REVIEW: Canmake Perfect Styling Eyes #4

Another Japanese product! This time, chosen by me :)

On a layover to Japan, I decided to go out of the terminal and visit some airport shops. Luckily, there was a cosmetic store!

They do sell Canmake in Korea, but I don't buy it because it's usually overpriced.

So what did I think?

REVIEW: Tony Moly Pure Aura Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream

After posting my First Look awhile back, I'm finally here with the TonyMoly CC cream review!
First off, there's a lot of talk about CC cream vs BB cream. Now, I know that there's an official guide to the differences, but I thought I'd mention what I think the differences are:
1. CC cream adjusts to your skin tone! Most CC creams I've come across are white with small pigment capsules that break as you blend the cream into your skin. Although not 100% accurate, I like the way CC cream adjusts to my skin tone than having 1 shade of BB cream.
2. CC cream helps even out skin tone.
3. CC cream has more ingredients that is meant for skin care.

These are the two biggest difference I've noticed and they are ALL about skin tone...not coverage. So please keep this in mind!

So what do I think of Tonymoly CC cream?

REVIEW: Laneige Water Supreme Primer Base

Today I try out the Laneige Water Supreme Primer Base in green!

My skin can often be very red due to my acne medication, so I'm often on the lookout for green bases to help balance out my skin tone before applying foundation. Laneige is a popular beauty brand in Korea, so when I saw this on sale I jumped at the opportunity to test it out!
Was it worth it?

FIRST LOOK: Tony Moly Pure Aura CC Cream

CC Creams are becoming the new BB creams. If you haven't heard anything about CC cream, they are called CC cream because they are supposedly "color corrective"/"color control" creams. While BB creams are makeup product and are substitutes for foundation, CC creams are more of a skin care product. Think of it as BB cream, but lighter coverage and better for your skin.

There are a few CC creams available in the states (I know Olay makes a drugstore version) and Chanel has a very expensive (Asia only) CC cream too. Tony Moly is a affordable beauty brand and their CC cream had a lot of Korean women interested (including me!). I decided to buy a bottle and I wore it for the first time today.

Here's a sneak peek!

Stay tuned for a full review!

REVIEW: Holika Holika Moisture Petit BB

I've fallen head over heels recently for this BB Cream.
My skin has been dying for some extra moisture and this BB cream delivers! This is my first Holika Holika product and I love this brand more and more each day!

Packing/Design: Holika Holika has this witch like theme going on (hence the black cat). The Petit BB cream line just means the BB creams come in small squeezable tubes. GREAT for traveling! This is my go to travel BB. It's unfortunate that they don't offer this BB in bigger sizes. Although 1 tube easily lasts me a few months, I would like the option of a bigger size.

Formula: Compared to the Missha Signature Real Complete BB Cream, you can't really notice anything off the bat. However, the Holika Holika BB cream FEELS more moisturizing, but not crazy so. It's comfortable to wear all day (doesn't feel heavy or caked on). The Petit BB only comes in 1 shade. It's very similar to Missha no 23 shades (darker than Bobbi Brown BB in Light). At first, it looks kind of pale but then it settles into my skin pretty well. Coverage is light to medium and lasts maybe 4-5 hours. I think it blends better than the Missha BB cream and gives a more natural look. Kind of like a...my skin but better :)

Price: It's very inexpensive. At a little over 5,000won ($5), it doesn't break the bank. Whew! Also, since you don't need very much of the BB cream itself, it lasts at least 2 months (with everyday wear).

If your skin is in need of extra moisture I highly recommend this. It's not VERY moisturizing, but it feels comforting on your skin. If you are BB cream addict, the low price will entice you too! There's also other versions of the Petit BB that I'm definitely interested in trying!

almost the same size as my iphone!

fully blended

REVIEW: Dejavu Perfect Liner

I’m always on the quest for a good eyeliner. Doesn’t matter if it’s pencil, liquid or gel. I loveeee eyeliners! Most liquid eyeliners are annoying if they aren’t in pen form. Pen form is seriously convenient. When the sales lady at Olive Young told me that this was super popular in Japan and then gave me a demonstration on its waterproof abilities…I was HOOKED.

Packaging/Design: No issues what so ever. The cap ALWAYS stays put and it’s slightly thinner and shorter than a regular ball point pen. I also LOVE the sharp felt tip pen. Not a big fan of brush tips. I’m also proud to report that with heavy usage of this pen tip, there’s no smushing of the end. 

Formula: Not runny at all. Pretty dark, but it’d be nice if it was darker. Unfortunately, it’s not waterproof. It’s water resistant (there’s a huge difference) but it doesn’t hold up against crazy crying or Asian summers. I’ve had mine for about 2 months now and it hasn’t dried up yet. It doesn’t irritate my eyes and it doesn’t smudge (unless there’s water or sweat). I’m not saying that this will run down your face with 1 drop of water. It’s pretty water resistant, but just not enough for me. I don’t get any weird cracking like I do when I use regular liquid eyeliners. I tend to do cat eyes with my eyeliners and if I don’t do a thicker layer on the outer corners, it can fade. I never feel the need to reapply in the middle of the day though. This sucker stays put!

 

Price: It’s more than I was willing to dish out for liquid eyeliner. Korean brands like Etude House and Holika Holika price their eyeliners around the 10,000won (which is like $10), but this was almost 19,000won ($19). 

This wasn’t a HG item for me. I’m not ready to settle on this eyeliner quite yet. Since this eyeliner isn’t quite as waterproof as I want it to be, I’m not willing to pay for it again.

Tip vs ball point

 

Initial line

Waterproof test

Review: Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Putting mascara on your bottom lashes may not be something you always do...but I highly suggest it to give your eyes more OMPH!
It really does make a difference! In fact, my everyday eye makeup is now just mascara on both my top and bottom lashes. That's it!

However, when I first started doing bottom lash mascara...I noticed that the brushes were TOO big and it was getting mascara marks on my upper cheek area. It was a little too messy to erase it especially if I had already done my face makeup.
Thank goodness Clinique has stepped in and created the Bottom Lash Mascara for girls who needed a little bit of help.

 The packaging is gorgeoussss and the little brush is just OH so cute!

These are comparison pictures with my Lash Blast. What a difference right?

I am a HUGE fan of Clinique mascaras. They are seriouslyyyy hidden gems and this Bottom Lash Mascara is not an exception.
Not only do they lengthen my bottom lashes reallly nicely (doesn't look fake), but they formula does not smudge and is water resistant.
Score!
I also love that they actually put some thought into the packaging.

And the price? Another reason to smile. Only $10.
It comes in black and black/brown.


Cheers!

Benefit MoonBeam vs HighBeam

The world of highlighters. Seems so mysterious right? What do they do? How do you apply them? Which is the best?
Well today I am here to swatch two very popular highlighters that both happen to be from Benefit. They are Moonbeam and Highbeam.

First, what are highlighters for?
They reflect light so they make the highest points of your face even higher. They also give you a gorgeous glow. You apply them most often above your lip, on the bridge of your nose, and cheeks.

My Moonbeam is actual size while my Highbeam is mini. Its from a sample kit :)

As you can see, Moonbeam is primarily gold while Highbeam is like a pastel pink/white. Both are VERY shimmery. The mini has a doe foot like applicator, but the actual size ones have nail polish like brushes. I prefer the doe foot applicator but whatever.

When blended, Highbeam (top) is definitely more frosty. Moonbeam has a bit of pink/purple in it.

You can also mix both of these with your foundation or moisturizer to get a dewy glow!

Which do I recommend? I actually prefer Moonbeam. Highbeam kind of looks like a eyeshadow stick or cream eyeshadow or something. I love the multi-dimensional shades that Moonbeam has. Very pretty.
I highly recommend picking up either though if you are looking for a highlighter. They are $24 each and these will last you a LONG time. You only use like a drop per section of your face....

Thanks for reading!

P.s. I am looking for suggestions of what you guys would like to see more of on this blog. More fashion? More nail polish looks? More reviews? More LA stuff? Let me know in the comments and I will try my best!  Also, my next giveaway will be at 50 subscribers so please follow!

Cheers!

Review: Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder

Whew! This product sure has a long title!

A verrry common beauty problem of mine is redness. I have it on my cheeks, my forehead, around my nose, etc. And redness is like a zit..its sooo difficult to get rid of and I feel like its super obvious!
I've tried a LOT of things to help with my redness and one of them was the Clinique powder aimed at making redness disappear. Or so it says.

Its not cheap. It retails for around $34.50 but thankfully you get a WHOLE bunch of product (.84oz to be exact). You even get a little brush that comes with it, but in all honesty the brush SUCKS!

 

Yes, like I said the brush sucks. Its not very fluffy like a kabuki brush. The whole twist idea is clever...but it causes the brush to get bunched up.

Very standard Clinique packaging.

 Not so sure that the way they package the powder was a good idea either. It tends to spill out and stay there. I know Bare Minerals does the same thing with all their powders...but I never had this problem with their packaging. With all the product stuck like that it makes me lose a LOT of product accidentally and hard to pick up product too.

Not a fan of the texture. Its super chalky and I feel like no matter how much I blend it leaves like a yellow/white cast on my face. Not good!

Does this product work though? Does it actually fix my redness?
Like the description says its "instant relief". So yes. It does temporarily fix my redness...but it doesn't last long.
Because I feel like it leaves a noticeable cast on my skin, I never wear it over my makeup. That means I use this product just ONCE and that's right before I put on any makeup.
I don't think it was worth the $35. So..yeah. Bummer. Its also not travel friendly. That tub is huge! Barely fits in my makeup bag!

Does anyone else have this product? Did you feel the same way I did? Let me know!


Cheers!

NYX Haul!

*enter my first giveaway here! Ends April 1st!*

One of my favorite bloggers Becky from Everyday Makeup (who is also from LA!) was amazing enough to post her favorite downtown LA makeup stores.
If you don't know that much about downtown...its basically like a GIANT wholesale market with clothes, jewelry, makeup, etc for CHEAP! A lot of the factories and warehouses are here and that's why everything is sold for low prices (Forever 21 started out in downtown LA!).
I've always known that downtown LA is a good place for clothes, but it wasn't until Becky that I learned makeup was SUPER cheap here too!
Apparently there's TONS of NYX and Jordana since they are both LA based companies.

Anyway, here's what I picked up.

NYX girls nail polish in My Sunshine (left) and Sandals (right) for $1 each.

NYX lipliner in Natural for $2.

NYX lipgloss in Barbie Pink (left) and Salsa (right) for $3.50 each.

NYX lipstick in Gardenia (right) and Paris (left) for $3 each.

Swatches from left to right: lipstick in Gardenia, lipstick in Paris, lipgloss in Salsa, lipgloss in Barbie Pink, lipliner in Natural.

The only thing from my purchase I didn't really like was the lipliner. Its much too brown for my taste.
The price for everything was GREAT and I wanted to buy so much more!
They even had the NYX Nude on Nude palette (a smaller Urban Decay dupe) for $8! I recently bought it for $14 at Ulta :(

I will definitely go back and purchase more! Maybe even for another giveaway ;)

Cheers!

Missha Signature Real Complete BB Cream

 Please visit my first GIVEAWAY! Click here!

My review on the Missha compact foundation is probably the most popular post on my blog. That's very good since I love and adore that foundation...but there is a VERY close second. The Missha Signature Real Complete BB Cream (what a name!).
This is NOT the most common BB cream that the beauty gurus talk about. Missha makes several different kinds of BB creams.
The one the beauty gurus all talk about is the most basic BB cream that Missha makes. The one that I use is a step above that. My mom actually uses the one that's a step above me.

front

I love that Missha took the time to make the packaging extra pretty. Its very floral :)
The bottle is actually plastic so its not squishy like the other one.

back

I sadly threw away the box for this product :( So my information will be coming from the Missha website itself.
So what is different about this BB cream as compared to the more popular one?
When I talked to the sales lady, she said this would be better for my sensitive skin. There are more ingredients in this BB cream geared towards moisturizing, balancing, and healing your skin.The website says its hypoallergenic and supposed to be brightening. Coverage is a tad more heavier with this BB cream too.

I use no 23 (its the darkest they have)

The formula seems runny, but as you start blending it thickens up.
It blends really easily and covers pretty well.

You can kind of see where I blended the BB cream. It does not have a powdery finish and its very light.
 I busted out my Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream (the more popular one) for comparison of texture and color.

My hand with the ring has the Perfect Cover and the other hand has the Signature Complete.
You can't see any color difference or any real coverage difference. Both have a floral scent, but the Signature Complete smells more like an actual perfume. I don't mind the smell at all cause it fades away.

To be perfectly honest...I have never worn the Perfect Cover BB Cream on my face.
So I cannot give you a comprehensive comparison.

With my Signature Complete BB cream, however, I do not get accentuated flaky patches of skin and it doesn't break me out if I wear it for a long time. Since it is liquid formula, it hydrates my skin very well but does not make my skin oily. I use 2 pumps for my whole face.
I didn't like how my compact version was light on my skin, but this BB cream does not do that. I also do not notice any gray cast.

According to the website its $45.99 which is ridiculous. I paid like...$25.

This to me is way better than tinted moisturizers. I love my Signature Complete BB cream :)
I will start using my Perfect Cover though so I can write a review on that and more detailed comparison between the 2 BB creams.

Cheers!

Review: Jordana FabuLiner

Every girl should have the make-up basics. Great foundation, eyeliner, some eyeshadows, mascara, and a great lipstick.
I am not every girl. I have the make-up basics...and like 9302841 more. Having the basics in eyeliner means having one of each category: pencil, gel, liquid.

Finding the perfect liquid eyeliner though, is a bigggg task. First you need to have the perfect tip. The one that gives you control and precision. Second, the formula. You don't want your eyeliner to crack (believe me it happens) and you want it to be heavily pigmented the first time around.
Enter the Jordana Fabuliner.

You may not have heard of Jordana. I certainly didn't til a few weeks ago. I stumbled across this eyeliner (and the company) through MakeupAlley.com. I wanted to see which eyeliner ranked the highest and this eyeliner was one of them.
So I decided to go buy it. You can only find Jordana at your local Walgreens.


Notice how the tip is like a felt tip marker. I love that!
 

The felt tip means more control. The formula is also verrry good. It doesn't crack, it is very smooth, and doesn't smudge.

So what's the one bad thing I can say?

 

It is not waterproof :(

I wish they made a waterproof formula cause it would literally be my holy grail eyeliner. Sadly...Jordana does not make one.
Even though this is not waterproof, it is still a great liquid eyeliner.
It sticks on my eyes no creasing, smudging, whatsoever!
I love how I can draw the perfect cat eye with no problems!
It was also $2.99. How can you beat that price?

Cheers!

Review: Missha M Cover BB Balm (Pact Type)

Please visit my first GIVEAWAY! Click here!

If there is one trend that has been totally hot in Asia right now...its BB creams.
BB stands for blemish balm and basically it was used for plastic surgery patients to help with their recovery.
These creams not only covered up scars and scabs, but were made with ingredients to help your skin be radiant and help with the treatment of blemishes.
Then they started to mass produce it and it caught on like wild fire!

I think the most popular BB creams are made by Missha. They were the first ones I heard about...and they were reviewed very highly. Not to mention....they are cheaper than other brands.
So what makes this BB cream more special than the others? Its in a compact form! Also, isn't the packaging gorgeous?!

Not only is it easier to carry around, but it also makes applying so much easier! I loved my regular Missha BB cream, but since it came in a tube it meant I had to apply it with my fingers or a brush.
Also, because its packed tightly, I think it provides better and buildable coverage.

Formula wise...I think its pretty much the same..just thicker.
The shades it comes in still is horrible. Only 3. The darkest color is just a tad too light even for me..but manageable.
Please note that BB creams oxidize and the color does darken as time passes. If it didn't...I wouldn't use it at all.

Other notable things:
-SPF50!
-non drying/non flaking
-good for sensitive skin

Sadly this is another product that's hard to track down. I think it is TOTALLY worth it though if you have skin light enough to match the 3 shades.

Cheers!