Spotlight | Tony Moly Cat Chu Wink Tony Tint.

Not too long ago, I purchased this bottle of Cat Chu Wink Tony Tint from Tony Moly. It's the upgraded version of the good old Tony Tint, which I have heralded as 'the best liquid blush' in one of my earlier blog posts. The 'upgraded' version takes the spotlight on my blog today, as I want to show you a different shade plus the new packaging, and how I use it to create the 'gradient effect' on my lips.

Meow! Cat Chu Wink Tony Tint!

Here's how the Cat Chu Wink Tony Tint looks like. The cat-face twist up cap (complete with cat ears) sure adds cuteness to this otherwise ordinary plastic bottle. For reference, here's how the old packaging looks like. Aside from the kitty head, you'll notice that the new bottle has a wider and rounder base. Kinda looks like a cat sitting up straight.

Old vs new. 

I also went for a different shade this time around. Instead of my usual #1 Cherry Pink, I chose #2 Red. 

#2 Red.

It's a vivid shade of red - almost blood-like, that looks quite intimidating when you look straight at the bottle. It comes with a doe-foot applicator that's rather flat in shape and has a rounded, not pointed, tip. I also noticed that this one has a mild rosy scent, whereas its predecessor had none. (In other words, the old one is unscented.)

Doe-foot applicator.

Now here's how the product looks like when swatched on the skin.

Bloody red! :)

It's a liquid tint so expect the formulation to be watery, but surprise! It's not runny, as you can see in the swatch above. The color is buildable, and the pigmentation is just crazy! And I mean that in a positive way. Just a few dots would be enough to produce a vibrant color on your lips or cheeks. A word of caution, though. This product dries pretty fast, so if you're planning to use it on your cheeks, be sure to blend as quickly as possible. Otherwise, you'll get red dots on your face, haha. :)

Here's how the Cat Chu Wink Tony Tint looks like when worn. The color on my cheeks lasted the entire day; on my lips it lasted for about four to five hours with a bit of eating and drinking.

Flushed, rosy color on my cheeks.

'Just-bitten' gradient lips.

Products used:
FACE: The Face Shop Velvet Skin Primer, Tony Moly Luminous Goddess Aura BB Cream,
Missha Under Eye Brightener, Etude House Any Cushion.
EYES: BYS Waterproof Eyeliner, Majolica Majorca Lash King Mascara,
Ever Bilena Eyebrow Liner.
CHEEKS: Tony Moly Cat Chu Wink Tony Tint.
LIPS: EOS Lip Balm in Vanilla Nonsense, NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Milan,
Tony Moly Cat Chu Wink Tony Tint, MAC Clear Lip Gel.

What I love:
- Cute packaging.
- Highly pigmented.
- Buildable color.
- Just a little goes a long way.
- Long-lasting.
- Can be used on the cheek and lips.
- Affordable price. (Php 248 for this 10ml bottle.)

What you might not like:
- It dries quickly, so you have to blend it as quickly as possible.
- If you're using this as a cheek tint, expect stains on your fingers.

And as promised, here's a quick tutorial on how to achieve the 'gradient lips'. Click on the image to enlarge!

1. Moisturize your lips with a lip balm.
2. Apply pink lipstick on the outer part of your lips.
3. Dot the lip tint on the center of your lips.
4. Smooth with a clear lip gloss.

At this point, I can still say that regardless of the new packaging and seemingly new formulation, Tony Moly's (as in this Cat Chu Wink Tony Tint) is still the best liquid blush for me. And it's also my favorite lip tint to work with when it comes to creating gradient lips!

Hair Story | Tony Moly Berry Trendy Hair Color Cream in Cherry Wine.

Happy Monday, everyone! I bet you're all busy making some last-minute preparations for Christmas, which is but two days away! And before things get a little crazy here at home, let me share with you my latest hair coloring adventure.

You know I'm a big fan of Bubble Hair Coloring, right? This time around, I tried something different, from another Korean cosmetics brand. I'm talking about the Berry Trendy Hair Color Cream from Tony Moly. 

Berry Trendy Hair Color Cream.

Inside the box are the following: a tube of color cream (number 1), a bottle of liquid solution (number 2), a sachet of hair treatment, a pair of plastic gloves, and a plastic cape. Usage instructions and the list of ingredients can be found on the side panels. They're written in English on one side, and Hangul in the other.

English text, yay!

And for those who can understand Hangul, this side is for you! :)

The box also has a color chart, which can help you in choosing the perfect shade for your hair. From what I know, the Berry Trendy Hair Color Cream line has five variants and the shade I chose was 4R Cherry Wine.

Before and after.

To use, simply squeeze out the contents of the tube (number 1) into the bottle (number 2). 

Solutions 1 and 2. :)

Close the cap, and shake vigorously until the mixture becomes even.

Shake, shake, shake!

The mixture should look like this after a few minutes of shaking.

Purple-ish cream. :)

Once done, divide your hair into sections and start applying the color cream. Leave it on for 20-30 minutes. Wash it off with lukewarm water, then rinse thoroughly with shampoo. Apply the hair treatment afterwards, leave it on for at least five to ten minutes before washing it off.

Hair treatment.

Now here are the before and after shots of my hair.

From black...

To reddish brown!

What I love:

- Very affordable at Php 328 per box.

- Convenient and easy to use.

- It does a good job of lightening the color of your hair. 

- The scent! It smells like strawberries!

What you might not like:
- The hair treatment. It does moisturize and soften the hair, but my hair seems to like Etude House's Silk Scarf Hair Treatment a lot more.

Thinking of changing your hair color without having to go to the salon (because I bet most salons are jampacked by now until tomorrow evening, haha)? Why not give the Berry Trendy Hair Color Cream a try? It's easily available at Tony Moly boutiques and outlets nationwide, and they won't even cost you a fortune. Gotta be economical. Times are hard, you know. Haha. :D

CC Cream Chronicles | Tony Moly Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream.

First there was my 'Project BB Cream', where my goal is to try, test, and review as many (Korean) BB Creams as I can. Now comes my 'CC Cream Chronicles', which aims to do the same for all the (Korean) CC Creams available in the market.

About two months ago, I had the honor of being invited to Tony Moly's launching of the Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream. So I guess it's only proper that they will also have the honor of being the first brand to appear in my 'CC Cream Chronicles'.

Now on with my review. Here's my 30 mL tube of the Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream. Packaging is pretty much the same as its BB Cream counterpart, the Luminous Goddess Aura BB Cream, only with a different color.

Hello there, Pure Aura CC Cream! 

And annyeong, Hangul text at the back!

They also have the same easy-to-squeeze tube plus the dispenser tip which lets you control the amount of product you want to use.

Same squeeze tube as the Luminous Goddess BB Cream.

 Now here's how the Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream looks like.

A teeny dot actually goes a long way.

The product is actually white, with hints of speckles in it. Those speckles are actually 'color capsules' that allow the CC Cream to adjust and correct your skin tone.

Spread and blend.

Texture is a tad runny, but creamy nonetheless. This CC Creams absorbs easily into the skin and leaves it with a soft, dewy finish - which you know I'm quite fond of. This product also has a perfume-y scent which sits well with me, but some might find it a bit too heavy and overpowering.

Left without CC Cream; Right with CC Cream.

Now here's my only gripe with this CC Cream. Much as I love how well it adjusts with my skin tone and the radiant glow it gives my skin, I find the coverage a bit too sheer. I was kinda hoping that this CC Cream alone could conceal my dark undereyes, but alas my horrific, dark undereyes are too much of a challenge for this product. Haha! You'll be glad to know however, that minor skin issues such as redness and uneven skin tone can easily be addressed by this product.

A full-sized bottle (50 mL) of the Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream costs Php 948 (approximately $22). What I have right now is the Luminous Aura Special Set, which is the same price as the full-sized CC Cream. The set contains a 30 mL tube of the CC Cream and a 30 mL tube of the Goddess Aura BB Cream. Not sure if the set is available at all Tony Moly branches, but I got mine from the Market! Market! branch.

Set price = Php 948.

What I love:

- Adjusts with my skin tone, and with most skin tones for that matter.

- Easily absorbed by the skin.

- Lightweight feel.

- Perfume-y scent.

- Moisturizes the skin.

- Dewy finish.

- SPF 30 PA++.

- Stays on for about 6-8 hours.

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

- Price is still pretty reasonable, considering that it functions both as a makeup and skincare product.

What you might not like:

- Coverage is sheer and may not be enough to address skin issues such as acne, scars, and dark blemishes.

Products used:
FACE: Tony Moly Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream, Benefit Erase Paste in Medum,
Hera HD Fix Powder.
EYES: BYS Waterproof Liner, Majolica Majorca Lash King Mascara.
CHEEKS: SkinFood Sugar Cookie Blush in Bebe Pink.
LIPS: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp.

I've seen some people use this CC Cream with a primer, BB Cream, and foundation; others skip the primer and use it with just BB Cream and/or foundation. As for me, I prefer using this on its own and just set it with a kick-ass powder such as Hera HD Fix. That's the 'no-makeup' makeup look for me. :)

Project BB Cream | Tony Moly Luminous Goddess Aura BB Cream.

Six days. That was exactly how long it took before PLDT fixed my phone line.
Pardon me for ranting, but can you imagine the plight that I was in during those six grueling days? For someone who earns money by blogging and working online, it was like stripping me of my bread and butter. Not to mention being unable to speak to my husband via Skype and missing out on my favorite Kdramas.

To think that I filed a report via the Customer Care hotline the moment my phone line went down. I actually complained by all means possible - I called the hotline, sent an email, tweeted, and I even went to the local business center twice! Sure, I'm glad that I now have my internet connection back, but let me say this - PLDT, your services suck. You have no sense of urgency when it comes to resolving faults and handling customer complaints.

(Takes a deep breath) Ow-kaaay. Now that my internet connection issue is over and done with, let's go back to the order of business - another BB Cream review. Yay!

I did a bit of shopping at Tony Moly some two weeks ago, and the Luminous Goddess Aura BB Cream was one of the few items I bought.

Tony Moly Luminous Goddess Aura BB Cream.

Not much to read back here, unless you can understand Hangul.

Described as the 'self-luminous BB Cream', the Goddess Aura has three main functions - moisturize the skin, cover blemishes and skin imperfections, and protect the skin from the harmful rays of the sun. See the SPF37 PA++ on the the tube? That's one of the many things I like about this BB Cream.

Squeeze it, baby!

There's nothing fancy schmancy about the packaging (it looks pretty blah, actually), but at least the tube is easy to squeeze and the fine tip makes it easier for you to control how much product you want to dispense. 

A teeny tiny dot of Goddess Aura.

The Luminous Goddess Aura BB Cream is light beige in color, which suits fair and light skin complexions nicely. This however, is the only shade available for this product.

Blend, blend, blend!

This BB Cream has a light, non-sticky texture and is very easy to blend. It provides great coverage without looking overdone and gives the skin a radiant, dewy finish. It smells nice, too!

Left without BB Cream. Right with BB Cream.

As for the price, a full-sized tube (45 mL) costs Php 748 (that's around $18). What I bought is actually a set - the Goddess Aura BB Cream and the Pure Aura CC Cream in 30 mL tubes. Set price is Php 948, (around $22) the same price as the regular-sized (50 mL) CC Cream.

BB+CC! :)

What I love:

- Provides great coverage.

- Easy to blend.

- Feels light on the skin.

- Dewy finish.

- Gives the skin a nice, radiant glow.

- Great staying power.

- SPF 37 PA++.

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

- Affordable price.

What you might not like:

- Comes in one shade only.

And here's the customary selfie. The look was inspired by Yoona - Han Ji Hye's character in the weekend drama 'I Summon You Gold'. She's one of my favorite Korean actresses and my ultimate girl crush. Haha!

Products used:
FACE: Majolica Majorca Skin Lingerie Pore Cover,
Tony Moly Luminous Goddess Aura BB Cream, Benefit Erase Paste,
Skin79 Skinny Mirror Pact.
EYES: BYS Waterproof Eyeliner, Fairy Drops Volume Burst Mascara,
Ever Bilena Eye Brow Liner.
CHEEKS: Markwins Bronzer Powder.
LIPS: Jordana Kajal Lip Liner in Rose, Miners Matte Factor in Warm Red.

Stay tuned for my review of the CC Cream counterpart! It's coming up next. :)

Learn How to Achieve Perfect Skin, the Korean Way!

Our friends from Tony Moly Philippines have an exciting event happening this month. They're going to conduct a Beauty Workshop to one Metro Manila-based company for free!

If you think you and your coworkers deserve a beauty makeover, then nominate your company for a chance to win a Total Skin Revolution Beauty Workshop from Tony Moly Philippines!

Here's what you should do:

• Participants have to send their company logo with a caption explaining WHY they deserve a free Beauty Workshop from Tony Moly.
• The video/picture should be sent to [feedback@tonymoly.ph] along with the following information:

Name of Representative:

Age:

Location:

Contact Number:

• Tony Moly will be posting the entries on their Facebook page on July 12.
• Entries with the most likes and shares will win the free Beauty Workshop.
• Only one (1) company will be declared the winner.
• The winning company shall provide the venue for the workshop and the equipment for presentation (speakers, microphone, projector).
• Only 50 participants will be accommodated per company.

Please keep in mind that:

• This event is open to companies based in Metro Manila only.
• Promo will run from June 21 - July 19.
• Submission of nominations will be from June 21 to July 11.
• Entries will be posted by Tony Moly Philippines on July 12.
• Voting period will be from July 12 - July 18.
• The winning company will be announced on July 19.

The workshop will cover skin analysis plus Korean skincare and makeup routine. And the best part? Tony Moly will be giving lots of prizes away!

So what are you waiting for? Start sending your entries to Tony Moly Philippines now! :)

A Secret Revealed | Tony Moly Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream.

Just when you thought you've seen it all when it comes to BB (blemish balm) creams, cosmetic innovators from the Land of the Morning Calm (ergo, South Korea) have come up with an offshoot and decided to move to the next letter of the alphabet.

Enter the CC cream, otherwise known as the 'color control' or 'color corrector' cream. Created and developed in South Korea, the CC cream not only acts as a skincare product but also gives the skin a more effective, natural-looking coverage.

Sells at Php 948 each. :)

This (and more) is what the Tony Moly Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream does - and it has finally made its way to the Philippines. The product - dubbed as the 'Celebrities' Secret' was officially launched last Tuesday, at the Tony Moly branch in Market! Market!, Taguig City.

The event was hosted by Ms. Bianca Valerio, who was also the makeup artist for the day. She did a makeup demo, where the attendees got to see the Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream in action.

And where we got to see the seven key features/benefits from this smart, all-in-one cream. These features include: color correction, anti-wrinkle, moisturizing, whitening, UV protection, improves complexion, and conceals imperfections.

With the many skincare issues the Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream can address, it's no surprise that this product sold like hotcakes the first time it landed on Philippine shores. It's almost always out-of-stock whenever I drop by Tony Moly stores and attempt to buy one, haha!

And now, let me end this post with some eye-candy.

Yoochun is love! :)

Many thanks to Tony Moly Philippines for inviting The Rebel Sweetheart to this event. ;)

Spotlight | TonyMoly UV Sunset Daily Sun Cream.

"What's your sunscreen?" This question I've been getting a lot these days. Not surprising since the heat is really on in this tropical country. You'd be crazy to leave the house without some sort of sun protection. Unless of course, you want to be charred in this 36-degree Celsius weather.

And so to answer that burning question, here's the sunscreen that I've been using for the longest time - TonyMoly UV Sunset Daily Sun Cream SPF30/PA++.

TonyMoly! 

I got this as pasalubong from my cousin-in-law who used to work in Korea. Been using this for more or less six months now, and as you can see, this tube is still far from running on empty.

SPF30/PA++

This sunscreen has a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30, which means you're protected from cancer-causing UVB rays for at least 7.5 hours. The general rule, however, is to reapply sunscreen every 2 to 4 hours at least.

As for the protection strength, the PA++ indicates that this product has 4 times protection power against UVA rays. These harmful rays are the ones that cause wrinkles, sunspots, uneven skin tone, and just about anything bad to the skin.

If you can read Hangul, then bravo!

Since the literature at the back of the tube is written entirely in Hangul, I had to refer to the Tony Moly website for the product description. In the website, it goes something like this:

Softly application without skin irritations. Water Melon – protect skin from UV rays, primrose – antioxidant, protect skin, Green Tea Extract – strengthen skin immune system.

Grammar fail, I know. But at least it gave me an idea of what this sunscreen is made of.

Here's how the Sun Cream looks like.

Now what I love the most about this Sun Cream is that it's gentle on the skin. I've always had issues with Western sunscreen brands, mostly because I have uber sensitive skin. One of the main reasons why I stuck with this brand is because it has never broke me out, nor has it given me any allergies.

Its formulation is just right - non-sticky, lightweight, not runny, but not too thick either. The cream is easily absorbed by the skin. You won't even feel that you have sunscreen on. It also has a nice scent, which goes away rather quickly.

The price isn't bad, either. As per the Tony Moly website, this costs only Php 458 and is available at Tony Moly branches here in the Philippines. In Korea, this sells for 7800 won (Php 285 when converted).

What I love:

- SPF30/PA++

- Non-irritating.

- Lightweight.

- No icky, sticky feeling.

- Works well with most of my BB creams.

- Nice scent.

- Affordable price.

What you might not like:

- None, I guess. :)

How about you, what's your sunscreen? :)