[REVIEW] MISSHA M MATT ROUGE IN MBR01 MAPLE LATTE

A while back Missha collaborated with Line to create a series of really cutely packaged makeup products. I was so busy at that time that I completely missed out on it. Lucky, the colours from the collaboration was part of their permanent line. Though, not as cute, I've finally gotten my hands on Missha's Maple Latte in their original packaging. Remember my review on the Missha M Glossy Lip Rouge? The packaging is identical so it's got a friend now :) Although the packaging is mostly plastic, it's got a real sturdy feel and weight to it. It's one of those caps that you know you can count on not to fall off and make a mess in your purse. I also really appreciate that the lipstick twists all the way. No one want's lipstick all over the cap, especially a clear one.

 The colour sticker at the top shows the colour of the lipstick. 

and... also on the bottom of the lipstick. It's great if you store your lipsticks upside down. You'll know exactly what colour it is.

The bullet of the lipstick is pretty accurate in colour to the stickers and the swatches. Although it falls in the Matt categories of the Missha M lip rouges, it's got a bit of a cream finish. It dries down to a matte eventually though. 

Maple Latte is usually described as a pumpkin brown. I agree with it completely. It's quite warm with just a tiny hint of red, brown, and orange. However, the strangest thing is that in certain lighting, it pulls a slight mauve on me. I've seen this happen on Camera and the promotional picture as well. Where does the mauve come from?! Maple Latte is definitely more of a fall colour, though you can wear it year round. The warmth of the colours reminds me of Maple leaves and the name "Latte" reminds me of Pumpkin Spice Latte. None the less, it's a beautiful, wearable daily colour.  

With one swipe, there is pure pigmentation. I wouldn't say that the lipstick is moisturizing as it can tug just the slightest if you're lips are dry but it's not drying at all either. On my lips, it lasted pretty really well despite transferring onto napkins.

Overall, I really like this lipstick. The packaging is classy and sturdy, the colour is unique and the formula is great. I am definitely considering getting other colours from this line. 

1 comment Korean cosmetics, lipstick, missha

[SWATCHES] MISSHA EYE FIT SWATCHES: FRENCH ROASTING, MOCHACCINO, COCOA DRIZZLE AND SPICE WOOD

A few months back, I purchased 3 of the Missha Eye Fit Stick Shadows, well... I've just purchased four more. These are seriously amazing and great for the daily person on-the-go. Just throw these in the bag, no need for brushes or sharpeners. These are so smooth and long lasting that at this rate I might just need all the colours.

I find these really convenient as they're easy to use and also very long lasting. They don't budge on me nor do they tug! If you want to read my original review, please click here. 

Source: Missha U.S.

Since my previous review, I've noticed that they're now selling this on the U.S. Missha website. There are some colours on here that I didn't see from the Korean websites. I purchased mine from Testerkorea.

Source: Missha U.S.

The four colours that I purchase are: Spice Wood, Cocoa Drizzle, French Roasting, and Mochaccino.

I really like how the colour is on the end of the pencil. I store them upside down so that I know which colour I want. Did I mention these are twist ups? No need for a sharpener!

French Roasting: a matte dark brown

Cocoa Drizzle: A soft coffee brown with noticeable gold glitter

Spice Wood: a warm tone brown with slight sheen

Mochaccino: a cool tone gold -brown with slight sheen.

My thoughts on these haven't changed at all from my original review. They're amazing, budget friendly and out perform all my other shadow sticks. HIGHLY recommend!

1 comment eyeshadow, korean beauty, missha

[REVIEW] MISSHA EYE FIT STICK SHADOW

Hi everyone, it's been a while since my last blogs but I'm glad to be back with a review of something I've been really enjoying. Back a few months ago, I hauled a MISSHA Eye Stick with my Snoopy haul. I was a bit disappointed with the color that I choose because it was a good deal warmer than the promo picture.  HOWEVER, I actually came to really like the actual product and since then I have purchased two more to review!

I don't usually use eyeshadows because my eyelid space isn't that large and I don't really know how to work eyeshadow nor have the time to figure out the whole contouring thing. However, eyeshadow sticks have been a huge time saver! Although, I'd say I've used quite a few from different brands, these have definitely been my favourites.

The Missha Eye Fit Stick Shadows are incredibly pigmented and creamy. While I've started out with a shimmery shade, SVL01 Dry Lavender, I really appreciate that they've also got matte shades which are equally as creamy and pigmented.

PRICE

5 800 Won ~ 1.3g

PACKAGE

In terms of packaging, Missha has done a really good job matching the ends of sticks to the actual colour inside. I also love how it's a twist up. However, the lid does not close tight. It feels almost like it doesn't sit right. It's similar to how the NARs lip crayon packaging where you kind of just shove the lid on top. I have a major issue with this kind of packaging because I usually end up cracking the lid from pressing it too hard onto the pencil.

The tips of the pencils are rounded which makes it really soft and easy to glide all over the lids. 

COLOURS

MBR01 MAPLE HONEY: A cool tone, tan brown.

MBR02 SAND CASTLE: A matte, pinky brown (reminds me of Etude House BR401)

SVL01 DRY LAVENDER: A sparkly, warm tone taupe with pink shimmer. It's slightly got a hint of purple. Although the promo picture reminds me of Wet n' Wild's taupe in Silent Treatment, in reality it's nothing like it!

OVERALL

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much when I first purchased this because Missha products are either hit or miss and these were pretty much dirt cheap. However, these truly impressed me. They glide on like butter (smoother than anything I've used so far) and with pretty solid colour payoff. After application, they can still be smudged and they're not completely budge proof if I rub my eyes, but if I don't touch my eyes, they stay really put. These factors make these my go - to shadows for everyday. I really appreciate how these have a variety of matte, shimmer, and glitter shades. I really recommend these! They make getting ready so much faster and easier.

5 comments eye, eyeshadow, makeup, missha, review, stick

[REVIEW] Missha Perfect Cover B.B. Cream

I've been a BB cushion user for the past three years, yet with the arrival of more and more types of BB cushion, I find myself falling off the wagon. There's just too many types and I find the temptation to collection them all a serious issue - which is why I'm just hopping off and going back to the plain old bb creams. I don't think I'll ever stop using BB cushions because they're great for on the go, but the amount that I buy and the rate that it dries are factors I need to consider before I decide to go ordering every single type because really, now almost every brand has one now.

With over 30 million tubes sold, it's easy to say that Missha Perfect Cover B.B. Cream is one of the most famous of all BB Creams. Is there anyone who hasn't heard of it? Seeing that it's still selling well up to this day against newer and younger competition, I decided to give it a try. The great thing is that Missha offers smaller versions of their BB creams so I was able to get a 20ml tube for 7 700 Won (~$7 USD). The full size is 50ml and comes with a pump. 

Although, originally Missha only offered two colour choices, 21 and 23, they now offer 5 on their US Website. I've used their Signature BB Cream before and I find 21 the perfect shade for me so I just stuck to that.

CLAIMS

Source: Missha U.S.

TONE AND CONSISTENCY

Missha is infamous for their grey-tone BB creams and the Perfect Cover B.B. cream is a perfect example of this. Although #21 is a relatively good fit for my skin tone, I still find it to be too grey. It does look brightening but remember to match it with your neck! The consistency is really light but not overly liquidy at all. It's so light and smooth that I can apply this on with my fingers without creating streaks or uneven distribution.

COVERAGE

I would say that this is light to medium coverage. In both pictures (above and below) I've got one layer on. Due to its light consistency, I did find it to be buildable. 

PERFORMANCE

Since Missha's  Perfect Cover B.B. Cream is known for good coverage I really didn't expect it glide onto skin but it did. There wasn't any resistance and I was able to blend everything out with my fingers. It felt moisturizing but it wasn't greasy and it also didn't clump up over dry patches. It really didn't feel like I've got anything on my face as well. I was so amazed by it that I was going to order the full size right away. With just one layer (see picture below), it gave me light to medium coverage. If I wanted more coverage, the product was buildable.  You can still see my acne scars after one layer but it's not jumping out.  The finish was really natural as well - a semi-matte. I've still got the natural glow but I'm not looking greasy. With the exception of dark spot correction (because it's too early to say), I would say that this product really does what it claims.

At the end of night however, the product started showing - not due to oil but due to dryness. Around my nose, my laugh lines, the wrinkles on my forehead, product had dried and sunk into the lines. Not only that but it also clung onto dry patches. It's not too noticeable unless you're up close but it's different from the undetectable finish that it had originally gave. It probably looks particularly dry because the weather has been dry here. If you're in a country of humid climate, results may be different.

INGREDIENTS

Source: Missha U.S.

OVERALL

I think this is a great B.B. cream. I enjoy how it applies and looks when it's fresh. I'm probably going to save it for the slightly more humid months because the finish gets too dry and noticeable in the winter months. If you can a shade that's right for you, definitely give it a try! I recommend getting the 20ml before committing to the full size. 

7 comments bb cream, korean makeup, missha, review

[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

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

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

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

Price

Missha The Style 4D Mascara ~ 3 - 4 USD

Brush

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

Formula

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for reading!

4 comments mascara, missha, review

[HAUL] Snoopy x Skinfood, Missha Korean Cosmetics Haul

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

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

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

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

What I Ordered

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Samples: everything here is something I want to try. 

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

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

[REVIEW] Missha The Style Long Wear Cushion Lip Crayon Dolly Coral

Missha is one of those brands where I tend to experience the most hits and misses with. Although I usually really like their packaging and the concept of their products, the actually quality and performance of the products either works really well with me or it does not. They also have different things under different lines, for example their Signature line is much more expensive than The Style line. 

CLAIM

"Bold, vivid colors for beautifully defined lips.
Long-lasting crayon on one end and soft cushion tip on the other end.
Cushion applicator provides smooth adherence with a natural smudge blending effect.
Fast and easy, multi-functioning smart makeup with the all-in-one lipstick + lip liner + cheek tint."

Picture Source:  Missha US Website

When they released the Long Wear Cushion Lip Crayons, I was truly intrigued with the pretty colours.  I like how none of the colours in this line overlap. They're all very distinctively different to each other even though they might not be unique.  The colour I gravitated towards the most is Dolly Coral.  I don't like to using testers in stores, so I really had to depend on the promotional material to gauge whether it would work for me.

Picture Source: Missha US Website

The concept of the Long Wear Cushion Lip Crayon is really similar to that of Aritaum Wannabe Cushion Tints (reviewed here) - one end is the actual product, the other end is a cushion tip, and both products twist up. Both products allow the user to achieve a lip gradation. I'm personally not a fan of how that looks on my lips so I use it full on.

The size of the crayon is similar to the Clinique Chubby Pencils. 

Twisted All The Way Up

I would describe this as a warm tone coral red that is very similar to but warmer than the VDL Cube Lipstick I reviewed in the past (reviewed here). The formulation is different though. 

After seeing how pretty this looked on the model in the promotional pictures, I really wanted to like this pencil. However I have some issues with it. As a colour, it's indeed very beautiful but doesn't compliment my skin tone. It seems to bring out the yellowness in my skin. This isn't much of an issue because I'm sure it would suit other people better. 

The biggest issue I have with it is the formulation.  Even after I have exfoliated and moisturized my lips, this product applies on very patchy. On dry lips, it sinks in the cracks and dries to a matte finish. On moisturized lips, it still catches onto ridges and patches up. If you use the crayon for gradational purposes, you can smooth out the patches with the cushion tip. Over blending will shift the colour around so it's not very easy to control. 

The biggest merit for this crayon is its long lasting ability. One time, I had applied this crayon on in the afternoon and even after dinner I could still see the colour. It wasn't as fresh and vibrant as right after application but it had faded beautifully and the coral colouring was still there. It's quite amazing since I had oily fried chicken that night. 

Overall, I would pass on this lip crayon. The color is beautiful (just not flattering on me) and it's long wearing but I found this product hard to control.  Missha makes many wonderful products that I do like but this was just not one of them and I don't see myself reaching for it.

INGREDIENTS

8 comments Korean, lip, missha, review