[REVIEW] Innisfree Jelly Tint #3 Orchid Lavender and #4 Sour Grapefruit

One of the main reviews I started blogging was to provide useful information to shoppers and beauty enthusiasts out there. As someone who rarely buys anything cosmetics without reading about it first, it's only right that I contribute back to this community.  As a beauty blogger, writing reviews on products is something I love, love, love doing. However, there are quite a few occasions where I have to bring myself to write honest, bad reviews on things I didn't enjoy and this is one of those products.

I'm the type of person who will apply on makeup and not look in the mirror for the next 5 hours. Now do you see why I need smudge proof liner and lasting lip products? I cannot be trusted nor have the patience to deal with things that are high maintenance. This is why I avoid bold lipsticks. However, bold lip tints that lock and stay in place? I need those. Lip tints are probably one of my favourite types of makeup. Today, I am reviewing the Innisfree Jelly tints. I must be on a lippie kick these days because I'm accumulating more lip products than I can ever use. These guys come in tiny sizes of 3ml for 6 000 Won (around $6 USD).  

The two colours I picked up are #3 Orchid Lavender and #4 Sour Grapefruit.

#3 Orchid Lavender - this isn't very pigmented and wears better as a gloss with a slight bit of colour

#4 Sour Grapefruit - this is much more pigmented and opaque than #3. It's a very warm, wearable red.

If you look closely, the shimmers in #4 (top) are very visible. #3 (bottom) swatches like it's got a bit of colour but on girls with pigmented lips, it's not really going to show up at all. 

TEXTURE
These have a very slippery liquid thin feel to them. It spreads easily because of it's liquid consistency and doesn't tug nor patch up.

SCENT
Fake, lemony dishwasher soap scent.

PERFORMANCE
The performance of this product varies from colour to colour. #3 was very light, not opaque and definitely did not leave any tint behind. #4 was more opaque, more difficult to control and the shimmers it left behind was much more visible. For tints, these certainly don't last very long. I'd say it's on for around 2-3 hours before disappearing. They rubbed off easily onto cups.  Both colours had the same slick, slippery feel and the over powering lemon dishwasher soap scent. While these were on, they felt pretty moisturizing and nice. However the moisture doesn't sink into the lips and when they wore off, my lips felt a tad dry.

I like to use #3 when I just need a quick gloss of colour because that's what it reminds me of - a light slick gloss with just a teeny hint of colour. The gloss doesn't make my lips look greasy nor oily, just shiny. #4 isn't really my colour because of it's warmth so I don't reach of it often. Not to mention, I'm not fond of the very visible shimmer it leaves behind when the gloss wears off. It just looks like I've got glittery bits on dry lips.

OVERALL
I don't usually dislike Innisfree products but I'd say give these a skip. They're not long-lasting, moisturizing, nor pigmented. The pigmentation, performance of the colours differ from colour to colour so it's rather unpredictable. There are tons of tints out in the market that are better.

2 comments cosmetics, Innisfree, lip, review, tint

[REVIEW] Origins Bestsellers Set + Bite Beauty Kir Royale Swatches (250 point reward)

Oh Sephora, how you tempt me so with all your fabulous holiday gift sets.

As I've been quite preoccupied the past month, one of the things I've neglected was skincare. As a result, I didn't notice that I was running out of everything - eye cream, moisturizer, cleanser, etc. So when browsing Sephora one night, I saw this skincare set. It had everything that I needed so I didn't hesitate in making a purchase. 

The Origins Bestseller Set retails for $42 USD / $50 CDN (and is said to be of $100 USD / $125 CDN value) on Sephora.com - just enough to also qualify for free shipping!

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Leave a Comment Bite Beauty, cosmetics, haul, Origins, sephora, skincare

[REVIEW] Too Cool For School Art Class By Rodin

Hi everyone, you might have seen this bad boy around everywhere recently. It's the Too Cool For School Art Class by Rodin [contour kit?]. I saw it in numerous places but I think what really got me was Ssin's stamp of approval. As I've mentioned in my August Favorites post, I've recently gained a bit of weight - around 10 to 15 - to be exact and I've been using the Clio's Apple Bronzer to contour and make my face look less puffy.  While the Clio's Apple Bronzer makes an quick and obvious difference, this product does not. I will explain why.

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Leave a Comment blog, cosmetics, Korean, makeup, review, too cool for school

Experience Hauling from Sephora Online and What I Purchased

One of my sleepless nights lead me to browsing on Sephora. I haven't shopped there in a while because I was noticing a trend - I was never reaching for any of the makeup I buy from Sephora. This is because of two things:

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2 comments cosmetics, haul, sephora

[REVIEW] Innisfree Glow Liquid Shadow

Innisfree ~ 9 000Won

What’s unique about this product is that it is one of the first liquid eyeshadows to hit the “drugstore” market. I know that just in the last two years, many of the higher end brands, such as Dior and Georgio Armani, have came out with their own liquid eye shadows. These liquid eye shadows have been quite a hit amongst consumers. Korean make up trends and products usually quickly follows any type of hypes so I knew it was just a matter of time before liquid eye shadows would start appearing in the Korean market.

Have you watched the KDrama Warm and Cozy? It takes place on Jeju Island and these lady divers remind me of the ones in the drama!

From the side: the tip of the applicator is tilted. It allows for easy application and control.

The back of the applicator - it's wider than the side.

There are five colors in this range and they are all inspired by the earthly beauty of Jeju - for example, the rocks, water, greens and so on. Jeju is an island at the very southern part of Korea. It’s known for it’s lush natural beauty and is the source and inspiration for all Innisfree products.

Dabbed

Blended Out

Swiped 

#1 is a cool tone champagne color. It’s inspired by the soft sand of Jeju. I usually see this product being dabbed and blended out to achieve a light layer of shimmer – that is very subtle and natural. However, I find that you can achieve an almost foiled look when you swipe it on and just gently blend it out. This creates a more dramatic shiney look that I feel is perfect if you want people to really catch onto your eyes without being in their face.  I really like to use this on the center of my lids on top of a matte eyeshadow to give my eyes more depth.

I've swiped the product on the centre of my lids and blended out the edges.

When this product is applied, there is an odd cooling sensation. It only lasts a few minutes but you can definitely feel it. I think this cooling sensation comes from the wetness of the product because the longer you wear this eyeshadow, the less shine it has.  Also, you have only a little bit of time to smudge the product out. Once it sets, it's won't budge.

Overall, I think this is a really versatile product. I really like that it provides a lot of shine without being sparkly. Just a little bit will give you a sheer, slightly shimmery base but swiped and you have yourself a little bit of glam. I am really glad to have #1 and I'm thinking of getting #5 too. I love Jeju Island and I love how these colors take inspiration from it. 

1 comment beauty, cosmetics, drama, eyeshadow, Innisfree, jeju, Korean, makeup

[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

[REVIEW] NYX Butter Gloss (Vanilla Cream Pie (BLG09) and Peaches and Cream (BLG 03))

"Butter me up with divine gloss that feels like it melts on lips."

Claims: "Buttery soft and silky smooth our scrumptious new Butter Lip Gloss tastes as sweet as a sugar cookie—and makes your lips look downright luscious. Swipe it on alone or over your favorite lipstick for creamy sheer to medium coverage that melts onto your lips and is never sticky." - source: NYX Website

NYX’s Butter glosses have been around for a while but I’ve just recently discovered the right colors for myself and I freaking love them. They take me by surprise because I’m not really a gloss girl but these have me converted.

They come in a wide variety of colors.  I originally tried this product in Merengue and I remember really disliking it – mainly because the color was unsuitable for me and also because the consistency was thinner and thus applied patchier than the two recent ones I’ve purchased. This time I chose Vanilla Cream Pie and Peaches and Cream and it’s these two colors that I will be reviewing today.

These butter glosses are so convenient to carry around because they are moisturizing enough to replace my lip balm and pigmented enough to act as a lip color. I have no problem applying these on dry lips and they hide rather than accentuate dry spots on my lips. They really do melt onto the lips like butter and they feel light on the lips as well.

At around $5 USD, they’re very affordable. Although I purchased mine at full price, they often go on sale at Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off at Ulta.

The applicator is slanted at the base which allows for precise application on the lips.

On my lips, they last about 3 to 4 hours (without eating) - which is decent staying time for a gloss. It’s definitely not a watery gloss. I feel like they have a base that really attaches itself on the lips and this is what keeps it on. Needless to say, it won’t be completely removed with a napkin.

                                                                                        

These are scented. They have a very sweet, sugary frosting scent. Unless you are very sensitive to scents, I don’t think you need to worry too much about it.  Personally I find the scent quite pleasant and after a few minutes I don’t even notice it anymore.

Vanilla Cream Pie is described as mauve on the website and correctly so. It has fair colour payoff but the consistency is lighter than Peaches and Cream. 

Peaches and Cream is described as a pink coral. 

BLG 09 Vanilla Cream Pie

BLG 03 Peaches and Cream

Overall, I recommend checking these out. Since there is a wide color selection, I believe everyone can find a color that is suited for them. Of the two, Peaches and Cream is definitely my favorite because the color is more flattering on me and the consistency is a bit thicker. Lighter colours tend to be more watery than the darker colors. 

If you check these out, please make sure to let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading :)

3 comments beauty, cosmetics, lip, lip gloss, lip product, nyx, reviews, western

Etude House Bling Bling Eye Stick Review

Going into Etude House always manage to turn a stressful day into a happy day. Perhaps it's the soft, powerful floral signature scent that wafts around or its sweet, pink, girly decor. There's just something about Etude House. Usually I head straight towards the new collection to check it out. They always have new things but other times when I've been in Etude too many times, I wander around to their permanent collections lines. That is where I found today's reviewed product.

Sometimes Etude House has the cutest packagings and sometimes it also has the most boring packaging and sadly this falls into the latter but never mind that because the actual product inside is pretty cool.  The Etude House Bling Bling Eye Sticks are simply eyeshadows in the form of a stick. There are around 5 or 6 colours from the permanent line although availability depends on each individual store.  I think the price was around 4 200 Won each.

I picked up two colours: #08 Ivory Baby Star and #10 Little Bear Star. They're both very wearable colours with a bit of shimmer and shine. I can wear these on a daily basis without people wondering if I'm going to a party. They're quick to apply in the morning or on the go. I'm not too fond of touching my eyes while I'm outside so these are perfect. Because they're sheer but buildable I can easily control how much colour I want to show up. They're great used on their own, as a base or to soften up a harsh eyeliner.

#08 Ivory Baby Star is a cool champagne colour with shimmer. I like to use this to brighten my eyes. The shimmer in this one is quite noticeable.

#10 Little Bear Star is a neutral bronzy brown colour. The shimmer in this one is not as noticeable as the shimmer in #08. It's a very easy to wear color.

Judging from the name of this product, you may think this is a very sparkly item. It's not. Despite it being called Bling Bling, I find that it's actually just a pretty shimmery item. The Aritaum Wannabe Longwear Shadow Sticks are much more sparkly. As you can see in the swatches above, these can be built up to a pretty opaque level. You may rest assure that no matter how much you apply, you won't look over done. 

Performance wise, these last pretty well on my oily eyelids. I see a bit of smudging by the end of the night but it's nothing serious as the colors are so wearable. I keep these two in my purse and I already have a backup :)

The Good:

• affordable
• easy to take on the go 
• very natural color range
• buildable
• long wearing

The Bad:

• boring packaging

If you have any questions about this product, please let me know! Thanks for reading ^^

Leave a Comment cosmetics, etude, etude house, eye, eyeshadow, Korean, makeup, review

[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

Missha The Style Green Tea Lip & Eye Makeup Remover

While I was in Missha picking up the Fresh Bouquet Cleansing Oil, I saw this and made a random purchase. I guess the words Green Tea appealed to me so I picked it up! This is one of those dual phase removers where you have to shake the contents to mix the liquids. It's half clear and half lime! When you pour it out onto a cotton pad, it's just clear.

Claims:

"Green tea lip & eye makeup remover helps soft cleansing, containing pure and fresh green tea extract."

- containing pure green tea extract, it removes impurities and makeup residues on the sensitive lip and eye areas, leaving your skin refreshed with its mild texture

- green tea extract with mild oil and abundant moisture leaves your skin moisturized

- containing mistletoe extract and portulaca oleracea extra, it helps reduce irritation while helps softly cleanse makeup on sensitive lip and eye areas.

- containing camellia extract and chamomile extract, it helps reduce irritations on the skin with a soothing benefit.

Price: 5 000Won for 90ml

Packaging: It's a funny shape bottle. It looks like a leaf from the top and it's super easy to hold because of that. After removing the lid, there's actually another stopper. It's a white, delicate bit of plastic so you got to a bit careful when removing it.

Scent: It has a soft, typical, sweet artificial smell. I can't notice it unless I deliberately bring my nose up to the bottle.

Performance: Honestly, since this was a spontaneous purchase, I had pretty low expectations for it. However, it really blew me away! I always wear waterproof and smudgeproof eye makeup (to prevent panda eyes) but this took everything off. After shaking to mix the liquids, I put a bit of this remover onto a piece of cotton pad, and hold the cotton pad to my eyes for about 30 seconds, when I removed the pad, almost all of my eye make up was off. I flip over the cotton pad, and massage gently to removed the remaining makeup. Then, all my eye makeup is off!

My eyes are really sensitive. Sometimes even water irritate it. This product did not cause any discomfort whatsoever. Even when it got into my eyes, it didn't make my sight blurry not did it sting. I'm really impressed.

This product feels like really light on my skin. It's not as oily as other removers I've tried in the past. It definitely didn't leave behind nearly as much of an oily residue as any of the other make up removers I've used before. My other favorites include: Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye and Lip Makeup Remover and the Innisfree Apple Juicy Makeup Remover. Those work really well but they do leave your eyelids with some oily residue.

Picture Time - gross, I know, but it's necessary to show the effectiveness of this product. 

On my eyes:

1. Aritaum Wannabe Longwear Eyeshadow stick

2. Maybelline Quad in Chai Latte

3. Physician's Formula eyeliner in purple and black - water resistant and smudgeproof

4. Tony Moly Gel Fit Eyeliner in Black - waterproof

5. Benefit's They're Real mascara

6. Kiss Me Long and Curl mascara - waterproof and layered over the Benefit's They're Real mascara

7. Iope BB Cushion XP - for the undereye area

The Good:

- light consistency

- no oily residue

- removed everything with ease

- affordable

- didn't sting my eyes

- didn't make my sight blurry

- Missha is against testing on animals

The Bad:

- green tea extract is only 1%. Although I really like this product, I do find this to be disappointing because the name is misleading. 

Overall:  I've tried a lot of make up removers, and this is definitely one of my favorites, simply because of the way it feels like water. It's like cleansing water that removes all kinds of makeup!  I highly recommend it!

3 comments cosmetics, green tea, Korea, Korean cosmetics, makeup, makeup remover, missha