Category: Western

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Worth It? Voloom Hair Volumizing Iron – Review & Comparison to Crimper and Voloom Petite

Life. Changing.

I don’t say that lightly. But as someone with straight and slippery hair that could barely be teased after 15 mins of backcombing and hair spraying by a wedding hairdresser, that’s the truth. If I lost this $130 tool, I’d immediately order a new one. And yes, I paid for both the original and petite versions. JAN. 2019 UPDATE: I’ve since bought and tried the Rootie version as well. It’s too subtle without getting any closer to roots, so it just ended up taking longer to achieve the same amount of volume. Of the three versions/sizes of Voloom, my fave is still Voloom Petite.


This post will sound like a paid ad for Voloom (“Turn the volume up to 11!!”), but it’s not. (I *wish* we got commission for all the people we’ve converted.) I’m just obsessed with it because IT WORKS and IT’S EASY. Ever since Renee introduced me to this, I’ve used this regularly and often. And both of us named this one of our 2016 furvorites.
Continue reading “Worth It? Voloom Hair Volumizing Iron – Review & Comparison to Crimper and Voloom Petite”

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BeautyandtheCat Sunscreen? Yes Please!

BeautyandtheCat Sunscreen Sun Pearls

COMING SOON: Volition will hold another GIVEAWAY starting this Monday, June 26th!  Each vote for Sun Pearls will be automatically entered.  Voting is open to all; U.S. residents are eligible for the giveaway.

I (Angela) am obsessed with sunscreen.  Maybe you picked that up when I reviewed 12 Japanese ones in a megapost (all SPF 50+ and PA++++ of course).  But one question always nagged at me: how do I know whether I’ve applied enough to get the actual level of SPF advertised on the bottle?

I dreamed of sunscreen that came pre-measured and perfectly portioned in capsules to make it easy to apply just the right amount.  No guesswork and no measuring spoon required.  (Yep, I resorted to using a 1/4-tsp measuring spoon at one point.)

Well now you can vote for my idea to come to life!  (One vote per email.)

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

https://volitionbeauty.com/campaigns/sun-pearls-spf-30

Once there are enough votes, the Sun Pearls move into the formulation stage (with my input) and will eventually be sold on VolitionBeauty.com.
Continue reading “BeautyandtheCat Sunscreen? Yes Please!”

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Call of Duty-Free: Renee’s Mini Airport Haul at YVR

I just came back from my annual snowboarding trip in Whistler. Beside the bazillion foot elevation and vertical drop, and jaw-dropping, audible-gasping sights of this mountain, this & the surrounding Vancouver area has among my (Renee’s) FAVORITE duty free shopping because it’s a huge port for Cathay Pacific routes to Asia. Behold:

Duty-Free Mini Haul at YVR Terminal and Cathay Pacific inflight catalogue

Continue reading “Call of Duty-Free: Renee’s Mini Airport Haul at YVR”

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Chanel Ya Later: Chanel Camelia de Chanel Illuminating Powder Review & Swatches

02-camelia-de-chanel-illuminating-powderTo be honest, I’ve never used up a highlighter and I currently have ::mumbles:: four…or six…or more ::mumbles::.  But this limited-edition beauty by Chanel called to me like no other.  Talk about sparking joy!

Camélia de Chanel Illuminating Powder officially went on sale in the U.S on Chanel.com a couple of weeks ago.  As of this writing, it’s still available.  Chanel’s description:  Continue reading “Chanel Ya Later: Chanel Camelia de Chanel Illuminating Powder Review & Swatches”

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Happy Mew Year! – A Recap of 2016 Furrrvorites

A lot of bad shit happened in 2016. Like, furrreal. But a lot of good shit happened too. As we bid adieu to 2016 and its poopoo platter, please remember more strongly the things that brought us happiness. Such as:

  • This catman who gives a cat a bath WHILE rapping. Is he a wizard? A rapper? A w-rapper?
  • New technology in genetics means we are SO CLOSE to the fountain of youth, or Gattaca or Sharktopus, please thank you.
  • Angela and Renee got to gallivant in England and France and hoarded stuphs!
  • Also, any year spent in the company of healthy loved ones, including Miss Roxy, can be considered a good year.

Here we are on a Manhattan rooftop wishing you a Happy 2017! May this year be the right time for your endeavors to be met with success and all your wishes to finally arrive!

Other stuphs that brought Angela and I much happiness in 2016:

Our Beauty Favorites Roundup for 2016

Continue reading “Happy Mew Year! – A Recap of 2016 Furrrvorites”

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Show and Tail Pt. 2: Angela’s Picks for Sephora Sale

Oh boy, the Rouge sale starts tomorrow (Nov. 4th).  So let’s get to it.

>>Part 1 featuring Dior, Tatcha, AmorePacific, Chosungah22 and more is here.<<

Tarte BlushTarte Blush

Tarte blushes ($28): I have just a few of these ::cough cough:: They’re solid performers with the right level of buildable pigmentation that you want in a blush.  My favorites (based on NC15/NC20 skintone) are Exposed–a no-blush blush that subtly defines and goes with everything–and Natural Beauty–a Snow White red (seriously) that gives a natural flush so long as you apply very lightly.  The Color Wheel blush palette ($44) is a crazy good deal.  Each shade is less than half the amount of the regular blush, but IMO variety > product weight when it comes to blushes.  My only critique is that one of the highlighters has chunky shimmers and a lot of the shades are variations of bright pink.  Still worth it.

Continue reading “Show and Tail Pt. 2: Angela’s Picks for Sephora Sale”

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Show and Tail Pt. 1: Angela’s Picks for Sephora Sale

Every November, I look forward to the chance to shop Sephora for 20% off.

That’s when Sephora’s annual Rouge/VIB/BI sale takes place, so I spend September and October carefully building my cart.  In this post, I let the cat out of the (shopping) bag and share my recommendations–a mix of splurges, staples, and smart gifts.  And don’t forget that Sephora has a whole K-beauty section featuring Belif, AmorePacific, Caolion, Primary Raw, Dr. Jart+, Erborian, and more and also sells Korean makeup brands such as Chosungah 22, Touch in Sol, and Too Cool for School.

What are *you* picking up at the sale?

Sephora Sale

Dior Lip Glow ($33) (reviewed here): After many years, 10+ tubes, and endless trials of dupes, this is still a daily staple (actually multiple-times-a-daily staple).  This is even better than the History of Whoo version.  There are now Lilac and Coral versions, but the original pink still works best for my pale skin.

Chosungah 22 Dual Lip Tint & Gloss ($19) (shown in Chiffon): The lip tint is high quality: applies smoothly, evenly, and with a POW of color.  A marked difference from TonyMoly quality ::side eye::  Unfortunately, the lip gloss flakes off.  Still worth trying.

Continue reading “Show and Tail Pt. 1: Angela’s Picks for Sephora Sale”

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Dude, Where’s My Pharma? – Brief Recap of City Pharma in Paris

This post is oh…a few months late…we’d been too busy basking in the full glory of ALL. THE. PRODUCTS gotten for cheap cheap in Paris. The ground floor of Selfridges in London wasn’t bad either, but I may save it for another post.

Behold a pic of Angela (who previously reviewed City Pharma but HAD to come back for MOAR) contemplating Caudalie for breakfast. Pictures ARE NOT allowed in City Pharma. Ahem.

Continue reading “Dude, Where’s My Pharma? – Brief Recap of City Pharma in Paris”

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Low pHat Cream: Low pH Cleansers by Earth Science Naturals and Paula’s Choice-Review and Demo

01-low-ph-foaming-cleanser
Maximizing the cat cameos before I have to relinquish Roxy to Renee

Looking for a gentle and foaming cream cleanser?  I’ve been alternating between two great options from Earth Science Naturals and Paula’s Choice lately–both with a low pH between 5.0 and 6.0.  (I can’t bring myself to say 5.5 because my strips aren’t that precise, but definitely above 5.0 and below 6.0.) Continue reading “Low pHat Cream: Low pH Cleansers by Earth Science Naturals and Paula’s Choice-Review and Demo”

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A Bunch of Grapes: 5 Purple Eyeliners

01 Best Purple EyelinerNext to a bright lip, colored eyeliner is my favorite way to party up my look.  With my hooded lids, the color is just a flash whenever I blink or look down.

I love the color purple (not the movie, although that was good, too), so I’ve amassed a small collection of purple eyeliners (incl. one from Korean brand Touch in Sol).  Here they are, starting with my most to least favorite:

  1. NYX Vivid Blossom ($7; liquid)
  2. Stila Royal ($22 if you can find this discontinued gem; liquid)
  3. Tarte Fairy Wings ($21; gel)
  4. Ardency Inn Lilac ($20; pencil)
  5. Touch in Sol Galactic Girl ($16; pencil)

First, swatch heaven:

Continue reading “A Bunch of Grapes: 5 Purple Eyeliners”