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 

                                               

 

  

Product MUST HAVES: Benefit, Bobbi Brown, MAC

The products that I will be discussing in today's post are some of my makeup MUST HAVES!

Benefit POREfessional

       My first MUST HAVE item is the POREfessional by Benefit. I've been very negligent about applying face primers for quite some time now. I don't understand why because it does wonders! This specific primer doesn't really need much explanation because it's already known to be AMAZING. After application, my face looks a lot smoothers and my face makeup lasts double the time. It's super lightweight and silky! It leaves a SUPER thin silicone-like layer on your face that makes applying concealer easier -- it blends better and looks smoother... My nose also tends to peel  a lot but after applying the porefessional, my nose looks a lot smoother so it doesn't make the makeup on my nose look cakey. It's around $31-- not cheap but DEFINITELY worth it.  It comes with 0.75 fl. oz of product but a little goes a long way. You don't really need to apply it all over your face. I apply it in the center of my face(nose, t-zone, and inner cheeks). I really recommend you guys buy it! I will be repurchasing.

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer (in Beige) 

After doing some research on concealers, I decided to purchase the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer. It was recommended for people with dry skin. Because there is a wide color selection, a Bobbi Brown makeup artist helped me choose my shade. This color is seriously PERFECT for my skin color-- especially my under-eye. Before purchasing this, I used the well-known Maybelline Instant Age Rewind, but I did not like it. It just made my under-eye area look dry with no coverage. However after the makeup artist applied this shade on my under-eye, my eyes looked so much brighter. Even my mom commented on how bright my eyes looked.The concealer does transfer so I recommend applying a setting powder over it. When I first bought this product, it looked a lot smaller than it did in pictures-- my mom thought it was a sample they gave me. Because it is a creamy concealer, a small amount goes a long way. For 0.05 fl. oz, it is ~$27. I will be repurchasing this again. Bobbi Brown also has a stick type concealer. The makeup artist recommended the Creamy Concealer for the under-eye and the stick concealer for the face!

MAC Lipsticks

Sheen Supreme Lipstick _Zen Rose (second picture, first swatch) 

This is my favorite lipstick among the four I have swatched above. It's a beautiful mid-toned orchid color (in my opinion). :) Because it is a Sheen Supreme, it requires a bit of layering if you want the whole color payoff. It is not as opaque as the other lipsticks I will be discussing. It applies like a lip butter, so I don't need to moisturize my lip before application. One downfall to this is that the lipstick requires quite a lot of reapplication. It does not stain the lips at all, but the color is beautiful. The Sheen Supreme collection cost a few more dollars than the regular ones-- maybe because the packaging is a bit different from the regular mac lipstick tubes (first picture, fourth tube)? Not sure. It costs $18. I find this color to be perfect even for the fall and winter. 

Amplified_ Impassioned (second picture, second swatch)

I bought this lipstick after seeing several Korean celebrities sporting this lipstick. It's a very bright/ vibrant fuchsia- pink. It's a very different formula from the Sheen Supreme lipsticks, and one layer is enough to get the color payoff--SUPER OPAQUE. I was very impressed with this lipstick because one layer lasted me about 7-8 hours, even after eating and drinking. It has a staining effect and after an hour or so, there is no transfer. It costs $16. For people who are scared of trying bright colors, try doing gradient lips with this lipstick.

Amplified_ Vegas Volt (second picture, third swatch)

Vegas Volt is a orange-pink toned (coral) lipstick. Because it is an amplified formula, it's super vibrant and pigmented. I was looking for an orange lipstick, but didn't want one that was super ORANGE like Mac's Morange. If you're looking for an orange/coral color because straight out orange is too much...   this is the one! However, unlike Impassioned, this color requires reapplication throughout the day. It costs $16.

Cremesheen _Sunny Seoul (second picture, fourth swatch)

Because I've been buying very vibrant and bright lip colors, I wanted something light/ subtle. The name of this lipstick first caught my attention! This lipstick is a beautiful pink lipstick. Because it is Cremesheen formula, it doesn't last that long. Although it gives off a slight glossy finish, I recommend you exfoliate your lips before applying this color but it accentuates dryness/ peeling/ lines. To get the full color payoff, it does require a few layers. If you want a color that's 'your lip but better," one layer will give you a good pinky/sheer color. If you want the full color, apply more layers. It costs $16.

I definitely recommend all four of these lipsticks. I tried my best to portray the lipstick true to color (on the picture), but it's not quite right. Drop by a MAC store and see the colors for yourself! They are beautiful!!

                                                     Thanks for dropping by! <3

Recently Purchased Items! ☆彡

Hello everyone!

It has been a while since I've updated. I've been so caught up with studying for midterms and pretty much resting up during spring break! However, throughout the last couple of weeks I have purchased a few products and my fourth post will be my reviews on them! ❤❤

Hair 

After finishing my previous bottle of dry shampoo, I picked up the Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo. Just a general information about dry shampoo is that it basically works to absorb excess oil in our hair. I don't really have oily hair but because it's so thin my hair loses the volume I get from blow drying really quickly. I usually shower at night so when I wake up in the morning my hair looks lifeless (it was worse when I had longer hair but short hair maintains some of the volume). Before purchasing the Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo, I used the Psssssst! Instant Dry Shampoo. I definitely prefer the Herbal Essences one because  it smells a lot better (the product claims to have a mint/citrus scent... I guess it does? It smells refreshing!) and the shampoo doesn't have color. The Herbal Essence shampoo has a clear formula whereas the Psssst! shampoo has a white formula-- if not thoroughly rubbed your hair will look like a bad case of dandruff... It retails for around $5.99, which is not bad at all! I would definitely repurchase this product if I don't get sick of the scent.

Eye 

I've been using the Kiehl's Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream for a good month now, and I don't really have any feelings about this product. This product retails for around $42.00, and I invested in this small 0.5 fl. oz product because eye wrinkles are all about prevention-- once they appear, the wrinkles won't go away. I've tried the Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream but I prefer the Kiehl's one because it applies very smoothly and absorbs quickly. Also, a little goes a long way! It claims to have Copper PCA and Calcium PCA, which I believe is supposed to help with wrinkles. I don't see any obvious results, but I will definitely be investing in eye creams to prevent wrinkles! You should too!

Makeup 

My first makeup product is the Mamonde Real Skin Powder in shade 2. It claims to have SPF 33/Pa ++. This product was raved about in Korea after Yuri from Girl's Generation posted an Instagram photo of her using it on the airplane and saying that this was all she needed. Although the rave passed, I still wanted to try this, so I ordered it off the website www.ibuybeauti.com ( it took around two weeks for it to come in the mail). I bought it for around $27.99, which isn't much different from the price it retails for in Korea 👍. This foundation has a creamy texture but finishes with a powdery finish on the face . It has medium/full coverage and is definitely build-able. I don't need to apply concealer at all if I use this product. Even with full coverage, my face does NOT look cakey at all. The air-cushion puff that comes with the product helps to even out the product. I've used different brushes and my fingers to apply the foundation, but the puff definitely works the best. It claims to have gold and pearl layer extract, which unarguably seems to benefit the skin. I haven't broken out at all and would  repurchase it again. 

The next product is something I'm sure many of people have used or are currently using-- the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer. Yes, I was late to the crazy rave about this product but I'm glad I got around to trying it. I get the hype! Although it is meant for the under-eye, I use this as a face concealer. The formula is super smooth and blends really well. I love the sponge applicator and pretty much everything about this product. It retails for around $8-$10, which is not bad at all considering how much product is in it. I will be repurchasing this product. 

My next product is the Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose Finishing Powder. I've  been on the hunt for the perfect setting powder for the past couple of months. I've used raved products from Innisfree and BareMinerals, but through trial and error I finally settled on the one from Urban Decay. I've recently tried BareMinerals Mineral Veil but it made my skin look super cakey and dry-- I could see the powder simply lying on my face... which was not pretty. Then I bought the BareMinerals READY Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 20 because the make-up artist helping me said that it was the only product that sets makeup with hydrating solutions. However, I did not like how the product applied and it still accentuated my dry skin. Because it was a powder foundation, my face looked extremely cakey after application. Then I came upon the Urban Decay Naked Setting Powder, which I am really satisfied with so far. It's SUPER light-weight and it makes your skin feel so silky. The fine powder sets my makeup and controls my oil (especially the T-zone) without feeling like I have an extra layer of makeup. My skin feels super soft and it lasts for a really long time. The only cons about this product is that it is messy and it's a glass packaging. Trying to get the product through the small holes creates a mess everywhere. It retails for around $34.00.  

My last product is the Benefit Hervana Face Powder. I LOVE this product OH SO MUCH! I now understand the hype! There are so many pros to it : it's super natural, it stays on your face the whole day, it smells amazing, the packaging is super cute, and the colors give me a healthy glow. I was so surprised by how long it stayed on my cheeks. I don't have much to stay other than try it out! It retails for around $28.00, which is a bit pricey for blush, but I can see this product lasting me a really long time-- a little goes a long way! 

This wraps up my reviews, and I hope you enjoyed it! If you have any further questions about the products feel free to leave me a comment! :) I will definitely be updating more frequently now so please follow me and be on the lookout! :) ❤❤

My Favorite Lip Products ☆☆

Hello! My second official post will be about my favorite lip products! For a while, I only used lip tints because they were a quick and easy way to bring color to the lips. However, I recently discovered some awesome L'Oreal lip glosses I will be discussing below! As of now, my collection only consists of tints and glosses. I've been out on a hunt for the perfect lipstick color, but I just feel like lipsticks don't work with my lips-- no matter what color or brand, I look like a little girl putting on a mom's lipstick. If I do find the one for my lip color, I will be sure to update! ♥ ♥ Hope you enjoy!

Blistex Lip Medex

This is my ultimate favorite lip balm. It's an inexpensive product you can pick up at any drug store. It works the best after Vaselines. What I like about this product is that it gives a cooling relief when applied. Also, many lip balms I have tried always make my lips peel (even Burt's Bees), but this one doesn't. The size of the balm makes it very easy to carry around and the balm also has a minty scent to it, so it gives your mouth a freshened feel. I always apply this balm before I sleep to make my lip products apply easily the next day. 

L'Oreal Paris Colour Caresse Wet Shine Lip Stain 

This product stood out to me because I heard it was a dupe for the YSL's Rouge Pur Couture. Firstly, I really like the gold packaging and how we are able to see the colors-- this made it so much easier to choose. I picked up # 184 Rose On and On, which is a light pink/ rosy color. The gloss has a floral scent that isn't too harsh and comes with a doe-foot applicator. It applies very smoothly and a small amount goes a long way. The consistency of product is like a lip-gloss, but the color stains your lips after being applied. So, the glossiness goes away after a few hours, but the stain last for a longer time (from 9:30 AM - 5 PM I only applied the stain twice). One con about this product is that it peels my lips towards the end of the day, but other than that I'm really satisfied! 

L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lip Color

My second favorite is the L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lip Color in #500 Molto Mauve. This is a darker pink lip gloss. Though the gold packaging is very pretty, the color printed is not true to color. It also comes with a doe-foot applicator. The smell of this lip gloss is very sweet, but not in a bad way. This product is pretty much a lip gloss-- it doesn't stain the lips at all. The consistency of the product is pretty thick and it applies very smoothly. Because the color does not stain, it requires quite a bit of re-application through-out the day--usually after eating. On days when I want to tone down the color of my lip, I reach for this product! However, like my previous L'Oreal product it makes my lips peel :/ 

Innisfree Glossy Lip Locker

The Innisfree Glossy Lip Locker in #6 Maple Burgundy is my least favorite lip product. I know the topic of my post is "my favorite lip product" but I decided to include this because I love everything about it except the color. It has a thick consistency that tints my lips but the color that come off of my lips is not the color of the gloss in the package. The color comes off as a lighter red rather than burgundy (darker/richer red). It comes with a flocked doe-foot applicator and it doesn't have any scent. 

Benefit Cha Cha Tint  

My favorite coral tint is the Benefit Cha Cha Tint. The tint is long-lasting and it's also natural looking. On days when I'm running late, I'm always reaching for this product. It also works as a blush so thumbs-up for its multi-purpose use. One thing I don't like about this product is the brush applicator. I find that it applies somewhat unevenly. I enjoy using tints in a gradation effect of putting the color emphasis on the inner lips and gradually pulling the color out and this tint works the best for that! 

Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint

This product is a recently discovered JEWEL! During my time in Korea, I learned that tints were a huge thing so I followed the trend and bought a whole bunch before coming back. Just a few days ago, I opened the package and I fell in love with the scent. It's not anything unique but it has a very sweet cherry-scent-- it really makes you want to eat it. The color is RD 301 앵두알 맑은 틴트 and it comes with a flocked doe-foot applicator. I was surprised to see that the color was a brighter pink tone- almost a hot pink. I was pretty excited because it looked similar to the one Jun Ji Hyun, a famous Korea actress, wore in the drama My Love From the Star. It applied a litter darker/ redder than I expected, but was surprised me was how long-lasting it was. I put it on at around 9:30 AM and my lips were still stained by 5:00 PM-- without any reapplication. 

Innisfree Echo Fruit Tint & A'pieu Pure Tint

To continue my purchases of tints in Korea, I've also been using the Innisfree Echo Fruit Tint in #01 Cherry and the A'Pieu Pure Tint in Cherry. I find myself buying a lot of cherry tints because it works well for the gradation effect. These two tints are just basics I carry around in my backpack or bag with me all the time. On days when I don't put on makeup but still want some color, I reach for these tints. They are a pure liquid tint and they both come with a flocked doe-foot applicator. They both smell like cherry cough medication. 

☆☆☆ I have swatched all of the products reviewed above. 

         1. L'Oreal Paris Colour Caresse Wet Shine Lip Stain 

         2. L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lip Color 

         3. Innisfree Glossy Lip Locker 

         4. Benefit Cha Cha Tint 

         5. Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint 

         6. Innisfree Echo Fruit Tint & A'Pieu Pure Tint 

☆☆☆Theses are swatches of the products after I wiped it with a cotton pad. As I stated before, the L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lip Color wiped away completely but it still left the glossy feel. 

☆☆☆ These are swatches of the products after wiping them with makeup wipes. The two most visible and long-lasting ones were the Benefit Cha Cha Tint and the Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint. 

Thanks so much to everyone who dropped by! ♥♥ I hope you got something out of it! :) 

With Love, 

Ahra