HUGE JAPAN AND KOREA BEAUTY HAUL!

Hello everyone! Long time no update but I was so exhausted after my Japan - Korea trip to actually write anything. It was only the day before yesterday that I mustered enough strength and... yes, courage, to sort through all of my purchases. Side note: This haul may seem humungous to you but these products are for one-year usage as I don't think I could afford another overseas trip this year T-T.

JAPAN HAUL

In my opinion, Japanese sunscreens are DA BOMB. They sink in so quickly without leaving any sticky and oily residue behind, as well as protect my super pale skin from getting burn in the sun. One down side: they're tiny. That's why I stocked up lots of them when I had the chance to visit Japan.

From left to right: Anessa Whitening UV Protector SPF32 PA+++, Nivea Sun Protect Water Gel Super SPF50 PA+++, Skin Aqua UV Moisture Milk SPF50+ PA+++, Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Water Base SPF50+ PA+++, Sunplay Super Block SPF50+ PA++++

I've never tried any facial oils before, but they are well-loved among beauty gurus' community, so I have to try one. I want to start with an affordable one in case my skin doesn't agree with oils. I only intended to buy one bottle of Bioil (aka Bio-Oil), but as I went through my bag, I realized I accidentally bought two T-T My shopping basket was so full at the time that the first one I bought was buried underneath my other purchases. Oh well, let's hope that it's good. I also picked up two Nivea lip balms, Mentholatum Medicated Stick SPF19, Nivea Creme and DHC Lip Cream (which I'm currently using, that's why it's out of the packaging).

Apart from sunscreens, a must-buy for me in Japan is mascara! I just adore Kiss Me Long & Curl Mascara that I actually bought 3 of them, and I also purchased Kiss Me Volume & Curl Mascara to try out.

In my opinion, Japanese make the best makeup remover, especially ones targeted for waterproof makeup. I picked three bottles of my HG makeup remover/ cleanser: Bifesta Cleansing Liquid, as well as three Bifesta Eye Makeup Remover, which removes my waterproof mascaras like a dream! I also bought a brand new product called Bifesta Cleansing Wash Moist.

I just love Japanese shampoos coz they're so gentle yet effective. I got four of them: Ichikami Smoothing Shampoo (which is currently sitting in my bathroom), Ichikami Moisturizing Shampoo, Essential Nuance Airy Shampoo, and Essential Rich Premier Shampoo. Since I loved Ichikami so much, I felt like I had to try out their Hair Treatment Serum.

OK, aren't these shower gels just the cutest things ever? >.< I've never even heard of the brands before but what sealed the deal were: 1. the packaging, 2. the cheap price (¥864), and 3. they were endorsed by Matsumoto Jun! I'm not his fan but since he's a famous actor, these shower gels must not be too bad :3 

And here's Matsumoto's ad for Savon de Bouquet Body Wash :3

The very last thing I bought from Japan was Bourjois Cream Blush in 03 Rose Tender. I'd wanted to try this for a long long time, so when I saw this in a Matsumoto Kiyoshi store, I instantly snatched it up.

KOREA HAUL

Most of my purchases in Korea were done in duty-free stores. As you may know from reading my blog, I ADORE It's Skin Power 10 line, so of course I had to bulk-buy them. They were like, USD8 per bottle, about 2.5 times cheaper than in Vietnam, so I bought 12 of them (yes, I go through one bottle per month when using twice daily). Since my eye cream was about to run out, I also picked up It's Skin Collagen Voluming Eye Cream. I'd always wanted to try out It's Skin Lemon Sunshine Oil Toner and It's Skin Lemon Full Watery Oil, but sadly, they're unavailable in Vietnam. So imagine my happiness when I finally saw them in the store! Since It's Skin is ridiculously cheap in Korea, I bought 4 of my favorite facial sunscreen - 2PM Sun Block SPF50+ PA+++. My only non-duty-free purchase was Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner.

Of course what's a haul without my favorite makeup items - lipsticks? I purchased loads of bright lip colors, which I much prefer over the pale ones as the latter tend to wash me out. My favorites are Clio Lipnicure in #4 Cynical Orange, #6 Rumor Coral, and #7 Tension Red. The two MAC lipsticks - Vegas Volt and Morange were kinda a let-down for me, but again, I've never found any MAC lip products that I truly love. I got two base makeup products from Korea: Innisfree No-sebum Mineral Pact and Hera CC Cream SPF35 PA++.

My last-minute buy in Korea was Origins Clear Improvement Active charcoal mask to clear pores. I'm using it now and so far so good :)

Phew, that's the end of my Japan and Korea beauty haul. I'll see you soon with many new reviews :)

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 :)

QUICK REVIEW: 3 CONCEPT EYES LIP COLOR IN 309 CELEBRITY

Stylenanda is a well-known clothing brand in Korea, and recently, they've branched out to cosmetics with the release of 3 Concept Eyes. A friend of mine was kind enough to let me try her brand new 3 Concept Eyes Lip Color in 309 Celebrity.

Packaging: Very simple but small and light enough to carry around.

Shade: It's a bright and matte orange shade.

Moisturizing property: It's not exactly moisturizing but it doesn't dry out my lips or anything. However, if you have chapped lips, you should apply a lip balm beforehand.

Lasting power: Quite good actually. I drink water frequently and it still stays on my lips for, like 3 hours.

Application: Well, this is kinda a let-down for me. Granted, it looks really nice in photo but in real life, it's actually quite blotchy. It doesn't stain my lips despite its bright color.

Score: 7/10

Purchase?: Probably not because of the uneven application :( 

REVIEW: MAC CREMESHEEN LIPSTICK IN RAVISHING

I saw beautifymeeh wearing MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Ravishing in one of her videos, and since it looked so good on her, I decided to buy it.

Size: 3g

Price: I forgot the price, but it's US$16 on www.mac.com

My opinion: MAC describes Ravishing as a "clean light peachy coral" and I think the description matches the actual color pretty well. I like the color since it's quite natural and suitable for everyday look. It has that signature vanilla scent of MAC lipsticks, which I simply adore. It's quite glossy and non-drying. However, due to its creamy consistency, it has a tendency to accentuate the lines or dry patches on the lips, so if yours are dry, make sure to exfoliate/moisturize properly before applying this. The staying power is so so. If I don't drink or eat anything (which rarely happens BTW, I drink water every hour or so), it'll stay until I remove it. With occasional water drinking, it can only stay for about 2 hours. This is how it looks like on me:

Score: 8/10

Repurchase?: Probably not. I like it but it doesn't really blow me away.

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.

QUICK REVIEW: YVES ROCHER MOISTURIZING CREAM LIPSTICK IN 31 ROUGE GRENADINE

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I still have to say how lucky I am to have extremely nice colleagues! Thanks to one of them, today I got to try a new lipstick, which is Yves Rocher Moisturizing Cream Lipstick in 31 Rouge Grenadine.

Although it looks like a deep red in the tube, it turns into a pinkish red on my lips. It's non-drying and long-lasting. I drank water frequently and it lasted for 5 hours! It did fade a little bit but I could still see the color on my lips.  

(Please pardon my horrible base make-up! It's because of a really bad product which I'll review tomorrow T-T )

Purchase?: I'm not sure yet. I want to try other red lipsticks first before I decide :)

2013 BEST AND WORST BEAUTY PRODUCTS

As today is the last day of 2013, I wanna tell you what I think are the best and worst beauty products of the past year. Many categories will be absent because 1) I rarely use these kinds of products (e.g. eyeshadow and eyeliner) or 2) I haven't found anything good enough to put on the list (e.g. moisturizing cream and shower gel). Since my skin has been both oily and dry in 2013, some categories will contain products for these two skin types. Most of the items have been reviewed on this blog, so if you want to read my detailed reviews, just click on their names. Some haven't been mentioned before, but I'll work on their reviews as soon as possible. Without further ado, let's see what's on my list this year.

BEST OF BEAUTY

SKINCARE

1. Best makeup remover:
- For eyes: Biore Cleansing Oil - In Cotton Wipes (review coming soon)
- For face and lips: Bifesta Cleansing Gel

2. Best cleanser:
- For dry skin: Etude House Baking Powder Bubble Cleansing Moist
- For oily skin: Shiseido Perfect Whip foam 

3. Best lotion/toner:
- For dry skin: Hada Labo SHA Hydrating Lotion
- For oily skin: It's Skin Supersize Peeling Softner (review coming soon)

4. Best eye cream: 
- Skinfood Salmon Brightening Eye Cream

5. Best serum:
- It's Skin Power 10 Formula VE Effector with Vitamin E Derivatives

6. Best acne treatment:
- It's Skin Prestige Creme D'escargot

7. Best lip balm:
- Nivea Essential Care (review coming soon)

8. Best mask:
- For hydrating and brightening: Mandom Beauty Barrier Repair Mask HA
- For deep-cleansing/exfoliating: The Body Shop Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask

9. Best sunscreen/sunblock:
- For face: It's Skin 2PM Sunblock SPF50+ PA+++ (review coming soon)

- For body: Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Water Base SPF50+ PA+++ (review coming soon) (This product isn't in the photo because I've used it up and haven't repurchased yet)

MAKEUP

1. Best makeup base:

- It's Skin 2PM Sunblock SPF50+ PA+++ (yup, this sunblock is an AMAZING makeup base!) (review coming soon)

2. Best BB cream:

- For dry skin: It's Skin Prestige Creme D'escargot BB

- For oily skin: Skin79 VIP Gold Collection Super+ Beblesh Balm

3. Best compact powder:

- For dry skin: Tonymoly Cats Wink Clear Pact (review coming soon)

- For oily skin: Skin79 Sun Protect Beblesh Pact SPF30 PA++ 

4. Best blusher:

- KATE Cheek Color S in PK-1

5. Best eyebrow powder:

- KATE Designing Eyebrow N in EX-5 (review coming soon)

6. Best lipstick:

- Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 040 Rendezvous

7. Best mascara:

- Kose Esprique Full Impression Waterproof Mascara (This product isn't in the photo because I've used it up and haven't repurchased yet) (I briefly mentioned this in my Fairydrops Volume Burst Mascara  Waterproof review)

BEAUTY ACCESSORIES

1. Best eyelash curler:

- Shiseido Eyelash Curler: This baby curls my lashes like a dream without pinching my eyelids. It also lasts forever. I've been using it for 3 years and it's still going strong :)

2. Best powder brush:

- The Body Shop Retractable Blusher Brush: I use this one to apply my face powder. It's soft and gentle on my skin. It also doesn't shed. I love that it's compact and retractable because I can toss it into my bag and bring it with me easily.

3. Best eyebrow shaver:

- Etude House Eyebrow Razor: I think this one has been discontinued, but it will probably last forever. It feels gentle on my skin and shaves my eyebrows well. The design and color are cute too.

BODY CARE

1. Best body scrub:

- It's Skin Fairy Jasmine Body Scrub (review coming soon)

- The Body Shop Bath Gloves (review coming soon)

2. Best hand gel:

- The Body Shop Absinthe Purifying Hand Gel (review coming soon)

3. Best hand cream:

- It's Skin Mini Bebe Hand Cream (review coming soon)

4. Best deodorant:

- Nivea Anti-perspirant Whitening Deodorant

HAIRCARE

1. Best shampoo:

- Essential Damage-care Rich Premiere Shampoo (review coming soon)

2. Hair serum:

- The Body Shop Grapeseed Glossing Serum 

BEST PACKAGING

- Jill Stuart Fruit Lip Balm N 001

             BEST SCENTED-PRODUCT

- Skin79 Lemon Brightening Mask

WORST OF BEAUTY

SKINCARE

1. Worst cleanser:

- Tonymoly Clean Dew Tea Tree Seed Foam Cleanser

2. Worst cream:

- The Face Shop Arsainte Eco-therapy Crystal Water Super Gel (review coming soon)

3. Worst sunscreen:
- Banana Boat Natural Reflect Lotion Sunscreen SPF50+ (review coming soon)

4. Worst lip balm:
- The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Lipcare Stick (review coming soon)

MAKEUP

1. Worst BB cream:

- Laneige Snow BB Soothing Cushion SPF50+ PA+++

2. Worst mascara:

- Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Care (I mentioned this in my Fairydrops Volume Burst Mascara Waterproof review)

BEAUTY ACCESSORIES

1. Worst facial brush:

- Tonymoly Pore Cleansing Brush

2. Worst powder brush:

- It's Skin Powder Brush: This brush sheds CONSTANTLY. The hair feels harsh on my face and falls off when I wash or use it. Whenever I apply powder with this, it leaves strands of hair all over my face.  

HAIRCARE

- Worst shampoo: The Body Shop Rainforest Shine Shampoo (review coming soon)

That's the end of my ranking list. Thank you so much for reading my blog in the past 2 months. I hope to continue receiving your support in the year to come. Happy new year!

QUICK REVIEW: RIMMEL LASTING FINISH BY KATE LIPSTICK IN 109

I have the nicest colleagues in the world ^o^ Today one of them was kind enough to let me try her Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick by Kate Moss in 109, so here's a new quick review for you guys :)

I love the packaging, especially the crown pattern on the lid :)

It's a coral shade which reminds me of the now-discontinued MAC Viva Glam Cyndi, but the Rimmel one is brighter and more beautiful. This is how it looks like on my lips:

This lipstick has a matte finish which enables it to last for a long time. I drink water frequently but it stays on even after 3 hours:

For me, this lipstick is non-drying but if you have dry lips, I highly recommend that you apply a lip balm beforehand.

Pros:
- Pretty color
- Affordable
- Long-lasting

Cons:
- Maybe a little bit drying for people with chapped lips

Purchase?: Yes, I really like this lipstick :)