[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.

[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!

((( Click here to check out my store review on althea.kr! )))

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

[Review] Za Deep Cleansing Oil (Makeup Remover)

Cleansing oils have been my go to makeup remover ever since I got to know of it. Compared to traditional waterbased makeup removers and oil/water shake-and-mix make up removers, cleansing oils does the best job of removing the most stubborn waterproof mascaras and eyeliners. However, I still do not trust cleansing oils as facial washes, although beauticians/ marketers will tell you that you won't have to wash your face with facial wash after using cleansing oils. But I don't know... I just feel like rubbing oil onto my face no matter how will clog my pores, therefore I will always, ALWAYS wash my face again with facial wash. Well, that's just me. 

So! my history with cleansing oils started with samples packs i.e. Laneige Deep Cleansing Oil Moisture and Shu Uemura's Cleansing Oil, and they all worked well when it comes to removing waterproof makeups. However, Shu Uemura did break me out maybe because it has a really oily, almost cooking oil like texture  and with Malaysia's weather during the day...Its like frying your skin in oil! haha compared to Laneige's Deep Cleaning Oil which has a thick, gooey lotion-ny texture. Anyway, both Laneige and Shu Uemura are premium brands in Malaysia, and thus really expensive. So, I've decided to head on to Watsons to get me a cheaper drugstore cleansing oil.

Options I got was Biore, Za and Some Japanese brand I can't remember. But Since Za and Biore was on offer, and Za was the cheapest there (or so I thought) I got myself the Za. Only to realize that they put the wrong price tag on and it was actually the most expensive one. WTH??!! Sigh, should have got the Biore one instead. 

Blahhh~~ lets move on..

Price: around RM35. 

Well, still very much cheaper than Laneige and She Uemura...
Note to self: Gotta always read the price tag carefully.

Packaging: Comes in a pump bottle. The pump is actually really good, it glides really smoothly when pressed giving it excellent volume control. What a surprise, because pump bottle are usually really hard to control.

Product: Clear oil, slightly scented, turns milky when water is added (Btw, all cleansing oils does the same thing :3).

***Product Testing ***

Here I have 4 waterproof makeups for testing.

(Left) On application without rub, TonyMoly Gel liner's already melting off. 

(Right) With a little rub, even Lash King Waterproof mascara came off easily. What's left was TonyMoly's Liquid Liner.

Left it to sit for 5 seconds, and tada! all melted off.

After rising, skin is soft and clean. No residue at all!

***Update: Removing eye makeup on actual face did not turn out as well, the oil cleanser melted waterproof makeup, but shifted residues (wax like substance from waterproof makeup) along the corner of my eyes and under eye bags, that must then be massaged over again to be removed. I did not experience this with Laneige and Shu Uemura's oil cleansers, so it was kinda weird. Not good. 

I realized that the best way to use this Za oil cleanser was to massage it over waterproof makeup and later wipe clean with a cotton or tissue before rinsing it off, like a normal makeup remover, which defeats its purpose as an oil cleanser. :( ***

VERDICT:

Price: ❤❤❤♡♡ 3 /5 - Not too pricey, but was the most expensive one among drugstore brands.
Smell: ❤❤❤❤♡ 4 /5 - Very slightly scented, most likely no added perfume.
Texture: ❤❤❤❤♡ 4/5 - feels like baby oil.. but didnt clog my pores so ok lah
Removing Ability: ❤❤♡♡♡ 2/5 - Cleans well on smooth surface, but leaves residues. Laneige still cleans best.
Overall: ❤❤❤♡♡  3/5 - So-so product, removes makeup but leaves a little residue. No oily feel after rising off.
Repurchase: ❤❤♡♡♡  2/5 - Most probably not. Will try Biore cleansing oil after this.

[Review] Maybelline Masterliner Br-1

Most eyeliner lovers suffer the fate of getting black rings around their eyes after 3-5 hours, especially when it comes to pencil, crayon and certain gel liners. I too, am not spared. Past crayon, pencil, and gel eyeliners (especially after it starts to dry up) ALWAYS gets imprinted like carbon paper under my eyebags!

Kinda like this.

Which is why I ALWAYS go back to waterproof liquid liner! It's easy, sharp and doesn't smudge. However, one downside of liquid liner is that you can't always blend it out and create this smokey/ gradient effect without having use eyeshadows. Leaving us with more work to do, Yikes! Yea I'm that lazy :3

Therefore, with a relatively low budget for makeup and being the cheapskate that I am, I'm constantly on a lookout for drugstore brands that can do the trick without burning a hole in my pocket. I've since tried KATE pencil liners, Etude House Proof 10 liner, Maybelline eyelinerCrayon etc etc.. but they ALL gave me the same black ring around my eyes!

And when I was about to give up on pencil liners, one my of friend asked me to help find her a cheap and good eyeliner. So I dengan gungho-nya went on my hunt for eyeliners in Watsons and Guardian. Found out that Maybelline provided the cheapest range of eyeliners and tested them out. To my surprise, Masterliner Cream Pencil did a good job at not smudging, so I had to get me one. I think it was around RM17? Can't quite remember, but I'm sure it was less then RM20.

So, I got mine in brown (Br-1).

Physical details:

Simple sleek design.

Blunt tip.. but, we can always sharpen it if needed.

Liner fill is around 3cm. It's not much if you are used to drawing thick eyeliners
(something monolids like me tend to do).

Anyway, lets get to the real test!

So this is how i did my upper and lower line.
As you can see, it's not harsh. Like a kid with crayon, I did a darker line at nearer to my lashline and the outer corner of my eye, slowly working my way outwards with lighter strokes to achieve a gradient look without the help of my fingers or Q-tip to blend it out. Toldcha I'm lazy haha.  However, if you can't do that, I'd recommend that you blend it out with an angled brush, if you want to maintain a clean line without too much smudge.

Note that blending for this cream pencil liner is not easy as it dries up real quick, it is also not easy to glide on. Kinda like drawing with crayons instead of oil pastels.

Although I bought it in brown, it doesn't look at all brown when drawn on. It is so dark, that it looks much like a soft black instead of brown.  Not quite the shade of 'brown' I was looking for, but the ability to stay on without imprinting that badly  onto my under eyebags is something I'm really impressed with. So, I can still live with the colour.

This is after 5++ hours! Sorry bout the lighting and tired eyes, I was out shopping for so long haha!

As shown, although there was a slight imprint of my upper liner, it only extended from the outer corner of my eyes to the middle of my eyebag. The inner portion of my eyebag was clean!

That is : NO FULL CIRCLE AROUND MY EYES! FINALLY I DO NOT HAVE TO LOOK LIKE A PANDA!

VERDICT:

Pigmentation: ❤❤❤❤♡ 4 /5 - Not that pigmented on first draw, but buildable, not a big problem.
Smoothness: ❤❤❤♡♡ 3 /5 - It doesn't glide on that smoothly, imagine crayon instead of oil pastels.
Blending Power: ❤❤♡♡♡ 2/5 - Not easily blended out.
Holding Power: ❤❤❤❤♡ 4 /5 - Does not smudge, move, or imprinted easily.
Staying Power: ❤❤❤❤❤ 5 /5 - Stays on the entire day!

Overall: ❤❤❤❤♡  4/5 - For a cheap drugstore pencil liner, I can live with the colour and texture. As long as it doesn't give me the Panda Circles I've suffered in the past from using pencil liners. With that, i can say that this is better than most pricier pencil liners that I've used! Gotta get me more of this!!

Repurchase: ❤❤❤❤♡  4/5 - Maybe. But will try out other liners before settling down.