The "OMG-I-Spent-Too-Much-This-Month" Mega Haul Part 2 - I Heart Imomoko

And more evidence of my inability to exercise any shopping restraint this month continues....Part 2 of my "mega haul" series are more Asian beauty products. 

imomoko.com is a US company, based in California. The selection is vast and there are constant sales and promotions making already good prices even better. Shipping is also FAST (See Part 1 of my Mega Haul series).  I heart imomoko - and no, I'm not getting paid a promotional credit to say that :)

As you can see from the picture below, I am OBSESSED with lashes. I have stick straight Asian lashes. They're relatively thick and are a decent length, but I have been on a seemingly endless quest to get those sinfully long, fluttery, flirty, lush lashes that dreams are made of.  In short, I want to be a giraffe.  I know that sounds strange, but have you ever SEEN a giraffe's lashes?  They go on for miiiiiiiiiiles.  And I covet them.

However, since I was not naturally born with those lashes, I have to resort to mascaras, growing serums, eyelash curlers, extensions, perms and falsies to get the desired effect.  Asian beauty sites like imomoko.com are a false lash hoarder's dream.  But I digress....

Let's get onto the goodies:

1) Jealousness Diamond Beauty False lashes (various) - Like I mentioned above, the dizzying selection of lashes at imomoko.com will make deciding what to buy difficult. From doll-like fringe to cat-eye outer corners and everything in-between, you'll find it at all at great price points.

2) Kiss Me Heroine Make Volume & Curl Mascara - This mascara might deserve a stand-alone review. If falsies aren't your thing, or you're keeping your everyday makeup routine simple, but still want some oomph, this may be the mascara for you. I've tried fiber mascaras such as Love Alpha, but while I would get length, I found the formulas to be clumpy and the fibers to weigh down my lashes and straighten out the curl within minutes. Not so with this mascara. It holds curl like a dream, doesn't smudge and lengthens as promised. My lashes a bit stiffer with this than with other mascaras and I'm sure that without my trusty oil cleanser, this would be a bi-atch to take off, but it gives me lashes that practically touch my brow bone. I'm closer to being a giraffe than I ever thought humanly possible. WIN!

3) Kose Softymo Nose Pore Cleansing Pack 10 pieces - Black - This is a HOLY GRAIL ITEM for me. Confess - you've done those Biore pore strips and you spend countless minutes after removing that familiar white strip investigating with horror and fascination all the gunk it just pulled out of your pores.  For one thing, they stick on to your skin loads better than any of the US brands that I've tried. Second and most importantly, they're black....translation - you can see all the gross stuff that much better! Come on, you know you want to!I bought these on eBay, but since it fit in with the Asian beauty product theme and arrived the same day as my imomoko.com order, I included it here.  

4) The Face Shop black Head EX Charcoal Pore Strip - Same idea, different brand. I prefer the Kose Softymo, but these might be easier to procure in the US.

5) Lioele A.C. Control Trouble Patch (60 count) - These spot treatment dots are clear patches containing tea tree oil and salicylic acid are small and discreet. Put them on overnight and watch your blemishes clear up faster. I've only tried this on one pimple so far, but by the next morning, it was practically gone!  I will definitely be repurchasing these!

6) Moe 24hr Long Lasting Gel Eyeliner (Deep Black) - Lashline or waterline, great gel pencil applies easily and waterproof, long-lasting and doesn't smudge. I've only used this a couple of times and have been impressed, especially since pencil liners tend to smear because of my oily eye area. 

7) False Eyelash Applicator Tool - For those who need help putting on falsies, this could be the tool for you. The tweezers clamp firmly down on falsies and are optimally shaped for placement on the lash line. I purchased these for under $10 on eBay. Shu Uemera did a version of these tweezer retailing at $50. For those who might need help putting on falsies because of the coffee shakes (GUILTY!), these are great.

8) 10 Pair Ballet Criss-Cross Lashes - 10 pairs for under $10. SOLD!  From the same eBay seller I got the last applicator tool from. Many other styles available.

9) DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (not pictured) - Since my skin tends to go oily, I avoided oil cleansers thinking that they would just add more unwanted greasiness to my complexion. Boy, was I wrong.  I wear waterproof mascara everyday and while I love how it looks on, I DREAD taking it off at night. Not so with this cleanser. The rich formula glides over skin taking off my waterproof mascara with minimal effort. But the BEST part of DHC is that a little water emulsifies the oil and makes for easy rinsing off with no greasy feeling left behind. Seriously, the most effective makeup remover I have ever tried. Instant favorite that I can foresee buying again and again over the years. 

4 All Star Products in Part 2 of the Mega Haul alone? That's gotta be some kind of record :)

                        

                 

Top Left: Kose Softymo Black Nose Strips, Top Right: DHC Cleansing Oil

Bottom Left: Kiss Me Heroine Volume & Curl Mascara,  Bottom Right:  Lioele Patches

Coming Soon: Part 3 - This one's gonna be a doozie! Stay tuned!

The "OMG-I-Spent-Too-Much-This-Month" Mega Haul - Part 1

Warning: this post contains graphic images of carnage - mostly done to my credit card. I spent waaaaaaayyyyyyy too much money this month, but boy, oh boy, did I have fun doing it.  After writing an earlier post on having indulged too much, I did it AGAIN. I seem to have a knack for overspending with abandon.  (You can't see it, but my guy is shooting me a stern look right now :S)

ANYHOW, I thought I would share pics of the bounty - er, damage - no, bounty, because haul posts and videos are some of my favorite things to read and watch.

I probably *should* state at the beginning of this that I'm not trying to show off, but really - isn't that what a haul post is supposed to be? You are proclaiming to the world, "HEY LOOK! I BOUGHT THESE THINGS AND I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THEM!"

But to those critics who might look at this and shake their heads at my boastfulness, I say earnestly that I'm hoping this helps folks who might also be looking for new things to try. It's a shopping public service announcement, if you will. So THERE.

The products come from a number of sources, though I tried to group them accordingly. Haul part 1 is from sasa.com - a Hong Kong-based website chock-full of Asian beauty products.  Haul part 2 is from imomoko.com - a California-based website also featuring Asian beauty brands. Finally, there is the "miscellaneous" part 3 - products come from Sephora, Ulta and even eBay.

Onto Part 1- Sasa.com

This was my first order from Sasa. And while they have a great variety of products and better prices than you'd find with US merchants, the free shipping option is slow. REALLY SLOW.  I can see where that phrase "a slow boat from China" came from. It took close to a month for all of the products I ordered to show up at my door.  If I do shop with them again, I would pay extra for shipping, just to avoid the agonizingly long wait.

1) Cotton pads - I know, I know. Boring - but after hearing for so long from other beauty gurus that Asian cotton pads are so much softer than their US counterparts, I had to try them out. They are both the Suzuran brand, but green box is LilyBell and the white package is named Attirer.

2) Scinic Eye / Lip Makeup Remover - great upright pump applicator. It needs to be shaken as it's a bi-layer product. Goes on like water, no oiliness or greasiness. Good at taking off eyemakeup, but still not the best for waterproof mascara, but for the regular stuff, it's pretty great. No stinging or red eyes afterwards!

3) Pretty Eye 3 pair eyelashes - PE-56 Cross - Great for when you want to give your lashes some subtle ooomph.

4) Kai Hair Pins - lol, just as interesting as cotton pads, right?

5) Arezia Powder puff - I promise it gets better!

6) EYE eyelash adhesive in clear white

7) Kose SUNCUT Essence In UV Protect Milk SPF50 PA+++ Waterproof - loving the milky formula for easy application; also no white cast. As a tanned gal, finding a good face sunscreen that doesn't leave you with a white / ashy coat on your skin is key. Oh, and it's waterproof.

8) Kuan Yuan Lian Cucumber Water Spray with Refill - Just as refreshing as putting cucumber slices over your eyes, but with the convenience of a spray bottle. Perfect purse size. Great for those humid days.

9) SILK WHITIA QUICK MOISTURE Anti-Oxidation Whitening Mask (5 piece)  - Ahhh, the reason I visited the Sasa site to begin with. These masks were on a 2 for 1 promo. I am a recent convert to Japanese sheet masks. They provide great hydration and my skin feels baby soft the morning after using them. I started off using MyBeautyDiary masks, but decided to try Silk Whitia after hearing rave reviews.  These are my new standard for face masks. The promo is still going on, so pick some up if you get the chance.

So I realize there wasn't any makeup in this order, just skin products. Dont' worry, there will be much more makeup in parts 2 and 3 of the Mega Haul.  Stay tuned!

COMING SOON:  Part 2 of the Mega Haul - imomoko.com