Kose Clear Turn White Mask Review + Haul + Reminders

Finals week has finally arrived, I have my first final tomorrow! Wednesday I don't have anything because that was an AP class and Monday is double final for my double language (Spanish & Japanese<--should be easy hehe).

Anyhow I'm going to be reviewing the Kose Clear Turn Essence White Mask today. This is the description of the product on Sasa: Essence with Vitamin C conductor soaked the whole box of mask. It penetrates throug horny layer to whiten your skin with transparent feeling.

HAHA horny layer?? Gotta love "engrish" descriptions...

I purchased this mask box of 22 masks at Mitsuwa market in Edgewater, NJ. The box was on sale for $15.99, I'm not sure what the original price is. Somehow on Sasa this mask box is only $8.50, maybe it's on sale? However at the moment it is sold out on Sasa. This mask sheet box comes in three other kinds: Hyaluronic Acid, Collagen, Q10. I really want to try the Hyaluronic Acid one...

These masks have less serum in them so you can use them everyday, or 2-3 times a week, depending on your preference. Even though they might have less serum, I think they're pretty effective. The recommended time to leave this mask on is 10-15 min, I like to leave it for 15-20 min.

I've used this mask every other day for the past week and it's very refreshing! The previous week I was having problems with hydration around my eyes; the skin was flaking and red due to allergies (I was scratching my eyes). After I started using this mask, all of the flaky skin went away gradually and my skin was really hydrated.

Pros

- No sticky residue left over

- Product claims to fit nicely on the face -- I agree, it's better than the DHC fitting

- 22 masks for $16 is a good deal

- I like to use this almost everyday because masks are refreshing to me

- Hydrates my face without causing any breakout/reaction/oiliness

- Slight brightening after removal

Cons

- Packaging is a little flimsy: reseable flap sometimes doesn't seal securely

- Serum doesn't dry quickly after removal: need lots of patting

- The mask sometimes dries up quickly on one side and flaps around my face

Overall rating: 4/5

How the mask fits on my face:

How the box looks like:

What it looks like when opened:

Weekend Update/Haul:

So remember how I told you that I was going to the Estee Lauder/Aramis Warehouse sale on Saturday June 13th? Well... That was a disappointment!! I was hoping to find some huge MAC sales going on since it is after all, Estee Lauder warehouse. I woke up at 6AM and left the house at 6:45 AM to pick up two friends and go to Oakland, NJ. There was a small line of people when we got there are 7:15 AM. Then as time passed the line got longer and longer. Most of the people there were the hispanic workers that I think worked at the warehouse, since they seemed to know the employees at the warehouse sale. There were some younger people who seemed like they were interested in MAC products (like me) and maybe watched those Youtube videos of people buying lots of stuff at the Toronto MAC warehouse.

I went into the warehouse and browsed through the whole place and didn't find anything! The stuff they had were like Aramis/Estee Lauder perfume sets, Clinique set bags, Estee Lauder set cosmetic pouches, and one little Bobbi Brown set pouch. None of the things were that enticing or "rare items" like the MAC finds that people get in the Toronto warehouse T-T

Anyway, so here's how the process goes with these warehouse sales:

- Line up (make sure you go early before it opens or you will not get the good stuff)

- Enter, check ID with pass, then grab a box with a string on it

- Follow a line and keep moving while grabbing stuff (if you find anything.. haha)

- Get a mix bag if you want surprises and good deal

- Better to pay with cash because sometimes the credit line is long

- Ask the employees for product info if you don't see a specific brand! The Estee Lauder warehouse I went to had a Company Store in the back that had MAC, Clinique, Estee Lauder, and Bobbi Brown makeup products (similar to CCO)

I went into the Company Store in the back that was a lot like CCO but I feel the CCO in Woodbury had more stuff! There was a limited selection and I only purchased 2 MAC eyeshadows: Lotusland and Top Hat (pretty colors, price is meh (not bargain cheap that you would expect in warehouses) $10.25). My mom got two Bobbi Brown e/s.

My friends and family were so disappointed that we went to the nearby town called Ridgewood, looking for some place to eat at. We were originally planning to eat some dimsum but it was closed.. So then we found this great pancake house that is specialized in JUMBO pancakes for cheap price! It comes with two large size pancakes or 4 medium size (which looks like large to me). Each large pancake was the size of a small pizza! It was so large... We also ordered french toast and belgian waffles which were both gigantic as well.

Then we stopped by the Container Store for some organizer for my kitchen and I picked up these two travel shampoo bottles for 79 cents each. They look okay :)

Reminders:

I'm still having a blog sale right now -- please help support my trip to Japan! All purchases come with samples and next day/day after shipping! Thanks everyone who has previously purchased from me! CLICK HERE TO BROWSE

Whit is having her first giveaway sponsored by a Korean ebay seller: Click here to win an eye mask pack!

Lulu is also having her first giveaway: Click here to win a Korres watermelon body scrub, cute keychains and UD lippie!

Traveling Haul

PLEASE CHECK MY BLOG SALE - I'll be posting up some clothing too so look out for it. If you have any questions, email me at ixheartbear@gmail.com All rules are posted in the sale post.

I'm back from my college touring trip! I'm so exhausted... we drove about four hours but luckily I stopped by the Clinton Crossing Outlet in Connecticut before going home.

I saw five colleges in the Amherst area: Amherst College, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke, Smith, and UMass Amherst. I only really like Amherst though (Smith/Mt. Holyoke were nice but they are girl schools--not interested.. hehe)

In the Boston area I toured Boston College and just looked at Boston Univ., Northeastern, and Harvard (haha yeah right... like I would get in there). Really liked Boston College! Hope I can get in.. :)

The Courtyard Marriot hotel gave me this for free in Amherst... It was a bad makeup remover sheet (smelly... T_T).

Before I went into Boston, I stopped by Natick Mall in Natick, MA on Tuesday. It was such a nice mall but I didn't find much to buy (which is good). I stopped by Abercrombie&Fitch's new lingerie store called Gilly Hicks. The only thing that was impressive was their massive bra "library". Bought some sale items (yes.. I'm trying not to buy many things but obviously I've failed).

Yesterday while I was making my way over to BU, I saw a Shu Uemura store on Newbury St. I wasn't planning to get anything but they had the mini cleansing oils... I will see how they are. The mini set includes the White Recovery EX+, Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O, and High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil Fresh. Has anybody ever tried these and how are they?

Today I went over to Clinton Crossing Outlet and went into CCO for the first time! Thank you Steph (DSK) for recommending the store to me! I've been looking for a brush set for a really long time and finally got a nice one. I got the MAC Colour Form one and it has brushes: 168, 187, 212, and 275. It was about $35, not bad for MAC mini brushes. I wanted to get some other stuff but I resisted. My mom got a Studio Fix powder foundation to replace her old one..

In Amherst I went into Marshall's because there was nothing to do and I usually find interesting stuff there... I found the Korres Watermelon Body Scrub! It was only $4.99 which is a great deal :) I was going to purchase the Quine Body Butter also by Korres but decided not to because I have too many body lotions at home. The Watermelon Body Scrub was really nice, I used it right away. The first thing I noticed was that my skin became brighter and color changed a little. My skin was not as flaky and it became smooth~ I really like this body scrub! You should go over to Marshalls or TJ Maxx NOW because they have many different Korres products on sale (body milk, body butter, body wash, body scrub, etc.)

Laura Mercier&MAC Haul + MM Mascara Review + Spring Break

Today I went over to Bloomingdales for the Private Sale ($25 off $100 purchase). Unfortunately, the Laura Mercier counter ran out of the Gilded Garden Shimmer Bloc! But luckily there was another counter over in Saks so I was able to indulge in another purchase...

I went back to Bloomingdales after seeing the MAC counter (which still had the limited edition HK line). I saw the TLC in Popster on Fei's blog Pandablush and was tempted once again to make another buy... ^^; I ended up spending $15 on the TLC (couldn't use the coupon) and $40 in Saks for the LM shimmer bloc (which I loveee, thank you Fuz for recommending!)

I whipped out the DSLR to practice with it and took pics of the shimmer bloc and lippy.

I bought too many things these few weeks so next month I'm going to limit my spending. I made some money on Ebay so I've been investing it on cosmetics! Now I think I spent most of the earnings made recently from Ebay so I will have to stop purchasing.. haha

Laura Mercier Gilded Garden Shimmer Bloc

Isn't it beautiful...? :D

MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner - Popster

It's a coral color and looks scarily bright in the jar. However, on the lips it's a subtle stain. It can be more pigmented if you apply a lot.

Review on MM Mascara - Lash Expander Frame Plus

I didn't take a 'before' picture because I applied it in the morning but I'll probably do it some other time..

Pros:

Non-clumpy

Comb applicator makes application smoother

Holds the lash curl

Doesn't weigh lashes down

Doesn't smudge or smear

Doesn't feel crusty to touch

Cons:

Too many fibers on the applicator sometimes (can be easily fixed)

I still have to use my brush thing to make sure there are no clumps

Sometimes makes my bottom & top lashes to get stuck together when blinking

Sort of difficult to remove but not bad

I love this mascara! All other mascaras weigh my lashes down and never hold the curl (even if I use primer). Lashes have been curled in pictures below. Please excuse the dark circles, I've been sleeping at 2 AM lately.. -__-;

I tried to do swatches of the Jill Stuart Blush Palette but the colors came up too sheer to take a picture of! Any advice on how to swatch? Every time I try the colors are too sheer to show up on the pic...

Next week I have off for spring vacation so I'm leaving on Sunday to Boston and Amherst, MA to visit colleges. Does anyone have suggestions for shopping (cosmetic, fashion, etc.) areas to go? I'm looking for outlet malls but not sure if they are good in MA. Please leave some suggestions on where to go if possible! Thank you~

I Can't Decide... MAC or Laura Mercier?

^ Laura Mercier MAC Love Rock ^

I've been seeing MAC's Love Rock from the Grand Duo collection all over the place.. online, in magazines, and in stores. Also, bloggers like Fuzkittie and Mona from Make Me Blushhh are tempting me to get the Laura Mercier Gilded Garden shimmer bloc!! Hahaha, a very good temptation though...

I can't seem to decide which one to get between the two. I'm also worried if I should even bother getting any of them since I just won the auction on ebay for the Jill Stuart Blush Compact in Apricot 06 ($49.99 heh)!! I know the Jill Stuart palette is not as shimmery as the Laura Mercier shimmer bloc and the colors are a little pinker and brighter. MAC's Love Rock is highly pigmented according to various reviwers and most people love it or hate it. I guess I'll have to check out the store to find out which one is more suited for me, or skip out on a purchase altogether! I'm keen on ignoring the latter choice but I did spend some money lately.. T_T

Somehow the two blushes seem a bit similar in a way.. both pink and both have shimmery highlighter shades in them. LM's Gilded Garden is more separated, giving you the option to choose which color to use and the size is bigger. MAC's Love Rock has two sides, one is like "mineralized" and the other is pigmented blush. What do you guys think, which one should I get? Do you suggest skipping out because I got the Jill Stuart blush compact? I'm not sure if the colors are similar..

Anyway, I forgot to post my "fashion of the day" picture from two days ago.. So here it is. Excuse the bathroom background! I don't have a full size mirror except this.. hahaha -__-;

I think this is the first time I posted my full face picture. I was too scared to post anything because these days colleges and companies stalk people's facebooks and blogs to find out more information. I applied for a leadership program in my school and they are known to "research" facebook pics to see what kind of behavior you are exhibiting outside of school!

So, outfit stats:

Purple sweater - UNIQLO

T-shirt - JCREW

Jeans - Hudson (purchased 3 yrs ago at SAKS 5th Outlet)

I just bought the Jill Stuart blush on ebay (as I mentioned before) and the seller offered to get me anything else I wanted from Japan and I requested Majolica Majorca Lash Expander (the basic one.. nothing special). I've been wanting to get those two items ever since I saw them featured in the Japanese magazine CUTIE. The magazine often does "what's inside your bag" spreads and these two items always show up!! I couldn't resist so now I'll be receiving them in 4-5 days~ I can't wait! I will definitely do a post on the two items when I get them.

Makeup Removers Continued... TESTING TRIALS

Ok, I have taken pictures and tested the following makeup removers out! PHOTO HEAVY POST! I put on Maybelline Define-A-Lash Volume Mascara and MAC eyepencil kohl in Phone Number (only because the tip of my pencil broke so I used the little broken off bit).

In order: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Lancome Bi-Facil, Clinique Makeup Solvent Remover, Phythea Deep Cleansing Gel, DHC Soft Touch Cleansing Oil.

The cleansers and my arm with eyeliner and mascara in the middle (darker circle). The fifth blob of eyeliner is from my broken tip. Haha you can see my slippers in the 2nd pic... :)

All cleansers were applied, then rubbed around a bit, and tissued off.

FIRST TEST: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

SECOND TEST: Lancome Bi-Facil

THIRD TEST: Clinique Rinse Off Eye Makeup Solvent

FOURTH TEST: Phythea Skin Revive Deep Cleansing Gel

FIFTH TEST: DHC Soft Touch Cleansing Oil

I forgot to do the La Mer Cleansing Fluid test so here it is.

SIXTH TEST: La Mer Cleansing Fluid

The Final Results:

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil - Very good at removal and leaves skin moisturized. I think this has to be washed off for all of the mascara to be removed. I only used tissue in these tests.

Lancome Bi-Facil - Had better removal power than DHC by a fraction. Like DHC I think this should be washed with water to remove everything.

Clinique Rinse Off - Wow! I was shocked by this product. I didn't think it would get everything so well. It really dissolved the makeup. This isn't oil based so it removed everything without water.

Phythea Deep Cleansing Gel - I got this from my mom's friend and it's supposed to be this organic brand. I looked on the back of the bottle and the price is about 4500 yen. Pretty expensive! This didn't really remove much. I think it's ok... This probably needs water to totally remove everything.

DHC Soft Touch - The difference between this and the Deep Cleansing is that you can use this when your skin is wet. I'm not really sure if it works as well though. This was pretty good but I kind of cheated and rinsed with water.. hehe proves my point about oil-based cleansers needing water to totally remove makeup.

La Mer Cleansing Fluid - OMG! Great removal. This is an oil based cleanser and it has some pretty shimmery stuff in it (idk what it's for). I just put it on, rubbed it around, then it all came off with tissue! I am amazed :D This cleanser doesn't need water to remove makeup!

Final Verdict:

#1 - La Mer Cleansing Fluid

#2 - Clinique Rinse Off

#3 - Lancome Bi-Facil

#4 - DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

#5 - DHC Soft Touch - I cheated so the real result after tissuing was some black smearing.

#6 - Phythea Gel