Category: Brands

Skincare brands discussed and reviewed.

  • Brand Spotlight: Hada Labo (Plus Skin Care for Dry Air)

    It may sound like total insanity to start tailoring one’s daily skin care routine based on the weather forecast, but, you know, it is what it is, and I accept who I am, so I’m okay with that. Late last week, I caught a local weather forecast that predicted a very warm and dry weekend.…

  • Link of the Day: Memebox Raises $29M to Take K-Beauty Global

    It’s amazing to see Asian skin care and cosmetics, especially the huge K-beauty side of it, making waves Stateside. Investors like Yahoo cofounder Jerry Yang seem to agree, as the $29M that Korean beauty box company Memebox just raised to achieve its global ambitions shows. In today’s link, Forbes.com talks about Memebox’s rise and plans for…

  • Review: Missha M Signature Real Complete BB Cream

    Note: This post was updated on March 9, 2015 with some additional notes on product fragrance. It took me a long time to get over my resistance to BB creams. I’ve always thought of BB creams as just another variety of “concealment” makeup, which isn’t my thing. My approach towards makeup focuses on enhancement rather than concealment.…

  • Soft Spring Face of the Day Feat. Quick Tutorial for Asian Lashes

    It’s a lovely sunny day where I am, the perfect kind of day for a soft spring look. This quick and easy FOTD builds a little extra pink on top of my everyday makeup look and only takes about 5 to 10 minutes to do. Products, tools, and some tips for short and stubborn Asian…

  • All About the Konjac Sponge (Plus an Amazon Discount and Gentle Cleanser Recs!)

    Post updated 6/25/16. Everyone has an inner conflict. Here’s (one of) mine: I love getting my skin very, very clean, but I hate all the cleansers that feel like they actually get that job done. If you want healthy skin, you need clean skin. Left on for too long, dirt, oil, dead skin, sunscreen, and…

  • International Face of the Day feat. Japanese mascara, Korean BB cream, and US everything else.

    Well! Finally managed to take a few selfies that don’t make me cringe and want to live in a cave forever, so here’s my first FOTD. Pictures taken in indirect natural light, a few feet away from the bedroom window at midday. Product list and tools below! Product list: Skin: Missha M Perfect Cover BB…

  • Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence Reformulation

    It has come to my attention, thanks to a post on Reddit’s Asian Beauty community, that Missha is reformulating its famous First Treatment Essence and rebranding it as First Treatment Essence Intensive. The new formulation, per Reddit user /u/naoti, ditches the licorice root extract and changes the proportions and quantities of FTE’s plant extracts. Boo. Licorice…

  • Review: Innisfree It’s Real Squeeze Mask, Black Berry

    It’s time for the first episode of my 15-part foray into the land of the Innisfree It’s Real Squeeze Mask! We’ll be starting with a review of the Black Berry sheet mask. Sheet masks are by far my favorite addition to my usual nighttime skin care routine. I do a sheet mask at least two or three evenings…

  • Innisfree Sheet Mask Haul and Review Preview

    I know I said that I don’t haul very much anymore because I’ve established a great skin care routine, but a couple of nights ago, I saw a 15-piece Innisfree sheet mask assortment for sale on Amazon. I have Amazon Prime and poor impulse control, so here they are. Aren’t they lovely? I’ve been in a pretty…

  • Review: Skinfood Black Sugar Strawberry Mask Wash Off Face Scrub + Some Safe Scrub Tips

    Though I love chemical exfoliation for daily skin maintenance, sometimes nothing beats a scrub. A good scrub instantly enlivens your complexion and gives you that baby-cheek softness you just can’t stop touching. (Wash your hands first, though.) But not just any scrub will do. Today I want to talk about Skinfood’s best-of-breed face scrub, the Skinfood…