Products I've Been Using on a Daily Basis: NARS, Benefit, Anastasia, Clio, Aritaum

Hi Everyone :) I'm back with a new blog post! I wanted to share some products that I've been using on a daily basis. I really hope you guys enjoy my reviews on them! <3 

1. NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer (my shade: Alaska- light with a neutral balance of pink and yellow undertones)

I bought this product probably around the winter time when I visited Korea last year and have been using it ever since. At first, I was a bit skeptical to buy this product because $43 was a lot for a tinted moisturizer... not even a BB cream. However, I tried a sample of it and bought it the following day. I first came across this product because I heard it does a really good job of hiding dry patches--something I struggle with a lot and it really does its job. Because I have dry skin, I still apply a moisturizer before this product and use it as a light BB cream/ sunscreen. It does a very good job of evening out skin tones. It doesn't conceal scars but does cover redness very well. It has SPF 30 so I don't use a sunscreen but instead apply two thin layers. This moisturizer comes in a pretty broad range of shades--one shade comes in two different tones (pink and yellow). As a sample, I tried Finland, which is the lightest shade that has more of a pink undertone but settled on Alaska, which is also the lightest shade but has more of a yellow tone. I would definitely purchase this product again without any hesitation. 

2. NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder &

I've been using the Pressed Powder for sometime now and I don't hate it or love it. It does a good job of holding in the oil but there isn't anything special about it. It does make your face makeup look less cakey because the powder is translucent but I feel there are cheaper products in the market that will do the same or even better. My mom received this as a gift and gave it to me because she likes powders with coverage. I would not purchase this product because I've used powders that have worked better than this one. For anyone looking for a good setting powder, I highly recommend the Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose Finishing Powder. This powder comes in a couple of shades, so it provides a little more coverage and it makes your face look flawless and feel like silk. I'm using the NARS Pressed Powder because my UD Powder expired :/. 

3. NARS Blush (Orgasm)

Left: NARS Translucent Setting Powder; Right: NARS Orgasm

I don't think I have much to explain about this blush because it's already so popular. I hopped on the bandwagon and bought this product. I've been using it almost every since the day I bought it and absolutely love it. My take on the color is a light coral/ pink shade with gold shimmers. I feel that this shade would look really good on several skin tones and the staying power of this blush is amazing as well. It lasts a full day without fading. 

4. Benefit Fake Up Concealer (my shade: light)

I always passed by this product at the mall and finally got my hands on it. I was looking for an under-eye concealer because although I still love my Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer for my under-eye, I noticed that it always seeped into my creases throughout the day even after putting on eye cream. I felt this product would work well because the outer layer consists of a moisturizing balm with the concealer in the center. I didn't expect much from this product, but I really like it-- though I don't quite love it. Because of the moisturizing balm, it doesn't give the best coverage to the under-eye. This may sound a big confusing... I like the product but it doesn't provide the best coverage? So what I do is use my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer as a base for concealing my under-eye and apply this product after. It keeps my under-eyes very moisturized throughout the day and keeps the creases away for a longer period of time. I recommend this product to people who are looking for an under-eye concealer and do not have crazy dark circles. In my opinion, it doesn't work too well in concealing other parts of the face either--at least not alone. 

5. Benefit Sugarlicious Blush 

                                            

I got this Benefit Sugarlicious Beauty Kit for a birthday gift from a friend (thanks Janice Ha <3) and I really recommend the Sugarbomb Blush. I really love Benefit blushes because it has awesome staying power and it smells SOOOOO good. At first, I thought this color wouldn't look good on my pale skin, but I fell in love with the color as soon as I tried it. With a strong orange tone, I feel it's perfect for the spring and summer time. I tried this on my twin sister, who is darker than me, and it had a slight bronzer effect for her. I will definitely be buying the full size once I finish this one! 

6. MEMEBOX Soothing Sista Eye Shadow Palette 

I was in a search for a new eye shadow palette after realizing that my NAKED palette expired far too long ago. I didn't want to buy another NAKED palette because I literally used like 3-4 colors and I had particular shades that I wanted-- pink/rosy/ brown/ shimmery tones. Although they may not seem quite particular, I had specific shades in mind but couldn't find a palette that had all of them. I wasn't willing to buy these colors separately because it would have been too expensive. I follow "Soothing Sista" on Youtube and saw that she created a eyeshadow with Memebox and fell in love with the colors. They were exactly what I wanted--the shades look good just by themselves and work really well together. With shipping, the product was around $18-19, which is very well-priced for 4 eyeshadows. The eyeshadows are very pigmented and are buttery, so the color goes on super smoothly. The only eyeshadow that I'm a bit disappointed in is 'Bae Area' because the shimmers kind of clump together (more so because that was my favorite color in the picture, prior to buying the palette). Other than that, I'm super happy with my purchase! 

7. Aritaum Mono Eyes Eyeshadow (shade: No. 93 Social Light- 소셜라이트) 

Pinks and oranges shimmers are my favorite eyeshadow shades because I feel it complements pale skin very well. It also looks super pretty when you put it below your bottom lash line. When I was in Korea last winter, I went to 3-4 Aritaum's to buy this particular shade because it was sold out everywhere. This eyeshadow is a coral/ orange shade and has a generous amount of gold shimmer. The color is very build-able and is very pigmented. It was about 5,000 or 6,000 WON in Korea so about $5 when converted to US dollars. The only downfall is that the packaging breaks apart so easily so the side of the black plastic cracked. I handle it with care every time I use it because the color is so pretty. Because I don't know how to work well with matte colors and because I feel shimmery colors look better on pale skin, I always tend to be attracted to eyeshadows with a lot of shimmer. I feel that a lot of road shop cosmetic stores in Korea (i.e., Etude House, Aritaum, Innisfree) come out with a lot more obvious shimmer shades rather than matte. So, if you're ever in Korea and you like shimmer, I highly recommend that you visit the road shops. 

8. Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara

Before buying this product, I bought the new Benefit Rollerlash Mascara that doesn't require you to curl your lashes prior to applying mascara. It definitely work -- you don't need a eyelash curler. However, because it wasn't a waterproof formula, it smudged on my under eye within a few hours after application. Unfortunately, it wasn't working for me so I returned it and decided to try a drugstore mascara. One product I don't like to spend money on is mascara because it hardens up quickly and I feel that drugstore ones work as well as the expensive ones. It was hard choosing one mascara among the crazy number of mascaras at Target but I was recommended this product by a Target employee who worked at the cosmetic area. She said this mascara gives very good volume without clumping the lashes together and it really does! I'm super satisfied with this mascara and recommend the waterproof formula. 

9. Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil (shade: Caramel) 

This brow pencil is already so popular so I will review it very briefly. It applies super naturally and the pencil is thin enough for you to draw single eyebrow hairs on areas that are sparse. There is a very good color selection. I've used the eyebrow powder version prior to this pencil and it works just as well. I also have the brow gel in Caramel but I don't recommend it because it has slight shimmers in the formula that doesn't make the brows look too natural. 

10. Clio Gelpresso Waterproof Pencil Gel Eyeliner (Shade: No. 4 Dark Choco)

My last product! So I bought Clio Eyeliner at Olive &Young in Korea because a sales lady said it worked super well. It seemed quite so because there were only a few left. I've always used gel eyeliner but wanted a pencil version of an eyeliner because it was annoying always needing a brush. This product was the perfect solution. It's a dark brown liner with shimmer. I never believe it when a pencil liner says it is waterproof because all of them smudges. This eyeliner does smudge but a lot less than other pencil liners I've tried. As I set my face makeup with a setting powder, I set the liner with a dark brown eyeshadow and I feel it really does a good job of keeping the liner from smudging. I really recommend this to people looking for an eyeliner to tight line or one that gives a someone natural look. 

Thanks so much for the read! Hope my reviews were interesting and helpful! <3 

                                               

 

  

Korean Facial Mask Recommendations!

I'm an fanatic of facial packs so I bought some while I was in Korea. Some Korean facial packs that I really recommend are : 

1. Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask:

   I used this last time with my aunt while I was in Korea studying abroad but found out I bought just the Volcanic Pore Clay Mask and not the SUPER Volcanic Pore Clay Mask. I find there to be a really big difference between the two. This one work super well. I don't really have big pores but my face feels so smooth and the small bumps/ sebum balls seem to shrink in size after using this. I apply a generous amount all over my face and as I wash it off, there are minuscule "beads" that exfoliates your skin. 

2. Innisfree Green Barley Gommage Peeling: 

    This was again another product I used while I was studying abroad in Korea. I got it as a sample and it was so gentle on my skin. I wasn't able to buy it previously because I literally had no room in my suitcase. However, went I went to Korea this past winter, I was able to buy myself two of these. I knew this worked well, so why not buy two? You leave the product to dry after application and then once it's dried, you wet your fingers and softly peel away your dead skin. I really recommend this to anyone with sensitive skin. It's seriously super gentle! 

3. Innisfree Green Tea Sleeping Pack 

    

   While I was in Korea this winter (2014), I couldn't leave without buying a sleeping pack. I didn't want to buy the Laneige Water Sleeping Pack because I felt it didn't do much for my face after using two containers of it. I knew how popular the green tea line was at Innisfree so I ended up buying this sleeping pack! The lady who worked there recommended that I put it in the refrigerator for soothing effects and I have been doing so. I like the product and apply it once/twice a week when my face looks dry. There are small white little beads in the product that dissolve once you massage it in--I don't really know what it does but I feel there's too much of it. 

4. Lastly, I asked my mom to buy me the Skin Foods Black Sugar Mask because she stayed two week longer than I did. I was contemplating on buying it because I thought the Innisfree Green Barley Gommage Peeling would be enough, but I wanted something a little "rough" for days when I want heavy exfoliation around my nose (for blackheads). I do like it and it works well to get rid of blackheads, but it doesn't do anything drastic. 

Hope you enjoyed!

Updated Morning/ Night Skincare Routine

As I stated below in the post about my experience with the Clarisonic, I changed up my skin routine and wanted to share!

Morning Routine:

In the morning, I don't wash my face with water or facial soap but instead use flat cotton sheets with toner to wipe my face.  I just finished using the Clarins Camomile Toning Lotion and moved on to the Mamonde Rose Water Daily Skin Toner. I really recommend the Clarins toner (the yellow bottle) for anyone with dry skin! As I mentioned previously in my other post, it smells so sweet and works really well. While I was in Korea, I bought the Mamonde Rose Water Toner because it was raved about a lot among Korean beauty bloggers. The toner is very gentle and smells literally like... rose water. Supposedly rose water makes up 90.89% of this product. It claims to be moisturizing, but I recommend the Clarins Toning Lotion if you have extremely dry skin. Apparently, skin specialists (in Korea) state that toners should be used up within about 2-3 months--so pretty much, the toner should be used "wastefully" to dampen the cotton pad in order to prevent the cotton pad from scratching your face.

After wiping my face with the Mamonde Rose Water Toner, I use my holy grail product--the Bobbi Brown Face Oil. I LOVE this oil to DEATH! I neglected this oil by leaving in the cabinet but discovered the amazing results it provides once I began using it again. A very small amount goes a long way. I cover my palm on the small circle opening and flip the oil quickly and tap the product all over my face. In Korea, many people literally tap/ slap their face products on because supposedly your skin will soak the product better. It works wonders with the NARS Tinted Moisturizer. I find it to be the perfect combination. While I was in Korea, I was walking around in mid 20 degree weather and this combination protected my face so well! I also received comments about how my face had a healthy glow.

Then I finish up my morning skin care routine with the Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream, which I've been using for quite a while now. It doesn't do anything noticeably drastic but it is very moisturizing--because of the hyaluronic acid.

These are the three product I use every morning. Now to my night time~~

Night Time Routine 

Firstly, I always wipe my face with makeup wipes. I just use the Kirkland Daily Facial Towelettes as always because it's convenient to buy in bulks at Costco heh. Then I use the Etude House Real Art Cleaning Oil. I bought this oil the day I stopped using the Clarisonic because I heard cleaning oils were the next best option to cleansing the face with makeup while being gentle. I bought this specific cleaning oil because it was chosen as the number one cleansing oils among higher-ends brands such as Bobbi Brown in a blind test on Get it Beauty. I really like how gentle the cleansing oil is while cleansing my skin effectively. I can't say if it removes waterproof eye makeup because I always wipe my eyes off with a separate eye makeup remover but it does get rid of the residue that is left. I use about three pumps and massage my face for about a minute  and a half on a dry face. Then, I add a little water to my hands and continue to massage my face as the oil turn into a white formula for about 45 seconds and then completely wash it off with lukewarm water. I like using warm water to wash down my face to open up all my pores.

Then I use the Keraclean Enzyme Powder soap that the nurse in Korea gave me for my sebum balls. I really think this enzyme powder had a significant impact in improving my face (decreasing the sebum balls). I forgot what skin type the dermatologist said I had, but she said I need to use enzyme (powder-like) soap. I've been searching everywhere for the Keraclean Enzyme Powder but can't seem to find it anywhere. It's made by Japan but Korean websites, amazon, etc don't sell it... I've tried a sample of the IOPE Enzyme Powder Treatment Wash and it works as well but if anyone knows a place that sells the Keraclean Enzyme Powder, please let me know!

Afterwards, I use the Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum. I bought this in Korea because there were very good reviews about this products and was quite raved about by Korean bloggers but I don't like or dislike the product. It's a product I have and therefore, I'm using it. The product (serum) is supposed to help your skin soak up other products well but I can't really tell the difference. 

Then, I use my ultimate favorite Nature Republic Aloe Vera. While my skin was breaking out from the Clarisonic, I relied a lot on this aloe vera. I still apply a thin layer on my face for its soothing, calming, and moisturizing effects. My face is very prone to redness but this works really well too soothe the redness. 

Next, I use my FAVORITE moisturizer, the Dior Hydra Life Youth Essential Hydrating Essence-in-Creme. I've tried quite a few higher end moisturizers, but this one is my favorite. As soon as I put it on, my face feels super moisturized without feeling heavy. The product claims to have this "smooth-satin" finish and it really does. To put it in my terms, it almost feels glossy after massaging it on your face--some people may not like it, but it makes your face glow and really locks in the moisture. The Dior skin technician who helped me pick out this product recommended the Creme one for dry skin and the Youth Essential Hydrating Essence in-Gel for people with normal skin. 

After tapping/slapping the product into my face for a good thirty second or so, I put on a generous layer of the Nature Republic Aloe Vera. And finally, I use the Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream to finish up my night time skin routine! 

To finish my post, I wanted to share the MD Complete Breakout Spot Treatment. For pimple spot treatments, I've always relied on the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion but my face got used to it and stopped working. I always research products before going out and buying them and upon researching, I found the MD Spot Treatment. My skin does not work well with salicylic acid so I wanted to try something with Benzoyl Peroxide. This product works REALLY REALLY well. My pimples shrink significantly overnight. However, this product is extremely strong. The directions even tell you to apply it every other day for the first two week. I dab a very small amount on my pimple right before I sleep and it does wonder overnight. 

When I first bought this product, I wasn't aware of how strong it was so I applied it on my cheek and the next day I had a huge dry patch on my cheek that looked as if I got sunburnt. I had to put heap loads of aloe vera on my face for about a week and a half for it to go away. After that horrible experience, I only spot the product on my face every other day. It does however cause peeling and quite a good amount of people are allergic to Benzoyl Peroxide so be careful!