So once again, mixing things up a little. I've spent the last couple of days watching YouTubers and occasionally bloggers posting their favourites for this month. I usually don't post a favourites, but I decided that for this month~ I've got enough stuff to do one...but not necessarily a beauty version. This is just a general one, full of my favourite things of the month~ which when you add them together...it's pretty much a summary of my month!
Also, I'm trying out some new fonts. This new one is called Brain Flower. It has a different feel to fbnavy (the one I usually use)...I've been using it recently on my facebook page and I'm just testing it out in places to see whether I like it. I love both of my fonts... But let me know which one you prefer! Brain Flower seems more mature than fbnavy...but I'm so used to that one now!
If you like this post, then please let me know so I can do more of them!
Without any more distractions, let's just move onto the post and my favourites products for the month of February 2012!
So this month I've been trying to get my morning routine sorted out. My evening routine is all great and perfect and everything, but in the morning I'm honestly just too lazy to implement a proper system and routine. Before, I used to just wake up and cleanse my face, then put on my sun creams and BB cream. I left out all the toning, serums and moisturisers...because I'm lazy. Even when I was doing it, I felt guilty for letting my skin suffer!
I've been trying to sort out some products I like now this month. I've tried a lot of different moisturisers...but I'm still on the hunt for the perfect one. Honestly, I think I'm aiming too high...at the end of the day, I want things cheap and good products rarely seem to come cheaply...
But this month...I managed to decide on my toner to add into my basic skincare routine. From Liz Earle, the brand that everyone loves and the brand that middle school me used pretty much exclusively. I'm not known for my love for Liz Earle, perhaps my judgement is misguided...but I don't feel like the products are anything special. The only product, other than this toner, that I use is the sun cream. I used that occasionally last year...and it was too thick, I've also tried the cleanser and I found that was too thick.
However, this toner has the perfect consistency. I used this as I said earlier back in middle school and I loved it...but I drifted away. This month I decided to try it again and figure out why I left it...I still can't figure it out. Although I'm really not sure of any major difference to my skin whilst using this, it's still early days and it definitely wakes me up in the morning!
So I really like this product. You can purchase it on Liz Earle's site here. At the moment, I'm just using the small travel size~ because I didn't want to have a full size one if I realised I didn't like it...but I think I'll go back and buy the large spritzer within the next couple of days!
My problem with my makeup always varies between each month. This month I've finally embraced contouring properly and I'm finally actually taking the time to contour and highlight my skin properly. Which I just have to point out the crazy amount of difference it's made to my make!
To compliment my new embrace of contouring, I've started using lip tints almost daily. I'm currently using the Tony Moly Tint and I love it. I'm starting to love it more and more now that the weather is starting to improve and my lips aren't becoming as chapped.
The Tony Tint is just easy and lasts the whole way through the day without me worrying at all about any of it. I can put this on at 7am in the morning, before I go to classes, and then by 3/4pm it's still going great~ and even around 9pm when I get home from karate (if I've been lazy and left it on) it's still on. It dries quickly, so it doesn't smudge or move anywhere, it's vibrant and just looks great. The only problem I have with it, is that it dries out my lips. However, that's a pretty small price to pay for perfect lip colour, and the tints I've liked so far which don't dry out~ actually don't last anywhere near as long.
I actually reviewed this tint, and you can read it here.
I'm always so lazy with my hair. Honestly, I have an oily scalp. I have issues with oil control on my hair, so I do have to wash it every day to avoid build up of oils...I know I should only wash it every other day...but I genuinely couldn't leave it that long. To try and give myself a break, I always used hair masks (every other day) instead of conditioner.
This month I started using the herbal essences range properly - despite my annoyance with their cm... - and I have to say~ I'm converted back to conditioner.
I'm currently now using the Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisture & Shine Conditioner (and the shampoo as well) with Hawaiian Coconuts & Orchid Extracts. It's for Dry/Damaged hair and just claims to moisturize.
This one seems to control my oil levels just enough to be able to leave it for a day if I really need to. Hopefully after a while and after my hair settles down, I'll be washing my hair alternating days rather than constantly. So overall, my hair should be in much better condition.
Using this conditioner, my hair genuinely just seems in much better condition. Plus. It smells great.
I've always sucked at clothes. I've always had a genuine interest in skincare and everything...but then it comes to clothes and I just see the clothes complimenting the face rather than the other way around. Perhaps that says more about me and where my priority lies... I've always neglected my clothes and have honestly always been pretty plain and boring. My friend always got angry about my lack of interest and colour... I think the problem now is starting to become the opposite. I've started to completely embrace colour and now everything is all bright and vibrant. I've begun to buy clothes like in my Hallyu Takeover haul...just bright and~ yeah~ bright.
So I'm glad I've go this...and I don't think you've seen the end of this hat yet!
My favourite song this month is Nu'est's I've loved all of Nu'est songs so far, and everyone who follows my twitter, will know of my love for Ren. This has been the song I've been playing in the car on the way to school, whilst I'm revising, whilst I'm cleaning...pretty much constantly. And when I'm not listening to it, I'm singing it.
This is the first song of the year that I've learnt the dance to...and it's just great.
It was released on the 12th, so just before valentine's day~
And Nu'est previous songs are Face and Action. Their debut song was Face and I loved it. Right from the first listen~
It's also slightly irritating that they're all the same sort of age as me...but then I guess that will be good for when I marry Aron or Ren~! Ahaha....
Without doubt. This month's top video goes to BAP's One Shot. No questions there. Although SHINee's comeback was huge, I found the video disappointing. Not only does BAP's have dance and awesome clothes, hair and backdrops...it's also got a great story line. I'm not going to go too much into detail in case you haven't actually watched it~ because it'll ruin it for you.
All I'm going to say is I'm having a bit of a crisis with BAP, I can't decide on a favourite member. Can I just have all of them please?
Anyway, they're great. Their dances are perfect. Himchan finally has proper lines. Zelo and Bang Yong Guk have their usual rap sequences... and it's all great. Plus.. THE STORY LINE.
TS are great at getting BAP's comeback out constantly. As soon as they finish one song...I swear they're straight back again. Not only have they had Warrior, Power, No Mercy, Crash, Stop It, Goodbye, Rain Sound and now One Shot...they've also done it all in one year.
I'm not going to go into comparisons with EXO...but all I'm going to say is, well done TS Ent. and BAP. I want another year like last!
So I've been reading lots of new blogs recently. I've been trying to speak to people more and actually be more social. So I've decided to share some of my favourites of these blogs with you guys!
Rather than just tell you obvious famous bloggers like Stella, Xiaxue, Sophie or Yutaki...
Meet Memorable Days, I was blog walking everywhere when I found this one. Run by a girl from The Netherlands called Elisa, I love her theme, how organised her blog is and how up to date she is! She's already posted on both Etude House's and Skin Food's new collections...and she's also really pretty! Not only does she do reviews and beauty and lifestyle stuff, but she also wrote a guide to starting your own beauty blog.
Next up is Tira Misu from Germany. She's my go to place for basic reviews. She sets out her reviews so simply and tells me exactly what I want to know, she reviews so many product I swear as well. Her theme is simple, making it even easier to read (and quick to load) and she's just great and organised!
Finally, Patricia Lee of Love Korean Beauty! She's crazy organised, and I love it when I can see a bloggers twitter, facebook, instagram and everything all straight as I enter and follow them! Then I can follow them everywhere and I'm happy. She's one of the few people I know with a successful 3 column layout and it's so easy to find what I want on her blog. And although she has a number of ads and sponsorship these are actually genuinely relevant and I think I've actually clicked on pretty much all of her ads on her sidebars!
This month I've actually really got into Jung Saem Mool's videos. I like the set up and format of her videos and they're just easy and it's nice having a professional teach makeup on YouTube. I actually didn't realise for years that she had a channel...but I was re-watching some beauty shows the other day...and I rediscovered her.
Having been a ballet dancer - well not the level this Youtuber is... - I've started to watch Melodee Morita's videos more and more. Not only is she a Japanese & American dancer, she's a FujiTV reporter. She's crazy pretty and has great skincare routines.
Finally...my last choice is probably pretty obvious. She's my favourite Youtuber (along with Lindy Tsang)...Angel of Beautifymeeh, is not only pretty and perfect...she's also got a perfect husband and now the most adorable son. Angel, Aiden and now Yunwoo are so great together and she's also recently opened a vlog channel!
Honestly I'm not really that bothered about brands...but Tony Moly and Innsifree are pretty much my top makeup brands that I've been using...and I don't think I can make it through a day without having something from UNIQLO on...
Other than my obvious biases - HyunJoong (SS501), Jaejoong (JYJ), Taemin (SHINee) and Zelo (BAP). Recently I think I've become almost obsessional over Jo Kwon of 2AM, Ren from Nu'est and BAP's Himchan. Obviously it helps that BAP and Nu'est have had comeback this month... but Jo Kwon is just due to his awesomeness.
Jo Kwon, Super Junior's Heechul, Jongki of FT Island and SHINee's Key are just the 4 guys I marry simply to share their wardrobes.
Jaejoong's been great recently. But he's always great and perfect so I don't feel like I need to express that.
Also, don't forget about Daesung (Big Bang) comeback! That should be awesome so look forward to that! I know I am!
As usual, we'll go back to mydramalist for this one! At the moment I'm watching Zettai Reido and Deka Kurokawa Suzuki. I felt like I hadn't watched Japanese dramas in ages. Deka Kurokawa Suzuki stars Itao Itsuji and it's honestly just hilarious, I watch it on crunchyroll.
I've been meaning to watch Zettai Reido forever...it's been sitting on my list for ages and there's only 11 episodes which are 45 minutes each...so I thought I'd just get on and watch it. I think the best description of this is genuinely just the Japanese version of Cold Case. I loved Cold Case...and I love this. Zettai Reido gives of a different feel though. Like Vampire Prosecutor was the Korean CSI type...Zettai Reido has a very Japanese feel to it which does make it interesting to watch!
As you can see if you look at my list, I'm also technically still watching Dr Jin and IRIS...but because I'm studying and Korean drama episodes seem to be longer than Japanese ones...I'm finding it hard to finish these ones off because I honestly just don't have enough time. So these are more like "on hold" but I want to leave them there at the top so I remember them!
I have a genuine issue with my love for magicians. My favourite actor of pretty much all time - movie-wise - is Tony Leung. Therefore. Tony Leung as a magician is a dream come true. That's why The Great Magician (released January 2012) is my film of the month. Starring Tony Leung and Zhou Xun... it's quickly becoming one of my favourite all-time films along with Red Cliff. I've even got the OST now.
I've also recently watched Keitai Kareshi, GOTH and Daisy. Daisy was good~ the soundtrack was nice~ but I found the plot flawed in places and the acting wasn't always 100%... GOTH was alright but I wasn't following that the whole time~ but the scenery made up for it. Finally, Keitai Kareshi....which has now stopped me from ever looking at my phone. Ahaha~ definitely don't watch this one with your phone on loud. It was a good film though actually.
So that's all my favourites for this month! If you liked the look of any of the products, feel free to try them out! And I'd recommend watching the films, all of them are available on line with subtitles in your languages hopefully (definitely in English)! If you'd like any more information on anything feel free to let me know as well ^^ and I'll try and get back to everyone as quickly as I can!
