Sep 23, 2019

Kjaer Weis Makeup

There has been more and more organic makeup and skincare products in the market. These new indy brands emphasize on natural organic ingredients. But it is hard to pick the right products especially these organic makeup products are not as readily available yet and they are pricier. You don't want to spend a lot of money on one product which may or may not fit your skin type and skin tone.

I have been reading reviews on Kjaer Weis. Their products are 100% natural and sustainable. Their ingredients are also certified natural and certified organic. The brand is founded by Danish-born makeup artist Kirsten Kjaer Weis. Her makeup line is a perfect combination of minimalist and luxury.

While I was doing my research online, I came across this Canadian online beauty store: Clementine Fields. They have a wide variety of natural brands and they offer a sample program which I am totally impressed. 

It is easy to find swatches and color shades online but I really want to test out if I am truly satisfied with the products before I commit to buy them full-sized. I am interested in Kjaer Weis cream foundation and blushes and they have the sample program for this brand.


I picked Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation in the shade Silken and 3 cream blushes in the shades: Blossming, Embrace and Reverence.

These samples are CAD $3.50 each and they are packaged in these sturdy sample containers. They are good for about 3-5 uses which is just the right amount to test it out to see if they suit your skin or not.

Kjaer Weis blossiming embrace reverence

The cream foundation is light coverage with a very natural finish. I picked the shade silken which has a yellow undertone and matches my skin tone. I am not sure if I am totally in love with this foundation as the coverage is so light and I still have to apply quite a bit of concealer to cover my blemishes.

The cream blushes are more impressive. I picked 3 shades: Blossiming, Embrace and Reverence. The cream blushes are very pigmented and even the lightest shade: Embrace. The other two shades Blossiming and Reverence are very similar on my cheeks so I am just going to show you guys Blossoming.


With Cream foundation(silken) and Cream Blush(Blossoming)


Cream Blush (Embrace)


 Embrace looks a bit peachy but when it is applied on cheeks, it is a bit pink. With Blossoming and Reverence, it is more of a rosy tone which gives you the look of flushed cheeks after workout. The finish is very natural. How I apply it is put on my BB cushion foundation, apply a bit of setting powder and then dab the cream blushes on my cheeks. Since it is a cream blush, I dab it with my fingers and don't drag it along as it may move my foundation underneath. I have tried using a blush brush but the results are not as good as using my own fingers. 

Once I am done with using up the samples of the blushes, I have a solid feel of what it is and will definitely buy the full-sized product. The full-sized cream blush comes in a very luxury silver case. And you can just buy the refill afterwards.

Have you tried any organic makeup which you love?



Sep 16, 2019

Recent Empties


Dr. Wolff Plantur 39 Phyto-Caffeine Tonic
Nioxin Cleanser 2 Shampoo
Bath and Body Works Gingham Shower Gel
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen
Chosungah 22 C&T Blend
Secret Key Starting Treatment Essence
Origins United State Tonic
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser Limited Edition
La Roche Posay Anthelios
A'Pieu Deo Armpit Brightener
Beauty Blender
White Barn Champagne Toast 3-Wick Candle
Laneige Lip Mask

Haven't done my empties post for a while and I have accumulated quite a bit for the past couple of months. 

Hair Products:

Used up a couple of hair products to help with my hair loss problem. Nioxin shampoo has been in my shower for a long time and my latest addition is Dr. Wolff Plantur 39 Phyto-Caffeine Tonic. I apply the tonic on the roots of my hair after shower and gently rub into my scalp. It does take a while to see the effect and you have to use it consistently to see results.

Skincare Products:

I have been using the Korean 7-skin method in my morning routine. What it is is to dab essence or layering essence repeatedly to give you skin the ultimate hydration and lock moisture in. Secret Key Starting Treatment Essence is one of my favorites. This essence is affordable and believe me, when you use the 7 skin method, you go through essence so quickly. 

A couple of my regular skin care products include: La Roche Posay Anthelios, Fresh Soy Cleanser,  Origins United State Toner and Laneige Lip Mask.

Body Products: 

Bath & Body Works Gingham Shower Gel is such a pleasant scent. I am not a big fan of floral scent and this Gingham shower gel is a subtle scent of flora mixed with my favorite citrus scent. Very nice for the summer.

A'Pieu Deo Armpit Brightener is my second or third tube. It helps brighten dark areas of your body. I use it for my armpits and knee caps. You apply it after cleansed skin. Leave it on for a few minutes until it is all dried and then rub it off. The brightening effect is very obvious right after but once wet, it goes back. If you use it consistently, you would find a slight brightening effect.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen has been my favorite go-to sunscreen in the summer. I don't sun tan but I do apply this sunscreen on my arms and legs every day in the summer. It is non-sticky which is so important.

Makeup Products:

Another stable of my favorite tinted moisturizer used up: Chosungah  22 C&T Blender. This has been my all time favorite for years. If you are a fan of slightly-dewy look, this is a must-have. Gives you a little bit of coverage and natural dewy skin. But I am not sure if this is being discontinued or not and this is getting harder to harder to get.

Beauty Blender: How often you go through your Beauty Blender or makeup sponge? I wash mine regularly and I find the limited edition ones/holiday-colored ones don't last as long. The pink and black ones last longer for me. 



Aug 12, 2019

2 second Nose Contour - 16 Brand Filter Shot

If you are always in a hurry to do your makeup in the morning and I have a new product for you to save you minutes.




This is Filter Shot (in color Contour Peach) from 16 Brand. It is a 3 shade contour palette specially designed to contour your nose in merely seconds. With 2 natural brown shades and a highlighting light beige shade in the middle. What makes this palette unique is the brush it comes with. It is wide enough to swipe on the palette and pick up enough product so you can apply directly on your nose to achieve a very natural look.


before


after

The effect is very subtle but still noticeable. I finally have a nose bridge! This palette is so easy to use. You just need to be careful and apply brush between your brows and top of your nose. I usually tap off excess product so it wouldn't be too obvious if I apply the brush slightly crooked. 


finished look



Jul 25, 2019

July Empties

Haven't done a monthly empty in so long. I love reading other bloggers' monthly empties to see what they use up. If you are a makeup junkie like me, you would know how hard it is to actually use up something when you have a zillion others in your stash.


Secret Key Lemon Sparkling Peeling Gel
Papa Recipe Bombee Honey Pudding Cream
Boscia Makeup Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil
The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 30% in Silicone
First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy
Neogen JoanDay Day & Night Cream
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in Apple


Secret Key Lemon Sparkling Peeling Gel
This is my second tube used up. This is such an excellent exfoliant to be used after cleansing on a daily basis. Don't let "peeling" scare you. It is such a gentle exfoliant. I use it more often in the summer when I feel my skin is always congested. I got this from Yesstyle.com.

Papa Recipe Bombee Honey Pudding Cream
This is also a re-purchase. I love Papa Recipe skincare products. They have natural ingredients and very affordable. This pudding cream is very light in texture. It is almost a gel-like texture and fast to absorb.

I have been using this Vitamin C product from the Ordinary for a few months now. I was first drawn to the brand with its affordability and effectiveness. You can spend 10 times more just to get similar products with exactly the same ingredients. I have used other Vitamin C products which does pretty much the same. I wouldn't say it is a miracle product but I do see a subtle difference in lightening a few dark pigmentation spots over time.

I bought this day/night cream a while back and it took me a while to finish it. It is a duo cream with one side for daytime and one for night time. Daytime cream is a thicker texture surprisingly and I use it throughout the winter time. I like the night time cream much more as it contains lavender and the scent is amazing and still moisturizing.



Nioxin Scalp Therapy Conditioner
Macadamia Deep Repair Mosque
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen
Benefit Porefessional 
Troiareuke Seoul Aesthetic Cushion
Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Berry

Macadamia Deep Repair Mosque
I love this deep hair mask. I go to the gym 4-5 times a week and I wash my hair every time afterwards which make my hair so dry. This mask helps me a lot. Only downside for this is it needs 5-7 mins after application to be rinsed off and I like to take quick shower. Sometimes I will just apply a small amount on wet hair and get out of shower. Do my other "chores" and go back to rinse it off.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen
Sunscreen is so important year round. I apply facial sunscreen every day but for body, I only do it in the summer time. Have been using this Neutrogena for years and I have switched to other brands but always go back to this as this is dry touch and doesn't feel sticky at all. 

Troiareuke Seoul Aesthetic Cushion
Such a big accomplishment to use up a makeup product. Cushion foundation is probably my only ones which I can finish up. Troiareuke is known for its skincare properties:90% skin care and 10% makeup. So I always use this one when I just want little makeup and still look presentable. Coverage is not high but with some concealer, I am ok.

I am going to skip the rest as they are all repurchases and they have appeared in my other monthly empties or favorites.

What have you used up this month?

Jul 11, 2019

Coral Lippies(Dior Lip Tattoo, Chanel, Armani Lip Magnet)

I have been loving coral shades for summer. In the past, I have been "reserved" to MLBB shades year-round. My lipstick collection consists mainly of mauve nude shades. When I went through my collection, it was extremely boring to see repetitive and similar shades. I was so happy that I decided to branch out to try other colors and loving them.

Coral is my new favorite for the summer. With minimal face makeup, coral lipsticks and blushes give your skin a very natural and healthy look. Just the beautiful sun-kissed look I have been craving for.




Dior Addict Lip Tattoo in 451 Natural Coral



This is my first Dior Addict Lip Tattoo. I like a no mess no fuss type of lip product for the summer. The Lip Tattoo has a very watery texture compared to other lip stains in my collection. It has a very nice sweet scent. The shade I just picked up is 451 Natural Coral. When it is swatched on arm, almost have to swipe it back and forth a few times to get the pigmentation for the above picture. It looks slightly darker when swatched and after a few hours on the lips, it fades to a much softer coral peach shade.



Looks very beautiful on the lips. Not drying and relatively easy to apply compared to other lip stains. When first applied, this shade may appear a bit neon but after it dries off a bit, it settles into a pretty natural coral shade. Not too bright and not too subtle. I can see myself wearing this daily.


Here is a comparison of swatches of other similar shades in my collection:


Dior Lip Tattoo 451 Natural Coral
Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet 504
Chanel Rouge Allure Ink 144
Chanel Le Rouge Crayon #20 Ultra Rose
Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick 450 Ultra Lively

Dior Addict Lip Tattoo 451 swatches comparison


Dior Addict Lip Tattoo is very similar in texture with Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet. Dior Addict is a bit more forgiving when applied. Armani Lip Magnet is much more pigmented and thicker in texture. I could easily apply the Dior Lip Tattoo without a mirror. Lip Tattoo definitely has a more staining power, making this perfect for lazy gals like me who hate reapplying throughout the day. 

Do you like coral lippies and what are your favorites?




Jul 6, 2019

Jupitoo.com Sunglasses Review

Summer is finally here in Canada and there are a few summer essentials that I cannot live without. For skin care, I religiously apply my sunscreen. Also remember to reapply after a few hours. For hydration, I always carry my bottle of water everywhere I go. So important to stay hydrated in the hot summer days. For eye protection, sunglasses are a must for me. 

I was contacted by Jupitoo Optics, which is a global online optical store, to try a pair of sunglasses of my choice. They have a wide variety of both regular eyeglasses and sunglasses. 




I picked a pair of polygon sunglasses which I think fits my round face the best. 

The sunglasses are packaged extremely well in this luxurious sunglasses case. It was shipped with extreme care in bubble-wrapped packaging. 


These sunglasses are very well-made. Very sturdy.



This design is very chic. Not your average aviator. The lenses are cut beautifully into polygons to fit the frames. I love the details to give it a special twist in design. 


This has become my new favorite and I keep them in my car for everyday wear. 

Jupitoo has very excellent customer service. My sunglasses were shipped internationally and  tracking information was provided and it only took a few business days to arrive at my door step. I also love the fact that very detailed measurements are given for each pair of sunglasses. You can also pick the color of the frame and lenses. Very unique experience indeed. 

Whether to shop for your regular eyeglasses or a pair of sunnies, I highly recommend Jupitoo.





* Sunglasses sent to me for my honest review



Jul 2, 2019

First Glossier Haul & Review

I am probably the last ones to try the hyped Glossier products. I was contemplating on which products to try first and after reading reviews online, decided to try their concealer and cloud paint.

I love a good cream blush and from all the ones I have tried so far, it is either very liquid-y and doesn't stay on or it is very thick and it takes forever to blend out.


My first order from Glossier includes Stretch Concealer in shade G8 and two Cloud Paint in shades Dawn and Storm which are the two newest shades.



 From L to R: Stretch Concealer in G8
Cloud Paint in Storm
Cloud Paint in Dawn

The swatches of the Cloud Paint may be a bit intimidating. Since the cream blush comes in a little paint tube, be very careful to squeeze out product as there is really no control on how much it is going to dispense. From the above swatches, I only use a 1/8 pea size amount. 


My bare face


Stretch Concealer in G8

The Stretch Concealer comes in a pot. It has a very creamy texture.I picked the shade G8 which is described as medium neutral shade. I was going to pick a lighter shade for my under eye but thought I would mostly use this to cover minor blemishes so I picked a shade closer to my skin tone. 



The concealer has a very light coverage. It glides on like butter so you can guess the texture and coverage. I applied concealer on my left side of the face(right side on the above picture), covering dark circles and blemishes. If you have a lot of redness and major blemishes, I wouldn't recommend using this. It also has a luminizing texture which I like. Not to a point to greasiness but give my skin some life.


Cloud Paint in Storm

This is the amount I squeezed out of the tube and this is too much already for both my cheeks.


I dotted the cloud paint onto my cheeks and this is too much product for my preference already. This is incredibly easy to blend out using just my fingers. But if you are clumpsy like me, I would recommend using a dense blush brush to blend it out so you wouldn't get the product onto your clothing.


After blending


I use a beauty blender and this brush to sheer it out. Even though it is a lot more product than I would like, it is still easy to "fix" by dabbing the excess off.


Cloud Paint in Dawn


Once again, too much product and I find it extremely hard to get the right amount from the tube.


This is how much blush I got on my cheeks with the few dots of product. Again, I had to use my beauty blender and brush to dab off excess.


After blending out, it looks so natural. I always like the natural flush of color on my cheeks, just like after you have worked out. The Glossier cloud paint definitely can achieve that look. Just remember a little goes a long way and you only need a tiny tiny bit. 

This is my first online order with Glossier and I am in Canada. I am super impressed with the customer service and how fast I received my order. It only took 2 business days and they ship free with orders over CAD $40. They ship by UPS and package comes right to my front door.

I would definitely order some more products from Glossier to try. Have you tried their products? If you haven't and would like to, here is my link to get 10% off your first order(and I would get $10 :)