Showing posts with label korean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label korean. Show all posts

October Favorites


October has been a month of trial. I've been trying loads of new products, mainly skincare. My skin has gone from horrendous to okay by using some of the new products. I'm still trying a lot of them out, so I won't feature my skincare collection until I'm sure.




There is one product though, that I want to feature. It's a repurchase, and it just might be a staple item for me. It is the ISOI Blemish Care Serum from their Bulgarian rose line. By now, if you are an avid reader of mine that is, you'll know that I truly appreciate Bulgarian rose. They do wonders for the skin. I have an immediate respect for products that use this rose because I know how good it is.

The ISOI Blemish Care Serum has helped my skin stay supple and hydrated while treating the blemishes and scars I have. It feels so lightweight, almost as if it doesn't do anything. But without it, my skin becomes coarse and it produces so much more oil. I just love this stuff!

I've also been loving two primers together. Days when I really need my makeup to stay and last, and also on those days where my skin is producing way too much oil (ew but true), I combine the Hourglass mineral veil with the Mario Badescu Special Healing Powder. I lay one on top of the other, in any order. Sometimes I do the powder first, sometimes I do the liquid primer first. Either way, it helps my makeup last! Read about the MB powder here.

Another face product I've really come to enjoy is the Hera UV Mist Cushion in the shade no.23. I asked my mom to pick this up for me while she was in South Korea. I know you can get it here in the US, but I thought it might be cheaper. I've been using this along with the Innisfree one and I'm still undecided as to which one is better. Right now, I'm going to go with the Hera one. I can't pinpoint why, but I do love the glow it gives my face-- and just the look that I am awake, ready, and fresh while not making my face look like I have "makeup" on. It really gives a natural coverage and natural glow! I'll talk more about these cushion foundations, but it something I recommend you look into! They are amazing :) Read my Korean-beauty haul post here.

Something I've been wearing on my cheeks to add to the glow and freshness is the Nars Stick in "Riviera". It's perfect for that winter flush. It helps the makeup again, look "natural". Unlike a powder, this cream stick blends so nicely on the face and it lasts really long! I love the natural shimmer it gives, and the shade is so a pretty flush! You can use these sticks for cheeks, lips, and eyes. All around, a total must-have!

A product meant for the cheeks but what I use on my eyes is the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer. This is honestly a beauty blogger induced item. I remember when I first saw Tanya Burr wear this in one of her videos. She always makes everything look perfect, doesn't she? But recently, she used this one her eyes to get that grundgy look without having to get a separate eyeshadow. It looks amazing. So I gave it a try, and I absolutely love it. For a natural look, I'll keep the shade just on my lids. If I want that full-on grundge, I'll apply some of the color on the bottom of lids. It smokes out the eye. Add mascara and you're ready to go!

An eyeliner I'll always repurchase is the Jouer liquid eyeliner. I've tried tons, but this one is the best. Do I recommend it for everyone? No not really because it might be hard to work with. But for some reason, I love the way it looks on my eyes. I can't even pinpoint what's so special about it! Yet, I keep looking in the mirror and loving how my eyeliner looks. That means something, right?

Another Jouer product is their lipgloss in the shade "wind". Beautiful, beautiful nude shade to lay on top of a nude lipstick. No stickiness. Hydrating. Beautiful shade. Read my Jouer Haul post here.

Another lip product is a Korean brand from "It's Skin" called "Babyface". Their lipsticks (and cheek products) are really cool. Cool as in, a consistency I can't quite describe. They bounce and seem like jelly?! They must have used some gel formula because they seem really bouncy. I love their lipstick in the shade no.5 because though it looks like a hot pink, it gives off a pretty pink on the lips. It is super moisturizing, and again, it makes your lips look like gel. I'm really bad at describing this, aren't I? Point is, it's cool! (and pretty).

Phew, finally. NAILS. This super sophisticated perfect Fall red... is from Essie. Shade name is: Fishnet stockings. I'm sure you've all heard of it. It looks like a lady's shade to me! A really sophisticated red shade.


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 :)






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 :)

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! 

My Beauty Picks #5⎪February



February has been about missing the summer. Makeup was all about orange. It involved constant obsession with Giorgio Armani's lip pencil in no. 6, a hot vibrant orange. You can read more about it here. If you pair that with the Hourglass "Muse", which is a neon coral, you'll get that perfect summer shade. 

As for blush, Shu Uemura blush [read here] in "Soft Orange 542" has hit home run for me. Orange has a tendency to make you look tan-n-er but because this particular shade is so light, it has the affect of brightening the face. I recommend to people who are tan, and are afraid that this might be too light. What I love about it is that the color stay power is amazing! You know how makeup gets oxidized throughout the day, and soon the color you saw when you first applied by the end of the day, looks like a different color? Well, this blush is amazing because the color you first see is the last color you'll see before you take it off!



MAC eyeshadows are still a bit daunting. There's just so many to try, use, experiment with. I'm slowly getting a feel for what suits me. I find that it's not enough to go off recommendations, but to really try them and see if they suit your skin tone. Two particular eyeshadows have been en pointe for me. First is the MAC "Soba" which is a brown-tan gold-shimmer eyeshadow. Perfect for defining the eyes without making you look like you have too much going on. It's soft, and it'll do the slight defining you need- and sometimes LESS IS MORE. You add mascara to your eyes, and you are set. 

Another shade that I've been loving wearing on its own is MAC "Paradisco". Such. a. pretty. shade. I would've never imagined picking this one out of their many colors to buy! After much research and swatches, seeing it on people with similar skin tone as me, I went for it. Although it looks like a scary pink-red, when you swatch it you'll see how soft it is. What I do is dust this all over my lids, very lightly. What you get is the no-makeup-makeup-look. A soft eye that has a slight pink but barely there look, and somehow, it works. If you want something natural yet feminine, try this one out! I love the effects of it so much. 

Then, for the final summer-reminsciencing product. Burberry Sheer Concealer No.2. Not only is the color highlighting, but something in it (pearls maybe?) helps the face look young, glowing, and healthy. Gotta love that, right? 



In terms of skincare, I've got to give a round of applause to two particular products: IPKN "Pore Fresh Cleansing Foam". Best detoxifying cleanser by far! I got off of foaming cleansers after the beauty world has informed the world how bad foaming cleansers can be on the skin. I went for gel cleansers, balms, oils, etc., But what I took this product out for a try, I put the rest of my mild cleansers away. Because, this did the job. I haven't used clay masks ever since. There was no need to, because this did what cleansers are supposed to do.

Take the guck out. 

Another product that blew me away unexpectedly was Mario Badescu's "Drying Cream". [read here] I mean, I know Mario Badescu always gets it right, but I didn't expect it to get it this right. I don't know how it does what it does, but it's a miracle product. It gets all those fine oily bumps on your face. It does, I swear. This cream kind of soaks up all the nasty oil heads, and soon you are left with a clean bump less layer of skin! I usually apply this only at time, since it is a thick consistency- even when you put very little on. You take a little, rub until invisible. Your face gets a bit white because of the product. You sleep, wake up the next day with a smooth skin. Within two days, small little bumps were gone. 

I call that a miracle. 

Discovery Product #5 . HYALURONIC ACID





I have two skincare products to recommend to you guys. They are both Korean skincare brands that have really grown on me the past few months. Missha is a brand that I have spoken about a few times on my blog. For the affordable price that they are, some of their products are really good. I recently made a few purchases on their website and with what I got, they also sent me a great deal of samples. I don't even know if I can call them samples because the masks that I got were legit masks- not just samples.

Of the masks I got, I have been blown away by the amazingness of this particular one, targeting hyaluronic acid. It comes with this cloth damped in whatever amazing ingredients are in it. You set it on your fresh cleansed face, and after about 15-20 minutes, you take it off. You can either go to sleep right after [I usually do these facials at night since it can get a little heavy in the morning], or go through with your regular skincare. What I did was skip just the toner-stage and applied my serums and creams and went to bed. The next morning, my face felt nourished, elastic, supple, and calm. It is great for sensitive skin and even people who may suffer from angry-acne.

What I love so much about hyaluronic acid is that it really helps angry acne become totally manageable! The other product I have been loving is the IPKN New York 100% Hyaluronic Acid serum. Amazing. Just really amazing. IPKN is a brand I have never heard of until I happened to use my friend's cleanser one day and fell right in love with that. [I haven't blogged about that cleanser yet, but it's going to be featured in some favorites very soon. It's amazing] Anyway, I became interested in the brand and decided to try this serum.

I love how it just soaks right into the skin! It does what the mask does. Helps calm the skin, make it supple, and nourished. From the little that I know about this hyaluronic acid is that it is what maintains collagen in your body— therefore helping rejuvenation, cell regeneration, and elasticity. What I find most amazing is the way my skin becomes calm, and whatever angry acne I have becomes manageable and finally— the way my makeup applies the next day is different. My skin becomes more of a friend then a frenemy and it just makes me a happier person when my skin is behaving so nicely! 


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

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! :)

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 :)

Mini Shu Uemera Haul!

I successfully posted/recorded my Makeup Collection here. That to me was quite an accomplishment because it took me awhile to be satisfied with how I had set it up, and even though it wasn't ideal, I had got it going somehow. Anyway, there's another mountain to climb and that's a post on my recent Korean Beauty Haul that I've bought when I went to Korea last week. I took so many pictures and had bought a few, but somehow I can't seem to manage to organize them into a single post! So, while I procrastinate on that, let me show you what I had picked up in the Incheon Airport Duty Free. 

It is two Shu Uemura beauty products. As I said in my last video, I have come to love their lipsticks. It's so super hydrating and pigmented as well. Since it's hard to get a hold of these products here in the US, I thought I'd get something at the Duty Free store.  What I picked up was a lipstick and their new edition blush.

The lipstick is their PK 325. PK = pink. The lipstick I had before this one is under the CR category, which stands for Coral (click to see swatch/review of this one). This lipstick is a purpley-pink and I really love it! It's almost a barbie pinky shade and I think it would be perfect for Spring, maybe a bit too much for the Winter though!



look at how super-moist it is! It helps the lipstick not look cakey or thick on the lips :)


This is the blush from the new Summer edition! It's a light orange in the shade M Soft Orange 542. It is basically a matte shade (I think that's what the M stands for) although there is a slight pearl to it. I tried this color and it really helps the face look fresh and aglow! You don't see too many light oranges making big trends here in the US, but in Asian countries, I've seen this shade go on trend. It really flatters the face, strangely enough :)




For the blush, you pay $8 for the case. If you have enough cases, you can just buy the refills :) What do you guys think?

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