**Giveaway Alert** Kollectionk

Don't you just love giveaways?!

Two winners will receive this limited edition Etude House Ice Ribbon Tumbler from Kollectionk. Yep I'd like to have one of those to around in uni hehe. 8 more days left until the giveaway closes.
Click here to enter the giveaway.

MAC Cremesheen Modesty Review + Swatches

I know I've been talking about Etude House and other Korean products lately. So I'll be doing MAC for a change. I will be featuring a MAC cremesheen lipstick, Modesty. This is my favourite go-to everyday colour by far.

I love how sleek MAC bullets are!

 

Close up under natural lighting

Modesty is one of my first few products from MAC. I got it as a present from my sister. I had heard so much about Cremesheen finish before and was really overjoyed that she chose this! The first time I tried this lipstick, I fell instantly in love. It has the minty-vanilla scent that is typical of MAC lipsticks. It is described as muted neutral pink. On my lips, the colour appear pinkish-plum and it glides on perfectly smooth on my lips. 

The pigmentation is perfect. The best thing about this lipstick is that I can wear this even without putting on any lipbalm/moisturiser beforehand and it still moisturises my lips without making it feel waxy whatsoever. It lasts for quite a long time, I would say up to 4-5 hours. You might find yourself needing to reapply after eating or drinking cos the colour transfers rather easily. Overall I'm really, really happy with this lipstick!

Swatches are as shown below. The left one is where I tried to build up the colour with three swipes. Hmm, not a very significant difference.

 Swiped once (R), Swiped thrice (L)

Another similar colour would be Patisserie, which has a Lustre finish. It is described as sheer creamy neutral pink. However Patisserie is slightly darker.

Overall score: 5/5

Price: SGD 29 (currencies are dependent on where items are purchased)

Etude House Princess Jewelry Finish Pact Review

Hi everyone! This review will be about another Etude House product!

 Yet another eye candy from Etude House!

This finish pact reminds me of Princess Etoinette. It's shaped like a diamond, it's pink, it's a pink diamond. There is even a tiara at the top and at the bottom of the pink diamond. The packaging is a win!

 How it looks like upright

Everything is written in Korean in this packaging, it's quite inconvenient for people who doesn't know Korean (like me) T.T However, this is a relatively old product. Before I bought this, I had seen that this product had been sitting on the shelf for quite a while. Anyway, I notice that most Korean products are starting to add in English translations on most of their products nowadays which is really helpful.

This finishing powder came with a brush as well. But I honestly have never tried it out. I usually put away mini brushes that come with powders/blushes. When this little diamond is opened you will notice that the top part is heavier than the bottom, so the whole container would topple backwards if it's opened all the way without support. 

Opened halfway. Here is how the powder and the mirror look like

A close up of the finishing powder

OKAY, here's the deal. I have to admit the packaging is really pretty. However the product is really meh! So far I like almost every product from Etude House, except for this. Well maybe the cookie blusher too. The BB Dation I didn't really like at first but I came to like it better in the end. But this! 

This was my very first finishing powder. So back then I didn't really know what to expect from a 'finish pact' (I didn't know it was a highlighter lol). When I tried it on, nothing! I thought that was how it was supposed to be. Until my friend told me that her mother had to 'really dig into it to get the product'. So I tried that. After digging the crap out of the powder, I finally saw some of the powder on my brush. I think they're spending too much money on the packaging quality and not the product for this :( I'm getting quite pissed off just thinking about it right now lol. 

The powder is supposed to be used on your T zones, cheekbones and chin. It does give off a beautiful iridescent shimmer. However it not really pigmented. It is very, very, very subtle on the skin. I had to build it up to see it working. It has a really faint fragrance, I can't really make out what it smells like but it smells nice. I personally don't really reach out for this product especially when I'm in a hurry to go out as it takes quite an amount of time to 'dig' out. 

Pros: 

• Beautifully packed
• Nice faint smell
• Beautiful shimmer

Cons: 

• Did not work for me
• Topples backward without support
• Not pigmented
• Quite troublesome - not suitable in a hurry

Rating: 2.5/5 for the pretty packaging 

I don't really remember the price hehehe. 

** This product I would not repurchase. It may not work on my skin (medium), but it may have different result on others. 

Etude House Precious Mineral BB Dation Review

This BB Dation is a part of Etude House's Precious Mineral line. So far, I'm impressed with all the other BB creams in this line. 
BB Dation is quite an odd name. This product is supposed to be a combination between bb cream and a foundation. So basically, instead of having the sheer coverage of most bb cream, you get a better coverage with this one. 
 

As usual I like to begin by describing the packaging. Lol a product's packaging is really exciting for me! It is housed in a 30g transparent bottle that comes with a vacuum pump. I find it more convenient that this bottle sits upright instead of upsidedown like how most bb creams are packaged.

Notice how the vacuum pump pushes the product up efficiently so there's no wastage

Mine is in the shade W13 (Natural Beige)

It has a slightly creamy consistency and it doesn't feel too thick, but not too thin either. It only has a faint fragrance which is fine with me. When I first tried this product, I really didn't like it because I find that this bb cream is so difficult to blend with fingers. I put it away for months until I decided that I should try to use it up. When I tried it again with an angled foundation brush, the result was better thank goodness.

Apart from that, the product also takes its sweet time to settle on my skin. A little goes a long way for this product and since it contains SPF, it may also cause a whitecast. You don't wanna overapply and end up looking like a geisha. However, the coverage is quite good and it's suitable for daytime use. 

Pros: 

• SPF40 - suitable for daytime use
• Good coverage
• Vacuum pump

Cons:

• Difficult to blend
• Causes whitecast
• Takes a while to settle

Rating: 3.5/5

Price: BND 33.90~36.90 (I forgot!! >.<)

**If you don't have any Etude House locally you can purchase this here!**

Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner Review

Today's review will be about the Wonder Pore Freshner from Etude House!

  

Comes in a pump bottle, similar to Tony Moly Aqua Aura Cleansing Water

This is one of the most highly-raved about product from Etude House. Wonder Pore Freshner claims that it has a 7-in-1 function:

• Deep cleansing pores 
• Maintaining pH level 
• Controlling sebum amount
• Minimizing the pore appearance
• Refining skin tones 
• Maintaining pore elasticity
• Moisturizing

Just like every other Etude House products, the packaging really attracted me. Mine is the 500ml bottle. The difference between this and the 250ml bottle is that the latter doesn't come with the pump. The bottle itself is quite ordinary but I really like the Wonder Woman concept. However, after trying this product for quite some time, I'm honestly a bit disappointed. 

The toner doesn't sting or cause irritation when applied and has an unnoticable smell. It is recommended to apply this toner after cleansing. For me, my skin dries seriously fast after cleansing and that makes it feel tight and hence uncomfortable. After applying this product my skin does feel moisturized and less tight. 

I also noticed that my skin has become less oily after using this product. However, my pores still look like how it used to be when I first started. There seems to be not much changes to the appearance. I'm disappointed because I was really looking forward for improvements on the pore appearance T.T 

I'm still using this toner though cos I find the pump bottle fun to use lol I think it's a novelty :p

Yay:

• Pump bottle
• Affordable for a huge container
• Moisturizes
• Doesn't sting & no irritation 
• No noticable smell

Nay:

• Doesn't minimize pore appearance 

Rating: 3.5/5

Price:  33.90BND

**if you don't have Etude House locally you can purchase this product here!

Holika-Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB Cream #02 Natural Beige Review

Today I will be reviewing Holika-Holika's Aqua Petit Jelly BB Cream. This is probably one of Holika-Holika's bestselling BB Cream. Next to Etude House, I think Holika-Holika has one of the best BB Creams! I have tried a lot of their BB Creams and there is not one that I don't like but so far, this is my favourite. 

When I first saw it I knew I had to get it!

 

The product itself comes in a uniquely-shaped packaging - it is a matte glass packaging that feels smooth to touch. The shape is supposed to resemble a jelly, although at first I didn't notice that until I turned it upsidedown. The glass container is also designed to keep the product inside cool. The glass always feels cool everytime I touch it. Little things like this makes me happy hehe!

I've discarded the box so I can't show you the list of ingredients. Anyways, this bb cream also came with a blending sponge.

Suitable for daytime use as it has SPF 20 PA++.

As you open the cap, you will find a piece of spatula attached. The spatula helps to scoop up the product easier plus it maintains the hygienity. However I don't feel that the spatula is long enough to scoop up the products at the bottom of the container. 

The cream itself has a jelly-like consistency. It even wiggled inside the bottle when I shook it! It feels cool and refreshing when applied onto your skin which is why I like to wear this especially in the morning, it awakens me lol. Not forgetting the smell, it is wonderful! It makes you feel pretty lol. However it doesn't last as long as I wish it would.

It has light texture and sheer coverage on application. Don't even try to build up the coverage otherwise it will make your head looks as if it belongs to a different person! I find it easier to blend the bb cream with my favourite Missha Profesional Rounding Angle Foundation Brush which looks like this:

 

 Swatches:

Pluses: 

• Amazing smell
• Cooling & refreshing when applied
• Unique packaging
•  Comes with spatula & sponge
• Has SPF 20 PA++ 

Minuses:

• Sheer coverage
• May get cakey

Rating: 4/5

Price ~ BND29.90  

Etude House Moistfull Water Jelly Essence

Today's review will be for a product from Etude House, which is my favourite Korean brand. Not only that they are the queen of cute packaging, they also have really good products, yet affordable. I will be reviewing their Moistfull Water Jelly Essence. Please don't quote me but I think this product is discontinued but it is still available in Brunei. 

It was sold as Moistfull Special Set and the set includes Moistfull Massage Pack.

It comes in a glass jar packaging that holds 50ml of product. The lid has the same design as Etude House's Baby Choux Base which is really cute!

The backside. Translation, anyone? >.<

As you can see, I have used up quite a portion of this product since emptying Tony Moly's Fresh Aqua Pure Drop Cream. I like this cream a lot better as is has a lighter texture and a gel-like consistency. It dries up really quickly too. A little goes a long way on your skin for this product. I also noticed that if I applied slightly too much, my face would start feeling sticky! 

It caused me no irritation whatsoever, but I guess I'm not really a good judge for that as my skin isn't really sensitive.

The product has a nice flowery fragrance overall. But one time when I applied it on, I noticed that it gave out a strong fume; the kind of fume that would actually bring tears to your eyes. And that fume I recognized, smelled like ammonia. Lol why T.T

I have also just found out that this product is actually a sleeping pack. I had been using it during the day before I went out but it didn't really make a significant difference to me.  Maybe I need to start learning Korean, I feel so illiterate just looking at the backside of the packaging >.<

Pros:

• Light texture
• Gel consistency
• Dries super fast
• Affordable
• Cute packaging!
• No irritation

Cons:

• Can be sticky when slightly applied too much
• Gave out strong-smelling fume
• Descriptions only come in one language

Rating: 4/5

Price: BND29.90 for the set

Tony Moly Aqua Aura Cleansing Water Review

I have never seen any review about this product yet so here I decided to do it. Hope it helps! 

 Tony Moly Aqua Aura Cleansing Water

It is a water-based cleanser that comes in a pump bottle that makes it really convenient to use. The bottle itself is transparent and contains 215ml of product which is quite a lot! The usage direction and ingredients are clearly displayed in Korean as well as in English at the back of the bottle. Other than that, the packaging is quite ordinary.

How to use: After cleansing heavy make-up, apply adequate amount of the product to a pad and gently sweep over the whole face.
The product has a faint fresh scent and dries out quickly after applied. The thing that bothers me is that I still need to use other make up cleanser to remove my eye make up because this product is mild and it doesn't work well remove my eye make up. However it completely erases my face make up and leaves my face feeling fresh and highly moisturized.

This is my first time trying out water cleanser. When I purchased this product I was actually looking for an eye make up removers. At first try I had to scrub my eyes to get my eyeliner off(which you shouldn't be doing to avoid wrinkles). It was only then that I started reading the usage direction and realised that it is actually used only for light make up >.>" Slow, I know.

Since it is water-based, you don't have to wash your face afterwards but if you're OCD like me, I like to cleanse again with foam cleanser after using this.


So, 

PROS:

• Pump bottle - hygenic & quick to use
• Very moistuizing 
• No need to wash off
• Faint fresh scent

CONS:

• Pricey
• Doesn't work well with eye make up

Rating: 4/5
Price: BND39.90