Monday, June 19, 2017

Althea Korean Beauty haul!


Writing this blog has given me some really awesome opportunities to try products and brands that I may never have stumbled upon before. Most recently, I was reminded of that when a rep from Althea.kr reached out and asked me if I'd be interested in a free gift card to shop their site. I've never responded to an email so fast - YES, of course! I freakin' love Korean beauty products and I love sharing them with all of you. 

If you don't know what Althea is, it's an online retailer of Korean beauty products. They're based in South Korea but they ship to the US. You get free shipping when you spend over $50, and they've got all authentic products at some of the best prices you can find online. If you suspect you've received a counterfeit product, they'll refund you at any time and compensate you 200% of the product value. Now THAT'S customer service.

I had SO much fun looking through their website - I wish I was rich and could just order one of everything, please and thank you. I will most definitely make more orders in the future. Curious what I picked up? Let's take a peek... (OH, and everything you see here cost $100 US $ total). 


  • Skin Food Milk Shake Point Makeup Remover ($5.50) - This is a creamy two-part makeup remover, formulated with oil and liquid. Shake it up, throw it some on a cotton pad, and wipe your face clean in preparation for a second cleanse. I like that it looks almost like food packaging, maybe ketchup or something? I've never tried anything quite like it so I'm excited to give this a shot. You also get a lot for your money which is awesome. Skin Food is a pretty known Korean brand, you may remember it from a past Memebox haul
  • Calmia Oatmeal Cleansing Foam ($2.50) - This product was on a special sale when I was shopping, so I picked it up just for fun. It's meant to cleanse the skin while maintaining softness and moisture. It has a bunch of plant extracts in it to help with this. I've never heard of the brand before, but this product has 4.5 out of 5 stars on the Althea website, so I'm sure it'll be a winner.
  • Apieu Gold Silk Blanket sheet mask ($1.50) - Not gonna lie, I was drawn to this because it's a mask that looks sequined. And that packaging is darn cute, too. It's supposed to nourish your skin, help with fine lines and brighten your complexion, but honestly... I just want to have a creepy sequin face for 15 minutes of mask time. 
  • Petitfee Ruby & Bulgarian Rose Eye Patch ($9.75) - These are little under eye masks infused with rose extract and ruby powder to brighten and improve elasticity. I've been wanting to try eye patch masks, and these looked nice. I love the packaging and it's a really solid metal-type tin that makes these feel like they should be more expensive than they are.
  • Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam (samples) - These little samples were included with my order, but I'm excited to try them. Innisfree is another well-known Korean skincare brand and this product has a 5 star rating on Althea. This cleanser is meant to deep-clean clogged pores without drying out your skin. A full size costs $6. 
  • RiRe Lucent White Pearl Cream ($11) - Is it abundantly clear that I'm a skincare junkie yet? Ha! This product sucked me in because it looks like little pearls that you pop on your face and it does magical things for your skin. It has pearl extracts/powder to help with wrinkles and to promote a healthier, more radiant complexion. We'll see if that's true.... I just want to have fun with my skincare routine and maybe prevent a wrinkle or two. 
  • Dear, Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop ($23) - I definitely wanted to try a Korean face serum, and this one had great reviews and cute holographic packaging (I'm a sucker), and so I put it promptly in to my shopping cart. This is a vitamin C serum that helps shrink pores and even out skin tone and exfoliate the skin. 
  • Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask ($13) - Laneige is another popular Korean brand that you can find in the states at Target or Sephora. I've heard rave reviews about this product and I'm one of those people who can't fall asleep unless my lips are caked in some sort of balm, so this product spoke to me. Don't let the jar scare you, this comes with an adorable little spatula (like so many Korean products do, thank goodness) so you don't have to put your grubby little fingers in it.
  • Tov Camellia Cleansing Balm ($14) - Cleansing balms or oils are my absolute favorite way to take my makeup off. I, again, was a sucker for this packaging and had to have it. Using this is simple, just grab a small amount with the provided spatula, rub it all over your dry, makeup-caked face, and watch everything come melting off. Rinse it away, and wa-lah! 
  • Holika Holika Magic Pole Eyeliner ($10.50) - This just plain interested me. I've never seen an eyeliner pen like this, and I live and die by black liquid eyeliner. As you can kind of see, the tip has a ball point end for stability. The formula is waterproof, and you can get it in either black or brown. 
  • Etude House Fix and Fix Tone Up Primer ($10.20) - I primarily got this primer because it has SPF 33 in it, and that's perfect for summer time. I opted for the rose-colored toner to brighten my skin. You can also get it in green or lavender. I think the packaging is really minimalistically cute, and the price was right!

...and there you have it! My super exciting Korean beauty and skincare haul. Definitely make sure to check out Althea.kr if you're interested in trying out Korean products. You can get lost on that site with all the goodies they've got to order. If you do make an order, let me know what you pick up! 

Sunday, June 4, 2017

May Empties | #37

It's that time to dig through my trash! Get your monthly fill of mini reviews all in one convenient place. Let's dig in to what I used up in May...


  • Rovectin Conditioning Cleanser (would repurchase) - This is a very basic, gentle, unscented facial cleanser. See full review here.
  • Ark Pro Remove One Cleanse (would repurchase) - This is a nice oil cleanser, to be used as a first step to remove makeup. It breaks everything down and doesn't leave a film. See full review here
  • May Coop Raw Sauce (would not repurchase) - I don't understand the hype around this facial essence. It's essentially a toner made of maple water. It didn't do much of anything for me. It might've hydrated my skin a little, and I'm sure it helped the serums I put on top sink in, but meh... it's pricey and there are toners I like far better. 
  • Organic Surge Perfecting Face Polish (would not repurchase) - The ingredients are really good in this face scrub, but it's not scrubby enough for me. It's mostly creamy with a few scrubby pieces mixed in. I love this brand, but I wouldn't get this scrub again.
  • Korres Wild Rose Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial (would not repurchase) - This is another brand I love, but I wasn't in love with this product. It had a gross, old lady rose smell, and I didn't notice any results from using it. 
  • Olay Cooling White Strawberry & Mint Body Wash (would not repurchase) - This was fine, nothing special. It didn't feel cooling at all on my skin, and the smell was just pleasantly fruity. It's nothing I need to run out and buy again.
  • L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil (would repurchase) - Okay, the hype is real around this stuff. It smells amazingly gourmand and sweet, and it works great as a shaving oil. I have a tendency to get itchy legs after I shave, but I never did when I used this. It's expensive, but it's worth it. 
  • Molton Brown Bushukan Body Wash (would repurchase) - This had a unique scent, kind of unisex sexy. It lingered on the skin, too. I love Molton Brown body washes - they're fancy and smell amazing - and I have a whole sample set I got for Christmas to continue using up. Yay!
  • Benefit That Gal Brightening Primer (would not repurchase) - This is a pink primer aimed at brightening the skin. I didn't really notice it doing anything. It didn't brighten my skin, it didn't extend the wear of my makeup, didn't blur my pores. I wouldn't shell out for a full size.
  • Smashbox X Rated mascara (would repurchase) - I really liked this mascara. It gave me lots of volume and length. It had a tendency to get a little clumpy, but I could work with it enough and get a look that wasn't gunky or gross. I probably wouldn't shell out the cash for a full size of this, because I'm a believer in drugstore mascaras, but if I saw it around for a good price, I'd get it again. 
  • Flower On your Mark Liquid Eyeliner (would not repurchase) - I don't know if I just got a dud pen, but this SUCKED. The product didn't seem to saturate the felt tip, and it was tough to build up a dark enough line on my lids. No thank you. I tried to use it a few times, and then promptly threw it in my empties bin. 
  • Rimmel Wonder Lash Mascara (would not repurchase) - I was intrigued by this ever since it came out a couple years ago, only because I fell for the gimmick that it's formulated with argan oil. Every review I saw had nothing great to say about it, but I still had to try it for myself, and well... yeah, I hated it. It provided color and that's about it. No volume, no length.... a total miss. I ended up using it with the X-Rated mascara above, and then over a lash primer so I could get some volume and length. This isn't worth your money, even though it's cheap. 
  • Swisspers Cotton Rounds (would repurchase) - You already know, I use at least one of these up per month. I get them in the mega-pack from Costco, and I love them! I use them to remove my eye makeup and apply toner. I think they've changed the packaging already, so in a couple months they'll look a little different when they appear in my empties bin. 
  • Pur-Lisse Prevent Blue Lotus + White Tea sheet mask (would not repurchase) - I like sheet masks as a relaxing night time treatment, and I really don't expect much from them, so if they DO provide any sort of bump in my skincare treatments, then great. If not, I'm not that surprised. This did nothing for me, so I wouldn't go out of my way to get it again. 
  • Lasting Smiles Organic Lip Balm in Peppermint (would repurchase) - I think I got this in an Ipsy bag ages ago, and they also sell it at Target (or they used to... I've also seen it clearanced out there, so maybe not anymore?). It's a nice lippie. I'd get it again.
  • Sierra Bees Organic Vanilla lip balm (would repurchase) - Sierra Bees is exclusive to iHerb.com and they're ridiculously cheap. I really enjoy these lippies and have more to use up.
  • Chloe Roses de Chloe perfume (would repurchase) - This is a Scentbird vial of Roses de Chloe. If you like the Chloe perfume, and you like rose scents that aren't granny-like, you'll enjoy this. It's ultra feminine and sexy. See full review here.
  • Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline perfume (would not repurchase) - This perfume is very sharp and fresh. It isn't bad, but it really isn't something I'd want a full size of in my perfume collection. 
  • Up & Up Acetone (would repurchase) - I know acetone is pretty much awful for your nails, but I have zero patience when it comes to removing my nail polish and acetone makes things speedy. I'm impartial to brand, it's all the same, so I just grab it wherever I am if I'm in need.
  • Deep Steep Fresh Honey hand wash (would repurchase) - I adore the Deep Steep brand, and I really enjoy using their hand soaps. If you love that standard honey scent, you'll be head over heals for this hand soap. The cute packaging is an added bonus. You can also get body wash, lotion and body scrub in this same scent. 
  • B&BW Paris Lavender Macaron candle (would not repurchase) - I think this scent was limited edition last spring. It smelled great in the jar but didn't really have much of a scent throw. It's supposed to smell like lavender and sweet cookie, and I suppose that's about right. It's not overly lavender-y though, it's just sort of a sweet floral.
  • Yankee Candle Cinnamon Vanilla candle (would repurchase) - This smelled amazing and had a great scent throw. It smells exactly like you'd expect it would. 
  • B&BW Spring Blue Skies candle (would repurchase) - This was nice. It's comprised of water and citrus and just has that overall characteristic fresh scent. It's perfect for the warmer months.

What did you use up this month? Let me know in the comments!

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Coastal Scents | haul + swatches


I'm always surprised by how little Coastal Scents is talked about in the beauty world. I've been ordering from them for years now, and have been continuously impressed with their products. Their eyeshadows (or Hot Pots, as they call them) perform just as well as, if not better than, MAC eyeshadows, and when they go on sale, they cost just 99 cents each (regular retail price: $1.95). Their concealers are great. Their eyeshadow palette holders are better than the beloved and pricey Z-Palettes. Come on, beauty lovers... it's time for you to get on board.  See other swatches and reviews I've done here and here

I made an order earlier this year, and true to my blogging style in 2017, I just hadn't gotten around to blogging about it. On the up side, I've given all of these shadows and products a good whirl since purchasing them, so I know how well they perform.

Take a look at these beauties...

L to R: Gypsy Stone, Frosty Taupe, Amber Bronze, Mauve Frost, Antique Maroon, Silver Lilac
The formulation of these eyeshadows is so smooth and buttery. They have fabulous pigmentation, blend easily, and they will stay on all day long with a primer (truth be told, I've never tried them any other way because I never wear eyeshadow without a primer). They're some of the best eyeshadows on the market for the price.

L to R: Gypsy Stone, Frosty Taupe, Amber Bronze, Mauve Frost, Antique Maroon, Silver Lilac
I love all of these colors. All but Silver Lilac are easy, every day colors... although, even with a light hand I think you could make Silver Lilac look wearable for everyday. Gyspy Stone and Frosty Taupe are both good all-over-the-lid colors that don't need anything else mixed with them. They're pearly/shimmery without being too glittery, just really pretty stand alone colors. 


New to me when I made this order was the lipsticks they now sell. They retail for $3.95 and they have 15 shades to choose from. I picked a couple up on sale. The red lipstick is shade 10 and the pink is 01. 



I don't find these lipsticks to be nearly as good of quality as their eyeshadows. I think you get what you pay for in this instance. They have decent color pay off, but they aren't super comfortable.

Coastal Scents is a fun brand to experiment with and try - their products are cheap enough that you're not out a whole lot of money if you want to just give something a go blindly. I'd recommend googling swatches of the hot pot shades if you're wary of making a purchase - you can find most everything on blogs to get a feel for what they really look like. 

If you do try something - let me know what you get! Or if Coastal Scents is already a favorite, let me know what I need to try next!
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