Year: 2017

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Shisei-no – The Ginza’s Trial Kit 

Hey remember when air travel wasn’t such a fking nightmare (where you’re dragged shrieking out of your paid seat in front of the elderly and children) and people actually thought it was glamorous and appealing? No? Well me neither, because it was in the 1950s. Despite bathing in virgin blood to keep my youth and appearance, I can assure you I’m not old enough to remember the 1950s.

While air travel has NEVER been glamorous or appealing, I can attest that first class is well…better than the cattle class. I’m full of insight, I am. Look at this amenity kit they give out in the ANA first cabin:

Behold Shiseido’s The Ginza Skincare Line

Continue reading “Shisei-no – The Ginza’s Trial Kit “

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$200+ Skincare Giveaway Ends Tomorrow!

Reminder: Volition’s giveaway in support of my balls ends TOMORROW (Monday, April 3, 2017). To learn more about the development of my balls (sunscreen + moisturizer portioned into pearls to ensure you get the full advertised level of sun protection), read this interview by Fiddy Snails ❤

VOTE/ENTER HERE

One vote/entry per email. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents.

With each vote, you’re automatically entered to win Volition’s Ultimate Anti-Aging Custom Trio ($149) and Detoxifying Silt Gelee Mask ($60). Total value over $200!

Good luck and thanks for supporting my balls!

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PPAP Smear Leads to Uncomfortable Burning: Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen Sheet Mask Review

Angela (to Renee and Indya): LADIES!!! I have a very speshul present for you.

Indya: Does it involve cutting out lolcat talk?

Angela: Me haz no idea what zis hooman is talking about. Ahem–*whips out package*–feast your eyes on this.

Renee (eyes widening): Ooh, aaah. It’s so big! It’s so firm! It’s so…pineappley?! OMG it’s the heartthrob Pikotaro. Sooooo much better than your girly male Korean pop star masks!

Angela: I’m going to pretend you didn’t just wound the deepest part of my soul. Anyhoo, I got each of us a Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen (PPAP) sheet mask. You get a PPAP smear, you get a PPAP smear, EVERYONE gets a PPAP smear!

Renee: PPAP is the best thing that will ever happen to you. Watch this while wearing the above sheet mask and you will be just as beautiful as Pikotaro: Continue reading “PPAP Smear Leads to Uncomfortable Burning: Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen Sheet Mask Review”

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GIVEAWAY Announcement! Win Volition Skincare ($209 Value)–Just VOTE for My Balls

Exciting news! Volition is running a giveaway to support my (sunscreen) balls. Ahem, I mean my idea for Sun Pearls SPF 30. (Curious about my balls? Read more on Volition’s page or in this post.)

Vote HERE by April 3rd (Monday) and automatically be entered to win skincare valued at over $200!  Continue reading “GIVEAWAY Announcement! Win Volition Skincare ($209 Value)–Just VOTE for My Balls”

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Worth It? Voloom Hair Volumizing Iron – Review & Comparison to Crimper and Voloom Petite

Life. Changing.

I don’t say that lightly. But as someone with straight and slippery hair that could barely be teased after 15 mins of backcombing and hair spraying by a wedding hairdresser, that’s the truth. If I lost this $130 tool, I’d immediately order a new one. And yes, I paid for both the original and petite versions. JAN. 2019 UPDATE: I’ve since bought and tried the Rootie version as well. It’s too subtle without getting any closer to roots, so it just ended up taking longer to achieve the same amount of volume. Of the three versions/sizes of Voloom, my fave is still Voloom Petite.


This post will sound like a paid ad for Voloom (“Turn the volume up to 11!!”), but it’s not. (I *wish* we got commission for all the people we’ve converted.) I’m just obsessed with it because IT WORKS and IT’S EASY. Ever since Renee introduced me to this, I’ve used this regularly and often. And both of us named this one of our 2016 furvorites.
Continue reading “Worth It? Voloom Hair Volumizing Iron – Review & Comparison to Crimper and Voloom Petite”

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BeautyandtheCat Sunscreen? Yes Please!

BeautyandtheCat Sunscreen Sun Pearls

COMING SOON: Volition will hold another GIVEAWAY starting this Monday, June 26th!  Each vote for Sun Pearls will be automatically entered.  Voting is open to all; U.S. residents are eligible for the giveaway.

I (Angela) am obsessed with sunscreen.  Maybe you picked that up when I reviewed 12 Japanese ones in a megapost (all SPF 50+ and PA++++ of course).  But one question always nagged at me: how do I know whether I’ve applied enough to get the actual level of SPF advertised on the bottle?

I dreamed of sunscreen that came pre-measured and perfectly portioned in capsules to make it easy to apply just the right amount.  No guesswork and no measuring spoon required.  (Yep, I resorted to using a 1/4-tsp measuring spoon at one point.)

Well now you can vote for my idea to come to life!  (One vote per email.)

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

https://volitionbeauty.com/campaigns/sun-pearls-spf-30

Once there are enough votes, the Sun Pearls move into the formulation stage (with my input) and will eventually be sold on VolitionBeauty.com.
Continue reading “BeautyandtheCat Sunscreen? Yes Please!”

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Call of Duty-Free: Renee’s Mini Airport Haul at YVR

I just came back from my annual snowboarding trip in Whistler. Beside the bazillion foot elevation and vertical drop, and jaw-dropping, audible-gasping sights of this mountain, this & the surrounding Vancouver area has among my (Renee’s) FAVORITE duty free shopping because it’s a huge port for Cathay Pacific routes to Asia. Behold:

Duty-Free Mini Haul at YVR Terminal and Cathay Pacific inflight catalogue

Continue reading “Call of Duty-Free: Renee’s Mini Airport Haul at YVR”

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Wet ‘n’ Mild: Erborian Eau Ginseng, Yuzu Double Lotion, & Ginseng Milk Reviews

Korean-French brand Erborian has several “multibenefit lotions” in its lineup.  Sometimes “lotion” refers to a hydrating toner (this is the case for Japanese brands), but in this case, “lotion” seems to refer to products–from watery to milky to creamy consistencies–that are applied between cleansing and moisturizing the skin.

02-erborian-review
You guys have now been in my bed.
Last year, I bought a $25 “lotion discovery kit” that came with three 1-oz. minis of its most popular and hydrating ones: Eau Ginseng, Yuzu Double Lotion, and Ginseng Milk.  Sadly, I don’t see the kit any more on either Erborian’s or Sephora’s site.  On Erborian’s site, you can buy most of the minis individually for $10 each.

I’ll review each one in order of lightest to heaviest consistency, but spoiler alert: Yuzu is my fave for my dry skin and the one I think about buying the full size of.  Just keep in mind that all three are heavily fragranced, which can be a dealbreaker.

Continue reading “Wet ‘n’ Mild: Erborian Eau Ginseng, Yuzu Double Lotion, & Ginseng Milk Reviews”

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Hit or Missha? Missha Time Revolution Immortal Youth Blue Essence and Cream Review

The lure of immortal youth was too good to pass up.  Yeah, yeah, it’s marketing–but irresistible nonetheless.

01-missha-time-revolution-immortal-youth-blue-essence-and-cream-reviewI’ve been regularly using two items from Missha’s Time Revolution Immortal Youth line: the Blue Essence and the Cream ($55 and $65, respectively–both courtesy of Missha).  While they haven’t turned me into Benjamin Button, they have protected my skin–which is already prone to flaking due to tretinoin and natural dryness–from the parched winter air.

Continue reading “Hit or Missha? Missha Time Revolution Immortal Youth Blue Essence and Cream Review”

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Chanel Ya Later: Chanel Camelia de Chanel Illuminating Powder Review & Swatches

02-camelia-de-chanel-illuminating-powderTo be honest, I’ve never used up a highlighter and I currently have ::mumbles:: four…or six…or more ::mumbles::.  But this limited-edition beauty by Chanel called to me like no other.  Talk about sparking joy!

Camélia de Chanel Illuminating Powder officially went on sale in the U.S on Chanel.com a couple of weeks ago.  As of this writing, it’s still available.  Chanel’s description:  Continue reading “Chanel Ya Later: Chanel Camelia de Chanel Illuminating Powder Review & Swatches”