Pages

Saturday, 29 August 2015

[Review] Etude House Baby Doll Puff vs Too Cool For School Marshmallow Puff

Hi there! 3 reviews in 3 days! I'm on a roll!

As the title reads, this is a comparison review between Etude House's Baby Doll Puff and Too Cool For School's Marshmallow Puff.

I'll start out by telling you that I've just recently bought TCFS's Marshmallow Puff while looking for a replacement for my Etude House's Baby Doll Puff. Reason was my Etude House's Baby Doll Puff started breaking off in tiny pieces after 2 years of usage. That said, I was left without a puff for half a year, and in those months I realized I missed my Etude House's Puff because application of my concealer just isn't as perfect without it.

So I went to Etude House's landed store in Malaysia, and found out they have replaced the pink Baby Doll Puff with a new puff that looks exactly the same but in cream colour - the Soft Cream Puff. However when I saw the price, I hesitated. If I remember correctly, it retailed at RM40. So when I was shopping at althea.kr (see store review here) and came to know about Too Cool For School's Marshmellow Puff at RM17. Needless to say, I grabbed it.

So here are my personal opinions on both these puffs. While they look almost identical with their pink colour and gourd-like shape, believe me when I say they are more different than you can ever imagine.

I'll start out with the pictures:

Too Cool For School's Marshmallow Puff
in it's hard casing, with aluminium covers.
TCFC's Marshmallow Puff is pink but looks like a fat
and rounded gourd.
This is how Etude House's Baby Doll Puff looks.
It comes in a regular plastic container, and the puff is pink with a slim, shapey gourd-like shape.


Similarity:

Colour:
Obviously they are both pink.

Size:
I would say they are very similar, but if you have to choose one, I'd say Etude House's smaller because of it's shape.

Water absorption:
Plus, you know how those beauty puff grows in size after soaking them in water? both these puffs do not in anyway grow in size when soaked in water. The material is not water absorbent, but it does hold water with the little little holes they have like a sponge.

Differences:

Shape:
Okay, so this is where the difference starts. As you can see, Too Cool For School's puff has a fat and more rounded gourd-like shape without any steep slope. Whereas Etude House's puff is like the healthy gym-going version. It has a slimmer center, and is leaner and shapier overall.

And why does the shape matter? Well firstly, steeper slopes at the top (tip) allows easier access to corners such as your undereye area, and the slimmer center allows for better grip and control. So in this aspect. Etude house wins.

Texture:
The texture is one of the main reasons why I would never repurchase Too Cool For School's puff every again. Compared to Etude House's soft, bouncy, malleable cushion-ey texture, Too Cool For School's puff is tough, stiff rubbery and overall uncomfortable on the skin. I rather use a normal makeup sponge.

Application:
Because of it's texture, Etude house provides the best application, it gives a even, smooth and flawless finish without scraping off or removing foundation or concealer even when you press it too hard. Its soft texture moves with the shape of your face when you dab it on your skin, making blending easy without moving too much of your makeup.

Too Cool For School's Marshmellow Puff is the opposite of that. Due to it's stiff and tough texture, you cannot press or dab it too hard on your face. No thanks to its rubbery texture too, it works like a windscreen wiper. If you press or move it too hard on your face, you'll see patches of skin with no foundation on because it's been scraped off, moved or even absorbed by the puff. Even with normal strength of handling puff, it's still hard to get a nice and even finish especially at smaller edges like the undereye area. I really do not like this.

Cleaning:
Cleaning is easier with the Too Cool For School's Marshmallow Puff because of it's rubbery texture. All your products tend to collect at the surface of the puff, so by using a normal bar soap, you can easily remove any unwanted products.

That doesn't mean it's too difficult with Etude house's Baby Doll puff. Eventho products gets deep into the puff, I'm still able to remove almost all the products with a normal bar soap albeit longer time.

Life Span:
Etude house's Baby Doll Puff lasted me 2 years before it stared falling apart. I've only used Too Cool For School's Marshmallow Puff for 2 weeks now, and I can't 100% tell you if it'll last as long. But based on the texture and feel, I'd say it will not. Reason is its dry, tough, stiff and rubbery texture makes me feel like with regular use such as dabbing washing squeezing it, it'll crack and fall apart in no time.

Storage:
The only positive point for Too Cool For School's Marshmallow Puff is the case that comes with it. You can keep it nicely sealed after using unlike Etude House's regular throwaway plastic case.

Overall:
Hands down. Etude house's Baby Doll Puff FTW! If you are ever in doubt, just grab Etude House's Puff. The quality, application and finishing is a gazillion times better than Too Cool For School's. Even if it's a little more expensive, it's worth it. I really do regret purchasing Too Cool For School's Marshmallow Puff, and will definitely invest in Etude House's Soft Cream Puff when the Buy 1 Free 1 Promo comes about.

Friday, 28 August 2015

[Review] Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control - Play NoMore Edition

 Ola my beautiful readers!

Today I'll be sharing with you, one of my latest purchase - the Laneige BB Cushion (Pore Control). 

I'm sure you all have noticed there's a cushion craze right now. No, not those fluffy cushions you sleep on. BB Cushions!!! Yes! BB or CC liquid foundations that are packed into a compact foundation container and letting it seep into a sponge that's placed on top. Inspired by stamping, you can then 'stamp' the puff applicator provided on the foundation filled sponge. Hence providing you with better control and even transfer of product during application.

Some of the most raved about BB cushions in the market are IOPE, Hera, and Laneige, but after reading reviews and watching youtube vids on bb cushions, I've decided to spend a lil more to get Laneige's BB Cushion (Pore Control). Reasons being my living in a freaking humid and hot country, and my combination skin. 

I bought mine at althea.kr and even though it was shown as the normal baby blue coloured packaging, they sent me the Play NoMore edition! For that I was super grateful and absolutely delighted!


Price: 
I bought it at RM125 on the althea's website, and it comes in 15g + 15g refill, which I think is fairly cheap compared to the landed stores we have here in Malaysia which retails about RM159, and they do not have the Play NoMore edition! So depressing! Anyway, even Etude House's Mineral cushion's about RM138, so I've decided to just get Laneige's BB Cushion online! :P

Packaging:
Seriously, HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE IT??? Just look at it! Super cute! The compact container is also really sturdy. A little bigger in size compared to the Etude House Precious Mineral BB cushion tho.

Laneige BB Cushion (Pore Control) Play NoMore Edition
Just look at the eyeball sticker on the mirror! Super cute!
There's also the puffs that comes with it.
Sponge is sealed to ensure "freshness" and hygiene!
Puff's dark blue in colour.

BB liquid foundation filled sponge!

Getting out the product by "stamping"!

Applicator Puff Review:
The only other similar puff I've ever used was etude house, but i can say that the quality of Laneige's puff is superior as it is puffier? it's thicker, airier, and softer. Plus, it holds products really well and applies really evenly. I love this puff! It's just so fluffy, it really feels like pressing cushion on ur face. haha

BB Liquid Foundation Fill Review:

Smell? 
The first thing one would notice is the smell, of course. I can't say I like the smell, I think it's some sort of floral fragrance? not the sweet kind like Etude House's. And if you do read my blog, you'd know that I do not like any kind of artificial smell, perfume or fragrance in any of my products. And I can tell you that this has a really really strong and persistent smell, as strong as Etude House's precious mineral Cushion. Even my boyfriend asked me why do i smell different after work (when he pecked my cheek :P), that means after having on Laneige's BB for more than 8 hours. So, I can safely tell you that, the smell doesn't fade with time. It stays on your face. So if you love the smell (my friend actually thought it smells amazing) then you wouldn't mind as much. But the smell is a minus point for me. :\

Cooling Sensation?
It's said that this BB give you a cooling sensation when applied, and a lot of other review said that they felt it and thought it was amazing. But for me? I don't really feel it. Yes, maybe once it is applied, but it fades within nano-seconds. You wouldn't notice it if you didn't know about it in the first place. So I don't see what's all the hype about. So cooling sensation = meh...

Semi-Matte?
Well, this is definitely correct. It turns semi-matte when it dries BUT that is if you have a properly moisturized, or an oily face. It definitely absorbs facial oils, reducing the disgustingly oily shine we tend to get as the day goes by. Thus, it works really well on my t-zone area, which is oily, and my cheeks that is normal.

However, if you have dry skin, and are used to using BB creams/ foundation that gives you a perfectly dewy and healthy skin, this BB cushion is not the one for you. It will give you a matte and powdery finish. If you have super dry skin, it may even look flaky. My combination skin means I have really dry patches under my nose area and also the corner of my mouth. And this BB foundation accentuated the dryness. Throughout the day, it just keep getting dryer. Making my dry patches look flaky and discoloured. Even after I double moisturize, it's still dry. So, yeah, I wouldn't recommend this if you have dry skin.

Waterproof & Staying Power?
This is definitely waterproof. Although I have not gone swimming with it, it stayed on pretty well even after my working out, and walking under the crazy Malaysian sun, drenched in sweat. I think it's really cute tho, the sweat tend to form little droplets above the BB on my face. It's like putting waterproof rain shield on your car's windscreen. LOL

Coverage?
I know most people tend to say that this has medium to high coverage, but to me, it's only a medium coverage BB foundation. It reminds me of Etude House Sun BB, and that covers even better actually. With Laneige's I still need to put on a fairly decent amount of concealer to cover my acne scars and dark eye circles.

However, if you are used to layering to get better coverage, be careful with this BB. Yes, you can built it up to get a better coverage, but the thicker you layer it, the more matte and powdery look finish you get. In the end, you may look like a porcelain doll whose face can crack with a flick of the finger. LOL... but if you like that look, then by all means go ahead. haha 

Pore Control?
Nope, I don't see it do anything to my pores although I don't really have large ones to begin with. However, I don't see a difference with my smaller pores either. So I still have to use a primer before applying this BB if I want a smoother finish.

Shades?
Since I bought this BB Cushion on althea.kr and they only had two shades - #21 Natural beige and #23 Sand beige. I got #21, thinking that that's what I usually pick up when I buy korean brand foundations. But boy was I wrong. It is at least a tone or 2 lighter than my skin colour. But there's nothing I can do about it now. So what I did was take a bronzer or darker foundation to contour my face, making the lighter BB cushion blend into my natural skin colour. Tada! No waste! So I would suggest you try out the samples to get a real indication of the tones and shades before purchasing, because what you see in the sponge, is not what you get when applied.

Overall?
3/5 - I know a lot of people loves this product.. but I think it's just not suitable for me because of my dry skin patches. I also don't like that it makes me look like I have a thick amount of foundation on eventho it's only a thin layer. Also, I tend to get a thick powdery look when adding on powdered blusher n other powdered products onto my face. Which is why I'm getting a cream blusher after this. Hopefully it helps. 

Update: In photographs, it doesn't look as matte as in real life. It looks just a slight dewy. It's quite beautiful actually.. hmmm...

Repurchase?
No, but I'll definitely want to try Laneige's normal BB cushion. It is said to be moisturizing and dewy, so I guess I'll be getting that refill the next time! This Play NoMore BB Compact container is just too cute to waste.

Tips:
If you got this, and feel like it's too powdery and matte for you, try sliding your puff when applying instead of patting the product on. It will reduce coverage, but it does help reduce the matte finish! ;)


Pictures
(Unedited, Unfiltered, Unbeautified, 2MP Front Xiaomi Mi3 Front Cam)


Indoor, Natural Lighting
(Already sweating in the Malaysian weather)
Outdoor, Natural Lighting
(Going to work!~ goodbye kiss~)

Indoor, Artificial white light
(At work)

Filtered
(Camera 360 - Beauty Rosy)

Outdoor, Natural Light
Outdoor, Natural Light

Thursday, 27 August 2015

[Review] Althea.kr Online Store

Honk Honk Honk!~ Store Review coming thru~!

Hey there! I'm here with another online store review! This time? ALTHEA.kr !
and the webpage looks somewhat like this:

Althea's Homepage

So you'd think that ohhh, it's another one of those beauty store like hermo.my right? Not so fast people!!

It might be another one of those online beauty stores but the thing is, prices here are wayyyyy cheaper! So cheap I'm not even going to walk out of my house, spend on my petrol, and drive all the way to a shopping mall to buy the same things ever again!

Seriously tho, price on this site is unbeatable! It's even cheaper than prices in landed stores during promo period. Plus, Althea boasts a best price guarantee where if you are able to find products cheaper than theirs, they'll match it for you! Fantazaaminggg concept, if you ask me.

Also, they provide expedited shipment straight from the land of K-pop FOR FREE!!! (actually with purchase of RM150 and above, but what is RM150 nowadays? It's so easily achievable!) And it took only 5 shorter-than-my-mynonexistenteyelashes days from Korea to Malaysia! and that's inclusive of the weekends! So in actuality it took only 3 working days!! So freaking unbelievable right?

hahaha I'm filled with so much excites I'm puking rainbow as I type.

Don't believe me? Just take a look at this:

Shipping status

As you can see, it starts out from Korea, and goes straight to your house using Skynet! btw, the skynet delivery guy in my area is super duper friendly. Asks about your day, smiles and all. Sungai Buloh's Numba1 deliveryman!

Now, on to the customer service. And it was just sweet baby cakes INCREDIBLEESSSSS~~
Daniel was such an efficient sweetie, he replied my mails within a day! And that guys, is how you treat a girl, by being attentive! Whatever you're doing just keep on doing it Danny boy!

Email conversation

Next, Unboxing!!! laalalala confetti coming outta my ears~~

I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

Here comes the hot pink parcel! <3
Bubble Wrap Layer #1 - Box

Personalized receipt in a letter form +
Pretty baby pink Althea Box!
Bubble Wrap Layer #2 - Each Product
Bubble Wrap Layer #3 Below underneath pink frilly papers

My babies! 

Don't you just love the super cute pink package? and the baby pink box? filled with baby pink frilly papers? And The triple layer of bubble wrap!... Just so you know your baby was 100% safe from the dangerous and treacherous process of transportation!

The limited edition Laneige Play Nomore BB Cushion may also be why I'm absolutely in love with this site. Eventho it was shown to be a normal Laneige BB Cushion on their website, they actually sent me the latest Play Nomore edition! So rest assured that even with the amazing low prices, all your purchases are new genuine products, and not rejects!

The only downside i feel, was the lack of variety, but I'll cut Althea some slack, because they are quite the new comer in the field, and what they lack (product range) they make up for literally everything else!!

But hey, maybe they'll bring in more products once they get more business flow. Fingers crossed! XX

(Update: Actually, they are updating their products, albeit a little slow, but definitely progressing!)

Overall:  5/5 Lowest price, amazing qualilty, efficient and fast delivery + Customer service. I have no complaints at all. It's 99.99% perfect! I'll definitely be purchasing from Althea.kr again!

So that's all peeps!
Hope this review was useful to you, and I'll see you soon!

*Disappears into my tiny barbie doll house*

Oh by the way, Althea's giving out free RM20 credit for new sign ups in the month of August, so go grab those before it ends!

Good luck!