Geek in Heels - Page 7

May 7, 2015 • In Asian, Beauty, Korean, Personal, Reviews

Battle of the Long-Lasting, Matte Cushions: Innisfree, Laneige, and IOPE

Earlier this week, I received my IOPE Air Cushion XP Matte Finish in the mail. I had been pretty excited to try this new offering from the IOPE Air Cushion line, since it was the cushion compact that had started it all — selling a unit every 30 seconds in Korea at the height of its popularity — and I had found the original too dewy for my tastes.

The trend in Korea for the past couple of years has been dewy, bordering-on shiny skin. As such, I held off on buying a cushion ‘pact at first because they would only leave my combination/oily skin a greasy mess by the end of the day. So imagine my delight when both Innisfree and Laneige released matte (at least by Korean standards), long-lasting versions of their popular cushions last summer: the Innisfree Long Wear Cushion and the Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control.

And since I already own both, I decided to face them off against my new IOPE Matte Finish!

As you can see from the photo above, all three cushion compacts are of similar sizes. (And although I haven’t a picture to show you, they’re similar widths too.) However, I have read that while the Laneige and IOPE refills can fit in each others’, as well as in other cushion compact cases made by their parent company AmorePacific, the Innisfree refill can not.

Just based on product packaging alone, I would crown Laneige the winner. The case is sturdy and feels luxurious, and although the IOPE case is just as fancy, I personally prefer the light blue, incased-in-glass look of the Laneige.

Open the cases and you won’t notice much of a difference either. Each compact comes with the typical blue cushion applicator. (I clean my sponges weekly with the Daiso Detergent for Puff and Sponge. Nothing else gets these sponges this clean for so cheap!) The sponge holder acts double-duty as a snap-on lid for the makeup-soaked cushion.

The texture of the cushions may look different in the photo below, but please be assured that they’re very, very similar. The Laneige cushion looks a bit weird because it was upside-down in my bag, and the texture of the IOPE cushion is what’s typical of a new cushion ‘pact. (In other words, it will look more like the Innisfree cushion with continued use.)

What Crystal Knows About Me

Have you heard of Crystal?

In short, it’s a web app that attempts to analyze and summarize your personality through your web presence. Its main objective is to help improve communication — you can look up anyone you wish and their Crystal profile will tell you how best to communicate with them.

Some have found the service “eerily accurate,” while others find it problematic.

Intrigued, I requested an invite and was granted access a couple of days later.

I felt weird creeping on anyone I know — even J — so I decided to try the algorithm on myself.

I wouldn’t say that my Crystal profile is “eerily accurate.” (But then again, it’s only 40% confident that its analysis of me is correct.) For example, I practically let out a laugh at the part where it says, “Don’t trust that they will follow specific verbal instructions” — most of my professional acquaintances will agree that I usually follow instructions and requests to a T.

Also, “Don’t get frustrated if they is a few minutes late”? The grammar mistake notwithstanding, I’m one of those people who places a very high value on punctuality and would rather be 30 minutes early than 3 minutes late.

That being said, most of the other stuff seems pretty descriptive of me. And at first, I took some offense to being called “scatter-brained,” but after further introspection, I realized this is correct! I think this comes out more naturally in my online presence — especially here on my blog — as I tend to type my thoughts exactly how they materialize.

I also found it interesting that Crystal suggests people use emoticons when emailing me. I never gave this much thought before, but it makes sense given that I use emoticons in my social media accounts and I find it frustrating when I, or others, have a hard time discerning jokes and sarcasm in written communications.

As you can see, there is a “How to write an email to ____” section at the bottom of the profile. However, this is a premium option that requires a paid subscription.

Crystal is a fascinating concept for this blogger who’s into psychological analyses. (Ahem, Star Wars MBTI chart!) Since I am currently job-hunting, I definitely want to try it out on my future interviewers!

Giveaway: Win One of THREE Tubes of SU:M37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick!

The SU:M37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick is a cult product among Asian Beauty enthusiasts, and holds HG status for many who’ve tried the luxurious lather of fermented rose.

Don’t believe me? Check out the glowing reviews from these trusted sources in Asian Beauty:

I won’t do a full review on this blog because the ladies above — in addition to troves of other bloggers — have already done such fantastic jobs of it.

Instead, I’ll be quick and get right down to the reason for this post…

I am giving away THREE tubes of the
SU:M37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick!

Yep, you’ve read that correctly. You will have THREE chances to win a MRCS! Even if you’re not interested in this sensational cleanser for yourself, it would make a great gift…especially with Mother’s Day coming up!

And, because I love the MRCS so much — it’s really as great as everyone says it is! — this giveaway will be open worldwide. (Or, at least anywhere that the USPS can ship.) 🙂

To enter this giveaway, simply use the Rafflecopter widget below. Not sure how to use Rafflecopter? Watch this 52 second video for a tutorial on how to enter a giveaway using Rafflecopter. There are 7 methods of entry, with the first method (commenting on this blog post) being mandatory while the third (Tweeting about the giveaway) and fifth (sharing this post on Facebook) methods can be used once per day:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will end on Saturday, May 8th, 2015, at 12:01am EST, at which point a winner will be randomly chosen and announced here. If the winner has won the drawing via a questionable or illegitimate entry (i.e., not commenting on this post, using different accounts to enter multiple times, using the same Tweet URL to enter multiple times) I have the right to choose another winner.

This giveaway is open only to individuals who are 13 years old and older.

Please use a valid email address and/or Twitter handle so that I can contact you if you win! If the winner fails to respond within 48 hours of my contacting them, another winner will be selected.

Good luck, and thank you for entering!

Famous Movie Directors as Chefs

I confess that I had to look up Uwe Boll, but it all made sense once I realized I’d watched a few of his C movies (when insomnia hits and I’m purposely looking to watch bad movies)!

Via Blame It on the Voices.

My New Favorite Korean Beauty Products, Part 3

Read part 1 here
Read part 2 here

And now, for the conclusion of this series, I present to you: the Korean beauty products that are on their way to me, if customs will pretty-please hurry up so that I can get my greedy paws on them!

First up is the IOPE Air Cushion XP Matte Finish.

Yep, the cushion compact that started it all — at the height of its popularity, one IOPE Air Cushion XP was sold every 30 seconds in Korea, and it still remains a best-seller in Asia — has just released two new versions: the XP Matte Finish and XP Intensive Cover.

IMHO, this is a great move on IOPE’s part, especially with cushions gaining steam in Europe and North America, where women generally prefer additional coverage and/or a matte finish.

And with the warmer months just around the corner, you know that this combination/oily skinned blogger has to try it out!

My New Favorite Korean Beauty Products, Part 2

Read part 1 here

Sheet masks have become pretty ubiquitous by now, wouldn’t you say? I myself have been exploring new brands and types, reading up on the latest trends/gimmicks (animal or kabuki sheet masks, anyone?), and investigating the best-reviewed masks per my usual researcher self.

And my favorite types of masks, so far, have been the hydrogel masks. (Read Forget Sheet Masks, Hydrogel Masks Are the Next Best Asian Import for more details on these slimy goodies.) Hydrogel masks may already be old news in Korea, but they are still pretty new to us folks stateside.

I unfortunately have not tried a lot of hydrogel masks as they are more expensive than your traditional sheet masks. However, among the ones I have tried, the two lines pictured above are my favorites: Sally’s Box Delight Hydrogel Masks (in Panthenol, Ceramide, and Collagen — $12 for a pack of 3), and Whamisa Fermented Hydrogel Masks (in Organic Flowers & Aloe Vera, Organic Seeds & Rice, and Organic Fruits & Tomato — $9 each). Each time I use these masks, my skin instantly becomes more radiant and plump with an unmistakable glow.

Next up are three makeup items:

My New Favorite Korean Beauty Products, Part 1

Harro! As you can probably tell by the dismal state of my blog this month, I’ve been pretty busy lately. (And when I manage to get a break, I have been zoning out in front of Netflix.) And since I get so much positive feedback about product reviews — especially ones regarding Korean beauty stuffs — I’ve decided to pop back in with some of the items I’ve been loving these days!

First up is skincare products.

My Surprising Reaction to Fifty Shades of Grey

Last week, I decided to watch Fifty Shades of Grey to see what all the hype was about.

And…it wasn’t so bad.

Was it Oscar-worthy? Definitely not.

But it wasn’t the worst movie I had seen all year either. Or even this month. (But then, again, I’m known to purposely watch crappy movies from time to time just to get in a good laugh. 😛 )

What I found interesting about Fifty Shades of Grey was not its infamous sex scenes — did you hear about the woman who was arrested for masturbating to the movie in the theater? — nor its foray into the world of BDSM. Rather, I found it fascinating why so many women went gaga over the book and the subsequent movie adaption.

The answer was so very clear.

Escapism.

Into a completely unrealistic world where sexy billionaire falls for a plain jane and whisks her away to a life of luxuries and pleasure (and pleasurable pain).

“It seriously feels like 2 teenage girls got together and decided to create their ‘dream man’ and came up with Christian Grey.” (Read the rest of that Amazon review for a good laugh!)

Moreover, a world where someone else makes the choices for us. And in a day and age where women are faced with more choices than ever, and are often criticized or plagued with self-doubt about the choices we make, it can feel good to have those decisions taken away from us.

In other words, I understand.

I get it.

I still refuse to read the book, though. I remember wanting to gauge my eyes out while struggling to get through the first Twilight book (I wanted to read it and finish it so that I can at least say that I gave it a try) because the writing was THAT BAD. In fact, did you know Fifty Shades started as Twilight fanfiction? And everyone I’ve spoken to who have read both series — even the fans! — tell me that I would hate the Fifty Shades books if I hated Twilight.

What did you think of the movie?

What Do You Get When You Combine the Two Most Hated Typefaces?

Comic Sans and Papyrus are probably the most hated typefaces among designers — heck, probably anyone with a discerning eye.

So when Ben Harmon cross-bred the two…

Oh, the humanity! Would another font hybrid induce such horror?

…But it’s kinda funny at the same time too, isn’t it? 😉

For those who are wondering, no this is not a joke. You can obtain it for yourself for a mere $5 right here.

I know you want to download it.

Squidix Web Hosting Review… And a Giveaway! [Win One of SIX Hosting Plans!]

In all my years of blogging, I have probably hosted my site, addition to clients’ sites, on over 10 different web hosts. And any idiot can tell you that not all web hosts are built the same.

You may remember my troubles with HostGator a couple of years ago. Due to HostGator’s slow speeds, horrible customer service, and less-than-acceptable uptimes, I decided to jump ship to Hawk Host. However, due to an unfortunate series of events, I was forced to change hosts again to MDDHosting, just 10 days after switching to Hawk Host.

And I was happy with MDDHosting. Good speeds, customer service, and minimal downtimes. I remained a loyal customer of MDDHosting’s Premium Hosting (which is ideal for those who have outgrown shared hosting environments but do not want or require a VPS yet).

Until Squidix came along.

I am not lying when I tell you that Squidix is the best web host I have ever worked with. I know that I need to disclose when a blog post is a sponsored one…but I can promise you that I would be saying this even if they had no idea I was writing this review.

Customer Service

The one thing that really sets Squidix apart from the rest is their impeccable customer service. I have never had to wait over an hour for an email response, even when most of my questions are not urgent. And each time, every question or issue was resolved immediately.

Even transferring all my files over the Squidix was a breeze…I just handed over my login credentials from my previous host, and they took care of everything for me in just a couple of hours! (BTW, this is included for free with all their hosting plans!)

Plans & Pricing

Not only that, you get more bang for your buck with Squidix. For comparison purposes, I’ve decided to put Squidix up against the two hosts I used to recommend the most before: MDDHosting and Stable Host. These two were consistently among the most recommended while doing my research for a new host 2 years ago, and they remain superior to many others.

So how does Squidix measure up? Here’s Squidix’s lowest shared hosting plan, compared to MDDHosting and Stable Host’s most comparable plans (which happens to be their mid-level shared hosting plans):


10GB Shared Hosting Plan	Int. Shared Hosting Plan	Stable Shared Hosting Plan
10GB SSD storage	10 GB SSD storage	7 GB SSD storage
Unlimited Bandwidth	250 GB Bandwidth	Unlimited Bandwidth
$4.95/month for 1st year, then $9.95 (paid annually)	$11.50/month, or $9.78 (paid annually)	$5.95/month

Squidix has a slight edge, no?

But it’s when you get into the next level of hosting that you start to clearly see a difference (the lowest semi-dedicated Squidix plan is put up against MDDHosting and Stable Host’s most comparable plans):


25GB Semi Dedicated Plan	Int. Premium Hosting Plan	Stable Enterprise Hosting Plan
25GB SSD storage	10 GB SSD storage	20 GB SSD storage
500 GB Bandwidth	600 GB Bandwidth	Unlimited Bandwidth
$24.95/month, or $22.87 (paid annually)	$50/month, or $42.50 (paid annually)	$39.95/month

Here, Squidix beats my two former favorite hosts, especially in terms of price. The difference may not seem that large, but it really does add up over time!

Speed

Most webmasters are aware that speed is a crucial factor in choosing a web host. After all, a website’s loading time not only influences your visitors, it also impacts your SEO.

I have mentioned before that I have been with over 10 different web hosts over the years, and my previous host, MDDHosting, provided some of the speediest load times in my experience.

How does Squidix compared to MDDHosting? Well, I managed to test this blog’s page speed right before I switched to Squidix:

And, now, with Squidix?

Sure, the “after” test had a smaller page size, but one can clearly deduce from comparing the two test results that Squidix’s speeds are similar to, if not better, than that of MDDHosting.

(For those who may be wondering, yes, I have run the speed test using different servers in different locations. And yes, I have received similar results with all of them.)

Conclusion

It has been over a month since I’ve hosted this blog with Squidix, and I have been nothing short of happy with my new web host. Squidix ranks #1 among all of my top requirements of a good web hosting company: customer service, specs & pricing, and speed. And all the hiccups my site has experienced since the migration have been of my doing (i.e., faulty scripts).

Would I be happy with Squidix even if I were not writing a review? Definitely.

Would I recommend Squidix to others? In a heartbeat.

Giveaway!

Are you interested in giving Squidix a try? Well, I have good news for you, Squidix has generously donated a year’s worth of their 25GB Semi Dedicated Hosting Plan for one Geek in Heels reader! Not only that, FIVE lucky winners will win a year’s worth of the 10GB Shared Hosting Plan!

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is comment below, with your website URL and a short explanation for why you want to switch to Squidix.

This giveaway begins on Monday, March 16^th, 2015 12:00am EDT and will end on Tuesday, March 24^th, 2015 at 12:00am EDT. The winners will be notified by email, so please provide a valid email address in the comment form. (Emails will not be displayed or shared.)

Good luck, and thanks for entering!

Battle of the Long-Lasting, Matte Cushions: Innisfree, Laneige, and IOPE

You may also like:

What Crystal Knows About Me

You may also like:

Giveaway: Win One of THREE Tubes of SU:M37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick!

You may also like:

Famous Movie Directors as Chefs

You may also like:

My New Favorite Korean Beauty Products, Part 3

You may also like:

My New Favorite Korean Beauty Products, Part 2

You may also like:

My New Favorite Korean Beauty Products, Part 1

You may also like:

My Surprising Reaction to Fifty Shades of Grey

You may also like:

What Do You Get When You Combine the Two Most Hated Typefaces?

You may also like:

Squidix Web Hosting Review… And a Giveaway! [Win One of SIX Hosting Plans!]

Customer Service

Plans & Pricing

Speed

Conclusion

Giveaway!

You may also like:

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