Shiseido Ibuki Survival Kit Review #PhotoReadySkin #ShareBeauty

     I got this in the beginning of April courtesy of Shiseido and Influenster Canada for testing purposes, and I was so excited for the FULL SIZE Shiseido Ibuki Smart Filtering Smoother!
     Since I have textured skin, I am always looking for products that will blur the look of it, especially when I wear foundation. If you have acne scars like I do, you would know that wearing foundation seems to exaggerate the look of the scars.

     As I applied it on my face, I notice how smooth and light it feels. It feels like a very lightweight moisturizer, and it smells really lovely. It's not silicone based like most skin blurring primers which is very good for my oily skin. This will prevent my foundation from slipping and sliding as my skin gets oily as the day goes on.

Before applying the smoother

After the smoother

     As you can see, it blurs the look of large pores and smooths my acne scars! It also mattifies which is good for oily skin. To test, I only applied it on my right side of my face (your left). I used it with Maybelline Fit Me Foundation.

Here is a side-by-side comparison. Left side: with. Right side: without. (Excuse my flaky nose)

     After about 5 hours, I checked in to see how it was performing. It definitely reduced the shine from my oily face, comparing with my left side (your right). However, maybe because a little bit of the oil is interfering with the product, the blurring effect has gone away. It doesn't help foundation last either.

Left side (with)

Right side (without)

I decided to spritz some of the Quick Fix Mist to see if it'll help take away the oilyness.

     Unfortunately, not only does the spray not perform well (They only gave it in mini-size. Maybe, the full size has a better functioning spray) it also didn't do anything. It smells good though! Maybe it can be a good refresher during the summer.

Chunky mist

     Next are the Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate and the Beauty Sleeping Mask. The concentrate is described in the Sephora website as "A one-of-a-kind boosting pre-treatment that helps defend against multiple signs of aging and damage, while enhancing the effects of skincare that follows."

     Since my skin isn't aging yet, it's hard for me to see the effects of this. It does feel nice on the skin, absorbs very quickly, and lightweight. I will keep using this to see if it does anything for my dark post-acne spots.

     The mask is described as "An overnight leave-on gel mask featuring vitamin capsules that melt into skin, helping you wake up to a well-rested and radiant complexion."

     I was able to get two uses out of this, instead of one, which is nice since I can test it more than once. Again, like all the other products from this line, it smells really nice, luxurious even. It absorbs slower than the others but it is a mask. I noticed that I didn't produce as much oil when I woke up and my face feels smooth and supple.

      So that's my review for the Ibuki line from Shiseido. I was really happy with my experience with these products! (except for the mist, but I'll keep using it) Thank you Shiseido and Influenster for the complimentary VoxBox!

Filipino Chopsuey Recipe (Vegetarian)

Serves 2

 Ingredients:

Please ignore my use of chicken broth and real oyster sauce.

1 lb or 1/2 kg of mixed (fresh or frozen) vegetables (broccoli, carrots, bell pepper, cabbage, snow peas, baby corn)
1 medium chopped onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 cups vegetable stock (or 2 cups water + 2 tsp vegetable stock powder)
4 tbsp vegetarian "oyster" sauce (which is made of mushrooms)
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp oil
Optional:
1 can quail eggs
If you're not vegetarian, you can add 1/2 lb of chicken, beef, pork, and/or shrimp.
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. On medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp oil and sautee onion and garlic until fragrant.

2. Add in vegetables and sautee until tender.

3. Add 4 tbsp oyster sauce.

Whoah! The corn has disappeared! Magic! JK I added it after this step.

4. Pour in mixed 2 tsp cornstarch with 2 cups of stock and continue stirring until the sauce has thickened.

5. Add optional items and continue cooking for 1 minute.

6. Enjoy with rice!

Smashbox Always On Lipstick Review

Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in Out Loud

    This review might be a little late but I still want to post about my own experience with this liquid lipstick. I had my eyes on this colour ever since Fall 2016 started but I didn't get my hands on it until 2 months later because it keeps getting sold out! When i did get my hands on it, it was already November and school got extremely busy.

    I got the colour Out Loud which is a deep brick red-orange; the perfect colour for fall. But even though it's the middle of winter, I still like to wear it occasionally. I might wear it during spring even!

 The lipstick doesn't completely dry so it isn't kiss proof. I kissed my boyfriend after 4 hours of wearing and it left a stain on his cheeks.

 My dog likes the taste of the lipstick for some weird reason, but the lipstick didn't come off after he licked it.

 After it dried, I tried to rub the lipstick off as hard as I could. It almost didn't budge.

I ate Korean BBQ and the sesame oily goodness of japchae for dinner.

The lipstick on the lipline stayed intact, but of course with the oils, there was none left in the inner rim.

    This lipstick has the same consistency with the Tarteist Lip Paints. It feels like you're not wearing anything on your lips and has a velvety feel. It doesn't emphasize dryness on your lips. It also has very little and even fading and it reapplies with no problem. It's one of the best and most comfortable matte liquid lipsticks out there. It retails for $24USD or $28CAD on Sephora.

Tuna Spaghetti Recipe

Tuna Spaghetti Filipino Style

     I was craving for the tuna spaghetti my aunt used to make us so I made some but added mushrooms. So here's my take on it!

Serves 4

Preparation + Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

500g (1 pound) spaghetti

2 cans tuna flakes in oil

1 370mL can of tomato sauce (preferably Filipino brands like UFC, Fiesta or Papa. If not using Filipino tomato sauce, add 4 tbsp ketchup and 2 tsp sugar. Filipino pasta sauce is sweet! or skip this if you don't want Filipino style.)

1 medium onion

1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook your pasta for 12-14 min or according to packaging instructions. Strain and set aside.

2. In a smaller pot with medium-high heat, sautee your onions and mushrooms until tender.

3. Add the tuna and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add the tomato sauce, ketchup and sugar and let simmer until sauce thickens.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Assemble your dish and enjoy! (Optional: Add grated cheese if you like, preferably Eden cheese brand.)

Natural Winter Makeup Look

     I recently bought #11 Kiss Lashes and I want to test it out so here's a look that I did with it! I really like how fluttery and wispy it looks. It has a criss-cross effect for a natural effect. It just adds a little bit of oomph for your lashes without being extra glam. I bought the multi-pack from Walmart for $13.99CAD.

Lips: Ultra Satin Lip in Echo Park @colourpopcosmetics
Liner: Tattoo Liner in Trooper @katvondbeauty @thekatvond
Mascara: The Super Sizer @covergirl
Lashes: 11 Kiss Lashes
Brows: Eyebrowkit @elfcosmetics 
Blush: Instant Cheekbones
Foundation: Colorstay in Natural Tan @revlon 
Nails: Miracle Gel in Birthday Suit @sally_hansen @sallyhansenca
Scarf & Toque: @hm