'Sup, peeps? How's your 2017 going so far? Found any great beauty scores? I've been trying to stay on budget so no long list of reviews from me this month, just a few new finds. (I've been watching Youtube skincare videos instead of shopping - anyone interested in a list of decent skincare youtubers?)

Urban Decay Vice lipstick in Bruise
I couldn’t resist picking this up when UD’s Vintage collection went on discount at Ulta - these were some of the shades that the brand first came out with in the early 90s when they were launching, and everyone was taken aback by the edgy shade names and the unusual colors, like blue lipstick. Bruise is a dark red tending toward burgundy - I can’t remember if I actually owned it back in the day, or just something very similar from a cheaper brand. It’s surprisingly wearable and flattering, although it can move around a bit.

Stratia soft touch AHA (Stratiaskin.com)
This is a mandelic acid gel; mandelic is a gentler AHA than glycolic. My first mandelic product (Sefpil cream from India) was a slam-dunk, but this one has been a more measured success. It leaves my skin a bit tacky afterwards, which is less than ideal for under makeup, and it pills under some of my foundations. The actual active ingredient seems fine, and it for sure is a gentle exfoliator option, but I doubt I’ll repurchase once it’s used up since the Sefpil is cheaper and easier to get ahold of.

Missha all around safe block essence sun spf45 (misshaus.com)
I keep hearing how much better Asian sunscreens are from American ones (the FDA is lagging behind other regulatory agencies in approving new sunscreen ingredients that have been out in the rest of the world for years), and so one of my beauty goals for this year is to try new sunscreens from Europe and Asia when I can get ahold of them. This one is quite nice - normally a sunscreen this creamy would break me out but this doesn’t, and it sits nicely under makeup.

Sheet masks
A full review of each of the sheet masks I’ve tried would be tedious in the extreme, so I’ll just say that I’ve been really pleased with Taiwanese brand masks in particular, including My Scheming and My Beauty Diary. MBD is available at Target online, and I’ve found My Scheming in local Asian markets around here (also online, of course). My favorites so far are the MBD bird’s nest variety, and the MS hot spring water.

Hydroxatone cushion foundation (Kohl’s)
Cushion foundations have been the thing in Asia for a long time and are now making their way to Western brands. I’ve been wanting to try one and when Kohl’s had this option on half-off I snapped it up. It’s the typical sponge cushion with an application puff, and comes with an extra refill. I’ve only been using this for a week or so and so far it’s a solid B. The color (I got the lightest option) is a bit too yellow on me, but most foundations are. It goes on quite dewy but dries down after a couple minutes to a natural-tending-to-dewy finish; I suspect it would probably go too shiny/greasy on a hot summer day but is OK right now. I don’t love it by itself without a powder on top, because it emphasizes my pores somehow, but with powder it’s nice. I’m still getting used to the tricks of applying with a puff, and find it harder to get a consistent application than with a foundation brush or beauty blender, especially around the ‘corners’ - underneath my eyes, around my nose, etc. The form factor is undoubtedly great for on-the-go, so I will keep this in my bag for touchups but it probably won’t become my main foundation.