¸.•´♡ Quick Update ♡`•.¸

Hey everyone! 

I am sorry I have not been regularly updating my blog lately, but my life has been crazy busy these past few months! Most days I work for 12 hours on set, which leaves me little time to focus on blogging *__* and in my spare time I've been working hard on something pretty cool...I'll share the big news with you all in 2 more months! I am reallyyy excited about it and I can't wait to tell you! Hope you are all doing well <3

Love,

Mamonde » Flower Essential Masks

If you are looking for more sheet masks to try out I'd highly suggest you pick some of these up! The Flower Essential sheet masks from Mamonde have quickly become some of my favorites. There are many different masks within the line to choose from, and I plan on trying them all out eventually because they are just too amazing.

Cost » $2 USD per sheet
Website » www.mamonde.com

I probably have an unnecessary obsession with sheet masks, but they are just sooo relaxing. I love curling up with a good kdrama while wearing one of these! As far as Mamonde goes specifically, they are a brand dedicated to all things flowers and each of their products features a floral extract (or something related) that's great for your skin. Mamonde is a subsidiary of the Amore Pacific Corporation, which is also responsible for the Etude House and Laneige brands. So basically, Amore Pacific is responsible for a whole lot of awesome.

Each of these masks comes in a similar design as above, made with different flower/herb extract and a featured skin benefit. I believe there are 13 different masks in the collection, including a moisturizing, watering, nutrition, lifting, brightening, anti-trouble, soothing, vitalizing, sebum control, pore care, sensitive calming, pure skin, and smoothing mask.

I really love the Flower Essential masks because the cotton is extra soft and the masks seem to all fit extremely well. Each mask has its own unique scent, and so far all of the ones I have tried smell really nice, especially the moisturizing one because it smells like roses. The serum inside might be a little heavy for some people, but I feel that simply rinsing your face with some cold water after application does the trick. So far my favorite from the collection is the brightening mask, because it not only smells amazing but comes with a milky serum that leaves my skin looking wow. Overall, I LOVE these masks and each one leaves my skin feeling fresh and clear.

xo,

Review: Sugarpill » ChromaLust Loose Eyeshadow

First of all, I have an unneeded obsession with purple eyeshadow. Don't ask me why. This is the first reason I bought this eyeshadow. The second reason is because it's beyond awesome!

The short of it:
Brand » Sugarpill Cosmetics
Product » ChromaLust Loose Eyeshadow in Hysteric
Cost » $12 USD
Website » www.sugarpillshop.com
Would I repurchase? » Um, basically I want one in every color x) does that answer it?

I want to mention that I started this blog to be about Asian cosmetics...but this brand is not actually from a part of Asia. However, if you've never heard of Sugarpill, just know that it's a highly respected indie brand based out of Berkeley, California. And well, I do love Cali and that's why I live here ^^. Sugarpill also toured with 6%DOKIDOKI, which is an amazing kawaii fashion clothing brand from Harajuku in Tokyo!! Sebastian, the owner and creator of 6%DOKIDOKI works closely with my j-pop idol Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, if you are at all familiar with her. So basically, that's a whole lot of awesome surrounding this makeup, at least to me!

How to describe Sugarpill loose shadows? The first time I found Sugarpill was in a little Japanese culture shop on Melrose (amazing shopping area in Hollywood). They had these shadows on display and so naturally I flocked to the makeup to test it out. I was mesmerized. Literally the best loose shadow I've ever tried in my entire life! Yes. Not kidding.

This is the first loose shadow that I've tried that really stays on your eye all day/night without needing a primer. And it doesn't fall off your brush and all over your face during application (unless you get a little too crazy). The powder itself is super soft and pigmented. The pictures honestly don't do the color/shimmer justice, because these are magnificent! I tried out pretty much every color on my hand in the store and they were all equally amazing. I ended up with Hysteric, because as I said there is just something about purple eyeshadow ;)

As Sugarpill says:

"Glamorous sparkling loose eyeshadows that outshine them all! These ultra-fine metallic powders combine show-stopping color with adhesive elements for long-lasting wear."

They have a range of other dazzling colors and all are available on their website. I also think you get a lot of powder for the price. Love, love, love these!

xo,

Missha Haul

Hi everyone! There are a couple hours left of Christmas (at least in my timezone), and let's face it...as much as giving presents is awesome, there's nothing wrong with treating yourself to a little something either! ;) This year, although I tried my best to avoid the amazing online sales, I really couldn't resist putting a little bit of Missha under my tree.

What I Got:
♡Time Revolution: The First Treatment Essence♡
♡M Perfect Cover BB Cream #13♡
♡Professional Cheek Brush♡
♡Professional Rounding Angle Foundation Brush♡
♡Signature Glam Art Rouge SRD703♡

Where I Got It:
www.misshaus.com

I'm sure many of you have heard of The First Treatment Essence from Missha, because it's a super popular product. It's a copy-cat of the ultra expensive, SK-II's Facial Treatment Essence, but is about a third of the price and comes in a lovely glass bottle. This baby is packed with 80% fermented yeast extract that is meant to combat the signs of aging and even out your skin tone.

I read some reviews that this stuff stinks (literally), but honestly I'm gonna have to say that's false cause it smells good to me! There is a very slight smell of beer (VERY slight), but that's a good thing in my opinion, considering its yeast is derived from the stuff. It sounded way too cool to pass up, and considering Missha's sale knocked down the price to $30 on a normal $50 bottle, it ended up in my cart pretty quickly. So far, I'm loving it (review to come).

The M Perfect Cover BB Cream is another one of Missha's bestsellers, and most people either love it or hate it. I was really shocked that Missha was giving a FULL SIZE product away by signing up to their email list, but it's true, and it's pretty dang awesome. You better be pale though, because they're only giving out NO.13. It's perfect for me luckily, since I'm something reminiscent of a vampire (okay maybe not THAT bad, but still). I'm not sure how long they're doing this promo though...so...

I love these brushes. The gold is really beautiful and the wide handles make them comfortable in your hand. Not much else to say about these, they're super soft and the quality is on the plus side. So far no bristles have fallen out, but we'll see how they hold up to the test of time!

I feel like every girl needs some red lipstick. And this particular lipstick I'd want to buy for the beautiful packaging alone. Missha really got it right with this one. The color is a rich red, ever so slightly shimmery and sophisticated. I'm definitely wearing this out New Years eve to take in 2014 in style! lol

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

xo,

Review: LuLuLun » Moisture (Pink) Mask Pack

I think the packaging is pretty kawaii for this Japanese mask pack, but that's not the only thing that stood out about it. Only $5 for 7 mask sheets? This could either go really well or really bad...but of course I still gave them a try ^^

Brand » LuLuLun
Product » Moisture Mask Mini Pack (7 sheets)
Price » $5 USD
Website » not too sure on this one, but you can find them here www.imomoko.com
Would I repurchase? » Yup

So in case you missed it, these masks come with seven sheets to a pack and are stored in a ziplock bag. Contrary to other reviews, I found this to be pretty cool! These are easy to remove from the package, and no, you don't have to take out every mask. Just peel one from the top of the stack and you're good to go! Some essence gets on your hands, but that always happens to me when I use sheet masks. Plus, I don't mind my hands getting a little extra pampering along the way!

One thing to keep in mind is that these masks are extremely delicate as they are made from ultra-thin cotton. I personally did not see this as a problem, just don't be crazy when you're unfolding them and you'll be fine. These do tend to fit a little strangely, but with a few extra seconds of maneuvering I got these to cover all the right places in need of essence. One good thing about their strange shape is that the mask doesn't get into your hairline. They also stick to your face pretty dang well, so if you're a fan of multitasking there is no need to worry about this falling off.

If you've gotten this far, it means you've read far enough for me to tell you the best part! These masks contain NO colorants, NO fragrances, and NO mineral oil! So if you have sensitive skin you could definitely give these a try without major anxiety.

The results? These aren't you're luxurious, ultra-pampering type of mask, but they are great for daily use and a quick pick-me-up for your skin. My face always feels clean, refreshed, and moisturized after each use and these don't make my skin oily or sticky either. Also, the softness is a plus and you really can't complain about the price.

LuLuLun also offers these in a giant pack that comes with 42 sheets. In addition there is a blue high moisture variety and a white brightening variety. Personally, I love the mini pack of 7 sheets. I could see myself using them on a trip to some far off beach hotel for some quick pampering in between adventures, so I do recommend these to any of my traveling friends :)

xo,

Review: Dolly Wink » Liquid Eyeliner

Let's cut to the chase, Dolly Wink's Liquid Eyeliner is probably my favorite liquid eyeliner...ever! Check it:

Brand » Dolly Wink by Tsubasa Masuwaka
Product » Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Cost » $18 USD
Website » www.koji-honpo.co.jp/tsubasa/
Would I repurchase? » Is this even a question? lol

If you aren't familiar with the Dolly Wink brand then you should be, because it's awesome and super kawaii! Produced by the ever beautiful Japanese model Tsubasa Masuwaka, Dolly Wink is comprised of makeup meant to make your eyes pop...not to mention it has a fantastic collection of false lashes. I digress...

I had heard amazing things about this eyeliner, so when I found it in Little Tokyo in downtown LA, I had to take it home. Why is it so amazing, you ask? Well, it has a super fine brush tip that makes it easy to apply, seemingly never runs out, and stays looking perfect on your eyes all day (and even all night).

You can create super fine lines or the perfect wing tip. I've had this eyeliner for months and months now and the brush is still as good as it was the day I took it out of the package. Upon the first swipe I would say this eyeliner is at 90% opacity, so you'll have to go over it twice to achieve a true, midnight black. But given the application is effortless, retracing your steps really isn't a big deal.

One of my favorite aspects of this eyeliner is that it is water resistant. I'm not sure if it officially says that on the package because I can't read a word of Japanese, but in my experience it is and it's awesome. You can wear this in the shower or in a rainstorm and it will stay looking perfect, but at the same time with a little rubbing it is easy to remove. There is no need for that awful scrubbing that irritates your eyes to get this off. Although I don't recommend sleeping with your makeup on, I have passed out before on one of those long days and woken up to this looking as if I had just applied it!

There is really not much else to say, Dolly Wink's Liquid Eyeliner is the best. You can also get this in brown, but I like to wear it black. Unless I find a different liner that really blows my mind, I'll be sticking to this one.

Love,

Review: The Face Shop » Face it Power Perfection BB Cream

I don't know why, but I just really love base products and sometimes I get more excited about them than I probably should. Despite the CC craze I opted to pick up the FACE it Power Perfection BB Cream from The Face Shop on my last visit. Despite the price tag, I am not only thrilled with the packaging because purple is my power color, but I also love this BB as well!

FLASH FACTS
Brand » The Face Shop
Product » FACE it Power Perfection BB Cream in no. 01 Light Beige
Size » 40g
Cost » $40 USD in store
Website » www.thefaceshop.com
Would I repurchase? » Yes!

This BB comes in a sturdy and shiny, sealed, plastic pump container. The packaging gets an A+ from me because it's quite hygienic and the cap also allows it to stand up and be displayed prettily on your countertop without it constantly tumbling over. I have been using this for months now and even dropped it a few times, but I have never had a problem with the pump.

The Power Perfection BB comes in two different shades, but I chose the lighter of the two as my skin is naturally pretty pale. This BB Cream definitely aims for a more porcelain doll look, so if you are trying to tan it up I definitely would not go for this one. I avoid tanning and embrace the natural look of my light skin so this one was pretty perfect for me. By the way, it contains SPF37/PA++ and is meant for wrinkle improvement, whitening, and sun protection.

The Face Shop's description? Containing omega-3 and the Vita-skin Complex, the cream enables the skin tone to appear moisturized and radiant with with a smoother skin texture. With an airy touch formula, it adheres in a thin layer as light as air yet flawlessly covers skin blemishes for a lustrous, healthy skin appearance.

I would have to agree that the Power Perfection BB spreads on effortlessly and despite its thin and airy feel actual has pretty heavy coverage. It does not however, flawlessly cover blemishes, but there isn't really such a thing as flawless in my book. With one swipe it will effectively hide any dark spots or acne scarring, but for more obvious blemishes you will still probably need a concealer. Although I don't find layering of this BB all that necessary considering it does a great job with coverage from the get-go, you can build upon it if you want.

The result is a silky finish that is pretty lustrous, but I personally prefer not to wear this BB without a dusting of loose powder on top. I've found that the powder increases wearability by a few hours and creates a wonderful matte look. The only downside? The Power Perfection BB settles into creases around the eyes and mouth (so don't lay it on thick in those areas). I don't have any wrinkles just yet, but I do tend to smile a lot and find myself checking my smile lines throughout the day. Somewhat annoying, but it's the only downfall to this one.

I was worried that after spending the cash, I was going to end up kicking myself when the Power Perfection BB didn't quite live up to my expectations. Luckily, it has certainly performed! It was the most natural looking out of the others I tested in the store and after bringing it home, I am very pleased with the coverage it supplies. I've never had any breakouts from it, although I would not recommend this for those of you with extreme blemishes, as it tends to sting if used on broken skin (the package even advises against it). It doesn't cling to flaky bits and keeps your skin moisturized throughout the day. I'm not sure if it helps with wrinkle improvement, but it certainly helps to even out skin tone.

Long story short? Love it!

xo,

Ingredients: water, titanium dioxide (CI 77891), cyclopentasiloxane, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, phenyl trimethicone, cyclohexasiloxane, butylene glycol, zinc oxide (CI 77947), isododecane, cetyl peg/ppg-10/1 dimethicone, niacinamide, methylpropanediol, butylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, polyglyceryl-4 isostearate, sodium chloride, methyl methacrylate crosspolymer, sodium hyaluronate, portulaca oleracea extract, schinus terebinthifolius seed extract, gynostemma pentaphyllum leaf/stem extract, prunus amygdallus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, plukenetia vollubilis seed oil, hydrogenated polyisobutene, disteardimonium hecterite, sorbitan isostearate, ozonorite, dimethicone, hexyl laurate, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, hydrogenated poly(C6-14 olefin), caprylic/capric glycerides, ethylhexylglycerin, aluminum hydroxide, stearic acid, beeswax, triethoxycaprylsilane, propylene carbonate, xanthan gum, beta-glucan, retinol, linoleic acid, ceramide 3, tocopherol, ascorbic acid, hydrolyzed extensin, raspberry seed oil/tocopheryl succinate aminopropanediol esters, alumina, calcium aluminum borosilicate, adenosine, disodium edta, fragrance(parfum), iron oxides (CI 77492), iron oxides (CI 77491), iron oxides (CI 77499).