When I first started at Sephora last year, I wrote up this post, giving some pointers to the men who brave their way into this makeup mecca.  A year later, I still see the same type of men milling around, and have encountered more interesting.. no, awkward questions and requests from men.

So this is for all guys who are looking for the perfect gifts at Sephora:

1)  Asking for the BEST foundation will not get you far.  What's the best foundation for me might be the worst for the girl you're trying to please.  Every woman has a specific type of foundation they like, whether it's the texture or simply the brand.  Some women may only wear Dior foundation, while others swear by brands like Cover FX.  If you think your girl needs new foundation or new look, why don't you book her a special events makeup session, which is free with the purchase of a $50 gift card?  That'll certainly cover the foundation you think she needs to purchase, and she'll be able to update her makeup wardrobe with a help of a color consultant!  PS - pale but not too pale is not descriptive enough for me to choose a foundation color for someone I've never met.

2)  Please don't sniff us and tell us that you want your girl to smell likes us.  That is just creepy.  If anything, get those Sephora Favorite Fragprance Sets if you truly do not know what she likes, or get her something popular like Marc Jacobs Daisy/Lola, Chloe, Stella McCartney (my favorite), or D&G Light Blue.  You can ask us to make a sample of whatever perfume you get, so she can try it on first without opening the bottle, and also ask for a gift receipt! For those living or visiting Los Angeles, I strongly recommend that you come in and look for THE fragrance guru, Loretta.  She's amazing and will awaken your sense to perfume.

3)  When it comes to individual products like lipsticks, blush, or eyeshadow, just don't get them.  A bright orange lipstick is not for everyone!  In fact, very few people actually wears bright orange lipstick on a daily basis.  That goes with bright green eyeshadow or bright hot pink blush.  Play it safe and get her a palette or lip gloss set.  It's a lot less awkward gifting her a set than gifting her a lipstick she has to pretend to like.  Or, refer to tip #1 - schedule a special events makeup for her that's complimentary with a $50 gift card.

4)  Now you might think getting her an expensive jar of cream would be nice, but again, unless you know exactly what she uses, she will most likely be confused or underwhelmed by it.  Imagine giving someone an eye cream!  What is that suppose to mean?  I'm getting old and I have puffy eyes?  To avoid that, you can get her a nice starter set or travel size kit of the product she uses, or if you truly want to delight her, get her a Clarisonic brush.  I don't know any girl that doesn't want one of her own.  And a Clarisonic does not say "your face is dirty," but rather it says "I did my homework online and in magazines and everyone loves it."

Hope my new 2011 version of Guidelines for Men - Sephora! helps everyone.  If you are constantly getting weird gifts from your boy, definitely forward this along to him and all of his guy friends!

Best of luck to the new year!

More Marc Jacobs...

SEPHORA COLLECTION EDUN for Sephora Palette - Harmony

$36.00 at Sephora

The other day I was helping this lovely young woman who was graduating from grad school, and wanted help to find a palette that she’d love, and also tips on how to apply the colors.  This young woman picked this gorgeous warm eyeshadow palette, Harmony from the EDUN for Sephora collection, and she totally had the skin tone to rock it.  One of the colors she loved was this fiery coral red, which looked awesome on her.  With bright colors, on me, I’m conservative, but everyone is different.  This gal had the personality to rock bright colors all over her lid, so that’s what I did.  I applied a golden yellow under her brows and in the inner corners of her eyes to brighten up those areas.  To keep it simple, since she’s not too experienced with makeup, I just applied the fiery coral red near the outer corners of her eyes, from her lash line to her crease.

Now, before I go on, there are some things I have to state first.  I might be new to makeup, but I study how eye makeup is applied to different eye shapes quite religiously.  I’m also very meticulous about my work, and I make sure that my client/model’s is comfortable with what I’m doing.  Lastly, I speak conversational Mandarin quite fluently.

So in comes in these girls, and the first thing I hear out of their mouth in Mandarin is, “Oh she made her makeup look so ugly.”  I saw them out of the corner of my eyes, but didn’t say anything as the gal in front of me deserves my attention.  However, when I made eye contact with them later on, the one who said it smirked at me all haughty taughty.  Girl, you’re makeup is that of every other Asian girl – thick eyeliner, light color eyeshadows, and pale lip gloss.  You can’t pull off any other look, and you also can’t apply makeup onto any other ethnicity, so STFU.

Sadly, I kept that all in, just shot back haughty taughty looks at them, and wondered if they ever figured out that I might have been able to understand them.

Anyhow, just had to get that off my chest and go back to watching So You Think You Can Dance!  The dancers this season are all so good!!!

So You Think You Can Dance Results Show - Show

I hate it when I don't update for even a week, because it makes updating after that just so much harder.  How do you come back?  What do you write about?  Do you say sorry for our absence when everyone has already left?

Ugh, I totally hate this side of me.

So what have I been up to?  Oh, just about EVERYTHING!!

First and foremost, my 10 year anniversary with the hub is tomorrow!!  We went to his junior prom together, originally "as friends," but as the prom date loomed closer, our friendship just naturally grew into well, a love story!  10 years later, we've gotten married, we've adopted a puppy, and we're living our lives with each other as support.  I know, that sounds totally cheesy, but I do love CHEESE!  Yum.

Work has also been kicking my arse.  No idea if I shared this before, but I've been working at Sephora as a secondary source of income since last December.  My other job starts at 7:30 in the morning, and lately, it's just not as stimulating.  I get a natural high when I'm busy at work, but unfortunately the lab hasn't been as busy as everyone would like.  Everyone is in panic mode - are we getting laid off or are we going to be safe for another month?  Sephora on the other hand, has been super fun and exciting!  I love love love makeup, and I love hanging around with other makeup addicts all day long!  But I've realized that I really love showing makeup to people who are mostly new to makeup.  Newbies tend to be more easily wowed by all the awesome products in the store - the super savvy people tend to be alread have bought or have tried everything already.  On the bright side, I love it when I help people who have been using a recently discontinued product for 5, 7, or 10 years find a replacement that's even better!

So.. some brands and products that totally rocks but probably haven't been introduced to you:

CoverFX

Cover FX Acne Treat + Conceal Kit

$49.00 at Sephora

For flawless complexion, you go to CoverFX.  They have a super wide range of colors for people with every skin undertone and overtone.  Their products are developed in a dermatology institute for patients suffering from psorias, excema, rosacea, acne, etc., to achieve natural looking skin while still covering up their skin issues.  It's great for everyone, but especally great for people with sensitive skin.  Their line is oil-free, paraben-free, fragrance free, and non-comedogenic.  Aside from their awesome foundations, also try out their primers!  Their primers and foundations are also filled with anti-aging ingredients to help treat your skin!

theBalm

TheBalm TimeBalm Concealer

$18.00 by TheBalm at Sephora

theBalm is a cult-favorite brand, with timeBalm concealer being the most popular of it all.  Its eco-friendly packaging contains awesome products, ranging from mineral based eyeshadows, the most beautiful bronzers, awesome lip and cheek stains, and non-irritating lip plumpers.  Like CoverFX, theBalm packs their products with nourishing anti-aging ingredients to help treat your skin while wearing makeup!

Time for me to do my laundry!  If you think I haven't updated this blog in a long time, just imagine how long it's been since I've done my laundry!

I hate it when I don't update for even a week, because it makes updating after that just so much harder.  How do you come back?  What do you write about?  Do you say sorry for our absence when everyone has already left?

Ugh, I totally hate this side of me.

So what have I been up to?  Oh, just about EVERYTHING!!

First and foremost, my 10 year anniversary with the hub is tomorrow!!  We went to his junior prom together, originally "as friends," but as the prom date loomed closer, our friendship just naturally grew into well, a love story!  10 years later, we've gotten married, we've adopted a puppy, and we're living our lives with each other as support.  I know, that sounds totally cheesy, but I do love CHEESE!  Yum.

Work has also been kicking my arse.  No idea if I shared this before, but I've been working at Sephora as a secondary source of income since last December.  My other job starts at 7:30 in the morning, and lately, it's just not as stimulating.  I get a natural high when I'm busy at work, but unfortunately the lab hasn't been as busy as everyone would like.  Everyone is in panic mode - are we getting laid off or are we going to be safe for another month?  Sephora on the other hand, has been super fun and exciting!  I love love love makeup, and I love hanging around with other makeup addicts all day long!  But I've realized that I really love showing makeup to people who are mostly new to makeup.  Newbies tend to be more easily wowed by all the awesome products in the store - the super savvy people tend to be alread have bought or have tried everything already.  On the bright side, I love it when I help people who have been using a recently discontinued product for 5, 7, or 10 years find a replacement that's even better!

So.. some brands and products that totally rocks but probably haven't been introduced to you:

CoverFX

Cover FX Acne Treat + Conceal Kit

$49.00 at Sephora

For flawless complexion, you go to CoverFX.  They have a super wide range of colors for people with every skin undertone and overtone.  Their products are developed in a dermatology institute for patients suffering from psorias, excema, rosacea, acne, etc., to achieve natural looking skin while still covering up their skin issues.  It's great for everyone, but especally great for people with sensitive skin.  Their line is oil-free, paraben-free, fragrance free, and non-comedogenic.  Aside from their awesome foundations, also try out their primers!  Their primers and foundations are also filled with anti-aging ingredients to help treat your skin!

theBalm

TheBalm TimeBalm Concealer

$18.00 by TheBalm at Sephora

theBalm is a cult-favorite brand, with timeBalm concealer being the most popular of it all.  Its eco-friendly packaging contains awesome products, ranging from mineral based eyeshadows, the most beautiful bronzers, awesome lip and cheek stains, and non-irritating lip plumpers.  Like CoverFX, theBalm packs their products with nourishing anti-aging ingredients to help treat your skin while wearing makeup!

Time for me to do my laundry!  If you think I haven't updated this blog in a long time, just imagine how long it's been since I've done my laundry!

Hey Everyone!  Happy New Years!!!  I know I've been an awful blogger, but still, hello and thanks for hanging in there with me.

Just a quickie, but I'm at Sephora at Century City for the holiday season.  It's so fun and exciting, the time goes by super quickly.  I love talking to all the people that comes in, even if it's a quick hello or good bye. The best part is that I get to know first hand what deals are in place.  Right now there are some great steals that people who work there can't even purchase because it's at such a huge discount!  Nars duo concealers, originally $30, are only $10.  Boscia oil absorbing sheets are only $4.50.  My favorite steal?

Stila Good to Glow

$10.00 by Stila at Sephora

This.  The Stila Good to Glow set is only $10!!!  Can you friggin believe that?

So come in and say hi to me if you're in the are and get these great deals in person!!!!  Also check out our Express makeup service to get a brand new eye look, lip look, skincare routine, for under 15 minutes with a specialist!

Goodbye 2009 and hello 2010!!

On a side note, I finally figured out how to record videos on my webcam, so *gasp*, I might actually do video tutorials for real now.  Are you prepared to see and hear me?  EEEK!

I totally failed today.  I completely missed Utada at the Sephora at Hollywood and Highland.  Despite getting to work early and leaving early, I still missed the entire event.  The traffic was horrible going across town, that it took me almost 1 1/2 hour just to drive 8 miles!  At 1 point, I could clearly see the building, but I just sat there in stagnant traffic for 1/2 an hour.  It was that horrible.  I got there a little before 6, and by then, the line was incredibly long.  About 5 minutes later, some guys running the event came and told everyone that only people with wrist bands would get in (to avoid line cutters), and all the wrist bands have been handed out.

Anyhow, I took some pictures of the line, and they're up on my Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=45594860&l=09ab8563ed&id=2502573

One thing that surprised me was how diverse the crowd was.  I figured there would be a lot of Asians, since Hikki is soo beloved by Asians everywhere, but there were people of every ethnicity.  There was a kinda cute guy I noticed, and I think he had green eyes.  I didn't stare too much so maybe he wasn't even cute.  Didn't get a picture of him though, bummer.

All was not lost, as I trekked to the MAC store in the same plaza/mall/huge building, and checked out the Sugar Sweet line.  The displays in that store was incredible clean, and lots of disposable q-tips/gloss wands readily available.  I did get a lil something something just so I could get my parking validated.  =P  Plus I found a lipstick/gloss combo that may just create the deep, also black plum lips I want.  HmmMMmm.

I just saw this from Sugar Rock Catwalk, so I'm gonna post it too!

15% off at Sephora.com with promo code J89LM. Enter it at checkout, and boom, you can look pretty and have a little extra bling in your pocket. Promotion code good through Saturday, March 7th.

I really like that bright greenish teal nail color.  The blue eyeshadow with red hair is also pretty awesome in my book.  =D  So what are you waitng for?!?  15% OFF!!!  GO SHOP NOW!!!

I just realized that Christmas is only 8 days away.  I've had my Christmas shopping done for a while, but in case you haven't, and you need to get something quick, here's an idea.  It's exactly what I'm giving to my girlfriends and female coworkers.

Sephora Brand Birthday Body Wash Gift Set

$25.00 at Sephora

What it is: A set of ten scrumptious bath gels. What it does: The Sephora Brand Birthday Body Wash Gift Set lets you suds up with ten different delightful scents. Try them all before choosing a full-size favorite. This set also makes the perfect gift. What else you need to know: The set includes 2.5 oz bubble bath gels in Tropical Jasmine, Coconut Cream, Guava Passion, Tangerine Grapefruit, Riviera Blue, Peach Blossom, Apple Pomegranate, Vanilla Cupcake, Lime Blossom, and Chocolate Espresso.

There are TONS of fashion and beauty surrounding LA.  There are celebrity make up artists and hair stylists all over Hollywood and Beverly Hills, as well as super renowned spas and get-aways.

But what's a regular gal making a regular (not by LA standards, but by national standards, which is basically below poverty line for LA) to do here?  There's no way I can afford getting my make up done, my brows arched, or my tired muscles relaxed by anyone that's raved by beauty experts.  I'm certainly not Tina or Kelly from The Beauty Snobs, so really, what's a gal to do and where's a gal to do?

I initially typed this as a quick response to a comment on Jolie Nadine's blog asking about where to go for beauty in LA.  I thought it might be interesting and informative to the rest of you.  I've edited my original response just a tad to well, not sound too out of place.

If you are in LA, you definitely should check out Sephora in Santa Monica.  It's practically brand new, and it is huge.  I went there the day it opened, and again for training as a seasonal, and they just have so much there.  They definitely carry more brands at that location compared to smaller stores in the same area, including my home-store in Century City.  BUT, the Sephora in Century City has really great people, AND they seem to have more samples on hand to give out. 

Once in Santa Monica, there's a Fred Segal Beauty about 3 blocks from the Sephora store.  I personally haven't been there, but I knew a make up artist that used to work there and she was fabulous.  Said make up artist is now in Hawaii, but I'm sure you'll have fun there.

Salon wise, I am deeply loyal to Salon Vivace.  I've been going there since I was 12.  They have a location also in Santa Monica, also around Sephora and Fred Segal, as well as a location in Beverly Hills and Torrance.  Another salon that I like is Taka Hair Salon, which is located in West LA.  It's a Japanese salon that offers a lot of Japan's newest hair treatments.

Unfortunately I'm not much of a spa gal.  It's simply too expensive of an indulgence for me.  I have to rely on my mommy to give me a massage.  But for waxes, there's a cute salon in Westwood, Beba Beauty Salon, that I frequent.  Ask for Lynn, who is super gentle, and tries to make the Brazilian waxing experience as comfortable as can be. 

Hopefully you guys will visit the Sephora store in Century City while I'm working.  But I'm seasonal and on call, so I don't know when I'll be there.  IF you do go, look for a chubby Asian girl with pink highlights, and that'll be me!

I went to Sephora to do some Christmas shopping, as well as to stock up on some new things for myself, when Riley West, the MUA for Urban Decay, started chatting up with me as I was crouched in front of Lancome's Artliner's display case.  Ms. Riley is totally into funky color hair like me, so from where she was standing (and where I was crouching), she got really interested in mine.  After a while, her, being a pro, started talking about make up.  Me, being a make up whore, told her that if she's not busy, I'm up for a make over and she can do whatever she want with me.

Now I wish my camcorder was working, because I had made a small video showing the make up I had put on prior to going to Sephora, so I can show you guys what she was seeing.  I was playing around with 3 shades of pink eyeshadows from a Majolica Majorca palette (another Japanese brand that I love), so she took that as inspiration and a starting part for the looks you see up there.  She spent a LOT of time blending the colors out so it still looks sophisticated and finished.  To get the glitter line to be that thick, so actually used a tweezer to take off that ring on the top so more glitter can go on the brush.

She pretty much transformed my cutesy pink look into a super Urban, super punk fuschia/purple/black smokey look, complete with a super hot line of glitter on top of my lash line.  I don't think the pictures captured the intensity of the colors, and again, I wished my camcorder worked.  I think my camcorder records in a truer light where you can see how dynamic this look was.  I must figure this out!

Anyhow, I ended up buying the key items to re-create the look.  I ended up not getting any of the fuschia/pink colors she used since I have a LOT of pinks and fuschias already.  But I did up buy the rest of them.

• Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in Spandex
• Liquid Liner in Perversion (to line the top lash line underneath the glitter liner)
• Smoke Out Eye Pencil in Smoke (to line the bottom lash line)
• Eyeshadow in Oil Slick (outer crease), Sin (inner crease and brow bones), and Hot Pants (on top of Fishnet)
• Deluxe Eyeshadow in Fishnet (used as an all-over color AND my cheeks color)
• Big Fatty Mascara