My Picks from the Missha Semi-Annual Big Summer Sale: 30-50% off

Yay, I love a big sale! I got an email this morning about the Missha Summer sale, which has 30-50% off everything. I went and checked out the sale and found my picks, which I will most likely be purchasing.

The Style Leopard Nail Polish
PRICE : $6.99 $3.5

Yes, it's another crackle polish. But the pattern and the different colours you can get make this one unique, IMO. And for $3.50, I think I can afford to pick a few up :) Probably the pink and orange!

M Perfect Cover BB Cream No.27 (Limited Edition)

PRICE : $29.99 $17.99

Everyone's favourite BB cream (well mine, anyway) in a LE set. One full size BB cream and a 10ml travel size. I need one of those travel sized tubes, so much more convenient to keep in your purse.

M Perfect Cover BB Cream + M BB Boomer

PRICE : $54.98 $27.49

BB Boomer is like a primer for the BB cream. It helps to set the BB cream, increase longevity and gives a dewy glow. This price for both of them is cheaper than the regular price of just the BB cream, so it's a good deal.

NEW M Luminous Color Lip Rouge SPF11

PRICE : $12.99 $7.79

I've been wanting to try this lipstick for a while, but I couldn't get past the $13 price tag..... YES we all know I'm cheap lol. The shades look really pretty and I've heard some good things about it, pigmentation-wise. The shades I want to try are BE204, CR310 and PK114.

The Style Lucid Nail Polish

PRICE : $4.99 $2.99

A $3 nail polish that's touted by one reviewer as being better than OPI? Yes, please. I've heard nothing but great things about this polish and there are some really pretty shades. I can't wait to try some of them for myself.

Well, those are the things that caught my attention and I will most probably be picking up this weekend. Let me know if you get anything from the sale! Missha have some great sales, so to keep up to date you should sign up to their email subscription. You also get a free gift with your first purchase, right now it's their BB Boomer.

Like I've said before, Missha does not compensate me for posting about them (although as one reader said, maybe they should! :p). I just like the brand and like sharing with you.

St Patrick’s Day nails & makeup. Green is the word.

Happy Friday Beauties!

It’s St Patrick’s Day tomorrow, so I thought I’d try something green with my nails and makeup. So here is my St Patrick’s Day mani and FOTD.

Sorry for my dry hands :(
I used Sinful Colors Open Seas as a base (supposedly it's a dupe for OPI Mermaid Tears), Sinful Colors Nail Junkie on my index finger and attempted a four leaf clover on my ring finger with Diamond Cosmetics Don’t Teal My Heart (which I won from Jeanie at Midnite Manicures!). I think it turned out pretty cute, even if my clover isn’t the best. I also used a new topcoat, which I will be posting about soon :)

FOTD!

I hardly ever wear green eyeshadow and couldn’t find a mint green, so I used my Milani COLOR BRILLIANCE eye pencil.

Face:

• Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream #31
• elf Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder
• elf Studio Concealer Pencil & Brush

Eyes:

• elf Studio Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Medium
• Milani COLOR BRILLIANCE Eye Pencil in Green
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Shadow Pencil in Narc
• Dolly Wink Long Mascara

Lips:

• Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch

Do you have any plans for St Patrick’s Day? We are heading down to visit family in San Diego :) I might look for a mint shadow to wear and do the same look, but with mint so it matches my nails!

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream No. 27 Review & comparison: No. 23 ‘Natural Beige’, No. 27 ‘Honey Beige’ & No. 31 ‘Golden Beige’

 Ok, it’s LOOOONG overdue, but I finally got around to doing a comparison of these three shades.

I have previously reviewed Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream No. 23 ‘Natural Beige’ and No. 31 ‘Golden Beige’ and was excited to see they introduced a shade in between, No. 27 ‘Honey Beige’.

There was definitely a huge gap between the cooler toned No. 23 and the very warm toned No. 31 and i think No. 27 is a perfect balance between the two. I tend to be warm toned, so although I had previously used No. 23 in Winter when my skin tone was a bit lighter, it was still too cool and had a bit of a greyish cast that was noticeable on my skin. No. 27 is a perfect lighter shade for me in the cooler months.

Left: No. 23                          Middle: No. 27                           Right: No.31

Partially blended in, still creamy

Left: No. 23                          Middle: No. 27                           Right: No.31

More blended, dry to the touch

Left: No. 23                          Middle: No. 27                           Right: No.31

The difference in tone and shade are apparent, No.23 is for much lighter, cooler toned skin. No. 27 is definitely ‘honey’ in colour, whereas No. 31 looks almost orangey next to it.

As for texture, coverage and finish, No.27 is just like the others I have previously reviewed :) I will be using No. 27 in the cooler months and No. 31 in Summer when I have a bit of a tan. No. 23 I think I’ll send to my sister who is lighter than me and a bit more cool-toned.



Check out my other posts on Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream.

I hope this helps anyone who is looking at buying one of these shades!

Missha is a great BB Cream brand and they are constantly having promotions. Recently I got a free full sized BB Cream for the launch of their new site, just for being an email subscriber! They usually post their promos on Facebook and Twitter, but I think being an email subscriber to their website is probably the best way to find out about specials and discounts. At the moment they are offering a e-giftcard with all purchases of $40 or more, $20 off for VIP members and $15 off for existing and new members. I have not been asked by the company to promote them, I just truly love the brand! :)

Ishah xx

Brand New Missha BB Cream shade - No. 27 Honey Beige!

View my review and BB Cream comparision with No. 23, No. 27 and No. 31!

Ok, so by now you should all know how much I love my Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream.

Missha is the only brand making a wider variety of shades in BB Cream (for darker skin!) and they've just introduced a new shade, #27 Honey Beige. I'm thinking this may have to be a purchase for me, since #23 is still a little light for me even in Winter months. Lucky for me (and my wallet) they are having a 4 day promo, from today July 20 - July 24 and the BB Cream is only $8.99 + $8.99 shipping & handling ($17.98, which works out way cheaper than any price I've seen for Perfect Cover BB Cream). They also have free shipping for orders over $40, which is pretty great.

Here is the promo email I got:

The offer is limited to one per order.

I'm pretty excited about this (sad, I know) so I had to share :) I'm hoping the other brands (Skin79 etc) will jump on the wagon and release a few darker shades for those of us without milky complexions. I'm interested to see which company will start doing a BB Cream for ladies on the darker end of the colour spectrum, as they have been completely neglected so far. I do give props to Missha for being ahead of the game though.

Do you own any BB Cream? What is your shade, and are you happy to see Missha bringing out darker tones?

NOTE: I am not paid or compensated to share this offer with you. I have not been contacted or asked to post this by PR for the company.

EDIT: Minutes after posting this.... I bought the BB Cream.  Yes, I know.. I have no willpower :) So stay tuned and I will post a review/swatches/FOTD as soon as it comes in the mail!



View my review and BB Cream comparision with No. 23, No. 27 and No. 31!

FOTD Friday – Favourites and Falsies

It’s Friday, Fridayyyy, Gotta get down on Fridaayyy!!

Lame and played out Rebecca Black jokes aside, Happy Friday, Beauties!

I decided to enter a contest one of my fave bloggers, DSK Steph, is having and it required us to do a FOTD with some of our favourite products. This is such an awesome idea, I jumped at the chance to challenge myself a bit and see what I could come up with. As you all know, I’m no pro and I tend to lean towards more subtle looks, a) because I have to walk around with my kids and go to kiddy places and don’t want people thinking I’m a hooker weirdo, and b) because I can pull them off more easily. I wanted to use this as an opportunity to push my boundaries a bit and put more effort into a different look. I’ve also been wanting to try out my false lashes that I got from Forever 21!

So here, Beauties, is my Favourites FOTD.

FOTD Friday: Hello Kitty Memoirs of a Kitty Say Hello Palette

Morning, Beauties :)
I have been a little absent lately, after the whole Blogger kerfuffle I got caught up doing a website design (my side job)and haven't really had time for posting! To bribe your forgiveness I give you this FOTD post :D

The Hello Kitty Memoirs of a Kitty Say Hello Palette is a mouthful to say, but what a pretty mouthful it is. The cherry blossom design still gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling when I look at it... I'm such a sucker for cutesy stuff! I digress.. I promised you a FOTD using this palette and so now I am delivering ;)

Review: Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream for Darker Skin - No. 31

Ok Beauties…

For those of you that are looking for BB Cream for darker skin, I FINALLY got around to posting about Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream - No. 31 Golden Beige. I have been using it for a little while now, so I feel that I can accurately review it.

From the Missha US website:

Blemish Balm, also called BB Cream, is known to have been formulated as an after-treatment cream to help patients who have gone through laser skin surgery to soothe and regenerate the skin.

The M Perfect Cover BB Cream gives an even and natural-looking coverage with the soothing, moisturising properties of a cream. It is suitable for all skin types including acne-prone skin, and can be used as a makeup base or foundation. 

Whitening + Anti-Wrinkle + UV Protection (SPF 42 PA+++)

PRICE : $29.99 SIZE : 50ml

Ingredients:
Water(Aqua), Cyclomethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Zinc Oxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mineral Oil, Phenyl Trimethicone, Talc, Arbutin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Dimethicone, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Squalane, Adenosine, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Polyethylene, Beeswax(Cera Alba), Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Caviar Extract, Algae Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract, Ceramide 3, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Chloride, Fragrance(Parfum), Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxycitronellal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Citronellol
MAY CONTAIN[+/-; Titanium Dioxide(CI 77891), Iron Oxides(CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)]

And remember how I thought I was between 23 and 31, and that 31 would be too dark?

TOTALLY WRONG. 31 is PERFECT. It pretty much matches my skintone exactly now that I am a bit more tan and I L.O.V.E. love it. I still use the lighter No. 23 as an undereye concealer and brightener. This is a perfect BB Cream for darker skin tones.


The colour is a much better match, with warmer undertones that suit my tan skintone. It does look a bit grey when you first put it on, but then it oxidises and turns a more golden colour. Missha is the only brand that makes a BB Cream for darker skin, all the other brands have VERY limited, light shades. Unfortunately, even Missha doesn't have darker tones for Indian/African American etc skin tones.. Here's hoping they'll eventually come out with more shades!

A little goes a LONG way. The first swatch I did I had way too much on my hand and it ended up looking thick and cakey.. So I wiped it off and tried again. That’s the great thing, you only need a small amount; I use one and a half pumps for my entire face and neck area. I don't really have acne scars or dark spots, but it does cover my dark under eye circles really well!

With flash - L: Unblended,  Middle: Partially Blended,  R: Fully Blended

Natural light:

The tiniest dollop on my hand.

Partially rubbed in you can see the grey tinge it has (like a lot of BB Creams), this goes away in about a minute.

Fully rubbed in, it has evened out my skin.

The formula on No. 23 was a bit thicker and heavier, whereas the formula on No. 31 feels lighter, more like a tinted moisturiser than a foundation. It applies really smoothly and feels pretty hydrating and comfortable, almost like you’re not wearing makeup. I’m not sure if this is a difference in formula from the Korean version of the BB Creams to the US version, or just because it is a different shade.. anyone else had any experience with this?

My skin tends to be combination, oily on my forehead and chin but dry around my nose and cheeks. I like this cream because it is somewhat moisturising without turning your face into oil central. It leaves you with a dewy finish, but you can always set it with a matte powder if you prefer. I still use a separate moisturiser under this, because it doesn’t completely get rid of all the dry areas, but I think if you have normal to oily skin you could probably skip that step.

This is called Blemish Balm (or as some brands call it, Beblesh Balm LOL) with good reason. I had broken out on my forehead and thought wearing this might make it worse (you know, like makeup usually does) but it actually healed the blemishes and cleared them up quicker. I also notice that it refines my skin texture. Some people that are sensitive to mineral oil may have a problem with this, but I'm not so it hasn't had any adverse affects on my skin.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Evens out skintone
• Good base for makeup
• Heals blemishes
• Great colour match for my skin

Cons:

• Not for full coverage of acne/dark scars etc may need to use powder/foundation for more coverage
• Can look cakey if applied too heavily

Timesaver: YES. This is an all in one product for me. Therefore I love it :)

Moneysaver: Yes. Missha regularly sends out special offers and discounts to email subscribers. Usually this is $29.99 plus 8.99 S&H, I got it for $18.99 including S&H.

FOTD

Face:
Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream No. 31 Golden Beige
Too Faced Full Bloom Lip & Cheek Color in Prim & Poppy

Eyes:
Urban Decay Summer of Love Palette in Smog and Maui Wowie
e.l.f. Studio Eyebrow Kit in Dark
Maybelline The Falsies mascara in Blackest Black

Lips:
tokidoki Gelato Lip Balm Stain in Pink Martini


I am NC-35, hope that helps anyone trying to find a colour match!


More pics with Missha BB Cream No 31:

With flash:

With flash:

Natural light:

Natural light

Click here to see my other posts on BB Cream.

Review: LORAC Box Office Hit palette & FOTD Friday

Happy Friday Beauties!

I've been so uninspired to take photos lately :( I think I need to get out of the house and do makeup photoshoots in the great outdoors or something. I had been meaning to do this palette for ages, but I just didn't feel like taking photos for some reason.

This is the last of my LORAC haul posts. Every time I think about how cheap the high end make up I bought on HauteLook was, I get happy :D If only they had sales like that all the time.

This was released around Christmas last year, as a limited edition exclusive at Ulta. It is such a cute little palette, the wine coloured faux croc skin oozes chic. It's a good size to pop into your purse and not have to worry about taking any other products (except brushes.. this palette really could have used some brushes!).

The colours are all really wearable, so I will definitely be getting a lot of use out of it. The powders all have a slight shimmer, the more neutral shades have barely any but the darker shades have quite a bit.

The powder is quite soft, so you have to be a bit careful not to get too much on the brush or you will get fallout. I am far from being an expert with eyeshadow, so I usually like to keep it simple and these colours are just right for that. They are super-blendable and sheer, but can be used wet for more opacity. The lip shades are also pretty sheer, and go on smoothly. They don’t dry out and leave your lips feeling pretty hydrated, more like a tinted gloss than a lipstick. The soft shades are good for spring and perfect for work or school, or anywhere you want to be a bit more neutral/conservative (Grandma's house maybe? Meeting your boyfriend's parents?). The only really pigmented shade is the pink blush, but it goes on sheer and can be built up to a bright pink pop.

PROS:

• Pretty, soft shades
• Good for neutral looks, work/school/shopping/beach etc
• All in one palette, easy to take on trips
• Great quality, long lasting formula

CONS:

• Not for someone who prefers very pigmented colour
• Soft powder can leave some fallout
• No brushes

TIMESAVER:

Yes, it’s great because you could take it to work or on a weekend trip and you basically have everything you need to create a few different looks. Just remember to take along a few brushes

MONEYSAVER:

Yes. I got this from HauteLook for $15.

WANT/NEED/NO THANKS:

This is a NEED for me. I have used it more since I bought it than most of my other eyeshadows, blushes etc. The neutral look is good for me, since I have the kids.. don’t want to look like I’m going to a nightclub!

This is a really simple FOTD using some of the colours from the palette.

Face

• Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in No. 31
• Avon Smooth Minerals Powder in Shell
• Pink Blush from the LORAC Box Office Hit palette

Eyes

• Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin
• Highlighter shade, first column, second row from the palette
• Lid shade, second column, third row from the palette
• Crease shade, second column, second row from the palette
• Brown eyeliner from the palette
• LORAC Lashes Volumizing and Thickening Mascara in Brown

Lips

• Natural rosy pink shade, top row, third across in the palette

Do you like to invest in palettes or prefer individual products? Neutral vs showstopping?

Ishah xx

...wow... looking at that photo for a while... I think I need botox in my forehead ;_;

Quick Update: Missha No. 31 and Going on a No-Buy

No-Buy - capitalised because I must remind myself it is Very Important to stick to it! We are currently in the process of buying a house and every little bit counts. I have placed myself on a No-Buy until we have completed the loan process, put down our deposit and closing costs etc, assessed how much we need to spend on repairs and made sure our savings are enough to cover it all. So for possibly the next two or three months (oh gawd) I will be extra tight with the purse strings. I will probably cave once in a while, but the real mission is to cut down on spending! I have plenty of things to review though, so blogging will continue at the usual pace.

Speaking of which, I received my Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in No. 31 today! If you read my post on No. 23, you will remember me saying I thought I was between shades 23 and 31. Recently Missha sent a secret link to their email subscribers (and tweeted it also) with a promo: Perfect Cover BB Cream for $9.95 + $8.99 s&h. This is a savings of $20 woo! I was pretty much ecstatic, as it gave me a chance to buy No. 31 cheaply and see if I could create my perfect shade. They send these secret links out all the time, so it pays to be a subscriber. They also sent a free product, Garden Pleasure Honey and Lilac Body Scrub which smells divine!

Sorry for the bad quality photo.. I was lazy and took it on my phone... in the dark... yeah, silly me!
Anyone else cutting down on spending lately? C'mon, I don't want to feel alone in my retail therapy drought!!

Ishah xx

Review: Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream No. 23

Happy Sunday, Beauties! I'm running late with this post because I am all out of sync with the clock. Who had to turn their clocks forward an hour today? I don't know about you, but I dislike daylight savings :( It just seems unnecessary to me. Anyway, onto the BB Cream!

I didn't know anything about BB Creams until just recently, when I saw a tutorial on youtube and the girl applied Missha Perfect Cover Bb Cream. It made her skin look really smooth and flawless, so I started looking into the different types of BB creams. For those of you that don't know what BB Creams are, here is some general info.

General Product Features and Benefits
* Produces a very natural, "no makeup look"

* Provides perfect coverage like a foundation would but since it's not as thick, it doesn't clog the pores

* Works pretty much like a tinted moisturizer

* Conceals all types of pigmentation, discoloration, acne and other blemishes

* Has healing properties that soften, smoothen and refine skin

* Encourages skin regeneration to create and maintain youthful skin

* Contains UV Protection for healthy skin (SPF levels differ for each brand/product)

* Anti-wrinkle and skin-lightening benefits (available for some variants)



What I like about Missha is that they have a bigger variety of shades than the other brands. Since BB Creams were developed in Korea and used mostly in asian countries, the shades tend to be on the lighter yellow toned side. This might work on Caucasian skintones, but for us darker south east asians (Thai, Malay, Indonesian, Filipino etc) it would just look too pale and mask-like. The shade I have is No. 23, although I think I might be in between 23 and 31. I am planning to get 31 as well and see if I can mix them to my perfect shade.

You can take a look at the different shades at the Missha US website.

I apply this with my fingers and blend. It goes on looking a bit grey and chalky, but it soon oxidizes to match your skin tone. It blends really well into the skin, leaving it looking smooth and polished. It's been described as a heavyweight tinted moisturiser and it is that, and more. What I love about it is while it's more natural looking than most liquid foundations, it covers my dark undereye circles and has excellent staying power. I find that it will last all day without needing any touch ups. As this is not my perfect shade, but a little light, I usually put some bronzing powder over it in certain places just to give it a more natural look.

I LOVE that this is an all in one product. It is a moisturiser, sunscreen, primer and foundation in one. You can basically (if you have the right shade) put this on and go. It lasts, so there's no time consuming touch ups and it looks natural.

I feel that it has helped refine my skin texture and smooth it a little, but haven't really noticed any whitening or anti aging benefits as yet. I've only been using it for about a month, so maybe those come with time.

I'm wearing my Circle Lenses in this pic! The give such a shiny glisten to the eyes :)

Overall, I would recommend this if you want medium, natural looking coverage that lasts without having to use a lot of different products. The only drawback is the limited shades... Hopefully the western market will catch on to this awesome product and start creating their own versions.

Do you like the convenience of a BB Cream? Would you try them or have you tried them before?

Ishah xx