October Favorites

Hello everyone!

October has been such a hectic month with so many tests and assignments. School is a bit less busy... for now, so I thought I would update you guys on my October favorites.

Etude House Dear Darling Tint in PK005 x

First of all, how cute is the packaging? That attracted me most to this tint at first. I love the color and how natural it looks. It's so easy to apply that whenever I'm in a rush for my morning classes, I just quickly put this on. It adds some color to the lips but you don't need to spend time making sure it's staying within the lines. 

Innisfree Youth-Enriched Gel Cream with Orchid x

I bough this in September during Innisfree's Grand Opening in New York and I'm almost done with it. This was recommended to me by one of the people at Innisfree for oily skin. I absolutely love the smell of this cream! It has a slightly floral scent that isn't too strong. It's moisturizing enough for me during the day, but at night, I like to put a sleeping mask over it for extra moisturization.

Missha All Around Safe Block Waterproof Sun Milk SPF 50/PA+++ x

I bought this sun milk after KCON NY in June after heyitsfeiii and Charlotte Cho from Sokoglam recommended it for oily skin. I used to use sunscreen from Neutrogena and I noticed that it would kind of come off as I was applying my makeup. It would look like I hadn't exfoliated my skin for a while and my skin was flaking off, but it was the sunscreen flaking off. Since I started using this sun milk, my makeup has gone on so much smoother. Also, it doesn't leave an oily feeling on the skin like most sunscreens do, even the Neutrogena ones that day "dry touch." 

Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb x

Etude House Bling Bling Eye Stick in #08 x

I am totally in love with the Belif eye cream that I'm willing to drop $50 to buy the full size. Right now, I'm using the sample size I received during Gen Beauty and I still have half the container left. It's so moisturizing that you don't need a lot. 

I've been using the Etude House Bling Bling Eye Stick under my eyes on my aegyo sal (the puffy part under the eyes). The eye stick gives a subtle glittery effect  that highlights the aegyo sal. 

Swatches for the Etude House Bling Bling Eye Stick and the Etude House Dear Darling Tint

So those were my favorites for the month of October. Let me know what your favorites were and if you have any recommendations for me!

Thanks so much for reading. I'll see you soon!

~Claudia

Generation Beauty by Ipsy, Part 1

Hello everyone!

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to volunteer at Generation Beauty, created by Ipsy. As a volunteer, I helped out at two booths (Artis and Briogeo). It was an interesting experience watching so many people attend this convention. I was able to see some creators, such as Charlotte Cho from Soko Galm and Wengie. As a volunteer, I also received a gift bag from Ipsy, fully of wonderful goodies. The PR people at Artis and Briogeo were very nice and even gifted me a brush and hair mask at the end of my shift. 

Being at this convention made me really want to attend it and get all the goodies available. I was able to talk to a couple of people who were attending the event and their shared their crazy waiting in line stories and all the products they were able to get. 

Gen Beauty tickets are about $99 and early access tickets are about $40 more (based on what people have told me). I think the early access tickets are worth it since you are able to enter the convention an hour earlier than regular tickets, which can really make a difference. The lines for larger brands, such as Makeup Forever, Tarte, and Ciate, are very long. One of the girls I talked to was in Mac's virtual line, but was unable to get in even at the end of the day and had to reline up the next day. From what I saw during early access, there are significantly less people walking around and you don't even need to wait at the smaller booths. When the entire convention was open, some smaller booths had 15-30 minute waiting lines. 

I am currently preparing for my first organic chemistry test of the semester, so I don't have time to take pictures of everything in my gift bag. So stay tuned to see what I got! 

Thanks so much for reading. I'll see you soon!

~Claudia

A New Beginning + Innisfree Grand Opening

Hello everyone!

It's been a while, hasn't it? I apologize for not posting in a very long time, but I want to start posting more often now.

First, I have changed my URL and blog name from cloudyethereal to theseoulmatecafe. I also have a new instagram: @theseoulmatecafe. I will update my contact info, so stay tuned for that! 

The content of my blog will be similar in that I will be posting about beauty and dramas. As you may have noticed, I started posting more Korean brands and Korean dramas, which is why I wanted to change my URL to something that reflects that more. 

Now, onto the post!

Innisfree's Grand Opening in NYC!

Innisfree is one of my favorite Korean skincare brands… actually, it’s my absolute favorite. But the struggle of living in the US is that there isn’t an Innisfree store. There are stores that sell some of their products, but not all of them…. Until now!

I first heard of Innisfree’s first store in America during KCON NY in June, and boy was I excited. The store had its grand opening last Friday and it was filled with many freebies. The first 100 guests in line received a free deluxe gift box, worth over $300, with a purchase of at least $20. The first 3,000 guests received a free eco-tote (with three different designs) with a purchase of at least $20. Additionally, a free face mask was given for showing your student id or the wristband from their KCON booth. Posting a picture from inside the store or the gif made from their gif maker on the second floor with the hashtag #innisfreeusa was another free face mask. With the purchase of $30, you were given a free deluxe sample, 2 for $50, and 3 for $70 or more.

Free face masks and deluxe samples

Of course I tried to be the first 100 in line, but that was extremely difficult…. I was number 105 in line… Very salty about it (many people got there early but some people came later and joined their friends in line, who were holding their place). I arrived there at 6:30 am and there were about 80 people in line in front of me. Within about 2 hours, before the Innisfree staff came to regulate the line, I was pushed back to 105. The Innisfree staff didn’t arrive until 7:30am and didn’t start regulating the line until about 8 or 8:30. They tried their best to stop people from cutting the line, but it was very difficult for them as those cutters would say they “went to the bathroom” or “went to get coffee.” The Innifsfree staff were very friendly and tried to comfort me and my friends who were very salty about it.

The store officially opened at 10, but I wasn’t able to get inside until 11. I had seen the store from outside the night before when I tried to meet Jenn Im (She had a meet and greet in the store the night before. Sadly, I wasn’t able to meet her and was compensated with 2 free sheet masks. Nothing seems to be working out for me, huh.), but actually going inside was amazing. There were real plants on the wall, giving it a very natural and Jeju Island vibe (which I think was what they were going for). On one side of the wall, they displayed all their cushion compacts and eye shadows. On the other side, they all their different skincare lines, such as green tea and orchid. The middle of the store had all their other products such as lip products, mascaras, eyeliners, and sunscreen.

Image taken from Innisfree USA instagram

Image taken from Innisfree USA instagram

I got color matched for their cushions and got their matte cushion with their Air Magic puff (cover). I’ve worn this cushion twice and it seems okay to me. So far, I’ve only used it with the puff I bought in the store, but it makes my makeup look slightly cakey. I have their Air Magic puff (glow), which I will try with the cushion, so hopefully it’ll fix the cakey look. I have to dip into the cushion a couple of times for a medium coverage and still use concealer for my darker spots.

Moisturizer

Pore care kit

Welcome Kit

Overall I had a fun experience, minus the cutting in line. I made two new friends waiting in line and found out we had so much in common. I was also able to chat with two of the staff members, which was very pleasant. Outside the doors of the store, two very good looking employees stood there regulating the line, gotta love some eye candy lol.

Will I be back? OF COURSE! How could I not? I’m so excited about this new access to Innisfree products and plan to make good use of it.

Let me know what Innisfree products you love or would like to try!

Thank so much for reading. I'll see you next time!

~Claudia

Top 3: Tips On How To Get Rid of Cakey Makup

Hello everybody!

Sorry for not posting last week, school was hectic with all the exams going on. I thought  I would take a little study break just to write a really quick post. 

Basically, my make up always ends up cakey, not even by the end of the day, but by lunch time. Sucks, I know. So I did a bit of research and experimentation and found the top 3 ways that helped me get rid of my cakey makeup. 

Number 3. Exfoliate and moisturize 

Having a good foundation is everything! If you have really nice skin, your make up is going to go on flawlessly. But if your skin is dry or full of dead skin cells, your makeup is going to stick to that and look cakey. So it's important to exfoliate to get rid of those dead skin cells and moisturize!

To exfoliate, I use either Origins Ginzing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser (x) or  Neutrogena All-in-1 Acne Control Daily Scrub (x). I like the little beads in them. They're gentle, but effective. 

To moisturize, I use a variety of things. My main moisturizer is Innisfree White Tone Up Cream (x) or Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream (x). I add additional moisture by using Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum (x) and Innisfree Green Tea Fresh Essence (x). I also use face masks once or twice a week (well it should be.. but I don't always have time...). At night, I use Etude House Tonning White C Double Effect Sleeping Pack (x). 

Number 2. Less is more

When I first started wearing makeup on a daily basis, I would powder my face so much, thinking I could combat my oily skin... nope. It's obvious when you have too much makeup on your face. The more makeup you have on, the more cakey it'll look. Also, try to avoid your T-zone. That's where all the oil builds up and makes your face look hella cakey. 

I would recommend using a makeup sponge since the sponge itself absorbs a bit of product, preventing you from putting on too much makeup. 

Number 1. Mix moisturizer with your foundation

This is probably my favorite tip. I've only started doing this and it's worked wonders. This thins out your makeup and makes it look more natural. When I first found this tip, I would only do it after my makeup got cakey. I would apply my makeup normally in the morning and, in the afternoon, I would find my makeup getting cakey, so I would dab a bit of moisturizer onto my face and blend it into my makeup with a sponge. I ended up liking the way my makeup better then, than in the morning. 

Well, those are my tips to get rid of cakey makeup. Sorry for the lack of pictures... I should be studying but I just wanted to write a post really quickly, and pictures take a while to do... 

If you have any more tips, leave them in the comments below! I'd love to try them out!

Thanks so much for reading. I'll see you soon!

~Claudia

Review: Peripera Peri's Tint Water in Strawberry Juice

Hello everybody!

Last week I reviewed one of Tony Moly's lip tints. After trying out that lip tint, I was obsessed with it, so I thought I'd try another lip tint that I've heard other people talk about, the Peripera Tint. 

First of al, it's a liquid tint. Somehow that information went by me and totally expected it to be like the Tony Moly tint, which a bit creamy-er. The first time I used it, I tried to do a gradient lip like I do with the Tony Moly tint. The tint ran and got into my mouth, making it look like my teeth were bleeding. (Also, this tint has a bitter taste, so be warned.)

When you first apply it, it's really liquidy and doesn't look like it'll stain like a tint. But, be patient! Once it dries, it looks pretty natural. One problem I had with it was that it didn't stain my upper lip evenly. It also tends to run, so by the end of the day, I kind of looked like Joker in the making (it ran to the corners of my mouth). 

It doesn't have as good of a last power as the Tony Moly tint does. It comes off a bit more when eating and drinking. 

Rating: 3/5

You can get this for $5.89 on Amazon x

Thanks so much for reading. I'll see you soon!

~Claudia

Beauty Tuesday: My Summer Beauty Essentials

Hello everybody!

Welcome back to another Beauty Tuesday!

So during the summer (and the rest of the year), I like to keep my makeup pretty light. Here are my summer beauty essentials:

Primer! Super important since I sweat... a lot during the summer. This helps keep my face from blinding everyone with its shine. I usually only use the Neutrogena one, but if I'm going to be taking a lot of pictures, I like to add on the Benefit one.

Concealer! Just to hide the blemishes. Honestly, summer is way to hot to be wearing foundation. Minimal coverage is all I need. 

Powder! To keep the shine away too! 

Setting spray! Just to keep my makeup from melting off my face....

As you can see, my makeup products are very well loved. (Sorry about their condition)

So what are you beauty essentials?

Thanks so much for reading. I'll see you soon!

~Claudia

Haul: Lancome

Hello everybody!

Originally, I was going to make a post about baking cookies. Unfortunately, they failed miserably. Well... maybe no miserably. They just didn't turn out the way I wanted them to. Once I perfect my cookie making skill, I'll make a post on it. Until then, I'm stuck eating my failed cookies.

Last Thursday, my mom and I went with my sister to look for her prom dress (she didn't find one). We went into Macy's to have a look around. At their makeup counters, they always have some sort of deal where if you spend a certain amount of money, you get free gifts. Normally, I ignore those kinds of things. First of all, I can't afford them, and second, I'm not spending $46 on a moisturizer. But my mom did. So she bought Lancome's Bienfait Aqua Vital. x

This is an oil-free, gel-cream moisturizer. I've tried it once so far and I think it's pretty good. It keeps my face moisturized the entire day.

It came with a 6-piece gift. x

- Definicils Mascara

- Lancôme Signature Reversible Tote Bag (solid pink/printed) and matching wristlet

-One night moisturizer:

High Résolution Night Refill-3x Cream: Anti-Aging

Rénergie Lift Multi-Action Night Cream: Lifting and Firming

Bienfait Multi-Vital Night Cream: Moisturizing

- Cleansing or makeup essentials:

Crème Radiance Cleanser & Tonique Radiance Toner

Crème Mousse Confort Cleanser & Tonique Confort Toner

Summer Picnic Eye Shadow (golds and neutrals) and Blush Palette and Le Crayon Khôl Eye Liner in Ebony

- One lipgloss

Juciy Tubes Ultra Shiny Lip Gloss (Simmer or Moulin Rouse)

- Définicils Mascara

I picked Bienfait Multi-Vital Night Cream: Moisturizing, Crème Radiance Cleanser & Tonique Radiance Toner, and Moulin Rouse.

Obviously Lancome is more expensive than the things I buy. Would you have bought a $46 moisturizer for these things? I'd love to know. I don't think I would have. But hey, if my mom wants to pay for it, I'm all for it. (I'm such a bad child.)

Thanks so much for reading. I'll see you soon!

~Claudia

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Instagram: x

My Prom Makeup

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