The Ultimate Good Skin Guide

   I was out running some errands the other day, (in 90+ degree weather), out running around wearing my husband's tank top and 2-day old unwashed hair. Just not my best look, mind you. Somehow, I had THREE strangers compliment me on my appearance. Specifically, my skin's appearance. I'll take it! 

   It reminded me that I am extremely thankful for good skin genes, even though the journey has been somewhat bumpy during the last 6 years. #skinpunintended

   International travel/living, nutrition, jobs, moving, getting married, having a baby, seasonal changes, stress, hormones, etc. made one crazy skin year in particular, (2008) turn into the new normal for me: combination-sensitive type adult skin! I went from maybe three pimples in my entire life, to a three new pimples every day kind of life! I literally tried everything in Target, Walgreens, and Sephora. E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. From low-end to high-end to homemade. 

   Looking back on that time, it seems quite frivolous and vain, yeah, but I learned things I never knew about skincare, (like, don't slather your whole face with salicylic acid and think you're fighting a breakout), and the human body, (like, do drink so much water daily that you have to pee at least, oh, every 2 hours). It was my segue into a more natural lifestyle and a sincere appreciation for the old adage "Beauty is only skin deep", and for that I am thankful. Here are my most favorite tried and true products, (for the sake of convenience, I'll keep the suuuuuper all-natural homemade stuff at bay, for now). 

1//Nubian Heritage (truthfully, this is THE only item you need for your face if you have some tricky skin issues. I've told so many friends about this product it feels like I work for the company. If you buy it, you won't need an additional scrub or cleanser. This stuff is strong!)

2//Shea Moisture (similar product, found in most main retailers)

3//Camamu Black Beauty Bar (similar product, locally made here in Portland. 

1//Giovanni D:tox Purifying Facial Scrub (Very gentle scrub. Charcoal and ash are great for fighting problem skin.

2//Boscia Oil Free Daily Hydration (A little spendy, but this helped calm my skin down and protect it from irritations during the day. If you want to save $, Cetaphil is an alternative option) 

3//Proactiv Refining Mask (Used as spot treatment, lasts forever. Seriously will zap a pimple overnight)

1// Apple Cider Vinegar (diluted w/ water and used as facial toner and/or to drink!)

2//MyChelle Fruit Enzyme Cleanser (+ check out the White Cranberry Cleanser)

3//MyChelle Fruit Enzyme Mist (I always have a bottle of this on my shelf. A spritz nightly, daily, every once in awhile, with or without makeup, it's SOOO good. Cannot rave enough about this mist)

//Skin79 BB Cleanser (makeup remover, cleanser, and insane Asian science stuff! I've never used anything like it before. All I can say is, "It will eat the makeup off of your face.")

//Trader Joe's Coconut Oil (great for taking off pesky eye makeup, amongst many other uses)

//Trader Joe's Face Wash (recently switched to this after using my Nubian soap religiously for the past three years. Needed something a little more gentle this summer)
//Boots Botanics Facial Oil (new holy grail product! I've also used Josie Maran Argan Oil and Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, cha$ching$. This $8.99 Target splurge blows 'em outta the water! I think it smells/looks just as luxurious too)
//Clinique Turnaround Overnight Moisturizer (Gives my face a little "oomph" during the night. Wake up to a fresh, dewey, and bright face in the morning. I just finished my 2nd bottle, but that Boots facial oil is kind of doing the trick now...I'll probably switch to CeraVe PM Moisturizer and save some $$$)

//Eco Tools Facial Sponge w/ face wash (sometimes just a splash of cold water in the morning)

//CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizer (simple and effective. Provides a nice foundation for your makeup...foundation)

//MyChelle Dermaceuticals Fruit Fiesta Peel (+ check out the Incredible Pumpkin Peel. Amazing!)
//Herbivore Pink Clay Mask (For soft and pretty skin. And that fancy spa feeling)
//Skin79 Snail Nutrition Hydro Gel Mask (Yup. Snails are all the rage right now in Asian beauty. This is one of my favorite sheet masks, and if you've never tried a sheet mask, well then, enter the rabbit hole HERE)

Wishes and happy skin compliments to you all! 

 xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Splurge vs. Save: Eyelid Primer

Beauty confession of the day: I have greasy eyelids. 
Phew. I said it. It's out there. We can still be friends, right? 


A few months ago, I started noticing my eyeliner+eyeshadow doing a vanishing act about midday. Didn't matter if it was the good pigmented stuff either, by noon even my Nars had said "sayonara." 
As fate would have it during such a troublesome time, (hellooooooo first world problems), the bins at Nordstrom Rack were overflowing with discounted tubes of Urban Decay Primer Potion, in the now defunct "genie bottle" shape.* (general consensus: who cares what kind of bottle it comes in, could've been shaped like a turd, this.stuff.is.awesome!)

I snatched up a handful of these magical wish-granting tubes and never looked back. (For a week straight, I alternated between singing "Genie in a Bottle" and "Never Had a Friend Like Me." while getting ready in the morning).

That is, until another fateful day. This time, in the aisles of Target. Of course.
In the e.l.f. section. 
Recently, they released their version of a primer, which you can buy...all .17 fl oz of it, for ONE DOLLAR.


urban decay vs. e.l.f.
$20 vs. $1
1 Bottle vs. 20 Bottles




What do you think? No-Brainer?





xoxo

{Bon Bon}




Notes: These two products seem to match up well, and do pretty much the same job. The same. The consistency of e.l.f. is only slightly different, a little thicker/pigmented. 

*They were $7 each, instead of the normal $20. Which is why I had never really bothered with investing in it before. 
My supply is going to run out someday, and I'll have to ask myself if this is worth twenty more points on my Sephora V.I.B card? Right now Daniel has his fingers crossed, "please go with the dollar, please go with the dollar." 

SpotLight: Pretty & Cute

I may be half-Korean, but until my brief stint in Hawaii where my "Unni" (Big Sister) Jaeyoung took me under her wings, my basic knowledge was pretty much: 

Bulgogi=Good, Kimchi=Bad. 

Top Ramen=Really Good. 

You get the picture.

My recent visit to NYC and one particularly unforgettable night in Korea-town, once again opened my eyes (and tastebuds), to all the good that arises from the East. 

Food/Fashion/Technology/Trends. 

Lots of good. 

Especially, the Beauty products!!!!

ooooooohmgosh. 

You thought Sephora was bad, until you see a rainbow of lipgloss tubes with BUNNY EARS! 

If you follow my Instagram feed, you know that I entered through Heaven's gates yesterday. 

Hello Kitty angels, floated down from the sky, plunking melodies on golden harps upon clouds of BB Cream...

Fortunately, beauty extraordinaire Ruth helped bring me back down to earth and pick out some fun new products to try, (after I yelled, "It's so FLUFFFFFY!" and drooled all over the floor at Pretty & Cute's newly located flagship store). 

I'm pretty sure this is where princesses buy their makeup.

Girl's day, anyone? 

{Bribing the Bean with Curious George and a donut from Starbucks only lasted so long)  

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

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Pretty & Cute offers row after row of pretty packaging, trends, and technology from Korea, Japan, and Taiwan's most prestigious brands, at an affordable price. 

Check out their online store {here}, or visit them in Portland {here}

not a sponsored post. all opinions are my own. 

Products Bought: Missha M Perfect BB Cream/Etude House Royal Jelly Mask Sheet

Face Serum: DIY

During my time in NYC, {and thanks to my friend J.J's stash of luxury beauty products}, I discovered the added beneficial bonus of [this] face serum. 

Especially, since I'm a cheapskate {genius} who packed a week's worth of shtuff into a carryon and that week's worth of shtuff did not involve any of those pesky liquid 3.4oz-ers. 

Not that I own any of those bottles of liquid gold or anything to begin with.

I'm truly a simple girl at heart.*  

Soap, water, and toothpaste.

I can go even simpler. 

No.Running.Water.Hole.In.The.Ground.Toothpaste.Is.Too.Expensive.

Use.A.Twig.Instead** 

But, I'd be lying if I said that seven days full of Shiseido, Chloé, Chanel, and Estée Lauder all over my body didn't make me happy and glowing and want to jump into the nearest taxi and say,  "Giddy-up, Charles. Once around the park!" 

In a British accent.

{Although, the Chanel facial cleanser mainly made me mad as I slathered my face because it reminded me of how I'd much rather be slathering one of their handbags on my face instead} 

However, that serum was kind of fantastic. 

Until, I saw the price and realized the Bean would have to become an indentured servant to Mrs. Estee Lauder herself and spend the rest of his days working off my night repair serum debt while living in the factory as a product tester. He'd have fabulous skin...but, no. 

Out of my Sephora cart it went. 

And then out of my Amazon moment of weakness cart, it went, again.

and again.

All this to say: I made my own face serum. 

Stick it to the man!*** 

Americuh! 

...

My "Hubba Hubba" Skin Serum has Jojoba {carrier oil}, Lavender {essential oil}, and Vitamin E. 

Check [here] for more info and recipes!

xoxo

{Bon Bon} 

*Even though I have a Sephora Beauty Insider Card. 

**Shout out to four months in Rwanda.

***Literally. The man. {Leonard Lauder I'm talking to you}

Makeup Junkie

Yet another confession. I have a feeling I'll be making many, many, many of these throughout this little blog. My quirkiness might be fully revealed, so be forewarned! Ok, what's the confession? Well, I like beauty products. A lot a lot. In fact, I like them so much that I did my own makeup for my wedding, mainly because I love all of the products I own and I know my face better than anyone else. My love for clothes, shoes, and accessories also runs very deep, but amazingly enough, (and thankfully), I am not one who buys all the time, or even a few times. I'd rather wait until I really need something or can ask for it as a gift. At least this isn't confessions of a shopaholic.

{the truth is}

I love window shopping for makeup, (window shopping in general. sometimes more like window stalking), and occasionally will buy something new, only after a thorough investigation, reading reviews, etc. I'm kind of a nerd like that.

Recently, I organized all of my makeup that had been crammed into a makeup bag under the sink for far too long.

{Target Plastic Organizer: $6.00}

Now I can keep everything in it's precise section: eyes, cheeks, lips, and face. I also have a small separate makeup bag filled with things I usually reach for daily/take with me if we travel.

No more digging through a makeup bag for me!

{also}

My OCD thinks it's pretty great too. What?

xoxo

{Bon Bon}