to top

My Body, My Self-Image, My Self-Destruction

I once had a friend who went on a 6-week volunteer trip to a third world country. When she returned, we got together for dinner and she regaled me with tales of building shelters, teaching English, and even giving away many of the clothes she had brought for the trip. Her story was expectedly not void of woes; she had suffered countless mosquito bites, painful sunburn, and could not be happier to have access to clean water again. And then her voice fell to a hush. "I only lost 3 pounds though. I left for the trip thinking I would return a skeleton. But I only lost three. I almost wish that I had caught dysentery or malaria while I was there...

Continue reading

The Geek in Heels’ Favorite Beauty Products, 2012 Edition

Did you all have a good Thanksgiving? Have you found any good deals on Black Friday?

Because today is Cyber Monday — and because we are approaching the end of the year with the holidays just around the corner — I’ve decided to compile a list of my favorite beauty products. The last time I had done this was more than 5 years ago, so there are obviously some changes as well as additions.

I share this information because I am a classic Maven who loves to share the best ideas, products, and trends with others. Additionally, while I’m not a beauty junkie or makeup expert, I have spent the past 20-or-do years of my life experimenting with various beauty products — more so than your average woman — and I can’t help but shout from the rooftops when I find something good!

For your reference, I am Asian with medium-fair skin tone. I have combination skin and (luckily) do not break out much. My hair also tends of be combination (oily at roots, dry at ends) and it tends to fall flat by the end of the day.

(If a product type is not mentioned, it’s because I have not found a favorite, do not use one, or it does not play an integral part in my beauty routine.)

Let’s start!

Skin:

Shiseido Pureness Deep Cleansing Foam — I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear that my previous cleanser, Prescriptives All Clean Fresh Foaming Cleanser, became available again after Prescriptives counters closed. However, one day when I was without a cleanser, I stole some of my sister’s…and became hooked. The Shiseido Pureness cleanser cleans thoroughly without drying out my skin, it smells amazing, and it even has little beads that help exfoliate your skin.

My $62 Complexion Perfector [Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation Review]

My husband is not a very observant person.

He hardly takes notice when I rearrange things around the house. He regularly misses stains and tears on the girls’ clothes. And I can’t remember if he’s ever acknowledged a new haircut on me — not even the time I chopped off 5 inches!

So when he told me earlier this week that my face was “glowing,” I knew I had a winning foundation in my hands.

Correction: complexion perfector. Because, according to Linda Cantello, International Make-up Artist for Giorgio Armani Cosmetics,

It’s not a foundation; it’s a complexion perfector. A whole new generation of make-up that feels incredible, looks invisible and makes skin appear luminous every time. Anyone can wear it.

Yes, I am talking about the newest “it” beauty product — one that has had makeup blogs abuzz with anticipation since it was first announced two months ago.

The Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup.

The luxury fashion brand spent eight years researching the formula for this foundation, with the aim of making the Maestro unlike any other makeup on the market today. While most foundations are made up of roughly 20% water and 80% oil (in addition to trace amounts of pigment and powder), this new product uses 60% dry oils and 11% highly-concentrated, “smart” pigments; the patented Fusion Technology enables the foundation to adapt to the wearer’s natural skin tone, rather than adding color on top of it.

Giveaway: Too Faced “The Naked Look” Makeup Palette

Thank you all for all your kind comments and messages regarding my last post on depression.

I am doing better, but I believe that we are still a long ways to go to start feeling like my normal self again.

My therapist is encouraging me to partake in activities I once enjoyed, and to take up old (and perhaps some new) hobbies again. To carve out some time for myself each day, even if it’s just a few minutes, to do something that will be beneficial for my own well-being. And as we started to create a list of things I can do, I realized something:

I’ve missed blogging.

So I’m back. I can’t promise that I’ll blog every day like I used to, but I want to try. Because as I once told a good friend, even when things got so hectic and life seemed so chaotic, blogging was an activity I looked forward to because I had full control over it, and I knew that I was doing at least an okay job of it.

And to celebrate my return, I’ve decided to host a small giveaway —

One lucky winner will receive a Too Faced “The Naked Look” makeup palette!

I received this palette after trading in 500 Sephora Beauty Insider points. I always save up my points forever, waiting for something good to come along, and when I saw this palette as an available perk, I was immediately reminded of my Smashbox Perfectly Polished Lids Giveaway and decided to snatch it up for my readers.