korean make-up mini reviews: face and cheeks

For the last eighteen months, I've grown an obsession with Korean Beauty products. Today, I thought it'd be nice to talk about some of the make-up products which aren't expensive and work extremely well. Here are a few brief reviews.

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in No. 21

Western BB creams tend to look quite orange on me, even when I opt for the lightest shade but this Missha BB cream is perfect. It evens skin tone, covers blemishes to an extraordinary amount (you'll still need a little bit of concealer) and stays put for a whole day. My skin is pretty oily but I haven't had any issues with it slipping, even after a 14-hour day. The only complaint I have is that it looks a bit grey when it first goes on but the finishing powder I use (not a Korean product) does a good job at counteracting that. 

Also, this tube has lasted forever as a little goes a long way. 

Skin Food Peach Sake Silky Finish Powder

My sister bought me this when she was in Korea and it means I'm not spoilt for choice for clear setting powders. This one smells like peach and keeps my face looking matte during the day. No complaints!

Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder

Another favourite among the Asian Beauty community on Reddit. This was my first ever setting powder but I don't like how it can make patches of my face look white and chalky. 

Tony Moly Cat's Wink Clear Pact

A gift from my sister again from Korea! Smells delightful and is super cute as well! It's definitely more travel friendly than the Skin Food and Innisfree offerings. It is slim and has a mirror - something the other two don't have.

IOPE Air Cushion XP in No. 21

This is the perfect colour match for the winter when my skin is at its palest. I love the portability - it has a mirror and a cushion included and it applies very well. It doesn't make my face look cakey and has a pleasant smell to it. One of my favourites for those lighter coverage days though it is buildable if you want a higher level of coverage too.

Various A'pieu Cushion Blushers 

Yet another gift from my sister from her holiday in Seoul! It has a mirror inside too and isn't the outside just adorable? Sometimes we have one of those days where we need a bit of cheering up. They are pretty pigmented and one or two dabs on each cheek is usually enough to add a bit of colour to my face. Again, I love the smell of them!


I also have some eye and lip products too which I'll talk about in a month's time or so. Basically, I'm a huge fan of Korean beauty products and just wanted to share the love :)

my fifteen minute make-up routine each morning!

During the winter, I usually have to get ready in the dark and for this reason, I try and keep my look as simple as possible to prevent over-egging my eyes or cheeks. Because time is also limited before I have to leave the house and because I try and sleep as much as possible, I'm trying to keep my routine as minimalistic and with as few steps as possible. I never used to bother much with make-up but over the last year or so, I've done to appreciate how much better (and healthier) I look with it on.

My first photo shows the products I used about six months ago.

From L to R: Shu Uemura eyelash curlers, Tony Moly Panda's Dream Volume Mascara, Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Promade, Pixi Clear Brow Gel, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Eden, Too Cool for School lip crayon, Missha BB Cream, Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics, Nars blusher, Bobbi Brown lip tint and NYX's Matte Finish Spray.

Primers are kind of an essential for my oily lids so I try and use a lid primer if at all possible. This one from Urban Decay was something that didn't work for my sister so she gave it to me. I'm more of a matte eyeshadow girl so this Urban Decay palette is perfect for me. I like an understated look during the day so the shades in this palette are perfect for that.

Being oriental, my eyelashes are straight and not the longest so eyelash curlers are a bit of an essential for me. At least, I thought it was (more on that later).

This Missha BB cream is a cult favourite among those who use BB creams and I like its light, dewy coverage that evens out skin tone. Western BB creams just don't compare.

I'm also quite pale so I need blusher to make myself look more healthy so that's one step that I knew had to be included.

To finish off my look, I always have a tube of lip balm knocking about. There's always a tinted one in my handbag, one in my coat pocket, one on my desk, one in the car, etc. You name it, I probably have one in there. My favourite of all time is the Bobbi Brown lip tint which adds just the right amount of pink to my lips without looking too overdone.

A lot has changed since and this is now my go-to look:

From top L, clockwise: Mac Pro Longwear Paint Pot, The Body Shop eyeshadow, Estee Lauder Double Wear concealer, Estee Lauder Double Wear eyeliner, Hourglass Ambient Light Blush, Mamonde Creamy Lip Tint, Tony Moly Panda's Dream Volume Mascara, Anastasia Beverly Hills in Dip Brow Promade, Pur 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Make-Up.

I start off with a light mineral powder base for a light coverage. This one from Pur is surprisingly good - it is buidable but I usually only do one light sweep across the cheeks, nose and chin and I'm good to go. This is my first foray into powder and it actually offers surprisingly good coverage. Excuse the extremely bling packaging; it was on sale at Beauty Bay as it was a 10 year anniversary edition. Concealer is used from time to time for when blemishes come up or if there are imperfections to cover. I think I use it about once a week on average (if that?). 

The Mac Pro Longwear Pot in Painterly is ideal as a base for my lids and as a nude colour too. Sometimes, I add on The Body Shop's Colour Crush in Caramel Flirt which adds a little shimmer. An eyeliner adds the illusion of depth to my lashes and this, coupled with my mascara, meant I could forego the use of an eyelash curler if I was really pushed for time. This sounds weird, I know, but I can apply this eyeliner in the matter of seconds and I really like how it looks.

Finally, a light blush makes me looks more awake and healthy - this Hourglass offering in Dim Infusion offers just the right amount of colour for me - and the Mamonde Creamy Lip Tint is moisturising and finishes off a simple look nicely.

I'm still trying to taper it down further so maybe I'll blog again in a few months' time if I achieve that :) What's your daily go-to look?

a few of my make-up 'holy grails'

I'm still a fair way off from finding a 'holy grail' (HG) product for each part of my make-up routine but I do have a few already. Baby steps, eh? There are only four at this moment in time but I'm have a feeling my other HGs are already in my collection - I just need to realise it. More on that later.

Shu Uemura eyelash curlers, Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Promade, Tony Moly Panda's Dream Mascara and Bobbi Brown's Extra Lip Tint.

Shu Uemura eyelash curlers
I actually asked my sister to get me one of these when she was in Seoul late last year based on the many positive reviews I read about them and their effect on Oriental eyelashes! They are amazing - I've been using a pair from Maybelline which work pretty well but these are another level. My lashes are quite straight and stubby and these add a lovely, natural looking curl to them without making them look even stubbier.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Promade
I know everyone raves about this product but it really is amazing. It lasts all day and looks natural if you use a light hand! Also, one pot can last forever. I know people have said that it can dry up but if you add a bit of mineral oil, it makes it as good as new.

Tony Moly Panda's Dream Mascara

My sister bought me this as a surprise gift from when she was in Seoul and we were both pleasantly surprised by how good it is! It isn't waterproof in the traditional sense (as it can be removed easily with any water based cleanser) but its staying powder is unreal. I have real trouble with mascaras and their ability to stay just on my lashes so when this one did not transfer at all, I was impressed. It coats the lashes and stays all day (I've worn this for 16 hours straight once and it did not smudge or flake!).

It works just as well as my Estee Lauder Double Wear mascaras I've tried in the past but is a fraction of the price and for that reason, it is my holy grail mascara. Also, just look at the adorable packaging?! It's not the most sophisticated but I can look passed that considering how well it works.

Bobbi Brown's Extra Lip Tint
I'm not a fan of lipsticks as I find them drying on my lips but this lip tint is hydrating whilst still adding the right amount of pink too. This lip tint is perpetually in my coat pocket and because the effects of it last for a good 3-4 hours, I only have to reapply it once or twice a day. Until I find something cheaper which works just as well, this'll be my HG lip product.

* * *

As mentioned earlier, I think I already own my other HGs. The ones I'm still seeking out are a base, concealer and blusher and whilst it is still too early to tell, I think the following have the potential to join the above four as my HG make-up products:

- Pur 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Make Up in Light: I prefer a light coverage and this mineral powder does just that. It is also buildable and easy to apply; perfect for me as I usually get ready in the dark during the winter which makes it hard to tell if I've over-egged my base layer or applied it unevenly! I bought this in the Beauty Bay sale towards the end of last year (for £15!) and I kind of wish I'd bought two now!

- Kevyn Aucoin's Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX05: This is one of the pricier base products out there and I mainly use this one as a concealer. A little goes a long way, however, and this pot will last me forever as I don't use concealer everyday now. It is perfect for those big red, hormonal spots and it stays in place all day too.

- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Dim Infusion: I've been looking for an apricot blush which doesn't fade and suits my skin tone for a while now and this one has been perfect so far. It is on the pricier side but it gives me cheeks a subtle flush which looks natural and healthy. It also lasts for a good 7-8 hours on my cheeks (without a primer or setting spray!) before I have to reapply it which is perfect.

When it comes to make-up, I try and go for quality over quantity and if that means shelling out a little bit more, I end up saving money in the long run because I'm not buying loads of cheaper products to try and find one that actually works. These are all products I've researched before buying and all work very, very well for me.

winky lux smoke and roses eyeshadow palette

For a long time, I never saw the point in make-up but about nine months' back, I started wearing CC cream and saw how much of a difference it made. On the days I can be bothered and when I'm going out in the evening, I make much more of an effort but to different degrees. Some days, light coverage is enough and on other days, I need something heavier. Because of this new obsession of mine, I'm going to talk a bit more about make-up and beauty products I've been using in future blog posts and I hope that's ok with you all. This is a lifestyle blog and I'm just branching out a bit more and sharing the love for some products I'm really fond of.

Today: I want to share how much I love the Winky Lux Smoke and Roses Eyeshadow Palette. I actually acquired this back in September but it's seen quite a lot of use since then (though the photos were taken when I first got the palette). The box it came in is absolutely adorable and the case itself is beautiful too.

Inside, there are five shades of eyeshadow and from left to right, they are called: Powder, Bubbly, 500 Roses, Burn It Down and 4am. Here is a brief description of each:

Powder - a gold, shimmery shadow;
Bubbly - a lovely, shimmery, rose gold;
500 Roses - a lovely girly pink with a hint of purple;
Burn It Down - a copper colour with specks of shimmer and;
4am - a smoky black, not dissimilar to how a smudged kohl pencil would look.

When used with an eyeshadow primer, these shadows can last a good nine hours (trust me, I put it on at 4pm one afternoon and finally removed my make up at 2am when I got home, it was still as good as fresh!). The eyeshadow primer I like to use is just a basic NYX one but it does the job and the affordable price makes it a 'holy grail' product for me :)

I've tried to swatch each of them above from left to right but you can barely see 'powder' - it really is a fine gold colour when on the lids. They aren't the most pigmented but I like this about them! It means they are good for daywear and can be built up for evenings/nights out :)