Review ★ Isa Knox X2D2 CC Sun Block Cream

Hello everyone!

It has been awhile since I've done a review because school gets in the way of blogging OTL. I'll try to be more active here~ I've been meaning to change my header and layout anyways LOL, but I've just never gotten around to it. But anyways, today I will be reviewing the Isa Knox X2D2 CC sun block cream (50 PA+++). I bought it, along with the Mamonde real skin founder, from ibuybeauti.com.

This was my first time purchasing from ibuybeauti~ I find that their selection isn't as big as some ebay stores, but the comments section on the individual product pages are very helpful to potential buyers. You can post a comment/question/concern about a product, and someone will probably get back to you promptly ^^. Their customer service also responds to e-mails very quickly! They also provide free shipping (with no tracking), and tracking is an addition $2.50 like most ebay stores.

So I have no idea what the box says and whatnot, since it's completely written in Hangul LOL. But I guess it would say the brand and product name, its functions, what is included in the box, and other typical information.

I'm going to assume that the information slip that comes with it includes more in-depth information about the product LOL (functions, benefits, etc.). The back includes how to remove the product holder from the pact, and what I'm also assuming to be ingredients (below it).

ANYHOO, here are the features it claims to have (information taken from ibuybeauti.com):
★ 3 colour capsules - automatically matches your colour skin tone
★ Long-lasting moisture - contains 62% of skin-conditioning ingredients (unspecified) for maintaining skin moisture
★ Long-lasting colour-correcting - darkening-free formula
★ Whitening function
★ Wrinkle prevention
★ Sun protection (SPF 50 PA+++)

The CC cream comes in a fairly big box because it comes with a refill. The box is really shiny, and it matches the pact's packaging. Overall, the packaging is very nice and sleek! The pact packaging itself is pretty generic like other BB/CC cream and cushion pacts, but I like the metallic look of it. It comes with two application sponges (one inside the pact, and one inside the box for the refill). The sponge is really firm, and is quite tedious to use around the nose area. I think a sponge is definitely the way to go with this product though! Fingers also work well with blending this product, but I feel that a sponge applies it more evenly. I've tried using a foundation brush with this too, but it left streaks on my face :c.

The CC cream has a light floral/lotion-like scent. I really don't know how to describe it that well, but I think other BB/CC creams smell really similar. It's not a bad thing since it's only lightly scented, and it isn't irritating to my skin. 

The formula changes colour almost instantly, unlike the Tony Moly & Innisfree CC creams, which take a few minutes to oxidize in order to match my skin. My skin tone is somewhere between fair and medium, but this CC cream does a really good job at matching my skin tone without creating a white cast. I think it's great that this CC cream doesn't exclusively work better for those who have a fair complexion. The consistency of the product resembles that of a really light cream or lotion, it feels thinner than the Face Shop Aura CC Cream. As for lasting power, it lasts me for the duration of my day without fading; however, I need to blot off oil around the 7 hour mark. 

In my opinion, it has light to medium coverage. One layer of this CC cream covers a fair amount of redness and discolouration on my face; however, it does not cover those things completely. It has a dewy finish, which gives your skin a healthy shine that doesn't look greasy. Despite not being full coverage, it definitely fulfills the 'your skin but better' aspect of CC cream. I think it looks very natural, as if you're not actually wearing any face make-up! Overall, it does not feel heavy on my face, compared to BB creams or foundations.

I would recommend this product to those with dry or combination skin- it doesn't dry out my skin, so it's good in that sense. Like most liquid face make-up, it will emphasize flakiness, so you should still apply a moisturizer to the dry patches even though the product is already somewhat moisturizing. I would recommend blotting or applying a powder on top if you have oily skin, or if you prefer a matte finish over the dewy finish.

Although $40 might seem like a lot, don't forget it also comes with a refill! I think it's worth it's price tag, especially considering there's a lot of BB/CC creams and foundations are within in the same price range (~$20 for one). 

Pros
+ Capsules almost instantly match your skin tone
+ Thin - does not feel heavy when applied
+ Light-medium coverage
+ Comes with a refill
+ Natural finish
+ Nice packaging
+ Long lasting
+ Easily blended out

Cons
- Hard to find
- Information on this product is hard to find

Rating: ★★★★★

Where to buy? I purchased this from ibuybeauti.com for around $40. You can also purchase it from koreadepart ($30) and bestbuy77 ($24 for one, $35 including the refill - prices are in USD).

Thank you for reading and continuing to follow my blog ^ u ^~

Review ★ Tony Moly Pure Luminous Aura CC Cream

Hello everyone!

Sorry I haven't been updating, I have been pretty busy lately! I'm going on vacation next week so I won't be updating from next Wednesday to the start of school. Hopefully I'll have another review and my August haul post before then :D. ANYWAYS... 

I'm finally getting around to reviewing the Tony Moly Pure Luminous Aura CC Cream (that's a moutful LOL). I think it's one of the most popular CC creams out there! There's 2 other CC creams by Tony Moly with similar names so this one isn't to be confused with those ones (Luminous Bright Aura, and Luminous Live Aura).

Description
A 2 in 1 product that combines skin care and make-up with 7 functions/benefits: UV-blocking (SPF 30, PA++), whitening, anti-wrinkle, 'radiance', moisturizing, primer, make-up base. It contains tiny coloured (black, red, and yellow) capsules that change to match the colour of your skin. It can also act as a primer for your make-up. It has a 7 free formula (parabens, benzophenone, talc, mineral oil, organic pigments, sulfate surfactant).

So most of the information on the box is in Korean, except for the ingredients and directions. The side I didn't include was the ingredients list in Korean. The ingredients list is fairly long LOL. I like the packaging for the CC cream because it comes in a bottle with a pump, so it's easy to control how much product comes out of the bottle, and it's hygienic.







The formula is very light, and it blends very easily. It has a light floral scent, that resembles a few BB creams that I've tried. Like a few other CC creams on the market, the formula is very sheer. You can build it up a little, but it's still nowhere near medium coverage. It manages to slightly even out redness and light discolouration; however, it does not cover up blemishes, acne scars, or dark spots well. I think it's better as a base/primer for additional make-up, rather than as a stand alone product... unless you already have really good skin. It has a semi-dewy finish that isn't sticky, because the last thing we want is the heavy feeling on our face from that feeling. It gives off a healthy glow after it sets a little, kind of like a pick-me-up for your skin.

Even though the formula is supposed to change colour to match your skin, it is meant for people with fair to medium skin tones. I'm more of a medium skin tone during the summer, and even then it makes my face a slightly lighter than my body. The colour difference is unnoticeable up close, but it's more apparent from a distance. The colour isn't really a problem as a base, since a darker foundation/pressed powder can be used on top of it. As most products with SPF in it, you will end up having a white cast if you snap photos with flash (ie. family photos, clubbing photos, etc.).

Although summer is going to come to an end soon, it does not work well in hot weather as a stand alone product, since it doesn't last very long. So it's not a good choice if you're out and about in the sun, or if you're going to do activities which will make you sweat. It lasts for around 2-3 hours alone before disappearing.

As for skin types, I think this is better for those with dry skin since it is moisturizing, and it will make your skin look brighter. However, this isn't for those with combination or oily skin, since it doesn't last long, and it won't prevent your face from getting shiny after a few hours, unless you have foundation/pressed or finishing powder on top of it.

Pros
+ Lightweight
+ Blends easily
+ Hygienic packaging
+ Brightens up skin
+ SPF 30, PA++ for protection from the sun
+ Moisturizing
+/- Floral scent
+/- Dewy finish

Cons
- Not long lasting
- Very sheer
- Does not match darker skin tones

Rating: ★★★★ (it's more like a 3.75/5 to me LOL)

Where to buy? I bought it from f2plus1. But you can find it in almost every Korean cosmetic retailer, since it's a relatively common and popular product~

Would I repurchase? No. It's comparable to Innisfree's Real Skin CC cream, except that it has a floral scent, and it doesn't last as long. Overall, it's a good product; it's not great, but it's not bad either. It's a good base for additional make-up, but not so much by itself. However, this is a product that may interest you if you have good skin, and/or if you're looking for something to give your skin an extra boost without feeling sticky.

Review ★ Innisfree Real Skin CC Cream

Hi!

Today I will be reviewing the Innisfree It's Real CC cream as my second CC cream review! I still have to review the Tony Moly Luminous Pure Aura CC cream (wow, that's a mouthful).

Description
This colour controlling cream contains magic colour capsules that modifies and adjusts to your natural skin tone on contact, creating a vibrant and healthy looking complexion. It contains Jeju mineral powder, Jeju green tea, and Jeju camellia (any other ingredients are not listed). The Jeju ingredients brighten dull skin. The 4-free system means that it is free of talc, benzophenone, acrylamide, and artificial ingredients.

Like the lipsticks, the CC cream comes in a box made of recycled paper. The information is also printed with soy ink, which is more environmentally friendly than the typical ink.

It only comes in one shade, which means the formula will change to match your skin tone. The formula is a really light pink (appears white after fixing the curves of the photo) in colour, with tiny capsules which are visible under close inspection (the camera refused to focus on it OTL). As the description says, the capsules are supposed to adjust to your skin tone to create an even, healthy looking complexion. The CC cream has a light herbal scent; although I'm not a fan of herbal stuff, I don't find it bothersome. It's really lightweight, and blends out very well.

The cream does a decent job at matching my skin tone after a few minutes, so my face doesn't look a few shades lighter than the rest of my body. However, it is still lighter than my skin because I've gotten darker from being out in the sun. It is really sheer in terms of coverage, and by really sheer, I mean it doesn't cover up much since the redness on my face is still semi-apparent after application. Additional concealing is necessary afterwards.

It has a dewy finish that will give your face nice glow. The dewy finish can either be a pro or a con depending on your preference. You can opt for a matte finish by applying a finishing powder on top of it, if you don't like the dewy finish. Like The Face Shop's Aura CC cream, it claims to have whitening, anti-wrinkle, and sun protection functionality.

I haven't experienced any problems with the Innisfree CC cream drying out my skin, or causing breakouts. It lasts for a fair amount of time (~4-5 hours with Bourjois healthy balance unifying powder) before there are traces of shininess; but in all fairness, it was it was really hot for the past week and a bit.

In my opinion, this CC cream would work best with combination or dry skin since it's quite moisturizing. Overall, it's good if you don't need a lot of coverage (ie. the condition of your skin is good/really good), and you're looking for a lightweight product that will give your skin a healthy, natural glow. However, this is not the product for you if you're looking for something with medium to full coverage. In general, BB creams provide more coverage than CC creams.

Pros
+ Lightweight
+ Moisturizing
+ Sun protection (SPF 30, PA++)
+ Smooth application
+ Brightens skin for a healthy glow
+ Hygienic packaging

Cons
- The dewy finish can be mistaken for greasiness, especially since it's so hot right now = u=;;
- Very sheer

Rating: ★★★★

Would I repurchase? No. I like that it is moisturizing so it would be good in the cooler months, but the coverage isn't good. There are better CC creams on the market, for around the same price or more. Personally, I like the Face Shop's aura CC cream a lot more.

Where to buy? I bought it from f2plus1 for $15 USD (link), like the rest of my Korean cosmetics. You can also buy it from: Yesstyle ($32), Amazon ($26), ibuybeauti ($25), w2beauty ($24), and sing-sing-girl@ebay ($15).

I will make a comparison post with face swatches and oil tests once I get the Tony Moly CC cream review out of the way~

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