Store Review: Tester Korea

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about my shopping experience with TesterKorea! I decided that I wanted to make an order with TesterKorea after the Etude House (why is it always Etude House?) Princess Table was released and the weight of the product stopped me from ordering it from other stores that had high pricing on heavy items! I saw that TesterKorea also had the Etude House Princess Etoinette Heart Highlighter in stock for only 25000won and had to had to have it!

I made my order on the 3rd of June and was emailed on the 11th of June to be told that the Heart Highlighter was out of stock. TesterKorea offered me a refund, or the chance to pick another product with similar pricing and weight. I chose my second most wanted product, the Etude House Princess Etoinette Brush Set! TesterKorea sent my package out through EMS rather than the Regular Air Mail I had originally paid for so my package arrived after one week! ^.^

Price Comparison

TesterKorea has very competitive pricing with very low shipping costs. Their shipping is based on weight, but is considerably lower than my usual favorite RoseRoseShop! So just like I did on my KollectionK Price Comparsion, I've added one of the Etude House Princess Etoienette Lipsticks to my cart and picked shipping to New Zealand. (Prices in NZD)

TesterKorea
Lipstick $15.69NZD + Shipping $4.80 = $20.49

RoseRoseShop
Lipstick $13.19 + Shipping $5.55 = $18.74

KollectionK 
Lipstick $17.40 + Shipping $8.93 = $26.33

Roseroseshop still wins on the super cheap product pricing, but depending on the product TesterKorea is very competitive. It's worth mentioning that the RRS Etude Lipsticks are 20% off (and have been for over a year) while the TesterKorea Etude Lipstick is full price.

Website Practicality

I tend to shop through the brand defined search (eg. Etude House or TonyMoly) or just use the search bar at the top to find what I'm looking for so the website doesn't give me any trouble. I like that they have a little forum section at the top of the home page where you can read about everything and ask any questions! The colour scheme and layout of the website is lovely, you can never go wrong with Black White and Pink!

Shipping and Packaging

The shipping only took one week to get to New Zealand since it was sent through EMS, but it's worth noting that I only paid $13NZD to ship two 160g glass candles and a big rotating storage container over to New Zealand with a tracking number. That's a great price! It was also exceptionally well packaged as you can see below, with extra bubble wrap and styro-foam balls to pack out the box and individually wrapped items.

The individual items were super well wrapped and taped shut (with the exception of the mirror for some super odd reason) which impressed me!

 Products

Etude House Etoinette Brush Collection - 25000won
I'm not actually sure if I like these brushes to be honest. They're pink and cute, but they're also really short, which means that the travel case is very petite and none of my other brushes actually fit into the travel case. I also have not used the lip brush at all and I've had these since June.

The brushes also smell like wet dog. No matter now much I wash them, or what with, they still smell like wet dog. But I do like looking at them for sure!

Etude House Etoinette Princess Mirror - 5000won
I originally ordered the pink version of this mirror and TesterKorea didn't have that either, so sent me the white version. This was OK with me since I had since ordered the Etoinette Special Kit from Yesstyle specifically just to get the Etoinette Rose Brush (and yes I paid $80NZD for a brush and a mirror). I also tried to order the Heart Highlighter from Yesstyle and theirs was out of stock too so it seems like a massive irritating worldwide problem ... but I'm getting distracted.

This mirror is super cute and super hand! You can flip it backwards so that the mirror stands up on it's own. I use mine mainly to put my contact lens in in the morning so I can sit down and drink my coffee at the same time.

Etude House Princess Etoinette Moon Flower Perfumed Candle (White Peony and Pink Rose) - 11000won each
I love these candles! They're a decent size for the price, and smell super floral which I really like. If you're not a fan of super floral scents you may think these smell like toilets. They have a really little flame, so the candle burns kinda funny and the packaging isn't quite as cute as the rest of the lines packaging, but I like them all the same!

Etude House Princess Makeup Table - 14000won
This little table is super cute! The moment I saw it I knew I had to have it! The biggest question on my mind was if it was actually going to rotate, or just said it was going to rotate.

The boxing and the little kitty is super cute! It was safely wrapped in plastic with some styro-foam balls thrown in. They also included some adorable instructions, that are all written in Korean which I cannot understand.

It's pretty easy to put together even without help, but I did find that the little pizza shelves didn't always click in well and were really stiff. This could just be my particular storage set since a couple of other people reported no trouble with their scalloped pizza shelving.

These are super cute, and fantastic for storing my lipstick, perfume and brushes sticking out of the top! Also yes, it does actually rotate, just not so well when I load it up with heavy perfume hehe ><

I was also sent some little samples! I'm so excited to try out the Black Raspberry Eye Cream from Skinfood! ^.^

What I Love

- Fantastic Shipping Prices

- Good prices

- Great communication

- Amazing shipping packaging! 

What I Don't Love

- Communication was a little slow (over one week) if I'm picky!

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed my shopping experience with TesterKorea! I liked that the contacted me to tell me one of my items was out of stock and gave me the choice of swapping for something else or getting store credit, rather than just giving me the store credit. I love all of the things that I purchased from them and I will definitely be shopping with TesterKorea again! ^.^

Have you shopped with TesterKorea before? What was your experience like?

First Impression: Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream; Very Light

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about a very interesting and unsuspecting super pale product - the Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream! If you have pinky pale skin you are about to be very disappointed because this product is very yellow! But if you have yellowy pale skin like myself then prepared to skip happily on down to your nearest Clinique counter to swatch this product!

What Is It?

"One simple step for glowing skin. Lightweight formula instantly colour corrects a range of complexion concerns - redness, dullness, sallowness - so all you see is a healthy-looking glow. Oil-free hydration and sunscreen mean a more flawless look tomorrow, too.  Each versatile shade is appropriate for a range of skin tones and undertones.

How to Use

• Wear it alone or apply it over your favourite Clinique moisturizer (a great option for drier skins).
• For gentle, efficient removal, use any Clinique makeup remover.
• Men can wear it too-it blends easily for a healthy look.

3 Coverage Options

• Lighter Coverage
  Spot apply CC Cream where skin looks red or dull.
  
• Moderate Coverage
  Smooth it on bare skin or mix a little with your moisturizer.
  
• Fuller Coverage
  Wear it under foundation." (1)

  
My CC Cream tester has quite a creamy texture (although I'm not sure if it's because it's a little old, or because it's actually a creamy product) and is very yellow in tone! It's on the fair side of pale, but isn't quite as pale as my NARS Sheer Glow in Siberia.

It has quite sheer coverage, but is great for everyday use because it doesn't take long to apply. It does tend to get quite oily after 6 hours. I use this product mainly for when I'm running super late and don't want to look like a hot mess, but also won't be out long enough to warrant a full coverage 30min makeup application. I really like sleeping ^.^

 Would I Purchase This Product?

Yes! I really like this product, it's super lightweight, easy to apply and gives me a great light coverage for the days when I just can't be bothered putting on makeup or don't want to look too made up. If you're super yellow and pale like myself, I highly recommend checking this CC Cream out! ^.^

Review: xoBeauty Brushes and Lashes

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be reviewing the xoBeauty Lashes and Brushes shown in the last Sunday Store Review! Like I mentioned briefly in the Store Review, there are so many questions asked about the quality of the xoBeauty brushes in comparison to the super cheap brushes you can buy off Ebay. Since I own the Ebay brushes as well as some of the xoBeauty brushes I included a little comparison between the two! 

I own two sets of the Ebay brushes, and they're great for first time brushes! They're super cheap, come in pretty colours and for around $0.50 each they work quite well! But you can't compare a $0.50 brush to a $18 brush, no matter how similar they look. The same goes with the millions of false lashes you can purchase on Ebay worth $0.10 each. They're super cheap for a reason.

The Romantic ($6.99)

"The Romantic" lashes were designed for the girly girl who likes a bit of flirt, a bit of length, and a bit of volume! They are super full but do not take over your eyes, so they can be worn both day or night. Tapered on the inner corner for comfort, and finished off with a beautiful flick and curve on the 'Outer V' to elongate your eye shape. These have an invisible lash band so you can wear them without eyeliner if you wish. 

The xoBeauty lashes are super thick and full! They're designed to look like naturally thick fluffy lashes, and I love the way that the thick sections of lashes are spread out so that they don't look too overwhelming. In comparison to the top Ebay lashes (closest things I had to the xo lashes!) they look very long, thick and fluffy! The Ebay lashes look exactly the same all the way along the band which isn't a natural look.

Full disclosure, I'm absolutely terrible at applying full lashes. I usually cut them in half and stick them on like that because the inner corner always lifts up! They lash glue (DUO) didn't dry very fast either, so you'll have to put up with visible lash glue - sorry!

Ebay lashes!

Yeah nope. These look really long and thin, don't blend with my natural lashes and also don't bend too well so don't want to stick down (making my already awful lash application even WORSE). They're not shaped (shorter on the inner corners, longer on the outer) so the inner lashes look super weird and unnatural.

xoBeauty Lashes

The lash band is a lot softer than the Ebay lash band, so it almost stuck down well (it's not quite stuck to the lashline, just a little above which is why they look so funny) but they blend quite well with my natural lashes and fit super well around the inner corner since the lashes are shorter! I actually cut these in half after doing these photos and I either use just the outer corner, or stick the two halves separately so they actually work better for my eyes ^.^

Which side do you prefer (ignoring the awful application)?

Face Brushes!

 Bronzing Brush ($18.00) 

Our jumbo sized Bronzer Brush is perfect for an even application of bronzer. This will imitate a beautiful sun-tan with little-to-no effort! The synthetic hairs blend flawlessly, and the large size means you can run your bronzer all around the outer areas of your face for a flawless, natural, sun-kissed glow. And, its super easy and quick! Follow up with a smaller brush to contour your cheeks, add blush, and highlight for a beautiful complete look.

The xoBeauty Bronzer brush has a flatter top than the Ebay brush which is more like a Powder brush. The xoBeauty Brush is insanely soft, while the Ebay brush is a little plasticy.

 Precise Due-Fibre Blush Brush ($18.00)  

Our favourite blush brush! Perfect for both creams and powders. It is tapered which provides a perfect shape for cheek application. And, its super duper soft!

The Ebay brush is a flat top brush while the xoBeauty brush is tapered, making it amazing for blush. Again, the xoBeauty brush is super soft and the Ebay brush it plasticy. The Ebay brush has a little trouble picking up product and tends to flick the product off the face rather than blending it in because the bristles are a little stiff.

Ebay Brushes

To be honest I can't really even see the Bronzer or Blush when using the Ebay brushes. I had to apply it twice to even get this result, so I feel like they will do the job eventually, but it takes way more product to get the same result, and much more blending to make it look somewhat natural. 

xoBeauty Brushes

So much better! Even though my bronzing skill is definitely sub-par, these brushes make so much of a difference.  

Eye Brushes!

I used my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette for this eye look, but it's really the same basic eyeshadow recipe that I use for whenever I wear eye makeup! If I want it to be lighter I use lighter colours, if I want it to be darker I use different colours!

The first step is to prime your eyelids, I used the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer. Then I take the lightest and most neutral shade in the palette (Strange) and apply it over my whole eyelid, brow bone, and into the inner corners of my eyes.

I think take a very mid toned brown colour (Nooner) and blend it out in my crease. I then take a shimmery colour and apply it all over the lid.

Then I take a darker colour (Factory) to use in the outer third of my lid, and into the outer third of my lower lash line. I use a little more of my crease colour (Nooner) to re-blend, and that's it!

 Tapered Crease Brush ($18.00)

Our Tapered Crease Brush is perfect for applying colour into your crease, and is super soft and fluffy so you can then blend that colour right out! This is slightly smaller then our similar Blender Brush, and more tapered

This is my favorite brush out of them all, I just think that it does such a good job at blending! I love that the eyeshadow didn't just get dusted off the brush like it usually would.  The Ebay brush does not compare. It's more like a domed brush rather than a blending brush so it just does not do a very good job. I'm not even sure how I did eyeshadow before owning a proper blending brush? (Tbh, that's probably why it was so bad). 

I think the pictures speak for themselves.

 Tapered Blender Brush ($18.00)

Our Tapered Blender Brush is perfect for blending colour into the crease. It is smaller than our white bristled blending brush, meaning its great to place colour and blend at the same time!

This brush isn't as necessary as the Crease brush, but it's still very handy! It's amazing for doing small detailed blending, as well as lower lashline stuff. Again, the Ebay comparison brush isn't quite the same, but it's the closest that they have! I think overall the difference between the brushes is that the xoBeauty brushes are much more detailed, so I get a lot more precision with them rather than the Ebay brushes which looks quite chunky and they eyeshadow goes out a lot further than the xoBeauty side. It just looks messy, it's hard work, and uses more product.

 Gratuitous eye shot. Why not.

Here's the final comparison between the xoBeauty and Ebay lashes and brushes. Personally I think there is a massive difference not only with the hilarious lashes, but with the face and eye brushes.

What I Love

- Amazing quality

- Easy to use

- Great range of products

- Supporting NZ businesses

What I Don't Love

- On the pricier side for some

Final Thoughts

I absolutely love the brushes and lashes I picked out! The brushes work so well that it took me half the time to look twice as good with twice as little product! I could never understand why my eyeshadow looked bad when I was using good quality eyeshadow, but honestly having good brushes makes all the difference! I will definitely be getting some more brushes from xoBeauty and possibly some for the super cute hair ties and rings! ^.^

Thanks for reading all the way down to the end of this massive review! Do you like long picture heavy reviews, or short wordy reviews?