Mini Haul and Review!

I have been on a shopping frenzy for Korean and Japanese products lately. There's so much to choose from and to want, yet not enough money. :( But today two little packages came in, one with a set of Dolly Wink eyelashes in No.3 Natural Girly, and another one with 2 sets of eyelashes from Etude House and a Moistfull Mask.

Those Dolly Wink lashes cost me a fortune! But it's all worth it, they're pretty and I'm definitely getting another pair. I love how there are two sets of lashes with the Dolly Wink. I have yet to try them, but I can't wait!

I like the Etude House Side and Long lashes (The black ones) and I think I could use them a dramatic bottom lashes, who knows?

 Today I tried out the Etude House Moistfull Mask.

I had been meaning to get my hands on one of these for a while now, as I've only had one other mask before this one. It was from My Beauty Diary and I loved it! So I wanted to try one from Etude House because I love their cosmetics.

Ignore the ugly background. :P

After using My Beauty Diary face mask, my skin cleared up a lot and moisturised it which I needed. My skin looked dull and I had horrible flaky bits of dry skin so the mask was a great pick-me-up for my skin. My skin started going back to it's normal state after a while, so I decided to get another one.
After taking it out of it's packaging, it felt wet like the My Beauty Diary mask, so I had a good feeling that it would be really moisturising. The mask also had a faint floral scent, but once you put it one, there was no smell at all which was good.

I vant to eat ur brainz~! I look like something out of a horror movie. :P And excuse the hair, I just had a shower.

After putting the mask on, it felt moisturising and cooling, very relaxing. I also went into my sisters room with it on and woke her up, she jumped at the sight of me. I'm such a great sister. I also have to ask, do Asians have long faces? Because whenever I buy these, they always seem to be too long. :P And they have HUGE eye holes as well.

Anyway I waited for 10-15 minutes and after taking it off and massaging in the rest of the moisture on my face, I didn't see or feel much of a difference. My forehead was moisturised, but I could still feel some dry patches and the solution on that mask was very sticky, it didn't feel nice so I had to wash my hands afterwards.
Overall, I'd say it's a good enough product for the price. But, it didn't work for me, so I will be continuing the search!

Missha Vita Matte BB Cream Review

Hey everyone, today I will be reviewing one of Missha's BB creams. This is the Vita Matte BB Cream, there are two, a gold and silver one. The silver one has a matte finish, whilst the gold one is more moisturising. It only comes in one shade unfortunately. It is a tanned colour, but once I blended it in, it oxidised and changed to suit my skintone.
This BB cream comes with; SPF 20 PA++ and claims to be suitable for sensitive skin. Yay!

Sorry for the bad phone pictures. Again.

The one I have is a sample size (Of course) with a screw on cap which the larger size has too. I like pumping action though! :(
After squeezing it out, I can see that it has a grey-ish undertone mainly due to the SPF in it. When looking at it, you wouldn't think it was that thick, but when you start blending it in you realise that you need a lot more effort. I'd say the coverage is medium. It covers up your little bumps, but not those blemishes that you've squeezed and picked. You'll need concealer for that. I have dark circles and it does cover them up a little, but I still needed concealer to well... conceal them.

Here's the blending process for you.

Spreading it out...

Blending...

Blended! See, changed to suit my skintone. Magic!

Now, onto the challenge of applying the BB cream. I've had little adventure with this, trial and error, but that's the fun part, eh?

Round one.
I tried it with a stippling brush at first, put a little bit on the back of my hand, dipped it and swirled it across my face. It felt like there was nothing on my face, didn't look like it either, do you know why? Cause it was all on the frickin' brush! I managed it dab some of it onto my face, but it was incredibly hard to blend in because it is so thick and the bristles are flimsy. Not recommended!

Round two.
Tried it with my fingers this time. This came out pretty well, but since the cream is so thick, you really have to work it in to be able to blend it across your face. This ended up with me having a sore face afterwards because you really have to pull at your skin. But after the sweat and tears my face looked shiny and felt pretty sticky, and still after I patted it in. I had to put powder over my face to stop it from looking as shiny and feeling sticky.

Round three.
I tried it with a foundation brush this time. I liked using the foundation brush because it gave an airbrushed look and didn't feel as if I was wearing make-up after I patted it in. No stickiness or shiny-ness! Woo! The downside to this is that you have to use a lot more than usual, and sometimes it looks as if the brush is just pulling it around. But afterwards the finish looks amazing, even without powder. But when I put powder on, ooh la la!

It doesn't have that much of a matte finish, there was a slight sheen, and I had to powder throughout the day because my face became like an oil slick. I definitely would not recommend this for summer time as it is too thick of a consistency, I would recommend it for winter time instead.
But other than that, it is a good BB cream if you don't need that much coverage. But for the rest of us imperfect mortals, I'd say look elsewhere.

Have you tried this BB cream out? Did it work for you? Leave a comment below!

Nanas' B - It's My Secret! Cleanser Review

My review for today is for a skincare product from Nanas' B that is endorsed by the K-Pop boy band SHINee and Sulli from f(x). The version I have is a foam cleanser for normal skin and comes in a blue plastic packaging.

A lot of you probably haven't heard of it because I think it's exclusive to South Korea. Now I bet you're wondering, "How on earth did you get a hold of it then?". Well, luckily for me, I have a Korean friend who very kindly sent this to me.

Now, on with the review!

The packaging is very simple, with 'Nanas' B' in lower case at the top with a 'B' in a quotation bubble. Their little tagline 'It's my secret' is also on the bottle with the 'hangeul' or 'hanja' translation underneath, and then there's a little description underneath which I found funny.

'Angel's tear controls sebum and troubles, purifies your skin effectively.'

Angel's tear? I never knew angels existed, but okay.~ If it brings in customers, it's fine by me.

Now on with the product itself. When I (eventually) squeezed the product out it was very creamy and had this very nice pearly sheen to it. When I started working it through my fingers it felt oily; but once I put it on my face, it kind of felt like I was putting moisturiser on as there is no foam. The next day I tried it, I put more water with it and it started to lather up in my hands, but not a lot.

Now, after I had washed it off I felt very clean which is good, but then, when I went to touch my face I couldn't move my hand! It wouldn't slide across my face. I can't find an ingredients list, but I'm certain that it must have a high percentage of alcohol in it because my face got extremely dry afterwards, and I have combination-oily skin, especially in the summer. Now this is the normal version, I can't even begin to think what would happen with the oily version.

It took me quite a while to pin point what it smells like, and I'm still in that process. I keep on sniffing it, and I right now I have two conclusions. One, I think it smells like aloe vera. But on the other hand, it kind of smells like shampoo. Maybe? I don't know. I'll get back to you on that one.

Have any of you tried this product? If so, what did you think? Skincare product outcomes differ from person to person, so if it doesn't work out perfectly for me, you never know, it could work for you.~

Toodles~!

Oil Cleansing

Oil.

It's usually something you associate with cooking, right? Well, it's also very beneficial to your skin.
Whenever you tell someone that oil is good for their skin, even oily skin, they look at you with both surprise and skepticism. Why? Because we have been made to think that oil will create more oil on the skin, when actually, it does the exact opposite.

Water penetrates water. Oil penetrates oil.
We all have different skin-types and pH-balances; and there is an oil out there that suits every single one.

When it comes to skincare, we try to make our skin go from being either of the extremes, to normal, but a lot of commercial skincare products out there end up stripping our skin of it's vital oils, especially those with oily skin. When you strip an oily skin-type of it's oil, the skin goes into shock and creates more oil to compensate for the dryness. It also doesn't help that a lot of people with oily skin never moisturise either.

It's all about pH-balancing. Conventional cleansers are heavily alkaline based whilst our skins acid-mantle is more on the acidic side, so those cleansers actually work against your skin and try to change the overall pH-balance. Those people who use alkaline cleansers and rave about how good they are, have altered their skin's pH. When they go to use pH-balancing products, their skin will fight back and probably break-out.

Washing and hydrating your face with oils is a good step towards good skin. Here are a list of oils to use with each skin type. It can vary, and like with skincare products, you need to experiment to find the perfect one for you. Oil Cleansing is best to be used at night since it gets the bulk of your makeup off, then you follow up with another cleanser.

Oily - Hazelnut, Castor, Argan, Tamanu and Jojoba are good oils for oily skin because they level out the oil balance.

Combination-Oily - Extra Virgin Olive, Avocado, Hazelnut, Argan, Castor, Tamanu, and Jojoba.

Normal - Extra Virgin Olive, Avocado, Argan, Castor, Sweet Almond, Rosehip, Tamanu.

Combination-Dry - Extra Virgin Olive, Avocado, Argan, Castor, Coconut, Tamanu, Macadamia.

Dry - Extra Virgin Olive, Avocado, Castor, Argan, Coconut, Tamanu, Macadamia.

Acne-Prone - Rosehip, Castor, Avocado, Tamanu, Argan, Hazelnut.

Sensitive - Apricot Kernel, Rosehip, Grapeseed, Coconut, Argan, Jojoba, Tamanu.

Mature - Rosehip, Carrot (Beware, will make you orange. ;P), Avocado, Argan, Jojoba, Tamanu (Especially good for mature skin), Extra Virgin Olive.

When using Extra Virgin Olive Oil, make sure it is truly extra virgin. There are some brands out there that claim it is virgin, when in fact it is a blend of both Virgin, Olive oil and Extra virgin. Extra Virgin is needed since it has all of the anti-oxidants, unlike those that have been filtered.
Don't use Coconut, Peach Kernel or Olive Oil on skin that is oily or prone to acne break-outs.

A good place to get oils from is Fushi, their oils are extremely high quality. All of their bottles are amber glass with built in droppers, so you wont end up wasting anything. They are also at very good prices too.
A good place to get castor oil is from Pukka Organics, the brand that makes tea blends also. It is the highest quality I have come across.

It is important to use high quality because you are paying for sustainable farming, fairtrade and not harming your own skin with herbicides and pesticides. Make the right choice.

Do you oil cleanse? If so, what oils do you use and has it improved your skin at all? Comment below.

Skincare I Want To Get My Hands On!

I have recently been searching the internet for reviews on skincare and have come across many brands that make me want to take my debit card and mercilessly murder my bank balance!

As a student, I don't get much money, BUT I will always want to spend as much as I can on skincare to find that perfect skincare routine that works for me. Some say that it is impossible. I say, "You fools! You do not BELIEVE!"

I do.
I believe in fairies.

But seriously, investing in a good skincare routine will do you lots of good for the future (same with drinking water and eating your veggies #listentoyourmum). It will save you stress from a break out, it will brighten your skin and it will halt the incoming of wrinkles when you reach 40! Yaaaay!

Recently I've been stalking reading bloggers that cater to organic skincare whilst also reviewing Korean skincare too and these are the brands that I have found.

Benton

This company is quite new, but their products are highly raved about on the internet. Their most famous product being the Snail Bee High Content Essence, but all of them have had very good reviews.

All of their products are good for all skin types, and I mean that. Since the main ingredient in all of their products is Aloe Vera juice and not water, they all have very soothing effects which are perfect for both sensitive and acne-prone skin alike.

I've ordered my first batch of Benton Snail Bee Essence today, don't tell my boyfriend. ;)
I can't help it, there was a SALE!

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule

 This here serum has been compared to Estee Lauders Advanced Night Repair and is a rival to it, at a fraction of the price. I wantses it, I needses it!
Besides, I think Estee Lauder is way too overpriced for what you get. A 50ml bottle of Advanced Night repair is £65 whilst a 50ml bottle of Time Revolution is £25!

Shea Terra Organics

Apart from loving the word-play of the brand, this brand also has a lot of hype around it. I've checked the ingredients, and they are all very good with no unneeded dilution of ingredients from chemicals. They have a hefty postage and packaging price, but if you subscribe to their newsletter, you get 30% off products every month! It's worth it!
The two things I really want to try out is their Rose Hips Black Soap Deep Pore Wash to help with my acne, and their Argan, Zafron, Camel's Milk Brightening Lait Creme. The camel's milk intrigues me the most. Some people might think it is disgusting; I'm curious about it. I welcome "weird" ingredients. It's often the weird ones that are the best ones.

Have any of you tried any of these brands or products? Do you have any brands that really make you want to spend? Leave a comment!

Western Skincare vs. Asian Skincare

Skincare can be quite soothing and relaxing. I find it so. The routine of it makes me feel good. For others, it may be a chore. I like the way my skin feels after I have applied everything in the morning and night, and I like to see the effects they bring, it excites me to know that my face cream is having great effects on my skins condition. Thanks to this, I am a skincare junkie. I love it so much. If there is a sale on skincare, I'll be in there elbows first!

But what I've found out is that Western skincare is lagging behind Asian skincare by at least 10 years! I was surprised at first, everyone likes to think that Western = the best/more advanced, but then I started to do some research.

In Asia, there are skincare products that have snail secretion, bee venom and egg shell membrane, ingredients that Western skincare brands wouldn't touch with a barge pole. I often wondered why. Asian skincare also has active ingredients, like Western brands, but at a more potent level. Whilst Western brands like to water down these active ingredients with shed-loads of chemicals (or include them at lower doses) so they don't end up giving the real benefits of said ingredient.
Lower-end Asian skincare brands rival that of Western higher-end, that is something to think about. Imagine what higher-end Asian brands would give? I'm curious!

The demand for skincare in Asia is so much higher than it is in Western countries. In Western countries, we like to buy more makeup than we do skincare, which baffles me. If you have good skin, you wont need so much makeup, and that is true. Most people in Western society don't seem to grab onto that idea though, they think skincare is tedious, and if they do-do it, it's only the bare minimum. Though saying that, a lot of Western beauty bloggers are helping to push the importance of skincare, which is good.

I believe that makeup is to be used to enhance, not to cover up. If you have acne and you use makeup to cover it, it's only going to make it worse.

I've played around with Korean skincare brands for a while, but for some reason, went back to a Western routine, which I regret. My skin has been so bad!
I'm going to show you the differences between Western and Asian routines.

Western Routine:
Morning:
Cleanser
Toner
Moisturiser - Optional

Night:
Cleanser
Toner
Serum - Optional
Moisturiser - Optional

I highly recommend an Asian skin routine because the extra steps make sure that your skin is pumped full of moisture and protected from the sun.

Asian Routine:
Morning:
Cleanser - Get two cleansers. One for mornings which is gentle, and one for night which will take off the rest of your makeup. If you have oily skin, use a cleanser made for normal skin. Cleansers usually made for oily skin strip too much oil, thus making your skin oilier to compensate for the dryness.
Toner - An Asian toner is moisturising, not drying like ours are. If you have oily skin, still use a moisturising toner. Your skin is oily due to dryness.)
Serum/Essence
Gel - To lightly moisturise.
Cream - To moisturise further, especially if you have dry skin.  If you have oily skin, apply little by little. Feel your skin to see how it's reacting.
Sunscreen

Night:
Oil-Cleanse - To get rid of the bulk of your make-up.
Cleanser - If your cleanser isn't getting off the rest of your make-up, get a new cleanser.
Toner - NOT for getting rid of the rest of the make-up
Serum/Essence
Gel
Cream
Mask (Optional)
Spot Treatment (Optional)

See the difference? A lot more thought is put into their skincare which is why a lot of the time, their skin is amazing.
A good place to get Korean skincare is either RoseRoseShop or Cosmetic-Love. They are both South Korea based, so it will take some time for the products to get to you, but it is so worth it.

Good brands to use are:
- Benton - Highly recommend! The best skincare some people have ever used, and it is chemical free. It's had huge ravings.
- Missha - Their Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule (Serum basically) rivals, maybe even better than, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair at a fraction of the price, with better ingredients and a more high-end feel. Their bottle is made from glass, whilst Estee Lauders is made from brown plastic.

For other alternatives use Ciracle, Mizon, From Nature, ElishaCoy, Skinfood, Innisfree, Laneige, Etude House (The cutest packaging EVER!) and Nature Republic.

You have to remember that South Korea's beauty industry is incredibly competitive, even more so than ours. Due to this, their skincare is better than ours and have better ingredients. I recommend to invest. And they have so many sales! One is on right now at both RoseRoseShop and Cosmetic-Love due to Korean New Year, but you wont get your items shipped until after February 5th. Get buying!

What is your skin routine like? Are there any products that are your "holy grails"? Have you too started to adopt an Asian skin routine or are you comfortable with the Western one? Comment below, I would love to know.

Honey and Cinnamon Spot Zapper!

I've had a lot of breakouts recently that have become and annoyance.
I don't have perfect skin, far from it, but I have a habit of picking at spots which makes them even worse. One of my new years resolutions is to stop picking at spots, which I have already failed, but the thought counts. I have one on the side of my mouth which really hurts, and it's taking all of my willpower not to pop it, but I have a secret weapon.

Ta daaaaa!

The Cinnamon and Honey Spot Mask

It's a simple recipe really..

Ingredients
Cinnamon - preferably a teaspoon
Honey - Just enough to mix all of the cinnamon in.

All you need is some cinnamon and some honey, mix it into a paste and apply it to a cleaned face. Leave it on the skin for as long as you would like, but I wouldn't recommend going to bed with it on, you might have a messy pillowcase in the morning. To remove, just gently rub off with a wet flannel, and then apply your moisturiser to add moisture back to your skin.