Good Girls Wear Peach

I'm sure bad girls wear peach as well but today, I'd like to share with you my peachy-pink blush collection which includes one of my favourite blushes this month and my favourite blush of 2015. Surprisingly, I don't actually have as many blushes as I thought, especially since I use them daily! Blushes are as staple to me as eyeliner is to my eyes. My face can appear quite flat and round if I don't put some colour to it. Peachy pinks are something I pull out whenever I'm not sure what to wear so they tend to be part of my most used items.

The blush that spurred this post would have to be Essence's Good Girls Wear Peach blush. I've always heard good things about Essence blushes so I picked this one up a few months ago. It's part of their Limited Edition Good Girl Bad Girl collection. I don't enjoy posting about Limited Edition stuff but it seems that Essence release their collections over a large span of time so things that were released in Europe over half a year ago may be just released in Canada. I don't quite understand it yet but for reference purposes, I'm going to post my swatch today.

Essence Good Girl Bad Girl (Good Girls Wear Peach) - I believe this is the only blush in this collection. It's one of the most powdery blushes I've ever own. However despite that, it does have a nice colour pay off. It's a true muted peach shade that is hard to find in the drugstore.  I'm pretty pale so it adds a light bit of colour on my cheeks and give them a bit of definition but not enough where I'm screaming blush. I really like this colour but I'm not sure this will show up all that well on deeper skin tones. Essence should really have released another shade as well so that there's options.  GGWP wore beautifully and at the end of 8hr day, I could still see it on my cheeks. In pan there's a bit of shimmer but on swatches, the shimmers don't really show.

Etude House Cookie Blusher (#6 Grapefruit Jelly): This is my favourite blush in 2015 and I love it so much, I'm already contemplating on buying a backup despite not having hit pan yet. I've reviewed it in its own post here. Comparing it to GGWP, it's much brighter and have a lot more pink in it. It's also not powdery at all. 

Tony Moly Crystal Blusher (#3 Pleasure Peach): This is very similar to GGWP but with a bit of pink added in and also brighter. I've reviewed the all the Crystal Blushers I own in this post. The texture is drier and more powdery than Etude House but less definitely less powdery than GGWP. It's also very long lasting. 

I'm wearing GGWP  - it's just a light wash of colour that is hardly detectable. On the lips I have Too Face Melted Lipstick in Melted Peony.

Etude House's Grapefruit Jelly is still my favourite but if you ever come across GGWP, it's not a bad idea to pick it up, especially since it's only $3.50 CDN. 

12 comments blush, collection, essence, etude house, Tony Moly, too faced

[COLLECTION] Best of Beauty 2015

Stock Photo from PinkPot

2015 ~ It wasn't my best year. There were a lot of changes and transitions that really force growth. Even now, I don't know if there will ever be a moment when I won't be growing. I think that's just life. You face challenges, you meet them, and then you deal with it to the best of your abilities. While in the meantime, indulge in things that make you happy - which in my case is playing with makeup.

MAKE UP

On the beauty front, I really stuck with simple, easy things that I knew I could depend on.  Here are my beauty favourites of 2015. This is the first time I'm writing this type of post and I'm truly showing everything that I would genuinely repurchase if I ever use up. Many, many of the things are stuff I've shown before and if you ever ask me for recommendations, these are the things I would suggest.

Too Cool For School - Artclass by Rodin: It's become my go-to-contour palette this entire year. Neither too cool nor too warm, I think it will suit a lot of skintones. (Reviewed Here)

Clio Touching Apple Cheek: This is my second favourite for contour. Simple and quick, it gives me instant cheekbones - though it's not as long lasting as the TCFS.

Urban Decay Duo Shadow in Sin/Mushroom: I love this combination. Sin is amazingly natural, bright, and beautiful while Mushroom is warmer and taupe. It's just an easy duo to have and to throw into my purse when I'm traveling.

Etude House Surprise Concealer: My go-to for amazing coverage under the eyes. Got to keep those bags under control!

Essence Long Lasting Lipstick (Barely There): I highly recommend this lipstick range for anybody. It's a drugstore gem. (Shown Here)

Dior Addict Lip Glow: This goes into my work bag everyday - simple, moisturizing, and gives a natural tint of colour.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow 20E: Just about my favourite stick shadow at the moment. The colour is light neutral taupe.

Innisfree Ampoule Intense Cushion: It's really hydrating but not overly dewy!

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liner (Black Scotch):  I love this liner! It's seriously a great everyday special something colour. I see it on Sephora.ca so I guess, it's back this year? (Reviewed Here)

Tony Moly Peach Lip Balm: This is my favourite lip balm of all times. It's clear but really hydrating. I put it on before I sleep and in the morning I can still feel it. It smells really tastey too!

Dior Rosy Glow Blush: This is actually my second favorite blush of this year and every time I use it, I try to be really careful not to dent the design. My absolute favourite blush is Etude House's Cookie Blusher in Grapefruit. I've lost it somewhere though. 

Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer: This mascara primer out performs a lot of more expensive lashes primers.

Physician's Formula Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio: I've been using these for years and I still can't find anything better. They last really well and does not smudge on my oily eyelids.

Etude House Drawing Eye Brow Pencil: This is a simple slanted pencil that twists up. It's really cheap and easy to use. I've gone through many of these.

Darkness Eye Lash Glue: The best eyelash glue ever. It's got a wand tip that allows for more precision.

SKIN CARE

Missha Flower Bouquet Cherry Blossom Cleansing Oil: It gets everything off easily and doesn't leave my skin feeling dry nor irritated. (Reviewed Here)

Mamonde Lotus Mud Mask: This draws out clogged pores without feeling overly drying. In fact, after rinsing it off, my skin feels pretty nice. (Reviewed Here)

Aritaum Fair Smile Fermentation Lip and Eye Remover: This really gets even the most stubborn eye makeup off easily. (Reviewed Here)

Physician's Formula Ultra Nourishing Argan Oil: I love adding a drop of this into my moisturizer just to amp up hydration.

Scinic Snail Matrix Cream: This stuff is wonderful! I pulled it out after my skin began having really dry patches again. When I use this I don't need the Physician's Formula Argan Oil. (Reviewed Here).

Origins Ginzing Eye Cream: This eye cream has a bit of cooling sensation as well as a peach tint so it's great in the morning when I'm in a hurry but I'm also feeling tired.

Clarins Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate: Really light, hydrating, sinks in quickly and does not mess with my eye makeup. The only downside is that it's expensive. I've just been using this at night time to ration out the sample. 

Bother Pure-Fect Skin Gel Cleanser: Although it may seem like a runny clear gel, it actually lathers up amazingly and cleans my skin without stripping it. 

That's it for my favourites 2015! I felt almost a bit guilty pulling this list together after realizing a lot of the products are things I've reviewed but I hope you've found it helpful. I'd like to know, what are your favourite item of last year?

6 comments Aritaum, biotherm, bobbi brown, clarions, Clio, collection, Dior, etude house, Innisfree, Mamonde, missha, Origins, physician's formula, scinic, Tony Moly, too cool for school, Urban Decay

My Bronzer and Contour Collection

Finding a good contour shade is a true mission for any beauty enthusiast such as myself. I'm constantly on the lookout for the perfect shade that will give me those cheekbones. Part of the reason why its so hard is because we constantly use the words bronzer and contour interchangeably. It wasn't until I brought all my bronzing/contour stuff together that I realize there is a clear difference between something that's meant to contour and something that's meant to bronze. Bronzer to me is something that makes you look like you've got enough sun and contour is for creating shadows out of nothing.

Looking at my collection now, I can see what kinds of colours suit my skin and the shades I should gravitate more towards for future purchases.

Clio Touching Apple Cheek #05 Land Brown: This is probably my second favourite bronzer. It's the only cream contour in my collection and despite having a bit of red in it, it's cool toned.  I love how I can apply it without a brush. It's easily bendable - however over blending will lead to the product disappearing.  The only thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't twist up. Once I flatten the dome, its done.

Etude House Aloha (#02 Sun Pink/ Cherry Brown): I've made a dent in this product which is saying a lot. Cherry Brown despite its name is not overly warm nor cool and it's not too soft nor too powdery dry. With a gentle hand, it blends out easily and wears beautifully. I consider this a contour product. 

Nars Laguna Bronzing Powder (Mini Duo with Orgasm Blush): This is cult favourite is a beautiful warm brown with a golden sheen. It can add depth to the cheekbones but it will also add that golden sun kissed glow.

Tarte Off the Cuff Palette (Park Ave Princess): This is a highly pigmented warm tone bronzer. A little goes a long way! It's got a bit too much red for my liking.

Urban Decay Naked Flush (Native): Although I love the pigmentation and texture of this bronzer I'm not a fan of how it looks on me. My skin tone brings out the orange in this product which can result in me looking like an oompa loompa if I go a bit heavy.

Physician's Formula Nude Wear (Light Bronzer): When pictures of these cute little boxes were taking over Instagram, I went out and purchased this along with one of the blushes. However, this my least used bronzer. This product is meant to be used as a glowy bronzer to add that sun kissed look all over the skin. My skin's a bit pale for that to look natural so I rarely use this.

Tony Moly (#5 Brown Sugar): Although this is really too light to do any serious contour with, it's alright as a buffer shade. When I've got time, I add this first and then apply a darker contour shade on top. When swatching the bronzers together, I found that it's really similar to the Physician's Formula Nude Wear Bronzer.

Too Cool For School Contour: This is a really popular contour palette in Korea. The three different strips allow me to contour different sections of my face naturally. It's also cool toned which really suits my skin.

Phew~ I'm glad I finally have a post up again. Even though it's only been about a week since my last post, I really felt a void not doing this and it made me appreciate blogging so much more. Blogging  is an important creative outlet for me and the only space where I can really spend some "me" time-s selfish as it sounds. No one is ever kidding when they say "me" time is important, I'm just glad that I have that moment and also be able to contribute information to all the beauty enthusiasts out there at the same time. 

Thanks for reading my little blog. I really love interacting with you guys!

2 comments bronzer, Clio, collection, contour, etude house, Nars, physician's formula, tarte, Tony Moly, too cool for school, Urban Decay

My Mostly Korean Highlighter Collection

These days I've come to the realization that I will probably never finish any of my makeup before their expiration date and the only time I've seen pan was when my Wet n' Wild trios smashed. To be more mindful of what I currently own, I've decided to sort through my collection. I've decided to take pictures along the way to keep track of everything and to analyze what colours I tend to gravitate towards. 

Today I will be showing you guys my highlighter collection since it's the smallest collection out of all my cosmetics. Highlighters are beautiful but they're also something I always, always forget to use. Almost all of my BB & CC creams have a glow factor to them so adding highlighter on top tends to make me look like a grease ball. 

1. The Face Shop Lovely Me:ex (BR801): This was my very first highlighter and it used to be housed in a very bulky tin case. The Face Shop has repackaged this entire line with a clear, acrylic rectangular cases which are much more storage friendly and easy on the eyes. I believe this is now sold as #1 I Make You Brighter.  It is a beautiful, natural yet visible glowy highlighter that is more visible than the Tony Moly but less shimmery than the rest. It's similar to my skintone so it blends in really well. The texture is buttery soft, similar to how Urban Decay shadows feel. 

2. Urban Decay Flushed Palette (Native): This is very similar to but slightly warmer than The Face Shop BR801. Although I'm not  a big fan of the bronzer and am on the fence about the blush in this palette, the highlighter is definitely a winner. The tone of it is very similar to my skin so when I use it, it's really brings light onto my face without being visible as a product.  

3. Tony Moly Crystal Blusher (#16 Pink Bright): This my most natural highlighter and the only that  is matte.  It's very fine and soft. I've reviewed this product here.

4. Etude House Aloha V-Line Sim Maker (#02 Sun Pink/ Cherry Brown):  Sun Pink is very pretty but the only times I reach for it is when I use Cherry Brown (the contour half).  Etude House has discontinued the Aloha line BUT this product has simply been repackaged. It's now sold as the Face Designing V-Line Slim Maker and is part of their permanent collection. The design on it is not nearly as pretty as the one Aloha but the colours remain the same, Sun Pink and Cherry Brown.  Sun Pink is very pigmented and despite its name, it's got more of cool white than pink tone to it. I've reviewed the product here. 

5. The Body Shop: This is a shimmery blush that is part of the Leona Lewis Limited Edition 2013 collection. The white colour section is large enough to be used on its own as a highlight. The deer design on it was what made me purchase this product. It reminds me of Forest Spirit in the movie, Princess Mononke. As a highlighter, it's has a very beautiful pinky lilac iridescence to it.  Despite being so beautiful, I rarely use this highlighter as it's very stiff and tends to accentuate my pores.

I'm pretty satisfied with the highlighters in my collection. If I had to choose a favourite, it will probably be The Face Shop BR801 for it's natural colour and buttery soft texture. 

What's your favourite highlighter?

18 comments etude house, highlighter, korean makeup, The Body Shop, The face shop, Tony Moly, Urban Decay

Everyday Favourites: Autumn 2015

I'd like to say I'm a pretty simple person and even with my love for beauty, there are very few things I wear on a daily basis.  Today, I'd like to show you some of these things that I've been consistently gravitating towards this season. 

Victoria Secret's Victoria: Gone are the fresh, sparkling, fruity and floral scents of the summer and in comes the warm and musky scents that remind people of sweaters and hot cocoa. Victoria is by far one of the most unique scents I've ever smelled. Since I don't particularly have a good nose that can differentiate scents, this is saying a lot. Although it's still kind of fruity (Berry notes) and floral (Victoria roses) it's soften by the mix of warm note from creme brûlée creating a lovely autumn appropriate scent without being overly sweet.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 80 Creamy Beige: I'm sure you've all heard about the Maybelline Colour Tattoos. Creamy Beige is from their Leather Collection that's part of their permanent line. It's a nice, matte beige colour that I like to throw on just to give my eyes a bit more depth. I found out that I like applying this with a flat brush more than with my fingers. I just pat the colour on my eye lid and blend out the edges with a brush. When I apply this with my fingers, I find that the product sticks to my finger and tugs when I try to blend it out on the lids.

Etude House Surprise Concealer: This is an amazing concealer that doesn't get enough hype. It's got a doe foot applicator and blends like a dream. It's also really pigmented and affordable.

Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Barely There: Worn on it's own, this lipstick ages me. I'm sure that this is a beautiful MLBB on many people, but with my light skin tone, this is definitely a bit brown on its own. However, combined with soft brown smokey eyes and a nudey mauve blush, I look mature and put together and it's a look that really differs from my usual of pinks and fuchsias. I wore it in this MOTD.

Physician's Formula Ultra Nourishing Argan Oil: This has made such a difference in my skin that I think I'm really addicted. I add a few drops into my moisturizer during the day and during the night and it just leaves my skin super soft, hydrated, and supple. Reviewed here.

Random:

English Breakfast Tea (not in picture): As I was making myself a cup of tea, I realize that English Breakfast tea is something I enjoy having everyday. Orange Pekoe was my previous favourite but I've ran out of that so English Breakfast it is.

10 comments essence, etude house, favourite, maybelline, Perfume, physician's formula, skincare

[MOTD] Rosy Brown Lips with Essence's Barely There Lipstick

Nudes and browns have never been my color... or so I thought. I watched this Bubzbeauty video, and I was really inspired by her Mac Velvety Teddy lip color. It's hard to wear a brown lip color and pull it off on its own if you've got pale skin but I've discovered that if you combine the look with brown eyeshadow and contour, you can look really put together. 

I'm not confident that I will be wearing brown lipstick often enough to invest in a Mac lipstick, so I searched online for the next best thing which is Wet N' Wild Bare It All. That's unavailable where I live, so the next alternative is essence Barely There.

 This is actually my second time trying a brown lipstick and I'm so glad I did. The first brown lipstick I tried was a mauvey brown lipstick that looked horrible on my skin tone. It made me look so sick that I was just convinced that browns and mauves aren't for me. While mauvey browns still don't work for me, rosey browns do! Once again, I am reminded that colours work for everyone as long as you find the right tone. 

The camera is picking up slightly more pink than there is in real life. 

Essence's 06 Barely There is an excellent way for pale people to test the water with brown lipsticks and it would also make a nice natural, My Lips But Better color for people who have darker skin tones. The rosiness makes it look quite natural but the brown gives it a slight uniqueness. The essence Long Lasting lipstick formula is quite moisturizing and creamy. It's really comfortable and easy to apply which is really amazing. Despite the name, I would describe the staying power to be decent but not what I would call long lasting. On my lips, it does come off onto things like mugs and napkins and when it does that, it fades beautifully. 

I've actually recommended Barely There to a couple of friends before and both backed from it due to how dark the lipstick bullet looks. In the swatch below, you can see that Barely There is a nice and natural colour. Nothing to be afraid of. 

This is more true to color.  This lipstick has lovely pigmentation.  If you want to sheer the color out, you can apply it with a lip brush instead of directly from the bullet. 

Products Used

essence 06 Barely There, Tony Moly Circle Lens Mascara, Etude House Surprise Concealer, Maybelline Color Tattoo in 80 Creamy Beige, Innisfree Eco Gel Liner in Brown, Too Cool For School Artclass, Tarte Off The Cuff Blush Palette (dark mauve shade), Holika Holika Single Eyeshadow in SBK01 (not in photo)

While trying to create a brownish smokey eye, I fell in love with the Maybelline Color Tattoo in 80 Creamy Beige. It's a few shades darker than my skin tone and the edges blended out beautifully. It really created a soft base for the other darker browns I pat on top of it. I finished off the look with a brown liner instead of black to keep the eyes soft. 

About essence

In case you are unfamiliar with essence, it's a German company that has recently expanded into North America over the last two years. You can find it at Shoppers Drug Mart if you live in Canada. They have a wide range of cosmetics with nothing over $5. What's amazing about it is that many of their products are fantastic for the pricing. As with all brands there are hits and misses. The hits of essence would have to be their Long Lasting Lipsticks, lip liners, and silk blushes. 

Have you tried essence? If so, what are you favourite items?

* As usual, everything was purchased by me. Not a sponsored post. 

8 comments essence, etude house, Innisfree, lipstick, maybelline, motd, tarte, Tony Moly, too cool for school

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

[REVIEW] Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher in #6 Grapefruit Jelly

Etude House’s Lovely Cookie Blushers have been around for a while now and I’m sure you’ve seen them somewhere before. If the cute packaging isn’t enough to convince you why you need to purchase them already, this review will certainly do.

The Lovely Cookie Blushers have long been part of the permanent Etude House collection. As a result, there are 12 colors to chose from. The colors range from orangey peach to pinks to plums. The color which I’m reviewing for you today is #6 Grapefruit Jelly.

Normally I’m drawn to cool tone pinks as I find that they are most suited to brightening my face. However, I chose #6 after hearing that it is Pony’s (Korean Makeup Artist/Blogger) favorite blushers (her instagram is my reference). #6 Grapefruit Jelly is a soft, peachy pink.  It’s incredibly natural looking on my skin no matter how heavy I put it on. Safe to say, if I want to have that no-makeup makeup look, this would be my top pick for blusher.

According to their website, this product is:

“A blusher that supplies cheeks with vivid color for a peppy and gorgeous look by just light dabbing with the included lovely puff.
* The BEST pink blush in 2015 awarded by 'Get it Beauty'

- Blur effect: The unique powder that reflects shine to various ways to express bright skin color is used to deliver excellent application and delicate vivid colors.


- Long lasting: Sebum Control Powder tech is applied to absorb sebum to maintain fresh makeup and it contains Coating Pigment for long-lasting clear makeup.


- Lovely Puff: Fluffy cushion type puff helps blend and build beautifully to desired intensity.”

Although many people love the round plastic packaging, I’m personally not a big fan of it. It’s very cute, but it is a hassle to store. The curvature of the lid makes it impossible to stack them on top of each other so I much prefer the sturdy, flat packaging of Tony Moly’s Cristal Blushers. The frosted plastic of the curve lid also looks quite delicate so I’m pretty sure if I were to drop it, it would crack.

It comes with a cute little furry puff with an adorable pink ribbon. It’s housed inside the case with a plastic shield separating the poof from the blush.  Although I’ve stuck to applying this blush with my regular brushes, I’m sure this puff will be handy on the go. I haven’t actually needed to use it yet though because this blush has awesome staying power.

Formula

As you all probably know by now, I am a huge fan of asian cosmetics and this product just shows why. For around $5 USD, this blush is comparable is not better than all the high end blushes I've tried to date. So rather spending $30 on my next blush, I'd rather spend $5 and use the rest of the money to buy myself a meal (or more probable - more makeup).

 Colour 

This product is soft, blendable, and very fine. No matter how hard I swirl my blush in it, it doesn't seem to chalk up. True to its claim, it does create a blur effect on my cheek. It looks bright and sweet, yet very natural. I don't have to worry about applying too heavy of a hand because I can blend it out easily. I will also say this is quite long lasting on my cheeks - probably around five to six hours.

If you are wondering how this compares to the Tony Moly Cristal Blushers, the main difference that I see is that the Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher is softer, less dry and creates a more blurred effect than the Tony Molys but the Tony Molys' are longer lasting and come in a wider array of colours. I recommend blushes from both brands. 

L-R: Skinfood, Tony Moly, Etude House

Here are some of the colours, I found to be similar in pan to the Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher #6 Grapefruit Jelly.  Skinfood Cream Blusher (reviewed here) is more much pink based and dries down to a complete matte, Tony Moly #3 Pleasure Peach has an orangey undertone and it has a sheen over it which isn't prominent in pictures, and the Etude House #6 is completely matte with no sheen and looks as if it can blend right into my skin. I had to heavily swatch all of these blushers to make sure they appear on camera. 

If I had to pick a favourite among these three, the Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher is definitely my favourite because of it's natural blurry finish and colour. I highly recommend trying out this line of blushers from Etude House!

2 comments blusher, etude house

[REVIEW] Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner

Hello everyone, today I'm back with a requested review on the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner. This product has been around for so long that I'm sure everyone's heard of it before.  For me, it is one of those multi-purpose staple items that I love to use year round. The Wonder Pore line has many products in its range, but the Freshner is definitely one of their most popular items.

"I'm the Wonder Woman for Your Pores"

Claims: Total Pore Solution 7 in 1

• Deep cleanse pores
• Maintain ph 4.5+/- 1
• Control a large amount of the sebum
• Minimize appearance of pores
• Refine the skin tones
• Keep the elasticity of pores
• Moisturize inside and outside of skin

*I think recently, Etude House has revamped this product to create a new 10 in 1 instead of 7 in 1 (the one I'm reviewing).

The product comes in two sizes 250ml and 500ml. I purchased the 500ml for it's push top dispenser which the 250ml one does not come with.  The 500ml lasts me a really long time even though I use it morning and night.

The texture of this product is almost like water. It's not scented. 

I've been using this product for two years now and although I don't think it's the most amazing thing, I still really like it. Personally I haven't noticed much difference in the appearance of my pores after using this product. However, it has done an excellent job at keeping my skin fresh and clean after cleansing. After cleansing my face with a cleansing foam, I like to follow up with a cotton pad soaked with the freshner and just wipe it around my face to make sure all traces of makeup and cleanser is off. My skin feels noticeably cleaner when I do this. Although it's not particularly moisturizing, it does not dry my skin at all. I also like to use this when I have skin irritations. It's been great at clearing up any pimple that's about to appear and just really calms my skin down. I also own the little spray bottle to mist my face when I'm out

I highly recommend this product to anyone who has sensitive skin and/or looking for a basic toner. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

3 comments etude house

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

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.

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