Make-up Bag Essential: Surratt Beauty Surreal Skin Concealer in 02

If I were to take one make-up product to a desert island with me, it would be concealer. For me, it's always been an essential, ever since I first started breaking out in middle school - and I continue to use at least one on an everyday basis, even when I choose to forgo the rest of my make-up. It simply gives my face the biggest impact: conceals tired under eyes, stubborn freckles, redness around my nose, dark marks from old zits as well as those angry red bumps that decided to put in an appearance at the last moment. Ugh. Which is why I'm always on the lookout for the best concealer out there, and I love trying new ones, like this Surratt Beauty Surreal Skin Concealer in the shade 02 ($50 for 0.6 oz).

This is without a doubt the most expensive concealer I've ever had (especially considering the small volume of the stick) - to be honest, I would have never opted for it if it weren't a generous gift with purchase from the Surratt counter at Barney's. So far, I have really enjoyed everything I've tried from Surratt, so I was curious to see how their complexion product would perform on me.

There are 8 shades in the range, spanning very, very fair skin to deeper skintones. I'm saying 'very, very fair skin' because I own the second lightest shade, which you'll see in the moment is quite comparable to NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly (especially once blended out on the skin - Chantilly oxidizes on me just a touch darker than in my arm swatch), which I consider to be really rather pale. I'd think that shade 01 would probably suit those who are in the N5 range (Bobbi Brown Alabaster, Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Fair Neutral and so on).

Surratt Surreal Skin Concealer in 02, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly, Laneige Cushion Concealer in Light*

I quite enjoy the minimalist black packaging with a sparkling ombre detail, and the entire product is small, sleek and lightweight - perfect for touch-ups on the go. But again, you are paying quite a hefty price tag for such a small product. The bullet itself is also quite slim, and cut at an angle; nice size for applying directly under the eyes or on areas of redness, but obviously too large for precise spot concealing.

I've tested the Surreal Skin Concealer both under my eyes as well as on marks, redness and blemishes. The product promises to 'erase dark circles and offer surreal coverage', and right off the bat, I have to disagree. If you're looking high coverage, the Surratt concealer doesn't have it. I would say that blended out, it offers a light coverage, built up in layers or really concentrated (on blemishes, for example), it's medium. On most days, I don't have very dark under eye circles and currently no monster zits to cover, so it's alright for me, but I think if you need some serious concealing action, you'd be very dissapointed.

I was however quite pleasantly surprised with the texture of this product. Stick concealers tend to be quite dry and heavy, and accentuate any dryness on the skin. The Surratt concealer doesn't do that - it's quite creamy (but obviously less so than a liquid concealer) and sits lightweight on the skin. As you'll see in my face shot, it doesn't exacerbate dry flakes around my nostrils, and it doesn't make my under eye area look too crepey (I prepped with a hydrating eye cream beforehand). It also wears well throughout the day on me and doesn't slide off bumps or blemishes.

Left side: no concealer under the eyes, right side: Surratt Surreal Skin. I've also used it around my nose and on any blemishes. Foundation is Koh Gen Do Aqua in PK-1. Feel free to click on the photo to enlarge.

All in all, I think it's a decent multipurpose concealer - like I said in the beginning, it would make a great make-up bag essential if you like touching up your concealer throughout the day, or perhaps to take on a trip in lieu of two separate products, one for under the eyes and one for spots. I like either picking up some product from the stick on my brush and then buffing it into the skin, or applying with my fingers - I find that using the stick directly on the skin doesn't work as well, probably because like most stick products, this benefits from being warmed up first. However, I will not be repurchasing once mine runs out - I do prefer to have something with a higher coverage so that I don't have to spend as much time layering the concealer on blemishes.

What was the most expensive concealer you've ever tried? Do you use a separate concealer for your under eyes and for spot concealing, or do you prefer to have one multitasker?

Exfoliation for Dry & Sensitive Skin: Laneige Multiberry Yogurt Peeling Gel*

Have you heard about peeling gels? They're a very popular product on the Japanese and Korean markets, with cult favorites such as the Cure Natural Aqua Gel or the cheap as chips Skinfood Pineapple Morning Peeling Gel flying off the shelves. The US brands have already jumped on board with high-end options from Peter Thomas Roth and Boscia now available at Sephora.

Let me start this review by saying that I think most peeling gels are completely bogus. The idea is that you spread this gel on your dry face, massage it in, and you're left with clumps of dead skin that can then be washed off. As soon as I heard that claim I was about 98% sure that those 'dead skin clumps' were just the product balling up on itself. This has mostly been confirmed by Lab Muffin in this experiment - there may be some dead skin in those flakes you're seeing, but the whole concept is quite gimmicky.

However, when I was sent the Laneige Multiberry Yogurt Peeling Gel* ($22 for 120 ml/ 4 fl oz) for review, which is one of the most popular peeling gels on the market, I wasn't completely opposed to trying it out, especially that my skin has become too dehydrated and sensitive for my usual manual exfoliation methods - as much as I love TATCHA's Rice Enzyme Powder* (reviewed here), it can leave my face feeling quite dry and squeaky.

The Multiberry Peeling Gel claims to 'exfoliate dead skin cells and impurities with natural Konjac beads and chestnut extract'. The product also contains 'Sogurty™, a specialized fermented yogurt, [which] provides anti-inflammatory benefits', as well as an antioxidant berry complex. The texture of this product is a creamy gel with tiny little bits of something that looks like a cellulose sponge to me - I'm guessing those are the Konjac beads. There are no dreadful polyethylene (plastic) microbeads in this product.

I've tested this product on multiple occassions, on dry skin and slightly damp skin, on my face and my hands, and I do not think this is actually a peeling gel - it doesn't ball up and doesn't leave little gunky rolls on your face. To me, that's a plus - I've said already that the 'flakes' are just a gimmick - but the name of the product is a bit misleading if you were expecting a peeling gel in the Asian sense. Instead, the Laneige Peeling Gel remains creamy on the face, and exfoliates your face just with those tiny spongy bits - like a typical Western scrub would.

That being said, I actually quite like it. If you're expecting a heavy duty facial scrub, this is absolutely not for you. The Multiberry Yogurt gel is extremely gentle and thus not as effective at removing dry patches as a sugar scrub or a powder exfoliant like the TATCHA. It does however excel at softening dry skin and leaving your face smoother, hydrated and calm. My favorite way of using this product is actually as an occasional (2-3 times a week) morning cleanser: it doesn't strip my skin but gives at a somewhat deeper clean than my regular Andalou cream cleanser, and it washes away very easily - scrubs that are difficult to remove and leave scrubby bits all over my face and hair are one of my pet peeves. It also helps that it's a cheery baby pink color and smells very convincingly of strawberry yogurt. Yum.

I would recommend it to those with dry, dehydrated and/or sensitive skin looking for a very mild physical scrub or an exfoliating cream cleanser. I think you'd be disappointed if your skin is combo/oily and you were looking for something to help with clogged pores or pronounced flakiness - I'd suggest the Andalou Naturals Lemon Sugar Scrub or the Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powders instead. Have you tried a peeling gel before? What are your favorite manual exfoliants?

Disclaimer: Items marked with an asterix (*) are press samples I received from the brands' PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!

Book Review: Korean Beauty Secrets by Kerry Thompson & Coco Park

I think it's safe to say that Korean beauty trends have taken our Western market by the storm. Just look at the number of Korean brands now available at Sephora, and we now even have cushion foundations sprouting at the drugstore - say whaaat? I've first become interested in Korean and Japanese beauty products in 2013, which is evidenced by a whole skew of reviews under my Asian Beauty label (you can browse them all here); and to this day, I remain convinced that there are some absolute gems among Asian brands.

So when I spotted the 'Korean Beauty Secrets: A Practical Guide to Cutting-Edge Skincare & Make-up' by Kerry Thompson & Coco Park at my local library, I immediately put it in my bag (well, okay - I checked it out first. No need to report theft, people). I have seen it featured on Instagram by some bloggers I follow, and I was really curious to see if there would be anything new or surprising to me in the book.

When I was first getting into Korean beauty, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of the previously unknown brands and rather confused by the names and terminology of the products. Treatment Essence? Bee Venom? Ampoule? Bird's Nest? Sleeping pack?! By doing some research on my own and leaning heavily on the knowledge and experience of my blogging pal Kar Yi, I was able to slowly but surely familiarize myself with the peculiarities of the Korean beauty market.

But even to this day, there are products and steps I'm not at all confident about, and with the fast pace of new products being constantly released on the market, there are always new things to learn about K-beauty. I can absolutely see how the idea for this book came about, and I applaud the authors - both beauty bloggers and Korean beauty fanatics - for identifying the niche and bringing out a guide to explain those new trends to us on the Western part of the hemisphere.

The book is divided into two parts: one focusing on skincare (which I believe may have been primarily written by Kerry) and the other on make-up (probably penned by Coco). Let's start with the skincare portion, which I'll admit was the one I was itching the most to read - and I'll say right off the bat that I was not disappointed.

The skincare chapters contain some important but basic topics like determining your skin type and concerns and provide a glossary and explanation of key skincare ingredients. While as a beauty fiend, I didn't find much new information in these pages, I thought they were well written and very helpful - I especially liked the explanation of humectants, occlusives and emollients (p. 29-31). But what I enjoyed the most in the skincare part of the book was the information provided on skincare routines, particularly the practical examples of Korean skincare routines from 9 beauty bloggers, all with different skin concerns and goals. To me, the different steps in Korean skincare routines and the order of layering products are probably the most confusing out of all the aspects of K-beauty, so it was fascinating to take a peek into what everyone was using and why.

I did struggle with some of the information provided and at times I wished that I could just email one of the writers or contributing bloggers and ask them questions about the reasoning behind certain skincare choices. For example, the 'Morning Routine Layering Examples' chart (p. 76) states that in an Advanced routine for Oily/ Combo skin, you could be using a BHA serum as your third step, then followed by Vitamin C as your fourth step. These suggestions bear a footnote detailing that there's an optional wait time for these pH-dependent products to maximize their efficacy, but if using both a BHA and Vit C products, both can be applied at the same time and then followed by a break. There's no additional information anywhere else in the book about pH-dependent products and how they work, nor do the authors explain why an acid and a Vitamin C product can be layered one after another. I realize that there is some more advanced chemistry know-how required to understand exactly how that works, but I wish that the authors elaborated on that at least a little bit more!

There were more examples of confusing information in the section dedicated to the specific beauty bloggers' routines - probably due more to the unclear nature of the information provided by said bloggers than the authors' own fault, but puzzling nonetheless. Why does Kerry follow what she dubbs as an acid toner (COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner) by another BHA treatment - isn't that overexfoliating the skin? (Not really - the COSRX Toner is more of a balancing toner and contains only about 0.1% acids - but that information is missing from the book). Why does Elisa from Memorable Days apply a Vitamin C serum first and then follow it by a toner - isn't she just wiping off the serum? (Nope - the toner she uses is really an essence, used without a cotton pad and patted into the skin instead). And so the list goes on. I also wish that the product categories section explained the difference between essences, serums and ampoules a little better, and gave more examples of specific products for all categories - like maybe the authors' recommendations for the best picks from both lower and higher ends of the price spectrum.

I have to say that I didn't really learn anything new from the make-up part of the book. The first section here describes all the different make-up product categories and gives recommendations for specific products with short-ish reviews. I found this part to be quite boring - the products are just listed one after the other - and I mostly browsed through this part.

The second part is a lot more interesting and features photos of Korean-inspired make-up looks created by Coco, with a short description of steps and products used. But even this more practical section failed to completely wow me - personally, I didn't like most of the looks, but aesthetics aside, I found them very simple and not all that different from the 'Western' looks I'm used to. I understand that the authors' intention may have been to present easy to achieve looks for beauty beginners, but even so, the section lacked close-up photographs of the eyes or step by step tutorial photos that would be the most helpful (I think). I would also have liked to see the inspiration behind these looks, like some photos of K-pop stars sporting the make-up or examples of street style. Maybe I'm nit-picking here; I guess I just wish there was more 'meat' to the make-up portion of the book.

All in all, I very much enjoyed 'Korean Beauty Secrets', and I would recommend it both to beauty fanatics new to Korean trends as well as those already familiar. I'm giving it 4 out of 5 stars (but mostly for the skincare half). It definitely inspired me to jot down some ideas for future skincare purchases as well as to tweak my own skincare routine a bit. It actually couldn't have come at a better time - my skin has been misbehaving lately, giving me both dehydrated flakey skin AND spots - so I'm curious to see if the Korean-inspired changes I've incorporated change it for the better. One last criticism: the book was not proofread very carefully, resulting in abundant spelling and grammar mistakes. I know it may seem a minor downfall to some, but as a linguist, I was quite annoyed. Quite annoyed.

Are you into Korean beauty? Have you already read this book? I'd love to hear your opinion in the comments!

Make-up Investment Piece: Surratt Artistique Cheek Brush Review

I did it - I bought one thing and one thing only from the latest Sephora VIB sale, and it's this Surratt Artistique Cheek Brush ($115 each). When I first laid my grubby little fingers on Surratt's brushes last year at their launch (read my initial thoughts here), I was the most impressed with the large Powder brush and it's smaller companion, the Cheek Brush. I have a thing for blush brushes, and Surratt's version with its silky soft bristles and cute pom-pom shape beckoned to me from the counter. BUT! But. This beauty comes at a price.

It's easy to see the reason behind investing in quality versus quantity when it comes to your possessions, but I find it's another thing entirely to actually act upon it. In the past, I would have never dreamt of spending over a hundred bucks for any make-up product or tool; I'd be thinking, 'how life-changing would it have to be to justify the price tag?'. Truth is, very few things in life are game-changers, and I personally wouldn't classify anything make-up related among them. However, I do see the value in supporting genuine craftsmanship, something that's becoming rarer and rarer these days - so I bought this beautiful handmade Japanese brush, and it gives me joy to use it every day. Was it necessary? No. If you'd hate to part with your hard-earned money for just this one little object and later nit-pick why the brush isn't the most perfect tool in all of creation, don't do it. It's not worth it.

As soon as you hold the box with your precious Surratt brush, you can see and feel where your money has gone: there's minute attention to detail and luxurious elegance in the presentation of this brush. I know some of you would probably rather pay a lower price and just get the brush, but that's never an option with high-end make-up, is it? In the past, after a few months of procrastinating the painful decision, I tossed the box that my Medium Smokey Eye Brush (review) came in, but now I kinda regret it - I could have used it for jewelry (the length would be perfect for bracelets or necklaces), or to organize make-up in my narrow drawers, like I did with this box. You can also see I've reused some boxes from my TATCHA skincare; they too are too pretty to discard.

But, back to the Cheek Brush. Do I even need to comment on how amazingly soft Surratt's brushes are to the touch? I believe the bristles are grey squirrel, and like most Japanese-made brushes, they haven't been cut to create the brush's shape but hand-selected instead, so the hairs taper down and feel even softer on the skin. If you've never seen Surratt's brushes in person, the handles are a bit on the shorter side, which I like for applying make-up on myself. The glittering ombre detail at the end of the handle has stood the test of time on my other Surratt brush through a year of use and brush laundry.

Another important fact you need to know about this brush is that's it's SMALL.  I have included a photo of it resting in my hand for size reference - I hope that you can see that it's without a doubt rather diminutive for a blush brush. If you're a fan of something like Real Techniques Blush Brush, the Surratt is not for you. If, however, your face and features are on the small side and you like to be able to carefully control your blush placement, this is a fantastic specimen.

I didn't have any other blush brushes similar in size or shape to compare, because the Surratt Cheek Brush is in fact closer in size to my highlighter/ contour brushes - a little larger and denser, but still. You can see here that the domed shape is comparable to the Real Techniques Contour Brush, but the Surratt has longer bristles (= more flexibility) and doesn't fluff out as much. It does become a bit rounder as you use it (it's freshly washed in my photos) but definitely not enough to try to 'stipple' your powders on. Compared to the Zoeva 105 Luxe Highlight, there's no taper to Surratt's bristles, and there's definitely a lot more bristles packed in the ferrule.

I've been using this brush for close to two weeks now and I do enjoy how it applies my blush. The density of the Cheek Brush allows it to pick up quite a bit of pigment from the pan, but it's flexible enough to blend everything out seamlessly. I usually use one side to place the powder on my cheeks, and then I swirl it around using the head to diffuse it around the edges. The first time I used it I was surprised to see two hairs stuck to my cheek, but I believe it must have been just some loose hairs left over from the manufacturing process as I haven't noticed any shedding since - also, no shedding on my Smokey Eye Brush.

L-R: Surratt Cheek Brush (squirrel), Zoeva 105 Luxe Highlight (goat), Real Techniques Contour Brush (synthetic)

I'm very happy with this brush, and I'm glad I decided to splurge on it during the VIB sale (I'm also glad to see Surratt sold at Sephora, although Kar Yi (here's a link to her review of Surratt's angled Sculpting Brush) told me it's difficult to get any sense of his brushes' feel in Sephora store displays - much easier to play with the fluffies at Barney's). I can see this blush becoming a daily staple, be it for blush, highlighter or more precise setting powder placement. What have you picked up during recent sale events? What is your favorite brush to use for powder blushes?

Multi-tasking Base: Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF42

Missha was one of the first Korean brands to arrive on our beauty scene, and their Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 PA +++ ($22 for 50ml but frequently on sale: entire Missha website is 40% off plus free shipping until midnight today) was one of the first products from the brand to win the hearts of many a beauty blogger. I purchased this smaller 20ml trial size in-store last year (don't you think all brands should offer smaller sizes of foundations for less? Such a great idea!) and I've only just dug it out from my back-up stash to try now.

Missha's BB Cream comes in a simple cardboard box with a full list of ingredients (although surprisingly, the sunscreen content is not listed separately as an active ingredient, which I believe is required by law here in the US), and the product itself is packaged in a slim squeeze tube, which I always appreciate. The claims for this BB Cream are 'natural-looking coverage while providing sun protection, treating dark spots, and preventing wrinkles', and it can be used either as a primer or alone as a foundation.

The texture of this product is a slightly thicker lotion that spreads and blends out easily on the skin. It does have quite a strong fragrance - it smells like a cross between old-school Nivea and sunscreen to me, kinda nostalgic - and it can linger, so I would advise against purchasing this BB if you're sensitive to scents. The Perfect Cover BB definitely has a more emollient, moisturizing feel as it contains mineral oil as well as natural plant oils, glycerine and hyaluronic acid, but I wouldn't say it feels heavy or tacky once blended in. The coverage is light (a bit surprising given the product's name, but in line with the brand's claims) and it has a natural, glowy finish on the skin. This BB Cream doesn't pool into my fine lines or pores, but due to the dewy effect, it doesn't disguise them either.

Compared to the L'Occitane Immortelle Precious BB Cream that I reviewed not too long ago, on my combination skin, I definitely prefer the Missha Perfect Cover because of its better longevity and more lightweight feel (I didn't include the L'Occitane BB in the swatches as I've already passed it on to a drier-skinned friend). I'm not surprised that Perfect Cover is one of Missha's best-sellers - it would be a fantastic multi-purpose product for someone looking for just a little bit of coverage to even things out but with the added conveniance of not having to layer a separate SPF or even moisturizer under one's foundation in the morning. One thing to keep in mind is that this product has a tendency to leave a bit of an ashy cast on the skin (probably due to high zinc oxide content); the shade I chose, Light Beige no. 21, can look a bit grey on my skin if applied more generously.

L-R: Missha Perfect Cover BB in no. 21 Light Beige, Revlon Colorstay in Ivory, Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation in PK-1

All in all, I'm quite happy with Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream. Most days, the coverage is a bit too light for me, but I've also been mixing it in with a more longlasting and opaque foundation, and I like the effect. I also really enjoy wearing Missha's BB when my skin is particularly dry and dehydrated (hello, winter season!), although it doesn't have any miraculous properties like erasing flaky skin - it just feels more comfortable than a mattifying base. What foundation do you usually reach for once the weather cools down? Do you prefer to layer SPF with foundation, or do you rely on sunscreen in your base products?

A Pillow For Your Under Eyes: Laneige Cushion Concealer SPF30 in Light*

With the increasing popularity of cushion foundations (read my review of Laneige's BB Cushion here), many brands have decided to go all out on the cushion technology, introducing cushion blushers, gel eyeliners, eyeshadows and more. Laneige is definitely on top of that trend with their Cushion Concealer Broad Spectrum SPF 30* ($20 for 2.5 ml at Target), available in Light (which I have here to show you) and Medium.

First off, I have to say that Laneige's Cushion Concealer doesn't actually have a cushion - the applicator is in fact a soft fluffy... ehm, ball, I guess. Or round doe foot. It looks pretty adorable when brand new with its baby pink color. The delivery method of this concealer is a clickety pen, and I absolutely love, love that there's a window on the side of the packaging so you can easily see how much product you have remaining. The concealer with the most similar packaging on the US market right now is the newly released Burberry Cashmere Concealer, while the Maybelline Age Rewind is a similar concept, but it features a sponge on the end and the size of the applicator is much larger. Laneige's doe foot fits perfectly into the curves around your eyes or nose.

The Cushion Concealer boasts SPF 30+ (combination of physical and chemical sunscreen ingredients), which is a rarity, as well as skincare benefits on top of its concealing action: it's supposed to have a hydrating and brightening effect. I was actually expecting the texture of this product to be much thinner, but in fact, it's quite creamy (only slightly thinner than my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer), and blends easily into the skin. The tone of the Light shade is definitely quite yellow on me, which surprisingly works well not only on areas of redness but also under my eyes (I have a lot of purple tones there, but if your eye area is more olive, this may look too ashy).

I would say the coverage of this concealer is medium, so for me personally it's not really suited for pin-point blemish concealing. It's sufficiently opaque though to disguise the darkness under my eyes or redness around the nose. When blended in, the finish of this concealer is a natural satin, but unfortunately on me, it sometimes exacerbates texture under my eyes, and I find it a bit difficult to layer over my eye cream - it blends out unevenly, especially towards the outer corners. It looks alright when I pat it in with a finger versus blending out with a brush, but I'm not sure if the results warrant babying this product so much; judge for yourselves in my uncomfortable eye close-up.

L-R: Laneige Cushion Concealer in Light, Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Bisque, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly

No concealer on the left under eye area, Laneige Cushion Concealer applied on the right.

Overall, I think it's an average concealer - it's just a bit too much effort for me to coax it into behaving the way I would like it to. Looking at the photos of my under eyes with and without concealer, I actually think the two sides don't look all that different, and maybe I'm just not the best judge when it comes to under eye concealers because I don't have huge issues to conceal in that area. If you've been thinking about purchasing Laneige's Cushion Concealer, keep in mind the two major downsides of this product: very limited shade range and the price per ounce - 2.5 ml of product isn't a whole lot (in comparison, NARS Creamy Concealer contains around 6.5 ml, while the Maybelline Age Rewind contains 6ml for $7-8). Have you tried any of the spin-off cushion products? What is your current favorite concealer?

Disclaimer: Item marked with an asterix (*) is a press sample I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!

Snail Flail? Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream Review

Are we still feeling scandalized by snail secretions in our skincare? I've actually never been very squeamish about it, but either way, late last year (sic!) I decided to purchase this Snail Recovery Gel Cream ($6-10 for 45ml from Amazon or eBay) from Mizon, a Korean brand famous for its snail extract products. I'd had some good luck with snail sheet masks in the past and was looking for an inexpensive hydration booster to add to my routine, and this seemed to fit the bill.

The Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream is actually a difficult product to categorize. It's a multipurpose product containing 74% Snail Secretion Filtrate that can be used as a serum, after sun, sleeping mask, soothing salve for irritated/ blemished skin. It's definitely not a moisturizer; this light, clear gel sinks into the skin almost immediately and doesn't provide much nourishment like a standard Western cream does. If you wanted to incorporate it into your skincare routine, I would use it either instead or together with a serum/ essence, and follow with a moisturizer. Apart from the snail extract, it also contains hyaluronic acid, soothing plant extracts like gotu kola, green tea, lotus and white birch, as well as peptides, allantoin, panthenol and adenosine towards the very end of the ingredients' list.

I've been using the Snail Recovery Gel Cream on and off for months now, and here's what I found. Yes, I do think this airy, fragrance-free gel provides a soothing boost of hydration to the skin - I especially like to use it when my skin is acting up for one reason or another (seasonal dehydration, breakouts, redness and sensitivity, dryness resulting from treatments containing salicylic acid/ retinols), and I either leave it on the skin for the entire day/ night, or rinse off after 20 minutes to an hour. It sinks in very fast and doesn't leave a sticky residue, so even my skincare-hating husband wouldn't mind using it on his face :) I would liken it to an aloe vera gel in terms of its versatility and results, but on my skin, it's even more effective. It would also be a terrific option for anyone who's allergic to aloe vera, which is actually more common that you would think.

All in all, I think it's a handy little product to have in your medicine cabinet, but I don't think it's a miracle worker. I do own other products that are more effective in their respective categories; for example, Laneige Water Sleeping Mask (click!) is a better hydrating overnight mask, or the Hada Labo Hyaluronic Acid Gokujuyn Lotion (click!) is a better hydrating serum/essence than this Snail Gel. However, if you were on a limited budget, wanted to streamline your routine, or looking for a single multipurpose product to pack for travel, the Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream is a great option. Have you tried any products with snail filtrate? What is your favorite 'do it all' skincare product?

Plum Jam: Shiseido Lacquer Gloss in RS306

Even though the leaves in New York are still green and firmly attached to their branches, I think we all know it's time to throw some autumnal shades into the make-up mix. I have actually had this sample of Shiseido Lacquer Gloss in RS306 Plum Wine ($25 for 0.25 oz) in my lipgloss drawer since February, but after trying it once, I decided to relegate it to the fall season - so here it is.

Well, the other reason I decided to put it away is that on that after that one application, I was left feeling somewhat disappointed. Why so, Monika? Did it suck so bad? (Yes, I AM prone to one on one conversations in my head). Nope, not at all. It's just that... it was SO pigmented. After a few years of trial and error, I've established that pigmented lip glosses are definitely a no-go for me: get some of that creamy, gooey, sticky pigment on my lips, and in a couple minutes, it'll be everywhere on my face AND in my hair. Just too anxiety-inducing, you know?

But after wearing Shiseido's Lacquer Gloss a few more times, I'm actually willing to negotiate my stance on pigmented glosses. Somehow, Shiseido's gloss just grips the lips a lot better, and doesn't transfer as easily as my other lipglosses. It does feel a little sticky with a couple hours wear, but I don't mind really, and I think it just goes with the territory of a longer-wearing gloss. In terms of texture, the closest comparison would be the Maybelline Color Elixirs (click here for my review): the formula is smooth and a bit more oil-like than a traditional gloss, there's a beautiful translucency to it, so it seems to cushion the lips without pooling into vertical lip lines. There's just a hint of sweet vanilla scent, nothing noticeable. The product blurb says that these Lacquer Glosses feature 'a three-layer structure that refines lip texture, adheres to the lips with vivid color, and coats the lips with all-day moisture', and it doesn't stray too far from the truth.

RS306 Plum Wine, described on Sephora as a rosy violet, is a pinky plum leaning a bit purple - it almost looks like a blueberries and cream type of shade on my lips (YUM). In the heavy arm swatch, you can see tiny glimmers of magenta, but on the lips, the gloss has a cream finish - I can't detect any shimmers with a naked eye.

L-R (both photos): Shiseido Lacquer Gloss in RS306 (one swipe), YSL Rouge Pur Couture in Rose Stiletto no.9, Lancome Color Design in Wine Party

One downside to this gloss is the applicator (or rather the stopper): I get way too much product on the paddle-shaped doe foot when I pull out the wand, and consequently have to be very careful not too smear the product everywhere or have the gloss migrate towards the edges of my mouth. But, provided that I apply just the right amount, tie my hair back and try to be careful with my meals and drinks (is this gloss asking for too much?), I really like the look and performance of the Lacquer Gloss; it's an easy, non-intimidating way of sporting a deeper plum shade for fall.  

Have you tried any Shiseido lip product? What are your favorite lipglosses for the colder season?

Sunscreen Options: Mentholatum Sunplay SPF50+, Shiseido Water in Lip SPF18, Neutrogena Sensitive Skin SPF60+

I've been very diligent in applying sunscreen this season, and as a result, I've been going through my older stash quite quickly and needed to repurchase quite a few SPF products. I realize that summer days are almost over in this hemisphere, but sun protection is very important all year round, so I thought some mini reviews would still be helpful to you, especially for the lesser known Japanese sunscreens I've been trying.

Mentholatum Sunplay Super Block SPF50+ PA++++ ($9.48 for 30g/ 27 ml), which was my choice for sunscreen for the face, came highly recommended from my blogging friend Claire and was also mentioned by Driveller Kate quite a while ago (why don't you blog anymore, Kate? *sniff sniff*). Before I pulled the trigger and ordered a bottle from Amazon, I spent a looong time perusing all the popular options from Japanese and Korean brands, and finally decided to get the Rohto Metholatum Sunplay for three main reasons: a) it's fragrance-free, which is not that easy to find, b) it's alcohol-free, again not very common, especially among Asian formulations, c) it's a combination of physical and chemical sunscreens with the highest PA rating available at this price point. The PA rating, which indicates the level of UVA protection, is especially important to me as I'm a fair-skinned person who freckles very easily, and I would like to prevent future hyperpigmentation issues as much as I can.

The first time I applied the Sunplay Superblock, I was a little terrified. It's a runny, silicony milk which comes in a dinky shaker bottle, and I dotted a generous amount all over my face, just like I would with my Paula's Choice RESIST Super-Light SPF 30. But when I started rubbing it in, it just refused to sink in, leaving me not only very shiny (and that's scary for someone with a combination skin type in the middle of a humid summer!) but also decidedly white. I tried my best not to panic, leaving it alone in hopes it would absorb a little bit (which eventually, it did... a bit), and then finally blending a mattifying foundation over the top, which also helped to take the sheen down a notch. My skin still looked quite glowy, but actually, not in a bad way - just healthy glowy, and the sunscreen felt very lightweight and comfortable on the skin, not tacky or heavy.

Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, water, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, zinc oxide, triethylhexanoin, diglycerin, titanium dioxide, methyl methacrylate crosspolymer, trimethylsiloxysilicate, diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate, sodium hyaluronate, tocopheryl acetate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, lauryl PEG-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone, hydrate silica, hydrogen dimethicone, polyglyceryl-2 triisostearate, 1,2 hexanediol, aluminum hydroxide, panthenol, vinyl dimthicone/lauryl dimethicone crosspolymer, disodium EDTA

Throughout the day, I checked my face for oil breakthrough quite a few times, and my base still looked fresh and dewy, not greasy. My skin also felt softer and more hydrated (maybe thanks to the hyaluronic acid in the formula); my main problem with the Paula's Choice RESIST sunscreen, especially when paired with a longwearing foundation, is that it tends to look very dry and slightly cakey on my face at the end of the day, and it can be dehydrating when used daily. With the Mentholatum, my face definitely looked fresher and more natural. All in all, I give it a thumbs up for anyone from dry to normal/slightly combination fair to light skin; if you're oily, or your T-zone gets particularly shiny, I would probably skip it in favor of a lighter sunscreen milk, maybe with some alcohol in the formula to help speed up the absorption. On medium and dark skintones, I think it would look too ashy - on my fair self, it tends to lighten my base by about half a shade, which in most cases, is not a bad thing :)

I also took Claire's recommendation to try Shiseido's Water in Lip UV Cut SPF18 PA+ ($4.58 for 3g). Again, I did a lot of research here, and Claire was absolutely right in her Sunscreen Primer post - it's nearly impossible to find a sunscreen for lips that doesn't contain oxybenzone and/or leave a heavy white cast. Whether you want to avoid oxybenzone or not is a personal decision, but either way, the Water in Lip balm is great little find: lightweight, hydrating, not overly glossy - perfect as a base under lipstick or quick touch-ups on the go. It has just a little bit of that mentholated tingle, but it subsides within a couple minutes. I can't vouch for its efficacy as a sunscreen just yet - I guess next year, we shall see if my lip contour freckles get any deeper or, fingers crossed, manage to even fade a bit.

Lastly, I purchased a tube of good ole Neutrogena to use on my body. Instead of opting for their standard Helioplex chemical sunscreen offerings, I chose the Sensitive Skin version with Broad Spectrum SPF 60+ ($11.99 for 3 fl. oz/ 88ml in a squeezy tube with a flip top), which is mineral-based (4.9% Titanium Dioxide, 4.7 % Zinc Oxide) and fragrance-free. And while it may be fragrance-free, it's definitely not scent-free: it has a pretty awful plasticky chemical scent that makes it quite unpleasant to (re)apply. It's also not all that easy to blend into the skin without any white streaks, but compared to the Badger SPF30+ mineral sunscreen I've tried in the past, it's less greasy and dries matte on the skin. I do think it's rather effective in protecting my pasty limbs, maybe because it doesn't just vanish into thin air, I can still feel it on hours later when I need to scrub it off in the shower. I understand that what I just described may sound horrible to many of you, but when you burn as easily as I do, being able to feel a layer of protection on your exposed skin at all times is actually pretty great. I probably wouldn't repurchase, mostly due to the smell, but it's a good effective sunscreen for the time being, and could even be used on the face in a pinch - it contains some glycerin derivatives along with dipotassium glycyrrhizate and pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5), both proven anti-irritants, and it's alcohol-free.

I should also mention that if you're thinking of purchasing any of the Asian sunscreens from sellers overseas (through Amazon or eBay, for example), it's best to plan your purchase at least a month before you run out of your current products, because in general, they do take a while to arrive in the US. Now, tell me - have you discovered any interesting sunscreens lately? What are your favorite options for the face, lips and body?

My Kind of Nude: Suqqu Creamy Glow Moist Lipstick no.3 Fuyuzakura

Well, I couldn't have just stopped at buying one eyeshadow palette from Suqqu, could I now? I also really, really wanted to try another must-have from the line, the Creamy Glow lipstick in shade no. 3. However, I'm not sure if the counter person got confused or maybe Mr didn't read all of my carefully scribbled description I provided him with prior to his departure, but I ended up with the Creamy Glow MOIST Lipstick in, yes, shade no. 3 - Fuyuzakura (£27.00 for 0.13 oz/ 3.8g) , which I *think* may mean 'winter cherry blossom'.

The tube is made out of shiny black metal and the shape is sleek and somewhat elongated, but not so tall as not to fit in my shallow vanity drawer. The bullet itself is cut at a slanted angle, as with many lipsticks in those slimmer tubes. The Creamy Glow Moist formula claims to 'stay firmly on the lips while keeping them moist and hydrated' and touts to have 'added skincare effects of lip balm'. Due to the word 'moist' in the name, I expected it to be somewhat glossy, moisturizing and more on the sheer side.

And it turned out to be exactly that, in a shade that's luckily my kind of nude - ain't that easy to find a true flattering nude for this pale face, people. What surprised me upon initial application was that the texture of the Creamy Glow Moist is firmer than most of those sheer, balmy lipsticks, and while it glides onto the lips without trouble, the color does seem to hug the lips a bit closer; it's not as slippy as something like Revlon Lip Butters or my beloved Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments.

No. 3 Fuyuzakura is a beautiful cool pink nude with just a hint of peach. In the bullet, it looks very similar to Maybelline Color Sensational in Warm Me Up or Red Apple Lipstick in Audrey, but in the swatches and on the lips, it's much lighter and seems to have more of a white base - placing it more in the nude rather than 'My Lips But Better' category for my fair skintone. The LE Bite High Pigment Lip Pencil in Sablé, another favorite nude shade, is a bit deeper and peachier.

It is worth mentioning that while the Creamy Glow Moist formula is quite sheer (that's about six layers on my arm), it doesn't benefit from building up too much on the lips. A heavy layer in such a light shade tends to sink into vertical lip lines too much - you can see that a tiny bit in the close-up photo. Fuyuzakura is also pretty much the exact color of my lips; in the full face shot, I kinda look like I'm wearing just clear lip balm - except that the sheer veil of color makes my unevenly pigmented lips appear more perfected. If you're medium to dark, I think this color may be too light on you (I've heard some people describe Bite Sablé as a death nude, and in the swatches, you can clearly see it's darker than Fuyuzakura).

I would say that the Creamy Glow Moist in Fuyuzakura reminds me most of the Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine in PK331. The Shu is a cooler baby pink with shimmers and the formula feels a bit softer, but the effect of that glossy whisper of color on the lips is quite similar - so if you're having trouble getting your hands on the Suqqu and you're not sure if the texture would agree with you, I'd recommend checking the Shu Supreme Shine first (even though it's admittedly not that easy to get hold of Shu in the US either).

Lasting power was slightly above average for a sheer glossy lipstick, and it was still comfortable and somewhat hydrating even after teaching a 1.5 hour class - most lipsticks get eaten/ disappear mysteriously from my lips in similar circumstances, so I'm happy about that.

All in all, I'm satisfied with this purchase - probably more so than with the Hanashoubu eyeshadow quad (btw, I'm not wearing Hanashoubu in the face shot; that's the purple shade from the Stila In The Moment eyeshadow palette on my lower lashline). I don't think the Creamy Glow Moist formula is a lipstick to end all sheer lipsticks, but it's still very good, and a joy to use - it's the definition of effortless, barely there lip. Have you tried any of the Suqqu Creamy Glow Moists? What is your favorite glossy lipstick formula?