Catching Up: I Bought A Lot of Lipstick

Hey cuties! I've been gone from the blogging world for a while, and it's time to play catch up. In that time, I've collected 10 lip products! That's ridiculous! But to be fair, this is a few months worth a purchases and almost all of them (with the exception of one) are from the drugstore drugstore. Does that justify it? I might have a problem. But, these are all the products that I haven't reviewed or I was just too excited and started to use them without taking pictures first. Bad beauty blogger, I know. But, hey! Better late than never!

Let's start out with Revlon! My entire lipstick collection is probably 80% Revlon. That just says how much I love them. I reviewed the Revlon Lip Butters a super long time ago and they still are fantastic. Hence why I bought three more shades. :P Since it was November, I wanted some darker colors that would be fall-appropriate. (You'll see swatches and names below). For the next two, I had a $2 off coupon, so I bought the lip gloss. I love Revlon's lip glosses as well as their lipsticks. They aren't too think or sticky, and they have decent pigmentation. They came out with two new lines, The Matte Balm and the Laquer Balms. Sadly, I only got one of the Matte Balms.

I just can't resist NYX lately. I've never tried any of their products until they came to Target, and now I want to buy everything. So many people rave about their lip glosses and they are so right, because they are awesome. What I like is that they don't just have one formula of lip gloss, they have like three different lines you can choose from. (I'm not sure, don't quote me on that). I got the Butter Gloss, which is thicker and a tiny bit sticky, but the color is amazing. And the Xtreme Lip Cream which is very light and crazy pigmented and really long wearing. And as for the actual lipstick I already did a review for you guys.

Only two more! Bare with me. My birthday was is late November and my friend bought me the Etude House Dear My Blooming Lipstick that I've been wanting for the longest time. Everything about it is just adorable. But I did find that the formula accents dry patches on my lips but if you exfoliate and use a lip balm beforehand, then you'll be fine. My friend also had the L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude and she let me swatch it and it was so pretty! And she said that she loved it so I, naturally, had to get it. The color is amazing and I love the formula, but it smells horrible! I mean, it's bad. I'm hoping that it's going to fade a bit over time, but it's kind of steering me away from using it. Does anyone else have that problem?

That's all 10 lipsticks! Can you believe it? Let me know if you have any of these lipsticks or if you liked these little baby reviews. See you next time! XD

Product Review: Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher #5 Apricot Pudding

Hello everyone! This is my first full review on a blush on this blog. Which is weird, because I've been buying mostly blushes these days. I go into these tangents where I will buy many different kinds of a certain makeup item. It's blush now, and I have a feeling it's going to be mascara next. But, I will try to post reviews on other things, too. So you you guys won't get bored. ;) But let's get onto the review!

 As always, Etude House's packaging is super cute. I don't know what it is, but it makes me want to buy everything.

 The blush comes with this little puff that's really adorable. But the problem is, it doesn't pick up a lot of product and it takes a while to build any color on my cheeks. There's always something that grosses me out about sponges or puffs that sit on top of the product. I have oily skin and just the thought of oil collecting on the sponge and then sitting on the blush makes me cringe. Needless to say, I will not be using the puff.

This color looked soo pretty online! But in real life, it's nothing like it. The color looks faded and drab. I want to put blush on my cheeks so I won't look dull and drab.

Here's the swatch. As you can see, it's barely there! Not good at all. I love Etude House, but this is a terrible blush. The lasting power is crap because you can barely see it in the first place.

It does get more pigmented as you use it, but it's still not very good. I feel like this blush does nothing for me or my skin. Such a disappointment. :(

Pros

-Cute

-Cheap

Cons

-Not a pretty color

-Not pigmented

-Doesn't last long

Overall, do not waste your money on this. Maybe it's just this particular blush or maybe it's the shade, I don't know. But it's just bad. This isn't necessarily going to steer my away from Etude House or their blushes, but it's just that this one is crap. Can't say anything else about it. Sorry Etude House!

What do you guys think of negative reviews? I try to be as honest as I can. 

What's In My Travel Makeup Bag + Cabin Fun!

Hey cuties! I think I've mentioned before that I kind of like these "what's in my bag" posts because I'm a little nosy. I'll admit it. So I wanted to do this post where I stuffed all of my makeup and skincare into one small bag. I hope you guys like long posts, because this is one of those posts. There's also pictures and information about my cabin trip at the end!

P.S. I forgot to include my face primer, but I definitely brought that along with.

Being a beauty blogger, this was hard picking only the essentials to bring. Especially for me because I'm one who tends to over pack. Does anyone else have that problem?

1. Kiehl's Superbly Efficient Antiperspirant Deodorant Cream- Deodorant, not much to say. It was 90 degrees out the whole time we were at the cabin.

2. Cetaphil Moisturizer in an Etude House Moistful Cream Sample- I pumped some of my Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion into the empty Etude House sample because it has SPF 30 and I didn't want to bring the whole bottle.

3. Biotera Long and Healthy Shampoo- Got this at Sally's in the discount section.

 1. Covergirl Eyebrow Pencil- My eyebrows are transparent because they're blonde. I need to fill them in.

2. Up & Up Eyeliner Brush- A cheap brush I used for my eyebrows. It's not so good for liner.

3. Mystery Eyebrow Powder From Sally's- I don't know the brand of this powder, but it has two shades and I use it to darken my eyebrows in some parts with the liner brush.

4. Sally Girl Eyeshadow- For my brow bone and inner corners.

5. Loreal Eyeliner Brush- Came with the gel eyeliner

6. Loreal Gel Liner in Brown- This is great for tight-lining your upper lash line for the allusion of fuller lashes.

7. Sonia Kashuk Spooly Brush- To blend out eyebrows.

8. NYC Liquid Eyeliner- This is actually a really good liner for the price. If you're in a pinch, I suggest getting this.

1. Holika Holika Petit BB Cream- Don't think this needs an explanation. Review here

2. Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer 125 Fair- My favorite drugstore concealer.

3. Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara- To set my brows.

4. Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya- Review here

5. Maybelline Fit Me Bronzer in Medium Bronze- Not a good bronzer, but it's the only one I own right now.

1. Maybelline Mega Plush Volume Express Mascara- Gotta have mascara!

2, Nevia Lip Butter- Review here

3, Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Pact- Review coming soon

4. Palladio Rice Paper Blotting Sheets- If you're an oily girl, blotting sheets are a must.

5. Epiduo Sample- My prescription acne medication. 

6. Makeup Sponge- To blend BB cream

7. Calvin Kein Perfume- So I don't stink.

Here's a sneak peek into my cabin weekend!

So, I went up with only my sisters and we got to hang out in the cabin that we share with my (very large) extended family. My great uncle actually built it and we've been coming back for generations. Because we are very Finnish, we have a lot of traditions like going into the sauna (yep, Uncle Wayne had to build a sauna), playing Finnish card games, we even have Finnish sayings plastered all over our walls. Some of my family members speak Finnish, but I can't so I don't know what it says. 

Anyway, here's the view from the dock. Like I said before, it was 90 degrees or higher the entire time we were up there so we hung out in our swim suites most of the time because we were going to end up jumping in the lake sooner or later. It was fun because I got a little bit of sun and I didn't have to wear pants the whole time! It was too hot for pants anyway.

I thought this was cute. My uncle always used to tell us stories about the trolls that lived on the island, but they always changed every year. Do you see my reflection in the window? That is probably the only appearance I will make in this post because I didn't have any makeup on and I didn't do my hair for two days. Who needs to look pretty at the cabin?

My favorite part was probably taking the canoe out onto the lake and there's this one part where it's almost all lily pads. The first time we went out, the blossoms were already closed up for the night. So we went out the next morning so I could get some pictures. They were soo pretty!

In the far left part of this picture, you can see a little bit of green on top of the lake, those were the lily pads. This was also taken from our dock.

You can never have enough pictures of the lake at sunset. We actually had to take the canoe out again to paddle around the island that was blocking the view. But it was totally worth it because I got a ton of pictures and the water was so calm because the wind died down and it was before all the night fishermen came out.

My sister and I both agreed that the tip of the canoe was a nice touch.

I have more pictures, but I thought that this post was long enough. The pictures of the makeup and skincare products were taken at my house because I knew I wasn't going to have enough time to take pictures at the cabin. We only stayed there for about two days but we got a lot done in that time frame.

Let me know how you liked this post! Do you prefer a beach or a lake getaway? I'm from Minnesota (A.K.A. The Land of 10,000 Lakes, but we have a lot more than 10,000) so I can't have a beach getaway. Or at least at this moment I can't. ;) See you next time!

I did some online shopping. . . again

 Hello everyone!  I might have an online shopping problem. I bet my mailman hates me because I always seem to have something on the way. But, I do have some more Korean makeup and manga/manhwa for you guys to check out!

Starting with the makeup, I needed some more new BB cream before school started and something to help make my skin look better and get rid of my giant pores and excess oil.

1. Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in No. 21

2. Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB Cream in No. 1

3.Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Pact

4. Etude House Goodbye Pore Ever Primer Stick

I've been in a reading slump and the only thing I seem to focus on is manga and manhwa. This is the beginning of my collection and I wanted to get some series that I know that I will like and reread over and over again. 

1. Bride of the Water God by Mi-Kyung Yun Vol. 1-2

2. Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori Vol. 1-3

3. Paradise Kiss by Ai Yazawa Vol. 1

And for the samples! I love samples. ;)

1. Etude House Nymph Aura Volumer x2

2. Innisfree Perfect 9 Repair Serum

3. Innisfree Eco Natural BB Cream

4. Innisfree Eco Science Wrinkle Spot Essence

5. Etude House White Moistfull Essence

6. Etude House Strawberry Milk Talk

1. Skin Food Platinum Grape Cell Essence

2. Skin Food Shea Butter Creamy Body Wash

3. Skin Food Black Sugar Perfect First Serum

4. Skin Food Peach Sake Pore Serum

5. Too Cool For School Rules of Aqua Mineral Water Gel Toner

I hoped you guys liked this post! I saved up some money to binge a little bit. Now I have to save for when my sister comes back to town. It's just nice to have some extra cash to spend because I never really know where I'm going to end up when I hangout with family. Plus, we might go to the Mall of America since we live close to it. It has a two story Forever21! I desperately need some new clothes, too. So hopefully there will be another haul soon.

If there's anything you would like me to review, let me know! I know that the BB creams that I got are some HG products for some people. Also, let me know if you've read anything I bought because I would love to hear your thoughts. Ouran is a favorite between my friends and I so I'm definitely looking forward to getting the rest of the series. Do you have any suggestions?

See you next time! XD

Product Review: Etude House Pomegranate Mask

Hello face mask lovers! It's been about a week since I posted something. Sorry about that, I took a break to rejuvenate creative juices and to save up some money for future product reviews. You guys know what it's like. If I don't get a break every once in a while, you readers don't get the best reviews. No one wants to waist their time on reading a crappy review. Am I right?

Anyway, I got some face masks from Etude House a while back but I'm saving them for back-to school-stress relief. Since I have very little self control, I had to use one. But you're here for a review and to see me in an almost serial killer looking mask, let's stop blabbering and get started!

The back says that it's a "Essence mask contains pomegranate additives that nourish for a healthy complexion." To me, this says that it's supposed to be a basic sheet mask that isn't for anything in particular except nourishing and hydrating your skin when you feel like pampering yourself.

For most sheet masks, you are suppose to keep it on for at least 20 minutes. I know a lot of people who keep them on for a lot longer than that. I kept mine on for about an hour and a half. 

As for the serum, it really did moisturize my skin without it being heavy. My skin wasn't greasy afterwords but it was a tiny bit sticky, but nothing uncomfortable. After a while, it went away and I was left with hydrated skin.

The mask fit my face nicely. There was no extra parts that were loose like some masks do. Wearing it was very comfortable except that the eye holes were too small for my bug eyes and the nose part barely fit my nose. 

Sheet masks are usually really cheap, and this one was no exception. I'm not sure how much one mask is because I got this in a set. And since Etude House stores are half way across the Earth from where I live, I had to buy this online and pay for shipping. 

Pros

-Hydrating

-Cheap

-Fits nicely

Cons

-Not available in US

-Tiny bit sticky

Would I buy this again? Probably not this one since it only nourishes my skin and doesn't do anything specific like help even out my skin tone or anything like that. But I did like the moisturizing effect and the mask, but I would like a little more. Honestly, there's not a lot to say about this mask. The packaging is adorable, though.

Product Review: Etude House AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser

Hey cuties! First of all, I want to thank everyone who refollowed me via Bloglovin. It's kinda disappointing because I was soo excited and thankful to get up to 50 followers. . . and then GFC has to close down. Bloglovin is a nice website, but I hate loosing any of you guys. :(

Anyway, let's get onto the review! I thought I accidentally dropped this into the garbage and took it out to the dumpster, but no! It was hiding in the mess that I call my bathroom drawer.

This isn't a full sized product since I got it in a kit that had Etude House Red Spot Balm. It's perfect for trips and it's still going to last for a while since a little goes a long way.

The formula is sort of dense compared to other cleansers I have used, but once you add water and massage it into your skin, it lathers up really nicely. You don't need a lot because you when using this because when lathered, it's really easy to spread to other places on your face.

What I like about this cleanser is that I can feel it penetrating deep into my pores and cleaning out all the dirt and oil. It soaks into my skin and it washes off without any residue. After using this, I do feel my skin get tight and dry. That's not something that's unusual for me and it's fine after I put on my moisturizer.

Pros

-Great for traveling

-Cleans deep into pores

-Lathers 

-Easy to spread

Cons

-Can be drying

Let me know if you have anything from Etude House's AC line because I would like to look more into it, once I have more money. And what do you guys this of some hair tutorials? I have a couple in mind but don't know if anyone would care. See you next time! XD

Product Review: Etude House Pink Powder Spot Treatment

Hello everyone! I just got done with the biggest test I have ever taken. I'm just so glad it's over with and I can relax again. And of course, with the added stress, I got a few new breakouts. It's a good thing I had my Etude House Pink Powder Spot treatment in the sample size. Are you guys sick of my Etude House reviews yet? Don't worry, I'll get some reviews from different brands soon.

Sorry for the weird shine

First of all, this sample in the picture is on it's last limb. Usually, the powder will sink to the bottom and there will be this clear solution floating on the top. You want to use a q-tip and pick up the powder in the bottom and apply it to the blemish and leave it on overnight. Try really hard not to shake it because you need to have  the powder separate from the solution. I was a little set off when I heard this, it kind of reminded me of a science lab experiment in some odd way.

For my skin, this significantly shrinks the blemish and reduces the redness. In a few days, it's completely gone. But I did experience some peeling if I used it on one specific area too much, but I just exfoliated that away. It didn't feel irritated or anything like that.

Pros

-Extremely effective

-Works really fast

Cons

-Not available in US

-Description was kinda scary

-Slight peeling

Overall, this worked ten times better than my dermatologist-prescribed cream! I will have to order a full size product of this ASAP. Very glad I got to try it in sample form before I got it.

Product Review: Etude House Red Spot Balm

Hello everyone! I know I've been reviewing a lot of Etude House products lately, but I bought a lot in my Etude House Haul a while ago and I've been trying to space out reviews so I can still have constant updates until I get a job and buy more products. I'm going to start applying this weekend and hopefully I can get something fast.

Let's get started on the review, shall we?

First of all, let me say that I have suffered from acne scars throughout adolescence. The acne itself is not a problem for me, a single zit usually goes away in about a week. What does get me are the dark spots that are left behind. Even though the pimple will be gone for months, the pigmentation will still be there, making me look like I still have that pimple. I've gone to my dermatologist about it, but like everyone else, they think it's acne, even though I specifically said acne scars. My prescriptions have not been working for my spots and so I got the Etude House Red Spot Balm to see if this will work because Asian products usually work really well with my skin.

First of all, this product comes in a little jar, which I'm not a fan of. They do supply you with a little spatula that you can use if you keep track of it. I loose things easily so I have to dig the balm out with my fingers.

Here's what it looks like. Basically, it is just a white balm. It is a little heavy and it does not spread well. You kind of have to pack it on your face. It doesn't really soak into your skin, it just sits there. If you touch it, it will come off in your hands. That is something I'm not a fan of, I like products that seep into my skin nicely.

The thing is, this is probably the only product that I have found that helped fade my acne scars faster. I've been using this a little less than two weeks and I've already seen improvement. I've used a could dark spot faders before and they didn't do crap. The fact that it's been fading the spots I've had on my face for six months makes me forget about how it feels on my skin.

Pros

-Fades stubborn acne scars!

-Comes with a spatula

Cons

-Not easy to spread

-Doesn't soak into skin

-Comes off if you rub it

-Have to use your fingers

If you are like me and you're frustrated with red spots, then I do suggest this product. If you don't need it, then I wouldn't. Because of it's effectiveness, I am able to look past it's cons and use it daily.

What do you guys think? Would you still use it?

Product Review: Etude House Goodbye Pore Ever Essence

Hello everyone! If you saw my Etude House Haul, then you've already know that I got their primer from the Wonder Prore line. I think a good primer is so important to making the right makeup look. When I don't use one, my skin looks bumpy and gross. So a good primer is a staple product in my collection.

First of all, let's just take a moment to appreciate how adorable the packaging is. Korean brands noticeably take more time into making pretty packaging, and let me tell you, it works. My wishlist is endlessly growing because they just catch my eye more than American brands.

As you can see, it's a light skin tone color, but it doesn't offer any coverage or anything like that. The texture is pretty dense as primers go but it's not heavy. It can be hard to spread but since I like to dab on products in little dots all over my face, it's not a problem for me.

I know it may be a little hard to tell, but this primer shrinked the small wrinkles on my hand by a significant about. It does that same thing with my giant pores. It just makes my skin look more fresh, clean, and healthy. Having oily skin makes my face feel dirty all the time so feeling clean is very important to me.

The lasting time is pretty remarkable in my experience  My skin stays smooth from the time I put it on (about 6:30 am)  to the time that I check my makeup after school (about 3:30 pm). I'm not sure if this is the same for everyone, it's just what I've noticed.

Pros

-Cute packaging

-Lasts 8+ hours

-Not heavy

-Drastically reduces size of pores

Cons

-Hard to spread over skin

-Not available in the US

Overall, I think this is an amazing product. I will most likely repurchase this when I run out. Definitely great for the warm weather that has yet to come (there's still a bit of snow here). Keeping my fingers crossed that it will be nice out this weekend!

Etude House Haul

Hello everyone! A while ago, I ordered some Etude House cosmetics online from South Korea. Instead of showing you pictures from the website, I wanted to wait until I got the packages so I can tell you about all the free samples that came with them! I made a conscious effort to order from the sellers that offered samples, and coincidentally, they were the sellers with the cheapest shipping cost. Though I do suggest going to a Korean website that offers free worldwide shipping instead of going to Amazon like I did. It's just that I can't get a credit card since I'm underage and Amazon has gift cards I can buy and pay that way.

The first item I got was the Shini Star Lip Balm in the flavor Grapefruit. I'm not a fan of crazy colors because they look weird with my skin tone. I thought the grapefruit one was the safest. It's an orange-ish pink-ish color which I've been loving! And of course it's the SHINee special edition. That kind of sold me. I'll do a full review soon.

I'm in need of a new moisturizer, so I got the Collagen Moistfull Skin Care Kit that comes with the cleanser, emulsion, essence, and cream. This gives me a chance to try out their collagen line without having to commit to a full-sized product yet. Since I have to order it overseas, I like having this option.

Since my acne marks are extremely stubborn (I even went to see my dermatologist about it), I got this set that has Etude House's Red Spot Balm and it came with Foam Cleanser from their AC Clinic line. Keeping my fingers crossed that this will help.

I wanted to try a new primer, so I got the Goodbye Pore Ever Essence. I will do a full review on this so you can know how I like it.

Samples! I was surprised on how many I got. Each seller that offered samples came with at least two or more. When I saw #3, I was really impressed because it seems like a really big sample and something I was looking into getting. The same seller even included a product from Tony Moly!

1. Etude House Collagen Moistfull Enriched Cream

2. Etude House White Moistfull Essence

3. Etude House AC Clinic Pink Powder Spot

4. Etude House Collagen Moistfull Peeling Wash

5. Etude House Know Your Body Soft Cream Scrub

6. Etude Shea Butter Nutrifull Sleeping Pack

7. Tony Moly AC Control Acne Cleansing Foam

8. Etude House Nymph Aura Volumer

These will be that last Korean cosmetics I will get for a while. I want to save some of my money for the Festival of Nations I will be going to soon for a field trip. It should be really fun to hang out with friends and look and the different cultures and eat a lot of different food. The other part of my money goes to feeding my car. Why does gas have to be so expensive?! Anyway, I'll see you guys soon with reviews on these products. Would you like to see first impressions on the samples, too? Let me know it the comments!