Thursday, December 31, 2009

Vov pomegranate collage sheet mask



Vov Masks
Daily Fresh - Pomegranate collagen
Price 2000 won (less than $2 US)
-for all skin types
On the Package -
Yammy mask pack for vivid vitality
Pomegrnates estrogen helps to maintain young and vivid skin, and it helps collagen synthesis to provide a tension to your skin and smooth your tired skin.
Since I’ve already gone over the basics of the VOV Daily fresh sheet masks in a previous review, I’m going to jump right into the specifics.
The promises of the pomegrnate mask are a bit odd. I mean Yammy?  *alughs* I’m sure it’s supposed to be yummy but still.
And the estrogen part… a bit weird.
Anyway, my review is unbiased by expectations, because other that the pack’s name, I didn’t read any of the promises on the back.
So I put on the mask, and all went as normal. 15 minutes into the 20 minute session my skin started to tingly slightly. A good sign I think, as though something actually was happening.
When I took it off, there was some excess product left on my face, but the mask was much drier than initially, and it did appear that my skin had absorbed quite a bit.
Once the excess was patted in. My skin was… moist, but nothing exceptionally.
Apperance wise, the same thing. Nothing was tighter or smother or more beautiful in any way.
The next day I didn’t wake up with better moisturized skin.
But, my skin was actually firmer, and my complexion a lightle bit clearer… Not as in blemishs disappeared, but my skin looked…. More even almost.
Today was a really good skin day.
And since I’ve been doing a lot of flying over the holidays, that’s a really really good thing. Travelling usually leaves me tired and sallow for weeks after.
Conclusion,  I really like this one.


Wednesday, December 23, 2009

vov face mask





Vov Masks
Daily Fresh - Blackbean Isoflavon
Price 2000 won (less than $2 US)
-for all skin types
On the back - Black bean’s isoflavon, which is a key ingredient for anti-oxidation, provides a vitality and nutrition to your skin , and helps to provide an elastic and healthy skin to you.
The blackbean isoflavon mask is supposed to be moisturizing and purifying. Its meant for already healthy skin, I think more for maintenance than treatment of a particular problem.
The mask itself is of good sturdy cloth, not super thin and easily tear-able like some.
The size is perfect for my face, it reaches from my forehead to my chin, and from ear to ear without any extra.
However, I don’t have a wide or large face, so for some it might be a bit on the small size. However that’s generally true with all Korean masks.
The package contains a lot of extra product, enough to scoop out and apply on the neck and above the chest.
The essence is clear, and almost gel like. It’s light, without a strong smell.
It has a slightly cool feeling when applied to the skin, even when warm.
The essence is super gentle, feels almost like aloe. It absorbs moderately well, and after twenty minutes the mask is still damp, there is extra left over (Not that you can use a face mask twice).
With this mask there were no noticeable effects. It was super gentle, and I do think it would be a good one for sensitive skin.
The next day my face was moist, but not significantly so. 


Honestly, after one use, this mask doesn’t really go either way. But since I like the daily fresh style, and it’s non-irritating, it’s worth getting, and for me getting again, to see if continued use will get real results.









Sunday, December 20, 2009


Etude house O2 White mask 
with O2 carrier complex.
Price 8000 won (about $7.50US)
I love Etude house, I love a good mask, and I love whitening products.
Other than the fact Oxygen additives do nothing for your skin. Oxygen is just another bull shit marketing ploy (read my review of Tony moly slimming oxygen peel here, where I give more details about the BS.)
I bought this mask because it’s exactly the sort of thing that usually works for my skin.
Plus, when I first arrived in Korea, my skin was… dull, lifeless, and almost sallow.
Finally I’ve adjusted to the change, but for a while I was looking for something, anything, to bring the life back to my skin.
The O2 white mask was not the answer.
The tub contains the thickest white paste. If you tip the tub upside down, nothing comes out (Are you thinking Dairy queen blizzard too?)
For a mask, this is odd, but not necessarily a bad thing.
Except, when you apply it, it is actually to thick to apply evenly.
So you end up with super thick areas, and then really thin spots…
Then the tingling starts, almost a bubbling sensation, not really bubbling, but kind of…. 
(Yes that was succinct.)
But then sadly, it starts to burn.
It’s not horrible, or particularly intense, but it is most definitely burning.
My skin turns red, and I really want to take it off.


I’ve tried the mask a couple of times. Which after my first experience, might seem surprising, but I know my skin. After a shower, or a good scrub, it’s extra sensitive, so unless a product is actually really painful, I will give it a second shot.
The O2 mask burns every time.
On the plus side, the areas where clumps of the mask rested, actually become whiter after one use.
So….
It works, but I can’t recommend it.


Rating - 2 out of 5 stars
Buy again? - Definitely not!

Monday, December 14, 2009

massive mask haul!


Massive Haul!!!!!!
I went to Seoul for the weekend and got a massive, and I mean massive haul of beauty products!
I got 31 different face masks!!!!!!
And 5 new BB creams!
along with tons and tons of other amazing stuff!!!!!



Tuesday, December 8, 2009




Kate - gel eye liner
Price : 14.95 at alphabeautystore
Size: 2.5g

Not so long ago there were generally only two options for eyeliner, pencil of liquid. For the longest time I used a soft black pencil, creating a smudged eye look rather than a line. I used to like how it looked, but a nice clean line looks so much more posh and professional.
But liquid liners are f*ing hard to use. I now, am more than capable of using one to create a nice even line.
Unless I’m in a hurry, or distracted, or my hand accidentally slips.
At least with a pencil, there is never that much mess…
I’ve been using Kate’s Gel liner for about 2 years now. I’m on my fourth order.
This stuff is wonderful.
Like all gel liners, it creates a finish somewhere between that of a pencil and liquid.  But with total control, and greater flexibility.

The liner is a good dark black. It applies smoothly. The little included brush is of good quality, and applies the liner in a narrow, even line.
And if you screw up, it is pretty easy to fix.
Kate’s liners in particular stay on all day, no flaking, and once dry, eye rubbing/ light crying doesn’t affect it.
I have tried a few other gel liners , but keep going back to kate. It’s lasting power is the best. 
The only issue I have is it dries out pretty quickly. It’s usually unpleasantly dry before I even finish the pot, and I wear the stuff just about every day.
Since I think the dryness of the liner is part of what gives it such good staying power (oilier/ wetter liners almost always smear/fade easily), I’m ok with it.
The price is not super cheap, but its not expensive either. And it’s comparable to far more expensive brands.
It’s my absolute favorite, so if you can find it, buy it!


Silver and Gold

This review is totally different than the Black liner.
I hate these liners. Since I’ve had such success with the black liner, I thought, yay more colors.
No.
The liners are flaky. Like little chunks of gold or silver leaf. It’s weird, and they are big flakes. It applies flaky. So you have to sort of pat…. Like applying gold leaf if you’ve ever tried it.

The effect once on is very silver, and very gold and they do last nearly as long as the black.
But I tend to end up with flakes in my eye! 
This sucks!
Don’t buy them!!!

Monday, December 7, 2009


Tony Moly - slimming  peeling gel w/ oxygen

On the bottle : the oxygen transfer element enables to facilitate the supply of oxygen to the inside of the skin to make your skin healthy, and help to manage your skin clear by removing the horny substance. The ingredient of caffeine will help to make your skin contour look more beautiful
Apparently the whole ‘oxygen’ (in or producing) in skin care is just a gimmick.  I’m not surprised, but here is an article by Paula Begone if you’re wondering 
And I admit, before I ever went into Tony Moly I knew that ‘oxygen’ as an item on a skin care product is BS.
So why the Hell did I buy an Oxygen Peel?
Well the pushy sales girl used it on my hand, and since she was super nice I felt obligated to buy….
Yeah…   I’m usually good at ignoring that impulse. I know it’s a sales trick.  
But I was still super Jet lagged.
Plus I was actually looking for a peeling product. (excuses excuses…)
Honestly, I adored my Pineapple peel from back home (Bromelain an enzyme in pineapple is an awesome and quite gentle exfoliator).
When it was tested on my hand, it cleared off tons of dead skin, and one hand was lighter than the other.


The Oxygen Peel comes in a clear bottle with pump top. Excellent for nearly every skin care product. 
Inside is a bright blue gel with no discernable scent.
One applies the product to Dry skin, and rubs it around in circles. It than clumps up and turns grey.
Even if there is no dead skin, and no dirt on your face, the product will still lump into little balls. That’s how its designed. So don’t be fooled into thinking tons of dead skin is coming off. 
                                        


There is no noticeable ‘oxygenation’ like bubbling or fizzing. That’s fine by me, those are usually gimmicks anyways.


It does claim to be ‘slimming’.  That’s the caffeine.
But what this really means, is this is supposed to be for cellulite.
It’s not actually a facial product.
And in fact, it’s not good for the face. It feels light and gentle, but it leaves a bit of residue.
I did try it on my face; there was no bad reaction…. But it didn’t do anything good for it.
A peel usually makes my skin softer, and brighter.
This didn’t.
As for it’s intended effect on cellulite. Well…. It didn’t really make one.
I have very little cellulite, so little it doesn’t bother me, and no one else can see it. So maybe on someone with more pronounced cellulite it might be effect. Caffeine is one of the better products to temporarily reduce it.
So in the end I only ever use it on my arms and hands. I have dry skin, and until I get a better scrub, I will use this as a mild exfolator.


Stars  1/5
Re purchase  -  definitely No


Sunday, December 6, 2009



Etude house - Yogurt Peel, cleansing foam
When I came to Korea I brought along just about everything I need for my skin care regime.
Not because I wasn’t super excited to try all new Korean skin care, but because I wanted to have a back up that I knew would work for me.
I have mildly sensitive skin, and very sensitive eyes. So something items, like make up remover and bad moisturizers can really wreak havoc.
And when I first went to Japan, it took me nearly 3 months to find a shampoo that didn’t make my hair greasy. (*shudders*)
But one Item I didn’t bring any of was cleanser.
I figured I can use just about anything.
And generally, any basic face wash will do me for a little while.
So when I went into etude house, that’s what I was looking for, basic, inexpensive, and effective.
I picked up a few cleansers, and the Yogurt peel smelt DIVINE.
Oh, it smells absolutely edible.

So I scooped it up.
But I must have been half asleep, because I only looked at the ‘cleansing  foam’ part of the label.
Where in fact, it’s more of an exfoliator. A rough exfoliator.
If you’ve ever used at home microderm abrasion kits,  this has basically the same texture, except its suspend in a creamy base.
It was not at all what I thought I was buying.

That’s ok though. The product is beautiful.
It cleans very well and leaves no residue.
One pet peeve I have with some physical exfoliators is it can be damn difficult to get rid of the little particles.
I hate find bits of sand on my jaw line, or in my eyebrow.
This washes away very cleanly.
And leaves the skin soft.
One other thing, it tastes delicious…
Really. It tastes like apple candy.
While that’s not something I generally look for in a cleanser, it’s a bit of a perk.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not going to be eating it. But it’s easy to get a little bit of the products on your lips. Especially when washing it off.
And then you absently lick your lips, or open your mouth to breathe.
So it makes the occurrence a little less unpleasant.

Stars  4/5
Re purchase  -  Yes!

Friday, December 4, 2009




Tony Moly Man cream 
Price: 13500won ($13.50)


This is a review of something you won’t see often here, or a Men’s moisturizer. Me not being a guy, and not particularly like ‘guy’ scents, Men focused products don’t interest me.
But my boyfriend was with me at Tony Moly, and I’ve been trying to convince him to do basic skin care. Ie. Wash with a cleanser, moisturizer and use sunscreen.
He’s not a Metrosexual sort of guy in the least. So it’s a bit of a stretch.
But who wants to look old before there time? 
I’m not pushing though (trying to change people is self delusional), just showing him options.
And here in Korea there are tons of men skin care lines. So for a guy, it’s not as scary as it might be at home.


We picked up the Tony Moly moisturizer. They have a few different lines. But this was one of the higher priced ones.
I personally think he picked it because the bottle is nice.
It’s heavy glass. So if you were going to order it for a male friend, I would not recommend it!
There is no included dispenser. This drives me nuts, since its very difficult to get creams out of glass bottles!
The first thing I noticed about the product was the scent. It’s strong.
In fact my boyfriend said it was way too strong the first time he actually applied it all over his face.
But, since it’s been open for a bit now, the smell has really diminished, and its now much subtler. 


The texture is very light. It absorbs really quickly, and it does moisturize well.


Stars  3/5
Re purchase  -  No. There are cheaper alternatives in more convenient bottles,  and the moisturizer isn’t amazing enough to compensate.







Thursday, December 3, 2009



 Tony Moly Caviar Skin Care

I got samples of just about a complete skin care regime.
Toner, serum, eye cream and moisturizer.
So I thought I'd give some initial thoughts...

The packaging both in the mini’s and the full size products is less than inspiring. 
That’s ok though, as much as I love beautiful things, It’s more important to me that my skin care works.
Toner - Thick almost gel like. A slightly unpleasant smell, chemical and old lady-ish, but not overwhelming.  No toned feeling.
Essence/ Serum- thick, really thick and white. Doesn’t absorb well, doesn’t make the skin feel softer, same smell. My skin actually started to burn and itch just slightly after using this.
Eye cream, thick, absorbs better. But very thick. 10 minutes late I can still feel it on
Moisturizer - same unpleasant smell, which, with all four products on I can still smell. It’s not thick, but I can still feel it on my skin. I actually applied a lot less than I do with other products, but my skin feels almost greasy.


Basically, The samples were big enough I got nearly 3 days use out of the whole line, and more from the toner and serum. But... They suck. I am definitely NOT going to buy the line, or anything from it...




 The winner is Stephanie!!!
As picked by random.org




Tuesday, December 1, 2009



 Giveaway officially closed!!!




Saturday, November 21, 2009

Giveaway!!!!!



Etude house Giveaway!!!

Included-
Pearl Essence Mask
Collagen Essence Mask
Aloe essence Mask
Juicy pop lip gloss 
Robins Egg blue nail polish
Etude House Black butterfly mirror
Collagen Moistfull essence Large
Collagen Moistfull essence - small
Collagen Moistfull cream - small
Collagen Moistfull freshner (toner) - small
Collagen Moistfull emulsion (moisturizer) -small
Moistfull Toner - small
Moistfull essence - small
Total Age repair Toner- small
Total age repair Emulsion - small
 Precious minerals bb creams -sample
Total age repair Royal Essence - sample
Collagen Moistfull cream -  sample

The Giveaway closes November 30th . I won’t pick the winner until December 1st, so anywhere in the  world that it’s still November, you can still enter!


Rules (They suck but…. It’s free stuff!)


1. You must be a follower!  (So you need to be logged in when you leave your comment so I can identify you!)
2. Please leave a comment, stating what item is your favorite to read reviews about! (I like to read about new skin care gadgets!)
3. The contest is open world wide!
4. The winners are chosen by random.org
5. Winner please contact me by the end of December 4th, or I will redraw!

Thursday, November 19, 2009


Rimmel Glam eyes

Price: ~7.25
One might wonder why I bought the Rimmel Glam eyes mascara when I already am in love with the CG lash blast. It might seem like a waste of money.
… Well, there was a cute little crown on the mascara, and it came with a free eyeliner….
Damn gimmicks, they get me every time,
Anyway…
The Rimmel glam eyes does come in adorable tube. Its black with a matte black lattice and a shiny pink crown.
Inside the brush is silicone and curved.
The little spokes though are very short…. Especially compared to other Mascara’s. I have no idea why this is…
The result though, is barely done eyelashes.  It does darken them, and thicken them a little. But not much. Not much at all.

The composition of the mascara is pretty good though. it’s a good dark color (sometimes black just isn’t very black), it doesn’t clump, and it only smudges minimally. It’s not waterproof, so crying/ rain does make it run some, but not terribly, and it isn’t advertised as waterproof, so really this is to be expected.
I think the issue is mostly the brush.
In the end the mascara isn’t terrible. I keep it in my car for emergencies (*laughs*). I wouldn’t buy it again.


Maybelline pulse perfection mascara 
(Vibrating)
Price: about $15 (ewww for a drugstore brand)

Ok. Ok. I was taken in by the glittery and new…
And its maybe line. I don’t know why I even buy their mascara, I hate them ALL.
This one is the worst though.
The whole gimmick is the brush vibrates, separating the lashes, supposedly making them fuller.
It doesn’t work. My cover girl BIG LASH gives me bigger fuller lashes.
I can’t even tell the difference between using the mascara with and without vibrations.

One thing that the mascara does well, is it clumps very little, even with a couple of coats.
The vibrating helps with this, but barely….
The reason I hate this Mascara though, it flakes.
It flakes like crazy.
I admit, I tend to rub my eyes. But this is ridiculous, After like an hour my boyfriend is saying I have black stuff all over my face.
And I do… It’s so bad.
Even when I don’t rub at my eyes at all, the stupid stuff still flakes.
It’s so bad it’s un-usable.



Tuesday, November 17, 2009


CG exact eye lights 
(black ruby) 
Price: ~6
Cover girl has never let me down when it comes to mascara, well, that it until the exact eye lights collection.
They SUCK.
The brush design is basically the same as CG’s Lashblast. So really there are no complaints there.
But the mascara itself is Shit.
It wasn’t worth the money I paid for it.
I have Hazel eyes…. Which I know can mean pretty much anything. Technically they are blue and brown, but they come across green. So my eyes look fantastic with subtle red. I have a gorgeous liner by Sheer cover that’s subtle, but makes the green POP.
So when I bought the  Eyelights in Black ruby, that’s what I was hoping for.
I didn’t expect to open it up and find a tube of red mascara.

 I didn’t expect dramatic results.
But I had hoped for something. 
For my whites to look just a bit whiter, and the green a bit greener….
No…
In fact, the color, though slightly red, tends to turn ashy on my lashes.
So they end up looking like I have white primer on my lashes.
It looks wrong.


I’ve even tried putting it over/under other mascaras.
With no success.
The Eyelights line is a complete rip.

Monday, November 16, 2009


CoverGirl lash exact 
Price: $6
Until Cover Girl came out with their Lashblast mascara, this was my go to Mascara.


I think the brush design is amazing. It applies a good amount of product, while separating the lashes.  The result, longer fuller lashes, with minimal clumping.
Now of course the soft silicone brushes are everywhere.
But even still I  keep a tube of this around.
The mascara itself is dark, long lasting and doesn’t flake.
I find the non-waterproof version to be better than the waterproof. They seem to be equally long lasting…. But the water proof is hard to take off, even with make up remover, so I always end up with raccoon eyes when taking a shower, because there always seems to be some I missed….

Covergirl lash blast
Price: $6
This is my FAVORTIE mascara.  I’ve used everything from wet n’ wild to Lancôme and Buxom (from Sephora). But I always always always come back to Cover girl Lash blast.

Why?  It’s cheap, and it always works.
I get consistently big, beautiful lashes, with almost no clumping. With barely any smudging ( I am  an eye rubber) and NO flaking!
This mascara gives as good as any of the Big name mascara’s! I was hooked on the comb mascara by Elizabeth Arden for quite a while. But CG is just as good, at nearly a quarter of the price!

Sunday, November 15, 2009




Maybelline intense xxl  volume +length micro fiber mascara
Price: $6.34 @ Walmart US
Since I madly love big full dark lashes, any product that promises to make my lashes bigger, fuller and/or darker is a must try.
Since maybe line isn’t a brand that I normally like for Mascara I’m not entirely sure why I even bought this particular one… 
It’s the standard duel mascara, a white base coat, that adds length and fullness to the lashes, and a second, black coat to make them dark.
The base is pretty good. It goes on smoothly, and does add a bit of length, and a tiny bit of fullness.

It’s not exceptional. But it’s good.
The mascara portion, alone is also pretty good. It’s a nice deep black, it clumps some, but nothing major, and it adds some fullness on its own.

Perplexing the base and Mascara are not a good combination…
With the addition of the base, the mascara all of a sudden clumps like crazy!
I’ve tried letting my lashes dry after the base, gently combing them through before and/or after they are dry, then applying the mascara.
Still, they clump, a lot.
The Mascara worn alone,  fairly rub and smudge proof. It lasts a whole day, then removes easily with make up remover.
With the base, all of a sudden it flakes…. And smudges.
Its idiotic.

Mascara mascara mascara!!!!!!!
In honor of my obsession with mascara, this week I'm doing All Mascara reviews! There are a number of normal back home brands, cover girl, Maybelline; including the latest gimmick, vibrating mascara! But I've tossed in a few Korean Mascara's too.
So enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, November 12, 2009



Etude House- Baby Skin Base
Price: 6000 won ($6.00)
Size: 30ml
I’ve been dying to try some of the weird colors of make-up bases available in Korea.
It’s true that some brands like Make Up Forever, offer bases in colors other than white…  But considering how expensive MUFE is, I’m not spending my money on something I’ve never tried before.
So The first thing I bought when I got to Korea - Etude house  baby skin base in - GREEN!
I tend to get red and blotchy, and my nose is red all the time (*sigh*).
Green promises to even out redness.

The Baby skin base comes in UGLY packaging.
This is super surprising considering that just about everything in Etude house is adorable…

But it has a hygienic pump top, with cover, so I guess I can’t really complain since it is functional.
Inside, the base is green.
Not just green tinted, or slightly colored, but Green.


It reminds me of Witches make up for Halloween.
Luckily, when applied most of the color dissipates.
Personally it leaves me very very pale.

It doesn’t leave a green cast to the skin, but it does make me look ghastly pale. Sickly almost.
I think someone darker than me might not have that problem…
And if it’s used just on targeted areas, like the nose and blemishes, it’s not a problem.

(Can you see it? If you look carefully you can see the difference between pink and green!)
The texture is soft and smooth, but not like the usual silicone base. It applies smoothly, but only moderately fills in pores/smoothes out skin texture.
If it weren’t for the inexpensive price and the green color. I wouldn’t buy the baby skin base again.
But since the color itself really does  vanish the redness of my nose (Goodbye Rudolph!)
I will definitely be purchasing the Baby skin base in purple soon!!!


Later note: There is no purple baby skin base. Only in the dream base. *sigh*