Update

Hey, everyone! Sorry, I haven't been posting that much lately but I promise that you will be getting more posts soon! It's been very busy with work, school, and the holidays but just hang in there!!

In the meantime I wanted to show you my collection of Korean skincare products! 

I am a hoarder of samples and I get a lot of them whenever I buy new products and I end up stashing them!  These are only a few products I have! I actually have a lot more in a box beside my sink as well along with Korean hair care and body washes in the shower! 

The stash I got on my desk I fit (hardly) into a box beside my Korean makeup..:

All swished together... 

Anyways, I will see you all soon in my next post that is coming shortly! 

Love,

Deziree

Beginner's Guide To Skin Care

 

Believe me, I have come far from the girl who originally thought that toner was something that is only found in a printer and that a skin care routine was wiping my face with a makeup remover wipe. Looking back I could have slapped myself for all the horrible trials that I put my skin through, but everyone has to start somewhere, right?  So today I decided to give the basics of skincare for a beginner to add on to once they begin to understand the reason behind taking care of their skin.

 

READY.

 

SET.

 

GO!

 

1. CLEANSER

 

Everyone must have a good face wash and know how to use it right! Yes, many people I see are using face wash wrong!

 

I was recently showing a friend how to correctly use her skin care that she recently bought with me and when I asked her how she washed her face at night, she gave me a very confused look and answered, "I use my bar soap and wash all my makeup off."

 

....I was so close to taking that bar soap she loved so much and scrub her tongue of those brutal words that just came out of her mouth. No!! You must always remove your makeup before you wash your face, then use a cleanser. Facial cleansers aren't designed to wipe away makeup.

 

Firstly, washing your face with makeup on hurts because your mascara drips in your eyes. I know this from experience, because I forgot my makeup remover when I left for a vacation and I was not about to sleep in my makeup so the mascara burning my eyes was a very painful reminder that I can never forget it again!

 

Second, with just facial washing you cannot remove all your makeup so you will end up with day old mascara. If you apply new mascara over mascara that was not removed properly then you end up with those dreaded spider lashes!

 

Lastly, how can the facial cleanser do it's job correctly when there is a layer of makeup blocking the dirt and grime in the pores? Yes, you would cleanse your skin to a point but it wont be able to give the skin all the benefits that it can.

 

2. TONER

 

 

 

You may think toners fall under one category but many people don't know there are a wider range of toners out there!

 

Traditional toners consist of moisturizers, oils and extracts that help soothe your skin. Toners that are astringents, which are generally alcohol-based, tighten the skin and pores and remove oil. Toners that are fresheners/ smoothers work similarly to astringents by tightening the skin, but they are made of ingredients like caffeine and green tea instead of alcohol.

 

For a beginner I recommend using a traditional toner to give your skin the essential nutrients it needs!

 

3. MOISTURIZER

 

 

Moisturizing you skin is extremely important in maintaining bright, youthful, soft skin as well as keeping away the skin flake patches that come during the winter.

For oily to combination skin then look for gel like moisturizers that wont sit on your skin.

For dry skin then look for creams that will highly moisturize.

 

Review:

1. Cleanse the skin of impurities

2. Give skin essential nutrients

3. Hydrate your skin for a youthful, bright, soft skin

 

For a beginner this is a nice beginning template that can be easily added on to once you begin to find new products that will help you care more for your skin!

Review: I am Designer- Original Raw

If you could only use one K- Beauty product for the rest of your life, what would it be? That's the question I asked myself as I scavenged through my desk overflowing with products ready to be picked. It was a hard choice, but I pulled out my all time favorite product that I could never dream of living without!

 

Original Raw Multi Pigment- I am Designer 10g X 3ea

Includes: Star Orange, Star Beige, Star Pink

Available at: Memeshop, Amazon, Ebay

 

 

I love this line because it is very multi-functional. Each color can be used for lips to create that pretty pout, cheeks to make your skin glow, and of course eyes to die for. The texture is extremely creamy and light so when you apply the product it doesn't feel like my face was attacked by a jar of Vaseline.

 

I was also very surprised to find this in my current Memebox I received, City Girl #75! I jumped with joy not only because I got to restock my stash, but because I knew where I could find it again! The first time I bought this product was by complete accident but I ended up falling in love with the time it saved me in the morning. I originally bought mine for $45, but after scavenging the internet I found many places that offered the same item at a cheaper price.. (See above for sources)

 

These pictures have been taken from the internet

The colors are very pigmented! I love the orange color, but maybe I am just biased because its one of my favorite lip colors to wear! The pink is the most vibrant of the colors while beige is the most neutral that I love using for my eyes ^^

 

The trio has treated me very well and I love just snatching a bottle if I am running late to work instead of a gigantic bag of multiple items.

 

Thank you Memebox for bringing my favorites back to me!

 5/5

 

My Air Cushion From Another Star

 

 

Who hasn't been looking for that out-of-this-world foundation that will make your skin look so flawless that it seems that it came from another star? If you haven't guessed it yet, even with all my puns, I will be reviewing IOPE Air Cushion XP that Cheon Song Yi used featured in one of my favorite Korean drama's, My Love From Another Star.

 

 

 

 

This IOPE cushion compact is the most popular among Korean girls among similar products produced by other Korean brands: Étude House, Laneige & Hera.

 

 

 

Its full line has a natural formula (N21 & N23) 

 A shimmery formula (S22)

and a higher coverage formula (C21 & C23).

 

 

I bought the Natural in N23 (Ice Beige) and I was not disappointed!

 

 

 

It was retailed for $40 when I bought mine. It came with a sturdy mirrored case along with one built in BB cream cushion compact, a special designed sponge, and another refill compact.

 

What I loved was that it was easy to apply and the unique applicator that was inspired by a “parking stamp”. It was a unique way to apply the foundation because I usually used a makeup sponge but now it like I've seen the light!

 

 

The specially created puff was made with a sponge-like material. You just press on the sponge with the special ruby cell puff, which holds 1.6 times more water than a synthetic latex puff, and simply “stamp” (DONT RUB OR SMEER!) the product.

 

BONUS!

 The Air Cushion imparts a perfectly mul gwang (“water sheen complexion” — that chok chok wet look Korean stars favor) look with one application.

 

IOPE's Air Cushion XP is now my new favorite go-to foundation! I really recommend this product!!

 

With Love,

Deziree

 

While You Were Sleeping

 

 



When you are younger sleep is your constant enemy. Remember those times you cried and pleaded to stay up late, but now that your older you can't seem to get enough of it? Why not make the most of that time when your asleep?

At night your skin is in regeneration mode. Blood flow increases and so do the production of collagen helping cell turn over. It's skin's internal housekeeping time!

 

Overnight sleeping treatment masks hit it big in Korea and they promise to transform your skin while you sleep! Apply it on your skin and it seals moisture in overnight and in the morning  you rinse it off then "Tada" your skin is perfectly hydrated!

 

Sleeping packs are meant to be used very last in your nightly skin care routine because it also seals in all the skin friendly products you applied on your skin before.

 

Sleeping masks contain very little oil but have high water content. They disappear onto skin on contact, so you don't feel greasy and there is nothing that rubs off on your pillow.

 

My favorite sleeping mask and the one I still use to this day is Laniege Water Sleeping Pack EX.

 

 

 

It has a very light sent and during the summer I like to keep it in the fridge so when I put it on it helps keep me cool and refreshed.

 

 

The consistency is very water like gel and the jar has enough to last many months, so the price is nothing to scoff at.

 

The fundamental goal of sleeping masks is to hydrate deeply, which by the way is a necessary element for anti-aging!

 

Tonight why not give your skin a little treat?

 

 

"Baby Goodnight!"

 

With Love,

Deziree

Panda Eyes

 

Not all dark circles are created equal. Let's look at the main cause of dark circles and how to treat and conceal them so we can send those BAGS packing!

 

When you hear Panda eyes, what do you think of?

 

 

No, not Yoon Si Yoon in The Flower Boy Next Door...

 

 

Ah, there we go. Those annoying circles underneath your eyes that you battle with every morning but end up losing in a mess of tears and concealer. Unfortunately, everyone has them.. Well, mostly everyone. It's been proven that 9 out of 10 people have dark circles! But seriously, 10 out of 10 people have dark circles.. You are not alone!

 

Let's take a look at the main types of dark circles.

 

 

Bluish Under Eye Circles: (THESE ARE WHAT I STRUGGLE WITH)

CAUSE?  Your lifestyle is likely responsible for your blue-toned dark circles. They show up when you're lacking sleep, are suffering from allergies or nasal decongestion or are stressed out.

 

I never have time to sleep it seems and I always wake up looking like a character out of The Walking Dead. When I was browsing my Asian skin care store, Artemis (A new sales representative I became friends with), told me that I lacked sleep just by looking at the color underneath my eyes. I was shocked and automatically asked how to fix my zombie eyes.

 

She told me that I needed to sleep by 10pm or at least by Midnight to help reduce my dark circles because even if you sleep by two and sleep in till noon, it wouldn't help my matters but probably worsen it. Nighttime is skins natural time to regenerate and heal your skin and body. If you miss it, its a lot harder for your skin.

 

But there are some days when I just cant get enough sleep and I end up zombiefying my face all over again. Its ok! On those days I use my Lioele Under The Eye Light Concealer

 

 

It has a pink undertone that is meant to highlight as well as conceal. You use it before you apply your foundation, BB cream, or whatever you use! It's very effective and makes your eyes seems brighter and more youthful!

 

 

This is good to cover up all types of dark circles in general! I really recommend this product because it really makes a difference and does wonders!

 

 

Violet-Reddish Under Eye Circles:

CAUSE? Aging and genetics are to blame for your purple or red toned under eye circles. What you're seeing are visible blood vessels. As your skin ages, it becomes thinner, making blood vessels more visible. What's technically happening is that your vessel walls dilate and weaken surrounding capillaries, which causes blood cells to leak. If you have fair skin, genetics is often the culprit. You skin tends to be more translucent, making blood vessels obvious.

 

I recommend using retinol-based eye cream. It can help thicken the skin around your eyes to make the vessels less visible.

 

Brownish-Black Under Eye Circles:

CAUSE? Sun damage and genetics can result in hyperpigmentation, which creates brown or black colored circles under your eyes. While all skin tones are prone to dark circles caused by excess pigmentation, but they are most common in medium to darker skin tones.

 

Have I not stressed enough in my other blog posts why sunscreen is important to maintain healthy skin? Now, you are suffering for it! These are the hardest type of dark circles to treat. Try using try products containing retinoids and various antioxidants like vitamin C. Licorice extracts also work wonders for all types of dark circles! Also look for skin care products containing SPF to prevent these types of situations from happening again!

 

Dark and Shadowy Under Eye Circles:

CAUSE: While these "circles" aren't actually a discoloration of your skin, they create darkness under your eyes. The cause? Loss of facial volume.

 

Try using collagen skin care products and go see a dermatologist! These are the easiest type of dark circles to treat with the help of a dermatologist. They will use fillers to plump up the lost fat pad between the eye and cheeks to diminish the main problem!

 

 

Now let's all wave bye, bye to panda eyes!

Hydration Station

 

 

 

Late last night I came home from work in the wee hours of the night exhausted from a long day. I collapsed on my bed and buried my head in the soft welcoming pillow and sighed happily, but the short victory of laying down didn't last for long. I somehow managed to tear myself away from my bed that seemed to scream out, "Why are you leaving me!" to take off my makeup and start my nightly skin care routine. Believe me, it was an internal struggle, but in the end I scolded myself by thinking, "Do you want to have acne in the morning?" and I jumped out of the arms of my soft comforter and to my skin care desk like the sheets were on fire.

As I began my ritual of taking my makeup off I noticed that there was something different about today. It took me a couple minutes to figure it out, but to my horror, I came face to face with a flesh eating zombie. After jumping back in shock I came to realize it was me.

 

What happened?!

Then it hit me. Autumn.

 

 

It is extremely important to moisturize during the colder seasons! The harsh dry colder seasons can strip your skin leaving you with a cracked dull husk of what was once your bright and beautiful looking skin.

 

Ways to prevent this horrible skin tragedy from happening to you is to add more moisturizing products to your skin care routine during the cold times!

 

My biggest problem during the cold seasons are chapped lips that if left untreated can cause your lip to split and crack. Ew, and slightly horrifying, plus no one wants to kiss someone with blood dripping down their lips because the couldn't take a few minutes to treat their lips with care. Have you ever tried kissing someone with chapped lips? Not romantic, at all.

 

(INSERT HORRID SCREAM HERE)

 

I use Brlliant's Love Heart Lip Care 3 Step System to fix all my troubles and woes before it gets to the scary situation that is show above... *Shiver*

 

 

1. Step (Dead cell remover) :Low irritation, dead lip cell remover2. Step (Lip gel patch - 5EA) : 100% Essence, Moisturizing3. Step (Lip tint & Essence) : High moisture, Energizing lip essence

I also get troubled with tough dull skin because the harsh weather strips all the moisture from my skin! I usually lean more towards aloe products during the colder times and also products that contain hyaluronic acid.

 

Hyaluronic acid isn’t harsh or skin-stripping like the name sounds but it is in fact, it’s the exact opposite! Hyaluronic acid is a powerful moisture-binding ingredient that keeps skin plump and hydrated and, yes, young-looking! Do you know why babies have skin that are dewy and pillowy? Because they are born with high levels of hyaluronic acid that keep their skin plump and smooth! Hyaluronic acid in skin reduces when you age! I carry around a face mist that contains hyaluronic acid, Amore Pacific's Baby Face Mist, as well as a BB cream, Holika Holika's Petite BB Cream in Moisture.

 

I also use aloe products to soothe the redness of my skin because of the drastic temperature changes as well as to keep my skin hydrated! I'm using Etude House's Moistfull Aloe Cream.

 

 

These are just a few small ways to keep your skin hydrated during the beginnings of the Autumn season!

 

With Love,

Deziree