5 must-buy cosmetics in Korea

It has been ages since I've written my last post ! And now having the time to write reminds me of how much I love writing and sharing good products. 

So a few months ago I went to Korea for pleasure, of course. As all of you girls know, Korea equals to cosmetic paradise. Perhaps not the plastic surgery kind of cosmetic for me personally, but the real cosmetics products. 

And being a cosmetics fan, trust me when I say I've spent a bomb on them. Before flying to Kimchi-land (and as the usual me), I've been doing my handwork and reading tones of reviews on the best cosmetics to buy from Korea.  If you're on a budget, it can be really tough to decide on what to buy so that you're not missing out. To make your life easier and with much consideration, I've decided to write a post on the Top 5 cosmetics you must buy from Korea (in my opinion though).

1. Innisfree No-sebum mineral powder

This Innisfree No-sebum mineral powder is #1 on my list. Having oily skin and forever oily t-zone, this is literally my life saver. So what it basically does is that it mattifies your face and for me, it really made my face oil-free for the entire day (I am not exaggerating). The one in green container is non-tinted. It is just white powder and when you apply it on your face it is basically colourless. I like to apply after my liquid foundation. For the one in white container, it is tinted with beige-coloured powder. 

Damage: Around 9 SGD, worth every penny. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Skin Food black sugar series 

The Skin Food black sugar series has so many good reviews on them ! Because currently I have too many facial mask, I've yet to try out both the wash off mask. But just looking at the online reviews make me so excited already. A few days ago I started using the bottle of Black Sugar Scrub Foam. I remember my first reaction when I scrub it on my face was, WOW. It smells sooooo good and after scrubbing it on my face, my skin feels so smooth and clean, really. I love it, too much. For me I use them every other day. Now my boyfriend is secretly using my facial scrub too lol. 

Damage: Around 9-15 SGD ( can't really remember) 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 3. Innisfree Jeju Volcanic pore clay mask

This is definitely one of my favourite mask. I feel that it really cleanse your skin deep down inside and after washing off my skin feels extremely clean. I use it once a week. And I been recommending my friends to purchase!

Damage: Around 30 SGD

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Banila co Clean it Zero.

Other than loving my all time favourite make up remover from Bifesta (read here), the Banila co Clean it Zero make up remover is as good as well. I love how it removes my make up without having to use a cotton wool. It is convenient and it is able to remove my make up with just a small amount of the product without feeling oily or anything. However, it does not remove waterproof mascara. If only it can, I'd be over the moon.  

Damage: Around 20 SGD (kinda pricey as compared to my Bifesta though)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Some cosmetics brand that are not originated from Korea ?

While I was doing some window shopping in the airport in Jeju, I chance upon some cosmetics counters such as Clarins, Shiseido, MAC, YSL ect.  Weirdly, surprisingly, the things they sell there are much cheaper than in Singapore/ Malaysia. For example, Clarins' UV plus is selling for around 72 SGD (provided if you buy it in Changi airport) in Singapore and around RM260 in Malaysia. I wanted to buy the other time, but I find it too expensive, hence I chose Shiseido's Wet Force instead. Believe it or not, the Clarins' UV Plus was selling roughly around 50-55 SGD only in Jeju airport ! Of course, I grab 2 immediately. 

Same to Shiseido's wet force UV, it was relatively cheaper in Korea. While in Singapore, I got mine around 60 SGD, while in the Korea they sold it roughly around 40 SGD. $20 dollars is a lot of difference!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope this post helps for those planning to go Korea or those who are now in Korea and currently googling what cosmetics to buy in Korea. Enjoy, xoxo. 

3CE Mini haul [Review]

The 3 concept eyes (3CE) is a very popular cosmetic brand originated from Korea. The average price of the 3ce products are comparable to MAC cosmetics. However, are they really worth the price? Well you're gonna know by the end of this post.

Here's what I've owned and what I'm gonna review about in this post:

  3CE lipstick in #604 Vamp

 3CE lipstick in #601 Deep Kisser

 3CE lip lacquer in Pink Boom

 3CE full coverage concealer in #001

  3CE liquid eyeliner in #Brown

Let's begin  !

LIPSTICKS.

Being a lipstick junkie, I have to say I really love their lipsticks. First of all, its very pigmented and it glides on smoothly onto the lips. Also, it is not drying and doesn't bleed. However, you'd have to touch up after meals as its quite transferable. To note, it does stains your lips a little so make sure that you remove it thoroughly with a lipstick remover by the end of the day.

I have two shades of lipsticks here. One is in #604 Vamp and one is in  #601 Deep Kisser. I love both shades! #604 Vamp is a gorgeous vampy dark berry shade; while #601 Deep Kisser is a bright pink shade that comes with slight purplish undertone. Both lipsticks are not matte, but maybe satin. 

Price : About RM80-RM100 

#604 Vamp

Wearing #604 Vamp in full lips.

 #601 Deep Kisser

Wearing #601 Deep Kisser with a gradient effect ( lips covered with a lip concealer and only dapping the lipstick on the inner part of the lips)

 #601 Deep Kisser in full lips.

Left: #604 Vamp ; Right:  #601 Deep Kisser

Left: #604 Vamp ; Right:  #601 Deep Kisser

LIP LACQUER.

If I have to choose between the 3CE lipstick or the 3CE lip lacquer, I'd go for the latter. I adore their lip lacquer ! Firstly and very importantly, it is matte finishing (!!!) and the colour in Pink Boom is fantastic. Although it is matte, it is not drying. However, it sometimes does sinks into the lip line but it is not quite noticeable.  It is a neon-ish hot pink that I am sure goes well with all skin tones and doesn't make your lips appear yellowish. I love wearing it with a gradient effect - only dapping it on the inner lips rather than full lips. I love the doe-foot applicator that comes with it. But the bottle can be quite messy sometimes (as evident).

Price: About RM80-100

Wearing Pink Boom in a gradient effect.

FULL COVERAGE CONCEALER.

I'm sorry to keep repeating myself, but I really love the 3CE full coverage concealer in #001 as well. You know you hate it when you put on an under eye concealer and it sinks into the fine lines under your eyes after awhile? I know I do. With this concealer, it doesn't do that for the entire day (YESSSSS!) Besides, other than using it under the eyes, it can be used as a lip concealer to get that gradient lips effect (learnt from the official Stylenanda website). Oh , you can use it as a highlighter for the T-zone as well. It does help with my under eye dark circles, however I wish the coverage was a little bit better !

Price: About RM80-100

LIQUID EYE LINER.

Have you been looking for that eyeliner that doesn't smudge even for oily eyelids like me? I've tried quite a few eyeliners that claimed that it is smudge proof, but alot of them did not work for me and I still end up looking like a panda by the end of the day :/Well, I am extremely happy that I finally found a really SMUDGE PROOF liquid eyeliner. This 3CE liquid eyeliner DOES NOT SMUDGE FOR THE ENTIRE DAY, YEAH NO KIDDING. However, if you scratch it, it does comes off easily. I really love mine in #Brown as it looks very much more natural. When it dries, it doesn't become matte though, it ends with a glossy finishing. 

Price: About RM60. 

Semi-dry. 

Wearing 3CE liquid eyeliner in Brown.

In conclusion, I really love the products from 3CE and I think it is worth the value. I'd definitely buy more of their products especially their lip lacquer.  Hope this post helps! xoxo

NYX soft matte lip cream in Copenhagen

I've added a new shade to my all-time favourite NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream (SMLC) collection in the shade Copenhagen. I'd usually go for pinkish/peachy/nudish lip colour and I seldom wear dark colour lipstick. However, after trying Copenhagen, I'm now extremely in loveeee with darker shade lip colours / or you can call it the vampy lips :O 

The Copenhagen is a gorgeous berry shade, which is just such a heart breaker. If you haven't read it, you can check out Istanbul and Antwerp here, both from the NYX SMLP collection as well. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Swatch: 

Before

After

WHERE TO BUY?

Sephora

PRICE?

$10.50 - 11.50 sgd

PROS:

Perfect shade for all skin tone
Given a huge collection of lipsticks, this is my very first darker shade berry lip colour and I love it to core. It looks amazing and I feel amazing. It's suitable for everyone! Looks good on Asian too. Doesn't make the teeth appear yellowish at all.


Very wearable
Daytime/nighttime, not a problem.


Not drying at all
Doesn't dry out your lips or make your lips peel ! really.


Creamy and easy to apply
I can just apply with the doe foot applicator without a lip liner or lip brush, and still get it perfectly applied.


Super affordable
Affordable and of good quality, it is heaven to me.

CONS:
Transferability 
Might need to reapply after meals, but I'm totally fine with it.

RATINGS: 

Easily 5 / 5

xoxo 

Hoola Benefit Bronzer

I've recently been so hooked to face contouring but I've yet to own a bronzer, hence I went to read tones of reviews of a good bronzer and I decided to get Hoola from Benefit that is quite highly raved! FYI, Hoola is one of the best-selling product from Benefit.

So, what a bronzer does is it adds shadows to your face and therefore make your face appear slimmer (if you do it correctly).  However, you do not want to over contour it else you'll look so weird and unnatural. Like many girls out there, it's not an everyday-essential to my daily make up routine. I only use it when there are occasions or when I really really feel like using it. 

Hoola comes with a brush. It's kinda rough though, but I'm fine with it. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Swatches : 

Applied Hoola on my cheekbones, some on the temple and on the nose bridge. 

WHERE TO BUY?

Sephora 

PRICE?

$50 sgd

PROS: 

Matte appearance 

Hoola makes a very good bronzing powder because its matte ! As compared to shimmery bronzers, a matte one would definitely appear more natural when its applied onto the face. 

Average pigmentation 

The bronzing powder is not too highly pigmented, which is good for a natural-looking contour. If it's super pigmented, you'll definitely get a very harsh, un-natural looking line on the cheekbone easily, which you would want to avoid. 

Good longevity 

Stays on the face for the entire day. 

CONS:

Expensive 

I personally think that it's rather expensive :O

RATINGS?

4.5 / 5

xoxo.

Want to get it from Amazon? Click below. 

YSL Rouge Volupté Silky-Sensual Radiant Lipstick in (01) Nude Beige

If you're a lipstick sucker (like me), then the YSL Rouge Volupté Silky-Sensual Radiant Lipstick range would not be something unfamiliar to you. And if you've yet to own one, keep on reading as I'll share my views and opinions about the YSL Rouge Volupté, and whether or not it is worth the buy.  

What made me thought of getting the YSL Rouge Volupté Silky-Sensual Radiant Lipstick in the shade Nude beige (01) was because there was one time I was desperately looking for the perfect nudish-pink lipstick. Through youtube videos and blogs, I saw tones of people raving about this particular shade. Besides, the packaging of the YSL Rouge Volupté has an award-winning, to-die-for metal casing. As it is quite costly, after much consideration, I decided to get one for myself. 

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Swatches :

YSL Rouge Volupté Silky-Sensual Radiant Lipstick in Nude beige (01) 

Where to buy?

Any YSL counters. But I bought mine in Singapore's Changi airport.

Price ?

Actually my boyfriend was the one who got it for me, he remembered it was around $50 sgd

PROS:

Absolutely perfect/classy/stunning lipstick casing

This is by far the most beautiful lipstick case I've ever had in my lipstick collection. The perfect gold with the YSL logos around it is just too hot to handle.

Smells fantastic 

Absolutely love the scent of the lipstick. The super fruity scent just lights up my mood whenever I apply it. It smells beyond amazing, trust me.

Super creamy
Very easy to apply.

CONS:
The major downside of the lipstick: will bleed into lip lines
Because it's super creamy, it bleeds easily into my lip lines and it appears very streaky and accentuates the lip lines, which is not very presentable :/ It happened quite a few times and I was so disappointed with the product until recently I went to google how to prevent it. The following tips is my life saver: Apply a nude-colour lip liner all over your lips prior to applying the lipstick, I swear, it works like magic. No more streaky lips anymore! 



More suitable for tan-skinned girls
Because I am an Asian I have yellowish-skin, I feel that this shade doesnt really compliment my skin tone. However, I bet it'd look fantastic on really fair / tanned girls.

Would I repurchase?

If I have the money, of course I would. If you've not own one of the YSL Rouge Volupté Silky-Sensual Radiant Lipstick, I think it is okay to invest in a shade that you really love. But because it is so pricey, I personally feel that there is no need to spurge on, and owning one or two is already sufficient. I still feel that there are cheaper yet equally good lipsticks available in the market. 

To buy from Amazon, click below !

xoxo