EOTD - Maybelline Eyestudio "Give Me Gold"

Here's swatches of the Maybelline Eyestudio "Give Me Gold" palette. It's quite pigmented, esp. the copper & dark brown shades! The lighter two are really shimmery... got sparkles all over my face. All the shades are super soft and silky... apply nicely with minimal fallout... last rather long and appear vibrant without a primer.

Pearl white highlight shade - Very light/frosty. Super shimmery.
Yellow gold shade - Less shimmery. Pretty!
Coppery orange shade - Even less shimmer. Metallic.
Dark brown shade - Before swatching, it looked shimmery. But after you rub off the top, the shade is actually more on the matte side, with very fine shimmer.

And here is the eye look I did with this palette.

Also used:Rimmel Exaggerate to tightline & line waterline/lashline
NYX Felt tip liner pen (dark brown) to line lashline, double wing liner
L'Oreal Lineur Intense (black mica) to line lashline, double wing liner
Red Cherry Lashes #46
Geo Angel Green circle lenses

I realize the double wing came out rather shit-tastic this time... :P

FACE:Cellnique Skin Purifying Daytime Protection 20
Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer (Medium)

LIPS:
Clinique Superbalm
NYX Round Lipstick (Orange Soda)

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Circle lenses: Not So Cute Controversy

I should start off by saying that very few things in the beauty world get me riled up enough to make an extremely long post dedicated entirely to the specific issue (like here, here, or here). So I apologize in advance for any harsh language... Idk if you've noticed, but I've been trying to cut down on the swearing lately :P ...However, this particular issue is something that I feel feel really strongly about... I'm talking about CIRCLE LENSES.

Many of us know the basics about circle lenses -- contact lenses with usually a larger diameter than regular contact lenses, a dark limbal ring, come in many colors, and give the eyes an enlarged, "dolly" effect. Popular brands like GEO and EOS are KFDA approved and come with authenticity stickers. They come in standard perscriptions and are not all that different from regular contact lenses; besides their size.

After readings Jen (frmheadtotoe)'s recent post on the New York Time's article she was SUPPOSED to be a part of; I knew I had to read the full article.

To sum it up: a totally biased spiel that subtly trashes circle lenses because of the fact that they are from Asia.

The article cites concern over the fact that consumers are free to choose their own lens perscription. Um, first of all; why the hell would anyone in their right mind buy contact lenses without knowing their perscription first, having gone to the eye doctor, and at least have SOME knowledge about contacts?! I would like to think that most people have the common sense to find out their correct perscription, as well as have adequate experience with contacts and do sufficient research before plunging into the world of colored contact lenses; let alone circle lenses.

Also, circle lenses have been used in Asia and available for us to buy for how damn long?! And only NOW, when the New York Times realizes that the trend is coming here; it's all of a sudden DANGEROUS?! This is ridiculous! There are the same dangers with regular perscription contacts! And what about all the other products we use in America that are made in Asia? Or the "FDA Approved" products we have here that ended up killing people, but are still sold?

Tell me, how many recorded cases have there been of circle lenses causing someone to go blind??? If any, why are they not included in the article then???

This really makes me feel like these eye doctors are just saying these negative things about circle lenses because we do not have any "American" circle lenses. But if we were to start making circle lenses here; all of a sudden, they would be "safe." They're being biased because the Asian circle lens industry is taking away from them and their business.

But what REALLY got to me was the commentors.

Majority of them are saying how stupid, vain, and childish circle lens wearers are.

• Stupid girls...
• Anything for a buck, anything for attention, anything but rational.
• comment? how about: idiots.

I detect some anti-asian-culture sentiments here.

• Good god. Beyond the obvious and very real safety concerns (which teenagers are wont to ignore -- but now we have 31-year-olds following the fad?), do these girls not realize those make them look like manga child prostitutes? What can we do to help young women (and those 31-year-olds) visualize themselves as something other than sex toys?
  
  
• It used to be cartoons were modeled on humans... Now humans want to make themselves look like anime characters...What's this world coming to?

How ignorant to assume that we wear circle lenses in order to look like anime characters. What is the huge difference with AMERICAN colored contacts? If we wore those; we would be normal??? Just because Asian contacts enlarge the eyes; it automatically means we are trying to look like doe-eyed baby prostitutes?! Ahem, white people; take it as a compliment! We want to have colored eyes, JUST LIKE YOU! (Okay, and I'm NOT trying to say I don't like caucasian people; I just hate these idiots who are commenting!)

And what is wrong with girls wanting to enhance/change their appearance? I think plastic surgery is A LOT more dangerous and risky than using circle lenses; yet plastic surgery is more "acceptable"? Why do you people even CARE what other girls want to look like? I am sure that if you had the chance to get plastic surgery, you would do it. So what's the big deal if we want to change the way we look? It's not harming you. SO STFU AND GTFO.

Out of the ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX comments there were on this article, there were SEVEN that actually had some CRITICAL THINKING put into them.

• The article highlights that the contact lenses are illegal and potentially risky, but NOT ONE WORD about what those risks are, or any record of health issues by those wearing them. Feels like another scare article with no supporting evidence. Who thinks they are risky? Why? Have there been issues? If not then the NY times should have presented this with a different headline.
  
  
• Come on NY Times, do your job well or don't do it at all. If you're going to raise the possibility that these contacts are dangerous, then offer more information in the article ... what exactly are the risks, what are the odds of these risks, how can they be mitigated, what research has been done, etc. I mean, for crying out loud, you put the word "Risky" in the article title to add provocation and capture eyeballs, but you did almost nothing to actually report on the supposed risk. Instead of adding to the current mess called journalism (e.g. hysteria instead of substance), please lead the way with intelligent and responsible journalism.

• Could you do a little more reporting and critical thought? Why exactly are they a health risk? Have there ever been any cases of eye damage done by these?
  
  
• Responsible reporting would have included some research into the actual question as to whether or not these lenses seem to cause problems as far as doctors are concerned. There was no research and the link to sell the lenses was in the article. Just not cool perhaps another article with some research should follow? like a series?
  
  
• According to the article, doctors say the lenses can be dangerous. But there is no evidence offered or examples of this danger. A little thin on the investigative journalism.
  
  
• Where is there concrete EVIDENCE that these lenses are BAD for you ? Here's a thought, if millions of kids are using them in Asia, and there hasn't been a huge outcry yet, then, what's the harm? In your article , you only quote a spokesperson for the OPTOMETRIC (NOT medical doctors, or ophthalmalogists) association. There's no proof, except the optometrists and ophthalmalogists are seeing their profits flitting out the window !

And the best one:

• Of course getting your eyes sized by an ophthalmologist first is the right route before buying contacts, but to lobby the feds to restrict independent sales of lenses? In my humble opinion, that's taking it too far. If I may paint a vivid picture:
  
  - Contact lenses are foreign objects that sit on a sensitive part of your body. It is entirely up to us if we choose to use them. There are dangers including blindness.
  
  - Piercings are foreign objects that are punched through sensitive parts of your body. It is entirely up to us if we choose to use them. There are dangers including gangrene.
  
  - Tampons are foreign objects that are inserted far into a sensitive part of your body. It is entirely up to us if we choose to use them. There are dangers including death (TSS).
  
  To step on personal freedoms is anti-American, and lends credence to the perception of greed that plagues many of these medical academies and associations. Start lobbying to improve your industries, not your own pocketbooks.
  
  Circle lenses are no more dangerous than any other type of contact lens. The danger lies in uneducated consumers misuing them. Same goes for piercings and tampons.

The moral of this story:

NYT, DO SOME ACTUAL FUCKING RESEARCH BEFORE WRITING AN ARTICLE ON SOMETHING YOU KNOW NEXT TO NOTHING ABOUT. You end up looking extremely stupid and unreliable when people begin to realize that you have no credible sources for your big claims. And if you're trying to imply how dangerous circle lenses are, why the hell are you including links to circle lens websites in your article?!

...How in the world are people getting PAID to write this crap?!
And using Lady Gaga as a hook? COME ON.

A case of swaplifting, or something worse?

I had originally posted about this issue on my Sidestories blog because I didn't want to broadcast it throughout the beauty blogosphere + name & shame without getting some second opinions. You can read the original post here:
http://tinisidestories.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-should-i-think-of-this.html


While some people may think it rude to straight-up name & shame, I think I've waited a damn sufficient amount of time, and would like to know, does anyone know what has become of this blogger: http://aniiita89.blogspot.com/?

Here's the situation:

We decided to do a swap. She wanted to try some ELF items but because of where she lived, the shipping was high. I said I would be glad to help her out and order her what she wanted. This was during the end of October, last year. She said she was going to HK soon, and asked if I wanted anything from there. I told her I was interested in any asian brand beauty products & lashes. She said she'd get me some while she was in HK, if I wouldn't mind waiting a bit for her package, because she'd be there for like a month. So I said okay.

The last time I heard from her was on October 23, 2009. I ordered her items & mailed out her package on November 16, 2009. And I haven't heard from her since.

I emailed her 2 weeks ago (from when this post was written... March 6 or so), asking very nicely if she had received my package or not. No reply. So after waiting 2 weeks, I emailed her tonight (bear in mind this post was written on 3/20/10... it is has been nearly 3 and a half weeks since then), informing her that I had emailed her 2 weeks ago, and that it had been nearly 5 months since we agreed to swap.

I am not really anticipating a reply anymore.

However, I don't want to be a total bitch right off the bat because you never know what's going on in people's lives. For all I know, she might have some family problems or personal problems, or worse.... something might have happened to her? I don't want to be judgemental and rude if something really is going on in her life. She seemed like a really nice person and popular blogger at the time. But now, it's like she just dropped off the face of the earth. She told me she'd be in HK for a month. But it's been 6 MONTHS.

Is it really that much to at least expect a REPLY from her? Like at least take 2 minutes out of your day to say SOMETHING. I don't even know if she got my package or not (although Idk why she wouldn't have) And maybe she's already enjoyed everything I got her and had no intention of completing the swap? Or maybe she really didn't get the package? But then why wouldn't she have emailed me? Is she STILL in HK, even though she told me that she'd be there for 1 month? Has she decided to live there and skip (blogger)town?

She REALLY didn't come across as the type that would be so inconsiderate. But that's the internet for ya, I guess. You never really know who you're dealing with. Maybe she feels guilty by now that it's been so long, so she's avoiding my emails? Maybe she got some kind of incurable disease and can't communicate? Or maybe she doesn't have internet? God forbid that anything bad happened to her but still... I'm just... ugh. Idk what to think. I've heard so many stories about swaplifting, but I never thought I'd go through it.

What do you think I should do?
Should I keep trying to email her? Or just forget about it?
Have you ever been swaplifted?
What did you do?

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Are YOU qualified to beauty blog? (Warning: LONG)

I heard about this issue from ~tHiAmErE~. You can read her post here.

It is in regards to this article:
http://makeupadviceforum.com/2010/02/is-blogging-the-new-media/

To summarize, the author basically is saying that beauty bloggers should not be taken as seriously as MUAs or other professionals because they don't have the same credentials. Excuse me?

The author herself says:

"I will hasten to add that I’ve never been to journalism school and don’t have qualifications in writing, however, I write with a journalistic approach. When I review a product, I talk about it from both a professional point of view, and from a personal point of view. I talk about the good and bad points of a product and my articles have a start, a discussion, and a conclusion."

So she does not have real credentials either, yet she's saying that she's better qualified than the rest of us just because she writes with a "journalistic approach?"

Do beauty bloggers not write from a professional and personal point of view? Do they not look at all aspects of a product, good and bad? Do they not have thorough and detailed discussions in their reviews? Okay, I will digress that not ALL beauty bloggers might plan out their posts so meticulously, but it's certainly unfair to lump ALL of us into the category that isn't qualified to be blogging. I know I sure as hell try to make my reviews as thorough as possible, without being completely wordy but also not so brief that you wonder if I've even used the product at all.

Also something to note; not EVERYONE wants to read a fucking novel of a review, nor only an extremely short bulleted list. Different people review differently... and it's YOUR choice to decide what kind of reviews you like... she shouldn't imply that all beauty bloggers should be doing their reviews the same way as hers in order to be "qualified."

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She bases her judgement upon a few bloggers she has met, a few blogs she has read, and her view of bloggers in general. I understand and agree with her on the point that there are many bloggers out there who just blab about the latest trend products, give half-assed reviews, or only gush about freebies they got, etc. But does she realize that WE'RE NOT A SINGLE ENTITY? Yes, the beauty blogging world is rather close-knit (although I DO feel like there are some "cliques" or those who feel like they're "higher" than others) but everyone is different. Everyone has a different blogging style. Everyone has different opinions. WE ARE NOT ALL THE SAME. Some are professionals, yes, but some just want to share what they learned/know. What difference does it make? We all have our own opinions and are entitled to share them.

She says:

"I struggled to find blogs about core products that brands offer. Very few talk about foundations and powders and base makeup, and even less talk about staple eye products, like neutral eye colours and shades. What they all talk about is the ‘latest thing’ that’s on the market, new ‘cult’ lip products or wacky eye colours."

Well, you must not be looking hard enough. I got to where I am now by reading blogs all about the basics. You just have to go through their archives. While I do agree that there are many blogs out there who just want to be the first to review the new "IN" thing, WE ARE NOT ALL LIKE THAT. There are many blogs out there that cover the basics and staples of beauty, from drugstore to high-end. Maybe she isn't thinking of looking at their blogs because they don't have 8504917564 followers?

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Also, beauty bloggers are very important for up and coming as well as established brands/companies. I don't know about you, but I would much rather read 10 reviews written by beauty bloggers than 1 review written by an MUA. Regardless of if they're totally trashing or loving the product, I'd feel it would be more honest than a review done by a professional who probably just wants to endorse the product even if it sucks.

Furthermore, just because a product has bad reviews doesn't mean that NOBODY will ever want to buy it. If I read multiple reviews trashing a product, but I'm still interested in it, I will go ahead and try the product anyway. If it sucks, it sucks. If it works, it works -- and NOT just because I'm trying to force myself to agree with the reviews I read. Everyone is different, and will get different results. Anyways, if a large company has a product that is being badly reviewed by bloggers, it is NOT going to kill the ENTIRE business. A brand isn't made popular solely by reviews... history of the company, price, quality, customer service, availability, etc. all factor in as well.

Her example:

"OCC (obsessive compulsive cosmetics) have had great success with their Lip Tar based on blog reviews, but their other mineral products have had less than favourable blog reviews, and as a result aren’t selling anywhere near as much."

Who fucking cares? If they're having success with Lip Tars and not mineral products, then they should listen to what the consumers are telling them and quit it with the minerals and go on with the Lip Tars. Maybe the quality of the minerals SUCKS anyway. The opinions of everyday consumers are just as (if not MORE) important as professionals... I would say we're the buying majority anyway.

I guess she feels the opposite, but I know I want to hear reviews from REAL, everyday people, who aren't getting paid to do reviews and just want to offer their honest opinion. I believe I have enough sense in me to know which beauty bloggers are just blindly agreeing with what everyone else is saying about a product, and which bloggers are actually testing the product over a period of time, looking at all aspects of it, noting the pros/cons, AND THEN giving their unbiased review..... btw I don't think I've ever read a review in a magazine that really trashed a product....

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Lastly, if I don't like what I'm reading, I STOP READING IT. I can look elsewhere for the information I need. I think the author should consider trying this before summing up ALL beauty bloggers as "unqualified" or "unprofessional."

She concludes with:

"So is blogging the new media? Well it would appear that we’re going that way, but perhaps its time to take more seriously, the blogger who has a professional background to what she’s saying, rather than the one that talks the most and the loudest, often with not a lot of content."
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I guess I won't be taking her seriously then.

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iQQU whaa? & Rants

I'm totally wired on like... 20 hours of House(!) I'm in a blunt kind of mood so bear with me lol xD

My iQQU order came in today... from Thailand O_o I had no idea it came from there... I mean I know this stuff is supposed to be the ish and all but should this make me feel funny it's not from USA? Or should this make me feel good? Lol.

Anyways, I haven't tried it yet but I'm hoping with all my might that this is NOT going to be one of those products that I'm going to regret buying later....

The packaging is simple and sleek,





























But it's so SMALL!!! I mean I'm sure it'll last a long time and the site clearly stated 30ml of product... but I'm not exactly going to be sitting there invisioning the exact size a 30ml tube of product is going to be... :( I paid $36+ for this stuff ;A;





























It barely fits in the palm of my hand... Like I said though, I'm sure it's great and all, but I'm just the kind of person that doesn't like super small size products unless they're mini samples -_-;; Anyways, will try this out next week and see how it does... review coming soon!





























UGH! Also, this is why I hate dealing with people on ebay:

I bought a rear emblem for my car but I neglected to think about the size and the one I got ended up being too big. I didn't open the package at all and it's in mint condition but they seller won't let me return it. I asked 3x already if I could just return it for a refund but I've been answered with "I'll give you a smaller one for 50% off" So I thought about that for awhile and forgot about it for a couple weeks and messaged them back today. I said it's okay, can I just return it and get a refund? I was met with "Shipping back to Israel is too expensive. I'll sell you another for 30% off." (in horribly broken english, mind you).

Now I'm kind of peeved and getting the picture that I'm not going to get my money back. Even if it wasn't a lot of $$, I could still use it. And this is why I dislike dealing with ebay -_-;; SO, if anyone needs a newer model civic emblem, let me know lol. I'll pretty much just GIVE it to you xD

HOWEVER, I will deal with sellers who have good ratings :P I just purchased Skin Food's Lime Secret Glow Pact #3 and Etude House's Color me nude lip concealer from sellers Whit reccommended.... hope these live up to their good reviews lol since I've been needing a new pressed powder and always wanted to try Etude House products.

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