Mischievous Mack

Korean Brushes!!!

2012-01-31T20:15:00.000-08:00

Korean In-Store Brand Brushes (Etude House, Holika Holika, It's Skin, etc.)
So, do you uses make-up brushes??? When I first go into makeup, I didn't, I thought they were stupid.
I was also woefully inept at all things makeup.....

I have since come to appreciate a good brush. My eyes look better with properly applied eye shadow, beautifully rimmed with creme eyeliner. My eyebrows are even straighter, and more dramatic.

So I've purchase a number of brushes from Korean In-store Brands.
I have Etude House, Skin food, It's Skin, Holika Holika, and.... um.... Oh, one from Tony Moly.
To be honest, I'm probably missing some....

Different Packaging

The thing is, all the brushes are the EXACT same!!! It's so weird. The only difference is the packaging, and the name printed on the handle.
But the brush, the shape/size, texture, same same same!

So I thought I would do ONE BIG review for Korean Brushes....

The prices range from about 3000 won to 12000. The most expensive is the foundation brush.
I have a few different size eye shadow brushes, and a couple of eyeliner brushes.

See! Same same same!!! All the little ones are the same, just different sizes!!!

Honestly, I love them all.....

They are beautiful quality for the price.

I've had this one since 2009! It still looks the same!

I've never encountered any shedding. The bristles hold their shape really well, they are soft, with a bit of structure. I have cleaned them countless times, the labels have worn off, but the bristles and handle are still like new!

The handles are a bit stubby for their height, and kind of soft(a little like rubber). So they are very comfortable to use.

So, if you use makeup brushes, pick up some by a Korean in-store brand. I love them....

It's Skin - Honey Nutri cleansing foam

2012-01-28T17:53:00.000-08:00

It's Skin - Honey Nutri cleansing foam

I am in love.
With this cleanser..... (Maybe that was a little bit too dramatic) This really is my favorite cleanser. Of all cleansers.

What it is a creamy foaming cleanser, with a light honey scent(very light). The cleanser itself is a light golden yellow. It's thick, and foams into tiny little bubbles.

Why is it so awesome?

It's so simple.
I like all kinds of fancy cleansers, multiple steps, oils, powders, scrubs, etc.
But when I get up each morning, and sleepily wash my face, I don't have the energy or patience for anything complicated, I just want a quick simple cleansing, that leave my face feeling fresh, clean, soft, not dry and ready to face the day. That's what this cleanser is.

Are you thinking that I could get a simple cleanser from anywhere, any brand? Well yes, basic cleansers are everywhere. But rarely does one do the job so well.
It's not that the Honey Nutri cleanser does anything different or new, it just does things better. When I wash with it, it has a nice texture and is easy to use, it washes away cleanly. When I am done, my skin feels just a bit softer and younger, a bit fresher, than with other cleansers. After days and days, my skin always feels that lovely.

Most simple products are mediocre. This is perfect at being just a simple cleanser!

Holika Holika Candy Pop Nail Polish

2011-12-03T20:01:00.001-08:00

Holika Holika Candy Pop Nail Polish
Price: 2000 won ($2!)
The Candy pop Nail series is all bright 'summery' gel polishes.
Gorgeous!

This color is my least favorite of the Candy Pop series. But I still like it....
It's kind of weird, because every other Candy pop color is clear, and gel like (is that what those kinds of polishes are supposed to be called), but this color is kind of creamy....
It's like half candy pop, half regular Holika line (blue tops are all creamy goodness).
So it's just very out of place, and doesn't do either way that well....

It's a solid 3 coat polish, which is how many I have on in the picture.
The color itself is nice. It's not my favorite, but It's a very wearable color for me, since it's a pinky purple!

Anyway, don't be scared off from the Candy Pop series by this review. The rest of the line is stunning!

2011-12-03T20:01:00.000-08:00

Hi fellow bloggers!
I will return soon, my computer has broken again, so it is off to be fixed *hopefully*
One last post, then I will be gone until my beloved laptop returns to me......

The Best month of the year!!

2011-10-31T17:13:00.001-07:00

It my absolute favorite time of year, no it's not thanksgiving, It's National Novel Writing month!!!
I've been participating for 5 years. Sadly, last year was the first year I failed to finish :(
This year I plan on making up for it!
Who cares that I have 3 presentation, 4 assignments, 2 midterms and a 25 and 12 page paper, all sue this month????

So please join me, write your own awesome novel!!!

BB cream swatches!!

2011-10-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

BB cream swatches!!

Since I accumulated a number of BB cream samples, I thought I would swatch them for you!!!

Super Magic BB by Hanskin
Supposed to be whitening and wrinkle preventing
Etude House Precious Mineral - Sheer glowing skin (color 2)
SPF30
Banilla co - Let me BeBe
SPF37, and supposed to be illuminating'
Hanskin Control Skin BB
For less than perfect skin
It's Skin - i code W
SPF17 PA++, and wrinkle control
Hanskin Nutritive
SPF35

As you can see, not a single good color for me in the bunch!!! They are all on the darker side for BB creams

Banilla co's was the lightest, and very yellow.
It's skin and Hanskin's Nutritive we the most neutral toned.
Etude's looked super orange when blended in! Yikes!!!

New Blog look!

2011-10-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

Hi Fellow bloggers! I was tired of my old blog look, so I changed it!
I think It's Much better!
The background picture was taken in Cambodia, of the Lake, Sras Srei.
I took the picture at 5:30-6 in the morning!!

I also added a home button on the left, under followers, since my page doesn't have a header... Hopefully it will make navigating a little easier!!

Well let me know what you think, if anything is working, or hard to read!!

Thanks guys :)

Holika Holika Polish in - Orange!

2011-10-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

Holika Holika Polish in - Orange!
Price : 2000won

For Halloween, I though I would review a couple of colors of orange nail polish. I bought this color, cause I liked it, not for the Holiday, but hey, it works for Halloween!

This is one of the Many Holika polishes in my collection, because Holika makes GORGEOUS Nail Polish.

This bright, almost pumpkin orange is no exception.
The texture is perfect, it's creamy, with 2 coat coverage, but smooths itself out, eliminating streaks.
The finish easily looks impeccable.
I really love the creamy polished by Holika, they are such great quality!

The color, I love. Its so truly, unapologetically orange.
The color also makes my hands look good. It's not too yellow (makes my skin look dull), or too red (makes my skin look pink). It's just right.
...
So in the end, Iove it!!
Does anybody else think my skin looks blue???? I swear the nail polish is true to life!!

Worst Etude house item EVER!!!

2011-10-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

Do you see the adorable little penguin? He's(or she's?) so adorable!

I was on my way out of Korea (*sob*), and in the Incheon Airport (Seoul), shopping at the little Etude/Missha shop.
Where they upped the prices soooo much it was ridiculous!
But the little Lip gloss pot was so cute! It says hug me (which is odd...)
Plus it's an apple scent, I LOVE the smell of apple!!!! So I kinda overpaid for it.

Inside, is this really hard lip cream. It's hard like pots of cocoa butter.... Which is not a bad thing, since it melts at body temp, and moisturizes really well.

It's really smooth.
The penguin is colorless, and with just the barest sheen.
It's the perfect texture to toss in a bag, for those days when I am chapped, or just dry, or planning on doing some kissing.....

Doesn't it sound wonderful???

.....
I vaguely remember it being wonderful, but, I haven't been able to use it more than 3 times, because the cover sticks.
The little pot is made out of metal, and the top gets wedged on the bottom so firmly, I, even with a screw driver and pliers, can not get it open.
My Dad and Boyfriend, cannot get it open.

The stupid thing WILL NOT OPEN!!!!

I managed to get it open once after it got stuck, It just mysterious opened one day.....

But I couldn't leave it open, I had to put the top back on.
That was back in July.

I really wish I could open it.....

Foot pad healers from Sasa

2011-10-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

Footpad Healers

Price : ranging from 1000won to $1.60

Hello, strange. Have you noticed I have an obession with weird beauty things? The foot pad healers are one of my more recent forays into the odd.
I picked up a few, Kokubo- Aloma in Rose,a Germanium and heating one from Sasa, and from Daiso, a "Natural Diet" one!

I was Backpacking in Cambodia, so I thought My feet would be sore. So I thought they would be worth a try.

Inside each packet are two little sachets. Inside is a powder/granules. One side being sticky. You peel off the cover, and stick a square on the bottom of each foot.
Then your feet begin to sweat, it's oddly uncomfortable. My feet weren't warm, but I had a strong urge to wash.
After ~10 minutes, the pads have dark spots, where the sweat has soaked into the pads. And then you take them off.

Except for the sweat, they didn't do anything.... I know that they are supposed to make your feet sweat, that's the point, but It's not like they made my feet feel more relaxed, or fresher, or helped with swelling.
They were sweaty then nothing...
It was odd.
The heating one was the best, since it did heat up, which could be nice.

Other wise, I can safely recommend a pass!

Sasa free shipping over $29 today and tomorrow! Hurry!!

2011-10-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hey fellow Beauty Addicts! Sasa.com shipping is free for purchase over $29 the 5 to 7th!

Since shipping is usually only free for purchases $75 or more this is awesome, at least for me since I just got birthday money!!

The broken :(

2011-09-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much luck with eyeshadows. Singles tend to be of terrible quality, quads and trios are much nicer, but then, there is always one color I use more than all the others. One color that I always want in a single.

This Trio was finally one that I loved each and every color. They blended seamless, and looked fantastic.

But.... It broke, and It's skin stopped making it....
So There is no EOTD, because I dropped the compact, and it turned to a powdered mess.

But I wanted to show you what once was a lovely compact, and share my woe.....

It's skin - Color play - Trio Eyeshadow

Price : 6000won I think....
It's a baked shadow, with a light, dark and in between shade. I got a trio of cool bronzes. The compact is super simple, a mirrorless matte black.

The show really doesn't look like much.... But trust me, it was gorgeous....

*sigh*

The Face shop - Matte polish in Neon Yellow!

2011-09-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

The Face shop - Matte polish in Neon Yellow!

Price : 4000won ($4)

Are you ready to hear something stupid???

I bought another Matte, yellow polish from The Face shop. Does anyone remember my DISASTROUS encounter with a yellow matte polish last year???
If not, go read my post! My nails were YELLOW for 6 months!!!!

I don't know what I was thinking when I bought this Neon Yellow. I bought the Neon green too.

I think it's the fact they are Matte, and Matte are so hard to find! I'm not sure If I even like the look of matte polish....

Do you like Matte Nail polishes?

So the Neon yellow, as you can see, it is bright. Under florescent lighting, it is blindingly bright.

The color is really cool. It is so different. I have never before, and never again since seen a color quite like it.

The polish itself is creamy, and super thick. It's like paste, and goes on like glue.
This is quite possibly the worst Nail polish to apply. No definitively, I have never encountered a worse nail polish.

I bought it when It first came out too, so it's not like it is old and dried out. It started out nasty and thick.
It's really really hard to get a smooth coat. If you look at a closeup of my nails, they look uneven and streaky, it is just that thick.

It also stained my nails. Even with a base coat. Mind you, it was only a slight yellow tint, like day old highlighter, but what a pain!! Not to mention, it is expensive (for a Korean polish, they are generally 1-2$.)

Verdict, AVOID Face shop's Matte polishes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

School Supplies!

2011-09-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Since I decided to go back to school, I had to buy some cute Korean school supplies from G-market! (I swear I don't work for g-market, I just love it so!)

Here's what I got

Highlighters
They look boring on the outside, but inside, they are crayons (not markers!), which is so cool, because they are ERASEABLE! So at the end of the year I can sell my books back!!

Study Planner

It's super cute, but only a 1/2 year planner, which I did not realize! But It's got adorable details, like little customizable cover pieces (Time tables, or motivational sayings, and other random ones!)

Sticky Notes!
I love Sticky notes, the little packet has list notes, timetable notes, indicator tabs, and just regular!

Study Timer

Best thing EVER. It counts down or Up. So I will say set 30minutes, and then keep working until the timer goes off! It's great for keeping me motivated!

Staple-less stapler

It's so odd. It staples paper, without staples! It really works!

So those are my new supplies. I think I am disproportionately excited.... But they are so awesome!

Greetings Toronto!

2011-09-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

I have moved! Not to Asia this time ( :( )
I am in Toronto! I've decided to go to university this year.
I am a bit nervous, I don't know anyone here! So if there are any readers out there in Toronto, and want to hang out, send me a message :)

Holika Holika nail polish in Baby blue

2011-09-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

Holika Holika nail polish in Baby blue

Price: 2000 won (Less than $2)

There is one word to describe this color - Gorgeous!
I LOVE IT!
You might be thinking it's just another baby blue.
Sure I could see that, baby blue is pretty common.
But this nail polish by Holika Holika is just gorgeous. It is really bright and fresh. So instead of being a boring pastel, the color really pops. It's oddly strong for a pastel. You have to admit the tone is gorgeous, it is super flattering, my hands look younger and brighter in this color.
It's so good.
(Sorry about the rant :D )

The polish is also a wonderful texture, thick enough for easy 2 coat coverage, but this enough it applies like a dream. The finish is gorgeous, even when my nails are less than perfect.

This whole line by Holika has some of my favorite polishes!

Shisedo Tsubaki Shining Treatment

2011-08-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

Shisedo Tsubaki Shining Treatment

Price: 5000 won I think....
Ages ago I wrote a post about how much I adore the Shisedo Tsubaki line of hair care. It works so well for my dry dyed hair.
Of course I had to buy the condition treatment too!

It comes in a squeeze bottle, but the look coordinates with the rest of the series.
It's slightly thicker than the conditioner, but works the same.

It is no more conditioning than the conditioner, even when used as a hair mask. In fact, when I ran out of conditioner, I started using this instead, and there was no difference!!! My hair was not greasier, not more conditioned, no noticeable difference at all!

I wouldn't say it was a disappointing, but it is completely unnecessary if you already own the shampoo and conditioner!

Etude House Orjel Light Lipstick - Take 2!!!

2011-08-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

Etude House Orjel Light Lipstick - Take 2!!!
Price: 8000won

Color: 2

Ages ago, when I first moved to Korea I bought the Etude House Orjel light lipstick color 4, and I didn't like it! But a lot of readers commented how they had liked it, and I had read on other blogs how much they liked it....

I hated color 4, it was sooo drying, it made my lips flake, and ewww, that is Not attractive!!!

I was in the airport in Korea, on my way back from Thailand, and I bought a bunch of lipsticks from Etude House and Missha (they were merged together into this weird round store....

By accident I picked up a second Orjel light. I was trying to get a soft pink from one of the other lines, but I got the soft orjel pink....

Ooops.

Luckily for me, it was the color I wanted, not soem really ugly unusable shade!

So I started using it.

I LOVE it.

I was wrong. I still hate color 4 but color 2 is different. (I even pulled out the peach color, and tried it again, it dried my lips out again!)
It isn't drying. It doesn't last long, but It isn't at all drying, it is soft, and the color is gorgeous.
It's sparkly, but only a bit. It's sheer, with enough tint to alter the shade of my lips.
It looks gorgeous, natural but better!

it has become my go to everyday lipstick. It's so sheer, it is almost a gloss, with a soft satin finish.

SO If you are looking to buy from the Orjel Light line at Etude house, be warned, it seems to be quite inconsistent.....

Ah well.

Etude House – Hand Bouquet Rich Butter Hand Cream in Steam Milk

2011-08-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

Etude House – Hand Bouquet Rich Butter Hand Cream in Steam Milk

Price: 5000 won (Less than $5)
Size: 50ml

5% Shea Butter

Than Hand Bouquet cream comes in 2 types. Steam milk or Collagen. I LOVE the collagen cream. So I bought the steam milk.
I don’t like it nearly as much.
It’s a thick off white cream, with such a mild smell it is barely noticeable.
The cream itself absorbs well, but not completely.

It’s really thick, but not as thick as the Collagen version.
All in all I do like it. I keep this one in one purse, and the Collagen version in another.

The tube packaging is really handy. I have a number of pots of hand cream(or jars if you will), which makes application a pain, because your fingertips always get greasy, and I end up with moisturizer under my finger nails.
The tube is great, because it lets me dispense it on the back of my hand, or my palm, or wherever, without involving my fingertips!

It’s kind of weird thing to like, but it’s handy when you don’t want to sit around and wait for your moisturizer to absorb.

Holika Holika UV Magic Shield

2011-08-07T02:48:00.000-07:00

Holika Holika UV Magic Shield - Body Spray Sun
SPF 50+ PA+++
Price : 10,000 won ($9.75)

I can't believe I haven't posted about this before!!!! This is an AWESOME can of Sunscreen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am always looking for an alternative to my Anessa sunscreen, since it is so expense(worth it, but at $40-50, it's a lot!)
So I picked up the UV magic shield, thinking it might be ok. It has a high SPF which is my preference.
What it is is the perfect Aerosol can of sunscreen. It applies in light layers. It is easy to apply, and it's easy to apply more or less. It's white going on, but absorbs super quickly, and doesn't leave a white cast!!!
Best of all is how it feels, It feels like nothing. It's NOT greasy, It's NOT thick, It DOESN'T smell funny!!!!!

So you can see how it applies white. But that was a super heavy coat! Then it fades to invisible.

It looks similar- But its NOT!
When I got back to Canada I tried to find a substitute for the Holika Magic Shield. I found the Presidents Choice SPF50 Aerosol. It was More expensive than the Holika(before shipping) an $9.

The president's choice sunscreen is the worst stuff EVER! It sprays out so much that after one quick spray It's running down my arms(ewww). Then it dries in this gross way, like dried out slime, it get's crusty, and sticky, and feel greasy, all at once! Plus it attracts dirt, so my arms look like they have streaks of dirt.....

Can you see the drips? This is as lightly as I can apply! SO GROSS!!!

In comparison the Holika Magic Shield, applies evenly, lightly, making application super easy. It absorbs into the skin, and feels like I'm not wearing any sunscreen!!!

I LOVE the Holika Holika UV Magic Shield Body Spray Sun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Creer Beaute Salt Scrub in Blue?

2011-08-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

Creer Beaute Salt Scrub in Blue?

40g

Last time I was ordering things from Sasa, I tossed in a couple of random cheap items. The salt scrub by Creer Beaute was one of them!

It comes in a small packet, filled with a light blue salt scrub. It’s only about 40g. Really it’s a tiny packet, considering it is a full size product! I could buy a whole bottle of St Ives apricot scrub (150ml!!!) for less!
But that really isn’t that point is it? No one orders stuff from Sasa, or anything from Asia, because of the cost comparison. I could get lots of stuff here cheaper, but the stuff here is boring, or sucks.

So the scrub from Creer beaute…. I was disappointed when I first saw it, I mean it is tiny…. And the package isn’t re-sealable. Maybe it’s supposed to be a one shot sort of thing (probably).

Then it sat in my closet for ages! I guess I was saving it for something special…..

It wasn’t until my nose started peeling like crazy, I’ve started using retinol, and ugh, it makes my skin look gross, all peely and uneven. YUCK!
My St Ive’s wasn’t cutting it, nor was my yogurt scrub from Etude house.
I needed something heavy duty.
Something I wouldn’t normally use on my face.
So I pulled out the little packet from Creer Beauty.

OMG, my nose has NEVER been so smooth. This stuff is hardcore. My nose was so smooth it was shiny!

It was amazing.

The salt scrub has a floral perfume scent, which is pretty strong. It contains large salt granules, that are way too harsh for the face.
It is a really strong scrub, I saved my leftovers, which are perfect for feet, elbows and other problem areas.

In the end, The scrub was really worth the money. It’s a problem solver, not an everyday product, and it keeps just fine in a Ziploc bag!

2011-07-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

It's Skin Color Play Sugar Gloss
Price : 3000won (I think)
Color : 08

What's with all the Korean Makeup Brands Having sugar lip glosses? Holika's Sugar syrub gloss, Skinfood's honey gloss, and more.... It's odd.

Why I picked color 08, an orange pink, I don't know......
Maybe I was trying to find something that goes with my Canmake cream blush that is
really peachy.....

Regardless, the Color is completely different on!!!You can seen in the picture it doesn't look orange (or peach) at all!!!

I do have very pink lips, but still! It basically looks clear with a little bit of sparkle!

It has a lovely taste/scent, it's fruity and lasting. It's reminds me of some sort of candy. Maybe that explains the name.... Honestly, I love a lipgloss that taste nice, I end up tasting it, it's good if you are getting friendly ;) , and it's just a nice change from lipstick!

It starts out thick, but melts a bit when on. So it applies thinly, and doesn't last at all. It's also not very shiny. It becomes more matte very quickly.

All in all it's not a successful lip gloss. The color is too ambiguous and weak, the taste is nice, but it isn't shiny and doesn't last.

The Faceshop Apple Hand cream

2011-07-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

The Faceshop Apple Hand cream

Price : 4,400won ($4)

Size : 30ml

I may be addicted to hand creams…. My hands always end up so dry! I think It’s because I hand wash so many dishes.

A lot of Korean brands have been coming out with Fruit shaped Items, possibly ripping of the Japanese B&C which has been doing fruit shapes for ages.
So has Tony Moly. Now Bavi Phat is into, and the Face shop, and I am sure I have seen stuff at other shops!!

The Faceshop apple hand cream smell divine! It smells like apple, still like perfume, but there is a freshness, and a realisticness to the scent that makes it enchanting.
The cream itself is really nice. It’s surprisingly white(Most moisturizers tend to be cream colored). It absorbs well, and has an almost gel-cream like texture. It does leave a bit of a greasy layer. I know some people hate that!
It’s really not bad though, it just leaves hands a bit slick. Just a bit.

All in all it’s a really nice hand cream, but other than the scent it isn’t anything special!

Help! What are these for??????

2011-07-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

Hi! I need your help :D
I bought the Holika Holika Egg soaps without knowing how to use them!
....
I love Holika stuff that much!!!

So do you know what they are for??

The picture shows people rubbing them on their face.....

See? They are rolling them across their faces!!!

Am I supposed to use the like a facial soap? Lather and wash?
Or are they hand soaps???
Or are they supposed to be used dry????

And why are there 4 different kinds???
Are they meant for boys?????

I am guessing charcol is for serbrum removing....
But what about White egg(What does that mean?Is it made from eggs?), red clay and green tea???

Oh, and is that CN Blue in the picture?

Thank you for you ideas :D

Etude House - Bottle!

2011-07-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

Etude House Pump bottle
Price 3000won
Contents : None!

So this is not a very exciting purchase, but I was super excited!!! Why? Because it is PERFECT for Konading (It's a verb because I say so :P )
So this little bottle is empty, which makes 3000 won a bit expensive...... I'm not so keen on the pink, especially since Holika sells a lovely purple one in stores(Actually all of the Korean in-store brands seem to sell their own version!), but not online! So I had to settle for Etude house pink.

But since the top flips up, and it has a push down release, it is just so easy to use!

It is such a pain to try and tip nail polish remover onto a little Q-tip, especially when your nails aren't perfectly dry! I always end up tipping some on to the floor..... It drives me nuts!

I bought 2 bottles, one for eye makeup remover, and the other for nail polish!

And I am happy!

More details on my g-market haul!!

2011-07-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

So what I spent on G-market was $240 in Stuff, and $60 in shipping.

This is super reasonable in my opinion since I bought over 30 items (40 something in fact), including 5 glass bottles!!!

I sent a tiny box to Korea from Canada, it cost me $80 (express post!) I sent it the day before I ordered stuff on G-market, and the package I sent still hasn't arrived! All that was in it was baby clothes!

*sigh*

Etude House

So first up, what I bought from Etude house. Almost everything I bought is either something I already have, but LOVE! This is some of the best stuff Korea has to offer!

-Sleeping pact - Pore tightening ( There are 3 kinds, I already own the other 2, best sleeping packs EVER!!!)

-Sun Guard SPF 35

-Moistfull Toner and Emulsion ( My second bottles!)

-Moistfull Gel cream and massage cream - BEST MOISTURIZER EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Second bottle!!!)

-Lucid Nail glitter nail polish

-Cherry tint in pink - I already have red, it's my favorite lip tint!

-Juicy pop lip gloss

-I'm Jumbo Pen liner

-Happy Tea Time wash - Lemon

-Yogurt Peel Cleansing foam in Fruits mix - 3rd Bottle!!! Awesome cleanser

-Golden ration highlighter in Pink - I have the gold, it's gorgeous

-An empty pump container

Freebies

-Moistfull sheet mask

-2x Baking powder cleanser 30ml (A huge sample size!)

-Petit Bijou body lotion and body wash ( I hate the baby powder scent, but they are big at 30ml!)

-Aloha Make up bag (It's kind of Ugly......)

A box of cotton pads (I love these for removing tough mascara, the ones they -sell here aren't as good!)

Holika Holika

I LOVE Holika!!!! I am SERIOUSLY so excited that they have a g-market store!!!

-SPF 50 Spray - I used this in Korea, it's awesome! Since it's an aerosol I thought there was no way they would ship it, but they did!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Apple Shine Peeling Toner

-Apple Shine Turnover essence

-Magic Pole mascara (It looks so cool!)

-Egg soaps (What in the world are these for?????)

Freebies!

Holika Holika gave awesome freebies! A whole travel kit with toner, emulsion, BB, sheet mask, tooth paste and tooth brush!!!!

Plus, a 2 step whitening sheet mask

It's Skin

-Mangowhite Cleansing foam

Samples - 3 power 10 essence samples

Tony Moly

-Clear Water Lip and eye(makeup) remover

Samples - Red appletox honey cream, tomatox massage pack, flower energy foam cleanser, AC control acne cleansing foam

Tears - A Korean Brand I don't have much experience with....

-Foundation (Not a BB like I thought :( )

-Lip gloss

-2 eye shadows

-pressed powder

Freebies - NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This has NEVER happened to me!!! I only spent $3 on the cleanser from It's skin, and they gave me 3 little samples!!!!! I bought 4 things from Tears!!!!!! Blah :P

OTHER

Beauty world Nail Cocktail - two sets of 3 nail polishes to make a gradated look. The pics look AMAZING!!!
Freebies - 2 nail files, sheet mask and bra straps!

-Dahoo nail protection covers - SO WEIRD :D!!!!

It came with a free Hair thingy....

-Arm sleeves - For protecting the arms from UV rays

-Konad clean pad set - To make Konading more convenient

Free - Little orange slice decals and white crystals

-Skin 79 sort of - My favorite BB cream, but not sold by the official Skin79 sellers, just some random person...... But it was a lot cheaper.....

Car Decal :) I love it! They even gave a little coffee cup decal as a freebie!

The Sellers,

In case you aren't familiar with G-market(or haven't bought anything from there yet!), all of this stuff was bought from different sellers. So all the Etude house stuff came from the same mini shop, but all the Holika Holika came from another shop.

I've added links to all the mini shops I used for this order. I would recommend all of the EXCEPT Tears, the Foundation was all leaky and gross, everywhere on the inside of it's box.
All the other sellers wrapped things beautifully.

Massive G-market haul!!!

2011-07-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

So I went a little crazy on G-market...... But I've been sorely missing Korea, and running out of beauty essentials, so I bough a TON of stuff on G-market!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's my haul!

4 Cleansers
2 toners
2 moisturizers
1 sleeping pack
7 nail polishes (including 2 sets of 3)
4 egg soaps
1 foundation
1 BB cream
2 sunscreens
1 mascara
1 Konad plate rest
1 JUMBO eyeliner
3 lippies
1 highlighter
2 eye shadows
1 pair of arm sleeves
1 set of nail protectors
1 Giant Decal
1 Peel

...... I think that's it!!!

PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-07-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

I arrived home from work, a long, exhausting day, to check my g-market. I place an order a couple of weeks ago(really a week and a half) and have been eagerly awaiting it's arrival.

So I log on to g-market only to see this......

..... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't that the most devastating site ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Luckily, my little brother found a delivery notice tacked to the door. It wasn't a failure, I can pick up the package tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The post office has it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kai - Mascara Guard

2011-06-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

Kai -Mascara Guard
Price: $4
I love random, weird, and possibly useless beauty tools.... Which is why I bought the Mascara guard.
It's a little plastic tool that is used to prevent mascara from getting on the eyelids.
It also has two different sizes of mascara combs for unclumping....

I thought it might be handy, since I occasionally ruin my makeup by the tips of my lashes, or the mascara brush hitting my upper eye lid.
Especially when I am trying to get my lashes to be as full as possible.

It sounds good in theory. The problem is i have to use one hand for the mascara guard and the other for my mascara. Which is really awkward.....
It's so awkward, that it is just easier to be careful, or at least more careful, when applying mascara.

The only real plus to the tool, are the two mascara combs on the handle. The two different sizes are good for controlling how the lashes end up looking, a bit spiky and full, or fine individual lashes.

So this is definitely a gimmick tool, and not worth the couple of bucks I paid for it.

Hadalabo - Tamagohada daily foaming cleanser

2011-05-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

Hadalabo - Tamagohada daily foaming cleanser
Size: 160ml
Price: 21000won at Olive Young, $12.30 at sasa

Have you heard that BHA is better than AHA for skin care? I heard that once.... Ever since I jump on products containing BHA.
So of course I had to buy the Hadalabo daily foaming wash. HAD to. It was not optional. *laughs* I am a freak, I know.

I found it in Olive Young, my source for all things Japanese in Korea.
I paid a hefty 21000won for it ($21!!!). It has since shown up on sasa for only $12.30US. *sobs* I could have bought 2 for that price (Well, almost....)

The ugly packaging is a complete turn off for me.... It's just blue.... So boring!!!! Don't you think??
But I do appreciate the pump, it's hygenic and convient.
Inside the bottle is a liquid, that turns into a foam when you use the pump.
This is something I really like, a foam without aerosols!

Sadly the foam is useless. It doesn't remove make-up well at all. I do use a cleansing oil usually, so this isn't a big deal, and the Hadalabo cleanser does a good job of removing the cleansing oil.
But teh weird thing is, the cleanser really doesn't cleanse....
It starts out as a foam, so it doesn't emulsify. It just sits on the skin until the bubbles dissolve.

I have tried sooo many ways to get the cleanser to work. I have tried, with makeup, without makeup, with cleansing oil, without cleansing oil. Rubbing it with my hands, rubbing it with my silicone face brush, using more, using less, leaving it on while i brush my teeth, washing it off immediately, using it everyday for a week straight.
To no avail. My skin does not feel clean after I use this cleanser.

I don't want a cleanser that makes my skin feel tight, or squeaky clean. I do want a cleanser that doesn't strip my skin. But this cleanser does nothing!!! Nothing!!!!

Holika Holika - Nail polish #27

2011-05-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

Holika Holika - Nail polish #27
What do you think of the color?

I love it. I think.
I do the love polish though. Holika holika makes beautiful nail polishes. This color is very creamy. I get complete, opaque, coverage in two coats, but it is thin enough to apply very smoothly.
The finish is shiny, and very very even. It's not fool proof, but for such a light colored cream, it gives really nice coverage, and a beautiful finish.

Since the formula is so nice, the only question is do you like the color?

Nature Republic- Real Flower Rose Sleeping Pack

2011-05-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

Dear regular readers : Are you getting tired of my ....dislike of Nature Republic??

If so, well you are about to encounter a number of reviews, where surprise surprise, I like Nature republic!!!
......
Now Nature Republic is never going to be my favorite Korean brand, but I have to admit, I dislike it less.

So let me introduce you to Nature Republic's Real Flower Rose Sleeping Pack.

In pink..... There were 3 colors, pink, orange and yellow. But they don't have English names or descriptions, so I have no idea what is different about them.
I picked pink because..... It was the prettiest?

The outside is shaped like a rose bud. Do you think it's tacky? Or not so?
It's not my taste, but I don't find it so frilly as to be ugly. For something that is shaped like a giant rose, it's about as tasteful as it could be....

Inside is a little white plastic cover, which helps seal the very runny contents inside.

The sleeping pact is interesting..... It's filled with rose petals, big chunky bits of roses, in a loose runny mask.
It looks kind of disgusting..... But it also looks eerily similar to Fresh's rose mask (Which I want!!! But there is not a Fresh seller near me..... :( . I think the similarity to Fresh, is the Whole reason I bought the Nature Republic Real Flower Mask.

The pack is supposed to contain Polynesian lagoon water, and real rose petals... I don't know whether Polynesian lagoon water is something special or not.... Nature republic loves to say where it's water is from, Is that important???
I will say this about it, it smells like a rose.
Like a real rose. The scent is gorgeous. IT has a hint of fake, but overall it smells real. It smells amazing (If you how roses smell.)

How it feels is both amazing and lumpy.... The pack itself is really light and watery. Which is how I like my sleeping pack. It is super moisturizing. Not quite as good as the Etude House sleeping pack. But then, nothing is that good! I do wake up with moist, younger looking skin. It really does help me wake up with my skin better moisturized, looking dewy.
It is also really gentle. I have started using retinol, and my skin does NOT like it.... It ends up super sensitive to the touch.... And in fact, regular moisturizers can sting. This is very light and gentle. I really like to use it when my skin is extra sensitive.

The clumps of rose petals are..... not as irritating as I expected.
They do end up as little clumps on the face..... Not very attractive.
But they do seem to break down overnight. I never find bits on my pillow.

Overall, I really like this pack. I love the scent, I love how moisturizing it is, and I don't mind the clumps of rose petals.
If any one figures out the difference between pink yellow and orange, let me know!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shisedo Tsubaki Shampoo and Conditioner

2011-05-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

Shisedo Tsubaki Shampoo and Conditioner

Living in Japan was a mess.... At least where my hair was concerned. I worked in a very conservative environment, I had to wear a suit everyday. But my hair refused to be conservative.
It was dreadful, all frizzy, and partly curly, sticking this way and that..... I felt UGLY.
i mean it was bad enough that I felt like I was going to melt, in a full suit in the middle of the summer.
But every morning I would fight with my hair. On optimistic days I would carefully straighten it into a smooth sleek do. Only to have it a frizzy mess by the time I walked the two blocks to the subway station.
On more pessimistic days, I would tie it tidily back, A look which is not particularly flattering for my face shape.
Only to walk to the subway, and Still end up looking like a complete mess.
Then I would get to work, with my gorgeous Japanese co-workers, and feel like an Oaf.

If you have ever been to Japan, you might be familiar with the feeling. (Korea's not like that though).
My co-workers, wonderful people that they are, never commented.

This quite long tirade is leading somewhere.
To my discovery of Shisedo Tsubaki Shampoo and Conditioner.

It was available at just about any drug store. Conveniently at the one nearest my apartment. So one day, when I was about done with one of the other shampoo's I had bought, I picked this set up.
I'm pretty sure I was swayed by the Shisedo name. Though the shampoo and conditioner were in fact quite inexpensive.

The first time I washed my hair, I noticed a difference. My hair felt soft, but light and free.
Other Japanese hair care had my hair both oily and frizzy.....
This was different. It helped tame my hair, by really moisturizing, but it was very light.

When I straightened my hair, it stayed straighter, and frizzed less.

I love this shampoo and conditioner set. It was so perfect for my hair, facing humidity, then air conditioning. If you are in Japan, or Korea, pick it up. If not, try sasa.com :)

Cosmetex Roland - Eye treatment Cream

2011-05-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

Cosmetex Roland - Eye Treatment Cream
Price : Less than $9

This is the second item I've tried from the really inexpensive Japanese Brand ; Cometex Roland.
I was much less disappointed when I opened up the eye treatment cream, than I was with the Face smoother by Cosmetex.
Which is odd, because the Eye treatment cream is quite possibly the most austere product container I have ever seen.
Look at it, it's just white, with it's name.
For some reason, I kind of like it.....
The box the tube came is the opposite though, very designed and shiny.
I think the discordance between the packaging (product versus display), is in part because it is a cheap brand, but I suspect it is an immature brand, still trying to find it's niche.

Inside the white tube is a very simple white cream. Which is dispensed perfectly and sanitarly by the very narrow spout.
I actually love how little product comes out at a time.
Don't you find that most packaging dispenses too much eye cream? And I hate pots of eye cream, it gets under my nails, which is wasteful and unsanitary.

The cream itself is very very light, more a liquid than a cream. It also absorbs quickly and thoroughly.
Not absorbing quickly or thoroughly enough is certainly an issue with a lot of other eye creams (Not a big one, but still...)

As for effectiveness. Its absolutely wonderful.
Well, it is wonderful if what you want is a moisturizing and super light eye cream.

I don't feel it treats dark circles, or fine lines.
But, It is soooo gentle. It has no discernible scent. It also never irritates my delicate eyes.
I think this is a wonderful eye moisturizer.

Cosmetex Roland -Face Smoother

2011-05-04T18:47:00.000-07:00

Cosmetex Roland -Face Smoother
Price : ~$15
Size : 130 grams !!!
For a bit of a change in Pace, I shall review some Japanese products. I love Japan, I lived in Kobe for awhile. But since most recently I have been living in Korea, my reviews have mostly been of Korean Products.
But I do have a bit of an addiction to sasa.com
Which is where I found the "face smoother".
I quite enjoy the name. How blunt is that? Sometimes with products from Japan ore Korea, the English name can be quite..... interesting. Like tony moly's 'Egg pore' or Holika 'sugar syrub gloss'

I bought the tub of face smoother from sasa for about $15.

When it arrived, I was kind of disappointed. I mean look at it. The plastic tag that is part of the sanitary seal is kind of cute. I have no idea why there is an animation of the statue of liberty, but I like it.
But look at the actual package..... It's so bland. A plain white tub, with a teal colored sticker....
Blah.

So I open it up, inside it is a thick white cream, embedded with ex foliating particles. They are small, and fine. Very very similar to At home micro-derm abrasion kits.

And that's precisely what it is, a large pot of microderm abrasion cream.
At first, I used it once or twice, but I was thoroughly unimpressed.

So I put it away, and didn't come back to it until I was on a mission to use up some products. I began using the face smoother often, partly in an attempt to use it up, partly so I didn't have to go out and find a good exfoliant (I was having an awful time finding one I really liked).

And I began to appreciate the face smoother. First it was the scent. Inially it was too lemony, too lemon cleanser. But it mellowed, and while the scent still is more furniture polish than lemon grass, it's not off puting.
Then I began to notice how well the exfoliating particles rinsed away, and how smooth my face was after wards.

Plus when you consider how little product comes with at home microderm abrasion kits (One of which cost me $20+, versus the face smoother which weighs in at a hefty 130 grams and cost me ~$15. It is in fact a really good buy.

But the real change came when i started to take it in the shower with me.
The water from the shower, melted the product a bit, so it wasn't as thick.
With it thinned out just a bit, it was creamier, and worked better.

It has become my go to exfoliant.
I finally saw beyond the drab packaging, to the really wonderful product inside.

Skinfood Biscuit Eye shadow Duo

2011-05-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

Skinfood Biscuit Eyeshadow Duo

Price 5,900won (Less than $6)

Color : 3 - pink and gold

Color: 6 - green and copper

Do you see the adorable little biscuit shaped eyeshadow? I squealed when I saw it! It is Sooooo tiny and adorable!

It is in the shape of a little Korean biscuit. The kind that comes free with Alcohol sometimes. Usually with delicious fresh fruit juice and soju!

I had to snap one little compact immediately.

Inside the golden biscuit, are two colors of shadow, imprinted with stars. On the top, there is a teeny tiny mirror.

The mirror is almost too small to be useful. But I like that fact that Skinfood included a mirror. I feel it shows quality.

Obviously there isn't any room for a brush. So when I bought my first biscuit eyeshadow, it didn't come with one, but I noticed later that little sponge applicators were included within the plastic wrapping sealing it shut. I ended up with an applicator when I bought the second shadow. Then promptly lost it, since there is no room for it inside, and no way to attach it outside.

I picked the pink and gold duo initially. Texturally the shadows are Gorgeous, smooth and silky. They feel like really good quality shadows. The pink and gold are really nice. The pink is of average to medium pigmentation, and the gold is sheer. Both have little gold sparkles and are shimmery. The sparkles are tiny, and the shimmer isn't too pronounced.

Later I bought the dark army green and copper. Even though the green looks really dark, it comes out kind of sheer! It's kind of odd.... The green also has a gold sheen to it. The copper is just how it looks, and very similar to the gold. I don't really like the green and copper duo..... But it's because I don't like how the green looks on me. I feel it makes me look drab and old...... Blah.

The pink and gold duo I love. The colors look really pretty on. It is the tiniest eyeshadow compact I've ever owned, and makes for the easiest eye look. I took it with me Backpacking, along with a cream eyeliner, highlighter and BB cream. It was super minimal (for me.....)

This eyeshadow is sooooo perfect, because it is soooo tiny.

Holika Holika's Peach Girl BB cream

2011-05-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Holika Holika's Peach Girl BB cream

SPF 37

PA ++

Price: 13,000won ($13)

Size : 50ml

I love BB cream's. Don't you?
But it can be hard to find the right color.... Especially since most people can't go to Korea and test out all the shades before they buy. It SUCKS to order one online, only to find out the color is HORRIBLY wrong!

*laughs* But BB creams are still worth the hassle.

So I want to introduce you to an AMAZING BB cream. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

It's Holika's Peach girl BB.
It looks so out of place at Holika! The packaging is far more like something I would expect from Etude house(but not as pretty), or maybe Bavi Phat (which I hate). It's bordering between ugly and boring.
What do you think?

I bought it with low expectations, but it was the only BB at Holika that even came close to my coloring. Since they have 4 different lines of BB creams, this was really surprising. I am SUPER pale, and since BB creams in shade 1 tend to be SUPER pale, they work perfectly for me.
In fact, I am so pale, I can't wear most western makeup. The lightest shade in drugstore lines like cover girl, Maybelline, Revlon, etc.... are too dark(usually).

But the peach bb seems like it could be a good match. But Honestly, I bought it because of the little flip up top, with the blush and little mirror.

*swoons* I love getting 2 products for the price of 1!!!!!!!!!

The Actual BB cream inside was worth the buy. It is a perfect medium coverage. It's thick enough to give good coverage, but thin enough to blend easily. It gives a beautiful flawless but natural finish (That's a hard thing to find!)

Shown are the two color's the Peach Girl BB cream comes in; 01 (lighter) and 02(darker). My boyfriend bought me 02, as a part of a gift pack. Which was so sweet, if unusable..... so I gave it to my mom. It matches her more tanned, golden skin beautifully.
The color are pale beige, and slightly cool toned, as I find Korean BB's tend to be.
You can see from the picture that it is a bit darker than I am, but they do blend in beautifully.

This is truly a wonderful BB, mostly because it blends so beautifully. So that my mother and I can both use the same line, even though our skin tones are vastly different.
Texturelly Peach girl is a really nice BB cream, it is heavier than Korean BB's are usually. Which I actually find a plus. So does provide heavier coverage (relative to other BB creams). This is perfect for problem areas, like dark under eye circles. And for the rest of my face I dilute it with a highlighter (Skin food's secret shine base!!!!!!!!)
The cream does feel slightly heavier and it is a bit stickier. But I also feel it has better staying power.
And let's face it, it still feels nothing like foundation (yuck...).

This is my 2nd favorite BB, My fav still being skin79's absolute BB, but since the Peach Girl BB is 1/2 the price of skin79's, Peach girl is what I reach for day to day.

The Blush

The blush, tiny little compact atop to cover on the BB, is a standout product on it's own. It is basically a mini version of Holika's cream blush, but I swear the Peach girl blush is even more concentrated. a tiny dab is all I need.
It blend so well though a tiny dab can easily be spread out. The color is gorgeous, a strong peach pink. I love the color and it does go beautifully with the BB, but I find it a bit odd that they have paired a warm toned blush with a cool toned BB. It does work though :)

Holika Holika's other BB creams.
Until Holika releases new BB creams, you probably won't see any more Holika BB cream reviews from me. ALL of their other BB creams are really DARK!!!

At least they are on me. But this is good news for you readers, since I am sure not all of your are so pale. If you are looking for darker BB creams, try Holika, they have a lovely range of colors!!!!!!!!!
GWP.... (Gift with purchase)Holika Holika is AMAZING for free gifts :D.With my Peach Girl BB I got deluxe samples of the Secret Shine Toner and Emulsion. Along with a whole bunch of other samples tossed in the bag :D

Holika Holika Single shadows

2011-02-25T16:58:00.000-08:00

Holika Holika Single shadows

Price: 4000 won ($4)

Every Korean brand has its own line of single shadows. I find, they suck. Even a normally nice brand cheaps out on its singles.

But, I like singles. Almost every time I buy a duo, trio or quad, I use up one color LONG before the rest.

There are just some colors I use a lot. So I have been in search of decent Korean singles. (lol) My search isn’t over. Holika’s singles are ok looking. The packaging isn’t bad. A clear top with a silver or black bottom (silver is for the metallic shadows). Their logo is imprinted into the powder.
They are also designed to be easily depottable.

Inside the shadows are pretty generic, but the quality is pretty good. Better than I usually see in singles. The colors are nicely pigmented, apply smoothly and last well.

I bought two colors, both are copper, in the same tone, that coordinate beautifully. One is a dark copper, the other is a lighter copper. The colors in the silver case, the 'metallics' are more pigmented. It is the darker and slightly more orange of the two. I use it as a liner and for shading. The lighter color is less pigmented, and applies a lot lighter than it looks in the pot.

The colors are nice, not that exciting, and tend to be a little orange. The overall quality is decent, they last, and have decent pigmentation. They don't sound amazing, but.....honestly, they are the best Korean single shadows I have encountered.

Anessa (Shiseido) – Mild face sunscreen

2011-02-16T19:07:00.000-08:00

Anessa (Shiseido) – Mild face sunscreen

SPF 46 PA+++

Price (for full size) 48,000won ($48)

I am madly in love with Anessa sunscreens! They are amazing, and amazingly expensive!
I received a deluxe sample of Anessa mild face sunscreen along with a full size of Anessa Ex.

Surprisingly the Anessa MFS is totally different from the EX or Pearly!!! It’s a runny cream, with a light texture, but it feels nothing like the other Anessa sunscreens! In fact it feels like a regular, chemical sunscreen. So this particular one lacks the qualities that I LOVE in the other Anessa sunscreens.

But on its own, it is lovely. It’s super light, and absorbs into the skin beautifully. It basically just disappears. It does leave my skin soft, but not nearly as soft as the EX.

It doesn’t leave a white cast, and feels very very light, invisible in fact. It also completely lacks a greasy after feeling. Nor does it clog my pores.

It is a really lovely sunscreen, but…. I don’t feel it is worth the price. Most sunscreens are under $20. Even nice expensive ones don’t usually get up to $50, especially considering it only contains only 60ml (for the full size!)
I feel the EX and Pearly are worth it, because they are unlike any other sunscreen I have ever encountered. They are basically in a class of their own. The Mild face sunscreen is lovely, but it’s just an expensive variation on a common theme.

Etude House – Juicy Pop Tube

2011-02-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

Etude House – Juicy Pop Tube

Price: 2,500won ($2.50)

One of the very first things I bought when I got to Korea was a Juicy pop tube. How I love it, a lemon sweet taste, a beautiful color, a cheap price….. (check out my old review!)
And Etude house has redone their Juicy pop tubes. The packaging is different, the texture and taste of the glosses are different, and the colors are different.

I picked up an interesting color, color #2, pale lavender.

It doesn’t taste the same as the old style. More like candy and less like lemon. The scent is also gone…. This is a big disappointment for me, since I LOVED the old version, but honestly both the taste and the scent of the new one are fine.

The color, though it looks odd in the tube, applies clear, with a bit of a cool tint. Really it is lovely. I know in the pictures it looks pink, but that’s just me. The gloss has a thick but not sticky texture, it’s very wearable. It really is very smooth and slick, but not greasy. The color in the tube looks as though it would be pigmented, or might streak on the lips. It doesn't! It's surprisingly subtle.
Honestly, I think I really like it. Or I would, if it weren’t for my disappointment about the old style….

Anessa (Shiseido) – Perfect UV sunscreen EX

2011-02-11T06:54:00.000-08:00

Anessa (Shiseido) – Perfect UV sunscreen EX

SPF 50 PA+++

Price 52,000 won ($52)
Size : 60ml

This is the sunscreen I mentioned on my Favorite skincare of 2010. But honestly, this is my favorite sunscreen EVER!!!

I reviewed another Anessa sunscreen – perfect pearly (Which I had bought while living in Japan). EX is similar, it’s just not pearly. I bought it at Olive Young, it’s basically like a Watson’s/Boots/Shoppers, except without the Pharmacy. I’ve only ever seen the stores in Korea, and they sell mostly Japanese (and some foreign items).

It’s my go to place for Japanese things, when I am in Korea (which my boyfriend finds hilarious).

But Olive Young is SO EXPENSIVE! But Anessa was expensive even when I bought it in Japan. *sigh*

Seriously though, if you can afford it, or you have sensitive skin, this sunscreen is worth it.

It is so gentle and lovely. I am certain it’s more like zinc oxide, and physically blocks UV. Rather than the chemical sunscreens you can usually get at the drugstore. I certain that’s why it is so awesome.

Like Anessa's pearly sunscreen, EX comes in a bottle with a small squirt top. There is a bead inside, to mix things up when you shake the bottle. I always shake it before using, but even my old Anessa pearly has never clumped of separated, and it's 3 years old now... (I had a little left and I forgot about it!)

My skin is really sensitive to sunscreen, and sunlight. Sometimes sunscreen makes me break out in a rash (*euck* I know.) but not Anessa.

It doesn’t leave a white cast, or clog my pores, or make me sweat(some sunscreens do, it’s really weird).

As you can see from the picture, it is very runny. It's a liquid, not a cream like most sunscreens. It is also super light.
When it dries, it doesn't leave a greasy layer on the skin, like I sometimes find with other products. Instead it dries almost matte. It's odd, because a lot of things that make the skin feel matte are really drying. This isn't.

It makes the skin feel smooth, and matte, but soft and not at all dry. It reminds me a little of that soft dry feeling of baby powder. But it's not dry or powder.....
The matte finish makes it amazing as a makeup base! It actually helps my makeup last in the hot Korean summer ;D

Best of all makes my skin feel SO soft. Like my skin is brand new. It feels better than after a good exfoliation. It's sooo smooth I find my self stroking my own cheek (*creepy*)
It’s basically magical.

Wonderfully it came in a package with a few freebies! Korean brands are amazing about giving samples, but Japanese brands are hit or miss. If you buy expensive sets, or magazines, sure you get awesome freebies. But I rarely get anything with a single item.

The Face Shop -Face it – Nail Quick dryer

2011-02-10T06:15:00.000-08:00

The Face Shop -Face it – Nail Quick dryer

Price 7000won ($7)

I know a lot of you out there are fans of the Face shop. But for me, it’s a brand that has been a bit hit and miss. 2 of my MOST HATED products of last year, were from the face shop. One was a nail polish that stained my nails SO bad, I had to wait until the stain grew out! It was HORRIBLE!!! But on the other hand, 2 of my favorite polishes, 1 of my favorite eye shadows and a few other lovely products have come from there….. It’s totally hit or miss.

The Nail Quick dryer is unlike anything I have ever seen before. I know back in North America there are Aersol quick dryers for nail polish. But honestly, I’ve never used them.

So the Nail Quick dryer is kind of the same idea, it’s a spray, which helps set your nail polish faster. The difference is, it’s not an Aerosol! Which is good for so many reason. Mostly Aerosols are bad for the environment, but more specifically for my situation, you can’t travel with them…..

The spray itself is easy to use, just a quick squirt on wet nails. It has almost no smell (or at least after the smell of nail polish I can’t smell it!).

As for how well it works…. It’s probably not going to blow your mind….
It does work. Really. But if you spray it on wet polish, it seems to do nothing. It doesn’t instantly make it go hard (tee hee).

What it does, is make the nail polish less… soft. I HATE it when I’ve spent ages getting my nails perfect, waiting quietly for them to dry, think they are dry, then doing something, only to have the nail polish bunch up. You know, when it’s set on top, but all the layers haven’t quite set yet.

I found I was having this problem often. Not because I didn’t wait long enough in between layers, but the heavy top coat I was using seemed to melt anything already dry. (so I could put the top coat on day old nail polish, and it still will smear….)

So the Nail Quick dryer helps all they layers dry more solidly.

Since I am obsessed with the Konad system, and I now put so many more coats of nail polish on then I used to, the Nail Quick dryer is awesome.

It still takes me just as long to do my nails, but once they are done, they don’t get messed up!

So even though the quick dryer is like $7, it is worth it to help protect works of art. Plus it seems to last FOREVER! :D

The Face shop - Prorance – eye shadow

2011-02-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

The Face Shop - Prorance – eye shadow

Price : Forgotten... But it was between $4 and 6

So this little white eye shadow is a bit of an aberration. The face shop has lots of different eye shadows, in lots of different packaging. But his white eye shadow was the only one in the whole series. I noticed it not long after it came out, sitting next to all the other types of eye shadows, in very different packaging. Every other line of eye shadow at the faceshop has Numerous colors. They even have a sample board, with one of every color de-potted on it, for testing (rather than having the single pots you open yourself). This wasn’t part of any of the color lines, any of the eye shadow lines, it wasn’t on the sample board.

Sure there was lots of the white shadow, but no other colors.

I just found it really odd.

So, I had to buy it. Without testing it! Something I almost never do!

And it is exactly as it appears, a white eyeshadow. With a pressed diamond imprint (which is different from the pressed pattern on all the other shadows!)

But truly, the white shadow is unlike any I’ve encountered. It is VERY white. It is VERY opague. It is the perfect white shadow. I find white shadows are often soft, so when applied to the corner of the eyes, they blend in, or it takes coats and coats to get it to look really white.

This is the perfect white for in the corner of the eyes, or lining beneath the eye. It does have a bit of a pearly sheen to it, and some white sparkle, but since I never use it as an all over shadow, the sparkle is minimal, and the pearly sheen is lovely!

Holika Holika Sugar Syrub Gloss

2011-02-08T16:28:00.000-08:00

Holika Holika Sugar Syrub Gloss

Price : 4000won ($4)

Color : 06

If you read the title then I am sure you are thinking ‘Sugar Syrub??????’. Yes, I agree, it should be sugar syrup. But the tube says ‘Syrub’.

The Sugar syrub line is Holika’s cheap line of lip glosses. Every brand has them, and they range in price from $2.50 to less than $5.
So this gloss is at the higher end of the spectrum. I have loads of these cheap glosses. I love them :D. Plus I Always lose my lip-glosses, so there really is no point in investing in good ones.

I was attracted to this one because of the peculiar opaque color. It looks like lipstick in a tube.

So as you might guess, it’s kind of strange as a gloss. The texture is like a gloss, so when you apply it, color doesn’t end up evenly deposited. It tends to look…. Uneven.

A thicker coat even things out. It’s really weird though. It has the texture of a gloss, smooth silky, but looks like gloss over lipstick.
It can look nice, it’s not nearly as opaque as it is in the tube, and if it is carefully applied, it has a pretty, muted effect.

See the streaks?

The taste is also… odd. It tastes like candy, like those sticks that come with candy powder (Fun-dip), with an after taste of lipstick. It’s not bad, kind of tasty.

I know this was a really ambiguous review….. I am kind of ambiguous on the gloss. But I am fairly certain all the problems with it are due to the color. The rest of the glosses in the series are clear, more normal. I am willing to bet they are lovely, and will eventually buy some to test my theory!

Most Loathed products of 2010

2011-02-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

Most Loathed products of 2010

Living in Korea, buying things can be hit and miss. I don’t speak enough Korean to read all of what’s on a label, or to ask many questions about an item. So often I buy things that really don’t work out. But honestly, I have been far more successful buying skin care and makeup here, in Korea, than I ever was back home.

Honestly, I find Korean Makeup and skin care to be of better quality, more inventfull, and just generally more awesome. But there were a number of products that didn’t just suck, items that I truly hated.

Nature republic – Eau de Shine

What in the world this is? I don’t know. I thought when I bought it, it was a blush. It just looked so pretty.

The four colors are bright, vibrant and interesting!

It’s not a blush. It’s not pigmented enough. It turns almost white on the skin.

Which made me think it might be a finishing powder. But if it is, it sucks. 2 of the colors are sparkly, very sparkly. So it’s far too sparkly to be a finishing powder, plus it does have some pigment, and looks odd.

Worst of all, the price I paid 16,900 won (almost $17!!!!!!). *SIGH* it was such a depressing waste. Plus, they have now repackaged the same product in a new box. Don’t be fooled! It still sucks!!!!!!!

The second worst nail polish ever!

The face shop - Triple finish

This nail polish looks gorgeous in the bottle, chunky shimmery flakes at the bottom, a layer of pink, then a layer of clear.

I wasn’t precisely sure what it was. It came in a box, that proclaimed at the top Triple finish.

So I suspected it was a top coat.

I brought it home, shook it up, and tested it out. It went on very clear, with a hint of shimmering flakes. So I was certain it was indeed a topcoat, there wasn’t enough pigment to be a polish.

I did 3 coats, I really liked the shimmer, and I wanted it to show.

I went to bed, my nails looked lovely in the morning, shimmery with a touch of pink. Then I went off to work the next morning.

It wasn’t until lunch time I noticed something, my finger nails looked funny. All dark and grey.

I went to the bathroom and washed my hands.

It wouldn’t come off. The dirt and grime of working with kindergarten kids had attached to the nail polish. Turning my nails grungy and grey (they looked like lint).
They looked SO Dirty! It was gross. And, worse, it wouldn’t come off!!!!!!!!

The nail polish is so weird. It isn’t smooth or slick at all, so all the dirt attaches to it, then won’t come off.

I removed all the nail polish immediately when I got home.

Yuck.

Skinfood – Carrot Cleansing oil

This is the first product from skinfood I have ever truly disliked.

It’s a cleansing oil, as you might have guessed by its name. It even does an excellent job at cleansing, removing make-up cleanly and thoroughly.

But, it’s terrible none the less. I made the mistake of using it to remove my mascara. I find oil makeup removers usually do a much more thorough job of removing makeup than anything else, and are my preference for removing Majorica Majolica. But the carrot cleansing oil stings, and makes my eyes red for days. Ugh it’s horrible.

But, I admit, my eyes can be sensitive to make up removers. So I continued to use the carrot cleansing oil on my face, just not around the eyes. For the eyes I use the WONDERFUL eggplant eye makeup remover by skinfood. But after a few days, I noticed my skin breaking out! It never does that!

It was the stupid cleansing oil.

And a co-worker, whom I dragged to skinfood because it is so amazing, and we bought the carrot oil together, found the same thing!!!!

The worst Nail Polish EVER!!!!!!!

Let me tell you a harrowing story. One day, excited to try out my new The Face shop polish, I failed to base coat my nails. I have ever so many polishes from the faceshop, and they have always been gentle on my nails, so that day, because I was in a hurry, I failed to base.

I covered them with a thick coat of Matte yellow. So mustardy, so modern. I was thrilled.

The finish was ok, a bit rough, and uneven, but the color was something. Wow.

I went to work, and went about teaching children English. It was lovely, until I noticed my nails chipping. Not a big deal I thought, until I looked closer. And my nails looked yellow, even where the polished had chipped off.

At the end of the day, I rushed home, cleaned off my nails, only to discover, they were bright mustard yellow. I tried everything. The color would not go away.
For months I cleaned and buffed. But in the end, I had to wait, 5 months, 5 long embarrassing months, for the color to finally grow out.

So that marks the end of my most hated items of the year. There were many more I disliked, or wasted money on, or were just bad. But for some reason, these were the ones that bothered me the most.
I have posted full reviews of all of them.

And I would Love to hear about your most loathed items!!!

The Face shop Matte polish 매트

2011-02-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

The Face shop Matte polish

YL701매트

Price : 4 or 5 something….

So last summer when Matte nails were just becoming fashionable in Korea, The face shop released a small line of Matte Nail polishes! It even says, right on the little label 매트 (matu). Tee hee!

I was ecstatic! I had so wanted to try Matte, but couldn’t find anything in Korea up until that point. Face shop only had four colors at the time, a green, a yellow, and two others(I can’t remember. Does anyone know?) I picked the yellow. It was just so lovely and mustardy.

I didn’t try it right away, I don’t have many clothing options that coordinate with mustard. But finally one night, I painted my nails and had to use it.

I was in a hurry for some reason, and I didn’t base my nails first. I usually do, but I had never had a problem with Korean Nail polishes.
The finish was… ok. It was very matte, and the color was nice, but the texture of the polish was too thick, and it turned out uneven. Plus, since Face shop didn’t release a Matte top coat, I couldn’t top coat it.

I went to work the next day, my nails chipped and flaked, but that’s understandable when you consider there was no top coat.

But then I noticed something odd, where the polish had chipped of, my nail still was colored. My nails looked yellow.

I went home and stripped off the nail polish. It came off easily, but beneath it, my nails were mustard yellow.

I tried EVERYTHING I could think of to remove the stain. Nothing worked. I scrubbed, and buffed and cleaned. Nothing.
So for the next 4, or 5 months I was stuck with yellow nails. OMG it was awful!
I love nail polish, but I was teaching kindergarten, and polish just isn’t practical. It chips after a hard morning with the munchkins. But the yellow was so noticeable! People commented.

I was ashamed.

Skinfood Carrot Cleansing Oil

2011-02-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

Skinfood Carrot Cleansing Oil

Price 13,900won ($13.90)

Size : 170ml

Have I mentioned how much I love skinfood? There is a store in Moogeodong, Ulsan that I often go to, and the ladies who work there are ever so nice. I was down there one day with a couple of my friends. They ‘dragged’ me to skin food, because it seems I’ve become the local expert. I pointed out a number of my favorite items, the best things for them to try. So they bought stuff. I didn’t (shocking isn’t it!)

With their purchases they got this adorable little carton with the new (at the time) carrot toner and emulsion.

I’m sure my eyes widened with envy.
And the woman behind the counter handed me a sample set too :D
They are just so nice there!
So that was my introduction to the carrot line. I’ve gotten many samples of it since, and generally it’s quite nice. But I didn’t buy anything full size until the Carrot Cleansing oil.

I’ve been on a mission (a never ending mission), to find a really good eye makeup remover. I am addicted to a couple of very difficult to remove mascara, and I have sensitive eyes. So far I have found but one, Skinfood’s eggplant mascara remover. It’s is amazing, but the tube is SO tiny.
So I though a cleansing oil. Perfect right? Plus since it’s about the same price as the eggplant mascara remover, but you get tons more, it would be a great value.

Except…. It’s super hard on the eyes! It’s so bad, it leaves my eyes red the next day!!! Plus it stings like the dickens (…. A weird way to put it, I know). Ugh.

But, I though, it’s not a total loss. I do like oil cleansers, just to get the makeup off, so my regular cleanser can go to work. So silly me, I kept using the Carrot cleansing oil.

Until something happened, something that almost never happens to me. I broke out. I stopped using it for a while, only to try it again later, and guess what…

I broke again.
Not only that, but a friend and I bought the cleansing oil together. After I had convinced her how WONDERFUL skinfood is, then she broke out too.

*sigh* This stupid product made me look like I don’t know what I’m talking about!!!! I hate looking foolish.

Nature republic - Eau de Shine - Prism blossom Powder

2011-02-05T12:49:00.000-08:00

Nature republic - Eau de Shine - Prism blossom Powder
Price 16,900 won ($17)
Size : 20g

Ah Nature Republic, how I hate thee.

It was payday, and I was on my way home. Heading the long way to pick up something from the Bakery for breakfast, when the shiny newness of the local Nature republic pulled me into it's depth. A dire mistake.

Usually I don't blow money on things that I honestly have no use for. Generally I try to be sensible, and not wooed by pretty packaging.

I try at least.

But on this day, my will power was weak. It might have been the long day of work, the fact I hadn't eaten since noon, or the flush of money my once a month pay day instills. Whatever it was, I spent $14.50 on this piece of junk.

It's a plastic container, albeit shiny and sleek, containing four seperate loose powders, in pale peach, purple, pink, and a brighter more intense pink.

I brought it home, only to discover that as lovely as the loose powders look to be in the package, they are woefully un-pigmented. I swatched tehm on my arm, in the picture they look pale, but I put like 5 coats on, to get them to show that much color. It doesn't work as a blush at all.

They are far more like a finishing powder than a blush. Not even shimmery, so unusable as a highlighter.

I've considered it might be a finishing powder, even though the box says blush. And so I've attempted using it as such, with limited results. It can be used as a finishing powder. It does work.... It's certainly pale enough. But it's not a very good finishing powder, and the peach colored section contains sparkles. I personally don't like sparkly finishing powders.

This stupid container was a complete and utter waste of money.

Favorite Makeup of 2010 !!!

2011-01-06T19:09:00.000-08:00

Favorite Makeup of 2010

Mmmmm Makeup. I think I've bought more Makeup in the past year the the sum of my entire life... Korea has such a wealth of inexpensive, but amazing make up. It felt like every time I left the house I would run into something amazing that I just had to have.

But I had a hard time making this list. My favorite skin care list was Easy. Makeup, is harder. Even though I tried lots of things, and liked many of them, a lot of them weren't things that I would go back and buy again and again.....
But there are certainly a number of amazing things I've found :)

Foundation/ BB

Let me introduce you to the BEST BB cream ever!!! It's the 'Absolute total BB' by Skin79.

It's super expensive at 29900 won($30!!), but on g-market it can be as cheap as $9 :).

It is light, but with great coverage, super natural, makes my skin feel better after using it, has an SPF of 37 PA +++. It's AMAZING. I am almost done my second tube!

Highlighter

I'm willing to bet most of you have heard amazing things about Benefit's liquid highlighter (high beam and moon beam). I myself thought it sounded so good, I bought it. It's true, It's lovely. But this, Lime secret shine base by skinfood is SO much better! For one thing, it's huge, 30g compared with High beam at 12g(.45oz)
For another, Skinfood lime shine base costs only $7 less than 1/2 the price of Benefit's($24)!
Plus it has a more liquid consistency (easier to blend), looks more natural, comes in 3 colors, and smells lovely.
I use it every day, I mix a little into my BB foundation, and I get SO many compliments on my skin. I have bought all 3 colors, and doubles of those.... It's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Awesome!

Eyeshadow

It's skin Color play trio

I had a lot of trouble picking out a favorite eyeshadow this year. I found lots of nice ones, ones I liked. But some how all of them were less than exceptional. But then I remembered this BEAUTIFUL eyeshadow that I bought at It's skin. This gorgeous baked trio that was so smooth, so fine and blended so beautifully. It broke after I had used it maybe twice, then I couldn't it in stores... :(

Mascara

Holika Holkia -Enamel Magicara

For a long time Majolica Majorica has produced my Favorite mascara's. Their Mascaras are always exceptional. But Majolica is Japanese, and I have been living in Korea.
So when I encountered this mascara by Holika Holika, that looked freakisly similar to my fav from Majolica, I was sold.
And while the brush style is different, the mascara is exceptional. Big full lashes, long lasting, and not quite as hard to take of as Mojolica's.
It's a winner.

Lip tint

Etude House's Fresh Cherry Tint

When I was young, and I first got into make up, I thought lip tints were amazing. But as I got older I began to notice how immature the results were, how patchy, the colors odd, few choices, and a funny taste.
The Fresh Cherry tint is beautiful, creamy, goes on evenly, has a lovely color (there are 3 options) and generally looks nice!

Nails

Face shop nail polish

Finally, my favorite nail polish. There isn't just one..... Korean nail polish is cheap, good quality and comes in a million colors. It is an addiction.
Shown is one of my favorites, a subtle gold glitter(who would have thought), that is subtle and work appropriate. It just always looks beautiful!

So, that's it for my favorites of 2010, but coming up next, my MOST HATED products of 2010. Disasters, wastes of money and break outs galore!

Favorite Skin Care Products of 2010!!!!!!

2011-01-01T15:08:00.000-08:00

Favorite Skin Care Products of 2010!!!!!!

Happy New year!!!

Here are my FAVORITE skin care items of the year! Please comment on your favorites too, I'm already searching for new stuff for 2011! :)

When I was writing this I realized, I haven't review a lot of these items.... *shame* But this week, I will get FULL reviews for all of the ones up! Those already reviewed by me, I have included links for :)

Cleanser

It's a TIE!

Etude house Yogurt Peel in Apple vs Nature Republic Apple Fresh foam cleanserBoth are apple foam cleansers. The Etude house one has scrub particles, but both are gentle enough to use every day.

Both are soooo gentle, and both make my skin feel fresh and soft, but not dry. They even smell similar!
But the Nature republic cleanser was less than $4!

Toner

Holika Holika Cooling tonerNot only does this toner come in an adorable bottle (Think witches potions), but it's a gel!!! So I don't need cotton pads, or any thing but my hands to apply it! Plus it's light, cooling, and gentle!

Mask/ Treatment

Skin Food - Papaya yogurt mask - wash off

Notice how I didn't pick a sheet mask as my favorite? I love sheet masks, they are fun, interesting and convenient. But they aren't very good masks. I find wash off masks, or sleeping masks SO much better. And I have tried Tons of different sheet masks.

The skinfood papaya mask is not pretty, but it makes my skin feel so soft and moisturized, even the next day! Plus it's cheap and lasts for ages!

Serum

Skin79 - New turn therapy serum trio!

I love a good serum. I feel it allows me to customize my skin care. Have this great moisturizer, but you need wrinkle care too? You don't need to settle for a moisturizer that doesn't do either well. Instead combine a serum, wtih targeted needs, and a moisturizer that targets those needs.... What do you think? Multi purpose product (it does simplify), or two products which are great at what they do?

That's partly why I picked this trio of serums. In the winter when the cold weather makes my skin feels dull, I have White Vita C serum to brighten everything up.

When my skin is in sorry shape, I have the repair amino acid serum.
And for all other situations wrinkletox collagen serum
It's an awesome trio. Plus on g-market for the 3 they were under $20!

Facial Moisturizer

Detclear - Moon Night Gel

This is the moisturizer that made me fall in love with gel moisturizers. It absorbs quickly, and makes my skin feel plump and moist. My skin literally feels years younger after using it. It doesn't have anything that treats wrinkles, it really doesn't multi-task, but it is an outstanding moisturizer.

Body Moisturizer

Etude House Peach Chou Body oil

It is this body oil that has converted me. I went from hating body oils, to being a little bit in love!
It's certainly messier than a cream, but after a shower, or before bed this body oil offers unprecedented body softening! Plus it smells absolutely Divine!

Sunscreen

Anessa- Perfect UV sunscreen EX
SPF 50+ PA+++

At 47 to 50 dollars for only 60ml, this sunscreen is SOOOOO expensive.
But it is honestly worth it. My skin is sensitive to sunscreen, and this is so gentle. Plus it makes my cheeks feel like a baby's butt. So smooth, so lovely. I've tried countless different sunscreen options, for many different countries, and this beats out all of them. It goes on smoothly, doesn't leave a white cast, is NOT oily or greasy, doesn't clog pores, and last forever.
LOVE IT!

Sunscreen/ Eye brightener
UV Magic Shield by Holika Holika

SPF 50+ PA++

This is a roll up eye brightener stick, with added SPF. I usually don't like eye brighteners, they tend to look obvious, or clump, or are really expensive.

This is a multitasker, it's a gentle eye SPF, it is pink toned, and helps with dark circles, and it works great as a base for BB creams and eyeshadow!

Coming up NEXT - My favorite Makeup of 2010!!!!!!

Holika Holika - Apple shine scrub soda

2010-12-29T17:38:00.000-08:00

Holika Holika - Apple shine scrub soda

Price: 8,500 won ($8.50)

Holika has an assortments of scrubs, and most of them look really boring.... I am such a packaging whore. Seduced by the pretty or new.

I can't remember why I bought the Apple shine scrub soda.... It certainly wasn't for the packaging, which looks almost as boring as stuff here in the west.

Has anyone else noticed the inconsistent packaging and style of Holika holika? There website pretty clearly defines their style, but.....
I haven't noticed it with other companies, has anyone else?

On to the scrub- The apple shine scrub is a scrub. It comes in a very generous tub. (tee hee, that rhyme was accidental...)
The scrub is very odd. It's basically moist baking soda.... Which makes sense since it is a Scrub "soda". I've never used baking soda as a facial scrub.

Does anyone know if baking soda is supposed to have special properties for cleansing? I love baking soda toothpastes.
Having never used a baking soda scrub, I'm not sure if I can accurately access it. I found it bad. Oh so bad!
It's really rough, I think too rough for the face. It's textured like baking soda with a bit of water added, and it has no scent! It says apple in the name, but I can't detect any apple.

It is a very rough scrub, so it does exfoliate well, my face feels very smooth afterwards.

In the end, I will never buy this again. It's not worth it at all....

Etude house - Peach Beam blusher

2010-12-28T16:29:00.000-08:00

Etude house - Peach Beam blusher

The whole peach line from Etude house is WONDERFUL! But sadly it only contains a handful of items. This is the newest addition, a two tone blusher. The style is very similar to a lot of companies in Korea, a lot of eyeshadows and blushes are showing up in this crescent moon shape. In fact I adore the similar looking eyeshadows from Holika Holika.

I can't be certain, since it does not say on the package, but I am fairly certain it is a BAKED blush. It has the mounded shape, and the texture of a bake powder.

The blush comes in three choices. I picked #3 Peach beam.

It contains 2 colors, a peach toned pink and an orange ( contrary to the name this half is more orange then peach.)

Swatches- The middle is the two colors blended!

Both colors are very pearly, which I find weird since the lighter color is meant to be a highlighter(in which case it makes more sense for the blush to be matte, or at least less pearly.... Don't you think?)

Not only is it pearly but it's sparkly too! It has tiny golden sparkles. It is definitely a very Young looking blush!

I am willing to bet that this alone would put off a lot of you reading this. But the truth is the colors are lovely! They are soft, and beautifully coordinated, the blush is soft and fine, and of medium strength.

So really, I think it's very wearable. Especially since blush is usually very subtly applied. I feel that with a light hand, The Peach Beam blusher is lovely. It's warming, and softening, and just gives a face light.

I adore this blush, I really should have picked up all three colors...

As you can see the blush is pearly, but the sparkles are barely noticeable. It can be lovely and subtle!

Holiday Nails

2010-12-28T15:38:00.000-08:00

My holiday Nail look!

I used Holika Holika - white

Konad special polish - red and green

Konad plate - M65

What do you think?

Love Balm –in Rose – Nature Republic

2010-12-23T20:35:00.000-08:00

Love Balm –in Rose – Nature Republic

Love Balm. Sounds dirty J

It’s so not *sigh*. So for all of you readers who were hoping for another sort of review, well I guess you are going to have to look else where.

The Love Balm is a potted lip gloss by Nature Republic. I’ve be wavering between curiosity and dislike with Nature Republic. I so often find their products boring and lack luster. Which with all the wonderful and exciting things in the Korean beauty care world, means I generally don’t buy.

But since Nature Republic replaced my favorite little Etude house shop, sometimes I would wander down there when I was bored.

When I am bored, I spend money on things I don’t need. Is there anyone out there like that???

Anyway, this lip balm comes potted, without an applicator. I have come to hate potted lip glosses. Mostly because it gets under my finger nails, and I then need to wash my hands.

But, I love the scent. It smells exactly like the Moroccan Rose facial spray, which for ages was the ONLY thing from NR that I liked! This also means, if you don’t like rose scents, or potent scents, this is not for you.

I don’t think Korea has become aware of the fragrance free trend, everything seems to be LOADED with scent!

But personally, I love it.

The lip gloss base is nice, It’s thick smooth, and minimally sticky. It is certainly a balm rather than a gloss. I haven’t found it to be exceptionally moisturizing. In fact it’s a pretty average, pretty basic balm.

I do like it, I use it every night as a lip treatment, after using my rose toothpaste, before using my Rose Mask….

I’m a bit rose obsessed at the moment.

For you, I f you are looking for a nice basic balm, and like rose, great. This is the one for you, between that and the inexpensive price, it’s a good buy.

If you have to import it, or are expecting miracles, then this would be a….. pass!

Etude House- First snow Ice cotton Toner

2010-12-22T19:01:00.000-08:00

Etude House- First snow Ice cotton Toner

STRANGE!!!

Alright, so this is the weirdest thing I’ve ever encountered while make-up/skin care buying. Even in Asia, this is bizarre!!!!! So, if you’ve been reading my blog, then you will know, I HAD to buy it!

Seriously, I was compelled.

So what it is, is a toner. It comes in a tall thin aerosol type can. It was part of Etude house’s very small first snow line out for the summer.

It might seem backwards to have ‘first snow’ items be part of the summer line, but the premise is the products are cooling. So it makes perfect sense…

The ice cotton toner is just that, a toner. It’s based on the traditional way of applying toner, putting the product on a cotton ball, then applying it to the face.

This takes it to a whole other level. Did you notice the word cotton in the name? That’s because the cotton ball is in side the can! You press down, and out shoots a white stream of cotton ball!! It looks like white silly string, but feels like cotton.

You are supposed to spray it in a circular motion, and make your very own cotton ball!

It’s sooo weird.

Plus, the whole thing is cooling!

And once you are done toning, most of the cotton ball has completely disappeared.

Of course, it never completely disappears. You are always left with a small little piece of lint to be tossed out.

I really like this toner. It’s odd, but fun to apply. The toner itself is actually really light, and really cooling.

So if you have a chance to pick some up, I really recommend you do. I had a lot of fun!

Holika Holika Aqua jelly Trio!

2010-12-22T18:47:00.000-08:00

Greetings Bloggers!

I’m Back officially!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It took me a while to get here, I am no longer in Korea, and am now in the possession of a new Laptop, with which to blog.

But as exciting as all this is, here is My first post.

With a little bit of the peculiar from Holika Holika!

For the summer season(2010) Holika Holika released a new line called Aqua Jelly. The colors and look, bright pastels, all done in cheap plastics, did not suit the style of Holika Holika at all. But then again, Holika Holika has tons of stuff that doesn’t suit the witchy, border line gothic style.

The selling feature of the whole Jelly line is awesome, its all about moisture J. I personally have dry skin (ugh which is s so irritating). So a line of moisture enhanced beauty products, sounds good to me!

But does anyone else think it’s a bit odd for them to be releasing a moisture line for the summer? Don’t most brands do that for the winter?

The line included, foundation and highlighters in jello type molds (cute and different). I tested the foundation out, and it’s lovely, it smooth, and the texture is quite unlike a jelly, but it is very moist . I really wanted it, but the lightest of the two shades was WAY too dark for me. And the highlighter was far to similar to other highlighters I have to justify bothering….

Lip glosses, in totally boring cheap looking packaging.

And this thing…. The Aqua petit Jelly – Triple kit.

I was shopping at the new Holika Holika store in Ulsan(korea) with a friend, and I came across the triple kit in a display. I picked it up, tested it on the back of my hand, and was suitably puzzled.

What in the world is it for?

So of course I had to immediately buy it and find out!

What it is, is an eye cheek and lip kit.

It has three products, purple sparkly, peach sparkly, and green gloss.

And when you mix the purple and the peach, you get pink.

So you can where these products anywhere. The purple and the peach can be applied directly onto the eyelids as a cream shadow, or on the checks as a blush. The green gloss, is meant to go on the lips. When applied alone, it applies clear, or when applied in combination with the other colors, it goes on colored.

The little tube at the top of the case, is a double ended sponge applicator.

So, what do I think of the kit?

It’s stupid.

Here are the colors swatched. The colors are accurate(My skin is currently really pale...)

After the three colors, the shiny bit, is the gloss...

The purple and peach colors are boring and weak. The texture doesn’t work well as an eye shadow at all. It’s better as a blush, but still very weak. They are creamy but dry, very much like other bad cream eye shadows I have tried, and they dry out, with a tendency to clump. The gloss itself isn't glossy, it's more like lip balm.
And the colors mixed with the gloss are too dry to be a gloss.

The whole kit seems like something you get for kids. You know the kind, with magic makeup that changes color, and is easy to wash off…

What a waste!

I'm back..... Almost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-10-11T04:36:00.000-07:00

Dear readers;
I have missed you all!
I aven't forgotten my blog, I haven't gotten a new computer yet....
But! I am going to Have a grand reopening Decemeber 1st! With a STACK of new reviews.

So here is your chance, what do you want to read about first?
I've gotten a million new Korean items!
Maybe eyeshadow, or toner,
Or request something strange(I've picked strange beauty products :)
Just leave a comment!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-06-15T05:29:00.000-07:00

*sigh*
tragedy has befallen me.

My laptop has died. I am in Korea with no hope of fixing it.
So since all my pictures and saved posts, and lovely things were on the horrible old beast, it might be a bit before I post again.

In a few weeks I will get a new laptop, and then I will be back!

Skinfood Tea Tree and Lavender Toner for Men

2010-05-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

Skinfood Tea Tree and Lavender Toner for Men

Price:$9.90 (9900won)
Size: 140ml
My boyfriend is not in the least metro sexual. I’d say he’s more of a flannel sexual (reference to According to Jim, awesome show!). Basically he has no interest in Skin care.
He keeps himself clean, and that the extent of it.
He’s happy with a bar of soap.
But since we’ve been in Korea, and I’ve been droning on and on about skin care stuff and Makeup (what a trooper he is for putting up with it) and dragging him to this store and that, I’ve somewhat piqued his interest.
So we picked him up some basic skin care products. Most of them from Skinfood, since I’ve been having such good results.
He has oily, acne prone skin. I have dry skin, with no issues with blemishes.
The Tea Tree Oil Toner, comes in a beautiful green glass bottle with a metallic top.
It’s some of the prettiest packaging available at Skinfood. It’s kind of odd that’s its for one of their Men’s care lines… But maybe I’m wrong to assume guys don’t care about pretty things….
Inside is a traditional liquid toner. Different from the more common Korean gel toners (My personal preference.) It is a bit astringent, and does contain alcohol.
I have used it myself, and it’s not nearly as astringent or Harsh as my toner’s I’ve used in North America. It’s the harsiest toner I’ve ever used here in Korea, but would be one of the mildest compared with back home.
And it does leaver my face soft, and not dried out. My Boyfriend who has been using it semi regularly for the past weeks has not noticed dry skin.
But his skin has been more consistently clear.
The toner does smell of lavender and tea tree. The scent is herby, not floral. It’s not distinctly masculine. And personally I don’t feel like I’m using a “men’s” product when I use it.

Overall, I really recommend this toner if you have problem skin and want a more gentle toner.

Giveaway!!!!!!!!

2010-05-27T06:01:00.000-07:00

CLOSED!!!!

Giveaway!

5 Winners, over 5 weeks!
I've got a ton of Samples, so I'm going to share :)
Each winner will get 2 Korean sheet masks (Super popular, of random types... Daily Fresh, Etude House, It's Skin, etc.)
and a bunch of samples, at least 5 each winner, plus a toner and emulsion(moisturizer set)
The first winner will get

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 on any post regarding samples, telling me what YOU would like to try!
3. The contest is open world wide!
4. Triple entries for anyone who reposts this on their blog or twitter feed!
5. There will be a winner drawn every SUNDAY, until June 13th. 5 Sunday's, 5 winners!

Your chances of winning something are really really good!
6. You can't win twice, but every entry counts for every draw! So you will have 5 chances to win!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Giveaway winner

2010-05-26T05:25:00.000-07:00

This weeks Giveaway winner!!!!!!!!!!!

nude lace turns to colour

There are still more drawings to go! Enter soon!

Apple vinegar fresh foam

2010-05-25T04:34:00.000-07:00

Apple vinegar fresh foam

Transparent-type foam cleanser containg a large amount og potassium, minerals and a citric acid that makes drab skin caused by horny substances smooth, and whose honey extract provides moisture to your skin and thouroughly removes make-up residue.

The Apple Vinegar Fresh Foam sample is precisely the reason I am using only samples for a month. This is exactly the sort of thing I would NEVER buy for myself, and the sample has been sitting in a cupboard for like 6 months. Apple Vinegar..... eww? What do you think? Would you buy a Vinegar face wash?

Smells - Like apples. Like real apples, not like artificial apple scent, with a tiny faint touch of vinegar in the background. But I suspect I only noticed the vinegar scent because I was looking for it! I really like the smell. I love the smell of apples, and the scent of this cleanser is appley but not super strong.

Texture- A gel! I expected a cream, or something, but it looks like HAIR GEL!!!!! So bizarre!

Effectiveness- Wow. That's probably all I need to say, but brevetity is not my strong suit.
So i saw that the cleanser was a gel, and was perpelxed. Then I read the instructions, which say to rub it on the face with water, and it will foam. I patted it on, and with only a tiny bit of rubbing it foamed, just like soap. I actually ended up using way to much cleanser, because I thought there was no way the little bit I was using could foam up enough to do my entire face.
But it did, with tons of extra. Next time, I'll try for half as much!

I washed it off, getting some in my mouth and eyes as usual (I swear I'm like a kid), The cleanser tastes more vinegary than it smells, but you really aren't supposed to be eating it. And it stung a bit in my eyes, but nothing surprising.

With it all washed off, I dried my face, to find, Wow! My face was soooo soft and smooth! Like I had just exfoliated, and moisturized! Soooo good.

Buy?- Bought. Seriously. My skin was so soft, and so nice! I might buy extras....

Skinfood Aloe Vera Foaming/Cream cleanser

2010-05-24T06:12:00.000-07:00

Skinfood Aloe Vera Foaming/Cream cleanser

A fresh foaming cleanser with aloe extracts to soothe and hydrate skin. Keeps the skin soft and calm after cleansing.
I am quite sure that the Foaming cleanser and Cream Cleanser are the exact same thing. They look and smell the same....
The Foaming cleanser came with the Summer travel set that was GWP!

The Aloe Vera Cleanser is one of the most common samples from Skinfood. It seems every time I buy something from Skinfood I get a packet of this or the Hop Beer Hair wash.

Scent- Unlike all the other Mini's that come in the Summer skin set, the Aloe Vera cleanser does not stink. It smells like Aloe, soap, with a background of wood. But the scent is mild, and not unpleasant. I'm not keen on 'green' smells, but as far as they go, the Aloe is nice.

Texture- A very thick creamy cleanser. The white cream is pearly, very pretty.

Effectiveness- The cleanser foams and cleans beautifully. Its very gentle, and removes all my makeup. It leaves my skin soft, and doesn't strip.
Buy?- Probably not. I get enough samples of this, I may never run out.... But If you are looking for a very good everyday cleanser, I recommend this. It's a good all round cleanser!

Skinfood Hop Beer shampoo and conditioner, Wormwood body wash

2010-05-23T03:52:00.000-07:00

Skinfood Summer Travel Set

I got the Skinfood Summer Travel Set as a gift with purchase when I spent 30000won($30) just before Christmas. Why exactly they released the Summer set in the Winter... I don't know. With 30ml in each sample, it's a really nice free gift! The Aloe Vera Cleanser I reviewed separately, here.

Hop Beer Hair Wash

I've gotten a number of samples of this shampoo. My hair tends to be finnicky, and the idea of a Beer shampoo really doesn't appeal to me. It seems like the sort of thing that should be in the Men's section of skinfood. But it's not.

Smells - Wow does this stuff smell. It's intense. Possibly the most potent product I've ever come across. The weird thing is, it doesn't smell like beer. A little like hops, but very musky, very much like a man's cologne. I really think this should be a Men's product!

Texture- It's a clear brownish orange shampoo. Looks like a orange stout beer. It doesn't foam very much!

Effectiveness- Except for the smell, the shampoo is quiet nice. It's gentle, but cleansing. It doesn't leave residue, but it also doesn't strip my hair. It's nicely inbetween.

Buy?- Maybe, but only as a gift, for a guy. The shampoo is actually nice. It cleansing ability is something I could comfortably use everyday, it doesn't strip or way down my hair at all. But the smell. It's just so manly. I washed my hair one night before bed, and after work the next day(almost 24hours later, I could still smell my hair at random moments. Ugh. But for a guy, it would make a nice present.

Beer Hair Conditioner

Smells - Much nicer than the Hair wash(shampoo), It's the same scent, but a lot gentler. Not as over powering.

Texture- Nice and creamy, it's a light orange brown.

Effectiveness-It's lightly moisturizing. Nice, not too much. In fact if it weren't for the smell, I would probably by the set. It's a good everyday conditioner, moisturizing without weighing my hair down. It's a really well balanced conditioner.

Buy?- Like the beer shampoo, I would only buy this as a gift for a guy. But with that said, it would be great for a guy, it's well balanced, without being girly.

Wormwood Body Wash

Smells - Green! Like a twig from a tree that you just snapped, kind of like freshly cut grass. It's not a bad scent, a bit manly, but interesting. It's not nearly as smell as the Shampoo, but OMG this stuff is potent! So so so smelly. Even after the container having been opened for months.... It still smell intensely. After using it my whole bathroom smells for the rest of the day!

Texture- The Body wash is a green gel wash, that doesn't foam much on it's own. When used with a body puff it foams a lot more.

Effectiveness- Cleans well, even without using a puff to make it foamy, the cleanser leaves me feeling clean and fresh, and very scented. It's not drying but it's not moisturizing. Pretty basic overall

Buy?- No. It's smells intensely manly, and the cleanser is pretty basic. It's definitely not worth purchasing, for any reason.

Skinfood Mushroom Lifting Ampoule 100 and Algae Smooth Ampoule 100

2010-05-19T05:10:00.000-07:00

Skinfood Mushroom Lifting Ampoule 100 and Algae Smooth Ampoule 100

I got the Mushroom and Algae ampoule together(they are joined). Both are super tiny. Barely enough for one application each. But Most packet samples are good for about two aplications so it makes sense (1 application each=2 applications)

And I have, in the 6 months I've been buying skinfood and getting samples, I only received this one sample of the Mushroom and Algae ampoules.
Amazing considering I've gotten duplicates of just about every thing else.

I have no idea what th number 100 means. Maybe the concentration? The ampoules are both supposed to be used as serums.

Mushroom

Smell- Gross. It smells like wood and dirt. I've never noticed that mushrooms have a smell, so maybe thats what it is. But to me this ampoule smells like rotting wood.

Texture- A runny clear liquid. Not like the thicker serums I'm used to.

Effectiveness- Left my face a little bit sticky, even though I only used a teeny tiny bit of the ampoule. Beyond that I saw no noticeable affect on my skin. After one application I wouldn't expect a positive result. But on the plus side it was at all irritating to my skin, didn't make me break out.

Buy?- No. The smell itself is a turn off.

Algae

Smell- No detectable scent. Yay!

Texture- Thicker than the mushroom apoule, not quiet a gel, but close. And interestingly enough it's filled with irridescent sparkles. Although they do not show up on teh skin after application!

Effectiveness- Unlike the mushroom ampoule, the Algae absorbed cleanly, I could feel that it was on my skin, but only barely. Beyond that, I noticed no reaction with my skin.

Buy- I'm considering. There is no way to tell if a serum is good with only a single use. Sure you can spot a bad one, but a good one, not so much. Based on the tester it seems like it could be a decent serum. And I SWEAR it's not because it's sparkly!

With a few drops of each left, I applied some of the Mushroom ampoule to one side of my face, and the Algae to the other. By the next morning, the side with Algae was smoother than the other. Especially my forehead. Smoother, and clean feeling. The side with the Mushroom ampoule felt just barely sticky, the residue of leftover product!

Skinfood Gold Caviar Line

2010-05-17T03:21:00.000-07:00

Skinfood's Gold Caviar Skin care line
The line includes the essentials, Toner, Emulsion(moisturizer) at least 2 kinds of creams, Ampoule, Serum and Dual eye creams.
I have the full size of the Serum, and the eye creams. All of which I love!

Gold Caviar Toner

Clear Toner, though in the little plastic sample it might look orange, but that's just the bottle. It has real flecks of gold dispersed within it. The toner is thicker than western toners, but not a gel (*sigh* Gel toners are my favorite).

Scent- Perfumed, exactly what the scent is I can't tell, it smells like generic perfume. However, the scent isn't strong, and once it applied it dissipates quickly. It doesn't bother me in the least, plus without perfume, would it smell like fish(caviar) EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

Texture- Not a gel, but thicker than western toners. It has little flecks of gold in it! yay! They do not show up on the skin once the toner has been applied.

Effectiveness- A nice light toner. The smell is faint, and the texture is nice. I've used this Toner sooo many times. I've gotten countless samples of it! I really do enjoy it.

Buy?- Maybe. It's on the expensive side for Skinfood, and it's not a gel toner. I just prefer a gel (no cotton pad need for application!). But on the other hand, its really gentle, makes my skin feel a bit softer, and the only lightly scented. If anyone is thinking of picking it up, you really can't go wrong.

Gold Caviar Emulsion, Gold Caviar Collagen Cream, Gold Caviar Lifting Prime Skin

- I lumped the three together in one review because they are all so similar, they are just variations of moisturizers from the same line from Skinfood. Therefore, the scent is all the same, and the same as the Toner and Serum. Its a light perfumed scent. Not strong or offensive, or even distinct.

I have the cavair emulsion (moisturizer), the Gold Caviar collagen cream, the Gold caviar lifting prime skin, plus I think there is a gold caviar cream.... What the difference between all of them is....

Not much.

The Gold Caviar emulsion is the runniest and the lightest. But still a med-heavy moisturizer.

the Gold Caviar lifting prime skin is thicker.

The Gold caviar collagen cream seems the same as the lifting prime skin.

The emulsion and collagen cream are the most similar, they both absorb quickly, without leaving a white cast.

The Lifting prime seems to be a different composition.

If you look at the picture, it leaves a white cast.

Beyond that the differences are small. I like Lifting prime the least. It leaves a residue, and the white cast. Which is really peculiar. I can't figure out why it's so different.

It's a toss up between the emulsion and the Collagen cream. The cream if you want more heavy duty moisture, and emulsion for something lighter.

Gold Caviar collagen serum

I love this Serum, I love it so much I bought the full size! See the review Here.