Paula's Choice Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol

I hold Paula Begoun of Paula's Choice in high regard when it comes to skincare advice. Her comprehensive ingredients dictionary* is one of my favorite hangout spots on the internet. I regularly park myself on my couch to waste hours of my life reading through it. I can attribute much of the knowledge I've soaked up on skincare to her team's efforts to find and document research on skincare ingredients.

*Just a quick fyi, she is known to be quite conservative. i.e. opposes natural and synthetic fragrances, alcohol, and the like

Besides being a recognized skincare authority and a prolific writer on the topic, she launched her own skincare line in 1995 called Paula's Choice. Basically, she has a lot of street cred. Naturally, I was inclined to check out her line.

Today I will be reviewing the Paula's Choice RESIST Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol - 1.7 oz. $29.00

TG2KB Part 5a. Researching Products; How to Figure Out What You Want to Buy - CosDNA

I've talked about using an ingredients-based approach to building your skincare routine here, and again here. In Part 5 of TG2KB, we'll cover some useful tools that will help you discover new products to consider when building or adding to your routine.

Today's post will be on CosDNA.com a great way to discover popular products that have a strong international presence.

What is CosDNA?

It's a site that crowdsources ingredients lists for different beauty and personal care products. If a retailer doesn't list ingredients for products they stock, oftentimes they can be found at CosDNA.

You can simply enter a product name in the search bar to pull up the results.

Tactical Guide to Korean Beauty Part 2. Introduction to Korean Makeup

KOREAN MAKEUP OVERVIEW

If you made the hop over to this installment of the series, I assume you may be as into makeup as I am :) So read on to learn more about how Korean makeup compares to Western makeup.

Cuz face it, makeup is awesome!

Korean makeup slightly lags the skincare market in terms of desirability to Westerners because of stylistic differences between Korean and Western makeup. In general, (this is just my own observation) Westerners seem to prize high coverage foundations with HD photo ready finishes, and highly pigmented color cosmetics to make for more dramatic looks. Korean women like natural foundations with less coverage, and prefer their color cosmetics to be more buildable. I'm just speculating, but since practicing good skincare takes work, perhaps they want to flaunt the results they are seeing? Kind of a case of, if you've got it, flaunt it? Maybe, maybe not. I will just put the thought out there. I digress. Let's take a deeper look at Korean makeup trends and products.

My Korean Skincare Routine | For Dry Skin, Anti-Aging Focus (TG2KB Part 6)

HI MY NAME IS JOAN AND I AM A SKINCARE ADDICT

I suffer from acute skincareholism, maybe it's skincarehaulism, whatever you decide to call it, I am obsessed with skincare.

Before we jump into my routine, I want to address MY SKINCARE CONCERNS/GOALS. So flashback to around 2008-2009. I used to commit a lot of skin sins. I would tan for the sake of tanning, and lay out without sunscreen. I drank like a Russian oil baron, and was prone to falling asleep anywhere and everywhere with my makeup on. And because of this, I'd break out periodically. I'd deal with it horribly of course, because honestly who has the self-control to keep their mitts off their spots in real life? And I was left with some mild acne scarring. So if I were to craft a routine for myself back then, I would be addressing this specific set of concerns:

• Oil-control
• Treating and healing acne
• Treating and healing acne scars
• Reversing sun damage

Just wanted to call out on the leftmost photo that that's a nose ring, not a wart lol

June Favorites 2015

Yeah I don't think I like doing Favorites all that much. It makes me really hyper aware of how fast time is flying by! BUT I do like reading or watching videos on other people's favorites so I guess that's why I'm still doing them. On with the show.

WHICH PRODUCTS DID I ACTUALLY SHOW SOME LOVE THIS MONTH?

why are there random props & things here? i dunno. because all the other bloggers are doing it? 

I have a lot of makeup that I enjoyed wearing this month which include...

• 3CE 3 Concept Eyes Eyeshadow in Star Seed
• Peripera Cushion Blusher in Ah Coral or Happy Coral
• Too Faced La Creme Lipstick in Spice Spice Baby
• *ModelCo Lipstick in Get Naked
• *K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Liner MICRO

*I recently stated I was going to de-stash these but had a change of heart because... hold up, wait a minute,  I'll tell you the reason why I didn't.  down below

I also have one skincare favorite which is my Garden of Wisdom Rose Hip Oil.

And lastly, rounding out the pack are my sunglasses from Nastygal.

Tactical Guide to KBeauty Part 1. Introduction to Korean Skincare

This is the first post in a series on Korean Beauty for beginners. I will be introducing Korean makeup and skincare philosophy and discussing differences between Korean and Western beauty. In future posts, I will be giving an overview of Korean brands and retailers and uploading instructional posts on how to research products to figure out what you want to buy, how to purchase from Korean websites, and how to navigate the Korean web.

The ultimate goal is to get beginners up to speed and speaking the language of Korean beauty, heretofore referred to as just Kbeauty, as fast as possible.

For example you may not follow the below hypothetical convo as of today...

"Did you hear about that new Laneige emulsion?"
"Oh my God, I need it. Looking up the ingredients on CosDNA now!"
"Do you think I should swap it in for my propolis ampoule?"
"I don't know, it's so hard to decide. Maybe if it's on sale at TesterKorea!"

...but a few weeks from now, with the help of this guide, you will *hopefully* understand every word of that little repartee.

KBeauty as Beauty Philosophy

Kbeauty, or as zee Koreans call it: Beauty

25+ Disappointing Products: YSL, Missha, Birchbox...

Warning: Reading today's post may actually SAVE you money.

I'm going to do some really quick mini reviews of products that have been giving me major buyer's remorse. Since there are so many of them, each review will be only 1-2 sentences, to avoid having a huge wall of text.

The products that I have included either have not measured up to their claims or inflated price tags, OR have not worked for me personally, for some reason or another.

Get ready because some shade is about to be thrown.

MAKEUP I'M BREAKING UP WITH

BIG BANG? More like BIG FIZZLE. Makeup to pass up.

Baby Your Face w/ Atopita Moisture UV Cream 50, an Alcohol-Free Physical Sunscreen

Hi everyone, today I wanted to share with you a gentle, moisturizing sunscreen that suits normal to dry skin. It is the Atopita Moisture UV Cream 50, rated SPF 50 and PA++++. Quick review: PA measures effectiveness against UVA (wrinkle-causing) rays and SPF rates effectiveness against UVB (cancer-causing rays). PA++++ is the highest rating.

So, what makes this sunscreen gentle? Well, it's literally formulated for babies. I almost typed "from babies" whew that would be all sorts of wrong. It's free of alcohol (HALLELUJAH, this is heaven sent for my dry skin), parabens, fragrance, dyes, and chemical UV filters.  The only active ingredients are Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. Additionally the formula is water-resistant and easily removable with soap.

I'm kind of disappointed because this post was originally supposed to be a sort of sober (alcohol-free) sunscreen smackdown between this one and the Shigaisen Yohou UV Cream 4+ (a Ratzilla Cosme favorite). Unfortunately, my order was cancelled by the vendor (Rakuten Sante Labo) 2.5 weeks after I placed it so there will be no battle of the sunscreens to witness today. There is this recent review by AsianSkincareBlog, but I won't be piping in on the Shigaisen myself. To be honest though, I'm very satisfied with the Atopita. Read on to find out why!

POLL TIME!

First off, if you've been visiting this blog for awhile, thanks for your continued interest and support! It would really help me plan future content if you took the time to answer three little questions!

What kind of products do you want to see reviewed?

Makeup in General

Asian Makeup

Skincare in General

Asian Skincare

Other

Please Specify:

Poll Maker

What kind of makeup tutorials are you into?

Korean makeup looks

Western makeup looks

Hooded eye makeup looks

Color pairing ideas

The basics: eyeliner, foundation routines, halp me!

Other

Please Specify:

Poll Maker

How familiar are you with Korean/Asian skincare?

Brand spanking new!

Brand spanking new, but I'm getting ready to take the plunge.

I know the basics: the routine, the brands, the retailers

I have an active interest.

Way advanced, I was into it before it got big (you hipster you)

Other

Please Specify:

Poll Maker

Soft Smoky Eye Tutorial & Eyeshadow Blending Tips

If you're wondering why I decided to call this tutorial the "It girl", it's because it is inspired by Claire Marshall. If that doesn't trigger an "aha" moment for you, I'll keep going. She's a former makeup artist turned beauty content creator who is best known for her Youtube channel. She manages to stand out from the crowd with her trendsetting style and slickly edited videos.

She's also always wearing this bold, blown out cat eye look that manages to be both fierce and soft at the same time, probably due to her ninja blending skills. My quick and easy version takes her signature look and pares it down to 6 steps, and 3 neutral eyeshadows to make for a look you could feel comfortable wearing both day and night.

Peripera Peri's Cushion Lips Review and Swatches

I think the last lip product I swatched on the blog was a watery lip tint from Peripera. I've been cheating on 3CE with them lately.. 

Watery tints are lovely and I wear them a ton during the summer, but today I'm back with some lip products that are squarely on the other side of the spectrum. They are the Peripera Peri's Cushion Lips, and I have them in 3 colors: Bubble Love, Danger, and Mini Dress. These opaque, creamy liquid lipsticks are as far from watery lip tints as Siberia is to Florida.

But sometimes, you just want a loud, matte lip. 

And Peripera delivers.

Whamisa Organic _______ Fermented Hydrogel Masks Review

Welcome to another edition of Skincare Sunday! You might be wondering why I titled this review of the Whamisa hydrogels like a certain clickbait-y news source that may rhyme with ShmuzzSeed. Read on to find out!

If you've been searching for a beautiful, organic brand to try, Whamisa is it. They use organic ingredients with all-natural preservatives and are held within the same brand portfolio as fellow au naturale brand, Soyedodam. I'd been looking to dip my toe in Whamisa products for awhile, but it was only a few weeks ago that I let myself be overcome by hydrogel-lust after reading rave reviews from Fifty Shades of Snail and The Beauty Wolf. 

I purchased a pack of 5 hydrogels which consisted of:

1 Organic Seeds & Rice Fermented Hydrogel Facial Mask

2 Organic Flowers & Aloe Vera Fermented Hydrogel Facial Masks

2 Organic Fruits & Tomato Fermented Hydrogel Facial Masks

I then proceeded to wear one a day over the past week. Long story short, they're amazing and are my favorite treat-yourself masks ever!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Lumiere in Mood Exposure

Blushes are my faaaavorite product. Honestly, I'm so lucky that the things that I love the most are usually in powder form. Now I can collect them all and not worry about them expiring! Ok, so I kid. Blush may be nice but financial solvency is nicer.

This is a blush from Hourglass that I've fallen in love with recently. It's called the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Lumiere, and the shade is Mood Exposure.

Mood Exposure is a beautiful nude blush that is warm, but without the tawniness of bronzer. It's not really that shimmery, but it is luminous. Because of its finish, it does not emphasize pores. What I love about it the most is that it goes with everything. If I'm ever confused about what to use with a certain eye or lip look, I can turn to Mood Exposure and be sure it looks good. What's more is that it is VERY long-lasting and pigmented. One swirl of the brush in the pan is enough to deposit the color at its full strength. I could say more, but I really feel that Mood Exposure is something that needs to be experienced visually... Words don't do this blush justice unless it's a poem or a note to your future girl or boyfriend.

Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Edge Meister Mascara Review

Currently feeling very excited to share my thoughts on the first Asian mascara I've ever tried - the Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Edge Meister! It seems that my makeup stash has slowly been going Asian, with my last couple of purchases hailing from Japan and Korea.

I chose to try an Asian mascara because they boast lightweight formulas that are supposed to hold a curl like no other. This is very important because a mascara may lengthen and volumize like crazy, but if it doesn't hold a curl, it makes no difference whatsoever to your overall eye look. Without the curl, your lashes are not going to be visible as they will blend into your eyeliner. 

Which brings me to why I chose the MM Lash Expander Edge Meister. It gets a lot of love for refusing to drop that curl. I also considered the Heroine Make Long & Curl, Heroine Make Volume & Curl, Majolica Majorca Lash King, and the Fairydrops Scandal Queen mascaras, in case you're wondering what else is out there.

Soyedodam Organic Ginseng Hydrogel Sheet Mask Review

If you've joined me here on the blog before, you probably know that I really enjoy day sheetmasking on Sundays. Today, I broke out a hydrogel, and not just any hydrogel, the Soyedodam Organic Ginseng Hydrogel Sheet Mask at the request of one crazy snail lady. I'd been super excited to try this one so it was a real treat.

Soyedodam is a brand I've seen a lot of interest around as it is an organic brand that does not use parabens, mineral oils, synthetic dyes and fragrances in their products. It's also owned by a Korea Ginseng, which has been growing and distributing quality ginseng since its establishment in 1899.

Squee! Ginseng means firm, bouncy skin.

K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner 24h Waterproof Micro 1 Day Tattoo Review

Japanese eyeliners have such a great reputation that I didn't think twice when I decided to pick one up to replace my Maybelline one. They score above 4/5 lipsticks (cute!) on makeupalley.com on the regular so to me it was a no-brainer. Out of the many contenders, I chose the K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner 24 Hour Waterproof 1 Day Tattoo Eyeliner with the Micro needle tip. 

As you can see below, the tip is super skinny looks almost like a needle. No need to worry though, it's just a super soft collection of tiny plastic fibers, so it won't jab at your eye if you have an unpracticed hand at applying eyeliner.

May Favorites 2015

These are the things I've been loving recently.