Valentine's Day Beauty Blogger's Love Package Swap

One of the neatest concepts I've been introduced to through the online make-up and beauty community is swapping.  Makeupalley has a sort of Craigslist for makeup swapping.  People can trade their lightly used or unwanted make-up for items that they do want or need.  There are so many country-specific beauty products that are impossible to get in other countries and this is one of the best ways to get your hands on some of those items.

A step up from make-up swapping is a love package exchange.  Cute little packages mailed to friends and other bloggers filled with beauty goodies and adorable decorations.  I love getting love packages but I especially LOVE putting them together for friends.

I've actually searched around the internet to look for holiday swaps to participate in but for some reason they're extremely hard to find.  I also constantly receive e-mails from readers asking if I would be interested in doing a swap.  So I thought, why not organize my own??

Valentiene's Day is the perfect holiday for a love package swap so I figure now is the best time to try to put this all together.  What do you guys think of an international Valentine's Day swap?

I've set up an interest form for those who would like to participate.  I do ask that all participants be bloggers with active blogs as this swap will be based on the honor system and hopefully the blogger integrity will apply to this swap.  Otherwise we'll get a whole bunch of random people just trying to get free stuff.  For those non bloggers who really want to participate, please  include another social media page you have such as Facebook or Twitter in the form.  I will require that you ship your package first and provide a tracking number before your swap partner ships your package to you. (It should only be a day or two apart).

The form will be open for one week from now until January 25th.  I will then e-mail all participants with their swapping partners.   I ask that you have your packages ready to be shipped by February 4th as most international deliveries take a couple of weeks to deliver.  It'd be nice if the recipient could receive their package by Valentine's Day but I know it can take some time so please just have it arrive before the month of February ends.

Also I haven't decided if the swap will be a direct exchange -- two people send packages to each other, or if it will be secret santa style -- everyone gets assigned someone to send the package to.  So please put your preference in the form.  Also please specify if you would like to participate in a $20 swap, $50 swap, or $100 swap.  Obviously we can't all afford expensive exchanges and do keep in mind that shipping can get pretty high.  But I think there should be a decent amount of value to make this swap worthwhile for everyone. The items don't have to be the EXACT value you choose but please keep it around your chosen price range and remember to make sure it's a package that you yourself would enjoy receiving.

Since this swap will be Valentine's Day themed, feel free to get creative with decorations!  Because this is a beauty blog swap, the package should contain primarily beauty products but if you need ideas here are some items you can include:

• Skin Care
• Make-up
• Hair accessories
• Bath Products
• Stationary
• False Eye Lashes
• Nail accessories
• Candy
• Fashion or Beauty magazines from your country
• Hand-made crafts or jewelry

For some great ideas please check out these links from Eki's page.  She seems to always get amazingly creative packages!

• http://www.ekiblog.com/2012/01/iphone-photo-diary-christmas-week.html
• http://www.ekiblog.com/2010/01/love-packages-dolly-wink-eyeliner-and.html
• http://www.ekiblog.com/2010/02/love-packages.html
• http://www.ekiblog.com/2011/06/love-packages.html

Also for those that are participating -- please spread the word so we can get a big variety or swappers and countries!

Very Belated Bloggiversary Giveaway

First of all I want to say thank you to you guys for the warm responses on my previous post.  I seriously got a little teary eyed at all the thoughtful comments.  Unfortunately things have gotten a little more rough for me this month but I'm still keeping my hopes up for a good year.

I know I've lacked motivation blog wise, but I definitely want to get back on track.  And I figure, what better way than a giveaway?  I actually planned a big giveaway for my one year blog anniversary which was back in November, but due to all the drama in my life, I was never able to get around to it.

My first blog post was November 16, 2010, and as corny as it sounds I have to say that day changed my life.  As rough as my 2011 was, it was actually a wonderful blogging year.  I met so many new people (the blog world has the most amazing community!), developed relationships with cosmetic brands and got to try tons of products, found an outlet for my product whoring passion, and even won a trip to Malaysia!

I want to be able to maintain the passion I've had for blogging throughout this year and the future, and hope to continue to interact with you all and meet new friends.

Thank you guys for everything!

Now enough sap and on to the giveaway.  The following items are some of my favorite products for the year 2011.  In typical Lipgloss Love Affair fashion, I like to offer a complete head to toe package so you''ll find everything from hair stuff to make-up to body wash!  I've included links for each item so you can click to find more detailed information.

 Too Faced Glamour Revolution Palette

The Balm Time balm Pomegranate Restorative Serum

DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask

Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush

 My Beauty Diary Blooming of Beauty Japanese Hydrangea Mask

Baviphat Peach All-In-One Waterfall Cream

Shugar SoapWorks Peach Soap with Shea Butter

DHC Cleansing Oil

 Tokidoki Pink Lametta Flat Iron

 Bliss Eau De Toilette

The Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel

Victoria's Secret Shimmer Lotion in "Whipped Cream & Winter Pear"

Moroccanoil Treatment

Sally Hansen Lacquer Shine for Lips in "Peony"

Dariya Hair Magic Sheet in Pink

Giveaway Rules:

All you need to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  The ONLY mandatory requirement is to be a Blogger or GFC Follower.

But if you want some extra entries there's plenty of ways for you to do so (just follow the instructions below).  

Tweets and Facebook status updates about the giveaway are allowed once a day for more chances to get entries.

Please be sure to read all the instructions carefully as incomplete entries will be disqualified and Rafflecopter will not allow you to enter twice.  You can find out further details in the form below!  Thank you and good luck!  

Happy New Year everyone!

I'm sorry for my long hiatus but I had a very rough end of the year.  It sucks that I didn't get to do any holiday posts which I was really looking forward to but I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's.

I have to say -- I just can't be relieved enough that 2011 is over.  Not to be a Debbie Downer but I can honestly say it was the WORST year of my life -- everything bad that could have possibly happened did. The first half of the year I went through a very tough time -- it was definitely a low point in my life.  Then just as things were starting to get a little better mid year and I started a new job, I broke my foot and was out of commission for nearly two months.

Then my boyfriend of nearly 4 years started getting really sick -- he had everything from hypertension, an ulcer, diabetes, a brain aneurysm, and a tumor in his pancreas with a family history of pancreatic cancer.  And a few weeks ago he was diagnosed with leukemia.  It's the most devestating news I've gotten since I found out my mom had breast cancer.  He is currently in Korea getting treatment and hopefully I can visit soon.  But please keep him in your prayers!

And finally I ended the year with a bang -- literally.  I went out for my friend's birthday/company party which consisted of an open bar.  I pretty much never drink so I guess I didn't realize how low my alcohol tolerance had gotten and ended up getting pretty drunk.  Combine that with a long flight of stairs and you get me waking up in the emergency room with my clothes torn off, stitches, a black eye, a neck brace, and blood all over my face.

I guess I got off lucky because I could've cracked my head open or broken my neck but luckily I got off with a bit of swelling to my face/eye area and 8 stitches near my eyebrow.  But to top it off I lost track of my purse which also contained my wallet, cash, Iphone, and car keys which are really difficult/expensive to replace because they have to reprogram my whole car.  A few days later I got an email notification from my iphone tracker that my phone was located in Vegas.  Great -- someone took off with my purse to Vegas!

So yes, enough venting but all I can say is I truly hope it will be a better year, and most importantly, I pray that my boyfriend will get better.

As for my new year's resolutions, blogging wise, I really want to stay consistent with entries, get up to date with the product reviews I owe, and I should probably stop hoarding so many products!

So here's to 2012!

And I leave you with a picture of my lovely black eye and stitches while also sporting a Clinique Moisture surge refreshing eye mask for the swelling haha.

The Secret To Korean Celebrity Skin

It's no secret that Korean celebrities have the most beautiful skin -- dare I say -- in the world?  It's becoming even more apparent as "Korean Fever" or "The Hallyu Wave" are hitting the globe by storm!  Korean concerts are selling out in every country and dramas are being aired all over Asia as well as Europe and the US, causing Korean pop stars and actresses to gain more recognition and drawing attention to their flawless skin.  I can't help but be in awe every time I watch Korean dramas in high def and can barely see so much as a pore on 30-something Korean actresses.

 Kim Tae Hee

Lee Min Jung

Park Min Young

Shin Minah

What about the pop stars who've been in training since elementary school?  How can they maintain flawless skin as they go through adolecesnse and debut?  It's not like companies can predict their future skin when they're still kids.  So how on earth do they control breakouts even with hours of training and practicing, barely sleeping, and wearing tons of make-up?

Boa

Ham Eun Jung

HyunA

Yoona

Obviously there's lasers and botox involved, as well as genetics, but there must be some sort of skin regimen for maintenance, right?  A quick google search will bring up several articles regarding the multi-step Korean skin care system -- some with 5 steps and others up to 18 steps.   Many Korean cosmetics actually come in large gift sets containing 5-8 products.  My mom uses a ridiculous $500 skin care system that actually has all the steps numbered.  For instance, the cleanser is referred to as "Number 1" and a serum is "Number 7."

Here in the States, harsh exfoliation treatments such as microdermabrasion and chemical peels are popular.  But in Korea, being gentle is key and tons of moisturizing is encouraged.  Many women apply daily moisture masks and carry around facial spritzes to keep skin hydrated throughout the day.  Cosmetics ads are everywhere and often endorsed by celebrities -- a commercial featuring an especially popular pop star has even caused certain products to sell out instantly.  It's not uncommon for Korean women to spend $100-200 a month on skincare.

So here it is -- 11 steps to celebrity skin.  Or at least make you feel like a celebrity.  Or maybe just burn a hole in your wallet haha.

Step 1 & 2 : Double Cleansing

1: Make-up removal
An absolute staple in Asian skin care -- if you haven't jumped on the cleansing oil bandwagon then you don't know what you're missing!  These amazing "oils" literally melt away make-up and provide a wonderful massage for your face.  Rinses off clean with water while leaving your face moist and supple.

Suggestions:
Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil
Amore Pacific Cleansing Oil
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

Laura Mercier Flawless Purifying Cleansing Oil

2: Cleanser
If you have tried Korean/Japanese/Asian cleansers, you know they are big on super luxurious foam.  The tiniest blob quickly lathers up and removes any remaining trace of make-up.

Suggestions:
Shiseido Extra Gentle Cleansing Foam
Dior Purifying Foaming Cleanser
Kracie Naive Peach Cleansing Foam
The History of Whoo Gong Jinh Yang Foam Cleanser

3: Massage/Pack
This is a critical step which most of us in the US hardly ever practice.  Koreans SWEAR by facial massage -- similar to what you might experience while getting a facial at a spa.  Spending a few minutes massaging a cream or mask into your face increases circulation and stimulates the flow of oxygen.  Any wet mask will work for this -- slowly massage into skin, let sit for alotted time, then rinse off.

Suggestions:
Laneige Strawberry Yogurt Massage Pack
Boscia Intensifying Moisture Pack
Dior Hydra Life Beauty Awakening Mask
Cellnique Intensive Soothing & Hydrating Masque

4: Exfoliation (1-2 times per week)  
Going along with the "gentle is better" idea, instead of harsh scrubs, peeling gels or grommages are popular in Asia.  These gels are massaged into the skin until dead skin cells form into balls and are gently buffed away.

Suggestions:
Cure Natural Aqua Gel
Etude Magic Bubble Peeling Mousse
Sana Salon De Porejo Peeling Gel
Missha Super Aqua Detoxifying Peeling Gel

5: Toner
You'll notice that Asian toners (also called refiners, softeners, and lotions) are thicker in consistency than those found in Europe or the U.S.  They are almost gel-like and instead of using a cotton ball to wipe off your face, these toners are poured onto the fingers and patted onto the face -- this is to promote adding moisture rather than stripping skin of it.

Suggestions:
Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Balancing Softener

Sana Hadanomy Collagen Lotion
Kose Sekkisei Supreme Refining Lotion II
Laneige White Plus Renew Skin Refiner


6. Emulsion
Emulsion is a concentrated moisturizing gel that penetrates deeply into the skin, containing super hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid.  These gels are essentially moisturizers that are just lighter in texture and are "emulsfied" or warmed up in between fingers, then patted into the skin.

Suggestions:
Holika Holika Bulgarian Rose Emulsion
Laneige White Plus Renew Emulsion
Sulwhasoo Basic Balancing Emulsion

Skinfood Tomato Whitening Emulsion

7: Essence

Choose an essence with the benefit of your choice -- many include whitening or brightening properties.  A popular way to apply essence is in the form of sheet masks.

Suggestions:
Hadalabo Shirojyun Arbutin Whitening Essence
Kiehl's Ultimate White Intensive Whitening Essence
Laniege White Plus Renew Essence
Holika Holika Secret Source Hydro Essence

8: Serum

Following a  essence, you'll want an anti-aging serum to keep the wrinkles away.  Again you can choose what problems you want to target -- there are whitening serums, spot reducing serums, anti-oxident serums, and wrinkle serums. These serums are super concentrated and wildly expensive -- averaging $50-150 per tiny bottle.


Suggestions:
Amore Pacific Line Modifier Intensive Wrinkle Treatment
Cellnique Advanced Bio Renewal Serum
L'Occitane Immortelle Dvine Extract Ultimate Youth Serum
Lancome Genefique Youth Activating Cream Serum


9. Eye Serum
Another concentrated serum for the eye area to go under the eye cream.  A bit of overkill if you ask me and another added expense.  But hey -- if you're going all out!  Eye serums will contain stronger doses of ingredients and will penetrate more deeply than creams.

Suggestions:
Clarins Advanced Extra-Firming Eye Contour Serum
Dior Anti-Fatigue Firming Eye Serum
Innisfree White Tone-up Eye Serum
Loreal Skin Genesis Eye Serum

10: Eye Cream

After your serum pat on an eye cream of your choice.  A thick cream is preferred to moisturize the eye area and compliment the eye serum.

Suggestions:
Skin Food Salmon Brightening Eye Cream
Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Repair Cream
Kabebo Sensai Silk Moisture Supply Eye Cream
Shiseido Benefiance Concentrated Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream

11: Moisturizer/Night Cream

Seal everything in with your favorite moisturizer!

Suggestions:

Bobby Brown Hydrating Intense Night Cream
Holika Holika Snow White Cream
SkinCeuticals Renew Overnight
Naruko Apple Seed & Tranexamic Acid Soothing Night Gelly

Whew!  I know it sounds absolutely insane.  I don't know if I could follow this regimen religiously, nor do I think product overload works.  But at the same time, it doesn't necessarily seem to hurt?  I guess prevention is key.  As for the whole essence/emulsion/serum -- I think they are pretty much interchangeable and it doesn't matter which order you use them -- in fact I think using just one of these products should suffice.

Do any of you follow a skin regimen with this many products?  What are some of your favorite items in the categories listed?

Best Black Friday + Cyber Monday Beauty Deals + Giveaway Winner

Happy Thanksgiving!  Hope everyone is busy stuffing their faces with turkey and spending time with family.

Wow somehow my blogging breaks always end up turning into a one month absence!  I'm still here -- just a lot going on with work and life.

I know many of you have been patiently (or impatiently!) waiting for the winner of my Best of Japan Giveaway.  Thank goodness for Rafflecopter I was able to get through the 4,862 entries fairly quickly!  Yes you read that right -- this was my biggest giveaway yet!

So without further ado -- the winner is: #2604 Sharon H.

Congratulations Sharon (please check your e-mail) and thank you to everyone that entered!  Thank you once again to Artie Style and Shoppingholics for sponsoring many of the wonderful products.

So my inbox has been getting bombarded with all these amazing Black Friday and Cyber Monday beauty deals.  The last thing I need is more beauty "junk" but of course I'm a sucker for a good deal and will be taking full advantage of these sales.  (All in the name of blogging, I like to tell myself!)

I've compiled a list of deals and coupon codes so you guys have a one-stop place to refer back to while shopping!

Store: Beauty Ticket
Website: www.beautyticket.com
Discount: 25% off entire purchase
Discount Code: CYBER25
Ends: unknown

Store: Bliss

Website: www.blissworld.com

Discount: 20% off Bliss products

Discount Code: THANKS20

Ends: Mon Dec 5

Store: Cherry Culture
Website: www.cherryculture.com
Discount: 20% off entire purchase
Discount Code: TGS20
Ends: Sun Nov 27

Store: CVS

Website: www.cvs.com

Discount: 25% off all beauty, haircare, and skincare products

Discount Code: no code needed

Ends: Sun Nov 27

Store: Elizabeth Arden

Website: www.elizabetharden.com

Discount: 25% off entire purchase

Discount Code: BF2

Ends: Mon Nov 28

Store: First Aid Beauty (FAB)

Website: www.firstaidbeauty.com

Discount: 25% off entire purchase

Discount Code: FABFF11

Ends: Mon Nov 28

Store: Inglot
Website: www.inglotusa.com
Discount: 15% off entire purchase
Discount Code: No code needed
Ends: Mon Nov 28

Store: Josie Maran
Website: www.josiemarancosmetics.com
Discount: 25% off entire purchase
Discount Code: GIVEBACK
Ends: Mon Nov 28  

Store: Korres

Website: www.korresusa.com

Discount: 20% off entire purchase

Discount Code: FF2011

Ends: Sun Nov 27

Store: Smashbox

Website: www.smashbox.com

Discount: 20% off entire purchase

Discount Code: SBXFF11

Ends: Mon Nov 28
Store: Sephora

Website: www.sephora.com

Discount: 10 products at $10 each (limit 2)

Discount Code: no code needed

Ends: Fri Nov 25 ONLY

Store: Shu Uemura

Website: www.shuuemura.com

Discount: 20% off entire purchase

Discount Code: WISH2011

Ends: Tues Nov 29

Store: Tarte

Website: www.tartecosmetics.com/

Discount: free shipping, free gift, and up to $30 off your purchase

Discount Code: CYBER

Ends: Mon Nov 28 ONLY

Store: The Balm

Website: www.thebalm.com

Discount: 40% off entire purchase
Discount Code: BLACKFRIDAY
Ends: Fri Nov 25th

Store: The Body Shop

Website: www.thebodyshop.com

Discount: Any 3 items for $30

Discount Code: no code needed

Ends: Fri Nov 25th

Store: Urban Decay

Website: www.urbandecay.com

Discount: $20 off Book of Shadows Vol. 4 to first 1,000 people 

Discount Code: BLACKFRIDAY11

Ends: Fri Nov 25th ONLY

Store: YSL

Website: www.yslbeautyus.com

Discount: 20% off entire purchase

Discount Code: CYBER

Ends: Sat Nov 26

One day only!!

This is not a Black Friday deal but I found this on Groupon. I've been obsessed with microdermabrasion lately and was researching home systems such as PMD and the Nu Brilliance. It was kind of cool but I was actually on the verge of purchasing it from SkincareRX during their friends and family sale but it showed up on Groupon the very next day for only $89 -- I bought two haha and there's already over 5000 sold! The PMD microderm system was featured on Dr Oz and I can't wait to try it out!

Frosting For The Cause: Green Tea Strawberry Shortcake

Hey guys!  Today I'm taking a break from beauty blogging to write a guest post for a wonderful cause.  Frosting For The Cause was created by the lovely Paula -- her mission was to bring together 365 bloggers and bakers -- one for each day of the year.  Each blogger pledges to donate $25 to the cancer society, as well as share a favorite dessert recipe and take her baked goods to the local hospital or women's hospice.

In addition, we will share a personal story of how cancer touched our lives.  In my case, my story is about my mother, who is a breast cancer survivor.   I also want to dedicate this post to someone who is very close to me who recently found a tumor in his pancreas.  This person has a family history of pancreatic cancer, and while he wishes to remain anonymous, please keep him in your prayers.

We as bloggers have a wide-reaching audience, and while I love my daily dose of lip gloss and mascara, I think it's important to use our influence to also raise awareness for important causes.

So please check out my post here and don't forget to enjoy my recipe for green tea strawberry shortcake!

So please take a minute to check out my post here, support your local cause, and heck, maybe even join Frosting For the Cause!

Pumpkin Party!

Over the weekend my friend Esther invited me over for dinner and a "pumpkin party."  Esther and her boyfriend, Aldus, get very festive for holidays and Halloween is no exception.  They had lots of pumpkins along with all kinds of stencils and carving tools.  Aldus even bought us all these crazy inflatable masks so we could get into theme.

 Our finished product!

For dinner, Aldus, the gourmet chef, prepared lobster bisque and lobster rolls.  I also tried Russian caviar for the first time.  Unfortunately I wasn't quite too fond of the fishiness -- and I don't know about the fact that it's $150 a tablespoon!  I can just barely stomach salmon roe on my sushi rolls as it is lol.

Haha I know this was a total cheater post.  I have so many entries backlogged that I need to get out.  But I have a very important post coming up tomorrow for Frosting For the Cause!  Please be sure to check it out!