at least 3-4 weeks.




Disclaimer: Products in this blog post were received by the skincare company Tatcha, however I did not receive any monetary compensation nor incentive to write a positive review of their products. All opinions and reviews are entirely my own and based on my own experiences with the products given to me. I only reviewed products that I was excited about and worked for me.

Affordable Beauty Thrills

Every now and then I find a product that I love with the added bonus of an affordable price point. 

(All under $15) These are my faves.

1) Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo with Peppermint, Tea Tree, and Eucalyptus

Basically this shampoo combines my two favorite ingredients in Bath, Shower, Body products: 

Eucalyptus and Peppermint. 

This shampoo is a great everyday shampoo and doesn't weigh my fine, silky Asian hair down to a flat greasy mess. 

2) Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner with Peppermint, Tea Tree, and Eucalyptus

This is the conditioner version of the shampoo above. A great pairing. 

Basic conditioner to use every 2-3 days on the ends of your hair. 

I leave it in my hair while I soap before rinsing for extra moisturizing benefits. 

3) EOS lip balm

I've already mentioned this lip balm in this blog before. 

The shape of this cute little dome shaped balm is perfect for stowing in your bag and re-applying throughout the day is hygienic because you don't have to stick your finger in a pot. 

The yummy flavors are also an added bonus. 

4) NIVEA Sun Kissed Beautiful Legs

This gradual fake tan lotion is the best one for fair skinned folks like me. 

The gradual tan makes it look less orange-y and muddy brown looking. Its very slight. 

I'm always looking for ways to run inside in the comfort of AC when the temperatures rise and the sun is making the most UV damage but I don't really want to look pasty all year round. 

This lotion is not greasy or messy like some self-tanners out on the market. 

You can apply it in the a.m. while you are wearing your shorts, skirt, or dress. Just don't wipe your hands on your clothes!

Clay Cleanser by Shizuka NY

After reading about Shizuka NY’s Clay Cleanser, hearing some testimonials, and after some seriously scrutinous back and forth (note: I’m NOT a big spender when it comes to high-end facial cleansers); I decided to give my scrutiny a rest and just buy a bottle.  So, what made this product so captivating in the first place?

1

   

     1.       It’s made with Moroccan lava clay. I’ve heard that clay cleansers have generous anti-aging and skin detox qualities as it helps refine pores and tighten the skin, so the main ingredient itself was enough to tempt me. Quite simply, I’ve never used a clay cleanser before and the thought of it on my skin sounded well, nice.

       2.       It claims to “lift impurities from the skin” and “aids acne-prone skin and minimizes minor blemishes”. I don’t normally have oily skin, but due to all the sunscreen, moisturizers and make-up I’ve been wearing (mixed with NYC’s current “stinky-hot” air (yes, that’s how I would describe it!)), my pores needed a little TLC.

I’ve been using it for a week now and admittedly look forward to using it at the end of each day!  It’s best used on dry skin and goes on wonderfully smooth and light. Its delicate scent no doubt comes from a few of its alluring ingredients: green tea, pearl protein, lotus flower, German chamomile, and licorice root extracts. As an added bonus, especially during the summer months, the cleanser also includes a little peppermint oil which leaves my skin feeling cool and refreshed. 

Exciting stuff...

I just changed the site address to http://beautifulfacesblog.blogspot.com because I'm expanding this blog to include some very fashion-forward, beauty junkies, and awesome writers to write posts here.

(p.s. If you'd like to be a volunteer blogger email me at alaine83 at gmail dot com and tell me about your beauty hoarding (hahaha), why you want to be a blogger, and if you have any experience professionally in the beauty/fashion world (optional) )

Me with my airbrush machine! Photo Credit: Di Zhang

New Obsession: Lip Scrub by Sara Happ

I've been using my toothbrush to exfoliate my lips until I discovered Sara Happ's Lip Scrub is AMAZING! I originally picked up the scrub to replenish my professional make up kit. As a rule for stuff in my kit, I have to test it first. I am addicted to the scrub! Its a permanent fixture on my bathroom sink. Looks like I have to pick up a second pot of lip scrub for my kit.
I own the peppermint scrub (I'm a sucker for mint!) and use it about 2x a week. You put a small amount on your lips and then tissue it off - this leaves the lips super soft.

With packaging like this, who could resist picking up this lip scrub? I think this scrub would also make a fantastic gift for a friend, mother, sister, etc.

Make up Story

I saw a few Youtube videos of "beauty gurus" that were doing the make up tags... Thought I'd do something similar here.


1. How old were you when you started wearing makeup?
2 years old! I used to sneak into my Grandmother's and Mother's make up drawers and play around with their make up. I also used to get into a lot of trouble for cutting my own hair. Needless to say, my make up skills were a lot better than my hair cutting skills!
I started wearing make up for school around 6th grade, then I couldn't be bothered with make up too much in high school b/c I was too sleep-deprived from all the activities I did each day. I only wore make up for dance performances and figure skating competitions in high school.

2. How did you get into makeup?
I got into doing make up because I hated people touching my face. I used to re-do the make up that my mother did on my face for dance recitals when I was a child b/c I didn't like the way it looked. When I got older, I started learning theater make up and signed up to be on crew so I wouldn't have to sit in anyone's chair! lol. 

3. What are some of your favorite brands?
Stila, Make Up Forever, NARS, Fresh, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, Origins, and Body Shop

4. What does makeup mean to you?
Make up is a wonderful way to enhance natural beauty. It is also fun to mix it up and try a new look b/c at the end of the day, you can wash it off!

5. If you could only wear 4 products on your face what would they be?
OCC Tinted Moisturizer, Stila's Cherry Crush lip/cheek stain, Alison Raffaele's Transparent Finish to go, Shu Uemura mascara



6. What is your favorite thing about makeup?
The ability to lift a mood, look and feel fabulous, and the confidence it brings.

7. What do you think about drugstore makeup vs high end makeup?
I'm a make up snob/junkie/hoarder - I love good quality products so tend to stick with products I've tested on myself and that it works well. I'm also transitioning my make up to also be cruelty-free b/c bunnies don't deserve to be mistreated and tortured for the sake of cosmetics. There are so many products that humans are willing to try and test out if it works.

8. What is one tip of advice you can give to a beginner?
Hone in on the skills you are good at and focus your energy on that. You can't do everything.
I'm not an FX make up artist, nor a body painter, or do fantasy type make up but have tried all those things out. I'm just not good at it and there are so many more talented artists who can do that kind of work. My best skills is in beauty make up and airbrush make up applications. I like continuing to expand my skills so I practice a lot and have done some pretty interesting transformations during Halloween for clients and friends.

9. What is one makeup trend you never understood?
Eyelid taping. This is predominant in Asia, I had to tape an Asian brides lids a few times because they wanted a "double lid" effect. This changes the way the eyes look and I never understood the phenomenon of looking completely like a different person when this trend has been done as well as using make up to transform the entire face especially when it comes to weddings. Its just weird to me. I understand that you need to transform the entire face for a theatrical production or a film/tv show and embrace the joy that make up can do that but for an everyday look or a wedding?!?!?! Thats just living behind a mask.

10. What do you think about the beauty community on YouTube?
Some of the videos make me cringe but its like watching reality tv shows, you just can't help but watch it. This video is really cute though....

The color everyone is raving about...

Orange! Coral!

It's the new "it" color of the season that everyone seems to be talking about these days... I've been rocking the coral color when everyone was rocking the bright red lips a few years back. My favorite combination is orange lips, coral cream blush, gold lids, and fluttery lashes.

Believe or not Orange is a universally flattering color for most skin tones if done correctly. I think Coral blush is the easiest one to pull off.

Here are my fave products:


FACE Stockholm
Creme Blush in Shanghai
$25







#1 Rule for creme blush: Blend Blend Blend! Make sure you start with the smallest amount possible and build from there, otherwise you run the risk of looking like a sunburnt tomato

Alternative: NARS Multiple in Portofino, $39

I also use the creme blush excess from my fingers over my lids and will also put creme blush on my lips. Talk about multiple uses!




Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar
Grandma, $14














OCC lip tars are amazing! You only need a tiny amount and it can cover your entire lips. Thats the beauty of the highly pigmented products from OCC.