Mini BEAUTY Holiday Gift Guide

Holidays are upon us, decorations are either being put up or already up, people are likely blasting the holiday music playlists on their Spotify. This Christmas will be a different one from previous years as we are social distancing and only allowed to see family members within the household, Christmas parties won’t be as crowded as they usually are but I’m sure some of us are still buying gifts for our loved ones either mailing it or dropping it off to them. I’m sure most of us already know how challenging it can be shopping for some of our friends or family members. I wanted to do a cute little beauty gift guide for your family and friends. This is a budget-friendly one so it most certainly won’t break the bank.

YARDLEY Fragrances

These come in a beautiful range of scents to choose from. I know fragrance preferences can very subjective but I can assure you – there is a good range for you to select from. I only have 3 here to share with you today but YARDLEY does offer body sprays and fragrance mists. These beautiful perfumes are Eau De Toilette, Eau De Toilette means that the fragrance inside will be much more concentrated than your traditional fragrance mist, body mist and Eau De Parfum.

Here are the descriptions for each Fragrance:

All of these fragrances contain 90% naturally derived ingredients and a vegetable derived alcohol base. Cruelty Free and suitable for vegans.

Lavender

A beautifully fresh, light, elegant fragrance with top notes of bergamot and clary sage with a heart of calming English Lavender subtly combining notes of eucalyptus, geranium, jasmine, chamomile and violet, enhanced with deeper, warm base noes of wood, vanilla and patchouli.

ENGLISH ROSE

A refreshing, light floral fragrance with sparkling citrus and rose top notes and a heart subtly combining rose bud, magnolia, violet and cassis with warm woody notes, whilst patchouli and musks add velvety tones to the base.

LILY OF THE VALLEY

A light, feminine white floral fragrance with fruit pear accords in the top note and a beautiful floral bouquet heart that blends lily of the valley and freesia, enhanced with a pretty, musky base.

These are available on their official website are currently on sale  £9.99 | $ 17 CAD, which is really affordable because you get 125ml of product for a really affordable price. Eau De Toilette fragrances are usually more expensive as the concentration is more potent and has a powerful longevity. Fragrances are often very expensive and marked up but I found these reasonably priced. You also can find their products at Shoppers Drug Mart.

You can find this beautiful set at Well.ca | Shoppers Drug Mart | London Drugs | Their Official Website.

Makeup tools, brushes and sponges will never go out of style or trend because a lot of us use these to apply on our makeup. These Real Technique Sparkle-On-The-Go brushes and sponge set is perfect for not only travelling but they don’t accumulate too much space and the brush handles can stand on their own. Growing up, I’ve used Real Technique sponges and I can confidently say that they’re just as good as beauty blenders. Real Technique sponges have soft and beautiful synthetic bristles. I really like the design for these and how compact they are. I think they would make an excellent gift for any makeup lover – beginner or intermediate, these will be loved.

That’s it for now, friends. Stay tuned until next time.

HOW TO: Facial Oil

I’ve seen a lot of people on the gram and youtube apply facial oil in different ways and I find the methods I’m about to share may or may not work for you but these methods have been working for me for years. I first got into facial oils about 4 years and the very first oil I owned was the Fresh seabuckthorn and it was nice but I don’t think you should spend that much on a facial oil. Currently, I’ve been using the Beigic regenerating oil a ton and have been absolutely adoring it.

Technique #1: Warming it upon your hands

With clean hands, apply 2-3 droplets of the oil onto your hand and massage it until the product warms up and breakdown then gently pat the product through the face. I truly believe this allows better skin absorption rather than just taking the dropper and pouring the oil throughout the face.

Technique #2: Glowy skin foundation

This method will help you fake the appearance of glowy, radiant skin. If you have dry skin, fear not – this method may help you replicate the appearance of glowy skin without applying enormous amounts of products to achieve it. You can either use technique #1 and apply the foundation afterward or you can mix the facial oils with the foundation. I like to do 25% facial oil and 75% foundation or you can do half and half, depending on how sheer you want your foundation to appear. When doing this method, be sure to gently blot the face to reduce the appearance of excess oil – that way, you can preserve the foundation’s pigment.

Technique #3: Oils with actives

I like to apply vitamin C based oils on my face prior to applying moisturizer just because I prefer that method and I believe the active ingredients are likely to be delivered into my skin a lot easier. With a lot of trial and error, I believe this method works best for me. Feel free to share what works for you! I’m always so intrigued to hear how people apply their skincare steps and when.

My First 2020 Beauty Wishlist

Happy 2020, darlings! 2019 was a rocky year but for the most part, a very lifechanging year, I almost want to call it the “turning point” year. I hope you all are having a fantastic start to your 2020, wishing you endless love, luck, positivity and prosperity. May 2020 be an incredible year for us. Now, without a further or do, let’s hop into my wishlist and why I may be interested in these products. I know I’ve released quite a few anti-hauls but how about things I want to try out and purchase.

MILK GLOW OILS

I have a fascination towards MILK products simply because of the vibrant colours and compact sizes make them so attractive and travel-friendly. I’ve already tried a handful of their products and I’ve enjoyed a lot of them from the cannabis mask, eye patches, kush mascara, holographic and highlighter sticks. They have a lot of amazing products. The product I’ve been dying to try but wanting to clear out my existing blush collection is their glow oils. These are antioxidant-rich tinted oils that can be used on your lips and cheeks for that gentle pop of colour and sheen. As much as I adore opaque, bold makeup for parties, I love the minimal, simple everyday look because it’s so easy to achieve and looks effortless! The shades I want are Astro, glimmer and halo.

Available: Here

RMS LIVING LUMINIZER 

If you haven’t heard of RMS Beauty before they are a clean beauty option and they’ve been around for quite a long time now. There are a few products I am interested in their range however the one that stands out most to me is their living luminizer. This product is formulated with biuriti, jojoba and coconut oil. It’s specifically to enhance skin’s overall look without being sticky, greasy or glittery, it has this soft reflective quality to it. The only thing that turns me away from this product is the price, this is 50 CDN, which is insane if you ask me. I’ve spent a lot of highlighters but for shimmery ones and brands that I am familiar with. I haven’t tried anything from this brand before which makes me kind of nervous to drop 50 on the spot.

Available: Here

REPLICA FRAGRANCES

I’ve always been curious about these fragrances. Every time I’m at the perfume aisle at Sephora, I’m always ripping through the Marc Jacobs, D&G, Fresh section but I always forget to smell the Replica Fragrances. That, or I’ve smelled far too many fragrances and my nose is stuffed with a bunch of different notes. My local Sephora doesn’t have any coffee beans besides the fragrance shelves. They really should consider adding those because it helps clear your nose palate so you can smell new scents without the previous scents interfering with the new ones. The one I am most curious about from their range is The Fireplace one. It’s ironic that I’m curious about this one as I don’t really like a lot warm scents but this is a warm + spicy scent. The only warm scent I like is the coco cabana fragrance from the Sol De Janeiro. It’s also really popular in the beauty community and pretty much everyone I’ve spoken to about this product really enjoys it. I also believe that fragrance preference is an extremely subjective thing so it’s best for me to go out and actually smell it prior to purchasing it because let’s be real here, perfumes are not cheap so it’s smart to know what you like prior to purchasing it.

Available: Here

GLOW RECIPE BANANA SOUFFLE MOISTURE CREAM

I really like Glow Recipe products especially the Watermelon facial mist, avocado sleeping mask and the watermelon moisturizer. Their prices are kinda steep for what they are but I guess a lot of it has to do with the glass packaging because their packaging is definitely not cheap looking an I appreciate the thought and creativity they put into creating these fruity, ice-cube like products. This cream is formulated with banana and magnesium, these ingredients can promote skin healing, hydration to calm and balance sensitive skin. There’s also a beautiful blend of ingredients such as Centella Asiatica, chia, and turmeric, this lightweight moisturizer resets and replenishes skin for a healthy-looking glow.

Available: Here

Well, that’s it for now, my darlings! I’ll see you in the new post. Have yourself a wonderful day and enjoy the rest of your week!

 

 

 

 

[REVIEW] ANGEL LOOKA SOFT WHIPPED CREAM BODY RECIPE

Happy New Year’s Eve, friends! I’ve been off the web for a while and just been posting queued posts on Instagram. I hope you all are doing well and had a wonderful holidays.

Body care is crucial, I don’t think I ever taken it seriously until recently early in 2019. My skin has significantly gotten a lot drier throughout the years so it’s best to care for it. You guys know how much I adore cute themed cosmetics and could never say no to them even if I tried. Elena from My Precious Cosmetics is the store owner for this beautiful K-beauty online boutique, she’s such a sweet person and offers incredible service. For those of you who speak Spanish, there is an option on the website to read everything in Spanish. There’s a nice range of indie K-Beauty brands to choose from Gaston, NOHJ, The Oozoo, Barangsori, Angel Looka, and Fraijour. I did a review on the Gaston Cushion a while back and honestly, it’s still one of my favourite cushion products I use. The Oozoo is another familiar brand I’ve used in the past and I really enjoyed their injection + bear aurora masks.

My thoughts

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how adorable these creams are? The details of the packaging are so fun and colourful. The lid looks like an ice cream shape appearance to it and the tube has a cute illustration of an ice cream cone. I own a lot of cute products but I don’t think I have anything like this. I have products that smell and look like dessert but this is a whole new level of cuteness. I’m really picky with body creams because I don’t like sticky consistencies or too thick because it’s hard to apply and break the product down in the skin so I prefer body products that are more water-like gel/jelly, lightweight feeling on the skin.

Overall

• Texture: 5/5 – It has a milky whipped gel consistency and it blends so nicely into the skin, it’s almost like you don’t need to put so much effort into it applying the product in. It’s very moisturizing and does not feel sticky on the skin.  If you’re someone who doesn’t like body butter and thick textures, this is the perfect product for you because it’s so lightweight on the skin, you almost feel like it’s not even on your skin. There’s no pilling, residue from these and almost have a “balm-like” finish to them, which is so cool because it starts off a gel then transforms into this moisturizing balm.
• Scent: 5/5 – The scents are really nice and light smelling, you won’t get a headache from smelling these because they’re lightly fragranced and they all smell like fruity desserts.
• Price: 4/5 – For 150g of product, $17.66 is pretty affordable because there’s so much product in here! I think it would take me 3 months to finish one tube or maybe even longer. It’s a fun and cute product and I think it would an excellent gift for yourself or your loved ones who enjoy cute skincare products.
• Performance: 5/5 – It works nicely and it’s definitely an effective product and doesn’t just only look nice.
• Packaging: 5/5 – How can you say no to this? This is so cute and makes a fantastic gift for you and your loved ones. Christmas may have past, however, there are always birthdays and  Valentine’s day is right by the corner too! Share this with your sweethearts in your life.
• Overall: 5/5 – I really appreciate the thought and effort they put into this cream. I personally am really attracted to cute packaging and I love how they made skincare fun and exciting to look at and use. Everytime I see these on my desk, I smile because they’re adorable.

Available here: Strawberry Milk | Blueberry Milk | Grape Milk

USE CODE: SALES-2020 for % off your purchase

More info on the brand: Angellooka Official Website | Angelooka KR

I do not make any commissions for any of products you decide to purchase from her website, I just wanted to support her business because I think she has a fantastic thing going on and I really recommend you to check her out and have a look at what her shop has to offer. All opinions stated are my own.

 

[REVIEW] LANEIGE LIP SLEEPING MASK

If you haven’t heard about this product or even seen once in your life, you’re most certainly living under a rock; This is an extremely popular item and favored by many for very good reason it is. It comes in a good range of scents and can be used whenever. Notice the name is lip sleeping mask rather than lip treatment or care, that’s because this was formulated to intensively moisturize and aid your lips overnight. I, on the other hand, use this pretty much all day, every day. Don’t be fooled by the size of the tub, this will last you at least a year with continuous use so don’t start hoarding these because they do go bad like any other cosmetic/skincare product.

Claims

• Lip Sleeping Mask has a softening balm texture that closely adheres to lips for quick absorption. Enriched with vitamin C and antioxidants, its Berry Mix Complex™ offers a nutritiously sweet and fragrant blend of raspberry, strawberry, cranberry, and blueberry extracts to indulge the senses. Its exclusive Moisture Wrap™ technology boasts hyaluronic acid and minerals to form a protective film over the lips to lock in moisture and active ingredients. A generous layer of this soothing mask at bedtime helps reduce flakiness so you can wake up to lips that feel refreshed, supple, and soft to the touch.
• Moisture Wrap™ Technology: Features a mineral network of moisture-rich beta-glucan to form an eight-hour time-release moisturizing layer over the skin; seals in active ingredients and mineral water.
• Berry Mix Complex™: Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants from a nutritious blend of raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, goji berries, and blueberries to soothe and soften, revealing smooth, supple lips.

Full List Of Ingredients

Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phytosteryl / Isostearyl / Cetyl / Stearyl / Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Polybutene, Microcrystalline Wax / Cera Microcristallina / Cire Microcristalline, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Synthetic Wax, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax / Candelilla Cera / Cire de Candelilla, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Butylene / Ethylene / Styrene Copolymer, Ethylene / Propylene / Styrene Copolymer, Mica (CI 77019), Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Dimethicone, Fragrance / Parfum, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Methicone, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax / Cera Carnauba / Cire de Carnauba, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Red 6 (CI 15850), Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Water, Potassium Alginate, Propanediol, Glycerin, Alcohol, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis (Strawberry) Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Sapindus Mukorossi Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Extract, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Magnesium Sulfate, Calcium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Glucan, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Ascorbyl Glucoside.

How to use:

With a clean disposable spatula/applicator or q-tip, get a dot size amount of product and apply on lips evenly. Apply product in small, thin layers and layer on more as needed.

My Thoughts & Ramblings

I’m sure most of us know how important lip care is, there were a time and place where I didn’t believe in it. In fact, I hated the feeling of lip products coming in contact on my lips; Lipsticks, lipgloss, lip stains, treatments, you name it. Roughly 4 winters ago, that was when things took a big turn and it really opened my eyes to care for my lips a lot more. I had a really bad case of dried, cracked lips and it was to the point where I was pretty much bleeding. Lip care is crucial, my friends and we have to care for them as we do for our skin, hair and etc.

I discovered this product by watching a lot of youtube videos and I purchased my first one at Sephora. Please don’t buy k-beauty products from Sephora unless you have no access to purchasing things online because they have very marked-up prices and you can find Laneige products elsewhere online for a fraction of their price. I’ll be listing the places where you can purchase this at the bottom of this post. Anyway, back onto how this helped me. I had one of the worst cases of bleeding lips and you can physically see the skin of lips peeling, no product I put ontop could conceal this. I used this sleeping mask continuously for 2 whole days and let me tell you, how much of a huge difference it made for my lips. Firstly, my lips started to recover and gradually look better than before and I love how lightweight this formula is on the lips. You don’t need to slather a thick layer of this for it to work, you can apply thin layers and it glides on the lips effortlessly.

Overall

• Texture: 5/5 – Comfortable to wear and during the application, it feels like the product melts right into the lips. The texture is a really smooth, buttery, rich balm consistency.
• Scent: 5/5 – I’ve only tried the berry, green apple + lime, and mint chocolate(limited edition) and I must say, my favourite scent has to be the apple+lime one. I enjoyed all the scents I own however, I find myself reaching for the apple+lime one a ton.
• Price: 5/5 – The price is so affordable on Yesstyle and eBay, I don’t understand why Sephora’s pricing is ridiculously high. Nonetheless, there is a lot of product inside so you do get the bang for your buck.
• Performance: 5/5 – Amazing! I have zero complaints about this. It’s super effective and recovered my damaged lips. It’s actually my holy grail lip product that I cannot live without; I bring this everywhere with me – to work, going out, sleepovers and etc. It’s a staple product of mine.
• Packaging: 5/5 – It’s really cute, I love the frosted plastic packaging – it gives the product that expensive appearance to it and it’s super easy to use. Each of these, do come with an applicator, however, I keep misplacing mine for whatever reason so I use a fresh q-tip every time I use this.
• Overall: 5/5 – What are you waiting for? If you don’t own this already, hop on it. This is a lip savior and works amazing. I’ve never tried a lip balm or treatment that is anything like this. I’m very pleased with this product and happy to see many enjoy it as much as I do. I’ll help you out by sharing some affordable and reliable websites you can buy this from. I repeat, do not buy this at Sephora unless you want to pay double the price for this because it’s $24 CAD at Sephora while you can get this at Yesstyle for only $16.74 CAD and you can get % off your purchase if you use my code DORKIE1.

Available on: eBay (Cheapest) |Jolse | StyleKorean | Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

STYLEVANA |Affordable K-Beauty Shop

The holidays are right by the corner and I know how stressful it is finding the perfect gift for your loved one. Fear not, I’m always here to lend a helping hand during a stressful time. StyleVana teamed up with me in perfect timing before the holidays and were kind enough to send over 3 beautiful skincare products to share with you all and you just might be interested in picking these up for yourself or loved ones. Let’s hop into it!

Who is StyleVana?

There are so many online shops and it can get really overwhelming finding the perfect shop that provides timely shipping, quality customer service and also affordable prices; StyleVana is guaranteed to provide you excellent service every time. They are based in Hong Kong and ship all parcels through DHL. StyleVana sells a wide range of beauty and skincare products from Taiwanese, Japanese and even Korean beauty. Their deals are incredible and probably one of the cheapest I’ve seen so far. Did you know they also sell clothes and accessories as well?

Shipping details – How fast is shipping, customs and etc.

I can only speak from my experience and my package got to me within a week, which is amazing because if anyone who lives in Canada, knows how difficult and slow Canadian customs can be with packages but they got to be quite fast. I was charged by Canadian customs for shipping and handling fees and StyleVana stepped in to reimburse my fees, which was very kind of them to do so. Also, I want to put it out there that they reimburse all orders that have custom fees however, you must send them a copy of your invoice as proof in order for you to get reimbursed so don’t throw away the invoice! Most companies won’t honor this so it’s fantastic to see that StyleVana truly cares about their customers and continues to provide excellent customer service.

In a hurry? They do offer express shipping via DHL for $10, this offer is only for the US only and is only available until December 19th.

Products I chose…

Cosrx Centella Cream 

This product is small but mighty, starting off the product showcase is the classic Cosrx Centella cream; this is a cult favourite product and for a very good reason. This cream is hydrating and creates a protective barrier to the skin while delivering active ingredients to promote and repair skin from irritation and blemishes. This formulated with Centella Asiatic Leaf Water for maximum hydration while calming down the skin. This product is suitable for all skin types and even, sensitive skin types because of how mild and gentle it is.  I specifically use this as a spot treatment throughout the face and I would use this continuously for a week and I will start to see results within the first 2 days of continuous use. This cream is an excellent product for those who have stubborn, inflamed breakouts that pimple patches cannot clear up on its own. The price may vary where you purchase this cream but StyleVana has by far the cheapest price I’ve seen so far. It’s currently only $14.69.
Available here

Tonymoly The Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Cream

So there are several variations to this cream – there’s this one which is formulated for normal-combination skin types, the intense cream (dry) and gel cream (oily). This cream is formulated with pure fermented green tea extract, which is rich in antioxidants, it also provides intense hydration without being sticky or too heavy on the skin. There is over 63% of fermented green tea extract which allows the skin to retain moisture for long periods of time by forming a thin hydrating layer on dry skin. This moisturizer contains a fermented Korean green tea called ‘ChungTaeJeon’. This green tea has fermented through sunlight for over a year. This cream is made with quality ingredients to ensure maximized hydration to the skin. It’s currently only $10.59 on StyleVana.
Available here

Annie’s Way Hyaluronic Acid

Want to know the secret to a brighter complexion and having a spa-like experience? Boy, wouldn’t you like to know! Aside from using vitamin C based products to brighten the skin because it can be too strong for the skin, a great and effective alternative to that is treating your skin to a jelly mask! This mask is from the Taiwanese brand called “Annie’s Way” and has been around for over a decade now. It’s a very popular item in Asia for a good reason because of it’s lightweight, cooling gel mask texture and how relaxing it is to have on. Unlike some wash off masks that can be messy, this is mess and hassle-free. You only need a small amount of this slathered on the face and it works wonderfully. This mask is able to moisturize, firm skin while improving the appearance of the skin’s overall appearance and cleanses pores.
Available here

Buy More, Save More

If you buy 2+ more items, you will get an additional 2% off of your purchase.
If you buy 4+ more items, you will get an addition 4% off of your purchase.
If you buy 10+ more items, you will get an addition 12% off of your purchase.

Pretty much you buy more, you save more and they’re really generous with their discounts too.

If you’re shopping at StyleVana, please use my code DORK20 for a discount on your purchase. It will help you out to scoring a fantastic deal+save and also support me. Once again, thank you StyleVana for collaborating with me.

This post is an AD and I make a small commission every sale if you use my code on their website. All proceeds will help me out for my blog & Instagram to keep it running for me to continue to create content for you. I appreciate all of your support and cheers to Holiday Season! May 2020 be a wonderful and productive year for us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last-Minute Holiday Gift Shopping Guide

So Christmas is right by the corner, have you already done your holiday shopping or not yet? No worries! I’m here to help with that and today, I will sharing with some awesome beauty products and gadgets you can give to your loved ones. Ready? Let’s get into it! I have a lot of Amazon recommendations and you’ll be able to snag these goodies using prime delivery. When it comes to gifts, I always like to find thoughtful and cool gifts where I know that a person does not have but interested in trying/owning it. Remember, it’s not the value you put into the gift but more of the thought and love.

Cool Gadgets

Facial Steamer

Alright, so this first item is more of a “luxury” item but you can gift this to yourself this or a loved one. It’s not expensive nor necessary but it is a nice addition to your beauty routine. A facial steamer can unclog and clean pores, enhances blood circulation, assists to remove skin toxins and has therapeutic qualities. No need to go out of your way to get the brand name facial steamers, those ones range from 200 to 300 bucks and they’re definitely not an item you should use every single day. Facial steaming can only be used once or twice a week, if you steam your face too often you will likely breakout from it because you’re opening your pores every time you steam your face so keep that in mind. The one I shared on amazon is available for prime delivery and also an affordable option compared to the Panasonic ones.

This one I shared has a good rating, comes in two different colours and it also comes with a FREE pimple extraction kit. I would use this carefully because you could potentially irritate and also damage your skin if these tools are used incorrectly. Please use the pimple extraction tool kit with caution and be gentle to your skin.

Available on: Amazon (Prime)

Smart LED Bulb compatible with WiFi, Google Home & Phone 

Technology is the future, my friends. If you have a smartphone and WiFi, you are set and you can pretty much customize your home for your liking and convenience. These light bulbs make incredible gifts because they are multi-colour, powerful and bright while you have the ability to control them using your phone or even google home. If you don’t know what google home is, you’re living under a rock. Pretty much everyone I know has one and they come in handy because with the command “hey google or OK, google” she is able to search up whatever you’re looking for, set an alarm/reminder, play music and you can even ask what’s the weather like for the week.

Available on: Amazon (Prime)

Stocking Stuffers (Budget-Friendly, Affordable Options)

Key chain covers

I’m sure all of us own our own pair of keys and we all know how annoying it can be when it comes to finding the right key to open our door, mailbox and etc. These key covers are so helpful because you’ll be able to differentiate from them. I’ve used these for years now and they’re so handy because you’ll know exactly which key is for what. They have these in cute designs and also plain coloured ones.

Available on: Amazon (Cute one) | Amazon (Plain)

 

Anything from Colourpop

I think they’re a really good makeup brand to start at if whether you’re a makeup noobie, someone on a budget or just appreciates makeup because their prices are quite unbeatable and super affordable. I think foundation and concealer can be tricky to buy for a family or friend because getting that accurate match is not always achievable so instead, I would recommend you to get their pan eyeshadow palettes, super shock single eyeshadows, coloured mascaras/eyeliners and even the fourth ray skincare line. They have a TON of affordable options for you try from so don’t feel so limited to only getting these that I listed.

Available on: Colourpop

Mini sets – beauty or skincare

These are fantastic gifts because you don’t have to commit to the full size and there’s usually a big variety to try out. Pretty much every beauty company makes mini size products for trial/travel reasons so you’re bound to find an amazing set for a reasonable price. Check out your local drugstore or even check your favourite beauty store websites to see if whether they have any or fantastic holiday discount deals.

I hope these options helped you out, I thought these were some fantastic choices for you, your friends or even your family. Please let me know if you’re interested in seeing more of these gift guides because this was really fun to put together. 🙂

CYBER MONDAY GIFT GUIDE

Black Friday may have just past by but that doesn’t mean the party is over. Who wants to really go to physical stores and have to fight over the best deals when you can buy everything at home? That’s right, at home! Which means there will be a ton of deals online right now. Here are some products I think that would make great gifts and usually, during Black Fridays, there will be sitewide and store sales or specific door/site crasher deals; it really varies by store but hopefully you can snag these for a good deal.

Colourpop Super Shock Shadows

These gems are so affordable as is but they can be even cheaper during their sales. Who doesn’t love a good bargain? I most certainly do. They come in a wide range of finishes from mattes to shimmers to glitters and even duo-chrome shades. I like how their products are extremely reasonable prices and sometimes even perform better than actual drugstore quality. If you’re interested in purchasing these or any colourpop, fourth ray or sol body product, definitely head over to their website right now because they have a 30% off sitewide deal. Click here!

 

 

Laneige Cream Skin Refiner (or the mist, or both)

This bad boy has an amazing reputation because it has to be one of the most revolutionary products in K-beauty history. It’s essentially a toner that transforms into a liquid moisturizer. If you’re interested in hearing my full thoughts on this, please check my review here to see why it’s worth the hype and why it’s so good.

Available here: eBay (best price) | Yesstyle

 

 

Nails INC Polishes

I think these would make amazing gifts for anyone who loves to paint their nails. I would honestly like to say that these are salon-quality kind of polishes because they don’t chip as easily and long-lasting. I’ve been using their nail polishes for many, many years and have really enjoyed them. They too, also come in different finishes where you can have glittery/shimmer, matte or duo-chrome finishes. The prices are pretty reasonable and I use the detachable silver cap allows my finger to rest as I apply the polish on for that finger. They often have duo sets for an amazing deal so you can always share a polish with a friend or keep it for yourself. I think these would be an amazing stock stuffer for anyone who loves high-quality nail polish. These are available at Sephora.

LANEIGE Kiss Me All Day Set

These LANEIGE glowy lip balms make incredible stocking stuffers for Christmas, birthday gifts and etc because who can’t live without lip products? They are essentials and a really nice unisex gift. This set comes in the berry, pear and peach scent so a good variety of different scents. You can pretty much find these at a lot of online shops.

I hope these picks have helped you a bit in finding a nice gift for your loved ones or yourself! Please feel free to comment below what sort of content you would like to see from me and if you haven’t already, follow me on Instagram and check out my daily uploads.

Available here: Sephora

Well, that’s it for now, friends! Til next time. I hope these suggestions allowed you to find some awesome gifts for this holiday season and share them with your loved ones.

 

[COMPARISON] GLOSSIER CLOUD PAINT & CANMAKE CREAM BLUSH

As much as I love powder blushes, I really like that dewy skin appearance and I definitely can achieve that with cream blushes because they create that fresh, glowy appearance to the skin; which I absolutely adore!

Could these be dupes? Keep reading to find out!

CANMAKE

CANMAKE is a very well known Japanese brand and it originated from Japan. CANMAKE is well-known for its classic cream blushes. They also do offer other products such as pressed powder, lip care products and foundation, however, they’re not as popular as their blushes. They offer powder blushes that have a few highlight pieces in them to create that illuminating effect to the cheeks.

Glossier

Glossier is more of a newer company, they were found in 2014 and they are originated in US. They also claim that their products are hypoallergenic, paraben-free, cruelty-free and vegan. This is likely to attract a big audience because there are a lot of people who are into clean, green beauty. I also find a lot of Glossier’s fans are people who strive for that natural skin appearance. Glossier makes a lot of great, sheer products that create that “my skin but better” kind of look.

Although both of the brands were from different origins, I do see the similarities in them with minimalistic packaging and branding. They don’t have to put so much effort creating flashy, bold packaging to get fans, they already have trusted fans because they’ve proven themselves and they continue to be successful.

CANMAKE CREAM BLUSHES

I personally find these blushes one of the best user-friendly blushes in the market. I’m not crazy about the cheap-looking packaging however, I really do love the product inside and also, you can see the colour on the outside of the packaging where you don’t have to flip over the product to see its name/open it to see what shade it is because you will come across that issue with MAC blush compact packaging. The only drawback I really see for some users is that it isn’t very hygienic because you’re dipping your fingers back and forth to apply on the product to your cheeks. These are pretty easily accessible online from eBay, Amazon, YesStyle and etc.

Available here: Amazon | Yesstyle | eBay

GLOSSIER CLOUD PAINT

These are awesome but I don’t find they’re very user-friendly simply because it may be hard to control getting the perfect amount product out. I find myself accidentally squeezing out more product out than I really need to. There is a colour for everyone in their range, which is fantastic and I am excited to see any upcoming shades they release in the near future because these are well-known, popular products and it would definitely spark interest to a lot of people. The packaging for this is a lot more hygienic because you can squeeze out the product without directly touching it every time. These aren’t easily accessible and not available for some countries in the world. The only place I know where you can buy these is from their official website.

Available here: Glossier

Verdict

Glossier cloud paints are a gel creamy consistency while the Canmake cream blushes are a gel, lightweight balm consistency. They’re comparable in a sense of finish, similar textures and how they layer on the skin. The longevity for these two is about the same and they’re long-wearing as well on the skin. I find these kinds of consistencies are best for those who have dry, normal and combo skin. As for the oilier babes, I would definitely set this if you want it to be long-wearing on the skin. The colours that Canmake offers are reds, corals and some rosy tones. As for Glossier, there is a nice range of colours to choose from however some would disagree and say it’s limited. I do believe Glossier cloud paints are not very forgiving for application and require you to apply little amounts at a time.

I would say their price points are quite similar, however, you get a lot more product in the CANMAKE cream blushes and you have easier control because for how forgiving they are and they apply in very light watercolor-like layers to the skin.

I think it really depends on what you’re looking for in a cream blush and if whether you would like to want something in a pot container or squeeze tube. I would recommend you to look up swatches and the colours they offer to get a better idea which is more fitting for your tastes and skin tone. I have a post for glossier cloud paint swatches so click here to see how the colours looked blended out. For me, if I had to really choose – I would probably go for the CANMAKE one simply because how easy it is to find online and they come in a lot of colours to experiment with and I like how easy it is to work with them.