REVIEW: Etude House Lash Perm All Shockcara

Very girlish black and pink packaging 

Chic packaging of Etude House Lash Perm All Shockcara

This mascara has a chic black and pink packaging. After reading online and YouTube reviews, I decided to purchase this Etude House Lash Perm All Shockcara. This is a waterproof mascara that claims to give volume, curl and length to lashes. Sounds too good to be true? 

The first time that I wore this mascara, Etude House Lash Perm All Shockcara smudged to my lower eyelids within 3 hours. I was rather disappointed with the lasting power. But decided to give it another try before tossing it into the bin. During the second try, Etude House Lash Perm All Shockcara surprisingly did not smudge to my lower eyelids. The mascara stayed on well for more than 8 hours. You know how people always say third time is the charm? Well, during my third try, the mascara proved to be water-resistant but not waterproof. I wore this Etude House All Shockcara during my recent trip to Lombok, and put it through a swimming challenge. This mascara clumps up into fibers when it gets into contact with water. The good thing is that you do not get a raccoon-eye look, but rather random clumps of fibers on the under eyes area.

Short bristles wand

Bristles that are well separated to create definition

Besides that, this mascara does not provide dramatic lengthening properties. It gives my short and sparse Asian lashes some definition and volume. After curling my lashes with my HG Shiseido Eyelash Curler, Etude House Lash Perm All Shockcara holds the curl quite well. Overall, I would recommend this Etude House All Shockcara. It is relatively affordable at S$20, similarly priced to drugstore mascaras such as Maybelline and L'Oreal. For hygienic purposes, I replace my mascara every 6 months or so. So this Etude House All Shockara is easy on the pockets. I bought Etude House Shockara while I was in South Korea, but I can easily find it in Etude House stores in Singapore. For those in the States, you can purchase their products from Etude House website. 

REVIEW: Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer

Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer

~AG~

This highly-raved eye primer from Etude House has been part of my beauty kit for over two weeks now. This product was one of my must-buys from Etude House while I was in Korea. An affordable eye primer that I bought for ~ KRW 8,000 (~S$10). FYI: Etude House Singapore retails it for slightly more at S$12. This price tag is much cheaper compared to eye primer from brands such as Urban Decay, Too Faced or NARS. Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer is only one-third the price of my HG NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, which retails for SS$35. You can get 3 Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer for the price of 1 NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. Definitely a value-for-money product!

Sponge applicator

Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer comes in a plastic packaging with a rounded bottom. The packaging is more bulky compared to NARS. But it is still sleek enough to fit into my makeup bag. This flesh tone eye primer comes with a sponge-tip applicator. It comes with 10 g (0.35 oz) of product. While, NARS Eyeshadow Base comes with only 0.26 oz worth of product. Another point for Etude House Eye Primer!

Light pink shade but goes on colorless

Proof 10 Eye primer supplies coverage to eyelids, to enhance eyeshadow and to make it more longer-lasting. This eye primer helps keep my eye shadows and eyeliners in place for much longer. My eye shadow does not fade when I apply this eye primer underneath. Plus, it does not make my eyeshadows look powdery or ashy. Most eyeliners are prone to smudging on my oily eyelids, but this eye primer prevents my eyeliner from creating a racoon look. To further test its effectiveness, I used this eye primer with Etude House Play 101 Pencil, which is a creamy multi-purpose pencil that can be used as eye shadow and blush. Since creamy eyeshadows and eyeliners are more likely to smudge, this will be a great way to test whether Etude Proof 10 Eye Primer is able to keep eye makeup in place Without eye primer, Play 101 Pencil creases on my monolids within an hour or two of application. But it stays on well with the use of Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer!

I would totally recommend this eye primer. It is effective, and yet it is affordable. For those that have problems with their eyeliners smudging or eyeshadows fading, Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer would be a good addition to add to your makeup bag.

REVIEW: Etude House AC Clinic Intense Hinoki Water Mist

~MG~

100 ml of product

Q: What attracted you to buy Etude House AC Clinic Intense Hinoki Water Mist?
A: Because this mist contains salicylic acid which helps combat acne while at the same time hydrates my face. So this is a 2-in-1 mist. There were several online reviews that mentioned that this face mist works well for their acne. 

Q: How much did you buy it for?
A: Bought it at Etude House, Singapore, for S$19. 

Q: How do you use it?
A: I spray it all over my face after cleansing and before I apply toner. Then continue with the rest of my skincare regimen. 

Q: What are the effects of this face mist?
A: It does help moisturise my face but I find that it  does not help with my acne. It does not reduce my acne. I experienced about the same number of breakouts or even more when I used it. 

Q: Why do you not like this face mist?
A: I do not like this face mist because I was expecting that it would help with my acne. It does not help at all! I was so disappointed. The AC Clinic line is targeted for those with acne-prone skin but this face mist did nothing for my acne. I stopped using the product after two months because I don't think it works. There is about 1/4 of the face mist left. I usually use my face mist until the last spray, but not for this one. 

Q: Will you recommend this face mist to your friends?
A: I would not recommend this product nor would I repurchase it. A big disappointment!

NEW BUY: Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer

Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer

Typical Etude House packaging with its long cap applicator

 

Bought this eye primer during my trip in South Korea. There are many good reviews on this Etude House eye primer. Since my HG Nars Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (click link for REVIEW: NARS EYESHADOW BASE ) is almost empty, I decided to pick up a more affordable replacement. Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer costs less than USD $8, which makes it 1/3 the price of Nars Eyeshadow Base. It comes with 10 grams (0.35 oz) of product. It will be totally worth the money if it works well for my oily eyelids. I cannot work to try it out! Stay tuned to find out whether Etude Proof 10 Eye Primer works to keep my eye shadow and eyeliner from smudging.

 

REVIEW: Etude House White moistfull eye roll on

~AG~

I bought this Etude House White Moistfull Eye Roll-On a year ago. I cannot remember how much I bought it for. Today, I went to a Etude House outlet to check out the price and they told me that this product has been discontinued. The saleslady said Etude House is re-packaging and re-formulating the product. I asked the sales assistant about the price of the discontinued product, she said it retailed for around S$20. This was supposed to be a substitute for my Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage (US$29). But I never got around to trying it till now because I was using another eye cream. 
Since the milia under my eyes have been persistent, I decided to switch to a lightweight eye gel instead of eye cream. I've been using Etude House White Moistfull Eye roll-on for almost two weeks now. Etude House claims that this product has brightening properties for dark circles, and also works to reduce under eye puffiness. It has a metal roller ball to apply the gel under the eyes. The metal roller ball is cooling and refreshes the eye area. The gel is quickly absorbed into the skin. It does not feel sticky upon application. It does not have much moisturising properties. 
Regarding its effectiveness for my dark circles, I have not seen any noticeable differences to my under eye area. My panda eyes are just as bad. It does help with puffiness but it is not a must-have product. I much prefer Clinique roll-on eye gel, it feels more refreshing upon application. 

REVIEW: Etude House Sweet Recipe Dear My Jelly Lips-talk

~AG~

The shade that I bought is Grapefruit Jelly which is a peach-pink color. The bright shade was what attracted me to this product. Plus, the packaging is just too cute. A sleek white packaging with little pink/coral details on the bottom. The lipstick is also embossed  with heart designs. 

I bought it from Etude House Singapore for (S$17.50).

The formula of the lipstick is rather thick. For those with dry lips, it is best to apply lip balm beforehand. I find that it does not go on smoothly, as it tends to flake on the lips. The wear is average - about two hours with eating and drinking. It is not very pigmented but the shade does show up on my lips. I wear it on days when I want to brighten my face.

Overall, it is not a good lipstick and I would not recommend it. I would not re-purchase it. 

REVIEW: Etude House Collagen Moistfull Cream

~AG~

An updated review of Etude House Moistfull Collagen Cream. I did a preview review on this product in April. (see link for details http://beautybright.tumblr.com/post/49259293822/etude-house-collagen-moistfull-cream)

The Moistfull Collagen Cream is one of Women’s Weekly (Singapore) Best Beauty Buys 2013 Winner. That says something about how popular it is.

When I bought the Etude House Moistfull Collagen Cream, the set came with a 20ml Moistfull Collagen First Essence. According to Etude House, it is ”Formulated with 90% of hydrolyzed Marine Collagen, this serum absorbs quickly into skin to provide instant hydrating and firming relief.”

I used a sample-sized version on a week-long trip and had good results. So, I decided to buy a full-size version since it was pretty good.

I received a sample of Etude House Moistfull Collagen Cream during my haul in December. But only used it recently on my trip to Shanghai. The weather in Shanghai was cooler with the spring breeze in full speed. As a result, my skin became tight and dry. I used Moistfull Collagen Cream at night and my skin felt hydrated. It left my skin feeling soft & supple. Its moisturizing properties is wonderful.

The texture of the cream is lightweight, and almost gel-like. The cream absorbs almost instantly into the skin. Even though I used the cream at night, I believe that this product is suitable for daytime use as well. It does not leave any residue, does not feel sticky, or oily.
My skin has been very sensitive to skincare products recently. But this did not trigger any adverse reactions on my skin. (FYI, I used it for 5 days while on the trip).
I like this product so much and can’t wait to buy the full-sized version. I don’t know how much it retails for in Singapore but I will definitely add this to my skincare routine.

But fast forward to July, I don’t like this product as much. I’ve been using this cream for almost three months now. But two weeks ago, I start to notice red bumps on my cheeks. Not pimple or acne, but more like small bug bites. At first I thought it might be because of allergic reaction to something. So I tried removing each face product from my skin care regimen systematically to figure out the cause of it. The small red bumps on my face reduced greatly when I did not use the cream for several days.
Conclusion is, my skin developed adverse reaction to this cream, even though it was okay initially (for 2 months or so). I don’t know why my skin is developing such an adverse reaction now, but maybe it has something to do with the different chemical changes in the body?

REVIEW: Etude House AC Clinic Pink Daily Spot

 

 ~MG~


One big reason that I love shopping in Korean cosmetic stores are the free samples! Just love the excitement of not knowing what the cashier will surprise you with!

So, I stopped by Etude House in Singapore to pick up some essentials (and random items) before I headed back to U.S. After burning my debit card, the cashier gave me 2 little tubes of the 'AC Clinic Pink Daily Spot' (I think its because my face was breaking out that day). 

I had been using this 'Pink Daily Spot' for about 2 weeks and first thing I noticed is the pink color and the smell of the sulfur powder. This spot treatment is formulated with the antibiotic sulfur powder, salicylic acid and hinoki cypress extract. It claims to soothe, heal and brighten the blemishes. Not sure about the brightening portion but it sure did soothe and healed my blemishes!

Since I have an acne-prone face and my face was breaking out, smelling the sulfur and seeing salicylic acid as its ingredient were heavenly! However, for those who cannot take the sulfur smell, you might not like this product the same like I do. 

Also, this spot treatment can be really drying for your face because so just remember to moisturize your face well.

To maximize its effective, I like to massage and spread out the product on my blemish first and then apply the product again,  on the same spot but without massaging it. The reason why I reapply is because when I massage and spread out the product, it tends to get powdery.

For those warriors who wants to conquer the Acne War, grab this Pink weapon!