About Me

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California, United States
Hi! Thanks for visiting ^_^ My social media platforms: Instagram: meowmier Youtube: http://goo.gl/U5SnNM (formerly under the username francesvlogs but I don't have access to that anymore). I don't really do videos anymore simply because I think blog posts are more informative. Hope you enjoyed your time here! :)

Monday, July 12, 2010

Smokey Eye #1 Taupe/Brown

Hey hey!
How's everyone doing?! Hope everyone's been healthy XD cuz I'm not. Been going to sleep sooo late... >_< need to do something about it.
Anywayyyyy... I decided to start a smokey eye series :D Cuz I haven't done a lot of dark looks. And summer time is the perfect time for nightouts... hence when smokey looks come handy XD

Here's the first look! Using brown and taupe! :D


If you're interested keep reading ^_~

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Stuff used:
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1. Natural Eye palette from Too Faced
2. Copperplate from MAC (LOVE this shade!)
3. Bobbi Brown gel liner in Expresso
4. Victoria Secret lipstick in Spotlight (a sheer nude with a sheen. I'd like to use something more opaque but I don't have any XD)
5. Stila Marigold Convertible Color (to contour)
6. MAC light over dark (for blush)
7. Majolica Majorca Lash Expander

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For eye shadow I only used three colors
1. Heaven (Too Faced) (not shown in pic, just  a matte white)
2. Sexspresso (Too Faced)
3. Copperplate (MAC)

Here's how I placed the colors:
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"Heaven" for inner corner/tear duct and beneath brow
"Copperplate" over the lid and bottom lash line
"Sexspresso" on outer corner and bottom lash line

The key to this look is building up the colors. I only use a bit of Sexspresso at a time and just keep building the intensity
(and you'd always rather use a little at a time so you wouldn't over-do the colors; you can always build up the colors, but mistakes are harder to reverse).
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the color got a bit washed out :T

For eyeliner, I smudged the eyeliner out as I was lining my eyes (just using the eyeliner brush) cuz I don't want the distinct eyeliner; I wanted the eyeliner to blend into the eye shadow. For that reason I didn't do cat-eye or anything =)
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Feel free to put on some falsies, I'm just lazy XD
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Forgot to mention I also used MAC Mineralized Skin Finish to highlight my cheek bones

And as usual... camwhore time... XD
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And... cuz I was bored from posing normal XD
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XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Hope you guys like it~

<3 Frances

Friday, July 9, 2010

Majolica Majorca Mascara Review

Hello hello~

So this will be a comprehensive review for the Mojolica Majorca mascaras :)

What is Majolica Majorca?
It's also known as MJ, it's a sub-brand of Shisedo :)  (戀愛魔鏡)
Also by far my fav mascara brand v ^__^ v I stopped using lancome after I discovered MJ lol.
I believe that high-end mascaras are not necessary at all... drugstore mascaras are just as good.
I've owned 4 MJ mascaras, and one mascara primer. So here it goes!

1. MJ  primer
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- Good primer.
- Comb applicator
- Does not contain any lash-benefiting ingredient
- Doesn't weigh lashes down
- Will I repurchase? - Yes!

2. MJ Second Generation Mascara (Lash Enamel) (超激長魔法睫毛膏 第二代)
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How this mascara compared to the First Generation (I did have it but I threw it away a long time ago cuz I finished it lol!) :
- Visibly more lengthening than first generation (the first generation advertises for volume-- personally think the second generation does the job as well cuz the fibers are quite thick).
- Great holding power
- Waterproof
- Comb applicator
- Will I repurchase? - Yes!

3. MJ Party Princess Mascara (Lash Gorgeous Wing) (宴會公主)
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- This is the only MJ mascara I'd STAY AWAY from!!!!!! It sucks!
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- Advertises for the feathering volumizing effect, but this technology actually made my lashes clump more easily
- The fibers in there are extremely easy to flake \___/ HORRIBLE
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See the tiny fibers? Horrible idea cuz they just flake EVERYWHERE

- Waterproof
- Great holding power
- Brush applicator
- Will I repurchase? - Hell NO! This is prob the only mascara in a long time that I won't even try to finish... it flakes soo much it's not worth it.

4. MJ Third Generation Mascara (Lash Expander) (超激長魔法睫毛膏 第三代)
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- Formula very comparable to second generation MM, except the fibers are finer.
- Great holding power
- Waterproof
- Double-sided comb applicator.
Besides the thinner fiber, I'd say this is the only difference between the 2nd generation. This applicator you can use the smaller comb side to brush out very distinct and thin lashes (some ppl don't like mascara looking thick cuz it'd look clumpy), but you can also flip the applicator over and use the bigger comb side to add more volume/thickness to your lashes. Do I think the brushes make a huge difference? Personally I like thicker lashes, I wouldn't mind either the 2nd or 3rd generation because the formula is almost the same. 3rd generation has the same effect with the 2nd if you use the bigger comb. I can settle for either cuz they're the same price XD
- Will I repurchase? - Sure :)

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Naked eye (where are my lashes?!?!??!!??!?!???? LOL!!)

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This eye with 2nd generation
*GASP* I see lashes!!! XDDDDDD


The rest with 3rd generation
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As you can tell... no difference at all XD

So those are my thoughts on MJ mascara! Hope you guys find it helpful :D


<3 Frances

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Shu Uemura Skin Revitalizing Discovery Kit Pre-Sale!!

Hello guys!

So I was at Nordstrom yesterday to purchase a sunscreen from Shiseido (will do a review on it once I tested it out) I saw this pretty good pre-sale deal at the Shu Uemura counter.
(It's pre-sale because you have to order them, then receive/pick them up later).

This pre-sale set, which is called shu uemura Skin Revitalizing Discovery Kit, is only $35, and includes three items:

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1. Skin Purifier Antioxidant Cleansing Oil (5.07 oz.)
(This alone usually retails for $32!!! It's a full-size item  :D :D )

2. red:juvenus Vitalizing Retexturizing cream (0.44 oz.)

3. Depsea Water Mist in Lavender (1.7 oz.)

I've been using MAC's cleanse off oil (5 oz for $22) and I'm on my third bottle. I use cleansing oil in stead of other forms of makeup remover cuz I think it's the most gentle way to clean my face.
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before MAC, I used to use Lancome Bi-Facil (4.2 oz for $26)
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Which is an excellent eye makeup remover, but I switched to MAC because I wanted something that can take off makeup from my whole face, not just eye-makeup (I also don't believe in makeup wipes). I remember I used to love this so much cuz it removes makeup so well and it's so gentle, but after using MAC for a while however, when I switched back to bi-facil I actually found that it stings my eyes X_X So sadly I don't use this anymore.

So anyway, I like/or don't mind the MAC cleanse off oil, but I don't love it. I only keep repurchasing this because I don't know other good cleansing oil XD My ex-roommate told me that the cleanse off oil from Shu Uemura is even better than the MAC one, but I never tried it cuz it's like $10 more expensive!!! But since the pre-sale is such a good deal ($35 for three items!! full size cleanse off oil too! SOO worth it!) I decided to give it a try.

After ordering the set, the sales associate gave me the cleanse off oil sample, and the eye-cream sample so I can start getting a feel of what it is like. And aftering using the sample last night, OMG, I was so impressed with the cleanse off oil (wayyyyyyy better than MAC!!!!) that today I went to the mall and ordered two more sets... yep! two sets X_X so I have a total of three... hell yeah I'm stocking this up! I go through makeup removers fast, facial cream is always welcome, and facial mist is perfect for summer... seriously, why wouldn't I want to order more XD

Here's the comparison between the shu uemura and MAC cleansing oil:

I only used a dime size of Shu Uemura and it removed my makeup from my whole face, and it melts aways my eye makeup so instantly it's crazy. The MAC one I usually have to use a quarter size*2 times to remove my makeup, and I have to patiently massage my eyes for about a minute to get the makeup completely melted. The Shu Uemura takes like 5 seconds. So Shu Uemura takes so much less time and effort to remove makeup, I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! >w< Plus Shu Uemura smells so floral-y, how can you not love it >w<

The sales associate was very generous and gave me a TON of samples today :)
phyto-black lift anti-wrinkle cream
phyto-black lift smoothing anti-wrinkle emulsion.
other cleansing oil :P
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Look at how many packets I got! Enough for me to try out each for a week
and haha yes I just threw some post-it to label my jars XD
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all the cleansing oils she gave me... will be trying them out too.
But I'm gonna save the bottles... they're actually perfect if you're traveling cuz a little goes a long way
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I also asked for some liquid foundation samples XD (yeah I'm always on the lookout for my perfect foundation...) Both shades work for me, so she gave me each so I can play with them :)

I'm not sure when the pre-sale goes till, but I'm supposed to get them on 7/16 so I assume that will be the final day?? Not sure.  But if you guys want to give it a go hurry up :) :) :) If you're not sure whether or not you'd like any of the products, you can always ask for samples to try out at home, don't be shy :)

Hope you guys find this helpful :)

And because I haven't shown my face in a while XD
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My hair's getting soo long again sometimes I just want to shave it off... hahah!

<3 Frances

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Eyeliner Basics for Asian Eyes/ How I Do MY Eyeliner

Hello~~~~~~~~

Sorry long time no post!!! Been busy ahhh  X___X
So today's post is gonna be super eyeliner basics... specifically for Asians with closed lid space, like me :D
So you can skip this post if you don't need this information.

But firstttt....

I'd like to talk about different types of eyelids. Because I found that none of my white/non-Asian friends understand what I'm talking about when was describing how there are outwardly-folded (外雙)/ inwardly-folded (內雙) eyes, monolids, even open-eye (開眼頭) surgery.

Here are some example pictures of non-Asians eyelids just so you guys can see the differences:
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Jessica Alba

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Natalie/Girlicious

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Anne Hathaway

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Angelina Jolie

I feel like for non-Asians they're more like a crease, rather than an actually fold



Now onto Asian eyes :)
There are roughly four types of Asian eyelids (monolid not included in this picture)
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 My very crappy drawing XD

1.
Outwardly folded eye with open inner tear duct
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I don't see this eye shape a lot for Asians (and may I specify East Asians) but I have met a few ppl who naturally have this kind of eye shape. 

There are eyelid surgeries available where the inner corner of the skin of the eyelid/skin right on top of the inner tear duct is removed to open up the eyes, known as open-eye surgery; 開眼頭).

2.
Outwardly-folded eye (外雙)
Representation: Ayumi Hamasaki!
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Where the inner corner of the fold doesn't really connect with the inner corner of the eye

3.
Inwardly-folded eye (內雙)
Representation: BoA!
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Where the inner corner of the fold actually is connected to the inner corner of the eye


Hahaha yayy BoA represent!!! cuz... I have this eye shape too XD

Lastly would be monolid... which I'm not gonna talk about cuz most ppl know what it is. It's just the way Asian lids fold differently is very perplexing to a lot of ppl :P

To demonstrate my point better:

For eye shape #1 and 2... you can pretty much do whatever you want with your eyeliner, there's not many limitations thanks to the lid space there is. I'm gonna talk about today is how eye shape #3 should do their eyeliner, or my suggestion at least :) there is no rule and it really depends on your personal style/taste as well.


So first off, I always tight-line my upper lash line
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Second part, lining your upper liner, is the trickier part.
Because of the nature of this lid, the inner corner of the eye is closed up, leaving no lid space, so I'd advise you to start lining your eyes where your pupil is when you look straight at the mirror
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see how I don't start at the very inner corner?

And here's a comparison between you leaving in inner corner free (left) and gradually thickening the eyeliner out , versus if you fill in the inner corner with the eyeliner with same thickness from inner corner to outer corner (right).

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See how on the right, the eyeliner basically fills in your lid space and closes your eyes down? This should be avoided.


Wing out your eyes if you want (or you can save this step along with lining bottom lash line)


Now onto the bottom liner
Line only 2/3 way in, and start fading the gel liner as you work inward

Leaving the inner corner free makes your eyes appear bigger and brighter
Whereas lining the whole bottom line kind of closes your eye, because you're defining the boundaries of your eye area.
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The above is just my suggestion if you want to achieve bigger/brighter eyes :) But of course you can do whatever you like. It really depends on what kind of look you're trying to achieve. For me this is how I do my eyeliner on a daily basis.



Now, I'm gonna show how to do the same thing using a liquid eyeliner.

For the upper liner, follow the same procedure of lining
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Now onto the bottom liner, have a Q-tip ready.
Dip the tip on the Q-tip into black/brown eye shadow, then blow at it gently to remove the excess eye shadow so you won't have fall-outs
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Then roughly place your liquid liner
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(Sorry for the blurry pic cuz I had to do it fast haha)
And WHILE THE LIQUID EYELINER IS STILL WET, with DABBING motion, gently dab the eye shadow onto the liquid liner. I usually just dab at 3 points
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Like so (I took the pics after I finished dabbing lol here's just to show where to dab)

End result... tah-dah!
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Pretty natural eh?


SECOND OPTION with liquid liner

You can also use a wet Q-tip and smudge out the liquid liner while it's still wet, it will give you the same effect. However I found this method gives less consistent results because it really depends on the formular of the liquid liner; For examples, this method works on Revlon, Maybelline and Tokidoki liquid liner, but NOT on loreal. I found if I use this method with loreal liquid liner it'd just wipe the liner away.

So that's all... very very basic stuff. But I hope some of you might find it useful :)

Thanks for reading I know it's super long!

<3 Frances
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Okay I must have sucked at explaining the differences between eye shape #1 and 2 and my drawing must have sucked XD
Anyways a bloggie asked about what the difference is ^^~
So I found some better pictures to explain

Both #1 and #2 are outwardly-folded lids. The only difference is that #1 has also removed the eyelid on the inner corner.

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I got this off a eye surgery advertisement page. The circled part indicates the skin that is to be removed.
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So here are the two eye shapes I was talking about, #1 being the bottom eye, #2 being the top eye. You can clearly see the tear duct of the bottom eye because the part of the skin that covers it has been removed.

Other example of #1 eye:
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#2
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you can see the skin of the inner corner of her eye is still intact, unlike the model above.

***** I'm not saying these models have had surgeries done! I have no knowledge about that.
*****I DO NOT OWN ALL OF THE IMAGES

Hope that clears things up :) <3 Frances