Update & Favorites

Hi guys! It's been a while since I last updated my blog. School has been kicking my butt, and I barely had anytime to do anything. Since summer is here now, I'll definitely be updating my blog more frequently. I thought I would come back with a current favorites post. I've definitely been trying tons of new products in the past months so keep checking back for more reviews coming up!

The Body Shop has been upping their games lately and coming out with lots of amazing new releases. I recently tried out their color crush lipsticks, and I fell in love with them. Their formula reminds me a lot of the YSL sheer candies; they're sheer and very moisturizing. They have been my go-to lipsticks lately as they're super easy to put on and the color is very buildable. I prefer them over the revlon lip butters, which I found to be very greasy-feeling on my lips and made my lips peel. I have it in the color #14 and #18, and I'll definitely be picking up more in the future!

I love me some neutral, bronzy eyeshadows, especially for the summer months when I can't be bothered with my eye makeup. I've been using the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow in Rosegold all over my lids lately for an easy beachy, bronzy look, and it just gives my eyes the perfect amount of shimmer and definition. Just like the name says, it's a bronzy rosegold color. The formula is very smooth and buttery, and lasts well on my oily eyelids.

I finally discovered my holy grail powder!!! It is the Tarte Amazonian Airbrush Foundation. Words cannot describe how much I love this power, it is everything I want in a powder! It is sweatproof, waterproof, high coverage, and very natural looking on the skin. You can apply it over your liquid foundation or tinted moisturizers for a flawless look, or just use it on its own for days when you want an effortless natural look. Like the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder, you can keep layering this powder on your face without having it looking cakey. Moreover, it is more lasting than the Laura Mercier powder and gives more of a satin to matte finish, which I definitely need in the humid summer months.

Another product that's perfect for the hot summer months is the Josie Maran Coconut Cheek Gelee. It looks and feels like pudding in the pot, but once you apply it on your face, it turns into a stain and literally won't budge until you take it off at night. It just blends into your skin and makes you look like you've got a natural flush.

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Lush Goodies

I recently popped into Lush with no intention of getting anything, but somehow I managed to walk out with these two things in my bag. Story of my life.

If you've been reading my blog for a while then you'll probably know that I'm a mask junkie, and I literally have a drawer full of just face masks. I've heard a lot of great things about the Mask of Magnaminty for a while, and it's supposed to be great for people with oily/combination and acne prone skin. It contains china clay which helps to draw out the impurities from your pores as well as pieces of aduki beans to gently exfoliate the skin. It is very deep cleansing yet it doesn't leave my skin feeling dry because it has honey in it as well to calm and soothe the skin. Apparently you can also use this on your back if you have acne there. It has definitely made it into my top face masks and what makes me love it even more is the fact that it literally looks and smells like mint chocolate chips ice cream! I just want to lick it off when I put it on my face!

The Big Shampoo is a clarifying shampoo made with sea salts that is supposed to get rid of any product buildups in your hair and give your hair massive volume. I love the concept of clarifying shampoos and I already loved the Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo, so I decided to give this a go. It makes my hair feel so clean and soft, and my hair looks super shiny and voluminous after I use this! You need the tiniest bit and it foams up once you work it into your hair, so I can see this tub lasting me quite a while. It is definitely one of my all-time favorite shampoos and no wonder it's a best seller!

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Products I Can't Live Without- Skincare

So it should come as no surprise to you that these products have made it into my holy grail skincare products list as I've mentioned them over and over again on my blog. These are my fail-safe products that I know I can absolutely rely on to get my skin better.

It  is essential that your face is completely clean without any trace of makeup at the end of night, and no matter how expensive of a serum or moisturizer you use, if your face is not clean before you put them own, they would just be useless. The gentle vibrations of a Clarisonic help to get deep down into your pores and remove any impurities from your face. Even if you don't wear makeup, a Clarisonic is still going to benefit you because it physically exfoliates the skin to stimulate cell turnover and creates a clearer complexion overtime.

I don't think I need to say more about the Peter Thomas Roth Max Complexion Correction Pads because you're probably tired of seeing this. This is my go-to product when I'm breaking out or when I have uneven skin texture. Click here to see a more detailed review.

Another product that you're probably tired of seeing is the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. This is just a miracle in a bottle because I see amazing results just after one use. It feels like a moisturizer and I leave it on overnight, and in the morning my skin  just looks more perfected and glowing.

The King Olive Sebum Care Mask makes getting rid of blackheads so much easier. I haven't been getting a single blackhead on my nose since I've started using this. It's like a black goop that sinks deep down into your pores and after 15 minutes it dries up and you can just peel it off. It is super gentle and doesn't hurt at all. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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Current Skincare Favs

If you've seen my skincare routine posts, then you'll know that I have a pretty extensive list of products that I use. So instead of posting a whole new routine every time I change something in my routine, I thought I would just do these current skincare favs posts where I review skincare products that I've been trying lately.

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My Skincare Routine: Moisturisers & Sunscreen

Moisturisers are something that everyone should use regardless of what type of skin you have and regardless of whether your wear makeup or not. Everyone has some extent of dehydration in their skin, which can lead to dull, uneven skin, dry patches, and an overproduction of oils as your skin is trying to compensate for the lack of moisturization. I think moisturization is the key to a lot of skin problems; if your skin is not moisturized it won't be able to repair itself, and any other skin care products that you put on your face will lose its effectiveness. So choosing the right moisturiser is the key to better skin as increased hydration can lead to faster cell turnover and repair, and better absorption of other skincare products.

In the morning, I'll use the Murad Oil-Control Mattifier on my T-zone, which helps to control my oil production throughout the day. I then use the Clarins Daily Energizer Cream-Gel all over my face for hydration purposes. These two are both oil-free and feel super light on the skin. Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse is the sunscreen I've been using lately. It has SPF 50+ PA +++ which is usually what I go for. It comes out like a mousse and once you smooth it over your face, it melts down to a watery consistency and is super easy to blend. It feels super light on the skin and doesn't leave a white cast on my skin.

For the nighttime, I like to use something richer that's going to repair my skin overnight. Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins is an oil-free moisturiser that contains tons of minerals and vitamins that will help to resurface your skin and gently sloughs away any dull or dry skin. I've mentioned the Clarins Lotus Oil before in my go-to skincare post, which you can click on to read a more in-depth review. It basically helps to put back the oil that my skin has lost during the day and rebalance the water-oil ratio of my skin, which eventually leads to less oily and more supple skin. Caudalie Divine Oil essentially does the same thing; it is a multi-purpose oil that can be used on the skin, hair, and body. I find that the Caudalie one is a little richer and more hydrating than the Clarins one, but they basically do the same thing. The Caudalie one also contains their patented polyphenol, which is an anti-oxidant ingredient that helps to increase the blood circulation to your skin and repair your skin overnight. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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Current Favorites #2

Now that the weather is getting warmer, I've been getting into lighter makeup. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua is a water-based fluid foundation that is oil free and non-comedogenic. It has a light and buildable coverage, and helps to create a fresh and natural complexion. It evens out my skin tone and covers up any redness, while still letting my true skin show through. This is great if you want to look like you are not wearing any makeup, and I've been getting a ton of compliments lately when I wear this.

To set my foundation, I've been using the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder, which is one of my holy grail face products. Like the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, it provides buildable coverage yet still looks natural on the face. No matter how many layers I put on my face, it still looks natural and not powdery at all. Unlike most powders, this one doesn't make my face look so matte to the point where it looks cakey and lifeless, but it still controls oil and sets to a very natural finish. Mineral powders in general are very good for people with oily and acne-prone skin because they are anti-bacterial.

To help me to achieve that summer beachy tousled hair look, I've been using the Bumble and Bumble Hair Un Dressing Cream. I work it between my hands, and scrunch my hair with it while my hair is damp. It just helps to give tons of volume and texture to my hair.

To get my legs ready for the summer, I've been using the L'occitane Almond Shower Oil to help with the moisturization department of my legs. It has an oily consistency and you just work it over your whole body when you're in the shower. It makes my legs look super moisturized, smooth and glowing, and you don't even need to use a body moisturizer when you get out of the shower if you're lazy like me.

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My Skincare Routine - Serums

Serums are potent skincare products that can totally revamp how your skin looks. There are so many different types of serums on the market that are all meant to target different skin problems such as dehydration, dark spots, fine lines, large pores, uneven skin, etc.. Serums are meant to be used under moisturizers as the particles in serums are much smaller than that of moisturizers, allowing them to be better absorbed by the skin and target deeper layers of the skin. Serums can also maximize the efficacy of any moisturizers that you put on afterwards.

La Roche Posay Derm AHA has been a lifesaver for me as I have really congested pores and bumpy, uneven skin, and this just helps to clear out my pores and smooth out the texture of my skin. This contains 10% glycolic acid which works to chemically exfoliate the skin and promote cell turnover.

REN Resurfacing AHA Concentrate is a much gentler version of the La Roche Posay Derm AHA as it contains  a smaller concentration of lactic, glycolic, tartaric and citric acids. I find that this helps  to minimize the imperfections of my skin and gives my skin a healthy, radiant glow.

Lancome Visionnaire is one of those serums that promises to do everything for your skin. It claims to diminish wrinkles and pores, and correct any imperfections such as acne scars. This product is highly rated by beauty blogs and magazines everywhere, and I have to say that this product doesn't disappoint. It truly blurs out any imperfections on my skin and also increases the moisture retention of my skin; overtime my skin looks more supple and healthy. I find that I also break out less when I use this product thanks to its non-comedogenic formula.

Lastly, the Cosme Decorte Moisture Liposome is a pretty famous product in Japan as a lot of celebrities use this. This helps to penetrate deeper layers of the skin to repair damaged skin cells and continuously moisturizes the skin throughout the day, and helps to improve the moisture retention of any other moisturizers that you put on afterwards. I can't emphasize enough how moisturization is the key to better skin- when your skin is moisturized, it repairs and regenerates itself better, allowing any skincare product that you put on it to work much quicker and more effective.


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Favorite Drugstore Face Products

I'm pretty picky when it comes to face products as I have quite acne prone skin and I don't like to try out a lot of drugstore face products as I find that they often have really harsh ingredients that can be quite irritating on my skin. However these products are some of my favorite face products in general and are very comparable to some of my high-end face products.

Bourjois is one of my favorite drugstore brand, although it is a bit more on the pricey side. Their makeup are really high quality and well-made. I have the Bourjois Powder Blush in 54 Rose Frisson which is bright coral color that's great for the spring and summer. It is a finely milled powder that's super soft and easy to blend, and lasts forever on the skin. Bourjois Bronzing Powder is a good drugstore bronzer that won't look muddy or orangey on the skin; it's completely matte and gives the skin a nice sun-kissed glow. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation is definitely one of my go-to foundations; it feels super light on the skin and gives the skin a natural coverage.The reason why it's called a serum foundation is because it contains vitamin-rich fruit extracts in it to help to give the skin moisture and an overall radiance. It never feels greasy or cakey on the skin and is great for all skin types. I like to use the Boujois Healthy Mix Concealer for my undereye area because it is super moisturizing and doesn't settle into my fine lines.

Speaking of undereye concealers, the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer is another one of my favorites. It contains micro shimmers which help to instantly brighten up the undereye area to make you look much more awake, and once you blend out the concealer you won't be able to see the shimmers at all.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer is what I use to cover up any discolorations or acne scars on my face. It is super opaque and long-lasting, and is great for the summer time. This is a UK drugstore brand, but you can find it on ebay for around $10.

The NYX Powder Blush in Taupe is such an unique color in that it is a pinky taupe color that can be used both as a blush and a contour. It has a grey undertone which makes it great for contouring your whole face to give your face a subtle definition. When used as a blush, it makes your cheeks look super defined and chiseled. Again, I've never seen this color anywhere before and I find that it looks much more natural on the face than the typical bronzers which are often brown-based; however because this NYX blush is grey-based it helps to create natural shadows on your face.

Here is a closer look:

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Current Favorites #1

I want to start this new segment on my blog where I talk about my current favorite beauty products. Although I'm constantly trying out new beauty products, I do want to make sure that I use a product for at least two weeks before I mention it on my blog, so I will try to do these posts every other week.

First up is Buxom Lipcream in Berry Blast, which is probably the only lip gloss that I wear on a daily basis. It glides on the lips buttery smooth and doesn't feel sticky at all. It is extremely pigmented and can be worn alone. This is great for those of you who want bigger lips because it will make your lips look super juicy, glossy and moisturized. It also has a slightly tingly sensation when you put it on, which doesn't feel uncomfortable at all. Berry Blast is a gorgeous hot pink color and I definitely want to go back and pick up more shades. I used to hate lip glosses, but this has me totally converted.

The Clarins Evermatte Foundation is an oil-free foundation that gives medium coverage yet still feels light and natural on the skin. Clarins is a brand that never lets me down; all of their products that I've tried so far have been super impressive and this one is no exception. This is definitely gonna be my go-to foundation for the summer.

The Dollywink Volume Mascara is my newly found holy grail mascara. For many years, I relied on the Kiss Me Long & Curl Mascara as my go-to mascara; it is extremely waterproof and smudge-proof, which is just a godsend for my extremely oily eyelids. Personally, I find that Asian mascaras in general are better at being smudge-proof and waterproof than a lot of the Western mascaras. I have to say that the Dollywink mascara is just a little bit better at giving my lashes length and volume than the Kiss Me mascara does, while still being waterproof and smudge-proof. I still wear the Kiss Me one for everyday just because it looks more natural, but if I'm going out or if I just want my eyes to look extra big, I will go for the Dollywink one.

This is a fiber mascara which I prefer because the fibers really help to lengthen my lashes. It has a pretty big wand with a small tip, which helps to get to the really hard-to-get corners of your eyes. You can find this on Ebay or any other Asian beauty sites for around $15.

Turquoise has been the IT color this spring and summer; I've been seeing it everywhere from the runways to magazines. Dior and Lancome have both came out with a turqoise liner in their latest spring collections, and I've been coveting them for a while, but I wasn't about the spend almost $30 on an eyeliner. So I did a little search online and stumbled onto the Holika Holika Waterproof Eyeliner in Emerald Green, which is only $6 on Ebay. Color-wise, it is an exact dupe of Dior's Diorshow Liner in Aqua Green. It's also super creamy and pigmented, and lasts all day on both my upper lash line and my waterline. This will just give your makeup a bright pop of color that's super on-trend for the spring and summer.

Since the weather has been getting warmer, I've been opting for more simple makeup. I've just been wearing Benefit's Buckle Bunny all over my eyelids lately. It is a beautiful shade that has so many dimensions to it. When worn sheerly, it gives your lids this beautiful rosegold color; when you build up the color, it looks more like a warm bronzy brown. What I do is that I put a sheer layer all over the lids and build the color in the crease. This color works to brighten and define your eyes at the same time.

Here are the swatches:

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