Sunday, June 29, 2014

Review on Laneige BB Cushion Sample Pack

Hi Everyone!

Today I am reviewing a sample pack of the much heard-about and popular Laneige BB Cushion!



The Laneige BB Cushion is sold at Target for $35. It has SPF 50+ and is said to brighten, protect, moisturize, prevent shine and is long-lasting.

What do I think of this product?
I wanted to get a BB cushion because I found out my favorite Missha BB cream was running out! XO And I wanted to get a BB cream that was fast and easy to use and portable since I'm moving to the East Coast. I heard a lot of good things about this product but wanted to try the samples first before purchasing.

Note: Please remember, that this is not a full-size product review. This is a sample review, which I used for 1 day! Thanks!

This sample pack came with 3 samples of each color and a mini sponge.
I love the sponge! The texture is very smooth, soft, and bouncy! It feels great on my skin! It does apply the product evenly and quickly. However, that was pretty much it for me. =P
Unfortunately, the color "Light" was a little too light for me and the color "Medium" was a little too dark for me. So, I'm probably in between those 2 colors.
Another issue was that after BB cream application, it made some of my flaws stand out. Some of my skin is rather thin, so I have tiny bumps around my mouth area where the tiny hair follicles grow, and it made those bumps stand out, in a very obvious and unflattering way. =/
Also, while it did cover my pores well and give me an even complexion without looking too oily, when I touched my face, it felt sticky. And when I do touch my face, some product is left on my hands. This is a no no for me. I can't have any foundation or BB cream accidentally rubbing off on things, like if I kiss or hug people. I also hate it when I touch my face and it feels sticky, gross.

I really wanted to love this product and make it work. But the most important thing standing in my way is the color. None of them match my skin color, so that already turned me down. If I do find a BB cushion that has my skin color but may not initially work for me, I will definitely try to make it work.

Images below:

the dark blue side is where you apply the product

this is the color "Light"

top to bottom: light, medium, dark
top to bottom: light, medium, dark
top to bottom: light, medium, dark

left to right: light, medium, dark
I hope these images give you a good idea of what the cushion and color shades look like if you are interested in purchasing this product.

Things that I cannot tell you are:
-if it breaks me out, b/c that is determined by long-wear use
-if it oxidizes
-if it really brightens the skin and/or keeps it moisturized
-how oil proof is it?
-how long lasting is it? (Use of only half a day is not enough information for me. I would need to apply it in the morning and see how it is throughout the whole day.)

Do I recommend this product?
Honestly, this is up to you. I only reviewed a sample pack so I do not think there is enough information for a recommendation. However, if your skin color is similar to mine, you may not want to purchase it because the shade is either too light or too dark for you.
I have heard many positive reviews about this product, so if you really want to try it, I say go for it. It just didn't work out for me.

Despite the short review, I hope that this was helpful to you to a certain extent! Feel free to ask any questions or comment in the comment box below.
Thank you for reading and I will see you later! =)

P.S.
A few other things holding me back from buying the popular Innisfree and Etude House BB cushions are:
1) The amount of product, I've heard is not a lot, and if someone is going to use this often, it may be used up quickly and get drier with every use (since you're opening up the compact and exposing it to air, which causes evaporation)
2)The application cushion, I've heard is difficult to clean and that it is not very sanitary since it is being exposed to the air and your face and you do have to press it into the cushion more than once during application.
While you may be the only person using it, and you may use it after cleansing your face. It is still exposed to the air (and most likely your bathroom air) and if you are doing touch-ups, then your face is already exposed to the air outside and I would no longer consider that clean.
3) Price, for the amount of product in the cushion sponge, I am hesitant to spend $20-$40. Because I feel like I'm paying more for the packaging and container, than the product. =/

UPDATE 7/14/14 (but not on this product): I recently went to the The Face Shop store in Zion Market to try their cushion foundation. (The lady at the store corrected me, they don't sell BB cream cushion, they sell cushion foundation). The darkest of the 2 shades is too dark for me. =/ Bummer, so won't be buying that. I also asked her how to clean the sponge, and she said it was best to repurchase a new one, which isn't really what I was looking for. =P

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Got my eyebrows done! XD

Hi guys!

lol, if you want to know, I got my eyebrows done today!


They look so nice and clean! And, my skin does not look like this in real life, fyi, it's just good lighting.

Applause to my best and most favorite esthetician in the world! Ariel!

Here is her Yelp review!

She is a pro! If you live in Southern California, you should definitely book an appointment with her!

I am so sad to leave her and my hair stylist. Both who I trust 100% with my eyebrows and hair, respectively, and who do exactly what I want them to do!

I've been waiting for a month to get my brows done. They had become such a wild mess! (if you didn't notice, that is because of the power of the eyebrow powder! lol) I wanted to get them done as late as possible so I could maintain them in as long as possible after I move to the East Coast!
I will probably fly back during winter break to get my brows done and a haircut =P

Talk to you guys later!

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Review on "Etude House" Baking Powder Pore Cleansing Foam! =)

Hi Everyone!

Long time no see! I have been busying packing and prepping for moving! For more info on that, check it out here.

Today I am reviewing the Etude House Baking Powder Pore Cleansing Foam
This product cost $10 and contains 170mL or 5.74 fluid oz.
This product is said to be formulated with baking powder and to gently exfoliate skin and thoroughly clean pores.

What do I think of this product?
I was so happy with Etude House's Toner, that I decided to try one of their facial cleansers! I have used this cleanser every morning for at least 1 month.
This product does not irritate or redden my skin. As you massage the product while cleansing, it lathers up into a very thick and fluffy foam! This feels so nice and comfortable! It does have exfoliating beads, but there are not a lot of beads and the beads are very very small. They are probably the smallest beads I have ever tried and they work great! They gently exfoliate my skin without scratching me or taking off too much skin.
This cleanser does have a fragrance. A sort of clean lemon scent.
I think this does a wonderful job cleaning my skin. I feels so refreshed and clean after use! ^_^
As for cleaning my pores, I think this does help clean my pores and get rid and prevent black heads quite well. However, this does not make my pores any smaller. But it is advertised to clean pores, not shrink them or get rid of them, so I'm not holding this against them, haha.
Overall, great gentle cleanser and affordable! If I don't feel  like trying something new, I will probably repurchase this product. If I want to try something else, I am definitely keeping this product in mind for future use!

Do I recommend this product?
I highly recommend this for all skin types. This is great if you like foaming cleanser and if you want to gently and lightly exfoliate your face. This is a very gentle exfoliant and I use it everyday without any problems! I also think this is quite affordable and you can get it on Amazon online as well!

I hope this review was helpful to you! Feel free to ask my any questions or comment in the comment box below! Etude House is becoming one of the most popular skincare and makeup brands in Korea and lately their skincare products have been having positive reviews and good improvements. I look forward to trying more of their products!

Thank you for reading! I will see you later! =D

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Outfits of the Weekend!

Hi Everyone!

Check out what I wore a couple weekends ago!
Please watch in HD! Thank you.


These are a few outfits I wore out over the weekend. Not this weekend of course, but a couple of weeks back.

Summer is here! Time to break out into strapless tops, cute skirts and fun dresses!

I hope that you enjoyed my looks!

1) Friday
Classy and confident. I wore this going out to Karaoke with friends.
A bright pop of red with minimal accessories and toned down with the jeans. It's the same theory as wearing a bright red lip color, keep everything else toned down and you will always catch attention in the most tasteful ways.

2)Saturday
Simple and minimalist. I pulled out an old trick, matching my purse with my shoes. The bright teal is eye-catching enough on its own, it doesn't really need anything else. The A-line cut is very flattering on my figure. I received many compliments when I was out.

2)Sunday
Sweet and gentle. This is a soft and feminine look. It is not as strong and bold as the previous 2 outfits and has not only softer colors but softer textures as well. Notice while I am wearing pink for the top and the skirt, I chose more muted colors that would compliment each other. This is actually the most comfortable outfit of the 3. =P

By the way, not sure if you noticed. But for my strapless outfits, I did wear a bra. I prefer to use clear halter strap bras. It's not that the clothes were not fitted well or loose (they are actually very snug and need some patience to take off!). I just prefer to be safe than sorry, and the extra support from the halter strap means I don't need to worry about a strapless bra slipping lower when I move around!

My favorite was the teal dress. I chose the front driveway to film because it was just so beautiful!
Just too beautiful! XD (well, that's actually my neighbor's driveway over there, but I wanted the picture of the grass =P)

Thank you for watching and see you later!

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Review on "Etude House" Skin Toner Wonder Pore Freshner! =D

Hi Everyone!

And yes, I am back with another review!

Today I am reviewing the "Etude House" Skin Toner Wonder Pore Freshner!
This product costs about $16 and contains 250mL. It is sold online and in Etude House stores.
It is said to:
-deep cleanse pores
-maintain skin pH 4.5 +/- 1
-control a large amount of sebum
-minimize appearance of pores
-refine skin tones
-keep elasticity of pores
-moisturize inside and outside of skin

What do I think of this product?
I got this on Amazon because I have Amazon Prime and I have been using it twice a day after cleansing my face for a little over 2 months. And I think this toner is amazing! It doesn't do everything that it says, but it does what is important!
I bought this toner because as the days get warmer and sunnier my skin gets oilier and my pores become bigger and well, easily clogged with oil and dirt.
I believe that this works quite well for my pores, I have seen a good decrease in the size of my pores and they not only appear smaller but also not as dark and clogged.
I have also noticed that I have less acne after using this product. Granted, I do not have much acne in the first place, but I still get more pimples when my hormones level fluctuate because of the monthly menstrual cycle. However, even during those days, the amount of acne has decreased! This may be because of the "controlling large amount of sebum" benefit of the toner.
I don't know what they mean about "keep elasticity of pores" and about "moisturize inside and outside of the skin". Do pores need to be elastic? Is it easier to de-clog pores that way? And for those of you who are not in the medical field, inside the skin is going to where the blood vessels are and the flesh of the skin. I don't think that makes much sense. =P
However, I do find this toner works well with my sensitive skin. My skin does not get irritated or red from it and this toner does not dry my skin out. It does moisturize my skin a little but I will still use a moisturizer anyway.
As for knowing that it maintains my skin at a certain pH, that does not seem to be make any scientific sense and I can't measure the pH of my skin, much less in my skin than on top of the skin. So I'll just ignore that. =P
Besides, the few unusual claims that don't make sense. I love this toner. It worked well for what I wanted and what I wanted was to minimize the size of my pores and it does a great job doing that! It is is also a great plus that it helped reduce my acne! =)
It also still has the same benefits as other toners; to clean off any residual facial cleanser or makeup still left on the face and prepping the skin for moisturizer.
A little goes a long way! You don't need much of this product. It has been a little over 2 months of use from me and I still have 2/3 of the bottle left!
I would probably repurchase this again. My "Body Shop" Aloe toner works very well, but it does not have the added benefits for my pores that this one does.

Do I recommend this product?
If you are looking for a toner to help minimize your pores and help your acne, I recommend this product. Granted everyone's skin is different so it will work in different degrees. But it did work pretty well for me and I think it is great for all skin types!

I hope this review was helpful to you! Feel free to ask me any questions or comment in the comment box below! Thanks for reading and I will see you later! =)

Review on N.Y.X. Slide On Pencil Eyeliner in "Brown Perfection"

Hi Everyone!

It has been a long time! =)

Today I am reviewing N.Y.X.'s Slide on Pencil Eyeliner in "Brown Perfection"
This pencil costs about $7 and can be found at Ulta or at N.Y.X.'s online website.
It is said to be long-lasting and waterproof.

What do I think of this product?
I have talked about N.Y.X.'s Slide on Glide on Pencil Eyeliners before, probably a year or 2 ago. As I have said before, these are amazing pencil liners that are very long lasting and very creamy. The color is highly pigmented and the application is easy and smooth. I find them to be creamier and more smudge-proof than Urban Decay's pencil liners actually!
I have been using this along with (and comparing) Urban Decay's "Demolition" dark brown pencil eyeliner and I have to say I prefer this one.
I like it because it is softer and easier to work with and soften out but it also smudges less at the end of the day! And of course, it is much more affordable. =)
I have been using this pencil all of winter and spring of this year. I think a softened out brown pencil liner gives a much more natural and feminine look which can make your eyes look softer and warmer in winter and very endearing in spring.
I do not set this liner with powder and it lasts almost all day. After a very long day (more than 10 hours) I will get a little bit of smudging on the lower lashline, but it is not that noticeable. As for waterproof, I have not tried swimming with this on, haha, but I have worn this in the rain and when I've teared up and I have not had any problems. I will definitely repurchase this again!

Do I recommend this product?
For those of you looking for good long-lasting soft eyeliners that won't tug on your eye and won't smudge, this is a great product that I highly recommend!
There are also a ton of different colors that are available and all of them are just as creamy and pigmented!

Very simple but straightforward review! I have nothing to complain about this product haha.
I hope that this was helpful to you. Feel free to comment or ask questions in the comment box below. Thank you for reading! ^_^