BeautyBlog67-Skin Care 101

Hey Lovelies!

Part 2 of Beauty 101 coming right at ya! Sorry for the delay! Here are my go to skin care products + a bit more!

Disclaimer: I have oily combination skin so the majority of these products are targeted my skin type! I do however, try to give other suggestions.

As you may know, if you've been following my blog for a while, I simply love my Cetaphil cleanser. I raved about it several times! (My skin care routine and Five Fab Favorites) It's great for any kind of skin - it doesn't really lather but it cleanses really well! You can find this at CVS 7-9 dollars. Enough for several months and I'm never going back to Clinique soap!

BTW: Before using my Cetaphil, I always remove my make up with a baby wipe so the soap can really cleanse the skin! The trick to perfect skin without make-up break outs!

I also love LUSH! (Shout-out to AC for introducing me to this amazing brand) So if you're able to get your hands on anything LUSH then be sure to check out their face products! I love Dark Angels but it's for oily skin only - check out Angels on bare skin or any of the other amazing body/bath products like bath boms, bath melts and soaps! Makes bath time fun and luxurious;)

You can order LUSH products from the UK to DK from this website lush.co.uk

These are some other YouTube hyped products I've either tried out or is dying to try out!

Purity Made Simple Cleanser - I think it's like Cetaphil (the expensive 20 dollar version) but I still wanna try it out to see what all the fuss is about! It can only be bought at Sephora or Ulta in the U.S.

Since I have a special fondness for all things Ole Henriksen I have also been eyeing his Three Little Wonders kit but it is 70 dollars in the U.S. and probably outrageously expensive in Denmark! I don't understand why Danes cannot buy Ole's products from his U.S. online store! BTW: I used to loooove his little green lip balm - retails for around 15 dollars.

Another YouTube hyped favorite is the Fresh Soy Cleanser, which I really wanna give a try. Normally, foam cleansers are not great for my skin but it has improved and loads of people say it's the bomb... Additionally, their Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment is getting a lot of attention on blogs and YouTube.

Always wanted to try Kiehl's. I've heard many good things about their shampoos, their lip balms and of course their Creme De Corps. Did any of you try any of their products? Please let me know if I should give it a chance!?

I've dreamt of getting the Clarisonic Mia ever since I first saw it reviewed on YouTube. I've been using the Neutrogena Wave cleanser (check out my review here) but it broke and now I'm saving up for a CM - but 200 dollars...!?

For facial moisturizer I use my beloved Laniege skin care products. AND I still swear by the Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion for extra moisture. I am also in love with the Clinique All About Eyes creme! Give it a try. You will love it!

However, here are a few drug store face lotions I've heard a lot of good things about:

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Face Lotion SPF 15
Clean and Clear Finishes Pore Perfecting Moisturizer
Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer Spf 30

Drugstore must have face-scrubs/masks/suggestions!

Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask - again check out my mini review - it's a must have...! 3 dollars. Think you may be able to find it online on ebay or so.

St. Ives Blemish And Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub - if this is too harsh for your skin then try the one for sensitive skin! I love this products but have been using my Dark Angels instead, since my St. Ives ran out!

Clean and Clear products! Used them back in 2001 and found them too teenage-like but when I got back on the wagon in 2008 they had improved and have a lot of great affordable products. Very much a cheaper version of Neutrogena products now also sold in Denmark! I got a face scrub from Føtex. Recently I was sent the MORNING BURST® In-Shower Facial by a wonderful friend in the U.S. and I can really recommend this if you can get your hands on it

Last but not least I love the Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips - great for removing black/white heads!

So that was it for my skin care 101

Hope you liked it!

Any questions or comments are very very welcome - just leave them below!

xoxo
msbeautyblogger

BeautyBlog60-Korean Skin Care Laníege

Hi Lovelies,

In Korea I found the most amazing skin care line. I had done a bit of research before I left for Korea but I had no idea just HOW big skin care is in Korea.

Skin - clean, perfect and white! - is big in Korea. Walking around Myoeng-Dong - one of the best shopping areas in Seoul - every other store is a skin care store. Some of the biggest brands are The Face Shop, Skin Food, It's Skin, Nature Republic, Etude House and so many others.

All of them sell loads of stuff - make up, body lotions and so many skin care products! Face masks in numerous versions. I got several different kinds and I will go through all of that and the make up I got in a future post.

This post is dedicated to my new skin care system: Laneíge - "Snow" in French. Clear skin is the number 1 thing in Korea. Actually, the name snow is not a coincidence. A lot of the skin care products in Korea contain whitening stuff! White clear skin is IN in Korea. For me being tan is nice and staying out of the sun feels unnatural, however Korean women don't like the sun. They love sunscreen, sun hats, umbrellas and the shade! It's scary to see how many things contain whitening - even Nivea body lotion. But I guess it's like us Westernes loving the sun, self tanner, sun tanning beds (ewwwww) and just lazing around under the sun to get that sun-kissed tan.

Well, back to Laniegé. The skin care line is pretty high end compared to a lot of the other Korean skin care products. I spent around 100 US dollars on my basic products but it was so worth it!

Read more about the line here: www.laniege.com

The spokes person for Laneige is the hugely popular actress Song Hye Kyo.





I mean if I can get to look like her, then I'm hooked! :)

I got two products from the Basic Care line:

The Laneige Power Essential Skin Refiner Light (Combination Oily Skin) is my new toner. It is very light and has the most amazing scent. It has a soft flowery scent and leaves my skin feeling soft and clean.



I also got the Laneige Balancing Emulsion Light Lotion. The light weight formula with purifying and hydro balancing care leaves my skin feeling refresh and clear.



I use those two and my Clinique Dramatically Moisturizer in the morning.

At night I add one more step from the Water Bank line between the toner and emulsion:

The Water Bank Essence, which is a long-lasting moisture essence for smooth and clear skin texture! The essence is a deep functioning version.



Since I began this routine almost two weeks ago my skin has become a lot more hydrated. Also I wake up in the morning and my skin feels the same as it did when I had just washed and cleansed it.

I was so fortunate to be given a lot of Laneíge products as gifts, so I have loads of refills now and I will also be trying out the:

Water Bank Gel Cream, which is a gel-type moisture cream that soothes the skin with a cool, invigorating texture!



I was also given the Water Sleeping Pack_EX, which is a light gel-type texture provides intensive hydration, vitality, and brightening effect while restoring skin with deep relaxation. I have yet to try this but you basically apply it in a thin layer - it dries and you sleep with it. It is supposed to give a lot of moisture and work with the skin during the night. I can't wait to try this.



I also wanted to try the much talked about Laneige Strawberry Yoghurt Peeling Gel is a cellulose and enzyme peeling gel, which gently removes dead cell and impurities brining back clear and soft skin. I have yet to try this out as well but I will let you know what I think about it!



I also got the popular Laneige new UV protecting Sliding Pact, which lightly sildes and fits on my skin, effectively absorbing excess sebum to portray longlasting powdery skin. It mattifies my skin and has the nicest clean scent. I love it. I got it in Medium Beige.





I am so exited about my new products. The last year or so, ever since I definitively said goodbye to the Clinique soap and toner, I've been looking for a series to fit my skin. This works amazingly and it does not dry or irritate my skin. And the products not too expensive. The toner and lotion are around 25 US dollars each - the essence and the other things are more expensive though.

Hope you enjoyed this!

xoxo
msbeautyblogger

(photos: laneige.com, cherryxblossoms.files.wordpress.com)

BeautyBlog58-Summer plans

Hi my lovelies,

This will be a more random blog post about my upcoming summer plans, a bit of a haul and potential Summer shopping!

So I will be going to Rome, Italy and Seoul, South Korea. And I am tons exited about both places!

In Rome I want to hit the Sephora (my favorite make up store) at the big mall by the Roma Termini train station and Via Del Corsa shopping street. I want a new foundation - preferably MUFE Mat Velvet or HD. I've also been eyeing the NARS Sheer Matte. So I will have to go and check out what works best on my skin. Any suggestions?





I'm so exited about visiting Rome, since I've never been to Italy before. I'll be hitting the must-sees and get to work on a nice summer tan!

As soon as I return from Rome, I'll be travelling to Seoul, South Korea for two weeks. I will be travelling around the country a bit - I'm adopted from Korea - and I'll be staying several days in the capital city, Seoul. Other than sightseeing the beautiful sights and country side, I'll definitely do a bit of shopping. Seoul is known for their 24/7 shopping possibilities. I'll be staying in one of the main shopping areas: Myong-dong:) I'll also visit Dongdaemun. It has 26 shopping malls situated over 10 blocks, 30,000 speciality shops, and 50,000 manufacturers so I'm sure I'll find some nice things to bring back home:)

Of things I've been eyeing are the Laneige skin care series. A Korean brand, not sold in Denmark. It's a bit expensive but supposed to be amazing. Check out mungchungtoo's youtube video on the Laneige Renew skin care line.



Check out
I also want to buy some colored contacts. Check out my previous blog post on colored contacts, here.
Last but not least, Seoul has a Forever21 - a favorite store of mine, where I can get loads of stylish clothes at a low price. I'm hoping the Zara at the M-Plaza mall is also cheaper than in Denmark. I am looking for a nice tan colored trench coat, and I've seen a very Burberry like one in Zara.

I bought a couple of beauty related things lately.

I had a friend, thanks Heidi:), bring me home a bottle of my favorite YSL Perfume Parisienne and lip butter from Korres in Jasmin. I love them both!




Hope you're all enjoying your summer!

Please remember to leave me a comment below;)

xoxo
msbeautyblogger

(Photos: Sephora.com, bp.blogspot.com)