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asian cosmetics beauty Kirei Station PR Sample review

Review: Canmake Glow Fleur Cheeks

17. March 2016

I’ve been eyeing the Canmake blushes for a long time, espacially the Canmake Glow Fleur Cheeks! These japanese blushes have such an adorable design! Thanks to Kirei Station I was able to finally try one of these precious products.

Canmake is quite a know Japanese brand, especially for their cute products and their blushes. They claim to have a really great quality and staying power. In first place the Canmake Glow Fleur Cheeks has a vey adorable appearance with the flower imprint and the scalloped packaging.

The material of the blush pan is made from clear plastic. Inside you will find a miniature blush brush, but no mirror. The Canmake Glow Fleur Cheeks came packed in plastic with Japanese descriptions on the backside.

Shade No.5 called “Wedding Fleur” is a light pink shade combined by four different pink shades. The fifths shade in the left upper corner is a highlighter. The blush works nicely to pick up the shades by swirling it over all the colors or pick separate shades.

The Canmake Glow Fleur Cheeks has a powdery texture with a little bit of shimmer. It gives a subtle glow to the cheeks. The pink color barely shows up on my skin, but is enough to give a light flush and sheen. For a powder type blush it is also long-lasting.

Canmake Glow Fleur Cheeks is probably one of the prettiest blushes I own and a pity it was not yet in my collection when I made the Blush Addict Post. The color maybe light on my skintone but still I like to use it for the light pink shade and the glow it gives. Also the point that it is longlasting and does not look powdery on the cheeks is a plus! And the tiny brush is cute, too! …The Canmake Glow Fleur Cheeks is available at Kirei Station, an online retailer for Japanese Cosmetics. It retails for 1464 Yen which is around 13 US$. You can use the coupon code CODE-01 for a special discount.

Did you try any products from Canmake?

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.kirei-station.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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fashion PR Sample SheIn

Sleeveless Trench Coat from SheIn

16. March 2016

If you leave in a country with distinct seasons during the year you will know the problem of weather transitions between the seasons. Between spring and summer or summer and fall I’m always very undecided what to wear…it is either too cold without a coat or jacket, or too warm! I found the perfect solution therefore, spotted on SheIn: a sleeveless trench coat!

SheIn, formerly known as Sheinside, is an online fashion retailer since 2008, providing affordable fashion targeting women. Apart from clothing like dresses, tops and bottoms, you will also find accessories, shoes and jewelry.

They also have a good selection of jackets and blazers and this is where I spotted this sleeveless trench coat. I do love regular trench coats already, but a sleeveless version looks great, too, and especially it’s great for this spring season.

I combined the trench coat with a long-sleeved knitted dress in black which matches nicely to the grey color of the sleeveless trench coat. The coat is made of polyester without any stretch. It has a very nice touch and is really surprisingly soft and quite good quality. The seams are also sewn nicely and no complains in this point here. The coat has two pockets on each side, but it doesn’t come with a belt. I used a brown leather belt and combined it with a scarf and a hat for a more chilly weather…and of course with my luna shoulder bag :D

For the price of this coat the quality is really nice and I’m super happy and in love with this sleeveless trench coat. It is nicely sewn and feels nice, too. It is available in two different sizes “XS” and “S”. I selected “XS” and it has a nice fit for me (I’m 1.64 m tall). The coat retails for 30.79 US$ at the moment since it is on sale. There is a St. Patrick’s Day Promotion until 21st of March where you can get 40% discount on orders of +55 US$ with the code DS40 aswell!

Get the sleeveless trench coat >>here<<!

Get a knitted long-sleeved dress >>here<<.

Get the luna bag >>here<<.

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.shein.com which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample review TesterKorea

Review: Nakeup Face Waterking Cover Cushion | TesterKorea

9. March 2016

This is the product from the second round of products by TesterKorea I’m most excited to review, because of its reputation: the Nakeup Face Waterking Cover Cushion! It is also the last product from TesterKorea as 1st Real Tester. I hope you enjoyed the couple of reviews I shared and if you missed them out check my list at the end of this post.

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.

Nakeup Face is a Korean brand which is very new to me. I still cannot believe how many Korean cosmetic brands exist…It seems I’m always discovering a new brand. The brand name is a combination of Naked Face and No Makeup. Nakeup Face products should allow you to achieve a natural look and on the same time recover your face in a way that you feel comfortable with your naked face. They seem to have gained quite some popularity in Korea and there are some magazine appearances as well, according to the description of the Nakeup Face Waterking Cover Cushion. The Waterking Cover Cushion is a hydrating cushion foundation for creating flawless and radiant skin.

The square-shaped cushion compact of the Nakeup Face Waterking Cover Cushion comes packed in a cardboard box. The box contains Korean description only and unfortunately I do not have much information about the ingredients of the cushion. The key ingredients are propolis extract (vitalizing), aloe vera extract (moisturizing), rose-water (smoothing), and lotus extract (brightening). It also contains mineral water and has SPF 35 / PA++. Unlike other cushions the shape of this cushion compact is not round but square. It also has a silver material, making it also useable as mirror when closed. You will find a mirror on the inside of the lid as well.

Cushion foundations consist of a cushion soaked with the foundation / bb cream and a sponge /puff applicator which you press on the cushion in order to apply the foundation on your skin. The sponge for applying the foundation is a rubycell sponge with a black color. It has a dense structure and antibacterial properties. I would advise you to wash your sponge after a while or exchange it with a new one (there are plenty of sponges available online).

I think the square shape and the silver and black colors make this cushion look very luxurious and mature. I really like the design, although it is simple. The shade I’m showing you here is No. 23. There is a lighter color available as well, but 23 fits my skin color quite well. The container with the cushion can be removed from the case and there are refills available for this cushion.

The foundation is very creamy and by pressing lightly you will already receive more than enough of the product. The foundation has a rose scent, which I absolutely adore. It is not too strong, but very light. The plastic lid of the cushion container closes very tightly and keeps the cushion from drying out too quickly.

The Nakeup Face Waterking Cover Cushion has a medium coverage, which is buildable up to high coverage. It can be build up without a caking effect and this is also the claim it has. It combines foundation, concealer, and essence. Although it looks matte on the image below I would consider it to be semi-dewy, leaving a natural, but very pretty glow to the skin. It contains pearl particles for diffusing the light from any angle. My pictures really do not do the product enough justice here. The finish is really pretty and since it is semi-matte/ semi-dewy it is not as sticky as some other dewy cushions would be. You will feel a very slight tackyness, but it is hardly noticeable. The foundation covers up rednesses really good, and I even could use this on my dark circles. It needs touching up after some hours, especially around the nose and smilelines, so it is not 24 h lasting, but I didn’t expect that anyways :D It does not make the skin feel dry though.

I didn’t expect this cushion to be very special, but actually I really enjoy using this one. I’m using it quite often and I really like the semi-dewy finish and how it looks when freshly applied. Also, it has a really good coverage. The packaging design is also really pretty and I like to have this elegant looking cushion compact in my collection. The cushion contains 15 g and retails for 19600 Won (~16.61 US$) at TesterKorea. You can also get it together with a refill for 31600 Won (~26.77 US$). Did you know the brand Nakeup Face? What are your impressions?

Also, check out my previous reviews for TesterKorea:

Missha Lighting Tone Up Base

Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream

Etude House Tint My Brows Gel

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://testerkorea.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample review TesterKorea

Review: Missha Lighting Tone Up Base Peach | TesterKorea

8. March 2016

The Missha Lighting Tone Up Base is a newly launched product by Missha and was provided to me by TesterKorea. It is available in three different colors, which have different properties on how they effect your skintone. Depending on your skin concerns you can choose between a mint, a peach, and a purple base.

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 Lighting Tone Up Base has a very simple packaging though. The tube containing the base comes in a cardboard box with only Korean description. So unfortunately, I do not know the ingredients of the base. The packaging is almost to simple and doesn’t really stand out. The base is available in the three shades I mentioned at the beginning (mint, peach, violet) and I selected the peach color here. Usually, pink/peach bases are designed to brighten up the skin and reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation or dark circles, whereas green bases reduce redness and violet bases reduce yellowish undertones.

The product comes in a tube containing 20 ml. It’s a quite small tube, but unlike BB creams you won’t need as much of the base on your face. A little goes a long way, and is also more easily to spread on the skin. The base has SPF 30 /PA++, but I would still advise to use a sunscreen before applying the base. The base has a clean and soapy scent, which is not overpowering, but rather mild. Applying the base on my face makes the skintone appear brighter and more even. I doesn’t make much of a difference for redness (but you should use the green base here anyways), but for people with clear skin this can be a good product for on-the-go. It can accentuate dry skin, for example around the nose, and settle in a powdery way in these areas – but this effect was minimal for me.

All in all the Missha Lighting Tone Up Base Peach is a solid and affordable base product. It does not do any miracles, but it has brightening properties and makes the skintone more even. If you are interested in a simple, but effective skin correcting base you can find the Missha Lighting Tone Up Base on TesterKorea for 7920 Won (~6.71 US$). Did you try any color correcting bases so far? Do you have a favorite one?

Also, check out my previous reviews for TesterKorea:

Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream

Etude House Tint My Brows Gel

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://testerkorea.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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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 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.

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 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?

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

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://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

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

The 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 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++.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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

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

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:

www.facebook.com/etude.gl

or their official Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/etude_official

or their online shopping mall:

http://www.etudehouse.com/

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

Etude House Pink Bird

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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.

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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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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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:

‘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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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

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 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 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.

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 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.

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?

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.catrice.eu/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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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 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.”

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.

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 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).

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?

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.wishtrend.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://testerkorea.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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