Good Eats - Hong Kong Edition - BBQ Military (Ep. 7)

It's been a while since my last Good Eats post, but I thought I should share a few more of the places I went to when I was in Hong Kong over the summer. BBQ Military is a Korean barbeque restaurant that, well as the name implies, has a theme centering on the military. Their waiting area chairs are cameo print (see above picture), their servers dress in military uniform, and they even have a mini shooting range with BB guns! You have to be over the age of 18 to use the BB gun but it's totally free and pretty fun. BBQ Military is also owned by the same owners of BBQ 7080, another Korean barbeque restaurant that is also just as popular as BBQ Military. I think there are also a few more branches of 7080 around Hong Kong so it's a bit easier to find.

BBQ Military is pretty popular so if you want to get a table, I would definitely suggest going before peak hours (ie. before 7 PM and even then might be cutting it close) or calling in to make a reservation. If you go in during their busy hours, they might not have any room and all their tables could be reserved meaning your chances of getting a table are slim and only possible if someone doesn't show up for their reservation or cancels. I like the style and concept of the restaurant and it's pretty cool, their seats are like stools but you can pop off the top and stuff your belongings in it making for easy storage and safe keeping. The restaurant does get pretty crowded but that's with most Hong Kong restaurants as space is limited. Your table will definitely get a bit crowded, but it's all good :)

All the tables come with a circular cooking tray in the middle and you usually have one waiter dedicated to you who will help serve and cook your food. I really liked the service because most Hong Kong restaurants don't focus on service and can treat you pretty badly (ie. they just want to get you in and out as quickly as possible). Here, the server really is attentive and they're super helpful. I did go to the 7080 in Tsim Sha Tsui and our server was amazing. I accidentally spilled my tea (they give really good Korean tea!) and she immediately was there with tissues and napkins to help wipe it all up. The server also frequently changes your cooking stove so it doesn't get too oily or covered in burnt food and they also give you a ton of lettuce and mint leaves to wrap your meat in. They also start off by giving you a tray of banchan (Korean starter dishes) which is super good. It comes with kimchi, japchae, cold tofu in some sort of really good sauce, and cabbage in a sort of wasabi paste which I personally don't like wasabi so I didn't care for it much.

I'll admit that the place isn't insanely cheap but it's also not crazy expensive. You get a good portion for what you pay and the meat is reallyy good. Their menu comes in Chinese and English which is great for tourists like me and pictures too ;D I know most people like pork belly but I personally find it too fatty, but if you're into that, then I would definitely recommend it. My favorite dish was the Gwangyang Bulgogi (marinated grilled beef), beef brisket, and some other beef thing that I can't remember what it was called but it was SO good. In the picture below, it's the meat that's rolled up with little hashmarks on the top right corner with the two white circular blobs (those are two slices of mushroom haha).

Overall I would highly recommend BBQ Military if you're looking for good Korean BBQ in Hong Kong. They have really great food and the service is great which is a nice change from the normal usual service you see around Asia. Plus I'm a sucker for Korean BBQ so I really enjoyed going here :) Let me know if you check this place out and what you liked the best!

Nails on Nails: The Signs of Freedom

As many of you know, I recently was in Hong Kong for bout 2.5 months doing research in a lab as well as visiting my relatives and of course, seeing the sights of the country. I also got to spend time with a lot of my aunt's friends, one who was quite skilled in the art of doing nails ;D So we got together and today, I wanted to share one of the designs she created on me. We chose to use the combination of a pink and nude beige nail polish (from the brand 3CE which is a popular Korean high-ish end brand - I'm planning on doing a review of their nail polish as I picked up a good amount of them!). I've listed pictures of them both down below for your reference if you want to pick them up (the numbers/names are #BE02 and #PK08) ^__^

Anyways all of the birds are hand drawn and I love how the white birds contrast the beige background and the extra bling at the bottom of my nails also added the glamor of the nails. Please excuse my terribly dry cuticles in the photo, we had just removed a previous set of gel nails so my nails needed some TLC. What do you feel about this design? I hope it gives you some inspiration if you were looking for some sort of bird or feather designed nail art. Let me know if you have any other designs you want me to recreate and I might do a tutorial on it! Till next time xx.

Shiseido White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum Review

Who knew having nice skin took so much time and effort.. and not to mention money. It makes me regret not taking better care of it when I was younger and had the perfect baby soft, clear, and untouched by pimples and scars face haha. But anyways, today's review is going to be on the Shieseido White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum (wow that was a mouthful) and if you're trying to decide whether or not to slap that grand of money on the table for this product, well read on~!

 

Price: $170 for 50 mL

What it claims to do: "A super brightening serum created to diminish stubborn dark spots in 10 days and prevent future pigmentation from appearing." 

• Formulated with smoothing and re-texturizing ingredients to enhance clarity and radiance for flawless, perfectly even-toned skin
• Developed with advanced Shiseido Multi-Action Brightening System+, targeting all types of hyper-pigmentation and their causes: dark spots, age spots, acne scars and uneven skin tones. 
• Contains ME Complex (Yomogi Extract and Angelica Root Extract) to accelerate cell turnover and diminish and eliminate melanin pigment.

"The recommended replenishment cycle for 30mL is 1 month and 50mL is 2 months."

Okay all of that above was taken straight from the site so I'm sure you've read it before, but let me point out that last sentence.. the "recommended replenishment"?! I started off with the 30mL bottle and it lasted me a year. Maybe it's because I was super sparing with the product or that I stopped using it as consistently as I maybe should have? Who knows but regardless, I'm pretty sure it'll last longer than it says there so don't be too freaked out by that last sentence. 

I originally bought this serum hoping that it would help fade my dark spots and acne scars that I had gotten from my college breakout experience, but as time went by and I continued to use this product, I realized it wasn't really doing much for my dark spots and rather I preferred to use it to "brighten" my skin. I noticed that the mornings after I had applied the product (I usually only put it on at night), my face looked more luminescent, like it had nice radiant glow to it which helped my complexion look nicer. However, when I looked close to see any removal or decrease of my dark spots, I didn't notice any notable or incredible difference. For a product that costs $170 for the full size, I was definitely not impressed by the results. Sure it does make your skin look nice, but you have to continually use it to get that effect and really, who has that kind of money to spend on something that doesn't actually improve your skin? While I'll admit this product does meet the first bullet point in that it does "enhance radiance", I don't think it gives you even skin because I can still see my discoloration from my scars and I don't think that counts as "even"! Personally, I prefer my Aloe Vera gel lotion - which I swear by in treating acne and scars - as well as a Pond's dark spot treatment which I might review if you guys would like (it's less than $10 and I can say it works better than this $170 Shisiedo "intensive" serum. I'm now also trying out an Olay dark spot serum and will let you know how that goes once I've used it long enough to determine it's effectiveness but so far it's going well!

Anyways, back to this review ...Would I repurchase this? No, definitely not because it is way too pricey and did not get rid of my dark spots. Therefore, I can't say I would recommend it to you guys to purchase. Sure it makes your skin look brighter but there are a ton more products out there for less than half the price that do the same job so I'd say save your hard earned money and go for those! So tootle-loo for now, I'll be back with another review soon (hopefully!) ^__^

SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion Review

 

Today I wanted to share my opinion on the SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion because I've been using this skincare product for a bit more than a year now and I have to say, I absolutely love it! I knew it was worth the money in about the first month's use, but I guess I never got around to blogging about it till now. Looking online, I realized there aren't too many reviews for this product so I hope I can add my thoughts to the "pot" and help out some of you deciding whether or not you should spend your money on this toner. 

Price: $60 for 5 oz (update as of 11/26/2014: I went to Sephora's website and apparently they've raised the price to $70!! If you are in Asia or have someone visiting Asia, I would definitely suggest you go ask them to buy it for you as it is about $60 USD or less depending where you go)
What it claims to do: This effective toning lotion with a mix of AHA and Pitera™ exfoliates dead skin cells and impurities. Its clarifying formula prepares the face for the rest of your skincare regimen.

I guess I should start off with the reason why I bought this toner in the first place - I'll admit, it's quite pricey - but if you've been following me on my Youtube channel, you'll know already. My first year of college, I started breaking out like crazy, and for someone like me who had previously rarely got pimples except the occasional one that I would freak out over, it was a pretty big deal. When people say that having acne really hurts your confidence, I understand - it really does. It's strange because you shouldn't have to care so much about your outer appearance but when you just have red dots and bumps all over your face, it's hard not to feel embarrassed or wonder if everyone's staring at them. To this day, I'm not 100% sure why I had that "mid-life skin crisis" but I'm guessing it was a combination of the cafeteria food I was eating (probably a 100% increase in my fat intake since back home, I ate a healthy balanced Chinese meal of rice and vegetables and some meat), the air environment (it is much drier in my college town than in my hometown), and the Missha BB cream (strange that I'd say such a specific item right? But I'll explain!). When I realized my breaks out weren't subsiding, I took action and began eating much healthier (only salads and low-fat foods) because I thought my diet was what was the cause. After about a month or two and no improvement, I was at a loss of what to do. Around that time, it was Christmas break and I went home and even my parents were shocked and a bit distressed at my skin condition. My mom decided to take me out and buy some skincare products to hopefully help my acne and we decided to purchase the SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion. The reason we chose this specific one was because I had seen Raeview (if you haven't heard of her, check out her Youtube videos or her blog - TheRaeviewer - she's writes really great reviews on lots of high end luxury products as well as drugstore makeup products!) talk about her daily skincare routine and she had mentioned using this toner and how well it worked for her. The lady who we purchased the toner from recommended I get the matching Facial Treatment Essence to go with it but I passed (though I did get a sample to try out). I began using the clear lotion that night and within a week, the redness in my pimples had decreased significantly and by two weeks, most of them had cleared away. It took about a month for them to all disappear but within that time, my skin improved so much and it was amazing. 

This toner did wonders for my skin and continues to do so. I would say this toner is just average if it just got rid of my acne, but it's better than that because it actually prevents me from getting any more breakouts. Now I practically NEVER breakout, like even less than I did originally and even if it's "that time of the month", and I'm really not exaggerating!! I really hope I don't suddenly get a pimple tomorrow morning (haha) but I absolutely swear by this toner. Before I got this toner, I used some random "hydrating toner" my mom had given to me by some random unknown brand and I didn't feel like it did anything for my skin. But using the SK-II Clear Lotion, I really can feel a difference. I like to just tip the bottle over two times with half a cotton pad (I like to use the CVS rectangle ones and cut or rip them in half) covering the opening. Because the opening is just a small hole, the toner can't really "spill" out because it'll just drip out. I only need two "tips" of the bottle to soak the cotton pad enough before swiping it all over my face, but I know for my boyfriend, he needs at least 4 so it's really up to you and how much you feel you need to wipe your face down. I like to start from the right side of my face and move downwards getting my jawline down to my neck and avoiding the delicate eye area. I like to concentrate mostly on my nose area because that's where my face oils tends to accumulate. I apply quite a bit of pressure when I'm wiping my face because I like to really make sure I'm wiping away any dirt or oil residue that my cleanser didn't wash off. (If I didn't say this before, I use my Philosophy Purity made Simple cleanser before I use the facial treatment toner). The fun thing is looking at the cotton pad and seeing the dirt or dead skin cells that come off my face haha! 

If I were to say how long this toner would last most people, I'd say maybe about 8 months to a year? I suppose it depends how often you use it because I first started off using it day and night but then as my skin cleared up and I realized I didn't need to use it so often, I started only using it at night. Now, I just use it every other night or even less, it just depends how my skin is looking that week. Because my skin has been doing so well, I've been able to focus more on my acne scars/dark spots and trying to fade them rather than having to fight off pimples and I know it's because of this toner that my skin has been doing so well. The SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion really helps to get rid of any leftover dirt or oil that could clog my pores, and I feel like it helps my skin absorb my other skin care products better. I know the Facial Treatment Essence that you're supposed to use with it would probably also help my skin, but I don't think it's really necessary because of what great results I've gotten with the Clear Lotion alone. While I understand that the price is quite up there, I would definitely suggest this to anyone whether you have extremely severe acne or just moderate to light acne. I think one of the reasons this toner works so well is that it helps balance out your skin so that if you had oily skin before, somehow, it makes your skin produce less oil so that you'll have less oil clogging your pores. I know this is true because for my skin, I previously had combination skin with my T-zone getting quite oily some days, but now, my skin stays nice and healthy and hydrated without getting oily.

Would I repurchase this product? Yes and no. Right now, I haven't even finished my bottle as I have about 1/3 left, but even though I absolutely love this product, I don't think I actually will buy it again once I run out. The reason for this is because I feel like the Clear Lotion has really helped balance out my skin and because my skin is doing so well, I don't see too much of a need for the toner. Basically, the toner has worked so well that I feel like I don't need any toner anymore at all! Of course I know that's not true because toners really help your skin absorb the skincare products you use afterwards much more, but I think I might start experimenting around and try and find a less intense and cheaper alternative that will just keep my skin in balance and in check.

Would I recommend this product? Yes yes and yes! If I haven't drilled it in your head enough, I love this product and think it'll work wonders for anyone's skin. It doesn't just get rid of acne, it prevents it and corrects your skin so that you don't have to worry about it so much. Yes $60 is a lot, but you get a good amount of product and it lasts for quite a while. Plus, it goes against the laws of all business companies in that it works so well that you don't NEED to repurchase it! (Because we all know companies just want us to keep buying their products).


If you want to purchase this toner, you can find it at a local SK-II shop (that's where I picked up mine) or at Sephora - click here! I hope you guys enjoyed this somewhat lengthy review and found it helpful. If you have any questions about my personal experience with this toner, please leave a comment below and I'll answer it ASAP~! :) Hope you all have a lovely day <3

My Everyday Natural Makeup Look (Step by Step Instructions w/ Pictures)

 

Note: This is my first time doing something like this - aka a picture tutorial rather than a video. If you like this type of tutorial, please let me know in the comments down below! I'd really appreciate it :)

Also I'm going to list the products I used below with links to where you can get each one in case you guys are interested, though they're all pretty popular products and can be easily found at drugstores or Sephora, but hey, if it helps one person, it's worth the effort ^__^ Please know that you don't need to use the exact products I used to recreate this look, that's the beauty of makeup! You have so much freedom to make a look yours~!

Product list (click on the product name for the link):
-ELF Essential Tone Correcting Concealer in Rosy Beige
-Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
-Urban Decay Naked Palette (used the shades Naked and Buck)
-Maybelline Stylish Smokes Quad in Natural Smokes 02 (used the lightest shimmery brown and darkest matte brown)
-Sephora Flashy Liner in Flashy Brown
-Dollywink Liquid Eyeliner in Brown
-3 Concept Eyes Highlighter by Stylenada in Gold Pink
-(forgot to add this in my picture tutorial! woops!) Revlon Lipbutter in Juicy Papaya 027

Adventures in Seoul, Korea: Day 3

Day 3.. almost half way through our trip yet still so many more things to do~! The first thing on our itinerary was Trick Eye Museum located in Hongdae! It was a bit of a walk from the subway station but not too hard to find. It's located in a somewhat shop street area so I stopped by a Holika Holika while my mom and sister picked up some bread with baked cheese on top from one of those street food carts before we went into the museum. The museum has an a large section that you can view for free but there is also a huge other part of the museum that requires purchase of a ticket to go into. Tickets cost 15,000 won for adults and 12,000 won for kids (18 and under) but if you look on the web, you might be able to find some discount coupons. We spent quite a long time in the museum because there are so many places that you just HAVE to take a photo of (I have included just a few of the many we took). There is even an Ice Museum which is reaaally cold in order to keep all the structures frozen in the right shape (but they provide a blanket for you to wear while inside). The Trick Eye Museum is definitely a place to stop by when in Seoul!

The famous eye illusion (Amber from f(x) has a photo in here! :D )

You can slide down a slide!

After we finished going through the museum, we were quite hungry and moved onto our next location in Hongdae - the Hello Kitty Cafe~! (The address is: 358-112, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea) It was actually very close to the Trick Eye Museum so it wasn't hard for us to find, especially since it's a giant pink building. The inside is SO cute and everything is nicely decorated with pink cushions and Hello Kitty photos all over the walls. The menu items are also super cute and delicious - though a bit on the more pricey side but understandable since anything related to Hello Kitty is always quite expensive. The chocolate and banana waffle we had (shown in picture below) cost 6000 won (if I remember correctly) and there was this like Hello Kitty shaped mini cake that was 10000 won! However we also ordered a pink slushi (tasted like strawberries I think) and a sweet potato hot drink which was superrr good and actually tasted like sweet potato!

 

After our little Hello Kitty cafe break, we walked a bit more around the Hongdae area and visited the Free Market (also known as the Hope Market) in Hongdae Park which is only open in the afternoons after 1 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. The Free Market features artist who make jewelry, paintings, and other artsy craft items that you can purchase to support them. We looked around there for a little bit (it's not a very big area) and then continued on into the rest of the area until we got hungry enough to eat lunch. The whole area has many restaurants so there were plenty of eating locations for us to choose from but we settled on one that looked interesting from the windows (well open windows with the delicious smell of food floating out didn't hurt either) and we weren't disappointed. The restaurant was bustling with people but we were quickly seated. There were only like 5 options on the menu.. two A and B sets (one of the A and B sets included squid, the other didn't.. the difference between A and B was that A had less of something that I forget). We ended up choosing the 5th option which I'm not sure if it was a special but it was on a separate menu by itself and the waiter told us it was the not spicy option so we chose that (though it was meant to be split between 2 people not 3 but we knew it would be more than enough for us. The only problem with choosing it was that they only gave us 2 scoops of rice). The way all the dishes in the restaurant was set up was that each table had a mini burner (like at a Korean BBQ restaurant) and then they would bring out a giant square metal dish that held your raw meat, noodles, and vegetables in some sort of sauce/marinade, and then you would let it cook. It wasn't exactly Korean BBQ though since the style was a bit different (you'll see in the pictures) but it was DELICIOUS! Of course the dish was actually a bit spicy but not spicy enough to cause us a problem. The sauce was actually some sort of sweet soy sauce? I'm not totally sure but it was gooood. If only I could remember the name of the restaurant we went to.... -__- Either way if you find a place that has menu items that look like my pictures in Hongdae.. go check it out haha!

Before...

...After! (After we devoured most of it haha!)

Once we finished our satisfying lunch, we headed off, once again, to explore the area. My sister had looked up some special cafes she wanted to go to because Hongdae is famous for its many cafes. We passed by so many interesting ones but didn't have the room in our stomachs to go in. Some of the cafes we saw included a whale cafe, piano cafe, cat cafe (these and dog cafes are supposedly quite popular), and many more! We finally found the cafe my sister was looking for which was ... the Hongdae Mustoy Doll Crafting Café (located on 344-6 Seogyo-dong,Mapo-gu, Seoul) !! It's a cute cafe that has these blank white dolls that you can draw on and decorate. Many famous celebrities have gone there and made a doll and you can see the pictures of which celebrities have visited that cafe. We were a bit behind schedule though so we didn't actually make a doll but going to see the cafe was a fun trip! There are some REALLY nicely made dolls *amazed at the talent of some folk* There was also another cafe in the area called Coffee Prince cafe where a popular Korean drama was filmed at (forgot the name of the drama exactly since I've never watched it but apparently it's pretty popular because they have a sign that specifically says if you're here to take pictures, please only stay outside" haha).

Mustoy Doll Crafting cafe - from the outside you can see all the dolls on the shelves that people have made. If you look closely on the top shelf you can also see pictures of the celebrities who have visited this cafe.

Coffee Prince cafe from the outside

To my mother's relief, we finally left Hongdae and all it's tempting cafes to go to Ewha Women’s University. Of course my sister and I weren't too interested in the university itself but more the shopping areas around it buut for my mother's sake, we walked around the campus for a little while, until the sun set. The campus is actually quite nice (well on the outside, who knows about the classrooms, dorms, etc) but the shopping district around it is even nicer~! We picked up some shoes from the markets and shopped around until we got hungry enough to find a place for dinner. We picked a random restaurant on the streets of Ewha that I shall post a picture of as soon as I can (haha sorry don't have all my photos with me atm >__<). I would definitely recommend it though it wasn't exactly your typical traditional Korean food. It was a mix of Korean and Japanese style food in my opinion? But it was absolutely delicious and scrumptious :)

Udon (typical but delicious!), deep fried pork cutlet with rice and the yummy sweet sauce LOL, and a small bowl of salad that was SOO good. It had the Japanese miso dressing that's like sweet? Soooo good :)

Spicy seafood fried rice. It was delicious but definitely spicy haha!

Omelet over rice with a sausage patty? I don't remember exactly what the meat was but it was superrr yummy~!

After dinner, we finally had enough time and energy to go to Dongdameun - the place to go for nighttime shopping and street food~! The cool thing was that there weren't just street markets like you might expect at a night market area but there were actual department store buildings that were 12+ stories filled with little boutiques that sold shoes, hats, clothing, jeans, and everything for males and females! There were definitely some good deals at some of the shops and a few Kpop shops that sucked my sister and I in (though we resisted and didn't buy anything *super proud*). I must mention though, there was this one floor that was all denim material and the jeans were.. I'm not kidding.. Abercrombie Kids sizes!! Like they were seriously THAT skinny - I didn't even bother looking at them because I knew they wouldn't fit haha >__>'. The shop owners are all really nice and welcoming though. If you have time at night, you should definitely check out Dongdameun because there is an endless amount of shopping to do there. ^__^'

One of the many story-high buildings in Dongdaemeun

Alrighty.. that concludes day 3! I must say, writing our entire trip out is taking me a lot longer than I expected haha. I hope you guys are all finding this helpful and interesting and feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or just wanna say hello C; Hope you all have a wonderful day~!

Battle of the Eyeliners: Black Pencil Liner Edition

Okay the title is a bit cheeky but hey, what other way to call this showdown of all the top-rated black pencil eyeliners you've ever wondered about. I'll admit, I'm a bit of a pencil liner junkie (it was the first type of makeup product I ever really used) and have WAY too many to know what to do with. But alas, I have a found a solution for my eyeliner obsession .. to share my knowledge and years of experience (if that's what you call wearing them and figuring out the hard way which ones smear and smudge) with all the girls and boys out in the world. Today I'll be sharing my thoughts on the black eyeliners from high-end brands like Urban Decay, Make Up For Ever (MUFE), Stila, Dior, Sephora, to drugstore brands such as Milani, ELF, Rimmel London, and more. SO LET'S JUST HOP RIGHT IN :)

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero ($19): One of the most popular pencil liners out there, the Urban Decay 24/7 pencil liners are well-known for their smooth application, bright pigmentation (when it comes to the colored ones), and waterproof & smudge-proof abilities. The first pencil liners I owned were the UD 24/7 glide-on pencils in Zero and Bourbon (they came in a twin pack and were on sale :D) and I instantly fell in love with them. However, this post is about black pencil liners so we'll focus on Zero (for now!). Some of the things I enjoy about Zero is that it gives me a nice black line without being SO dark that it looks too harsh, doesn't pull on my eyelids when I'm drawing a wing/line, and is waterproof and rarely smudges. Note how I used the word rarely smudges - this is because I have noticed on a few (very few, but still some!) occasions that the liner has faded a little bit and left smudge or smear marks. These occasions are usually when I am wearing my makeup for a long time and/or it is a really hot day or I'm sweating a lot. Another thing I like about Zero is that it isn't SO creamy that it just "smushes" when I'm applying my makeup (something that occurs with the Milani Liquid Eye Pencil - see below) - this is something I think adds to the lasting ability of this liner which is quite long. I can't say it lasts 24/7 since I have seen some fading throughout the day if used WITHOUT a primer, but I am actually okay with that since it makes makeup removal easier at the end of the day. I also generally don't mind the fading on my lower lashline too much either since it's never been so much that it gives me "raccoon eyes" and actually gives me more of a natural or smoked out gradient look that isn't bad! I can definitely testify to the claims that this liner is waterproof because I have worn it to swim practice (meaning 2 hours of being in the pool) and it has lasted albeit some smudges usually due to me forgetting I had makeup on and completely rubbing my eyes -__-. Overall, yes I would recommend this liner, though it is a bit on the pricey side (look out for sales or sets that offer more colors for an overall cheaper price!), it is great for any occasion and can last through any event or day if used with a primer. I would recommend people with oily eyelids to give this a shot as I have used it on my friends with oily lids and they have seen little to no smudging!
As a side note, I would like to mention that I do know there is another color called Perversion that many enjoy and say has a darker pigmentation and more creamy texture than Zero, but I have yet to try it and can't give my own personal opinion on it. If you're not sure which one to get, you should try them out in store (ie. Sephora) and see which one you prefer. I think I would still choose Zero over Perversion though due to personal preference of what I like in my black eyeliners.

  
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Matte Black 0L ($19):The MUFE Aqua Eyes pencil liner has been around for a while and my sister was the one who actually first bought it and I just ended up taking hers because I liked it so much :) The best way to describe this pencil liner is probably to compare it to other liners as it usually is matched up against the Urban Decay one. The texture of this liner is definitely not as creamy/soft as Zero and requires a bit more pressure if you want it to be the same darkness as Zero; however it still doesn't tug on my eyelids during application and is more waterproof and smudge-proof in my opinion than Zero. I think this liner lasts a bit longer than Zero, but it's not such a big difference that I would choose this over Zero especially since I generally use Zero because I like the texture of Zero a bit more. If you're looking for a liner that you can wear for sports or water events and not have to worry about smearing, I would definitely choose MUFE (though I would probably choose their gel or liquid liners over the pencil liner if you're looking for a clean cut line that will NOT budge), but it does work for everyday school or work wear too. It is also really good for people with oily lids or monolids - I've used it on my friends for their prom/dances and they don't notice any smudging.

Stila Kajal Eye Liner in Onyx ($18): The most popular Stila eyeliner shade is probably the nude one that many beauty gurus use on their waterliner, but I managed to snag this black liner at Costco (!!) in a set that came with their mascara and two eye shadows for about $10-$15 (I can't remember exactly, sorry! But I know it was a great deal and pretty cheap!). The Stila pencil is definitely more creamy and soft than both UD or MUFE 's liners with a texture that is similar to the Milani Liquid Eye liner, but with the softness factor comes more smudging. I probably wouldn't recommend this liner for those with oilier eyelids since it probably will smear or fade since it does smudge more often on me that my other liners and I don't have that oily eyelids. The good thing about this liner being soft is that it glides right on your waterline really well - for my MUFE liner, I usually have to go over my waterline 2-3 times to get a dark line - and has realllyy good pigmentation. The black color is super dark and one line is enough color for me! However, I think the one thing I can't get over about this liner is the soft texture. It's so soft that one use already dulls the point incredibly which means you get through this liner really quickly. Also since it's so soft, it can easily "smush" (something I have experienced when my friends were playing around with it Q.Q) and it's sort of hard to create a nice pointed wing since the point is rarely sharp/thin enough. BUT, don't let this get you too down - the creamy texture of this liner allows it to act as a base for eyeshadows if you're going for a darker look. You can also smudge this liner out (it takes a while to set and even once it's set, it's not completelyy set) with a brush to create a really nice blended gradient smokey eye. Just make sure you use a primer underneath this liner if you want to avoid the worst of smudges (though I would be prepared for transfer of the product onto your bottom lashline if you line your upper waterline - aka tightlining - with it). If you can't get this product at cheaper price, I would opt out and just go for the UD or MUFE liners.

Dior Waterproof Crayon Eyeliner in Trinidad Black 094 ($29):Dior is definitely a brand that I would describe as high-end and expensive. At $29, you would expect their pencil liner to be freaking amazing, but no, it's just average. I wouldn't recommend anyone to spend their money on this liner unless they're trying to collect all Dior makeup products or something. This liner isn't terrible but it isn't anything above average. I don't find it to be waterproof and have seen smudges all the times I've used it which I suppose might be an innate trait of the liner since it comes with a smudger brush on the end of the liner. The pigmentation of this liner is in between the MUFE liner and Zero - meaning it isn't incredibly dark - but has texture that's more on the softer creamy side (though not as much as Stila's or Milani's). All I can say is don't waste your money and go for something that is actually waterproof, smudgeproof, has better pigmentation and lasting power, or is at least cheaper!!

Sephora Collection Flashy Liner Waterproof Eyeliner in Deep Black ($7.47 on Amazon, no longer sold at Sephora): I acquired this liner recently (meaning in the last 6 months) and have loved it since. I bought this from a girl at my school and it came with a black, brown, grey, bright turquoise green that I LOVE, and some other colors. When I tried to look up the price for this though, I couldn't exactly find it on the Sephora website (strange because it's a Sephora brand liner haha), or more like it said it was sold out/not sold anymore. However, I did find it on Amazon and Ebay being sold in packs with other colors or by itself so you can look there if you feel so intrigued to purchase it. I like this liner because it's a good soft and creamy texture (not too soft and not too firm either), goes on smoothly when applied, lasts for pretty long time (well the longest I've worn it for was probably a 10 hour period, but I didn't seem any/much fading and this was without a primer), and has good pigmentation (not the darkest or the lightest black liner I've used but an in between which is what I like). I can't say if this is waterproof but I feel like it wouldn't exactly smear on your lids if you were in the water and didn't touch your eyes (haha), but I know it's put up through some of the hot days I've been through where I've sweated a bunch so it gets a thumbs-up for the sweat-proof factor :)

Milani Liquif'eye Liquid Eye Liner Pencil in 01 Black ($6.99):The Milani Liquif'eye pencil liner got a lot of hype in the past year (or was it more than a year.. haha I'm bad at keeping track of time) because everyone was raving about the creaminess, smoothness, and pigmentation of the liner. A lot of people were comparing it to the Urban Decay liners because of its texture and with it being less than the half price, who could complain? I'll admit, I fell for the hype and went and bought it early on, and it's great and all, but I still prefer my UD and MUFE liners. This liner definitely is one of the softer pencil liners, similar to the Stila pencil liner as I mentioned before though not AS creamy, and is great for lining your upper and lower waterline with great dark pigmentation. However, like I said, I'm one who prefers my pencil liners not so soft that they feel sticky or "smush" easily which is sometimes a problem with this liner. It does set well though, better than the Stila liner, and can last a good amount of the day, but it has smeared or transferred on a few of my friends with monolids and more oily lids. I generally don't reach for this liner as often because of this and only use it on the occasions where I'm wearing a smokey eye so that any transfer or smudging won't be too obvious. I have seen smudging and smearing with this liner when I sweat, but I can't say about it's waterproof abilities. I usually only use this for tightlining rather than normal lining my eyes because of it's softness but I know many other beauty gurus enjoy this liner, and at only $6.99, it's definitely a good alternative (but not substitute in my opinion due to the difference in texture, lasting power, and smudge/smear factor) for the UD and MUFE liners.

E.L.F. Essential Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil in Black Bandit ($1): ELF is well known for its cheap and decent quality makeup products, and at only $1, this eyeliner pencil is no exception. The saying "You get what you pay for" certainly applies here because while this liner does work and do the job, it's not the best. It's has a firmer&harder, less creamy/soft texture making it a bit rough on the eyelids at times and you definitely have to be careful at the beginning when the point is sharpest because it HURTS when if you poke your eye with it (trust me, I've done it to myself!). I would advise you to dull the pencil out a bit when you first purchase it by swiping it a few times on the back of your hand. This will also help give you a feel of the texture and firmness of the liner. Once the liner dulls down a bit, it's better for at lining and works well for its price. It's not the darkest pigmentation and can require more than one stroke if you want a line like the UD or MUFE liners give. It also contains some glitter particles (hence the name "Shimmer Eyeliner") so I only use it when I want the shimmer (though it's not crazy noticeable). I find it easiest to use this pencil liner by holding it slanted (almost parallel to my face) rather than having it perpendicular to my face. Using the side of the pencil helps to apply more of the product in one stroke and avoids the problem of tugging or dragging your lids when using this liner due to it's more firm nature. If you do it this way, you don't have to dull out the pencil as much since you won't actually use the point/tip of the liner. It's also great that the pencil comes with a sharpener in the lid but I don't ever use it since it's not the best/I prefer to use my Sephora one that cost about $3 :) The lasting power of the liner is decent though I have seen fading throughout the day and since it's the least creamy of liners I've used, it smudges less. I don't think this liner is very waterproof, but can hold up against a little sweat. It smears/fades a little when I use it on my upper lashline since I get most oily there but overall, if you're looking for a decent liner, go for this one! It's only a dollar - can't hurt to give it a shot!

 

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 :)

Maybelline SuperStay 24HR Makeup Foundation Review

Maybelline SuperStay™ 24HR Makeup Foundation in Nude

Here's my review on the SuperStay™ 24HR Makeup Foundation By Maybelline! I know this foundation has been around for a while, but it never hurts to add another review to the web, right? :P Plus, I'm sure there are many of you late budders like myself who aren't looking for the newest products but rather one that just works well for its purpose. For beginners (myself included!), the three things you want to look for in a foundation are shade match, coverage&wear, and probably most importantly, how your skin reacts to it.

First off, let's take a look at what this foundation claims to do (taken from the Maybelline.com website)

• Stays comfortable and looks naturally flawless all day
• Micro-Flex formula provides 24-hour wear and no transfer
• Withstands heat, sweat and humidity
• Oil-free, dermatologist-tested, fragrance-free
• Suitable for all skin types

This foundation comes in 12 different shades that have a variety of undertones ranging from pink, neutral, yellow, and whatever other colors there are. I own the shade Nude Light 50 and find that it matches me quite well though sometimes I feel like it oxidizes a little bit and turns a bit more oranger/darker than when first applied. Nude Light 50 has more yellow tones which I suppose fits me since I am Asian and most Asians usually have yellow or nude undertones while Americans have pink or nude undertones (bear in mind that's just in general though and if you use a fake tanner, those usually give more of a yellow or nude undertone). I've read that if you're an NC 30-35, Classic Beige Medium 60 can also match your skin tone so I'm considering buying that shade and testing it out. But for now, I will say that the shade Nude Light 50 does match my skin tone enough so that it isn't a problem and doesn't make my face look a whole different shade than the rest of my body in pictures or in real life. If you want to see all the shades, click here. And if you're still not sure what shade will match you best after looking online and in-store, go check out reviews and see what shades match different girls' skin tones and try and find the one that'll fit you best! Buying drugstore makeup is always a bit of a gamble since you can't try out the products as you might with more high-end ones, but there are so many great foundations out there that are like 10% of the price of some other ones that it's worth the risk.

Now onto coverage.. I would say the coverage is medium and can be built to full coverage if desired. Personally, I would stick with the medium coverage, but even when you layer the foundation for more coverage, it doesn't get cakey! As the site claims, it does look naturally flawless, but "all day" is debatable. It claims to be 24-hour wear - which I don't know why you would WANT to keep your makeup on for 24 hours anyways - and while I haven't ever worn this foundation for that long, I haven't actually seen any lapse in coverage throughout the lengths of times I've had it on. The longest I've worn this foundation for was about 15 hours and it lasted the entire time (no primer or setting spray!) - that's saying something. Of course you have to keep in mind that my skin type is more on the normal side with only some oiliness in the T-zone occasionally, and I WOULD recommend using a primer and setting spray if you really want/need your makeup to last as long as possible (and for extra insurance, you can never be too safe!). The finish of this foundation is more on the matte side rather than dewy and I haven't noticed any transferring problems when I wear this foundation. Plus, I wore this foundation to the One Direction concert and many other events where I was out in the sun and sweating, and it has lasted throughout all of them flawlessly! I didn't have to touch up at all! (Though I did occasionally press my hands into my face during the concert since I was worried it might start cracking - YES that has happened to me before with another foundation! - but I don't think it was necessary to be honest).

Ready for my one direction concert~!

The most important aspect about any foundation is how your skin will react to it. No matter how good a foundation covers up your flaws and imperfections, if it breaks you out, it is no good! You should always try out a foundation in store if possible - which obviously isn't when you're buying drugstore foundations which stinks big time but just keep this in mind if you ever decide to get a foundation from Sephora or any other beauty store where you CAN test out the products. Sephora is also really cool about giving out samples of the products so you can ask for a sample of a foundation you're interested in and they'll give you a tiny container of it and you can use the foundation for like a week and see how your skin reacts to it. If you want to be really sneaky, you can also just ask for a sample of a foundation that you've already test/know works well with your skin and doesn't break you out for your big event if you don't want to purchase the full size product because hey, I feel ya - makeup ain't cheap! I'll admit, I did that lil trick for my prom ;P But don't worry, I did go and buy the full size foundation afterwards because I loved it so much aha :) Anyways, back on topic, since you can't try out drugstore foundations, the best way to see if it might break you out is to read reviews (like this one!). Now I can tell you this foundation does NOT break me out and is fragrance free (for any of you anti-fragrance folks out there - have no fear!) so yes I would definitely recommend it to all my lovely lil readers. But of course you should read more than one review on any product, especially foundations. Everyone has different skin types and hormones and what not and if you have sensitive skin or acne prone skin, you definitely have to be careful.

Reading reviews from other beauty girls is so helpful so utilize them! One of the best sites to read up on reviews is Makeupalley. There are so many reviews on the site for basically every single product out there so you're bound to find reviews on a foundation you're interested in that will tell you whether or not lots of people have experienced break outs due to the foundation, what shade matched them best, and much more helpful information. Overall, as I mentioned before, I would most certainly recommend this foundation to anyone looking for a medium-full coverage foundation that will last for any event and isn't going to make your wallet cry. This foundation comes in a variety of shades that should match a majority of girls, provides a good amount of coverage and does the job of lasting throughout the day, and I haven't heard of any cases of it causing break outs so it definitely gets an A on my book list! Of course, when you're more serious about foundations, there are a lot more things you can be picky about when choosing a foundation such as packaging, scent, and feel on the skin, but for a basic beginner makeup girl, this foundation does the trick. The only negatives I have about this product are that (1) the packaging is a standard drugstore glass bottle packaging that DOESN'T come with a pump which can get pretty messy when you're pouring out the foundation and (2) I have noticed slight oxidation on some occasions though not enough to be a significant problem.


Well, I hope you enjoyed this review and leave a comment if you've tried this foundation and have anything to add or maybe counter! I know not everyone will have the same opinion, but that's what the makeup community is for! SO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND SEND SOME LOVE MY WAY :)

Don't forget to check out my Youtube channel ~ ^__^