First day of Spring look: Road testing Etude house Base Makeup

Hi Sweethearts,

I thought I'd do a quick little post about my first dabble with my new Etude house Products from my hauls!

This is going to be pretty brief since I didn't get any good WIP shots of putting on each product, but I hope to do a video look using all of them together to come up with something nice :)

Here's what I used:

Primer: 

For my Primer I used the Etude House FaceBlur - this is heralded as a great product, and to be honest I totally agree.

It goes on a like creamy colour with pinky tones through it, which gives a youthful glow to the face.
I do feel like it does improve the look of my skin tone on its own, and some times I just use the product as a stand alone item when I'm in a rush.
It also leaves a dewy finish to the skin - nothing mattifying here, ladies! 

 BB Cream:

This my new BB cream that I chose from their online store.

   This is quite a medium - full coverage product and is quite thick and very creamy to apply. I got this product in the lightest shade, which is beige no.2 and was pleasantly surprised that it matched my skintone extremely well! I had a moment of panic that it would be far too dark for me and I'd have wasted my money and time on it.

It leaves the skin with a lovely, healthy, glowy, dewy finish, much like the face blur, so again it's not a mattifying product - but you can do as I have done and lightly powdered over it to set it in place.

Whilst I love the effect it has on the skin, my only gripe with it is that it doesn't stay so well on my problem area - my nose. I do have issues with a lot of products not lasting well on the tip on my nose since it's quite a combination type area - sometimes its super oily, others its super dry ....I can't win with it. >.<
 You also kind of have to be careful if you tend to rub your face randomly like me - it may rub off if you do so, so I think giving it a good powder/"bake" is going to be very useful to keep it perfect for longer.

I wonder if a setting spray might help it a little, but then again it's a pretty dewy, moisturising product, so maybe its better to 'bake' it a little. 

Concealer

This was a fun thing to apply!
 I'm very used to western concealers where I have to use a fair amount when they're liquid types with the wand, so I tried to apply the same amount as usual on my first try with this product...big mistake!

Massive mistake!

Seriously, this is super deceptive - Asian concealers and bases tend to be more creamy and spreadable than the western counterparts....which I have learned the hard way!

If you're heavy on the concealer like me, whatever you use normally - half it! I only needed to dot a tiny amount in the problem zones, and padded it out with my ring finger. I really love this - it concealed really really well and only uses a little bit of product, so it doesn't feel 'cakey' like my usual concealer can do if I'm having a particularly heavy handed "oh god my eyes look like rings of black death" morning >.< 

Blush

 I was absolutely itching to play with this! I absolutely adore the Play101 range, and have been wanting to get one of the sticks to try out since they came out - I might end up getting a few more!

This is pretty handy in regards to application - dot it on your face and blend it out with your ring finger, or beauty blender, or brush, or whatever you choose to use.

It goes on a pretty vivid colour that may make people wonder what they've let themselves in for, but once you blend it in it tends to sink into your skin and create a light, really natural tint of colour. It will apply brighter for lips and eyes, but that's down to not blending/less blending compared to using it as a blush.

I really like it for giving my skin a natural, glowy tint - I'm pretty sure these products make me look more youthful....in fact, I'm convinced of it.

I always feel a bit "ho hum, I'm getting on a bit" when I put my makeup on, but the effect these give, it makes me feel lighter, brighter, fresher and younger - can't knock that, can we?


For the rest of the look I used my regular max factor pan stick for contouring (I want a play 101 one now instead) and my sleek cream highlighters (won't be parting with those)

For my eyes I used my 144 makeup revolution palette, with their golden lights highligher powder in the middle of the eye,
etude house crystal tear liner (which I cant stop buying), 
brown play 101 pencil for under eyes,
black play 101 pencil for my top waterline.
Maybelline Colossal Mascara
Rimmel Eyebrow pencil and w7 clear mascara

Lipwise, I used a combo of the lip tint and lipstick that came with my haul - but I'm going to do a separate post on the other items, and a more in depth look at the play 101 stick.

Hopefully you enjoyed this little run down of my simple little look, and if you have comments, questions etc, then you know what to do! Let me hear your thoughts!

Love,
         Kasumi x

Etude House Haul - I have an addiction....

Hi Sweethearts,

Life has been pretty hectic for me as of late - I've barely had a moment to even think for myself or relax, so blogging has sadly been neglected. Not to worry though, I'm writing up a couple of posts to tide myself over and going to make a conscious effort to making myself look acceptable at least once a week to give everyone something to read on a Sunday XD

(I really miss making Sunday blogposts as they're always a nice end to my week - though the last few Sundays have consisted of me being too tired to get out of bed until I have to leave the house for my weekly family visiting. I'll get back on it, though. >.<) 

Moving swiftly on, my wonderful lady buddy Sah of Reinka (check out her work - she's pretty fab!) made a trip back to S.Korea recently, and brought me back some goodies from my beloved Etude House! I know, this is my 2nd haul of the year from them, and it's only March...but I've fallen madly in love and it's that time of year where I throw away a lot of used and/or out of date makeup and replenish stocks. This time, I'm trying to convert the majority of my makeup to Korean items, as I seem to much prefer them to most of the products we get here. (I'll never give up my Makeup Revolution eyeshadows, or my sleek cream highlighters though! Everything else is up for negotiation.)

So, onto the haul! 

BOOM! Yesyesyes - can you feel my excitement yet?
I had many squeals of happiness when I picked it up from the post office, and all the shop customers at my work today were subjected to tales of how wonderful it all is haha!

I'm not entirely sure where to start with this post to be honest, since there are so many things here to gush over!

I think firstly I'll start where my last haul left off - at skincare! 

Baking Powder

Ok - here we go!

If you've followed my blog from the beginning then you'll know that I got a tester of the baking powder pore cleansing foam last year - safe to say that I really really like it!

Here we have a massive bottle of the cleansing foam, that works really well for my skin and smells lovely and citrus-y, using baking powder to cleanse the skin.

   On the right is the Baking powder wipes (oil type) that you use to remove your makeup - and boy does it do that really well! I used a wipe to see what it would do tonight, and I was shocked at how easy it took everything off - no scrubbing at my face like I usually have to do with makeup wipes!

Super impressed!

Face Mask Sheets

Got a couple of mask sheets from Tony Moly within the goodie bag which is a nice change! I've only ever tried their hand creams, and I really liked it so hopefully these will be equally as lovely!

Here we have another few masks from EtudeHouse- a green tea, couple of Tea Tree, and a honey one! I really love these masks and all the different types you can get - there's so many options it's insane!!! I look forward to trying out all of them ^_^

True Relief

This is a Trial sample pack of intense moisturising skincare that deals with calming down dry and sore skin. I feel like this might be pretty good for winter months and when it;s cold and windy here in Scotland - I do currently suffer from adult acne thanks to the contraceptive injection, and the face rub the doctors prescribed me tends to dry out my skin a lot, so this might come in handy!

Various Samples

Here are some various samples of different products - does anyone else like to take things like this on short breaks with them, or is it just me? I love collecting samples then using them whilst I'm away - it's so easy to transport and disposable!

The downside to this is that I'll end up loving a lot of them, and then be torn between what to buy next!

Moving on to the makeup....

Base:

 I've always wanted to try out the legendary Korean BB cream, but I've always been put off by the potential for them to be too dark for my skin. I did try western ones, and their lightest shade turned me into David Dickinsons' love child....not a good look!
 However after seeing this product in the Etude House online store, I went and looked on good old Youtube for some reviews and found some Western ladies using it on the lightest shade without any issues so decided that I'd bite the bullet and give it a go!

I'll be writing some review posts to let everyone know of my experiences with these products - so fingers crossed they go well!

As with the BB cream, I've also been in the market for a new concealer in my ever continuing quest to reduce the dark, deep set circles under my eyes that I've been burdened with since I was young.
I've colour corrected, I've used thicker concealers, lighter ones, brightening/whitening creams, being constantly hydrated, eating well, sleeping properly - nothing has really done the job well enough. I'm now considering having fillers/botox injections to the area to get rid of them for a while. If anyone has any information on under eye filler then I'd be really interested in having some advice.

That being said, I figured that I may as well try out a concealer from Korea since my current lot of concealers have come to the end of their lives - this one in particular has a few different versions of it. I picked the liquid tip, though they also have a stick version, and also a more expensive version with something or other else in it (currently slipped my mind, sorry! )- I may try that one next if this one doesn't work out.
 On first impressions that I tried out on my hand - its a really good consistency, light colour and has some good staying power once its dried. Wish me luck!

This is the new Play 101 sticks that Etude have brought out - from what I gather, they're replacements for the cupcake all-over colour that they used to do (which I loved) but it is a lot more user friendly in the stick format. As with other play 101 products, they're multi-use ie. you can use them for eyes, face, lips - anything really! They also brought out contouring and foundation tones of the sticks too which will work really nicely with the pencils.
  I have to confess, it was watching Etude x Pony videos that totally sold me on this - I absolutely love Pony's makeup style and watching her videos with these products is really inspiring for me.
(Check out  Pony Makeup on youtube)

Lips:

My Usual lip balm has ran out, and I'm slowly building my etude lip arson since I love their lip products so much - they're just so cutely designed and in such pretty shades! This  tint balm is just in the natural clear, but slightly pinky tone that going to hydrate my lips on a daily basis - I drink wayyyyy too much coffee every day at work to be able to keep lipstick looking immaculate, so a balm is going to suit me pretty well!

This is the latest edition to my lipstick collection - it's the dear my blooming lipstick - it's so pretty! This is in a pink shade, though it looks a little more red in photos - but take a little minute to appreciate how cute the packaging is! It even has a heart stamped into the lipstick!!!! (click the pictures to see it bigger)  ^_^

Bonus gift:

Bonus time!

So this is a surprise gift from my lovely friend, described only as "I know you said you don't really like these things, but trust me and try it." - this was definitely not what I was expecting!

To be perfectly honest, the first thing I asked was "is it edible?????????" because clearly the way my mind works is that anything that I should trust and try is definitely going to be some delicious, obscure food. Wrong!

However, how cool is this!!!! It's SAILOR MOON LIQUID EYELINER!

SAILOR FREAKING MOON!!! 

*notes that I should probably mention* I'm a ridiculously massive SailorMoon fangirl, and have been for the past 20 years now....oh jeez, that really makes me sounds old haha!

Anyway, I actually let our a squeal and tears of joy at this - because Sailor Moon is made of win!

I tend to steer well clear of pen style eyeliners, or generally pen type products in general as I find that they dry out really quickly and don't tend to last nearly as long, or they break easily etc etc etc so this is definitely going to be an interesting one!
 I've actually heard a lot of good things about this one though, and the brush tip is pretty nice - not too solid, but not flimsy either, and has a good tapered end.

 Definitely going to be trying this out for my next full look and posting my thoughts - but seriously it's Sailor Moon, and it's so adorable that that's probably going to outweigh any potential issues that I come across. Did I also mention that it's Sailor Moon??????? T_T
I may have a slight problem - my work room also has little sailor moon items dotted around, so that may well be a hint! Next may well be a Sailor Moon tattoo....probably. Definitely. Yup.

Final thoughts

I am actually so super excited to play around with everything! Like it's 2am UK time, and I'm considering spending the next while in front of the mirror trying things! I'm determined that I'll wait till morning to road test, then do a full blog post on Sunday when I'm not rushing to work and can actually plan an outfit for the day!

As always, any comments or questions? Leave them below! 


Love,

Kasumi x

Etude House Skincare Haul

Hi Sweeties!

I've been thinking a lot about ageing lately, and I figured that it's about time that I started properly taking care of my skin.
I always seemed to try to keep a routine going, but always seem to fail for whatever reason.

I noticed that www.Etudehouse.com  just so happened to have an offer on a skincare bundle, and as a late Birthday present from me-to-me, I snapped one right up!

The bundle on special offer cost $50, which I think at the time was around £35, with free delivery.
It arrived within 2 weeks of ordering, although sadly I got hit by the customs demons, which was another £15 T_T so that means I didn't get as much of a deal as I had thought (this was the first time I've ever had a customs charge from anywhere) 

I am a massive EtudeHouse & genereal Korean cosmetic and skin care fan, as I really think they're the leaders atm for this, so I was super glad to get this delivery.

Here's what I picked up:

It's quite a good haul, right? There's only 1 thing that I feel is missing, and that's a good cleanser like their Baking Powder one (which I love but am running out of my current one)

Lets have a little look at them individually!

Wonder Pore Freshner

Wonder Pore Freshner is a toner product that boasts a 10 in 1 effect to deep cleanse, restore ph balance, even skin tone, aid elasticity, reduce pore size, control sebum, smooth skin texture etc.
( you get the idea, right?)

I've been using this twice a day since I got it, and I really like it! It's a little alcohol-ly in smell, but quite fresh, and has a a thin, watery consistency, which I also really like in a toner.
 You apply some to a cotton pad, and wipe from the middle of your face outwards to work effectively.

I found that it does take off more of the underlying dirt/grime that I had thought that I'd cleansed off! My skin does feel in better condition and is a lot less oily that it was! (I have combination-oily skin due to the contraceptive injection that plays havoc with my hormones at the moment) 

This really works well for me, though if you have a sensitive skin type, then the alcohol content probably isn't for you. 

Be Moistfull Collagen Cream

Ok, so this is something that I've had my eye on for a while!
The Moistfull Collagen Cream is a collagen infused moisturiser that's supposed to keep you looking youthful with a smooth and elastic skin. (Idk if that makes much grammatical sense, but hopefully it does!)

It's actually a pretty big tub, and comes with a little spatula to stop you dipping your fingers into the tub - pretty handy!
Again, this is something that I've been using since the day I got it, and find that my skin is smoother and more even in texture. You really only need a small amount of this, since it spreads a lot! I imagine that it'll take me a while to finish it! 

Face Blur

This is a primer type product, that gives you a photoshopped look - "blurring your skin" to it looks smooth and flawless.

It also has a built in brightener/whitener, that stops you looking so tired.

This is also a great product for me; I like to use a little of it on its own after moisturising to even my tone out then run off to work. The danger of applying too much is that I look liker a bit of a ghost - so unless it's going under makeup, I need to be kinda careful!

 Missing You Hand Cream

 

This is a super adorable Peach scented hand cream in a Panda shaped case!
I haven't tried this yet as I'm still getting through my current one, but it looks so cute!

Face Masks

I got 6 different types of face mask to try out with this bundle, and I'm quite excited to get a night off to treat myself to one of them!

They all have different properties, but the one I'm most interested in is the Snail mask - I've been hearing a lot about snails for skincare, so looking forward to seeing if it works!

Lipstalk Lipstick - Beige

I finally got another Dead My Wish Lipstick! This time I got one that's described as "beige" though I'm not really convinced it is beige - it has a slightly pinky tone to it, which I absolutely love, and as usual it glides on perfectly!

I wore this for my Valentines day look, which I'll be posting about soon, so please stay tuned for that!

Play 101 Pencil - 1 Black

 So to finish, I got another Play 101 pencil in Black - yay! I really love these things - for those of you that don't know, these pencils are super versatile! They can be used as eyeliner, eyeshadow, lip liner, lipstick, blush etc and come in around 50 different colours and shades - super useful, right?
They also blend really well and create some lovely effects.

I'm definitely going to be using these a lot more to create more smokey looks as I feel like I've been really lazy with makeup over the past while.


So this is everything that I got - again I totally wish that there was a cleanser with this, esp as I'm running low on my current one, but this is great value for money, and the Etude global site always has offers on, some of which are not to be missed.

So if you're looking to test out some Korean skincare and makeup, I'd definitely suggest you check them out!
If you have used these products before, what do you think of them? Let me know below!
Love,

           Kasumi x

Christmas Fashion Photoshoot

Hi Sweeties!

I recently did a Christmas themed fashion shoot with my wonderful photographer friend Louise Cantwell - Check out her work over on Facebook here: Louise Cantwell Photography

Louise is one of the most talented people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with, and when she decided to make this amazing Christmas Tree outfit I had my fingers crossed that she would ask me to model it for her - and lucky she did!
 Shooting out on location in a derelict barn with natural light was a lovely change from shooting in my house/in a studio - I really love natural light and the different mood it gives the images. ^_^

 

  

For this look, we decided that we should try out some more Avant Garde makeup, instead of anything plain and simple. (I'm sure this is why she picked me - I've been itching to do something more 'out there' for a while! hehehe ^_^)

I actually didn't have many idea of what to do makeup-wise until the morning of the shoot. I looked at the outfit and then raided my craft drawers and came across some feathers, bead sprays, lace and a pair of primark earrings that turned out to be perfect!

Here are some headshots of the makeup and a wee product breakdown.

For this look, I started off with my normal base foundation, and since it was photoshoot makeup, I made my contour with the sleek palette a lot stronger than I would for daily looks, to add some drama and shape to my face.

For the eyes, I went with a few dark brown shades of eyeshadow from my new Makeup Revolution palette (I'll post about this soon) to add some depth to my eyesockets/crease.

 I then went over this with a red shadow from the same palette, followed by BarryM dazzle Dust in the red shade, and blended this up to my eyebrows, which I had blocked out slightly with concealer. I winged out the shadow at the outer corners of my eyes and brought a sharp line down the bridge of my nose with an angled brush.

I lined my eyes with BarryM white gel eyeliner, which I have to admit isn't a the greatest product product, but it was the closest I could find to a white liquid liner the night before - it did the job well. I strengthened up the colour by pressing Etude House Crystal Tear powder over the liner, which also gives a lovely frosty sparkle.
The lower waterline is filled with maybelline black and white big eyeliner pencil.

For my lashes I used a L'oreal  2in1 mascara, and only used the white first step to allow my lashes to be white. I added more of the crystal tear powder around the bottom of my eyes for extra sparkle.

Now comes the fun part!

Firstly, I started attaching the feathers on my forehead with Revlon lash glue (this stuff is amazing) and attached them over my brow area, followed by the bead sprays to add dimension.
The most difficult part here was attaching the earrings to my head as they're pretty heavy and made from metal. However, this is why I love the Revlon lash glue so much! I held the earrings on (I cut off the loops on the top so they wouldn't look like I just chopped off the bottom of some earrings) and waited about 5minutes, and they stayed on perfectly without even a hint of movement for hours!
Well done Revlon!

Then I had previously thought that I'd use eyeshadow to create a lace pattern on the rest of my face, so chopped up a lace appliqué to use as a stencil and stuck it on. After looking at it for a few moments, I decided that the lace on it's own would be a far better (and easier) option, so I replicated it on the other side!
Finishing it all off with some little crystals, and filling my lips with Rimmel Apocalips matte lip lacquer the look was complete!

I'm personally really thrilled with how this came together, and can't thank Louise enough for getting me involved in such a fun concept - some of the images from the set have been published in Surreal Beauty Magazine too, which you can pick up here: Surreal Beauty Magazine 

 So, what do you think?
Leave your thoughts below ^_^
Love,
          Kasumi x