Showing posts with label Lioele. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lioele. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

April Monthly Favorites

I feel like the month of April was so long that I can't remember everything that I liked. There was just so much crap that I used in the beginning of the month and I don't know where March ended and April started. I've either used these things for most or all of the month or closer to the end of the month because it was so long. I also feel like I had a lot of no makeup or minimal makeup days, so that isn't helping. 

I've been in a pretty consistent skincare routine, so I'm getting bored of posting the exact same things that I use every day in every week or every month. That means maybe I'll post a skincare routine and maybe a daily makeup routine or something. I don't know if that would be interesting at all.


Shisheido Perfect Whip Foam: This has been my cleanser of choice lately, even though I've been trying to use up some others. Recently I decided to push this into the back of my cabinet because I really do need to use up things. I really like how thick this cleanser is and I prefer to use this with my Clarisonic because it's harder to lather up with my hands.

Lioele Multi Seaweed Gel: I had a sample of this eons ago and after I chose to purchase a full size, I stopped using it. So it sat in a box for a few months until I rediscovered it a little over a month ago. I've slowly started replacing my Clinique gel cream with this in the mornings. I'm actually finding that I prefer this over the Clinique one and this was only about $12 and there's a lot more product in the tub. This absorbs into my skin much quicker and I feel like it will be a summer favorite.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule: Yes. This again. It's my favorite ever. Blah blah blah. What else can I say about it other than this one is almost gone?


MAC Prep+Prime Skin Base Visage: I've honestly continued to use this because there isn't another primer that I can even reach for right now. Everything else is still sucking the moisture out of my skin, but this is just a standard. I'm actually surprised that I haven't run out of this yet. In a couple weeks, I'm sure I'll need to use an oil control primer and I don't want to have to save this for next year because I'm sure the expiration is coming up.

Skin79 Super+ Triple Functions BB Cream in Green: I've been favoring this one over VIP Gold because I've been using other foundations this month. Mainly this has been an under eye concealer and brightener because it's on the lighter side. Now that the weather is warming up, I've been using slightly darker bronzers and don't need my foundation to be so light.

Illamasqua Skin Base in 02: This is not something I can use on its own. The foundation itself is too thick for my skin and I prefer to mix it into my MAC Face and Body when I want a little more coverage. I also have this in a darker color that I'll probably end up using in a month or so.

MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1: Yup. This one is back. We had a enough warmer days that I could wear this foundation, but then it got cold again. I really love this foundation, so I had to toss this in the post. I can't wait to wear this foundation on a regular basis, but I may have discovered that VIP Gold from Skin79 is perfect of its own for a light makeup day. 

It's Skin Under Eye Brightener: When I needed a little under eye pick me up, this is what I used. I've been using this instead of my Maybelline one and I think I actually prefer it. I think I say that every time I switch up products though. Maybe it's just because this blends a little better into my foundation because of the texture.


MAC Sideshow You: This blush was from the Simpson's Collection and it was the only other thing I purchased from it. I was really feeling this blush color and out of the three blushes, this is the one I wore the most. I definitely wore more blushes than these three, but Sideshow You overshadowed most of them.

Tarina Tarantino Feathers: When I wanted just a light pop of color with a bronzed look, this is the color I would go for. The color is nicer on my face than it is in the pan and it blended in nicely with my bronzer.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat: This was a new item for me and I'll probably do a collective haul at some point. I really like this blush, but I've only been using it for the past maybe week and a half. I received this before my Sephora items, so I felt fine including this if I didn't include the Sephora stuff.


NARS Laguna: I have to say that by the time the end of the month hit, I had stopped using this bronzer in favor of Estée Lauder. I really like this bronzer, but now I think I have a couple that top it. I love that it is included in every one of my NARS blush palettes just so I don't necessarily need to pack an additional bronzer. It blends out so nicely and it isn't orange, so I can use it with my Ita brush and contour.

Estée Lauder Amber Bronzer Sienna Earth Powder: I really needed to start using this powder because I had neglected it for a long time. Although it leans a little orange when the color is blended together, it looked nice on my skin. The packaging is also really sturdy, so this is a bronzer I wouldn't mind traveling with.

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess 01 Light: This is seriously a huge bronzer. I really like the color of this powder and the shimmer isn't overpowering. I was glad to know that I wasn't getting a matte bronzer when I ordered this online. I know I have too many bronzers, but I really love this one even though I only used it during the last bits of April.


NARS Miss Liberty Highlighting Blush: This is basically a glitter highlight. The base adds just a slight touch of champagne color, but it is packed with multicolor shimmer particles that obviously don't show up in the photo of the pan. I rocked this for the beginning of the month until I bought the newest highlighter in my collection, which sadly isn't the newest when I'm writing this.


Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Beige: I wasn't going to buy this, but Nordstrom had Bobbi Brown on sale for 20% off, so that was good enough for me. I probably wouldn't buy a shimmer brick for full price, but 20% off is great. I love this highlighter. I might have to compare it to my other highlighters because I feel like I go for the same colors. I use the top two colors the most, but when you swirl them all together, it gives such a beige golden glow. It's the perfect companion to bronzer. One of the girls I work with told me that my highlight was like "Wah-bam," so at least someone agrees with me.

Darac Beauty Sifted Blur Complexion Perfector: I use this powder to set my under eyes and my entire face. You can tell that I've plowed through the powder when you compare the photo to last month's favorites. I'm trying to not use so much powder, so I may try to cool it with this one. There's another powder that will definitely be in my favorites next month that I've moved on to for setting my under eyes.


I also need to do a Bath & Body Works haul, but there's just so much stuff that I need to photograph because I spent an absolute ton of money. I know I didn't even need half of the things I bought, but the Forever Sunshine lotion in the picture is already almost gone. For real. I'm trying to consistently use lotion after showering because the weather is getting nicer and I don't want dry skin if I can wear short sleeves. 

I've been loving Beautiful Day and Love & Sunshine body mists. I keep one in the bathroom for reasons and one in my gym bag so I don't smell like socks after working out. I like the little body mists because I can carry them around and not worry about a bottle breaking. I also like that they're cheap and the scent isn't too strong. The last thing I want is to smell like Versace when I'm dead lifting with a bunch of guys. That's not exactly the image I'm going for. 

I also bought a bunch of hand sanitizers, mainly to keep in my apron pocket at work for after I handle money or for a quick fix after wiping down tables. I also keep one in my bathroom so that my hands are always clean while I'm doing my makeup or skincare. I do bring my phone in the bathroom with me, so I want to make sure my hands aren't germy because I definitely touch my phone and don't want to immediately touch my face. Honolulu Sun is the one I keep with me at work and it smells like a Piña Colada. It's almost gone!

I've also been keeping a small lotion in my apron pocket because serving dries my hands out. I've always meant to keep lotion on me, but I don't have a ton of smaller ones that absorb quickly. I have five different scents in the Aloe Gel Lotion, but Kauai is my favorite and I even bought a backup because I feel like I'm going to finish that off quick.


Vera Wang Preppy Princess: I wore this mostly in the beginning of the month when it was still chilly out. I kind of feel like the scent is a little too strong for warmer weather, so I started wearing other scents. I do like this perfume a lot, but I'll probably get even more use from it during the fall and winter. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Sunshine: I definitely prefer this limited edition release of Daisy Eau So Fresh to the original. It's a little less floral and a little more fruity, which is my preference. The only fault I find in the perfume is that it doesn't last long at all. This is definitely one I have to carry around with me, although I've been really bad about that lately because I need to fill all my atomizers and that takes time. I love everything else about this perfume though and the bottle is so pretty.

Escada Born in Paradise: I can just tell that this isn't the last time this scent will be in a favorites post. I can pretty much guarantee that this will be in at least one more post because this perfume is the perfect summer scent. It smells like coconut and it actually lasts a pretty decent amount of time on my skin. I like that it sort of matches my trend of island scented lotions so it makes it easier to pair other things.

Versace Bright Crystal Absolu: Still my most used and most loved perfume, and not just by me. The picture isn't a very good indicator, but I've used quite a bit of this perfume. There's a guy I work with that associates me with expensive perfume, this one being the one he likes on me best, and calls me Gucci Girl even though I've told him this is actually Versace. I did just finally buy a Gucci perfume though, so I guess I don't need to correct him anymore.


Monday, September 15, 2014

Ten Products I Regret Buying

Everyone inevitably buys a few things they let sit around and collect dust. As someone who likes to try new products on a regular basis, I have plenty of things kicking around that I either regret purchasing or dutifully use and will definitely not repurchase.


These aren't in any particular order, so I'll try to follow the way they're arranged in the photo.

Kuan Yuan Lian Acne Deep Sodium Salicylic Milk - Okay, this isn't necessarily the worst thing I've ever bought, but it doesn't really work and the actual product is extremely watery. I've used more than half of this and I'm definitely not buying it again. I already have a fairly decent acne product line from Etude House that I prefer. 

MAC Prep+Prime Skin Base Visage - I've used this plenty, but I really don't think a lotion based primer with subtle glitter is worth $30 because...THIRTY DOLLARS. Why did I buy this again? I don't even know if I want to finish it off because I'm really loving my new Smashbox primer.

Holika Holika Wine Therapy Sleeping Pack in Red Wine - I originally thought the packaging for this was cute, because it's a wine barrel. There is another type of this sleeping pack made with white wine for acne prone skin, which I'm sure I would have liked better. I bid on both through eBay and ended up with this version. I'm not exaggerating when I say it's like smearing grape jelly on your face. Do not like. Will not finish. Won't even try the white wine one, which is lotion and not a gel.

Philosophy Purity Cleanser - I bought the very small bottle of this to try out when Nordstrom was having a site wide beauty sale. So many people talk about this cleanser so I thought I'd give it a shot. It's an all right cleanser. It gets the job done, but I wouldn't be interested in a larger size. The small 3oz was $10 before my discount and the next size up is 8oz at $23! I have more than enough cleansers to last past the new year so I don't need to buy this one again.  

Lioele Water Drop Sleeping Pack - This is one of those products that will probably get used but won't be repurchased. I'm not even kidding when I say it was one of my first Korean skincare products. It was great when I bought it and the water drop effect was really cool, but it isn't as moisturizing as my other night creams. I only use this when I'm staying somewhere overnight and don't want my face to be a greasy mess when I wake up. 

Inglot Lip Palette - Don't get me wrong, I love Inglot as a brand and I also really like the lipsticks I own from them, but I seriously never use the THREE lip palettes that I own. It has nothing to do with the colors or formula, I just prefer a lipSTICK to a lip palette. I don't like using a brush and touching up lips with an entire palette is just a pain. I'm actually sad about this one because I do like the colors I own and these were pretty spendy.

Milani Shadow Eyez Pencil in Champagne Toast - I hate this. I used it once and couldn't get even color on my lid. I figured this would be more travel friendly than a pot of cream eye shadow, but it didn't work for me. The color that did get on my lid never set and I had to take it off. I like other Milani products, but I won't be trying this in any other colors.

Sigma Eyeliner in Focus - I could not get this to show up on my eye no matter what. Maybe it's because it's a lighter shade, but it swatched great on my hand. It also dragged when I tried to apply it to my lower lash line and was gone almost immediately. I have another color in this formula and I don't hate it as much as this one.

MAC Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl - I have a decent amount of MAC products, so it seems appropriate to not like them all. There's a few I've sold and plan on selling, and this is the next one in the pile. It's just not my color and it's way too shimmery for my cheeks. 

But that's only NINE, you say?


Never fear, I also regret buying pretty much every lip product I own from Covergirl and Revlon. It's honestly not that I hate these, it's just that I never wear them. I guess I hate the Covergirl ones more because they've dried out a bit and now slide out of the twisty tubes, whereas the Revlon ones don't. I've never had good luck with Covergirl products in general so this doesn't surprise me. I also don't wear lip gloss anymore, so it seems silly to own so much of it. I think since I only wear lipstick when I'm working that I'll try wearing lip gloss when I'm not. I just hate trashing products that I've spent money on. 

That's it. I'm sure a favorite post at the end of the month with redeem some of these brands listed here. 

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Makeup Hoarder Disorder: Foundations and Korean BB Creams

The sad thing about this collection is probably that I know all of my Holika Holika BB Creams are hiding from the move and are not included in this post.

I am definitely someone that doesn't like to face the outside world without something on my face, so all my BB Creams and foundations range from sheer to medium coverage. The
one thing I am not a fan of is full coverage, cakey makeup. 

After discovering the wonders of Korean BB Creams, which are quite different from the Americanized versions most people have used, I've compiled my favorites and the ones I don't use too often. (Ahem...those missing Holika Holika ones? At least two of them are almost gone.) Korean BB Creams boast actual skincare benefits and are supposed to be moisturizer, primer, sunscreen, anti-aging, and whitening all in one. Most BB Creams have at least an SPF of 25, but some have an SPF of 40 or more.

Super Plus VIP Gold, Purple Super Plus, Green Super Plus, Snail Nutrition.

Sure, my first foray into Korean BB Creams were my Holika Holikas, but Skin79 truly makes some of my favorites. There are more than four different varieties, but these are the ones that I own. On the packaging, Skin79 claims these are Triple Function: Whitening, UV Protection with SPF, and Wrinkle Improvement. It's hard to pick a favorite from these four, but I haven't had the purple one for long enough to know how I feel about it. If I had to pick, I guess I reach for the green one more often.

ElishaCoy Premium Gold Mineral, BRTC Jasmine Water, Lioele Dollish Veil Vita in Green, Missha Complexion Coordinating, ElishaCoy Always Triple, ElishaCoy Time Capsule.

I can't say that I've purchased a BB Cream that I don't care for, but I'm guity of not exactly rotating them as much as I should. Once I decide that I like one at the moment, I usually stick with it.

These other brands are from ElishaCoy, BRTC, Lioele, and Missha. Out of all of these, I reach for the BRTC Jasmine Water BB Cream, ElishaCoy Premium Gold Mineral BB Cream, and ElishaCoy Always Triple BB Cream the most. Those are probably my top three. The BRTC is my top favorite right now to the point where I might order another tube and upgrade to the larger size.

Lioele Dollish Veil Vita is tinted green, so I usually only use that when my skin is a little red or when I have stuff to cover. Occasionally I'll mix this one into a different BB Cream. Missha Complexion Coordinating BB Cream is more of a CC Cream, which means it comes out of the tube white and blends into your skin tone. I don't reach for this too often, usually only when my skin looks great and I can get away with very light coverage and a powder. 

Kat Von D Lock it Tattoo Foundation in Light 42, MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC15, MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1.
Thanks to my obsession with BB Creams, I haven't owned an actual foundation for almost two years if not longer. I don't know what inspired me to buy the Kat Von D Lock it Tattoo Foundation, but I wish I never did! It's far too light for me, which is crazy considering that I usually wear the lightest shade in everything. Not only that, but it is so thick and full coverage that I can't even take it. I've owned this for months and I've tried mixing it with BB Creams and I still don't like it. It has come to the point where I will probably try selling it in a blog sale.

My next adventure in foundations took me to MAC, which I've been obsessed with other products from the brand so I figured...why not? Well, I didn't get a color match and decided to wing it. I ordered MAC Studio Fix Fluid which is medium to full coverage. I don't need a full coverage foundation, so this isn't my favorite. In addition to the full coverage, this color is wicked yellow! I didn't realize it was going to be so yellow because my MAC concealer in NC15 is a completely different color! My last gripe with this foundation is that it doesn't have a pump! Why MAC why? 

I ended up getting color matched at MAC and it turns out that I'm actually an NW15. Go figure. I'll be getting rid of my Studio Fix Fluid or trading it for NW15 because I can't use it unless I mix it. NW15 has pinker tones that match my skin better.

One more thing! I just purchased MAC Face and Body Foundation, which I will include in an upcoming haul. I guess since I've used it twice I can't give too much of an opinion, but I do love it so far. It's nice and light and blends perfectly into my skin. I hate paying $27 for what looks like a small bottle of foundation, but this is 1.7oz compared to the standard 1oz of other foundations.

WHEW. That's a lot of face makeup and that doesn't cover my concealers and powders. Before I buy any different products, I need to use these up.