Thursday, November 1, 2012

12 Popular Cleansing Waters Reviewed (클렌징 워터 검토/비평)


Products worn in video:
Duwop doubleglow7, Quo Minerals Matter Eyeshadow Duo in Green Amazon, Quo Brow Pencil in grey/brown, Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara, Dior Rosy Glow Blush in 001 Petal, Tarte Natural Lip Creme Pencil in Charmed, and in Peaceful


Products discussed in video:
MAC Mineralized Charged Water


Caudalie Cleansing Water


Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution (Sensitive Skin)


Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution (Combination or Oily Skin)
NOT SHOWN IN VIDEO


Avene Micellar Lotion


Vichy Cleansing MIcellar Lotion


Vichy NORMADERM Micellar Solution


NUXE Gentle Purness Micellar Cleansing Water


Dior Instant Cleansing Water


Lancôme Micellar Cleansing Water 


La Roche Posay EFFACLAR Purifying Micellar Water


Clarins Water Comfort One Step Cleanser


RoC Extra Comfort Cleansing Water

Thursday, October 18, 2012

September 2012 Beauty Products (9월 추천 화장품)


Products worn in video:
Duwop doubleglow7, Quo Minerals Matter Eyeshadow Duo in Green Amazon, Anna Sui Brow Pencil, Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara, Dior Rosy Glow Blush in 001 Petal, Dior Addict Lipcolor in 219 Undressed Pink.

Products mentioned in video:
Quo Minerals Matter Eyeshadow Duo in Green Amazon, Planet Plum, and Blue Lagoon (my fav!), Duwop Doubleglow7, NYC Blushable Creme Stick in Big Apple Blush, MAC Baroque Boudoir Lipgloss in Preciousness, Guerlain Kiss Kiss Pearl Gloss in 868, Dior Hydralife BB Cream, Etude House Baking Powder BB Deep Cleansing Foam, The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost, Stila Custom Color Blush, Dior Rosy Glow Blush in 001 Petal, Tarina Tarantino Dollskin Cheek Blush in Carved Rose, Bite Beauty Lipsticks, Benefit Blot Away Shine & Discolouration Face Powder in 02, Burberry Sheer Powder Foundation in Trench 05, NUXE Gentle Pureness Gentle Micellar Cleansing Water, Clive Christian Perfume in No. 1, X, and 1872.

Please rate this video via Youtube (like or dislike), subscribe or comment (via Youtube or here on my blog)!

Saturday, September 15, 2012

August 2012 Beauty Products (8월 추천 화장품)



Products worn in video:
Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream, Burberry Sheer Powder Foundation, NARS Outlaw Powder Blush, NARS Kalahari Eyeshadow Duo, MAC Eyeshadow in Embark, Korres Shimmering Eyeshadow in 44S Golden Green, Urban Decay Foxy Matte Eyeshadow, Anna Sui Eyebrow Pencil, Benefit They Are Real Mascara, YSl Glossy Stain #6, Peripera Wonder Of Lips Lipstick in 17 Peach Orange.

Products discussed in video:
Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Shampoo
Yes to Blueberry Facial Wipes
Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes
Skinlight Cell Brightening 3D Mask
LUSH Turkish Delight Shower Smoothie
LUSH Woosh Shower Jelly
LUSH Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly
Vitalux-S
MAC Launch Away Satin Powder Blush
NARS Outlaw Powder Blush
NARS Kalahari Eyeshadow Duo
QUO Dual Sided Brushes
Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Buffing Beads for Face & Body
Origins Checks & Balances Frothy Face Wash
Two Faced 3-Way Lash Lining Tool
Stages of Beauty's Harmony Line Lotion and Skin Supplements

Please watch the video for my opinions and descriptions of above products.

Thank you!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

15 Popular BB Creams from Korea and North America Reviewed


The Face Shop Power Perfection BB Cream SPF 37 PA++ (no. 01 light beige)
This is a "total skin treatment BB cream" that promotes whitening (corrective), firming, and anti-aging of the skin. It gives medium to build-able full coverage with healthy glowing dewy finish. It's long lasting but oil control isn't great so this one may not be suitable for oily skin type, unless oil free - oil absorbing lotion is used underneath and set with powder. It can appear to have slight grey tone depending your skin tone but it does slightly oxidize after few minutes of application thereby adjusting to skin tone.

Unicof Uni Magic Blemish Balm Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++ (Whitening Base & Foundation)
This BB cream contains vegetable extract for collagen, aloe for vitality and healthy skin nourishment. It offers a strong protection from the environment. It has medium to build-able full coverage with semi-matte finish. The color is bright beige with no grey-ness at all. It provides decent oil control and also very long lasting.

Hera Mineral Multi BB SPF 40 PA++ (no. 2 natural beige)
This product has a pleasant yet very strong scent; a little too strong for my liking. It has liquid foundation like texture and blends well. It's super moisturizing and offers light to medium coverage with a dewy finish. Oil control is poor; oily part of the face gets oily within half hour and dry parts looks drier. It settles very badly on different parts of face therefore it's not recommended for combination skin (or oily skin). This one best fits someone with overall normal, dry, or mature skin. This BB cream is better suited as makeup base.

Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream SPF 30 PA++ (no. 1 sheer silky skin)
This product is mineral oil free, petroleum free, and paraben free. It promises whitening and anti-aging. It has pearl powder in it that helps to instantly brighten the skin. It has medium coverage with glowing dewy finish. It's long lasting but with poor oil control. Oily areas are accentuated within one hour.

Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox Healing Blemish Base SPF 25 PA++
This one contains arbutin which is a known ingredient to treat hyperpigmentation and even out skin tone; ginko bilbao extract to improve elasticity and firm skin; caviar extract and antioxidants to protect skin from inner and outer pollutants and purify regeneration. This is a good BB cream to use after skin care treatments that require regeneration of the skin. This gives medium to build-able full coverage. It has thick creamy texture. It blends okay and sets semi-matte. 

Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF 35 PA+++ (light)
This has yellow undertone. Covers skin well with minimal oxidation. It gives matte to semi-matte finish with good oil control. Blend-ability is poor. You have to work fast to pat it on the skin before it sets. It helps to smooth out wrinkles and pores and promises anti-aging benefits with continued usage.


Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 (light)
This BB cream offers a broad color/skin tone choice compared to most other BB creams. The "light" color is suitable for NC20-30. It has creamy texture, blends well, with decent oil control. It has bit of silica in it which gives that Smashbox primer feeling (that smooth skin finish) upon application but it's minimal. It has peptides, vitamins, and plant extracts. It's also paraben free. This feel like smashbox primer and medium coverage foundation with some added skin care benefits.


Dior Hydra Life BB Cream SPF 30 PA+++
This is a moisturizing BB cream with skin enhancing ingredients. It has a strong yellow undertone; it does oxidize to slightly pink-er yellow base skin tone upon few minutes of application. This one wouldn't be suitable for fair/light skin tones; suitable for medium-light skin tone (NC25-35).


Diorsnow UV Shield  White Reveal UV Protection SPF 50 PA+++
This water based BB cream brightens and evens out skin tone. Lasting effects of more evened and brightened skin tone can be achieved with long term consistent usage and especially intensified when used in conjunction with other Diorsnow skin care products. This product promises evenness, luminosity, moisture, and plumpness. It delivers most of what's promised; evenness and luminosity can be achieved immediately upon application. However, I didn't find this product very moisturizing. It has great oil control but can be bit drying. Coverage is good; helps even out discoloration and redness, offering medium to build-able full coverage with matte to semi-matte finish. There can be a slight grey-ness especially if used on darker olive skin tones. This suits light to medium skin tone (NC/NW 30-15+-). Blendability is not as good as one would expect from a water based product. It is very long lasting and adheres to skin well.   


Marcelle BB Cream Beauty Balm: Skin Enhancer (light to medium)
This version does not have sun protection but Marcelle does offer same type of BB cream with sun protection. It's a hypo- allergenic product that's great for sensitive skin. It blends well and offers light to medium coverage. It feels very much like a tinted moisturizer but with slightly better coverage and skin treating/enhancing properties that helps to protect and improve skin's appearance. 


Loreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream (light)
This product promises to prime, perfect, hydrate, and correct the skin. It does not offer any sun protection. It appears white right out of the tube and has small beads that encapsulates pigments that transform to even out and match your skin tone. It has decent medium coverage that appear dewy upon application but within minutes it turns semi-matte to matte finish. This formula also helps to smooth out the skin texture. It also has decent oil control but after half hour to hour it does slightly oxidize/darken.


Shu Uemura UV Under Base Cream Multi BB SPF 25 PA+++
This product is best suited as makeup base/primer. It gives light coverage. It works great under foundation, helping to make your foundation appear brighter and last longer. On its own it helps to slightly brighten and even out your skin tone and gives glowing dewy finish. The mousse version of this product is better suited for oily skin type and has slightly higher SPF 30.


Boscia BB Cream
This product promises to hydrate, firm, and soothe skin while diminishing pores, fine lines, and uneven skin tone. And it also claims to provide long lasting natural coverage. It doesn't deliver much. This is one of the worst BB creams (if it can even be called that!) I've ever tried. It oxidizes terribly: turns pink-ish orange shade within minutes of application and continues to darken that about an hour later my face looked like I used a bad orange colored self tanner. The product itself is creamy in texture and contains small silver glitters which remains on the skin even after the product is massaged in. It takes long to absorb; upon application, the product sits on top of skin and shifts around a lot and only after continual massage it starts to get absorbed into skin. Overall, this product is a poor excuse of a BB cream.


Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream (light/medium)
This was the first North American drug store BB cream I tried and my first impression was that this feels and looks just like a tinted moisturizer, perhaps with slightly better coverage. It offers light to build-able medium coverage. It has a strong, very strong, flower-y perfume scent that can be bit overpowering.  It hydrates well but lacks many "BB cream qualities."



Maybelline Dream Fresh BB 8 in 1 Beauty Balm SPF 30 (light/medium sheer tint)
This product is very much like a tinted moisturizer with slightly better coverage. This one blends and absorbs into skin better than Garnier BB cream. Oil control and coverage are both slightly better also but overall very similar to Garnier BB cream. 

Monday, August 13, 2012

Bubble Hair Coloring from ETUDE HOUSE

I first tried coloring my own hair back when I was thirteen years old and throughout my later teen years and early twenties I often colored my own hair at home. As I got older I started to get my hair colored professionally at salons more  and more often. I eventually got really sick of coloring my hair all the time so for the past two years I've went back to my natural hair color. I was starting to get bored of my plain natural hair color when I saw this Bubble Hair Coloring kit from Etude House, so of course I felt compelled to try it out...

This product promises fun, easy, and mess-free application. It comes in five different colors; I picked number three, natural brown.


The instructions as well as product description and ingredient list are all written in Korean but there are few helpful illustrations to guide you if you are not familiar with Korean.




Here are contents of the box:
Hair dye:

Color developer:

Plastic sheet and gloves:

Instructional pamphlet: 

Silky perfumed hair treatment:

This kit is very easy to use. You take the hair dye packet and pour it into the color developer container...

Put the pump lid back on the color developer container and use the pump to make bubbles!

Evenly apply the bubbles all over your hair. Leave it on for half hour. Rinse off with warm water, use the silky perfumed hair treatment to soften hair, rinse again, and your done!

This product was indeed very easy to use. No dripping of hair color during application or harsh scent. I wasn't super impressed with the result but it did the job of lightening my dark hair into medium brown. I would say that the strength of this hair dye is medium. There are at home hair colors that produce more intense colors but those ones also smell terrible... So overall, Etude House Bubble hair Coloring is a decent hair dye. Something you should try if you hate the strong scent of typical hair dye and also if are NOT looking for drastic hair color change!

Friday, May 18, 2012

Julep Maven: try it for a PENNY!

 So I finally got a chance to try Julep nail polishes that I've been seeing so often around You Tube. I signed up for Julep Maven which is a monthly subscription service where you receive a box of new Julep nail polishes and beauty products each month. A good thing about this subscription service is that you are not committed to purchase/pay every month. You can choose to skip months. When you do choose to receive monthly Maven box, you get to choose one from five packages with different types of products. The monthly subscription is $19.99 per month but I was able to get my first Maven box only for a penny by using a promotional code (the promo code and link for you sign up for Julep Maven for a penny is posted at the end/bottom of this review post!) For Canadian residents, it really does cost just a penny to receive your first Maven box, but for U.S. residents it's a penny plus a small shipping fee. So here's what I received in my first Julep Maven box... (definitely worth more than a penny!)









I chose the package called "Classic with a Twist," which came with two creme nail polishes, a glycolic hand scrub, and a nail file. Classic with a Twist wasn't the package chosen for me by the survey given in process of signing up for Julep Maven. The survey result recommend Bombshell package for me but after looking into details of what products comes in each packages, I went with Classic with a Twist.

The nail polishes are pretty decent. I like how small sized they are, yet the applicators are similar to standard regular sized nail polishes. I don't actually end up finishing a lot of the nail polishes I purchase, there's just too much in each bottles for one person to finish using unless I only wear one color for few months. I sometimes like to buy those mini sized nail polishes, but the tiny applicators in those mini polishes makes application more difficult than it needs to be... So these Julep nail polishes are perfect solution to that little dilemma!

Kelly, the light baby pink color creme polish, applies bit streaky, but most light creme color polishes are like this... With three full coats, and a good top coat on top to even everything out, Kelly is such a pretty light pink color on the nails.

Anne, the violet-purple color creme polish, applies evenly and pigmented. Two full coats are enough to get the color that appears in bottle.

I throughly enjoyed both polish colors. Kelly is a perfect polish color for everyday work, job interviews, or anywhere where you need to appear polished and professional. Anne is a fun color to wear on couple of your finger nails as accent and/or lovely to wear on toe nails! A good top coat polish is a must for both: to even out and finish/polish up as well as extend the wear of colors. I wore SecheVite top coat which made my colors stay un-chipped and great looking until I removed them about a week later. *SecheVite top coat makes most nail polishes so much better than they would be without top coats or with other top coats. So since I used SecheVite on top of all my Julep nail polish applications, I can't confidently vouch for lasting power or strength of Julep nail polishes on their own.



The Glycolic Hand Scrub feels very much like Freeman Apricot Scrub but bit water down. I suppose the "water-down" part could be due to addition of glycolic acid? It's an okay hand scrub. It does the job of scrubbing your hands, rids rough dead skin cells, makes your hand softer than before you used it. But nothing extraordinary... (as in, no different from any other hand scrubs or Freeman Apricot Scrub)

Overall, my Intro Julep Maven Box that I got for a penny was definitely worth it! Would I pay $19.99 for it? Yes, I would! Which is why I chose to receive the next month's Maven Box. (You can cancel your subscription after receiving your first box for a penny which is what I initially planned on but upon being satisfied with the intro box I wanted to try another one) I chose American Beauty Maven box for month of May and below picture is what I received: two frosty nail polish colors (one being one of those magnetic polishes), Pedi Prep, a foot file, and a lovely makeup bag. For some odd reason that I can't figure out, the nail polish applicator brushes of these two polishes are different from the first two creme color polishes. The brushes on these ones are rough edged, not as smooth and fine as the other ones... Odd. I've emailed Julep inquiring about the difference... When I get a reply from Julep and have had chance to try all the May Maven box products, I'll post a follow up review.



If you want to receive your first Julep Maven Box for a penny, simply use the promo code "PENNY" during checkout after you sign up for Julep Maven. Here's a link where you can sign up for Julep Maven: http://julep.com

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