[HERA] Cell Essence Cell-Bio Fluid Sync review

I've come back from the dead.

Hey people reading this, after a hectic second-to-last semester at uni, I've finally come back to give you my thoughts on the Hera cell essence which I've been using for a while now. :)








-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Essences have been pretty popular for a while now, so my aunt picked this one up for me because she went to Korea and asked me what skincare products I wanted. I chose to get this one because Meejmuse (one of my favourite beauty Youtubers) recommended it. Check her out!

Left: One drop. Right: Rubbed in.

The consistency of this essence is like water. After applying and patting it into your skin, it feels refreshing and leaves a very slight sticky feel. It's not the bad kind of sticky feeling though; just the feeling of nicely moisturised skin.

I have been using this essence in place of this Hada Labo toner. In comparison to that toner and other Japanese toners I've tried, this feels slightly more harsh. It doesn't sting, but I feel a tingling sensation after using this. So for those of you who have sensitive skin, I highly recommend getting a Japanese toner!

Also note that although I got the 225ml version which says it lasts for 45 days, this is not true. I've been using this about 5 days a week for 3 months and I've only used up about 1/4 of it.

Overall, I like this toner because it preps my skin very well for makeup. I use it to remove gunk after I sleep and after I cleanse my face. It makes my skin feel clean and moisturised :)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pros:
✅ Lightly moisturises
✅ Good for cleaning residual gunk off your face
✅ Refreshing
Cons:
❌ Might feel harsh for sensitive skin
❌ Expensive (My wallet cries at the hefty price of 50-60 USD).

Verdict:
9/10

I love this a lot but I don't think my wallet will allow me to buy this again. :'(

MISSHA X Wonder Woman BB Cushion Review

Today's review is on the BB cushion, the miracle child between MISSHA and DC Marvel... 

the MISSHA X Wonder Woman BB Cushion!

Now I don't really need a new BB cream as I'm happily married to my Lioele Super Gold Snail BB Cream (things are going really well guys, I think I've found the one! ;U;), so why'd I buy this BB Cushion?

Well, I've never tried out a BB Cushion before and I've been really keen to try one out, but the truth is that...

I'm a massive sucker for packaging.

Sure, I love the beautiful, princess-y sweet goodness that is of many brands (I'm lookin' at ya Etude House), but I've always managed to keep that love reigned in.

However, when it comes to the slightly alternative looking packaging... I have enough love for everyone!! (´；ω；`)

Yes, yes, admire that lovely packaging. The gold looks beautiful around the blue compact doesn't it? Doesn't her red outfit stand out against that blue? (´∀｀)

The inside is pretty much a regular cushion, with the cushion puff and the little lid that keeps the cushion moist.

Okay, let's be honest here. I've never really been a huge fan of Missha's BB creams; they're alright, but they're nothing I rave about (hence why I've never bought full-sized BB creams from them).

I'll just let the pictures speak for the coverage and how it looks.

It's moist enough, wears for a decent time, has medium coverage...meh.

Who cares if the formula is as un-extraordinary as Wonder Woman is extraordinary? If I can't admire the bb-cream on my face I can at least admire my lovely pact.

And honestly, who doesn't love Wonder Woman? Destined to become "beautiful a Aphrodite, wise as Athena, as strong as Hercules, and as swift as Hermes"... and we're all pretty wonderful women too :3

__________________________________________________________________________________

Pros:

☺Really cool packaging! I don't feel too childish whipping this out in the bathroom.

☺Decent BB cream formula and wear?

Cons:

☹ Some people might dislike the smell..?

Overall: 10/10 would buy again for the packaging.

Verdict: I'd give an A for that really nice packaging, but for the formula itself it's more like a B...

Follow us on instagram! You can get sneak peeks of upcoming reviews!

March Favourites (Pretty in Pink)

We're alive I swear! (´；ω；｀)

It'sa me, Mario! (Actually, it's J.)

Many apologies for the disappearing act; with the madness of work and study, the reviews just fell off the face of the earth... but hopefully this time they'll appear a little more often than once a year eh?
Anyway, this is just a very short review post on the things I loved and used the most in March.

From left to right: Etude House Dear My Wish Lips Talk (BE101), Koelf Ruby & Bulgarian Rose Eye Patch, The FACE Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Cream

Etude House Dear My Wish Lips Talk (BE101)

Pros: Gorgeous colour, cute packaging, good formula, can be used as a cream blush.

Cons: I only use it as a cream blush.

Koelf Ruby & Bulgarian Rose Eye Patch

Pros: Nice and moisturising on tired eyes, pretty good price, dat packaging.

Cons: Doesn't do anything for dark eye circles (but at this point I may have to resort to sorcery to get rid of these babies)

The FACE Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Cream

Pros: My dry face composes love songs to this cleansing cream.

Cons: May have to use it twice if you didn't do a good job the first time round. (ʘ‿ʘ;) I'm clean, I swear.

So there you have it; the March favourites. Aren't they all so pretty in pink?


Hopefully I'll get another post up shortly--don't be a stranger!

[the SAEM] Urban Eco Harakeke Firming Seed Essence

I bought this fairly recently in a haul seen here. 

I needed something extra for my skin in the drying winter, and after looking around, I decided to try out the Urban Eco Harakeke Firming Seed Essence. It claims to use ingredients native to NZ, and as a kiwi, I was sold =w=

It claims to:

• hold moisture between skin, creating moist and radiant skin
• contain Omega 3, 6, 9 which strengthen the skin, enhancing skin elasticity
• contain harakeke seed oil which enhances skin elasticity and supplies nutrients
• contain various vegetable extracts which soothes the skin
• provide wrinkle care

The essence comes in a plastic bottle (safe from fumbling fingers and tiled floors), all sleek looking with a wooden looking plastic cap. The box is also really nice, and looks to be made from recycled paper.

Ugh. Sorry for the horrible lighting. More details and instructions on the sides of the boxes. Comes in several languages which is pretty awesome sauce.

The all wonderful pump! At first when I bought this I was worried that the bottle would just have some hole opening, but nope! A wonderfully easy-to-use and hygienic pump is used. Also, the bottle cap is secured by the little circular knob near where my hand is. 

The consistency of the essence surprised me; I thought it'd be more like a lotion or it'd be very liquid-y, but it's actually more like a gel-cream hybrid consistency, and feels oddly slippery? It's lightweight and moisturising, and it really does trap in the moisture like it claims to. 
Additionally, it's great at being absorbed quickly, which is always a bonus in those rushed mornings!
__________________________________________________________________________________

Pros:
☺Great packaging (plastic, pump, and cap security is great :D)
☺Light-weight and quickly absorbed
☺Good at keeping skin hydrated; it really takes away the tightness of dry skin
☺Skin feels softer (not sure about firmness) 

Cons:
☹ Provides great hydration, but not much else


Overall: 4.8/5
Verdict: A+. It's very good at what it claims to do, and it's a great product. I only wish that it would also provide things like skin brightening or something!

Follow us on instagram! You can get sneak peeks of upcoming reviews!

[Skinfood] Black Pomegranate Oil

Finally got around to doing a review for the Skinfood Black Pomegranate Oil!

My skin is fairly dry around my cheeks and mouth, and especially in winter time, my regular face cream just doesn't provide enough moisture.

I got this oil around April, and have been using it since. It's supposed to be used as a final step to trap in all the moisture from your lotion and creams.

The packaging is really pretty =w= The box is pretty to look at, and the bottle looks pretty darn cute sitting on my bench top.

The bottle is glass, so it's really sturdy, but be careful not to drop it! 

The oil is dispensed from a dropper. It's easy to use and control (although, when is an dropper not easy to use..?)

The oil itself is clear; all the cute red pink colour is just the glass bottle. It has a light scent that disappears quickly.

The oil isn't very thick, and disappears into the skin quickly. However, it leaves the skin soft and moisturised for hours after. 
This oil is probably best for people with normal to dry (but not extremely dry) skin, that might have slightly oilier areas, as it's good with the drier areas, and not overly oily in the oilier areas.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Pros:
☺Light weight and absorbs quickly
☺Moisturising (I don't wake up with my skin feeling tight :D)
☺Packaging is cute and sturdy
☺Needs only a maximum of four drops on your face (if your face is feeling rather dry)

Cons:
☹ Some people might dislike the smell..?
☹ Is not enough for extremely dry skin

Overall: 4.8/5
Verdict: I'd give an A+. I'd buy this again, but I'd also like to try out their avocado oil for when my skin is extremely dry.

Follow us on instagram! You can get sneak peeks of upcoming reviews!

jolse Haul!

Apologies for the terrible quality m(_ _)m

It's J! Bought some stuff from jolse.com recently when they were having a sale and thought I'd share some of the stuff with you guys :D

• 2x Etude House Sunprise Water Essence I reviewed it recently here and I really like it, enough to buy one for the bf too
• 1x the SAEM Urban Eco Harakeke Firming Seed Essence Needed to get a new essence and thought I'd give this a try. Harakeke is New Zealand flax, which I thought would be pretty interesting to try given I see loads of them around all the time
• 1x Etude House Drawing Eye Brow Refill It's weird because I can't find this one the jolse site but it showed up on the sale... I bought two because its price (of course TEHEE) and I like it enough that I don't want to try anything else
• 1x Etude House Sugar Tint Balm in Blackberry Jelly (08) It's not for me; my friend wanted to try this colour. I assume the formula is quite similar to the one I reviewed here
• 1x ARITAUM Water Sliding Tint in Coral Fantasy (09) Read a lot of great reviews on this formula so I tried it as soon as I got my package and I love it. Love love love. I'll get a review of this up as "soon" haha. One quick trial and I already know I want more colours :D

As usual I got a load of samples, and most of them are cream or lotions which I love trying out <3

Hopefully I'll review something soon...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bought with the money of a poor student i.e. me

Mini Haul!

YAY! My stuff from testerkorea finally arrived. It took so long because they were waiting for my eyebrow pencil which was out of stock :( In the end I decided not to wait so that's not part of my haul.

Enjoy!... I guess?







-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

From left to right:
1. [innisfree] Green tea serum
2. [LANEIGE] Pore control BB cushion
3. Keratin SilkProtein Hair Aqua Essence
4. [It'sSkin] Green Tea Calming Cleansing Oil

All of these products are from testerkorea.com. I am not sponsored or affiliated with them in any way. They're my new favourite site to order off because prices average about $5 cheaper than cosmetic.jolse.com.

Hopefully you'll get a review for the BB cushion soon! (Kinda worried about the colour, was deciding between this one and the next shade down). Am also expecting good things from the serum based on all the reviews and recommendations from makeup bloggers. It's a pretty small bottle and quite expensive for NZD$21 (USD$16) T T

Special thanks to my sis for buying this for my birthday :D