Lioele: Triple the Solution BB cream

Again I am back to talking about one of my favorite makeup items which is Korean BB cream! I have not used the BB creams from other brands and other countries. Lioele is a Korean brand and I will say this is my first BB cream and one of my favorite face makeup. I like to have a more natural yet flawless face... i know it doesn't make sense right? Well, Lioele BB cream is probably one of the BB creams which has a good coverage that is well suited for everyday makeup.

My review:

Like I mentioned this BB cream is still natural and does not look to cakey, I only use one layer! It comes with a pump and I use less than one full pump for my whole face. The BB cream itself is slightly thick but not too thick, still blends nicely. The finish is a semi- matte (not matte not dewy). The color matches me well, it does have a gray undertone like some other BB creams (I have warm undertone and it works fine) and I will say that most of my redness and acne scars are covered better than other BB creams. It is a medium coverage build to a full coverage.

It claims to have moisturizing and whitening properties, I will say that there is not much whitening difference I have seen but it is a little moisturizing which is still good for cold weather. I have a dry sensitive (winter) and combination skin type (summer) and this does not break me out!

After 2+ hours I start to get oily around my nose and this happens often so just make sure to use powder. Since it has a SPF 30 then there is a tiny bit of a white cast in bright lightings, my home lighting seems fine but when I have the sun shining on my face outside it has a white cast that is shown which is not too bad compared to others.
Tip: I do use blush and bronzer to help warm up my face with some color so it does not look too white.

Skin type: Dry/Combination

Repurchase: Yes
Price: $23 (online different prices)
Overall rating: 4.8/ 5.0

Pros:

- Good coverage

- Has a pump (hygienic)

- Good for travel (slim packaging)

- SPF 30 PA++

- No gray cast

- Good for all skin types 

- Slightly darker shade (not so pale)

- Lasts more than 6+ hours (with powder)

Cons:

- Has a bit of white cast under bright lights
- Oily around nose

These are my acne scars which I had on my cheeks and you can see later that the Lioele covered it quite nicely. 

Under normal lighting it looks fine and not pale.

This is with some sunlight shining through my window. You can see I look a bit lighter due to the SPF. It also shows that there is not much acne scars showing! :)

Overall this makes my skin really even and under most lighting it looks fine and with some blush and even bronzer  it does not look too bad. I am not pale whatsoever and this BB cream works well for my skin!! I would recommend this for those who cannot get BB creams because it is too pale. I know the pain of finding Korean brand products and it being too pale or light for your skin tone. I will say try going to a beauty store and try this if you still feel insecure. I will say it is a BB cream worth trying!

Thanks for reading! ^_^

Koji Dollywink: Liquid eyeliner in Black

Hi everyone! It has been a long time since I made a post because of school and finals took up a lot of time. Today I want to talk about one of my favorite makeup item which is eyeliner! For the longest time I was on the hunt for the "perfect" eyeliner. I watched a youtuber who is Saaamage and discovered the Koji Dollywink liquid eyeliner through her. This was a few years back and I still use it till this day! This is a Japanese brand and I order it online. So far I have used about 6 or 7 liquid pens and this is over a long period of time, one liner pen can last me for months! Therefore, I would like to share this for those that would like to try a good eyeliner which is worth the price!


My review:

The pen is a nice size which can fit in between your fingers like a real pen. The brush tip... is beyond AMAZING! I am serious, it is sharp, very precise which is great for a winged eyeliner look. The texture and finish is not matte... it dries close to a semi- matte. But it is not glossy when first applied, it dries quickly and does not smudge or flake off. This is water resistant! I tested this and it is true, does not move one bit with water. :)

 I can draw on my eyeliner in less than 5 minutes with the Koji Dollywink eyeliner. It is a very pigmented black color and does not fade at all. I can have a good 7 hours+ wear with this liner. I do not have problems with it, but I will say that using an eyelid primer makes it last even longer! For those who have extremely oily eyelids, this may have a slightly gloss towards the end of the day especially when it is hot outside.

TIPS & ADVICE: Wear eyelid primer, even when you're not wearing eyeshadows. I use ELF eyelid primer (cheaper price) and Urban Decay primer (high end). The Urban Decay is what I would use on very hot days just in case. ;)

Current Skin Type: Sensitive, Combination
Price: $15 (now it costs less)
Repurchase: YES!
Overall Rating: 4.9/5.0

Pros:
- Waterproof! - Intense black color
- Smooth application
- Easy to control (pen shape)
- Precise (sharp tip)
- Dries fast, No smudging, No flaking
- Travel friendly
- Good on top of eyeshadows

Cons:
For those with extremely oily eyelids it can become glossy since this is not very matte, more semi- matte type. 

That tip is no joke, the best one for eyeliner! Great for beginners, you cannot really mess up much with this precision. 

           

This eyeliner is pigmented, very black and I believe they have a brown color which I have not tried yet!

I can create this wing with no problem, I rarely mess up when using Dollywink. 

 I can start very thin in my inner corners, curve and make it thicker with wing at the end and there is no bumps or lumps, perfectly smooth :)

I bought this on sasa.com which is an amazing website with all kinds of skincare and makeup from all over the world. I will leave the link here -> koji dollywink black liquid eyeliner. Right now there is a new packaging, they changed it a few times and I feel that for me the formula did not really change much. But, I will say the packaging I had first time with polka dots was the cutest! It is not too expensive, less now compared to before and worth the investment. I always bought this on sasa.com, but there are other sites like imomoko.com where you can buy this! I do not recommend ebay or amazon because I have heard of fakes being sold on there by other people.

Hope you all enjoyed this eyeliner post! I might a post on how to create an every day natural eyeliner look soon! 

                                                             ~Thank You!~

* I am not affiliated or sponsored by any company, this is all based on my own honest opinion! I was not sent this, I bought this myself. *

Laneige Whitening BB Cushion: Renewal version #21

Anneyong! So, it is finally here! My first purchase and most wanted makeup product of all time for 2015, a bb/foundation cushion! I know I am a little late to jump on the bandwagon, but... better than never right? I have been searching and it was so hard to pick, but being a tiny bit more tan (even if it is winter) I have limited options. But.... this did not stop me from buying one. In Korea the makeup cushions are such a big hit. I heard almost every person would carry this makeup item in their bag and apply it daily, even when running late they use this to apply quickly. 

The "mother of all cushions" was Iope, but later there were more options and this ranges in price and quality. I ended up getting the Laneige BB cushion and there are different types from Laneige. I believe mine is the "whitening" BB cushion? I bought it on ibuybeauti.com and it only says that it is the renewal version. I have been using it for a month now and like it very much! So, shall we get started with the review? :)

About BB cushions (Laneige):

The concept of makeup cushions is a compact which contains a sponge soaked with the base makeup (BB cream or foundation) and used with an air puff. We take the air puff sponge, press it into the cushion and pat this makeup on to your face. Do not swirl, pat only and then apply to face in patting motions.

To start off, picking the right shade for some people especially in other countries outside Korea like the U.S is quite tricky since it is online unless a beauty store has these cushions available. The shade options can be quite light because Koreans have porecelain and lighter skin tones. Thank goodness Laneige runs slightly darker than other BB cushions like Iope, Hera, Innisfree, Etude and more... I was very worried about the color. To be honest, mine is a tiny bit lighter (#21) for my skin even though I am in the winter season now, it is not off by much, I can still work with it.
 I will be getting a darker refill soon. Yes it comes with a refill!  It should be sold separately online too. :) The packaging is very cute and it comes with a refill so you do not need to buy a new whole compact! You just pop off the middle (cushion) and replace it with anothee refill after finishing. Yayy! :D I got the Sparkling Party packaging which is from the holiday season I believe, I had no clue until I saw it.

 My review:

Upon application it feels quite hydrating, but not dewy which can be good depending on skin type. I believe this is used for normal skin ( mentions to be for all types), it doesn't lean towards oily skin type or dry combination skin type. I am currently suffering from very dry skin and the Laneige BB cushion does still show parts of my dry spots so I apply moisturizer before application. The finish is like a satin velvet... not matte but not dewy either.
It is not thick and the formula is quite like milk+water? You can work your way up with layers. I would say it is a light coverage and only buildable to a slightly medium coverage. It is not cakey or heavy, but if layers are packed on then it can leave a bit of a white cast. This can be due to the SPF or my shade being slightly lighter. It conceals blemishes for the most part but concealer may be needed to cover up more acne scarring. I use a translucent powder on top with a big fluffy brush (kabuki) and it works well.
 I can get a good wear from this for about 6 hours and then afterwards my blemishes can peak thru and I start to have dry spots show up. I do not produce much oil on my face in the winter, so the oil is not much, very little on my nose (even though it has dry parts) and forehead. I haven't tried touching up, if anything I actually prefer not touching up. I think I will love this cushion much much more if my skin was not soooo dry and I will post updates if there are changes!

Update: I went to the doctor and was prescribed some ointment for my dry skin which was peeling. After a week I do not have extremely dry skin anymore. So I will post pictures of the laneige cushion with my skin now which is normal.

Tip: I use a darker powder or bronzer and try to contour my face a bit so that the shade does not seem too off.

Skin type: Sensitive/ Dry skin

Repurchase: Yes (darker shade this time)
Price: $37
Overall rating: 4.7/ 5.0

 

It came nicely wrapped with samples!

The box is pink possibly due to holiday theme 

I really love how compact it is, the mirror is super clear and good size too

I opened the seal and remember that the the color of the sponge will be darker, it applies lighter because the sponge is soaked with the base makeup so it looks different. 

The swatch on my hand looks better since it is lighter than my face

Applied and blended into hands, it feels amazing, not too dewy not matte.

Here is a pic of my after applying all my makeup, under my light it comes off as a more yellow undertone.

This is at the end of the day, my blemishes do peak through after a long day, keep this in mind.

It cling on to dry spots on my nose and chin, not sure if you can see it here (right).

                                                  

I tried applying 2 layers and it looks great! Slightly light shade but it is very nice to build up. No cakey look, but make sure to moisturize. Excuse my tired face :))

Overall, this cushion is amazing, and I am happy that I bought this for myself. Lately my sensitive skin has been reacting to certain products, but this cushion did NOT cause my skin to react. I am still getting use to it, I would like to get a darker shade refill soon. This does crease if applied around the eye area so I just avoid that and put concealer. My complexion is brightened and I look much more awake! I will say Laneige is on the higher end, but as a first time user I chose this mainly because the other brands carry lighter shades which does not suit me. I love Laneige and want to try other cushions. Let me know what you guys think! Suggest me some cushions if possible! :) Thanks for reading. 

All products were bought with my own money, I am not sponsored or affilated with ibuyitbeauty.com or Laneige

Leaders Insolution: AQUALINGER SKIN CLINIC MASK

Korean sheet masks have got to be my all time favorite! In Korea and other Asian countries, sheet masks are a huge part of their skincare routine. Ideally, people would usually use face masks about 2 times a week, could be more or less. I know many people have different preferences. I try to aim for two times a week, but I still forget sometimes! Because of school and busy schedules, it is very hard to keep up with my skincare routine, even if it seems simple. Actually skincare takes some determination.
Lately, I was tempted to buy some sheet masks and I did! The Leaders Insolution is very well- known and one of the leading mask brands. I wanted this for such a long time I could not even remember. This sheet mask is made in Korea and I have to say it is quite nice. :) Since this is my first time using this mask brand, I will try puting as much info as possible. I will say if masks are good after one try, it is good to give it another try and keep it in your skincare routine. This would be more of  a first impression kind of, I will update more on the different masks. I bought 4 Aquaringer since I wanted to try it out for a bit. So, shall we begin? :D

My opinion:
I used the Aquaringer one which is suppose to help with dry irritated skin. Let me tell you... winter has not been nice to me. I had peeling, flaky dry skin, it was so terrible. You will see in a moment how my skin is. This mask is like a gel type, so it feels moisturizing and hydrating which it claims. The size of the mask fits just right on my face, which is not small. It does feel a little sticky afterwards and takes a while to go away, but I can deal with it. I had redness on my face and the cooling from the mask and moisture made it less red and actually disappearing. :)

Tip: I will say that it is best to use it at least an hour or more before bed or going outside cause masks may leave the skin sticky or too dewy so things stick on it, this is not good.

 It is 4- free, it says that there is NO mental oil, paraben, silicone, and artificial pigment. Sounds nice :D This masks makes me seem a little dewy, not too much, which is quite nice, I cannot wait to see how it is in the morning.

Skin Type: Dry, Sensitive (winter)

Price: $2  (imomoko.com)

Repurchase: Yes!

Overall Rating: 4.7/5.0


Pros
- Hydrating, moisturizing
- Gets rid of redness
- Not expensive
- Cool feeling
- Fits nicely on face

Cons
- Little sticky
- Unfolding mask is tricky (can rip easily)

The front shows the concerns and effects. Contains glacier water! :)

The back shows the 4-free and instructions. Leave on 15-20 minutes (try not going over) too much does not mean better.

Before: Some redness no because of acne but dry and irritated skin.

Some pink and redness around nose, cheek and chin area.

Shocked? Yes this was how bad it was. 

It has a cool feeling and is gel type, feels refreshing! :)

After: My skin felt very moisturized and the redness decreased. Yayyy!

You barely see redness and dryness now, it feels so hydrating. The stickiness goes away just pat it into your skin after removing the mask.

This may be a first impression, but I would say this mask is really good. If there are any changes or more thoughts I will post an update. My skin was so bad for weeks now, I felt like a reptile who sheds skin or something. :/ But, I have hope in this mask, I wish that it saves my skin in this cold winter. I bought 4 Aquaringer from imomoko.com, so I will try it for a while. The intense hydration should help people who have very dry skin like me. I would not recommend this for people with oily skin, but you are free to use it. :)

 This sheet mask is made in Korea and I am trying to explore more about skincare. Sheet masks should be added into a skincare routine. This one was one of the leading sheet masks in Korea and popular among other countries too. It is affordable, hydrating and effective. That is it for now. Thanks for reading! 

^_^

I am not sponsored,everything was purchased with my own money. 

Tonymoly: Backstage Gel Liner (Black)

HELLO! So, I finished putting up my Korean mini collection list previously for the end of 2014. Check that out to see which products I recommend and the ratings I have for each + small review. The product I will be talking about today is the Tonymoly Backstage Gel liner. I would say that gel liners are slightly harder to use than liquid liner. For beginners, I would recommend starting with the liquid eyeliner and then transitioning into a gel liner. After using this Tonymoly gel liner for a few days I was finding it much easier, I was quite impressed and happy with it. This was my first gel liner, I never had one before. So, I got this about 1 year ago because I wanted to try something new besides the pencil and liquid liners. I was not dedicated enough to spend loads of money on a high- end liner so I got this one instead.

My opinion:

This gel liner can be compared to other high- ends, even though I have not used high- end ones, but I have heard and read about it and the job that Tonymoly does is just as good as those other ones. First off, it comes with a small brush which can be extended (mine is stuck) and it fits nicely in your fingers since it is not too long and not too short. This gel liner does not smudge as much, unless you have very oily eyelids and did not smooth out the liner (over applying), it happens. This is water proof, it does not go anywhere once it sits on your eyelids! When my eyes are watery or it is hot and humid, I still do not see it smudging. But, one thing I would say about this liner is that, if you have extremely oily eyelids and do not wear primer, your oils can sit on top of the liner, giving it a shiny glossy look. It takes a while to master a winged eyeliner with this brush and gel liner, but after a while it is not too bad. I can wear this for more than 7+ hours! Not kidding! :)

Skin Type: Dry/ Combination Skin

Price: $8 (depends where you get it)

Repurchase: Yes!! Definitely! 

Overall Rating: 4.8/5.0

Pros:
- Waterproof (tested by many people, it works!)
- No panda eyes (smudge)
- Great price for its quality
- Comes in different shades
- Creamy, smooth
- Travel friendly (brush with gel liner)


Cons
- Can dry up a tiny bit after a few months (winter)
- Brush becomes messy, not good after a while
-May not be easy to create a wing liner





It is in 3 parts, you get a brush with the gel liner too!



The packaging is sleek nothing to bulky, it fits well in makeup bags even though it is shaped like that.



It is quite opaque, watch out to close it tight or the formula will dry up a bit. It has a nice smooth application. 

It looks great for every day and does not smudge or fade after a long day.


Works well on top of eyeshadows too, take your time, it will look great!



This is my every day look with my gel liner. How do I look? hehe

You can use this to draw on your liner and then use a liquid liner to extend and wing out the liner if it is too hard to create the wing with the gel liner and brush. I personally mix up my eyeliners often, sometimes starting with gel in the middle of my eyes and then for inner eyes and wing, I use liquid liner. It does not look weird, it looks nice and natural! Some of these pictures are on my other blog with my korean makeup list of 2014. Korean makeup 2014..Feel free to stop by! Thanks for reading! :)

Every product is purchased with my own money until mentioned otherwise. Thanks again!