REVIEW: TOP 5 WORST BASE PRODUCTS

If you've been following my blog, you'd know that I mostly write separate reviews for each products, but this time I wanna do something new, which is combine every base products that I've hated over the years into this one post. These are all BB creams and CC creams. I did try some horrible foundations before but they have since been discontinued (well, serve 'em right!), so I won't mention them here. Side note: I have combination skin with oily T-zone and normal/dehydrated cheeks.

1. Tonymoly Luminous Bright Aura CC Cream SPF 30 PA++: 

(source: etonymoly.com)

This product successfully tops the list of the worst base products I've ever tried! I got a sample from Tonymoly and was so excited because I hadn't used any CC creams before it. Tonymoly claimed that it had whitening and moisturizing property, as well as provided natural color change. As it turned out, the result left me speechless. It had zero coverage and oil-control property. It wasn't even moisturizing! It made my skin became incredibly WHITE (just like a sunscreen's white cast), as well as emphasized every single dry patch on my face and made it look extra dry, cakey and flaky. I couldn't find any good things about this product and I was so glad I didn't purchase it.

2. It's Skin Star Cream:

Star Cream is It's Skin own version of CC cream. I love It's Skin skincare, especially their Power 10 line, so it pains me to have to put one of their product into the worst products list. I wouldn't say much about this because I've already written a full review about it, which you can read here. In short, the pros are non-existent and the cons are quite similar to that of Tonymoly CC Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream SPF30 PA++.

3. Laneige Snow BB Soothing Cushion SPF50+ PA+++:

This product has also been reviewed right here on my blog. It's the opposite of the first two products as it was too dark for my skin tone and made my face super greasy. 

4. Tonymoly BB Fit Perfect 24 SPF30 PA++:

This is the 2nd Tonymoly base product to appear in this list (well done, Tonymoly!) The color fit me better than the Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream, but somehow, it still managed to accentuate all the dry patches in my face (even those I didn't even know I had!). The staying power wasn't great either (about 2 hours), so much for the Perfect 24 claim! Another minor complaint is the amount of product inside the sample tube. It looked big, but I was only able to get 2 usages out of it :(

5. The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream:

Recently, The Body Shop Vietnam has become more generous with their samples so I was able to get one sachet of the Vitamin E Cool BB Cream. Let's dissect it claim by claim :P

• Hydrates to protect: It was hydrating, but to the point of feeling super greasy on the skin! Right after applying it, my face felt so tacky and the feeling remained until it was taken off. Even powdering didn't make the greasiness go away :( 
• Evens tone: This BB cream had super sheer and non-buildable coverage. It did manage to cover up the uneven skin tone around my nose and on my chin, but not my dark circles or my acnes.
• Fresh-looking skin: Unlike other BB creams which gave a subtle glow to my face, this one just made me look dull. Because of its greasiness, my skin just looked oily instead of glowing :(
• One cool shade: I was quite lucky because this shade fit my skin really well. 

However, to me, the ultimate deal breaker was the staying power. The BB cream started to fade (unevenly, I may add) after one hour and my face just looked HORRIBLE, like I had nothing on (but not in a good way). I looked sad, dull, oily and greasy.  

That's the end of my top 5 worst base products. I think I'm quite lucky because most of them are just samples that I received as GWPs (except the Laneige one). I hope this post will be helpful to you when you consider buying a new base product. Have a nice day guys, and I'll see you soon with a (hopefully) more positive post! 

HUGE JAPAN AND KOREA BEAUTY HAUL!

Hello everyone! Long time no update but I was so exhausted after my Japan - Korea trip to actually write anything. It was only the day before yesterday that I mustered enough strength and... yes, courage, to sort through all of my purchases. Side note: This haul may seem humungous to you but these products are for one-year usage as I don't think I could afford another overseas trip this year T-T.

JAPAN HAUL

In my opinion, Japanese sunscreens are DA BOMB. They sink in so quickly without leaving any sticky and oily residue behind, as well as protect my super pale skin from getting burn in the sun. One down side: they're tiny. That's why I stocked up lots of them when I had the chance to visit Japan.

From left to right: Anessa Whitening UV Protector SPF32 PA+++, Nivea Sun Protect Water Gel Super SPF50 PA+++, Skin Aqua UV Moisture Milk SPF50+ PA+++, Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Water Base SPF50+ PA+++, Sunplay Super Block SPF50+ PA++++

I've never tried any facial oils before, but they are well-loved among beauty gurus' community, so I have to try one. I want to start with an affordable one in case my skin doesn't agree with oils. I only intended to buy one bottle of Bioil (aka Bio-Oil), but as I went through my bag, I realized I accidentally bought two T-T My shopping basket was so full at the time that the first one I bought was buried underneath my other purchases. Oh well, let's hope that it's good. I also picked up two Nivea lip balms, Mentholatum Medicated Stick SPF19, Nivea Creme and DHC Lip Cream (which I'm currently using, that's why it's out of the packaging).

Apart from sunscreens, a must-buy for me in Japan is mascara! I just adore Kiss Me Long & Curl Mascara that I actually bought 3 of them, and I also purchased Kiss Me Volume & Curl Mascara to try out.

In my opinion, Japanese make the best makeup remover, especially ones targeted for waterproof makeup. I picked three bottles of my HG makeup remover/ cleanser: Bifesta Cleansing Liquid, as well as three Bifesta Eye Makeup Remover, which removes my waterproof mascaras like a dream! I also bought a brand new product called Bifesta Cleansing Wash Moist.

I just love Japanese shampoos coz they're so gentle yet effective. I got four of them: Ichikami Smoothing Shampoo (which is currently sitting in my bathroom), Ichikami Moisturizing Shampoo, Essential Nuance Airy Shampoo, and Essential Rich Premier Shampoo. Since I loved Ichikami so much, I felt like I had to try out their Hair Treatment Serum.

OK, aren't these shower gels just the cutest things ever? >.< I've never even heard of the brands before but what sealed the deal were: 1. the packaging, 2. the cheap price (¥864), and 3. they were endorsed by Matsumoto Jun! I'm not his fan but since he's a famous actor, these shower gels must not be too bad :3 

And here's Matsumoto's ad for Savon de Bouquet Body Wash :3

The very last thing I bought from Japan was Bourjois Cream Blush in 03 Rose Tender. I'd wanted to try this for a long long time, so when I saw this in a Matsumoto Kiyoshi store, I instantly snatched it up.

KOREA HAUL

Most of my purchases in Korea were done in duty-free stores. As you may know from reading my blog, I ADORE It's Skin Power 10 line, so of course I had to bulk-buy them. They were like, USD8 per bottle, about 2.5 times cheaper than in Vietnam, so I bought 12 of them (yes, I go through one bottle per month when using twice daily). Since my eye cream was about to run out, I also picked up It's Skin Collagen Voluming Eye Cream. I'd always wanted to try out It's Skin Lemon Sunshine Oil Toner and It's Skin Lemon Full Watery Oil, but sadly, they're unavailable in Vietnam. So imagine my happiness when I finally saw them in the store! Since It's Skin is ridiculously cheap in Korea, I bought 4 of my favorite facial sunscreen - 2PM Sun Block SPF50+ PA+++. My only non-duty-free purchase was Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner.

Of course what's a haul without my favorite makeup items - lipsticks? I purchased loads of bright lip colors, which I much prefer over the pale ones as the latter tend to wash me out. My favorites are Clio Lipnicure in #4 Cynical Orange, #6 Rumor Coral, and #7 Tension Red. The two MAC lipsticks - Vegas Volt and Morange were kinda a let-down for me, but again, I've never found any MAC lip products that I truly love. I got two base makeup products from Korea: Innisfree No-sebum Mineral Pact and Hera CC Cream SPF35 PA++.

My last-minute buy in Korea was Origins Clear Improvement Active charcoal mask to clear pores. I'm using it now and so far so good :)

Phew, that's the end of my Japan and Korea beauty haul. I'll see you soon with many new reviews :)

TRAVEL SERIES PART 2: MY TRAVEL MAKEUP BAG

Hi everyone! I'm back with part 2 of my travel series. Today I'm gonna talk about what makeup products I bring with me in my upcoming holiday.

This super kawaii bag is a GWP that I got from It's Skin. It's just freakin' adorable >.<

• Base makeup: Skin79 VIP Gold Collection Super+ Beblesh Balm and Skin79 Sun Protect Beblesh Pact SPF30 PA++. Both products have been reviewed on my blog. Just click on their names and you'll be redirected to the posts.   
• Concealer: Skinfood Salmon Darkcircle Concealer Cream. This doesn't completely cover up my dark circles, but again I haven't found any concealer that does this, so it'll have to do.

• Eye makeup: I don't wear eyeshadow but eyebrow powder and mascara are must-have items for me. KATE Designing Eyebrow N and Kiss Me Heroine Make Long&Curl Mascara fit the bill perfectly. 

• Blusher: I love KATE Cheek Color S in PK-1 (click on the name to see full review). It's a very natural and pretty pink shade. 
• Lipstick: Since I plan on purchasing several lipsticks overseas, I only bring one with me and it's Tonymoly Prestige Crystal Lipstick SPF13 in Muse Coral which I raved about when I first started my blog. The color makes my face look brighter, livelier and the lipstick itself has SPF13! 
• Makeup tools: I love bringing The Body Shop Retractable Blusher Brush when travelling because it's small, compact, light and has a lid! I hate using powder puff because it makes my face look cakey. For eyes, I always curl my lashes before applying mascara. I've used Shiseido Eyelash Curler for about 4 years and it's still going strong ^^ I also have Etude House Eyebrow Razor to trim my eyebrows. I never pluck my brows as I'm afraid it'll make my eyes become droopy.

Well, that's everything I plan to put in my makeup bag. Wish you all a happy holiday :)

TRAVEL SERIES PART 1: MY SKINCARE TRAVEL BAG

I'm gonna go on holiday for 8 days starting next week, so I really want to share with you what beauty products I'll bring with me. Let's start with my favorite subject: skincare ^^ (Some of the products have been reviewed on my blog, so if you want to read the full reviews, just click on the names).

This bag is a freebie that I got from Tonymoly as a GWP. I love it and it has followed me through many trips. 

• Cleanser: I bring along Bifesta Cleansing Express Eye Makeup Remover and Biore Cleansing Milk. The latter can double up as a makeup remover and a regular cleanser, so I don't have to bring a separate cleansing foam.

• Exfoliator: I exfoliate once or twice a week, so I only bring 1 sachet of It's Skin Mangowhite Peeling Gel. This exfoliator is gentle yet effective.

• Toner and moisturizer: I've saved up all the samples I received in several months to use them on the trip. I'll use It's Skin Collagen Toner and Emulsion, It's Skin Hyaluronic Acid Toner and Emulsion, It's Skin Fermented Floral Water Whitening Toner and Lotion, and It's Skin Caviar Double Effect Toner and Emulsion. I know it may sound excessive, but these samples are tiny and can run out at anytime, so I'd rather be safe than sorry :P Besides, I've used them all before and they don't irritate my skin in any ways. Side note: It's a really bad idea to try out new skincare products while traveling because if you're allergic to them, they'll ruin your holiday.

Since these samples are all emulsion, I also bring along some sachets of It's Skin Prestige Creme D'escargot in case my skin gets dry.

• Eye cream: It's Skin Brighten System Eye Cream. (I'm almost out of this one, but I think it can last until the end of my holiday).

• Sunscreen: I have It's Skin 2PM Sun Block SPF50+ PA+++ for my face and Biore UV Perfect Milk SPF50+ PA+++ for my body.

• Lip balm: Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Velvet. This lip balm has good moisturizing property as well as SPF20.

That's all for today. The post about my travel makeup bag will be up tomorrow, so stay tune for that ^^

REVIEW: ETUDE HOUSE SHEA BUTTER NUTRIFULL SKIN CARE KIT

Last summer I received a Shea Butter Nutrifull Skin Care Kit from Etude House Hong Kong, but I put off trying it until winter because if I used rich products during hot weather, I'd break out. 

Description: Enriched with Ecocert certified Organic Shea Butter and Cloudberry ingredient, this three-piece skin care set deeply nourishes and moisturizes dry to very dry skin, This set contains: Nutrifull Shea Butter Essentializer, Nutrifull Shea Butter Cream, Nutrifull Shea Butter Sleeping Pack.

Directions: 

• Step 1. Nutrifull Shea Butter Essentializer (Essence-in Lotion): After cleansing and toning, massage evenly over face. Pat to finish. 
• Step 2. Nutrifull Shea Butter Cream (Ultra-concentrated Cream): After Essentializer and Eye Cream, massage evenly over face. Pat to finish. 
• Step 3. Nutrifull Shea Butter Sleeping Pack: After toning, smooth evenly on face before sleeping. Do not rinse off - the product will absorb. Cleanse in morning with warm water. For an extra nourishment, use after Nutrifull Butter Cream.

Ingredients:

• Nutrifull Shea Butter Essentializer: water, butylene glycol, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, cyclopentasiloxane, glycereth-26, glycerin, squalane, dimethicone, cetyl ethylhexanoate, C14-22 alcohols, cyclohexasiloxane, rubus chamaemorus seed extract, C12-20 alkyl glucoside, glyceryl stearate, glyceryl caprylate, DI- C12-13 alkyl malate, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, ethylahexyglycerin, xanthan gum, carbomer, palmitic acid, polysilicone-11, PEG-100 stearate, tromethamine, disodium EDTA, phenoxyethanol, fragrance       
• Nutrifull Shea Butter Cream: water, glycerin, cyclopentasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane, cetyl ethylhexanoate, squalane, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter extract, dicaprylyl carbonate, disteardimonium hectorite, cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 dimethicone, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed wax, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil, PEG-10 dimethicone, rubus chamaemorus seed extract, salvia hispanica seed extract, lauryl PEG-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone, sodium chloride, ethylhexaglycerin, pentylene glycol, polysilicone-11, disodium EDTA, phenoxyethanol, fragrance 
• Nutrifull Shea Butter Sleeping Pack: water, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, glycerin, cyclopentasiloxane, butylene glycol, dicaprylyl ether, cetearyl alcohol, cyclohexasiloxane, BIS-PEG-18 methyl ether dimethyl silane, sodium hyaluronate, rubus chamaemorus seed extract, dicaprylyl carbonate, glyceryl stearate, behenyl alcohol, PEG-40 stearate, polysorbate 20, carbomer, glyceryl caprylate, hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer, palmitic acid, stearic acid, tromethamine, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, alcohol, ethylhexaglycerin, phenoxyethanol, fragrance 

My opinion:

• Nutrifull Shea Butter Essentializer: This product has the lightest consistency among the 3. It absorbs quickly and doesn't clog my pores or break me out. It's definitely not moisturizing enough on its own, but when used with Nutrifull Shea Butter Cream or Nutrifull Shea Butter Sleeping Pack, the combo still isn't enough for my dehydrated skin in the winter. 
• Score: 7/10

• Nutrifull Shea Butter Cream: This product has the thickest consistency and never seems to absorb into my skin. Even though my skin was dry, this cream just kinda "sat" on my face and did nothing other than making it greasy. It's so ironic that even though it felt tacky and heavy on my skin, my face was still dehydrated with this on! Worse than that, it broke me out! I tried coupling it with Nutrifull Shea Butter Essentializer, but it just didn't work. My skin felt even more greasy but still dry underneath, and I woke up with a new zit on my chin! I didn't even want to try using it with the Nutrifull Shea Butter Sleeping Mask because I was sure I'd turn into an oil slick! So, in short, this cream doesn't work well on its own or with other product.
• Score: 3/10

• Nutrifull Shea Butter Sleeping Pack: Etude House claims that this product can be used alone after a toner, but I beg to differ. On my dehydrated skin in the winter, this is definitely not moisturizing enough. Even when I used the Nutrifull Shea Butter Essentializer beforehand, my skin still didn't feel hydrated. On the plus side, this sleeping mask absorbs really quickly into my skin thanks to its light consistency and it doesn't irritate my skin in any ways.
• Score: 7/10

Purchase?: No. I think the reason why these 3 products aren't moisturizing enough for my skin is because they all contain alcohol. My skin tends to become dehydrated if I use products which have too much alcohol, especially in winter.  

REVIEW: NYX SOFT MATTE LIP CREAM IN ANTWERP AND MONTE CARLO

Thanks to a friend of mine, today I was able to try out 2 NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream: Antwerp and Monte Carlo. Prior to these, I've never tried any NYX products, so I was really excited to try them out.

Monte Carlo

Antwerp

Packaging: These lip creams look just like lip gloss, from the cylindrical bottles to the doe foot applicator.

Scent: They smell like vanilla ice cream to me.

Application: The cream glides on so smoothly and the wand distributes the product evenly on the lips.

Finish: True to their name, they have a matte finish. Lipsticks tend to look all glossy on me lips, but these lip creams don't.

Shade: Monte Carlo is a deep pink while Antwerp is a paler and more subdued shade of pink.

 Monte Carlo

Antwerp

Longevity: I drink water quite frequently, and these lip creams manage to stay intact! They do fade after eating, but there's still some color on my lips. And thank God, they don't fade unevenly! Despite their strong staying power, they can be removed easily with a makeup remover.

Moisturizing property: They aren't moisturizing but I don't expect them to be because of their matte finish. Having said that, I don't find them drying at all. However, those with chapped lips should wear a lip balm before applying.

Score: 9/10

Purchase?: Yes, I'd love to buy both.

QUICK REVIEW: 3 CONCEPT EYES LIP COLOR IN 309 CELEBRITY

Stylenanda is a well-known clothing brand in Korea, and recently, they've branched out to cosmetics with the release of 3 Concept Eyes. A friend of mine was kind enough to let me try her brand new 3 Concept Eyes Lip Color in 309 Celebrity.

Packaging: Very simple but small and light enough to carry around.

Shade: It's a bright and matte orange shade.

Moisturizing property: It's not exactly moisturizing but it doesn't dry out my lips or anything. However, if you have chapped lips, you should apply a lip balm beforehand.

Lasting power: Quite good actually. I drink water frequently and it still stays on my lips for, like 3 hours.

Application: Well, this is kinda a let-down for me. Granted, it looks really nice in photo but in real life, it's actually quite blotchy. It doesn't stain my lips despite its bright color.

Score: 7/10

Purchase?: Probably not because of the uneven application :(