Wednesday 25 February 2015

Beauty | Nude Skin Colour Control Cream by Hope Girl Review (Korean Cosmetics)

Hi everyone! And hello my new followers! I'm so happy you like my little blog ヽ(*⌒∇⌒*)ノ

I have yet another review for you lovely lot from the Hope Girl products I received in my Back to School Memebox a few months ago, which is sadly no longer available on the website (´_`。)

So in this Memebox I received, amongst other things, this Nude Skin Colour Control Cream. I'm actually genuinely really happy about this, BB creams have always shown up so, so, sooo orange on my skin ahahaha. The CC creams are much lighter and blend in with my skin tone much easier, so safe to say I am absolutely LOVING the CC cream movement! I'd never bought one before as I wasn't sure how similar their colouring would be compared to the BB creams, and I didn't want to waste my money, but safe to say I'm a bit gutted now that I never took a chance on them before!

Without further ado *(*´∀`*)☆





I didn't blend it at the edges, so you can see the streak in the middle is the much warmer colour it turns after being blended onto skin


Apologies for the poor quality photos above, I took them at about 5:30am in December when my bedroom lights were broken, so all the light I had was from this little table lamp. They didn't turn out great, but they're fine and I think you can make out the swatch on my hand clear enough. Hopefully ahahaha.

Well, moving on, here's how it looks on!

Bare skin - with flash
Please note the red blotches are because I just got out of the shower

Bare skin - no flash

Applied - no flash

Applied other side - with flash

Applied other side - without flash

Powder applied - with flash

I quite like this CC cream from Hope Girl, I wasn't really expecting much from it given how little I paid for the whole Memebox, and the fact I hadn't even heard of Hope Girl before either ahahaha. But, I was very, very pleasantly surprised at the fact that it's really very nice!

It's incredibly thick to put on. I squeeze a dollop out onto my hand and dab from there with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, and honestly, it's like I'm literally painting my face, the CC cream is that thick. I can honestly feel the brush dragging across my skin ahahaha, so when it's finally painted on, it does sit quite heavily on my skin ヽ(ー_ー )ノ 

However, this initially unpleasant sensation is countered by the fact that for starters, the heavy feeling doesn't last long, and also because of its thick consistency, it lasts allllllll day. Despite how much I love Korean Cosmetics, I hate the dewy skin look, my t-zone gets oily of its own accord, I don't need any added shine thanks ahahahaa. But because of this, I use powder to mattify my skin and to set my foundation, and after setting no matter how much I touch my face (I'm a massive fidgeter ahaha), I can still see my makeup on my skin when I look in the mirror eight hours later! Which is a massive triumph for me, today alone it weathered two hours walking around in the torrential rain and wind in Manchester, not to mention six hours of classes and three hours commuting. It's a genuine lifesaver for someone like me, who can't fit a makeup bag into her bag because all my books are taking up every inch of space! So I need something that's guaranteed to last all day.

As far as colour and coverage goes, the colour is warm, in fact maybe a little too warm for my ghosty skin, but it blends in well enough and with powder it nullifies any possible orange factor. I only really notice when I take my makeup off and my makeup wipe is bright orange ahahaha, but when it's actually on my face I feel like it just gives me enough colour to look like a normal person ahaha. In terms of coverage, despite its heavy texture, my skin still shines through, which I really like! (o゚▽゚)oニパッ

All in all, I absolutely adore this CC Cream from Hope Girl! Whilst I dislike its texture when applying, it evens out and warms my skin tone without overpowering it, and gives just the right amount of coverage for me, so I feel that one con is greatly outweighed by the pros. Memebox are no longer selling this Superbox, but this CC Cream is listed on Amazon here, although it's currently unavailable, and I don't know if it'll ever be available again, which is such a shame!

Sorry for the massive wall of text ahahahaha. Have any of you lovely readers tried this Nude Skin Colour Control Cream by Hope Girl? Let me know in the comments below (⌒▽⌒)☆

Bye! x
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Friday 20 February 2015

Beauty | Waterproof Eyebrow Pencil in Brown by Hope Girl Review (Korean Cosmetics)

Hello, lovelies! Like many of you, I fell victim to overplucking my eyebrows when I was a teenager. Anddd now they've made it quite clear that they don't want to grow back (,,#゚Д゚)

So, I've given up on having lovely non-overplucked brows, and instead am content with just filling them in slightly, to give them more thickness, shape, definition, and also colour. Part of me feels as if it's pointless to have my natural brows grow back in, as they're quite pale and I'd probably still use a pencil or shadow to give them some life, but I digress.

At the end of the day, all I want in life is a decent eyebrow pencil, which is why I was ever so chuffed I received a full size Hope Girl waterproof eyebrow pencil in my Memebox! ヽ(*⌒∇⌒*)ノ


This pencil is such a gorgeous colour! I'm just really sad that it's way, wayyy~ too dark for me. My skin tone is ghostly, and my hair's a dyed blonde/gold/orange (depending on whether I've been to the hairdressers recently or not ahahaha), so sadly when I use this on my brows they tend to be a touch too dark to look even slightly natural, as you can see above. However, with the aid of an angled eyeshadow brush I'm able to soften the colour a little, and make them less harsh, but still too harsh for me (○゚ε^○)

However! This pencil is really nice to use, plus I think the packaging perfectly balances cute and tacky ahahaha. Also, it came with it's own sharpener, which is a little bonus haha.

All in all, I do really like it! Have you tried any Hope Girl products? Let me know in the comments below ヾ(´▽`*;)ゝ”

Bye! x
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Tuesday 17 February 2015

Beauty | Tuesday Teasings: Korean Makeup eBay Wishlist (Korean Cosmetics)

Hi all! Almost humpday everyone, we can do this!! *(*´∀`*)☆

So, I've decided to reintroduce a little series I started trying out a couple of years ago now, which is Tuesday Teasings. Basically, every Tuesday I'll put together a little compilation of all the Korean makeup or skincare I'm lusting after that week, as there's genuinely so much of it I'm seriously never going to be able to afford it all ahahaha.

About 99.9% of these posts will feature products from eBay. This is because eBay is without a doubt my favourite place to find well-priced Korean cosmetics or skincare, there is a vast, vast range of items and brands to choose from, and practically all come with free shipping to boot. Plus, items are relisted quite regularly, meaning if I've linked a product which has now ended, it's very easy to find it yourself, or for me to update the link when I check back through ( ̄ー ̄)

My first post will be a mix of brands and makeup items I've had in my eBay Wish List for a while, so without further ado!



1. Tonymoly Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream
2. Lioele Silky Highlighter BB Touch
3. Etude House Dear Girls Oil Control Pact
4. Missha The Style Liquid Sharp Eye Liner in Black
5. Missha Signature Technical Mascara Curl Up Volume
6. Tonymoly Seven Fruit Princess Gloss in Plum
So I've had this beautiful CC cream from Tonymoly in my wish list on eBay for quite a while now, and honestly the only reason I haven't bought it yet is because my current skincare & make-up routine is really, really working for me right now. This CC cream looks gorgeous. It claims to be both skincare and makeup in one, and boasts a heck of a lot of qualities, such as UV protection, anti-wrinkling, whitening (don't really need any of that ta I'm as white as a sheet), as well as evening out your skin tone, covering blemishes, and more. I'm starting to run low on my current foundation, so I might just have to hurry up and buy this already (*´ー`)

My skin's actually been behaving the past few months, so instead of picking a concealer for this wishlist like I usually would, I decided to go for a highlighter instead. Since starting Uni I've been so tired and overworked that while my skincare regime is keeping my skin fairly clear, it's looking as rundown and grim as I feel ahahaha. This highlighter says it'll cover pores, provide coverage, and brighten up dull and dreary skin! I really like the brush applicator as well, as obviously when it comes to highlighters there are just certain areas you want to um, highlight ahahaha, and I think this is a really lovely tool that I need in my make-up collection.

Of course I had to include a little Etude House in this wishlist, and this adorable pact is way, way up on my must have items list! ♪(゚▽^*)ノ⌒☆ My skin tends to get a little oily if I'm wearing makeup, especially around the dreaded T-zone area, so I always, always, always have to wear a powder to set everything, otherwise my whole face smears off around noon ahahaha. That's why I really like the sound of this Etude House pact, as it's especially designed to blot and control oily skin, keeping your makeup in place and looking shine-free and matte perfect.




I don't know about you, but I love me some liquid eyeliner. LOVE IT. Liquid eyeliner is by far my favourite medium to define my eyes, it's my go-to for every day and nights out, and I'm still on the search for the perfect one! It's got to have a sturdy, thin nib, for easy control, dry quickly, be deep black, and just look good basically. Not that I'm picky or anything ahahaa. From what I can see of this one, the nib looks a little too long, but it claims to be fast drying and as I'm running out of my current liquid liner (have had to resort to using a regular pen eyeliner for day to day use now, which draws way too soft a line for my tastes, with extra lashings of mascara for my usual level of eye definition), I might just take a stab at this Missha liquid liner as I've had luck with Missha products before (○゚ε^○)
Again, as I've had luck with Missha eye products in the past, I figured I might like to try one of their mascaras as well. I'm currently alternating between the Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Super Volume Mascara and Thick & Fast Flash Extensions Mascara, but I'm running low on both now so I need a new one in my life (*^-^) This one boasts a "great curling effect" to boot, and who doesn't like having lovely, curled eyelashes!

As the finishing touch for this wishlist, I thought I'd throw in this adorable little lip gloss from Tonymoly. In general, I just adore Tonymoly, and whilst I'm not actually a massive fan of wearing products on my lips (always too sticky, leave stains, colours don't suit my pale skin, make my teeth look yellow, hair sticks to my lips, ugh ugh ugh ahahaha), but this little gloss in particular is one of two in the 7-Fruit Princess range that comes with Pearl colouring. Which is actually less colour, more pearly shine. After re-examining the range though, I think I'd actually prefer the Mangosteen gloss if I wanted colour as I think it would suit my skin tone most out of the seven, but the Plum with Pearl swatch looks gorgeous, and despite my dislike of lip products, I'll still try anything that looks this cute ahahaha (。・ω・。)ノ♡



Do you like the look of any of these products? Have you tried any of them? Let me know in the comments below, and stay tuned for next week's Tuesday Teasings featuring Korean Skincare! (☆^ー^☆)

Bye! x
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Thursday 12 February 2015

J-Drama | Just Watched: Heartbroken Chocolatier (Shitsuren Chocolatier/失恋ショコラティエ)

Well, I tell a lie. I've not really "Just Watched" this series, more like I watched it almost a year ago now (!!!) and forgot I had this post in my drafts ahahaha. Then again, the timing with Valentine's Day just a couple of days around the corner is just too perfect to miss (o゚▽゚)oニパッ

Even though I watched it so long ago, I still remember it really well. Which kind of just goes to show that I must have really liked it if I still remember it to this day! Without further ado, on with the review of the Heartbroken Chocolatier!


I couldn't find an actual trailer, apologies!

Sota (Matsumoto Jun) is head over heels in love with a girl in the year above at school, Saeko (Ishihara Satomi), who doesn't return his feelings. However, as she loves chocolate, he tries to get close to her by attempting to make the perfect chocolates for her, and even receives a kiss at Christmas. However, she rejects his gifts of chocolates the day before Valentine's Day, saying she wasn't even aware they were dating, leaving Sota heartbroken.

In order to make her return his feelings, Sota decides to move to Paris to study under the greatest chocolatiers, at Saeko's favourite chocolate shop. His dream is to make Saeko the perfect chocolates, so that she'll fall in love with him. A few years later, he returns from Paris and opens up his very own chocolate shop with his old friend Inoue Kaoruko (Mizukawa Asami) and his half-Parisian half-Japanese chocolate making partner Olivier Tréluyer (Mizobata Junpei). Saeko is really happy he's home, and is so impressed by his chocolate making skills that she even asks him to make her wedding cake... wait, WHAT?


I both loved and hated this series. But the reason why I didn't like it is also a testament to how well written the characters were; they actually acted like people (selfish, selfish people ahaha), and while I hated a few decisions that they made, ultimately it reflected the characters personalities, rather than trying to be a sugary sweet drama series (although I tend to see that more in k-dramas).

It's actually a lot funnier than I was anticipating, but then again I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw the series was set in a chocolate shop, or when the title already had the word heartbroken in it. There is a LOT of unrequited love in this series. Like, a lot a lot ahaha. And it features Kiko Mizuhara in it, who's definitely been more of a hot topic of late... G-Dragon, anyone?

All in all I'd recommend it, even if the main character does bang on about the girl he has a one-sided love for just a little too~ much in my opinion. It's sweet, it's funny, and you do feel for the characters even if they do do hurtful or selfish things sometimes, 'cause at the end of the day they're going through a rough time. Unrequited love is never fun! (´。_。`)ゞぅぅぅ…

Have you watched Heartbroken Chocolatier? And also, Happy Valentine's Day! (。・ω・。)ノ♡

Coming soon: Boku no Ita Jikan review!
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Friday 6 February 2015

Beauty | Milky Balm Lipstick in Grapefruit Juice by Hope Girl Review (Korean Cosmetics)

Hi all! How's everyone doing? (o^∀^)

As you might recall (seeing as I won't stop banging on about it), I got my very first Memebox a little while ago, and one of the treasures included this lovely Hope Girl Milky Balm Lipstick in Grapefruit Juice. I was very excited to see it was an orange shade, as I've always wondered if that would suit me, but was never willing to fork over my own money to find out ahahaha. So, I'm glad I got this little beauty in my box!






And now for a ridiculous amount of photos of my ugly mug wearing said lipstick, so I do apologise in advance ahahaha.



without flash


without lipstick, for comparison

and finally with lipbalm, for good measure

As a general rule, I don't like wearing lipstick. For starters, though you can't see them in the picture, I have scars left from my lip piercings. You can see in the picture though, how this has affected my lip shape. On my left, or the picture's right, you can see that that side of my bottom lip looks a little odd, and it's because thanks to bad healing it's now smaller than my right side (´Д`。)

I'm quite fortunate in that my lips are naturally a very pink shade as opposed to a more nude skintone colour, leaving lipstick as an option that 99% of the time I choose to forgo. I can't wear nude shades as with naturally pink lips they completely wash me out, and most pinks just match my lips or are too bright for my pale skin, which is the same for reds, and purples are often too dark. Plus anything that stands out too much draws attention to my mismatched lip shape, which is something I don't really want to do. Not that I'm picky or anything ahahaha.

This lipstick is a lovely shade of orange, not too bright, and very creamy on. However, it isn't the best quality; I rubbed my lips together just once and I was left with a ring of lipstick outlining my lips, and nothing left in the middle. Not my best look (but probably not my worst either ahahaa). With this in my mind, it requires regular touch ups, but I honestly still really, really like this lipstick. It's a nice and fresh, quite warm shade that just brightens up your whole face a little. If you're thinking of buying the Superbox Back to School Memebox I did then this lipstick is a lovely bonus, and definitely one of the many items that make the price of the box an absolute bargain.

Have you tried any lipsticks by Hope Girl? Let me know in the comments below!

Bye!
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