Lipgloss Cleanse

Hiya all!

Long time no blog...It often happens to me in April that I feel like doing something de/reconstructing something, like changing a piece of garden. Or, in this case I had a food-change by going glutenfree. Long story, but it involved lots of delicous cooking so the blog was slightly on the sideline.

So we know our detoxes and cleanses with food etc, and it was about time to cleanse some of my lipgloss-stash from many moons ago.

Let's see...what a bunch! I'm gonna list some names:

• Essence Sunclub 02 Beautiful Bronze 
• Natio Gloss Pot in Paradise & Goddess -such a fun Aussie brand
• Essence Volume Up Lip Maximizer
• NYX lipstick in B52 & Tea Rose
• the Macaron shaped lipgloss is from Korea but I've been away from gmarket so I have no idea what brand it is...
• L'Oreal lipstick in Aishwarya Rai -I really liked this shade when I was a brunette.
•  L'Oreal lipstick in Laetitia Casta
• Benefit Her Glossiness in Who Are You Wearing? & Didn't Hear it from Me
• Clinique Black Honey lipsheer 
• MAC lipglass Lovechild
• Kiehl's Lipgloss Earth Day & Berry 1851
•  Zoya Hot lips in Sweet Tart
• Stila IT Gloss in Gorgeous
• Avon Lipstick Teak Rose
• Avon Lipgloss Darling Pink
• NYX lipgloss Vixen & Baby Rose, RLG 23, Smokey Look & Salsa
• Lavshuca Liquid Lips BE4
• Etude House 02 from the Falling in Love line
• L'Oreal Glam Shine Juice in 209 Juice Love
• Smashbox ?
• Senna Cosmetic Lush - their lipglosses are so stunning, I need to restock
• Silk Naturals Lavish Lip Cream in Classic
• Mac Lipglass Chercher La Femme
• Mac Lipglass Entice & Sharp Beige
• Biotherm Gloss Shine 70
• Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lipgloss in Passion Flower
• H&M Rich Lipgloss in Peach Parfait
• Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in 21 Pink Crystals & Cherries in the Glow
• Avon Glazewear in Darling Pink
• Dior Rouge in 296 Beige for Office
• Contem My Gloss in peach- It's the lipgloss I bought in Rio de Janeiro!!
• Clarins Gloss Appeal in 03 Paradise
• Laura Mercier Iced Melon - Bring this shade back!
• L'oreal Glam Shine 6 hr Mauve
• Lumiere Mineral Cosmetics Lumi-lips in Crushed Velvet
• MUFE Super Lip Gloss N 14
• Clinique Longlast Lipstick in Bamboo Pink & Pink Peach
• Boots 17 Ultimate Volume Lipgloss in Fuzzy Yellow Petal Flutter
• Calvin Klein Lip Color 10 Peach
• Giorgio Armani Lip Sheer in 6
• L'Oreal Caresse Impulsive Fuschia
• Lavshuca Moisture Melting Rouge in PK-6
• Majolica Majorca Honey Plump Gloss in PK 384
• Besame Cosmetics 204 Carmine
• Almay Lip Shine 04 Violet
• Bourjois Mini in 11
• Rimmel Color Show off Lipstick in 130 Love Me & Coral Queen
• Stila Pink Ribbon edition in Anni
• The Body Shop 07
• Bobbi Brown ColorOptions Creamycolor in Grapeberry
• NARS lipgloss in Triplex
• Lavshuca liquid lips in PK 7
• Etude House LUCIDdarling lipstick  in 9  Romantic Rose- I wore this one to the Rihanna Concert!
• Babypink lipgloss 3

So I basically compiled this list for my readers who had trouble falling asleep ; ). 

But seriously, I still like to discuss a couple of these that I found difficult to let go of.  

 The one from Brazil:

What to do in Rio de Janeiro? I think most people would sit on the beach with their Caipirinha checking out Brazillian bodies in their element. The beauty addicts among us would still like to shop, especially checking out the national brand. The Makeupartists at Contem were such dolls and they picked this gorgeous lipgloss for me. Boohoo, I don't wanna part from this one.

The one for THAT concert:

2010: I was all about Rihanna and her 'Rated R' album (also 'Good Girl Gone Bad'). She came to Holland for a concert and I had to wear my brightest, longlasting colour in Romantic Rose. I picked up my Korean Etude House LUCIDdarling lipstick in Romantic Rose (original review here).

And the fan-club lippies:
 

These have been from Kanebo Lavshuca line: cute, pretty girly cases and a good quality for its price.

More about the pretty case:

 My Besame lipstick! It had been quite difficult for me to get at the time being so I treasured it, but actually seldom wore it...

I think lots of women out there buy more than a pretty colour: we buy an emotion as well, or it symbolises a kind of feeling we had that day, a particular occasion, or that precious Limited Edition that was so hard to get our hands on. Or, in my case I did some swaps with people from other countries to get a specific gloss.

Also, I used to sample all colours that were either rosy pinks or MLBB (my lips but better). These days I have more variety: not just lipglosses and subtle lipsheers but full on colours like NARS Audacious and other fun hues. 

Discovering my older stash again makes me appreciate the beauty of a subtle accent again! I already bought a couple of new lipsticks from Coffret d'Or & Shiseido Maquillage, because they excel in beautifullly balmy lipsticks with the right amount of easy colour.

So do you agree that 'parting is such a sweet sorrow' for your lipglosses as well?

Cheek/lip hybrids: the battle

When I received my Edward Bess lip/cheek in Island Rose, I tested it ofcourse and the first thing that I thought was "Darn, my Kose Addiction is still the grand no. 1 compared to this one".

But to get things really precise I dug out all of my hybrid cheek/lip products, which turned out to be a lot, and tested them based on texture and hybridity. I only tested the products that directly marketed as being a hybrid lip/cheek: there are other products that work brilliantly for both and are still marketed as only blush or only lipstick, but I won't review those.

And even though I already gave out the outcome which is my fave no. 1 (Addiction), I still discuss them all for other no. 1s on other fields.
 

sorry for the NARS multiple looking so grubby: I cleaned it a lot but, it's reality: NARS stuff really gets a yucky packaging after a while

Ok, let the battle begin:

1. Julie Hewett Cheekie:

One of my first and still a good favourite of mine
Lip performance: it brings out a medium colour on the lips that spreads easily. It has a glowy texture, which is flattering. It feels a tiny bit waxy, but quite like a MAC lipstick so not really unusually un-lipstick
Cheek performance: A glowy colour with a medium coverage. It glides easily over imperfect skin (I have a tiny scar from a laser treatment that still has to heal) and doesn't sit in the pores. It last for approximately 5 hours before it diminishes in colour. The fading is natural and non-blodgy.

2. Etude House Angel Kiss Lip and Cheek

It's a light-pink colour and really the unusual one in my collection
Lip performance: For a light pink colour that normally wouldn't look good on my or would sit in the folds of my lip, it is quite dewy and glides over the lips and makes them appear smoother. The colour pay-off is medium to high cover. It feels somewhat waxy, but not too hindering. It lasts for approximately 2 hours.
Cheek performance: It dissapeared on my cheeks after a couple of minutes and I first thought that must be the colour, however, I saw it when I applied it at first. It is dewy enough to glide over that tiny scar I mentioned before.

3.  Etude House Sugar Pink Lip & Cheek

I like Etude House, obviously, and they have lots of hybrid performers
Lip performance: it felt grainy and waxy on my lips. The colour didn't spread equally and settled in the lines so it needed high grade of blending and a pre-lip product first: not something that you want from a easy-to-carry hybrid product.
Cheek performance: that part was a lot better! It spreads quite equally over cheeks and the colour payoff is light to medium. It lasted for about 3 hours before fading.

4. Lotree

My ultimate fave Korean brand for a while, and then it suddenly was really hard to get on gmarket, darn.
Lip performance: smooth and glowy on the lips with light to medium colour-payoff.
Cheek performance: one of my favourite blushes for a while and I was glad I reviewed it for this post because I will wear it again. I love it! It glides over the skin, last for 4 hours with equal fading and has the perfect neutral colour (oh, sorry, I wouldn't discuss colour over here but it's so lovely)

5. Edward Bess lip/cheek Island Rose

The newbie in my collection of last weekends haul!
Lip performance: Quite light! I saw it on Sabrina from beautylookbook who branded this item as her ultimate date saver but it might be that her lips are lighter because I don't see as much colour payoff as the others I reviewed. The scent is lovely, a fig-type and it feels really balmy and smooth. But it's more a lipbalm on me.
Cheek performance: Also quite light. I also found it settling in that scar after a while which made that darn thing more obvious. I think this one will go up for swap on makeupalley.

6. Bobbi Brown Lip/cheek in Cabo Coral

Probably the best known one! I bought it for the colour that is a coral/tan shade and perfect on (fake) tanned skin.
Lip performance: Probably discussed endlessly on other beautyblogs and reviews but it's quite light (to light medium) and dissapears after 1 hour. The plus side is that it is so lovely for smoothing out lips and it doesn't sink in any beginning lines around the mouth.
Cheek performance: Vivid and creamy. It needs good blending but if you do that it will look lovely on. It last for 4 hours and even through a dance workout!

7. Becca creme blush in Hyacint

I'm not even sure it markets as a hybrid but its quite lovely so I put it up.
Lip performance: light to medium. It looks like a glowy lipbalm/lipstick colour and last for 2 hours tops.
Cheek performance: Hyacint is one of the sheerer colours, compared to the imfamous Turkish Rose. It still needs some blending to get it natural but it will last about 4 hours. Not my favourite for cheek colour. Turkish Rose has a medium coverage and Hyacint light-to-medium.

8. Becca Beach Tint Lip and Cheek

In contrast to the Becca above, this one is really long-lasting for both lips and cheek. Then again, it markets itself as a hybrid beach products that would suit surfer babes and swimming queens so that makes sense.
Lip performance: It is a gel-texture and feels a bit dryer when applied. However, it turns into a matte to velvet stain (I have Watermelon) that really last in a water-setting for a while. The coverage is medium but still quite natural. It smells really nice like a candied watermelon.
Cheek performance: This gel-like product spreads on light but can stills settle in a pore or scar so blending is needed. After that, it stays rather put and has a light to medium coverage without any shimmer. It looks quite natural. It market as a Beach product and they made quite the reasonable product for it.

9. Vapour Organic cheek/lip in Courtisan

Another newbie I will review in detail soon. Shortly:
Lip performance: Medium to medium/high coverage. It feels like a dryer lipstick (eg MAC or NARS) but that makes it quite longlasting. I do find, just like the other dryer lipstick types, that I need a smoother under this lipstick to make it appear more equal.
Cheek performance: high coverage and needs good blending due to the dryer texture. It stays on for about 5 hours before fading.

10. Kose Addiction in Revenge

My most expensive, but my ULTIMATE lip/cheek hybrid!
Lip performance: BRILLIANT! It is one of those velvety mattes that actually look good on me. Chanel makes a velvety matte lipstick as well, the Allure Velvet, but this one is even better in smoothing out the un-plumpness of the lips. The colour payoff is excellent: it lasted a vigourous excercise class and my lips were as corally pink afterwards.
Cheek performance: Just as amazing! The velvet texture that smooths out lips works brilliantly on cheeks as well and even without all the priming/foundation I can wear it without setting into that scar. And that is often what I like when wearing cream-cheek products, when I don't have tons of makeup on! It wears for 5 to 6 hours.

11. NARS Multiple (Beverly Hills)

The limited edition one: it's not as vibrant in colour as the other multiples but doesn't have that pesky glitter/shimmer thing going on either. I will discuss the texture of the Orgasm Multiple as well for review's sake
Lip performance: Beverly Hills is really sheer and smells somewhat alcoholy and gel-like. It dissapears in 5 minutes? Orgasm (or Copacabana) stays for about an hour or 2, but as discussed in tons of blogs: it's not a real lip-product and feels somewhat dry and doesn't plump up lips.
Cheek performance: Beverly Hills is sheerer and more gel-like than the regular Multiples, but I love the sheerness on cheeks for giving that supernatural but still visible change in colour. Similar as the gel-like texture of Becca's Beachtint, although this one glides better over the skin. The beachtint, in contrast, last longer.

Conclusion:
I already told you that the Kose Addiction in my favourite and I wish they came in tons of colours and half the price cheaper.  However, in the end I like them all for different reasons. Sometimes colour plays a great role too but I haven't discussed it today. Women like hybrid products for times we don't want to carry a lot of products a round or sometimes we want to colour-coordinate our lips to our cheeks. I don't think a hybrid lip/cheek product should be a hassle or too-much-an-effort to apply because I prefer my creamy blushers on a tinted moisturizer face or at least not too primed and powdery, otherwise I would have picked a powder blusher. So it has to have some ingredient inside that makes it easy to apply, but still longlasting and looking equal on both face an lips. That is a lot of things to demand and that's why I believe Kose Addiction did an excellent job: it's so travel-handy too.

Etude House Milk Talk showergel in Choco & Sheet Mask Royal Jelly

People, this is post no 499 of this blog but I will keep it rather short & sweet for today! 

For people celebrating the Eastern celebration I want to wish you a wonderful day. People not celebrating I want to wish you a pleasant day as well!

I will continue reviewing the latest Etude House products I have received in my latest haul from them (here). Actually, both are a foody bunch and over here Eastern celebrations is a lot about food & eggs, so it is a good theme for today ;)

First, the Milk Talk Shower gel in Chocolate.

I think the bottle is both cute and funny. It looks like a oldfashioned milk-bottle, but I think that 'Oh' on the left side is rather funny.

I once read that people that like to eat less of the so-called naughty foods can diminuish their cravings by smelling the food. The Dailymail has an article about it, but somehow I am a bit sceptic about this one because when I enter a bakery and smell delicious croissants, I only feel more inclined to eat one.

So actually dieting or eating less chocolate was not the reason I bought this showergel. I just like to smell wonderful things and the scent of chocolate is rather pleasant.

the gel: it also has a chocolaty colour

It is a mini review because there is not so much to analyse about showergel. However, I like it because:

• it smells like Hersey's Chocolate. 

Lot's of showergels and bodylotions are not able to get it right: the authentic scent of a food-product. Or sometimes they get it right but it goes weird after a couple of minutes. This one is able to maintain the Hersey's scent. They also have the Milk Talk shower gells in strawberry, steam milk, banana & apple. I wonder how they will be able to get the scent right...

• It cleanses quite well

The only con about it is that it isn't moisturizing enough. It isn't really drying either, but I think my Therme showergel is more moisturizing.

• It is really affordable for $5.05 (here) or on ebay (here)

Continuing to the sheet Mask: It is actually called the "I need you" Royal Jelly mask Sheet, how romantic.

I really like those little fellows carrying something on the left side of the mask.

Sorry for this flash-picture. I normally check them before I throw the packaging away. I hope you can still read most of it.

 I found this description from this ebayseller

Opening the satchel:

The mask is made for Korean faces: That meant it was a bit on the wider side for me, but not too much.

There was enough room for my eyes, nose but the mouth was a bit on the smaller side. Oh well, I never eat stuff while taking a sheetmask.

My verdict:

• The cloth is a bit rougher than sheetmasks such as Mybeautydiary, MyBeautyFriends & MySheming. Not hindering at all, but still a bit rougher. On the positive side it meant that it didn't tear so easily.
• It has enough moisture inside. Normally the satchels are drenched in moisture & you can reapply the leftover part in the satchel after you have been using it, but this one is enough.
• The liquid felt very comforting on my skin. It is scentless.
• BEST THING: THE EFFECT. Although the things mentioned above aren't pure rave-ville, I really loved the effect. I took this mask at night and went to sleep without my usual night-prep, only the effect of the liquid of the mask. The next morning I actually looked younger, revived and my skin looked a lot fresher & tighter!

Basically, I will rebuy this one for it's effect. Probably not on the EtudeHouse gmarket side but from one of the ebay sellers who lists them.

Etude House Dear My: some Blooming Lips-talk in RD 304

I've been looking forward to do some blooming lip talk about Etude House latest lipstick:

When blush is something essential for looking healthy, I think lipstick is the fun part of makeup. A good lipstick can make you look glowier but if the rest of your makeup is good than you have quite some freedom to experiment with colour and it's effect.

As cute as ever and targetting for a younger market the lipstick appears in a soft pink box adorned with little hearts. The box speaks about a Smooth textured lipstick that supplies vivid colour and moist shine.

The reason I was enchanted the most was by a really adorable (and also slightly sappy) commercial. It is so sugary sweet and quite damsel-in-distress (no further spoilers).

Her lipstick looks quite bright too. I was wondering if this formula would come close to the ones I was so crazy about in 2010: the LucidDarling LED lipsticks (review here & here)

My colour pick was quite bright: I went for RD 30. I have such a large collection of MLBB, rosy tones etc so I wanted a poppy colour.

They have quite some choice, though:

The lipstick has a sweet shape and that cute tiny bow around the waist: just like a dress:

The colour, as I aimed for, is quite bright. It looks more orangy in this photo  

Swatch pictures: (left- photoflash: right: natural light)

Verdict:

• I think the photo on the left is the most accurate. It is a neon-esque pink that will really work with the bright and neon trends now.

• It somewhat feels like a matte lipstick or if you know YSL Rouge Volupté, it has that kind of texture.

• It is quite scented: something florally I cannot put my finger on. Personally, I do not find it hindering.

• It wears for quite some time and if fades away in a not-so-blotty manner. Although you need to check yourself after 4 hours if it is still on in a decent matter.

• It does a good job covering your natural lip colour. In my case I have a somewhat flushed mouth that can alter the original colour, however, this one is almost as bright as in the tube.

Indeed, it is rather similar like their 2010 I was so happy about, both texture and opacity on the lips. I wonder if they just put the same formula in a cuter tube and a different name. However, that is something only the people from Etude House know about.

Conclusion:

Wonderful and affordable. The colour is really unique and not easy to be duped, or not yet, at least. It stays on for a long time and doesn't look flaky nor doesn't it accentuate not so perfect lips: and that is well-done for a bright lipstick. If you have a sensitive nose it might be slightly too overscented.

I bought it on gmarket for for $7.77  (excluding shipping) but I think you are better of buying it from ebay (eg RubyRuby) for $11.99 because you saw they aren't too generous with the freebies (see here).

Etude House My Blooming Cheeks in OR 202: Shy Coral Pink

I have the serious case of overcrowded beauty drawer. Perhaps I should make that beauty drawers because I couldn't imagine the size of the drawer if I had to store all my makeup in one. It must equal the size listed in the Guiness book of Records.

Somehow, of all beauty products, I always seem to make room for blush. I think blush is one products that makes a difference between looking alive and blah.

Etude House released the My Blooming Cheeks a couple of weeks ago. The packaging is always the cute variety with lots of pink & hearts and this time it the same cuteness.
 

I knew from the promotion pictures that it would be a baking blush. Baking blushers are often more metalic and slightly shimmier than the average blush.

Instructions according to Etude House:

I think it's a personal case of trial & error to see if these tips will work for you. With makeup it is easy to remove it when it isn't really the most flattering option.

As for the colour I wanted to go for a poppier variety than I normally do. NARS had been launching their cool pink Gaiety so I was looking for a cool pink colour as well without breaking the bank. On the other hand I wanted an innocent peach shade as well because it suits my complexion.

Basically, the OR 202 combined the two colours with the option of creating a third when mixing them.

Verdict:

A pigmented pair that you can layer without it getting caky. You can see it has slightly obvious glitterflecks in the pan but it doesn't really show on the skin.

The colour on the left really is that generic NARS Orgasm kind of shade without the original's glitter. I think it layers wonderfully and I am surprised how unmetallic and natural it looks on the cheeks. It's almost a matte.

The poppy pink on the right actually looks a lot more metallic (and more what you expect from a baked blush) than the left side. Colourwise, I do not have many cool bubblegum pinks in my stash for a reason that it doesn't really become me, but with a small amount I can use it for a different look.

I really like the mix of the two. The almost-matte consistency of the left colour is lifted in a slightly glowier variety thanks to the shimmier right, and together it becomes the peachy-pink glow that I like.

There are different ways to use it, as shown on the box earlier, but I prefer to use the left colour on the apples of my cheeks and the mix a bit higher.

Conclusion:

A wonderful and cheap blush that has a variety of options. It is certainly not Rouge Bunny Rouge or Burberry quality but it's a fun and useful product for it's price.

I bought it over here/gmarket for $8.60 but you can also find it on ebay if you find that more convienient for $ 15, although the seller I found doesn't have the best rating.

Gmarket haul 9 (continued)

I have been bragging in my last post for ordering the upteenth Gmarket haul, but it hasn't been that bad. Especially for someone who is slightly addicted to ordering cute things ♥

I hadn't been ordering from them a while but I heard that Etude House was getting generous again with the freebies.

Their latest lipstick release Dear My Blooming Lips-Talk in RD 304

I was actually convinced by the cutest commercial ever. I'll show you that one when I will review the lipstick and show swatches.

(Itemno: 247073448 -spoiler: it's bríght!) 

Shower time with Milk Talk in Choco Milk: Etude has lots of talk for us in their latest releases

(Itemno: 242533019 )

A new sheet-mask: I picked Royal Jelly:

(itemno: 225961729)

Blusher! The Dear My Blooming Cheeks in OR 202

(itemno: 247997635)

How generous were the samples after this haul?

Ehm Yeh, I haven't been really overwhelmed.

I expected the smaller box to have a BB cream but it was another box of cotton pads. false advertisement? Anyway, at least I have enough cotton pads for the time being.

The smaller eyemakeup remover looks handy. I will be testing that one out soon: one eye with Lancome Bifacil and the other eye with Etude House Lip & Eye.

Such a lovely haul with new items I'm quite curious about: I will be reviewing the makeup items soon!

Mid weekly Quirkologies

What's up on this wednesday?

1. finishing up my Etude House Silk Scarf Hair mask

I am not going to put a lengthy review on this one. But shortly, I really liked this one. It is incredibly girly with a soft pink colour and sugar rose scent that lingers in the hair. More importantly, it makes the hair better to detangle, shinier and softer (although it isn't too miracle products on the superdry parts, but still kind of good). I think I might repurchase this one. 

2. Fun coloured makeup

There are rules of what colours to wear in Autumn, normally the smokey eyes and rust/earth tones. But there is something bright and funny about somewhat un-seasonly colours. 

Of Different Sunscreens

Today I am going to show you some of the sunscreens that I have.

I am not going to do a full review, however, I will keep it a bit general and discuss the different type of products that contain sunscreen, and how to handle them.

Most of us know that sunscreen is a part of a whole bunch of cosmetic products these days. What we do not know is that not all sunscreen is created equally and you have to think about what kind of protection you need for that day so you can taylor your sunscreen to that need.

If I get the comment that I look 'as pale as a ghost' (without wearing self-tan), I know I have done a good job with my sunscreen. Let's just face the fact that the sun can feel really good on your skin, but is one of the main causes of ageing. Ageing is good, as long as it doesn't show that much, which explains that a large amount in my cupboard is reserved for sunscreen-based products.

What do we have?

1. Etude House Glow Base Sunscreen in SPF 36

This was a part of their summer release in 2009. Overal, it is a highlighter-esque product that gives out a glow over the entire face. It also whitens a bit.

Protection factor:
I think I used it once in a hot climate and got a bit of a sunburn. So I would not recommend to use this as a full-on sunscreen in climates that are close to the equator (or other countries during warmer summer weather). It works as a protector when you are not in full sunlight or during winter-weather, though. Moreover, it is a brilliant highlighter/glowifyer.

It is also still fresh after 2 years. I stored this one in a cool and dark area, which helps to keep your sunscreen fresh and valid for a bit longer.

2. Aveeno Ultra-Calming daycream with SPF10.

 Sunscreens in daycreams or foundations NEVER have the same amount of protection as they would in the products that are real sunscreens. However, it filters out some damaging rays when sitting behind a desk behind the window or when you are simply commuting in cooler weather in colder climates. I always use an extra ('real') sunscreen when I know my face will get to see the sun that day.

3. Institut Estederm Photo Reverse Anti-brown Patches fluid- No sun.

I came across reviews of Institut Estederm thanks to Lisa Eldridge and CaféMakeup. It is a french brand and the common complaint of it is that it doesn't list the amount of protection given (SPF's, PA+) etc. I've tried it and it is quite thick compared to my usual stash of Japanese sunscreens (see swatches below). Positive is that it really does protect your skin in warmer weather, so it does work only it is not as brilliantly thin as some of my favourite Japanese sunscreens (or La Roche Posay).

4. Kose Suncut UV Protect Cream SPF 50+ PA++
Good protection in warmer climates. Still, for a Japanese sunsceen it is rather creamy and thick (see below). Still, it is thinner than the Institut Estederm one.

5. Orbis UV CUT sunscreen on face light SPF 34 PA++

This was my absolute favourite during 2010! I carried around everywhere, which, as you might see in the picture below, made it expire a bit before its date (see the runny texture at nr. 5). It is always advised to throw away your sunscreen after one season, but I believe it depends on how you store it too. With the Orbis I went everywhere and it got some serious heating in my purse.
Why I like it so much?
The texture is really thin and the light-skintone of it makes foundation optional. It really protects against stronger sun-rays and is scentless. It is quite cheap (around $17) and it did not give me pimples (some sunscreens do). I also love the smaller bottle that make it perfect for carrying around.

6. Claring Gel-Creme Solaire/Smoothing Cream-Gel low protection UVB 10/UVA

This is a thick cream, even though the name suggest it would be a gel-type of cream. I do like this one as a daycream type when the weather is not sunny, etc.  It gives out quite some protection even though it says SPF 10. I once applied it and suddenly the weather was really sunny (unexpected) and I had no higher protection with me. My face was exposed to this kind of sun for 10 minutes, but I didn't tan, so it did its job.

7. Olaz Proffesional anti-ageing Daycream SPF 30

Again, this is one of the daycream hybrids around. I believe that Olaz is the more serious one, because they target for American markets and they are really serious about good sun-protection. Still, I would always advise to go for a product that targets for a 100% on sun-protection, and consider hybrid products as an extra or just for a lower protection.

The textures on my skin:

I hope this helps out a little or refresh the knowledge most of the beauty-afficionadas already know ;D.

Remember that this article is partly my own opinion and partly scrambled information from all the other sources (magazines, other beauty-bloggers, academic 'research') I accumulated.  :D

Brow-sing Etude House goodies: Etude House Color My Brows in Rich Brown

I have to be a tiny bit strict on myself for showing my readers my latest Eude House haul, and absolutely not reviewing my favourite product of the bunch. Ok, I will be mellow on myself, because I had to test it for a couple of days to see if it really is...(to use a 1990s expression)...all that.

By the way, I love the nineties, especially the music...that eighties stuff was just a pre-warmer for the nineties. I liked the grunge, the new ravers, Friends..and Clueless ofcourse...

Oh, and the nineties had the natural brow look going on...Somehow this strong brow is coming back.

 

Etude Color My Brows comes in a paper foldable packaging.  If you are a person who likes to keep the packaging with their products, then the packaging will not really be so handy to you. Simply, because a box is easier to carry around.

Gladly, the instructions are clearly illustrated with animation pictures. I might miss an instruction because I cannot read Korean at all, but the animated instructions are clear.

1. Brush in the product in the opposite direction of the growth of your eyebrows, probably to get the colour evenly distributed around the hairs.
2. brush and style your eyebrows in the right direction.

The backside has some information in English as well:

Description of the colour I picked, and an alternative description than the one that was shown on the picture before.

Color My Brows has a mascara wand type of form. It is a relatively small tube with 4.5 g of content.

The brush is in a form that is wider in the middle and smaller on the ends.

Do we call that a cone-shape?

The colour is a neutral mid brown with a tiny hint of warmth in it. It does not contain obvious reddish tones, but it has a tiny bit of lustre and sparkle in a golden undertone. I like this a lot, because I have tried some ashy, cooler browns and they do not match my slightly warm brunette hair at all. I would still qualify it more of a neutral than a warm.

Etude House CMB in 01 Rich Warm: golden shimmers and a neutral mid brown tone

 The wear of this product is delightfully light. Still, it is able to tame slightly stubborn eyebrows in a more manageable form, without feeling that you have put some heavy gel-like product on it. 

It colours the hairs of your eyebrows. In my case, they turn a notch darker than they were before. So, it is quite Caucasian friendly (that sounds weird, but I have light skin with light eyes so I cannot do dramatically dark brows). I think it would suit a variety of complexions/skintones of people who dye their hair a bit lighter, because I do think the pigmentation of the colour is strong enough to lighten up the original colour of the brow.

I believe it will look quite natural on blonde caucasians or redheads too. I say that because most eyebrow wands often look too dark on me, and this one looks natural when applied with a light hand. However, they have a lighter shade in 2, light brown, which might even suit natural redheads and blondes even better. It just depends on how you would like to see your eyebrows, stronger and deep or naturally defined.

I often come across as a bit of a glitter and glimmer phobe, and that is often the case when I want to wear natural makeup. Anyhow, the glimmers are not visible as glimmers when wearing this on the eyebrows. It is simply that bit of lustre that you might see.

Who will like this product? 

Well, me! In general it will be suitable for when you want a bit of definition on your eyebrows, but do not want/need/or have time to use a eyebrow pencil to pencil in the shape of your eyebrows. Or, you can add the eyebrow wand as an extra fix of colour (and fixation) after you pencilled in your eyebrows. It suits people who want to have a relatively lighter eyebrow with a neutral undertone. It is also a quick way of fixing the brows, so it is time-efficient.

I bought my Etude House Color My Brows in Rich Brown on gmarket (here) for ￦6,000 ($ 5.57). I have also spotted it on ebay but the seller has a low positive feedback rate, so I will not give you that link. (still, it is your risk to take so feel free to look it up).

Pouting nudely: Etude House LucidDarling Lipstick in 11 Barely Beige.

In my last Gmarket haul I was reasonably taking some advantage of the Etude sale that was going on. And when it comes to Etude, the LucidDarling lipsticks have been one of my favourite items. Ofcourse, when the colour is right, and I am quite picky when it comes to lipstick shades.

The latest release that was added to their already existing LucidDarling range was colour no. 11 in Barely Beige. I browsed the internet and the Etude House Korean site for some swatches. I found some (although I cannot link directly to them) and I was in the middle if it would suit me or not. Well, with that sale going on, why shouldn't I try it?

I love the nude lip-look! For example, the next picture.

She reminds me of 90s supermodel Helena Christensen, btw.

Now I disgress! Well, what I want to say is that a nude lip is something I normally do not reach for a lot, even though I love the look.

Reason: you either have to be utterly naturally gorgeous (example above), have a volumous pout or have that fantastically good base makeup with a dramatic eye-look.

I am normally too lazy to layer on a heavy dose of makeup. Oh, I am not a natural beauty either and lacking a bit of pout. Nude lips can make them look invisible. Noooooo do for me! I need that bit of pout to stay visible...

You probably know how the LucidDarling's packaging looks like. I have been blogging too much about this, so I continue to the colour.

The colour is a brownish beige. The close up shows the colour a bit better.

Aww, where did that tiny smudgy came from? Well, I already spoiled it virginal state by swatching it for the blog and testing it on my pucker, but I would love to have it flawless for the blog picture. (pouts my nude pukker).

The swatch on my pale arm. (vampire alert...gosh, I'm a pale person)

One of the things I love about this lipstick is that the pigmentation is so strong without leaving out that lovely sheen. Sometimes those heavily pigmented babies can come across like these matte and sheenless products. This is not glossy, but a glowy lipstick.

Weirdly, it looks a bit pinker on my arm and on the picture than it does in real life. You might even wonder why I describe it as a nude?

And you are right. I think it might be a less nudy colour on someone else than me. I have that bit of flush on my mouth, so everything that hints toward beige will go nude coloured on me.

For example, the wonderfully acclaimed MAC Hug me! That is a YLBB (Your Lips But Better) on lots of girls, but a NLAW (Nude Lips and Worse) on me.

So, do I like this colour. Oh, I am not really sure. As I said, I have that flushed lip state, so when the lipstick wears a bit off on the sides, or I open my mouth, the contrast between my natural state and the paleness of the nude looks a bit too much.

That makes a nude lip colour even more high-maintainance to me than, ohhh lets say, a sassy red or a vampy maroon shade.

But I know that the LucidDarling is quite lastproof, so that will diminish the constantly looking in the mirror and applicating new lipstick process.

I bought mine on gmarket (over here). It retails for 9000 won or $8.24 at the time of writing.