The Big Move

Hi everybody,

People always said that you should address the elephant in the room. Here's mine: I'm moving and this would probably ended up being the big move of the decade.

Without going into too much details, I would not say I didn't see it coming. However, I did my best to avoid this trip but the force was not with me. 2010 was a lousy year to look for job opportunities. Also, the school front did not work out for me, either. Which leaves me in limbo: I can't stay any longer than permitted but I don't want to go. Lousy, I know.

So, for the last few weeks, I have been packing up and sorting things out for donation. It has not been easy on me, seeing things I've accumulated for whatever purposes to be discarded haphazardly. It has not been easy on Belly, either. The fact that I am about to leave does not sink in until a couple of days ago when he spent the night at my neighbor's house tossing and turning. I wish he could go with me and we would be together but it's not possible for a 20+ hour flight.

Yes, I'm coming home to Vietnam where many social networking websites are blocked. This makes me angry: among the many problems in the society, the Vietnamese government has to block Facebook and Twitter. I hope to still get access to Blogger. Otherwise, I would not know what to do with this blog.

I pray this move is going to be temporary. It is going to be the trip I planned for years but never materialized. I also pray that I am coming back to the U.S after this to finish my education once and for all.

The uncertainty makes me nervous. I am one of those who always work on something and thrive toward a higher level. Yet, at this point all I can do is to pack and clean. And I'm exhausted while there are a bazillion and one other things to do!

With all that said, the future of My Makeup Blog is also as fuzzy as mine. Maybe it will be more robust once I get home. Or maybe not. However, I can guarantee that I will do the best I can in my power to keep it going. Since I started blogging here, a lot of better things have happened to me and I'm thankful for it.

That's all for now. I wish you all a good day and I will do my best to blog as often as I can. To Belly's fans: Belly is going to be ok. My neighbor is going to take care of him. She has been caring for him for 4+ years now, even before I met him. He is a sweet kitty and I am going to miss him very much.

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Apothica Giveaway Winner! + My Alpine Weight Loss Secrets Giveaway Ends Tonight at Midnight!

Thanks to all of you who entered my giveaway! I listed all of the entries (330) in an Excel spreadsheet, then I used Random.org's List Randomizer to randomize the entries, and I finally picked a winner with the help of the True Random Number Generator.

And the winner of the $25 gift card is...

Toni Tralala!

Congrats Toni! I'm emailing you right away! =D

I also wanted to remind you guys that my Alpine Weight Loss Secrets giveaway ends tonight at midnight! So far, I have only 7 entries. If you haven't entered already, it's not too late!

Enter my Alpine Weight Loss Secrets giveaway for a chance to win a $25 gift card!

Meet Me on Monday (#33)

I had a lot of FUN doing this week's Meet Me on Monday!



**Don't forget to leave me a comment for a follow - I make sure to get to everyone. If you have more than one blog, please let me know which one(s) you want a follow on because some of you have, like, eight blogs and I never know which are the "main" ones.















Questions:



1.  What do you put on your hot dog?

2.  Do you play Sudoku?

3.  What is your favorite vegetable?

4.  Do you color your hair?

5.  What is your favorite brand of clothing?



Read more »

How Sweet it is Follower Giveaway a SCAM!!!

If you signed up for this giveaway, go to PayPal and open a case in the resolution center IMMEDIATELY! Go to A Pocket Full of Buttons for more information. I also suggest changing your PayPal password - just in case. Apparently Gina Parker of Parker PR has done similar things like this before, just never this big. I'm glad to have taken advantage of the "deal" where I ended up only losing $5.



Here are links to other blog posts about this:

A Pocket Full of Buttons

Coupons Equal Cash

Lilac City Momma

Mail of the Week (January 24 - 28)

My prize from Softlips Canada Facebook sweepstake: I was one of the 5 lucky winner of  a Softlips Sweet Ravishing Raspberry Moisturizing Lip Balm! It smells great, like real raspberry, not a cheap chemical scent. I'm not sure if I will be able to use it though because I still don't know which ingredient exactly makes my lips react (I get rashes and my lips burn). So far, I've stuck to natural lipbalms just to be sure, but I'm missing on some many great lipbalms because of this!

Coupons from TRESemmé: A while back ago, I filled out a survey on TRESemmé products and they said the reward would be $5 coupons. I guess I didn't understand because I was expecting a $5 coupon to use on any product, but no, I received three coupons to use on three different products! I'm a little disappointed because I'm not sure I will use them )=

Mac In Stock!!

Again there is not allot of some of the eyeshadows, thanks

Mac

Bronzing Powder

Golden.

Bronze.

Eyeshadows

Star violet.

Rice paper.

Shadowy lady.

Moonflower.

100 strokes.

Da bling.

Saddle.

Concrete.

Juxt.

Signed, sealed.

Plum dressing.

Parfait amour.

Plumage.

Electra.

Contrast.

Estee Lauder Exclusive Pre-view Cyberwhite Brilliant Cells Workshop

Exclusive Pre-View Workshop: Asia #1 Skincare Brand presents the ONE Solution for truly spotless and brilliant skin through CyberWhite Brilliant Cells Workshop.

Exclusively for our Facebook fans, aged between 25 - 35 years.

Limited to the 1st 30 respondents.

To participate,

Kindly email gyap@my.esteelauder.my your Name , Age, NRIC, Occupation and current skincare.

Please read the e-poster for more info.

We look forward to seeing you there!

More information , please check Estee Lauder's facebook here.

About Me (Part I)

I feel that, when you stop by to read a post or two, you should know who is writing to you. Since I have so much of myself to tell you about, I am going to work on writing a few different posts that reveal a little more about me. Hopefully, these will help you understand where I'm coming from and want to read more (and, maybe, even share my posts with others!) So, on to "Part I":

I guess I should start off with, "Hello! My name is Alicia." I grew up in Northwestern Ohio. In fact, except for my twenties, I've lived within a 50-mile radius of western Lake Erie my entire life. I've always been interested in creative pursuits, animals/nature, and learning. The learning part would surprise you if you'd seen any of my grade cards - I'm more of a learn-on-your-own kind of person. In fact, I'm currently working toward a Bachelor in Education. Of course, it will be followed up with a Master's, and probably a Doctorate (if I can afford it!)

There's nothing like the smell of

a freshly-opened box of Crayolas!

I have always been a creative person. There's nothing better than a brand new box of Crayolas (64-count, please!) and a pile of blank paper to get my creative juices flowing. My mom was always working on one project or another when I was young. She'd repaint the rooms, refinish furniture, make clothes for us, and made (and tried out, of course) all kinds of play doughs, paints, and glues for us to play with. My father is musical. I remember his band practicing in our basement when I was little and playing from our garage during neighborhood block parties. Right now, he's playing in a band with a group of guys he just met in Panama (his part-time residence since he's retired.)

Can you believe it?!

I wish I could say that I spend every spare minute in one creative pursuit or another but, sadly, I don't. I just don't seem to be able to find the time. I love cooking and baking. I've found that they really help me get some of my pent-up creativity out. My mom even gave me a professional Wilton Decorating set for Christmas! My oldest will be 13 in March and I really want to see just how creative I can get with that set and his cake. I'm already making sketches!

I get a lot of chances to play with art supplies with my kids, too. In an earlier post, I wrote about Gummy Lump's "300 Crafts for Kids in 2011" and how I plan to follow along to the best of my toddler's abilities. I'm having as much fun as he is!

Nature has also been an important part of my life. Living so near Lake Erie most of my life, there has always been a river or creek within walking distance. As a child, I would collect amphibians, insects, and (to my mother's horror) reptiles. I also collected leaves, flowers, interesting-looking sticks, rocks... you get the idea. Our porch was the depository of many interesting collections... until I went to bed and my dad cleaned it all off for tomorrow's load of treasures. I still collect a lot of these things. My junk drawer has unmarked envelopes filled with seeds from flowers and other plants that I've come across that I thought looked interesting. These envelopes sit among the typical pens, paper clips, screwdrivers and rubber bands. There are also pretty rocks, shells, and even the occasional snake skin. Oh, and I like bugs. Last summer, I couldn't bring myself to kill the caterpillars that were tearing apart my carrots and parsley, so I brought them inside, put them in a big Ball jar with carefully selected sprigs of their favorite leaves and I ended up with a bunch of these:

Swallowtail Butterflies!!!





I always take my camera along whenever we go for walks. I have come across so many interesting way to incorporate nature in my photography. On those rare occasions when I forgot my camera, I do nothing but see those scenes that would have made great photos. I love my little $90 digital camera and I think it's the best investment I've made in a very long time. Some day, maybe I can save up for a really nice Canon. For now, I'm happy with what I have!

My Apothica Giveaway Ends Tonight at Midnight!

Hey guys, this is just a quick post to remind you that my Apothica giveaway ends tonight at midnight! So far, I have 319 entries. If you haven't entered already, it's not too late, not to mention that it's very easy to earn up to 25 entries (yes, 25!). So what are you waiting for?

Enter my Apothica giveaway for a chance to win a $25 gift card!

Join Lancome makeover session on Valentine's Day with Cosmopolitan

Thanks to Cosmopolitan, you will have a gorgeous makeover from Lancome latest Spring Ultra Lavande Collection on your Valentine's Day candlelight dinner or outing with your loved one :)

Simply choose the day and time slot you wanted.

And called Cosmopolitan Shin Dhee or Natasya to make reservation. Seats are limited :)

Good news is , all participant who went for the makeover will bring home a perfume vial and sample from Lancome.

And the the Top 5 Most Gorgeous Makeover you will Lancome products worth RM500!



Click here to check out the latest Lancome Spring Ultra Lavande Collection swatches and my makeover.

For more information, visit Cosmopolitan's blog.

Black Swan FOTD

Hi everyone,

A couple of days ago, the Academy Awards Nominations came out and Black Swan is one of the most nominated movies of the year. Although I haven't watched the movie yet, I love the Black Swan look Natalie Portman had in the movie promotion. Sadly, Black Swan did not get nominated for Best Makeup category. Yet, this is the look that's most replicated around the blogsphere and on YouTube.

Black Swan promotional poster

My look is quite easy to do since I used mostly pencils. Wanna know how I did it? Jump!

My version of the Black Swan

Stuff I used:

Face: (1) Adorned with Grace foundation in Grace 3.5, (2) Caviahue thermal water to spray on (3) ELF Studio powder brush; finish with (4) The Ultimate Powder using (5) EcoTools retractable kabuki brush

Eyes: (6) Fantasy Makers body stick in Black to draw the shape, intensified with the black eyeshadow in the ELF Drama quad (7) using ELF eyeshadow brush (8). Using Silver Lightning (9) to draw in feathers and smooth out with (10) Coastal Scents eyeliner brush.

Lips: Using the retractable lip brush (11) to apply NYC Blue Rose (12). Then apply Fantasy Makers lipstick in Black (13) on top of it.

Contour and blush: using Physicians Formula Healthy Skin bronzer in Fair (14) to contour using MAC contour brush (16); then apply Shu Uemura blush to deepen the contour line.

Close up at the eye
The advantage of this FOTD are no mascara and brow grooming powder :)

Since foundation is applied first, make sure to keep Q-tips and makeup remover handy.
Since the black pencil I use is not that dark, I layered black eyeshadow on top to intensify it.  I used the promo picture as a guide when drawing the feathers. I know a lot of beauty bloggers and YouTube gurus out there use white paints to paint the feathers but since I don't have it, Silver Lightning from L'Oreal HiP did the job quite well.
Also, make sure to layer some powder under your eyes to catch the fall outs.

Contouring and applying blush the 80s Warrior style
I looked like Lord Orochimaru in Naruto here :) *cue soundtrack for super-villain*

One last look at Black Swan FOTD

Overall, I'm happy with the outcome. It's not so difficult but if I have to do it again, I would go with a black eyeshadow base like MAC Blackground paint pot. The chubby eye pencil, while is soft and glides effortlessly, is not true black. A white or silver paint is not necessary. I would still go with Silver Lightning, though, just for the ease of using it. Grace 3.5 is about a shade lighter than my skin color and since I used it wet and applied twice, it looked a lot paler on my skin. While I love how the lips turned out, I would rather go with the black lipstick instead of creating something blackened maroon.

The key to creating this look is precision. Since you apply everything after foundation, a mistake can potentially mean wiping everything off your face and redo your makeup from scratch. Also, a lot of things used are black or dark, which means they can stain your clothes like crazy.

If you root for "Black Swan" and/or Natalie Portman, I guess this is a fun look to do before heading out to watch this year's Academy Awards. This is a super-villain look so please don't go on a date or a wedding with this makeup on your face (unless your date is another super-villain or it's a wedding of two Marvel/DC Comics super-villains, ha!)

If you haven't watched it already, here's a link to Jim Carey's spoof of "Black Swan." I laughed so hard while watching that video clip. Who knew that Jim Carey can really dance!

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

First Burberry Cosmetics is opened in Isetan KLCC Malaysia !!

Last night I went to Isetan KLCC to spy Burberry counter ( which took over previous Shu Uemura's counter) after my beauty spy told me that today the counter are opened! So I went after work to check out what Burberry is offering!



I guess I am the first person who try the products on the counter as the product are still so new!


Gulp... gulp... gulp.....



Not only their packaging is gorgeous, the quality seems promising !

The eyeshadow colors are pigmented to my surprise!

Their blusher are very pigmented with just 1 swipe and I instantly fall in love with it !

The lipstick seems moisturizing too and have gorgeous colors range!



If I remembered well, the prices are as follow (to be confirmed)

Single eyeshadow (RM105), Blusher (RM140), Liquid foundation (RM160), Lipstick (RM96), Powder foundation (RM180),


The first Burberry counter would be officially opened today 27 January 2011 and it will exclusively available in Isetan KLCC only

Also having promotion currently is purchase RM300 and above and get a limited edition charm that comes with lipgloss. This charm (without lipgloss) also currently being sold at the store too!

And Burberry Cosmetics Malaysia is flying is a International Makeup Artist from London to do makeover for customers.

For more information, call 03-2026 1022


Time to check this out girls, I am sure you girls will be drooling either over the packaging or the quality or both!

Mac New Arrivals!

There is only a few of each, only 1 of some I'm afraid, hopefully i wont have any problems with my stock count, if i do i will notify customers as soon as possible, thanks.

Mac

Blushers

Flirt & Tease.

Feeling.

Springsheen.

Buff.

fever.

Breezy.

Blushbaby.

Eyeshadows

Embark.

Cork.

Da Bling.

Hepcat.

Star Violet.

Eu tu Bouquet?

Parfait Amour.

Tete-A-Tint.

Plumage.

Naked Lunch.

Modelette.

Solar White.

Swimming.

Gulf Stream.

Glitter Brillants

Grey.

Silver.

3d Silver.

Purple.

Lipglass

Russian Red.

Studio Fix Powder

C4.

NC25.

NW30.

NC30.

NW35.

NC20.

Thanks for looking

xx
Hi im sorry a few of you were having problems last night with my site, because there was only a few of each item they were selling out so fast,if the last item was being put into two peoples basket it was not allowing you to checkout, as it would have made my stock level go to -1. Im really sorry for all the confusion and inconvience. I should be hopefully getting another order today. Thanks so much for your patience and understanding..

Victoria Jackson Cosmetics officially launched in Malaysia!

Finally Victoria Jacksons Cometics in Malaysia!

Some of you might be asking who is this Victoria Jackson?

Victoria Jackson herself who is a successful and Hollywood makeup artist and cosmetic entrepreneur for more than 15 years, and host of many successful infomercials. She has perfected her " No Makeup" looks for many in Hollywood and establish herself as one of America's most successful entrepreneur. Her personal philosophy has always been, ‘When you look better, you feel better. And when you feel better, you can change your life,’”



Through Victoria Jackson Cosmetics, Victoria's vision is to help women to discover their true inner and out beauty and empower them to to take charge of their own destiny.

DMNC International Sdn Bhd , is the Malaysian affiliate of Innovage, LLC , the worldwide distributor of Victoria Jackson Cosmetics will bring in this products to Malaysia via road shows in major shopping malls and offices, and beauty specialty stores soon.

Mr Henry Lew, the Managing Director of DMNC International said " We hope to educate the consumers on Victoria Jackson Cosmetics natural "no makeup" makeup and to offer them this simple, convenient and professional makeup brand with the inspiration of having your own personal Hollywood makeup artist in your purse"

There is a makeup demo on Miss World Malaysia 2009, Ms Thanuja Ananthan by Celebrity Guest Make Artist - Mr Sheng Saw



Explaining the look that he created for her.

I have a mini makeover at the event

Beauty bloggers friends whom I invited to joined me in this event.

Kelly, Wendy , Anna , Cia Wei, Pinky and Sharon (not in the pic)

Well this is what we (beauty bloggers) do when we meet at event.


So what is so interesting that caught our attention ?

This is their all-time signature star product , the Survival Kit III !

What so special about it ?

Can we really survive just with this alone ?

The ingredients list.

Note : Although the product stated made in China, it is formulated in USA.

The dimension for this Survival Kit is 10.5cm (h) x 7.5cm (w)

The size is like a normal perfume 100ml size !

What is in this Survival Kit ?


Tadaa ... this is a special palette or I called it TRANSFORMER

Consists of everything you need to do your makeup!
Just bring this alone for your holiday trip and save the other space for your shopping !!

Read further and see it to believe it !

There is one mascara in black (3.6g), one mini Eye pencil in black and one mini lip pencil 1.2g in brown



Two mirrors and two blusher (pink and peach) 5.2g



The secret drawers to beauty !


Take a peep what this Survival kit has for you!!



Five shimmer Eyeshadows colours


Five matte Eyeshadows colours

Five lipgloss colors

Last but not least!!!

Makeup applicators

AND
.
.
.

A sharpener for eyeliner pencil/lip pencil!!!!



The million dollar question, how much is the Survival Kit III?

It is just RM150 (member price) and RM189 (for non-member) for a total of 1o eye colors, 5 lip colors, 2 cheek blushers, 1 lip liner, 1 eyeliner, 1 mascara and makeup applicators (brusher/sharpener/mirrors)

This is something I personally love it :)

The Lip Addiction, Deliciously Tinted Lip Balms

Comes in 4 very pretty colors, a lip brush and a transparent pouch

So compact with all 4 colors !

Member price : RM79

Beauty Dairy

Very comprehensive, inside got foundation, highligher, blusher, eyeshadow , lip colors, mascara and makeup applicators.

Member Price RM219


Lip Plumper Trio - Member price : RM159



Four Tops Lipstick Quad - Member price RM189

12-Piece Lip Gloss Collection - Member price : RM159

Perfectly Paradise Tropical Lip Collection - Member price : RM129

Something very unique, I bet you have not seen this before !

Personalised Compactthat comes with 5 eye colors, 5 lip colors and 4 cheek colors with a detachable palette!

So convenient, can detach out the eyeshadow palette (also eye color is detachable from the palette) to put in handbag!

Member price : RM219 / Regular price : RM239

Shimmer Powder Brush

Comes in 3 colors - L-R ( Bronze, Baby Pink & Gold)

Member price - RM95 each / Regular price - RM119



The simple makeover that I had .



And if you are someone who like "No Makeup" makeup (i.e not too much makeup/color) on your face, the Victoria Jackson Cosmetics might be the thing for you.

For more information , please customer care line at 03 - 5192 0082 or email to enquiry@DNMC.com.my.


There will roadshow starting next month, and will keep you girls updated here !

And to be a member of Victoria Jackson Cosmetics, there is no minimum amount of purchase needed, as long as you purchase one item you could be entitled to become the member to enjoy their member price.

Join Victoria Jackson Cosmetics' facebook for more information.


Note : Reviews will be put up once I have tried and have free time to post :)