Review: Skinfood Kiwi Yogurt Mask

This is a review of the Skinfood Kiwi Yogurt Mask!

What it does:
Exfoliating yogurt wash off facial pack with kiwi extract. Rich with vitamin and moisture controls oiliness and tightens pores. (from the Skinfood Singapore site)

Price: 4900 Korean Won (about $4 USD) / 100g (I bought this in Korea)

Scent:  It really smells like Kiwi Yogurt!  The scent is not very strong!  I like it a lot!!

Pros:
- Very cheap IF you buy it in Korea!  I've seen this on Rakuten for more than 3 times the price!
- smells nice!
- moisturizes the face without leaving an oily film
- the texture is just like yogurt and is very relaxing!!

Cons
- i did not feel any "exfoliating", "pore tightening", or "oil controlling" effects
- dipping your hands into a pot is not very hygienic (I always depot this into smaller jars that I use up!)

I liked how this felt on my skin, but it really didn't do much for me.  The scent and the texture were very relaxing, and my skin felt soothed afterwards.  If I lived in Korea and had easy access to Skinfood, I might pick it up again, but it's not something I want to jump on a plane to get!

The black "seeds" that you see in the pot were definitely not seeds!  They dissolved once I massaged them into my skin!

Hope that helped!

xoxo, K

Review: VOV Daily Fresh Mini Pack Apple AHA Peeling Gel

This is a review for VOV Daily Fresh Mini Pack in Apple AHA Peeling Gel.

(This is my FAVORITE VOV mask!)

What it does:
(Since VOV doesn't have an English website, I couldn't find the claim for it.  I bought it because it claimed to have AHA and peeling properties)

Price: around 1100 Won each (less than $1) in Korea. VERY AFFORDABLE!

Scent: smells faintly of apple juice

Pros:
- Leaves my face VERY smooth
- I do not need to physically peel it off of my face
- Because I don't have to wait for it to dry to work, I can use it in the shower!
- Very cheap in Korea!  (I've seen these at VERY inflated prices on ebay!!!)
- I can get 2-3 uses out of each piece!

Cons:
- This stings slightly, which is to be expected of products with AHA.  If you have sensitive skin, don't try it!
- Not readily available in Japan (if you know of anywhere other than gmarket, please let me know!)

This was very different for me in terms of peeling masks.  Since I can't read the label, I guessed that I would spread it on my face, leave it to dry, and then peel it off.  When it dried, though, it was too thin to peel off!  I thought I had done something wrong and washed it off of my face... but when I did, I realized that my skin was very smooth!  The peeling had worked without me having to physically peel it off!!  I like this SO much better than other peeling masks because physically peeling stuff off of your skin can HURT!!


The mask itself is a gel-like consistency... which makes sense considering it's called a peeling gel!  I don't have anywhere I can store the half-opened pouch upright, so I transfer it to another container.

I'm really looking for somewhere I can buy these online. I can find them on Gmarket... I guess that's where I'll go!  If someone has a seller they recommend, please let me know!


xoxo, K

Depotting my MAC eyeshadows!

I've depotted my eyeshadows in an effort to use them more frequently!

I used the flatiron method.   I didn't think up this method, but I did watch a lot of youtube videos before trying it out!

I originally tried out EnKore's no-heat method but it did not work out for me!

There are a million youtube videos on how to do this, but here's how I did it!

What you need:

your eyeshadows (duh!)

a thin knife

a flatiron

some wax paper

a magnet sheet (the one which is like a sticker!)

1. Stick a thin knife into the lip of your eyeshadow and gently twist it until the top part pops off!

Be careful... You don't want your eyeshadow flying off somewhere!

Here's how it will look!

2. Heat up your flatiron.  Put the eyeshadow on a piece of wax paper and slide it onto the flatiron.

This will melt the glue!

3. If you leave it on too long, the back of your eyeshadow will look like this:

You can poke out the eyeshadow pan using the tip of your knife.  Of course, you can do this when the plastic is soft and not melted off like I did!

Be VERY CAREFUL and do NOT touch the hot metal part!  It is VERY hot!

Also, do NOT touch the glue since it will get on your hands and BURN!!!

The underside of the pan... very gluey!

At this point, you can use rubbing alcohol to get rid of the glue, but I didn't.

Just make sure not to touch the pan until it is cool!

4. Optional - how to get the sticker off of the back of the pot

Put the pot on a piece of wax paper and put it on the flatiron.

Don't keep it on too long!

The sticker will peel right off!

Stick it onto a magnetic sheet (and cut it if you aren't using round ones)!

Here's the magnet!

Now stick the magnet on the back of the eyeshadow pan!

YAY, you're done!!

Before:

After:

My thoughts:

While it was a fun project, I would MUCH rather buy the pro pans!

They are cheaper (even including Back 2 Mac!) and much less of a hassle!

(My All That Glitters is in a pro pan)

The empties will go with me to my next trip to the US to B2M!

Why won't I do it in Japan?

Because the Japan policy is 10 empties for a lippie - a much worse deal than in the US!

Now, which eyeshadow to get next...

xoxo, K

PS: did you notice that my pictures are NOT of the same eyeshadow?  hahaha

Korean food / Love pack!

I've been obsessed with Korean food lately, so here's a pic of some bulgogi I made last weekend.

Not exactly the real deal, but I like to add A LOT of veggies to the meat!

Another meat dish!

I also made some Japchae this weekend!  I love glass noodles!

I also got a love pack from Wuzzy!!!
The sneaky girl sent me some Bath & Body Works stuff!

It smells really refreshing!  There was some more love in the packet but I forgot to take a picture!  Thank you so much Wuzzy!!!

xoxo, K

100th post! My B&BW obsession!

Wow, this is my 100th post!  I guess it's a little late considering I started this blog in March!

For my 100th post, I wanted to post about a little something I'm obsessed with...

Bath & Body Works Signature Scents

These are SUPER expensive in Japan, so I always ask for them in swaps with US girls!  The 3 oz travel size is just right for me!  I love the shower gels and body lotions!  I want to try the home fragrance oils next!

Here's my collection right now!  Unfortunately, I've used some of them up!

Here is a list of scents I've tried and what I think of them!  Please remember that scents are really a personal preference! All pictures and quotes are from bathandbodyworks.com

I LOVE THESE!  I would buy them over and over!




Black Amethyst

"A hypnotic scent, inspired by chic, sensual and confident women"
Key fragrance notes: Italian Bergamot, Rare Camellias, Exotic Sandalwood, Vetiver

Butterfly Flower

"A vibrant fragrance, inspired by the natural elegance and playful femininity of butterfly garden in full bloom"
Key Fragrance Notes: French Mimosa Petals, Asian Syringa Flower, Luscious Tangerine, Tenufolia Orchid

Midnight Pomegranate

"A fiery fruit and spice blend that conjures an image of rubies sparkling in moonlight"
Key fragrance notes: Red Pomegranate, Anise, Patchouli, Blackberry, Cassis

Moonlight Path

"Our exclusive Moonlight Path fragrance is an opulent floral bouquet that captures the essence of moonlit strolls in lush garden"
Key fragrance notes: French Lavender, Lily of the Valley, Oakmoss, Musk

Sensual Amber

"The exotic scent of pink lotus petals enveloped in golden amber"
Key fragrance notes: Lotus, Amber, Succulent Plum, Creamy Sandalwood

Sweet Pea

"A fruity floral scent that evokes the intoxicating, floral-infused breezes of the Mediterranean"

Key fragrance notes: Sweet Pea Petals, Watery Pear, Freesia, Fresh Raspberry, Soft Musk

Twilight Woods

"Indulge your senses with our exclusive Twilight Woods, a hypnotic fragrance inspired by a romantic walk in enchanted woods."
Key fragrance notes: Juicy Berry, Soft Mimosa, Apricot Nectar, Warm Woods

 

Velvet Tuberose

Key fragrance notes: White Tuberose, Ylang Ylang, Indian Jasmine, Rare Diamond Orchid

I like these.  I'll buy something else first but I might come back to these!
Japanese Cherry Blossom
Cherry Blossom
PS I Love You

I didn't like these...
Dancing Waters
Enchanted Orchid


I want to try these next!
Black Raspberry Vanilla
Coconut Lime Verbena
Dark Kiss
Vanilla Noir 
Ummmm apparently I have a thing for sandalwood!
Again, thanks to everyone who reads my blog!  I'm so surprised that I have more than 200 followers!  I hope I can make it to my 200th post! 

xoxo, K

NOTD!

I'm recently getting interested in nail polish again!

I never really did my nails, and I do too much with my nails to keep them from chipping, but I'm rediscovering how pretty nail polish is!

This is a really pretty dark silver/gray color with shimmer!

It even has some red sparkles in it!

I have to keep my nails really short because long nails just bother the heck out of me!

They go with my Motojewelry Signature Earrings in Eggplant!

It comes in this teeny bottle!

I got this in Hong Kong!

At Sasa, Bonjour, etc (which are EVERYWHERE), they have bins of teeny bottles of nail polish which are SUPER CHEAP!  It's a great way to try out new colors!

You have to search through the bins to find colors you like, but it's totally worth it!

I buy lots of these every time I go to HK, and give them out as gifts!

Plus, who ever uses up a bottle of nail polish?

Ack, this makes me want to go back to HK!!!

I also totally broke my no-buy and bought this from Denysia's blog sale!

MAC eyeshadows in Woodwinked and Phloof!

Yes yes, I'll go back on my no-buy... after the holidays, maybe????

xoxo, K

review: Lush The Sacred Truth Fresh Face Mask / Prolonging Shelf Life!

This is a review for Lush's The Sacred Truth Fresh Face Mask

What it does:
The Truth is we all need protection from aging.
The vital anti-oxidant action of wheatgrass, ginseng and green tea, enzymic fresh papaya, cleansing clays and nutritious butters, all combine to defend the skin. This mask delivers live, fresh, active ingredients, which enhance and revive the complexion.
(from the Lush UK website)

Price:
UK - 6.45 GPB / 75g
US - about $8 / 74g (not sold on the Lush US website)
Japan - 1650 JPY / 50g (called "Kagami yo Kagami"= "Mirror Mirror")


Pros:
- leaves my face feeling refreshed
- not drying
- the smell is not strong, especially compared to other Lush products


Cons:
- this really didn't do much for me

I wish I could write something better about this!  I had such high hopes for it!!!  It wasn't bad, but really didn't do anything for me!!
I bought the full size of this one instead of the Brazen Honey on the advice of one of the SAs!  I really wish I had bought the full size of the Brazen Honey mask instead!
(Click here to see my review of that mask!)

Prolonging the Shelf Life of Lush's Fresh Face Masks

According to the Lush website, their Fresh Face masks need to be used up within 3 weeks.  At the Lush store in Japan, the SA told me to use it up within 1 week after opening!  I understand that the Fresh Face Masks don't contain preservatives and will go bad, but I can't use them up so quickly!

So, what do I do??  I put them in small containers and freeze them!

This is a 15 g jar, which will probably give me 2-3 uses!  This way, I can defrost and use the mask up a little at a time!

• Don't freeze the original container, and repeatedly freeze/defrost it.  
• Use up what you defrost
• Be careful of freezer odors
• This is just my opinion, so do it on your own risk!

Hope that helped some of you who can't use up the Fresh Face Masks!  Now if only I could find a way to make them more affordable in Japan...

xoxo, K

motojewelry!

Izumi had a great special for Breast Cancer awareness month!
She donated $10 from any purchase to either Breast Cancer org or the Philippine Red Cross!
In her words, "Sometimes it's more important to support a cause than to make money!"

That really made me want to buy something from her!  I bought a pair of her signature earrings in eggplant!

Awwww, what a sweet note!

Here are the beautiful earrings!

And here's a pic of me wearing them!
I had REALLY bad lighting today, so my lipgloss is washing me out...
This pic made me realize I need to apply something brighter before I head out!

Head over to Motojewelry to take a look at the other beautiful pieces she makes!

Thanks again, Izumi-chan!

xoxo, K

EOTD - Cut the Crease Attempt!

If you follow me on twitter, you might know that I tried my hand at a cut the crease look the other day.  I didn't think I could do it because I have typical East Asian eyes - no crease, just a fold.  I have never been able to "put color in the crease"!
I really debated whether or not to put the look on here because I totally didn't blend out well, but hey, at least I tried!



I was inspired by this youtube video:

The finished look!

Oooh blood shot eyes!

Closed eyes

I did not smoke the color out as much as I should have!
That's what I get for doing my makeup in bad lighting!!

 What I used:

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Gold

Milani eyeshadow in Beach Sand

MAC pigment in Deep Purple

Barry M Super Soft Eye Pencil

Cover Girl Lash Blast Waterproof

MAC Lipglass in Pink Grapefruit

Yes, I will try again!

xoxo, K

Rotating my makeup

Have lots of makeup lying around that doesn't get enough love?

Not sure what makeup to put on every morning?

Rotating your makeup is the way to go!!!

Today's post will show you the really geeky side of me.  Just so you know...

I posted a while ago that I do not like to open up new stuff unless I have used up something.  I do not like to have lots of opened, half-used stuff lying around.

Two boxes of unopened makeup/skin care stuff...

I blame beauty blogging...

But still, I have a lot of opened stuff.  The reason why I want to open up something new is either because (1) I want to try whatever I've bought, or (2) I'm bored with what I have.

By rotating my makeup, I feel like I have something new to try!  I'm never bored!

This is all the makeup that I have opened.
Not too much, is it?

What I do is I pick a few items that I will use for the next two weeks, and ONLY use those items.  The rest I put away.  Then, after two weeks, I pick something new from my opened collection.  This way, everything gets the love, and I still feel like I'm trying something new every two weeks.  It also forces me to try to come up with new looks with what I have!

Case in point:

Here was my stash for the last half of October:

This is what I'm using for the beginning of November:

I've changed my lipstick, eyeshadows, eyeshadow bases, foundation, and blusher.

You can see that I have enough stuff to think up new looks during the two weeks when I will use this and only this!

This is also a good thing to do if you've got 29384795 MAC palettes and they aren't getting enough love!  Chose 15 eyeshadows and ONLY use them for a while!  Better yet, fill up 1-2 quads and ONLY use them!!

xoxo, K