Seoul: first shopping GETS! ;D

Since this is a  cosmetics / skin care blog, I want to show some random cosmetics I got so far! ^^* I got more, but I think I will post skin care separately. Yesterday I went to Myeong-dong with my bff Mimi and got some stuff! 

Below, the Time Revolution serum from Missha, this is a sample size bottle and it`s normally 9,000 won, but it was on promotion and I got it for only 3,000 won! It is advertised as competition to Estee Lauder night repair serum! ^^*  

Next, Neon Tint Gloss from Missha - it is rather see through on its own, but on lips it changes color - different for everyone, depending on your PH and some other stuff, IDK. XD This one becomes patel pink on me, but it`s still transparent and jelly like, non-sticky and overall great, I like it and will get other colors. :D  I was also surprised by how long it lasts!

Last one, Holika Holika (doesn`t the brand image and even the name remind you of some other brand? *cough*majolica majorca*cough*) mascara - my friend said it`s very popular recently, so I got it in "volume" option. It has a special wand, first you are supposed to apply mascara to all lashes with the slim part, them add more volume and decide direction on each lash separately, depending on where you want to accentuate and so on. It is easier to use that I expected and gives really nice volume. Recently I was using some old Rimmel mascara and started thinking I have short & weak lashes, but it was just the mascara`s fault! XD Of course my lashes might be tiny and weak, but with right mascara, they seem longs and thick. XD No more old & bad Rimmel mascara, sayounara~ :P 

Next, a cool brand "Too cool for school" (the websote is crazy scary tho :OOO), which is funny as I work as a teacher now. XDD Bad influence, have you seen the Cameron Diaz movie Bad Teacher? I loved it TBH, lol. Anyways, I got compact powder and glitter eyeliner and all the rest are samples and I even got a free eyebrow / eyeliner fixer. :O Other sample include face wash, face scrub, lotion, toner, cream, primer and bb cream. :OOO So I can basically do my whole skin care / base make routine with the sample, I loooove customer service in Korea! :DD Actually I used the primer and bb cream today and I really like the bb cream!! I think I might get it in regular size packaging. :3

The shop staff girls were wearing really strong and crazy make-up, orange, pink and purple and exxagerated elongated eyeliner with glitter on top - they also had circle lens and long brown hair with some curl, I felt like a gyaru brand store and I loved it! :D Definitely a different style than most korean cosmetic brands. This is the glitter eyeliner. I haven`t used it yet so can`t say much about it, but it looked great on shop staff.

And this is the powder! I got it for the container mostly, soooooooooooooo adorable!! :D

So, I`ll post more and I buy more, I`ll do some travel reports too and swatches / reviews later.

Have a great day! ^^*

review: Missh Oriental Herbs BB cream (aka Choboyan BB cream)

first of all...

PLEASE HELP JAPAN!!

But.... even though my heart is breaking.... we have to go on with our lives too... 

to offer some distraction, here is my BB cream review. 

Here comes the review for a great bb cream which is known under a couple different names:

☆彡 Missha Oriental Herbs BB cream

☆彡 Oriental Herb Medicine Gold Care BB Cream

☆彡 Missha 美思 (misa) BB cream

☆彡 미사(美思) 초보양(超補養) 금설 비비진(眞)크림 SPF30/PA++

(Which reads Misa, Choboyan (ultra nourishing) BB cream)

You can officially see it here on the official Missha website (korean), or their japanese website (mm, I want the whole series...) or Missha USA website. I bought mine from ebay, from this eBay seller, and they have a nice description in english, that says:

"Missha Oriental Herbs BB cream is full of great ingredients to protect and nourish your skin.

This anti-wrinkle, whitening and sun blosk (SPF 30 PA++) BB cream has also several "anti" features: anti-aging, anti-trouble (patented) and anti-oxydation (patented) thanks to its quality ingredients like wild ginseng, gold powder, antlers extract and a wide array of oriental herbs."

And there is an ingredients list on the american Missha site that lists ingredients as follows:

"Water, Titanium Dioxide, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Dimethicone, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Arbutin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Calcium Stearate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Magnesium Sulfate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Diisostearyl Malate, Talc, Iron Oxides, Beeswax, Iron Oxides, Iron Oxides, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butylparaben, Cordyceps Sinensis Extract, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Fruit Extract, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Fragrance, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, riethoxycaprylylsilane, Dimethicone/Methicone Copolymer, Propylene Carbonate, Adenosine, Asparagus Lucidus Root Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Tussilago Farfara (Coltsfoot) Flower Extract, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Bletilla Striata Root Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract, Cynanchum Wifordi Root Extract, Lycium Chinense Root Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Allium Sativum (Garlic) Bulb Extract, Asparagus Cochinchinensis Root Extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Cnidium Officinale Root Extract, Coptis Chinensis Root Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Poria Cocos Extract, Schizandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Silica, Terminalia Chebula Fruit Extract, Gold"

Phew! Long list! 

Anyway, if you think BB creams are a natural wonder, you are fooling yourself. There are silicones and parabens and other such ingredients, shunned by natural cosmetics fans. But they are there for a reason! They keep the cosmetic freash and help make your skin look great! All the ingredients in bold are good for skin of special added extracts - as far as I know, but I'm no chemist. I never had any skin problems from using it, I was using it when I had acne and was going through a harsh acne treatment that made my skin super dry, and this was the only thing that looked good on my skin! (*^^*)Thank you Oriental Herbs BB cream!!

Well, I also wrote a review about it here, you can also read it, I still agree with what I wrote there. But, I thought I want to write another one with photos and swatches! This BB cream was also popular in gyaru magazines, shown here used by Kumikki in Popteen (tumblr)! :) It says she applies a thin layer of this BB cream, adds concealer under eyes and powder and that's it, for natural-mori and baby skin! 

Also another page (tumblr) from Popteen with Kumikki saying she uses this cream as foundation:

So Kumikki`s base makeup is just this bb cream, concealer and powder. ^^*

Here is my review (again) and swatches!

The packaging is very pretty and looks not-cheap. 

I am using color #01, lighter beige. which is better for cold skin tones - if you are MAC NC 15-20-25 or lighter, you can use this. There is one more color, #02, which is warmer and a little bit darker, I think it would be suitable for warm, NW skintones. 

(=・ェ・=) The cream on my hand. It looks solid and light beige with yellow undertones.

I also have some green veins and red scratches (courtesy of: my cat) on my hand to demonstrate to covering power. ;)

(=・ェ・=) This is a big amount of the bb cream freshly spread evenly on half of my hand. In direct sunlight. Still fresh, so it looks more shiny. As you can see it covers redness and green veins too, it has a good covering power, but it looks natural. But I still suggest using concealer under this cream if you have bad blemishes or dark eye circles. (BUT PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, THAT'S A RATHER THICK LAYER, OK?)

(=・ェ・=) After a short while, the BB cream settles and gets more matte. I would say it has a half matte finish, definitely more matte than most BB creams! It has a very healthy looking finish, natural, bright, etc.  

(=・ェ・=) And the bb cream in sunlight and shadow. You can see it is a little bit dewy and covers everything well~

(BUT PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, THAT'S A RATHER THICK LAYER, OK?) It can be applied thinner :D

So OVERALL, this BB cream has tons of ingredients that are supposed to be good for your skin & I never had a strange skin reaction to it! It is not drying and does not change color throughout the day. I use concealer --> BB cream --> powder (either Missha loose powder or MAC Skinfinish Natural) and I am happy with how my skin looks when I come back home - I just take off some oil from t-zone and powder it maybe 2 times thru the day and it looks good.  About the oil control - BB creams are known for not having too much oil control. This one has better oil control than most bb creams I tried, but if you have oily skin/t-zone, you will need extra mattyfing help, OK?  :) This BB cream is definitely on the expensive side, but it is worth it in my opinion. (Around 30$ from eBay). I really recommend you try this BB cream, if you want to try BB creams, but don't want coverage that's too sheer - this BB cream can be applied very thinly and super natural looking too, but if you need more coverage, it will also work great! (・∇・)ノ

I really really like this BB cream, much more than Perfect Cover BB Cream! <333

And a FOTD with this MAC Prolongwear concealer + BB cream + Missha loose powder.

I am wearing MAC Morange and B&C lipgloss on my lips and Woodwinked on my eyes (on a paint pot) and Dainty blush. Simple work makeup... with a bright touch from the lipstick! :D

(。・_・。)ノバイビー

Feb/March Favorites and HELP JAPAN

Hello everybody! I hope you safe in your houses with your families... not all of us are so blessed...
I am still in shock after watching the NHK news and seeing the terrible tragedy that struck Japan! My thoughts are with the people in eastern Japan, where the tsunami was the worst. Please go to http://www.redcross.org/ and donate!!!
Just Hungry Blog: Other Ways to Help
Tokyo may be doing all right, but the situation in Tohoku region is tragic!! (T___T) So many people lost their homes, whole cities are wipes off the earth by tsunami waves... You can watch the latest (and not distorted by unprofessional foreign journalists) news here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nhk-gtv (NHK live news)

poster from: http://blog.signalnoise.com/2011/03/11/help-japan/

(This is an amazing, moving poster btw!)

But, even though I feel so bad for Japan and my friends who are there, there is not much else I can from where I am now, than watch the news and send money. Lets hope the situation gets better for all the earthquake\tsunami victims soon! (I won`t pray, cause I`m not a religious person & I also advice you to, instead of praying, send some money!!!)

I decided to make a post today, so I can take my mind off the shocking news... Too much stress is bad! Please relax also! ...so, in this spirit, here are my february and march favorites:

1. The Body Shop - Body, room and linen scent (green tea and lemon)

The smell is really lovely~ Just a couple pushes and the whole place smells lovely! I also spray it inside my closet and before guests arrive - the smell is not too strong or fake, I really recommend it!! I also got the aroma oil from the same scent line. I smelled the other scents, but this one was the best IMO. Also, last time I went to Body Shop, it was sold out. Popular!

2. IWOSTIN point care anti-acne gel & after acne treatment moisturising cream. (links in english)

Iwostin is a polish brand, similar to Avene I`d say, only available in pharmacy. They also use thermal water from a local source and make specialized skin care cosmetics, also for delicate and troubled skin. I like the point gel so far, and the moisturising cream is really great! Moisturising and my skin absorbs it fast, but it is not fat! I will definitely get more cosmetics from this series!

3. Missha Oriental Herbs BB cream (also knows as Choboyan BB cream)

This is a repurchase and I really like this bb cream!!! I did a short review post on it a long time ago and it is one of the most popular entries on my blog! I will be definitely doing another review with color comparison photos and so on. :)

4. B&C Makemania lipgloss

I got it on sale from AdamBeauty (recommended!) and I really love it over red or pink lip colors or even on its own! Usually I am a glittery lipgloss fan, and this has no glitters or sparkles, just silicone-y "smooth" shine, but I like it a lot and apply it a couple time a day!

5. MAC lipstick in Morange (finish: amplified)

I saw it in JJ (or Vivi, I don`t remember), Matsumoto Ena said she uses it and since I had some MAC empty boxes around, I gathered them, took 6 and went to MAC to do the BACK2MAC program and got it for free! :D The color is suuuper intensive, I think it is best smudged out with a finger and definitely with gloss over it, the Makemania lipgloss works great! I do not feel too good in red lipstick, but this orange-red is much more wearable and such a happy, energetic spring color! I will be wearing it a lot this spring and summer! :D Also when I was getting it, the store makeup artist said he just got a "orange lipstick for photoshoot" request from a fashion magazine and send that color. Ena wears it, stylists want it, I got it, get it too! ;D

6. HadaNomi (肌飲み濃ミスト) Rich Collagen Mist (from SANA)

I got it from AdamBeauty too, just because I was curious and you know, I think "got to moisturise, got to moisturise!!!" all the time XD). I got it, and THEN I got home and went to read the cosme.net reviews on it! XD Some peopl wrote they use it as a lotion, after washing face and before applying milk and cream and makeup, so I tried that, I really like that way of using it! After washing my face with Kanebo Blanchir Suprior cream soap (which I also super duper love and I think it helped with my recent acne problems!!! :D), I spray a couple pumps of this mist on my face and neck and massage gently and pat it into my skin. Then I go on with my regular skincare and makeup routine and when I finish makeup, I spray one pump of this on my face. It is cheap, is non comatogenic (won`t block your pores) and smells nice, I will be using it a lot. Repurchase - I`m not sure yet. 

So, those are my favorites, I also loove love love KANEBO Blanchir Superior whitening skincare line, I am def. buying the big size Cream Soap, and hopefully sheet masks and lotion, but I`ll try to make a separate post about that. 

And to finish this post, a page from latest Vivi issue that I just can`t stop looking at, loooove trench coats!!! I got one from Bershka recently, but it is not perfect, I am still looking! Bye bye! And let`s donate to help Japan!!

Super cute spring style trench coats!! Want them all! XD

Got presents! And some FOTDs! And SNOW!

I spend this weekend in a slow and relaxed way. First I went to work - because I work mon-fri and also have another job on wednesday evenings and on SATURDAYS every week... (haa... I truly must love working... =_=') Then I went to a biiiig shopping center in Warsaw to buy a winter jacket and 2 pairs of comfortable flat boots and then my parents who met me there took me home with them, to my hometown, where I spent the whole Sunday too. I bought a ZARA winter down jacket and I did well - just as we were leaving the shopping ceter, it was starting to snow like crazy and now all Warsaw is completely covered with snow - it looks so pretty!

FOTD #1.

Since I was spending a slow sunday at home, my makeup is minimal. Usually I don't even wear makeup at home, but we were going grocery shopping and for a walk, cream and makeup keeps my skin safe from the cold. I used a sample of MAC's Pro Long Wear Foundation in NC20, I am wondering whether I should buy it, I am running out of foundation... Also only eyeliner and mascara. Anway, here you can also see how GEO ANGEL BLUE lenses look in different light! 

Overall, in flash photos, they look unnatural, but in artificial light like... office or any other place that does not have super bright lights (think cosmetics store), but regular lights, they look pretty dark and not that unnatural. Unless you look really close, which most people don't... (O_o)

Oh, also Dazzleglass in Sugarrimed on my lips.

So, that's GEO ANGEL BLUE! Super comfortable btw, my full review is here!

Also, my coworker came back from Korea and gave me my omiyage I asked for, Missha Deep Cleansing Oil! <3333 I looooove this oil! Also I really love removing my makeup with cleansing oils and then just to be sure my makeup is off and my face is clean I double wash it (with La Roche-Possay EFFACLAR cleansing gel). I think removing makeup is sooo super important and also removing bb creams, since they have so much silicones and all that not really great stuff in then, sometimes regular makeup removers don't cut it! So I really recommend using makeup removing oil, this one from Missha is VERY good, smells lovely too! 

I want to get Shu Uemura cleansing oil, but they are soo expensive... Already bought boots and jacket and ahve to buy some presents... maybe next month... (=_=')

Also - got a failed Xmas present already!!! XD

By failed I don't mean the present is bad... it was supposed to be under the Xmas tree for me, from my younger sister, but.. she failed!I didn't even know what she bought for me, but when I went home on Sunday she said "don't bother me, go to my room and just wait there for me!" when I wanted sth from her. So I did, I st by her desk, went online ,got bored, and there in the middle of her desk was this lovely OPI 2 nail polishes and glittery bronzer set! I though "Oooh, pretty!" and looked at it. Then she came into the room and she went a bit mad - at herself mostly - because turns out it was the present for me! XDDD What fail... I'm sorry sister, but I did nothing wring in this situation! 

Anyway, I took it home since I already know... I will put it under the Xmas tree anyway... lol

SHOW IT AND GLOW IT and LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU (a lovely deep cherry rep with fine red glitter)

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And to finish this entru, my FOTD today!

I used MAC Woodwinked eyeshadow and I also am wearing Geo Angel Blue circle lens again. Here are photos without and with circle lens. My hair cut is terrible and has NO VOLUME (T_T) So sad... but in the morning leaving for work I don't really have time to do much styling, what should I do? I was thinking about gettinghot curlers!

Cheeks: MAC Dainty

Lips: MAC Peachstock

Eyes: Visee A-2 palette glitter and MAC Woodwinked EYEBROWS: KATE palette

Lashes: Kanebo SENSAI 38 mascara (hand em down from older sister, I love how watrproof it is)

Face: Missha Perfect Cover BB cream mixed with REVLON Photo Ready foundation, finished with MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural (#medium)

And some pics of all the lovely snow here, today leaving for work:

And from my home town, Sunday.

How pretty.... <33333

tempting products: Flourish Bath & Body / FOTD

Just a quickie post so I don`t forget and share with You guys. I jsut saw this delicious looking bath products and skin care cosmetics brand from Etsy.com! I found it through this polish beauty blogger Polish makeup bag , in this post here! The brand, Flourish Bath & Body seems to be a small private soap brand originally started at Etsy, by someone called Brooke. There a lot of natural moisturising ingredients in her products and the colors are so cute and the packaging is suitable for a present, as it is. So adorable! Some products that caught my eye are:

Flourish Sugar Cube Body Scrub, 9usd. "Smoothing, exfoliating scrub in easy to use single serving cubes". 

PINK SUGAR SCRUB IN CUBES, omg, wantwantwant! 8D It looks so delicious too~

Flourish Asian Pear Lip Balm, 3,50usd

Actually all the lip balms look delicious, I want to try some soon! <33 

Flourish Vanilla Mint Lip Balm, 3,50usd

I imagine this smells wonderful <33

Set of 4 mini soaps, 6usd

Woodsmoke & Vanilla Shea Butter Soap, 5,50usd

Berry Lemonade Soap with Shea Butter and Blueberry Seeds, 5,50usd

looks soooo delicioussss....

So, mostly it is a small, home made soap shop, but what tempted me the most is the sugar scrubs and lip balms! I will definitely try to order some in near future. Do you like handmade soaps? What are your favourite bath products? Honestly I usually use things like DOVE or Nivea bath products, but using great looking, great smelling things like that is much more fun... Oh how I wish we had a LUSH store in Poland! (;_;*) Anyone tried this brand maybe? 

Anyway, have a great weekend and a great bath :)

PS. I love how we can buy everything from all over the world through internet. Internet, ILU. ;D


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Also, here`s a FOTD from yesterday, first friday if July! I felt like a bold lip and I use my Obsessive Compulsive lip tar, I mixed two colors that I have, anime and hush to get this:

 

I got a huge smile and an approving nod from some woman on the train in the morning. xD

The flash make my face look so light, but it just looks natural in normal light, also the sun screens in Missha bb cream make the skin look whiter in photos, so please disregard that. ^^

ebay shopping: Missha Perfect BB Deep Cleansing Oil!

Another nice thing came in the mail~ Finally I repurchased my favourite makeup remover - Missha cleansing oil! It just feels so soft and fresh on skin, smells wonderful, so fruity and good but not too strong (like grapefruits?). It removes my makeup perfectly, even bb cream, eyeliner, all kinds of mascaras and I can massage my face while I clean it. :) After this oil I use the Hadalabo Gokujun face wash I got recently, or some other face wash. ^^* W-washing! 

I got some Missha samples and a cute letter from the eBay seller, I got it from Bello-girl @ eBay. She warned me the shipping might take longer because of the trouble cause by the volcanic ash over Europe, but it got here in about a week. The service was very good and I am happy I could finally get my cleansing oil... Honestly, the two things I like most about makeup is applying it and removing it. xDD Wearing it is like a bonus, applying and removing is the real fun. And then skincare~ <3

So yeah, if you are looking for a new, good thing to remove your makeup, I definitely recommend this Missha oil!! <33 I love it and  it`s a repurchase for me. ^^* What do you use to remove makeup now?? *curious*

Saturday at work was unexpectedly tough for many reasons, mainly the 6th day at work in a week and other stuff. After talking to people for 5h, my tongue just started boycotting me and I couldn`t talk. Taking it slow today though. Made a spinach & blue cheese pasta. Tried to get some tan on my legs (with filters!). And just trying to relax more...

review: Missha Misa 美思 Choboyan deep relaxing ginseng cream

My cream arrived and here are some photos of it! 

The packaging and the extra present are genius, I can`t force myself to throw out the box... xD

Here`s everything that comes with the cream, Choboyan toner with gold and lotion, and serum, on the far right. I am currently using all of those along with my Hadalabo lotion and toner and hialuronic acid and my skin is soooo happy! I have to warn you though - this is NOT a cream for anyone with even a tiny bit oily skin - this is for people with very dry, tired skin. If you feel like your skin is being pulled even when you moisturise it well and your skin never gets oily or shiny, you should try this. Maybe people with normal skin could try this at night. It`s supposed to do "practically everything", like most Missha products, but I think of it as the relaxing, nourishing (sooo many patented ingredients and herbs in it!) and deeply moisturising cream. I love it!

There is also a little thing for scooping the cream.

The packaging is sooo pretty and looking cute and gorgeous! <3333

There are golden pieces in the cream.

The cream is very very thick and hard, definitely not watery, like wax. It is easy to apply after warming with fingertips though, goes on smooth, like lip butter. It seems a bit shiny, hmmmm... maybe has a little bit of oil like shine, when you apply it, so I was worried whether I can use it in the morning, but I have really dry skin and when I put makeup on, the shine doesn`t even show, my skin just looks really healthy and natural. Not super matte and dry, just dewy and happy :D

And this is what the toner looks like - it really has golden pieces inside and it smells like herbs (but I like it). I really like this whole series! Ahh, too bad it`s so hard to get! The american Missha website doesn`t carry this line (why??) and it`s not available on eBay neither. Poop! Lucky me to have good friends in Korea :o I want to continue buying Missha, their korean website should ship worldwide!Missha ILU, but become more availlable!

I also got some extras, including the new Missha Real Complete bb cream, that cl2425 did a review of! It really is very watery and very pink, I thought it would be more sheer, but it actually gave a nice medium coverage and looked good on skin. But I am rather happy with my Missha Oriental Herbs bb cream, so I will be skipping Real Complete bb cream. BTW, their bb cream names are ridiculous. xD What will the next one be called? Super Honestly This One Is Perfect bb cream?? xDD I need to try out the other samples yet!

I also bought some great INGLOT nail polish, but I will make a separate entry for that! :D