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asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: A’Pieu Apple Acid Visible Peeling Gel

30. January 2015

// KBEAUTY / SKINCARE / AFFILIATE LINKS //

Did you like my review about the Meishoku Peeling Jelly? Then you might be interested in A’Pieu Apple Acid Visible Peeling Gel, too. Similar to the product by Meishuku this peeling gel works with apple acid extract and other fruit extracts to chemically exfoliate your skin.

A'Pieu Apple Acid Visible Peeling Gel

First of all, some words about the Korean brand A’Pieu: The name comes from french language and is supposed to mean “basic”.  The brand is targeting a younger audience and providing the elemantary steps and products for your skincare routine in the 20s…but I think you can also use it in your 30s or whenever you want :D The packaging of their products is cute and adorable, without being to princess-y, like Etude House, for example. Here, the packaging of the A’Pieu Apple Acid Visible Peeling Gel is rather simple, but by having some apples printed on the front it gives it a bit of a cute twist. The peeling gel comes in a simple tube containing 100 ml.

A'Pieu Apple Acid Visible Peeling Gel

The backside of the tube contains Korean description only, which makes it difficult to understand the directions or know more about the ingredients. Like most peeling gels it is supposed to be used on the dry and clean face. After massaging the gel into the face it will form crumbs/ agglomerated product which help to create a peeling effect. This product uses apple acid and other fruit extracts for chemical exfoliation. These fruit derived acids are also known as AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids). They exfoliate old keratin off your skin, which becomes smoother this way. This has the effect of a brightened up dull complexion, too. It also helps to free blocked pores and to help dry and flaky skin to get smooth again. The crumbs you get with these peeling gels are no dead skin cells, it is just the way the formula of peeling gels work. The result of these peeling gels are therefore not correlated with the amount of peeling crumbs while using. You will feel the effect in the smoothness of your skin after using such peeling gels.

A'Pieu Apple Acid Visible Peeling Gel

The A’Pieu Apple Acid Visible Peeling Gel has a gel type and milky formula. The color is a very light green and it has the scent of green apples. I would have preferred sweet apple scent instead of green apple scent, but I know there are some lovers for this type of scent. The product itself feels a bit grainy on the skin when you massage it and soon enough it forms some peeling crumbs.

A'Pieu Apple Acid Visible Peeling Gel

After using and washing the peeling crumbs of the skin feels softened and clear and the product does a good job in general. Comparing it to the Peeling Jelly from Meishoku I like the one from A’Pieu less. I had the feeling that the Meishoku Peeling Jelly was less drying and also more convenient to use since it could be used on wet face, too. I also did like the scent more. But if you want to try an affordable peeling jelly or it is your first time using AHAs in your skincare the A’Pieu Apple Acid Visible Peeling Gel is a nice product. It retails for 15.61 US$  at W2Bauty

What is your favourite chemical peeling product?

Blog_Rating_APieuAppleAcidPeelingGel

asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: Skinfood Rose Shake Point Make-up Remover

30. January 2015

// KBEAUTY / SKINCARE //

After I fell in love with the Skinfood Rose Essence Soft Cream Blusher I had no choice, but trying out other products from the Skinfood Milky Rose collection. I bought the Skinfood Rose Shake Point Make-up Remover from the same line and I’ve been using it for quite some time. This is also one of the items which were mentioned in the previous guestpost by Chie here. Here is my impression of this make-up remover:

Skinfood Rose Shake Point Make-up Remover

Skinfood is one of these brands which are competing with Etude House in terms of design– in my opinion at least. It is a Korean brand with vintage appearing design of their products which occupied my heart very quickly. The products are using the beneficial effects of ingredients, which are familiar to us in terms of “food” like vegetables and fruits. Their motto “Food that is good for your health, is also good for your skin.” reflects this brands’ ideology nicely. Their spring make-up collection of 2014 was called “Milky Rose”and the design of the products offered within this collection is beautifully selected, showing vintage-style rose drawings and pastell pink packaging. The design is really beautifully chosen and fits perfect for a spring collection. Apart from the Skinfood Rose Shake Poinr Make-up Remover liptints, nailpolish, blusher and a make-up fixer were offered.

Skinfood Rose Shake Point Make-up Remover

As you can see, the make-up remover from this line is no exception and has a beautifully designed packaging with rose printing. The Skinfood Rose Shake Point Make-up Remover comes in a hard plastic bottle which has a transparent pink color. You can see the two phased removing liwuid through the bottle and it appears in a soft pink color. The Skinfood logo, the little angel, is engraved into the plastic bottle.

Skinfood Rose Shake Point Make-up Remover

The backside of the bottle shows the description of the product in Korean and English. It also has the production and expiration date printed there. The bottle contains 160 ml make-up remover. The main ingredient of this product is Rosa Centifolia Flower Water. The scent of the  Skinfood Rose Shake Point Make-up Remover is therefore a nice rose scent as I expected and it is one of the reasons I love this product. Apart from the scent Rosa Centifolia Flower Water is a great ingredient with lots of benefits. The obtained water from these flowers contains the etheral oils and lots of beneficial substances. Also, the pH of rose water is lower than pH7. I meassured the pH of the  Skinfood Rose Shake Point Make-up Remover and it lies between 5-6. Also, the rose water has soothing and astringent properties, which makes it a good product for sensitive skin.

Skinfood Rose Shake Point Make-up Remover

 The remover is a two phased liquid. The instruction says to shake it before using it. Once you shake it, the phases combine to a milky fluid.

Skinfood Rose Shake Point Make-up Remover

Since the cap has a small hole for dispensing you can use it easily on a cotton pad. I would have preferred if it came with a pump bottle, because that’s even more convenient, but since you have to shake it before using it it is only a minor comment.

Skinfood Rose Shake Point Make-up Remover

I used a selection of various make-up products on my arm and wiped it away with a soaked cotton pad and as you can see it removes all the products easily. The product on the right is mascara, and when I removed the mascara it was not fully dried yet. This leads me to my only complaint about the Skinfood Rose Shake Point Make-up Remover, since it does have problems to remove dried fibertype mascaras with one cotton pad only. I didn’t have any problems removing eyeliner, eyeshadow, lipsticks, but it needs some extra wipes for mascara.

Skinfood Rose Shake Point Make-up Remover

Although this product shows some weakness in removing some stubborn mascaras I still love and recommend this to 1. rose scent lovers and 2. people with sensitive skin. This remover makes the skin feel soft after using it and it didn’t feel any irritating, neither did I feel that my skin is feeling dried. It is available at testerkorea for 6900 Won (around 7 US$) which is affordable, too. I really like and use this almost every day before cleansing my face :)

Blog_Rating_SFRosePointRemover

advertorial beauty

How To Winterize Your Nails

27. January 2015

As you know, here in Germany we are in the midth of winter, which means we have a cold and mostly rainy weather here. You’ll feel such changes during the seasons also on your skin, as it feels drier than usual. And it is not only the skin, but also your hair and nails. Julep, a beauty company for cosmetics, nail color, and skincare, shared their nailcare tips with me and I wanted to share them with you and add some of my own tips on how to winterize your nails, since I really liked the idea of writing a post like this (

How To Winterize Your Nails

So, what are specific nail care advices in order to winterize your nails? First of all, you should not neglate your nails during winter, even if you wear gloves and closed shoes you should still think of your nails. Most important is, to regulary clip and shape your nails. I usually don’t have very long nails and in winter I prefer shorter nails anyways, because of wearing gloves for example. When I’m having long nails they tend to break easily, because they get stuck into the wool of the gloves sometimes. Another very important point is to remove the loose skin and cuticles, if you have any. You can prevent this by moisturizing your hands as often as possible and also using hand or finger masks on a regular basis. I reviewed a nail/finger maks some time ago, which I really liked for this purpose. You can check out my review on Etude House Help My Finger Nail Finger Pack here. Here is a list of some helpful tips on how to winterize your nails:

How To Winterize Your Nails

Recently, I discovered some Korean handcreams which I really like and love to use often in these colder days. Below you’ll see my two favourite hand creams, the Etude House Missing U hand cream, which comes in an adorable container and smells of roses, and the Shib Jang Ceng Chun Ji Heang hand cream, which was part of the MeMeBox Oriental Medicine. The latter contains ginseng extracts, shea butter and olive oil and feels really nourishing. If you feel your nails are still dry desprite using hand creams, I can recommend you to use nail oil. I bought one from a local drug store from the brand p2. It is called One Drop Fitness Oil and contains soy, sweet almond and sunflower oil for deep nourishment and hydration.

How To Winterize Your Nails

Even though it might be that we wear gloves I use nail polish from time to time. My best tip for you in cold seasons is to use a nail polish drier. It reduces the time of your nail polish to dry largely. I discovered the Etude House Help My Finger Quick Drop Drier some time ago and it belongs to my favourite items now.

How To Winterize Your Nails

Here are some color inspirations for your winterized nails. You can get these specific colors from Julep. I never tried their nail polishes, but I’ve read positive reviews about them. I really do like the colors Joanne and Shari, because they look like they go well with almost every style. In general, I think you never can go wrong with a classic red nail polish for every season of the year. In the image above I used Etude House Play nail polish in shade 52.

How To Winterize Your Nails

What are your winterizing nail care advices?

Just as a short reminder: This is an advertorial post for http://www.julep.com/. I wasn't paid for this post and I'm sharing my honest opinion throughout this post.
asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: A’Pieu Creamy Butter Shadow

24. January 2015

// KBEAUTY / MAKE UP / AFFILIATE LINKS //

After I tried the Innisfree Eyeshadow Stick I was curious for more creamy eyeshadows. Originally I planned to buy the Innisfree Mineral Single Cream Shadow, but them I came acroos the A’Pieu Creamy Butter Shadow and I fell for the beautiful packaging design of these cream eyeshadows. Although I’m not a daily eyeshadow wearing person I directly bought two shades from this :D Here is my impression:

A'Pieu Creamy Butter Shadow

First of all, some words about the Korean brand A’Pieu: The name comes from french language and is supposed to mean “basic”. (I didn’t know a word like this in french though and I didn’t find any proper translation. Did anybody else have a look for that?:D) The brand is targeting a younger audience and providing the elemantary steps and products for your skincare routine in the 20s…but I think you can also use it in your 30s or whenever you want :D The packaging of their products is cute and adorable, without being to princess-y, like Etude House, for example. The A’Pieu Creamy Butter Shadows have also a beautiful packaging, which has a vintage flair and looks absolutely adorable. These cream eyeshadow pots are available in five different shades. I chose two of them being No.4 Cranberry Kiss and No.5 French Cocoa.

A'Pieu Creamy Butter Shadow

The cardboard box contains a lot of description, but it is all in Korean unfortunately, except the name of the shade. The eyeshadows have a shelf life of 12 months after openeing. The main ingredients are mango powder, marine collagen, licorice extract and ruby powder.

A'Pieu Creamy Butter Shadow

Inside the cardboard box you’ll find these super pretty jars.

A'Pieu Creamy Butter Shadow

The jars are made of clear hard plastic and a screw-type lid which looks like tin (proberly also plastic). The packaging looks sturdy and of good quality. Although so simple I really love it. It looks classy and elegant on the same time ♥

A'Pieu Creamy Butter Shadow

The cream eyeshadows in the jars look solid and at first glance and not creamy at all, but the formula melts away once you dab your finger onto it. It feels very soft and smooth. The formula is designed to be used with your fingers, so the cream eyeshadow gets the right temperature and blends into your skin properly.

A'Pieu Creamy Butter Shadow

The A’Pieu Creamy Butter Shadows have a good pigmentation. They are easy to blend, but you can also build up the color and make it more intense. Since it is a cream eyeshadow you won’t have any problems with fall-off, either. These eyeshadows have a glossy and pearly finish and are longlasting, too.

A'Pieu Creamy Butter Shadow

I love these two eyeshadows and I love how easy they are to apply ♥. The packaging is beautiful, too, and if you are an eyeshadow lover I can recommend you to try these. If you are an eyeshadow beginner you should try these, too, because of the easy apllication with your fingers. Or try the Innisfree Eyeshadow Stick! The A’Pieu Creamy Butter Shadow retails for 12.51 US$  at W2Bauty.

Did you try any of the eyeshadows from A’Pieu? Which one is your favourite?

Blog_Rating_CreamyButterShadow

asian cosmetics beauty KollectionK PR Sample review

Review: Innisfree Skinny & Jumbo Dualcara

23. January 2015

// KBEAUTY / MAKE UP / AFFILIATE LINKS //

It is not too long ago that I reviewed the Innisfree Soy Essence Volume Mascara, but I couldn’t resist to try the Innisfree Skinny & Jumbo Dualcara. I loved the idea of having a two sided wand applicator with one small and one thicker brush.

Innisfree Skinny & Jumbo Dualcara

Innisfree is an eco-friendly Korean skincare 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 ususally free from harmful ingredients, but for this mascara I couln’t find any ingredientslist.  This dual wand mascara (or dualcara) comes with two different wands and makes it easier to design your lashes this way. The packaging is black and white mostly, with some stripes around. It is simple, but yet doen’t look cheap.

Innisfree Skinny & Jumbo Dualcara

It has some short description written on it in Korean and it also has the production date printed on one side.

Innisfree Skinny & Jumbo Dualcara

I had another dualcara in the past which had one side a white/transparant mascara to volumize and another black side for the color. That mascara had both containers in the middle part and the brushes on each ends. Other than that mascara the Innisfree Skinny & Jumbo Dualcara has the two containers on each ends and the brushes in the middle. The container for the skinny mascara contains 5 g of product, whereas the container for the jumbo mascara contains 7 g. The skinny brush has a diameter of 2.5 mm. This brush makes it easy to reach all your lashes, even the tiny lower lashes in the corner of your eyes. You can also use the skinny brush on your upper lashes  to give them a perfect curl and define them nicely. The jumbo brush is thick and has a S-curved shape. The tip of this brush is formed like a ball. This brush gives the volume to your lashes and also curls them.

Innisfree Skinny & Jumbo Dualcara

The formula of this mascara is film-typed. It doesn’t smudge and holds the curl all day. Below you’ll see how my lashes look like without and with mascara. You can see that even the small lower lashes look more obvious using this mascara. My upper lashes appear more curled and thicker, too.

Innisfree Skinny & Jumbo Dualcara

I’m using this mascara almost daily now, because I love the two brushes. It makes reaching the lower lashes so much easier! I can recommend this mascara to you. There are other mascara by Innisfree called Skinny Longlongcara and Skinny Microcara and I saw Pony using one of them often in her tutorials. If you cannot decide wether you’ll like such a skinny brush you could also try out this one. this way you still have the ususal thicker brush in case you do not like the skinny wand. I received mine from  KollectionK and it retails 18.23 US$. It is also available for 19.36 US$ at W2Bauty

What is your favourite mascara?

Blog_Rating_InnisfreeDualcara

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://kollectionk.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.
asian cosmetics beauty honestskin PR Sample review

Review: Nature Republic Collagen HD Essencial BB Cream

22. January 2015

Here is the last review from the products I received in the honestskin Special Gift Event, the Nature Republic Collagen HD Essencial BB Cream. I only have tried a few Nature Republic products, but I like their brand’s appearance and often also the packaging which reminds me of Innisfree. This BB cream claims to be formulated with 502 mg Triple Collagen Complex and be very nourishing for your skin. It should give your skin a radiant glow. Let’s see how this BB cream worked for me:

Nature Republic Collagen HD Essencial BB Cream

Nature Republic is a Korean brand focusing on natural cosmetics. Their brand ideology is to take what nature gives and use it for our benefits. They focus on specific natural ingredients from all over the world. Their packaging reflects this ideology by using recylcled paper and soy ink for their cardboard boxes. This is also one of the reasons the brand reminds me of Innisfree. The Nature Republic Collagen HD Essencial BB Cream comes in a cardboard box like this. The packaging design is simple, but contains a lot of description on the sides. Most of the description is in Korean, but you’ll also find a short description and ingredients list in English. 

Nature Republic Collagen HD Essencial BB Cream

The ingredients of this BB cream are mostly green and yellow flagged according to COSDNA. You can look up the ingredients >> here <<. This BB cream contains Titanium Dioxide and Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate for UV protection. It has SPF 27 PA++, which is nice. It also contains soluble collagen and hydrolyzed collagen as moisturizing ingredients, but also some plant extracts. What I really like about the cardboard packaging is the braille for blind people, so they now what they are grabbing.

 

Nature Republic Collagen HD Essencial BB Cream

The Nature Republic collagen HD Essencial BB Cream comes in a plastic tube packaging. Unfortunatelly, the tube doesn’t come with a pump. The tube contains 50 g of BB cream which is a good amount and will last you for some time. The plastic tube has a good quality and doesn’t seem to be any cheap plastic at all.

Nature Republic Collagen HD Essencial BB Cream

A short description is written on the backside of the tube in Korean. You’ll also find the production date imprinted on it.

Nature Republic Collagen HD Essencial BB Cream

The BB cream itself comes in only one shade which is a lighter one. It has a creamy, lightly fluid structure and a slight scent, which is not overpowering. The scent isn’t recognizable after application anymore.

Nature Republic Collagen HD Essencial BB Cream

When performing an oil test on a blotting paper you’ll see that it shows some oilyness after 1 hour. I have dry skin, so I didn’t see any oilyness on my face while wearing, but for oily skintypes it could be better to use a loose powder over this BB cream.

Nature Republic Collagen HD Essencial BB Cream

Here you can see how it looks on my skin. I applied my normal moisturizing skincare routine before. After it adsorbed I applied the BB cream with my fingers. The coverage of this BB cream is medium, but buildable. If you have only some red spots like I do in the image, it will cover it up properly. I would not say that this BB cream has a dewy finish. It has no matte finish either, so it is something inbetween. You see that my skin has the same dewyness it had after moisturizing. I think this BB cream adapts nicely to the skintone and leaves a natural finish. I also like that it doesn’t give a white cast in flash photography. The staying power is not super long, after some hours it tends to fade away, especially at the T-zone. If you have very dry skin it might get flaky, so I would advise you to use a facial mist inbetween.

Nature Republic Collagen HD Essencial BB Cream

All in all, this is a nice BB cream for a adequate pricing. It looks natural and doesn’t make you look like a ghost. The coverage will be good enough for people with only light skin concerns. The Nature Republic Collagen HD Essencial BB Cream retails for 12.78 US$ at honestskin Unfortunatelly, this item has been discontinued by Nature Republic :(. Did you try out this BB cream already? Do you have any favourite BB cream from Nature Republic?

Blog_Rating_NatureRepublicCollagenHDBB

 

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beauty beauty boxes

Unboxing: MeMeBox Cleopatra

20. January 2015

After I showed you the MeMeBox The Empress’s Secrets yesterday, it’s turn of the MeMeBox Cleopatra, which is also part of last year’s MeMeBox purchases. Like The Empress’s Secrect this box arrived in December, and since I could not decide wether I liked the Empress box or the Cleopatra box I ordered both. If you like it you should keep an eye on MeMeBox webpage because they will be restocking some of the old boxes during their Big Box Party this week :) and the Cleopatra box is still in stock at this moment.

Unboxing: MeMeBox Cleopatra

MeMeBox is a box service company, offering a wide amount of different beauty boxes. Unlike most western beauty boxes which have to be subscribed for on a monthly basis, MeMeBoxes can be preordered but that doesn’t force you to buy more than the desired box. They ship to many countries and the products they send in their boxes are mainly Korean. Apart from their monthly Global Boxes, they also have a huge amount of themed boxes, MiniBoxes, Boxes where you know what is inside, so called Superboxes with a higher value and so on (check out the links at the end of the post)…just check out their online store and you’ll find a huge selection of different boxes. Since they have become very popular within the blogger community they sell out pretty fast, but they bring up new beauty boxes so fast, that you cannot keep up with them anyways. That was at least my experience during the last year. At the moment they seem to be focusing on their own brand and some collaborations with well-known blogger in the asian beauty blogger community. At the end of this post I will make a list of all the discounts they offer at the moment, too.

Unboxing: MeMeBox Cleopatra

Like in the Empress’s Secret box you’ll find 5 products in the MeMeBox Cleopatra. This time all of the products are fullsized products. Also this box is about skincare in first place. Below is the product description card for this box:

Unboxing: MeMeBox Cleopatra

Here is the description for this MeMeBox:

Have you ever wondered what the secret is behind the timeless beauty of the famous ancient Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra? Her ancient skin and body beauty rituals made her the most coveted and celebrated woman of her time, making her historically famous as the spellbinding enchantress that held Caesar hostage by her blinding beauty. 

This box explodes with Cleopatra’s most celebrated ancient skin and body beautifying secrets that transcends time, all made with the most natural, effective, and gentle ingredients, to give your skin an everlasting radiance and enchanting glow, and keep your body and skin supple, firm and smooth to touch! 

1. Cossu Body Ade Rose – fullsize (190 ml for US$ 29)

Personally, I would never pay so much for a body wash, but I really like this one. This liquid bubble soap comes in a pump dispenser. It contains 75 % pure rose water and thus smells amazing ( if you are a rose-scent lover). It can be used as body wash or foam cleanser, as shampoo and as bubble bath. I used it as body wash and as foam cleanser in the shower and I like it!

2. Calmia Facial Cleanser Oatmeal Therapy – fullsize (150 ml for US$ 15)

If I have troubled skin I usually use oatmeal for face cleansing and it helps to reduce the irritation of the skin. Therefore, I’m really happy about this cleanser, although I didn’t try it yet. I hope that it will be as effective as the raw oatmeals. Apart from oatmeal this cleanser also contains herbs like rosemary, carmomile, basil and lavender. Sounds promising!

3. WillSpa Touch Secret Touch For Woman – fullsize (12 ml for US$ 35)

This roll on perfume is made of 100 % essential oils and is described as aroma theraeutic oil blend for relieving stress and refreshment. I tried this, but I do not think that it helps me relieving any stress :D it has a strong herbal scent, which is not my liking, but that’s the problem about perfume or strong scent based products like this.

4. Xaivita+ Goat Milk Whitening Cream – fullsize (70g for US$ 70)

Wow, the price! According to the pricetag I’m expecting a super high quality moisturizer :D I will surely write a review about this. I love the packaging design and the cardboard packaging of this cream and I’m very curious about the goat milk effects. This is supposed to be rich in vitamins and a good moisturizer for all skintypes.

5. Aromawiz Spa Bath Bomb Chocolate – fullsize (150 g for US$ 42)

A bath bomb for 45 US$?! I hope they got the price tag wrong…I love chocolate scented products and therefore I’m looking forward to my next bath using this. Since Cleopatra loved bathing, like it seems, I think that this bath bomb fits into the box…although I still do not believe that this price is justified in anyway.

Unboxing: MeMeBox Cleopatra

Like for the box I showed yesterday, people in need of new skincare items will love this box! It doesn’t contain a complete skincare routine like the Empress’s Secret box, but a balance between skincare and wellness.  It contains a cleanser, a moisturizer, body wash, bath bomb and perfume. I do not know why MeMeBox puts perfume or perfume-like products into their boxes, because I think that perfume taste is really different from person to person. I would rather see them include perfume samples as add-on, but not as fullsize item. My favourite items are the oatmeal foam cleanser and the goat cream. I would have wished for more egypt themed products or product packaging, like the Banilla Claypatra pack, and there are also many other Cleopatra themed Korean products.

What do you think of this box? Any product you love?

If you are curious about MeMeBox and their products, aswell as their enourmous selection of different beautyboxes check out their page >>here<<. Check out the value sets and the possibility to upgrade to free express shipping, too. MeMebox has also a couple promotions:

receive 3 US$ OFF for purchases above 30 US$ in January using the code 426GGJ

using my affiliate link or the code AFFILIATE-7711-I8PV5-MWLL will get you $5 OFF discount on any orders above $100 (shipping charges not included, can be combined with other coupons)

using my affiliate link or the code AFFILIATE-0319-ZKQVT-DBNX will get you $10 OFF for orders above 150 US$ (shipping charges not included, can be combined with other coupons)

You can also read my previous unboxing posts:

MeMeBox The Empress’s Secret

MeMeBox My Cute Wishlist No. 4

MeMeBox My Cute Wishlist No. 3

MeMeBox GetItBeautyBox Global No. 15

MeMeBox Nakedbox No. 24

MeMeBox Diet Box

MeMeBox My Cute Wishlist

MeMeBox Oriental Medicine Box

MeMeBox Scentbox Bundle

MeMeBox 10 Minutes Box

MeMeBox GetItBeautyBox Global No. 11

MeMeBox GetItBeautyBox Global No. 10

 MeMeBox GetItBeautyBox Global No. 8

MeMeBox GetItBeautyBox Global No. 6

Memebox Starter Kit #Beginwithskin

beauty beauty boxes

Unboxing: MeMeBox The Empress’s Secrets

19. January 2015

The last MeMeBoxes I ordered in 2014 (apart from the Innisfree Box which was unfortunately cancelled) were the MeMeBox The Empress’s Secrets and Cleopatra. Both boxes arrived before Christmas, but I was busy with a bunch of other reviews and Chrismas holidays that I didn’t have a chance to show you the content of these boxes. So, today I will be showing you what was inside the MeMeBox The Empress’s Secrets. If you like it you should keep an eye on MeMeBox webpage because they will be restocking some of the old boxes during their Big Box Party this week :) You can check out the Cleopatra Box >>here<<.

Unboxing: MeMeBox The Empress's Secrets

MeMeBox is a box service company, offering a wide amount of different beauty boxes. Unlike most western beauty boxes which have to be subscribed for on a monthly basis, MeMeBoxes can be preordered but that doesn’t force you to buy more than the desired box. They ship to many countries and the products they send in their boxes are mainly Korean. Apart from their monthly Global Boxes, they also have a huge amount of themed boxes, MiniBoxes, Boxes where you know what is inside, so called Superboxes with a higher value and so on (check out the links at the end of the post)…just check out their online store and you’ll find a huge selection of different boxes. Since they have become very popular within the blogger community they sell out pretty fast, but they bring up new beauty boxes so fast, that you cannot keep up with them anyways. That was at least my experience during the last year. At the moment they seem to be focusing on their own brand and some collaborations with well-known blogger in the asian beauty blogger community. At the end of this post I will make a list of all the discounts they offer at the moment, too.

Unboxing: MeMeBox The Empress's Secrets

The MeMeBox The Empress’s Secrets comes with 5 products in total, four of them in fullsize, the other one as a deluxe sample. I ordered the Empress Box because I previously had the Oriental Medicine Box and I was hoping for this one to be similar. Other than the Oriental Medicine Box, in this box you will not find any ginseng related products. Let’s take a look at the product card from this box:

Unboxing: MeMeBox The Empress's Secrets

As you can see, this box focusses on skincare, as I expected from the name already. Here is the description for this MeMeBox:

Let’s take things way, way back to ancient Korean times.

Queens in ancient Korea used a chock full of nature’s most precious ingredients to beautify and enhance their natural beauty. Various ancient herbs, oriental medicines, flowers, rice powders and more natural and effective recipes were prized among the royalty, and their effectiveness and potency is still prevalent today. 

Designed to enhance the skin’s regeneration, revitalization, anti-inflammation, and hydration functions, this royal box will surely leave you with a beautiful and enchanting glow. Unbox The Empress’s Secrets box to reveal the mystical beauty secrets and solutions  of the east! 

These products were included:

1. Tosowoong Syn-ake Wrinkle Free Essence – fullsize (100 ml for US$ 30)

This anti-aging essence contains Syn-ake, a synthetic peptide whith a similar structure to snake venom, and other great ingredients, like galactomyces ferment. It is supposed to firm your skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. I never tryied any of the syn-ake containing products, but I’ve been always very curious to try, so I was happy about this essence.

2. Purederm Make-up Cleansing Tissue – fillsize (3ea for US$ 6)

Cleansing tissues are great for travelling and I like the fact that these contain green tea leaf :) I already used a couple of them and I like to have them. I would also have loved some sheetmasks in this box instead, but this isn’t bad either.

3. Soy BIO+ Fermented Lumpoule – deluxe sample (5 ml x 2, fullsize contains x 14 for US$ 174)

This super expensive ampoule with fermented soy bean lump was in a couple of other boxes already. I didn’t have any of the boxes containing it, so I was pretty happy about it, especially since a lot of people seem to like it…but with this price it is not likely that I will or can repurchase this, even if I do like it.

4. Daltokki Facial Scrub – fullsize (90 ml for US$ 30)

Another item I was happy about. I somehow like the packaging design of this product and I like the fact that it contains rice cake as ingredient. I’m really curious about this facial scrub andf I hope it will offer a gentle exfoliating of the skin.

5. Lime Nature Double Very Moisturizing Cream – fullsize ( 75 ml for US$ 39)

This is the only product from the box containing various medical herbs! I’m always happy about rich creams, since my skin tends to be dry and I’m looking forward to try this cream, but thanks to the MeMeBoxes I tried I still have a lot of creamy creams to empty before I can start with this :D

Unboxing: MeMeBox The Empress's Secrets

 

People in need of new skincare items will love this box! It contains cleansing tissues, a moisturizing cream, a facial scrub, an essence and an ampoule and thus contains all the steps you need for a proper skincare routine. I like the products in this box and I will be using all of them in future. I would have wished for more ancient korean themed products or product packaging, like the Daltokki Facial Scrub for example, but the products themselves are great.

What do you think of this box? Any product you love?

If you are curious about MeMeBox and their products, aswell as their enourmous selection of different beautyboxes check out their page >>here<<. Check out the value sets and the possibility to upgrade to free express shipping, too. MeMebox has also a couple promotions:

receive 3 US$ OFF for purchases above 30 US$ in January using the code 426GGJ

using my affiliate link or the code AFFILIATE-7711-I8PV5-MWLL will get you $5 OFF discount on any orders above $100 (shipping charges not included, can be combined with other coupons)

using my affiliate link or the code AFFILIATE-0319-ZKQVT-DBNX will get you $10 OFF for orders above 150 US$ (shipping charges not included, can be combined with other coupons)

 

You can also read my previous unboxing posts:

MeMeBox My Cute Wishlist No. 4

MeMeBox My Cute Wishlist No. 3

MeMeBox GetItBeautyBox Global No. 15

MeMeBox Nakedbox No. 24

MeMeBox Diet Box

MeMeBox My Cute Wishlist

MeMeBox Oriental Medicine Box

MeMeBox Scentbox Bundle

MeMeBox 10 Minutes Box

MeMeBox GetItBeautyBox Global No. 11

MeMeBox GetItBeautyBox Global No. 10

 MeMeBox GetItBeautyBox Global No. 8

MeMeBox GetItBeautyBox Global No. 6

beauty guestpost

Guestpost: Skinfood Brand Focus and Top 5 Products

16. January 2015

// KBEAUTY / GUESTPOST //

Hello and Happy New Year! Hope everyone is enjoying 2015 thus far. My name is Chie and I am the blogger behind The Brown Eyed Fox. My blog is focused on Asian beauty hauls, reviews, giveaways, unboxing, skincare and makeup tips, etc. Currently, I am a bit obsessed with everything KBeauty! Today, I want to introduce the coveted Korean beauty brand, Skinfood, and also share with you my top five favorites from this cosmetics line. Thank you Fräulein for this opportunity to write a post on your blog!

Skinfood Brand Focus and Top 5 Products

Like mentioned previously, Skinfood is a South Korean makeup and skincare brand that is headquartered in Seoul, Korea. The main concept of the company is to create products with nutritional values of food. The company motto is “food that is good for your health is also good for the skin.” Throughout the world it has over 967 stores! Skinfood is present in nine locations in the United States. The brand produces various lines that focus on skincare, body care, hair care and makeup products for both men and women.

My favorite items from Skinfood mostly consists of skincare products. While using their skincare line, my skin has never broken out and I have been satisfied with majority of their merchandise. These are my top 5 products from Skinfood:

  1. Vita Tok Lipstick | OR01: Beautiful coral/orange shade that is pigmented but on the sheer side. It is not super opaque but also not super sheer. I love this shade but also am enjoying it’s formulation. It is very easy to glide on the lips and is a perfect color for the spring and summer. Skinfood Brand Focus and Top 5 Products
  2. Carrot Cleansing Oil: This favorite cleansing oil does not contain mineral oils, parabens, dyes, alcohol, animal-derived ingredients, artificial fragrances and benxophenone. It’s deep cleansing without stripping your skin of it’s moisture. After removing all my makeup with this oil, I use a cleanser along with my Clarisonic.  Skinfood Brand Focus and Top 5 Products
  3. Point Make-up Remover | Rose Shake: If I have a very tough waterproof mascara and/or eyeliner to wash off, I use this makeup remover. I just shake it and dispense it onto a cotton puff. I gently rub it over my eyes then I use the Carrot Cleansing Oil on my eyes and face.

    Skinfood Brand Focus and Top 5 Products
  4. Platinum Grape Cell Toner: This is the perfect premium toner at night for my combination skin during the winter time. For some reason, my skin has been more dry than other winters. I am definitely needing products that lean towards hydration. But this toner also supposedly firms the skin and has anti-aging benefits. Grape cells help regenerate skin cells, firming skin from the inside out.  Skinfood Brand Focus and Top 5 Products
  5. Hydro Fitting Snail Mask Sheet: I cannot get enough of this sheet mask! I should have bought more during Skinfood’s Black Friday and Christmas sale! A couple weeks ago, I wrote an entire post on my love for this coveted snail sheet mask. Check it out here Skinfood Brand Focus and Top 5 Products
Have you tried Skinfood? What are you favorite products from the popular Korean line? If you would like tocheck out more Korean beauty related blogs, please check out my blog. Just follow it by using Bloglovin. I upload posts (almost) every Sunday and Wednesday

 

XOXO

 Chie

Skinfood Brand Focus and Top 5 Products
If you are interested in writing a guestpost on Berries in the Snow please feel free to write an e-mail via the contact form above.
asian cosmetics beauty honestskin PR Sample review

Review: Iope Super Vital Cream VIP Kit

15. January 2015

Here is another review from the honestskin Special Gift Event about the Iope Super Vital Cream VIP Kit. This kit comes with 5 products from the Iope Super Vital Extra Moist line, and honestly speaking it is the first Iope skincare line I’m trying. I was really happy therefore, that this kit was part of the gift event I received.

Iope Super Vital Cream VIP Kit

Iope is a Korean high-end brand and part of the Amore Pacific family, similar to other brands like Laneige, Innisfree and Etude House (and many more of the known Korean cosmetic brands). The brand focusses on innovative biological technologies in their cosmetics. Thus their brand image and approach is not cute or girly, but rather mature and scientific. The product packaging reflects this by being elegent and high quality. Also here the Iope Super Vital Cream VIP Kit comes in a golden reflecting cardboard box. It looks very luxurious (but makes photography hard due to reflecting material).

Iope Super Vital Cream VIP Kit

The description on the packaging is not very detailled and it is in Korean only. Probably it lists what kind of products is included in the VIP kit. This set contains 5 products in total: The Super Vital Extra Moist Softner (20 ml), the Super Vital Extra Moist Emulsion (20 ml), the Super Vital Extra Moist Serum (5 ml), the Super Vital Cream Bio Intensive (7 ml), and the Super Vital Extra Moist Eye Cream (3ml). You’ll find some of the ingredients for the products on COSDNA (Softener, Emulsion,  Serum, and Cream). Most of the ingredients are green flagged, but you’ll find some irritating ingredients like alcohol, PEG and Triethanol amine. You’ll also find some great ingredients like niacinamide, titanium dioxide, ascorbix acid, and various plant extracts. You’ll also find caffeine in some of the ingredient lists.

Iope Super Vital Cream VIP Kit

The products in this kit are all travel sized and come in a plastic packaging. Unlike the fullsized products, the packaging looks less sturdy and elegant, but still the golden color of all of the products gives it a luxurious touch. The softener and the emulsion do have normal bottle packaging. The serum comes with a pump dispenser. The cream comes in a tiny jar and the eye cream in a tube. It was harder to get ptoduct out of the softener and the emulsion, because the plastic of the bottle is very hard. You have to shake it a couple of times. The pump dispenser also needed a few pumps before the first product could be pumped out. Other than this the packaging was fine. The back side of the tubes, bottles and jars contains a short description in Korean, too.

Iope Super Vital Cream VIP Kit

I swatched the five products on my arm below and as you can see the softener is a liquid toner with a bit of a gel-like structure. It has a soft flowery scent and feels moist on the skin. After a few pats it will absorb and leave your skin soft. The eye cream has a rich creamy texure which melts away on the skin nicely and leaves the skin moisturized and nourished. The eye area feels hydrated for quite a long time. The serum has a gel – like consistency and the same flowery scent as the softener. it has a slight stickiness to itself, but feels also moisturizing. It is not oily after application. The emulsion and the cream are my favourites out of this set. The emulsion has a light milk-type formula. It feels lightweight and yet deeply moisturizing. Actually, although I have dry skin I only use the emulsion during daytime, because it delivers enough moisture especially with the serum in advance. The cream has a butter-like creamy texture and is a VERY rich cream. I’m apllying it during the night and the next morning my skin is still moisturized and my T-zone is even shiny. Both have a very nice flowery scent which I liked a lot.

Iope Super Vital Cream VIP Kit

The Iope Super Vital Cream VIP Kit is very recommended to people with dry to very dry skin. Also people with dull skin will like this. The products in this kit are highly moisturizing and very nourishing. The Super Vital Cream Bio Intensive cream is not recommended for people with oily skin. It made my dry skin oily on the T-zone when I applied it over night. People with super dry skin might love to try this out. The eyecream was rich and hydrating and is great for people with lines. The extra moisture and lipids will make your lines appear finer. If you only have dry lips you might want to try the Laneige Waterbank Eye Gel instead. A downside is the price, of course. Since it is a high end brand the Iope Super Vital Set with the fullsized items (not the travel sized items I showed you here!) retails for 95.34 US$ at honestskin. Before you go ahead and buy the fullsized product I would advise you to look for a trial kit like the one I showed here.

Blog_Rating_IopeVitalKit

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