ipsy Glam Bag Unboxing - July 2017

Hello lovely!

My ipsy bag took an extra month to arrive Hong Kong! This is almost the end of August. But later is always better than never! Here is my July 2017 ipsy glam bag unboxing.

The theme of this month is Over Easy. The makeup bag is soooooo cute. The character on the bag is the popular Sanrio character called Gudetama.

1. So Susan Blender Brush (Full size, US$18)

This is a cruelty-free brush for blush, powder, cream, highlighter and shadow. The brush is extremely soft and fluffy! I'm so happy to receive brushes from ipsy.

2. trèStiQue Mini Concealer Crayon in Porcelain (Mini size, ~US$10)

I have tried a lot of trèStiQue products these years since I have subscribed to ipsy. I must say this is one of the brand I like to receive in ipsy bag. Their products are usually high quality and travel friendly. Since the design of their products is the pencil form (like NudeStix), which makes touching-up very easily. Can't wait to use this product!

3. Pacifica Island Life Eyeshadow Palette (Sample size, ~US$10)

To be honest, Pacifica's products never appeals me as I've tried their lipsticks and they were absolute garbage (sorry!). I haven't opened this one yet since these colours are just too simple and I don't normally wear shimmery shadow. I am thinking of donating this palette.

4. Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Deep dive cleansing gel (Sample size, ~US$1.25)

By looking at the packaging, I AM IN LOVE! But this is way toooo small for a sample size product, right? It claims to remove waterproof makeup, like mascara and eyeliner. This is also a vegan and cruelty-free product. I'm excited for this one but I think I will use this up in record time. LOL.

5. Modicum Skin Care Essential Serum (Sample size, ~US$10.8)

When I first sae this product, I'm not sure what is the difference between a serum and a essential serum. This works as a moisturiser and eye cream, designed for dehydrated skin.

The total value of the bag is around USD 50 while ipsy bag is only costed $10/month.

If you're interested in subscribing ipsy glam bag, please use my referral link here so I can earn points for bonus items. It costs only USD$10 per month! Shipping is free in the U.S. and USD $4.95 for each bag shipped to Canada. 

Thank you so much for reading this unboxing / unbagging blog post.

Thanks for reading,

Erika xoxo

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June 2017 IPSY Glam Bag Unboxing

Hello gorgeous!

This is that time of the month - me reviewing the products I got from my ipsy bag!

The theme this month is Volume Up, which encourages woman to speak out and loud. Amazing!

As usual, there are 5 products in this pouch.

We can see some familiar brands, right?

1) Beauty For Real I-LINE 24-7 Eyeliner in Chocolate Fix (Full-size,  US$14)

Cruelty-free brand. Amazing! It does not require a sharpener to sharpen this up. A+.  I tried this on the back of my hand. It glides on smoothly and unexpectedly pigmented. Can't wait to try in on my waterline to see if it is waterproof.

2) NYX Whipped Lip & Cheek Soufflé in Pink Cloud (Full-size, US$6)

YAY FOR NYX. Another animal-friendly brand that I LIKE! This hot pink colour really doesn't suit my Asian skin tone TBH. But I may use it as a blush rather than lip cream. The applicator is the typical Doe-Foor wand.

3) City Color Cosmetics Simmer Shadow in Beach Cottage (Full-size, US$4.99)

After my research, City Color Cosmetic has been certified by PETA as Cruelty-Free company. I am surprised to see how pigmented this shadow is! It feels very creamy. The glitter is fine and no fall-outs. Impressed.

4) theBalm Cosmetics Balm Springs Blush ( 1g, ~US$3.74)

Another the Balm products in my ipsy bag. I mean, I like their products. But the size of these samples is not user-friendly at all. The colour is an universal colour for all skin tone. But it's not very pigmented. I did two swipes but the colour is still not very obvious.

5) skyn ICELAND Glacial Face Wash with White Willow Bark (20ml, US$4)

Haven't opened this yet. You know skincare products and makeups will expire, right? But I am positive with this product as I have heard many good things about this brand. Can't wait to try this one out!

The total value of the bag is USD 32.73 while ipsy bag is only costed $10/month.

If you're interested in subscribing ipsy glam bag, please use my referral link here so I can earn points for bonus items. It costs only USD$10 per month! Shipping is free in the U.S. and USD $4.95 for each bag shipped to Canada. 

Thank you so much for reading this unboxing / unbagging blog post.

Thanks for reading,

Erika xoxo

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Product review: Cosrx One Step Pimple Clear Pad

Hi beautifuls,

Korean beauty has been all the rage recently. Compared to western skincare products, Korean skincare products seem to match Hong Konger more. The price range is also lower for K-beauty.  Today, I'm gonna review a product that have been raved by a lot of YouTubers, COSRX One Step Pimple Clear Pad.

I got this pimple pad from a friend of mine who lives in Seoul, South Korea. Surprisingly, she hadn't heard about this brand before!

Let's take a look at the packaging. 

The signature red and white packaging. Sleek and simple.

This product is described to help to remove excess dirt and oil on the face and to purify clogged pores.

It also claimed to cleanse, exfoliate and treat breakouts.

BHA is one of the main chemicals to help exfoliate the skin.

Like other COSRX products, this is made in Korea. 

Each product contains 135ml, 70 pre-moistened pads.

At the very beginning, I used a whole pad every night to cleanse and prep the skin right before toner. 

However, I found it ran out super fast and a whole round cotton pad is too much for my face. Half of the pad had been wasted. So I cut them in half to save so money.

I can see a noticeable result after using this pimple pad. It is very effective in removing impurities on my face. I can see foundation residue on the cotton pad even after using makeup remover. 

Also, I found it help reducing breakouts as my skin has been in it stable stage after using this product. 

I am beyond satisfied with this amazing COSRX pimple pad.

Now iHerb carries COSRX products. Check them out and improve your skin!

Cosrx, One Step Pimple Clear Pad , 70 Pads, (135 ml)

http://www.iherb.com/pr/73893?code=RPC201

Hope you enjoy this little review!

Thanks for reading,

Erika xoxo

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May 2017 ipsy Glam bag Unboxing

Hello sweeties, 

Today I'm gonna share what I got in my May 2017 ipsy glam bag. I know I'm pretty late as I went for vacation last month and couldn't squeeze the time to write this blog.

The theme of this month is Summer Friday. We can totally see how the design of the bag matches with the theme. A clear pouch with ice-cream cones pattern on it. Adorable!

Let's see what I got inside the bag.

1️⃣ Urban decay afterglow powder highlighter in Sin

2️⃣ Starlooks pro luxe pen eyeliner

3️⃣ Hey honey Shea Butter & Propolis Lip Balm 

4️⃣ Jelly Pong Pong Supercharged eyeshadow duo 

5️⃣ Royal & Langnickel Precision Angled Brush 

First thing first:🔸All Cruelty-Free! 🔸

Amazing to see ipsy created a fully cruelty-free ipsy bag for me. Stepping up, huh, ipsy? 

1️⃣ Urban decay afterglow powder highlighter in Sin (2.4g ~ USD 9.6)

The highlighter is more on the natural side. This champagne coloured highlighter makes you look like you're glowing from within. However, if you have darker skin tone, it may not show up as much. 

2️⃣ Starlooks pro luxe pen eyeliner (Full-size product, 1.5g USD 19)

Haven't open it yet as eyeliner tends to dry quickly. But what's so special about this eyeliner is that there is a stamp on the other end of the liner, so you can create a perfect "star" without drawing one.

3️⃣ Hey honey Shea Butter & Propolis Lip Balm (8ml, ~ USD 7.4)

I have tried a lot of hey honey's products (thanks ipsy!). They all worked pretty well. This lip balm is claimed to be moisturising and antibacterial (oh?), which sounds very interesting. We will have to wait to see if it really does the job.

4️⃣ Jelly Pong Pong Supercharged eyeshadow duo (Full-size product, 2g USD 22.95)

I'm always amazed by the quality of jelly pong pong's products. And also, very thankful that they're cruelty-free and vegan. However, I'm sorry to say that this eyeshadow duo disappointed me as the amount of fall out are unacceptable. 

5️⃣ Royal & Langnickel Precision Angled Brush (Full-size, USD 5.99)

Lastly, we have a cute, cruelty-free, vegan full-size makeup brush. The domed, angled shape brush works perfectly for nose contouring and sweeping off excess powder. 

The total value of the bag is USD 64.94 while ipsy bag is only costed $10/month.

If you're interested in subscribing ipsy glam bag, please use my referral link here so I can earn points for bonus items. It costs only USD$10 per month! Shipping is free in the U.S. and USD $4.95 for each bag shipped to Canada. 

Thank you so much for reading this unboxing / unbagging blog post.

Love,

erika

Cruelty-Free Lipsticks for Summer

Hello sweeties!

I have committed to be a cruelty-free consumer since this Spring. I'm still in a transition stage to be a fully cruelty-free consumer but I find it hard to do as the limited options in the Hong Kong beauty market. 

Unlike the western countries, there is no legislation nor organisation in Hong Kong to certificate whether a product is cruelty-free or not. It is hard for us, the hongkonger, to shop locally. For me, my only way to buy creulty-free products is to buy online.

Based on my research, here are some cruelty-free lipsticks made by Western and Korean brands that I would recommend for this summer.

🔸Innisfree Real Fit Lipstick - 10 Elegant Lady Purple 

🔸NYX Butter Lipstick - Explosif

🔸BareMinerals Matte Liquid Lipcolor - SWAG

🔸ELF Cosmetic Moisturizing Lipstick - Ravishing Rose

These formulas are very comfortable to wear. Especially the NYX Butter Lipstick in Explosif, it is my all time favourite. Pink, mauve and nude are some of my stables. They probably can match every occasion. 

All of these brands have been certificated by PETA/ Leaping Bunnies / Kara. 

Thank you so much for reading. 

Erika, xoxo

Instagram: @thegeminihk / @erikayuen 

iHerb 迷你開箱 Mini Unboxing

Hello!

話說一月尾收到iHerb 的 email，內含一個5% off 的coupon code。

記起自己是時候買 Real Techniques 的 Miracle Sponge，加上iHerb有便宜又好用的 elf cosmetic 產品，所以就買了以下產品。

1. E.L.F. Cosmetics Eyeshadow Palette - Mad For Matte HKD$78.35

Elf Eyeshadow Palette - Mad For Matte

一直都想買盒全Matte的眼影盤

見它的評價不錯，已經價錢優惠，便買來試試。

粉質都很幼滑，但實際效果要再試試！

2. Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman, Miracle Complexion Sponges, 4 Pack HKD$119.91

3. E.L.F. Cosmetics, Studio Lip Exfoliator HKD$23.51

回購品 Elf Lip Exfoliator

已經買過3-4支

適合洗澡後用，磨走唇部死皮。

4. E.L.F. Cosmetics, HD Lifting Concealer HKD$23.51

Elf HD Lifting Concealer - Fair

Fair是最淺的顏色

但網上分享指這顏色算深色

試上手感覺很輕 不會很厚

顏色像 Light to Medium

順豐運費：HKD$23.51

優惠卷折扣(5%off) ：- HKD $38.79

合共：$229.97

（2), (3) 都是回購產品，另外兩件elf產品都是看過YouTubers介紹才買的！好用的話會再跟大家分享。

iHerb.com 除了有化妝品賣之外，亦有護膚品、補充品和健康零食！使用順豐速遞到講只需3-5天，非常方便！

網站： http://hk.m.iherb.com/?rcode=RPC201

thanks for reading!
erika xoxo

ipsy Glam Bag Unboxing - December 2016

Hi all! Happy New Year!

Today I'm gonna share what I got in my December ipsy glam bag. It took an extra long time to arrive Hong Kong because of the holiday season.

The theme of this month was carpe p.m. (obviously from the word "carpe diem"). Seize the nights, maybe?

This glam bag consists of 5 products as usual. One full size product and 4 sample size products. I'm not a huge fan of the design of this month's bag, but it looks festive.

1. Nip + Fab Gycolic Fix Serum 20 ml (USD $9.96 / HKD $80)

This serum is an overnight serum which consists 4% glycolic acid. It helps to retexture the appearance of skin by smoothing the fine lines and wrinkles.  I haven't tried this yet but it sounds effective. I'm definitely gonna give it a try.

2. MintPear Beauty Blending Sponge 0.02 oz (Full size) (USD $20 / HKD $158)

So excited to receive another sponge from ipsy. I've received 3 different sponges so far and they all work well. And this looks exactly like the original beauty blender! What a great deal to receive it in my $10 ipsy bag!

3. Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Face Primer 3ml (USD $4.4 / HKD $35)

This primer is my holy grail and stable product in my makeup routine. I like this very much as it does help filling the large pores around the nose and cheek area. And it helps my foundation to last longer. However, I'm quite disappointed to see this included in my glam bag as I have a few more samples accumulated. Also, I'm trying to wane off this product as Benefit is not a cruelty-free brand.

4. City Color Cosmetics Be matte Blush in Fresh Melon, Blackberry, and Guava (2.35g each) (USD $3.16 / HKD $25)

This little blush palette is what I'm most excited for. It has a matte pinky coral color, a sheen mauve color and a matte nude color.

L to R: Guava, Blackberry, Fresh Melon

The texture of these blushes impressed me a lot. They are smooth and slightly creamy. So excited to use them on my face. It would be such a nice experience.

It's also my first time encountered City Color Cosmetics' product. They are cruelty-free brand and their products are affordable. I may purchase more of their products in the future.

5. Tarte Cosmetics tartesist ™Glossy Lip Paint in wcw 1ml (USD $3.3 / HKD $27)

Honestly, I don't usually use lip glosses as I hate the stickiness of them. However, this Tarte lip gloss impressed me as it's not very glossy. It's more like a satin finished liquid lipstick. The color is amazing. 

To sum up, this ipsy glam bag valued for USD $40.82 / HKD $322. Always a huge deal for makeup lovers like us. 

I wouldn't say this is my favourite ipsy bag that I've received, but it is really good of them to included both Tarte and Benefit products in my bag.

If you're interested in subscribing ipsy glam bag, please use my referral link here so I can earn points for bonus items. It costs only USD$10 per month! Shipping is free in the U.S. and USD $4.95 for each bag shipped to Canada. 

Thank you so much for reading this unboxing / unbagging blog post.

Love,

erika