On hiatus...

Hello all,

To anyone who reads this, gosh bless you.  I have neglected this blog horribly.  To be honest I cannot commit to this like it should be.  I still do YT videos but even that has slowed down.  I am taking a hiatus but I hope to be back soon.


Thank you
Sam (and Ava)

Another update

I have moved house and just begun to feel at home after about a month.  It was very stressful moving but things are improving.   Ava is doing well and adjusting to her new home.  With the move I havr had to reevaluate everything I own, I had a lot of stuff!  Right now I am going through my nail polish collection and getting rid of ones that are old and I never use. 

Hope you are all staying cool during this very hot summer!

Sam and Ava

Time Flies

This is another post apologizing for my absence.  But I think I have a good reason.  I got a puppy!  Her name is Ava (took me awhile to come up with that name) and she was born December 24, 2012 how awesome is that.  Her breed is the Shiba Inu, the fox looking dogs aka the smiling dog.  I have been hard at work training her but it's been a slight struggle as this breed is known to be very stubborn and not for first time pet owners.  I am technically not a first time dog owner having had dogs around most of my life although it was always a family dog.  Anyway not to boggle you with unimportant details, where are the pictures I can hear you asking. 

I am going to be busy, new adventures and such with the pup and other things but I will try to maintain this blog better.  I update more on my Youtube channel, username babyspark, many videos of Ava bear.

Sam

CoverGirl Outlast Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation + Broad Spectrum SPF 20

I decided to try out the new CG foundation everyone has been buzzing about.  As you can see below it gives decent coverage but I feel I need a concealer and it feels a bit drying on the skin.  It's an OK foundation but I wouldn't repurchase.  I had the shade Nude Beige, 832.

-Sam

Original Beauty Box

My boyfriend surprised me with the Original Beauty Box which made me SO happy.  I already posted on my Muji and wanted to share with you what I did with this box.  I love both but think the OBB is a better option for me because I wanted to declutter my vanity area and this fits my foundation and larger products.  It is more expensive than the muji but you can also do more.  You can also remove the dividers which is a nice option if I needed the space.

I am a visual person so if I don't see something, I will forget about it which is a sad but true thing about me.  My memory is poor :) but this helps out a lot in that department.

I didn't store away the Muji but used it for my lipsticks.

LOVE LOVE both of these products and recommend them.



Links:
Original beauty Box
My Muji Post


-Sam

Maybelline "the Rocket" Mascara

I am giving you my first impressions on Maybelline "the Rocket" Volum' Express Mascara.  I got the shade very black and waterproof.

I am loving this mascara, it holds my curl.  You know this is tough to do on asian pin straight lashes.  Only downside might be it clumps a tad but this is after three coats.

-Sam

Embarassing Topic: Cold Sores

Embarassing Topic:
So I wanted to talk about cold sores, why?  Well because I have one right now actually.  I call it an embarrassing topic because I want to cover it up and people say you have herpes.  While it is a form of herpes , it is not of the sexual nature.   Anyway I don't want to get into the background of it because whatever form you have, it's annoying and embarassing.  I get it around my mouth and for my most recent one, I got it on my actual lip.

 My Background:
I usually get them when I am stressed or when I get my period.  Guess what?  I am both right now and whammo, I was eating and I felt it.  I haven't gotten one in a really long time and was surprised when it appeared. 

Possible Solutions:
Now you can try lots of things, going to the doctor and getting a prescription or Abreva, a very expensive drugstore product.  I have actually gone to the doctor for a cold sore a long time ago when it was really bad and wouldn't go away.  You have to determine whether or not your situation warrants a doctor's visit.  As for Abreva, I tried it and I don't think it warrants the expensive price tag especially being a drug store product.  If it was a overnight cure I would say go for it but I have found my solution works just as well if not better and doesn't cost a lot.

My solution:
What do I do?  Right away, I use anything with a petroleum nature to it (Vaseline, Carmex, Aquaphor- nothing with scents in it).  Right now I am using Elizabeth 8 Hr Cream.  Any of these products I listed works for me.  The problem is keeping the cold sore covered with the product at all times as soon as you realize you have one.  The cold sore needs air to breathe and if exposed to air will keep living.   I got my cold sore Thursday and cold sore is almost gone as I write this on Sunday.   If I could do it, I wouldn't eat solid foods because every time I eat, the cold sore is disrupted whether it's on my lip or around my mouth.  If you can handle it, a liquid diet would be ideal but not recommended.

Because the cold sore is on my lip, I put the product all over my lips like a lip balm so you really couldn't tell I had a problem.  This is obviously much harder to do if it's around your mouth.

Dont do's:
Do not wear makeup or put lotion on the cold sore.  I have done the whole put on foundation to cover it up, this is a bad idea and will only delay the healing process.  And you are not fooling anyone, they know.

Do not pick at the cold sore even if you think it's time and crusting over.  Crusting in my opinion is a good sign, it means the cold sore is dying.  DONT PICK!


The end:
I have had cold sores come and go for a long time and have done everything and anything to get rid of them. These are my experiences and felt since I had some opinions on it, I would share them with you since I know I am not alone.  I hope I could help one or some of you. 


-Sam

Etude House Precious Mineral All Day Strong BB Cream #3 Sheer Flawless Skin

I know looking for the right shade of Asian BB creams is tough especially for those with a darker skin tone.  I am in the MAC NC 25-30 shade range which makes me lucky I guess because I am so close to being too dark for BB creams.  But sometimes I feel I am too dark.  I tried the Missha Perfect BB cream in No. 23 and that was way too light so it kind of turned me off Asian bb creams.  My sister ( I requested the darkest shade they had) brought back Etude House Precious Mineral All Day Strong BB Cream #3 Sheer Flawless Skin from Korea and I LOVE it.  It is still light but I love the coverage.  It works well with the face powders I have used.


I hope asian companies make darker colors because this is my skin in the winter so it is the lightest it's going to be so in the summer not sure how this foundation is going to fly.

-Sam

New Favorite Classic Movie: Two For the Road

  TWO FOR THE ROAD

  Image from Britposters.com

I fell in love with this movie after catching it on PBS a few nights ago.  With movies I like, I tend to watch them over and over again until I'm sick of it.  I am currently watching this movie as we speak, lol.  It stars classic style icon and fantastic actress Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney, supposedly they had an affair during filming.  True or not they had great chemistry.  In a nutshell, this film is about a married couple who look back on their  troubled 10 year or so marriage, do they last?  Gotta watch it :)

Love Audrey Hepburn and am surprised I missed this film.  Other Audrey films to check out: Sabrina, Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany's (did this really need to be annouced), The Nun, My Fair Lady.

For those wanting more information, I put the IMDB and Wikipedia links:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062407/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_for_the_Road_%28film%29

-S

Muji 5 Drawer Acrylic Case

I am so excited that my Muji storage came in the mail recently.  I got it for my vanity makeup area.  Before buying I knew my foundations were not going to fit but that was fine with me.  My makeup area was a bit disorganized because I am into containers for storing everything.  It got to be a bit much and decided the Muji or clear cube was the right path for me.  I am the type of person where if I don't see it, I won't use it.  The price was not too bad, it's the shipping that gets you but I still thought it was worth it.  The 5 drawer was $27.95 and you get more room if you count the top.  I might purchase the larger cases when they come back in stock.  These cases are impressive in both how they look and how sturdy they are.  In love!

Here is the link: http://www.muji.us/store/storage/acrylic-cases/acrylic-case-5-drawers.html

BEFORE

AFTER

-S

Also I linked my youtube video that shows you how I organized the drawers.
Muji Storage Video

nails nails nails

Try this combo out if you think Sally Hansen Gentle Blossom is a bit weak
Sally Hansen Gentle Blossom + Maybelline Green with Envy

I also wanted to try out some nail polishes I acquired over Christmas. Sephora by OPI The Golden Age, OPI The Living Daylights and Essie sand tropez.  I am loving all of these polishes.  The Golden Age is my new favorite glitter nail polish, move over Sephora by OPI Only Gold for Me.  Although an oldd mix of colors, I really like The living daylights, its a fun glitter polish.  And you can't go wrong with a good nude, sand tropez is a true nude with maybe a hint of gray.

-S

My New Years Eve Nails

I had plan to wear my new James Bond OPI nail polishes but decided I needed to step it up for New Years Eve.  I went with all glitter although it's gonna be a pain to remove but the foil method has made it so much easier then before.

The line up:
Essie Beyond Cozy
OPI Only gold for me
Essie set in stone
Essie a cut above

No top coat but this has lasted 2 plus days without any chipping.

 -S