Review + Uses: Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap (Pure Castile Liquid Soap)

Have you ever used a product and so impressed by it that you can't afford not sharing it with others? This is the feeling I got while writing this post. I have been OBSESSED with this product ever since I have started using it. I am talking about the Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap.

This product has saved me a lot of money and made me felt good about using it. It is an all-in-one organic product that does all the cleaning you need for yourself and for your house.I will get into the details about its uses a little later. 

Ingredients

The major ingredients are the same for each product except for the added essential oils depending on the scent. The main ingredients are water, organic coconut oil, olive oil (with retained glycerin), organic hemp oil, organic jojoba oil, citric acid, vitamin E, and added essential oils based on the scent you choose.

Packaging

The bottle doesn't come in a fancy container whatsoever. Instead, it is housed in an ordinary clear bottle with a packaging that speaks volume (literally!). I have never seen such a packaging with tons of words in it. If you do have time, try reading it and you'll definitely learn the values and beliefs behind the creator of this soap, which I think is pretty incredible. According to my research, Dr. Bronner intentionally put all his preaching in the packaging in order to spread his beliefs in humanity and how we should run the world. (Hats off to the man!) 

Size wise, the product comes in at least four different sizes: 2 oz. (travel size), 16 oz., 32 oz., and 1 gallon.

Scents

It comes in ten different scents: almond, baby (unscented), citrus, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, rose, tea tree, sandalwood and green tea. The scents are color coordinated. I have only tried the orange one (tea tree) and the blue one (peppermint).

Uses
As mentioned, it is an all-in-one cleaning product so you can use it anyway you like or anywhere in your house or your body that needs cleaning. In my case, I use it do the following:

• Clean my make-up brushes
• Wash my body (I love using the peppermint because it's refreshing and soothing)
• Wash my face (I use the tea tree one because of its antibacterial component)
• Wash the dishes
• Wash my toothbrush
• Clean the floor
• Clean the kitchen counter
• Clean the furniture
• Wash my pet's bowl
• Wash my stained clothes

You can also use it as a shampoo or toothpaste but I haven't tried it myself.

My final takeaway? Well, this product will leave your skin squeaky clean and your house spotless. Why spend your money on different products when you can just use a single product in your household that does all the job incredibly well?

You may also watch this video tutorial on my review of this product, places where you can get it in Korea and a demo on how I clean my makeup brushes with it and see it work in action.

Thanks for dropping by! 

Gelie Dollie xo's

Makeup Shopping in Thailand | Where & What + My Makeup Haul

If you follow me on any of my social media accounts,  then you already know that I spent a couple of months in Thailand. During my stay, I was able to shop around and  collectively haul makeup goodies that are no where to be found in South Korea.  In this post, I will share with you some (if not all) of the places where you can find your makeup fixes and also let you know about international brands you can find in Bangkok, Thailand.

If you are interested, you may click the video below to watch the products I purchased during my makeup shopping spree.

SEPHORA

Sephora is probably the highlight of my makeup shopping spree as it houses a lot of high-end products that are not easily available in Korea and of course what makeup lover doesn't enjoy a trip to the black and white stripes makeup candy land? 

• Makeup Brands Available: Urban Decay, Nars, Makeup Forever, Marc Jacobs, Dior, Benefit, The Balm, Nyx, Estee Lauder, Tarte, Stila, Sephora, Lancome, Clinique, Too Faced
• Locations: 
• Sephora Central Embassy (2nd Fl.)
• Sephora Central World (2nd Fl.)
• Sephora Siam Center (G/F)
• Sephora Mega Bangna

WATSONS AND BOOTS

Western and European drugstore brands are also widely available in pharmaceutical places like Watsons and Boots. These places are worth hunting for hot deals like buy 1 take 1 and up to 50% discount of drugstore products.

• Makeup Brands Available: Revlon, Maybelline, Loreal, Zaa, In-2-It, Sleek, Catrice, Physicians Formula, Wet n Wild, Essence, N 7 and Soap & Glory (exclusive at Boots)
• Locations:
• Both Watsons and Boots can be found almost anywhere. The largest Watsons branch I found is in Siam Square, across from Sephora Siam. Boots is also located a few blocks away.

BEAUTRIUM

Beautrium is a store that carries Western,  Korean, European, and Japanese drugstore products. They also have selected high-end products. They normally have sales and I found that their products are mostly cheaper than the products found in other places. For instance, I was able to grab Real Techniques Sculpting Brush Set for half the price in other stores. This definitely is a place to check out!

• Makeup Brands Available: Loreal, Maybelline, Wet n Wild, Essence, Cosluxe, Catrice, LA Splash, LA Girls, City Colors, Lime Crime, Elf (huge selection), Etude House, Nature Republic, Holika Holika, Cathy Dolls, Life Ford, Real Techiques, Zaa, In-2-It, Nars, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Passion Ville
• Locations: 
• Beautrium Siam Square (Digital Gateway G/F)
• Beautrium Flagship Store Ratchathewi (Watergate Pavillion 4th Fl.)

VIRA VILLA

This store carries hidden gems of popular western makeup products that are commonly raved about by fellow YouTube beauty bloggers and beauty gurus. There are a lot of popular products I found here that are not available in other stores such as Ben Nye banana powder (Kim Kardashian's setting powder), Hourglass ambient palette, and The Balm's Mary Lumanizer. This place is worth checking out if you are looking  for best selling products that are  not commonly found anywhere else.

• Makeup Brands Available: Maybelline, Ben Nye, The Balm, Real Techniques, Rimmel, NYC, Laura Mercier, Hourglass, Nars, Estee Lauder, Urban Decay
• Location:
• Vira Villa Terminal 21 (Location 3120, 3rd Fl.)

EVE AND BOY

This is a one-stop beauty store to find all you need from head to toes. It carries both drugstore and high-end brands from all over the world. This is the biggest cosmetics store I have visited in Thailand. I do have to warn you that this place could get really crowded and packed since it's quite popular among locals. If you do not mind the crowd, you should absolutely check this place out. 

• Brands Available: Revlon, Loreal, Maybelline, Makeup Revolution, Zaa, In-2-It, LA Girl, LA Splash, Essence (largest selection), OPI, China Glaze, Wet n Wild, Jordana, Physicians Formula, City Colors, Etude House, Can Make, Majolica Majorca, Passion Ville, Nars, Laura Mercier, Clinique, Too Faced, Anna Sui, SK-II, Real Techniques, Eco Tools, other local brands
• Locations:
• Eve and Boy Siam (Siam Square 1 Alley)

LASHES

This  store carries similar products as Beautrium but the prices are not as budget friendly as the latter. However, this cosmetic store chain is more widely spread over Thailand and can be conveniently found in big malls. This is the only makeup store I visited that carries authentic Sigma brushes and Sigma makeup.

• Makeup Brands Available: Lime Crime, Cosluxe, Wet n Wild, Sigma, Elf, Passion Ville, Prestige, Mynx Lashes
• Locations:
• Lashes The Scene (Town in town G/F)
• Lashes Silom (Silom Complex G/F)
• Lashes Major Cineplex (Major Ratchayothin 2nd Fl.)
• Lashes The Sense  (Pinklao G/F)
• Lashes Siam Square (Siam Square Soi 5)
• Lashes Pattaya (Central Festival G/F)

NYX STORE/COUNTER

Did you know that Nyx has a stand-alone store in Thailand? I  was totally surprised and excited to see that they do have their own store that carries wide variety of affordable, high quality makeup that are not even found in Sephora Nyx shelf. The  store looks very professional and it somehow reminded me of MAC counters. Just like MAC, the makeup artist/sells clerk also offers free touch ups or makeover.

• Makeup Available: They carry almost all NYX makeup products available in the western market with the exception of the latest releases like the NYX contour palette.

NEWS: Urban Decay Now Available in Korea + My Product Recommendations

Ever wanted to get your hands on any of the Urban Decay (UD) Naked Eyeshadow palettes but deterred by the premium price you pay for shipping and/or the agonizing thrill of waiting for the product to arrive? Well, read further because I have  great news for makeup lovers and UD fanatics here in South Korea.

I was visiting my local MAC counter in Hyundai department store here in Sinchon area yesterday. On my way out, I saw a couple of thrown away UD brochure in the garbage bin. Well, imagine how excited I was. So, I went back inside to inquire where the UD store is located. I can't believe how I missed it since it was just in the same area as the MAC counter on the 1st floor. I spoke to one of the staff and learned that they have just opened a day ago and that there are only two branches in Seoul as of the moment.

1. Hyundai Department Store Sinchon Branch (02-3145-2146) see map
2. Galleria Department Store Apgujeong Branch (02-511-9412) see map

Urban Decay Korea carries universally top rated and best selling products. The photo below shows the top 10 cult favorites and also the prices in Korean won.

MY PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS:

I am a great fan of UD and to be honest a quarter of my makeup stash is from the brand. Here are my top 3 product recommendations:

1.) Naked Eyeshadow Palettes (73,000 won)- All of these palettes have a special place in my heart. If you can only get one palette among the three, I would suggest looking into what type of shades do  you usually gravitate towards and as to what your undertone is. Naked 1 (original) is dominated with more of a gold, warm brown and bronze shades; which makes it perfect for warm undertone gals. On the other hand, if you are more of a cool tone gal and enjoys wearing silver and taupe shades, Naked 2 is definitely in your alley. Finally, Naked 3 is for those of you who love their pinks and rosy shades. This is perfect for bridal makeup. UD just came out with the Naked Smokey palette. Unfortunately, Korean UD doesn't carry this product as of now.

2.) Naked Skin Weightless Concealer (32,000 won)- This is my ultimate favorite concealer for my undereye area and for highlighting my face. The consistency and texture of this product is out of the world. It has great coverage without feeling heavy and it blends out to perfection. However, I don't suggest this if you are looking for a concealer to spot conceal since this leaves a satin (highlighting effect) once blended. If you are spot concealing your acne or blemishes, choose something with matte finish.

3.) UD All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (39,000 won)- This is the best setting spray that will keep your makeup budge proof throughout the day. I have just recently discovered this while I was in Bangkok, Thailand. I have put this into test while combating the hot, humid Thai weather. My makeup lasted all day despite the sweaty nature of my face. This is definitely something you need to preserve all your hard work and to go on with your day without worrying about retouching or what not. 

There you go! So, if you are in Korea and dreaming to test out any of the UD products, you can now visit the stores near you. Also, I'm interested to know your favorite UD product. 

Keep Dolling Up,

Gelie (Jelai) xoxo

Five Easy Steps to a Clean Face | My Night Routine

Taking off your makeup or any face products is as important as the act of makeup application itself. So, it shouldn't be taken for granted. I know that all of us have experienced exhausting days and we just feel like going straight (with our full face of makeup) to bed after a long day. However, we should always set some time and get into the habit of taking off our makeup and giving our skin its much needed time to breathe and recuperate after being masked with all of those makeup products we put during the day. 

In this blog post, I am going to be sharing with you guys my night routine - things I do to clean my face and nourish my skin. You'll also learn some tidbits of beauty tips that I do to prepare my face for an easy makeup application the following day. 

Here are the five easy steps to a clean face:

1. MELT and WIPE: To melt my makeup, I love to use Missha's Time Revolution One-Step Oil Gel Cleanser to basically marinate it on my face for about a minute. While I wait for the oil gel cleanser to do its job in melting my makeup, I take off my mascara and eye makeup using a spoolie brush soaked with eye makeup remover and wiggle the brush on my lashes; you can find the details about this technique on my previous post How To Take Off Falsies and Waterproof Mascara. After getting rid of my eye makeup, I use my wet fingers to massage Missha's oil gel cleanser all over my face. The water turns the oil gel into foam and you can literally see your makeup melting or coming off. Then, I rinse it off with lukewarm water.
2. EXFOLIATE: This step is probably one of the things that most girls take for granted, this is actually very important because it is going to scrub off any other product residue and dead skin cells that are hidden within your pores. If you are suffering from clogged pores, blackheads/whiteheads, and acne scarring, this step will help you improve your skin condition over time. I use the same line from Missha; it is their Time Revolution face scrub for my face and their smoothing care lip scrub for my lips. Tip: You may use the bristles of your tooth brush or brown sugar to exfoliate your lips.
3. TONE: After cleansing my face, I take another extra step to further make sure I bring back the natural pH level of my skin and to get rid of makeup residues that I missed while washing. I use the Face Shop 9-in-1 Skin Solution Toner to do the job for me.
4. TREAT: I perform this fourth step to treat my chapped, dry lips, to spot treat my fresh breakouts and to brighten up my blemishes.I use a lip balm (Maybelline's baby lips) to moisture my lips. For my fresh breakouts (if any), I spot treat it with Garnier Anti-Imperfection Roll On (any salicylic acid products will do). I also use Garnier Dark Spot Corrector with vitamin C to lighten up any dark spots or blemishes I have. 
5. MOISTURIZE: After you wash your face, you lose the natural moisture of your skin so it is critical to bring it back using moisturizing creams, moisturizing mask or oils. I use snail masks twice a week and on regular nights that I don't use mask I apply moisturizing cream.

And of course besides the five steps above, getting a good night sleep and keeping yoruself hydrated by drinking plenty of water are essential to a healthy skin inside and out. 

Keep Dolling Up,

Gelie (Jelai) Xoxo

How I Apply My Face Makeup (Glowy Finish)

Hi loves,

This week's blog post is short and sweet. I just want to show you guys how I apply my face makeup these days. The video tutorial below will walk you through the steps I take and the techniques I use in applying both liquid and powder products on my face. The products I used are also mentioned in the video.

Thank you so much for watching! If you have questions about the products I used and/or the techniques in application please drop me a line below.

See you in my next post!

Gelie (Jelai) xoxo

How To Fill In Your Brows Using A Brow Mascara

Hi dolls,

I'd like to share with you my techniques in filling my brows using a brow mascara. There are a tons of brow mascaras in the market, some great examples are Benefit's Gimme Brows, Nyx Tinted Brow Mascara, and Nature Republic Botanical Eyebrow Mascara (korean brand). My favorite among the bunch I have is the Nature Republic one. It doesn't dry out so fast and the shade matches my hair and skin tone perfectly.

Although the main concept in this post is using "brow mascara", I do like to tell you that I use other products/tools in conjunction with my brow mascara; just so I can get my desirable eyebrow look. The other things I use beside my brow mascara are eyebrow powder (brow shade matte shadow), spoolie brush, brow pencil, and concealer. 

Here is a step-by-step video tutorial on how I achieve well-groomed, defined brows. You may also read the steps below.

Steps:

1. Brow Mascara: Natural looking brows have subtle gradient effect, which means the inner ends (the ones near your nose) are slightly lighter and gets darker towards the outer end/the tail. That is why, I suggest you  start applying from the outer half of your brows and then take any excess product to the inner section. 
2. Brow Powder: You may also use a matte light brown eyeshadow. After applying your brow mascara you might feel as though it is sticky and leaves a shiny finish on your brows. Applying a brow powder on top of it using a brow brush will not only set the brow mascara, but also gets rid of the shiny effect and holds your brows in place throughout the day.
3. Spoolie Brush: Gently comb/brush your brows outward to make sure you have spread out all the products evenly and set all brow hair in the same direction. 
4. Eyebrow Pencil: I don't use eyebrow pencil to fill my whole brows. I use it to add sharpness or definition on the tail of my brows. Tip: As you can see on the video above. I used my brow pencil to find the end of my brows. Simply align the end of your brow pencil to the end of your nose and the end of your eyes. This will ensure you are not overdrawing your brows. 
   
5. Concealer: This is the star of the show. Even if I skip steps 2,3, and 4, I always make sure I do this last step. Apply a concealer that is one shade lighter than your skin to your brow bone area. It will help clean up the mess or any hair growth and highlight your brow bone. This step makes difference!

I hope you find my tips helpful.

Keep Dolling Up,
Gelie (Jelai) xoxo

Neutral Look: Shades of Coral and Peach

Hey loves!

Sorry if it took me long to write about this new go-to look I am currently obsessed about. I am currently living in Thailand and temporarily saying goodbye to the Kimchi land. The good thing is I have found some interesting cosmetics here and I am actually hoping to vlog about cosmetic shopping here in Thailand on my next posts. (Stay tune!)

Before I ramble too much, let's get into this current neutral look that I am really rocking a LOT these days. It is so wearable for day time and can be easily tweaked for a nighttime look. You can watch the video below to see the products I used and also how I achieved the look.

For a day time appropriate look, you may skip the false lashes and just wear your favorite mascara. If you are up for a more glamorous look then go for the falsies. 

In case, you missed the products I used, here is the list.

Eyes:
Mac Eyeshadow 15x Warm Neutral Palette 
Missha Single Pan Eyeshadow in Shea Butter
Clio Liquid Pen Eyeliner
Essence Big Eyes Highlighter Pen
Maybelline Hypercurl Mascara
VDL False Lashes

Lips:
Nature Republic Cream Lipstick in Mango Beige 

Face:
Garnier BB Cream
Mac Mineralized Blush in Warm Soul
Nars Laguna Bronzer

Let me know your thoughts about this look. I will definitely try to create another look using the same Mac palette in the future.

Keep Dolling UP,
Gelie (Jelai) xoxo