Tarte EmphasEYES Waterproof Clay Shadow/Liner

          When I first started using makeup, my only priority was eyeshadow. Eyeshadows are colorful and you can mix and match to apply them. It was not until my sister started using eyeliner did I notice the big difference that it can make on your eyes. Eyeliner can make you look less tired and just makes make your eyes so much prettier. However, I never tried eyeliner until high school because I didn't like the fact that I have to apply it so close to my eyes. I remember thinking to myself how bad it would be if the liner gets into my eyes. I only used eyeliner when I had to, which is the time when I was in color guard. Then, afterwards I would stick back to eyeshadow. Even when I used eyeliner, I usually just draw on my lids and not on my waterline. I didn't like it being close to my eyes and also eyeliner tends to smear when I apply it on my waterline by the end of a school day. 

           My relationship with eyeliner didn't improve until two years ago on Halloween. I wanted to get some inspiration for Halloween makeup and I stumbled upon a video on how to create a k-pop star look. I watched that video and I was amazed (it was the time when I was already really into kdrama). Suddenly, I want to create a k-pop look for Halloween. On that very morning, I tried my best to do what the video demoed  and applied makeup accordingly. I had an eyeliner for a while, but it just always sat on the bottom of my makeup bag. After making that look, I was so impressed on how great eyeliner can make my eyes pop out and I even got a few compliments for my look. From that day on, I never looked at eyeliner in the same way. I looked back at older pictures and compared it with pics of me with eyeliner on. Indeed, I did look more awake and my eyes looked bigger. Although I really like my look with eyeliner, there is still a big problem. Eyeliner still smears on my eyes even when I applied primer on it. So, I got determined to search for eyeliners that won't smear as bad. The road was rough and I was still not able to find a good eyeliner. 

           Coincidentally, I bought a small Tarte gift set last year just to get free shipping. The set had Tarte's emphaseyes water proof clay liner in bronze in it. This is definitely my first time using clay eyeliner not on a pencil. The good part about this liner is that it comes with a two sided eyeliner brush so I didn't have to go out to buy one. The eyeliner looks really sparkly and smooth. I used it for the first time last year and I fell in love with it. The eyeliner is super easy to apply and definitely lasted the whole day without much smearing. Bronze can easily go with neutral looks as well as others eyeshadow colors too. I even call it my pot of gold. I have to say though, you must use it frequently or else it will dry up pretty fast. Also, you should clean the brush at least every week to wash off bacteria and the excess liner on it. Nowadays, I literally use it every other day if not everyday. By the end of last year I couldn't help but to buy Tarte's plum color too. I'm probably a little too obsessed....

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil

           Literally, two days ago I used up my argan oil and felt kind of sad. Argan oil is the first beauty oil I've ever used and it smells so good. However, this also translates to letting me try new things. I had a sample size of Tarte's Maracuja oil sitting in my room for a few weeks now and I guess it's time for me to try it. I read a little description about this oil and it's suppose to make your skin firmer and brighter. Also, it is organic and paraben free. First off, the bottle looks nice and it is tiny being a sample size. You have to push the top of the cap in order for the dropper to pick up the oil, which is quite different from argan oil. I find it a bit hard to use and the cap picks up about 3 drops of oil. Personally, I prefer the smell of argan oil more because Maracuja oil smells a little bit like plastic. I applied 4 drops of the oil on my face and it feels more oiler compared to argan oil. Then, I read through the how to use section for the oil and found that I was only suppose to use 2-3 drops. I guess I should probably read the directions for use before actually using it. I'll definitely try it with 2-3 drops probably tomorrow. I kind of assumed that Maracuja oil would be similar to argan oil since they are both oils, but now I know not to assume :) 

Update: I think I found the best way for me to use this oil. First, I place the bottle on a flat surface. Then, I push the cap with some force to draw enough oil out. Next, I carefully place 3 drops of oil in a straight line on my finger. Lastly, I rub the oil with my fingers and slowly pat it on my face. This way I didn't make a mess and leave excess oil on my face. 

Neutrogena Oil-free Eyemakeup Remover

          Removing makeup is more important than putting on makeup. The first makeup remover that I used were the makeup removing wipes. I liked removing my makeup with the wipes because it is easy and fast. The only thing that annoyed me was that the wipes dry up too fast. Other than that, I'm all good with wipes. At some point I started using eyemakeup remover pads to remove my eyemakeup because my sister had always used them. I thought I should give it a try too. For a while, I actually liked the eyemakeup remover pads more than the wipes. I don't remember when, but the pads actually stung my eyes on this one day. Also, pads can put stree on your eye lids and create wrinkles since the eye is the most sensitive area. This really changed my thoughts on makeup remover wipes and pads. I felt like there has to be other ways for me to remove my makeup without using the wipes or pads.

            Indeed, I bought my first oil eyemakeup remove while in Korea. I think it was the green tea remover from Missha. At first, I wasn't so sure about oil makeup removers, but I remember seeing people use it so it shouldn't be too bad. The oil does make your eyes feel oily, but I use a cotton pad first then wipe it better with a cotton ball. I lightly dipped the cotton pad with the makeup remover and press it on my eyes for maybe 20-30s and wipe out the makeup. Then, I would dip a Q-tip into the remover and wipe off the inner corners of my eye and also the waterline. I saw a YouTube beauty guru using this technique and I made some adjustments to fit my own need. Nowadays I rely on oil make up removers for removing my makeup. 

             I've been trying different oil or oil free eyemakeup removers to see which ones suit me. I have tried Missha's green tea eyemakeup remover, Target's, Clean and Clears, MaryKay's and Boot's Botonics. So far I would say that Missha's was my favoritest one. Currently, I'm trying Neutrogena's oil-free eyemakeup up remover. It doesn't make my eyes feel super oily after using this two times. So, I'm pretty good with it right now, but I'm really interested in finding more natural makeup removers. I'm already putting lots on my face and it would just be great to give my face rest. 

           

Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque

          I bought this masque a while ago, but didn't have a chance to try it until now (been somewhat lazy). When I opened the jar, the masque has a little bit of plastic smell to it and the color of the masque is grey. At first glance, the masque looks very creamy and smooth, which is exactly what I felt as I began applying the masque on my face. Kiehl's masque doesn't dry up within minutes of application unlikethe clay pore mask that I tried earlier. Also, my face feels really cool after I was done applying. It did tighten a bit, but definitely not as tight as the clay pore mask. I left the mask on my face for about ten minutes. Then, I proceeded to rinse it off with warm water. I think that after using this masque my face feels smoother, but haven't seen any results like smaller pores or something. Again, I only tried it once, so maybe I'll see better results after a few times. Although this masque is a bit expensive, but a little goes a long way. I think that the price of this masque is not too bad if I get free shipping!