Store Review: W2Beauty

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about my shopping experience with W2Beauty! I always avoided shopping at W2Beauty because the prices are just so high, but I was convinced to try out their services because the customer service is supposed to be outstanding! I won't lie, this started out as a really, really irritating experience for me in many ways, so if you're interested, please read on!

Website Practicality

The website is very practical and easy to navigate. There is a nice functional search bar up the top, drop down navigation bars as well as a side bar to navigate with. It's super easy to create a log in, add items to your cart and check out. It does annoy me that there are no product descriptions for any products, but this can be found by using google so it's not so much of an issue.

I decided to make my purchase with W2Beauty because the price of the Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First Serum. It wasn't the cheapest price on the market, but it wasn't too far off. As I was about to check out, I remembered that W2Beauty offer $5 off your first purchase, so I headed to my emails to dig out my code. 

To my annoyance the code was expired (it was from 2014, but there is no expiry date in the email) so I created a new log in so I could use the $5 off your first purchase coupon, as this is my first purchase. I successfully got my coupon and entered it in the checkout. Then I told me that I didn't meet the minimum amount to use the coupon. Sorry, what? There is no mention of a minimum spend on the email with the coupon. 

I dug around the links on W2Beauty to figure out what the minimum spend was, and it turns out that I needed to add an extra $5.80 to redeem my $5 off coupon. I literally could not find a single thing I wanted or needed for under $15. Not even a couple of sheet masks. So I proceeded to checkout, saving the coupon for another more pricey purchase.

The kicker is, after I put through my purchase and screen shotted the home page I noticed that there was an extra 5% off throughout August that I could have used to have $1.22 off my purchase. At the order page it prompted me to use the sponsorship discount but not the monthly discount. $1.22 isn't very much of a saving, but it was kind of a kick in the teeth to have gone to so much trouble to use the initial coupon that I was almost literally kicking myself in annoyance that I didn't save that measly $1.22.

Obviously when I wrote these four paragraphs after I made the purchase and was in an irritated mood. I'm not going to erase them because that's honestly how I felt as a customer and I think it's important to be honest. I don't order products under my blogging name, so this could possibly be the same experience other consumers would have.

 
 Price Comparison

You can probably guess why I chose to purchase this particular product with a store that had a set shipping fee! ><

W2Beauty

Skinfood Black Sugar Serum $24.21 + Shipping $2.50 = $26.71

Cosmetic Love

Skinfood Black Sugar Serum $22.94 + Shipping $0.00 = $22.94

Roseroseshop

Skinfood Black Sugar Serum $15.35 + Shipping $11.80 = $27.15

Shipping and Packaging

I made my purchase on the 31st August, and my package arrived on the 10th of September after 9 working days, which is pretty fabulous! My item came in an massive box and was securely wrapped in bubble wrap. My package came with generous samples and a little apple candy.

Products

Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First Serum

I trialled this serum a couple of months back and absolutely adored it! I decided to purchase the full size product to review it completely and I'm so excited to finally have it! ^.^ It also surprisingly came with a big set of cotton pads.

What I Love

- Cheap tracked shipping
- Reasonably quick shipping
- Well packaged products
- Generous samples

What I Don't Love

- I'd love to use my coupon code, but the invisible T&C's stopped me
- Slightly higher price point for products

Final Thoughts

Although my initial experience with W2Beauty was definitely one of annoyance and irritation, overall I was very satisfied with my purchase. I love that Alice gives generous samples (in all honesty the candy totally made my day, it's the little things) and that the shipping was inexpensive and very quick. I think that some changes may need to be made with the way the vouchers are handed out, if there is an expiry date or minimum purchase I would at least expect there to be some fine print on the actual coupon outlining those terms and conditions rather than having to search through the website to find out why it wasn't working.

I would absolutely recommend W2Beauty to any Princesses that are looking for Asian Beauty and Skincare, especially if they're buying something bulky or heavy, and need it to be delivered in a short amount of time.

First Impression: Meow Cosmetics Lush Blush

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about the Meow Cosmetics Lush Blush! I picked up a few of these blushes because they are supposed to be glowy and dewy without being glittery!

What Does It Do?

 "A beautiful indulgence: 

vital, youthful and fresh, a must have blush!

LushBlush: saturated in vivid wet hues, moist and creamy to the touch, with an opaline sheen of glowing lustrous color.  One light sweep at the cheekbone is all you'll need to complete your look.  They are completely unlike any other blush we have ever offered.  Lush Blush provides a glowing flush of color to the cheeks with no sparkle to distract from their rich healthy glow, just an effortless dewy wash of pure color."(1) 

 Hugs & Kitties

 Pure light pink for fair skins or as a highlight on darker skin

I really don't like think shade, it's just too pale and metallic. It doesn't look natural at all, and mostly just looks like shimmer. Not a fan!

Liasion

 Cool pink with a  hint of lilac

I actually adore the colour of this blush, but again, the shimmer turns me off. The colour is a really lovely mauve shade which is really flattering for my skintone, but the white shimmer really accentuates my pores, even though I'm using a pore filler primer here! ><

 Warm & Fuzzy

 Soft peach

This was probably the most flattering blush shade, but mostly because it is similar to my own skin tone. In the harsh ring light you can't really see this blush doing much for my skin. You can however see it making my foundation looking flakier than usual, awesome.

Would I Purchase This Product?

No, I still don't like the glitter/shimmer in these blushes! I really liked the colour of Liason, but the shimmery formula just isn't for me unfortunately. I found that all three shades made my skin look worse (not usually a problem for me!) so I won't purchase the full sizes of these blushes.

I would definitely recommend these blushes for any Princesses that are looking for Cruelty Free shimmery blushes! ^.^

Review: Etude House Tear Drop Liner

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about the Etude House Tear Drop Liners! I've been steadily collecting these since 2012 (whaat) and now that I've finally located the last shade for a reasonable price I can finally review all four shades! ^.^
"Etude House Tear Eye Liner is a shimmery liquid eyeliner that brightens eyes with a delightful sheer, sparkling finish. The thin brush applicator comes with a mini tip for precise and mess-free application. Apply it on the lower lash line to make eyes appear bigger and doll-like, for a charming wide-eyed, innocent look.

Directions: Apply to lower lash line for a brighter, wider looking eye. Or add to the top for a pop of sparkle and shine."(1)

The packaging of this product is cute, but impractical. I struggle to stand them upright because the cap is too long and heavier than the base. The applicator wand is very long and thin, making it hard to get an even application, resulting in chunky glitter.

1: White Tear

White Tear contains bright sliver and bronze glitter, and has the thinnest formula out of the four. It's super subtle and suitable for everyday wear.

Looking straight on it's a little difficult to see the tear liner at all, but from a side angle you can see the pretty glitters in all their glory! I like this shade, but it's so subtle that it can't really be seen in photographs.

Super subtle shimmers, perfect for everyday cute eye bags!

2: Silver Tear

Silver Tear has dark silver and bronze glitter, though is mostly composed of a thinner shimmer.

Again, this shade doesn't reflect that well from front on, but it provides are gorgeous bright sparkle from side on. This shade doesn't look chunky on the eyes and has more shimmer than full on glitter. (Lenses are GEO Fresh Brown).

These lenses are the GEO Starmish Brown Lenses

3: Pearl Tear

Pearl Tear is predominantly pink and white shimmer with some bigger chunks of glitter.

This shade is a little more prominent than the previous two and looks really cute when I smile and puff up my Aegyo Sal. This shade is quite thick which makes it look brighter, but it also makes it flake off quicker. I use this shade if I want a bright inner corner highlight for a short period of time.

I adore the puffy eye bag/Aegyo Sal look!

 4: Sunlight Tear

Sunlight Tear has bright gold and bronze glitter, and is the thickest and brightest out of the four shades.

Sunlight tear looks lovely on they eyes, not too bright but still sparkly! I like that they included a warm toned colour as the other three shades are quite cool toned.

These lenses are als the GEO Starmish Brown Lenses

Here is a comparison of all of the shades on my eyes! You can definitely see the difference in texture and colour.

What I Love

- Good range of colours

- Mostly inexpensive

- Easy to use
- Look super cute on eye bags!
- Last well on the eyes (the thicker the application the more it will flake)

What I Don't Love

- Can turn out looking chunky/flakey
- A little hard to store due to the packaging

Final Thoughts

I absolutely adore the Etude House Tear Drop Liners, though I feel like if they repackaged them I would like them a lot more. In comparison to the Dreaming Swan Eye Volumers, I prefer this thinner applicator over the massive doe foot applicator on the Eye Volumer, but the Eye Volumer has much better outer packaging. These Tear Drop Liners look gorgeous on the eyes, last really well (unless you build it up too thick and then it will flake off) and they're quite easy to apply. I haven't really found anything else that is quite as nice as these tear drop liners, but I'm sure that I would review and compare them if I do find some in the future! ^.^

I would definitely recommend these Tear Drop Liners for any Princesses looking for a tear liner that is easy to apply, cutely (though irritatingly) packaged with a good colour range!