Kinerase Clear Skin Regulating Mask $56 Review

I got to try a sample of this a while back but never got around to posting a review. So here it is!

The Kinerase Clear Skin Regulating Mask ($56 for 2.8 oz) is a clay mask that treats acne-prone skin. It contains botanical extracts that draw out extra sebum and soothe the skin to minimize break outs. The mask is applied for only 5 minutes once a week and regular use will improve blemishes and conditions of acne-prone skin.

The Verdict: A-
The sample size I had only allowed me to use the mask once but I could feel immediate changes. All traces of oil and sebum were absorbed by the mask and some of my older acne scars were diminished and less discolored.

Even though I loved the results of the mask, it's meant for oilier skin than mine. I had to slather on moisturizer in order to rehydrate the skin on my cheeks/temples but for my T-zone this mask worked wonderfully.

I really am not doing justice to how impressed I was by this mask. Just go try a sample from Nordstrom and you'll see what I mean :)

PlePle Wrap Pencil Case $16

I'm a hobby generalist. I'm interested in a bunch of different things but I never devote my full passion on any one. One of my many obsessions is stationary. I dunno why but I think it has something to do with being Asian - how nerdy right? Well it's ok because I don't take it overboard (remember I'm only a generalist :)

One of my favorite sites to surf for stationary is at JetPens. They've got pens galore. Pens you've never heard of. Pens you've never seen. And more pens than you could imagine uses for or where to store! It's hard not to covet some of them - trust me it's hard. They've also got beautiful and stylish writing pads and some very innovative pencil cases.



I would like to introduce the PlePle Wrap Pencil Case. I originally bought it to store pens because it made me feel artsy.



But then I discovered it's even better used as a brush roll. Tada!


I mean seriously! It's so different than the typical black MA brush satchel and I personally think it's cuter. I usually keep my brushes in an empty candle jar on the counter but this wrap case works great for transporting brushes.

The outside of the case is made of a thin suede and it feels leather-like. The inside is felt-lined with a polka dot pattern and the felt has a corduroy texture to it. There are also 3 sectioned slots for holding pens....er brushes.



The Verdict: A+
As I mentioned before, I like to use this for travel since the flap on the top of the case protects the bristles from getting frayed and tugged. The length of the case comfortably fits most full-size brushes.

Since it's actually meant for pens not brushes it's hard to fit brushes with different sized handles in the same slot. If you put a fat handled brush in the same slot as skinny handled brushes, they won't lay flat and will start to roll around.

Also the slots can only fit about 2-3 brushes each. If you've got a large collection of brushes, you may have to get 2 cases to fit all the brushes. I only have a small collection of brushes and only a few that I use on a regular basis. So for me this is just the right size for travel.

P.S. If I had a reason to get a 2nd wrap pencil case...I'm eyeing this one.

NARS Bridal Palette $65 Review

I know this NARS Bridal Palette (aka Makeup Artist Palette 9945) has been out there forever but I kinda forgot about it and then re-discovered it a couple of weeks ago.

At the end of next week I'm heading to sunny Malibu to celebrate the wedding of a good friend and I wanted a simple all-in-one makeup kit. I found this to be practical for travel since I won't have to fiddle around with a bunch of little tubes of lipstick or separate little eye and cheek compacts. O and did I mention the HUGE mirror on this baby? It's gonna make on-the-go touch-ups easy peasy!

I love that this palette includes 9 of the best-selling NARS shades in neutral colors that would flatter any skin tone....but especially mine :) Below are some close-up pics of the compact.

Eye Quad

Neutral but versatile shades for the eyes that can go with any outfit or occasion. I could keep my eyes simple or do a smoky eye by adding some eyeliner and mascara.

Cheeks

I love Orgasm! It's always my go-to blush so having it in the compact just makes packing simpler for me. Albatross is a highlighting shade and complements Orgasm really well. I'm not real big on highlighters but I'm liking how the 2 shades pair up.

Lip Quad

Again neutral colors but I found them to be very hydrating and easy to apply with a lip brush.

The Verdict: B+
I don't really have any complaints about the NARS Bridal Palette. I know some may say the shades aren't colorful enough but I knew what I was getting myself into and I'm a happy camper. But I do have 1 complaint...

Shipping Experience
I ordered this directly from NARS as it's no longer available anywhere else. It was shipped super fast (under 3 days) but the packing quality was disappointing. I have this thing where I gently shake packages to see how "secure" they are. This was NOT secure at all - I could hear and feel the THUD-THUD as the compact rolled around and landed on the opposite side of the box. When I opened the box the palette was wrapped in some tissue paper but there was no cushioning to fill-in the empty space! I braced myself for the worst. I crossed my fingers and opened the cover of the palette hoping I wouldn't fine the mirror or any of the quads cracked. Well, I got myself worked up over nothing. Everything was fine and in one piece. A little dusty, but fine.


See? Everyone's alright :)

LUSH Tea Tree Toner Tab Review

I went to the salon and on the way back I tried to resist the sweet alluring smells wafting out of LUSH but I failed slightly. I say slightly because I only caved to 2 items: some toner tabs and a hair treatment tub. The other 2 are samples that the kind SA threw in :) I'll review all of these as I use them but for now I'll only be reviewing my spotlight item: LUSH Tea Tree Toner Tabs!


LUSH has 4 different types of toner tabs to address different skin conditions. I got the Tea Tree Toner Tabs to help soothe acne prone skin. They're $1.50 each (yikes!) or $7.95 for 6 tabs (smaller yikes!).

To use these, first boil a pot of water. Once the water has boiled, remove the water from the heat and drop in one of the tabs. Then place a towel over your head and let the tea tree steam seep into your skin. When the tab fizzles out the steaming is complete! Just pat skin dry and then finish with a moisturizer. The SA recommended allowing the tea tree water to cool and then pouring it into a spray bottle and to use it as a toner. I loved his idea for turning the tab into a multi-use product!



I have to admit 1 tab per pot of water seems rather wasteful to me. So I used this with my Conair Facial Steamer in my pre-masking ritual. I let the facial steamer heat up and then I just shaved off a about 1/4 of one toner tab into the water basin.

The Verdict: A
I know some people find the scent of Tea Tree oil to be quite pungent but I actually don't mind it. When I used it with my steamer I found the scent to be relaxing and spa-like. I'm not so sure about the effect of this for my skin though. My skin was all clammy after steaming so it was hard to gauge the benefits of incorporating the toner tab. However I'm confident all the antioxidants and tea tree oil goodness were busy working behind the scenes to beautify my skin :)

Reason for MIA

I know it seems I fell out of the blogosphere but I had to take a break from the blog to tend to some personal issues. My granny has not been doing too well in her battle with liver cancer recently. She was going strong for 10 years but recently the cancer has been unwieldy. She's still fired up and she's not about to go down without a good fight or two or three - but that's just how my granny is. She's got spunk. Sorry for the abrupt absence but I'll be returning to the Land of Blog shortly :)

Swarovski USB Robots $180

Look at this bling I've been gazing at all day! They're USB Charms from Swarovski and Philips. I want one so bad but I just can't justify forking over 180 bucks for only 2GB worth of space. They're so darn cute and their little LED ears light up when data is being transferred.

Naughty Raymond


Happy Laura


Dreamy Tina (My fave!)

Clarisonic Plus Malfunction :(

Over the past couple of months I've noticed the number of uses I can get between charges has been steadily decreasing. I thought it was just my imagination and kept using it. I got really suspicious when a couple of days ago I was only able to get 2 uses (2 min each) before the Clarisonic ran out of charge.

After letting my Clarisonic charge a full 24 hours yesterday and I couldn't even get it to turn on. It just keeps beeping at me wanting to be charged. WTF?!?!?! I've combed the web and haven't found any mention of other users with charging problems.

I guess I'm at the mercy of the Clarisonic customer service reps. Wish me luck!

Kinerase C8 Peptide Intensive Treatment $98 Review

Description stolen from Sephora's website:
In a clinical study, Kinerase's revolutionary SNAP-8 neuropeptide was shown to reduce the appearance of wrinkles by 34.9% in 28 days. The added benefits of vitamin C, Kinetin, and green tea form a powerhouse antioxidant complex to provide the ultimate protective and restorative complexion treatment.

I tried this last March at Nordstom on my right hand and the results were immediate! All the little fine lines on the back of my hand were smoothed out and my pores were diminished too. So although I really really wanted to buy the stuff on the spot - I pulled in the reins and restrained myself. O and when I asked the SA to show me this product, she mentioned that my skin was too young to be concerned with wrinkles - I was so flattered! BUT unfortunately she was wrong.

I notice that when I crinkle my forehead, the lines that form take longer to disappear now then before. I took this as a sign that I need to take immediate action. I finally got some of this stuff during a Sephora promotion for 15% off and I've been testing this out to see the results.

The Verdict: B-
I apply this every night underneath my moisturizer on my forehead and neck area. I was tempted to just apply to half my forehead and half my neck so I could see the results and compare but I who wants to have half a wrinkly face? So I talked myself outta that terrible idea.

The consistency of this is a similar to a lotion. There is no greasy or oily feel and it's very fast absorbing. There is a very faint fragrance to it but I can't pinpoint what it is.

I've been using this for about 2 months now and I haven't been seeing the results I'd hope for. Although there was an immediate change in the first week of use, after that initial week I stopped noticing any changes. The changes themselves weren't as dramatic as I'd hoped (or witnessed on my hand) but the wrinkles I saw before were diminished a bit. The lines on my neck are much more diminished than the ones on my forehead. I would re-purchase for use on my neck but I need to look to another product for the baby lines on my forehead. I think this is most effective on deeper set wrinkles and mature skin.

Anticipating Shu Uemura's Tokyo Kamon Girls Collection

I got this teaser in my email yesterday about the upcoming Shu Uemura collection!

The Shu Uemura Powers collaborated with manga artist Moyoco Anno to design the limited edition Tokyo Kamon Girls Collection.


This is Moyoco herself - Isn't she lovely? I love her kimono! The colors and patterns are sooo gorgeous! Reminds me of origami paper.


The main focus of this collection are the Shu Cleansing Oils packaged with the Tokyo Kamon Girls motif. Each bottle is 450ml and represents an individual Kamon Girl with her own personality and an accompanying mini-story. From top to bottom:

TAMAKI(orange)
High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil
Strong willed and energetic, she has straight long hair and a fringe that is reminiscent of traditional images of Japanese female beauty. She lives in a luxurious mansion in one of Tokyo's most exclusive residential areas, Den-en-Chofu.

SAKURAKO(pink)
High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil Fresh
She is a blossom of charm and purity. She sits in Tokyo's Ueno Park on her way back from her frend's wedding dressed in her best kimono and enjoying the stylish springtime tradition of viewing bursts of cherry blossoms at night. Moyocco Anno designed her to encapsulate all that is cute.

MATSUNO(green)
Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O
Reserved and elegant, she represents the subtle power of this design. A mature Japanese woman, she adores nature but is shy.

KATSURA(purple)
White Recovery EX+ Brightening Cleansing Oil
A coquettish women with side parted hair, she is flirtatious and is intent on stealing hearts from inside the kamon. She is mysterious and alluring.

TSURUHA(golden bottle)
High Performance Cleansing Oil Advanced Formula
A serene girl with bobbed hair, she represents happiness and fulfillment. She sparkles as she drifts through the streets of Tokyo attending a Kabuki performance with her mother and enjoying an afternoon of shopping in the Ginza district.


Personally, I could care less how these are packaged. The brush set and the train case are what I'm really looking forward to in this collection - Scroll down to take a peek!



I love the brushes themselves but I'm not feeling the color on the outside of the case or the lining on the inside. Now if they had designed the case with the lotus/gold foil look on the background of the teaser email and if they had lined it with the magenta-accent on Moyoco's kimono - I'd be drooling all over it.



What a beautiful train case~ I'm so addicted to them but it's so hard for me to commit to purchasing one. I'm always let down either by the look of the case, the construction quality, or how the shelves are on the inside. O and how could I forget the price. Train cases are hella-expensive!

I'm not feeling the way the shelves are only on 1-side of this train and I'm on the fence about the overall look of the case. I love the white on the outside - no problem with that, but white again on the inside? I wish there was more color. More color! Again I'm gonna have to see this baby in person.

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