Recent Empties and Tossed Outs: Mini Reviews - Korean Cosmetics and Skincare

One of my favourite types of videos to watch and posts to read is recent empties. Although there is value in first impressions and mid-way reviews (which I do on this blog as well), there's something incredibly honest about an "empties" review. I have to admit they are quite difficult to post about because they take time and - I don't know about you but I always feel so satisfied throwing out an empty container. 

Anyways, over the last two months, I've been able to collect up quite a lot of empties as well as a few items that I will be tossing out. 

EMPTIES

SU:M37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick: I enjoyed this cleanser up to the very last bit. It's definitely worth a repurchase but as of the moment, I've found something I like better. You can read the full review here.

Tony Moly Floria Nutra-Energy Essence: I really loved the serum (reviewed here) in this line and but this essence was just mediocre in my standards. It's thicker than most essences out there and provides light moisture. I love that it's in a pump bottle but it didn't do anything special for me.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX: Most of you who are familiar with Korean cosmetics have probably heard of this one. It's got a light, watery consistency with a very relaxing scent. My skin felt moisturized and bouncy in the morning after but that's all. The results I received from this product is pretty standard compared to the other cheaper sleeping masks I've tried. 

Innisfree Green Tea Pure Sleeping Pack: This sleeping pack gives me glowy, moisturized, and bright skin in the morning. It comes as a white, almost translucent gel with white beads in it. The white beads break apart as you apply the mask on the skin. Two things I didn't like about it was that the scent was very strong and that it's slightly sticky. For the results that it gives me, I'm willing to put up with that.

Etude House Moistfull Super Collagen Ampoule Essence (Trial Size 25mL): Applied on its own will not give you much result. It's of a thin, gel-water consistency and feels like water when applied to the skin. However, it still adds slight moisture. I find that this product really prevents moisture from escaping my skin when I apply this over my daily moisturizer. (In the photo, the bottle is reused so I can bring my toner to the gym).

Etude House Moistfull Super Collagen Cream (Trial Size 10mL): I really liked the consistency of this cream. It's not too thin, nor too thick. It applies easily like a gel and absorbs right away and it has the same fresh scent as the Collagen Ampoule Essence. However, it doesn't provide as much moisture as I like. My skin still feels a little bit dry after the cream as sank in.

TOSSED OUTS

When products changes colour, gives off a bad smell, or starts separating - it's time to throw it out. Expired makeup can be really dangerous. It's better to protect your skin and your health than continue to use something that can harm you.

Aritaum World Glam Coating Tint in Seoul and London (reviewed here): I really loved these two tints. However, after neglecting them for a few months and coming back to them, I've discovered that the scent has changed. It smells really chemically off and not at all like how they were when I first purchased them.

Etude House  Color Lips-Fit (reviewed here): I've also neglected this tint for a few months now. When I went through my makeup, I notice that the liquid has separated from the solid. Thank goodness it's in a tinted clear plastic tube otherwise I wouldn't have noticed. It's instructed on the box that this expires 6 months after opening.

That's it for today! Thanks for reading.

1 comment amorepacific, ampoule, Aritaum, cleanser, cream, essense, etude house, green tea, Innisfree, Korea, Korean, korean skincare, laneige, moisture, review, Seoul, skincare, sleeping pack, su:m37, Tony Moly

[REVIEW] Hanyul Pure Artemisia Cleansing Foam

There's been many products that I've tried this past month, but none of them pushed me to do a review as this product has. I've recently finished my Sum 37 Miracle Rose Cleanser and in the process of debating whether or not to repurchased it, I started to use a few of the deluxe samples of the Hanyul Pure Artemisia Cleansing Foam that I had.


Hanyul is a brand that I was unaware of until Actress Jun Ji-Ji Hyun (from My Love From Another Star) began endorsing it. Her picture has been all over the Aritaum store windows. Out of curiousity and need of a new skin care routine, I purchased the Hanyul Optimizing Serum and the Essential Rice Emulsion. I received some Pure Artemisia Cleansing Foam foam samples with my purchase.


Originally, I disregarded these purchases because of it's plain packaging but after I had finished my Sum 37 Miracle Rose Cleanser, I really needed something. My oh my, did this cleanser take me by surprise.
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I'm a little embarrass to say that until I tried this product, I had no idea what Artemisia is. In case you're like me, I'll provide you with a brief introduction.

According to the Merriam-Webster, Artemisia is "of composite shrubs and herbs (as the sagebrushes and santonicas) that have strongly scented foliage and small rayless flower heads".

The word Artemisia is named after Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt, wild animals, and the forest.  

I have always been really interested in mythology so I find this snippet of information really interesting to learn about.

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Claims

According to Hanyul, the Artemisia used in the Cleansing Foam, as well as their Pure Artemisia line, is from Ganghwado island. Artemisia is said to be used in baths because it contains skin purifying qualities.

The Hanyul Pure Artemisia Cleansing Foam aims to remove impurities without stripping the skin of moisture.

 The Pure Artemisia line targets dull skin by using the skin purifying powers of Artemisia.

Price

180ml / 18 000 Won

Hanyul can be found at all Aritaum stores.

Packaging

The Hanyul Pure Artemisia Cleansing Foam comes in a simple green squeeze tube and a plastic white lid - very simple and plain, no frills. Although initially I found this packaging to be very boring, I eventually realize that the plain simplicity of the packaging is to reflect the pureness of the product.

Product

The cleansing foam is white. It looks no different from most cleansing foams. It's pretty solid so it's quite easy to control how much you want to squeeze out of the tube.

Performance

 Cleansers are usually the things I pay the least attention to among all the items in my skincare. Unlike with moisturizers and serums, I tend to stick to the same cleanser from start to finish - just because I usually don't notice much difference between one and another except the scent.  I began using this product with no expectations in mind but it has really blown me away with it's performance.

Lately, I've been experience quite a few clog pores. They're probably the result of a combination of longer days and the inability to wash my face half way through the day. Anyhow, I can feel these clog pores whenever I touch my face and they have been frustrating me. My skin must've gotten used to the Sum 37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick because it no longer has much effect on me anymore.  That being said, when I had finally ran out of it, I didn't know if I wanted to repurchase it or not. This is where my random samples of the Hanyul Pure Artemisia Cleansing Foams come into the picture.

The Hanyul Pure Artemisia Cleansing Foam has a very clean herbal scent. It smells very natural and pure. I'm not really sensitive to scents, so it doesn't bother me. As with most scented cleansers, the smell usually washes off anyways. However, if you're not keen on herbal scents at all or if you're extremely sensitive to smell, you may want to avoid Hanyul.

It's recommended that you use approximately 2cm's worth of product per use but I usually use less than that as it foams up really easily and really well. I like to massage this product all over my face so that it fully cleans off any dirt, pollution, oil and sweat that may be on it.  During this time, the herbal scent of the cleanser really relaxes me. The foam washes off easily. My skin feels really clean and soft after using this cleanser. It doesn't feel stripped of moisture but it also doesn't feel like it added moisture. I find that my moisturizers absorb easily after using this product. Over time, the longer I use this product, the less clogged pores I feel on my face. I'm really satisfied with this product.

I don't recommend anyone to use this to clean off base makeup though. Usually cleansing foams are too gentle to remove heavy duty things like base makeup. Foundations and BB creams should be properly removed with a cleansing oil or a cleansing cream first.

The Good:
- removes impurities really well
- doesn't stripe my skin of its moisture
- lathers really well
- rinses off easily

The Bad:
- may be only available online for people outside of Korea

Overall

I found this cleanser to be the perfect balance between cleansing and moisturizing for me. I have really enjoyed this cleanser and I'm ready to order the big size. In my preference, I like this more than the Sum37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick because I feel that it cleanses my skin better.  The Sum37 Miracle Rose Cleansing stick is still a very nice product and I would recommend it over Hanyul Pure Artemisia Cleansing Foam to people with really dry skin as I do feel that Sum37 is more moisturizing.

Btw: I have dry - combination skin.

4 comments amore pacific, Aritaum, care, cleanser, cleansing foam, cosmetics, hanyul, Korea, Korean, Seoul, skin, skincare

Restaurants in Seoul: Gril5Taco Hongdae

A few weeks back, I was skimming through some food pictures on instagram and I stumbled on this delicious fries platter. I asked the poster for the location, and to my delight, the restaurant is right here in Seoul - in Hongdae. I love Mexican fushion food - I've probably never had truely authentic Mexican before as it's hard to find, but I've always enjoyed the fushion options available.

The restaurant that I went to is called Grill 5 Taco. The sign says Grills but I've also heard it being refered to as Grill5Taco.

They have two floors for indoor dining, and a few tables set up outside.

The music is quite loud inside but it adds to the youthful and hip atmosphere. 

If you have trouble finding it, it's right across from The Design Museum - I've never been in there but it looks interesting. Grills is located on one of the smaller streets. It's not close to the main Hongdae street. It's best to GPS it beforehand.

On the outside, you can see their menu. Here's a sneek peak of the inside. I didn't feel right taking pictures inside because I really want to respect the other diners' privacy. You have to order at the front, then they give you a little round thing, that buzzes off when your food is ready. You have to get your own forks, knives, and napkins from the little stand. You also have to take your trash and tray back to the stand when you're finished. It's kind of like a fast food restaurant but with better atmosphere and pricier dishes.

Because, I couldn't handle the loud music (I'm getting old!), I sat outside - which was great because instead of sitting on a metal chair, I was able to get a cool low table and cot chairs. Thursday Island is a clothing brand. They might be doing a collaboration. I'm really not sure but there was this projector outside.

There as also this little room called Mr. Beau's Room where you can walk in and check out the things Thursday Island has to offer and a photobooth. The photobooth is there for a facebook event. 

I ordered the Short Ribs Burrito and the Seoul Fries. It took close to 20 minutes for the food to arrive. I think it was during their busy time. The burrito was smaller than I had imagine but it was so incredibly delicious!!

Seoul Fries: a bit of kimchi, bulgogi, onion, and mayonnaise.

I think the Seoul Fries were about 10 000Won (around $10 U.S.D.)

Would I go back again? Absolutely. I wasn't thrilled with the wait time but the food was great and I love the patio atmosphere.

2 comments burrito, food, fries, Korea, Mexican food, restaurant, Seoul

Korean Beauty Haul #3

IHi everyone! Long time no post. Today I have a collective haul post for you. Living in Korea is great if you have control but if not - watch your wallet or stop watching YouTube and reading blogs!

I post up my hauls to give you shopping suggestions but please feel free to request a review on anything in this post!

Innisfree Mineral BB Cushion - remember in my first haul I picked up the refill? It turns out it can't fit it in the Hera case so I had to get one with the Innisfree case. I think this is now discontinued as I can't find it in the stores anymore. They've replaced it with two newer versions: Water Glow and Long Lasting. I'm tempted to give the Long Lasting version a try as Korea's humid summer is coming and I'm desperate for something that won't slide off my face.

Pure Heals Propolis 90 Ampoule - I've been seeing this product around on blogs but I couldn't find it in Korean stores until I happened by shop in Seoul Station. It was pretty affordable at 14 000Won (around $14) so I picked it up.

The Face Shop White Tree Snow Exfoliaating Foam Cleanser - I forgot my cleanser when I went to Busan and The Face Shop was having a sale so ... I bought it. The exfoliating bits are like soft sand and it smells good.

Etude House Face Conditioning Cream - I saw Bubzbeauty rave about this on her April Favorites video. I really trust her reviews so I had to this out.

Tony Moly Nutra-Energy Essence - I really love the Miracle Serum in this line but since Summer is coming soon, I wanted to try the essence.

The Face Shop Super Perfect Sun Cream SPF 50 +++ - gotta have sun cream for the sunny summer weather. I plan to be outside a lot. 

V21 Volume Brightener x 2 - I saw this on Filia's blog (mysugarcoffee.blogspot.com). She raved so highly about it that I had to get it.

Banila Co. Prime Primer Hydrating - I'm sure that most of you are familiar with Banila Co.'s famous primers. They claimed to be the #1 best selling primer in Korea last year. I'm not sure about this year as Korea's always coming out with newer and better things. I've decided to give the Hydrating version a go. So far I'm really liking it. It doesn't have that silicon feeling at all!

3CE Creamy Lipstick in #9 Kitsch Biker - this was a gift that came with a Vogue Girl magazine. It's a hot orange based red lipstick.

Tony Moly Cristal Blusher #12 Pink Heart (핑크하트) - I heard this was one of their best selling colors so I had to try it out. I've about six of these blushers and I'm pretty satisfied with the quality.

Tony Moly Perfect Eyes Gel Fit Waterproof Liner in #7 Black - I tried this out in the store and was blown away by it's durability. I've been using it everyday since I got it - super impressed.

Missha Flower Bouquet Cherry Blossom Cleansing Oil - I really enjoyed my 30ml sample of this so I got the big bottle now. Sadly, they've changed the packaging and made the entire bottle pink. I prefer the previous packaging much more. (Not in the picture).

Missha The Style Green Tea Lip & Eye Makeup Remover - no reason, just a random purchase!

Aritaum Fresh Essense Mask - these are my favorite paper masks in Korea. They had a 1 + 1 sale so I bought 18. I've already used a few.

Etude House Moistfull Super Collagen First Trial Set - this line was released recently by Etude. It comes with the Ampoule Essence, Cream, and the CC Cream. So far, I'm really enoying everything!

Mise En Scene Perfect Repair Hair Treatment - I used a sample of this during my trip. After I blew dry my hair, it was so incredibly shiney. I went out to buy it the moment I landed back in Seoul.

Mise En Scene Perfect Repair Serum - I think this is the new version of Mise En Scene Damage Serum. It was on sale for 50% of so I picked it up. I'm really looking for products to make my hair shiney these days.

Writting this post really made me realize that the amount of shopping that I do is too much. There are so many cosmetics stores in Seoul that I tend to collect a few items each day. I see the stores everywhere I go. Literally everywhere - subway stations, shopping areas, streets that it's really hard to refrain myself especially during sales. 

I hope you enjoyed my haul post and please feel free to make a review request!

8 comments 3ce, bb cushion, hair, haul, Korea, korean beauty, lipstick, make up remover, mise en scene, missha, pure heals, Seoul, The face shop

Korean Cosmetics Haul: Nature Republic, The Face Shop, Innisfree

When makeup brands have sales, it's usually around the same time. It's like a huge competition for them and it makes my wallet a whole lot lighter. So when Nature Day happened at the same time as the The Face Shop and NYX happened to be on 70% off clearance (which makes it the same price as you would get it in the States. NYX is ridicolously marked up here) I had to pick some stuff up.

Mise En Scene 3NT DARK CHOCO HELLO! BUBBLE FOAM COLOR - I've used this before.  It's really easy to use and the color goes on evenly and lasts for a long time. It comes with a color packet, container, pump, plastic gloves, plastic cape, hair mask pack, and essence oil.

2x Nature Republic Forest Garden Chamomile Cleansing Oil: This had the Get It Beauty sticker on it and the sales assistent said it is soothing for skin. I've been waiting for Nature Day to get this as I have just ran out of my Shu Uermura Ultim8.

The Face Shop Lovely me:ex blusher in #5 Pink Affair - it was just too cute to pass up. The color shows up as a slightly cool-tone pink.

Nature Republic Angel Lip Balm in #01 Peach Tint Balm and #02 Cranberry Tint Balm - What a lovely name. Nature Republic always gets me with their sweet names. I bought #2 first because it was the only color the store had. After putting it on, I got so many compliments on my lips that I went for a hunt in Myeongdong for the more natural #01 Peach Tint Balm. They leave an awesome long lasting stain on the lips and feels quite moisturizing. Simply amazing.

Nature Republic Botanical Stick Highlighter - This was a total impulse buy. I swatched it on my hands, it gave a nice glow and it blends really well.

Innisfree Melting BB Cushion Refill: I'm not sure if this will fit into my Hera Air Cushion case (it doesn't) but its worth the try. I'm tired of having cases everywhere. I've heard many good things about this BB Cushion and I can't wait to try it.

NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee - I wanted to like this color but nudes just don't go well with my fair skin at all.

3 comments bb cushion, blusher, cranberry, hair dye, haul, highligher, Innisfree, Korean cosmetics, lip balm, lip gloss, lip tint, mise en scene, Nature republic, nyx, peach, Seoul, shopping, The face shop

Recent Interest: Crazy IPad Editing

Recently, I've developed a hobby for photo editing. These are some of my most favorite pictures. If you'd like to see more feel free to follow me on instagram. My instagram id is: chrissieblogs  ^^

Heywha, Seoul, Korea

Gwanghwamun, Seoul, Korea

Insadong, Seoul, Korea

Leave a Comment art, creative, gwanghwamun, heywha, hobby, insadong, Korea, pictures, Seoul, tour, travel, traveling

Review: Nature Republic AQUA Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream

Nature Republic's Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream has been a recipient of the Allure's 2011 award. Based on this award, I decided this must be a cream worth considering. I bought this about two months ago and have used it for everyday since. I love this cream.

Claims: "Super Aqua Max' Aqua Moisturizing cream contains rich minerals rom deep sea water and 30 kinds of pure mineral plants, delivering immediate hydrated purification. It works on the silicone gel network system, to create a thin protective film that prevents environmental damage. The natural moisturizing factors provide continuous hydration to your combination skin."

- This is from the english prints on the side of the box that housed the jar of cream. I am glad that they have english on the box as I can't read Korean. They also have some words in Chinese and Japanese.

Performance: This cream spreads easily and provides a nice cool sensation (not minty). It's fresh floral scent is relaxing and not overbearing. It has made my skin look healthy and glowy for the last two months. I currently reside in Seoul, and the weather here is becoming dryer as the winter season begins. This cream has kept my skin hydrated.

I cannot vouch for the effectiveness of having 30 mineral plants in the ingredients nor the goodness of other sea water, I just know that this cream has performed really well this past two months and did everything I expected a good cream to do.

What I love about it: It has a light fresh and floral fragrance that I can't really describe and it absorbs easily into the skin as if you had pat it with water. Some other cream will leave you with an oily sheen, but this is not like them.  I love the smell of it so much that I look forward to applying this.  It gives me a temporarily cooling feel, as if I am receiving a facial in a spa. The smell along with the feel makes application of this cream very relaxing.

What I don't love about it: Almost nothing, other than it not lasting very long which is not the cream's fault. I tend to apply this cream very liberally on my face and neck. One jar of this cream lasts me two months. If you apply just a careful amount, it may last you longer. 

* Update * Although I still love this cream for the fall and winter, I find it too heavy for Korea's humid summer. In fact, Nature Republic actually came out with two new ICE creams for the summer to replace this product.

Price: 10950 Won for 80 ml. (Around $10 US.)

Texture: As you can see from the picture above, the cream is slightly minty tinted. Fear not, the colour does not transfer onto your face (even if it did, it would probably just minimize redness - as green counters red). It applies clear and spreads easily. The more you spread and massage the cream into your skin, the more watery it becomes. 

Availability: Nature Republic is a Korean brand and is not easily available for the world outside of Korea. However, I think you can purchase it on eBay (although, like with all products purchased on eBay  you should be careful). If you are in Seoul Korea, Nature Republic is everywhere, from subway stations to subway exits. They often have 30-50% off "Nature Day" sales as well so you should look out for that. So far I have never seen this cream go on sale, probably due to its popularity.

Rating: A+

This is definitely one of my favourite purchases. It is an amazing product. I highly recommend this to people who love fast absorbing- non oily film - fresh floral scent creams.

7 comments favourite, hg, Korean, moisturizer, Nature republic, Seoul, skin care