Gift Guide: Beauty Freaks

Hello my beautiful bumblebees! Forgive me for being extremely late for this #BLOGMAS series. I've been thinking to feature my wish list as Christmas wish list (because I have a lot that I want for Christmas LOL) but then when I think about it again, my wish list, can be a gift guide as well actually. With Christmas right around the corner, there are so many new released products that are especially made for Christmas gift. How exciting!

And so for this first #BLOGMAS, I'll be sharing my own beauty wish list. Tomorrow (or maybe the day after tomorrow HA) I'm gonna list down the other gift guides for moms, dads, and him. Who knows it can help you to find a christmas gift for your loved ones?

1. Too Faced Under The Mistletoe
2. Too Faced La Belle Carousel
3. Clarisonic Mia 3 Makeup Removal Expert
4. Hera × Au Jour Le Jour UV Mist Cushion 
5. Laneige Sparkling Party Makeup Collection 
6. Urban Decay Naked on the Run Palette
7. Etude House Pink Wish Tree Hand Bouquet Set

This is a very last minute gift guide I know and so these very cute Too Faced Christmas collection are being sold out everywhere. However, who knows maybe you can find some last stocks on the net. Not only offering three different shades of shimmer lipsticks, Under The Mistletoe wraps it all inside a sparkling pink glitter bag. It looks like a great deal, doesn't it? If it doesn't, La belle Carousel is there for you, because it is a set that can be distributed to five people. It consists of five pretty palettes of eye shadows, blushes and bronzers plus the best-selling Better Than Sex Mascara.

As someone who takes care of my face crazily, Clarisonic has been on my wish list for the longest time. It is known expensive, but seeing how great it is for the skin, I am sure it will be worth the money. Moreover, this exclusive Nordstorm's packaging is amazingly feminine and you probably want to own it too just because of it.

BB Cushion trend is not dead yet, I've heard lots of other brands that sell this compact cheaper than Hera. However, who can resist this packaging? Or is it just me who couldn't say no to these irresistible eyes and lips doodles?

In this festive season, you need all the glitters to look more fab. Laneige's Sparkling Party Makeup Palette features glitter nails and eyeshadows in neutral shades and the ever popular Water Drop Tint in two different pink shade.

Another Urban Decay's Naked must-have palette. Looks like this palette alone will be enough for all the travelers, yes?

Lastly, here's for the beauty gift on the budget, but still useful for us and others in need. Etude House has just recently started a new campaign called Pink Wish Tree. Though I'm not so sure how many percent of the profit will go to the foundation, I still believe it's made of good deeds. Besides, in dry winter season, a hand cream is something that we definitely need.

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The Piano Guys feat. David Archuleta - Angels We Have Heard On High.

Can I say this is my MOST favorite Christmas song? I still remember back then when I was a little kid, as one of the choir members, I enjoyed singing this song more than the other Christmas songs. I bet that's because this song has such catchy tune and refrain. How about you, bumblebees? What is your most fave Christmas song?

Kindly stay tuned for more #BLOGMAS!

Bija

Welcome, December. Goodbye, November! And hey there, fellow bumblebees! I am back with skincare product review, this time it's from the Korean road shop brand; Innisfree. So yaaay to my first Innisfree review ever! *Wait~ Where have you been, Mitch?* However, before we begin, I'd like to make it clear that this wasn't my first time trying Innisfree product :D I made a purchase of their Jeju Volcanic Nose Pack too, but it was meh, and to be honest I don't really like writing such negativity so I decided not to review it. It was such a shame since the Jeju Volcanic range caught my attention more than the others.

Innisfree Bija Anti-Trouble Facial Foam.

First of all, you must be wondering what Bija is. I googled it and found a wikipedia about Bija and apparently it literally means 'seed'. In this case, Innisfree uses Torreya Seed Oil. If you're interested, here's a picture of the Bija from their website. This nutmeg is a rare ingredient that can only be used after it has endured 20 years of survival in the wild. Its hardy properties allow for the skin to be gently smoothed and for the skin's natural defense system to be enhanced.

What I like about all Innisfree product is that they only use natural derived ingredients and the skincare would usually be free of synthetic colorants, mineral oil, animal-originated ingredients, artificial fragrances, and imidazolidinyl urea. Just like this facial foam!

Sealed and flip cap.

The tube packaging is completely sealed outside with transparent plastic and when I twisted the cap, it was sealed again with aluminum foil for double protection. The shelf life is 12 months after initial opening.

Description, directions, and ingredients.

From creamy to foamy.

With just a pea-size, the thick creamy formula foams easily. It has a pearly white color and smells so organically fresh. It doesn't sting when I'm lathering it around my eye area, there's a slight of minty effect, but it feels so gentle, and does a great job at cleansing. I recommend to use this with facial brush too, because it can perform a better job at cleansing makeup residue.

After rinsing, it left my skin feeling clean and fresh. The only downside is, it gives me that tightness feeling to the normal part of my oily combination skin. I guess those with oily skin will love this facial foam.

Regarding the controlling blemish, yes it works! I don't have a big pimple to begin with *don't jinx!*. But there was a time when I developed some tiny bumps on my forehead as a consequence of threading, and before I put some herbal ointment, I used this facial foam, voila~ on the next day, they disappeared. The herbal ointment doesn't work that amazing usually, though. Oh moreover, this facial foam can control my hormonal acne too.

All in all, it's a nice facial foam with such affordable price for 150ml size that would suit oily skin type with least blemish concern. But would I repurchase it? I'm the type who can't stick to one thing unless I don't find any dislike in it. Therefore, I don't think so, but we'll see :)

Price: IDR 110k

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GOT7 - She's A Monster.

Frankly, I like GOT7 because of Jackson in it. I've never imagined I'd like this guy. He was born in freaking 1994 just so you know! First saw him in the variety show; Roommate season 2, and I thought he was funny, hyperactive, such a dork LOL. Not to mention he looks like ManSe (yes one of those adorably cute triplets, the maknae!) Back to the topic, I have been listening to this song for a week!! It's just one of my favorites from their album, Identify. They recently released a new MV Stop Stop It, but there's something that entertains me more than that, hohoho, yeaaah, the dance practice session... Ok. I feel like a pedonoona now. Bye~!

Princess Happy Ending

“I'm like a shooting star. I've come so far, I can't go back to where I used to be.”

So who is your favorite Disney princess, dear bumblebees? I can't choose my most favorite, but surely Princess Jasmine is one of my favorites! Not only she taught me to love beyond class or status, she's also independent and knows exactly what she needs. Oh, moreover, their OST A Whole New World is my all time favorite karaoke duet song :D

Etude House Jasmine Lash Perm Proof Shockara.

As it first came out, I've been eyeing on their Princess Happy Ending collection. The packaging are 'unusually' cuter than any other Etude House collection. There are three other princesses makeup to collect; Snow White, Cinderella, and Belle. At first I was so into the Belle lipstick because it was so pretty for A/W season, yet this mascara packaging attracts me more than the lipstick and I did run out of mascara. Argh.. decision, decision...

Well, so I ended up buying a mascara in spite of the fact that I don't actually love wearing it. My eyelashes are sparse, short and... straight. You see I do actually NEED a mascara, but I've never invested a high end branded one. I'd rather invest more falsies because they're more dependable and the difference is more apparent. Additionally, there's no weird sticky feeling every time I blink my eyes. Kinda out of topic, but I just want to describe the reason why :D

Isn't the packaging too gorgeous?

English description, directions, and list of ingredients.

Kudos to the designers who created the detail on this book packaging! I don't ever think to throw this box because it sits beautifully on my book shelf right now. LOL. Oh, just a little reminder, the mascara will expire in 6 months after you open it.

(L) curled + one coat (R) not curled + one coat

Review: The mascara promises to give you perm and waterproof result judging from the name of the product. Formula wise, yes it is very waterproof, it doesn't smudge either. I am a contact lens user so my eyes get dries and I need to use some eyedrops, but this mascara doesn't flake at all. There is no such unpleasant smell too, which is a big plus point for me. As I have naturally straight lashes, I find this mascara doesn't help in curling (see the result picture above). However, when it's curled beforehand, the waterproof formula really helps in holding the curl. It gives me enough length in one coat, but I don't see if it gives me volume. Because of the non-buildable formula, it will get clumpy if I apply more than one coat, especially when it dries between coat.

What I like:

• cute packaging
• lengthen my lashes
• holds my curls
• no chemical odor
• smudgeproof
• waterproof
• one coat is enough for natural look

What I dislike:

• the curvy brush is rather tricky to use and can cause unevenness
• non-buildable formula

Price: IDR 110k

Circle lenses from Geocolouredlenses - Geo Tri Color in brown.

It's been awhile since the last time I listed all makeup products that I'm using, huh? So here you go!
Face:

• Etude House Face Conditioning Cream Light
• Tony Moly BCDation in #2
• Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer
• The Body Shop Baked-To-Last Blush
• Diorskin Nude Compact in #30

Eyes:

• Geo Tri Color in brown
• Etude House Drawing Eyebrow in #3
• Za Perfect Fit Concealer in #1
  
• Urban Decay NAKED Basics
• Etude House Dear Girls Cute Eye Maker
• Etude House Oh~ m'Eye Line in brown
• Etude House Jasmine Lash Perm Proof Shockara

Lips:

• The Body Shop Lip Butter in chocomania
• The Face Shop My Lips Eat Cherry Aqua Tint in bloody red
• Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in rendezvous

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Tiger JK Feat. Punch - First Love.

I am obsessed with this new drama that stars Park ShinHye and Lee JongSuk; Pinocchio! Never been a fan of Lee JongSuk, and not that I don't like him, it's just that his recent dramas didn't appeal to me that much. However, idk maybe because there's Park ShinHye in it this time? So I gave this drama a chance, and well, I am loving it! Korean dramas lately are boring, even the Wednesday - Thursday slots. Therefore, I was only watching old Japanese dramas during these past three months. Anyway, click here to find out more about the dramas, do check out their Soompi forum too if you're as obsessed as I am ;)

Enjoy your weekend, my bumblebees!

H2O Cleanser

What's up, my bumblebees? So after I shared my own beauty tips, I feel like reviewing one of my favorite cleansing product. It's Bioderma Sébium H2O that all beauty bloggers have raved about. I wasn't that interested in using water cleansing formula back then before because I thought water can't really dissolve makeup, especially the waterproof ones. But I was wrong! Let me tell you why, just keep reading :D

Bioderma Sébium H2O.

Description: Purify and cleanse your imperfection-prone skin with the Bioderma Sébium H2O, a regulating, non-rinse micellar water cleanser. Designed for those with combination to oily skin, the soap-free formula can be used on the face and other imperfection-prone areas of the body, such as the chest and back. Sébium H2O cleanses the skin in depth, and improves the quality of sebum production with the patented Fluidactiv® complex. The non-comedogenic cleanser removes impurities using micelles, which micro-emulsify and remove impurities without drying the skin out. It guarantees perfect cutaneous tolerance, leaving the skin is left looking clear and feeling fresh.

They say it's sold one in every 15 seconds worldwide, which I think it indicates how good this product is, right? As a cheaper alternative to the Clarins cleansing water, finally I bought the one for combination/oily skin because I have oily combination skin (oily T-zone, the rest are normal).

Ingredients.

Directions: Use twice daily, in the morning and in the evening. Soak a cotton pad with the solution, and cleanse the face and eyes. Repeat with more cotton pads until they come away clean. The solution is no-rinse, but you should gently dab your face with a clean towel after use.

Although it's stated you don't need to rinse, I strongly advise you to wash your face again since this is only the first step when I do double-cleanse. It's alcohol free, soap free, no coloring formula. The product can last for 9 months once the packaging is open.

Packaging wise, it looks just okay, unlike the 500ml one, the 100ml and 250ml packaging do not come with a pump. The bottle is safely sealed at the first time so you don't need to worry people try to sniff it whatsoever.

The cleansing water tinged with turquoise.

Foolish me thought the turquoise color comes from the bottle, apparently not! LOL. The color comes from the water. I thought because there's no added colorant, then it will be transparent like the Sensibio H2O. There is a slight fragrance too, but it's just subtle and smells pleasant to me.

Performance wise, it effortlessly takes off all my make up and it doesn't sting my eyes. Not only that, it also removes excess oil without over drying the skin. My face simply feels clean and refreshed without tightness. It can take off my waterproof eyeliners too. The only downside is it doesn't remove my liptint, thus I have to get my makeup remover separately for that one.

Price: SGD 28.75 per 250ml or SGD 15.90 per 100ml (Get 15% off at CupoNation!)

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So have you read my previous Make Saving Money Fun post? I told you bumblebees that another way to save money is to get discount right? We all know how convenience online shopping is nowadays, it doesn't only save times and energy but it also saves your fuel! If you haven't tried it yet, I suggest you try it at least once in a lifetime, there's nothing wrong to experience it.

However, only purchase from an online store that is trustworthy or recommended by lots of people. My favorite ones are Zalora and Reebonz! There are literally lots of things to get there, you can buy things for yourself or even gifts for your loved ones. To save some more money, here's the trick: find a site where you can get discount or deals like CupoNation. They cooperate with many trustworthy online stores as well as huge company such as Sephora and The Body Shop. And since I am someone who loves to dine out, I'm glad that CupoNation's offers are not merely for beauty & fashion, but also for food & drink. My suggestion in finding the right coupon (to prevent impulse buying) is to browse by categories, they have 17 categories FYI :O

Anyway, simply check out their website to find out more deals they have right now!

My Beauty Tips

Hello my bumblebees! Let's greet November too! I'm about to share my own beauty advices to you right now. Actually it's been a long thought indeed to share these tips, so I hope you like this kind of post. Before we begin this post, I'll explain my skin type and condition first, therefore if you have similar skin type or condition with me, I hope you'll find these tips helpful. Also, kindly do understand we all have different skin reaction to certain ingredients, meaning what works on me, might not work on you at all. Let's get it started!

The model in the picture above is Park SoRa, she's the face of Korean fashion line Stylenanda as well as the cosmetic line, 3CE. I'm going to put her in every illustration for this post because, umm, she's like the Korean beauty goddess! LOL. I mean her skin is flawless already, and that explains why every 3CE product she wears is just convincing! Instead of me (like whoaaa), I'm just going to use her image as the illustration in every tip I'll share.

Well well.. Moving on to my skin type and condition~ I have an oily combination skin, oily on the T-zone, but the rest are normal. My main skin problems are whiteheads, blackheads and acne marks. And here are my own beauty tips, including the products that I use with the budget-friendly alternatives:

1. Cleanse your face thoroughly

By cleansing your face, I mean double-cleanse! Especially when you're wearing makeup, yes including those CC and BB creams, because your facial wash can't cleanse makeup 100%. I use cleansing milk and cleansing water for the first stage, and if I'm wearing eye makeup, I'll definitely erase it with a makeup remover too.

Splurge: Clarins Water Comfort One-Step Cleanser, Lancome Galatéis Douceur
Save: Bioderma Sébium H2O, Maybelline Clean Express Eye & Lip Makeup Remover

The second stage of double-cleanse is to wash your face. I wash my face with the help of Etude House Wonder Pore Brush, because it will help to clean the clogged pores too. After washing my face, I would just wipe it dry with tissue instead of rubbing it with towel.

Splurge: Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser
Save: Etude House Wonder Pore Whipping Foaming

Finally, this is an optional step. However, this step is totally essential for me, it's called exfoliating. I find that my skin has been better because of exfoliating. I do this every once a week at night. Before exfoliating, I steam my face with hot water. Just pour the water into a large bowl and place a towel over your head and lean over the steaming water. Let it be for 5-10 minutes. I'd usually listen to some relaxing songs instead of putting it on timer.

Splurge: Clarins Gentle Refiner
Save: Biore Double Scrub Bright

Both of the exfoliators are very gentle to my skin so I recommend it to those who have oily combination skin like me, though I'm not sure how it'll react to sensitive skin. After exfoliating my face, I'd followed it with facial mask. This step is necessary to close the open pores from the steaming treatment.

Splurge: Mizon Pore Clearing Volcanic Mask
Save: Bedak Saripohatji

2. Tone and hydrate your face

Oh so many products that I've mentioned. Now moving on to the second tip, it's to tone and moisturize your face. I can't stress it anymore that toner and essence might look unessential, but IT IS VERY ESSENTIAL as it benefits my skin so much. First of all, toner will help you to close the pore. Second of all, it helps to remove makeup residue. Lastly, it will also help you to restore the skin's pH balance. Use a cotton pad for this step.

Splurge: Avène Eau Thermale Spring Water
Save: Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner

For my skin hydration, I use an essence right after the toner. What I notice the most after religiously using a face essence is that my skin is brighter than ever!

Splurge: Laneige Original Essence White Plus Renew
Save: Secret Key Starting Treatment Essence

There has been a confusion on how to apply an essence, for me it depends on the texture. If it's watery and runny like the Secret Key, I'd use a cotton pad. However, if it's watery but not runny like the Laneige one, I'd just apply it with my bare hands and dab it until it absorbs to the skin.

3. Moisturize your face

For moisturizer, I use different type moisturizer during the day and the night. Mainly because each moisturizer has different function. It's honestly difficult for me to compare the splurges and saves, because you get what you pay, you know, so the results are incomparable. While I use Clarins for the day, it really saves my day, you can just read my full review on the link and the Kiehl's cream is just magically effective to reduce wrinkle! I just turned 23 so I obviously don't develop facial wrinkle yet, but I swear it helps to fade my neck wrinkle! The only downside of this product is the smell, but it's okay for me as long as it benefits my skin.

Splurge: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, Kiehl's Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Cream
Save: Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream

4. Protect your skin from UV rays

I think I've talked about sunscreen quite a lot, such as the usage, the types, and the importance of it. I can't skip this step and I even don't want to walk out from my house if I don't wear them. I even wear sunscreen when I'm home because UVA can penetrate glass, you know! So especially after my routine chemical peeling treatment, it is more than necessary to wear sunscreen for me. Oh, btw, yes I do facial and chemical peeling treatments once or twice a month in order to keep my skin clear. I find that these treatments are the key to my smoother face since my main issues are whiteheads, blackheads and acne marks. However, I don't recommend you to follow this too. Please ask a doctor first, as chemical peeling is only performed by the doctors.

Splurge: L'Occitane The Immortelle Brightening Shield
Save: Missha All Around Safe Block Essence Sun

5. Use light makeup

Here's the funny fact about my skin. Whenever I use heavy makeup, my skin tends to breakout, I guess it's true that the skin needs to breathe? So that's why I don't use face primer unless it's extremely needed! I don't use foundation as well, about this one I guess it's because I just don't own a foundation? LOL... I have been thinking of buying foundation because I think I need coverage for my dark circles and acne marks, but then again, that's what concealers are for. So I hesitate...

Splurge: Laneige Water Base CC Cream, Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer

Save: Tony Moly BCDation, Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer

Alright then, those are the five beauty tips that I have for you bumblebees! Feel free to email me if you have further questions that you don't want to disclose on the comment box. Hopefully you find these informations useful ;)

P.S: I've tried all the products that I mentioned above. Thus, I only share the ones that I thought worth every penny.