VOV Castledew Dia Kit DK2 Twiggy Satin Velvet

Before I start reviewing this product I want to send my prayers and best wishes (and some funds) to Japan! I am terribly sorry and shocked about what is happening in this beautiful country and I cannot imagine what the people there have to endure right now. I hope all will be fine soon but I am really worried!

 
I feel somehow shallow going on with beauty reviews but still I want to keep my blog running. Please don´t be angry with me =(

I haven´t purchased Korean makeup for quite a while but after buying that wonderful eyeshadow palette from Etude House I also found a really nice-looking product from VOV Castledew for 19000 Won (US$17 or around that) so I added it to my most recent Gmarket order.


The Dia Kit contains 6 eyeshadows and 6 lipsticks and comes in 2 color variations. I got DK2 Twiggy Satin Velvet as it features slightly deeper colors.
I really love the deep purple case as it looks very elegant and is quite bulky and heavy so it is actually quite luxurious for such an inexpensive product.

The shadows are quite good, nicely (sheer-medium) pigmented and with a subtly shimmery, rather more satin finish (only 1 color has a bit more shimmer). 
The lipsticks carry a subtle fruits scent, are a bit dry for my liking and have a satin-velvet finish. They look a bit shimmery in the swatch but actually they aren´t in real life.

There is one glossy sheer color which adds a nice dimension to the other lipsticks and gives a more comfy feeling.
Overall the kit is actually really well suitable to wear for work as there are no crazy colors, on the contrary, everything is subtle and natural for a perfectly polished look.

The eye colors are a pale satin pink, medium satin rose and a deep purple. The 2nd row contains a shimmery yellow ivory, satin apricot and a neutral chocolate brown.


The lip colors are a lilac pink, bright pink, deep wine pink, glossy sheer peach, tangerine and a neutral beige.


I really like the Dia Kit and think it´s a great staple makeup palette. If I HAVE to travel to Egypt in April for a week then I will probably take this and a few other things as this kit really gives nice makeup options. The lipstick pans are quite shallow though so they might finish quickly.
I only wish the lipsticks were a little creamier and more comfortable to wear. 


First EOTD features a natural look using all colors except the deep purple, the other look features the 3 colors in the top row.


First lip is the bright pink (2nd in top row) and the other one shows the beige (3rd color in the bottom row).


Rating 4/5

Inexpensive Beauty Find: VOV Castledew Diacut Eyes M601 "Platina Shinism"

The Castledew range from VOV has some really fabulous items and all at affordable prices.

Admittedly VOV was a brand that didn't appeal much to me before (their Color Song stuff etc) but the recent releases were all nice and quality/packaging has been seriously improved, too (the Castledew range is a good example for that).

I already reviewed the other Diacut Eyes palettes and really like the first 2 as they have a great texture and beautiful colors. There was a time where I almost exclusively used these palettes as the colors were so pretty!


I don't know when the newest Diacut Eyes (Multi-Type) palette with the weird name "Platina Shinism" came out but I think it might have been for fall? I am honestly a bit out of the loop with Korean makeup except for Banila Co. and Etude House but I still check Gmarket for new interesting goodies.

I found the beautiful new palette in one of my favorite shops (seller vovcare on Gmarket) and it came (and still comes) with a free Castledew eyeliner (the super fine one, similar to Kate Supersharp!) for 18000 Won (somewhere around US$15) so it was a good deal.


As always the palette is a rather large pretty silver palette with a holographic effect. While each of the older palettes contained 9 colors the new palette only offers 6 colors (or 7 if you include the little dot in the lowest left color). The colors come in different sizes. My guess is that the lower 2 colors would be probably the most favorite among most Korean ladies so you get more of them than the other colors. But might be they just wanted a fancy arrangement of the shadows.

Whatever, all 6 colors are beautiful neutrals that would suit about any skintone. All colors are very nicely pigmented and have a beautiful silky finish and feel. Really high quality for such an affordable eye palette in my opinion.


The shade in the middle left has some more fine glitters than the other shades (but not chunky. I think the color has a very pretty and interesting sparkly finish). The other colors are more shimmery or metallic (top left shade). The small dot of dark brown shadow in the lowest left color has almost the same (or maybe even identical?) color as the dark brown shade beside it so I didn't swatch it.

Generally all colors have a fine layer of glitter but it mostly wipes off with a couple of uses. However the shade in the middle left seems to have the shimmer bits throughout.

The colors are:
Top row: Platina Purple (plummy taupe) & Platina Bronze (silky light brown)
Middle: Platina Satin (Light golden taupe) & Platina Pink (light flesh color)
Bottom row: Platina Gold (Light yellow-toned gold) & Platina Brown (deep chocolate)
All colors look neutral to me as I mentioned above already.


All in all I really love this palette, it's so gorgeous and wearable!

Read my review of last Fall's Diacut palettes:
Click here

VOV Castledew Diacut Eyes in BE903

I know that I am currently only reviewing Japanese brands while in Summer/Fall I was mainly doing Korean ones lol.
Seems I can't multitask when it's about buying Japanese AND Korean makeup hehe.


No the truth is that there were no interesting items coming out except for the Banila Co and Etude House collections and some random items I reviewed over the past few months. =) Away from that the only things I got from Gmarket was some pretty stationery and an Art Deco Alice wallet.

Castledew added a new eyeshadow palette to their fabulous Diacut Eyes range so you can choose now from 3 color patterns (1 pressed, 2 baked shadow palettes).


The new palette comes in the very same pretty sturdy compact dark silver mirror-finish compact.
The new palette in BE903 contains 1 big eyeshadow pan with 9 colors baked into it. Each vertical column makes an eyeshadow trio but you can mix and match as you wish.


These shadows are rather hard but buildable. They're rather sheer but if you layer them a bit and use a good lid base these show up really nicely.

The colors are (from left to right)


1st row: Shine Purple, Shine White, Shine Beige
2nd row: Jewel Violet, Shine Pink, Jewel Beige
3rd row: Purple Night, Love Angel, Brown Night.

The darkest colors are a bit more matte than the other colors and need more layering to show up intensely.


All in all a decent palette but I like the color combos 901 and 902 from Fall much more!
I hope VOV will release another pressed eyeshadow palette, too! The pressed shadows are softer and have better pigment.

Here are my reviews of the Diacut Eyes 901 and 902
And here you can read about the beautiful Diacut Cheeks!

Each of the palette retails for 18000 Won on Gmarket (about US$13). Quite affordable for such a cute item! I purchased mine on eBay for about US$10 more incl. shipping as this item got deleted from my Gmarket order as it was out of stock and I didn't have anything else to order so shipping for this item alone would have cost me more than I paid on eBay.

Various foundation swatches

I thought of swatching all my foundations for you.
The first pic shows my 6 Japanese foundations whereas pic #2 shows my 4 Korean ones.
As you can see I have a lot more BB Creams than foundations =P
I can wear all these foundations as they blend in with my skin but some are perfect matches and some just good or ok.

Japanese foundations:


1: Maquillage Climax Moisture Gel SPF12 PA+ in OC-00
2: Maquillage Climax Lasting Gel UV SPF24 PA++ in OC-00
3: Maquillage Climax Moisture Liquid SPF12 PA+ in OC-00 (as you can see all 3 MQ foundations look very different even though they're the same color code!)
4: Kate Liquid Foundation in BR-C (offers very little coverage)
5: DHC Q10 Moisture Care Liquid Foundation SPF25 PA++ in OC-00
6: Lunasol Water Cream Foundation SPF18 PA++ in OC-01

Korean foundations:


1: Etude House Baby Skin Foundation in #1
2: Tony Moly Watery Foundation in #13
3: Beauty Credit Lovely Q10 Foundation Moist SPF25 in #13
4: VOV Castledew Watershot Foundation in #19

For reference: I am a MAC NW15 but the swatches were taken on my arm which is about 1-2 shades lighter than my face.

VOV Daily Fresh Sheet Masks & Wash Off Packs

I believe I read somewhere that VOV's Daily Fresh Sheet Masks are the most popular ones in Korea. No idea if that's true but they looked darn cute so I ordered a box of them for myself. And since VOV decided to get more money from me they released Daily Fresh Wash Off Packs in some yummy flavors so I decided to get 2 of them in addition.


The Daily Fresh Sheet Masks come in 10 different kinds right now, 1 specially formulated for men.
You can purchase the sheet masks individually or in packs of 10 for about 11000-14000 Won (about US$10-12) depending on where you buy them from.
Each sheet mask comes in a cute bottle-shaped plastic packaging.


I purchased the Strawberry Yogurt Collagen ones (I believe the most popular ones) and they're really good, make my skin super soft and smell delicious. The sheet masks are quite saturated (25ml/each) with a slightly jelly liquid. It leaves a slightly sticky feeling after taking the mask off after about 15-20mins but if you pat the emulsion a bit into your skin the stickiness disappears quickly.

Other kinds available:
Mineral Water, Coenzyme Q10 Original, Whitening Coenzyme Q10, Green Tea Collagen, Pomegranate Collagen, Blackbean Isoflavon, Tomato White Collagen, Pumpkin Cool Slimming, Energen for Men


The Wash Off Packs come in smaller sachets, 10 pieces in a box (retail about 6000 Won/US$5).
There are 6 different kinds available.

Unfortunately I couldn't find anywhere which mask is supposed to be used for what so I just ordered Green Tea Collagen and Lifting Berry & Berry as they sounded like they would be compatible with my skin-type.
Each sachet contains enough gel for 2-3 masks so you'll get about 20-30 usages out of 1 box.


I really enjoy the lightly scented Lifting Berry & Berry Pack. It's a clear pink gel with little pink beads (they probably contain some sort of goodies for the skin). It feels cooling and refreshing and my skin feels firm and soft when I wash it off after about 15-20 mins.

The Green Tea Collagen Pack has a very faint fresh scent and a transparent green color but it seems to be a bit too harsh for my skin. I get small red bumps when I use this and a light burning sensation upon application. I will not use this anymore.

Other kinds available:
Purity Seaweed Pack, Honey Lemon Pack (sounds yummy!), 17 Cereals Pack and Volcanic Pack.

All in all my skin never reacted negatively to any sheet masks so far so those seem to work well for me but Wash Off Packs are more tricky and can irritate my skin (not on the VOV one reviewed here, it's a problem I encountered several times). However the Lifting Berry & Berry Pack is quite good.

Jadilla J The Original BB SPF30 PA++

I actually reviewed the Jadilla J The Original BB SPF30 PA++ BB Cream here.


However I just had the sample tube only but have ordered the full size since I found it in Vovcare's Gmarket shop.


I just wanted to show you pics of the tube as it's quite remarkable. The tube has an attached sponge onto which you squeeze out the BB Cream. Honestly the tube is a bit hard to squeeze so I bet when I am getting low on the BB Cream it will be a bit hard to get it out.

The sponge is rather hard but it works really well when I pat the BB Cream on rather than rubbing or swiping.
However it takes about 2-3x the amount of BB Cream I usually use to get the desired coverage so it's not the best solution for application in my opinion.


I squeeze a bit BB Cream on the back of my hand and dip the sponge in it as I find this way it works best.

I purchased color #1 which is a good match for me.
I paid 27000 Won and also received a pair of super soft and cuddly socks to wear in bed or when I'm lazying with a book on the sofa or watching TV. They're really stretchy and warm so they're very comfortable to wear.

BB Creams: Quick Comparison VI

***Please click on the Label "BB Cream Quick Comparison Series" to read my other BB Cream posts***

I have 12 BB Creams to review so I will post them in 2 comparisons.
I will start with 6 BB Creams now and continue with the rest later.


1: Clamue Watery Luminous Mineral BB Cover 50g:


This is quite different from most other BB Creams. It has a very light runny texture and a weird yellowish color. The finish of this is a soft matte whereas most BB Creams look dewy.
Even though the color looks totally off in the swatch this spreads to a beautiful very pale yellowish cream shade that blends in very well with my natural skin color. I was a bit hesitant trying this out but it's in fact a pretty good product.
It offers relatively good coverage which astonished me a bit due to the runny texture.
According to Clamue this is suitable for sensitive skin-types.
This comes in 2 colors, the one I picked is #01.
The BB Cream carries a light floral perfume.
I paid 11000 Won which was a special offer (60% off regular retail).
Comes in a squeeze tube with pump dispenser.

2: Belita Lala Multi Effect All Day BB Cream SPF21 50g:


I reviewed this here so won't go into details now.
I like this one very much as the color match is just perfect.

3: VOV Anti Trouble Blemish Balm SPF17 50g:


I already reviewed this in my Quick Comparison IV but then I only had the darker one in #23 whereas now I purchased #21 to try this out.
It's a little dark so probably would suit me in the summer when I am half shade darker. Anyways, it's a very basic BB Cream with sheer-medium coverage and a grayish pink color.
The tube is probably the ugliest one a BB Cream can come in as it looks so medicinal (the smell is, too). I prefer pretty ones like Lotree or Skin79 Diamond.
I paid only 6900 Won so it's one of the cheapest BB Creams I own.

4: Elisha Coy Always Nuddy BB 24 50ml:


From what I know the Always Nuddy BB 24 Cream is the most popular one in Japan and the star in Elisha Coy's lineup and the sample tube of this I have is printed in Japanese instead of Korean. However the full-sized tube is printed in English so I can give you some more details on this.
Elisha Coy is a great little brand offering only a few items including 2 BB Creams and an array of face masks.
I purchased 3 items from them and I believe I have now pretty much all items they have to offer as I got sample jars of pretty much all their masks.
The Always Nuddy BB Cream claims to be designed to feel and look like your natural skin.
The BB Creams contains botanical extracts and a minimum of chemicals to be suitable for the most sensitive skin-types.

They list 4 steps:
-Pore & Sebum Care - non irritating particles covering pores and controlling oil production
-Trouble soothing & Skin improvement - Chamomile, Portulaca Oleracea, botanical vitamins and Allantoin soothe skin
-Soft Application - Application is soft and easy to spread and won't feel sticky or heavy on face
-Macula Cover - covers freckles and other imperfections and makes skin look clear and healthy.

Elisha Coy claim to only use the finest highest-quality ingredients and they understand themselves as a modern European-style brand.
There is much more blabla in their little pamphlet but I want to proceed now to actually reviewing this.

I think this BB Cream is indeed a bit different from many other I tried. You really don't feel this when you wear it. It dries down to a soft matte powdery finish which is rather unique among the majority of dewy a bit heavier BB Creams. I believe the Always Nuddy BB 24 would suit oilier skin-tones perfectly as it can feel a bit drying on my normal-dry skin.
The color is a light neutral beige that would suite most light-medium complexions. It works for me but it's not the most perfect match. The BB Cream is lightly scented.
I paid 29000 Won and also received a Herb Clay Mask, a Milk Cacao Black Sugar Scrub and 15ml sample tubes of the Always Nuddy and Always Triple BB Creams.

5: Elisha Coy Always Triple BB SPF30 PA++ (non-chemical sunscreen) 50ml:


I couldn't resist ordering the other BB Cream (though the other one came with a sample tube of this). Anways, the Always Triple BB Cream is quite different from the Always Nuddy BB 24.
This BB Cream has the added benefits of:

-Whitening
-Wrinkle improvement
-SPF30 PA++ (UVA and UVB protection)

The Always Triple BB contains Royal Jelly and Caviar extracts as well as Portulaca Oleracea and Morus Alba Linne) to soothe and protect sensitive skin.

The Always Triple BB is richer than the Always Nuddy BB 24 so it suits my skin-type better.
However the color is a little dark for me. It also has more yellow tones so it's a bit off on me unfortunately.
The cream is lightly scented and comes in a black squeeze-tube.
I paid 33000 Won and received also a Herb Clay Mask, Cacao Greentea Age Fitness Mask and a 15ml sample tube of the Always Nuddy BB Cream.

6: IPKN Rejuvenate and Natural Cover BB Blemish Balm with Aloe Extract 30ml:


This is my first venture into IPKN New York. It's a Korean brand despite the addition New York (at least I only found a Korean website etc.).
Anyway, this was one of the most surprising and pleasant BB purchases recently. I purchased 2 30ml tubes for 7000 Won so I got 60ml at a really cheap price. I don't think this is the full-size but 30ml is pretty much the regular size of foundations here so it will last me quite a while (and I have the 2nd tube to use afterwards).
This lightly scented rather thick cream offers a perfect color match for me due to the pale lightly gray pinkish color. The coverage it offers is medium so my skin looks rather perfect when I apply this.
It comes in a pretty pearly light peach squeeze-tube.
The cream contains Aloe Extract. Since the tubes came unboxed (but sealed) there is no further information available.
This is a really great BB Cream and will be useful for anyone with a very fair skintone like mine.

VOV Castledew Carat Lips & Lip Carat

VOV added a new lipstick to their Castledew range called "Carat Lips". All their new items seem to seek a relation to diamonds and gemstones as all the new items' names suggest (Diacut Eyes, Lip Carat Gloss, Diacut Cheeks etc.)
I spotted the new lipsticks and decided to give them a shot as Castledew's other range Color Shot Lips is quite nice.


I should have stopped at the point of lemming the Carat Lips as they're really not worth it.
They come in pretty dark purple tubes that are more edgy than the packaging of the Color Shot Lips but the texture leaves a lot to be desired.


The 2 colors I have go on matte but in a chalky way. It might be I just picked the wrong colors (their swatches looked pretty though!) but the 2 ones I have look chalky and uneven and I always wear balm or lip base underneath.
Also the 2 colors are nothing like their swatches and while #M106 looks pretty and muted in the tube it applies as a garish bright salmon pink.


The other colors M101 is a super bright light coral, so both colors are out of the race for me as hardly ever like to wear them.

Good thing is that these are cheap. I paid about US$5/each on Gmarket so it's not a very big loss.


I also purchased a Lip Carat Gloss which also came out recently. I really love my Oversetting Glosses and the texture of the Lip Carat is similar albeit a bit thinner (which is not a good thing for me) and the color I picked (Berry Milk) is totally useless for me (it looks pretty in the tube but it's a clear milky peach which looks uneven and patchy on me).


All in all 2 items I am disappointed in. But I am sure there will be great new items from Castledew soon =D

VOV Castledew Color Shot Cheeks & Blur Shot Cheeks

I've been spotting the pretty Castledew Color Shot blushes and Blur Shot highlighters for quite some time now on Gmarket but for some reason never indulged in one of them. I thought they'd be tiny as they look like the eyeshadow singles but after some time logic convinced me that for 9200/7800 Won the blushes would be full-sized so I went ahead and ordered the Color Shot Cheeks in #3 and the Blur Shot Highlighter in #1.


Both items come in cute hexagonal compacts with an extra compartment for the brush.



-Color Shot Cheeks:


There are 3 colors available. I picked #3 Baby Pink/Pink Wavy/Orange Scandal. #1 Light Pink/Sweet Pink and #2 Orange Beige/Peach Orange look pretty, too.
The blush consists of 4 colors, 2 of them matte, 2 flecked with fine glitters.


The colors I achieve with just swirling my brush across the whole blush is a soft matte warm pink with very minor shimmer.
The pigment is sheer-medium so if you prefer a bit more pigment you might like to try the Shirring Cheeks blush instead.
I paid 9200 on Gmarket and purchased from miincos. I see the blush all over Gmarket and you probably can find it for a bit less.

-Blur Shot Cheeks:


This comes in the same style compact like the blush but contains a highlighter instead.
The Blur Shot Cheeks comes in 3 colors of which I chose #1 Skin Pink/Shine Silver. #2 is a purple combo called Skin Purple/Shine Purple and #3 seems to be some kind of bronzer or sculpting shade as it is called Tanning Gold/Tanning Bronze.
The highlighter in #1 has a shimmery silver core and a pale pink circle of matte powder surrounding it.


The result I get is a very subtle shimmery highlight. Really pretty and a great little item to add to my growing highlighter stash.
I paid 7200 Won (purchased from seller jjs6609).


I'll probably pick up the other 2 blushes as I really like the one I got.