Hong Kong Essentials

Now, I know many of you may not be traveling to Hong Kong in the near future, but I wanted to show you the staples of my makeup bag while I was there. Hong Kong's weather is very much like the southern United States in the summer---hot and very humid (think 85 degrees F and up, and up to 90% humidity daily). In fact, the weather is like any tropical region as well-- including Hawaii, so if you are hitting up a humid spot this summer, this just might come in handy!

Above are the very bare bones of what I brought ( I brought more, but these were the workhorses) mixed in with some of my kitschy finds!

1. It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin ($18): I received this free with an Ulta order (you can pretty much get this free at Ulta all the time) and a few spritzes made my hair look awesome, even with the crappy hotel blow dryer and the crazy humidity.

2. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Apricot ($4.99): This perfect peachy color and thin tube meant I could stick this in a pocket and I never looked overdone during the daytime of crazy touristy things!

3. Benefit Gimme Brown in Light/Medium ($22): A no fuss tinted brow gel that kept me polished for nice dinners out but never smudged or ran, even when I was 'glistening'.

4. bareMinerals Ready blush in The French Kiss ($22): Great staying power and a universally flattering color!

5. Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream ($35): A larger review of this will be up soon, but this kept me looking gorgeous (and people complimented my skin) even when it started pouring with monsoon-status rains.

6. NYX Collection Noir Liquid Black Liner ($5.99): Has officially made holy grail status as a black liner for me, especially since it withstood extreme humidity for up to 15 hours straight.

7. Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Grapefruit ($7.50): With SPF 25 and a cheery scent, it wasn't so hard to perk up from the jet lag with this.

8. NYX Matte Blotting Paper ($3.99): Blotting papers are a must in weather like Hong Kong's, and these are my favorite!

What are your favorite hot and humid weather products?
Oh, and more photos!

Above is my favorite pastel-colored building, the Stanley beach, and the entire city at night from the tallest point!

My Hong Kong Adventures and Etude House Dear My Jelly Lips

Miss me?
If you have been following my personal Instagram, you may have noticed I have been having some adventures in Hong Kong! I'll give you some more pictures at the end of this post, but it was really fun! Of course, I had to get in a little beauty shopping while there though, right?
When I walked out of my hotel, I was delighted to see a giant Etude House glowing pink and frilly across the street. I dragged my roommate in and managed to only walk out with a lipstick.

But oh, it is a glorious lipstick. Hong Kong is a pricey city and on day one, I was a little shaky with the currency conversion so just bought one thing. Turns out, this lippie was only $11 USD, but you can find it cheaper here if you so wish!

The full name of this is Sweet Recipe Dear My Jelly Lips-talk in JPK002, which is a raspberry color.

I am a sucker for the aesthetic of Etude House, and I have to admit, it was so fun shopping in the store. Everything was so pink! I love the white bejeweled packaging. It almost looks like doll/play makeup.

I also fell in love with the jelly-look of the lipstick itself. My friend and I had a ball swatching them, and I decided this one looked the 'juiciest'. It also has a sweet Hawaiian Punch smell to it, which is fun!

The color is sheerer, but buildable, and honestly more pigmented than I thought. I did not have high hopes for the quality of this, but it feels good on my lips, lasts about 2 hours, and has a lovely color.

Overall, I am glad I picked up this little gem from Etude House. Have you tried any of their cosmetics or skincare? I wanted to pick up a BB Cream, but I was constantly out of time to go shopping!

Now, as promised, a peek into my Hong Kong adventures!

The skyline is amazing!! I really fell in love with this city!

It was monsoon-rainy and windy there, but here is me in front of the harbor. Also...85 degree heat and 90% humidity made my skin feel great! But the rest of me...not so much!

Also, this little dumpling guy was kind of the cutest thing ever. 

Missed you all! 

xx