Finding Treasures... in My Own Treasure Chest

Our society is so fast paced these days. There's constantly things to do, goals to achieve, and new things to buy that we often forget to appreciate the things we already have. 

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada and to celebrate, in a beauty sense, I'd like to share with you some of the treasures I've rediscovered in my collection. These are things I used to love, people used to hype about, used to use, and then forgotten when new collections came out. 

Some of these things may be discontinued, but the purpose of this post is not to encourage you to go buy it but rather to look into your collections and rediscover things that you used to love. 

MUA MAKEUP ACADEMY PROFESSIONAL: Heaven and Earth Palette - in 2012, after the hype of the Urban Decay Palettes, these were said to be the next best thing in the drugstore makeup realm. I purchased quite a few during their sale and in the picture is one of my backups. The quality is decent but the plastic case is just weak.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain: Smitten - moisturizing, longlasting, highly pigmented and still one of the best drugstore lip products.

Nature Republic Nature Island Eye Shadow: PK104 - one of the prettiest individual shadows I own

Wet n Wild: Silent Treatment and Walking on Eggshells - still the best drugstore eyeshadows I've used. I've completely fallen back in love with these - esp. the taupe in Silent Treatment. After shattering two of these palettes, I've gotten quite a few more stashed away.

Sasatinnie Oil Blotting Paper - smells like roses and does its job

Innisfree Mineral Glow Base - at one point, this used to be quite raved upon. It doesn't have any shimmers in it but gives a "moisture" glow.

Thanks for reading~ I'd love to hear what you've discovered in your treasure chest.

2 comments Holiday, Innisfree, MUA, Nature republic, revlon, Sasa, Wet n' Wild

[HAUL] Korean Beauty

As you may all know, Innisfree is one of my favourite brands of all time. The fact that they source their ingredients from Jeju Island is just the icing on the cake. I have been to Jeju a few times now and I absolutely love it there. The atmosphere, the whether, and the people are very different from Seoul. It is a place where one can just relax and soak in the beauty of the Earth. So whenever I look at Innisfree, I just think back at the wonders that Jeju Island represents. 

Today's haul is mainly due to some of the limited edition items that Innisfree came out with.

1. Innisfree Ampoule Intense Cushion (2015 Limited Edition) - the main reason for this haul. Although the Ampoule Intense Cushion is designed for winter use and it's summer right now, I just couldn't resist the camellia flowers on the case.  

1. Water Glow Cushion 2. Long Wear Cushion 3. Ampoule Intense Cushion

2. Innisfree Glow Liquid Shadow #1 - Liquid shadows seem to be trending up all around the world these days. I've seen some Korean YouTubers feature this in their makeup tutorials. It seems pretty awesome and I can't wait to try it! The lady divers on the cap remind me of those in the Kdrama Warm and Cozy.

3. Nature Republic Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel (repurchase) - although I've seen many brands come out with Aloe Vera gels recently, this is the one I've tested and tried for years now. Now that it's summer time and I'm outside quite often, aloe vera is a necessity. 

4. Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer Longlash Up Curl Fix Coating Fix (repurchase) - I've recently discover this lash primer and I absolutely love it! It lengthens and holds my eyelash curl really well and it's only around $5!

5. Etude House My Beauty Tool Eyelash Curler (for Monolids) - I thought the pink and curl packaging is really cute.

6. Missha The Style 4D Mascara - I have been hearing amazing things about this mascara. I can't wait to try it out as well!

Bonus: I've received a Skin79 Super Beblesh Balm Sample for free with my purchase. 

3 comments aloe vera, amore pacific, beauty, cosmetics, etude, etude house, eye shadow, haul, Innisfree, mascara, missha, Nature republic, skincare

Nature Republic Botanical Real Slimcara Review (Dupe for InnisfreeSuper Skinny Microscara)

As you may know by now, my eyelashes are extremely short and sparse. The bottom ones are barely in existence. Sometimes when I try to coat the bottom lashes with mascara, I end up making a mess or poking my eye because the bristles are too big. I've found a solution.

Short Story (you may skip this and jump down to the review is you want ^^)

Many of you may have heard of the Innisfree Super Skinny Microscara but have you heard of the Nature Republic Botanical Real Slimcara? I'm sure the Nature Republic is a dupe for the Innisfree product as the names and wand are just way too similar. Innisfree Super Skinny Microscara was the first mascara I purchased here in Korea. The wand was crazy slim which made it amazingly easy to handle. I never had to worry about poking my eye with the bristles because the wand is only 2.5mm wide. It held my curl and decently and naturally lengthened my eyelashes. After that, I discovered the Majorica Majolica Lash Expander Frame Plus and I never looked back - til now. The MM Lash Expander Frame Plus is no longer sold in Korea and the bristles of the Heroine Make Long and Curl tends to poke my eye when I try to coat my lower lashes, so I need a new mascara with smaller bristles and there is no mascara wand smaller than the Innisfree Microscara. However, as I was browsing through Nature Republic one day, I noticed this mascara with the very similar - 2.5mm - sign. It was on sale for about 4 800 Won (not on sale it would be around 6 900 Won). Innisfree Microscara costs around 9 800 Won. I checked the tester, the wand is the exact same. For the half the price, I gave the Nature Republic Slimcara a try.

REVIEW

Packaging: The Nature Republic Botanical Real Slimcara has a simple white and brown packaging. It doesn't look like a mascara at but rather like a liquid eyeliner.  Wand length is the almost the same as my Heroine Make mascara but the handle (part you can hold) is longer. As advertised, the width of the wand is about 2.5mm, and the bristles are tiny. You can easily reach any sparse eyelash area and not have to worry about poking you skin. On the bristles of the wand, you can see tiny bits of fiber.

Performance: I wasn't expecting much from this product but it really impressed me. As I coated my eyelashes with the mascara, tiny fibers latched onto my eyelashes making them decently and naturally longer (almost as much as the Heroine Make Long and Curl). It also volumized my eyelashes by just a little bit which I was not expecting at all. The mascara is very black and does not weigh down my eyelashes. I would say this is a pretty dry and waxy mascara. It dries within 5 seconds of application. If you apply a second coat after it dries, it gets a bit difficult and clumpy. I guess this drying speed is a bit of a positive and a negative. Positive that you don't have to worry about the mascara making a mess after application and negative that you cannot build on the first layer of mascara. 

It lasts all day with no smudging (really impressive as I have extremely oily eyelids). My eyelashes would look almost exactly the same as when I first applied the mascara. There was no irritation at all throughout the day. 

I can see that this tube of mascara will only last me for around a month because after just two weeks of opening, the product is already noticeably drier than before. It's a good thing that it's in a tiny tube.

Two Coats - Without Mascara Primer - you can see it started to clump because I added more than one coat.

Removal: Here comes, the one main fault of this product... It is extremely difficult to remove - even more difficult than the Majorica Majolica Lash Expander Frame Plus and the Heroine Make Long and Curl. The longer you have it on, the more resistant it is to removal.  I used a cotton pad soaked with makeup remover and held it over my eye for 10 seconds, which usually gets rid of most of the eye makeup, but this time, it only took off part of the mascara. A lot mascara was still stuck to the base of my eyelashes. I had to massage my eyes with cleansing oil thoroughly to get everything off.

The Good:

- gives very natural looking eyelashes

- lengthens decently

- holds curl well

- doesn't smudge

- wand is easy to handle

- bristles can reach sparse and short eyelashes without poking skin

- really dark black color

- cheap

- doesn't clump

The Bad

- really difficult to remove

- hard to apply a second coat

- boring packaging

- doesn't say how much product is in the tube

- overall product dries out fast

Overall:

I prefer this over the Innisfree Super Skinny Microscara. It's darker in color, lengthens more, definitely volumizes more, stays smudge free longer, and is cheaper. Definitely a win. It's one of the cheapest mascaras I've ever bought but it has definitely outperformed many of the others I've tried. I highly recommend this product to you if you're looking for naturally looking eyelashes with a bit of length and volume or if you have really sparse lashes that are reach.

Leave a Comment cosmetics, Korea, Korean cosmetics, mascara, Nature republic

February Favorites!

Skincare Products:

Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First Serum Gold: I've used this before. Both times, I've seen immediate results. Highly recommend! A review will be coming up soon!

Tony Moly Mini Peach Lip Balm: My all time favorite lip balm. I put this on at night and by day its still on my lips.

Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner: I don't really use this for my pores. I use this for itchy skin. It's amazing. The winter has been so cold and dry that my arms and legs have developd rashes and itches. After spraying this on, the rashes go away really quickly.

Innisfree Apple Juicy lip & eye remover: This is an excellent waterproof makeup remover. It doesn't sting nor blur my eyes but gets all the makeup off without tugging. 

Banila Co. The Black 17 Sleeping Pack: Definitely a must in the winter to seal in my skincare. My skin feels so much softer and moisturized in the morning. 

Cosmetic Products:

Nature Republic Angel Lip Balms: Makes my lips look nice while still giving moisture and color.

Aritaum World Glam Coating Tint in Seoul: Perfect redish color. It doesn't feel drying at all.

Hera UV Mist Cushion: I didn't like this in the summer because sweat and humidity really lifts it up from the skin. However, during the dry winter it is perfect - moisturizing and hassle free. 

Majorica Majolica Lash Bone Mascara Base: A long time favorite. It makes my eyelashes more define and noticeable.

Hair Products:

Ryeo Hair Essense: When I'm too busy to use the Skinfood Argan Oil Hair Pack, I use this after I wash and blow dry my hair. It definitely makes my hair feel silky.

PSSSST Dry Shampoo: Best dry shampoo I've tried. It soaks up the oil and volumizes my hair really easily. Definitely a keeper.

Body Product:

The Body Shop Mango Shower Gel: This has to be my favorite scent in The Body Shop. Oddly, the shower gel doesn't smell like the body butter. If it did, I would've bought the whole line. The shower gel smells like sweet mango but it's not overwhelming.

2 comments Aritaum, Banila Co, etude house, Hera, Innisfree, Majorica Majolica, Nature republic, Ryeo, Skinfood, The Body Shop, Tony Moly

Nature Republic Angel Lip Balm Review in 01 Peach Tint Balm and02Cranberry Tint Balm

 

I think I've hit a lip craze in January because I bought more lip product than ever. It's probably because I know I don't need any more eyeliners or eyeshadows so lip products were my only justification to keep shopping. This is what happens to you when you live in Seoul too long. There are always fabulous sales and fabulous new collections coming out. 

During Nature Republic's Nature Day sale, I noticed this product. The name really jumped out at me: Angel Lip Balm. Was this some kind of miraculous product that will make my lips look full, shiny and soft? The only color left was 02 Cranberry Tint.  It's a bright fuschia pink - my favorite lip color. Without hesitating, I bought it. 

I got so many compliments that day on my lips that I went out to Myeongdong, where I could find 5 separate Nature Republics together in the same area, to look for 01 Peach Tint. None of the stores carried the full line which I was very surprised by but eventually I did find 01 Peach Tint. Unlike its peachy name, it's more of a subtle, natural pink...or was it?  BAM - within 5 minutes later - it had turned into a very vibrant but natural pink. This, my dears, is another color changing lip balm. :)

01 Peach Tint Balm - this is perfect for work. I find the it similar to my Dior Lip Reviver at first. However, the Angel Balm applies much more smoothly and easily than the Dior and it also leaves a healthy lively pink tint with a lot of shine.

* This promotional picture is wrong. On the packaging - it says 3.3g of product. 

Claims for 01 Peach Tint Balm, 02 Cranberry Tint Balm, and 03 Orange Tint Balm

- gives moisture and tint to lips

- contains jeju tangerine honey and shea butter

                                           Initial Application vs. Tint left after the gloss has worn off

First Application

 Although this color starts out sheer, after a few seconds, it turns into a brighter pink.

              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

02 Cranberry Tint Balm - I wear this when I want to go for a bold lip but want it to look really natural. Since I'm no good with the gradiant look - using a bold balm color is my way of keeping a bold lip natural.  I often wear this alone with a simple cat eye.

                                           Initial Application vs. Tint left after the gloss has worn off

It's a hot pink - fuschia color with tons of shine

After Initial Application

Tint after gloss has worn off.

              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Claims for 04 Mango Butter Balm and 05 Shea Butter Balm

- contains 98.8% natural ingredients

- contains 7 different moisturizing butters

How cute are these promotional pictures?

According to Nature Republic's korean website this is a new product. That kind of explains why certain stores only stock certain colors. This line offers five variations. The five products in this line are 01 Peach Tint Balm, 02 Cranberry Tint Balm, 03 Orange Tint Balm, 04 Mango Butter Balm, and 05 Shea Butter Balm. The first three are tint balms but the last two are only moisture balms with no color - just shine. I find it a bit strange that the line isn't consistant. I am a little disappointed that the last two aren't tint balms because I really love 01 and 02 for it's tinting purposes.

Performance: This product has excellent color payoffs that intensify over time. You can layer the product on your  lips to get a more intense look or you can dab it on for a softer, more natural look.  It goes on the lips smoothly like light oil. It feels like kind of like a light oil as well. This shine makes the lips look full and supple. Although it doesn't dry out my lips, I feel that the oily moisture of the products stay on the top layer only. It doesn't sink into the lips. But even when the oily moisture has rubbed off, the tint stays strongs and moisturized somehow. The tint feels really light on my lips.  I don't feel like I need to apply a lip balm on top of it at all. The tint doesn't rub off onto cups nor does it flake or wear off unevenly. It really stays on the lips until you remove it with an oil remover. The shine however, disappears quickly. I find the 02 Cranberry tint lasts longer than 01 Peach.

*Update*

I've swatched all 5 of the balms in store recently. 03 Orange Tint in stores and it's actually more of a soft pink than an orange. The texture is similar to 01 and 02. However, 04 Mango and 05 Shea Butter were really solid. They didn't glide across my hand easily and they were also colorless and shineless.

Scent:

01 Peach Tint - sweet candy peach scent

02 Cranberry Tint - sweet candy berry scent

03 Orange - I don't know

04 Mango Balm - I don't know

05 Shea Butter - soft shea butter scent.

Packaging: I find the packaging of these lips balms very similar to that of Innisfree Glow Lipsticks. Both products are housed in white, sleek, slender, plastics tubes. Nature Republic's lid is semi-transparent while Innisfree's is opaque.

What I Love About It:

- easy to apply

- makes my lips look full

- not sticky

- gives off vibrant colors 

- tint lasts all day

- adds pretty shine

What I Don't Love About It:

- gloss/ shine fades very easily

- moisture doesn't feel like it sinks into my lips

Overall:  It's a great product, especially for those who love natural looks. It keeps my lips from going dry and I don't need to worry about it when I have it on my lips. I would definitely repurchase this if I could find it again and after I finish some of my other lip products.

Price:  I think it is around 10 000Won at full price for 3.3g of product.

3 comments Nature republic

Korean Cosmetics Haul: Nature Republic, The Face Shop, Innisfree

When makeup brands have sales, it's usually around the same time. It's like a huge competition for them and it makes my wallet a whole lot lighter. So when Nature Day happened at the same time as the The Face Shop and NYX happened to be on 70% off clearance (which makes it the same price as you would get it in the States. NYX is ridicolously marked up here) I had to pick some stuff up.

Mise En Scene 3NT DARK CHOCO HELLO! BUBBLE FOAM COLOR - I've used this before.  It's really easy to use and the color goes on evenly and lasts for a long time. It comes with a color packet, container, pump, plastic gloves, plastic cape, hair mask pack, and essence oil.

2x Nature Republic Forest Garden Chamomile Cleansing Oil: This had the Get It Beauty sticker on it and the sales assistent said it is soothing for skin. I've been waiting for Nature Day to get this as I have just ran out of my Shu Uermura Ultim8.

The Face Shop Lovely me:ex blusher in #5 Pink Affair - it was just too cute to pass up. The color shows up as a slightly cool-tone pink.

Nature Republic Angel Lip Balm in #01 Peach Tint Balm and #02 Cranberry Tint Balm - What a lovely name. Nature Republic always gets me with their sweet names. I bought #2 first because it was the only color the store had. After putting it on, I got so many compliments on my lips that I went for a hunt in Myeongdong for the more natural #01 Peach Tint Balm. They leave an awesome long lasting stain on the lips and feels quite moisturizing. Simply amazing.

Nature Republic Botanical Stick Highlighter - This was a total impulse buy. I swatched it on my hands, it gave a nice glow and it blends really well.

Innisfree Melting BB Cushion Refill: I'm not sure if this will fit into my Hera Air Cushion case (it doesn't) but its worth the try. I'm tired of having cases everywhere. I've heard many good things about this BB Cushion and I can't wait to try it.

NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee - I wanted to like this color but nudes just don't go well with my fair skin at all.

3 comments bb cushion, blusher, cranberry, hair dye, haul, highligher, Innisfree, Korean cosmetics, lip balm, lip gloss, lip tint, mise en scene, Nature republic, nyx, peach, Seoul, shopping, The face shop

Review: Nature Republic AQUA Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream

Nature Republic's Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream has been a recipient of the Allure's 2011 award. Based on this award, I decided this must be a cream worth considering. I bought this about two months ago and have used it for everyday since. I love this cream.

Claims: "Super Aqua Max' Aqua Moisturizing cream contains rich minerals rom deep sea water and 30 kinds of pure mineral plants, delivering immediate hydrated purification. It works on the silicone gel network system, to create a thin protective film that prevents environmental damage. The natural moisturizing factors provide continuous hydration to your combination skin."

- This is from the english prints on the side of the box that housed the jar of cream. I am glad that they have english on the box as I can't read Korean. They also have some words in Chinese and Japanese.

Performance: This cream spreads easily and provides a nice cool sensation (not minty). It's fresh floral scent is relaxing and not overbearing. It has made my skin look healthy and glowy for the last two months. I currently reside in Seoul, and the weather here is becoming dryer as the winter season begins. This cream has kept my skin hydrated.

I cannot vouch for the effectiveness of having 30 mineral plants in the ingredients nor the goodness of other sea water, I just know that this cream has performed really well this past two months and did everything I expected a good cream to do.

What I love about it: It has a light fresh and floral fragrance that I can't really describe and it absorbs easily into the skin as if you had pat it with water. Some other cream will leave you with an oily sheen, but this is not like them.  I love the smell of it so much that I look forward to applying this.  It gives me a temporarily cooling feel, as if I am receiving a facial in a spa. The smell along with the feel makes application of this cream very relaxing.

What I don't love about it: Almost nothing, other than it not lasting very long which is not the cream's fault. I tend to apply this cream very liberally on my face and neck. One jar of this cream lasts me two months. If you apply just a careful amount, it may last you longer. 

* Update * Although I still love this cream for the fall and winter, I find it too heavy for Korea's humid summer. In fact, Nature Republic actually came out with two new ICE creams for the summer to replace this product.

Price: 10950 Won for 80 ml. (Around $10 US.)

Texture: As you can see from the picture above, the cream is slightly minty tinted. Fear not, the colour does not transfer onto your face (even if it did, it would probably just minimize redness - as green counters red). It applies clear and spreads easily. The more you spread and massage the cream into your skin, the more watery it becomes. 

Availability: Nature Republic is a Korean brand and is not easily available for the world outside of Korea. However, I think you can purchase it on eBay (although, like with all products purchased on eBay  you should be careful). If you are in Seoul Korea, Nature Republic is everywhere, from subway stations to subway exits. They often have 30-50% off "Nature Day" sales as well so you should look out for that. So far I have never seen this cream go on sale, probably due to its popularity.

Rating: A+

This is definitely one of my favourite purchases. It is an amazing product. I highly recommend this to people who love fast absorbing- non oily film - fresh floral scent creams.

7 comments favourite, hg, Korean, moisturizer, Nature republic, Seoul, skin care