MAC GIVEAWAY WINNER!

So excited today that I am gonna be announcing the winner of MAC GIVEAWAY!! First of all, thank you so much for those of you who have entered.. And if you are not the winner, please don't be upset because I am gonna be doing more giveaways! I am thinking to do it once a month, what do you think?

And the winner is......

popbubblewrap

Congratulations to you love! I will contact you soon because I need to know your shipping address, or you can Facebook message me if you'd like :)

Again, thank you all so much!!

What kind of giveaway are you interested in? Makeup? Hair products? Skin care? Let me know in the comment below!!

Keep following me on Facebook and Twitter, and join this blog, so you'll get the most recent updates from me :)

I love you so much, 

Alexandra 

Where have I been?

Hi loves! I know I disappeared for over a week now, and I miss you guys! This is just a quick post to let you know that I am fine and still alive! Haha.. I just work too much these days and something personal has been happening and it kinda distracts my life, but I am fine!

A lot of exciting posts are coming up! I have been trying a few new stuffs and liking them, so I can't wait to share it with you all!

I hope you are doing well and have a wonderful day!

p/s: I will announce the MAC giveaway winner soon!!!! :)

I love you, 

Alexandra 

The cutest, yet so crazy, iPhone case!

Hi loves! I think I am just obsessed with teddy bears. I just got a teddy bear phone case, but WAIT!!! It is not a regular case that has teddy bear on it, but it is the actual plush toy teddy bear phone case!!

I got this on eBay for $25 :( booo!! But yay for free shipping! I was in doubt whether to buy it or not.. because honestly people will look at me in a strange way holding a teddy bear on my ear, haha! or typing on a teddy bear. But who cares right? So I bought it... and I am obsessed with it.

But to be honest with you guys... sometimes I still do not dare to show it to public. I would leave my phone in the car if I do not have my purse on, hee hee. So I don't know about it.. but I just could not resist!

The bad thing is you can't put it in your pocket, and I have to take off my phone to charge it or if I want to turn up or down the volume. It does have a whole for the charging cord, but trust me, I have spent ten minutes but it won't fit. And you actually can set up the volume without taking it off too.. but it would be so much faster if I take it off first and set the volume up. Otherwise, I have to look for the right button with just guessing it! Another bad thing about it is, you know if you have an iPhone, the screen will turn on when you just finish talking on the phone... Well I think this case is blocking the antenna or whatever it is.. So I have to press the home button, and click 'end call' manually. Ohhhh one more thing: you can't take a picture with your back camera! Because this case blocks the lens, and you have to take it off if you want to take a picture, haha.

So basically it has only one great thing which is the cuteness, but it has so many disadvantages. Probably you are thinking I just wasted 25 bucks for nothing, haha. Oh well..

By the way, it also sells Hello Kitty case, Stitch case (blue and pink), Brown Bear case, and Red Cloak Cat case. Who knows you might be interested in these plush toy cases... hee hee. (click here to buy)

Just a reminder: this is your last day to enter my MAC Giveaway! Click here to enter. 


What do you think of this case? Isn't it crazy? cute? Or I am the one who is crazy? Hahaha. Leave in the comment below hun! 


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I love you, 

Alexandra 

Review: GHD Flat Iron

GHD Flat Iron

Hi hunnies (that's your new nickname! heehee)!! Lets put away our makeup, and lets talk about a hair tool today. This is my first review for a hair tool, and I love this baby so much, and of course, I gotta let you know ;)

It is the GHD Classic Styler Flat Iron. First thing first I want to say that this is definitely a splurge item because it is not cheap, but it works really well. I bought mine for $225 at Sephora, but now the price went down to $185. I owned this flat iron for three years and it still works so fine and it has never been a problem before. The reason why I saved money on this is because flat iron is something that I use almost every day, and I want to invest my money on something that has a long life and high quality. So if you like to curl your hair, you might want to do the same thing as I do too because it literally will save your money rather than keep buying it every year.

Like I said, mine is from the classic collections, but it has a lot of different kinds, such as the Classic Collections ($185-$205), Gold Series ($225), Limited Editions ($225), and Vintage Limited Editions ($240).

It is a one inch with ceramic heaters. There is no button for heat settings, but it actually makes it more convenient. It only has ON/OFF button and an LED light. So you turn it on, and the LED light will be turned on automatically. You need to wait for maybe around 20 seconds, and it will make a 'beep' sound means it is ready to use. Even though there is no heat set up, but it is hot enough to straighten your hair. You might see smokes as you straighten your hair, but don't worry! It doesn't burn it, hee hee.

It also has a sleep mode. There was one time I forgot to turn it off because I was rushing to go to school. I was so panicked, but when I went back, my apartment was still there, haha.

Also, I do not know what's in there but I think it was from the ceramic heaters, but it makes my hair shines as well. I do put heat protectant before I straighten my hair, but sometimes I skipped it just because I was lazy. But my hair still looks shiny (not oily!) using this flat iron and without heat protectant.

I like to straighten my hair every time after I shampoo it, and mostly I do not need to re-straighten it the next day. It keeps your hair straight for days! And no matter if your hair got a little bit wet by splash of water, your hair won't back curly or wavy or whatever your original hair texture is.

You can also use the flat iron to curl/wave your hair, but I do not know how to do it! I saw the tutorial, and it looks hard :( But I will try it soon and I will give a tutorial for you after I master it, hee hee.

Overall, GHD Flat Iron does everything for you. Yes it sounds crazy to spend almost $200 on a flat iron, but it will last you a long time! Most importantly, it will give you a better and more fascinating result than a ten bucks flat iron. Again, this is a splurge item, I do not ask you to buy this (trust me, I saved money for months on this). I just recommend you if you were looking for a good quality flat iron, this is the one. I have testedfor three years, and it still works the same :) By the way, it has two years manufacturers guarantee!


Where to buy: Sephora, GHD, $185.


What is your favorite flat iron? Are you guys interested in how I flat iron my hair? Let me know in the comment below! or you can always let me know on Facebook and Twitter too! :) 


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ONE DAY LEFT to enter my MAC GIVEAWAY!!!!! Hurry hurry hurryyyyyy.... simply click here to enter ;) 

I LOVE YOU, 

Alexandra 

GHD Flat Iron

GHD Flat Iron

GHD Flat Iron

Review: Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30

Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30

Hi babes! I am so excited to review the Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30 because you all know how importance to me sunscreen is, and if there was a sunscreen that was easy to apply or basically making my life easier, then it would be awesome. Well you know what.. I have found one :)

Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30 is a mineral powder sunscreen that has a matte finish and translucent, and it is so convenient to use. It comes in a little tube with retractable brush, so you can simply throw it into your purse or makeup bag, or maybe even in your pocket, so you won't forget to reapply sunscreen.

This powder sunscreen comes in four different kinds: original SPF 45 and SPF 30 (for all skin types), for oily problem skin SPF 30 (the one that I have), anti-aging SPF 45, and bronzing powder SPF 30.

I am totally obsessed with this product and I apply it almost every one or two hours. Since I have a lot of acne scars, reapplying sunscreen can help to eliminate them. So, this bad boy is a holly grail for me!

Oily Problem Skin SPF 30 has 0.4% of Salicylic Acid which helps with prevent future breakouts and controls the oil on our face. Not only it gives UVA/UVB protection and prevents sunburn, skin damage, freckling, and uneven discoloration, but it also has vitamin A, C and E to nourish and repair our skin. The translucent powder gives me a matte finish and I even use it to set my makeup.

The retractable brush also comes with a cap to keep it sanitized. To close the lid, simply pull the bottom down then replace the cap. It looks really cool actually when you are doing it fast, haha.

The only problem with this is you can't wash the brush because as you sweep this onto your face, the powder instantly comes out from the tube. So if you wash it, the water will flow into the tube and ruin the product inside. So, I am wondering if the brush can leave bacteria on our face and cause breakouts? You know our face might have bacteria from our hands, the environment, so those dirty things will transfer to the brush, and we keep applying with the same brush to our face. As a result, we might have breakouts here and there. According to my experience, yes I do get breakouts but not so bad. I got like one or two pimples on my cheeks mostly, and one on my chin and forehead. I don't wanna say it came from the brush because it might be the touch from my hands.

I still use my IQQU Sunscreen (click here for its review), but I only use it once a day after I put on my moisturizer. I use Peter Thomas Roth sunscreen several times a day for touch ups.

Overall, it is a great great great product. It is a mess-free, blemish-free sunscreen, and it gives a matte finish so that our face won't look greasy throughout the day. It also says that it is for immediate sun protection, so you don't need to wait for 15-20 minutes before you go out to the sun. I really highly recommend this product to all of you because sunscreen is super important for our skin and sadly people tend to skip it (click here to read Sunscreen 101), and this instant mineral sunscreen is so easy to use so you won't skip it!


Where to buy: Sephora, Peter Thomas Roth, $30 for 0.15oz. 


Do you apply sunscreen everyday? What is your favorite sunscreen? Leave in the comment below, and please add me on your Facebook and Twitter! Lets be friends! :) 


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You have 3 days left to enter my MAC GIVEAWAY!! Hurry up! Click here to enter :) 

I LOVE YOU, 

Alexandra 

Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30 

Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30

HOW TO CLOSE THE CAP:

Pull the bottom, it will extend like the picture above...

...then replace the cap

...push the bottom up! Easy right? ;) 

Sephora Haul Vol. 5

Hi beauties!! Wow it's been two months since I have done a Sephora haul before. This proves that I don't shop a lot, haha. Btw, I will always let you know what beauty products I got because I know sometimes people like to see what other people got, and I could see you guys love a haul post. So, this is not a bragging post, alright!? Hee hee.

Okay so I went to Sephora and I didn't get that many stuffs.. But they are something that I have not tried on before. So I am so excited to review it for you!

So first thing first is this foundation that I have been wanting to try it since last year! It is the Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation. The reason why I had delayed buying it because it is so freaking expensive, $55 for a foundation! OMG.... Anyway, I bought this foundation because it is paraben and sulfate free, so it won't break our skin out. It is full coverage and it dries into powder, so no powder necessary. Anyway, review on this coming up soon!! :) 

After getting a new foundation, I need to get a new concealer too! It is Make Up For Ever Full Cover concealer ($32). I was recommended by the makeup artist at Sephora, he said that this concealer has an moisturizing ingredient that won't make our breakouts worst. It won't get rid of them, but at least it won't create new breakout. It is a full coverage concealer as well. And of course, more in-depth review on this coming up soon!! :) 

Last but not least is a fan brush by Sephora. I have so many brushes but I don't have a fan brush! Fan brush is good for a light application. I have been using this to replace my blush brush actually.. I use this to contour and to apply blush, and it gives you a more natural look because its light application :) Would you like a tutorial on how I use the fan brush? Let me know! 

So that's all what I got guys! Have you been hauling this month? If you have, tell me what you got! If you haven't, what products are you planning to buy? Lets share! :) 

Lets be friends too! 

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Twitter: www.twitter.com/alexandrauby 

You have 4 days left to enter my MAC GIVEAWAY!! Click here to enter :) 

I love you, 

Alexandra 

What happened to my MAC Tendertone

Hey loves!! Do you remember when I told you how I loved my MAC Tendertone Lip Balm? Well, I was being clumsy and I left it in the car when it is 90 degrees outside. So, it melted and became like.....water.

I was so damn sad because it was a limited edition product, MAC does not sell it anymore, and that's the only one I have.

I was about to just go with it, but I realized I wasted more products than I should. So I tried to put it in the fridge (not freezer) for a few days... and guess what. It went back to normal! Woohoo! I know this post is kinda useless, but a lesson that you can learn from it is if you have a melted lip balm or lip stick, put it directly into the fridge and see what happens. Or another lesson is don't leave your lip products in the car! Haha. Any products that are creamy basically ;)


Have you ever experienced this? Lets share! :) Leave a comment below or lets have a chit chat on Facebook and Twitter. I look forward to talking to you all! 


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Speaking of MAC, I am having a MAC GIVEAWAY now. You have 8 days left to enter! Click here to win! ;) 

Much LOVE, 

Alexandra 

ORIGINAL

AFTER IT MELTED :(

AFTER it stayed on the fridge for a few days.. :)

Summer Trend: 3D Nails/Micro Bead Nails

Hey loves!!

Have you seen the new Caviar Manicure from Ciate? It is basically a nail art that will give a 3D effect. The Ciate Caviar Manicure comes in three shades: Strawberry Milkshakes (pink nail polish with colorful beads), Mother of Pearl (white nail polish with white beads), and Black Pearls (black nail polish with black-blue pearls).

To be honest with you guys, I did not own this kit and I got a chance to put some on at Sephora before I decided to purchase it. I tried it on my pinky finger, and I fell in love at the first sight. I honestly could not stop starring at it, and I wish I could have all my finger nails done. I really had the urge to buy it, but I controlled my self because I wanted to see how long would it last.

Before I jump on my conclusion, I want to explain to you how the kit works. So, it comes with the nail polish and the micro bead and a little funnel. What I did was I put on the pink nail polish first and I did not wait until it dried or almost dried. I might wait for one minute before I put the bead on. Now the fun part. I put the plastic box under my hand, and I just pour the bead onto my pinky finger. Seriously it was so fun, it was like putting sprinkles on a cupcake. Don't worry about the remaining bead that fall into the plastic, that's when the funnel comes in handy. Use the funnel to put back the remaining bead so you're not wasting them.

After I 'sprinkled' my nail, I kinda pressed the bead so that it would stick better. Then I was wondering, so I put a top coat on? Since I was experimenting, I went ahead grab a topcoat and apply it just on the tip of my nail. Guess what happened.... the bead melted. Yes, it melted. So don't put top coat on the entire nail otherwise you'll ruin your nail art ;)

So I was so happy with the result.. but the bead kinda started to fall off in the next two hours. It says it can last you until 48 hours, which means only 2 days! First day it still looked great, the second day the nail polish started to chip, the bead fell off.

This kit is $25 dollars dear.. but it will beautify your nails in just a couple of hours and you have to redo it again. So do you think it is worth it? If you are lucky, it might be able to last you up to 48 hours. It was probably because I did so many activities with my hands, like typing, washing dishes, writing, driving, etc. So it did not work for me.

If you really really want this 3D nail effect, I bet you can get micro bead at Michael's or Hobby Lobby, and just use your regular nail polish with an opaque finish. I have not tried this yet, but I am pretty sure it will work the same way.


Where to buy: Sephora, $25. 


What do you think of this trend? Are you gonna follow it? What about the kit? Yay or Nay? ;) Let me know in the comment below! And send me your requests on Facebook or Twitter! 


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9 days left to enter my MAC GIVEAWAY! Click here to enter ;) 

Love Ya, 

Alexandra 

Photo is from here

First day

Next day (morning)

PINK hair

Hi loves! You all know pink is my all time favorite color. Sometimes I am wondering when will I stop loving the color pink.. I mean, will I still be collecting stuffs in pink when I am 50 years old? Hee hee. Anyway, today's post is related to pink, and I want to 'show off' my pink hair strand. I did it at my salon and the hairdresser bleached it first and put a pink on it.

No. I am just kidding. Haha.

Well, you can fake a pink hair strand right now, why would you damage your hair by bleaching it and coloring it? LOL.

Let me introduce you Sultra Clip-In Hair Extension! By the way, this is not a sponsored post, Sultra does not even know I exist, haha.

I got it in Ultra Pink, which is a regular hot pink. They have several solid colors like softer pink, blue, teal, purple, orange, and peach, but they also come in cheetah pattern! I pick the solid color just because I want to look more natural on my hair, like I want people think I got it done at a salon! Hee hee.

The best best best thing about this clip in hair extension is it is 100 percent human hair! Which means you curl it, straighten it, style it, however you wanna do it. It is so easy to clip in and clip out too, and the hair seriously blends with my real hair, it really looks like my own hair! Just make sure you cover the clip with your natural hair, so that people won't know if it is fake, hee hee.

I wear this almost everyday especially when I have my hair down, which is most of the time in this case :) My hair is just straight with one color, no dimension, just so boring.. By adding this hot pink hair strand, it really makes it pop and not-so-boring anymore. Especially it is summer now! Get creative with your hair, just don't damage it ;)

You can get it at Sephora for $18, and you get 2 grams of hair extension with 3/4 inch wide x 14 inch long.


What do you think of this product? Yay or Nay? ;) Let me know in the comment below! You can always contact me through Facebook and Twitter too! Send me your requests! 


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My MAC GIVEAWAY is still going on! Click here to enter and you can win cool stuff! :) 

I Love You, 

Alexandra 

May Favorites!!

Hi beauties!! Long time no talk! I don't wanna start this post with excuse why I have not been posting lately because there is only one reason that is my work schedule has been so crazy!

Anyway, it is still the beginning of June so I hope I am not that late for May Favorites! I tried quite a few new things this month and I have been loving it. So lets get started! :)

First thing first is my old Revlon ColorStay Foundation ($10.39 at drugstores). I found this foundation back in February and I have been loving it since then. I did not wear this unless there was a special occasion before, but lately I have been wearing it everyday! I love the matte finish it gives and how long wearing it is. Also, it is a full coverage foundation so it will cover any imperfections! I did a full review on this, you can click here to read it :) 

I swear to you I had this L'Oreal HiP Duo Eyeshadows in Poppy from last year but I never used it. I was kinda skeptical about yellow eyeshadow. I bought it because I really wanted to try a yellow eyeshadow but I did not have the courage until last month, haha. But let me tell you guys... I love this combo colors. I wear this look almost everyday! Tutorial coming soon :) 

This is the sample of YSL Shocking Mascara ($30 at Sephora), that's why it is in the small black tube. The original size is in a beautiful elegant gold tube. LOVE LOVE LOVE this mascara... It does what I expect - legthening, volumizing and it holds curl for a long period of time. I am almost running out of it, and I don't know if it is worth it to purchase the full size one. Click here to read its full review :)

Ahhh.. I know I know I have been rambling about this Revlon Lip Butter in Creamsicle ($6.49 at drugstores). I did three posts mentioning this little baby. It is a tinted lip balm, and it is very creamy, pigmented and hydrating. It will look good when your lip is not chappy! It looks horrible when I put it on my dry, chapped lip. It won't fix it, so you have to moisturize your lip in advance. Click here to read a full review on it :) 

Next favorite is the Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30 ($30 at Sephora). Basically it is a sunscreen in powder formula, so you can just dust it on your face whenever you want. You don't need to wait for 20 minutes to go out to the sun. I loveeee this baby! I have been applying it for maybe once in two hours because it is just so easy and quick. More in-depth review on this coming up soon! :)

Last but not least is Organix Coconut Milk Anti Breakage Serum ($6.99 at drugstores). Since my hair is so long, it keeps breaking apart. Even though it is an anti-breakage serum, I could not see the improvement, I still have major breakage problem. However, my hair becomes so soft and weightless after I put this on. It smells so good too!! :) 

Random Favorites:
Favorite food: OH MY GOD, I have been eating chicken noodle soup every day!! I eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper! You know chicken noodle soup the one in the can.. Ahhh so good! ;) 

Favorite App: still not changed.. the Smurfs!! 

Favorite Snacks: Snapea! Have you guys tried Snapea yet? It is baked peas and it tastes salty just like chips, but it is more healthy ;) 

What are you May Favorites? Let me know in the comment below! I'd love to hear your favs ;) 


Have you guys entered my MAC Giveaway yet? You still have one week to enter!! Simply click here to enter for FREE! :) 


Lets be friends! 
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Love YOU, 

Alexandra