Night Routine

I've talked about my skincare routine a couple months ago in this post. After visiting Hong Kong, I got some new things to add into my daily skincare routine, this time it includes some new products for night time. I've stuck to using the Orbis products for the day time because the moisturizer is very light so I figured I should get something more hydrating for night time.

My cleansers include the Softymo Super Point Makeup Remover, Orbis Cleansing Liquid and Lush Coalface.
The moisturizers are the P&J skincare items: Moisture Lotion, Moisture Cream and the Eye Treatment Cream.
For extras, I use a lipbalm, Ardell Lash/Brow Accelerator on the brows and Canmake Eye Essence before bed. I also use the Treatment Oil 1-2 times a week and the Skinfood Black Sugar Scrub 2-3 times a week depending on how dry my skin is.

It sounds very complicated, but I'm sure it's waaaay fewer steps than some people out there XD
The P&J items were a great addition to my routine. Not only are these products super hydrating, they also smell soooo nice, like floral and citrus scent.
A quick note about the Moisture Lotion and Cream. Sometimes my cheeks feel tight after I wash my face, once I apply the lotion, my skin immediately feels relieved and moisturized.
The Moisture Cream is super hydrating and doesn't break out on me. I do have a minor rant, it feels slighty sticky/oily on my skin. I don't mind this at all since it moisturizes very well.
Out of all the products I've used on my skin, I think the P&J ones are the most moisturizing, it even beats the Laneige Emulsions.
I almost forgot about the Skinfood Black Sugar Foam Scrub. I still think it smells like lemon dish detergent but it doesn't bother me. I like how it makes my skin feel super smooth, but the sugar granules are a bit too rough. It melts away as I massage my skin, but I just don't like the initial feeling of it. I'm gonna be getting something else after I'm through with it.

I saw on a blog (can't remember which one) that minty green polishes are supposed to be the IT color. Lucky for me I got this in September so I didn't have to hunt for one. This is the PA polish in A86. It costs about 280yen but I can't remember how much I got it for.
I used 2 coats plus the PA topcoat. I think it's a bit difficult to apply the polish evenly, if you look closely, you can seem some streaks.

Most of the time, I don't like eating dinner with my teachers. I just feel so alienated by them and it's so difficult to communicate, even with my coteachers. But it's interesting to see what's for dinner because I don't eat Korean food outside of school. I have to admit I'm quite sick of Korean food since I eat it everyday for lunch, I miss eating Chinese food.
I don't remember what this soup was called. Mine was the only non-red one because I don't eat spicy food. The flavour was yummy but it was super salty!

Some sam-gip-sal (??) fatty pork and rice. I think I was the only one that ate the lean parts of the pork XD I didn't eat the kimchi either, it was mainly pork, soup and rice for me.

The last class of grade 9 students to see me were a funny bunch. They were obviously impressed that a person who looks Korean to them could speak perfect English, so there were plenty of oooohs and ahhs.
When I walked around to check if they were doing their assignment, I usually talk to them. The boys were REALLY shy!! There were 2 boys whose faces turned red when I spoke to them. They tried to cover it with their hands while being teased by their classmates haha.

More Orbis - Lots of Babbling

Before I forget or have no time, I want to talk a bit about my current skincare items. Yes, it's more Orbis haha, I think I'm addicted to it. It's a good addiction because it's affordable so I went and bought the full sizes.
My items now consists of the Orbis Aqua Force collection. From what I can translate with the Google translator, the Aqua Force is a line designed to hydrate your skin, hence Aqua Force. It penetrates your skin to add necessary moisture due to the changes in seasons and most likely other environmental factors. It comes in two different formulas, M for dry skin and L for oily skin.
The only down side to this line are the toners and moisturizers contain alcohol and methylparaben, for those who are paraben concious. I think it's sometimes hard to avoid parabens when so many things nowadays contain it.

The face wash is called the Aqua Force Mild Wash. It is a white creamy facial wash that lathers up really nicely. Only 1-2cm is enough for a foamy wash. The wash does not specifiy dry or oily skin.
I got this tube for 16 000won and it contains 120g. I think it's well worth the price because very little is needed to cleanse your face. There is no scent to this product.
The cleanser washes my face to an almost squeaky clean feeling but I do not feel that my face is stripped of everything. It only feels slightly dry if I don't put on moisturizer immediately because of the dry weather.

Next up is the Lotion-L. This feels like a regular toner, nothing too special. I purchased this for 19 000won and it contains 180mL. The only down side is there's alcohol, but I'm ok with it for this product because it does no irritate my face.

The small bottle in the middle is the Moisture-L. I got this for 22 000won and it contains 50g. Again, this contains alcohol, but it does not irritate my face and there is no smell.
It's a small bottle of moisturizer and I thought I wouldn't have enough so I got the refill pack for 20 000won to bring on my trip. I'm actually wrong about it not being enough because very little is needed for my face to feel moisturized.
I use about a pea size amount of moisturizer which is enough to generously cover my face. This is a clear gel moisturizer and it spreads really easily. After about 2 minutes, it's fully absorbed into my skin. There is no sticky residues and my face feels hydrated, but when I touch it, it does not feel silky. Most other moisturizers I've tried leave a bit of stickyness behind.

The little tube is my 3rd sample of the Aqua Force Extra Gel. I think it's a bit richer than the regular moisturizer and I use it at night. This one leaves a bit of sitcky residue on my face, other than that, it feels the same as the Moisture-L.
I've also been using the Eye Care Essence samples, which is also a gel (Orbis gives lots of samples). I don't really like it because it's so runny, leaves me eye area sticky and does not absorb quickly.

If you're interested in trying these items, I would highly recommend you to do so unless your skin is sensitive to alchol. I'm loving this line because my face feels more hydrated than using Laneige, and I haven't gotten any break outs. *knock on wood*
The only site that I know sells this, is Ichibankao, but they marked up the items a lot. If you can read Chinese, Japanese or Korean, maybe you can go on the sites and see if they do special international shipping. After all, Orbis started out as a mail order brand.

Moving on, I also want to talk a bit about the UV Cut Sunscreen On Face. I purchased this for 14 000won and it's marked as one of the most popular items in the only Korean Orbis I know. There is 35g of product and I think this will last me a while.

This is a tinted sunscreen designed for your face. I can see the benefits of a sunscreen made for your face because it feels really light. The one I got is the cream version. Orbis also offers a milky version which is a lot more lighter and runny.
I didn't notice a big difference from the tint other than my face being a bit brighter because it's so sheer. Sometimes I only use this and the Color & Nuance Base, no foundation. I use this as my first step in base makeup application if applying foundation.
The sunscreen is oil free which makes a huge difference for me because my face is oily, esp on the t-zone.

I got som Fuz Luv today! Before I tell you what it is, this package went through hell to come here haha. Fuz sent it about 3 weeks ago and it should have arrived in Seoul in about 2 days but it was stuck at customs for some odd reason. I got a call from DHL (all translated of course) and my coteacher asked me if the makeup was: used, new or if I was going to return it! I had a feeling that DHL opened it. Then my coteacher tells me that DHL needed my passport or alien registration card to clear the package....I had a big WTF on my face. It was so weird, but I gave them my alien registration number. Sooo....that only means one thing, they probably thought it was some bio hazard stuff from the states?!??! There were liquids in the package, luckily they didn't open it, the package was labelled with makeup. LOL ..makeup terrorism I tell you...

She sent me some samples of the P&J Foundation Primer and the Protective Foundation! She also sent me her P&J e/l in 04 (the purple one). I swatched it on my hand and I love how the purple is so subtle and brighter in different lighting. AHH! I could come and kiss you right now! ThankQ! I'm gonna get you back!

A cup from a coffee shop, uber cute!

Fun With My Lumix & FOTD

It's been a while since I did a FOTD, but now that I have a new camera, it's so much easier and more clear. I used my new MUFE and Sephora e/l. I think I understand why the MUFE e/l is Fuz's HG. It's sooooo smooth and it didn't even budge! The Sephora e/l isn't as great because I noticed a wee bit of fading a smudging. I'm sure it was the Sephora liner because by the end of the day, there wasn't as much on my eye as the morning.
I didn't used foundation today because I don't like how I look so pale. Again...darn those masks! I probably won't start using foundation until my skin turns back to normal.

I made a meatball bun today, it's not really big and you can't see it on top of my head because my hair isn't super long. The lighting in my box makes it so difficult to take pictures.

A close up of my nails. I used the Majolica Majorca nail polish in GR102 to do a gradient look. I love this color!

I have a whole bunch of pictures I took around Myeong Dong. I can't seem to not go there every weekend because it's so boring anywhere else.

Yup, foie gras macaroons. I saw these in the Hyundai Department Store. There are a ton of pastry shops, food stands and a grocery store. There were also fruit baskets for $160 and heart shaped strawberries. The cupcakes are so cute! They're 4300won each and they're not that big. I didn't get a chance to get them.

Orbis Cleansing Liquid

Happy Chinese and Lunar New Year! I wish I was at home, then I could get some red pockets XD
The weekend has been so boring, no shopping, unless you count groceries. I was hoping to get my new digi cam, but the store was closed for the holiday. I don't even know what I'm gonna do today.

This is the Orbis Cleansing Liquid. The pink bottle is LE which is why I bought it. I don't think I would have purchased the Cleansing Liquid if it wasn't for that reason. It sells for 17000won, but I got it when it was on sale for 16000won (haha like $1 off). I also purchased the refill for 15000won and there is 150mL in each item. I really like the refill pack because storing it is more convenient. (I had to take the pictures in the washroom because Tim was still snoring away)

Aside from being pink, the bottle also has some pretty flower designs on it. Although the bottle is plastic, it feels very sturdy and feel like it will keep its shape. The bottle is probably made better just so people can buy refills for it. The non LE bottle is just made with clear plastic.

This is my first cleansing oil and I like it already. Previously, I've been using the Mandom Express remover. After I bought the Orbis cleanser, I started to use the Mandom remover for my eyes only and the Cleansing Liquid for the rest of my face. I wanted to make sure that my face was fully cleansed of all makeup and I didn't feel the Mandom remover did a good job anymore. It worked well for me the first few times, then I started to notice traces of eye makeup in the morning. I still gave the Mandom remover another chance but a few days ago, after using the Mandom remover for my eye makeup, my eyes started to sting >.<

I'm liking the Orbis cleanser because I can feel that my face is well cleansed and it does not leave a dry feeling like the Mandom remover. I can also use less than the Mandom remover to cleanse my entire face, including my eye makeup. I used 6-8 pumps for the Mandom remover and about a pump and a half (about a quarter sized) for the Orbis cleanser.
I use this on dry skin and rinse off with water. My face feels a little bit squeaky clean, but it does not feel dry or tight and this is a major plus for the winter months.

I'm not sure how the texture compares to other oil cleansers, but I like how the Orbis Cleansing Liquid is thick enough to stay on your face without dripping everywhere, yet thin enough to spread smoothly. There is no scent which is good for those who are sensitive to smells.

The ingredients on the Taiwan site:
WATER‧DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL‧PEG-20 GLYCERYL TRIISOSTEARATE‧PEG-20 GLYCERYL ISOSTEARATE‧METHYL GLUCETH-10‧PEG-8 CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC GLYCERIDES‧PEG-45 STEARATE‧BUTYLENE GLYCOL‧DIPOTASSIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE‧SODIUM CITRATE‧TOCOPHEROL‧CITRIC ACID‧MELISSA OFFICINALIS (BALM MINT) LEAF EXTRACT‧ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT‧EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS LEAF EXTRACT

I applied some of the Orbis Liquid Foundation on my arm and you can see how the foundation is kinda clumped into oil blobs which rinses off easily.


I have a minor rant, my face is slightly paler than my neck!! I think I have to blame the Skinfood Snow Tea mask sheets. I've been using them twice a week for at least 4 months and it did help reduce my freckles as you can see in my previous post. I didn't imagine that my face would get that much paler from using the masks so I've stopped using them argh! I can't wait till spring.

Orbis Base Makeup

Yay! Officially 2 more weeks till I go to Hong Kong, and 2.5 weeks till my birthday @__@ I'm trying to decide if I want to go to the Agnes B cafe or do High Tea at Hagen Daaz XD Dinner will be with Tim's family and relatives because his aunt is celebrating her Lunar birthday the same day as my birthday. HMmm...I wonder what we're gonna eat.
A little rant: I saw the new Maquillage collection and it's GORGEOUS!!! The only catch, they will cost me an arm and leg!!
The cases for the blushes are sold separately (typical) but what disappointed me was how the shadow cases were sold separately as well! So in total for the blushers and the shadows, it will cost 62 000won each @__@ *sigh* Oh well, the blushers seem too complicated anyway. I think I'll just get the Design Cheek Colors instead, but I'll definitely get one of the shadow palettes.
The won also went down a bit compared to the HKD....arrghh!!!

I've started using my Orbis base products and Aqua Force skincare for at least a week already and so far so good with a few exceptions. I'll put a break down of each product after I show you my base makeup FOTD.
I'll start off with what I used today in terms of base makeup.

Orbis:
Liquid Foundation #03
Eye Zone Bright Veil
Smooth Mat Base
Color and Nuance Base in Mint Green
Paul & Joe Protective Foundation Primer
Sana Concealer
UDPP
Lavshuca Loose Powder in Lucent

I actually don't think the Orbis foundation is my best match, nor will they have a color that suits me. There's only 5 shades available. If I had chosen #02, I would have looked too pale, so as a result of this, when I use #03, I apply it very lightly just to make sure I don't look to dark.
The foundation is working quite well for me. It is formulated for all skin types and it gives you a matte finish. Some might not like it because the foundation doesn't give you a dewy finish.
I think this foundation is great at oil control. My face remains matte all day for at least 8 hours. The only areas that tend to get oily is my nose, but that's very typical for me during the day. When I blot my face with oil paper, some of the foundation comes off but enough to notice that I needed a touch up. I just hope this foundation will hold up in the summer months. The good thing is, Orbis offers a liquid foundation for those with oily to super oily skin, so I might have to pick one up for the summer. It is very humid in Korea..imo

In the first picture, I only used the P&J primer, Color and Nuance Base and the Liquid Foundation. You can see how orange it is, so I'll probably look too muddy if I apply too much. I use my fingers to pat and blend it in, a sponge doesn't work too well for me, it leaves dry patches.
The Color and Nuance Base doesn't really neutralize all the redness, it does reduce it though. This base is very light and it spreads really easily. A little goes a long way because of those reasons.

In the second picture, I finished blending in the foundation I also used the Smooth Mat Base, Sana Concealer and the Eye Zone Bright Veil. Do you think there's a huge difference?
You don't really notice a lot of coverage with the Bright Veil. I don't really like it because it can get cakey after a few hours and it settles into fine lines. (I can't believe I already have fine lines, and I'm almost 24 @__@) The Bright Veil doesn't spread really smoothly, which is why I use the Sana Concealer underneath. I apply the Bright Veil under my fine lines so it won't settle into them.
The Smooth Mat Base is supposed to help conceal pores. I use this between the apples of my cheeks and the bridge of my nose. I won't risk using this on my nose as the pores can get clogged easily there. This base goes on translucent. It's got a sort of a thick putty like texture which finishes off with a really smooth powdery feel on my skin.
I use a few curlers on my bangs and the top of my head while I do my makeup XD

I finished off the base makeup with the Lavshuca Powder.

Now, the swatches. I've used the Skinfood Aloe Sun BB cream #2 as a reference on top of the swatches.
From left to right: Color and Nuance Base Mint Green, UV Cut Sunscreen On Face, Liquid Foundation #03, Smooth Mat Base, Eye Zone Bright Veil.

I have not used the Sunscreen On Face yet since I just got it. It is a lightly tinted sunscreen with an SPF 34 and it's got a light creamy texture to it. I think it goes on quite sheer, but it'll do for those days that I don't feel like using foundation. I got this for 14000won for 35g.
The foundation, Smooth Mat Base and the Bright Veil all have an orangey pink tone to it. The Bright Veil comes out a lot more orangey than the foundation, but I guess it helps with dark circles.

I think this will be my last major haul before going to Hong Kong. Remember how I purchased the travel sizes for the Aqua Force? There is supposed to be enough for 3 weeks, but I think I'll finish it in 2. I got the full sizes so I didn't have to make a second trip to Orbis. I also purchased a refill of the Cleansing Liquid so I don't have to purchase it in HK. I'll do a separate review of the Cleansing Liquid. The currency exchange kills me, so I rather stock up on Orbis before my trip.
The blue bottle is a spray lotion. It is intended for those who are prone to body acne. This spray is supposed to help control sweat and oil on your body while providing it with moisture. The cool thing about this bottle is you can use it upside down when spraying your back. It has a very strong alcohol and menthol smell to it which I hope will fade quickly. I have not used this yet, so another review in the near future!

How could I forget to show everyone the Orbis store! It's very small and the SAs are nice. I intended to show myself in the picture, but my face came out rounder than I wanted XD

I think everyone knows what this is, Melona! A creamy honeydew popsicle.

Lotte's version of Aero. Nothing too special, I like Aero more because it has more air bubbles inside.

Orbis!

I've always seen Orbis in Japanese magazines, but I didn't have easy access to it, Ichibankao has it way over priced, but I found the store, hooray!
Orbis is a Japanese brand, and I believe most of their products are oil-free as most of their products are labelled as "oil cut". (I could be wrong cuz I don't understand Korean and I can't read the Chinese on the Taiwan Orbis site)
I've seen some ads for Orbis around Seoul but didn't think much about it. I thought it was another Korean brand and for some reason it didn't hit me that Orbis was the Japanese brand that I've seen in magazines and in Hong Kong.
I went to Myeong Dong (famous shopping area in Seoul) to do some gift shopping and I stumbled onto the Orbis store by accident! (Why do I feel like I've said this before?? lol)
I took their catalogue and compared the Korean prices with Hong Kong prices. It's cheaper for me to buy it in Korea because the won is so crummy and it'll cost me more to exchange my money to HKD to buy the Orbis products in HK. I went back the next day to do some major haulage.

Orbis packs everything in clear plastic bags instead of boxes. A little less garbage to throw out, which is nice. I didn't buy that many things, half of that pile were samples. I even got a membership card to get some points which gives me a certain percentage off my total. I don't really know how they calculate the points because I can't read Korean, but instead of purchasing my items for 106 000won, it was 84 000won with my membership card.

In the catalogue, it suggested a way to even out your skin while using minimal makeup. It also suggests when you can use other products like the masks and treatment essences.
I can't read Korean so I based this on the pictures. You start out with the UV Cut Sunscreen on Face, which is a tinted, a Color & Nuance Base, which comes in yellow, pink or green, the Eye Zone Bright Veil, Smooth Mat Base and Spot Concealer. (If you click around the site, they show you some ways on how to use each product.)
For a more polished looked, you could finish with one of their powders. Notice how it doesn't include foundation? If you follow those steps, your face should look pretty fresh and almost flawless, which is perfect for the hot humid days.
I bought everything from the bottom of the picture except the sunscreen, concealer and the powder. The store was out of the sunscreen so I'll probably be heading back this weekend. I definitely need the sunscreen as it's got an SPF of 34 and I'm going to Hong Kong after all. The sunscreen comes in 2 formulas, a light runny one or the regular creamy type.

I also bought the travel sized Aqua Force line, the Cleansing Liquid (because of the LE bottle XD) and the Liquid Foundation #3. If you're interested in looking at their foundations and other products, check out their website. This is the Taiwan site, but it has the English product names.
The foundation is something I've never seen before. I believe it is separated into 2 liquid layers and you have to shake it before using. The foundation was really runny, I might have to purchase a sponge just for this foundation. They only have about 5 shades available so I hope #3 works out for me.
I haven't used any of the products yet since I don't like to use much when I go to school. I probably won't be able to do a proper review until after the weekend.

And lastly, my samples! Just a few essences, masks and a neck cream. I already used it yesterday as it was a one time sample. It feels like a a very silky cream that's not too thick and it absorbs very quickly. I might also have to purchase that this weekend XD
I know I've babbled on a lot about Orbis and I haven't even used anything yet, but I promise last little bit of reading...
Aside from the fact that they are supposedly oil free, Orbis uses less packaging and they also sell refills of most of the products in a baggy. Quite a neat idea!
Ok, I'm done yammering away. I saw this chocolate on Yumeko's blog and I HAD to get it! So freaking tasty! (I hope you're having fun in Hong Kong!)

These are from the February(?) Pinky magazine. Photos by Hudie.com
They feature some of the new Spring palettes and also the newest Majolica Majorca mascara!

Oh! I forgot to mention, it's Chinese New Year next Monday, the year of the Ox! I get a 4 day weekend because Korea also celebrates it, but they call it Lunar New Year. Too bad I'm not seeing any family or relatives, otherwise I could get me some red pockets! XD