Hey everyone! May this year has absolutely flown by in a giant Korean whirlwind! One of the first things I did when I got back home was to record my May Favorites video which includes some of my go-to products while traveling abroad, as well as a couple of new-found loves. Check out the video below!

Ahhh, the beginning of 2013 has finally come and gone and with it, I've added a few new favorites to my everyday routine, and also a new perfume that is freaking amazing. It seems like a lot of products this month have been perfect for an on-the-go lifestyle so I know it will be perfect for a lot of you out there. :)

Readers, what is your favorite perfume? What are your go-to beauty products this month? Let me know in the comments!

Hey everyone! I hope your 2013 has kicked off with an amazing start! Before we go steamrolling into everything this year has to offer, I wanted to wrap up the very last of 2012 with December's collective favorites. :)

Hey everyone! It's still hard for me to believe that the end of the year is nearly upon us. The last couple of months since our move have whizzed by, but it has been the good kind of busy whizzing. ;)

Today I have two videos to share with you, both my monthly Beauty Favorites as well as non-beauty favorites that I'm featuring on my vlog channel, FrmJen. You can follow FrmJen if you'd like to see what's going on in my life and also come along on my random trips and adventures.

Hey everyone! It's time for another round of monthly favorite beauty products. The list this month is short and sweet with a few really great standbys to transition into fall weather. I've been on a fall kick lately! How about you?

Check out the video below!

Hey guys! It's time for recapping my monthly favorite beauty products of this August. As you know, this month has been filled with lots of travel. With the whole packing and moving process, a lot of my readily-available cosmetics and beauty products have been limited so I wanted to share some solid staples that have made it to the small makeup pouch that I've been living out of for the last few weeks!

It's time for monthly favorites again! I've so enjoyed June in LA with the amazing weather and I've finally gotten the chance to really find a couple new products that work for my parched skin. Also in this video, I shared a little peek at my yet-unnamed cockatiel!

Check out the video & swatches of my new concealer below! :)

Another month has gone by which means it's time for another beauty favorites video! Since I came out to LA, some of my favorites this month have been things that have been working well for me in the drier weather out here. I also have a new favorite everyday blush, eyeshadow, and a nail polish that I've been wearing a lot.

To check out the video click below!

Hey guys! March is upon us again and it's time to share my monthly favorites from the past 4 weeks. This month, I found a new favorite lip product and rediscovered a few older items that I used nearly everyday!

Check out the video and product list below...

Since we've now entered the shortest month of the year and the groundhog has already seen his shadow (Darn! More winter!) it seems to be time again to share with you my monthly favorites. Since I was traveling quite a bit last month, I went back to using some of my current default favorites as well as introducing a couple of new ones.


PRODUCTS MENTIONED:

Skin 79 VIP Gold Triple Functions BB Cream (US BB Creams Clinique/Boscia/Estee Lauder/Too Faced)
L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base
Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Tough as Taupe
L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Iced Latte and Continuous Cocoa
Benefit Hervana Blush
Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Topaz

ON ME:

Lipstick is Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch
Forever 21 hat (similar/similar/similar)
Nailpolish is Incoco Nail Strips in Plum Quartz (Sally Hansen version)


It comes as no surprise that I'm featuring my Skin79 Gold bb cream this month because I have been absolutely loving using this Asian, boosted foundation-alternative. The gold version is more hydrating than the pink and the shade suits my winter skin coloring much better than in the summer when I'm tanner. For reference, I am probably MAC NC25-NC30 right now (Or in layman's terms that means medium-to-light beige with yellow-undertones).

In a nutshell, this BB Cream makes my skin look healthy, brightened, and glowy with a more natural appearance than most foundations. The trick is in layered coverage which I show in this post.

Additionally, I mentioned my Stila Kajal pencil in Topaz which I am quite happy to say adds a natural brightness to the lower waterline on days when you feel tired and could use a visual pick-me-up. Most of us have heard of the trick of using white pencils on the waterline to make the eyes look larger, but I prefer using a softer matte pink or peach since it gives the same overall effect without screaming that you are trying too hard.

The swatch above shows the color and texture. It goes on quite smoothly and doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes like most black pencil liners do. To see application in action, check out my Everyday Monolid Tutorial and you'll see what I mean about the subtle brightening effect.

Can I also just mention that I've worn my glitter nail polish strips for 10 days now? There is minimal amount of tip wear and nail growth but I am so impressed with how these have lasted compared to traditional polish. Plus, you can even apply them on an airplane! All the glitter look and none of the abrasive removal process. Love it! Just for the record, the Incoco strips and Sally Hansen strips are exactly the same.

Hope you guys enjoyed the video and I'll try to put together my Cali haul (oh yes, I did shop) and maybe some vlog footage as well that I'll have up soon. Happy weekend!

Hello early January! It's time for another monthly hits & misses! Last month I found myself consistently grabbing the same products over and over but I think that is partially because of the fact that a few new products I bought have easily integrated into my daily routine. It's always a good sign when a new item steps in so easily, and I have a few of those in this month's favorites. :)


Products mentioned:
L'Oreal Paris Infallible Eyeshadow 890 Bronzed Taupe (swatched here)
Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch
Urban Decay Cannonball Mascara
Milani Liquif'eye Pencil in Black
NARS Immaculate Complexion Concealer
Diorskin Poudre Shimmer in Amber Diamond


On me:
Nailpolish is Sally Hansen Diamond Strength 32 Tyin' The Knot (bought in this haul) with Sephora for OPI Traffic Stopper Copper on top
Lipstick is Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch
Sweater vest and coral blouse are from LOFT (recent, on sale in stores)
Sequined collar from H&M
Ring is YSL Arty in lapis

So one of things I really want to highlight this month is Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch. As you can see, in the tube it's an almost intimidatingly Barbie blue-pink.


Thankfully this is one tinted lip balm that truly does feel more like a balm than a lipstick and it swatches to a pretty, translucent pink that is still pigmented enough to make the lips super girly without drying them out.


Overall, I'm really loving this lip product! It sells for around $4 at drugstores and I've seen it for around $2 at Target so it's very affordable. I'm not a huge fan of the childish-looking packaging (I can do princessy childish but bright yellow puffy letters aren't really my thing) but I'll forgive it since it's a good all-in-one product that I can throw in my purse and easily apply on an everyday basis.


The other product I wanted to mention is the NARS "Immaculate Complexion" concealer in Custard. After being disappointed with quite a few concealers after the discontinuation of my favorite Lancome Photogenic potted concealer in Camee, this is the first one to be an adequate replacement. My biggest concealing concerns are my acne blemishes and post-acne hyperpigmentation spots and the dry formula works to cover these quite naturally. It doesn't give me breakouts or look cakey. I wouldn't recommend this for just undereyes but I find that even wearing just this over bare skin looks flattering on non-foundation days.

The only disappointment with this concealer for me is the value for the size. For $22, a 0.06oz product is super expensive! My Lancome favorite was $27 for 0.16oz which is over twice the amount of product. Knowing that the NARS one used to come in a larger lipstick bullet and downgraded the amount for the same price is only salt in the wound! For now, this is going to be my go-to concealer replacement but I'll keep my eyes out for a more affordable HG.


You may have also noticed that I was wearing an accessory that I've been lusting after for years, the YSL Arty ring. Hubby and I both had late arriving Christmas presents for each other and I am completely in love with this one! I received the lapis blue color which has gorgeous flecks of gold in it with medium-to-deep mottled royal blue. As a ring collector, I am totally obsessed and in awe of my new acquisition! The size 4 fits perfectly on my right middle finger.


That's it for this month's hits & misses. Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know in the comments some products I should try... Maybe someone out there has a perfect concealer for blemishes suggestion? A NARS dupe maybe? ;)