Black Friday 2018 Beauty Haul!

I no buy when there's no discount... anyone else? XD

Hope you enjoyed these long chatty hauls....?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?

Time for me to disappear again... LOL.

Have a great day guys :)

Products mentioned:
1. Rael pantiliners/pads/tampons/period pants
2. Aveda Mineral Loose Powder
3. Aveda Rosemary Mint shampoo
4. Aveda Pure Abundance shampoo
5. SK-II Facial Treatment Mask
6. SK-II Facial Treatment Essence 
7.  Clinique Repairwear Anti Gravity eyecream
8. Neogen Sunscreen
9. Huda Beauty demi-matte cream lipstick in Shero
10. NARS Audacious lipstick in Jane
11. T3 Featherweight Compact folding hair dryer
12. Jo Malone Dark Amber & Ginger Lily perfume
13. Bobbi Brown Luxe Liquid lipstick in Italian Rose, Strike a Rose, Your Majesty
14. Clinique Smart Treatment Oil
15. Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum
16. Sand & Sky Porefining Face Mask
17. MAC Matte Lipstick in Taupe 
18. MAC Liquidlast liner in Cocoa Bar
19. Pony Effect MEMEBOX Coverstay Cushion Foundation in Nude Beige
20. MEMEBOX PONY Easy Painting Brush Liner in 02. Natural Brown
21. MEMEBOX - PONY Blossom Velvet Lip Tint #04 Petite Bouquet
22. MEMEBOX - PONY EFFECT Prime Protect Sun Base
23. MEMEBOX - PONY EFFECT Smooth Dough Puff 
24. COSRX - Acne Pimple Master Patch
25. Etude House - Lash Perm Curl Fix Mascara
26. COSRX - AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
27. Pyunkang Yul Balancing Gel, Moisture Serum, Moisture Ampoule, Moisture Cream, Essence Toner, Oil




<3 Frances

Best of 2015 & Resolutions

Hi guys!!

Running short on time here, so let's just cut to the chase LOL.

Happy New Year!!

Last year I ranked my yearly favorites... this year... in no particular order. Let's start with skincare :)


1. Albion Skin Conditioner

Really the most conditioning toner I've ever used. My skin feels so calm and comfortable every single time after I use it. Stopped using it for a while cuz I got distracted by the SK-II Clear Lotion, but when I went back to it again, I was like OMG I FORGOT HOW GOOD IT WAS!!!! It's very expensive but I definitely recommend :)  By the way it's just a very conditioning/comfortable feeling... if you're looking for something more it might not be for you.



A shout-out to the SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion. Unfortunately this did NOT make it to my Best of 2015 list. I was OBSESSED with it for months, but after a while I feel like I stopped feeling/seeing effects from it. You can read about my initial thoughts about it here. I ran out of it but still have a second bottle. Maybe after this little break I will be able to see if it makes any difference again?


2. Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil

Last year I raved about the Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask. This year it was replaced by this XD Now I just use this whenever I cleared out my blackheads. Not only it keeps the pores tight, it also nourishes and reduces the peeling process to a minimum. I mean the Mask is still great... it works through a different mechanism (ie, drawing things out) so it depends on what you're looking for. Personally, the oil > mask because the mask is such a hassle to wash off. Before I was willing to put up with it just because the results were phenomenal, but after discovering this oil does the same... I haven't touched the mask at all lol. Prob will save the mask for the summer. I also use it all over my face once in a while. Personally can't use it every day-- too much exfoliating/breaks me out. 


Here are my most used skincare from 2015

Cetaphil is awesome.

Still loving the Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum.

First Aid Ultra Repair Cream is awesome.

When I had that peeling problem around my mouth, Luca's Paw Paw Ointment helped with the healing process a lot (that and it's a great lip balm in general). Not as much as Carmex though :) Seriously, Carmex is the cure/godsend for any lip problem O_O

Want to give a shout out to the Origins GinZing eye cream. Used to think it was just okay but not only it's great for dark circles, it's also awesome for reducing puffiness.

And of course, the Diorsnow UV Shield is still the most amazing base makeup I've ever used =)   


3. Innisfree Smart Foundation Super Moisture

Best liquid foundation award of course goes to this! Although.... it might be discontinued already O_O I have no idea. You can read my review here.



 
Want to give a little shout out to the Too Faced Born This Way foundation. Although I only tested out that foundation briefly... still thinking about it lol. Review here. Although I heard they expanded the color range... I might be able to find a better match?


Most used base makeup...

Clinique Air Brush Concealer-- Don't use it as a concealer cuz I just can't place anything underneath my eyes =_= so was just trying to use it up by using it to highlight my forehead, between my brows, my nose bridge, around my mouth, and under my chin. It's grown on me =D

Too Faced Chocolate Powder Foundation. Review here. Now I actually really like it since moving to Cali.

Lancome Teint Miracle Powder Foundation (Asia edition). Talked about it LONG LONG time ago here.

SK-II Auractivator CC Cream. Reviewed here. It was only most-used because it's sheer coverage + sunscreen in one... I used it a lot when I was lazy. But it's not something I would repurchase... I'm kind of over the super glowy look and plus it doesn't last on combination skin.


4. 廣源良菜瓜水 Luffa Water Facial Mist

Favorite mist of the year LOL. So cheap, yet the spritz bottle is so nice! Super portable and light. Also the mist it gives out is pretty fine. Pretty damn impressed. Did I mention it's so cheap??? LOL. Been enjoying my Jurlique Rose Water Mist but this is something I definitely will go back to. Thumbs up! Hmm... not sure where you can get it, bought it when I was in Taiwan. If anyone is interested let me know I'll look into it.


5. Lunasol Beige Beige eye shadow quad

Favorite eye shadows award no doubt goes to this quad =D


Really, can't find fault with any of the colors. Still obsessed with the glitter shadow, and the brown shadow. Really want to try out more Lunasol eye shadows. Pretty sure if I ever run out of this palette I would repurchase (or at least I would buy another quad from Lunasol). See here for details/swatches.


Of course... you guys know it by heart now, the only eyeliner I use is by Milani Infinite eyeliner in 06 unlimited.


My best advise for long-lasting eyeliner is...
1. Avoid liquid foundation over the eye area. Or if you must, at least set it with powder. Just use a powder foundation
2. Do your eyeliner first with an eye shadow. My favorites are the brown one from Lunasol Beige Beige and L'oreal Infallible eye shadow in Bronzed Taupe. Those two seriously make EXCELLENT eyeliner base. Helps my eyeliner stay on super long... and gives my eyeliner and much more softer and blended look.
3. Then layer this eyeliner over the eye shadow

Years and years of wearing makeup and these are my best tricks to long-lasting eyeliner =D Seriously, give this a try. Don't do liquid eyeliner first then layer with eye shadow, that doesn't do anything. Do eye shadow as eyeliner first THEN the liquid/gel eyeliner.



Trusty and beloved Shiseido eye lash curler, and Majolica Majorca mascara and mascara primer.


6. Neuve eye brow pencil

Faaaavorite eye brow product this year!!! the Maybelline one and everything else fell out of my favor. And this is so freaking cheap too.


Favorite blushes

If I have to pick a favorite one, it will have to be the THREE blushes. However, I feel like these all got equal amounts of love from me... the formulation for all three brands are amazing. Check them out!

THREE- Sweet Thing-- LOVE THIS for spring/summer.

THREE- Into the Aether-- OBSESSED for colder months. Currently reaching for only this LOL.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes-- Mood Exposure and Luminous Flush are my favs. Mood Exposure is just an amazing all-year-round color.

For these blushes you can see my swatches here. 

Discovered the Bobbi Brown blushes like in mid-year and they have amazing formulation. I love both colors that I got-- Coral Sugar and Peony, but I prefer Coral Sugar :)


I actually made a little dent!!!!!! I've never made a dent in a blush before!!! *Le PROUD*


Favorite lip products

3CE lip laquer in Dahlia. Formula is VERY drying, me no like. But I love the color and the matte finish so I'll deal with it LMAO

YSL volupte shine in corail intuitive. It's a nude pink... I seldom use it on its own, but it's the PERFECT nude pink to layer over :))) One of my fav combos is to layer the Clio Lipnicure in Revenge Pink over it to create the gradient lip.

YSL glossy stain in #29... an all-around favorite now lol don't think I can live without it. It just goes with EVERYTHING.

Favorite lip tint/stain award goes to the VDL Triple Shot Tint Bar. It's not gimmick at all lol. Cannot say enough good things about it. Staining is decent, but the formula is impeccable-- super moisturizing!! I would really really love love LOVE to collect all of the colors... but... calm your panties now Frances =_=


Shout outs to Rouge Dior Nude in 169 Greige. No idea if it's still being sold, but at one point was obsessed with wearing nude lips hahaha.

Aritaum Honey Melting Tint deserves a shout out too... great great formula. Would've made it to the best if I have different shades I guess? For some reason even though these two are super cute shades... I don't always feel it.


Fav brushes awards go to...

SUQQU cheek brush. Yes. It's love! Awesome for small face girls lol. And I mean it's pretty multi-functional too... for powder, highlight... etc :)

And a surprising favorite... SUQQU eyeliner D brush. Funny thing is I kind of hated this brush for a while LOL cuz it felt so scratchy. Was about to give up on it. Took me 3 months to break it in I'm not even exaggerating =_= not sure if the turning point was when I decided to clean it with my cleansing oil?? Maybe that helped. And yes, I prefer this over eyeliner C now, simply because I like a softer look.












Of course... additional shout-outs.

Well actually the Bubbi multi-function brush isn't a shout-out, it's an all-time favorite. Why is it discontinued??? I don't get it. SO GREAT for traveling, and honestly sometimes I just use it even when I'm not traveling cuz it's so great. So soft and applies powder SO WELL and so portable. Love love love.

SUQQU Face Brush... okay I would NEVER travel with this thing. Too expensive and I'm too scared to lose it. It's a luxury brush and it's super soft... but it's not a must. Still, a pleasure to use so here it is lol!

Eyeliner C also deserves a shout-out. Good brush =) 





Only one favorite hair product from this year (aside from my old standby-- Aveda shampoos). Bumble & bumble Surf Infusion hair spray. Already talked about it on Instagram so not gonna elaborate.


Favorite perfumes!


Jo Malone Nectarine & Blossom. Still going strong =P Might get a full size one... Although I want to buy the Blue Agava & Cacao next... hmmmmm....

Chloe... the perfume?? LOL too lazy to look up the name...



======================================================================
Beauty resolutions for 2016 =)

This might be shocking to all of you XD But I want to stop using liquid foundations. For good. I will continue using up what's already been open on hand (or I might not... still deciding), but I think I will get rid of the rest and just use powder from here on out.

The reason why I made that decision is that being a pharmacist (yayy I can say that now) you learned that your skin ABSORBS a lot of stuff. A lot of medications work by being absorbed from the skin into the blood stream (like gels, patches, etc). I don't want my body to absorb anything unnecessary. These days I sometimes only apply skincare at night... or I haven't been wearing my Dior sunscreen at all just because it's been very gloomy and I just got lazy with the sun protection. Interestingly my skin got better O_O so even skincare products are just full of chemicals. Feel like my skin does better without most of it. I mean of course I'll still continue to use them LOL. But just trying to keep them to a minimum and just back to the basics. I think even though the Dior sunscreen is great, but because it literally fills in all the pores, it adds burden to my skin without me even realizing it.

Second resolution... take off my lip products before I eat. Don't want to swallow all that shit LOL. I still forget a lot of times. Working on it!!

Third... keep gyming/be physically active

Fourth... eat only till when I'm full. My new thing is to eat whatever I want and whenever I want (preferably only when I'm hungry or really really craving for something... or just if it feels really good/fits the mood :D) but to never be too full. NEVER stuff myself!! lol. Been doing really well on this. I no longer do cheat days... I feel like that kind of mentality actually made me have very unhealthy relationship with food. Cuz you're constantly restricting yourself and thinking about what you should reward yourself with at the end of the week you know? lol! I just want to eat and enjoy food and not think/obsess about it.

Fifth... cut down makeup expenses. Hahaha. Feel like such a hypocrite saying this cuz obviously I'm sharing things I like and therefore "promoting" stuff (in the sense I make my readers want to buy stuff XD)  but I really just need to get away from YouTube and all that so I won't get "triggered". These days I mostly watch vlogs and just try to put my energy elsewhere. Time to move on to bigger and better things??? Can I save up for a house please??? LOL!!


Alrighty, if you've stuck around for this far, thank you =) thanks for reading my blog and just put up with my general ramblyness haha. Not sure where the direction of this blog's headed... I mean I love reviewing stuff... but since I want to actively distance myself from the makeup world so I won't get triggered to always wanting to buy/try new stuff... not sure what kind of content I will be able to bring you guys. Any thoughts?

Again... happy 2016 to you all!  I'm really excited to see what 2016 has in store for me ^__^

Much much love,



<3 Frances

[Chit Chat] Hera UV Mist Long Stay Cushion, SK-II Auractivator CC Cream, Neuve Eye Brow Pencil

Hi blogger friends!

Back with another chit chat post =) Hope you guys like this format of blogging XD


So I reviewed the Hera Mist Long Stay Cushion on my Instagram a while ago, but I still wanted to share some camera quality pictures to show you guys the finish





Taken with yellow lighting... don't mind it please =)


Here's what it looks like on my face

Very pretty semi-matte finish








Overall effect

Sorry about the stupid bangs... didn't have many good overall photos to show that's why I decided to post this one X(



Short summary:

1. Beautiful semi-matte finish.
2. Got mine in C21 so the coverage is pretty good
3. Since it's semi-matte (unlike Laniege BB cushion which is super glowy), the shade 21 doesn't have that "pale" effect (I found some dewy cushions tend to make my face look lighter/brighter even if the shade matches because of how glowy they are) so I think 21 is pretty safe for NC20. Although it leans ever so slightly pink. I think Innisfree #23 is even paler than Hera #21.
4. DISAGREE with the "long stay" claim. Staying powder is horrible. It's a bit like the IOPE XP one-- I get that feeling that it doesn't really set, but it doesn't slip as much as the IOPE one.
5. No oil control.
6. Separates and settles into pores as I get oily (tried it with matte/oil-controlling base and it performs even worse than when paired with my Dior sunscreen, which has a bit of stick to it. Think this cushion performs better when it has something to stick to).
7. Also settles into expression lines if you talk and laugh a lot
8. Compared to Innisfree Long Wear Cushion which can emphasize dry patches, this one does better in that aspect
9. Aside from the beautiful finish, overall negative experience.

Guess that summary isn't that short after all XD
If I wasn't trying to take photos for this "review", I wouldn't have bothered with this cushion at all.



I gave in and bought the SK-II CC cream that I've been lusting after for a while.

For the longest time I was wearing nothing but sunscreen when I go out lol. But I kind of wanted something with sun protection and minimal coverage to reduce my resemblance to a zombie XD


Since it is a CC cream, please don't expect any coverage from it! You will only be disappointed if you're looking for coverage!





Short summary:
1. Super glowy finish. If you look closely you can see very very fine glitters, but don't worry they do not accentuate pores
2. MINIMAL coverage (if you have a lot of redness, probably won't be enough for you. Not the best to cover up blackheads either but decent enough for me).
3. Texture reminds me a bit of sunscreen. It's blendable but not liquidy as I anticipated.
4. When first applied, the finish is more semi-matte. But as it sets and blends with skin, it becomes very dewy and glowy
5. Feels quite heavy as I get oily (probably more suitable for winter)
6. Coverage turns transparent as it wears off (I don't know if I should use the word "disappear" because when I wipe my face with tissue you can still see the pigment...  so it's still on my face. But it would pretty much look like I'm not wearing anything).
7. Longevity depends on how fast you get oily. It lasts about 3-4 hours on me before it "disappears". (Definitely one of the shortest wear base product I've tried. Although it doesn't patch up/separate so I don't mind that).
8. One shade only and my face does look significantly lighter than my body. I don't mind it but keep in mind it's a very Asian look LOL (like... face paler than body haha). Finish is lighter than NC20... I would guess it's probably more NC15. However since it does turn transparent, I'd say you only look significantly paler for the first hour or so.
9. I like to rub it all over my face then pat it in. Find that gives the best/most even application. 
10. It can be sticky (hair sticking to the face yayyyyy!! NOT. lol).

Overall, it suits my needs and I don't mind it disappearing on me cuz my skin tends to look better/need less coverage later in the day (can always take it off and reapply-- should be doing that for sun protection anyway XP) but I don't like how heavy it feels as I get oilier. It's probably from the extra added skincare properties. I find that when I get home I want to do nothing but take it off my face.

I got mine from Cosme-De.com cuz it's on a promotion price. I neither recommend or not recommend it (depends on your needs!) but I for sure will not recommend it at $90 haha. At almost $60 (I had additional discount) I actually didn't regret purchasing it.

By the way, Cosme-De.com is a Chinese company but it's actually based in Hong Kong. I came across this website when I was searching for the CC cream with Google shopping. I wouldn't have purchased from them if it was based in China, but after learning it's based in HK, felt totally safe about it lol (by the way-- shipping only took a week. I was impressed).



Hope you guys enjoyed the brief reviews! Let me know if you want to see a detailed review but I think I covered everything.


Lastly, want to talk about this eye brow product called "Neuve"



For the longest time I thought Neuve is a Taiwanese brand because I hear Taiwanese bloggers talk about it all the time (in Taiwan it's called 惹我眉筆) but it's actually by Shiseido! I was shocked lol. 


I actually can't remember if it comes in different shades... tossed my packaging away. I think it does though?? 




Naked brows 


Naked brows


With neuve eye brow pencil



With neuve eye brow pencil

Short summary:

1. At first I didn't like it cuz it was too soft-- it deposits pigments too easily and I had to use a Q-tip to remove the excess pigments. But after a week or so I got through the "soft" part and it's great-- it applies easily but it no longer "crumbles"/deposit too much.
2. I think as far as brow products go, this one has low wax content (but I'm not super familiar with brow products!)
3. I don't normally have issues with brow products disappearing on me, so I can't comment on longevity since pretty much all brow products I've tried so far work well on me.
4. It only costs $80 TWD... which is like less than $3 USD. Can't beat that price. If you can get it for that price, go for it!

Overall, I like =D  Price point is amazing. Been using it for about 2 months now and haven't had to sharpen it... haha.


Thanks for taking the time to read my blog ^_^ Hehe will be back again in a few~


<3 Frances

Sephora VIB Haul

Hello there!

I feel like I haven't blogged in so long that this whole process feels so alien to me now.... /__\ how sad is that. Kudos to bloggers, or even YouTubers who are able to keep doing what they do so consistently over the years O_O

Today I'm bringing you the details of my Sephora haul :D I spent such a ridiculous amount. Sometimes I even wonder why do I buy all this makeup??? Especially when I just keep buying essentially the same things over and over again. I only like certain textures of base makeup. I only like certain colors of lipsticks and blushes. Whenever I make the effort to buy something that's really different I don't usually use them. A lot of things on the market are just the same stuff with different packaging and marketing campaigns... so why do I fall for them... why can't I just use up whatever I have first before I buy anything new??? I guess I'm trying to spring clean my collection and it kind of frustrates me seeing a lot of the unused stuff that I have to toss out. On the bright side though, this haul consists of mainly skincare XD which a girl always needs and will always use LOL.


So this is what my haul initially looks like.

1. SK-II Facial Treatment Essence
2. SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion
3. Yves Saint Laurent ROUGE VOLUPTÉ - Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick in #13 Peach Passion - vibrant peachy pink
4. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine in #14 Corail in Touch - creamy orange coral
5. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar - Matte in Nylon - classic bubblegum pink with a neon twist
6. Origins Original Skin™ Renewal Serum with Willowherb
7. Yves Saint Laurent Volupté Tint-In-Oil in Pink About Me 8
For samples, I got Omorovicza Queen Of Hungary Mist, Guerlain Abeille Royale Face Treatment Oil, CLINIQUE Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer


In the end... this is what my haul comes down to:

I ended up with two bottles of SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion O_o , keeping the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, the Origins serum, and one lip product. Let me explain as we go :D


So first let's talk about the lip products, because to be honest, the one product I was most looking forward to was the YSL Tint in Oil... which, after much internal debate I ended up returning ~_~




So let's begin with the Tint in Oil. I got it in #8 Pink About Me. I know it looks like a purply color, but on my lips, it actually does not look purple at all. It was a really beautiful pink :) 

Freshly applied.


The stain. It looks nothing like the color on the applicator. Unfortunately I don't have any lip swatches =(


The formula of this product is quite interesting... it doesn't look pigmented at all. And when I first apply it to my lips, it really doesn't look like anything either-- it'd just look like I have a layer of clear , shiny gloss on. But as it sets, it kind of thickens up a bit (I'm not sure if thicken is the best word to describe it, please bear with my limited vocab XD) and the color turns a lot of opaque and actually shows up quite well (I have relatively pigmented lips too, so I'm impressed by the color payoff!)


So what's my problem with the tint?
The color isn't the problem.... I've tried it a number of times in store and I knew I loved the color. It's more of the fact I was disappointed with the moisturization (okay I just made up that word) and the way it stains. When I tried it in the stores I thought it felt amazing and super moisturizing. But after wearing it to work multiple times... I noticed it actually does not keep my lips moisturized. When the tint dries completely, it left my lips feeling very dried out (I was expecting a supple feeling that you get after applying lip balm...). And a little bit shriveled. I remember the first time that happened I didn't have any lip balm with me and my lips were in hell that day -_- it was so uncomfortable. Plus, I noticed the unattractive stain it left behind... let's just say the patchy colors of pink did not look pleasing at all with lip lines that were accentuated due to being dried out. I feel like I can't be too harsh about the tint part cuz I have not yet used a lip tint product where the stain wears off gracefully (YSL glossy stains don't stain so they don't count). But I would at least expect moisture from this product. Maybe it's the tint component for this product that makes the product not work out the way it's designed to. I feel like for those who actually reapply lip products consistently throughout the day probably wouldn't find this as an issue. Who knows. Another thing is... I realized I'm not really into glossy lips... at least not from the amount of glossiness this tint oil provides. I can easily look like I just had a greasy Chinese takeout XD I tried applying a tiny bit but what's the point -_- the color doesn't really show up that way. In the end, I decided this product is just not practical for me. So I kissed it goodbye (metaphorically) and took it back.



Next, onto the YSL lipsticks

From left to right: #13, #14, #15. #15 was already in my possession prior to this purchase =D


#14 was love at first sight. I would say when applied lightly, the closest thing I have that's similar to it will be the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balmstain in 040 Rendezvous. However, Revlon is definitely more neon orange, and YSL is more orange with pink. 


As for shade #13...

When I swatched it on my arm, not gonna lie I couldn't really tell the difference between #13 and #15. O_O

Note: #15 is rather sheer and that's about the opacity of 3 swipes. #15 also has a more buttery finish. 






#13 and #15 look SO similar on my arm. But when applied to my lips, #13 actually shows up darker than #15. Pretty much the color you see straight from the bullet.

#13 is a gorgeous color and I've been eying it for years. But... it just doesn't look good on me. It's too nude for my liking. And since the color is lighter than my natural lip color... I have to make sure I apply a good amount to cover my natural lip color, and I found the formula to be a bit gloopy when applied straight from the bullet. I have to smooth it out with my fingers. Not that is a big issue cuz I tend to do that with all my lipsticks anyway. There's really nothing wrong with this lipstick... I just personally prefer more color on my lips, so don't let me put you off this lipstick. For me, having #15 is enough, since the nude effect is similar anyway. Well, now I can put my fantasies of this lipstick to rest /__\ 


Now... this OCC lip tar is a completely impulsive purchase -_- saw it on a YouTuber and thought it looked so pretty... but it just looked wayyyy too barbie pink on me!







Honestly when I swatched it on my hand I thought I would love the color! But I don't know... something about it just doesn't sit right with my skin tone. Too much blue?? Oh, and the formula is REALLY drying. Another big no no.



So now onto the products I ended up keeping

You guys are no stranger to this now. I'm already half way through my current bottle and I don't think it will make it till the November VIB sale, so I decided to pick up a bottle. I actually thought about stop using this product, but here's an update: I noticed it makes the back of my hand look so much brighter and smoother O_O which... you guys can't tell the difference, but I can!!

This year I made the resolution to start better taking care of my neck and hands... ppl all say a woman's neck reveals her age... but for me, I think it's hands O_o and I have withered looking hands to begin with. So I'm making an effort here lol. I just started applying any leftover of this essence to the back of my hands... and I noticed, the very next day, how much brighter and youthful my hands look. (☆_☆) Say whaat??!?!?!? So that's why I decided to keep using it, cuz it's doing something lol!!! Shame it doesn't do the same thing to my face. 


The SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion is definitely a VERY pleasant surprise for me. By just looking at the name you would think it's designed for acne prone skin. The only reason I was interested in this product is because someone (can't remember who) claimed that this normalizes their combination skin. Like from oily to normal. So I thought I would give it a try. To be honest, I have EVERY intention to return this if it doesn't help with my oiliness. Half of my mind was already set to return this because I felt like it wouldn't work for me.

Here's the funny thing-- okay it did not work in the respect of normalizing my skin, not at all. But... holy crap, this thing makes my skin so bright, so smooth, and so much more even O___O seriously, I could not stop looking at my skin for the first week O_O Basically, everything that the Facial Treatment Essence claims and fails to do for me, this does it for me. What the what?!?!?!  DID I MENTION THE PRICE OF THIS IS WAY CHEAPER THAN THE TREATMENT ESSENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, I intend to make you deaf if you can hear me now)

The texture of this lotion is completely different from the treatment essence. While the treatment essence just feels like water, this lotion has a slippy feeling to it. I would compare the feeling to the Estee Lauder Micro Essence and IOPE Bio Essence, but minus the stickiness-- it's not sticky at all, and it feels very moisturizing  (*´∀｀*)

Here's the most interesting thing that this Clear Lotion does for me. It actually noticeably shrinks my blackheads O___O Yes, it is noticeable. Unfortunately, it doesn't make them go away (been using it for two weeks now so I can tell you that). However, it really does help them from getting bigger and blacker... do you know what I mean??? I think those who suffer from blackheads will all know what I'm talking about. It really keeps them in check O_o it's amazing!! Here's another interesting, and may I say, hilarious part though XD For the first few days, it made my nose, so, extra, oily. LOL. Oh the irony. I'm not sure if it's because it shrank my blackheads, effectively "unplugging" my pores (ohhh thank me for me visual) so my sebum had free rein XD but for the first couple of days I was so oily it was ridiculous. But I liked how bright and smooth and even my skin looked that I didn't care and went ahead and ordered a second bottle (it was the last day of the sale O_O) Good news is the oiliness kind of slowed down after the first week. By now it's been two weeks and I feel like my skin is almost back to its baseline oiliness. Will keep you guys updated on this :D  I am so surprised and happy with this product!!  I think after I use up this bottle of treatment essence, I'm just gonna stick with this Clear Lotion (●´▽｀●)  and as you can see in the picture, it's been two weeks and I barely used any. So that's another bonus... you don't need that much of this product! I didn't know how little product I needed, but if I did I probably would have waited off till the November sale to get the second bottle. Oh well. Did I mention it's way cheaper than the facial essence again?? Hahaha.Can I say enough good things about this product???? Lol okay I'm gonna stop. I'm just too excited hehehe.


A while back this serum was all over YouTube. Albeit knowing they're all sponsored videos, I didn't care cuz I've always adored Origins and I have faith in their products so I wanted to give it a try. Wanted to use this as my daytime serum :D

Erm, to be honest, I'm still too busy being obsessed about the Clear Lotion so this product hasn't really gotten any love from me Σ(☉A⊙ｌ|ｌ) I sorry serum!!! I have tried it like 3-4 times though... the only thing I noticed was the nice, refreshing, citrus scent. I think the effect of the Clear Lotion is just too powerful that I didn't notice anything when I used this O_o  I guess we'll just have to wait any see LOL. I feel like the SK-II products I'm currently using are already "nutritious" enough for my skin so I don't want to layer too many products on top in case I break out



Other things that were on my wishlist:

Becca Perfect Skin Mineral Powder Foundation (My shade is Nude)

 
Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Foundation Powder (My shade is #5)


So many powder foundations on my wishlist :D  But I still haven't finished my current one and I still have a backup of the Lancome one... so gonna work on those first lol.




Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked (nude pink)-- saw it on a YouTuber and it looked sooo pretty on her! It might pull off too nude on me though... I think I've tried it in store but can't remember so that's why I held off on it lol.



Ambient Lighting Blush in  Ethereal Glow (cool pink)-- I'm still loving my AL blushes so I'm looking forward to collecting this one :D maybe in November. I wish it comes in a smaller size or in a palette.

 



Anastasia Beverly Hills Pointed Eyeliner Brush-- Ehh I don't need another eyeliner brush. But it looks interesting LOL.



Hope you guys enjoyed this haul/review! Hope it wasn't too boring... since I didn't get any of the hot and exciting new products lol. There have been so many new releases that it feels quite chaotic O_O I have checked out a lot of the new foundation releases but for some reason I'm not really inclined to try any (as in I haven't gotten any samples... what is happening?!?!!?!) Maybe because I have too many already XD


Have a great weekend  and I will see you on Instagram or my next post ^_~


<3 Frances