Ahoy everyone, welcome back to part 2 of this month in masks & samples. If you're looking to dabble in the vain arts with a concentration in East Asian studies, sheet masks and samples are your friends, since they're lower commitment in terms of $£€ but allow you to experience a brand or product. They're especially great if shopping from overseas stores with annoying return policies. I lub 'em. Lub 'em lub 'em lub 'em. So let's get into it shall we?
August 2015 Month in Masks & Samples - 22 Speed Reviews
Monday, August 31, 2015
Labels:
banila co,
benton,
budget,
cremorlab,
derfill,
innisfree,
korean,
leaders insolution clinic,
mediheal,
mid-end,
sheet mask,
skincare
Posted by
Joan Lee
2:16 PM, By:
Joan Lee
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August 2015 MIMS (Month in Masks & Samples) - Multi-Step Masks
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Instead of an August Favorites post, I thought I'd cover all of the masks and samples I tried out over the past month for a Month In Masks & Samples, or MIMS.
After all my sheet masks are the reason why I'm hot... crickets Don't hate, if you use sheet masks, you're smokin' too!
Today I'll share the real standouts from the month of August, my latest obsession - the multi-step mask. Tomorrow I'll roundup the other more normal varieties I tried this month, and I'll also let you know which samples led to a purchase, which ended up with a spot on the wishlist, and which earned a pass from me.
Labels:
budget,
celderma clinical cel-derma clinical,
kisskin,
korean,
leaders insolution clinic,
luxury,
press sample,
sheet mask,
skincare
Posted by
Joan Lee
2:17 PM, By:
Joan Lee
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Game Changers: Dowaja Shopping/Buying Service for Korean Goods
Friday, August 28, 2015
source: dowaja.com |
Edit: I'm sad to announce Dowaja shut down in September 2015. But at one point in time a unicorn existed, and that unicorn found you the best deals to be had in Korea.
A few days ago, I teased about Dowaja.com, a new Korean shopping concierge masquerading as an average shipping service. I truly believe they are game changers that are destined to be a hit. My wallet has been hemorrhaging ever since I found out about them.
Get It Beauty 2015 Cleansing Episode English Subtitles/Transcription 8/26/2015
Thursday, August 27, 2015
It looks like it's cleansing week here at the blog. I reviewed all five of my current cleansers a few days ago here. Get It Beauty, a Korean network television show about beauty ALSO did their Cleansing Special this week. Get It Beauty is no longer subbed in English, so I thought I'd transcribe some choice bits. I split the episode into 3 parts for easy viewing. Enjoy!
Part A - The Do's and Don'ts of Cleansing: Picking out Audience Members with Problematic Cleansing Methods
Part B - The Do's and Don'ts of Cleansing: Observe, Report and Correct
Part C- Kim Su Bin Makeup Artist's Secret Waterless Cleansing Method
Labels:
bubble maker,
get it beauty,
korean,
resource,
skincare
Posted by
Joan Lee
1:15 PM, By:
Joan Lee
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August 2015 Kbeauty News, another lipstick to be launched into stratosphere by actress Jun Ji Hyun and more
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Another Lipstick to be Launched into the Stars by Top Hallyu Actress Jun Ji Hyun
source: Hera |
Well, the face that launched a million lipstick sales and new mother-to-be is back at it again, this time as the spokesmodel for Hera Cosmetics. She assumed the post back in the beginning of 2015. In the photo above, she is shown modeling Hera's Rouge Holic Glow Texture line of lipsticks. It consists of 10 shades in all, and the shade allegedly worn by Jun in the ad is called edit (correction): 117 Muse Pink.
Labels:
a'some asome,
beyond,
hera,
korean,
mediheal,
news,
shopping service,
skincare,
the history of whoo
Posted by
Joan Lee
1:02 PM, By:
Joan Lee
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Cleansing Wardrobe: Innisfree, CosRX, Skinfood, SU:M37, Simple
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
It turns out the lifestyle was the ideal breeding ground for my germ-a-phobia (and narcolepsy, I'd find myself napping/drooling on an innocent bystander most flights), which in turn, probably led me to accumulate more cleansers than any other type of product in my skincare collection. Basically, cleansers:my skincare addiction as blushes:my makeup catnip.
Today I'm going to do a quick roundup of my cleansing wardrobe. They're a mixed bag so there are some winners and losers in there. There are 5 in all, 2 first cleansers, and 3 second cleansers. If you're wondering what first cleansers and second cleansers are, I'll explain in a sec.
Labels:
budget,
cosrx,
first cleanser,
innisfree,
korean,
mid-end,
press sample,
second cleanser,
simple,
skincare,
skinfood,
su:m37
Posted by
Joan Lee
4:24 PM, By:
Joan Lee
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Cremorlab MTE & Missha FTE (Mist) Reviews
Saturday, August 22, 2015
When you start exploring the world of Asian skincare, you're bound to run into the class of products called First Treatment Essences. As with most skincare products, there's really no standard formulation to identify them by, but by and large, they are mostly watery liquids that are slightly thicker than toners, especially toners that contain alcohol.
They're meant to prepare your skin to receive further treatment in the rest of your routine. If you're familiar with makeup primers, the products that prepare your skin to receive makeup, I would call the First Treatment Essence a sort of skincare primer. Like makeup primers, they have standalone functions, for example they can boost skin's radiance, calm redness, and add moisture back to the skin, but they will also help "grease the wheels" for all of the goodness that comes next in your routine.
Long-lasting Night Out Makeup ft. TCFS, Tony Moly, Etude House
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Ever wake up and just want to put all the makeup on your face? That's been happening to me a lot lately.
I spend a lot of time at home, so a lot of days, my indoor sunscreen is the only non-leave-on beauty product I'll touch. I end up going for week-long stretches without using any makeup, and then I go bananas and then load it on for a few days. And even when I do wear makeup, most of my looks are very natural, with maybe just one pop of color...
But today I was craving a noticeable, night-out makeup look. I thought I'd use all the new(-ish) things I have in my collection, especially the longer-lasting, sweat-proof items I got for the summer months.
Labels:
budget,
concealer,
etude house,
eyeliner,
eyeshadow,
korean,
liquid lipstick,
mid-end,
nyx,
peripera,
tony moly,
too cool for school tcfs
Posted by
Joan Lee
11:23 PM, By:
Joan Lee
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Rated M for Mature: Momma nsq's K-Beauty Stash
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
First things first, a little apology is in order. I'd teased some upcoming reviews and posts, and today was supposed to be a review of my current cleansers. But see, I have this little illness where I turn any activity I'm enjoying (like blogging) into a fun-sucking chore or rigid job-like situation. One of the ways I KNOW I'm prone to doing this is by committing myself to an arbitrary schedule. It always sounds awesome at the time, but seriously there's no better way to demotivate myself than giving myself homework like that. The reviews are going to happen, and probably soon, but they'll probably go up more sporadically, and possibly in a different order than originally promised. I hope you don't mind too much. Sorry to flake like a pesky dry patch of skin.
I was inspired to do today's post by a comment left by fellow skincare blogger and adorable ursidaen SamtheBear! The cub was looking into anti-aging recommendations for her momma bear, so I asked momma nsq if she would give me permission to post her stash, and sheeee saaaaid YES!
I'm a total skincare voyeur, and enjoy peeping others' stashes. I know some of you out there must be too. I hope you enjoy!
Labels:
amore pacific,
banila co,
budget,
cetaphil,
charmzone,
guerisson guerrison,
isa knox,
korean,
luxury,
mid-end,
missha,
o hui ohui,
olay,
resource,
skincare,
sooryehan,
sulwhasoo
Posted by
Joan Lee
6:40 PM, By:
Joan Lee
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August 2015 - Current Korean-Style Skincare Routine - Dry/Anti-Aging
Saturday, August 15, 2015
MY CURRENT SKINCARE ROUTINE
SKIN PROFILE
NC15, lightened through skincare from an NC20
Dry skin
Aging skin, currently 30 years old
PAST SKINCARE ROUTINE(S)
June 2015
Labels:
banila co,
budget,
cosrx,
curology,
guerisson guerrison,
innisfree,
korean,
mediheal,
mid-end,
missha,
paula's choice,
pocketderm,
scinic,
skin factory,
skincare,
skinfood,
su:m37
Posted by
Joan Lee
4:50 PM, By:
Joan Lee
No comments:
Two Anti-Aging Must-Haves: Paula's Choice + Curology (Formerly PocketDerm)
I've gotten to be of-a-certain age (30) where I've started to need anti-aging products that TREAT the signs and symptoms of aging, rather than the ones that PREVENT aging. Back in January, I noticed that I had started to rack up more than my fair share of sun spots, enlarged pores, dry/flaky patches, and wrinkles and launched my full-out war on aging.
Taken from a recent post, when looking to TREAT aging... "The three most well-studied anti-aging ingredients are...
Vitamin A, or retinoids
Vitamin B3, or Niacinamide/Nicotinamide
Vitamin C, or L-Ascorbic Acid, one of the most potent forms."
If you're not of-a-certain-age yet and want to read more about preventative anti-aging treatments, I included some tips in that post as well.
Today I'm going to be reviewing, actually no, more like raving and recommending, my current anti-aging line-up. TL;DR: the results are devastatingly pleasing to look at. We're talking Taye Diggs good.
Labels:
curology,
mid-end,
paula's choice,
pocketderm,
retinoid,
skincare,
vitamin c serum
Posted by
Joan Lee
2:51 PM, By:
Joan Lee
No comments:
Ulta Haul + Blog Sale
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Ulta's been on a roll lately, beefing up their international beauty brand roster with new offerings like Makeup Revolution, Catrice, Leader's Insolution, and Tony Moly. These rollouts all happened within the past few months in their online store. When I heard reports that Tony Moly had been spotted IN-STORE, naturally, I put on some pants, and went in to, as someone else so eloquently put it, "plump my [sheet mask] stash". Unfortunately I was a bit too early and eager, and Tony Moly was nowhere to be found. I was however, feeling spendy. Armed with one of their everlasting coupon codes (you know the one... $3.50 off $10+, ya that one) and a lust for blush, my biggest addiction, I ended up leaving with a handful of NYX and Physician's Formula products instead.
Labels:
blush,
bronzer,
budget,
nyx,
physician's formula
Posted by
Joan Lee
9:36 PM, By:
Joan Lee
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TG2KB Part 7: Wishlists or "Make Me a Routine"
Saturday, August 8, 2015
To Recap...
I introduced purchasing skincare wisely by arming yourself with skincare ingredients awareness in part 1 of this series. We then learned about two methodologies to find products that suit your skin based off your newfound ingredients awareness - (1) using CosDNA to find products that have all of the ingredients you want, and none of the ingredients you don't and (2) using AllofCosmetics.com to do ingredients list research if the product of interest isn't in the CosDNA database. I then walked you through the reasoning and methodology I used to formulate my current skincare routine for dry, aging skin <-which is now outdated... sigh... oh beauty blogging.. cry the beloved bank account...
Today I'll be introducing some beginner's Korean-style skincare routines or product "wishlists" for each skin type
...using the methodologies I discussed above.
Sulwhasoo Evenfair Perfecting Cushion Review | Sulwhasoo vs Amore Pacific
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Hi everyone- today is supposed to be a new installment of TG2KB. I was going to cover a roundup of different potential routines consisting of cult favorite products, dependent on your skin type, and skin concerns. I've seen a few of these posts around and I totally appreciate the effort undertaken by the bloggers to draw these routines up, because it is SUCH a huge endeavor, involving ingredients expertise and a huge awareness of the products in the market. I've actually been working on it for 2 days, and I'm still nowhere near done, so sorry about that. I'm hoping to get TG2KB Part 7: Wishlists up by the end of the weekend. Also, just to let you know, after part 7, TG2KB will be going on hiatus until the end of September, for logistical reasons. The final few installments deal with how to navigate the Korean web, shopping services, and some useful Korean smartphone applications, but alas, I am waiting for the hauls to arrive, and my phone is pretty much broken, and everyone knows you don't buy an iPhone just before a new generation launches... so yes, TG2KB will be back late September!
So instead, today I'll be reviewing the Sulwhasoo Evenfair Perfecting Cushion. I have it in shade 23, for my NC20 light, warm-toned skin. I'll also be comparing it to the Amore Pacific CC Cushion I reviewed in late April. These are both pretty expensive cushions, so I thought it would useful to compare them against one another, in case you have been interested in picking one up. So sit back, grab some popcorn for the battle of the bougey cushions.
I'm going to start off by saying I love both of these cushions, they make me feel more than fancy when I put one on... they both leave me feeling prance-y!
Labels:
amore pacific,
cc cushion,
korean,
luxury,
sulwhasoo
Posted by
Joan Lee
11:49 AM, By:
Joan Lee
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50,000 hits thank you + giveaway! OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!!!
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
7 months after writing my first makeup review, I was pleasantly surprised earlier today when I found that this blog reached 50,000 hits!
I'd like to thank all of you for joining me here, reading my thoughts, and oftentimes contributing to the conversation by commenting with your own. Also, a huge thank you to those who have also sent encouraging words and support along the way!
I love to celebrate anything and everything, even the small stuff, so I thought what better time than now to host the long awaited INTERNATIONAL giveaway I'd originally been planning/saving for when this blog turned 1?
There's no day like today right?
There will be two winners chosen at random for....
drumroll...
wait for it...
Labels:
banila co,
giveaway,
innisfree,
korean,
mid-end,
oil,
press sample,
second cleanser,
skincare
Posted by
Joan Lee
12:00 AM, By:
Joan Lee
No comments:
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