I am thinking of trying Val's Centerfold but want to know if it's very similar to SN's Date Bait which I have a full sized jar already.  Does anyone have both and can compare?  I am also getting Satin Sun and bombshell.  any other suggestions?  The shipping is super cheap!  Thanks a bunch :)

February 2008 California Bar Examination

Application Number:	5XX
File Number:	1XXXXX
Name:	KRISTEN ---------

The name above appears on the pass list for the February 2008 California Bar Examination.

I am seriously so happy.  I will be Kristen, Attorney at Law, now :)

I bought the 7 piece Forever Female brush set during Blusche's prebuy brush sale for $10.50 each.  The set can retail from $23 to $29 on other sites.  Blusche still has them for cheaper now for $18.50.  Shipping was a bit expensive since Blusche is based in Canada, but I think I made up for the shipping cost by ordering 3 sets (one for my sister and one for my cousin).  The FF brushes are very nice, the foundation brush is really small but would be great for the hair line and nose area and maybe blush.  They are super soft, i would say a lot softer than EDM and Lumiere brushes.  Blusche also offered free foundation samples with each brush purchase so i picked some shades which included neutrals in english toffee & butter caramel; beiges in irish creme and colombian; and yellows in creme brulee and brazilian (for my cousin to try).   the foundation pictures and descriptions on blusche's site are amazing and i think i will definitely find a match. 

blusche has 3 fdt formulations:

Original Matte Finish : Mica (Premium Grade), Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Oxides, Magnesium Stearate, Silica, May contain Ultramarine (no micronized ingredients used)

Sheer Satin Finish : Mica (Premium Grade), Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Oxides, Magnesium Stearate, Boron Nitride, May contain Ultramarine (no micronized ingredients used)

Full Coverage Matte Finish : Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Mica (Premium Grade), Iron Oxide, Magnesium Stearate, Boron Nitride, May contain Ultramarine (no micronized ingredients used)

see foundations here

For the full coverage matte formula, there's 4 options (for dry skin, dry skin with squalene, oily/combo and oily/combo with kaolin).  I chose all my samples in the full coverage matte oily/combo skin since i prefer mica free but since mica is the third ingredient, i figure i am getting more Ti2O and ZnO.   i am wearing a neutral color in english toffee in the photo.  upon application, it looked a little light but after settling in, i think it looks good.  i look a little pink since i just exercised.  I will be testing butter caramel tomorrow and a few more shades from the beige family and maybe even the yellow family in the next few days. 

coverage wise, i don't know if this formulation should be considered full coverage, it felt more sheer.  probably medium coverage like KT.  i think maybe i wasn't using enough foundation since i am use to using like 2 crumbs of cory, lol.  i really like how my face feels, really soft, and the finish is matte but sorta dewy.  and unlike cory, it doesn't take much time for the blusche to meld into my skin and match the color.  if i apply fdt quickly and need it to look really natural really fast, i usually reach for KT, and i definitely see myself reaching for blusche.  with cory, i definitely have to observe a waiting period or else my face looks super white.  at the moment, i really like it and it's the third MMU fdt i have tried.  i am going to update a little later to see how it holds up all day.

 

I love Monica from Blusche.  She emailed me promptly asking me what formulation i wanted in the foundations since i forgot to include that info when i ordered and she also sent me a shipping notice when the brushes were sent out.  the brushes were packaged neatly and the foundation samples were professionally labeled.  great customer service.

in the FOTD, i am wearing blusche english toffee foundation, jlynne vamp eye liner, no blush, eyeshadows in the she space make em dance, take the credit, and cory eventide.  SN lippy in razzle dazzle (probably my all time fav lip color). 

now for a mini review of the she space. 

i bought a FS of convicted b/c of Vely's EOTD.  it looked beautiful on her and it is beautiful in real life also. it's a complicated color and heather gave me a lot of eye shadow.  i don't know if i will ever finish it, i plan on giving some to my sister and cousin.

i received samples from the pigment bar of the velvets.  in the swatches from top to bottom is old smokey, train to nowhere, take the credit, make em dance and side stepped.  sorry about the swatches being so light, i just did it really quickly with my fingers - dry.  i made an attempt to buy lighter colors since i definitely consciously shy away from them (save my Aromaleigh carolina matte collection).  the velvets are ok, i don't think they're super special or anything but i do think old smokey is a beautiful color.  i would rank the she space velvets higher than Silk Naturals (i think they have the worst eye shadows out of all i have tried so far) but below cory and dreamworld (HG).  convicted is a nice texture though, so i think Heather may have better eye shadows outside of the velvet pigment bar ones.

long overdue swatches of cory eye shadows ( top to bottom:  pharaoh, eventide, electric, pebble, whale, nefertiti, and contessa):

cory has some great colors and textures.  i definitely don't prefer the mica free eye shadows, which i have in eventide since it's chalky and flat b/c it contains zero mica.   her other shades are amazing though. my favorites include pharaoh (black with the finest gold glitter), contessa (the prettiest beigey pink shimmer shade, it works great to highlight the middle of the lips), and electric (a beautiful green with the right amount of sparkles).  cory's colors are beautiful foiled, but i am so lazy nowadays i apply everything dry unless i am wet lining. i still prefer DW though, that stuff doesn't need foiling! 

I have been away in La Jolla all week and came back to see my Dreamworld order.  My order took quite a while but i am glad i waited.  Ellie is also super nice to deal with. 

I ordered toppings in the clay/silica version:

1)  FS of cafe au lait topping
2)  peach topping
3)  raspberry topping
4)  cocoa creme topping
5) angel creme

then whipped creme and whipped strawberry

I think I made a mistake in getting the FS of cafe au lait (i blindly bought based on Xarata's raves but we don't have the same skin tone, she is more yellow than i am).  I find the cafe au lait makes me look muddy but i like using it so far as a contouring color.  The strawberry creme does have yellow undertones which also makes me look kinda ill so far.  peach topping was ok but i need to test it out a little more.  i think i am definitely a more cool toned gal even though the undertones and overtones thing puzzles me. 

whipped creme is super nice, way better than SN sheer perfecting powder and i definitely want a FS of it.  whipped creme really does blur imperfections and makes me look quite translucent.  i am going to try raspberry creme tommorrow.  Ellie forgot to include cocoa creme so i contacted her and told her to hold on to it for my next order.   sorry i didn't take a picture of the powders, but i do think you really do need to sample these.  DW samples are a dollar and Ellie gives a generous portion.   i also placed an order for a FS of SN date bait because i don't think any of DW finishing powders are the same as date bait and i love that stuff even though you definitely use more than with DW's.

I also ordered eyeshadows in hades fire and underworld.  i decided to try hades fire which is described as aqua marine blue because of Aileen's post about the blues being forgotten for the greens :) .  I love hades fire!  It's a great blue with tones of green and shimmer but it's very wearable.  i would totally wear this to work (law office). 

I also forced myself to buy a brown color as i tend to shy away from brown as i prefer black anyday.  i really glad i tried underworld, it's a real brown, not blackened brown, and is really intense and beautiful. 

DW eye shadows do not have to be foiled!  I applied it straight and it's very creamy and spreadable.  I apologize for the poor lighting for the swatches, we had no sunshine today. I recently received  my first She Space order (post coming soon), and have to say DW is better than TSS, which impressed me very much.  the eye shadows are also better than Cory too.  I love it. and thanks to Xuan, I discover i do have a macro setting on my camera and can take close ups now :)

I will probably be placing another order soon for a FS of whipped creme unless raspberry or angel topping impresses me more.   i also want mummy glo!

I also got a little hair cut, it looks shorter in the front but i only took about an inch off all over.  yay for fantastic sam's grand opening in SD, it was for $12.99 which included shampooing too. 

 

With the weather warming up quickly in California, I thought I would elaborate a little more on my thoughts about sunscreen.  I am not an expert, but i have been around more than a couple skincare forums for a few years now, and I have researched the matter to some degree.  

When choosing sunscreen, it's important not only to pay attention to the level of UVB protection which rated is by the "SPF" of a sunscreen but the UVA level also.   While UVB rays are rays that burn and tan the skin (UVB = Burning rays), UVA rays are the ones that penetrate the deepest and cause aging of the skin (UVA = Aging rays).  Most sunscreens only list the SPF of the product while entirely neglecting the UVA rating.  As of now, there is no american rating system but one way that UVA is rated is through PDD (Persistent Pigment Darkening). 

Most sunscreens on the market offer exceeding low UVA protection.  For a quite a few years, I was content wearing Japanese sunscreen thinking i was getting some sort of total protection since i was using an SPF 55.  When i found out about PDD, I was horrified.  I also discovered that most asian sunscreens offer a PPD 8, which is really low in comparison to some European sunscreens which reach as high as PDD 35. 

Then there came another question for me, one i never considered before--chemical sunscreens versus physical sunscreens.  physical sunscreens are made from filters such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, while chemical filters include but are not limited to avobenzene, oxybenzone, and meroxyl.  chemical sunscreens absorb uv rays and need to be applied 20 minutes before sun exposure so that the chemicals are properly absorbed into the skin.  physical sunscreens deflect and absorb uv rays. 

a lot of sunscreens will be hybrid of physical and chemical filters. among the members of the skin forums i frequented, there was a strong belief that only chemical sunscreens would ever offer a high enough PDD and most if not all of these sunscreens, would be European.  I quickly jumped on the wagon and purchased La Roche Posay Anthelios Fluide Extreme SPF 60, PDD 28.  After using this for a whole summer, I first saw pigmentation in the form of really light freckles.  I posted on my forum and discovered that there were others who made the change to these euro SS and had also experienced a spike in their pigmentation.  I think more research caused me to believe in physical sunscreens.  now, there is still a strong following for the euro SS, but i have chosen to go with physical filters which also coincides with my goal of using more natural skin care products. 

some things to be aware of:  certain skin care products/ingredients will make the skin more photosensitive.  these include but are not limited to:

1)  retinoids -  which are potent ingredients, proven to reverse signs of wrinkles, pigmentation.  but be warned that these thin the epidermis, and not using proper sun protection and avoidance will cause the reverse effect - even more pigmentation and wrinkles.  so it is usually advisable to use products containing this ingredient at night time.  

2)  AHA/BHA - these acids resurface the skin also, though not a deep level like retinoids. 

3)  microfiber cloths - this is purely my personal opinion

4)  certain essential oils will cause sun sensitivity.  i have read and Li has told me it is the expressed forms of many citrus EOs. 

personally, i never use any exfoliants in the morning.  i believe the skin has to be "whole" in order to fend against UV rays we are bombarded with everyday. 

also be aware that the chemical filter, avobenzene (parasol 1789) will degrade the protection of a sunscreen when used in conjunction with mineral makeup.  i don't know the exact specifics but there are various sources online discussing this issue.

Again, i am not an expert, but this is what i know or as much as i can articulate into words for now.  Here are some excellent online sources to help further your knowledge about sunscreen:

http://makeupalley.com/user/notepad/sunscreenFAQ/

http://www.makeupalley.com/user/notepad/sunscreens

http://www.skincarecentral.biz/sunscreens-about-.html

I am doing a skin care post to spread knowledge about product ingredients and just general awareness.  i know a lot of vox ladies have been getting to know Garden of Wisdom, so dabbling in a pretty natural skin care line.  i like using makeup but my belief is to have the best base/canvas you can start with. 

I have to say that the latter half of 2007, turning 27 has been a turning point in my skin.  I am actually not sure if it's the age so much or studying and stressing over taking the bar and my finances, but my skin has definitely changed.  i got my first deep wrinkle.  i suspect this is from constantly blowing my nose due to allergies.  because my skin isn't as supple and elastic as it used to be, these wrinkles stay now.  the only way to get rid of them is botox probably and i am not at that point yet.  now i see a horizontal wrinkle a little below my eyebrows, the beginnings of the \ / which is more prominent on the left side.  this pact i have with myself to not age is simply not working. 

i am a skin care addict.  i also lean towards more natural products but will dabble in the unnatural if needed (retinol, derived acids, etc.).  the first thing i do when i see a product is look at the ingredient list.  if you learn to read labels, you will find that almost all skin care products are made with nasty fillers such as petroleum derivatives.  it's disgusting.  creme de la mer is crap.  dermalogica is nasty.  even so called "natural" brands use bases of mineral oil.
 

vitamin c serum
i am amping my skin care.  due to bar studies and just general stress in my life, i had forgotten to use vitamin c serum religiously.  i just received my devita c accelerator so i plan on using that every morning.  why is a vitamin c serum important?  it not only helps with collagen production, but helps your skin ward off the aging effects of uv rays.  the form of vitamin c that is effective is l'ascorbic acid (LA).  unfortunately, LA degrades rapidly when exposed to oxygen.  if companies do not add a color additive, then you will see your vitamin c serum change from a clear color to more yellow then orange.  i have read that applying vitamin c after it has oxidized can actually harm your skin.  i plan on decanting the devita c accelerator into a small bottle to keep in the bathroom and refrigerating the rest.

serums
i also just received devita's optimal rejuvenation.  it contains a plethora of anti-aging ingredients such as alpha lipoic acid, green tea, dmae, etc.  i used it last night and so far i like it.  i also make my own serum out of distilled water, seamollient, pearl powder, liquid oat beta glucans, and blue lotus extract.  it's fun and i have been using this for a while now but thought i needed a more powerful combination. 

moisturizer
i have quite a few moisturizers.  some of them are more basic that i would never use alone but only under an anti-oxidant packed serum.  i have the replenishing moisturizer from geografx.  my absolute favorite moisturizer of all time is Osea Adavnced Protection Cream, a line made from a base of red algae.  This cream firms, brightens, and makes me feel young each time i use it.  the downside?  the price, $96 for 2 oz.  it actually lasts awhile.  i also use garden of wisdom lift me up lotion, it is jammed packed with anti-oxidants and is a great, affordable cream with nice ingredients.  i also use alpha derma CE though i don't like it as much due to the ingredients being less than ideal.

eye cream
i think investing in a good eye cream is beneficial for healthy looking skin around the eyes.   make sure to wear sunglasses and sunscreen there also.  the skin around the eyes is usually the first area to show aging, so take care of it.  i like osea's eye cream though it doesn't provide much moisture.  jan marini's age intervention is amazing, but the price is on the high side.  but as i see my face as an investment for the future, i don't fret too much over prices unless it's insane.  

retinol
i have two retinol products, skinceuticals .05 and perfect complexion's retinol serum.  i owe refined pores to retinol.  it is a potent ingredient, it keeps the skin young by thinning out the epidermis and thickening the dermis.  many also use this to keep their acne controlled.  u must always use ss if using retinol/retin-a as skin is more photo sensitive.  i am thinking of switching to the stronger stuff, though, retin-a.  i know this will make me even more sensitive to the sun, but i feel like i need it this year.

sunscreen
you must wear sunscreen.   i am a firm believer that mineral makeup is not enough.  i also only use sunscreens (ss) with physical blockers such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.  chemical sunscreens, on the otherhand, absorb uv rays instead of deflecting them.  i believe there are health issues with chemical blockers in addition to conflicting with MMU.   UVA rays are the aging rays.  UVB rays are the burning rays, and SPF is only a rating for UVB rays.  american sunscreens seem unconcerned with UVA ratings. 

my favorite is the devita body block and the facial sunscreen spf 30 with 15% micronized zinc oxide.  the UVA protection level is also pretty decent though i am not sure what it is.  the devita applies like aloe vera and dries like you have nothing on.  i love mixing it with MMU for a tinted sunscreen. 

for my serious days under the sun, i use SVR 50B tinted sunscreen.  it's a european brand and the only physical sunscreen i know of that has high UVA protection.

i don't ever leave the house without sunscreen and i think this is one of the reasons many think i look young.  my older sister on the other hand, has spots, and i can see the beginnings of possibly a melasma mask.  i give her all these sunscreens, and she doesn't use them.  sighs. 

cleansers
i don't believe you need to spend a whole of money on cleansers.  just make sure the surfactant u use is a gentle one such as coco betaine of decyl glucoside.  stay away from sodium lauryl sulfate and its harmful derivatives.  harsh surfactants are present in high end cleansers, so price is no indicator.  i often make my own out of GoW supplies but currently i am using geografx azluene wash.  it's really nice and mild. 

i think on days you wear a lot fo makeup or a sunscreen with silicones or is waterproof, cleaning with an oil cleanser or the oil cleansing method is a must.  you don't need to use castor oil (i avoid it like a plague since it's known to promote hair growth), and use grapeseed or jojoba oil instead.

that's all i can think of for now.  i hope everyone takes care of their skin, because you only have one face, so invest in it.