Sunday, May 19, 2013

Guest Post on Gummy Vision

Yay!! I'm a guest again. The ever lovely Gummy hosts a series of skincare routine featuring guest bloggers. I'm so honored when she extended the invitation as she's my skincare mentor and her guest bloggers are all talented and have great sense of humor. Peer pressure you know! Her wonderful blog, Gummy Vision has moved to a new server and she did a great job designing it in chic and clean interface. I highly recommend you guys check out her blog.

You can check out my guest post on Gummy Vision here. Talk to you all soon. Joanne


Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Montreal Five-Love

Running The Convenient Beauty has been a bit of a challenge since April. Not only I haven't had much time to finish my draft posts, but my mentality for the blog has evolved. In the chaos of changes in my non-blogging life, I had a much-needed trip to Montreal. It was such a refreshment after over a year living in Houston. Montreal has a special charm especially during spring time. I LOVE the city for many reasons, but here are five loves of the trip.

1. David's Tea shop. A more fun version of Teavana. It's hip, friendly, cute and relaxing. We ordered caffein-free tea. Delicious!! 

2. Strangely-looking and tasty veggie - Tetes de Violon. I forgot to grab one package ughhh. This is served only at restaurants in Houston, I think. 

 3. BIXI - a bike sharing service that's similar to Houston B-cycle. Me, biking through one of the city parks. 

4. One of the neighbors' cat. She's a ninja but from time to time, she's laid back like this. Her belly is huge!

5. My niece. She can flip and sit (for a while). Precious!!
Hope things are going well where you are now.

Joanne 

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Review: Tom Ford Beauty Summer 2013 - Escapade and Pink Haze Cream Color for Eyes

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes ($40 for 0.21 oz) in Escapade and Pink Haze are my first real-deal cream eyeshadows. Not that I don't like the cream formula, I often find cream eyeshadow a bit hard to handle, particularly with blending. Escapade and Pink Haze blown me away with how blendable and layerable they are. Plus the colors are supreme.

Escapade and Pink Haze has a hybrid texture of cream and whipped mouse texture. They are incredibly smooth and blend seamlessly into the skin. It weightless and doesn't dry out though out the entire day or look greasy. Phenomenal!

Both stay fresh for over 10 hours over a standard primer. While Pink Haze gives me the same powerful wearing with and without a primer, Escapade creases on my eye lids after 4 hours without a primer. I haven't seen any reviews that report this issue. There's also no creasing if I layer a powder eyeshadow on top of Escapade. This could mean I need to test it a little longer. Priming my eyelids is part of my daily makeup routine but I thought I point this out. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to creasing guys.
Escapade is a golden/yellow peach with multicolor shimmer. Pink Haze crosses between brown pink and burgundy pink with silvery/multicolor shimmer. Escapade is a touch less pigmented than Pink Haze. Both are sheerer than in the pot but can be layered for maximum opacity. Escapade and Pink Haze look dazzling alone with just the eyeliner and mascara if you opt for more simple and clean look. I love to wear them together then define my outer V with one of Tom Ford's brown eyeshadows in Cognac Sable or Golden Mink, or Dior Beige Massai. They also work well as base color to add warmth and sophisticated sheen to the lids underneath my powder eyeshadows like Dior Rosy Nude, Dior Rosy Tan, Dior Sunset Cafe, Burberry Midnight Brown, Burberry Pale Barley, Rimmel Spicy Bronze, Edward Bess Back to Basics and the list goes on. Escapade and Pink Haze have become an important part of my eyeshadow collection.
I've emphasized this in all my Tom Ford posts and am doing it again: don't be shied away by the shimmer. It's opulent, edgy and sexy in the ultimately delicate fashion. The word shimmer/glitter itself seems to often be associated with teenagers, proms, and bling. Tom Ford has created and elevated the shimmer/glitter to a whole different class and made it wearable to suit the most elegant, simple and chic taste. Of course it's my personal view but if you try Tom Ford's beauty line in person, you'll know. 

I don't have similar cream eyeshadows to compare with Tom Ford Pink Haze nor Escapade. I highly recommend you guys check out Makeup Magpie's marvelous review and the lovely eye look she did with both. Below are some peach and beige shades for you gauge how Tom Ford's sit in the color range. 

Comparison swatches. Tom Ford Escapade has the most peach. Tom Ford Cognac Sable (peach shade) has much more golden bronze. Dior Rosy Nude (peach shade) is considerably pinker. Burberry Pale Barley is much more beige (although contains golden shimmer). 

Swatched next to the window to show the color bases. 
 Swatched under direct sunlight to show shimmer
The high price point of Tom Ford is always up for debate. A single eyeshadow for $40 isn't wallet-friendly for everyone. But you'll get a great amount for what you pay, 0.21 oz or $190.5 per ounce. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre provides 0.14 oz at $36 or $257 per ounce. Bobbi Brown, another Estee Lauder's beauty brands, offers 0.12 oz at $24 or $200 per ounce. Basically, we Tom Ford's fans need to get over the first shot to own the eyeshadows, then they'll last for a long time. The question is whether you like the color and quality enough to give it a try. I do and both Escapade and Pink Haze are must-haves for me. They're worth every penny!

Bottom line. The biggest hits of the collections, and of this summer. I must own both Escapade and Pink Haze. Get them before they're gone guys!

Have you checked out Tom Ford beauty summer collection? What are your picks? Which items you're most excited about?

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Review: Tom Ford Beauty Summer 2013 - Vapor Nail Lacquer

Guys, my first luxurious nail polish and also my absolute favorite until today is Tom Ford Vapor . I don't wear nail polishes very often, hence the clumsy application in the pictures below :D. When I do, my go-to brands include Essie, Zoya, Revlon and the base and top coats by Butter London. I don't want to spend $$$$ on nail polishes either. So what's special about Vapor? 
Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Vapor ($30 for 0.41 oz) is part of a well-edited summer collection from the brand. As soon as I saw the promo picture a few months back, I knew Vapor would be an instant click for me. When I swatched it at the counter, it turned into a love struck! 

The color, shimmery pearly white that reflects light gracefully, got me right from the start. Yes, pearly white has existed for aeon. But this white is rather unique. It's very me. It pops against my skin color in a subtle fashion and brightens up my skin. The delicate shimmer, as I expected from Tom Ford, adds fabulous touch for the color and yet isn't overdone. Under the strong light, you can see the gorgeous multicolor shimmer. Adored! 

 The applicator. Quite easy to handle except for the bulky cap. 
Vapor goes on opaque with 3 layers although I also really enjoy the sheer look of just one or two layers. It's chic, classic and not boring! The texture is weightless and smooth with excellent consistency. As you can see from the swatch, Vapor is streaky, which doesn't bother me at all. I know some people prefer a uniform look of the polish so this could be a drawback. Also, once applied the streaky finish can't be altered by my Butter London top coat.

Next to the windows - 3 coats

Direct sunlight - 3 coats
What really won my heart over is the long wearing. Vapor isn't chip-resistant like gel nail formula, of course. I wash dishes, do gardening, move things around etc... all with my bare hands. Now most of my go-to brands will peel by half of the nail after day one with all these activities. Vapor stays put on the major part of my nails, only the tips peeled after day 7. Love it!

Super fine shimmer
Now, I'm not familiar with nail polishes from other high-end brands although I tested many of them out at the counter. I can't say Vapor beats all white nail polishes in the market but it's an excellent choice for day or night, work or party and even the beach. It's so versatile that I know I'll wear the heck out of the 30-dollar bottle. My affection with Vapor is, like I said, a love struck. Not a single nail polish have ever caught my attention like Vapor. No one was even selling it to me at the counter. I played with it by myself then bought it. 

Vapor offers slightly less quantity than a typical nail polish bottle (0.41 oz vs. 0.5 oz) and comes with a hefty $30 price tag. I believe you can find a similar shade in other brands, drugstore or high-end but I've never come across a pearl white like Vapor. Depending on what you already have, it might or might not be a must-have. In any case, I still strongly recommend you check it out. It's too lovely to be missed out. 

Bottom line. Definitely a must-have for me. A classic shade that stays strong. Highly-recommended! 

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Beauty Blogazons Weekly Roundups 04/28/2013

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