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California, United States
Hi! Thanks for visiting ^_^ My social media platforms: Instagram: meowmier Youtube: http://goo.gl/U5SnNM (formerly under the username francesvlogs but I don't have access to that anymore). I don't really do videos anymore simply because I think blog posts are more informative. Hope you enjoyed your time here! :)

Friday, July 25, 2014

The Face Shop My Lips Eat Cherry Aqua Tint Review & Chat / Haul? Lol

Hi guys!

So today I just have a quick review for you all, then I'm gonna talk about other random stuff (hence the wordy title XD)

A few days ago I stopped by The Face Shop in Virginia (they're opening one in Maryland in August too!) Truth be told I've actually never used their products before O_O so I really don't know their products at all. Nevertheless I'm still excited XD

While I was there I picked up a few products:
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1. Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam
2. Rice Water Bright Cleansing Cream
3. My Lips Eat Cherry Aqua Tint

Yep, I did some serious damage there. But I figured I can always use a cleanser and makeup remover XD The Green Tea toner & lotion kit is a free sample. They also gave me this cute little shopping bag :D Gonna leave it in my car so I can bring it whenever I go shopping.

Anyway, today I'm gonna review this lip tint for you (: I've wanted a red lip tint for quite a while. The Face Shop actually wouldn't be the number one brand that I want to try my lip tints from... but I just decided to give it a try anyway since I was there and the color is exactly what I was looking for lol. But I would really like to try Peripera and Aritaum! (And maybe Nature Republic and Skinfood... haha oh gosh). 


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Got mine in the color 02 Juicy Red.

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You can see it's a very watery consistency, completely different from the Etude House lip tints I reviewed a while ago. As the name implies, it is a very nice tomato, juicy red :P


Ready for my dead-looking bare lips? XD
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Dead points maxed out. (Why so serious... XD)


Application photos:
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I hope I didn't scare you guys with the application photos O_o when I was editing the photos I was quite taken aback by the thumbnails... looks like my lips are bleeding orz.

Since the tint is very watery (I would describe it as jelly water? Like water with a little bit of stickiness), it's really easy to just spread the product by rubbing your lips together.

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So here's the weird thing about this lip tint. The inner parts of my lips take the color well, as you can see in the picture. But my upper lip just would NOT take the color for some reason -_-  the bottom lip takes the color okay. This is one layer... you can see the color pay-off is very subtle


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This is what it looks like with one layer

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Adding intensity. I also applied extra to the top lip...

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Even though I can distribute the color quite well by just rubbing my lips together, I still like to use my finger to get the product exactly where I want it.

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See what I'm saying?! My bottom lip took the color just fine, but for some reason my upper lip just would NOT take the color (except for the inner part).


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Went on to add more...

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I even let the product sit on my lips for a little longer like this to make sure it stains

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Ever so slightly better but it still doesn't apply well on the top lip.

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So weird. Anyone have this problem with The Face Shop lip tints?? I didn't have a problem with the Etude House ones. I wonder if it's because of the watery consistency.

Overall effect:
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I do love this color though ^_^ it really has that I just bit into a cherry that kind of effect XD
Excuse the hair. Don't know what's going on there XD 

So as you can see, you have to do quite many layers to build up the intensity of this product. But the same goes to the Etude House ones, as well as the Benefit lip tints, so that's not really a drawback for this particular product. But among the three lip tints I've tried, The Face Shop one is definitely the least drying! (Benefit is the most drying-- makes my lips crease). I am okay with reapplying the lip tint throughout the day without feeling the need to use a lipbalm, which is a first for lip tints! As for the uneven lip staining... it kind of annoys me but I can live with it. Oh, I forgot to mention-- this lip tint does have a strong fragrance-- it smells like one of those chewy fruit candies??? I can't exactly put my finger on it, but it smells heavenly to me XD Like I mentioned several times in the past I don't usually like my makeup/skincare to be fragranted, but I love the scent of this lip tint XD

My final verdict is that I am glad I have it, but I won't be purchasing more lip tints from this line. Too many lip tints out there that I want to try XD


Since we're on the subject of The Face Shop, I thought I might as well include some other pictures of the other products I got, just in case if any of you is interested for more information.
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Most of The Face Shop products contain parabens. Personally that's not a deal breaker for me. Just thought I'd point that out for those who care.


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I did try out the cleansing cream in the store, and it was able to take waterproof makeup off (but you do have to massage for a good minute). I'm a little worried if it's going to take off waterproof mascara. We'll see.

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Not sure why I bothered to post this pic since you can't really see anything here anyway XD

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When I tried these two products at the store I was surprised how they brightened up my skin. Plus the cleanser is HUGE... will last me a while :P I just hope they're good and won't break me out or anything >.<

Moving on to other stuff... on Fourth of July, Blogilates had a 20% off event, so I jumped!
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I got one booty short, one side scrunch booty short, one capris, a water bottle, and a mat :D

I don't know if you guys remember, but the last time I purchased the Blogilates clothing, I wasn't very impressed. The booty shorts are literally booty shorts and come just below the bum, which makes me very self conscious and I don't like to wear it out in public. This is still true, but it turns out I love wearing it when I work out at home XD it's just so light and soft and comfy. The side scrunch shorts are just a tiny bit longer than the booty shorts. If I don't fold the band too much, I am okay with wearing it out (although I'd still feel self-conscious... but at least I don't feel as indecent as when the booty shorts barely covers my bum -_-). And I am not sure if this is true, but I feel like the side scrunch shorts is made of slightly thicker fabric?? I don't know, it's like the same fabric, but it feels slightly thicker.... maybe I'm deluding myself XD But I do prefer the side scrunch shorts over the regular booty shorts. As for the capris, I like it :D much to my surprise, I don't know why. I think because I thought it's gonna look too long on me, but it fits just fine. It's also nice and light and soft.

Can we please take a moment to appreciate just how adorable the water bottle is?! It's smaller than I thought-- it contains 600ml. I much prefer a bigger water bottle when I go to the gym. But the thing that disappoints me the most about this water bottle is the lid-- the loop that's supposed to prevent you from losing lid comes off so easily when you open it, it's actually kind of inconvenient. Furthermore, you have to unscrew the lid in order to drink from it-- I wish it comes with a lid where it has an opening and a cap that you can just snap open and shut. When I'm running or on an elliptical, it's just so hard to drink from this because I kind of have to slow down/pause doing whatever I'm doing to unscrew the lid, take a drink, and screw the lid back on. Double inconvenient. So yeah, I'm a little disappointed in the water bottle design. I don't really bring this to the gym because it's just too inconvenient.

The item I looked forward to the most was the mat, because my current one is literally falling into pieces orz. When I first got the mat and felt the material, I thought it felt very sturdy and firm (which is a good thing).

Here's what the material looks like:
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I really don't know how to describe it XD but anyway with this pattern/design/texture, I thought it's going to have really good grip and anti-slip, so I was really excited. After working out on it for a few times... I discovered... that I like this mat even less than my old mat orz.....

Here are my problems with this mat:
1. It's too thin. And with the firm/hard material, I found that it really doesn't give much cushioning, so it kind of hurts when I work out on it. Is this just something I need to get used to?
Update: Actually I realized the problem was my floor. The carpet was very very thin that's why it hurt with just this mat. Now that I have moved out and the "normal" carpet... it works perfectly fine :D

2. I slip so easily whenever I get sweaty... I find it hard to hold poses on this thing. When I get sweaty, sometimes I just start slipping out of the position. Didn't have this problem with my old mat. Boo.
Update: I got used to it and I don't slip as much anymore lolll

I'm not sure if these are just things that I have to get used to with practice? Who knows. I ended up putting my old mat underneath this mat to give myself more cushion so my knees wouldn't be in pain when I'm on this mat. In regards to slipping... I just have to keep readjusting myself or try my best to hold the positions for as long as I can before I slip off orz. I guess I can try using a towel but that's more laundry for me to do -_-

So yeah, I'm kind of disappointed. Anyone out there with experience has any advice?


And being completely random here... Just wanted to show this picture to show off my awesome waterproof/sweat/smudge proof eye makeup XD
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I don't usually ever re-do my makeup. If I do usually it's only the foundation. I had to go somewhere after the gym that day, so I showered and washed off my foundation. My eye makeup was still intact despite the 1hr gym session and running water all over my face XD Woohoo! MAC Liquidlast and Majolica Marjorca mascara all the way!

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PS: Just want to note that some days MAC Liquidlast perform better than the others. This happened to be a really good day XD  Majolica Majorca mascara on the other hand is always smudge proof/waterproof without fail.


So after starting to use the IOPE cushion, I really wanted to get a good primer that would keep my oiliness in check. When I told the MUA at Sephora that the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer does nothing for me, she said I should get a treatment/skincare that's mattifying instead. The thing is, I'm already using the Shiseido Pureness matifying moisturizer =_= She insisted that I try some skincare treatment and gave me some Korres Pomegranate Mattifying Treatment, Pomegranate Balancing Cream-Gel Moisturizer (not shown in the pic cuz I forgot to include it), and the mattifying primer.   
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I remember in the back of my mind I was like, "but I just want a primer... I'm not looking for skincare -_-" BUT! To my surprise, it actually works! XD I've used Korres skincare before-- the Wild Rose Face and Eye Serum-- completely unimpressed. So this is a pleasant surprise! I haven't tried the Korres primer yet, but the mattifying treatment totally works O_o it really does keep my oiliness on my nose to a minimum. I am so surprised. The balancing gel-cream only keeps the oil at bay for the first hour or so, after that my oils just start coming out freely XD I just apply the treatment to my nose (the only place I get oily), and apply regular moisturizer on the rest of my face. Planning to purchase it after I'm done with the sample ^_~   Oh by the way, if I only use this treatment then apply the IOPE cushion, it still makes me extra oily XD So I still need my Dior sunscreen as a base. It's like this: I get minimally oily with this treatment plus my regular foundations. I get slightly oily with this treatment plus the IOPE cushion. Does that make sense? Just want to let you guys know that this treatment is not a miracle product-- it's not strong enough to combat products that cause my skin to produce extra oil.  


I am totally on a cushion foundation craze now O_o I made a purchase of The Face Shop Cushion Screen Cell on ibuybeauti.com. I saw that this cushion retails for $26 in Korea, but for some reason is only $24 on ibuybeauti XD ... and there goes the rational side of my brain =_=
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I haven't got a chance to use this yet, but I will make sure to do a review when I do ^_^ 


And... I have a Target gift card so this happened *covers face* I bought the Laneige BB Cushion O_o
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But I can tell you guys this is pretty much exactly the same thing as the IOPE cushion. If I really want to be nitpicky, the Laneige is a BB cushion, whereas IOPE is a foundation cushion. The Laneige one is slightly more glowy than IOPE. Laneige adheres to the skin better than the IOPE one (Like I said in my IOPE review, IOPE kind of just sits on top and creases easily). I didn't have creasing problem with Laneige. Unfortunately, Laneige also makes my nose extra extra oily like IOPE does.  But other than that, the two pretty much feel the same to me. If you take the cushion out of the cases for me to use, I won't be able to tell you which one is which. Oh except probably for the shade I guess. The Laneige one is slightly darker than the IOPE one... and leans a little bit more beige. Laneige BB Cushion in Light is equivalent to shade 23, not 21!!!!  Hope that helps you guys when it comes to color match. The smell is also almost identical. Not surprised that these two cushions perform almost the same since they're from the same company. I am already planning to return this. Is anyone interested in seeing a review at all? O_o I feel like even if I do a separate review I won't write anything that I didn't already here. I wish the Laneige Pore Control one is available here... that's the one that I really want to try from Laneige T_T 

I also have a guilty confession to make guys... I also bought the Hera cushion and the Innisfree cushion *buries face in hands again*  I know I know, I am stopping!!! This is the end of the cushion foundation craze, I promise! It'd be fun to do a battle of the cushion foundations though, yeah? :P

Okay, now to conclude the very long chatty post... my hair is getting so long again!
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I think I needz a haircut =D But I like how I can use my hair doughnut again and fake a bun with this length >.<

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Hmmm to cut or not to cut? I kind of want to dye my hair black... the roots are bothering me =.=
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Alrighty folks! That's all I have! Hope you guys enjoyed this extra chatty post. If you read till the very end, thanks so much for taking the time out of your day ^_^

I probably won't be able to blog as much anymore since I will be back to doing rotations, pretty much non-stop until November O_O Wish me luck! But I will try to sneak in a review or a random post here and there =) Until next time, take care guys! And don't forget to wear sunscreen and stay hydrated >.<


<3 Frances

Thursday, July 24, 2014

GlamGlow First Impression Reviews

Hey hey guys!

How are you all doing? My vacation block is coming to an end T_T Sad. It's okay though. Although I really enjoyed unwinding and relaxing, I am ready to start working and learning again! It's so easy to get bored when you're not being productive lol. Although I have a feeling by the end of next week I will be whining about not getting enough sleep and being overwhelmed LMAO. My next rotation is going to be at the medical intensive care unit O_O I'm not gonna lie I feel quite apprehensive. But it should be really interesting though.


Anyway, over the last month I tried out a few samples of the GlamGlow masks, and I thought why not compile a little first impression review?


GlamGlow BrightMud Eye Treatment

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I got 2 uses out of this sample lol. I just opened one side at a time... I don't see why the product should work differently for left and right eye you know lol.

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I was using my LUSH BB Seaweed mask, and I thought why not throw in the eye mask as well LOL. As you can see it goes on a translucent layer. It actually doesn't try to a clay finish as other GlamGlow masks do. It just stays wet until you rinse it off. The instructions said to just wipe it off and allow the residue to give extra hydration, but I didn't.

It does have a slight tingling sensation while it sits on my eyes. I noticed my eyes felt pretty relaxed after, it was quite nice actually. I also noticed the redness in my eyes went down after using the mask O_o like the blood vessels temporarily retreated or something. SO weird. If you've been reading my blog for a while you will notice my eyes are perpetually red/plagued with blood vessels (from chronically looking at the computer screen for too long... T_T).  Too bad I only used it twice so I'm not able to tell if it helps in the long run. I mean obviously my blood vessels/redness came back the next day XD But I was still surprised at what it did to the redness of my eyes. More effective than my Rotho eye drop O_o Other than that, didn't notice anything about fine lines or anything, which doesn't say much since my fine lines are genetic (and getting worse with age XD) and I only used the mask 2 times. Honestly if it wasn't for the ridiculous price, I would very much like to purchase a set and test it out further.



GlamGlow YouthMud Tingle Exfoliate Treatment
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This is a small trial size I got from redeeming my Sephora points. You can see I took care to avoid my eye areas because it's an exfoliating mask. When this mask is applied to your face, you do get this intense tingling sensation-- I wouldn't describe it as burning sensation (if there's one mask that gives me burning sensation it's Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque simply because it's wayyy too cooling that it even made me tear up). But since I already heard things about this masque giving really intense tingling/burning sensation, so I was prepared for it. I'm sure it was just the blend of acids doing their thing XD It wasn't to the point that it was uncomfortable either, so I wasn't worried if my skin would burn/turn red from this thing.

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It dries like a clay mask.

After rinsing off the mask, I was amazed by how baby soft and smooth my skin was O_o definitely felt very properly exfoliated XD My standby exfoliating treatment is the CONI exfoliating gel (which I've been using since I was in undergrad), but this mask does a much much MUCH better job! I was impressed! The only reason why I'm not running to the store to pick up the full-sized product is because of the steep price tag... $69 is just too ridiculous. They do have a 0.5oz jar that's priced at $19... but if you think about it... almost $20 for about 15ml/0.5oz... still really expensive. I might pick up a small size in the future to pamper myself once in a while, but for now, I will stick to my current exfoliating regimen. Definitely a product I wouldn't hesitate to pick up if it ever comes back as a point gift.


GlamGlow ThirstMud Hydrating Treatment
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So on the instructions it says you can leave it on overnight or use it as a hydrating treatment during flights... may I just ask... HOW???? It dries to a clay finish.... if I have the slightest facial expression after this mask has dried I get wrinkles and cracks in the mask -_- so I really don't understand how you leave this mask on for any length of time. And it's really not that comfortable to leave on after it's dried.

With that said, this mask also gives an intense tingling effect like the exfoliating mask does. In terms of hydration... I don't know, my skin definitely feels softer using it, but it's not like hydrated-soft... more like exfoliated-soft. So many ppl reviewed this mask raved about how hydrating this mask is, but for me, it just didn't do that much other than giving my skin a very nice post-exfoliated baby smooth feeling. I didn't feel like my skin was extra plump or anything. Then again it's summer so my skin tends to not feel that dry these days anyway. To each and their own I guess (: all products work differently for everyone.

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Sorry I don't have a pic of how the mask looks like after it's dried. I forgot XD

I have also tried the GlamGlow SuperMud Clearing Treatment before,  but that was a while ago. That one is supposed to help clear blackheads and whiteheads, which it definitely did not do for me. But I do have very deeply rooted blackheads (ew XD) so I wasn't expecting much from it. It did smooth out the bumpy texture of my blackheads a little bit, but that was all. Maybe you have to use it persistently to get the results? I have no idea. It's too expensive. Maybe for those who only have very minor blackheads/whiteheads problems it will work.



I would recommend the YouthMud Tingle Exfoliate treatment the most out of all the treatments I tried, if you do have the budget for it! :)  Simply because it did make a very noticeable difference, and I feel like everyone can benefit from using it. As for the other masks, I liked the eye treatment but it's overpriced. The hydrating and clearing masks feel more like gimmick products to me. All 3 facial mud treatments feel like exfoliating products to me, but just the YouthMud does the best job out of all XD  I recommend getting a sample first if you can't decide if it's gonna be worth the money.


Have you tried GlamGlow masks? What do you think about them?
Hope some of you found this first impression review helpful!


<3 Frances

Thursday, July 17, 2014

IOPE Air Cushion XP Review

Hello guys!

So today I finally bring my review for the IOPE Air Cushion! *fireworks*
Sorry it took me so long. I was playing it with different combinations to figure out the best way to wear it... at least for me. I will explain as I go :)

So IOPE and Laneige are all under the same company-- Amore Pacific, if I am not mistaken. Essentially (from what I'm told), IOPE is like a more expensive/mature version of Laneige. My IOPE cushion smells exactly like my Laneige foundation... and for that one awful moment I was scared that the IOPE cushion foundation is exactly the same thing as the Laneige Snow Crystal Dual foundation (not the Laneige Snow BB Cushion!!! Haven't tried that yet) but just in cushion form... LOL. But it's not. Haha. Anyway, without further ado, let's just dive into the review!


I went for N21 :)
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21 is a pretty good match for MAC NC20. But if you're between NC20-25 or NC25 you might want to go for 23. 

As you can see, there are two cushions included (15g x2). I got mine at my local Hmart and it was $40 excluding tax. Which when you think about it... each cushion refill is less than $20 if you take into consideration of the cost of the case... so not a bad price at all in my opinion.

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I prob should've gone for N23 cuz nowadays I feel like I'm more in between NC20-25... not quite NC25 yet, but I do think N21 is a bit too pale for me at the moment.

Inactive ingredients:
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Active ingredients:
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Comes with the case that already contains the cushion, and a refill.

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Package insert
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When I first saw this... I was like there is no vitamin P WTF LOL. But I Googled just to make sure... apparently vitamin P is an old term from the 1930-50s for flavonoid. Interesting. Haha.


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There are two lines to the IOPE Air Cushion-- if it starts with C, it stands for "Cover," and is catered for people who prefer more coverage. For ones that start with N, it stands for "Natural," which means more natural finish/coverage. There's also an S one for shimmer and I think that one just acts as an illuminating base?? Not sure if that one has any coverage.

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Here comes the actual product!
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I actually really like the packaging, it's so pretty! But it is quite bulky. Not the most travel friendly if you want it for touch-up. Personally I really can see how this product is great for touch up-- the application of this product is just so easy and it blends so nicely. But I personally don't like to double-dip in my base makeup... I think it's quite disgusting. I will only use the puff on a clean face.

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Comes with a large mirror

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The plastic closure does close firmly

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There's a sticker seal

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I actually had to use a tweezer to peel the seal open XD

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Now you've seen the packaging, here come the application photos!

Naked face
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Blackheads making a comeback (●*´Д`*)ノ

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Blackheads are like my best friends... they've never failed to find a way to come back to me for as long as I can remember... har har har.


Was just wearing this foundation alone (no sunscreen or anything)
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Half face application. The color is slightly pale on me at the moment, as I am getting tanned T_T

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The consistency of this cushion is super light and thin. It truly blends like a dream.

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This side without the cushion foundation.

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Half face (left with. Right without)

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Left side with foundation. Right side without.

You can see that it covers the blackheads. It definitely has better coverage when compared to the Laneige liquid foundation (which when used alone... cannot cover the bumpy texture of blackheads). That was one thing I really didn't like about the Laneige liquid foundation, that it does not cover the blackheads. But I have no idea if the Laneige BB cushion has better coverage than the Snow Crystal Dual foundation.

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I am actually quite surprised at the finish-- it's really not as dewy as I thought it would be, especially after reading/hearing so many reviews about how this is a really dewy cushion foundation. I mean just look at the pictures, it definitely gives a nice glow, but in my opinion I would not consider this cushion anywhere near dewy. In fact, I think the YSL Touche Eclat foundation is much much dewier than this cushion. See it for yourself here, or in here (please refer to the pics where I was reviewing the Anastasia Brow Powder Duo). If you're looking for the finish that's kind of "wet"/shiny and super super dewy, this cushion will not do it for you.

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One thing I really like about this cushion is the shade. While it does give you that nice, pale/bright healthy skin a lot of Korean/Asian girls look for, it does NOT make your face look pink while doing so. It makes your face bright without trying to brighten your skin tone by adding pink to it. Does that make sense? You can easily see that when compared with the Mamonde Real Skin Founder. When you look at the overall effect pictures of Mamonde, it makes my face look noticeably pink compared to the rest of my body. Whereas IOPE just brightens my face very nicely.

By the way, between Mamonde and IOPE, in terms of texture/consistency/application, I definitely prefer IOPE. IOPE just blends so easily and I don't have to worry about over-doing it as I do with Mamonde. Mamonde is not hard to blend, but its thick consistency makes it extremely easy to look caked on. Plus IOPE does not come off pink. However if I use a wet BeautyBlender for Mamonde, then it really doesn't make that much of a difference. It's just when I use the puff that comes with the product, IOPE is easier to work with.

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Ohh the healthy glow.

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I'm actually quite curious about the Cover line... If I could use C21 and achieve the same coverage with even less product?

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I will say I used a good amount of product to achieve this coverage. I prob go in the cushion with the puff 4-5 times to get this coverage. Although I only get small amounts every time I do so. It's definitely buildable, but usage-wise, it's not the most cost-effective if you want to look at how much you use vs. how much coverage you get.

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I was thrilled with the initial finish. It's not as dewy as I anticipated (Kind of want to try the shiny face finish XD hahaha) but the brightening effect is so nice and gives me a super healthy and glowing looking complexion.


HOWEVER


2 hours later -_-
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It made my nose EXTRA OILY. And the oil doesn't meld in with the cushion foundation either... it just sits there. The few times that I wore this cushion alone, my nose was extra oily all those times. Other things I want to note that are not shown in the pictures:

1. If I want to use powder in order to prevent my nose from getting so oily, I found that I have to use more than usual amount of powder-- meaning yes, it does make my nose produce extra oil. And frankly, I don't like to top this cushion foundation off with powder-- I feel like that takes away the beautiful finish and will start to make your makeup look slightly cakey/heavy.  If I want to wear that much powder I'd rather just wear powder foundation alone.

2. It creases easily. This foundation kind of just sits on top of your skin? Like it doesn't sink into the skin. I notice it creases very easily on the outer corner of my eyes (If I'm only wearing foundation that day then it's super obvious. If I was wearing eye makeup then usually it's not that big of a deal). Of course, it creases easily on my eyelids-- but all foundations do. It also creases in my under-eye fine lines... which is a little bit more problematic. So I would say you might want to selectively powder down your face to maintain the finish of this foundation, while keeping the foundation from creasing in certain areas.

3. The product claims to be sebum-absorbing, and I'm not sure where I read this from, but it's supposed to be sweat proof? And I regret to inform that neither claims are true. First of all, you already saw that it makes me extra oily. Second of all, the times I went to the gym while wearing this foundation, it cakes up pretty badly. Like you can see where the beads of sweat that broke through the foundation.

4. I tried spraying this foundation with facial mist (just water), it helps with the evenness of the oiliness, but it does not stop the foundation from creasing all over the place.

In conclusion, for my combination skin (normal/oily), this is NOT a foundation that I can wear alone. I would say it's probably the best for ppl with normal or dry skin. You probably want to be prepared to use a good makeup base or makeup setting spray with this foundation.

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Okay, another day-- was wearing the Dior sunscreen underneath. Just think about this as wearing a oil-controlling base.
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Initial finish

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Initial finish.

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Initial finish


About 4-5 hours later
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Don't mind the eyeliner. Was testing the Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner. You can see I got a bit oily but unlike before, this time the oiliness is spread out evenly XD instead of that awkward patch of beady oiliness when I wear this cushion foundation alone.

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Another close-up. Slight cakey-ness.

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Okay, this is another day where I used only the Urban Decay de-slick makeup setting spray to set the foundation. Like I said before, I really hate setting this cushion with powder so I decided to get a setting spray and see how it works.
****Update: I returned the makeup setting spray. Although it does make a difference, I don't think it's worth the $30 price tag. I would suggest use a good makeup base!****
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Okay, one thing I really have to say-- the De-Slick makeup setting spray is advertised to "mists on weightlessly to control oil, deflect surface shine and keep skin looking beautifully matte." It absolutely does NOT set your makeup with a matte finish. It adds A LOT of dewiness to the skin. If you compare these pics to the pictures where I was wearing this cushion foundation alone, you will see the finish is not nearly as dewy as here. Ironically, the finish I get with the de-slick makeup spray is kind of what I was expecting from this cushion foundation. Lol.

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See how much more dewy it makes my skin look?

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2 hours later
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Still a bit of oiliness seeping through, but compared to when this foundation was worn alone-- significant improvement!

Compared to Dior sunscreen though I think Dior does a better job keeping the oiliness at bay. 

SAM_1007
Again, you can see slight foundation unevenness from the oil.

SAM_1043
Another thing I want to say about the de-slick makeup spray is while it adds dewiness to the skin, it also adds stickiness. Don't know if you noticed some of my hairs sticking to my face

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So I thought, if I use both Dior AND the setting spray, would that be even better?!

SAM_0797
Haha, again, hairs sticking to the face thanks to the Urban Decay makeup setting spray -_-

SAM_0800
Might I just add... Dior sunscreen+Urban Decay setting spray= ultimate dewiness. Use the combination with caution friends XD Especially on hot summer days you can easily look oily instead of dewy lol

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Look how shiny my skin looks, LOL.

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Unfortunately I don't have the photos of how the combination wears. But the interesting thing is, this combination doesn't improve/enhance the wear at all. I'm not sure why, but when I wear the two together, the cushion foundation tends to get patchy and settle into my pores. It's really weird. So anyway, my conclusion is either wear it with a makeup base, or with a setting spray, but NEVER wear this foundation alone, otherwise it WILL move and crease. Another thing I want to add-- this is definitely a foundation you'd NEVER want to wear to the gym-- even with a good base and setting spray, it still gets mega patchy and cakey.

So what are my overall thoughts of this cushion foundation?

I can't deny how I absolutely adore the finish, and I just LOVE how easy cushion foundations are to use! Seriously, I think cushion foundation is lazy girls' new best friend. I obviously liked the finish enough to actually went out and buy a makeup setting spray to see if I can make it work. I can't say I hate it because of its poor longevity (and that's usually super important to me), but I was able to make it work to some satisfaction/to the point that I'm okay with. I guess we'll have to wait and see after I'm done with both refills to come to a conclusion about how I really feel about this foundation. But for now, I do really like using it, and I am super interested in trying out more cushion foundations/BB cushions now =D I actually went ahead and purchased The Face Shop Cushion Screen Cell foundation... ummm... that was completely an impulsive purchase T_T Don't know what I was thinking. Well actually I wasn't. Haha -_- But I do want to try out cushion foundations from Hera, Innisfree, and Etude House!

Do you guys like cushion foundations/BB cushions? If so, which one is your favorite?

I hope some of you found this post helpful... sorry it's so long XD lol. I'm starting to feel kind of lazy with blogging again >.<  Hmmm not sure what I'm gonna post about next. Maybe an empties post? Any suggestions welcome =)

Until next time, happy Friday and have a lovely weekend ^_^



<3 Frances