Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Etude House: Smile Cheek Pearls

GOOD NEWS!!!!! Sasa is starting to sell some Skinfood items including the Aloe Sun BB Cream. They sell it for about $12USD and $19CAD..damn dollar!!!! Anyway, do take a look, they have quite a collection of the wash off packs for sale!

It seems like it's been a while since I visited my local Etude House. I didn't even know they came out with a new collection until I read it on Lotus Palace's page and the Muse's page. The collection is called "I Can't Stop Smiling". I had to take a look myself because the items were so cute!
The new makeup items were cute indeed, but I didn't think they were worth it. The lippies and the mini mix pack set thing were so tiny!!!! I got the Smile Cheeck Pearls instead for 15000won.
Just for purchasing this one blusher/highlighter, I got all these freebies!

The Smile Cheek Pearls are supposed to be a blush. The box says it's a "baked multi-colored blush pearls. It contains pink, violet, green, beige and white pearls for blushed cheeks that smile".
The pearls come in a box similar to the Benefit blushers and it also comes with a puff that has feathers and a bow on it. The box is made of cardboard and is quite sturdy.

I believe this is more of a highlighter than a blush because it is super sheer. There is a faint floral smell which I think is Etude House's signature scent. I can't quite describe it but it smells pleasant.
This morning I tried to use it as a blush and my cheeks came out overly shimmery! Well actually it was more like a pink pearly sheen. I had to rub it off and put my regular blush on first then swipe on the Smile Cheek Pearls.
The color is sheer as I mentioned, however, in different lighting and angles, you can see a very pearly pink sheen which I thought was quite nice. I had to do about 3-4 swipes to get enough pink color and shimmer on my cheeks.

I couldn't get a decent swat on my arm so I just rubbed it off with cotton. You can notice a bit of orange blended in with the pink. The beige pearls are actually orange, but your face will not appear orange at all.
The lasting power isn't that great. At the end of an 8 hour day, most of it had also came off. Mind you, I usually sit around doing nothing at school so my face doesn't have a chance to absorb all the nasties of the environment and produce excess oils.
I mentioned the rest of the items in the collection were quite small so I didn't purchase them, but here they are in all their glory.

A lip tint. The SA told me that they come in cherry and orange color. I can't remember the exact price, but it was around 6000won each.

This is the mini pack that I mentioned. It contains a lipbalm, silver highlighter/shadow, perfume cake and a cream blusher. These jars were about an inch in diameter and the set cost 11000won, haha not worth it imo.

And the lipglosses. I liked the pink one but the other 2 were just..blah. This set cost 10000won.
Anyway, I hope everyone has a happy new year! I'll be going to watch Bolt. It FINALLY came out in Seoul XD
Here are a couple pics from December 2008 Vivi for your enjoyment =)


Sunday, December 28, 2008

Skinfood: Live Powder Mask

Uggh...Skinfood is such a bad addiction. Everytime I walk by one, I always want to buy something!!! I made an excuse to go in and get some more eye masks and ended up with 2 new items. I will show you the eye masks once I take a picture of them.
I noticed a few weeks ago that Skinfood came out with a new wash off face mask collection, which are the live powder masks. I have no clue what's so special about these masks, but I had to try it out for myself. There are currently 4 types: Rose and Herbal Oil, Cocoa and Honey, Green Tea and Milk and a Black Sesame one I believe. They cost 3000won each for a one time use, so they're not that cheap.

I purchased the Rose and Herbal Oil mask. It looks like a mini cup noodle, the set comes with a pack of powder and essence with a little spatula. Looking at it reminds me of the sea monkey play sets you can buy as a kid.


The Rose and Herbal Oil Mask is supposed to be: A facial wash off mask with rose petal powder and herbal oil essence for skin soothing and sebum control.
For this mask, you're supposed to mix the stuff together and leave it on your face for 5 minutes then wash it off. The mixing part was quite fun XD
The essence comes out as a clear gel which quickly changes into a lavender color once it hits the powder. The powder has chunky pieces which absorbs the essences and you can see the pieces kind of bloom so you can see the rose pieces.
There's no smell and it does not irritate my skin. I just don't really like how the pieces are so chunky that it makes it a bit more difficult to apply.
You know how sometimes when you're done washing your face and it feels squeaky? Well after I rinse the mask off, my skin feels very moisturized and soft and I think that's all the mask really does.
I'm not too sure how well it does in controlling oil since nothing really works for me (except the Peach Sake serum sample that I've tried). I will have to test this out more, but for 3000won a pop, I might not be using this as often.



Once I apply it to my face, it looks like someone puked on me hehe. There's enough to cover your face generously.

The next item on the list is the Skinfood Blush Brush which cost 4500won. It cost less than my Etude House blush brush (which was about 6000won??) and it's a bit softer and less dense than the EH brush. I sent it to my mom to use before I had a chance to take a picture.
The Skinfood brush is not as soft as my Sephora brush, but I wanted something more fluffier because I only have the Sephora travel sized blush brush. I got what I was looking for because this is super fluffy. It doesn't feel too scratchy on my face and it takes a few swipes before it can pick up enough blush. I tried it with the Lavshuca blush and it took a few swipes to get enough on the bristles.
I'm not too sure what it's made of. I noticed that the dye was coming off a bit and there was some slight shedding during the washing, but that's what I get for buying a 4500won brush =p

I went Seoul exploring today and it ended up to be quite a disappointment, there's absolutely nothing to do in Seoul @__@ I went to one of the big department stores called Shinesegae and was disappointed because they didn't have the Kanebo counter. I saw a small vendor called Apres-Midi which sold macaroons, so it wasn't a day wasted after all =D
They cost 2000won each and they're about 2 inches in diameter. I got the pistachio, melon and choco-berry flavours, very yummy. This is what a real macaroon is supposed to look like =D I've also had an Early Gray one in Hong Kong, most delicious one I've had ever!!!

Friday, December 26, 2008

Skinfood: Bordeaux Mask Sheet

I hope everyone is having a great holiday! I'm so glad it's almost the new year, that means it's 1 step closer to HK!!
Anywho, aside from using the Skinfood Snow Tea mask sheets, I've started to use the Bordeaux ones as well. I use a mask every 1-2 days and I just alternate between them.
Surprisingly, the Skinfood closest to me does not sell the Bordeaux mask sheets. I'm not sure why. Maybe because the store is smaller?
You know how the media always tells us to use more anti-oxidant stuff and eat more berries and such? Well there's a sheet mask for your face!

According to the package:
Grape seed extract from red grapes contains powerful anti-oxidants that help fight skin damaged by sun and pollution. The combination of grape seed oil and grape seed extract helps boost the skin's moisture levels, making skin feel soft, supple and smooth.

So far I've used this for about a month and haven't noticed a dramatic change like the Snow Tea mask sheets. I like how it contains anti-oxidants because I don't think I consume enough on a day to day basis, and of course it's good to let my face soak it in.
My face feels refreshed after using the mask. I only leave it on for 15 minutes.
These sheets cost 1500won each and there is 0.6oz of essence in it.
I like how Skinfood's sheet masks are thin enough so it doesn't feel like there's a heavy sheet on my face.
I like the smell, more than the Snow Tea ones. The Bordeaux mask sheet smells quite strong, especially when you first put it on your face. It smells like grapes with a hint of wine, which I don't mind, and it fades a bit as it's sitting on your face.

Did I mention that Baskin Robbins in Korea has the cutest ice cream cakes??? They are totally not worth the price tag because it doesn't taste as good as it looks. I think BR just used cheaper ice cream for this.
It comes in a styro-foam box and they put dry ice inside in case you need to travel far from the store. Of course I have to keep the box XD

Isn't this gorgeous? It's called the Dream House cake and it cost me 24000won. The top is made with cherry ice cream and the bottom is vanilla with tiny chocolate cookie pieces in it. The vanilla flavour is very bland. The cookie decorations and penguins didn't taste very good. It's all for the looks XD This will take me a while to finish, it's almost the size of my head haha and it's all ice cream.
Maybe I should try another flavour next time. There are many other cute cakes at BR. I've also had their ice cream fondue, but I don't have pictures. Hopefully, I'll eat it again and show everyone =D



Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Not So Good Hair Products

I feel like I've been so bad at comments and catching up on blogs, but tomorrow 3/5 classes cancelled so I have plenty of time!!!
Hair products are probably the most annoying thing for me. A lot of the products I've tried are hit or miss. Maybe I should invest in some better products instead of the drugstore brands XD
The one product I trust is the Schwarzkopf hair spray, but I ran out!!!! I highly doubt that Korea sells it. Most of the hair products are Korean, Dove, Vidal Sasson and they carry very few Japanese items.
When I ran out of the usual hairspray, I went and purchased the Gatsby Super Hard spray for about 8000won. It's a lot cheaper than the Schwarzkopf spray I use, which is $18CAD.
I don't really like the Gatsby hairspray. It does not last long enough. My hair falls flat in a matter of hours.
It also smells really bad. There's no fragrance in the product and all you can smell is chemical.
The spray comes out in a very fine mist and it's difficult to get enough to set my hair.
Oh well, I can't say it's money wasted as Tim uses some too, so that means I can try the Ma Cherie Platinum spray sooner!

The second hair product is the Skinfood Apple Mango Volume Essence. I think I got it for about 4500won and there is 100mL.
I don't really like the smell of this either. Imagine apple and mango juice mixed with vinegar.
The product also doesn't do much. I don't see a difference at all after I blow dry my hair. *sigh* It feels more like a hair conditioner because my hair feels slightly softer.
I like this Lunasol video, although it's from the 2008 summer collection. You can't really see the colours well, but if you understand Cantonese, they give a pretty good tutorial.

In other non-makeup related news, I found out I have one of the crappiest work schedule EVER. I'm one of the few teachers who are kinda neglected or feel like they're hated by the school. I have to be there from 8:30am-4:30 every single f-ing day except Christmas. I'm basically owned by the school since signing the contract. It's ridiculous how I have to be there when it's only going to be the janitors and maybe 1-2 teachers. There are no classes so I'll be sitting on my ass the whole day doing nothing. I thought I'd at least get a few days off.
The school isn't even going to serve lunch so I hope Tim will be bringing me food. It's like things can't get any worse already...
Oh right it did...a few days ago the lightbulb in the washroom literally exploded. Good thing it was still inside the glass cover. The landlord told me and Tim it was our problem, so wtf is that 70000won maintanence fee doing??? After much complaining, the landlord finally helped us get the metal piece out and replaced the lightbulb.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, YAY!! Tim and I are going to Outback and pigging out then we're gonna eat a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake. I must show you pictures when I get it tomorrow, the cakes are SO cute.

Happy Holidays!!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

My Makeshift Vanity and the Weekend

I hope everyone's having a great weekend! I hear there's a lot of snow in a lot of your areas. Not here! I hate to brag, but....I generally see sunshine and clear skies with crisp cool air and light wind XD hahahahaha! But I do miss the snow, it's just not Christmas without it.
Without furthur ado, I bring you my latest find!
I went to Kosney again, and I want to buy the whole store!! I'm not too sure if they ship internationally because I can't read Korean, but if you are looking for cute stationary, I'm sure you'll be able to find it on G-Market.
A few months ago, I saw this box organizer at Kosney. I thought it was the cutest thing, but I didn't get it because I was thinking of getting it just before I go back to Toronto. I gave in and I had to get it because my makeup drawer is such a mess.

It's called DIY boxes. I got it for 10000won and they're quite stury for cardboard boxes. You can organize them in anyway you like. The best part, the boxes in the back fit sheet masks perfectly!

My stash is very small compared to a lot of bloggers. I didn't bring everything with me, but Tim still think I have too much with me.

So my makeshift vanity on the table that's sitting on the shelf. I have the P&J tray from Cuttibebe with all my samples and bits and bobs on the side. But since I'm such a disorganized person, the items will soon shift around in no time.
On Saturday, it was my first attempt at Korean food. I only eat Korean food at school and western food for dinner and such. It was an interesting experience. Tim was trying to read the Korean, but of course we didn't understand what it said anyway, THENN the waitress gave us an English menu and we ordered what looked good. Little did I know it was SPICY!!!!!!
The dish was braised chicken and seafood with jap chae (clear noodles) noodles on the bottom that soaked up all the sauce. The flavour was quite good but the chillies were the things that brought me down. I can't stand spicy food. I don't even know how I managed to go through this with Tim because he's not a big spicy food eater either. By the end, my tongue felt like it was on fire, you know when you burn your tongue with a hot liquid? Ya, horrible. Thank goodness it wasn't the type of spicyness that lingers. I think I ended up drinking 10 cups of water.
25000won for 2 people isn't too bad for such a big dish!


My attempt to get my bangs cut (without speaking Korean) came out..not the way I wanted. I wanted "shredded" bangs but the guy cut it, well, Korean style haha. I cut my bangs once a year anyway so it's no biggy for me If any of you ever come to Korea, go to Juno hair. It's 25000won for cut and wash (at least $10 cheaper than what I usually get in Toronto) and the service was awesome!
AAAAAHHH!!! Mister Donut!! This is the second time I visited it because the donuts are quite pricey. The chocolate one you see there cost 1500won and the hot chocolate was 3000won @__@ Very tasty and cute though.

Being the crazy person I am sometimes, I had to ask for their bag, it was way too cute.


Yumeko! Mister Donut does the points thing here too. For some reason they didn't have the system set up properly yet so I didn't sign up for the membership.
For those of you who don't know, there's some membership thing where you can earn points to get Mister Donut merchandise. I wish I could just purchase the stuff. I wonder how many donuts I'd have to eat before I could get that lion?

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Laneige: Balancing Emulsion 3

I thought Laneige only came out with 2 different emulsions, but I found out there's a #3 when I went to get a new bottle here.
So anyway, I'm on to my 3rd bottle of Laneige emulsion. The first one I used was for dry skin, which I mistakenly ordered on Sasa, I needed oily/combination skin, and it took a while for my skin to get used to the formula and to absorb it.

I don't understand why it's called emulsion, I think it's the same as other face lotions, maybe Laneige wants to be special??
I purchased this at Aritaum for 22000won. The last time I checked in Toronto, Pacific Mall sold it for about $30CAD. There is 120mL in this bottle and it lasts quite a while. I only use 1 pump and it is enough for my entire face and neck.
The emulsion is super liquidy with a very light watery texture. I like the fact that it feels so light, even though it takes my skin a while to fully absorb everything. Laneige uses a "water science" system in their products, which they called "Snow Water Science". It's supposed to provide skin with the necessary hydration.
I have been using Laneige for at least 2 years. I do get the occasional break outs each month, but that's because of hormone changes with the monthly visit.
Laneige is good, but then I want to look for something different. Sometimes the area around my nose will feel irritated due to the weather, nose peels, exfoliators etc etc and Laneige doesn't really help that much in moisturizing that area. Also, during the winter months, I usually have to use a bit more emulsion because it's not hydrating enough for me, especially around the mouth area.
To combat this dryness and irritation, I have used the Fancl line from May - October this year, and I think my skin does better than Laneige.
Fancl's products are made in a "germ free" lab and they also have probably 99% less preservatives and chemicals than other brands of skincare. However, Fancl skincare products all have a lifespan of 2 months. It actually takes me just under 2 months to finish all the products. You only need a small amount from each item and for about $17CAD for each item, I think it's quite worth it.
Although the Fancl lotions and milky lotions tend to leave a slightly sticky feeling, my face feels a lot more hydrated than using Laneige.
I don't really have a choice but to use Laneige at the moment because Fancl is not available in Korea. I'm a bit more wary of trying so many different products on my skin. My mom had shown me an article in the paper about parabens and I try to avoid it if I can. The amount of chemicals in some skincare products could be the reason why my face has reddness and irritation sometimes. I might as well stick for Laneige for now instead of experimenting too much.
I'll be getting into more detail about Fancl once I purchase the line again.



These are my babies!! My cats range from ages 4 - 18 or so. I know they're fat asses..same with my rabbit. My cats don't like to move around too much, especially because they've been neutered/spayed..it kinda takes the active life outta animals hahaha. The biggest ass you see in the middle of the picture is Toby, who passed away a few months ago. I didn't really have an updated picture of all my cats together other than this one.
My bunny is a birthday present from Tim. Her name is Moemoe and I think she has triple chins, she's a very lazy bunny. We orginally had another bunny but we didn't realize that it had a growth on his lung and he didn't survive through the surgury. The petstore gave us another bunny in replacement of the first one.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Ramblings and a Mini Review

AHHH!!! My dear friend and fellow blogger Yumeko sent me a package and it arrived 2 days ago! I was so freaking excited when I saw an envelope on my desk! I love it! Thank you Yumeko!!!!! I tried the Kose mask yesterday and it was quite refreshing. She even drew a cute picture on the envelope. Thank you again!!

Before you finish browsing through this post, I'd like to let you know that I'll be rambling a bit in the end, hence the title, but of course I also leave you with a mini review instead of totally boring you to death XD


When I purchased the Integrate winter palette, the SA gave me a bunch of samples of Shiseido's Elixir. I've been using the Lifting Night Cream for the past week or so and I've decided that I will not be purchasing the full sized version anytime soon.
As a night cream, I expected it to be more rich because it's supposed to help replenish the nutrients in your skin. I didn't expect this night cream to be so thick, it's like spreading butter on your face. There's no detectable smell and this does no irritate my skin, however, I feel that it's too rich. On some mornings, I wake up with visibly shiny skin, kinda gross. It also felt very oily. I don't think my skin can absorb such a rich lotion. I will be sticking to my Laneige emulsion when I'm done using this sample. It's great for those with dry skin though, especially in the winter, but not for me unfortunately XD

I love Family Guy and this is one of my favourite scenes. Enjoy!!







Do you believe in finding close friends through the internet? Or finding a close friend is more of a physical thing as well? (where you meet up with them for a cup of coffee to catch up kinda thing)
I thought I was never good at making new friends. I find that it's hard to get along with most people, mostly because I get nervous when I talk to someone I just met. Girls are the hardest to get along with because I always feel like they're judging me, the way I look, talk and act.
In a way, I'm hiding behind a computer, I feel like it's much easier to talk to other people (bloggers). I feel like they don't judge me and we can find things we have in common. But then sometimes if I'm looking for an outside party to talk to, what if my e-mail venting bothers them? Sometimes, I'm very insecure about my friends. So many things have happened and I'm always scared I'll be alone.
Since starting this blog, I didn't expect to have some conversations or even be mailing things to other bloggers. It's nice to know that you have someone there who's willing to listen to/read you rant. So would you consider these people to be almost your close friend?
How do you make new friends? There doesn't have to be answers to my questions, but I'm just curious, are friends nowadays people that go in and out of your life quickly and easily?



Anyway, Monaaa!! And to everyone else who's curious, here's a description of what my experience in Korea has been in a nutshell.
I had applied to teach after talking to a friend about it. She was teaching at that time and she sent me the website that was hiring. They hire for a bigger company which is the Seoul Metropolitan of Education. (you don't need to known Korean btw) I do not have a teaching certificate or TESOL, I only have a Bachelor's degree in history. The application was SOOO rushed. I applied at the end of July and they rushed me here for the end of August. It cost me a lot of money, mainly because of the background checks and the VISA.
I am on a one year contract so I won't be back in Toronto until next August. The airfare and housing is paid for you. I just have to pay the utility bills which don't cost me more than $100CAD a month and I split this with Tim.
I've had a bad experience the moment I got here. There were no instructions on where to meet at the airport for pickup so I wandered around with Tim and asking the foreign looking people if they were teaching as well. Luckily, the company had hired a lot of people who took the same flight.
My housing has been a mess. Tim and I had requested a couple apt. The school district office had told my school not to find housing for me because Tim's school will take care of the couple housing. However, the school district failed to inform Tim's school, which is why we ended up in a box till next August. I had 2 choices because of the box housing. The schools could find Tim and I a larger place, or I could take 500 000won (less than $500CAD) a month until my contract ends to compensate for the error and as housing subsidy. Of course I took the 500 000won, it will pay for our vacation to Hong Kong XD
I'm teaching in a middle school, 21 classes a week which consists of all the grade 7 and 9 students and I work from 830am-430pm.
My school is very disorganized. They always give me confusing answers and they never answer my questions directly. I feel like I always have to chase them for answers.
The students are very disrespectful to me and any other young female teachers. It's nothing like schools in Canada.
When I teach, they talk, when I walk in the hallways, they walk into me, when they see another teacher they will bow, but not to me. I have never had to talk so loudly everyday before. The first few weeks, my throat would hurt at the end of the day. They constantly use cellphones and MP3 players in class and I have taken away many.
My students are split into 3 levels, depending on how good their English is. I only have 1 class that will actually respect me and listen to my lesson. (These are the high level English grade 9 students and they don't break eye contact with me, kinda freaky).
I have a co-teacher with me at all times while I teach, but none of them really do much to discipline the students or aid me in preparing and presenting a lesson. My co-teachers have problems amongst themselves to begin with so it doesn't really help at all. One of my co-teachers sometimes decides to challenge me, thinking her English is better than mine just because she's spent 4-5 years in Singapore. I've had countless problems and complaints about her.
I've talked to other English teachers that I've met during orientation. They don't seem to have this problem. Maybe I got the bad end of the deal?
The only thing that's keeping me sane are Tim, my blog and occasional shopping.
If you ask me, I wouldn't recommend anyone to teach in Seoul. Tim hasn't had as many problems as me, mainly because his school is a bit more organized. I was told that Koreans are known to be very last minute and they always change their minds. (I was told by the school district during orientation, they could be wrong and I don't mean to offend anyone in any matter)
It has been very frustrating for me. I also think my school expected a visible foreigner and they were disappointed, there was a rumour that I was black. I blend right in because I'm Chinese.


I also don't like spicy food haha and 99% of Korean food is spicy XD

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Mid-Week Boringness

I feel like I have nothing much to bring you this week. I haven't really been buying anything new. I have a budget each week and that's 150000-200000won a week. I already spent a good deal of that money on the Pin Bon Buste, the Detocrush and some other miscellaneous items. So today I bring you something I've been meaning to review for a while already later in the post.

When I first came to Seoul, I was required to do a physical check to get my health insurance and alien registration card. Last week the school nurse told me I had to do another physical check or else I will get fined..WTF... My VP said it was "Korean custom" to do the check every 2 years if I'm a public officer, which I'm sure I'm not. He uses that excuse a lot on me. "Korean custom...Canada custom..traditional.." and more shit of the like.
Long story short, the clinic I went to looked sooo unsanitary. I had to use a used robe for my x-ray, a PAPER cup to pee in. The nurse was holding the needle on the cap with her teeth and she gave me a tiny bruise from the blood test!! I was bleeding a lot after the blood test. The nurse didn't bother to get a new cotton pad, she just folded the one I was holding on my arm and taped it on. Of course I peeled it off and put on one of these suckers I brought with me...


...and they hurt like a mofo when it's time to take it off. Never use these on your arms...
Anyway, on to my outdated reviews of a couple products.
I only own 1 highlighter powder and it's the T'estimo Pure Layer Blush in WT-04 (hmm...same colour code as the Coffret D'or Star Dazzling liner haha). I got this a year ago for about $25CAD.

This is a really purdy loose highlighting powder. It's super silky and spreads like a dream without making you look like you just dunked your face into a bag of glitter. The powder is white but it does not make your face or other body parts look white. Oh how I love. I use this to highlight the apples of my cheeks after applying blush, but I hardly use it because I always forget I have it. I also use this under my eyes and under the brow when I'm only using eyeliner, it gives that extra bit of sparkle when you don't want to overload your eyes with makeup.
The case is plastic and it comes with a brush (the lid isn't made very well, it gets loose easily). The hairs on the brush are soft enough to feel pleasant on your face, it is also very dense so it can pick up the powder easily. The size of the brush is also big enough to quickly highlight the apples or around your eyes in one application.
There is a half sifter and a plastic cover to separate the brush from touching the powder which I think is great at keeping the powder from flying everywhere.
This lasts pretty long, by the end of the day I still notice that little bit of shimmer, although most of it has faded away. If it's a hot humid day, it'll be off in a few hours, especially because I need to blot my face. I swear sometimes I have enough oil on my face to fry an egg in the summer. (I have a sample of the Skinfood Peach Sake serum, and it's really good at reducing the oil, but I'm sure it's doing something bad to my pores as well)
Sadly, this product is not readily available everywhere since T'estimo has been discontinued. On Adam Beauty, only the PK-20 color is left, but I'm sure if you scrounge around you'll be able to pick up this little gem. It's a collectors item because it has been discontinued! Ah! I feel so honored to have it in my hands XD


See the pretty shimmer!? I normally don't use that much on my face haha, I would look quite silly if I did.
Next up on my list, the Mentholatum Sunplay Skincare UV Mild Milk, with SPF 24 (80g).

I can't remember how much I got this for. I went to the Sasa store and grabbed whatever sunscreen I could find because I was going swimming that day, which was a big mistake. This thing isn't waterproof!!!!! My face felt slimy after dunking my head into the water.
The good thing about this sunscreen is it's very light! It's very liquidy, hence the name mild milk. It's great for your face because it does not leave a heavy sticky residue feeling, there's no scent and it absorbs quickly.
I've been a naughty girl. I don't use sunscreen religiously, not until I came to Korea so now I use this prior to putting on my makeup. Well, actually after purchasing BB creams, I've stopped using it because the BB cream has sun protection already. I know I shouldn't be that lazy..but... I am...and I know I'll pay for my lazyness one day.
Ugghh....ok I will use it starting tomorrow..


Remind you of anything??? Milky sunscreen of course!! Can you picture how liquidy it is.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Boobs and a Not Really Makeup Post

Ahhahaha....boobs, what a funny word, who came up with it anyway?? Before I talk about boobs I need to mention my newest makeup remover!
I had to see what all the rave was about with this Mandom Express makeup remover. It is Express right? I'm too lazy to grab my bottle to read it. I thought it was 12000won, but it came up to 8000won at the counter. I got it from a Watsons (a rarity in Seoul) and I think it was a newly opened one so that's why I got a discount, plus a free box of cotton. I purchased the sebum formula for oily skin which works great for me. There's no need to really get into the review as this baby does its job. No oily residue here! My face feels mighty fresh after using it. I might even love it more than my Neutrogena Oil Free makeup remover.
Oh, I made an amazing discovery at this Watsons, they sell those infamous Shisem lashes that Pink raves about, buuttt, I'm too scared that I'll rip my own lashes which is why I didn't purchase them. They were 2000-3000owon a pair if I'm not mistaken. That's cheap right??



I made a possibly retarded or unnecessary purchase. I'm a sucker for products that claim to do wonders, like the Sana Esteny Detocrush Gel and this Pin Bon Buste cream.
Pin Bon Buste is a new product from Japan and it's supposed to be a boob enlarger/enhancer cream. I really don't think it'll do much, it's probably more like a firming moisturizing cream or something of the like. I purchased this at Kosney (super cute Korean store, think of Urban Outfitters but cuter and better) for 36000won for 150g. I knew if I didn't buy it I would regret it later. Someone's got to try it right?
Even though it's probably just a regular ol' firming cream, I still like to have the hope of enhancing my boobs. I'm Asian, I lack in that department...36B just doesn't quite cut it for me...TMI?? Haha..I'm 5'3 and at least 128lbs by now since coming to Korea so that explains a bit XD (and I only speak for myself)
I dunno if I really like it. It doesn't absorb like regular lotion, there's a slightly umm.. dry-ish residue, sorta like dried out glue??? Haha it sounds gross, but that's the best I can explain it. I can't over apply the cream or my boobs will end up looking like I just dripped white glue all over and it dried. There's a light fragrance to it and I can't quite put my finger on what it smells like. Kind of like cotton candy but not really.
For 36000won, if it's good at keeping my boobs nicely moisturized and smelling good, I will consider purchasing it again.
I just purchased the Sana Detocrush Gel today which is why I don't have a picture. It's basically just a thick brown gel with smooth round exfoliating beads. It's supposed to help break down fats in your belly, but I think it's just an expensive scrub haha. (23000won compared to 98HKD) See, I told you I'm a sucker for these products.


I went to Ewha Women's University station and there's some great shopping there, from cheap clothes to independent designers. There are makeup stores and cafes up the ass. Marion Crepes (from Harajuku according to the sign, also available in HK) is the BOMBBB!!! But I didn't feel pig enough to have it this weekend. Instead, I opted for fruit on a stick! These little skewers are candied fruit, like candied apples. They cost 1000won each and the fruit are super sweet and the coating is crunchy. The candy coating is strawberry and grape.

Here are a few pictures of my miniature food colletion. I have the Rement ice cream set, Japanese night food and bakery set. The rest are random pieces that I've picked up. They're very horrible pictures and I've added more to my collection since taking these. The mini fridge has a light inside that actually works...oooooooooooooh. I gotta take some more pictures when I get home. I'm planning to buy at least 2 more sets of food and some sets of miniature animals when I go to Hong Kong.






Every morning, I have to stare at them before stepping out of my room XD

Sunday, December 14, 2008

My First Tag and Integrate

Yes it's a big deal to me. I copied the rules from Miemiemie cuz I'm too lazy to rewrite them =p

Deal: once you’ve been tagged, you have to write a blog with sixteen random things, facts, habits or goals about you. at the end choose ten people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them. don’t forget to leave them a comment (“you’re it”) and to read your blog. you can’t tag the person who tagged you.

1. I can snap my left fingers but not my right.
2. I've had cats in my life for as long as I can remember. Currently, I have 4 cats and a rabbit back at home.
3. I hate when the toilet paper is not on the over hand position!! It makes it that much harder to get toilet paper in an emergency!!!
4. I hate peas and bell peppers. Even if you chop it up into tiny bits, I can still taste it mixed up into other foods.
5. If I sleep on my right side, my nose gets plugged, if I sleep on the left side of my body I'm fine. 6. I twirl my hair when I'm bored and I like to pick at the split ends.
7. I'm very indecisive about my hair. Sometimes I want bangs, other days I don't and I can never decide when to cut it. I think I need to get fake bangs but I dunno where....
8. I hate getting my hair blow dried by the stylist. Everytime the hot air is in the vicinity of the back of my neck, I have this horrible itchy feeling at the base of my spine and my lower back (you know the itches that are under the skin??). Even if the stylist is using a round brush to blow dry my hair and the heat is pointing away from my neck, I still get that weird uncomfortable feeling. This doesn't happen when I blow dry my own hair though.
9. I like taking pictures of the right side of my face
10. I'm kind of allergic to alcohol. More than 1 drink will cause a rash on my chest (especially if it's something I've never had before)
11. I sleep with a night light.
12. I'm an indecisive shopper. I like to walk around different stores 10 times before I decide to buy it or not.
13. I crave freshly baked bread at random times.
14. I'm obssessed with Ayumi Hamasaki but I don't understand Japanese.
15. I've been with Tim since September 13, 2002.
16. I like to collect Japanese miniature food. (Megahouse and Rement brands)

I'm tagging:
1. My Little Rentata
2. Blahsayblah
3. Beeyoutiful
4. And....because I don't know who else has been tagged or not, I'm tagging all of you that haven't done it yet!!!!!! XD

Finally, my review of the Integrate winter palette. I've already explained a bit about it in my last post, so here's some close ups and more thoughts about it.



As you can see, they're quite sheer. The eye shadow is a silver cream shadow. The glitters are kind of chunky and not as fine as the Maquillage Forming Eyes high lighter. Since the glitters are a bit chunky, it doesn't spread super smoothly.
I like the effect of this shadow though. At certain angles it looks more silver than one side of your eyes and if you turn your head, there are different levels of silverness, even if you apply it evenly. The shadow dries quickly and it's very difficult to blend shadows on top because it's got chunky glitters.
My eyelids are oily so no shadow stays well for me, so as usual I notice fading after 5 hours or so, nothing too special.
The lipglosses look so pretty in the palette, but alas, they are sheer. The pink gloss gives a nice shine to my lips while the white gloss adds the sparkles. Without the white gloss, the pink one alone would look kind of blah because it doesn't have any shimmer in it.
I like how the gloss has some good staying power but I don't like how it's so sticky. It feels stickier than my Majolica Majorca Rouge Majex and the MJ gloss lasts longer than the Integrate glosses.
The brush is absolute crap. The bristles are way too soft and long to pick up anything. I have to use the brush like a shovel to get anything and it takes a while to get enough gloss on my lips.


I forgot to mention that my Integrate eyeliner is nothing too special. I use it to fill the spaces inbetween my lashes and if I get any on the top waterline (if that's what it's called) it makes black marks on my lower lashline. It takes some time before I can get it right. The liner makes a great base for my MAC gel liner, it helps it last longer.

A bit outdated, but here are some scans from the November 2008 issue of Vivi.




photosource: fans.com.cn