Cupidrop x Lovue New York Blogger Event

Last month, I received an invitation to check out a new K-Beauty shop opening up in Manhattan from the lovely people over at Cupidrop. Since I love skincare and shopping, and a good trip to New York, I accepted the invite. I took a half day from work, drove to Jersey City and took the Path into Manhattan, and entered KTown for an afternoon of mingling and swatching.

The new shop, Lovue (pronounced love you, so cute!) is right on 5th avenue in Koreatown. It's a block away from the 33rd St. Path station, making it super convenient for those coming from Jersey like me! I was a little early, so I went and got Starbucks (mostly so I could use the bathroom...) and happened upon an Amazon Books store. It was actually pretty neat, there were no listed prices - you just scanned the barcode and see what the price is on Amazon, and that's what you pay! Did some browsing and headed back over to Lovue for the start of the event.

I apologize in advance for the photos, I only had my phone with me!

The storefront! It is so, so cute.

The front of the store is super cute and super inviting! After walking in, I was greeted by a ton of staff and one of the ladies from Beauteers (the genius team behind Cupidrop), Jenny, gave me a name tag. After greeting people, I had time to take in what I had walked into.

The store from the second floor!

My first thought? OVERWHELMING! So many products, K-Pop blasting, giant screens where they played K-Pop videos, it was intense! I must have done 4-5 laps around the store just picking things up and putting them down. The store stretches pretty far back, I was shocked at how large it was! The best part about being able to check out the store the day before opening is that everything is so neat on the shelves, and testers aren't destroyed. The layout of the store is aesthetically pleasing - most of it is done by brand, but then there are walls of sheet masks and areas specific to a certain skincare step. Everything was arranged nicely - I saw a lot of color grouping. They had a large sink in the back for hand washing, and they even had some of the hand soap available for sale to try out at the sink. The store has several large, lighted mirrors as well.

The Great Wall of Cosrx

Sheet and Modeling masks!

Various Cleansers

Sheet mask overload!

Lovue has a ton of brands in stock, I saw the following:

• Cosrx
• Klairs
• Graymelin
• Papa Recipe
• Mizon
• Innisfree
• Thank You Farmer
• Missha
• belif
• Huxley
• Scinic
• JOne
• Benton
• Neogen
• Mediheal
• Elizavecca

...and a bunch more. Some brands only had sheet masks, while other brands had most of the entire line available. Some lines only had certain products - Cosrx had most everything aside from the super new releases, and their sheet masks. I didn't, however see any of the luxury K-Beauty brands like Sulwhasoo in stock. Prices were relatively fair, I think the only super outrageous markup I saw was belif creams going for $56, which outstrip Sephora's prices by a bit. The prices aren't as good as ordering from Korea, but they were definitely doable. Most sheet masks were between $2-$7, and boxes of masks were between $20-$30, all depending on brand. I think it's an okay tradeoff to not have to wait for shipping.

There was a second floor where snacks and drinks were being served. (The bulgogi was soooo good!) The Lovue team and the Beauteers team both thanked everyone for coming. They also whipped out an impressive gift box! The store team also let everyone know that there was 20% off store wide for the length of the event, which got a lot of people (myself included) very excited.

Being on a diet sucks, but I had a few bites!

I must say, the store did get very warm during the event, with 30someodd bloggers and staff hanging out on the second floor. Of course, the first floor was cooler, so I spent a decent amount of time browsing and putting things into my basket. The store staff was super helpful, and they were all very excited to help pick out and suggest products. I definitely did a little bit of damage, but it was 20% off, so it wasn't toooo bad.

A bit sweaty, but enjoying myself!

Now for the best part...the goodie bag and my purchases! I was super stoked about the gift bag, I love trying new products, and the bag was very, very generous!

• Elizavecca hydrogel mask
• Scinic modeling mask
• A. True Spring Green Tea Watery Calming Cream
• Bizoo Daily Sheet Masks
• $50 to Dons Bogam Black

I'm very excited to try both the Bizoo sheet masks and the A. True cream! A. True had some other products that looked good, so I'll have to check them out another time. Clearly the best gift was the $50 IN FREE FOOD!!! I can't wait to check the restaurant out.

It was really, really hard not to go wild in the store, they had SO MUCH STUFF! I have a lot of unopened skincare, so I kept myself in check. Here's what I wound up with:

• Peripera Airy Ink Velvet in Elf Light Rose - Everyone raves about these, and three ladies in the shop recommended them. I was glad for the chance to swatch them!
• Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum - I wanted a serum or an essence, and this felt the best on my skin from the ten (at least!) I tried.
• Every Helloskin Jumiso mask they had.
• A'pieu falsies - I love East Asian brands of lashes, since I have small eyes and they usually run smaller/more natural.
• Ultru I'm Sorry For My Skin Relaxing and Pore Care jelly masks
• Package foot peel - this was cheaper than my usual TonyMoly so I'm excited to see if it's as good!
• Holika Holika After Working Overtime sheet mask - I actually have a lot of OT scheduled (including this weekend) so this just happened to work out for me.
• SNP Bird's Nest Aqua Ampoule sheet mask - Faceonomics raves about it so I wanted to try it.

I could go back and buy a million more sheet masks. My wishlist grew five miles today! I'm really excited to try all these new masks - some of the ladies at the store suggested a few, and they all had great skin soooo...why not?

Lovue is located at 324 5th Ave in Manhattan. Thank you again to everyone in the store and the crew at Beauteers for inviting me! It was a wonderful time - I will definitely drop in next time I'm in the city!

Recent Purchases & Acquisitions!

April means lots of spring sales (because it's also tax season! Gotta spend that refund!) (I did not spend my refund on this stuff.) so I was able to get some new goodies. I had posted earlier about what I was planning to buy with my various coupon codes, and here are all the shiny new things! I also included some new items purchased not from Sephora/Ulta, and some PR goodies.

Final 2017 Purchases & Reverse Rouge Challenge for 2018

New year, new goals! I'm one of those people who does New Years Resolutions, I'm not ashamed to admit it. One of my goals for 2018 is to spend less and be more mindful of what I do spend. But before I talk about that, I wanted to share my last few purchases of 2017!

Beautibi Haul & First Impressions

After seeing many Beautbi packages come across Fifty Shades of Snails' Instagram feed, I finally succumbed to temptation and placed an order myself! Beautibi's About page describes the shop as "A boutique Asian skincare + lifestyle destination, created with the intention of introducing innovative products and brands from Taiwan and South Korea." I've been intrigued by the shop after Fiddy's posts (she is very, very good at influencing!) and following the shop itself on Instagram, so I was excited to pick out some masks!

Glossier Haul & First Impressions

Glossier is a brand that has been making more and more waves in the beauty community lately - new releases all lining up with the barely-there makeup "cool girl" aesthetic caught my eye. I'm not one to skimp on makeup, but since my dedication to skincare has really paid off, I can see the appeal of a hint of coverage and color. After seeing friends pick up some products, and getting a recommendation for their skin tint to help bring some life into a bb cream formula I really like, I decided to place an order. I was super excited to play with these items and write about my first impressions.

Korean Skincare at Ulta!

Over the past year or so, I've hardcore gotten into Asian skincare. Until relatively recently, getting lesser known Korean brands required ordering from specialty sites like Memebox or placing orders from Korean sites such as Jolse or RoseRoseShop and then wait for the international shipping to get your goodies to you. However, stores such as Ulta and Sephora have "discovered" Asian skincare and the previously "unknown" brands are now popping up for sale! I love shopping at Ulta for their rewards system, so I was excited to see brands such as Goodal and Whamisa available on their site. I've been slowly ordering more goodies from Ulta to supplement my other orders. Ulta's prices are in line with stateside retailers such as Glow Recipe and Memebox, which are a little more expensive than ordering directly from Korea (give or take with that shipping, though...) but give faster gratification. Unfortuantely, the full lines of the K-beauty brands are not available, but hopefully one day there will be more of a selection. Another benefit to buying from Ulta (or Sephora) is the advantage to return purchased items in store, which is just added convenience.

Goodal and Whamisa are brands that both focus on fermented ingredients, with Whamisa putting extra emphasis on organic ingredients. These brands tend to cost a bit more than brands such as TonyMoly (also sold at Ulta!) and have packing that isn't as cutesy as other K-beauty brands. I've bought Goodal Double Bright Intense Serum and Waterest Lasting Water Oil, and I really like them both. I wasn't terribly impressed with the sheet masks I tried, and since they're excluded from the famous $3.50 off $15 Ulta coupon, I may not give them another try. From Whamisa,  I really like the Organic Flowers Eye Essence. I've only used the Water Cream a few times, and it was a little heavier than I'd like, but my skin feels really silky in the morning after I use it. Ulta has some exclusive "7 Wonders" masks from Leaders, along with some of their other sheet masks. I really liked the Pore Minimizing mask I got! To be completely honest, I didn't realize it was a gel mask and put it on my face with the protective film still on it and thought it was a total piece of crap before I realized that I was an idiot.

I also picked up a TonyMoly foot peel, and I got about five weeks of super soft feet. I've already ordered my second one. TonyMoly items can be bought using a coupon, so it makes the increased price of the sheet masks a little easier to swallow. (I still order packs of 10 sheet masks from Korean retailers because it's cheaper per mask, but if I want something on a whim, this is super convenient.) Some of the other brands are online only, but TonyMoly and Leaders are both available in store. (Not to mention the Hada Labo that was already available!)

I swear I'm not being paid by Ulta or Sephora or another store to gush about this, I'm just really excited that I can buy stuff I've been wanting to try and get points for it. I'm really hoping western stores expand their offerings so more goodies can be tried!

Recent Repurchases

I love picking out and buying new stuff. Hauling is SO much fun! However, I also like having products that I can turn to and keep buying over and over because they're so dependable. I wanted to highlight my recent repurchases - they're all skincare! Skincare is something I use daily and go through much more quickly than makeup, but still have fun shopping for and using. 

First Glow Recipe Order! LJH & Blossom Jeju

I'm somewhat obsessed with building and customizing my Korean style skincare routine. By Korean style, I mean putting an emphasis on layering products to achieve results, not just using Korean products. When it came time to add some new products, I turned to a retailer I had read about on other blogs. (Fifty Shades of Snail, no shame!)

Glow Recipe is a K-Beauty retailer based in the United States. Their shop is a curated collection of products that the owners fully believe in, citing natural ingredients and natural beauty as the driving force behind what products they choose to offer. Since they're based stateside, prices are a bit more expensive than ordering from Korea - when you don't consider the usual shipping by weight that ordering from Korea entails. I'm happy to pay a bit more for the convenience and not having to wait weeks for my order to arrive! They also offer free shipping over $50. Since it was my first order, I also received a 10% off code! The site states free samples with every order, but I did not receive any in mine. I consider it a trade off for getting my package so quickly! I ordered on a Monday, it shipped on Tuesday, and it was in my hands that Wednesday. A perk of living the next state over!

Onto the products - I picked up two new goodies that I've been thinking of getting for a while. A new essence and a new serum! Since I've had them about a month now, I feel confident in talking about integrating them into my routine and the results I've seen.

LJH (Leejiham) Tea Tree 90 Essence - I know some skin doesn't like tea tree, but mine does! This essence is 90% tea tree extract, and claims to help with sensitive, irritated, and troubled skin. I bought this because I was looking to reduce redness, and help control oil. The essence itself is on the more liquidy side, and doesn't have a discernible scent. It sinks in very quickly. I apply three or four drops in the morning, after toning. I originally was using it at night, but I switched to the morning to see if it would help with oil production (which kills my foundation!) throughout the day. I'm happy to say it has! I have noticed less oil breaking up my makeup during the day, and I am less shiny. I don't really notice my skin feeling extra moisturized with this essence, so I add other essences and serums to my routine in the morning if that's what I'm needing. 

$45.00 for 50 ml

Blossom Jeju Pink Camellia Soombi Essence Serum - What a mouthful! This serum is meant to add moisture, and leave behind a dewy, smooth complexion. Sign me up! There is also a non-pink version of this serum, which I passed on in favor of this one, due to the "dewy and smooth" portion of the description. This serum is more viscous, and has a very heavy floral scent. I personally don't have an issue with fragrances irritating my skin, but YMMV. I used two drops of this at night, and it spreads nicely. It takes a bit of patting to make sure it has absorbed, but it does not sit heavy on the skin. I definitely get a moisture boost when using this serum, and layered with other products my skin is positively dewy and bright. 

$64.00 for 30 ml

I'm very happy with my first purchase from Glow Recipe! It helps that the packaging on the products is wonderful - both are in glass bottles with little droppers, and look beautiful on my dresser. (Normally things are in the bathroom, but I love having these on display!)(Also, the medicine cabinet is full...oops!) Next time I'm looking for something a little fancier (that Blossom Jeju bottle, come on!) to add to my routine, Glow Recipe will definitely be my first stop. 

(mini) Sephora Haul!

I have a whole bunch of excuses ready as to why I placed this Sephora order. It was my birthday (month...), I got my tax return, I really wanted one of the new Bite lipsticks. All of them are 100% valid because I'm trying not to guilt myself for shopping! I kept the bill in check, at least.

First up is Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner. A repurchase! I love this stuff. It isn't a replacement for a good brush washing, but it's perfect for spot cleaning when there's a brush you really need and it's already been used. This is my favorite spot cleaner by far - I've tried a couple and none measure up to Cinema Secrets. 

Bite Beauty recently pulled their Luminous Creme lipsticks to much disappointment. However, they then dropped an entirely new line! I picked up the new Amuse Bouche lipstick in Pickled Ginger. As soon as I saw swatches on their instagram I knew I needed it, since I live for bright, pink leaning corals. When swatched, the formula felt smooth and creamy, and had great pigmentation. I can't wait to wear it!

After receiving Burberry Light Glow blush in Cameo for Christmas (which I haven't reviewed because I'm actually the laziest AND the worst), I knew I wanted another blush in the Burberry Light Glow formula. After poring over the shades, I wound up with Earthy. I was lucky it was in stock, as it has been out of stock ever since I started lusting after it (...on December 26th.) It's a beautiful light pinky brown. Since I'm on the lighter side, the pink shows up a bit more when applied, but just barely. It blends out like a dream, and is not powdery in the slightest.

A new beautyblender was in order as well, since it had been well over six months since I replaced mine. With daily use, it gets pretty grungy. It may seem like a boring item, but I'm super excited to have a newly squishy sponge to bounce on my face each morning. 

I also used a promo code for a 3 pack of Dr. Dennis Gross Extra Strength Alpha Beta Peel Pads. These things are so expensive to actually buy, with a box of just five being $16. I think I've used this code like four times now, since I really like the product but don't want to drop the cash on actually buying it. Maybe during the next sale. Maybe.

I'm sure I'll come up with more excuses to pick up some more goodies soon. (Easter?) Have you picked up anything cool lately?

Beautylish Haul!

So I needed to pick up a new pot of gel liner, and as you may or may not know, Inglot's gel liner in #77 is my favorite black liner. Of course, I hate paying for shipping, so I needed a few more items to reach the free shipping threshold on Beautylish...and this is how I wound up with this fantastic mini haul!!

As I previously mentioned, Inglot gel liner in #77 is my favorite black gel liner. I've used a few others, but Inglot takes the cake. It's smooth, ridiculously pigmented and rich, and doesn't budge. No really, it doesn't budge on me unless I scrub at it with a makeup wipe or take a cleansing oil to it. The formula glides on, allowing for perfect winged liner. The gel is a very rich, warm black that I find preferable to liquid liner which can seem thinner, in a way. The size is also ridiculously generous - my old pot dried out way before I had even used half of it. It can be revived easily using Inglot Duraline or a similar product, but it was time to retire my old one.

I decided to pick up the Wayne Goss #18 brush because out of all the brushes I own, I only have one other flat brush to pack color onto the lid. (It's an old Sephora Professional brush. I'm talking like 6-7 years old! It's a great brush, though!) I have small eyes and therefore small lids, so the #18 fit my needs. I had heard some talk about how the brush was a bit too "pokey," but after several uses, I can say that it is not so for me.

Unfortunately, as large as my collection of colored eyeshadow is, I cannot resist picking up a new shade when the opportunity arises. It's a problem, I admit it. (This is even more true for green and aqua shadows.)  Sugarpill Chromalust eyeshadow in Hug Life made its way into my order, and I love it! Sugarpill's loose shadows make fantastic colored eyeliners when mixed with something like Inglot Duraline, and that's exactly how I broke this one in. I've yet to be disappointed by Sugarpill, and I hope that keeps up. I definitely plan on wearing this one through spring and summer.

The last product I picked up was OCC Lip Tar RTW in Black Dahlia. I have this shade in the original lip tar packaging, so I probably didn't need it in the new doefoot applicator packaging, but the heart wants what the heart wants! I haven't used it yet, but I'm excited to see if I fall back in love with the lip tar formula with the new applicator.

I can't wait to put all my new things to good use - until the next haul! (Just kidding, I use all of my babies always!)

Haus of Gloi Valentine's Haul! (it's all First Blush...)

Last year, I did my very first indie perfume review. That scent was Haus of Gloi's First Blush, from their Valentine's collection. As a quick refresher, First Blush has notes of Tahitian vanilla bean, white tea, lavender and peach. In other words, it's lightly fruity and slightly floral perfection. I fell in love with the scent, but I had only ordered a bottle of perfume oil, and a mini sugar scrub. Haus of Gloi has been becoming more and more popular, with more and more releases getting cleaned out. Which is amazing for them, but it makes it harder to get the things you want! This year, I got snowed in on release day, but managed to snag all the goodies I wanted when I finally sat down to order. Here's the damage:

• First Blush Hair Oil
• First Blush Whipped Soap (2x)
• First Blush Sugar Exfoliant (2x)
• Aether Body Emulsion
• First Blush Perfume Oil sample
• Rose Gold Lip Tint
• Chamomile Oak Butterbomb

I HAD wanted a Pink Champagne butterbomb, but I'm happy to have even gotten one at all! I liked the pumpkin one I picked up in the fall release, so hopefully this is just as nice. The whipped soap formula from the Haus is pretty high on my list of favorite whipped soap formulas, so I made sure to stock up. (I did not make the mistake I made with my fall order...where I bought five Pumpkin Queen whipped soaps. No ragrets.) I prefer the Sugar Exfoliant to the Haus Bubbling Scrub, so I made sure to get two of those. I really like the hair oil, and I needed a lighter scent than my wintery Cozy Sweater one. 

Instead of the ever popular Pumpkin Butter, I bought a full size bottle of the Body Emulsion. The emulsion is lighter and sinks in much more quickly than the heavier butter, which I prefer. As an added bonus, the emulsion comes in a squeeze bottle, which (to me) is better than the scoop out tub. Unfortunately, Haus of Gloi only releases their seasonal scents in the Pumpkin Butter formula. To try and get my First Blush lotion fix, I picked up a perfume sample and dumped it into the lotion bottle. To me, it seems like the perfect amount of scent for the amount of lotion, and I've been using it often! I can definitely see myself picking up another bottle or two of the body emulsion to keep myself stocked.

I did notice that this year's First Blush scent is a little different than last year's. It isn't bad in any way, and I still love it, and it could be that my perfume oil has aged a year...but the scent is a tiny bit different. I still recommend it, though! First Blush is a lovely springtime scent, and I'm very glad I loaded up!

Mini Memebox Haul! (Featuring illi Cleansing Oil!)

I'm really trying to be better with my spending this year, which means either destashing products and buying new things with that money, or only replacing items. My Banila Clean It Zero cleansing balm was about finished, so I decided to pick up a new cleansing oil. I decided on the illi Total Aging Care Cleansing Oil. I had heard good things over from Fifty Shades of Snail, and I'll basically buy anything that Fiddy recommends because she has good taste. This oil is currently out of stock on Memebox, but I'm sure it'll be back!

The oil comes in a pump bottle, which is much more convenient than the Banila balm I had been using, which you needed to scoop out of a tub. It's a fairly light, runny oil. I massaged two pumps worth onto my face, rinsed, and then followed up with my usual second cleanser (Cosrx Low ph Good Morning Gel Cleanser - what a mouthful!) The illi oil had a light, herbal yet floral scent (I am new to hanbang items, but this was not as medicinal as I had feared!) I was able to rinse off the majority of the oil with just water, and after the follow up cleanser, my face was super soft. Unfortunately, it was not strong enough to take off my eyeliner - Kat von D Tattoo liner. The Banila wasn't able to crack the defenses of that liner or the Inglot gel liner I use, so I'm not overly disappointed. Overall, I'm happy with my new cleansing oil!

Since free shipping for Memebox is $35, and I HATE having to pay for shipping (the oil was $25!), I added on the Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch packet in, since I've been wanting to get them for a while. They're definitely an add on item at $5, so if you need to make free shipping...but I digress. I rarely have monster pus filled zits, but I hear these are like the magic cure. I have yet to try them on a big pimple, but I have high hopes!

...I also got the Etude House Lovely Etti Hair Band, because it is adorable and now my skincare and sheet mask time is a little more whimsical. As a bonus, Memebox sent over a Tosowoong Pure Aloe Mask. They must secretly be keeping tabs on me, because I love the Tosowoong sheet masks! The Aloe mask smelled very fresh and green, like a cucumber (or a freshly whacked off aloe leaf, I suppose, never encountered one!) My face felt fresh and plump afterwards, so no complaints here.

It's strange how such a small box with necessities (okay, the REASON for the purchase was a 'necessity') can bring so much joy. I look forward to using the new cleansing oil more, with my new kitty ears as well!

Mini Beautylish Haul!

Now that the holidays are over, I'm free to shop again! ...except I've decided to "low buy" for the foreseeable future. Since I saw some items I had been wanting were back in stock on Beautylish, I placed a small order right after Christmas to make sure I got my hands on them. 

Earlier in the year, I purchased the beautiful Chikuhodo x Beautylish brush set and fell in love with it. I've been in the market for a new highlight brush, and the Chikuhodo Passion Series PS-3 brush. This brush has a flatter, tapered shape which I think will be great for precise highlighting. I've already washed it once and had no shedding or dye issues, so I'm excited to try it out.

I also picked up Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Celebrity Skin. This shade has been out of stock constantly, and went out of stock again a couple of days after I ordered mine. I keep hearing more and more hype about this formula, so I decided it was time to try it for myself. There's a few other shades I want to try if the formula works out for me, but I'll have to wait til they're back in stock!

I've had a cold for the past week, and it has wrecked havoc on my lips. I had added the Jeffree Star Velour Lip Scrub in Mojito to my order before I fell ill, but I'm really glad I did. The container size is much more generous than I assumed (1 oz) and smells delightful. I fully plan to exfoliate my lips this week before trying my new liquid lipstick!

I'm happy with my purchase, even knowing it's probably my last "haul" for a while. Have you tried Jeffree Star products? What do you think?

VIB Rouge 20% Off Sale Haul

So, as you can see, my Rouge sale haul was very conservative. I'm currently involved in like three gift exchanges, plus with Christmas around the corner, I really didn't want to pick up any ideal gifts that I may receive. I really wanted the Kat von D Mi Vida Loca palette, but it was sold out. I'm not pursuing it, since it clearly isn't meant to be. My coupon did not go to waste, however, as a friend was in from the UK and I let her use the coupon because really, what timing!

Of course, the two items I did pick up were things I cleary don't need. I have a ton of powders at the moment, but I always hear really great things about the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder. I wanted to get the smaller size, but alas, the store I was at only had the large! (I didn't order online since I was leaving on a trip and didn't want an appealing Sephora box outside my door all week.) I'm really loving the powder so far. It's silky and a little goes a long way. It's also helping keep the shine at bay for longer! But some credit may need to go to my new primer, Givenchy Mister Mat. I've gotten so many new primers lately, but I'm really liking this! It glides on easily and foundation doesn't clump to it, unlike some other matte primers I've been using. I'm slowly testing it with all of my foundations, and so far, so good! (Really, as long as it works with YSL Teint Touche Eclat, I am happy.)

I'm really glad I didn't go overboard with the sale this time around. I honestly have SO MUCH STUFF that I don't need more. But I've been working these into my current lineup, and I am very very happy with my choices. What did you pick up at the sale - did you go all in, or keep it simple?

Even MORE Korean Skincare from Jolse and RoseRoseShop

My new obsession is skincare, if you couldn't tell. This past year I have really fallen down the Korean beauty rabbit hole! I recently placed an order from Jolse, as well as got in on a group RoseRoseShop order.

Sheet masks! These are all from RoseRoseShop. Also pictured is a sample of the Benton Steam Cream, I got a pack of 10 sample foils.

• Tosowoong Deep Sea Water mask - I fell in love with the Tosowoong masks I picked up in my last huge haul and saw that a lot of people liked the Deep Sea Water as well. These masks are supposed to add moisture and soothe the skin. I've used one already, and had no bad reaction, so good stuff so far! These came in a ten pack.
• Tonymoly I'm Real masks in Rice and Seaweed - Ten packs of each of these as well! Rice is for clear skin, and seaweed is for skin purifying. I've tried one of each (Seaweed is being worn as type this) and they're not bad. I also have and love the Red Wine ones. These have a stronger than might be liked alcohol scent...may not be the best for someone whose skin isn't alcohol friendly. The fit of the masks is a little wide, but the eye openings actually are pretty good for me.
• Etude House I Need You Pomegranate mask - I really love the Pomegranate ones of this line, they make my skin bright and quell any redness, and make my face feel fresh. Only three of these in my order.
• Innisfee Green Tea hydrogel mask - I love green tea masks, I'm getting into hydrogels, and Innisfree is usually pretty good to my skin. Can't wait to try these! I got two of these masks (who gets one?!)
• Benton Snail Bee High Content masks - I got a few of these from a friend and was HOOKED! I'm a little sad that these come in packs of eight and not ten, but I have so many masks I'm sure I won't notice. I use these when my face feels like it's going to act up, or after it has acted up, and it really helps get rid of redness. These masks have bee venom and snail secretion, two ingredients that my face seems to like. These are also alcohol free! I'm sure my skin appreciates the break.

Now onto the bigger items! The Cosrx items and sponge are from Jolse, while the Mizon cream was from RoseRoseShop. The Banila Clean It Zero was from Amazon, picked up a replacement when I got some sunscreen!

• Etude House Konjac Sponge - My old konjac was old and tired, so I got a new replacement!
• Cosrx Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask - I'm really getting into propolis products, and this sleeping mask has 85% propolis! I haven't opened it yet, but I'm really excited to try it. I had to decide between the Rice mask or the Honey mask, but I heard this one works better for oily skin.
• Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser - This is the entire reason I ordered from Jolse. Cosrx released this cleanser last month, and I ordered it after reading this awesome review on Fifty Shades of Snail. I was out of cleanser too, so thankfully it wasn't just an excess product I didn't need! (Unlike 99% of the things here.)  I'm liking it so far, and I think the low pH combined with my pH adjusting toner are really letting my actives get their jobs done.
• Mizon Black Snail All In One Cream - My ride or die moisturizer is the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. I love it. HOWEVER - now that I'm using actives more often, I want something to really seal in the moisture I get from all my other products. I had samples of the regular Snail All In One and it wasn't heavy enough. I heard this one was more moisturizing, so I decided to try it out. So far so good - no breakouts while patch testing and my face does feel more moisturized after using actives. 
• Banila Clean It Zero - Just a replacement! This does a nice job of getting my makeup off. The one I got was not as solid of a balm as my first one, this one was a little melty. No matter, as it still works!

So there you have it, my new obsession. At least it's focused on helping my skin! Have you purchased any skincare recently? Any Asian skincare? I'd love to hear about it!

Platinum Perk Coupon and Points - Ulta Haul!

Ulta has one of the best rewards programs - the points you accumulate can be used towards merchandise. They often have point multiplier promotions, which lets you rack up points quickly. I like to hoard my points until a 20% coupon valid on regular and Prestige cosmetics comes around, so I can haul hard with no money out of my pocket. Ulta recently had a coupon soooo...here's what I picked up!

• Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Ash Brown - I jumped on the dipbrow bandwagon when it first started, and have had a pot of Dark Brown for over a year, with a bunch left. However, ABH released an extension to the shade range earlier this year, including Ash Brown, which I thought would be an even better fit. I've been waiting MONTHS to finally get my hands on this! My old pot must be dried out, since I was not prepared for how soft and smooth the new product would be.
• SheaMoisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Weightless Hair Masque - What a mouthful! I wanted to get something as a deep conditioner for my hair, and this sounded wonderful. I really like my SheaMoisture clarifying shampoo, so I'm really excited to try this.
• Becca Radiant Glow Collection - I've had this sitting in my cart since the day it came out. I've been wanting a pressed Moonstone highlighter, so I decided to get the set with the mini, since the full size is absolutely massive! (I have a full size Rose Gold, and it is huge.) This set comes with a mini pressed Moonstone, a mini Opal liquid, a mini Under Eye Brightening corrector, and a full size Beach Tint Lip Shimmer Soufflé in Raspberry/Opal. The eye brightener jar is super teeny, which makes it difficult to get a brush in, but it really does brighten! I love Moonstone, and the lip tint is nice as well.
• Too Faced Hangover Rx Primer - Everyone seems to be putting coconut water into everything. I'm not a fan of the beverage, but I love putting it on my body! This primer is supposedly hydrating, and helps less blendable primers (ahem, Becca Ever Matte...) spread more easily. 
• Too Faced Candlelight Glow Highlighter - Highlighters are my new thing, end of story.
• Ulta Crystal Nail File - I like crystal nail files, and I really needed a new one. Now I have two - new one for home, old one to keep at work!
• Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara in Soft Brown - I really want to buy Benefit's Gimme Brow, but I don't want to spend that much! I'm going to play with this brow mascara in the meantime.
• Scunci Hair Ties - I was out, so why not get them with my points???
• Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray - I've been out of this stuff for months, but I didn't feel like shelling out for it. I love this setting spray. I use it after Fix+ to actually set my makeup. I get oily, so I buy the De-Slick one, though a lot of people swear by All Nighter.
• Alterna Bamboo 2-in-1 Volumizer - I love Alterna volumizing products, so I decided to try a new one! This cream is supposed to add a bit of texture as well, which my hair desperately needs.

I also picked up the Lorac Unzipped palette, but that came separately (due to realizing I had more points, and then a shipping mishap...) I'm excited to try it! Have you gotten anything awesome with Ulta's reward system?

Collective Sephora Haul

So instead of making a post for each Sephora purchase (because let's face it...there have been a few!) I decided to make a collective haul post for the past month or so. Holiday sets have come out, the Friends & Family sale went on...so let's take a look!

There are a few items not pictured here. I bought a few gifts, and some are set aside and a secret, while others are enroute to their recipients. I also got a package of Shiseido cottons (that I immediately tore into...) and a bottle of Cinema Secrets brush cleanser. I had picked up a bottle of the Sephora cleanser that is similar, but it just didn't measure up. Glad that I was able to get the Cinema Secrets again.

• Bite Beauty Best Bite Remix - Every year, Bite Beauty puts out a holiday set in a little tin. The past two years they've done sets of their High Pigment Lip Pencils (which I love!) so I was happy to see that thy switched it up for the Matte Crayons this year. There are four shades, three new and one from their general collection. I gave the Aubergine from this set to a friend, as I already had a mini. I was also happy that they didn't reincarnate Pomegranate for this set into a matte, because honestly everyone is sick and tired of Pomegranate, we all have five of them we can't unload, just stop it, Bite.
• Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Mattifying Primer - I've been in the market for a new primer, and the new-ish MUFE ones come in small sizes, so I picked up the mattifying one. I have a super mini of the smoothing primer which is nice, so I figured why not? This primer is a little difficult to spread, like the Becca Ever Matte primer. It does keep me pretty matte when paired with a non-dewy foundation. I'll be doing a full review of this in the future.
• Boscia Tsubaki Oil and Green Tea Hydrogel Masks - If you've been following me blog for any amount of time, you've probably seen a post with some Asian skincare in it. This is just me getting more masks for my hoard. I like Boscia products, but they're a little pricey (especially considering how much cheaper ordering from Korea is...) so I got these two masks to try with the coupon I had.
• Verb Volume Spray - My tried and true Alterna Bamboo spray was running out, so I decided to try something new. I haven't yet given it a test drive, but I've heard good things and I'm excited!
• Guerlain Holiday Meteorites - I have a tin of REGULAR Guerlain Meteorites that I reach for often. So since I have those, I wouldn't need these, right? Wrong. The holiday set that was released this year has mini stars in it. Also, the packaging is like a wonderful snow globe. They're quite sparkly, but I'm about that life, so I like these.
• Sephora Collection Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer - I won't lie, that is a ridiculous mouthful of a name. A friend asked me to send her one of these, so I was like of course, and I will do a little one for you, one for me while I am at it. I originally picked up shade 02 which was not good for me, at all. So I have shade 03 here to try next! I don't think it'll give my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer anything to worry about, though. This concealer is a little thin from what I've tried. I can't really judge it though, since I wasn't working with the right shade at all. I'll definitely be reviewing this once I use it more!
• Kat von D Lolita Lip Duo - This product has been teased for months, and it finally was released last week. I immediately ordered it the moment I woke up. My full size Lolita went missing months ago, and I never replaced it. (I have a mini Studded Kiss Lolita...but that is completely different.) I can't wait to try both of these, I don't remember which iteration of Lolita I originally owned. Supposedly there's going to be another release,OG Lolita, in the future. I love Kat von D's liquid lipsticks, so just sign me up.
• Bite Beauty Kir Royale 250 Point Perk - Bite Beauty did a series of 250 point perks from August-October. I wasn't interested in the first two shades, but I jumped on Kir Royale. The set includes a mini lipstick, mini gloss, and small mirror. I feel like it is perfect for the 250 point mark, as you get two makeup items and a small additional item to make up those extra 50 points. I love Bite products, so I'm happy I snagged this and I can't wait to try it!

Not too bad, all things considered. Especially as this was all spread out over the course of a couple of months! What is bad, however, is that I already have a cart going for the upcoming VIB Rouge sale! Did you pick up any holiday or limited edition items recently? 

Mini Korean Skincare Haul from RoseRoseShop

Asian skincare is my new obsession. Adding multiple steps and layering products into my routine is so much fun, and there's so many options! I recently picked up some new products from RoseRoseShop to try and integrate into my routine.

A few months ago I purchased the COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid as my first AHA. However, I'm not too sure it's getting the job done, so I picked up the highly recommended Mizon AHA 8% Peeling Serum. This is a stronger AHA, and hopefully when I start using this I'll start seeing the results I'm looking for. AHA is used to even skin texture, work on closed comedones, and help with dull skin, among other things. I'm still using the COSRX AHA I have, just to see if it benefits from the second product I bought - the COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner. This toner is a pH balancing toner, meaning its great for use before actives such as AHA and BHA. Actives need a specific pH to be most effective, and this toner will bring down the skin's pH to a level that will allow those actives to do their thing. I've been using this for a couple of weeks now, and am definitely seeing an improvement after I use my actives!

The last thing I got are the COSRX One Step Pimple Clear Pads. (If you can't tell, I'm a passenger aboard the COSRX hype train.) These pads have been likened to the Stridex pads in the red box, though the exfoliant in the COSRX pads is different. These pads use betaine salicylate, a more gentle BHA than the salicylic acid found in the Stridex pads. BHAs are great for fighting active acne, blackheads, and enlarged pores (all of which I have!)  I haven't used these yet, but am looking forward to working them in when the time comes!

If you're looking into using actives in your skincare routine, make sure you're using sunscreen as well. You should always wear a sunscreen, but active use makes the skin more susceptible to sun damage, and it'll ruin all your hard work!

I have even MORE AB skincare stuff incoming, it's all so exciting!

Sunsets and Seas Haul!

Sunsets and Seas is a new bath and body shop from Christine, the mind behind Hello Waffle Cosmetics. The grand opening is on August 28th, but Christine was nice enough to let me put in an order a few weeks early to try out the new items! They arrived with a few days to spare before the shop opening, so I wanted to post up some first impressions.

I picked up the following from the shop:

• Body Lotion (2 oz.) in Vanille
• Dry Body Oils (2 oz.) in Forever Young and Let's Go To The Orchards
• Bubble Bombs in Candied Pears and Raspberry Lemonade

And some extra goodies:

• Half of a Bubble Bomb in La Mer (which I used before taking a picture, oops.)
• Perfume Oil samples in Blush and Lace, Fleurs, For Your Dreams, Haunted Hay Ride, and Vanille

The Body Lotion in Vanille (A rich and deep vanilla. Slightly boozy yet creamy. Sweet but not at all gourmand. Divine.)  has a light sent of vanilla sugar with a hint of coconut. When I sniffed out of the bottle, it smelled just like coconut cream! I really like the lotion formula, it's not very heavy, almost liquidy. It absorbs quickly, and doesn't leave a lotion residue - you know the feeling when you apply a heavy lotion and you know it's there. I don't get that at all with this lotion. The remaining vanilla scent is very light, and lasts for a couple of hours after use.

The Bubble Bomb in La Mer (Rolling Ocean Waves, Musk, Clary Sage, Ozone, and a drop of Salty Seaweed) has a light scent to it before use. I scrubbed my tub out to give this a whirl since we were lucky enough to get a non-humid day, I was going to wait til the weather had cooled down a bit to try one. Unfortunately, it didn't bubble very much, and what bubbles did come up faded pretty quickly. However, the water was turned a very pretty light shade of blue, and had a soft ocean water scent to it.

I was super excited to give the dry body oil in Forever Young (A lovely sweet scent consisting of juicy peaches, ripe coconut, and french vanilla.) a shot, as I have heard great things about body oils. (Of course, I was too late to the game for Haunt, who supposedly made a great one!) I sprayed this on liberally and rubbed it in - the initial scent was fruity coconut, to die for! About a half hour later, the scent had faded to a nice vanilla. The scent is not overpowering at all, but is very light and pleasant. The oil absorbed completely within five minutes, and no greasy feel was left behind. My skin was nicely moisturized - not too heavy, just the way I like it.

Like I said, this post is all about first impressions. I'll probably go back and do a full review of the perfume oils I received, but here's what I'm getting from some quick sniffs of the vials:

• Blush and Lace - Light and feminine, a combination of soft florals ad fruit.
• Fleurs - White florals and a bit of earth. (Not like, dirty earth, though!)
• For Your Dreams - Bright citrus.
• Haunted Hay Ride - Leaves and smoke.
• Vanille - Vanilla bourbon.

I'm really excited about my order, especially the body oils and lotion! I'm looking forward to reviewing the scents I received more in depth as well. I'm a fan of Hello Waffle, and it's great to see Christine branching out into other items - I hope she continues to bring more offerings to Sunsets and Seas! (Whipped soaps and scrubs, fingers crossed!)

Rose Rose Shop Skincare Haul!

Remember when I posted my last big Rose Rose Shop haul and said that was the only large skincare haul I'd need this year? Well, I lied. I recently have gotten super into my new multi-step skincare routine, and wanted to add to it. I hopped on to Asian Beauty subreddit and scoured their Holy Grail thread for the summer and picked out what I thought sounded like a good fit for me. I'm hoping to incorporate these new items with the products I've always used (Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, I love you so!) along with the newer products I mentioned last month.

I ordered the Too Cool For School Pumpkin Sleeping Pack samples, which includes a set of ten. I heard this product mentioned all the time, so I wanted to give it a shot in sample form. Rose Rose Shop also included some other foil samples - I got two of each of these pictured.

I'm almost out of the Vitamin C serum I'm using (Ole Henriksen Truth Serum) so I decided to pick up the OST C20 Vitamin C Serum. It's gotten plenty of good reviews, although there are concerns about it being unstable. I figured I'd give it a shot to see if i like it. 

The Skinfood Strawberry Black Sugar Wash Off Mask supposedly smells amazing and is a great exfoliating mask. I also picked up the Skinfood Peach Sake Pore Serum as it's been described as good for oily skin.

I wanted to try a new BB cream, so I selected the Mizon Snail Recovery BB Cream based off of favorable reviews. I'm currently using a Skin79 BB cream, and I hope I like this just as much!

The Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence is something I hope to use to reduce redness in my face. There are concerns about preservatives, but I'll be storing this one in the fridge once I open it. I also hope to use the Tosowoong Propolis Sparkle Ampoule to calm my skin when it needs it. 

The COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid was bought because I'm really loving the COSRX BHA that I have right now. Hopefully, it'll help me get a jump start on any fine lines, as well as keep my skin in check come hormonal acne time. 

I got the Innisfree Green Tea Mineral Mist because why not, maybe I just want to spray my face with stuff and feel fresh.

Now on to the super fun portion of the haul - sheet masks! Each of the pictures will show one, but I bought these in multiples. Etude House sheet masks were the first ones I ever tried, and I really like them. I picked up Tea Tree, Snail, Pomegranate, and Vita Complex. The only one I haven't tried is the Vita Complex, and I'm excited to see if my face likes it!

Innisfree It's Real Squeeze Mask Sheets in both Tea Tree and Pomegranate. I really like the Etude House masks in Tea Tree and Pomegranate, so I wanted to try these. I also picked up Nature Republic Real Nature Mask Sheets in Green Tea and Royal Jelly. I read about these on an AsianBeauty thread about favorite sheet masks, and wanted to give them a try.

I struggle with large pores, so the TonyMoly I'm Real Red Wine sheet mask sounded like a perfect fit! I also got a TonyMoly Intense Care Snail Hydrogel Mask since i have yet to dive into hydrogel masks, and who doesn't love snail? Last but not least, I picked up Tosowoong Pure Sheet Masks in Propolis and Green Tea, off another suggestion thread in AsianBeauty.

I am SO excited to open all these and use them! Unfortunately it'll be a slow process, testing each one and seeing how my skin reacts. But just receiving the box and opening it was fantastic! I chose the cheaper shipping option that Rose Rose Shop offered and it was overnighted via DHL to me - the long wait for Korean orders is so agonizing, I'm glad I got to skip it! Let me know what you think, which products you want to hear more about, and if you have any suggestions for next time!