Monday, February 15, 2010

V-day Haul!!!



Happy Belated Valentines Everyone!!
My Valentines was lovely. My Boyfriend and I went shopping!
He was wonderful and bought me this great haul of stuff from Tony Moly!
- Dual effect sleeping pack - intense repair, Peach cream (smell intense!)
- Green lip gloss (it turns pink :) ,-Eyeshadow and eyeliner duo (It's super cool!)
-Grey sparkly nail polish,milky nail polish base
-black nail polish (liner/nail art)
Professional modeling mask (??? I don't know what it is, so I HAD to buy it!) and  a mask brush
And of course I bought some lovely things for myself..... Necklaces, earrings and hair things :)

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Banilla co lip scrub, gloss and eye shadow!!

Banilla Co
Rub me -Lip scrub
The Secret gloss
Eye love -Aqua shadow
The Secret gloss: 7,500 won ($7.50)
Rub me -Lip scrub: 7,500 won ($7.50)
Eye love -aqua shadow: 8,500 won ($8.50)
I was in Seoul last weekend with some co-workers, and I got the chance to go to Banilla co. Here in Ulsan, there is only a stand in one of the department stores, and the sales ladies are super pushy! So I actually Hate shopping there.
But in Seoul the store was so packed, the sales people were too busy to dab a gazillion things on me.


I only picked up a couple of items, Rub me - Lip scrub and the Secret gloss in Horrible (not really, actually its 03 Cloudy Pink) The Eye love -aqua shadow was actually a free gift! and since it's retail price is more than either of the items I actually bought.... Yay!
Rub me -Lip scrub
As I adore the Banilla co kiss me lip treatment, I thought I would pick up the coordinating lip scrub.
I really like the packaging on the scrub. It's pretty in metallic, with lovely script, but completely functional. It's not in some deep pot that you have scoop out, or some other pretty but non-functioning packaging. 

The scrub itself is white, creamy, with small scrubbing particles. The scrub/ roughness factor on this scrub is really low. It works, but not stupendously. I'd like something a bit more intense. The cream to exfoliant ratio is too high (too much creamy base) to be a really good scrub.
and since my yogurt cleanser from Etude house tastes yummy and is a great scrub, I just use it instead! (Plus the whole giant tube from Etude house is about the same price as the tiny one just for your lips from Banilla co!)
The Secret gloss in 03 Cloudy Pink
I HATE the color of this gloss. UGH.. I only bought it because a saleslady applied it on me. 
It looked gorgeous then.... In the store, over top my already colored lips.
Ugh. It is, as it looks in the tube too milky white, so it makes my lips look pale, but since it's a gloss and not a lipstick, it looks uneven, pale in some parts, and pinker in others where the gloss is thinner. Even with a beautiful application, or a super thin layer, it still looks wonky :(.

The compostion of the gloss though is really beatiful. It's thick and glossy, without being too sticky, and has a pretty long staying power. I will definately rebuy this line of glosses, and just pick a better more flattering color for me!


Eye love - Aqua shadow
This eyeshadow is an awesome freebie, it's a full size product, in an atrocious color. I'm sure there are talented people out there who can really work with this baby blue color. I can't. I can't help but think Mimi from the Drew Carey show....

However, despite the color this is a beautiful cream eyeshadow. Possibly the best I've ever encountered. It is cream, well pigmented, and applies smoothly. There is some sparkle, but it's not too heavy.
Once the cream dries, it is immovable. It's quite amazing. It will last all day (I've worn it a couple of times under other colors), and when I applied it to the back of my hand, it even remained through a hot shower!!!!

If I can find this in another color, I will definitely buy it, and maybe a few of them. Just not in blue...

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Beauty Credit - Lovely oven blusher -01 Pink

Beauty Credit - Lovely oven blusher -01 Pink
Price: 13500 won ($13)
Beauty credit is a makeup line I just recently discovered here in Korea. I thoroughly dislike the little rocking horse mascot on most of the products, too cutesy for me. But otherwise the brand is quite exciting.
The prices are cheap to reasonable, the packaging is pretty, and there seems to be a good selection.
The Lovely oven blusher was really really cheap for a baked blusher at only 13500 won ( $13). Generally anything oven baked goes for closer to $20.
The packaging is pretty but simple, in a black compact with iridescent flowers, and no rocking horse (yay!)
Inside is a nice quality brush. A lot of Korean included brush are of really nice quality, and actually worth using.

There is also a little fold out tray to keep the brush separate from the product.
The blush itself is in 01 Pink. The line includes 3 colors in total with the other two looking very orange and, very brown.
Even this is a mix of white pink and a brown almost terracotta.
Unlike most marble blushers, this one looks barely marbled. Which I find odd. The testers of the other colors looked more like what one would expect a marbled product to look like.
But since you swirl it all together in the end, it doesn’t matter to me.
The blush in the compact look quite sparkly. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but the product is both shimmery, and sparkly.
I don’t like sparkly blushes. Shimmery yes, sparkly no.
When applied the color is beautiful, It’s a sheer natural pink that builds easily into a very natural color.
And when applied, even somewhat heavily, the blush is not at all sparkly.
There is a very obvious shimmer, but in a work appropriate way.
It looks like I’ve taken the time to apply both blush and a good highlighter.
The effect is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
It gives me a flushed glow.
I love love love this blush.
Between the inexpensive price, and the expensive look it creates, I will definitely rebuy!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Etude House- Code B strong eyes cream eye liner

Etude House- Code B strong eyes cream eye liner

I have been a loyal user of Kate by Kanebo’s (Japanese brand) cream eyeliner for a long time. It is, in my opinion, the best eyeliner ever.
But, being here in Korea, Kate isn’t a brand easily available. Sure I could ship it in, but I’m trying to use more local stuff.
So when Etude house came out a combo pack with the  Code B eye liner and a mini of my favorite BB cream, I bought it almost compulsively.
There’s something about mini’s that just does me in.

The liner itself is boxed in a cute box, the look of the Code B item’s is very different from Etude House’s usually pink and frilly style. To me it looks a little James Bond.
A weird, but not bad, departure from the norm.
Inside is a little Jar, that looks very similar to Kate’s liner and nearly all brands of cream eye liner. But unlike Kate’s, this jar is.
This is a huge improvement in my opinion.
As some one who gets a lot of stuff over the internet, from half way across the world, plastic makes shipping cheaper. and really, what good are glass bottle anyways?
And once, I dropped one of my kate jars, and chipped a huge piece of glass from the bottom. The jars are super sturdy, considering the whole thing didn’t crack, but a huge chip f glass is pointlessly dangerous.
Another plus of the packaging, the brush is attached right to the lid of the jar.
Now this feature also drives me up the wall. It makes screwing on the lid needlessly complicated, with the brush flinging every where. Now, I flip the whole thing over and screw the bottom into the cap.
With the Kate line, I have bought, I think 6 jars of the liner. Currently I have 2 brushes….
So, it’s worth putting up with the hassle of an attached brush, simply to prevent me from loosing it.
The brush itself…. It’s not very good.
The quality is fine. The brush tip is soft, and tight. The handle can be pushed into the cap to lengthen it(then you have the cap dangling from the end, so I don’t).
But the brush tip is super wide and thick.
It’s way to wide for a liner.
I use the side, the narrowest side.
But still! It’s almost big enough to be an eye shadow brush! It’s absolutely ridiculous.
The liner inside the pot, is a good solid black.
The consistency is thinner and creamer than Kate’s, and a lot less dry. Because of this, the liner is easier to apply (slightly), and the jar last longer, because Kate’s has a tendency to dry out.
This thinner wetter consistency does mean a slight compromise in staying power.
As some one with a tendancy to rub my eyes, I need a liner that stays put. This liner barely flakes with even intense rubbing.
And stays put for all of a work day. But you will probably have to reapply before going out.
With Kate, you’re good all day, all night, and into the next morning.

Code B hasn’t converted me, but with that said, I definitely recommend it to anyone who doesn’t need intense lasting power, or doesn’t wear liner everyday, or  has any issues with products drying out.
Plus, since it’s almost half the price of Kate’s liner, it’s a great buy.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Giveaway winner!!!!!!!!

The winner is ....................... Andrea!!!!
Congratulations!

To all of you who didn't win... I will be having another giveaway in another month or so,  your luck might change :)

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Giveaway Officially closed!!!


Giveaway Officially closed!!!
Thank you everyone who entered! The winner will be posted soon!


Thursday, January 28, 2010

Giveaway

Giveaway!!!!!

A Nature Republic has opened up near me (Relpacing my FAV Etude house :( ).
So I've decided to do a Nature Republic, and my new favorite skin care line Skinfood, giveaway!
Nature Republic
-Brightening and Energizing Massage Cream -Jasmine Tea
- Bamboo Emulsion (light moisturizer)
- Soap wort cleansing Cream with Rose flower (I have another of their rose items, they smell almost real, and not like an old lady!)
-Argan Nutrizer Mask
-Green Nail Polish
-Leaf Comb and Mirror set
Skinfood
-Apple vinegar cleansing Gel cream
Peack Sake finnishing Powder (the smoothest finnishing powder I've ever experienced. I bought two myself!)

Other
-Je Yeon green tea sheet mask
-Etude House Hand bouquet sheet mask
-Sooyeon lipgloss
- And a TON of samples, mostly Skinfood and Nature republic but with a few others!

Here are a few more pics of most of the big items
!
                               
  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, saying your favorite method/product or tool to get glowing skin
3. The contest is open world wide!
4. Triple entries for anyone who reposts this on their blog or twitter feed!
5. The Contest closes January 30th, and winner will be drawn the 31st.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Beauty Credit - Lovely Q10 Makeup base ma



Beauty Credit - Lovely Q10 Makeup base mat- SPF 18
Price: 8000won ($8)
Color: 02 Lavender
Size: 40ml
For I, like many of you out there, base make up or primers are not a daily step in our makeup routines.
When I first came to Korea though, I was intrigued by the different colors available in bases.
Intrigued enough to buy a green one by Etude House. Since that particular base did great things to any aberrant redness caused by winter (ie. A red nose), I’ve been dying to try the other available color, purple.

But Etude house doesn’t have a purple base in the same line as the on I purchased, only in a different line, which is contained in glass bottles without pumps.
Unless the product inside is a runny liquid, glass bottles are stupid!
Hello, slow Ketchup anyone?

The beauty credit base, next to my etude house base. See how much prettier the beauty credit one is!
The packaging is so much nicer than the Etude house Baby skin base (Pink, green and ugly!), the Beauty credit bottle is silver and purple, very class and tasteful.
And it has the added benefit of having an SPF of 18! Something the Baby skin Base doesn’t boast.
The product itself is surprisingly thick, but spreads evenly. It does clump in the pores a little bit. If you have really prominent pores I wouldn’t recommend it.
As it is for me, I put BB cream over the base, so my pores look smooth and even.

But to be honest, the product doesn’t behave like a Primer at all. It definitely doesn’t have the smoothing effect like silicone primers (for example the primer by smash box).
But this is something I’ve noticed in Korea Primers/bases.
I never use primers for their smoothing effects anyway, so it doesn’t ruin the product for me.
The only reason to use the primer is the color.
The color is super pale.
When you rub it in, the purple fades, and the primer is almost white.


On me, it looks amazing. I have super pale skin, and this gives it an uber pale glow.
It looks ethereal.
That said, for anyone darker, it might look like clown makeup. This was not the case with the green base by etude house. I’m not sure if it’s the brand or the color.

Conclusion: I will Definitely re-purchase. I can’t recommend it though, because it is suitable for very few skin colors.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Skinfood Allantoin clear mascara


Skinfood Allantoin clear mascara
Price: $4.50 (4500won)
Clear mascara might possibly be one of the most pointless makeup products out there. I have no idea why it exists… It’s not like it’s a top coat for mascara. I have one of those, although I think they are pretty pointless too.
What in the world is the point of having a clear Mascara? Seriously, someone comment and explain it to me!
I have fairly well behaved eyebrows (complete topic change I know, but bear with me). But I like to have perfect eyebrows.
Back in Canada I use a cheap New York Color (ie. Walmart) brow powder and wax.
The wax is sooo wonderful, it makes my brows lay perfectly flat without making them hard.
Here in Korea, there are tons of Brow powders, but nothing to make the brows keep their shape, or to stick down fly away hairs.
Sure I can use hair wax (I know you’re thinking well duh.) But that’s completely impractical for carrying around in my purse, or travel, or…
Hence the clear mascara.

But… The mascara doesn’t do anything….. At all…  It just… sits there. It’s not like actual mascara, it doesn’t seem to coat anything, or glue anything together. It basically even more useless than I thought. Which is completely perplexing to me.
So hair wax it is.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Skinfood Tea Tree Bubble Cleansing Foam


Skinfood Tea Tree Bubble Cleansing Foam
Price: $7.70 (7700won)
Size: 160ml
The Tea Tree Foam is another of the products that I picked up at Skinfood for my boyfriend to use. Although this product in particular is not from one of the Men’s lines.
Really all a men’s product is, is one packaged and scented differently.
And since the Tea tree bubble foam comes in a plain green plastic bottle with a pump top dispenser and a brown paper look label, it’s certainly manly enough.
Interestingly enough, even though Skinfood labels a number of their products in the brown paper, none of it is actually cheap brown paper.
They are actual labels. So they don’t warp or peel when wet.
So they aren’t cheap, they just look it….

The Tea tree Foam is a clear liquid, that turns into a foam when pumped out. The foam is fluffy and light, abut doesn’t foam up one the face. In fact the foam completely disappears when wet…
That seems backwards to me…. Shouldn’t it later up on the face?
Regardless, it’s very cleansing. It’s way too strong for me. It’s strips my skin and makes it even drier.
But I have dry skin to start with, and there is no reason for me to use a product with tea tree oil.
On my boyfriends oilier skin though, this is a good products. It really cleanses, but it doesn’t leave him dry.
Between this and the tea tree and lavender toner from skin food, his skin has been more even and blemishes have been greatly reduced.
In fact, it’s rare for him to have one when he is consistently using both products.
The product does have a tea tree oil scent. But I can’t notice it at all in the foam itself.

All in All, I think this is a really good foam for oily skin. It seems to hit the right balance of drying out excess oil without going to far. But it’s not for dry skin.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Nature republic - hand me love hand mask


Nature republic - Hand me love hand mask
Price: 2000won ($2)
If you have any interest in Asian skin care, you’re probably mask crazy like me.
The Asian sheet mask craze has been slow to transition of to North America, but there are lots of people obsessed with them!
Here in Korea, sheet masks have moved on from being just for the face. Sure there are more specialized ones, for the eyes, for laugh lines, fore head lines, chin sagging, etc. If there is a face concern, then there is a mask for it.
But the masks have moved on to other parts of the body, including the hands and feet.
This seems bizarre to me.
So of course, I had to buy some to try them out.

They generally come in a long packet, divided into two sections. The first contains the actual sheet mask, in a glove shape. You put on the mask, then apply the second section, the plastic glove. Which is supposed to cover the sheet mask, and keep moisture in. It’s basically the same idea as saran wrap.
So I open up the Nature republic Mask, put on the gloves. They are not huge, but are definitely big enough to fit a wide range of hands. They are moist, like a sheet mask for the face, but unlike them, the excess essence is like hand lotion,  this is white and creamy.

I open up the second half, which is an ordeal, since I wasn’t smart enough to open both sides at once, and now my hands are too slick to rip open the other side of the package.
Finally I open up part two.
I pull out two clear piece of pink, hand shaped plastic.
And stare at them in confusion.

They aren’t plastic gloves, they are hand shaped pieces of plastic, ie, you cannot open them because there is only two half gloves…
So you can’t put them on over the gloves at all.

… WTF?
So I wait 20 minutes, then remove the sheet gloves.
I rub in the excess.
My hands feel moist, but not super well moisturized.
The next day, no difference.
Nothing. My hands feel softer after using regular old hand cream!
I admit though, the whole thing might have been improved if there had been actual plastic gloves.
Has any one else experience this? Are there supposed to be actual gloves????