Happy White Day!

Happy White Day!

I talked about the three days of love on Valentine's Day. I hope you ladies get loads of chocolate today!

xo Jane

Jane Tries: Pig Collagen Nose Pack (3-Step)

Today, I am reviewing what is essentially the Biore pore strips for the nose but this is a three-step process instead of just putting the strip on your nose.

Step 1: After cleansing your nose,  (I ended up wiping it with a cotton pad soaked with Bioderma) you place this strip on your nose and wait for about 10-15minutes for the product to soak in. I did not precisely time myself; instead, I just let it soak until the sheet itself was mostly dried out. I'm assuming that was more than 15 minutes.

The actual strip did not cover all my nose, especially in the front, which would have been nice, but I suppose since this was a nose strip, that cannot be helped. Since it is an essence "sheet" mask, it felt nice on my skin.

Step 2: This is the actual strip that takes out the sebum from your pores. It's very tacky and you are to ensure your nose is wet before you lay the strip onto your nose. This is about 5-10 minutes, which I actually kept at the time suggested since I felt the longer I kept it, the more it would hard my skin.

When I peeled off the strip, I did see a few blocked pores become clearer, but I didn't see *so many* sebum plugs and I do have a lot on my nose.

As you can see, this doesn't cover the entire nose. The shape is the same for all three.

I think, to be fair, it may be because these kind of strips, in general, can only be effective where the strips contact the skin and the nose is not a smooth area for that. As you can see in the picture, supra, the shape of the strip is such that it does get to the sides of the nose but not the front; depending on where you need sebum removed, this might not be the best option for you.

Step 3: This was my favourite part. After you pull off the strip, this goes back in to moisturise and tighten the pores. This really did its job. My pores around my nose felt cleaner and tighter. I kept it in much longer than recommended and I just puttered around the house until the sheet was basically dry. I loved how my nose felt and it really did feel cleaner even the next day.

Would I recommend it? If you're looking for a miracle product, this is not it. But if you want sthing that does take away some of those sebum plugs and does "pamper" you by providing moisturising sheets on your nose, this is a great product to try.

This also has instructions written in English which I know helps those who cannot read Korean. I also adore how the little pig's nose goes from clogged to clear. It's those little details that make me smile.

I hope you enjoyed this review and if there is anything you'd like me to review, do let me know.

xo Jane

Life in Seoul: Starfield Department Store (Hanam-si)

(Preface: I actually had written this a month ago but it got deleted by Blogger. I am finally re-writing it because I think it's a pretty exemplary of a place Korean like to go and I would be remiss not to talk about it.)

When I was home, my family and I went to Starfield Department Store in Hanam-si, which is east of Seoul. It recently opened a few months prior and the wait to get a parking space was hours.   When we went, the wait was about an hour to find a parking space but I am sure there is no wait at the current time. I also know can take the bus to this location, but there is no subway stop that directly stops to there yet.

The electronic store had this giant Iron Man

The department stores in Korea have a different feel from the department stores in the US. They feel more like a mini-mall, with stores within a store. In a lot of ways, they are similar to Nordstrom's or Bloomingdale's with a kick-ass market and food court in the lower levels.

Tom's had a cafe! It was pretty awesome to see.

The Starfield Department Store feels like an actual mall. The second floor has all the designer brands, viz. Balenciaga, Jimmy Choo, et. al, but for me, I love the first floor. Since Starfield is a subsidiary of Shinsaegae, who also owns E-Mart, there are a lot of their own brands like Daiz and Molly's. Starfield Department Store also has a Zara and H&M.

The best part of Starfield, for me, was the variety of food. So much food. I loved how there were so many choices, from sit down restaurants to a fancy food court. There is even a bar in the third floor! In addition to the vast amount of food, there is also a movie theatre and also a water park. The reason why I think this is and has been so popular amongst Koreans is that it isn't *just* shopping; one can make an entire day of it.

People waiting in line for steak.

Another great thing about this place is that it is dog friendly, i.e. you can bring your dog into the department store. For pet owners, this is a great thing since sometimes it's hard to leave the dog at home always. Not all stores allow for pets to enter and signs indicates which ones do. If there is a store you want to go, you can always leave your dog at Molly's cafe and they will take care of your dog. Their rates are per hour and not very expensive.

The information centre has a variety of languages, including Chinese, Japanese and English.  Koreans love to do sthing during the weekend, so if you're curious to know what is a typical weekend, do go check out this department store.

xo Jane

Jane Tries: From Nature's Multi-Effect Collagen Honey Mask and IOPE Essential Mosture Relief Cream

Today, I wanted to review two products I've been using: From Nature's Multi-Effect Collagen Honey Mask and IOPE's Essential Moisture Relief Cream.

Multi-Effect Collagen Honey Mask: As I noted in my February Favourites, using a sheet mask everyday in Korea is a trend many like to do.  Whilst I am not a stickler to this trend, I do tend to use a sheet mask almost every day. I recently got this when I got home; I think I got this at Vic's but don't quote me on that.  For me, I feel like most sheet masks, the essence ones, not the gel ones, generally are similar to each other. I wanted to review this mask because I don't think people realise that there are a variety of sheet masks available in Korea.

One thing I hate in certain sheet masks is the lack of surface area around the nose. This sheet mask did allow for coverage of the nose. There also were flaps which I think is to modify the eye area to cover the bags, depending on your face shape.  I was not a fan of the flaps but I did like how it covered most of my face.

According to the package, this sheet mask is good to use to deeply moisturise your skin as it contains honey and collagen. With that promise, I decided use it after a late night with some friends. My skin was feeling very dry and I decided to use the mask to soothe my skin and also moisturise, exactly what the package described. I put the mask on and I fell asleep watching a movie ("Sausage Wars." It was mindless but very raunchy.) When I awoke and took the mask off, my skin definitely felt a difference.

Would I recommend it?: Yes; I think most sheet masks are effective, as I said before, supra. I also think this sheet mask really does moisturise without really irritating your skin.

IOPE Essential Moisture Relief Cream: During the summers, I like using a lighter moisturiser since the heat makes a heavy moisturiser difficult to use. I find, however, even if I want a lighter moisturiser, that doesn't take away of the need to moisturise. I find a lot of gel-based moisturisers really do not effectively give me the proper moisture I need and I end up producing more oil then usual.

The IOPE's moisture relief cream does not do that. It is a light-weight moisturise and immediately sinks into your skin.  I like how it doesn't fight with the other products I am using and I love the scent. It feels so nice to put it on my skin with the delicate scent.

Would I recommend it?: If you live in a humid environment, viz. Southeast Asia, I feel this is a good mid-price cream to use. If your summers are humid, this also is a good one. The fact that it is water-based yet really quickly enters your skin whilst moisturising really makes this a good purchase.

xo Jane

February Favourites

February has come and gone and I have a new batch of favourites that I really enjoyed this month.

1) Sulhwasoo Cushion Foundation: I've been using this almost everyday. Before, I used the Tarte foundation but I've become less interested in creating a full look and have been resorting to just using two Nars creamy concealers and patting this cushion on my forehead, as I have a slightly darker forehead than the rest of my face.

2) Nars Creamy Concealer (In Vanilla and Custard): In an attempt to minimise the amount of makeup I wear, I've really relied on these two concealers to brighten my eye area and then cover up my dark spots. I recently got some spots removed by lasers and they are still pretty red. I use the Custard to conceal the areas that are dark and use Vanilla to brighten my eyes.

3) 3CE (3 Concept Eyes) x Lily Maymac in Holy Rose: When I went home, I gave my Givenchy "Rose Dressing" lipstick to my mom.  That colour is really lovely on Asian skin and I highly recommend it, if you are feeling spendy. Since I was without, I decided to head to the Givenchy counter to get another one for me, only to find out it was sold out.  Gutted, I passed by the Style Nanda store and decided to take a look. I saw this collaboration and even though I an not familiar with Lily Maymac, I really love the lipstick colour.  It reminds me of a better version of the brown-red lipstick of the 90s. The only thing about this lipstick, however, is that it can be very drying. I like to use a lip balm prior to use.

4) Sheet Masks: There is a trend in Korea where people like to use a sheet mask a day, saying it helps them with their skin. In February, I decided to give this a go. I've always loved sheet masks and unlike the traditional masks where you apply on your skin, I find sheet masks have a cooling effect on the skin. That in itself really helps when you have trouble skin. I will, however, say that sometimes, I felt the mask broke me out, but generally that was when I didn't bother to wipe it of after use. Since I have combination skin, I feel like using this as an essence to give my face moisture perhaps gives me *too* much moisture. I feel if you have drier skin, leaving it on would do wonders. Regardless, I love the cooling effect and have been using a sheet mask almost every day.

5) "Descendants of the Sun" (태양의후예): Let me preface this by saying I generally am not this keen on Korean dramas. I know I talked about two before, but I was in Korea, so you know, proximity. After I got back to the US, and after I got a flu shot, I got the flu. It was awesome. I was so sick I slept for three days straight. After a few days of watching movie after movie on Netflix, this show came up on my feed. I know this show was very popular in Korea when it first aired last year,

but I couldn't be fussed to find it online.  I normally don't like to binge-watch shows because it really takes up a lot of my time, but since I'm sick, I thought, why not? This drama was incredible to watch. It really got my attention from the first scene. I will admit there were some parts that I put on fast-forward because I felt it was kind of heavy-handed and cheesy, but in general, that was perhaps less than 1% of the entire drama.

If this is any indication of how picky I am regarding shows and movies in general, I could not watch Boys Over Flowers. I watched the first four episodes and then I just watched the ending. I wasn't a fan of the four overwrought Heathcliffs and I kept rolling my eyes the entire time.  As you can tell, I am not a fan of Wuthering Heights, either.

I hope February was a great month for you and here's to an even better March!

xo Jane

Jane Tries: TonyMoly Pikachu Mini Blusher Cushion

Cushion foundations have been the rage in Korea and it's been creeping into international awareness with companies like Lancome also coming up with cushion foundations. The next step, however, has been these blusher cushions. When you are using a cushion foundation, sometimes, it's tough to use a blush that blends well with the foundation, especially if the blusher is a powder. I hate how it just streaks across your cheeks. Not a good look.

Although some people love the cream blushers, I do not. I hate how it just sits on top of the foundation and it looks so caked on, even when you blend.  The ones I've used really sink into the pores which ends up being all I can see.  Since this is also in a thinner, less creamy, form, it blendㄴ nicely into the cushion foundation on your skin.

Each of the three Pikachus have a different expression.

There are a lot of cushion blushers, some better quality than others, but today, I am reviewing the TonyMoly Pikachu mini cheek cushion blusher. Limited edition, this comes in three colours, but I find, for my skin, the best one is No. 2 or "Rose Coral." I find No. 1 a bit *too* light for my taste, but I suppose you could build it up to a nice pink tone on your skin.

How cute is that pokeball puff???

This cushion blusher is sheer, and as I've stated, buildable, but for me, I like the fact it is sheer, since again, it doesn't sit on your pores. The one thing, however, to be aware is that if you have any dark spots, this blusher *will* emphasise it.

I tend to find I use the blusher when I am touching up, viz. after a long day, when your makeup has worn off, I like to reapply a little of the cushion foundation and then add a little blusher on my cheeks so I won't look like I'm a corpse. But of course you can use it as your daily blush if you'd like.

I  hope you enjoyed this review and do let me know if there is anything you'd like for me to try out.

xo Jane

Jane Tries: Etude House "Tint My Brows" Gel

When I went home, I saw how everyone's makeup was simple and subtle yet incredibly effortless. The "No Makeup" is really in and I love it. Aside from flawless skin, which has been the bane of my existence (sigh), one of the things I noticed that really ups the "put together yet effortless" ante are good brows. This brow tint really allows you to look smashing on your no-makeup days without much effort.

My cousin had gifted me this last year and I forgot to try it, even though both my mom and cousin raved about it. Late to the train, but here I am. I have been using it for awhile now and I really love how even if I leave the house with just concealer and mascara, I don't have the "it's so obvious she's wearing no makeup" look.

If you have beautiful brows, this product has no importance, but I have sparse brows and this fills in the gaps. To say it really is a game-changer is such an understatement.

Since this is a tint, the longer you put it on, the more it stays. Much like henna, it will tint the area of your skin where the product is placed. I recommend doing this before you sleep so that there is a sufficient amount of time for the tint to actually work. Don't be alarmed by how dark it is; the tint is actually a nice soft brown colour. I like to wipe it off with Bioderma in the morning before I wash my face. I guarantee you will see results immediately.

The product itself is thick and tacky and goes on a dark brown

If you're afraid that you might make a mistake when applying, I recommend perhaps making the brow shape slightly less than what you're accustomed and if you *do* make a mistake, oil will less the colour faster. Do remember this product is temporary, so it will fade soon.

One of the reasons why I have this blog is to document all the product I've used and also, to encourage me to use up all my products before I buy new ones. I hope you enjoy my reviews and I can't wait to try more products for you.

xo Jane