Jill Stuart Eye Jelly Madness

In the spirit of the release of the "new" eye jellies from Jill Stuart, I have decided to post a photo of the eye jellies I own. I actually own one other shade, which is Ruby Romantic, an awesome reddish purple that does not make my eyes appear redder than they already are (quite a magical feat in my opinion). :) Please click the photo if you would like to enlarge it.

The new eye jellies come in most of the same colors, but they took out the more interesting shades in my opinion (mainly green butterfly and gemstone green). I'm really glad I have the ones that I do, since they are no longer in production! The new eye jellies feature a more ornate jar and supposedly have the same net weight (6g) of product in them. I would like the color #9 Midnight Shine at some point, but I have many many cream shadows. =(


By the way, Jill Stuart is no longer a Japan exclusive brand. It can be purchased in Hong Kong (this is old news... but who cares?).

Gel Eyeliner Tutorial

So... gel liners have been all the rage for quite awhile and I think they are here to stay. Every major cosmetic brand has a gel liner, and they are getting knocked off in the world of e-tailer cosmetic brands.

Honestly, I loathe them because of their inconvenience. You have to use a separate brush and you have to wash it after using it, otherwise it will dry and cake up your brush (gross!). What an inconvenience! Give me liquid liner any day.

But, honestly, there are certain pros to gel liners. Gel liners often do not smudge for those who have oily eyelids (do note that not all brands perform the same... so you may need to try various brands if one brand ends up smudging on you), they are solid so those who desire the look of liquid liner (but with shaky hands) can achieve crisp lines and cat eyes. The gel liner can also be used as a shadow base and smudged out, perfect for smokey eyes!

I have often been complimented on my eyeliner... so I will share my technique for gel liners. This is only one method, if it doesn't work out, keep trying, there are other methods of application out there!


Materials:
- gel liner
- pointed brush
- mirror

Method:

1.
Dip your brush into your gel liner. Don't be afraid of using too much, in fact, I like to "overload" the brush. The thickness of your brush will determine the thickness of your line. If you want a thin line, use a fine brush. I prefer using a lip brush made of synthetic material (easier to clean). Starting at the inner corner of your eye, dot the gel liner across your lashline (or in between your lashes if you are tightlining).

2.

Continue dotting the liner to the outer corner of your eye.


3.
Work quickly to blend your dots of liner into one continuous line. If your liner is uneven in width at this point (i.e. not intentionally so), fix it now by adding a bit more in the areas that are "too thin."

4. Optional step


If you wish to have a cat eye, you may "wing out" your liner at this point. Simply flick your brush/wrist quickly as if checking a checkbox on a form. It will take some effort to practice this to get them symmetrical on both sides.

Good luck, hopefully this has helped.

To be purchased ... someday

These boots are just adorable. They are whimsical and remind me of the boots worn by Victorian ladies.

I'll have to try them out at the John Fluevog store at Haight and see whether or not they live up to the reputation of comfort...

MAC Cosmetics Friends and Family

Even cosmetics giant MAC must be feeling the pinch. I remember a time when MAC NEVER went on sale (except at the authorized Estee Lauder outlets). I mean, with their limited edition factory producing new collections every two weeks to feed the frenzy, why bother?

At any rate, the Friends and Family even is up and running now on maccosmetics.com. You can save 25% off your total purchase with the code SUMO (yes, as in sumo wrestling...). The code expires on June 18, so act quickly before all of the limited edition goodness sells out. :P

Only in dreams

This gorgeous Lanvin shoe is now on sale! If I was getting married I would be all over this shoe... the only problem? Depending on the budget, this pretty shoe might cost more than the wedding gown.

Approximately $700 @ Net-a-porter.com

New Shu Uemura Collboration

There's a new Shu Uemura collaboration for June 2009. I think it will be a big hit, just as big as the Yamaguchi Ai collaboration (my favorite to date!). This time, Shu Uemura is collaborating with manga artist Moyoco Anno!!!

Everything is super cute and I want it... I haven't wanted anything from Shu Uemura for awhile.

The images for this collection were taken from lifestyleasia.There is also a limited edition brush set and makeup box. The makeup box is SUPER CUTE and also super pricy, priced at $2,200HKD (roughly $300 USD). I'm not too keen on gold used on this version of the makeup box, but the inside of the box is terribly cute: there are gold imprints of the girls' faces as crests on the inside of the box. The outside of the makeup box features a stylized chysanthemum on the front. It really is too bad the makeup box is made out of CARDBOARD and a terrible value for the money. I think it's meant more for the collector and avid Shu Uemura fan.

What will I be purchasing? I think three cleansing oils (Fresh, Original and A/O formulas). I hope this collection will be released in the USA because it is already for sale in Asia.

There is a post on Hong Kong beauty blog beautytalk about the makeup box. Check it out!

Free Palette Promotion

Shu Uemura USA is promoting its custom palette system by offering a free palette with the purchase of any of the following product combinations:

1. 4 eyeshadows
2. 2 eyeshadows + 1 glow on
3. 2 glow ons

The design on the palette is quite pretty and I am a little tempted by the promotion. However, I have most of the Shu items that I want ... so it is kind of tough to justify this purchase when it is not really a "good deal." In addition, what I really want to buy are the Tokyo Kamon Girls Limited Edition Cleansing Oils! I must have at least two or three of those...

Bug Eyed Glam

I kind of have a thing for sunglasses. I like to admire and buy them... despite not wearing them that much due to contact lens issues.

My latest love is a pair by Chloe, style CL2142. The are large oversized frames, which give a slight bug eyed look. But, it somehow looks nice and slightly retro, not ridiculous and pretentious. I also find that this style looks equally good on my friend, but due to our different face shape and personalities, the sunglasses seem to morph on each of our faces. The frames come in three color options: brown, black, and ivory. All of the colors are flattering. Those who do not look good in white sunglasses should give the ivory a chance. The slightly yellow tone is much more forgiving and easier to wear for certain skintones. They're a bit expensive, retailing at $300USD, but on sale (or online) they can be had for less.


Now the question is... have I succumbed and purchased a pair? Why yes, bien sur~