January Favorites⎪Makeup Highlights

It's a little late, so even though I'm posting this as "January Favorites", it's more like makeup that I've been enjoying recently.

I kept the usual ones out of this post because I mention them all the time, products like Estee Lauder Maximum Cover foundation or my Hourglass Arch Brow Pencil. I wanted to add new favorites and products I haven't mentioned in awhile.

Products I've been loving for a long time but haven't mentioned recently: Perfekt Brow Perfection Gel. I love this stuff. Another long time favorite is the Nars lipstick in the shade Honolulu Honey. It really is a beautiful peach nude that works well with my skin tone. (See the swatch here) Love, love it! And finally, this product isn't "new" in that I've already featured it on my blog here but it is fairly a new discovery so I thought I'd best mention it. It is the BeautyBlender makeup applicator.

As for new products, I have quite a few - ones I have never mentioned on my blog before.

You know I've been obsessed with primers right? I mean just the past year, I've used three different kinds of primers for the face. And even still, if I hear about a good primer, I am willing to try it. They make all the difference in the world when it comes to how you look throughout the day. This really cute packaged primer called Egg Pore smooth balm from TonyMoly is a pretty darn good primer! It is meant to be used where you are oily and where your pores are visible. It has a tightening effect because of the egg that they use. It also contains other ingredients that helps clear the skin as well as keeping the makeup on. The egg and camellia extracts controls sebum and oil production. Because it is a balm type, it is amazing in smoothing over bumps, pores, and wrinkles! Above all else, it smooths the face and keeps makeup lasting long and that's what makes it pretty amazing. You can get this on Amazon.

Another new product that I've been in love with is Chanel's "Inimitable Waterproof" mascara. Oh goodness, where do I begin with this mascara? I guess I'll begin by saying that I love that it keeps my curls on... all day. I have thick straight lashes. I don't even expect my eyelashes to curl, let alone, stay curled. The last time a mascara kept my curls was the ByTerry mascara that they stopped selling. After that one exorbitant priced mascara, I went back to be okay with straight lashes. But then, I discovered this and just was amazed.  Read the review here.

A lip product that I'll do a separate post about is the HolikaHolika Waterproof Tint Stick. This thing is something I've never tried before - a tint that takes things to another level. Really. You'll have to take my word for it until I write an in-depth review because... it's that good.

Finally, an eye palette that I love because of its versatile use is the Pony x Memebox Palette 1. I love that some of the shades can be used for contouring and even brows. You can create so many looks with this one palette. You can read more about it here.

Leave a Comment beautyblender, chanel, holikaholika, honolulu honey, korean makeup, mascara, Nars, perfekt, Pony, primer, tonymoly

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PONY x MEMEBOX⎪Shine Easy Glam Palettes One & Two

With Lisa Eldridge's approval of Korean beauty products, I thought I'd go with the flow and post this hot product from Korea. 

Sometime in the near future, I want to post a tutorial (or something like a tutorial) using these two palettes and kind of spend a whole video talking about my obsession with a makeup artist who goes by the name Pony. She is a young Korean makeup artist and recently a Youtuber (who doesn't actually post videos herself; just films and has the production crew do the editing and uploading). I have been gushing over her unbelievable talent and kind of went all ways to get her bestselling books and her collaboration palettes.

What I want to share with you today are the two palettes Pony has collaborated with Memebox to make. I never heard of Memebox before, until I searched up where I could get her palettes. Memebox has a website where they curate their own boxes and sets of skincare and makeup. I didn't spend too much time on their website. I just went straight in for these palettes and that was pretty much all.

I will try to post pictures of my makeup using these palettes. 

Shiny Easy Glam Palette 1

To start, I will begin with the first palette. The first one is the bigger sized one. It is divided into two compartments. The left side is the semi-matte shadows, and the right side are ones with shimmer and glitter. 

I love how the palette comes with basic descriptions. I prefer to keep that plastic labeling with my palette. I especially love how pigmented the shadows are. Also, Pony created the matte shadows for more than just eyeshadows. Especially the Easy Shadow shade is the perfect shade for contouring the eyes and nose. The Easy Base is great to give the subtle highlighting. It is semi-matte with fine, very little shimmer. I've also seen Pony use the Easy Brown to shade the hollows of the cheeks. If you have a darker skin tone, you can use that shade to contour the eyes and nose.

The other glitter and shimmer shades are beautiful. I find that the Shine Rosegold shade has slightly larger shimmers than most of my other eyeshadows. I find that Korean eyeshadows have generally larger shimmers than the more finely grind palettes from the Western brands. 

The colors are intense, pigmentation great, and you just have all the shades you need for all kinds of brown even resold looks. You can go sweet to smokey with just this palette! 

Here is the link to my Pinterest with the pins of Pony and her makeup looks using these palettes. Pretty stunning!

Shine Easy Glam 2

The second palette is smaller, but colors more vibrant. The palette has generally tones that are more fun and feminine. There are shades or pink and purple. You can stick to the brown tones, or mix in some of those pinks and purples for the more fun and pretty look. 

Even though the palette is smaller, there is a hefty amount of eyeshadows in here. None of them matte. The glitter is more obvious in this palette. When I saw Pony with these colors on, she went for the more galaxy-mysterious look. 

I've actually gone a eye palette spree. The next post will probably be also on these new eye palettes that I bought recently! Stay tuned :) 

1 comment korean beauty, korean makeup, memebox, Pony

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HERA UV Mist Cushion⎪Review

I want to talk about the foundation that I've been using every day since I first got it. It is the Hera UV Mist Cushion.

These "cushion foundations" are big in Korea, and after seeing Korean girls wear it and look great, I thought I might give it a try. I know firsthand that Korean girls really love that dewy natural glow makeup. There's even a word "Mol-gwang" to define that water glow makeup. My skin is starting to look dull and dry, and I thought putting some moisture and life back into my makeup routine would be a good start. Read the Haul post.

Though I love this and I feel safe since I have three more packs of these left, there are a few downfalls to this foundation. But before I go on with what I don't like so much about this foundation, let me tell you why I've been using this over all my other foundations.

First: GLOW. You'll see in the last picture the natural gleam and glow you get. It's beautiful and your skin looks young and healthy.

Second: BRIGHT. Though the color range is very minimal like most Korean foundation color ranges, what I love is that the bright tone of this color remains that way. I'll try to explain myself better. There are some foundations that after application, oxidizes throughout the day, causing the color of the foundation on the face to eventually look yellow, dull, and darker. But what I love about this Hera cushion foundation is that the shade remains the same throughout the day. No oxidizing and all day "brightness".

Third: COVERAGE. Though the coverage isn't Estee Lauder's Maximum Coverage Foundation, this foundation does a pretty good job covering all my scars. What I love is that though it doesn't cover everything, it gives the impression that you have flawless skin. It glosses over scars and blemishes, and it gives this really natural coverage. But natural doesn't mean it doesn't cover well, because it does!

Fourth: PACKAGING. The inside is replaceable so you don't have to buy a new case and content every time. You can save the price by just buying the inside. You just put it out... you'll know when you get it, how that is done. Also, the whole concept of the plastic-like sponge to apply the foundation is wonderful. It really makes the application of the foundation bouncy and alive.

Now, for the bits of things I don't like about it. This foundation is really rich. At first, I thought there was no way I could wear this and expect the foundation to last even three hours. It definitely felt like it was slipping off my face. But how I remedied that problem was using a powder primer. I've talked about the Mario Badescu Special Healing Powder. I use this as a primer, and wow the difference it makes in the wear and application! Read it here.

So, if you are one really oily skinned person, this foundation may not be for you UNLESS you use a powder-like or a really good primer. You'll have the feeling that your skin is sticky all day, otherwise.

But oh boy, if you have dry skin - you'd love this to pieces!

Anyway, so that was a long in-depth review of this foundation. Have you tried this, and if so, how do you find it?

1 comment foundation, hera, korean makeup

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Korean Beauty/Skincare Haul, Part Two. HERA and INNISFREE

This is Part Two of my Korean Beauty/Skincare Haul. You can read Part One here.



I didn't ask for too much makeup, but I really did want to try the cushion foundations. These cushion products are big in Korean market, and I thought it was about time to try them out and see why. Nowadays, I've been wanting that natural glow skin-like foundation finish. And with the winter season coming, my skin has been breaking out and cracking!

I know that Korean gals love that dewy look, and most of their products are infused with hydration. I thought it'd be perfect for what I was looking for. I got 3 different kinds of cushion products.

One is from Hera, a fairly luxe Korean product. I've tried their foaming cleanser before, which you can see in the picture above, and was happy to get a huge sample. (Yes, they rock when it comes to giving out free products!) The Hera cushion has two kinds. I got the cover edition, since I do have a lot blemishes and breakouts!

The other is from Innisfree, which is the more affordable brand. I got two from them, the water glow and the long-wear cushions.

I'm going to try them out for at least a month and tell you what I think about them! If you've ever tried any of these "cushion" products, tell me your thoughts about them. Here's a peak of what they look like inside :)

Leave a Comment hera, innisfree, korean, korean beauty, korean makeup, korean skincare

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Korean Beauty/Skincare Haul, Part One. ISOI SKINCARE

When my mother told me she was going to visit South Korea for a mere week, I took it upon myself to give her a list of things I wanted her to get for me. And kindly, she did. But I have to say, all she had to do was go to the isoi counter and get a bunch of their products. When I went to a Korean skincare/beauty PR event a few months back (read it here), I tried out a product from isoi. It was quite pricey, but what really sold me was that they had a whole line using Bulgarian rose.



Sigh, Bulgarian Rose. Last time my sister went to Bulgaria, she brought back bags... I mean bags of pure Bulgarian rose products. We didn't even know their roses were famous until she went there. Everything and everywhere were rose products. When she brought back the products, I loved them all and I even blogged about a lot of them. You can read some of them here :)

That being said, I guess word got in to the Korean beauty market. The brand isoi brought out a line using Bulgarian rose. But even if it isn't just their line, I just love this brand's philosophy! They promise that their products (ALL) are FREE of: Parabens, synethic colors and fragrance, PEGs, mineral oils, silicones, etc.,... basically, anything toxic for your face. That makes me really happy, it really does!

I will write a more detailed review of each of the products, but one that is a repurchase (the one I tried from the PR event) is the Blemish Care Serum from their Bulgarian Rose line. It feels like water. It seems like nothing, but oh, the difference it made!

I am also currently trying the Bulgarian Rose Waterful Cream which so far feels amazing.

There is going to be a Part Two, where I talk about some of the makeup I got. I'm just having fun trying all these products, whoohoo! :) Read it here!

Leave a Comment blemish, bulgaria, bulgarian rose, hydration, isoi, korean beauty, korean makeup, korean skincare, moisture, rose

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Brand Discovery: 3 Concept Eyes, Lip Lacquers Review

Left to right: bumble gum, pink boom, bon bon, xxorange, fever

Another Korean brand coming your way. This time: 3 Concept Eyes (briefly, 3CE). This was a totally new brand for me, so I was excited to try them out the minute I got them. The colors looked amazing, and the model made it look super fun. I went for their lip lacquers.

A beauty trend in South Korea seems to be the lip tint, where they apply on in the inner parts of the lips and then smudge it slightly towards to outer. They don't seem to like the full-on, lip-fulling look. I don't quite like the whole lip tint concept (really don't), but their lip tints looked really fun to wear.

How to Wear Tips:
This lip lacquers are so fully pigmented, that you seriously only need two dabs! Because these are so saturated with vibrant color, I take two dabs and smudge it all over my lips up to my lip line.
Because this is on the drying side, I like to wear a matte lip balm (like my Nuxe Reve de Miel) on top or under it. If you want to wear in accordance to the Korean beauty trend, you can dap a bit on and smudge it only in the inner parts without really defining the lip line.

Formulation:
Liquid goes slightly powdery, something similar to the Giorgio Armani lip maestro lip lacquers, in terms of how it goes a bit powdery.

Wear:
At first, I was blown away by how good they were. How good they suited most skin types, and how vibrant the colors were. But I was let down by how they wore off. They do dry in parts, and cling to any lip scar or scab you might have. You will want to prep your skin first, and keep applying this throughout the day, WITH a lip balm. As long as you do, you're lips will be looking pretty :)

Packaging:
Perfect. I love their logo, it's so fun and cute. Considering they aren't anything luxe, (bought them for $16), their packaging definitely makes them feel like something worth more! Perfect to chuck into your handbag as well :)

Shades:
I have to say that I love the shade "Bumble Gum" the most! It's that true purple violet shade that when you take pictures, it looks really pretty. I've been looking for a shade like this, and I've got a few lipsticks that are similar shades as to this one- but this one is really right on the mark.
Then, I've got two orange shades. One is super uber bright shade called "Fever", and rightfully so. The other is a more yellow-toned, more true orange shade called "xxOrange". Both are hot for summer!
I've got one coral nude that I love and instagrammed before. It's the shade "bon bon", and it's their best-selling shade.
Then finally, a great hot pink- "Pink Boom" is pretty amazing as well!

**

These will last you so long because they are so pigmented. All you need is a little! Google for wholesalers who stock these up and can ship to the US. I got mine on www.honestskin.com :)

4 comments 3 concept eyes, 3CE, giogio armani, korean, korean makeup, lip lacquers, lip tint

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The Gloss without Lipgloss. Glossiest Lipstick by LANEIGE

LR05 is the very first shade.

There was recently a huge hype of Laneige Intense Serum lipsticks, due to a South Korean celebrity  who wore it on a hit-TV drama. She always came out with the glossiest kinds of lips, and the supposed secret was the Laneige "Serum Intense" lipstick. It gives all the gloss a lipgloss would give without using a lipgloss. No stickiness. And no extra money spent on having to layer a lipgloss on top of a lipstick. One lipstick does it all.

the actress (Jun Ji-Hyun aka Gianna Jeon) wearing the lipstick in shade "neon orange"

Laneige is a sister-brand to Amore Pacific which is hitting huge in the US markets. You've probably seen them in Sephora stores everywhere. Laneige is lesser-known, especially for makeup. This lipstick is actually the first makeup I've tried from their brand.

The Serum Intense is a serum injected hydrating lipstick that gives full pigmentation and amazing hydration. The product description says this is a LED lipstick that gives off a glow while making skin look clearer. Even when you dab the lipstick on, it gives you a lovely tint.

The shade that went pretty much out-of-stock everywhere was the shade "Neon Orange". The shade I settled for was "Flash Pink" (No. LR05). The shade is a pretty bright pink, that isn't too shocking to wear. If you are more tan, the color will probably look more vibrant. But color aside, I am in love with the formulation and the vibrancy of the color. I would love to try other shades if they were more accessible here in the US.

what it looks like with one swipe and when just dabbed and blended

I love that it is super glossy, as though you wore lipgloss on top of a lipstick. It is rich in moisture and makes the lips look fuller because of the shine that the lipstick gives you. Shall I say, it gives dimension to the lips. And I love that unlike a lipgloss, this lipstick is water-infused, hydrating your lips while giving you vibrant pigmentation. I love how it's not just hydrating when you have it on, but also as it wears off, it doesn't crack your lips (I find Revlon lip butters to be a bit like that).

What I love about this lipstick is in summary: GLOSS/Shine + HYDRATION + INTENSITY in Color.

You can buy this here.

Comparable items:

• Shu Uemura "Rouge Unlimited" (see here). Similar in pigmentation and hydration but Laneige is glossier
• Revlon lip butters is similar in that it is glossy and buttery, but Laneige is more hydrating! 

2 comments amorepacific, korean, korean makeup, laneige, revlon, shu uemura

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Missha Signature Concealer⎜Korean Beauty Haul #3

This is fast becoming my number one most loved product I bought from Korea. I know I'm doing these post in order of how much I love them, and when I first thought out these posts, this product was my #3. However, using this again and again, I keep telling myself that I really love this! (Not that I like any of my #1 or #2 any less!)

the duo: Signature BB cream + Signature Extreme Cover Concealer

This is Missha's Signature Extreme Cover concealer in color no. 23. This is a duo with their Signature BB cream that I last blogged about here. These two were selling as best-selling, and after trying it out at the store, I was impressed at how "tacky" the consistency was, so much that once I pressed it down on my blemishes, it did not budge!

It has an SPF of 30 PA++ and this concealer is meant to plump up the skin as well. Although it comes in only two shades, somehow it just works. If you are fair/light then you can go for no.21, and if you are tan or olive toned, no.23 may work just fine! Of course, this is marketed to the Koreans and so the shades are limited. As for me, it works superb!

I love that the color works so well on my skin, and mostly because it really lasts all day long! And the consistency is super creamy. It is so moist that when you put on blemishes or pimples, which means it is already a very troubled and maybe flaky skin, this cream just glides right on top of them and does not flake! It will not cling to dry spots and make you look all uneven like some concealers do. This is so moist that it just conceals and even plumps up the skin so that after you're done with the concealing stage, your skin looks really healthy and even glowing!

If you do read up on my posts, you'll know that I am not a concealer person. This is not because I don't have any scars, it is because I just don't have time for that! Finding the spots and tapping them in... goodness! But on those days I want that flawless finish, this concealer has been my absolute go-to. It is one of my fail-proof products. (I am actually planning my FAIL-PROOF products post!) Also, I don't really use this for my under-eye. I feel it may be a bit too tacky for the very thin and sensitive under-eye area, but I think it may work? I've actually never tried it! I keep to my Burberry Sheer Concealer for that (since it is really watery compared to this).

Again, this is something I highly recommend if you are ever planning a trip to S. Korea. They do sell Missha in the States though, just not sure where :/ If you do some Korean beauty shopping here in the US, tell me where's good! Some places sell for way higher than the original price. (BTW, Missha products are so affordable!)

So, what do you think? xx

2 comments burberry, concealer, coverage, coverup, korean, korean makeup, missha

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What's Korean Beauty Without BB Creams?! (Korean Beauty Haul #2)

Thought I'd give you a view of the NYC skyline! :)

What's a Korean Beauty Haul without BB creams, right? I think I'm doing these Korean Beauty Haul posts in order of how much I love them. The first post was on the CathyCat liquid eyeliner and I gave a good thought and I thought it had to be the BB cream this time around.

I went for just two. It was hard because BB creams are everywhere. You are easily left with choosing amongst 20 different kinds of BB cream, even within a single brand. I narrowed down to these two and I absolutely love them. It's the Missha Signature BB cream and the Dr. Jart Ctrl-A BB cream.

Just to give a brief history: I used to wear BB creams all the time, however rarely on its own. I suffered from severe acne and so I would never wear BB creams on its own. So, I would wear it as a base to my foundation. Most of the BB creams I had were not pigmented like foundations and so they were more of a tinted moisturizer. Since BB creams are ideal for "blemished" skin and acne skin, I thought I could cover and heal my scars at the same time. However, once my skin started to improve, I decided to take a layer off my face and just stick to foundation only. It's been years since I've bought BB creams.

Since my skin has improved so much, I can now wear the BB creams on their own. So, these are ideal for days when I want to go out, just to the grocery or just somewhere quick. No need for foundation and brushes. This is like an extra step to a skincare because you can take a pump, spread it with your fingers and apply easily all over the face. Then you get all of the SPF + blemish balm + coverage all at once.

The Missha Signature BB cream has won so many awards. After trying it on in the store and finding it had such a smooth finish with really good coverage, I decided to give it a go. It was also 1 + 1, so buy one get one free. Usually BB creams don't come in any shades, but this one came in two. One regular light shade, and one a bit darker. Because BB creams blend in really well, you don't need it to be an exact fit. Because I am much tanner than the majority population of Koreans (seriously, they are all so fair!) I bought the bit darker one.

the one on the left is Missha, right Dr. Jart. The Missha has a white and tan swirl!

This Missha Signature has really good coverage I realized. It is no foundation, but it can easily be one of those lightweight foundations. It has a really light and natural finish, and it just feels so easy on the skin! If you look carefully, there is a swirl of a white/whitening cream + the foundation-color. I didn't realize until I took pictures to blog! You can see that when it pumps there is white and skin-color mixed together. Of course, they blend together as you apply on the face! Like all BB creams, there's SPF, and that's perfect for the summer. The whitening helps the skin look more radiant as well.

The Dr. Jart Ctrl-A is a BB cream specifically targeted for acne skin. Although I don't suffer from severe acne anymore, it is a good feeling to know what you put on your face is not only covering but also healing at the same time. It is oil-free and really, super lightweight. It feels like you are applying water on the skin. Unlike Missha, it only has one shade. That is the way BB creams normally are. But, even if it is one shade, somehow it adapts to your skin tone. At first it may apply slightly white/ashy but blend it in and you get coverage and the brightening effect! Surprisingly, even though it is super lightweight and watery, there is actually really good coverage. I would hate to make my face look like I have something on, but without any productive effect to it. This gives just that natural amount of coverage that makes my skin look clearer but also natural and radiant! Love!

So these two are my favorite BB creams and I highly recommend them to those who want oil-free, light-weight, natural finish that also gives really good coverage. No one does BB creams as well as Korean beauty products do! :)

1 comment acne, BB creams, dr.jart, korean, korean makeup, korean skincare, missha, moisturizer, oil-free

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CathyCat Easy Liquid Eyeliner (Korean Beauty Haul #1)

I don't think I'll actually get around to doing a post/video on the things I bought from my trip to Korea. I actually did buy a lot but somehow, I can't seem to find the time to sit down and organize my thoughts! So, what I'm going to do instead is pick out my favorite ones from the haul and write a review on them.

The first one up is this eyeliner that I am most impressed with! It is called the CathyCat Easy Eyeliner. It is a waterproof liquid eyeliner in black. I know my previous liquid eyeliners have all been a success (Bourjois and Eyeko) but this one is again quite different from the two previous ones.

This liquid eyeliner has a really, really amazingly fine and precise brush. The previous two cannot even compare! The brush is actually a brush that sweeps across the eye. So what happens? Zero wiggly lines! Because other liquid eyeliners have a rather stiff tip, it may drag the skin along. However, because this is like a very, very, very small and fine paint brush like brush, it is really flexible and precise!

The color isn't as jet black, so at first I thought... hmm. But when on the eyes, it is black enough! Meaning, just because it isn't JET black when you swatch, doesn't mean it looks any less black on the eye.

Also, this is a really travel-friendly, compact size. It is about 1/3rd smaller than regular liquid eyeliners. That makes it super easy to just chuck in the bag for any fix-ups during the day. Although, this just does not budge! But then again, it erases really well with a makeup remover. I honestly don't have any smudging problems with my eyes (I'm blessed!) my sister, who also bought this and whose eyes are always smudging, said that this is the very best!

Because this is a product marketed towards Asians, the very fine tip always one to get right into the lashes. Asians tend to have smaller eyes than Caucasians and so, being able to draw a finer line is quite important. 

you can honestly draw a picture with this! 

I don't remember the price, but if you are ever in Korea (South, duh!) then, do stop by a store called Olive Young (something like a Sephora in Korea, but not really), and pick this up! It's so worth it :)

3 comments cathycat, eyeliner, haul, korean, korean makeup, lacvert, liquid eyeliner

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