Favourite Products: April 2013

Hello there~

It's time for another favourites post!
In this post, I'll have a quick review of everything. Should something needs an in-depth review, I will note it down~

As usual I'll start with lip products!

1)

Sasatinnie Dolly Lip Smoothie in '05 Green Apple'

I'm running out of my Baby Lips so I turned to this product. This is not tinted, moisturises well and I'm having a hard time finishing it! Even though it moisturises, I'm not a fan of the scent. I'd prefer it without the scent. I don't think it smells like green apples at all. It smells like...hand soap. So yeah, hand soap on the lips, not so pleasant. I don't like the packaging though, it kinda cracked. At least it does its job well.

2)

essence Ready For Boarding Lip & Cheek Creme in '02 beauty on tour'

Even though its a dual purpose cream product, I only use it on my cheeks. I'm not sure if it'd look good on the lips because of the consistency but then again, I haven't tried. This product is a lot more emollient than the sasatinnie cream blush and on the cheeks, it looks like a dolly flush. It lasts quite well on the cheeks and doesn't fade at all. It smells fruity. It also blends quite easily.

3)

Etude House Look at My Eyes in 'Milk Cocoa' and 'Lemon Sherbet'

These are my go-to eyeshadows when I don't feel like mixing and matching. Over a base, I have the yellow all over my eyelids and then the brown on the outer corner. Simple and clean, gives a nice subtle smokey look if I used a heavier hand with the brown. 'Milk Cocoa' is a lovely and pigmented chocolate-y colour with gold shimmers. A little goes a long way with this one. 'Lemon Sherbet' on the other hand, is quite sheer but build-able. You'd need a strong base to keep this vibrant.

4)

Tony Moly Matte Eyeshadow in '14 Cappuccino'

This is a good crease colour. Smooth, build-able and for a matte colour, it's quite pigmented. Well, over my brown-ish skin, it is, anyway. It looks yummy too. I think you can use it to contour your nose too if you have fairer skin. I find it nice that Tony Moly has nice matte colours when Etude House usually has more shimmer. I usually pair this with any eyeshadow.

5)

The Skin Shop Recovery Solution Cream Natural Care System

Since I ran out my Papaya Gel Moisturiser, I had nothing that works just as well. I used this before but back then my acne was so evident, I didn't think it helped. As for this, I need to use a light hand to make sure I didn't apply too much and end up clogging my pores. Does it help with healing my acne scars? Perhaps. Maybe, maybe not but I do like it. Plus, it has a nice scent. It's not very moisturising though, since my cheeks are generally quite dry and flaky. I like it, I do use it a lot, but it's not my holy grail. Plus, on normal days, this is friggin' expensive.

6)

essence Pure Skin natural cover moisturiser in 'Lighter Skin'

Apparently it's a 3 in 1 product for 'perfect skin', it 'fights spots & blackheads', 'gives a flawless complexion' and is 'mattifying & oil-free'. This is a good product, it helps even out the skin. I don't need powder to set it because it dries matte. The colour matches well with my skin, it's cheap, and it works. However, it's quite sheer and you do need concealer to hide dark scars. The only thing I loathe about it is that if you apply with your hand, it kinda sticks to your fingers. I haven't tried applying it with a brush or a sponge though. If I don't feel like wearing BB Cream or foundation, I reach out for this. Oh btw, it's very light on the skin. I can barely feel it.

7)

Tony Moly Fresh Aqua Cooling 24 Eyes Stick

I did a review of this here if you're interested. I like this product a lot and I saw a similar product from Etude House, and it was 4 bucks more than the price of this so I dunno if I'd want to try that. I like this because it de-puffs my eyebags after I cry. It's just nice to apply when your eyes are tired.

Here are the swatches for the three eyeshadows and the cream blush:

- 02 beauty on tour
- 14 Cappuccino
- YL02 Lemon Sherbet
- BR01 Milk Cocoa

--

That's it for my April Favourites :D

This time I didn't have a lot which is good I guess.

If there're any products you'd like me to do an in-depth review, leave it in the comments!

So, do share your April Favourites in the comment below!

Have you tried any of these products?

Leave a link to your favourites post, I'd love to look at them!

Cheerio, take care then!

-Nisah-

Review: Tony Moly Fresh Aqua Cooling 24 Eyes Stick

I'm gonna be reviewing this nifty little product that I've had for a month or more.
I really forgot when I bought it but I have used a fair amount of it as you would see in my photos.

I personally have never tried many eye serums, eye creams or rather anything that is beneficial for my eyes. It is however, quite important, especially since the skin around the eyes are actually very sensitive and can easily be susceptible to irritation and infections.

So far, I have never experienced any infections from bad products or anything. This is just an overview because of the nature of the product I'll review in a bit!

Product Information~ (From TM Brunei)

As you can see, the main objective of this product is to give "hydration" and "to make the eye area refreshed". It does not promise to banish dark under eye circles, it does however, according to the Tony Moly Brunei FB:

Tony Moly Fresh Aqua Cooling 24 Eyes Stick is a unique eye serum in stick form that's designed to provide relief and moisture for puffy, tired eyes.
When applied, the stick gives a cooling, soothing sensation to the eyes.
Suitable for office lady use to cool down the tired eyes after facing the computer for a long time.
People who drive long journey.

So yeah!
Don't expect this product to help you if you have bad dark under eyes! This is not for you.

Tony Moly Fresh Aqua Cooling 24 Eyes Stick

When I bought this product, I asked for a good eye moisturiser that's not too sticky and won't clog pores. The SA recommended this.

It was put next to the Panda's Dream Good-bye Dark Eye Corrector. So I asked the difference and he said: "For the Cooling Eyes Stick, you can use it day and night while the other one is used only at night", so knowing personally that I needed something like this, I bought it.

The back of the product. All in Korean. Made in Korea. Contains 9g of product.

Sorry that I don't have the box with me anymore! I think I might have thrown it away.

It comes with a hygienic cap that helps prevent the product from drying up!

Here are my thoughts on the product:

This product is very small, convenient and you can pop it in your bag easily. Since it's small, I'd recommend putting it along in a small pouch so you don't lose it. I can compare that this product (on your eyes) feels like you are putting a cold spoon over. 

This instantly cools it down and de-puffs your eyes very slightly. The good thing about this is that you don't need to put it in the fridge, it will still feel cooling! However, I've read that putting it in the fridge doubles the effect somewhat. Unfortunately, it does not moisturise as well as it cools your eyes.

How much I've used it.

I've tried two ways of applying it.

I tried the recommended way, which is to just run it gently around your eyes, focusing mostly on the under-eye and pat it gently to absorb the product. That works just fine, but for hygienic purposes, make sure you do this AFTER you wash your face and apply your other skincare.

I also tried patting the product to my clean finger and dab it to my eye area. Does not work as well, to be honest!

So basically, the best way to use this is directly from the product, which, for some people, is unhygienic.

However, personally, if you're not sharing it with anyone, think of it as a nice way to massage your eyes too. Make sure you don't tug on the skin around your eye though! I've used it before after crying my eyes out, I didn't wake up looking puffy or like a panda.

I dunno what the white thing is! But this is the amount of product left.

The product smells slightly citrusy. I didn't even notice the smell until now because I only use it on my eyes LOL. Either way, it does not offend my nose at all.

Unfortunately, I can't find the ingredients online so I can't list what's in this product. Maybe it was on the box but I don't have it anymore :x

EDIT: I FOUND THE BOX!

Hmmmm.

Anyway, you can buy this product at Tony Moly Brunei for BND14.90, 10% discount if you're a member, or if you're lucky you can buy this on promotion!

For international readers, you can get the product on eBay, for around USD8.90~USD14.70 depending on where you buy it from. If you don't trust eBay, you can also get it from Cosmetic-Love (I've linked it to the product). Cosmetic-Love also has an eBay shop.

So, here are the pros and cons!

PROS:

-Locally available.

-Easily accessible online.

-Affordable (best buy it during a sale ;D)

-Small and light, so you can easily carry it around.

-Is in stick form, so no fear of it spilling everywhere.

-Lasts long if you use it sparingly.

-Can be used day and night or when needed.

-No fear of overusing the product since you can only get the product by direct application.

-Cooling on the eyes, making it feel refreshed.

-Works well after a night of crying.

-Smells pleasant.

-Product actually goes back in smoothly if you twist it all the way up!

-Packaging is sturdy.

CONS:

-No ingredients list (I might be wrong, do correct me)  Ingredients look questionable.

-Applying product directly may be unhygienic for some people.

-Not as moisturising as advertised.

-People who want a product to combat dark under eye circles would be disappointed in this.

-Some may find the price to be too steep for 9g of product.

So, will I buy this again?

Maybe, because I'm still on the look out for other nice eye serums.

Do I recommend it?

Yes, and no. It depends on your needs.

If you're just battling puffy eyes, this is it. Or you just need something cooling but is too lazy to go refrigerate cucumbers or spoons, this will be your best friend.

To me, it's not a must-have item. I'm sure there are better eye serums out there.

Rating: 4/5 (I was not looking for a product to combat dark circles, so I know I was getting only a cooling stick, however, the promise of hydration just wasn't there.)

Disclaimer: Remember, our skin differs. What works for me, might not work for you, and vice versa.

'til then, take care!

I hope this review was helpful.

-Nisah-