Tony Moly Bcdation All Master Review

The Tony Moly Bcdation All Master is an upgrade from the original Bcdation – a base product meant to be a BB cream, CC cream, and foundation in one. The All Master version has a higher shea butter content, meaning more moisture, and a dewier look as well as only coming in one colour meant to suit everyone.

This foundation is said to be "air light" while providing a perfect yet natural finish. Unfortunately, this only comes in one colour, and will not suit everyone despite claims. This works well for my skintone – almost a perfect match! For reference, I'm regularly a shade 21 in bb creams. 

Now, true to it's claims, this offers amazing coverage! I can easily cover acne scars and bright red pimples with this, with little to no need for extra concealer. I do believe the coverage will vary in how you choose to apply it – a brush or your fingers will give you the best coverage, where as a sponge offers a more natural, thinner finish. Personally, I find the Bcdation to be too thick when I use a brush or my fingers, and it yields an unnatural, almost plastic-y finish (think Lady Gaga looking like a Barbie in Pokerface). My preferred method is to use a sponge, or even better, a cushion compact. 

I use an empty cushion compact (in my case, the Innisfree Water Glow cushion after I used it up, but Missha sells an empty cushion compact case to use with whatever you want), take the sponge out, and fill it halfway with the Bcdation before putting the sponge back in. Voila – custom cushion pack! This provides the thinnest, sheerest coverage, and I go over any areas that need more coverage a second or third time.  While the Water Glow cushion made it seem like you just washed your face, this can quickly make you look like an oil slick if you use too much, so less is definitely more with this product. Using the cushion method for a thinner application means this only lasts about five hours on my skin, but the more I apply, the longer this lasts. When I used a brush, this foundation lasted the entire day!

My only caveat with this product is that it's supposed to be hydrating... yet it sticks to my dry patches like no other after about two hours. To be honest, my dry mouth is pretty flaky, so I wasn't expecting miracles, but still... it's impossible to fix once it happens. All I can say is moisturize and prep well before applying so you don't get a bad case of the flakes. For the record, I've only used one bb cream/foundation that didn't catch on my dry areas and result in flaking, and a good primer will be a lifesaver if you encounter similar issues.

Lastly, this works well on my combination-acne prone skin, so don't be afraid of the vast amount of shea butter in this! I never experienced any breakouts or clogged pores from this, so it's definitely on the buy again list as far as foundations go.

You can find it for a very reasonable price on Amazon or ebay.

Innisfree Green Tea Seed Deep Cream Review

I've done a mini review of this before, but I wanted to give you guys something a bit more in depth, as I couldn't find too many reviews of this particular cream online when I went to buy it myself.

The Green Tea Seed Deep cream is one of many creams in the Innisfree Green Tea lineup. I bought it right after I finished a round of Accutane, and I must say, this definitely helped to heal my skin not only from the drug use, but also during the dry winter we had. While I was searching for my next cream to try, there were two things that convinced me to buy this particular one, which is much heavier than the gels I normally use – a run through cosdna did not bring up any comedogenic ingredients in the first half of the ingredient list (it was only cetearyl alcohol, which is not an issue for me, but others find it can cause breakouts), and this had a rep for being a heavy duty moisturizer.

The texture is that of a light balm, which easily softens with the heat of your fingers. My preferred method to apply it is to rub a bit between my fingers, and then pat/rub it into my face. Even without warming it up, the cream spread easily on my face though. It smells quite floral, but after a day or two of using it, I barely noticed the heavier scent.

This cream is amazing at moisturizing, and I would definitely recommend it for any dry skinned person, or anyone living in a dry climate. While I don't think this would cause any breakouts for oily skinned people, they may find themselves looking shiny throughout the day. While this helped with my lack of oil due to Accutane and Retin A, this did not help with my dehydrated skin (my skin lacks water, but is normally able to produce oil, so I tend to peel and flake, while also looking like an oil slick), and another serum or moisturizer containing humectants is needed (I personally find sheet masks to be the best at treating dehydrated skin). For those of us with combination, oily, and/or dehydrated skin, this cream is best used to seal all of our serums in so that the hydration won't escape our skin.

Not only is the Green Tea Seed Deep cream great for dryer skin, it's great for sensitive skin! I definitely attribute decreased sensitivity with this cream. Normally, I'm red and peeling from Retin A use, and on occasion other skincare will sting when I put it on – signs of a damaged moisture barrier. The Green Tea Seed Deep cream definitely seemed to help heal and strengthen my moisture barrier. I will either apply the Retin A after all my serums and a facial oil, and then apply the Green Tea Seed Deep cream after the it, or I'll mix a pea sized amount of the Retin A with a pea sized amount of the cream (I think this is the most gentle way of apply the Retin A). Voila,  little to no skin irritation or peeling, and super glowy skin! I can even use a salicylic acid spot treatment without any stinging or redness when I use the Retin A and cream in this way.

I have since run out of the cream this week (hence the bad swatches), and my skin had a minor freak out (which is awesome, because I also managed to burn my lip with the Retin A after I ran out of this cream, so now it's like freakout x two, so you know, I'm avoiding the camera).

As I've mentioned before, I'm a big fan of the many skincare and beauty brands owned by Amore Pacific, and Innisfree is no different. The products are well formulated, never seem to cause breakouts, and they work. Innisfree's skincare is a brand I would recommend for those in their early 20s or those who don't want to spend a lot on a product that will give them results.

Pros:

Great at moisturizing

Does not have comedogenic or irritating ingredients

Reasonably priced

Cons:

Does not help dehydrated skin

Need to buy it online (I bought mine during the Honestskin sale)

Spring Sage

Back to being on a no spending challenge after buying this jacket (and Monday's dress). I really should start creating a clothing budget to stick within so that maybe I don't suddenly look at my funds and have a mini heart attack (but hey, I know what my parents are getting me for my birthday since I couldn't justify purchasing it this month despite a really good sale). 

Now about the coat – I went into Nordstrom's during a break at work, to look for something specific. And I couldn't find it, so what did I do? I started browsing the clearance section and of course I found this gorgeous oversized, minty green coat (it's actually called sage, but I just call it muted mint since that just sounds so much trendier than sage). I actually went back to try it on three times before a younger sales girl finally told me to suck it up and buy it (not really, but she said it looked really good on me, so... yea, just twist my rubber arm). I am now known as "Big Spender" at work since I tend to come in with new shopping bags pretty often.

On another note, I have a couple of things going on. I'll be travelling to Edmonton for the Crashed Ice finale (guess I get to practice my sports photography), and then Vancouver for Easter. It's actually kind of ironic, I wanted to go to Vancouver to get some things notarized by the Korean consulate (sending documents and money by mail is a pain) and wasn't paying attention to when I booked my flights – Good Friday to Easter Monday. And of course, being government run means they won't be open while I'm there, so that kind of defeats the purpose of going. Oh well, at least I'll be able to spend time with good friends and eating a ton (I'm so excited for to try Japadog's new fries)! 

And thank you for all your lovely comments on the last couple of posts. I haven't gotten around to replying, but I've read them, and swear I'll get back to everyone by the end of the week!

Jacket: Glamorous

Top: Nasty Gal (old, similar here)

Bottom: J Brand (loving this ultra slim version)

Shoes: Barbie for Town Shoes (old, similar here and here)

Purse: Botkier (old, similar here)

Hat: Spring (old, similar here)

Linked up with - The Pleated Poppy -

Tendril

Happy Monday! If you follow me on twitter, you'll know that I recently fell in love and bought a gorgeous beaded dress from Urban Outfitters. I'm always obsessed with different textures in my clothing, so when I found this piece with a bonus fringe hem, it was love at first sight.

The dress is very easy to wear, and can be easily dressed down. Since I've been wanting to wear it during the day (I have no life and no fancy events or date nights to go to), I decided to pair it with an oxblood sweater. Oxblood and blush nudes are a favourite colour combination of mine, especially during the spring. The oxblood just brings so much warmth to the blush, a reminder of warm days and pretty blossoms to come.

Top: H&M (similar here)

Dress: Urban Outfitters

Shoes: Sam Edelman

Hat: Anthropologie (similar here)

Linked up with - The Pleated Poppy -

Spring Transitions

Hi everyone! Happy Friday (whoo almost the weekend!). Spring is nearly here, and today I'm guest posting on Fashion Food Flair. 

Spring is one of the most beautiful seasons, but the weather can be tricky to dress for (see all that snow in the background, yea, that happens in the spring). I've put together my favourite tips on transitional dressing, and my favourite ways to layer this season. Check it out here!

Top: Phillip Lim for Target (similar here)
Dress: Finders Keepers
Shoes: Nine West
Watch: Michael Kors

On Fur

Hi guys! I hope you've all had a lovely week. Today I wanted to talk to you about, and share my opinions on something controversial – fur.

The debate on real fur and how ethical it is to wear it is nothing new. With PETA spraying paint over fashionistas (or just regular people wearing Canada Goose) who have the audacity (or maybe courage) to wear real fur, and the regular backlash against runways showcasing the luscious textile, the media has made fur one of the biggest discussions amongst fashion lovers everywhere. Even I've gotten social media backlash for making a comment saying how much I loved the fur during NYFW this year. Another Instagram user tagged me in a comment to say how horrible a person I was after I commented on a photo of all the fur accents on the runway from mbfashionweek.

So here's my honest opinion on fur.

I'm not against fur – real or faux. I love it. I own a ton of faux fur, and a few pieces made from real fur. These are all vintage pieces, and multiple fur coats and stoles have been passed down through my family, as well as being thrifted for some amazing prices. On the other hand, I can't say I'm not willing to buy new fur if I think a piece will be and regularly worn. The one thing I am absolutely against is when an endangered animal is used for it's fur. I also love leather, feather accented pieces, silk, down-filled coats, etc. I own a lot of leather in fact. And down-filled jackets and duvets are a must in Canada. Fur and animal produced textiles are partly about fashion, and partly about practicality (ie. warmth when it's -40º) for me. How can I say I'm against fur when I'm not against other animal hides?

I regularly see bloggers (both mega-popular ones and smaller ones) tout how they only wear faux fur and how they would never wear real fur despite how often designers feature it. And yet... they own ten pairs of leather pants and jackets, leather shoes and purses, feathered skirts, silk tops, etc. For me, it's a bit hypocritical. Do your research and you'll find these animals live in deplorable conditions, just like those farmed for the fur industry, and the same as in the food industry. And for the record, leather is not a meat byproduct as many seem to believe; the cows are often killed for their hide and then tossed (I really wish this wasn't true, as it truly is a complete waste and drain on the ecosystem).

Now, that's not to say there isn't anyone who is against all animal products. There definitely are bloggers and others in the fashion industry who won't buy animal products whatsoever, and choose instead the man-made equivalent, or even just an ethically produced equivalent.  Kudos to them. There are also the ones who take it a step further and either only eat ethically produced animal products, or are vegetarian or vegan. I think this is great, and really respectable to be honest.

In the end, I think it's so important to not only respect other people's opinions on the topic, but to also educate yourself. If you're only against real fur and not leather or feathers, that's fine, but don't just be against fur because the media told you to be. Think for yourself, and stay true to yourself.

Yeti Girl

Hi everyone! Hope you had a wonderful weekend (and an amazing Monday).

After New York Fashion Week (okay, actually a few months before, but everything got way more intense after), I've been absolutely obsessed with fur. I've been hunting for the perfect fur jacket since December, but hadn't been able to find anything I loved in my size. A recent trip to the Forever21 clearance section yielded an absolute treasure though – this gorgeous two-toned faux fur jacket.

And were better to take a fur jacket than the forest?! I got to look like a yeti walking around in the snow by Mt. Norquay while waiting for my sister to finish tubing. It was surprisingly warm (although extremely difficult to button up), and I didn't need to layer at all despite being on a mountain. It's almost wind-proof as well!

While I love looking like a yeti, the coat sheds like no other, and it tends to get into my eyes (seriously, no where else, just all in my eyeballs). It's as bad as my rabbit! On another note, I try to play with my bunny while wearing this so that maybe he'll love me more... since I'm furry like him. Nope, he's scared of Yeti Arielle.

Coat: Forever21

Sweater: H&M (old, similar here)

Pants: Joe's Jeans

Shoes: Sam Edelman