Friday, June 27, 2014

Listening to... #1

Here's a little playlist of some things I've been listening to lately. It's a mix of upbeat and more chill stuff. I hope you like it!

Link me playlists or artists you like in the comments!




Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Review: Let the Good Times Roll




If you've watched my Hawaii Haul Part II, you will know how much I love the smell of this mask. It smells like CAKE! Seriously, people. Cake.

Here's the list of ingredients:

Maize flour, Glycerine, Talc, Water, Corn Oil, Polenta, Fair Trade Organic Cinnamon Powder, Perfume (which occurs naturally in essential oils), Gardenia Extract, Popcorn.

Not only does it smell like cake (have I mentioned that yet?), it makes my skin feel so soft and smooth. I love a product that has all ingredients I can pronounce! It's got maize flour and polenta for gentle exfoliation and nourishment, corn oil to boost skin, and cinnamon to warm and stimulate your skin, leaving it refreshed. This cleanser is both scrubby and gentle, so it cleans but doesn't irritate those of us with sensitive skin.

What Lush cleansers do you love?

Friday, June 20, 2014

Currently Loving #1


Welcome to the first post of a new series! Because you are such smart people, I'm sure you can already guess what these posts will feature! You will see beauty and non-beauty bits here. I hope you enjoy! 

Maybelline Master Glaze Glistening Blush Stick in Pink Fever

This gives a lovely natural finish. It's got a smooth, dewy feel. The colour looks a little intimidating, but it blends out so nicely! These are super easy to apply and wear. I usually put a few short strokes across the tops of my cheekbones and blend with my fingers. If I have time, and want my blush looking extra perfect, I'll go over it using a light hand and my Real Techniques stippling brush. I haven't tried the Nars Matte Multiples, but I think this is a similar product.

These haven't been released in Japan yet.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Washing those brushes!


Am I the only one who doesn't wash their brushes as often as they should? I was feeling ambitious this past weekend. Freshly washed brushes are so nice to use! Every time I do this I wonder why I don't more often.

I use the Shiseido Sponge Cleaner. It was around 400yen, and works like a charm!

What do you use to clean your brushes?

Friday, June 6, 2014

That SPF Stuff


As a fair complexioned girl with fussy (read allergic reaction prone) skin, I've tried more than my fair share of sunscreens. Coppertone, Vichy, Ombrelle, and others I've lost track of have all left me with the option of rash or sunburn. Not a place anyone wants to be. My skin situation is especially difficult because I don't actually know what I'm allergic to. Now that I walk to work, and live a lot closer to the equator than I used to, I want to take extra good care of my fair skin!

Now that I've found a few winners, I thought I'd share them with you.

Ettusais just released a new sunscreen that I am in love with! It's the UV Block Spray SPF 50+ PA++++. It's colorant free, non-comedogenic, and oh so easy to apply. It doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy at all! It's got more of a velvet finish. It claims to have a floral scent, which I don't notice. I do like that it doesn't have that typical sunscreen smell. I always feel like a need a shower when I smell like that. This product is absolutely perfect for spraying on as I'm leaving work, or running out the door!

Another one I like for body is the Clinique Sun Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen Body Cream. I love Clinique's skin care and makeup. Other girls with sensitive skin will know how good it is. This protects against burns and aging effects of the sun. It also has antioxidants to protect skin against other environmental factors. The only draw back on this one is the price tag at $25. If you do want to spend a little extra on sun protection I highly recommend this one. The formula isn't as light as the Ettusais spray, but it still isn't greasy or heavy! I used this at the beach in Hawaii and didn't burn at all.

For face you guys already know that I love the Vitamin C Daily Moisturizer from The Body Shop. I love having this coverage to start the day, especially since I walk to work in the morning. This moisturizer mattifies and doesn't leave my face greasy at all. It's perfect to put makeup on top of. I usually wash my face in the morning, apply moisturizer, eat breakfast, and then do my makeup. You wouldn't have to wait this long for it to soak in if you were in more of a hurry!

For touching up my face throughout the day, like when I leave work to walk home, I like to use the Ettusais Aqua Splash UV SPF25 PA++. This is also available in SPF 30, which I will probably pick up once the temperatures climb. You can use this under or on top of makeup. I like to carry this in my purse and use it on my face, neck, arms, and chest, especially when I'm travelling. Like the other Ettusais sunblock it's colorant free and non-comedogenic.

What sun protectors do you guys love? Leave me a comment!

Everyday Lip Products


From left to right: Canmake Candy Gloss in Navel Drop - Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in Honey 
Clinique Different Lipstick in Think Bronze - Almay Liquid Lip Balm in Cantaloupe Cream - Mac Shy Girl  
Maybelline Baby Lips Electro in Berry Bomb - Canmake Stay-on Balm Rouge in Tiny Sweet pea

These are some fuss-free, lip products I like for everyday. If I'm not feeling up for the maintenance of a bold lip I reach for one of these!

What are your everyday lip products?

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Summertime Skincare


Summertime is upon us and I really want to make sure my skin is happy and nourished during the warmer months. The two key ingredients I'm focusing on are green tea and aloe.

My favourite products recently are the aloe toner and aloe gel from Nature Republic. My skin has been nice and blemish free recently and I'm hoping to keep it that way.

Soothing and Moisture Aloe Vera 90% Toner
  This smells amazing and is super refreshing! I decided to try it instead of getting another bottle of the Body Shop's aloe toner, and I think I like this one better! Also it was less expensive. Bonus!

Soothing and Moisture Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel
  This gel is a major multitasker! One of the things I love about this for summer is how light this is. It soaks in really quickly and feels cool. When the weather really heats up, I will move this stuff into my fridge to make it extra refreshing! I use it to sooth my legs and pits after a shave that was maybe a little too close. My favourite application so far is under my eyes. Normally I wear glasses. In hot weather I cannot stand the way the slide down my nose. Enter contact lenses. My glasses are quite dramatic and (conveniently) hide the bags under my eyes. Without my glasses, all I see are my puffy under eyes! Using the aloe gel under my eyes before bed has seriously helped with this. I've only been doing this for a few days and I already notice a difference!

Fresh Green Tea 70 Cream
  I've been looking into the beauty benefits of green tea and am so thrilled with this impulse buy from my New Years Korea vacation. Benefits include: sun damage protection, helps with inflammation, tones skin, reduces redness and prevents wrinkles. Yes please! How awesome is all that? Protection from sun damage is no reason to stop with the SPF. Think of them as being more complementary than interchangeable. The antioxidants in green tea don't block the sun, but they do help your skin to repair itself.

This "cream" is really a gel, and it doesn't cut it for me as night time moisturiser, but that's when I like to use it. I pair it with the Puru Puru Serum from Ettusais.

What do you think of my summer skincare trio? What ingredients do you look for during the summer months?

Leave me a comment!