What a month February has been, I can’t believe it’s almost over! I wanted to share my haul from this month. February (and March) are big months for me as I have friends that have birthdays and I also have my anniversary coming up next month! Needless to say, my wallet is feeling quite light from all this gift shopping!

I shopped at Mecca, Priceline and Kiko and Beauty!

From Mecca I did two orders, the first one included some things for myself and a friend, who had a birthday in the first week of the month so I had to get in quick to get her present delivered to me in time.

I picked up the Frank Body Vitamin Sea Kit which is an online only and limited edition product.

It has 1x Brightening Vitamin C Mask and 1x 100g Coconut Coffee Scrub. It also comes packaged in a cute box, so I thought that would make a perfect gift because it saves me having to purchase a gift bag/gift box/gift wrap to put it in! You only save like 95c from purchasing them in a gift pack so it’s not exactly economical, but I do think it makes a great gift!

The next thing I purchased was for myself, it’s the Morphe M165 Angle Liner Brow Brush.

I’ve started dyeing my eyebrows and didn’t want to ruin my Zoeva brush so I purchased an inexpensive one haha. This is actually really good quality! It’s my first time trying any of the Morphe brushes and I’ve always heard good things. Would love to try more of their brushes in the future, but I have way too many as is haha.

The last thing I bought was the 16 Brand Juicy Toks Mango and Grapefruit Mask.

I love using sheet masks on the day or the day before I go out, I find it helps add that hydration boost into my skin and my makeup also applies better. I’ve tried pretty much every mask from this range, except this one! I know they have a few more that aren’t available in Australia yet, because I saw them in a cosmetics shops when I was overseas a few years ago. Hopefully they come down here, because these masks are so cheap!

As for my singular free sample (miss the days of 3 free samples which you could choose) I got a sample of the NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in American Woman.

I’ve previously received this as a sample or in my Beauty Loop, I don’t remember, but I do remember really enjoying the shade and the formula!

For my second order, it was mostly things for my friends birthday. Her birthday occurs in the middle of the month so I waited a bit to purchase these. I also got my Beauty Loop in this order, I’m only on Level 1 but I think by now I would’ve dropped down because I didn’t spend enough to maintain my level – which I don’t mind because I mostly shop for presents at Mecca, and sometimes I get skincare from there. I didn’t want to spend more just to maintain my level, I’d rather shop for what I need.

In this order I got her the Soap & Glory Call of Fruity The Way She Smoothes Softening Body Lotion I’ve previously purchased Soap & Glory products for her which she loved. I know she’s a bit slack with her skincare routine so I decided to get this body lotion for her. It’s 500ml, comes in a pump and has really nice packaging. I’ve read many reviews saying it smells amazing as well so that’s a bonus!

Another thing I got for her was the Frank Body Lip Tint in Cherry Bomb. I know she loves her lip tints and who doesn’t love a moisturising formula? This also comes in a nude shade, but I felt she would’ve liked the red tinted shade better. It’s quite inexpensive as well, compared to a few others on the market.

Lastly, one small thing for me haha, I purchased another 16Brand mask, this time I got the Marine Collagen Shower Mask Pack I remember when this first came out, I was really curious about it and since it’s not available at my local store, I got it!

As for my free sample I got the Ren Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm.

The full size is 30ml and the sample was 5ml. It’s essentially a sleeping mask and it has jojoba oil and sunflower oil, so it’s meant to be quite nourishing. I used it on the day that I got it and it was quite nice! It’s a balm that kind of melts into your skin and when I washed it off in the morning, my face felt like I had a balm on the previous night. It felt a bit…I can’t describe it but I did feel some like ‘residue’ when I washed my face the following morning.

In my Level 1 Beauty Loop box I got 2 skincare samples and 2 makeup samples.

I got the Nars Afterglow Lip Balm in Orgasm which was excessively packaged, the lip balm was literally a dot, and it came with a little applicator – a bit extra. I do love the original Nars Orgasm blush so it was interesting to see them expand the Orgasm range by bringing out different products.

I love me some Clinique so I was glad to see I got a sample of the Clinique Moisture Surge Intense. I’ve tried the overnight mask from this range so I’m keen to try the moisturiser out.

I have seen a lot of hype over RMS on Instagram and I’ve never tried their products before. The RMS Beauty Master Radiance Base in Rich in Radiance is like a cream product that goes on before your foundation, mixed with it or used on its own.

Last but not least, I got a sample of the Mario Badescu Seaweed Night Cream. I generally don’t use MB products so I’m interested in seeing how this goes.

Now onto my Priceline purchases for the month…

I picked up some more cotton pads, I got the Beauty Essentials Cotton Pads as they’re cheap and convenient for me to purchase. I’ve used so many of these and I always get the 2 pack unless it’s out of stock. If you’re in Australia I also love the cotton pads by Lacura from Aldi and the Target home brand ones (so good and only $2 from memory!). Swisspers are good too, but if I can save a few dollars and still get a great product then I will!

From the clearance bin I got the Natio Renew Silky Shea Miracle Face Oil for $2! I believe this is no longer around and I was actually looking to purchase an oil anyways! Great timing and an even greater price! This has a mix of apricot oil, shea, almond oil and more. I love the packaging as well, a bit different from the usual droppers!

On a separate occasion I found out I had a $5 voucher so I popped in store and got some floss as it was on sale, I also stocked up on the Protex Antibacterial Bar Soap in Gentle. I use this to wash my brushes and I also use it to wash my hands. It’s a really versatile product and I love that there’s an original and a gentle formula. Super cheap and comes with minimal packaging which is why I use it. It comes in a cardboard box, which can be recycled and once the bar is finished, there’s no excess waste! They do make a 3 pack now, which is cost effective, but because it comes in plastic, I’m kind of deterred from purchasing it. I also picked up an oldie, Vaseline, this works great for dry skin, I got it to use on my feet because I find it’s quite cheap and effective at smoothing the heel.

At Kiko and Beauty, one of my fave kbeauty retailers, I was purchasing more presents, bought some things for myself that I wanted to try, and I got a few things for my boyfriend as well.

Firstly, I got the Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream for my boyfriend!

He was looking to replace his current moisturiser, which was one from Pyunkang Yul, which I helped him pick out. I haven’t heard much about this brand before, but this does look interesting. He has sensitive skin so I try to find suitable skincare products for him , that won’t irritate his skin. This has ceramides in it, which help protect and moisturise the skin barrier. It’s also 7 free, meaning it’s free from fragrance, mineral oil, parabens etc.

The next thing is also for my boyfriend, replacing his current cleanser, I picked the Etude House Soon Jung 5.5 Foam Cleanser.

I picked this for the same reason, the Soon Jung range is so good for sensitive skin, their products are at a low ph and also help hydrate the skin, without stripping them. This is hypoallergenic and leaves a hydrating finish. It’s also formulated without surfactants, mineral oils and fragrances!

One thing that I bought for myself was the Mediheal BT21 Face Point Mask in Chimmy.

I loveee BTS, after much thinking, I’ve decided that Jimin is my bias – my favourite of the 7 members essentially. Chimmy was created by Jimin himself, each member created their own little character. In this collab with Mediheal, there are 4 face masks, a book mark and a photo card in the package. Everything is designed so beautifully, and the Chimmy masks are for skin tone improvement and vitamin care. They have vitamin c and niacinamide, which are two ingredients that I love!

I also picked up one for my friend, for her birthday gift. I got her the Cooky one, which unfortunately is out of stock now.

It’s her favourite character so I wanted to get her this one! The Cooky masks are for skin barrier reinforcement and radiance care. They have ceramides and hexapeptide, which are used to restore the skin and provide a healthy glow. This also comes with 4 masks, a book mark and a photo card!

Last but not least, the samples! I received a decent range of samples and luckily I’ve never tried any of these before so I’m keen to get onto them.

Kiko & Beauty are always so generous with their samples, I’ve purchased from there many times before and it’s always been exceptional service and delivery. Highly recommend checking them out if you’re looking to purchase some Korean goodies! Not sponsored, just shouting out a small, local business!

Thus ends my February haul, it’s been a big one this month – and I have another friend’s birthday next month AND my anniversary, the spending never ends haha. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the things that I bought this month, I think I’m good with buying stuff for myself for a while now haha.

See you back here next week for a new blog post!

With love,

I am sharing my recent K-Beauty haul where I bought a few new goodies for myself, my friend and my brother! You already know that I love K-Beauty, you can checkout my countless posts here. I purchased from an Australian retailer, Kiko and Beauty, which I only discovered a few months ago. They stock so many products and brands, both skincare and makeup, and have such competitive prices! Sometimes it can be hard purchasing K-Beauty in Australia, because the prices can be really inflated which isn’t ideal. Anyways, I was really surprised by their range! They stock some brands that I have never seen before either so I’m keen to include them in my next haul. This post isn’t sponsored at all, just sharing my genuine experience and supporting a small, Australian business!

Now let’s get into the haul…

For myself, I got the:

Cosrx Pimple Master Patch

A love of mine, I always buy these patches, they work really well and at Kiko and Beauty, they were only $4.50! I used to get them from iHerb, they were like $3-4, but now prices have gone up. These are my go-to pimple patch, I am keen to try others, but for the mean time I thought I’d go back to an oldie. Everytime I buy these, I always get one packet, then I finish them and don’t repurchase for a long time haha. Next time I’ll be sure to grab an extra packet!

Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner

Another love! I received this last year from a collaboration and instantly fell in love! It is so hydrating and perfect for winter! All you have to do is put some on your clean hands and pat it into your skin. You can do a few layers if you have more dry/dehydrated skin. It works so well and I’m excited to use it again!

P.S. The Pyunkang Yul brand is great for people with problematic skin, their products are great for people with dry skin. I’ve tried most of their products and really enjoyed them as well! Would recommend checking them out if this sounds like you!

Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence

I’m pretty sure I’ve previously tried this in a sample, but I forgot what it was like. It’s only $19 and I’ve heard great things about snail for scarring. I have previously tried the Snail Mucin from Cosrx, with no great results so I am a bit suspicious about this. Nevertheless, I will give it a go and report back my results!

I picked up a few products for my friend as well:

Skinfood Rice Mask Wash Off Pack

My friend got this because she was looking for a gentle exfoliant. I’ve previously tried this, and I enjoyed it! It’s a scrub that you leave on as a mask and then wash off. It’s really gentle and brightens!

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask – Berry

My friend had never tried this before either! I’m still going through mine and it is good! I don’t use it as often as I did before, but still a good little thing for a pamper sesh every now and then. I love the smell and it really helps hydrates my lips. I know there are some mixed opinions about this, but I’ve had good experiences. If you’ve tried this before as well, let me know how you found it!

Lastly, I picked a few things up for my brother:

A’pieu Madecassoside Ampoule

I also wanted to try this, but maybe I’ll grab one for myself next time haha. This only has two ingredients, Madecassoside and Centella – both really great soothing ingredients, that aim to repair the skin.

A’pieu Madecassoside Fluid

This is a toner, from the same range as the ampoule. It has soothing properties and helps to repair the skin. It also has niacinamide and centella, and so far, it looks pretty good! It’s quite a big size as well, 210ml, so you will get a lot of product for the price you pay!

VT Cica Mild Foam Cleanser

This brand is new to me, but after seeing the description, it sounds pretty promising. It’s a huge size and at a decent price. It moisturises, without stripping the skin, and calms sensitive skin.

P.S. When I was researching products to buy, this was in stock one day, then out of stock the next. I messaged the CS to see when it would be restocked (no rush though), and I was told that they moved the product from another site, to this site so I was able to purchase it! Really awesome customer service, not to mention, it was a really quick reply!

So there you go, that’s my $130 skincare haul. It would’ve been way higher, but I didn’t grab any sheet masks this time, but I will next time, because they have to many different ones that I want to try haha. Hope you enjoyed seeing my skincare haul, and would love if you could check out Kiko and Beauty. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

With love,

It’s been a while since I’ve done a haul blog post, I think this was my last one…back in 2018…wow!

So, today I’m back with another haul. I haven’t done a lot of shopping with my beauty products in the past 1-2 years. I am so incredibly grateful that I receive PR and I have a job where I am able to get gratis, so that’s why I haven’t done a lot of shopping/hauls, besides a few replacements here and there throughout the year. Anyways, it’s been a while since I’ve repurchased some Kbeauty products as well! I came across Lilabeauty, when I was searching for websites that sold Kbeauty (they also sell Jbeauty) but had the lowest amount of money required for free shipping lol.

I purchased these items because I ran out of them and I wanted to try something new. I haven’t tried a whole lot of Jbeauty before, but I definitely want to in the future!

I purchased:

• Kose Cosmeport Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil
• Various Etude House Sheet Masks
• Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch Pack
• Etude House Wonder Pore Refresher

Kose Cosmeport Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil

I bought this to replace my previous cleansing oil, and I like that it has a stopper on it – if you’ve tried any of The Face Shop cleansing oils, you’ll know what I mean. I’ve never tried anything from Kose before, so this was a nice introduction.

It emulsifies quite quickly compared to other cleansing oils I’ve tried in the past. It smells citrussy as well – not a huge fan, but it’s great at removing makeup so I’m sold haha.

Various Etude House Sheet Masks

I picked a few up for a friend and for my little cousin. They were only $1.85 each, but most of them were sold out. I picked up the Ceramide, Pearl, Artemisia, Manuka Honey and two of the Damask Rose. I have previously tried the Etude House sheet masks, and they’re good! They are super thin, contain a lot of serum and don’t have ingredients like alcohol etc. A really affordable sheet mask!

Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch Pack

A repurchase after a long time of not using them! I love these pimple patches, they are one of the most effective pimple patches I’ve used before. There’s 24 in a pack, and they’re around $4, whereas most stores would sell them for twice the price! Forever a repurchase until I maintain my monthly pimples!

Etude House Wonder Pore Refresher

Lastly, I picked up this Etude House toner, which I tried many years ago back when I didn’t know anything about skincare, my friend gave me a sample. It claims to help with pores and is a ’10 in 1′ toner. However, when I was purchasing it, I didn’t take note of the ingredients – alcohol was the second ingredient I will try to use this up before I purchase a new one. I tend to avoid products with alcohol in them, and sometimes they get past me because I purchase products before checking the ingredients, but I will be more vigilant next time!

If you’re interested in purchasing at Lilabeauty, click here to get 10% off – I don’t make any money off this, but I may receive a reward (as per their reward program) if you choose to purchase with this discount code!

That’s it for my haul today, quite a small one. Not sure when my next haul post will be, because I don’t have much to purchase, but I would defintiely like to do another haul post this year haha!

What have you purchased recently?

New post next week as usual!

With love,

Today I am doing a little anti-haul, which is a list of products that I just did not like at all. It got me thinking if people even did these kinds of things anymore lol. I remember these were big on Youtube a few years back, but since then, I haven’t really seen any anti-hauls! Well, I’m here to bring them back so let’s get to it.

We’re starting with the Revlon Blush Brush

I got this as a gift from one of my previous managers and I have never tried Revlon brushes before so I had some kind of expectations. However, as soon as I opened it, I felt how dense the brush was. I don’t know about you, but I prefer a blush brush that’s either fluffy or at least not as dense as this brush was. I put blush on it (powder), and tapped off the excess as you do, and pretty much all the blush just came off the brush. With more usage of the brush, the hairs started to fall out. I’ve never used a brush that had hairs fall out that fast! I mean if you’ve have a brush for years and the hairs started to fall out when you washed it, or when you used it, it’s fine, that brush has seen the last of its best days. But this brush was new and the hairs were already falling off. Disappointing.

Revolution Bake and Blot in Banana Deep

I won this in a giveaway and was excited to use it. I’ve never tried anything like it, but this product isn’t for me. I used it to bake, but after I brushed off the powder, my skin looked like it was stained yellow. This may be due to the shade, but I was not a fan of this one.

Sinful Colours Step 2 Top Coat

I purchased this on a whim because I was in need of a cheap top coat. Big mistake. This was terrible! I first tried it out as a clear polish and it just peeled right off the next day. Tried it on top of nail polish and I had the same result. Super disappointing.

Lanolips Tinted Balm SPF 30 Rhubarb

I purchased this after a recommendation from a friend but I was disappointed! I have previously tried the 101 Ointment Balm, which I loooved, but this was a miss from me. I liked that it has SPF and comes in a tube – hygienic. However, it let me down through the colour – when applied on my lips, 75% of the time it didn’t ‘absorb’ into my lips? It’s like it just coated my lips and sometimes it would pill up as well! The colour turned out more pink than I would’ve liked. It claims to enhance your natural lip colour, but this just didn’t work out for me. The price is more than what I would normally pay for a lip balm, but the size is bigger. Overall, I’d stick to the 101 Ointments instead, they are so much better.

1000 Hour Individual Lashes in Short-Medium

I purchased this because I wanted to add a little more definition to my eye looks, but once again, I was left feeling disappointed. I purchased this size because I wear glasses and I can’t wear anything too long or else it’ll just hit my glasses. This comes with glue and four rows of lashes. As I took some of the lashes off the plastic, they just knotted up and I couldn’t use them? It also claims to be waterproof, reusable and simple to apply, even lasting up to 3 days. I tried some out one night, went to sleep, and all the lashes were gone. Not sure if it’s the glue quality, or if it’s me, but they were so difficult to put on. I have no trouble with normal lashes, but these just didn’t want to stay on! Lastly, they are definitely not reusable. As I mentioned above, when I took some off the plastic, they just went all weird, either knotted up, or each hair would be separated from the rest? On the plus side, I got these on sale haha.

Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

This is a holy grail in the Kbeauty community, which is why I purchased it, hoping it would help with my redness and scarring. This didn’t do anything for my skin I think it would work better for dry skin types, as it is a moisturising product, but yeah, it didn’t do much for my skin.

Spot Medic Individual Adhesive Hydrocolloid Masks For Pimples

I purchased this when it was half price at Priceline, because I didn’t want to purchase the Cosrx ones online. It came down to $5 and it had 36 patches inside, compared to the Cosrx one which has 24. I’m surprised this has so many good reviews, because I just couldn’t get them to stay on my skin. The adhesive on this was so bad, it didn’t even adhere to my skin overnight. Didn’t help with reducing redness, nor did it help with pimples. I’ll be sticking with the Cosrx ones instead!

Akin Organic Rosehip Oil

I won this in a giveaway and was so excited to use it, as I was keen to try out more facial oils. This claims to be hydrating and provides your skin with radiance. I did not see any of those results when using this. It did last a couple of months, probably 2-3, which is an adequate amount of time to test out a product. It was also bright orange in colour, which I wasn’t expecting, so be ware of potential staining if you drop or tip over the product.

I think that’s all I have for today, I’m sure I’ve come across way more products that just weren’t for me, but I’d love to know what products would be apart of your anti-haul? Let me know below!

That’s all I have for this week, a new post will be up next week!

With love,

Today I want to share some of my tips for makeup wearing beginners, who NEED these products in their collection!

Blush

Every kit must have a blush! I feel like blush is so slept on in the makeup world. A few of my friends weren’t into using blush until I introduced them to a good one that was suited for their skin tone and they have been converted ever since! The key is finding one that’s suited for you! Don’t just buy this one because everyone’s buying it, take the time to find one that is right for you.

I have a light, but warm undertone to my skin and I find pink blushes suit me the best. My favourites are:

• Nars Orgasm
• The Balm Frat Boy
• Loreal True Match Blush in 120/Sandalwood Pink

These are all pink based and have slight shimmer to it so when you’re standing in the right spot, your cheeks look quite radiant haha. There are a bunch of blushes on the market so it can be overwhelming. I recommend going in stores to swatch them and have a look at the colours/types/finishes. There are red blushes, coral blushes and even nude blushes so I’m sure there’s something for you!

Brows

I have previously spoken about this brow tint and it is life changing for me! However, for beginners, I would recommend going for a good brow pencil to start with. Either mechanical or pencil, usually go for the ones that have a spoolie on the end so you can brush out any harsh product. Brow mascaras are also a good start IMO!

My recommendations for brow pencils and other brow products are:

• Savvy Brow Liner
• Loreal Brow Artist Expert
• Essence Make Me Brow Gel
• NYX Micro Brow Pencil

Lips

Pictured is one of my favourite lip tints, it’s the Peripera Ink Velvet! And next to that is my favourite lipgloss from Cargo Cosmetics. So when it comes to lip products, it’s another area that can be quite overwhelming. I feel like every kit should have a:

• Gloss – either coloured or clear, just for those ‘I can’t be bothered to put lipstick on but I still want some colour’ days
• Lip liner – I love me a nude lip liner, does wonders in making your lips look plumper
• Lip tint – worried about your lips coming off when you’re eating? Lip tint
• Lipstick – find a good lipstick, whether it’s liquid, matte, glossy, long wear – find the one for you!

So let me break it down.

Gloss – Perfect for lazy days as I mentioned above, does not last long, having a clear one and a coloured one is great for when you want to alternate. Not to mention, they can be multi purpose! Some glosses advertise themselves to be able to be used on the eyes, lips and face. I really like the glosys kind of look you get from editorials, so a nice clear gloss would be perfect for this. My recommendations:

• Cargo Cosmetics – pictured is Belgium, and I love it so much that I am trying to find a dupe because I’m almost out haha
• Rimmel Oh My Gloss – Lasts up to 6 hours and comes in a range of colours + clear
• Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss – Really nourishing and available in clear + coloured
• Marc Jacobs Beauty Lacquer Lipgloss – Feels nice on the lips and also goes well as a lip topper

Lip liner – To create the perfect lip, or to make your lips stand out! My recommendations:

• Savvy
• Rimmel
• Revlon
• Essence

Lip tint – Well-known in the Kbeauty world, lip tints can be used all over the lips, or to create a gradient/ombre effect on the lips. Usually used for a ‘my lips but better’ look, adding a touch of colour to your lips. A low effort but high payoff lip product. My recommendations:

• Peripera
• Tony Moly
• Skinfood

Lipstick – There are too many lipsticks to unpack here, glossy ones, mattes ones, liquid ones…the list goes on. I believe every makeup owner should have a nude, a red and a ‘my lips but better’ shade!

Highlighter

Available in so many different forms nowadays, there are just so many options! Pictured is a highlighter stick from Revlon, I think this is discontinued. Let me do a quick break down on some of the highlighters offered on the market:

• Stick – easy, quick and effective. A few swipes and you’re done! I find this great for those who stick to a really minimal makeup routine and use sticks for different purposes. Don’t really have a favourite stick because the ones I have are in different tones and they aren’t my favourite haha.
• Powder – a personal favourite in terms of formula. My favourite is the W7 Glowcomotion which I have spoken about countless times. It’s now available in a few other shades – I originally purchased the golden/yellow one.
• Liquid – great to mix with moisturiser or foundation to give a subtle glow. My favourite is the Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting.

Lastly…lip balm

I am a lip balm fiend as you all know. Can never be without this beautiful product. Nothing preps your lips better than a great lip balm – am I right? I prefer the stick ones over the tub ones, just because of convenience and hygiene. However, if I were to use tubs, it would be one that only one would use at home, and not share with anyone else of course. My favourites are:

• Lanolips
• Dermal Therapy
• Nivea
• Clean and Pure

That’s the end of this weeks post, I hope you enjoyed learning about some (great) makeup must haves! What are some of your beginner makeup must haves? Should I do a blog post for beginner skincare must haves? Let me know!

Have a great week everyone!

With love,

Welcome back to another interview. You may notice that it’s on a Thursday (and on the 6th) rather than the 1st – like I said in the first interview, the dates might change depending on my schedule. Also I’d like to take a quick moment to say that I will be rebranding this segment in the new year so keep an eye out for it!

Today I’ll be interviewing Stella from @ohmy_stellar I really like her feed and her stories, not to mention that she’s also a nice person haha.

So can you tell me a bit about yourself

I’m Stella from Sydney, Australia, just turned 27 in September. I run a blog called Oh My Stellar, as well as the linking Instagram and Youtube channels – though the latter is much less active.

Day-to-day, I work as a Designer for a university and I also do fashion photography. I was previously trained as a musician as well. I have been singing and songwriting since I was 11 and have two degrees – in entertainment (music), as well as visual communications. As a fashion photographer, I am self taught and started around 6 years ago.

Aside from working, my hobbies are actually quite limited. I’m a bit of a workaholic, but I love beauty – especially with creative make up artistry. I also love watching procedural and dark, twisted TV shows (i.e. Criminal Minds, Good Doctor, Riverdale), and I also have an obsession with corgi puppies. That being said, I am very allergic to puppy fluff and it’s quite sad.

I love Riverdale as well, this season is definitely something else and I can’t wait to see how it’ll all unfold.

When did you start your IG account?

I think that it’s been around a year and a half to two years now – so not as long as a lot of other people. I couldn’t get the exact date because I’ve since archived a lot of my older posts and I also re-used my account (which used to be full of selfies and my embarrassing attempt to be an ulzzang). I started it at the same time as my blog as I needed a platform to ‘market’ myself. I really do approach my beauty blogging as part hobby and part business.

I’ve been really liking your feed lately; do you have any photography tips for us?

Thank you! Actually, I had been having difficulty with my feed for quite a while as I felt that my content wasn’t engaging enough – which was strange because, as a designer, I kind of work every day to create this sort of thing. Lately, I’ve been actively trying to focus on how posts look as an individual image rather than sitting within my theme (though I still do that), and I have been trying to create images that are eye-catching and well composed, rather than just trying to show an entire product.

As for photography tips, I admit that I do have an advantage because I come from a photography background. I would recommend for people to look at a lot of different content and imagery that they like and try to replicate the style – staggering the positioning of your flat lay or re-framing the shot can do a lot. I also use two phone apps to edit my photos – usually just for lighting or fixing the colour: ColorStory and Snapseed.

Set up wise, I just use a desk lamp, my phone and a big piece of white cardboard so it really isn’t necessary to get a big set up. Just experiment.

Besides beauty products, what other things have you been loving lately? 

With nothing in common whatsoever: the Chinese adaptation of Meteor Garden, big heart shaped earrings, the movie series Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them (in particular, I love Nifflers) and also the musical Dear Evan Hansen. My interests tend to change a lot, especially in regards to entertainment.

I finished Meteor Garden a while back too and that was such a wild ride.

If you could swap lives with anyone in the world, who would you want to be for a day?

Kim Taeyeon (from SNSD).

As a massive fan of hers I know that her life is far from great, but I have also related to her a lot. I feel like she is the type of person I would have been if my childhood dream of being a singer had come true (I wanted to go to Korea and be BoA) so spending a day in her life would be like experiencing one of my life’s ‘what-ifs’.

Where are your top 5 favourite places to shop for your beauty products?

When it comes to Western Beauty, I will generally go to Sephora or Mecca, because I like to be able to swatch and try products before I buy. If I am buying online though, I go to Cult Beauty, Beautylish or Black Swallow.

For K-beauty, I will generally buy off StyleKorean, Althea Korea or BB Cosmetics, depending on the product availability and how much I am buying (for shipping costs). There are other stores that I usually recommend to people too, which you can find listed on my blog, but they are the most common for me.

I’m curious – why don’t you shop at Australian K-Beauty retailers, rather than buying it internationally?

Since I usually buy quite a lot, I don’t have much of a problem with hitting the min. spend for free shipping. With a lot of Australian online stores (not necessarily just kbeauty) there’s quite a big mark up and the min. spend for shipping is often even higher – much in thanks to Australia’s costly postage service and taxes.

In the end, I think it works out very similarly either way so I just buy from who ever I find reliable, has what I need and has a fair price.

I do want to add that I am in no way discrediting Australian retailers and I would absolutely buy from them (and do) if they are my best option – such as with Black Swallow. Unfortunately though, there’s a lot of costs for running a business in Australia and that puts many of our local businesses at a disadvantage.

You have such a large makeup collection, what eyeshadow palette are you always going back to?

This is really hard! I like to do a different makeup look every day so I don’t really have a single palette that I go back to more than the others. I guess I would have to say Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Soft Glam – I didn’t think that I would like it much because it is so neutral but the formula is really beautiful and easy to work with. It is the sort of palette I would reach for if I wanted something simple or if I didn’t know what to do.

What’s your skin type and what’s a product that has really changed your skin?

In the past year or so, I have had combination skin, which can be normal to oily. However, my skin is naturally dry so… I guess I need to keep working on normalising that. I also have a genetic disposition towards pigmentation, so whitening is one of my main skin concerns.

As for products, I feel like the one product that has really changed things for me is the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. I have dry lips often and I’ve never been able to fix it until I starting using that. I also love my SKII Genoptics Aura (for brightening complexion) and the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask (for keeping skin hydrated through the night without being too thick or heavy).

Do you do anything for hair and nail maintenance? 

I love getting gel nails done but truthfully don’t take care of it as much as I should – I’m just really lazy and I find that frequent salon trips (every 2 weeks for my nail growth) would also be quite expensive. I’m wanting to get back into doing my own gel nails though, just something simple, so I think I will soon.

Hair wise, I go to a salon maybe 2-3 times a year, which is very infrequent. I just get my hair bleached again, keeping the roots darker (like a balayage) so that I don’t need to do it often. Instead, I just add colour to my hair at home. I do it every week or two using a mixture of Brite Organix hair colour – usually Purple and Pink. Sometimes I will experiment with different shades or having multi-coloured hair, but I will generally keep it as one colour so it’s easier to maintain.

Yes, I’m really lazy.

Where can we find you on social media?

I have four instagram accounts: @ohmy_stellar (which is my main blogging one), @stellamirandaa (my personal one), @stella.thai (my photography account) and @stellar.beauty (my make up artistry account). Of course, the latter three aren’t that active.

I hope you all enjoyed learning more about Stella today, please do check our her accounts that I’ve linked above. As it’s the last month of the year, the interviews will be back next year and as I mentioned above, there will be a rebrand. So keep an eye out next year for a new interview!

Thanks for reading as always, I have four more posts this month and I hope you enjoy them as well.

with love,

Irene

I was lucky enough to be gifted a few products by K Cosmetix*, a new Australian Korean beauty retailer that launched a few months ago. They stock some of my favourite brands such as Cosrx, Nature Republic and Skin Food. They also stock makeup from Etude House, Missha and Innisfree. The products I was gifted were:

• Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner
• Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
• Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser

Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner

Packed with Aloe, this toner moisturises and soothes skin. It also features Salicylic Acid, which exfoliates and treats acne-prone skin. And to top it all off, it even has Snail Mucin to help regenerate cells and replenish skin. All of these superstar ingredients help prepare your skin for the absorption of other skincare products in the next steps of your routine.

Great for all skin types, especially sensitive and acne-prone skin.

Directions:

After cleansing and towel drying face, spray a liberal amount onto cotton pad. Gently wipe all over face in circular motions. Pat gently for better absorption.

Ingredients:

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water (58%), Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Salicylic Acid (0.5%), Beta-Glucan, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Polyglutamic Acid, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Cross Polymer, Rose

First Impressions:

I liked how it come with a pump and I was surprised by the size – 200ml/6.76 fl. oz. I was impressed by the ingredients too – I will detail them below. It’s very liquidy and I applied it with my hands. I also used this for 7 skin method and found it was really hydrating.
What I like:

• size

It’s 200ml which’ll last me ages.

• pump

I like how it has a pump, it makes it easier to disperse the product into my hands.

• ingredients

Even though it’s an aloe toner, it also has BHA, snail secretion filtrate, hyaluronic acid and beta-glucan. These ingredients are great for hydrating the skin, as well as fading scars/redness. There’s also salicylic acid which is great for oily/acne-prone skin.
What I don’t like:

• nothing

I enjoyed using this toner, so I can’t fault it at all

Overall:

I recommend this toner for those with oily/acne prone skin. The ingredients are really good for that skin type and the bottle will last you ages. Be careful though, if you’re using other salicylic products or BHA products in conjunction with this, it may dry out your skin. But

Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid

Blackheads and blemishes pick only the worst moments to bother us. Fight off those pesty little blackheads and blemishes even before they happen with the all-natural BHA Blackhead Power Liquid. It provides a deep cleanse to flush out your pores from all the nasty gunk and prevents blackheads from settling down.

With a light texture, it works with your skin over time to soften and clear your skin with whitening effects for a more even skin tone. Ready for a change? COSRX is here to make it happen.

This product has a pH level of 4.0

Directions:

1) Apply a small amount to the target area during the morning or night after washing your face.

2) Spread out an even amount to the rest of the face, avoiding the eye area. If used in the morning, apply sunscreen afterwards.

3) Focusing on the target area with blackheads, massage lightly and allow full absorption.

Caution:

When you utilising this product please avoid using any products which contain a high level of AHA, BHA (include Betain Salicylate), Retinal, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid).
Ingredients:

Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Water, Butylene Glycol, Betaine Salicylate, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Arginine, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Ethyl Hexanedio

First Impressions:

I’ve wanted to try this product for so long! I love Cosrx, it’s one of my favourite Kbeauty brands. It’s 100ml and honestly, I wasn’t expecting it to be as liquid-y as it is (despite the name). I thought it’d have a sticky/tacky kind of serum texture. When I first used this, I used 3 pumps – one for my forehead, one for my left cheek, and one for my right cheek. I left it on for 30 minutes before applying my other skincare products.

I’ve read that people purge from this, and I did purge as well. It’s recommended that the first time you use it, you do it once a week and slowly build up your tolerance to it. I then used it 2-3 times a week and have maintained that usage since then. It has a slight fragrance due to its ingredients.

After the first few weeks of using it, I found that my skin was a lot softer than before and my skin looked healthier. I didn’t notice much happening in terms of blackheads though.
What I like:

• packaging

The pump makes it easy to disperse the product.

• ingredients

BHA and niacinamide are some ingredients that are great for my skin. They help to exfoliate and keep my skin in check.

• Effect

I found my skin to be smoother and clearer. I still have acne scars etc. my skin isn’t *perfect* but this has helped improve the texture of it a lot!
What I don’t like:

• nothing

Cosrx hasn’t let me down yet, they produce great products suited for ‘problematic’ skin.
Overall:

I loved how this has helped my skin. I’ve read a lot of great reviews on it and a few bad reviews, but I have to say this is a product you need to try if you have oily/acne prone skin. It’ll last me at least 6 months, as I use it 3 times a week max. If you do consider purchasing this, please read the warnings. Always use SPF when using this product as the exfoliating factors make your skin a bit more sensitive to the sun than usual.
Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser

Sensitive skin dragging you down in the mornings? How about the entire day? If you suffer from super sensitive skin syndrome, COSRX has a solution for you! The Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser is made with all natural ingredients to soothe, exfoliate, and hydrate. The Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser is designed to restore the optimal pH balance to the skin to cleanse without the irritation.

It’s also formulated to remove makeup and other oil-based residues with a skin-happy pH of 5!

Great for all skin types, especially sensitive and dry skin.

Fragrance-free.

Directions:

Morning Cleansing:

Gently massage the Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser all over the damp skin and remove the irritants that built up overnight without a fuss!

Normal Cleansing:

After cleansing the face, apply the Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser and gently massage into the skin to remove sebum and dead skin cells. Rinse off with lukewarm water.

Ingredients:

Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Polysorbate 20, Styrax Japonicus Branch/Fruit/Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Saccharomyces Ferment, Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Betaine Salicylate, Citric Acid, Ethyl Hexanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA
First Impressions:

I’ve heard so much about this one as well and I was so pleased to be able to finally try it out. It’s really gentle, smells nice and lathers well. I use it in the morning, although you can use it at night as well. It didn’t strip my skin, instead it felt quite nourishing.
What I like:

• smells nice

It smells like tea tree oil! But it’s not overpowering.

• lathers well

I use a bit in my palm, apply it on a wet face and then start lathering it up. I wash it off and my face is left feeling cleaner.

• packaging

Tube cleansers are always convenient.

• doesn’t strip skin

It has low PH and doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry after use.
What I don’t like:

• nothing as well!

This works well with my skin, and I didn’t break out either – win-win!
Overall:

Great cleanser for all skin types, as it’s super gentle and gets the job done. It’s extremely affordable, sitting at $15AUD. You don’t need a whole lot because it lathers up easily.

Highly recommend this, no matter the skin type and no matter the time of day when you cleanse.

I’d like to thank K Cosmetix for collaborating with me. I loved these products and I really recommend them for people with oily/acne prone skin. Be sure to read the packaging and warnings before use.

K Cosmetix does free shipping for orders over $70 within Australia, they also do international shipping AND have afterpay!

If you’ve tried any of these products, let me know your thoughts! Also have a browse on the K Cosmetix website, they stock sooo many different products.

With love,

Irene

*These products were sent to me for review purposes. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. I am not being paid in anyway to post about these.

Welcome back to another post, today I will be showing you my iHerb favourites. As most of you know, I love iHerb, as they have great prices for products that are either a little more expensive in Australia, or I can’t even get in Australia to begin with. I purchase a lot of my kbeauty items from here as it’s cheaper, but I also wish they stocked more kbeauty products.

iHerb does free shipping for orders over $40USD, and the shipping is really fast! It takes about 4 days from USA to Australia, which is pretty great in my opinion.

My favourite brands that are stocked:

• 16Brand
• Aveeno
• Blistex
• CosRx
• ELF Cosmetics
• Etude House
• Laneige
• Mizon
• Nature Republic
• Skinfood
• Thayers
• The Face Shop

Blistex:

Raspberry Lemonade Lip Balm:

I love this lip balm, it’s very nourishing and it’s so cheap! I don’t believe in spending a lot of money on lip balms, when you can easily buy one for under $5 at chemists and supermarkets. I also love this flavour, it tastes just like lemonade.

CoxRx:

Acne Pimple Patches:

I love these, I have purchased them twice already and will keep purchasing them in the future. They’re really good for flattening pimples. When you see you have a pimple, preferably when you can see the white head, stick one of these on before you’re about to sleep – make sure that area of the skin is clean, if there is any product on your skin, the patch won’t stick. Sleep with the patch on and when you wake up you’ll see that the patch has drawn out a bunch of bacteria, the sticker will become white-ish in colour, instead of it being clear. Peel this patch off and toss it, then do your morning skincare routine as normal.

One Step Pimple Clear Pad:

I have also purchased these twice already. They are presoaked pads that are double sided – a smooth side and an embossed side. They have 1% BHA in it, which helps to exfoliate the skin. It is recommended to use them twice a day – morning and night. But I choose to use them just once a day. There are 70 pads, so if you use them twice a day, you finish the product very quickly. I like that it helps clear my skin of anything that was leftover from washing/toning. You use the embossed side first and then the smooth side. Make sure the container lid is on tight, to prevent the pads from drying out.

Laneige:

Water Sleeping Mask:

I have always wanted to try this and I finally had the chance to when I went to Hong Kong last year. It smells so nice and I wake up with really nice skin. Definitely recommend this for all skin types!

Mizon:

Aqua Bank Watermax Aqua Gel Cream:

I was looking for a new gel moisturiser and this is at a nice price point. It leaves my skin feeling super moisturised, and it was a lot cheaper than my previous moisturiser. You get a lot of product – 125ml and this lasts ages.

I will repurchase this when I finish my current one.

Nature Republic:

Argan Essential Deep Care Hair Pack:

Click here for my review on this!

Thayers:

Witch Hazel Aloe Vera Formula Alcohol Free Toner:

This is a great toner that is alcohol free. There are different kinds in the range – cucumber, rose, peach, etc. It feels super gentle on the skin and is great for removing any leftover makeup/dirt after you cleanse your face.

I will definitely repurchase this one.

The Face Shop:

Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil:

Really affordable cleansing oil in a convenient pump form. It also has a ‘stopper’ which was very handle to have when I took this travelling with me. This just stops the pump from being pushed, therefore stopping any future messes or spillage.

It is very light, there is also a heavy cleansing oil in the range, but I have not tried that yet.

These are all my favourites from iHerb that I will keep repurchasing. There are tons of other brands and products that I want to try, once I use up my current products. I hope you enjoyed reading this post. If you’re considering purchasing off iHerb, you can use my code ‘IRE3520’* for 5% off your order.

That’s all I have for this week, I hope you all have a lovely week!

With love,

Irene

*Affiliate link

I’ve recently started back at uni, as of last week. I already miss the holidays. For those who are interested, I used to study marketing, and now I’m in a new degree studying Communications. I will have to change my blogging schedule up a bit, as I am at uni 3 times a week. I will aim to get out a post every week as I normally do, but depending on my work load, my blog posts might be limited – I hope that’s ok!

Anyways, now that that’s over, today I will be reviewing the Argan Deep Care Hair Pack from Nature Republic. I went through my blog and have noticed that I tend to do more skincare posts, than anything else really. I’ve been getting more and more into skincare for the past few months, which explains my lack of makeup posts. I also noticed that I don’t do that many hair care posts either. To be honest, I don’t give my hair any special treatments or anything – hence the lack of hair care posts. But I really enjoy using this hair pack from Nature Republic, so I decided maybe it’s time for another hair care post.

I purchased this off iHerb and I am planning on doing a iHerb favourites post in a few weeks time.

This self intensive hair care pack is enriched with a highly concentrated argan oil to help repair severely damaged hair.

Directions:

After shampooing hair, towel dry and dispense an appropriate amount of this product onto your palms. Then apply it to your hair from the mid-section to the ends of your hair. Wear a cap or wrap your head with a towel, and wash the product off after 5-10 minutes. Use this hair pack as treatment once a week to get the best effects.

Ingredients:

Water, dimethicone, cetearyl alcohol, cyclopetasiloxane, behentrimonium chloride, propylene glycol, panax ginseng root extract, thujja occidentailis leaf extract, morus alba root extract, chrysanthemum sinense flower extract, lycium chinese fruit extract, acorus calamus root extract, xanthium strumarium fruit extract, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, mentha arvensis leaf extract, butylene glycol, distearyldimonium chloride, stearimodopropyl dimethylamine, dimethiconol, hydroxethylcellulose, parfum, citric acid, phenoxyethanol, argania kernel oil, rosa canina fruit oil, oenothera biennis (evening primrose) oil.

First impressions:

Very simple packaging and decent size for the price. I bought it for $14AUD, but depending on the exchange rate at time of purchase, the price ranges from $13AUD~$15AUD. I still would buy it at that price range. It smells heavenly! I haven’t used many argan oil products in the past, but it’s safe to say that this is now one of my favourite scents. The instructions are easy to follow, they are presented in Korean and English. I left it in for 10 minutes, and then I washed my hair, as per the instructions and I have to say I was really impressed! My hair felt so soft afterwards, and smelt twice as amazing.

What I liked:

• packaging

I love the convenience of a tub, it means I can see when I am about to finish the product + I can reuse the tub for something else when it’s all finished.

• scent

It smells amazing! Hands down the best smelling hair treatment I’ve ever used.

• price

I find this to be really affordable, and personally I think it’s better than the ones you can get from the supermarket or chemists.

• after effect

My hair smells amazing and it’s so soft immediately after one use!

What I don’t like:

• nothing!

I seriously can’t fault this product at all.

Overall:

I really recommend this to anyone who wants to treat their hair! So affordable, and such a great product.

I will definitely repurchase this in the future.

With weekly use, I think this can last at least 3 months. With consistent use, I think this can last you up to 6 months.

Thanks for reading today’s review, I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for my iHerb favourites blog post coming up soon!

If you’re interested in purchasing off iHerb, I really recommend it. I get a lot of my kbeauty items from there and shipping is insanely fast! I usually get it within 4 days of ordering and it comes in perfect condition every time. They do free shipping for orders over $40USD, and depending on the exchange rate it’s a pretty good price. Sometimes there are items that are marked as ‘shipping savers’ which means that you might be eligible for free shipping before you even reach $40USD. If you’re considering purchasing off iHerb, I have a code you can use to get 5% off your order – ‘IRE3520’*

I hope you all have a great week!

With love,

Irene

*Affiliate link