TRAVEL SERIES PART 2: MY TRAVEL MAKEUP BAG

Hi everyone! I'm back with part 2 of my travel series. Today I'm gonna talk about what makeup products I bring with me in my upcoming holiday.

This super kawaii bag is a GWP that I got from It's Skin. It's just freakin' adorable >.<

• Base makeup: Skin79 VIP Gold Collection Super+ Beblesh Balm and Skin79 Sun Protect Beblesh Pact SPF30 PA++. Both products have been reviewed on my blog. Just click on their names and you'll be redirected to the posts.   
• Concealer: Skinfood Salmon Darkcircle Concealer Cream. This doesn't completely cover up my dark circles, but again I haven't found any concealer that does this, so it'll have to do.

• Eye makeup: I don't wear eyeshadow but eyebrow powder and mascara are must-have items for me. KATE Designing Eyebrow N and Kiss Me Heroine Make Long&Curl Mascara fit the bill perfectly. 

• Blusher: I love KATE Cheek Color S in PK-1 (click on the name to see full review). It's a very natural and pretty pink shade. 
• Lipstick: Since I plan on purchasing several lipsticks overseas, I only bring one with me and it's Tonymoly Prestige Crystal Lipstick SPF13 in Muse Coral which I raved about when I first started my blog. The color makes my face look brighter, livelier and the lipstick itself has SPF13! 
• Makeup tools: I love bringing The Body Shop Retractable Blusher Brush when travelling because it's small, compact, light and has a lid! I hate using powder puff because it makes my face look cakey. For eyes, I always curl my lashes before applying mascara. I've used Shiseido Eyelash Curler for about 4 years and it's still going strong ^^ I also have Etude House Eyebrow Razor to trim my eyebrows. I never pluck my brows as I'm afraid it'll make my eyes become droopy.

Well, that's everything I plan to put in my makeup bag. Wish you all a happy holiday :)

REVIEW: KATE ROUGE HG LIPSTICK IN OR-10

Kate is one of my favorite point makeup brands. Their Cheek Color S in PK-1 and Designing Eyebrow N in EX-5 actually made it into my 2013 Best Beauty Products List. Rouge HG Lipstick in OR-10 is the first Kate lipstick I've ever tried, and possibly the last as well (for the Rouge HG line at least).  

The packaging is very sleek and chic, and the lipstick itself swatches beautifully on my hand. On my lips, however, it hardly shows up at all! If you like that "my lips but better" look, then this one may be for you, but I personally don't think I look good at all. This is how it looks like on my bare face:

What bugs me the most is the staying power. It lasts for 1 hour max on me with no drinking and eating! Having said that, it's moisturizing, glossy and a little bit shimmery (since it contains glitters) so if you like the natural look and don't mind reapplying your lipstick every hour, then by all means go for this one. As for me, I won't repurchase this.

REVIEW: KATE BB GEL CREAM + KATE MINERAL LOOSE FOUNDATION IN OC-C SET

I purchased this set way back in 2012 because it was so much cheaper than buying each product separately. The set cost 430,000VND (about US$20), while the BB Gel Cream alone cost 405,000VND (approximately US$19) and the Mineral Loose Foundation was 459,000VND (about US$21.5).

(Source: ebay.com)

Description (source: http://www.kate-global.net/en/all_products/face.html)

(Click on images to see description)

Ingredients (source: ratzillacosme.com):

- BB Gel Cream: 

- Mineral Loose Foundation:

(Click on images to see ingredients)

My Opinion: After purchasing the set, I checked the expiration dates on checkcosmetic.net and found out that these products were produced in 2010, which meant I had less than one year to finish them up! No wonder they were significantly cheaper!

- BB Gel Cream: When my skin was super oily, I didn't need to apply any moisturizers prior to this BB cream. However, I had to apply a moisturizer beforehand if my skin was a little bit dry, otherwise it'd accentuate my dry patches. The shade OC-C was a little bit too bright and yellow for me (I find that Korean BB creams often have pink/beige undertones while Japanese ones are more yellow-based.) It also felt sticky on my face, but this could be solved by applying the Mineral Loose Foundation on top. My T-zone started getting oily after 1.5 hours without powder and 2 hours with powder. It had light coverage, and I had to use a separate concealer for my dark circles. It didn't clog my pores or break me out despite its moisturizing effect. I didn't use any sunscreens underneath but it did a good job protecting my skin from the sun. It's also free of alcohol, mineral oil, fragrance and paraben.

- Mineral Loose Foundation: Despite its name, this powder was way too sheer to act like a foundation (except for people with perfect/good skin). In terms of application, I prefer a powder brush to the included puff as the latter could make my face look cakey. The shade OC-C was too yellow for me. When used on top of the BB Gel Cream, it only kept my face matte for 2 hours in winter. It also ran out too quickly: it lasted for 3 months. Having said that, this powder did have some good points. It didn't clog my pores, break me out or dry out my skin. Together with the BB Gel Cream, it protected my skin against the sun. It didn't contain any paraben, mineral oil, alcohol and fragrance.

This is how the BB Gel Cream and the Mineral Loose Foundation look on my face:

Pros:

- BB Gel Cream:

• Moisturizing
• Non-irritating
• Protect skin against the sun
• Free of paraben, alcohol, fragrance and mineral oil

- Mineral Loose Powder:

• Non-drying
• Non-irritating
• Protect skin against the sun
• Free of paraben, alcohol, fragrance and mineral oil

Cons:

- BB Gel Cream:

• Not moisturizing enough for dry skin
• Unsuitable shade
• Sticky
• Weak oil control ability
• Light coverage

- Mineral Loose Powder:

• Sheer coverage
• Unsuitable shade
• Weak oil control property
• Run out quickly

Repurchase?: No. I prefer something with better oil-control property like Skin79 VIP Gold Collection Super+ Beblesh Balm and Skin79 Sun Protect Beblesh Pact SPF30 PA++.

REVIEW: KATE CHEEK COLOR S IN PK-1

When it comes to blushers, I prefer something natural, but not too sheer to the point that it doesn't show up on my skin at all like a Bourjois powder blush that I used to have (I don't know why but it seems that I've always had bad luck with Bourjois products T-T). After a really bad experience with a now-discontinued Clarins blusher, which makes me look like I've been punched and pinched on the cheeks, I also stay away from any reddish/orangish color. I decide to try Kate Cheek Color S in PK-1 coz Asian makeup products in general tend to fit me better than Western brand, and the reviews for this one are quite positive.

Size: 2.7g

Price: 350,000 VND

This blusher has 2 colors. The lighter one is a highlighter, and the darker one is a cheek color. If you hate shimmer, skip this coz both parts contain shimmer. But in my case, the shimmer doesn't show up on my cheeks at all, so don't worry too much about it. As for me, I usually swipe the brush over 2 parts simultaneously for about 10 times, apply it on my cheek, then repeat the procedure for my other cheek. It sounds long but it really doesn't. It takes me about 1 minute to apply the blush on my cheeks. I love the brush coz it's so soft and doesn't shed. I'll keep it even after I finish this brush :) This blusher gives me a natural pink color, the kind you get after going to the gym or when you're embarrassed :) It looks so real that some people even think that it's my real cheek color and not a blusher! However, because of the sheer color, it doesn't show up well on photo and the lasting power is so so (about 3-4 hours for me). I don't recommend this to people with dry or flaky skin as it will emphasize your dry patches. Having said that, this blusher will not dry out or irritate your skin in any way.This is how it looks on me:

I'm sorry if you can't see the color, but I've tried taking various photos in different lightings, and these are the best that I can come up with T-T

Pros:

- Natural pink color

- Great brush

- Affordable
- Non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic

Cons:

- Accentuate dry patches

- Average staying power

Repurchase?: Maybe. I'm not sure yet coz this'll last for a very long time, and by the time it's expired, I may get bored of it :P