Givenchy Teint Couture Metal Cushion - Mini Review and Comparisons

When Sephora was having a VIB/VIB Rouge member sale, I decided to take the plunge and purchase the Givenchy Teint Couture Portable Fluid Foundation (official label-I will just refer to it as their metal cushion). I've liked Givenchy foundations in the past and when I tried the testers for this one in the store; the product did feel very light and moisturizing while giving a really nice finish. 

Sleek compact

Includes a puff that sits right on the metal plate

Push down on the plate and the foundation comes up

 So this item isn't my first metal cushion. The first one I tried was by the Korean brand VDL. It stood out in the sea of cushions because of the metal plate which felt more hygienic than the foam cushion and it does give a pleasant cooling effect when you apply the product. The second version that I tried was by another Korean brand SU:M37 which I purchased mainly because the casing was really pretty.

VDL x Kakao Friends case

SU:M37 x Bahk Seon Ghi

Right: SU:M37 Air Rising Glow Cover, Left: VDL Beauty Metal Cushion

Now how does the Givenchy compare to these metal cushions? Structurally the compacts are pretty much the same even though the Givenchy one is made in France while the other 2 are made in Korea. A relevant note on cushion compacts (metal or foam): the inner cushion part are usually meant to pop out and be replaced after a certain period of time. Korean cushions often come with a filled case and an additional refill. The Givenchy even with the high price tag - does not come with a refill and none are available for sale. However, the cushion does pop out and does fit in the other metal cushion casings and vice versa. 

Inner metal cushion part separated from the case (you just have to push on the center bottom)

Givenchy metal cushion in the SU:M37 case

As much as I liked the finish and feel of the Givenchy cushion foundation I ended up returning it because none of the 6 shade offerings seem to work for me. I picked up 4 Fresh Beige which ended up being quite pink once I applied it to my face. No. 3 Fresh Sand seemed to be a bit more yellow/neutral but too light and 5 Fresh Honey was definitely too deep. For comparison, here is the Givenchy swatched against the Korean cushions which are also limited in how well they match my skintone but I work with it.  Once I had done these swatches; I didn't realize before now deep the Givenchy shade appeared to be especially against the other shades - Sephora does seem to have tricky lighting....

Indoor; natural lighting

Indoor; direct window lighting

Overall, I was disappointed that the shades for the Givenchy Teint Couture Cushion didn't work for me (although wallet was happy) even though the formula seem really nice. It did give a lovely blurring effect and natural finish. The Korean cushions may not have as appealing formula and texture (the foundations are a bit thicker and do have a dewier finish) but for half the price and twice as much product - they are pretty good. I hope that Givenchy will eventually expand their shade offerings and provide the opportunity to purchase just refills then this product will definitely have the appeal for me to throw my money at it once again.

MÜLE (뮬) - Sparkling Star Palette (스파클링 스타 팔레트)

Since it had been awhile since I had seen any new products from Mule, I did a quick search on eBay and spotted a listing for a palette but I thought the price was a bit high. I did a search on Gmarket and found much more reasonable prices so I decided to get over my Gmarket hesitations and placed an order.

The palette was larger than I expected; each pan is about the same as the Mac Pro Longwear eyeshadow pans. There are 2 rows of powder eyeshadows and one row of lip/cheek cream colors.

A tube of Chanel Coco Rouge for size reference

There was a leaflet included that had 2 looks and color names.

 Swatches were done indoors on bare skin with natural lighting, no flash. 

Shade names are based on google translate results.

 First row: Sugar Lily (Lavender), New York Yellow (Gold), Apple Green (Lime green), Shot Black (Charcoal Grey), Talk Pink (Beige Pink)

 Second row: Honey Brown (Taupe), Deep Blue (Violet), Strawberry Macaroon (Bright Matte Pink), Luminous White (White with gold sheen), Deep Purple (Brown Purple)

  Third row: Holiday Red (Warm Red), New York Pink (Pastel Pink), Holiday Orange (Bright Tangerine), Nude Beige, Splendid Pink (Fuchsia)

The eyeshadows have a nice soft texture and go on fairly smooth although there is a bit of kick up when dabbing with a brush. When applied over primer, the colors last close to a full day with just minimal fading. I've only used the lip/cheek colors on the lips and they have nice pigmentation. They aren't the most moisturizing so I would suggest using a lip balm underneath. To see the palette in action, here are 2 looks from Jung Saem Mool's channel - Look 1, Look 2; I do believe that these are the same looks that are shown in the leaflet.

MÜLE(뮬): Make Your Own Rule Theme 1 Make Up

I thought I had posted about this make-up collection but quickly realized that I had dropped the beauty blogging ball on this topic. So *cough* these items were purchased last year. MÜLE is the beauty brand from Jung Saem Mool, a popular Korean make-up artist. I had discovered her youtube channel and liked the tutorials that were posted but I had not realized she had released a make-up line till a few other bloggers were tweeting about some of the items. I visited the channel to see what they were talking about and the items piqued my interest. I was still fearful of using gmarket at the time so I ordered a set from evil-bay that included the Artist Essential Primer, Artist Correcealer Balm in Shade 02, Artist Curve Brush & Puff and Moist Fixing Powder.

 Boxed items and a pamphlet that was included (along with an intruding cat)

Items unboxed

Artist Essential Primer

 

A dual phase liquid that consists of 7 plant based essential oils.

 Artist Correcealer Balm in Shade 02

 

Compact includes a fingerprint sponge. There is a mirror under the tips sheet on top.

 

On the right, there is a removable screen. 

 

Shade 02 has a peach face color and a foundation shade (I'm guessing suitable to about NC30). The foundation has a consistency similar to Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua but has a heavier feel to it. I found the foundation balm to be a bit light for my skin tone and the undertone was a bit off. I can wear this shade during winter months but the color match is so so.  I will try to update with a swatch.

Upon opening the lid, the screen is to help remove excess when using the Artist Essential brush and the surface next to the screen is for use with the fingerprint puff.

Artist Curve Brush and Puff

 The brushes were the most anticipated items from the set. The brush is very soft and dense and works well with liquid and cream foundations. The puff is nice with cream blushes and I like the option of not having to apply blush with my fingers. 

I've washed the brushes a few times and they've both have held up well - no shedding or distortion.

Moist Fixing Powder

A setting powder with pearl particles. Gives a nice soft finish when applied. The puff is designed to emulate a fingertip and you apply the powder in dabbing motions to the face. The top does crew off so you can use a brush if you prefer. This powder reminded me of the Mac Magically Cool Liquid Powder from the Disney Villains Collection.

Here's a video showing all the products in action. This brand is a bit hard to purchase outside of Korea but gmarket is a decent option if you are interested.