A few days in to the new year now

Hello hello~




I hope you enjoyed my previous video for New Years, I am making another one soon.  However, I have hit a snag.  I need a DV/Firewire cable.  Why camcorder makers don't include this with the camera is beyond me... O___o 


But the good news, future videos won't be just slideshows, but real videos with movement! YAY~!


So, please keep in touch-




http://www.youtube.com/user/ObeyBeauty


Follow me on Twitter- ObeyBeauty


Stay warm~ It's very snowy in Chicago right now. 




Love




ObeyBeauty

Shiseido Pureness Oil-Control Blotting Paper Review

Time for another review!

I forgot to include this little extra in my Shiseido Pureness Review. This review is on the Oil Control Blotting sheets (Pictured)








For about 15 dollars, you get a little plastic booklet that hold a box of oil blotting papers for your face. They also leave a light powder on your skin to prevent more oil from showing up. After using on oily skin, you can see where the oil got soaked because you can kind of see through the paper. It reminds me of this part from the Simpsons when Homer is trying to gain weight.


http://www.hulu.com/watch/19897/the-simpsons-homer-gains-weight

The part that reminds me of it is about 0:50, where Bart rubs a burger on a wall and it turns clear. ^^

I've been using these for a while, they fit discreetly in your purse or pocket, and can be used over makeup without messing it up! If you have oily skin, I strongly recommend these, as well as combination skin like mine. If you're more dry, then these won't do much except maybe dry out more.

Shiseido Tsubaki Shampoo Review

Hello~

I was shopping at my local Japanese supermarket, Mitsuwa and came across this shampoo and conditioner that I had heard about online by Shiseido. As a user of one of Shiseido's other shampoos, Aquair Moist Hair Pack (Which I have used for about 3 years now, and LOVE it), I had heard of this Tsubaki shampoo and conditioner which contains Camellia (Tsubaki) flower oil.

This is the Tsubaki shampoo and conditioner. Very pretty bottles meant to resemble the flower itself.




But if you liked the other one, why the change?

I was an avid user of the Aquair because it was VERY good for moisturizing, and for a long time I was horrible to my hair. Always bleaching, coloring, chemically bombing it to hell, and the shampoo managed to keep it soft! Now, my colored hair has all grown out to its natural glory and I wanted to try something not specifically meant for color treated hair (although this could work too!)

It says "Shining" on the bottle, and that is what my hair does when I wash it. Shine, shine, SHINE. ^_^ It also smells VERY pretty, a gentle floral scent. And my hair is really soft too! Soft, smells good, and looks healthy.

It is however, a bit pricey compared to drugstore shampoos. A decent sized bottle with a pump will rum about 12-19 dollars each for the shampoo and conditioner depending on where you get it.

If you live in the Chicago area, you can get it at Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights.

If you don't live near a Japanese shop, there is a wonderful site that sells the Tsubaki AND the Aquair, should you want to give it a try.

www.truerenu.com

Another side note: the Aquair shampoo is sulfate-free, the Tsubaki is not. No wonder my hair color stayed well when using it. ^_^

I rate the Tsubaki Shining Shampoo and Conditioner 9.5/10 (-.5 points because it has sulfates in it)

My Arsenal, and a Tutorial on Brush Care

Hello~!


Before I begin my tutorials, I would like to take a moment and show the different makeup and brushes I will be using. I will be referencing these items a lot throughout, so I thought to show you what I'm packin'~ heehee

Eyes:

Clockwise from upper left: Coastal Scents 88 color palette, 88 color warm palette, and 88 color ultra shimmer pallette, Chanel Les Quatre Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Variations, Urban Decay Skyscraper Multibenefit Mascara, MAC Plush Lash Mascara in Plushblack, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, MAC Liquidlast Liner in Point Black, MAC Fluidline Liner in Blacktrack, The Face Shop false lashes, MAC Technakohl Liner in Smoothblue, MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder and Fascinating, The Face Shop Greatist Liquid Liner in Black, Shiseido Eye Pencil in Black, Urban Decay Glide-on 24/7 eye pencil in Zero, Shiseido Lash Curler, MAC shadow in Carbon, MAC Mineralize Shadow Duo in Sea and Sky, MAC shadows in Pen N Pink and Charcoal Brown, MAC Hello Kitty Shadow Quad in Too Dolly, and MAC Shadows in Beautiful Iris and Typographic.




Lips:
Starting from top, then going left: MAC Lipliner Pencils in Subculture and Brick, MAC Hello Kitty Collection Lipstick in Fashion Mews, MAC Lipsticks in Creme Cup, Black Knight, Snob, and Russian Red, Another Fashion Mews (I bought two, it sold out fast!) Shiseido Perfecting Lipstick in Brown Red, MAC Glimmerglass in Blackware, MAC Lustreglass in Luminary, 2 MAC Lipglass in Prrr, Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss in Timothy, Urban Decay Lipstick in Midnight Cowboy (the little purple one) and Too Faced Sparkler Glamour Gloss in Pink Bling.



Face:

Rows from Left - Right: MAC Studio Sculpt concealer in NW20, MAC Studio Fix in NC25, The Face Shop Hydro Splash BB Cream, MAC Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50, MAC Sheertone Blush in Tenderling, and MAC Glimmershimmer in Etiquette.


That's all of the makeup... Next come the brushes!




13 of these babies... Here goes~! From left: MAC 129, 187, 195, 208, 214, 217, 219, 224, 227, 239, 242, 266, and 318 brushes.

Yes. MAC brushes are expensive. Especially if you only plan on using them once or twice and that's it. However, if you are a frequent makeup user, the quality of these outweighs the price. My 129 and 217 brushes are almost 2 years old and still look and perform like new (aside from the numbers on the sides coming off) and I do take very good care of them. I do wash them after almost every use (especially after using black eyeshadow because it STAINS if you leave it too long!) with MAC's brush cleaner. Face brushes (foundation/concealer/blush) I sometimes wash every 3-4 uses, since the colors of the products I use on them does not change or harden up on the bristles.

How I clean my babies up~ Use WARM, NOT HOT water and have the fibers facing downwards at all times! We don't want too much water seeping up into the handle. It will eventually warp the wood, rot the base of the fibers, and ruin your investment.

1. Rinse excess makeup out of the hair and squeeze out the excess water, leaving them more damp than wet. Be careful, unless it is a concealer brush or lip brush, it's probably made of natural hair and we don't want to damage this.

2. Squeeze a little bit of the brush cleaner into your palm, and one at a time (unless you have a few shadow pencils) swirl the fibers in the soap like you are brushing on your hand. Soon the soap will start to lather and you'll see the makeup just suck right out of the brush and into the soap. You do NOT need a lot!

3. Usually once should do it, but if your brush is REALLY dirty, go another round. You do not need to use any conditioners or disinfectants, the cleaner has antibacterial/moisturizing properties in it already and is fragrance free.

4. Rinse, rinse, RINSE!

5. Squeeze out the excess, but also take the time to make sure the hairs are reshaped back to their original form. Again, like the hair on your head, the natural fiber brushes will dry into whatever shape you leave them in.

6. Lay flat on their sides, a key point being to make sure the fibers and about 3/4 - 1 inch of the handle thereafter are over the edge of the table/desk/whatever you're drying them on. This reduces dry time, and makes sure no water remains in the base of the hairs. (Remember all that stuff I said about rotting/warping? That can happen from improperly drying them too.)

They usually do not take too long to dry. For the bigger brushes, sometimes they dry tightened up as I reshaped them. When they are dry, give them a quick brush against your arm, or your clean un-made up face. They will spring back into original position, ready to help you out again!


As I add more tools and products, I will update accordingly, worry not~!

Shiseido Pureness Review

Hello!

It's time for another review, this one is actually a few years in the making!

This review is on the Pureness skincare line by Shiseido, which I have been faithfully using since 2003. I don't use ALL of the products (I don't think anyone does!) but I do use 5 of them. My skin has been in excellent shape while using this, no major breakouts, nice and clear.

About my skin-

- I have sensitive skin, and these products do not burn or irritate it. (Most stuff at the drugstore actually burns my skin. Especially things like Proactiv.)

- I have combination skin, meaning I have some great skin, some not so great.

- My skin gets really red easily even from light rubbing sometimes. (Rosacea)

I went to the Shiseido counter to find out what products were right for me. They do a full analysis of your skin and make the decisions from there. Here are the products I use.





















Cleansing: Foaming Cleansing Fluid

This is a very gentle on the skin liquid cleanser which foams up a bit on a wet face. Just two pumps is all you need. It cleans your face quite well (my skin can squeak after I wash it) without abrasiveness or a lot of rubbing, which is good for people with skin like mine which gets red easily just from touch.























Toning: Balancing Softener

This is a toner without alcohol. It is safe to put all over your face and does not burn. Again, two pumps into a cotton pad is all you need.























Acne medication: Anti-shine refreshing lotion

This is very liquid, like the softener but is medicated. It has a powder in the liquid to keep you from shining through the day, and has salicylic acid to prevent breakouts and treat the ones you may already have. A few drops into a cotton pad is all you need, I just use the same pad I used for the softener.














Moisturizer: Moisturizing Gel-cream

This is great for people like me who don't need or can't use heavier moisturizers. It comes in a little pot, and it has a gel consistency. A little goes a very long way. A dab on your fingertip can cover your whole face, and does not leave a greasy heavy feel at all.

Additional: Pore minimizing cooling essence

This is a cooling lotion that helps close up your larger pores on your face. I use this only on my chin and T-zone (nose/cheek) area, as these are where my blackheads pop up when I get them. It has a minty feeling on the skin but does not smell like menthol.


These products work very well for me, and they smell good too! However, they are a bit pricey. I spend about 155$ for all of it at once, but it lasts a while.