Skincare Haul

Hey guys, 

        So I went a lil overboard with skincare purchases the last few months. But hey it is for my skin after all, gotta treat it well.😊 Haha. By the way, if you guys want any in depth reviews of these products, just let me know ~ 

  
With summer on its way here , it is always useful to have a tub of aloe around in the house. There are so many uses for it too. You don’t have to worry about being able to use it up. 

  
Since I bought this a few months ago, I have already made a lil dent in the tub. ALOE masks !!!!!!! 

  
 

  
 

I’ve always been a fan of Hada Labo products. This gel is no different. So far it has been great to my skin~ 

  
Now this was my splurge ! I’ve always heard great things about the SK-II brand and been wanting to try the facial treatment essence out. So I finally gave in and bought it. This was a recent purchase so I don’t have much to say about it yet. Will be future review ~

Now we have arrived at the thing I went and bought a lot of. I don’t know why I suddenly decided that I want to use sheet masks so frequently. Keep in mind, I’ve already used some xD But here we go ~

  
   
         

My Beauty Diary

   

My Scheming

 

I told you guys xD I went a bit overboard.but at least stocked up now. Now in regards to masks in another form, I was also gifted this by someone. I need to use it before it expires. 

   

So this has been my skincare haul ~Have any  of you tried any of these products ? If so, did you like them ? Once again, if you want any in-depth reviews of anything , let me know 🙂 

IOPE Air Cushion XP N23 Review

Hey Guys ! 

        Sorry for the delay! I have been unexpectedly busy with family coming over. 

        BB cushions are all rage now  in South Korea so naturally I have been trying to get my hands on it! The IOPE air cushion XP has been said to sell one in every 6 minutes. For those of you who never heard of the air cushion or BB cushion before, it is basically a foundation/BB/CC cream that is soaked into a cushion, which dispenses the product via a puff that they provide you with. 

      The IOPE air cushion XP comes in 3 shades in 3 lines. In the natural line :  N21,N23,and N31. In the shimmer line : S22. In the cover line : C21 and C23. The shade I got was N23. For reference I am MAC NC20-N25 in the winter. It matches me pretty well. 

       On the IOPE website they describe this product as IOPE Air Cushion XP helps protect the skin from harmful UV light while simultaneously protecting makeup to keep your skin looking moisturizing and bright. 

        It also claims to : 

• Moisturize skin,giving it a healthy glow 
• Improves the condition of the pores for healthy skin 
• Reduces fine lines with additional active ingredients 
• Long-lasting without darkening side effects 

   

     

Iope Air Cushion XP

Packaging

  

The sponge that the cushion comes with

the cushion itself

Back of cushion

 

Box and Refill package

  

    
  Pros:

• Compact 
• Packaging feels sturdy 
• Hydrating 
• Natural look
• Spf 50 ( both UVA and UVB) 
• Comes with refill cushion and sponge
• The sponge that comes with the cushion does not soak the product. 
• Easily to change compacts as you just need to pop it out by giving it a little push.
• Gives pretty good coverage, I would say light to medium 
• Covers redness really well
• Blends wonderfully ( I recommend tapping) 
• Lasts  the whole day for me (7-8hrs) 
• Easy to remove
• Mirror is a good size
• Reasonable price ($40 with refill)   

Cons:

• Only comes in 3 shades that are generally on the lighter side. 
• Not the most hygienic 
• Can make your skin too dewy/oily 
• If you use powder to set it , may get cakey so you have to be careful 
• Doesn’t work with certain primers. When I used my Chanel Le Blanc De Chanel, it didn’t react well with me and would cake up. 
• If you have extreme dry patches , it may cling to it. 
• Sponge is hard to clean 
• Blemishes are not fully covered in the natural version 
• Slight fragrance ( very faint though ) 

Swatches

  

   

 

    

Cost : $40 for with refill at Amore Store. So each bb cushion is around $20 each which isn’t too bad.  

Purchase :  ibuybeauti or Yesstyle

Will I repurchase ? :  Yes ! I love the finish it gives and how it looks on my skin. I love how easy it is to carry along and touch up if necessary. Overall it is a great buy. I do wish it had a broader spectrum of shades. 

Have you tried any bb cushions ? 

Preview : Iope Air Cushion XP coming soon !

Hey guys!

      Been quite a long time since I last updated this blog! Popped in to say I’m coming back 😘 I finally got my hands on the IOPE air cushion XP and will be testing it out for a bit! Let me know if there is something in particular you guys wanna know ! 



July 2014 Favorites

Hey guys,
Well it is the last day of July. Time really flies doesn’t it ?! I can’t believe August is almost here.  The weather has been amazing lately.  In NYC we have been getting around the  low 60s- low 80s.  Feels like FALL weather , which I love. Though this does make me worry about how winter will be. But enough ramblings about the weather, let’s move onto the favorites. This time I have a variety of products from skincare to fashion to makeup, all across the board this time. Haha.

SKINCARE

LANEIGE POWER ESSENTIAL SKIN TONER FOR NORMAL TO DRY SKIN

I have used Laneige products before and have really liked them overall.So,when I saw this at Target, I knew I had to try it out. This has done wonders for my skin when it was really really dry. It reminds me of this Origins toner I have. Anyway, it made my dry patches almost totally go away in a few days. I highly recommend this product for those of you who want some extra hydration.

NARS SOFTENING MILK CLEANSER

I have been using this product to remove my makeup when I get back home. It removes everything quite well and leaves my skin quite soft which I really like. ( I use another make-up remover for my eyes.) There is a very light orange scent, which is quite nice. I really like the packaging as well.

Bronzer : Los Cabos
Center Blush : Blushing Pink
Right Blush : Coral Punch

Sephora Collection Bronzed and Blushing Face Palette

As you all know, I went on vacation recently with my family. When traveling, I try to keep the products I bring at a minimum, while still having some options. This palette contains 2 blushes and 1 bronzer, which is all I needed. The palette is very slim , making it very travel friendly.

HELENE BERMAN HAT

HELENE BERMAN HAT

I have been wearing this hat pretty much all throughout summer. It goes with almost everything. Ahh I love it.  I am so glad I was able to snatch it up while it was on sale at Bloomingdales. There is no way I am going to spend $70+  on a hat. I am so happy that there was a sale at the time, I ended up paying around $29-$30 for this.

VINCE CAMUTO BAG

I have been using this bag almost the entire summer so far. I love a good crossbody. It fits my essentials and has a slit in the back where I can put my phone and iPod. I love it 😀

Superga cotu classic sneaker in Navy

Now I generally tend to wear either some type of heel or flats. I have been eyeing this sneaker for a while now. I am glad I decided to go with the purchase. This shoe is so comfortable. It can almost go with everything.I have been wearing it quite frequently lately.
What are your July favorites ?

Mini Vacation : Joe’s Crab Shack and Great Falls Park

Hey guys,

      Sorry for the lack of updates, I went on a short family vacation recently and didn’t have my macbook with me. So I went to visit my family in Maryland and they took me to some great places. Before making the trip, I had mentioned to my cousin that I was craving crabs,so she took me to Joe’s Crab Shack.

Classic Sampler

Classic Sampler

Crab Daddy- included king crab, snow crab and queen crab. There was corn and some potatoes in the bucket as well.

Dessert

The food was amazing. One thing though, one of my family members ordered a burger (kids menu) and she said it was not that great so I would avoid that and just stick to seafood. I did not expect the crab pieces to be that big. The classic sampler is great to share amongst friends and family as it comes with such a great variety of food for them to choose from.

Another location that my family took me to was the Great Falls Park. WEAR SNEAKERS OR HIKING SHOES WHEN GOING. You may have to climb a lot of rocks depending on which route you take. It will really make your life a lot easier. When you get there though, the view is amazing. This is a no trash area so please keep that in mind. They do provide you with trash bags that you can use to contain your trash, but there are NO trash cans.

High Rise Pole

On the way to the site.

Look how gorgeous it is. >.<

People rafting.

If any of you are in the Virginia Region, do check this place out. It is a great place to bring your family. I saw many people having a BBQ, walking their dogs and hiking. It was a great trip as well as great exercise as well. ( Gotta Burn off all those crabs xD )

Have you been on Vacation lately ? Where did you go ?

– Orchid

Sephora Bronzed and Blushing Face Palette

Hey guys,

How have you all been ?If you are in the USA, I hope you all had a great July 4th weekend 😀  Anyway,  I have been testing out this palette for the past few weeks since I got it and I think I have able to grasp most of the pros and cons.

 

Sephora Bronzed and Blushing Face Palette ($15 USD)

From the Sephora website, it says :
This three-in-one, portable palette features stunning hues for a variety of daytime and nighttime looks. Each head-turning shade is buildable to help you create the perfect color for your skintone. Bestselling Los Cabos Bronzer delivers a nautral-looking sun-kissed glow, Blushing Pink Blush is the ultimate rosy pink for a pretty pop of color, and the Coral Punch Blush gives the apples of your cheeks a nice punch for that sweet summer touch. Wear each shade alone or together depending on your desired look, and use the included mirror for on-the-go touch ups.

Bronzer : Los Cabos
Center Blush : Blushing Pink
Right Blush : Coral Punch

Los Cabos
Blushing Pink
Coral Punch

Los Cabos Bronzer :

This is a great bronzer for contouring. It is matte and there isn’t an overbearing orange tone to it.   I am a MAC NC20 to NC25 and I felt that this is a very natural looking contour shade for my skin tone. It blends out nicely. It lasted through the heat and humidity in NYC the past week. I hear that this bronzer is a dupe for the Laguna bronzer by Nars. So for those who are interested, they do sell this for $17 by itself. I don’t think that this color will show up on everyone though. My friend with a MAC NC 40 tried to use it and it did not show up at all.

Blushing Pink:

This was the color I was a bit disappointed with. In the pan, it looks quite bright and seemed pigmented but when swatched it is not the case. It is still a lovely color for natural every day look though. Be careful when you are building it up though, it can get a bit chalky. I got around 5-6 hours of wear from this product.

Coral Punch:

This color is very very pigmented, coral punch indeed. Be careful when you dab your brush in as a little goes a long way. I find that this color leans more towards a reddish pink as compared to a coral but it is still a very pretty color. I find that this a great summer blush, giving up a lovely pop of color.  This color lasted the longest, around 7 hours of wear.

 

PROS:

. Compact, very travel friendly.

. Sturdy.  I dropped this  couple of times by accident and everything has held up fine.

. Pigmented. ( for the most part )

.Easy to blend.

. Natural Looking

. Inexpensive $15 for two blushes and a bronzer is an amazing deal.

.Mirror is a decent size, making it great for on-the -go.

 

Cons

. Bronzer may not show up on darker skintones.

. Blushing Pink can get a tad chalky when you build it up too much.

 

BUY HERE

Overall, I really do like this palette from Sephora.  I think this would be a great set to give to those who are just starting out in makeup. After using this, it makes me want to check out a few more Sephora products. They have some really nice products. Anyway, have you tried this product ?Do you like it ?

Mini Makeup Haul on Bronzers/Palettes

Hey guys,

So I went on a mini shopping spree the past month or so, and this is what I picked up. 😀 In regards to makeup, I have been slowly getting into contouring so I was on the lookout for new bronzers to test out. I don’t know how but most of the bonzers I ended up getting them in a palette form with blushes and a highlight. Haha.

Chocolate Soleil in Medium/Deep Sample
Sephora Bronzed and Blushing Face Palette ($15)
Lancome Blush Subtil Palette in Rose Flush ($42)

When I started asking around for good bronzers to contour with, many of my friends had mentioned Benefit’s  Hoola Bronzer and the Chocolate Soleil Bronzer from Too Faced. I have been using Hoola to death and wanted to try something new so I wandered around on the Sephora website to see which bronzer interested me.

Bronzer : Los Cabos
Blush : Blushing Pink
Blush : Coral Punch

 

While browsing I noticed the Sephora Palette on their “Just In” section and saw that it had some really nice reviews so I decided to try it. It was around $15 for two blushes and a universal bronzer, which I find to be quite a good deal. It is also compact so it is great to use on the go/traveling.

Buy

Chocolate Soleil Bronzer in Medium/Deep Sample

I got this as my 100 point sample from the Sephora Counter.  The sample size can last me a good few months so I am in no hurry to buy the full sized product. So far I find it to be a great bronzer for contouring though. It is too dark for me to use a full on bronzer.  I have to say, the smell is really lovely. I catch myself just smelling it sometimes. Haha. When I finish this, I will definitely be purchasing a full sized unless something better comes out.

Rose Flush

So this palette comes with a bronzer, blush and highlight. This one has to be one of my favorite formulas. It is so silky and smooth. The product literally just glides onto your face. The blush gives you a nice natural  rosy glow. The bronzer is great for contouring for beginners as it is quite buildable. Even if you pack on a little too much, it is very easy to blend out. I need to use the highlight a bit more to form an opinion on it.

BUY

Now I haven’t have a long enough time to test out all of these products to know all the pros and cons just yet. However, I can say that so far I do quite like these products and my skin has not been irritated by them.  I will give reviews about each product as soon as I feel like I have used them enough. Have you tried any of these products ? What is your favorite bronzer ?

 

Spot Dessert Bar : Satisfying my sweets craving

Hey guys,

I generally frequently go around the St. Mark’s area for food though mostly for their Japanese Cuisine, when I came across the Spot Dessert Bar. My friends and I always thought about going but at the same time, we don’t like sweet food all that much so we didn’t know if we would be able to finish our plates. However, once in a while I do go on a sweets kick and when it came, I decided it was time to go here.

We got seated quite fast with the menus presented to us.  I noticed that the place wasnt that big. Most seatings were for people in groups of 2-4. BUT there were two seats that were meant for big groups. My friend and I can be very indecisive so we stared at the menu for a bit before we saw that they had a promotion where you get to try 4 desert tapas for $20. The food came all at once, which is great so everyone can dig in all at once.

Thai Milk Tea

When I first saw this,  my first thought was WHOA ! This is orange. However, it was delicious. I highly recommend you try it sometime.

Green Tearamisu

Yuzu Eskimo

I think this was a special at the time. I think it was called the Bloody Berry ?

Their #1 Best Seller Chocolate Green Tea Lava Cake

The presentation for all these desserts were great. However when we got to the Chocolate Green Tea Lava Cake, I was getting sick of the chocolate but it was all still quite delicious. There are still a few more desserts I have yet to try. With Summer arriving, this is going to be a great place to hang out with your friends or even a date. As you can see most of the dishes I’ve tried came with ice cream.  The prices aren’t outrageous either. So if you are in the St. Marks area in NYC and have a craving for sweets, go and check Spot Dessert Bar out.

http://www.spotdessertbar.com/

 

Where do you go to when you are craving something ?

 

Tony Moly Backstage Duo Lip and Cheek in #2

Hey guys,

How have you all been ? The weather in NYC has been a bit strange, constantly fluctuating from hot to cold, with heavy rainfall scattered in between. Transition weather is always really annoying. How has the weather been for you  ? Anyway, I bought this Tony Moly Product a few months ago, planning to review it but then I forgot. While I was cleaning out my make-up  stash a few weeks ago, I found it again and finally put it to test.

I bought this product in the color #2. I don’t understand any Korean, so I have no idea what it says.This was just the only color there, so I grabbed it. As you can see, the only color you can see is through the “glass” bottom, which is red in this case. However you also see a tab that you can open, which leads to the blush part.

You twist around the top part ( white plastic) from the bottom and you can see the lip product.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A closer shot

 

Swatches

Sorry for the bad lighting.

As you can see, the blush is a peachy orange color. The lip product is red with a glossy finish. You can build it up to a even more vibrant color if you like.

PROS:

Compact.

This product is 2 in 1 BUT instead of the regular lip and cheek combos where it is just ONE color/product, this is actually 2. The small size of this allows you to bring it with you everywhere. The blush part is closed tightly so you don’t have to worry about it opening.

Pigmented & Buildable

Both products are really pigmented. A little really goes a long way. I swirled my brush on it lightly and there still was a lot of color. The lip product can start off as a light cherry bitten lip to a full blown red.

Long Lasting ( Blush)

The blush is very long lasting. I wore it for over 6 hours and it was still on my face.

Blends Easily

The blush at first starts out in a creamy yet somewhat sticky consistency, which was weird at first tbh. However when you blend it out, it turns into a powder and is very lightweight with the stickiness disappeared.

CONS :

Not Very Hygienic

The design of the product can be very unhygienic as unlike the other products which has a brush in it, there isnt any at all. If you don’t have a brush on you. You will have to use your fingers, so you will constantly have to wash your hands.

Sticky

The lip product, although the color is lovely, is quite sticky. That can be annoying to some , so keep that in mind.

 

CONCLUSION

Overall, I quite like this product. It is convenient for on-the-go and performs very well. I give this a 4.5/5

Have you tried any products from Tony Moly ? What were they ?

 

 

 

Brunch on Sundays : Cafe Orlin

Hey guys,

       Today’s post has nothing to do with beauty or makeup. Instead it will focus on another one of my great loves in life, FOOD. Haha. As many of you would agree, as you get older in life,meeting up with your friends tends to get harder and harder as we are all so busy with life. The past week I was able to meet up with a small group of friends for brunch. We decided to go to Cafe Orlin, which was highly recommended to me. One thing I did not expect was how popular this place was. When I arrived, there was already a long line forming outside. Luckily we had one friend who dormed nearby put her name down. But for a table of 4, we still had to wait around 30-45 minutes.  I think the biggest table I saw in the Cafe had 6 seats, so beware if you are going to have a group larger than that. Other than that, the food arrived quite fast and was quite affordable.

                          Breakfast Sandwich( Bacon Egg and Cheese ), with Home Fries and Garden Salad ($12 -13)

               Eggs Norwegian with Home Fries. Comes with Orange Juice and Coffee Of Choice($15-$16)

French Toast With Maple Syrup and Butter. Also comes with Orange Juice and Coffee of Choice($15-16)

For those of you wondering, they do have mimosas served too. I just happened to not drink any xD. There is outdoor seating but again it is limited. The food was delicious and very filling.  The location is also ideal since it is in St. Marks,where there is an abundance of food around so if you aren’t full, you can go somewhere else for snacks. ( Pommes Frites is AMAZING!!!!!) 

If you guys are in NYC and wondering where to go for brunch, I highly recommend this place. But remember, there are long lines so place a reservation first. Do you have any other places to recommend ?