[REVIEW] SKINFOOD ROYAL HONEY COVER BOUNCE CUSHION

Skinfood is known for their amazing skincare line. However, their regular cosmetics lines have never really impressed me. When they came out with the Snoopy collection, I just completely fell head over heels for their cushion case cover. Isn't it just adorable? To this day, it's still my favourite cushion case - it's just a bummer that none of my other Innisfree, Herea, Iope cushions fit into it.

There are only two shades for this product. I have #1 Light Beige.  15g came with the case and refills are purchased separately. I purchased my cushion from TesterKorea. Although the Snoopy packaging is Limited Edition, you can still purchase the Honey Cover Bounce Cushion in regular packaging.

SCENT

It doesn't have a scent. 

PACKAGING

The cushion puff that comes with this product is unlike any that I've used before. It doesn't feel like blue ones that comes with the the Innisfree/ Iope ones. How much product it picks up shows right onto the cushion whereas with the blue ones, I feel like products sink and sit inside the puff. The cushion itself also seems to release a lot more liquid than the Iope/ Hera Innisfree ones. I merely need to tap the surface and a lot of product seems to come out. There's actually a slight curvature in the actual cushion so it's slightly domed whereas the ones I've used before has always been flat. I like that the puff picks up a lot of product because that means I don't have to jam it in like I do with a lot of others cushion foundations. 

COVERAGE

I'd say that this has medium coverage. It's actually the most that I've seen from all the ones I've tried. The finish is a semi-matte.

PERFORMANCE

I have mix feelings about this cushion. Although it's got really nice coverage, it's not really all that hydrating and blending is a pain. Because the coverage is so high, edges need to be blended out otherwise you'd end up with an obvious cushion mark on your face. However, often the case is  I end up having trouble doing that. The product doesn't seem to want to mesh together, especially around my nose. I always end up having trouble covering the pores there because the product just sits on top instead of filling everything in. It's also not very hydrating which is good and bad. It's good because the product won't slide around but bad because it's so hard to blend. When the product sits on top of my skin, it can look really patchy especially around dry areas like my nose. At the end of the day, I usually have a bit of redness peaking out from my chin and around my nose.

OVERALL
I'd say skip this. There's so many cushions in the Korean market that does a heck lot better.

7 comments cushion, review, Skinfood, snoopy

[REVIEW] Snoopy Limited Edition Skinfood Royal Honey Good Moisturizing Cream

When Skinfood came out with the Snoopy Collaboration, I was so excited. It was actually this product that I saw first on Instagram of the collab. I can tell you, I was immediately in love with the packaging. Skinfood skincare has always done pretty well with my skin so I knew that it was a brand I could trust for my skin. Good skincare + super cute packaging = I needed it.

Skinfood Royal Honey Good Moisturizing Cream has been around long before the Snoopy collaboration but it was only with the adorable good packaging that I really paid attention to it. 

CLAIMS

"Free of 10: Mineral oils, methylisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone, benzoic acid, salicylic acid, silicone oils, talc, triclosan, triethanolamine, polyacrylamide"

100-hours of hydration 

I love it when products come sealed. It makes a world of a difference to me!

This product comes in a squeeze tube with 200g of product. I really love how it's in a tube form. Most of the creams I've been using lately have all come in a jar form. More often than not, I'm in a hurry or don't have a q-tip around to scoop products out. It's truly my pet peeve when I get cream underneath my nails. I'm just constantly thinking about contaminating the rest of the product even though I know I washed and dried my hands. This tube, although quite large, really allows me to squeeze the right amount out. 

TEXTURE

The texture of the cream is lovely.  It's not too runny where it will just ooze out of the tube without pressure nor is it too thick where it would get stuck in the tube. It's just perfect, it really is. When you touch it, it feels light, almost like a gel - cream and upon spreading, it becomes almost watery.

PERFORMANCE

Since I've been using only this product as my skincare since I got it, I feel comfortable giving a review on its performance. As a product that can be used on the body and on the face, I really wasn't expecting much. However, I have to say, I really, really enjoy this cream. It's a simple, hydrating cream and that is completely true to its name, Good Moisturizing Cream.  Previously I've been mixing argan oil in my moisturizer to keep my skin supple, however with this, there's no need to do that. Ever since I started using this cream, I haven't really needed anything else. The watery-cream consistency allows the cream to smooth out onto my skin easy and sink in right away.  It feels really light and gives me a sense of hydration right away. The only drawback is that there is an ever, so slight, barely noticeable stick to it when I apply it on my face. On my hands, it just sinks right in and disappears. It really leaves my skin feeling nice, moisturized and smooth which is amazing because it's winter in Canada right now.  It also does well under makeup. My BB cushion applies on easier and does not cake on top of this cream. 

Although its name includes the eye catching Royal Honey, it doesn't really say anywhere on the box how this will make the cream more effective. You'd think that if it's named after something, the ingredient should be somewhere near the top of the list. In this case, honey extract and royal jelly are actually somewhere in the middle of the ingredient's list. Despite this, the ingredients list consist of some really beneficial top ingredients which include Water, Glycerin, Olive Oil, and Macadamia Oil.  True to their brand name, Skinfood, skincare is essentially what your skin eats and it makes me feel good about using this product knowing that it's made with good things and without the 10 ingredients listed in the claims.

SCENT

The scent is the only downside to this product. It smells unpleasant.  Two people have confirmed with me that theirs also smell the same so I'm sure mine isn't defective. I've been trying really hard to pinpoint what it smells like and all I can say is, it smells like a farm + plastic. When the cream is first applied to the face, the scent is noticeable and it's not appetizing. It fades after 5 to 10 minutes but it's still something to consider if you're sensitive to smell. On the good side is that it means there were no added fragrances which we all know are not good for skin anyways. 

HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO THE ORIGINAL?

The original comes in 100g for 13 000 Won ($13USD - roughly) whereas with the Snoopy Limited Edition only 200g size is available for 20 000 Won ($20 USD).  Since they're under the same name, I would think they're the same product just in different packaging. Besides the difference in the appearance of the tube, I've also read in some reviews that the original is scentless.

OTHERS

There are actually a lot of products under the Royal Honey line. Here are some of their staples.

OVERALL

I really like this product for its mess free application. It's been gentle while super hydrating on my skin. With 200g of product, I can imagine that this will last me a while.  The only downside is the scent which is something to consider. I'm also curious to try other products in this line. Currently, I've got the BB Cushion to test out.

9 comments moisturizer, review, Skinfood

[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

August Favorites

August has been a relatively slow month but stressful month for me but I do have some favourites to share with you. Unlike my usual monthly favourites, this time around I will be including some of my non-beauty favourites as well. Enjoy!

Beauty Favourites

Skinfood Vita Water Drop CC Cream 
This CC Cream isn't new to the beauty world and it hasn't received a lot of love either. However, I really enjoyed it. The consistency is light and slightly runny and the coverage is light. It gives me just enough coverage to even out my skin tone while still allowing my skin to breath. It has SPF 35 PA+++ which is perfect for days when I don't want to wear sunscreen. 

Clio Touching Apple Cheek #5
Although it looks like you have to twist, you actually just have to pull to take the cap off. I forget this every single time! Sadly, what you see is what you get. The product doesn't twist up.  Salty and savoury food is my guilty pleasure and it bloats up my face and that makes contouring my new best friend.  I've been enjoying this product for its convenience - a few swipes along my jaw bones and a little blending is all it takes.  The color payoff is nice but it's easy to over blend it.

Maybelline Illegal Lengths (Waterproof)
Western mascaras don't usually work that well for me but this one was just awesome. It's been pretty good at holding curl and the fibre extensions really give my eyelashes the length it needs.  Some people say that this is similar to the Maybelline Lash Stilleto but I have to disagree. Although both mascaras have a similar brush and contain fibres, the Lash Stilleto's formula is wetter and provides more volume. As a result, it weighs down my eyelash curl. It also irritates my eyes, something the Illegal Lengths doesn't do.

Origins Spot Remover
Due to being under constant stress, a huge pimple appeared on my face. I applied this twice a day and noticed that the pimple popped on its own after a few days. Usually for large pimples like this, it would take a month or so to clear. I think this product definitely helped speed up the process. 


psssst! Instant Dry Shampoo
What's summer without a good dry shampoo? I've featured this before in a previous favourite and I still feel the same way about it.  It absorbs hair oil quickly, thus giving flat hair some volume.

Non-Beauty Favourites

TV Show: Destined to Love You  (Chinese Drama)

Look at Bosco Wong's serious poker face. It's quite hilarious how he's able to maintain it  when all the other squad members are fooling around. 

My goodness, Chinese dramas have recently really stepped up their game.  The story is set in the late 1910's Shanghai at a military academy. The main heroine is a circus performer (Joe Chen) who steals the identity of Xiao Han (an instructor). There were so many aspects of this drama that I enjoyed. The rich and vibrant backdrop to the story is amazing and visually stunning. I loved both the full colours that were incorporated into each scene as well as the characters' costumes.  Another thing I love were the characters (besides the villains of course). I suffered from major second lead syndrome in this drama. I think Bosco Wong did a great job portraying the very reserved Shen Wen Tao.  There was also so much love in this drama - not just between the leads but also among the side characters and the good nature bromance amongst they squad members (whom all looked very dashing in their uniforms).  If you're getting tired of Korean dramas, Chinese dramas are a refreshing change! The only problem is that I couldn't find all the episodes fully subbed. I had to watch the later half only partially subbed.

Game: Cookie Run

Cookierun is addictive like many repetitive cellphone games. There are many cookies and they have their own unique skills. You have to jump and dodge obstacles. The longer you run, the more points and coins you can collect. These cookies are the cutest. In the past year, new stages and episodes have been added. However, the overall objective of the game has remained the same - to get out of the oven. If you're just starting out, I highly recommend you to look for the secret codes online to get free crystals.  You need a Line account to play. 

Leave a Comment Clio, favorites, games, Korean, makeup, maybelline, Origins, shows, Skinfood

Skinfood Rose Essence Soft Cream Blusher Review in #2

If you're a regular to my blog, then for sure you would know by now that I'm nuts over the Skinfood 2014 Spring collection. The blush that I'll be reviewing today is the blush that got my eye at the beginning. Although I had my doubts, in the end I got it.

Skinfood's Rose Essence Soft Cream Blushers come in six colors ranging from baby pinks to nudes to bright fuschia pink. They are a slightly moist cream consistency in the pan and blends out ot a matte finish. 

Disclaimer: this is my first cream blush. 

Swatches of Other Colors:

Packaging:

They are housed in a small pink plastic compact with gorgeous rose designs. There's also a large mirror on the inside which makes this product extremely easy to apply on the go. I use clean fingers to dab and blend out the product on my cheeks.

Wear Time:

Compared to my other blushers, this definitely isn't the most long lasting but it is one of the most natural ones.  I would say this lasts around three to four hours on my cheeks when I use the Skinfood Rose Essence Moist Makeup Fixer. I notice that if I lightly layered another powder blush on top, the cream blush will lasts longer.

* I added more product to get the color to show up in the blended out picture

As you can see the color, is a very natural neutral pink. It's not as cool as the natural lighting picture would lead you to believe it is.

Performance:

Although, I was really enchanted by the packaging, I was also really nervous about having a cream product that is so widely exposed to air. With powder products, I can use a brush or disinfect the surface with alcohol from time to time but there's no way of doing that with a cream product. I was also worried that it will melt in the summer as the other Skinfood tin blushers are known to do. 

Clean and hygenic products are reallly important to me so I know that I probably won't be able to keep this product for as long as the other products. At the moment, I'm being very careful and only using this after I wash my hands.

The cream is really moist and soft so you have to touch it with a gentle hand. When I swirl my finger in it, you can definitely see the finger marks. I like to dab the product on my cheeks first and then blend it quickly. When it's blended out, it becomes a powder form. If the color is too sheer, I can easily build up another layer over it without it looking unnatural. It has worked well over my Hera UV MIst Cushion so far. When the color fades off during the day, I can easily touch up in the washroom and the color looks fresh again.

After first swipe

Scent: It has a light real rose scent.

Price: 8000Won

The Good:

- convenient

- pretty color

- decent color payoff

- easy to blend out

- buildable 

- smells nice

- pretty packaging

- natural finish

- soft

- affordable

The Bad

- unhygienic 

- might melt in the heat

- not super pigmented

Overall:

This product is lovely on the outside and on the inside. It's so easy to use and convenient to bring around. Because it dries matte and has no shimmers, it's also really naturally looking. So far, I'm happy with my purchase.

4 comments blush, cosmetics, Korean, makeup, Skinfood

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

Skinfood Black Sugar First Serum Gold Edition Review

For the 10th Anniversary of Skinfood's black sugar mask, they released a gold edition of both the First Serum and also the Black Sugar Mask. How cool is that? At the time of the released, I thought it was just a change in packaging so I didn't get it. Fast - forward a few months when I've finished my original bottle of First Serum, I purchased the gold edition set because I couldn't find the original version in store. I can't even tell you how surprised I was when I saw a tiny gold speck on the cotten pad. Gold Version = gold flakes - DUH! 

*Gold edition is also limited edition, I'm starting to see stores slowly run out of these and replacing them with the regular and original Black Sugar Perfect First Serum

Here is the box that the set comes in - looking awesome in it's gold and black packaging.

It comes with one box of special cotton pads (60 pieces), one glass bottle of the serum (120ml), and a mini plastic 30ml bottle, perfect for traveling.

The original 120ml glass bottle with the fancy lid.

It has a plastic tab to prevent leaking.

It comes with a box of cotton pads that they recommend you use with the product. The cotton pad is quite thick, which makes me worry that I might be wasting a majority of the product on the cotton pad and not on my face.

According to the box:

"- Wipe and pat skin."

"- using the cleansing side of the pad, gently "wipe" skin to remove dead skin cells and impurities.

- using the absorbent side o the pad, gently "pat" the skin to absorb the serum remaining on the pad. "

Although, I feel that some products are wasted on the cotton pads, I do feel that this cotton pad helps the effectiveness of the product. Try it with the cotton pad and try it without, and you can see and feel the difference.

Directions:

"Shake well before use to mix the particles with the serum."

"Use immediately after cleansing. Pour onto a cotton pad."

Performance:

I used the serum according to the directions above and saw immediate results. I could feel that my skin was cleaner and brighter. When I applied my skincare, I was surprised to see how much faster, my moisturizer absorbed. Over the next feel days, I could see that my skintone looked brighter and more even. When I touch my skin, it feels more even and smooth.  I remember I had similar results the first time I used the Original Black Sugar Perfect First Serum, and knew it was due to this product. It really does make a difference in your skin. I highly recommend it. 

The first time I poured this product onto a cotton pad, I was surprised to see a gold flake and then I thought "oh, there is one gold flake." I didn't expect the quantity of gold flakes in the product to be high. There were many times when I didn't even get one flake out. However, as I've finished at least half the bottle now, more gold flakes are coming down - like in the picture below, which made me realize that a lot of gold flakes must be stuck on the bottom. The harder I shake the bottle now, the more flakes come out. The gold flakes dissolve as you wipe the pad across your face and disappear. I don't know if the flakes actually make a difference to the effectiveness of the product because the product seems just like the original version (which didn't have the gold). It still bothers me every time I think about how many gold flakes must be stuck to the bottom of the bottle but we'll never knew either because the glass is opaque.

Scent: It smells just like the original Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First Serum, which is the light classic Black Sugar scent. 

Texture: It's very thin, almost like water. It's not sticky but you can definitely feel it at first. It aborbs quickly.

Ingredients: On the original version, the ingredients were printed on the side of the box but for the gold version, I couldn't find it.

Here are the ingredients for the original version:

Water, black sugar extract, alcohol, glycerin, butylene glycol, niacinamide, opuntia ficus-indica stem extract, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, lepidium meyenii root extract, sarcodon aspratus extract, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) fruit extract, cirus limon (lemon) fruit extract, pyrus malus (apple) fruit extract, tamarindus indica seed gum, lactobacillus/aspergillus/prunus mume fruit fermant filtrate peg-60 hydrogenated castor oil, arginine, ethlyhexlglycerine, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, adonosine, disodium edta, cellulose gum, sodium hyaluronate, phenoxyethanol, caramel, parfum.

I've bolded the ingredients that I recognize as potential irritants.  As you can see alcohol is the third ingredient which may be a concern for many people. Witch hazel and salicylic acid is usually used to treat and prevent acne prone skin. Lemon and orange extracts are usually used to brighten skin. I'm not familiar with what apple does. 

The Good:

- removes any remaining traces of makeup or dust

- exfoliates gently

- helps my skincare absorb noticably quicker

- makes my skin look glowly

- helps my skin look brighter

- my skin feels smoother

- less clogged pores

- not sticky

- light scent

The Bad:

- can't see how much product is left

- gold flakes get stucked in the bottle

- long ingredients list with a lot of potential irritants.

Price: I think this was 24 000Won whereas the original was 19 000. Keep in mind, this does come with a box of cotton pad and an extra 30ml mini bottle. 

* I believe the prices have gone up. The original is now 21 000 Won.

Overall: I think this is a great toner/serum. It's highly effective and it has worked lovely on my skin. If you can't find the gold edition, just get the regular. There honestly doesn't seem to be much difference besides the gold flakes. However, do check out the ingredients list before you make a purchase.

10 comments serum, Skinfood