Browsing Tag

PR sample

asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample review TesterKorea

Review: Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter | TesterKorea

7. March 2016

// PR SAMPLE / KBEAUTY / SKINCARE //

This is round No. 2 for the 1st Realtesters from TesterKorea. I have prepared three more reviews (see my Instagram) for you which I will be sharing within the next days. I will start with the Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter. I love body butters / lotions / milk / oils. I’m using them after each and every shower…since I have dry skin and I love hot showers, which makes the skin even drier (I know…but I simply cannot stand a lukewarm shower except in hot summers).

Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter

First, some information about TesterKorea: if you know me and my blog for some time you will know that TesterKorea is my favorite online retailer for larger Kbeauty hauls. I’ve purchased products from them many times and they never failed me. Also, they are quite popular for offering many free samples and having a LARGE variety of samples for sale aswell. If you do not know a specific products and you want to test it first the place to recommend is TesterKorea. Also, they have a huge amount of different products from many brands, so you can be sure to find what you are looking for in most cases. Unlike other online retailers they do not offer free shipping, though, but their shipping is based on weight. The cheap prices of the products themselves totally balances the shipping costs in my eyes – especially for larger hauls. They even have a specific topic where you can request a product, if it is newly launched. They are also quite fast in listing the latest products from most brands. Considering the fact that I know they are a reliable retailer and have a good reputation makes me even more happy that I’m part of the 17 members of their 1st Real Tester round-up. I linked my previous reviews at the end of this post.

Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter

Nature Republic is a Korean brand founded in 2009 and using the slogan ‘journey to nature’. They are one of many Korean brands addressing natural cosmetics and their consumers. One of their most famous products is probably the Nature Republic Aloe Vera Soothing Gel, which comes in this huge container and is super affordable, too. I haven’t tried many products from that brand although many of their products really look interesting…somehow I decide to buy rather from Innisfree and Etude House in the end. And the moment I’m deciding to buy something from Nature Republic it is usually sold out…:D

The Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter comes in a cute jar in a peachy-pink color, showing some illustrations of peaches as well. The illustration fits nicely to the key ingredient of this body butter, which is obviously peach. The descriptions on the jar in Korean, but if you peel up the sticker on the bottom of the jar it reveals the English description. I discovered this after I made the pictures for this post. You can check the ingredients of the body butter on COSDNA. Taking a look at the list you will spot that the body butter contains kernel extract, leaf extract, fruit extract, and flower extract of peach, which have great moisturizing properties. But it also contains cocoa seed butter, which is a great moisturizer, too. Furthermore, Glycerin provides the skin with moisture. A second closer look will reveal two silicones in the ingredients as well (Cylclohexasiloxa and Cyclopentasiloxane). It is common for body products that they contain silicones, because they have the effect of making the skin smoother. The disadvantage of silicones in body creams is that they build a layer on top of your skin instead of sinking into it. This causes a peeling of the product after a while.

Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter

The texture of the Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter is thick and silky-smooth. It feels like hardened butter, but can be spread nicely on the skin, making it soft. The body butter smells amazingly of peaches. I do not like too artificial peach scent, but I liked this one. I already used it excessively on my body and it really makes the skin silky smooth (silicons), but also feels moisturizing. I had the peeling problem in areas like elbows and knees, where the product started to build crumbles after a couple of hours, especially when I rubbed with my fingers onto the skin. Apart from this I cannot say anything negative about this body milk.

Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter

Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter reminds me of the body butters by The Body Shop. I loved and still love using these, but this one from Nature Republic comes close to them as well. The scent is divine. If you like peach scent you will be in peach- heaven here. The design is cute, too. It retails on TesterKorea for 13500 Won (~11.44 US$) for 150 ml of volume.

What is your favorite body care product? Do you prefer body butters or oils / lotions /milks?

Blog_Rating

Also, check out my previous reviews for TesterKorea:

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream

Etude House Tint My Brows Gel

♥ Pin It! ♥

Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter

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

Etude House Pink Bird Box February “Berry Delicious Collection”

6. March 2016

After some delays at the post office and customs I finally was able to receive my Pink Bird Box for February all dedicated to the new Etude House Berry Delicious collection. This collection is so adorable and cute and I was longing for the products from the first moment I saw the advertorial pictures on Etude House’s Social Media. And the theme fits perfect to my blog’s name, don’t you think the same? :D 

Etude House Berry Delicious

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!

Etude House Berry Delicious

The Etude House Berry Delicious Collection is the main spring/summer line of Etude House for 2016. As you can see from the collection name, the theme of the collection is all about strawberries. The February Pink Bird Box comes with four products of the Berry Delicious collection, all of them covered in lots of strawberries :D. The box contains the Etude House Berry Delicious Any Cushion, the Etude House Berry Delicious Color in Liquid Lips_Juicy in shade “RD305”, the Etude House Berry Delicious Fantastic Color Eyes, and the Etude House Berry Delicious Cream Blusher in “RD301”. Additionally, the Pink Box came with a Berry Delicious Make-Up Pouch, which I fell deeply in love with ♥

Etude House Berry Delicious

Etude House Berry Delicious Precious Mineral Any Cushion

The Etude House Berry Delicious Precious Mineral Any Cushion is a cushion foundation, which creates beautiful pearly bright skin with its full coverage and smoothing effects according to the description. It is the first Etude House cushion I’m using, so I cannot compare it to the other Etude House cushion, but since it says “Precious Mineral Any Cushion” it will be the same as Etude House’s first cushion, the “Precious Mineral Any Cushion”. It comes in two shades, N02 (light beige) and W13 (natural beige). I received the light beige cushion, which is slightly brighter than my natural skin tone, but still goes well with it. The cushion comes in a pink and red cardboard box with the Berry Delicious logo printed on top. It has the English and Korean description written on, too. You can also look up the ingredients >>here<<, if you are interested. It contains safe ingredients and uses Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide and Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate for sun protection and has SPF 50+/ PA++.

Etude House Berry Delicious

The cushion itself comes also with strawberries all over. It is so pretty! It comes with a rubycell sponge inside and has a mirror attached to the inside of the lid. The real cushion is comes in a container with a plastic lid to prevent it from drying. As all cushion pacts this kind of containers are very convenient to use and perfect for travelling or handbags. You can remove the container with the cushion from the cushion case and refill it with a new one, once it is empty. All other Etude House cushion foundation refills should work…and if I’m not mistaken all products from Amore Pacific should work, too….Since the design is so cute it is nice that you can actually keep the case and reuse it.

Etude House Berry Delicious

When applying the foundation with the sponge you will feel the signature cooling effect of cushion foundations. The foundation leaves a matte finish and has medium coverage. After some time the foundation starts to get flaky around my nose and smilelines, which is due to the matte texture and my dry skintype. All in all the finish is very nice and natural- except for the flaking after some time and the need to touch it up somehow. It evens out the skintone as well. The foundation has a light and fresh floral scent.

Etude House Berry Delicious

Etude House Berry Delicious Cream Blusher

The next product is the Etude House Berry Delicious Cream Blusher. The cream blusher doesn’t have an additional cardboard box but simply comes as it is in a small round plastic container with strawberry design.

Etude House Berry Delicious

Shade “RD301” is a pink/red cream blush. It comes with a sponge for applying the product, but I find it easier to use the fingers. It has a plastic sheet for separating the sponge from the blush which is imprinted with tiny strawberries.

Etude House Berry Delicious

The color applies smoothly and looks very pretty on the cheeks. Since it is a cream blusher it is also long-lasting. And, it smells of strawberries! There are three colors available for the Berry Delicious Cream Blusher. I’m showing you shade #1 here.

Etude House Berry Delicious

Etude House Berry Delicious Color in Liquid Lips_Juicy

The Etude House Berry Delicious Color in Liquid Lips are described as moisturizing strawberry moisture which softly melts on the lips, with the sweet and sour colors and expressing juicy, wet lips. They provide watery and long-lasting finish. Previously, Etude House released Color in Liquid Lips in last summer, but I never bought any of these lip tints- I do not know why. The Berry Delicious versions of the Color in Liquid Lips of course have the strawberry theme again and are designed like berries. The product comes in a cardboard box with Korean and English descriptions, too.

Etude House Berry Delicious

A total of 9 shades are available for these lip tint. I’m showing you the shade RD305 “Berry Very Much”. This lip tint comes with an angled applicator for applying the product. The texture is creamy and reminds me of the Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint. It has a strawberry scent though and gives a nice color on the lips, which is pigmented and yet not too overly bright. The creamyness vanishes with time and leaves a decent stain on the lips for a pretty long time.

Etude House Berry Delicious

Etude House Berry Delicious Fantastic Color Eyes

The last product from this months Pink Bird Box is the Etude House Berry Delicious Fantastic Color Eyes in “#8 Strawberry Fondue” and is dedicated to the topic “when strawberries meet chocolate”. There is a second eyeshadow palette available for the Berry Delicious collection, too.  The beautifully designed palette comes in a similar cute cardboard packaging, which English and Korean description. The eyeshadow palette comes with 6 different eyeshadow shades with different textures and an applicator with two sides.

Etude House Berry Delicious

The colors of the palette have adorable names which are imprinted on a plastic sheet to protect the eyeshadows. Hazelnut Chocolate and Berry Milk Chocolate are matte colors without any shimmer particles. Sugary Butte, Fresh Strawberry and Dip!Dip! contain larger shimmery particles and the shade Cheese Berry has a more subtle shimmer. The colors create some fall-off when using a brush to apply and have a light pigmentation, which can be enhanced when using an eyeshadow primer. The colors are nicely blendable though. I like the selection of colors and surprisingly I really enjoy the three shimmery colors of this palette more than the matte colors.

Etude House Berry Delicious

Last but not least, the pouch is perfect, too! I cannot wait to use it in future.

Etude House Berry Delicious

All four products used together can create a lovely makeup already and I’m feeling ready for spring and summer :D The new Berry Delicious collection comes even with more product, which you can check out >>here<<. There is a mascara, lip treatment and body skincare products. I definitely would love to try the Berry Delicious Strawberry Body Peel & Wash and the Strawberry Body Milk. There is also a super cute bread sponge available :D

Etude House Berry Delicious

I love the products in this month’s Pink Bird Box. They are so pretty and as a strawberry lover I fell in love directly. The Etude House Berry Delicious Any Cushion retails for 21.60 US$, the Etude House Berry Delicious Color in Liquid Lips_Juicy retail for 12.40 US$, the Etude House Berry Delicious Fantastic Color Eyes retails for 16.80 US$, and the Etude House Berry Delicious Cream Blusher retail for 11.00 US$.
For all the news about ETUDE HOUSE’s products, you can follow their global Facebook page:
or their official Instagram:
or their online shopping mall:

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

Etude House Pink Bird

♥ Pin It! ♥

Etude House Berry Delicious

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.

asian fashion fashion Gearbest PR Sample

Review: Knitted Dress from Gearbest

5. March 2016

It’s time for a fashion post again. This time I will be reviewing a knitted dress from Gearbest. I really love wearing knitted dresses, especially for fall/winter and early spring, as long as the weather is still too cold too wear the thinner summer fabrics.

Knitted Dress from Gearbest

Gearbest is a online apparel retailer, featuring their products at directly factory prices. Most of their products are from Chinese retailers, and thus you might find similar clothes as featured in platforms like Taobao or Aliexpress. They have a great amount of different sytles of dresses >>here<<. I selected A-line ladylike knitted dress with long sleeves. It is a onesized dress labelled with size “XL”. Since I know that asian clothes usually are smaller than the ones in Europe or US I was sure that it would not be too large for me, despite the size.

Knitted Dress from Gearbest

The color of the dress is described as wine-red and also in the images on the site the dress looks whine-red. The dress I received is more of a usual cherry red color than whine red. The fabric is acrylic. The black parts of the sleeve and the black area of the color are patched to the dress. In the promotional images the dress looks a bit more fitted, but it is more like an oversized pullover. It’s too short for my height (1.64 cm) to be worn without any shorts below. It has some seams which are not nicely sewn, but if you have a sewing machiene or know someone, this is not more than 5 minutes work to fix. Despite the minor remarks and the slightly different color the dress looks pretty and can be combined to a cute dress when wearing some dotted tights and accessoires.

Knitted Dress from Gearbest

I also found some cute bags which would be a great fit for dresses like the knitted dress above. The first one is a winged backback which is really adorable. My second choice for this dress would be the hat-shaped shoulder bag. Which one do you like better?

Gearbest_reddress_4

The knitted dress I’ve been showing you today is available on Gearbest >>here<< and retails for 21.50 US$.

How do you like the dress?

Gearbest.com: Enjoy Low Prices + Global Free Shipping Sitewide for Great Electronis and Men's Clothing

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.gearbest.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.
beauty Catrice review

Review: Catrice Bold Softness Collection

2. March 2016

Spring season is the time for light and colorful makeup and the new Catrice Bold Softness Collection brings exactly these attributes to us. I received some products from this limited edition for reviewing purpose, and moreover few products from the new regular launches from Catrice. Here is my impression:

Catrice Bold Softness Collection

‘Pastel Passion. Spring 2016 welcomes a mixture of voluminous lightness and greyish pastels. High-tech materials such as light neoprene are combined with summery fabrics. Loose cuts with partially androgynous shapes take over from the styles of the winter season and offer inspiration with their soft, chalky colour worlds. The Limited Edition “Bold Softness” by CATRICE is also heading into the spring season with soft sorbet nuances in March 2016. Subtle colour graduation in mint and mauve create feminine make-up looks and offer an exciting contrast to the popular genderless-trend. Soft Spring – by CATRICE.’

That said, the description brings me into a spring mood already! Catrice is a drugstore beauty brand available in many countries. Their products are inspired by the Fashion trends of the world’s capitals and have a good quality despite the affordable price. The brand is against animal testing for their cosmetics products, too. The spring collection they release this month is called Bold Softness and consists of 5 different products, all in soft pastel shades, which fit perfectly to the season. The Catrice Bold Softness Collection consists of Duo Eye Shadows, Voluminous Lip Colours, a Colour Correcting Powder, Satin Matt Nail Lacquers, and a Perfume Stick. Below are the four products I received from this collection:

Catrice Bold Softness Collection

Catrice Bold Softness Duo Eye Shadow ‘VoluMINTous’

‘Wash-off Pastels. Three powder eye shadows present three different colour duos. Each with one lighter and one darker nuance, they conjure-up contrasting shades and effects on the eyelids. Available in a choice of mint, rosé pink and mauve, these eye shadows offer a convincing high pay-off and create soft, feminine eye make-up styles.’

I received the Duo Eye Shadow in the shade ‘VoluMINTous’ and as the name says this is a mint colored powder eye shadow. It comes in a lighter shade in the middle of the pan and an outer ring of a darker mint color around. The eye shadow contains 2 g. The colors are easy to apply and have a good pigmentation, even when applied with fingers. They do not create much fall-off either. There is a light pearly/shimmery effects, but without containing visible shimmer particles. Usually I’m more into the brown or mauve shades and if I would have selected any of the three available colors, it would have been ‘Mauve Medley’. The third shade is called ‘Soft PINKmentation’. Nevertheless, I’m curious to try out the mint color and I think it will be a good choice once we have some more sunshine and the temperatures are rising.

Catrice Bold Softness Collection

Catrice Bold Softness Voluminous Lip Colour NeopRED

‘Break in Style. An elegant contrast to the delicate pastel shades in this edition: the two Voluminous Lip Colours – available in a soft pink or an intensive red – ensure medium coverage and a shiny finish for a conscious touch of colour on the lips. The creamy texture feels wonderfully soft and pleasant.’

The Catrice Bold Softness Voluminous Lip Colour is available in two shades, called ‘NeopRED’ and ‘Bold Pinkmentation’. I received the red shade and I’m more than happy, since it is such a lovely shade! The lipstick applies very creamy and lightly pigmented and therefore can be applied in a natural tone, but adding more layers darkens the shade and makes it more visible. It is a red/mauve shade which is neither too bright, nor to nude- perfect for every day use.

Catrice Bold Softness Collection

The lipstick has a glossy finish as you can see below on my lips. I applied more than one layer and I’m totally in love with this color. It is not long-lasting since it is sheer, but fades naturally, It doesn’t dry the lips because of the creamy texture.

Catrice Bold Softness Collection

Catrice Bold Softness Satin Matt Nail Lacquer ‘Bold PINKmentation’

Smooth Neoprene. Four nail polishes in the colours of the season – mint, mauve and soft as well as bold pink. The formula of the Satin Matt Nail Lacquers stands out for professional coverage, long durability and unique neoprene effects. All polishes have a fashionable semi-matt finish. In addition, the mint and soft pink versions have a light shimmer.

There are four shades of the Satin Matt Nail Lacquer called VoluMINTous, Mauve Medley, Soft PINKmentation, Bold PINKmentation. I received Bold PINKmentation, a  bright pink shade. The nail polish bottle contains 10 ml and comes with a think applicator brush.

Catrice Bold Softness Collection

The nail polish has a thick consistency and therefore it is quite hard to apply, especially if you want a seamless layer. It has a semi-matte finish and dries quickly. Since it is fast drying it makes it even more difficult to apply easily, unless you work quickly. I used two coats below, which are enough to create an opaque layer. The color is very pretty and is perfect for people who love pink shades.

Catrice Bold Softness Collection

Catrice Bold Softness Perfume Stick ‘Walk On Air’

Scented & Solid. A stick with the benefits of a perfume. The pleasant, fresh and tangy fragrance invites you to head into the spring season. Thanks to the practical pen-shape and the solid texture, the Perfume Stick is an ideal alternative to perfume to carry around in a handbag as it won’t leak and can be applied anytime and any place.

The second product from the Catrice Bold Softness Collection which I really love. This perfume stick is so easy to use and perfect for on the way. It has a sweet, flowery scent. The bullet of the pen melts slightly when it gets into contact with the skin and lives the light scent. I wished all perfumes would make such a perfume stick pen. I’d love to have my favourite scents with me all time :D

Catrice Bold Softness Collection

In addition to the new spring limited edition Catrice also has some new additions to their regular collection. I received the Catrice Lash Boost Lash Growth Overnight Serum, Eye Brow Stylist, and Volumizing Lip Booster from their new releases.

Catrice Bold Softness Collection

Catrice Lash Boost Lash Growth Overnight Serum

‘The transparent serum contains active ingredients that encourage long-term lash growth. The confirmed test results: 18% lash growth after just four weeks of daily application*. Wow! Apply the serum with the fine brush applicator onto the lid like an eyeliner and let it work overnight. For fabulous XXL lashes during sleep. *Effectiveness test with 20 women for 1 month’

I never tried any Lash Growth Serum so I’m really curious whether this will work. You have to apply this transparent serum on the lash line for one month. 18 % lash growth is not really much though, so it will be a minimal effect probably. It comes with a fine brush, similar to liquid eyeliner and can be applied easily by using it.

Catrice Bold Softness Collection

Catrice Eye Brow Stylist ‘Date With Ash-ton’ and ‘Don’t Let Me Brow’n’

‘Spot on: center stage for the eye brows – the Eye Brow Stylist comes in a practical pen-shape and convinces with its simple yet accurate application. It creates perfect eye brows thanks to the professional brush, which helps to apply the powdery texture on the eyebrows for a natural finish. Never go without again!’

These two eye brow pencils out of three available shades come with spoolie brush on one end and a pencil side on the other. The pencils have to be sharpened using a sharpener, which is not included.

Catrice Bold Softness Collection

The texture of the pencil is solid and you are able to draw fine lines with it. Also, the pigmentation is powdery and soft and the color looks natural. I think the two shades look really similar, although ‘Date With Ash-ton’ (left swatch below) is supposed to be the lighter shade. It goes towards a reddish-brown, whereas ‘Don’t Let Me Brown’n’ is more towards a brown-gray shade. Both colors go well with dark brows.
Catrice Bold Softness Collection

Catrice Volumizing Lip Booster ‘Volume To Go’

‘The Volumizing Lip Booster gives your lips a wonderful volume effect thanks to its menthol ingredients and also hides fine lines on your lips. The results: feminine lips with a shiny rosé finish. With jojoba and almond oil.’

Is a light pink – almost clear– lip gloss, which makes the lips look pumper. It contains jojoba and almond oil to smoothen the lips and make them hydrated. The menthol ingredient makes the lips tingle slightly and acts cooling, which produces the volume effect and makes the lines and dryness disappear. The lip booster comes with an angled applicator.

Catrice Bold Softness Collection

All in all there are some product with I really like. My favourite products from the Catrice Bold Softness Collection are the Catrice Bold Softness Voluminous Lip Colour in NeopRED and the Perfume Stick. And I also do like the Catrice Eye Brow Stylist Pencils. If you have a local drugstore carrying Catrice products you might want to check them out. The products are really affordable and usually only cost a few euros. Did you try any products from the ones above? Do you know Catrice? And if yes, do you have a favourite product?

♥ Pin It! ♥

Catrice Bold Softness Collection

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.catrice.eu/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.
asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample review Wishtrend

Review: Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream

27. February 2016

When I tried out the first product from the brand Klairs I would have never thought of that it becomes one of my favorite skincare brands. I’ve tried so many of their products and there wasn’t a single one which I despised. Now, I was able to try their newest product, the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream which will be launching on 10th of March. Another exciting news for you: Wishtrend is still looking for 20 beauty testers for the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream. Click >>here<< to see how to apply. Recruiting period will be until 1st of March!

Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream

Klairs is a Korean brand sold on Wishtrend. It is eco-friendly, claiming to produce products which are animal-testing-free, alcohol-free, paraben-free, and artificial-color-free. Their products adress people with sensitive skin and people who want to moisturize their skin. I reviewed some of their products before, like the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum or the Klairs Gentle Black Cleansing Combo, which both convinced me in their effects. I also did like the Klairs Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner, which by the way has been updated and improved recently to a larger volume and more moisturizing ingredients. The new Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream was designed for those people loving the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing line, but still had concerns about irritated skin. Here is the explanation by Klairs:

“The KLAIRS’ Rich Moist Soothing line is loved for its excellent calming & moisturizing effects by many consumers. We believe the primary reason for the popularity of the Soothing line was due to the high satisfaction most of our customers felt from the powerful moisturizing effect. However, we wanted to design the optimal product for the few customers who were still experiencing irritations from external stimuli with additional skin concerns. After a long-term of researching with the R&D team, the KLAIRS’s Midnight Blue Calming Cream was created to go that extra mile.”

Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream

So the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream is a comforting moisture cream that provides the skin with intense, soothing hydration. It is designed for targeting the irritated areas of the face and therefore is mainly used for smaller areas, but can be spread easily and also used on the full face. The cream comes in the typical Klairs design with simple packaging and vintage-esque appearance. The cardboard box has the English and the Korean description available and you can check the full ingredients >>here<<. The cream is formulated using guaiazulene combined with Centella asiatica extract and various peptides to recover damaged skin cells from stress and stimulation.

Guaiazulene: Guaiazulene is a herbal ingredient extracted from Chamomille. Due to its natural purple color the cream appears blue. It has soothing and cooling properties on inflammation and damaged skin and also affects skin regeneration. It is often used as ingredient for burn ointments.

Centella Asiatica Extract : This extract has healing properties and helps regenerating damaged skin and preventing scars. It is anti-inflammatory and has skin conditioning properties.

Other ingredients as Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide 3, Butyrospermum, Parkii (Shea Butter), Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil have moisturizing properties. Also, you will spot soybean ferment extract in the list. Unfortunately, the cream also contains Triethanol amine and a few potential irritants, so be sure to check whether you are allergic to any of the ingredients. The cream also contains three different peptides: SH-Polypeptide-1, SH-Polypeptide-9, and SH-Polypeptide-11. I talked about peptides in my review for the Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack.

 

Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream

The directions for use are to apply a small amount on the affected area in the morning and evening after using toner and serum as last step of the skincare routine. Wait until it absorbs fully, so your makeup will not pile up. The cream is a blue cream, as described above and it has the classic facial cream consistency, except for the color. The Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream comes with a spoon/ spatula and you can take out the cream out of the jar without using your fingers. The blue color is gorgeous, but even more amazing is the herbal scent the cream has. It is not a bitter herbal-flowery scent, which I do not like, but it has the scent of fresh herbs from a meadow with wild flowers growing all over….that’s my imagination at least :D It does contain Ylang Ylang and Eucalyptus, too…and a Camomile of course. I love the scent! The cream is easy to spread and also doesn’t take to long to absorb. It dries off matte and doesn’t leave any greasy residues. It is not a deep moisturizer, but it doesn’t claim to be one, so if you have dry skin you can or should still keep using a moisturizer with this cream. I’m still not sure if it is best to apply the midnight blue cream before the moisturizer or after. I tried both, but I didn’t feel any differences between the two ways. I personally think it makes more sense to apply the calming cream first onto the desired areas and add a moisturizer on top. What are your suggestions?

Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream

Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream Vs. Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream

The first question I had in mind was how the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream compares to the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream? I used up my first jar of the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream super quickly, because I liked the texture and it was nicely spreadable onto the skin. I’ve started a second ja recently. The most obvious difference between the two cream is the color, which is resulting in the different key ingredients. The Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream has Glycerine and Hyaluronic Acid as main moisturizing ingredients, but also contains a lot of plant extracts. Moreover it contains yeast derived Beta-Glucan for soothing and also Ceramide 3. Unlike the Midnight Blue Cream it doesn’t come with a spatula. The spreadability of both creams is similar, but the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream absorbs few seconds more quickly than the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream. Unfortunately, I do not have any meassures to compare the amount of moisture each of these creams is providing, but once absorbed both creams are not greasy but dry off matte. I think that the two creams make a good duo for using on the skin on almost all skintypes (of course given the fact that your skin doesn’t have any allergies to any of the ingredients).

Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream

I propapbly do not have to repeat myself and tell you how much I like the brand Klairs. Having tried almost all their products I can say that I like both the Klairs creams and I think that the new Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream is a great addition to the rich moist soothing line. I can recommend you to try the cream! Grab your chances and be one of the 20 testers for this cream or wait until it launches on March 10th. The cream retails for 24.50 US$ and has a volume of the jar is 30 ml. The cream is available at Wishtrend and you will find all the information about this new product >>here<<. Ah, and by the way, you can look up my other reviews on Klairs products >>here<<. Would you like to try this cream?

Blog_Rating

♥ Pin It! ♥
Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream

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

Review: Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack | TesterKorea

18. February 2016

Now, this is not a newly launched product like the two previous reviews, but a product with a good reputation in Korea: The Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack, a multifunctional product for exfoliation, brightening and lifting on the same time. As I announced via Instagram I’m honoured to be part of TesterKorea’s Real Tester, who offered me this product for reviewing purpose, amongst two other products, the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel and the Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream.

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

First, some information about TesterKorea: if you know me and my blog for some time you will know that TesterKorea is my favorite online retailer for larger Kbeauty hauls. I’ve purchased products from them many times and they never failed me. Also, they are quite popular for offering many free samples and having a LARGE variety of samples for sale aswell. If you do not know a specific products and you want to test it first the place to recommend is TesterKorea. Also, they have a huge amount of different products from many brands, so you can be sure to find what you are looking for in most cases. Unlike other online retailers they do not offer free shipping, though, but their shipping is based on weight. The cheap prices of the products themselves totally balances the shipping costs in my eyes – especially for larger hauls. They even have a specific topic where you can request a product, if it is newly launched. They are also quite fast in listing the latest products from most brands. Considering the fact that I know they are a reliable retailer and have a good reputation makes me even more happy that I’m part of the 17 members of their 1st Real Tester round-up

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

The Korean brand Proformula was new to me up to now. The name is made up by the two terms “Skin Professional” and “Formulation”. Proformula has a 3-Step System. The first step is to examine the active ingredients, the second step is the dermatological test, and the third step is to provide an optimized solution for the skincare concerns. Proformula doesn’t have many products, but all I saw on the official page were skincare products. The packaging design is simple black and white with no frills or pretty illustrations, simply text. This can be professional looking and attract customers this way. The Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack comes together with a brush for applying the mask. Both come in a cardboard box containing mostly Korean, but also some English description. 

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

The cardboard box states that the product is free from parabens, synthetic fragrances and dyes, minerals, benzophenones, silicones, propylene glycol, triethanolamine and SLES. If we look at the full ingredients list we see that there are no harmfull ingredients included. According to COSDNA almost all ingredients are green flagged. Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack contains 7 % of AHA and is a mild chemical exfoliation. The AHA used is Lactic Acid:

Lactic Acid: Lactic Acid is an AHA (Alpha hydroxyl acid). It is derived from sour milk that hydrates the skin by sloughing off old dead skin cells. It has whitening properties and is an astringent.

Also, a couple of plant extracts and fruit extracts have skin conditioning properties and help the exfoliation and make the skin feel smooth. Another two key ingredients are Niacinamide and Adenosine:

Niacinamide: Niacinamide is a water-soluble form of Vitamin B, which has a firming effect with anti-inflammatory properties.

Adenosine: Adenosine is known for having anti-aging properties and providing for healthy skin and elasticity.

Hyaluronic Acid and Aloe Leaf Juice provide the skin with moisture. Furthermore you will find a couple of other moisturizing chemicals in the ingredients lists.

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

Some words about Peptides in Cosmetics:

Also, according to the description the formulation uses peptides for elasticity and a lifting effect. The three peptides used are Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8. I know that many of you do not know what peptides do and if they can do anything at all when applied topically on the skin. Peptides are chains of amino acids. Usually, the name of the peptide tells us how many amino acids are part of the peptide. A tetrapeptide is made from 3 amino acids for example. Our body uses peptides for messaging, that means a peptide is a molecule which sends a signal to a cell. Let’s think about collagen for example: the breakdown of collagen forms peptides, which give the signal to make new collagen. By applying this specific peptides on our skin we might be able to tell the skin to produce new collagen.

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

The Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack comes in a sleek tube containing 30 g. The included brush has a good length and is used to apply the product on your face. The formulation of the Lifting Pack is a lightly yellow colored gel with a high viscosity. It’s similar to glue and very sticky. The product has a slightly bitter scent with a hint of fruityness.

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

The bristles of the brush are very soft, but once you start to spread the pack with the brush it becomes sticky and makes the application a bit harder. Nevertheless, I still think it is better to use the brush than to use your fingers. It is recommended to use the pack 2-3 times a week. You apply the pack in a thin layer from the inside of the face towards the outside. After 15-20 minutes the pack dries and you can wash it off with luke-warm water.

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

Below you can see the process of using the pack on my skin. First I applied a layer of the Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack. After 15 minutes the mask dries. You will feel how the skin tightens up. It really looks frightening, because your face looks suddenly so wrinkled and dried…almost as if you were dying :D This was the moment when I decided that it was time to wash off the pack. My skin felt smoothed and firmer after using the mask. Nevertheless, my skin was feeling dry, too. The pack contains some moisturizing ingredients, but this was not enough for my skin. I have dry skin, so the experience might vary for people with oily skin. If you have dry skin like me I would recommend to add an especially rich cream to your skin after using this pack.

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

The Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack convinces with a good ingredients list and is perfectly suited for people who want to start to incorporate AHAs into their skincare routine. I liked using it and I do feel that it is lifting and smoothing out the skin. It leaves my skin a bit dry after all, which is why I can only recommend you to use a rich cream or oil after this pack if you have dry skin. This mask has also some creepy side-effects, since it really looks horrifying on your skin after 15 minutes. The skin looks so wrinkled up and old, as if the pack wants to tell you how you will look like if you do not use it, haha. You can get the Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack from TesterKorea for 30400 Won, which is around 25.51 US$. What’s your favorite AHA containing product?

Blog_Rating

♥ Pin It! ♥

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

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://testerkorea.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.
asian cosmetics beauty review TesterKorea

Review: Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream | TesterKorea

17. February 2016

// PR SAMPLE / KBEAUTY / SKINCARE //

The Missha Super Aqua Marine Stem Cell Defending Cream was the first Korean skincare product I used and I bought two, or even three jars of it because I liked it so much back then. When I heard about the newest addition to the Missha Super Aqua family I was really excited to try it: the Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream is part of a full new moisturizing skincare line consisting of toner, emulsion essence and the cream which I’ll be reviewing here. As I announced via Instagram I’m honored to be part of TesterKorea’s Real Tester, who offered me this product for reviewing purpose, amongst some other products, like the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel I reviewed before.

Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream

First, some information about TesterKorea: if you know me and my blog for some time you will know that TesterKorea is my favorite online retailer for larger Kbeauty hauls. I’ve purchased products from them many times and they never failed me. Also, they are quite popular for offering many free samples and having a LARGE variety of samples for sale as well. If you do not know a specific product and you want to test it first the place to recommend is TesterKorea. Also, they have a huge amount of different products from many brands, so you can be sure to find what you are looking for in most cases. Unlike other online retailers they do not offer free shipping, though, but their shipping is based on weight. The cheap prices of the products themselves totally balances the shipping costs in my eyes – especially for larger hauls. They even have a specific topic where you can request a product if it is newly launched. They are also quite fast in listing the latest products from most brands. Considering the fact that I know they are a reliable retailer and have a good reputation makes me even more happy that I’m part of the 17 members of their 1st Real Tester round-up!

Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream

The product I’m reviewing here is from the famous Korean brand Missha. Missha has a lot of online stores all over the world and are available in US/Canada, Australia and even in Germany. It is the first Korean brand with a physical store in Ingolstadt in Germany, too! Missha is against animal testing. The products always come in a very mature and luxurious packaging and the design is usually very elegant although simple. I think that it can be liked by almost everyone. The Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream follows these criteria as well: The signature color of the Super Aqua Ice Tear collection is ice-blue. The cream comes in a blue cardboard box with descriptions in both Korean and English. It states description, directions and the ingredients of the products.

Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream

According to COSNDA the ingredients in this hydrating and refreshing cream are safe to use. It contains Alcohol den., which can be a potential irritant, but apart from this is used to thin down the consistency of a cream. Glycerin is the main moisturizing ingredient in the list, but the cream also contains Urea. You’ll find a bunch of plant extracts from the Ice Plant, Oarweed, Devil’s Apron, Spirulina Platensis, Lotus Flower, and Chinese Plum. The algaes Oarweed and Devil’s Apron are also used in products of the high-end brand ‘La mer’. They act as skin protectors. The other extracts act as humectants and have moisturizing properties. Sea Water provides minerals and trace elements. Raffinose, which is a sugar and also included in the list, has moisturizing properties. Lactic Acid has brightening properties. All in all, a nice ingredients list for a moisturizing cream. The cream comes in a sturdy jar containing 50 ml, but it doesn’t come with a spatula unfortunately. If you want to keep it hygienic you should use a spatula instead of your fingers for taking out the cream. The Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream is a mixture between gel-type and regular cream. It feels light upon application and emollifies into a watery essence-like product on the skin. This makes it feel refreshing, too. It also leaves the skin moist. The scent is nice and a mixture between flowery and soapy.

Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream

The Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream is a simple, but effective moisturizer. Although the list of the ingredients is not too overfilled with fancy ingredients it still contains some important ones for moisturizing the skin: There are Urea and Glycerin for one, and a bunch of plant extracts, most of them are algae ( I was surprised to see two of the ingredients being part of products from the famous brand ‘La mer’ as well). On top, you have Raffinose and Lactic Acid and the Sea Water. I really like the list and although a simple moisturizer I can definitely see that many people might like this skincare range. I didn’t use it for a long time yet, but so far it didn’t break me out and was a hydrating and refreshing experience. The product retails on TesterKorea for 11520 Won, which is around 9.69 US$. The price is really affordable and perfect for people starting a skincare routine, aiming at a hydrating and light cream. It might be a nice refreshment during hot seasons, too, because the formula feels very watery. If you are looking for the deeper nourishment of the skin this cream might be too lightweight for you. Did you try any products from the Missha Super Aqua line? What do you think of the Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear line?

♥ Pin It! ♥

Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream

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

Review: Etude House Tint My Brows Gel | TesterKorea

15. February 2016

I love Etude House’s eyebrow products! I’ve been using the Etude House Color My Brows and I’m still using the Etude House Perfect Brow Kit, and the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel is the newest addition to my collection. As I announced via Instagram I’m honoured to be part of TesterKorea’s Real Tester, who offered me this product for reviewing purpose, amongst some other products I cannot wait to share with you.

Etude House Tint My Brows Gel

First, some information about TesterKorea: if you know me and my blog for some time you will know that TesterKorea is my favorite online retailer for larger Kbeauty hauls. I’ve purchased products from them many times and they never failed me. Also, they are quite popular for offering many free samples and having a LARGE variety of samples for sale aswell. If you do not know a specific products and you want to test it first the place to recommend is TesterKorea. Also, they have a huge amount of different products from many brands, so you can be sure to find what you are looking for in most cases. Unlike other online retailers they do not offer free shipping, though, but their shipping is based on weight. The cheap prices of the products themselves totally balances the shipping costs in my eyes – especially for larger hauls. They even have a specific topic where you can request a product, if it is newly launched. They are also quite fast in listing the latest products from most brands. Considering the fact that I know they are a reliable retailer and have a good reputation makes me even more happy that I’m part of the 17 members of their 1st Real Tester round-up!

Etude House Tint My Brows Gel

Let’s start with the review for the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel: The Korean brand 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…Looking at the packaging of the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel it appears simple, but yet feminine. The combination of the gray-brown color and the pink makers it look adorable in a way. The product comes in a cardboard box which shows the Korean and English description. The product is one of the newer products from Etude House. The gel comes in 3 different shades and works similar to lip tint like the Berrisom My Lip Tint Pack, that means you apply a layer of the gel, leave it to dry and peel it off after a while. This new-concept eyebrow gel tint is designed for a long-lasting eyebrow makeup.

Etude House Tint My Brows Gel

The three shades available are #1 brown, #2 light brown and #3 gray brown. I chose gray brown, because I have naturally black eye brows and I think the gray brown will suit my eyebrow color best. The ingredients of the Etude House Tint My Brow Gel are harmless according to COSDNA. There are minor irritants, but no bothersome ingredient. And although the product is made for simply tinting your brows it contains some plant derived ingredients with anti-inflamatory, antioxidant and moisturizing properties. As I said before, the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel works like a kind of non-permanent tattoo. The bottle reminds of a liquid eyeliner and comes with a thin brush-type applicator. The gel has a sticky consistency and reminds of brown colored glue. The brush is thin enough to create proper outlines for your brows. Below you can see how the gel looks when swatched on the back of my hands. First you apply a proper amount of the gel. After a while it will start to dry. When you peel off the dried product you will see that it stains the skin. After 1.5 h waiting the stain is already properly visible and shows in a light gray brown. After one day (including washing hands and showering) the stain is still visible, but is looks more light and the color changed to a light yellow-brown.

Etude House Tint My Brows Gel

When using the product on your eyebrows Etude House advises you to trim your eyebrows first and not to apply skincare products or makeup. Then you should apply a liberal amount according to the desired shape of the eyebrow. Dry the gel for at least 2 hours. For stronger coloration you can apply the gel before going to bed at night and remove it the next morning. After the gel dried completely you can remove it starting from the tail of the eyebrow, but don’t be too forceful. Etude House also says to not use a cleansing product (product with detergents) or apply force on the eyebrow area within 24 hours of using the product. Below I applied the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel on my eyebrows. As you can see, my eyebrows are dense and very dark, but I have some spare areas at the front and on the arch of my eyebrow. I applied the gel according to the desired shape of my eyebrows and waited for 2 hours. You can see that the spare areas look slightly more filled, but it doesn’t look too strongly pigmented and not unnatural either. The effect is comparable to a light brow powder, giving a natural finish.

Etude House Tint My Brows Gel

Do I like the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel? Yes, I do, and I think people with spare eyebrows or very bright color of eyebrows will like this product a lot! It looks natural and it is long-lasting. The downsides are that you have to be patient and maybe you need to practice a couple of times before you know how to paint your desired eyebrow shape. The gel contains 5 g and depending on the thickness of the layers you apply on your eyebrow it will last for a while. The price for the gel is not expansive either, so it is worth a try, especially if you love using eyebrow products. If you are already too lazy to use an eyebrow pencil or powder this product will not make it any easier or quicker though. The product retails on TesterKorea for 7650 Won, which is around 6.50 US$.

Blog_Rating

♥ Pin It! ♥

Etude House Tint My Brows Gel

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://testerkorea.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.
asian stationary Blippo food giveaway home PR sample

More Cute Stuff From Blippo Kawaii Store & Giveaway

13. February 2016

// PR SAMPLE / KAWAII //

You might know Blippo already from their subscription boxes Japan Candy Box and Kawaii Box which I have reviewed previously. I also made a post in the past about their store, which you will find >>here<<. I’m happy to show you today some More Cute Stuff From Blippo Kawaii Store, which I totally fell in love with while browsing through their store. Oh, by the way, there is a giveaway at the end of this post were you can win some products from Blippo, too!

Blippo Kawaii Store & Giveaway

While browsing Blippo it is not hard to find some cute things to like if you love kawaii things. Blippo offer stuff from Japan like Magazines and Candy and Snacks, but also a lot of stationary items and character items from Hello Kitty, San-X (like Rillakkuma, Sentimental Circus, Gloomy Bear…), and Ghibli. They have also some fashion items, like bags and purses and cute accessories. They offers free shipping, too! I chose three items from their store, and they are so adorable I cannot stop looking at them.

Blippo Kawaii Store & Giveaway

The first item I want to show you is the Happy Animal Letter Set. This letter set comes with 2 envelopes with an imprinted animal face and 4 matching letter papers. There are different design with different animal faces available. I chose the bear face, because it looks soooo adorable with the cherry on its head :D The letter set has a Korean design, but it is made in China. Perfectly suited for a quick letter or note to a friend and make him or her smile.

Blippo Kawaii Store & Giveaway

The second items is the Cute Bear Milk & Tea Cup, which is unfortunately out of stock at the moment (the link is not working for now, but you can look within the category of cups and mugs whether you will find it there). These cups were available in large and in small versions with differently colored bears. The idea of the bear face, which is the bottom of the cup on the same time is absolutely awesome :D It also reminds you of drinking enough by stating “8 times a day”. Again, the design is Japanese, but the product is made in China. The cup is made of odorless and heat-resistant plastic, but it can not be used in the microwave. It is safe for food though and made from eco-friendly material (FDA approved).

Blippo Kawaii Store & Giveaway

The last product is the Strawberry Bento Box. This small plastic Bento Box is divided into two compartments and comes with a plastic spoon aswell. It is BPA free and food safe, freezer safe, microwave safe (I personally would not microwave it though…), and dishwasher safe (without the elastic band, which is included to keep the box together). I would say it is not leak-proof though, but perfect for some smaller lunch at work. I’m really looking forward to use it soon! I love strawberries, and the design seems to be just perfect for me :D

Blippo Kawaii Store & Giveaway

How do you like my new cute goods from Blippo? Is there anything you would also like to have? I’m super happy with these items and they really made my day more happy and enjoyable!

Where to get?

You can get all these and many other adorable items at Blippo!

Happy Animal Letter Set for 2.96 US$

Cute Bear Milk & Tea Cup for around 10 US$ if I remember correctly

Strawberry Bento Box for 8.06 US$

Blippo Kawaii Store & Giveaway

And now I have a giveaway for you, which is kindly sponsored by Blippo! By taking part in the below Rafflecopter you have the chance to win these items:

Blippo Kawaii Store & Giveaway
The prices will be sent to the selected winner by Blippo. It is open internationally, unless prohibited by law. If you are underage, please ask your parents before entering this giveaway. No cheating please! We will check the entries ;) This giveaway is dedicated to the readers of my blog, no giveaway blogs please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

♥ Good luck everyone! ♥

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.blippo.com which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample q-depot review

Review: NoTS 28 Remedy Perfect Solution Set

11. February 2016

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

NoTS 28 Remedy

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

NoTS 28 Remedy

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

NoTS 28 Remedy

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

NoTS 28 Remedy

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

NoTS 28 Remedy

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

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

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

Coupons

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

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

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

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

  Free Gifts

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

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

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

Have fun shopping!

Affiliate-long-banner2

 

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.