My favorite eyeshadows ever!!

Z-palette consisting of eyeshadows I use the most. All are MAC unless noted.

UD - urban decay.

What are you favorite eyeshadows?

My fav niacinamide serums

My fav eye brushes

Left to right:

1. Sonia Kashuk Bent eyeliner brush (I have 4-5 of these): apply gel liner
2. Ecotools Angled brush: any really. I dont like anything particular much about this brush. I use this to fill in my brows using powder eyeshadow
3. Laura Mercier Smoky eyeliner brush: Absolutely must have if you like to do smokey eyes.
4. MAC 222 (DCed): Unfortunately, I just found out that this brush was discontinued. I love it to apply a precise crease. Don't use it for everyday
5. MAC 217: I have 2-3 of these. When I travel I take only this brush. I use it to apply shadow to my lid, crease work for everyday/
6. MAC 227: When I am in a rush, I just this to apply a beige powder eyeshadow all over my eye, under browbone etc to hide the darkness
7. Crown brush round angled stippler: I dont put any product on it. I primarily use it to blend out my crease
8. MAC 224: to blend concealer

What are you fav eye brushes?

My previous fav eye brushes.

My fav face brushes

Left to right:

1. beauty blender: for foundation
2. fan brush crown brushes IB120: to apply highlighter
3. real techniques contour brush: to apply bronzer, and contouring 
4. nars yachiyo brush: blush. It's the BEST powder blush brush ever!
5. mac 188: to apply cream blush
6. elf blush brush: to applying MSF natural to set my concealer
7. real techniques buffing brush: for applying primer, moisturizer, foundation
8. mac brush 130: buff corrector around my mouth to color correct 

What are you fav face brushes?

My previous fav brushes are here

My fav toners

My fav moisturizers

My fav physical scrubs

I got the Freeman one from Sally's (I think). It was less than $10. The beads as super fine. I dissolve a couple of uncoated asprin tablets to make it scrubbier, and add AHA as well.

I got the Papaya Peeling Scrub (the face shop brand), and Black Sugar Mask (from the Skinfood brand) from Seoul. Both are just lovely! I use the Papaya one when I need just a light exfoliation, and the Black sugar one when I need deep exfoliation.

My fav cleansing oils

Both products are from Hong Kong unfortunately. I have not found an affordable cleansing oil in USA. The Neutrogena one is nice, but I prefer the Softymo more since it's a bit more emollient.

I tried the Face Shop one, but it stings my eyes :( I DONT recommend this one.

Love of the week: Too Faced Chocolate Soleil

I have been using and loving Benefit Hoola for contouring my cheeks. While I love the color, I dont now why I cant get it to blend very easily. I mean I really have to work at it. I have been eyeing Too Faced Chocolate Soleil for a long time. Honestly, mostly because of the yummy chocolate smell. This strange since I am a floral scent person.

Anyway, I absolutely adore this for contouring my cheeks. Its soooooooooo soft and so easy to blend. I HIGHLY recommend it for Nc40-42 skintones.

What is your fav. contouring product? What's your skintone?

Reader request: Top 5 MAC MSFs

As requested, here are my top 5 MSFs from MAC

1. By Candlelight (highlighter)
2. Comfort (contour)
3. Petticoat (pink)
4. Stereo Rose (peach)
5. Cheeky Bronze (bronzer)

I really really want to get Soft and Gentle, but cant justify buying it just yet since I have a zillion highlighters to get through..sigh...

Top 15: MAC eyeshadows

Here it goes:

1. Brule
2. Grain
3. Ricepaper
4. Bronze
5. Romp
6. Espresso
7. Saddle
8. Femme Fatale (LE)
9. Handwritten (similar to Embark but smoother)
10. Folie
11. Tete-a-tint
12. Texture
13. Plummage
14. Woodwinked
15. Carbon

Honorable mentions:

1. Humid
2. Deep truth
3. Satellite Dreams
4. Sketch
5. Contrast
6. Cork/Wedge

TAG: If All My Makeup Disappeared, Which (10?) Would You Replace First.

Here are my 10:

1. Black gel liner: BB Black Ink
2. Mascara: Prestige my longest lashes
3. Shu lash curler
4. A bent eyeliner brush: sonia kashuk
5. MAC 217 brush
6. MAC eyeshadow in brule
7. MAC foundation full coverage C40
8. MAC ladyblush creme blush
9. Revlon brown fantasy in brunette
10. NYX lipliner Natural

I would LOVE to hear what your 10 products are...

Top 5: Must Have MAC blushes for NC40-43 women

MAC blushes retail for $18.50, or you can buy refills for $16.50

[1] Ladyblush (Perm, cream)
Demure pink flush. Perfect for work, pulls a bit of peach on me.

[2] Prim n Proper (LE, powder)
It's the color of my natural flush. The perfect nude/pink color with a little bit of brown! The closest dupe is I found is NARS Douceur which I found was really hard to blend, I dont know why.


[3] Peaches (Perm, powder)
Pure peach (Sheertone). Other favs in peach family are Pinch O Peach (Perm, powder) and Hipness (LE, powder). I like to layer Springsheen (Golden tawny peach, Sheertone shimmer, perm) on it when I want a golden glowy peach look, or PeachyKeen (Very baby peach, Sheertone shimmer, perm)  when I want a glowy soft peach look.

[4] Dollymix (Perm, powder)
Pure candy pink (Sheertone Shimmer)

[5] Fab (LE, powder)
Soft sparkely plum brown. Closest permanent dupe that I found is NARS Sin.

Top 5 MAC Lipsticks

In order of preference/used most frequently. All MAC lipsticks are usually $14.50.

1. Bare again (supreme sheen)
2. Velvet Teddy:Deep-tone beige (Matte) 
3. Half n Half: Creamy pink (Amplified Creme)
4. Cherish:Soft muted peachy-beige (Satin) 
5. Viva Glam V:Neutral pink with pearl (Lustre)   

Honorable mentions:

• Viva Glam II: Muted pink-beige with shimmer (Satin)  
• Brave New Bronze (LE): Pinky Peach

Top 5 MAC Lipglosses

In order of preference/used most frequently

1. Ample Pink (soft rose, $18.50, plushglass)
2. Lust (Soft muted pink, $14.50, lipglass)
3. Viva Glam V (Neutral pink with pearl, $14.50, lipglass)
4. Big Baby (Peach with pink and white pearl, $18.50, plushglass)
5. Lovechild (Coppered plum, $14.50, lipglass)

Tag: 15 Most Reached for Products

1. MAC Brule eyeshadow
2. MAC Grain eyeshadow
3. Loreal million lashes mascara
4. MAC Blacktrack eyeliner
5. MAC espresso e/s to define my brows
6. Shu Umeru lash curler
7. Korres Foundation in LF4
8. Ben Nye Powder to set the foundation
9. MAC 217 brush
10. Benefit Coralista blush
11. Benefit Sugarbomb blush
12. MAC lipliner in Subculture
13. MAC lipgloss in Ample Pink
14. MAC concealer in NW30 select cover
15. Clinique Uplighting Illuminator in Natural 

I would love to hear what your top most used products are...

Top 5: Face Highlighters

[1] Clinique Up-Lighting Liquid Illuminator in Natural ($23)

[2] MAC Hush Cream Color Base ($16.50)
Soft peach with icy shimmer (Frost)

[3] Jemma Kid Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Creme in Rose Glow ($30-32)


[4] NARS Albatross Blush ($27)
Sheer light golden sheen

[5] MAC Pigments in Vanilla and Melon

Browbone highlighters

My favorite scents from Bath and Body Works

I am a huge fan of "Triple Moisture Body Cream" and "Fragrance Mist" from Bath and Body Works. My favorite scents are:

[1] Butterfly Flower:

[2] Japanese Cherry Blossom

[3] Twilight Woods

[4] Dark Kiss

[5] Night-Blooming Jasmine

My skincare routine

I got a few emails requesting that I share my skincare routine, so here you go. A few basics first, I have dry to normal skin, slightly sensitive and of late a bit acne prone. I am in my early 30s so anti-aging is very important to me.

AM:
Step 1) Cleanse your face with Cetaphil for normal to oily skin. I use this instead of the one for dry skin since it foams. I feels like it removes the oils etc. build over at night very gently.

Step 2) (optional) Every other day wipe face with salicylic acid pads. I use the ones from Oxy Sensitive cleansing Pads or its dupe from Rite Aid/CVS.

Step 3) Apply Vitamin C serum. I am loving Ole Henriksen's Truth Serum Collagen Booster.

Step 4) Apply sunscreen. I like La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Face Melt-In Sunscreen Lotion
Or this Neutrogena one.


PM:
Step 1) Cleanse with Cetaphil again.

Step 2) Apply Avene Diacneal (my retinol treatment) or Mama lotion (my AHA treatment). I alternate them (so one night retinol and the next night AHA, repeat)

Step 3) Apply moisturizer. I am loving Cerave's PM lotion for summers.

Step 4) If my under eye area is feeling dry, I moisturize with Nivea cream (the blue tin, I got mine from Germany). In winters I use this cream on my entire face.

WEEKLY treatment:
I use a 40% lactic acid peel every weekend.  If my skin is feeling dry, I use the Korres Thyme Yogurt Mask.

Top 5: Eyeshadow browbone highlighters

5) MAC Vanilla pigment - Soft ivory white with a gold sheen

4) MAC Solar White (LE) - Light gold sheen

3) MAC Femme Fi (LE) - Frosty golden cream (Veluxe Pearl)

2) MAC Ricepaper - Peachy gold with shimmer (Frost)

1) MAC Shroom - Soft beige with shimmer (Satin)