Review on Maybelline Mineral Power Finishing Veil Translucent Powder!

Hi guys! =)

I just got back from my wonderful 6.5 hr ER shift =P and I so want to go to bed, but before that!:

Today I will be reviewing the Maybelline Mineral Power Finishing Veil Translucent Powder!

This product costs about $8-10 at any drugstore such as CVS and Walgreens, and at Ulta.
It contains 0.28 oz or 8 grams of product.
It is said to be 100% micro-minerals and have no oils, talc, fragrances, and preservatives. It is supposed to give healthy, natural coverage.


What do I think of this product?
 I have actually used this finishing powder for about a year now! But since I do face makeup occasionally (as in foundation and/or concealer with finishing veil), it took me a while to use this often enough to write a review.
The color is a very faint pale pink color, but applies on translucent. It has no fragrance and doesn't smell like anything.
The powder is very very fine and light, so I have to be careful when I'm using this since I'm kind of sloppy when it comes to loose powder makeup. =P
I really like this translucent powder! It is very affordable and easy to get. I do not need a lot for my face and I still have quite a lot left! This is great for setting my concealers, foundations, and BB creams and letting them last longer, preventing smudging and sliding.
And when I mean I don't need a lot, I mean it. Like, if you use it, use as little as possible! Because the particles are so fine, if you put too much, your face can look cakey or they will settling into your fine lines and wrinkles. So, less is more! =D
It came with a brush, which obviously is poor quality. That doesn't really matter to me, I don't expect much from brushes that comes with makeup. So, it's better to buy your own brush, don't use their brush it is scratchy and uncomfortable.
On the dry areas of my skin, I either don't put finishing powder on it at all, or I put it on the oiliest parts of my face first and the dry areas last! Dry skin usually doesn't need a powder to set it, because it can make the skin dry and show the dryness and flakiness.

Do I recommend this product?
If you want your makeup to stay on longer and you have normal to oily skin, then yes! I definitely recommend this finishing veil. =) This is also great for humid weather/environments so you don't look like you're the melting witch in the Wizard of Oz XP.
If you have dry skin, just make sure to exfoliate and moisturize properly before applying foundation. And try to get a hydrating foundation and maybe even hydrating primer ( I like Smashbox!) so your skin won't dry out from the makeup. Use as little finishing powder as possible and if you have very very dry skin, you may not need it at all!

So, I hope you enjoyed this review. Thank you for reading and I will talk to you later! =) good night!

Review on Dermalogica Antioxidant Hydramist

Hi Everyone!

Midterm season has come so sorry for the infrequent posting, I will try my best to keep updating my blog! XO

So today I will review the Dermalogica Antioxidant Hydramist

I got this as a mini or a travel size version a while ago so I don't remember the price but it is 1 fluid oz or 30mL. But the regular size costs about $38 and contains 5.1 fluid oz or a 150mL of product.
You can find this at Ulta or Sephora.
This product is a peptide toner that creates a hydrating, antioxidant shield over skin to help reduce fine dryness lines and prevent the signs of aging. Mist over skin after cleansing and throughout the day to help firm, rehydrate, and minimize skin-aging triggers. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.

What do I think of this product?
I used this product for a few weeks, until I finished it. I sprayed it on my face after cleansing every morning. It doesn't have much of a smell or fragrance, which I like. And if it does, it is not very strong. This spray does feel refreshing and does not clog my pores or irritate or redden my skin. My skin will only sting a little if I happen to exfoliate maybe a little too much before spraying, but the stinging goes away and there are no long lasting problems. It does not clog my pores or make my skin feel oily, sticky or tight.
I do find this spray hydrating, especially after washing my face. My skin tends to get dry and tight quickly after washing, so this keeps my face hydrated.
As for preventing fine lines and wrinkles, I can't say about that. And if you ask me, I'm not sure what to say. I am still young (in my twenties) and my only fine lines are the smile wrinkles around my eyes. But this spray did not make much of a difference when it comes to fine lines. First of all, I don't have much and second of all, there does not seem to be a significant improvement for the fine lines that I do have. This may work better for some skin types than others, but for reducing fine lines for my skin, I don't see any benefits.
Overall, I think this is good for people with dry skin, who want to tone and keep their face nice and hydrating after cleansing. However, I am doubtful on the anti-aging benefits. I also think that this spray is quite expensive, and if I just wanted to hydrate my skin, I could fill a spray bottle with water, and it would be the same.

Do I recommend this product?
If you are looking for a spray to help hydrate your face, I don't recommend this product, because you can definitely either buy something cheaper that works just as fine or make your own spray water bottle for $2. If you want something with antioxidant properties for anti-aging properties to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, I am unsure whether to recommend this product because it didn't really work for me.
If you are unsure if you think this product will work the way you want it, or the way it says, you can always get the travel/mini size at the stores I mentioned earlier. It will definitely last long enough for you to see if it makes a difference for you or not.
If you are looking for a good toner that is much more affordable, I highly recommend "The Body Shop" Aloe Calming Toner!

So, I hope this review was useful to you. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write in the comment box below! =) Thank you for reading and I will see you soon!

Review on Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream and FACEit Aqua Tinted BB Cream!!! =D

Hi Everyone! =)

I know that BB creams are all the rage now, but while I own a lot of BB creams, I don't use them very often. So it takes some time and use until I feel comfortable writing a review about a product that I'm sure I know about well. Thanks for your patience! ^_^
By the way, if you are new to BB creams and want to learn more about them please click here for more information!

I have had both of these BB creams for around 1 year. But I only use them for going out with friends, dates, special events, etc.

Today I will be reviewing the Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream in No. 27 Honey Beige and FACEit Aqua Tinted BB Cream in No. 02 Natural Beige!
(I will have swatches at the end of this post to compare both BB creams before and after oxidation!!)

Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream in No. 27 Honey Beige

Missha is a well known Korean beauty and skincare brand. 

Their Perfect Cover BB Cream comes in 5 shades of colors:

-#13 milky beige

-#21 light beige

-#23 natural beige

-#27 honey beige

-#31 golden beige

I bought this BB cream when I saw Bubzbeauty rave about it and decided to try it out. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because I bought this a while ago, it seems the colors and formulas of this BB cream may have changed. When I bought it from the Missha website, there were 6 BB cream colors and the color honey beige that I have does not look as dark as it does now. I am not sure if they changed the color or not, but it looks lighter than the picture above. I will have swatches of my BB cream as well!

Because I bought this so long ago, I don't remember how much I bought it for (maybe around $40?) but it is cheaper now. On the Missha website it is about $20 and on Amazon the price varies depending on the color so $10-$23.

It contains 50mL of product and has SPF 42 +++.

It is said to be multifunctional BB cream to block UV rays, heals blemishes, has whitening properties, and wrinkle care.

What do I think of this BB cream?

This BB cream is easily buildable and I would say it goes from medium to full coverage but you can definitely sheer it out by using less product and spreading it out more!

I like that it has SPF to protect my skin from the sun and I like to use this during the summer when my skin is more tanned. You will see in my swatches that it looks quite yellow on my arm but on my face it does not look like that. It usually looks the same as my skin. A current exception, is that the skin on my face is so tanned from Hawaii (even though I put SPF 60 sunscreen twice a day!) that it makes my face a little paler and not yellower.

It does not feel sticky or heavy on my face and blends well. It does not irritate my sensitive skin and does not smear or smudge. I only need a pea size for my face and neck so a little goes a long way!

I cannot say if it breaks me out or not, because I don't wear it everyday, and I don't even wear it often, only for certain occasions. But I'm sure as long as you cleanse your face from makeup properly, it should be okay, unless you are allergic to something in the product.

Like most BB creams, this BB cream will oxidize after some time and darken; however, I don't think it becomes that dark after oxidation. It becomes a little bit darker, but there is not much of a difference.

The only thing I don't like about this product is that it has a fragrance. Luckily, it is not that strong and the smell eventually fades away, but I don't like products with fragrances, which is a bit of a minus.

Do I recommend this product?

If you don't mind the fragrance, then I recommend this as a pretty good BB cream for all skin types but for those who tend to have lighter skin and have a yellow undertone. If you do have very dry skin, just make sure to put on a moisturizer before you use this BB cream if you want to be safe. I always put on a moisturizer, and a hydrating primer before putting on BB creams, just because I do have very dry skin areas and I'm paranoid about makeup touching my skin! XP

I like how the coverage is buildable so you can apply it on for a sheer coverage or full coverage and it is pretty sweat proof. Overall, great BB cream, especially for the summer and warmer and humid weather!

FACEit Aqua Tinted BB Cream in No. 02 Natural Beige

This product is from The Face Shop, another popular beauty and skincare brand in Korea. This BB cream comes in 2 shades of color: 01 light beige and 02 natural beige.

02 natural beige

01 light beige

This product costs around $25 on Amazon. It contains 1.35 fluid oz or 40 mL of product. It says it contains 70% moisture content and has SPF 20 PA++.

What do I think of this product?
So I also saw Bubzbeauty talk about this product and I bought it as well. I bought it in 02 natural beige. This BB cream provides sheer to light coverage. It overall evens and brightens my complexion but it is not for medium to full coverage. A little goes a long way like the Missha and I only need a pea size amount for my face and neck! This is a very hydrating BB cream and great for my dry combination skin. It is also great during the winter when the air is cold and dry. It does not irritate my sensitive skin and does not feel sticky or heavy. It feels so light and so much like my own skin, even more than my Missha Perfect Cover!
Even though I have the color natural beige it is still quite pale, and I only use it when my skin goes back to its normal pale color, otherwise I would look like a ghost! And even though the picture for 02 natural beige looks kind of yellow, it is not that yellow in reality and I will show you swatches in the end as well! After oxidation, personally, I don't think it changes color or darkens at all, so maybe this is good for people who have very very pale skin.
Again, the only problem I have with this product is the fragrance, it has a fragrance, which again, isn't too strong and it does fade, but I would appreciate it more if it didn't have a fragrance. And I don't know if this BB cream causes me to break out, because I don't use it everyday or that often.

Do I recommend this product?
If you do not mind fragrance and you have light to pale skin and you just want to even your complexion, then I recommend this product! Please remember, this BB cream gives sheer coverage, it will balance your complexion and make you look even and brighter such as covering up redness and uneven skin tones, however, if you have a lot of acne or acne scars, this will not be enough coverage for you.
It is not thick or cakey and has a beautiful thin and smooth consistency which will make it feel like your own skin! I usually forget that it is on during the day.
This is great if you have dry skin that especially tends to show up when you put makeup on or if your skin gets dry from the weather or wintery seasons.

SWATCHES!
Here are my swatches of both kinds of BB creams before and after oxidation. I will point out any details or differences. Please remember that the camera and the lighting plays a part in the color of the BB cream and sometimes show the color incorrectly, so I'm sorry about that. I will point any incorrect colors out, etc.

Here are 4 pictures of swatches before 20 minutes of oxidation:

 The Missha Perfect BB cream is on the left side of my hand and the FACEit Aqua Tinted BB cream is on the right side. You can see that they both have a yellow tone to them, but Missha is more yellow.

You can see that the Missha swatch on the left looks very yellow, but that is because my hand is a more pink tone than my face and it really isn't that yellow in reality, sorry about that. The FACEit swatch on the right is quite pale even for a natural beige. 

Here I have just blended out the 2 BB creams and the Missha is still on the left side and FACEit is still on the right. Missha does create a sort of more warm and yellow tone, but that is fine with me because my skin does have a yellow undertone. FACEit in natural beige also has a yellow undertone (even though it looks so  pale) but it  is just not as strongly yellow as Missha. 

These are swatches on my forearm, on the underarm of the forearm to be more precise, since my face color is closer to that shade. The Missha is the swatch above and the FACEit is the swatch below. You can tell that the Missha yellow tone is not as strong as it was on my hand, because my hand is more pink than my face. The FACEit BB cream also does not look as pale as it does on my hand and matches my skin tone better (which is closer to the natural color of my face!)

Here are 2 pictures of swatches after 20 minutes, letting them oxidize:

So after 20 minutes (Missha is still on the left side and FACEit is still on the right side), Missha looks more like my skin tone and so does FACEit. But it isn't a dramatic change, not that noticeable. Ah, but you can probably see that it becomes a bit more opaque and covers the colors of my veins on my hand. 

So after 20 mins. I realized I probably should have blended both BB creams out a little more, because this kind of layer on my arm is not how I would put on my face. It would definitely be too thick and too much. (the swatches on my hand are fine, not that thick) But you can tell that the BB creams look closer to my skin color, especially the FACEit. I say, if you are more tanned and yellow toned (which I am now, because of summer), go for the Missha.

So, wow! haha, very very long post today! I hope it was helpful and not too overwhelming XP. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write in the comment box below! Thank you for reading and I will talk to you later! =)

Oil-Blotting Paper under $4!

Hi Everyone!

Today I wanted to share a couple things that I bought at Marukai yesterday.

These are oil-blotting sheets that I bought at the Marukai Lifestyle store that are a little under $4 and I think they work pretty well =)

The one on the left is Callas Paris and the one on the right is in Japanese, so sorry, I can't read it.

Callas Paris is made with a special stretchable soft plastic-like material, and it has a sticky square that picks up sheets for you. Callas contains 50 sheets.

The Japanese one has a cute design of little chicks on the cover. It looks like a note pad and you can rip out paper sheets. It has 100 sheets.


So if you are interested or what to try them, you can stop by your local Marukai Lifestyle store and check them out! ^_^

I hope you found this useful and so you won't buy over-priced oil blotting sheets at Sephora or something. XP If you have any questions or comments, feel free to write in the comment box below! Thanks for reading!

Review on Smashbox Hydrating Photo Finish Primer

Hi Everyone!

I"m sorry I haven't been posting as often lately! X( I've bought a lot of products but I'm still using them and working on them before I feel confident enough to give a good review, so sorry. They'll be out soon!

Today I will be reviewing the Smashbox Hydrating Photo Finish Primer!

I have bought a travel size version of it at Sephora for I think $17 and the travel size contains 0.4 fluid oz or 12 mL of product.

What do I think of this product?
So, I have combination skin and the dry areas of my skin can get pretty dry and flaky. And I really wanted to try this primer but at the time, they didn't have travel size ones that were cheaper. So I finally bought it about a month ago and tried it. I really like this primer, it is very hydrating and my makeup lasts on all day without melting, smearing, or smudging. The consistency of the primer is light and smooth, it does not feel heavy, sticky, or oily. I like to put this on after I use my moisturizer and it does a great job of hydrating my skin and locking in the moisture! Also, a little goes a long way! You don't need a lot for your face. A pea size amount is enough for my entire face, and another pea size amount is good for my neck! It does not irritate my sensitive skin. I have worn this in 90 degree weather, when it is super hot and muggy and I feel like my makeup is going to sweat off, but it amazingly doesn't and stays perfect! =D
The only problem I have with this primer is that when I first apply it, it smells like paint. =( I don't like my makeup having any fragrance, especially chemically paint smells. However, the smell does not hurt my nose or eyes. It does go away in a few minutes and I can't and no one else can smell it on me. But if they came out with a new formula of this primer without such a smell, I would definitely buy it and choose it over this one!

Do I recommend this product?
If you don't mind the smell and the price, then I recommend this primer to anyone with normal to dry skin! This is especially great during winter when the air gets windy and dry and tends to dry our skin out! You don't need a lot of product, so I would recommend the travel-size version actually (unless you put on foundation every single day). This is a great all day foundation primer that will keep your foundation lasting all day and you looking radiant and beautiful!
I know this can be a pricey product for some, but I think it is worth it to invest more into something that directly touches your skin. A good primer not only keeps makeup lasting longer but also forms a good barrier between your skin and the makeup so your pores won't be clogged or irritated by makeup!
And if you try and don't like it, as long as you have the receipt, you can return it to any Sephora store. =)

So I hope you enjoyed this review and it helped you! Thank you for reading and if you have any questions or comments, feel free to write in the comment box below =).
Thanks and we shall meet again!

Fourth Sasa Haul and Review!! XD

Hi Everybody!

Today I will talk about my Fourth Sasa Haul and Review! =)

I bought 3 items:
-Sasatinnie Facial Cleaning Brush
-Koji Dolly Wink Pencil Eyeliner in Black
-Muraqi Konjac Facial Sponge

I have used all of these products for at least 2 months! Now onto the review:

Sasatinnie Facial Cleaning Brush

This product costs $6.40.

What do I think of this product?
I have heard all over that this is an amazing facial cleanser tool and I know that Bubzbeauty uses it. I do have a similar but much smaller pore cleanser brush for the nose area (which I got in my first Sasa Haul). After much debate (and waiting for it to be in stock) I bought this one because I didn't want my smaller pore cleanser brush to wear out and I wanted to stop buying exfoliating cleansers and use this as a good substitute for long term use.
Overall, this is a good cleansing brush. The rubber/plastic tips of the brush are very soft but firm enough to cleanse. You can vary the exfoliation depending on the amount of pressure you apply the cleansing brush to your face. I like this product but it is a bit rough on my sensitive skin areas. I do try to put the least amount of pressure there, but it can still be a little harsh there. On my sensitive areas of my skin, It feels kind of weird and tingly, like, touching too close to the nerves on my face. Don't get me wrong! This won't irritate your skin or cause like a rash or something. It just feels a little rough on my sensitive skin areas. For my other skin areas, it works perfectly fine. On my non-sensitive areas of my skin, it feels really nice, kind of like a gentle massage on my face. Overall, it does a good job exfoliating my skin and doesn't hurt or damage my skin at all. For my sensitive skin areas, I just don't use this brush on those areas as much and it is fine.

Here are some pictures of the cleansing brush!

I actually use my left hand and not my right hand to clean my face with this. But you can use it on either hand, the tail part where the right pinkie is just won't work for the left hand, but that doesn't really matter, since most of the cleaning is done by main body/area of the fish cleansing brush.

Do I recommend this product?
Unless you have very very sensitive skin I recommend this facial cleansing brush to all skin types! Overall, I am glad that I bought it, because it exfoliates my skin well and I don't have to use an exfoliating cleanser before my regular cleanser and I don't have to buy those anymore (or at least, keep on using them very often)! I am just careful on my sensitive skin areas and try to avoid scrubbing it too much.

Koji Dolly Wink Pencil Eyeliner in Black

 This product costs $10.20.

What do I think of this product?
I bought the same pencil eyeliner in brown in my 2nd Sasa Haul and I just wanted to try the black version. Compared to the same pencil eyeliner in brown, it is just as creamy and soft but not as sticky as the brown version. It glides on a little better than the brown one because it is not as sticky. The black color is just as pigmented as the pencil. It is a nice dark black color. It does not tug or pull on my eyelids and is soft and gentle. It also does not irritate my eyes at all. I still set it with a dark brown eyeshadow powder after applying to soften it out and give a more natural appearance.
I really like this pencil eyeliner. It is gentle and lasts for a long time on my eyes. It lasts even longer when I set it with an eyeshadow powder. It almost does not melt, smudge, or smear on my face. But compared to the brown-colored version, at the end of the day, it will smudge a little bit on the skin area under my lower lashline. This might bother some people but I'm okay with it. The smudging is barely noticeable and it is an easy fix in the bathroom if you are really concerned about it. Maybe because it is not as sticky as the brown version, that it smudges just a tiny bit.

This is a swatch of the black pencil eyeliner. 

Do I recommend this product?
Yep! I recommend this product =). If you want something darker, stronger, and more defining for your eyes, but you don't want it to be too sharp or edgy like a liquid eyeliner, this black pencil eyeliner is for you! If you don't live in a hot or humid environment, it should not smudge at all! If you want it to last longer or the weather is more hot and humid, just set it with black or super dark brown eyeshadow and it will last all day!

Muraqi Konjac Facial Sponge

This product costs $4.50.

What do I think of this product?
I bought this because this is cheaper than the Be Creation Facial Cleansing Sponge that I got in my first Sasa Haul. It is said to be made of the same material: Konjac (whatever that is). This sponge has the shape of heart, which is kind of cute haha. While I'm sure the material is the same (it definitely looks the same), for some reason it is not as soft and spongy as the Be Creation sponge. It is more firm and tough. This isn't a bad thing, texture and hardness depends on a person's preference, so it can be a plus or not. Because this is a firmer and harder sponge, it will probably last longer and also not get torn and damaged by my nails as easily. My old Be Creation sponge ended up getting tears and holes because of my long nails digging into them, but it lasted for a good amount of time, at least 6 months!
This sponge does not irritate or damage my skin in any way, my sensitive skin is fine and the firmness doesn't do any harm at all. So, I don't mind that it is firmer/harder than the Be Creation sponge.
However, I don't like the shape of the product very much. The heart-shape concept is fine, but the sponge is kind of flat, and I find it a bit harder to hold and use. It is a bit harder to grab and hold onto with a firmer grip.

Do I recommend this product?
Overall, not bad, cheaper, I don't mind this sponge, but I probably wouldn't buy it again. Probably try something else. I'm not saying this is a bad product, it works well and does not irritate my skin. I think it is a standard average sponge that works, but is not the best. But if you want a cheaper alternative and/or like firmer, flatter sponges, then this would be great for you and worth a shot!

So I hope you liked this haul and review! If you can't or don't want to buy stuff from Sasa online, there are other stores and places to buy these products! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to write in the comment box below! Thank you for reading and have a great day! =D

Review on Nivea Extended Moisture Hand Cream 48hr Effects!

Hi Everyone! =)

I just came back from my night shift, yay! =P

So when I went to Hawaii it was hot and a bit humid. However, my hands and feet became very dry and rough. =(
This was because of constant exposure to the sun, stepping on very hot dry sand, swimming in the salty ocean (which is saltier than southern California), and taking more showers than often because of the humidity and after swimming at the beach.

When I came back to California, the weather was just as hot but drier, which made my skin even worse. My normal moisturizers could not help my skin so I went out to buy an intense moisturizer.

This is the Nivea Extended Moisture Hand Cream 48 Hr Effects:

This product costs about $5 and contains 1.7 oz or 48 grams of product. You can find this product at any drugstore including Walgreens, CVS, Target and online such as Amazon.
On the Nivea scale of light to rich, it is the richest moisturizer possible. It is infused with Provitamin B5 to provide improvement for soft, smooth skin.

What do I think of this product?
This moisturizers is very creamy and rich. My dry skin absorbed it pretty well and I felt instant relief from my rough, stretched, cracking skin. I use this on my hands and feet, but I'm sure I can use this anywhere on my body (not face!) if it is very dry and rough. My fingers and toes felt that they could move so much more smoothly without feeling the dry skin pulling and cracking! I like to put it on after I take a shower in the morning, when my hands and feet are clean and it is a great moisturizer after the shower has stripped off all the old skin oil, dirt, and grease.
I don't know if it lasts for 48 hours because I take a shower everyday and after that I use this moisturizer, so I only have it on for around 24 hours. However, it is very very long lasting and skin feels soft and smooth all day!
Gradually, my hands and feet didn't feel as dry and rough as they used to and now they're feeling great and normal again! =D

Do I recommend this product?
If you have really dry, rough skin that is painful to stretch, then, yes, I recommend this product! It is an affordable, easy to find, excellent product for very dry skin. I would not recommend this for the face because it does not say you can, it says it is for the hands. If you put it on your face, it might be too strong of a moisturizer and clog your pores. But I think it works well for the entire body if you need it. I have also heard that this is great for pregnant women, for their bellies when their skin is being stretched at it gets painful and dry!
This is also great if you live in a very dry and windy environment or during the winter when the air gets colder and drier and your hands and feet get really rough and dry.

So I hope you liked this post! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to write in the comment box below. =) Thank you for reading, good night and I will see you later!