Word has it that a new trend emerged a few months ago that I apparently never heard of until recently. I know I probably tagged along with the hype a little late, but better late than never, right? We've all seen the love that surrounds BB Creams and CC Creams (waiting for that ZZ Cream to pop up... :P), so it's no surprise that scientists and dermatologists must invent new ways to continue to satisfy the cravings of beauty addicts like myself.








Introducing the new and probably the most fun makeup product I've ever used! Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB is one of the spiffiest version of BB Cream I have laid my eyes (and skin) on. The consistency is SO unique that I wonder if this jelly texture would actually make a difference in my base routine. The cool thing is that if you actually shake the bottle you can see the product "wiggling" inside. With the scooper attachment to the knob, it really is a packaging that makes it quite sanitary to use. According to the box, it says:

"Jelly BB makes moist and bouncy jelly skin. Has jelly texture that helps spread evenly and creates fully hydrated and shiny skin. It is also perfect for covering up facial blemishes. Mint water hydrates facial skin, and marine jelly complex makes soft and bouncy skin."

To be honest, I've never found a holy grail BB Cream because I think the oil control for this type of base is a huge failure. For my skin I always find myself to have a greased ball face by the end of 6 hours. I was pleasantly taken aback by how well this particular BB Cream sat on my face. Perhaps it is the jelly formula that managed to control the oil intake so well because my pores started only appearing after 10 hours of use! *Wow Factor* When you first swatch the product on the back of your hand, you'd think the glob of jelly would be quite thick. Surprisingly, it comes off as a medium-creamy texture that blends smoothly against your skin. I have no qualms whatsoever with this product, but I think it's a complete miracle worker! To effectively use it, I think a good powder to set around your T-Zone will manage to do the trick and perhaps extend the longevity of the base. I apply this with my beauty blender which I find to be more effective than the sponge it comes with. The one that is provided is a little bit too stiff for my taste when it comes to applying BB Cream. I'd say that the coverage is medium and definitely buildable to full coverage. It does a great job evening my skin tone and especially dissipating my pores.

Warning... A rather unflattering picture is about to come up!











Product(s) Rating: 5/5
Price: $15-$20 for 40 mL (approximately 1 oz)
Pros: Great oil control and coverage... Quite a fun product too!
Cons: The scooper might be difficult to use after you reach the end of the product. Not easily accessible besides on Amazon and Ebay.

The one thing about Korean cosmetics that I highly adore is the packaging. I don't know how they do it, but they do it well considering they have a huge fan base over the ages of 20! Now that I've gotten older, my preferences have changed quite a bit in terms of what I look for in cosmetics/skincare. I do try to stray from cutesy/girly packaging and veer towards sleek/clean looks such as Chanel or NARS. Of course, the inner 15 year old me still squeals in delight when I run into adorable products such as these next two:
 



Now Tony Moly is best known for their lip tints. Ever since the existence of Boys Over Flower (which populated the whole world in the Korean Drama industry) everyone's been gunning after Geum Jan Di's stained lips. I never hopped onto that band wagon as I find that particular look unflattering on me even though I do have the lip tint from the brand. Now, that doesn't mean I don't like Tony Moly overall because truthfully, I've never tried any other cosmetics from them before besides the lip tints. These two products caught my eyes immediately when I was shopping around in a local Korean shop the other day because:

1. The Pink Beam reminded me of Benefit's High Beam, but the price tag was WAY less.
2. That's a KITTY CAT shaped lipstick!!!
3. It's Tony Moly--Here's my chance to explore this brand even more.

Obviously, excitement levels were high when I took these beauts to the cash register (the lady looked at me funny too...).





Unfortunately I never had the chance to indulge in Benefit's High Beam due to the hefty price tag on it. To me, it wasn't really worth it to splurge on a cream highlighter when I have my handy dandy natural face oils to "shine" up my face. Seeing as how this was a much cheaper alternative, I decided to give a REAL highlighter a chance.

Product Rating: 4/5

This product is pretty darn amazing for what it is! I actually quite like how sheer it can be when completely blended out, or how pigmented the shimmer is when you use a light hand. It creates a rather radiant sheen on your skin and looks lovely to top off your matte foundation with. Another great thing is that it sets like a powder! This really creates a rather natural finish--ones that Korean actresses are so well known for.




Product Rating: 4.5/5

This lipstick surprised me quite a lot. I wasn't expecting a glossy finish with velvety smooth application at all, nope! I was actually thinking that when I bought it, I would regret it because as cute as the kitty packaging was, it felt really cheap. Truthfully, I didn't even try to swatch this inside the store. I grabbed it and did not think further because the only thing that captivated me was the lovable design. I daresay that I made a mistake in thinking such things because not only is the color beautiful, I love how it gives you a rather just "bitten" lip color. I sheered it out just a tad since I wanted something more casual on my lips, but if not, the color is quite pigmented enough to last for a good 3-4 hours without eating. The only woes I do have with this is that it transfers very easily since it is a glossy and creamy lipstick--the lasting power will not stay if you decide to nom on something or sip on a cup of coffee while working (been there, done that--oops!).


Here are a few photos of me wearing both the lipstick and the highlighter:

Everyone and their moms, cats, and dogs have probably heard of the infamous trend of the beauty boxes. The most recent one that's got everybody hopping on the bandwagon is from Korea called Memebox. Unlike the other monthly subscription boxes, you are not billed each month and the only updates you really get are from the email newsletters to let you know when a newly released box comes out. This really gives you the free will to buy the box that you actually like and want. Now, the negative part to it is that these Memebox gets sold out like hot cakes! So...  If you are thinking of just waiting for someone else to review it and then purchasing it afterwards, it would be too late. By the time a person writes a blog post online or video on Youtube, you wouldn't have the chance to purchase one yourself because it would be out of stock. I think this is actually a pretty great marketing technique, lol. :P Easiest way to manipulate people = get them anxious!

I decided to purchase Luckybox #1 which is supposed to contain items that were previously adored from the older Memeboxes #1-6. Since I didn't get a chance to buy the older boxes I thought this would be a great introductory set. These beauty boxes will cost between $21-23 dollars and shipping is approximately $6.99 on its own. All the items are supposed to value over $100+ and you often get more full-sized products than an average beauty box. Unfortunately I think they forgot to pack in the description card that contains the name and price of each item so I had to do quite a bit of research on my own.






Can't wait to start using these products! I was actually running out of a few skincare items and these would be great substitutes for my regime. Not only that, I used to be pretty hesitant to test out new things on my skin because I broke out really easily back in the day. Now that my face has been a little bit kinder to me, I am able to experiment on a variety of things to help it replenish itself from my Pimplegitis state! :) Perhaps new reviews coming?

One thing I generally try to do when I go to New York City is to stop by Chinatown to pick up a few Asian skincare and/or makeup products. Of course there's great substitute websites like Amazon, Ebay, and Sasa.com to do this, but being able to see the items firsthand is usually a lot more enthralling than gazing at a laptop screen. Also, it's nice because when I shop in person, I usually spend less... lol. Buying things online is a dangerous thing you guys. That "Add to Cart" button always gets the best of me. :(



Unfortunately I cannot read Japanese, but based on my online research, this line of foaming face wash has different types that target a variety of skin care problems. I apologize as I am not sure which one I chose. I fell culprit to the pink pump, lol.

When you shake the bottle, you'll hear the content slushing inside which means that it's more water-based. I love to use this as my morning face wash as it is very light and gentle enough to clean off any dirt that clung onto my pores in the middle of the night. It's often recommended by skin care experts to not to use abrasive products both morning and night. This foaming face wash is absolutely perfect for following such a rule! It doesn't leave my skin dry, but just clean like a baby's bottom for me to proceed with my everyday makeup routine. To be honest, I'm not sure what else to rave when it comes to this product as I think facial cleansers either work or they don't.