Hey there

It's been a hot minute since I've last updated this blog.  In the past year, I've graduated university and worked two different jobs...  I guess life just got busy and thus causing me to shove this blog somewhere in the depths of my mind.  Am I back?  I can't promise anything but I've been meaning to share my skincare routine for the longest time so I sat down today to do just that.

I think mid-year last year was when I really amped up my whole skincare routine.  Kbeauty started getting bigger and I started learning more and more about different skincare ingredients.  I'm not a pro at skincare, but I've landed on a mix of asian and western skincare that has been really working for me lately.

So to start off, I've had dry dehydrated skin all my life.  Growing up, I only used Johnsons' baby cream as a face moisturizer.  I know.  I felt that it was enough to keep my skin from having that tight feeling after washing and thought that was good enough.  As I grew older and started learning more about my skin, I realized I had to do much more than that.

I like the concept of layering several products on my face and quite enjoying having multiple steps in my routine, which is why I love asian skincare so much.  I'd say right now, I have an alright amount of steps, as I don't currently have any essences or serums in my routine- just the "basics".  So, I'll take you step by step on what my current skincare routine looks like.

1. Double cleansing
In my opinion, double cleansing is absolutely essential in a skincare routine if you wear makeup like I do.  I believe in order to get a proper and complete clean, you need an oil based emulsifier paired with a foam/gel cleanser to really get everything off your face.  I do this and use a silicon face scrubbing pad to really get a deep clean.

My current choices are Banila Co. Clean It Zero and The Face Shop Mango Seed Cleansing Foam.  I was also using The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Rich Cleansing Oil as a backup when I ran out of Clean It Zero.

I'm aware that Clean It Zero has broken some people out, but it works really well for me and leaves my skin feeling soft after.  I'm also aware that the Mango Seed cleanser has a super high PH level which most people would highly recommend against, however I've been using it for quite a long time and I don't find it drying or giving me that tight feeling after I wash my face.  I've sampled some low PH cleansers which have left my skin feeling super stripped and dry...  I'm not against finding a low PH cleanser but I just haven't found one that I like yet. 

2. Toner
I alternate between two toners that are quite popular: Hadalabo Gojujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion and Pixi Glow Tonic.  My friend recommended me the Hadalabo toner as hyaluronic acid is great for dry skin.  I pour one or two drops onto my palms and pat it into my skin.  If I'm being honest, I'm still not sure how I feel about this.  I've gone without it for some days and haven't noticed much of a difference.  I'm almost done this bottle so next I'm hoping to find a toner to balance my PH levels after cleansing.

During the day, I'll use the hyaluronic acid toner, and during the evening I use Pixi's Glow Tonic.  I picked this up on a whim just to try because of the hype and was interested in the exfoliation factor.  I will say that my skin felt instantly smoother after one use, but I didn't notice my skin "glowing" and I absolutely hate the scent (old grandma perfume, yuck!).  It contains 5% glycolic acid which I've heard is actually kinda low so I won't expect super high exfoliation.  Would I repurchase?  If I'm being honest, the pros are not high enough for me to get over the awful scent so while I'll finish up this bottle, I'm still on the hunt for my HG toner.

3. Exfoliation 
If I'm looking to do an actual exfoliation, I'll use my Cure Natural Aqua Gel before I cleanse on no-makeup days/mornings after I wake up.  I've heard mix reviews about this product now that the hype has slowly died down- some say it's the best, other say it actually doesn't exfoliate but rather the formula tricks you into thinking the beads are your dead skin when it's actually not.  I don't remember the exact explanation but some have said it creates a layer/film on your skin to trick you into thinking it's smooth and exfoliated when in reality, beads start forming even when you test it on metal with rubber gloves.  I haven't tried this experiment myself yet so I can't speak on that but in terms of how I like this product, I do like it when I'm experiencing flakiness on my skin (especially my nose).

As a daily night routine, I apply Herbivore Moon Fruit Superfruit Night Treatment and really rub that into my skin.  From my understanding, this is basically an AHA cream that works to exfoliate by resurfacing dead skin cells and promotes regeneration. It uses fruit enzymes, butters and hyaluronic acid.  Their description of the product is a little vague for me but I've come to understand that it's an AHA product.  Their instructions say to apply this after toner but before all your other skincare products (serums, creams, oils) for best results and advises you to use high SPF if you use this product lightly during the daytime.  AHAs and BHAs will make your skin sensitive to sunlight so this advice is super important to follow.  This is a pricey product but I've come to really love it and seen big results with it.  If I ever feel that I have heavy texture going on my skin (I tend to get closed comedones/whiteheads, between my brows), I apply this and it goes away almost instantly over night.

4. Eye cream
I've been using Belif's Moisturizing and Firming Eye Cream for over a year now and I really like it.  I saw some reviews on this product on Youtube and decided to try it out.  I've got to say, it actually does reduce some of my fine lines around my eyes.  This is why I've repurchased this once already.

5. Moisturizers 
I use not one, but two moisturizers on any given day or night.  Currently I am using Belif's Aqua Bomb first, as it's a gel and thinner so it can be absorbed into my skin easily, and then I layer The Face Shop's Mango Seed Silk Moisturizing Lotion after.  I love the Mango Seed lotion and I've repurchased several times already.

I bought the Aqua Bomb cream due to the hype but I really felt like it doesn't do much for my dehydrated skin.  The gel formula is just too light for what I need and I love heavy thick creams, especially for night time.  I'm currently using this only to finish it up.

One that I do love is Innisfree's Orchid Intense Cream.  While it similar to a thicker gel consistency, it's heavy enough that it provides the intense hydration my skin needs.  Typically I'll use this after the Mango Seed lotion as my final step, however I'm all out of this cream and waiting for a new one in the mail.

6. Mask
I'm really lacking in my mask department.  I don't do this every night- actually I don't do this enough during the week.  I just havent found the time and product that I love deeply enough to do it regularly (aka 2-3 times a week).  Currently, I have a jar of L'Oreal Pure Clay mask and while I like putting it on my face, I don't find it does too much for my skin, which is why I'm just trying to use it up and move onto something better.  I'm looking into getting back to using sheet masks as those provide a boost of moisture to my face if anything, but I've been slacking in terms of purchasing those.  This is one area that I need to improve on.

7. SPF
Not pictured here, but I was using Biore's UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel as my sunscreen.  I have a bad habit of not using SPF during the winter months but now that spring and summer is here, I really need to get back into the game.  SPF is super, super, SUPER important, especially in the warmer seasons when the sun is at its peak.  Having SPF in your makeup is just not enough in the summer time (although I somehow convinced myself it's enough for the winter... it's not).  So while I liked the gel version, I think I'm going back to the "milk" version.

So that's pretty much it.  I know it's quite a lengthy post but I wanted to include all the details that I felt was important to mention as skincare is a lot more finicky than makeup.  I take skincare a lot more serious as it has what treats your base, your skin!  While you can cake on as much makeup as you want during the day, it's always important to take care of what's under.  Prevention is key and finding the right products and ingredients is a bit of a journey but I quite enjoy it.

Labels: banilaco, belif, cream, cure, hadalabo, herbivore, innisfree, loreal, lotion, mask, pixi, skincare, thefaceshop, toner

Hey, cutie pies!

Here's a review on a sample of The Face Shop's Volcanic Clay Black Head Aloe Nose Strip.  I only had one to try and it is the first ever pore/nose strip I've ever used.



The instructions on the back tells you to wet your nose and  apply it while letting it dry for 10-15 minutes, which is what I did.  I wouldn't say that I have really large pores, but sometimes I do find that I have some blackheads, but I've never tried to really do much about it.  I was really excited to see what this strip could do for my nose.


It dries on your nose to feel kinda stiff, and like you see in the shows, you rip it off (as fast as you can for effect!) and look at what it took off. 


I do apologize for not having a before picture, but this is the after.  You can see my pores but they are no longer clogged with any dirt or makeup.



When you look at the strip, you can see everything that it removed.  It's kind of gross but satisfying at the same time.  How cool, right?

Since I've never used a pore strip before, I can't really compare it to anything and I'm not sure what other brands of pore strips are able to do for you.  From a first impression, I'd say this works fairly well.  My pores did feel cleared after, and it's kinda fun to use hehe.

Rating: ★★★☆☆  3/5

Overall, this does work and I got it as a sample, but I believe it does come in a pack of (7?) for a fairly cheap price.  Perhaps I'll buy some for myself and continue to use them to see if I'll like them more in the future.

Labels: cosmetics, korean, mask, review, thefaceshop

Hello, cuties~

The last time I did an update on my life was near the beginning of this month, and now it's the last day of November.  Can you believe it?  I'm a little glad because that means I have only one more week of class (but really, I'm only going to class on Thursday and Friday, hehe ;), and then one exam on the 11th AND THEN I'M DONE!!!  I'm so excited for the winter break to start already.  I can finally catch up on sleeping and preparing lots of blog content like reviews and what not.  It's gonna be awesome.
 


So, a couple of weeks ago, I went to Forever 21 with the intentions of picking up some tights since winter is already happening in Toronto, but I totally came out with more than just that.  I also got knee-high socks, and some earrings.  I got a lightning bolt chain earring set, a black cross set, and a set of bat earrings that were from the Japan Forever 21!  It says on the packaging that it's from their Japan location, which I thought was pretty cool.  It seems they're stuff are so much cuter over there, huh?


Then on the weekend, Charming came home and we spent a whole day together~  We went to the mall and I managed to finally get my hands on NYX's blush in Taupe.  I've been searching high and low for this blush because I heard it's the perfect contour shade.  I usually contour with a bronzer but I really don't like how warm/orange it was.  This is a cooler taupe colour that is much better for contouring.  And guess what?  I LOVE IT!  There aren't many places here that sell NYX, actually.  We do carry them in Rexall, which is a (less popular) drug store, but there aren't many around me so it's not as easy for me to access them.  Even when I went to visit Charming in London, I popped by their Target and Rexall, and none of them carried this colour!  In fact, the Target didn't even carry any of the NYX blushes, which was very disappointing.  I managed to pick this one up at Phoenix, in Pacific Mall, for $11.29 with tax.
 

We went to Hollywood Cafe to eat that day, and I ordered the Curry rice.  It's one of my favourite things to eat and it was super yummy.  Charming had a pork chop rice, which was also really good.



It was the last day for the Starbucks buy one get another free, so we took advantage of that and ordered two peppermint mochas.  It's our favourite winter drink.  What's your favourite?  I would like to try their gingerbread latte, because that sounds really delicious too.  I'm very boring and just stick to my favourites all the time, but I think the next time, I will try something new! 


The following day, I went out to eat ramen with my family.  I got the miso pork ramen.  I love this place because their broth is just so tasty :)  They also have Japanese curry, which I love as well, but I was feeling like a nice bowl of ramen that day.



Recently, I went to The Face Shop to pick up new skincare products because the ones I've been using is already expired now :(  I've been using it for a good 2 years, and I've only got 1/4 left.  You'd expect me to have used it all up by now, since it's been 2 years, but to be honest, I've been very lazy with my skincare lately.  I use to do the full routine, but halfway through 2013, I've been just slapping on baby cream all over my face day and night and calling it good.  I know it's not really a good excuse, but since it was the summer time, I didn't feel like my skin needed so many products.  Also, I was really lazy and when school started, I was extremely busy.

However, since it's winter once again, I went out to get brand new skincare products to get me back into the system.  And I must say, what a difference!  I can't believe I ever stopped.  I picked up their Mango Seed line, which I fell in love with since I tried their sample version.  (I just did a review on it, but I will have a more in-depth review again after using it for a little longer!)  At first, I got the lotion and facial butter because they were having a buy one get the second 50% on skincare products only, and I also wasn't sure if I needed the toner since I've always felt like toners weren't really for me.  But soon, I realize that the toner made a huge difference, so I went back to get it.  This time, they had the same sale but on any item in the store, so I also picked up their gel eyeliner pencil since my eyeliner was running low.  And of course, they gave me some free samples to try it, so watch out for all these reviews coming in the future!

And here are some pictures that have accumulated throughout the past couple of weeks.

Labels: blush, boyfriend, charming, cosmetics, f21, fashion, food, haul, korean, makeup, mask, personal, sample, skincare, starbucks, thefaceshop

Heyo,

So I'm here with an empties entry!  I've never done these before but I started saving some of the products I've been using up recently, and this is what I've accumulated.  I don't finish products nearly as fast as other people, so I doubt I'll be doing this types of posts very often but they'll come from time to time!


To start off, I finished this vanilla scented stress relief bubble bath from Bath & Body Works that my bestie got for my birthday about a year and a half ago, back in 2012 I believe.  Yes, it took me this long to finish it, but I was using two bubble baths at the same time and I don't take baths often.  I'm not a huge fan of vanilla scents because they seem to almost always be overwhelmingly too sweet, but this one wasn't.  In terms of the antistress part, I didn't notice anything more relaxing than any other bubble bath.  If you're going to take a bath, chances are, it's going to be relaxing anyway, right?  As a design student, I'm always under stress so I doubt a bottle of bubble bath could fix that haha.

This is a whole box of My Beauty Diary Black Pearl mask which comes in a pack of 12, if I'm not mistaken...  These masks are very popular and I'm sure a lot of you have heard or seen them if you're into Asian cosmetics.  They're supposed to whiten your skin, but I don't use them religiously enough to see a difference.  I mainly use these masks to pamper myself from time to time and moisturize if I feel my skin is getting too dull.  They're alright.  Nothing special.

Then I finally finished my bottle of HadaLabo Hyaluronic Makeup Remover.  It's a thinner gel consistency that you rub onto your dry makeup-full face, then wash off to remove it all.  Pro tip: I find that if you apply onto dry face, then wet your finger tips just a TINY bit and massage all over, THEN rinse, it gets everything off!  Anyway, this makeup remover has lasted me a very long time and I'm sad that I finished it all, but luckily I have a backup one waiting for me!  I like this product a lot because it's like a one stop shop for removing makeup.  The only thing is it's not the best for eye makeup, but that's mostly because I prefer to use a cotton pad with actual eye makeup remover to do that job.  I don't like to use oils or gels to remove my eye makeup while I'm removing my face makeup.  That's just me.  It can remove eye makeup, but careful not to get it into your eyes, and it might not take off all your mascara, especially waterproof ones. (That's my problem when I'm not using a cotton pad!)

Lastly, I have two EOS lip balms.  One in summer fruit and one in strawberry sorbet.  I go through these like they're nothing.  Prior to this, I've probably finished 5 other ones but I just never thought to save them until now.  I pretty much use them because they look cool and taste yummy.  They're an okay lip balm, but I have severely chapped lips that peels, so once in a while, I'll have to use a medical lip balm. 

That's it!  What are your empties this summer?

Labels: bath, cosmetics, empties, eos, hadalabo, japanese, mask, mybeautydiary, skincare

Hey there

It's been a hot minute since I've last updated this blog.  In the past year, I've graduated university and worked two different jobs...  I guess life just got busy and thus causing me to shove this blog somewhere in the depths of my mind.  Am I back?  I can't promise anything but I've been meaning to share my skincare routine for the longest time so I sat down today to do just that.

I think mid-year last year was when I really amped up my whole skincare routine.  Kbeauty started getting bigger and I started learning more and more about different skincare ingredients.  I'm not a pro at skincare, but I've landed on a mix of asian and western skincare that has been really working for me lately.

So to start off, I've had dry dehydrated skin all my life.  Growing up, I only used Johnsons' baby cream as a face moisturizer.  I know.  I felt that it was enough to keep my skin from having that tight feeling after washing and thought that was good enough.  As I grew older and started learning more about my skin, I realized I had to do much more than that.

I like the concept of layering several products on my face and quite enjoying having multiple steps in my routine, which is why I love asian skincare so much.  I'd say right now, I have an alright amount of steps, as I don't currently have any essences or serums in my routine- just the "basics".  So, I'll take you step by step on what my current skincare routine looks like.

1. Double cleansing
In my opinion, double cleansing is absolutely essential in a skincare routine if you wear makeup like I do.  I believe in order to get a proper and complete clean, you need an oil based emulsifier paired with a foam/gel cleanser to really get everything off your face.  I do this and use a silicon face scrubbing pad to really get a deep clean.

My current choices are Banila Co. Clean It Zero and The Face Shop Mango Seed Cleansing Foam.  I was also using The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Rich Cleansing Oil as a backup when I ran out of Clean It Zero.

I'm aware that Clean It Zero has broken some people out, but it works really well for me and leaves my skin feeling soft after.  I'm also aware that the Mango Seed cleanser has a super high PH level which most people would highly recommend against, however I've been using it for quite a long time and I don't find it drying or giving me that tight feeling after I wash my face.  I've sampled some low PH cleansers which have left my skin feeling super stripped and dry...  I'm not against finding a low PH cleanser but I just haven't found one that I like yet. 

2. Toner
I alternate between two toners that are quite popular: Hadalabo Gojujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion and Pixi Glow Tonic.  My friend recommended me the Hadalabo toner as hyaluronic acid is great for dry skin.  I pour one or two drops onto my palms and pat it into my skin.  If I'm being honest, I'm still not sure how I feel about this.  I've gone without it for some days and haven't noticed much of a difference.  I'm almost done this bottle so next I'm hoping to find a toner to balance my PH levels after cleansing.

During the day, I'll use the hyaluronic acid toner, and during the evening I use Pixi's Glow Tonic.  I picked this up on a whim just to try because of the hype and was interested in the exfoliation factor.  I will say that my skin felt instantly smoother after one use, but I didn't notice my skin "glowing" and I absolutely hate the scent (old grandma perfume, yuck!).  It contains 5% glycolic acid which I've heard is actually kinda low so I won't expect super high exfoliation.  Would I repurchase?  If I'm being honest, the pros are not high enough for me to get over the awful scent so while I'll finish up this bottle, I'm still on the hunt for my HG toner.

3. Exfoliation 
If I'm looking to do an actual exfoliation, I'll use my Cure Natural Aqua Gel before I cleanse on no-makeup days/mornings after I wake up.  I've heard mix reviews about this product now that the hype has slowly died down- some say it's the best, other say it actually doesn't exfoliate but rather the formula tricks you into thinking the beads are your dead skin when it's actually not.  I don't remember the exact explanation but some have said it creates a layer/film on your skin to trick you into thinking it's smooth and exfoliated when in reality, beads start forming even when you test it on metal with rubber gloves.  I haven't tried this experiment myself yet so I can't speak on that but in terms of how I like this product, I do like it when I'm experiencing flakiness on my skin (especially my nose).

As a daily night routine, I apply Herbivore Moon Fruit Superfruit Night Treatment and really rub that into my skin.  From my understanding, this is basically an AHA cream that works to exfoliate by resurfacing dead skin cells and promotes regeneration. It uses fruit enzymes, butters and hyaluronic acid.  Their description of the product is a little vague for me but I've come to understand that it's an AHA product.  Their instructions say to apply this after toner but before all your other skincare products (serums, creams, oils) for best results and advises you to use high SPF if you use this product lightly during the daytime.  AHAs and BHAs will make your skin sensitive to sunlight so this advice is super important to follow.  This is a pricey product but I've come to really love it and seen big results with it.  If I ever feel that I have heavy texture going on my skin (I tend to get closed comedones/whiteheads, between my brows), I apply this and it goes away almost instantly over night.

4. Eye cream
I've been using Belif's Moisturizing and Firming Eye Cream for over a year now and I really like it.  I saw some reviews on this product on Youtube and decided to try it out.  I've got to say, it actually does reduce some of my fine lines around my eyes.  This is why I've repurchased this once already.

5. Moisturizers 
I use not one, but two moisturizers on any given day or night.  Currently I am using Belif's Aqua Bomb first, as it's a gel and thinner so it can be absorbed into my skin easily, and then I layer The Face Shop's Mango Seed Silk Moisturizing Lotion after.  I love the Mango Seed lotion and I've repurchased several times already.

I bought the Aqua Bomb cream due to the hype but I really felt like it doesn't do much for my dehydrated skin.  The gel formula is just too light for what I need and I love heavy thick creams, especially for night time.  I'm currently using this only to finish it up.

One that I do love is Innisfree's Orchid Intense Cream.  While it similar to a thicker gel consistency, it's heavy enough that it provides the intense hydration my skin needs.  Typically I'll use this after the Mango Seed lotion as my final step, however I'm all out of this cream and waiting for a new one in the mail.

6. Mask
I'm really lacking in my mask department.  I don't do this every night- actually I don't do this enough during the week.  I just havent found the time and product that I love deeply enough to do it regularly (aka 2-3 times a week).  Currently, I have a jar of L'Oreal Pure Clay mask and while I like putting it on my face, I don't find it does too much for my skin, which is why I'm just trying to use it up and move onto something better.  I'm looking into getting back to using sheet masks as those provide a boost of moisture to my face if anything, but I've been slacking in terms of purchasing those.  This is one area that I need to improve on.

7. SPF
Not pictured here, but I was using Biore's UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel as my sunscreen.  I have a bad habit of not using SPF during the winter months but now that spring and summer is here, I really need to get back into the game.  SPF is super, super, SUPER important, especially in the warmer seasons when the sun is at its peak.  Having SPF in your makeup is just not enough in the summer time (although I somehow convinced myself it's enough for the winter... it's not).  So while I liked the gel version, I think I'm going back to the "milk" version.

So that's pretty much it.  I know it's quite a lengthy post but I wanted to include all the details that I felt was important to mention as skincare is a lot more finicky than makeup.  I take skincare a lot more serious as it has what treats your base, your skin!  While you can cake on as much makeup as you want during the day, it's always important to take care of what's under.  Prevention is key and finding the right products and ingredients is a bit of a journey but I quite enjoy it.

Labels: banilaco, belif, cream, cure, hadalabo, herbivore, innisfree, loreal, lotion, mask, pixi, skincare, thefaceshop, toner

Hey, cutie pies!

Here's a review on a sample of The Face Shop's Volcanic Clay Black Head Aloe Nose Strip.  I only had one to try and it is the first ever pore/nose strip I've ever used.



The instructions on the back tells you to wet your nose and  apply it while letting it dry for 10-15 minutes, which is what I did.  I wouldn't say that I have really large pores, but sometimes I do find that I have some blackheads, but I've never tried to really do much about it.  I was really excited to see what this strip could do for my nose.


It dries on your nose to feel kinda stiff, and like you see in the shows, you rip it off (as fast as you can for effect!) and look at what it took off. 


I do apologize for not having a before picture, but this is the after.  You can see my pores but they are no longer clogged with any dirt or makeup.



When you look at the strip, you can see everything that it removed.  It's kind of gross but satisfying at the same time.  How cool, right?

Since I've never used a pore strip before, I can't really compare it to anything and I'm not sure what other brands of pore strips are able to do for you.  From a first impression, I'd say this works fairly well.  My pores did feel cleared after, and it's kinda fun to use hehe.

Rating: ★★★☆☆  3/5

Overall, this does work and I got it as a sample, but I believe it does come in a pack of (7?) for a fairly cheap price.  Perhaps I'll buy some for myself and continue to use them to see if I'll like them more in the future.

Labels: cosmetics, korean, mask, review, thefaceshop

Hello, cuties~

The last time I did an update on my life was near the beginning of this month, and now it's the last day of November.  Can you believe it?  I'm a little glad because that means I have only one more week of class (but really, I'm only going to class on Thursday and Friday, hehe ;), and then one exam on the 11th AND THEN I'M DONE!!!  I'm so excited for the winter break to start already.  I can finally catch up on sleeping and preparing lots of blog content like reviews and what not.  It's gonna be awesome.
 


So, a couple of weeks ago, I went to Forever 21 with the intentions of picking up some tights since winter is already happening in Toronto, but I totally came out with more than just that.  I also got knee-high socks, and some earrings.  I got a lightning bolt chain earring set, a black cross set, and a set of bat earrings that were from the Japan Forever 21!  It says on the packaging that it's from their Japan location, which I thought was pretty cool.  It seems they're stuff are so much cuter over there, huh?


Then on the weekend, Charming came home and we spent a whole day together~  We went to the mall and I managed to finally get my hands on NYX's blush in Taupe.  I've been searching high and low for this blush because I heard it's the perfect contour shade.  I usually contour with a bronzer but I really don't like how warm/orange it was.  This is a cooler taupe colour that is much better for contouring.  And guess what?  I LOVE IT!  There aren't many places here that sell NYX, actually.  We do carry them in Rexall, which is a (less popular) drug store, but there aren't many around me so it's not as easy for me to access them.  Even when I went to visit Charming in London, I popped by their Target and Rexall, and none of them carried this colour!  In fact, the Target didn't even carry any of the NYX blushes, which was very disappointing.  I managed to pick this one up at Phoenix, in Pacific Mall, for $11.29 with tax.
 

We went to Hollywood Cafe to eat that day, and I ordered the Curry rice.  It's one of my favourite things to eat and it was super yummy.  Charming had a pork chop rice, which was also really good.



It was the last day for the Starbucks buy one get another free, so we took advantage of that and ordered two peppermint mochas.  It's our favourite winter drink.  What's your favourite?  I would like to try their gingerbread latte, because that sounds really delicious too.  I'm very boring and just stick to my favourites all the time, but I think the next time, I will try something new! 


The following day, I went out to eat ramen with my family.  I got the miso pork ramen.  I love this place because their broth is just so tasty :)  They also have Japanese curry, which I love as well, but I was feeling like a nice bowl of ramen that day.



Recently, I went to The Face Shop to pick up new skincare products because the ones I've been using is already expired now :(  I've been using it for a good 2 years, and I've only got 1/4 left.  You'd expect me to have used it all up by now, since it's been 2 years, but to be honest, I've been very lazy with my skincare lately.  I use to do the full routine, but halfway through 2013, I've been just slapping on baby cream all over my face day and night and calling it good.  I know it's not really a good excuse, but since it was the summer time, I didn't feel like my skin needed so many products.  Also, I was really lazy and when school started, I was extremely busy.

However, since it's winter once again, I went out to get brand new skincare products to get me back into the system.  And I must say, what a difference!  I can't believe I ever stopped.  I picked up their Mango Seed line, which I fell in love with since I tried their sample version.  (I just did a review on it, but I will have a more in-depth review again after using it for a little longer!)  At first, I got the lotion and facial butter because they were having a buy one get the second 50% on skincare products only, and I also wasn't sure if I needed the toner since I've always felt like toners weren't really for me.  But soon, I realize that the toner made a huge difference, so I went back to get it.  This time, they had the same sale but on any item in the store, so I also picked up their gel eyeliner pencil since my eyeliner was running low.  And of course, they gave me some free samples to try it, so watch out for all these reviews coming in the future!

And here are some pictures that have accumulated throughout the past couple of weeks.

Labels: blush, boyfriend, charming, cosmetics, f21, fashion, food, haul, korean, makeup, mask, personal, sample, skincare, starbucks, thefaceshop

Heyo,

So I'm here with an empties entry!  I've never done these before but I started saving some of the products I've been using up recently, and this is what I've accumulated.  I don't finish products nearly as fast as other people, so I doubt I'll be doing this types of posts very often but they'll come from time to time!


To start off, I finished this vanilla scented stress relief bubble bath from Bath & Body Works that my bestie got for my birthday about a year and a half ago, back in 2012 I believe.  Yes, it took me this long to finish it, but I was using two bubble baths at the same time and I don't take baths often.  I'm not a huge fan of vanilla scents because they seem to almost always be overwhelmingly too sweet, but this one wasn't.  In terms of the antistress part, I didn't notice anything more relaxing than any other bubble bath.  If you're going to take a bath, chances are, it's going to be relaxing anyway, right?  As a design student, I'm always under stress so I doubt a bottle of bubble bath could fix that haha.

This is a whole box of My Beauty Diary Black Pearl mask which comes in a pack of 12, if I'm not mistaken...  These masks are very popular and I'm sure a lot of you have heard or seen them if you're into Asian cosmetics.  They're supposed to whiten your skin, but I don't use them religiously enough to see a difference.  I mainly use these masks to pamper myself from time to time and moisturize if I feel my skin is getting too dull.  They're alright.  Nothing special.

Then I finally finished my bottle of HadaLabo Hyaluronic Makeup Remover.  It's a thinner gel consistency that you rub onto your dry makeup-full face, then wash off to remove it all.  Pro tip: I find that if you apply onto dry face, then wet your finger tips just a TINY bit and massage all over, THEN rinse, it gets everything off!  Anyway, this makeup remover has lasted me a very long time and I'm sad that I finished it all, but luckily I have a backup one waiting for me!  I like this product a lot because it's like a one stop shop for removing makeup.  The only thing is it's not the best for eye makeup, but that's mostly because I prefer to use a cotton pad with actual eye makeup remover to do that job.  I don't like to use oils or gels to remove my eye makeup while I'm removing my face makeup.  That's just me.  It can remove eye makeup, but careful not to get it into your eyes, and it might not take off all your mascara, especially waterproof ones. (That's my problem when I'm not using a cotton pad!)

Lastly, I have two EOS lip balms.  One in summer fruit and one in strawberry sorbet.  I go through these like they're nothing.  Prior to this, I've probably finished 5 other ones but I just never thought to save them until now.  I pretty much use them because they look cool and taste yummy.  They're an okay lip balm, but I have severely chapped lips that peels, so once in a while, I'll have to use a medical lip balm. 

That's it!  What are your empties this summer?

Labels: bath, cosmetics, empties, eos, hadalabo, japanese, mask, mybeautydiary, skincare

UserName: Hyokii
Age: 23
Birthday: January 22
Location: Toronto, Canada.
Sign: Aquarius Sun, Gemini Moon, Aries Rising

Who are you?
I'm just an average girl studying graphic design in my hometown Toronto. I'm nothing special but I like to blog and document my findings :) I'm really into astrology so come and tell me your sign!

What do you blog about?
Mostly just about my life and occasional beauty hauls and product reviews.

What does 'babo gongju' mean?
It's Korean for 'stupid princess'.

Boyfriend?
Yes! He does Muay Thai and he's a Virgo.

Tell me about your skin type!
I have extremely dry dehydrated skin and really dry/flaky lips. Light; yellow with neutral leaning cool undertone. Currently wearing NARS Sheer Glow in Gobi.

Reviews:
Tonymoly Cats Wink Smooth Primer
Etude House Goodbye Pore Ever Primer
Skin Food Choco Smoky Eye Palette
Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Shine Deep Treatment
Real Techniques Core Collection Brush Set
Etude House Golden Ratio Contour Maker
Skin Food Coffee Creamy Sheer Lipstick (PP701 Plum Wine)
Etude House Real Art Cleansing Oil (Moisture)
Skin Food Bath Salt (Peppermint)
Etude House Miss Tangerine Cream Choux Blusher
Skin Food Red Orange Makeup Finish (Matte Type)
Tonymoly Cat Chu Wink Tony Tint (Cherry Pink)
Etude House Etoinette Crystal Shine Lip Lipstick (PPK001 & PPK003)
Etude House Etoinette Brush Collection
The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Special Set
The Face Shop Cotton Pads
The Face Shop Face It 07 Quick Top Coat
The Face Shop Lovely ME:EX Design My Eyebrow (01 Gray Brown)
The Face Shop Lovely ME:EX Style My Eyebrow (01 Gray Brown)
The Face Shop Face It Designing Cake Eyebrow (01 Khaki Grey)
Etude House Dear My Blooming Eyes (OR203 Mesmerizing Orange)
Nicole by O.P.I. Nail Polish (Iceberg Lotus)
The Face Shop Real Nature Mask Aloe Vera
The Face Shop Face It Styling Auto Gel Liner (01 Edgy Black)
The Face Shop Floral Water Mist
The Face Shop Mild Papaya Peeling Gel
Kat Von D Spellbinding Eyeshadow Book
Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick By Kate Moss (111 Kiss Of Life)
Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick By Kate Moss (102)
Sally Hansen Big Matte Top Coat
Witchcraft Mini+Cures Set
Maybelline Volum’ Express The Colossal Smoky Eyes Mascara
Nicole by O.P.I. Quick Dry Top Coat
Essence Kalinka Beauty 01 Babushka Me Lip Brush
Maybelline Volum’Express The Rocket Waterproof Mascara
Maybelline Eye Studio Master Drama Eyeliner in Midnight Master
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10 Light
Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Ivory

Etude House Nymph Aura Volumer (sample)
Etude House Mal;Gem All In One Emulsion (sample)
Etude House Mal;Gem Smoother Toner (sample)
Etude House Sun Prise Super Aqua SPF45/PA+++ (sample)
Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream SPF30/PA++ (sample)
Etude House Moistfull Collagen Firming Eye Cream (sample)
Skin Food Platinum Grape Cell Essential BB Cream SPF45/PA+++ (sample)
Skin Food Agave Cactus Emulsion (sample)
The Face Shop Chia Seed Moisture-Holding Seed Cream(sample)
The Face Shop Mango Seed Silk Moisturizing Toner(sample)
The Face Shop Mango Seed Silk Moisturizing Lotion(sample)
Updated The Face Shop Mango Seed Silk Moisturizing Toner & Lotion (full size)
The Face Shop Mango Seed Silk Moisturizing Facial Butter(sample fullsize)
The Face Shop Volcanic Clay Black Head Aloe Nose Strip(sample)
The Face Shop Herb Day 365 Cleansing Foam Acerola (sample)
The Face Shop White Secret Whitening Body Essence (sample)


Tutorials & Tips:
How I Contour My Face
Tips On How To Drink More Water
2013 Summer/Fall Wish List
My Current Everyday Makeup Tutorial

Most Common:
Reviews
Personal
Food
Tips & Tutorials
Fashion
Haul

Brands:
★ Etude House
★ EOS
★ Forever21
★ Garage
★ Guess
★ Hada Labo
★ H&M
★ My Beauty Diary
★ Nicole by O.P.I.
★ Skin Food
★ Smashbook
★ Starbucks
★ The Face Shop
★ Tony Moly

Jin

. Put a lock on Seoul’s Namsan Tower's fence
. Visit the beach; any beach (063011)
. Party hard
. Starbucks date (072310)
. Learn to drive
. Star gaze (062812)
. Road trip (Summer`09)
. Be loved
. Visit South Korea
. Wedding; anyone's wedding (10.13.13)
. Be happy
. Bake cupcakes from scratch (04.06.10)
. Ride a motorcycle (08.21.14)
. Get my first tattoo
. Kiss in the rain
. Pull an all nighter
. Belly button piercing (02.19.14)
. Disney world/land
. Anime North
. Cosplay Rin
. Cosplay X-23
. Princess Cafe date (12.10.12)
. VVIP album(02.20.11)
. Visit Hong Kong again
. Graduate university
. Paris

to be continued...

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