Spotlight | Missha x Line Friends Magic Cushion.

Much as I love BB creams and BB cushions, I have actually been shying away from them for quite some time now. You see, the past few months have been unbearably hot and humid here in the tropics, and mattifying powders have become my new best friend.

But now that Christmas is nearing, the days have become progressively cooler and thankfully, more makeup-friendly. That being said, I finally had the chance to use my Missha x Line Friends Magic Cushion, which I brought home from my spring trip to South Korea.

Missha x Line Friends Magic Cushion.

If you remember my earlier post about the Missha x Line Friends 4D Mascara, Missha released two editions of this makeup collaboration with Line Friends. The Magic Cushion was included in both editions; however, there is a difference between the contents of Magic Cushion box.

Inside the box - the Magic Cushion pact, Magic Cushion refill, and two air puff sponges.

While the first edition had one air puff sponge and two refills of the Magic Cushion, the second edition includes two air puff sponges but only one refill of the Magic Cushion. Mine is from the sophomore release, as you can see. Both editions sold for 11000 won, but you actually get more value for money with the first edition since it comes with two refills.

The air puff sponge.

The Magic Cushion is housed in a cute, brown - albeit made with plastic - compact printed with Brown's face. The compact has a built-in mirror and a flip-out tray which holds the sponge and acts as a moisture seal; its edges are slightly curved which makes for a comfortable grip.

Sealed for protection.

When I got hooked to this Korean cosmetics craze, Missha was the first BB cream brand that I tried. I fell in love with their BB creams in a heartbeat, with their excellent coverage, impressive staying power, and nice, powdery finish. The Missha x Line Friends Magic Cushion does not disappoint, and lives up to par with my expectations.

The cushion itself.

The cushion looks quite 'juicy' from the get-go. Its texture is a tad watery and feels 'wet' when applied. It does not feel sticky and settles into a semi-matte, slightly dewy finish. The air puff sponge also picks up a great amount of product and does fine with blending and application. It also feels soft and gentle as it glides on the skin - does not feel rubbery at all!

Shade #23.

One thing I noticed about the Missha x Line Friends Magic Cushion is the shade. They seem to be lighter than the usual, so instead of my usual shade #21, I settled for the darker shade #23.

Shade #23 swatched.

Left without BB Cushion, right with BB Cushion.

Left without BB Cushion, right with BB Cushion.

When swatched, it appears light - perhaps too light for my skin. But when blended, the cushion adjusted nicely to my skin tone, and looked very natural with just the right amount of glow on the skin.

Bare-face.

As for the staying power, it lasts for a decent 4-5 hours, and requires minimum touch-ups. It feels light on the skin, and does not cake or patch after a few hours of wear.

Magic Cushion when worn.

The Magic Cushion is suitable for most skin types, but for those with oily skin, I suggest you wear a primer underneath to maximize the product's staying power.

Products used:
FACE: Innisfree No Sebum Blur Primer,
Ever Bilena Liquid Concealer in Light,
Missha x Line Friends Magic Cushion #23.
EYES: Shiseido Eyebrow Pencil in Brown,
The Face Shop Ink Graffi Brush Liner in Black,
Missha x Line Friends 4D Mascara.
CHEEKS: Ever Bilena Cheek Blush in Raisin.
LIPS: Ever Bilena Matte Lipstick in Sexy Nude.

Have you tried this cushion before? What's your favorite BB cushion? :)

Sneak Peek | Tony Moly ❤ Pokemon Collection Season 2!

Last month, Tony Moly unveiled their latest collaboration collection featuring the adorable pocket monsters more popularly known as Pokemon. The collection consists mostly of skincare products, such as hand creams, moisture creams, and foam cleansers. You can view the entire product line in this post, along with my promise of giving you a sneak peek once the second edition is out.

Well the long wait is over, as season two of the Tony Moly x Pokemon collection has been revealed!

Pokemon ❤ Tony Moly, again!

Let's go Pokemon hunting! Details after the jump! :)

Project BB Cream | Klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream.

My first box from WishTrend arrived a few weeks ago, which contained some of the best-selling products from the Korean skincare brand, Klairs. Also included in the box is this BB Cream - the Klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream, which has earned praises from quite a handful of beauty bloggers that I know.

Klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream.

Suitable for all skin types, this BB Cream hydrates, covers wrinkles and blemishes, without irritating the skin. It adjusts to your natural skin color, and gives your skin a healthy glow.

Dear Klairs. :)

It also has UV protection properties, and a decent number at that - SPF40 PA++.

English text at the back. Hangul text written on the side.

Known for being an eco-friendly brand, Klairs products are cruelty-free (not tested on animals), alcohol-free, and paraben-free.

Eco-friendly.

The Klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream comes in a 40 mL squeeze tube. The plastic tube is pretty easy to squeeze, and the dispenser tip lets you control the amount of product you want to use.

Dispenser tip.

This BB Cream has a creamy consistency (reminds me of The Face Shop's Power Perfection BB Cream) yet it's quite easy to blend and just a little goes a long way. It provides light to medium coverage, with a semi-matte, slightly dewy finish. It's pretty lightweight too, and does not feel icky on the skin.

Here's how the BB Cream looks like.

Although this BB Cream comes in one shade only, it adjusts nicely to your skin tone. It looks a bit grayish upon application, but it gradually matches your skin color once it sets in.

Left without BB Cream, right with BB Cream.

What I love:

- Looks very natural on the skin.

- Adjusts to my skin tone, and is suitable for all skin types.

- Lightweight, non-sticky.

- Buildable coverage. 

- Great staying power (around six hours on my skin).

- SPF41 PA++.

- No break-outs, no allergies, safe for sensitive skin.

What you might not like:

- Not available locally, can be purchased only from the WishTrend site. 

Products Used:
FACE: Klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream,
Missha Under Eye Brightener.
EYES: Ever Bilena Eyebrow Pencil in Brown,
BYS Waterproof Eyeliner, Fairydrops Volume Burst Mascara.
CHEEKS: Milani Powder Mosaics in Copper Sunshine.
LIPS: Givenchy Rouge A Levres #711.

The Klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream originally retails for $24.99, but is currently being sold at a discounted price of $17.99 (around Php800). WishTrend ships internationally, and they also ship for free if you purchase any of the items listed under their 'Free Shipping Zone'.

Project BB Cream | Laneige Snow BB Cream.

Well, it sure took me months to get another BB Cream review out. I can't believe the last review I did was way back in February - when I still sported a pixie and my son was still in Kindergarten. Haha!

Anyhoo, on to my review. This will be the 15th in my Project BB Cream series (yes folks, so far I have tried 15 kinds of BB Cream in my lifetime), and perhaps my most favorite among all the BB Creams that I've tried.

Laneige Snow BB Cream.

This one's called the Snow BB Cream, from the highly-acclaimed Korean skincare brand Laneige. If you're a Kdrama/Kpop fan like me, you can easily associate this brand to Song Hye Kyo, Soong Jong Ki, and Song Jae Rim. (So I just noticed that the brand's endorsers have something similar in their names. Haha!)

#2 Natural.

Laneige calls this their 'smart and advanced BB Cream', with its whitening, anti-wrinkle and UV protection properties (SPF41 PA++).  This product also boasts of the 'liquid crystal essence ingredient', which works as a natural barrier that locks moisture on to the skin.

Squeeze tube bottle, 10 mL sample size.

The Laneige Snow BB Cream comes in two shades - #1 Shimmer Brightening, and #2 Natural. I have the latter, which is neutral beige in color but adjusts accordingly to one's skin tone.

A swatch of the Snow BB Cream #2 Natural.

This BB Cream has a light, non-sticky texture that's quite easy to blend. It provides medium to full coverage, yet looks very natural on the skin. It also leaves the skin with a luminous finish - the kind that makes your skin look healthy and glowing. 

Blend, blend, blend!

I love how this BB Cream lasted for hours on my face, with very little to almost no touch-ups. If you have oily skin, you may need to blot every few hours or so but that's pretty much it. Oh, and did I mention that this BB Cream smells so nice? It has this mild powdery, floral scent that I fell in love with at first whiff.

Left without BB Cream, right with BB Cream.

What I love:

- Buildable coverage.

- Looks very natural on the skin.

- Feels light on the skin, too.

- Lovely, dewy finish without looking sparkly and all.

- Excellent staying power. 

- SPF42 PA++.

- Mild, floral scent.

- No break-outs, no allergies, safe for sensitive skin.

What you might not like:

- Only two shades available.

- A bit pricier than the other BB Creams in the market, but then again, Laneige is a high-end brand.

In the end, you're really getting your money's worth. :)

Products Used:
FACE: Laneige Snow BB Cream, Missha Under Eye Brightener.
EYES: Ever Bilena Eyebrow Pencil in Brown,
BYS Waterproof Eyeliner, Missha The Style 4D Mascara.
CHEEKS: Tony Moly Cat Chu Wink Tint in #2 Red.
LIPS: Sleek Makeup True Colour Lipstick in OMG!

The Laneige Snow BB Cream sells for around 30,000 won in Korea (where this sample came from). Here in the Philippines, a 50mL tube sells for Php 1650 (correct me if I'm wrong) and is available at all six branches in the Metro.

Project BB Cream | Innisfree Eco Natural Green Tea BB Cream.

I was on the verge of purchasing a new BB Cream over the weekend, after having received gift certificates from one of my favorite online shopping sites. However, the penny-pinching side of me suddenly remembered that I still have a few BB Cream samples in my makeup stash, all waiting to be tried. Thus, I decided to save the gift certificates for a rainy day and just make do with what I have right now.

And with that, I give you my review of the Innisfree Eco Natural Green Tea BB Cream - the 14th BB Cream that I have tried since I started this blog (in 2011) and began my love affair with Korean makeup brands.

What I have is the 4mL sample size, which looks like this.

Innisfree Eco Natural Green Tea BB Cream.

This BB Cream comes in two shades, #1 Bright Moisture and #2 Natural Moisture. This one is the latter.

Mostly (as in 95%) Hangul text at the back.

Go for the full size and you get a 40 mL plastic squeeze tube, which look like this.

Full sized tube, 40 mL.

While there's mostly Hangul text at the back of the sachet, the description in front is enough to give you an idea of what this BB cream contains and what it does.

'Enriched with Green Tea seed oil from pure Jeju Island. Green Tea revives dry, stressed skin by supplying abundant moisture."

And as you can see, it has SPF29/PA++ - a pretty decent SPF number for me. Now here's how the product looks like.

A few dots of the BB Cream at the back of my hand...

The shade has yellow undertones, and is a lot lighter than what I was expecting, considering this one is the 'darker' shade among the two variants. Kinda reminds me of Skin Food's Good Afternoon Honey Black Tea BB Cream - perhaps the palest shade of BB Cream that I've tried.

Spread it evenly... (left side without BB Cream, right side with BB Cream)

The texture, however, is thick and it's a bit tricky to blend. Squeeze out too much and you'll get a slight grayish cast on your face. But with the right amount and proper blending, you'll get light to medium coverage that's good enough to cover skin imperfections.

Wear time is okay - about six to seven hours with a primer on. I must say though, that I did feel a bit of oil in my T-zone by the fourth hour (I wear eyeglasses, take note) which I needed to blot off and dust with a bit of powder afterwards.

And voila, it adjusts to my skin tone nicely!
(Left side without BB Cream, right side with BB Cream.)

Now while I do love the dewy finish and the natural glow this product gives, I am not crazy about the scent. To be brutally honest, I abhor dislike it at the first whiff. It smelled funky, like some Oriental medicine or something, and nothing, I say nothing, like green tea. So for someone who hardly complains about the scent of makeup and cosmetics, this is a first for me. It wouldn't have been an issue if the scent goes away within minutes, but no, the scent lingers longer, much too longer than I would have wanted.

As for the price of the full-sized product (which I doubt I would buy anyway), it's quite affordable at 14000 Korean Won. That's around $13 or Php590 when converted. Unfortunately though, there are no Innisfree stores yet here in the Philippines. I do my Innisfree shopping online, or through the kindness of my husband who's still in Seoul as of this writing. :)

What I love:

- Contains green tea, which moisturizes the skin and delays skin aging.

- SPF29/PA++.

- Light to medium coverage.

- Dewy finish.

- Gives the skin a natural, healthy glow.

- Affordable price.

- Contains all-natural ingredients.

- Cruelty-free.

What you might not like:

- A bit tricky to apply.

- Oil control is so-so.

- The scent. Ugh!

Wearing my Lisa Loeb glasses. :)
Products used:
FACE: Majolica Majorca Skin Lingerie Pore Cover,
Innisfree Eco Natural Green Tea BB Cream,
Missha Undereye Brightener.
EYES: The Face Shop Lovely Me:EX Design My Eyebrow,
BYS Waterproof Eyeliner, Fairy Drops Volume Burst Mascara.
CHEEKS: Human Heart Nature Perfect Glow Mineral Blush.
LIPS: EOS Blueberry Potion, Miners Matte Factor in Warm Red. 

Have you tried this BB Cream before? Do let me know if you have, and if you share the same sentiments with me. I'd like to verify if it's just my nose being overly sensitive to the scent, or it just really smells that way. Haha! :)

Project BB Cream | Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream.

If you're a fan of the Korean brand Lioele and live within my area, you'll be glad to know that we now have easy access to Lioele products. Lake Zen the Medical Spa, one of my favorite beauty and wellness centers here in San Pablo City, is now an authorized distributor of Lioele. And during my last visit to the spa, not only did I get a massage, I went shopping for Korean cosmetics as well. :)

One of the few things that I bought was this pouch sample of the Beyond the Solution BB Cream - one of the best-selling products from Lioele.

Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream.

This BB Cream comes in four sizes - the pouch sample which sells for Php50, the 5ml miniature tube at Php 250, the 30mL tube at Php 570, and the full-sized 50mL tube which sells for Php995. I decided to get the smallest size, since this will be my first time to use this product.

As usual, everything is written in Hangul.

For your reference, here's how the full-sized tube looks like. Don't you just love their uber cute packaging? The brand logo itself is very chic and stylish, and yes, it's reminiscent of Cinderella's carriage.

Full-sized tube.

The product is described as such in their English website: 

Long-lasting BB cream - soothing and keeps skin smooth without sebum secretion. Helps to create a clean and natural skin tone by being absorbed into your skin with a soft usage. This enables speedy make-up application due to the unnecessary need to apply makeup base or foundation. 

I took note of the active ingredients found in this BB Cream and some of them are: squalene (hydrates and moisturizes the skin), jojoba oil (soothes the skin and fights skin irritation), macadamia nut oil (smoothens the skin), allantoin (moisturizes and protects the skin against irritants), marine collagen (makes the skin tight and firm), and hyauronic acid (keeps wrinkles at bay).

Now here's how the BB Cream looks like.

Swatch it! :)

It comes in one shade only (natural beige), and while the product itself appears lighter than my skintone (as you can see on the back of my hand), I'm glad that it worked differently and adjusted to my skintone quite well when applied on my face. I've read reviews saying that this BB Cream leaves a grayish cast, but there was none based on my experience.

Left without BB Cream; right with BB Cream.

Beyond the Solution has a thick and creamy consistency similar to that of The Face Shop's Power Perfection BB Cream and Nature Republic's By Flower BB Cream. It gives medium to full coverage without feeling heavy on the skin and leaves it with a semi-matte finish. Its mild, floral scent on the other hand, reminds me of my favorite BB Cream from Missha. As for the wear time, this product stays put for a good eight hours without a primer on. When worn with a primer, I reckon this product can stay on my face for twelve hours, maybe even beyond.

My only gripe about this product? It has no SPF! :(

What I love:

- Cute and stylish packaging.

- Comes in four different sizes.

- Affordable price.

- Easy to apply and blend.

- Creamy texture, but doesn't feel heavy on the skin.

- Gives medium to full coverage.

- Semi-matte finish.

- Mild, pleasant scent.

- Long-wearing.

- A little goes a long way.

- No breakouts, no allergies, safe for sensitive skin.

What you might not like:

- Comes in one shade only.

- No SPF.

And finally, here's how the BB Cream looks like on me. :)

Products used:
FACE: Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream,
Missha Under Eye Brightener, Hera HD Fix Powder.
EYES: Sleek MakeUp Flick It Eyeliner,
Majolica Majorca Lash King Mascara,
The Face Shop Lovely Me:EX Design My Eyebrows.
CHEEKS: Skin Food Sugar Cookie Blush in Bebe Pink.
LIPS: Jordana Lip Liner in Rose,
EOS Lip Balm in Sweet Vanilla Nonsense,
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Addis Ababa.

Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream and other Lioele products are now available at Lake Zen the Medical Spa, located at GMC II Building, Barleta Street, San Pablo City.
For inquiries, you may reach them via the Lioele San Pablo City Facebook page.

Spotlight | Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion.

I was aiming to get this post up in time for KPop Republic, but alas, I fell ill yesterday and stayed in bed the entire day while nursing a 38-degree fever. Good thing the fever was gone when I woke up this morning, and although I'm still feeling a bit weak, I can manage to sit in front of my laptop and finally finish this review.

Rosa Fiore (the company that brought Etude House to the Philippines) sent me samples of this much talked about Any Cushion a few weeks back, and I've been using this product for several days now. If you're following me on Instagram, then you've probably seen me rave about this latest offering from Etude House.

Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion.

It's a cushion-type foundation that boasts of six major functions - coverage, moisturizer, sun protection, sebum control, whitening effect, and cooling effect. It comes in a pretty pink (albeit chunky) compact that has a full-sized mirror and a double lid closure which separates the puff from the cushion itself.

Double lid closure.

The puff, meanwhile, is made from Rubycell and Polyurethane. It has a rubbery feel, is easy to clean, and does not wear and tear easily, unlike ordinary sponges.

Rubber  puff!

As for the cushion itself, it looks like a big sponge doused with foundation. Haha! To use, simply push the cushion down with the rubber puff, and voila!

The Any Cushion, up close.

One push gets you enough product for light coverage. To build up color and for heavier coverage, go for two or three pushes.

Two pushes will get you this much.

I'm currently using the W24 Honey Beige - a darker shade of beige that suits my skin tone nicely. The funny thing is, I'm actually a W13 Natural Beige when it comes to Etude House's Bright Fit BB Cream. I'm not sure if the colors have been formulated differently, but the W13 shade of the Any Cushion is a little off for my skin tone.

Left without Any Cushion; right with Any Cushion.

I do, however, love its matte to satin finish that feels very light on the skin. I'm also crazy about how my face looks airbrushed whenever I'm wearing the Any Cushion. Haha!

Satin and glowing - straight from a Korean drama, haha! 

What I love:

- Cute, hygienic packaging.

- The rubber puff! 

- Buildable coverage.

- Matches my skin tone nicely.

- Matte to satin finish.

- Gives the skin a nice glow and leaves it with an 'airbrushed' appearance.

- Feels light on the skin.

- Doesn't cake up even after hours of wearing.

- Stays on for about eight to ten hours.

- SPF50+/PA+++!

- No allergies, no breakouts whatsoever.

- Has a mild, pleasant scent.

- Reasonably priced at Php 998 (a little over $20).

What you might not like:

-  For a compact, I find this one a bit chunky.

(But at least it still fits my on-the-go vanity kit, haha.)

Products Used:
FACE: Etude House Precious Minerals Any Cushion,
Missha UnderEye Brightener.
EYES: BYS Waterproof Eyeliner, Majolica Majorca Lash King Mascara,
The Face Shop Design My Eyebrow.
CHEEKS: Human Heart Nature Perfect Glow Mineral Blush.
LIPS: Double Hit Lip in Rose Riot.

Have you tried the Precious Mineral Any Cushion? It's now available at all Etude House branches and sells for Php 998 a pop :)