Asian beauty mall haul

 

Not long ago, I stopped into Richmond, BC's Aberdeen Mall to check out what's new in Asian beauty, and to stock up on some more essentials from the Daiso. I came away with a great little haul (and a trip to the excellent food fair in that mall). My stop at the Daiso netted my main goal, several bottles of their legendary Puff & Sponge Cleaner, a must-have to cleanse makeup sponges and it works wonders on brushes too. I grabbed a random pair of lashes since they were only a couple bucks, plus another Hanataka White Pearl Powder highlighter to share with a friend, and a flat makeup brush holder for my collection, all for under $20 CAD combined.

Then I visited the TonyMoly store where I was confronted with so many skincare and makeup options that I had to calm myself down so I could focus on the task at hand. I came away with this richly pigmented, long-lasting Kiss Lover Lip Click Styling Color matte lipstick in the shade M06 Posh Burgundy, which shows up as a deep red that leans towards berry on my lips. Although a matte lipstick, it feels quite hydrating and really does stay put for hours without getting flaky or patchy. I'm always glad to find Asian beauty products that compliment my darker skintone, since I usually have to put in extra work to get the desired effect when the shades and formulas are originally created for Korean women many shades lighter than I am.



On the skincare side, I can't get enough of sheet masks, so I thought this hydrating  I'm Real Avocado Mask Sheet Nutrition sounded just right and I added it to my purchase. I hope this one isn't overly perfumey which is a huge turn-off, but still provides all the moisturizing benefits of a good sheet mask. For $1.99 CAD, it was hard to choose only one, but since I already have a few I'm waiting to try, I contented myself with just one (for now).

I ended my mall day at the glorious Aritaum store. This is where favourite beauty products from Laneige, Iope, Mamonde and Sulwhasoo (to name a few) can be found. Along with a staggering array of skincare, there was row upon row of innovative makeup to test. I wasn't sure what I was going for, but am very pleased with what I ended up buying.

Always in the market for another lipbalm, I chose this Lavender Flower Moisture Lip Balm by Mamonde, and find it to be a great addition to my lip routine. This balm is thick and glossy with a floral scent that is quite lovely. It's clear so it can be worn alone as a clear gloss or on top of dry lipsticks to make them more comfortable. This balm has no flavour (other than what is carried by the scent) and the squeeze tube applicator dispenses the balm without mess.

Next I chose a stunning shimmery true white shadow from Mamonde, the Vivid Touch Eyes Shimmer in 01 Acacia. As you can see from these photos, it's a highly pigmented metallic shadow that is perfection to emphasize the tear duct area, and doubles as a brilliant highlighter for face as well. The almost creamy formula doesn't scatter when I'm loading it onto my brush, applies neatly and stays in place faithfully all day. This lovely eyeshadow single is much less sheer than many Korean shadows, so I am very satisfied with this purchase.

Last from Aritaum, I went for this Mamonde Stamping Edge + Lip Tint in the darkest shade 10 True Burgundy, a vivid cherry red dispensed from the cap, applied with a built-in sponge tip for a matte rosy tint. On the other end is a sheer red glossy stick balm-type product that can be worn alone or on top of the tint to intensify and add shine. I'm also glad to report that it is unflavoured and has no scent. This clever little product is perfect for travel since you have three products in one efficient package.