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Hot or NoTS: NoTS Lip Alive Color Mousse No. 03 Sweet Raspberry Review – Dupe for Dior Fluid Stick?

01 NoTS Lip Alive Color Mousse 03 Sweet Raspberry ReviewMmm, I’m having sweet flashbacks to “My Love From Another Star” thanks to the Lip Alive Color Mousse in 03 Sweet Raspberry by the Korean brand NoTS ($32 for 5g; provided for consideration by Q-depot).  NoTS–which stands for Noble Through Skin–is a cruelty-free* line of skincare with a few select makeup products.

*See bottom of the post for more on cruelty-free Korean cosmetics.

I confess that “My Love From Another Star” is the only K-drama I’ve ever really watched.  Nothing else has pulled me in.  I tried watching “The Producers” with Do Min Joon, I mean Kim Soo Swoon, and gave up. Continue reading “Hot or NoTS: NoTS Lip Alive Color Mousse No. 03 Sweet Raspberry Review – Dupe for Dior Fluid Stick?”

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HanYUL Doin’? Review of Hanyul Luminant Cushion + Epic BB Cushion Comparison

I am officially cutting myself off from buying any more BB cushions until I can get through the ones I own. My latest acquisition is the Hanyul Luminant Cushion, adding to my collection of cushions by AmorePacific, IOPE, Laneige, and HERA (links are to past reviews).

02 AmorePacific IOPE Hanyul Laneige HERA Cushions ReviewI’ll review the Hanyul cushion first and then compare all my cushions.  Update: I did an even bigger cushion roundup in this post.

Hanyul Luminant Cushion Review

I bought the Hanyul Luminant Cushion PURELY because it’s shilled by Jun Ji Hyun (Cheon Song Yi from “My Love From Another Star”). Ugh, I’m so obsessed with her glowing skin. Ji Hyun, just start the protective order proceedings now.

Continue reading “HanYUL Doin’? Review of Hanyul Luminant Cushion + Epic BB Cushion Comparison”

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My Laneige Serum Intense Lipsticks from Another Star: Review of YR25 Neon Orange & LR07 Love Me Pink

I first grew curious about the Laneige Serum Intense Lipsticks because Cheon Song Yi (Jun Ji Hyun) applies shade YR25 Neon Orange in one episode of “My Love From Another Star.”  In that episode, she’s shown sitting at her vanity with the whole range of Laneige Serum Intense Lipsticks organized before her, and she selects this shade to wear before meeting up with Do Min Joon.

So naturally, I bought the exact same lipstick.  While I was at it, I picked up LR07 Love Me Pink.  01 Laneige Serum Intense Lipstick YR25 LR07 ReviewThe lipsticks have a creamy texture that melts onto your lips.  The finish is moist and shiny.  Coverage is medium and buildable to full.  Due to the creamy texture, lasting power is just so-so. Continue reading “My Laneige Serum Intense Lipsticks from Another Star: Review of YR25 Neon Orange & LR07 Love Me Pink”

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Top Korean Beauty YouTube Channels

In no particular order, below are my personal favorites that I’ve come across for keeping up with Korean beauty products and trends (good reviews and swatches, frequent posting, well produced). My method for discovering Korean beauty gurus on YouTube is quite haphazard, so I welcome your comments on your faves.

I did briefly consider posting everyone’s “My Love from Another Star”/Cheon Song Yi tutorials, but instead I picked some of my favorite videos spanning different looks and topics.

Updated March 2015

1. Meejmuse (English)

Jen used to live in Australia and teach children but is now a K-style reporter for Arirang TV in Korea. Blogger turned TV personality? An inspiration to us all.

Her TV segments (also in English) are assembled in a playlist under her username. For example, care to learn about men’s makeup?

2. So Young’s Beauty Room (Korean w/ English subtitles)

So Young’s videos showcase a lot of the latest trends in makeup. Continue reading “Top Korean Beauty YouTube Channels”

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They See Me Haulin’ Part 1: Shopping in LA

In LA, I shopped my way across the city for Asian beauty products. All for you! I’m sorry, I meant me. All for me. By no means is this list meant to be extensive. I only listed places that I already knew of or came across. I hope, however, that this is useful to someone interested in shopping for Asian makeup and skincare. My faves: Image, Beauty Tips, and Takashima–all in the San Gabriel Valley.  Read on for info about stores there and in Koreatown and West LA. Some things to note:

  • Testers for makeup and skincare were common.
  • Prices across stores were basically the same (e.g., $18 for Clio Gelspresso eyeliner), so comparison shopping wasn’t as important as I thought it would be. Now whether those prices beat online prices, I don’t know.  Update: I’ve noticed some wildly disparate prices on some skincare items.  As in some items being 2x higher at one store versus another.  So comparison shopping is important.
  • Pretty much every store that sold Korean makeup sold Clio Gelspresso eyeliners and the full range of Peripera lip products and It’s Skin Babyface makeup.

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY–ATLANTIC SQUARE

1. Beauty Tips/Tips Beauty (Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese) 500 N. Atlantic Blvd., Suite 177, Monterey Park, CA 91754 The entrance is on Atlantic. Although small, it is crammed with products from Taiwanese, Korean, and Japanese brands, including brands that I didn’t see anywhere else. Also carries a healthy selection of American/Western brands, some of which are not commonly found in stores (such as Avene, La Roche Posay, Klorane, Eve Lom). Great for: Continue reading “They See Me Haulin’ Part 1: Shopping in LA”

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My Lips from the Star Tutorial a la Cheon Song-Yi / Jun Ji-Hyun (Using Laneige Serum Intense Lipstick in LR07 Love Me Pink and TonyMoly Tint in Cherry Pink)

While Renee works her way through the animal kingdom, let me share some lip looks that I’m drawn to lately.

I was briefly am still obsessed with the Korean drama “My Love from the Star” (also known as “My Love from Another Star” and free on Hulu and DramaFever).

Story aside, I loved taking in the characters’ makeup looks.  Cheon Song-Yi (played by Jun Ji-Hyun), Korea’s sweetheart, sported full-on bright lips in a rainbow of feminine colors: cherry red, deep red, orange, hot pink, violet pink, coral pink, . . . gawgeous.  Her best friend/proverbial bridesmaid, Yoo Se-Mi (played by Yoo In-Na), sported the very-popular-in-Korea gradient lip, usually in orange or peach tones.

Here I show you three different lip looks inspired by “My Love from the Star” and all those beautiful Korean stars with hateably glowy and clear skin.

*Note: Today was overcast so all of the photos came out dull and cool-toned.  I edited them to try to show the true color, but I don’t think I captured the brightness and richness of the colors.

1. Over lightly moisturized lips, pat on a suuuuper light layer of foundation (I used a BB cushion).  Stop here if you like corpse lips.

Continue reading “My Lips from the Star Tutorial a la Cheon Song-Yi / Jun Ji-Hyun (Using Laneige Serum Intense Lipstick in LR07 Love Me Pink and TonyMoly Tint in Cherry Pink)”