Hong Kong Haul - Mini Reviews of Favorite New Beauty Products from Asia

I'm back at my home in Taichung, Taiwan after a week long trip to Hong Kong. I traveled there with my husband Sunny to visit family and experience what the city had to offer. I did not come away disappointed. With giant shopping centers at basically every MTR stop, its not difficult to find yourself in a whirlwind of products and potions. I even came across an entire shopping mall completely dedicated to makeup and skincare counters. They had all the global beauty brands and more, but I was on the hunt for smaller, local brands that I hadn't heard of before. I was able to get some recommendations from a few local beauty professionals and came away with the products you see pictured above. I'll give a short review of each product, pricing in US Dollars, and where you can purchase.

Skin Care

-TONYMOLY Panda's Dream Eye Patch. about $1.50 for one packet. Available on Amazon.com globally. If you live in Asia, you can find this product at Sasa or Watson's. (Made in Korea)

photo credit Kawaii Beauty Corner

These are my favorite kinds of products, the ones that have quirky packaging, easy use, inexpensive, and instant results. It's also a plus if the product makes you look like a panda while you're using it. Don't worry, this one does. On clean skin, you rest these black, oval shaped gel eye patches over your under eyes and eyelids for 10-20 minutes. I left mine on for about 20. After removing, there was a little gel residue left over but it wasn't sticky and I just massaged it in to the skin. I tend to have some puffiness under my eyes, and I noticed right away the puffiness was relieved. It also made the fine lines under my eyes less noticeable and skin seemed more supple. The fragrance is also very subtle and nice. I actually liked this eye mask a lot. I probably wouldn't use it every day because of the time commitment, but this is the perfect solution to prep your skin for a special event or for a mini-spa experience to unwind. Little Tip: Throw it in the fridge for 10 or 15 minutes before use for some extra de-puffing action.

-TONYMOLY Egg Pore Yolk Primer. around $15 USD. Sold online at urban outfitters. Available in Asia at Watson's and Sasa. (Made in Korea)

A mattifying, smoothing, pre-makeup primer. It's supposed to have the texture of an egg yolk, which is not exactly a turn on to me, but whatever, it's smoothing and I still like it in spite of its eggy-ness. It really does smooth out the appearance of pores, texture, and fine lines. I've had smoothing primers in the past that had a tendency to roll, or ball up when you apply foundation over them, but this primer seems to stay put. It's also paraben free, has a nice smell, and gives the skin a silky texture without over-drying. Definitely a must for those who have combination/oily skin or uneven skin texture.

- Naris Up Parasola Essence UV Cut Spray SPF 50. $8 USD. Available on Amazon.com. At Log On in Hong Kong/China. (Made in Japan)

Kind of a unique name for this product. The packaging is all in Japanese so I didn't initially know what the brand was, but Sunny helped me to look it up online so here we are. This is a light-weight mist on sun protection spray. It's in aerosol form so it may not be available in some places. My favorite thing about this spray is how light it is on the skin and over makeup. A problem I run into with sun protection is that you need to reapply it on an hourly basis. However, if you're wearing makeup, it makes it difficult to reapply cream sunblock and sprays can leave your skin feeling greasy. I tried this out when I was at the beach in Hong Kong and it didn't get greasy or sticky at all, even in 85 degrees and high humidity. That is impressive in my book. The can also sprays while upside down so you can still cover hard to reach areas. This might be my favorite product I picked up in Hong Kong.

Makeup

-Dr. G Hydra Intensive Blemish Balm SPF 30. About $35 USD. I could only find this at Sasa in HK. It's available at Sasa.com. (Made in Korea)

I am very much a BB Cream kind of girl. I love the one step, the medium coverage, the 'no-makeup' makeup, the hydration, the sun protection. And this BB cream just took it to the next level. Kiu Kiu, my sales girl/goddess in HK suggested this product and told me it's the most popular BB cream in Asia. That is quite a statement seeing how this is the place BB cream was invented and people here have a nearly impossible standard to meet when it comes to a good BB. After trying it out, I think she might actually be right. It ticked all of my boxes for a great BB cream as well as an extra bonus for giving a very pretty dewy glow without looking sparkly or oily. It glides on to the skin very smoothly, and easily blends in. I recommend applying with a densely bristled foundation brush or using the finger tips. It also contains hydrating and anti-aging ingredients which no one hates. The only negative side I see of this product is that it only comes in one shade, which kind of works in Asia, but won't match lightest and deepest skin tones in other parts of the world.

-BEYOND Angel Aqua Moisture CC Cream SPF 25. About $20 USD. Available online. I bought mine at Sasa in HK. (Made in Korea)

I know I just reviewed a BB cream, but I wanted to share this CC cream as well because it's at a lower price point and caters to different skin needs. Not as tailored to aging skin concerns as the previous BB cream, I would recommend this product for those who have dry, dull skin. It's a water based product so it's gentle on the skin but also contains ingredients that help the skin retain moisture and give it suppleness. The color looks grey with little flecks of peach when you squeeze it out of the bottle, but as you massage it on to the skin, it color adjusts to match the wearers skin. Again, this product only comes in one shade (kind of a common occurance with BB and CC creams made in Asia) so it won't match deeper skin tones. My favorite thing about this CC cream is the texture. It doesn't even feel like you're wearing makeup. The coverage is definitely there as well. If you like a more made up look, I would suggest using this product as your base and applying a fuller coverage foundation or powder over top. If you like a more natural look (I do almost every day), this can easily be worn alone.

finally

-Y.E.T Very Merry Lip Tint in Orange Flower. Under $10 USD. Purchased from Log ON. Available on Amazon.com. (Made in Korea)

If you're into Korean Pop (K-Pop) or Korean TV Dramas (confession time: I'm obsessed with both), you have seen the very popular gradient lip look that so many stars wear. For those of you who don't spend your spare time getting lost in the world of Korean pop culture, the gradient lip is a very girlish, natural looking stained lip. Like this:

photo cred: www.chickadvisor.com

I've been wanting to try a few variations of this look but I only had a few Benefit tints (which I also love) and I needed some more color variety. It also doesn't hurt that this product in under $10 USD. This Y.E.T brand lip stain stays on very well, doesn't over dry the lips, and is easy to apply. It can be tricky to choose your color because the color you see in the bottle is not what you get when you swatch. The texture is very liquid-y but it goes on quite sheer. As with most lip and cheek stains, you need to work quickly with this product because it will set and stain just a few moments after you apply it. (If you're not sure how to use lip stains or want to learn how to do the Korean gradient lip look, I'll be creating a step-by-step tutorial soon). Overall, I'm happy with this stain and will purchase more colors in the future.

Ok, that was a lot of information for a 'mini-review' but if you're curious about Asian beauty products, or just trying something new, I hope it provided a bit of insight. If you have any additional questions about these products or general inquiries feel free to reach out to me at my email pluckycharm@gmail.com or through any of the social media platforms listed in the banner to the right.

Thanks! 谢谢！！

-Riley

Fall Fashion Look Book

Today I'm posting a selection of shots from this Fall Fashion Look Book I got to work on a few months ago. It was my first time collaborating with all the vendors involved and I had such a great time getting to know other like-minded women in the industry. Meeting creative, hard-working people continues to be one of my favorite aspects of being a makeup artist. I hope you enjoy this look!

Vendors:
Photography & Styling - Jordan Zobrist Photography ig @jzobphoto
Hair Color & Styling - Mandie Barnes of Essensual Hair Design ig @hairbymandielynn
Model - Chelsea Hoer ig @chelseahoer
Head piece - Danani Handmade Adornments ig @dananihandmade
Make Up Artistry - by me, Riley Chou ig @pluckycharm

90s look, two ways + Kobe Wagstaff Photography

This shoot was a creative whirlwind!! But definitely one for the books with Kobe Wagstaff on camera and Brianna Garcia on hair. We were going for a 90s inspired sporty-chic look and I really think it came together. I found it fun and challenging to take a popular look from another time period and streamline it with current trends. The dark wine lip color was inspired by some early 90s Drew Barrymore looks. To make the look more modern, I created bolder brows (which everyone knows are having a major moment) instead of going with the pencil thin brows that were key in the 90s. I also opted for dewy skin instead of the 90s-era matte look just because I think it's pretty ;)

Something that I feel added a lot of interest to this project, was the fact that we did the exact same makeup look on two models with different ethnic backgrounds. I loved seeing how one style could transfer so easily on two completely unique faces. Since this was a portfolio shoot, one of my goals was to show the versatility of one look, two ways. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

credit due to
Kobe Wagstaff Photography follow him on ig @kobewagstaff
Brianna Garcia - Hair follow her on ig @thedaintyjellyfish
Ciera Hudson - Model follow her on ig @yourstrulyciera (she also has a really cool fashion lifestyle blog that is a must see!)
HuiXian (Jean) Woodland - Model follow her on ig @jeanxwoodland

makeup by me ig @pluckycharm (link to my instagram in banner)

a few of my favorite things - holiday '14

I've been winterizing my hair and makeup collection lately and come across a few products that seemed share-worthy. Full disclosure, some of these products have nothing to do with the holiday season or winter in general but they are fantastic nonetheless so they made the list. Deal with it.

Starting off with a couple of hair products...

These two babies are my go-to products to get the textured, tousled look. I have naturally wavy hair so I usually go to bed with wet hair and fix wacky parts in the morning with my flat iron. I like to spritz a few pumps of the surf spray all over after I finish flat iron curls. It helps to keep my hair piece-y instead of becoming 4 thick ringlets. The pret-a-powder is great to dust at the roots and then tousle with your fingers. It gives an instant lift and helps to freshen second day hair. You can also use this powder before doing a messy braid to give your hair some grip and texture. There are a variety of applications. I like that.

When it comes to dry skin...

Here in Utah the air is dry as a bone. Especially in the winter. I have naturally dry skin but when it gets cold I also get dry patches and eczema. I have tried drug store and top of the line creams all claiming to revive dry skin but the creamy moisturizers are either to greasy or not rich enough to fight the dry patches. Thank goodness for the new(ish) hydrating oils on the market. There are a TON of moisturizing oils that have popped up in beauty store the last few years and I must say, I am obsessed. I absolutely love Josie Maran Argan Oil but decided to try something new with the Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil. I've been using it every night for about a month and I am loving it. It is a dry oil so it absorbs quickly in to the skin. I also like that is doesn't leave behind a filmy residue like some oils. It's mid December and I am usually knee-deep in patches and eczema by now but the Maracuja Oil seems to be doing its job. My little beauty secret is to mix a drop of Lavender Essential Oil in with my moisturizing oil. Lavender helps to soothe irritation and calm inflammation so when my skin is looking red or I have a blemish, this helps to calm it down. I can usually see obvious results overnight when I mix in a little lavender. I like to smooth the combination on right before I go to bed because the fragrance of the lavender oil helps me to relax and fall asleep. Good stuff.

For the complexion...

These two are my dream duo to get dewy glowing skin. A pump and a half of the Dior BB cream gives me light coverage all over and helps to balance my uneven skin tone. It has a radiant finish that looks great on Normal to Dry skin without looking greasy. It is also very light weight. For a little highlight, I use Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Radiance Boosting Primer. I use my ring finger to pat this on my orbital bones, bridge of the nose, cupid's bow, and forehead for an instant glow. You can also layer it underneath foundation for a more subtle look. It has a nice neutral undertone, not too pink, not too golden.

This Laura Mercier mineral powder is a new favorite as well. It comes in a ton of shades but my favorite thing about it is that is feels like you're wearing nothing and it gives you that 'no makeup' look. If you want your skin to walk the line between flawless and natural this product will take you there. Highly recommend.

Why didn't I find this powder until now?!!? I haven't always been a fan of powder due to my snake like skin and its tendency to look chalky but this Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder has taught me a new way. It comes in a few shades and finishes. The one I own is the Dim Light which is a neutral beige color. The powder is very sheer and because it's baked it smoothes the texture of your skin. Luminizing and highlighting products have a tendency to show the texture and imperfections on the face so I love this powder because it smoothes everything out without cutting the glow. I like to use a fluffy brush to dust it under my eyes and across my cheeks to set concealer and blend my blush. Sephora also sells a 3 piece palette that includes the Dim Light finish as well as 2 of the other Ambient Lighting powders. I have a feeling it will end up in my makeup bag very soon.

Moving on to color products... Starting with the face.

Benefit Cosmetics makes my favorite bronzer, blushes, and highlighting cream. I had a dream they made a box that had all my favorite blush colors, the best bronzer, and the most beautiful highlighting cream all in one adorable tin. Oh wait. That wasn't a dream. It's FOR REAL. The Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot is as good as it sounds. And get this, it costs $36 DOLLARS!!!! You know one Benefit box blush costs $28, right? Granted the sizes in this set are slightly smaller than the individual products, but still. Best value. Best blushes. It also comes with a mini Watts Up highlighter and an adorable travel size brush. This set can be elusive, so if you see one at Ulta or Sephora snatch it up quick.

For the eyes...

This is what my daily eye makeup routine looks like. Everyone knows and loves the Urban Decay Naked palettes because, well, they're amazing. What I love about the Naked 2 Basics palette is that is has all the quality of the Urban Decay eyeshadows in a travel friendly size. Oh, and you don't have to worry about using up your 3 favorite colors like with the full size Naked Palettes because every shade in this palette is totally wearable. Just FYI most of the shades are matte finish, but there is a nice pearly white color for highlighting. Urban Decay also had the wisdom to create the Subversion Mascara primer which lives up to the Urban Decay reputation. I like to sweep on 2 coats of primer before my favorite mascara which is the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. I'm that person who buys a different mascara every time I run out but that was before I met the Better Than Sex. It is really that good. Need I say more?

Finally, for the lips...

Anyone who knows me can tell you I am all about my lipstick. I am pretty exclusive with NARS lipsticks but I challenged myself to branch out (a little bit) and have found some nice seasonal colors. My favorite lip looks for fall and winter have been purples and deep reds. The three colors I have pictured here have been my go-to shades. The far left is NARS (I have a problem) Audacious Lipstick in Dominique. This particular shade is a light lavender with a greyish undertone. The Audacious line is on the spendy side, $32, but the formula is so creamy and stays on for hours. Worth the money in my book. You can find this line at Sephora and Nordstrom but this shade is exclusive to NARS stores and online from nars.com. Second we have the NYX Simply Vamp Lip cream in Shade 03. Coming in at the other end of the price spectrum at $6.49 (at Ulta), you can afford to venture in to some bolder shades. The chubby pencil applicator makes it easy to create defined lines which is essential with a dark dramatic color like this one. It's perfect for the popular 90s grunge look. I also included another seasonal favorite, Lipstick Queen Sinner Lipstick in Wine. Deep purple and burgundy colors are everywhere this winter but I love this shade in particular because it is so wearable. It's like a goldilocks lip color. Not too dark, not too light. Lipstick Queen has great quality lipsticks and the Saint and Sinner line is creamy and very pigmented. A little goes a long way.

That sums up my novel of seasonal favorites! Hope you enjoy!

P.S. If you have a product you think is to die for, I'd love to try it out myself. Just comment below :)