Current skincare favorites

It might look like I bought a lot of products and threw my money off the window, but rest assured, most of them are cheap samples that I bought to test out lol.

Let’s jump straight into the contents!

People were raving about this toner for the longest time and I had to get my hands on them to try it out. Luckily, they had a mini version so I opted for that since I’m not sure if this will break out my skin or not. I bought mines from Yesstyle.

So far testing it, my skin has not reacted badly, and I must say that this product really lives up to its expectations! The consistency is really watery, but it feels very nourishing and hydrating on the skin. This product will be perfect for spring/fall/winter time since it adds extra hydration. I have yet to try this during summer so I will add more contents when that time comes.

Pony Effect’s Everlasting Cushion Foundation

I always see people reviewing Pony Effect’s products on Youtube but I never got to try one myself since the website I usually shop at doesn’t carry my shade and I’ve always perceived the price tag as being super expensive.

One day I browsed through Yesstyle and realized that they don’t have shade #03 as well. 😦 My current cushion was also running out at that time so I thought, why not just give it a try? There was only Nude Beige (#02) left in stock, so I tried that. Only then I realized that the price tag was high since it came with an extra refill! When the product came, I tried it out immediately, and surprisingly, it fit my skin tone! The finish was also really smooth with medium coverage and the longevity was quite good since I didn’t need to touch up until 6 hours later. Overall impressed! Will definitely repurchase this one.

Clio Kill Cover Glow Cushion in #4 Ginger

You can tell from the image that I didn’t really use this cushion since it has accumulated dust lol. I bought this before I discovered the Pony Effect cushion because the ‘glow’ trend was really big back then. However, I realized that I could only use this in winter since it’s super dewy and oily even during spring! My makeup would look so disgusting after several hours and it just offed me from using it ever again.

It’s quite unfortunate, but I guess I just need to wait for winter to come and see how it goes.

Back to skincare. To be honest … I don’t even know why I purchased these things lol. There was a 40% discount for skincare that contains rose ingredients and these products from Aromatica was on sale because of that. Now, I’ve mentioned before that I’m a sucker for discount sales, so… Yeah… You get it. Moreover, I checked reviews for these two products and most people gave them high ratings. However, I haven’t given them a try yet since I’m trying to finish up my Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum and Pyunkang Yul toner lol. That aside, the packaging is glass! I’m sold.

That’s it for my random skincare and makeup post! Hope you enjoy the randomness as well lol.

Huxley Cushion Unboxing + First Impressions

Stylekorean had Huxley products on a 50% discount so I thought I’d try out the (not so new) cushion they released back then. It was really pricey without the discount so I couldn’t get it, but this time it was only ¥2250 and my current cushion is almost done so I thought why not?

I will start the post with the unboxing pictures followed by my impressions last. Click here to jump into the impressions.

I must say, the packaging is really extra for a cushion. It opens up just like a new iPhone box lol. The cushion case sits right on the top of it. Isn’t the color just pretty?

The cushion filling (it’s not a refill because the cushion case is empty) and the pouch is seated below the first compartment.

So within this box you get: 1 cushion case, 1 cushion filling (with the puff inside), and 1 cushion pouch.

When I took off the seal the first thing that came into my mind was, “Whoa, what a waste!” The amount of foundation (what do you call the cushion contents, anyway?) stuck on the seal was tremendous I feel like it’s a waste to just throw the seal away.

First Impressions

The cushion gives a cool sensation upon application, which is nice, but the coverage is almost non-existent. I’m not surprised by it, though, since the description clearly said that this cushion only claims to give ‘lightweight coverage’. But even for my light blemishes, you need to add another layer to cover it properly. So this cushion is clearly not for people who want to cover up their heavy blemishes/acne.

I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody because of the price, though. Also, they don’t give the best results if you’re looking for a cushion with heavy coverage. ¥4500 for a ‘lightweight moisturizing cushion’ is not worth the money. There are many alternatives out there with cheaper price and equivalent or even better results.

So yeah, unless you have a goddess-like porcelain skin and lots of money to spend, then you better skip this. As much as I love Huxley products, I don’t think this is a good one. (Even though I really love their work on the packaging for this.) They should just stick to their skincare range since I think that would a better thing to focus into if they want to develop their products further. I mean, they don’t even sell a separate refill. I guess that means they’re just making this to rake in more money from packaging-loving people. They’re not expecting people to buy the whole cushion casing + pouch again once the cushion itself ran out, right?

A 3CE Haul

Yay for another haul! (I should really stop buying things.) This time it’s from a brand named 3 Concept Eyes or 3CE for short. It’s a sub-brand for the Korean fashion brand Stylenanda. I actually bought some of the products a few months ago and just added some to the collection recently. Here we go!

Blush, eyeshadow, and lipstick from the Mood Recipe collection

I got their blush in #rosebeige, eyeshadow palette in #smoother, and lipstick #218 Mirrorlike. These are from their Mood Recipe collection and it received a huge attention for quite some time. I don’t really put on makeup much but their colors are so beautiful I couldn’t resist to get myself one. The eyeshadow colors are also subtle so it’s not that obvious if you apply their lighter shades. The blush is also pigmented and has a nice shade as well. The lipstick is a ‘my lips but better’ color but it could accentuate chapped lips so I always moisturize before applying. To be honest, they’re not cheap but their quality compensates for the price.

3CE’s White Milk collection has been popular for quite some time. I got their Pack to Foam which is supposed to be a clay mask for your face. I’ve tried this out once and the clay gives a cooling sensation upon application, which is really nice. The product claims to help reduce blackheads and minimize pores but I still have to test it out more to see the visible results.

Next, I got their hand cream in #baby. As the name proposes, it smells like baby powder which I find kind of soothing lol. I have to say this one’s really pricey since you only get 30ml for 800ish yen but the fragrance is divine and I found it to be more long lasting compared to the Muji hand cream that I have.

Lastly, I got their treatment hair tint in #natural ash. This is another type of tinting hair dye so it doesn’t ruin your hair. It’s supposed to last for one week. I’ve tried out a similar type of tinting hair dye previously and obviously didn’t work because I didn’t bleach my dark hair beforehand lol. I’m planning to bleach my hair but I guess I’ll have the professionals do it because I don’t wanna destroy my already fragile hair. 😥 I’ll probably use this when I go back to my country since hairdressers are way cheaper there.

That ends this haul post! I hope you enjoy reading it as much I enjoy writing about it.

Review: Clio Kill Cover Liquid Founwear Ampoule Cushion (#4 Ginger)

I’ve mentioned this product on my Missha cushion review but then I realized I’ve never got the chance to give this product a shout out, yet. I’ve taken photos of when the product was still fresh and new but eventually forgot to post about it because … well, reasons.

So now I’m gonna review my currently favorite cushion for you!

I got mine from Amazon (as always) for ￥2580 with the darkest shade, #4 Ginger. This box comes with the cushion and an extra refill and puff, which I think is really nice since it makes the price all more worth it! An extra puff is always nice in case you’re too lazy (like me) to wash the puff before changing into a new cushion refill.

Cushion and refill nested inside the box

Ok, let me be honest. The packaging isn’t the most beautiful among all the other cushions I’ve known, but it’s got its own aesthetic. Lol. I’m also going to note that this cushion has a pretty thick container and it is the thickest among all the other cushions I have (two of the others being Missha cushions). The overall diameter of the cushion is also wider than the Missha’s so this might be a little bulky for you if you have a small makeup pouch. Otherwise, I don’t think it’ll cause a problem for the size!

As you can see, this cushion is just normal like all the other cushions out there. In contrary to Missha’s Tension Pact, Clio still uses the original cushion puff to deliver the products, which I admit could be a little bit troublesome when your product’s about to run out because you’ll have to press so hard to get every single drop of product out.

Okay, let’s focus on the coverage and longevity.

As the name suggests, the Kill Cover line is literally killing the cover (in a good way). This cushion could cover almost all of the imperfections on my face, except when I have a severe acne that’s as red as a tomato. The shade also matches my skin pretty nicely with a yellowish undertone. However, this cushion can get cakey if you’re not careful during the application process. It also accentuates dry patches (which is horrible during winter), so beware if you have concerns regarding those.

Longevity wise, I’d have to say it’s average, which sadly contrasts to their claims of being a 24-hour long lasting cushion. It stays put for the first 5 or 6 hours for me when I use a primer (new primer review coming soon!) and powder my face, but then it could also depend on the weather and other factors. Sometimes it breaks down faster when it’s hot and humid and when my skin is producing too much sebum.

One (or two) good things from this product are that it doesn’t feel heavy or transfer after it settles down. I usually just apply a thin layer over my face and that already gives so much coverage so I don’t need to layer it and make my makeup feel heavy instead. Also, once you finish applying the cushion, it won’t transfer or smudge easily (still beware if you use white clothes) so you don’t need to worry about retouching your makeup every now and then!

Verdict

For acne prone and face with lots of scarring like me, this product does it’s job quite well to cover those things! Though the longevity might be an issue for others, it could be tackled by applying primer and setting powder. Moreover, you can get the cushion and refills for a good price and still be happy with the overall quality of the product! Absolute fave!

Review: Missha The Original Tension Pact (Shade 23)

I wanted to give this cushion a shot after I watched several Youtube videos and blog post reviews about how wonderful this cushion is. Another reason was that my first cushion brand was Missha, which I am quite fond of. This retails slightly more expensive than the original Magic Cushion and has more variety as well.

Can we talk about the packaging? I have to say that the packaging actually lured me in to purchase this cushion. The cover is topped with another glass to give that slightly holographic look, which is cool. They also have the rose gold metallic edges which makes this cushion aesthetically pleasing.

Ok. Onto the details. I got the Perfect Cover type with the shade 23. I usually get the darkest shade because it matches my skin tone well. However, I have to say that this cushion has a slightly lighter shade compared to other number 23 cushions that I have purchased. But the difference isn’t too visible, so it’s still okay for me. This product also has a lower SPF compared to the Magic Cushion (SPF 50 / PA+++) with only SPF 37/ PA++.

This tension cushion is different compared to the normal Magic Cushion by Missha because of the delivery system. The tension pact uses a net filter to deliver the foundation evenly onto your puff so you don’t need to dab too hard to get your products out. Just one light tap could provide enough product to cover (it has a decent coverage) your entire face lightly. Overall, I think the new mesh system is quite a nice change from the usual sponge type, but here comes the downside.

This cushion foundation won’t stay still. It transfers so easily that it leaves marks if you accidentally swipe your face or something. I found it very hard to apply it to the crevices of my nose because every time I apply dab a little harder on my face, it will look like that I’ve just stamped a circle shaped foundation onto my face. I have to blend out things several times before I get the desirable results. I’ve also tried setting it with a loose powder, but it didn’t work that well.

Longevity wise, I think that it didn’t have that much of a lasting power. It wears off really fast, especially near my nose area because I wear glasses. It kinda melts under the heat as well …

Verdict

The only good thing I can say about this cushion is probably the packaging and coverage. There are too many downsides so I don’t think that I will be repurchasing this cushion in the future. I still like the Kill Cover cushion by Clio better for the overall results.