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Random empties + short reviews

I’ve been meaning to write more reviews on the things I’ve been using but they all just end up stuck in my drafts, so my lazy ass thought I’d condense them all into an empties post so you could see what I’ve used up and whether or not I’ve been impressed with them. Surprisingly, I’ve liked all the products in this post but read on to find out whether I liked them enough to consider repurchasing!

Ryeo Hambit Damage Care Shampoo This defines my 2A/2B waves so well that they sometimes turn into curls, which I love. There were times when I looked at my hair while it was air drying and asked my sister “Why the hell is my hair getting curlier??”. If it were easier to purchase in Singapore (I think they are available at Sasa but they do not always have the shampoo), I’d 100% repurchase.  +Ryeo Hambit Nourishing Treatment Using this together with the shampoo not only puts a spring in my waves, it also helps keep my frizzy ends in check to some extent. I still have a half-full tube of this and I would say it’s still better to be used together with the Hambit shampoo.

Su:m37 Secret Programming Essence This was a gift that I finally got around to using after finishing my Missha First Treatment Essence. Personally I don’t see a very big difference in the brightness of my skin but I think it just hates me and refuses to glow up no matter what I use. The consistency of this first essence is ever-so-slightly thicker than other ones I’ve tried but not as thick as, say, Hada Labo’s hydrating milk. It hydrates nicely and has a pleasant smell despite being filled with fermented ingredients. I don’t know if I will repurchase as it’s quite pricey compared to some other FTEs and my skin just doesn’t want to show any visible results.

Clio Salon de Cara Back Comb Mascara sample This is a really good volumising waterproof mascara that contains ceramide-3 and argan oil. It holds my curl very well and also lengthens my lashes without being too heavy or clumping. I did not experience any flaking with this. If I had ran out of my mascara and Watsons was only having a sale on Clio but not Kiss Me Heroine Make, I would buy the Clio one.

A’pieu Pure Block Natural Daily Sun Cream This sunblock came in first in Get It Beauty’s sun cream blind test and within the top 10 in the sunblock category in Glowpick’s (South Korea’s leading beauty review app) Consumer Beauty Awards for the first half of 2017. It has a nice citrus scent and applies evenly. It also doesn't have alcohol unlike many Japanese sunscreens but is still as light and quick-absorbing. It sits well even under makeup without oiling up my face in the Singapore heat. I can see why this is one of A’pieu’s bestsellers. I would repurchase but I want to try Missha's sunblocks next!

LifeFlo Health Pure Rosehip Oil I’ve raved about this before on Instagram. For as long as my skin doesn’t react to this, I will keep mixing two-three drops of this, along with some tea tree oil, into my moisturiser. 

The Saem Chaga Anti-wrinkle Emulsion This contains 74% fermented chaga extract. If you’re like me and you’re trying to move onto water-free products, this is worth a try. It’s light, absorbs so well and is a dream to use with my rosehip oil. I don’t know how well it is at preventing wrinkles, but my skin felt plump and firm after using it. 100% repurchase.

Dr. G Hydra Fresh pH Mist Tbh I never started using facial mists until I bought this. Now I can’t live without it!! The product comes out in a very fine but dense, gentle and continuous mist and absorbs pretty quickly even when applied on top of makeup. Definitely spritz a little at a time though, because it can feel like you’re being rained on. The ingredients list is also wonderful with bamboo sap and tons of other botanical extracts to hydrate the skin deeply. The downside is it can’t be taken on a flight due to its aerosol nature. 

The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Rich Cleansing Oil This is my HG cleansing oil (although I am sometimes unfaithful and try out other cleansing oils). People would probably say there are better cleansing oils out there on the market, but I still think this is good enough for the price. It gets off all my waterproof makeup easily and does not leave any oily residue. Those who are icky about mineral oil would be glad to know this has none of that in its formulation, so if you find that the cleansing oil selection in Singapore’s drugstores is too expensive or filled with mineral oil, you could consider checking this Face Shop one out. I’ve also tried the Light version but I personally did not like it.

A’pieu Mineral Lip & Eye Remover in Sweet Rose It’s rare to see a point makeup remover so chock-full of botanical extracts with 0 alcohol and still be so cheap. It’s freaking 2500won!!!! They’ve recently released a 250ml one for only 5000won. That’s even cheaper compared to the original 100ml bottle?!?!?! How, Sway??? And it’s not just well-formulated, it gets the job done, even if it does take like 20 seconds longer to do it compared to its peers. Waterproof makeup just melts away gently and thoroughly. Although I no longer use point makeup removers at the moment, if I ever start using one again, it would be this one.

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Disclaimer:

The e-tailers linked in the post, where available, are only suggestions as to where you could order the products online. Although I have used links to websites that I trust, you patronise those websites at your own risk. If you are interested in purchasing any of the products in the post, please do your own research to determine the most trustworthy website.

[plainlymalee]

Hollywood Peel at Chrysalis Medical Aesthetics Review (long post, no pictures)

Earlier this month, I visited Chrysalis Medical Aesthetics at Bedok Mall for my first ever laser session. I’d read their advertorial in the newspapers which promoted their scar removal procedures and saw that they were offering an “Acne Pigment Laser treatment” at $58 nett. Curious, I emailed them asking for more information and after a short exchange with their friendly enquiry staff, I booked an appointment with them to see Dr. Ho Rui Min for a consultation.

I went in for my first appointment about a month ago expecting to do the $58 laser treatment but ended up doing subcision of my pitted scars first. I won’t be going into details of that procedure in this post as its focus is on the laser treatment.

The Acne Pigment Laser touted in their advertorial refers to their Hollywood Peel laser treatment. This procedure claims to:

Brighten and tighten your skin for a natural, well-rested look

Improve skin tone, texture and elasticity

Shrink pores

Improve melasma and other signs of sun damage

Reduce all types of acne

Control sebum production

Reduce redness from inflamed acne

(source: Chrysalis Aesthetics website)

As this is a gentle laser, there is absolutely no downtime after the procedure, meaning no redness, no peeling and you can apply makeup immediately afterwards and go back to work without anyone noticing you just got several layers of skin removed!

The Hollywood Peel

Let’s first talk about the laser treatment itself.

Before the procedure, the medical aesthetician cleansed my face and applied numbing cream. After 15 minutes or so, she wiped off the numbing cream and applied a carbon powder all over my face. Dr. Ho explained that the carbon works exactly the same way as activated charcoal masks work by drawing out the impurities in the pores and absorbing oil. I also think the darkness of the powder helps the laser work better as it is pigment-specific, meaning it removes only pigments that matches a certain wavelength of light. By applying the carbon powder all over the face, it ensures that the laser can treat the skin on the whole face and not just the pigmented areas.

The Hollywood Peel has two main steps:

1) The Spectra XT laser which heats up the carbon powder mask and the layers of skin underneath to stimulate collagen production.

2) The Q-switch laser which blasts the carbon particles off, taking with it a few microns of skin tissue, revealing a new layer of skin beneath. This Q-switch laser may be passed over the face a few times. For me, I think he did about 2 passes before he increased the speed of the laser on the final pass to fully vaporise the carbon powder and “whiten” the skin.

(Watch the Hollywood Peel being explained and performed by a different clinic here)

Both steps did not hurt at all due to the numbing cream applied earlier. It felt as if someone repeatedly flicked a rubber band at my face but I couldn’t actually feel the string?? That’s the best description I can come up with lol. The laser treatment took about 20 minutes.

For the final step, he applied some sunscreen and I was done. A look in the mirror proved that there really was no redness or sensitivity.

Aftermath

The difference in my skin before and after the procedure was really subtle. My PIH was still dark since it was just one session, but overall, my skin looked... radiant! For years I’ve been trying to get my skin to glow with products that promised to brighten, but I eventually accepted that I probably will have sallow skin all my life. However, the laser made my skin look brighter and smoother. I can usually only achieve this smoothness with 0.5% topical tretinoin, which causes disastrous peeling if I’m not careful. I also have this slightly darker patch of skin around my mouth and the laser actually evened it out. It wasn’t a fantastic development; people didn’t suddenly start complimenting me on my skin, but it was enough for me to notice and feel good about the money spent.

The brightness lasted for about two weeks before I observed my original dullness returning.

As for reducing acne... well, the next day I had a pimple on my temple so that didn’t work for me, but my pores were definitely smaller, especially on my nose and cheek areas.

Would I go for more sessions? I’m still on the fence about that. I was told that subsequent sessions would be $107 (before GST), which to me is quite reasonable considering the effects and the fact that it would be even cheaper if you bought a package. However, as I have tethered scars, I still have to undergo two more sessions of subscision which costs about $600/session, excluding GST. This stretches my budget very thinly, which is why I am hesitant to commit to more sessions. If you have the disposable income to go for this particular laser treatment and if it suits your skin’s needs, I would encourage you to go for it.

Gripes

Now that I’m done praising the laser treatment, I would like to express my disappointment in the staff at Chrysalis Aesthetics Bedok.

At my first session, in which I did a subsicion, I was pleased at how nice the staff were. Although I’m usually a quiet person around strangers, I found myself talking a lot to Dr. Ho and his assistant. They were both very chatty and friendly. Dr. Ho also answered all of my questions patiently and explained the entire subscision procedure to me as he was performing it because I was so nervous about it.

On the day I went for my laser procedure, however, I felt that there was a severe lack of communication within the staff and between the staff and clients. Firstly, my appointment was at 12pm. I arrived 9 minutes late, which is very uncharacteristic of me, but I think I was just taking my time that day. When I arrived, I was asked to sit and wait. At about 12.30, Dr. Ho came finally in. This means that even if I was punctual, I would still have to wait to see the doctor. I was offered no explanation or apologies for his lateness.

Even after the doctor arrived, I had to wait even longer while he saw an old client whom I think was a walk-in case. I would not have minded waiting my turn even though I had an appointment if they had given me some sort of explanation for having to see that particular client first.

Later, after they applied the carbon powder on my face, I was asked to go and sit, not outside at the reception, but a small sitting area near the reception with carbon powder all over my face. The aesthetician who attended to me then went to work on another client. This was at about 12.45pm. Apparently she did not tell anyone else that I was there because I actually waited until I FELL ASLEEP. It was not until 1.10pm that another staff member noticed I was sitting there and ushered me into the doctor’s office for my laser treatment.

I was really angry that day but it’s hard to get up and demand explanations when your face is covered in black powder. I’m still debating about whether I should email them about them since it’s been so long since the appointment, but I just wanted to put it out here first.

Apart from what happened that day, I do think that Chrysalis Aesthetics is a reasonable clinic. Dr. Ho did his Masters in lasers and is quite well-known in the field of medical aesthetics. I did not felt that I was being pressured to pay for procedures that I was not sure about. He was also very understanding of my financial situation and gave me appropriate discounts for the treatments I was interested in. Still, I would highly encourage anyone reading this to do thorough research about the treatments they offer and email them if you have any enquiries. I am still going back for my subsequent scar removal sessions. I just hope something like this won’t happen again.

[plainlymalee]

Etude House Dear Darling Water Gel Tint Review and Swatches

I’m finally ending my blog hiatus with this post on Etude House’s newest limited edition lip tints shaped like popsicles! This is the first time I’ve ever owned every shade in a lip colour collection and it’s all because Etude House Singapore was having a ‘Buy 5 Get 1 Free’ promotion (also because I’d been desperately waiting for these babies to arrive on our shores for more than a month).

The Dear Darling Water Gel Tints are not new to Etude House, but these were specially produced for Summer 2017. Unlike the original line of Water Gel Tints which boasts high pigmentation and opacity, these summer shades are meant to be “light and muted” to brighten the skin tone for the season.

Look at these cute little popsicles! Despite the price, nothing about this packaging looks or feels cheap.

Twist the popsicle stick to reveal the slanted teardrop-shaped applicator! While the wide edge makes for easy application, I find that the tip causes some product to gather at the borders of the lips when I’m going for full colour lips and I have to use my finger to smudge everything out in the end.

Note: Unlike the original line of Water Gel Tints, these are more gel-like and sheer. Also, I have very pale lips so some shades do not show up well on me. However, the colours may look different on you if you have redder or pigmented lips, so please keep that in mind while reading the rest of my post.

RD306 Shark Red would be adored by those who love dark red lips. It takes about 3 applications on my lips to almost reach the darkness it has in the bottle. Still, it’s very eye-catching.

RD307 Watermelon Red is a bright red with a drop of pink in it. If you’re wary of trying red lip shades, this could be a shade that could ease you into wearing them as the sheerness prevents it from becoming too overpowering.

PK004 Red Bean Red is like a muted plum shade. If you were on the “dried rose” lip colour bandwagon back in Fall 2016, this is a shade you would be familiar with. On my lips, the purple tones don’t really show up.

PK005 O Peach Red is more of a sweet pink despite being called red. 

PK006 Jewel Red is a translucent pink-based tint that contains pink, gold and silver glitter particles that flash blue at some angles. It somehow reminds me of the glitter glue I used to use in school when I was a kid (do kids these days use glitter glue??). This shade is meant to be worn on top of lip colours but if you want to, you could always wear it on its own. 

OR205 Apricot Red is a lovely orange coral.

I would describe Red Bean Red, O Peach Red and Apricot Red as MLBB shades on me.

Swatches:

(These were all swatched once on a bare arm and taken in natural lighting)

As you can see, apart from Shark Red and Watermelon Red, they’re pretty sheer. Depending on what you’re looking for in a lip tint, this could be either a good or a bad thing. Some bloggers have been able to build the colours up to high opacity, but despite 3 applications which felt heavy, I couldn’t get Red Bean Red and O Peach Red to reach the level of pigmentation seen in the official Etude House swatches. I was disappointed when some of the shades turned out to be less pigmented than I’d thought, but after some consideration I decided that I didn’t mind it so much because I don’t have many natural looking MLBB shades anyway.

Scent/Taste: It has the same sweet watermelon scent of the Etude House Colour in Liquid Lips, but is slightly less strong compared to that. As for the taste... Y’all... I hate it. It’s worse than the Labiotte Wine Lip Tints imo. It’s artificially sweet but has a bitter after taste. Don’t expect it to taste like fruits or ice cream.

Texture/Finish: On initial application, it makes your lips look so juicy and smooth. After you rub your lips together, however, all your lip wrinkles appear again. T_T Etude House claims that the soapberry extract in the formula helps with lasting moisturisation. It does feel hydrating at first, but after some time, my lips feel a bit dry and I have to reapply the tint.

Staying power:

The darker shades appear to stain more than the lighter ones. I wiped the tints off with a dry tissue for this shot, but I also tried eating dinner with Watermelon Red on and found that it held up reasonably well after my meal of rice and side dishes. I highly doubt it will survive eating noodles though!

Final score: 4/5. If you like sheer glosses, you’ll love these tints as they leave a stain, and thus last a bit longer than glosses. Initially, I did regret buying every single shade because 1) I don’t really like sheer tints and 2) O Peach Red and Apricot Red look so similar, but I ended up appreciating the natural look they gave me. Those who are looking for much stronger pigmentation and staying power should pass on this. I took an entire point off simply for the taste (I never claimed to be 100% objective :p)

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Where to buy:

These cost SGD9.90 each at all Etude House outlets in Singapore. They are currently having a “buy 5 get 1 free” promotion.

Cosmetic-Love: USD5.92 (free international shipping). Sign up using this link for 15% off your first purchase.

Etude House Official: USD6.50 (excludes shipping)

W2Beauty: USD7 (free international shipping for purchases over $60)

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This post contains affiliate links.

[plainlymalee]

Chateau Labiotte Wine Lip Tint Review and Swatches

If you’ve watched K-dramas like Cheese in the Trap and, more recently, The K2, you might’ve been intrigued by some interestingly-shaped lip products featured in the shows. I didn’t watch Cheese in the Trap, but I saw these lip tints on Tumblr and immediately put it on my shopping list for my trip to Korea earlier this year.

They are shaped like wine bottles. I repeat: these lip tints are SHAPED LIKE WINE BOTTLES.

I mean??? How could you resist?? I’m not even a wine drinker and I was like GIVE IT TO ME. NOW. when I saw it.

Chateau Labiotte has an entire wine-themed line of products. The lipsticks are also shaped like wine bottles, but they are longer and look less convincing.

I got shades RD01 Shiraz Red and RD03 Merlot Burgundy.

RD01 쉬라즈레드 Shiraz Red. A super bright in-your-face warm red.

RD03 메를로버건디 Merlot Burgundy. A dark purple burgundy. Really vampy.

The applicator has a slanted tip and applies the tint very precisely, which is a plus if you want a clean lip line. It picks up enough product to spread nicely all over your lips, but if you want a gradient lip, I would suggest swiping the tip once against the lip of the opening before applying.

The “bottles” themselves are made of sturdy plastic. They’re lightweight and easy to carry around without worrying about leakage.

Ingredients:

Water, butylene glycol, glycerin, polyacrylate crosspolymer-6, Sepivinol, ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymer, dipropylene glycol, peg-60 hydrogenated castor oil, dimethicone, dextrine, stevioside, lecithin, polymethylsilsesquioxane, aluminium hydroxide, ammonium polyacrylate, silica, panoxyethanol, methylparaben, fragrance, colouring (differs with each shade)

(Aluminium hydroxide and ammonium polyacrylate are only found in PK01, RD01 and RD02)

Sepivinol is the trademarked wine extract included in Chateau Labiotte’s wine-inspired products. It has antioxidant properties and prolongs cell life. The products in their wine line all contain this ingredient.

Since it’s a wine extract, there has been concern about whether it is halal or haram. The answer is that it may or may not be halal, depending on your personal beliefs. Please read the review by blogger Mizu of a Hera cushion that contains the same ingredient for more information!

Swatches:

(these were swatched on a bare arm, left to dry and then taken in natural light)

RD01 is so damn red! It really brightens up the complexion. RD03 on the other hand was really disappointing in terms of pigmentation. As you can tell, it’s pretty sheer and applies quite patchily. It takes about 3 applications to get it to cover the natural colour of my lips (which aren’t very pigmented at all).

Scent/Taste: It doesn’t smell like any type of wine at all, more like a sweetish grape juice. It also has a slight bittersweet chemical taste which should be ok if you don’t have a habit of biting/licking your lips like I do.

Texture/Finish: The product is very glide-y and smooth on the lips and has a pretty shiny finish. It’s moist, but not moisturising. It’s strange because you can feel a slight stickiness, but it doesn’t transfer when you touch it. Mind-boggling.

Staying power: It’s pretty damned budgeproof. It’s difficult to remove evenly, even with oil cleanser. Sometimes I have to go for a few days walking around with remnants of the stain on my lips lol. It’s THAT hard to get off without scrubbing. It also sets really fast. There have been times I tried doing gradient lips with both shades and I ended up with a dense patch of product on the centre of my lips (no matter how hard I rubbed my lips together!) because the tint had set so quickly.

Final score: 4/5 for RD01 and 3/5 for RD03. I simply love the packaging so much, and so do other people! When I take it out of my makeup bag, people go crazy lmao. However, the formula isn’t that great compared to other lip tints that I’ve tried so far, but that’s because I prefer a more moisturising lip tint, like the Peripera Peri’s Ink Moist (my absolute favourite!). If you want a lipstain that really stays put and you don’t mind reapplying lip balm throughout the day, you might want to check these tints out!

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Where to buy:

BBCosmetic: USD12.50 with free shipping. 

StyleKorean: USD9.02 excluding shipping.

Koreadepart: USD7.56 excluding shipping.

Roseroseshop: ₩7,920 excluding shipping.

[plainlymalee]

Etude House Wedding Peach Play 101 Pencils Review and Swatches

Wedding Peach is a vintage mahou shoujo (magical girl) manga series-turned-anime that was popular in the 90s. On the heels of their holo-riffic Galaxy Express 999 nail collection, Etude House continues to cash in on the nostalgia factor and released a line of limited edition Wedding Peach-themed products.

I’m actually not a big manga or anime fan and admittedly have not watched Wedding Peach (or even Sailor Moon. I know right? The horror!!!!) but I thought this collection was adorable, although apparently many Koreans thought the packaging looked cheap lol. Also, I’ve never actually tried Play 101 pencils (The horror!!!! 2.0) so I thought I’d get two to see how much I would like them.

There are a total of five Wedding Peach Play 101 pencils, three of which are glitters, one is a shimmer and the last one is a creamy-type pencil that is meant for the lips and cheeks.

I got shade #82 and #84.

The Wedding Peach Play 101 pencils are packaged very differently from the regular Play 101 pencils, with the entire pencil showing off the colour of the product inside rather than the traditional black packaging. The design on the box matches the pencils inside as well. 

The weapon on the left is the Saint Lipliner used by Love Angel Lily and on the right is the Saint Crystal used by Love Angel Peach. The other weapons featured on the other boxes are Angel Peach’s Saint Mirror (#83), Angel Daisy’s Saint Pendule (#82) and Angel Lily’s Saint Astral (#80). I had to Google a lot to identify these properly. I hope I’m right lol... Anyway, it kind of looks like the weapons are emitting rays of magic, doesn’t it? Super cute!

Packaging:

Eyeliners fully twisted up to show that there’s quite a fair bit of product in each liner. I’m always worried when I test to see how much product is in an automatic liner because I’m scared it won’t twist back down again lol but I’m happy to announce that these returned to their original state easily.

Handy sharpeners on the end of each pencil.

#82 수호천사로 변신! (Transform into a Guardian Angel!) is a milky pink glitter with gold shimmer. In this picture it looks a bit peachy but it’s pinker in real life. I use it on the inner corners of my eyes. 

#84 가만두지 않겠다! (I Won’t Leave You Alone!) is a purple-brown with pink glitter. Let me tell you, it looks fantastic as an upper-lid liner or for an unexpected pop of colour along the bottom lid. I love this shade so much!

Swatches:

(Each liner was swatched once on a bare arm and taken in natural light)

For some reason my camera hates purples and always makes them appear browner than they actually are. #84 is more purple than it looks in the swatch above, closer to the purple-brown of the eyeliner pencil in the other pictures I posted. Also #82 is slightly pinker. 

Both shades are incredibly smudgeproof (although most of the glitter gets rubbed off, the base shade stays put) and waterproof, but can be cleaned off easily with soap and water.

Final score: 4/5. I have to say, I’m so impressed with these! I took off half a point for being limited edition and therefore not easily replaceable, and another half a point because #82 doesn’t apply that properly. The glitter applies patchily and requires a few strokes to get the glitter on evenly. Apart from that I’m really really happy with my purchase. I love #84 sf much!

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Where to buy:

ibuybeauti: USD5.24 with free shipping for orders above USD50.

Cosmetic-love: USD6.75 with free shipping. I bought mine from here! Sign up using this link for 15% off your first purchase.

Twofacemall: USD7.50 with free shipping.

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This post contains affiliate links.

[plainlymalee]

VDL Expert Metal Cushion Foundation Review and Swatches

VDL released a new metal cushion earlier this year! This is nicknamed the “Sohee Cushion” in S. Korea as she is their current ambassador. It’s gotten pretty good reviews by Korean bloggers, so let’s see how it fares on me!

The special set that I bought back in April comes with my favourite Perfecting Last Foundation as well and only cost 48,000won! What a steal!

My current bottle of Perfecting Last Foundation is in shade M01. That’s the lightest shade and is too pink for my skin. This time I chose shade A201 for the cushion and A02 for the foundation thinking they’d be perfect this time but... I didn’t read the shade descriptions on their website carefully... so... the shades are still too pink for me... 

Anyway, here are VDL’s claims for this brand new metal cushion foundation, roughly translated from their official site:

Expert’s touch: Formulated with a dual fitting complex to ensure the foundation adheres seamlessly to the skin as if by applied by an expert makeup artist

Supreme coverage: Contains trademarked Skin Elastine Pigment which is similar to the skin's structure for 24-hour long-lasting wear

Deep moisture: With Moisture Fit Complex containing microcollagen for moist and smooth skin

Metallic freshness: Using LG Household & Healthcare’s patented metal cushion technology, the foundation is kept cool and hygienic.

Packaging:

The case is a smooth reflective plastic that comes in the traditional VDL deep purple (That I obviously did not successfully capture in most of my photos oTL Forgive me). It has a nice big mirror inside that has a protective film on it that you should peel off if you would like to use it.

As is the case with every other cushion, a sticker is included to ensure freshness.

However, underneath the seal it’s a metal plate instead of a cushion! The pattern is exactly the same as the VDL Beauty Metal Cushion and the Beyond Timeless Phytoplacenta Cushion Foundation. As I explained in my review for the Beyond metal cushion, this is because VDL and Beyond are owned by LG Household & Healthcare which patented this metal technology. However, the refill for the Expert Metal Cushion will not fit into the Beauty Metal Cushion or the Beyond cushion cases and vice versa.

One thing I noticed about this foundation is that it comes with a rather unique puff (pictured on the right). It’s thicker and denser than regular air puffs.

It might not be possible for you to tell lmao, but the white puff is slightly thicker than the blue puff. Apparently it has 5 layers instead of the typical 3 layers (not sure what the function of the extra layers are) and a waterproof coating to ensure that only the optimal amount of product is applied to the skin. It’s pretty hard compared to the regular cushion puffs, so to me it feels like I’m basically slapping my face when I apply the foundation lol. I’m not too sure how I feel about its application though. I can’t really tell the difference compared to a regular puff. However, I will say that the puff can sometimes rub off the existing layer of foundation so that it slightly bunches up and makes your base look a mess. It makes touching up a bit of a hassle.

Swatches: 

(The foundation was swatched once with the included puff on my bare leg and the photo was taken in natural lighting)

The foundation has decent coverage I would say it ranges from light to medium-high. It covers slight redness and some hyperpigmentation but you would still need concealer. It also does not fully conceal pores. The finish is skin-like, which I adore. It really goes on so naturally and is not sticky at all. BUT it does not stay natural-looking for even 6 hours, let alone 24. After about 4 hours, my natural oils start to seep through the base despite applying oil-absorbing powder and by the 6th hour I’m looking shiny. I also notice some separation on the bottom half of my face, especially around my mouth. Even if I don’t wear powder, it starts separating as well.

Final score: 2/5. I’ve tried using this many times and have always gotten the same disappointing result. I’ve also tried applying it with a wet sponge (Clio’s Hydro Makeup Sponge) and then going over with my powder, but the foundation stills oils up and separates. So... I honestly do not like this foundation. It seems that K-beauty bloggers with dry skin like this product a lot, so perhaps you could consider trying it if you have dry skin. Perhaps it would fare better if you lived in a cooler climate as well (Most of the Korean reviews were done in spring). If you have oily/normal skin like me, you might do better purchasing a different cushion.

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Where to buy: 

Cosmetic-love: USD31.93 with free shipping. Sign up using this link for 15% off your first purchase (minimum purchase of $30)!

Twofacemall: USD38.50 with free shipping.

Koreadepart: USD28.80 excluding free shipping.

ibuybeauti: USD36.67 (free shipping for purchases over USD50).

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This post contains affiliate links.

[plainlymalee]

Innisfree Always New Autoliner #1 and #20 Review and Swatches

I bought quite a few things from Korea earlier this year but I’ve been so busy with uni, work and sleep that I still haven’t been able to unbox everything yet lol.

One of my exciting purchases is from the (not-so) brand new range of multi liners from Innisfree. There are shades that can be used as eyeliners, concealers as well as lip and cheeks tints. What’s so unique about these liners is that they’re self-sharpening. Now, I don’t know about you but I quite dislike the sharpener that comes with the older automatic liners. Maybe I’m just using it wrongly, but the excess product always gets stuck in the sharpener and I have to dig it all out with a pin. Thankfully for me, Innisfree took automatic liners to a whole new level and built the sharpener into the cap. No more having to clean out the gunk in the sharpener, and your liner is “always new”. Genius!

The eyeliners contain vitamin E in the form of tocopheryl acetate to protect the skin. They also contain small amounts of Illicium verum (star anise) extract, green tea seed oil and camellia oil.

The body of the liners are in the signature Innisfree white, while the cap shows the colour of the liner inside.

I got an eyeliner shade (#1) and a lip/cheek shade and (#20).

#1 흩날리는 모랫길 Scattering Sandy Road (idk. Korean grammar doesn't always translate well to English) is a light brown with gold shimmer.

#20 톡톡 앵두나무길 (Toktok Cherry Tree Lane) is a cherry red that can be used on the lips and cheeks. You could also use it on your eyes, although I don’t really recommend it (I’ll explain later in the post).

Another great thing about this liner is that you don’t have to twist it for more product to come out when it gets blunt. All you have to do is twist the cap closed until you hear a ‘click’, and the liner comes out as sharp as it was when you first opened it and always at the appropriate length. Actually, they say you just have to close the cap fully and the liner will sharpen itself, but mine only becomes sharp when I make the cap click shut.

Good as new!

For some reason there’s a detachable cap at the end of the liners where the sharpener or smudge-tip usually goes. However, these are totally empty and serve no purpose. I just hope I don’t accidentally lose these caps one day. Even though they’re pointless, I don’t like the idea of butt-less liners. I wish they had added a smudger at the end instead of these useless things.

Swatches:

(each liner was swatched once on a bare arm and taken in natural lighting)

As you can see, #20 is already feathering quite a bit on my skin.

And this picture shows how easily it smudges with just one light swipe of my finger. This is why I don’t recommend it as an eyeliner unless you’re going for a bleeding eye look, in which case I think that’s pretty cool. #1 is much more budgeproof and withstood repeated rubbing with my finger.

Final score: 4/5 for #1, 3/5 for #20. Both liners are really pigmented and apply smoothly. They’re not so creamy that the tip becomes blunt quickly, but soft enough that they can be applied with minimal tugging. I like using #1 as an eyeliner for a soft look. It’s quite hard to use it as an eyeshadow because it sets quite fast and can’t be blended out easily. It is smudgeproof and waterproof even on my monolid eyes coupled with the Singapore humidity (I still use a primer though). As for #20, strangely enough, it doesn’t feather as obviously on my lips as it does on my bare skin. I actually bought it as a lip liner, but I also use it all over my lips as well. Although it smudges easily, it leaves a lasting stain on the lips (and any other patch of skin you apply it to so be careful!).

One thing I don’t like about both liners is that you can’t tell how much product was in the liner at the beginning and how much you have left since there’s no way you can twist it up. Also because you can’t twist up the liner, the entire pencil becomes useless if the sharpener in the cap stops working. Some people have also said that their caps cracked after a few uses, causing the liner to dry out, so it’s something to look out for if you decide to get this. One time I opened #20 and the tip was completely broken off and stuck inside the sharpener. I had to hit the cap on the table a few times to get the broken bit out first before it could sharpen the pencil again.

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Where to buy:

ibuybeauti: USD8.20 (free regular shipping for orders over $50)

Jolse: USD9.98 (free shipping)

Cosmetic-love: USD10.19 (free shipping). Sign up using this link for 15% off your first purchase!

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This post uses affiliate links.

[plainlymalee]

Lululun Balance Moisture Matsumoto Kiyoshi Limited Edition

Have you heard of Lululun? It’s an extremely popular Japanese brand of sheet masks that come in brightly packaged sachets of 7 or boxes of 32 or 42. Yes! Multiple sheet masks in one resealable packet! That might sound like a nightmare to some people who are worried about contamination, but it seems like this is quite a common packaging for sheet masks in Japan. It cuts down a lot on packaging waste.

There are 3 basic types of Lululun masks and they each have their own colour. The types are Balance Moisture (Pink), Extreme Moisture (Blue) and Brightening (White). It puzzled me then, when I saw the yellow packet in the picture my friend sent me (I’d asked her to help me buy some Lululun masks when she was in Japan) because I’d never seen this particular yellow mask on Lululun’s website. Regardless, I just told her to get the yellow packet along with a red one (part of a premium line) that I will review soon!

Now let’s see how these masks faired!

Matsumoto Kiyoshi is one of the top drugstores in Japan. This special edition mask is only sold at MatsuKiyo stores, and thus it comes in the trademark bright MatsuKiyo yellow. 

Looking at the description and ingredients, I realised that this is actually the Pink version of the original Lululun line, which is the Balance Moisture version.

The difference is that the MatsuKiyo special edition has one (1) extra sheet mask! This is really value for money!

The idea is to use one sheet mask a day for 8 days straight. I definitely didn’t do a mask a day, but I finished this packet in about 10-12 days anyway.

Packaging:

This is how the masks are stored in the packet. I read that some people found it hard to peel away a single sheet from the rest, but I had no problem at all. I used my index finger and thumb, pinched a sheet and pulled on it gently, and it easily separated from the others. I could even do it in the dark! If you’re icky about contamination, you could always use a clean pair of tweezers to pick out a piece.

One thing you might notice is that there isn’t a lot of essence in the packet. Even when all the masks were used up, there was barely any essence left. I actually prefer this because I think it’s so wasteful when lots of essence remains in the sachet.

The mask sheet itself has been renewed to better cover the eye and mouth area. However, the nose part is still really small and doesn’t cover the sides of my nose. I don’t even have that sharp a nose -_- Regardless, it still fit quite well on my face. I did not have to fold the edges in much.

It’s thin enough to sit comfortably on my face, but not too thin that it tears easily. It was also properly drenched in essence, but not so much that it was dripping down my face. It’s an ok mask sheet, nothing to write home about, but decent for the price.

Okay, now that’s out of the way, let’s talk about its performance!

First, here are the ingredients:

Water, glycerin, propandiol, glycosphingolipid, niacinamide, PCA-Na, honey, sodium hyaluronate, Panax ginseng root extract, aloe vera leaf extract, avocado extract, Plantago major seed extract, Citrus unshiu peel extract, hydrogenated lecithin, lysolecithin, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, xanthan gum, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium hydroxide, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, BG

(I can’t for the life of me find out what BG means so if anyone knows please let me know!!!)

Lots of useful active ingredients and some potentially harmful ones (hydrogenated castor oil, sodium hydroxide, phenoxyethanol and methylparaben) which are low on the ingredients list. Notice that there are no added fragrances! It did not smell unpleasant to me and the scent didn’t linger after the essence absorbed.

I usually use sheet masks 3 times a week at night before I sleep, but to test these out, I used them about 5 times a week. I conclude that these are not fantastic masks, but they do their job at providing moisture and, to some degree, soothing the skin. I find that these are not all that different from my other usual moisturising masks. My face wasn’t sticky after removing the mask and some nights I could even skip my moisturiser and still wake up with plump skin. 

For the price (I think it was about 324yen? Which translates to about SGD4.12/USD3.03), it’s perfect if you’re someone who loves using masks daily. If you rarely use sheet masks, it might be better to buy individually packed masks as the essence will eventually dry up in the resealable packet.

Final score: 4.5/5. I took away 0.5 points because it’s not that easy for me to buy online since I don’t use Amazon or Ebay lol. Apart from that small inconvenience, these Lululun Balance Moisture sheet masks are pretty good and inexpensive masks. Like most sheet masks, their effects are short term and require prolonged use, which is why the price is so appealing. The next time someone I know goes to Japan, I’ll be asking them to buy more for me haha.

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Where to buy:

Sasa: Currently USD3.90. Usual price USD6.80, exclusive of shipping fee.

Amazon and Ebay

[plainlymalee]

Banila Co Love in Seoul Collection Fall in Seoul Eyeshadow Palette and Kiss Collecture Moisture Lipstick Review and Swatches

I would first like to thank my lovely fairy godmother France for buying the eyeshadow palette for me for Christmas! The lipstick was purchased by me in September last year but I was too busy then to make a proper post about it. I KNOW it’s already Spring 2016, but now I have the time to talk about this beautiful Fall 2015 collection from Banila Co!

The products in this collection are inspired by 3 distinct venues in Seoul: Garosu-gil (a chic fashion street lined with boutiques and cafes), Bukchon Hanok Village (a historical village filled with traditional Korean houses) and Hongdae (a region near Hongik University that is always buzzing with college activities and other youth events). Each venue has an eyeshadow palette, a lipstick, a lip lacquer and a set of nail polishes.

(Source: Banila Co’s Official site)

In case you didn’t already know, I’m a sucker for all things pink, so I was immediately drawn to the Garosu collection, although I really like the Hongdae Funky eyeshadow palette as well. But perhaps when I have the money...

Fall in Seoul Eyeshadow Palette 01 Garosu Feminine 

The shades are: Charming, The Hippest, Pretty Cheek, Trendy Shopping, Hot Spot and Lovely Cafe. Pretty Cheek and Trendy Shopping are the only matte shades. Hot Spot has the most shimmer.

There is a lovely mix of pinks and browns that effortlessly blend together.

It comes with a basic double-ended sponge-tip applicator, which kind of disappointed me, because I think it would seem more high quality if at least one end was a brush.

Swatches:

(All shades were swatched twice on a bare arm and taken in natural lighting)

The shadows are decently pigmented and can be built up for a more intense look. Hot Spot is the hardest shade to photograph because it looks kind of gold in my palette, but in the official pictures it’s like a pink-grey? When swatched, you can see the pink base and gold flecks.

I like how smooth and buttery the shadows feel. There is minimal fall-out when applying the shadows with brushes and barely any fall-out when applying with fingers.

Final rating: 4.9/5. I like how there is a good mix of matte and shimmer shades. You can wear the shadows simply for a daily, natural look or amp it up into a pink-brown smoky eye just by switching up the colour combinations. The only thing I dislike is the sponge-tip applicator.

Fall in Seoul Kiss Collector Moisture 01 Garosu Pink

Swatch:

(This was swatched once on a bare arm and taken in natural lighting)

This is such a gorgeous magenta-pink shade! The formula isn’t as moisturising as it claims to be but it’s beautifully pigmented and glossy. It’s also quite long wearing as long as you don’t eat oily food haha.

Final rating: 4/5. It’s a really flattering shade on my warm skin tone and because of how rich the colour is, I think it would look amazing on darker warm skin tones as well! Although it’s not as moisturising as I wish it would be, it glides on nicely and stays on for a decent amount of time. However, it appears that this shade will become a permanent part of the Kiss Collector Moisture line and will no longer be made in this particular packaging.

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Where to buy:

Fall in Seoul Kiss Collector Moisture

Cosmetic-love: USD15.94 (free shipping). Sign up here to get 15% off your first order (no minimum amount required)

Fall in Seoul Eye Shadow Palette

Cosmetic-love: USD33.45 (free shipping).

W2Beauty: USD34.69 (free shipping). Use the code 01545312 to get 5% off your first purchase with a minimum of $30!

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This post contains affiliate links.

I only link to shops that I have purchased from and trust, or sites that are well-known for being credible with good customer service.

[plainlymalee]

Beyond Timeless Phytoplacenta Cushion Foundation SPF50+ PA+++ (Shade 1) Review

If you haven’t already heard of Beyond, it is a Korean brand that is dedicated to ecologically sustainable packaging and formulation. It’s also against animal testing and I think it could possibly be vegan? Lol don’t quote me on that, but the ingredients lists I’ve seen so far do not contain animal-derived products.

This cushion foundation by Beyond boasts a hygienic metal plate dispenser that keeps the foundation cool and soybean placenta to nourish and strengthen the skin, preventing aging.

I bought this in April even though I could find zero reviews about it, whether in English or Korean (I guess I was feeling reckless) and I could only pray that I wouldn’t hate it. Was I glad to take the plunge? Read more to find out!

Ingredients: Water, titanium dioxide, cyclopentasiloxane, ethylhexylmethoxycinnamate, caprylyl trimethicone, diphenylsiloxyphenyltrimethicone, cyclohexasiloxane, PEG-10 dimethicone, zinc oxide, phenylbenzimidazole sulphonic acid, niacinamide, biosaccharide gum-1, tromethamine, glycerin, 1,2-hexanediol, glycine max (soybean) phytoplacenta extract (1.8mg), aluminium hydroxide, ceramide 3, squalane, glycosphingolipids, phospholipids, cholesterol, alcohol, stearic acid, magnesium sulphate, sorbitan sesquoletate, sorbitan sesquisostearate, zinc stearate, disteardimonium hectorite, distearyldimonium chloride, dimethicone/methicone copolymer, palmitoyl proline, adenosine, magnesium palmitoyl glutamate, sodium palmitoyl sarcosinate, triethoxycaprylylsilane, triethoxysilylethyl polydimethylsiloxyethylhexyldimethicone, palmitic acid, fragrance, mica, iron oxides (CI 77492), iron oxides (CI 77491), iron oxides (CI 77499)

A check on cosDNA shows that there are 4 low level acne triggers in this: squalane, zinc oxide, stearic acid and palmitic acid.

The key ingredients in this product are the soybean phytoplacenta extract and ceramide 3 to deeply nourish the skin and keep it moist.

There are quite a few studies on small samples of women that have shown that isoflavones (the compound in soybeans) have anti-photoaging properties when applied topically. However, those with soy allergies or have had adverse reactions to soy products should definitely stay away.

Packaging:

The case is brown with gold accents and inside, it’s a pleasant light beige colour.

Right away, you might be thinking, “Isn’t this the same as the VDL Beauty Metal Cushion foundation?”

Well, Beyond is owned by the same company as VDL (LG Household and Healthcare) that’s why it uses the same metal plate technology as VDL since LG owns the patent (or is in the midst of getting it patented, anyway).

I don’t have the VDL one to compare, but I’m quite sure that the refill of the Beyond one can fit into the VDL case and vice versa. The diameter of the Beyond refill is about 7.5cm. If anyone has the measurements of the VDL refill, please leave it in the comments below!

After a few presses initially, the foundation, which is a bit yellower than it is in this picture,  comes out in a pretty firework pattern. I also found that if you press down too hard, the product will squirt out quite violently lol.

Swatches:

Here is my birthmark again. As you can see from the ‘after’ picture, it’s not completely concealed, but the skin tone is brighter. It can cover most of my redness and discolouration. I think it has a very natural skin-like finish that is slightly dewy. I would say the coverage is light-medium and it can cover my pores very well.

Performance:

On my normal skin type, I can go for about 6 hours without blotting or touching up, whether or not I use it with an oil-absorbing powder because Singapore is just so fdkasjdaking hot, but even then, it still looks quite like natural skin.

One full press on the metal plate pumps out enough product to evenly cover my face. The one thing I kind of dislike about this foundation is that it doesn’t have the cooling feeling that the metal plate container claims to give.

I also have no idea how to describe the smell, but it’s pleasant to me. It does linger for awhile, so if you’re sensitive to scents in general, you might want to steer clear.

The foundation actually comes in a set that includes a refill...

...which makes it quite value for money.

Final score: 9/10. This is a foundation that grew on me. I didn’t like it that much when I first tried it, but I’ve been using it for almost 8 months now and I reach for it quite often. I like how it evens out the skintone and makes my skin look plump! I don’t think I’ve used it enough to see if the phytoplacenta has improved my skin, but it hasn’t broken me out at all either.

While it’s not the best foundation I’ve ever tried, it’s definitely not the worst. I won’t repurchase it, not because I hate it, but there’s just too many cushion foundations to try out!

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Where to buy:

Cosmetic-love: USD38.94 (free shipping). Sign up using this link to get 15% off your first order with no minimum spending required! I ordered mine from here.

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This post has affiliate links.

[plainlymalee]

 Etude House Dear My Enamel Lips-Talk Review and Swatches

Etude House is 10 years old this year! To celebrate this milestone, they put some of their star products in a limited edition Let’s Pink packaging as well as launched a brand new line of lipsticks!

The Dear My Enamel Lips-Talk lipsticks (which will henceforth be called ‘Enamel’ in this post) are a combination between lipsticks and glosses, giving a long-lasting, shiny enamel-like finish. There are 10 shades that range between pink and red, and I bought 3 of them.

Packaging:

Two different sides of the box.

It’s basically the exact same packaging as the Dear My Wish Lips-talk (Wish) lipsticks, only the Enamel ones are a matte peachy-pink with a red bow.

Here are some comparison shots between the Enamel and Wish packaging. The Wish packaging is pinker and glossier compared to the Enamel one. I like both equally, but I can’t help but feel that lipsticks that are supposed to have an “enamel” finish should be the one that has the shiny package hehe.

PK002 애매모호핑크 (Ambiguous Pink) is just as ambiguous as its name claims! Is it a pink? Is it a red? It’s ambiguous, all right! I would say it’s a pink with a slight scarlet undertone.

RD303 싱숭생송레드 (Restless Red) is a red with pink undertones. It’s my favourite shade of the 3!

RD304 단호한레드 (Forceful Red) looks similar to RD303, but it is a deep red burgundy that’s very suitable for fall/winter.

Swatches:

(these were swatched once on a bare arm and taken in natural lighting) From top: PK002, RD303 and RD304. They look so similar here, especially RD303 and RD304, but on the lips, you can definitely tell the difference. The pigmentation is great and it has a nice glide-y texture.

Final score: 5/5. To be honest, when I first tried them on, I wasn’t very impressed, but after a few tries I like them a lot. They’re not as shiny as they look in the promo pictures but they’re still glossy enough to live up to the ‘enamel’ description. It has kind of a balmy texture that isn’t sticky. I like how lightweight it feels and that it doesn’t dry out the lips at all! Touch ups are absolutely necessary after eating, but that’s not a big issue for me.

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Where to buy:

Cosmetic-love: USD9.94. Sign up through this link to get a 15% coupon off your first purchase (no minimum purchase required!). I bought mine from here.

ibuybeauti: USD8.07 each

W2beauty: USD11.91 each (free shipping). Use the code 01545312 when signing up to get $5 off your first order (above $30).

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This post features affiliate links and codes.

[plainlymalee]

VDL x Kakaofriends Pot Eyes Cluster Review and Swatches

As you might already know, VDL teamed up with Kakao Corp to put the Kakaofriends characters on their products. These Pot Eye Clusters are part of the first season of the collaboration. Season 2 has even more adorable products!

Kakaotalk is my favourite messaging app so I have a soft spot for Kakaofriends. For that reason, I was really itching to get everything in this collection! But I limited myself to just the eyeshadows haha. My best friend got me 2 (thank you!!) and I purchased one more myself.

The Kakaofriends edition of the VDL Pot Eyes Clusters are inspired by the colours of 4 Kakaofriends characters. Each eyeshadow has two or more colours to create an interesting marbling. All of them are very shimmery and can be used as an eyeshadow base, on its own, or over eyeshadow for a beautiful shine.

I guess you’d call these cream shadows? But the consistency is more like a jelly and feels wet, similar to that of Colourpop eyeshadows.

04 Apeach is a light pink mixed with darker pink flecks and white shimmer.

05 Muzi and Con has clusters of green and white within shades of yellow. On the eyes, the green is undetectable.

06 Neo is a blend of white shimmer with red, orange and pink in a dark blue base. The effect on the eyes is a sparkly dark purple-blue.

Swatches:

Look at that shimmer!! It’s better in real life.

I don’t find that these are particularly pigmented. You’d have to apply a few layers to achieve the desired opacity. I personally prefer that for these shadows because it makes them more versatile. I especially like tapping some over my eyeshadow to create a more dimensional look and add more shine to my eyes.

Apart from Neo, the shades don’t last that long on the eyes without a primer. They rub off easily with a piece of tissue, leaving behind only the shimmer.

Final score: 4/5. Tbh I probably wouldn’t even have considered getting these if they didn’t have the Kakaofriends on the lid lmao. However, the packaging is sturdy and the formulation is decent. I’ve been using them a lot lately! I only took off a point because it’s limited edition lol.

Also, it should be obvious but don’t get these if you don’t like shimmer lol.

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Where to buy:

Cosmetic-love: USD18.94 each (free shipping). Sign up through this link and get 15% off your first order (no minimum spending). This is where I bought mine from!

W2Beauty: USD22.01 each (free shipping). Use the code 01545312 at registration to receive $5 off your first order (minimum spending of $30).

Airfrov: To be negotiated with traveller. This service is only available for Singaporean-based shoppers. Get $5 off your first purchase with the code B3LRM.

Shopandbox: To be negotiated with boxer. Available for shoppers all around the world.

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This post contains affiliate links and codes.

[plainlymalee]

A’pieu Air Fit Cushion Special Set [Doraemon Edition] SPF50+/PA+++ Review

The A’pieu Air Fit Cushion is a popular cushion in S.Korea due to its lightness and natural dewy finish. Recently, A’pieu collaborated with Doraemon to release the Doraemon Edition of this well-loved cushion.

In this special set, there is a Doraemon cushion case (already filled), an Air Fit Cushion refill and a spare puff.

It was quite difficult to find this online. I managed to get mine through Airfrov, a Singapore-based personalised shopping site where people living in Singapore can get items from overseas through travellers returning from foreign countries.

 The shade I got is #21.

Packaging:

Isn’t it just adorable? T_T

Despite the low price of this cushion, the packaging does not feel cheap at all, which is what I really like about A’pieu cushions.

It has a nice big mirror inside that’s covered with a film that should be peeled off.

The puffs included in the case and the set are the Air in Puff puffs sold by both A’pieu and Missha since they are owned by the same umbrella company. I love this puff! As its name suggests, there is air in the puff! The air is held within 3 layers of Wet Process Polyurethane and gives the puff a bouncy feeling. The air also supposedly makes your base makeup look moist and natural. For me, I just love how it feels when you bounce it on your skin. It definitely feels different from ordinary air puffs. 

Under the lid that holds the puff, a protective label covers the foundation-soaked cushion. It says 1. Remove the sticker first before using and 2. After using, you absolutely must close the lid tightly.

The foundation has a scent to it. I’m not good at identifying smells so I can’t tell you exactly what the scent is, but I think it might be some kind of floral scent? At the very least, it’s not unpleasant and it doesn’t linger after application anyway.

Now let’s look at the ingredients:

Ingredients: Mineral water, cyclopentasiloxane, titanium dioxide (CI 77891), ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, glycerin, ethylhexylsalicylate, butylene glycol, PEG-10 dimethicone, trimethylsiloxysilicate, niacinamide, butylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, caprylyl methicone, phenyl trimethycone, pentylene glycol, aloe vera leaf water, tea tree leaf extract, hydrolysed avocado protein, ylang ylang flower extract, lavender water, rosemary leaf water, mentha suaveolens leaf extract, chamomile flower water, peppermint leaf water, hibiscus flower extract, jasmine water, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, magnesium sulphate, cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 dimethicone, acrylate/stearyl acrylate/dimethicone methacrylate copolymer, diphenyl dimethicone, stearic acid, disteardimonium hectorite, alumina, triethoxycaprylylsilane, aluminium hydroxide, ethylhexyl glycerin, adenosine, PEG-8 dimethicone, silica, methyl methacrylate crosspolymer, vinyl dimethicone/methicone silsesquioxane crosspolymer, silica dimethyl silylate, HDI/trimethylol hexyllactone crosspolymer, maltodextrin, disodium EDTA, phenoxyethanol, fragrance, yellow iron oxide (CI 77492), mica (CI 77019), red iron oxide (CI 77491), black iron oxide (CI 77499)

According to CosDNA, it has 2 low-level acne triggers and quite a few mid-range potentially harmful ingredients.

The formula contains 32% mineral water, which is said to provide long-lasting moisture to the skin. It also has Air-Light Powder and Sliding Powder to ensure that the foundation appears light even after applying a few layers, as well as Airy Cover Powder for good coverage. Finally, it has a patented avocado peptide for bouncy skin.

The foundation can be used with or without primer. I find that it performs quite well under both conditions even in hot and humid Singapore. I only have to touch up once even if I’m out for 12 hours, but only around the T-zone area. I don’t feel that it slides around or melts off in the heat, although it does still cake up on my nose bridge where my glasses sit lol.

However, I do think that people with drier or rougher skin will not find this moisturising enough and it does accentuate dry patches, so exfoliation and proper moisturisation is key if you have dry skin.

Swatches:

My birthmark makes its appearance again! As you can see, the foundation is not bad at covering blemishes and pigmentation, although concealer may still be needed for a flawless finish. It also covers my pores well. I would say that it has light to medium-heavy coverage. However, it may look a bit cakey if you apply too much.

The foundation dries to a semi-matte but slightly dewy finish(?) I call it “my skin but better” lol because it’s so natural it looks like it’s just your skin!

Final score: 5/5. I L O V E THIS CUSHION. It has a high SPF, it’s cheap, it performs well in Singapore’s weather... WHAT ELSE COULD I ASK FOR?

The one shitty thing I can think of is that it only comes in 3 shades: super pale (#13), fair (#21) and slightly less fair (#23) which is a travesty imo. Such a wonderful product should come in a wide range of shades so that more people can use it. This is an injustice!

Anyway, this is now my HG cushion foundation along with my Lalavesi Akma Cushion which has more of a matte finish. I’m so in love!!

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Where to buy: 

Doraemon edition special set: TesterKorea: 9800won (excluding shipping)

Airfrov: I got mine for SGD20.19, which is SGD17 + administrative fee. This service is only available for Singaporean-based shoppers. Get $5 off your first purchase with the code B3LRM!

Shopandbox: To be negotiated with boxer. Available for shoppers all around the world.

Original cushion case: TesterKorea: 5220won (excluding shipping)

Ibuybeauti: USD7.20 (excluding shipping)

W2Beauty: USD16.68 (free shipping). Use the code 01545312 to get $5 off your first order (over $30).

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This post contains affiliate codes ♥

[plainlymalee]

Current Skincare Routine

For the last month or so, my skin has been at it’s best condition in years. My skin is smooth and I’ve had very few pimples popping up. The only thing is my face is still quite dull and I still have hyperpigmentation, but they’re fading steadily and I think my diet is just too awful for radiant skin lol.

Anyway, I thought I’d share my current skincare routine. When I find that a product is decent enough, I’ll try to use it all up before I move on to a new product (even if I’m sorely tempted to). It’s probably not the best thing to do if you want to keep an updated beauty blog, but I can’t stand having ten million bottles sitting on my desk!

My skin is normal but acne prone and I have hyperpigmentation on my cheeks. The products I use are mostly for moisturising because I find that in my case, that well-moisturised skin produces less oil and lessens the appearance of pores. I’ve listed all the products I use in order and I do most steps day and night.

Point makeup remover: Innisfree Apple Juicy Lip and Eye Remover. I like using a separate remover for my waterproof eye makeup. This one by Innisfree is cheap and gets the job done well enough. The only thing it cannot cleanly remove is the Etude House Lash Perm Curl Fix mascara and other similar super waterproof mascaras. 

Overall makeup remover: Bifesta Cleansing Lotion Brightup or The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Rich Oil. Usually, I’ll use the Bifesta one to remove all my base makeup immediately when I get home because it’s so easy and effective. Just pump it onto a cotton pad and it wipes every thing off (except waterproof mascaras)!

If I’m wearing super waterproof mascaras though, then I’ll use the cleansing oil to thoroughly remove everything from my eyes after taking off most of it with the eye makeup remover. There are probably better cleansing oils and balms on the market, but I’m planning on sticking with this because it’s cheap and gets the job done.

Daily cleanser: Estetica Derma-calm Gentle Cleansing Milk. I wash my face with this in the morning and also use this as a double cleanse if I’ve used a cleansing oil first. I definitely won’t repurchase this because it’s just not that great considering the price.

Acid: Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid. I actually used this for months thinking it wasn’t as great as people made it out to be. My pores were smaller, but I still kept having breakouts. Then I found out the trick is to leave the BHA on for 30 minutes before applying other products. Now my skin is so smooth and (mostly) pimple free! I only do this step at night because I don’t usually have time to wait for it to do its work in the day. My current bottle only has a few uses left but I’m going to try out another BHA after this.

I think most people apply their BHA after toner, but I just prefer this sequence better.

Booster: The Saem Chaga Anti-aging Treatment Essence. Before toner, I apply this treatment essence by The Saem that has fermented mushroom extract in it. It’s one of the many dupes of the SKII Facial Treatment Essence that Korean beauty brands have been selling. I like this one well enough but it hasn’t given me glowy skin like it promised... :p

Toner: A’pieu Aqua Nature Moisty Deep Sea Toner. I got this from the W2Beauty Box that was sold last year and have been using it for a few weeks now. It claims to provide lots of moisture, but I don’t feel that it’s incredibly moisturising. However, it absorbs quickly and leaves no residue, so I’ll happily continue to use it.

Eye cream: Innisfree White Tone Up Eye Serum. I know that eye creams are not essential to your skincare routine, but I decided to pick this up when I was in Seoul last year anyway because I felt my moisturiser at the time (Can’t remember what it was) wasn’t providing enough moisture for my eye area. Although it claims to “whiten” your eye area, it doesn’t have secret bleaching ingredients. Rather, it has brightening ingredients like niacinamide and extracts from 5 types of berries. Compared to my current moisturiser, it is better at moisurising and even depuffing my eyes. I use it only when my eyes feel too swollen, so I can’t comment on whether it really brightens the eye area, but I can definitely feel a difference before and after applying it!

Moisturiser: Missha Near Skin Inner Moist Moisturise Emulsion. This moisturiser contains 17 NMF (natural moisturising factors) that penetrate deep into the skin for thorough moisturisation. I love how bouncy it makes my skin feel. Although it hasn’t happened to me, I’ve read reviews by people who said this moisturiser broke them out, so please take note that it does contain many acne triggers.

Clay masks: Innisfree Super Volcanic Clay Mousse Mask / Estetica Purclear Detoxifying Mask / Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. I’ve been recommending the Innisfree mousse mask to everyone who wants to listen. The only thing I haven’t done is write a review yet, but I’ll get to it eventually! If my skin shows any signs of lurking pimples, I’ll slap on a clay mask every night until the offending pimple(s) heal. I find that clay masking helps heal the pimples faster. They also do a good job of tightening the pores on my nose.

The Estetica mask is only used for overnight spot treatment (because it’s too expensive to be applied for only 20 minutes to my whole face!) and it’s really effective. These days, I rarely need to use it because I hardly get pimples anymore.

Apart from all the above, I also use sheet masks about once or twice a week after a clay mask. I might do a post soon about my current favourite sheet masks so stay tuned!

And that’s it! I honestly wish there was an all-in-one product that I could just slap on and move on with my life, but until then, I’ll stick with this and hope my skin stays this well-behaved for a long, long time.

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Referral codes:

Cosmetic-love: Sign up through this link to get a 15% coupon off your first purchase (no minimum purchase required!)

Paula’s Choice Australia: Get $15 of your first order (minimum spending of $30) by shopping through this link.

W2beauty: Use the code 01545312 when signing up to get $5 off your first order (above $30).

Using these affiliate links and codes would help me immensely. Thank you!

[plainlymalee]

Missha Closing Cover Pencil Concealer Review and Swatches

Missha rolled out their Closing Cover line of concealers a few months ago and it consists of this pencil one and a liquid one. I’ve never tried pencil concealers before and thought they’d be super convenient for spot concealing. Ssin on Youtube gave it her stamp of approval so I decided to try it out. The shade I got is No. 21.

The Closing Cover Pencil concealer is an automatic pencil concealer that has a long-lasting smudgeproof formula. It also contains mango butter, shea butter and murumuru butter for moisturising.

Let’s first look at the packaging.

It’s very simple and similar to other automatic makeup pencils. This is the concealer completely twisted up. I’d say there’s about 2cm of product. It’s really tiny, but considering you’d only use this for spot concealing, this should last you quite a long time.

I had no issues with it twisting back down, which is always a plus.

A sharpener is conveniently housed in the other end of the pencil.

Swatch:

The left patch is the concealer swatched twice. To the right of it is supposed to be the concealer blended out. The problem is this concealer cannot be blended out with just fingers. It’s just too smudgeproof! I think it would be better to use a damp makeup sponge or an air-puff that has some foundation on it to help blend it out.

The shade suits my skintone well (I normally use shade 01 or 21 for Korean base makeup) and does have good coverage. However I noticed that it doesn’t fully cover up discolourations like pimples that have turned purple as they’re healing. For that you might need a colour corrector instead. It’s also great at emphasising dry patches, so avoid using this on recovering zits that have that annoying ring of dry skin around it.

Final score: 3/5. It definitely is smudgeproof but it’s just so damn hard to blend it out!!! I wonder if the liquid version is better. Also the amount of product is tiny. Not repurchasing :(

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Where to buy:

Jolse: USD6.98 (free shipping).

Cosmetic-love: USD7.94 (free shipping). Sign up through this link and get 15% off your first order (no minimum spending). This is where I bought mine from!

W2Beauty: USD9 each (free shipping). Use the code 01545312 at registration to receive $5 off your first order (minimum spending of $30).

[plainlymalee]

Etude House Lash Perm Curl Fix Mascara Review

TWO WORDS: BUY IT.

Keep reading for the whole review!

Etude House’s latest mascara is quite exciting!

(Credit: Etude House Global)

It has a really unique jelly brush that claims to be able to coat the tiniest lashes.

First you use the flat side, which resembles a tiny paddle brush, to coat your lashes. Then you use the “jelly dome” side to curl them.

I don’t have short lashes, but I have very folded monolids which make my lashes look shorter than they really are.

Here is how my lashes looked like after combing through them once with the flat side and once with the domed side:

I don’t have a “before” picture because I accidentally deleted it, but I can assure you my natural lashes are not this long or thick! This is the most amazing result I’ve ever seen from any mascara I’ve tried before!

However, it clumped like nothing else too. You can’t really tell in this photo, but it’s worse in real life. Keep in mind I only did one coat with each side of the brush, but it started clumping almost immediately on the second coat. Perhaps it would be better if I wiped off some of the product before applying it, but I’ll have to give it a try again.

After showering with it on, I can happily say that it passed the waterproof and smudge-proof tests as well.

5 hours after having it on, my lashes have drooped slightly, but that is expected because of how folded my eyes are, but the curl is still intact.

Final score: 4.5/5.

Basically, sign me the FUCK up 👌👀👌👀👌👀👌👀👌👀 good shit go౦ԁ sHit👌 thats ✔ some good👌👌shit right👌👌th 👌 ere👌👌👌 right✔there ✔✔if i do ƽaү so my selｆ 💯  i say so 💯  thats what im talking about right there right there (chorus: ʳᶦᵍʰᵗ ᵗʰᵉʳᵉ) mMMMMᎷМ💯 👌👌 👌НO0ОଠＯOOＯOОଠଠOoooᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒ👌 👌👌 👌 💯 👌 👀 👀 👀 👌👌Good shit

But I still had to take off half a point because of how badly it clumped.

The Etude House Lash Perm Curl Fix Mascara comes in Black, Brown, Plum Burgundy and Lovely Pink.

A special Open Your Eyes set is being sold that contains a Lash Perm Curl Fix Mascara in #1 Black, a Play 101 pencil in #01 (creamy), Look at My Eyes in BR402 and Look at My Eyes Jewel in OR202.

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Where to buy:

Cosmetic-love: USD11.94 for mascara (free shipping).

W2Beauty: USD15.48 for mascara | USD27.76 for Open My Eyes set (free shipping). Get $5 off your first purchase when you use the code 01545312 with a minimum spending of $30.

Etude House Global: USD12 for mascara | USD14.90 for Open My Eyes set (exclusive of shipping costs).

Twofacemall: USD13.25 for mascara  | USD37.65 for Open My Eyes set (free shipping). Use AF4OpCFC to get 5% off your order (minimum $60 spent).

[plainlymalee]

Tsaio x Jimmy Advanced Complex Mask Set Review

Aren’t these adorable! They’re a part of a series of sheet masks illustrated by famous Taiwanese author/illustrator Jimmy Liao in collaboration with Tsaio, which is a Taiwanese beauty brand.

This is a set of 10 sheet masks that comes in a special collector’s tin to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Tsaio. 

Let’s jump straight into the review!

Ingredients: Water & glycerin & hydrolysed pearl, swiftlet nest extract, natto extract, aloe barbadenis leaf juice, paeonia suffruticosa root extract & saxifraga sarmentosa extract & acetyl tyrosine & arbutin & gluthathione & aminopropyl ascorbyl phosphtae, arbutin, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, niacinamide, glycerine, butylene glycol, xanthan gum, polysorbate 20, methylparaben, trisodium EDTA, fragrance, water 

The essence contains black pearl, bird’s nest and natto extracts that claim to 1) brighten/whiten, 2) fight signs of aging and 3) moisturise.

CosDNA showed one low acne trigger (butylene glycol) and no potentially unsafe ingredients. There’s also a good concentration of active ingredients at the top of the list, which is a huge swaying factor for me. I want my skincare products to be loaded with beneficial ingredients and not fillers.

The sheet mask itself is made of condensed silk fibres that are said to soak up loads of essence and adhere well to the face to let the essence better penetrate the skin.  It’s quite thin, but not easily torn, and it indeed was well soaked in essence, but not to the point that it was dripping down my face.

The brand recommends leaving it on for 15-20mins but I left it on for 30 minutes. After taking it off, my skin tone was visibly brightened (not whitened/bleached don’t worry). Since I usually put on my sheet masks at night, I would apply moisturiser as the last step, I didn’t think it was necessary for this one. I went to sleep thinking the brightening effect would disappear overnight as it normally does for other masks, but it didn’t! My skin also still felt hydrated and soft. 

Scent: I can’t pinpoint exactly what it smells like, but I recognised it from other  Taiwanese sheet masks. It leans towards an almost herbal fragrance? Please don’t quote me on that lol. Since I didn’t apply a moisturiser afterwards, I could still smell the mask’s essence up till about 30 minutes after I took it off.

Final score: 4.5/5. I love the packaging because Jimmy is my favourite illustrator, and the effects of the mask are simply fantastic. HOWEVER! It’s more expensive than I’m used to, which is why I took off half a point. Otherwise, I think this set in particular is a great treat to get for yourself or the people you love. I can’t wait to try out the other masks by Tsaio!

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Where to buy:

Watson’s Singapore: SGD29.90

Prince of Peace: USD19.90 (exclusive of shipping fee. I don’t know how reliable this site is so buy at your own risk!). Ships within USA only.

Shopandbox: Determined by your peer shopper. Visit their website for more details!

You could try Amazon or Ebay for sellers as well.