foundation Archive | Berries in the Snow

Review: Beyond Alice in Blooming Snow Cushion

13. September 2016

// AFFILIATE LINKS / CUSHION / KBEAUTY //

Another of those far too late posts, but since I adore the packaging I have to share with you: Here is my precious Beyond Alice in Blooming Snow Cushion! As a Disney lover it was really important to get my hands on this cushion- despite having maybe too many different cushions and cases already…I feel a bit ashamed, and yet I’m so proud to have this one in my collection! Here is my impression:

Beyond is a Korean natural cosmetic brand and part of LG Household & Health Care. It is dedicated to sustainable beauty and had been against animal testing since its foundation. They have an official site which is available in Korean and English. The Beyond eco philosophy states:

‘Beyond believes that you are part of nature and can become more beautiful. The solution and wisdom of beauty lies in nature. With this belief, we respect “Eco Values” throughout the entire process of everything we do from ingredients, production, distribution and disposal. Our research into Eco Values, which we consider part of our know-how, enhances the value of true beauty.’

Their products have minimal chemical colors and fragrances, their packaging isrecyclable and has minimum waste. Their products are also free from parabens and dermatologically tested. I tried few products of this brand before, but I never disliked their products. They have a super cute selection of sheet masks, too, which I can really recommend.

The Beyond Alice in Blooming Snow Cushion belongs to the second Beyond x Alice in Wonderland collaboration. I reviewed lip tints from the first collaboration called Alice in Glow >>here<<. I love the lip oil tints! They have a great scent and have a velvet nice and yet moisturizing feel on the lips! The design of the Alice in Blooming collection is even more dreamy and beautiful than the first edition and I knew from the beginning when I saw the advertorial pictures that I needed to get my hands on this cushion. And I did!

The Beyond Alice in Blooming Snow Cushion comes packed in a beautifully illustrated cardboard box in light pink and blue colors. The cardboard box also contains the key description of the product. The product is free of parabens and tar colorants, it is dermatologically tested, free of animal testing, and supports sustainable growth. The cushion has SPF 50+/PA+++.

Inside the cardboard box you will find the beautiful Beyond Alice in Blooming Snow Cushion, with a golden rim and the dreamy illustration from the cardboard box on the lid. Since this was a limited edition box it came with two refills even. I selected shade 02, the darker shade from the two available called “natural beige”.

Inside the Beyond Alice in Blooming Snow Cushion you will find a mirror and a puff, as with all cushions. Unlike most other puffs the band is broader and also displays Alice illustrations.

As with all cushions the product works like this: inside the cushion case is a capsule with a separate lid that contains a cushion soaked with foundation or bb cream. You have to press the puff on the cushion and the foundation will transfer to it. Now you can dab the puff on your face. It is important to dab and not to smear it because it will give you the most natural and light finish.

The Beyond Alice in Blooming Snow Cushion has a semi-dewy, satin finish. It smells of roses when applied, but after doing your makeup the scent will fade and is not noticeable any longer. Also, there are small shimmery particles in the foundation that give your face a radiant look. Although I selected the darker shade of the two that were available it is still quite light and suited for lighter skintones. You see that it evens out the redness and makes the skin tone a bit lighter than my natural skin, but it still fits to my overall complexion. If you are tanned this shade will probably not work on you.

The Beyond Alice in Blooming Snow Cushion lasts a couple of hours on my skin before it starts to get uneven on my nose and chin. Nevertheless, it makes my skin feel soft and satin-smooth for almost all day. I also love the rose scent and enjoy using the cushion in the morning mainly because of the scent. I was afraid about the shimmer particles first, but I came to the conclusion that it is barely visible after all, so I’m really happy and using this cushion frequently.

Beyond Alice in Blooming Snow Cushion is a must-have for Disney lovers of course or for people who love beautiful illustrations. I bought my cushion from W2Beauty but you can check elsewhere to find it, too. You will find the cushion on these sites:

W2Beauty for 25.23 US$

Amazon.com for 29.94 US$

testerkorea 32.300 Won (~29.90 US$)

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asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: BEIGE CHUU Stick Foundation

27. June 2016

I love stick-type products and here is a new one I want to introduce to you, the BEIGE CHUU Stick Foundation, which I receive by BNTnews this month. In the last months I’m mainly using cushion foundations, but still from time to time I like to use regular BB creams or foundations like this instead.

BEIGE CHUU, formerly known as BEIGE only, is the cosmetic brand of the online retailer CHUU. They have a range of clothing and accessoires, but also cosmetics products and their slogan is “I know you want to kiss me”. I’ve been following BEIGE CHUU for a while on Instagram and I’ve been curious about their products to be honest. The BEIGE CHUU Stick Foundation is the first product I’m trying from this brand.

BEIGE CHUU Stick Foundation is a multi-purpose stick type foundation which claims to covers blemishes, be not greasy or sticky, with long-lasting properties and of course, being a stick-type product it is travel friendly, too. It comes in a cardboard box with Korean descriptions only. The packaging design is simple and black, without any further decorations. The stick foundation itself comes in a plastic container in the same black design. It looks very neat and suited for all ages and gender.

There are three shades available for this stick foundation which are 21Y (Yellow), 21P (Pink), and 23 (Natural Beige). I’m reviewing 21P here. I was first worried that the shade would not suit my skintone. Usually I tend to grab shade 23 myself. The container of the stick foundation works like a lipstick container. you have to twist the bottom in order to get the bullet of the foundation moving upwards. I won’t recommend to twist it up to the end, but only twist it as much as you need, otherwise you will risk that you break it.

The shade is light, but it blends out nicely and fits to my skin surprisingly. Also, it is very lightweight and spreadable and feels like nothing on the skin. I really liked the creamyness and softness of the texture from the first swatch I did on the back of my hand.

On my skin it evens out my skintone and covers the redness and the pores. It doesn’t give a matte texture, neither a dewy one. Honestly, it looks very natural and like healthy skin to me. I blended the foundation out with help of a sponge and it doesn’t look streaky and you won’t see any differences between te skin which was blended in and the part were you did a stroke with the foundation stick. I really like the finish. It also was good in terms of lasting power and didn’t flake on my dry skin either, which was most surprising for me!

I tried stick foundations from NOTS and Etude House before and they all have different textures compared to each other. While the BEIGE CHUU Stick Foundation is very leight and feels like you do not wear any makeup, the NOTS Silk Glow Stick Foundation has a much more heavy texture. The Etude House Play 101 Stick has the thickest texture and the most matte finish. It is way to matte for my dry skin for example and settles into the lines, whereas the other two stick foundations work much better on dry skin. Comparing all these three stick foundations now I would say that I love the BEIGE CHUU Stick Foundation most.

I’m very happy about the BEIGE CHUU Stick Foundation and it really has a nice finish and texture. It fulfills all its claims for me and despite the high price I think it is worth that value. Of course everyone elses skin might react other to the formulation, but defitely it has the most pleasant texture from the three stick foundations I tried. It retails for 35 US$ from the official BEIGE CHUU shop.

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, Blair and many more…check out their reviews for the June BNT Beauty Box. You can find my previous reviews for BNTnews >>here<<. And visit BNTnews for the latest Korean news and trends:

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

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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 BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: Chosungah 22 Bounce Up Pact Ultra

20. March 2016

It seems that Chosungah 22 is one of these brands getting a lot of attention by many well-known beauty bloggers around the world. I never tried any of their products before, until recently BNTnews send me the Chosungah 22 Bounce Up Pact Ultra for reviewing purpose. Read about my impression on this foundation pact below:

Chosungah 22 is a Korean brand, which has the brand philosophy that makeup is a fun process, which helps to find one strength. Their product design is modern and also looks kind of fun so to say. The creative director Chosungah also had a lipstick collaboration with MAC in the past.

The Chosungah 22 Bounce Up Pact Ultra comes in a back and pink cardboard box and contains a pact foundation and a refill for the pact. The pact is designed to have a soft and bouncy texture of provides long-lasting moisture and sheen. When rubbed or dabbed, the oil compounds of the powder foundation pop and make the particles more adhesive on the skin and thereby create a flawless complexion. According to the description the powder and moistening material sticks together and provides moisture to avoid drying or fading out.

Chosungah 22 Bounce Up Pact Ultra has lifting effects to make the skin look firmer. The ingredients are listed on the cardboard box on English, but the key ingredients are: Agar, Seaweed Extract , Kelp Extract, Caulerpa Racemosa Extract, Dictyopteris Membranacea Extract, Hijiki Fusiforme Extract, and Undaria Extract. The marine ingredients like algae and sea kelp contain many antioxidants and therefore have great anti-aging properties. Also, the pact has SPF 50+/PA++.

Like all pacts this one comes with a mirror and a puff inside. The puff is separated from the foundation with a plastic lid. The plastic lead does not close firmly, but for powder foundations this is not necessary. The puff has a sticky texture, which is designed to adhere the powder to the skin. I personally do not like these kind of sticky puffs too much to be honest.

In order to use the foundation you have to use the puff that comes with the product. Apply the pact and dab it on your skin. The foundation has a bouncy (that’s why it has this name) texture and feels smooth and satin-like.

I received the pact in shade 01 Light Beige, which is slightly to pale for my skintone. Below you see that it makes me look a bit ghosty, but it evens out the redness of my skin. It has a medium coverage, which is buildable. The finish is powdery and tends to be a bit too dry for my skin. I did not feel that the powder foundation is especially moisturizing either. It starts fading quickly, and gets flaky on my skin during the day, too. The foundation has no specific scent.

The Chosungah 22 Bounce Up Pact Ultra is not really my cup of tea. I usually do prefer liquid foundations over powder foundations and this one is simply not working with my dry skin. Maybe it is suited better for other skintypes. I do like the bouncy texture of the foundation in the pan and the key ingredients are nice, too. Nevertheless, the sticky puff and the flaking are no-goes for me. On the official Chosungah web page you will find the previous Chosungah Bounce Up Pact Master, which retails for 51 US$. Probably the Ultra pact will have a similar pricing. By the way, Chosungah 22 will hold a press event in New York on March 22 and beauty magazines like Cosmopolitan and Allure will be attending this press conference aswell.

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, Blair and many more…check out their reviews for the March BNT Beauty Box. You can find my previous reviews for BNTnews >>here<<. And visit BNTnews for the latest Korean news and trends:

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

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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 beauty boxes Etude House PR Sample review

Etude House Pink Bird Box December “Play 101 Sticks”

4. January 2016

As promised on my Instagram account I will start this week with one of my three unboxing posts: The Etude House Pink Bird Box for December is fully dedicated towards the new cooperation of Etude House with makeup artist Pony. They recently have launched a new series of products called the Play 101 Sticks. If you are curious about some of Etude House’s newest product continue reading, but be aware that this post is picture-heavy, similar to the previous post about the Etude House Pink Bird Box. :D

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!

I was so excited to see the products for this month since it contains the products from the new collaboration of Etude House with one of my favourite Korean make-up artists Pony. The box contained a Play 101 Stick Foundation, two different Play 101 Stick Multi-Color, the Play 101 Stick Contour Duo, and the Play 101 Stick Brush. A couple of samples for the upgraded Etude House Moistfull Collagen Cream and an Eyebrow Guide Minibook were included additionally.

The new Play 101 Sticks Series consists of four different shades of the Multi-Stick Foundation. Then there are 6 different colors for the Multi-Color Sticks which can be used on Lips and Cheeks for example. Apart from these 10 Play 101 Sticks there is also a Contour Duo and a Brush available in this new collection. All together it is a very versatile useable collection and it already caught my attention when I spotted these on Etude House Facebook page for the first time.

There are also two Youtube tutorials with Pony where she explains two different looks which can be created with the Etude House Play 101 sticks. The looks are called “Slim & Small Look” and “Bohemian Look“. It seems you can create a lot of amazing looks with the Etude House Play 101 Sticks! I received the sticks in shade 01 (multi-stick foundation), 11 and 13 (multi-color sticks). The packaging design of the Play 101 Sticks is similar to the Play 101 Pencils. The cardboard boxes also have descriptions in English (click below to enlarge), but you can also find the descriptions and ingredients on the global Etude House page.

The Etude House Play 101 Multi-Stick Foundation is available in 4 shades. Shade 01 is the lightest shade of the foundations. It is an okay match for my skin tone, but 02 would be even better probably. This Multi-Stick Foundation works similar to other stick foundations. You have to apply stokes on your face and blend it in with a sponge or brush (or fingers). The foundation has a convenient twist-up mechanism. like all the Play 101 Sticks.

The Etude House Play 101 Multi-Color Sticks have a very versatile use. You can use them as blush on your cheeks, but they are also useable on the lips or eyelid. Shade 11 is not my favorite color to use on the lips, but it can be used to contour the cheekbones, or as a brownish blush, but also as eyeshadow base color.

Shade 13 is a light pink color with golden shimmer. This is my absolute favorite of the three Play 101 Sticks! The color s super pretty as blush, but also gives your lips a nice shine. It can be used as sparkling/highlighting eyeshadow, too. The color is sooo lovely!

The Etude House Play 101 Stick Contour Duo is a double-ended twist-up crayon. It is not a bold stick like the previous ones, but a more narrow crayon. Also here you will find the English description on the cardboard box and on the official site.

One side of the Contour Duo is a white-cream colored highlighter, the other one is a brown contouring shade. The caps for both sides are clear plastic caps, so you can see the color of the end you are using.

The Play 101 Multi-Stick Foundation has a heavy cream formula. It blends in, drying matte and powdery. The Play 101 Multi-Color Sticks on the other hand are very creamy and remind me of the 3CE Creamy Cheek Blusher, which was in my Top 30 Favorite Cosmetics list for 2015. The Multi-Color Sticks are much more easy to blend in than the Foundation Stick. Also the Contour Duo is creamier and more blendable than the foundation.

In order to apply the foundation you can either use your favorite foundation blush or a sponge, or you can use the brush Etude House offers, the Etude House Play 101 Stick Brush. It is a short brush which comes in a plastic zip-lock bag. It has the perfect size for travelling, which makes the whole Etude House Play 101 line a perfect travelling makeup: Easy to use, twist-up mechanism, versatile.

Below you can see how the products look when used on my face. Unfortunately, the foundation is too powdery and heavy to be blended in nicely into my skin. Probably it works better for people with oily or normal skin. For me, it doesn’t look like it melts into the skin, but more like a layer on top of my skin, which I do not like. The other products work perfectly find. I even applied the Multi-Stick in shade 13 on my lips and it really looks pretty and gives a rosegold sheen. It also looks nice on top of your favorite lipstick for example.

All in all, I really like the concept of the Etude House Play 101 Multi-Sticks! I’m not a fan of the Foundation Stick though, because it doesn’t properly blend into my skin and looks to powdery for my liking. The Contour Duo is super convenient to use, and I love the Multi-Stick in shade 13 because of the color. Definitively, you should try one of the Etude House Play 101 Multi-Sticks at least. I’m very happy with the Etude House Play 101 Sticks after all! Did you try any of the products already? Tell me about it in the comments below!

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.

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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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beauty review

Swatches: L’Oréal True Match Foundation

12. June 2014

// MAKEUP //

It’s been a long time since I posted about a western brand, so time to catch up again :D I was lucky to receive an L’Oréal True Match Make-Up Box and I thought that it might be interesting for you have a comparative look at the swatches. I normally don’t wear foundation myself, but for some special occasions, they are really useful.

L’Oréal True Match Foundation

This box contains 9 shades of L’Oréal True Match Foundation and it is perfect to find out a suitable skin tone. I’m always too lazy to test through all the tubes in store, but having them at home makes it so convenient XD

L’Oréal True Match Foundation

Since I have a German version of this box (I don’t know if it is available in other countries, too), the tubes are labeled with the German name and skin color number. The back side of the tubes is labeled with the French and English names. The shades are divided into “cool shades”, “natural shades” and “warm shades”.

L’Oréal True Match Foundation

So, let’s start with the swatches:

L’Oréal True Match Foundation

The darkest shades are R7 (K7 or C7) and W7 (D7), the lightest shades are R2 (K2 or C2) and N2 are the lightest shades. Compared to some Korean BB creams none of the shades is really suited for a very fair skin.

L’Oréal True Match Foundation

The finish is matte and satin like and feels soft. The coverage is medium to high and is buildable.

I didn’t wear it yet on my face, but I guess there will be the one or the other occasion in the future. Did you try any of L’Oréal’s True Match Foundations? What do you prefer: BB creams or foundation?

Hope the swatches were useful for you!:) See you in my next post ♥

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