Korean Beauty Haul

This one was a long time coming. I've been very keen to try out more Korean makeup and skin care, especially with the advent of the newest "it" product: cushion compacts. My Queen Lisa Eldridge kicked things off, but it was watching this video from Shaaanxo that finally pushed me over the edge. Right after watching her video, I placed an order. I bought everything from Beauty Net Korea since that's where Shannon shops from (plus she said the shipping was fast).

When a colleague from work recently vacationed in South Korea, she told me that it was a beauty lover's heaven. Rows upon rows of dedicated beauty and skin care stores that one could easily spend days immersed in. I'm almost afraid to ever go there knowing any travel companion would probably want to slaughter me by the end of our trip. That's if they could ever drag me out of the shops.

I probably spent at least one whole hour trawling through the website, figuring out what to buy. I had never tried any of the products before, so everything was a blind buy. In the end, I purchased (all prices are in US dollars):

• Innisfree Water Glow Cushion in True Beige (#23) ($22.49)
• BBIA Downy Cheek in Downy Lavender (#4) ($6.29)
• Etude House Bling Bling Eye Stick in Little Bear Star (#10) ($5.99)
• Holika Holika Jewel Light Marble Cushion Eyes in Orange Cappuccino (#4) and Brownie Brown (#5) ($7.99 each)
• Skin Food Black Sugar Mask Wash Off ($10.49)
• Tony Moly Tomatox Magic Massage Pack ($10.54)

For some reason, they gave me a 10% "membership discount" so the total came to $64.66 USD. All up I paid $87.78 via PayPal for 7 items. Shipping took between 2 to 3 weeks, so not what I'd call speedy. But passable for free delivery.

I was looking forward to receiving the fabled shit-tonne of samples that come with a Korean beauty haul (especially since I made a fairly large order by my own standards), but I was somewhat disappointed to get a few tiny sachets of stuff that didn't particularly interest me. Maybe a contributing factor was I had the parcel shipped to my dad's work address, so I received unisex/male-oriented samples. The best of the lot was the Tony Moly Banana Hand Milk sample. Nice texture and truly smells of bananas. A+ for novelty.

Now that I've had a good play with everything, I'd say my order was only about 60% successful. There's nothing that I super love, a boo-boo from the vendor, and one MASSIVE fail on my part.

These Holika Holika Jewel Light Marble Cushion Eyes were the main reason I was compelled to place an order. When I saw Shaaanxo rave about them (describing them as "phenomenal", "not even showing up as beautiful on [her] hand as they do in real life" and likening them to Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill shadows), I was overcome by NEED. Unfortunately, I don't think I share Shannon's enthusiasm. They're fine and all, but nothing special. The thickish plastic packaging is adequate but still feels and looks on the cheap side. The entire chunk of shadow in my #4 came dislodged from its pan and was stuck to the lid, so I had to manually press it back into the pan.

These have a very smooth, creamy but not dense and wet, cushiony, emollient but not greasy, silky texture. I find the pigmentation does need to be built up as it's easy to sheer out to the point it becomes mostly whitish shimmer. The glitter in them does flash different colours up close, but I don't know if it's that apparent on the lids.

Holika Holika Jewel Light Marble Cushion Eyes in Brownie Brown (#5)

Brownie Brown looks relatively cool-toned on me with hints of taupe and pewter, which I'm not overly thrilled about. I much prefer warmer tones on my eyes as I find them easier to wear and more flattering with my skin tone. It reminded me a lot of Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze, except Bad to the Bronze is more metallic than shimmery, with more intense pigmentation and lasting power, and perhaps slightly more neutral.

Holika Holika Jewel Light Marble Cushion Eyes in Orange Cappuccino (#4)

Though it's not a usual choice for me, I'm a bit happier with Orange Cappuccino. This one seems more eye-catching and unique than the usual bronzes and browns that dominate my eyeshadow collection. It's a very spring/summer shade that I can imagine paired with bronzer and a bright lip (this tutorial by Karima McKimmie, where she uses the similar-looking MAC Paint Pot in Coral Crepe, comes to mind).

l-r: Orange Cappuccino, Brownie Brown

l-r: Orange Cappuccino, Brownie Brown

l-r: Urban Decay Chopper, Holika Holika Orange Cappuccino, Holika Holika Brownie Brown, Maybelline Bad to the Bronze

l-r: Urban Decay Chopper, Holika Holika Orange Cappuccino, Holika Holika Brownie Brown, Maybelline Bad to the Bronze

Innisfree Water Glow Cushion in True Beige (#23)

Of course I couldn't make a Korean beauty order without placing one of these into my cart. Beauty Net Korea stocked a few brands offering cushion compacts, but for some reason I was drawn to Innisfree. I really don't know why, especially considering it was one of the pricier options on the website.

I did my requisite preliminary research before putting the Water Glow Cushion (SPF50+/PA+++) in True Beige (#23) into my cart. True Beige was the darkest colour, and despite reading a review that specifically estimated it to match NC 15, I went full steam ahead anyway. The darkest shade out of three shades only matching NC 15? That couldn't possibly be right, I told myself. Surely it would be at least NC 20. Ideally, between NC 20 and NC 25 which is where I sit.

FAIL.

This is way too light for me. Not wearable. The only way I can make it work is if I go in with Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base over my entire face with something like the Ecotools Retractable Kabuki Brush. Then what's the point? I can never judge the cushion on its own merits when I'm effectively covering it with a totally different product. The whole process of using the included sponge to apply my base, then carefully and diligently buffing cream bronzer all over takes about 5 times longer than applying a liquid foundation that actually matches me with my Real Techniques Multi Task Brush. No thanks.

As for the product itself, I'm not won over. In line with the Korean beauty ethos of youthful, dewy skin, I was expecting almost intolerable levels of glow, bordering on shininess (or as Lisa E. observed, "gwang"), but the result was far from it. Honestly, more than anything, it reminded me so much of Jouer Matte Moisture Tint in Linen. A foundation I recently chucked in the bin because a) I almost never used it b) it was too light for me (had to also bronze with the Chanel) c) it always felt like it dried up my skin and highlighted any dry patches or areas of uneven texture d) I disliked the matte finish e) the packaging said it expired in September 2014, possibly due to the inclusion of sunscreen.

No doubt this cushion will eventually suffer the same fate as the Jouer. That, or I'll try to give it away to a paler-skinned friend. But seriously, I did not get dewiness or hydration from it, contrary to what a name like "Water Glow" would suggest. I get much more of that with my Western foundations, like Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum or my #1 foundation love of the moment, YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat.

I was sent the wrong BBIA Downy Cheek cream blush (Downy Peach rather than Downy Lavender). I would normally select a shade like Downy Peach, but I specifically attempted to venture out of my comfort zone by picking a milky purple which seemed slightly more editorial/experimental. I guess this is the universe's way of telling me to stick with what I know?

I contacted Beauty Net Korea who were apologetic and offered to send me the correct shade or refund my money. I replied and requested the first option but never received a further response or confirmation the right product has been shipped. I guess I can only wait and see if a package shows up eventually.

l-r: Stila Gerbera, BBIA Downy Peach, Revlon Pinched

Predictably, Downy Peach is very similar to cream blushes in my stash. Colour-wise, it's a cross between Stila Convertible Color in Gerbera and Revlon Photo Ready Cream Blush in Pinched. Gerbera is more pink but a similar lightness to Downy Peach. Pinched is lighter in colour, sheerer, less pink, with a subtle golden sheen. Texture wise, it's thinner and more emollient than the Stila Convertible Colors, which are thicker and creamier. They're closer in feel and consistency to Illamasqua Cream Blushers. Downy Peach blends seamlessly and evenly into the skin and is a complexion-beautifying bright-but-pastel colour.

For something called the Skin Food Black Sugar Mask, this smells nothing like its name would suggest. If you were hoping for a scrumptious raw sugar scent, prepare yourself for disinfectant lemon instead. Fragrance aside, the mask is effectively exfoliating. The instructions say to apply to a damp, cleansed face and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Your skin feels very soft when you're washing it off, though I can't help but feel slight paranoia that the granulated texture might be too harsh.

The Tony Moly Tomatox Magic Massage Pack stung like a mofo when I applied it. I endured the pain and after a few minutes, it subsided. It has a borderline-cloying light floral scent which reminded me of Pond's night cream or something. Apparently it can be used as both a mask or cream, though given the stinging, I'd hesitate to wear it as a cream. I left it on for 15 minutes before washing it off. I've only tried it once so I can't really comment on any noticeable benefits, but on first impressions it seemed like a decent all-rounder. It somewhat pepped up my skin, clarified it and provided some hydration, though I definitely had to moisturise afterwards. Packaging-wise, anything that could double as a food prop gets a tick from me.

Etude House Bling Bling Eye Stick in Little Bear Star (#10)

l-r: KIKO 06, Etude House Little Bear Star

I bought the Etude House Bling Bling Eye Stick in Little Bear Star hoping it would be similar to my beloved KIKO Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 06, so you can see what a success that was. Having said that, though the colour match is way off, this is one of the better products in this haul. It is similar to the KIKO in the sense both are smooth-applying, convenient twist up shadow sticks with great pigmentation. The colour reminds me a bit of my equally adored Essence Eye Soufflé in Pas des Copper. It applies to my lids as a warm, lustrous, light-to-medium gold. Not dark enough to provide adequate definition on its own like the KIKO, but a good base or option for a deliberately lighter, pared down, lazy weekend look.

Party Popper Nails

Remember when I was obsessed with tracking down the limited edition Face of Australia Glitterati nail polishes a couple of years ago? Probably not. But the fixation was real. With the help of friends, I managed to find and buy all 8 polishes in the collection. After the pursuit was over though, I immediately lost interest (gotta love human nature). Recently, I was drawn again to Boogie Wonderland as I remembered it'd been a long time since I last wore it. It's a milky, multicoloured confection packed with "small orange, blue, purple and magenta hex glitter with blue and green curls, iridescent bars and huge holographic hexagonal pieces in a whitish blue base". And yes, I had to quote myself just then, since I evidently was much more observant and descriptive with nail polish back in 2013. I don't think I could have come up with that now if you asked me.

I decided to paint a base of Nails Inc. Porchester Square since Boogie Wonderland is a pale blueish-white on its own. That means it's perfect for transforming any base colour to a lighter, more pastel version of itself. In the pictures, my nails look more blue, but in real life it's more of a pale, ever so slightly purplish mushroom/taupe/grey shade.

What I love about Boogie Wonderland, apart from the fact it looks like someone unleashed a party popper on your nails, is that it's a brilliant layering polish. There's a translucency to it which means it won't completely overpower any colour you paint underneath, but the formula remains very smooth, not too thick or thin, and a breeze to apply evenly. I needed only 2 coats to achieve the glitter density pictured, which I thought was pretty impressive given how much is going on. I was able to get a good mix of everything without having to try too hard to achieve a balanced spread.

As always, I painted a coat of my beloved Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat to seal everything in and speed up the drying process. In the past few days, I've received multiple compliments and people asking me if my nails are shellac. I tend to get bored of nail polish easily (it's not uncommon for me to get rid of a nail polish only a day after painstakingly applying it the previous night), but this combination has been going strong for a week now with no signs of imminent disinterest.

April Favourites

April involved more retail therapy and rain than usual. I had a couple of weeks off work but nowhere fun to go, so I shopped fairly liberally in lieu of taking a plane somewhere (and shopping there). I also took a weekend trip to Canberra to visit a friend, where we saw the James Turrell exhibit at the National Gallery of Australia (highly recommended, a very cool experience) and ate at a couple of fancyish places (Pod Food at Pialligo, Grazing at Gundaroo). Then the weather in Sydney decided to be crazy with flooding and severe storms. I even was allowed to go home early from work one day as a precaution, which is unprecedented. Makeup wise, I've been enjoying a mix of new and old products. Eyeshadow palettes in particular stole the show: one a rediscovery and the other a recent purchase I've finally made my mind up on — and it's love.

MUA Eyeshadow Palette in Heaven and Earth
I forget just how good this palette is since on a day-to-day basis, I reach more for my higher end neutral eyeshadow palettes. But this palette is basically everything you'd need in terms of satin/shimmery neutral shadows, at an incredibly affordable price point. There's an abundance of choice in terms of mid-tone, all-over lid shades, with some beautiful highlighting colours (the pinky pearlescent one, fourth from the left in the top row, is a stunner — and could easily double as a face highlight), and deeper, richer shades to darken and add dimension. The overall colour selection is warm, with a mix of luscious chocolate browns, complex taupes, golds, coppers and bronzes. Pigmentation is on point and most of the shades have minimal fall out. Full review with swatches here.

l-r: Cocoa Chili, Rum Raisin, Bon Bon, Caramel

l-r: Peanut Butter, Butter Pecan, Pink Sugar, Nougat

Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette
It took me a while to warm up to this palette (this mostly negative tweet back in February sums up my initial thoughts), but now I'm completely won over by it. I like it just as much as the original Chocolate Bar Palette, if not more. I've been favouring very warm eyeshadow looks recently and the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar has been perfect. I have so many favourite shades that I'd be listing most of the colours in the palette: Peanut Butter, Cocoa Chili, Rum Raisin, Bon Bon, Caramel, Nougat. The shimmery highlight shade Butter Pecan is an absolutely gorgeous face highlight (thanks to emilynoel83 for the tip) and Pink Sugar, the multifaceted sparkly glitter top coat, glimmers so beautifully when it's placed in the inner third of the eye. All the colours seem to work harmoniously despite so much choice in the shade selection, from light to dark, shimmers, mattes and glitters. My only gripe is the darker shades like Hot Fudge, Frosting and Cocoa Chili do have a lot of fall out because of the soft texture of the shadows, so be mindful to tap off any excess from the brush before applying them. Swatches of each of the shades here.

IT Cosmetics Live Beauty Fully Complexion Powder Brush #225 + Guerlain Météorites Compact Light-Revealing Powder in Medium (03)
The Complexion Powder Brush was another item I asked my friend to buy me when she was in the States, since I figured if she was going to Ulta to pick up the Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection Flat Contour Brush, she might as well buy this one in the same trip. I have to seize my chance to grab as many Ulta exclusives as possible after all. If it wasn't for Tiffany, I wouldn't even have known of the existence of this brush. At first, I wasn't 100% convinced whether it was worth $36 USD (about $50 with tax), especially with its apparent similarity to the Real Techniques Blush Brush which is a quarter of the price at $8.99 USD. At $50, I expect a lot from a brush. Thankfully, after using it for a couple of weeks weeks, it's become one of my favourite brushes — certainly my preferred powder brush. It's ultra, ultra soft, but still fairly dense in terms of bristles, so it distributes product evenly but finely. The tapered shape is perfect to get around the curves of the face, but it's still large enough so product isn't concentrated on any particular area. I've been pairing it with the Guerlain Météorites Compact Light-Revealing Powder to set my foundation in the mornings and add that extra bit of glow to my makeup. The Guerlain powder gives the skin a subtle, largely undetectable boost of ethereal luminosity which surprisingly lasts almost all day.

Girlz Only Haircare Dry Shampoo XXL Volume-Plus
I bought this on the recommendation of a friend who swears by it. At $2.50 (2 for $5 at Target), it was worth testing out. Now I'm definitely looking to restock. Considering it's 3-4 times cheaper than the two other dry shampoos I use, Batiste and Klorane, this is a gem of a find. Firstly, I like that I can spray it liberally but it doesn't weigh down my hair or make it feel like there's a tonne of product in it. It doesn't come out like a fire extinguisher the way my Batiste and Klorane do, rather, the spray seems finer and the product less detectable (it won't leave your hair looking like you just poured talcum powder all over it). It requires a bit of building up in that I usually spray down the middle, then part my hair to each side and spray, then spray a section at the back of my hair, then one or two spritzes closer to my hairline. I feel like I use a lot more product than with my Klorane or Batiste, but unlike those two brands, the can doesn't feel a quarter emptied after each use. In fact, I've used it twice a week for several weeks now, and it still feels about half full. Each use prevents me from having to wash my hair for another 1-2 days, keeps oiliness to acceptable standards and injects some fresh volume into greasy, limp locks. It's powerfully scented with some nondescript fruity sweet fragrance, but it fades quickly and isn't offensive-smelling.

Max Factor Xperience Volumising Mascara
This was a freebie in some beauty goody bag that I've been saving for a while now, and I finally cracked it open this month. I'm pretty sure this is the exact same as the Masterpiece Max mascara, one of my all-time favourites. Max Factor mascaras are seriously underrated. What I like most about it is that it manages to really catch onto every lash and coat it, while maintaining separation and avoiding clumping. It's a very defining mascara, while still ticking all the boxes in terms of darkening, lengthening and voluminising. A solid all-rounder. It's also brilliant for the lower lashes and doesn't smudge or flake off during the day.

Maybelline Rose Redefined

Maybelline Color Sensational Color Elixir in Rose Redefined (090)
I previously dismissed this shade as disappointingly ho-hum, but this past month, I've really enjoyed popping this in the makeup bag and applying it during the day. It's actually quite a pretty, face-brightening, medium warm pink that's so easy to throw on. A very accessible, non-intimidating, everyday colour that I imagine would be flattering on most skin tones. You can wear it relatively sheer for just a wash of glossy pink, or built up for a stronger lacquered lip. The texture is ultra cushiony and comfortable on the lips. It's plush and moisturising without being sticky or gloopy in any way. Plus, it has a subtly sweet caramel/vanilla scent.