Author: The Beauty Wolf (Page 5 of 28)

Coco Park, mismiki nashoba

BLOSSOM JEJU PINK CAMELLIA SOOMBI BLOOMING CREAM & ESSENCE SERUM REVIEW

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There are some creams that feel like an indulgence. They feel like you’re doing something for your skin that’s almost sinful it feels so luxurious. Sulwhasoo is one of those creams, as is It’s Skin Prestige Creme Ginseng D’escargo,  I’ve also discovered another cream to join their lofty ranks, Blossom Jeju Pink Camellia Soombi Blooming Cream, a recently curated treasure at Glow Recipe.

The ingredient list is the first hint as to why this cream is a top spot earner for me

Camellia Japonica Flower Extract(54.72%), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Water, Glycerin, Camellia Japonica seed oil(5.41%), Pentylene Glycol(EcoCert®, Natural Origin), Niacinamide, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Phosphatidylcholine, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Propanediol(EcoCert®, Natural Origin), Butyrospermum Parkii (shea) Butter, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Xanthan Gum, Akebia Quinata Extract, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Arginine, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Squalane, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Centella Asiatica Extract, Betaine, Bisabolol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Trehalose, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Bioflavonoids, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Adenosine, Opuntia Ficus-Indica fruit Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Sorbitan Caprylate, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Linoleic Acid, Hizikia Fusiforme Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Leaf Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Skin Extract, Yeast Beta-Glucan, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Silybum Marianum Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Levulinic Acid, Rutin, Astaxanthin, Quercetin, Fragrance

Notably the first ingredient is Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, which you can read more about herehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3127137/ ,it’s followed closely three ingredients later by Camellia Japonica Seed Oil. Both of these ingredients help to give this cream lots of luxurious cushiness.

It’s absolutely packed with a lot of really nice emollients and antioxidants and has hardly any acne triggers, (if that’s important to you, check out how it’s rated on COSDNA here http://www.cosdna.com/eng/cosmetic_1a15200157.html ).

Another thing that really amps up the luxuriousness of this product is the smell. Ohhhhhhh my god, the smell. Excuse the overly flowery language, but it brings to mind my childhood summers in the south spent hovering around honeysuckle bushes, plucking their blooms and drinking their nectar. It’s just really a thing of beauty. If you can get an old-pro consumer like me excited about a smell, bruuh, you’re doing something right.

Even the jar is wonderful. It’s a heavy, sturdily manufactured opaque glass jar with a rose gold/pink screw top. It looks so pretty on my dressing table (shallow, but like I said with the It’s Skin cream, something a highly visual person like myself appreciates).

Of course all of those things don’t mean squat if the cream doesn’t function well. Thankfully this stuff performs like a true champ. My skin was very, very happy using this cream. It was plump, hydrated, and always glowing. This is a wonderful cream to seal in the moisture you’ve pumped into your skin during your K-beauty skincare routine. It has that whipped, buttery consistency, like you find in the the Sulwhasoo and It’s Skin Prestige Creme Ginseng D’escargo creams. That is always something I look for in a luxury cream. I love massaging this into my face, especially at night since the scent is such a nice thing to smell before bed. It’s also great as a day cream, especially for those of you going for a more matte look, as this doesn’t have the same kind of sheen that’s present in the It’s Skin and Sulwhasso creams, but still gives you all of the great hydration!
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With it’s gorgeous smell, feel, and most importantly, performance, I can’t recommend this highly enough if you’re looking for a moderately priced luxurious topping to both moisturized and seal in moisture, give this pretty little thing a try!

There’s also the essence serum in the same line that I’m loving.
From the Glow Recipe website

This delicate essence is so unique in that it feels light as air upon contact with your skin providing an instant dose of noticeable moisture. Formulated with 82% Oleic Acid, also found within our own skin, Camellia Oil is absorbed almost immediately upon contact with the surface of skin, leaving behind no greasy residue or feel, making this dose of hydration and protection feel as natural as your own skin
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I can confirm this stuff does indeed absorb quickly, which is nice when you’re sleepy and don’t want to massage forever to make sure your serum is absorbed before hitting your next step. It also feels incredibly light yet skin plumping. Both me, and my oily skinned husband have been enjoying/fighting over this serum! In fact, he’s asked me to go ahead and order another bottle for him. This serum has ZERO acne triggers, and it packed full of moisturizing ingredients, emollients, and even has some ingredients with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties (see here http://cosdna.com/eng/cosmetic_1443195767.html).

I would definitely give this essence serum and the cream  five out of five turtles, it compliments the cream so incredibly well, they’re a fine, fine duo! This would make a great indulgence for yourself or a wonderful gift for someone special. It would work for just about any skin type and the fragrance is like a trip to paradise.
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Available at Glow Recipe here:
http://www.glowrecipe.com/collections/blossom-jeju/blossom-jeju
Good news, Glow Recipe has offered to give you 15% off your order if you order through my link http://i.refs.cc/Mxk05ta7 ! Get in on this great stuff with this great deal and check out Blossom Jeju’s other products! I especially like the Camellia dry oil, it works great on your face and in your hair! :)

HERA UV MIST CUSHION ULTRA MOISTURE REVIEW

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I have a new favourite cushion for people looking for a little more glow and moisture. I still love my Iope cushion for it’s moderate glow and light coverage, my Missha cushion for the semi-matte look, and now I have my a newly crowned Queen of the moisture and glow, the Hera UV Mist Cushion Ultra Moisture.

I had previously tried the Hera UV Mist Cushion but found that it just wasn’t moist enough for me. It was good, really good, but not a favourite. I still preferred my Iope cushion for the moisturizing role it played. I really love the feel of moisture in my face products, I find they plump up your skin and give it a really youthful appearance. When I saw that there was an Ultra Moisture version I really wanted to give it a try. I’m very partial to my Hera CC cream, which is my favourite CC cream on the market right now, so I knew Hera was capable of making a great cushion product and I hoped this was it.

Since I’m writing about it now I’m sure you can deduce that this was everything I was hoping it would be. The description from the InsiderBeauty website, which is where I got this from, describes things very well:

http://insiderbeauty.com/collections/makeup/products/uv-mist-cushion-ultra-moisture

HERA’s innovative ‘UV Mist Cushion Ultra Moisture’ has all the benefits of its predecessor ‘UV Mist Cushion’ but only better.  With its ground-breaking ability to glide liquid foundation onto skin like a mist in the convenience of a puff, this unique cushion compact has a huge cult following in South Korea for its ability to give you natural, buildable coverage with a radiant, dewy finish. This formula offers ample hydration with broad spectrum SPF 34 and PA++ sunscreen.

  • Provides 4.2x more enhanced moisture than its predecessor ‘UV Mist Cushion’
  • Effective for all skin types
  • Long-lasting moisture and glow
  • Includes Camellia Oil and Achillea extracts known for its antioxidants and skin protection
  • Includes a full-sized refill cushion

 

We carry this product in 3 shades:

  • Cool Ivory #13 – Suitable for those with pale to light skin tones
  • Cool Vanilla #21 – Suitable for those with light to medium skin tones
  • Cool Beige #23 – Suitable for those with medium beige skin tones
It’s summer here so I went with the #23, which was perfect. The finish truly is radiant and dewy and my skin just feels so insanely cushy once the BB cream is patted on. It’s an instant wake-up looking skin and dull complexions. It also has really nice coverage. To illustrate that, I’ve swatched it here on the back of my hand with all of it’s gross green veins, as you can see the cushion all but covered them and left my skin looking dewy and even.
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This really proved the “you can fake it till you make it” mantra I’ve been telling people in the media about Korean cosmetics.If you already have the original Hera cushion, here they both are used next to each other. On the left we have the Hera UV Mist Cushion and on the right the Her UV Mist Cushion Ultra Moisture, as you can see there is a marked difference in finish but the same great coverage.
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In addition to how lovely the actual product is, it’s housed in a beautiful, sturdy, iridescent ,grey pealescent compact. It’s very well constructed and heavy, like most luxury brands are. The price point is roughly double a lot of other cushions, however keep in mind you’re actually getting TWO compacts at this price, so the actual price is on par with cheaper cushions. So for $45 each box comes with an already filled new compact, and a refill that you pop into the compact once the initial one is depleted and discarded, so it’s a sound buy. I truly love this compact, and I think I’m going to especially relish it this winter when my skin is crying from the -45c temperatures. This is a must try cushion if you love luxurious formulations, buildable coverage, and moisture in your BBs!

Five out of five turtles plus one more for being a holy grail!
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I got my  Hera UV Mist Cushion Ultra Moisture from InsiderBeauty here, which is where I recommend picking it up! They are truly wonderful to shop with.

It’s also available on ebay here

and Amazon here with Prime shipping

IT’S SKIN PRESTIGE CREME GINSENG D’ESCARGOT REVIEW

It's Skin Prestige Creme Ginseng D'escargot1

I’m a sucker for exquisite packaging, and I’m a sucker for snails. I mean I really, really love snail. I will be leading the charge the minute I see a snail product, flyin’ that Snail Squad flag.

THEBEAUTYWOLFSNAILSQUAD
Dramatic reenactment

So between snails and sublime jars, I’ll be checkin’ for you. Combine the two and I’m going to be hooked. It’s Skin Prestige Creme Ginseng D’escargot did just that, and they also invited my old friend ginseng along for the ride. Oh hell yes.

First of all, I can’t start this review without talking about this gorgeous pot. I mean really, it’s almost stupid how pretty this stuff is. Whether you’re a hyper modern minimalist (like me), a more traditional person who likes high-end maximimalism fanciness, or a plain ole’ basic ass bitch, this package is going to look perfect on your dressing table. It really fits with everything and yet it’s stunning no matter what it’s competing with.  And really, that’s the perfect metaphor for it’s performance as a moisturizing cream as well!
It's Skin Prestige Creme Ginseng D'escargot package
The first ingredient of this cream are Panax Ginseng Root, which is the same chief ingredient in my beloved Sulwhasoo Ginseng Concentrated Cream. As if that wasn’t enough, the second ingredient is Snail Secretion Filtrate, one of my absolute favourites. Perhaps that’s why it reminds me of a slightly lighter version of the Sulwhasoo Ginseng Cream. It has the same buttery texture, but is a lot more airy, while still managing to be creamy and moisturizing. It’s been a perfect alternative to that cream for the summertime. I especially like it at night, under my sleeping pack, when I wake up my skin is happy, glowy, and not at all sticky, even in the heat.
It's Skin Prestige Creme Ginseng D'escargot
It has a pretty basic core formulation of great emollients, surfactants, antioxidants, and humectants, aside from amazingness of the top ingredients of ginseng and snail filtrate. There’s also some notable interesting things like Grifola Frondosa Mycelium Ferment Filtrate Extract, a mushroom extract that’s both a serious antioxidant and a humectant. It’s also very low in acne triggers, if that’s important to you. You can see the full ingredient list here.

It’s also priced about $140 less than the Sulwhasoo, so you can ball on a budget http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sulwhasoo-Concentrated-Ginseng-Renewing-Cream-60ml-Free-sample-/121108700295?hash=item1c32a41c87. You can get it for $45 on Amazon with free shipping here. As of the time of writing this there were only 17 units left in stock though so hurry http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AK7EW5W/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p194_d2_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=1BZVJW6YSFP6GCM1N576&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop

It’s also available with free shipping for about $66 here
http://www.amazon.com/Skin-Prestige-Creme-Ginseng-Descargot/dp/B00SU4QM6Y/ref=sr_1_5?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1438296135&sr=1-5&keywords=It%27s+Skin+Prestige+Creme+Ginseng+D%27escargot

and for $45 and free shipping on Ebay here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ITS-SKIN-Prestige-Creme-Ginseng-Descargot-60ml-Korea-cosmetics-/271276529136?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f295755f0

For it’s beautiful packaging, great formulation, and excellent performance, five out of five turtles for It’s Skin Prestige Creme Ginseng D’escargot!
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PERIPERA WHOLLY DEEP JEWEL POTS REVIEW

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I love glow, I love glam, I love glitter. Well, I love grown up modern glitter, not the 90’s chunky glitter of yesteryear, but the shimmering kissed by the gods glittery formulations of today. Until very recently, if you wanted to have something light reflective on your lids you were going to have a little hell to pay in the form of fallout. Fallout is when your eye product comes loose and drifts below your bottom lash line, creating a mess. If you were lucky it was just a glittery dusting, at it’s worst you came out looking like you got punched by the toothfairy and ended up with a very glam black eye. Either way it was almost impossible to come out unscathed. My favourite performer, but worst fallout offender, was always the Mac loose pigments. They would delivery excellent colour payoff and shine but using them was a pain since you dealt with fallout from application and then more fallout after they’d been worn awhile. I both loved and hated them on set, I’d be armed with a fanbrush and makeup wipes just waiting for the inevitable dust cloud to settle under the model’s eyes.

When I first saw the Peripera Wholly Deep Jewel Pots I instantly thought of the Mac pigments. They were gorgeous but I was dreading the aftermath. As soon as I was able to play with one, my whole world got flipped upside down. These things are amazing. They’re so amazing I had to go back and edit the last sentence I wrote because it had three curse words in it, that’s how much I love these, they made me cuss. This product joins my Tonymoly Backstage Gel Liner as a holy grail must-have Korean cosmetic. Here’s why

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With 8 beautiful shades to choose from, these things have insane sparkle without being overly teeny-bopper glittery. They’re sparkly and perfect for nighttime wear, but totally appropriate for daytime as well IMO. The formulation is insane, it’s somewhere between a cream and a powder, it reminds me of that magic sand stuff my toddler plays with. I’ve never used anything like it before. Because of the unique formulation you get all of the rich colour payoff, all of the shine, and NONE of the fallout.
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It’s genius! It’s gorgeous! It’s genius and gorgeous! It’s a top supermodel neuroscientist! It’s the impossible! Really, you’ve got to try this product out.  I’m about to buy the entire shade line, it’s that good! These are both cute and glamorous, sophisticated and fun. They apply best with your finger and sweep on easily with amazing colour payoff as you can see in the swatches above.  I can’t sing their praises enough, I’m in love with these little pots of pure joy!

Grab yours at W2 Beauty for $15 http://w2beauty.com/en/clio-eye/16455-clio-peripera-peripera-wholly-deep-jewel-pot-8-colors.html
I have always loved w2Beauty because of their free shipping, generous samples, and excellent customer service! And as always you can receive $5 off your first purchase by signing up for an account through my sponsor linkhttp://w2beauty.com/?s=071087605 and entering code 071087605 at sign up!


Available on eBay here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PERIPERA-WHolly-Deep-JEWEL-POT-Multi-Angle-Glitter-Multi-proof-as-brownie-/152072036330?var=&hash=item2368331fea:m:mUScq7-jsvUapOH5M0z5naA

Amazon here
http://www.amazon.com/Peripera-Wholly-Deep-Jewel-Trendsetter/dp/B010WLST5E/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1462523676&sr=1-2&keywords=peripera+jewel+pot

Five out of five turtles,  plus one extra for changing the pigment game! Ugh, where have you been all my life?! Clio/Peripera continues to slay with their quality and innovation!
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You can also get these directly from Club Clio USA if you’re in the States. And if you happen to live in NYC drop by one of their locations to grab them in person!
http://clubclio-en.com/product/PERIPERA+WHOLLY+DEEP+JEWEL+POT/116

Lastly, you can see them in action in a tutorial I did over at the K-log, where we gave Kpop makeovers on a lazy Saturday using these pots and a few other great products!

 

ILLI TOTAL AGE CARE CLEANSING WATER REVIEW

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I feel like a salty old sea dog when it comes to beauty products but once in a great while,  a product comes along and I’m like “wtf..where does this fit into my routine?”.  It’s been a long time since that happened to me, but when I saw the Illi Total Age Cleansing Water on the InsiderBeauty store website, I was kind of lost. Illi is one of my favourite brands right now, I am having a serious love affair with their Total Age Care body products and getting compliments left and right ever since I started using them. They smell heavenly and they make my skin insanely soft. I had yet to try anything from their face care line but I figured it had to be good if it was even half as effective as the body care line.

I guess I should start with what a cleansing water even is! I wasn’t entirely sure myself so I reached out to InsiderBeauty for some illumination on the subject of how to use this product correctly and they sent me this reply:

So, the simple instruction is soak the cotton pad with the cleansing water and sweep away the makeup on eyes, lips, and face. They advertise the product as an all-in-one cleansing product without the need to wash off with water, but most Korean reviewers and bloggers seem to use it as the first part of their double cleanse. It’s slightly acidic so it mildly tones your skin, and also contains Polyol, which is awater-soluable moisturizer. It’s an incredible cleanser/skincare product with lots of nourishing ingredients like green tea, ginseng, and camellia oil that leave your skin feeling great.

Ahhh! I’ve got it now!

Also from the InsiderBeauty website is this description:

A cult favorite in Korea – remove all face and eye makeup debris with illi’s anti-oxidant rich cleansing water with one gentle sweep. Formulated with ginseng root extract, beans, camellia flower extracts, and green tea extracts from Jeju Island, your skin will absorb nutrients upon contact and be left soothed and refreshed. Total Age Cleansing Water guarantees comfort and easy for makeup removing efficacy while brightening and retaining skin’s moisture barrier.

  • Green tea extract is filled with anti-oxidants to soothe skin and combat free radicals
  • Ginseng root extract activates skin’s metabolism helping tone and firm skin
  • Camellia flower extract is rich in vitamins A, B, and E

So essentially, a cleansing water is almost like a makeup remover, only it contains skin beneficial ingredients and doesn’t need to be washed away afterward, unless you want to follow up as part of your double cleansing routine. This Illi cleansing water in particular is, in short, gorgeous. It smells gorgeous, it works gorgeous, it just is gorgeous. The smell is really just intoxicating to me. If you’re familiar with the Total Age Care body care line, it’s the exact same scent, a beautiful subtle floral (the scent is really reminiscent of the Hayul Chrysanthemum serum). I wish it were a perfume so I could wear it.

It does a really great job of removing point makeup. Here I’ve swatched Tonymoly Backstage Gel Liner, Clio Gelpresso Waterproof Pencil Shadow, 3 Concept Eyes Eyeshadow Palette shadow, Etude House Look At My Eyes Cafe Eyeshadow, 3 Concept Eyes Lipstick in the shade V, The Face Shop Cream Blusher, and Peripera Wholly Deep Jewel Pot on my arm, which are all tough customers when it comes to tenacity and pigmentation
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And here’s what happened after one very light pass with the cotton ball, and then a more thorough cleansing. As you can see, it removed every trace of makeup and deposited it onto the cotton pad! (I used my favourite Cosrx Cotton Puffs for the job.)
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And while this is positioned as a makeup remover, I really like using this first thing in the morning in place of a face wash with water. Instead of using my foaming cleanser, I sweep this across my face instead. It’s crazy refreshing and does a great job preparing my skin for the rest of my routine. Used in the traditional makeup remover way, this does a really nice job removing point makeup. It even removes my Tonymoly gel liner! However, it doesn’t do well removing waterproof western mascara, so if you’re using this as part of double cleanse, you’re definitely going to have to follow up with an oil or sherbet cleanser to completely remove waterproof mascara. I wouldn’t recommend completely replacing your oil/sherbet cleanser with this anyway, as handy and revolutionary as it is, your face still needs a deeply thorough removal of sunscreen and I wouldn’t trust that to anything but an oil/sherbet cleanser! That being said, there is definitely room for this in your routine, it’s a great product for correcting any accidental “oops” you might have done with your makeup, for refreshing your skin on a nasty day (hello hot yoga! I’m going to get another bottle of this strictly for my gym bag!), and for a gentle water-free morning cleanse. Illi has me believing they can do no wrong, this is an excellent product and coming in at under $20 it won’t break the bank either!  I haven’t even seen it anywhere on eBay or Amazon yet, so as far as I know it’s only available at InsiderBeauty (If I’m wrong let me know in the comments!) here http://insiderbeauty.com/collections/skincare/products/total-age-cleansing-water

Five out of five refreshed, plump skinned, smelling like they’re straight from heaven above turtles
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