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Review: Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum

18. October 2015

Large pores are a skin concern that many of us have, especially with raising age the pores around our nose get more visible. Usually, most people just grab a primer and hide their pores instead of trying skincare products that try to tighten the pores. The Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum is exactly such a serum. It is supposed to have moiosturizing and tightening properties and to make the use of primers unnessesary over time. I was really curious how this serum would work on my pores, too, so I grabbed the chance and tried it myself.

Skinmiso is a Korean brand which is sold on Wishtrend. I tried the Skinmiso Rice Foam Cleanser previously, and it was a good cleansing product, but a bit drying for dry skintypes. The Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum is quite popular product by Skinmiso and I have read a couple of reviews where the serum showed good effects on the pores. The packaging design o Skinmiso products is simple and similar for all their products. They have a white and blue packaging design which looks kind of medical. Also the tiny cross next to the brand logo makes it look like medicine.

On the cardboard box of the Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum you will find mostly Korean, but also some English description. Wishtrend offers the full English description of the product. The ingredients are also listed on Wishtrend and you can find them on COSDNA, too. The Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum contains some irritating ingredients, so be sure to check previously and to patch test before using it regulary.

The Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum comes in a bottle with an included dropper. The bottle contains 30 ml of the product, but you cannot see through the bottle to check the amount of the serum. By holding the bottle against the light you might see a bit of a shadow though. Since it is a serum it is applied after your cleansing step and after toner. After applying the milky colored serum on the target areas you can tap with your fingers until the serum is absorbed. You will feel a tightening effect on your skin. It is recomended to wait 20 minutes after application to see the full effects of the serum.

I’ve used this serum for 2 weeks now and I can definitively say that I feel the tighteining effect it has on the skin. I also think that it gives a good moisture oil balance on the targeted area (I used it mainly on my T-zone and the area around my nose). By looking at my skin before and after the application I cannot see a difference in the size of the pores. Also not after having used it for two weeks. Maybe it takes longer to see visible effects. Nevertheless, since it helps my T-zone to be less shiny during the day I think that especially people with combination or oily skin might like to try this product.

Since I feel a tighteining effect and I like the oil-moisture balance the product delivers I will continue to use the Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum. If I will see any visible changes I will be updating this post. So far I can definitively say that oily skintypes and combination skintypes might like to try our this serum, too. Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum retails at Wishtrend for 32.99 US$. You can check out my posts on the monthly Wishtrend coupons in order to get some extra benefits when shopping on Wishtrend. Also keep in mind theirfriend-referral program: You can receive a 5 Us$ referral coupon if you use my invitation code 17939205 upon registration and you’ll receive this 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 safe 5 US$ which is a great possibility to safe some money.

Do you have any favourite pore treatment product?

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asian cosmetics beauty Wishtrend

Wishtrend October 2015 Coupons

17. October 2015

I know . I know, October almost ended and I’m super late in posting these Wishtrend Coupons for October. Nevertheless, I hope it still can be helpful for some of you. You can use these new Wishtrend coupons and gifts for your shopping experience at Wishtrend. If you don’t know Wishtrend, but love Korean or Asian cosmetics and skincare 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 20 favourite product list for 2014,like the Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil. 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 Wishtrendcoupon codes for October:

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 October. Below, you’ll find the coupon code for this:

Coupon Code: WISHOCT2015
Requirement 1: Shopping cart order must be 55 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 October 2015

The second promotion code is a special gift you will receive by using the code below. The voucher is valid on ANY orders at Wishtrend! This months free sample is a free Skinmiso Handy Cleansing Kit (3.30 US$ value). I’m really curious about these kits, and I already bought some with my last Wishtrend order. So let’s see!

Voucher Code: WISHGIFT2015OCT
ANY ORDER
Only valid until the end of October 2015

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! Also, I spotted they have a new Wishbox containing a D.I.Y. cushion, which is really a supoer cute idea. I’ve used a D.I.Y. cushion before and it is really fun, and this kit by Wishtrend contains the cushion case, decoration stickers, BB cream, serum and sunscreen and is a great value in my eyes.

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:

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?

Wishtrend June 2015 Promotions

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 review

Review: Tosowoong Syn-Ake Natural Pure Essence

17. September 2015

Although I’m using the Tosowoong Syn-Ake Natural Pure Essence for quite some time now I never did a proper review on it. I must say that I absolutely love this essence and I would be so happy if the Tosowoong Syn-Ake Line would be more widely available. I received this Essence with one of my many MeMeBoxes. I still hope MeMeBox will start to ship to Germany again :’D

Tosowoong is a Korean brand founded in 2004 and having the saying to make beauty innovations. The most popular items from this brand are probably the Tosowoong Makeon Princess Gel Pencil Eyeliner Pencil boxes which come with cute illustrations of various princesses. I didn’t know about any of the skincare products they had until I received some in my MeMeBoxes. The packaging of their skincare lines is usually simple, and the ingredients lists are rather short and functional. The Tosowoong Syn-Ake Natural Pure Essence is part of the Syn-Ake line, which is directed to anti-aging. Syn-Ake is a artificial peptide similar to snake venom and has been used and developed as anti-aging ingredient in Sweden. It had popularity amongst famous actresses and models, too, if I remember correctly. As you see the packaging of the Tosowoong Syn-Ake Natural Pure Essence is rather simple. It has a black color with white fonts. The front of both the cardboard box and the plastic pump bottle has listed the English key ingredients. The backside and sides are Korean only.

Rasberry fruit extract, Niacinamide, Bifida Ferment Lysate, rh-Oligopeptide-1 (EGF), and Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate are listed as key ingredients. Using google translate I could identify some other plant (flower and fruits, espeially all kinds of berries) extracts, Glycerin and Allantoin as ingredients. I honestly do love the ingredients and the fact that this contains two kinds of yeast ferment, plus all these berries and niacinamide on top.

As I mentioned above, the Tosowoong Syn-Ake Natural Pure Essence comes in a pump bottle, which makes it easy to apply the product. I usually use 2-3 pumps for my face. The product has a clear, gel-like formula that absorbs quite fast into the skin. I feel like it brings out the effects of the Missha FTE even more and makes my face instantly brighten up when I’m struggling with a dull face. It doesn’t feel heavy and is not sticky. Also, it goes well with other skincare steps I use after applying this essence and never causes any flaking etc. It is practically scentless, too!

I’m super pleased with the Tosowoong Syn-Ake Natural Pure Essence and I want to repurchase it once it is finished. I know that Wishtrend has some Tosowoong products, but they don’t have the Syn-Ake line. I wish they would add it! The bottle contains 100 ml and it is available from RoseRoseShop (6.95 US$) and from ebay (around 10 US$). I can recommend you to give it a try!

BTW: the winners of my Japan Candy Box and Kawaii Box Giveaways were confirmed and they will receive their winnings at the end of the month :) Congratulations!

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asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: Missha M Magic Cushion Moisture

14. September 2015

// AFFILIATE LINKS / CUSHION / KBEAUTY //

I already loved the Missha M Magic Cushion, but here is another cushion version of Missha’s BB creams called the Missha M Magic Cushion Moisture! As the name says, this BB promotes a dewy/moist look of the skin which is quite popular these days- not only in Korea! Another reason why I bought the whole cushion and not only a refill is the limited edition packaging with the illustration of Betty Boop ♥

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 M Magic Cushion Moisture regularly comes in a similar simple design like the Missha M Magic Cushion. Instead of the silver colored rim of the lid, the Missha M Magic Cushion Moisture has a rose-gold colored rim. This edition has additionally an illustration of Betty Boop on the lid. The cardboard box shows the same illustration:

You can find Korean description on the cardboard box (click to enlarge the image below). I picked up shade 23, which is the darker shade of the two available shades. Like the Missha M Magic Cushion, this product has SPF 50+/PA+++. The sunscreens used are Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, and Ethylhexyl Salicylate. The ingredients are listed on COSDNA >>here<< and are safe to use. The Missha M Magic Cushion Moisture contains some plant oils and extracts, so if you have any known allergic reactions please make sure to check the ingredients first. The product contains Niacinamide, like the regular Missha M Magic Cushion. Moreover, it contains yeast extract, which was not part of the ingredients of the regular Missha M Magic Cushion.

Like all the cushion foundations/bb/cc creams the product comes in a compact shape like regular powders do. You can flip open the lid and you will find a sponge applicator and a mirror inside. The product is stored in a container inside the compact, which is sealed by a plastic lid. This is also the part which can be taken out and replaced by a refill. The refills of the Missha M Magic Cushion and the Missha M Magic Cushion Moisture are interchangeable.

The product is soaked into a sponge inside the container and by pressing the application puff on the sponge with the BB cream you can get the product out of the container. By dabbing the puff now on your face (not pulling it over the skin!) you will get a nice and natural finish.

The Missha M Magic Cushion Moisture has thereby a light, flowery scent which is kind of a signature scent for Missha BB creams. It has a moist texture, like the name already tells you, and is not as creamy as the regular Missha M Magic Cushion. The soft, moist texture blends in a bit easier than the texture of the Missha M Magic Cushion, but both can blend in easily with the skin color. The finish of the regular Missha M Magic Cushion is a powdery/satin finish, whereas the Missha M Magic Cushion Moisture does not hide the natural glow of the skin.

Below you can see how the Missha M Magic Cushion Moisture looks on my skin. It makes the skin tone even and has medium coverage. It is a natural finish and the skin doesn’t feel dry after using it but rather refreshed. A quick reminder though: the dewier the finish of a BB cream is, the easier you can see marks on your face when you touch it. Eg. when I’m using a tissue on my nose I usually try to blend in the BB cream on the sides of my nose by dabbing a bit with my finger. Usually, this already does the trick…and for any other moments, you can always put the cushion compact in your handbag and touch up in-between.

I cannot say whether the regular Missha M Magic Cushion or the Missha M Magic Cushion Moisture is the better products because I like both equally. Usually, it depends on my mood and the finish I want to achieve. For hot days I prefer the satin finish of the regular cushion, but if the weather makes my skin feel dry I grab the moisture cushion. For those who want to have their favorite BB cream as a cushion, I can recommend you to try the Missha Magic Cushion Case, a DIY empty cushion, which makes it possible to create your own.

I love using the Missha M Magic Cushion Moisture and I love the packaging! The finish is very natural and keeps your face’s natural glow, which I do like a lot. Moreover, the Missha M cushions are not too expensive. I got mine at W2Beauty for 11.07 US$. The refill is for 8.21 US$. For those living in the US, you might want to check out the prices Amazon, too. On testerkorea there is also the cushion plus two refills for around 10 US$ available.

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asian cosmetics beauty Missha PR Sample review

Review: Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence Intensive

3. September 2015

// PR SAMPLE / SKINCARE / AFFILIATE LINKS //

In the last years many brands have started to release essences containing fermented yeast filtrate, similar to the famous SKII Facial Treatment Essence. One of these many products has been claimed a good dupe, or even an improved version of the SKII essence: the Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence. I tried some samples from this essence in the past and I really did like it back then, but never purchased a full size version. Then, earlier this year Missha announced to reformulate the Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence (short: Missha FTE), which was called the Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence Intensive. Many people were not happy about the reformulation. Nevertheless, I wanted to give this version a chance and started to in-cooperate it into my daily skincare routine after I kindly received this from Missha Germany for reviewing purpose. I do not have any direct comparison between the two versions (apart from my weak memory using the samples), but I will do a short breakdown on the new and removed ingredients. As far as I can tell I do like the new Missha FTE intense nonetheless!

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 Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence is no exception here: it comes in a hard plastic bottle (I think it was a glass bottle previously) with a silver cap, and the cardboard box is made of silver reflecting paper. You can see the lightly yellowish solution through the bottle, too.

The Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence is a highly concentrated essential essence, which is used as first step after cleansing your face. It rises the skin moisture and radiance level and has soothing and smoothing properties. It claims to have wrinkle repairing and whitening properties. The Korean and English description is included on the cardboard box (you can click to enlarge the image below). A label with the German description is added on the packaging, since I received the product from Missha Germany. The bottle of essence comes with 130 ml of product and has a shelf-life of 9 months after opening.

Ingredients: old vs. new

The ingredients are listed on the cardboard packaging, but also on the official Missha web pages. The list is also included in the COSDNA databank, and you can check whether the single ingredients are rated positively or negatively. Luckily, the Missha ingredients are safe to use, as you can check here. Since I mentioned the reformulation of the Missha FTE earlier here is a quick info about it. Below, the ingredients of the Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence are listed:

SACCHAROMYCES FERMENT FILTRATE, BIFIDA FERMENT LYSATE, PROPANEDIOL, NIACINAMIDE, POLYQUATERNIUM-51, AMARANTHUS CAUDATUS SEED EXTRACT, BETAINE, ULMUS DAVIDIANA ROOT EXTRACT, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, PIPER METHYSTICUM LEAF/ROOT/STEM EXTRACT, WATER, TREHALOSE, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, HYDROLYZED CORN STARCH, PHENOXYETHANOL, BETA VULGARIS (BEET) ROOT EXTRACT, PHELLODENDRON AMURENSE BARK EXTRACT, CASSIA ALATA LEAF EXTRACT, DISODIUM EDTA, ADENOSINE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERIN, RAFFINOSE, TROMETHAMINE, ACETIC ACID, LACTIC ACID, DISODIUM EDTA, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, SODIUM HYALURONATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, HEXAPEPTIDE-9

The newly added ingredients are marked green. These ingredients are not included in the old version of the Missha FTE. I will go through the properties of these 8 new ingredients in the following:

Betaine: a anti-inflammatory stabilizator, which has calming/soothing properties for the skin

Trehalose: moisturizing properties

Butylene Glycol: has similar properties as propylene glycol, but with a lighter texture; skin conditioning properties and acts as solvent

Disodium EDTA: stabilisator, chelator, and preservative

1,2-Hexanediol: humectant, emolient

Caprylyl Glycol: skin conditioning and moisturizing properties, also a preservative

Potassium Sorbate: preservative

Hexapeptide-9: a synthetic peptide containing Glutamine, Glycine and Proline residues (different amino acids), it acts as skin conditioner/ smoothening

The ingredients which have been removed from the formulation are: Licorice Root Extract (Glycyrrhiza Glabra), Polyquaternium-51, Centella Asiatica Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, and Pentylene Glycol.

Licorice Root Extract: an antioxidant, has anti-inflammatory and skin-conditioning properties, also used for fragrance

Centella Asiatica: skin conditioning and calming/soothing properties

Portulaca Oleraca: anti-inflammatory and skin conditioning properties

Rosmarinus Officinalis: anti-inflammatory, used for fragrance

Chamomilla Recutita: skin conditioning/ smoothening

Pentylene Glycol: anti-inflammatory, emollient

Polyquaternium-51: humectant

When I’m comparing the two lists of the new and removed ingredients I see that mainly ingredients have been changed into ingredients with similar and same properties. So why did they change it at all? My first idea was, that they wanted to get rid of the fragrance ingredients the product had. The new formula doesn’t have a specific scent, or rather smells like many essences with fermented ingredients smell of. The old formulation didn’t have any specific scent to me either. The second idea is, that many people react to specific plant extracts. By removing some of the plant extracts and changing them to synthetic ingredients the risk for allergies is reduced. The third point might be that the cost for the new ingredients is cheaper than the old ones. The last idea seems to be the most likely one :D The only ingredient which is not really replaced properly is the Licorice Root extract. This is such a powerful ingredient considering brightening and anti-aging that it is really sad they removed it. Yet, we do not know the concentration of the Licorice Root extract in first place, so it is not really sure how much this effects the properties of the Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence as a whole.

Apart from the newly added and the removed ingredients the key ingredients of both formulations are the same: yeast ferment filtrate, also known as “Pitera”. The Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence contains two types of yeast ferment filtrate: Saccharomyces and Bifida in a concentration of 80%. Yeast ferment filtrate is nutrients-rich. It contains many vitamins, amino acids and proteins and helps to improve the moisture level of the skin. Other great ingredients of the Missha FTE are sugars, like Raffinose and Trehalose, which have moisturizing properties and ingredients like Niacinamide and Lactid Acid, which have brightening properties.

I’ve been using the Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence Intensive since I received it 8 weeks ago almost every day twice (morning and evening routine). From time to time I switched to the May Coop Raw Sauce alone, mostly I used both together. There is no scent / light fermented scent. The consistency of the Missha FTE is water-y. It is clear and runny, but absorbs into the skin quickly. It feels the skin hydrated and smoothed instantly, like a thin film on the skin. I really like this feeling and it makes you want to touch your face constantly. The overall face looks brightened and less dull. Adding other products on top works nicely and doesn’t cause any flaking at all.

Unfortunately, I cannot compare the Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence Intensive to the old version directly, but I really love how this product works in my skincare routine. It leaves the skin with a nice feeling and -having tried the Secret Key Starting Treatment Essence before- I can say that I prefer the Missha FTE. The Secret Key Starting Treatment Essence has a much more intense yeast ferment scent (contains 90% of yeast ferment filtrate) and yet doesn’t leave the skin as smooth as the Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence Intense does. I’ve bought the COSRX Galactomyces 95 White Power Essence recently, but have not tried it yet (this one has even 95% of yeast ferment). I will be comparing it to the Missha FTE Intensive for sure. In terms of wrinkle-care I do not know how much the Missha FTE impacts on this, since every change will be also an effect of my whole skincare routine. Adding products with moisturizing properties is never wrong if you want to prefer skin-aging though. And the Missha FTE does definitively moisturize and brighten up my skin instantly and makes it feel super smooth. There are so many brands these days, each with their own yeast ferment filtrate essence that it can be difficult to decide for a specific one, but considering the price the Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence is definitively preferable to the SKII Essence. The Missha Time Revoltion The First Treatment Essence Intensive retails for 38.90 € from the German Missha store (49.00 US$ from Missha US!).

You can also get this product from:

W2Beauty for 38.50US$ (use coupon berries10 for 10% off and free shipping)

Amazon.de for 18.01€

Amazon.com for 28US$

Btw.: Missha Germany also deliveres outside Germany. So if you are somewhere in Europe it might be faster to consider ordering from them instead of Korea. My package arrived after 2 days, which is awesome when thinking about the 2-4 weeks of waiting when ordering from Korea :D Take a glance at their webpage, instagram, and facebook and support the spreading of Korean cosmetics within Europe! Also, Missha is one of the Korean bands which are against animal testing!

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.missha-germany.de/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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Wishtrend September 2015 Coupons

3. September 2015

Summer has passed and the season of autumn has started, and as with every new month I have the Wishtrend Coupons for September for you. You can use these new Wishtrend coupons and gifts for your shopping experience at Wishtrend. If you don’t know Wishtrend, but love Korean or Asian cosmetics and skincare 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 20 favourite product list for 2014, like the Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil. 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 September:

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

Coupon Code: WISHSEP2015
Requirement 1: Shopping cart order must be 55 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 September 2015

The second promotion code is a special gift you will receive by using the code below. The voucher is valid on ANY orders at Wishtrend! I’m really excited about this months free sample, since you will receive in addition to the usual free samples a free C21.5 Mask Sheet (2.50 US$ value).

Voucher Code: WISHGIFTSEP2015
ANY ORDER
Only valid until the end of September 2015

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:

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?

Wishtrend June 2015 Promotions

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asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: Tonymoly Shaking Tint Delight

1. September 2015

// AFFILIATE LINKS / KBEAUTY / LIPS //

The Tonymoly Shaking Tint Delight is my favorite tint product at the moment! These oil-based lip tints are quite frequent these days and I was curious about them since I read a review about the It’s Skin Oil Lip Tint at Shia’s blog. She also reviewed the Tonymoly Shaking Tint Delight later. I can recommend you reading her blog (it is written in German though).

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. Many people have problems with lip tints, because they are not hydrating the lips, since they don’t have a butter or fat as basic ingredient like balm type products, and often when using a balm over the lip tint the staying power of the tint is reduced.

The Tonymoly Shaking Tint Delight is a oil-based lip tint, which means it has a tint phase and an oil phase. By shaking the two phases you will get a homogeneous lip tint which also contains enough oils so your lips don’t feel dry. The Tonymoly Shaking Tint Delight is available in three colors. The tint I bought is called “Shaking Red” (#02) and has a red color. The packaging of the Tonymoly Shaking Tint Delight is simple and yet cute. The bottle comes in a cardboard box which is decorated by stars. You can find the decoration on the cap of the bottle, too. The applicator is attached to the cap, as with most lip products of this kind. The cardboard box contains Korean and English descriptions. Nevertheless, I find the directions in English quite missleading.

Usually, when you do not shake the tint you will see the two phases of the product clearly. The clear oil layer lies atop of the pigmented tint layer at the bottom. The main way to use the Tonymoly Shaking Tint Delight is to shake the two phases until you get a homogeneous red tint. After shaking you apply the tint mainly on the inner parts of your lips and then blend it outwards. The official Tonymoly page says that you can get a less vivid look by not mixing the two layers and using the oil phase like a gloss after having applied the tint.

source: http://www.etonymoly.com/

I discovered that I like the mixed product better than a natural way to apply it. The more you shake the product the better it looks on the lips. Below you see a swatch of the two phases when not mixed fully. The tint phase and the oil phase can be clearly seperated from each other. The tint has a fruity scent, but it is faint after applying it on your lips. The taste is the typical bitter taste of lip tints first, but after 1-2 seconds you taste nothing at all!

I love how the mixed tint applies on the lips. In contrary to the water based tints that don’t have much of moisturizing properties the oil-based Tonymoly Shaking Delight Tint feels not drying, but nourishing and gives the lips the perfect soft feeling. The gradient effect which can e created with this tint looks natural, but the color is vivid nevertheless. The stain is longer lasting than the stain of the water based lip tints and reapplying the tint always looks nice and never makes the stains from before look ugly.

The Tonymoly Shaking Tint Delight is my favorite tint so far and I’m using it almost everday since I received it! I can definitively receommend you to try one of the oil based tints yourself! I’m sure I will buy other oil based tints now and maybe also all the remaining colors from the Tonymoly Shaking Tint Delight. I bought mine at W2Beauty for 10.38 US$. For those living in the US you might want to check out the prices Amazon, too. Did you try any of the oil-based tints yet?

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asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: O’melon Chameleon Essence Queen CC Cushion

23. August 2015

I’m always excited when trying new Korean brands I didn’t know before, like the O’melon Chameleon Essence Queen CC Cushion. Did you hear of that brand already? It was my highlight of the August BNTnews beauty box (two reviews are still to be made the next days).

O’melon is a Korean cosmetic brand, which doesn’t have a lot of popularity outside Korea, as it seems. For me it was the first time I heard of this brand. Moreover, the product I’m reviewing here is a CC cushion, which I’m always very curious to try. I never thought I would have more than one cushion foundation, but as time proceeds my collection seems to grow :D The O’melon Chameleon Essence Queen CC Cushion first of all comes in a very luxurious and pretty packaging. Even the cardboard box the cushion compact comes in is made of reflecting color-changing paper, which has a rainbowish shade depending on the light. Unfortunately, the beauty of such packaging is hard to capture for me in images, so you will mostly see pink/purple colors :D This color changing material used for the packaging fits perfectly to the name of the product, since a chameleon can adjust its color towards its environment.

The O’melon Chameleon Essence Queen CC Cushion is a CC cream in a cushion compact, with SPF 45 PA+++. The packaging description is in Korean only, apart from the ingredients, which are luckily written in English on the side of the cardboardbox. I added the ingredients to COSDNA and the used components are safe to use. Moreover, this is the first time I saw the ingredients of a CC/BB cream which contains a whole bunch of amino acids. Apart from the amino acids there are various plant extracts included, hyaluronic acid, pearl extract, collagen, but also alcohol.

The beautiful cardboard box contains an even more beautiful cushion compact, seated on a velvet-y coated plastic holder in classic red. The compact has a very pretty golden lid with sparkling dots, which reflect the light in different colors, too.

The O’melon Chameleon Essence Queen CC Cushion contains 15 g of product and has a shelf-life of 12 months after opening. I couldn’t find a price, but I guess it will be more expensive than Missha Cushion for example. A replacement puff is included inside the cardboard box, too.

The shade I received is called #11 Cover Beige and like all the other cushion compacts you will have a container with the CC cream insde the pact and a mirror in the lid. The puff applicator sits on top of a plastic lid which keeps the CC cream inside from drying. cushion foundations have a characteristic cushion sponge inside this container, which is soaked with the CC/BB cream or foundation.

So what is so special about the O’melon Chameleon Essence Queen CC Cushion? This 3-shade CC cushion is supposed to flaunt perfect waterproof coverage. The three shades contained are beige (50%), white (25%), and pink (25%). The different colors have each their own purpose:

Beige: Covers dull tone, freckles, blemishes and pimples.

White: Contains various plant extracts to help complete smooth and natural makeup and preserve it.

Pink: Contains rose essence for a healthy and bright complexion.

The colors show off on the sponge in a pretty swirl and the cushion reminds me a bit of the Elishacoy Pink Blooming Cushion.

The O’melon Chameleon Essence Queen CC Cushion is also equipped with a vegetal cooling essence to sooth heated skin and treat wrinkles while boosting elasticity and thus it is advertised for summer use. Since it has a satin finish it does not look greasy on the face for most of the day. actually, I’m surprised how long lasting this cushion is. after a whole da it gets a bit flaky around my chin, but when reapplied over the area it looks great again. While patting the three colors on your face they start to blend with each other, since the colors are not pre-mixed as you can see below. This can be a bit tricky because in order to have all the three colors you have to push the puff on the sponge in a way you will get all colors. The CC cream feels cool on the skin, like advertised. If it treats wrinkles and boosts elasticity I cannot say. I didn’t feel any changes. The shade is similar to other Korean shade 21 BB/CC creams. It is a bit lighter than my skintone at the moment, but it is still wearable. The coverage is good, too. It covers for example my birth mask at the corner of my mouth nicely. Rednesses of the skin are evened out, too.

Altogether, I’m positively surprised by O’melon Chameleon Essence Queen CC Cushion. I really do like the packaging design and the idea of having a CC cushion with skincare components. The three colors of the O’melon Chameleon Essence Queen CC Cushion look lovely together, too. It would be nice to know what other shades are available for this cushion and what the price tag says for the product. Did anybody else try this brand before? I would be curious about your impression, if you know that brand.

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 August BNT Beauty Box. And visit BNTnews for the latest Korean news and trends:

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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://www.bntnews.co.uk/ 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: 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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