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asian cosmetics beauty beauty boxes Etude House PR Sample review

Etude House Pink Bird Box January “Cover Makeup Done by Big Cover Concealer BB”

5. February 2016

// PR SAMPLE / KBEAUTY / AFFILIATE LINKS //

A new Etude House Pink Bird Box packed with newly launched products arrived at my doorsteps a couple of days ago and of course I want to share my opinion about them with you. The theme of the January Box is Cover Makeup Done by Big Cover Concealer BB, but apart from two items from the new Big Cover Concealer line the January Box contained the Look At My Eyes Monkey Wish Eyes released for the Lunar New Year as 2016 is the year of the Monkey. Let’s take a closer look at all the items!

First of all, some words about the Korean brand Etude House: Etude House is one of the best known Korean brands for cute packaging. If you are a lover of cute, girly and pink packaging, reminding you of being a child and the princess you always dreamt to be, THIS is your brand. Their packaging is usually so adorable that you cannot keep yourself from impuls-buys – only because you saw the packaging… Etude House has a blogger program called Pink Bird. Selected blogger will receive a monthly box for a defined period of time packed with selected products for reviewing purpose. I’m really proud and happy to be part of their Pink Bird program!

The January box contains 5 products: The Etude House Big Cover Concealer BB and the Big Cover Concealer Cushion are from the new Big Cover Concealer line including BB cream, cushion concealer, tip concealer, and concealer kit in order to help to cover imperfections in more convenient and easier ways. The three eyeshadow colors are from the Etude House Look At My Eyes Monkey Wish Eyes Collection, which was released for the new Lunar Year which is the year of the Monkey. The Monkey Wish Eyes include 10 colors in both jewel and velvet type. Each color has a “most want to hear message in new year” in Korean. The 3 colors selected for the Pink Birds are BE109 입금됐다몽 “Pay Day”, PK013 응원한다몽 “Cheer Up”, and GR707 합격했다몽 “Exam Passed”!

I’ll start off with the Etude House Look At My Eyes Monkey Wish Eyes. As you can see below there are 10 Monkey Wish Eyes available, each with its own New Year Message. All the eyeshadow from this collection have a monkey face pattern imprinted. 6 of the 10 colors are limited new colors! The eyeshadow are available in either jewel or velvet types and they are designed to be silky and richly pigmented.

I really think that the monkey imprint is more than adorable and it is a nice idea to have each color with its own new years message. They can be used as cute gifts this way. The three colors below are from left to right GR707 (#10 합격했다몽 “Exam Passed”), BE109 (#6 BE109 입금됐다몽 “Pay Day”), and PK013 (#9 응원한다몽 “Cheer Up”). Look at those lovely monkey heads :D

All the three colors have a good pigmentation, but they also create some fall-off. The imprint also vanishes after using the colors frequently – unfortunately, because this makes the product so cute after all. PK013 and GR707 are jewel-type eyeshadow and contain shimmer particles. BE109 doesn’t have the label “Jewel”, but still I find that the color is sparkly and not really velvet. Nevertheless, all the colors are super pretty and shimmery when used, as you can see in the swatches already.

I especially love color GR707, since it is not a very common color. It is a brown base color with green shimmer and it looks stunning! Oh, and the backside of the eye shadow pots has the cutest bar code, doesn’t it? The three colors fit nicely together, too, and using an eyeshadow base the makeup lasts pretty nicely all day long. There may be some glitter fall-off on your face eventually, but all in all the eyeshadow are pretty descent.

The Etude House Big Cover Concealer products are the main products of the January box. The key product is the new Big Cover Concealer BB cream, which doesn’t come in a tube like most BB creams, but has a multi-touch tip applicator instead. In order to use you can spread the BB cream using the flat side of the applicator all over your face. Using the tip a second layer can be applied on the desired areas which need more cover.

I really like the packaging and somehow it reminds me of Benefit products…What do you think? The bottle of the Big Cover Concealer BB cream contains 30 g of product, which is a good size for a BB cream. The cardboard box has a detailed description and ingredients list in both Korean and English. The shades available for this BB cream are Vanilla, Beige and Sand. I will show you Vanilla here.

The Etude House Big Cover concealer BB has SPF50+/ PA+++. According to the ingredients list it contains Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide for the sun protection. You can look up the whole ingredients list on COSNDA. The ingredients seem to be safe to use mostly. There is Beeswax included which can cause irritations occasionally. Also there are some minor acne triggers, but all in all the ingredients are harmless.

Vanilla is the lightest color of the BB cream. It matches my skin tone just fine at the moment. Unlike the Pony Play 101 Stick Foundation in Vanilla the Big Cover Concealer BB matches better and doesn’t make me look as ghostly, mainly because it has a more fluid consistency and adapts better to my skin tone. For summer I would probably need to use the shade “Beige” instead. Although I’m describing the BB cream as fluid it is more of the creamy type still. It is not a runny BB cream, but instead shows a good coverage without being too drying. The coverage is buildable, too, so by using a second layer on your problem areas you might be able to rich a good coverage.

You can complete concealing with the Etude House Big Cover Concealer Cushion, a cushion concealer shaped like a pen. The Big Cover Concealer Cushion is available in 6 distinct shades. There are the shades Sand, Vanilla, and Beige, which match to the BB creams in the according shades and then there are Illuminate, Mint, and Peach Pink for color correcting your skin concerns. My box contained the shade Peach Pink and comes in a light pink packaging color.

The Concealer Cushions have SPF 30/PA++ using Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, and Zinc Oxide. The full ingredients list contains no harmful ingredients and you can look them up >>here<<. As the name already reveals, this pen type Concealer uses a cushion tip for application. By pushing the bottom of the pen for 1-2 times (a couple of more times for the first usage) the product is released into the cushion and can be applied on the desired areas.

Below you can see a swatch of the Big Cover Concealer Cushion next to the BB cream. The Peach Pink color of the Concealer Cushion looks similar to the BB cream, but with a slightly more pink undertone. It applies thinner and feels lighter than the BB cream. I’m using it for my under eye area and the sides of my nose and I discovered it is perfect for taking it along in your handbag.

I used the Concealer BB cream and the Concealer Cushion for my face make-up on the picture below. The concealer settles sometimes in the lines of my under eye area, but it isn’t as bad as with other concealers I tried. It doesn’t make the sides of my nose look patchy, which I really love. The BB cream gives my skin an even skin tone and looks neither too dewy, nor too matte. It has the perfect finish.

I’m happy about the selection of products in this months Pink Bird Box. The eyeshadow are very cute and I love the monkey imprint and the idea of making a collection of eyeshadow with new years messages. I can imagine that many Koreans use these as small gifts for a friend for example. I didn’t find the eyeshadow on the official Etude House page, but you can get them from W2Beauty for 5.99 US$ each. I also like the Big Cover Concealer BB and the Cushion. The Cushion Pen is part of my handbag now, because it is very convenient to use and doesn’t look cakey. The BB cream provides a nice finish and gives a good mount of coverage. Maybe the only downside for some would be the applicator and the fact that it is less hygienic than using a pump applicator. The BB cream retails for 18 US$ and the Cushion Pens for 13.20 US$!

For all the news about ETUDE HOUSE’s products, you can follow their global Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/etude.gl

or their official Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/etude_official

or their online shopping mall:

http://www.etudehouse.com/

Did you try any of the new products already? Tell me about it in the comments below! And if you like to read my previous reviews on Etude House Pink Bord Boxes click >>here<<.

Etude House Pink Bird

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://www.etudehouse.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

10 Comments

advertorial Allgemein beauty other Wishtrend

Wishtrend February 2016 Coupons

3. February 2016

New coupon codes for February! As usual I will summarize the coupons and benefits that you can use while shopping on one of my favorite online retailers for Korean beauty products: Wishtrend. If you don’t know Wishtrend, but love Korean or Asian cosmetics and skin care products I can recommend you to check out their online shop, especially for one of my favorite products, e.g. the O.S.T. Vitamin C Serum. You’ll also find some products sold at Wishtrend on my Top 30 favorite asian cosmetics for 2015, like the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C serum or the ElishaCoy Moist Up Hyalurone Ampoule Toner. Also, they have listed brands like COSRX, Tosowoong and Mizon. You can find a list of all the products I reviewed from Wishtrend at the bottom of this post. Furthermore, they have really a great affiliate program for blogger and I can advice you to join it if you are one. Here are the Wishtrend coupon codes for February:

Wishtrend February 2016 Coupons

As usual, I’ll start off with the 5 Us$ referral coupon you can receive if you are a new customer. The principle is easy as this: If you use my invitation code 17939205 upon registration you’ll receive a 5 US$ voucher immediately. There will be a specific field in your registration form called “friends invitation program” where you can put the code mentioned above. This way new customers can get 5 US$ off, which is a great to save some money on your first order.

Second, there is also a 10% discount Wishtrend coupon available for January. Below, you’ll find the coupon code for this:

Coupon Code: FEB10DISCOUNT
Requirement 1: Shopping cart order must be 50 US$ and over to be able to use the 10% off coupon
Requirement 2: Coupon code cannot be combined with any other discount or voucher code.
Only valid until the end of February 2016

The second promotion code is a special gift you will receive by using the code below. The voucher is valid on any orders of 30 US$ or more at Wishtrend! This months free sample are two free Skqin Sissi Sheet Masks in gold and silver.

Voucher Code: SKQINSISSIMASK2016
Orders +30 US$
Only valid until the end of February 2016

Wishtrend February 2016 Coupons

Moreover, since some weeks Wishtrend is having a new promo each Tuesday called Try It Tuesday. They have different coupons each Tuesday that you can use to get a free sample or product on your order. It is worth following Wishtrend’s Social Media (Facebook and Instagram) to see when they are offering this coupon!
Also, there is a new product by COSRX available at Wishtrend, the COSRX Oil-Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion: I’m super excited for this product and it will be part of my next Wishtrend order definitively.

Wishtrend February 2016 Coupons

Another new item is the Yellow Tumbling Rubar by 23Years Old. This is a oil balm bar with reminds me of the Sum37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. Another product I would love to try!

Wishtrend February 2016 Coupons

I did a couple of reviews on various Wishtrend products in the past. You might like to check these out, if you are interested in purchasing these:

Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum

Chica y Chico Astazet 4.0

Delight 18 I.U Whitening Cream Glutathione

ElishaCoy Moist Up Hyalurone Ampoule Toner

Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum

Lailly 7 Seconds Make-Up Booster

Pongdang Mulbit Glow BB Cushion

COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum

COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner

I’m from Honey Mask

Boutique Bebe Hair Salon Protein Treatment

COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch

ElsihaCoy Aloe & Lavender Mask Sheet

Berrisom My Lip Tint Pack and Lip Tint Cleanser

OST C20 Pure Vitamin C21.5 Advanced Serum

Confume Argan Treatment Oil

Pongdang Donkey Milk Emulsion

Klairs Rescue Moisture Kit Part 1 and 2

Berrisom My Lip Tint Pack

CareLab Powerful Pudding Mask

Klairs Gentle Black Deep Oil Cleanser and Sugar Facial Polish

Rojukiss Multi Vita Cleansing Powder

Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Sheet Mask

Damoae Therapy Shampoo and Tonic

Skinmiso Rice Foam Cleanser

Klairs Illuminating Supple BB Cream

O.S.T. Pure Vitamin C20 Serum

Wish Formula Panda Eye Essence Mask

ONL Saladit Essential Juice Sheet Masks

Do you have any favourite item from Wishtrend? What would you love to try from their products?

asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: Tonymoly Perfect Lips Shocking Lip Red

2. February 2016

// AFFILIATE LINKS / KBEAUTY / LIPS //

This lip tint by Tonymoly has become my favorite long-lasting lip tint and tattoo and I wanted to share this review with you for a long time already. It’s the Tonymoly Perfect Lips Shocking Lip and as you could have guessed already if you’ve been following me for some time it is a lip tint in my favorite color red. A while ago I reviewed another of Tonymoly’s lip tint as my favorite product, the Tonymoly Shaking Tint Delight. Seems Tonymoly slowly becomes my favorite lip tint brand :D

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.Lip tints have been super popular in Korea for years and there has always been a huge amount of different lip tints by various brands. Mostly, you came across either water-based lip tints or milky-type lip tints. In contrast to lip gloss or lipstick the lip tints look much more natural and are not sticky. They are also perfect for creating the gradient lips which is also popular among Koreans. The new trend have been oil based lip tints, which are less drying than the water-based lip tint. Another new trend are tattoo lip tints. A very popular example for tattoo lip tints are the Berrisom My Lip Tint Pack, which I really like and I reviewed them before >>here<< and >>here<<. The Berrisom My Lip Tint Mask needs a bit patient though, because you apply them, leave them to dry and have to peel it off. The Tonymoly Perfect Lips Shocking Lip works a bit different though:

The Tonymoly Perfect Lips Shocking Lip is available in 4 different colors: Pink (01), Red (02), Ruby (03), and Orange (04). It comes in a regular tint tube with a diagonal applicator for applying the product. There are two ways to use this product: you can either use it as overnight mask on your lips, or you apply it directly anytime you want. The tint is made from food coloring which is safe for the skin to use, this means that the stain will really be long-lasting, and if you use your fingers you will have the stain on your fingers all day! This means, that you should be careful to apply the tint very accurate, because it makes life easier for you aswell ;)

The product contains a lot of nourishing ingredients like rose hip oil, vitamin E, safflower seed oil, argan oil, jojoba seed oil and shea butter, which makes it great as overnight lip mask. But I was worried about staining my sheets, so I only used this lip tint during day time. I find the oil based lip tints feel more moisturizing, but still I didn’t find my lips feeling dried out. If you apply the tint fully on your lips it first looks very pigmented and has a gloss to it. The gloss will dry off and you will be left with red stained lips. For a softer look you can apply the tint on the inner parts of your lips only and use a cotton swab to blend it out. The lasting power is amazing. I’m using it in the morning and despite eating and drinking my lips are still stained in the evening. The color is not as vibrant as in the morning for sure, but there is still enough color on the lips.

You can simply touch it up in the evenings for a second time and it will be perfect for any evening occasion. Below you see how long-lasting and pigmented the swatch on my hand is even after washing my hands. Taking a shower removes the vibrant color, but still the stain is visible.

Do I have to tell you how much I love this tint? I can definitively recommend you to try one of these if you are looking for a long-lasting stain on your lips! I bought mine at W2Beauty for 13.55 US$ and it is totally worth every cent. For those living in the US you might want to check out the prices here on amazon.com, too. Did you try any of these Tints from Tonymoly?

16 Comments

asian cosmetics beauty IASO PR Sample review

Review: IASO Total Eye Care Concentrate EX

29. January 2016

I have another new Korean brand for you today: It’s the prestige brand IASO! I was able to try one of their products, the IASO Total Eye Care Concentrate EX, and I’ve reviewed it for you as usual. This eye concentrate is the updated version of the IASO Total Eye Care Concentrate and it has got a changed ingredients list, which you won’t find on the official page yet.

First thing I noticed with IASO is the sleek and luxurious design of their products. The packaging is simple, with no frills. The IASO Total Eye Care Concentrate EX is part of the anti-wrinkle skin care line and all the products from this line seem to have a golden signature color. Somehow, golden packaging represents already luxury and seems more mature, too. Perfect for the target age of this line. The brand name “IASO” is derived from the name of the eldest daughter of the Greek god of medicine. The brand is founded on the professional knowledge of dermatologists, using plant ingredients for clear, healthy and radiant skin. They did not and do not perform animal testing on their products.

The IASO Total Eye Care Concentrate EX comes in a useful and sleek tube with a pump. It contains 30 g of product. The cardboard box contains description and ingredients in English. According to the description you should use your ring finger for applying the serum and pat it into the skin gently. That’s in general the way to go best with eye cream, since the skin around our eyes is especially thin. The eye care concentrate is made for all skin types and for use at day or night.

You can look up the ingredients on COSDNA. If you compare them to the ingredients of the old version you will see that it is changed in many aspects: it got rid of a bunch of irritants, but also of ginseng and ginkgo plant extracts. Instead it contains Niacinamide. The list of the new formulation still contains a bunch of preservatives in form of parabens and also three red-flagged ingredients which are BHT, Sodium Metabisulfite (both preservatives), Benzophenone-3 (sunscreen). It would have been nice if they had removed these ingredients aswell, while they were changing the formula.

The amount of one pump is more than enough for both eyes. The IASO Total Eye Care Concentrate EX has the formulation of a milky gel. It has a fresh and subtle scent. When you spread the gel over the skin it feels very moist and almost watery. It is not feeling heavy or greasy and absorbs relatively fast, leaving the skin slightly tacky. This makes it difficult to be used during day time, if you want to use a concealer for your eyes and dark circles. But the tackyness also mediates a firming effect on the other side. As far as moisture this concentrate gives a good amount of it and I’ve gladly incorporated this eye concentrate into my night-time routine.

The IASO Total Eye Care Concentrate EX is great in its moisture performance. The design and application of the product are easy and it targets customers which like high-end brands. With 69 US$ as price-tag I would say this is the biggest bummer for this product, especially considering that the improved formulation still has some ingredients, which should not be necessarily added. I would love to see them remove the doubtful ingredients, this would make the heavy retail price at least more justifiable. The product as such is a good one, but I can not and will not encourage you to buy it, since there are more affordable and similar effective products on the market. Nevertheless, IASO has some other interesting products, which might be of more interest. My sister did a review of their Dr. IASO AC Booster on her blog Lovely Attitude. you might want to check out her review aswell.

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://go-iaso.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

8 Comments

beauty Born Pretty Store NOTD PR Sample review

Stamping Nail Art from Born Pretty Store

19. January 2016

I’m totally a noob when it comes to more elaborate nail art. Nail stickers are easy to apply and I already reviewed a bunch of them, but I’ve always been eyeing the Stamping Nail Art! Finally, after a long time of thinking I selected a Stamping Nail Art Stamper and Scraper and two different Image Stamping Plates from Born Pretty Store.

Born Pretty Store is an asian based online store selling very affordable products, reaching from accessories to make-up and beauty products. They have a super huge amount of all kinds of nail art products and tools. They also have a super large amount of stamping plates and tools needed for stamping nail art.

I was super surprised to see how cute the packaging of the Image Stamping Plates is and that each of the plates comes in its own paper sachet. The two designs I selected are the Rose Queen Image Plate and the Banana Tree Image Plate. Both round shaped plates contain different patterns which you can either combine or you can use only one of the images.

The stamper and the scraper I chose were forming a 2 piece kit and are quite simple. They are made of black plastic and the stamping part of the stamper is made of rubber and it can be replaced. The scraper is also made from black plastic with a metal blade part for scraping the excess nail polish from the image plates.

The theory of Nail Stamping Art is easy: First you coat your nails with the desired background color. Then you select a second nail polish color which is opaque and visible on the background color and you apply the nail polish on the image of the chosen plate you would like to stamp. Then, by using the scraper in 45° angle you scrape away the excess nail polish from the image. The stamper has to be pressed on the image plate now quickly, so that the motif is transferred to the rubber. Usually, you roll the rubber part over the image to pick it up. Then you roll the stamper over your nail and transfer the image on your nail. Afterwards, you can use a topcoat to fix everything. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?!

But it gave me a hard time nevertheless!!! First of all: not all nail polishes work. Opaque nail polishes which are not too fluid worked best for me. Second: I couldn’t achieve a single pretty stamping image when I rolled the stamp on my nails. I tried so many times and I almost gave up, when I finally tried to not roll it on my nail but instead to press my nail inside the rubber part of the stamper! Voilá, it worked finally!!!

I was so happy after I found out what way worked for my stamper and my nails that I’m now so super fond of my stamping nail art kit. I even used it two times this week, which is amazing considering the fact of me being lazy to do any nail art at all!

How do you like my nails? If you are a noob with nail art like me, but you still would like to give Stamping Nail Art a try I can recommend you the tools from Born Pretty Store. They are super affordable and even if it doesn’t work it is not much of a pain. Yes, it will take some practice units at first, but if it works it looks really, really pretty…and so versatile depending to the images on the plates you choose. I got so many compliments for my nails in the last days, that makes me really happy! The stamper and the scraper retail for 3.84 US$. Each of the image pattern plates retail for 2.09 US$ at Born Pretty Store. You can also use the promotional code KBX31 for 10 % discount on your order. They do offer free international shipping by the way!

Did you try Stamping Nail Art already? What are your experiences?

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://www.bornprettystore.com/, which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

9 Comments

asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: Vely Vely Lipstick No.19 by Imvely

16. January 2016

The Vely Vely Lipstick No. 19 by Imvely is the newest addition to my red lipstick collection and meanwhile I’m starting to wonder whether I will be ever able to use up all my red colored lipsticks during my life or not. This Korean lipstick is absolutely new to me and I’m sure that hardly anyone knows about this product. It was sent to me by BNTnews, and as you probably know they tend to send out products which are either hardly available outside of Korea, or very popular and newly released products.

Vely Vely is the cosmetics brand of the Korean fashion brand and online store Imvely. The store seems to be quite modern and have a newly launched make-up collection including some eyeshadows, lipsticks and eyeliners. The Vely Vely Lipsticks are newest launch it seems and they are available in 8 colors. The Vely Vely No. 19 Red Rouge is a satin lipstick according to the description, whereas the other shades are called ‘matte’.

The packaging is simple and yet elegant with a light pink cardboard box with golden lettering. A poem is written on one of the sides. The ingredients of this lipstick contains a three oil complex and shea butter for moisturizing and elasticity improvement, Honey extract for nourishing and recovering and a 6 Flower Complex for soothing and revitalizing. I couldn’t find the full ingredients list though.

The lipstick container has a matte black color. The bullet is made of 3.4 g classy red lipstick. It swatches very softly with one stroke, but the pigmentation can be intensified when using a thicker layer.

The lipstick is neither super creamy nor does it glide softly, but it is more of the harder type of bullet. It can be nicely used when using a lip brush and can create nice and sharp lines. The staying power is regular for lipstick and it fades after drinking and eating and it isn’t transfer-proof either.

The color is really pretty and totally to my liking. You can create both elegant and natural look, depending on how thickly you will use the lipstick. A thin layer creates a natural look and is suitable for a gradation on the lips. Coloring the lips fully leads to a strong tomato red and looks super classy. It is not my dream lipstick considering the staying power, but is does what you usually expect from a good red lipstick. The retail price should be around 19800 Won – a quite regular price. On the Imvely online store it is available for 27.72 US$ which I would consider too expansive. Would you like to try products from this brand? What is your opinion?

This product was provided to me by BNTnews for reviewing. Don’t forget to visit the other BNTGirls Kim, Bella, Mary, Celine, Alene,Joanne,Chermaine,Mitha, and Blair and check out their reviews for the January BNT Beauty Box. And visit BNTnews for the latest Korean news and trends:

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

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://www.bntnews.co.uk/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

6 Comments

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.

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asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: Innisfree Mineral Single Cream Shadow

9. January 2016

// AFFILIATE LINKS / KBEAUTY / EYES //

When I bought the A’Pieu Creamy Butter Shadows I was very indetermined whether to buy the creamy eyeshadows from A’Pieu or from Innisfree. I decided for A’Pieu back then, but after all I still could not let it be like this and grabbed a shade of the Innisfree Mineral Single Cream Shadow. I only grabbed one color, but you will find a comparison between the cream eyeshadow from Innisfree to the ones from A’Pieu at the end of the review. If you are as indecisive as me this review might help you a bit- at least I hope it will :D

I have quite a lot of products from Innisfree, but I discovered that my last review for this brand was almost one year ago :’D Innisfree is an eco-friendly Korean skin care and makeup brand focusing on natural ingredients and recycle packaging. The design of their products is simply and neat and nicely reflects the ideology of the brand. Innisfree products are usually free from harmful ingredients.

The Innisfree Mineral single Cream Shadow are available in 5 different colors. I decided for shade #04, a rusty-brown shade which fits nicely to autumn season, or in general for people who love brownish eyeshadow colors. You can find the description and full ingredients for these cream shadows on the official Innisfree page. The ingredients can also be found on COSDNA. Each pot of eyeshadow contains 6.3g of product.

As you can see from the swatch the color is beautiful and pigmented, and it is quite sparkly, containing a lot of shimmer particles. And here is already the main difference towards the A’Pieu Creamy Butter Shadows: The A’Pieu Eyeshadows are much creamier and softer, whereas the Innisfree Cream Shadow has a harder texture, probably also due of the glitter particles. The A’Pieu shadows don’t have as many shimmery particles.

Below you see a comparison of all the three cream eyeshadows and you will see that the main difference from the swatches is the shimmer. The eyeshadows from A’Pieu almost appear to be matte, although they have a nice sheen aswell. There is not much difference between the amount of products in the jars. The A’Pieu Eyeshadow contains 6g of product. But the small jars come in an additional cardboard box and compared to the Innisfree eyeshadow the packaging is much more vintage-like and beautiful, although simple aswell.

It is really hard to say whether you should buy the Innisfree Cream Shadow or the ones from A’Pieu. I personally prefer the smooth, buttery consistency and the packaging design of the A’Pieu Cream Shadows, but the Innisfree Cream Shadow is a bit more affordable and is perfect if you want to create a festive look with a lot of shimmer particles. Both products are good ones after all, and if you like cream eyeshadows it really depends on your preferences and favourite colors. The three shades I selected fit perfectly together and I’m very happy with my decisions.

Where to get the eyeshadows? There are several options:

Innisfree Mineral Single Cream Shadow: Innisfree Offial Store for 9US$

A’Pieu Creamy Butter Shadows: Q-Depot for 7.55US$

6 Comments

asian cosmetics beauty Born Pretty Store NOTD PR Sample review

Camellia Flower 3D Nail Art Stickers from Born Pretty Store

8. January 2016

It has been a while again since I posted any nail or nail art related products, but since the busy time around Christmas is over I had some patience to do some nail art again using Camellia Flower 3D Nail Art Stickers from Born Pretty Store.

I tried some other nail decals and stuff from Born Pretty Store before and usually their nail products are affordable and have a good quality, too. Born Pretty Store is an asian based online store selling very affordable products, reaching from accessories to make-up and beauty products. They have a super huge amount of all kinds of nail art products and tools. The Camellia Flower 3D Nail Art Stickers I used are available in different variation. I chose the red colored flowers with the golden lining, but they are also available with silver lining or with black, pink or white color. Each sheet contains 34 stickers: larger flowers, smaller flowers and half flowers.

The backside of the water decals shows the description on how to use them. Basically it is very easy: each sticker has an adhesive backside. You have to peel off the sticker (best use tweezers to not touch the glue too much) and press the sticker on the desire spot on your nails.

Seal the stickers by using a top-coat on top of your created nail art. Since these stickers are not transparent you can use any color of nail polish you like as background on your nails.

How do you like the result? I’m super happy with it, especially because I could use any nail polish color I wanted and the sticker still shows up. I also like the golden lining of the flowers. It really has a bit of a 3D effect without being too harsh like pearls (I’m always afraid of breaking up or loosing studs or pearls on my nails). You can get these Camellia Flower 3D Nail Art Stickers for 1.09 US$ per sheet from Born Pretty Store. I think it is super affordable! You can also use the promotional code KBX31 for 10 % discount on your order. They do offer free international shipping by the way and they have so many different styles and designs of nail stickers available at BornPrettyStore!

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://www.bornprettystore.com/, which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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Wishtrend January 2016 Coupons

7. January 2016

Time for the first Wishtrend Coupons in 2016! As usual I will summarize the coupons and benefits that you can use while shopping on one of my favorite online retailers for the more unknownKorean beauty products: Wishtrend. If you don’t know ElishaCoy Moist Up Hyalurone Ampoule Toner, but love Korean or Asian cosmetics and skin care products I can recommend you to check out their online shop, especially for one of my favorite products, the O.S.T. Vitamin C Serum. You’ll also find some products sold at Wishtrend on my Top 30 favorite asian cosmetics for 2015, like the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C serum or the ElishaCoy Moist Up Hyalurone Ampoule Toner . Also, they have listed brands like COSRX, Tosowoong and Mizon. You can find a list of all the products I reviewed from Wishtrend at the bottom of this post. Furthermore, they have really a great affiliate program for blogger and I can advice you to join it if you are one. Here are the Wishtrend coupon codes for January:

Second, there is also a 10% discount Wishtrend coupon available for January. Below, you’ll find the coupon code for this:

Coupon Code: NEWCOUPON2016
Requirement 1: Shopping cart order must be 50 US$ and over to be able to use the 10% off coupon
Requirement 2: Coupon code cannot be combined with any other discount or voucher code.
Only valid until the end of January 2016

Voucher Code: SKQINSISSIMASK2016
Orders +30 US$
Only valid until the end of January 2016

Moreover, since some weeks Wishtrend is having a new promo each Tuesday called Try It Tuesday. They have different coupons each Tuesday that you can use to get a free sample or product on your order. Below are some examples for the past offers. It is worth following Wishtrend’s Social Media (Facebook and Instagram) to see when they are offering this coupon!

Last but not least I wanted to show you some new items I spotted on Wishtrend: There is a new product by 23yearsold called Sibiton Cream. This cream contains Seabuckhorn oil and other seed oils and should be perfect for moisturizing dry skintypes.

Wishtrend January 2016 Coupons

Another new item, or items are the new products from the Lei Lani Poruji line. The line consists of Toner,Emulsion, Essence and Cream and is directed towards anti-acne care. The packaging looks nice, too., doesn’t it?

Wishtrend January 2016 Coupons

I would advice you to check out their “Free Shipping Area”, so you don’t have to spend the saved money for shipping costs. They have quite some nice items available there, changing from time to time. At the moment they are providing the OST Vitamin C serum for 14.99 US$ in their free shipping zone, and I spotted the Monstory Green Mon Fresh Mask there aswell! Oh, and Wishtrend is having their own brand now called “by Wishtrend”. There are only three products so far, but I’m sure there will be many more in future.

I did a couple of reviews on various Wishtrend products in the past. You might like to check these out, if you are interested in purchasing these:

Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum

Chica y Chico Astazet 4.0

Delight 18 I.U Whitening Cream Glutathione

ElishaCoy Moist Up Hyalurone Ampoule Toner

Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum

Lailly 7 Seconds Make-Up Booster

Pongdang Mulbit Glow BB Cushion

COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum

COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner

I’m from Honey Mask

Boutique Bebe Hair Salon Protein Treatment

COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch