Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Friday, May 22, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
New Stuff: Skincare...
Hellooooo, readers!
I have a tendency to obsess on taking perfect pictures and writing up fabulous reviews, and as a result, produce nothing. So instead of pressuring myself to write a squillion individual reviews, I decided I'll periodically lump a bunch together in one go when I've been hauling or changing up what I use.
Up first, skincare...what I'm using right now that I love and is making my skin nicer and more comfy!
One word, people. Yeast. I am on that bandwagon. What sealed it was a review of Missha The First Treatment Essence by Sheryl of The Wanderlust Project. She's an excellent writer, btw, blogging about her experiences living abroad, and Asian skincare and makeup. Go read her. Anyway, her reviews have never steered me wrong (for real, Skinfood Black Sugar Scrub, Innisfree Bija Trouble Spot Essence-R...and many more faves rec'd by her.)
I also read up on yeast ferment extracts in beauty in general and, seeing as it's lauded for a vast array of skin troubles I dove in.
So without further ado, Missha TFTE FTW!!!~
Without doubt, this is a new holy grail. I bought two sample packs from rubyruby76 on Ebay and it only took TWO days for me to know I should re-order. Smoothness, people. Smoothneeeeeessssss. Makeup that no longer looks caked on with a trowel. And acne is healing super-fast too, without as much scarring. All this in a month too!
But, what, no full bottle? Nope. Because I'm a klutz and it is pretty much like water. I'll either spill it or use way too much each time- just say no to wasting product! It's much more secure for me to open a sample packet in the morning, use half, roll down the top and use the rest in the p.m. Purists may say don't expose the product to air, but so far so good.
It's Skin Power 10 Formula cream~
(Wait, though, no more Etude House Like20? Sadly, no. Like so many others, it started to clog my pores and not moisturize as well. It's been relegated to the Sprout's basket of skincare stuff that he might need in the thick of puberty. And that I'm too frugal to throw out.)
I especially want to review this one because I haven't been able to find any other reviews online. It's Skin Power 10 line is known for serums, each for a certain skin issue. The yeast one has been on my try-it list for awhile, but I had no idea they made a cream until I literally googled 'yeast face cream'. Because, if a yeast essence worked so well then I need a freakin' cream. Well, this one does exactly what I need it to without clogging my pores or pilling AND further smooths my skin texture. I should mention that it's in no way what the American consumer knows of as 'cream'. It's a gel. It's thick enough to sit on a spatula for scooping it out though. It doesn't moisturize heavily enough on its own, but I pat my old favorite TM Broccoli Sprout Cleansing Cream on my cheeks afterward.
Milky Dress Peach-I serum~
Never tried MD but I saw its advertising about this serum helping rosacea/windburn/general flush and thought, why not? Besides generally ruddy skin, rosacea is something I've dealt with at any time of hormonal change and it's returned to hang out on my cheeks once again *le sigh*. But no worries because Peach-I is fantabulous. It calms the redness in just a few minutes! (It doesn't help with bumps from rosacea, but then, it's not marketed to. I hate those things. They need to bugger off.)
So those are my new complexion helpers. Any questions I didn't answer above, feel free to ask in the comments!
Coming up...the winter's makeup haulage and some awesome kawaii additions to my wardrobe!
I have a tendency to obsess on taking perfect pictures and writing up fabulous reviews, and as a result, produce nothing. So instead of pressuring myself to write a squillion individual reviews, I decided I'll periodically lump a bunch together in one go when I've been hauling or changing up what I use.
Up first, skincare...what I'm using right now that I love and is making my skin nicer and more comfy!
One word, people. Yeast. I am on that bandwagon. What sealed it was a review of Missha The First Treatment Essence by Sheryl of The Wanderlust Project. She's an excellent writer, btw, blogging about her experiences living abroad, and Asian skincare and makeup. Go read her. Anyway, her reviews have never steered me wrong (for real, Skinfood Black Sugar Scrub, Innisfree Bija Trouble Spot Essence-R...and many more faves rec'd by her.)
I also read up on yeast ferment extracts in beauty in general and, seeing as it's lauded for a vast array of skin troubles I dove in.
pic from misshaus.com
So without further ado, Missha TFTE FTW!!!~
Without doubt, this is a new holy grail. I bought two sample packs from rubyruby76 on Ebay and it only took TWO days for me to know I should re-order. Smoothness, people. Smoothneeeeeessssss. Makeup that no longer looks caked on with a trowel. And acne is healing super-fast too, without as much scarring. All this in a month too!
But, what, no full bottle? Nope. Because I'm a klutz and it is pretty much like water. I'll either spill it or use way too much each time- just say no to wasting product! It's much more secure for me to open a sample packet in the morning, use half, roll down the top and use the rest in the p.m. Purists may say don't expose the product to air, but so far so good.
pic from itsskin.com/eng
It's Skin Power 10 Formula cream~
(Wait, though, no more Etude House Like20? Sadly, no. Like so many others, it started to clog my pores and not moisturize as well. It's been relegated to the Sprout's basket of skincare stuff that he might need in the thick of puberty. And that I'm too frugal to throw out.)
I especially want to review this one because I haven't been able to find any other reviews online. It's Skin Power 10 line is known for serums, each for a certain skin issue. The yeast one has been on my try-it list for awhile, but I had no idea they made a cream until I literally googled 'yeast face cream'. Because, if a yeast essence worked so well then I need a freakin' cream. Well, this one does exactly what I need it to without clogging my pores or pilling AND further smooths my skin texture. I should mention that it's in no way what the American consumer knows of as 'cream'. It's a gel. It's thick enough to sit on a spatula for scooping it out though. It doesn't moisturize heavily enough on its own, but I pat my old favorite TM Broccoli Sprout Cleansing Cream on my cheeks afterward.
pic from milkydress.com (click on the flag for English!)
Milky Dress Peach-I serum~
Never tried MD but I saw its advertising about this serum helping rosacea/windburn/general flush and thought, why not? Besides generally ruddy skin, rosacea is something I've dealt with at any time of hormonal change and it's returned to hang out on my cheeks once again *le sigh*. But no worries because Peach-I is fantabulous. It calms the redness in just a few minutes! (It doesn't help with bumps from rosacea, but then, it's not marketed to. I hate those things. They need to bugger off.)
So those are my new complexion helpers. Any questions I didn't answer above, feel free to ask in the comments!
Coming up...the winter's makeup haulage and some awesome kawaii additions to my wardrobe!
Play is Always Therapy...
...so how could I resist this marketing?! The correct answer is...IN NO WAY. Etude House is just so fun! These packs are for pore/sebum control (green) and spot care (purple). Both are wash-off packs. Normally I go for sheet masks, but I love wash-offs because you can spot-apply. The Play Therapy line also has a wash-off brightening (yellow) and two sleeping packs, firming (pink) and hydrating (blue.)
Green:
This is the Soft Clay Pack with a smiley blob of clay (or maybe pumice?) on the tube. I bought the full tube after trying a free sample from an ebay order. Normally I shun clay masks because I find them too drying and also difficult to use. (Have you tried the much-loved Queen Helene Mint Julep mask? You could probably sculpt with it.) But this one is soft and spreadable and ALSO very easy to wash off.
I don't usually go into ingredient detail but in this case, the list was too tiny for me to get a good pic. AND I want to mention some ingredients that make this pack different from other clay masks (from my experience anyway!) Kaolin is, of course, way up on the ingredients list. Also up there are water, glycerin and trehelose. If I remember correctly, trehelose is a sugar substance (-ose) which gives...moisture? Happily bentonite is farther down in the ingredients, which explains the ease in washing off. Other than face packs, all I know of bentonite is that it's used to line man-made lakes! It's that water resistant. Hydrogenated veggie oil is also listed which, along with the glycerin, probably contributes to the mask not drying as hard as most and also not drying out my skin. Yay! Oh, and it smells sort of herbal/tea tree-ish. It definitely shrinks my patches of tiny proto-pimple/blackhead things.
Purple:
Purple is Spot-Care and has a gleeful looking broccoli. Even though the face is the same as the clay, Mr. Broc is sort of TOO gleeful if you ask me. (Big Sweety agrees,"Oh, THAT's not creepy or anything!") Spot-care has kaolin but water and glycerin are it's first ingredients. The glycerin makes it kind of slick. The pack also contains fruit, veggie and oat extracts and tea tree oil which is what it smells like. Very much so, so if you don't like that smell, this pack may annoy you. I love it though!
I'll be honest. I wasn't entirely sure what this pack's purpose was . Are the spots being cared for pimples? Irritated areas (like rosacea?)...*hope hope*. Well, after researching I believe it's for all of the above, as long as your skin can handle what's in it. I think it's especially good for adult acne because, while it has drying ingredients, it also treats your skin well with the oats and things. I imagine it could also soothe bug bites and maybe poison ivy, like calamine does. (Maybe. I don't know for sure. Not a doctor.) In any case, I really like the results even though, sadly, they don't last very long. It temporarily reduces redness and itchiness anywhere and swelling of pimples/rosacea acne/random bumps. This only lasts a day or so in my experience. I tried it on the same spots several days in a row and had some irritation, but I can't be sure that was "bad" or just my skin getting used to a new product. *shrug* All in all I give it a thumbs up though!
Part of me wants to try the firming pack because it's supposed to moisturize really well but...NO!
I must resist the charming pomegranate and stick with what works. (My Beauty Diary Rice Sheet mask not that entertaining. But moisturizing!)
pic from etudehouse.com
Green:
This is the Soft Clay Pack with a smiley blob of clay (or maybe pumice?) on the tube. I bought the full tube after trying a free sample from an ebay order. Normally I shun clay masks because I find them too drying and also difficult to use. (Have you tried the much-loved Queen Helene Mint Julep mask? You could probably sculpt with it.) But this one is soft and spreadable and ALSO very easy to wash off.
I don't usually go into ingredient detail but in this case, the list was too tiny for me to get a good pic. AND I want to mention some ingredients that make this pack different from other clay masks (from my experience anyway!) Kaolin is, of course, way up on the ingredients list. Also up there are water, glycerin and trehelose. If I remember correctly, trehelose is a sugar substance (-ose) which gives...moisture? Happily bentonite is farther down in the ingredients, which explains the ease in washing off. Other than face packs, all I know of bentonite is that it's used to line man-made lakes! It's that water resistant. Hydrogenated veggie oil is also listed which, along with the glycerin, probably contributes to the mask not drying as hard as most and also not drying out my skin. Yay! Oh, and it smells sort of herbal/tea tree-ish. It definitely shrinks my patches of tiny proto-pimple/blackhead things.
pic from etudehouse.com
Purple:
Purple is Spot-Care and has a gleeful looking broccoli. Even though the face is the same as the clay, Mr. Broc is sort of TOO gleeful if you ask me. (Big Sweety agrees,"Oh, THAT's not creepy or anything!") Spot-care has kaolin but water and glycerin are it's first ingredients. The glycerin makes it kind of slick. The pack also contains fruit, veggie and oat extracts and tea tree oil which is what it smells like. Very much so, so if you don't like that smell, this pack may annoy you. I love it though!
I'll be honest. I wasn't entirely sure what this pack's purpose was . Are the spots being cared for pimples? Irritated areas (like rosacea?)...*hope hope*. Well, after researching I believe it's for all of the above, as long as your skin can handle what's in it. I think it's especially good for adult acne because, while it has drying ingredients, it also treats your skin well with the oats and things. I imagine it could also soothe bug bites and maybe poison ivy, like calamine does. (Maybe. I don't know for sure. Not a doctor.) In any case, I really like the results even though, sadly, they don't last very long. It temporarily reduces redness and itchiness anywhere and swelling of pimples/rosacea acne/random bumps. This only lasts a day or so in my experience. I tried it on the same spots several days in a row and had some irritation, but I can't be sure that was "bad" or just my skin getting used to a new product. *shrug* All in all I give it a thumbs up though!
Part of me wants to try the firming pack because it's supposed to moisturize really well but...NO!
I must resist the charming pomegranate and stick with what works. (My Beauty Diary Rice Sheet mask not that entertaining. But moisturizing!)
Friday, January 16, 2015
7 Sins of Beauty Questionnaire
Hey! Decided to slip this quick post in here while I'm working on a longer draft. It's a questionnaire that's gone around the beauty web for awhile but was just posted on the fantastically informative and fun blog, Musings of a Muse. Comment if you want, and share your own!
Greed: What’s your most expensive beauty item?
As of now, a tie between the Sugarpill Sparkle Baby palette and Clinique Redness Solutions pressed powder, both around $34. Technically I guess the powder wins though since there are four full-sized shadows in the palette!
Wrath: What item do you have a love/hate relationship with?
Oooo, that's tough. I guess contouring/bronzing powders. I love the idea but am never sure I have the right shade or have applied the right amount. I guess I just really wish I had a jawline so I didn't need it at all LOL.
Gluttony: What brand takes up most of your collection?
I have soooo many, but Etude House is what I have the most of on my face at any given moment.
Sloth: What product do you neglect the most due to laziness?
Base touch-ups! I carry bb cream and powder with me all the time and hardly ever touch up. And I do need to.
Pride: What product gives you the most confidence?
BB cream (Well, foundation product in general.) I try to spruce myself up with it even if I'm too lazy to put on anything else.
Lust: Which item is top of your beauty wish list?
Impractical for me in so many ways but Guerlain Meteorites, especially the Pucci edition + matching brush.
Envy: Which makeup product/look is great on others but not on you?
Inner corner eye highlighting. I know it's supposed to make eyes look wider set but it makes mine look super-beady and close together.
Mindless beauty fun!
Greed: What’s your most expensive beauty item?
As of now, a tie between the Sugarpill Sparkle Baby palette and Clinique Redness Solutions pressed powder, both around $34. Technically I guess the powder wins though since there are four full-sized shadows in the palette!
Wrath: What item do you have a love/hate relationship with?
Oooo, that's tough. I guess contouring/bronzing powders. I love the idea but am never sure I have the right shade or have applied the right amount. I guess I just really wish I had a jawline so I didn't need it at all LOL.
Gluttony: What brand takes up most of your collection?
I have soooo many, but Etude House is what I have the most of on my face at any given moment.
Sloth: What product do you neglect the most due to laziness?
Base touch-ups! I carry bb cream and powder with me all the time and hardly ever touch up. And I do need to.
Pride: What product gives you the most confidence?
BB cream (Well, foundation product in general.) I try to spruce myself up with it even if I'm too lazy to put on anything else.
Lust: Which item is top of your beauty wish list?
Impractical for me in so many ways but Guerlain Meteorites, especially the Pucci edition + matching brush.
Envy: Which makeup product/look is great on others but not on you?
Inner corner eye highlighting. I know it's supposed to make eyes look wider set but it makes mine look super-beady and close together.
Mindless beauty fun!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Unicorns are Cooooool...
Unicorns are Cooooool by asnowbunny
I found this 8-bit unicorn dress at ModCloth over the summer. My belt is these colors but is actually a C4 rubber one *plastic fuuuuuun* Know about C4? You choose whatever belt/buckle colors you want and they put it together and send it off to you! And they donate a bit of profit to one of three charities you can choose from. (IIRC mine was an animal rescue.) I'll do a separate post on the Locketship unicorn necklace including the rest of my little order from them. Oh, and how awesome-saucy is this nail polish?? It's 'Unicorn' by piCture pOlish x blogger Brit Nails. Teal with purple-pink and silver glitter! Be still my beating 80's heart.
I found this 8-bit unicorn dress at ModCloth over the summer. My belt is these colors but is actually a C4 rubber one *plastic fuuuuuun* Know about C4? You choose whatever belt/buckle colors you want and they put it together and send it off to you! And they donate a bit of profit to one of three charities you can choose from. (IIRC mine was an animal rescue.) I'll do a separate post on the Locketship unicorn necklace including the rest of my little order from them. Oh, and how awesome-saucy is this nail polish?? It's 'Unicorn' by piCture pOlish x blogger Brit Nails. Teal with purple-pink and silver glitter! Be still my beating 80's heart.
Etude House Like20...
Well, my prayers have been answered! The Man helped me turn my thoughts around and see clearly again. Now I feel free to go on a bit about some material luxuries I'm totally digging right now!
Ok, so first, since I said I'd be giving more details on my Like20 love...I'm now on my second jar of finishing cream and went ahead and ordered a full size booster essence. I'll talk about the essence first...
Ok, so first, since I said I'd be giving more details on my Like20 love...I'm now on my second jar of finishing cream and went ahead and ordered a full size booster essence. I'll talk about the essence first...
Monday, September 29, 2014
Still kicking it...
I know I haven't been blogging but I'm still here, just...dealing. Depression has been a real PITA the last few months so I've been trying to work that out and not bring it to the blog. Instagramming is pretty fun though since pictures are easier to share than words. Anyhoo, I do have lots of floofy things to blog about. Just need to get a handle of my mindspace first. I have a call coming from BFF tonight to talk about stuff and am praying and praying so...hopefully soon I'll have everything righted.
Friday, August 22, 2014
Winter Mermaid...
Untitled #39 by asnowbunny
Winter ocean
I found this Topshop sweater at Nordstrom a couple of months ago. It's super-duper soft. So soft in fact that, when I tried it on, Sprout wouldn't stop hanging all over me and proclaiming it the snuggliest sweater in all the land. That pretty much ended any waffling I'd been doing. Of course, once I finally decided I needed them, BlackMilk stopped making their original mermaid leggings, but I'm hopeful I can find similar ones out there. (That *aren't* cheapos from ebay! Been there, done that, have the ripped-after-two-wearings leggings to prove it.) These TooFast boots...le sigh! I ordered the wrong size and was told the smaller size I needed was OOS *after* I returned them. GREAT shoes, but I'm not really pleased with TooFast's communication so, while I'll keep looking at their shoes, I'll most likely order from a different shop.
Winter ocean
I found this Topshop sweater at Nordstrom a couple of months ago. It's super-duper soft. So soft in fact that, when I tried it on, Sprout wouldn't stop hanging all over me and proclaiming it the snuggliest sweater in all the land. That pretty much ended any waffling I'd been doing. Of course, once I finally decided I needed them, BlackMilk stopped making their original mermaid leggings, but I'm hopeful I can find similar ones out there. (That *aren't* cheapos from ebay! Been there, done that, have the ripped-after-two-wearings leggings to prove it.) These TooFast boots...le sigh! I ordered the wrong size and was told the smaller size I needed was OOS *after* I returned them. GREAT shoes, but I'm not really pleased with TooFast's communication so, while I'll keep looking at their shoes, I'll most likely order from a different shop.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Yama Girl polyvore...
Untitled #38 by asnowbunny This is most definitely an outfit I could rock while hiking or camping! I REALLY hope to try this fragrance one day if I can still find it.
I have these Black Milk Aurora Skye leggings and can tell you they are absolutely worth the price. They have a heft to them that makes them such good quality. They don't fall off me bum either, and have a fantastic,( non-gathered!) waistband that stays nice and flat.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Etude House Like20...,like, love...
It's time to get real with my skin problems, people. As much as I long to use only the cutest products, now is the time to go for some serious efficacy whether or not the packaging is shaped like an adorable piece of produce or an animal.
Awhile back I discovered EH's Like20 line and it sounded AH-mazing- super-moisture for aging but geared for younger skin that shouldn't be smothered in heavy creams. With my horrible dryness+aging (lines and roughness)+insane blackheads it sounded perfect. Turns out? It is. First I'm going to do a quickie review of each item and then more detailed posts later as I purchase full sizes of some.
I didn't have a ton of moolah for trying out new, full-sized products so I went for this trial kit:
Awhile back I discovered EH's Like20 line and it sounded AH-mazing- super-moisture for aging but geared for younger skin that shouldn't be smothered in heavy creams. With my horrible dryness+aging (lines and roughness)+insane blackheads it sounded perfect. Turns out? It is. First I'm going to do a quickie review of each item and then more detailed posts later as I purchase full sizes of some.
I didn't have a ton of moolah for trying out new, full-sized products so I went for this trial kit:
Pic from love-youl on ebay- I ordered it from them and would definitely order from them again!
Monday, May 26, 2014
A little primer review...
I've tried a bunch of new (to me) products in the last months. I decided to lump these two primers into one post since they're quite similar in form and function. (Though not in result for me as you'll see.)
Tonymoly Egg Pore Silky Smooth Balm
The Face Shop Face It Oil Cut Pore Balm
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Finally Instagramming...
After years of just not getting the appeal, I suddenly had an urge to try Instagram and LOVE IT. So please check it out to see lots of pics that won't be on the blog!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Happy pants...
FINALLY got Blogger to cooperate for creating and publishing this post. I think the awesomeness caused an error or something. So please disregard the time/place description.
I'm suffering through family movie night at Sprout's school surrounded by chattering (occasionally shrieking children) watching...something...known as The Nut Job. Well, Sprout is watching. I'm escaping to the blogosphere. (Though I'll admit it- I laughed when an animated squirrel farted. Je regret rien.)
Anyway, since this movie epitomizes all that is Not My Thing I'm sharing about my super-happy paaaaaants!
I'm suffering through family movie night at Sprout's school surrounded by chattering (occasionally shrieking children) watching...something...known as The Nut Job. Well, Sprout is watching. I'm escaping to the blogosphere. (Though I'll admit it- I laughed when an animated squirrel farted. Je regret rien.)
Anyway, since this movie epitomizes all that is Not My Thing I'm sharing about my super-happy paaaaaants!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
An actual dress...
I have a wedding to go to in a few weeks and actually need to dress up. I never dress up. I own, like, two non-knit tops. The only skirts I currently wear are knit maxis (you know the ones- available everywhere, really cheap), and denim minis. In fact, my mom was so excited to hear that I NEEDED A DRESS that she bought me the dress AND shoes as a Mother's Day gift! So sweet!! (I haven't bought or made anything for her yet, but I usually give her Mother's Day gift to her when I visit in summer so I have time.)
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Springspringspringspringspring....
HAPPY DAYS!!!
I heart spring oh so much. It smells good, it feels fresh and the sights and sounds are just so lovely. Our new apartment has a huge wetland right behind it so we hear red-winged blackbirds all day long. I try to start every day with a good sit'n'stare out the back window.
And last week...DOUBLE RAINBOW !!!
WTH is EK?
Hey, so every now and then you might see (read?) me mention "my EK". I've never actually met anyone who knew what it is and had to search awhile online before I found definitive information. So I wanted to share since it's something that affects some of my beauty posts. Nail pics to be exact.
What does it stand for?
EK= exfoliative keratolosis
What is it anyway?
EK is a syndrome which affects skin cell regeneration, usually on the hands and feet. Specifically, the cells' life cycle is dramatically short so the skin peels A LOT. Sometimes it's barely noticeable and other times your skin cracks and peels enough to make simple tasks really painful. Mine showed up on my fingertips when I was around 10. It's worst on my thumbs which is why I hide them in a lot of my nail pics. Ragged cuticles and giant hangnails are the norm.
(Fear not, there are no pics in this post!! LOL)
What does it stand for?
EK= exfoliative keratolosis
What is it anyway?
EK is a syndrome which affects skin cell regeneration, usually on the hands and feet. Specifically, the cells' life cycle is dramatically short so the skin peels A LOT. Sometimes it's barely noticeable and other times your skin cracks and peels enough to make simple tasks really painful. Mine showed up on my fingertips when I was around 10. It's worst on my thumbs which is why I hide them in a lot of my nail pics. Ragged cuticles and giant hangnails are the norm.
(Fear not, there are no pics in this post!! LOL)
Monday, February 10, 2014
OTT pastel nails & why I love fakes...
I'm getting braver about materials! I'm actually really frugal and, while I want to wear ALL the nail deco, I don't want to have to throw the cuteness away after wearing it and removing. (Most bits don't hold up too well.) But if I do the fakes then I can wear them over and over. Or until I snag one on my hair or jeans! LOL Another plus to fakes is that I only have to apply a PITA polish once. Srsly, I own so many that are just horrible by nature (whites, glitter you have to fish for, etc...My nail homies know!) They're all gorgeous but I really have to psych myself into the application process- especially with the way ALL polish (and basecoats and strengtheners) peel off after a few hours. Something with my body chemistry in the last year...
So those are reasons I rock the fake nail sets more often than not these days!
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