Hello!
I have some VERY exciting news! I've been searching and preparing for a job in Korea, and I finally got one!
It's located in Anyang, which is in the greater metro area of Seoul. It's a bit further from my friends than I had hoped for, but it seems like a great fit! And I was given pictures of my apartment (I had to decide if I wanted to pay an extra $100 per month for a nicer place, or move to a less nice one). It is gorgeous, so I decided to pay the extra!
So, in honor of me getting a job and moving, and also to help me clear out my Korean beauty samples, I'm having a VERY quick giveaway!
The prize is a sample pack of Korean skin care and makeup! I have so many different things and so many different brands, it will be an amazing intro to Korean cosmetics!
Check out some of my product reviews! (Hint: some of these will be in the sample pack!)
Face Mask
Etude BB Cream
Skinfood Black Egg Pore Primer and Nature Republic BB Cream
And read more about Korean Skincare Products at Skin & Tonics!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclaimer: These products were provided to me, free of charge, when making a purchase at the cosmetic store. These are not intended for resale and I am in no way receiving compensation for my reviews or opinions of these products.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Korean Hair Products
Hello!
One of the things I neglect the most is my hair. I don't get regular trims, don't buy expensive products, and usually just let it air dry and don't style it.
However, when I'm in Korea this changes a lot! Most Koreans take a lot of care with their appearance, and I tend to be influenced by that! It also helps that products are generally cheaper(and more fun to go shopping for!), and haircuts are much much cheaper! I usually only spent $10 on haircuts in Korea, which meant I was getting them every two months or so!
I've recently been trying out some new products and wanted to share!
One of the things I neglect the most is my hair. I don't get regular trims, don't buy expensive products, and usually just let it air dry and don't style it.
However, when I'm in Korea this changes a lot! Most Koreans take a lot of care with their appearance, and I tend to be influenced by that! It also helps that products are generally cheaper(and more fun to go shopping for!), and haircuts are much much cheaper! I usually only spent $10 on haircuts in Korea, which meant I was getting them every two months or so!
I've recently been trying out some new products and wanted to share!
This is a Camilla Shampoo sample! I got about 4 of these when I bought some nail polish at a random shop in my friend's small town. It smelled really nice!
This is from InnisFree, a brand I haven't used very much. (Note: picture from InnisFree website, not mine!) I was given some of this from a Korean friend who was flying back and had way too much stuff ^^ I LOVE THIS. It has made my hair so silky and so smooth! You just apply it after taking a shower and towel-drying hair. I have really fine hair, but this hasn't weighed mine down at all. They have an entire line, so it's something I'll be trying out! At at only 7,000 won a bottle (about $8USD), it's a steal!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Pomegranate Beauty Friends Face Mask
Hello!
So this face mask was a gift from a friend! I really like using face masks - both the American kind (cream/paste that is washed off) and the Korean kind that are basically super-hydrating sheets you wear for 20-30 minutes.
Four out of five polish bottles! I really liked the effects, and I don't believe these are super expensive. The only downside was the fit - this did not work all that great on my face. The more expensive ones often have ear loop thingys that make them fit better. :) I'll definitely buy more of these once I'm in Korea - using face masks more often is one of my skincare goals!
So this face mask was a gift from a friend! I really like using face masks - both the American kind (cream/paste that is washed off) and the Korean kind that are basically super-hydrating sheets you wear for 20-30 minutes.
This is from a brand I haven't used (and don't remember seeing in Korea). It was really nice - not a super strong scent and it left my skin super smooth!
Funny shot of me using it: (Seriously....you can NOT look cute using these!)
Funny shot of me using it: (Seriously....you can NOT look cute using these!)
Overall I'd give this a:
Four out of five polish bottles! I really liked the effects, and I don't believe these are super expensive. The only downside was the fit - this did not work all that great on my face. The more expensive ones often have ear loop thingys that make them fit better. :) I'll definitely buy more of these once I'm in Korea - using face masks more often is one of my skincare goals!
Monday, August 12, 2013
Etude BB Cream
Hello!
I'm back with another Korean makeup sample! This time I'm reviewing Etude's Precious Mineral BB Cream. (The global site doesn't show every product, so I've given the link to the Korean website.)
Etude House is the cute makeup store. While many of the makeup stores in Korea have cute and stylish packaging and products, Etude House is by far the girliest. Walking inside is like being inside a bag of cotton candy - pink, pink, and more pink!
This BB Cream retails for 14,000 won (About $15USD). It's not a bad price, since the size is so large and a little bit goes a long way!
I don't usually shop at Etude (I feel like most of the other stores have products I like more) but I do have a few things from here. I do use their "Magic" BB Cream - it's only $10USD, which is one of the cheaper BB creams available.
Note: The place I'm staying has horrible lighting, so I've tried to correct color in the photos as much as possible - which has proven to be a huge challenge. So these photos are more for the coverage/look, not exact colors :)
Before Shot:
Because I had done a face mask (post coming soon!) the night before, my skin wasn't as red and was super smooth! But you can still see that I have a lot of uneven skin tone - blue/purple around my eyes, some weird yellow-ish spots on my cheeks, and some redness on my forehead/nose/cheeks. I also have lots of freckles/dark spots.
After (Color balance is especially bad here!):
I'm back with another Korean makeup sample! This time I'm reviewing Etude's Precious Mineral BB Cream. (The global site doesn't show every product, so I've given the link to the Korean website.)
Etude House is the cute makeup store. While many of the makeup stores in Korea have cute and stylish packaging and products, Etude House is by far the girliest. Walking inside is like being inside a bag of cotton candy - pink, pink, and more pink!
This BB Cream retails for 14,000 won (About $15USD). It's not a bad price, since the size is so large and a little bit goes a long way!
I don't usually shop at Etude (I feel like most of the other stores have products I like more) but I do have a few things from here. I do use their "Magic" BB Cream - it's only $10USD, which is one of the cheaper BB creams available.
Note: The place I'm staying has horrible lighting, so I've tried to correct color in the photos as much as possible - which has proven to be a huge challenge. So these photos are more for the coverage/look, not exact colors :)
Before Shot:
Because I had done a face mask (post coming soon!) the night before, my skin wasn't as red and was super smooth! But you can still see that I have a lot of uneven skin tone - blue/purple around my eyes, some weird yellow-ish spots on my cheeks, and some redness on my forehead/nose/cheeks. I also have lots of freckles/dark spots.
On my wrist. Etude does offer different colors, and this one is probably a bit too dark/yellow for my skin.
After (Color balance is especially bad here!):
While it's not heavy enough for my under-eye circles, this BB Cream had good coverage! It also did a good job staying on - I wore this for filming a video, then went out with friends. 3-4 hours later it still looked really good :)
And here's how my makeup looked overall! I over-did the contouring a bit, since I was doing a video and needed it to be more pronounced...
-Break Down-
Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream
I'm giving this one a 2 out of 5 polish bottles. While the formula was okay, it was a bit thick and hard to blend easily. While it's not terribly expensive, I didn't feel like the quality was that high (compared to their cheaper BB Creams). I also didn't like the finish - I prefer a semi-matte, and this left my skin more dewey.
Do you like using BB Creams? Which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
Friday, August 9, 2013
Skin Food Black Egg Primer and Nature Republic Super Origin Collagen BB Cream
Hello!
It's been such a long time - my apologies! I recently moved and am staying in temporary housing before my BIG move to South Korea!
So, for the time being, nail art is on the back burner. I'm leaving most of my polish in my mom's loving hands while I'm gone! (And moving totally killed my nails/cuticles...)
So instead, I'm going to be focusing on makeup reviews. I have a TON of samples left from the last time I was in South Korea~
And I have duplicates of many of them! Which means good things could be coming your way, my readers ;)
Today I'll be reviewing two products: Skinfood Black Egg Pore Primer and Nature Republic Super Origin Collagen BB Cream.
According to the Skin Food website: "A pore-smoothing makeup primer that immediately turns
into a velvety-matte texture to effectively conceal large pores and fine wrinkles."
The Nature Republic BB Cream is a little harder, because the website is entirely in Korean! But this BB Cream has 45ppm(parts per million) of collagen. It also has all 5 star ratings on the site and retails for about $13USD.
Here's the before picture! As you can see, I have fairly clear skin but pretty big pores and a lot of uneven skin tone >.<
Here is the Black Egg Primer on my wrist! A completely clear gel that did dry to a very smooth finish, but less powdery than most of the primers I've used.
Here is the BB Cream on my wrist, over the Black Egg Primer. It's pretty light and on the sheer side. One of the biggest downsides with Korean/Asian BB Creams is that most don't come in more than one or two shades. But if you're lighter skinned, the formula is far superior to US brands :)
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 polish bottles! The formula was great, the price isn't too bad, and the longevity was pretty good! I also really liked the feel - not too powdery like most primers I've tried! Once my others run out, this is a might buy!
Nature Republic Super Origin Collagen BB Cream
3 out of 5 polish bottles! While the formula wasn't bad, I felt like the coverage could have been better. It also has the lowest SPF out of all my BB Cream samples. However, I think the price was really nice and the formula would be perfect if you want a super light coverage. :) Probably not something I'd buy, but they have a waterproof formula I'd like to try!
Let me know what you think of my first makeup review!
It's been such a long time - my apologies! I recently moved and am staying in temporary housing before my BIG move to South Korea!
So, for the time being, nail art is on the back burner. I'm leaving most of my polish in my mom's loving hands while I'm gone! (And moving totally killed my nails/cuticles...)
So instead, I'm going to be focusing on makeup reviews. I have a TON of samples left from the last time I was in South Korea~
And I have duplicates of many of them! Which means good things could be coming your way, my readers ;)
Today I'll be reviewing two products: Skinfood Black Egg Pore Primer and Nature Republic Super Origin Collagen BB Cream.
Here are what the sample packages looked like!
According to the Skin Food website: "A pore-smoothing makeup primer that immediately turns
into a velvety-matte texture to effectively conceal large pores and fine wrinkles."
The Nature Republic BB Cream is a little harder, because the website is entirely in Korean! But this BB Cream has 45ppm(parts per million) of collagen. It also has all 5 star ratings on the site and retails for about $13USD.
Here's the before picture! As you can see, I have fairly clear skin but pretty big pores and a lot of uneven skin tone >.<
And here is the after picture! The primer did a great job filling in my pores and giving a semi-matte finish. The BB Cream gave light to medium coverage, but for the most part evened out the redness.
-Breakdown-
Skinfood Black Egg Pore Primer
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 polish bottles! The formula was great, the price isn't too bad, and the longevity was pretty good! I also really liked the feel - not too powdery like most primers I've tried! Once my others run out, this is a might buy!
Nature Republic Super Origin Collagen BB Cream
3 out of 5 polish bottles! While the formula wasn't bad, I felt like the coverage could have been better. It also has the lowest SPF out of all my BB Cream samples. However, I think the price was really nice and the formula would be perfect if you want a super light coverage. :) Probably not something I'd buy, but they have a waterproof formula I'd like to try!
Let me know what you think of my first makeup review!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Comic Con Challenge Week
Hello!!
So this week I was *supposed* to take part in a Comic-con challenge. I love all things geeky/fantasy -ish so I thought this challenge was aweeeesome.
So this week I was *supposed* to take part in a Comic-con challenge. I love all things geeky/fantasy -ish so I thought this challenge was aweeeesome.
However, life likes to say "f you!" whenever I want to do a challenge. I recently started working full time, have been doing lots of paperwork/job hunting for moving to South Korea, AND I have to finish packing my apartment because I move in a week!
But here are the days for the challenge! And the nails I have to show you will satisfy both Monday and Wednesday's themes!
Here are my Quidditch nails!
The broom on my thumb didn't come out quite as well as I'd hope, but I love the other ones! I made a set of custom press on nails, and used eyelash glue for the photos! The eyelash glue kept them on pretty well and didn't damage the nails. I've really been wanting to create a showcase of my nail art and I think this is the perfect way! And, if I wanted to really wear them, I could use nail glue to put them on.
Let me know what you think!
And check out the other great participants in Comic Con week!
Peace Love Lacquer
Let me know what you think!
And check out the other great participants in Comic Con week!
Peace Love Lacquer
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Summer Fun: Finally Done :)
So...I bombed my Summer Fun challenge :)
I lost all inspiration during June, but since I switched to painting on tips for a while, I've got it back!
Here are the days I missed!
6/13: Ice Ice Baby (Fav. Summer Drink)
I love love LOVE iced coffee...and instead of the starbucks logo, you get a cute raccoon!
6/18: S'More Please
(The flaming marshmallows would be an awesome band name!)
(The flaming marshmallows would be an awesome band name!)
6/20: A Million Miles Away
I'm...ehh about these. Galaxy just isn't my thing.
6/25: Tiny Grains of Sand
So many different colors...
So many different colors...
6/27: Life's A Beach
In describing these, "Mermaid on Acid" was about all I came up with :)
In describing these, "Mermaid on Acid" was about all I came up with :)
Thanks to everyone that participated - it was a good challenge! :)
Happy Independence Day!
Happy Independence Day!
Since my nails are in pretty bad shape right now, I decided to do some designs on nail tips :)
I'm super happy with these and the photos!
Please share your Fourth mani's! :D
Please share your Fourth mani's! :D
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Summer Fun Challenge: Day Four
Hello!
So I have no real reason I've been gone the past 2 weeks. I've just had zero motivation to paint my nails or blog. I sat down to paint my nails last night, and what did I end up with? Plain black nails - I was going to do galaxy nails, but I was tired and just didn't feel like doing them. Sorry everyone :(
However, I did manage to do the "Flip, Flip" part of the Summer Fun Challenge! I'm just super late posting them.
"Flip, Flip" was meant to be inspired by your favorite book or TV Show - so I picked Game of Thrones! I've read all the books out so far, and have seen Seasons 1 and 2. (I'll catch up on 3 at some point!)
These nails were mostly inspired by religions from the series. (And sorry for my nails - two of my acrylics came off and I couldn't be bothered to re-do them since I was planning to get rid of them all.)
So I have no real reason I've been gone the past 2 weeks. I've just had zero motivation to paint my nails or blog. I sat down to paint my nails last night, and what did I end up with? Plain black nails - I was going to do galaxy nails, but I was tired and just didn't feel like doing them. Sorry everyone :(
However, I did manage to do the "Flip, Flip" part of the Summer Fun Challenge! I'm just super late posting them.
"Flip, Flip" was meant to be inspired by your favorite book or TV Show - so I picked Game of Thrones! I've read all the books out so far, and have seen Seasons 1 and 2. (I'll catch up on 3 at some point!)
These nails were mostly inspired by religions from the series. (And sorry for my nails - two of my acrylics came off and I couldn't be bothered to re-do them since I was planning to get rid of them all.)
Monday, June 10, 2013
Dream Destination
Hello!
Sorry I'm late posting this - it was my niece's first birthday party this past Saturday and I was busy preparing her present!
It's time for Day 2 of the Summer Fun Challenge!
Sorry I'm late posting this - it was my niece's first birthday party this past Saturday and I was busy preparing her present!
It's time for Day 2 of the Summer Fun Challenge!
I actually had a really hard time with this one! Honestly, I just want to travel the world so I couldn't pick just one spot. I decided on a beach theme, because I live smack dab in the middle of the US. I didn't even see the ocean until I was 19! But I really do love going to and seeing it :)
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Summer Fun Challenge: Day 1
Hello!
Today kicks off the challenge I'm hosting: Summer Fun!
Today is "Riding Off Into the Sunset", which is gradient mani's!
I went outside the norm and did a line gradient!
Check back Thursday for more challenge nails!
Loading InLinkz ...
Today kicks off the challenge I'm hosting: Summer Fun!
Today is "Riding Off Into the Sunset", which is gradient mani's!
I went outside the norm and did a line gradient!
As you can tell, my camera had trouble with the colors :(
I'm super happy with my new brushes though! I splurged (as a graduation gift to myself) and bought a set of brushes from Sally's.Check back Thursday for more challenge nails!
Loading InLinkz ...Sunday, June 2, 2013
Long Time No See!
Hello!
I have been insanely busy these past few weeks. I've also had zero motivation to paint my nails! I've had naked nails for the past two weeks - the longest I think I've gone in the past two years!
I have a few things to share - sunflower nails from my failed May challenge, graduation nails, and an Influenster VoxBox!
I'm also hosting a June challenge, so I'll try and keep myself motivated to complete that one! :D
Here are the sunflower nails!
I have been insanely busy these past few weeks. I've also had zero motivation to paint my nails! I've had naked nails for the past two weeks - the longest I think I've gone in the past two years!
I have a few things to share - sunflower nails from my failed May challenge, graduation nails, and an Influenster VoxBox!
I'm also hosting a June challenge, so I'll try and keep myself motivated to complete that one! :D
Here are the sunflower nails!
These are the first acrylic nails I've ever done! While I wasn't 100% happy with them, it's something I hope to practice and get better at doing :)
Check out the awesome bloggers who actually completed more of the challenge than I did!
Check out the awesome bloggers who actually completed more of the challenge than I did!
Carmina from Cubbiful
Nicole from Dipped in Lacquer
Erin from Paint Those Piggies!
Paulina from Paulina’s Passions
Kristina from Polish and Repeat
Rachael from Rachos Nail Love
Tes from Tes Did It Nails
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
From the "Vault": Butterfly Nails
Hello!
I haven't had much time to paint my nails, but I wanted to share an old mani I did but never posted :)
This was my first attempt at butterfly nails...I wasn't happy with my pointer, but the other three turned out okay!
I haven't had much time to paint my nails, but I wanted to share an old mani I did but never posted :)
This was my first attempt at butterfly nails...I wasn't happy with my pointer, but the other three turned out okay!
Let me know what you think in the comments!
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