Our side of the world has Sephora, and it seems Macau has Sasa.

UoMacau.com

And…I’m going to be so bold as to say…Sasa is cooler.

(Note, this comes from a girl who has been loitering at Sephora locations nationwide since high school.)

However, this morning, I conjured up a bit of adventurousness, and aimlessly wandered the streets of the center of town, in search of beauty innovation. What I found was…a whole lot of blasts from the past, but more important – fabulous products that you simply can’t find anywhere else.

I’ve always known this to be true – cosmetic companies will distribute differently in various regions. It’s really exciting though to suddenly be in one of those locales, and know you can buy – completely legally – products you can’t get at home, and take them back with you!

Like the Cyber Colors HD Plus Foundation – amazing. Utterly Amazing. And it’s here! As is Dr. G Skincare products – these are the brainchild of Gun-Yong Ahn, the founder of Gowoonsesang, the top brand in Korea. I did something I rarely ever do today – I BOUGHT makeup. (As in did not wait for it to be sent to me) – because there was something I just needed to have for my very own. Dr. G’s Luxury EGF Prime BB Protector is a make-up base, sun screen and foundation! It’s quite obviously the best primer I’ll ever own, so I had to, well, own it. And this is something you won’t find in America!

If you find yourself visiting Macau, you should check out the location I visited. It’s bi-level, and everyone there is super cool. (Plus, you know how Sephora lets you stand there for an hour trying on all their cosmetics, and leave the store totally beautified, and maybe not even buy anything? You can totally do that here too. But you shouldn’t. It’s really not a nice thing to do. Tsk.)

Rua De S.Domingos No.16A-16C and GF,BF,MF., Travessa, Da Se No : 1-A; 1-B
(853) 2832 2155
10:00am-10:00pm

Before I left for China, I was very concerned about my grooming – we all know that some of the most innovative beauty and skincare finds come from Asia…as the beauty editor of our tour group, I didn’t want to not do my profession proud.
As I arrived, I realized I had been correct to be worried – the women of Macau are impeccably groomed. And it is a little intimidating.
I’ll have fabulous pix upon my return to the States next week, but for now, I wanted to chat a bit about one thing have noticed: The women of Macau …read more

I still can’t get over the sheer magnitude of people who not only do not wear primers, but are not aware of what they are for.
Even sadder, for a long time, I was one of them…and then the second that I saw the light, I never looked back.
Of course, not all primers are created equal, and I have my favorites, and not-so-favorites. I’m a new fan of Dior’s Skinflash, though.
First of all, it has a built-in brush: Great for achieving better application.
From a scientific angle, it is made with something called “photo-smart pigments” – it’s light-attracting, which helps me to …read more

Share my liner obsession?
Well, here’s something you must add to your wish list ASAP: Behold Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Eyes Collector Set, available at Sephora.
It costs over $200, which may feel like a splurge, but it’s value is easily double, and it includes just about everything your eyes will ever need.
It’s limited-edition, which makes it oddly sexier, and comes with the full range of 25 shades – so we are talking endless looks. Aqua Eyes is super-long-wearing (we are talking 20-hour-flight-and-still-kicking long-wearing), and resists water—even under the most extreme conditions
Also cool: By smudging it immediately after applying to …read more

As it gets increasingly cold out, I begin to crave comfort, indulgence, and warmth.
Sadly, just about the only way I’m going to be getting that right now is a good bubble bath, but I’ve found the perfect source.
Philosophy’s Winter Escape is perfect for a little bit of holiday-season self-indulgence.
It includes peppermint Hot Cocoa Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath! Why do I love this? It screams holiday yum, but obviously – no calories.
Also included are the incredibly delicious Marshmallow Body Soufflé and Marshmallow Flavored Lip Shine – which will make me smell and taste so kissable, I may have body …read more

I write about private sale sites often on ShopaholicsDaily – many are fashion-focused, and it’s more fitting over there – but every so often there’s great beauty sales that simply cannot go unmentioned.
MLab, though, is on sale today at ideeli.com, and with prices around 50% off, I’d be amiss not to mention it here!

This is a line with its roots in science, and while many of you are thinking – “What? Science? I just want to look pretty!” science is a pretty essential part of quality skincare.
Essentially, it’s all about anti-aging, and trust me, ladies, I’m FEELING the aging of …read more

This weekend, I was on a cruise, and while it was fabulously fun – more on that soon – there was inclement weather that made it decidedly non-tropical.
But at one point, I realized: Even if Hurricane Ida takes the tropics away from us…we can bring it right back.
Currently, I’m obsessing about the amazing scent of pomegranate and mango in Avon’s Naturals Pomegranate & Mango 5-Piece Bath Set; and what makes it even more lustworthy is that currently, you’ll pay just $10 for this $35 value!
Remember, that’s for FIVE PIECES. You’ll get two shower gels, 2 moisturizing hand and body …read more

Beauty writers tend to be inundated with products – so much that we readily share with our friends and families.
However, for all of us, there’s a few key items that we won’t share. These are the ones we will hoard as we get them and put in a safe place, just to make sure there’s NEVER a rainy day onto which we’ll run out.
For me, this list of product includes body butters. You can just never be too buttered up!
Right now at Bath & Body Works, if you buy any three Signature Collection items, you will get two free or …read more

Check this out: Crabtree & Evelyn is having their first-ever 96-hour sale (ends 10 a.m. EST on Tuesday), and during the sale, EVERYTHING is 20% – even clearance items!
With deals like this, it’s a great time to choose your seasonal scent. (Is it pomegranate? Orange spice? What makes you think of the holidays) – or just stock up on your tried-and-true favorite.
My own pick is the awesome hand care caddy: It’s a ceramic caddy with full-size bottles of Orange Spice Hand Wash and moisturising Hand Lotion. So perfect for the season- and a must-have for my bathroom!

Last year, my best friend and I were Ginger and Mary Anne for Halloween.
She is obsessed with all things ginger – characters with that name, pink food items that come with sushi, ginger snap cookies. Me, not so much. It’s not that I dislike it, it’s just that ginger vs. chocolate, chocolate is going to win every time.
We may have finally found a place to coexist peacefully.
I’m loving the scent of Pangea’s Nigerian Ginger, Sweet Lavender & Thyme Facial Cream – it’s super-hydrating and has no harmful chemicals, but  is also rich in healthy essential fatty acids (EFAs). like Argan, …read more