my favorite lip balm from bodyshop has been out of stock for ages. and the lip butter that i got as birthday gift from the bodyshop chocolicious edition isn't enough. it's buttery and it tastes bitter! plus it melts on hot days like these, so i'm looking for new lip balm. about several months ago i was curious about maybelline baby lips, but i kept postponing to buy it. i'm looking something like maybelline baby lips, a lip balm+ color combo. i'm quite a lazy person when it comes to makeup, especially if i'm just going out on errand.. so a lip balm + color combo will be perfect for me. it will keep my lips moisturized but i won't look pale.

and i'm searching about nyx.. and i found out their butter lip balm. at first i was torn between the color lip balm and the butter lip balm. both had great reviews, though the butter lip balm failed some. but one of the blogger said that you should keep the butter lip balm in cool place, so i guess since it has the "butter" label, it will be the same case with my lip butter.

back to the butter lip balm, after checking tons of swatches, i decided to get two of them. (why one? hahaha..) i choose parfait and panna cotta. parfait is a bublegum pink, and panna cotta is supposed to be pink -coral but on the natural side, perfect for everyday.

the package: the butter lip balm comes in a chapstick model, just like the ordinary lip balm. you can twist the bottom to get it out. and luckily, the body color is the same as the shade color, so it's easy to grab which one you want. i don't know if there's a renewal in the cover style, but i receive two different cover style. at first i was afraid that one of them is counterfeit, but then i searched again and found out that both are genuine. i don't know if it's the 2014 new style or not.

the smell: it smells like bubblegum candy. so fun. but not overpowering. it's very subtle and you can still smell it when you wear it. and the scent lingers for a long time too.

the color: as i expected, the color is pretty sheer. panna cotta is harder to show than parfait. on my lips, panna cotta is just MLBB, but parfait is a pretty pink on my lips.

the result: the moisturizing power is quite the same as my lip butter, slightly under my vitamin e lip balm. but t's enough for me. some say that it's quite thick for lip balm, so if you don't like the buttery texture, you might want to skip this. and some say that it dries on the line of your lips, after drinking and eating, i found out that it's true. but not the drying effect that i get, it's just like tightening feeling along my lip lines when it faded away. like a reminder that what you put on your lips before has gone now.

overall, i'm glad that the lip balms meet my expectation. for you who want to give a little bit color to your lips without all the fuss, this lip balm is a must for you. you can apply as many times as you like. but if you dislike the buttery feeling or living in super hot and humid country (like mine) and you don't have cool place to store it, you might want to skip this.

probably from several posts you can predict that korean brands that i partially toward to are skinfood and innisfree. actually, i was attracted to nature republic as well, but since i can't find the sample of the product that i want to try, i postpone it before jumping to full size product. but i heard that some of their famous products are being discontinued.. *sigh* plus not many online shops here in indonesia that accept preorder for nature republic, which another reason that discourage me to buy them.

well, back to nature republic, i was on the fermentation product wagon a while back.. and i'm obsessed.. and this gift set is the result. i've tried innisfree soybean energy essence and i have missha's on my hand, but haven't tried it. the nature republic name their line of fermented product "the first" actually, there are two types, the first one is just the first. the other has "whitening" name, which of course, for whitening purpose. this is the description from en.koreadepart.com

ingredients: yeast extract, centella asiatica extract, portulaca oleracea l extract, arctium lappa extract, licorice extract, peony extract, cndium extract, lavender extract, rosemary extract, sanghwang mushroom extract, chamomile extract, cava extract, kuzu vine extract, marshmallow extract.

product description: the first line includes fermented yeast extract and herb complex. naturally fermented ingredients revitalize skin. moisturizing, tightening, cleansing dead skin cells, and controlling sebum. 7 types of organic herb extract pacifies and cares skin. includes 73% of fermented yeast ingredient. rich moisturized emulsion makes skin clear and transparent. cushioning texture and high molecule oil create moisture layer.

the whole line is consisted with the first clear toner, number one essence, ampoule essence, emulsion, eye cream, and cream. quite a lot for one line.. but i'm sure you don't have to wear them all.

the packaging: the gift set is consisted with the toner and emulsion. i tried the emulsion first. both are packaged in a tiny white plastic bottle with brown cap. and only the first emulsion typed in the body of the bottle. i have to assure you that it's very tiny! the cap is a screw cap, which easy to open, but... the opening is very small.. and it's very irritating to try to get the product out. i hope they change the package to a pump or something. something easier to get the product out.

the smell: it smells nice.. almost as nice as the innisfree orchid line.. it smells flowery, but not too overpowering. hmmm.,.. niceee...

the product: it's a whitish cream, thin cream to be exact. it absorbs quickly to my skin, and leaves it moisturize. but not too much. it doesn't feel sticky.

the result: okay.. usually i don't get purging from trying fermented product, but somehow this one mess with my skin. okay, i'm not on my birth control pill anymore, but i usually don't get acne this much. at first i though it's just purging and i keep on going. but tiny acnes keep showing up, one every 3 days or so. just around my nose and mouth. but since i keep my other skincare as usual, the acne usually dried up after 3 days. but until i finish this tiny bottle, which approximately lasted almost 2 weeks, i still get acne. do purging stay that long? i don't know. this one moisturize my skin just like the other cream but doesn't get me oily. standard for 4 hours i guess.. without makeup on, since i was too lazy putting makeup last week.

overall, this is an okay emulsion for oily skin to combination skin. another cheaper version if you want to try fermented product. but i suggest try the sample first. and since i keep getting acne, i will skip this one.

as i already said in my several posts, i'm intended to finish all my samples. though i've already purchased my second tester korea haul, but it hasn't arrived yet, and i've made quite a progress. actually, i've used this one along with my several samples empties last week, but i forgot to write about it.

missha time revolution night repair science activator ampoule. what a long name! i even have to look up on google so i won't say it incorrectly. the first missha product that i'm attracted to is their time revolution first essence, which the dupe for the famous SKII. i have the samples, finally, but i haven't tried it yet. another dupe yet famous product from missha is this night repair activator ampoule, which is a dupe for estee lauder advanced night repair. many choose to buy missha since it's lower in price compared to estee lauder. but since i haven't tried estee lauder, i won't compare them.

okay, back to missha night repair.. (i decide to make it short..why they have to make such a long name?). this is the description from misshaus.com:

the complete science behind beautiful skin. use the essential activator ampoule on a daily basis to get smooth and firm, beautiful skin. it provides your skin with extra nutrients and moisture that you are not getting from basic skincare. the ampoule energizes, repairs, and restores elasticity. it also provides wrinkle repairing and whitening benefits. contains fermented bifida, lactobacillus, and lactococcus for improved, healthier skin. bifida ferment strengthens skin's barrier to prevent damage from harmful environmental factors. lactobacillus ferment contains peptide and vitamin b12 for improved, healthy skin condition. saccharomyces ferment filtrate has protective and antioxidant properties to moisturize and improve skin barrier.

how to use: most effective when used at night, but can also be used at morning. use after toner/essence and before serum/ lotion.

i've been busy with school lately, and somehow it affects my mood in writing. and after days of consultation, i'm bored with school stuff and decided to try one of my samples. as you know, i've ordered samples from testerkorea, and i got some freebies, one of them is skinfood broccoli toner, which i'd like to review today. actually, it will be just a short commentary, since i only got one sample.

this is the description i found from en.koreadepart.com

broccoli's rich vitamin c and betacarotene makes skin healthy. mild toner for sensitive skin.

actually, the toner is from the broccoli and cabbage line. it's meant for sensitive skin. the whole broccoli line is consisted with broccoli facial foam, toner, watery ampoule, whitening ampoule, emulsion and cream.

the packaging: the sample is in soft green sachet, mimicking the real product's color. actually, i'm kind of admire skinfood for giving generous amount of sample in one sachet, but for this sample, it's the opposite.

the product: it's a clear watery substance. i say watery because it's clear and watery, easy to absorb, but it's not that runny, even the black sugar serum is runnier.. so i don't know how to classified this toner.

the smell: i can't specified the scent, all i know it has mild scent, a little bit refreshing, but not overpowering.

the result: since it's so little, i can't say much about it. all i know, it doesn't contain alcohol, so don't expect freshness that you usually get from toner with alcohol. and it's quite moisturizing for me. FYI, i have oily skin, so i'm hoping my toner can help me with my sebum and oil problem, not causing it.

overall, i'll say that this formula probably suits everyone who has dry or sensitive skin, or probably teenage girls whom in search for their "adult" version skincare.

left: the sample sachet right: the product on my hand (see that it's not runny?)

remember when i told you that i had depression a while back and decided to buy some lippies? well, i bought 3, and this one is the last one to review. i've used it a couple times but i kept forgetting to take picture of it, so i forgot to write about this lippy.

revlon lip butter has been famous for their moisturizing effect but also vibrant color, and i might say that nyx tries to copy it and launched their nyx lip butter. i'm not sure about nyx, but for revlon, some colors are quite subtle so you have to swipe a couple times to make it shown, and some colors, usually more vibrant one, are quite easy to make the color shown. but for their staying power, i must say they lack of it, probably due to its moisturizing power.

okay.. let's jump to the review

the packaging: all lip butters are packaged in a plastic paid cap, the color of the cap show the color of the lipstick. so it's pretty easy to find the one you need. plus, they also give the label with the lipstick name and number on bottom of the lipstick. all revlon lip butters are name like dessert, like macaroon, peach parfait, strawberry shortcake, and stuff. pretty cute...

the color: as i said before, some need several swipes, some only need one swipe. for macaroon, it depends how you want it. one swipe is enough for natural look, but if you want the color to be bolder, you can swipe it again. macaroon is a pink-mauve-a little brownish color. hahaa.. i'm pretty confused about the color.. it has micro glitter inside, like peach parfait. but it's really subtle.. so don't worry.

the staying power: since macaroon is not that bold, two hours max without eating and drinking. sooo.. if you eat or drink, it may vanish quicker.

overall, i'm glad to buy this one as the substitute of my revlon colorburst blush.

this is another famous product from skinfood. though i'm not sure, a lot of people said skinfood black sugar scrub, but the foam or the mask? i guess both of them are famous.. but since i don't have that much time to put mask on my face, so i choose the foam. i run out of my bodyshop scrub, so i need another scrub.

this is from their global website:

the mineral-rich brazilian black-sugar grains in the scrub foam smoothly cleanse off the old layer leaving your skin moist after washing.

this is the second bb cream for skin79 family that i try. i'm curious between this one and vital orange. vital orange because it's said for oily skin and pretty pale skin. but some say that hot pink is better for oily skin, so i'm between that two. and i thought vital orange is the one for me, but this hot humid weather melts vital orange on me, so i scratch that from my list.

this is from their website:

color light to natural beige. skin type: normal/oily.

this is yet another confusing packaging problem from mizon. i've ordered a pore refine silky essence, and as always, i always find out about it more before using it. and like before, i found that there's a renewal in product design. the old one is brown, and the old line is called skin turn around pore refine silky essence. they put the "skin turnaround" text pretty big in the old one. but the new one, they put the big "pore" text on the full product and a tiny text of "skin turnaround". but, despite all the confusion, i can assure you that it's all the same. the new one is in the green bottles.

okay, so you probably know that i'm in pore/sebum fighting mode, and i've been searching for a sebum control/ pore tightening serum, and i've never heard anything else from mizon except their famous snail cream, so i guess why not try their other product? probably it will be good just like the snail cream. though after i searching about it, i thought mizon has a lot of dupe products from other fellow korean skincare brands. and pretty similar line too.. ah well, i guess the other korean brands also in mood of launching snail cream to compete with mizon's, so i guess let the best win.

what they said about it:

from en.koreadepart.com:

ingredients: lotus, beefsteak plant leaf, corelian cherry, walnut, green tea, west ivy, hyaluronic acid, pepper tree peptide-1, beta glucan.

product description: non-sticky, provides moisture, cleanses pores, non oily skin, vegetable active ingredient tightens pores. tighens whole face to make it more lively. paraben-free.

the whole pore line is consisted with pore refine deep cleansing foam, new pore control peeling toner, pore refine silky essence and pore tightening lotion. i never believe that a single line can help all your skin problem, so i just try what i think suppose to help with my problem, the essence. since i believe that the essence/serum is the product that contains more active ingredients than the rest of the line.

the packaging: i bought the green samples. you know i've always been keen to skinfood samples. they are cute and attractive. but mizon's? they are boring. they always come in boring rectangle shapes with single color (green, for this sample) and just a type-written font. which is boring. i know i'm a docor, but that doesn't mean that everyone could make everything so boring and art-less. okay, i know laneige and missha also don't have the cute and attractive packaging, but somehow their packaging have some perks on them. like the tiny tube or the glittery text. something like that. oh well, probably it's just me. oh, and since it's in rectangle sachet, it can be used up to 5-6 times, depends on how much you put it on your face.

the scent: hmm.. i don't know how this product should smell like, but all i know it smells just like the water volume aqua gel. hmm.. pretty confusing. i think different line will have different scent. or it's just me again?

the product: it's a cloudy white gel-type cream which melts easily onto your skin. it absorbs pretty quickly, but skinfood pore sake serum absorbs quicker than mizon's.

the result: i've used this essence for almost 3 weeks, day and afternoon. and i can say it has no effect on my pores. it's still there. about the oil control, i think the skinfood controls my oil better, but probably it's just the weather. it's been pretty hot here in surabaya. every cream will melts in this hot humid weather. luckily, i still have some skinfood left, so i will update that later. and i'm glad it doesn't break me out.

okay... overall, this is a nice essence. the oil control is average, the pore tightening effect is none. though i guess nothing will ever shrink my pores. hopefully frequent exfoliating and putting on tightening pore mask will help. it doesn't have a strong scent and it doesn't break me out, probably because of all those natural ingredients thing. but buying the full size? i don't think so. i'll try the it's skin serum first before deciding between skinfood and it's skin.

okay. now my review.

finally my package is arrived!! and it comes at the right time. i'm running out both my facial foam and my facial scrub, so my initial order are etude house happy essential white clay, but it was out of order and at that moment, the only facial foam available at my online seller was the baking powder pore cleansing foam, so i took it. my other order were skinfood black sugar scrub foam, etude house alphabet mask in q10 and vitamin complex, but i receive aloe instead of q10. oh well, why bother.. i can order q10 again next time. okay.. since i'm itching trying a new item, and i need to wash my face, so i try the baking powder.

what they say about it:

this is written at the back of the product (yeyy..english!): etude house baking powder pore cleansing foam (3 in 1 type). formulated with baking powder and to gently exfoliate skin and penetrate pores for a thorough cleanse.

from en.koreadepart.com: removes makeup, dirt, and excess sebum. 100% natural scent. pigment free.

actually, this is a pretty famous facial foam, and i believe many have tried this before.

the packaging: it's a white-blue tube. pretty big than my usual facial foam, 170 ml. i have to admit i admire korean for their way to package a product. they seal the opening of the tube with aluminium foil. and then they still put plastic seal on the whole body. pretty safe i guess...

the scent: they say it has natural scent, but i don't know what baking powder should smell like. but all i know, i can pick up a trace of lemon-citrusy scent from it. it's very subtle.. so it's okay i guess..

the product: it's a white creamy thingy. some say it has a little scrubs bead in it, but i can't see it nor feel it. i'll update if i find the scrub beads. *update jun 4,2014* yep.. i can fell tiny beads in it.. it's very tiny, so i'm not putting it into scrubs category.

the result: i don't have any expectation about the result, but i feel my face is squeaky clean. but weirdly, it doesn't dry me out. pretty funny feeling.. my face is clean like a clear glass, but it isn't dry at all. *update jun 4, 2014* i persuade my husband to try it, and since i'm pale enough, i can't see any brightening or whitening effect. but when my husband tried it, i didn't notice anything at first, but after a couple of minutes, he looked white! like he had white cast on his face. and the effect held for quite some time. but i don't think the whitening effect will hold for long. i guess it's just an instant effect.

overall, i have to admit probably i'll like my quick substitution, and if i can't find another facial foam, probably i'll buy this one again.