TheBalm/The Balm Cosmetics Review

The Balm Cosmetics has been a brand that I've heard loads about but just never got around to trying because it wasn't in available at Sephora, Ulta, or any drugstores. However, some time ago, there was a site wide 50% off sale on their online website so my sister and I jumped on it and picked up a few goodies we'd been eyeing for ages. So now that I've gotten to try out the products and put them to the test, I thought I'd do a little review and give you my thoughts on them!

I think it's only appropriate to start with Mary-Lou Manizer ($24 off the Balm site) because this was the first the Balm product I heard of. It's definitely a cult favorite and has been tested by many others and I have to say, I agree with the hype. It's a really beautiful light beige highlighter (not too warm and not too cool) with a beautiful fine shimmer that doesn't make you look like a disco ball but definitely makes you stand out. The packaging is quality and the mirror is huge so it's perfect for travel or on-the go makeup. You can double it for eyeshadow or highlighter too which is awesome. Definitely no complaints here. If you want to try out their other shades of highlighters though, they have a trio package with all 3 shades that they have in a mini/deluxe size which I semi wish I got because I bet they all would have looked really nice!

Next up is Bahama Mama ($20), a warm bronzer that hits the spot. I've been using it daily since I got it and absolutely love it. It has ZERO orange tones to it so it won't make you look like an oompa loompa (is that how you spell that..?) and blends in so easily. It's not SO pigmented that you get too much pigment when you swipe your brush into it (which is a good thing, I dislike products that are so soft that you get way too much product even with the lightest touch) but it definitely has color so don't be too hard with it. Like the highlighter, you can double this as an eyeshadow as well and it'll contour your eyes flawlessly. It is a bit small for $20 but since I got it half off, I'd say $10 is a good deal. I have Hoola by Benefit and the NYC Sunny Bronzer (really amazing for the price) so I'd say the NYC Sunny has a bit more orange than Hoola or Bahama Mama and Hoola is just a touch lighter than Bahama Mama. I love both my Hoola and Bahama Mama though so can't really say which I'd choose if I had to choose one. Maybe Hoola since it does come with a brush that is excellent for contouring but I think Bahama Mama's color is just SLIGHTLY better for my skin tone. Also keep in mind Hoola by Benefit is $29 so if price is a deciding factor, think on that (NYC's bronzer is like.. less than $5 by the way).

When picking out which products I was going to get, I had the hardest time choosing between Nude Tude (the original neutral palette) and Nude Dude (released after Nude Tude with more pinky tones). I ended up choosing Nude Dude ($36) because I wanted the rosy-dusty shades it had while Nude Tude had other warmer golden shades that I already had with my Naked by Urban Decay palette. I'm completely satisfied with my Nude Tude palette and have been using it basically daily since I got it. I love the wide range of colors it has and they're all really well pigmented and blend so easily. I don't get any patchiness with them and there's a really good amount of shimmery shades and matte shades. Beware that the dark colors are very pigmented so you don't want to be heavy handed (whereas the lighter shades you can get away with being heavy handed because they'll blend in more easily). The highlight shade is so good for the inner corners and underneath the brow bone and even all over the lid if you're doing a look that calls for that. I love the two dusty rose shades though because those are totally my style right now (one is shimmery and one isn't, 3rd column from the right) and they pair so well  with the darker browns next to them (2nd column from the right). While $36 isn't exactly cheap, it IS cheaper than the many other neutral palettes out there (ie. the Naked palettes are $54, Smashbox Full Exposure is $52, Too Faced The Chocolate Bar is $49) and I would say the shadow shades and quality are on par with all of those other brands so don't be afraid to try it even if Sephora doesn't stock it!

My sister wanted to try Meet Matt(e) Hughes ($17) in the shade Honest so we picked that up and lemme say it is super pigmented, matte, and creamy. The color is a bit more peachy that it appears in my photos and is described as a warm coral. It seems like it would be good on all skin tones and is very wearable. I think it lasts for a reasonable amount of time and fades well when you eat/drink/do stuff that would make it come off. The applicator is standard like most others though to be honest I prefer the heart shaped applicator tips with a pointed tip which really helps you get the edges of your lip without mistake. Definitely make sure you use a lip liner with this because mistakes are not easily forgiven. I think $17 is a bit up there in price especially since I've recently discovered the wonders of ColourPop (I know I'm late to the bandwagon) which has amazing liquid lipsticks for only $4-5 (they have sales a lot so you can usually get it discounted) and they're just as good, if not better, than this TheBalm liquid lipsticks.

How 'Bout Them Apples ($32) is a cream blush (well technically cheeks and lips) palette that is so pigmented and the color range is super wearable and versatile for all occasions. The packaging is cute (as are all of The Balm products, and as you can see in the photo below, the palette opens up vertically and on the top half, there's a HUGE mirror. Super great when you're traveling, on the go, or just not in a location where a full mirror is at easy access. Application works well with a beauty blender or dense brush but a normal powder brush would do as well. Gotta say this is a big hit and would definitely recommend it if you can pick it up on sale since full price is edging it a bit if you're like me and don't use blush that often.

I don't have a close up shot of the Time Balm ($28) foundation (my apologies) but it was definitely super orange-y/oxidized when my sister tried it out. I got the shade Medium (for my sister's Asian skin tone which I would say is about a Mac NC30 but maybe a little darker) and it just had a strong orange undertone that wasn't super flattering for the neutral undertone Asian skins generally carry; I'd say this foundation is better suited for Caucasian individuals. The puff that comes with the foundation isn't the greatest but that's expected so not a huge deal breaker really. This is one of the downsides of not having TheBalm stocked at Sephora or Ulta because you can't try out the foundations to make sure the shade fits you. So if you're not 100% sure if the shade will match you, I'd say save your money and spend a bit more for one you know matches you (aka one you can sample in store) since you can't return used/open items to TheBalm (understandably so).

All in all, I'd say I'm pretty pleased with this The Balm haul. I've wanted to try out their products for so long so I was really excited when I saw they had a 50% off sale! At full price, they're definitely a bit on the pricier range but they do go on sales periodically and some products can be found on sites like HauteLook for discount so look out for those if you're interested. The only product I'm iffy/so-so about is the Time Balm foundation but everything else I'd definitely recommend!

Autumnal Inspired Nails

Ah finally the leaves are beginning to turn that beautiful red-orange-brown and the weather is cooling down into the perfect leggings+boots+scarves weather. YES it is the signs of Autumn and I couldn't be more excited :)

Some random picture of Fall scenery that I found online. Doesn't it make you just so happy? :)

Today I wanted to share a simple nail look created with a mix of those more earthy-toned cream shades. I chose all cream colors and it actually looked fine without the gold accented sticker designs (actually better in my opinion but I can't really take off the stickers now sigh..). I was inspired by a nail look I saw online featuring simple colors so I chose out whatever autumn shades I had in my collection and came up with this!

 I kind of hate how you can see the fine details with such an enlarged photo haha especially since you can see all the beauty of my dry cuticles and the lines of the stickers and the bumps in the nail polish (sigh) BUT BESIDES THAT, I love the look! I was a bit impatient on putting the stickers on so I definitely messed up my nails but the overall effect is just so fall-esque and I totally loving it. 

I used the following nail polishes to get this look:
-White: Orly Nail Polish White Tips #42001
-Orange: Korean brand that I can't seem to find the name for so I'll show a picture of a similar shade
-Maroon: Zoya Natural Nail Polish Coco
-Dark Grey (that looks blue tinted but really isn't): Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish Lacquer Impeccable Greys 410
-Nude: 3 Concept Eyes (3CE) Nail Lacquer #BE02

I realized I really need more warm-toned/fall nail shades like an olive green or a dark brown so let me know in the comments if you know any nice nail polishes that you think I'd like and I might pick them up and use them in another nail look!

Spring Nail Colors - A splash of Spring in Winter

As the last winter month draws to a close, I decided to start early on the pastel trend and get going. I painted my nails last night with some of my favorite Spring colors and decided to share them with you in case any of you are looking for the perfect spring nail colors this year!

From left to right:
-Revlon Colorstay in Cafe Pink 060
-Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant in Peaches & Cream  125
-Zoya in Piaf
-Revlon in Minted 85 (old bottle, they repackaged it so it looks a bit different now)
-Nicole by OPI in "Baby" Blue

Except for the Zoya nai lpolish, all of the colors I used are cream finishes making them perfect for the spring! The pink nail polish (Cafe Pink) took 2 coats to be opaque (first coat is like a transparent pink but not streaky) and 3 to be a nice smooth color. I like the brush tip of the Revlon Colorstay nail polishes because they're a bit wider than a normal brush but have a rounded tip so it gets perfectly into the bottom curve of your nails! The Zoya nail polish (Piaf, yellow color) is a shimmer color with very fine microglitters and was very opaque on the first coat already but I used 2 to even it out. The Covergirl nail polish is a nice peach/coral color though I would prefer it to be a little less orange and more pink and is super opaque so you can get away with one coat but I usually stick to 2 to get rid of any mistakes. The brush handle is a bit tricky since it's a square top instead of your typical rounded one but it's not too hard to use. The blue Nicole by OPI nail polish is also very opaque but it can get a little streaky due to the brush I think so even though the color intensity is there on the first coat, you kind of need the second coat to smooth it out. And lastly, my beloved Revlon Minted.. oh I love this color soo much, it's pretty old (as you can tell since the packaging is the old one!) and I've used up a good amount, but I love it so much! It's the perfect mint green color and though it can be a bit watery/sheer and needs 2-3 coats (I can usually get by with two coats), it really gives the perfect cream finish making it one of my favorite go-to colors.

I topped all of my nails off with the Seche Viet top coat because I love the way it gives your nails a sort of "gel" like finish and it really makes them glossy and last soo much longer! Anyways, I hope I didn't ramble on too much and if you guys are interested, definitely try and find these colors at your local drugstore or Ulta because they're definitely going to be perfect for when spring comes around! I got all of them for around $4-5 each because of sales/clearances (the Zoya was only $4.50 and I got the Covergirl one, buy one get one free so it was 50% off basically!) so always keep a look out for good nail polish deals! I might post up more mini nailpolish reviews if you guys want - just leave a comment down below~! Hope you all have a wonderful day ~<3

Skin 79 Hot Pink Super Plus Beblesh Balm Review

If you've seen any of my videos, I am either wearing this, using this, or talking about this product. Know what it is?! (Well I would hope so since it does say right there in the title haha!) ...Okay I'll pretend someone responded to me, YES YOU GOT IT. The Skin 79 Hot Pink Super Plus Triple Function Beblesh Balm cream! Wow that was a mouthful and I just realized it's called "Beblesh Balm" (yes that's what it says on the North American Skin79 website!) not "Blemish Balm" ... Is Beblesh even a word... *feeling confused* Wow I've had this product for 4 years now and I've never noticed that.. this is kind of sad. Oh well, hey I guess it just goes to show you learn something new everyday! And back to the matter that most of you guys came for - the review!

From the website: 

TOTAL SOLUTION BB CREAM WITH 10-IN-1 EFFECTS. Moisture based triple function BB cream takes care of the base as well as colour makeup and allows the skin to look bright and natural without greasiness or feeling tight.

Click here to see the full page of specifics and details on the product :D

This BB cream was the first BB cream I ever bought and tried and let me tell you something, I did my research before I chose this one which is why I got it right on the first time. I read up on practically every big name [Asian because American brands hadn't started getting into the whole BB cream craze yet] BB cream there was before I decided which one I wanted. Once again, I can not stress the importance of reading or watching reviews from other girls because they will seriously save you money and time.

I don't want to go into too much detail on what BB creams actually are, because I'm almost positive that everyone already knows, but for the few of you living in a shell (jkjk ;P), BB creams are basically tinted moisturizers but with a bit more foundation like coverage and a lot more beneficial properties for your skin! Many BB creams contain lightening components to fade dark spots or acne scars, help to even out uneven skin tones, claim to fight wrinkles, and much more. All BB creams contain some amount of SPF (or at least I haven't come across one that hasn't had SPF!) and most Asian BB creams contain few shades that range only in the lighter skin tone ranges (sorry my tanned or darker-toned girls! D: ). Even American BB creams have few shades, though more than Asian BB creams, but I still prefer my original Asian BB creams over American ones because American BB creams tend to have less coverage and are more of a tinted moisturizer.

The Skin79 Hot Pink BB cream is definitely my favorite BB cream that I've tried - and trust me, I've tried a lot of them! - because of its matte finish, medium coverage, and natural look and feel. BB creams range from dewy to matte finishes, but I definitely prefer the matte look because dewy can sometimes come off as oily. This BB cream doesn't have SO much of a matte finish that it comes off as dry looking or unnatural which is certainly a plus. I started off using this BB cream when I was in high school on the days where my skin was looking a bit blotchy or uneven and this product was perfect for such occasions. It's great at smoothing over redness, covering small active acne spots, and concealing old acne scars or dark spots without being SO full coverage that its obvious you're wearing face makeup. Of course, as it isn't full coverage, there will still be some spots that will show through, but that adds to the natural look since, hey, no one has perfect skin! I used this BB cream a lot when I was breaking out at the beginning of last school year (Fall 2012) and it helped out a lot. While I can't 100% support the claims of it whitening your skin, fighting wrinkles, and fading dark spots/acne scars, I can say I do feel like I see lightening of my acne scars/hyper-pigmentation when using this product. Furthermore, this product has NEVER caused any breakouts on my skin - unlike the Missha BB cream (maybe I'll write a review on that in the future). The packaging of this BB cream is also a nice bright pink, simple round plastic container, and convenient for travel. It is 40g, which is about 1.35 fluid ounces (more than the typical foundation amount of 1 fl. oz), and comes with a pump that doesn't dispense too much product in one squeeze. I have taken this BB cream with me when traveling/flying and it hasn't exploded on me yet, so fingers crossed!

The downsides about the Skin79 Hot Pink BB cream is first, and foremost, the gray cast that can appear when too much is applied. Most, if not all, Asian BB creams have this downside of a gray-ish color that can look a bit strange at first. From what I've read, this is due to the ingredients like SPF and others that are meant to improve your skin. To avoid this, I only use one thing layer of the BB cream and then go over the areas that need a bit more coverage with gentle dabbing motions with only a little bit of the product. You can also get rid of the gray cast by going over with another light-weight foundation, setting with a powder that has some coverage, or mixing in a regular foundation with the BB cream. Mixing or layering another foundation on top of BB creams are great ways to still get the beneficial properties of the BB cream without the gray cast or for use if the BB cream doesn't come in a shade that suits you. Specifically about the Skin79 BB cream, it only comes in the shade Beige which usually matches my Mac NC30-35 skin tone throughout the year. It can appear a bit light at first (as with most other BB creams) but then it will set and darken a bit to match your skin tone. Another downside to this product is that you don't ever really know how much product you have left because of the opaque pink plastic container. You also can't "scrape out" the last bits of BB cream that might be left in the container which means there could be a lot of product wasted and left on the sides of the container. 

As for pricing, you can get most Asian BB creams off of Ebay for much cheaper than the actual branded sites. For my Skin79 BB cream (and practically all my other Asian BB creams), I got them off of Ebay or when I went to Hong Kong/Japan for vacation. If you have any friends who might be going to Asia on vacation, try and see if they can pick up some BB creams for you because they are definitely much cheaper in Asia than America or Ebay (where you usually have to pay shipping). You can still get Asian BB creams from Asian super markets but they are generally way overpriced there so if going to Asia/getting a friend in Asia isn't an option, definitely check out Ebay or other Asian product selling websites (though I would still be wary of some sites as they generally rack up the prices too!). On the North American Skin79 site, the Hot Pink Super Plus BB cream retails for $30 (which I would consider on the pricier side), but I got mine off of Ebay for about $12 if I remember correctly. I also went to Hong Kong last year and picked up another bottle for about $10 too.


All in all, my final comments would be...

1. Yes I fully support any of you who might be interested in purchasing this BB cream. I really do think it works well for those who need a decent amount of coverage, but are still okay with some imperfections peaking through. While it does stink that there is only 1 shade, it does match a good range of skin tones/colors and can be layered over or mixed with to reach a more appropriate shade. 
2. It is great for travel, on-the-go, younger girls who don't need so much coverage, everyday looks and can be applied in a rush with just your finger tips if a brush isn't available (or you're too lazy :P).
3. If you are interested in this, or any other Asian BB cream, make sure you look online to buy it as it can be hard to find them for a reasonable price in America and you never know, there's always some good deals online!

Hope you enjoyed this review and found it helpful and I hope to be writing another post soon! Leave a comment if YOU'VE tried this BB cream and your thoughts or what other BB creams you're also interested in! And don't forget to check out my Youtube or Instagram if you want to get an awesome big virtual hug from me :)