Marxie Kim ♡

Clio Mad Matte Lip in Salmon Rose and Dolce Rose Review and Swatches

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 10:36:00 +0000

Another lip product review, this time from Clio!

Honestly, I don`t think I'll ever get tired in reviewing lip products because if there's one make up item I can never live without, it has to be lipstick.

Anyway, if you're a kbeauty enthusiast then I guess it goes without saying that you are already familiar with this brand and you know how good their cosmetics are. Clio is Peripera's sister brand and these two make great lip products, in my opinion. With that being said, do check out my review on Peripera's Airy Ink Velvet HERE.

Clio

Mad Matte Lips

Bring pure color directly to your lips with fine micro pigments that promote intense, highly chromatic color pay off.

Hydrating on the inside, matte on the surface!

Here are the sides of the box with English description and direction.

The manufacturing date is located at the lower part

It's probably no surprise as you've already seen it on the title.

The shades I got were Salmon Rose and Dolce Rose.

There's a total of 18 shades in this line. They released 8 shades first and then the shades I got belong to the second release.

01 Pink Flush

02 Sunlit Orange

03 Red Supreme

04 Bloody Wine

05 Russet Rose

06 Sensual Pepper

07 Bare it All

08 Naked Coral

09 Mellow Rose

10 Crimson Rose

11 Dolce Rose

12 Perky Rose

13 Salmon Rose

14 Juicy Papaya

15 Berry Punch

16 Sweet Guava

17 Sour Lychee

18 Deep Cranberry

The packaging is very simple almost all black if not for the Mad Matte logo on the cap. When you remove the cap you will see a metallic part which I guess represents the shade of the lipstick?

Each lipstick contains 4.5g of product and will last up to 18 months.

Here's what the lipstick bullet looks like. It's round shaped and wide but I never had a problem when applying it onto my lips though there were times that I do mess up on the edges but that happens almost all the time.

Can you see my cat lying on the ground? He's probably thinks I'm taking a photo of him and not the lipstick. lol

I didn't realize these two were almost of the same color until I opened it. Not sure if it's just my computer setting but in the promotional photo Clio provided, Salmon rose looked more on the light pink side. Didn't expect them to be both orange tinted, Salmon Rose is still my favorite shade between these two nevertheless as it brightens my complexion naturally and it's perfect for daily wear. Dolce Rose can also be worn for everyday look, given that you tone it down because these lipsticks are very pigmented. I feel like this will suit those who are into mature look?

Apologies for the awful lighting in these lip swatches, I took this around 9am and it was cloudy that day.

They weren't lying when they said it has insane color payoff. I was taken a back by how pigmented it was, too pigmented for my liking but it's buildable so I only apply a bit and blend it. The thing is, it emphasizes dry patches and sink into lip lines when applied thinly. Take a look at the first swatch of Salmon Rose above, I had already exfoliated my lips prior to swatching. But I guess that's just how matte lipsticks are, but unlike others this one doesn't feel dry. It's true to its claims, hydrating on the inside and matte on the surface.

Dry patches weren't too noticeable when layered though, it's so creamy, glides on like a dream and very comfortable on the lips!

Unfortunately, this isn't transfer proof. It won't survive when you eat and touch ups are definitely needed. If you're looking for something with transfer proof formula, you might want to look into the liquid lipstick version of this one. It was also highly raved by Korean bloggers.

If you're following me on Instagram, you might have seen my favorite lip products post? I might have to add this one to that list!

Oh, did I mention that it has a faint chocolate-y scent? Definitely deserves a plus point for that!

That's it for today, a short review of this great matte lipstick.

I got this from Jolse btw, along with Innisfree My Lip Balm Wanna One Edition. Here is the LINK if you haven't read that one yet.

If you like matte lipsticks, I would definitely recommend you to grab one of these!

You have 18 shades to choose from so I'm sure you'll find a color you like.

Get yours here:

Clio Mad Matte Lips

What's your favorite lipstick?

Innisfree My Lip Balm Wanna One Edition Review and Swatches

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 09:36:00 +0000

WANNA ONE! Their group name doesn't really make a lot of sense, I cringed when they announced it around one in the morning. But believe me, it will grow on you. Believe me!

If you follow me on Instagram, you would already know that this is going to be my next post here on this blog and I also have announced in my very first post earlier this year that I love this boy group so much. I hope you won't be surprised if I mention them in almost every post. For those who don't follow KPOP, Wanna One (I love all of them. I know I already said it 0.01 millisecond ago but I love them a lot lol) became Innisfree's newest ambassador alongside with Yoona of Girls' Generation/SNSD. As much as I want to give you a timeline of how it happened and load you with tons of information about them with the intention of converting you into their fan, I'm afraid that it will take me a day or two, maybe even longer than that, just to finish the whole post so I'm going to try my best to keep my fangirling to the minimum.

Basically, what happened was these 11 boys were on a survival show called Produce 101 or PD101 as us fans like to call it, and Innisfree happened to be one of the advertisers in that show. During the show, Innisfree gave the boys a lot of products for them to use, it was just for product placement really. It was around the time when they were promoting the color clay mask and it blew up because the PD101 boys were hilarious. This show was very famous in Korea, btw.

When the show ended, they decided to sign an official contract with the winners aka Wanna One and their first project with them was the color clay mask. They had a promo wherein you will get a poster of the member you like if your purchase amounts to 20,000 won. Lo and behold, the first day was crazy, there was an extremely long queue in front of Innisfree stores in South Korea. I read a lot of anecdote and most of them were insanely funny. Most people who purchased from Innisfree forgot what they bought from the store but they didn't care because they got the poster of their bias. For Wannables, the poster is more important the the beauty products. Haha Some employees also posted on their personal social media accounts that their sales for that particular day was already a year's worth of profit.

Because of that Innisfree decided to extend Wanna One's contract and they're back with a new product which is the "My Lip Balm".

I still have a lot to say but I stopped myself, I somehow managed to.

If memory serves me right, Innisfree announced about My Lip Balm last November it was set for pre-order to accomodate everyone and was supposed to be released on the the first week of January but was delayed to the 20th of that month because they received an enormous amount of order.

After the release, they decided to make a regular version of the lip balm because not everyone got the chance to purchase it during the pre-order period. There's Wanna One edition, which you can't buy anymore and regular edition.

Innisfree

My Lip Balm

Wanna One Edition

15G

10,000 krw

A hydrating lip balm in different colors and in tea scents.

Available in 11 shades

The name of the shade is different in Wanna One Edition, the ones I got were named Ong Bead Hibiscus and Emperor Earl Grey. They were renamed in the Regular version as Wild Hibiscus and Mint Earl Grey.

The boxes from Wanna One edition is also especially customized as it have the faces and signature of the members.

The one on the left side is Ong Seongwu and on the right is Hwang Minhyun. My favorites along with Jihoon, my holy trinity. Haha Anyway, these two are the same age and they Korean Wannables gave them a nickname which is 개안즈 (gae-an-jeu), I'm not sure how it translates to English but I think it's eyecandy or visually pleasing. The photos on the lip balm tube doesn't really give them justice, I suggest you try searching their names on Google for a better look.

It came in tube type of packaging.

I can't even remember the last time I saw a lip balm in this type of packaging. But then again, I don't really use lip balm that often nor do I update myself with recent lip balm releases so this type of packaging look quite ancient to me.

It's very portable and longer than regular lip balms available in the market but you can't really see how much product is inside. Another downside of this packaging is that you have squeeze the tube to get the product and it forms a dent on oppa's face whenever I use it, why did you do this Innisfree??

Whoever designed this, send me an e-mail. We need to talk.

lol Just kidding, okay maybe not.

Seriously though, you won't be able to dispense all of the product inside unless you cut it in half which is why I prefer the lip balm with twist up mechanism. My favorite is DHC Lip Cream, you should try it. It's cheap and most importantly, it works!

The regular edition doesn't have Wanna One's face on the tube, which I actually prefer.

I swear I'm not lying. lol I'm not really the type of fan who collects everything with my favorite celebs face on it. I don't even put up posters on my wall but this lip balm I just really need to have. Haha I don't think I will be able to use this in public, unless maybe in their concert wherein I gloriously take it out of my bag and apply it to my lips to make others jealous because I have it and they don't. lol Then they're going to ask me, where did you get it? and I will be like "Oh I got it from Jolse, you want the link?" but it's already sold out by then because their concert here is in June. Haha

Anyways, you can't really see it on the picture but on the back of the tube it says:

Innisfree My lip balm - Wanna One edition then name of the color, weight of the product and expiration date.

This lip balm is good for 12 months after opening it and the expiration date is on November 11, 2020.

This product can last longer than their contract. /weeps

Just a little trivia, they're going to disband on December 2018. Watch me cry at the end of the year.

I don't really like this type of applicator because you will need to clean it after using or else it's going to be a dirty mess. The balm spreads on the applicator and it doesn't look very pleasing, at least for me. It still gets dirty even after wiping it clean because the cap has a stopper installed inside to prevent the product leakage but the balm sticks to it so whenever I take it out resulting it to spread in the applicator. It's annoying.

We have finally reached the end! Almost. Haha

#5 Ong Bead Hibiscus / Wild Hibicus is bright coral when squeezed out of the tube and becomes a coral shade on the lips.

#6 Emperor Earl Grey / Mint Earl Grey is more of a light brownish coral when squeezed out of the tube and light pink shade on the lips.

The swatches provided on their own website is very misleading because it's not as pigmented.

I'm sure the shades will change depending on your own lip color or how pigmented your lips are but don't expect too much on pigmentation as this lip balm goes on very sheer. It leaves a pinkish stain after a few minutes though it doesn't last very long and it fades unevenly.

I like Hibiscus shade more than Earl Grey (sorry Minhyun, you're still my bias) because that particular shade brightens my overall skintone and it also look more natural on me. Still, both of these shades are nice and great to use on daily basis.

If you're looking for a lightweight lip balm you might want to give this one a pass because you can definitely feel it and you wouldn't really want to layer it too much because the balm just sits on your lips and doesn't really get absorbed. Apart from that, if you layer it too much, it will look like you ate something oily and it will transfer easily.

As for the scent, this line supposedly has tea scent to make you feel refreshed. I'm not a fan of any tea, I don't drink tea. I thought it's only normal to think that I wouldn't like the smell of this lip balm. When it arrived, I dispensed the product and caught a whiff. I actually liked it, to my surprise. Ong's lip balm smells like floral tea while Minhyun's has more of a minty scent. I've never had earl grey so I'm not really sure what it smells like. It is very light and won't linger for too long, you will be fine even if you're sensitive to fragrance.

I have very low expectation on this product, I wouldn't even dare want this if not for my favorite group but it is moisturizing. Maybe I set my expectation too low for this but I'm really impressed at how it moisturized my lips and how natural it looked.

You can definitely say goodbye to chapped lips when you use this but don't forget to say hello to uneven stain. lol

I hope this post is helpful especially to Wannables out there who wants to purchase this product.

You can no longer purchase the Wanna One edition in their official shop and it's hard to find now because it was set for pre-order but fortunately it's still available in Jolse, that's where I got mine! Check it now before it gets sold out!

For those who doesn't like KPOP, I hope this post didn't bore you and if you skipped some parts, let me just remind you that Innisfree released a regular version of this.

Get yours here:

Innisfree My Lip Balm Wanna One Edition

Innisfree My Lip Balm Regular Edition

Wanna One will release a mini album next month! I'm excited, it also means we're going to get another season of Wanna One Go. YAY! Are you guys ready? I'm really but my wallet isn't. lol

Here's to hoping that YMC will only release one version of the album this time.

Before I end this post I want to share some links to their songs. Haha

They're really funny but I chose to share this clip. English time lol

ALSO, check out NCT U's Boss!

Are you a fan of any group? What did you like about them?

Kirei Station February Getsu Box Review and Unboxing

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 11:30:00 +0000

Starting the love month with Kirei Station's February Getsu Box unboxing and review!

This isn't supposed to be my first post, I was initially going to publish a Peripera review but I noticed I still have some missing photos and the whole thing look so incomplete without those. The thing is I couldn't take photos because it's been really cloudy here lately, hence why this post is also delayed.

If you're not familiar with Getsu Box, I recommend you to check my previous post wherein I explained what it is and the said post is also a review of the January Box. Here's the link: CLICK

Kirei Station`s February Getsu Box contains a total of 6 products, all full sized this time. Last month's box, it carries 8 products, 2 of it being samples.

You may have noticed that almost all products are pink in color except for that lip balm.

They didn't specifically mention what the theme for this month is but seeing how it's pink colored, the main product and the info sheet being decorated in roses and also the snack being heart shaped will instantly make you think that the products were curated with Valetine's Day in mind. It's actually very nice to see that they have a theme for this month because it doesn't feel like they just threw whatever product they could find in the box but it would have been nicer to see the Canmake Secret Beauty Powder included in the last box in here instead because it has a heart design in the packaging. The only thing is that it's in gold color but it won't look so out of place unlike the lip balm above.

With that being said here is the list of products included in this month's box.

Evita Creamy Soap in Rose Scent Limited Edition

Mentholatum Melty Cream Lip Rich Honey

Cezanne Natural Cheek N in #12

Rosette Gommage Peeling Gel Moist

Kose Clear Turn Princess Veil Rich Moist Mask 8 Sheets

Pocky Heartful Strawberry 2 Packs

Evita Creamy Soap in Rose Scent Limited Edition

This rose scented facial wash can effectively wash away the dirt, impurities, oil and make up without stripping all the moisture. Another benefit from this is that it can fight aging.

I've already heard of this brand because their rose shaped foaming cleanser was all the rage before. I've also heard that the said cleanser has a very high PH which is why other people decided to stay away from the product. Unfortunately, I have no way of testing the PH of this one because I don't have a PH strip. I haven't tried this yet so I don't have any opinion on how it works or if it is true to its claims, what I can confirm however is that it has a very light rose scent.

Mentholatum Melty Cream Lip Rich Honey

A highly moisturizing lip cream that melts into your skin temperature blending into your lips and protect them with moisture in a single stroke. It is using Moist Bank technology and contains squalane and a couple of ceramides in the ingredients.

The one product that is seemingly lost in a box full of pink. This one I also haven't tried but I caught a whiff of it and can't seem to pinpoint what scent it actually has. Scent was light but still not very pleasant, at least to me. Here's to hoping that it's true to its claim to counter the unpleasant scent. Upon searching about this, i found out that his also has an unscented variant.

Cezanne Natural Cheek N in #12

A blush containing pearls, it highlights the facial contours for a lustrous look while maintaining the skin's fine texture.

Available in 9 shades and also has a matte variant with 2 shades. I don't really use blusher that often hence why I don't have a collection of it. The only powder type I own if from Jill Stuart and the other 2 are cream type, one from Canmake and the other is from Etude House. If you're familiar with Japanese cosmetics you will know that when it comes to blusher, the go to brand is Canmake. Why? it's effective and very affordable. I personally haven't tried anything from Cezanne but it doesn't lose to Canmake because their products won't break the bank and is also said to be effective.

If there's one thing holding me back from using this, it's the pearls. I'm not really fond of glittery products in cosmetics.

Rosette Gommage Peeling Gel Moist

A physical exfoliator that contains fruit derived AHA such as lactic, citric and malic acid. Like other peeling gels available in the market, this also balls up upon contact. How to know it works? When the lumps formed from rubbing your skin (gently) turns into grayish color. It means that it has successfully removed the dirt from your face and dead skin.

This product is actually popular and this is the moisturizing version. The other one is in blue colored packaging. I have tried this kind of peeling gel from other brands and yes, it turns grayish but I seriously can't tell if it made a difference on my skin.

Kose Clear Turn Princess Veil Rich Moist Mask 8 Sheets

A multitasking mask, not only does it act as a mask but also as a toner, emulsion, serum and cream! Perfect for lazy nights when you don't want to do a long skincare routine. Also available in a box like packaging that contains a total of 46 sheets and has 3 more different variants fitting for your skin needs!

I'm not really fond of using masks but lately I've been trying to use the masks in my drawer because I can't let them reach the expiration date anymore! Time for a change. Haha My other masks I already gave to my friends and they're very happy about it because sheet masks are really popular.

Quite excited to try this one tonight. I will be doing a mini review on my Instagram account so follow me there! Instagram link

Pocky Heartful Strawberry 2 Packs

A famous Japanese stick biscuit that comes in many, when I say many I mean MANY flavors.

This one is strawberry flavored with a heart shaped end. Not sure if it's limited edition but I'm guessing it is because the normal ones doesn't have an anime guy printed on the packaging. It even has a profile written at the back of the box but I can't read it because I don't know Japanese. Haha

It tastes good, it has tiny crushed strawberry candies on the frosting. While munching on it yesterday it reminded me of the strawberry flavored biscuit from the brand Rebisco, it tastes very identical!

Timeline:

Date shipped: January 22, 2018

Date Received: February 2, 2018

Box was sent through E-packet.

This arrived faster than the last box, I guess the holidays is to blame for that.

I like how it arrived on the first week of February because other subscription boxes usually arrives at the end of the month. Let`s say you ordered, a February box, your order will arrive on 2nd week or 3rd week of March.

Price breakdown will be added tomorrow.

Not gonna lie, the item I was the most excited about in this box is Pocky. Haha The other products didn't particularly excite me but I will still be trying it out with the hopes of finding a holy grail product. Nevertheless, I like how the products they included have brands that I haven't tried before. And the fact that they actually have a theme unlike the previous boxes is good.

Speaking of theme, the next box is very interesting! They haven't announced it yet but it's so obvious that it's going to have a Sakura / cherry blossom theme. If you guys don't know, sakura is very popular in Japan. Spring = Sakura. There are a lot of limited edition sakura items right now meaning that if they push through the sakura theme, there's a very high chance that you are going to recieve limited edition sakura products! Yay! Doesn't it make you feel thrilled?

If you're interested in purchasing the March Getsu Box, Click HERE.

Btw guys, Wanna One and NCT are going to have a comeback in March. So excited! Expect me to fangirl a lot once they release their new songs. Haha!

Have you tried any subscription boxes? No? Are you interested in trying this one?

January Getsu Box Unboxing and Review

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Sat, 13 Jan 2018 08:35:00 +0000

Subscription boxes is something I haven't tried in the past because I`m afraid of not knowing what I will get and then end up being disappointed because it didn't meet my expectations making me think I wasted money over something I shouldn't have bought in the first place.

Let's be real, there are tons of monthly boxes available but not all of them are worth the money.

I have a growing interest over Japanese beauty products in general and my curiosity made me look into some beauty boxes related to it. However, I've noticed that most of them does not include known brands. That could also be a plus because you may unintentionally discover something that works well that isn't yet known to others. Even so, from the past boxes that I've seen that other companies that specializes in Jbeauty monthly boxes have provided, most of the products included are unfamiliar and cheap.

There's always a product description on packaging but not all of us can read Japanese or has a friend that can help us translate, now visualize getting a product you can't find any information about on the internet. Imagine paying for a box worth $30 and you only get products that can originally be bought for $1-$5. Disappointing, right?

If I pay for something, I would like to be able to use it and not just toss it somewhere because it's not up to my liking, can't find any info about it or feel like I got scammed because I paid for it for double the price. The only exception are my kpop albums, I like them but I only flip over the photobook once or twice and never touch the cd. I already quit in buying albums but somehow Wanna One made me do it again. Don't judge me though. HAHA

I'm going to stop talking about this for now because the possibility to stray further away from the topic is very very high.

I sound like I'm so against subscription boxes, what made me purchase Kirei Station's Getsu Box?

The service and contents. I've purchased from them a couple of times before so I have already built trust in them, not to mention that they are credible and helpful. Their monthly box also includes products that are included in Cosme ranking and that's one of the things that drew me in.

They're still new to this venture as they only started November last year but have released 4 boxes in that short span. Why 4 boxes when it should've been 3? They had 2 versions, skincare and make up, in their first release. Not gonna lie the skincare version was kinda lackluster.

Here's some info about the box from their website.

What is Kirei Station Getsu Box?

Kirei Station Getsu (monthly) Box delivers unique Japanese products to you on a monthly subscription basis. All products are from a wide range of Japanese brands. There are a lot of Japanese products that works really well and are raved by the locals, some of them are often very affordable and convenient to use. Unfortunately, these products are not very easy for people overseas to get their hands on, hence the reason we decided to offer subscription boxes in our shop. Mainly to spread awareness of different brands and help other beauty enthusiasts find interesting and sometimes cute Japanese beauty products whether it is from a popular or an unknown brand and also to make purchasing these products more accessible for anyone at a low cost. You might also find your holy grail products through our Getsu Box!

Price and Shipping

Each box costs $30 per month.
Deadline is every 20th of the month and it will be shipped on the same month.
A notice will be sent to you once the box has been shipped to your respective country.

You can get discounted boxes when you subscribe for 3, 6 or 12 months

    1 Box = $30
    3 Months = $85.50 = $28.50 per box
    6 Months = $162 = $27 per box
    12 Months = $306 = $25.50 per box

Shipping
SAL - Free
Registered Airmail - $4.50
EMS - $22

Here are the contents of January Getsu Box

Canmake Secret Beauty Powder

Barrier Repair Power of Rice Sleeping Pack

Yuskin Hana Deep Moist Handcream in Yuzu scent

Megrhythm Steam Eye Mask in Yuzu Scent 5 pcs

DHC Placenta 60 Tablets / 20 days

Argelan Body Soap in Moist and Refresh Series

Damask Rose Germanium and Tea Tree Grapefruit

Konbucha Tea and Rice Crackers

It was sent via Registered Mail which costs $5.

Date shipped: December 22, 2017

Date received: January 10, 2018

Registered mail usually takes 10 days to 2 weeks to arrive but we have to take into account that this was held at customs possibly because of the supplement and it was also sent during holidays which made the waiting process even longer.

A total of 8 products in this box!

4 full sized products, 2 sachets of body wash, 1 trial size, 2 sachets of tea and 1 pack of rice crackers.

There is supposedly a product info sheet included but I didn't get any. Not sure if it was taken out at customs or they have forgotten to pack it alongside the items.

Canmake Secret Beauty Powder

A translucent skin powder for use at any time of day or night
You can even wear it while you’re sleeping! Use it as a translucent powder in the day and a night powder overnight.

This is most likely the star product for this month. I love me some Canmake products because I love their cutesy packaging and I adore the Marshmallow pact and cream blushers from this brand. Though I have to admit I was very taken aback by how tiny this pact is! I almost mistook it as a sample and not full sized product because it's not even half the size of the Marshmallow pact. I will take a photo and post it on my IG for you to see the difference.

Barrier Repair Power of Rice Sleeping Pack

Applied at the end of your skin care routine, this intensive sleeping pack helps care for skin disrupted by lack of sleep, stress, and a hectic lifestyle. When you wake up, you will find this gel pack has left your skin refreshed, helping your makeup go on more easily. Made with a Rice Milk Complex from the super food brown rice, with a high concentration of rice fermentation extract. For luminous, hydrated skin. The "wrapping gel" seals freshness into the skin, locking in the beauty serum ingredients while you sleep.

The second product I'm most excited about! It's been a long time since I used a sleeping pack, I am sleep deprived and under a lot of stress. my skin is as dry as the Sahara desert and dull as always, yes, this product is exactly what I need. Rice fermentation goodness! I have 10 days to try this out and I'm gonna add the full sized version of this in my cart and click check out in a heartbeat IF this works well on me.

Megrhythm Steam Eye Mask Yuzu Scent

New formula. Heats up more quickly with a new formula. This eye mask warms tired eyes with comfortable steam. The pleasant steam reaches a temperature of about 104°F/40℃, and continues for 10 minutes, gently soothing the eyes and eye area.

I've seen this product being raved by Youtubers and bloggers alike but haven't really personally tried it. Staring at my laptop or phone for hours causes my eyes to hurt and I'm also having a hard time sleeping at night so this will definitely come in handy! I have also seen some KPOP idols use this on the plane during long flights! If you guys have heard of NCT, Johnny shared a snippet of what happened when he used this and why he won't ever use this again. Basically, he used this then his vision became blurry after and it scared him. Haha I'm laughing now but I'm wishing I won't share the same fate as him because I want to love this product. lol

DHC Placenta Supplement 60 Tablets for 20 days

Supplement contains placenta extract and added tocotrienols, super vitamin E, and processed into a easy-to-take capsule. Using pig-derived placenta.

I am all for having a younger skin but still torn whether to take this or not. I haven't really seen that much info about this is English aside from some shops that sells it but they just mentioned that this has to be taken 3 times a day, possibly at night time before going to bed.

If you have know where to find the ingredients please let me know!

Yuskin Hana Deep Moist Hand Cream Yuzu Scent

This cream has a rich texture that maintains its moisturizing effect, yet it does not leave a sticky feeling on the skin, allowing you to use it any time of the day.

We can never have too much hand cream! Loljk I don't use hand creams but I really need to start incorporating it in my daily routine because no one wants dry wrinkly hands!

I believe this same hand cream albeit in a different scent was also included in the November Getsu Box. I think it would be nice not to have repetitive products in any subscription box, no?

Argelan Body Soap in Moist and Refresh Series

Tea Tree Grapefruit and Damask Rose Germanium

Made in Japan with organic raw materials from India. Soap nuts are the primary ingredient in this wash. The pulp of these nuts produce a lather when it comes in contact with water - nature's soap! Argelan uses nuts procured from the world's largest organic farm in Southern
India to create this all natural body wash! This body wash will clean your pores of dirt without stripping your skin of natural oils. It's safe to use on sensitive skin. This product does not contain silicones, sodium laureth sulphates, animal derived products, mineral oil, paraffins & no artificial colours.

Konbucha Tea

I've tried the body wash already, it's nice but there are better body wash out there. The tea, I have yet to try, I'm not really a tea type of person so this was kinda meh.

Rice crackers

SNACKKKK! YAAAASSSS!! Haha

This is too salty for my liking, probably should've tried it with the tea but I don't drink tea.

That sudden change in mood though. lol

Time for a price breakdown!
Prices below based on Amazon JP

Canmake - 918 JPY

Barrier Repair - 281.25 JPY

Yuskin Hana - 593 JPY

DHC - 662 JPY

Megrhythm - 362 JPY

Argelan - 65 JPY

Total - 2881.25 JPY - 25.96 USD

Prices below are based on Kirei Station's website

Canmake - 14.60 USD

Barrier Repair - 3.92 USD

Yuskin Hana - 14.56

DHC - 13.62 USD

Megrhythm - 10.58 JPY

Total - 57.28 USD

The retail prices on their website are undoubtedly inflated and that is because they already added the shipping fee on the price of the product plus the tax. Their prices are still better than ebay though, the lowest price I found for the Canmake powder with free shipping was $19.80. It's 8.90 on Global Rakuten but the estimated shipping fee for US is $18.

I can't find the price for the rice cracker and konbucha tea but you get the gist of it, these can be bought in Japan for a lower price but considering that the rice crackers and tea are not included in the 1st price list, it could've been even more closer to $30 which is not bad. They basically have very little profit out of this box if you take into consideration that we pay $30 for each box, they will shoulder the shipping fee if people decide to go for SAL.

Overall, I like the variety of items included in this box. I just wish they won't add a product that they have already included in the previous boxes and the box it came with can be also still be improved. I wasn't able to take a photo of it but the box was in white with their logo on the sides and a "especially for you" text written on top. It will be nice to have a themed box as well. But still, I think this is a good way to discover products and I unintentionally got to own some of the items I've been meaning to try so it's all good. i'm looking forward to their future boxes!

They are currently taking orders for the February Box, if you're interested in getting one click this [Feb Box] and you will be redirected to their website. It is a one time purchase, if you plan to subscribe here are the links, [3 Months] [6 Months] [12 Months]

Have you tried any subscription boxes before?

What do you think of Getsu Box?

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Peripera Airy Ink Velvet Review and Swatches

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 11:04:00 +0000

Yes, you've most likely read a dozen of review about this lip product already but it wouldn't hurt to see new ones, right? Since it's my first post of the year and also the first one after almost a year and a half long hiatus, thought I'd share my opinion on this very famous product from Peripera.

Peripera Airy Ink Velvet Review
9,000 krw

"This lip tint glides on smoothly, offering vivid color and a soft, velvety texture to your lips. The enriched formula keeps your lips moist and glossy without feeling sticky."

Currently available in 10 colors. The first 5 was released in the first half of 2017 and the remaining colors was revealed last autumn. You will definitely find a shade you like because of the wide color selection. Not to mention, these shades are very wearable no matter what the occasion is.

01 Heart Grapefruit
02 Pretty Orange Pink
03 Sold Out Red
04 Beautiful Coral Pink
05 Elf Light Rose
06 It Brown Orange
07 My Brown Coral
08 Glimpse Brick Brown
09 Legend Brown Red
10 Dry Rose Brown

The shades I will be reviewing are Pretty Orange Pink, Elf Light Rose and My Brown Coral.
I find it fascinating how my preference in the shade of lipstick or just any lip product in general, change over the years. If this was released 5 years ago, I am 1000% sure that I'd pick up the red and pink shades. If it's 3 years ago, you bet I'd get more coral ones. Can you guess what color I am usually gravitated now? MLBB shades. Hence why I opted for 5 and 7. I'd buy more but the thing is once I liked something, I'd use it over and over until I get tired of it or until I find a new shade to obsess over. Rinse and Repeat. Tell me I'm not the only one like this. Haha

It is the same design as the other products in the velvet line, the only difference they made is the Airy Velvets are in a frosted plastic bottle. Probably to make it easier for everyone to differentiate the 3 types of tints in this line. Though they most likely ran out if ideas on how to make the Cloud Velvet stand out more or appear differently than the other two because it is strikingly similar to the Ink Velvet. With the Cloud velvet, they just made the ink splattered design at the front of the packaging look matte whilst it is more on the glossy side for the Ink Velvet. If you're new, here's the order of release of the products I mentioned: Ink Velvet, Airy Velvet and lastly Cloud Velvet. I'm lowkey wondering if Peripera will be adding another one to this line this 2018 and if they are, how will it be different than the previous ones but above all, I am the most curious about what will they name it. Haha

L-R: My Brown Coral, Elf Light Rose and Pretty Orange Pink

Peripera has stated in their website that to achieve an even lighter finish there is an air passageway in the wand and it is exclusively made for the Airy Ink Velvet. There is indeed a hole in the middle of the applicator but it isn't really visible unless you remove the product the wand picked up. Now, I'm not really sure how that air passageway works but I'm thinking it's probably just a gimmick and this isn't really something a lot of people care about. lol
The applicator works well, it can reach the corners of the mouth perfectly and it picks up the right amount of product but I prefer the finish when I use my ring finger because it looks softer and more toned down while when applying using this wand offers more vivid color to the lips.

Swatches above may not be accurate or look different in real life. I'm not exactly sure why but the color of the swatches looks different in every device I use. It looks perfect in my laptop but looks dark on my phone.

The texture is definitely thinner and lighter. I prefer this over the Ink and Cloud Velvet when it comes to texture.
The scent of these tints doesn't really bother me. I guess I just have a bad sense of smell but I can't really smell anything unless I get a sniff on the wand itself. Strange how each shade almost has a different scent though, My Brown Coral has an artificial floral scent, Elf Light Rose has a strong detergent scent while Pretty Orange Pink has that mild bar soap scent. Again, it doesn't bother me because the scent fades away really fast and I can't almost smell it when I apply it on my lips. However, if you're sensitive about scents, you may want to delete these on your radar as it may put you off.

#2 Pretty Orange Pink looks neon right off the wand but it stays true to its name once applied to the lips, orange with a hint of pink.
#5 Elf Light Rose is a beautiful rosy pink MLBB shade.
#7 My Brown Coral is a muted coral pink MLBB shade.
All shades are perfect for daily use.
I've used #5 and #7 a lot especially on the days when I'm feeling lazy which is basically just everyday, really. I love these two shades a lot, I feel like I made the right decision in purchasing it. But lately I've been using # 2. The way I like to use it is I apply it first then put MAC Kinda Sexy on top for that gradient effect. They look so good together, makes you look more fresh and radiant. Haha Sounds a lot of work, right? But that also means I am now less lazy, making an effort to achieve that nice gradient, oh I just ate a popsicle kind of effect. Haha Well, it's 2018. Time for a change. Zyro, if you're reading this I encourage you to give up the Lazy Queen title.
The texture felt very familiar. I kept racking my brain just to remember what product felt the most alike with this and I finally recalled it now while writing this review. It felt very similar to Nature Republic's Botanical Cushion Gradation Tint that was released last 2013. Soft, velvety finish but the Airy Ink Velvet is more comfortable, as if you've never applied anything. While swatching, I noticed that #2 looked more moist than the rest. I took a photo right after blending it so it may not look like it but these dry down to semi matte finish. There are days when I have slightly chapped lips, but that's not a problem with this product as it doesn't really accentuate the lines of my lips that much, even dry parts of it. However, it is still better to exfoliate and moisturize prior to applying this.
I also noticed something, is it just me or have you ever felt like it's stinging your lips while you're spreading it out? It doesn't really hurt but this kind of experience is definitely a first.
As for the pigmentation, it's really good, just right up my alley. It's very easy to control, not to bright, not too subtle. If you want it to look more vivid, I suggest dabbing a bit of foundation to your lips so the color will show more.
The longevity is okay but isn't as good as Ink and Cloud Velvet. It transfers very easily because most of the product just stays on the top of your lips. A little tip, to prevent it from transferring I suggest after applying it, get a tissue and dab it over your lips to remove the excess product. Don't fret, it won't remove the color. There will be enough color left on your lips, just not as bright as it once was but it's pretty much still the same. But hey, at least you wont have to worry about it transferring anywhere.
Aside from that, it also leaves a stain. The brightness depends on the shade you used but the thing I don't like is that it leaves the same pink stain on the lips. It almost doesn't matter what color you use as it will leave the same tint. Also, if you have chapped lips, the stain it leaves on you is uneven and it does not look aesthetically pleasing. What do you need to do to prevent this from happening?
Repeat after me, exfoliate and moisturize! Haha

Pros:
Affordable
Wide color selection (but they kinda all look the same lol)
Lightweight
Glides like a dream
Does not sink into lip lines
Pigmented
Long lasting
Cons:
Same pink stain in every shade
Uneven stain
Stings a bit when being applied
Transfers easily (can be prevented though)

Get yours here:
Gmarket 9,000 Krw
Jolse $8.48
Ibuybeauti $8.55
Stylekorean $8.33
BBcosmetic $10.30

This isn't really some miracle product, it's not perfect. It may be a waste of money for some but I do love it and I enjoy using it. I want to get more shades but if I do, the ones I have now will be put to the back burner and will most likely never see the light ever again.

I'm happy to be back and also excited to share some stories to everyone again.
I will be ranting about KPOP and Kdrama's again at the very end of the post.
If you guys have Netflix, make sure to watch Prison Playbook! It's very entertaining.
There's a group that I really love right now, Wanna One. Please don't judge their group name. HAHA They're really talented and all of them are hilarious. If you want to get to know them, start watching Produce 101 or if that's not the type of program you watch, I recommend Wanna One Go.
If you're a Wannable make sure to let me know! Let's be friends. Haha

Btw, my bias is Hwang Minhyun.

See you in my next post!

Etude House Pink Skull Collection Fall 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 08:08:00 +0000

As a makeup junkie, I'm sure you're excited to see new products from different brands but don't you get nervous for your money whenever the season changes? New season, new collection, time to kiss your money goodbye. lol
Since autumn is almost here, let me ask you the most important question, are your wallets and bank accounts ready? Because Etude House's Fall collection for this year is here! It was actually released a few days ago but I kept on forgetting to publish this post because of my sched.

If it isn't obvious enough on the picture above, their newest collection is called Pink skull. I'm loving the color combination they used on the skulls, black and pink. Make 'em whistle like a missile bomb bomb. (only kpop fans will understand lol)
Here is a BTS (no, not Bangtan) of the photoshoot they did with IOI's Somi for this collection. CLICK

The full collection has a 8 different products, eyeshadow palettes, mascaras, perfume, nail polishes, etc.

In all honesty, I think the packaging looks quite tacky but I personally really like the colors of the nail polishes in this line and as weird as it may sound, the 2 palettes are also calling out to me. Normally, I would talk about how I want the lip product but I'm not really feeling the Twin Shot lip tint because it's shimmery.

Anyway, I'm gonna quit rambling and show you all the products included in this line.

Pink Skull

Color Eyes 1gx9

19,000원

Available in 2 palettes with 9 shades each.
1. Lovely Skull
L-R: Twinkle Pink, Antique Brown, Romantic Brown, Lovely Pink, Sugar Skull Pink, Velvet Brown, See Through Beige, Rose Pink Brown and Leather Brown.

2. Funky Skull

L-R: Romantic Plum beige, Vintage Rose Beige, French Metal Brown, Skull Pink, Kissing Red, Funky Brown, Pendant Pink, Velvet Red and Choker Black.

They didn't include an applicator. Boo!
Lovely Skull is perfect for daily use while Funky Skull is more suited for parties or girls night out.
Kissing red is such a beautiful shade but it's also something I wouldn't dare to use. Which shade do you like the most?
These palettes costs around $17 and is currently on 10% off in Korea.

Pink Skull

Curl Fix Mascara 8g

12,000원

Available in two colors:
Clear Black and Funky Pink Brown

Their Curl Fix mascara claims to lasts for as long as 24 hours.

Pink Skull

Curl Fix long Lash 8g

12,000원

A product that can help hold your curls and make your lashes longer. It is waterproof and sweat-proof.

Pink Skull
Cream Blush
8,500원

1 Skull Rose
2 Funky Pink

It has an elastic puff which claims to make it long lasting if you use it in applying the blush?
This is actually similar to the Berry Delicious blush that I love. The packaging needs some improvement though because it looks cheap but I guess we can't really get a beautiful packaging if the blush is only $8.

Pink Skull

Twin Shot Lipstint

PK003 Pink Pumpkin Shot
RD304 Funky Skull Shot

I have tried the first Twin Shot lip tint. If I remember correctly, I got OR302 and RD302 and I must say I love the color combination as well as the gradient effect it gives. The packaging was meh but because of all the complaints about it, Etude decided to change it which is a good move from them. The product wasn't really great but I love the colors and was actually thinking of purchasing some more because I figured they will add some fall shades. My expectation was crushed instantly when I saw the swatches Etude House provided because as some of you probably already know, I'm not a fan of glittery lip products.
It resembles a lip gloss instead of a tint in the photo but Etude said it is a "moist colored tint" or "pearl tint shot" that is meant to be applied on the inner part of your lips to improve the lasting power..

I don't know what to feel about this..

Pink Skull
Play Nails 8ml
3,000원

1, 2 and 4 are so pretty! *-* Don't you guys think they already released 2 and 4 before though? 2 in their Disney princess collection and 4 in the Aurora something nail collection? I could be wrong though.

Pink Skull
Nail Sticker
3,000원

01 Brilliant Skull
02 Chic Skull

Pink Skull
Colorful Scent
Eau De Parfum 50ml
23,000원

Here are the looks you can achieve with these products.

Left is Lovely Skull look and right is Funky Skull.

Can you spot that new brush liner on FunkySkull look. I think they haven't released it yet.

Did you also notice how different the colors of the lip products are in the promotional photos and this photo? XD

You can get these products here:
Etude House,
Jolse, BeautynetKorea, W2beauty, Ibuybeauti, bbcosmetic, Beautyboxkorea and TesterKorea

What do you think of Etude's fall collection?

Do you like it or do you think they could have done better?

Which product caught your interest?

Mini JBeauty Haul - Kirei Station

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Sat, 14 May 2016 09:51:00 +0000

Today, I will be sharing this little Japanese cosmetics and skincare haul I made last March. I did buy some other stuff but since those are personal items, I wouldn't be including them here. lol Before this, I also made a slightly bigger haul which has around 15 items, all Japanese products too, will post it after fixing my queue posts.
For those who are wondering, I used to really love Japanese cosmetics. I still recall being all excited about new releases especially Dollywink products. If I remember correctly, that was around 2010-2011. I still use products from Japanese brands even after developing a strong liking towards Kbeauty, in fact, my all time favorite cleansing water and liquid liner (that I don't use often lol) are both from the land of the rising sun.

The problem is purchasing products from Japan is a little difficult for me, it's not as accessible as Korean cosmetics because most Ebay sellers that sells the items I want don't ship to my country. =_= Fortunately, there are a few Japan based online shops now which made shopping easier. Though I have only tried two so far and for now, I will be sharing my experience from buying from Kirei Station.

Here's a little timeline:
Feb. 19 - I sent my payment for my order.
Feb.24 - Delivery attempted. They had a problem with shipping.
Feb. 26- My order was shipped via EMS.
March 9 - Order received.

Customer service is top notch, they reply really fast and are very accommodating. They answered all my questions nicely and were really helpful. You might not see the items I purchased on their website because I got it all from Amazon Japan. If you want to do the same thing, all you need to do is get the url of the product you want to buy there and e-mail it to them, after that they will purchase it on your behalf. You only need to pay for handling fee of 700 yen if you want to purchase from Amazon. If you want to purchase from Rakuten and other shops, you need to pay for the handling fee and also for the domestic shipping.

For purchases that are not made in their website and were only sent via email, they will send you an invoice after confirming your order. You can send your payment via credit card or paypal, I used the latter.
I'm satisfied with how how they handled everything but if you really must know if I have a complaint, it would probably be about the packing of the items. While I was searching for reviews about them, I found out that they don't really put bubble wrap on the products when they ship it to you so I requested them to add some bubble wrap, unfortunately, only 1 item was wrapped. lol The items I ordered aren't really fragile or anything but since some are really careless in handling the box during shipping (my boxes are wrecked most of the time lol) it would be really nice if all items have bubble wrap on it. Other than that everything went smoothly.
But overall, I was really happy with my experience with Kirei Station and will definitely recommend them to everyone who wants to get Japanese products whether it's cosmetics or not.

They're having a promo at the moment, you will get free shipping if you purchase five products. I guess i'm gonna have to shop again. lol

RMK Gel Creamy Foundation
I was looking for some foundation but I can't really remember why I picked this. I have only tried this once a couple of days ago and even though I absolutely love how natural it looked, I can't help but be disappointed with the coverage, it is a foundation after all. Anyway, I will have to test it more for me to be able to give a better review on it.

Pair Acne Blemish Cream
The reason I bought this is because I keep seeing this on Amazon Japan, it's always on the top spot with that gold crown in it and has a lot of reviews. Do you know how tempting it was? I just had to get it and I bought this thinking it was really good but now that I have it I can't really tell if it works.

Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Moist Lotion
Most of you probably already know how well loved Hada labo products are. Initially, I was thinking of grabbing the regular one but since this one is fairly new and it's "premium" (lame excuse I know lol) I decided to get this one instead. I still haven't opened it despite having it for almost 2 months already but I will use it soon and let you know how it worked on me.

Rosette Ceramide Lotion
There's no particular reason why I bought this, I just thought since I'm getting the gel, which you will see once you scroll down, I should also get the lotion to boosts the effect. lol

Rosette Ceramide Gel
A lot of people have nothing but praises for this and I thought it wouldn't hurt to try it too so I did. What I can say it is it really works, dry patches have disappeared after a few days of using this but I can't really consider this as an HG product. Review for this and the lotion will be posted soon.

Kiss Me Heroine Make Long and Curl Mascara Super Film
Speaking of HG, this has got to be the best mascara that I have ever tried, not that I've tried a lot. lol JK
Never have I thought that I would eventually like wearing mascara and its all thanks to this one. My friends know that I don't really like using mascara because I don't like how fake my eyelashes look and I also don't like the feeling when I have it on. However with this one, my eyelashes still looks very natural. I love this mascara a lot and will talk about it more on my review. lol Oh, they recently released a new film type mascara and I'm so tempted to get it.

These are all the cosmetics and skincare that I got from Kirei Station and like what I've mentioned above, they currently have a promo wherein if you buy 5 products you can get free shipping so I will be buying from them again, I just need to list the products I want to buy. lol

Have you guys tried any of the items above? Or are there any Japanese products that you want to try at the moment? :D

Stylenanda 3CE Duo Cover Crayon #4 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 11:29:00 +0000

If you have seen my review on Etude House's Play 101 Sticks (click here), I'm sure you remember me saying that my favorite was their contour duo. I even recommended it to my friends who are also new to contouring and highlighting. Yes, some of my friends are make up noobs too. Birds of the same feather flock together. lol

I couldn't hide my excitement when I finally got my hands on this 3CE Duo Cover Crayon and because its from Stylenanda I had high expectations on it. Don't let the name fool you, it says Duo Cover Crayon but this one was specifically meant for highlighting and contouring!

Stylenanda 3CE Duo Cover Crayon #4

$19

Soft and smooth texture blends on the skin!

It has two easy to blend shades that can be used for highlighting and contouring.

3CE Duo Cover Crayon has four different shades.

Below are the shades and what it's supposed to do:

#1 is for color correction and concealing blemishes.

#2 is for covering redness.

#3 is for covering pigmentation.

and lastly #4, the one I got, is for contouring and highlighting.

Box.

Front and back.

The packaging is very simple like all 3CE products. It's a very handy double ended stick that is easy to carry around as it's almost the same size of a pen. You can fit it in your small pouch and use it whenever you please. Stylenanda didn't say whether this needs to be sharpened but I'm guessing it's the only way to use all of the product because this isn't using the twist up mechanism. Believe me, I tried i almost broke it. lol

It has a sticker on the caps. Check it if it's there when you buy one just to make sure you're getting a new and unopened product.

Dark beige color that helps cover skin imperfection for darker skin tone and can also be used to enhance facial features by applying it on your hair line, cheeks and sides of the nose bridge.

Subtle mixture of fine gold and pink shimmers. This can be used to highlight your T-zone, C-zone, chin and cupid's bow.

I can't help but compare this to Etude House Contour Duo because I really liked that one and I must say I'm not so impressed with 3CE Duo Cover Crayon.

It is indeed creamy and easy to blend however, the one that is used for contouring is quite yellowish for my liking and I'm afraid but this might not work on people with darker skin tone. Don't fret though, you can still use this as a concealer. The thing I like about this is how narrow the tip is. Drawing the line thinly is easier, especially on the sides of my nose bridge.

As for the highlighter, compared to the one from Etude House which is chalky and emphasizes dry areas, the 3CE one is creamy and a lot easier to blend, not clinging onto dry parts is just like an icing on top. You might be a little surprised but while I think the 3CE highlighter is a lot better, I still prefer the Etude House one because of how subtle the shimmer is. I have said this a thousand times and I will say it again, I'm not a fan of shimmery or glittery cosmetics. 3CE's highlighter can pass as an eyeshadow tbh. I would rave about this if only they toned down the shimmers..

Overall, this product isn't bad at all, it's just that I like the Etude House Duo Cover Crayon more.

You can get Stylenanda 3CE Duo Cover Crayon on Stylenanda's website.

CLICK.

Have you tried any product from 3CE? Any recommendations?

The product mentioned was sponsored by BNTNews. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.

Wellage White Aqua Roll Mask Pack Review

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 10:40:00 +0000

I've been blogging about Korean beauty for quite some time now but I don't think I have ever reviewed a sheet mask before. A lot of people loves using sheet masks, some even uses it daily. As for me, once or twice a month would suffice. Okay, I lied! Once every other month. If you're wondering why, there's a very simple answer to that. I'm way too lazy for this and I hope I'm not the only one. lol I don't really use much products in my skin care routine, most of the time I'm fine with just a foaming cleanser every night and just wash my face with water when I wake up. I upgraded it a bit since last month though, I added a cream and I'm slowly introducing a toner so my skin won't break out. And of course, this Wellage White Aqua Roll Mask Pack. YAY! /throws confetti/ #lazynomore loljk

Wellage
White Aqua Roll Mask Pack

35000 KRW

The best quality cupra sheets which hold moisture for longer time with its cohesiveness and elasticity to supply nutrients on the skin without irritation. The sheet does not dry out easily and nourishes the skin for a longer time.
A special technology using semi- microsome, a finer version of liposome, stabilizes the 25 ingredients and help them penetrate into the skin for long lasting moisture.

For the price of 35,000 won, you get 10 pieces of mask. Like what I said earlier, I don't use masks often so I'm not sure if the price range for this is right. I think this one is on the pricier side? I'm sure you can get more masks from well known brands for an even cheaper price than this one. The transparent tube that houses the sheet masks opens easily, doesn't really matter because I already took everything out and placed the masks on my drawer.

Front and back
Now, we're on the interesting part. I don't know about you but it's my first time seeing a rolled sheet mask. Sheet masks are usually folded but Wellage decide to take a different route and made theirs unique. Not gonna lie, I was a little bit excited about it. Shallow, I know. lol

Ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Chlorphenesin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Betaine, Fragrance, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caviar Extract, Propylene Glycol, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine, Leucine, Methionine, Valine, Serine, Cysteine, Aspartic Acid, Alanine, Arginine, Isoleucine, Tyrosine, Threonine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Histidine, Malt Extract, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Pearl Powder, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Sulfite, Morus Bombycis Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin

Since Wellage's website deosn't have an English version and I'm sure most of you will be curious about the ingredient list, I decided to email Wellage and ask for help but I didn't receive any reply so I asked Youngshin from BNTnews (She's very nice btw. ;_;) to help me translate it instead. A few days after that, Wellage sent me the ingredients list too. As you can see, Niacinamide was fourth on the list but I was later told that there's only 2% of it in each mask.

Okay, this part is such a no brainer.

This is where the mask was wrapped, a straw. I don't know what I was expecting but my initial reaction was "Ha! It's a straw".
My clumsy self accidentally dropped the mask on the ground hence the lack of photo of the actual sheet mask. Epic fail, I know. Ugh, I should've taken a tribute photo of it on the ground and said "Your sacrifice will forever be remembered" But then again it's more like my clumsiness will never be forgotten.

Tadah! Here's the sheet mask! It was my first time taking a photo of an actual sheet mask and I thought it looked creepy. The material was thin and silky, very comparable to those thin masks from Nature Republic. As for the size it was a tad bit bigger than my face and I hate how it touches my hair line because it was sticky. Forgot to mention that this has way too much, I repeat, waaaayyy too much essence. You can probably put it all over your body and still have some left over. lol It's basically impossible for you to stop it from dripping on the floor and the straw makes things worse. The point here is you just need to take it from the packaging and get the mask and roll it down on your face but it's really messy because it drips all over the place, this is a bit exaggerated. lol Wellage didn't lie when they said this does not dry out easily because it really doesn't, I waited for an hour and it's still wet. When I woke up it was no longer on my face lol but when I touched it some parts are still a little wet. However, I'm really not happy with it. I realized not all interesting things are fun. lol I like how travel friendly this is though. Speaking of travel, I went on a trip with friends and just got back yesterday. Of course, being a not so avid user of sheet masks due to laziness, I brought it with me to share with my friends and get their feedback. lol Funny how we all complained about it being sticky and they didn't notice a difference after use. That's probably because they only used it once, I got to try this three times and the only change I noticed was my face was slightly moisturized, that's it.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this. There are better sheet masks out there that can moisturize skin at a much cheaper price.

Another short review. XD
I'm quite excited for the episode of Descendants of the Sun. They're back in Seoul! You guys probably already know that I'm pretty much addicted to that drama. lol I know I'm not the only one. :D

Have you guys heard of this brand before? Any sheet mask recommendation?

The product mentioned was sponsored by BNTNews. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.

Chosungah 22 Bounce Up Pact Ultra Review

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 10:40:00 +0000

This is my first product review for the brand Chosungah 22. I'm no stranger with this brand, been hearing about their products occasionally and I always see some reviews in Korean websites about their products when they have new releases. Reviews from international bloggers seems scarce and accessibility is to blame, I suppose. While they do have their own shop that ships worldwide, I rarely see their products on popular online stores that I frequently visit. Truth be told, this particular brand has never piqued my interest in the past hence I feel no regrets or disappointment that I can't get my hands on their items.
However, my views are slowly changing as some people I know do like some of their products to the point that they almost rave about it. Youngshin is one of the few people to blame. lol Her insight about the Faburouge lipstick makes me want to purchase it but it's sold out at the moment, fortunately.

Chosungah 22 Bounce Up Pact Ultra 11g

$28.43

Soft and bouncy texture of the pact provides long lasting moisture and sheen.
Use the pact tat comes with the product to apply it. Apply as many times as needed to create a flawless look.

The ingredient list is rather overwhelming to look at. Most people don't really pay that much attention to the ingredients in cosmetics, at least not as much as skincare products, but it's still better to provide it. Make sure you check it and see if there's anything that doesn't go well with your skin to prevent breakouts and save some cash too. Haha!
There aren't really that much info about this pact yet because this was only released to the public last week if I'm not mistaken. So far, there isn't really any English translation but I was told that this pact has seven major ingredients namely, Agar, Seaweed Extract, Kelp Extract, Caulerpa Racemosa Extract, Dictyopteris Membranacea Extract, Hijiki Fusiforme Extract and Undaria Extract. I'm no expert when it comes to ingredients and I'm not gonna lie, most of those extract sound very out of this world to me. lol I admit I did some research on these seven ingredients I was provided with but it only made things even more confusing. If Tiffany's (SNSD member) best friend is Youtube then my best friend is Google (lol) and what my best friend told me is that Undaria Extract is actually more commonly known as Kelp Extract and since I don't want to act as if I know everything, I'd rather not touch or further discuss the ingredients list.

Inside the box and below the pact you will find a refill and an extra puff. When you hit the pan or just want to change it with the refill, all you need to do push the hole beside the sticker at the bottom of the case.

Front and back of the pact. The product is good for 18 months after opening.

Here's how it looks like when opened. Packaging is no different from the usual cushions in the market. Puff is included, it has a built in mirror and a transparent lid that holds the puff but seems way too loose for my liking. It seems like it will be removed immediately if you're not careful enough. I wish they paid more attention to it because it really is not sturdy and it's not like the cushions wherein we can change it along with the refill so once it's gone, it's gone forever unless you buy a new pact, of course.

The puff included was a teeny bit strange. At first I was expecting something similar to an air puff that companies put in their cushion foundations but this one was thinner and feels quite sticky when you touch it. I'm not exactly sure how to explain it but it feels like rubber.

This is how the actual product looks like when opened.

Close up shot. It feels smooth when touched and when I pressed it with my finger I was expecting it to return to its original form because like the name suggests, bounce up pact. lol Not sure if you guys can see it but if you look closely in the middle you can see my fingerprint there. I did try pressing it couple of times but it's no way like the promotional photos. lol

The shade I received was 01 Light Beige, it's a tad bit yellowish for me but it still suit my skin tone. Just for reference, I always use the lightest shade in Korean cosmetics. Unfortunately, there are only 2 shades available for this.
As for the coverage of this pact, I wasn't impressed nor disappointed. If you've been reading my past reviews you would know that I'm more into natural look so this pact is perfect for me for everyday use. Others might be disappointed though because it's sheer and can't fully cover dark spots or redness even after layering. If pores are your problem, I'm afraid to say but this one doesn't lessen the appearance of it either so you might want to pass. What I don't like is that this has very fine shimmers to it, it's not that noticeable unless you look at it closely. I wouldn't recommend using this during summer time because it fades pretty quickly and made my face look oily after a few hours. It does cling on to dry patches so don't forget to prep your skin prior to using. Speaking of dry patches, I have finally found the product that works. lol I might review it next month.

Anyway, Chosungah has other Bounce Up Pact products, the original, master and prime. This one is the newest addition. I'm not sure if I want to try the other versions because Ultra isn't even that outstanding. I'm more intrigued with their Faburouge lipstick. lol

You can get this product on Chosungah22's online shop.

Chosungah 22 Bounce Up Pact Ultra 11g

$28.43

Have you tried any Chosungah product before? Any recommendations?

The product mentioned was sponsored by BNTNews. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.

Etude House Pink Bird Box: Big Cover Concealer BB, Concealer Cushion and Monkey Wish Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 07:30:00 +0000

I'm back with yet another Pink Box review. Late, I know. The past few weeks was really hectic for me hence the lack of updates on this blog. To add to that, I wasn't able to take photos properly because it's been really dark in here for about 875467 days. loljk It wasn't that long, probably 3 weeks at most which is weird because it barely even rained during that time. It's the perfect weather for me tbh. Not too hot or cold, it's just.. dark. I wouldn't wish for it to change if only I don't have product photos to take. Haha Now the sun has showed up and it's been really really hot since then but hey, at least I can take photos now. Yes, I'm trying to brainwash myself and look at the positive side. lol Another good news is I just need to survive this week and I will finally be free!

Today's review will be short because I still have a few pages left to study and I will also be making 2 haul posts after this. I'll put the haul posts in queue and have it published this week as well along with another Pink Box review. *cough*BerryDelicious*cough*

Last month's Pink box contains 5 products, 2 from the Big Cover Line and 3 single eyeshadows from their Look at my eyes line.

To achieve perfect and flawless skin, Etude House came up with their Big Cover collection. Expectations on the coverage department are high in this line because of the product name itself. The items I received are Concealer Bb and Concealer Cushion. There are also 3 additional products in this line Concealer Kit, Stick Concealer and lastly, Tip Concealer. Products from the Big Cover line ranges from $8 to $18.
Aside from the base make up, I was also sent some eyeshadows. Etude House sent me three shades from their Monkey Wish Eyes collection. Why monkey? Because 2016 is year of the monkey! Unfortunately, this is limited edition and has 10 shades. The ones I got were GR707 Exam Passed, BE109 Pay Day, and PK013 Cheer up!

Big Cover Concealer BB SPF 50+ PA +++ 30g
01 Vanilla
$18

Concealer BB Cream covers flaws with its excellent coverage power and easy absorption; just a small amount delivers full coverage skin.

Ingredients:
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Zinc Oxide, Butylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Glycerin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Niacinamide, Sodium Chloride, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aronia Arbutifolia Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis (Strawberry) Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract, Dimethicone, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Beeswax, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Hexyl Laurate, Triethyl Citrate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Fragrance

This Big Cover Concealer BB has this humongous.. not really, just 3-4x bigger than usual applicator that you normally see. It's called Multi-Touch Tip and the slanted part of it picks up the most amount of the bb cream. Though I must admit that I wasn't really impressed that I need this to get the bb cream out of the bottle because it will most likely not reach the bottom of it. Another thing is it gets way too much product for my liking so what I like to do is to swipe it at the back of my hand and dab it on my face using fingers or brush.

Only 3 shades are available for this, Vanilla, Beige and Sand. The one that I got is Vanilla which is the lightest shade among the three and it's also the perfect match for my skin tone. Applying and blending isn't such a difficult task with this one plus the faint powdery scent is something that I really like as well. Though I must warn people with extremely dry skin and larger pores to be careful with this because it has the tendency to cling on dry patches and sink in quite a bit on the pores.

As for the coverage, I'd say it's buildable from medium to high. I only did one layer in the photo above and I think it's pretty good for a bb cream besides the tint and eyeliner are very pigmented. I wouldn't really recommend going for a second layer as it may appear too cakey. One layer is enough to get the no make up make up look.

Big Cover Concealer Cushion SPF 30 PA++ 5g
Peach Pink
$13.20

Cushion Concealer includes a finger cushion puff to cover flaws naturally anytime, anywhere with customized correcting color for complete, flawless skin..

Ingredients:
Water, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Phenyl Trimethicone, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Cetyl
Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Zinc Oxide (Ci 77947), Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Disodium Edta, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sodium Chloride, Sorbitan Isostearate, Stearic Acid, Adenosine, Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate/Dimethicone Methacrylate Copolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ozokerite, Caprylyl Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Fragrance

This is the only box photo that I have for this review. lol Not really sure where I put the others.. but it's not really that important so nbd, I guess. XD

How to apply

1. Press the back part of the button 1-2 times, apply the side of a finger cushion puff onto the desired area, and rub it in lightly along skin texture to promote absorption.
2. Use the front side of the finger cushion and tap lightly to blend, avoiding the lines.
cr; Etude House

The cushion applicator.

This is the bottom part of the pen that you need to press in order to dispense the product.

After going halfway around the yard with my dog and clicking for approximately 45 times, the concealer has decided to make an appearance! lol Don't copy me. Doing it for 45 times was such a big mistake because there's way too much product on the cushion. I probably should've stopped at 44. loljk I think 20-25 would suffice.

If I were to compare the shade to the first product, the bb cream was considerably lighter and a bit yellow toned while this one is just like how the name suggest, peach pink. Application and blending wise, I prefer this better than the bb cream because this is watery and blends right in after swiping. I use this mostly on my undereye area to brighten it.

The result after 2 layers.
This concealer cushion has 6 different colors and each color has their own purpose. Peach Pink is especially made to cover dark circles. I have tried it a couple of times and I think it works well though my under eye area isn't really that dark to begin with. It's dry though so I have a fine line and yes, this sinks in to the line which is a shame because if it didn't I would probably call this HG worthy. The other shades are Illuminate (highlighter), Mint (for redness), Vanila, Beige and Sand.
Can I just say how unhygienic this is though? lol It's really messy as well, the cap is now full of concealer and it's quite annoying. OTL

Look At my Eyes
Monkey Wish Eyes
BE109 Pay Day, PK013 Cheer Up and GR707 Exam Passed
$5

Limited edition eyeshadow especially made for the year of the monkey. Each shade comes with a Korean New Year message; Pocket Money, Package Arrived, Let's Travel, You Lost Weight, Let's Work Out, Pay Day, You Look Great, Class Cancelled, Cheer Up and Exam Passed.

Front and Back.
L-R: BE109 Pay Day, GR707 Exam Passed and PK013 Cheer up.

Close up.
L-R: BE109 Pay Day, GR707 Exam Passed and PK013 Cheer up.

This shade deserves a better close up shot because of how pretty it is. lol

GR707 Exam Passed

BE101 Payday is a beautiful champagne color. It applies on quite sheer on the eyelid and has silver or gold shimmers to it. it's really hard to tell
PK013 Cheer up looks pink on the pan but the base color looks white when swiped and if you look at it closely you will notice that it has pink, lavender and gold shimmers.
GR707 Exam Passed is a gorgeous and unique duo chrome shade. The base is dark brown and it has green micro glitters.
I didn't really experience any fall outs while testing these out and these three were very easy to apply. It glides on smoothly on the lids. I initially thought I'd have a problem applying PK013 because it looks very glittery and chunky in the pan but fortunately all these 3 shades apply nicely with zero to minimal fall out. Others may have an issue on how sheer it is when applied on the lids though but it's not a problem for me because I like my make up natural looking. I just wish Etude House will use a better glue on their Look At My Eyes eyeshadow next time because PK013 kept popping out of its case while I was taking photos and it's not like this is the first time I experienced this. I tried a few from their Look At My Eyes range before and the same problem occurred. lol

Overall, these are decent and affordable eye shadows.

That's it for this box!
Sorry if it's short. I really need to study and prepare well this week. Will try to make it up on my upcoming reviews!
I will be posting a haul soon. I have finally found something worth calling HG so look out for it! It's something that I would 1000% recommend. lol I think it will be on the second haul post though which I will put up on Friday.

Have you tried any of the products above? Do you have any recommendation for duo chrome eye shadows?
Let me know in the comments!
Oh, is anyone here watching Descendants of The Sun? Please reveal yourself, let's fangirl together. Hahaha
Thanks for reading! :)

The products mentioned were sent by Etude House for review purposes. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.

Etude House Berry Delicious Collection Spring 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 09:48:00 +0000

Not sure if your wallets are prepared for yet another cute collection from the brand that seriously has no chill when it comes to releasing new products, Etude House. lol
It might be better for you not to read this if you're currently on a strict no-buy this month because I can't guarantee that you will not be tempted to purchase anything. However, if you're positive that you can resist the urge of buying the products you are about to see then proceed. Good luck!

It's all about strawberry!
Their spring collection has your full face make up covered (JK they didn't include an eyeliner or eyebrow product here lol) as they unveil a cushion with 2 new strawberry themed cases, 2 new palettes with 6 gorgeous shades each, 3 cream blushers, 2 mascaras and 10 new shades of their Color in Liquid Lips - Juicy, which I'm guessing they reformulated. And of course, Etude made sure that applying your Color in Liquid Lips will be a breeze as they also added a lip scrub and lip treatment to get rid of those dry patches. They also have a tint called lip jam which is quite similar to their pudding tint.
For those who like painting their nails, don't fret! They didn't forget about you, changing colors anytime you want won't be a problem because you have 10 different colors to choose from plus you can decorate your nails with their nail stickers too!
And as if those are not enough, they also decided to add a perfume, body scrub, body milk and an adorable bread sponge. OTL
You did a berry good job, Etude. Well done! /claps

Berry Delicious

Color in Liquid Lips Juicy
$12.40
The moisturizing strawberry moisture softly melts on the lips, with the sweet and sour color expressing juicy, wet lips.

RD304 - Berry Apple Grande
RD305 - Berry Berry Much
OR207 - Berry Orange Drink
OR208 - Berry Mango Tango
PK013 - Berry Banana Homemade
GR701- Berry Kiwi Talk Talk
PP502 - Berry Beet Dancing
PK014 - Berry Cherry to go
PK015 - Berry Tropical Dream
RD306 - Berry Plum Squeeze

Berry Delicious
Lash Perm Curl Fix
$14.40

This is a curl fix mascara that completes powerfully curled up fine eyelashes with its strongly adhering Curl 24HR Technology™ on drooped lashes.

1 is Crisp Black and 2 is Strawberry Choco Fondue

How to apply:
1. Organize lashes with the flat jelly part of brush starting from lash roots, brushing in a zigzag motion.
2. Complete curled up, 360 degrees spread out fine lashes by gently brushing lash’s upper, lower, front, and back parts with the jelly dome part of brush.

Berry Delicious
Any Cushion
18000원

Berry Delicious
Any Cushion Case
8000원

Berry Delicious
Fantastic Color Eyes
$16.80

This is a 6 color eye shadow palette that comes in trendy colors and various textures for fantastic expression of the eyes for different occasions.

Strawberry Mojito

Strawberry Fondue

Berry Delicious
Cream Blusher 6g
$11

This is a moist strawberry colored cream blusher that flushes cheeks for a lovely look.

1 Wild Strawberry

2 Strawberry Cream

3 Grapefruit Strawberry

Berry Delicious
Strawberry Lip jam Scrub
$9.10

The lip scrub makes the lips feel smooth and soft by gently removing dead skin cells from the lips with sweet sugar grains and strawberry seeds.

Berry Delicious
Strawberry Lip jam Treatment
$9.10

The concentrated nourishing balm makes the lips healthy by forming an instant moisture film over dry, chapped lips with a transparent firm texture that feels like strawberry flesh.

Berry Delicious
Strawberry Lip Jam
$9.10

The tint lip balm softens and moisturizes dry, lifeless lips as it sweetly melts like Strawberry Jam.

Berry Delicious
Strawberry Body Milk
$11

Berry Delicious Strawberry Body Milk Lotion makes skin feel soft and moisturized like strawberry milk

Berry Delicious
Strawberry Body Scrub and Wash$11

The strawberry jam body scrub & wash contains strawberry seeds and natural scrub particles in viscous texture, resembling strawberry jam full of strawberries.

Berry Delicious
Bread Shower Sponge

$3.90

Body shower sponge shaped like cute crunchy toasted bread.
Berry Delicious
Play Nails

Strawberry Souffle Nail

$3.90

1 Strawberry Latte
2 Strawberry Yamyam
3 Wedding Peach Ade
4 Berry Kiss
5 Mojito
6 Sly Strawberry
7 Strawberry juice
8 Strawberry Jam
9 Orange Lemon Tea
10 Strawberry Leaf

Berry Delicious
Play Nail Sticker
$3.20

#1 Perfect your lovely nails with sweet strawberry French stickers
#2 Mini-strawberry stickers help finish your sweet nail look with a
lip-smacking strawberry dessert theme

How to apply:
1. Remove desired design that fits fingernail size with tweezers or fingertips.
2. Apply to nail as if pulling while pressing thoroughly starting from the nail edges.
3. Remove remaining part by holding enclosed mini file at a 90 degree angle with fingertips and gently scratching.
4. If needed finish off with topcoat for long-lasting quality.

Berry Delicious
Berry Fruity Perfume

18,000원

Phew! That's a lot of products.
I'm still showing no improvement in applying eyeshadows but I might grab the Strawberry Fondue palette and the cream blushers. Oh, the bread shower sponge too! *-*

If you want to get some products but have no clue where to buy, here's a list of shops:
Etude House Official Shop
Etude House Gmarket
Jolse
Ibuybeauti
Beautynetkorea
Beautyboxkorea
TesterKorea
Koreadepart
Roseroseshop
W2beauty

All photos and information are from Etude House.

Btw, just in case you missed it, I became a part of Etude House's Pink Bird Program.
I reviewed two Pink Boxes so far.
Pink Box 1: Snowy Dessert Collection (CLICK)
Pink Box 2: Play 101 Stick (01, 11, 13 and Contour Duo) + Brush (CLICK)
Also, don't forget to join my giveaway (CLICK)

Fancy anything from the products above? What do you think of this collection?
It's berry cute, isn't it? lol

Etude House Pink Bird Box: Play 101 Stick and Contour Duo Review and Swatches

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 09:12:00 +0000

Two months ago, Etude House released a new addition to their Play series, the Play 101 Stick. And just like their famous Play 101 Pencils, this is also a collaboration with Pony, I'm sure most of you already know who she is. She made a tutorial on how to use the sticks prior to its release. If you haven't seen it yet and want to get a glimpse of her tutorials click THIS and THIS. Both videos doesn't have English subtitles but I assure you that you wont have any difficulties understanding it.

Make up in stick form? It's nothing new, I've seen other make up brands do it but just because it's been done before doesn't mean I'm less excited for this release. If anything, it made me anticipate more of what Etude will come up with next time. From pencils to nail polishes and now sticks. What's next? Only Etude House knows. One thing is for sure, they will be releasing more products in the future. It may not be another addition to the Play line we all like but I'm sure it's something we can enjoy while we're waiting. Actually, they have already released numerous products after releasing the Play 101 Stick. Big Cover line, new skin care products, the very popular brow gel tint, new eyeshadows and of course, their spring 2016 collection which was officially released in the beginning of February. They probably released about 30 products in the span of two months. But hey, it's Etude House we're talking about, for them it's the norm. lol
Reviews on some products from the Big Cover line will be posted here by next week while the list of products from their spring collection will be up not later than tomorrow. For now, I think I should start the review. Haha

For my second Pink Box, I received these:
Play 101 Stick Foundation, Play 101 Stick 11 and 13, Play 101 Stick Contour Duo and a small brush.
I already had a hunch that these sticks are what the Pink Birds will be receiving, not gonna lie I was excited to try these out mainly because I have never used anything similar to these in the past. I knew products like these have been out in the market for so long, just that it didn't really pique my interest before.

The sticks are all housed in a box with their corresponding colors.

Here's how the box (#11) looks like from all sides.
I didn't take photos of all the boxes since they're almost similar to each other but here's the pic of #11 just to give you a clue of what the actual box looks like.

L-R: , Play 101 Stick Contour Duo, Play 101 Stick Foundation 01 Fair, Play 101 Stick 13 and 11

Expiration date can be seen on the cap of the stick. There's only a little amount of the product so I doubt it will last until 2018 especially if you're going to use it on a daily basis but it's still good to know that the expiration date is years from now. lol Usually, make up products only lasts for 12 months after opening.

Play 101 Stick
Foundation #01 Fair 7.5g / 0.26 oz.

A long lasting, multi-function foundation stick that glides onto skin completing smooth and flawless looking face with the soft and creamy texture.

How to apply:
Gently spread a certain amount onto skin by fingertips or a brush.

Ingredients:
01 Fair
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene,Dicaprylyl Carbonate,Phenyl Trimethicone,Polyethylene,Barium Sulfate,Diglyceryl Sebacate/Isopalmitate,Polymethyl Methacrylate,Ceresin,Silica,Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate,Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer,Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate,Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate,Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,Microcrystalline Wax,Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate,Aluminum Hydroxide,Tocopherol,Caprylyl Glycol,Phenoxyethanol,Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate,Hexylene Glycol,Magnesium Myristate,Titanium Dioxide,Mica,Iron Oxides (Ci 77492),Iron Oxides (Ci 77491),Iron Oxides (Ci 77499)

Play 101 Stick Brush
This foundation brush is ideal for flawless and smooth application of stick foundation or multi-color sticks.

Sadly, I have never owned a foundation brush before (#marxiethemakeupnoob #everybodyknows) so I can't compare this to anything. Who needs foundation brush at this point of time where cushion foundation is the trend? loljk. Truth be told, the reason why I don't own one is because I'm not the biggest fan of foundations. I'm always after that no make up make up look and prefer cushions that doesn't have high coverage because it looks more natural. Hopefully in the future I will be more adventurous in make up and try all the kinds of brushes and foundation there is.

The brush is slanted and it's smaller than what I expected it to be, almost the same size of the sticks. It comes with a transparent pouch which I think can fit the foundation or any stick of your choice and the brush itself. Very travel friendly! In my opinion, this brush is pretty decent. I'm quite satisfied with it, the bristles are soft and it made blending/spreading the foundation easier than using fingertips. It works pretty well and the only downside I can think of is that it leaves streaks. If someone says otherwise, it's either they're lying or I'm doing something wrong. lol

How to apply the foundation stick as stated in the box. Not necessarily meant to be followed lol, you can apply it however you prefer. There are many ways to blend the foundation, you can either use your fingertips, the Play 101 brush, a beauty blender or even the puff that comes with your cushions.

The Play 101 Stick foundation is available in 4 shades, 01 Fair, 02 Vanilla, 03 Beige and 04 Sand. Korean brands usually don't have a wide range of shades when it comes to their foundation or bb cream so that isn't really surprising. At least now, we have 4 shades to choose from compared back then when we only have 2. If you still can't find the perfect shade for your skin tone you can try to get 2 shades and mix it to see if it will suit you but then it requires double the money and effort to do so. Ain't nobody got time for that. lol However, if you really like the product I think doing that will be completely reasonable. The shade that I got is the lightest, 01 Fair.

I forgot the coverage test! OTL Will add it when I have time.

True to its claims, this really glides onto the skin effortlessly. It has a creamy texture and evens out skin tone well once blended. As for the coverage, it's light and buildable to medium with satin finish. This foundation can't fully cover redness or hyperpigmentation with just one layer so if you prefer using a foundation that can give you a high coverage then this one isn't for you because while you can build the coverage, it has the tendency to look cakey as you layer it. Another thing I want to add is that it tends to cling onto dry patches. I wasn't even aware that I have dry areas on my cheeks until I used this product. I guess I should take this as a reminder that I need to take my skin care game to the next level. lol Actually, I have more cons than pros on this foundation. Let me go through it briefly because I know no one wants to read a long review.
Aside from those I stated above, you need to need to stay away or at least think twice before buying this if you have large pores or fine lines. You need a primer if you want your pores to be less noticeable because this product alone can't do it. For a foundation, the lasting power is poor as it starts to fade after about 3 hours. Yes, you can retouch anytime you wish because the foundation is very travel friendly, it's in stick form but I don't think it's hygienic.
However, I think you will like this if you're someone who has normal skin type with little amount of skin imperfection.

Play 101 Stick
#11
A multi-function color stick for eyes, cheeks and lips that creates color impacts with smooth and sheer finish.

How to apply:
pply with fingertips where a color is desired.

Ingredients:
Polymethyl Methacrylate, Triethylhexanoin, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Polyethylene, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Microcrystalline Wax, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Methicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499).

I've always thought that this was only meant for contouring. Never did it cross my mind that I can also use this particular shade on my lips or eyelids until Etude House pointed it out.. While I can't really picture myself using this on my lips, I might give it a try as an eye shadow. Might.
# 11 looks brown on the stick but actually a bit more orangey when swiped on the skin. A layer or two is enough for it to show if you have fair skin. People with darker skin tone might require 3 or 4 layers, I'm not really sure. One layer is enough for me but in the end it all goes down to preference. Sometimes I feel like it doesn't adhere much to the skin as the opacity decreases greatly when you try to blend it in but it's actually a good thing because it looks way more natural. You don't really want to go around with your contour looking more obvious than ever. Like the foundation, this is also smooth, creamy, feels lightweight and blends really well. I haven't really made a full use out of this product yet as I'm very new to contouring but so far I think it's quite good. Oh, this one doesn't make dry patches look obvious.

Play 101 Stick

#13

A multi-function color stick for eyes, cheeks and lips that creates color impacts with smooth and sheer finish.

How to apply:

pply with fingertips where a color is desired.

Ingredients:

Polymethyl Methacrylate, Triethylhexanoin, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Polyethylene, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Microcrystalline Wax, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Hexylene Glycol, Red 7, Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Carmine, Red 6.

Sorry, I wasn't able to take photos outdoors due to sudden rainfall. I talked about this in my first Pink Bird box (CLICK) because there's a similar shade to it which is the Play 101 pencil in #71.
#13 is also duochrome, has slightly cool toned pink base and gold shimmers. Not really the shade I wish I would receive because while it's a gorgeous color, it's also no secret that I don't really like using anything shimmery on my lips or cheeks and this product is made for those. I'm sure most of you are already tired of me complaining about shimmery lip or cheek products by now lol
It glides on smoothly when applied but feels a little different from the first two sticks when you blend it in, it has more of a silky feel than creamy. I find this particular shade incredibly hard to work with. Whenever I try to blend it, the pink base transfers to my fingertips and I'm left with the gold shimmers on my skin. The pink color is quite sheer and might not be visible enough if you have a darker skin tone, you can try to layer it for it to show but there will be too much of the gold shimmers. If you don't mind that the I guess it's okay. This is my least favorite among the four sticks I received. Can't really see this work as a blush because it's not pigmented enough. Maybe a primer will help but then there's just an excessive amount of micro glitters. I would recommend using this as a highlighter instead.

Photos taken on different lighting.
While I was taking photos outdoors, I noticed that the sides of the foundation started melting. Mind you, it's not even that hot and I wasn't even out for that long! Fortunately, it lasted through the photo session and hasn't melted even up to this day. Haha I would also like to mention that it worries me a bit that these sticks uses twist up mechanism.. I've used some products like this in the past and believe me, one day, when you least expect it, it will stop working. lol

Closer look

Play 101 Stick
Contour Duo 0.05oz/1.7g x 2
A creamy contour duo that creates a look of authentic dimentionality of face.
How to apply:
Apply the highlighting color on T-zone, cheekbones and the shade color on sides of nose and below the jaw line.

Ingredients:

Highlighter
Octyldodecanol,Cetyl Ethylhexanoate,C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate,Silica,Polymethyl Methacrylate,Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,Polyethylene,Ozokerite,Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate,Methicone,Tocopherol,Caprylyl Glycol,Phenoxyethanol,Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate,Hexylene Glycol,Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491)
Shading
Octyldodecanol,Cetyl Ethylhexanoate,C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate,Silica,Polymethyl Methacrylate,Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,Polyethylene,Ozokerite,Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate,Methicone,Tocopherol,Caprylyl Glycol,Phenoxyethanol,Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate,Hexylene Glycol,Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499)"

Front and back.

The contour duo stick is double ended, the white one acts as a highlighter while the other is for contouring. Don't be fooled, the highlighter isn't as white as it is in the photo. The brown looks similar except a little darker. Compared to #11, I'd say this one is 2-3 shades darker.

This is probably my favorite. Very handy and easy to use for beginners like me.
It's no different from the products I mentioned above, glides onto the skin and blends like a dream!
I'd say this is perfect for nose contouring or basically the narrow parts of your face that you want to highlight and contour. The highlighter is really good. It really does the job but layering can lead to emphasizing dry areas of your skin, be careful. The shimmers are very minimal and aren't really visible unless you look at the areas you highlighted very very closely. As for the other one, like I mentioned earlier it's a darker shade of brown than #11 and is better to use on the smaller parts of your face like your nose whereas #11 is better on the larger areas like the side of your face or jaws. I find the Contour Duo a little too dark for my skin tone so I apply it very lightly. Other than that, I think this is a nice product!
If you watched Pony's tutorial, you probably saw her apply the contour duo on her clavicles to make it look more prominent. I personally haven't tried that one yet but it's interesting. brb trying it now. loljk
I enjoyed trying these out and I'm happy that I found a favorite which is the Contour Duo, it's great for contouring newbies like me and I will most likely use this often to practice.
It's such a shame that these starts to fade after 3 hours or so.
So far, Etude House released 11 Play 101 sticks, 4 foundations, 6 multi color sticks and 1 contour duo.
I'm pretty sure they will launch more shades in the following months, let's all be prepared for it! Haha

They also sent us samples of their Moistfull Collagen Cream and an eyebrow booklet, it contains tutorials on how to do your brows with their brow products.
Speaking of brow product, have you guys seen the brow gel tint? It's basically like the Berrisom peel off tint that was so popular last year except you use it on your brows. The peel off tint was so popular I bought 5 shades and 1 remover but I haven't really used it yet. lol
Anyway, I heard good things from Korean bloggers about the brow gel tint and I want to try it but I'm still waiting for Gloria's review. I convinced her to get it. lol She said she's my guinea pig but I refuse to call her that. lol

If you guys missed my post on my first Pink Box click HERE.
To check out more products from Etude House click HERE.
And don't forget to join my giveaway! I'm giving away highly raved Japanese products, it will end on the 29th. Hurry and join now! lol. Click HERE.

The products mentioned were sent by Etude House for review purposes. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.

From Japan, With Love Giveaway! 3 winners

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 07:42:00 +0000

Yes, you read it right. It's a giveaway! YAY!
I know, it's been a really long time since I last hosted a giveaway on this blog (mainly because I was inactive due to busy sched) that's why I'm very excited to share this to all of you. :D

First, you might be wondering why I'm giving away Japanese stuff and not Korean. If you look through this blog, you will notice that the reviews posted here are only about Korean products. That doesn't mean I don't use Japanese skincare or cosmetics at all, as a matter of fact, I used to be so in love with the brand called Dolly Wink and my favorite cleansing water that I keep repurchasing up until now is from Bifesta.

From where I live, Japanese cosmetics aren't really as accessible as Korean ones which is why I'm always on the hunt for Japanese online shops, unfortunately, there aren't really that much of them. My best bet is Ebay but lately some shops stopped shipping to my country. /weeps
Last August, while I was watching Japan haul videos, I found a Youtuber that received plushies from a website called Samurai Buyer. It's a Japanese buying/proxy service similar to Tenso except it's much easier to register and purchase from Samurai Buyer. Sketchy is the first word that came to mind when I first visited their website. Not gonna lie, it took me about 3 months to finally decide to purchase products from them. lmao They recently revamped their website and it looks 10x better now if you ask me. If you've seen their old layout you will definitely have second thoughts. lol My order didn't go smoothly but it is in no way Samurai Buyer's fault. I'm not sure why but it took Japan EMS such a long time before they shipped my order to my country. It was kinda frustrating for me and Misaki (owner of Samurai Buyer). We kept in touch while waiting for my order to arrive and to make the long story short, he offered me to do a giveaway for my blog and I gladly accepted . lol I received my haul a week ago and I will be posting about it next week so keep your eyes peeled for it!

Here are the items for the giveaway! I chose some highly raved products and some of these received high ranking in Cosme. There are 3 sets; skincare, cosmetics and snacks. I will be adding product description to each item just in case you're not familiar with it.

Hadalabo Gokujyun Foaming Face Wash (link)

Preserve your skin's natural moisture as you wash. Instantly foaming and easy to massage, this wash rinses clean without drying out your skin. Use morning and night for a luxurious yet practical start to softer, more supple skin. (5.4 fl oz/160mL)

Instructions : Moisten face and hands with lukewarm water. Dispense 1 to 2 pumps of wash into hands. Gently massage onto face, using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly. Use twice a day or as needed.

Ingredients : Water, PEG-8, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, TEA-Cocoyl Alaninate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Methylparaben, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Starch Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Succinic Acid
cr: Hada Labo USA

I got this one too and I really like it. This product is highly raved but I didn't really expect it to work on me because I have tried some popular products before *cough*SU:M37 miracle rose cleansing stick*cough*Banila Co clean it zero*cough* and those just didn't work.

ROSETTE Ceramide Gel (link)

This is a multi-functional gel that provides all your basic skincare benefits: toner, serum, moisturizer, cream. Rich in moisturizing ingredients like ceramide, marine collagen, hyaluronic acid, and Japanese bloodgrass root extract, the fresh gel blends in effortlessly to nourish and condition the skin’s moisture balance. Also good for sensitive skin.   Fragrance free, artificial color free, mineral oil free.
cr: Cosme

This one I regret not getting. Been hearing a lot of good stuff about this, Rosette has 3 ceramides in it while other ceramide creams only has 1 and another important factor to consider is the price, this is one cheap! It's 856 yen which is around $7.

Melano CC Intensive Anti-Spot Essence (link)

New formula. With moisturizing Alpinia White, derived from ginger-lilies. The active ingredients, vitamins C and E, quickly soak into the skin, reaching deep down to create a more translucent, brighter complexion. Also contains active ingredients to prevent acne and breakouts. Provides hydration support to help reduce the appearance of hyper pigmentation and scars left by acne
cr: cosme

I decided to give this one a go. Haven't opened mine yet though because I need to take photos of it first. #bloggerproblems
This one is a best seller on Amazon Japan and a lot of people has been raving about it so why not.

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ (link)

New Formula  . SPF50+ PA++++.  This sunscreen now features PA++++ sun protection, for even better sun protection with the same great benefits its users love. This is a refreshing sunscreen serum that blocks even intense UV rays. It may have an SPF of 50+, but it is incredibly lightweight and easy to remove with any regular cleanser.
cr: Cosme

Number 1 sunscreen in cosme rankings and also the number 1 bestseller in Amazon Japan.
I think that's enough. lol I got the gel instead of this one because it's more suitable for my skin type, I suppose.

Lululun Mask (link)
You can choose which color you like.
Lululun Pink (7 masks)
This face mask now offers a well-balanced complex of all the things you could want in a mask. Rich in rice ceramide to enhance the skin’s absorption of ingredients, avocado extract to nourish, as well as aloe vera leaf extract and panax ginseng to provide glow and elasticity to the skin. The new sheet is easy to unfold, and it stays on the skin with a softer touch.
LuLuLun Face Mask White (7 masks)
This face mask is rich in a new moisturizing ingredient, Fucogel. It now has a unique, nourishing texture that smooths and refreshes the skin while providing lasting hydration. Vitamin C and plant extract promote even more luminous skin. The new sheet is easy to unfold, and it stays on the skin with a softer touch.
LuLuLun Face Mask Blue (7 masks)
This face mask now contains 3 times more of the highly moisturizing ingredient Lipidure. It is also rich in royal jelly extract and sweet marjoram to keep your skin smooth, hydrated, and rich. The new sheet is easy to unfold, and it stays on the skin with a softer touch.
cr: Cosme

Kiss Me Heroine Make (link)
Long & Curl Mascara Super WP
This mascara elongates lashes and creates a beautiful look that lasts as long as you want. The formula contains Instant Lock ingredients and Shape Memory Polymer, which keep the lashes lifted and separated all day long. It features a waterproof and oil-proof formula to prevent smudging and fiber fall-out throughout the day.
cr: Cosme

If I remember correctly, this is number one in the best mascara category last 2014. unfortunately it dropped to number 2 last year but that doesn't it's not good. A lot of people raved about this and it's an amazon best seller too! Oh, I heard this is difficult to remove.

Canmake Cream cheek (link)
Creates a complexion that exudes health from deep within your skin, like a fountain of happiness.Blends in with your skin as though melting into it, ensuring that your complexion stays looking dewy-fresh for hours on end. Surprising texture! A melting gel-type formulation that becomes dry after application.
・The melting gel-type texture, which is silky-soft on your fingers, becomes dry from the instant you apply it to your cheeks!
・Contains masses of emollient agents that are highly compatible with your skin (squalene of vegetable origin and amino acid-based emollients), enclosed in a special stretchy gel, which not only protects your skin from drying out, but also improves the blusher's adhesion to your skin, making it longer-lasting.
・Highly compatible with all foundations!
Can be used on top of powder foundations and liquid foundations.
Versatile coloring
・Gel-type formulation for vibrant color that looks just as it does in the container.
Melts into your skin, revising your complexion to make it look as though it has been lit from within, and lasts for hours and hours.
cr: Canmake

Canmake Marshmallow Finish Powder (link)
Create the perfect sweet-looking face that's as soft and light ♡ as a marshmallow!
Achieve a matte finish that conceals pores and hides any unevenness in your complexion ☆
A face powder for finishing your foundation and touching up your make-up through the day. Handy pressed formulation that's easy to carry in your bag.
3 shades:
[MO] Matte Ochre A matte light ochre that will make your skin look brighter in an instant
[MB] Matte Beige Ochre An ochre shade that quickly and easily blends into your skin
[ML] Matte Light Ochre A bright ochre, for a highly translucent look
cr: Canmake

Canmake Your Lip Only Gloss (link)
For your lips only - a lip color that's unique to you
● An astonishing gloss that turns pink as it reacts with moisture
It reacts with the moisture in your lips, so the precise shade and depth of color differ from one wearer to another. Won't wear off when you eat
● The color actually gets brighter over time, so it stays firmly on your lips. More than 92% beautifying and emollient agents
3 shades
[01]Add just the right touch of gloss and complexion which makes natural lip
[02]Colorful pearl that looks cute makes shining pink lip
[03]Formulated for a richer color. Now available in a mysterious clear purple!
cr: canmake

For this one, Samurai Buyer will just send the winner some random Japanese snacks. I suggested the ones in the photo above but they might add some more, I don't really know.
It is no secret that Japan has a lot of strange flavored Kitkat so if there are flavors you want to try, do let me know in the comments and I will ask them to get it for you. :D Not just Kitkat, any Japanese snack that you want to try. Here are the links, you can check which flavors are available.
Kitkat
Pocky
Poppin Cookin
Tokyo Banana
All snacks

Giveaway Info
This giveaway is open worldwide.

Enter as many different ways as you like! You can enter via twitter and facebook daily.
More entries means more chances of winning.
Winners will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter.

Giveaway will end on March 20.

Winners will be announced on March 25.
The winners will be contacted within 24 hours via email after the giveaway ended and will be given 48 hours to respond, if they do not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be selected.
If they do not respond to the email within the 48 hours a new winner will be selected.

You can enter the giveaway via Rafflecopter but I also listed the things you need to do below. You don't have to do everything if you don't want to.

There are lots of ways to enter:

1. Sign up on Samurai Buyer (click this)
2. Share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Mention @marxiekim and use #samuraibuyer as hashtag.
You must be able to verify your share or tweet by linking to your post.You can find the URL for your post by clicking on the timestamp.
3. Share Samurai Buyer's video (click this) on Facebook or Twitter. Mention @marxiekim and use #samuraibuyer as hashtag.
You must be able to verify your share or tweet by linking to your post.You can find the URL for your post by clicking on the timestamp.
4. Like Samurai Buyer's Facebook page. (click)
5. Like my facebook page. (click)
6. Follow Samurai Buyer on Twitter (click)
7. Follow me on Twitter (click)
8. Follow me on Instagram (click)
9. Follow me on GFC (click)
10. Follow me on Bloglovin' (click)
11. Blog about the giveaway. Use this image on your blogpost. (click)
12. Put this banner on your blog's sidebar (click)
13. Browse the store (click) and choose a product you want to try. Put the link on Rafflecopter widget.
14. Leave a comment below. Choose which set you like and why.
15. Your name, email and link to your Facebook or Twitter so I can contact you if you win.

Rafflecopter Widget

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click here to get the picture for your blog post

Click here to get the sidebar banner

I hope you guys like this giveaway and good luck to all of you! :)

Etude House Pink Bird Box: Snowy Dessert Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 07:24:00 +0000

Hello everyone!

I know it's been a really long time since I last posted on this blog but I'm back and I'm here to stay. Oh, this time it's for real. lol 2015 was such a busy year for me, it was quite stressful that I didn't really have that much time to spare for blogging. Chatting with my friends online has been difficult as well, I hope they didn't think that I'm neglecting them or something. Anyway, I'm just glad to be back. I missed blogging so much.

Moving on..

The second announcement is pretty obvious already because the title gave it away. lol

Yes, I am now a pink bird. Not blue, not green but pink. *I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky* lol Just kidding. Don't get mad, please. Haha!

Etude House contacted me last November and they told me that I have been chosen to be a part of their Pink Bird Program. If you've read my blog before I'm sure you already know that Etude House is one of my favorite Korean Beauty brands even if their products are always either a hit or a miss for me. Their products are just so cute. Love it. *85 thumbs up*

For those who aren't familiar with Etude House's Pink Bird Program, they select bloggers and youtubers that will receive a box monthly. The box is called Pink Box (their main color is pink so don't be surprised if everything has pink in it) and it usually contains newly released products from their brand. It is not a subscription box, yes, it is a box that can only be received by Pink birds but fret not! You can still buy the products in their online shop.

This Pink Box is supposedly a November box. You're probably thinking that this is a late review. Ha!

SMH. Well, you're right. *high five* lol In my defense, I didn't have that much time to put the products to test and they sent it at the end of November so I received the box around second week of December so I'd rather call it December box and I have exams too and I was busy and.. and.. I will stop listing excuses now. lol I better start the review before this intro gets too long. :P

The December box contains products from their holiday collection called Snowy Dessert. This reminded me a little of their spring collection called Sweet Recipe which was released last January 2013.

Their Snowy Dessert line has 6 products, pudding tints, play 101 pencils, ginger cookie blusher, ginger cookie contour maker, scented tablets and hand creams.

Here are the items I received:

Snowy Dessert Pudding Tint PK001 Grapefruit

Snowy Dessert Play 101 Pencil 71& 73

Snowy Dessert Ginger Cookie Blusher

Honey Cera Kit
Etude House Magazine

Snowy Dessert Ginger Cookie Blusher 9g

$16.80

This is a two tone blusher with a warm and sweet baked ginger man that brightly flushes cheeks.

How to use:

After applying a certain amount onto puff gently dab onto cheek area that protrudes when smiling.

Ingredients:

A)Mica(Ci77019), Talc, Titanium Dioxide(Ci77891), Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Nylon-12, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Silica, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Magnesium Myristate, Boron Nitride, Iron Oxides(Ci77491), 1,2-Hexanediol, Iron Oxides(Ci77492), Dimethiconol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Red 7 Lake(Ci15850), Glyceryl Caprylate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Bentonite, Methicone, Lauroyl Lysine, Diisostearyl Malate, Lauryl Peg/Ppg-18/18 Methicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Castor Oil Hydroxystearate, Olea Europaea(Olive) Fruit Oil, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil, Tin Oxide B)Mica(Ci77019), Talc, Titanium Dioxide(Ci77891), Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Nylon-12, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Silica, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Magnesium Myristate, Boron Nitride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dimethiconol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Iron Oxides(Ci77491), Glyceryl Caprylate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Bentonite, Methicone, Lauroyl Lysine, Red 7 Lake(Ci15850), Diisostearyl Malate, Lauryl Peg/Ppg-18/18 Methicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Castor Oil Hydroxystearate, Olea Europaea(Olive) Fruit Oil, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil, Iron Oxides(Ci77492)

Isn't it cute? The box that it came with added more cuteness factor to it because it resembles an oven.

Cuteness overload! lol You'd definitely think twice before using it because you might ruin the adorable ginger bread man. Okay, someone tell me that I'm not the only one who thought of that.

Close up.

When I first saw this, I'm not gonna lie, I was a bit afraid to use it not just because of the possibility that the cute ginger bread man might disappear but also because it was really orange-y in the pan. Not the typical shade I would use for a blush. In fact, I can't recall owning a blusher that is as orange as this one. Thoughts about this being very pigmented kind of put me off. Luckily, it was very sheer! lol Swatching it was kind of a pain because I had to layer multiple times just so it can be captured properly on cam. After applying thinly on my cheeks it turned out to be more of a bronze color rather than orange. I wouldn't really recommend layering it a lot because it has fine shimmers to it and you might look like a disco ball. JK I'd say this product is nice if you're looking for a cute bronzer + highlighter kind of product.

Snowy Dessert Play 101 Pencil 71& 73 0.5g

$7.80

This is a gel-type pencil that comes with vivid colors and various textures for easy and fun makeup play.
How to use:

Twist to dispense certain amount and use on desired area. Close cap after use. When using sharpener, insert lead and sharpen while turning slowly.

The Snowy Dessert Play 101 Pencils has 5 shades, 71-75.

Ingredients:

Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Mica (Ci 77019), Isododecane, Polyethylene, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Synthetic Wax, Polyisobutene, Ceresin, Silica, Phenyl Trimethicone, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Phenoxyethanol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410), Hydrogen Dimethicone, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Propylene Carbonate, Tin Oxide

These pencils are my favorite in the whole collection.
Their Play 101 pencil line has a huge range of colors you can choose from and they're multi functional too!
What it does
- Simply full makeup: Various pencils which could be used for eyes, lips, cheeks, etc.
- Rich color with a single drawing: Rich and pigmented colors that do not need layering over and over.
- 5 various textures: Creamy, matte, glossy, shimmering, and glitter types available. Pick your favorite texture and experience the easy and fast makeup
- Long lasting waterproof function: Made of 'highly functional waterproof polymer'* for long-lasting makeup.
(*'Highly functional waterproof polymer' is NOT applied to some of glossy type items)

Color System
- Creamy: Soft drawing texture with rich colors.
- Matte: Soft drawing but powdery finishing. Recommend to use as eyebrow, eyeshadow, concealer, and base.
- Glossy: Moist texture that can simply fill up crease. Recommend to use as blusher and lips.
- Shimmering: Delicate glittering color for urbane look.
- Glitter: Glittering texture for dramatic and fancy makeup.

Details

#1 (Creamy) / #2 (Glitter) / #3 (Glitter) / #4 (Glitter) / #5 (Glitter)#6 (Shimmering) / #7 (Matte) / #8 (Matte) / #9 (Matte) / #10 (Matte)
#11 (Creamy) / #12 (Glossy) / #13 (Glitter) / #14 (Creamy) / #15 (Glossy)
#16 (Creamy) / #17 (Creamy) / #18 (Matte) / #19 (Creamy) / #20 (Creamy)
#21 (Glossy) / #22 (Glossy) / #23 (Glossy) / #24 (Creamy) / #25 (Glossy)
#26 (Glitter) / #27 (Glitter) / #28 (Glitter) / #29 (Shimmering) / #30 (Creamy)
#31 (Glitter) / #32 (Matte) / #33 (Matte) / #34 (Glitter) / #35 (Glitter)
#36 (Glitter) / #37 (Creamy) / #38 (Glitter) / #39 (Glitter) / #40 (Glitter)
#41 (Glitter) / #42 (Matte) / #43 (Glitter) / #44 (Glitter) / #45 (Shimmering)
#46 (Glitter) / #47 (Shimmering) / #48 (Glitter) / #49 (Creamy) / #50 (Creamy)

- As Eyeliner: 1~5, 27~50
- As Eyeshadow: All options
- As Makeup Base: 6~10
- As Highlighter: 6
- As Concealer: 8
- As Lip / Blusher: 11~26
- As Eyebrow: 41, 42
cr: etudehouse

Something is wrong with the picture above. lol
#71 is a cool toned pink with gold shimmers. This is like their eyeliner version of the Give Me Chocolate eyeshadow in Salted Caramel which I love. The color is just beautiful. I haven't reviewed that one yet though but I will, maybe next week. lol
#73 is a champagne color with pearl shimmers. Really pretty as well. It is one of those shades that you would like to put in the inner corner of your eyes if you want to achieve that Kpop girl group look.
Both shades are really creamy and easy to apply but I think these duo chrome pencils aren't as long lasting as the regular ones, it's still really good nevertheless. I would definitely recommend the Play 101 pencils.

Snowy Dessert Pudding Tint PK001 Grapefruit 5.5g

$10.40

Soft pudding tint that melts lips with its sweet, soft embrace
How to use:

1. Dispense a certain amount of tint with enclosed spoon tip.
2. Place tint onto inner lips and apply onto lips with the back of spoon tip.
3. Gradate naturally towards outer lips.

Ingredients:

Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Astrocaryum Murumuru Butter, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Acrylates/Stearyl Acrylate/Dimethicone Methacrylate Copolymer, Diisostearyl Malate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Water, Butylene Glycol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Fragaria Chiloensis(Strawberry) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus(Apple) Fruit Extract, Citrus Paradisi(Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Fragrance [+/- (May Contain) Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Red 7 (Ci 15850), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410), Red 33 Lake (Ci 17200), Red 22 Lake (Ci 45380), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (Ci 15985), Yellow 10 Lake (Ci 47005), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499, Ci 77491), Mica

I just realized that I didn't take photos of the box. =_=
If you're familiar with the Sweet Recipe Cupcake All Over Color, it is very similar to that just bigger.

It came with this applicator which I find a little strange, to be honest.

The scent of this pudding tint is just lovely. Color is more of a pinkish rosy coral in real life. Perfect shade for everyday use and it brightens your skin tone as well. It is very pigmented and leaves your lips with a pink tint after fading. Funny how the finish in the promotional photos are very glossy when in reality it's actually semi matte. I am seriously puzzled as to how they managed to get the glossy finish. What did I do wrong? What sorcery did they use? lol I haven't really figured out yet how to properly use the applicator they provided. The tint melts very slowly so I prefer using my fingers when applying the tint rather than the spatula. It also gives a much better finish.
I tried poking the tint with the spatula they provided and I must say that it's very interesting. The texture was very unique, it is bouncy just like pudding and jelly. lol
As for the staying power, it's only average. Oh, I haven't said this in a while but make sure to exfoliate and moisturize your lips before using this tint. This product will emphasize the dry patches and sink into the lines of your lips so make sure it is well moisturized!

They also included this Honey Cera Kit in the box. I haven't really tried these yet.

Honey Cera Toner $19.20

Highly nutritive multi-Toner that moistens rough and dry skin without any stickiness.

Honey Cera Emulsion 19.20

A nourishing and firming Emulsion that provides rich nutrition and strengthens the skin’s oil-moisture balance.

Honey Cera Cream $24.00

A nourishing and firming Cream that provides dry skin with abundant nutrition and radiance.

Honey Cera Priming Eye Serum $21.60

A priming Eye Serum that enhances dark circles under the eyes with its whitening function for a smooth and brightened eye area.

All the products mentioned above are available at Etude House.com.

That's it! My first post for 2016.YAY!
I apologize if the reviews aren't that detailed. I summarized everything to prevent the blog post from getting longer. I'm pretty sure you will be bored if I made it longer than this. lol
My second pink box arrived last Tuesday, I haven't really opened the products or taken photos of it just yet but I will try to test everything out soon and post about it next Friday. :D
I hope you guys haven't forgotten about me yet. lol See you in my next post!

What do you think of this collection? Have you tried any of the products I mentioned above?

The products mentioned were sent by Etude House for review purposes. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.

Etude House Dreaming Swan Collection Spring 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 09:53:00 +0000

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I last updated my blog, I've been very busy and had problems with laptop too but I will be updating more often starting this month. Before I start posting reviews, I want to share Etude's new collection to all of you, just in case you haven't seen it yet. They released it this morning, around 9am KST. I was browsing their website and was pleasantly surprised that they started adding new products. It's been a really long time since I last posted information about new collections. lol But anyway, their spring collection is called Dreaming Swan and they teamed up with Kerrie Hess this time. Kerrie Hess is an Australian illustrator and she has illustrated for Chanel, Lancome, Louis Vuitton, Printemps Paris, Kate Spade and many more. Isn't that amazing? *-*

The Dreaming Swan collection has a total of 8 different products!

Dreaming Swan Dear My Blooming Lips Talk
3.4g
8,500 krw

They added 5 more shades to their Dear My Blooming Lips Talk line, PK022, OR225, PK023, PP502 and PK024. The difference between this and the original line is that the ribbon for Dreaming Swan is white, it's usually pink. If you own a Dear My Blooming Lips Talk lipstick, you will also notice that they changed the heart design in the bullet.

Dreaming Swan Eye and Cheek 9g
13,000 krw

The name is very straightforward, Eye and Cheek. No need for further explanation. lol
They released 5 shades (1 주떼 핑크, 2 포인 코랄, 3 아라베스크 라지, 4 르블레 퍼플, 5 앙오 핑크) and these will probably be sheer in real life? Those drawings are really pretty btw. *-*

Dreaming Swan Shine Volumer 4.5g
7,500 krw

I'm not really a fan of shimmery products so I will most probably not purchase this. This acts as a highlighter/volumer and just like what it says in the photo above, you can apply it on the inner corner of your eyes or just the half of your bottom lash line to achieve a more youthful look. This product is similar to their Teardrop eyeliner, the Dreaming Swan applicator is bigger though. Available in three shades, 1. Dreaming Swan, 2. Dazzling pointed shoe and 3. Glowing tutu.

Dreaming Swan Any Cushion Case
8,000 krw

New cases for your cushions! The purple one looks gorgeous!

Dreaming Swan Veiling Pact SPF 25 PA+++
14,000 krw

I haven't tried any powder pact from Etude House and I'm still on the fence with this one because of the "White Shimmer Powder" lol As I've mentioned before, I'm not really a fan of any shimmery cosmetics. XD

Dreaming Swan Veiling Pact Brush
10,000 krw
SO PRETTY! lol I will definitely purchase this one. I showed this to my friends and we all think this is pretty. Let's be honest, it's the "brush tutu" that made it pretty. Haha! I don't think I will even think of purchasing this without it. At first, I thought you need to buy the veiling pact to get this but I'm glad it can be bought separately!

Dreaming Swan Mini Pouch
8,000 krw

It's cute, isn't it? I wish Etude made it bigger though!I told myself I will be on a spending ban because I've been shopping on gmarket and ebay last month but I don't think I can pass on this one. Or maybe I should ask Gloria (Gloriaus Days) again to stop me from buying stuff that I don't need, she's really helpful when it comes to that. lol

Dreaming Swan Nail Kit 8mlx2
7,000 krw

The last product in the collection! Dreaming Swan Nail Kit. I don't really like using nail polish and these looks really sheer so nope. I prefer the Give Me Chocolate nail polishes.

All photos are from Etude House and were edited by me.

You can buy these products here:
BeautynetKorea
Jolse
Ibuybeauti
Etude House Official shop
Gmarket
TesterKorea
Koreadepart

That's it! I will be back tomorrow for a review of Give Me Chocolate eyeshadow.
What do you think of this collection? Has anything caught your eye?

The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Sebum Control Moisture Sun SPF40 PA+++ Review

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 09:23:00 +0000

Wearing sunscreen is a must whether you're going out or just staying indoors, especially for someone like me who lives in a country that everyone thinks of as "always sunny" lol. Using sunscreen is very important because it protects you from sun damage which is the number one cause of skin aging.

To be honest, I only started incorporating it in my daily routine last month. #biggestmistakeofmylife (loljk or maybe not) No one told me that sunscreen must be worn daily. When I was younger, I've always thought that you only need it during summer when you go to the beach and play under the sun all day to prevent sunburn. LOL Embarrassing, I know. Forgive me for the lack of knowledge, I was young and not that interested in beauty back then. lol Aside from not being fully aware of that fact, none of my friends uses it so I thought it's no big deal. Then a few years back I found out the importance of it, I knew about it and despite knowing, I still chose not to use it. Why? I'm lazy. lol I feel like I've been saying this a lot in my previous post but I'm always in a hurry every morning so I can't be bothered by using too much products every single day. I use skincare products at night most of the time. And yes, I do regret it quite a bit. My skin isn't really that bad, I'm not saying it's nice but I feel like it could've been better if I started using sunscreen early. Like what others say, you can always tell the difference between people who use sunscreen and those who not. That's why it's better to start early because an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
It's not too late, start using sunscreen now! That sounded like an ad, kind of.. lol But yeah, start using whichever sunscreen you prefer. I will start with the review now because this intro is getting longer and I'm being repetitive already. lol

The Face Shop

Natural Sun Eco

Sebum Control Moisture Sun SPF40 PA++
100ml

This sun cream which functions as a make up base, moisturizes the skin with chia seeds that retains up to ten times the amount of normal moisture and protect the skin from UV rays in addition to providing a matte finish look by controlling sebum with Korean native cotton seeds. With its gentle adherence to the skin, this sun cream makes the skin look smooth by hiding pores and balancing uneven skin texture.

Direction:
Apply an adequate amount on the face and neck at the final stage of skin care.

The box. The Face Shop was nice enough to provide the important info in three different languages. Probably because they are one of those Korean brands that are well known in other countries. The full ingredients list can also be seen at the box, fortunately. Sometimes finding the ingredients list for a certain Korean product can be very difficult. #thestruggleisreal

Packaging is a no-brainer. It comes in this squeeze tube which makes it hygienic and it's also easier to control how much amount of product you want to use. The one that I got contains 100ml of product but it is also available in 50ml. Both sizes are very travel friendly in my opinion. I'm sure you've noticed that the tube has a sunflower design to it and it's there for a reason, to indicate that it contains 1200 µg (microgram) of sunflower sprout extract which I will explain later when we get to the ingredients. Moving on, this has SPF40 PA+++ which I initially thought is quite low because most brands already came out with ones that boasts a SPF50+ PA+++. Just in case you're wondering, SPF means Sun Protection Factor and it always comes with a numerical digit which indicates or measures the amount of time your skin can be protected from sunburn that is usually caused by UVB rays. If I remember correctly, SPF 30 is already sufficient for daily use but then again it still depends on what activity you will do through out the day. On the other hand, the PA in sunscreens is an abbreviation of Protection Grade of UVA which indicates the level of protection from UVA. UVA penetrates more deeply to the skin than UVB and it plays a major part in skin aging and other long term skin damage that can eventually increase the risk or lead to skin cancer. If SPF comes with numerical digits, PA comes with the plus sign. Basically, the more plus sign it has the more protection you have from UVA. So far, I have only seen PA+++ in Korean products.

Expiration date is located at the top of the back of the tube. Make it a habit to check expiration dates!

I added the ingredients in CosDNA for better analysis. Click HERE to check it out.
The Face Shop uses sunflower extract in their sunscreens, why? Because sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) sprout extract can help protect you from the sun and it is also a powerful anti-aging ingredient.
If you check out the CosDNA link that I provided, you will see that there are a few ingredient that are labeled as yellow and it may trigger acne or cause irritation. This contains alcohol so people with sensitive skin, beware! Alcohol Denat is fourth on the list and this type of alcohol can dry out the skin. As for me, I haven't experienced any break outs while using this for the past month. I have a combination skin, oily nose and dry to normal elsewhere, if you're curious. This certain sunscreen is catered to people with oily skin, hence the "Sebum Control" in the name but I've seen a youtuber with a sensitive skin (she avoids products with alcohol in it) include this in her monthly favorites video.

This sun cream becomes quite watery when rubbed into the skin. It gets absorbed relatively fast, lightweight and gives off a matte finish as oppose to other sunscreens that makes your face look like a grease ball. This claims to moisturize the skin and yes, it does. I have been using an essence and it makes my skin a little dry resulting to dry patches on my cheeks, the appearance of it will be greatly minimized everytime I use this but it won't be completely gone so adding a good moisturizing cream in your routine is advisable. Other claims are hiding pores and balancing skin texture. While I'm not sure if it did balance my skin texture, I can definitely vow that this doesn't cover pores, zero pore coverage. Not that I'm complaining because this is a sun cream and we have other products that we can use to cover pores.
What I really like about this is that aside from providing sun protection, it also acts as a primer. I use this underneath my Mamonde Real Skin Founder and I noticed that my make up stays on longer and doesn't melt off easily even when doing outdoor activities. With that being said, I can now pass on using primer and have gained extra time to do other stuff, thanks to this. lol Another good thing about this is that it doesn't give you a white cast unlike other sunscreens, if anything it is unnoticeable. You won't also feel the need to avoid flash photography despite the amount of SPF this contains. #triedandtested lol As for the oil control, it's quite decent. To be honest, it's not that great which sucks big time because it's called "sebum control" lol. However, it is better than nothing.

Pros:
Travel friendly (available in 50ml and 100ml)
Lightweight
Fast absorption
Matte finish
Moisturizing (quite, might not deliver great results for people with extremely dry skin)
No break outs
Make up stays on longer
Decent oil control (could have been better tbh)
No white cast
Cons:
False claim (hiding pores lol)

Overall, I really liked this and I honestly can't think of any bad thing about this aside from that hiding pores claim and not having better oil control. I can see people with combination skin liking this product and I won't be recommending this for people who have sensitive or extremely dry skin but you can still try it out if you want and brave enough to take the risk. Like I mentioned earlier, a youtuber who is sensitive with products that contains alcohol raved about this so it might work for you too. I'm not sure if I'm going to purchase another tube. While I did like this a lot, I still want to try out other sunscreen from the same brand because I might find something that is even better than this one.

Get yours here:

The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Sebum Control Moisture Sun SPF40 PA+++

The product mentioned was sponsored by Ibuybeauti. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.
Just want to let you guys know that Ibuybeauti (IBBI) recently opened an affiliation program. You can now get commissions, if you're interested you can register HERE.
Btw, I'm back to blogging in Beautifan. Check it out for reviews from other bloggers.

What sunscreen are you currently using?
If you know something better than this one, do let me know! I'd be happy to try it out. :)

IOPE Whitegen Ampoule Essence Bio Luminous Review

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 14:40:00 +0000

Who wants a product that can help in brightening dull skin? Me, definitely. lol My skin isn't really all that bad, it's just that it gets dull at times, especially when I'm lacking sleep (which is like all the time lol) That is why I'm seeking for products that can help me restore the natural glow of my skin. LOL Plus having radiant skin can make me skip putting face make up, giving me extra time to prepare every morning. #lazy XD
Btw, this is a long overdue review but because of that I've had enough time to test this product out.
IOPE Whitegen Ampoule Essence Bio Luminous is actually a renewed product that was released May last year.

IOPE
Whitegen
Ampoule Essence
Bio Luminous
50ml

Bio Whitening Essence that restores the natural glow and radiance of your skin with Bio Crystal.

The fermented green tea element contained in Bio Crystal brightens skin and brings out its natural glow and radiance.
The refreshing product formula that gently adheres to the face is absorbed quickly, making skin clear and moisturized.

How to use:
Pump the product 1-2 times and gently apply all over the face. Lightly layer once more on places prone to spots and pat for absorption.

The box
"Iope is based on highly enriched herbal extracts and cutting edgy scientific technology by advancing from the science of herbs to bio science. Iope achieves the best possible technology for beautiful skin by seeking a perfect balance between nature, science and human."
There are 4 products under the renewed Whitegen line:

Whitegen Softner Bio Luminous - a whitening softner that gently takes care of dead skin cells and moisturizes.

Whitegen Emulsion Skin Luminous - a whitening emulsion that protects skin and prevents melanin pigmentation.

Whitegen Ampoule Essence Bio Luminous - a bio whitening essence that restores the natural glow and radiance of your skin with Bio Crystal.

Whitegen illuminating Mist - a whitening mist that contains whitening essence that helps skin recover from strong daylight and heat.

In 1998, IOPE has launched Vitagen White, becoming the first cosmetics brand in Korea to implement Vitamin C stabilization technology in whitening skin care line. In 2001, after rigorous scientific research, the Vitagen White line has been transformed to Whitegen, addressing the root causes to dull complexion and providing fundamental solutions for radiant skin. Ever since, IOPE has been the pioneer of scientific breakthroughs and has launched Bio Whitening in 2014 to help all women achieve pure and glowing skin. The new whitening line helps eliminate dullness from deep within the skin's surface and helps you find your brilliant natural glow.

The product is housed in this white glass bottle that uses a pump to dispense the essence. Because it uses a pump, it is very hygienic and it is much easier to control how much product you want to use. I usually use 2-3 pumps daily and it is already sufficient for my entire face and neck. It also has markings on the side which is kind of useless because it's quite difficult to see how much product is left because the bottle is quite thick, a little light will help though. You might be thinking that you wont be able to enjoy every drop of this essence but fret not because it can be opened, you just have to twist it. Their is a con about the packaging though because it is contained in a glass bottle, it can be quite scary if you accidentally drop it and break it.

Manufacturing date can bee seen at the bottom of the bottle and the product is good for 12 months.

This essence has a very faint scent that is actually barely noticeable. Color is white at first and immediately becomes watery and transparent when you spread it out on your skin. It is not as runny as the Laneige Original Essence White Plus Renew but is absorbed much quickly and doesn't give off a greasy feeling nor residue. Skin feels fresh and moisturized right after application just like the aforementioned product but both might not be much of a help in moisturizing if you have a very dry skin. Although this product is suitable for all skin types, I suggest that those who has a very dry skin and would like to try this to use an additional moisturizer in their skin regime because while this might slightly lessen the dryness of your skin, this product alone won't be able to fully get rid of your dry patches. Laneige essence made my nose less oily, unfortunately, I didn't experience such thing while I was testing out this one. For clarification, I'm not using this to change the color of my skin. I already stand out enough when I stand among my peers because of my white complexion. What I'm aiming for is to get rid of the dullness and this product lives up to it. After a few weeks of usage I have noticed that my face is more radiant. While I have gotten a few pimples on my chin whilst trying out new skin care products, this IOPE Whitegen Ampoule Essence helps get rid of the acne marks/dark spots faster than the Original Essence White Plus Renew of Laneige. Nothing really works overnight, it takes time but it definitely delivered faster results than any other products I've tried in the past. Just a reminder that this might not work as well with older pimple marks. I tried it with only a cleansing foam for a week and tried it with other products as well, luckily, my skin didn't experience any negative reaction with this. IOPE products has been really good to my skin to the point that I'm considering to try other products from this range for better and even faster results. I've been using this essence every night for over 2 months now and it's almost empty now. Wish it would last much longer because it is quite saddening that I'm almost running out of it considering that IOPE products are so expensive. lol Overall, I really liked this product. Even though I like it, I will most likely not purchase a bottle for now because of the price tag.

Pros:
Suitable for all skin types
Hygienic
Absorbs quickly
Non greasy and doesn't leave any residue
Makes skin radiant and evens out skin tone (faster results than Laneige)
Gets rid of new pimple marks
Slightly moisturizing
Lightweight
Cons:
Expensive

Get yours here:

IOPE Whitegen Ampoule Essence Bio Luminous

The product mentioned was sponsored by Jolse. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.
Sorry guys, I couldn't find a reliable source of the ingredients list. I will update this with the full list once I find it.
Do you have dull skin? What products do you use to restore your skin's natural glow?

I'm free the whole week so I will probably be reviewing more skin care products. I will try my best to update every other day since I'm free. Watch out for the reviews! :D
Btw, can you guys recommend any shows to watch? It feels like there aren't any good ones now that Pinocchio has ended. lol
Oh! Have you guys seen the spring collections/products of kbrands? Liquid lipstick is the new trend in Korea. XD
Thanks for reading and see you in my next post! :)

Banila Co Prime Primer Classic Review

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 15:38:00 +0000

Last month, I mentioned that Beautynetkorea sent me a surprise package. This Banila Co Prime Primer Classic was included in it along with other products from the same brand. I'm not really the type to use primer because I'm kind of slow and there isn't much time to prepare. My dad and brothers sometimes.. scratch that, it's more like "often", complain about how long it takes me to take a bath, get dressed and apply make up. Oh, the things boys will never understand. LOL I like to take my time when applying make up but there will always be those sad times when I have to leave really early in the morning and rush everything. I've always thought that adding another step in my make up routine would take more time so I never really bothered. Despite my lack of interest in primers, this Prime Primer Classic did get my attention a long time ago because it was chosen as the number 1 primer by Get It Beauty's blind test. I've been meaning to purchase this since then but keep forgetting about it. lol

Banila Co.
Prime Primer Classic
30ml
One of Banila Co.'s bestselling product and Get It Beauty's no.1 primer, ranked first in four categories, pore cover, texture, natural and long lasting. This primer claims to make skin with rough texture smooth all day long, cover pores and make wrinkles less visible. It also promises to help your make up last for a long time and prevent dryness and greasiness.

This is how the box looks like. I can't find the ingredients in English, for those who can read Hangul, please help. lol

Due to it's immense popularity, this primer now has 6 versions: Classic, Classic Matte, Hydrating, Hydrating Shimmer, Anti Wrinkle and Purity.

There's nothing fancy about the packaging. The bottle is made of hard plastic and uses a pump to dispense the product. It is easier to control how much product you want to use because of the pump dispenser and it's also more hygienic and convenient. I must say I was a bit surprised at how tiny the bottle is, the size is definitely something I did not expect. lol I thought it would be bigger but then again each bottle of Banila Co. Primer only contains 30 ml of product, which will last for a pretty long time btw, so a bigger container isn't really necessary. Besides, the smaller it is the more travel friendly it becomes. When you're traveling, you can store it easily in your bag and you're ready to go.

The small cap serves as a lock for the pump dispenser and it prevents spillage of the product when stored in bags. It's kind of frustrating how loose it is though, sometimes you'd wonder where the cap went. lol Wish they made it more secure.

Primer is translucent and has a very faint scent to it. The scent of this product will disappear seconds after you apply it, it is actually not that noticeable unless you try to sniff it. It has a gel like texture which is very similar to peeling gels I've tried in the past. lol Except this one gives off a silky finish after blending while peeling gels becomes watery once you start massaging it into your skin. Another similarity it has with peeling gels is that it forms white clumps when you rub it, note that this only happens if you applied too much primer. That's why I won't recommend you to use too much of this, a little goes a long way so just apply a thin layer and focus more on areas like your T-zone or cheeks. I repeat (LOL) do not apply 3 or more layers because white clumps will start to form when you blend/rub it on your face and it has the tendency to make your skin look patchy when you apply foundation or bb cream.
This primer does make your skin smooth, it kind of slightly mattifies your skin, making it shine free right after applying it. This claims to cover your pores. Let me tell you something, they lied. lol My pores aren't that humungous but the difference it makes it on it is barely noticeable. I haven't tried Benefit Porefessional but judging on reviews I've read about it, it is so much better in covering pores compared to this one. You need to wait a little for it to set and look at it carefully to see the difference in pore size. lol It's quite hard to tell the other differences it made but after testing it for quite a while I noticed that it did help in making my make up last a little longer. It didn't really do much with oil control probably because the primer itself contains too much oil in it. This primer isn't really exceptional but still quite decent, I suppose. I don't know if it's just me but somehow it's still questionable to me how it managed to get the top spot as the best primer in Korea. lol Oh well, maybe this just isn't the right variant for me. This will most likely suit people with normal to dry skin.

Once again, thanks to Beautynetkorea for sending me this. I will post other review of the Banila Co. products they gifted me sometime this week or next week so stay tuned! lol

Get yours here:

Banila Co Prime Primer Classic

The product mentioned was sent by Beautynetkorea. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.

Just a short review to start this week. Thanks for reading!
Btw, I watched Misaeng! I haven't finished it yet though, still stuck at episode 17 for around a week now. lol
And Pinocchio has finally ended, it was a good drama! *thumbs up* I recommend you all to watch it. :D
KBYE. Time to watch more dramas. LOL

Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control SPF50+ PA+++ Review

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 14:14:00 +0000

Happy new year! I hope everyone had fun celebrating new year and Christmas, of course. :)
Holidays has ended and we now all have to go back to our normal lives, everybody say NOOO lol Christmas and New Year are definitely the best holidays every year for me because I always celebrate it with my loved ones like, every single year without a fail. Laughter is always a part of it, not to mention the gifts, lots of food and fireworks. lol
I've been away for too long and didn't have much time to blog last year so this year I will try to blog more often. I have a bb cushion review to start off 2015. Yes, cushion..again. lol I already lost count of how many cushions I've tried in the past but this is actually the first time that I've tried a cushion from Laneige, despite how popular their first cushion was.
I'm going to stop blabbering and just jump on right to the review but I might rant at the end of the post though, you've been warned. lol

Laneige
BB Cushion Pore Control
SPF 50+ PA+++

Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control contains Laneige's Pore Tightening Essence's "Pore Purifying Complex" that takes cares of pores, creating a fresh looking and supple finish without any greasiness on your skin.

Pore Control
Contain pore purifying complex to purify the pores and enhance the skin's capability to prevent further pore troubles.
Pore Coverage
Tight silicon elastomer and soft focus powder amazingly cover the pores.
Semi Matte Finish
Contains a powerful formula for a fresh and semi matte finish without any greasiness.
Long Lasting
Contains anti darkening powder for a long lasting shine free effect without darkening all day long.
UV Protection
Its SPF 50+ PA+++ formula blocks UV rays even under strong sunlight.
Cooling Sensation
Provides cooling sensation the moment it is applied, dropping the skin temperature.
Water Resistant
Strong resistance against perspiration and sebum.

Shade Number and Color:
13 True Beige, 14 Pink Beige and 21 Natural Beige

How to Use:
Apply onto puff and smooth along the texture of skin and then pat to increase adherence. Apply another layer to improve coverage.

The box is bulky because it has both the compact and refill inside of it. It has the typical Laneige design to it, all product boxes of Laneige that I've tried in the past has the same design as this. There is also a lack of English because this came straight from Korea. I'm sure there are English translations in the box if you purchase their products from other countries. Product name and shade can be seen at the front and top of the box and a short product description can be found at the back.

As I mentioned earlier, the box contains both the compact and refill as well as the leaflet that has a brief explanation of the product written in two different languages, Korean and English. I haven't opened the refill yet but it also has an air puff in it which is great, saves you time in cleaning the old one.

The bb cream is housed in a bulky white compact with a pretty blue colored top and a built in mirror inside. I dare to say that the design is definitely an upgrade from their old bb cushion which is not very appealing (for me at least) and yes, I'm taking about the Snow BB Soothing Cushion. lol Cushion compacts are slightly bulkier than normal compacts but still travel friendly and can easily fit in your purse.
Name, shade and manufacturing date can all be found at the bottom of the product. This bb cushion is good for a year, starting from the day you opened it.
In case you guys don't know yet, Laneige has already released 4 cushions namely;
Snow Soothing BB Cushion (discontinued)
BB Cushion Whitening
BB Cushion Pore Control
BB Cushion Anti Aging

This is the air puff. It's soft, flexible and picks up an adequate amount of product and helps in giving you more coverage if you use light patting motions when applying the product on your face. Usually, you can feel a slight cooling effect when you use the air puff but I didn't feel such thing with this. Don't forget that using the same puff couple of times without cleaning it is really unhygienic. Cleaning air puffs can be a pain so if you don't want to go through that trouble make sure you have a few spare air puffs ready.
How to clean air puff:
Gently massage it in lukewarm water with neutral detergent or puff cleanser. Rinse thoroughly until the detergent is washed away, release all moisture and dry completely.

When you open the second lid that holds the air puff you will see a peel off sticker. You will always see this sticker in all brand new cushion products. The purpose is to retain the freshness and avoid the cushion inside from drying.

This is how it looks like when you peel off the sticker. The lid that holds the puff has the same purpose as the peel off sticker. You must keep it close after using to prevent the cushion from drying and other contents from evaporating. The cushion container is double layered to keep it isolated from the heat so it will stay fresh and moist.

I can't really pinpoint what the scent is lol but it is perfume-y. I actually love it and it's not strong. you can only detect the scent when you smell it directly from the cushion. The scent dissipates quickly so it wont be bothersome for those who doesn't like scented products.

Cushion products from mid end to high end brands already contains the refill in the product boxes. This is how it looks like, I haven't opened it yet because the cushion inside might dry. I don't have photos of how to change the refill but if you still don't know how, it's very easy, all you have to do is to remove the case that contains the old cushion and press the back of the case with both hands then put the new container afterwards. If you've finished it already, you can just buy refills to save money. If you want to try cushions from other brands, you can also just purchase the refill (it usually costs only half the price or sometimes less than the original price when you buy it with the compact) since most cushion refills from Amore Pacific has the same sizes it will definitely fit in this Laneige cushion case.

Coverage is light to medium. One to two layers already works nicely on concealing redness but not so well on dark spots. It is buildable but I honestly won't recommend to layer more because it has a tendency to look slightly cakey and it doesn't look very pleasing. XD Two layers of this still looks natural though.
This product claimed to have tight silicone elastomer that fills the gap between pores and soft focus powder, with an excellent diffused reflection that doubles the product's capability of coverage of pores and uneven skin tone. Like what they said, it does even out skin tone well but it doesn't completely covers pores. If you have huge pores, this won't help in fully covering it but will definitely make it look less visible. I suggest you use a primer that can help in covering pores underneath this for full pore coverage.
I have no way of checking if it's real but this product offers a SPF50+ PA+++ that gives your skin a strong protection against the harmful UV rays and sun damage. Be careful with flash photography though, I read somewhere that products with high SPF products tend to give white cast. I barely use flash when taking photos so that's not really a problem for me, what's important is that the high SPF can protect me from the sun. XD
It has a semi matte finish right after application and turns into matte after a few minutes. This isn't good for people who has dry skin because it will, without a doubt, accentuate dry patches. I will advise to exfoliate first and then use this right after applying your favorite moisturizer or a moisturizing make up primer/base to make dry parts of your skin become less visible. This bb cushion also contains powerful dual powder formula, anti-darkening and sebum control, making your make up last long and without greasiness all day long. It is indeed long lasting but the "no greasiness all day long claim" is totally exaggerated lol. I didn't notice any oiliness on my nose (oiliest part of my face) for about 3-4 hours. My nose usually gets a little oily an hour after I apply other products so I'm quite impressed but then again, I apply a sunscreen underneath and it also serves as a make up base, making make up last even longer and I use a powder that prevents sebum a few minutes after applying the Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control so it probably got some help with the longevity and oil control from those products too. I love how long lasting this product is because it means I don't have to go through the trouble of reapplying. lol I'm very lazy.
So far, this bb cushion only has 3 shades. 13 True Beige, 14 Pink Beige and 21 Natural Beige. Shades are very limited and may not work for people with darker skin tone. I got 13 True Beige which is the lightest and it has quite yellow undertones to it and this shade suits my skin tone well. They claimed this to have a cooling effect but lol I honestly didn't feel anything, I'm not sure why. XD

Get yours here:

Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control SPF 50+ PA+++

The product mentioned was sponsored by Jolse. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.

Here are the links to my other cushion reviews:
The Face Shop Screen Cell Cushion
Innisfree Mineral Melting BB cushion
IOPE Air Cushion XP
I tried a lot more cushions from Etude, Hera, Innisfree, I just haven't had the chance to write a review yet. lol
I'm so tired. lol We've been going out a lot lately, it's fun but tiring.
Anyway, does any of you watch Pinocchio? lol It's going to end soon! :/ There aren't really any good dramas now. OTL I will try to watch Hyde, Jekyll and Me but I don't know.. I think it will be too cliche. lol I will start watching Misaeng now too! I don't really want to watch it before because I've read a lot of comments saying how sad it was and how it made them cry. lol Heavy dramas are not really my thing, I'd rather watch anime with a lot of blood shed than watch a heavy drama. lol Fortunately, my friend told me it's not a heavy drama so yay! I will watch it now. lol I should stop myself from typing before this get even longer lol I will post another review soon! :)

Have you tried any bb cushions before? Which one is your favorite and do you have any recommendation? :D

Tonymoly Tony Tint Delight Review

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 14:27:00 +0000

Merry Christmas everyone! Hohoho! lol It's just a week before Christmas! Yay!

I received a surprise package (which I assume is a Christmas present lol) from Beautynetkorea last last week. If I remember correctly, they sent me a total of 7 products and some eye and face masks. I decided to review this tint first because I think it's been a year since I reviewed something from Tonymoly. lol

Tonymoly

Tony tint Delight

10ml

Vivid color making lips look lively

Moisturizing

98% water based

Sweet fruity fragrance

No Benzophenone, animal content and talc

Main ingredients are rose hip oil, jojoba oil and argan oil which helps in preventing moisture loss

Has 3 shades: Cherry Pink, Red and Orange Cha Cha

How to use:

Apply lip balm first

Use concealer if necessary

Apply tint from the inner lip and use lip gloss for glossy effect

This is the third version of this tint. Please do correct me if I'm wrong. :P

The first one was the regular Tony tint which became popular because of Goo Hyesun. If you watch Kdramas, you will know that she said that this is the lip product that she used when she was filming for Boys Over Flowers/꽃보다 남자 as Geum Jandi and that was way back 2009. Most products that actresses use in a famous drama also becomes popular, perfect examples are Song Hyekyo and her Laneige Silk Intense lipstick, Jeon Jihyun and her Iope Water Fit lipstick and the newest is Han Yeseul and YSL lip products. XD Moving on, the second one is the Catchu Wink Tony tint which I think has the cutest packaging among the three because of the cat designed cap and the third is this one, Delight. Tony tint was also the first product that I have ever tried from Tonymoly because it was so popular back then and affordable. lol I have tried all three but I'm not sure what differences they have aside from the packaging. lol #sorry If there is a product that I will keep on purchasing from Tonymoly then I will say it's their Tony tint (except that this one was gifted to me lol). I don't really use this regularly but if you've been reading my blog, you're probably wondering (probably not. LMAO) what's the red thing I use for the coverage tests, it's the Catchu Wink tint. I'm almost done with it so I'm gonna switch to this soon. lol

At first glance, the packaging looks really simple. If you look at it closely, it's still simple. LOLJK You will notice that the top of the cap is actually heart shaped. I didn't really notice it at first and was actually a bit annoyed because it wont stay still when I was taking photos. lol I thought it was really cute because of the cap lol. It also has heart drawings on the bottle itself. If you own 1 and 2, it will be pretty hard to tell them apart because they have almost the same color, the shade name and number can be seen at the back and bottom of the bottle.

It has a doe foot applicator and it takes a lot of product so be careful when applying on lips.

L-R No.2 Red; No.1 Cherry Pink
Both shade looks red when it's freshly applied and not spread out, it's going to be quite difficult to tell which is which tbh. lol
Cherry pink looks more like reddish pink when swatched while Red (very straightforward name lol) looks more like red orange specially when it dries. Use this with caution because it is very pigmented. The color is buildable but you might want to spread it out on your lips as soon as it is applied because it stains lips really fast and it is HARD to remove. It will also stain your finger if you use it in spreading so I will suggest to use a cotton swab instead. The scent is very similar to a cherry candy but it isn't overpowering and you can only smell it when you sniff it directly on the tube or applicator. Texture is gel like but a bit runny. Most (if not all) lip tints are drying, this one is no exception despite the moisturizing claims. It's still best to exfoliate first to prevent making chapped lips even more noticeable and apply lip balm after to keep lips moisturized.
This stains really well which can be both pro and con because like what I mentioned earlier, it's stains well but it's a pain to remove. It will fade a little when you eat and drink and the color also barely transfers so it will last for a long time, no reapplying needed (depends on how much you applied actually), however you will notice how uneven the color becomes and how drying it is as time passes. I love lip tints because it looks more natural and the famous gradient lips is easier to achieve but I wish they weren't too drying lol
I think this is pretty nice for $5 plus it has a lot of product that will definitely last for a long time.

Get yours here:

Tonymoly Tony Tint Delight

The product mentioned was sponsored by Beautynetkorea. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.

Thanks for reading this quick review. I'll be back with more reviews soon. :D
I don't really have anything to share at the moment. Haha!

Have you tried this tint? What is your favorite lip tint?
:D

Aritaum Full Cover BB Cream & Stick Concealer Review

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 13:31:00 +0000

Another Aritaum product review! This will be the last Aritaum product review for this month. I've been trying out Aritaum products lately. The very first product I have tried from this brand is their famous Wanna Be Cushion Tint, I bought three shades and yes, I haven't reviewed it yet. They actually already upgraded it. LOL I also purchased their Mono Eyes single eyeshadow but I haven't tried it yet so I can't say when I'm going to blog about it.

Aritaum's Full Cover line has 5 products:

BB Cream, Liquid Concealer, Stick Concealer, Cream Concealer and Make Up Fixer.

For now, I'm going to review two products in their Full Cover Line.

Aritaum

Full Cover BB Cream SPF 50+ PA+++

01 Light Beige

50ml

$16.48

Flawless Skin

HD Focus Powder absorbs sebum effectively and provides high coverage to conceal skin's imperfection.

Zero darkening and perfect sustaining power all day long

3 in 1

UV Protection, Whitening and Anti Wrinkle

Aritaum Full Cover BB Cream has 3 main ingredients:

Rose water, Macadamia Nut Oil and Collagen Extract

Rose water = skin's vitality, moisturizing and nourishing

Macadamia Nut Oil = forms protection layer for the skin

Collagen Extract = firming and moisturizing

I personally like the packaging. It is covered in plastic to ensure that it hasn't been opened. (See the second photo above.) The bb cream is in a squeeze tube which makes it hygienic and each tube contains 50 ml of product. That's a lot, I bet it will last for a long time even if you use it daily. Manufacturing date and other info can be found at the back of the tube. This bb cream only has 2 shades available, Light Beige and Natural Beige.

You're probably wondering (or maybe not lol) why I decided to try this out. When Aritaum released this, they showed us photos of a woman with a troubled skin and all her skin flaws disappeared when she used products from this line. Click THIS. At first, I didn't really believe it. "It's a fraud, just an ad to lure people into buying it", that's what I said, but there was even a video of it which made me intrigued and think it might actually work. I also saw one positive review about this and I was pretty amazed about the outcome that I even told a friend about it. lol A product than can make your skin look like it has zero imperfection! Who wouldn't be tempted, right? :P

Now, you're probably curious (no?? okay. lol) if it really works, right? lol

The bb cream has a powdery scent which I love. <3 It's faint and dissipates quickly so no need to worry if you don't like scented products. It's quite thick but very easy to blend out, however, it has a tendency to accentuate dry patches. It is moisturizing but might not work well if you have very dry skin. The finish is slightly dewy but looks natural. If you're not a fan of dewy finish, you can always use powder on top. I believe all products in this line has yellow undertones which is perfect for Asian skin.

About coverage, as you can see in the photos above, it works well with redness and it's good at minimizing pore size as well but does not fully cover dark spots and the coverage is actually sheer to medium and not full like what Aritaum claims. Sheer if you use your fingers in applying it and medium if you use an air puff. I haven't tried applying this using a brush, I still think that using an air puff is the best method to get nice coverage. This also evens your skin tone well. As for layering, I'm fine with just one layer but you will need to layer it more if you have more skin problems for better coverage. I did try applying 2 layers of the bb cream a few times before and it doesn't look cakey and doesn't feel heavy too. Oil control is okay, I think it controlled oil for about 3-4 hours. Overall wear time for me is 5-6 hours, might not last as long in humid weather.

This is an okay product for me, not really impressive tbh so I will switch back to my cushions. lol

Aritaum

Full Cover Stick Concealer

01 Light Beige

Covers skin flaws; perfect coverage for imperfection

Achieve a natural finish with the concealer brush

Contains Rose Hip Oil to keep skin from dryness all day long

The Full cover Line has 3 concealers, cream, liquid and stick type. According to Aritaum's website the stick concealer will be able to help conceal dark circles, redness and lip line (for gradation lips). Aritaum gave this a 4 star in coverage and 3 stars for moisture while the liquid and cream type both got 5 stars for coverage. The liquid concealer is the best among the three, I would've chosen the liquid one instead if only I knew about the rating Aritaum gave, silly me didn't do research first. lol

This is dual ended, stick concealer and brush on the other side.

The concealer only has two shades, Light Beige and Natural Beige. Light Beige looks a little yellow in person, the color in the photo seemed too light probably because of the lighting. As for the brush, it is soft and makes blending easier.

This concealer glides on effortlessly, it feels like it slightly melts once it gets in contact with the skin. Like the bb cream, this also has yellow undertone. It's more yellow than the bb cream. Scent is similar with the bb cream, faint powdery scent, it doesn't linger for long so you will not have any problems with this either if you don't prefer scented products.

As for the coverage, it's okay with redness but not so good with dark spots. It gives less coverage if you use the brush it came with but the good thing about it is that it gives you a soft natural finish. Applying using fingers is the key if you want to get higher coverage. Don't expect too much though because like the bb cream, this also gives sheer to medium coverage. Lasting power is average. Might not work with people with extremely dry skin despite the moisturizing claim. Still, I think this product is good for it's price. This is only 6000 krw in Korea.

Get yours here:

Aritaum Full Cover BB cream SPF50+ PA+++

Aritaum Full cover Stick Concealer

The product mentioned was sponsored by Jolse. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.

Short review. Just because I'm not feeling well today, I feel like I'm going to get a fever. OTL

Anyways, concert organizer finally shipped my ticket for The Red Bullet. I will probably receive it after 2-3 days. So excited to see Bangtan perform live, there's a high touch event too. I want to bring a dslr in the concert so I can take hq photos but I highly doubt I can sneak it in because they have detectors in the concert venue and even if I successfully brought it in there is also no guarantee that I won't be kicked out if I get caught taking photos using it. LOL If anyone here is going to watch the concert, please do let me know. :D

Have you guys tried these products? What Aritaum products have you tried?

Oh, Etude House has a new version of their cushion! Have you guys seen it? :D

Aritaum Honey Melting Tint Lady Dessert and Pink Lemonade Review

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 03:58:00 +0000

Hello! I'm back after a loooong hiatus. lol There are a lot of reason behind the lack of update in this blog (typhoon, no electricity, no internet for over a month, laptop broken, bad lighting, busy sched, etc). But I'm back now! Yay! Still busy but I think I can update twice a week. I have a lot of products to review, both purchased and sponsored but for now I'm going to start reviewing sponsored products first. I still haven't taken photos of some of the products I bought because I can't seem to find a place in the house with a good lighting, weather just won't cooperate. I tried taking photos in our front yard because that's where I can get the perfect natural lighting but people are so nosy though. lol They will ask "What are you doing? Why are you taking a photo of a box? Why are you taking a photo of a lipstick?". Their questions are endless and I want to say "please let me take photos at peace" but I don't want to be rude. OTL I've been telling myself to buy some lighting equipment so I can still take photos even if it's dark or raining but it's really hard to save money, whenever I see something I like, no matter how useless it is, I will still buy it. LOL I will stop talking now. You see, I kinda missed ranting here. Haha! :D

Aritaum Honey Melting Tint

S14 Lady Dessert and S16 Pink Lemonade

$10

Lip Balm + Tint!
Honey ingredients melts onto lips like a lip balm
Collagen wraps lips as preventing smudging around edge of lips
Natural floral ingredients are used for making pigmentation, which is for making long-lasting vivid lips.

The packaging is really plain and simple. Plastic casing with twist up bottom, typical lip balm packaging. Product name and shade can be seen at the cap. Size is pretty much the same with Nivea and Maybelline lip balms. The bottom part is black, manufacturing date, shade name, number can also be found there and the color of the cap is pretty much the same shade of the lipstick inside. It doesn't come with a box but it has a sticker seal on the side to ensure that the product is new.

These tints are really popular in Korea. A lot of Korean bloggers have reviewed this product last summer. There were only 10 shades when they first released this but they added an additional 6 shades probably because of the product's popularity. Most Aritaum lip products are actually popular in SK. I wonder what they're going to release next, I'm really looking forward to it. :D

Shades:

Rose Water, Sugar Syrup, Strawberry Chips, Raspberry Cake, Apple Tart, Tomato Stew, Coral Candy, Grapefruit Soda, Peach Crumble, Bitter Rose, Mango Smoothie, Orange Sherbet, Ruby Grapefruit, Pink Lemonade, Fruit Bubble and Lady Dessert

To see shades, click HERE.

The scent is amazing. I'm bad at explaining scents but Lady Dessert has a mild rosy scent while Pink Lemonade has a fruity scent. It actually doesn't last long, you can't tell it has scent to it unless you smell it directly from the tube so you don't have to worry if you are sensitive with scented products.

It doesn't have shimmers. YAY! I have issues with promotional pictures/swatches.

I don't think you guys understand how disappointed I get whenever I see official swatches and it it doesn't have shimmer in it but when I try the product myself I always get taken aback because the bullet has tons of shimmers and I'm like "Official swatches, why did you lie to me? WHYYY" I'm happy Aritaum didn't lie to me. lol Can you see how sweaty Pink Lemonade is? I was afraid it will melt instantly because of exposure to sunlight and the name "melting" but luckily it didn't. lol

Left - 1 Swipe ; Right: 2 Swipes

I wiped the upper part in the 4th and 5th photo to show you if it stained my arm.

Blogger always makes my photos low quality. =_=

It has a glossy finish and quite moisturizing. Glides on easily if you don't have chapped or dry lips. Exfoliation is a must if you have chapped lips because most lips products accentuate dry parts of your lips.

Pigmentation depends on the shade of the product. Here, Pink Lemonade is much more pigmented than Lady Dessert. You need to layer Lady Dessert multiple times to fully cover your lips.

Pink Lemonade is cool toned kind of pink and Lady Dessert is a very pretty coral shade which is somewhat similar to Innisfree's Color Glow Lipstick in Autumn Rose. Autumn Rose is just a little darker than Lady Dessert.

The lasting power is average. The glossiness doesn't last for a very long time as well, probably a max of an hour or two. I'm more disappointed with Lady Dessert though. I absolutely love the shade, it's the perfect everyday shade but it fades so fast and doesn't even leave a tint on my lips. Pink Lemonade did stain my lips but it's nothing outstanding imo. You will definitely need to touch up and you don't want to eat or drink when you're wearing this because it just won't last and it transfers rather easily too.

Pros:

Affordable

Wide selection of shades

Lightweight

Nice scent

Moisturizing

Glides on smoothly

Pigmented (depends on the shade though)

Buildable

Glossy Finish

Cons:

Average lasting power

May accentuate dryness and sink to lip lines

Transfer easily

Get yours here:

Aritaum Honey Melting Tint

The product mentioned was sponsored by Jolse. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.

I think the quality is okay for its price. This is pretty affordable in Korea and is usually on 1+1 in Aritaum stores and Gmarket.

Hope this helps! Some photos aren't HQ and it's all because of Blogger, they always lower the quality of photos. =_=

Anyway, who watches Mix & Match here?? It's the final battle today but the members of Ikon will be decided on the 30th. I'm really hoping it's going to be OT6+Chanwoo. I love OT6 and I just have a soft spot for Chanwoo, the kid is adorable. lol

AND guess what? Bangtan will have a concert here on December! ASDFGHJKLJDHAS I already bought a ticket and I'm at the second row. I'm so sad I didn't manage to get to the front row. ;__; oh well.

Have you guys tried this tint yet? What are your thoughts about it?

Beautifan's First Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 00:28:00 +0000

The long wait is finally over!
After a few months of preparing we are finally ready to present to you Ibuybeauti's very own review blog, Beautifan.com! Here you will find product reviews on latest and popular Korean products. You can head over HERE if you want to know more as to why Ibuybeauti decided to create Beautifan. As some of you may know, Ibuybeauti conducted some search for beauty bloggers a couple of months back, each blogger tried to provide detailed reviews with high quality photos of products of their choice which you will see once you browse this blog. Take note Ibuybeauti encourages their bloggers to write honest reviews on products.
More reviews from new bloggers will be posted soon so make sure to follow us on Bloglovin' if you want to be updated.

I'm not going to make this too long because I'm sure a lot of you has been waiting for this. We mentioned before that we are going to hold a giveaway when we officially launch Beautifan and here it is, finally! :D
The good news is anyone can join and we are giving away 35 products meaning their will be 35 winners for this giveaway! This giveaway will run for the whole month of August and winners will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter.
The products that we will be giving away are 5 Mamonde Real Skin Founder, 10 Clio Virgin Kiss Lipnicure Rumor Coral and 20 Etude House Dear Darling Tint Berry Red. Lovely products, right? Giveaway is open internationally and you have a plenty of time to enter so don't miss the chance!

Mamonde Real Skin Founder
Available in 2 shades, Light Beige and Natural Beige.Check the reviews here:Light Beige (My review), Natural Beige

Clio Virgin Kiss Lipnicure Rumor Coral
Now available in 13 shades! This is Clio's best seller!

Click HERE for the review.

Etude House Dear Darling Tint Berry Red

Here's the link to the giveaway, CLICK. Best of luck to everyone! :)

PS: Sorry for not updating much. I have a problem with my internet connection. OTL I will try to update as soon as I can.

Laneige White Plus Renew Capsule Sleeping Pack Review

noreply@blogger.com (Marxie ♔) — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 09:03:00 +0000

This is the newest addition to Laneige's White Plus Renew line is by far my current favorite sleeping pack. Doesn't it look interesting? To those who wants to get rid of their dull complexion, this is recommended to be used with the White Plus Renew Original Essence to get good results or you can use all the products in this line if you want an even better outcome.

Laneige White Plus Renew Capsule Sleeping Pack
16 pack 3ml each
For all skin types
Brightening capsule sleeping pack that soften and brighten the skin like an eggshell overnight.
Available in disposable packs containing the right amount for one time use.
Offers the optimal ratio of brightening capsules and hydrating radiance gel cream.

As we age, our melanin self decomposing capacity decreases resulting to dull skin.
This is where Laneige's innovative Melacrusher technology comes in. It inhibits melanin synthesis, block bridge and restores our melanin self decomposing capacity. Melacrusher decomposes melanin debris in your skin and clarifies the melanin factory to leave your skin flawlessly radiant.
The Capsule Sleeping pack is suitable for all skin types, yes, even for sensitive skin because this is mild and free from animal originated ingredients, artificial colorants and mineral oil.
Similar with the Original Essence.

Directions
Mix the whitening capsule and hydrogel using the spatula.
Gently apply it to your face and pat it using your palms for faster absorption.
Make sure to use up 1 pack, apply some of it to your neck as well for brightening and hydrating effect as well.

Box
As usual, it came in a blue and white box.

Ingredients:
Water, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Niacinamide, Pentaerythrithyl Tetraethylhexanoate, Ascorbyl, Glucoside, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Yeast Extract, 1.2-Hexanediol, C12-20 Alkyl Gucoside, C14-22 Alcohols, Glycerin, Dimethicone Dipropyleneglycol, BIS-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl, Silane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Silica, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Polysilicone-11. Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance

Some of the ingredients listed above were also present in the Original Essence so I will just copy paste what I said in my other review. lol f you check the box, you will see Camellia Sinensis Leaf and Yeast Extracts. Camellia Sinensis Leaf (green tea) extract has a lot of function, it acts as moisturizer, antioxidant, emollient, astringent and sunscreen. Green Tea is said to be Asia's leading whitening ingredient, it is mild on the skin yet powerful for whitening. The whole Laneige White Plus Renew line has green tea for whitening and it's also used to inhibit melanin generation and block the melanin bridge. As for the Yeast Extract, it is originated from mushroom and it's a new concept whitening technology that restores the melanin self decomposing capacity of your skin for flawlessly bright complexion.
I added the ingredients to cosdna, click HERE. There were a few ingredients that may trigger acne or irritate the skin such as Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carbomer and Squalane. Cetearyl Alcohol is actually considered safe but may still not be good for those who has extra sensitive skin. I always see Squalane in Laneige ingredients lists, it's known as a moisturizing ingredient, according to cosdna it also serves as Antistatic, Antioxidant and Emollient. I also searched on google and from reading in a few websites I've come to know that Squalane can also reduce wrinkles, eliminate scars, reverse UV damage, lighten freckles and erase skin pigmentation while fighting free radicals. Another notable ingredient here is the Niacinamide or Vitamin B3 which has a variety of benefits. It can improve your skin's texture, it can treat aging skin and stimulate the dermis to produce more collagen to give you a firmer skin. The anti-flammatory properties of Niacinamide can also treat acne.

This is how the packs look like from front and back. Each box has 16 packs and it contains 3 ml of product. It's small so it's easy to bring around, perfect for those who loves to travel but still want to get a glowing skin! You wouldn't have to worry about carrying a jar of skin care product that can help in brightening your dull skin, you can just toss a few of this on your bag and your ready to go.

This sleeping pack contains 25% of brightening ampoule (white part) and 75% of hydrating radiance ampoule or hydrogel which is responsible for hydration and also makes the brightening capsule more effective.

I love Laneige for always including spatula, don't use your fingers in mixing because it's unhygienic. It's easy to open, just pull the upper right part of it. Use the spatula to mix the brightening capsule and hydrogel together. At first it was fun mixing it but it's tiring after a few uses especially if you're tired (or lazy lol) and want to just finish applying skin care products as fast as you can so you can go to bed and sleep soundly.

Here's a closer look on how it looks like after getting mixed together.

Like Water Sleeping Pack and Firming Sleeping Pack, this also feels light and refreshing on the skin but I find the Capsule Sleeping Pack to be much thicker than the other two that I mentioned and this feels quite sticky and takes a little more time to get fully absorbed. The scent is also barely noticeable so I have no problem about it.
One pack for each use is nice, however, I find that one pack is too much for me even if I have already applied it on my neck. It's such a waste so I apply it on my arms too rather than just throwing it on the trash can. Also, you should be cautious of how much product you apply on your face because applying way too much may also cause breakouts. It is advised to use everything in one use because it's more effective that way (according to Laneige) but I also tried using half of it first then use the remaining half the next night and the sleeping pack didn't change in any way plus I still get the same result, brightened and more hydrated skin. btw, it is recommended to use this once or twice a week but I don't really follow that. lol I use this whenever I feel like using it. I also mentioned about how the absorption time is a little longer than the other sleeping packs I've tried and it's also quite sticky, if you want it to get absorbed faster you have to keep on massaging it and it may still feel a tad bit sticky but it will slowly disappear. This won't also leave any stain on your pillow .
I feel like all the sleeping packs I've tried which are all from Laneige have the same effects. lol All of them gives you a soft and smooth skin when you rinse it off. I'm not sure if it's because I used it together with the Original Essence but I felt like this is more hydrating and brightening than Water Sleeping Pack and Firming Sleeping Pack. This also made my skin more plump and look more fresh after rinsing. The thing that I liked the most about this is that it's able to reduce the appearance of the deepening line under my left eye, I got it probably because of pulling my skin when I'm in a hurry of applying bb cream or skin care products lol (Be gentle on your skin!) and probably because I always sleep on my sides. This is really awesome, the change is very obvious. Like there's only 20% of the line left but it's not permanent. That fine line will make its return after a day or two, too bad! Still, the fact that it made it less visible is already amazing. I forgot to mention that I woke up with zero oiliness on my nose (the only part of my face that is oily) when I used this sleeping pack. I love using Laneige sleeping packs because my face is just so pleasant to touch after rinsing the product off my face.
That's it for my review!
This is probably the last sleeping pack review for 2014. lol

Pros:
Lightweight
Portable
Hydrating
Brightening
Soft and smooth skin after rinsing
Hygienic
Mild scent
Didn't break me out
Cons:
Expensive
Too much product for one use

I really like this sleeping pack and I will surely repurchase. It's expensive but it's worth it.
This retails in Korea for 30,000 won but you can get this at Ibuybeauti for $33, shipping worldwide is free.

Get yours here:
Laneige White Plus Renew Capsule Sleeping Pack

I have Lock'n Summer products waiting to be used but I just can't find time to try it all out because I haven't taken photos yet. LOL It's already rainy season here and it's raining almost everyday so I can't take photos because it always turns to be dark and ugly. OTL I will still try to take product photos and post a review sometime this week. :D

What's your favorite sleeping pack or mask? Have you tried this one before?

The product mentioned was sponsored by Ibuybeauti. Opinions expressed are based on my own experience and 100% honest.