Huge W2Beauty Haul

I recently bought some Korean skincare and makeup products from my favorite online store of all time, W2Beauty (Welcome to Beauty). If you haven't heard of W2Beauty before, it is an online Korean beauty store. They carry tons of Korean brands and is based in Seoul. There is free worldwide shipping (yes, you read that right!); you only have to pay $2.50 for a tracking number, which is really useful. It usually takes about 2 weeks for the products to reach me, which is pretty fast considering it's coming all the way from Korea! The owner, Alice, is super sweet and consistently provides the best customer service I've ever had. Not only that, but the samples. Many online Korean beauty stores might throw in one or two samples, but not Alice. She gives you a ton! Each time I order from her, even if it's a relatively small order, I've always been surprised by the number of samples I receive. I've purchased from her shop many, many times and don't plan on stopping anytime soon! I'm already planning on buying a few more items heheh.

(click to keep on reading!)

Review: Wet n Wild Coverall Stick Concealer

*Disclaimer: this product was purchased with my own money*

Product name: Wet n Wild Coverall Stick Concealer in 804
Price: about $2 at CVS

Review: Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch in Radiant

Hi everyone! I am currently away at a Christian conference. I won't be back until the 11th,, so until then, here is a post I wrote in advance :) Or rather, a post that I finished a while ago but forgot about :P

*Disclaimer: this product was purchased with my own money*

Product name: Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch in Radiant
Price: about $7 at Ulta

Review: Nature Republic Aloe Vera Soothing Gel

*Disclaimer: this product was purchased with my own money*

I started incorporating aloe vera gel into my daily skin routine about a year ago. Each morning I mix it with my moisturizer, and it has helped keep my skin nice and soft! However, the brand that I used discontinued their line of aloe vera gel. So when Jen Chae of frmheadtotoe raved about Nature Republic Aloe Vera Soothing Gel in one of her Youtube videos, I had to buy a jar and see for myself if it lived up to the hype!

Name: Nature Republic Aloe Vera Soothing Gel
Price: about $9 on Sasa

Packaging: It comes in a fairly large jar. I'm not a fan of anything that comes in jars due to the fact that I don't like to have to stick my fingers in the product..it doesn't seem very sanitary.

Thoughts: Despite the packaging, I really love using this aloe vera gel! It contains 92% aloe vera leaf extract, which isn't the highest percentage that I have seen in the market but it's still a pretty decent amount. It's extremely hydrating and doesn't break me out. It's not sticky; also, my skin also absorbs it right away!However, there is a noticeable scent so if you're sensitive to any scented beauty products, this might not be the best choice for you! I happen to like the scent though :P

Overall: 10/10. I really like this particular aloe gel and will gladly purchase it again.

Sasa Haul

I have read numerous reviews about how great Suzuran Attirer Puffs are, so when Sasa offered free shipping with a minimum $15 purchase, I went and bought a pack of 240 puffs. To meet the minimum shipping requirement, I also bought a bottle of Essential Nuance Airy shampoo and Nature Republic's Aloe Vera Soothing Gel.

I was pretty excited to try the shampoo but to my complete disappointment it did nothing for my hair other than giving me dandruff :/ I definitely prefer Shiseido's Tsubaki Shining shampoo over this, and as a result will not purchase the Nuance Airy shampoo again. I might try the Nuance Airy Intensive Hair mask though!

As for the Suzuran Attirer Puffs, I really like them and will definitely purchase them again! They're very affordable and the quality that you get for the price is absolutely unbelievable. The 100% cotton puffs are very thick yet soft, and unlike most cotton pads I have purchased for makeup removal, these do not tug at the skin. There is also no shedding whatsoever.

As for the last beauty product that I purchased, I'll post up a proper review of Nature Republic's Aloe Vera Soothing Gel soon!

Review: Wet n Wild Juicy SPF 15 Lipbalm in Strawberry

*Disclaimer: this product was purchased with my own money* 

Hi guys! Just wanted to let you all know that I might be taking a break from blogging for a few weeks :X I have just started my second year of college and things are pretty crazy right now. Trying to balance two internships, a job, school, church, and other extracurricular activities is pretty tough! So...until then~

Product name: Wet n Wild Juicy SPF 15 Lipbalm in Strawberry
Price: about $3 at CVS

Packaging: It's a bit too bulky but then again, it IS a jumbo-sized lip balm. You can't twist the lip balm all the way down but that doesn't bother me at all. I'm not a huge fan of the length of the plastic cap though; I wish it was shorter as the length makes it hard to take the cap off without getting a bit of lip balm on it (you can see some stains in the picture above)

I liked this lip balm more than I thought I would. Although it's bulky I kind of like the jumbo size. The color is also really cute. Furthermore, it's slick but not greasy. It's not by any means going to help super chapped lips but if you need to moisturize your lips a little bit this lip balm will do the trick. In addition, there is a bit of artificial strawberry scent and hardly any tint. I don't like how it tastes though...it's not like I bite off a piece of lip balm and eat it, but the taste somehow creeps into my mouth and it's a bit disgusting. Thank goodness the taste doesn't last long.

Overall: I give it a 7/10. It's cute to look at and it does moisturize my lips a little bit, but it's not to the point in which I would buy the product again. I have other lip balms that are much more moisturizing and travel friendly. In addition, the chemical taste is gross and for this reason I will not consider buying this lip balm again.

Review: Essence Match2Cover! Cream Concealer

*Disclaimer: this product was purchased with my own money*

Hi everyone! Today I'm going to review a concealer I bought during my vacation in Canada. It was really cheap and I have heard good things about Essence's makeup products before, so I thought I would try it out and let you guys know what I think. 

Product name: Essence Match2cover! Cream Concealer
Price: about $3.50 at Shoppers Drug Mart/Ulta

Packaging: I like how compact it is. However, there wasn't a plastic seal on it so anyone could have opened it and took a swatch with their fingers....which I saw and put back on the display wall -_-"

Thoughts: It's okay. Not amazing, just okay. It's creamy and fairly pigmented, and of course the price makes it a great deal. It also has decent staying power.

Overall: I give this concealer a 7/10. As you can tell, I'm not loving this concealer but I don't hate it either. I would recommend this concealer to those who are looking for a cheap and decent concealer, but I personally wouldn't buy this product again because I rather pay a few more dollars for a great concealer than save the money and settle for a so-so concealer. .

Review: Majolica Majorca Lash King Mascara

*Disclaimer: this product was purchased with my own money*

Product name: Majolica Majorca Lash King Mascara
Price: about $10-13 at Watson's
Packaging: I love the design! It's so pretty and probably has the "fanciest" design out of all the mascaras I own.

Thoughts: Aside from the gorgeous packaging, I quite like this mascara. I have stick straight Asian lashes and somehow with this mascara my lashes manage to curl. It definitely lengthens  my lashes but there it doesn't noticeably volumize, so I would recommend using this mascara with another volumizing mascara. It's not very black, which I actually like since it looks more natural. I have been using this for two weeks and it hasn't smudged once, which is a plus.

Overall: I give this mascara a 10/10. This is the first mascara I have ever used that actually manages to curl my lashes without me having to use my lash curler. I also like how natural it looks; there is minimal clumping and it doesn't smudge! I unquestionably would buy this mascara again and highly recommend it :)

Review: Burt's Bees Refreshing Lip Balm with Pink Grapefruit

*Disclaimer: this product was purchased with my own money*

Product name: Burt's Bees Refreshing Lip Balm with Pink Grapefruit

Price: I forgot exactly how much I paid for this but I would say it was between $2-4

Packaging: Average packaging for lip balms. I love the pink cap though :)

Thoughts: You guys...I think I just found my new favorite lip balm. The grapefruit scent is amazing; it doesn't smell artificial at all! Also, it's incredibly moisturizing and makes my lips super smooth and soft. The soft and slightly creamy texture is very similar to that of Burt's Bees Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter, another personal favorite. 

Overall: I give this lip balm a 10/10. I am a huge lip balm junkie and this is easily my favorite one thus far. It's moisturizing and it smells amazing- what's not to love?!

Review: Organia Water Drop Essence Hand Cream

*Disclaimer: this product was a gift from my aunt*

Product name: Organia Water Drop Essence Hand Cream
Price: Unsure; I received this as a gift

Packaging: Standard hand cream packaging so I don't really have anything to say about the packaging haha. I would prefer a flip cap over a twist cap though. 

Thoughts: I love it! The consistency of this hand cream is unlike anything I have ever seen before. It's almost gel-like but dissolves as soon as you rub your hands together. It's super light and yes, it feels like water after it dissolves. I think it's pretty moisturizing but since it's so light, those with extremely dry hands might have to reapply it often. In addition, there is a light floral scent.

Overall: I give this hand cream a 9/10. I love the unique consistency and how light it is. However, I took a point off because it's not extremely moisturizing and I personally don't like scented hand creams. It might also be hard to find in the United States.

CVS Haul

I had some Extrabucks that were going to expire soon so I stopped by CVS and ended up buying a few beauty products. 

I love using cotton squares to remove my makeup!

The CVS acne treatment gel is the BEST. I should probably do a proper review on it because it's seriously so amazing. I also bough ta pack of CVS oil blotting sheets; they work pretty well and are cheap.

I'm not a huge fan of Burt's Bees products but since their Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter is my HG lip balm, I decided to try out their grapefruit scented one. I like it a lot! It smells wonderful (exactly like a grapefruit) and soothes my chapped lips. I still like the mango one better though :P

And last but not least, I purchased the Milani Liquid Eye eyeliner in brown and the Wet n Wild liquid eyeliner in black/brown. The Milani eyeliner is now my HG eyeliner so again, I need to do a proper review!

Hope you enjoyed my CVS haul! I have a lot of reviews coming up so keep an lookout for that :)

Review: Wet n Wild Idol Eyes Creme Shadow Pencil in Pixie 130

*Disclaimer: this product was purchased with my own money*

Product name: Wet n Wild Idol Eyes Creme Shadow Pencil in Pixie 130
Price: about $2 at CVS
What it claims: According to Wet n Wild's website, it is a "Soft-blending, creamy eyeshadow at the convenience of a pencil. Silky-smooth formula glides on easily for high impact, light-infused color that last for hours."

Packaging: Not much to say about the packaging; just your average pencil with a plastic cap.

I bought this because I fell in love with the shimmery cool champagne color. I thought it would look great as a highlight color and so that's what I used it for. This is now my HG highlighter for the inner corner of my eyes! Also, it's so pigmented and really does light on smoothly. In addition, it doesn't smear off; in fact, it stays on for hours. 

However, it does look like it'll be a pain to sharpen. I might have to go out and buy a jumbo pencil sharpener just so I can continue using this pencil :/

Overall: I give it a 9.5/10. I can't say too much about it as an eyeshadow pencil but as a highlighter? Love! And for just $2? You can't go wrong! I took half a point off because it looks like sharpening the pencil will be somewhat inconvenient, but in any case I will definitely be purchasing this again when I run out.

Taiwan Haul Part 3

Hi everyone! This is the third part of my Taiwan Haul. Sorry for breaking it up into so many parts; I have been extremley busy lately and so it's easier for me to edit a small batch of photos at once instead of editing all the pictures from my Taiwan/Japan trip.

Back of the makeup pouch

I went to Watson's and bought a few Majolica Majorca makeup products to try out. I adore the packaging and I've heard nothing but good reviews of this brand's products. I'm not sure of the exact names of these products, but I picked up a liquid eyeliner, a cream eyeliner, 3 eyeshadow palettes, and a mascara that was highly recommended by my cousin Ivy. The mascara came with a free mirror. Also, Watson's was having a special promotion, so if you spend over 500 NTD on Majolica Majorca products you get a free makeup pouch.

I also bought 7 packs of 3m Nexcare acne patches. They work amazingly well and were fairly cheap (I think I paid about 70 NTD per pack). I regret not buying more!

Finally, I purchased this purse at Feng Jia night market for 350 NTD. The quality is pretty good but I wouldn't use it on a day to day basis. However, since I don't own a gray purse, I thought I might as well buy it.

Hope you guys enjoyed this (small) haul post! There's a lot more to come :P

Taiwan Haul Part 2

It's way too hard to organize my haul by category (like I did for the last post) so Part 2 will feature random things haha. Hope you still enjoy :)

One of my relatives in Taiwan gave me a bottle of Organia Water Drop Essence Hand Cream. It works really well! The consistency is both gel and cream like so it's kind of hard to describe, but it's incredibly moisturizing. On the right is a pack of nail polishes that I bought from Poya. I don't particularly care for colors A and C but B is a gorgeous and creamy purple with gold speckles.  

 Kindly ignore the pile of Borax powder -_-" It works as an insecticide and I HATE insects so I have it scattered in the corners of my room. Anyway, I bought all this matcha flavored food at the Narita Airport before I headed back to the States. The boxes of green tea Kit Kats and sakura green tea kit kats were purchased at about $16 USD each. The package of matcha powder was about $9 USD and the pack of green tea flavored Crunch bars was about $4 USD. I LOVE matcha green tea flavored chocolates and so I wish I bought a whole lot more :(

 These were also purchased at the airport. I bought the chocolate covered macadamia nuts and box of dark chocolate for my mom; they were $5 and $3 USD respectively. The box of Tokyo Banana was $10 USD. I have yet to try the macadamia nuts and Tokyo Banana, but my family already opened the box of Meji Black Chocolate. It's not as dark and bitter as I thought it would be, so that was sort of a disappointment. Still, Meiji chocolate is always delicious and so we still enjoyed it.

 These were purchased at the airport as well :P Both the Shiseido Tsubaki shampoo and conditioner were about $4 USD each.

 I bought a ton of hair bows from Poya since they were so cheap (only 10 NTD!). I plan on giving most of them away though.

 I bought this for my home church's pastor's wife's daughter lololol. I think it's super cute and it was only 30 NTD.

Finally, I purchased a few boxes of masks at Cosmed, Hi-Life, and Poya. For those who are wondering, Cosmed definitely had the best prices for masks. I bought two boxes of My Beauty Diary strawberry yogurt masks at Cosmed, the first box of Hello Kitty masks at Hi-Life, the second box of Hello Kitty masks for at Poya, and the two boxes of Sexy Look masks at Poya since they were having a Buy 1 Get 1 Free promotion.

The Massive Post: Part III

More of my recent fashion/beauty hauls....all of the After Christmas sales left me extremely broke but very happy haha.

Aerie black bandeau, Freeman avocado clay mask, OneRepublic Waking Up CD album, CoverGirl LashPerfection mascara, Forever 21 arrowhead necklace, Meow Cosmetics powder foundation, Victoria's Secret eyeliner, CVS cotton swabs, Forever21 ring from the Alex and Chloe Collection

Macro shot of the F21 arrowhead necklace

I am in love with this ring...

Slightly obsessed with double rings now :)

50 cent tank from Nordstrom Rack

$10 shirt from Target

$12 jeggings from TJ Maxx

$2 floral cami from Old Navy

$10 sweater from H&M

$5 skirt from H&M (tag said it was $15 so I was very happy to find out at the cash register that it was only $5)

Gifted sweater cardigan thing...so comfy

My first 2012 splurge :) $50 biker jacket from H&M. My own picture turned out really crappy so I decided to just use the stock photo from the site...ohmygoodnessgracious I am so in love with this jacket.

Part IV won't be up for a while....I still have to edit pictures! Funnnn....