Etude House Fall 2008: Cute & Sexy Eyes 05 & 06

I finally got my new Etude House Cute & Sexy Eyes eyeshadow quads and I have good and not so good (but not terribly bad) news for you. The good: They're really pigmented (YAY!)... the not so good: their texture is a bit crumbly like the other 4 quads =X


The new Cute & Sexy Eyes come in pretty blackened garnet plastic cases with a clear flip-top cover.
There are 4 powder shadows in each palette, 3 of them being dark smoky colors and 1 highlighter.


The colors are really nicely pigmented and show up very well. The texture is as crumbly as the original Cute & Sexy Eyes quads which might bug you a bit.
However, the colors are gorgeous and since I do my eye makeup before my face and as I tend to more pat my eyeshadows on with a brush the few crumbles falling under my eyes don't bother me much.

The quads retail for 9000 Won (US$6-7) which isn't pricey for my taste. That's about what a Canmake eyeshadow palette costs but in my experience Canmake eyeshadows are way worse than the Etude House quads.

The 2 new colors are:
#5 Coffee Khaki:


Shimmery ivory, shimmery olive green, metallic taupe and matte black with scattered silver glitters.

#6 Smokey:


Shimmery silvery white with micro glitters, velvet periwinkle with microglitters, shimmery dark silver gray, blackened plum


Overall I have to say that Etude House definitely improved the level of pigment in the new quads and they did a great job with the color combinations as both are really pretty and right up my alley (I just love smokey quads, so sultry for fall!)
I would say these are well worth snatching up if you like dark and smokey colors =)

Banila Co Fall 2008: De La Couture Palette Shadow

When I first noticed that Banila Co released a shadow palette for fall containing 6 pretty neutrals in a super pretty case I was super excited. So I sent an email to my usual Korean seller to ask her to buy it for me. To my greatest disappointment she emailed me back 2 days later telling me the palette was sold out =( The palette was gone within just 3 days after being listed on the site!
(I got the Two Eyes Shadow in #27 De La Couture instead so please read here)


Anyway, almost a month later I noticed the palette showed in stock on the website (which I checked daily as I am a sucker hehe) so I made sure to be quick in snatching it up. I was lucky that the CPer was able to order it for me as just a few days later it showed "out of stock" again (she told me that the palette is VERY popular in Korea right now and they're behind in the production) =)

The De La Couture Palette Shadow was very worth the excitement and hunting down as it is a really pretty and versatile shadow palette (if you like browns/neutrals).


It comes in the most adorable box with a colorful lace design which the case picks up but in black print.
The case is very heavy, sturdy and durable so the shadows are housed safely (it's very similar to some of MAC's LE palettes)

The eyeshadows are pigmented and silky and blend effortlessly. There are 6 pretty neutrals in the palette: 2 highlighters (cream and champagne), 2 light colors (rose and peachy brown) and 2 dark liners/definining colors (black with golden/greenish sparkles and neutral brown). All shadows have a pearly shimmer finish except for the black one which has a matte base with fine glitters (they don't really show up that much though so it's very wearable for work).


I love how I can do a super simple neutral eye or a smokey sultry look =D

The retail price of the palette is 22000 Won (about US$15-16). I paid a bit more but enjoy the palette so much it was very worth it to me.

There was also a special offer from Banila Co's website of a Kiss Collector lipstick sampler as GWP... really pretty colors (I believe I do have 2 of them already lol)

Cathy Cat Glow Moisture Cake & Pact

I actually wanted to review the Cathy Cat Glow Moisture Cake for some time now but just couldn't decide really what it is lol.
And just a week ago I got the Glow Moisture Pact so I thought of packing both items in 1 review.


The Glow Moisture series seems to be the newest hit from Cathy Cat as their items are listed on their website as Best Sellers...

-Glow Moisture Cake:


I really couldn't determine what this is exactly. It's a solid cream in a compact foundation case. You get the refill in a sealed plastic bag and just insert it in the compact. The refill has an airtight cover so it won't dry out.


I *believe* it's supposed to be a brightening compact foundation. It comes in 2 color (#21 and #23) of which I chose the lighter one hoping it would be light enough. Man, it is SUPER pale (very unlike Cathy Cat's other foundations in #21 which are way too dark for me) and has nearly zero coverage. On the other hand it gives the most beautiful soft pearly glow and has a great brightening effect. So for me it's more of a compact highlighter to be applied on top of my BB cream or foundation for that extra glow.


I just spread it evenly with the sponge provided (and there is a 2nd one in the package, too).
As I said above it doesn't really cover a lot and the color is very very pale but since it's sheer it blends nicely over my BB Cream or foundation.
It has a creamy texture but it's not greasy or heavy so it feels very comfortable to wear.
It is rather pricey for Cathy Cat at about 22000 Won.

-Glow Moisture Pact:


This is a good addition to the Glow Moisture Cake or to wear on top of any other BB Cream or foundation.
This is a compact powder with a glowy finish created through very fine shimmer. It comes in one color only which is a light neutral beige. It gives sheer-medium coverage and doesn't cake up on my skin.


The case comes with 2 puffs so you can toss one after a while.
The only thing I dislike about the powder is the strong perfume. But it vanishes after 10 mins or so so I can live with it.
To my greatest delight my Glow Moisture Pact came as a Special Set with a load of pretty extras (it wasn't advertised as set on Gmarket, just the powder).


I paid around 17000 Won and got deluxe sample tubes of their Moisture In Day Base (green color) and Foundation (both oil-free, SPF10), a deluxe mini tube of their Dream Rouge Gloss in #158 (a pretty very opaque muted pink) and a sampler of 5 Dream Rouge lipsticks in pretty pinks and berries.


I ordered both items from miincos on Gmarket if I remember correctly.

Tony Moly Shimmer Lover Partylover

After purchasing quite a bunch of Tony Moly makeup I didn't really see many things I wanted to add to my most previous purchase. However I spotted an item I didn't see when I placed my first order and it looked quite pretty and worthwhile to have.


The product is called Shimmer Lover Partylover (sorry, what a dumb name!) and is a baked shimmery blusher/highlighter/eyeshadow compact just like a shimmer brick.
The Shimmer Lover comes in a pretty matte black case with a shiny black flower print. It looks sleek and modern but a vintage-style case would have been cute, too.


Like other shimmer bricks this has a rather hard texture with a very shimmery finish. The level of pigment is on the sheer side so you will need a few swipes to make this show up somewhat. I am someone who prefers sheer-medium blushers as very pigmented ones can look too overdone quickly against my pale complexion but the Shimmer Lover is a bit too sheer for my taste. It takes about 4-5 swiped on each cheek to get a pretty pink shimmery color to show up.


It's not bad but a bit more pigment would have been lovely. According to Tony Moly this is a multitasking product to be used on cheeks and eyes but I am not so much into pink eyeshadows.

The Shimmer Lover Partylover also comes in a warm brown/bronze combination. As I had the intention to use it as a blusher I settled on the pink one.
I paid about 13000 Won for mine which is quite affordable for a shimmer brick.

Banila Co Fall 2008: Two Eyes Shadow in #27 De La Couture

Banila Co's fall look is right up my alley: Smokey taupe/brown eyes and light nude pink lips.
Their collection theme is "De la Couture" with pretty lace prints on their fall items.


I was totally thrilled to see a 6 pan eyeshadow palette but unfortunately it was out of stock about 2 days after its release and took about a month to be back in stock. I have ordered it meanwhile but haven't received it yet (oh and it's OOS again now)
However, I got one of the 2 fall eyeshadow duos, #27 De La Couture about a week ago and have to say that it's a really pretty duo.

The Two Eyes Shadows are some of the nicest baked Korean eyeshadow duos, they're very similar to Cathy Cat's Glitz Ball Shadows so they offer a silky pigmented texture with a pretty shimmery metallic finish.


I have collected a bunch of the Two Eyes Shadows and the new #27 De la Couture duo is one of the prettiest of them (I really would like to write a general review on the Two Eyes Shadows soon...)

The case of the shadows is quite simple, a round pot with a screw-on cover. The size is rather large so one eyeshadow duo should last you quite a while.
It's a baked-type shadow duo and there are also singles available if you prefer (however they are a bit harder and they are marbled so you can get more colors out of 1 shade).

Anyway, #27 contains a pretty silver taupe and a silvery beige and the colors work together so nicely. The colors are in fact similar to Lavshuca's Dual Eyes BR-2 but Banila Co's darker shade is more silver than Lavshuca's dark brown.


The Two Eyes Shadows retail for 8500 Won so they're a great deal for little money.
I got mine from eBay seller rumistyle for about US$12.50 or so (the only Gmarket seller shipping Banila Co worldwide I know of doesn't stock this yet).
I also wanted to get #28 Versailles which contains a warmer taupe and a yellow cream shade but it's also OOS now =(

VOV Castledew Lip Fume Gloss

I admittedly detest squeeze-tube glosses but the Lip Fume Glosses from VOV Castledew look very cute, come in pretty colors and are very cheap so I decided to add a couple of them to my most previous Gmarket order.


The name is a bit strange as the word fume would more likely make us think of fire and chimney but in this case it's a short form for perfume which indicates that the glosses are heavily fragranced.

The Lip Fume Glosses come in pretty large squeeze tubes with cute caps that remind me of mini disco balls.
The glosses have a slick texture and last decently. However the level of pigment is very low and the fruity scent is so strong and overwhelming that I just felt the desire to wipe the gloss off all the time while wearing it.


The scent isn't unpleasant but way too strong for my taste.
I think I paid somewhere around US$3 for my glosses/each? It was definitely not much more.

I only can recommend them if you like strongly scented super sheer glosses.

I got #1 and 3. #1 is a sheer red with some scratchy glitters and #3 is virtually clear on my lips, giving just a light milky finish.

Xmas 2008: Shu Uemura Midnight Winter Sakura eyeshadow palette

I was very thrilled to see that Shu Uemura was coming out with 3 new eyeshadow palettes for Xmas 2008. The last 3 palettes they released for the Boutique Birthday (I reviewed Fleur de Source and Fleur de Rose) were really gorgeous and super pigmented/blendable so I indulged in 2 of them. Now surely I was very curious which color combinations they might have come up with for the holidays.


There are 3 palettes, each contains 7 powder shades and a cream liner. The new palettes have the most beautiful flower photos taken by Japanese photographer Mika Ninagawa printed on.


I debated much with myself if I should order Secret Luscious Rose or Midnight Winter Sakura but finally settled on Midnight Winter Sakura as it contains gorgeous muted jewel shades and comes with a dark cream liner. Secret Luscious Rose is probably more safe and easier to wear for work as it contains the most muted/natural colors but I thought it looked similar to the Fleur de Rose palette from Summer and I just liked the colors in Midnight Winter Sakura better.


The case of the Midnight Winter Sakura palette is too pretty to describe. It shows pale pink Sakura blossoms on a black background.
The case is made of a heavy and sturdy metal and comes with a mirror and a dual-sided applicator (which is surprisingly bad for Shu Uemura in my opinion).
The eyeshadows however are so beautiful! I love how the guys at Shu are giving me 7 powder shades and a very usable cream liner so I can come up with endless color variations. I really love their new palettes compared to the older quads and trios they used to release.

Pic taken with flash:


The shadows pack A LOT of intense metallic pigment. Honestly these shadows are some of the best pigmented and most vibrant shades I have come across recently. The color you see in the pan is the color you'll see on your eyes. Each color has a certain glow to it that I just find makes them stand out from other shadows.
The staying power is good, however the shadows creased slightly on me after some hours. not a big problem though and it might be the shadow base I used yesterday.
You can see an EOTD pic in my MUA profile (used the teal, fig and cream liner.)

Pic taken without flash in bright sunlight:


What I prefer about the Sakura palette compared to the summer palettes is that each shadow has its own pan (half the size of regular Shu shadows of course), no split pans. And of course the print on the case is prettier =)

The cream shadow/liner is also great, it's pigmented and glides on smoothly. Please note this is a cream liner, not a gel liner, so it will not dry down. However it stayed on my eyes all day long and didn't smudge (I am very disciplined with not rubbing/touching my eyes though)

The colors are:


Yellow, neutral bronze brown, muted orange, olive, teal (one of the most gorgeous teals I own...I love this color!), royal blue, a pinkish fig color and a very deep purple cream liner (looks black in the pan but applies a deep shimmery plum on me).

The Adorned Marguerite palette has the cutest case in my opinion but the colors are too bright and candy-colored for my taste. Also the cream liner is white or clear which doesn't seem to be of use for me.


The Secret Luscious Rose palette contains browns, wines, blue, purple, green and a deep brown liner.


I paid US$63 for my palette & shipping from Taiwan (it came within 5 days after placing my order, that's what I call fast. Seller was randmideas on eBay).

The palette says it was designed in Japan but made in Korea =)

Tony Moly Rice Cleansing Oil & Honey Bubble Foam Cleanser

Since my Skin Food Honey Black Tea Cleansing Oil is nearly finished I decided to try the Rice Cleansing Oil from Tony Moly. And because I am a sucker I got a bottle of their Honey Bubble Foam Cleanser, too.

I have great luck with Tony Moly's skincare so far so I thought giving their cleansing oil a shot won't hurt.


-The Rice Cleansing Oil comes in a square bottle in an acid green color and a pump dispenser. The pump is a huge improvement over the Skin Food Oil as using a squeeze bottle for liquids isn't really that interesting (yea, drowned my hand in cleansing oil this way before...very wasteful).

For 7800 Won (less than US$6) you get a whopping 245ml of cleansing oil. I think that's quite affordable for the amount you get.

The Rice Cleansing Oil has a rather light non-greasy texture. It feels more like a slightly oily liquid gel. The scent is fresh but carries a very light alcohol note, too. I am not sure if it contains alcohol as the ingredients are written in Korean though.
The cleansing power of this is really good, I just rub some on my dry face (with dry hands), then with a bit of water I emulsify it and then rinse it off. I follow with a bit of a foam cleanser and my face is clean without any makeup traces left.
Overall I quite like this except for the alcohol smell. I am not sure if I'd repurchase it, I'll probably try something else next time (I have an eye on that Lotree Cleansing Oil....)


-The Honey Bubble Foam Cleanser is one of those cleansers that comes out of the bottle as foam so it's really fun.
I haven't had one of those for my face yet, only bought the ones for my kids as they love using it to wash their hands and in the bathtub.

Anyway, the Honey Bubble Foam Cleanser comes in a huge bottle with a cute vintage print.
The pump dispenses the foam evenly, about 1-2 pumps are enough for my face.
What I really like about this is that it's the most moisturizing foamy face wash I found recently. It really leaves a very soft and moisturized feeling to my skin after washing it off.
The face wash carries a light scent, like a powdery honey scent. Not my favorite fragrance but not too bad either.
I think it cleanses my face well, I like to use it after the cleansing oil to remove any last traces of the oil.

The Honey Bubble Foam Cleanser retails for 8500 Won (about US$6.50) for a 150ml bottle.

Read more about my first venture into Tony Moly skincare here.

First venture into Clamue (Vlack)

I have discovered a new Korean brand. Yup, there seems to be still a load of brands I haven't tried yet =D


I ordered quite a bunch of stuff from Clamue (ahem, am I the only one who always thinks of Chlamydia when reading that name? ugh...not a good association) Anyways, I am not going to stuff everything into 1 review so I picked out the Vlack Silicone Highlight and Lovely Blush kit to write about first.

Baked highlighter? You knew I had to have it =D Especially since it's from a brand that I was totally unaware of.


The Vlack Silicone Highlight comes in a silky matte compact with a pink butterfly print (at least to me it looks like a butterfly).
It's not a spectacular case but it's pretty and of good quality.


The highlighter itself is very nice though. It has a pigmented shimmery finish with a silky texture.


The highlighter is made of a mixture of mint green, peach, silver and ivory but applies as a pretty translucent cream dewy shimmer which lasts most of the day long.
It's one of the better baked highlighters I have come across.

The Silicone Highlight comes with a free Lovely Blush and blush/highlighter brush.


The Lovely Blush is a matte bright pink with medium pigment. It gives a pretty fresh flush to my cheeks and lasts very well throughout the day. It comes in a very simple cheap looking white and clear case.


The little free brush is very cute with its pink handle and has quite soft bristles. It does a good job applying the highlighter or blush. However for highlighters I prefer my Etude House skunk brush.


I paid 25800 Won for the 3 items which is a bit on the pricier side (it's a bit less than US$20).
Overall the items are good but packaging could be improved. But it's the products that count more, right?