Product Review: L'Oreal Lineur Intense Brush Tip Eyeliner

Product Description:
Stand out with a dramatically bold or sleek look. Lineur Intense Brush Tip Liquid Eyeliner has a tapered natural brush that gives you the control to create the most precise lines for your desired eye looks.

All-day wear up to eight hours.
Water-resistant.
Smudge-proof.
Fragrance-free.
Ophthalmologist-tested.
Suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

My Review:
Eyeliner is probably one of my favourite makeup products. I can never skip eyeliner no matter what. I always adored the look of liquid liner. The dramatic look that it can create. I do prefer using pencil eyeliners much more than liquid liners though, so I haven't tried very many liquid liners. But I recently decided to give this a try. The brush tip definitely doesn't look as refined as it does in the picture on the one I got. I don't know if they're all like that, or if I just got a bad one? But mine is like this:

Which is very unappealing to me. Upon opening the first time and wanting to try it, after I saw it I didn't even want to try it until another day when I wouldn't be going out, because I just knew I'd mess up with a tip like that.
So then I finally had a day where I wouldn't be going out and I just decided to test this out. The first thing I noticed, was that the wand is very long. I wasn't used to it. It didn't give me as much control as I would've liked. So then onto the application. It didn't turn out that bad. It looked perfect actually. Though it was slightly harder to make thin, tapered lines because of the shape of the brush. And required going over a few times for the thinner lines since they'd come out somewhat.... wispy, I might say, as you can see in the following photo of just some random lines I drew on my hand with the eyeliner.

Now for the formula itself, it did last the entire day without smudging one bit. Even when I try to rub it off with my finger, it doesn't budge a bit. It is waterproof to an extent. With the lines I drew on my hand, I ran it under the tap and it stayed for a while, and then the thicker lines just peeled off itself and gradually the thinner ones. And with a touch, the rest of it came off. I am really satisfied with this eyeliner overall. I just wish that it came with a better brush tip. Perhaps next time I will try the felt tip instead.

Product Review: Ener-G Egg Replacer

Product Description:
Mimics what eggs do in recipes, Greatly simplifies baking for people who cannot use eggs. It replaces egg whites as well as egg yolks in baking. Pack equal to approximately 100 eggs. Recipes provided on pack.

Ingredients:
Potato Starch, tapioca starch flour, leavening (calcium lactate [not derived from dairy], calcium carbonate, citric acid), sodium carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose

Free of:
gluten, wheat, casein, dairy, egg, yeast, soy, nut, low protein, rice

For the past two years, I've been baking without Ener-G egg replacer, but keep hearing great things about it. And it's always the recommended egg replacer in recipes that provide recommendations. But I never got to going to one of those specialty stores to pick up some for myself. So I've been using either ground flax seed, or the egg replacer from the local supermarket. They always seemed to work fine. To me. But my omni friends who'd try my baking would always comment that its really dense. So finally, I went to the local organic store and picked myself up a box of Ener-G egg replacer, and tested it out on a quick and easy banana bread recipe that I've used dozens of times. The result? A really light and fluffy banana bread. It's amazing. So if you're thinking there isn't very much difference in the egg replacer you use, perhaps there is.

Product Review: Color Oops

I've been dying my hair jet black or blue black for years and finally decided that I wanted a change. I want to go lighter. I first thought that it would work to go lighter over the previously dyed black. Which was wrong. It doesn't work like that. Then I came across this product, Color Oops, which claims to remove hair colour. So I had to try it. I went to the closest supermarket and in the hair colour aisle I couldn't find it. I was still convinced to remove the black from my hair though. So I went to the closest drug store which was half an hour bus ride away and found myself some Color Oops. I got myself the Extra Strength one.

On the package it says:
-Gently removes permanent & semi-permanent hair color
-Takes only 20 minutes
-Safe and Easy
-Ammonia & Bleach Free
-Re-color the same day

I am totally amazed with this product. I love the fact that it is ammonia and bleach free. I have no idea how it really works, but it really did remove the black from my hair, so now I'm left with the natural reddish black/brown that I have. I don't think this product will work quite as well on blonde or other lighter hair colours though, because I had a panel in my hair that I had bleached platinum blonde before I dyed over it with black, and now its just a slightly lighter shade of brown than my natural colour. But maybe repeated applications of Color Oops will do the job? I don't know, but I'm very happy with my results. I originally intended to dye over it with a different shade of brown, but I won't now, since I absolutely love the colour I'm at now. One thing that I absolutely hate about this product though, is that you have to rinse the hair for 20 minutes. Even though I love taking long hot showers, I got really bored there just rinsing and rinsing and rinsing for 20 minutes, and my skin got all wrinkly. I was just so bored I couldn't stand it. But as the instructions say, it's a crucial part of the process. I also hate the smell. It smells like rotten eggs. But it was tolerable.

Product Review: Barbara Daly Concealer

Yes, this product doesn't look very attractive at all. If I were to have ever seen this in stores without knowing anything about it, I would have never plunged into trying this out. I'm normally not a big fan of pot concealers, I usually go more for the liquid ones. And this one is only sold at Tesco in the UK. So it took me a long time after reading numerous rave reviews of it before I actually decided that I needed to get my hands on one of these to try. Where did I finally find it? On Ebay. Considering the price, which came to be about $11 CDN including shipping, for 3 pots of it, I thought it would be totally worth to try. It arrived in the mail in less than a week for me, which totally surprised me, and I had to immediately try it out. I had ordered the medium shade, and upon opening the package and seeing the colour of it, I totally thought that the shade was way too dark for my skin tone. But once I smeared the very top layer of it, it was actually much lighter underneath so it turned out to be a perfect match for my skin tone. I used my concealer brush to put it on under my eyes and it was very creamy and blended very well. And this was in the middle of the day of a day that I had decided not to wear any makeup. So my face was fresh and clear of makeup, but it wasn't just moisturized like when I usually apply my makeup. And I hadn't put on my BB cream yet (I usually apply BB cream before concealer). So upon application, my skin was actually drier than usual, but the concealer still went on really creamy and didn't cake or cling onto any of my little dry spots. Plus, it's coverage is AMAZING and it lasted all day and I didn't even set it with powder. I cannot rave enough about this concealer. It's definitely my new favourite. I just regret not having tried this earlier, before I wasted so much money on other concealers that I've been trying. And with three pots.... I'm never going to run out. Or at least not for a long time.

BB Cream Reviews

One makeup product that I have never come to like to use, is foundation. But ever since I found out about BB Cream, I have been hooked on it. I first found out about BB cream just before my trip to Hong Kong last summer, so when I went to Hong Kong, I of course, stocked up on it since I can't buy them here unless I order them online. I haven't tried too many different BB creams, but I will review those that I have tried.

In case you don't know what BB cream is, BB stands for Blemish Balm. It is very much like foundation, but it is supposed to be good for your skin too, while foundation usually isn't. There's BB creams with whitening properties, moisturizing, blemish clearing, anti-aging, sunscreen and so on. They're just great things.


Skin Food Aloe Sun BB Cream SPF 20 PA+

"Rich with aloe, which possesses excellent hydrating properties and soothing effect, this multi-functional skin care product (UV protector & blemish corrector) provides moisture and nutrition to your skin while providing protection from UV rays."

This was the very first BB Cream I tried. I got it while I was in Taiwan. I was actually looking for the Mushroom one, but they didn't have it so I got this one instead. Right when I got back to the hotel, I immediately had to try it. And I absolutely loved it. I still do love it. It's really moisturizing, evens out my skin tone and non-drying. It is a little bit pink on my skin, but it doesn't have that gray overcast like most BB creams, so I like it more than the other ones I've tried. I don't feel the "soothing" effect though. Also this BB Cream doesn't seem to do much. Only UV protection and blemish corrector. I just love the fact that it is so moisturizing, but it doesn't seem to have improved any of my blemishes.


Skin Food Mushroom Multi Care BB Cream SPF 20 PA+

"A triple functional BB cream that contains skin-friendly aloe & mushroom extract, adenosine and arbutin that helps to improve the appearance of fine lines and promotes a brighter, more radiant complexion with UV protection properties. [KFDA certified triple functional product]"

I found this one when I was in Korea. I really like the triple function that it has. I have noticed a brighter, more radiant complexion with it, but it isn't whitening. One thing I really need to watch for. Brightening does not mean whitening. I don't think it really did anything for my fine lines. This BB cream though, is a little too dark for my skin tone, so it makes my skin look maybe a shade darker than it is, but its not that much of a difference and it still looks great, though it seems to have less coverage. I think I did get it in the darker shade which is why. They only had the one shade to choose from.... I don't know though. I can't find anywhere on the tube where it says the shade number. Also, this isn't pink like the Aloe one. Instead it has that sort of greyish tone which I don't like. It definitely isn't as moisturizing as the Aloe one, so I haven't used much since winters are so dry where I live. Maybe it'll be better in the summer when my skin isn't as dry and when I get a little darker.


Missha Watery B.B Cream SPF 27 PA++

"Containing a generous amount of moisture. M Watery B.B Cream helps create glowing skin with its natural coverage. Its moisturizing and antioxidant ingredients protect your skin and make it comfortable with moisturized and cool afterfeel."

I absolutely love the packaging of this one. Probably the reason why I got it in the first place. It is so beautiful. Yes, I'm superficial like that. Also I was obsessed with the "dewy" look, so I thought maybe I could get that look with this. And yes, it does give me that look. It is a very watery BB cream, hence the name of it. Not what I expected though. I thought "watery" just meant the moisturizing and dewy look it would provide. But it also meant watery as in, the product itself is watery and runny. Which I'm not too fond of. Coverage is really low. The shade it comes in is darker than my skin tone, but since the coverage is so low it doesn't even make a difference. It just evens my skin tone and that's probably it. I definitely don't feel any "cool afterfeel". And it definitely isn't as moisturizing as it sounds. I've only used it a few times since I got it about a year ago because it's not as moisturizing as I'd like it to be. I'll probably use it more in the summer though, when it isn't as dry and my skin doesn't need as much moisturizing.
*Edit: It is now summer so I've been using this more. I have to use it very sparingly though since I realized that the shade is much darker than my skin tone. It is also slightly grey/pink. I also notice that my t-zone area gets oily towards midday using this. So I tested it out by placing a swatch of it on a piece of oil blotting paper and left it for a few minutes, and it appears that there is a LOT of oil in it. So I don't think I like it very much anymore, and I wouldn't recommend this to anybody. But I'm stuck with it for now as it is the only one I brought with me going home.


Missha Perfect Cover B.B Cream SPF 42 PA+++

"Missha M Perfect Cover B.B Cream offers a novel skincare concept with B.B cream, which lightens skin tone by healing visible wrinkles and blemishes with excellent skin-cover ability, and prevents skin aging through effective whitening and anti-wrinkle properties."

I love the fact that this BB cream has SPF 42. Again, this BB cream is a little bit dark for my skin tone (I got the lightest shade too!). This does have a slightly grey colour as well, which I'm not pleased with. I forget what the advertisements said exactly, but it was ALL over the place in Korea, something like, "Voted Best BB Cream in Korea" Or in Asia? Or something like that. So that lured me in to try this out. Very moisturizing, though I'd get a little oily by the end of the day. Haven't noticed any skin tone lightening or wrinkles healed, not that I really have many wrinkles. And I don't think it's really done anything for my blemishes. But it does have excellent coverage. If only it came in a slightly lighter shade.


Gowoonsesang Prescription for Beauty Hydra Intensive Blemish Balm SPF 30 PA++

"Inner and Outer Care System using Hydrophilic and Lipophilic Moisturization Ingredients. Gowoonsesang applied special skin moisturization system using 2 different ingredients, hydrophilic and lipophilic ingredient. It focused inner and outer in human skin. Inner care is for the water holding effect using Hydrophilic ingredient. Outer care is for the water preventing effect using lipophilic ingredient."

The description.... makes absolutely NO sense to me. But I finally got the famous Dr.G BB cream and now I know why its so famous. It's so moisturizing! And it's been doing wonders on my blemishes. I've been using it for less than a week now, and my blemishes have already faded. It also has excellent coverage. The shade though... is kind of pink... and grey... and a little bit too dark for my skin.


Dr. 7 Clear Naturalskin Super+ Magic B.B Cream

"Dr.7 Clear is a From the Natural Professional skin Care"

Errr.... Wtf? I got this while I was in Korea. The tour guide was telling us about BB cream and recommended this one and let us try the sample tube he had. It seemed good, and the price he was telling us for it seemed like a good price. So I got a few tubes of it. And I didn't know too much about BB creams back then, so when he told us about this famous "Dr.7" brand, I guess it's a knock off of the "Dr.G (Gowoonsesang)" brand. And I didn't know. And I didn't open the boxes or anything to see how ugly the tube actually was and to see that their description doesn't even have proper grammar. By "ugly" I mean that the labels weren't even printed on correctly. It was off to one side and tilted. Very unprofessional. Right away I could tell this is a knockoff. Even cheap drugstore products would never have such horrid printing and grammar. So the BB cream itself? I don't know... It works okay. I don't know if it does anything good for the skin though. Just knowing that its a knockoff, makes me not want to use it because of the bad things it might do to my skin. So just a warning, if you're off to Asia to buy products, look out for scams and knockoffs! Know your info before you buy anything. If something sounds too good to be true, it often is too good to be true. Go online and Google it if you're not sure about something. Don't waste your money. And this doesn't apply only to BB creams.

There are also fake BB creams out there, so be careful. Usually if the price is significantly lower than it should be, it's fake.

Being Beautiful.

Well there's people who say that looks don't matter. Actually, it is such a common thing to hear. "It's what's on the inside that matters." While what's on the inside does matter very much, I really have to disagree that the way someone looks doesn't matter. Everybody in some way or another, cares about how they look to a certain degree. The only problem here, is that some people care only about their outer appearance and not their inner appearance. This makes someone, no matter how beautiful they are, immediately look disgusting. But then there's those, who have the kindest hearts in the world, but they just look horrid. And in my opinion, everybody's very first impression on anybody will be based on how they look. And some people just never get past that. And that's probably the reason why I'm so superficial and place such a high importance on my appearance. Even with food. And I believe I'm not the only one. When you see a really ugly dish sitting on the table, and someone tells you to eat it, but it just looks so unappealing, you're probably not going to want to eat it. But when you see a dish that looks really pretty and garnished, you'll probably be drooling over it before you even taste it. Well maybe that's a little exaggerated. But my point is, outer appearance does matter. Inner appearance matters too. Again with the food, if you see a beautiful dish and then you try it and it tastes horrible, no matter how beautiful it is, you probably wouldn't want to finish it. So while you're at your daily skincare regime and putting all your makeup on and dressing up for the day, making yourself beautiful, don't forget to put on a smile and remain beautiful on the inside too. Try doing something nice for somebody each day. Put a smile on somebody else's face.

Facercise

While I was searching online for more information about the Nose-Up which claims to alter your nose shape without cosmetic surgery, I somehow stumbled across Facercise. I was totally skeptical about this, and the before and after pictures that they show on their website are so dramatic it's hard to believe. But I've decided that I'll give it a try. I am also thinking of trying out the No Lipo-Lipo that they have. But it might be a waste of money since I have barely any fat anyway.

Jade Massage Roller

So I got my massage roller today. The one that Queenie talked about. And I must admit, it feels so good! I've seriously been rolling it on my face literally whenever my hands are free. I don't know if its doing anything for my face though since I've only had it for so long. But this is definitely something that I will stick to regardless.

Slim Mouth Piece

So I got my "Slim Mouth Piece" in the mail today. The thing I mentioned a little bit about previously that is supposed to slim up your face.... It came in a very flimsy, cheap packaging and the actual product itself is very cheap and flimsy as well. It doesn't even work properly. But I guess I was kind of expecting that since it cost less than two dollars. And that is including shipping and everything, from Hong Kong. So I tried it, and the thing doesn't spring very efficiently. Like, it would get stuck most of the times, even when I'm using my fingers to do it. So I don't know.... I can see how it would work, if the thing was manufactured better. Or perhaps I just got a bad one. Or a knock off one. Or something. I don't know. But I don't really want to try buying another one only to find out that they're just made poorly. So there's my take on that. I'm still trying to find one of those mask things, but I'm just having a little trouble with that. And I'm not so sure if I want to waste any more money trying these things that most of them just don't work....

I did order this Ultrasonic thing though, that's supposed to have slimming effects though. Which I will talk more about once I receive it in the mail. And also I came across this facial slimming thing that seems to have really good reviews. I am going to put an order on them probably next week, and talk more about it when I receive them.

There are also two more concealers that are on the cheaper side that I've heard good things about that I'm looking at trying out. So until then.

Mascara Reviews

Mascara is probably my second favourite part of makeup, besides the concealer. So I've decided to do some reviews on the mascaras that I've tried in the past half a year, including some mascara bases. Also I realized, that the brush of the mascara really does make a difference, and it will really depend on what kind of look you are going for. First, there are the straight wands, and there are the curved ones. I personally prefer to use the straight ones over the curved ones, but some people prefer the curved. It is just a matter of preference. Then there's the bristles.

First, there's the really fat brushes with tons of bristles on them, tightly packed together. These brushes are great if you're looking to volumise your lashes. It could also create a natural look since it coats each lash individually.

Then there's the ones that also have tons of bristles on them, but some bristles are longer and some are shorter of length. These ones tend to clump several lashes together at a time, creating a more dramatic look.

And then there's the ones that look spiky and are made of... silicone? I think. Or some kind of rubbery plastic... And finally, there's the combs. These ones are aimed at creating a thick, even coat that will grab every hair, even the shortest ones at the corners of your eyes.

My personal favourites are the fat dense bristle brushes, and the rubber brushes.

Now for some reviews.


Maybelline New York The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara

Description:
Creates 9X the volume, instantly.
Patented MegaBrush + Collagen Formula plump lashes one by one
Dramatic Volume with no clumps
Washable

My review:
This was probably the first mascara I found that I truly loved. It really volumizes and lengthens my lashes, and doesn't clump at all. Despite the fat brush, it picks up every single hair, even the shortest ones at the corners of my eyes, without accidentally getting some mascara on my lids. This is an example of the first type of brushes I described. The formula itself is great, it lasts all day, doesn't smudge at all and no fallout.


Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara

Description:
Creates 7X the volume, instantly.
Patented MegaBrush + Collagen Formula plump lashes one by one
Dramatic Volume with no clumps
Waterproof

My review:
You may be wondering, why am I making a separate review on the two? Shouldn't they be exactly the same, except that one is waterproof and the other isn't? That's what I thought when I was buying it. I don't know about the description though.... Does the fact that its waterproof make it 7x the volume instead of 9x? I didn't notice any difference when putting it on though. The only difference I found, was that after 10 minutes, the mascara smudged all over under my eyes. It was horrible. I tried so many times to like this, but it just didn't work. A lesson learned? Waterproof isn't always better. And waterproof does not mean smudgeproof.


Maybelline Lash Stiletto Ultimate Length Waterproof Mascara

Description:
The only mascara that does for lashes what stilettos do for legs.
The Grip & Extend brush grasps each lash and coats from every angle
Elastic formula stretches lashes for provocative length
Pro-Vitamin B-5 formula conditions and smoothes for black-patent shine
Contact lens safe and Ophthalmologist tested
Waterproof

My review:
I really love the look that this mascara creates. It really does lengthen the lashes. But it doesn't volumise very much, not that it claims to. This is an example of the brushes that I talked about with the varying lengths of bristles. One thing I don't like about the bristles is that they're really prickly, I hate the feel of it going on my eyelashes when it touches the eyelash line. Also, this does smudge. Again the same problem with the previous mascara. Waterproof doesn't mean smudgeproof. Though this one doesn't smudge nearly as much as the other.


Estee Lauder More Than Mascara Moisture-Binding Formula

Description:
For more defined, more conditioned, more beautiful lashes.

Why settle for less, when you can have more?

THE LOOK

Beautiful silky lashes, defined and conditioned.
Defines each lash from end to end with a continuous stroke of color.

THE BRUSH
Patented brush provides precise, smooth and even application.
Each lash is groomed, shaped and defined.

THE BRISTLES
Hollow-fiber bristles comb and separate lashes easily, without pulling or tugging.

THE FORMULA
Boosts lashes with in-depth moisture that binds to each one and keeps it silky.
Microscopic beads help prevent friction, so mascara glides on with ease for smooth, even coverage.

THE COLOR
Advanced pigment technology creates the blackest shades possible
Light is absorbed, reflections reduced, color is visibly intensified.

FORMULA FACTS
Ophthalmologist-tested
Fragrance-free
Suitable for contact lens wearers

My review:
Wow, that is probably the longest mascara description I've seen. It really sells the product. But I actually didn't see that until just now, because I didn't actually buy the one I have now. It came as a sample in one of those little free gift bags you get from buying over a certain amount of stuff from Estee Lauder. Otherwise I probably would have never discovered this mascara. So I was back at home during Christmas, and I was stuck with the waterproof Colossal mascara that was the only mascara I brought back with me. It kept smudging so much every single day, I found this sitting in my room that I hadn't ever used. So I picked it up and decided I'll give it a try. It'll probably be much better than the smudging no matter what. And it was. Much better. Most of the time it didn't smudge, though it did like, one or two times of the two weeks, maybe just because I didn't set the concealer in under my eyes with powder those times. The brush is like the Colossal, but thinner. Creates pretty much the same look, except a little more natural. I'd have to say, I love it, but I probably wouldn't buy it.


MaxFactor Masterpiece Max High Volume & Definition Mascara

Description:
High volume that's sleek and smooth. Suitable for contact lens wearers.

My review:
I've previously heard great things about some MaxFactor mascaras, but they don't sell them in Canada unfortunately. So I got this one while I was in Hong Kong during the summer, but I hadn't used it until I came back after Christmas. It has the silicone bristles I was talking about earlier. I got this in black/brown. On the brush, it really looks brown, but when its put on it looks like a really natural black, which makes it look really natural on my lashes. It doesn't seem to add very much volume but it sure does add length. And it doesn't smudge at all. I love it. It's unfortunate that I can't get anymore of it here, or try any other MaxFactor mascaras.


CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Blasting Mascara

Description:
Get a blast of lush, volumized lashes! LashBlast's patented volume-boosting formula and patent-pending brush are designed to max-out each and every lash, leaving you with the ultimate big lash look. Now in waterproof, too!

My review:
Probably everyone has seen this big, bright orange mascara somewhere. I saw it. And it certainly has caught my eye. I've heard great reviews on it too. So I decided that I had to try it. And it is currently my favourite mascara ever. It has a huge rubber/silicone/whatever brush, that defines, volumises and lengthens the lashes. No clumping at all, can create a dramatic or natural look.... It doesn't smudge at all.... It's pretty much the perfect mascara for me. It's between this or the Maybelline Colossal for me. This one like the Maybelline, picks up every little hair despite the fat brush, without getting any on my eyelids, which is great.


Lancome Cils Booster XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Base

Description:
Suitable even for sensitive eyes.

Discover the maxi booster effect. A new white mascara base enriched with XL Micro-Fibers to prime and protect your lashes. For use under your usual mascara to enhance its colour and makeup result for a look that is instantly more intense, more captivating.

My review:
I absolutely love this mascara base. I use it with every single one of my mascaras, all the time (So keep in mind, if you try any of the mascaras I reviewed previously and they don't produce the same effect, this might be why). I find that it adds more volume and length to my lashes, and it makes it less smudgeable and easier to take off at the end of the day.


Shiseido Mascara Base

Description:
A clear base coat for eyelashes that improves mascara application and wear, and boosts volume and curl. Adds dramatic definition to the eyes.

･Contains Multi-Nutrient Factor, an advanced moisturizer.
･DERMATOLOGIST AND OPHTHALMOLOGIST-TESTED.
(Formulated to minimize the risk of allergy and eye irritation.)

My review:
While this does add volume, it doesn't seem to add any curl to my eyelashes as it claims. I certainly don't like this nearly as much as the Lancome mascara base though. It doesn't make as much of a difference, and it doesn't reduce smudging for me like the Lancome one does.


And of course, I will be updating with more mascaras as I try them, once I'm done with these ones though.

Coconut Milk Rice Pudding

This is an amazing rice pudding recipe that I've found a while back, and I'm making it right now so I thought I'd share it.

1 can coconut milk (I use Rooster Brand, 398 mL.)
2 cups cooked rice (I use calrose brown rice, but it can be any kind of rice though I have yet to try others.)
Sweetener to taste (I use between 1/3 cup and 1/2 cup of sugar.)
1 tsp Vanilla extract

(Note: None of the measurements need to be exact.)

1. Heat coconut milk until it simmers.
2. Add sweetener until it is however sweet you want it.
3. Add rice.
4. Simmer until it thickens. If you are serving it cooled, it doesn't have to be so thick since it will thicken more as it cools.
5. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
6. Serve with vanilla soy milk on top.

Concealer Reviews.

I've tried so many concealers in my day, and I'm always trying to find the perfect concealer mainly to cover my horrid dark eye circles and bags under my eyes that never go away. Here are some of the concealers that I currently have tried. There are more, but I threw them out long time ago because they just didn't work at all. These are the ones that I currently have and have not trashed yet.

NARS Duo Concealer (Custard/Ginger)

"NARS Duo Concealer camouflages blemishes and dark spots and evens out the skin's tonal variations. Enriched with Vitamin E, this lightweight, non-drying formula won't settle into fine lines or creases."

I've only used this maybe like... 2 or 3 times since I got it about half a year ago. I'm just not too pleased with it. It doesn't cover up my dark circles at all. It also doesn't do well on blemishes or pimples. It is pretty lightweight as it says in the description. It is nice and creamy and goes on easily. But it seems to accentuate my dry skin and look kind of cakey. It also settles in the fine lines under my eyes. I do like how it comes with the two shades though so you can mix them to get the perfect shade, or use the darker/lighter on certain areas.

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer (Medium Beige Light)

"The AmazingConcealer is formulated to erase all skin imperfections: Dark circles, broken capillaries, sun damage, blemishes, redness and more. There's nothing on the market today that can compare to the AmazingConcealer and it's ability to erase all skin imperfections. Unlike traditional concealers, the AmazingConcealer is so concentrated, you only need to use tiny pin-dot amounts of product to create the skin you've always wanted but thought you could never have. A beauty insider's favorite, the AmazingConcealer is your "magic eraser."

The description makes it sound amazing. I would say that this is one of my favourite concealers so far, although it isn't perfect. It is creamy, blends really well and doesn't dry out. It doesn't look cakey and doesn't settle into my fine lines. It covers my undereye circles pretty well, but it doesn't cover blemishes very well. For my undereye circles it doesn't cover them up completely on days that I didn't have enough sleep which make them even darker than they are to start with. Also the letterings on my tube just rubbed off somehow after getting it for a few days, which is just unappealing to me because it makes it seem like its cheaply made. But its what's inside that counts.

Edit: I would have to say that this is no longer one of my favourite concealers. It is great at doing it's job, but it has such a high content of mineral oil in it. After using it for quite a while, I noticed that around my eyes, I was starting to get a lot of milia. So I stopped using it and it would go away. And then I would start using it again because I needed something good to cover my dark eye circles, but the milia would come back every time I used it. Also, I find that with this concealer it is a requirement, to set the concealer with a powder, otherwise within a couple hours it runs and fades. I also ended up getting a new tube in another shade so I could mix and get the perfect shade depending on the season, and with the new tubes the label doesn't rub off like it did with the old ones.

MAC Select Cover-Up (NC20)

"Liquid camouflage for the skin. Texture-free, virtually invisible. Comes in a tube. Blends in. Brightens and lightens dark areas, erases spots, evens-out skin tones. Makes skin flaw-free. Use pre-foundation, or on its own. Don't reveal it, conceal it!"

I really wanted to like this. It seems to cover up everything really well, it is really creamy, blendable and lightweight. The only problem I have with it is that it seems to be drying on my skin, making it look cakey.

Edit: After I stopped using eye cream the skin under my eyes have smoothed out majorly. Now when I use this concealer, it goes on really well and doesn't look dry and cakey. It is one of my new favourite concealers!

Calvin Klein endless creme creme concealer (205 bare)

"What it is: A creamy, conditioning concealer that camouflages imperfections. What it is formulated to do:Endless Creme blends naturally to cover blemishes and flaws with a weightless finish.What else you need to know: Enriched with skin balancing isopeptides, this product is proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles with continued use. Formulated with advanced lipo-siliconic technology, as well as vitamins E and C. Fragrance free."

I got this concealer from Sephora maybe a year ago or so, and I am still using it. I absolutely love it. This is honestly my favourite concealer I've ever come across. The only downside is that Sephora doesn't sell it anymore, so I guess I'll have to search to order it online somewhere when I run out. But seriously, it is perfect. It is the creamiest concealer I've ever used, it is lightweight, covers everything, even the darkest eye circles I've had. It doesn't settle into fine lines, doesn't dry out, lasts all day.... I don't know what else to say about it. It is pretty much perfect.

Shiseido The Makeup Concealer Stick (1 Light)

"Perfectly conceals uneven skin tones such as dark circles, spots, and freckles for an instantly brighter, more uniform complexion. Formulated with vitamin E and C derivatives to reduce the appearance of discoloration. Contains Prismatic Powder to enhance luminosity."

The one that I got actually came in a gunmetal coloured tube, although everything else looks exactly the same. I guess they changed its packaging. I don't know if the formula is still the same, but I like it. It provides full coverage, blends well, creamy and lasts all day. The only thing I don't like about it is it looks cakey if I try to use it to cover my dark eye circles. Otherwise, for blemishes and such, it is perfect.

Edit: Same as with the MAC Select Cover-up, now that the skin under my eyes is smoother, it doesn't look cakey at all. The coverage is AMAZING, and it looks like I have nothing on. I love it! It has become another one of my favourite concealers.

Barbara Daly Concealer (Warm)

Yes, this product doesn't look very attractive at all. If I were to have ever seen this in stores without knowing anything about it, I would have never plunged into trying this out. I'm normally not a big fan of pot concealers, I usually go more for the liquid ones. And this one is only sold at Tesco in the UK. So it took me a long time after reading numerous rave reviews of it before I actually decided that I needed to get my hands on one of these to try. Where did I finally find it? On Ebay. Considering the price, which came to be about $11 CDN including shipping, for 3 pots of it, I thought it would be totally worth to try. It arrived in the mail in less than a week for me, which totally surprised me, and I had to immediately try it out. I had ordered the medium shade, and upon opening the package and seeing the colour of it, I totally thought that the shade was way too dark for my skin tone. But once I smeared into it, the colour was much lighter than it appeared so it matched my shade better, although it is still slightly too dark. I used my concealer brush to put it on under my eyes and it was very creamy and blended very well. And this was in the middle of the day of a day that I had decided not to wear any makeup. So my face was fresh and clear of makeup, but it wasn't just moisturized like when I usually apply my makeup. And I hadn't put on my BB cream yet (I usually apply BB cream before concealer). So upon application, my skin was actually drier than usual, but the concealer still went on really creamy and didn't cake or cling onto any of my little dry spots. Plus, it's coverage is AMAZING and it lasted all day and I didn't even set it with powder. I cannot rave enough about this concealer. It's definitely my new favourite. I just regret not having tried this earlier, before I wasted so much money on other concealers that I've been trying. And with three pots.... I'm never going to run out. Or at least not for a long time.

NYX Concealer in a Jar (CJ04, CJ05)

"Provides smooth, long lasting coverage so you can pretend the word "concealer" doesn't exist in your dictionary!"

I normally don't really like to use cream concealers like these, but after trying the Barbara Daly concealer, I decided I wanted to try these ones as well. I went with the shades CJ04 (Beige) and CJ05 (Medium), because CJ04 seemed a little bit too light so I wasn't sure. CJ05 ended up being way too dark. CJ04 has sort of a yellow undertone, while CJ05 is more of a pink undertone. What I usually do is use CJ04 to cover up all my dark circles and then dab a tiny bit of CJ05 on top of it to get the perfect shade.

These concealers are super smooth and velvety. They go on really nice, provide great coverage and they don't cake or settle in fine lines or anything, and it lasts all day. I think I might actually like this more than the Barbara Daly concealer actually because it feels more lightweight.

They do have a weird... bathroom-like (I don't mean shit-like, just that bathroom soap) smell to them though, which is something I don't like, but its not like I'm putting tons of it on or anything so the smell isn't noticeable. Other than that, these are great!

Edit: As with the Amazing Cosmetics concealer, this does have mineral oil in it as well. I find that whenever I use it, my undereye skin develops milia the same way it does whenever I use Amazing Cosmetics. Also, setting powder is a must with this concealer or my eye makeup ends up all over the place which is not attractive.

Cream.

So I just had another taste of the vegan mayonnaise that I made, and it tastes so good, plus, I think I have a new recipe for vegan whipped cream, sour cream and a chip dip now. With just a bit tweaking of the recipe I could probably make it into either one. I'm not sure I really want to make it into whipped cream though, because the only thing I'd use whipped cream for would be in cakes, and I'd be using a lot for that, and I'm not so fond of the idea of all the oil in there. I mean, for the mayo its fine, because I don't really use that much mayo.

Vegan Mayonnaise

I finally went grocery shopping today, after like.... maybe a month? since the last time. And of course, I forgot to get something, like I always do. Veganaise. (Vegan Mayonnaise). I really wanted to make these vegan tuna pitas that I absolutely love, but without the Veganaise, I couldn't. So I searched up a recipe to make myself some vegan mayo, and found this one that turned out pretty well actually. Well to my standards. I haven't had real mayo for two years now so I don't really remember how it actually tastes. I didn't stick exactly to the recipe however, so here is my modified version of it.

2 cups oil
1 cup vanilla soymilk (I like to use Silk. I hate all other brands of soymilk. I'm going to try using the Silk Light soymilk next time instead though.)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
Lemon juice to taste

1. Blend everything together except for the vinegar.
2. Stir in lemon juice until it tastes the way you want it to.
3. Store in fridge.

Individual False Eyelashes

I, Like many other Asians, naturally have super short eyelashes, single eyelids, along with small eyes. Although my eyes aren't as small as many others out there, everyone always wants their eyes to look bigger don't they? Even though I was born with single eyelids (no crease at all), there would be some days when I wake up and I'd have a crease on just one eye, but not the other, but it would never last. About half a year ago I started wearing false strip lashes, and for about two months I wore them practically every single day. I don't know, but I guess maybe just having something there all the time on my eyelids, I started getting a very small crease, about two or three millimeters from my eyelashes. I don't care if its such a small eyelid, its better than nothing. I've always heard from before, of people taping their eyelids, and eventually they start getting a crease from doing so, and I never thought it actually worked, but I believe it does now. I hate taping my eyelids though so I don't do so. But I did read somewhere, how you can actually train your eyelids to fold with a crease. So I'm going to be trying that and updating on it later if it works. But what I wanted to talk about today, are individual false eyelashes. I've been wanting to try them ever since I started wearing the strip lashes, because I'd get so sick of putting them on everyday. Yes, with the individual eyelashes, you can put them on and they're supposed to last for 1-2 weeks. So I finally got myself some individual eyelashes about a week ago, and finally put them on today. They weren't nearly as hard as I thought they would be to apply. And it looks SO natural and beautiful. I'm in love with them. Now I just have to hope that they last as long as they say. And again, I will update on that later.