Weekly Reads #46: January 26, 2012

Happy Chinese New Year to everyone that celebrates it! I hope that the year of the dragon will bring you lots of happiness!

• Strange things that beauty bloggers do, via Beautyholics Anonymous. I'm guilty of several on this list!
• How to curl your hair using a hairband, via Mayaari. VERY interesting technique! I love to wear my hair curly but I hate using a hair iron!
• What to wear for a hospital vigil, via Wardrobe Oxygen. Although I hope you never have to face a situation like this, these are really good tips to know. BEST wishes to Allie's sister, who just had major surgery!
• You too can look perfect, via Youtube. "My skin feels like plastic!" Hilarious!!
• Bread soup, via Simply Recipes. This looks soooo good to try on freezing cold days!

xoxo, K

Review: Nanoce BB Sorbet - a sherbet-like BB cream

This is a review of the Nanoce BB Sorbet. This was a gift from Yuming from Beauty Box when we met up in November. The shade I received was #2 Natural Ochre, the darker of the two shades.

What it does: (From ishizawa-lab.co.jp, the makers of this product. Translated by me)
Like a sherbet! This cooling BB foundation will tighten your pores, and prevent makeup from melting in the summer. 

Yuming has a detailed post on how to use this product. It comes with a sponge, which you spray the product onto and use to apply to your face.


Price: 1890 JPY, about $25. This may sound expensive to you, but this is a pretty normal price range for a drugstore foundation in Japan. For reference, Revlon Color Stay liquid foundation is 2100 JPY (=$27) in Japan, compared to $8-10 in the US.

Pros:

• The coolness of the product was very interesting
• Good for those who want sheer to medium coverage

Cons:

• I still needed a concealer with this product
• This product stayed "wet" forever and never set on my face. Hence, it transferred a lot (Interestingly, Yasumi felt it was too dry for her).

Note: To avoid the sponge from absorbing too much of the product, I would dampen it with water first.

Would I repurchase: Unfortunately, this did not work for me. It was just too moist and made me overly conscious about transfer. I will continue to try to make it work, since the "sherbet" was a very interesting concept!

I'm really curious why this product did not set on my face, while it was too dry for Yasumi. This goes to show you that the same product may work differently on different people!

Hope you enjoyed this review!

xoxo, K

Weekly Reads #45: January 20, 2012

• 2011 Cheapie Awards, via Nouveau Cheap.  I love how everything is under $10, and I'll be sure to pick up some of these when I go to New York in the spring!
• Beauty tips for job interviews, via Pink Sith. Totally useful!
• Allie's Kitchen, via Wardrobe Oxygen.  I love seeing what other people's homes are like!
• Chocolate chip monkey bread, via Macheesmo. I am seriously considering buying a Kitchen Aid mixer for this purpose!

 Hope you enjoy the links!

xoxo, K

Review: MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator - one of the most hyped MAC products

This is a review for the MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. This was released as part of the Style Black collection in the summer of 2009. I have reviewed it here in case it is rereleased in the future. 

What it does: (from Nordstrom.com)
A highly effective, dual-purpose foaming, cleansing and exfoliating scrub blending natural volcanic ash with fine sugar crystals. Refines and unclogs the skin, adds instant moisture, leaves skin feeling soft and comfortably clean. Mineral-rich. May be used effectively on any part of face or body. Rinses off with warm water. 
Pink Sith has a very detailed breakdown of the ingredients and what they do.

Price: $19.50/3.4 oz. This product was originally released in 2008, but the 2009 version has a different formula and the container/size/cost is different.

Scent: smells like charcoal. I really appreciate that MAC didn't give this product a "fake" scent.

Pros:

• Exfoliates well using sugar and silica
• Absorbs facial oils without making my skin feel stripped

Cons:

• This product is MESSY
• This is one of the most hyped products that MAC releases, and can be difficult to find even if it is rereleased. Is it really worth the craze?
• This feels exactly the same as a product with charcoal in it, such as the Lush Coal Face Cleanser or the Lush Dark Angels

Would I repurchase?  Maybe. If I found it at a CCO, I would definitely pick it up, but I wouldn't want to face the craze to get it. There are other products that use volcanic ash or charcoal.

Note: Remember that you can Back to MAC this and many other skin care containers!

Hope you enjoyed this review!

xoxo, K

Review: Canmake Color Stick Concealer - cheap and very popular!

This is a review for the Canmake Color Stick Concealer. This concealer is pretty popular in Japan, and is consistently in the top favorites lists in several magazines. This concealer comes in several different colors, including white for highlighting.

I have this in 02 Natural Beige.

What it does: (from canmake.com)
This is not only a concealer that will cover flaws in your complexion; it is a multi-purpose cosmetic stick in a range of colors that can be used to cheeks and as highlighters to provide luster, translucence and definition. Moderately hard, it clings tightly to your skin and can be spread thinly over your face for a natural-looking complexion that looks even more beautiful than bare skin. 
Apply directly with the stick or apply to your fingers and spread thinly over areas that have flaws or that you want to look more attractive. This product is considerably more effective if applied thinly and then reapplied with a patting motion.

Price: 609 JPY, about $8 USD.
The Canmake website lists these as 580 JPY, but the price does not include the country-wide tax of 5%.  This price may seem very high if you are used to American drugstore products, but it is in fact extremely cheap compared to most Japanese drugstore products.

Pros:

• very affordable 
• creamy and easy to blend 
• light to medium coverage 

Cons:

• this concealer does not have enough coverage for me 
• this concealer must be set with a powder or it will transfer easily 
• I would not recommend this for concealing blemishes since it is quite oily. 

Would I repurchase? No. This concealer just doesn't have enough coverage for me. I can make it work by setting it with a powder foundation, but that is just too much work for me.

After trying this concealer, I'm surprised that it is so popular in Japan. I think there are several drugstore brand concealers that are better than this one!

Hope you enjoyed this review!
xoxo, K

Weekly Reads #44: January 13, 2012

Thanks to everyone who voted in my poll last week about which mug I should buy. When I went to go buy one last weekend, they were all sold out, even though I went to 2 different Starbucks!

Oh well, on to my Weekly Reads!

• 5 myths about skincare products busted, via Beautiful with Brains. Great post on what products are "safer".
• Have you ever had such a bad experience with a brand that you stopped using it?, via Temptalia. Please read the comments, three brands come up as having super horrid customer service (NYX, elf, and OPI)
• Products to protect your hair from sun, sea, and chlorine, via Makeup for Professional Asian Women.  See which products Jamilla loves!
• How to save dried out nail polish strips, via Of Faces and Fingers. An interesting way to save those half used nail polish strips.
• Caramelized Onion Tart, via Simply Recipes. This looks like a great recipe to whip up when friends drop by.

xoxo, K

Review: Steamcream - the packaging!!!

This is a review of the much-hyped Streamcream. This was a gift from Yuming from Beauty Box when we met up in November.

What it does: (from steamcream.co.uk)
We handmake STEAMCREAM in the UK and Japan with fresh natural ingredients, fused together with a shot of steam. Our unique method means that STEAMCREAM gives your face instant refreshment the moment you use it. It’s super-moisturising, sinks deep down and revives your skin straight away. Use it to soften your body, hands and feet too. 

Price: 10.50 GBP or 1500 JPY. At this price, the British version is about $3 cheaper.

Pros:

• Lightweight moisturizer that absorbs quickly into the skin.
• Skin feels moisturized after use, but not sticky or greasy
• The scent disappears soon after applying. 
• Because of the above three points, I liked using this on my hands. I hate it when my hands are greasy or when they smell too strongly of my hand lotion!
• Steamcream often comes out with different designs which are super cute!

Cons:

• Steamcream suggests to use this everywhere, including on your face and body. It was too heavy for me to use on my face, but too light for me to use on my body during the winter.
• Dipping your hands repeatedly into a tin is not very sanitary.

Would I repurchase? Maybe. I think the price point of this hand lotion is not really worth it, but the packaging is amazing. I might repurchase this if I find a cute design. This is a great item to give as a gift, since it's something that most people wouldn't splurge on!  Thanks again to Yuming for this!

Hope you enjoyed this review!

xoxo, K