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.

Over the past two or three months I have been holding myself back by avoiding lip products whenever I bypass a makeup counter. That task becomes nearly impossible when I find myself floating around MAC Cosmetics stores. Still, I think I behaved fairly well! *Pats self on back* Out of the 10 or so visits I have made at the mall, I've only walked out with 4 MAC lipsticks total. I thought that these 4 new loves would be enough to show in a small and quick post. MAC lipsticks have always been one of my top favorite makeup items in my collection. From its soft creamy formula to its delicious vanilla scent, these darlings can do you no wrong. Not to mention, MAC lipsticks were one of the first makeup products I bought back in the day so it was a bit nostalgic when I held one of these tubes. My collection is growing slowly, but surely growing. Out of the these 4 lipsticks, there are two that I am completely thrill to add to my stash, but 2 that I tend to stray from.





Colors swatched from left to right: Twig, Vegas Volt, Viva Glam Nicki, and Sunny Seoul.

• Twig (Satin) is a terrible shade for my skin tone. I have no idea what I was thinking when I walked out of MAC with this color, but whenever I wear it, the shade tends to lean more browny-nude than the rose nude that is seen in the bullet. I was hoping that this would fit me moreso during the summer season when I am more tan. Right now, I am as pale as a ghost so wearing this just darkens my complexion to an ashy-tone yellow which is quite unflattering. Overall though, as any MAC lipstick, this went on beautifully. Product Rating: 3.5/5

• Vegas Volt (Amplified) is an orange-toned red that reminds me of the orange-trend that Korean actresses were so into last summer. I think it's an extremely fun color to wear for Spring and I've actually been wearing it out whenever I have on my more natural makeup days. This really makes your face vibrant and gives it a little needed color to a bland face. Product Rating: 4/5

• Viva Glam Nicki (Satin) is so so so bold that I am too chicken to wear it out in public. Like Twig, the formula is very nice. I find myself really starting to become a big fan of MAC's satin formula after using these two. Ignore how messy I put this lipstick on in the picture... It almost looks like I colored out of the lines, lol. As it is such an intensely pigmented lipstick, be sure to apply it with a lip brush instead of straight from the tube. Product Rating: 4/5

• Sunny Seoul (Cremesheen) is probably my must have and go-to for the past two weeks or so. I love this color as it is quite sheer, but very buildable. It is a great color to wear for the spring and summer time as it is a light pink which is a safe color to wear for any occasion. Product Rating: 5/5

I am a self-proclaimed smell-aholic. Yes, I am one of those freaks that loves lingering next to the washing machine after doing my laundry and sniffing the hell out of my newly washed clothes. There's something very oddly calming about taking a good whiff of a delightful scent. I just basically have a nose of a dog... -_-. Anyways, I recently took a small trip to Saks Fifth Avenue the other day and spotted the Jo Malone counter. Rather, my nose actually smelt something beautiful and I suddenly felt my body float and then it drifting towards the spot that just happened to be that counter.

The two scents I picked up: Blackberry & Bay and English Pear & Freesia.





Now Jo Malone was never on my hit list until these past 2-3 months. It's either I've been watching too much Youtube or I've just been craving to add more diverse scents into my collection (perhaps a little bit both). My current perfume collection centers around rather floral and sweet scents (example: Marc Jacobs' Honey or Chanel's Chance) so I thought a change was very very necessary. Both of these colognes (not for men only, FYI) are brilliantly blended in certain notes that work so well together to create one of the best fruity scents to have graced my nostrils. I decided to go for something rather fruity because I do not have anything like these two beauties in my life. It's also a plus that these bottles are not over the top like a few perfume designs. These would be great centerpieces as decorations for your bookshelf if you are going for a minimalistic approach. Based on the Jo Malone's website, these are the cologne descriptions:

• English Pear & Freesia - The essence of autumn. The sensuous freshness of just-ripe pears is wrapped in a bouquet of white freesias, and mellowed by amber, patchouli and woods. Luscious and go…
• Notes: King William pear, freesia, and patchouli (no idea what the hell this is!)
• Blackberry & Bay - Childhood memories of blackberry picking...A burst of deep, tart blackberry juice, blending with the freshness of just-gathered bay and brambly woods. Vibrant and verdant.
• Notes: Blackberry, bay leaves, and cedarwood

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: