ETUDE HOUSE | 2016 Nutcracker Holiday Collection

Now that it's December it means that a lot of brands will be coming out with their 2016 Holiday limited edition collections. ETUDE HOUSE, being known for their super cute packaging and designs, have come out with a 2016 'My Little Nut' Nutcracker collection which is rose gold themed and super cute. Here I have a sample of a few products but if you check out the entire collection they actually have more things that you may be interested in so head on over to the Official ETUDE HOUSE website if you're interested in seeing more. 

Review | Heimish Dailism Water Drop Lip Tint #Mild Day ♥

As promised in my last StyleKorean haul post, today's review will be on the Heimish Water Drop tint which I've been raving a lot about recently! Heimish is a Korean brand that recently launched a few months back and I first heard about this through a beauty vlogger on Youtube, Meejmuse! They have a range of beauty products and I'll definitely be checking out more products later because I really love this lip tint! Without further ado, lets get into the review! 

Haul | StyleKorean Beauty ♥

In today's post, I'll be sharing with you guys some things that I recently received from StyleKorean. If you guys haven't heard of StyleKorean before, it's basically a Korean online store that sells a whole bunch of Korean beauty products with international shipping. They often do lots of promotions with their brands and so I would encourage you guys to check that website out if you're looking to buy Korean makeup or skincare products at an affordable price. Keep reading if you would like to see what I got in this beauty haul :)

Review | Flat Tummy Tea ♥

Hi everyone,

Today I have something a bit different on my blog. I'm going to be reviewing a cleansing tea which many of you would have probably seen on social media called Flat Tummy Tea. This tea is made from natural ingredients that works to reduce bloating and increase your metabolism so that you can keep your tummy flat. 

What is bloating and why does it suck? 

Bloating happens when there is a build up of gasses in your digestive system which leaves you with a very uncomfortable feeling and often makes your tummy stick out like you've gained a lot of weight. Bloating is temporary however sometimes it may be difficult to get rid of this and make you feel sluggish. Flat Tummy Tea helps to get rid of this problem and also boosts your metabolism so you feel more energetic. P.S. this is NOT a weight loss tea so don't buy this thinking you'll becoming super skinny after drinking this. This tea is only designed for reducing bloating and making you feel more energetic/less sluggish!!

Review | Carol's Beauty Sun Tanning Enhancing Lotion ♥

Hi guys! Now that Winter has officially left, it means that I'm left with super pasty and pale skin because I've been out of the sun for a long time. Carol's Beauty literally contacted me just in time to save me from my paleness and sent me these two products to try out. These are natural sun tanning enhancers that's safe and perfect for getting quick bronzy skin. They sent me two of them and originally I was really confused at what the difference was. However, after reading more about it, I realised they are essentially the same product but with a different consistency - one is a lotion and the other is an oil. 

Review | ETUDE HOUSE Play 101 Contour Duo ♥

Hi everyone. The product that I'll be reviewing today is the ETUDE HOUSE Play 101 Contour Duo stick. Contouring and highlighting is such a big thing nowadays but I actually hardly ever do that in my makeup routine. This is mainly because I suck at contouring but also because I just never have enough time to do it when I'm rushing off in the morning to uni. However, I have actually grown to love this new product that came in my August Pink Bird box. So if you're interested in knowing more about this product, feel free to keep reading on. 

Review | ETUDE HOUSE Pink Skull Colour Eyes Palette ♥

Today's review is going to be on the ETUDE HOUSE Pink Skull Colour Eyes Palette that I mentioned about in my last post. This was the product that I was most excited to review because I'm an eyeshadow lover, it's actually a staple in my makeup routine because I think it really does make a huge difference to a makeup look. If you haven't read my previous post, this eyeshadow palette is part of ETUDE HOUSE's new 'Pink Skull' Collection which is super chic but also cute at the same time because everything by ETUDE HOUSE is always cute no matter what collection it is! 

Etude House | August Pink Bird Box ♥

I'm super excited for today's post because I recently received my second Pink Bird Box from Etude House and this time there's heaps of goodies inside from their new collections. In this post I'll be quickly showing you what's inside the August box but the full review for each individual product will be up in separate posts within these two weeks. So if you want to know what's in my box, keep reading on. 

Review | Phillips Satinelle Wet & Dry epilator Epilator ♥

Now that Spring has finally arrived in Australia, it means that it's time to do some shaving after being lazy and covering it up for the past three months of winter. During summer, I generally like using an epilator to get rid of hair because I personally don't like shaving as I feel like the results are not as long lasting as epilating (which essentially removes the hair completely from the roots).

Brand: Phillips 

Name: Satinelle BRE640 Wet & Dry epilator

Price: $149.95 AUD

Weight: - 

Shade: -

Where to buy: The Shaver Shop

Description: The s-shaped handle helps steer all over the body. The widest head with ceramic discs epilate close to the skin to grasp even fine hairs for quick and long lasting results. Wet & Dry use with 5 accessories for personalised beauty routine.

ETUDE HOUSE | July Pink Bird Box ♥

Hi everyone! I'm super excited to announce that I'm officially an ETUDE HOUSE Pink Bird Blogger! For those who don't know what that is, it's basically a six month program by ETUDE HOUSE where they send you products to review in a cute box every month. I've seen many Pink Bird Bloggers before but I never actually thought that I'd become one of them one day. So a few weeks ago, I received my first pink box (which wasn't actually pink like i though lol) and I'll be reviewing what I got in this July box.

Review | Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder ♥

Hello Everyone!

I have been on the search for a good setting powder for the longest time ever. I have (extremely) oily skin so it is essential that I set my foundation with powder. To be honest, i haven't actually tried a lot of powders because I usually try and use up most of one powder before I start another. Some that I've tried include, MAC mineral powder, Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, Etude House Be Clear Pact etc, however none of these were able to control my oils so the search continues. This Innisfree no sebum powder has been raved a lot as one of the best Korean affordable powders which is why I really wanted to try it out. 

Brand: Innisfree

Name: No Sebum Mineral Powder

Price: $9.01 AUD

Weight: 5 grams

Shade: -

Where to buy: Ebay

Description: Finely milled loose powder sops up excess sebum to give skin a lovely, matte finish. Velvety soft is formulated with Jeju natural mineral and natural originated mint, select ingredients that nourish and pamper to greatly improve skin health. Use as the last step of your makeup routine to prolong foundation wear. Recommended for combination and oily skin types.

OOTD | Beach Bound II

Hey Everyone!! 

Today I'm doing an outfits post which is part two of my Beach Bound series which I previously did featuring one of my best friends, Wendy. The beach is always a nice place that me and Wendy like to chill at because we can just hang out near the water with the nice view. In my last post, Wendy showcased what she'd wear on a breezy day at the beach and this time, I'm showing what I'd wear on a warmer day.

I really wanted to do this outfit post because I recently purchased this playsuit off Popcherry and I wanted to share it with you guys! I generally only browse on their site, but this was the first time that I actually bought something. The quality was not the greatest but everything else like the colour and design was on point. 

Review | Koji Snoopy Liquid Liner ♥

Hi Everyone! 

It's actually been so long since I've uploaded a makeup product review and the main reason for this is because I haven't tried anything recently that has really "wowed" me. When I went to Hong Kong and Japan last year I bought a lot of eyeliners to try and this Snoopy one has definitely quickly become one of my top favourite eyeliners. To be honest, initially I only bought it because of its cute packaging but after using it for awhile now I realised that the quality of the actual liner is too good to not be featured on my blog ~  There is also a mascara that is part of the same Snoopy line and I'll be doing a separate review on that later! 

Brand: Koji

Name: Snoopy Liquid Liner 

Price: $85 HKD ($16.50 AUD) 

Weight: - 

Shade: Rich Black 

Where to buy: Sasa, YesStyle 

Description: A Snoopy limited edition makeup with cross promotion by Koji Japan.

Features

1. Ultra fine 0.1mm brush tip for easy drawing of different line widths
2. It contains 3 essence ingredients include honey, chamomile, and rose extract for skin nourishment
3. Waterproof. High resistance to sweat, water, and tear

OOTD | Beach Bound ft. Wendyayay

Hi Everyone! 

Hope everyone has been having a great week so far. Autumn has recently arrived in Sydney, but I find that during this season it is always so hard to decide what to wear because the weather is a mixture of temperatures (e.g. freezing in the morning and boiling hot in the afternoon) and so in today's post I will be sharing some ideas of what you can wear during this season. This time I'm featuring one of my best friends, Wendy, and she will be showcasing this chic outfit that she wore to the beach awhile ago. 

Review | Skinfood Argan Oil Silk Hair Essence ♥

Hey Everyone,

Hope you guys are all having a great weekend :) I'm starting uni again in two days after a four month holiday so kind of nervous but hopefully everything goes well heh~ Goodluck to everyone else who is starting uni soon!!This week I have a review on this Skinfood Silk Hair Essence. 

Brand: Skinfood

Name: Argan Oil Silk Hair Essence

Price: $6.87 USD

Weight: 100mL

Shade: - 

Where to purchase: StyleKorean

Description: This is extremely rich in beneficial nutrients including fatty acids and vitamin E. Its properties make it particularly beneficial for the Scalp & hair. Formulated with argan oil, 18 kinds of amino acid. : Provides moisture and nutrition for healthy hair. Paraben free, alcohol free, artificial pigment. 

I think I've mentioned this before, but my hair is pretty dry and unruly because I've dyed it several times within these few years and have been straightening it a lot this year for uni. My hair is short, but pretty dead at the same time. I've been looking for products that can revive my hair - I've tried the Pantene 3 minute treatments, Kao Essential Hair Nourising masks and Hair&Me coconut oil treatments but none of them seem to work really well on me or have long lasting effects. Maybe because hair isn't my top priority but I really haven't looked into the best hair care products in the market. However, I have heard that Skinfood makes really great face scrub masks so when I received this Argan oil hair essence, I was quite excited to see how it would work on me. 

 

This is a really affordable hair treatment oil that comes in a plastic bottle with a lid and pump. I usually do two or three pumps on my hair because I find that if I apply too much it can make my hair look oily instead of giving off a healthy sheen look (which was what I was originally going for). The argan oil has a really strong rose scent which makes your hair smell really good.

The consistency is like a mixture of oil and serum, slightly runny, making it easy to rub onto the hands and apply onto the hair. I try to avoid putting this product on my scalp to avoid making my roots appear wet and oily as the ends of my hair are the real trouble makers. 

In terms of results, it definitely makes my hair feel more smooth and easier to comb through after using the oil. On the days when I feel lazy and don't put this product on, I can feel the difference in the texture of my hair so I try to make a habit of using this daily as the results are not long lasting at all. Also, the thing I don't like about using oil on my hair is the fact that the oil never really absorbs into the hair, it just coats itself over the hair stand. It's not superrr greasy but whenever I go to touch my hair after applying this, I can sometimes still feel the oil. 

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Verdict 

Packaging 

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ / 5 

It comes in plastic packaging so it's lightweight and won't break easily. I like that it comes with a pump + lid, making it more convenient and mess free to use. But sometimes if you pump the product out at a wrong angle it may drip down and make the whole bottle oily which is the downside of having the pump. If you're not lazy like me and wipe the bottle after each use, it should be okay and stay mess free! 

Price

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ / 5 

As always, everything from StyleKorean is really affordable. This contains 100mL of products and costs less than $10 which is a great deal because you probably can't get any decent hair products for that price even at Priceline or other drugstores (unless theres a sale obviously)

Performance 
♥ ♥ ♥ / 5 

I think this argan oil is a decent product. It makes your hair less tangly and the texture of the hair more smoother when you use the product. However, you really need to be careful of how much product you apply because it can make your hair look and feel really oily if you put too much on. 

Pros

- Really Affordable
- Makes hair tangle free
- Smoother hair texture
- Smells really good, like roses
- Comes with pump and lid 
- Plastic bottle making it easier to bring with you travelling

Cons
- Applying too much product can make your hair look really oily
- Effect is not long lasting i.e. Once you stop using the product, hair goes back to the condition it was in before 

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Hopefully this review was helpful for those looking into getting hair care products from Korean brands. I would recommend this product to people who are consistent with their hair treatment routines but not to those who are lazy like me and forget to apply this on most days. 

Hope you all have a fantastic week and don't forget to leave me a comment down below. Feel free to follow me on my other social media platforms (Instagram: @Beautifyinglifee) (Twitter: @Beautifylifee)

*This product was sent for review purposes in collaboration with StyleKorean.com 

Opinions are all my own and 100% honest. 

Makeup Haul | Japan + Hong Kong ♥

Hello Everyone!! 

Welcome to my first post of 2016 and Happy New Year (even though i'm one month late >_<) !! I've dissapeared from my blog for awhile now because I've been on holidays in Japan & Hong Kong during December and January! You guys seem to enjoy my makeup hauls from the past two years so today I have the 2016 edition! 

So at the beginning of December, I headed off to Japan for the first time! I stayed at a hotel near Shinsaibashi in Osaka which is where there's a massive shopping street with lots of food, makeup and clothing stores! Within Shinsabashi there are so many pharmacy's which is the home to a lotttt of Japanese cosmetics! I didn't spend a lot of my time in those pharmacy's (surprisingly) but I did manage to pick up some super cute items! I also went to another big pharmacy when I got to Tokyo as well which was where I bought some of the other items. What's really cool is if you present your foreign passport at the counter when you're shopping at the pharmacy you can get all the products at a tax free price so the makeup is worth purchasing in Japan!!! I don't remember the price for a lot of the makeup but if i do, i'll try and write it down! Also, I haven't tried any of these products yet so I'm not sure how well they work yet!! 

Leanani Liquid Eyeliner (1400 ¥)

There were heaps of eyeliners to choose from in Japan but I couldn't resist picking up this super adorable Hello Kitty one from the pharmacy! Apparently it's the number one top selling eyeliner brand too. I haven't tried yet but hopefully it'll be good :)) My sister bought an eyeliner from the same brand too except without the hello kitty (so it's not as cool) 

Pore Putty Hello Kitty BB Powder (1404 ¥)

I bought this one from the makeup store in Tokyo! In HK i see pore putty a lot at Sasa but i've never actually bought anything from this brand before. This one is a Japanese version with the hello kitty on the cover and on the puff, isn't it super cute~?!?!? I dont' even want to open it yet because it's so cute!! There was a pink and orange version but apparently the orange version is a more enriched version with more coverage and contains additional skin nourishing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, shea butter and ceramide.

Integrate Mascara 

No Surprise... another Hello Kitty product! This mascara doesn't actually have Hello Kitty on the mascara tube but it has a cute Hello Kitty keyring which was cute enough already! All the writing on the mascara packaging is all in Japanese so i have no idea what it says. But it turns out this brand is actually part of Shiseido so this should be a good mascara! 

Maybelline Lashionista Mascara (1400 ¥) 

I bought this at a place called 'Plaza' which is kind of like 'Log-On' from Hong Kong which sells a variety of really cute products and makeup. I'm not a huge fan of Maybelline mascara's because I feel like they don't work very well on asian lashes but I thought this My Melody edition was really cute and I'm pretty sure this edition is only available in Japan so i had to buy it! 

BN Eye Love Magic x Mitsuki Oishi #7 Lashes (900 ¥)

I don't usually wear falsies on a day to day basis but it's Japan and lashes are known to be great quality in Japan so I had to buy some!!! I bought these ones because they looked the most natural and suitable for day wear. Funny thing is I didn't even wear them after I bought them x_x 

Elizabeth - Hello Kitty x Bon Bon Tint Gloss #04 

This was the last product that I bought in Japan and this is a Hello Kitty Tint Gloss where the colour darkens as time passes. I originally wanted a baby pink shade in #3 but unfortunately that one was all sold out so i ended up buying it in a darker shade called Cherry Red. 

Lip Hop x My Melody Lip Balm ($19.90 HKD)

Now onto the products that I bought in Hong kong. I spotted this when I was in a Manning Store when they were doing a buy one get one free promotion. Lip Hop had a variety of super adorable lip balms including My melody, Little Twin Star, Hello Kitty and also really cool flavours such as avocado and honey. I chose the My Melody lip balm which is a strawberry flavour and the Hello Kitty one which was a lemon flavour but I gave that one to my cousin. 

Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cushion #W24 Honey Beige

After using the Lock N Summer collection BB cushion, I really didn't like the formula and it put me off using cushion products in general. However, this time when I went back to HK i was determined to try another cushion to see if i would like it again and after using the precious mineral cushion I'm addicted to how convenient and fast the foundation application can be! Everyday I literally just pat my face a few times and my foundation is done! The only thing i didn't really like about this was that the shade was too light but it was okay in HK since everyone likes to look more pale anyway. But when I'm back in Australia, sometimes it looks a bit strange when the foundation doesn't match my neck as much as my regular foundation. 

Etude House Dear My Wish Lipstick #BE101 ($90 HKD)

Whilst I was in the Etude House store i decided to look at some lipsticks and instantly fell in love with this shade. It's a really pretty mauvey nude colour, which was great for the winter times. It's super creamy and easy to apply. 

Innisfree Long Wear Cushion #21 ($189 HKD)

I bought this after I fell in love with the Etude House cushion from my local Innisfree store. One of my really good friends recommended this to me before because this is the only foundation that she uses and I also heard a lot of good reviews of this online. Unfortunately, I don't like this as much as the Etude House one because the shade I got matched with comes off a lot lighter on my face if i put too much product on and not as natural. It has really good coverage though and lasts pretty long. 

Innisfree No Sebum Blur Pact & Mineral Powder 

Whilst I was in Innisfree I also bought two powders which I know are really popular! The blur pact has a bit of colour which helps to blur the pores as well as provide natural coverage. The mineral powder is a white powder which just helps with oil control and i don't think it provides much coverage. I'm really liking the blur pact but I haven't tried the mineral powder yet !

Koji Snoopy Edition Liquid Liner ($85 HKD) & Long Volume Mascara ($89 HKD)

I don't know why I'm so obsessed with character themed make up this year but when I walked past this at Sasa I had to buy it! It's a snoopy edition mascara and eyeliner by Koji which is also the brand who produces Dolly Wink! I really love using the Dolly Wink eyeliner and mascara so hopefully these two won't dissapoint~

Genking Eyes Cream Duo Set ($180 HKD)

I've actually never heard of this brand before but I thought the packaging looked really cute and it was a really good price for the two eyeliners - a liquid and a pencil. 

VDL Lumilayer Primer ($125 HKD) 

Last year I saw Bubzbeauty talk about how good this primer is so I decided to buy it and try it out. The packaging of the primer bottle is really nice, comes in a glass bottle with a pump. It's an illuminating primer so it makes your face glow like all the Korean k-pop stars ~~ (p.s. Not so recommended for oily skin people) 

3CE Lip Marker #Pink ($139 HKD) 

I don't usually buy things from 3CE but because I got really excited when I saw the Stylenanda store in HK so i went in to look at the makeup. I tried this marker on my hand and the colour looked really nice! But when i actually put it on my lips it turned out really different to what I expected so I'm not a fan of this product and wouldn't repurchase. On a side note the design of the applicator is really funny, it's like putting highlighter on your lips LOL *_*

Mentholatum Medicated Lip Stick (160 ¥)

I actually got this in Japan but I forgot to include it in all the Japanese makeup I mentioned up there ^ Apparently this lip balm is really good and it was really cheap which was why i picked it up at the pharmacy. It's really minty and is really soothing on the lips, one of my favourite lip balms at the moment. 

Shiseido Water In Lip Balm ($39.90 HKD)

759 Kawaiiland was having a 40% off sale on all their makeup so I picked up another lip balm - because you can never have too many lip balms right?? (or maybe I just always seem to lose my lip balms). This lip balm is medicated as well so I'm assuming it'll be minty like the Mentholatum one too! 

K-Palette 1 Day Tatoo Real Lasting Mascara w/Remover ($150 HKD)

A long time ago, I used to really love using the K-palette eyeliner but I started trying out other brands and forgot about it. When I went to Japan this year I bought one to try out again and I fell in love with it all over again!!! So when I saw this at Sasa, I decied to buy the mascara version as well. It's a cute duo set that comes with the remover as well. 

Fairy Drops Platinum Waterproof Mascara ($110 HKD) 

If you've been following me for awhile you'll know that Fairy Drops is hands down my favourite mascara EVER! I think i told you guys how Sasa stopped selling these last year and I was really sad because no other mascara can ever compare with this one. In the last few days of my trip in HK, I noticed that Sasa started stocking these in stores again so I got really excited and bought four of them (just in case they ever stop selling again~~)(Lol, I think you can tell how obsessed i am over this) 

Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner ($90 HKD)

Last but not least, I bought another one of my favourite eyeliners by Dolly Wink! I think this one and the eyeliner by K-Palette will forever be my holy grail eyeliners which never fail to impress me :))) If you're looking for a smudge proof and waterproof mascara, these two brands are the way to go! 

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Thanks to everyone again for making it to the end of this post even though the haul was really long (but what else do you expect after visiting the land of makeup ;) ) Hope you guys have an amazing 2016 (feels a bit strange saying this when it's February already right??) and lets hope this will be another great blogging year :)))