q-depot | Berries in the Snow

asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample q-depot review

Review: Banila Co. It Moist Seoul Tint

18. January 2017

I have a new review for a lip product for you. You might know that I love lip tints and lipsticks and that I have really a lot, but the Banila Co. It Moist Seoul Tint had caught my attention several times before, but I always forgot to buy and try it until it was sent to me by Korean cosmetics online shop Qdepot.

Banila Co. first came into my focus when everybody started to rave about their Cleansing Balm. I even bought a couple of samples of it in order to try but I didn’t have the chance to write the reviews yet. Other than that this Korean brand reminds me of benefit when I look at their logo and design of their skincare and makeup products. Also their design is modern and trendy, appealing to young women.

What caught my attention in first place was the packaing design. The lip tint comes in a cardboard box with the illustration of a beautiful yound and stylish woman. Banila Co. It Moist Seoul Tint is a mousse type tint providing a velvet finish. There are 5 shades available in total.

I selected shade #04 called Beeone, a red peach shade according to the description. The bottle of the tint is quite adoreable. It shows the phrase “I ♥ Seoul”, showing the color of your tint through these letters.

The tint comes with a angled brush applicator, that can be easily used to apply the liquid product. It has a thicker texture than a gloss and the term mousse really describes it best, although the finish is appearing moist. It feels velvety on the lips though. If applying a thick layer the product tends to bleed out, so I would recommend this lip tint for a more soft and gradient finish. It is also not transfer-proof and dissapears after eating and drinking, but the color itself is super pretty and it doesn’t feel drying on the lips.

The color of the Banila Co. It Moist Seoul Tint is defintely a hit for me. I love the tomato red shade and in my eye the description of a red peach shade can be confusing. I also love the mousse texture of the product. Of corse because it is not long-lasting it is not the perfect tint, but it is good for everyday use and has also a nice packaging design in addition. You can buy the Banila Co. It Moist Seoul Tint from QDepot for 16.35 US$.

Q-depot is an online retailer for Korean cosmetics. They have already quite a variety of the most popular Korean brands and they keep adding products frequently. The site is easy to navigate, too. And they offer free samples for each order and free shipping for orders above US$ 49. They are committed to contributing 3% of their group’s net profit for social causes in different countries. So you can shop for your favorite Korean products and do something good, too. Also, Q-depot is having a promotion were you can get 5 US$ off your first order by using the code SW5OFF (orders +50 US$) or 10% off your first order using SW10OFF.

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://q-depot.com/, which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample q-depot review

Review: Tonymoly Black Gel Eyeliner

17. January 2017

Eyeliner is the a product that I really use on a daily basis. I could leave the house without foundation, or mascara…but I always use eyeliner. Pen and pencil shaped eyeliner are easy to use, but still I love the depth and color that can be created by gel eyeliners. My current favorite here is the Tonymoly Black Gel Eyeliner, which I received by Korean cosmetics online shop Qdepot.

The Korean brand Tonymoly is best comparable to Etude House regarding its popularity. Unlike, Etude House though, the packaging is not princessy-cute, but offers other cute and fun designs, too. Especially fruit-shaped products (apples, bananas, mango, peach…) and other creative packaging shapes make this brand interesting for western consumers and therefore very popular. I remember that my first Korean makeup products were from Tonymoly actually.

The Tonymoly Black Gel Eyeliner comes in a 4 g jar. It looks like nothing special and has simply a black color, except for the bottom part of the container, which is made from clear see-through plastic, but the surprise lies in the cap, which includes a small eyeliner brush.

The Tonymoly Gel Eyeliners are available in 6 different shades: black, brown, pearl brown, khaki brown, pearl black, and choco brown. Wow, that’s a lot of shades to select from. I usually stick with my regular black color, but I could imagine to try the brown colors, too.

The brush included has a nice shape and is suited perfectly to create bold and fine lines and wings to your lid. I really like working with the brush and it is easy to use, too. The gel eyeliner itself is soft and can be easily spread. The color is a real matte black, which is the perfect classic color for eyeliner.

The formula of the Tonymoly Black Gel Eyeliner is made in a way that it creates a waterproof film and makes it long-lasting. I can only assure you, that the swatches that I did on my hand really were annoying in terms of removing. Of course the color gets less pigmented, but the stain did not vanish completely after several hand washes. On my lid the eyeliner has a great staying power too. Except from the wing which I tend to rub away during the day the eyeliner lasts all day until I remove my makeup.

I simply love the Tonymoly Black Gel Eyeliner! It has that deep black color that I want for my makeup and it is long- lasting too! And even more, the product comes with an included brush! You can buy the Tonymoly Black Gel Eyeliner from QDepot for 10.19 US$, which is a steal for such a great product in my eyes!

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://q-depot.com/, which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample q-depot review

Review: It’s Skin Power 10 Formula Propolis Ampoule

2. November 2016

Another propolis ampoule I’ve been trying since I finished up the COSRX Propolis Light Ampule: I received the It’s Skin Power 10 Formula Propolis Ampoule by Korean cosmetics online shop Qdepot and I’ve been testing it for quite a while now. Actually, I’ve been wanting to try something from the It’s Skin Power 10 Formula line a long time already, so I’m happy I was offered this opportunity.

It’s Skin is a Korean brand made by dermatologists at Seoul University and it was created to recover the natural power of the skin. The brand is not expansive, but on the same level like Etude House. They also have some cute designs for some of their products, so in general it is an interesting brand, especially their Power 10 Formula intrigued me for a long time. There are 12 or even 13 different kinds of ampoules reaching from Vitamins to Q10, and even yeast filtrate. I guess you will find every possible ampoule. I decided to try another Propolis Ampoule since I enjoyed the previous one already so much.

The It’s Skin Power 10 Formula Propolis Ampoule comes in a glass bottle with an attached pipette as lid. The bottle is yellow colored, but transparent enough to see how much product is left inside. Of course the key ingredient here is Propolis. Propolis is a resinous mixture collected from barks of trees by bees to seal their chambers with the larvae. Propolis has antibacterial and antifungal properties and thus protects the larva, but this also makes it useful in skincare, especially for troubled skin, but it also has skin conditioning properties and makes your skin feel smooth.

If you check COSDNA you will see that the ingredients list is not too long, which is quite positive. Apart from Propolis the ampoule contains honey, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide, which are all great and effective ingredients for anti-inflammatory effects, hydration and brightening. The majority of the ingredients is green labelled, too.

The It’s Skin Power 10 Formula Propolis Ampoule has a milky consistency, which is not totally liquid like a toner but shows some substance. It is easily blended in though and turns into a watery solution once starting to rub it in. It makes the skin feel smooth while applying and glides over the skin– not in the same way as oil, but in a silky smooth way, if you know what I mean. The scent is nice, too, and not overly strong. The ampoule absorbs quickly without a sticky or greasy feeling, but it leaves a nice glow on the skin. I use a few drops on my skin until I feel I have used enough to cover my face and neck.

It is hard to say which ampoule I would prefer, the one from COSRX or the It’s Skin Power 10 Formula Propolis Ampoule. Both are different in their consistency and in the feeling they leave on the skin. The COSRX serum has the shorter ingredients lists and doesn’t contain any potential triggers. Since it is a light ampoule it is probably suited better for sensitive skintypes. The Propolis serum from It’s Skin feels “heavier” without being heavy on the skin, but the texture feels richer. I like both ampoules but if I had both at hands I would prefer the COSRX one for summer season and the one from It’s Skin for winter. You can buy the It’s Skin Power 10 Formula Propolis Ampoule from QDepot for 18.13 US$.

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://q-depot.com/, which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample q-depot review

Review: Banila Co. Glam Muse Luster Lipstick

8. June 2016

You know I have an obsession with lipsticks so it is time for another lipstick review. I kindly received the Banila Co. Glam Muse Luster Lipstick by Korean cosmetics online shop Qdepot some time ago and although my initial wish for a product for reviewing was another item which was out of stock I accepted the offer for this product mainly out of two reasons: I never reviewed any products from Banila Co, and I loved the packaging design!

The Banila Co. Glam Muse Luster Lipstick is from the Glam Muse Makeup line and all the products have the same patterns and ornaments. The design is not only restricted to the cardboard boxes of the products and it is also present on the products themselves.

The Banila Co. Glam Muse Luster Lipstick is available in 6 shades and you will also find additional description about the lipstick on Qdepot. The shade I’m showing you here is shade LRD331, a rosy-pink shade with shimmering particles. It applies smoothly and leaves a sheen on the lips. Due to the creamy texture it is not long lasting though and dissappearsee quickly. It doesn’t leave visible stain on my lips either, but still the color is pretty, even though usually I prefer lipsticks without shimmer particles. Since the product also contains argan oil and palm seed oil it has also a moisturizing effect and is not drying on the lips.

If you are looking for a creamy and naturally colored lipstick the Banila Co. Glam Muse Luster Lipstick in shade LRD331 might be a good choice for you. It is not long-lasting and not too opaque though, but rather makes your lips look natural and shiny. It is a good everyday-lips color in my eyes. The Banila Co. Glam Muse Luster Lipstick retails for 11.81 US$ at Q-depot and they have up to 35 % discount on products from Banila Co. at the moment.

Q-depot is an online retailer for Korean cosmetics. They have already quite a variety of the most popular Korean brands and they keep adding products frequently. The site is easy to navigate, too. And they offer free samples for each order andfree shipping for orders above US$ 49. What I like especially, that they have an extra section for cruelty-free products, which contains brands like Iope, Innisfree, Etude House, etc. I didn’t see that before for most of the online stores, so that’s something really innovative and nice. Also, they are committed to contributing 3% of their group’s net profit for social causes in different countries. So you can shop for your favorite Korean products and do something good, too. Also,Q-depot is having a promotion were you can get 25 US$ coupon upon signing up. The coupon is useable for a minimum purchase of 69 US$.

Here are also some useful coupons when ordering at the moment:

Coupons

Get 7% OFF on cruelty free products: GoCF7off

Get 5% OFF with Coupon Code: WCOFF5

Get $25 coupon for signung up on Qdepot!

Have fun shopping!

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://q-depot.com/, which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample q-depot review

Review: NoTS 28 Remedy Perfect Solution Set

11. February 2016

I love Korean deluxe sample sets, since they contain every product you’ll ned when you are on vacations. They are also great for getting to know a brand or a specific skincare line, therefore I was really happy when I was offered to review the NoTS 28 Remedy Perfect Solution Set by Korean cosmetics online shop Qdepot. So far this brand is still new to me, and apart from the NoTS Silk Glow Stick Foundation I haven’t tried any products from this brand. But finally I can now try some of their skincare products:

Unlike brands like Etude House or Tonymoly the Korean high-end brand NoTS is yet not widely known among people outside Korea. NoTS stands for ‘noble through skin’ and was founded in 2011. It is supposed to be natural functional cosmetics with eco-friendly ingredients. Since it is a high-end brand the products are more expansive than drugstore brands like Etude House or Tonymoly. Their packaging design is also not girlish or fun, but more mature and targeting another age group than the two other brands. The NoTS 28 Remedy Perfect Solution Set comes in a silver cardboard box and contains 4 products. The NoTS 28 Remedy skincare range is made for sensitive and acne prone skintypes and is a multipurpose range targeting also anti-ageing and having whitening properties.

The set contains the NoTS 28 Remedy Acne Pore Deep Cleanser, The NoTS 28 Remedy Balancing Toner, The NoTS 28 Remedy Intensive Serum, and the NoTS 28 Remedy Repair Cream. These four product already build a perfect tiny skincare routine. From the 4 products the cleanser stands out most, because it has orange-colored fonts and cap on the white plastic tube. The other three products are simple but elegant. The bottles and jars have a white color and silver fonts and caps. They are made of hard plastic and seem to be very sturdy and perfect for travelling without fearing for them that they’ll break or leak.

The backside of the silver cardboard box reveals the Korean description for the 4 products, but you can check Qdepot for English description of the single products. The first step of your skincare is usually a cleanser. The NoTS 28 Remedy Acne Pore Deep Cleanser is a cleanser containing salicylic acid. It also contains a bunch of plant ingredients. All in all there are some minor irritants within the ingredients list, but the formulation is color-, scent-, and alcohol-free. The deluxe size comes with 25 ml volume, whereas the full size contains 120 ml. The foam cleanser has a white consistency and a pH of 7 when mixed with water. It cleans of almost all the makeup as you can see in the picture below. It is a bit weak towards lipliner, eyeliner, and smudgeproof eyeshdow formulations, but it cleans nicely the BB cream. The cleanser builds a soft foam when lathered and doesn’t have any specific strong scent.

After cleansing your face you would use the NoTS 28 Remedy Balancing Toner and the NoTS 28 Remedy Intensive Serum. Both products come in bottles with a pump applicator, which is very convenient to use. The toner contains 15 ml in the deluxe sample size and 100 ml in full-size. It is a clear toner with a light gel texture. It is not completely watery when pumped out of the tube, but when spreading it the texture feels watery. It has a faint alcohol scent and the ingredients list reveals that it includes alcohol. Apart from this the toner contains many plant derived ingredients. Unfortunately, it contains Triethanol amine and Triclosan, which are red labelled according to COSNDA. Especially since it contains Triclosan I wouldn’t recommend using it because Triclosan is highly discussed and already banned in many cosmetics (in Europe). The NoTS 28 Remedy Intensive Serum is used after the toner. It also comes in a pump bottle containing 12 ml for the deluxe sample and 35 ml in the full-size. The serum is clear and like a gel. It also contains alcohol and has a faint alcohol scent like the toner. Apart from this the other ingredients look good. Similar to the toner the gel formulation melts like water when spread and therefore absorbs quickly and feels refreshing. The last step of your skincare routine would be the NoTS 28 Remedy Repair Cream. The cream comes in a jar containing 10 g, the full-sized jar contains 30 g. The cream has a thick, creamy consistency and a strong herbal scent. It contains a whole bunch of plant derived ingredients, similar to the serum, and also contains Niacinamide and Adenosin. The cream also contains some red labelled ingredients according to COSDNA, which are Triethanol amine and BHT. And it also contains Salicylic Acid, and some minor irritants. It also contains Zinc Oxide as UV protection, which is great. The cream applied nicely on the skin, but leaves the skin a bit tacky first. There is no greasyness though. The strong herbal scent lingers quite some time unfortunately.

It is nice that these kind of deluxe sample sets give us the opportunity to try out a whole range of new products. Out of the 4 products my favorite is the serum. I wouldn’t recommend using the toner because of the Triclosan. The cream has a very intense herbal scent and it is kind of bitter, too. Also, for a high-end brand it contains too many irritants and not so great ingredients. The cleanser is probably a good choice for oily skintypes and acne-prone skin, because of the salicylic acid. For me it was too drying, and since my skin is dry anyways it is not the perfect cleanser for my skintype. Also, considering the higher prices of NoTS products I would advice you to get some samples of the products from this range before, since they may contain irritants.

You can get the products at Q-depot. The Cleanser retails for 26.88 US$. The Toner is available for 67.20 US$. The serum costs 75.60 US$, and the cream retails for a proud 102 US$. Q-depot is an online retailer for Korean cosmetics. They have already quite a variety of the most popular Korean brands and they keep adding products frequently. The site is easy to navigate, too. And they offer free samples for each order and free shipping for orders above US$ 69. What I like especially, that they have an extra section for cruelty-free products, which contains brands like Iope, Innisfree, Etude House, etc. I didn’t see that before for most of the online stores, so that’s something really innovative and nice. Also, they are committed to contributing 3% of their group’s net profit for social causes in different countries. So you can shop for your favorite Korean products and do something good, too. Also,Q-depot is having a promotion were you can get 25 US$ coupon upon signing up. The coupon is useable for a minimum purchase of 69 US$.

Here are also some useful coupons and free gifts you can use and receive when ordering at the moment:

Coupons

Get $10 OFF on orders $129+ Coupon Code: A83RvEYo

Get $70 OFF on orders 99+ Coupon Code: LuGf8ZMX

Get $5 OFF on orders 69+ Coupon Code: Uxurfv9C

Get $3 OFF on orders 49+ Coupon Code: ERP9pDYT

Free Gifts

Orders 69+ – Free Missha Misa Gumsul Mask (worth $3.58)

Order 99+ – Free Tony Moly Kiss Kiss Lip Patch (worth $6.39)

Orders 129+ – Free Face Shop Lovely Mix Pastal Cushion Blusher (worth $8.99)

Have fun shopping!

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://q-depot.com/, which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample q-depot review

Review: W.Lab W-Honey Beam Cushion

15. January 2016

The cushion craze continues, but this time we have a completely new brand I want to introduce today: The W-Lab W-Honey Beam Cushion! And as the name suggests, this cushion BB contains Honey extract, which is perfect for dry skin and for cold seasons! This cushion was offered to me by Korean cosmetics online shop Qdepot for reviewing purpose.

This is the first time I’m trying a product from the Korean brand W.Lab! Their brand philosophy is to offer high quality ingredients for a reasonable price with their products, by minimizing unnecessary packaging expenses for example. Their products try to replace unnecessary chemical ingredients with natural ingredients aswell. The W-Lab W-Honey Beam Cushion is a popular make-up product in Korea, probably because of the high popularity of honey-containing products in the recent years. It is a multi-functional cosmetics products combining UV-protection, Whitening- and Anti-Wrinkle-properties. Moreover, the cushion will make your complexion look dewy and moisturized, and is supposed to give you the popular “honey-skin”, which you might have heard of if you are into Korean celebrities and K-pop culture.

The W.Lab W-Honey Beam Cushion comes in a familiar cushion foundation compact. It has a cute illustration on the lid, a girl wearing a bee-cap. She looks quite annoyed…or focused…anyhow, I like the design of the cushion compact. The compact also has a golden rim, which makes it look more elegant. The cardboard box shows us Korean description only. But with help of google translate I managed to get the ingredients at least most of them. You can find them in COSDNA. Key ingredients of the W.Lab W-Honey Beam Cushion is honey extract, which makes 39.4% of the product. It also contains Manuka honey, but only 0.1%. You will find Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide and Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate as UV-protecting ingredients in the ingredients list, too. The cushion BB has SPF50+/ PA++. Niacinamide and Panthenol are some of the known moisturizing ingredients. Then, there is a bunch of fruit and plant extracts like lavender oil, lemon peel oil, basil oil, rosemary oil, and so on.

The cushion contains 15 g of products, which, if you have used cushions before, can be used up quickly. One way to make the product last longer is to flip over the internal cushion from time to time as soon as you feel that it empties. I do not know if there are any refills available for this cushion, but I didn’t spot any on Qdepot yet, although you can take out the part of the container with the cushion. It doesn’t fit into Missha or Innisfree Cushions though. The cushion compact comes as usual with a mirror in the lid and a puff applicator sponge.

The puff differs from the blue ruby-cell puffs you know from Amore Pacific for example. It is not blue colored, but salmon. But apart from the color the sponge itself feels somehow sticky, as if it adheres to the skin. I do not like that feeling too much, and I prefer the regular rubycell puffs.

The BB cream is available in two shades: 21 and 23. I would have loved to try No. 23, which suits my skin tone usually better, but I received No. 21, which is a bit to light for me sadly. The cushion is super nicely filled with the BB cream and upon touching it you will get a sufficient amount of the moist BB cream out of the cushion. The BB cream has a light lavender scent, when you are sniffing it directly from the container, but the scent is not noticeable when wearing the BB cream.

Below you can see how the BB skin looks when I apply it on my skin. It has a medium to high coverage and is absolutely enough to cover light birthmarks or rednesses. If you have very troubled skin you will probably need a concealer nevertheless. The finish is a satin and dewy one. It is not completelly dewy, but looks partially powdery. Unfortunately, these kinds of BB creams tend to settle into the lines or around the nose. Nevertheless, the skin does not feel dry while wearing it, but slightly tacky. Flying hair tend to cling to the skin when the BB cream is freshly applied.

The W.Lab W-Honey Beam Cushion would be a good candidate for a favourite cushion, if it would not be so tacky and if it wouldn’t settle around my nose. Apart from the not perfect shade it makes the skin feel moisturized and has a good coverage. I like the design of the cushion compact, too. Also, the ingredients are nice and I like the faint lavender scent. The W.Lab W-Honey Beam Cushion retails for 29.55 US$ at Q-depot. Q-depot is an online retailer for Korean cosmetics. They have already quite a variety of the most popular Korean brands and they keep adding products frequently. The site is easy to navigate, too. And they offer free samples for each order and free shipping for orders above US$ 69. What I like especially, that they have an extra section for cruelty-free products, which contains brands like Iope, Innisfree, Etude House, etc. I didn’t see that before for most of the online stores, so that’s something really innovative and nice. Also, they are committed to contributing 3% of their group’s net profit for social causes in different countries. So you can shop for your favorite Korean products and do something good, too. Also, Q-depot is having a promotion were you can get 5 US$ coupon upon signing up. The coupon is useable for a minimum purchase of 69 US$.

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://q-depot.com/, which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

13 Comments

asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample q-depot review

Review: NoTS Silk Glow Stick Foundation

16. October 2015

I hardly use foundation despite on special occasions like weddings for example. Nevertheless, I was super curious to try a stick foundation for quite some time, which made me select the NoTS Silk Glow Stick Foundation when Qdepot asked me whether I wanted to try a product from the Korean brand NoTS.

Unlike brands like Etude House or Tonymoly the Korean high-end brand NoTS is yet not widely known among people outside Korea. NoTS stands for ‘noble through skin’ and was founded in 2011. It is supposed to be natural functional cosmetics with eco-friendly ingredients. Since it is a high-end brand the products are more expansive than drugstore brands like Etude House or Tonymoly. The NoTS Silk Glow Stick Foundation is part of their make-up range. It comes in two shades (21 and 23) and has SPF 30 PA++, which makes it a UV block functional cosmetics. The foundation comes in a mostly silver cardboard box of good quality. The description on the outside of that packaging contains English descriptions and ingredient list. Inside the cardboard box you will find the Korean description.

The NoTS Silky Glow Stick Foundation has a 5-free formula (free from artificial fragrance, mineral oil, tar, benzophenone-3, isopropyl alcohol) and is suited to all skin-types according to its description. It contains a couple of plant extract (6 plant oils and 7 flower extracts), too. The ingredients list is quite long though and you should check out whether you react on any of the ingredients. The lid of the cardboard box has a dark red color, the same color as the NoTS Silk Glow Stick Foundation container. The container looks really pretty and luxurious, although I imagined it to be larger. The size of the foundation stick fits nicely into a hand and therefore is quite travel-friendly. The cap of the stick has the same burgundy color as we found on the cardboard box. The rest of the container has a silver color. So a very sleek and elegant packaging, which also reminds of Tom Ford’s Stick Foundation.

These kind of foundation sticks are similar to a lipstick bullet, where you can wind up the product. The NoTS Silk Glow Stick Foundation only contains 12 g of product, which is not much, especially considering the fact that the price is rather high, since it is a high-end product.

Unlike liquid foundations you will have a solid bullet of foundation which you can stroke over your skin. It feels silky upon application and gives a nice coverage. The formula reminds a bit of concealer formula, but much lighter. It also says, that the stick can also be used as a concealer.

Shade 23 matches my skin-tone quite nicely and as you can see from the swatch on my hand, the color can be blended in in order to match even better. I used my fingers here to blend it in.

For applying it on my face I used various strokes around my face and blended them with a sponge like a beauty blender. I found it a bit hard to blend it in seamless using a sponge. Also, although the product name says that the foundation has a glowy finish the finish on my skin looks matte. The coverage is medium, but can be build up to high coverage. It is not sticky though, but could be not moisturizing enough for people with dry skin. I’m not sure whether a sponge is the best way to apply this foundation. Maybe a damp sponge delivers a nicer result after all.

I’m really happy I had the chance to try this new brand NoTS, but considering the price of the NoTS Silky Glow Stick Foundation and the low content (12 g) I think it is too expansive to repurchase it. The NoTS Silky Glow Stick Foundation is available in two shades from Q-depot and retails for 36.26 US$ at the moment. The formula of the product feels nice and I like the way it is not sticky and feels soft on the skin, but I miss the glowing aspect in this product. Also the fact that it is not easy to use on the first try, but that you have to try out which way of application is the best was a con for me. Probably, this foundation is better suited for people with oily skin-types.

If you are curious about NoTS and their products you can check them out on Q-depot, an online retailer for Korean beauty products. They have a already quite a variety of the most popular Korean brands and they keep adding products frequently. The site is easy to navigate, too. And they offer free samples for each order and free shipping for orders above US$69. What I like especially, that they have an extra section for cruelty-free products, which contains brands like Iope, Innisfree, Etude House, etc. I didn’t see that before for most of the online stores, so that’s something really innovative and nice. Also, they are committed to contributing 3% of their group’s net profit for social causes in different countries. So you can shop for your favorite Korean products and do something good, too. Also, Q-depot is having a promotion were you can get 5 US$ coupon upon signing up. The coupon is useable for a minimum purchase of 69 US$. By the way, Q-depot is having a “The Face Shop” sale with OFF 15% on all items. The promotion will end on 18 Oct 2015 (GMT+8 Time 00:00).

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample q-depot review

Review: Missha The Style Silky Shadow Duo

14. August 2015

It is one of the rare moments when I’m reviewing an eyeshadow :D Here is my impression on Missha The Style Silky Shadow Duo kindly sponsored by Qdepot. This two-colored tiny eyeshadow contains two complemetary colors, one for base color and one for point color.

Missha is one of the worldwide famous Korean brands, especially their Missha M Perfect Cover BB cream is one of the most famous BB creams. They have a lot of online stores all over the world and are available in US/Canada, Australia and since some time they even opened up an online store for Germany, and a physical store in Ingolstadt in Germany! The products always come in a very luxurious looking packaging and the design is usually very mature and elegant and I think that it can be liked by almost everyone. The Missha The Style Silky Shadow Duo is a simple and single eyeshadow. It doesn’t come with a case, but you can get a case for these single eyeshadows, too. The cases fit several of these eyeshadows.

The shade here is called “Peach Princess” (#20), but there are other shades available. I think there are 9 shades in total. “Peach Princess” is a combination of a light peach base color and a wood brown point makeup color. Both are powdery with a satin, shimmery finish. The eyeshadow has a relief-imprint which looks like a crystall. Although so simple I really like this relief.

The ingredients of the Missha The Style Silky Shadow Duo are listed on COSDNA. No harmful ingredients are used, furthermore the eyeshadow contains titanium dioxide for UV protection. Swatched with my fingers the pigmentation is not very strong, typical for many Korean eyeshadows. When using my brush it kind of produces a lot of fall-out in the pan (but not on my face while applying it). Nevertheless, the color combination is really pretty, and using a primer will probably bring out the colors better.

Without primer, when used on the eye, the colors barely show up on my skintone. It gives your eyes deepness, and looks very subtle and natural, but if you are looking for something with bright,vivid colors and visible shine this eyeshadow is not the perfect choice.

Missha The Style Silky Shadow Duo is a tiny, simple eyeshadow combination, with subtle pigmentation and natural looking outcome. It is not my first choice eyeshadow though. If you are a beginner I would suggest rather to buy a small palette with 4 colors for example, so you can create more variation, or try cream eyeshadows. Some of my favourites are the A’Pieu Creamy Butter Shadows or the Innisfree Shadow Pencils. If you are curious about the Missha The Style Silky Shadow Duo you can check out Q-depot, an online retailer for Korean beauty products. They have a already quite a variety of the most popular Korean brands and they keep adding products frequently. The site is easy to navigate, too. And they offer free samples for each order and free shipping for orders above US$69. What I like especially, that they have an extra section for cruelty-free products, which contains brands like Iope, Innisfree, Etude House, etc. I didn’t see that before for most of the online stores, so that’s something really innovative and nice. Also, they are committed to contributing 3% of their group’s net profit for social causes in different countries. So you can shop for your favorite Korean products and do something good, too. Missha The Style Silky Shadow Duo retails for 5.60 US$ each- an affordable price, but consider it only contains 1.8 g of product. Q-depot is having a promotion were you can get 5 US$ coupon upon signing up. The coupon is useable for a minimum purchase of 69 US$.

♥ If you have time feel free to join my giveaway! ♥

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://q-depot.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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Review: Tonymoly Mini Peach Lip Balm

1. August 2015

I didn’t review Tonymoly products for some while, which means it is time for a new one today: here is the Tonymoly Mini Peach Lip Balm. Tonymoly was one of the first brands I knew when I got into Kbeauty and since then so much time has passed and I discovered so many new brands that I almost forgot about the cute products from this brand. This miniature lip balm in shape of a peach was send to me by the Korean cosmetics online store Q-depot.

The Korean brand Tonymoly is best comparable to Etude House regarding its popularity. Unlike, Etude House though, the packaging is not princessy-cute, but offers cute designs, too. Especially fruit-shaped products (apples, bananas, mango, peach…) and other creative packaging shapes make this brand interesting for western consumers and therefore very popular. Here I can refer to the term “Skincaretainment”, and you can find a nice article about this by Tracy from fanserviced_b.

The Tonymoly Mini Peach Lip Balm definitively belongs to this category. The packaging design shaped like a miniature peach is super adorable. It is very small, like a ping-pong ball, and contains only 7 g of product. The ingredients are listed on COSDNA >>here<<. The key ingredients are Shea Butter and peach extracts, which moisturize your lips. Indeed, when you open up the container the peachy scent is clearly noticeable.

The peach works as a small jar and you can take off the upper part of the peach in order to use the lip balm. The container is additionally separated by a plastic lid. Below that you will see the peach colored lip tint. It applies nicely on the lips and has transparent features, but the downside is that you have to use your fingers, which makes it somehow unhygienic. The lips feel moisturized for quite a good amount of time, too, but the scent may be too strong for some people.

The Tonymoly Mini Peach Lip Balm fulfills the tasks of a lip balm. It is moisturizing and you feel that it contains a lot of shea butter. The packaging is the main reason for many people to buy it since it is really cute and super small and travel-friendly. The strong peach scent and the fact that it comes in a jar are the downsides of this lip balm. I received the Tonymoly Mini Peach Lip Balm from Q-depot, an online retailer for Korean beauty products. They have a already quite a variety of the most popular Korean brands and they keep adding products frequently. The site is easy to navigate, too. And they offer free samples for each order and free shipping for orders above US$69. What I like especially, that they have an extra section for cruelty-free products, which contains brands like Iope, Innisfree, Etude House, etc. I didn’t see that before for most of the online stores, so that’s something really innovative and nice. Also, they are committed to contributing 3% of their group’s net profit for social causes in different countries. So you can shop for your favorite Korean products and do something good, too. You can get the Tonymoly Mini Peach Lip Balm for 9.95 US$. Q-depot is having a promotion were you can get 5 US$ coupon upon signing up. The coupon is useable for a minimum purchase of 69 US$.

♥ And if you have time please visit my post about the July Japan Candy Box. There is even a giveaway where you can win a Japan Candy Box for yourself ♥

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://q-depot.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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Giveaway: Win an Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion

29. June 2015

Happy Monday everybody! I know, Mondays are usually the most unpopular weekday since it means that our precious weekend has passed and we have to go back to work. Nevertheless, in order to sweeten up this week for you I have prepared a quick giveaway with the Korean cosmetics online store Q-depot :D

You have the opportunity to win an Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion kindly sponsored by Q-depot. This flawless cushion foundation creates beautiful pearly bright skin with its full coverage and smoothing effects. Cushion foundations are quite a trend in Korea and you will find cushion products from almost all Korean brands. Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion is the first cushion foundation by Etude House and has gained a lot of popularity since then. Check out Q-depot’s description for the Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion >>here<<.

Here are the rules for taking part into this Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion giveaway:

1. The giveaway is open internationally.

2. You can take part through the Rafflecopter form below.

3. I will look through the entries and delete any wrong entries, so cheating won’t do you any good.

4. Please, be fair and do not like my blog, and unlike it after the giveaway has ended. This is my way to thank these people who like to read my blog.

5. The chosen winner has 3 days to anwer my Email and send me his/her address.

6. The giveaway ends on July 10th, 2015.

7. I’m not responsible for any damages/ lost items through postal services. The product will be send by Q-depot with standard shipping without tracking number.

It is mandatory to sign up to Q-depot and to like their Facebook page. By signing in you’ll receive 5 US$ coupon useable for a minimum purchase of 69 US$, too. Moreover, in order to unlock the additional entries I would appreciate if you are following my blog. In case you are selected as winner you can select between three different shades for the Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion: light beige (N02), honey beige (w24) and natural beige (W13). Good luck to everybody participating! ♥

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you want to know more about cushion foundations you might want to check out some of my previous reviews:

Missha Magic Cushion Case

Pongdang Mulbit Glow BB Cushion

Innisfree Ampoule Intense Cushion

Also, I’m hosting a giveaway for my 2nd Bloganniversary >>here<<, so be sure to enter that giveaway, too!

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