Beauty Splurge - Korean Beauty Products

First off, HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEARS! For those of you who celebrate this special day, I wish you and your family the best of health and a prosperous new year. Because it is the week of the new year, I have been busy prepping and planning for the year. Best of all, there's been a lot of shopping included.

I haven't be sharing my beauty splurges in Korea which is a constant thing. Therefore, I decided to share this week's shopping splurge! For starters, I had to pick up a lemon scented bar soap from Lush along with their bar conditioner for the hair. I thought it would be great to finally experiment with the bar conditioner that I have been dying to try. 

For the more Korean brands, The Face Shop is one of my favorite stores back at home with my constant splurges. Finally visiting the Korean Face Shop, I picked off where I left in America with the blemish treatment. Four items to help my random break out here in Korea: the Blemish Zero Bubble Foam Cleanser, Anti Trouble Healing Spot, Anti Trouble Blemish Patch, and the Pomegranate face mask.

Next, I made a stop at Skin Food, an extremely popular organic store that uses a bunch of food goods to develop beauty products from head to toe, literally. Just to experiment, I picked up the Green Tea Boots Fresh Spray, Lychee Essence Mist and Cherry Tomato Wax.

Last stop for this weekend is Holika Holika where I picked up a few of their top sellers which includes the Honey Canola Overnight Mask, the White Wine Therapy Sleeping Pack, the Baby Silky Foot Treatment packs, and a face mask with one of the cutest boys ever. Talk about a great marketing tactic!

Stay tuned for the many beauty reviews on these products! I am definitely excited to try them all out and share my hones opinion. Be sure to subscribe to the blog to win the New Year Giveaway which will include a few of these products as well!

Beauty Pick Me Up - Circle Lenses

Being in Korea for so long, I have finally gone crazy and went on my first circle lenses splurge. Being unable to decide between a few colors, I decided to pick them all up: gray, hazel, and green. I feel like I'm in high school again with the color contacts, but I am in love with it and finally have started to blend in with all the Asians. In Korea, even those women in their 40s wear circle lenses daily. 

It helps to dilate your eyes and make them appear bigger than they are. The circle lenses increase the black of the pupil area which helps to achieve the cute look. On the bad side, because they cover a big portion of your eyes, it is best to not wear the contacts for long hours. Compared to regular contacts that you can wear for eight hours, circle lenses are only recommended for six hours. Although many people do not stick to the eight hour rule, it is important to try and do so. Beauty is important, but health is a lot more important!

Splurge of the Week - Missha

It is impossible to live in Korea and not pick up beauty and makeup products. It is the time of the year where businesses throws all type of sales for the holiday season, the best time for shopping and splurging on yourself. This week's beauty and makeup splurge is from Missha.

I picked up three Pure Source masks which consists of honey, pomegranate, and aloe. For just about a dollar each, it was worth a try to see how well it would work on my skin. That, and I have never seen a honey mask before and I know honey and oatmeal works wonders for the skin! I was not a big fan of the honey smell, but it was an amazing 20 minute touch.

Next, I picked up a top coat that I forgot to get bring from the states. On sale for just $4, the brush is thicker than those in the states. It allows for one quick sweep of color through the nail and tops my color with a shiny coat. It is a great soft finish for the Missha Lucid Nail Care.

Following, I picked up a Creamy Matte Lip Rouge in PK03, a pink that I have been dying to get for a while now. Today was finally the day! The matte color works extremely well with my lip, I just wish there was a bit more moisture to the lipstick. 

Near Skin Bio White, is one of the popular lines of Missha. I decided to give it a try with the Healing Eye Treatment which is certified but he KFDA that uses white peptide bio technology to minimize fine lines. For those without wrinkles, it is good to prevent and protect earlier.

Lastly, I found an extremely moisturizing Excellent Milky Body Oil for a low price. American brand products can be hard to find in Korea for a low price, but I hope this will help my dry skin due to the difference in water. 

Beauty Pick Me Up - Values from Korea's Daiso Store

Korea is known for their many beauty items and as I started to get settled down and pick up a few items for my apartment, I found Daiso, an extremely cheap store with so many goodies for the house. Because there are so many "cute" items, I ended up having a big splurge and did manage to pick up a few cheap goodies. 

For starters, nothing can top fifty cent masks. I decided to only pick up two, strawberry and cucumber to make sure that I am not allergic to such products, although it does say that it is organic. Can never be too sure, especially when trying out new products. If it does work out, it'll be a great steal, even better than my dollar masks!

In addition to the facial masks, I picked up two sets of falsies for just a dollar each. For such a low price, I can just toss it away after use. I usually have a full set of lashes, but I wanted to go for something less dramatic, but still provides length. Hope this works out!

Everyone knows I am big on having my nails done and because I have yet to find nail salons in the area, I will have to settle with doing my own nails for the time being. Because of the extremely cute animals, I picked up a toe separator for pedicures and I also managed to find an awesome four step nail filer that helps to file, remove ridges, smooth and shine your nails. All in one! I just hope it works out great.

Lastly and probably the one that I am most excited about is the paper soap. Many bathrooms in Korea do not have soap dispensers. In fact, they have a bar soap (if even) in bathrooms. Being that I am a big germ-a-phobe, using a bar soap just won't cut it for me. In addition to this, bar soap tends to dry out hands and therefore I had to just try the paper soap that I have heard about from many. Hopefully the lavender will be a great combo with my skin. 

As excited as I am to share these products with you, I will be having a giveaway soon! 

Beauty Splurge of the Week

Just another beauty splurge—which is typical me. This week’s beauty splurge consisted of Yes to Carrots, Clinique from a Sephora exclusive, drugstore, shu uemura, and a photo/beauty store in Chinatown, New York.

I recently blogged about My Beauty Diary Masks and my obsession with the masks. Well, just when I thought prices couldn’t go less than $10 a pop, I found it in Elizabeth Center in Chinatown for just $8 on sale! Yes a box of ten just cost eight bucks. I couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t help but to stack up. I actually plan on returning to buy a few more :X

The eight boxes that I picked up are red wine, yogurt, bird nest, grape seed and green tea, red pomegranate and CQ10, caviar and hyaluronic acid moisture, a peony-snow-lotus-and-sake-yeast-whitening mask and something in their new line—a Coldstone mask. I was a bit reluctant to purchase this one, but I am extremely excited to try this one out—a Damask Rose Ice Cream Mask. I got a sample of the red wine mask and I’m not too happy about it. It doesn’t live up to my expectations for My Beauty Diary Masks because it was a little on the dry side being that the liquid felt a little thicker than other masks. The peony, snow white lotus and sake yeast whitening mask doesn't have the plastic wrap as other lines, but there is an extra part of the mask that is used for the chin and neck area which is great. 

As for Yes to Carrots, I was extremely excited about trying out their different products and so I tried to mix it up. Yes to Carrots is for normal-to-dry skin, nourishing dry skin and hair with carrots, shea butter, and sweet almond oil. Yes to Cucumbers is for sensitive skin and color treated hair, gently hydrating and soothes skin with organic cucumbers, aloe vera, and green tea. Yes to Tomatoes are for combination-to-oily skin which treats and prevents breakouts with tomatoes, alicylic acid, and witch hazel. Yes to Blueberries are for age-damaged and mature skin which helps to improve firmness and diminishes fine lines with blueberries, cotton thistle, and paracress flower. There’s even a Yes to Baby Carrots line that are made for babies. With my online order, I got a free sample of the Yes to Carrots Rich Body Butter and it was amazing. I am excited to pick that up for my next purchase.

Continuing with my Clinique rave, I picked up something exclusive on the Sephora website. What I find to be weird is this exclusive set comes in two different bags, which also includes two different prices for the same amount of product. I admit, this bag looks better for the price of $2.50, but it is unavailable. Either way, I am still excited about the purchase because I was just looking to purchase Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector but I got three bonuses for the same price!

Moving along, I picked up a Pond's Even Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes with chamomile and white tea that helps to remove makeup while soothing the senses. Although it was Allure's Best of Beauty Award Winner 2010, I dont feel like it worked so great with my mascara and the smell was a little too overpowering for my tastes. It didn't compliment my psoriasis too well so I will probably not pick up another pack.

Lastly, although I am not an eyelash curler, I picked up the shu uemura detailed lash curler. I have been looking for an eyelash curler like this for a very long time now. I dont know if you have this problem but when I curl my lashes, there are many times where parts of my lashes are not as curled as the rest of it. This is where my new shu uemura detailed lash curler comes in and fixes the problem. It has been a difficult journey to locate one of these but I got lucky to find a new one on eBay.

That is all for now at least, until my next beauty splurge. Any recommendations, please let me know!

Beauty Splurge - Sephora

With my Sephora splurge that was widely advertised on my blog, I came home to three boxes of goodies. I don’t know how many Sephora Collection items I picked up, all for $5 and less. I even got backups and backup of backups because it was so cheap. I’m so excited to give these a try and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll be the good friend and family member that gives away free makeup haha!

One of my must raves that I have to share with you which I have been itching to get but refused to buy at first is the Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Mascara. This mascara is to help me maximize my lashes to its potential that boosts length and volume. The one thing I learned is you can never have too many mascaras so it was a must have for me. Stay tuned for a review on this because I sure expect a lot from the commercial I saw!

Another item which I am extremely excited about is the Cover FX foundation. This brand was developed my dermatologists who understand true beauty, even with skin problems. I am excited for this because it is not only a foundation but it also has skin care products mixed in that will help to clean up my skin and conceal my psoriasis very well. I hope this really works because I will share with you all the goodies!

A few other items that I picked up are Make Up Forever Aqua Liner, Anastasia Brow Pen, First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser, Clinique Age Defense BB Cream (this is like a must have for every Asian who's into white skin and fighting wrinkles), and a foot cleaner. Can’t wait to share makeup reviews with you all!

Sephora Sale

If you’re a big Sephora person like me, you would know that there is a big sale on the Sephora website going on, like always. If you’re also a big online shopper like me, you would know that Sephora is offering 5 samples free with any purchase rather than their typical 3 from now until August 30^th. If you’re also big on samples like me, you would stack up on the products you normally use because they are the perfect travel size and stick-them-in-your-purse-for-going-out samples.

Moral of the story is to get your beauty splurge on the Sephora website. The SEPHORA COLLECTION is having a crazy sale with products over 50% off. You can find nail accessories, stickers, brow pencils, all starting at just $1. This is the best time to stock up on Sephora products if you use them on the regular. With a $25 purchase, you can get a free sample of Bare Escentuals Firming Eye Treatment with code BEFIRM or two shades of Smashbox HALO Hydrating Perfecting Powder with code TRYHALO. Sephora is also offering free shipping for purchases over $50.

One of the must shares with you is the Sephora Collection Brush Wand (picture above) that consists of four magnetized wands that are aligned to form a wand for eye makeup. It is extremely easy to carry around for traveling, saving yourself the additional three brushes. I love how I can throw this is my bag and touch up on my makeup after work with no problems.

I’m a little sad they ran out of the Boo Boo Bling which is perfect for people like me who have psoriasis cuts all the time in random areas. It would have been fun to play around with, plus it’s only a dollar. There's a lot of other great nail supplies that I wish I would've picked up a little earlier. FYI to you: jump on it quick because a lot of things are going out of stock. Still, I managed to spend over $150 on Sephora.com! That's because Hurricane Irene has me hanging out in the house. 

Beauty Pick Me Up

I love shopping in SoHo and the best thing about shopping is random beauty discoveries I find. I have always passed by this store and I have never thought to walk in. Muji is definitely one of those stores that I always see but never stopped in. I am definitely glad I decided to stop in! They carry all these Japanese products for the home that I am absolutely obsessed with. They have organic clothing, bedding, kitchen, bathroom, beauty, and office products. It is a one stop shore for cute Japanese items that is legit.

I did a pick me up, very excited to use this because I have been eyeing this type of product for a while now. I decided to finally give it a try since I have walked away from it before and just couldn’t stop thinking about it. These small circles are compressed masks that allow you to add anything you want—lotion, serum, DIY masks, fruits, etc. It helps to better absorb these products onto your skin without the fuss of having to use a brush or worry that it is not an even spread.

I picked up a pack of twenty for roughly nine bucks which isn’t too bad for a DIY mask. All you have to do is place a compressed mask on a small cap or spoon (the smaller the container, the more even and more absorbed your mask will be) and add your favorite lotion, serum, or homemade mask product. I love using fruit juices that are freshly extracted because it allows me to sit around as if I am doing a regular mask rather than constantly rub a fruit onto my face.

I can’t to go back and pick up other products they have, I promise to not rush myself out next time :D

Beauty Splurge

It is very like me to go shopping for more beauty products. Stopping by my favorite Korean store, the Face Shop, I picked up quite a bit of products to try out. A BB blending cream because for some odd reason, BB cream only came in one tone, but it’s great to find your perfect match as your skin color changes through the year. I’m super excited about the cheap $2 for 80 cotton pads which has no chemicals. I also picked up a bunch of $1 goodies which includes a charcoal pore strip, blemish patches to clear up pimples overnight and clearing patches to clean up acne scars. My last accessory at the Face Shop is my spatula that is great for homemade facials—a lot cleaner than using your hands to spread on your face.  

Prior to my shopping splurge this weekend, I finally stopped by Whole Foods after a suggestion from my cousin to try out their all natural shampoo. Before even reaching the hair aisle, I made a quick stop at their beauty section where JASÖN’s Pure Natural Anti-Wrinkle Day Lotion SPF 30 Sunscreen caught my eye. I couldn’t help but to pick up this product that is all natural and it prevents as well as treats wrinkles!

I guess one thing lead to another when I picked out my shampoo. I went for JASÖN’s Tea Tree Scalp Normalizing Shampoo. I have to admit, the Natural Biotin Shampoo caught my eye as well, but I decided to go all organic until I have tested the product myself. Moving over to check the body wash section, I was definitely attracted to the line of JASÖN. There was so much to choose from I didn’t know what to choose. I finally narrowed it down to the cranberry wash since it was such a strong fruity smell and it would help my stress! I’ll follow up with a review soon!