Friday, May 29, 2009

Etude House Moistful Cream


In my first order with Gmarket, I had ordered quite a few things that I actually have been wanting to try like the Etude House Moistfull line. After reading such good reviews on the entire line, I was very interested that I had to try something out! The product that stuck out of the line was the actual Moistfull Gel Cream which almost looked like it could be comparable to my HG(Dare I say? YES!) Aqaumoist. Gel forms seem to really work real well on my combination skin especially the moisturizing ones. I am probably the perfect combination because my face is really a 50/50 thing. It's oily on my t-zone and dry on the cheeks. So I bought this cream to try. Honestly, didn't really do much research on buying stuff on Gmarket and mine came in this set with some kind of 3-in-1 mask pack(from the same line) that I would probably never have purchased. I can't even read the Korean on the package! But it came so, it was another thing to try! Even though I didn't want the mask, the price of the set was still fairly decent.



At first glance the packaging is quite appealing with it's cute pink peach colour and it's simplicity but when I got it, I quickly felt the bulkiness of the glass jar. The Aquamoist ones are glass but not as heavy, I really suspect the floral swirl lid is part to blame. The scent of the cream is really subtle that it gives you a very clean and refreshed feeling. The texture is about the same as the Aquamoist Gel formulas but slightly more gel than liquid. Like the Aquamoist, a little goes a very long way and it keeps the skin very moisturized through out a very long time period. I honestly like this cream since works real well but I do not know how great it would be for the fall/winter as it's spring/summer now. Would I purchase it again? Yes, if I ever had anything to buy off Gmarket again. I'm so in a recession-makeup-detox-diet right now.

Pros: Gel formula(combo skin-great!), smells great, moisturizing
Cons: Bulky jar, no SPF

*Will review 3-in-1 mask later!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Canmake Bronzer


After trying out the other Canmake Glamourize Bronzer I decided to try out the original Canmake Bronzer. Now I'm not into tanning and all that stuff but I find that bronzer helps me have a healthy glow(a change from blush) just for any day with or without makeup on. I also find that the bronze/goldish tint has a good effect in the redness on my face. It doesn't cover it up but it helps it camoflage it a bit. With that said, the bronzers that I love to use have been dirty cheek shades from MAC or their MSFs(Mineralize Skin Finishes). As my previous bronzer review, I did say I haven't seen much bronzers available in the Asian cosmetics market as everyone wants milky white skin. This one seems quite nice with a cute bronze packaging and mirror inside. The bronzer has a nice weave pattern on it which is so neat to look at!


I chose 02 Copper Bronze fearing that the 01 would be too light as my skin is not as milky fair as those girls in Japan. The pictures do not show the full colour of the actual bronzer. It looks tanned in the picture but when you look at it in person, it is of a real copper bronze that is chrome-ish. It has a nice sheen of shimmer on top of it but to my disappointment, it`s only the first layer. The first layer is nice shimmery orange and once the shimmer layer is all gone, it is a very violently dark orange copper. MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT HERE! It`s SO orange! I also hate that they have people apply this horrible colour with a sponge(included), I used my contour brush with it but even so it`s still very horrible looking. The texture is almost matte. As much as I hate the colour, I think I could use it as a contouring thing during the summer. All I have to say is that this product needs to be applyed with a very light hand or it will make you look like you have dirt on your face. As for which bronzer is better between the 2 from Canmake, I would have to say the Glamourize one is much better. Hands down better.

Pros: Nice design, mirror, good for orange malibu barbie girls, Major pigmentation
Cons: Orange, 1 layer of shimmer

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

KANEBO FRESHEL Moisturizing Cream


I am and still a very loyal user to AQUAMOIST/JUJU face creams but I have recently picked up a jar of Kanebo's FRESHEL Moisturizer Cream out of curiosity. I never really pay attention to these kinds of skincare brands but I thought it wouldn't hurt to try one. The name FRESHEL doesn't seem to sound too bad. The cream is supposed to be very moisturizing and for ladies that have a lot to do every day but have very little time to take care of their skin. It's not a gel base but it has the ingredients of someone who drinks a lot of water. That sounded pretty good to me since I'm working a lot therefore a purchase was made! The cream comes in a somewhat bulky glass jar that's not too heavy(if you aren't bringing it out). It's not as heavy as others I have tried. The cream is scentless(does have this weird plastic-ish scent to me) and colourless. It seems thick but it's moderately thick that has a bit of a greasy feeling but it does quickly sink into the skin leaving a smooth surface. This cream has no whitening or SPF properties to it so it's a perfect moisturizer before makeup or just before bed. I personally don't think it's a bad purchase but it's not a great one. As much as it keeps my skin moisturized and smooth, I much rather go back to my AQUAMOIST/JUJU ones. As for availability, I don't seem to see it online(I bought mine locally) except for JPmon.


Pros: Smooth skin, moisturizing
Cons: Plastic scented, discontinued?, no SPF

Friday, May 15, 2009

Shiseido Maquillage Color on Climax


Apart from Dior and MAC, I love all lipstick made by Japanese High-end brands! Here I am buying yet another one but this time, it is discounted! I am a fan of T'estimo(and now COFFRET D'OR) lipsticks and hardly own any from Shiseido's Maquillage. The only one I have is this very pigmented almost matte like pinkish one from an older line pN. I've been wanting to try the new ones ever since but it's very confusing with all the names and whatnot for each line of lipsticks. I finally decided to try one from the Color on Climax range.


Since it was a sale item, there were only 2 colours to choose from and I chose the red one over the beige. The colour I chose was RD796 which looks like a muted autumn red. It's actually close but more of a muddy red brown colour. I never get these kinds of colours as they look so mature so now I have one! Bare lips as usual!


The colour is honestly not bad and as mature as I thought it would be. It's actually pretty flattering to my skintone. It's a tad bit darker than my natural lip and it has a subtle shine to it. Instead of the muddy red, I see a goldish red lipstick instead. The texture of the lipstick is creamy and it feels moisturizing which is always a plus. I do not know when this line of lipsticks was made but I have a feeling it was for autumn/winter collection. Overall, a very wearable shade for natural looks.

Pros: On sale! Creamy lipstick, slight shine, flattering colours
Cons: None.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

My Diary of Beauty(我的美麗日記) Black Pearl Mask(黑珍珠面膜)


I went to the mall earlier this week to buy some snacks but ended up buying beauty products instead. I ended up purchasing one of the limited edition My Beauty Diary mask like the My Beauty Diary Black Pearl Mask. This is limited edition so it's not sold around a lot. It's somewhat a multi-purpose pick me up mask for special occasions. To me it sounds like a mask only used the night before of a very important day like a date or party. This mask has whitening and skin cell repairing properties. It also improves the blood movement and elasticity of the skin. It apparently also has some fruity essences to it too. When I tried this mask it had a little bit of a tingly feeling. Didn't feel so good at first but then it slowly was ok again. The mask has a slight floral scent to it and it is as usual, packed with liquid. I didn`t particularly like this mask because it didn`t do much and the tingly feeling it gave me wasn`t so great. Limited edition or not, I think this one can be skipped. I have also seen a strawberry yogurt one too which I really really want to try!


Pros: Smooth skin
Cons: Tingly reaction, not too much different from the normal masks.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

KOKURYUDO 黑龍堂 World Esthetic Mask - Hawaii


Here is another mask from my little "collection" aka KOKURYUDO World Esthetic Hawaii Caring Gel. I don't own many skincare items with the AHA ingredients however, I like the fruity masks.This mask in particular has fruit acids to soften and smooth skin by removing the dead skin cells off. I was hoping that it was actually a summer kind of thing that can control my oily skin but dead skin cells off is good too!


The mask has a very interesting texture to it. It feels like gooey almost old jelly that just crumbles as you put it on your face. But as you rub the crumbly gel on, it does dissolve and turn into this light vaseline texture. The texture actually provides a nice way to massage and rub your face in mini circular movements. It's like skin-aerobics! In my 2nd picture, I have left some of the particals(not rubbed in) just to show it comes out of the package before rubbing. The scent is slightly cheap smelling like the cheesy "tropical" car air freshener. As for the mask itself, it is very moisturizing! It is a slight hassle to wash the gel off because it's a bit thick(just like vaseline) that it almost reminds me of when I wash my face using a cream cleanser. My skin feels nice and plump after this. The only thing I don't like about this one is that it's texture is so weird.

Pros: Moisturizing and smooth skin, good gel for massaging face
Cons: Texture, hassle to wash off, fake tropical scent


This is the rest of the masks in this World Esthetic collection. Have you missed Bali? Or Italy? Check Bali out here! And don't forget Italy!