The NYE make up look

makeup


I wasn't planning to do this blogpost, but hey, New Year's Eve make up is only one time in a year ! 



Prep - Skin Care

In the midst of studying for my upcoming -dreadful- exams , I got sick and I've been lacking a bit in my skincare layering (article to come) franzy. My skin isn't looking as fab as it could be, so I used a Tea Tree Mask from Innisfree featured in my last Testerkorea order to ease up the blemishes and break outs. I used this mask 2 days prior to NYE, and I suggest you don't start to experiment with new products the night before if you don't want to end up with a possible break out.




Primer

 


I've used the deluxe sizes primers I've got from Smashbox : I'm applying the Photo Finish (Oil Free version) all over my T-zone to prevent any excess shine and the Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer, to moisturize my under eye area. 
Tip : To keep your t-zone matte all though the night, set your primers with a mattifying setting powder. I'm using Innisfree's No Sebum powder to set my t-zone.

 The Eye make up 

 

(Missing on the picture are shades Blackout and Vanilla from UD's 15 Anniversary palette) 


 I don't wear eye shadows ever if I don't have a special occasion or party, so when I do wear some, I try to step it up a little here with a mix of drugstore and high end products :
I'm using Maybelline's Color Tattoo in 70 Mettalic Pomegranate all over my lid , a gorgeous plum cream eyeshadow with gold sparkles in it. Then, I also use a tiny amount of shade 05 - Pink Gold in the inner eye to highlight that area a bit.
With my trusty Naked 1 palette from Urban Decay, I pick Toasted and use it to define my crease and the outer part of the eyes with a dense blending brush. I then take the mattest and blackest black eyeshadow ever : Blackout from Urban Decay and use it to define my outer portion of the eye : Doing a V-shape in the outer part to intensify the eyelook and smoke it a bit. 
I go over my highlighted inner corners with my all-time favorite highlighting eye shadow : Urban Decay's Vanilla. 

Brows

I go over my brows with nearly finished NYX's eyebrow pencil in Dark Brown and because this bad boy is dying, I finished my brows with some dark eyeshadows from Smashbox's Full Exposure travel palette.

Eyeliner

I end the whole eye look, with a winged liner using the most waterproof liquid eyeliner ever : Kiko's Definition Waterproof Eyeliner. Lining my upper and lower waterline with UD's Perversion pencil eyeliner. Last but not least, I used my all-time favorite mascara : Benefit's They're Real . Now, is also the time to use falsies if you feel like it, I would've if I didn't rip the last pair I had. Time to order some ! 

The face make up


(Missing from the picture : MAC's Fix + powder)

Using NARS' Sheer Glow foundation in Barcelona with a F80 brush from Sigma, I buff it all over my face using circular motions. Mixing NARS' Radiant Creamy concealer in Ginger and MAC's Prep and Prime Highlighter in Bright Forecast, I apply it under my eye with a F86 brush to highlight this part of my face and end the application with a beauty blender for a more seamless application. I also extend MAC's highlighter on the bridge of my nose and center of my forehead to avoid having my undereyes as the only lighter part of the whole look. I set the whole thing with Ben Nye's Banana setting powder. I also set my T-Zone slightly (really just a tiny bit) dusting MAC's Fix + powder in NC42.


Taking The Balm's Bahama Mama bronzer, I contour my cheeks and nose for a more sculpted look.

My favorite step : Highlighter : I couldn't decide between my all-time favorite liquid highlighter or The Balm's Mary Lou-manizer, and I ended up going with the last thinking that I should get out of my confort zone. I used the highlighter on my cheekbones and browbones.


Lips

 

 


As I'm sporting a heavier eye look (although I can assure you it's not an overly dramatic smokey eye yet) , I went for a softer lip color mixing MAC's Taupe and a bit of MAC's All Fired Up.

Last but not least , to keep the whole thing fixed and loose the powdery finish : I used MAC's Fix + all over my face.




As you can see, I'm using mainly 3 brands because I tend to stick with my trusted product for big night outs like new year's eve. And this was the last post of 2014, let's meet again in 2015 !



MISSHA - Magic Cushion - Demo & Review

makeup

Article en Francais - Article written in English


In my last Testerkorea order, I got this MISSHA Magic Cushion case to try out as there isn't any cushion foundation available for darker skintone. Can't blame them, Koreans market their product for their people. They brought us BB Creams and then CC Creams, and I'm pretty sure that the western market will eventually fall into the cushion foundation bandwagon too.

Edit : I was right : Lancôme is coming up with it's own cushion foundation, it seems to cost 45€ for only 6 shades available (and not a lot of product.).

Dans ma dernière commande Testerkorea , je me suis procurée la Magic Cushion Case de Missha pour pouvoir enfin tester les fond de teint cushion puisqu'il n'existe pas -encore- de fond de teint cushion pour les teintes plus foncées. Les coréens nous ont apporté les BB Crèmes, CC Crèmes et je suis presque sûre que les marques occidentales ne vont pas tarder à se jeter sur la mode du cushion.

 Edit : J'avais raison, Lancôme sort sa prore fond de teint cushion, qui semble couter 45€ pour  6 teintes (et peu de produit...).


This cushion case retails for 9600 korean won, which converts approx to 7,20 €/ 8$.

Le prix de cette case est de 9600 won, ce qui donne un prix aux alentours de 7/8€ ou 8/9$.

WHAT IS CUSHION FOUNDATION ?


Cushions are actually your regular liquid foundation soaked into a sponge. You pick up the product with a special spongy puff especially made for cushions type of foundation. Asians are big on SPF (and everyone should be too), so the foundations are actually made like bb creams or cc creams : With special care and needs covered such as SPF, moisturizing properties or serum. It all depends on the brand and the product itself. It works as compact liquid foundation and is perfect for touch ups or people who like to do their makeup on the way. 
Like I said, you won't have a large amount of shades offered, with only 2 to 3 shades, darker skinned people would probably pass this trend for now. 
But that was before, MISSHA and other companies came out with their cushion case. As you may have understood now, you can make your own cushion foundation with the case , sponge and puff provided.

Les cushions se présente en réalité, comme votre fond de teint liquide traditionel absorbé par une éponges alvéolés d'une multitudes de petis pores pour donner un fini le plus naturel possible. Vous appliquez le produit avec une houpette spéciale à texture épongeuse. Les asiatiques sont fans de SPF (et vous devrez l'être aussi !), donc les fond de teints cushions sont fait comme leur BB Creams ou CC Crèmes, avec des soins particuliers suivant la marque ou le produit en lui même : SPF, serum , hydrantant etc..
Évidemment, les choix de teintes sont minimes et les marques présentent leur produits avec un maximum de 2 à 3 teintes. Les personnes à carnation plus foncée, doivent pour l'instant se passer de cette petite révolution. 
Mais ça, c'était avant que MISSHA et d'autres marques sortent leur cushion case : Vous pouvez faire votre propre fond de teint cushion avec le contenant, eponge et houpette de ces cushions cases. 


The instruction are provided in Korean but the pictures are pretty self-explanatory, and I'll give you a little step by step demo anyways.

Les instructions sont en Coréens mais les images parlent d'elles-même : 



Inside, the packet comes with the compact, the sponge and the foundation.





When you open the compact, you find a mirror (which has a foil that I didn't remove, over it) which is convenient for application on the go. The puff will be stored on top of the white lid which opens up to the actual content and sponge of the compact.

Quand vous ouvrez le contenant, vous y trouverez un miroir pratique pour les retouches et l'houpette qui se trouveras au dessus du couvercle blanc. 



For this little experiment, I've decided to go with regular foundation which is here my current foundation.  You can put whatever you want, mix your foundation with SPF, moisturizer or primer. Or even just use an SPF instead of foundation (Korean companies have started to make SPF cushion too).

Sous le couvercle blanc, se trouveras l'éponge imbibée de produit. 
Pour cette fois ci, j'ai décidé d'utiliser le fond de teint que j'utilise actuellement  mais vous pouvez utiliser ce que vous voulez : Mélanger votre fond de teint avec de la crème solaire , crème hydratante ou primer. Où même utiliser une crème solaire seule , beaucoup de marques coréennes utilise le système de cushions pour une multitude de produit comme l'eye liner , primers ou crème hydratante.



You have to pour your foundation in the container making sure you only pour 1/3 of it to avoid any excess foundation to flow out when you put the sponge in.

Vous devez vous assurez de verser votre fond de teint jusqu'à 1/3 du contenant pour éviter que le produit déborde quand vous mettrez l'éponge à l'intérieur. (Ici, je n'ai pas mis assez de produit mais je vais y remédier dans les étapes suivantes).


Then, you pop the sponge in. Make you sure to be gentle, to avoid any tearing of the sponge.





After that, you wait for the product to get soaked up.

Il faut maintenant attendre que le produit soit absorbé par l'éponge. 


This is how it should look like a few minutes after. I pushed in the sponge a bit to get the product soaked up because I didn't put enough foundation into the recipient. You can also add a bit of product on top of the sponge to get it fully soaked up like I did here :

Cela devrait ressembler à ca après une bonne vingtaine de minutes. Comme je n'avais pas mis assez de fond de teint à la première étape, j'en ai rajouté au dessus et j'ai appuyé sur l'éponge pour le fond de teint du dessous soit bien absorbé. 



This is how it looks when you press the puff into the sponge to get some product on there.


I've tried to take a picture of the way it looks when you apply it but as you can see, cushion foundations offers you a sheer and even coverage :

Utilisé légèrement, vous obtenez une fine couche de fond de teint ce qui vous offre une couvrance légère. Vous pouvez évidemment en appliquer un peu plus et obtenir une couvrance plus forte (suivant le produit que vous avez utilisé). 


MY THOUGHTS


As you can tell from the previous picture, cushion foundations offer a lighter coverage. I don't think that people who likes medium to high coverage product will like this product as the way to apply their foundation. But, you can definitely build it up and get a nicer coverage but that of course will require you some time.
The way I applied this onto my skin was with a tapping motion all over my face. It gives you a nice flawless finish and it looks extremely natural. I tapped a bit more on the areas where I thought I needed more coverage and it didn't look cakey or anything. The puff feels nice and gentle on the skin and I believe that its smooth surface is what helps the product to be applied evenly even though it gets picked up spotty like the sponge.
Even you don't like sheer coverage foundation, this is great as a touch up product. But, the actual downfall of this is that, the compact is way too bulky and thus, inconvenient to travel with it around. It didn't actually fit into my really small makeup pouch.

L'application type cushion à l'avantage de vous donner un effet très naturel , vous pouvez bien évidemment en appliquer un peu plus pour obtenir une couvrance moyenne voir plus haute, suivant le produit utilisé (une crème teintée ne donnera pas le même effet qu'un fond de teint traditionnel par exemple). 
J'ai appliqué ce produit en tappotant sur ma peau à l'aide de l'houpette qui est très douce. Cette méthode offre une fini parfait et naturel à votre peau. J'ai appliqué plus de produit sur les zones de mon visage où je pensais avoir besoin d'un peu plus de couvrance et cela ne vous donne pas d'effet cakey/ trop maquillé. 
Ce produit est parfait en tant que retouche de votre fond de teint liquide mais l'inconvéniant majeur de cette fonction est que, comme vous pouvez le voir sur les photos : Le produit est beaucoup trop gros et large pour être facilement transporté. Il peut bien évidemment tenir dans les sac à mais mais, personnellement j'ai essayé de le faire rentrer dans une petite trousse de maquillage et le contenant était beaucoup trop épais.  

PROS


- Perfect for people who want to custom build their cushion
- Sponge and puff are great quality
- Mirror is included
- I believe you can build puffs and sponges seperately
- You choose your own products to mix and match


CONS

- Too bulky
- The white lid doesn't shut properly
- Hygiene wise, sponges and puffs are quite prone to development of bacterias


I really like this product as an actual touch up product , or just to apply a really thin layer of product for when I run errands or whatnot.

 J'aime utiliser ce produit en tant que retouche dans mon sac, où pour appliquer une très fine couche de produit pour les jours où je ne me maquillage pas totalement.

To all of my brown/indian/NC42 and above girls who always wanted to try out cushion foundation, this is your way to go.

Les fond de teint cushions n'existent pas encore pour les teintes foncées mais cette méthode de petit DIY avec le contenant offre la possibilité à toutes les carnations d'utiliser leur produit préférés en tant que cushion foundation. L’inconvénient hygiénique réside dans le fait que la prolifération de bactéries est plus courante dans les applicateurs épongeux, mais MISSHA et les autres marques vous permettent d'acheter les applicateurs séparément à moindres coût plutôt que d'acheter toute la panoplie une nouvelle fois. 

NARS Chronicles : All Day Luminous Powder Foundation : Stromboli & Barcelona - Review & Swatches

makeup
Article en Francais - Article written in English


My love story started with NARS started with the Sheer Glow and the perfect shade ever for my skintone. When NARS came out with their new powder foundation called "All Day Luminous Powder Foundation" , I thought it would be perfect to set my T-zone, as the Sheer Glow has a tendency to get shiny there.

Ma petite histoire d'amour avec NARS a commencé avec le Sheer Glow et sa teinte parfaite pour ma carnation. Quand NARS a sorti leur nouvelle poudre appelée "All Day Luminous Powder Foundation", j'ai pensé qu'elle serait parfaite pour mattifier ma zone-t.



WHAT THE BRAND SAYS



Luxuriously lightweight.  Uniquely luminous.  Silky and ultrafine to the touch, skin is indulged with the sensation of velvet in the comfort of a powder.
Exclusive Luminous Enhancing Technology smoothes and evens the complexion with color that lasts – even in the highest humidity. A global range of 15 shades enriched with skincare benefits and SPF protection improve skin’s appearance with every application.
This product is dermatologist-tested, noncomedogenic, alcohol-free, and oil-free.

Légèreté luxueuse. Une luminosité unique. Soyeuse et ultra-fine au toucher, la peau est bichonnée avec une sensation de velours et le confort d'une poudre.

La technologie unique conçue pour améliorer la luminosité adoucit et unifie le teint avec une couleur durable, même dans les situations les plus humides. Une large sélection de 15 teintes enrichies des bienfaits des soins pour la peau et la protection SPF qui améliorent l'apparence de votre peau à chaque application.
Produit testé dermatologiquement, non comedogène, sans alcohol et non gras. 

THE SHADES

I waited - like I did for the Audacious - for this line to come in France and they finally did, but only online. The only other place (at least in Paris and its suburbs) the Luminous Powder was displayed was the Sephora tourist crowded  Champs Elysées store. So I went there, and even though I saw online how Barcelona looked more like a beige undertone than its counterpart in Sheer Glow, I asked the Sephora lady if it really was the same as the Sheer Glow, and she assured me it was. In my Sheer Glow article, you saw that the Sephora lady was wrong so I don't know why I keep on trusting them, but I bought it thinking that I could always return it, if it didn't work out.


Comme je l'ai fait pour les Audacious, j'ai dû attendre que le produit sorte en France, sauf qu'il n'est sorti que sur internet ! A Paris et sa banlieue parisienne, la poudre Luminous n'était présente que dans un seul Sephora : Celui des Champs-Elysées où touristes se bousculent et remplissent l'endroit sans arrêt (difficile de tester tranquillement les produits). Je m'y suis quand même rendu et même si j'avais remarqué sur les swatchs en ligne que Barcelona avait plus un sous ton beige que jaune à l'inverse de son faux jumeau chez Sheer Glow, j'ai demandé l'avis de la maquilleuse de Sephora. Dans mon article sur le Sheer Glow, vous avez pu voir à quel point les conseils de la dernière maquilleuse ne me convenait pas, je ne sais d'ailleurs pas pourquoi je continue de les écouter mais j'ai pensé, encore une fois, que je pouvais me faire rembourser le produit s'il ne me convenait pas. 



Barcelona didn't work out and I decided to order Stromboli which is supposedly a shade lighter with a strong yellow undertone which I thought could work for me yellow based skin.

Barcelona n'a donc pas marché pour ma carnation et j'ai commandé Stromboli sur l'e-shop de Sephora. Stromboli est la teinte en dessous de Barcelona, et a plutôt un sous ton jaune qui pourrait marcher avec mon teint. 



STROMBOLI



BARCELONA



In the end, both didn't work out, although Stromboli had the right undertone for me, it was a tad too light. I still use it though to just lightly dust it over my t-zone , so it doesn't look too off, but I definitely can't pull it off all over the face.

Finalement, aucune des teintes ne m'ont convenu, malgré le fait que Stromboli avait le sous-ton adequat, la teinte reste tout de même un petit peu trop claire. Je l'utilise en ce moment en tant que finition sur ma zone-t de tant à autre, en l'appliquant très très légèrement donc ca n'est pas très problématique mais je ne peux définitement pas l'appliquer sur tout mon visage.


THE PACKAGING

 

The whole powder is packaged in a sleek rubbery black compact powder like you would expect any NARS product to be packaged. 
The lid opens up to a half sponge half puff applicator. The middle part containing moves quite freely and smashes against the mirror, resulting in the outer part of the powder getting crushed.

La poudre se trouve dans un packaging élégant noir avec un fini ressemblant à tout les produits NARS.
Le socle contenant la poudre s'ouvre et on y trouve en dessous, la mi-eponge mi-houpette qui vous sert d'applicateur. Le socle a tendance a bouger et se cogne contre le miroir ce qui fait que la poudre se casse un peu vers l'extérieur. C'est un petit point négatif à retenir concernant le packaging.


The powder is supposed to be used dry or wet, you use the dry part with the puffy side of the applicator :

Vous pouvez utiliser la poudre sec ou mouillée : Sec, vous utiliser la partie houpette de l'applicateur : 



And you use it wet, with the sponge part of the applicator :

Mouillée, la partie éponge de l'applicateur : 


SWATCHES




Swatched on a paper towel, the two shades look relatively darker than what they are so I suggest you keep in mind the swatches above on my arm as they are true to shade.  

Swatchés sur une serviette en papier, les teintes apparaissent beaucoup plus foncé que la réalité. Je vous suggère donc de vous fiez plutôt aux swatches sur mon bras plus haut. 


MY THOUGHTS

None of the shades worked out, so I can't obviously give you a full in-depth review but I did use Stromboli both dry and wet : Dry, lightly dusted with a powder brush doesn't give you that full highly unnatural matte look that powder foundation can give you. The actual technology NARS used in this well named "Luminous" powder foundation gives you a velvet and light reflecting finish without that matte cast. It's not overly glowy or anything, it is truly what I would describe as a natural finish. Wet, you can build up the foundation and get a nice medium coverage and it has a somewhat flawless finish that leaves your skin smooth. The other thing I'd like to mention is that, dampening your sponge our beautyblender won't mess up the actual powder like other products tend to get. 

A really great powder foundation, NARS got us but the packaging could be revised and shades could be added. The lightest shade is Siberia described as a Light with neutral balance of pink and yellow undertones and won't work out for the palest out there and the darker shade is called Macao described as Medium- dark with yellow undertones, which also won't work out for the darkest out there. 

Aucune des teintes n'ont fonctionné donc je ne peux pas vous donner une review et un avis complet sur le produit, mais j'ai pu utilisé Stromboli à la fois sec et mouillée : Utilisée sec avec un pinceau poudre, vous n'aurez pas ce fini ultra matte et non naturel que les poudres fond de teint ont tendance à avoir. NARS a su utiliser une technologie bien à eux, qui vous donne un fini satiné qui reflète la lumière et vous donne un effet tout à fait naturel. Le terme "Luminous" porte bien son nom et vous n'aurez pas un fini trop glowy. Utilisée mouillée, vous pouvez utiliser plusieurs couches pour avoir une couvrance moyenne. Le fini est uniforme et laisse votre peau véritablement douce (ce n'est pas des blagues ! J'ai été assez surprise d'ailleurs).

Nars nous offre une très bonne poudre mais le packaging pourrait être revu et quelques teintes rajoutées. La teinte la plus claire (Siberia) n'ira surement pas au plus pâle d'entre vous, de même pour la teinte la plus foncée (Macao). Ce qui reste une déception puisque, comme moi, certains auront du mal à trouver leur teinte.  

Get it



Other NARS reviews :




Lululun Pink (Moisture) Sheet Masks - Review

skincare






This brand and masks were pretty much unknown to me until my friend who went to Japan for the holidays asked me if I wanted anything. Being the asian beauty junkie that I'm, I told her to just bring me a couple of sheet masks and this is what she brought me :


When I asked her what the masks were intended for, she basically told me "just moisture and all" for all 3 of these.

After a little digging on the internet, this is what I've come up with :

WHAT THE BRAND SAY


Best selling mask in Japan. Daily use of this mask promotes soft, silky skin, increasing its ability to retain moisture and enhance the absorption of serums. The addition of Royal Jelly and Hyaluronic Acid provide deeply penetrating moisture without leaving any sticky or greasy film. Great for sensitive skin types. 


THE PRODUCT


It is said to be completely free of oil, alcohol, fragrance and coloring and the material composed of 100% cotton. 
 My version is packaged with 7 sheets packed all together with a closing. It's not the most hygienic packaging but it's manageable. I've read that after opening, you could keep them up to 80 days, so I wouldn't recommend keeping them after the deadline.
Ps : I've seen these packed with more than 20 , 40 and even 100 of sheets in one packet. To each his own truly, even with it's intended daily use with a 100 or even 40 of these I'd worry about them drying.

The main downside of this mass packaging is that all of the masks are stuck together and I actually didn't even realize while taking the picture that there were 2 masks stuck together.


Where to buy them ?

I don't know the price of these but my friend told she got these for around 3-5 bucks in Japan, for now, I've seen these sheet masks going up to crazy prices on amazon. I've found them on a site called Imomoko for 5.50$. Never tried the website but they ship via UPS for the USA and DHL for the rest of the world. These 2 carriers equals custom taxes every time for me, so I don't think I'll try it but if you do, I'd like you know your experience in the comments below or through my twitter.

INGREDIENTS

7 Active Ingredients:

  • Hyaluronic acid: High-quality moisturizing.
  • EGF: Promotes turnover of skin cells.
  • Arupuchin: Suppresses melanin production to promote glowing, bright skin.
  • Papain: Disassemble the sebum,remove blackheads and corneum.
  • Soybean extract: Gently soothe troubled skin.
  • Polyglutamic acid: Nine times more moisturising than hyaluronic acid.
  • Lecithin: Support the penetration of the above ingredients.
 All the ingredients are listed as :
Water, BG, glycerin, ethanol, Na hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, lecithin, soybean oil, human oligo-peptide-1, soybean seed extract, leaf extract chalk arch, arbutin, alginic acid Na, hydrolyzed collagen, tea leaf extract, Scutellaria root extract, polysorbate 80, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben

None of these ingredients trigger acne or irritation on Cosdna but some ingredients are yellow flagged, however, they are listed as being emulsifiers and preservatives, so this product is pretty safe for any skin type. 

HOW TO USE IT

After cleansing your face, simply put it on and pat the mask onto your face to avoid air bubbles. I personally have a really small face so the mask is a bit too big and air bubbles are hard to avoid so what I do sometimes is cutting the part that goes just before the lips and just re-adjust the mask accordingly.

--> If your skin is irritated, I wouldn't suggest using it though because it tends to really burn up those irritation. It lasts for a good 5 mins and then it just tingles a tiny bit.


MY THOUGHTS

I wasn't really interested in these sheet masks mainly because all the writing of the packaging was in japanese and my friend only told me that it was for moisture purposes. Harsh fall/winter weather came in France around October and my normal skin during summer turned to a dehydrated version of it. 2 mins was the only time I could stay still without rushing to put some cream on after washing my face, my skin would feel so tight and dry, it's unbearable. I definitely needed some moisture back in the game and that's when I thought I'll go for the pink one of the bunch.

In the pictures, I was down to my last sheets and I didn't think about taking pictures first because I truly enjoyed these masks. Up to now, they were the best moisturizing masks I've ever used. My dehydrated skin would go back to a really well moisturized skin. My skin would feel so smooth and gentle, I could even go to the point that I had baby like skin. I've used 3 of 4 of these 3/4 days in a row (I've read that you're supposed to use these every day for best results) and I loved these so much that I'm quite sad to have finished already. I'm definitely going for the purple one next.
The only downside I could actually point out is that, after removing the sheet from your face, it does feel a tiny bit sticky and you have the wait quite some time before it goes away and the product is completely absorbed by your skin. I used these at night so the stickiness doesn't concern me that much.


I'd definitely re-purchase this if I can get my hands on these. I would recommend these Lululun sheet masks to anyone who wants a truly working moisturizing sheet mask with instant and lasting results. 


Kure Bazaar - September - Swatches & Review

nail polish


Kure Bazaar successfully put an end to my 2 years long witch hunt and crazy spending !

I received a nailbox a few years back and in that -crappy- box, the only item that was worth the money was a mini size of Nail Inc's Picadilly Circus, a perfect magenta-fuschia nail polish which suited my skin color. After finishing that nail polish (more like after it dried out), I wanted to purchase it, I couldn't find it anywhere in France, I tried my luck on the internet but I couldn't find it either. I did find it on Amazon but they wouldn't ship it to France so I started looking for a dupe of that perfect color. My mother and I looked for a dupe and after countless of brands (Butter London, Essie, YSL , Chanel etc..) and money thrown, I finally found it.


KURE BAZAAR



Kure Bazaar is a french eco-friendly nail polish brand which combines up to 85% of natural ingredients like weat, wood pulp, cotton, corn and even potatoes. It's also 4-Free : It's free of harmful and toxic chemicals commonly found in nailpolishes as : Formaldehyde , Toluene , Phthalates and Synthetic camphor

A simple trip to the Gallerie Lafayette in Paris Haussman led me to this brand that I've seen around on the internet (especially at Pshiiit.com). Their corner looks really amazing and all the bottles look sleek and classy. (picture from : galerieslafayette.com)




Now, I would say that Nail's Inc's Picadilly Circus is a dupe of Kure Bazaar's September and not the contrary because although the color looks quite the same, the products themselves are worlds apart.

THE PACKAGING




  • Quantity : 10 ml / 0.34 oz
  • Price : 16€
The nailpolish comes packaged in a small glass bottle with a white removable cap, just like the regular Chanel nailpolishes.

THE PRODUCT

September is a creamy extremely pigmented nail polish, you'll get full coverage in just one coat and it shines just like you've already applied a top coat. The other one thing I'd like to mention is the lightweight feeling it has when you apply it, it's not thick at all and is amazingly easy to apply. 
The downfall of this product is that it chips quite quickly even with a topcoat, it lasts 3 days before bits of the edges of my nails come off.

Without flash : 


 With Flash :


I'd like to give out a special thank to the Kure Bazaar lady who kindly applied September on her already perfect french manucure when I just asked If I could see a swatch of it. She was really nice and friendly. Merci Beaucoup !


Haul : TesterKorea Order (Missha, Laneige, Innisfree..)

haul

This -not so- little order was triggered by a sold-out set I was keeping an eye on for a while and when it restocked, I just jumped on it and figured that I could just throw some other item in it.

Ordered on : November 9th
Shipped out on : November 19th
Came to French customs : November 27th
Came to my post office : November 28th

Free samples + Gift

Let's start off by what I normally end with. When I ordered this, Testerkorea was having some event with Paypal : Pay 100$ + via paypal and you'll get a free gift. The gift was Skinfood's Tomoto Whitening Point Pad (10pcs). I kind of complained in my last Testerkorea order with the free samples but it seems like you get more samples when you.. pay more. Figures ! I got 3 pouches of the same samples :
- Tony Moly : Panda's Dream White Magic Cream x3
- Tony Moly : I'm Real seaweed Aqua Moisture Lotion x3
- Tony Moly : I'm Real Tea Tree Essence and Lotion x 3
- Nature Republic : Super Origin CC Cream x 2
- Tony Moly - Red Appletox Honey Cream x3
- The Oriental gyeon booster x1



IOPE - Moisture skin soft peeling gel 


Laneige - White plus renew trial kit



Now, this was the product which triggered this whole order. I wanted to try this higher-end brand  for so long now. I got the samples of the White Plus Renew Line, and because I wanted to truly try them out to get a real opinion (and maybe results ?), I got 2 boxes (the 2 others are for my mother).
This kit is composed with :
- Original essence white plus renew 10ml
- White plus renew skin refiner 15ml
- White plus renew emulsion 15ml
- White plus renew original cream 10ml
- White plus renew capsule sleeping pack 3ml


 

INNISFREE - No sebum Mineral Pact


I got the loose powder version in my previous order and a full review of both products is coming up !

 Laneige - Water sleeping Pack EX



The other famous product from Laneige I wanted to try. A lot of people have been raving about this and I really wanted to try sleeping packs as I find sheet masks a bit more annoying.
I got 2 packs of 4ml x 10 packets costing 4000 won, which equals to 40 ml (with 20 packs) for 8000 won. A full size of this product cost 25 000 won for 80 ml and half of the full size in these terms cost 12 500 won, so I got 4500 won off of this (you can't blame the business student for bargaining and maths a little !).


Sulwhasoo - Timetreasure renovating eye cream


A product for my mother by this huge luxurious brand, when I take a look of their pricing it's incredible. Let's see if this sample version will work for her.


MISSHA - Oil control film 


I never really needed blotting sheets but the struggle I have with my current foundation made me buy this. They are MISSHA branded but aren't expensive at all (approx 1,27€/1.58$) compared to the 10€ blotting sheets Sephora France are selling right now (and cashiers really do try to make you buy 10€ blotting sheets !).

MISSHA - Magic Cushion Case



I ordered this after I placed my order and they kindly added the item for me. Now, I don't know if this is a little mishap or gift from them, or if I simply don't get the description of the item well : I ordered only one cushion case and I got 3, in the description it says 3 items but I legitimately thought it was referring to the items in it as the case, sponge and puff. Anyhow, mishap or not, if this is the reward to be called their mate I'll accept it !

(PS : I'm not explaining anything about this product on purpose because a full demo and review of this is coming up)

Innisfree - It's real squeeze Mask



  • It's real squeeze mask - Tea Tree
  • It's real squeeze mask - Shea Butter
  • It's real squeeze mask - Cucumber
  • It's real squeeze mask - Manuka Honey
  • Price : 760 won x 4 
  • Product link here

 

 INNISFREE - Intensive Ampoule Mask


I discovered these, in one of Michelle Phan's video and I found the idea to be quite genius : You have a separate serum to apply just before the mask right on the upper left.


Individual reviews to come as always ! (Check the Product Directory to see which one I've already reviewed !)




Get all of these products, and more on TesterKorea which is currently having 30% off ! (Starting from January 2015)




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