Aritaum Honey Melting Tint #3 Strawberry Chips Swatches and Pictures

Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Hi everyone, how are you all doing today? I hope well!




About a month ago, I reviewed the Aritaum Honey Melting Tint. It seems you're all quite curious about them so today I'm back with swatches and pictures of the very popular #3 Strawberry Chips.

My opinion on this lip tint collection remains the same as what I wrote in the original post. So if you want to read about it, just click the link below:

Strawberry Chips is a lovely, bright neutral tone pink. It's a very sweet pink - the type of pink that pops into one's mind when one think of the color pink. Although it seems very normal, it's actually quite hard to find such neutral and traditional pink as this one.   It's extremely wearable because you can apply a light layer for a natural, every day use or apply a more solid coat if you want your lips to pop out but not look too out there. 



How does it compare to S14 Pink Lemonade?
Pink Lemonade (left) - Strawberry Chips (right)
Originally, I thought there would't be much difference between Strawberry Chips and Pink Lemonade, but there's actually a lot. Pink Lemonade leans much more on the cool side with some blue undertones. It's brighter and it's going to pop more. Whereas the Strawberry Chips is more of a tradition sweet pink, Pink Lemonade is more of a trendy, stand - out but wearable pink. If you're going for a little bit of attitude, I'd say Pink Lemonade is going to give much more kick than Strawberry Chips. Both colors are great to have and beautiful in their own ways.

Once again, if you would like to look at the other colors and read my full review, click here.

Other than that, see you next time!

PureHeal's Propolis 90 Ampoule Review

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Like me, you might wonder: What is propolis? Why does it sound so chemically? Well don't fear, propolis is something natural from bees.

According to the box:
" Propolis is mysterious mixture of natural materials made by honeybees, which collect the sap of plants and mix them with their saliva, adding beneficial enzymes. It is rich in flavonoids and other organic compounds, minerals, vitamins and amino acids to protect the skin from both internal and external irritants and repair damaged skin. It helps restore skin to health by soothing sensitive skin".

It also claims "90% Propolis Extract Ampoule Helps to protect skin and relieve sensitive skin problems".

The picture below will give you more information ^^.



Source of the Picture: Qoo10: http://list.qoo10.sg/item/PUREHEALS-PROPOLIS-90-AMPOULE/412494687

This product has a dual function of whitening and anti-wrinkle. 


When I was at Seoul Station, waiting for my train, I wandered into the gift shop they had in the middle of the hall - I forgot the name but you cannot miss it. It's the only one that is smack middle of the hall. I was so suprise to see that in addition to traditional gifts and souvenirs, it also sold cosmetics from brands that don't have their own road shop (or at least none that I've seen) - such as Lioele and PureHeal's. PureHeal's had a collection of items being displayed there but this was the one that really caught my attention.

It retailed for 14 000 Won (or around that) / 30 mL.


Scent
From the jar, it has a very strong, unusual scent. It's smells a little sour and kind of reminds me of lemons - only kind of because it doesn't have the freshness that lemon scents have. It's just not my cup of tea and luckily after rubbing the product into the skin, the scent fades off. 

Texture 
This product has a very liquidy, slightly viscous texture. It spreads out easily and isn't sticky at all. After rubbing it into the skin, the product disappears. On my skin, I saw no extra glossiness as the product absorbed completely.



As you can see it comes in a simple yellow glass bottle with a glass dropper and rubber squeezer. This allows for control of how much product you want and sanitation. I found that half a wand of product was enough for my face.

The product is actually a clear liquid. This is only one droplet from the wand. 


The product spreads easily so you don't need a lot.
Once rubbed in, the product absorbs completely and leaves no traces. If you apply another moisturizer on top - that's another story.




Performance

I apply this product twice a day, once at night and once in the morning. After seeing all those claims about this product, I really had high expectations. There are quite a few acne scars on my cheek that I had hoped this product would fade as it did claim to repair damaged skin. However, after using this product for around three months, I haven't noticed any significant difference in my skin nor the scars. Which is a little bit disappointing as this product claims to have many benefits . I had expected it to whiten (brighten*)  my skin and improve my wrinkles as well as protect my skin from my environment. It didn't fulfil it's claims.  I'm still prone to redness, breakouts and I don't think my skin is any less sensitive to my environment. 

One thing this product does really well is that it's highly moisturizing. Even though the product was absorbed so quickly into my skin, I felt like the moisture really stayed. 



Ingredients:
propolis extract, aloe barbadensis leaf water, niacinamide, peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil, hydroxyethylcellulose, sodium polyacrylate, 1,2-hexanediol, honey extract, sodium hyaluronate, butylene glycol, caprylyl glycol, caramel adenosine, anise fruit extract, licorice root extract, argania spinosa kernel oil, safflower seed oil, sunflower seed oil, rose flower oil, tagetes minuta flower oil, mentha arvensis leaf oil, elettaria cardamomum seed oil, thyme oil, clove leaf oil, tea tree leaf oil, vetiveria zizanoides root oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil , Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil

The Good:
- quickly absorbed
- no stickly layer
- highly moisturizing
- dropper allows for precision
- affordable

The Bad:
- none of the claims worked for me - except from providing moisture
- strange scent

Overall
I wouldn't repurchase this product. Besides providing a good amount of hydration, I felt that it didn't live up to its claims. However, just because this product didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't for you. Each person's skin is different and how effective something is depends on your lifestyle, genetics and many other factors. 



Innisfree Melting BB Cushion Review

Thursday, July 17, 2014
My first BB cushion was from Hera and my second BB cushion was from Iope. While both of them are nice they never really impressed me the way this one has. This review comes a bit late as this product has been discontinued and replaced already. I never expected to like it as much as I actually do right now. It is the Innisfree Melting BB Cushion. (There's a chance that you can still find this on online stores ).

Innisfree has released two new BB cushions for the summer: Long Wear Cushion and Water Glow Cushion. They are highly promoting the Long Wear Cushion for the summer. I've tried it out on my hands so far and I found it to be a bit dry. However, that might come in handy to combat humidity.

Price: 20 000 Won (no refill) - 15g of product
12 000Won / refill


When I first tried BB cushions I really loved how convenient it was. As someone who wakes up at dawn for work, I like to sleep as much as I can (they're not exaggerating when they say Koreans sleep very little).  BB cushions saved me so much time because I didn't need to blend. All I had to do was pat - pat - pat - then I looked somewhat more awake and presentable. 

When you open the case, it looks just like the others. You see a special puff.

Under the puff, you'll see a plastic cover.

Lifting the cover, you'll see a seal - which you remove completely after the first use. It's not really sticky. So even if you wanted to keep it on the product, it's not possible.





Performance
Whereas both the Hera and Iope cushions made my skin look dewy and radiant, this BB cushion actually makes my skin look a lot more natural. It doesn't have as much of a dewy shine as the other ones have but it's not completely powdery matte either. It just looks like natural skin. I would say it gives light coverage - enough to even out skintone and light dark circles but not even to cover blemishes. I suppose you can build it up but at most it can only be medium coverage. I've got some pimple scars along my chin and no matter how many layers I pat on, I cannot cover them at all.

Although it can't completely cover my dark circles, I love how this product doesn't sink or dry up under my eye area. For some reason, it just seems to airbrush that area the way no other product has done before. Also, this product really covers my pores really well. It seems to cover the pores on my cheek really well and makes my skin look so flawless. 

Although it claims to be longlasting, I found that it lasts about 4-5 on me. Reapplication and touchups are quite easy to do. 

I think matching your makeup and skincare to the season is really important. Something that you hate in the Winter, you might love in the Summer and vice versa. Take my Hera BB cushion as an example, I loved it in the Autumn and Winter but once it hit summer, it was completely useless. Under Korea's intense summer humidity, it would lift up from my skin and be a very obvious white milky cast. It's summer here and I find that the Innisfree Mineral Cushion also lifts but it's not as severe as the Hera.

The Innisfree Mineral Melting BB Cushion has a slight herbal scent. It's noticeable in the product but not on the skin.




The Good:
- natural finish
- lasts longer than other BB cushions that I've tried
- reapplication is easy
- convenient to use
- saves time in the morning

The Bad:
- only light - to almost medium coverage
- discontinued
- lifts slightly under sweat




Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick Review

Sunday, July 13, 2014


Hello everyone, how are you today? It's pouring rain here in Seoul. I like the rain except when I'm stuck outside. There's something about it that's oddly relaxing and refreshing. It also gives us a break from hot humidity that we've been experiencing here.



Today's product for review is the Su:m 37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. If you've been a follower of my blog then you probably know I'm more of a road shop kind of girl. (Road shops are basically stores like Etude House, Nature Republic, Innisfree, etc.) I've tried some make up from higher-end brands but I've always felt kind of silly because I know the quality of Korean road shops are just as good if not better.  I haven't ventured much into department store skincare brands so I guess this is one of my first Korean "high-end" products.

If you're unfamiliar with Su:m37, I will give you a brief introduction. Su:m37 is a skincare brand under LG Households. Their concept is to wait and allow natural fermentation in their products to occur because they believe that the quality of ingredients is achieved through time not hastiness. Their main mission to recover the vitality of skin  and allow the skin to breathe. 

Because I tend to sweat a lot in the summer, I want to wash my face more often. I looked for a product that can offer me cleanliness without stripping my skin and this one seems excellent for the job.

Claims:
"It's a hypo-allergenic cleansing stick which contains fermented rose flower extracts, naturally derives skin care ingredients from the nature and enables you to massage on your skin softly."

Packaging:
The Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick is basically a cleanser in a solid form. It comes in a plastic tube and you can twist the end of it for product to come out. Because it is a solid, you can take it in your carry-on during flights. You also don't have to worry about it spilling over your stuff. Although I like that it's in a solid form. I did find one disadvantage with this. When I press down too hard on the product during use, the cleanser melts and kinds of slide over the edge of the tube. I usually swipe my finger over it to remove and then there's no problem. I've been using this cleanser for a month now and the twist up still works. The cleanser has real rose petals in it. They don't really do anything but make the cleanser look more luxe.

Time Blooms

These things are rose petals. Don't they just look gorgeous?




Although there are no English instructions on the box, you can still follow the pictures. 



1. Wet your face with lukewarm water
2. Twist up the bottom of the tube
3. Roll the product around your face
4. Massage the product with some water then rinse it off. 

Performance: In the morning or after a workout, I use this cleanser alone but in the evening, I use this cleanser after my cleansing oil. Following the instructions, I begin by splashing my face with some lukewarm water. The, I roll the product around my face. When I first started using this product, it felt a bit hard and slightly resistant when I rolled it around my face. However, after about two weeks, the product softened and applied a lot smoother. After rolling it around, I wet my hands and gently roll my fingertips around my face. The product doesn't lather up into a foam but it does create a lot of small bubbles. You can feel them popping against your skin if you leave it on for a few minutes. It feels kind of ticklish.  I rinse off the bubbles, pat dry my face then apply my skincare as normal. My skin feels really clean, soft, fresh, and still moisturised. still get the occasional clog pores and pimple though - so I wouldn't say that it's completely preventative of those things. 

This product does a really nice job in removing dirt, sweat, sunscreen, and light base make up like CC cream. I don't recommend you to use it in removing heavy makeup though. In those situations, a cleansing oil would be much better because you want your skin to be clean before you apply your skincare.  Also, try not to get this in your eye because it will STING like crazy - like getting shampoo in your eyes but worse.

I love how this product smells so delicate and natural. It makes me feel awake and relax.  It's like a gentle, natural rose scent. Rose scented products are usually a hit or miss with me. I love natural and soft rose scents and I really dislike strong artificial rose scents. Luckily, this product goes into the former category. After I've rinsed my face, I can't smell it any more. If they made perfumes like this, I would buy it.  I also love how this cleanser makes my skin feel really clean and supple but not dry or squeaky at all. 

Price: 28 000 Won / 80g - you can find this at all Korean department stores. The Su:m37 counters tend to be smaller than the other Korean brands so just keep an eye out for it!


The Good:
- beautiful rose scent
- doesn't strip your skin dry
- it's solid 
- cleans well
- no squeaky feeling

The Bad:
- stings so bad when it gets in the eye
- it can get messy when the soap melts and gets over the edge

Overall: This is definitely one of my favourite cleansers of all time. It definitely differentiates itself from other cleansers by being in a solid twist up form. 




The Face Shop Natural Sun Super Perfect Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA +++ Review

Saturday, July 5, 2014
We all know that sun cream is really important year round so it's necessary that you find a tube that is right for you. As for me, I'm super picky. I have many requirements that sun cream has to pass before I'm satisfied with it. I'm also a firm believer that the sun protection in BB Cushions are not enough to protect the skin since it's applied on lightly. Usually you need a good amount of product for the sun protecton to work. Today I'll be reviewing The Face Shop's Super Perfect Sun Cream from their Natural Sun line.

What makes their Natural Sun line unique?
This product contains sunflower sprout extract 600ug - certified by ECO - CERT.




Price: about 8 000 (8 U.S.D) for 150ml - The Face Shop is always having sales so you are likely to pick this up for 20 - 50% off if you're in Korea.



It comes in a simple plastic twist - lid squeeze tube. The plastic is pretty soft so you're likely to be able to squeeze all the contents out.


Scent: It has a floral scent that's definitely noticeable. I didn't find it to be too offense but if you're sensitive to scents, then you might want to stear away. The scent fades after a few minutes.

Texture: It's a cream but it's more like a light lotion that is easy to blend out. Once you blend it out, it leaves a slightly dewy shiney layer that can look greasy if not blotted or powdered.

Performance: I have many requirements when it comes to finding a decent tube of sun cream: 
1. It needs to apply easily. 
2. It must not clog my pores.
3. The scent must be toleraable.
4. It must not roll up under my makeup base. 
5. It must not lift under my sweat.
6. Above SPF 30 PA +++

  I think these are pretty reasonable demands. 

would say that I quite like this product. 
1. It's easy to apply, easy to blend out
2. It doesn't clog my pores.
3. The scent is tolerable to me but maybe not to other people as it is a bit strong.
4. It doesn't roll up under my makeup
5. It lifts. When I sweat, my sun screen runs a bit. I start to see white watery bits above my lips, around my chin line, around my nose, and my forehead. Although it does run, I would say that it's better than the other sun creams I've tried. The amount of the white watery bits are not as much as with the others.
6. This is SPF 50 + PA+++.







The Good:
- affordable
- SPF 50 + PA+++
- does not clog pores
- does not roll up under makeup
- easy to apply
- easy to squeeze out all the product from the tube

The Bad:
- creates a shiney surface on the skin after application
- not sweat resistant
- floral scent

Ingredients:



Since it met most of my requirements, I'm quite satifsifed with this product. I've alredy finished my first tube and likely to purchase a second one. If you have any sun cream recommendations, let me know in the comments! 

ChrissieTee. Powered by Blogger.
Back to Top