Sasa Sadness

This morning I woke up and was insanely excited cause an email from Sasa.com was waiting in my inbox. Good news about my order, right? WRONG.  Instead of the dispatch/shipping notification I've been waiting 2 weeks for, I got a "processing error" email.  I have no idea what that means but apparently it's not going to even begin to process and leave the place before Oct. 10.  Good thing I'm not ordering medical supplies or I'd be dead by then.

Lesson: while Sasa does have an incredible stock and great deals, if possible, buy your foreign products local.  Unfortunately, what I bought I can't all find in one place.  But I probably wouldn't have bought it if I knew I was going to have to wait that long :( OR I would have waited to buy it after the 27th? What's wrong w/ the purchases placed before then? It's kinda not fair that the people who placed orders more recently get processed and can have their things before us pre-27th-ers.

But I'm done ranting.  Especially since the Hong Kong processing center can't hear me and will continue to goof up with their priorities/stocking.

Ciao,

Jessie


PS.  This is what the unfortunately email actually looked like:

Dear valued customer,

Re: Order processing was suspended

We deeply regret to inform you that due to some products availabilities show discrepancy with our system record. Hence, order processing will be suspended for further 10-14 business days. For orders purchased before September 27, 2010 (HK Time: GMT +8) will be processed after October 10, 2010. We hereby apologize for any delay and inconvenience caused.

Whilst resume order processing, we may send the “Product out of stock notice” to you again if sort of varies remained. Alternatively, we will send a “Dispatch Notification “email to you after we have dispatched your order. You can kindly login to “my account” to review “order history” for any updates.

【Note】

·             Since no changes will be accepted, should you would like to cancel the entire order, please kindly email to cancel_order@sasa.com, we will follow up accordingly.

·             Once an order is being packed or dispatched, order can not be cancelled.

Upon learning from the error and rest assured that we have registered this case for our ongoing service review and improvement, we would like to offer a small gift. Simply enter“sep74975839” under the promotion code field on the "Shopping Basket" page. The gift will be delivered to you together with the order. (Please take note this code will be valid from Sep 15, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010 and is to be used once.  Sasa.com reserves the right of final decision on any questions regarding these free gifts).

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Should you have further queries, please feel free to contact Sasa.com customer services hotline (852) 2975 3747 or by email tocontact us. We are always ready to serve you.  Thank you.

My Experiences at Super H Mart

This morning I had a bit of extra time before I had to leave for my 1:30 Bio lab.  So, while munching happily on my bagel w/ cream cheese, I looked up some local asian grocery stores.  I'd already been to the Lotte in Fairfax and the Grand Mart in Falls Chruch, so I though I'd give the Fairfax Super H Mart a try (I've been on an intense hunt for a store that sells My Beauty Diary or HadaLabo products :3).

Firstly, I've always been a huge fan of calling a place before looking for a product in store.  Even if there's a 95% chance it'll be there, it's always nice to check that it's in stock before making the trek out to wherever you're going.  So I dialed the number on the H Mart website.  I was told that I needed to call the cosmetic department to see what they sell (apparently the grocery section and makeup section are run by two different people).  When I called the cosmetics department, I started to say "I was wondering-" when the lady just hung up! Apparently since she doesn't speak English and didn't want my business....but when I called the main grocery to tell them that, they said there wasn't anything they could do to help.  So Super H Mart started off on a very bad foot with me.

Since the store is located on my commute to school, I figured I'd stop by before lab.  I totally wasn't prepared for what I saw.  Asian everything!! It was awesome! Even though they didn't have the HadaLabo line, I saw that they did have the JuJu Cosmetics versions of the Hyaluronic line (which I was thinking of trying anyway).  However, they didn't have the masks, and the prices on the JuJu was just a little too high for me so I decided just to wait and order from SaSa.

However, the two super big points Super H Mart gets from me come from things I wasn't even looking for.  First off, the sell the Shiseido Tsubaki line AND the Shiseido skin line (including the Anessa products, which as I was told they aren't imported to America for the most part, got me excited).  In my flurry to get to class I didn't check their prices on the Tsubaki lines but since it's literally 2 minutes away from the road I turn on to get to school, I'll definitely be heading back there.  While I really love my Shiseido store in MD, it would be wayyyy better if I only had to go 15 mins away vs almost an hour.

The second point that makes me crazy for Super H Mart.....EIWA MARSHMALLOWS!!! I acquired a taste for these almost 5 years ago when my uncle went to Tokyo and I haven't found them hardly anywhere.  The had the Mango, Pineapple, and Chocolate flavors.  I picked up the Mango cause I already have a bag of the Pineapple at home :) (I don't particularly like chocolate candies).  While I'm still on the hunt for the elusive Eiwa Strawberry Marshmallows, my taste for Asian style candies is satisfied for now.

And if you aren't familiar with mallows from asia, they're slightly more condensed then American ones and definitely less sugary.  The flavor comes from a pocket of fruity/chocolaty jell in the center.  Andddd they're typically Hello Kitty themed.  Definitely the perfect treat! lol.

Shiseido

Over last weekend, I went with my family to the Shiseido Cosmetics Boutique in Germantown MD (we also hit the Dave and Buster's while we were there :3).  I have to tell you, I was in cosmetic paradise.  Overall the place wasn't that big, but it was covered in wall to wall shelving of all the Shiseido products you could dream of.  For those of you that aren't familiar with Shiseido, it's a Japanese company that's made it's way over to America.  There are still a couple of lines that aren't available in the states (namely the Anessa products).  The SCB also carries alot of other Japanese and Korean products.  They're prices are definitely lower than anywhere else I've found most of the Shiseido products.

I picked up:

Shiseido Tsubaki Shining Shampoo
Shiseido Tsubaki Shining Conditioner
Shiseido Tsubaki Damage Care Treatment
Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 60 PA+++
2 pairs of Darkness Lashes

I could rant and rave about the sunscreen all day lol.  It's seriously the best I've ever tried.  I picked up the 100mL bottle for almost $40, but it's totally worth it.  The solution is soooo light.  I typically have problems with my face sunscreen being too thick and making my skin look too pale, even after it's all rubbed in.  This sunscreen gives you a nice dewy glow.  Not to mention, it spreads really nicely.  Since it's not very thick (you have to shake the bottle each time before you use it) a little but can cover your whole face.  I squeeze out about a nickel size into my palm and spread it onto my face with clean fingers.  Definitely wash your hands after using any type of sunscreen though.  Some sunscreens will dry white on your clothes like deodorant :/ not a good look.
For those of you who don't use sunscreen on your face daily I 100% RECOMMEND IT.  It helps to prevent premature again and those unattractive dark spots.  Not to mention, it reduces your risk of skin cancer.  Trust me, no one wants a scar on their face from having to have a spot removed.
Because it's expensive, I don't use this sunscreen every single day. If I know that I'm not going to be outside for long or it's a cloudy day, I use more generic brands you can pick up at the drug store.  If you know you're going to have to reapply at some point in the day (which should be every two hours you're outside) I would suggest this sunscreen.  It doesn't build up and clog your pores like other products will.  It also smells fantastic (not too much like a sunscreen...more floral actually) and serves as a perfect base for powder foundations or blushes.

As for the Tsubaki Hair Care line, check out my new review vid here!

(I plan to do a tutorial later on the application of false lashes, so don't worry!)

Until next time,

xoxoJessieBear

New Video Review!

My video review for the My Beauty Diary Apricot Masks is now up on youtube!! You should definitely check this out...what an amazing product :)

Click Here for my MBD mask review.

Look what came in this weekend!

Recently I've been really obsessed with Sasa (an online beauty store that carries mostly asian products).  A lot of asian companies offer a wider variety of different products than we do here.  An example of this definitely be the My Beauty Diary facial masks.  Sasa currently offers 20 different types of My Beauty Diary masks (although most of them are currently out of stock).  I picked up the MBD Southern French Apricot masks from Amazon.

They typically come in a box of ten for around $11.  Each is meant to do something different for your skin.  After I run out of my current box (which is specifically for moisturizing dry skin), I definitely want to try out the strawberry yogurt mask.  It's supposed to eliminate oils and minimize pores.  I found a great chart of some of the masks' different benefits here.

After I remove my makeup I'm definitely going to try one of these suckers out tonight.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Til later :)

xoxoJessieBear

Sephora 9/4: Part II

As promised, I want to finish talking about my experience with the Kat Von D Concealer and other products the ladies at Sephora pointed me towards.

Ever since I was little I've had these dark freckles on my face.  While I've been fortunate enough to never have any acne problems, I'm still not a fan of this discoloration.  It's from being exposed to the sun too much.

As you can see, I have dark spots on my central cheek, chin, and forehead.  After reading the reviews of the Kat Von D Concealer, I thought I'd give it a try.  Because it's designed to work on tattoos, it can also cover natural dark pigmentation of the skin.  I had the ladies at Sephora test it out on my face. In order to get the product to set on my skin, my artist, Nada, applied a layer of the concealer, followed by Laura Mercier's pressed powder in sand.  She repeated this three times over my freckles.  Then she coated my face in Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer for normal skin, also in sand, followed by more of the pressed powder.  These were the results:

                                  

It's very obvious that I'm coated in makeup.  The Kat Von D Concealer is very thick because it's meant for tattoos.  Topped w/ the moisturizer and more powder, I definitely look a little bit cakey.  But for a formal event it would work well.  I'd just need to blend more into my neck than she did lol.  

I really liked the concealer.  The consistency worked well on my skin.  However, I had two major problems with it.  First, each bottle runs for $25 and is very small.  To coat my whole face at least three times would mean I'd be dropping a lot of money on a product that does nothing for my problem (I like to have a little bit more a return with my products).  Secondly, none of the shades really fit my skin tone.  The lightest two were quite literally white.  The next two were VERY yellow.  And the ones after that were too tan.  I had to opt for the lightest concealer, which in the harsh lights of Sephora, made it VERY obvious.  Yes the end product did look very nice.  But the pressed powder and the tinted moisturizer used with this look together cost over seventy dollars.  So for a look that is no where near natural and only a once and a while thing, I didn't think it was worth it.  Instead I chose to go with something that would actually fix my problem :)

I bought the Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector.  It goes for $50 but can last more than two months (as only one pump is necessary to cover the whole face).  It's a serum so it glides onto the skin very nicely and takes no time at all to dry.  After applying it to the face (twice a day) you HAVE to follow with sunscreen.  It even says something weird like "sunscreen imperative" on the back of the bottle.  If you don't prevent more spots from forming, there isn't any use to this product.  It says from four to six weeks your spots will have noticeably lightened.  In the 4 or 5 days I've been using this product (I tested it out a couple days before I bought it) I've seen some of my newer spots lighten greatly.  Obviously the ones I have had since I was young are going to take more time, but it's definitely worth it.  That way, once my spots are lighter, more options will be available to me to cover the remainder of them up, without looking cakey or overdone.

I'll update you on the improvements I see once I've had more time to use the corrector :)  

Sephora 9/4: Part I

Last saturday I went to my local Sephora to test out a couple of new products and to pick up a few things I had had my eye on.  I went in thinking I'd come away with the Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer, some brushes, and Urban Decay's Brow Box in Brown Sugar.

The Urban Decay Brow Box I did end up buying.  I have very thing and wispy eyebrows that are hard to keep tame and visible at the same time.  As an avid user of Anastasia of Beverly Hill's Clear Brow Gel, I naturally looked for a powder by them.  I am absolutely in love with my brow gel.  Even though it does make your brows very shiny, they stay in nicely in place all day long.  The mascara-like applicator also makes application really easy.  That being said, I wasn't impressed by the reviews on Anastasia's filler products.  The Brow Ex-press comes with two filler shades, highlighting powder, wax (to keep them in place, not to remove them lol), and four different brow stencils.  People who had tried the product were disgruntled with the difficulty of using the stencils and the fact there was only one brush included (you need either two separate brushes for the brow powder and the wax, or wash your single brush religiously between using the products).  For the same amount of money I purchased the Urban Decay Brow Box instead.  It comes with two different brow powder shades (and is available in four different color sets), a tray of wax, a mini pair of tweezers, and a mini angled brush.  It's a godsend.  Definitely my new favorite product.  It glides on perfectly and really helps to define my brows :)

Next come the brushes.  I've always just used the brushes and applicators that come with the compacts I've purchased.  Recently I acquired the urge to expand my capabilities and the ease of my makeup application with some decent makeup brushes.  Sephora can get very confusing when it comes to brushes.  There are so many different styles of each type of brush to choose from it's hard to decide what's worth what amount of money.  Buying Sephora's brushes individually gets expensive quickly.  The cheapest individual brush they're offering at the moment is the retractable foundation brush for $10 on sale, versus the regular $18.  The platinum line's concealer brush (#47) runs for $27.  Instead of easily spending from $60 to $100 dollars on Sephora's brushes, I went to target.  Sonia Kashuk has recently released individual makeup brushes, priced from $5 to $18 dollars each.  For a little over thirty dollars, I got the multipurpose foundation brush, the liquid foundation brush, the medium eyeshadow brush, and the multipurpose nylon brush.  They work wonders on my makeup application.  I didn't seriously think it would make that much of a difference in my daily routine (I apply very little makeup on a regular day, usually only for special occasions or when I'll be in front of a camera lol).  These brushes are really excellent quality.  As with any brush, a nice daily, post-use cleansing will definitely keep these brushes working miracles for a long while.  You can see her full line of products in target stores, and on target.com.

As for the Kat Von D Concealer and the other items I picked up, I will be posting again tomorrow as well as beginning to film my first beauty vid.  See you then!

(I had to split this post into two parts cause I've just been so busy/tired lately. Sorry! lol)

Hi guys!

After a long and tough debate I finally decided to start up my own blog filled with tips and thoughts on beauty products and other things that I thought you may need to know :)  Of course I'm going to add a couple beauty tutorials on my youtube page as I get the ball rolling.

There's so much that I have to say...where do I begin? lol