First Impression: Etude House Pearl Aura Brightening Essence and Lotion

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about the Etude House Pearl Aura Brightening Essence and Lotion! I received these as a gift with purchase when making a purchase from Etude House in Taipei, and I thought I would give them a trial considering I have quite a few acne scars to lighten! 

 What Does It Do?

Emulsion - $16USD

"This is a brightening essence that contains Tahiti black pearl extract based fine aurora particles that enhance the skin’s natural transparent glow, Brightening up dull areas for the effect of just awakened, fresh skin. With sufficient moisture and skin-friendly properties, This essence absorbs quickly without the use of cotton pads, Hugging the skin With its smooth texture for a healthy looking glow.

Directions
Dispense a certain amount onto palm of hands, spreading from inner to outer areas of face, lightly patting to absorb remaining contents.
Apply during first step after morning, evening cleansing.

WATER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, ALCOHOL, GLYCERETH-26, GLYCERIN, NIACINAMIDE, HYDROLYZED PEARL, SEA WATER, NELUMBO NUCIFERA FLOWER EXTRACT, PRUNUS MUME FRUIT EXTRACT, CHOLESTERYL ISOSTEARATE, CHOLESTERYL CHLORIDE, CHOLESTERYL NONANOATE, BIS-PEG-18 METHYL ETHER DIMETHYL SILANE, PEG-60 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, PROPANEDIOL, HYDROXYETHYL ACRYLATE/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE COPOLYMER, CARBOMER, TROMETHAMINE, DISODIUM EDTA, PHENOXYETHANOL, FRAGRANCE" (1)

The full sized bottle of the Essence is absolutely gorgeous, and even the trial sized bottle is gorgeous!

This Essence has small "aurora" floating particles inside the thin gel product that shine green and pink. I can never see any of these little floaties on my hands or on my face, so I really don't think they do anything at all.

As soon as I pour a little of this essence out onto my hand or fingers, there is an overwhelming smell of alcohol. I read 6 reviews, and not one of them mentioned it smelling alcoholic, most reported a light floral scent. I'm positive it's not me imagining things, because alcohol is third on the ingredient list, after Water and Butylene Glycol, a slip agent. This Essence does contain Niacinamide which is a fairly common whitening/brightening agent and it is fairly high up on the list too.

This Essence doesn't absorb so much as it evaporates off the skin, you can see that it's already evaporated in the centre of the above swatch. It makes my face feel quite tight rather than moisturised and I really don't think it does anything good for my skin at all. I didn't see any instant brightening from using this Essence, and I didn't use it for long enough to see a gradual brightening either.

Essence Lotion - $12USD

"This is a daily emulsion containing Tahiti black pearl extract based fine aurora particles that thoroughly moisturize and brighten up skin for a clear, healthy looking glow. This emulsion instantly hugs skin once applied with its rich moisture and firming properties, delivering a moist, long-lasting shine on the skin.

Directions
After applying Pearl Aura Brightening Essence, dispense a certain amount and apply smoothly from inner to outer areas of face.

WATER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERIN, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, ALCOHOL, SQUALANE, NIACINAMIDE, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, CETYL ETHYLHEXANOATE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), HYDROLYZED PEARL, HYDROXYPROPYL BISPALMITAMIDE MEA, SEA WATER, NELUMBO NUCIFERA FLOWER EXTRACT, PRUNUS MUME FRUIT EXTRACT, CHOLESTERYL ISOSTEARATE, CHOLESTERYL NONANOATE, CHOLESTERYL CHLORIDE, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, PROPANEDIOL, BORON NITRIDE, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, C14-22 ALCOHOLS, DIMETHICONOL, POLYACRYLATE-13, ARACHIDYL ALCOHOL, STEARIC ACID, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PALMITIC ACID, BEHENYL ALCOHOL, POLYISOBUTENE, C12-20 ALKYL GLUCOSIDE, CARBOMER, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, ARACHIDYL GLUCOSIDE, POLYSORBATE 20, TIN OXIDE, MYRISTIC ACID, LAURIC ACID, STEARYL BEHENATE, POLYGLYCERYL-3 METHYLGLUCOSE DISTEARATE, INULIN LAURYL CARBAMATE, TROMETHAMINE, DISODIUM EDTA, FRAGRANCE"(2)

This Essence Lotion has quite a thin texture, almost like a gel! It's easy to spread and leaves a lovely luminous finish. There is almost no residue on the skin after this Essence Lotion has absorbed, which makes it feel slightly drying for my skin.

It has a gorgeous luminous finish with a pink and purple shine. It's almost like a luminous primer more than it is a lotion! This Lotion also contains Niacinamide as the active brightening ingredient, though I saw no skin brightening results from this either.

Would I Purchase This Product?

No. I don't think the Brightening Essence actually brightens the skin, and I definitely don't think it moisturises with it's high levels of Alcohol (read about that here). I saw, and felt no benefits from the Essence, and I would only recommend it for Princesses with oily skin, though for me it felt like it gave literally zero hydration. The Essence Lotion is a little better, but I would use this more as a light moisturiser in the summer time if anything. It has a luminous finish, but leaves my skin wanting so much more nourishment, so it might even work best over a proper moisturiser as more of a makeup primer than a Lotion. ^.^

Review: ELF High Definition Undereye Setting Powder

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about ELF's High Definition Undereye Setting Powder! I picked this up because Shaaanxo used to rave about it so much, and it was quite cheap so I thought why not! I usually review a lot of Korean makeup products because they are so financially viable in comparison to "drugstore" products in New Zealand, but we've just starting bringing in some ELF products (which are still ridiculously marked up, $10NZD or $3USD) so this is a great cheap product if you're not into Korean cosmetics!

"This light-diffusing powder camouflages fine lines, dark circles and imperfections, perfect for on camera or everyday wear. The silky powder adds a velvety finish ideal for wearing alone or setting in cream concealer. The Vitamin C & K infused formula helps to restore and strengthen skin for a revitalized appearance."(1)

This setting powder comes housed in a small, plain looking jar, and also comes with a tiny flat brush for ants. Seriously though, I'd have to spend so much time using that brush to set my under-eyes, it's much better suited as a lip brush! There's a little sifter holding the powder back from spilling everywhere which works well until you're down to the last little bits of powder.

The powder has a slight pink tint and actually contains very fine glitter. I can only see the glitter under my eyes if I apply it really heavily so I don't find it irritating at all.

I don't really find that the Undereye Setting Powder decreases the appearance of fine lines at all (not that I have tons of them, Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream is my new favourite) but it does help my eyelids from creasing throughout the day. It doesn't enhance the deeper set lines under my eyes (hereditary) but it does stop the mascara from rubbing off under my eyes excessively!

I compared the ELF Setting Powder to my regular face setting powder, Skinfood's Peach Sake Silky Finish Powder, which is of course isn't specifically a setting powder for under the eyes, but it's what I used to use before I bought this powder! I find that this powder looks much drier under the eyes in comparison to the ELF Powder, and also creases much faster, making my under eyes look quite old.

What I Love

- Super cost effective - $3USD
- Keeps my under eye from creasing and looking old
- Easy to apply
- Translucent, good for all skin types

What I Don't Love

- Marked up prices in NZ ($3USD = $10NZD? Nope)
- They include a ridiculously small brush that's not suited to applying the powder at all, but does work as a lip brush
- Contains glitter, some people hate this (I don't mind though)

Final Thoughts

I really like this under eye setting powder! I don't like how marked up they are to buy in New Zealand ($10NZD in stores, $3USD online which = $4NZD) and I think the little brush they include is absolutely rubbish for actually applying the product since it's half the size of my pinkie nails, but it does work really well for setting my under eyes! I definitely notice it creasing less and looking less wrinkled when I directly compared it to my regular setting powder so I'm a total convert for specific under eye setting powders!

I would definitely recommend this product for absolutely anyone that wants to set their under eye area, it helps to stop creasing and stops mascara from rubbing off too much. I'm really interested in the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder, so if you've tried it let me know your thoughts! ^.^

Store Review: Ebay Seller Rinishop

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about the Ebay seller Rinishop! I know you're all sick of hearing it, but I found this seller while searching for the Etude House Etoinette lipsticks. I verified the seller through Asian Beauties Giant Seller List before making my purchase, because you can't just trust anyone these days!

Website Practicality

Rinishop is a seller through Ebay, which is a very practical and safe website to shop through generally! You will find fakes being sold on Ebay, so do be careful!

Price Comparison

The prices on Rinishop are actually quite good, and especially since they offer free, tracked shipping, the prices are especially sweet!

Rinishop

Etude House Cookie Blush - $6.32 + Shipping $0.00 = $6.32

Cosmetic Love

Etude House Cookie Blush - $6.94 + Shipping $0.00 = $6.94

Roseroseshop

Etude House Cookie Blush - $4.66 + Shipping $3.56 = $8.22

Shipping and Packaging

I didn't take a photo of the packaging because I was absolutely desperate to open it and totally forgot! >< The shipping was free and tracked, it was shipped to me on the 5th of May, and arrived at my house on the 29th of May! 20 working days is actually quite a long time, but I didn't need this product urgently so that's OK! My product was packaged securely with a ton of bubble wrap, and arrived to me in perfect condition.  

Products

I ended up purchasing the Etude House Princess Etoinette Lipstick in the shade PRD302! ^.^ I swatched this in Taipei and didn't love the formula (it's SO glittery) so didn't bother to purchase it then and there. I had severe regrets later, and decided to grab this lipstick while it was well priced ($13.78USD)! This was a good decision because now it's listed for $110USD.

What I Love

- Free Shipping with tracking

- Authentic items

- Easy to navigate website (Ebay)

- Well priced products

What I Don't Love

- Slow shipping

Final Thoughts

I quite enjoyed my shopping experience with Rinishop! I love that they have free, tracked shipping (even though I didn't know it was tracked until I wrote this post in all honesty) and I'm really pleased that the lipstick was in good condition! I'm really glad that this store was on the seller list of Asian Beauty Reddit, because sometimes I'm not even sure if I can trust stores! ><

Review: Soufeel Charm Bracelet

(Sponsored)
Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about a super cute charm bracelet from the store Soufeel! Soufeel reached out to me and offered to send me a bracelet and some charms to review and I was really excited because I've seen so many gorgeous looking Pandora brand charm bracelets, but just never had the funds to purchase it myself since they're really quite pricey.

My order came packaged in a gorgeous cream box with baby blue bow. Inside the box the bracelet and charms are plastic wrapped and resting on a plush velvet pillow. They also included a little soft cloth to keep the jewellery clean!

The basic bracelet is made with Sterling Silver and usually costs $65USD. Mine is 18cm in length as my wrists measure 16cm, the website suggests to add 1.5cm length to get the perfect fit. I find 18cm just a touch too big, but it's not in any danger of falling off my wrist and since my limbs do swell in the summer it's a safe size for me!

The basic bracelet comes with a regular snake barrel clasp which has so far been easy to undo and re-clasp with one hand, and it's easy to slide the charms on.

The first charm I chose was the Vintage Camera Charm. I chose this because it looks super cute and also because I take a lot of photos for blogging! This little camera charm is almost exactly as pictured on the website except a little flawed on the surface.

The other charm I chose was the Solar Deity Dangle Charm! This has no special significance to me really, but it is very pretty! This charm looks identical to what is advertised on the website and I absolutely adore it!

What I Love

- Cute charm designs

- Always seem to be on sale

- Free shipping on orders over $50USD

- Free bracelet with orders over $100USD

- Quick shipping to New Zealand (7 business days)

- Bracelets fit all brands of charms (including Pandora)

What I Don't Love

- Camera charm is slightly flawed (can't even see it in real life)

Final Thoughts

I really like this charm bracelet from Soufeel! It arrived at my house in great time and in perfect condition, wrapped in an adorable instagram worthy box. The bracelet is good quality, and the charms are just gorgeous, I'm over the moon with everything that was sent to me!

Thank you so much to Soufeel for providing these gorgeous products for review! ^.^