Girl in Blossom

It was a triumphant moment when I walked into a Priceline and saw both the blush and paper lashes I wanted from the Essence Cherry Blossom Girl Trend Edition in stock. I wasn't too keen on the eyeshadow palette in Dreaming Under a Cherry Tree as the only shade I saw myself wearing was the brown, and I felt I already had most of the lip crayon and nail polish colours. Granted, it's not like I have a shortage of peach/coral blushes like the one I picked up, but I couldn't help myself. And the paper lashes were a must.

l-r: light side, dark side, blended

I'm really pleased with the Asian Sensation blush. It's nicely pigmented, the texture is soft, smooth and not powdery or chalky at all. I'd probably be able to appreciate it more if I didn't already have so many similar shades (like NARS Deep Throat, Bourjois Rose Coup de Foudre, Benefit Coralista). The darker side is a bit too orange, the light side is very similar to Benefit Sugarbomb, but blended together, the balance is just right. The pretty embossed floral design is eye-catching and more attention to detail than I'd expect from something that only cost $5.95.

The false eyelashes in Hidden in Sakura Garden make the paper lash trend accessible and affordable. I've known of Paperself lashes for a while (as seen on Courtney and Jennifer), but I wasn't prepared to shell out $20 for something inherently frivolous and impractical. But $4.50? You bet. I don't know when I'd ever wear these, except maybe a special dinner or event. I was mainly curious to just try them out and see how they'd look, especially after being swayed by how well Kate wore them. Application was a little tricky, but it didn't turn out too wonky. They were slightly uncomfortable at first, but more just stiff rather than scratchy. I didn't have any issues with taking them off, and with care, they could probably last multiple uses.