Tag: face

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Hue Light Up My Life: I Tried 5 Colourpop Lavender Highlighters and This Is My Fave

I hoard lavender highlighters like they’re the last northern white rhino on earth. (Sorry, too soon?)

Lucky for my obsessed self, brands are releasing lavender highlighter faster than you can say “unicorn.” Unlucky for me, the hunt for the right one almost feels like searching for a unicorn.

My purrroblem: I have light but very yellow skin (NC15 right now, NC20 in summer). Oftentimes the lavender ends up simply neutralizing my undertones (like a color corrector or one of those Korean tone-up products), making the highlighter look white or baby pink.

The solution: Buy 5 purrrples from Colourpop! Continue reading “Hue Light Up My Life: I Tried 5 Colourpop Lavender Highlighters and This Is My Fave”

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Love & Kate: Katherine Cosmetics WOW Stick Review & Swatches

I’m usually a mineral powder or cushion foundation gal. But lately, when I’m #blessed with a good skin day, I’ve been venturing outside my comfort zone with this K-Sport “WOW” Stick SPF 20 ($36) by Katherine Cosmetics (I got mine for a discount through an “inflooencer netwerk”).

“WOW” Stick is basically Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint (see my review)/Milk Sunshine Skin Tint in stick form: translucent, dewy sheen and very low coverage.  (Before & after pics below.)

Essentially a giant twist-up balm, it can be applied by swiping directly onto skin or–my preferred method–by using fingertips to warm and pick up the product and smooth onto skin. Continue reading “Love & Kate: Katherine Cosmetics WOW Stick Review & Swatches”

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Tea-tree Dish: Naruko Tea Tree Overnight Blemish Clear Powder Review


Normally, just hearing “tea tree” dries me right up. Tea tree oil saps the joy out of skincare as fast as it does sebum from skin. With its medicinal smell and astringent qualities and with my dryish skin, tea tree has never been at the top of my list.  (Oily-skinned folks might beg to differ. Michele at Unboxing Beauty even reviewed allll the tea-tree stuphs here.)

But recently, I was in search of a loose powder to prime my skin for mineral powder (my go-to foundation in summer).

Just the (Makeup) Tip : Struggling with powder foundation applying patchily and unevenly? In addition to washing your brushes, try applying loose translucent powder beforehand (I apply after sunscreen and before mineral powder). This creates a smooth canvas and sops up residual dampness that would otherwise cause the foundation to stick unevenly to skin.

Naruko Tea Tree Overnight Blemish Clear Powdercaught my eye at Beauty Tips in Monterey Park, Calif. (As an authorized retailer of Naruko, Beauty Tips has by far the largest selection of Naruko I’ve seen in a brick-and-mortar. All available to swatch!)

Continue reading “Tea-tree Dish: Naruko Tea Tree Overnight Blemish Clear Powder 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”

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Show and Tail Pt. 2: Angela’s Picks for Sephora Sale

Oh boy, the Rouge sale starts tomorrow (Nov. 4th).  So let’s get to it.

>>Part 1 featuring Dior, Tatcha, AmorePacific, Chosungah22 and more is here.<<

Tarte BlushTarte Blush

Tarte blushes ($28): I have just a few of these ::cough cough:: They’re solid performers with the right level of buildable pigmentation that you want in a blush.  My favorites (based on NC15/NC20 skintone) are Exposed–a no-blush blush that subtly defines and goes with everything–and Natural Beauty–a Snow White red (seriously) that gives a natural flush so long as you apply very lightly.  The Color Wheel blush palette ($44) is a crazy good deal.  Each shade is less than half the amount of the regular blush, but IMO variety > product weight when it comes to blushes.  My only critique is that one of the highlighters has chunky shimmers and a lot of the shades are variations of bright pink.  Still worth it.

Continue reading “Show and Tail Pt. 2: Angela’s Picks for Sephora Sale”

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Scratch that Ichimi Cosme – Asian Beauty Store Review

September 2016 UPDATE: Ichimi Cosme changed its name to Ume Cosme.  Instagram and Yelp links have been updated.

Today’s post is a closer look–in pictures–at Japanese and Korean beauty store Ichimi Cosme in New York’s East Village.  That link will take you to Renee’s first look at the store, and Ichimi Cosme is also on Instagram and Yelp.

01 Ichimi Cosme ShoppingThat’s Renee shopping because I was in the midst of my no-buy when we went ::quietly sobs::

Ichimi is located at:

318 E. 9th St
New York, NY 10003
(between 1st and 2nd Ave.)

What I love about Ichimi Cosme is that it offers a ton of Japanese beauty brands that weren’t available before in NY (at least not as far as we two shopaholics knew).  Los Angeles (including the Asian suburb of San Gabriel Valley) has long had tons of Japanese offerings.  (I’ve posted shopping guides on LA shopping and specifically Takashima in the SGV before.) Continue reading “Scratch that Ichimi Cosme – Asian Beauty Store Review”

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Knock knock, Whoo’s There: The History of Whoo Honey Ginseng Sleeping Mask

I was in Atlanta (do they still call it Hot-lanta?) visiting a baby (always feel compelled to clarify that it’s not mine) and picked up an amazing night/sleeping mask that I’d never seen on the shelves before. As soon as our eyes met, they locked and we were in lurrve. I said “I must have you,” and she said “Only $45 baby” Online is much more and I’ve not seen it often in stores.

Behold The History of Whoo Honey Ginseng Sleeping Mask

Being a fan of The History of Whoo (among my first KoreanBeauty loves) I knew she’s another good one and would never let me down. I was right, Whew (or do I mean whoohoo?)

Continue reading “Knock knock, Whoo’s There: The History of Whoo Honey Ginseng Sleeping Mask”

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Two to Tan-go: Vita Liberata Trystal Self Tanning Bronzing Minerals in Bronze

Since our last meet up around Christmas, Angela generously gifted me many good stuphs, including this tanning powder. By Asian standards I am a shade of “too-dark” so I think she’s just trying to foil my good looks. Ahem. Also she’s reviewed it here (in the lighter shade Sunkissed), but this is my second professional opinion.

Behold the Vita Liberata Trystal Self Tanning Bronzing Minerals in No. 2 Bronze

Miss Roxy wanted to contour her cheekbones too

Continue reading “Two to Tan-go: Vita Liberata Trystal Self Tanning Bronzing Minerals in Bronze”

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To Bee or Not to Bee: W.Lab W-Honey Beam Cushion in No. 21-Review & Swatches

This cushion caught my eye with its sassy bee-girl whose side-eye rivals only Renee’s when she’s seen bad contouring.  Very Yoshitomo Nara.  (<–I’m not that cultured; Renee pointed it out.)

01 WLab Honey Beam Cushion ReviewThis W-Honey Beam Cushion by W.Lab (provided by Q-depot for review) promises “celebrity’s honey skin.”  Yeah, I started salivating on the spot, too.  The cushion boasts SPF 50+ PA+++, honey, and honey extract.

Continue reading “To Bee or Not to Bee: W.Lab W-Honey Beam Cushion in No. 21-Review & Swatches”

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CC Next Tuesday – IT Cosmetics CC + Veil Beauty Fluid Foundation SPF 50

Foundation cushions are officially mainstream now that L’Oreal came out with the True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation in 12 shades. But once upon a time in 2015, tanner shades weren’t easy to come by. To demonstrate her love and affection for me, even though I’m tan, Angela got me the below for Christmas. No, not the sushi cat, the cushion!

Behold the IT Cosmetics CC + Veil Beauty Fluid Foundation SPF 50

The It Cosmetics CC+ Vail Beauty Fluid Foundation SPF 50+

Continue reading “CC Next Tuesday – IT Cosmetics CC + Veil Beauty Fluid Foundation SPF 50”