Mini Review & Swatches: Etude House Sugar Tint Balm in #2 Cranberry Pie

Today I will be doing a mini review and swatch post on the Etude House Sugar Tint Balm

The Etude House Sugar Tint Balm is a food inspired tint balm line. 8 different shades from nude to burgundy. The consistency of this lip tint is a balm type that is quite pigmented. It is semi-opaque and buildable. 

The packaging comes with a screw off lid similar to one of my favorite lip balms, the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment. I find this is similar to that in many ways. Both are moisturizing and of smooth consistency. They both also have a subtle lemon scent to them. 

Swatches: 2 swipes on left, 1 swipe on right.

I was surprised just how pigmented this was for a balm. For some reason I was thinking along the lines of Revlon's Lip Butters but this is significantly more pigmented than I had imagined. The finish is quite glossy and balm-like.

One layer of the Sugar Tint Balm

With 2 layers of the Sugar Tint Balm

Although I find it to be buildable, it does not seem to go beyond 3 layers. This is very easy to put on to brighten your entire makeup look easily or on the go.

I purchased one of these to see how it turns out and it has far exceeded my expectations. I will be ordering more, and will do a full review when I receive those.

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Review: Innisfree Creammellow and Color Glow Lipsticks

Today I will be reviewing 3 Innisfree Creammellow lipsticks and 1 Innisfree Color Glow lipstick.

Innisfree's Creammellow lipsticks: Creamy lipstick with moist appearance

Innisfree Color Glow: Saturated pigment lipstick with glow

The colors I've purchased is the Color Glow #1 Black Tea Beige and the Creammellow in: #10 Latte Brown, #4 Coral Grapefruit Tea, #8 Moistful Dewy Red

Creammellow #8 Moistful Dewy Red

#4 Coral Grapefruit Tea

Creammellow #10 Latte Brown

Color Glow #1 Black Tea Beige

Swatches from left to right: Color Glow #1 Black Tea Beige, CreamMellow #10 Latte Brown, CreamMellow #4 Coral Grapefruit Tea, CreamMellow #8 Moistful Dewy Red

Swatches from left to right: Color Glow #1 Black Tea Beige, CreamMellow #10 Latte Brown, CreamMellow #4 Coral Grapefruit Tea, CreamMellow #8 Moistful Dewy Red

Where to buy:

I purchased mine from Jolse Cosmetics for about $13 each, but InnisfreeWorld and other online retailers sell this as well.

My Experience: 

I was very surprised how pigmented all of these colors were. They were nearly opaque after only one swipe. The finish is dewy/satin which I find is more wearable than matte or glossy lipsticks. The packaging is very sturdy and secure from heat, and the color indicators on the bottom are very helpful when picking lip colors. The fragrance is very light and smells like fruit candy. I find all of these lipsticks were very smooth and blendable and did not emphasize my dry lips. The wear time on these are about 4 hours and the red color left a stain on my lips.

Conclusion: 

I highly recommend this lipstick. It is very easy to apply and all of the colors look really great and saturated. They can be applied full or gradient because they are easy to blend. The downside is that you will have to reapply this lipstick because the wear time is only 4 hours. Overall, I really like this lipstick and I find it to be suitable for every day wear.

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Review: Etude House Dear My WIsh Lips Talk Lipsticks (OR202, BE101, PK003, RD301)

Color: OR202, light orange-pink/coral

BE101: Medium pink-beige

PK003: Magenta Red

RD301: Red with a hint of pink

Swatches (left to right): RD301, PK003, BE101, RD301

What it looks like first applied: Glossy and pigmented

What they look like smudged. If you are wearing gradient lips, they will look more like this.

Tint left over from a 5 minute swatch after washing with face wash

All shades for the lipstick

Where to buy:

I purchased this item online from Etude House, but many sellers also sell this item online so it is very easily attainable. The price of this is around $8 USD

My experience: 

All of the lipsticks are very pigmented and glossy. I was very impressed because I was used to paying $16+ for lipsticks here in the US, but these were just as good if not better at half the cost. They are are very blendable and smooth. The finish is a little glossy, but is matte if you use it for gradient lips. The lipstick leaves a color stain so it will not completely rub off throughout the day which is great. I find the red colors leave the most pigmented stains. The wear time is about 4-5 hours, the stain stays for the rest of the day for me (8+ hours). I find I need to be careful as a coffee drinker because the cup will rub off a lot of the lipstick if I'm not careful.

Conclusion: 

This is a great lipstick at a low price. The color is pigmented and very comfortable on the lips. The only negative aspect of this is that you have to be careful about eating/drinking with this lipstick on since it transfers. This lipstick comes in 10 different shades, but most fall in the category of pinks or neutrals.

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Shows: Get It Beauty ep. 4 Blind Test 2015 Top Hair Products

Today I will be looking back on Get It Beauty's top rated hair products. These were all rated by experts, people online, and "The Better Girls".

Ranked #5

Aesop Shine
(25ml)

3235/500pts

Price: Around $35

Mentioned in show: Hydrating high concentrate Jojoba oil, sweet almond oil and vitamin F for hair shine.

Ranked #4

Aveda Dry Remedy Daily Moisturizing Oil
(30ml) 

282/500pts

Price: Around $27

Mentioned in the show: Silicone-free, not stick, and Buruti oil makes damaged hair shiny and smooth.

Ranked #3

Elastine Silk Repair Milky Essence

(150ml)

303/500pts

Price: Around $10-20

Mentioned in the show: All the items had a strong scent except this one

Ranked #2

Tony Moly Make HD Silk Argan Oil

(85ml)

343/500pts

Price: Around $10

Mentioned in the show: Not a professional hair care brand. Hair absorbs argan oil quickly so it doesn't leave a sticky feeling.

Ranked #1

Kerastase Resistance Ciment Thermique

(150ml)

346/500pts

Price: Around $50-60

Mentioned in the show: Coats damaged hair and protect you hair from heat damage up to 180c and makes your hair smooth

Thoughts: From this episode, I think I would most likely try the Aveda Dry Remedy oil and the Kerastase Resistance Ciment Thermique  because my hair is quite dry. Most of these items I have not heard of prior to watching this episode so I am glad they mentioned products I've never seen before. I think it is important to take care of your hair as part of your daily regimen and not to over-do it on the heat styling. If you do heat-style I recommend getting a heat protectant spray or milk to protect your hair form damage.

Thanks for looking back on this episode's blind test winners. 

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Review: Lioele Be My Skin Powder Pact in 23 Natural Beige

Hello! As I'm still on my ongoing mission to find a powder that I love, I purchase a couple powder pacts to test out. One of them is the Lioele Be My Skin powder pact in No.23 Natural Beige. 

The Lioele Be My Skin powder pact comes in 2 colors: 21 Blooming Ivory and 23 Natural Beige. I picked up the color 23 Natural Beige for my NC 25 skin.

Lioele always has very pretty princess-like packaging. The compact is pink with a silver ring around the middle. You push the button to open the case so it is pretty secure

Pact applied on the right hand side: Very mattifying and about 2 shades too light for my arm. My face is much lighter than my arm so it looks fine (NC25), but if I get any kind of tan, this shade would not suit me.

Pact applied on the right hand side

My Experience:

This is a pigmented powder pact that can be worn alone or used on areas that tend to get oily. I use this to eliminate shine throughout the day and I find it very mattifying. The one downside of this is that it is, like stated above, very mattifying. If you have dry skin or high coverage foundation, this will cake/cling to dry spot if you are not careful. I use a light-medium coverage cushion foundation and pat this on areas that look shiny so I don't have an issue with it caking unless I apply too much. The coverage of this is very good and can be worn alone as a powder foundation for those who have normal/oily skin. 

Where to buy:

I purchased this item from Jolse Cosmetics for about $18 USD. This item is quite hard to find along with many of Lioele's products. I'm not sure if they are discontinuing some of their products, but I've noticed most of the Lioele products I look for are either sold out or no longer available.

Conclusion: 

This is great as a shine eliminator or a foundation for those with oily/normal skin. I don't recommend this for people who have dry skin as it is extremely mattifying and will cling to dry spots of the face. Overall, I think this is a great product in terms of mattifying and pigmentation. Also the item only comes in 2 colors (both quite fair) and I find they are suitable for those that are fairer than NC25. The packaging is easy to carry, but it is definitely on the bulky side. The price is mid-range compared to other powder pacts I've tried in the past. I recommend this for those who suit the skin type, but would not for anyone who has dry skin.

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Review: The Face Shop FACE It Oil Cut Pore Balm

Today I will be reviewing The Face Shop's FACE it Oil Cut Pore Balm. This is used as a base to cover pores and even out the skin's surface. This is also known as an "egg cover" product, which means it makes the surface of your skin as smooth as an egg.

The balm comes in a green-blue metallic tin that has a twist off lid

Comes with a puff to apply the balm

Warning! We're getting up close and personal with my face:

Before (bare skin): Visible pores, dry skin lines, shiny skin

After: Blurred and matte skin and covered pores. Pores still visible, but not visible when foundation is applied.

My Experience: 

I feel like this is great to use over a primer to reduce the visibility of pores. I don't feel this replaces a primer because it doesn't lengthen the time of foundation wear or provide any sun protection. I feel this does a great job at covering my pores so my skin looks smooth when I apply foundation. I find this is best when applied where my face tends to get oily: on my T-zone and around my nose. The packaging is very sturdy and it's great that it comes with a puff. I find that applying it with the puff makes the skin more matte than if you were to use your fingers. I would not recommend using a brush with this because the bristles will eat up a lot of the product.

Where to get:

I purchased this item from Jolse Cosmetics, but there are many retailers online that sell this item. The price of this was $10 USD which is very reasonable for this kind of product.

Conclusion:

This item is great at doing exactly what it says it does. It evens out the surface of the skin and covers your pores, it doesn't provide any benefits besides appearance-wise. I would recommend this to anyone who finds that foundation clings to uneven spot on their face or if their face tends to get oily/shiny in certain areas.

Thanks for reading my review, and please let me know if you guys want to see any other reviews! 

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Shows: Get It Beauty ep. 1 Blind Test 2015 Top Cleansing Waters

Today I will be looking back on Get It Beauty's top rated cleansing waters. These were all rated by experts, people online, and "The Better Girls".

Ranked #5

ElishaCoy Moist Up Hyalurone Mild Cleansing Water
(250ml)

319/500pts

Price: Around $10

Mentioned in show: Contains carbonated water and 40 natural ingredients

Ranked #4

Belif Cleansing Herb Water
(250ml) 

356/500pts

Price: Around $20-30

Mentioned in the show: Good for water soluble makeup, has herb extracts.

Ranked #3

BioDerma SensiBio H2O Cleansing Water

(200ml)

361/500pts

Price: Around $20

Mentioned in the show: Great for sensitive skin, last years #1 winner.

Ranked #2

Nature Republic Jeju H2O Cleansing Water

379/500pts

Price: Around $10-20

Mentioned in the show: Great value for the large size of this cleanser. Carbonated water makes it a very effective cleanser.

Ranked #1

Dr. Jart DermaClear Micro Water

(250ml)

396/500pts

Price: Around $30

Mentioned in the show: Activated water makes makeup fall off.

Thoughts: From this episode, I think the best value is the Nature Republic Cleansing Water. The size is 510ml for about $27 in the US. It is also #2 in the top 5 cleansing waters of 2015. The Dr.Jart+ and Belif cleansing waters are all available to be purchased at Sephora. The ElishaCoy and BioDerma are available to be purchased online. 

Thanks for looking back on this episode's blind test winners. Reviews on some of these will be up soon!

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