Ettusais First Impressions

Lip Essence stick

I always love when lip products have SPF. This has SPF 18 PA ++. It promises to reduce the look of vertical lines on lips, promote blood circulation, and moisturize with hyaluronic acid. I don't find this quite moisturizing enough to be a good winter lip balm, but I like it as a lipstick base. I think it will be excellent for summer! Also, I might have bought it just for the packaging which is a collaboration with lingerie brand Amphi...

Puru Puru Serum

One of the things I love about this is that it's so unique. It's not your typical serum, and as such I feel that it needs a bit of explaining. I saw this in stores and advertisements a few times before I could figure out what it was. It looks like a scrub, but it's a serum with soft little beads full of hyaluronic acid, fermented royal jelly, and water-soluble collagen. The serum has a moisture-lock shield to have a long lasting hydrating effect. It absorbs quickly and leaves skin feeling velvety and soft. This is meant to be used as the last step in a skincare routine.

I keep it on my nightstand and put it on right before I get in bed. I was having issues with dry patches on my face, especially around my nose and within a few days of using this they were gone! I highly recommend this!

Limited edition Princess Red rose cheek colour

In the new Princess Red series for spring, Ettusais is channelling a Snow White vibe. The colours are not the typical spring corals and oranges, which is kind of refreshing. The blush comes with a sponge applicator that stores in the bottom. It's not as useless as most applicators that come with blushes, but I still prefer to use my brushes. I usually apply it with the Real Techniques Stippling or Blush Brush.

The rose design goes all the way to the bottom. The cheek colour is a blush and highlight in one. This is a gorgeous red blush that is really pigmented and wearable. It does have some shimmer in it but it's not overdone.


You can also check out my entire Ettusais haul here!

Ettusais Haul

I recently discovered this Japanese beauty brand and it might be a winner. As you can tell, I went a little crazy. With the weather starting to warm up here I'm already brainstorming ways to be more comfortable survive the coming summer. The name Et tu sais, is French for "you know what?" The brand has a selection of skin care, and focuses on incorporating skin care ingredients into their makeup to be suitable for sensitive or acne prone skin.

First I'd like to talk about the packaging. It is surprisingly minimalist for a Japanese beauty brand. I'm not saying it's pink-free but Ettusais has taken a much more moderate approach to all things cutesy and girly, than its competitors. They like to collaborate with other Japanese brands and come out with limited edition packaging which can be hit or miss. I do think the collab with Amphi, a lingerie company, is lovely!

My first Ettusais purchases were Puru Puru Serum, limited edition Princess Red rose cheek colour, and Lip Essence stick with the Amphi design. So far I love all three of these! You can read my reviews here!

Loft had a special gift bag of Ettusais summer essentials. As a side note, Loft has lots of value sets from different brands. I highly recommend checking them out. The one I bought was 1800yen, with around 5000yen worth of product! It included Aqua Splash OB, Aqua Splash UV SPF 25, BB Mineral White SPF 45, Oil Block Jelly, and Lip Essence.

Do you have anything from Ettusais? What do you think?

PS If you're interested in looking at Ettusais online, they have an English website but the Japanese one is way better, and obviously gets updated more often.

The Lust List

Every beauty lover has a list of products that they wish they had, or hope to acquire in the future. I haven't been in the beauty world for very long, so I'm lacking a smattering of luxury items and basics. What's on your list?

1. Urban Decay Naked 3. I bought my mom the Naked Basics palette in the summer but have yet to get one of my own. In many reviews of Naked 3, ladies were saying that although they really like Naked 3, it reminded them of how much they love Naked 1, which is still their favourite. Is it naive to think I can resist buying all three? Which is your favourite?

2. The MAC 217 brush. A cult classic. I've been putting this one off, and pretending that I can make due with other brushes because MAC is soooo expensive in Japan. I think the 217 is around 3000 yen ($30) and I just can't bring myself to do it (never mind that I've spent at least that much on other brushes that I hope are going to fill that hole).

3. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Blissful. (I got this blush, after I started writing this post last week, in a care package from Tyler's lovely sisters! Thanks ladies!)

4. Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation. I'm a fan of mineral foundations. They feel so much better than liquid ones on my skin. Estee of Essiebutton bought this in Canada over Christmas and was raving about it! She is my ultimate enabler. I want to buy everything she reviews.

5. Ettusais Aqua Splash UV. This is more of a practical thing on my list. I just discovered this brand and recently picked up a few of their products (new post to come!). This is a powder-in-mist with SPF 30 PA++! It can be sprayed on under or on top of your makeup. It's hydrating, offers UV protection, and helps makeup last longer! Yes please!

6. MAC Cremesheen lipstick in Crosswires. This has been described as a shade that Christina Hendricks as Joan would wear. And Mad Men reference is all I need.

I know this post is a little whiny. Boohoo! My life is so hard! Lol. 

Leave me a comment and tell me what's on your list!

My Skin Care Routine

In the past few months I've really amped up my skin care routine. I decided that I'm a big girl now, and I should be cleansing, toning, and moisturizing REGULARLY! Along with using face masks, serums, eye creams, night creams, day creams, and all those good things. I have always been good about cleansing nightly, and haven't been one of those people who are tempted to sleep in their makeup. No judgement! It's just not me. Cleansing in the morning, that's a different story.

In the morning, I cleanse with the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, tone with whatever I have around, lately it's been the Muji Toning Water, and moisturize with the Vitamin C Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 from The Body Shop. I was using a different cleanser for a while but I wanted to go back to Cetaphil. I used that cleanser for years and had great skin. I've mentioned in my videos that my skin is reacting badly to the change in climate. Canada is very dry, and Japan is very humid. I'm hoping that using it again will help my stressed skin.

At night, when I need to take off my makeup, sometimes I just use the Cetaphil cleanser, but if I have eyeliner or heavy duty mascara on, I use the Shiseido TISS Deep Off Cleansing Oil (this stuff is amazing!) first, and then go in with the Cetaphil. I put a pump or two of the oil in my hand, massage it into my dry face. Then I apply the Cetaphil with wet hands and use a wet facecloth (if I have one around) to wipe everything off. I use the same toner at night. Lately, I've been using the Mineral Flowers Moisturizing Night Cream in chamomile wax and mud. It's really thick and designed for sensitive skin. Every other night I will use the Skin Food Black Sugar Perfect First Serum Gold on an exfoliating cotton pad and then pat into my skin. This serum is brightening and anti-wrinkle, and comes in the most beautiful bottle!

For spot treatment, I always keep a little bottle of tea tree oil from The Body Shop around. In Korea, I bought the Bee Venom Pink Spot which is a spot treatment specially designed for sensitive skin and soothes redness and irritation. I really notice a difference in the redness of my spots when I use this.

So that's my skin care routine! What skin care bits are you loving lately?

Thanks for reading!

February Favourites

Hello! Happy it's not February aka the worst month of the year anymore! February was a really busy month for me. I spent a weekend in Fukuoka with friends. Tyler and I went to Osaka one weekend to celebrate our anniversary (gross. I know, sorry). Because I've been so busy lately I'm doing my favourites as a blog post, instead of a video. I just haven't had time to film lately during the tiny window of time when the natural light is nice.

This month is a mix of beauty and non-beauty favs, which I think I'll do from now on.

Beauty Favourites

This month with my travelling I got a lot of use out of my NARS Orgasm/Laguna duo. Since the addition of the Real Techniques duo fiber contour brush, I have been contouring like a fiend! I have to use a very light hand with Laguna, but I think it's really pretty! Orgasm speaks for itself. Universally flattering and provocatively named, what's not to love?

I've always loved playing with different eye looks, and this month was no exception. They first couple weeks had me sporting Kate Super Sharp Liner S in BK. I wish I had BK-1, which is a bit blacker. The tip is very fine and easy to use. It lasts all day long but is easy to fix if you make a mistake when applying it. The second eye look of the month was with the Wet n' Wild Comfort Zone trio. The purpley-grey shade for the lid is perfection! It instantly adds a bit of class. The shadows are super pigmented and a great value for the money!

After researching and writing about the Bite High Pigment Lip Pencils, I was in love, and got a lot of wear out of them, especially in the shade Quince, the rose berry shade.

The Shiseido sponge cleaner is what I've been using to clean my brushes since September and it does a really nice job. 

The Love Lettuce mask from Lush is really great! My skin has been quite happy this past month. However, I don't recommend buying this mask in Japan. It's ¥1700!!! I'll wait until I'm back in Canada before I try anymore Lush masks.  

My final beauty favourite is something I've been loving for a few months but always seem to forget to include here. The Grapeseed Glossing Serum from The Body Shop has been keeping my hair healthy and frizz free since November and is a permanent staple in my hair care routine. You only need a small amount, so make sure you don't over do it otherwise it can make your hair look a bit greasy. I use it every time after I wash my hair.

Non-beauty Favourites

At the beginning of the month I finally invested in a Hobonichi! The Hobonichi is a daily planner by the Japanese company Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shimbun. Recently they came out with an English edition. I've always used the moleskein planners, but this year I decided to try something I can't get in Canada. I'm so glad I did! Watch the commercial for the Hobonichi Techo - the Japanese version - on Youtube. It explains everything!

My fashion favourite is a black blazer I got from H&M, on sale. I love the silver detailing on the shoulders! It's quite a boxy shape so I like to wear it with skinny jeans and boots.

This month I read Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. It's the sequel to Ender's Game. Orson Scott Card being a terrible person aside, this is a really great book! I've always been a fan of sci-fi and I couldn't put this book down.

What things did you love in February?