MAC Blot Powder Review

I bought my MAC Blot Powder some time around September last year and a couple of days ago I broke half of it. Ugh, clumsy me. I managed to fix it using alcohol but now the part that was broken seems to be less smoother when applied. Oh well. :(

The first time I tried this product I wasn't very impressed. I didn't exactly dislike it; I just thought it was okay. Maybe back then my skin was still in a very oily state, I don't know, but lately this powder has started to grow on me.

With this powder, I don't find myself having to touch up as often anymore. It provides excellent oil control and since the powder is finely milled, it goes on smooth and makes my pores look a bit less obvious. BUT, I avoid applying it on dry/flaky areas because it can accentuate them. I mostly just apply it on areas like my T-zone and my chin, using a small kabuki brush (I threw away the puff to prevent bacteria build up).


Another good thing I like about Blot Powder is that it's almost colorless when applied, so it doesn't ruin my foundation shade nor does it make me look too caked up. Many other pressed powders I've tried tend to make me look lighter but then oxidize pretty bad after some time. I don't reckon Blot Powder ever oxidizes on me, maybe a little, but nothing disappointing.

This powder comes in five shades; Light, Medium, Medium-Dark, Dark, and Deep Dark. I got mine in Medium Dark (I'm an NC37-40) and it's a spot on match for my skintone; not too light or too dark.

It costs $21 for 12 g of product, which I think is a pretty reasonable price for its quality.
I'm happy that I have found my go-to touch-up powder. What's yours?

Summer Breeze

Can't wait for the short shorts + flip flops season to arrive! I'm not only into summer clothes but I always favor the makeup trend too. I like various shades of blue, green, bronze, even coral.

I did this look by mixing two matte blue colors from my Sleek palette in Chaos (expect a review and swatches soon!). I also added MAC pigment in Teal on my crease and lower lashline. On my waterline, I had Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner pencil in Covet; my new found favorite!

EYES
- ELF mineral eyeshadow primer
- MAC Teal pigment
- MAC Sweet Sienna pigment
- Sleek palette in Chaos
- Too Faced e/s in Heaven
- Matte brown e/s from Coastal Scents 26 combo palette
- Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner pencil in Covet
- Stila Smudge Pot in Black
- Maybelline the Magnum mascara
- Elise fake lashes

I contoured my cheeks with Too Faced Sun Bunny Bronzer and added peach blush on the apples. ;)

FACE

- Urban Decay Pore Perfecting Primer
- MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation
- Everyday Minerals blush in Summer Stroll
- Too Faced Sun Bunny Bronzer

LIPS
- NYX Round Lipstick in Honey
- Maybelline Watershine Pure Lipstick in Nudie Mocha

I love how Covet looks when blended with a teal shadow! Here's a swatch of the pencil...

Pretty, isn't it? I should've worn this color more often!

Exercise Recap Week 1

My apologies for not posting this up yesterday; it's been a crazy week!

To keep track of my exercise routine, I made an excel spreadsheet. I was going to put the screenshot up on this post, but I guess it'll be easier for you to get the gist of it if I just write it down.

Day 1
Date: May 20, 2011
Exercise done: Bex Life core workout (2 rounds)
Weigh in: 58kg

Day 2
Date: May 21, 2011
Exercise done: interval sprint, 30 day shred level 2

Day 3
Date: May 22, 2011
Exercise done: interval sprint, BL core workout (2 rounds)

Day 4
Date: May 23, 2011
Exercise done: 30 day shred level 2

Day 5
Date: May 24, 2011
Exercise done: Hill Sprint, BL core workout (3 rounds)

Day 6
Date: May 25, 2011
Exercise done: 30 day shred level 2

Day 7 (rest day)
Date: May 26, 2011
Exercise done: none
Weigh in: 57 kg

As you can see, last week I managed to stick to my workout plan. I even did my core workout 3 times even though I was only targeting for 2. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, but I did it!

The first two times I did my core workout, I stopped after 2 rounds. My body was just too exhausted to go for another one. But now I can push it to 3 rounds so I feel like I'm gaining strength and endurance already. I'm ecstatic about that.

Weight wise, I lost 1 kg. I could've lost more had I restricted my calorie intake but for now I'm already happy with my progress. At least I'm working out regularly again, and intensively!

This week I'm going to try calorie counting without restricting my calorie intake; just to get a picture on how much food I eat in an average.

I wish I had more info to share about my workout and diet but I guess this is it for now.
Wish me luck on my second week and have a nice weekend. ;)

The "Getting in Shape" Challenge: Day 1

Here's the deal.
My muscle tone goes up and down because of my inconsistent workout routine so now it's time for me to do something about it. I think the reason why I had not been too loyal to any of my workout plan is the fact that I didn't have any short-term goal to conquer.

Well, now I do!

My best friend's wedding is coming up in July. She picked a day right before my birthday so it's like the most perfect time to get in my best shape. I've got this not-so-cute belly bulge I want to "shred" before the bikini season so yeah, I'm excited!

I have to say this isn't about me wanting somebody else's body, though. As a matter of fact, I don't give a damn about celebrities or fashion magazines so my mind isn't really affected by all that. I do realize that there are certain things I can't change about my body, like my bone structure or my frame, and I'm okay with that. I love my body shape, actually, I just would like to tone up and be fit.

As you've probably known, the fat around the midsection is the most stubborn one to get rid of. In order to see results, I need a rock-hard plan both diet-wise and workout-wise. And I must stick to that plan.

I've designed this workout plan that I'll be doing for the next six weeks. I will post a recap at the end of every week on my blog. I hope by doing this I wouldn't dare to ditch my plan halfway done anymore because I have you guys to report to.

The exercises:

1. Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred (20-25 minutes, 3 times a week)
I'm going to do this DVD 3 times a week. That might not sound much, but trust me I just want to be able to complete every single exercise without cheating. There are 3 levels of exercise in this DVD and I think I'm going to start on level 2 this time (yes I've done this DVD before but have yet to complete all 30 exercises).

2. Interval Sprint (20 minutes, 3 times a week)
This is my absolute favorite cardio because it really kicks my butt and I actually look forward to doing it. I tried running and jogging but they have become boring to me. By doing interval sprint instead, I'm saving myself a lot of time. Plus, I have a perfect spot to do this exercise which is at the park near my house. If you don't have hours to spend exercising, just pick up your running shoes and start sprinting. It'll significantly increase your endurance and it works out all your major muscle groups.

3. Bex Life Core Exercise (18-20 minutes, 2 times a week)

I'm a huge believer in core workout so I want to incorporate this to my routine. I'm going to do three circuits of this two times a week.

Summing it up; I'll be exercising 6 days a week with 1 rest day. I know it seems like a pretty aggressive plan but that's only because I don't have much time left before D-day. After I'm done with my short-term goal, I will go back to a more relaxed, enjoyable, and most of all sustainable workout routine to stay fit.

Today is day 1.
I weigh 58 kg (127 lbs) and I'm 169 cm (5'6") tall. I'm not targeting to lose significant amount of weight, but I do need to decrease my body fat percentage.

Expect a recap next Friday and well...
wish me luck!

Dinner: Garlic-Roasted Shrimp and Salad

Tonight I christened the two-side pan my mom bought me before she left for my hometown. Surprisingly, my sister LOVED the dinner I made even though it was merely me improvising with whatever left in the fridge. :p

But anyway, this is a pretty healthy meal and so yummy too so I thought why not share it on my blog?

The shrimp was roasted with a bit of olive oil and garlic. After it's almost cooked, I tossed chopped red pepper and mung bean sprouts in there, seasoned it lightly with salt and pepper. Final touch is to add chopped parsley on top. Easy peasy.

As for the salad, I just mixed fresh cucumber and lettuce, served them with a tablespoon of mayo.

I'm full!

What's Up?

It's me! I'm still around. ;)

And I was just wondering, are you cool with girls applying makeup in public?

I was watching a Korean TV show with my sister when I noticed that the girls over there seem to touch up their makeup quite often, especially in public transportation. In Indonesia I think most people are still "weirded out" when they see such scenery. Perhaps that's why I used to be so hesitant to touch up my makeup during the day; people are going to stare at me like I'm going to rob a bank or something.

I personally think a bit of lipstick or powder touch up is fine. I find it necessary for me to touch up my lip color after a meal because my lips are so pigmented, it would look strange if I have full eye makeup on while my lips are bare. Other than that, I do it in front of the bathroom mirror. It's just more convenient.

guilty! :p

I once saw a girl curling her lashes at a restaurant table. That was bomb. But hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right? Just don't ever do it when you're driving, I guess. That's not very cool.

So how about you? Do you apply makeup in public? Or you think it's just too tacky?

A Meet Up with Fellow Beauty Blogger :)

Last Sunday was really fun for me. Finally, I met someone who's excited about makeup as much as I do (or probably more than I do? lol). The thing is, if you've been to Indonesia you might probably notice that most girls don't really wear makeup when they go out (okay, probably a bit of powder or gloss, but nothing major). While I think that's not a big deal (I mean, do whatever works for you!), it does feel weird to me sometimes to keep retouching my makeup when everybody else around me doesn't even wear mascara.

Meet Dahye. She's a Korean beauty vlogger/blogger who is currently living in Indonesia. The first time she emailed me, I thought she was joking. She said she was "a big fan" and she suggested us to get together for lunch. I have a fan? No kidding! Heheh. No, really though. Don't be "a fan", let's just be friends. ;)

And so we did meet up for lunch! We chose this restaurant called Pastello in Ambarrukmo shopping mall. It was a pretty good spot and the meal was yummy, but since we were so damn excited, none of us remembered to take pictures of the place nor the food. Oh well. Hopefully we'll remember to do that next time!

Yep, there we are again, lol. Most of our pictures came out blurry, but at least we did have a blast at the mall. After lunch we browsed around a little and then settled for coffee and donuts. We chatted about nearly everything.. not just makeup. It felt like we were close friends already. :)

So there you go! Have a peek at Dahye's blog and youtube channel, will you? She's really sweet! I'm starting to feel like she's going to draw me in more into Japanese makeup, which is totally fine by me. ;)

If you live around Yogyakarta area and want to get together for makeup talk or whatnot, shoot me an email or something. I don't bite. Dahye's a living proof of that! :D

Review: PAC Liquid Foundation

When will there be a local foundation line with more than four shades available, really? I mean, let's face it, Indonesian women aren't just "light beige" or "natural". And the whole foundation-looking-like-a-mask thing isn't as hip anymore in this day and age. I'd hate to sound snobby but for exactly this reason I've been reluctant to try out local foundations. Everything is either too light, too beige, or even too yellow for me.

PAC Liquid Foundation is priced at around Rp 75.000-89.000 depending on where you get it. That's like US$8 for a 30 ml bottle.

This shade C03 was the darkest and yellowest one compared to the other three shades. Unfortunately, it's still not dark enough for my NC37-40 skin. I can still make it work by mixing it up with my darker foundation but I wish I didn't have to go through such hassle.

I bought this foundation because I'm running low on my MAC Studio Fix Fluid and I don't feel like repurchasing right now. I decided to venture over cheaper local products and because of my last pleasant experience with PAC products, I went up to their counter and asked for a liquid foundation. The SA looked clueless when I asked her which shades were yellow and which were beige or pink. They didn't even have testers so I pretty much just went with my guts.

It comes with some sort of a spatula inside... which I don't even use. I usually just pour the foundation out like I usually do with my MAC Studio Fix Fluid. I always apply my liquid foundation with either my Everyday Minerals kabuki brush or my MAC 187 using the stippling method.

From my swatch the foundation seems not too mismatched here, but trust me it's at least 2 shades lighter than my actual skintone. It also leans more towards neutral than yellow undertone, I think, which eventually makes me look like a pasty white zombie.

Coverage-wise, it's pretty good, actually. It covers my acne spots and pores really well, making the skin look smoother. It also has a decent staying power; about 4-5 hours indoor with minimal touchup. But as you can see, it leaves a truly matte finish and settles on my fine lines. Obviously this would not be a suitable foundation for those with dry skin. Even on my oily skin it can look a bit too cakey at times.

So that's it! I'm announcing my foundation search is still ongoing! I'm done with local foundations, though. I'll pray for the day when they start making shades for medium to dark skinned Indonesian ladies out there. Until then, let me browse Sephora some more, okay? :p

Review: Artistry Intensive Skincare Renewing Peel

About three weeks ago I was sent a few sample sachets of Artistry Intensive Skincare Renewing Peel to try out. I believe this product is one of the latest launches by Amway. I've never tried the brand before so I really didn't know what to expect. I was excited nevertheless because lately I feel like my skin has been looking so dull and uneven (thanks a lot sun and pollution!).


This product is actually a type of do-it-yourself peel in a gel form. But unlike regular acid-based peel, it contains a unique mushroom enzyme ingredient that is claimed to be safer for the skin. If used twice a week for six weeks, it's supposed to give the same benefits as a professional chemical peel treatment. It can help you achieve a healthier, smoother and glowing skin. Count me in! :D


I've used this product four times in the past two weeks and here's what I like about it:

• gives a refreshed feel to my skin,
• exfoliates well; leaving my skin feeling soft after each use,
• improves my skin texture; I notice this because my liquid foundation applies better and looks less cakey.
  

Unfortunately, after using this for the fourth time, I started to develop tiny whiteheads on my chin area. This is not unfamiliar to me because my chin has always been one of my most troublesome spots. What a drag! I really do like this product and I wish I could continue using it without any problem. Oh well. :(

I think I'll take a break from it for a week or so before I use it again.


As you can see, the gel is free from exfoliating beads. It spreads easily on the skin, feels light, and is easy to wash off after you massage it with wet hands. I personally think it feels a bit silicon-y to the touch, but I don't have any problem with that whatsoever.

How I use it:
- wash and towel dry my face,
- apply about 8 pumps amount of product to my face and neck evenly,
- let it set for about 6-8 minutes,
- wet my hands and massage my face in circular motions,
- rinse with warm water,
- tone and moisturize my face.

INGREDIENTS:
WATER/AQUA/EAU, DIMETHICONE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, GLYCERIN, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, POLYSILICONE-11, BIS-PEG-18 METHYL ETHER DIMETHYL SILANE, ISOHEXADECANE, MUCOR MEIHEI EXTRACT, PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE, HYDROXYETHYL ACRYLATES/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE COPOLYMER, ACETYL GLUCOSAMINE, SODIUM ACRYLATES/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE COPOLYMER, CHLORPHENESIN, METHYLPARABEN, AMMONIUM POLYACROLYLDIMETHYL TAURATE, POLYSORBATE 80, CITRIC ACID, POLYSORBATE 60, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, XANTHAN GUM, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, FRAGRANCE/PARFUM, HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE, PAN-THENOL, LECITHIN, POLYSORBATE-20, SODIUM CITRATE, GLUCOSE,GLYCERYL ACRYLATE/ACRYLIC ACID COPOLYMER, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, CHONDRUS CRISPUS (CARRAGEENAN), PVM/MA COPOLYMER, SODIUM HYALURONATE, CLYCINE SOJA (SOYBEAN) OIL, CERAMIDE-3, LIMNANTHES ALBA (MEADOWFOAM) SEED OIL, BETA SITOSTEROL, PERILLA OCYMOIDES SEED OIL, SALVIA HISPANICA SEED OIL OENOTHERA BIENNIS (EVENING PRIMROSE) OIL, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, TETRAHEXYLDECYL ASCORBATE, ZEA MAYS (CORN) OIL, SESAMUN INDICUM (SESAME) SEED OIL, MACADEMIA INTEGRIFOLIA SEED OIL, OLEA EUROPAEA (OILIVE) FRUIT OIL, LIMONENE.

It's mentioned in the brochure that one might experience itchiness when using this product but that doesn't happen to me, fortunately. I hate it when a skincare product gives me the itch!

Overall I'd say this is a very promising product especially for people who are looking for a more gentle, non-beads exfoliating product. I really like the idea of a home peel kit because I'm getting too lazy to do it regularly at the skincare clinic. :p

Artistry Intensive Skincare Renewing Peel is priced at Rp 995,000 (non member price) for a 20 ml bottle. Quite a steep, yes, but you can always join Amway's Privileged Customer program to buy this product with distributor price (without having to run the MLM business). If you need more information about Amway's products, you can check out www.sehatplus.com.

Joining the Peach Corps

I've always had this idea to do peach on my eyes, cheeks, and lips altogether but it wasn't until yesterday that I finally got the chance to execute it. I love the end result! I got asked if I were going to a wedding.. lol. What is it with people always assuming that I have a party to go to whenever I wear more makeup? Can't I just wear makeup for the sake of wearing it? :p

I wore Everyday Minerals Summer Stroll blush and added a bit of Nars Albatross above it. I used to think Summer Stroll (and any other pure peach blush) looks hideous on me but I guess paired with the right eye makeup and lip color, it could be pretty too. I wonder if EM has this particular blush in a pressed form because it's annoying to apply loose powder blush sometimes... especially if you were in a hurry!

This lovely loose eyeshadow is Cha Cha by Heavenly Minerals. Can't believe I've had this for more than a year! I've only touched it maybe three times since I bought it, lol. Just another reason to stop buying more eyeshadows, I guess.

FACE
- monistat chafing gel as primer
- mac studio fix fluid foundation
- mac blot powder
- everyday minerals blush in summer stroll
- nars albatross highlight powder

LIPS
- nivea lipbalm
- maybelline lipstick in natural nude
- mac prrr lipglass

EYES
- MAC bare study paint pot
- heavenly naturals mineral pigment in cha cha
- brown e/s from sleek chaos palette
- too face e/s in heaven as highlight
- nyx jumbo e/s pencil in strawberry milk
- LT Pro waterproof pencil eyeliner
- revlon colorstay liquid eyeliner
- maybelline volum' express mascara
- falsies

I did this look pretty quickly; just peach on all over the lid, brown on the crease, some highlight, and blend blend blend! I added shimmery pink eyeliner on my waterline to brighten my eyes a bit (it really works!).

I almost run out of my MAC Studio Fix Fluid! I wonder what foundation I should try next... I'm eyeing on Shu Uemura Face Architect but I have no idea what my shade is. Any suggestion?