So it was my birthday a few weeks ago… and you know, the older you are, the less significant birthdays become.. or is it that I’m trying to ignore the fact that I’m aging… well, whichever the case, I’m realizing the importance of skincare, especially the prevention part of it.. there are some things in life that are just better when prevented sooner than later… it just takes a lot more effort, money, pain, etc. later on in life. Such is skin… and although I would like to think that I began earlier than the average people, I struggle with these uninvited guests on my face… who just appeared out of nowhere and apparently have no plans to leave now. ugh. I’ll cover skincare in another post but today, I wanted to share some of the makeup things I use on a daily basis.

I had always struggled with skin makeup probably because I was never able to find something that had everything I wanted and needed: coverage, no flaking, long lasting, non oily but glowy, color matching, covers my pores, etc. You know what I’m talking about. I guess I never really liked the idea of wearing foundation on my face… I mean, I’m no professional after all; however I was exposed to the world of Korean makeup secrets at a rather young age when I started modeling and entering pageants in my late teens… yeah, fun times. lol. If I got anything out of the experience, it was the makeup tips I got from Korean makeup artists who obviously were far ahead of everyone else, seeing where Korean beauty is now. Ever since I was really young, I was intrigued by the way Koreans did their makeup in the magazines and on TV- probably because we share similar features and I had a very strong desire to look better than I did with my glasses-wearing, acne prone face at the time (Yes, I had a pretty sad childhood). Oh, and how could I not mention hair- I had the ugliest haircut from my all-girls school days in Korea and when I was finally able to grow it out, I realized it was not straight which came as a complete shock, ’cause what Asian girl does not have gorgeous, shiny, straight hair?!???! Well, this girl definitely didn’t, and it kept getting poofy without my permission every morning which made me question my ethnicity from time to time. It turns out it’s always been bahn-ggop-sseul (half curly), which can be great if you like wavy hair but extremely, extremely frustrating if you want straight hair. Anyhow, I digress.. So back to makeup.. So for the face, on normal days, I resort to my BB cream / CC cream combo because I most likely end up at the gym which works perfectly for the occasion. And when I go out, I use the following:

Sulwhasoo Evenfair Perfecting Cushion, 21 Medium Pink, 4 Ounce

I don’t know how familiar you are with the idea, but the cushion has been a popular go-to skin cover item in Korea for years now, and although I kind of accidentally discovered it through a friend who gifted it to me which turned out to be amazing, I didn’t realize there were inferior quality cushions as well until I came across another one by a different Korean company (i.e. Ohui). Disappointed, I vowed to never use cushions again until I gave Sulwhasoo another try recently. So yes, this one has amazing coverage, doesn’t melt over time, if you get the right color, it brightens your skin overall as well which is great- I understand it can be overwhelming at first because it may make you look like a porcelain doll but that’s the whole point! It’s supposed to be dewy and make you look like you just walked out of an esthetic boutique in Gangnam.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (Creme Brûlée)

After the cushion, I have no choice but to use concealer because of these spots that developed over the years… when I was in Korea, I was able to get them treated regularly but things just get so much more expensive in the States when it comes to skincare so I spend a lot of time researching great concealers. The Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer is by far the best I’ve used i many ways, but I mostly love the texture and the color variation it offers. I realized I need to go one shade lighter but if you are able to find the right color, this is it. I’m not sure if I’d use it for under eye circles, however, because that’s entirely another story.

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Microfinish Pressed Powder -6.2g/0.21oz by MAKEUP FOREVER

So this powder… I use to set the skin makeup… and I’ve been using it forever.. I honestly don’t even know when I first started using it. There was a time in between when I cheated and tried the similar translucent one by Laura Mercier only to get it broken into thousand pieces not long after. Ideally, you should use the loose powder (MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Microfinish Powder 4g/0.14oz) because it probably mattifies better (is that a word? you get the point), but I just like how travel-friendly it is (not that I carry it all the time).

Anastasia Beverly Hills – Brow Wiz – Ebony 0.085 g / 0.003 Oz.

Oh yeah.. can we talk about this product. So the first thing I noticed was that it was made in Korea. Actually, I first learned about it in some kind of fashion magazine where it listed all the things editors use or something which is obviously very credible (note sarcasm) when I was looking for a new way to do brows as my eyebrow microblading started fading. And I love that it’s really super thin and the color is on point- Ebony seems to be somewhere in between dark brown and dark grey. and there’s no caking which happens a lot with cheaper products when layered.. but darn the price hurts. it definitely hurts, and because it’s so thin, you gotta use a lot of product to get the shape you want… and secondly, the spoolie brush that comes with it.. while it’s great, it breaks easily. I had to get my first one exchanged because I found it broken in my purse. And just two days ago, my other one broke as well while just sitting in my purse. So yeah, if you are getting it, never carry this stuff with you.

SEACRET Non-Smudge Mascara

The mascara.. I have the very average Asian lashes.. and I’ve tried a lot of things to make them look fuller, longer, voluminous, whatever… While I do like the extensions, I’m too clumsy to take care of them.. I end up with 3 lashes within a week. I do like the Dior Show, especially how it thickens my barely-there lashes so that I actually look like I have eyes… but it smudges even with a waterproof product. I also own Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara 0.27 Ounce Full Sizein waterproof… same issue. ugh. so I tried this one as it’s actually called a “Non-Smudge” mascara.. I mean, it better be, if that’s what it’s called, right? And yes, it does what it says it does! Hooray! You have to be quite diligent with application but it also does thicken the lashes maybe not to the extent that the Dior or Too Faced does, but it does’t flake or smudge throughout the day. The application is very clean as the brush itself is smaller than the others. Also, it’s Paraben-free!

KYLIE Moon Lip Kit

My wonderful former colleague gifted me a bunch of lip products by Kylie Cosmetics. Now, I rarely wear lip products because I hate the way my lips get scaly.. and I never liked lip gloss because it’s so sticky my hair always ends up sticking to my lips and the lip product ends up being on my cheeks.. that’s literally how the day gets ruined, isn’t it? And I also don’t like getting my lipstick on the things I drink out of, the coffee cups, water bottles, whatever. but for some reason, the one product called Koko by Kylie .. specifically in the color Bunny does an amazing job of providing opaque, lasting color that dries matte. I never imagined myself wearing a mauve colored lipstick but this one actually looks quite good for some reason that I might actually repurchase. They don’t seem to offer the same product individually for some reason.. but the Moon Lip Kit seems somewhat similar? hmm..

Well, I hope that helped a bit! I want to continue writing to provide content that’s helpful for you. Suggestions are welcome! Have a wonderful day!

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