Happy Holidays!!

10:05:00 PM mandy 13 Comments

First...Happy Holidays!! ^___^

My family doesn't celebrate much but this year we put up our fake tree again heh A little holiday spirit going on...xD

Second...I'm so sorry I was MIA for sooo long. School got the best of me. I was moving to a new house. Everything was just so stressful. Now that I'm settled into a new place and it's winter break, hopefully, I'll be able to post regularly again.

Third...Thank you to everyone who stayed with me and all the new followers!! I lost some and gained some during this time period...it was a little upsetting but I definitely understand so no worries! :] Like I said, I'm aiming to post more so everyone won't be too disappointed in me.

I hope everyone had a great time today celebrating whichever holiday you observe! Or just had a great day for those who don't celebrate at all like me :P

Review: Laneige Pore Trouble Cleanser

10:05:00 PM mandy 13 Comments

You can see the blue beads in there.
There are also small white particles that the picture doesn't show clearly.
Product Description (pamphlet found in box):
-Extracts of water lily, orris and witch hazel effectively eliminate make-up remainders, harmful factors of environmental pollution and wastes in skin pores and purify skin.
-Triclosan and willow bark extracts, which are effective against skin trouble, make clear skin and control skin pore troubles.
-Breakable white scrubbers smoothly eliminate wastes in skin pores. The vitamin E in the blue capsules is absorbed into the skin and makes skin silky and healthy.

Ingredients:
Cannot find them.

Directions:
From pamphlet: Wet a 3cm in diameter amount with a little water, lather with finger-tips and gently massage, then rinse thoroughly with warm water.


Foam from lathering by hand.
Packaging:
The cleanser comes in a squeeze tube and has 180ml of product. I love that it transparent so I can see how much product is left inside. It got difficult to get the product out as there was less inside, especially since the consistency of the cleanser is pretty thick. But after I cut the tube open, I found there was less product left in there than I thought. I didn’t get to use every little bit up because my mom thought it was garbage since it was cut up =X

Price:
Gmarket; Amore stores

180ml for less than USD$20 (if I remember correctly..I bought this a long time ago). I’m sure it’ll be less or more expensive depending on where you buy it. But that is similar to the price tag that I paid for mine.

**It seems that Laneige doesn’t carry this specific one anymore. According to their website, they have another pore cleanser called Pore Deep Clearing Foam. The package seems to be the same but I’m not sure if the product itself is as well.**

----------
I was able to use this cleanser on and off for about a year or so. At some points during the year, I would use this only in the mornings or only at night. Other times I would use it both. So even though it is a bit pricey, the amount I needed and got out of the product was worth it.

However, product wise…I’m not sure I can’t say it was the best there is (for me at least). This was one of those cleansers that made my skin feel squeaky clean afterward. This could be a good and bad thing. The good, my skin did feel overall pretty smooth but not unclogged (if that makes sense). The bad, of course, is that it strips the skin of everything. I can’t say that it cleared my skin or pores like it claims to because I still had a lot of acne and blocked pores when I used this. But it definitely didn’t break me out either because I’ve had good skin while using this cleanser as well. After I used this cleanser, if I don’t moisturize etc right away, my skin does feel a bit tight and depending on the time of year a bit dry as well.

The product has blue beads in them, that I didn’t know until I read the pamphlet after using much of the product that it has vitamin E inside. I thought they were for exfoliating properties, so in the beginning, I would dot the product around my face, then wet my hands and massage the foam around my face. I do not recommend this because I think my skin felt drier when I did this. After I started to foam the product before cleanser it felt less tight/dry but not completely gone. After I started to use a foaming net, the tightness/dryness decreased again. At least it encourages me to use my foaming net more. This cleanser also foams very well, especially with a foaming net. And the foam isn’t wimpy/floppy foam, it is very dense. Even after you massage it around your face, it doesn’t really disintegrate into a flat foam (I hope that makes sense..heh).








Foam from lathering by foaming net.


Foam from lathering by foaming net after my brother played around with it.
The foam still looks pretty dense/stiff & hasn't flattened yet.


Positives:
-Foams really well (especially if you can use the nets)
-Cleanses well and gives a squeaky clean feeling
-Depending on how moisturized my skin is, sometimes it is dried out (visible dry patches) after using this.
-Lasts for a really long time (I’ve used mine mostly in the mornings but had a period of time where I used it day and night … one tube lasted for a little over a year)
-Doesn't break me out

Negatives:
-Not locally available
-Can be expensive if purchased outside of Korea
-I always feel tightness about 5-7 minutes after washing my face. But when I use a foaming net my face isn't as dry and tight after I wash my face with the cleanser.
-Not as deep pore cleansing as I thought/hoped it would be. But it isn’t a bad cleanser.

Repurchase?:
No. I’ve found another cleanser that I like more (but not quite HG). Also, I think this has been discontinued anyway.

Rating:
3.5/5

Recommend?:
No. It was a good product. Just didn’t wow me enough to recommend. And again, I think it’s discontinued. For the price, there might be less expensive products that might work better.

Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money. I am not affiliated with the company or any other sites mentioned above. These are just my opinions so please research more about a product before buying it. I'm just trying to share the experiences I get from using a certain product. I'm not endorsing it or anything. If anything this is for my own memory of what I liked and what I didn't like. Also...my skin is my skin...your skin is your skin, please don't blame me if the product doesn't work for you. Appropriate credits mentioned wherever I copied and pasted from the brand's website.

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Is the new wordy/extensive opinions addition okay? Or should I go back to only the short Pros/Cons lists?

Mail from some time ago

12:48:00 AM mandy 9 Comments

Hey, everyone! I'm going to try to slowly work myself into a more consistent posting.
To start off, here are some older packages that I received maybe in June(?) that I edited and everything yet somehow forgot to post it up.

I was so happy when I received an email from Stephanie of beauty and garden or jujujewelry saying I won her Sigma giveaway. To be honest, I forgot all about enter such a giveaway because there were quite a few at the time that I entered and I didn't think I would win any of them haha

Once the package came I got really excited. Practically everyone who used it raved all about it.












It is soft and dense. It has a big head/brush area compared to the other flat top brushes that I have. I've used it maybe a handful (or two) times and I really like it. I can't say I absolutely love it yet though...it could be getting there =P

Like all my brushes it is a bit difficult to get all the sudsy soap out of the brush when I wash it (anyone have recommendations on that?).

------------------------------
After mentioning that I keep having a problem with my pencil liners smudging on me, Frances of theprettibrowneyes offered to send me her miniature Urban Decay 24/7 liner. I couldn't get over how nice she was in even thinking about offering to send it to me! I felt/still feel really bad =X I was going to send her something back until I realized it was too late (since she moved...).

Sorry, Frances!! Good luck in school ^___^ & Thank you again!!!


I haven't worn this out yet. But I tried it on once or twice at home (without primer) and sad to say...I don't think these work for me either. However, I'm going to give it a fair shot soon and actually get the courage to wear it out =D The only thing stopping me is having raccoon/panda eyes while I'm at school/out and with no access to a bathroom *eekk!*

8:42:00 PM mandy 6 Comments

It feels great to have internet back!

Sorry I haven't been updating as regularly as everyone hoped I would. I will try to do better in the future!

I'm still trying to get use to my new college life/schedule (it's very different...*sigh)
And there probably won't be as many hauls in the near future because of college expenses and such..
But this will probably mean more review posts and other randomness in my life to come (if anyone is interested haha).

I can't believe within (was it a week?) I've experienced things in NYC that I thought I'd never be able to say I've experienced..ever
The minor earthquake and Hurricane Irene.
Thankfully no one I know was effected (anyone on blogger?).

Hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend!!
Good luck to anyone else who started school ^___^

Review: H2O+ Night Oasis Oxygenating Rejuvenator

9:15:00 PM mandy 10 Comments

Product Description (from website):
- Powerful formula eliminates impurities that slow down cell metabolism, accelerating cellular respiration that accelerates the repair of tired skin
- Crithmum Maritumum, a marine botanical, supplies oxygen-rich nourishment to refresh tired, dull complexions
- Scientifically formulated with marine-sourced nutrients to minimize the look of fine lines and stimulate healthy cell growth

Ingredients (from website):
Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Sodium Chloride, PEG-18/18 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol, Laminaria Cloustoni Extract, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Methylparaben, Hydrolyzed Ulva Lactuca Extract, Sea Salt (Maris Sal), Disodium EDTA, Fragrance (Parfum), Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Linalool, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Phospholipids, Propylene Glycol, Ulva Lactuca Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander) Fruit/Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Retinyl Palmitate

Directions:
From website & jar: After cleansing, massage into face and neck.
What I did: Similar to the Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment, I like to get the product and dab it around my face. Then I would pat it in and let sink it into my skin by itself.

Packaging:
Comes in a square jar. However, the product is only contained in a small portion of the square jar itself so it wastes a lot of extra packaging. It has 1.7fl oz or 50mL of product. Like what I’ve said about other jarred products, it doesn’t bother me that it’s in a jar so much because of germs but more because I don’t like getting products under my nails. But nothing Q-tips doesn’t solve. =P

Price:
H2O+ website or store
1.7 fl oz / 50 mL for USD$36

Prositives:
-Absorbs quickly (I like to pat it in)
-Feels light
-Helped me through the harsh winter winds and allergy season
-Didn't break me out
-Lasted me quite some time (a few months using it nightly). Unlike the Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment, this Night Oasis Oxygenating Rejuvenator was of a thicker consistency..similar to cream but more gel like...if that makes sense. So I didn’t grab as much product as I did with thinner consistency gel moisturizers.

Negatives:
-Can be difficult to get for some. There aren’t too many store locations.
-On the pricey side.
-Like other H2O+ products, the scent needs a bit getting used to. Smells very sea-watery.
-Leaves a bit of a residue on my hands after applying (But I find with a lot of other products so I’m probably just being too picky =X Nothing tissues or water can’t take care of). But on the face, once this sinks it I couldn’t even tell I had anything on my face.
-It is called night oasis so I assume it’s for night use only. This didn't bother me much since I bought it in a gift set and there was another moisturizer I could use for mornings. But for those tight on money and such and want a moisturizer for morning and night I’m not sure if this is alright to use in the morning.
-Has silicones and parabens
-Has salt and sea salt in it o_O;; This might not be too good for dry skin? I’m not sure if there’s enough salt in here to dry skin out though…It didn’t for me so just a heads-up for others.

Note:
I’m not sure how well the minimizing fine lines part work because I don't those yet (I hope..)
Also, I didn’t particularly pay much attention to the anti-dullness and tiredness properties it claims because I was more interested in its moisturizing abilities =X So I can’t vouch for those specific claims!

Repurchase?:
Maybe. It is only a night time product so unless I don’t find anything better this coming winter and my skin is in desperate need I will go to this since I know it worked for me before.

Rating:
4/5

Recommend?:
Maybe. I did like this product. However, I wasn’t really aware of the salt that it contained. I think it might be a problem for some skin types but I’m not too sure. It worked pretty well for me but everyone’s skin is different. Unless you Google more about salt in skincare (I haven’t heard much about it yet..) before you make the purchase it might be safer to stay away from it just in case since it isn’t a particularly low-priced product.

Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money. I am not affiliated with the company or any other sites mentioned above. These are just my opinions so please research more about a product before buying it. I'm just trying to share the experiences I get from using certain product. I'm not endorsing it or anything. If anything this is for my own memory of what I liked and what I didn't like. Also...my skin is my skin...your skin is your skin, please don't blame me if the product doesn't work for you. Appropriate credits mentioned wherever I copied and pasted from the brand's website.

Korea Day 2011 at Central Park

7:16:00 PM mandy 3 Comments

After I saw some food bloggers' sharing their Korea Day experiences last year and hearing it would become an annual event I was very excited for it to come again this year. I bookmarked it to leave a note and actually forgot about it since..until I saw allkpop's notice for the event last month. This was my first excuse all summer to go out into the city with my friends hehe :X Finally after it being postponed due to the heat last month, it was finally held last Monday. Thankfully it didn't rain like the forecast said it would!

It was really fun. And probably like everyone else I enjoyed the food they had. The only thing I regret is not being able to stay for the performances. Unfortunately, best friend had to leave early and my other friend that came with us had a bad foot and didn't want to stay too long either. So we left just before the performances. After seeing the youtube clips, they didn't seem too bad. It would have been entertaining to see and great to enjoy the atmosphere it brought. Congrats to the winner!

I didn't take too many pictures and they're not of great quality since they're from my phone (I brought along my DSLR and I forgot my batteries...hah)...Sorry! Here are the few that I did manage to get though :]


Mixing of the gigantic bibimbap!






Making dduk!! We got some to taste too not only for show :D
It was interesting to see the rice turn into the sticky dduk!
The hammer/mallet must have been very heavy..a couple of girls went up to try and they seemed to have a hard time swinging and hitting the dduk. But kudos to them for trying!


The winners of the first round of mandu making contest.
The little boy was so adorable! :P


I forgot what the name for this was but they were popping the rice.
It looks just like popcorn but the color is much lighter and the taste is much sweeter than popcorn.
Every time this mechanism went off it startled everyone. It gave a loud boom and let out a big poof of smoke!

Even though I must have heard it a handful of times since I got to the event it still scared me xD I mentioned this to my dad when I got home and he seemed to know what I was talking about..maybe it's not just a Korean thing?

A cute dog that we saw walking around with his owner at the event.
He/she reminded me of Spudgy from eatyourkimchi :P

July 2011 Collective Purchase

7:35:00 PM mandy 5 Comments

Sorry for the late post! =X

This may be the smallest haul (if it even is considered a haul heh...) yet..probably ever to appear on my blog. I didn't go out much last month so I didn't end up buying much of anything all month. Even this purchase was placed in June, it just happened to arrive in July. I must say I'm very proud of myself for not spending a lot last month. Hopefully, this will last a while! Must shop my stash for a few months hehe xD

When best friend noticed that Sasa FINALLY stocked up on the essential hair masks in June, we hurriedly asked our friend who was also ordering from Sasa (coincidentally) to add our lemmings on. I've been wanting to try these out for so long but no other store (in-store or online) seemed to stock these except for Sasa...

It finally came after I think a couple weeks..much slower since the order didn't rack up enough for expedited delivery like last time :P

L to R:Essential Ultra Honey & Shea Butter Rich Premier Hair Mask and Essential Ultra Honey & Shea Butter Nuance Airy Hair mask

I've only tried the nuance airy version a couple of times and I'm really liking it so far. It's a bit messy and I am not used to hair masks (my first ones!) but I can handle it.

Has anyone tried either or both? Which one do you like better? I still haven't figured out what the difference really is between the two..hehe

Review: H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment

11:20:00 PM mandy 3 Comments

Product Description (from website):
- Rapidly plumps and restores depleted skin, helping to distribute vital daily moisture
- Scientifically formulated oil free moisturizer with marine-sourced nutrients to minimize the look of fine lines and stimulate healthy cell growth
- Sea-derived essential minerals work synergistically with Sea Mineral Complex, scientifically advanced delivery system to ensure vital nutrients are rapidly absorbed at the cellular level

Ingredients (from website):
Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycereth-7, Glycosaminoglycans, Dimethicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Phospholipids, Panthenol, Fragrance (Parfum), Trisodium EDTA, Zinc PCA, Benzophenone-4, Linalool, Sea Salt (Maris Sal), Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Ulva Lactuca Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Methylchlorisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Algae Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Directions:
From website: After cleansing, massage gently into damp face and neck. For dryer skin, spread a thin layer over face, like a mask, and allow 5 minutes to absorb. Massage in excess.
From bottle: As a moisturizer: Apply to cleansed skin A.M./P.M.
As a mask: Spread a thin layer over face and neck. Allow to absorb 5 minutes. Massage in excess.
What I did: I lik to get the product and dab it around my face. Then I would pat it in and let sink it by itself.

Packaging:
Comes in a frosted plastic(?) jar. It has 1.7fl oz or 50mL of product. It doesn’t really bother me that it comes in a jar instead of a pump bottle or tube. I’ve read somewhere that there is probably a reason why the companies put it into jars or something similar. The only gripe I had was I wish they provided some kind of spatula or such. When the jar was fuller I was able to get it out with my fingers without getting anything under my nails but as I was getting towards the end that was inevitable and I had to start using Q-tips.

Price:
H2O+ website or store
1.7 fl oz / 50 mL for USD$34

Prositives:
-Light
-Moisturizes/hydrates (?) well. It helped my skin a lot through the winter and allergy season. I would usually have a lot of dry spots and such throughout the day but my skin was actually pretty normal when I used it.
-Has multiple uses as a moisturizer and as a mask (though I've never applied enough for it to be a mask).
-Can be used day and night.
-Didn't break me out.
-Doesn't make me any more oily than I already am.

Negatives:
-Can be difficult to get for some. There aren’t too many store locations.
-On the pricey side. But I’d say this is mid-ranged since there are a ton of other brands that are more expensive.
-Scent needs a bit getting used to. I think like with the other H2O+ products I've tried, they try to give it the sea water smell.
-Leaves a bit of a residue on my hands after applying (But I find with a lot of other products so I’m probably just being too picky =X Nothing tissues or water can’t take care of)
-I found that I used a lot more of this product at each application because of how light it is. But that's just how I am. With thicker products, I use less and with lighter, products I use more. But if you could control yourself better than I do, it'll probably last a lot longer than it did for me.
-Takes a little longer than other moisturizers to sink in (but then again I pat rather than massage it in)
-Has silicones and fragrance (for those who are sensitive/allergic)

Note:
I’m not sure how well the minimizing fine lines part work because I don't those yet (I hope..)

Repurchase?:
Yes but not right now. If I my skin doesn’t work well with whatever I am trying next winter or allergy season and I will probably buy this to use since I know it works. But as of right now I would like to continue to try new products and search for an HQ :]

Rating:
4/5

Recommend?:
Yes. It is a bit pricey but it does work well (for me at least). I just hope to find a product that does what this does and maybe a bit more natural and less –cones and fragrances and such. If such a product exists =P

Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money. I am not affiliated with the company or any other sites mentioned above. These are just my opinions so please research more about a product before buying it. I'm just trying to share the experiences I get from using a certain product. I'm not endorsing it or anything. If anything this is for my own memory of what I liked and what I didn't like. Also...my skin is my skin...your skin is your skin, please don't blame me if the product doesn't work for you. Appropriate credits mentioned wherever I copied and pasted from the brand's website.

Commitment

9:40:00 PM mandy 8 Comments

As 2011 began and probably even in 2010 there were quite a few bloggers and youtubers that I followed who were talking about weight loss and working out and such. Some were giving their tid bits on how they kept fit while others were sharing how they were really trying to shed those pounds.

When summer came around I decided to try my best to not lose interest in working out and trying to lose the weight that I've accumulated over the years.
I must say it wasn't extremely successful nor a complete failure.
I did end up going to the gym more than usual but whatever I did..I never seemed to be able to get the same soreness I felt before. I was probably going too easy on myself and just making an excuse to work less since I made the effort to go to the gym. (terrible yes but saying and doing are so difference and the latter being very difficult..especially committing)

Once it came that time of the month, working out went out the window =.=

But while I was watching dramas (hehe..I'm a drama addict :X) I became motivated again. Specifically in three of them.
One where a girl lost a lot of weight through dieting and working out, jumping rope.
One where a stunt woman trained/worked out through also jumping rope. and
One where there was just a lot of action scenes in general.

They're strange influences. But I'm the type of person who gets inspired quite a lot by watching others :P

So in the last two days I've been trying to jump rope again. I didn't count exactly how many I did but I did quite a few sets of 100 or so jumps. It isn't much but I'm hoping I can build up and improve my stamina and such (I can't run on the treadmill for longer than 5mins hehe..>__>;;)

For the first time in a while my calves and legs actually felt a bit sore. It doesn't feel great but it's awesome to know that it is working..right?

With the nagging of my younger brother I also played the Wii (my lazy person's excuse for moving around :X). Maybe because I don't usually use my arms often but afterwards they were very very sore. Does this happen to anyone else? Could doing a few of those Wii Sports games everyday help me on my journey? Or is that hoping for too much out of a gaming system? Nevertheless..it did make me break out quite a sweat haha :D

With the rest of the month, as the title of this post says..
I'm going to try to commit towards these little exercises and with going to the gym.
I just hope I don't make more excuses too soon.

I'm not confident enough to share any numbers yet but believe me..they need working on :X

How does everyone else stay fit? Please do share.
Exercise wise, eating wise, I'm open for anything. ^__^

Yummm~~

10:49:00 PM mandy 15 Comments

I'm sorry for neglecting to post when I really have no excuses keeping me from posting. I guess I've been enjoying/taking advantage of my free time a little too much hehe

I hope I could roll out some posts since I have so many drafts written.

Let's start things off with a random food post ^__^
*I didn't have these all at once. A lot of these were multiple visits to the stores.


Mini choco cupcakes. So fluffy and soft!


Egg Tart 蛋撻


Crispy Taro Puff 蛋撻



Zongzi 粽子 (I just call it Zong 粽) made by my grandma especially for me because I'm a picky eater :P
I love the sticky rice kind..According to wiki it's called Jianshui Zong 碱水粽 ?


Kimchi Fried Rice - Kimchi Bokumbap 김치복음밥
My first time eating this from Woorijip. It was a lot spicier/hotter than I thought but I managed to eat it all. I haven't had it before so I can't compare but if I remember correctly it was very sticky rice (my favorite!).


Kimbap 김밥 from E-Mo


Kimbap 김밥 from Food Gallery 32


Jajangmyun 자장면 from Food Gallery 32
First time having korean styled jajangmyun. It tasted similar to Chapaghetti but a lot better of course. I was use to the salty level from the Chapghetti so it tasted pretty good to me but bestfriend didn't like it that much. I would love to eat it again though. Mixing it was fun :D


Tonkatsu and Omurice Combo from Food Gallery 32
First time eating these two at once. The portion was enormous. So I definitely recommend sharing this with someone. I thought it would be smaller and boy did I regret it xD But nonetheless it tasted great. A little too much sauce though but ehh. I might try the omurice again but with a different choice for the filling (I think they had different options...)


I think...this was...Chicken and Spinach Savory Crepe
My first crepe experience. It wasn't bad but I didn't really like it either. Maybe because I'm not too fond of spinach cooked in that style?


PB&J Sweet Crepe
I'm very biased when it came to this one because I'm not fond of peanut butter..Good thing I was sharing with friends hehe.

We also had a Nutella and Banana Sweet Crepe that I liked much more but best friend finished that one off :P
Anyone have better crepe places recommendations?


Green Tea Froyo from Red Mango from Food Gallery 32
I love how it's self-service at the Food Gallery! My first froyo experience was very fail because I ordered plain froyo with no toppings because I never had the experience of picking toppings and such and I was too embarrassed/shy to ask LOL And boy was I shocked by the tangy/tart froyo kick. Good thing I got to try froyo a second time or else I would be missing out on a lot! But I wish the green tea flavor was there more often.


A little different..not edible this time. Well it is but I didn't want to risk eating wax haha
My lovely teacher (probably one of my most favorite teachers during my high school career) made Easter Eggs (with candle wax) for one of her colleagues. She offered to give half to me ^___^ Even though they were still raw eggs =X I think my mom has since thrown them out. They were beautiful! And smelled lovely (hehe Ms.C used scented candles..)

June 2011 Collective Haul

4:25:00 PM mandy 17 Comments

Yet another gigantic collective haul to share with everyone! Hopefully, this will be one of the last big hauls for the next couple of months because I have bought way too much for the past half a year. If I end up buying as much as 'normal' during these two months of summer vacation...I'll need to check in with a professional because I would really have a problem then since I have no excuse to go into the city now that I don't have my student MetroCard (for public transportation in NYC).

Onward to my haul! Enjoy ^__^


yeppeunsonyuh purchases
The site is run by a seller that I frequently purchase off of on Soompi. This is the same seller that lives pretty close to me so I get to save on shipping :P She was nice enough to tell me when the concealer came back in stock since at the time that I wanted it (in May) she only had shade 1 available.


Canmake Cover & Stretch Waterproof Concealer UV - Shade 2
I remember hearing a few bloggers rave about this concealer. At the time I bought it my face was breaking out a lot and my acne scars seemed like they were never-ending. I've tried some potted concealers and such but not many liquid ones. However, this month was mainly focused on taking picture after picture I kind of put this concealer off to the side because of the UV aspect. But I will play with it soon now that all the picture taking is over.


Canmake Cream Cheek - 03 Strawberry Whip
The seller only had this shade available and I didn't want to bother her about personally ordering a specific shade for me (even though she did offer to). Since I only wanted to try the product out, especially after all the raves everyone has for it, the shade didn't really matter. I really love how light and easily blendable this product is! Definitely not a hard cream product which makes it a lot easier to use a brush with it. However, it seems like there is very little product in there =X


Samples from yeppeunsonyuh :]
The seller is always generous with her samples (for me at least I can't vouch for others since I don't know many around me that also order from her to compare with lol).


L to R: Wet n Wild Coloricon Eyeshadow Collection - Blue Had Me at Hello & Petal Pusher
Another purchase that I made in preparation for prom. After reading the suggestions I received a while back on what kind of look I could wear with my dress I thought that these two would be a nice choice to play around with. Many color options and inexpensive. However I didn't end up using this palette because 1. after playing with the colors beforehand I didn't feel comfortable enough wearing the bold blues and I don't think I'm skilled enough to wear the purples (it made me look like I was punched =X) 2. I found a better palette =P


Crystal Body Deodorant Stick
I was running low on my previous deodorant/antiperspirant and I heard a YouTuber mention this more natural deodorant and was very intrigued. I haven't used this yet though. Has anyone else used this or something similar? How well does it work?


L to R: Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hour Foundation - 200 Soft Beige & Essence of Beauty Wedges


Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hour Foundation - 200 Soft Beige
I saw a few bloggers and YouTubers recommend this foundation especially since it's drugstore and has no SPF so I would be best for photography. However, after trying it out I really did not like the way it sat on my skin. It didn't feel natural..me..at all IMO. I know there are tons of people who like it and I hate how something relatively inexpensive didn't work for me :[ I have since returned this. Luckily CVS has a great return policy!


Target E.L.F. purchases
2 E.L.F. Eyeshadow Brushes, E.L.F. Studio Line Contour Brush, E.L.F. Eyelid Primer
On the same day that I returned the Rimmel foundation, I was on my way to the city to also return the UDPP I got and to try to get a sample of a foundation to try from Macy's before deciding on whether or not to commit to a full bottle. Before going to the city, I dropped by Target to see if I would strike some luck and see if they had the eye primer in stock (which they did..but only the normal version and not the mineral version). I decided to take the risk and got it since it was only a dollar. No harm to my wallet even if it doesn't work. I also saw that they had a ton of other E.L.F. products in stock but I had to limit myself to only those three brushes since I was in need of eye brushes because my friends left me with the task of doing their makeup for prom as well (pressure on a newbie like me =X)


T to B: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese and Black Bean
A lot of people have recommended these to use as bases and such so I thought I'd give it a try. They do offer a nice base although they are a bit hard to blend...Or maybe it's just mine? Does anyone else have this problem? How do you fix it?



L'Oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Eyeliner - Carbon Black
After even when priming my lids with UDPP prior to wearing pencil liner failed on me, I decided to try an inexpensive liquid liner. A lot of gurus compared this to the Lancome one so I thought it must be alright. But this turns very flakey quickly and smudges easily on me. Maybe it's just a problem that I have :\ Eye products don't seem to like my eyelids very much...I have also returned this as well. I felt bad that I was returning so many used cosmetics back to CVS =X


Sasa Haul!!!
The much-awaited Sasa haul that I've been dreaming about since May! The friend that helped me order from Imomoko and Adambeauty offered to order from here since she was going to as well. Luckily a majority of the products that I wanted came back into stock (although there are still some that I want to try). These will last me FOREVER...literally. Now I must remind myself to stop internet window shopping haha.


Hada Labo Tamagohada Daily Face Wash
I've been wanting to try this for such a long time. Skin like a hard-boiled egg is VERY tempting no? :P


My Scheming Crystal Hydrating Eye Mask

My Scheming Crystal Whitening Brightening Eye Mask
I don't remember where I heard about these masks but I really wanted to try it. I haven't tried the hydrating one but I did try the whitening brightening one. I loved the gel texture of the mask, very squishy and comfortable :] I wasn't paying much attention to the whitening and brightening short-term effects though =X Will keep note of it next time! Sorry..hehe.
I also can't wait to try the DIY eye masks that BEAUTYQQ mentioned with the tray these masks come with. Has anyone tried that?


Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Spray
I've been really into sprays and mists lately. I didn't know Genie in a Bottle had a spray until I browsed their Sasa page. I thought this would be great for both summer and winter. And it wasn't expensive at all. I think it was less than USD$10? But I'm not sure if it's still available because of Sasa's terrible rate of restocking their OOS items.


L to R: Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Serum & Naruko Magnolia Brightening and Firming Spray
After xppinkx posted about her huge Sasa haul a while back and how lovely the Genie in a Bottle serums were I really wanted to try them (note how often I say I really want to try something LOL). Sadly the whitening serum was OOS but these hyaluronic ones weren't. I may save these for the winter time mainly because I tend to be drier then. I love how inexpensive it is and that it comes with 3 bottles instead of just 1 :D
Again...I wanted to try almost ALL the Naruko lines after Fuzkittie and SumMei talked about them months ago. But it is so difficult to get (well not anymore a few stores in NYC are selling them now and there is even an official store in Flushing, of course, the prices aren't as good as they are online from the Taiwan site). Since Sasa didn't have too many of their gellies in stock at the time and I was on a spray/mist kick, I decided to order the spray. I'm not in need of firming but the brightening aspect sounds great ^__^


BeautyMate Bright Up Nano Eye Masks
Best friend also ordered tons from Sasa, including these eye masks. So I asked if we could trade. I haven't tried these out yet but I can't wait too since Bubz raved about them a long while back.


T to B: Urban Decay Naked Palette & Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner - 13


Ooo Pretty!! ^__^
Best friend and I got Naked together hehe (No wrong images xD)
Pwuahaha I felt a surge of happiness when I saw these babies at the Soho Sephora location. There were only three of these left and best friend and I both took one. Evilness :D I knew I shouldn't have made such an impulse but the feeling of having something so coveted was intoxicating! Of course, this was a great purchase none-the-less. I can always wear a palette with natural colors comfortably. The only gripe was I wished it still had the double sided pencil :[
This was the palette that I used for prom instead!




MUFE Aqua Liner - 13
When it was first launched Temptalia gave a great review on how long this lasted and I think she gave it an A or A+ (which I've noticed isn't given too often). So I thought this would be a great choice of a liner to use. And when I swatched it at Sephora and rubbed it, it didn't smudge! But..that can't be sad for when it's actually on my eyes *sigh* I think my eyes hate makeup! Although this does last great. I cannot rub or touch my eyes at all or else it would come right off =X Maybe it was because I didn't wear a primer? Will try again soon. The applicator is also difficult to get used to after using the brush applicators of the Physician's Formula liquid liner. I may give the Asian liners (K-Palette and Dolly Wink) a try next after I finish this one.


E.L.F. Studio Line Fan Brush
Best friend and I made another stop to Target one day and I saw this baby there. I've been wanting to get a fan brush for some time now but they were all pretty expensive. This wasn't in stock the last time I went to Target though. I have yet to try it but I heard it's great for natural flush (which is my ideal cheek look)!


OPI Silver Shatter
Best friend helped me get this at the nail supply store. Was very surprised that even they weren't selling it at the wholesale price like other OPI's usually are sold there. But I guess even though these shatters are very popular and should gain the most they can? :P I've tried this once and I like the effect but can't say I love it just yet. Maybe it'll be one of those polishes that'll grow on me?

What have you bought last month? Anything similar :P