The Hunger Games

I love this music and it goes very well with the theme of the hunger games :))

Today post is going to be a bit different. I am not posting a makeup tutorial but I want to share with everyone what I've been obsessed with lately and I'm sure there are millions that are obsessed with it. I believe the title gave it away, yes, it's The Hunger Games :))

For those who haven't read the book yet, go and read the book (go read the whole trilogy even) because I guarantee you won't be able to put it down!!! 

I just recently finish the trilogy and I got to say I am very entertained while I was reading them and can't wait to see how they are going to translate it into the movie. I won't talk about each book because I can write 2 pages worth of stuff lol, but if you really want me to, I can :)) 

When the first time I hear about The Hunger Games it was from my co-worker. She told me to read it because it's such a great book, so I bought it but didn't get a chance to read it yet because I am finishing school and studying hard core for my last quarter in university. Then, I saw the trailer for it and I got excited; I was thinking "Wow! They making a movie out of it; it must be a good book. I better read it before it comes out." Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish the book by the time the movie comes out :( I was in the middle of it when I saw the movie. 

My thought about the movie? I love it!!! It's not as great as the book, but I love it. The only thing is I feel that people can get lost if they haven't read the book yet; my brother did and he kept on asking me why things happen the way it is or why is that character like that, etc. I am also glad that they cut a certain thing out; like the cave scene. I know some people want to see more of it, but I am glad they cut it down for the movie. I feel it was a bit drag on in the book and I feel it is not necessary. Overall, I enjoyed the movie and I can't wait to see Catching Fire and Mockingjay.  

Now, lets talk about the cast..

1. Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen)

I know people were skeptical about her getting the role of Katniss because of her age and the fact that she's a blonde, but I think she's the perfect Katniss. I didn't picture her as Katniss when I read the book but when I saw her in the trailer, I am convince she's Katniss. I think she's a great actress because she really bring the character to life; from Katniss' attitude, her defiance, her uncertainty about her feelings towards Peeta, her love for her sister, everything! In my opinion, Jennifer did a great job portraying Katniss :))

2. Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark)

Hmmm...this is a hard one. When I read the book, I didn't have Peeta visualize in my mind. I only know that he's blonde with blue eyes and he's a baker. When I find out Josh Hutcherson was going to be Peeta, I was a bit skeptical and wonder if he can pull it off; all that went away when I saw the movie. When I saw the train scene (when they just arrive at the capitol) he convince me. I was like, "OMG! He's Peeta!" Just like Jennifer, Josh has proven himself to be a great actor. He embodies Peeta's character beautifully. He portrays Peeta's eloquentness with words, his charm, his love for Katniss perfectly. I don't care what people say, but I think Josh has proven that he's a great Peeta.

3. Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne)

Ok, we all know that Gale was supposed to be tall and handsome; and I think Liam fit that description perfectly. I can't say much about him right now because he's doesn't have many scenes and I don't want to spoil anything by saying too much. I can say though, so far he did a great job portraying Gale. He's able to put forth Gale's defiance and hatred towards the Capitol, his love/friendship towards Katniss, his free spirit. So far he has convince me that he can be Gale and I am excited to see him in action lol. That's all I'm going to say for now.

 4. Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy)
I don't know about you, but this is exactly how I picture Haymitch lol.
Woody Harrelson is such a great actor and he did an amazing job portrating Haymitch. In the trilogy, Haymitch is one of my favorite character and it's funny because I don't usually like drunks lol. The hair and the scruffiness just adds to the look, props to the make up artist ;) I am really glad that they cast Woody Harrelson for this role :))

5. Amandla Stenberg (Rue)
She is not a major character but I think she's a very important character. Her character is very significant in the book because she's important to Katniss. I know there is a lot of debate about Rue's portrayal by Amandla because she's African American, but seriously is that matter? Besides from the fact that she's very cute, Amandla also did a great job portraying Rue. I mean com'on who didn't cry when you see Rue die? I surely did. I really like Amandla as Rue and other things don't matter to me. What matter is that she can bring the character to life and she did :)

6. Isabelle Fuhrman (Clove), Alexander Ludwig (Cato), Jack Quaid (Marvell), Leven Rambin (Glimmer)
I am happy with the cast for the career pack. Each of them portrayed their character very well. I must say I was surprise at first that they cast Alexander Ludwig as Cato mainly because I remember him in Race to Witch Mountain; he's cute but not menacing (which is Cato). He did surprise me in the trailer with a towering height and bulky physique; he actually looked mean and menacing. My favorite from the pack got to be Isabelle Fuhrman as Clove. She convinced me that she's sadistic, mean, and crazy; just like how I imagine clove would be.

7. Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket), Wes Bentley (Seneca Crane), Lenny Kravitz (Cinna)
I love Elizabeth as Effie, I think she did a marvelous job at it. As for Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, it was quiet a surprise for me;I guess I imagine a different Cinna. But Lenny make a good Cinna, so I don't mind it at all. I don't know much about Wes Bentley as an actor, but I like his beard in the movie lol Seneca Crane is not a prominent character in the book and there is no description of him, so his look is open to imagination.

 8. Donald Sutherland (President Snow)
I think he's a perfect President Snow :)) I don't know, he looked scary to me and I always feel that President Snow would look scary. He would have this murderous feeling about him and I think Donald Sutherland did a good job at that. He convinced me that he's Snow, but then again I don't expect anything less than great from Donald Sutherland; he's an exceptional actor.





9. Stanley Tucci (Caesar Flickerman)
I think he did great as Caesar Flickerman :))) and the pony tail thing is a nice touch. He's crazy and fun and that's how Caesar Flickerman is. Again, I am very happy about his casting as The Hunger Games host.




10. Willow Shield (Primrose Everdeen)
Primrose is another minor character with great importance. Throughout the series Katniss believe that the only person that she truly love is her little sister, Primrose (Prim for short). I feel in the series a lot of Katniss' decision and emotional stability center around Prim. Prim become Katniss' pillar and support in many challenging and confusing situations. Willow Shield I believe is a new comer, so I don't know anything about her as an actress, but I do like her portrayal as Prim. We can see her as a weak little girl in the Hunger Games, but I can't wait to see if Willow Shield can bring out the more mature Prim in the other series.

Overall I am very happy with the casting. I can't wait to see the casting for the next movie. I am particularly curious to see who they going to cast as Finnick Odair (the champion from district 4).

NOW...FOR FUN... 

I try to do Katniss' braid while she was in the arena and it turns out great. I love this hairstyle now because it looks very cute and very comfortable to wear on a daily basis. It is basically a french braid. You can also do an inverted french braid (I think it's called a dutch braid), but I did a regular french braid. If you can't get it the first time, it's ok. You have to practice :))  

From the front

From the back 

That is all for this post. I hope you enjoy it and go read the book and watch the movie if you haven't already ;) Also, try out the braid and have fun with it :) Until next time...

xoxo, 

Fay Ming 

  

  

Skin Care Review

Recently I have been looking for a good skin care products from cleanser, toner, moisturizer, eye cream, mask, etc. The most difficult one for me to find is a moisturizer. I have a combination skin with a very dry cheeks and oily forehead. It's been a pain to find a good moisturizer that can control oil and moisturize my dry skin. So in the past year, I have been trying out a few products from different brand and I want to share my thoughts with you. 


I have lots of products that I try and you probably wondering if I use them all and the anser is yes I do. People do say that asians can use up to 9 products a day on their face and some use even more. I don't use all of them in one day, but they are use for different reasons and different times. 

1. SHISEIDO

Due to my acne prone skin, my friend Amy in Shiseido recommended the pureness series to me :)) I must say I actually like this series and I use this mostly at night except the moisturizer. First of all the cleanser is awesome, it cleans my face very well and it takes off any make-up on your face. I only take off my eye make-up with an eye make-up remover, but the rest of my face I only count on my cleanser to remove it. I usually use my clarisonic at night if I want extra cleaning power or if I am using a heavier make-up that day. However, by itself it works just fine :) The toner works well also, it removes any excess dirt on your face that your cleanser might've not pick up, but I don't really have any problem with excess dirt because the cleanser works good :) lastly, the moisturizer, it is a good moisturizer for oily skin because it's matifying. However, for me it's not good enough for my skin that is dry. I still use it but only for my T-zone, maybe it will work better summer time where my skin is not so dry. The cleanser is $22, the toner is $24 and the moisturizer is $33.  

2. SKIN FOOD

This is one of my favorite cleanser and it is tea tree by skin food. I use this cleanser in the morning because it helps control breakout. Unfortunately, I have to use 2 different cleanser because if I don't use a cleanser that will help the breakout, I will breakout like crazy. This cleanser lathers pretty good, a little go a long way. This cleanser is $17 at the skin food store. 

This is parsely and mandarin toner. It helps with breakouts and really removes any excess dirt on your face and it smells good. I use this toner in the morning. This toner was about $20, so it's a bit cheaper than the Shiseido. 

These are lettuce and cucumber water drop essence and emulsion. I use these when I use a BB cream or a tinted moisturizer. These products give my skin a boost of moisture without making my skin oily because they are water base. I don't think I'll be buying this products again because I feel they are just extra products you don't necessarily need. I am sorry but I don't remember how much I bought these for :(( 

This is one of my favorite mask, it is rice mask rinse off. This mask smells very good and the rice bits on the mask works as an exfoliator. This mask is $17 at the store, but I got it on ebay for $7 :)) 


3. CLINIQUE 
I actually very skeptical in trying clinique products again because I had bad experience with their skin care products before. The moisturizer is so oily and the smell is not the greatest. However, I heard they come out with different formula and I'm willing to try it. 

I started using this night moisturizer for about a week and I like it :)) It moisturizes my skin well and I notice that my skin is less dull and brighter in the morning. The smell is not the greatest, but it doesn't bother me much because once  you applied it to your face, the smell disappeared. I think that is one thing clinique needs to work on, the smell on their products. If they can't make it smell good then don't make it smell at all. I prefer it don't have any smell at all. The price for this is $45. 

This is clinique's new moisturizer called moisture surge intense. I actually only have a sample of this moisturizer, but I want to put it here because I might end up purchasing it. This moisturizer is very moisturizing and that's a +++++++++ for me. It's a bit early to tell, but it might be too moisturizing for my T-zone. Maybe I need to apply less product on my T-zone. Right now I combine this moisturizer with Shiseido matifying moisturizer. I apply this one on my dry area and the other one on the T-zone and that's been working well for me. This one actually smell good, not too strong either. Now, why can't clinique do that to all their skin care products? 

4. ORIGINS

I got into this brand because of my best friend, Jacinda. It started off with their body lotion called A Perfect World (it has white tea), you guys need to check it out!

This eye serum is called Mega-mushroom skin relief. I don't think you guys know, but I have a skin condition called eczema. If you don't know what it is, it's pretty much where your skin flare up, swollen, red, itchy and crusty looking. I have this on my eyelids most of the time and it usually flare up due to allergy reaction or if my lids are not moisturize enough. It was a big problem for me until I found this serum. Since I use this serum about a year ago, I don't have flare up very often and even if I do, I put this on and the next day it's all better. Unfortunately, I have to pair this serum with another eye cream. The price for this is about $48, so it's a bit pricey, but it works. 

This is eye doctor and it is the best eye cream ever; I can say this is my holy grail eye cream. Super moisturizing, smell good and this little bottle last me the whole entire year. I have try other eye cream (este lauder, dior, garnier, jeune d'age, and others that I can't remember) but none is as good as this one. I can't use this eye cream by itself because of my eczema. I have tried combining the serum with another eye cream and it didn't work. The serum and this eye cream is my holy grail eye creams. The price for this cream is $33.

This product is called modern friction and it is the best skin dermabrasion ever!!! The smell is good (citrus) and it leaves my skin very smooth and clean. I use this twice a week and I notice I don't breakout as often, my skin is nice and smooth. This tube last you a long time because a little go a long way. The price is $32.

5. BAVIPHAT

I got to say I never heard of this brand until I ran into it on ebay. This is a Korean brand and they are specialize in making skin care products from vegetables and fruits. This is a sleep-in mask, you wear it to sleep and wash it off in the morning. I choose the apple because the antioxidant property it has. I got to say I love this mask. If my skin breakout, I would use this and the next day redness gone, big pimples become smaller, small pimples are gone and my face will clear up in 1 day. I use this mask 1-2 times a month because of my monthly acne breakout due to hormones o_O I'm sorry I don't remember how much I pay for this mask either, but you can find it on ebay :))

6. JEUNE D'AGE

I first hear about this brand from a you tube make-up guru, Jen (frmheadtotoe), she is awesome and you  should check her out; I will post the link at the bottom of this post. Jen actually mentions a lot of good things about it and it makes me want to try it out. However, this eye cream doesn't work well for me :(( The consistency of this cream is a bit watery for my taste; it's not as creamy as the origins eye doctor. I also try combining this with the serum, but it doesn't work :(( I still use it anyway because I bought it and I don't want it to go to waste. I use it at night because I'm not wearing any eyeshadows and I feel that for night time it's good enough. This eye cream is $25.95 at their website; I will link it at the bottom as well. 

7. QUEEN HELEN

Queen Helen had lots of facial mask, but I haven't try them all. I choose to try this one because it says it helps with acne and blackheads; does it? Well it does help with prevention of acne, but if you have it, it prevent it form getting worse, but it won't clear it. If you want something to clear acne, I think the baviphat mask is better. As far as clearing blackheads, it doesn't do anything. I use this mask every other day because I know it's safe enough for me to do it. It doesn't dry out my skin or anything :)) I would buy it again just because it prevents acne, make my skin feel clean and fresh, and the price is good. I got it at Ulta for $3.99. 

So, that's it for my skin care products review. I am not sponsored to do this review and this is my honest opinion about them and like I said before I do use all of these products. I hope this review is useful and if you have any question leave a comment below and I will try my best to answer them. Also I do not own most of the pictures of the product, I got them through google ;) until next time!!!

xoxo, 

Fay Ming 

Links: 

*Jen: http://www.youtube.com/user/frmheadtotoe?feature=g-user-u

*Jeune d'age: jeunedage.com