After some months without posting my favourites, this month here I am to share both my favourites and some monthly experiences! Next month I'll be back to University and I am already working on getting back into routines and other stuff.

Ever since I got into make up I have been a palette type of girl. Mostly because I like the convenience of having a good selection of shades at easy reach without any fuzz. But with time, it happens that some times brands launch really amazing shades not inside palettes, but as single eyeshadows. Depending on the package this can become a bit of an issue - way too many eyeshadows flying around, things get messy, accidents happen.
Because of this solutions started to happen - why not create a magnetic palette that can carry eyeshadow pan and give the opportunity of building our own eyeshadow? And this is how Z-Palette and many other brands started to appear. Than MAC also provided their "build-your-own-palette" system and so many more brands. It's pretty much a staple to many brands - if they happen to launch a single eyeshadow collection, they need to launch the option of building a palette. Even Urban Decay has it - although their system is a bit different and something that I sadly tend to forget.
But even with my love for palettes, I found myself getting a few single eyeshadows. The question starts here, should I or should I not depot all of them, just like I did with my H&M eyeshadows and my Benefit Blush/Bronzer and Eyeshadow?

Once upon a time, I wrote a post called 10 Korean Beauty products to try. In that post I showcased 10 different beauty products and explained why I liked them and why you should try them. And now I am back with another 10 products I believe you guys need to try out. It is true that most of them are from the same brand, but I swear it wasn't planned in that way. I'll probably do another post in the future with more items from more different brands.  So without any further due, here another 10 Korean Beauty products I believe are worth your attention :

The Saem Cover Perfection Lip Concelaer

With the Lip gradient craze, everyone tried to archive said look. But sometimes it's quite difficult - either our lips are already pigmented or the tint shade we are using is really pale. To work out on these said issues there is a solution - a lip concealer. Many youtubers usually use regular concealer but Korean actually have an appropriate product for that - which isn't as drying and uncomfortable. The Saem's Lip Concealer is a good choice since it is contained in a tube form and it is super easy to blend and easy to work out on your lips. It is also a really nice product to have in your kit if you happen to be a Makeup Artist.

Etude House Dear Darling Tint 

If you enjoy K-Pop or Korean Fashion in general you already realised that most of the times Koreans tend to prefer tints over Lipsticks. Tints are really amazing for everyday looks since they aren't that much of a statement and usually give a more youthful look. After becoming disappointed with Benefit's tint I decided that it would be a nice idea to try out the "real thing" and get myself a Korean liptint. When Etude House celebrated their 10 Year Anniversary they launched a specially collection of their tints with a Pink Cap and I thought it would be the perfect time to get one. I have to say that I am impressed. The tint is very pigmented and easy to apply and work. You can either do gradient looks or even apply it like a regular liquid lipstick. And above everything else it isn't too drying. Something that truly deserver attention.

Mizon Ultra Suboon Cream

What can I say about this moisturiser? I already wrote a review in the past declaring my endless love to this moisturiser. I mean, it has one of my favourite ingredients - Hyaluronic Acid - and it is super affordable. My skin always looks amazing when I apply this moisturiser and my makeu p tends to look a lot better whenever I do it. If you are looking for a good moisturiser but you don't want to crack your budget, try to get this one.
 

Secret Key Starting Treatment Essence
Korea is known for developing skin care without any issues. One of the items they have developed - and are starting to be replicated on Western Skin Care - is Essence. And Essence is something you tend to apply either with a cotton pad or with your clean hands and it is meant to be used between the toner and the serum. An Essence is something like a water full of vitamins that will boost up you serum and moisturiser. I went for Secret Key's because it is similar to the popular Missha The First Treatment Essence and to the SK-II Esssence - but costing a fraction of both, specially when compared to the second. My skin has been looking more healthier whenever I apply this - pore getting unclogged, no major breakouts and scaring is healing without any major problem.

 

Etude House Lash Perm Shockcara Mascara
I got this lovely mascara from Shayne last year when we did our second swap and I can't believe I haven't spoken about here. Although this says it makes our lashes more shocking and all, in fact it gives a gorgeous natural but composed look to the lashes. I really like the wand, specially to apply it on my bottom lashes. And the formula is really, really good.  I tend to have issues with some mascara formulas - normally I can only wear wither Benefit or Korean. I once used a Maybelline mascara and my eyes couldn't stop crying and all I wanted to do was scratching. I really want to try out their newest mascara, but this one will always have a soft spot in my heart.
 

Etude House Look at My Eyes Eyeshadow
I got two of these to see what was the fuzz surrounding the Etude House single eyeshadows. I wasn't expecting to be blown away like I was. The matte shade is my go to blending crease shade. It doesn't matter what look I am using, what eyeshadow I am using - I'll use it. It isn't powdery at all. Actually, it performs better than the matte eyeshadows I have from brands like Urban Decays ( yes, I said it!). The pressed Glitter shadow is so, but so good. You can obviously use it dry but I love to wet a synthetic brush with make up fixer or a mist and apply it on my lids and let me tell - once placed, it won't move, fade or have any type of fallout. I'm seriously considering getting more shades from this range.
 

Innisfree Mineral Single Eyeshadow
After the good experience I had with the Etude House eyeshadows, I decided to try out the Innisfree shadows. Pretty much like the Etude House shadows, these have a gorgeous texture, pigmentation and performance. They are easy to blend, they don't crease and the glitter shadow performs as beautifully on my lids, without any major fallout. The colour range is also gorgeous, with seasonal shadows being launched every year.

 

 

Etude House Moisture BB Cushion
Forgive me for showing up a limited edition case but it was the one I got when I bought this cushion so I couldn't just take it out of the case. I got this Cushion last year and I actually need to repurchase a refill soon. This cushion is perfect for the winter time where I want something moisturising that helps me with the cold of the winter. It also leaves a really natural effect to the skin and doesn't cake on anything. I'm seriously impressed with this one and actually it made me want to try out more cushions (even from western brands).
 

Aritaum Sugarball Velvet Blusher
I think I have mentioned these blushes a few times here. They are usually the ones I take with me when I am travelling somewhere. They are pigmented and leave a really natural flush to my cheeks. You could think that Korean blushes aren't that pigmented but actually brands have been changing that type of concept. The packaging of these can seem a bit bulky but considering it has a good brush and a decent mirror, it isn't that bad. I just wish they could have more shades.
 

Etude House Liquid Lips Lipstick

I recently wrote a review about these little guys. I still want to grave two nude shades from this range - and maybe another burgundy shade? Who knows?. The applicator is just perfect to apply the product into your lips and the formula is really amazing. They aren't super matte at first but with time they dry out as such. And can talk about how cute this packaging is? I'm sorry Kylie but Etude House does it better. (no hate for saying this! it's just my humble opinion!!)

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Korean Beauty is something I'll always love and get interested in. TonyMoly is finally available here and I am thinking about getting some bits and bobs around my birthday time. I'll also try to catch up on writing the review about the Secret Key Essence and my talking about my current skin care routine. I've been working hard around here - or trying to at least. Thank you very much for reading and if you have any recommendations, feel free to leave them. Take care and have a nice day!

Korean Beauty has been getting some attention, specially when beauty gurus like Michelle Phan and Professional Makeup Artists like Lisa Eldridge mention them on their channel's. I've always been really curious about it, specially as someone who started to follow kpop stars and their makeup looks. Also, Korean beauty is known to not be overpriced and with really good quality.

I've been able to try out a nice quantity of products from Korean brands so I decided to share 10 products I believe you should keep in mind if you want to try out for the first time Korean Beauty.

But keep in mind that because I want to try as many products as possible and because I really do like them, it's possible that I might do another round-up post with another 10 products in the future. But for now, here are my 10 products.

It's impossible to deny the quality of Korean Skin Care. They usually give priority to good ingredients like Glycolic Acid or Hyaluronic Acid - it's is quite hard in Western Brands. Although I would advise you to always check the ingredient list and reviews no matter what. For example, it's common to find mineral oil and lavender oil in some Cleansing Oils, which isn't the ideal to those who have sensitive skin. Without further due, here are the 6 Skin Care products I recommend you without any doubt.

Innisfree Apple Juicy Cleansing Oil

By far, the best cleansing oil I ever tried. It doesn't contain any bad ingredient although people allergic to parfum/fragrance might be a little hesitant. It's really gentle but cleanses the skin and all traces of makeup without problems. You can also use this to remove your eye makeup that it won't sting your eyes or anything like that. I have to admit that I am a bit curious to try certain cleansing balms ( like Clinique take the day off) but I'll probably repurchase this for sure. If you are looking for a cleansing oil, think about this one.

Missha Time Revolution Clear Toner

If you are familiar with Missha you know they are fairly popular because of their BB Cream and because of their Fermented Essence. This toner is part of the same line that carries that Essence and contain both BHA and AHA acids,  doesn't have any alcohol and isn't really harsh on the skin. I'm seriously thinking about promoting him as my everyday morning toner ( since I like to use something more strong at the night time like the FAB pads). I also really like this for those days where you feel your skin more sensitive and asking for more of a gentle care. I'll probably repurchase this toner around September or October.

OST C20 Vitamin C20 Serum

It's probably one of the most popular Korean Serums of all time. This serum is known to take care of scars and spots. And it's what it does. Ever since I started to use this Serum my skin has improving a lot - and when I say a lot, I mean that scars with more than 2 years are finally fading and disappearing. You just need to be careful with two things : if you happen to wear this in the morning always - ALWAYS - apply SPF ( actually, you should always apply SPF no matter what) because vitamin C makes your skin more fragile to sun exposure and don't let the bottle be exposed to sun since vitamin C is quite unstable and doesn't work nicely with sun exposure, since it oxides and the serum looses it's powder. I keep mine out of the sun and inside of the box to prevent that

Mizon Hyaluronic Acid 100 Serum

Because of Caroline Hirons recommendations I started to be quite interested in finding a good serum Hyaluronic Acid. The problem? It's quite hard to find serums with that in Europe and when you get to find them they are really expensive.  When I found this one last year I got curious. The result? I'm on my second bottle because of how much I liked it. It's perfect to use both in the night and morning time and I probably won't switching this for nothing. If you have dry skin or dehydrated skin be sure to add this to your " to try list".

Innisfree It's real Squeeze Mask in Green Tea

Sheet Mask are a huge thing in Korea. I used to not understand the hype until I tried this one. When you have one of those really long days and you need to relax or you feel like your skin needs a "pick me up" treatment, grab one of these. It's really moisturising and it does take care of your skin. The one present here is the last I have from Innisfree and I've been saving it until I'm able to repurchase more because after trying a few from Etude House, I believe these are by far better ( not that Etude House's are bad, they aren't...I just prefer the texture of these). They also have more types of masks if you are interested. Oh and they are really affordable as well.

Lioele Waterdrop Sleeping Mask

Sleeping masks are another thing that it's big in Korea. They are meant to lock in the moisture and add another boost to your skin during the night. I got this one because it's fairly popular, affordable and...it has Hyaluronic acid. Also, a little goes a long way with this mask and a tube will last more than 9 months if not a full year believe me. It also gives a really nice fresh feeling to the skin ( which we love specially during the summer)




Now into Makeup wise, their base makeup products are usually really good. Their BB creams are by far better than the western ones, although sadly they lack of a good colour selection. Because Korean Woman love their eyeliner, usually theirs is also really good. Oh their lip products are to die for. Overall, they are worth to try, but here are some specific recommendations:

3CE Full Cover Concealer
If you are looking for a dupe or something similar to the Nars Radiant Creamy concealer, try this out. I got it not only because of that but also because Bethany Y used to rave a lot about it. I had to stop using it during summer because I got a bit tanned but it's perfect for the Winter time. I'm planing on trying more concealers in the future but I'll be sure to repurchase this one. The downside is that 3CE isn't sold everywhere as easily as other brands like Etude House or Innisfree.

Holika Holika Pore Cover Base
Looking for a nice primer that takes care of hiding your pores but you happen to not like Silicone ( or being allergic...I think most people also forget that there are people allergic to silicone) ? Try this one. I actually got it because it was really affordable and since I'm not a huge fan of the Porefessional, I wanted to get something similar. I ended up getting something better. The primer has more of a creamy consistency, doesn't break me out, mess with my foundation or anything like it. I might be curious to get other type of primers, but this one has a permanent spot in my stash.

Clio Kill Black Waterproof Eyeliner
I'm still not a huge pro in what's related to eyeliner but, I have to say that his is by far the best I've come across. It's super pigmented and it doesn't fade or anything during the day. Mine is starting to dye ( well, it's been one year since I got it so, it's quite normal) and I'll be getting a backup soon. And possibly the brown one as well. This one has a brush tip but, if you prefer there's also the felt tip option as well.

Etude House Dear My Wish Lip Talk
What can I say? I have six shades of this and I love them. I dare to say that I like this lipsticks more than my MAC lipsticks ( although shades like Craving will always have a spot in my heart). Their scent is amazing, the packaging speaks for itself and this is one of those lipsticks that I apply, live my life, eat, drink and I'll still have lipstick on. I'm still thinking about getting the two Nudes they have in the Range to finish the collection.


There obviously more products I could recommend. Like the Etude House BB Cushion or the Aritaum Blushes. But like I said, I still want to try out more products so, I might mention them in the future.
Do you have any recommendation?
I hope you liked this post. Take care everyone, have a nice day!

 

With Love,
Diana

The tittle for this post could also be " The best cleansing oil I've tried so far" but, it was way to big. 

I've been doing what I said I would and I've been preparing posts...and watching way to many shows. Before I start talking about this cleansing oil please allow me to recommend you Sense8 ( it's a Netflix show). If you like series with good character development, fight scenes and touch of philosophical bit here and there it's the show you need to watch. A friend recommended it to me and I couldn't stop watching it. 

Now, back to cleansing oil world. Everyone knows how much I love cleansing oils to remove my makeup and cleanse my face. It's no secret that I said no-no to foam cleansers. But finding a good cleansing oil isn't as easy as it seams. Most cleansing oils either have things like Mineral oil ( which can be for me as bad as SLS) or more active oils that can cause breakouts or inflammations on more sensitive skins. The previous cleansing oil I was using had Lavender oil and somehow my skin wasn't really happy about it.  Also, I tend to like cleansing oils that are a bit more rich, since them seem to cleanse my skin more easily and I tend to not need to use as much product. 

So, I ended up finding myself needing a new cleansing oil and having the hard task of finding something good that wouldn't break me out. Western oils were a no at the time because the ones we usually find at the Korean market are cheaper and better. It turns out that it's kinda the same...until I found this bad boy. I ran every name of cleansing oils at cosdna.com in order to check their ingredient list and if they had bad ingredients. 

It turns out that the Innisfree Apple Juicy Cleansing Oil is by far the safest cleansing oil I could ever get, since the only bad ingredient is fragrance. 

So, what does this cleansing oil has it that others don't?

First, the packaging is quite efficient because I can pour oil onto my hand without having it flying around the bathroom. I can't possible explain how mad I get whenever I get my mirror stained with oil because of bad packaging. I usually keep the seal because I do have my cat playing around my room sometimes and I don't want it to ruin and break my bottles.

Another personal perk of this cleansing oil it's amazing smell of green apple. I stated before that fragrance can be bummer to some people but personally, I didn't had any reaction with the fragrance existing in this cleanser. The smell is really fresh and makes me want to massage this on face, like if I was at a spa. 

It has a richer texture, not too thick but not light either. It's perfect to massage and break all the makeup, specially eye makeup. This takes care of waterproof mascara and waterproof eyeliner without any problem. 

As you can see here the ingredients aren't anything complicated or that could make you break out ( unless you are allergic to apples or to fragrance). Overall, I do believe this is by far one of safest cleansing oils I even had the change to try out.  I do want to try the Unna Brennan Superfacialist Vitamin C cleansing oil and the DHC cleansin oil everyone loves ( the last one is quite expensive so I probably won't try it in a near future) but I'll for sure repurchase this cleansing oil.  So far I'm quite impressed. 

I got this cleansing oil at Jolse .

Which kinda reminds me that for the first time in my life I got a package stopped for customs. I'm not sure how much I'll pay but...I really hope it's not that much. I really shouldn't have ordered again so soon...But I needed a backup of my daily moisturiser... I'll be sure to share that tale whenever that packaging finally arrives. 

Thank you all for reading. Take care and have a nice day!

With Love,

Diana

So stating with the skin care items. I've been taking care of my skin for a while and I'm finally getting into that point where I am happy and confident about it. I still have some marks and issues to take care but overall, I'm happy. 

One of the things I always need to have with me is a cleansing oil. I like and tend to remove my makeup like this and so far it's the more effective way of doing so. When my old cleansing oil was dying, I decided that I should find something new to try...and that when the battle began. I wanted the best cleansing oil possible without spending too much money. I didn't wanted anything with mineral oil or with angry ingredients ( yes ingredients get angry and start the hunger games on my face. not really but...I tried to make a Joke, I really did).Most of the ones I was finding, even from brands like Skin Food The FaceShop had mineral oil or in cases like Etude House they had specific oils ( like lavender oil) that kinda irritate my skin when used with time. After a long research for products and ingridients on CosDNA.com , I found out that the Innsifree Apple Juicy Cleansing Oil is probably the safest cleansing oil I've ever found. It has a really nice texture - it's not that rich or that light, cleanses everything without making my skin itchy and there isn't any problem so far in terms of using this to remove eye makeup. Actually, it's amazing to remove waterproof makeup, specially mascara and eyeliner. It has the lovely smell of Green Apple. The only downside of this is that it had fragrance and that might be bad for some people. But so far, I'm really happy. I'll do a proper review during July for sure. 

Also, there is a new craze around sleeping masks in Europe. The body shop and other brands have been lauching them but...they are too expensive to my taste. After using a sample of the Lioele Water drop Sleeping mask, I fest in love. It has this really fresh texture and it doesn't take too much time to settle. When I wake up in the morning after using this, my skill is always looking fresh, hydrated and good looking. I don't regret getting this. 

As a backup, I also got the Mizon Hyaluronic Acid serum, which is now a stapple in my routine. I won't be swiching him in the future, specially when it costs half the price of a Hydraluron tube.
Lastely but not least, I tried a sample of a Innisfree Green Tea Sheet Mask and I felt in love. I had to order more and so far I only have one left. I'm going to try a few from Etude House but so far I'm a fan. My skin has liking sheet masks and now I understand why Koreans love them so much! 

Lastly but not least, I didn't went that crazy on the makeup side this time ( yes, this time...). I didn't have any item similar to what I got here so...it kinda makes it okay right?

So, Etude House is known for their super cute a princess style packaging and recently they teamed up with a illustrator and launched a collection called " dreaming swan" and that collection is all around ballerinas and ballet-style packaging. And yes, I have a soft spot for that kind of thing...

One of the things they have is the limited edition cushion cases. They had in the past one for Cinderella and another one for Minnie....but none of them made me want to get them...Until the Dreaming Swan Cushion Case was released. They have 3 different version but the purple one just owned my heart. It's made of sturdy plastic and the top is better than what I thought - it's not a sticker or anything like that. 

Because you cannot do anything just a cushion case ( you could but...it's a waste..) I got a refill of the Etude House Precious Mineral Moist Any Cushion in the shade Natural Beige w13 - which is a perfect match so far...with beach days it will get too light but I'll rock this during the school time because IT'S AMAZING. It's super light weight, comfortable and makes my skin look amazing. If you are looking for something with tone of coverage this isn't for you but if you want something that makes your skin look like your skin but better this is the deal. I almost ordered another case and another shade but...I already have foundation shades with my summer shade and I need to use them instead. 

Also from the Dreaming Swan collection I got the Etude House Shine Volumer , which is basicaly an highlighter that you can use both on your eyes and on your cheecks. I really like for the inner part of my eyes, although it bugs me that I need to use an extra brush for that. But I really like, specially because once it sets it doesn't budge and leaver sparkles of glitter around my face. 

And lastly but not least, I finally got a proper gel eyeliner. I went for the Holika Holika Jewel Liner because it had nice reviews and so far I'm happy. It's creamy and doesn't smudge or fade during the day. It was also fairly affordable. 

So, what do you think? 

I hope that you enjoyed the post and I wish you all a good day. Take care everyone!

With love, 

Diana.