Skincare

Asia Beauty Haul | Innisfree, Etude House, Heroine, Etc.

Hello Lovelies!

Although it has been a little bit since this was hauled but it’s still pretty new because I have JUST started using these products. So in a way.. it’s not THAT delayed. Yeah, now I’m just trying to make myself feel better. Lets just get into it.

 

From Korea, I got…

Etude House Lip Gel – Because I have super dry lips so anything that will “hydrate” it, I’m onboard.
Etude House Dear My Jelly Lips-Talk (JOR202) – This is one of those changing lip color and I’ve never tried one before so this will be a first!
Innisfree – Green Tea Seed serum – Feel like a very lightweight serum that is perfect for the hotter season.
Innisfree – Green Tea Mineral Mist – Just a refreshing facial mist. Nothing special

 

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If you EVER buy ANYTHING from Korea, make sure you get SAMPLES!

 

And from Japan I got..
Heroine Make Mascara – I have seen this for so many years and now I will finally be trying it.
This is a Feet detox pad that you stick onto the bottom of you feet and the pad is suppose to turn black removing the bad toxins from your body. We shall see if this actually works or not.

 

Now… we can sit back and enjoy these yummy snacks.

Thank you guys so much for tuning in and i’ll see you next time!
❤ Jess

Get Ready With Me & A Little insight on waking up early

Good Morning!

How did you like waking up right next to me? (; Do you feel like we took our relationship to the next level? haha

This was more of a wake up with me video I guess.. just sharing with you how my morning goes!

As I get older I realize the importance and joy of getting up earlier with more spare time to get ready in the morning before going out to start my day. I am able to just relax and take my time (IF I get up earlier enough that is) to get ready without rushing and constantly trying to just slap something on to look “presentable”. How I start off my morning can really set the mood of how productive I will be for the rest of the day! If my lazy body can help it I try to get up earlier everyday but sometimes… sleeping in is a whole other realm of satisfaction.

If you actually want to know how I put my face on everyday then just comment below and ill work on a tutorial for you guys (:

Hope you enjoyed!

Until next time,
❤ Jess

March Love ’15

Hello!

March literally flew by. I have no idea where it went because I have already lost track of the days even before halfway through. Here is my March favorites!

Target Round Blending Brush – This is probably the best blending, crease, AND outer corner brush. The size is perfect even for me with a smaller crease area. This is super soft and doesn’t shed when washing. The best part, its affordable!

Ren Omega 3 Optimum Skin Serum oil – Adding a pea size amount into my morning skincare routine has added that extra moisture my skin needed to prevent my face makeup looking cakey. Face oils has seriously changed my life!

Lush Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner – Lotion for lazy people. Apply it in the shower and when you get out your skin is left moisturized so you wont need to spend extra time after you get out to apply it. An added bonus would be how amazing this smells. Its the perfect rosey scent thats not overpowering.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye – Aside from this being a nice and fresh eye cream thats sinks into the skin without it being sticky, this is also a very nice base for under eye makeup. Like the rest of my skin, my under eye area has started to look cakey but an added boost of moisture fixed it. Unlike some other eye cream, this won’t cause products that you apply on top of it to slip and slide.

Crochet – I am not a grandma but I kind of feel like one. The art of crocheting is actually therapeutic and fun. I have been experimenting with different looks and feel by using materials besides yarn.

Trader Joes Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate Butter Cookies – Sweet sweet deliciously caramely goodness.

Clash of Clans – Heh… Heh… Heh… The addiction with another game has begun. The worse part is.. I have friends that feud this addiction. You build your base strategically to protect yourself and also raise an army to attack others. Let the wars begin!

 

DId your march fly by as quick as mine?

Until next time,
❤ Jess

Winter Skin and Hair Care Empties!

Hello!!

After 3 years I am finally going to make another attempt with YT. I have been filming and editing these past couple of weeks so I can have videos lined up to upload and I forgot how fun it is. Especially after learning some new programs and stuff the quality of my video compared to 3 years ago has improved SOO much! I’m excited to be able to create more content and find different ways to share it with you guys in a creative way (:

So… Here is the list of empties

Batiste Dry Shampoo – Original & Floral and Flirty Blush – you guys know this is the HG of HG.

Dove Refresh + Care Volume Dry Shampoo – I don’t think that this leaves my hair as refreshed as the Batiste one but the biggest put-off for me was the heavy fragrance. I felt like I was going to suffocate or something so I had to hold my breathe while spraying it then walk into another room to rub it in that way I can breathe properly.

Neutrogena Body Clear Pink Grapefruit Shower Gel- I’m sure I have shown this in my past empties already because I’ve been using this for years.

Opal One minute Oil Treatment – Just a reoccurring product thats been a staple for years.

Basics Moist Wipes
Daiso Cleansing Tissue- Definitely reccommend and I have already repurchased 2 extra ones as back up because its something I use on a day to day basis to clean my hands and surface area after my morning routine.

The Body Shop – Honeymania Body Butter – I can’t get enough of this delicious smell! I havent repurchased this yet but when I do buy body butter, this will definitely be the scent that I will be purchasing.

The Body Shop – Tea Tree Oil Toner and Facial Wash – The toner is a bit more harsh compared to others but if you have acne prone skin and need something to really clean your face then I definitely recommend it. I have repurchased this but I did not think the facial wash was as effective as the toner so I have not repurchased that one.

Lush – Lovely Jubblies – If only there was a regular lotion that smells like this. (Please let me know if there is!) I absolutely LOVE the smell of this which was one of the main reasons why I got it. Its moisturizing but I didn’t see much of a firming effect. Maybe its because I’m still young so I won’t notice a big difference but for the price I don’t think I will be repurchasing it.

Lush – Brazened Honey Mask- These are good mask to use just so its something different from your everyday skincare routine. Its a little treat to use something fresh and cooling on you face especially during the summer because these mask needs to be refrigerated. Think twice before you buy it though! Make sure you’ll have time to use it after you purchase it because it is perishable.

Shiseido Urban Environment SPF 30 – Once again a reoccurring staple.

Sonia Kashuk Eye Makeup Remover- This is a good eye makeup removed but I have found another one thats even better (The Body Shop Camomile Eye Makeup Remover). Soo… I will  not be repurchasing this.

SKII Treatment Essence – A product that I have heard so much about in the asian community and its like the miracle essence that will change your life. I have to admit that when I first used it, it really did make a difference to my skin. I saw the suppleness and the change in recovery time but after using it for exactly a year now I don’t see the dramatic change but I have repurchased this and is still in my skincare routine.

Jeunesse Luminesce Cellular Rejuvenation Serum – The most effective serum I have used. Leaves my skin so moisturized and it definitely speeds up the recovery of my acne scars. I scar super easily so I am always on the lookout for products that can help my skin recover faster. The only downside would be the hefty price point of $100+. I have not repurchased this yet but I will eventually.

Origins Ginzing Brightening Eye Cream – This is one of those neutral products that you can always fall back to if all else fails.

If you want a indepth review of any of the following products that has not been reviewed yet then comment below and I’ll work on it!

Thank you guys so much for reading/watching

Until Next Time,
❤ Jess

Jan ’15 Loves

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Oh my.. 1/12 of the year has passed already. Before we know it 2016 is going to be right around the corner! Thats too crazy to think about so today I will be sharing with you today my January favorites. Surprisingly I have quite a bit of makeup product because I normally only have about one or two.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Brightening Concealer (Ivory) – I’ve had this product for awhile now but have never really cared for it because I didn’t it did much. One random no make up day this month I decided that my under eye area needed some brightening just to make me a little bit more awake so I applied this under my eyes and parallel down my nose. It made such a big difference.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (Light2 Vanilla) – As much as I don’t want to like this concealer because of its price, it really is an amazing concealer. The color matches my skin perfectly and it blends out nicely without it creasing or caking up. I would say that this is a medium to full coverage because it just depends on how much product you apply on.

Jouer Matte Moisture Tint (nude) – I have waited so long to finally try this and I absolutely LOVE it. It feels like a liquid to powder finish and it leaves your skin shine free without it being way too matte. Throughout the day it controls my oil without me looking like a shiny mess and its light weight and natural looking. Recommend this to everyone!

Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder (Universal) – Super fine translucent powder that sets your makeup flawlessly. It mattifies your skin without it looking really powdery like how some setting powders can make you look.

Covergirl Lip Perfection (307 Seduce) – Favorite lip color of December and January. This to me is the perfect red when it comes to the tone (warm or cool) and vibrancy. If I want a regular red lip then I can apply this on its own or I can layer on a more brown lip color to deepen it into a more sultry red. It can be long lasting if your lips are nice a prep before application but once you eat or drink it will come off. I also don’t find this overly drying.

Ren Omega  3 Optimum Skin Serum Oil – Great addition to my skincare routine because it really helps to replenish my skin by adding a ton of moisture. Does not leave my skin greasy or oily.

NeoStrata HQ Skin Lightening Gel – I have a lot of hyper pigmentation from acne scars and every time I break out, a scar will form without a doubt. I was recommend this by my family doctor and I have seen a difference of my scars lightening a lot faster than usual. I’m still experimenting and documenting the progress so I can write a in depth review of this product.

One Line A Day – I’m sure a lot of people have heard of this book but if you have not then its a 5 year memory book. Basically you write a mini blurb about your day in this book for 5 years. You can write about anything you want. New friends you made, new experiences, what you’re thankful for, Goals, anything interesting you learned, etc. I have found that its a really great way to sit back, relax and really reflect on your day. We are all trying to get through one day after the next so quickly that it doesn’t give us time to just stop and think how was my day today? What did I do that made today such a great day or not so great day?

How did you start off your new year?

Until Next Time,
❤ Jess

Review: Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller

Hey Lovelies!

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This product is definitely not new but I have been skeptical until I finally tried it. My friend actually gave this to me since she didn’t like it so I wasn’t expecting much from it but its still one of those products that I have always been curious of. To my surprise I actually really like it. Garnier has 3 different roller for the under eye and the one that I will be talking about today is the only one that is tinted with color. There is only one shade but the formulation is very thin so I don’t think the “shade” would matter.

 

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For my fair skin I have found that this works really well as a light under eye concealer. The coverage is light-medium so don’t expect full under eye coverage but it’s enough for me to see the difference between one eye and the other. For everyday use I would prefer this over an actual concealer because the formulation is so light that after you blend it in it looks and feels just like skin. Its the lightest “concealer” you can possibly use and the metal rollerball feels really good on the eye when you apply it.

I would definitely recommend this if you are having troubles with under eye concealers being too heavy for the hot weather or creasing issues.

Until next time,
❤ Jessica

Best Natural Detox To Relieve Your Irritated Skin

Hello Lovelies!

I like to believe that our skin has a mind of its own. We can go a couple days with the most glowing perfect skin fooling us to think that we have finally found the perfect skin care regime and then it just goes downhill from there. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone through this treacherous cycle time and time again. In the past week or two I have noticed my skin starting to flare up and become susceptible to tiny little red bumps (like small acne) that forms over the course of the day then be gone in a day or two. What I need is to give my skin a little break from all the different chemicals that we use in our cleanser, moisturizer, toner, makeup, etc. to give my skin a little detox I use this scrub that only has one ingredient and is so inexpensive but works wonders for irritated skin. I present to you…Oats!

Oats or Oatmeal will make your skin feel so moisturized and soft after you use it. There are so many different uses that it makes this a Chameleon of Skin Care products in my opinion. You can use it as a face/body mask, scrub, bath, consumption, sun protection, etc. What we will be talking about today is using it as a Face Wash/Scrub.

The first time I used Oats to wash my face was after a bad trip to a facial that left my skin with a very weird bumpiness to it about 2 years ago. My skin was definitely reacting to whatever products that was used on me so I decided to do some research and found that Oats has anti-inflammatory benefits. It calms the skin and can also relieve itchiness. For those that have eczema you can use Oats as a body scrub or even take an Oatmeal Bath to relieve your skin (i haven’t tried this because I don’t have eczema). After using the Oats to wash my face it feels instantly better and plumped. After a week or so of doing this my skin went back to normal and was better than ever. I recommend you to try using Oats to wash your face because there are numerous benefits…
1. Anti-Inflammatory
2. Relieves Itchiness / Irritation
3. Moisturizes
4. Cleanses by soaking up Oils and dirt from your skin
5. Phenols and Flavonoid in oats acts as sun protection for the skin
6. Antioxidants

How to Use it…

1. You only need a pinch of oats. You can use pretty much any Oats that you would cook with. (not the instant individually packaged ones though)
2. Place it in the palm of your hand and add water onto the oats.
3. Press on the oats a couple times until the water starts to get murky from the oats breaking down.
4. Wet your face with the Oat water then just grab the wet oats and start using it as a face scrub. You will start to notice the oat breaking down even more as you scrub and the “juice” from the oat will almost form a sort of lather on our skin. After you’re done, rinse. (this does get a little messy so its best if you have a faucet catcher thing to filter the oats when you wash it off. If you don’t then wipe off the oats before your rinse your face)

Whether you’re suffering from major skin irritation or have perfectly fine skin, you should try this at least once just to see how well it works. Every time my skin starts acting up I will resort to this solution almost as a Restart button. If you have tried this then please let me know how it worked out for you because I would love to know if your skin loves it as much as mine.

Until next time,
❤ Jessica

 

June Empties Skincare

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Hello Lovelies!

I got here a pretty large bag of empty containers that I am going to share with you today. These have been products that I’ve been using up in the last couple of months so I am going to make the final decision today if I will be repurchasing some of them. This will be split into two parts because theres just too many for one post so this is going to be skincare and the next post will be makeup and hair products.

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Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips – 8 Strips $6.27

As you can see this is their old packaging so I’ve had this for awhile now. To be honest I haven’t used a pore strip in a very long time, instead I have just been using a black head extractor to extract after I shower every so often. Pore strips are great because its fast and simple in removing oil build up in your pores. I have gone through countless boxes of these because you can see the white/black head being pulled out on your strip after which I find to be super satisfying when I see all the gunk I have removed from the strip.. am I weird? Anyways, I would recommend this and repurchase in the future but please keep in mind to don’t over use these or else it might do more bad than good.

 

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Pond’s White Beauty Cleansing Foam – $9.0

This product is actually from Hong Kong so the packaging is different from the US Pond’s product but I know the US has a White Beauty line as well. To me this product didn’t do anything beside being a gentle cleanser. It didn’t really remove makeup very well, it didn’t do much lightening, it just acted like a basic cleanser. I would not be repurchasing this.

 

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Magic Olive Pimpleless Serum – $8.80

I discovered this product when a Sasa sales person came up to me and my cousin and said “Wow, you have a lot of breakouts, let me recommend you some products” What a bummer to be called out on because you have bad skin. I hate buying products without doing my research first because I am always skeptical with people that are trying to sell me stuff. Since this was fairly inexpensive I listened to her suggestion and made the purchase.. this was about 4 years ago and it has been a staple skincare acne controlling product since. The sales lady told me that this is infused with chinese herbal medicine as well as tea tree oil and some other herbal treatments. It not only dries it out like other products, but it also treats it and prevents scarring. Although I think my skin has become a bit immune to it so I will probably have to move away from it for awhile after I finish my back ups but I definitely recommend this.

 

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Dior Hydra Life Creme Sorbet Pro-Jeunesse Pro-Youth Sorbet Cream ($56.00) & Eye Cream ($49.00)

Both of these products has the consistency that I like for a moisturizer and eye cream – non sticky and absorbs into the skin leaving it feeling soft and fresh feeling. Although the consistency is good, it didn’t break me out, it didn’t leave my face greasy, and it smelled very nice, I didn’t notice it doing much to my skin. It didn’t love it nor hate, so to pay this hefty amount for a product, my skin needs to really love it for me to justify a continuos repurchase. I would not discourage people to try it because I know some girlfriends that absolutely loves this stuff but I’m not sure if I will be repurchasing this again.

 

Its Shiseido time…
Until about over a year ago my main skincare products has been from Shiseido. My mom only uses Shiseido products so you can probably guess where I got the influence from. I haven’t tried a single product from them that has made me break out so I am pretty comfortable in just diving in and trying any of their products.

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Shiseido The Skincare Hydro-Nourishing Softener Lotion – $ ?? Possibly discountinued

The consistency of this comes out to be less solid than jelly but thicker than liquid. Its a great toning lotion to replenish and give your skin a restart. Unlike regular toners, this one has a little bit of moisturizing element to it. I have gone through bottles of these before exploring other options and it has been awhile since I’ve purchased this. I just googled to try and find the price point of this product and it seems like its sold out on almost every site I come across (except for amazon which is selling it for $60!! thats x2 of the normal price). If you can find it at counters or in stores then I would recommend giving this a try.

 

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Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Protective Emulsion w SPF15 Sunscreen – $54.50

I’m actually not sure why I would get this in the first place because it only has a SPF 15 but I did. I got this to use as a sunscreen because I like the consistency (if you can’t tell already, the consistency makes or breaks a product for me) and how it settles into my skin. It has a bit of a brightening effect when applied but its not a permanent long lasting whitening effect so I don’t think it does what it claims to do. I would suggest using this almost like a morning serum for you skin under your daily moisturizer/sunscreen. Its not a terrible product but its just not something that I find necessary for my morning skincare routine (especially for the price) so I would not be repurchasing this product.

 

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Shiseido Pureness pore purifying warming scrub – $24.00

The lady at the counter sold me this product persuading me that it will solve my large crater pore problems. Well, those craters are still here. It claims that it’s suppose to warm up as you scrub but I didn’t feel any warming sensation and it didn’t minimize the size of my pores either. I haven’t even finished this product yet but I find it to be so useless that I don’t really use it so it has aged itself into the trash bin. I would not be repurchasing this product.

Skincare is probably one of the things that I actually get through and finish.. along with some haircare products.  I find it really really hard to actually finish makeup, especially the powder items. Stay tune for my next post for the rest of my empties!

❤ Jessica

Current: Sun Protection

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Hello Lovelies!

With Summer in full swing now I think its only appropriate to share with you my current Sun Protection products. We should always be protecting our skin no matter the season but once the warmer season rolls around we tend to be outdoors more to enjoy the weather so its more relevant to start putting more stress on the amount of SPF you are wearing.

What I look for in my sunscreens are …
– Hydrates
– Not sticky
– Doesn’t have the sunscreen smell because I despise it
– At least SPF30 with UVA/UVB protection

Lets start off with face because this is something that should be part of your skincare routine by default.

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Shiseido Urban Environment UV Protection Cream – Face/Boby SPF 35 PA+++ 50mL- $30
This has been my HG sunscreen/day moisturizer for the past 4/5 years at least. I have ventured out to try others but continued to come back to this one. ( More in depth review) I believe they have increased the SPF of the newer ones to SPF 40 now so I am actually not sure if this 35 is still being sold. Also, the new packaging no longer has the PA levels (which is for UVA)  because the FDA has changed their regulation. If you see the phrase “Broad Spectrum” used then it has both UVA and UVB protection now. (to break down the meaning of SPF and UVA/UVB protection it will be a post on its own so let me know if you guys want one or you can just google it and research it)

 

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Neutrogena Hydro Boost gel SPF 30 PA++ 40ml – $19.30

This is a gel form of sunscreen meaning its very light so its awesome for summer. I have just recently started using this so I can’t say if I love it or hate it just yet but a in depth review should be on its way. The reason why I’m still on the fence with this product is because although it is a gel product, its not as light as you would imagine it to be. I absolutely LOVE their Hydro Boost water gel that leaves my skin silky soft with no sticky feeling which is one of the reasons why I wanted to try a sunscreen from this line since I have been using the water gel for years now. But as first impression is concerned, one day my skin will absorb it and my skin will feel fine but on another day I feel as though the product only half gets absorbed and leaves my skin a bit sticky. So I’m going to experiment a little more before I can make a final judgement on this.

 

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Aveno Protect+Hydrate Lotion – Broad Spectrum SPF 30 – $7.99

Last year I was on a quest to find a Daily body lotion that also has SPF in it because I am just that lazy. I needed a one step product that eliminated the process of having to do the same motion twice. I have found others such as the Eucerin one but that was just unbelievably sticky , it left a sheen on my body that wouldn’t go away, and the worse part was that it had the smell of sunscreen. Its not impossible to find one with all my expectation at a reasonable price because this Aveno one has fulfilled all my requirements. Rubs on just like a lotion and it leaves your skin moisturized without that icky sticky feeling. The scent is… hard to describe because it doesn’t really smell like anything besides standard basic lotion smell? If that makes any sense. Bottom line is that I would recommend this sunscreen

Recently I have noticed that the sun rays seem to be stronger now than a couple years ago?  Just by driving in my car with the sun shining through an open window I feel as though my skin is burning! This can just be me getting older and being more sensitive to the sun or has anyone else noticed this? Either way, it’s a big warning for me to be extra cautious when I am out and that I definitely shouldn’t skip out on sun protection and neither should you!

Until next time,
❤ Jessica

 

Lush grease lightning

Grease Lightning

My skin goes through phases where it will be clear for one week and starts breaking out the next. It has a mind of its o

wn. I have tried so many .. I mean SOOO many different types of spot treatment that I feel like my skin is growing immune to each product quicker and quicker. I usually have two different ones on hand just so I can switch between the two. The last one that I finished was the Mario Badescu spot treatment. (Which I would probably repurchase in the future).

Grease Lightning

So it comes time to start researching for a new one. With this in mind, I have already heard of great reviews on the Lush grease lightning spot treatment. It’s made of primarily tea tree oil. Which I have tried before as well. I have found that tea tree oil works at its own pace. It’s not something that will zap everything away overnight.

After the first couple uses of this, I didn’t really think it was that great of a product. Honestly I didn’t see it doing much for my skin. But I have been using it for about a month now, and I have to say, it’s a bit slower at getting rid of your breakouts, but it leaves no scar. Really. I didn’t think too much about it until today. Now that I really think about it, the last couple of times that I’ve used this for breakout, my skin has healed with close to no scar compared to normal (I scar really easily. Regardless if I pop it or leave it). The packaging is nice because it does have a pump dispenser so its a lot more sanitary. The product is a clear watery gel consistency. It claims that it will prevent break outs. I’m not too sure about that because I still break out quite regularly . But of course, most of my breakouts are probably due to hormones or lack of sleep.

Wouldn’t hurt to give this a try if your in the market looking for a new acne spot treatment.