Covering up those pesky gray hairs...

So I started to dye my hair about 1 year ago when I noticed more little white hairs then I could pull out. I realized that if I pulled out every white hair I would literally be bald. So when doing my research there are two at home options for in between professional coloring appointment at the salon .

Option #1
Aveda Clove Color Conditioner for $18.00 for 8.5 oz.

Option #2
Roux Temporary Hair Rinse for $6.59 for 15 oz.

I love Aveda Clove Color Conditioner the best. I wash my hair (my shampoo choices are another post!) and then put in the Aveda conditioner. I use a hair claw to tie up my hair while I finish the rest of my shower. At the end of my shower, about 10-15 minutes later, I rinse my hair. I'm left with brighter, bouncy, smooth, frizz-free and amazing smelling hair. I've noticed about 2 months of use (about 3-4 times a week), I've had to use less product to style my hair and that my hair is fuller and more bouncy. I haven't yet tried the shampoo but it's doesn't have as much pigment hence why one liter is only $31 and is meant to be rinsed out. I def. say if you can only spend the money on one hair product, the conditioner you will get more bang for your buck.

Next is the Roux Temporary Hair Rinse. This is the best post shower hair color option that can be used daily without damage to your hair or color. Once you towel dry your hair, you add about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup depending on your hair length and color and dry immediately. One bottle with 3-4 times a week use should last about 6 weeks. I would highly recommend using an old towel to drape your wet hair to eliminate any stains on your clothing. Once dried the hair color is set and will last until your next shower. It's a bit messy and hard to travel with but it's true to it's color and it's great for those 1-2 weeks in between coloring where you don't want to mess with demi-permeant hair color. It def. does take some time getting used to, but after a few tries it's super easy and can easily be a part of your routine!

Two thumbs up for covering up grays without anyone knowing :) Well except now you all know my little secret weapons!

I love all things savory!

$42.00 a lb for salt? I thought that was outrageous but once you have tried Dean and Deluca's Fleur de Sel you will see why it's worth it.

You can buy an 8oz jar for $21.00 online but at the stores it is running about $30.00. If you use their communal jar on the deli counter where the deli person helps scoop it in a flimsy container it is only $35.00 a lb. Totally not worth it esp. when you know it's been sitting out for a while.

Why on earth would anyone pay $42 a lb for salt? The taste. Hands down it is the most flavorful and yummy flavored salt I've ever had. I use it on salads, veggies, steaks, everything and anything I cook/eat.

Just 1/8 of a teaspoon with an egg really brings out the egg flavor without the briny flavor that traditional table salt has.

My favorite way to use the salt is on salad. I use a pepper grinder to grind the salt more finely, mix with olive oil and dress my lettuce. It's absolutely divine! Sometimes I have a plain arugula or spinach salad with just salt and oil. No need for the fussiness of balsamic or lemon.

For those carnivores, I didn't forget you. This is the best salt marinade you can possibly have. A little goes a long way. Just use this salt as you normal would and it tenderizes and flavors the meat in a way that is heavenly. The last time I did just a traditional 2 parts salt to 1 part pepper marinade for my dry aged filet, my Mom even asked me if she could take home the meat juice to use the next day for her leftover steak that she was going to eat with a salad. Yup it makes even the meat juice better than normal. I'm still waiting for an occasion where I can make prime rib and use this salt for a crust. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Overall just do it. Try an 8 oz container for $21.00. I guarantee you will be hooked like me. I can't even use regular salt ever since I've discovered Fluer de Sel. Two thumbs, toes, arms and legs up!

Mother of all concealers...

So I recently did a post on BB cream and said I would go into concealers so here it is!

My requirements for a good concealer are:

1. Adjustable coverage from light to heavy
2. Waterproof or smear resistant
3. Assorted colors and undertones (yellow and pink)
4. Affordable
6. Non comedogenic
7. Gentle on the skin, hypo allergenic
8. Lightweight
9. Travel size

After testing and trying on all different concealers, I narrowed it down to two products.

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Light Golden large size, .5oz  for $42

and

Dermablend Cover Creme in Natural Beige, 1 oz for $35

I found Dermablend through my dermatologist as I was using it mainly to cover up my eczema and freckles. I wanted something was adjustable, durable and yet natural looking. Dermablend is great for people who are older, have dry skin as it's super moisturizing. For people who have oily or combination skin, you definitely need to set this with a heavy duty powder or it tends to slide off during the day. When you do this, it tends to give you a very matte and made up look which I didn't like. However, for my Mother she loves this product and it comes in a travel version that is .25 oz that she loves. For her she does not need to set it with a heavy powder,  just a standard loose powder and the coverage is adjustable depending on her needs and look completely natural. Therefore, this is something I would only recommend to people with dry or elderly skin.  Two things to note are they have a good range of colors and undertones so most skin colors can be matched properly. One other bonus is that is comes with a handy spatula to eliminate contamination in your product.

So for people who are younger, have oily or combination skin, I would recommend Amazing Cosmetics. It comes in a handy tube the size of your standard lip gloss. I know it seems pricey for such a small tube, but keep in mind how much product you will actually need. I have had my tube and with daily use and two applications over the weekend, it lasts me about 6-7 months. However, if you are using this all over your face since you have a lot to cover up...the product duration will vary. I use it above my eyelids and below my eyes and to cover up various moles on my face daily. I probably use about 1/8 of a teaspoon or about a dollop the size of a standard straw opening. It covers all my imperfections perfectly and last all day without a touch up. I usually put it on after my BB cream but before I put on powder to set everything. I rarely touch up my makeup except for the occasional oil blotting paper. My best advise on using this product is to tap and not blend it into your face to waste the least amount of product and allow you to build coverage as needed. The best part of this product is that is comes off easily with your standard face wash at the end of the day. Fabulous!

Two thumbs up esp. since the large size is still okay for your carry-on luggage. I personally keep in my gym bag, carry-on toiletries bag and at home. It's amazing what a little concealer do in the morning :) Let's admit, everyone needs a little help in the morning to look their best "naturally."

Royal Milk Tea...it's truly Royal

Since I'm always out and about...I like to bring a bit of home with me wherever I go. One thing that I absolutely love is milk tea. Living in the Bay Area it's really easy to find a boba (tapoica drink) place to buy milk tea but when I travel it's always a challenge. What's a girl to do? The best powdered milk tea out there is Royal Milk Tea. It's made in Japan by Nittoh.

Original Royal Milk Tea

The original version, which is what I recommend, made with 120 ml of water is only 58 calories. That is 1/3 the calories of a normal milk tea. They also make 1/2 the calorie milk tea and an Earl Gray version for true tea lovers. However, loving the classics, I always stick to the original.

I won't lie, I hate powdered milk products so when I have the opportunity, I get a glass of steamed milk to mix the powder in and it's even more rich than traditional milk tea made with condensed milk. Oh did I mention I like whole milk when I drink milk....yup! It's either soy milk or whole milk. I can't stand fat free milk...it tastes so watery and unfulfilling. Yuck. I don't know how people do it.

So my verdict is, yes it's pricey per individual bag and hard to find but definitely worth it when you want the comforting taste of home. The best place to buy it is online, but not Ebay where it comes out to almost $30 a bag! Overall, two thumbs up for the convenience and taste!

Oh Ferragamo...how I love thee!

So I am a total shoe addict. I'll admit it. I have a serious problem. Luckily, size 5 isn't that common and since I have narrow heels a lot of shoes don't fit me, except Ferragamo. I'm a perfect 5B. Occasionally with patent leather or open toe shoes will I buy a 5C. I love Ferragamo's style and comfort.

My latest must have purchase was an impulse buy. I was in Santana Row for lunch with my very cute and stylish Godson, Brady and stopped into Ferragamo. I did a quick look to see if there were any new styles that I wanted and did a once over in the sale section to see if anything I had on my second tier list was reduced. The salesman approached me and asked my what my size was. I told him 5B but that he probably didn't have anything on sale in my size. I told him I was looking for a casual flat in black since my Varina's were getting a bit old. He told me that it was my lucky day and to wait while he was going to bring out something in the back that they didn't have on the floor.

Lo and behold, he brought me a brand new pair of Bluma's in Black and White with perforated leather cutout's. Oh how I feel in love. It was an instant love and told the salesman I will take them. While I was putting on my own shoes, there was a Shanghainese lady sitting next to me eying the shoes. I know this because I speak Shanghainese fluently. She grabbed by shoe and try to stuff her size 6 feet into them. I almost cried. I told the salesman to get my shoes back. The lady then asked my salesman if they had my shoes in a bigger size. My salesman told her that they only had them in size 5 and she look dejected. Oh well, in my head I was thinking, please don't let this lady who has a lack of manners have the same shoes as me. Because she stuffed her sweaty feet and stretched out the shoe, I demanded my salesman to get me a new pair. Fingers crossed, they had another pair in the back. Whew. Crisis averted.

I quickly paid for my shoes and literally hopped out of the store, happy as a clam. Lesson learned here? Hold on to your shoes after you try them on, otherwise you may lose them to some sweaty feet. Also since they are perforated they don't need breaking in like traditional patent Varina's. Woohoo! Two thumbs way up for these.

Get them now as at the Ferragamo store they were sold out before they even went on sale but I did find it at Zappos Couture for a low price of $380!

BB cream...it's all the rage!

I've noticed that BB cream is all the range. Everyone from the big expensive cosmetics company to the drugstore brands are coming out with different BB creams.

What is BB cream? It's a moisturizer, primer, sunblock and foundation in one.

Since I've started to use BB cream, I've stopped using foundation and my skin is significantly healthier and softer. I love BB cream.

Just as a note, a lot of the drugstore BB creams or BB creams from American cosmetics company such as Clinique are too pink for me. If you are Asian like me, I would strongly recommend a Korean brand BB cream as the yellow will match your skintone the best. After all, Korean people are very into beauty and tend to make the best beauty products. The one that I like that is mid-range in terms of price and is from Dr. Jart+.

I use the Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm with SPF 25 from Sephora that is $34.00 for 1.7 oz.

A tube will last me about 6 months with daily application and two applications every weekend. My advise when using this is to apply this heavily. This is not a product that you want to apply a thin layer on your face. Once you let it "set" or dry for about 30 second to 1 minute, I set it with either pressed powder or loose powder. After that your skin will look natural and completely flawless.

If however, you have a blemish or spot you want to cover you can put that on after your BB cream, but before your powder. My recommendation for concealers will be in another post :) Stay tuned.

Overall, my advise is that BB cream is not a fad. I think it's here to stay. It's better than a tinted moisturizer since it provides more coverage without feeling heavy. It's lighter than your traditional foundation which is great for those of us who want to wean ourselves off the heavy foundation look. It's a primer for your nights out you can still put foundation on top of the BB cream and it makes it stay the entire day and/or night. The best thing? It's got sunblock, SPF 25 which is great for daily use! Given that we need to protect our skin, what easier way is it to have a product that is all-in-one?

Two thumbs way up esp. for the SPF built in!

Eye makeup...two of my staples!

A little background...I had my upper and lower eyeliner tattoo'd out of sheer laziness. I won't lie, the lower eyeliner hurt so bad that I was in the fetal position for 30 minutes after the first time I had it done. For you cosmetic tattoo virgins, you have two appointments about 30-60 days apart depending on how you heal. You have the initial appointment and a touch up appointment to fix it and make it perfect. Anyways, the upper eyeliner wasn't too bad. It was a slight pinching feeling except for the inner and outer corners which felt like hot pokers in going in and out of my eye. Post tattooing, ice packs and some Perocet solved the problem. 48 hours later, the swelling was gone and I had some redness and a full week later...it was perfect!  I think it was the BEST decision I have ever made. I wake up feeling "made" up and ready to go out the door with very little products.

However, when I go out on the weekends or just feeling like getting girly I do the full smoky eye look. To create my look my two must have products are:

MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork for $18.50. It's a great neutral eyeshadow primer that is highly pigmented. You can wear it alone or you can layer it. I typically use this all over my eye and then put my eyeshadow and eyeliner on top of it. I've never had to touch up my makeup even with high humidity, swimming, crying, whatever. It makes whatever you put on stay put. This is the best product because it works and you can make even cheap eyeshadow stay though it won't be dark since it lacks pigment. My favorite eyeshadow brand to layer on top of it is Lancome's Color Design for $18.00 per color.  If you are going to only buy one high end eye product this is it!

My second must have product is a drugstore staple. Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner in Black for $7. It's totally waterproof, smear proof, cry proof, everything proof. It does not move once you put it in, yet it's soft and glides easily without tugging. I literally buy these in bulk, 15 min. at a time because I never want to run out of this. I keep them everywhere, in my travel bag, makeup bag in my purse, in my bathroom, in the car, at work. etc. It's cheap and it works. It is a heavily pigmented black so it's great for people who can't use liquid eyeliner or simply don't know how. It's not liquid, doesn't have a metal sharpener (plastic one built in on the backside) and will not melt. Stock on when it goes on sale. I've gotten it as cheap as $3.50 with shipping and tax.


Also both were featured in Allure Magazine as Reader's Choice:

http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/makeup/2012/mac-paint-pot-groundwork
http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/makeup/2010/revlon-colorstay-eyeliner-black-brown

My thoughts? Two thumbs way up!

When traveling with someone for the first time...

When you travel for the first time with someone it's always taboo to leave "smells" behind... One thing that I always travel with is by Kobayashi and it's called One Drop aka Poo Drops. It comes in a handy .67 fl oz size which is great when you are flying and can't carry matches. It's also affordable at $6 at your local Japanese Market or Amazon. My recommendation is to drop two drops before you do your business and three drops after to eliminate any embarrassment. Now keep in mind that it eliminates smells and not sounds…they should really think of adding a sound eliminator. I’m sure that would be especially popular with the ladies for the dreaded first sleepover and for those who have morning after poo after a night of heavy drinking. My thoughts? Two thumbs up!

First "must" have product of the day!

Since my Mama travels all the time and hates to check-in her bag, our first product that is a must have is:

Travel Space Bags from the Container Store in size M (14x20) for $6.99 for 2 bags.

It fits perfectly into a carry on rollaway that is between 20-22 inches high. One bag can hold 4-6 cardigans depending on thickness and reduce it by a min. of 50% in size without a vacumm. This is esp. good when Mama goes shopping and buys too much :)

The best part of the bags is that takes just as much room as your standard hotel room dirty laundry bag. Mama recommends you always carry two, one for your dirty clothes and one for any new purchases or when you are traveling during the winter time and your clothes tend to be heavier and bigger. Maybe I'll be lucky and get Mama to bring me back something since she has all that extra space in her suitcase?

My overall review? Two paws up!
-Asscher 

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About Us!

About Us:

Asscher-I'm an adorable maltese who loves sleeping, my Mama, eating, being cute and cuddling.

Jen-I'm a world jet setter who is a corporate event planner by day and foodie/aspiring chef/photographer at night.

Jen

Asscher

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