Since I have some time on my hands, I thought that I'd type up a quick review on Innisfree's Mineral Jelly Pact SPF36 PA++. I happen to have two shades - #13 Light Beige and #21 Natural Beige - reason being that I vaguely remember Missha's #21 was a tad too dark for me, figured all Korean foundation shades would be quite similar, and decided to try #13 first. If it worked, great; if it didn't, there's always next time.
Out of my recently received Korean products, The SaemSaemmul Aura Liquid Highlighter was one of the items I'd been most looking forward to. Finding a versatile highlighter is no easy feat; most highlighters are too sparkly for my taste.
The Saem is a natural Korean skincare & makeup brand that, like Innisfree, does not use parabens, mineral oil, artificial colours or animal ingredients in their products. I recently discovered The Saem after searching for alternatives to Innisfree, since I pretty much have everything that I want from them!
These Saemmul Aura Liquid Highlighter bottles caught my eye because they reminded me of Benefit's High/Moon Beam, which I used for a long time before making the switch to natural cosmetic brands. The shades available are #1 Pink Light and #2 Gold Light
As the names suggest, Pink Light is a warm pearly pink, whereas Gold Light gives a subtle golden radiance, both of which are very pretty on their own. Other than applying these on the usual areas as a highlighter, you could also mix them into foundations/BB cream for an all over glow. Swatches of Pink Light (left) and Gold Light (right)
Blended:
The SaemSaemmul Aura Liquid Highlighter retails at 8,000 KRW each for 8g - excellent value for money if you can get it for this price or less!
Alright, I'll admit, I've been obsessed with TesterKorea; this is my 4th purchase from them in as many months! Their Brands Sale section used to be so good; 30% discount on everything including my favourite Korean brand Innisfree. Sadly, this discount was recently reduced to 20% and excludes items under 3,500 KRW (that's masks out then!) Having to pay shipping on top means that TesterKorea's overall prices are nowhere near as competitive as they used to be. As a result, I've started shopping from an alternative store, BeautyNetKorea, who offers free shipping on everything, and therefore works out to be cheaper for small purchases. I placed my BeautyNetKorea order on the 1st and it arrived today, so speed wise they're faster than TesterKorea, where orders take a week to be dispatched then at least another week to arrive. I'm not a fan of BNK's slow loading website or the busy layout, but I can live with these if the prices/service are good. Everything was individually wrapped with bubble wrap and arrived in perfect condition. At the time of purchase, these products were not available from TesterKorea.
Other than samples, I got: Secret KeySnow White Cleansing Foam - Like Innisfree & The Saem, Secret Key is another natural Korean brand Secret KeyGold Premium First Eye Patch Secret KeySnail 97 Soothing Gel The SaemSaemmul Aura Liquid Highlighter #1 Pink Light, #2 Gold Light The SaemUrban Eco Harakeke Firming Seed Sleeping Pack The SaemSaemmul Smile Bebe Blusher #1 Rose Pink, #2 Mango Peach
Who knows, if TesterKorea has better promotions in the future, I'll return. For the time being though, I'll take a break from hauling products - have so much to get through (plus there's more on the way) that I've had to start a spreadsheet to keep track of everything >.< What could possibly my last TesterKorea order:
I restocked on 8 boxes of Innisfree Yummy Collagen With Jeju Soybean. Really is delicious stuff! While I appreciate being sent samples, I prefer to stick to the natural brands (e.g. Innisfree, The Saem, Beyond). Therefore most samples I get just end up end up in the bin =(
InnisfreeJejubija Anti-Trouble Spot Essence - Supposed to be good for the occasional spot InnisfreeJeju Peach Hand Cream InnisfreeJeju Hallabong Hand Cream InnisfreeJeju Lotus Hand Cream - I love Innisfree hand creams!! InnisfreeGel Liner in #9 Brown Travelling Bag and #10 Chic Black InnisfreeSerum CC Cream Brightening SPF 30 PA++ InnisfreeCanola Honey Lip Balm#01 Deep Moisture InnisfreeEco Flower Tint Balm InnisfreeSmart Make Up Blender InnisfreeSmart Make Up Blender Moisture InnisfreeEco Safety Perfect Sunblock SPF50+ PA+++ InnisfreeMineral Jelly Pact 10g SPF32 PA+++#21 InnisfreeQuick & Easy Sponge Nail Remover InnisfreeReal Skin Color Control Cream SPF30 PA++ InnisfreeMineral Stick Concealer #02 Natural Beige InnisfreeJeju Volcanic Pore Essence InnisfreeEco Science Eye Mask The SaemAnimal Farm Hand & Nail Cream Golden Egg-Laying Hen - How cute is this?! The SaemGold Snail Smile-Wrinkle Line Gel Patch - Looked interesting; have never seen these before. The SaemGem Miracle Black Pearl O2 Bubble Mask Phew! That's quite a few products... No wonder I need a spreadsheet to keep track!
With the exception of the white one on the left, these InnisfreeShadow Pencils were purchased recently from TesterKorea, at a 30% discount, making each pencil only 5,250 KRW (excluding shipping). Although it's unlikely that I'll use all of these colours, I got one of each anyway since they were so cheap.
I don't know why they have different packaging - some are plain, others have blue dots. Could be that they were manufactured on different dates. Official swatches - these are rather accurate for the most part
Although I like that these pencils are easy to use (no sharpener required!), the package disguises the fact that there's not a lot of product (2.5g). They could really be made much smaller to save space. They're very smooth to apply, which is good for the delicate area, but their staying power is a little too good; between swatches, I had to rub vigoriously with baby wipes to remove them from my arm. Shades #1, #2, and #3 are sheer, shimmery and better suited for highlighting or layering. I actually noticed the Shadow Pencil being used in episode 8 of this Korean Beauty Drama 달콤청춘 that I've been watching. This entire series is pretty much an advert for Innisfree, as the protagonist uses exclusively Innisfree products, but is still fun to watch for the odd skincare/makeup tip.
From left to right (names according to TesterKorea's website) - #1 Snow on the Branches, #2 Pink Aurora, #3 Sandy Beach
Left to right - #5 Milk Tea, #6 Beige, #7 Brown City, #8 Ocean Blue, #10 Starlight Grey
I left out #4 (peach/pink) and #9 (white/purple) because, unlike the others, these are "dual type" pencils that consist of two colours. You have the option to apply the colours on their own, or blend them together. Interesting concept, though I'd have preferred the colours in separate pencils.
#4 Cherry Blossoms
#9 Lavender - at first glance, the white half looks like #1 Snow on the Branches, but when swatched, you can see the difference. #1 is pure white, whereas the white part of #9 has a slight pink tone to it.
I 100% recommend picking up these eyeshadow pencils for their convenience and versatility, provided that you're able to get them for a good price of course!
