JoxinXJ's

Saturday, 31 May 2014

Korean Balmy Lipsticks

Alright, so here I have two lipsticks that are said to be moisturising, coloured and reasonably priced!

I got the APIEU lipstick in korea during their big sale and it was like about 2500KRW which is about S$3. Such a bargain, SO ITS A MUST BUY even when they are left with 2 colours, a green ( give off no colour but a lot and when i say a lot i mean MASSIVE amount of glitters) and a Neon Pink. Since there is a pink, why not get it? since it is only a couple of dollars and it smells likes candy too.

And the Etude House Jelly Lips Talk lipstick for 8500KRW roughly about S$9. This lipstick is highly raved, so I thought this should be picked up as well.

They are definitely lacking in opaque pigmentation, but the good thing about it is that it is moisturising but still provide you with colours that sheer but buildable. The colours after you build them up, they still a lot your natural lip colour to peek through so it gives a more natural look and in my opinion, it gives me a more youthful look.

They are also really soft and balmy, definitely forgiving to those that had slightly dry lips. Don't recommend using it on chapped lips because the product do accentuate the appearance of it.

For me, i prefer the Etude House more because when u apply is after preping your lips with lip balm and had get rid of the dead skin/chapped skin the whole lips look like you had a clear gloss on top of it. Very water-like appearance almost a glass like look, not glossy. Really love it on days when I want some colours on to look more put together.

As for APIEU, it just give one a nice pink sheen to your lips which is something you can definitely find in the market. But Thumbs up for the price!

with flash and indoor lighting

Top 2 : Etude house Jelly Lip Talk in JPK002 (1 swipe) followed by 3 swipes

Bottom 2: APIEU in VL02 (1 swipe) followed by 3 swipes as well.

Flash and natural lighting

Topshop Gloss Ink

Topshop Gloss Ink in Sugar Rush

This was almost like a dupe for the YSL Glossy stain but with limited colours.

Really adore the slick black matte packaging with glossy wordings printed on it that makes it very ATAS.

I opt for something natural because the rest were either too red, orange or dark for my liking.

This is a super flattering colour on my lips, with the right amount of pigmentation and gloss.

Staying power is also comparable to the YSL Glossy Stains, it can last 1 meal and some drinking and talking which in my opinion is pretty good for a light colour lip product. It is also similar in terms of stickiness of the gloss when compared, they sure are on the same level of tackiness. I don't fancy the littlest bit of drying of the lips when I apply these so called stains.. But I really like how much gloss they give

making the whole lip look so much plush and moisturised. It is also lightly vanilla candy scented.

The scent puts me off initially but after awhile it is really nice and I find it to be less artificial as compared to the YSL. One big problem about this is that when I apply this on my lips, on some occasion it can actually have slight stinging sensation, not mint but stinging. Not something I've encountered with the YSL glossy stains. I'm not sure if it is because of the difference in ingredient or what but the feeling is just unpleasant.

However, if you don't have sensitive lips like me, this lipgloss/stain will definitely be a hit because despite it stinging me, I still love the colour and everything about it.

BEST PART is that it cost only S$16 compared to the YSL which cost S$43 at any YSL counters, S$33-35 in DFS .You can use it without worrying about going through it so fast and at the same time do not feel the pinch as much as when you have to repurchase another one.

most far left swatch with flash

w/o flash

3 Concept Eyes (3CE) by Nanda

3 concept eyes are on the trend now!

Their product are considered pricer as compared to other korean brands such as Etude house, Innisfree Etc.

So I think it would be useful to do a review on these products so you guys don't spend the extra money.

Here I will review 3 of their products :

1) Glossing waterful foundation in Ivory

2) Lip laquer in Pink Boom

3) Creamy Water proof eyeliner in #9 Wow Pink

The foundation as the name says it all, it is a foundation that gives the glowy dewy finish adored by a lot of koreans.

This foundation is very sheer, its only buildable to at the most a medium coverage.

Unless you have really good skin, otherwise you will definitely need a concealer.

what I really like this foundation is that it is very lightweight and gives off a natural finish.

If you stay in a very hot and humid place like i do, i'll strongly recommend powdering the foundation to make sure it last longer throughout the day. This foundation has been my to go to for the whole of May, really is in love with it.

Next up, is the lip laquer, it dries off matte, very easy to apply as this product glides across the lips.

Consistency of the lip lacquer is quite watery, non-tacky.

Colour pigmentation is of course very good but it does transfer, when I'm in Korea, I wore this and it got onto my scarf when i wore the scarf all the way to my chin area cause the wind is way too chilly.

So do take note that this lip product does transfer.

And i don't recommend to wear it if you have dry lips as it accentuates the dryness of the lips and lip lines. Also, do prep your lips well with lip balm/ lip mask if you want a smooth look.

Lastly, is the Creamy eyeliner. This pencil is smooth but you do need a bit of warming the product to get it going. This liner stay on forever when all i used was Innisfree Eye primer and it doesn't smudge or budge like other pencil gel liner does on my eyelids so Thumbs Up. If you would to remove

this with a water based makeup remover like bifesta or bioderma, you will not remove it on the first two swipe because it is supposed to be waterproof. So you do need to go back in a few times to be

able to remove it completely, but it doesn't require much tugging when I'm using bifesta to remove it.

And best of all, this pencil liner does not require sharpening to get the product! It has the twisting mechanism which makes everything easier .

Pigmentation of this liner is also super good, one layer is really good to go but if you want a more dramatic look, add an extra layer and you will have a pop of colour to spice up your normal mundane makeup routine!

Overall, I'm rather pleased with the purchase, couldn't say enough good things about them.

blended swatch (left) & a full on swatch (right)

w/o flash natural lighting

with flash, indoor lighting

with flash and natural lighting

w/o flash

liner swatch below the lip lacquer swatch

Aritaum Honey Melting Tint

Aritaum's Honey Melting Tint (Bitter Rose)

w/o flash

w/o flash ( close up)

This is pretty much the exact same colour as it appear in the tube, thus I don't see the need to take it with flash.

Very pretty brown pink mauve. On my lips, it appear a tad more red/pink a colour that is exactly the colour of my lips

This lip tint/ lip balm is very pigmented. it doesn't leave a stain like a tint should, it performs like a high pigmentation lipstick but it has a very balmy texture. Unlike other balmy lipstick that are sheer, this one is packed with a lot of colours inside. In addition, it does feel a bit tacky and thicker than other balmy lipsticks.

Love the colour , pigmentation, texture and best of all it smells like roses!

A good makeup staple.

Aritaum & Missha Cream Eyeshadow

These 2 cream shadows are said to be Korean dupes for the Armani's eyes to kill and Chanel's illusion d'ombre.

Aritaum's Shine Fix Eyes --- dupe for Armani's eyes to kill

Missha's Jewel Star Eyes --- dupe Chanel's Illusion D'ombre

Let's talk about Aritaum's Shine Fix Eyes (no.15 Lonri Dazy)

I've yet to get my hands on the Armani's ones but judging from the packaging, there are definitely very very similar. And I must say i really love the consistency, texture and pigmentation of this product.

The glitter are also very pretty. They are golden glitters that give a green sheen when u see it in different lighting, or flash. Thus photos do not do this product justice.

Initially when i ordered it online, according to a blogger's swatch it was khaki green kind of brown but when I got the actual product I thought i ordered the wrong colour online. Double checked but I did ordered the right colour. Upon application, that is when I realise that the golden glitters inside does give off a green sheen to it thus the green swatch. Very intriguing indeed :)

One thing to note that the glitters are a little chunky so it does fall out if you use a brush to apply.

so if you can't stand fall out then this might not be appealing.

with flash

w/o flash ( natural & indoor lighting )

with flash

Natural lighting

Next up, Missha's Jewel Star Eyes ( no. 2 Havana Coral)

This is said to be a dupe for Chanel's Illusion D'ombre. In my honest opinion,

packaging looks very well the same , the amount of glitter inside are massive for both but the texture is different. Missha's one is way softer and has a more wet kind of feeling (somewhat like mousse ) Both had that spongey feeling but I would prefer the Chanel's texture just because it felt less sticky and apply more like a powder/cream than a mousse/cream.

However, for pigmentation, Missha's perform better, but it could just be the shade that I've got my Chanel in that lacks the pigmentation it should have if I got it in a darker brown colour.

Below there will be a photo comparison of the missha's Jewel Star Eyes and Chanel's Illusion D'ombre.