Sparkled Beauty

Happened to catch a BOGO sale at the Etude House store while on vacation, so I grabbed 2 bottles from the Real Art cleansing oil range
- Mild cleansing oil (calming & refreshing, green packaging with orange accent)
- Moisture cleansing oil (moist & deep cleansing, yellow packaging with purple accent).

Yes, you can tell I have not had enough of cleansing oils and cleansing waters from the Tony Moly bunch yesterday :) What they do works for me, so I get my hands on as many brands as I can.

The Mild cleansing oil is said to be infused with Green Tea Seed Oil and Chamomile.

The packaging is classic and practical - rectangle plastic bottle with a simple cap (and a seal at the neck). The pump comes separately in the box, including a clip to avoid spillage, for situations where you already have the pump on the bottle before travelling. Double protection :)

This one is gentle on the skin, great for those days I need to calm those breakouts. The texture is similar to Tony Moly - lighter than regular cleansing oils, emulsifies well and takes time to wash off. Again, for that great clean and soft feeling after, it is worth it.

The only noticeable difference between the 2 brands is probably the scent, both very light and refreshing but have different notes - this one is on the floral side, maybe lavender.

Ingredients: C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 85, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Trioleate, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Fragrance.

The Moisture cleansing oil, on the other hand, has Coconut Oil, Grape Seed Oil and Apricot Kennel Oil.

For the dry condition on my skin after the flight back, I reached for this version a little more often. All it takes is one pump, this bottle will last me a while :) There is still small traces of makeup left on the cotton pad when I go over my skin with a toner after, but I don't mind.

The scent is not significantly different from the Mild version above, maybe a bit coconut-y. It is so subtle that I can't really tell.

Ingredients (a longer list than that of the Mild cleansing oil): Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Triethylhexanoin, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Peg-8 Isostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isostearic Acid, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, etc.

You definitely do not need both bottles at once. They are 6.25oz/ 185ml, over $30 each regularly (tax in, more pricy that Tony Moly's without a BOGO deal) vs. $16.60 on Etude House US site (before tax). There is also a Perfect cleansing oil with a gel serum texture, meant for heavy makeup wearers, slightly more expensive.

The little thing on my shopping list when I get home was sheet masks, as I don't have access to many and they are so popular here. Etude House seems to have the best selections, so I went and hauled a few things to try.

Etude House has a mask for almost each and every part of your body lol - from face to elbow, feet or just a pimple on the face. Pretty neat!

What I got:
- I Need You mask in Tea Tree (from the Alphabet line - they have a mask with main ingredients started by every letter in the Alphabet), about $2
- Essence mask in Hyaluronic acid, $2
- Princess 3D mask in Ginseng (3D means these masks cover it all from the forehead all the way down the base of the neck), $2.80
- AC Clinic Intense mask (from the acne care line), $3.70.

I was very excited to see Etude House put their single masks in boxes of 20's, with a format like a wipe pack, for about $16.

At the moment, there are only 3 types:
- Aloe & Hyaluronic acid (soothing and hydrating), pictured
- Pearl & Vitamin C (brightening), and
- Royal Jelly & Collagen (anti-aging) - I think I'll go back for this one.

So far I have used 3 of the Aloe masks and I am liking them. Not sure if it's the hot weather but they dry up after about 20 minutes on, shorter time frame than other face masks I tried in Canada. I store the box in the fridge so it is a refreshing and cooling experience every time :)

Etude House seems to have other 20-pack boxes with masks from the Skin Essence line in Red Ginseng & Collagen or Yeast & Vitamin C but not here yet.

This next item is not beauty (or mask) related, but is too cute not to share.

We went to get a customized pillow made for Squirt and they had some plus hand warmer pillows out for about $9 each. Minion (renamed Bananaaaa by Squirt) came home with us. He's perfect, only missing a few strands of hair at the top of his head lol.

Here is Squirt modeling him for me. She has an intense tan for being at the beach every day for a week straight. Benefit of a vacation I guess. Me, I haven't made it to the beach yet but have had so much good food that I gained 2 pounds already lol.

Makeup here is either dirt cheap with no-name brands or overpriced (L'Oreal, Revlon, Bourjois, etc.). Only Maybelline remains a drugstore brand but selections are really really sad. Don't think I'll buy anything other than masks.

Online shopping wise, I has been outrageously good - passed all Black Friday/ Cyber Monday sales except 2 Alex cabinets from IKEA free ship offer. Only yesterday I shopped Cult Nails' warehouse sale, with a pending Sephora haul to use my VIB Rouge $20 off. Did you get anything good lately?

Happy Friday, everyone. I got back to Canada yesterday, thought it was about time to come back to the blog. A friend told me she missed my hauls, so here is a haul post for you all.

During the 4 weeks at home, I basically bought no makeup at all, as the price was not any better than here, plus there was hardly any sales. Within the last few days there though, I kinda wanted some nail polish from Asian brands that I don't have access here, so I went out and got a few. Please note that almost all Asian nail polish have numbers as names. Also, the prices I paid in local currency were already included tax, hence so are the converted prices in CAD.

First batch, in the top left and right are 2 shades from a brand I don't know (Diana Manicure), shade 1317 and 1913, both have shimmers, 12ml. These were given to me by a friend, so I don't know the price.

Top row, in the middle are the regular Missha in small size (6ml), a bit more than CAD2 a piece. From L-R: WN02, BR03, PP01 and KH02.

Bottom row, on the left are also from Missha but from the Lucid line, bigger size (7.5ml), almost CAD4: BK01, BL03 and VL04. On the right are 2 shades from Etude House: 42 and BL009, CAD4 each.

Missha and Etude House have stores scattered around the city but stock was quite limited compared to what the mother companies offer, which was a shame. These 2 brands have been known in the nail polish community for some unique shades that should be more widely available.

Another brand that I was looking forward to haul was Tony Moly. Unfortunately, the famous Galaxy glitters were not available here, so I only got some shades from their regular line. Top row, from L-R: WT01, PP03, TR05 and PP02, 10ml, CAD2 each. The brand name is printed on the top of the lid, so you can't see it in the pic.

And finally, the Face Shop, from 3 different lines based on bottle designs. First group on the left, from L-R: GR501, BL603 and GL112, 11ml, CAD2.50 each. The bottle with white cap in the middle is OR204, a bit over CAD2. And the 2 on the right are from the "FACE it" line, also are the most unique (and more expensive, CAD6 each): BK901 (looks like a multi-chrome in the bottle) and a purple holo shade given to me with the name sticker already came off, so I can't say what shade it is. There is another line called "FACE it Repair", the most expensive with nail treatment included in the formula, CAD9.50 a piece but I didn't want any.

The nail polish market there has a lot of potential but I feel like brand awareness is quite low. I was glad to find a few shades representing the brands I wanted to try out but wish they had more to offer.

Hope everyone is close to be ready for the holidays. I did a bit of shopping yesterday but was still jetlagged, didn't really enjoy it. Hoping for better on Boxing Day :)

I'm back home from Toronto and back on the blog too. Sorry for not posting during the last 4 days. I was without internet at the hotel room, and then was out and about most of the weekend. But I have some fun things to post today :-)

As you might have known, Rexall Pharma Plus is having 50% off sale on all nail polish and nail treatments starting last Saturday, I certainly couldn't miss it. The items in the pic were accumulated from a few different Rexall's during my "treasure hunt" with some lovely friends.

First row, from L-R: Del Sol Ruby Slipper (from a small display of about 5-6 shades, wish they had more, CAD5.49 after discount), Sally Hansen Complete Salon in Commander in Chic, Gray by Gray, Fairy Teal, Purple Pulse (CAD3.99) and Del Sol Pretty in Pink.

Second row: Revlon Grape Icy, Peach Smoothie (Scent of Summer collection) and No Shrinking Violet (CAD2.75 each), Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Steel Grey and Marine Blue (CAD2.49).

These are basic popular shades from each brand, I always wanted to get them but couldn't bring myself to pay full price. Half price? I could do, lol. There wasn't any great deal on makeup, so I didn't get any.

My free time in Toronto wasn't all about shopping though. I was very lucky to meet up with a few Toronto bloggers, and my best friend from uni. We talked, we ate (Indian, Korean, Vietnamese food, sushi, dim sum, omg), we drank (bubble tea, milkshakes, Frappucino, martinis, etc.) and we talked some more. We even had a haircut together, lol. Time seemed to pass by too quickly when I was with them. Love you, my dear friends!

And look what they gifted me, out of kindness. I was so touched, didn't know what to say except thanking them.

First row: Etude House Mini Heel Pedicure 02, Borghese Rome Scarlet C, NYC Frightful Fingers in Phant-asmic and OPI Jade is the New Black.

Second row: Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Admiral Blue and Emerald Green, Sally Hansen No Chip in Endless Claret, Sally Hansen Star Opal in Crystal Opal and a pink Sally Hansen Nail Prisms.

I am over the moon with this stash, as I either never own anything like it (expect lots of "My very first..." posts soon), or they are hard to find/ discontinued shades. I feel so blessed.

Toronto is a great place to hang out, with great company from you, ladies, plus good selections of food and entertainment, and public transportation makes it a little easier to get around. I had a lot of fun and hope to be back in November for IMATS. Can't wait to see you all again.