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!

[Etude House] Color in Liquid Lips

It's arrived! I've been dying to get one of these since I saw these pictures!

This is a review for the Etude House Color in Liquid Lips, which is the newest release from Etude House!

The design of these totally remind me of the Maybelline Color Elixirs, the whole lipstick design but SURPRISE! It's actually a lip gloss! (Or in this case, a lip mousse.)

As always, Etude House packaging is spot on. Is there really a time where Etude House's packaging didn't do it justice?

Just some close ups of the design and size. It's really designed to look like a lipstick, but it's described as a "water sliding texture". However, as you can see in the following picture, it's definitely more like a mousse or cream than gloss.

Got mine in BE101, which is supposed to look like this.

I keep trying to find the perfect, beige-y, soft, everyday lip colour, which I was so hopeful this time. Did it live up to my dreams?

Oh yes, the tear-drop applicator; extremely useful and well designed. Already, out of the tube it looks slightly darker than the picture shown on the Etude House website.

Swatched on my hand it shows up a muted pink coral, which really is not a beige. The texture is definitely not "water sliding texture", and despite its claims of not being sticky, it is a little. Definitely not sticky like the Innisfree Lip Lacquer, but still a little sticky. 

Sorry, I had my four wisdom teeth pulled out the day before and my lips are quite dry U_U
I definitely do not call that beige. I seem to have hit another coral-y colour, in a different formula... sigh.

And the formula... is just so unforgiving.
Which I find weird, because it's supposed to contain sweet almond oil and sunflower oil for "vivid colour" and "long lasting shine"? 
Don't get me wrong; it's is glossy when you apply it, but it applies on a little patchy, and the only way to really fix it is by patting it in, which loses the shininess, and also cause it to feel a little drying...
On the plus side, the scent is nice; my boyfriend commented on that before anything else.

Maybe lipliner and practise will help me get better with this formula, but that does seem like an awful lot of work :c

Maybe I'll pass it onto a friend?

Much better after moisturising and exfoliating!

If you take the time, it can look quite nice I guess :D

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Pros:
☺Amazing packaging
☺Nice scent
☺Pretty colour

Cons:
☹ Unforgiving formula that's also a little patchy
☹ Colour doesn't match up to the site colour

Overall: 3/5
Verdict: B-. I think the two things that really let this down was the formula being really unfriendly on chapped lips and being a little patchy. Also, the colour for BE101 is totally not what they show in the picture; a major let down, and not the first time for Etude House.
I guess I'm still on my hunt for the perfect everyday colour, but I might have to stop shopping online since I seem to keep not getting the colour I want. 

You can buy it from jolse.com, or F21beauty on ebay (which is the cheapest option so far). Not sponsored; all opinions are my own.

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[Etude House] Sugar Tint Balm

I bought this in a recent haul that can be seen here.

What's up everyone? The first month of the year is already nearly over!

Thankfully it's still hot and summery here, which calls for pink lip colours :D
For example, the Etude House Sugar Tint Balm in Pink Macaron.

I love the box it comes in; it's absolutely gorgeous. Etude House always nails their packaging, and I think this is another example of their prowess. I never have the heart to throw out their boxes even though they sit uselessly in my drawer. 

Ingredients and descriptions of the balm is on the exterior of the box. 
Mine is in #05, PK002, Pink Macaron. 
On the Etude House website, the colour is shown on the lips is sort of different to the colour it shows on the tube which is a little misleading. I thought the colour of the balm would show up like the picture on the lips but it really doesn't. 

Anyway, as you can see in the images above, the base of the tube is screwed, so the lid doesn't come off randomly, which is quite nice as I can see this product as something people would carry around in their bags. 

Cold lighting

Swatch in warm lighting 

The colour is a lot cooler toned and less opaque as shown in the pictures provided by Etude House.

The Sugar Tint Balm is described on the Etude House website as coming with 'a sweet colour that gently melts into lips for long-lasting soft and moist lips'.
It's more opaque than I thought, but definitely not at the level of lipsticks or lip butters. It does create moist looking lips, but the moisture sits on the lips more than penetrating in to improve the condition of your lips. Also, it's not entirely forgiving on dryer lips.

This product is scented; it smells sweet like the typical Etude House product. A slightly cheap, sweet scent, but not off putting.

Pretty nice for an every day touch of colour!

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Pros:
☺Provides moisture
☺Good packaging (no loose lids floating around in your bag)
☺Subtle, everyday colour

Cons:
☹ Scented (which may be off-putting)
☹ Not amazing on chapped lips (but not bad either)

Overall: 3.5/5
Verdict: B. Good, but not something to write home about. Probably wouldn't buy another one--not because I didn't like it, but because I know there's better out there. Bought from jolse.com here for $8.98 USD. Not sponsored; all opinions are my own.

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[Etude House] Dear My Blooming Lips-talk Review

I finally gave in and bought my first Etude House lipstick despite reading some reviews about how it clings to dry areas and such. 
Summer's coming up and I wanted a coral-ly coloured lipstick I could wear out and I thought I might as well cave in now and get an Etude House one.

Etude House's Dear My Blooming Lips comes in a range of colours, from pinks to reds to beiges to oranges. The one I bought was in the shade OR223.

As always Etude House's packaging is adorable; both the tube and the box it comes in is super sweet and girly. Side note: the tube is plastic and since it closes tightly (no chance of the lid slipping off) I'm always afraid I'll rip the bow off if I'm too rough with it.

To be honest, the colour on the box and from the bullet terrified me; it looks neon coral in the bullet, and bright orange on the box.

Can you see the adorable logo on the bullet? I love the cute touches Etude House uses. Side note; I had used the lipstick quite a few times before taking the photos, so in a new lipstick there's more product.

Not as scary when swatched eh? It's got a slightly glossy finish.

It's still quite neon on the lips, but not nearly as intimidating as the bullet itself. If you blend it out with your fingers or a brush, you can get a bright, coral pink colour on your lips.

True to all the other reviews, this is quite drying on the lips, so you must exfoliate your lips prior to application. 

Its lasting power is meh; about an hour or so if you do stuff. If you plan to eat then you'll have to reapply. It leaves the slightest tint, bit not enough to pass off as a real tint.

It's scented; it smells slightly sweet, and not in an overly artificial way.
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Pros:
☺Pretty good colour pay off
☺Scent is quite pleasant
☺Extremely cute packaging
☺Good finish

Cons:
☹ Clings to dry patches
☹ Very average lasting power
☹ Not exactly true to colour depicted online or on the box
Overall: 3.5/5
Verdict: It's about a B? Not bad, not great. No regrets, and I may buy another one if it goes on a great sale. I bought it for $8 USD off jolse.com.

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Concealer Comparison! [Etude House] Surprise Essence Concealer vs [Collection 2000] Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer

Collection 2000's Lasting perfection ultimate wear concealer has been claimed to be 'comparable to NARS radiant creamy concealer', a concealer that's considered a grail item by many gurus on the internet.

It's "a little" out of my price range, but NARS' concealer has been so hyped up as such an amazing concealer especially for dark undereye circles, I've been wanting to try it out.

However...

When I heard that Collection's concealer was a comparable dupe, I thought, why not? 

See if it's worth the splurge, or if my current concealer is good enough. (I'm currently still using the Etude House Surprise Essence Concealer).

Here's a quick comparison of the two. Collection's costs about $9 NZD in the supermarket on discount, and Etude House costs about $7 on discount. Collection's tube contains more product though.

I've read some comments online about how the writing on the Collection's concealer rubs off in about a week. I've had mine for over a week, but it hasn't rubbed off, bearing in mind I don't use it very much.

Etude House on the left, Collection on the right.

Etude House uses a tear drop shaped applicator, while Collection's is doe foot. Haven't really noticed much of a difference since I use fingers to blend it in.

However, I think the Etude House's applicator is slightly softer.

Both are bought in the fairest shade. Neither brand's colour selection is wow-inducing. Funnily enough, when blended out completely they don't look entirely different.

In terms of consistency, both are creamy, but the Etude House one is slightly runnier. It doesn't dry as quickly as the Collection concealer, allowing for a bit more of time to work with the concealer.

Personally, I think the Etude House one does a better job of covering up than Collection's concealer.

In terms of undereye circles, my main problem area, Etude House does a better job of neutralising the darkness than the Collection one.

Additionally, for whatever weird reason, the Collection concealer accentuates dryness, making your undereye circles look even more tired. 

Maybe I should've bought the Collection concealer in the medium? Either way, I'm not going to rebuy that one.
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Etude House Pros:
☺Runnier; more time to blend in
☺Better at neutralising undereye circles
☺Better suited for Asian skin tone
☺Applicator is softer on the eye area
☺Better coverage

Collection Pros:
☺More product
☺Comes in lighter shades for fairer skin tones (useful for chest blemishes)
☺Better suited Caucasian skin tone
☺Good coverage

Etude House Cons:
☹ Product sometimes squishes out of bottle
☹ Isn't as light Collection's concealer
☹ Less product

Collection Cons:
☹ Drying
☹ Gives somewhat reverse panda eyes
☹ Dries very quickly

Verdict: I'll probably stick with the Etude House one. I don't need a lot of product so its lasted me a long time, so the less product issue isn't really an issue. I find it easier to use and better at neutralising dark undereyes circles. I like the texture of the Etude House concealer better. A little bit disappointed about the somewhat over-hyped Collection concealer, but if you have cool-tone, extremely fair skin, I'd recommend giving it a go.

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[Etude House] CC Cream - Glow

By: K

Ughh sorry about the resoultion. Left: One pump, Right: blended out.
One pump is A LOT.

Yay I see a bigger difference than the Tony Moly CC cream :)

After I bought this product I found out that "Silky" was more suitable for oily skin types. Oopsies.

This product does even out and brighten my skin somewhat, after looking at the photos. Unfortunately it makes me an oil ball after a few hours (I'm sure anyone who has been stalking reviews of this has seen the oil tests). This will give a white cast if you use flash photography.

The texture is pretty thick and feels thick on my face. I ran my fingers over my skin after using it and it feels like what my skin feels like after I apply a sunscreen (namely the Nivea SPF 50 waterproof one). In fact, it feels thicker than my BB cream while making less of a difference on my face :I 

On a side note, I like using this as a subtle highlighter. :)

Note: I don't go over skincare benefits cause I don't believe in makeup as a skincare product haha :P Also I'm not putting coverage as a factor because this is a CC cream.

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Pros:
✓ Evens out skin tone

✓ Brightens skin
✓ Gives glowy finish (as promised)
✓ Travel friendly - has pump mechanism

✓ Affordable - USD$14 on cosmetic.jolse.com

Cons:
✗✗ Quite thick and oily - bad for those with oily skin

✗ Gives white cast if you use flash photography

Overall: 3.6/5 

(still prefer my BB cream over this)

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By J

here's beautiful me using K's amazing eye enhancing technology

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Pros:

J My skin glowsssss (it's much more obvious than the Tony Moly one reviewed here
J My skin tone is a little more even I think. 
J Hygienic since it has the pump <-  I typo-ed "pimp" the first time LOL
J Moisturising for my cheeks and for some reason I find it less oily on my forehead than the Tony Moly one

Cons:

L I find this harder to blend than the Tony Moly one as it's a bit thicker
L It contains shimmer, subtle, but if you aren't a shimmer fan you might be a bit annoyed

Overall: 4/5
I like that it gives a better glow than the [TM] one, but the textures just a little too thick for a higher mark

[Etude House] Surprise Essence Concealer

By: J

Back story:
So for the longest time I've had these dark eye circles that make me look like I've been punched in the eyes, especially when I'm tired.

My undereye area is a little dry so some stick concealers get a little cakey there, so I knew I needed something liquid or 'creamy' (but man, false advertisements everywhere).

I was debating between the Skinfood salmon one, the Etude House surprise concealer kit and this one. I was actually going to get the kit, but at the very last second my stingy side went super-saiyan mode and so... I got the Surprise Essence Concealer.

Item detail:
Liquid form in a bottle/tube. 6g. Bought for $6.28.

Comes sealed. 

A pear shaped applicator? Please teach me the real name guys ):

o__o

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Pros
✓ Moisturising 
✓ Buildable coverage, medium to medium-full
✓ Only need a small amount
✓ Lasts about 5 hours without setting powder, after that it wears off a little
✓ Doesn't accentuate lines
✓ Applies a little orange, so it counteracts the blue
✓ Packaging feels sturdy/won't break if you take on travel

Cons
✗ Tube and applicator means you can't use every last drop
✗  Doesn't completely counteract my blue/purple shadows (going to keep looking for that perfect concealer)
✗  It lasts longer for under the eye than blemishes 
✗  Only has two shades, only suitable for up to medium skin tones
✗  Have to be careful how you replace the applicator, or some product may squish out around the rim 

Overall: 3.8/5

Bought from http://cosmetic.jolse.com/ for $6.28. It's under $6 if you wait for their week sales :D

[Etude House] Fresh Cherry Tint in Cherry Red (RD301)

By: K

I'm gonna go ahead and be typical in saying that the design of this bottle is really cute! Comes with a stick applicator which is nice but it sorta picks up too much product which makes it hard to apply it evenly. I don't have a lip brush (really should invest in one xD;) so I use my fingers to dab it on.

Here are some swatches showing one and two sheer layers applied and finally washing and rubbing my lips with just water to test the staying power.

The colour of this tint is nothing like the bottle or the poster promoting this product. Nevertheless I'm glad cause this pinkish colour is a lot more natural. Colour is buildable so add more layers to pump up the vibrancy.

The tint has a nice cherry scent. Scent is not much of a huge deal to me though, the product just doesn't have to smell bad.

As for the feel, like most tints this one will make your lips dry after a while so smack on some lip balm before using this!

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Pros

✓ Nice colour (even though it looks nothing like the packaging)

✓ Good staying power

✓ Nice scent

✓ Inexpensive (USD$7.09, see site below) 

Cons

✗ drying (easily fixed with lip balm)

Overall: 4/5 

J purchased this for me from cosmetic-love.com but their prices have gone up now so both of us have jumped ship to a cheaper site called cosmetic.jolse.com.