Sunday, December 28, 2014

Korean makeup review: My mini collection 2014

Hello there! I want to start off by saying Happy Holidays to you all. The year 2014 is coming to an end and I've decided that I should post something that is not only on skincare. So, I have decided to put up something about Korean makeup too! I do not have much at this point, I am still in the process of exploring makeup, I have indulge myself too much on skincare. My mini collection with makeup brands are from Korea. Everything was bought with my own money over the years.

I know makeup from Korean brands are quite nice and pretty popular, and I love it myself. There are a few things which I love and would want to share with you all in case you ever want to buy some good makeup. For the most part I do not dislike any of these products they are amazing for the most part, but I will let you know if there are cons to these. Here goes my list and small review of makeup from Korean brands!! :)

Face makeup!

Missha BB Cream: Shade #23 Natural Beige

I am sure most of you may have heard of this, the famous Missha BB cream. I bought a 20ml, but I have to say that I am in love with this, it is my absolute favorite. It has a shade which suits me and does not darken or fade easily. I have a full review on this, feel free to read it. :)
Missha BB cream #23 full review
I have nothing bad to say about this bb cream, I would recommend this to anyone, but the only thing is that they do not have many shades (happens often in Korean makeup), I just so happen to find the shade #23 to be quite nice on my skin. They do have darker shades which is nice. It is very blendable, not watery, medium coverage and sets nicely with powder on top (not cakey). This can last me pretty much 6+ hours, a full day out in school. It may not seem perfect at first, but after like 2 minutes it is gorgeous!
Overall rating: 4.9/5

                                                
            More pictures are on my full review of this BB cream. Feel free to stop by! :)

Mizon CC cream: Flawless Skin

After BB creams were CC creams, and I wanted to try one to see how it is. I do not have a full review on this yet, but will soon! There are pros and cons about this CC cream, not totally bad, it is pretty nice for the most part. For those of you who have very nice skin and do not need to do much with it, this may is a good option.
I like to mix this with my Missha BB cream, it does wonders. CC creams are suppose to correct the little things, nothing major, but there are other CC creams which are even better. This one has very light coverage, so it may not be good for those who want medium or high coverage. It does correct my blemishes and a little bit of dark circles (I put concealer on top too), but it does not cover acne scars, hyperpigmentation or anything like that. It is quite hydrating, blendable, mixes well with bb cream and corrects my blemishes. Slightly watery, and has a white color which is suppose to blend into your skin color.
Overall rating: 4.5/5

  

Lioele: Triple Solution BB cream
Lioele triple solution BB cream full review

This was my very first BB cream, I would say that it does a nice job, I want to start going back to it again. The shade is not like a grayish cast and has a nice tan and yellow undertone color to it. There are other shades available, but not too many. I like this BB cream and use this alone, but I may try to mix it with the CC cream to see how it is.
This BB cream can build to a medium- high coverage. For some people this may be a little more on the thick side compared to other creams. For me it is fine, it does not feel heavy or cakey, it is just right. Over a period of time about 4 hours, it can get a little oily for me on my T-zone even with powder. If I were to choose... I would probably pick... the Missha BB cream. I still love that it covers blemishes, little bit of acne scars and blends right into my skin. The coverage is much better than some of the BB creams out there. I will have a full review on this soon! :)
Overall rating: 4.8/5

      
The Face Shop: ME:EX Angel Skin powder pact

This is the only powder I have that is from a Korean brand, no full review yet. This powder makes me like it, but then not much at the same time. It sets nicely with a thin layer, brushed lightly on to your skin. I would recommend using a big fluffy powder brush, not the dense buffer brush. I would say not to use the cushion that it comes with unless it is for your eye area.
This can be cakey especially if not applied lightly. It has a nice matte finish at first which is good, but for some reason when I get  a little oily throughout the day, the oil seems to sit right on top of the powder. Usually the oil is kind of in the skin, but I can see it sitting on top of a matte layer? Maybe because I catch my oily areas early on so it seems that way? I am not sure. This can cling on to the dry spots, so be careful. It lasts me about 3-4 hours, there is no high/ heavy coverage, if you try adding another layer it will look too unnatural. I got the hang of it after multiple uses and it does look very nice and matte when I use this over the BB cream and CC cream, so if you are running quick errands, this is great! This may not last a whole day at school or work, touch ups will make it cakey.
Overall rating: 4.4/5

  

Nature Republic: Botanical Blush (color #4)

This is the only blush I have from a Korean brand. I saw this at the Nature Republic store and really liked it. I do not have a full review yet, will do soon! This blush is not too sheer and not glittery like other blushes. Usually some blushes may be a little too powdery, this one is not. It is very nice when I pat this on to my skin. I use the fluffy applicator that it comes with and it takes quite a few stamping (pressing) to get it on to your face. The fluffy applicator gets build up, so I have to find a way to clean it soon!
You can use a brush to pat it on to your cheeks, it will not show up much if you swirl it on to your skin. I really like this blush powder, this one has a coral type color with a little bit of pink, I think it is perfect. The baby face look or just the every day fresh look would require a nice blush and this one does the job! :) It lasts me about 5-7 hours which is great. It blends nicely, no fall outs, no glitter, just tiny speckles which will give a very slight glow, matches well with my skin tone. I personally reach out to this blush more than my other blushes.
Overall rating: 4.8/5



Eye Makeup! ( no eyeshadows yet... sorry!)

Tonymoly: Backstage gel liner (black)

This was my first gel liner, I was looking for a good gel liner to try out and this one was affordable and this is super amazing! I love eyeliners, I cannot say how much I do, but I always used liquid liners, pencils and other ones, so I wanted to try gel liners. There are other colors which I do not have, but it is hard to find (like plum color for autumn). It comes with a small brush applicator which can be extended (to make it longer, easier to hold) mine cannot really extend, kind of stuck. -_-
I used it with the brush and it draws a nice line, if dipped into the gel lightly. I line it as close to my eyelash as possible. Then I wing it out, but the only thing is it is hard to get a sharp wing with a gel liner and that brush.  Over time this brush became messy (bristles sticking out) and I have to cut it and clean it too. I love the finish which is matte, it is not shiny and has a long lasting powers! I can wear this over 6+ hours and it is still fine. Unless you have extremely oily eyelids, applying primer would be best. It works just as great as the expensive high- end brands! :)
Overall rating 4.8/5


The Face Shop: Face It Extreme Brush eyeliner

I bought this thinking it would be quite similar to my Dollywink liquid eyeliner (non- Korean, but amazing!), and it is a little similar. This is a liquid brush pen which comes to a fine point at the end, precise for lining the eyes and creating a winged look. It is not super black, but dark enough. I really liked this, but noticed that after a short period of time, probably 1 month it started to dry out a bit. Maybe because of the cold weather, but I did not even use to everyday, it was more like twice a week or so. I wish that it was more dark and it would not dry out so easily (even when the cap was closed tight), it is wasting. Also if you were to layer this liner more than twice, it will flake (crack) and there will be fall outs. I like to use this for my every day look because it is not too black and I have better precision for my winged eyeliner.
Overall ratings: 4.4/5
            

                             
          This was when I used the Tonymoly gel liner (line close to lashes) and The Face Shop brush    
 liner (sharp wing). 

Lioele: Glittering Jewel Liner (navy)

This liner is not as pigmented as I wish it was. I liked the navy color which had a little bit of sparkles. Wearing it alone makes it seem a little empty, I do not wear this alone. It is not a twistable type, so you have to sharpen it. With pencil liners it is harder to line the eyes nice and thin. I wear this with my liquid eyeliner lined close to my eyes so that it does not look to weird. I have not used this too much yet, but I would say that from the times that I have tried this, it is ok for me, it does not dry up and crack which is good, but it is not creamy, so the consistency makes it not too pigmented on the eyelids. I might prefer using this as an eyeshadow (place all over my whole lid) rather than lining my eyes with it.
Overall rating: 4/5

       


Eyebrows!

Lioele: Auto Eyebrow Pencil (Dark brown)

Again Lioele! I heard positive thigns about this eyebrow pencil and needed one desperately because of my weird eyebrows. At times I would have some thinning in the beginning and end of my eyebrows so I need to fill those in. While in the middle of my eyebrows it is thick. This eyebrow pencil (twistable crayon type) is quick and easy to use! It has two ends, one is the spoolie and one is the eyebrow pencil part (twistable), so convenient!
The color I have matches me well, my eyebrows are dark, but not too much (not sure if you can tell) and the color dark brown is not too dark and not too light for my eyebrows. When I am rushing in the morning, this eyebrow pencil gives me a quick fill- in which looks natural! :) Seriously, I have tried other ones, but I keep going back to this. Since I do not need to sharpen this it is even better. Yayy!   
Overall Rating: 4.9/5                

         


                               
This shows a bit of my eyeliner and eyebrows filled in with the Lioele auto eyebrow pencil. 

                                                                 ^_~


That is all for now!! I hope that this list and small review can give you a little glimpse of the Korean brand makeup. I love exploring skincare and makeup and will continue to explore more. I do have other makeup which is from other brands, but I noticed myself falling in love with the Korean cosmetics more and more. The year 2015 is coming and I definitely have a list of things I want to buy too. ^_^

For beginners I believe that some of these would be easy to use and affordable too. I will do more full reviews on these products, please stay tuned!~ These are not expensive, ranging from as little as $4- $15 online depending where you buy it. I hope this will help you decide which makeup to use and to start or continue your makeup collection!! Anneyong!! :)









Monday, November 3, 2014

Beautymate: Bright Up Nano Eye Mask

Hi friends! It has been a while since I made a post on my blog, but I will try my best to post more. So this time I want to talk about an eye mask which is use to help me with my under eye area. I have dark circles and fine lines. This occurred for a few reasons which includes lack of sleep and also dehydration. There are more causes for dark circles and I have to say that many people have dark circles so do not feel that you're alone! :)
The product that I am using is called Bright up nano eye mask from Japan. I learned about this through a youtube guru that I watch and honestly it's the only thing I have for my under eyes right now. I am getting more products soon!

My opinion: This eye mask is very hydrating when I put it on I feel that immediately. It has a milky consistency and has a slight fragrance. I apply it for about 15 minutes (recommended) and afterwards I wipe away the excess lightly with cotton or paper do not rub! This eye mask helps my under eye area look a little brighter but of course not major brightening. Over time it gets better. When I take it off and feel my under eyes there is a cool feeling to it. As if I rubbed ice under my eyes. Cool right? :) This eye mask saved my dark circles a bit but of course it's not easy to get rid of dark circles it helps a bit though. I like it but sometimes it bothers my eyes a bit especially when I accidently touch my eyes and some product slides into my tear duct. Oops. Hehe

Pros 
- Good packaging and price 
- milky consistency not watery
- hydrating but not heavy (not oily)
- Eye area seems less dull and a little brighter after usage

Cons
- Can sting a bit if some of it goes into your eyes
- Slides down my face (when not laying down) and adjustments needed 


My skin type: Combination, Under eyes are dark
Price: About $7-$8 a box with 7 pairs
Overall rating: 4.5
Repurchase: Most likely yes!



                              
                          This is the eye mask packaging. It is from the brand Beautymate.


                             

                 The eye mask has a milky consistency, there are 2 in here one on top and one on
                  the bottom. Do not place it too close to your eyes, I know its hard but it is ok
                 to leave a tiny space between your under eye and your waterline.      

This is before, you can see I have noticeable dark circles and a few wrinkles

The eye mask is like this and better if you lay down for the 15 minutes cause it moves out of place if you walk around or stand. This is relaxing.
After: I did notice a difference and this is just with one use, when I use it consistently every week then it shows more noticeable difference. It is cooling and hydrating! My under eyes do not look soooo dark afterwards. Please excuse my room's light that is shown there.




Overall I have to say that this is a great eye mask which I fell in love with. Despite it slipping around I do not mind I just fix it again. I did not like how my dark circles worsened over the years and because of this I wanted to get more eye products. Let me know what you all use! I am happy with the purchase and you can find this online. I got mine from here sasa.com It is a great website with lots of beauty products. 

P.S: I am not sponsored by anyone, this is my own opinion and my own purchase. 

Missha BB Cream: Natural Beige #23

Hello! It has been a while since I posted a review due to busy schedule.
Today I want to do a review on the Missha BB cream in the shade Natural Beige #23. So I have been using different bb creams for a while, I barely use foundation.  I feel that BB creams are so popular because of the Korean wave going all over the world. Now I am sure that there are many BB creams out there now. Some companies that are non-Korean even developed BB cream. One of my favorite are the BB creams from Korea. Missha BB cream is popular and great too!This Missha BB cream is probably one of the best face products I have used.  :)

My opinion:

I heard great things about it and tried it, now I love it. It gives me good light to medium coverage which can build up to your liking. It does not feel heavy and the consistency is not too thick and easy to blend. I use my fingers to blend it into my skin which works best for me. It is nice for every day use, because it looks so natural. I got the shade natural beige which was perfect for me. I like to mix this bb cream with cc cream sometimes, it does wonders! I am sure it is possible to mix it with other face base too. 

My current skin: Dry to Combination
Pricing: about $7+ 
Repurchase: Yes!!
Overall Rating: 4.9/5


Pros:
- Has good coverage (looks natural not heavy)
- Nice small size for travel
- Does not have a gray tone
- Feels light on skin, blends nicely
- Consistency is not runny or thick
- Few shades including darker shades 

Cons:
- Nothing really :)

This is the 20ml size, it fits nicely in makeup bags.


This is a small amount on the back of my hand, it is not runny but not thick either
It blends nicely and does not leave an oily feeling. My green veins (right side where it was blended) seems to be covered for the most part. Yayyy! :)

I used the Missha BB cream with some powder and it looks great and feels great this is under natural lighting, no enhancement, no retouch, nothing! Maybe just a good camera hehe :)



Overall this bb cream is amazing, I have dry combination skin and it doesn't give me the "dry patchy look." I feel comfortable wearing only this bb cream and no other face base on top of it, for some people they might layer this bb cream or add foundation. The coverage is light to medium and may not cover things such as acne scars or pigmentations fully (most of it is though), and it does help with redness. I am not sure how people with oily skin would feel about this, but powder works really well on top of this (I have oily T-zone), but I do not get more oily than usual when using this bb cream. 

They have more shades and it does not have a grayish tone to it, which I like, bb creams tend to oxidize pretty nicely. I bought this from a trusted seller on ebay, make sure your seller is selling authentic products (do research) and have high ratings too. 

Thanks for reading !! 

Saturday, August 9, 2014

The Face Shop: real nature mask- Lemon

Anneyong!! So I went to H-Mart the other day and I haven't been there in years! Why? Because I went to another market near my home. But since my parents invited me to go I had to say yes!
Guess what? There is The Face Shop right at the entrance and I had to swerve my cart and went in while leaving the cart. Hehe. It was worth it. I started loving The Face Shop a lot more recently. I find their products very intruiging and very well made. So I bought a face mask from them for the first time because I heard a few good things about it.
The one I bought is the Lemon face mask which is for tightening, brightening and whitening. Since this is the first time I am using this mask then I would say that this can be a first impression not exactly a full verdict. And I think that for a mask it is still possible to tell how it is despite it being used once. I can feel a difference and I will tell you all how it is.

My opinion: This product was an eye- catcher since it contains lemon extract. Lemon is good when it comes to whitening and brightening. When I opened it there was already a very nice smell that's not too strong. Since the texture of the face mask sheet was different from the one I usually use, I find it kinda tricky to handle. It took me a while to open the mask since it's folded. You don't need to peel it off from anything, the sheet itself is there alone and you just have to unfold it. It was a little big for my face, but it's not a problem. And it took me a good 2 minutes to get the mask on my face when usually it takes me probably less than 30 seconds. It felt so resfreshing and moisturizing! I felt my skin was so much more smooth!! :)

Pros: - Good price ($2 each in store)
- Package (pouch) is easy to open
- Moisturizing not oily
- Not too sticky, barely any stickyness
- Subtle fragrance, not too strong
- Use for only 10- 12 minutes

Cons: - Harder to unfold and apply on face


My skin type: Combination
Price: $2 a sheet
Overall rating: 4.8
Repurchase?: yesss



This is the little bag it comes in. It is nice and easy to open. The instructions on the back are in
English and Korean.



 
Before: Just as a reference I also showed the right side of my face where I have acne scars before I use the mask. I cleansed and exfoliated my skin.


The consistency is watery and there is excess inside the bag after you pull out the mask save that excess for later! You can see the mask was a bit big for my face (my face is not small) and that's why there is lumps on parts of the sheet which did not lay down perfectly. This is fine, I just tap it on to my face.

After: My skin 10 minutes later definetly felt more smooth. This picture may not do much justice, but my acne scars and face in general does not seem as dull as before. Little brighter!



I have to say that this mask is great and I will go get more soon! Perhaps if there is a box then buy the whole box :). For those who have combination skin or skin which is more towards the oily side since it's summer, this mask makes your skin feel refreshing but not heavy. I know some products can be a little heavy based on my experience. After 10 minutes or so I took the mask off and let everything absorb. I made sure that I massaged everything into my skin. With the excess I poured it on to my hand to put on my face and neck too. It does not feel too sticky, and it is light. My skin felt more moisturized and slightly brighter. I am a happy camper! 

That is all folks, anneyong! :)


Saturday, July 26, 2014

Shiseido: Suncreen for Face and Body

Shiseido: Extra Smooth Sun Proection Lotion SPF 38 PA++

Since it is summer time it is very important to use sunscreen for protection against UVB and UVA rays. Some people would not use sunscreen unless they are going to the beach, but this is not exactly right. It is important to use sunscreen whenever you go outside exposing your skin to the hot weather and direct sunlight causes damage to the skin and wrinkles too. It is possible for sun rays to hit your skin even when sitting in the car. One product which I have been using a lot this summer is the sunscreen from Shiseido. I borrowed it from my mom and I like it. So, I would like to do a brief review on this sunscreen.


My opinion: This sunscreen works pretty well for the most part, but I still got a slight tan despite applying the sunscreen on my face one time. I believe this is because I was exposing my face to the very hot sun for almost 5 hours straight! But, this is not a bad sunscreen because sunscreen cannot really protect you 100%, it can only cover for a certain amount of UVB and UVA. Don't be disappointed! This product is still good in many ways. My skin gets tan much faster than many people I know and this may happen to some of you too. This sunscreen has 38 SPF PA++ and you can always get sunscreen with more SPF. For Shiseido, I know that there are more options, but my mom picked this one and it still works fine for her and me too.

Pros:
  • Very water resistant
  • Does not give a white cast on my face
  • Used for both face and body (no need to buy two separate sunscreen)
  • Watery consistency (not thick), application is faster and more smooth
  • Can be used under makeup without clogging pores
  • Compact size, so it doesn't take up much space in a purse or bag
Cons: Nothing very bad about it... but the price is kind of higher than most sunscreens. About $30+ and it is 100ml, but it does go a long way though. 

This is the suncreen bottle, nice blue color and compact size.
Here is the back with directions :)

The watery consistency makes itel easier to blend on my face before makeup.
Blended quickly and does not leave a white cast. The shine is minimal and goes away quickly. It does not have a heavy oily feeling which is another plus!


For the most part I really like this sunscreen, when I use it under makeup my makeup also has SPF so I get more protection. The one time I went to a water park and got a bit tan I did not wear makeup and used one layer of the sunscreen. I usually apply it twice (2 layers) just in case, but I forgot on the water park day... maybe I got too excited? hehe :) I would recommend applying it generously all over your face and body, but if you go to theme parks or the beach then you may want to apply a little more to your face. This is different from going out to the mall or going to school. I don't apply too much sunscreen on days I go to classes.

My skin type (currently): Combination/ Oily
Overall rating: 4.5
Repurchase?: Yes
Pricing: $34 



I hope this was helpful! Remember to wear sunscreen on your face and body! Have a great summer :)

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Tonymoly: Clean Dew Flower Rain Mist review

This was my first face mist which I encountered at a Tonymoly store in New York City! I always wanted a face mist but I did not know which was good for me and decided to get this face mist, it caught my sttention with the "rain mist". It has a nice packaging too! Very compact so it fits in a purse nicely.
My opinion: This product is quite moisturizing and leaves a light feeling on my face. The mist itself is not thick. After spraying it on my face it feels very nice and cool too. This product did not break me out at all. I would recommend this product to anyone who wants a mist that is compact, hydrating and light. My skin felt very smooth after I use it.
I like to use this when I just removed my makeup or in the morning when I want some hydration but not a heavy cream on my face. It will settle into your skin within 5 minutes!
One thing which is not a big concern is that it does feel a tiny bit sticky at first but it will not be a bad stickyness and will go away, you will get use to the feeling.
My skin type: Dry to combination
Pricing: $12 (cheaper online)
Repurchase? : Yes!! 
Overall rating: 4.8/5
Hope this was helpful! I wanted to keep it short but informative.  Have a nice day!
-dreamhai
This is the face mist, very compact and fits in my hand nicely

The mist is light as you can see. There is not strong fragrance.


This was when I first sprayed it on my skin. It gives a slight dewy look and the absorbs nicely.


Update:  I am glad I bought this, but I have noticed that the Tonymoly store does not carry this and it is becoming hard to find online. I will make sure to let you all know if I do see any more of these online! :)

Thank you!

* I am not sponsored or affiliated with any company, this is my honest opinion and I bought this myself. *

Friday, May 16, 2014

I want to start a blog which consists of reviews on makeup and skincare. Hope this will help many people when they are looking for products to use.