Ok this review is seriously long overdue. I wasn't 100% thrilled with my first Japanese beauty magazine purchase Voce so decided to give Bea's Up a try.
The issue I have here is September 2009, released in August. At first first glance the most obvious difference Bea's Up and Voce is that the former goes from right to left. I had no idea since I didn't see a copy of this magazine before I bought it from JP-Books; not a huge problem but a bit inconvenient and different to what I'm used to. Its pages are thinner than those of Voce but still good quality.
Bea's Up has way more how to pictures and product swatch photos, which is great because they're the only parts I understand I contacted the super sweet PJ from A Touch of Blusher who told me that Bea's Up targets a younger audience (girls in their 20s) than Voce & Biteki, and out of the latter two, Voce has more coverage on fashion whereas Biteki has more coverage on health/well-being. I have next to zero interest in fashion (give me a jeans/shorts + vest top combo any day and I'm happy) so I won't be buying Voce again.
As for Bea's Up I think it's pretty decent so far (I can get used to the pages being from right to left I suppose), but want to try the other magazines such as Biteki & Maquia before I possibly settle on a favourite.
My second order from Korean website Gmarket finally arrived! Ever since it landed on the 24th it has been with UK customs with the tracking information frozen on "AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING" so I was expecting a charge of some sort, plus a £13.50 rip off handling fee from the courier (parcelfarce) for paying customs on my behalf. In the end though, it was delivered without any charges, which I was very happy about.
I haven't really had a chance to look though everything as they arrived mid afternoon and I'd been spending most of that time on Pancake duty.
Anyway I've now unpacked them and taken a few photos.
Arrived in a box within the EMS box
Unpacked and laid out on my desk are:
♠ Etude HouseGlow Base Sun Guard SPF 36
♠ Etude HouseSecret Long - I don't own any false lashes and these were less than $2 so I threw them in
♠ banila coThe Mineral Surprise Sensitive Foam Cleanser
♠ banila coRio De Janeiro Copacabana Highlighter
♠ banila coRio De Janeiro Copacabana Blusher
♠ banila coGossip Girl Multi Palette S01
♠ banila coS Night Standing Palette Shadow S03
♠ banila coGood Night Kiss Lip Care Essence
♠ banila coEye Love Brow Cake
♠ banila coEye Love Eye Primer in Temptation
♠ banila coEye Love Color Stick Duo in 01 Parisienne, 02 Blondie and 03 Dark Angel
♠ banila coDear Flower Eye Mode Washable Mascara in Volume Lash
♠ banila coTint Balm 01 Clear Magic
Now the freebies...
I was given freebies from both sellers, although just 2 were from Etude House since I only bought two items from them. The banila co seller on the other hand, was ultra generous and I even got some full sized products! The cosmetic bag will be perfect for storing some of my banila co stuff
All these are freebies - there's even a banila co carrier bag as if I'd been shopping in their actual store!
♣ banila coPrime Primer samples x 5
♣ Isa KnoxRe-Active Concentrating Cream samples x 5
♣ Isa KnoxWhite x-II+ Special Whitening Gift Set
♣ Kanebo DaDaLift Balance Cream samples x 3
♣ Kanebo FairCreaWhitening Foam samples x 3
♣ Etude House mobile phone charm
♣ Etude HouseBaking Powder Pore Cleansing Powder Wash
♣ banila co cosmetics/toiletry bag
♣ banila coKiss Collector
♣ banila coLove Holic Pearl Mascara
♣ banila coIt Shiny Lip Gloss 03 Orange Fever
♣ Clio ProfessionalEyeshine 04
♣ CoslineInter Sense Shine Color Gloss 04
Honestly not one single retailer in the UK is anywhere near this generous; even if I spend £200+ from a beauty counter in store (which is as rare an event as rocking horse poo) all I'll get is maybe a tiny tiny sample, plus a couple sachets of cream/moisturizer at the very most, and sometimes a promo leaflet (yipee!)
From the freebies seen here it's easy to see why I much prefer to order from abroad. Often the quality is excellent, prices are very reasonable and you just get so much more value for money.
Gmarket is one of my very favourite sites to order from - superb customer service, speedy shipping, plus cute Korean makeup products at retail price with a mountain of freebies thrown in. What more could a girl want?
Most of the stuff in my lingerie drawers come from Victoria's Secret, along with a good part of my wardrobe (what I'm wearing today all comes from VS, lol); I pretty much stopped buying clothes from UK stores about a year ago, because to be honest I just don't like what's sold here. I especially love Pink, VS' sub brand as they just do the cutest panties and the comfiest loungewear - if I had to pick just one thing to wear it would be a Pink hoodie hands down.
It was inevitable, really, that I was to discover their range of beauty products and me being me, my eyes darted straight to the Lip Butter with natural & organic ingredients. They also have a Tinted Lip Balm (I believe this one has been around for a lot lonter) but I passed on that.
Anyway my Lip Butter arrived this morning with Victoria's Secret NaturallyAcai Berry & Magnolia Illuminating Body Polish, which I'll review when the other 2 items in the range arrive. My first impression on the Lip Butter was that at 0.26oz or 7.5g it is a bit bigger than a regular sized lip balm.
Size comparision between the VS PinkLip Butter and 2 of my lip balms
The shade I got is Fresh; according to the VS site it's pink, but to me it it's more of a nude pink.
The colour here looks slightly brighter than it is in real life
It retails for $8, or 3 for $15 including any of the Pink body products, but I got mine for $3.99 in the special offers section - only Bare (nude) and Fresh (pink) were on special. So not an expensive mistake if it did turn out to be one.
I like how the twisty part of this balm is near the cap and not at the bottom; at first glace it may seem a bit odd unusual but is actually quite convenient because you can easily twist and apply the product using just one hand.
The Lip Butter looks more pigmented than it really is, and when I tried to pack as much onto my arm as I could for the swatch, it was just not really happening and the result was a sheer wash of colour. It's totally personal preference here but I prefer my lip balms/treatment products to be either clear or sheer, and I dislike pigmented lipstick/balm hybrids in general. It lasts between 1-1.5 hours if I don't eat anything, but my lips still feel soft after it has faded.
Swatch on my arm - it was hard work achieving this! Note: if the same amount was applied to lips it would look uneven
Application wise I just love how this balm effortlessly glides on, leaving just enough product to make my lips look healthy and enhances their natural colour, but I do wish it was more pink. It doesn't taste of anything which I like and although I can't quite figure out what it smells like (faint hazelnut maybe?) the scent is very pleasant and not obtrusive; I can't smell it at all when it's on my lips anyway.
Like the rest of the range it is made with natural & organic ingredients including coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba to name but a few. Now that I'm paying more attention to what goes into the products I use, this is a very welcome addition.
Ingredient list
I really wish I'd bought more of this super lip softening tinted Lip Butter. It's not too hard that I'm scraping my lips, nor too soft that it melts to mush when the temperature increases (as nice as my Beautiful TwistsLip Conditioners are they tend to crumble when they get too warm.)
In my next VS order I plan to add Ripe (berry) and Pure (clear) to my collection :D
One of the pouches I ordered from Etsy from seller SiamSquare landed on my doorstep this morning.
It's a custom made padded & quilted cinnamoroll pouch with white polka dots on pink lining. Masko, the lovely lady who is behind the store, went out of her way to find me a cute pink lining for this pouch, and I really appreciate her efforts and great customer service!
The pouch is very sturdy, beautifully made, and if you squash it, it bounces back to its original shape - genius! Needless to say I just adore the fabric combination; I'm a big fan of bright, kawaii fabrics, preferably with pink somewhere. The more pink = better for me obviously :p
I have another pouch (pink) from Masko on its way, will post pics when it arrives!
I would have posted this review earlier, but I visited family and forgot to take the pics with me so it has been delayed.
I have now had quite some time to play with my Illamasqua goodies and I have to say I love (most of) them - I say most because I wasn't thrilled with everything purchased.
Illamasqua Sheer Lipgloss
I got this in the shade Electrify which is baby pink with beautiful micro shimmers. Not very pigmented, consistency wise it's somewhere between MACLipglass and Lustreglass - sticky enough to last a few hours but not so much your lips glue together.
The tube it comes in is great, as it's hygienic and the slanted applicator making it easy to apply directly. Has a very light fruity scent which I like too. I took a gamble and picked this out according to the inaccurate online swatches on their website, but it turned out to be the perfect choice ^^
Illamasqua Illuminator
Odyssey is a shimmery white with pearly finish, great to use on cheekbones, brow bones, lips and anywhere else you want to catch the light. Easy to blend and lasts throughout the day, but it's easy to accidentally squeeze out too much from the tube since it's relatively runny in texture. It has a slanted tip applicator just like the lipgloss and I apply it with fingers then blend. I like this so much I want to collect the other shades too (6 more to go!)
Illamasqua Volume Mascara
Harness is black, Lewd is navy blue. Both are shockingly average and toally below my expectations.
Lewd
Harness
There's nothing spectacular about this mascara I have to say, it creates slightly more volume, doesn't clump, but length wise both make next to no difference (for me anyway) and weighs lashes down after you've curled them. They flake a fair bit and smudge like crazy by the end of the day, and are not waterproof at all; great if you want to look like a panda in the rain though. The brush is also a little weird and to be honest they might as well just removed it completely because it is that horrendous for applying mascara.
Not even worth £5 in my opinion, let alone the £15 price tag. Whoever came up with this formulation must have been from a different planet and landed on their head in the travelling process. Seriously we expect more from a mascara these days...
Illamasqua Liquid Metal
I thought about giving this its own dedicated review because it is simply awesome, but the mascara was such a disappointment that I'm going to throw its Liquid Metal Solstice friend here too.
Solstice is part of Illamasqua's limited edition Sirens Collection; it's basically a very rich and extremely pigmented metallic cream. You can apply it pretty much anywhere, or even mix with some moisturizer for a subtle golden glow; it literally lasts all day until you remove it, its creamy texture makes it easy to blend and the colour doesn't fade either. It feels very smooth & soft to apply, and has a sweet vanilla smell very similar to MAC lip products. A quick swipe of this with my finger picks up more than enough product.
It was quite difficult taking pictures of this and seriously the pics don't do it justice - it's one of those shades that look way better in real life.
Will I buy this again? Probably not because this will last so long that by the time I'm done with it, I will undoubtedly have found something I like more :p
As a lip balm junkie, it would be a crime if I didn't purchase some of Ella Dean's natural Beautiful Twists Lip Conditioners. I've always had a strong preference of natural/organic lip balms over ones packed with artificial ingredients, because inevitably I consume lip products when I eat & drink and while it isn't harmful, I just don't like the idea of swallowing excessive amounts of preservatives or petroleum, so when possible I tend to choose natural lip products.
Ella's handmade lip balms are (according to her store) "99% natural and vegan friendly". Made with various good for you oils, butters & moisturizing ingredients, her balms are available in a huge variety of colours and flavours.
Left to right: Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream, Cat Lovers, Tooth Fairy, Gal Scout Kisses. Each contains 0.15oz / 4.25g
Tooth Fairy - Mint with fruity strawberry. This is one of my 2 favourites and smells just like strawberry mint toothpaste but not as overpowering as the real thing. I like the smell so much I'm already eyeing up its room spray counterpart. A minty strawberry room? Count me in!
Cat Lovers - While I not a fan of cats, fresh cream did appeal to me and there was just something about the tube that made me add it to cart. I'm glad I did, because the smell is so delicious and reminds me of something I can't quite put my finger on, and I'll keep sniffing it until I remember. It smells sweeter than cream but not quite vanilla. I really can't decide what I like more between this and Tooth Fairy, if I had to pick one favourite I think it would depend on what mood I'm in :p
Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream - I can't really smell the vanilla in this, but at the same time it's not as strong as the pure cherry lip balms I've tried in the past so I'm guessing the vanilla has toned it down somewhat. This is the only tinted balm of the lot and gives lips a healthy red glow - it doesn't come out as scary looking as it does in the tube, but the downside is I have to apply it with a mirror. If I don't apply it with a mirror I end up looking like an incomplete clown. It also isn't as glossy and doesn't feel as lightweight as the other ones. Overall I'm not keen on this.
Gal Scout Kisses - I sent Ella a message asking if she could create a custom flavour mix, vanilla grapefruit, and the sweet lady sent this to me as my extra goodie with my order! I had wanted a smell similar to one of my favourite perfumes, LavanilaVanilla Grapefruit, which is vanilla with a hint of grapefruit. This lip conditioner is more grapefruit with a hint of vanilla - wasn't quite what I was expecting, but smells lovely nonetheless.
All in all I do like these Lip Conditioners; although not as thick or creamy as some of my overnight lip treatments, they keep my lips soft and smooth throughout the day, and are probably the most lightweight lip products I've ever used - I don't even notice that I have these on other than the wonderful smells they give my lips. The downside is that they wear off very quickly, but I don't mind reapplying often because I like to sniff the balms whenever I take them out lol.
Another issue I have with the balms is that because they are so soft, they need to be pushed back into their tubes as they won't go back down and they do have a lower melting point due to their natural ingredient goodness, but neither is a huge problem. I would think that this is more of a plus during winter when most tube balms solidify so much that you need a chisel to get some out.
Recently I've been stalking (I mean browsing) Etsy pretty much daily. I love the ide of unique & well made items, and that I could request to have them custom made with certain fabric combinations. I purchased a few pouches to store my small makeup items, camera & iphone. Now that I'm back I can start posting more pics again!
Purchases listed by seller in alphabetical order; click on their names to visit their Etsy store. I'll put the Beautiful TwistsLip Conditioners in a separate post.
chigu chigu sells super cute pouches in her colourful store. She uses lots of different fabrics for one pouch and you can just tell that a lot of love goes into making each individual one.
This was the original candy bunny pouch that I saw and although it is cute, I wanted there to be more pink and I preferred a zipper over a squeeze opening, so I contacted chigu with some of my favourite fabrics in her store. Luckily she still had quite a few of them and she very kindly agreed to create a custom combination for me! I have to say this is the most adorable & sweetest pouch I have seen so far and I really, really am over the moon with it.
It is impeccably made and the pink mouse fabric on the outside with blue mouse fabric lining is just cuteness overload. You can never have too much pink anyway :p The pouch was packaged beautifully and the "thank you" tag is really cute too!
CutOutAndCollect Of all the pouches I bought, this was only non custom made; I really liked the combination of chihuahua, mushroom & pink zipper that I instantly added it to my shopping cart. It's very well made and I'll probably use it to store my large stash of trial size mineral makeup and other small makeup items. simbiosisbyjulia Both of these pouches were custom made. They came very nicely packed, very well made and there was even a butterfly eraser included! The cute deer pouch has double padding (it's for my pink camera) and as a result is very, very soft. Bear pouch has pink gingham lining and I'll be using it to store some lip balms.
I always keep several lipglosses & balms in my makeup bag, including the ones I rarely ever use - backups & backups of backups etc. So instead of doing one dedicated post for every neglected balm I'm going to pile them into one with a brief review of why I don't use them much.
Eyeko Fat Balm Eyeko is a brand with an anime feel created in London. Most of their products are housed in pink packaging and hail themselves as "London's cutest cosmetics". However, they don't give me the "wow, how cute I must have one!" vibe. Their products are all inexpensive ranging from £3-£6 per item, and there's free worldwide shipping regardless of order amount (yes even if you order a single £3 nail polish).
Minty Fat Balm - Sweet baby pink with a minty smell and feel, gives lips a pearly pink sheen. Quite nice in general but I don't use this much because I have many balms which work better and the chunky size of this balm makes it less than ideal for applications. Strawberry Fat Balm - Doesn't moisturize much and has an artificial strawberry smell, and like the minty version it's a bit inconvenient to use. However it does work nicely as a cheek blush and gives a sheer natural glow, and its surface area works nicely for a blush too. Korres Quince Lip Butter Very soft and buttery texture (mmm butter) with a healthy red tint, very hydrating without being too greasy with a pleasant smell to boot. Sounds perfect? Not quite, because this stuff clings to flakey skin like my little sister clings onto her ice cream and it ends up emphasizing any bit of dry lip skin you have. Doesn't look very nice, but is fine if you exfoliate beforehand. I do use this one now and again.
Lush Lip Balms Whipstick - Smells great like chocolate orange but the texture is just weird; either too hard if you leave it somewhere cool, or too soft and mushy if you keep it in your pocket. Doesn't really moisturize much and just kind of sits on the surface of your lips. Packaging is unfortunately ugly too.
Lite Lip - This is one of those things that shouldn't be allowed to exist. Has a strange floral smell, feels like a small rock and does not moisturize at all. Defeats the point of it being a lip balm really... Most Lush products I've tried just don't deliver so I've banned myself from ever buying from them again.
The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Lip Butter Smells like grapefruit which I love but moisturizes like sand paper. Feels gritty (why do they call this "butter" when it has no characteristics of such??) and leaves a milky film which makes my lips look white. Thumbs down for this white paste in disguise.
The Body Shop Born Lippy Lip Balm Satsuma - I like the smell of satsuma but this is a bit too artificial. It looks orange in the pot but comes out clear with a very faint orange tint which doesn't shows up once applied to lips, and it also has a very small amount of shimmer. This is more of a gloss than a balm because it's not that hydrating at all, but it doesn't last that long for a gloss and has a strange sweet plasticky taste. Not very pleasant.
Watermelon - This is better than the satsuma version in my opinion. Has no shimmer, comes out clear on lips and smells like sweet watermelon. Not moisturizing enough during winter, on chapped lips, or as an overnight treatment but as an everyday balm it is actually ok. I think I'd like this a lot more if I loved the smell of watermelons.
