The Office Makeup Must Haves

My office is my home away from home. I spend a good chunk of my awake there here. So obviously I would have a stash of products here.

I normally apply my makeup at home and rarely do I reapply (out of pure laziness moreso than need) at the office. I still keep a few things here for the "just in case" which has yet to happen. =)

Wow thats all thats in there?!? NOPE! That is the overflow x.x

Lets approach this in catagories. These are only "makeup" items I keep at work. I have a separate makeup bag that I carry in my purse that supplements these items. I.E. powder.... more lipsticks.....hehe

The Tools of the Trade 

I keep a mini brush set, with eyeshadow brush, blending brush and a liner brush. It also had a small  powder brush but I keep that in my "purse makeup bag". I also have a lip brush, a small smudge brush, and a dual ended Avon brush that I absolutely LOVE!! The angle brush has just the right amount of stiffness and give... and the other side is perfect for blending and shadow application! I also have a foldable eyelash curler from Koji and a heated lash curler. 

Lip Products!

Revlon Tutti Frutti

Lancome Lipstick in Lovin It!

NYX Peach Gloss

Clinque 111 Camisole

ELF lip liner + brush 

(I don't use it because it is too dark I just leave it at work just because....of some reason....)

The Eyes

Stila Travel Palette in Trendsetting in Tokyo

(I absolutely love these travel palettes!)

Lancome Quad (A GWP)

A half used MM Lash Expander Frame Plus

Eyeko Skinny eyeliner

Urban Decay eyeliner in Stash

Lancome eyeliner in Ebony

Wet and Wild Liner (I highlight my brow bone with this)

I get a lot of use out the white liner because I always forget to highlight my brow bone in the morning. 

The Face

NYC blushable creme stick in Plaza Pink

The Balm Stainiac Blush

Boscia Peppermint Blotting Linens

Sample of a Lancome Foundation (Can't remember which)

Cargo bronzer in Medium

Gurlain Foundation Lingerie De Peau in 02 Beige Clair

(I got this from Jacq and I really love it! I think I should get into more cream foundations....)

The only products I really use is maybe the lipsticks and the Lingeri De Peau. Even then.... I always forget to reapply my lipstick... probably out of sheer laziness....

Corner, Side or Middle??

So I was out to lunch with some of my friends and we walked past this darling dessert place. We decided to go in. 



 

 

They have a punch card system but the lovely little touch at this shop is they have containers for you to leave your card there! That way it is less bulk in your wallet and you don't have to remember to carry it!

 



Some of artwork around the shop.

 

They have a cookbook on sale too!

Want to leave a tip but have no change? Dipjar tipping machine!! ADORABLE!!!

 



 

What sold me on this place is the service! The owner was super nice. It was our first time so she offered samples and detailed descriptions of her products. When we went to order our brownies she even asked if we prefer Corner, Side or Middle. That kind of blew my mind. She said it was because a lot of people have their crust preferences. I was floored!

 

Here is what we got!

 

 

 

 

A look at their decor

 

 

 

Let's check out the bathroom next!

 

 

 

They have chalk so you can write on the walls!

 

Of course I left my name! hehe

 

 

 

Zenkichi

So Jenn wanted to take my other friend Annie and I to this little japanese restaurant. They serve authentic japanese cuisine  Since the two of us were such japanese food lovers she thought we would really enjoy it. She was right! =D

Zenkichi

77 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

718.388.8985

They are kind of secretive. If you weren't looking for it I don't think I would have noticed it. 

They serve tapas like Tokyo seasonal small dishes. (Per their website)

It was a small bulding with three flights. The seating was mainly on the second floor and the third was the restroom and I assume offices are. 

Yes real pebbles!

Here is a shot from the third floor.

These bamboo shoots are hanging lightbulbs that light up each table on the second floor.

 

I always love it when they restaurants put a fresh bouquet of flowers in the bathroom.

This isn't our table but here is a typcial seating with curtains or blinds for privacy. 

Here is the menu.

Okay finally is what we ate. 

手作り豆腐　鰹だし淡醤油

Cold Fresh Tofu

Fresh and silky homemade tofu served with light dashi sauce

Sauce container for the tofu. 

日本茄子の白味噌田楽

Grilled Nasu Dengaku

Grilled Japanese eggplant topped with house-blend white miso

地鶏岩塩焼

Rocksalt Jidori Chicken

Simply grilled free-range chicken enjoyed in 3 ways: by itself, with lemon, or with yuzu pepper

本日のお薦め刺身

Raw Jewel of the Day

Today’s selection of sashimi or oysters

We had Red Snapper, Salmon and Yellow Tail

銀鱈の西京焼

Grilled Saikyo

Black Cod

Kyoto miso marinade

焼おむすび

鶏味噌又は明太マヨ

Grilled Riceball

Spicy cod roe mayonnaise

揚げいも団子

Potato Mochi

Deep fried potato rice cake served with spicy mayonnaise

And for Dessert...

峰岡豆腐

Mineoka Milk Tofu

Heavy cream and kudzu starch (no soymilk): strawberries, Azuki red beans, white chocolate

This was a wonderful dining experience. Everything was really good and fresh. Thank you so much for taking us Jenn! 

April Empties 2013

Ah ha! I did it! All caught up with my empties.... Finally I can clear my shelf.... 

Another RENU contact solution travel size. I think this is my last one so yippee!

Repurchase: Yes

Rating: Okay

BI-FACIL Eye Makeup Remover - I am so happy I have so many minis though my stash is slowly dwindling. I think I have about 3-4 left... 

Repurchase: Yes

Rating: Hurray!

SANA cleansing oil - I went to Mitsuwa (Japanese market) and there was this sales lady in the makeup/skincare isle. She was super nice and tried to sell me a some products. I was looking for a new cleansing oil at the time so I decided to give this a try. I think she said something to do with mushrooms? But I think I see something to do with soy? No idea this was MONTHS ago.... anyways I broke out this bad boy back in September I think.... so this lasted me... 8 months!! =O

It has a very good pump. I typically only need about 3/4 of a pump for my face. It does remove my makeup fairly well. But to be honest after a 12 hour day there isn't much left to remove as far as I can tell. I like that it isn't a runnier oil. It doesn't really emulsify which is kinda a downer for me. It doesn't have a fragrance which is always a plus. I truly enjoyed this cleansing oil. 

Repurchase: Maybe

Rating: Hurray!

Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Cleansing Foam - I have a review of it here, This was one of the very first cleansers I ever used. I think this was before their reformulation. I had this for a while and decided it was time to use it. My feelings haven't changed about this product. It is still definitely Holy Grail material for me. I might purchase a full size down the line but for now I want to try out some other cleansers.

Repurchase: Yes

Rating: Hurray

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner - I have a review of this toner here. As mentioned I loved this toner. This made my skin feel refreshed and clean. I think I am going to switch to using Witch Hazel for a while. I purchased a huge bottle at my local Rite Aid so I am set. I might repurchase this in the future.

Repurchase: Maybe

Rating: Hurray!

The Body Shop Blueberry body butter - I picked this up back in January (Post here) and I purchased a couple body butters when they were running their sale. I have no idea why this caught my eye but I grabbed it anyways. I thought this was going to the the last one I finished since I am not particularly fond of blueberries. Boy was I wrong!! I finished this first because I liked the scent and it is not overpowering like the other ones I picked up. (I love Papaya also but I didn't want to finish that one up too quickly) When I slathered this on before I climbed into the bed the smell is actually sort of soothing. I am not a believer in aromatherapy. Mostly because strong scents tend to give me a headache. This one I really liked. As for moisturizing. It does okay. It is somewhere between a tad to light for winter and a tad to heavy for summer. 

Repurchase: Yes

Rating: Hurray!

Cotton Squares - I am kind of sad... this was my last bag of japanese cotton squares. It is going to be a while till I have a chance to restock. I been spoiled by these babies. In a rush for cotton squares I swing by my nearest Sephora and picked up a pack of the Shiseido Cotton. I think I might have liked these better... 

Repurchase: Yes

Rating: Hurray!

I got this lip balm from a ex coworker years ago.... Probably had this longer than I should. I really love the smell. Can you guess what it smells like? Only downside was it was in a pot. But I guess that is part of its appeal. I don't like dipping my fingers in a pot so I have been using it at night with a brush. (Pic back in October) It is a decent lip balm but it will not heal the chapped lips.  

Repurchase: No

Rating: Okay

Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm - This little .5 oz pot lasted me quite a long time. I got this in my BirchBox a while back. It is an okay eye cream. If it gets in your eye it does sting mildly. It is definitely a "balm" consistency. Very light, definitely not a heavy eye cream. I don't notice many results but then again I don't have a lot of under eye circles or fine lines to worry about YET. I would say this is the best eye cream I have used so far but I haven't liked any eye cream I've used thus far. I would say it is okay. At $65 I think I will go experient around before I commit to this eye cream.

Repurchase: Maybe

Rating: Okay

L'Occitane hand cream in Shea Butter - This is definitely a cult favorite kind of product. I can see why. It has just the right amount of thickness to be very moisturizing but not overly heavy. It sinks in nicely. If my hands need a moisture boost I would definitely reach for this. If you have really dry and cracked hands this alone won't be sufficient but for a good hand cream this definitely takes the cake.  I don't particularly like the Shea Butter scent but that is just me. I love the squeeze tube packaging. The material is very flexible which allows you to really squeeze every last drop out of the tube. Definitly a plus for the people like me who don't like to waste product.

Repurchase: Maybe

Rating: Okay (Because of scent)

Crabtree and Evelyn Citron Honey and Coriander Hand Therapy - This is by far my favorite scent of all time when it comes to lotions. I could bath myself in this stuff. I was first introduced to it as some bath supplies from a hotel I was staying at and I absolutely loved the scent. I picked this baby up at one of their outlet locations. They were doing a 2/30 promo so it is not a inexpensive hand cream. I jumped at the opportunity and grabbed two. One I kept and one I gave to my friend Annie who shares my obsession with this scent. As for moisturizing I would have to say this is mediocre at best. It is a light hand cream, definitely not sufficient in the colder months or if your hands are dying of thirst. Nonetheless I truly love this scent. I was very sad to see this tube go. As for as packaging goes I like that it is in a tube form but i prefer the L'Occitane packaging. The aluminum-type material gives the tube the weirdest dents and makes it harder to squeeze out the product. The cap also isn't as secure as the L'Occitane one either. If you ever have the chance I would highly recommend you go and give this a whiff. 

Repurchase: Yes

Rating: Hurray!

 

I am so happy to be all caught up with my empties. Truthfully I didn't think I could do it! Empties posts are my favorite posts to read/write and they also are very time consuming. I hope you enjoyed this mini empties marathon. Hopefully it will the last one time I fall this far behind. =D

Ari~

March 2013 Empties

Two Empties Posts in two days?!?! What.... 

Yes I am playing catch up! Also.... my shelves are full of empty bottles and they gots to go! 

Kirkland Body Lotion - This sweet old lady was trying to sell this to customers at Costco.... I couldn't say no. It smelled nice and felt moisturizing. I read the label and it had no parabens so I said heck why not. It was cheap and I didn't want to let the little old lady down. It was an alright moisturizer but I didn't think it sunk it well. It kind of sits on the skin.

Repurchase: No

Rating: Okay

 Bath and Body Works Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Body Lotion - I really love this scent but it doesn't work for a body lotion. It is overly strong. The lotion itself is okay. Not moisturizing enough for my winter skin. This isn't a scent I can use outside of Autumn/Winter and I didn't want this to sit in my drawer any longer. I am glad this is finished. 

 Repurchase: No

Rating: Okay

Olay Cleansing Body wash in Luscious Embrace - I hate this body wash. It smells so strong and it is the scent is not appealing at all. It was the body wash that refuses to die. It was one of those "its on sale must buy!" moments and my family has a lot of them. Of course NO ONE wanted to use this stupid bottle so I got stuck with it. Thank goodness it is empty. Sad news is I still have one more bottle to go... *sniff*

 Repurchase: No

Rating: Okay

Secret Clinical Strength Antiperspirant - My holy grail, I go through these every few months. 

 Repurchase: Yes

Rating: Hurray!

Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus - One of my holy grail mascaras! It is the first and one of the only mascaras that hold a curl. I will never stray from this mascara. I always have a backup in my stash. 

 Repurchase: Yes

Rating: Hurray!

BI-FACIL Eye Makeup Remover - I go through one of these minis a month. I love this makeup remover.

Repurchase: Yes

Rating: Hurray!

Renu fresh contact solution - I bought so many of these travel size bottles to have "just in case" but now I rather have the space in my drawer.

Repurchase: Yes

Rating: Okay

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser - I don't really understand why this is such a cult favorite. It is very light, doesn't foam at all but I know it is sulfate free so that could be why. I have been using it with my clarisonic and I put more than needed just to empty this. I cannot quite get use to the rosemary scent. (I think it is rosemary anyways) I don't particular feel my skin is fully cleansed. Please keep in mind I wear some sort of base everyday to work so if you wear light makeup this might work for you. I am glad I got this mini in one of my old Birch Boxes because I would probably pick it up due to hype just to find out I hated it. 

Repurchase: No

Rating: No Way

Archipelago Pomegranate Soap - Continuing with getting rid of the little things, I decided to bust open this soap. I think this was one of the first things I received when I first subscribed to Birch Box. I was never a fan of bar soaps so this sat there unused for a while. It was okay. Not much scent to it. It doesn't later well but is mildly moisturizing. It didn't wow me and didn't leave an impression. It is just soap. Plain and simple.

Repurchase: No

Rating: Okay