Japanese Drugstore Beauty...

One of my absolute favorite things to do when traveling abroad is going to the drugstore and picking up beauty products that are not readily available in the United States (i.e. - Bioderma, Nivea deodorants, L'Oreal Nude Magique Blur Cream, etc). So as you can guess I am planning on picking up things while Justin and I are in Japan later this year.

But unlike European beauty products, I don't know much about Japanese beauty products or brands aside from SK-II and Shiseido. So I've done what librarians do best, research... Below are a bunch of articles, blogs, etc. about Japanese beauty that I've complied for myself that I thought I'd share with all of you.

♥ Allure -- 13 Japanese Beauty Products That Will Change Your Routine Forever
♥ The Coveteur -- The Best (& Strangest) Japanese Beauty Products
♥ E! - Japanese Beauty Products We Love
♥ Fashionista -- 5 Secret Japanese Drugstore Beauty Finds You Need To Know About
♥ Independent -- 10 Best Japanese Beauty Products
♥ Into The Gloss -- Navigating A Japanese Drugstore
♥ Marie Clare - 30 Cult-Favorite Asian Beauty Products You Need in Your Life
♥ New York Magazine: The Cut -- 13 Secret Japanese Beauty Products You Should Know About
♥ Reddit -- Japanese Beauty Products Wishlist
♥ Takaski --  Japanese Skincare Products – Top 5 Most Popular Items
♥ Tsunagu Japan - 11 High-End Skincare Products to Buy in Japan
♥ Tsunagu Japan - 20 Beauty Products You Can Buy at Drugstores At Japan
♥ Vogue - 9 Cult Drugstore Beauty Products to Pick Up in Tokyo
♥ Vogue Australia -- What You’ll Be Using Next: The Best Japanese Beauty Products To Buy Now

Going To BeautyCon New York...

As you all may or may not know, I absolutely love the following things; makeup, a good conference and YouTube videos. So when I heard that BeautyCon was coming to New York, I had to get a ticket and make my sister, as well as Liz get tickets also -- All three of us got PRO tickets because after LuckyFABB I realized VIP/PRO is for me.

ABOUT BEAUTYCON
BeautyCon is a fashion and beauty summit for the internet's most influential beauty and fashion icons and their ever-growing number of fans. BeautyCon has already taken over LA and London in the past two years, and now we're bringing all the fun to New York! Hundreds of content creators and celebs will come together to network, mingle, talk industry news, discuss the future of online media, and participate in panel discussions and Q&A's. Thousands will attend BeautyCon NYC and be able to participate in interactive presentations, watch performances, create content, shop, play games, learn about new products, and above all, be able to interact with some of the internet's most popular beauty icons!

GUEST LIST

I'm really excited and I honestly can't wait for May 24th to roll around.

Sunday Social...

1. How Old Were You When You Started Wearing Makeup? 
I started dabbling in middle school, but I wasn't really into makeup until college.

2. What Are Your Top Three Favorite Beauty Products? 

1. L'Oréal Paris© Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream (Medium)
2. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush (Flush & Natural Beauty)
3. MAC Kanga Rouge Lipstick ← Unfortunately this was a limit edition shade that they don't make anymore

3. What Is One Makeup Product You Don’t Leave Home Without?
I don't know if this counts but I always have Smith's Rosebud Salvewith me.

4. What Is Your Daily Beauty Routine?
I don't have a set routine. It's normally: Wash face, put on various lotions & potions and maybe makeup.

5. What Is Your Favorite Hair/Makeup Product You’ve Discovered In The Last Year?
I started using L'Oréal Paris© Elnett Hairspray Extra Strong Hold Volume when I started curling my hair on a regular basis a few months ago and I absolutely love it.

My First Glam Bag...

Last month I put myself on the waiting list to get a Glam Bag subscription from MyGlam.com which is kinda like Birchbox but the samples come in little makeup bags. Well it looks like I'm off the waiting list because I got myself a Glam Bag in the mail and here it is...

• Philosophy Love Sweet Love Spray Fragrance •

• Studio Gear Complete Color Lipstick (Cuddle Up) •

• MyGlam Concealer Brush & Defining Eyeliner Brush •

• Miss Beauty Nail Bling •

I honestly didn't read any reviews before signing up for MyGlam.com because the company is run by a bunch of beauty bloggers from YouTube that I follow and thought that they might do a good job putting this venture together. Since signing up though I have checked out a bunch of reviews and the majority of them have been unfavorable. After finding out about other people's woes with this company I kinda was waiting to see what happened. I got my bag, I didn't double billed, etc. So, no problems with my Glam Bag subscription from the company's end. On to the bag and it's content...

The bag itself is cute, but it smells a little funny. The content was ehh... The brushes are super tiny and when I looked at them before reading the card I thought they were a lip brush and a weird eyeshadow brush. The lipstick is full sized, but it isn't a color I would pick (I'm a red girl as you all should know by now). The nail bling was neat, I'll let you know how long it lasts and if I like the quality. And lastly, the perfume... I love love love Philosophy products and I've never smelt this particular one before and I like it.

I think I'll give Glam Bag another go next month and see what happens.

Birchbox: May 2012...

My May Birchbox came in today and here it is...

• Algenist Complete Eye Renwal Balm • Ojon Volumizing Shampoo •

• Color Club Nail Polish in Disco Nap • Dr. Jart + Waterfuse BB Cream •

When I heard that Birchbox was doing Gossip Girl themed boxes I was super excited because I love Gossip Girl, but this box is kinda eh. I mean, what do these things really have to do with Gossip Girl? Okay, I got some gold nail polish which could be luxe a la the nature of the show. I'll even give them the eye cream only because on Monday nights episode ("The Fugitives") Blair was talking about replacing her mother's expensive eye cream that she used up while she was gone. But everything else? Not really so Gossip Girl to me.

That all being said, it isn't as bad as some of my boxes have been but it also isn't stellar. Lets wait and see what happens with next months box, I'm not just ready to give up on Birchbox.