March 2014 Hits & Misses

Hi guys!

Here's my March Hits & Misses. I honestly thought I was gonna be on time for March =_= and before I knew it, it's almost mid-April O_o

So I actually don't have a lot to share for March. Most of them I've already done reviews so I'll link those when appropriate. I actually have a lot on my plate at the moment so I'm just gonna go ahead and jump right into it!

1. Cover Girl Lipperfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in 215











Naked lips


With the gloss balm. This really isn't the best picture because the balm does look pinker in person... but no matter what lighting/angle I took my pictures at, they all kind of turn out baby pink ish. So just keep in mind that the balm is pinker than shown above.

My thoughts?

Ummm I don't know exactly why, but I just don't like this product much. The color swatch looks like something I will love, but on my lips, it just translates a lot pinker-- too pink for what I was looking for. I wish it would look exactly the color swatch on the back of my hand. It also has a plastic/rubbery lipstick scent (think MAC lipsticks) which I found to be very off-putting. Texture-wise it's nothing crazy, kind of like Clinique Chubby Stick.

Here's a side to side comparison swatch to Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stain in Lovesick. Actually in retrospect, I should've done a comparison swatch with the Clinique Chubby Stick in Mighty Mimosa... those are much more alike. The Chubby Stick was in my school bag when I did the swatches so I forgot about it O_o But anyway, Mighty Mimosa is a nuder pink compared to Cover Girl.

Revlon has a drier formula (whereas you can see Cover Girl has a balmy formula), and Revlon also has a minty scent.




2. Tanya Burr Lip Glosses

I already did a review on those, if you haven't seen it, please refer here. In short: huge hit! If I were to recommend anything from this month's hits & misses, it'd be these glosses ^_^


3. Mamonde Real Skin Founder

Also already did a review. I wouldn't say I love this, but I do really like it.


4. A'PIEU Essential Source Snail Vital Cream



This product, unfortunately, is a miss for me. My skin was very unstable/breaking out a lot last month, and it seemed to coincide a lot when I was using this product. But then again at that time I wasn't entirely sure if it was from this cream. Anyway, my skin is finally clear these days and I gave it another go-- yep, broke me out. It has a thick gel texture. Kind of reminds me of a sleeping pack texture.


5. Luca's Papaw Ointment



Thought it's pretty cool it came with a twist-open seal.






Please note: it contains fermented fruit.


So I ordered this following my Dior lip balm disaster. It's nice. At first I was like this thing smells really pungent O_o then later I realized it contains fermented fruit, haha. Took me a few days to get used to the smell but now I find the scent pretty comforting XD I guess I would say it's good and it does the job? I feel like it's nothing too impressive (like it didn't wow me like my Aveda lip balm did) but when I switched to my other lip balms I did notice a difference. So I guess it's good. Regarding the claims that it's also good for insect bites... I have applied it on my nasty mosquito bites from PR but I feel like it did nothing. Actually I'm not even sure what it's supposed to do for insect bites?? Maybe it's only intended for a protective layer? But I learned in my self-care class that you're not supposed to put ointments over insect bites LOL (insect bites, especially the swollen kind, are usually considered "wet" wounds, and applying ointments can provide a physical barrier that traps in moisture/secretions/bacteria and lead to infections. Gels are considered "drying" and are more appropriate for wet wounds).

6. Bumble and bumble Surf Spray

Again, already did a review. I feel like this item is gonna be either hit or miss for a lot of ppl, depending on their hair texture and how much effort they put into their hair routines.


7. Aveeno Natural Protection Lotion Sunscreen






This product is a disappointment. It is quite thick (hard to spread) and leaves a ridiculous white cast.



Can you see the white cast? It's kind of ridiculous when you apply it on all four limbs. Plus it's so hard to spread. Lesson learned: rather spend more on high end sunscreens. Never had a problem with Shisiedo face & body sunscreen. But I ran out of that a long time ago.

8. Aveeno Pure Renewal Shampoo





I guess it's alright? No complaints there-- but then again I rarely ever go crazy over shampoos. In fact, I think I've ever only gone crazy for one shampoo-- Aveda Pure Abundance. I feel like this is just a typical drugstore shampoo-- along the lines of Dove and Pantene (in my opinion, Garnier Fructis and Herbal Essence make the worst shampoos-- they leave HORRIBLE residues. But they smell amazing though lol).


9. Aveeno Positively Radiant Targeted Tone Corrector
 
Heard this evens out skin tone-- not true for me. In fact, it stings and made my face red. I returned it.


10. Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser

This is the second time that my face broke out from using a foaming cleanser (first time was with Caudalie). But with this one I can clearly feel it leaves residue on my face-- there's definitely a layer of something on my face even after rinsing out my face several time. And I can smell it on my face -.-  I have concluded that foaming cleansers are just no good for me. Returned this as well.


11. Aussie Hair Insurance

Sorry I forgot to take a pic so I just reused one of my old pics haha. Honestly, I'm not sure how to tell a good heat protectant from a bad one? My hair is damaged enough as it is so I can never tell if a heat protectant works or not lol. It comes out like a lotion, which in all honesty, I find to be a bit heavy/thick. I would prefer something lighter. Shame because it smells amazing. If I ever use it up (which I suspect I won't) I know it's not something I would repurchase.


12. Makeup Forever Aqua brow

It's a hit!! =) In short-- looks natural (if you use the right tool), and yes IT IS WATERPROOF. Awesome. Review here.


And lastly... I want to mention, oatmeal has been a favorite facial cleanser once again for this month lol. Still using oatmeal to cleanse my face. I feel like it's hard for me to go back to normal/chemical cleansers now X_x

Hope some of you found this post helpful :)


<3 Frances

August 2013 Favorites

Hello guys!

Time for another favorites post! ... Actually come to think of it, this is only my third O_O (after about 3 years on blogger... lol wow). How do ppl do monthly favorites?! I mean I try out a lot of products too... but maybe I'm just too lazy to obsess over anything lol. Anyway without further ado, let's see what products won my heart over the last few months ^_^

1. Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque

I purchased this little sample size on Amazon after seeing Lisa Eldridge talk about this in her My Beauty Regime on Long Haul Flights video. I brought it with me for my flight to Taiwan and OMG it saved my skin. It is seriously hydrating... it kept my skin so comfortable throughout the whole flight (I'm talking about 12 hours straight of flying). My face didn't feel dried out at all at the end of the trip. However I didn't really use it as a mask... I used it as a moisturizer lol cuz my skin literally just ate it up cuz it was sooo dry. You can obviously use a thicker layer but I don't like the feeling of something sitting on my skin. Definitely recommend this for long haul flights/air-conditioned room/if you need a lot of hydration! Only downfall... it kind of smells like fish oil??? O_o not that it really matters since the product itself is awesome hehe.


2. Bubbi Powder Brush and Multi Brush

I only used powder foundation this summer since my skin just couldn't stand anything else (my fav is Lancome, which I already talked about here so I'm not gonna repeat myself). It's actually really funny because for the last year or two I was obsessed with using BB creams for the summer (SKIN79 to be exact), and this year my skin couldn't even tolerate BB creams O_o probably mainly due to my skin issues... BB cream was starting to feeling heavy/bothersome. So anyway! Love these brushes for powder foundation. Super super soft. I can't believe the multi brush is discontinued... I should've bought a backup T_T so great for travel.

3. Za Plumper Lips in 08

Been really liking this color! The formula is really moisturizing, and I think this color is very flattering on me =)



A pic of me wearing this lippie. Sorry not the best quality!

I have 3 other colors, the full review and swatches will come later ^_^


Okay the next few products are in line with dealing my face "allergy" problem (I use the term "allergy" loosely since I'm not sure what it is). I have a post dedicated to my skin problems, which you can refer here. So anyway this summer most unfortunately I had a flare-up again. I suspect it has something to do with the heat and the humidity... not sure.

Luckily the problematic area was quite contained this time; it didn't spread throughout my whole chin and jawline like it usually did.


It was swollen and itchy. The itchiness was the part that was killing me... I tried not putting any makeup on it cuz it just aggravates the problem. At the very most I would dust a tiny bit of powder over it (Lancome was fine, but Paul & Joe powder seemed to irritate it as well).

4. Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Face Cream

For those who've been reading my blog will be no stranger to this. Pretty much one of the very few moisturizers I could use on my problematic area without irritating it (I was using the Shiseido Pureness Matifying moisturizer which I LOVE for summer. But unfortunately the fragrance in that moisturizer doesn't sit well with my allergies). Not only does this moisturizer not irritate my skin, it SOOTHES it. I would wake up and find my skin less itchy and the redness/swelling gone down a little. I simply cannot stress how much I love and rely on the Mega Mushroom line.

5. Physiogel Lotion

Upon returning to the US, my skin went through another shock O_o it was SO DRY. Even though it's still summer and I'm near the waters, I guess compared to the humidity in Taiwan the humidity here is nothing. I usually reserve this for the winter but I had to break it out for my skin emergencies lol. I purchased this last year based on Bubbi's recommendation in her Favorite products video. I have to say last year I was not feeling this product at all; I just thought it was moisturizing but nothing too special about it. But now I know it was because my skin was normal. Now my skin is problematic I cannot use anything with fragrance in it. I usually mix this and the Mega Mushroom face cream together and apply it all over my face. This combination has helped sooth and hydrate my skin tremendously! So so glad I have this.

6. Oatmeal

Since my skin is problematic, I have been using oatmeal to clean my face for the last week. Again got the tip from Bubbi's Beautiful Skin Remedy video (I also wrote a post about it). I cannot tell you how thankful I am toward Bubbi's skin remedies! Her oatmeal cleanser and natural yogurt mask have seriously saved my skin. After a week my skin improved slowly but surely.

=) it still hasn't recovered 100%, but no one can really tell anymore. It's not red or swollen anymore but it's still itchy -_- and I know if I scratch it or something it's gonna full-blown freak out again. But I'm not complaining! I also started using natural yogurt mask yesterday, hopefully my skin will make full recovery soon. So sick of feeling itchy all the time lol.

7. Diet book by Jung Dayeon

I'm a fan of Jung Dayeon ^_^ Admittedly I don't really do her exercise anymore(since I take classes regularly at the gym) but I really like her philosophy. Anyway I bought this book because even though I have managed to maintain my weight (almost 2 years!!), it still fluctuates somewhat and a lot of times I have to fight so hard to control my appetite and cravings. Most of time I do well (mind over matter lol), but I just want to find a more sustainable way to maintain the healthy lifestyle (Mrs. Jung said she has maintained this lifestyle/diet for 13 years now). This is an amazing book that contains amazing tips! I love this book so much I bought one for my mom, my close aunt and a close friend. It's not about losing weight it's about eating healthy and eating wisely. Most of the stuff isn't new to me or anything, but there are a lot of valuable things/tips I learned too. Still trying to get into it (changes don't happen overnight). I highly recommend if you can get a copy in your language! (If you live in Korea/Hong Kong/Taiwan... or something. I don't think it's available in English... not sure). There are a lot of recipes in this book too, which is awesome because I want to try out new recipes ^_^ I actually got the habit of reaching for this book and reading it whenever my will power is weakened by my appetite... and shockingly it works XD it's like it gives me more motivation and strength. Pretty cool. I will try to share some of the tips from this book ^_^ (although I don't know if there will be any copyright issues...).


That's all I have! Did you guys go hauling this Labor Day weekend? =D I want to go to the mall but I never want to go when I know it's gonna be crowded -_-a

Hope you guys enjoyed this post and have a great week!

More detail about oatmeal cleanser and oatmeal/yogurt mask!

Hey guys ^_^

So I thought I'd make this quick and more detailed post in response to some of the questions I got from my last post :) hopefully this will help clarify things!

First, about the oatmeal cleanser...

1. It doesn't matter what brand you use lol. Oatmeal is oatmeal XD
2. I DO recommend getting INSTANT oatmeal, rather than quick or traditional oatmeal. Just because instant oatmeal have smaller oat pieces are least likely to scratch your face. When I used quick oatmeal or traditional oatmeal, I find that chunky oat pieces are somewhat scratchy on my face.


Can you see the difference? Instant oatmeal have much smaller oats.


There is not really right or wrong on how many times you do your mask, just do it however many times you feel like your skin needs it. For example, when I first came back to the US, my face was having a major breakout, so I treated my face with this mask two weeks straight. Then I took a break and do it probably two or three times a week. Sometimes I do it once a week or sometimes I only do it when I remember XD But I'd say do it as often as you can.


All you need is your PLAIN yogurt and oatmeal. Please please please make sure it's PLAIN yogurt. "Original" or "Vanilla" do not count as plain yogurt. If it's not plain then it's not going to do anything cuz it will be all sugar. It doesn't really matter if it's low fat yogurt or whole milk, but I generally prefer whole milk yogurt (because I don't buy it just for my face... I eat it too LOL and whole milk tastes much better... that's the only reason ahahahah).

It doesn't matter what brand of yogurt you use, as long as it's plain it's good. Besides Stonyfield, HighMountain and Dayton also make plain yogurt, but Stonyfield is my favorite (I don't know why my face does respond better to Stonyfield though... it does absorb better than Dayton. I have no idea why).


1 spoon of yogurt and 1 spoon of oatmeal is more than enough for the entire face


I usually mix them together before I go shower. Then I put it in the fridge before I go shower. That way when I'm done, oatmeal soaking in yogurt allows oatmeal to soften up and the yogurt to absorb the oatmeal. Apply generously on your face (I use an old foundation brush. Try not to use your fingers because the warmth of your fingers will make the yogurt really runny and hard to apply), and I like to let it sit 20-25 minutes. I like to use a paper towel as a bib to catch any accidental fall-outs, cuz oatmeal is chunky and might slip down your face. When time's up, I'd try to remove the oatmeal gently first with kleenex or paper towel, that way there will not be oatmeal chunks to clog up the drain. Make sure you rinse your face really really well cuz you don't want any food residue on your face! And after that, just do your skin care routine.

Hope that helps and clarifies some questions! :) Good luck ^_^

<3 Frances

Did you guys try cleansing your face with oatmeal?!?!?!??!???? =))) Oatmeal as cleanser, and oatmeal/yogurt mask

See more detail here.^_^



Did you guys try it yet??? =D I already tried it, (and cleansed my face this way many times) and I must say I LOVE it!!! If you haven't tried it already, do it do it do it!! =D  My face feels AMAZINGLY hydrated after cleansing it with oatmeal! The hydration provided by oatmeal is so ridiculous it's CRAZY!!

But may I have a little suggestion... just put some oatmeal in a bowl with lukewarm/cold water and wait for it to soften up... I cringe at just letting the faucet run while you wait for oatmeal to get soft O_O what a waste of water >_< a lot of places are suffering water shortage, so don't waste water guys :)

At first I was worried about residue, and that oatmeal is not "strong" enough to remove all the remainder makeup/dirt and all that (of course I removed my makeup with cleansing oil first). But I've been cleansing my face quite frequently with oatmeal for these past two weeks, and so far no breakouts at all <3 oatmeal does really good cleansing job <3 However I do clean my face two times when I use oatmeal, just because I'm paranoid, haha.

Definitely give this a try guys! Yeah it does get pretty messy... so I like to do it while I'm in shower =P (one of the benefits living by myself... I can do crazy stuff with my face and no one will see it xD)


Happy skin ^_^

Oh and the next thing I want to tell you guys is... oatmeal+ Stonyfield natural yogurt is my new favorite yogurt mask =D I don't add honey though; I actually like my mask better without honey. I will still do the strawberry+yogurt combo if I'm looking for optimal whitening.

 
Immediately after cleansing my face with oatmeal+ using oatmeal/yogurt mask!


Yeah I have freckles all over my face. Told you guys I don't have perfect skin!


So conclusion... guys, listen to Bubz XD as she so rightfully stated, oatmeal is indeed the "shiz." LOL!
On the other hand, I thought the chocolate mask was just okay. I prefer old-school masks ^_^ Maybe I will try the chocolate mask again but without the honey. Lol.

That's all I have for you guys! Seriously, go try it out, cuz if you don't you're really missing out!

<3 frances="" p="">-------------------------------------------------------------------------

See my other more detailed post about oatmeal cleanser here ^_^