Surprise Goodies and a Little Announcement

So today was Monday (how Rebecca Black of me, I know~ ), but it was also stressful too! Sadly, this week is only going to get worse—but hey, there’s nothing that can’t be fixed by a surprise package waiting at your doorstep, right?!

Ah, don’t you love it when you do a bunch of online shopping; only to forget about it all as you wait for your purchases to arrive? Then suddenly, much to your surprise, everything starts arriving in the mail and it feels like Christmas all over again!!

It’s my winnings from Missha! A couple weeks ago MisshaUS conducted an online survey, whereupon 700 participants were gifted a free Missha BB Cream and BB Cream Boomer—shipping was on us though. I’m dying to try the sample they included of The First Treatment Essence, one of their top-selling products in Korea! (It’s essentially a rip-off of an SK-II product, but at a fraction of the price! )

Judging by the fact that they sent my sister shade #23 and me #13, they must have gone through our beauty profiles (that we fill out when we sign up) to make sure they sent us the appropriate shade! How considerate of them~!

On another note, I am here to announce that I’ll be out of town for a week and a half starting this Thursday. I’m sad to say, but since I’ll be busy preparing for my trip, I don’t anticipating posting again until I return on the 12th...  I'm so sorry, please forgive me!!!

*Ahem* That being said, I do have a list of things that I am determined to accomplish when I come back! I hope you can join me in looking forward to these upcoming posts!

1. New layout! I’m very excited for my new layout, although in actuality it’s not all that different from the one I have now…Nevertheless! As of right now, it is about 90% complete; I am just lacking in actual photos for it (banner, profile, etc.).
2. Tsubasa’s Bunny Days Look! I’ll be doing a fun post on Tsubasa’s look hopefully soon after I come back. At least, I think it’ll be fun--to make at least—and hopefully you will think so too!
3. Ulzzang Look: I am determined to try my knack at Korean-style makeup! Whether I do it on my own eyes or my Oppa’s I have yet to decide, heehee.
4. Secret Post: Heehee, this post will also be a picture post, but I shan’t reveal the topic until then! ^.^

Until then, please keep in touch, for I shall miss you all dearly!

Toodles~

The Face Shop Lovely Me:Ex Lip Tint Stick

After being bombarded with lip tints EVERYWHERE in Myeongdong last Christmas, I finally succumbed to picking one up for myself. Oh my, the choices! Pink ones, orange ones, gooey, liquid, tub-form, stick-form…ALL of which were cute too! In the end Oppa and I excitedly decided on this orange “chapsticky” one from The Face Shop! ^^ 

Quick Facts:

Brand: The Face Shop [더페이스샵]
Name: Lovely ME:EX Lip Tint Stick [러블리믹스립틴트스틱]
Shade: 03, lustful/perverted peach [앙큼피치]
SPF: 13
Size: 5g, 8.3cm
Price in Korea: 8,800KRW

(And yes, I do mean precisely what I’ve written! From what Oppa and I could scour, “앙큼” is a cuter way to say “엉큼,” which sort of means “perverted.” If someone here can find a better translation, please share!)

Packaging: 
It's encased in a pale pink tube with dark purple font. The text and drawing details are slightly 3D, and  they're not the type to rub off easily. (Don't you hate it when the design rubs off?)

Product Description:

Without going into details, it’s essentially a 3 in 1 product: lip care, lip tint, and SPF.

Scent: 

Light and unfortunately indescribable!

Color (on me):

Funny...it actually doesn't look orange on my lips at all! It mostly makes my lips a vibrant pink. In dim lighting you can see more of an orange tint--as it leans a towards a bittersweet red--but it's never exactly orange. Outdoors on a sunny day, it shows up as a very bright and rosy pink. It's also somewhat glossy, so it basically made my lips look like a pink grapefruit!  (FYI, I also swatched this on Oppa's pigmented/brown/purple lips, and it barely showed up...)

In these photos I tried to accurately represent how it looks when outdoors. There's still a bit of discrepancy though: in real life it's glossier, the tube is a darker orange--much like the sticker on the bottom of the tube--and the swatches are slightly paler:

(▲I'm not quite sure why/how a red ring developed around the stick! >.<)

Although it makes my lips pink, on regular skin it shows up as orange, much more so than the following picture demonstrates:

If I'm not careful, I look like a messy messy eater~  

Texture, Moisturizing Ability:

This chapstick not only glides on effortlessly, but it also feels very rich and moisturizing, unlike the ones that require warming up and/or just sit on top of your lips! (I personally find it more moisturizing than Burt’s Bees and much more so than EOS.)

For the most part, it does a decent job of smoothing it out little flakes, but sometimes it'll cling on as little chunks of bright orange:

Lasting Power:

On me, the moisture lasts no more than a half hour to hour without eating/drinking, while the color lasts longer (especially if you keep reapplying). That being said, my lips are still softer than before application!

:*:･｡,☆ﾟ'･:*:･｡,:*:･｡,☆ﾟ'･:*:･｡,:*:･｡,☆:*:･｡

Notes to self: I like it a lot~! It’s not only very moisturizing but also a very convenient way to pop some color into my otherwise lifeless lips. Perfect for those lazy days spent running errands! Well, if I ever want me some perverted peach lips, I’ll know where to go!

Are you a fan of lip tints? Which ones have you tried and liked? ^.^

Etude House Proof 10 Mascara

You’ll have to forgive me for doing so many reviews straight in a row! I’ve got a lot of things going on in life right now, and reviews are just easier/quicker for me to write. Yes, I know reviews aren't as fun to read as other posts, but I've still got tons of Korean goodies I must share! Please stay with me; I promise I have many fun posts planned ahead once everything blows over!

Quick Facts:
Brand: Etude House [에뛰드 하우스]
Name: Proof 10 Mascara: Super Washable [프루프10방수카라:슈퍼워셔블]
Number: 2*, Long Lash Washable [2호 롱 래쉬 워셔블]
Size, Height: 8g, 14.2cm
Price in Korea: 10,000KRW

 *I got Number 2, which is a lengthening mascara. Conversely, Number 1 is a volumizing mascara. This one isn’t very volumizing, so I won’t even discuss that.

Packaging:

Lengthening Ability:

If you look closely, it the mascara didn't seem to actually lengthen my lashes all that much; if anything, it just defined them! It darkened the fine ends of my lashes so that my lashes appeared longer, but really, it was just definition and not quite lengthening.

Waterproofness:

“It’s tough against water, yet washes off easily with warm water,” the saleslady said. Pah, Imagine my disbelief! Surely she was mistaken, what with all the stress from the busy holidays...  But nope, she was right after all! Basically, it goes like this:

1. If you get water or sweat on it, it pretty much stays put so long as you don’t touch it.
2. However, the SECOND you touch it though, it smudges off completely. It comes off VERY easily (and painlessly) with just warm water. It’s actually easier than using makeup
   remover.

You can't tell, butin the “wet” picture below, I had sprayed my eyelids with so much water that my face dripped. You'll notice that except for a minor bit of clumping, the mascara was unchanged!

▲In the third/above picture you can see that since I hadn’t curled my lashes, some of the wet mascara strands rubbed off after touching my lower eyelid when I blinked…so be careful of that! 

Curl-Holding Ability:

You can see it  doesn’t hold curl very well; it basically removes all traces of me having curled my lashes at all. I have been luckier on some days though.

Personal Thoughts/Notes to Self: Based on its mild lengthening effect and mediocre curl-holding  ability, I’ll reckon this as a very, let's say, natural mascara. I prefer extra OOMPH, so I'll be scouting around after this tube is finished. (I think you can get cheaper and more dramatic mascaras in drug stores?) I must say though, I am quite awed by its water-resistance, despite how painlessly it comes off with warm water!

:*:･｡,☆ﾟ'･:*:･｡,:*:･｡,☆:*:

Hope that was helpful! If you've any questions, feel free to ask ^^
Toodles, I shall now go fling my limbs erratically to the chorus of this song~~

Selca of the Day

This is my selca of the day. Well, I took it last night actually.

I applied the lashes differently, used less nose contour and chose a darker blush (though I was too lazy to blend it inOh wells~). Hrm..I have a feeling my nose looks chubby.

↑ It's a little blurry, but I liked the glowy effect from having the light behind me!

Suddenly FOTD/Selca of the Day strikes me as a good idea! After all, I can look back at them and conclude two things:

1.) This is how my makeup looked in 2012.
2.) This is how my face looked in 2012, before it started sagging! 


(Note to Self) Besides learning how to do something with my wimpy hair, I should also practice applying top lashes the "normal" way! I usually apply them vertically  (for that extra VAVAVOOM), so applying them straight is quite new to me. I can't find the balance so that it doesn't droop and the head doesn't poke out! I must be losing my touch. "Practice till perfect" it is then! 


Anywho, I hope to have two more posts up by next Monday! (Again, hope. Although, now that I've announced it publicly, I feel more obliged to honor that statement!)

Until then~!

Holika Holika Prime Miracle Snail Hand Cream

Today I am reviewing a hand cream. I knoowww it might seem weird to do a review of a hand cream, but hear me out! First off, people do reviews on body butters right? This can’t be too different. Secondly, this hand cream is special; it’s got snail mucin in it! That’s not your common hand cream ingredient now is it? (Well, in the West at least.)

I have very dry hands, so when Oppa and I spotted this hand cream we were quite curious to say the least. Should you also be curious about this snail hand cream, allow me to shed some light!

Quick Facts:
Brand: Holika Holika 홀리카홀리카
Name: Prime Miracle Snail Hand Cream 프라임미라클스네일핸드크림
Size, Height: 80mL, 14cm
Price in Korea: 9,900KRW

If you’re new to the concept of snail mucin, the front of the tube has a decent introduction to this phenomenon, which overtook Korea in craze last year. It reads:

When injured, Snail retains the miraculous renewal energy to heal the wound with naturally constituted snail secretion. The secret of self-healing power of the snail comes from the naturally constructed secretion called ‘Mucin’.

Essentially, snail mucin = good moisturizing ingredient.

Texture: This product’s texture lies in between thin, watery lotions and thick, creamy emollients. It’s a light texture, but is easily spreadable in ample amounts. (You know how runny lotions usually spread thin? It’s not quite like that.)  It absorbs within 15 seconds or so and leaves no oily after-feel.

Moisturizing Ability: [Before you read on and evaluate my results using this hand cream, please keep in mind that my hands are in fact quite hopeless. They’ve been dry my entire life, no matter what I try.]

It’s quite light in texture, so while it does a nice job of smoothing my skin to make it look good, it doesn’t do much to soften it or make it actually feel good. For me, it’s only mildly moisturizing and ever-so-slightly softening. After all, it has a much lower concentration of mucin than other snail products do. I believe it is only 5%, although I’m not sure since the product info lists two inconsistent values.

It is, however, much better than the super-cheap and overly fragranced hand lotions I have tried from Avon way back when!

Lasting Power: On me, it lasts no longer than an hour or so before my skin’s dryness starts to re-emerge.

Scent: Faint, indescribable. Nothing to remark.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Notes to self: As someone with papery-dry hands, this hand cream is wonderful for a quick fix. With its fast absorption and non-oiliness, it's very efficient at making my hands look presentable on-the-go. (The non-oiliness is a plus; leaving grease marks everywhere sucks!) As far as actual moisturizing goes though, it falls short. I like it enough to repurchase it, though certainly not before trying other hand creams first. J

That's it! I hope that gave you some insight on another, less talked about, beauty product from Korea! Thanks for reading~

Say, what is your favorite lotion?

Finally a bit of show and tell.

Where has the new year gone?

I finally got myself in gear and been bust finishing off some garments I started last year.

Firstly I have yet another Loud Shirt

Loud shirt no4.

I was almost getting there on the pattern matching, then forgot the lapping of the front pieces due to button hole palacement and lost it. Ah well maybe next time.

And now  another late sewlong. This dress was for New Vintage Lady Plan Pattern Project sewalong that ended last year, and I finished it this week. DOH.

Front view.

Pink buttons to go with the purple/white cotton. the buttons do match, must be the effect of camera phone.

 Side view

And back colar detail.

I didnt really change that much with this dress in the end. Only adding the white satin binding on the bottom hem.

I have also started work on another project this week, but more about that next week as it is a birthday present, so no showing until the gift is handed over. Which today was looking doubtful, I have got to the very last bit of hemming when my machine went, whrrrr, clunk. Bugger. So hand hemming I guess.

On another note last weekend I opened a new packet of stockings, (very much prefare them to tights, yuk) and this is what I got,

One stocking, I can not be bothered to take them back. Luckly I had more packets with two in them, so now I have a spare.

I hope your week is going better than mine. Happy sewing and knitting

Sew Vala. x  

22 Answers for 22 Questions!

Howdy do~ 

Sooo, I've been tagged. (Thank you Christina & Mikkimash for tagging me!) By now you've probably heard of the 11 Question's Tag. Basically, it goes like this:

• Write 11 facts about yourself
• Answer the 11 questions from your taggers
• Create 11 questions of your own
• Tag 11 people

I know tags can be quite boring, since it's all just TEXT TEXT TEXT about ME ME ME, so I have made an effort to make this as interesting and visually appealing as possible! (Although I regret how crappy my hair/makeup/entire look turned out today.) I hope you can still appreciate my efforts, despite my meager design skills~

I've decided to leave out the 11 Facts portion, since this post is quite long already! If you read through all or most of this, I shall love you forever! Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Now that I've answered the questions, it's time for me to tag people with my own questions! In no particular order, I tag: 

1. my sister
2. keaixiong
3. Nickipon
4. Iamginny
   
5. MissFeelo
6. You!  Yes, you!  The ladies I've listed above are those that I've been able to chitchat with on twitter (and haven't already been tagged), but I don't see why tags have to be so exclusive. Anyone who wants to do it should! 

Here are my 11 questions (borrowed two from you Christina!):

1. What are your pet peeves?
2. Is there a fashion trend that you HATE?
3. What's your most embarrassing moment?
4. What's your ideal wedding like?
5. What do you like most about yourself? (It doesn't have to be appearance related!)
6. What do you think about most during your idle time?
7. Are you one to prefer a few close friends, or a big circle of casual friends?
8. Have you been scammed before? :o If yes, it's storytime!
9. What style are you most into now? How did you get into it?
10. What do people often misjudge about you?
11. What's one thing you want to do/accomplish before you're 30?

I hope you don't find my questions super boring...I would definitely be interested in what your answers would be! So if you do end up doing it, please link me! Or, if you don't feel like doing a formal post, feel free to answer one or two in the comment box; I'd still love to read your answers! ^^

Thanks for reading; toodles~!