SECRET KEY Self Brow Tattoo Tint Pack in #04 Ash Brown Review

I'm pleased to announce that I've been selected as a 1st Generation Beautiful Pioneer!

What is a Beautiful Pioneer?

“A Beautiful Pioneer is curious.
A Beautiful Pioneer is thorough.
A Beautiful Pioneer embraces and promotes beauty & individuality.”

I'll be working with Cupidrop to test out the latest K-beauty products and review them with 100% honesty.

Since Cupidrop is based in NYC, shipping is super fast for US residents! The prices are also super affordable as the company started with the simple idea of offering great skincare products at great prices to the US.

For my first product, I received the SECRET KEY Self Brow Tattoo Tint Pack. I chose #04 Ash Brown because its the only shade with grey undertones, which look the most natural on girls with black hair.

The peel-off makeup trend has piqued my interest for some time now so I was super excited to try this out! I always seemed to gravitate to my good old brow pencil but by stepping out of my comfort zone, hopefully I'll discover a new holy grail for my brows!

Price: $6

Size: 8g

Scent: Glue. But that's only because I intentionally took a giant whiff an inch away from the bottle. The scent is undetectable upon opening and application.

Ingredients (rough run through Google Translate...obviously some gibberish in there):

Purified water, ethanol polyvinyl alcohol, dihydroxyacetone, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 00. panthenol, aloe vera leaf extract, soybean extract, xanthan gum, camellia seeds, tocopheryl acetate, sodium chloride, hydroxyzine . 1.2-hexan di caprylyl glycol, phenoxyethanol, W quality hexyl glycerin, Red No. 227 methane, pansaek No. 4, Blue No. 1

The brush is fairly thick so that large amounts of product can be applied easily. You're supposed to apply a thick, even layer as opposed to a thin one for optimal pigmentation. On the downside, this makes precise edges difficult to achieve.

Once dry, the tint became a thin, stretchy film. While I did lose around 2 hairs per brow upon removal, it was quick and painless. I found that the tint didn't come off in one piece and had to be rubbed off in small parts because it was clinging onto my hairs. When I applied the tint to my arm for a swatch/longevity test, the dried tint actually came off by itself-- indicating how easy it is to remove on smooth skin.

My initial reaction to the tint was how "sharpie" it looked. There's no possible way to thin the product out near the inner corners of your brows or create a softer outline. I actually tried with my right brow and ended up with patchiness in that area. Keep in mind that your brows will look exactly like how you draw them with the tint except several shades lighter. The edges will be super sharp!

While the majority of my brows were a nice "khaki grey" color, the edges were faintly outlined with some gold color. Honestly speaking, I was a bit horrified with how unnatural things looked immediately after removal. For review's sake, I decided to leave the brows be to see how they faded.

The next morning, I was pleasantly surprised at how natural things were looking! The edges had softened up and were looking very similar to how I normally fill in my brows. The areas with little to no hair (my inner corners) lightened up significantly while the areas dense with hair stayed dark.

My favorite days were 2-3, and I noticed that the darkness was virtually gone by day 5.

For my second test on my brows, I left the tint on for only 30 minutes and the end product was very similar. However, the color was extremely prone to smearing. The product also peeled off easily and pulled off no hairs. Definitely leave your brows alone for 24 hours if choosing to apply for only 30 minutes!

As for the longevity test, I decided to do two patches on my wrist. (Keep in mind that the results on my wrist are much different than the results on my brows because my face is oilier, and more prone to sweat.) The instructions recommend leaving the product on overnight for a more "intense" color so I applied one patch for 2 hours and the other for 8 hrs.

The morning after applying the overnight patch test, I found that the product had peeled off by itself during the night. As a result, I'm not completely sure if I had the product on for 8 hours, but I definitely know that it was longer than 2.

Applying the product for only 2 hours gives a more brown color, while applying overnight gives a darker, grey color. The darkness of both patches was consistent for 5 days until I decided to run water over it (I had avoided running water over it in the shower.)

Once in the shower, the color significantly lightened. The color then continued to fade gracefully when I resumed running water over my wrist in the shower.

On day 11, I cleansed my wrist with a cleansing foam and the color came right off. There is a SLIGHT trace of the product, but for the most part it was gone.

Overall, I would recommend this product to those who want to have brow makeup on while at the pool or water park. The color fades much quicker than expected and stays for 1-2 days if you cleanse per usual.

The peel off trend is fun, I admit, but definitely a gimmick!

Club Clio VF21 Hydra Cotton Pact in 02 Natural Beige Review

Dear u/lpark000, thank you so much for posting that PSA on the Club Clio sample sale in NYC! My boyfriend and I live around 2 hours from Manhattan and we decided to plan a trek with my family to eat at our favorite food stops. If you hadn't posted that PSA, my mom and I never would have known to stop by and grab a haul :)

Price: $40 on official US website

Claims: 

• Non-drying & moisture locking powder compact
• Provides full & natural coverage
• All-in-1 total powder compact for quick and easy makeup
• SPF 35 PA+++ (but we all know that ain't enough)

Ingredients:

Talc, mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77819), Silica, the chilhek silme methoxy cinnamate, nylon-12, zinc oxide (CI 77947), hit a tree on the HEX elderly, dimethicone, H. DI / year methyl tree hexyl lactone cross polymer, cotton (7.4PPM), rosehip fruit oil, African walnut oil, add kiwi chumul tomato fruit / leaf / stem Chu chumul, Western rapeseed sprouts extract, jailri tubs, dim wood gum extract, gamguk flower extract, green tea extract, lemon extract bamip, rooibos extract, thyme extract line, jasmine extract, rosemary extract, dusong bud extract, Goji extract

This product comes in two colors, 01 Pink Beige and 02 Natural Beige. I suspect pink beige is for those who have cool undertones while natural is for those with warm undertones. Natural is considered to be for medium ranged tones and is the one with the most natural color & finish between the two. 

There is no fragrance to this product unless you really put your nose up to the compact and sniff the shit out of it. The smell is a generic faint powder scent that smells nonexistent on skin.

The packaging feels light and good quality. Despite it being plastic, I'd compare it to the packaging of high-end US makeup products such as Estee Lauder or Lancome. The pact comes with a little puff which is nothing special or luxurious. It feels quite similar to a flat, dry beautyblender.

The formula is very buildable, has a super soft silky finish, and feels weightless. I used black eyeliner to simulate dark spots, brown and blue/grey to simulate under eye bags, and pink to simulate blemishes or redness. On the left of the above photo is no makeup while the right has several layers of the pact. The coverage is light to medium, depending on how much you apply. 

I really like what this pact did on my slight redness! My right cheek without makeup is relatively smooth with visible pores and a little redness. Applying a bit of powder on top makes smooth skin look even and matte. My cheek also feels SUPER soft...I couldn't stop touching my skin after I applied this.

However, this product doesn't do so great on uneven areas. My nose is relatively smooth and bb cream applies fine on it, but this powder literally clung onto every single bump on my skin. It looks super cakey the moment it touches your skin on little peach fuzz, rough areas, and dry patches. 

I was so shocked at how horrible this powder looked that I instantly went to the computer to document an angry, disappointed review. 15 minutes later, I glanced at the mirror ready to describe how cakey it looked when I thought, "Wait. This isn't too bad." 

I thought I was imagining things so I applied the powder to another area (which of course came out rough and cakey at first) and waited patiently for 15 minutes to elapse. I was skeptical and thought that I had unconsciously rubbed the product off while writing so I made sure to keep my face untouched.  

After 15 minutes, I checked my face again and voila! The rough texture had subsided. While it isn't as smooth as I would've liked, it's a WHOLE LOT better than what it used to look like. Keep in mind that I took these photos under white fluorescent lighting so this is as exposed as my skin is gonna get. 

The powder actually looks more natural and less cakey as the day goes on. It seems like the coverage decreased and the cakiness subsided so it pretty much just faded away. On the bright side, I was not oily for the entire day so that's good.

Overall, this product is okay for those with completely smooth skin and would like light coverage, oil control, and a matte finish. Despite it being medium to full coverage in the beginning, this powder is not long lasting and fades into light coverage over time. As for me, I am not repurchasing this any time soon. It emphasized all my textural flaws and irritated my dry flakes rather than locking in moisture. If you're going to be mainly under indoor or dim lighting, then don't worry. Your skin will look super velvety and flawless. That's great and all but...I'd prefer to look flawless everywhere, in any lighting thanks.

Anna Sui Glittering and Protective Lip Gloss Review

Hey everyone, it's been a super long time. In short, I've just been focused on school work but I've gained enough motivation to start blogging again! I also bought a new camera (coughitsjustaniPhone6cough) so I thought I'd test it out.

My family friends recently gifted me this beautiful Anna Sui Glittering Lip Gloss in 600 and Protective Lip Gloss in 302 from Japan. I think the box is super pretty! These are my first Anna Sui products but I know she's famous for her elaborate packaging.

Some info on the products from Anna Sui:

Glittering lip gloss- "Dazzling brilliance and shimmering hydration all in one amazing lip gloss!

Anna Sui's Glittering Lip Gloss offers a translucent base with a sparkling finish all in a light, refreshing texture."

Protective lip gloss- "A colorful lip gloss that protects delicate lips from UV rays and dryness. SPF 20 keeps lips protected from UV rays while ultra-hydrating Plumping Oil wraps lips in a veil of moisture to keep dryness at bay."

Each lip gloss is 8 mL each (0.24 oz) and $22. Glittering comes in 14 colors while Protective comes in 9.

Glittering Lip Gloss Ingredients:

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Triethylhexanoin, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Dextrin Palmitate, Diisostearyl Malate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Dipalmitate, Honey (Mel) Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Tocopherol, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Barium Sulfate, BHT, Calcium Carbonate, Dimethicone, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Lecithin, Methicone, Perfluorooctyl Triethoxysilane, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Silica, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Tin Oxide, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool, [May Contain (+/-) Iron Oxides (CL 77491), Iron Oxides (CL77499) Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CL 77891), Red 7 (CI 15850), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140)]

Protective Lip Gloss Ingredients:

Polybutene, Polyglyceryl-2 Tri Sostearate, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Dextrin Palmitate, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Dextrin Palmitate/Ethylhexanoate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Paraffin, Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Dipalmitate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Honey (Mel), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Tocopherol, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Barium Sulfate, BHT, Calcium Carbonate, Dimethicone, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Lecithin, Methicone, Silica, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Fragrance (Parfum), Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool, [May Contain(+/-), Iron Oxides (CL77491), Iron Oxides (CL 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CL 77891), Red 7 (CL 15850), Yellow 5 Lake (CL 19140)]

The lip glosses themselves come in a small, beautiful plastic tube. It feels very hardy and travel friendly. Protective is on the left (a hot pink color in the tube) and glittering is on the right (a sparkly coral color). It seems like the protective lip gloss line has a white cap while the glittering lip gloss line has a black one.

Each lip gloss has a doe-foot applicator.

The lip gloss is extremely sheer, thin, and shiny. Both give the lips the wet, juicy look that is sought after in Japan but the glittering lip gloss obviously has glitter in it. In comparison to other lip glosses I have tried, this isn't very sticky and the consistency is rather "oily" but I do feel that the oil does keep my lips moisturized throughout the day. The protective lip gloss is definitely tackier and sticker than the glittering lip gloss.

They don't smell or taste like anything though I detected the faintest bit of lychee-scent in there. I might be lying to myself so don't quote me on that!

As you can see, there isn't much of a difference between the two. The protective lip gloss looks wetter and shinier than the glittering lip gloss. Because I have pigmented lips in the first place, I never really use lip glosses for color-- just shine. These lip glosses literally add no color to my lips.

The difference between the glittering and protective lip gloss is very little. You can barely see the glitter so if I had to choose only one, I'd go with the protective lip gloss due to the SPF it has.

Lasting power: Nothing extraordinary. It lasts until before you eat and afterwards, it's completely gone.

Color: Pretty sheer. Nothing too pigmented which is okay for a lip gloss.

Moisture: Didn't dry my lips out...hoorah!

All in all, these lip glosses are okay. They're nothing absolutely fan-fucking-tastic but they do the job. I'd rather buy a cheaper lip gloss from the drug store because the formula feels the same. Spend the extra $10 if you wanna pay for the fancy packaging haha. Would not purchase again simply because it is not worth the money.

Sponsored Review (Jolse): Aegyosal ft. Holika Holika Jewel Light Under Maker #01

Hi guys!! 

Today I'll be doing a review on the Holika Holika Jewel Light Under Maker in #01 Plumping White!

This was kindly sponsored by Jolse, which is I think my favorite cosmetics shop EVER because of how many products there are, the cheap prices, constant sales/discounts, free samples, and not to mention: 

FREE SHIPPING WITH NO MINIMUM ORDER REQUIREMENTS

*screams silently*

 I really apologize to JiEun-ee unnie for this being so late as I was supposed to receive my package more than a month ago, but my local post office messed things up :x I only just received my package yesterday so screw you post office people!! T n T

Well, onto the review! Here are some official pictures:

Review: Etude House Dear My Essence in Lips Talk EOR201

Hello dears! (Yes, that was intentional LOL)
First, thank you to all who have joined my first giveaway! I've emailed the winner, but she isn't replying o A o!! Remember to check your inbox, or I will have no choice but to pick another winner ; n ; Anyways...

Today I have a review of a relatively new product from Etude House, Etude House Dear My Essence in Lips Talk EOR201.

This is one of the first Etude House products I purchased on my trip to Korea. Here are some official pictures!

International Giveaway + Gifts From VIVI-Clothes

Hello everyone!

Today I received a package (well, envelope...) from one of my sponsors, VIVI-Clothes.

Picture credit: www.asianfashionclothesblog.wordpress.com/

If you haven't already seen my post on VIVI-Clothes already, please do! Or, if TL;DR, VIVI-Clothes is a really cute company that focuses on Asian fashion based in Netherlands! It ships internationally and carries a lot of things from Korean fashion, gyaru brands (like Liz Lisa!), weird body slimming products, and even cosplay! Their customer service is super fast so I definitely recommend this store ♥

It took 10 days for my package to arrive from Netherlands to here (the USA). Pretty fast, in my opinion!

International Giveaway: First Monthiversary / TY 50+ Followers ♥

Hello dears!

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to comment on my blogposts, followed my blog, and supported me as a noob to the blogsphere. This blog is the first blog that I've ever created with the exception of tumblr (which I don't really consider a blog since most people just reblog photos haha;;) so I really appreciate the patience that some of the more experienced bloggers have shown me. 

In three days, it will be the date of my first monthiversary on Blogspot, and I'd like to take this opportunity to give back to you all! 

I'll be reviewing each item soon, but I have multiples of each product so the items that will be sent out   are brand new. If you guys happen to be wondering how I got my hands on so many samples and products, it's because some of them are free from online shopping and have accumulated over the past few months. Some are also sent to me by my grandmother who lives in Korea (she always sends multiples so that my mother and I can share haha...I have like twenty five sheet masks all aloe, green tea, and tea tree orz;;) And then all the LANEIGE samples are stolen from the local Hmart L-LOL (it said to take one sample, but I came like everyday so technically I did take one per each trip? haha~) The rest were purchased with my own money c:

Alright, without further ado, let's see what you can win~

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WISHtrend: The Hub of Korean Beauty Secrets

Hello lovelies!

Fun fact: did you know that South Korea is about twelve years ahead of the US in terms of skincare technology? That's right! TWELVE YEARS. Amazing right?

That's why a majority of Koreans have flawless skin, and why all my skincare products are imported from South Korea!

Sadly, there are people all over the world who want to achieve flawless skin and cannot get their hands on products in Korea.

But I've found the solution: WISHtrend