Makeup Crush: Olivia Wilde

So why do I like this look? Well, that's easy! Because the brown sultry hues make Olivia's eyes look incredible! I love the way that brown shadows make blue eyes look completely piercing and vivid.  You could easily get this effect by using something like Mac Satin Taupe e/s or the Dior 5 Eyeshadow Palette in Earth Reflections that I posted about earlier this week.  I am officially obsessed with that palette and I really need to get a FOTD posted using that.

I love the creamy, glowy skin, the softly sculpted cheeks, the strong brows and the black liner.  I think a teeny bit of black shadow has been used to slightly intensify the outer corners and there's a hint of a highlight in the inner corners.

I know it's ANOTHER smokey eye with a nude lip but I thought this deserved a special mention!  What can I say...I like what I like!

I also wanted to post a quick review on the relatively new blush by Nars called Sex Appeal.  I really like their blush in Deep Throat and I had visions of this blush being a gorgeous soft peach making a perfect partner of golden skin.  My favourite blushes have always been peach toned because I find it's the most flattering shade on my skin tone.

However, I was disappointed to see how pale and powdery it looked in the pan and I could tell right away that it wasn't going to show up on my skin.  I'm not really a fan of completely matte blush because it looks far too flat on my face and doesn't add any dimension.  For reference, I like my skin to look softly matte but with a glow.

The shade of the Sex Appeal blush is so pale that even those with the fairest of skins would struggle to make it visible on their cheeks.  Also, because it is matte and rather powdery, it seems to sit on top of the skin, clinging to and highlighting the fine, downy hair we all have on our faces...not pretty.

I much prefer my Benefit Coralista for a natural look or my Korres blushes for slightly more pigmentation.  I just can't make this work for me and I'm disappointed about that but such is life!

Have you tried this blush? What did you think?

Packing For London n' Rome n' Milano n' .....

The Giveaway ends today at 12:00 AM pacific time!


I can't seem to make my mind about whether should I pack this Chanel brown tweed tall boots or Miu Miu studded sandal w/ me for our upcoming Europe trip.  It is family leisure solely and I am not attending any fashion event after all. Besides, I can always find something there, can't I!! Wedge, sneakers and boots are probably more practical! 


^^ What'd you say?!! 

military green peace sign tee, Helmut Lang burgundy suede skinny pants, Marni pre-fall 10' cropped jacket, Chanel 10' tweed clog boots w/ rabbit fur 

et Vous grayish brown rabbit fur vest, Ralph Lauren silk blouse w/ ruffle scarf, brown w/ metallic sheen full skirt (gift from Mom), Chanel 10' tweed rabbit fur clog tall boots w/ leather tie


(I'd hope this et Vous grayish vest and full skirt metallic sheen would offset the TOO BROWN of a grizzle bear look.) ^^



How do I prepare my ensemble?
I sometimes doodle~~ (not so professional but intuitive enough for me to foresee the look!)



I can pair turtle necklace, white knit sweater.... n' a pair of Converse sneakers to complete this look!
(this look: PACK)

Chanel short-sleeve pull over, Chanel camellia black n' white vest, HM shoulder applique' cardigan, Falke leggings, black leg warmers, HM beret w/ beads, HM gloves w/ beads, Miu Miu studded sandal platform. 



White hat + Black turban: keep me warm : pack 

Helmut Lang leather/jersey biker jacket, floral felt fedora ; today only ^^

I probably can either pull UP or Down a little big of leg warmers.

w/ Louis Vuitton mini black monogram clutch 06' (I forgot the gloves n' beret upstairs!)



Wedge lace-up boots: Pack (Curtesy image of Balenciaga City) 



I am going to wear this whole ensemble ONBOARD to London!! ^^
Except for Hermes boots which I'd change to another tall boots for me to beat it up instead!


What else should I pack?
Money, credit card... lol.


What do you think?


xoxo Rachel 

Dior Addict Lip Maximizer

I'm pretty happy with my lips in general but I'm always curious about lip plumping glosses because it would be nice to have just that little extra oomph sometimes.  I have tried a few over the past year or so including the ones by Urban Decay, Bare Escentuals and DuWop, all of which have felt a bit uncomfortable for me.  I know that sometimes they put extract of chilli in the products which just seems to be a bit much for my lips to take!

The Dior website describes this lipgloss as having "a revolutionary lip care system that boosts volume instantly and restructures in the long term, thanks to a unique blend of hyaluronic and marine-based fillers that smooth, moisturize and leave lips irresistibly plump. Apply on it’s own or under lipstick or gloss, morning and night as a 15-day intensive treatment. Its fresh mint-vanilla scent makes it even more addictive". 

The texture of this gloss is great as with the other Dior Addict glosses I own.  It isn't sticky or tacky so it feels lovely and smooth when you apply it.  You definitely feel a minty, tingly sensation about 10 seconds after you apply it.  It smells good which is unusual for a lip plumping product because they normally smell incredibly sickly and sweet.  I love the colour which is a pale milky pink with the slightest hint of shimmer, but it applies quite sheer to the lips so you get this super volumising effect with a natural look.  As for the actual plumping effect of the gloss? Well, it definitely increased the volume of my lips a little bit but it didn't make them overly swollen or irritated.  This isn't going to give you Angelina Jolie's pout, but it will slightly improve what you have naturally.

The plumping effect lasted for a good 2 hours after I applied it, but obviously you would be re-applying this product as you would any other lip gloss.  This gloss feels moisturising so it won't make your lips dry and flaky in the winter months.  As for the product re-defining your lip line and helping to plump your lips even when you're not wearing it after a 15 day period? I have been using this for around a week and I've noticed that my lips are slightly plumper so I agree with that statetment but if you are looking for a really dramatic change, then this may not be for you.  It's subtle so I don't think anyone else would notice except for you.

I think a huge plus point for this gloss is that it doesn't burn or irritate my lips like some other lip plumpers have before.  I am not willing to go through that much discomfort JUST to have slightly more volumised lips.  No thank you!  I really like the formulation of this gloss and it's a fantastic multi-tasker for your every day makeup...moisturising, plumping and a lovely colour.

Have you tried this product?

Velvet Updates A Summer Look!

"Dress yourself up as the way of an onion!".... is a perfect solution for us living in North or South California! You can shed off your clothes any time, any layer and still look well put together. 

I am trying to update my summer floral layered skirt today and it is coincident that I decided to accessorize differently in velvet. I guess that luxury, heavy look of velvet is a great alternative to a cotton/satin/wool blazer and an instantly UPDATE-DO for a winter look!! 

My odj. 


1. Top:
Wilfred floral cami. 
Fabulous n' broke satin/cotton cardigan w/ belt
Max Co. textured leather jacket


2. Bottom:
Wilfred summer floral tired mini skirt


3. Accessory:
HM green knitting scarf
Golden chain/leather woven necklace wore as bracelet
crisscross brown tights
Chanel matte black reissue 226 


4. Shoes:
Alexander wang velvet combat boots

Ann Valeria Hash taupe oxford flats/Theory velvet blazer



(ps. I was only trying to pick up a loose thread from my tights here! ^O^)

I started packing and all I can think of bringing w/ me is knit sweater, knit hat, turtlenecks, tights/leggings and scarves for layering. But I will make sure I brought a big coat either my Emporium Armani tuxedo coat or Marc Jacobs beige Alpaca coat w/ me. 

Sorry about the short posts but I think photos should be fun and self-explantory enough for now. 

Have fun!
xoxo Rachel 

Another Use For Sleek Good Girl Palette

Pink isn't the easiest colour to wear on the eyes so when I was sent the new Sleek i-Divine Good Girl palette, I knew I could only realistically wear some of the shades.  BUT I have now tried wearing a few of the colours as blushes and that works really well.  It just seemed like the brighter pinks and corals would work better on the cheeks rather than the eyes.  You have to use a light hand because the eyeshadows have high pigmetation but they actually create a really nice effect.  The pearly shine to eyeshadows mean that the colours double up as highlighters.

I doubt I will ever use the bright red shades as they would look way too harsh on me and emphasise the redness I have in my skin naturally.  I think it's one of those products that is pretty to look at but you won't be able to make use of all the shades within it.  I was also sent the Bad Girl palette and I think I might depot some of my favourite shades from that into this palette to make it work better for my needs.  Unfortunately one of the eyeshadow pans in the palette smashed in transit...

I have found that a few of the shades have green tones in them that just don't suit me so I much prefer the Graphite palette which has more grey/blue toned colours.  Both of the Bad and Good Girl palettes have the usual high quality texture, longevity and pigmentation.

What do you think of the new i-Divine palettes from Sleek?