Luna Multiful Sun Stick - Stick Sunscreen Review

I'm always on the lookout for fun beauty products that can add to my beauty regime! So this time, I'm sharing with you all my thoughts for the Luna Multiful Sun Stick — a stick sunscreen that touts itself as not just a sunscreen, but also a primer and make up base!

I've been exercising a lot more recently before work, so having multi-purpose, easy to use, good products that I can easily pop into my gym bag has been an important consideration point as of late. So when I chanced upon this product, I couldn't wait to try it and see if it was as good as they made it sound. And alas...

I love it!

It has slight correcting effect (aka Korean-speak for brightening the skin tone while giving a bit of coverage) without being sticky. I have found zero problems using it under my powder makeup. I'm not 100% sure if that's what it's meant to be, but it does remind me a little of a stick version of a CC-cream; with tone-up for the skin and slight coverage for blemishes.

The best thing about the product is it's compact, easy to use packaging. Unlike gooey gels or liquids, I can easily top this on my skin throughout the day to ensure that my skin is protected the whole time (did you know that you are supposed to top up your sun screen once every 3-4 hours!?). 

A win for me.

Clio Micro Fine Oil Control Fix Mist Review

I am back! It's been a while since I did up a post and I thought I'll come back with a review of one of my favourite product finds recently... It's been a crazy whirlwind for my personal life nowadays, with my upcoming marriage planning and transitioning into a new job role. However, now that all is more settled, I have all intentions to get back into blogging more, perhaps with a stronger beauty slant so stay tuned!

Anyway, this is a product I found by chance in the drugstore — the Clio Oil Micro Fine Oil Control Fix Mist. For everyone who knows me, my face alone is worth the invasion of most countries (unlimited production of natural oils and all). Doesn't help that I am living in such a humid area as well. Any and all products that tout oil control will usually turn my head!

This product is not so much a 'fixing spray' unlike what you might think — it's a spray that 'fixes' your makeup. In other words, use it instead of a powder compact or blotting sheets! Sure, you might use it as a setting spray (like the UD Setting Sprays) but definitely, it is revolutionary as a replacement for regular blotting powders.

So instead of caking on layers upon layers of powder, just spritz your face with a cooling spray (after giving the bottle a good shake to mix the residue and liquid), and see your face mattify significantly!

I should frankly mention though — the spray nozzle is absolutely horrendous. It does more of a sad, ugly spit, rather than the elegant fine spray you might expect. But, eh, I can deal with that.

So as I was saying, it's a great fixing spray! I find myself reaching for a couple ugly spits on the face mid day when I get the oiliest, and it mattifies my face really well. I found that using it after my makeup in the morning helps a little in keeping the oil away a little longer.

Highly, highly recommend!

Repurchase: Yes!
Rating: 8/10 (terrible nozzle, and not easy to purchase outside of Korea)

Makeup / Review: Pony Effect S/S Favourite Fluid Lip Tint

Back with yet another Pony Makeup beauty review! Here's for the new S/S collection she launched recently. It's a pretty comprehensive line with base, lip, and eye makeup all in a beautiful sleek gold and black packaging. The Favourite Fluid Lip Tint is, as with everything else in the collection, encased in a beautiful gold tube with her brand written on it. There's no mention of the product size on the official site, and it retails for 18,000원 (~$18) on Memebox Korea.

The five colours swatched below are: Simon Pure, a nudish coral that comes off sheer on my pigmented lips; almost just like a lightly tinted gloss, Romantic Breath, a cool toned pink with more white that I find kind of washes me out, Go Pitapat, a bright orange I love, Fatal Allure, a cool toned red, and Be Agape, a warm toned red.




Application is with a standard doe-foot applicator that is incredibly bendy. Strikes me as a little strange and it is quite uncomfortable to get used to; perhaps it's meant to emulate a brush? However, the applicator does not really allow precise application since you can't really tell where it will bend towards (haha, if I make any sense). A light and careful hand is definitely needed.

Nonetheless, I really like the formula. It's a glossy lip tint that lasts a very long time; the oil based gloss will last a good couple of hours and fade to leave a tint that stays put. Overall, I recommend!

From official website:


(I find it to be not too accurate; they come off brighter and lighter in real life.)

Beauty: 2015 Favourites

Year end roundups always has a sort of level of difficulty; it's easy to talk about items I like on a monthly basis but when I have to generalise throughout the entire year?

For my 2015 Beauty Favourites I carefully curated a good mix of beauty items that I felt I really did enjoy consistently throughout the year (or from whenever I first procured the product) and that I feel I'm very likely repurchase should it run out or gets damaged. Some of the items I've previously talked about on the blog, but should do leave a comment if you wish for any in-depth review ~

A quick review of items included:

• Murad Oil-Control Mattifier: amazing for my very oily skin as a base, though it runs out really quickly
• Marc Jacobs The Bronze Brush: incredibly soft tapered dome brush I use as an all over powder brush
• Aritaum Mono Eyes Eyeshadow: generally good quality throughout with a wide selection of shades for an amazing price
• CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence: gel type essence that sinks into the skin and repairs the skin's moisture barrier
• Lalavesi Akma Base Cushion SS: long lasting cushion foundation with good coverage for oily skin
• Pixi Glow Tonic: light chemical exfoliant that greatly improves texture of skin
• Clio Tinted Tattoo Kill Brow: long lasting brow tint

Beauty/Review: PONY Effect That Girl Luminous Contour Palette

PONY is a celebrity makeup artist largely popular in Korea and around the world, and has been associated with many collections like Memebox and Etude House Play 101. She came out with her own makeup line awhile back, titled PONY Effect; the first of which is titled "That Girl" and consists of a modest collection of makeup and nail products with a standardised purple/pink ombre and holographic accented packaging. The reception of the products are generally hyped and well received, and the product I'm going to share today is the PONY Effect That Girl Luminous Contour Palette!

The That Girl Luminous Contour Palette is sleek compact that contains four separate cheek powders; two highlighting and two contour shades. The palette contains 14g of products and retails for 28,000원 (~$28). PONY Effect describes it as a palette "designed for light to medium skin tones, this contour palette consists of 4 essential shades for strobing and contouring makeup. Use the highlighter shades to get a healthy glow, and the darker shades to sculpt & define".

• Muse Maker is a light shimmer golden and silver pearl highlighting powder. It is incredibly light on the skin and leans yellow toned; perfect for under the eyes and giving an overall natural and smooth finish.
  
• Angel Skin is a pink-golden based with diamond pearl finishing powder that is meant for strobing. The powder itself is very light and barely shows up on the skin with its pearls being incredibly fine, and reminds me of the ambient lighting powders in giving the skin an overall healthier glow while not appearing overly strobed.
  
• Divine Work is a dark nude colour with fine silver pearls meant to give a healthy complexion used in conjunction with Behind Story. I didn't really enjoy this particular shade since it was too light on my skin to give any real definition, though I think it would make for a great everyday shade.
  
• Behind Story is a warm-toned light mocha brown for natural shading and definition.

The texture of the all the powders are very fine and produces little fall-out overall, and lasts decently on the skin. They are meant to be a natural strobing/contouring palette for Koreans, and hence the products are neither the most pigmented nor the darkest. They are definitely meant for fair skinned ladies looking for a natural finish.

Overall, for the target market and the natural effect it gives I would rate it a good 7/10. However, I do feel that given the price, there are many other better-performing products that would better give me the chiselled effect I personally tend towards.

I'll definitely post reviews of products in the same line; do look out for them! ^^

Beauty/Review: Etude House Play 101 Stick Foundation and Contour Duo

One of the highly hyped and anticipated releases following the successful Play 101 Pencils are the Etude House Play 101 Sticks! Once again, they partnered with Pony Makeup for a series of makeup tutorials making use of the products. I only got the stick foundation and contour duo of the entire line, but the blushes and other cheek products swatched beautifully in store as well. Across the line, the packaging is the same sort of simple light plasticky material with a cap that locks nicely.





The Etude House Play 101 Stick Foundation come in four shades; 01 Bare (very pink-toned), 02 Vanilla (which I got, and brightened my NC15-20 skin tone well), 03 Beige (natural light shade) and 04 Sand (not very dark at all, in stores it appeared to be about NC25-30 at best). Etude house describes them as "a long lasting, multi-function foundation stick that glides onto skin completing smooth and flawless-looking face with the soft and creamy texture". The product contains 7.5g of product, and retails for W12,000 (~$12).

I'd like to preface this by saying that I have very oily skin, hence longevity and oil control is often something I look out for. Given that, I did not like this foundation. I felt that the formula was, while creamy, caked up on my less than perfect skin and around my blemishes. The best way I've found to apply the product was by spreading it very lightly and blending out with a damp beauty blender, which gives a decently natural finish.

The product did not last very long on my oily skin (though likely a lot better on other skin types), and oil significantly broke through by the 3-4 hour mark. It has a medium coverage and covers redness well. The product also has really good spreadability and was very easy to blend.





Next is the Etude House Play 101 Stick Contour Duo which is a duo-ended cream-type contour and highlight stick. Etude House describes it as "a creamy contour duo that creates a look of authentic dimensionality of face". The product retails for W12,000 (~$12) and contains 1.7g of product on each side.

Now, this product I quite enjoyed. I haven't tried much cream type contouring products (preferring powder products), but the creaminess and blendability of the formulation made it so easy to shape the face. The shader, meant to be used under the cheeks and along the perimeters of the face, is a matte warm-toned brown that is surprisingly dark (photo turned out significantly lighter than in person). The highlighter is a very light near-white matte shade.

The shades aren't my first choice for highlighting and shading (since I prefer cool-toned browns and skin-toned highlighters with very fine shimmer) but I do think that it is a good and travel-friendly product especially for people just starting out with contouring.

Translation
Step 1: Apply a Play 101 Stick Foundation that matches your skin tone before using the Play 101 Stick No. 11 following the perimeters of your skin broadly.
Step 2: Apply the Play 101 Stick Contour Duo on the forehead, nose and chin carefully, and blend it out using your fingers.

Beauty/Review: Best Cushion Foundation For Oily Skin? - Lalavesi Akma Cushion SS

There are three different finishes available for the Lalavesi Akma Cushion, demarcated by seasons; FW for a more hydrating finish for dry skin, SF for combination/normal skin, and SS for a more long-lasting and matte finish for oily skin. Lalavesi describes the SS version to be able to keep tone and coverage for up to 24 hours, and contains France volcanic rock extract for sebum control. The product contains 20g with a refillable pact and an air puff, and retails for ₩26,500 (~$26.50).

The packaging is simple and sturdy. I chose to purchase the original case, but Lalavesi also rolled out a couple of additional packagings that are more youthful as well.

I got it because most beauty sites were largely recommending it as a good long-lasting cushion foundation for oily skin and I had to try it for myself! The product was also often sold out online, attesting its popularity.



First of all: I have incredibly oily skin and I've given up any thoughts of any base products not breaking up on me at the end of a long day. While I have a few, I've never excessively loved cushion foundations as well.

But.. I really like this!! It holds up well on my skin when I prep my skin well (oil-cut base+primer+powder) and I absolutely love the finish it gives on my skin. Applied lightly, it gives a natural finish that mimics skin while giving one of the better coverages I've seen from cushion foundations. I find myself having to blot about 6-7 hours later (which is quite a good number for me), and I can imagine it lasting even longer and better on anyone who's skin is not as ridiculously oily as mine.



The shade I chose was Y2; it's a little fairer on my skin so I tend to focus it on the triangle zone of my skin. But overall I give two thumbs up to this cushion base! One of the best I've found recently that combines longevity, coverage and oil control all to a good extent.

Beauty/Review: The Face Shop Ink Lipquid

The newly released The Face Shop Ink Lipquids for Spring 2015 boasts a whooping 70% moisture serum and a 12 hour lasting power. Very bold claims indeed. There's 12 colours in the line itself, each containing 4g and retailing for a very reasonable 12,900 won (~$12.90). It's also endorsed by Suzy as you might have seen from this CF and her many posters plastered outside stores.


The colours I got were RD02 Red Sing, a bold warm-toned red that leans towards orange, PK04 Pink Hommage, a cool toned pink with hints of purple, and OR02 Orange Some, a true neon orange. The packaging itself is a simple sleek matte black tube; lightweight, slim and very easy to carry in even small purses. The tip of the liquid lipstick is a standard doefoot applicator -- not amazing for incredibly precise application but definitely good enough.



As you might see, Red Sling wasn't as bold a red I expected; it turned out a little more orangey on the lips. Orange Some was quite an out-there purchase for me as neons tend to make my skin look more sallow, but I rather liked the look when matched with brighter foundations and blush colours. Pink Hommage was my favourite of the lot; a basic bright pink in a good formulation.

I really enjoy the formulation of the lipsticks themselves. They're indeed very moisturising and easy to apply, and I could achieve gradient lips without too much effort. I like that they're pigmented enough but not so much that it takes too much effort to apply, and that it is not sticky at all! I haven't given it a full day test so I can't attest to it lasting 12-hours; I find the colour does fades throughout the day as with the glossiness.

In all, thumbs up for the really good price and quality!

Beauty/Review: Rose Espoir Lipstick Nowear G

There are three lines under the Espoir Lipstick Nowear; M (for matte finishes), S (for a satin finish) and G (jelly/gel finish). Espoir describes the texture as "chewy jelly", and the lipstick contains 3.3g and retails for 19,000 won (~$19).

The packaging is really pretty! Matte black lipstick cases with glossy text running down the tube.

The ones that I got was in the gel finish in colours #CR503 Desert Peace, pictured on the right, and #BE301 Merry Day, on the left. They're both sheer finishes as typical of gel lipsticks, and act more as tinted lip balms than actual lipsticks. They're also incredibly lightweight and natural on the lips, and lasts around 2 hours but disappears on any food and drink consumptions. Perfect MLBBs for everyday use; a plus point was that I found that I didn't have to use mirrors when applying.


Merry Day is more of a milky white-pink, and translates rather palely on my skin. I didn't find it necessarily flattering for my skin tone because of the whiteness, but it works rather well layered over thicker lipsticks. I also found it settling on my lip lines despite the gel texture. It also reminds me of a clear lip balm. Desert Peace, on the other hand, worked really nicely. It's more red toned (which I always tended towards) and looked orangey-coral on my lips!

Usually these collections sell out really quickly, but the Rose Espoir collection didn't necessarily sell well this time. In all, I don't find it groundbreaking. There are many similar finishes for better prices on the market if you're looking for gel lipsticks.

Beauty: Innisfree Creamy Tint Lipstick in 1, 4, 16

I've definitely stepped out of my comfort zone with these colours that I've procured over time. True to how they were marketed, they are very pigmented (in a single stroke, no less) and true to the colour on the bullet. I find that they are rather long lasting as well, lasting a good half a day before it fades and I find the need to reapply - great for girls on the go.

I do find that the "creamy" aspect only applies to the application, where it very easily glides onto the lips. However the finish tends towards a more matte look, which while on point for this season, may be difficult to pull off. Applying a generous layer of lip balm and giving it time to sink in prior to application might be ideal for girls with dryer lips. That being said, the lipstick definitely does not sink into fine lines as dramatically as other matte lip products I've tried (side-eying the Etude House Lips-fit).



Cocktail Orange (4) is a nice vibrant orange, and I find that it looks slightly peachy on the lips. I personally enjoy these sort of darker vibrant oranges sheered out for an everyday, more mature look. Flower Pink (1) is your typical neutral pink that's perfect for a loud and youthful lip. I really enjoy mixing it with a little foundation for a nice and long lasting blush. I feel like every girl needs a good burgundy lipstick for the winter months to fulfil the French lady in a trench coat with perfectly on point makeup (???) vision. I like 16, because it is not overly dark that it looks sultry/venemous, and it complements Asian skin really well.

Overall, the lipstick has served me really well, and I find that dotting on the lips and blending that out gives the best everyday and natural makeup look which I do veer towards! I highly reccommend the Innisfree long lasting lip products.

Beauty: Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Pact Review

This has been one of Innisfree's bestsellers for a long time now, and I've finally jumped onto the bandwagon to try this product out when I was on the market for another oil controlling finishing powder. While the loose powder version retails slightly cheaper, I wanted a easy to use pact instead. Loose powders are finer, so they are more "transparent" on the skin but can also more easily settle into fine lines.

Given my current penchant towards dewier and more natural looking skin, I only dust this powder lightly on my T-zone, as my U-zone tends towards normal. This powder really mattifies the skin exceptionally. In fact, it's a little more than what I am looking for.

One of my favorite Korean brands has to be Innisfree. I love their "natural" and "eco-friendly" beauty ethos, reflected in their packaging and the types of products offered. While not every product I tried hit home-run for me, they're a brand to try if you wish to cater to more sensitive skin on a budget.



I recommend this to girls that are oily skinned, and looking for relatively long lasting oil control. As with many mattifying powders they tend to cause a "flatter" look to the skin, so use sparingly. A good powder at a decent price.

Beauty: 2014 Skincare Routine

I've never really had too much commitment to the skincare products I use, preferring to change and try out new products. However these products have been what I'm leaning towards recently and for quite a while now, so I thought it would be a good idea to do one of them.



While the average Korean woman uses 6-7 skincare products every single day, I tend towards a mere 3-4 on a daily basis (which for me is excessive, honestly). Omitted (or forgotten) is my cleanser, which is just a mild gel cleanser by UK brand Simple which has worked wonders for me in terms of mild cleansing and not stripping my skin. I have oily skin, but my beauty ethos is to hydrate the hell out of my acne scars and flesh coloured bumps and it has worked pretty well for me.

For all you oily skinned ladies, I urge you to stay away from foam cleansers (or only using them once in awhile for extra deep cleansing) that excessively strips away surface oil and causes overproduction of sebum, to focus on hydration and to find any good spot treatment cream that works well for you. I used to suffer from severe hormonal acne and scaring, and while my skin is still far from perfect it has improved by leaps and bounds since then. The tipping point was when I stopped focusing on my acne, but instead on allowing my skin to heal naturally by moisturising products. I also find that alternating between spot treatment and hydration works best for me; focusing on only either acne treating or hydration in a single day. I currently tend towards the average ratio of 7 day hydration : 1 day spot treatment, but whatever works best for your skin condition.

On an average day I simply gently cleanse my skin with Simple Gentle Cleanser, then following up with Muji Light Toning Water which hydrates my skin with the glycerin in it while helping maintaining the natural skin pH value. I follow up with my Nature Republic Aloe Vera Gel, which is a cheap, cost-effective and multipurpose gel that I decanted into a sanitised pump bottle for easier daily access. Aloe Vera acts as a mild humectant, which coupled with the Glycerin, helps to prep my skin and fully absorb the effects of my current favourite moisturiser which is the Benton Snail Bee Steam Cream, a phenomenal cream which helps to heal my current acne scars and hydrating it to plumpness while not causing my skin overproduce sebum.

Every couple of days I use either a chemical exfoliant, a hydrating mask or a deep cleansing mask. The chemical exfoliant of choice is the Alpha H Liquid Gold, which always helps my skin feel fresher while gently exfoliating it. Personally I prefer chemical exfoliants, just because I always feel that physical exfoliants can get too harsh. While I'm not a hardcore fan of The Saem's O2 Bubble Mask (which I bought on a whim, sucked into the interesting concept of bubble masks), I still use it occasionally when I run out of sheet masks. Lastly, the Innisfree Jeju Super Volcanic Clay Mask has been exceptional on days I want deep cleansing of my pores. 15 minutes and I'm left with visibly brightened skin, cleaner pores and a skin not taut from an overly drying clay mask.

Should I have makeup on, I simply use any oil cleanser. Currently I'm using up my Nature Republic one, which is gentle and effective, though I do not feel any strong commitment towards it. I personally lean towards oil cleansers because they feel far more thorough to me, and I always double cleanse.

So that's it. Let me know if you want a more in depth review for any of these products, and I'll continue trying new skin care.

Beauty: Etude House 101 Play Pencils

I don't find myself massively in love with the collections Etude House rolls out, like the dust cut line, Princess Antoinette line etc. But this seems like a pretty spiffy idea, and one of my favourite beauty youtubers, Pony, recently collaborated with Etude House for this line of products! 50 pencils for concealer, brows, eyes, contouring, blush and lips, I'm surprisingly excited.

Beauty: Uni Everyday Makeup Routine

I don't think I'll ever reach a point in my life where I only use a fixed set of products; I honestly love experimenting and playing with new products way too much. This is just what I've been using for the past couple of weeks to uni and I've been pretty much loving how it looks and feels. It's pretty simple and easy to execute in the mornings, and kind of replicates a no makeup-makeup look while still looking more put together than otherwise.



The Baby Choux Base by Etude House has effectively replaced all my foundations for the past few weeks. It works like a CC cream in terms of simply evening out my skin tone and brightening it up by half a shade while giving near to zero coverage. Because I've been having better skin days recently, I opted for this because it brightened my skin up well and looks really natural. Next, I use the Maybelline Undereye Concealer for my dark circles and dab a little on my existing acne scars. Lastly, I set it all with the Bare Minerals Mineral Veil. A loose powder I've loved for quite a while, it really helps smooth everything over. I also like applying this before my foundation for extra oil control.

I have quite thick brows but sparse at certain spaces, so I just fill in and shape it all with the Innisfree Eye Brow Pencil. I'm not very particular with my eyebrow pencils, I find that most work well for me. This one has a slanted edge for faster application and a spoolie wand on the other end which works really well to smooth out and make my brows look more natural. Then, I set it with the Maybelline Clear Mascara which has been working very well in terms of keeping it in place.

Opting for a more natural look, I don't do too much with my eyes. Priming it with Urban Decay Primer Potion and a simple wash of any eyeshadow shade I've been loving recently typically does the trick. The eyeshadow of choice changes around quite a bit; for now it's the 3CE Eyeshadow in Saturn for its unique shimmery burgundy. Lastly I thinly line the outer half of my top lid with the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner or a matte black/dark brown eyeshadow, pulling the liner downwards for a more innocent and natural look.

The finishing touches include contouring of my nose and cheeks with the Too Faced Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder and applying a natural blusher like Mac's Blush in Fleur Power. My blush of choice is also another product that changes a lot depending completely on my mood, but I tend towards matte peachy pink blushers for a more feminine and natural warmth. Depending on time constrains I may apply a highlighter; I particularly enjoy 3CE's Shimmer Stick. Lastly I apply my lip color of choice; a natural and easy to apply one like Sleek's Pout Polishes and seal it all with a setting spray.

The overall look is simple and natural. My choice of products change around a lot, and I'm still experimenting for a even better and more natural finish. Applying make up in the morning, for me, is a rather therapeutic process that I really enjoy!

Beauty: Wishlist

I'm not someone to spend a lot of money on a single product, be it beauty or fashion items. Rarely will I find an item I love enough to splurge a huge amount on, since I feel like the more 'budget' items are working really well for me. So what I do is create wishlists and make it a form of wishful hope. Heh.



Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder is a really expensive face powder that has essentially reached cult status. Dubbed to give a flawless and poreless finish on your face, I wonder if I'll ever get my hands on the beautiful powder. The Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette has definitely made its way to the wishlists of many after being featured in multiple UK beauty blogs. Definitely luxury with its sleek and beautiful rose gold packaging, the color I find myself gravitating to definitely has to be The Vintage Vamp. While it's not your typical neutral shades, I feel that the pink tones add a lot of feminity and glam to any makeup look. I love the glitter color as well. Sticking with a similar color scheme, the Stylenanda Eyeshadow in Saturn has been one I've been lusting after for a really long time. I've been meaning to make my way down the Myeongdong outlet soon to get my hands on it, but procrastination got the better of me. Either way let's just stare at the burgundy beauty for a bit more.

Another cult favourite is the Emma Hardie Moringe Cleansing Balm, which touts to remove even stubborn makeup while moisturising. One of my favourite beauty youtuber, Essiebutton, made me lust after it despite it's really hefty price tag. Next is just one of those things, I don't need it but I really, really want it - the Nars NARSissit Cheek Palette which holds with it three bestsellers, Orgasm, Laguna and Devotee. I've never owned any Nars blushes, but they've been loved by many.. The last is a foundation that I am seriously considering getting, the Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup. I've been really leaning towards light weight foundations, and the unique liquid-to-powder finish I'm really intrigued by.

Phew. Such a long post. Who knows if I'll ever get my hands on them but it's always nice to dream.