Erborian CC Creme

The CC version!

What does CC mean? I don't even know. I could probably google it... but clearly I have not. Ok I did at some point when I first started looking into this but I've forgotten.

Ok so in reality... (I always start with "ok" don't I? Sorry!). Alright, so I got interested in looking at this product just cause I like trying new things. I love my current BB creme (also by Erborian) but this CC one was new and I was like ohhhh hello new product.

This does the same thing as the other one... but more!  Ok I just assume it's more. Well for starters this cream is white and then it changes colour to suit your skin! Magicccccc

It has worked quite well for me but I don't know how well it matches with other people's skin colour. Ok I'm talking about people with more of a pink tinge rather than the yellow that I have... and that I imagine the majority of Korean people have (this product originates from Korea).

The CC creme works for me just like the BB, except I got it on special haha.

Ok no I guess it's different - I think it has a higher SPF, which is great, and.... I'm not really selling it am I. I feel a bit bad. It's touted as a superior product but I can't remember why.  Hold on I best look it up.  Ok so the main difference is that it matches to your skin tone.

I get the same effect as the BB cream but I can see how this would suit more people because the colours were somewhat limited for the BB range.
OH and this is REALLY GOOD FOR CHANGE OF SEASONS.  I tend to tan up quite a bit in summer, even with sunscreen and everything... I just get dark.  But when winter comes my skin goes really light again!  So if I keep using my Dore it's suddenly too dark for my skin and looks a bit silly. So this is my WINTER cream :)  Takes me through the transition as my skin gets lighter and lighter and lighter.

It's also good when I use self tanner on my face (to get it all even) and then want this for on top for daily wear.

So... yep a bit of an all over the place review there. The product is great, suits my skin, gives me coverage and yes it does actually confom to my skin colour.
I still love my BB cream in Dore, but this one is really good for change of season when my skin colour gets lighter.

Erborian is awesome.

Erborian BB Creme

I can't believe I haven't written a post about this product before.

I've been using it for years now - every day, and haven't found a superior product (but have wasted money trying).

Ok so what's a BB cream? It's "blemish balm" but basically it just means it's a cream that gives you a more solid base... it's like having a tan on your face. Which I actually recommend ~ self tanner on your face makes it so much easier for every day makeup. But anyway, I digress.

I wear this cream every day as it evens out my skin and hides pimples and under eye discolouration etc. And it has sunscreen in it, and it supposed to be like a moisturiser with other benefits for your skin. I don't use any other moisturiser so whatever it does seems to work for me.

I am pretty lazy and I don't like to wear full on foundation unless it's for an occasion where I feel like I need to put in more effort. Plus I don't really like wearing a "mask" of make up, a more natural look works better for me.

So on your average day, I put this BB cream on and then do eyeliner, blush whatever.. on top of it.

It comes in pretty much two skin colours, so it isn't for everyone. I use the Dore colour, which suits more of a yellow tone skin (I'm Eurasian). There's another colour that is more pink that would suit whiter skin, but given this is a Korean product.... keep in mind that they may not have been working that much with caucasian skin. Or maybe it's awesome.... I don't know, I just use my Dore.

So it pretty much just feels like moisturiser when you put it on, but it gives you some colour and evens you out. I have the issue that whenever I get a spot on my face (ok ok I squeeze pimples I can't help itttttttt).... it takes ages and ages to heal and I get this hyperpigmentation where I get a dark spot while it is healing (happens to a lot of asians). So this stuff helps it to be less obvious day to day without me needing to put a face full of make up on.
Sometimes I cover really prominent spots with some concealer and I just blend it in with the BB cream.

I've used some other BB's but they don't seem to last very long... they are more like an actual moisturiser they just sink in and a couple hours later my face looks like I just woke up :(  The Erborian one lasts like a foundation does, it's just a bit sheerer/less coverage.  I especially like it in summer because I always feel like my foundation is "melting" in summer haha. But with this it gives me the sheer coverage but doesn't kind of melt away. It makes me feel like I get a natural look but get to quietly hide some flaws!

It's not uber expensive (about $59 for a tube)... it lasts a long time to use up a tube.  It's hard to get though (for me in Australia anyway). They used to stock it in Myer but they stopped. Now I have to buy it online.  I think it's a lot more available in the UK.

I've also just started using the new CC creme that Erborian makes - I'll do an update on that next.

So in summary - if you like light coverage and want an easy sunscreen as well... this stuff is great. I wouldn't have kept using it for so many years if it didn't work.
You can also buy it in a 15 ml tube (the bigger one is 45ml) so that you have a travel size one :)

OPI Crystal Nail File

Hello nail file of my dreams.

This lovely lady comes in a handy plastic tube so that you don't go snapping it and have to cry yourself to sleep over the loss of such an important tool.

I've written about crystal nail files before, but this is like the ultimate king of crystal nail files.

I buy these for pretty much everyone I know, they only retail at about $20 and they last foreverrrrr. I've even used one on my dog's nails. Don't cringe - his nails needed some love and he hates the nail clippers~!!!!

And I wouldn't misuse this nail file if I thought it would ruin it. I have about three of these (I like to have them at arms reach hehe). The "most used" one, I thought it was dead after a while as it didn't seem as abrasive - but I gave it a quick wash and a brush with a toothbrush and it is good as new! Hurrah!

So I have one that I use for filing/reshaping, another one I use for getting the top layer off my gel polish (I do my own gel nails at home... bought the OPI UV lamp online for too much money... but I'll tell you about that in a different post).

Those of you who haven't tried gel or haven't taken it off yourself - you need to file off the top layer to allow the remover to get in there to do its job. This means that your nail file has to work pretty hard and can get a lot of build up on it.

OPI nail file is all like "whatever this is a piece of cake".

It's also really handy for cleaining under your nails.

None of mine have broken yet (probably because I store them in the plastic tube).

I had a friend that has used crystal nail files before who said she didn't need one when I told her about it... I bought it for her anyway.  Two days later "oh my god this IS A NAIL FILE".

*celebration*

Lifeline Recovery Night Moisture Serum

Ok so I got a sample for this product when I bought some Erborian CC creme online (I'll write a review for that magic product later!).

First things first - I don't use moisturiser *gasp*! or night cream *double gasp!* *blasphemy!*

The thing is, my skin is I guess semi oily? I'm eurasian if that gives an idea of skin type. So any moisturiser I've used has made me break out with pimples. And my face doesn't really feel dry ever (and yes I know the creams are for more than dryness).

Basically, I feel as though I get my moisturising needs met by using my Erborian BB or CC cremes and I don't really require anything more (and if I try to, I break out).

But then I met this cream. I only use the tiniest bit at night, and I don't use it every night, but oh my god my face feels so nice the next day! Very baby soft. And no break outs (as long as I keep to not using it every night. Or if my skin feels particularly oily I don't use it. But this has to be the first product that A. Hasn't had a negative effect on my skin and B. Actually feels like it has done something good for my skin.

Oh and before you poo poo me - I've tried other products over time as well (in case my skin needed to adapt). No go.

Now I don't know whether the stem cells that this product promotes are actually making any difference to my skin in regards to making me look younger or whatever, but it certainly feels like my skin is better in the morning. I look kind of "glowing" without being pregnant ;)

This stuff is expensive, so before buying the actual bottle I read a fair few reviews - it sounds like maybe it is a newish product as there wasn't a whole heap of reviews out there. I did however find a really good one that was very objective. I'm really sorry but I couldn't find it again when I tried to re-google it but I'll summarise. Basically the guy (I think?) had researched the company and was looking at it from a scientific perspective, which makes sense given the claims of this product regarding stem cells.
So the company actually predominantly works with stem cells (as in cosmetics are not their main thing - the science and research with the human body is their actual priority). But it sounds like someone came along and said hey you could probably get more funds if you thought about what else this could be used for.
And voila they started this side company for the cosmetics.
Who knows, maybe they dump in all the stem cells they can't use for the high end scientific research. Anyways the point is, the reviewer couldn't find any solid evidence as to why the stem cells would be good in your face cream - basically he was implying that the company doesn't really care too much about explaining to us exactly how the stem cells would work in this topical form.... they are probably focussed on saving lives or something eh?
But the point he made was that he couldn't find any information to disprove that it works. So on benefit of the doubt - the stem cells could make a difference.

For me, I was just happy that this cream made my face skin all babbbbby soft. And less pimples, which for me as a grown adult... is a nice change haha.

So I would suggest getting your hands on a sample of this to try it out. Don't go buying the full bottle straight away, it's expensive and what if it doesn't work for you? I think you can buy the samples online on ebay or you can maybe get them from the lifeline website (if you live in the US).

I kind of like that the product I'm buying is associated with real 'make a difference' scientific research too. I'm guessing your standard Loreal's and such probably contribute to research as well, but this just seems a bit closer to it.
I could of course be wrong about that association... but hey. Baby smooth cheeks.

Contact lenses - normal ones!

Ok so I now wear contact lenses as my short sightedness got worse and I was wearing my glasses every day but it got annoying.
I got sick of my glasses fogging up when I eat soup. Or (and this probably doesn't happen to everyone...) getting sweaty on my face where my glasses are. I always get sweaty there when I'm nervous. And it doesn't really add to my 'cool girl chic' when I'm wiping away sweat from under my glasses.

And the main logical reason - I'm going in to a new profession (nursing) and I became really aware of how often I touch my glasses, and it just seemed cumbersome and unhygienic.

I wanted to get laser eye surgery but when I researched it I read that your eyes need to have stabilised. Mine were still getting worse so I didn't think I'd be a candidate.

Contacts it is!

So I went to my optometrist and they did all their measuring and such and then gave me a trial set (I think they normally test you out on whether you can put them in and take them out, but I told them I had tried the freshlook lenses before so I was ok with that).

I chose monthly lenses - I wanted the ones that were "the best for my eye health" and these seemed the best option. It felt too wasteful or something to get daily ones that you chuck out every time, and I figured that would have been better if I wasn't wearing them every day. But for every day...  Monthly ones seemed better.

Ok so for me, putting them in was pretty ok. I don't have an issue with touching my eye balls. I thought about the technique I use - I look in the mirror, hold my eyelids open with one hand, and try to put the contact right in the middle of my eye ball with the other hand. Then I kind of let it settle on to the eye (it magically finds it's own way into the right spot on the iris) and then I slowly let my eyelids back over it. Sometimes there's an air bubble under it but when you blink a couple of times it goes away.
Sometimes my eye lid catches on the side of it and knocks it out and I have to try again.

Oh and I use hand sanitiser beforehand, but I let it dry on my fingers so I'm not putting that directly on my eye (I reckon that would sting).

I don't look at the approaching finger with the contact lense on it either - I'm looking in the mirror at my hand, aiming it. It's like I kind of shut off the sight of the eye that is actually receiving the contact.

Initially I had issues with whether the contact was inside out or not. So annoying, I just couldn't really tell. I read on the net about it, people saying right way up is like a "bowl" and wrong way is like a "saucer". I can see that now, but at the time, the difference between the bowl and the saucer was nothingggggg.

They are right though, when it's wrong way it's like the edges are a bit flatter out, and when it's right way the edges look more like they want to curl inwards like a ball.

Now I can tell more from the fact that it feels uncomfortable if it's in the wrong way. And that's another thing - I didn't know what "feeling uncomfortable" meant, because wearing them AT ALL felt "uncomfortable" because it was just not natural feeling.
Now I'd describe uncomfortable as kind of tired? Like a dull ache. And I think that's when your eye balls are dry. I bought drops to put in every now and then - they are compatible with the contacts and just alleviate that feeling a tad.
The other thing that I would call "uncomfortable" is the easier one to notice - like if you have dust in your eye and it's just irritating. That's when you know something isn't quite right. I usually take them out, rinse them with solution and try putting them in again.

I have a friend that tried contacts ages ago but just could never get them in or out (when he was at the optomestrist). If this happens to you I suggest asking them for the trial pair and trying at home. I found it way easier to get them in when I was by myself with no pressure.  Sure the first time my eyes were watering like crazy (ok for the first week this happened!) but I kept trying and eventually got used to it.

Oh and how is your eye sight when you wear contacts compared to glasses? AMAZING. I felt like superman. Everything was so clear, like everywherrrrre. That sounds silly but with the contacts on it's your entire field of vision, not just the bits within that frame of glasses. And boy do I notice that frame now when I wear glasses instead of contacts. I've only been wearing my big frames because I find the smaller frames uber annoying now after wearing contacts.

So yay for contacts! Definitely recommended.

Keep em clean though - make sure you change the solution they are in, and change your contact case maybe every time you start a new bottle of solution? (they usually come with a free case anyway).

Don't rinse them in water, even if you are desperate.

I had to stay at a mates house as an emergency to look after her little girl and didn't have my contact solution or case.... I ended up putting them in a water bottle lid, filled with my eye drops. Wasn't ideal but it was better than nothing!

After that I went on to ebay and bought some emergency contact boxes - they were about $1.50 and they are a small plastic square box with a small contact case inside and a little bottle for solution, and it has a mirror. This way whenever I have an emergency I have a storage case, solution and a mirror.

:)