Missha x Line Friends - Tension Blusher Cushion, Jelly Tint, Tint Remover and Dual Blending Cushion Eyeshadow

The other adorable collection that caught my eye is the Missha x Line Friends collaboration. Line is another mobile communications app with popular sticker characters that have popped on on a variety of merchandise. Missha came out with a collection earlier this year but as much as I liked the packaging; I didn't think I would use the items much. Last month, the product line was expanded and I decided to get my hands on some goods.

 

I purchased the Tension Blusher in CR02 Rose Dress, Jelly Tint in Maple Latte, Dual Blending Cushion Eyeshadow in London Trip and the Lip Tint Remover. The mug pictured was an add on item with my purchase for a small price.

In the earlier releases, there were face cushions released with a similar Brown (name of the character) case. I figured the shades would be too light for me so I resisted ordering. So I was glad to see the Tension blushers released since the compact is so cute. It looks very similar to a standard face cushion however it is smaller and the inside has a mesh that goes over the product so you dab the puff on that instead of direct contact with a sponge. I'm guessing it's a means of keeping the product contained since the blush is a thin liquid. CR02 Rose Dress is a natural looking deep pink that give a nice flush.

Inner lid and puff

Mesh overlay

The next new addition to this collaboration is the Jelly Tint. It's a pretty opaque liquid tint. I was mainly interested in the Maple Latte color because it wasn't the standard red, pink, orange shades that are usually released. It's a lovely muted dark rose color. The tint remover is a clear liquid gel that comes in a pump bottle. I did one pump, applied the gel and wiped off the product. It did seem to work well without drying my lips.

Cony!

The last item I ordered was the Dual Blending Cushion Eye shadow. The shade London Trip has a light bronze color on one end and a dark shimmery brown on the other end. The product goes on smoothly and last well with a primer.

London Trip

Swatches l -> r: London Trip, Rose Dress and Maple Latte

That was my Missha haul! Going to try the curb the lure of the other cute items that may be coming out soon but I hope you found the post helpful.

The Face Shop x Kakao Friends - Sun Cushion, Photogenic Sun Blur, Melting Color Lip Creamers and Sheet Masks

The Face Shop recently released a Kakao friends collaboration that had some super cute items. In case you're wondering - Kakao is a South Korean Internet company that offers a variety of services. The most popular being Kakao talk - a free messaging service. The Kakao friends are characters in the app and help to liven up your messages. Each one has a different personality, which you can read about here. The most prominent one in this collaboration is Muzi- a radish dressed up as a bunny. I love bunnies so I couldn't resist getting a few pieces.

Baby Sun Cushion and Photogenic Sun Blur.

A big focus for this collection is suncare. The baby sun cushion has SPF34 PA++ and ingredients that are gentle enough for a baby's skin including organic Sunflower Sprout Extract and a Mineral UV filter. It can also be washed off with water. I primarily got this for the adorable case which is matte and the design is printed on (not a sticker). It is re-fillable once the sunscreen runs out and I discovered that it is compatible with iope cushion refills. 

The puff is so cute; the white tray lifts to reveal the cushion.

 The other suncare item I ordered was the photogenic sun blur which has SPF50+ PA+++ and promises to brighten your skintone and give a soft-focus effect. I was looking to see if this would be a suitable primer under foundations and it seems to work. It does deliver a brightening/smoothing effect. One negative is that it does have a fairly heavy scent - reminds me of a shampoo - maybe pert plus?

Top: right out of the tube; Bottom: blended

There were also some Melting Color Lip Creamer (what a name) shades released. I picked 10 Fresh Muzi (bright orange) and 12 Cute Frodo (peach). They are pretty pigmented and have a hydrating lip balm texture and contains sugar so it will "melt" on your lips.

Cute packaging

Caps twist off. Right: Muzi, left: Frodo, about 3 swipes?

The last item I got from this collection were the sheet masks. They are sold individually or in a box of five (one of each character). I got the box of five and these masks are a bit scary because they do have the character faces printed on the sheet. I had received 2 bonus masks - Frodo (Olive - Moisturizing) and Neo (Blueberry - Resilience) and tested both out. They were ok masks but they were more novelty than anything else.

R-> L: Frodo (Olive - Moisturizing), Neo (Blueberry - Resilience), Muzi (Apple - Soothing), Tube (Cotton seed - Brightening), Apeach (Hyaluronic acid - Hydrating)

It's a cute collection and I think all the products are pretty solid. I do wonder if this was a one-off collab or it will be expanded in future seasons. It would be nice to see a regular cushion or other lip products (personal fave is the ink lipquids). Other types of items in this current collection are concealers, eye shadow palettes and purfume. Hope you liked this post; it's been ages since my last entry but I wanted to share some pics/info on these since they are still pretty new and my next post will be about another cute collaboration that was released last month as well- stay tuned!

Glambot Selling Experience

What to do when you're a former? retired? beauty blogger with way too many items and not enough time to manage selling items through your own blogsale? You try to see what options are available online. You come upon a site that will take in make up items, give you an offer in cash or store credit (with a bonus amount) and you think that it's exactly what you need to purge and clean up/out your collection.

The first time I used glambot to get rid of my items. I got a pretty great offer (over $300) for my lot of probably close to 50 items of mostly high range items (Chanel, Dior etc.). My next offer was around $250 - ok, I thought it was probably because I sent a lot with more mid range items (Mac, Lorac etc.). Subsequently, my next offer was even lower. It took forever for my parcel to be processed (over a month and a half). I was being patient since it was getting close to holiday time) but it was hard to get a response from customer service to check the status. Another instance, when I finally received an offer, I was told xyz brand was not accepted even though I found items from those brand available for purchase and text that cited they would take any brand with items being sold through their website. I was able to receive a slightly better revised offer with some pushing.

My most recent experiences will probably be my last since the offers have been very meh but hey, I need to more space in my apt and items need a better home (hopefully) so I've accepted them instead of dealing with having items returned (which you will have to pay back shipping for). I have read stories of equally low balled amounts for items so I feel better know others have been in the same boat.

Glambot has been faster in their processing so I will give them that credit but I definitely question their fairness in deciding what offer will be given. I've asked them for more feedback and clarification in the past to understand my low(er) offers and have been brushed off. It would be nice to know if only x out of y items were accepted or something concrete like that to base the offers on. I was told that "desirability" was one of the main factors in establishing the offer amounts which leads to a lot of grey for them to use. Maybe, they've gotten more popular so they don't "desire" the items I'm sending since they have items from other people? It's also a bummer that on the site, if you are a buyer - you only see a stock photo rather than the actual item you are purchasing. I think in the beginning it use to be an actual picture. No purchasing from me, but that is another point that makes me wary with this company. So that's been my experience. I'm glad I was able to downsize my collection but moving forward, I will find other sites to use or will try to go back to posting on my own page.

BB Balm-L'egere, IPKN, Nanoce

I am definitely not an expert on BB balms and I've only started to test them out since there are so many beauty blogs that rave about them. They sound too good to be true-an all in one product that can replace your foundation, concealer, help cover and fix blemishes, whiten and brighten your skin, provide world peace etc.

My skin tone is more of the medium range so finding the right BB balm is a bit tricky. I also prefer to have a bit more of a tan look and not be so white which kind of goes against the BB balm idea since the balm is often aimed at whitening your skin.
The balms often come in a whopping one shade-take it or leave it. If you're lucky they come in two. They are often on the paler side of the spectrum so finding a color match for me that I like can be iffy. The following are the 4 that I have purchased and my brief opinions.

Straight out of the tubes


Spread out a bit


Sorry, only 3 are pictured here-the
L'egere White Multi is missing-see reason below.

L'egere Water Drop Shiny Pearl
The box lists the following attributes-aqua moisture, sun protect, make up base, skin cover, foundations and skin care. It also claims to be waterproof and sweatproof. It does seem to deliver on most of it's claims and this is currently the leader in my BB balm race. This balm comes out of the tube like a normal cream but as you spread it on your skin it seems to become a bit more liquid-y and easier to spread. It does provide a more moisturizing feel than the other creams I tried and it sinks into the skin quite nicely. There is also a pleasant aqua scent. The shiny pearl is very subtle and provides a very slight highlighting effect. It was also the best match for my skin tone, it allowed for some brightening and whitening but it still looked natural. Although, after using it for a few days I seem to have a bit more break out than usual. I don't know if it was other factors like stress or because of the bb balm, but it may be a bit too heavy for oilier skin types.

L'egere White Multi
This product has the same attributes as the L'egere shiny drop-sun protect, make-up base, foundation, whitening and skincare. It is a bit thicker than the shiny drop and does not have the pearl finish to it. My only problem was that when I put it on, it completely washed me out. It was so promising out of the tube and I thought it would be dark enough to blend in but in the end, I looked anemic and needed to eat a sandwich. It was not a hit for me and at first, I thought maybe I just put on too much, but no even after giving it another shot and using less, it was just not working for me. Maybe, I was too impatient and it's suppose to adjust after applying but either way I decided to pass it on to my fairer sister and see if it works for her.

IPKN Blemish Balm Plus
IPKN (as told to me by a SA) is a very popular brand in Korea. IPKN stands for Independent Professional Korean New Yorker-why? I have no clue. The package describes this balm as skin calming with Yerba Mate which is suppose to give you a "healty" look (Maybe they mean healthy? or do they mean it give you a nice healed look? ah, engrish). It also provides UV protection (SPF 20 PA++) and whitening. It comes out a pinkish gray color and not at all promising in terms of color match. There is a faint scent, but not unpleasant. The balm is not too thick and has the consistency of a moisturizer. I was surprised that this one did not completely wash me out as I expected an blended in pretty well. I especially like it when used with the IPKN powder that I recently picked up (review to come). This is my second, although it is running close to the L'egere Shiny Drop the more chances I give it.

Nanoce BB Moist Cream (No. 2 Healthy Ocre)
Nanoce is a Japanese brand. This BB is available in 2 shades, Natural Ocre and Healthy Ocre. I decided with healthy ocre since it seemed to be the darker one. The package describes it as a moisturizing cover cream that has the all the following functions: make up base, powder, moist cream, foundation and UV protection (SPF 25PA++). It is the thickest BB balm I've tried and it has the worse scent-a bit medicinal, kind of like ban-aids (sorry that is the best description I could give). This was the first BB I bought and I had high hopes, it's not bad on coverage since it is pretty thick but the color is a bit off. Not so bad that I got rid of it but not at all great. It didn't brighten that much and I still prefer to put some additional foundation on top to improve my coloring. I will just keep using it as more of a base than a stand alone product just to use the tube up.

Hello Kitty Mac release party

It was a cold and snowy night. I stood in line for about 30 mins so I could attend the Hello Kitty release party at the Mac store in Soho. There were 2 half-naked models wearing large Hello Kitty heads, no shirt and pleather pants. I saw one when I was standing in line and I burst out laughing. I felt so bad for them. It was more funny than cute.

The store only had 2 displays for the Hello Kitty collection and 1 display for the Creamteam (cremeteam) items so it was insane trying to test things out. I didn't actually get my hands on everything since it was such a madhouse. I was a part of the first group who got in but they continously let people in and soon enough it was packed in the little store with hardly any room to move. I grabbed the things that looked liked I would like it and tested it quickly and moved on. I ended up getting HK lipstick in Lavender Mews (Frosty lavender pink) and Cutester (beige with a gold shimmer; HK lipgloss in Mimmy (pinky coral with gold shimmer); HK lashes; HK brush set with holder; HK purse mirror, and HK keychain. From the creamteam collection, I got the lipstick in Lavender Whip (lavender cream) and Creme Cup (beige pink). I also grabbed the cremesheen lipgloss in Melt in Your Mouth and Petite Indulgence. I though I would get a HK eye shadow palette but the colors didn't really scream to me. I also passed on the pigments since I don't usually use them. I was tempted to give the glitter liners a shot but I didn't get to test them out.

Top row: Melt in Your Mouth and Petite Indulgence
Bottom row: Creme Cup, Lavender Whip, Lavender Mews, Mimmy and Cuteser

Close-up of the HK Lavender Mews lipstick
Isn't the HK stamp on it cute?

I was mainly at the event to get my hands on the HK accessories. I didn't think I would like the HK brush and holder since I thought it would be a fairly large thing, but it turns out it was pretty tiny. The brushes are nothing amazing, I've seen all three in previous mac brush sets.

I had already made my purchases in 30 mins but I stayed around because I really wanted a balloon. I finally got it after waiting around forever and ran home so I could play with my stuff. The BF thought I was crazy, oh well.

Laura Mercier Satinee Creme Eye Color

I had seen Laura Mercier Satinee Creme Eye Color on the Nordstrom website. I had liked the Metallic Cream Eye colors that this company offers so I figure I would give this product a try.So when I was at bloomies I stopped by the Laura Mercier counter even though it seems that this bloomies never has all the new make up in stock, to my surprise they did have Satinee Cream Eye Colors.

Just like the Metallic creams, the Satinee Cremes come in a little tube-in fact I thought they didn't have the Satinee cremes because they were displayed right next to the metallic creams and blended right in with them. Although once I swatched them all on my hand, they are very different. The metallics have a nice sheen to them, while the Satinee are much more matte. They do have a very soft pearl shimmer to them. The shadow was very smooth and you didn't need very much to get a strong color. The staying power was also impressive. I had walked away from the counter with my hand full of swatches and went to the 2nd fl to take the pic before I wiped it off and It took some rubbing to get all the color off. I ended up using some lotion to help make it give a bit. I'm thinking this will be a good base color or for days when you want a simple matte color for the eyes.

Sorry, the pic is a bit blurry under strange store lighting.

Here are the colors currently available (From top left, going clockwise):
Cocoa velour was a dark brown
Pink Chiffon was a warm pink with subtle golden shimmer
Peach Organza was a bright orangey peach
Stone Suede was a smokey grey
Rum Satin was a medium brown
Ecru Silk was an off white with a subtle gold shimmer

I had thought I would like the Stone Suede but it was a bit of a boring gray to me. I ended up getting Pink Chiffon and the Ecru Silk and the SA congratulated me as being the first to purchase this product. :)

Loreal HIP Kohl Eyeliner

While browsing through the make-up aisles at Target, I spotted some new products from the Loreal HIP line. They are now introducing a loose kohl eyeliner very similar to the Terracotta loose kohl eyeliners from Guerlain.

The colors available were black, brown, navy, teal, burgundy and gold. I already had the brown, black and teal ones from Guerlain so I decided to pick up the navy, burgundy and gold- a bit of an overkill but who knows if I would find them again. All colors have a bit of shimmer to them, although I found burgundy to stand out the best. The gold was pretty enough-not to0 brassy, but on my skin tone it did not stand out very much. I tried to layer it over a black eyeliner and it did offer a nice shimmer. The navy was fairly straight forward, quite dark with less shimmer than the burgundy.

These liners do have a stick applicator kind of like the Guerlain eyeliners, although the tip is more pointed and reminded me a bit of the artisan liner applicator from Lancome. I wore the burgundy for a few hours and there was a bit smudging after a few hours, although the color stayed true. I also was not able to use the Loreal applicator to apply the kohl in the traditional eastern fashion where you hold the applicator with your eye closed to line the inner eyelids; I was only able to use it the in the western fashion of drawing a line.

My only major dislike is that with loose kohl eyeliner (at least for me) the loose power gets all over the place when I'm trying to apply it. (My favorite remedy for this is to use a bit of scotch tape to pick up any loose particles from my cheeks.)

The Loreal HIP kohl eyeliners offer a cheaper alternative to the Guerlain ones It's a nice product if you've never tried this type of liner and would like to give it a shot, or if you are a fan then it offers a chance to expand your color choices.

Smashbox 'Muse' Cream Eyeliner Artist Pencil Set Review

Smashbox has introduced a 'muse' make-up collection. The overall theme seems to be a softer color palette and the ability to combine colors to personalize your looks. The item that stood out for me was the cream eyeliner pencil set. I was able to get these pencils through Nordstrom.

They are very creamy pencils and even smoother to apply than the Mac pearlglide eyeliners-there's no tugging at all! They smudge very easily so these would be a great pencils for a smoky eye look and you can easily blend the colors together for your own work of art as the blurb indicates. Although there isn't much staying power since they are meant to be smudgeable.

The colors are as followed:
Antique Gold is an olive color with a golden sheen
Lapis is a dark blue with a metallic sheen
Imperial is a dark purple with a metallic sheen (similar to pearlglide in Rave, but not as glittery)
Slate is soft black color with very little sheen

Top to Bottom: Slate (with Mac PG in wolf next to it), Antique Gold,
Lapis, Imperial (with Mac PG in Rave next to it)

The colors are pretty vibrant but the staying power is kind of low, but it maybe good for layering over other shadows for a smoky eye look Overall it's a nice set to have but if you're looking for a very strong, bold eyeliner that stays-it may not be right product.