BB Creams - Asian Edition

L to R: Missha, BRTC, Clinique

Today I wanted to talk a little about BB creams. I know, they're old news, but hey, I didn't have a beauty blog when they first came out! I've already mentioned before that I'm not a huge fan of Asian ones because of the whole single color thing, but here is my collection.

BRTC Aqua Rush Water Drop BB Cream SPF 28 - BRTC is a popular Korean brand, well known for their wide variety of BB creams. You can buy their products online at Sasa.com or Amazon for between $20 and $30 or at the official BRTCstore.com for $35. I think I got mine at a Sasa store in Hong Kong for about $20. 

The Aqua Rush Water Drop BB Cream claims to "release moisture drops to provide ample hydration and help relieve skin sensitiveness for a more vibrant and flawless makeup look."

I like the texture of this BB cream and it gives medium coverage and a nice dewy, radiant finish. However, the color doesn't work for me at all! It is far too light and a little bit gray. I can't use it because I end up looking like a ghost!

Clinique Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30 - You're probably thinking "Clinique isn't as Asian brand!" but I bought mine in a two pack at the HK airport and it says "formulated for Asian skins" on the back. Is this true? Is there a difference? I don't really know! But I'm looking on the Clinique website and the US version comes in 3 shades, while I'm pretty sure the Asian version only came in one. 

This one claims to "conceal, hydrate, help prevent premature signs of aging with UVA/UVB protection. Optics instantly help reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Special ingredients help defend against environmental aggressors and soothe skin. Long-wearing, oil-control formula works beautifully under-foundation or alone. Skin feels soft, smooth. Looks brighter, perfected."

That's quite the mouthful! This one is sheerer than the BRTC and as you can see from the swatch above, it is also quite a bit pinker. It's still a bit too light for my skin tone, but it's a little easier to pull off because it doesn't pull as gray on me. You can buy the US version at clinque.com or at Clinique counters for $37. Is it just me or does this seem a bit pricey for Clinique?

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 - I received this in a Glossybox, but honestly I considered purchasing it before. I got really lucky and received the perfect shade, No. 31 - Golden Beige (also the darkest shade!). Unlike the other two, the Perfect Cover BB Cream comes in 5 shades suitable for very light to medium skin tones.

The Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream "offers a novel skincare concept with BB Cream, which lightens skin tone by healing visible wrinkles and blemishes with excellent skin-cover ability and prevents skin aging through effective whitening and anti-wrinkle properties."

I don't know about the whitening and anti-wrinkle stuff, but the color works really well for me and I do get a really nice perfected look. I also love the high SPF factor of 42! This retails on the Missha website for $29.99, but they ALWAYS have sales (right now it's 30% off). 

Well, those are all my BB creams! I used to have the SKIN79 Gold Beblesh Balm (wtf is a beblesh??), but that was also waaaay too light and gray. I ended up passing it on to my grandma and she seems happy with it. Maybe next I'll do a post on tinted moisturizers (my fave!) or foundations (once I get some more). Do you like BB creams?

December Sample Society

I'm going to call this month's box, the box of small samples in large boxes (see 3rd picture). On another note, what do you guys think about my new comforter/quilt? It was a Black Friday purchase from Anthropologie. The white blanket I usually photograph on is actually primarily used by my dog. I'm sure if you look closely, you will see tons of hair on there! LOL. Oh yeah, back to the box...

Vapour Organic Beauty Elixir Lip Gloss (full size $20) - I received color #302, Sulty. It's a pretty nudey pink and the gloss is quite nice and not sticky. It does however, have a slight scent that reminds me of the toy/play lipsticks that I used to have as a child. I don't know how to describe it, kind of plasticy and a little fruity?

Hanskin Premium Perfect Super Magic BB Cream SPF30 PA++ (full size $33) - I mentioned before that I've kind of given up on asian BB creams because they are just too light. This one isn't too bad, but it is just bordering on too light. It's fairly thick and offers good coverage. I gave this one to my Grandma. There was also a tiny sample packet of another version of BB cream.

Murad Age Reform Time Release Retinol Concentrate (full size $65) - Another one that I gave to my Grandma. I've seen the L'Oreal and Garnier versions of this product where you fill in your lines with product and hope they plump up. I don't really have any wrinkles and while I totally believe in using products as a preventative measure, this one seemed better suited for use on actual wrinkles.

Philosophy Living Grace Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel (full size $22) - I have a couple of these Philosophy 3 in 1 shower gels, but this is my first time with the Living Grace scent. It smells feminine and soapy. I always save these shower gel minis for when I travel, but in reality, I never bring my own shower gel to hotels! Do you?

Delaney Wellness Rejuvenating Eye Cream (full size $135) - I'm all for trying out new eye creams and while this one says it is suitable for day or night, there is a noticeable shimmer (see 4th photo, rightmost swatch) which makes me think it would be better for illuminating under eyes during the day. I'm pretty excited to give this one a go.

December's Sample Society box is going to be the last one for me. I loved this service at first, but over the past 3 months, I've been really disappointed with the samples.  I'm going to be getting the Ipsy bag starting in January. I was subscribed to MyGlam Bag previously, but cancelled after a few lousy months. I'm hoping with the rebranding things will be better and I really like what I've seen in other people's boxes.

November Glossybox

Another month, another Glossybox! I was hoping to get a Christmas themed Glossybox, but maybe that's coming next month? In any case, I have to admit that this was the most disappointing Glossybox to date. Oh well, I guess every month can't be amazing! Here's what was in my box:

Illamasqua Lip & Eye Medium Pencil in Devotion (full size $20) - Devotion is a very unique mint green color. I doubt I will EVER wear this on my lips, but it looks quite cool as an eyeliner. My problem isn't so much with the color, but with the dryness of the pencil. I'm used to really soft, creamy pencils like the Urban Decay 24/7 ones, but this one is tough to work with - I really have to press hard and drag to get good color payoff.

Lierac Gommage Sensoriel (full size $30) - This is a scrub, which I'm guessing is for the body because the granules are quite large and the tube says "body hydration." It has a really heavy perfumey scent, that isn't unpleasant, but kind of unexpected. I can never say no to a good scrubbing!

NuMe Style Arganics by NuMe Argan Oil (full size $59) - I put a few drops of this on my hand and I was surprised by how viscous it was. I use the Josie Maran argan oil and it is a lot more liquidy. I can see myself using this on my hair, but I'm a little skeptical of using this on my face. I also noticed that other people received a $100 gift certificate, but I didn't get one!

Perfumies Solid Perfume Stick (full size $7) - I'm chalking this one up to getting the wrong scent. I received Honeybunch, which to be smelled like a mix of cookies and incense. I really hate sugary, cookie, baked scents so I really couldn't stand this. I checked out their website though and there are a bunch of different scents and I quite like the idea of a solid perfume stick. Just make sure not to mix it up with your lip balm!

Skin&Co Roma Truffle Serum: Hydra-Toning Day Face Serum (full size $36) - I'm always up for trying new serums and this one claims to slow down the signs of aging with truffles! It doesn't really smell like truffles, which I guess is a good thing since they sort of smell like musty dirt lol.

Yeah, this months box was disappointing, but Glossybox is still my fave. I hope we get a holiday box in December!

Maybelline Baby Lips

 Peach Kiss, Cherry Me, Pink Punch, Coral Crush and Twinkle

Same order as above

Maybelline and I have a love/hate relationship and let me tell you, it's personal. Maybe I'll go into details at a later date, but I'm just going to come out and say it... I freakin love these Baby Lips!

I've pretty much been buying the tinted ones because I have a billion clear lip balms that I need to use up. I think my absolute favorite has to be Cherry Me. I love the sheer red tint and while I generally don't like cherry flavored things, this one tastes nice and fruity and not like cough syrup. Punch is one of my favorite flavors and Pink Punch is delicious and quite pigmented, but the pink leans almost a little too blue for my taste and skin tone. Peach Kiss is pretty sheer, but great for a nice nude lip. Coral Crush and Twinkle come in a limited edition two pack that I purchased off of Ebay because I just could not find it in stores! I saw the display at Walgreens, but of course, they were out of this set. Coral Crush is probably my second favorite - it tastes orangey and has an orangey color. Probably, more appropriate for spring/summer though. For all intents and purposes, I would say Twinkle is clear. The bullet has the slightest pink tinge to it and perhaps there is a bit of shimmer, but definitely no color payoff. The only permanent collection color I'm missing is the grape/purple, but I haven't felt the need to rush off to buy them as I don't really like grape or purple!

Baby Lips really makes my lips feel soft and nourished. Now, I wouldn't say they're as moisturizing as the Fresh Sugar lip balms, but you can't really compare a $20+ lip balm to a $3 one. Overall, I would definitely recommend you give these a go for yummy flavor, a flush of color and soft kissable lips!

November Sample Society

Huzzah my November Sample Society box finally arrived! I guess that hurricane Sandy really held things up didn't it? Well, the good thing is that the box arrived. The bad thing is that it wasn't all that. Here's my loot:

L'Occitane Shea Hand Cream (full size $28) - I'm pretty happy about this one because I had been intending to purchase one anyway, but the sample is so small! I was hoping they were going to send the 1 oz size (which is like $10), but instead it is only 0.3 oz. It also doesn't smell as good as I imagined, it just smells like any old lotion. Oh well, at least it is purse friendly.

Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Dry Oil Mist (full size $24) - I'll be honest, the first thing I thought when I saw this was "ANOTHER Alterna Bamboo product??" Seriously, now I have the UV spray, smoothing spray, salt spray and this. However, I used this last night and I quite liked it! The mist is so so so super fine that initially I didn't think anything was coming out. But it left my hair super soft and manageable.

Diego Dalla Palma Lipstick (full size $34) - The color I received is #29 which is a medium pink. It doesn't look too bad in the swatch photo, but it is a little too blue based for my skin tone/tastes. I've learned that I really need to be careful with my pinks because if it is too blue, I feel like I look very 80's or like Barbie. The texture is nice and creamy though.

Diptyque Volutes Eau de Toilette (full size $120) - I've always wanted to try Diptyque fragrances, particularly their candles, but after receiving two in Sample Society boxes, I have NOT been impressed.  Again, I'm going to chalk this up to just receiving scents that are not my style. I think Volutes would smell amazing on a man, but for me it is too musky and manly. The website describes it as "voyage of your dreams...redolent of adventure and spice...volute and tobacco." Yeah, not exactly my taste.

Dermalogica Precleanse Oil (full size $35) - Another one that I wasn't that excited about. I mean, do I really need to PREcleanse?? But I'll give it a shot because I'm using a cleansing oil right now that just doesn't wash off very well, so I'm curious to see if this is any better.

So that's my November Sample Society. I really hope the next box is better because the last two months have been pretty disappointing!

September/October Empties!

I can't believe it is November already! And not just November, but mid-November because I've been lagging on my blog upkeep! Well, if you live in Southern California, you'll know that it's only recently started feeling even remotely autumnal, so I guess I can just pretend it is still August.

Well, that huge pile of garbage/recycling up there are my September and October empties. I love reading other people's empties posts and I don't go through product quite fast enough to do a post every  month, so maybe I can make this an every other month thing.

First up my body empties.

Dove Original Clean Deodorant - I've been loyal to Dove deodorants for years. I like the packaging and it works well enough. But recently I feel like it hasn't been as good as it used to. I think maybe my body has developed immunity to it??

Dove Ultimate Visibly Smooth Nature Fresh Deodorant - This one is supposed to "minimize the visual appearance of hair over time." I can't really say I've noticed any results, although I did get lasered over the past year, so who knows. I have another one of these to use because I got a two pack, but I'll probably give something else a try after that one's through.

Body Shop Mango Whip Body Lotion, Shower Gel and Scrub - Yes, I like me some matching bath products! I love love love the scrub. The lotion and shower gel are pretty standard, for some reason I think the scrub smells better! I like the scent, but I did tire of it towards the end.

Skintimate Skin Therapy Moisturizing Shave Gel - I've been using this product on and off forever. Again, another two pack purchase at Target, so I have another one to get through. It lathers really well and does the job. My one gripe is that rim of the can gets rusty. They fixed the bottom so it won't rust, but not the rim??

Next is hand and nails.

Orly Top 2 Bottom - This was alright. I didn't really notice any changes to the lasting power of my manicures, but I can't say I've noticed that with any top coat.

Orly Bonder - I really like this base coat. It's rubberized and is supposed to grip on to your polish. It's a good and bad thing because maybe it makes your polish last longer, but it also makes it easier to peel strips of polish off which I like to do! This got really really gloopy towards to end, so I like to buy the half size bottle. I've already purchased another one.

I actually finished some makeup items!!

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Pink Frosting - These have been discontinued so it doesn't really matter what I say! This color was way to sparkly for my taste/age, but I really like the soft mousse texture.

Blinc Eyeliner - This brand is built around being good for people with sensitive eyes, but I wasn't too impressed. Once it's dry, there is zero smudging, but with a little rubbing it will flake right off. I found it creased really easily on my eyes.

NYX Super Skinny Eye Marker - I really love these marker/pen style liquid eyeliners. This one is good, but it could be a little blacker IMHO. This lasted a really long time without drying out and only recently did the pen tip start getting kinda bushy.

Now for some super old hair care.

Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo - Who knows how long I've had these two products! I really loved the slight coconutty scent of this shampoo. My hair is pretty normal, so I'm not too fussed over shampoos so I don't know if this was good or not. I would be open to purchasing the full size though.

Bumble & Bumble deeep Treatment - I love a good hair mask, but it's so hard for me to use the ones that need 20 minutes to do their thing. What am I supposed to do get in the shower, wash my hair, and get back out for 20 minutes, and get back in?? This is one of those conditioners. My hair didn't feel any differently after using this, but admittedly, I never left it on for 20 minutes!

And finally, a butt load of skin care!

Olay Pore Minimizing Cleanser + Scrub - I never realized how much stuff I buy in multiples! This is my second of a two pack from Costco. This works great with the Clarisonic as even though it is labeled a "scrub" the beads are super super tiny. Also, can I just say that the I love the pump on this thing? You can clearly see that you get every tiny little bit of product out.

Hadanomy Aquaplacenta Cream - I really like this lightweight gel cream. It's supposed to contain the placentas of salmon or something, but I sort of just block that part out. This is a pretty big jar and very reasonably priced at less than $20.

Arcona Cranberry Toner - This came in my Sample Society box and I read reviews that said it was too heavily scented. I do agree with that a little as I can smell it on my skin, but it's not an unpleasant scent - fruity and soapy. Toner has been a step I haven't bothered with for a long time, but I might have to reconsider after using this!

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - I have a whole post about this so I won't go on too much. I still don't think it does anything for my skin, but I am addicted to the scent! I might buy another...

DDF Amplifying Serum - This tiny tube lasted FOREVER. A tube probably isn't the best container for this product because it is very liquidy. I used this after I ran out of my Estee Lauder Advance Night repair, but I didn't notice any benefits. I've since gone back to the Estee Lauder!

Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion SPF 15 - I hate this with a vengeance. It has to be the worst moisturizer I have EVER used. It made my face so greasy that the only way I could use this was to follow it up with blotting papers. WTF How is this "mattifying" at all? Or maybe my skin is just freaky??

REN Glycolic Skin Renewal Peel Mask - This has gotten a lot of blog press recently and rightfully so. My skin feels super smooth after using it and I really need to consider the full size. I'm kind of torn between this, Alpha H Liquid Gold and Kate Somerville's ExfoliKate (which is amazing, but $$$). The only thing about my sample is, I found the texture to be a little chunky like marmalade, while pictures I've seen online make it look smooth. Was mine off??

Exuviance Night Renewal Hydragel - I got this as a sample in a package from Ulta. You're supposed to use it at night and it is supposed to reduce oiliness the next day. I didn't think it worked, but maybe my face wasn't that oily to begin with.

Elemental Herboloy Facial Glow Radiance Peel - This is similar to the REN mask, but it works in only 4 minutes (why not 5??) and contains AHAs. It's white like a lotion and it actually did it's thang in only 4 minutes!

Murad Skin Perfecting Primer Acne and Shine Control - I guess this is more of a cosmetic item, but it's a tinted primer. I actually really liked this and am considering the full size. It comes in dewy and matte varieties as well. The thing is, the tint is quite a medium color, so it works great for me, but I can see it not matching very fair or dark skin tones. Since I'm not a big foundation wearer, I feel like I can get away with using just this, like you might a tinted moisturizer.

Clarisonic Refreshing Gel Cleanser - I got a few sample sized cleansers with the purchase of my Clarisonic nearly 3 years ago and I've finally just used them up! It's fine, nothing to rave about and I'm sure you could get something similar for far cheaper.

PHEW! That was one long ass post. Using up products is definitely satisfying and I really like whittling down my "stash". If only, I could use up makeup items faster! So for two months that is a total of 14 full size and 11 sample size products! I love my beauty subscriptions, but damn those samples really start piling up. Til next time!

October Birchbox

Good Lord, how you frustrate me, Birchbox!! Now, imagine me yelling that into the Grand Canyon as Sheldon Cooper as the Flash would do.

For the first time ever, I watched a Birchbox preview video and they were talking about all these amazing brands that would be featured like Chantecaille and Eyeko and Goop, so of course I was really excited. They did mention that there was a Goop box and a "Transformations" box, so considering my horrible Birchbox luck, it figures that I received the "other" box. I guess in the end it didn't really make that much of a difference because even the Goop box recipients seemed pretty disappointed. Well, this was the last straw with Birchbox and I have cancelled the service (again). I've been really happy with Glossybox and Sample Society AND I have a glut of samples at the moment, so it won't be a big loss to lose Birchbox. Here's what I received this month...

Harvey Prince Eau Flirt (full size $55-98) - This fragrance claims to have been "clinically proven to attract men with its wickedly irresistible fragrance." Hmm interesting, I can't really say I've had men throwing themselves at me, but it does smell nice enough. The website says it has "warm, tempting notes of pumpkin pie and lavender," but I'm getting more of clean, crisp and a little fruity vibe. Oh well (or eau well?), I am awful at describing fragrances.

Mox Botanicals Pomegranate & Fig Lip Butter (full size $16) - This was alright, makes my lips smooth and has a nice scent, but nothing I'm blown away by. I also literally have a million lip balms to get through, so I wasn't that excited to get another one.

Supergoop City Sunscreen Serum (full size $20-42) - More packets of sunscreen. Woo hoo. Not. Okay, in all honesty, I really do like SPF moisturizers so I will give this a go, but I'm not thrilled about the packet aspect.

theBalm Cosmetics Mary-Lou Manizer (full size $24) - This one I was actually excited about. I've been looking for a new highlighter and Mary-Lou Manizer was on my list. It is a shimmery, golden champagne color and although you can look a little too glow-y if applied with a heavy hand, it really blends very well. What is your favorite highlighter? I'm trying to decide between Mary-Lou Manizer, MAC Soft & Gentle and Dior Amber Diamonds. Suggestions?

Luna Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter (full size 15 bars for $14.99) - I've had Luna bars before, mostly as samples I pick up from races and other events. They don't taste amazing (like for example, a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup), but they are admittedly a lot better than most (ahem, Powerbar). I think Luna bars have too many calories though - 190 for this little thing is pretty steep. My favorite protein/snack/health bars are still the Kind Bars which are delicious and made with a very good and short ingredient list.

So that's all for Birchbox. I'm a little sad to see them go, but they really need to make some improvements. I think they should charge a little more like they do for their men's box and include better items. That's my two cents anyway!

October Glossybox

After my disappointing Birchbox and Sample Society, I am having a total love affair with Glossybox. Like I said, it costs a little more ($23 something in CA, including tax), but you really get mostly deluxe to full size products from amazing brands.

I just realized that while cleaning up this morning, I seem to have thrown away the product info card so I'm going to have to wing it and do some googling to figure out the descriptions and prices! I think the theme of the month was something like a home spa day, but if it was up to me, I would have called it the month of amazing smelling products. Yeah, that doesn't sound as nice, but whateves. Here we go...

Alterna Bamboo Luminous Shine Mist (full size $22) - I always enjoy a good shine spray and this should come in handy since a sleek look is in for fall. I'm not super familiar with the Alterna brand although I have received quite a few samples of their products through beauty boxes and shops. What are your favorite Alterna products?

Carol's Daughter Almond Cookie Shea Souffle (full size $13.50) - OMG holy deliciousness! I love love love the way this smells! I love it so much that I already placed an order for the spa set which includes a shower gel, scrub, oil and another souffle. The smell kind of reminds me of the L'Occitane almond line - a little nutty, marzipan-y, and sweet. I'm not usually one for sweet/cookie type scents, but this one blew me away. The texture is reminiscent of a body butter, but as the name suggests, it is a lighter more whipped consistency.  I have so many shower products waiting to be used, but I can't think of any more appropriate for the holidays than this one.

Heartland Fragrance Co. Exfoliating Loofa Soap (full size $8) - This is an interesting product in that there is a piece of loofa inside of a glycerin soap. I'm always looking for scrubs and exfoliating products, so this will definitely be useful. I received the Secret Garden scent which smells more fruity than floral to me, but delicious none the less.

Nastassja Skin Enzyme Facial Peel (full size $40) - Another product that smell amazing - very citrusy and fresh. You just need to put a thin layer on your face and neck, let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then massage in circular motions. Dead skin is supposed to start pilling off. This is perfect because I just used up the last of my REN Glycolactic Renewal Mask so I needed a new exfoliating product.

Model Co. Lipstick/Gloss duo (full size $39) - I'm not entirely sure if this is an actual product because I can't find it on their website. I think the full size price just reflects the cost of a lipstick plus the cost of a lipgloss. In any case, $39 is pretty steep even if you are getting two products. I've never had a lipstick before that smells so good! It smells like gummy candies or something. I like that the color is a very wearable pinky brown with a peachy nude gloss. However, I will say that lipstick/gloss is really big and somewhat unwieldy when applying the lipstick side. There is also a built in mirror on the side, but it sort of defeats the purpose because you can't really use the mirror and the lipstick at the same time if that makes any sense.

Overall, another great Glossybox. I can't wait for my next one!

(Another) Ulta Haul

Left to Right: NYX Terra Cotta, NYX Antwerp, NYX, Stockholm, NYX Lala, Revlon Sugar Plum 

Sooo remember the other day I said there was a big sale at Ulta on NYX, Revlon, Almay and Physicians Formula? Well, I sorta stopped by and picked up a few things... Honestly, I need another lip product like I need a hole in the head, but I ended up with 4 new lippies. The thing is, you won't believe how much I paid for all this stuff - $7! They were all 40% off, plus I had a $5 off coupon and $6 in reward card credits. I'm like a freakin extreme couponer! Here's what I hauled....

NYX Powder Blush in Terra Cotta - I bought this because Essie Button said it was a dupe of Nars Luster and a gorgeous peachy shade. I couldn't agree more! This is a slightly shimmery peach color that looks very natural. I had no idea how soft and pigmented NYX blushes are! They are amazing with my Real Techniques blush brush and I can't wait to pick up more.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp and Stockholm - Antwerp is a pinky coral and Stockholm in a nude pink brown. I am super impressed with these lip creams. Basically they're like lip glosses, but without the glossiness. Ha! They're creamy, pigmented and a lot easier to wear than most matte lipsticks. They have good lasting power and although they do get a little dry, you can layer over or under it with some balm.

NYX Round Lipstick in Lala - This is my first Round lipstick and wow - so creamy, pigmented and such an amazing bargain! Regularly they're something like $3.99 and after all my discounts, I think I only paid $1 something. I picked Lala because I was looking for something plummy, mauvey and fall appropriate. This was the perfect shade and I can't wait to wear it once the temperature drops a few (or 30) degrees.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sugar Plum - I think this is my 8th lip butter. Basically I was looking for a sheerer, easy to wear version of Lala. The color is pretty similar to Berry Smoothie, but a little less pink. This isn't my favorite lip butter shade, but I'm sure I'll get some use out of this this fall.

September Glossybox

I am so so so so soooo excited about the September Glossybox! Glossybox is my favorite beauty box and even though it is the most expensive, I also feel that you really get your moneys worth. It is $21/month, but in California you have to pay sales tax, so it comes out to just over $23. It is still WELL worth it and I am psyched to share with you what I received:

GKHair Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner (full size $20) - These were the items that I was the most "meh" about. I pretty unfussy about my shampoo and conditioner, probably because my hair is generally quite well behaved and I've never really been wowed by a shampoo. These smell quite nice though so I'm sure they will be good for travel.

Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water (full size $13) - I am so happy that I received this! I started snooping online at other people's boxes and noticed that someone received this, but most others got some kind of mattifier. Well, I really wanted to try a cleansing water like Bioderma, but couldn't bring myself to buy one until I used up my current eye makeup remover. Now I got one for free!! (well sorta, you know).

Kryolan for Glossybox Moisture Rich Lipstick in Glossy Pink (full size $14) - Pretty nice lipstick in a rosy pink shade. I don't think this is a color I would have picked for myself, but it'll work.

Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 (full size $29.99) - I actually almost purchased this, but then I remembered that I had given up on Asian BB creams. Most of them are just too darn light for my skin color and give me a bad case of the ghost face. However, the Missha BB cream comes in 5 shades and the shade I received, 31 Golden Beige, is the darkest. I saw that some people received shade 21, which would have been waaay too light for me so I was hoping and praying that I would get 31! I guess I just got lucky because Glossybox doesn't ask about your skin tone.

Anyway, a lot of stuff to be excited about! I might do a more in depth review after giving some of these products a go. I was also really happy because on the tracking info it originally said that the box would be arriving Oct 3-4 which really annoyed me. I don't really understand their shipping system and it annoys me to no end when I see that it takes over a week to get to LA from Las Vegas!

Ulta Haul!

My first haul post! I ended up buying a few things from Ulta.com because they were having some pretty good sales. I would have just bought them in store, but one of my peeves with Ulta is that they always have a bunch of out of stocks! The store nearest me was pretty much wiped out on the Real Techniques brushes, so online it was. They also had a $10 off $60 purchase, plus free shipping, so I think all of this cost about $60.

I've been hearing so much about the Real Techniques brushes and I own and love their stippling brush, so I thought I'd pick up a few more since they were buy one get one 50% off. Both the Travel Essentials and Core Collection kits retailed for $17.99 and the blush brush and expert face brush were $8.99 each. I'm really liking the blush brush - it's pretty big, but super fluffy and soft and the tapered shape allows for targeted application. The only thing that annoys me slightly about these brushes is that the handles/bases are different on the individual brushes and the set brushes. I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but the individual brushes have flat, stand up bases and curved handles, while the brushes in the set have straight handles and don't stand up. Why are they different??

Next up is the Bonder base coat and Won't Chip top coat by Orly. These are the smaller (half size) bottles and I think they were $5.50 each. The full size are $10, so you're spending a teeny bit more on the smaller bottle, but I think it's less wasteful because they do end up getting goopy eventually. Bonder is described as a "rubberized" basecoat that grips on to the polish. This is a repurchase for me and I always use it! I noticed that they use this at the salon as well, so it must work?? I'll have to see how things get on with Won't Chip. I usually just use Orly Top 2 Bottom, but I'm interested to see if Won't Chip actually makes my polish last longer. 

I've been wanting to try these Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains (whew that's a mouthful), ever since they came out. These are just like the Clinique Chubby Sticks, Tarte Lipsurgence and any of those crayon-type lip sticks. I've never tried the Chubby Sticks, but I do have quite a few of the Tarte Lipsurgences and I can say they are very similar, down to the minty flavor. 

The two colors I picked up were Charm and Honey. I'm on the fence with Charm because the peachy nude color is a little too light for my lip color and the application is quite patchy. I definitely recommend either exfoliating your lips or wearing lip balm before putting this on because it clings to every dry spot on your lips! Honey goes on a lot better and is a beautiful pinky brown. I think Honey will look awesome in the fall with a plummy blush.

Last, but not least a brow gel. Not much to say except it's a basic clear gel to keep everything in place. I'm kind of obsessed with my brows, so maybe I'll do a show and tell of all my brow products soon!

That's all for now! There's a 40% of NYX, Revlon, Physician's Formula and Almay sales at Ulta right now. I'm so tempted to go pick up a few NYX items especially since I have a coupon too... We'll see. What have you guys purchased recently?

September Sample Society

Sample Society is a(nother) monthly beauty box brought to you by BeautyBar.com and Allure magazine. It costs $15/month and promises 5 deluxe samples in every box. You also get a $15 off $50 purchase coupon to BeautyBar.com as long as a product from one of the featured brands is included in the order.

Honestly, Sample Society is one of my favorite boxes and I really feel like there are great products in every box! Last month's box had a full size Deborah Lippman nail polish! Let's see what's in store (or in box, rather) this month...

CellCeuticals Extremely Gentle Skin Cleanser - I'm not really familiar with this brand, but I'm always happy to try new cleansers. This one is a bit runny in texture, but it is also free of fragrances, parabens, and sodium lauryl sulfate.

Ahava Time to Clear Purifying Mud Mask - I'm a big fan of Ahava products, particularly their Dermud Foot Cream which is sooo ridiculously thick. I've been really into masks recently, so I'm excited to give this a go. Also, you only have to leave this one on for 2 minutes (!!), so it'll be interesting to see what kind of results you get.

Diptyque Tam Dao Eau de Toilette - I don't usually like perfume samples, but hey this is Diptyque! Would I have rather received a candle? Uh TOTALLY, but it's ok. I'm horrible at describing fragrances, but the Diptyque website says sandalwood, Orient, Asian jungle blah blah. This perfume is too strong for me and I'm not a fan of Oriental scents. Weird, considering I'm Japanese (ha ha). I spritzed some on myself and had a coughing fit. I think this might smell good on guys...

Borghese Lip Gloss in Fiore - This is a "my lips but better" color on me and goes on without being too shiny or sticky. There's a bit of a flavor/fragrance going on and it was so familiar to me, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. At first I thought maybe it was a little coconutty like sunscreen, but I just realized that it smells like Jergens lotion! You know, that cherry, almond smell?

Stila Smudge Crayon in Smoke - I love this color! I guess it would be best described taupe? It's a very nice natural alternative to black and dark brown and I think it looks awesome on my lower lash line for a subtle smokey eye. I would buy the full size, but I kind of have a huge stash of eyeliners...

That's it! Can't wait to see what next month brings :)

Lip Obsession

I kind of have an unhealthy obsession with lip balms. Well, all lip products in general. I probably have another 10 balms stashed away in my bathroom cabinet, but these are the ones currently in my rotation:

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm ($19) - I bought this after reading so much about it on the blogosphere. I wasn't really sure about it at first, but it has definitely grown on me. It is quite thick and a teeny bit gritty. The grittiness disappears though as the product is heated by your lips. I primarily use this at bedtime and when I wake up it is still on my lips! Very nourishing. It's a little pricey, but this little pot will last you forever.

Maybelline Baby Lips ($3-4) - I love this so much, I bought all 3 of the tinted flavors - punch, cherry and peach. The pictured one is peach and it is a very sheer nude with a peachy flavor. I think my favorite is the cherry (sheer red) because the pink punch is a little too blue based for me. It makes my lips super soft and I love the hint of color. There are also two clear ones in mint and unflavored.

Pangea Organics Egyptian Fennel with Grapefruit and Sweet Orange ($12) - I can't remember where I got this, but I think it came in a Birchbox. I really love the citrusy scent and again this one makes my lip really soft. This one comes in an extra large tube which is ok, but I'd prefer a regular sized one for more precise application.

Smith's Rosebud Salve ($7) - Love this! I carry mine around in my purse which is why the tin is dented.  Also, I had it in my bag while watching a tennis tournament in 90+ degree weather and it melted and got lopsided. Oh well, it still does the job. It's rose scented, but you don't notice it on your lips, so you don't feel like you're eating flowers. You can buy this on Amazon, but I'm not sure what stores carry it other than Anthropologie. Fortunately, I'm at Anthropologie quite often :)

Jecy's Favorite Virgin Lip Serum (??) - I bought this in Japan and I remember thinking it was a little pricey, so I'm guessing it was over $10. This is the one dud in the bunch and I mostly use this as a clear lip gloss. The consistency is a lot more like a gloss than a balm which explains the "serum." I don't really get virgin lips from this, but it's a nice gloss.

Sleek MakeUP

Do you guys know about Sleek MakeUP? I'm really not super familiar with them, but they are a British drugstore-type brand and their products pop up over and over again on UK beauty blogs. I really wanted to try out some of their products and when I found out they lowered their international shipping rates and were having a 20% off deal, I had to jump on the opportunity!

I purchased two items, the first being the Blush by 3 palette in Lace ($12.99). Honestly, when I opened the case, I was a bit shocked by how incredibly bright the blushes were. They are a LOT brighter than the image on the website will lead you to believe. The soft apricot-y shade? More like orange. And the coral-y peach? Yeah, waaaay redder. Of course, I looked up images and swatches on other websites before purchasing, but they varied as well. With a fluffy brush and light hand, you can definitely make these blushes work. I think my favorite is the leftmost, an orangey apricot which would look awesome in summer.

The second item is the Face Contour Kit in Medium ($8.49). I had been debating between light and medium because I was afraid the latter would be too dark, but I think medium works well for my well, medium-tan, skin tone. The color is a pretty true brown, without leaning orange or red. I was also surprisingly pleased by the highlighter which is a very wearable lightly shimmery champagne color.

Overall, I've been very impressed by the quality of Sleek products. I really like their "sleek" matte black packaging and large mirrors. Including shipping and the 20% off, I paid less than $20 for my two products. I really wanted to try the Brow Kit, but it looks like it might not ship to the US? I've also heard great things about their eyeshadow palettes, but I'm on a bit of an eyeshadow buying ban.

Learn more about Sleek MakeUP here.