****NoBUYvember "SHOP MY STASH" WEEK 1: FACE PRODUCTS ****

Hi everyone,

 So if you have been keeping up with other blogs such as Liz over at http://myprettyobsessions.blogspot.ca/2013/11/no-buy-november-challenge-intro-to-shop.html
or Shalunya over at
http://shalunyaboyet.blogspot.ca/2013/11/girls-being-good-no-buy-november.html
Then you know that I am talking about joining along in the "No Buy November". Shalunya is essentially the one who got this clever ball rolling and I am happy to be apart of this. I also believe that Neya over at http://www.neyavbeautytalk.com/ is taking part in the challenge as well.

So as mentioned by Shalunya this month long "No Buy" will allow all of us who are taking part to get in touch with some of our rather neglected makeup items in our stash, that all deserve some attention. Also give to others and worrying less about material items, which I am perfectly satisfied in doing. The 4 weeks have been broken up in to specific areas of interest. So with that this post will focus specifically on "The Face". Oddly enough I am already ahead of the game because I noticed now that the colder weather has arrived I was already starting to reach for some items that have been on the back burner and now are finally getting some love again. I find I have been really into some of my Korean cosmetics as of late, so lets take a look.

I have been reaching for my MISSHA M PERFECT COVER BB CREAM partnered with the MISSHA M SIGNATURE REAL COMPLETE BLENDING PRIMER both products are amazing. The bb cream is a true Asian bb cream, so it totally lives up to it's promises and if you know anything about the Missha brand that speaks for it self. I bought these items way back in March and I did use it a ton in the beginning, but when you own and buy a lot of makeup it quickly gets lost in the pile.

 

The bb cream I use from Missha is No.23 natural beige

Missha M Perfcet BB cream is $24.50 in CAD and the Primer was a free gift

(Just beware that Missha products do tend to have a strong scent, but it did not irritate my super sensitive skin which was a surprise and it dissipates as you wear it) 

 

 

Then to set my bb cream I do a light pressing of this luxurious finely milled powder from Holika Holika called BABY BLOOM. This powder creates a transparent foggy veil over the skin to make you look luminous and bright. The product is created with a "Sebum Capture Network" that maintains your makeup all day. I have to admit I was very skeptical about buying this powder because that's a lot to promise and it has a slight scent to it that I was worried would bother my skin and its expensive as well. However it does have an excellent SPF of 25 to protect your skin in any season.

 

You get 25g for $26

 

 

Even the container is a beautiful item to have on your vanity and comes with a very well made puff that shows signs of quality, there is also a sifter which I took off to photograph the powder. 

 

 

Last up is not a Korean item, but a familiar item to those makeup junkies out there and that is NYX single pan blush in the colour 25 PINCHED

I generally am not a fan of blush all the time, but when the right colour comes a long it is truly a love affair. Pinched has often been compared as being a very good dupe to NARS Orgasm. I have looked at pictures of the two products side by side and they are extremely close. I find what makes this blush so appealing is that sensual golden undertone it leaves behind on the skin.

 

 

 

 I feel this is the type of blush that is suitable for just about anyone and I imagine the gold sheen would look amazing on girls of colour as it would emphasis the cheek bone and the colour it self if built up will be super sassy. This is a very versatile blush that makes for an amazing eyeshadow as well.

 

So I am glad to have shopped my stash and rediscovered my hidden gems and hope you all enjoyed seeing them as well.

 

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS IF YOU HAVE BEEN REACHING FOR ANY FACE PRODUCTS THAT SEEM TO HAVE GOTTEN LOST IN THE MIX

 

Thanks everyone for reading and have a great day:)

 

STAY BEAUTIFUL XO

 

 

 

HOLIKA HOLIKA (TRIP #2)

Hi everyone,

            Its late and I actually am having trouble sleeping so to your surprise I am doing a post for you all. Not a long one as I only have two products to share with you all tonight and for some today.

I took another trip to the Holika Holika store and eventually there are many other items I hope to try, but for now I had a specific mission. Get a foaming cleanser and another bb cream.

The cleansing foam is called THE KING OF BEAN do to the fact that it has green bean in it. How much? I cannot say but it states its claim that it will help to revitalize the skin and improve elasticity. Green bean is known for its benefits of helping kick start skins ability to slow down the aging process. Green beans are loaded with vitamins c, a and k which are all beneficial to having a healthy glow. They also give your skin a walloping of antioxidants.

 

This cleanser has a very nice fresh clean scent that actually just smells like a good bar of soap. It will give you that squeaky clean feeling. Most people love to feel that after a day of their face being exposed to many other harsh elements around them. It does a good job of removing foundation and bb cream, but not good for eye makeup (just use Vaseline) it is tried and true and takes everything right off the eye in a clean sweep (but Vaseline will be a whole other blog.)

 

Now even if in the grander scheme of things this cleanser doesn't prove to have any really long term benefits I am ok with that. I do think for a basic face cleanser its a good choice because it comes in a jumbo size 300ml tube and is only $10, you can't beat that. Actually even better then that if you go to www.sasa.com it is only $5.70 U.S

 

In case your all wondering as to why I bought another bb cream after I just spoke pretty highly of the Holika Holika "All That" bb cream I will tell you. I feel in some cases you must branch out and keep trying various products in order to have a good range so if for some reason you are not able to get one product you know of the next best thing for you and your skin type. Also the reality is I do find the Missha and Holika higher end bb creams quite heavy on the face and I don't always want to deal with that. So I went searching for a new lighter weight bb cream that would be better suited for everyday use. So I went back to one that I read up on and was originally going to get the first time around.

This product is called PETIT BB (CLEARING) so the difference with this bb cream is first and foremost its not heavy, its a little more sheer but still provides adequate coverage. I have come to understand from researching this product that it has a sebum control which I did notice my face doesn't get oily has quickly compare to when using the other bb creams. Also there is tea tree oil which helps people with troubled skin. I use to have extremely bad acne in my late teens right into my late twenties so I do have some areas that need a little help do to hyperpigmentation and scaring.   

 

(I will be doing a blog on my painful and long experience with what I felt to be extreme cystic acne)

 

 

Petit BB has an spf that is 30 so its between the two other bb's which are 27 & 42. It also comes only in one shade and in a smaller tube only 30ml versus 50ml for the others. So as you see the shade above that is what you get. However there is a significant price difference Petit is only $12 and Missha is $24 and Holika all that is on the higher end at $35.

 

Here's the thing sometimes we have high hopes for a product. We think that because it has the fancier sleeker packaging and that is higher priced it is going to do more for us. To my surprise at least with this whole bb cream conundrum I have realized sometimes less is really more. I actually am really enjoying this bb cream and yes I know that I said the "ALL THAT" was my new fave but I also didn't have much to compare with. I find the color of this Petit bb actually works well for my complexion because of the yellow tone that helps to cancel out the redness in my skin. I don't mind that its a smaller tube especially considering the much smaller price.

 

Also I am a sucker for fun and unique packaging and with Asian cosmetics they have fully exceeded my dreams and wishes there.

 

you can check out Holika products online at

www.holikaholika.co.kr

and for those who don't know hopefully by tomorrow night the new English version website for Holika Holika will be launching and I can't wait. 

 

Please follow and comment as your feed back is important so I know what people want to see and hear about as well as how I will be able to better improve the blog experience.

 

****MUCH MORE TO COME****

 

GOOD NIGHT AND WONDERFUL DREAMS TO HELP YOU ALL GET A GOOD REST TO

STAY BEAUTIFUL

XO

HOLIKA HOLIKA

Let me start by saying that i for one LOVE this store. Apparently the Holika Holika store in Pacific Mall Markham Ontario is the first of its kind here in Canada and I am thrilled its very close by so i can benefit from their cosmetic goodies.
Holika Holika has very pretty girlie packaging and savvy marketing to draw you in. I feel they are the Bath and Body Works of  the Korean cosmetic industry but better as they offer a more vast range of cosmetics along with body products and fragrance.
My main reason for my visit to this store was to purchase the "All that bb cream" which i did in Natural Beige. I have to say i love this product probably even more then the Missha bb cream, but that is just my preference. Its creamy and applies nicely and the colour is closer to my skin tone. It has excellent coverage and yes it is highly scented, but i like it.

Holika Holika All That BB Cream Natural Beige

So I have swatched the colour in the pic above. This bb cream is a bit more expensive then the others i have looked at the regular price is $35, however because it was March break i did get a good discount of 30% off which worked out to be $24.50 which is comparable with other brands price points. This is a 50ml and has SPF27. I certainly can see myself purchasing this item again and again.

I continued looking around the store and fell in love with the loose powder called "Baby Bloom" in Nude Beige. The container is plastic but really pretty and looks lovely sitting on the vanity. It has an SPF of 25 and my purchase price was $23. It is a very soft fine milled powder that is excellent for setting your bb cream. However for the cost you don't get a lot, but you really don't need to use a lot either. I can see it lasting quite a while even at a mere 25g. Don't over look this item its great.

So the first pic is the over all packaging for the Baby Bloom powder. The next one gives you a good look at the shade (Nude Beige) and the last two are just to show application on the skin and once you blend it in.
It has a beautiful delicate scent that almost makes me want to put it all over my body.

Lastly i thought since i was buying a bb cream i would get a good facial cleanser intended for the removal of bb cream.  So i opted to go with the Soda pore cleansing bb deep cleansing foam. This product works really well. It lathers up so good, very subtle fragrance and your face will thank you as it feels super clean after washing and you can tell it sucked up some of the nasty oils sitting on your face after a long day. It has tiny blue micro beads and for some of you that don't know this product is made with carbonated water and baking powder. The carbonated water is Harrogate which infuses your skin with minerals and baking powder is good for absorbing oils.
I have been using Neutrogena face wash till now, but this truly could become its replacement. Mind you there is a price difference of $5 or more as the Soda cleanser is $15.50 and Neutrogena is $10.
However if you love a product and it works for you i guess a few dollars is not a big deal.

All in all i find this a good everyday cleanser that would be good for all skin types. Pic 1 is the tube it comes in and Pic 2 is to show the products thickness and micro beads.

So that is a round up of the products i purchased from Holika Holika and i do look forward to trying many others from there in the future.

I also was given a 5 pack of Mask sheets as a free gift and a few samples.
I have tried 2 of the sheet masks which one was red ginseng which is good for adding much needed nutrients and moisture back in to the skin and the other was Poria Cocos which is a species of Boxthorn which is in the same family as Goji berries. This mask is good for adding vitamin c to the skin making it smooth, moist and elastic.
I did notice upon wearing it in the 15-20 minute time frame as suggested on the package my face did feel it was burning, but after taking it off the skin calmed again.

I also tried the sample of real skin finish which is a nice luminous base to add to your bb cream and i may actually buy the full sized product on my next visit for about $30.
Another sample i have tried the past 3 nights is the Black Caviar anti-wrinkle essence and it like a thin watery veil for you face that feels so nice and rejuvenating to put on just before bed. This item retails for about $35 and comes in an 45ml tube for essence, 30ml eye cream $35 and 50 ml face cream $38.

 Well i hope you all enjoyed today's Blog and will be back again to read on. Let me know your thoughts or if you have questions leave me a comment and hope you try some of these products soon.
STAY BEAUTIFUL