July Sephora Play! Box

I'm starting to really look forward to this each month! July's theme is "effortless" - Sephora's choice of "warm weather essentials." This month had two separate boxes, one for dry/normal skin and one for oily/combination skin. I received the oily/combo skin box. The dry/normal box has a Benefit Hoola liquid, a regular First Aid Beauty cleanser, and the regular Smashbox Photo Finish primer. All of the other products are the same between the two boxes.

Etude House I Need You vs. 02 Therapy Air Tea Tree Sheet Masks

Etude House I Need You sheet masks were the very first Asian beauty item I ever tried. I ordered a set of three hyaluronic acid masks from RoseRoseShop, and the rest was history. I really liked the I Need You masks, they came in a ton of flavors, they worked well for me, and the fit was nice. But then they were discontinued. I was so upset, but at least Etude House was releasing a new line of masks, right? I ordered some of the new masks from Jolse (Tea Tree and Pomegranate, two of my top ones from the old line) and I happened to get a Tea Tree I Need You mask as a bonus gift. I decided to compare the old one to the new one to see if the new line measures up!

June 2016 Favorites!

Summer is now in full swing and I'm not enjoying it! This month's favorites are a lot of products that help me out during the warmer, more humid months. (At least this month I'm not super late!)

L'Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion - I'm actually on my second one of these! I really like the cushion formula, I find it to be a little different than the regular Lumi foundation. I apply this with my trusty beautyblender, I don't really like the puff that this comes with. This has light coverage that's good to cover minor imperfections, but it can be layered for more coverage. Paired with powder, this lasts through my commute and a day in the air conditioned office.

bumble and bumble Don't Blow It - This came in my June Play! box and I've really been enjoying it! I shower a lot due to working out once or twice a day (I get REALLY sweaty so hair must be rinsed at the very least!) and when I can't be bothered with my hair, I've been putting this in. My hair gets a little more volume and a tiny bit of texture, so it's great for on the go. I'm considering a full size, but I have a tiny bit left of my mini.

Givenchy Mister Mat primer - I've tried a lot of mattifying primers, and this is by far my favorite formula. It has that silicone-y feel to it, but it actually smooths onto the skin and doesn't ball up or create primed patches on the face, letting foundation stick to those parts more. I pair this with the Lumi cushion to get some decent wear out of the dewier formula. I do get a little shiny throughout the day when using this, but not shiny enough to have to blot.

Biore Aqua Rich Watery Essence sunscreen - No matter what else I try, I come back to this. It sinks in quickly, no white cast, and dries matte! I wear sunscreen year round under my makeup, but I definitely rely on this in the summer as I sometimes don't use any face makeup when I'm going to be outside, and this doubles as a bit of a mattifying primer. I have yet to get a burn on my face while wearing this, I can't recommend it enough!

eos hand lotion - I won't lie, this was a cheap item to try and make the free shipping threshold for an Ulta order. I needed a hand cream, I needed to make shipping, it was a match made in heaven! Even better, I'm really liking this! I wash my hands a lot at work, so I keep this in my bag to save my hands from becoming dry and cracked. The lotion is light and absorbs quickly, and doesn't leave behind a greasy feel. The scent is also super fresh, but fades quickly. I have a feeling I'll be picking up another one of these!

I hope your summer is going well - lots of fun and no sunburns! Remember to always wear sunscreen even if you're wearing makeup with SPF in it - chances are you're not using enough makeup for adequate coverage (you need 1/4 of a teaspoon.) Let me know what products you're loving so far this summer!

Palette Comparison - ABH Modern Renaissance, MUR Newtrals vs. Neutrals, Lime Crime Venus

I recently bought the new Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette, and I'm really liking it! I wanted to compare it to a couple of similar palettes I have in my collection - the Makeup Revolution Newtrals vs. Neutrals palette, and the Lime Crime Venus palette. There are a few similarities between the three, so you may not need all of them (but no judgement if you do...) Prepare for a lot of pictures!

June Sephora Play! Box

Another month, another box! I've been getting Sephora's Play! beauty box for a few months now, but I started reviewing them with my May box. Sephora used to ship out the boxes near the end of the month after billing on the 4th or so, but the last couple of months they've shipped out a bit earlier. I received mine on June 17th!

This month's theme is "The Minimalists," focusing on emphasizing "less is more." For the start of summer, it's definitely better to wear less than have more makeup melt off your face in the humidity! I'm actually excited about a couple of this month's products, and disappointed by a couple of others.

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!

May 2016 Favorites!

Another month, another set of favorites! Late, as usual, because I really am the worst.

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray - I picked up the travel size bottle when I went to Texas in April to try and combat the heat and humidity. Now that's also hot and humid at home, I've been using this over De-Slick pretty much daily. My makeup isn't melting off my face halfway through the day (or rather, as soon as I get into my sunbaked car...) so I think this stuff really works! I'm not an all night partier, so I don't know how true the all nighter claim is, but the setting claim certainly is true!

Urban Decay Naked Skin One and Done  - Two months in a row! This sits so light on the skin, making it perfect for summer weather. I've found that it applies best on its own (it has SPF but not enough for sun protection since you aren't loading it on) or over sunscreen that has had 15 minutes to sink into the skin. I've applied this with my fingers and with a beauty blender, and I like the finish for both. I don't always pair this with a primer, since it's supposed to be an all in one product, but I do need a concealer with it for anything needing more coverage.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone - Another travel size! To be honest, the regular size is such a massive bottle of highlighter that is seems unnecessary, so I was happy Becca released Moonstone in this smaller size. (I have a full size of Pearl, going strong for over a year...) This liquid highlighter goes on sheer and can be built up to fulfill your disco ball dreams. It sinks into the skin making it look more natural than a powder highlight, and it also doesn't emphasize my skin texture as much. I've worn this with no base products, just a few taps onto the high points of my face for a natural glow.

Givenchy Mister Mat Primer - I liked this when I initially bought it, then I fell out of love, and recently I've picked it up again! I found that the key to using this primer is to really wait at least 15 minutes after my sunscreen has been applied to make sure there's no pilling of product when I apply. That, and doing more patting than rubbing into the face makes this work really well. I definitely notice that my face looks less greasy over the course of the day when I use this. Unfortunately, it's a little expensive for a primer ($38!) so it may have to wait for a sale should I decide to repurchase.

Sixteen92 Lolita EdP - (Full review here!) I'm one of those people who takes too long on their eyeliner or false lashes in the morning, so when it comes time to select a scent, I get overwhelmed. I've been grabbing Lolita lately, because it's so easy to just spritz on as well as being super fruity and summery! I really do love my EdP Lolita over the perfume oil, it lasts so much longer and seems much brighter over the course of the day.

If you haven't noticed, waiting 15 minutes after you apply your sunscreen before applying your makeup is a real game changer! Even something as fast absorbing as the Biore Watery Essence that I use can really benefit from some time to sink in. What have you been loving lately?