MISSHA M Signature Blossom Garden blushes 01 & 02

Missha is a brand I don´t pay much attention to honestly. For some reason the majority of their products just don´t appeal to me. I like their BB Creams but otherwise I haven´t tried a lot of products from this brand.


I recently found and scored 2 blushes from Missha on eBay for less than US$11/each which I found to be a sweet deal as the retail value per blush is about US$23 (25800 Won) so I got both for the price of 1 =)

The Missha M Signature Blossom Garden blushes come in very pretty compacts made of a rainbow and golden colored compact. Nice albeit a little cheap or almost tacky looking in my opinion =) I like them though as they remind me of spring and butterflies!


When you open the compact you will find a clear flip-top lid covering the powder and to rest the brush on. This is a touch most Korean companies are adding to their blushes and powders and I think it´s very convenient.


Missha says about this product:
"1. Baked formula with brilliant colors to enhance color reveals. 2. Perfect blending of 5 unique colors - it makes you look brilliant and luxurious while blending 5 colors enriched with fine pearls as you desired following different brushing directions. 3. Floral fragrance with silky soft afterfeel - containing mineral ingredients, it makes your skin soft, leaving natural floral scent."
The brush is made of "top grade white pony hair" - "it helps make natural makeup without plumping and minimizes irritations with its 2 tone colored top grade brush hair"

The powder contains 10g.


Initially I was only bidding on 01 Rose Pink but upon closer examination of the auction pics I decided to try my luck with 02 Coral Peach, too, as it looked like a very pretty natural peachy pink shade that would go with my skin-tone very well, too.

The texture of the blushes is indeed very silky and it feels really finely milled. Thankfully the "floral fragrance" is very subtle and faint as otherwise it would bother me. But to me it´s barely detectable.
The blush has very fine pearl shimmer spread throughout which gives a gorgeous glowy finish. The blushes have decent pigment so I actually need to be careful not to overdo them.
Each blush contains a highlighter color, too. 02 also has 2 tan shades perfect for shading.

The brush is indeed soft but a little too small for my liking. However it is definitely a nice one for on the go!

01 Rose Pink is the perfect bright but cool pink that looks so fresh when applied with a light hand. I actually can imagine that this will be one of my favorite blushes as the color is just so pretty! The colors are all different so by swirling the brush on different colors I can achieve a different look. However I like swirling all together for the perfect pink.


01 Coral Peach is really gorgeous, too! Usually when there is a pink and a peach blusher in a Korean or Japanese blush range the peach is more on the orange and very warm side. However 02 Coral Peach has enough pink to be a neutral well-balanced shade for me. It makes a nice peaches-and-cream blush so I see myself reaching for this quite often, too! The tan shades are good for shading but I honestly rather skip the bottom and swirl together the 2 top colors.


I think I will have a closer look on Missha´s releases in future as I am really delighted with the blushes.

MISSHA M Shimmering Oven Blusher

As I am a hopeless addict to all oven-baked powder products I had to give a try to MISSHA M Shimmering Oven Blusher.


I struggled with myself for about 4 weeks before ordering it as the online price was really jacked up (a whopping US$45!) but when I had the chance to pick it up for a bit less I gave in and settled for this product in the color #12 which looked like a pretty medium pink.


This comes in a gorgeous metallic steel gray case with an included mirror and brush (which is useless as I don't use those mini brushes anyway).

The texture is good, not overly soft (that's the case with most baked powder items) but my brush picks up enough powder with 2-3 swipes for each cheek.

The color is quite a pale pink, I hoped it would be a bit darker but it works as a blush for me. For most this will more likely be suitable as a highlighter as it's quite pale.


All in all this is another pretty pink baked blush but it's quite similar to the others I have (Skin Food Muffin Cake in pink, Etude house Berry Bream blush etc.).

BB Creams: Quick comparison

I have accumulated 7 BB creams now (and have a few more in sample sachets waiting to be used) and I tried all out so I wanna give a short review on each of them.


For those who are unaware of BB creams I'll give a short introduction to the world of BB creams (BB stands for Blemish Balm or Beblesh Balm depending on the company producing it).

BB cream is the newest hit originated in Korea but already very popular in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and Japan. It's a cream that combines the benefits of healing ingredients (as it was developed for post-laser-surgery-skin), skin care and light-medium skin coverage in 1 product. Furthermore most BB creams contain a sunscreen (both UVA and UVB) and have other properties like whitening or anti-aging. It's supposed to be your all-in-one skincare, makeup and sunscreen.
It's a quite convenient product similar to Tinted Moisturizer but with more benefits.

What I really like is that in the morning I just have to wash my face and then apply the BB cream and my skin is really wonderfully evened out. I might apply my full makeup later on top of it or I might just wear BB cream but my skin always looks good.
I am someone with very sensitive skin and constantly get red bumps on my cheeks. I find that with daily use of BB cream those bumps almost disappeared making my skin look clearer.
My main problem with all tinted products (no matter if makeup, powder or concealer) is finding a good color match. Most BB creams come in 1 shade only so it's a bit of luck to find a perfect match. Out of the 7 BB creams I purchased 4 are very good matches, 1 is fine and 2 are just too dark. Supposedly BB cream can adjust to any skin tone but I didn't find this to be true.


1: Skin Food Mushroom Multi Care BB Cream SPF20 PA+:
This comes in 2 colors. Naturally I got the lighter one and it matches ok but is a tad bit pink and a little dark. It can blend into my skin tone but it's not the most perfect color out there. This has a light scent I am not too fond of. It's a rather thick cream probably suited best for winter. This has additional whitening and anti-aging ingredients. Medium coverage.
Squeeze tube contains 50g.


2: MISSHA M Shiny BB Cream SPF27 PA++:
I already did a thorough review for this item. Has a soft pleasant scent and contains ingredients like pearl powder, amethyst powder and others to give a slight sheen to the skin. Gives medium coverage and a light dewy finish. The cream is a bit thick so I don't like to wear this on very hot sweaty days.
The color match of this is really good, it's quite pale.
Squeeze tube contains 50ml


3: MISSHA M Watery BB Cream SPF27 PA++:
Has a light consistency but is unfortunately way too dark for me. It gives a pretty matte light coverage and makes skin quite soft. I am quite sure it irritated my skin though as I found some red bumps after washing this off that weren't there before. Gives a really refreshing cool feeling upon application. I think this is better suited for normal-oily or combination skin-types.
Squeeze tube contains 50ml.


4: MISSHA M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF42 PA+++:
This has by far the highest SPF and PA. This comes in 2 colors: #21 and 23. I purchased the lighter 21 and am very pleased with the color match. The coverage of this product is quite good and the cream feels slightly thick but not overly heavy or sticky. Has a light pleasant scent. The finish is rather dewy and natural.
Has whitening and anti-aging ingredients.
Comes in a squeeze tube with a hygienic pump dispenser. Contains 50ml.


5: Etude House Magic BB cream (version for dry skin):
I don't see a SPF listed on the box. This smells a bit herbal but I didn't get too far with this cream as it's just too dark. The funny thing is that it doesn't look really dark when I squeeze it out of the tube but when I spread it it gets a nasty orangey color). It's a thick but not too heavy cream with decent coverage abilities.
Unfortunately the tube is printed in Korean only so I can't say which ingredients this has.
Squeeze tube with pump dispenser that contains only 35g.


6: Skin79 Super+ BB Gold Label (VIP Gold collection) SPF25 PA++: This is my favorite BB cream of the lot. It offers an almost perfect color match and feels lighter than the other BB creams. It has a very faint scent and gives me a good sheer-medium coverage. The color match is almost perfect for my porcelain complexion. This contains some fancy ingredients like caviar extract, gold, adenosine, arbutin (both whitening and anti-aging ingreds) osmopur (ivy, rice bran, mined sunflower) phyto complex etc.
I have to say the bottle this comes in is the best! It's a big bulky posh looking pump dispenser containing 40g. There is also a pink version available with some different ingredients but it's definitely the next BB cream I would get.


7: Hanskin Super Magic BB Cream SPF30 PA++:
This also is a good color match and seems to be the only cream that's not scented. This is probably the most expensive cream out of the lot and is a good color match for me.
What I don't like about this BB cream is the slightly sticky feeling it leaves. The majority of BB creams seems to be slightly thick but this one really sits on my skin. The coverage is good and the result is pretty but I just don't like the feeling that much.
I got 3 sample squeeze tubes with 9ml each. I think the full size contains 40g.


All the BB creams I tried are in the US$18-25 range online (and less in Korea) and I would highly recommend the Skin79 or Perfect Cover BB creams.

Mail haul: Etude House, Skin Food, Skin79, MISSHA M, VOV Castledew and Clio

Seems it's my lucky mail haul week =) After receiving a lot of pretty stuff yesterday I got 3 more packages today =O

Here's a pic of all items:


And here are the freebies/samples on an extra pic:

MISSHA M Watery BB Cream SPF 27 PA++

Today I decided to give a try to the other BB cream I received yesterday: MISSHA M Watery BB Cream SPF27 PA++.


When I sampled it yesterday I was already getting worried that it might be too dark for me and unfortunately I am proven right today. Sometimes it's a curse to be so pale!


While it really feels pleasant to apply this super light-weight almost liquid BB cream (it really leaves a cool sensation after application and makes my skin super soft and smooth) the color just doesn't work for me as. Also the skin coverage it provides is too sheer for my liking and I have to admit that I pretty much prefer the MISSHA Shiny BB Cream SPF27 PA++. Also Skin Food's Mushroom Multi Care BB Cream SPF 20 PA+ in #1 is lighter-toned and gives better coverage so I prefer this, too!


Like the Shiny version this BB cream has a pleasant light fragrance and contains 50ml in a hygienic squeeze tube. I paid about US$20 shipped so it's not too expensive but I am really sad the color doesn't match well.

Ingredients listed on the box:

MISSHA M Shiny BB Cream SPF27 PA++

I've been really hooked on BB creams lately.
After using my Skin Food Mushroom BB Cream daily for the previous 10 days I noticed that my skin indeed improved and got much more even. I usually have some red bumps on my cheeks as my skin is easily irritated but they're now almost gone and my skin appears clearer and feels very soft. The Skin Food BB cream is a bit heavy and has a strong scent I don't really like but it's great in giving medium skin-coverage and as said above it improved my skin texture.

For more info on Skin Food Mushroom BB Cream and BB cream in general click here.


Today I received 2 more BB creams, this time from MISSHA. I decided to try and wear the Shiny BB Cream today and I have to say I am really satisfied with the result it delivers.
As the name suggests this cream will give you a pretty glow and I was a bit concerned it might end up glittery or sweaty looking. But it's a very light and soft, almost a bit dewy glow that looks very pretty when you wear the BB cream on its own. The Shiny BB cream is a bit lighter than the Skin Food Mushroom one so it's good for very fair ppl like me.


Shiny BB cream gives light skin coverage and feels moist and not too heavy on my skin. It also has a pleasant scent that I can tolerate easier than the Skin Food Mushroom BB cream.


It comes in a hygienic tube and contains 50ml. I don't know the retail price but I paid a bit over €12 (about US$19) for my tube so I think it's quite cheap.
I don't think my skin will get irritated from this as I didn't notice any reaction so far (I usually get a burning sensation and red bumps and patches right away when a skin care or makeup item doesn't work for me). I will update if my skin reacts to it.

Ingredients list:

Great mail day =)

I got my long awaited haul from Korea today. Here's a first pic, I am going to take photos now...will post them soon so check back!


Updated:

Here's a pic of the stuff I purchased:


Also got some skin care items (incl. the full-size freebie masks & lip balm):


Freebies/samples:


Posts on the individual items will follow after trying them out over the next days/weeks!

Loving Freebies!

It's one of the nicest things to get a package and find some unexpected pretty samples and extras inside.


I just wanted to share pics of most of the freebies I received and will update with new pics frequently =D


You can see that I received duplicates of some items in different hauls.

A fabulous invention: Sheet Masks

One thing I really love in my skincare routine are Sheet Masks. I don't think I've seen those in Western brands but Kanebo International has After-Sun sheet masks for sale here if I am not wrong.

Sheet Masks are pieces of soft and sturdy paper pre-soaked in skin care essence or gel packaged in individual sachets. You just put the thing on your face (it has holes for your eyes and nose) and leave it on for 10-20 minutes. It's a truly relaxing experience since it feels cool on your skin and in the same time it's great for your skin.

I've seen most Sheet Masks run for around US$2-3 each on ebay and probably less if you're lucky enough to shop in a Korean or Japanese drugstore.

I have tried several masks and my current favorites are the CL Raspberry Collagen masks. It's more of a gel and there is plenty in the package so I fold the mask after the first use and put it back into the package so I can use it another time. It has a very light fragrance reminiscent of raspberries. CL is a Japanese brand and I've seen more variations of their Sheet Masks online and I am intending to order some to try them out. I pay US$30/10 pieces incl. shipping.


Another great mask is the Skin Food Cucumber Soothing Mask. I put one in the fridge for 15 mins and then apply to my face for a truly refreshing feeling. Those are especially great now for summer! They carry a light cucumber scent but with a sweet note so they smell quite yummy.


I've also tried Etude House O2 Whitening masks but wasn't really impressed.

The Acerola Mask by MISSHA looks good but I haven't tried it yet. I will update after trying it out.


On ebay you can purchase small "tablets" of sheet masks in packs of 30 or 60 I think. You can just soak them in the Essence or Serum you want to turn every skin care item into your personal sheet mask.

Updated June 14: Got more Sheet Masks incl. masks for the eye area only:


Updated June 16:
More Sheet masks from CL, Mayblesally, Juju and Joseristine.


More masks from Skin Food (Red Ginseng Repair Masks) and Etude House:


Here are more masks from Mayblesally and Eye Masks from CL: