Review ★ Etude House Precious Mineral Magic Any Cushion in Peach

Hello, I have another review for you all!

I'll start off by saying that the product name is pretty long. I've never purchased any Etude House face makeup, so this will be my first time using one! The Any Cushion (referred to as such because the title is really long) is supposed to act as a base prior to applying the rest of your makeup. Cushion makeup has been really trendy as of late! From bases to BB/CC creams, to even blushes and eyeliners (Etude House's Lock & Summer line)~

Note that this isn't the Any Cushion BB cream, but a base makeup under the same line/name!

The Any Cushion comes in 3 variations: Magic Mint, Magic Peach, and Magic Pink. It's basically the cushion version of the Sweet Recipe Choux Bases which came in either a jar or a tube. Magic Mint is meant to cancel out redness, Magic Peach is for brightening up dull skin tones, and Magic Pink is meant for pale skin tones with red undertones.

I purchased the one in Magic Peach because I have yellow undertones, and plus, who doesn't want brighter, healthier looking skin? Continue under the cut for the rest of my review ^^!

CONTINUE READING »

Review ★ Etude House Etoinette Crystal Shine Lipsticks

Hello~

Long time no post @_@. School ended around a month ago, but I've had a lot of person problems within the past month. Anyways, things are a little better now, so I'm back with a review! Today I will be reviewing the newer Etude House Etoinette Crystal Shine lipsticks, more specifically PPK005 (Precious Etoinette Peony) and PBE102 (Moon Flower Under the Stars). Aren't the names pretty? * u * The previous Etoinette lipsticks had pink packaging, where as the second releases have white packaging.

CONTINUE READING »

Review ★ Etude House Drawing Show Creamy Eyeliner + GIVEAWAY WINNER

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a fun Halloween (or Hallow's Eve, which ever you prefer) yesterday! I didn't do much aside from carve a pumpkin for a contest with my club (I only drew the gengar, and we didn't win anything OTL), and then go for all you can eat sushi at Spring Sushi in the AMC. I would have gone clubbing/partying if I wasn't sick = u=;;. If any of you dressed up yesterday, please let me know in the comments :D.

Today, I will be reviewing the Étude House Draw My Show creamy eyeliner. As much as I love gel liners because of their matte finish and long wear, I'm pretty lazy when it comes to using them because of the amount of precision required with a brush. However I started using this one because my Dolly Wink eyeliners have started to dry out :(, and I don't want to buy another until I find stuff I want on sasa.

Description 
(taken from the description on Jolse)
"Etude House Drawing Show creamy liner has an intense and vivid colour to enhance and define eyes for any look. Its smooth gliding texture and easy to control fine tipped brush makes for the most accurate application, and always results in clean and clear lines. Beacause of its easy use, this eyeliner if perfect for beginners. The waterproof formula adheres all day and night and holds up against sweat and sebum for long lasting wear."

I purchased it in BR401 brown (double shot), but they also come in the following:
- BK801: black, one shot (quick dry)
- BK802: black, double shot
- BK803: grey, double shot

I assume double shot means you can smudge it if you want a more smoky effect, or fix it easily if you make a mistake because it doesn't dry as quickly as BK801.

As usual, Étude House's packaging is adorable, but it was pretty difficult to get it out LOL. It comes in a generic pot, and a small eyeliner brush is included in the box. The brush appears pretty small because it has a lid on it, but you can put the lid on top to extend the handle! It isn't much longer than the brush that comes with the Maybelline gel liner. I don't know why, but I'm pretty bad at using the angled eyeliner brush, so I really like that it comes with a normal eyeliner brush. This type of eyeliner brush is good for beginners too!

The texture of the eyeliner is very creamy and smooth, so it glides on seamlessly! There's some glitter in it, but it isn't really noticeable. I've tried eyeliners that were tough to apply because of their drier consistencies, so the brush would pull on my lid as I applied it. As you can see from the swatch, the stroke is true to colour, and opaque. You can get a solid stroke in one swipe, which is a good thing because that means you use less product :D. It's easy to fix if you make a mistake too.

I've used this several times now, and I can honestly say that the eyeliner is long-lasting! I have classes from morning to afternoon/evening, and my eyeliner is always still in tact by the end of the day. It doesn't smudge throughout the day too! I think this eyeliner would work especially well for those whose lids get oily throughout the day. On top of being smudge proof, it is also waterproof! I'm not sure about swimming since I don't swim with make-up on LOL, but it will definitely hold up if you got stuck outside on a pouring day without an umbrella, or if you have a hardcore workout at the gym or something.

This review is pretty short, since gel eyeliners are pretty generic. However, Etude House's gel liner is a great alternative to the more expensive brands such as MAC or Bobbi Brown. It is drug store priced at around $9-10, so it is wallet-friendly too! The more you save, the more you can spend on other things :D. This product does everything it claims to do, so you are definitely getting what you pay for. I think I might buy the black one in the future ^^

Pros
+ Long-lasting
+ True to colour
+ Creamy texture for a smooth application
+ Pigmented
+ Doesn't smudge
+ Small eyeliner brush included
+ Easy to use for beginners

Cons
- None

Rating: ★★★★★

Where to buy? I purchased this from Jolse for $9 (link). You can also find it at the following places: f2plus ($10), cosmetic-love ($13).

Also, congratulations to Ashley Wong for winning my first giveaway! 

If you didn't win this time, I will be having another giveaway closer to the holiday season c:.

Review ★ Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner

Hello everyone!

Today, I will be reviewing the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner! I don't have many skincare products that I rave about since I'm pretty particular about them, especially when it comes to products that advertise that they minimize pores but are not that effective throughout the day or even in the long run. But I have finally found a product that does what it claims to do effectively!

Description
(Taken from the Etude House ebay listing/Etude House website)
The Wonder Pore Freshner is a total solution for pore troubles. It is an astringent toner with antiseptic properties that removes oil, dirt, germs, and residues for clear, healthy skin.

It claims to do 7 of the following:
★ Deep cleanse pores
★ Control sebum
★ Keep the ideal pH balance (4.5 ± 1)
★ Tighten pores
★ Brighten skin tone
★ Prevent enlarging of pores
★ Prevent skin troubles

It is 6 free, so it doesn't include: parabens, mineral oil, artificial fragrance, artificial pigments, talc and animal ingredients.

It contains their anti pore-dex complex (Korean pasque flower, dandelion, chrysanthemum, and hinoki cypress extracts) Those ingredients are used to treat acne and inflammation, soothe the skin, and cleanse the skin more thoroughly than the general ingredients in soaps and cleansers. It also contains astringentlex (rose geranium, lotus flower, great burnet, gambier, and cinnamon extracts), which is supposed to suppress the production of excess sebum by tightening the pores. Those ingredients enhance firmness and elasticity of the skin.

As many of you may know, there's a full line of Wonder Pore products. There's a freshner/toner (also comes as a mist), foam wash, mask, etc. I bought this toner because I really wanted something that was lightweight and worked well (previously, I was using a Caudalie toner but it didn't really do anything). The product comes in 250ml and 500ml bottles, so you can opt for a smaller, more convenient size if you'd like! If you have the bigger bottle, you can pour it into a mist bottle and use it as such, instead of actually buying the mist.

It comes in a cute box that lists all the benefits and whatnot. Most of it is in Korean, so I didn't include the other information on the box (which basically is about the benefits/usage/etc.). Instead of the typical pump, it has a dispenser that is like the ones on the bottles used in nail salons, or the make-up remover/alcohol bottles at the Sephora make-up applicator stations. It's a lot easier to control how much product comes out unlike the kind of pump that most liquid foundations and toners have. I find that those kinds of pumps usually squirt out too much product onto the cotton pad, especially if the toner has the consistency of water :<.

I have only been using this toner for around 3 weeks now, and there's a visible difference in the pores on my face. After a few weeks, the pores on my nose were visibly smaller and more refined, so my skin looks and feels a lot smoother. I hope the larger pores will shrink with time too OTL. It doesn't feel drying, and it doesn't give me that 'tight' feeling either. There's a slight cooling sensation after putting it on my face ^^, which feels nice~  My face looks a little brighter after using it too! I feel like it does control sebum since my face doesn't get as oily throughout the day (but it's still unavoidable if it's boiling outside), and I don't have as many bumps around my nose/forehead now.

There isn't any sticky residue after it is absorbed... I don't know if it's just me, but some toners leave a sticky residue or film on my face that makes me feel really greasy afterwards >_<.

The one thing I kind of dislike about it is the scent. It smells like alcohol, although it's not a strong scent, it can be off-putting to some. It's less bothersome after multiple uses since you get used to the scent. But I think the results trump the mediocre scent anyways.

I think this would be a great product for those with combination or oily skin or those with pore troubles. Although I don't feel like it strips my skin of moisture, it is still highly recommended to apply moisturizer afterwards, especially if you have dry skin. But keep in mind that what may work for me, may not work for you, since skin tends to vary from person to person! Generally, other reviews for this product are very favourable though.

Pros
+ Pores are visibly smaller after daily usage
+ Does what it claims to do for the most part (I don't know about the pH thing LOL)
+ Hygienic packaging
+ Gentle
+ Cooling sensation without the 'tight' feeling
+ Comes in multiple sizes
+ No sticky residue
+ Skin feels clean and smooth after it's absorbed

Cons
- Scent

Rating: ★★★★★

Where to buy? I bought it from for worldmarket201010 $20 CAD (link). That seller also sells 25ml sample bottles. You can find it in most online stores if they stock a large range of Etude House products ^^, or on ebay. The 250ml bottle is around $13-15.

Would I repurchase? Maybe. In my opinion, it's a great product for it's price, since it does a lot more than any other toner I've used so far. It's a little more expensive than drugstore toners, but it isn't as expensive as high end toners. But I haven't been using it for a long time yet, so I don't know if it'll continue to yield results after longer usage. But I would buy it again if it effective until I finish the bottle!

Have you tried any of Etude House's Wonder Pore products? 

What is your current/current favourite toner?

I won't be posting for a few weeks, since I'm going on vacation tomorrow and I have classes the day after. So I will do my August haul, and maybe a giveaway after I get back, since I have a lot of samples and unopened stuff (like fake eyelashes, masks, and some others).

Review ★ Etude House Sweet Recipe Cupcake All Over Colour

Second instalment of reviews from my haul! The All Over Colours are from the Sweet Recipe collection which has plenty of dessert themed cosmetics with uber cute packaging!

Description
(Paraphrased the item description on e-bay, link will be at the end in the where to purchase part)
The Etude House Sweet Recipe Cupcake All Over Colour has 5 vibrant colours which you can use multiple ways. It can be used as a blush, eyeshadow, and/or lip colour.

As you can see, they come in a box that kind of resembles a cupcake take-out box. Like most of Etude House's other products, the product packaging is also adorable :D. Etude House has other lip and perfume products that come in different tins based on their theme (there's a bee lip balm, hello kitty perfume tin, 'dear girls' lip balm, etc.), but the cupcake ones are by far the most aesthetically pleasing.

These are the ones I bought:
★ PK002 - Strawberry Chiffon Cake
★ OR202 - Peach Sugar Cake

They also come in:
★ PK001 - Blueberry Cheesecake
★ RD301 - Raspberry Mousse Cake
★ OR201 - Orange Choux Cake

Left: PK002, right: OR202

Top: Blended out

Natural lip colour (with lip balm) -> OR202 -> PK002 (with flash)

Both of them have a peach scent that smells really good. They just make me feel like eating a piece of cake or something sweet :9.

The colours go on lighter than the solid colour in the tin, so PK002 and OR202 are more nudy shades.

Lip colour: I recommend using a chap stick/lip balm before applying this since it's not moisturizing, and it will emphasize chapped lips or fine lines. Although it goes on sheer, you can build the colour so that it is more opaque. I would not recommend to use this product in the winter months (if you have winter anyways LOL). These colours are a good base for putting on a lip tint or lip stick for the gradient lip colour style.

Blush: I recommend PK001 & PK002 if you skin is cool-toned, and OR201 & OR202 if your skin is warm-toned. I think RD301 is good for any skin tone. It doesn't really matter which colours you use if you have a neutral skin tone~ However, RD301 would probably show up best if you are not pale. The colour goes on smooth on top of my face make-up. It has a semi-matte finish (which is also the reason why it's not great as a lip colour) that lasts for around 4 hours.

Eyeshadow: Personally, I won't be using this as an eyeshadow. But I recommend you use a primer under it because it will crease. It can be a nice base colour before you apply darker shades or different colours to add dimension.

Pros
+ Multifunctional
+ Cute packaging
+ It smells awesome
+ It's not sticky
+ Colour is buildable

Cons
- It's not hygienic to keep dipping your fingers in it. I would recommend you use a lip brush or a q-tip.
- Emphasizes chapped lips/sinks into lines

Rating: ★★★★

Where to purchase? I purchased mine from f2plus1 for $8.30 CAD ($7.99 US). They usually sell for around $7-9. Here is the link for the item :3.

Would I repurchase? No. It's main selling point is the adorable packaging, and that it is multifunctional. However, some people use lipsticks as a blush (and it's viable as an eyeshadow too), so the multi-functionality is not anything new, or specific to this product. If you use a lipstick as a blush, remember to wipe the top of the bullet before applying it.