July Faves and Fails

Friday, July 31, 2015

Favorites and Fails from July 2015: Mini reviews Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist, Seche Vite, Sally Hansen Matte Top Coat Nail Polish, Vinegar hair rinse, Leejiham ljh Tea Tree 90 Essence, Cremorlab White Bloom Triple Bright Floral Mask, Caolion Blackhead Steam Pore Pack Premium, Botanic Farm Polar Energy Hydrogel Mask Pack Salmon Egg, Too Cool For School TCFS Milk Tint in Orange, Mizon Intensive Skin Barrier Serum Deep Moisture Lifting Care, Mizon Water Volume Ex Cream Hydra Tox Water Full Moisture Skin, The Saem Harakeke, Etude House Moistfull Collagen Cream, Simple Cleansing facial wipes


This month, I was a bit hyper about my beauty so I have a lot of things, well 10 things, that I passed judgment on. Alright, let's just jump right into it then...


TG2KB 5C. Researching Products; How to Figure Out What You Want to Buy - Blogs & Youtube

Wednesday, July 29, 2015


To me, Korean beauty is fascinating because Korea has such a fast-paced culture of efficiency and convenience, often called the "빨리빨리 문화" or "bbal-lee bbal-lee moonhwa", where people are always busy, always on-the-go. It's crazy. I mean, this is a place where you can walk in for an eye exam and walk out with a brand new pair of glasses or contact lenses within the hour! Other craziness... you can get any restaurant to deliver any food, anywhere, anytime... for those all-nighters you're bound to pull at work, school, or the club...

To know that these elaborate beauty and skincare rituals arose in that kind of environment, makes Kbeauty even more compelling. Why would a modern day Seoulite hit pause on the rest of their busy day for a 30 to 60 minute self-care session when there's so much to be done? Why is there such an emphasis on health and beauty? I'm guessing maybe because it's a really nice way to slow down, and stop and smell the roses (in your rose petal adorned toner or cleanser) in the midst of a busy urban lifestyle. Okay, so I don't really know, but what I do know is that this emphasis on self-care is starting to look hella appealing to the rest of the world.

Korean beauty has been rising slowly and steadily in the West for a little while now, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it is a part of the norm. Part of the reason for that is that there isn't as much coverage or information out there as there is on say the latest Sephora brand release. Today's TG2KB is all about how to fill this informational void. I'll be talking about 25 sources for your Korean beauty news. Other than this blog which, I hope you'll keep in your blogroll. ^^

The blogs and Youtube channels featured in today's post are all currently active, written or filmed in English (at the very least transcripted or subbed in English), and boast a wide catalog of Korean beauty related content.


LOVE MORE SILK FACE SHEET MASKS

Monday, July 27, 2015


love more taiwanese silk sheet masks pearl barley & milk smoothing yurong scattered amazing white mask sheet rhodiola antioxidant & brightening herba saussurea involucrata revival mask sheet Reviews


I'm on a roll today! I know I JUST posted, but sometimes the blogging bug strikes and you feel like writing. This doesn't happen to me often (I don't consider myself a writer), so I'm going to capitalize on it...

Also, I know that I JUST posted about my favorite budget sheet masks with my "Intro to Sheet Masking" graphic two weeks ago, but these Love More masks! I feel so strongly about them! I have to give them their own little spot on the blog, to mirror the spot they take up in my heart. They're just way too beautiful and work way too well for me to not talk about them. I'm not a daily sheet masker, but I have managed to work my way through 40 of them recently (I had a little bit of help, but I kept most of these for myself) and have more on the way. They definitely belong alongside the Whamisa hydrogels in my sheet mask hall of fame.

Okay, so I'd really appreciate it you hit play on the following song as you read my review about these masks... to really get how I feel about them.



Horse Oil Cream Thoughts, Demo, & Dilemma

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1, 2, 3's a trend right? I've been seeing reviews for this Guerisson 9 Complex Horse Oil Cream (which has been enjoying popularity overseas) start popping up in the West lately. I find that I can resist most trends when it comes to beauty and fashion, but I hop onto skincare trends with no reservations, and no regrets. Majestic companion creatures be damned. Just kidding, we'll talk about how horse oil is sourced shortly, hopefully that will absolve you of any guilt you may have when you start longing to try this cream.


Unboxing: July 2015 MISHIBOX

Friday, July 24, 2015

A slow and sensual unboxing of the July 2015 Mishibox - a Korean beauty subscription box. Confume. It's Skin. Missha. Kwailnara. MJ Care.

Well, it looks like hell must have frozen over, because I'm doing an unboxing! I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I have a real problem letting others pick things out for me, being a control freak and all, especially about what goes on my face. But after salivating over the contents of last month's Mishibox (seen here at HolySnails), I thought, what the hey... Let's let someone else do the curating for a change.

A slow and sensual unboxing of the July 2015 Mishibox - a Korean beauty subscription box. Confume. It's Skin. Missha. Kwailnara. MJ Care.

Mishibox is a Korean beauty box subscription company that provides 6 products every month for $19.95. 4 of the 6 products I received are full-size. They're currently only in the U.S., but are hosting an international waiting list for the future, which you can join here.


Brow Products for Incredibly Sparse & Short Eyebrows

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Etude House Mini Brow Class  3rd Class Drawing Guide Etude House Drawing Eye Brow Pencil Review NYX Micro Brow Pencil Elf Brow Kit NYX Micro Brow Pencil Ash Brown Dark Brown Medium Natural Babyface Chic Brow Stencils Anastasia Beverly Hills ABH, Brow options for incredibly sparse brows, sparse brows, no brows, no eyebrows, how to use brow stencils Review Swatches

I have incredibly sparse eyebrows from growing up with brow muses like Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and others in the 90's. I totally over-plucked and now I'm left with really short and sparse eyebrows. It took me a while to catch up with everyone else, but I think I've finally remedied that with a few trusty tools.

THE TOOLS

Etude House Mini Brow Class  3rd Class Drawing Guide Etude House Drawing Eye Brow Pencil Review NYX Micro Brow Pencil Elf Brow Kit NYX Micro Brow Pencil Ash Brown Dark Brown Medium Natural Babyface Chic Brow Stencils Anastasia Beverly Hills ABH, Brow options for incredibly sparse brows, sparse brows, no brows, no eyebrows, how to use brow stencils Review Swatches

To fix "SPARSE" I turn to...
Etude House Drawing Eyebrow Pencil in 01 Ash Brown
NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Ash Brown
elf Eyebrow Kit in Medium

And to fix "SHORT" I lean on...
Etude House Mini Brow Class 3rd Class Drawing Guide


Shopathome.com Black Friday In July

Monday, July 20, 2015

Korena beauty sales Korean skincare sales Korean makeup sales Rebates Asian Beauty Sales Black Friday in July ShopatHome.com

Hi, this is just a heads up to all of my readers that Shopathome.com is having a 3x Cash Back event called Black Friday in July for 1 week only!

Shopathome.com is a rebates site just like ebates.com It actually has a 110% guarantee that it will match competitors' rebates offers, if you find a better deal somewhere else.


Facial Oils Review

Sunday, July 19, 2015

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I said "Oil be bahck" with an Oils post, and here it is. Today is all about facial oils. I tend to use these oils as a last step to seal moisture into my skin at night.

As facial oils are a hot button topic that draws a lot of debate (check the comments) and DRAAAMAAA on the web, I'll be talking more about my experiences with these oils rather than going too in-depth about the science behind them... I won't even touch upon the merits or drawbacks of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat content, lest my blog be outed to the Food Babes of the world. If you're interested in that topic, you can head on over to the Beauty Brains for the down-low.


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

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

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.

Last time, we covered how to use CosDNA to do a ton of useful stuff. Like analyze the ingredients of that cream you'd been eyeing... Or find out which products have all of the ingredients you want, and none of the ingredients you don't. Wow, that just sounded like an ad campaign. Anyways.

CosDNA is great, and most people who are into Korean or Asian beauty rely on it heavily. It's great because it's like the model UN of skincare databases. It covers Western, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Chinese products. However, I've found that its database is pretty limited when it comes to Korean beauty products that are new releases, or on the less popular side, or not as heavily distributed outside of Korea.

When looking to analyze these more underground Korean beauty products, I turn to AllofCosmetics.

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Lioele Triple the Solution BB Cream SPF 30 PA++ Review

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Lioele Triple the Solution BB Cream SPF 30 PA++ Review and Swatches, full coverage bb cream, Korean bb cream, NW15, NW20, NW25, NC15, NC20,NC25 neutral cool warm skin (1)


Fall Update: Please note that I have since found a way to make this cream work for me. I mix in a few drops of moisturizer to thin out the coverage, causing it to not slide into my lines, and ensuring it leaves a moisturizing finish, which serves as a barrier to the Fall and Winter winds! I've since started loving this product.

Today I'll be reviewing the Triple the Solution BB Cream with SPF 30 PA++ protection from the Lioele range. They make two BB creams, and this is the one that is targeted towards more mature skin types.

If you loiter around on Asian beauty shopping sites you are probably already familiar with Lioele. It's carried many places and just kind of reels you in with its adorable, princess-y packaging. Kind of like the packaging at le House d' Etude... Packaging similaries aside, Lioele is actually more of a mid-end brand targeted at women in their twenties, while Etude House is a road shop (or Korean drugstore) brand that is more targeted at teenagers. It's kind of like Lioele is Etude House's sorority big sister, if she were part of a chapter at a private university? I got nothin'.


Sheet Masking 101 + Best Sheet Masks Under $2

Sunday, July 12, 2015

How to use a sheet mask. Cheap sheet masks. Sheet mask giveaway. Korean and Taiwanese sheet masks. Sheet masks under $2. $1 Sheet Masks. Sheet masks for acne, brightening, and moisture. Where to buy sheet masks.

By now, sheet masks are nothing new. Every other day we see a snap of a celebrity gettin' their glow on with one and for good reason... 

They're basically the "gateway drug" of Asian beauty products.

They're affordable. 
They are packed full of nutrients.
And if you choose wisely, they don't duplicate any step you already have in your skincare routine.

It also doesn't hurt that slapping one of these babies on is an excellent way to destress for half an hour. 

3 Concept Eyes 3CE Glam Cream Shadow | Chosungah 22 Dark Punk

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Summer going out makeup look dirty martini olive green 3 concept eyes 3ce glam cream shadow golden nude chosungah 22 dark punk smoke olive

Today's post is a Face of the Day (FOTD) featuring the new cream eyeshadow products from 3 Concept Eyes and Chosungah 22 that I teased about last week. Greens often get overlooked when it comes to picking out makeup for a night out but if you want to match your eyes to your dirty martini, read on! 

The products I picked up are the...

3 Concept Eyes (3CE) Glam Cream Shadow in Golden Nude

Chosungah 22 Dark Punk in Smoke Olive


Summer going out makeup look dirty martini olive green 3 concept eyes 3ce glam cream shadow golden nude chosungah 22 dark punk smoke olive

TG2KB Part 4: Korean Beauty [Online] Retailers

Thursday, July 9, 2015


Today is all about the online retail stores where you can shop Korean beauty products. There are a ton, so I'll get started. The sellers featured in today's post are my trusted retailers that I have actually purchased from. I can get a bit slutty with brands and retailers so there are a lot of them. These are the retailers that at this point in time I feel have the ability to deliver a great customer experience as evidenced by the large volumes they're doing.

So what are my retail biases? 

You'll see some of the usual suspects, but there are also some newer retailers popping up here and there that have been starting to ruin my bias list! 

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GOMF. You're ruining everything TOP!

There are many different types of retailers. 
(1) Stores you probably already frequent (if you live in North America, anyway)
(2) North America-based kbeauty boutiques
(3) Asia-based kbeauty malls
(4) eBay sellers
(5) Amazon sellers
(6) Official brand storefronts
(7) Beauty box companies. 

There are also some stores that are based in Europe (ex: Cult Beauty), but being from North America, I'm not that familiar with them. As such,  I won't be covering them today. 

Also, full disclosure. I've linked the stores below, but as always, like everywhere else on this blog.. some of the links may be affiliate links. For more information, see my disclaimer.

Too Cool For School | Dinoplatz | Art Class | Eyeshadows

Monday, July 6, 2015

Too Cool For School Dinoplatz (Eye) Shadow on Flatiron Bronze Too Cool For School Dinoplatz Eye Krrrayon Cocoa Puddle Too Cool For School et Contre Tous Colors-for-All Creamy Nude kulpo-to-School Kids Dino Crayon stick Platz.  Art class color Po come.  Dino Platz eyeshadow on flat irons.

Enamored with Too Cool For School ( 투쿨포스쿨)

Oh my stars. I fell in love [with TCFS] the way you fall asleep, slowly, and then all at once.

That's right. I feel so mushy about my TCFS haul that I quoted John Green. Who knows, maybe my feels will reach Nicholas Sparks level some day. In any case, I hope you're ready to fall in love with TCFS too.

Too Cool For School is a brand that does both makeup and skincare. They're known for their cute, quirky, and irreverent designs. Their brand concept is that they create that cosmetics that double as mini artworks (check). Their brand slogan is also really adorable. It goes ...
Although life can get boring, 
You can not succumb 
You do not get bored, 
Because you're special!  
Gah, so friggin' cute!

Happy Fourth of July! A Teaser: TCFS, Chosungah22, 3CE

Saturday, July 4, 2015


TEASER: Too Cool For School, TCFS, 3 Concept Eyes, 3CE, Chosungah 22, Chosungah22 cream eyeshadow, eye pencils, crayons.

I hope you're all out enjoying some sun and a bit of rest and relaxation!

These arrived in the mail last week.


TEASER: Too Cool For School, TCFS, 3 Concept Eyes, 3CE, Chosungah 22, Chosungah22 cream eyeshadow, eye pencils, crayons.

  • Too Cool For School Dinoplatz (Eye) Shadow on Flatiron
  • Too Cool For School Dinoplatz Eye Krrrayon
  • Too Cool For School Art Class et Contre Tous Colors-for-All
  • Chosungah22 Dark Punk
  • 3 Concept Eyes Glam Cream Shadow

Today you get the STARS and over the next week or two you'll get the STRIPES (swatches, proper) and a full review!


TG2KB Part 3: Korean Beauty Brands

Thursday, July 2, 2015


Welcome back, this is part 3 of TG2KB, where I will be introducing Korean beauty brands! I've been pretty motivated to keep this series going as I feel we've reached peak Kbeauty lately. The other day Byrdie.com ran an article on best kept Korean SHOWER secrets (lol!)  where they interviewed Kbeauty industry insiders on their shower routines. Link to that article here. So enough with the intro chatter, let's get you prepped to take the plunge aka make your first kbeauty product selection!

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You dive right in like Steven Yeun!


I'm going to limit my scope to just skincare and makeup brands that focus on women's cosmetics. There are plenty of personal care, body care, hair care, beauty supplements/foods, and men's lines available too, but since there are literally a metric elephantpoop-ton number of brands in the Kbeauty marketplace, I pretty much have to leave them out.