[REVIEW] Wonder Woman x Missha The Style 4D Mascara

Finding the perfect mascara is the bane of my makeup life. Unlike an eyeshadow or a lipstick which performs similarly from person to person, mascaras are fickle! I've rarely met anyone with less wimpier eyelashes - fitting right into the stereotype of an asian with short, sparse, straight, weak eyelashes. Eyelash curlers + lash primers are my best friends.

Recently, Missha collaborated with Wonder Woman to create a set of limited edition packaging.

Price

Missha The Style 4D Mascara ~ 3 - 4 USD

Brush

The brush is straight and about 3cm in length and 0.5cm in width. It's got straight classic bristles all around. 3cm for a straight length brush head is not ideal as it's too long and makes reaching the corners of the eyes uncomfortable. Using the tapered end of the brush to reach the bottom lashes is also difficult since the product is quite thick and wet. 

Formula

Out of all the mascaras I've tried, this has to be the thickest and waxiest formula I've ever seen. You can kind of see how thick it is at the tapered end of the brush. It's hard for the brush to comb through my delicate and wispy eyelashes because the formula is just so thick.  It's also quite wet so if I look up before the mascara has a chance to dry, there's a bit of smudging. However, once it dries, it doesn't really smudge at all.

(Sorry for the closed eye pictures. I don't want to scare you with close ups of my eyeballs. Taking the picture from a selfie distance is also pretty useless because my eyelashes won't show - oh the frustration).
This is with two coats of mascara. It layers pretty well.

Performance
Before applying any mascara, I curl my eyelashes. Right after applying the mascara, I can see my curl sinks quite a bit. The wet, thick, waxy formula is simply too heavy for my lashes. The 4D mascara adds a bit of volume and a bit of length - but nothing really outstanding. For my lashes, I need both. I need my eyelashes to be visible. Sadly, on its own, this mascara isn't giving me any stellar performances.

(With the help of my current fav. lash primer, Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer, it does much better. The fixer individually coats each lash making them more separated while holding the curl. This allows the 4D mascara to better coat each the eyelashes. I will do a more in-depth post later on. )

After 10 hours, there's no smudges - that is until I rubbed my eye and a bunch of black bits rub off under my eye.

Overall, it's hard to say if this is a good or bad mascara. I know I've said that it doesn't perform that great for my lashes but you must understand, hardly any mascara works for me and many people love this mascara. Regardless, I hope to have at least provided some insight and information to you.

Thanks for reading!

4 comments mascara, missha, review

[HAUL] Snoopy x Skinfood, Missha Korean Cosmetics Haul

For some reason, ever since the Christmas season came around I've been watching Charlie Brown on replay so when I saw the items in the Snoopy x Skinfood collection, it was an immediate "MUST BUY" moment for me. I've rarely ever been as excited for a Limited Edition collection as I've been with the Snoopy x Skinfood. I think the last time I was excited must have been when Skinfood released their Milky Rose collection which really made my jaw drop when I saw it.  Skinfood is one of my favorite brands for skincare. Unlike some of my favourite brands like Etude House, Innisfree, and Aritaum, it's not owned by Amore Pacific. I believe someone told me that Skinfood was actually one of the oldest cosmetic brands still around. There's just something very special about it. That being said, I love their Skincare products but not so much their colour cosmetics.

When my package came and I saw all those Snoopys, I was beyond excited. I placed my order on TesterKorea and I'm glad everything fit perfectly in the box and none of the paper boxes were crushed. 

This is everything that came in the box - minus the vase and flowers of course. 

All the loose items were placed in plastic bags and the cushion was bubble wrapped so that it wouldn't be damaged when shipped around. 

What I Ordered

Aritaum Fresh Essence Mask x 5: These are one of my favourite sheet masks. 

Skinfood Black Sugar First Serum 2X Essential: I have reviewed the Skinfood Black Sugar First Serum (Gold Edition) here before and I love it. I remember it really help brighten my skin and I've been meaning to repurchase for a while now. I couldn't find the original so I'm guessing Skinfood has replaced it with 2X Essential and Essential Light version. 

Missha x Wonderwoman 4D Mascara: I've tried the 3D and sadly, it didn't work that well for me. I think my eyelashes are just too wimpy for it. Regardless, I'm trying the 4D now because it's cheap and the packaging is really adorable. Originally I ordered only one mascara but one of the items I ordered was out of stock, so I replaced it with the 4D mascara since they were at similar price points. It was either that or store credit. 

Missha Eye Fit Stick Shadow (Dry Lavender): I was really excited for this because the promotional pictures show it as a cool tone taupey colour. I've used it now and I have to say, it's actually got a lot more red in it then expected. I think this colour might work on some people but it makes me look like I got an eye infection as most warm tone colours do. On the plus side, it glided on stayed all day. 

Royal Honey Bounce Cushion [Snoopy Limited Edition]: This item is what propelled this haul. Korea knows it's all about the cushion cases now and tons of really beautiful cases are coming out. Even though I currently have a few cushions open, I really wanted this purely for the case.  I'm so glad that the picture is imprinted into the case - won't have to worry about that scratching off! Of course, hopefully I will adore the Royal Honey Bounce Cushion as well. 

Skinfood Royal Honey Good Moisturizing Cream [Snoppy LE]: Skinfood has said that this can be used on the face as well as the body. Although I was expecting to really love this product, the scent threw me off a bit. It smells a bit like olive oil mix with spoiled milk or just plain repulsive.  Did I get a bad batch or does this product really smell like this? Someone please confirm. Skinfood skincare usually smells amazingly delicious and this is far from delicious. Reviewed Here.

Skinfood Snoopy Dry Decal Nail Stickers: These were just way too cute. I should have got the black and white ones too. 

Samples: everything here is something I want to try. 

That's it for my haul! Happy Holidays everyone! 

10 comments Aritaum, cushion, haul, Korean, makeup, mascara, masks, missha, Skinfood, snoopy, testerkorea

What's In My Beauty Pouch

As someone who who is passionate about beauty, I've accumulated quite a lot of makeup over the pass years. One of the ways I've come up with to stay aware of what I already own and to actually use it is to put things in my makeup pouch. Imagine a situation where you are in a rush and you didn't have time to get ready, one of the things you want to bring along is your makeup pouch right? This ensures that you have all that you need and it forces you to use the makeup that you have. 

Read more »

2 comments bb cushion, blush, bronzer, Clio, etude house, eyeliner, Innisfree, K Palette, MakeUp Bag, mascara, missha, sephora, The face shop, Tony Moly

[HAUL] Korean Beauty

As you may all know, Innisfree is one of my favourite brands of all time. The fact that they source their ingredients from Jeju Island is just the icing on the cake. I have been to Jeju a few times now and I absolutely love it there. The atmosphere, the whether, and the people are very different from Seoul. It is a place where one can just relax and soak in the beauty of the Earth. So whenever I look at Innisfree, I just think back at the wonders that Jeju Island represents. 

Today's haul is mainly due to some of the limited edition items that Innisfree came out with.

1. Innisfree Ampoule Intense Cushion (2015 Limited Edition) - the main reason for this haul. Although the Ampoule Intense Cushion is designed for winter use and it's summer right now, I just couldn't resist the camellia flowers on the case.  

1. Water Glow Cushion 2. Long Wear Cushion 3. Ampoule Intense Cushion

2. Innisfree Glow Liquid Shadow #1 - Liquid shadows seem to be trending up all around the world these days. I've seen some Korean YouTubers feature this in their makeup tutorials. It seems pretty awesome and I can't wait to try it! The lady divers on the cap remind me of those in the Kdrama Warm and Cozy.

3. Nature Republic Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel (repurchase) - although I've seen many brands come out with Aloe Vera gels recently, this is the one I've tested and tried for years now. Now that it's summer time and I'm outside quite often, aloe vera is a necessity. 

4. Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer Longlash Up Curl Fix Coating Fix (repurchase) - I've recently discover this lash primer and I absolutely love it! It lengthens and holds my eyelash curl really well and it's only around $5!

5. Etude House My Beauty Tool Eyelash Curler (for Monolids) - I thought the pink and curl packaging is really cute.

6. Missha The Style 4D Mascara - I have been hearing amazing things about this mascara. I can't wait to try it out as well!

Bonus: I've received a Skin79 Super Beblesh Balm Sample for free with my purchase. 

3 comments aloe vera, amore pacific, beauty, cosmetics, etude, etude house, eye shadow, haul, Innisfree, mascara, missha, Nature republic, skincare

Nature Republic Botanical Real Slimcara Review (Dupe for InnisfreeSuper Skinny Microscara)

As you may know by now, my eyelashes are extremely short and sparse. The bottom ones are barely in existence. Sometimes when I try to coat the bottom lashes with mascara, I end up making a mess or poking my eye because the bristles are too big. I've found a solution.

Short Story (you may skip this and jump down to the review is you want ^^)

Many of you may have heard of the Innisfree Super Skinny Microscara but have you heard of the Nature Republic Botanical Real Slimcara? I'm sure the Nature Republic is a dupe for the Innisfree product as the names and wand are just way too similar. Innisfree Super Skinny Microscara was the first mascara I purchased here in Korea. The wand was crazy slim which made it amazingly easy to handle. I never had to worry about poking my eye with the bristles because the wand is only 2.5mm wide. It held my curl and decently and naturally lengthened my eyelashes. After that, I discovered the Majorica Majolica Lash Expander Frame Plus and I never looked back - til now. The MM Lash Expander Frame Plus is no longer sold in Korea and the bristles of the Heroine Make Long and Curl tends to poke my eye when I try to coat my lower lashes, so I need a new mascara with smaller bristles and there is no mascara wand smaller than the Innisfree Microscara. However, as I was browsing through Nature Republic one day, I noticed this mascara with the very similar - 2.5mm - sign. It was on sale for about 4 800 Won (not on sale it would be around 6 900 Won). Innisfree Microscara costs around 9 800 Won. I checked the tester, the wand is the exact same. For the half the price, I gave the Nature Republic Slimcara a try.

REVIEW

Packaging: The Nature Republic Botanical Real Slimcara has a simple white and brown packaging. It doesn't look like a mascara at but rather like a liquid eyeliner.  Wand length is the almost the same as my Heroine Make mascara but the handle (part you can hold) is longer. As advertised, the width of the wand is about 2.5mm, and the bristles are tiny. You can easily reach any sparse eyelash area and not have to worry about poking you skin. On the bristles of the wand, you can see tiny bits of fiber.

Performance: I wasn't expecting much from this product but it really impressed me. As I coated my eyelashes with the mascara, tiny fibers latched onto my eyelashes making them decently and naturally longer (almost as much as the Heroine Make Long and Curl). It also volumized my eyelashes by just a little bit which I was not expecting at all. The mascara is very black and does not weigh down my eyelashes. I would say this is a pretty dry and waxy mascara. It dries within 5 seconds of application. If you apply a second coat after it dries, it gets a bit difficult and clumpy. I guess this drying speed is a bit of a positive and a negative. Positive that you don't have to worry about the mascara making a mess after application and negative that you cannot build on the first layer of mascara. 

It lasts all day with no smudging (really impressive as I have extremely oily eyelids). My eyelashes would look almost exactly the same as when I first applied the mascara. There was no irritation at all throughout the day. 

I can see that this tube of mascara will only last me for around a month because after just two weeks of opening, the product is already noticeably drier than before. It's a good thing that it's in a tiny tube.

Two Coats - Without Mascara Primer - you can see it started to clump because I added more than one coat.

Removal: Here comes, the one main fault of this product... It is extremely difficult to remove - even more difficult than the Majorica Majolica Lash Expander Frame Plus and the Heroine Make Long and Curl. The longer you have it on, the more resistant it is to removal.  I used a cotton pad soaked with makeup remover and held it over my eye for 10 seconds, which usually gets rid of most of the eye makeup, but this time, it only took off part of the mascara. A lot mascara was still stuck to the base of my eyelashes. I had to massage my eyes with cleansing oil thoroughly to get everything off.

The Good:

- gives very natural looking eyelashes

- lengthens decently

- holds curl well

- doesn't smudge

- wand is easy to handle

- bristles can reach sparse and short eyelashes without poking skin

- really dark black color

- cheap

- doesn't clump

The Bad

- really difficult to remove

- hard to apply a second coat

- boring packaging

- doesn't say how much product is in the tube

- overall product dries out fast

Overall:

I prefer this over the Innisfree Super Skinny Microscara. It's darker in color, lengthens more, definitely volumizes more, stays smudge free longer, and is cheaper. Definitely a win. It's one of the cheapest mascaras I've ever bought but it has definitely outperformed many of the others I've tried. I highly recommend this product to you if you're looking for naturally looking eyelashes with a bit of length and volume or if you have really sparse lashes that are reach.

Leave a Comment cosmetics, Korea, Korean cosmetics, mascara, Nature republic

Collective Korean Skincare and Cosmetics Haul: Dr. Jart, Skinfood, Kiss Me Heroine Make, Innisfree, Missha

As you all know, Spring is coming around and so many stores have launched their spring collections. They've done an amazing job as well. Among my favorite collections are Skinfood's Milky Rose Collection and Missha's Lotta and Wanna collection. Everytime I walked into those stores, I can't help but want to pick up something. Here are some of the things I've picked up over the past two weeks. Some products are repurchases. 

Skinfood Rosy Essence Moist Make-up Fixer: When Skinfood's Spring collection first launched, I knew I had to get something. I really love the packaging. I needed a makeup fixer for the humidity of the summer anyways.

Skinfood Rose Essence Soft Cream Blusher in 02: I'm a big fan of this color because it's so natural and beautiful. It's a cream that once applied and spread becomes matte. It's incredibly easy to use and easy to spread out without losing it's color. You can also build up color.

Missha Time Revolution Aqua Youth Cream: I've ran out of my Primera Watery Cream so I thought this might be a good replacement. Boy was I wrong. I tried this twice before I gave up. Both times, my skin stung. I love the classy packaging though.

Innisfree Eco Science Eye Cream: This is the third time I've repurchased this. It's my favorite eye cream so far. I really like how it feels and the convenience of the pump dispenser.

Kiss Me Heroine Make Long and Curl Mascara: This is a repurchase as well. It came with a box of three Smooth Gel Shadow Pencils. The packaging says Made in Korea but I'm pretty sure this is a Japanese brand.

Missha Glossy Lip Rouge in Wanna Coral: I've finally gotten over my fuschia lip phase and entered a pink-coral phase. This is the color chosen for their Wanna Coral Collection and it was the initial lipstick that sucked me into Missha. There are three in the Wanna collection: Wanna Orange, Wanna Pink, and Wanna Coral. This lipstick is really smooth and glossy. It doesn't last long at all though.

Missha Signature Glam Art Gloss in Lotta Coral: While I was browsing around Missha, I found out that they had two main collections: Signature Lotta and Wanna. This is the gloss chosen for the Lotta Coral collection. I debated in getting this or the color above but I ended up getting both. This is a beautiful pink with coral undertones. It's not sticky at all.

Dr. Jart Ceramidin Cream: This product has been raved about everywhere. I've seen it on a few Korean beauty shows now and on tons of blogs. After I had that stinging reaction with the Missha cream, I decided to try this out instead. It's made in Korea but I've heard that you can buy this at Sephora as well.

6 comments blush, eye cream, eyeliner, haul, Heroine Make, Innisfree, Kiss Me, Korean, Korean cosmetics, makeup, mascara, missha, moisturizer, skincare, Skinfood, spring collection

Heroine Make Mascara Remover Review

I'm pretty sure that everyone, by now, nows that Japanese mascaras are darn hard to remove. Yet they're the only things that really work with my stubborn eyelashes. When I first saw the Heroine Make Mascara Remover,  did I think  "Yaya! No more rubbing my eyes to get my mascara off!" ? No. I did not. But I did have some expectations for this product as it is designed for the sole purpose of removing mascara.

As I didn't have high expectations for this product, I waited for the opportunity to buy it when it came as a set with my second HG mascara. (My HG mascara is the Majorica Majolica Lash Expander Frame Plus but that has been discontinued in Korea since the arrival of the Majorica Majolica Lash Expander Edge Meister.)

It's a black wand with solid ridges for your eyelashes. You can reach all of your eyelashes easily.

How I Use the Product:

1. I apply the product to my eyelashes as I would when applying normal mascara.

2. I wipe the wand with a tissue before putting it back into the tube so that I don't get mascara mixed with the product inside.

3. I wait a few minutes.

4. I gently dab my lashes with a cotton pad. Usually the mascara comes right off.

5. I proceed with regular make up removal routine.

Consistency: it's a very runny clear liquid. When I first used it, I had to be very careful tilting the wand so that I don't get it in my eyes. When I touch the liquid, it feels like oil. It also has an oily smell.

Performance:

The product is really runny so when, I was applying the product to my eyes, I really had to tap the tip of the wand to the tube for excess product to drip back into the tube before applying to my eyelashes. This product does its job well. After wiping the product off my eyelashes, the mascara also comes off so easily. There's no need to tug or reapply and wait. It's absolutely great for really tough mascaras. My eye area doesn't feel oily nor does it feel irritated. It feels like mascara has been lifted off.

On my eyelashes: Kiss Me Heroine Make Long and Curl Waterproof Mascara

Left on my cotton:

What I Love About It:

- it does what it claims - removes mascara without any trouble

- mascara lifts off with no need to tug

- I can reach all my lashes with the wand without any trouble

What I Don't Love About It:

- the liquid is very runny

- have to wait a few minutes for it to work

- is expensive (I think about 16 000 Won/ $15) for only 6g

- no English instructions

Overall: A+

I think this is a very simple and effective product that does what it promises. However, for lazy people like myself, it does feel like an extra unnecessary step to my makeup removal routine because of the wait. Yes I'm impatient. I don't like waiting at all. Even though I've removed my mascara, I still have my eyeliner and makeup to remove. I soak a cotton pad with remover and press it to my eyes. Usually during that step, my mascara comes off anyways. I would only feel like this product is necessary for days when I've got massive chunks of mascara and primer on. But for what it promises to do, it does perform and it exceeded my expectations. 

Leave a Comment Japanese cosmetics, mascara, remover

Benefits They're Real Mascara Review

Hi everyone, today I will be reviewing Benefit's They're Real Mascara. I'm sure everyone has heard of this mascara before as it is suppose to be the #1 Best Selling Mascara in the World (according to the box). 

I know many people, including my friends, love this mascara so for the longest time I wanted to try it. However, it is definitely expensive. It retails for $31 CDN + tax. Out of the many mascaras that I've tried, only two of them have been able to satisfy me. 

My eyelashes are extremely short, sparse, and straight. It's really difficult to achieve the results that I want (visible fanned up lashes) without the aid of my trusty mascara primer (Majorica Majolica Lash Bone Base). 

The two mascaras that have worked for me so far are Majorica Majolica Lash Expander (my #1 favorite) and Kiss Me Long and Curl Mascara.

Performance:

 eyelashes for reference.

Benefit's They're real mascara's formula is quite dry and waxy. The comb is the plastic kind with very sparse spikes. It coats my eyelashes quite evenly. However, the tip of the comb does have a heavy amount of product, which when it does touch my eyelashes, lash clumps of the product attaches to my eyelashes which then needs to be brushed out. Because it is so dry and waxy, the product doesn't smudge all over my eyelids during application. The thin straight brush is easy to work with. Be careful not to poke your eyes with the spikes. I tend to poke my eyes quite often when I'm trying to reach my bottom lashes which is natural I guess since they're so short and sparse.

They're Real Mascara lengthens and volumizes my eyelashes while keeping them decently clump free after two - three coats. I think with this kind of sparsh spiked brush, it'll be difficult to clump the mascara. After three coats, I notice that the mascara does weigh down my eyelashes a bit. After I re-curl my eyelashes with my Shu Uermura eyelash curler, it stays up. 

One coat of mascara on top of my Majolica Majorica Lash Bone really helps hold the curl up and lengthens even more but more than two coats of mascara on top of the primer, my eyelashes start to look a bit clumpy.

Removal:

It is really easy to take off as well, which I cannot say for the Japanese mascaras. I just press a cotton pad soaked in makeup remover to my eye for ten seconds and a majority of this mascara will come off. No tugging, no rubbing.

What I Love About It:

- lengthens decently

- volumizes nicely

- remains clump free - unless you touch it with the ends of the wand

- smudge resistant

- more acessible around the world

- easy to remove.

What I Don't Like About It:

- expensive

- weighs down my eyelashes a noticeble bit

- doesn't lengthen my eyelashes as much as the Majolica Majorica or Heroine Make mascaras (which are cheaper).

For the price of $31 CDN + tax, I can't justify the purchase of this mascara for the results it gave me. Although it has given me one of the best results any western mascara has given me, I will stick to my Japanese mascaras for now. They're 2/3 of the price of the benefits mascara and gives me the results that I want. It's still a really nice mascara that performs well and does a nice job. 

1 comment benefits, high end, mascara, review, western

Kate Mascara Base Review

I've heard many good things about this mascara base on blogs but it has to be one of the most difficult things for me to find online. I was so happy when Olive Young started selling Kate Cosmetics. 

This has fiber strands attached to a brush comb. The fibers are white like the Majorica Majolica and they attach to your eyelashes as you comb through. After combing through, I follow up immediately with mascara. The brush is like a thin mascara brush with many short bristles.

 Performance: I had really high expectations for this macara base because of all the rave reviews but sadly, it did not meet my expectations. The fibers did not attach onto my lashes easily at all. They tend to stick to the brush and I'd have to comb through my eyelashes several times. After they attached on, they didn't create the length that the Majorica Majolica did. It creates a very natural lengthening effect that doesn't clump. It barely volumized my lashes and it did not hold curl as well as the Majorica Majolica did. I think this is a decent base, better than many but not as good as the Majorica Majolica. 

What I Love About It:

 - It holds the curl fairly well

 - It creates natural length

 - It doesn't clump the lashes

 - sleek and simple packaging 

What I Don't Love About It"

 - expensive

 - doesn't volumize 

- doesn't create tremendous length

 - difficult to find 

Rating: B+ While it does create natural length and no clumps, it doesn't give me the length I need nor does it hold my curl as well as the Majorica Majolica. Nonetheless, it is still quite a decent mascara base and it might work better for those who different eyelashes from mine. My eyelashes are very short, straight, stubborn, and sparse. It's really difficult to find mascara products that will work well for it.

Leave a Comment base, cosmetics, japanese, Kate, mascara, review

Majolica Majorica Lash Bone Mascara Base Review

Here is a mascara base which I don't hear many rave reviews about (at least in English). It is the Majolica Majorica Lash Bone Black Fiber Mascara Base.

Performance:
I have really thin, sparse, short and straight lashes. No matter what mascara I use, I can never make my eyelashes stand out or noticeable... that is until I found this baby. It comes with a plastic white wand and a curved comb. There are tiny black fibers on the comb that detached and connects onto your own eyelashes. The  plastic comb allows me to get each of my lashes very easily and the curve allows me to get all my lashes. I notice a big difference when I use this before mascara and when I don't use it. It makes my eyelashes look longer, volumized and more defined, yet still very natural at the same time. The way it holds a curl blows me away because the curl does not droop at all. Basically, it does everything I expected from  a good mascara base. I love this more than the Kate Mascara base - review coming soon.

I can't really say anything about whether or not it prevents smudging as I believe that function belongs in the realm of the mascara.

The plastic comb allows for easily application and the curve allows the user to reach most of their eyelashes. The small fibers detaches from the comb attaches onto the eyelashes, creating longer lengths for mascara to adhere to, thus creating longer and more volumized eyelashes.

 

Price: 18 000Won (I bought this at Olive Young, a Korean store) or 1200Yen (f you're in Japan )

 

What I love about it:

- The plastic comb is easy to use on my short and sparse eyelashes

- It holds a curl all day even on my stubborn lashes

- It makes my eyelashes more defined, longer, and volumized while still looking really natural

- Fibers adhere to lashes really well, so you don't need to worry about it falling off and getting into your eye (unless your product is dysfunctional)

 

What I don't love about it:

- Expensive, but well worth the money, especially if compared to department store brands.

- can be difficult to find if you're outside of Asia

 

 

Rating: A + (HG status)

 

I would and have repurchased this. Although it is a bit expensive, it is well worth the money as it performs better than anything I've ever tried. I love this. It is hard to find anything that performs this well on my Asian eyelashes.

Leave a Comment favourite, hg, japanese, majolica majorica, mascara, mascara base, olive young