i'm not the type of person that shops easily. when i need to buy something, whether skincare or makeup, i will spend lots of time browsing about it. reading and watching lots of reviews before deciding. that's why i love reviewing sites. it makes my life easier. the problem with some of the website is mostly they are written by users. so each people have their own opinion about the product. some of them will just review it based on their experience, while some might explore more and talk about ingredient and why it will work. but not so many people did depth review. most of them will just say that it's okay, it works, it doesn't work, which is not too informative. on the other hand, i hardly find reviews that is being put together by a bunch of expert.

another problem finding a review is the kind of product itself. i can find any reviews about makeup, moisturizer, masks easily, but not eye cream. one of the reason is some people think that eye cream is just an expensive moisturizer, marketed for sensitive eye area. and it's more expensive than regular moisturizer. they just think it's only marketing trick. while i do believe that i should take care of my eyes area. it's one of those area that show aging signs, so i don't want that. hence, the eye cream is necessary in my book.

but it's expensive like i've said before. thankfully, there are samples being sold online. unfortunately, most of them are korean or japanese products. and most reviews site usually reviews western products. that's why you will find mostly japanese and korean eye cream reviews in my blog. because that's the one that i could get my hands on, tried on, and then review it here. the problem is it takes time since i have to try all the samples for several months before coming to a conclusion. another problem of asian products: the ingredient list sometimes can't be found in english, so i have no idea what ingredient make it work or doesn't make it work.

fortunately, someone reached out to me and told me about review.com. although this website is not necessarily an exclusive beauty-related review website (it does have reviews for things like mobile phone, solar panel, and even vitamins!), but it is very helpful. you can choose the category that you would like to know about. some categories will give you recommendation based on your answers from several questions. but if you don't like the recommendation, you can scroll down and see the other contenders in that category. and let me tell you, they have experts interviewed too. and they don't just put one winner, but they put several categories and pick one winner for each categories. as for eye cream, why don't you head on their website to see their ultimate eye cream guide yourself? here's the link.

what i like about their review is that they categorized all the eye creams according to its purpose, to tackle wrinkles, puffiness and dark circles. then they tested the eye creams and pick up the winner and runner up. they even give us the rundown how they get to pick the winner. from cutting the skin irritants, checking the right packaging for each ingredient, to picking the main ingredients suitable to tackle the main issue. those detailed selection is very informative. it's not based from someone's experience only, but also science-based. oh, for AB skincare lover, unfortunately this website only covers western products, so hopefully the experts and editors from reviews.com will expand their selection and include several ab products too.

my sister is getting engaged this september, and i didn't plan on hiring a makeup artist to do my makeup as usual. i've been watching a lot of makeup tutorials on youtube. plus i bought and own a lot of makeup product (not a lot, but it's quite a lot for me who seldom use makeup) and i have to use it so i don't waste my money. plus i've bought eyelid tape and fake eyelashes from japan, so i have to say i'm quite determined to do this. but then i've just realised that my base makeup all comes in form of bb cushion, which is not so high coverage and too dewy for long lasting makeup, so i decided to read a lot of reviews.

there seems to be a lot of new launch for summer, and i've just realized that i've missed a lot. probably since i didn't use many makeup since i have kids back to back. i was concentrated on skincare more. so i didn't update myself on makeup launches. i was looking for something that has more coverage than my bb cushion, quite matte so it will last all day, but doesn't make me look like i'm wearing a mask. long story short, there are two foundations that interesting to me, wet n wild photofocus foundation and milani 2 in 1 foundation. unfortunately, there were many people complains that milani lack of lighter shade, so i was worried that i might fall into the fairer side. i decided to read more about wet n wild. and comparing too many swatches. although wet n wild offered a shade matching on their website, i don't think it's quite accurate. some other people complained about it too. i narrowed it down to several shades. i'm sure i'm not pale enough to be porcelain, but i think i'm somewhere between shell ivory, soft ivory and nude ivory. i was almost certain that i was soft ivory, but i was hesitating since findation website keeps matching me with shell ivory. then luckily, my nearest guardian stores have this foundation, but only 3 shades available. again, luckily, one of them is shell ivory. i swatched it on my hand and found it too pink for me, so i decided to buy soft ivory.

this is the description from their website: your skin, only better. our new high-performing, skin-perfecting foundation underwent major road testing under seven different photo lighting conditions to deliver flawless camera-ready makeup every time. specially made with a matte, light-diffusing complex to give your skin #nofilter perfection. high-performing, breakthrough formula. featuring light-adjusting complex to help prevent white cast in photos. tested under 7 light conditions with and without the use of flash.

the packaging: i bought it online and i received just the bottle. it's a glass bottle with black screw cap. there's a spatula wand attached to the cap. there's a description at the back of the bottle, with pictures to clearly pictures the claim of this foundation. it comes in regular 30 ml size. honestly, i don't like the packaging, it's made of glass so it's heavy and it doesn't have pump so i have to use both hand to get the product out. i usually put a bit product on the back of my hand and then use sponge to put it on my face. not practical for daily use. and lately, i've discovered that the glass might not be a see-through? so i honestly have no idea how i will know whether the product is running out.

the bottle

the scent: many blogger and youtuber complained the scent of wet paint, and i have to agree it does smell quite strong the first time i was using it. but then maybe i get used to it. some even said that it reminded them of revlon colorstay's scent, before it got reformulated. and i think i agree too.. somehow it makes me remember my old revlon foundation, perhaps it was my first or second foundation that i've tried.

the color: wohooo!! all those times watching tutorials and comparing all those swatches are paid off. i'm proud to announce that soft ivory is a match for me. if you're wondering, i usually use #21 in all my bb cushion but this one is lighter than my missha bb cushion. i have to say though, this is the first time that the foundation isn't too dark or too yellow for me, so yay!!!

left: the spatula right: swatch on my arm

the product: this foundation is on the runnier side. i use the spatula to scoop some and put it on the back of my hand. when i lift my hand, the foundation will be sliding down the back of my hand. if i remember correctly, i think it has the same consistency as revlon, but runnier than my old max factor foundation. now, i've watched a lot of reviews, and some of them show the difference in coverage from using beauty blender and brush. if you used beauty blender, the coverage will be sheer, it will look natural on your skin. if you used brush, you will get at least medium coverage. since i don't have any foundation brush (i used it to apply my mask, so i won't use it again to apply my foundation), i use beauty blender and air puff. with air puff, it will give sheer coverage, but blendable. unfortunately, the air puff will absorb a lot of foundation. so it's not economical. with beauty blender, it also give natural finish, but buildable. i'm using ecotools sponge, and it does absorb some of the foundation, but not as much as the air puff.

left: before middle: half face swatch right: whole face with foundation

the coverage: they said it gives medium coverage. i say, it depends on the tool that you use to apply it. if you're using brush, then you will get medium coverage. but still you need concealer for dark circles and blemishes. if you're using beauty blender and air puff, you will get sheer to medium coverage. you can build it up before it dries completely, and it won't get cakey.

more close up on the coverage notice that it covers my redness and the acne scar on my lower cheek but it doesn't help much with my dark circles under eyes.

the result: it does give matte finish. actually, this is the first foundation that dries matte quickly. so you have to apply it quickly. that's why i like to put some on my hand before dabbing it on my face. that way, it doesn't dry out before i finish blending it. and it stays matte for about 4 to 5 hours. i have combination to oily skin, and my nose is the first part that usually become shiny, but using this foundation, my nose doesn't shine as much as usual. it doesn't get cakey even if i put more layers. but unfortunately, this one is slightly too matte that it clings onto dry patches. i have some dry patches on the side of my nose when i first tried it. and it accentuates the dry patches. this one also doesn't oxidise, which is quite rare for a foundation.

overall, i'm quite surprised by this foundation. this is the first foundation that completely matches my skin, and it stays matte for a decent time. i've been used to dewy finish from a bb cushion and this one is too matte for my taste. but it has the coverage that i need for special occasion. so i'm glad i purchase this. for you who has combination to oily skin, you might want to try this. as for dry skin, probably use a moisturizing primer before try this foundation. or stay away. as for the shade selection, i think it has a good range of selection of shades, from fair to deep. no matter what your skin tone, i think you can find one shade for you. or you can simply mix it to match your skin. from price point, it's quite affordable, so it won't hurt your wallet if you want to try it. as for me, i still curious of catrice hd liquid foundation, so perhaps i will try that one too. and then back to bb cushion. i like the practicality of bb cushion, and i don't need heavy coverage every day, so bb cushion is a good base for me.

i bought this when i was in japan after reading about it on amabie website. since they are about 100yen each, i grab 3 of them. it's very affordable, so why not gamble a little? i know many of you will think that it's a waste since usually high-end product delivers more satisfying result than cheap stuff, but it won't hurt anyone. plus, i always think that if cheaper product can deliver good result, why should i pay more?

this is the description from alphabeauty website: an anti-aging moisturizing essence/ serum cream contains 3 kinds of beauty collagen for skin nourishment and helps avoid dryness. this is the best choice for value among those moisturizing essence with similar main ingredient.
apparently, the serum is made by a beauty company, called cosme beauty. i've read somewhere that it's japanese company, but the bottle says "made in vietnam". i guess that explain the low price.

the packaging: it doesn't come in any box, so it's only the pump bottle. each has different color according to the serum type. there are 5 of them, and the triple collagen one is pink. it's a pump bottle, the pump part is pink, and there's another transparent plastic cap to cover the pump. they do seal the bottle with plastic, but other than that, none. there's description written at the back of the body, in english and japanese. quite surprising since this one is super cheap, i didn't think that they might put effort in putting english description while there are other products, more expensive than this and they didn't think to put english description on it, even just the product name and variant. it comes in decent 55 ml size, which is quite generous, considering most serum comes in 30 ml bottle.

the pump bottle

the scent: you might be bored with this, but it's scentless. again. as usual.

the product: i thought it would be more viscous, considering this is a moisturizing essence/serum. and i have to say this is quite a runny serum. i think the consistency is more like essence rather than a serum. it's transparent and watery, runny.. so it's easy to spread. it does take a minute or two to be completely absorbed. and takes time to before it doesn't give sticky feeling afterward. i use two and a half pump every night for my whole face and neck.

left: the pump top right: serum on my hand bottom right: after being absorbed

the result: at first, i was afraid that it might be too rich for my combination skin. but turns out, as i'm aging and i do spend a lot of time inside air-con room, my skin is drier than usual, especially at night. unfortunately, the serum doesn't give enough moisture that my skin need. it does hydrate as well as my snail AIO, but i was hoping this would give more moisture, considering it is labelled as triple collagen serum. which is supposed to be more moisturizing than snail AIO. i've tried using this under night cream and sleeping pack. both combination works well, although i have to say that it doesn't give much difference when i use my AIO under my night cream. in the morning, if i use sleeping pack, my nose would be greasy, but the other part of my skin absorbed all the moisture that i put on my face the previous night. luckily it doesn't break me out.

honestly, i have to admit that i expect too much from this serum. although i didn't mean to discredit cheap/affordable stuff, but you get what you pay. this one does help moisturizing my skin, but it doesn't enough. sometimes my skin still seems like it lacks of hydration. i think oily skin might like this as it's lightweight but still moisturizing. but for dry skin, completely steer away from this serum. this will be useless step for you. i definitely won't repurchase this, but i don't regret trying this either.

of course i bought another bubble color when i was in japan! i was impressed with my first time using it, so i decided to get another one. or two. i bought rose tea brown, which i was intended to buy last year but i couldn't find it. i also bought elegant peach again, since i like the color. if i didn't like rose tea brown, i thought it will be easy to color my hair back to elegant peach again, so i did bought two of them.

the description from kao singapore website about rose tea brown: it's categorized in warm brown family. a lovely brown with a tint of pink.

the packaging: it comes in regular cardbox as usual, with the girls pic at front. same girl but different hairstyles and hair colors according to the shades of the hair color. now, since i bought this in japan, everything is in japanese, even the shade name. so i suggest you take the picture of the shade that you wanted to buy before going to japan.

the product: there are several items in the box, just like the other shade. a big pump bottle, a small bottle that you have to pour into the big pump bottle, a hair conditioner, a pair of gloves, a card to allergy test, and a booklet about the bubble color. there's instructions and pictures too, but everything is in japanese. all you have to do is pour the content of the small bottle to the big pump bottle, turning it upside down 5 times (do not shake it), and then put the pump on top. put your gloves and start coloring your hair. they advise to comb your hair beforehand so it doesn't tangle when you color your hair. then start coloring from hair parting down. put a lot of bubble. if you have long hair, use them all. but if you have short hair, use only three quarter of it. massage the bubble to fully lather it, and then wait. after that wash your hair and use the hair conditioner.

the result: this is a copper brown on me. not that brown with pink tint. the elegant peach is reddish brown that i hope for. but this one doesn't. since i have dark hair to begin with, even though this has 3rd level of brightness, it doesn't as bright as i want it to be. under the sun, you can see it clearly, but under shade, only part near my hair parting is the one that is bright.

again, i like how this is very easy to use, although this time it gets messier than before. i even stain my clothes. thankfully my helper can get rid of the stain completely. even though the brightness level is higher than elegant peach, somehow it gives similar result to elegant peach. my husband even couldn't tell the difference. all he could see it brown. hahaha.. but to me personally, i like elegant peach better. perhaps i should try more red or pink shades. i think this will be suitable for anyone, especially for beginner in hair coloring or anyone who wish to color their hair and have virgin hair (never been colored before). the result is visible but not too drastically changed. if you have black hair like mine, try brightness level 2 or 3. don't try level 1 since it won't show much. another repurchase in the future for sure.

the box (notice that all text is in japanese, and there's color diagram too)

all the bottles inside

left: before right: after

left: before right: after

i gave my brother in a law a wish list when he went to korea along with my mother and sister in law. since my husband didn't go along with them, he told me to give the list to my brother in law. and he had hard time finding almost all of them. but he managed to buy me mediheal mask. and he bought all the variants from line collaboration, a whole box each! i've tried the AC one and i like it, so i decided to try another one.

description from sasa website: mediheal line friends I.P.I lightmax ampoule mask whitens and brightens your skin. the IPI lightmax works on inhibiting melanocytes to make your face clear. the formula contains whitening ingredients including arbutin, mulberry, and vitamin C-AA2G. it removes the pigment, spot, dullness and solves the problem of uneven skin tone. it helps your skin restore radiant and glossiness. the bulgaria rose water owns strong moisturizing power which keeps your face hydrated.

the packaging: since my brother in law bought me the whole box, i got the box. both the box and individual packaging have the same design. this time it's cony at the front. it's pink too. i believe they have this in their regular line, but it's white. there's description at the back of the sachet in english and korean.

the scent: okay, i have to say that i can't decide what kind of scent it is. i think it's baby powder scent, but sometimes i think it's floral. oh well, all i can say that although it has scent, it isn't too overpowering. in fact, i like how it helps me relax at night.

the product: the mask is a thin cotton, a little bit rigid but not too papery. it has cony face on the cheek. the fit is similar to other variant. it has long eye part but it's okay for me. the slit does help me adjusting the mask better. it doesn't have plastic backing so it's a little bit difficult unfolding this mask. the mask adheres very well. it has clear essence, and quite generous too. a little bit left in the pouch but it's not enough to soak a table mask. like the other mask, i can put it on my face for almost an hour and it is still moist. after about 30 minutes, the center part will dry first, but the edges will still moist, quite weird since most of my mask dries quicker on the edges, and not the other way around.

the result: definitely moisturizing but not too greasy and not sticky too. it does brightened my face but the effect is temporary as usual. i also feel tightening feeling on my forehead, don't know why though.

definitely love this variant too. i think it will suit every skin types. even for oily skin can use this. although perhaps they should skip a step, perhaps just top it off with moisturizer afterward. if you have special occasion and you want to look glowing and bright, you can use this mask beforehand. one thing though, i was hoping that they would put line character face on the whole mask, and not just put a little face on the cheek part. i still have two more variants to try before deciding which one is my favorite. have you tried them all? which is your favorite?

the individual packaging

left: before middle: mask on face right: after (notice that my face is slightly brightened)

when i bought my dome eyeshadow brush, i also wanted to buy another brush. actually a couple more brush, but unfortunately the ones that i want weren't available at that time. so when i look around, i remembered that some of those youtuber use tapered brush to apply their powder to set their makeup. i didn't have that brush. i use my elf powder brush with my powder. it works well, but somehow i just want to see if the result would be better if i use tapered brush. plus i don't have any highlighter brush. i try using my angled blush brush, but it doesn't work well. considering that i have to do my own makeup i want to have another brush to practice my highlighting. so i decided to grab this.

this is the description from kaycollection website: its tapered shape covers all of the curves of your face, making precision in highlighting, contouring or applying powder all over your face.

the packaging: this one is from their professional line, so the brush comes in a plastic tube. there's a sticker label at the bottom that indicates the number, name and description of the brush.

the product: the brush is longer than the eye brush, 18 cm in length. but as for face brushes, it's slightly longer than my other face brushes. the handle is black and it's bigger than my other face brushes, make it very sturdy and feels strong when i grip it. it has silver metallic ferrule. the brush is tapered, so it's pointy at one side. and the bristles.. oh the bristles is soooo sofffftttt.. the softest that i've tried.

the result: okay, since i only have pressed powder, that's the first one that i try. with pressed powder, the brush picks very little amount, thus gives more natural result. i can feel only a thin layer of powder on my face. perhaps it will work better with loose powder since it will only pick a good amount of powder. my elf powder brush tends to pick too much loose powder. the tapered side is perfect to apply powder. now move on to highlighting. since i only have one highlighter at the moment, i can't say much. with my catrice highlighter, it can pack good amount of highlighter, but somehow it's too subtle. i've tried scratching the surface with spoolie and it does improving the pigmentation. but still, it's very subtle. but it's better than my angled brush.

definitely like this brush, although i have to practice more with different highlighter to see its full capability. one thing though, the eye brush is affordable, but this one is more expensive. when i had to pay, i was quite surprised seeing the price, but since it works well, i think it's worth the price.

update: i've tried it with my brand new elf highlighter, and the result is similar to catrice. it give subtle result. the tapered part is a little bit wide, so it's hard to apply it constricted to certain part. when i use the pointy side, the highlighter will just pack on the tip of the brush, so i have to dip numerous time to get the result that i want. since it's very soft, somehow it makes my highlighter messy, too powdery and i get dust all over. i've tried this with contour powder too, and since it's quite wide, the contouring gets a little bit wider than i used to do, especially under the ears, but result is more subtle, softer, blended beautifully. so i guess it's really up to you, what kind of result that you like. you can use this brush with powder, highlighter and contour powder and it will give you more natural and subtle result.

top left: the tube top right: the tapered shape bottom: the label on the tube

i honestly have no idea how i knew masami shouko. but after reading all the reviews, i became interested. all of them saying that it's affordable and the brushes are good. when i was searching on kaycollection website, i was thinking of getting their 219 blending brush. but apparently it was sold out at the store. i was afraid that it's as big as my BH brush that it's such a waste to buy online. and i want to buy their eyeshadow brush stack. it will be perfect for travelling, but again, it's sold out online and at stores. so i decided to ask the store attendant and she suggested this brush. i want to try something from masami shouko, so i decided to buy it. i also bought their tapered brush, which i intend to use with highlighter or powder. but i will tell you about it in other post.

this is the description from kaycollection website: to apply intense colours on the crease or to add depth on the outer crease using darker colours. ideal to create smoky eyes or to smudge pencil liner. natural bristles. size 13,5 cm.

the packaging: this one is from their original line, so it doesn't have special packaging, unlike the professional one. it comes in plastic bag, with description at the back.

the product: it really looks like regular brush. it's shorter than my bh cosmetics brush. it has black handle with silver metallic ferrule before the hair brush. the hair brush is made of natural bristles, which is why it's so soft. it doesn't prick me unlike the blending brush. its shape is also unusual. i never have this kind of brush. it's thick and round, with dome tip. it fits perfectly to my crease, which helps in applying color to my crease. it also helps blending it, although not perfect. i still like blending with my blending brush. sometimes when i'm too lazy to change brush, i also pack color to my lid using this brush. they printed the brand name and brush number on the handle too.

the result: it works well to apply color to my crease and slightly blending it, but for overall blending, i still prefer my blending brush. it also pack color nicely to my lid. but i still can't pack darker color to my outer V since it's quite round, i still need my pencil brush to put color to my outer V.

honestly, i started to like this brush. since it's small, it helps me to put color to my crease. but it's dense so sometimes i put a little bit too much on my crease, which is not good. but because it's dense, it can pack color to my lid. what i don't quite like is the size of the handle. i wish it has the same length as my bh cosmetic one, and it will be perfect. oh and it doesn't shed a bit even after i wash it a couple times since buying it.

the packaging

more close up on the brush