Sephora & Korea Haul

Hi hi!

Long time no post again! I noticed the last time I posted was 9/29, and hey today is 11/29! What a coincidence XD So I really want to get this post out today loll (yeah I'm the queen of having good reasons... -_-||)

I hope you guys all had a good Thanksgiving :) I didn't really do anything this year, not even cook XD But it is my ambition one day to cook a turkey/make the stuffing from scratch! Sounds so daunting lol but currently don't have the kitchen/appliances to cook a turkey... one day one day =)


So today I'm gonna share my haul from the Sephora VIB sale. As well as a little haul I did from Korea. I took a little vacation earlier this month and visited Seoul =D it was so tempting to make a huge LONG list of things I wanted to get, but I didn't cuz I already knew I'm making a huge purchase on Sephora. I think I did myself pretty proud... ish. LOL.


Let's do the Sephora haul first shall we =D
 


I actually stayed pretty true to my wishlist this time. And it was a LONG list. But I'm pretty happy with my list because they're more or less the things I need. Mostly skincare as you can see =)


First I got the Murad cleansers.


Got the Time-Release Acne cleanser recommended by TiffanyD. Acne's been a real struggle for the later half of this year XD So I've been dabbling in some acne-fighting products. Bought the Essential C cleanser cuz I actually did run out of my cleansers and I want a normal one that doesn't have any anti-acne ingredients. However, I unexpectedly acquired another cleanser while I was in Korea so I returned the time-release one. The reason why I decided to return it is because I feel like I'm scared to use a salicylic acid face wash all over my face on a daily basis (from past experiences I know my skin can't tolerate daily exfoliation). I pretty much only use it on my forehead where I get breakouts. Plus, I got incredible results from the Sunday Riley product (which I'll talk about later), so I decided not to keep it. To be fair, I liked the time-release cleanser. It doesn't really lather up, has a cooling sensation while you massage it over your face, and felt very gentle. I only used it for a couple of days alternating with the vitamin C cleanser, so I can't say if it does a lot on keeping acne at bay/reducing current acne. The vitamin C cleanser I do like! It has an invigorating citrus scent, which is super nice for tired mornings, and as a pick-me-up at night =) it does lather up a little bit more than the time-release one, but still not that much compared to other cleansers. It's gentle and my skin doesn't feel stripped after using it.



 
Ho ho ho now to the products I considered to my best investment of the year so far XD the Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid treatment!! *puts halo above the bottle*  Guyssss... this thing, is AMAZING for acne!!


Originally I wanted to purchase the Sunday Riley UFO Ultra Clarifying Face Oil since I really like the Luna oil.
 

But I rationalized that my current Luna oil is probably gonna last me till the end of next year XD so I don't need to buy another oil. I do remember TiffanyD recommending the Good Genes, saying how it helped transformed her skin, so I wanted to give it a try. Now, I actually have gotten a sample of the Good Genes to try out earlier this year. But at that time I didn't have any acne, so of course I didn't feel like it did my skin any good, and it BURNED. This time around however... it visibly reduced the size of my pimple in a matter of 2 days. Not to mention the discoloration of the pimple is considerably lightened up. I did use another Nexcare product the day before I started using the Good Genes (which I will also talk about later) so I know for a fact that product helped a lot. But I also know the Good Genes did a lot of the work too... the Nexcare somehow helped to drain the pus and reduce the size of the pimple, but the pimple was still red and angry/inflamed-looking. The Good Genes helped the pimple from recurring (reduce the pus production I guess??? lol) and at the same time helped the skin regenerate and heal. I definitely recommend for acne skin if you have the budget! One thing I will say though, is that it still stings my skin every time I use it lol. I think it's just because it's super potent. I don't DARE to use this on anywhere other than my pimples. Maybe down the road I'll use it for anti-aging purposes... but for now it's a god-send for my acne =DDD  As for the Luna oil... I already talked about it before. Still loving it =) it does have retinol, but because the oil formulation and who knows what other goodness they added in it, doesn't ever make my skin peel. Awesome duo. "Power Couple Duo: Total Transformation Kit"... what an apt name!!





Next is also a Sunday Riley product... this I did get a sample to try out months ago and since then been waiting for the VIB sale so I can get my hands on it =P The Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream does what the name says... I did notice my skin looked a lot brighter after using this. So excited to have this! Haven't opened this yet because I'm almost finishing up my current moisturizers, but I'm hoping once I do start using this it will help even more to lighten up my acne scars! It's a nice watery-gel cream that's moisturizing and brightening... I think that's all I can say about it so far =)




LOL so I kind of repurchased this by accident... I wanted to get the Estee Edit Late Night Eraser Brightening Eye Balm with Pink Peony...


but I was in a hurry when I was placing my order and forgot to change it... and I was still in Korea when the sale ended so I couldn't exchange it lol. Oh well. I think it's a good eye cream for a good amount for the price. I use this in the morning to depuff and reduce the dark circles =)





My Shiseido products packaging are highly reflective so I just gave up on photographing them XD so here they are in their boxes.


I wanted to get this Shiseido Bio Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream because I stayed over at a friend's without planning it so she let me use her skincare. I remember my skin was still healing from a round of breakouts, and I woke up the next day amazed to find that my skin had healed a lot after using this. Excited to have this ^_^

It will prob still be a couple more months until I run out of my current nighttime eye cream (also a Shiseido one), but figured I would take advantage of the sale. Since I was impressed with the Bio-Performance moisturizer, wanted to try the eye cream from the same line. Man... my budget for eye cream just keeps going up... lol. Perks of aging -_-




I used up my Lancome powder foundation and already hit pan on my Too Faced one. Didn't want to go crazy high end this time lol so I went for bareMinerals. I've tried the matte one before but never tried the original.


Never owned anything from Cover Fx and when I swatched the powder in store it felt super fine, so I wanted to give it a try =D


Yeah... I prob don't need two of them. One can prob last me for more than a year. I wanted to keep one in my travel bag and one in my regular vanity... but... technically I just have to remember to toss the foundation into my travel bag when I need to use it -_- Ughhhhhhhh. Think I'll just keep both though if the performances are good.


 
LOL I've been debating getting a new pair of Anastasia tweezers for years now and always ended up skipping on them to save money. My old ones still work, but I just figured it's time =P



By the way, I'm really bummed out that YSL glossy stain in #29 seemed to have been discontinued??? Couldn't find it anywhere, not even Nordstrom or the YSL website itself. Was gonna repurchase this color cuz I'm close to finishing it and it's pretty old :( I sad.



Another thing I realized after the sale was over... was that Sephora carries StriVectin hair products. Got a sample of the shampoo when I shopped at Nordstrom (I thought it was a skincare sample LOL didn't know StriVectin makes hair products) and ended up really liking it. Made my hair so fluffy and voluminous :D I would've bought the Ultimate Restorer Starter Trio if I had known Sephora carries it.  I bummed.



 
Sephora birthday gifts. Happy to have the soy face wash cuz the size is perfect for travel XD tried the rose face mask... it has bits of rose petals in it! It's nice I guess but I'm not blown away. Not really something I look forward to using... more like I just use it cuz I have it lol.



Figured I might as well include my little Ulta haul from a while back



Dermalogica Clear Start Overnight Treatment. LOL you can see acne fighting is the recurring theme here. Got it cuz it was recommended by Claire. It's alright... I think I noticed some difference but not remotely dramatic compared to Sunday Riley. I ended up returning it.


The IT Cosmetic brow pencil... Got it cuz I wanted a brow pencil that comes with a spoolie. This is the travel size one by the way. I think it's alright... it's very slippy. I don't know, I feel like it's too easy to over apply. I definitely prefer my neuve brow pencil over this. Maybe for those who really need help in the brow department would really appreciate it... for me... nah.


I know in my last post I said I'm lukewarm about the IT Cosmetics CC cream... but I decided to keep it cuz I liked the way it photographs (well I also like the way it looks in person LOL maybe just not after 5-6 hours). I went to exchange it for the shade "light" and while waiting in line... saw it also comes in travel size!!!!!! So I decided to exchange it for the travel size LOLOL. This was the only base makeup I brought with me when I went to Korea... and I must say... I liked it so much better when I was wearing it in Korea LOL. Prob cuz it was much colder and drier than California. I was very happy with it. I still wear it maybe once or twice a week nowadays when I want my skin to look nicer =P and maybe bcuz it's been so cold since I got back from Korea, I haven't really noticed it settling on the sides of my nose when I get oily. So I'm pretty happy with this for now =) By the way, "light" is a really good match for NC20. I updated that info in my last post too. If anyone wants to see how "light" actually looks let me know.





Now onto my little Korea haul =D


Honestly... I had a pretty short to-buy list for Korea LOL. Not because I had no temptations, but I already bought A LOT from Sephora... plus whatever I get in Korea I know I can't return lol so I knew I gotta be careful about them. The only real temptation for me was all the cushions to be honest... it's so easy to want to give into hype. Considering most cushions I tried didn't work out for me... NOPE I did NOT give into my temptations at all. MUAHAHA

So here was my shopping list for Korea:

1. Stylenanda → Just wanted to buy some fashion pieces. LOL TOO BAD didn't find anything :( :( :( went to the Myeodong flagship store too. I was so surprised at how little the collection was?????? Plus I think the prices were kind of ridiculous

2. CAREZONE Nordenau Water BB Cream → I saw CAREZONE everywhere but didn't see the BB cream anywhere LOL. Oh well makeup shopping wasn't the main objective of this trip so I didn't go out of my way to look for it. 

3. Saem Pure Natural Snail Sheet Masks → check √

4. Cosrx One Step Pimple Clear pads → didn't see Cosrx anywhere lol

5. Sum37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick → I liked the idea of having portable cleansing oil with me (I often worry about traveling with my cleansing oil... leaking problems :( ) by the time I saw Sum37 I was at the airport and had no Korean money and didn't want to use my credit card LOL.


What I ended up getting:


 
CAREZONE A-CURE salt therapy toner. Tried it at the store and it had this cooling sensation which somewhat reminded me of the Albion skin conditioner. No the two are not similar at all. Lol but at that time it felt so nice and refreshing so I wanted to get it :D I can smell the tea tree oil in it so I'm thinking it must have some antibacterial/anti-acne properties. I do like using it in the morning... refreshing and awakening to me. 







LOL the Gudetama. I just wanted the lipstick and the blush (although I really wanted the cushion too haha but a lot of reviews I read said it's got no oil control). The eye shadow was an unexpected buy. It's so cute and the color looked nice. To be honest I kind of regret buying it. The quality is okay (I'd say you can tell it's drugstore quality lol... prob will perform better with a brush though) and the color isn't the most flattering on me, that's the main issue. Oh well. 











The blush though... I dig :) the color is really nice, and it's just SO EASY to use. Prob the most fool-proof blush form ever haha.














The lipstick color is nice... but... it gets on my teeth SO easily. Not user friendly at all. 




So cute though lol.



 

Too Cool For School Art Class by Robin Contour powder. 




Let me just say Too Cool For School is pretty expensive for drugstore in my opinion. I got this as a gift for a friend and couldn't help but want one for myself lol. Hmmm still playing with it... but I prob just haven't found the right way/combination to apply on me... the color looks kind of muddy on me. Maybe grey tones don't suit me as well??? But no one ever said my face looks weird so I guess it's okay?? Haha.




CathyCat Water GraffiTint




Unexpected buy. So... when I was trying out various lip tints at Olive Young... I think I already laid down so many products... by the time I got to this there prob was some other lip tint there as a base, so it applied super smoothly and I was impressed with the way it applied and how it didn't feel dry. However... after I got home and tried applying it on my bare lips.... it's a no go. It only stains the inner part of my lips and wouldn't stick to the outer perimeters. To make it work, I have to use my Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic to dip the tip into the lip stain, then apply the product over my lips. It actually works out pretty well that way. But... an awful lot of trouble to go through for a lip product... I don't recommend (but I suppose I'm making use of two products at a time XD)
By the way, CAREful with smearing out this product with your fingers. The staining is ridiculous on the skin, less so on the lips. But I found if I get it on my skin/fingers, I'm pretty much stuck with bloody-looking fingers all day.  



The 3M Nexcare products I mentioned earlier. Those are Blemish Clear Covers. Obviously they're not clear XD I got them thinking they're just the same artificial skin kind of thing I got from a doctor's offices years ago when I was in Taiwan... applying artificial skin over breakouts/wounds is supposed to help reduce scarring to a minimum. I got them to put over my acne in the hopes that it would help my skin heal. I didn't know it actually does something to help with acne O_o






Look! After using it, you can see the pus being absorbed into the thing! How cool!

I used it pretty consistently over the last couple of weeks whenever I feel like my acne is "filling up". It really helps reduce the size of the pimple since it just draws everything out. Good stuff. Recommend! Can be found on Amazon. 



The Pure Natural Snail Masks were super nice. I definitely recommend! When we got to Korea... it was so cold and dry (and after all that flying) that my skin started peeling on my chin and around my mouth, and not any of the skincare I brought with me helped. But just after one face mask treatment all the dry patches and flakiness went away =DDDD thumbs up. To be honest I can't really tell the difference between the brightening one and the regular one. I'd prob just stick with the regular one if I want to repurchase. I liked it so much that I went back to buy more to give out to friends :D



Since I liked the snail masks so much... wanted to try out some of the skincare products from the Saem lol. On the right is the unexpected cleanser I spoke about earlier. I think it's pretty heavy duty lol my skin does feel super squeaky clean afterwards... kind of dries out my skin if I don't moisturize immediately after. I'm a little scared to try these products to be honest... cuz the fragrance of the cleanser is SO STRONG. I was quite taken aback. But since I haven't noticed any adverse reaction from the cleanser... I'm crossing my fingers even if those products don't work well, at the very least please don't cause my skin to break out. lol.




 I was really hoping to buy some clothes while I was in Korea... but... didn't happen XD Oh well. I did get a hair band and a pair of earrings. Lol.




Another thing I really wanted to do in Korea was get a haircut. Also didn't happen DAMMIT. To say we didn't have the time was a lie... but I was so jet lagged for the most of the trip that I was just too tired to go out and get it lol. I wanted to try out Juno Hair. Anyone's been?


I bought some accessories to wear to Korea. Already showed them on Instagram but wanted to show close-up pics =D They're from B.P. from Nordstrom



By the way these boobs ain't real. More like... 1/4 of them are my real boobs... like the stuff you can see here on the surface. The rest... courtesy of Victoria's Secret's bombsell bras. LMAO













Hmm last but not least... Bubz's Be... palette :D

Since it's all for good cause... even though I really don't need another eye shadow palette... why not LOL.




Truth be told, the first time I used the shadows, I was disappointed with the texture. It felt kind of papery and dry to me. But then I tried using them with a brush then they were okay LOL. I'm the lazy type who doesn't even normally use brushes anymore for eye shadows... lol. Haven't really played around with it at all, but the first combination I tried out.... which were "happy" and "thoughtful" in the crease... I really like =D for some reason just feel like this combo plus the red lip tint give a very holiday feel lol so I've been this combo a lot lately =P



Alrighty guys... that's all from me today. The next post will probably be an empties post. Gonna go shower then chill with a snail mask :D

Good night everyone! And hope everyone stays warm and healthy and happy!



<3 Frances

Sephora VIB Sale Haul

Hi guys!

How's everyone doing??? Excited for the holidays?? Lol I'm kind of ambivalent toward Thanksgiving this year since I don't have family here and I will be using my break to catch up with school work... sigh. Not too much to look forward to. Just really want to get through this semester. Anyway! So today I thought I'd share my Sephora haul with you guys! I thought this was the F&F sale but it's actually the VIB sale... I think the actual F&F sale will come later this month??? Not sure.

I really should go on a beauty ban =_= I've been spending way too much than I like. But I can't seem to control my spending nowadays. Because all I ever do is study study study... and when I get bored of studying, I browse the Internet... and shop orz..... I think I need to whip out my determination I used to lose weight and apply it on online shopping. That doesn't seem like a bad idea XD

Oh by the way you might have noticed I took down my header. I got fed up looking at it. Haha. Will need to make a new one soon. Hopefully something that doesn't involve my face XD But I'm no good at graphics design =T We'll see what I come up with. Or I might just leave it like this lol.

Enough with the rambling, let's get started shall we? =)


Hahaha... quite deviant from the shopping list I made for myself a while back. Bought several other things besides the Josie Maran sunscreen and Benefit body balm that I originally planned to get. I actually did purchase the full size SK-II Facial Treatment Essence but I got mine from eBay, along with some Facial Treatment Cream Foundation samples, but I will talk about these in another post. SK-II is just too overpriced in American stores that's why I decided to turn to eBay, instead of getting it from Sephora or Nordstrom. And I also want to mention another item I really wanted to purchase was the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes... there was this $35, 4 piece value set that contains two mini blushes, one highlight and one bronzer. But I didn't manage to snag it because it was sold out online (I think it's no longer available cuz I couldn't find it anymore, otherwise I'd post a picture) and although it was available in store I didn't have time to physically go shopping... so... that was that -_-a we'll see if I can still find it in store.

Anyway! Let's go through the items one by one =)

1. Benefit Bathina Body Balm



I gotta say... the packaging is SO much cuter in person. I freaking adore it!! Why is it so cute!?!?! lol

What it looks like on the inside. I haven't tried it yet. But like all other Benefit products (or maybe not all?), it has this pleasant, rosy (?) scent to it. Will do a review once I've used it. Which... might take me a while cuz there's no point using this in the winter XD

2. Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer (sunscreen)

This came in just in time since I ran out of mine XD I have a rather lengthy review on some Josie Maran products including this sunscreen. Please refer here if you're interested.


My small bottle in comparison. I actually ended up purchasing the full size bottle because when I actually think about it... the small bottle didn't last me all that long at all. And since we have a few more months to go before summer is here again... I thought I might as well go with the big bottle just to make sure I don't run out.

By the way did you guys notice the new labeling regarding SPF? I noticed almost all of the newer beauty products I own all have appropriate SPF labeling now. I believe FDA's new law requires all sunscreen products (and "sunblock" is no longer a term allowed) to be broad spectrum and contain at least a minimum of SPF 15.

3. NARS lipstick in Honolulu Honey

Another lipstick I purchased because of Jenn from ClothesEncounter >口< But!! I've already decided to return this lipstick



Thought I'd show the excessive packaging of the lipstick... there's a little box within the box to hold the lipstick. Honestly... I thought... what a waste of paper -.-"


It's a gorgeous nude color, but too close to MAC freckletone lol which I did end up keeping. I mean yes they're slightly different, but seriously close enough that I'm sure no one would be able to tell the difference. Plus MAC is significantly cheaper and I really don't think this particular NARS formula is any more superior. Will return this as soon as I have time to make a trip to the mall.

4. Fresh Umbrian Clay Purifying Treatment Bar

A rather impulsive purchase. Saw this in Raeview's acne-fighting video. By the way have you guys seen her new video on Tom Ford's fall 2012 collection video???? That review seriously got me really interested in Tom Ford eye shadows O_O but of course I'm not about to spend $75 on an eye shadow quad, at least not in another 3-5 years XD Funny thing is if you really think about it, each eye shadow in that TM quad is about $18.75... and a single MAC eye shadow is $15. MAC is getting so expensive nowadays... =_=


So far... not that impressed. But then again my expectations aren't super high, since I know my pores are smaller and therefore my blackheads are hard to get -_- I can't really say if this treatment bar works any better than my Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask. But I will say this is very abrasive and I cannot just rub this against my face. I have to get the products on my fingers first then transfer it to my face. Also I cannot use this on my entire face. The first time I used it I applied it all over my face and my skin freaked out badly. I think it's because it's too drying. So now I only use it on my nose where I have a ton of blackheads, and on the center on my chin where I have a little bit of whiteheads. Still debating if I should continue to try this or return it.

5. bareMinerals Renew & Hydrate Eye Cream

I am currently using the Lancome Genifique Eye concentrate sample (which I received with my $35 or more purchase) and jeune d'age eye creme (simply just trying to use it up.... nothing exciting there). I also have Origins GinZing eye cream but I only use that in the morning to depuff my eyes. I'm already more than half way through the Lancome one (again, didn't really do anything for my undereye fine lines or dark circles... sleep really is the key to dark circles. As for fine lines... have them since a kid... it's genetic) so I thought why not take advantage of the sale and stock up on a few eye creams. I kind of just randomly picked this up, since I like the brand.



6. L'OCCITANE Ultra Rich Eye Balm

Another eye cream. Will be using this one after I'm through with my Lancome one. Honestly I'm not sure why I bought this... cuz I'm not even a fan of L'OCCITANE (don't care for their hand creams). I guess I'm just trying to branch out and try more products XD

The container is pretty nice though. I really want to try the Bobbi Brown eye cream but the price of that is just out of my league.



And... I actually made a second purchase during the sale -__- IT WAS COMPLETELY IMPULSIVE.

Quite honestly I still can't really believe I bought it. In fact, it sat on the top shelf of my desk for 4 days before I finally steeled myself to open it -_-a I couldn't decide if I wanted to keep it or return it. Quite frankly I think my skin is fine the way it is... I just really hate my blackheads. I've always wanted to try Clarisonic but the price tag is too hefty (would NEVER purchase this with full price). But anyway I finally decided to open it last night and charge it. Just gonna see if it helps with my blackheads at all. If not then I will promptly return it (not having high hopes because I feel like blackheads is an age thing as well... I will just have to wait until I'm older when my skin decides it wants to be drier or what XD)

***Update: I've returned my Clarisonic. I decided it was too abrasive for me (for everyday use at least). I know they have "delicate" brush heads available but I didn't want to dish out extra dollars for that. I'm not saying it doesn't work well though; in fact, I was actually quite blown away by the results. I noticed after I used it my pores were gone O_O how did that happen?!?!??! lol. I already don't have big pores to begin with but... for them to disappear after cleansing... MIND-BLOWING. But it was only temporary a few hours later I saw my pores again ahaha. With regards to blackheads... I only used it for a few days but I know it's not gonna eliminate them. It did help just a bit... my blackheads seem a bit smaller and in control, but nothing spectacular there. I guess I could've waited and tried it out for longer, but looking at my calendar I know I won't be able to make another trip to the mall until late December, and I don't want to not be able to return it if I decided it wasn't worth it. But anyway regardless if it works on my blackheads or not, I know this is not a device I can use everyday... the brush head really isn't that soft and it's just too much exfoliating for my very thin and sensitive skin. I can't even use a sponge to wash my face everyday. So in the end I didn't think it's a worthy investment since I wouldn't be able to get as much mileage out of it as I would've hoped. 

Oh also, I don't feel any difference using Visionaire. Orz... so disappointed. Not sure what I was expecting but I heard so many good things/raves... so that's that. 


Clarisonic Aria comes with a stand/holder, which I think is super nice. Plus I really wanted to try Visionaire XD The samples are tiny though.


90 day money back?! I wonder if Sephora will accept it after 90 days. I probably should double check with them.



That's all I have to share today! I know that's a lot of stuff... you would think school should help with my reasoning skills but I think it's doing the opposite to me.

Have a great weekend guys!


<3 Frances