Bisou Beauty Bar Haul and Product Reviews

Well, it's been quite awhile since I've done a hauls post! I've been getting them. . . but, I don't know. . . I guess I didn't think they were all that interesting? What do you think? Would you like more hauls? Are you interested in more skincare posts? Let me know what you think!

That out of the way, I decided I simply had to share this one with you because I am so incredibly impressed with this new source for asian / k-beauty products and I am excited to tell you all about it!

Bisou Beauty Bar is relatively new on the scene and operates out of Vancouver, BC (that's in Canada for those international readers).  They source their products directly from Korea and currently ship via Canada Post to Canadian addresses and via Canada Post / USPS to American ones.  The best thing about having a (reliable) source for my favourite beauty and skincare products in Canada is that they charge in Canadian funds! And offer free shipping on orders over $65! With our dollar the way it is, sourcing these products from the States or from Korea can get rather pricey. . . while BBB's pricing is not rock-bottom (like Rose Rose Shop or even Tester Korea), not paying for shipping or exchange definitely makes up for it, imo.  Plus shipping is so fast (like under a week during peak holiday season!), they have lots of items on sale and include plenty of free samples with your order.

The selection is not huge but they are adding new items regularly and I am so happy to see lots of items from CosRX, Re:cipe, LJH and SU:M37 (among other brands) since they make some of my favourite things (or things I really want to try) and can sometimes be difficult to find elsewhere.  Love!

While I have included lots of links in this post, they are not affiliate links.  All opinions are my own:  I have not been compensated for any of this and I purchased all of these products with my own money.

Here's what I picked up in my very first Bisou haul: 

First Julep Haul and Product Reviews

Julep is best known for being a monthly nail polish subscription box.  I recently re-joined after they made some changes for the better in my opinion:  for $24.99 per month (or $19.99 per month if you sign up for 3 months up front), you will receive your choice of 2-3 nail polish / beauty items each month according to your profile.  "Classic With a Twist", "Bombshell" and "Boho Glam" profiles receive 2 polishes and 1 beauty item; "It Girls" receive 3 polishes and "Modern Beauties" receive 2 beauty items.  But now, no matter what profile you are, you can totally customize your box or even switch to a totally different box! And you can skip any month after your first month as a Maven (Welcome Boxes don't count).  Sounds perfect to me!  If you're interested in trying out the subscription, my links will take you to a FREE Welcome Box, just pay the cost of shipping - this will sign you up for the subscription so be forewarned about that (if you scroll down though, you can get in for the 3 month rate of $19.99 per month).  Check out the Welcome Box I received here.  This is an American sub so do factor in the cost of exchange although, aside from Welcome Boxes, shipping is free for Mavens - even Canadian ones from what I can tell! :)

Julep also sells their products in their online store and Mavens get discounts and free shipping on everything.  I had a 50% off code arrive in my Welcome Box so. . . I splurged and bought some more beauty items.  While I love nail polish, I was really impressed by the lipstick that came in my Welcome Box and wanted to try a few more things.  Here's what I picked up:

Exciting News for Online Shoppers!

Just a short post today because OMG you guys! This arrived in my mail box this morning:



My two favourite things:  well.ca and ebates!

For those who haven't used well.ca yet, it's my favourite online store (and that's saying something).  They sell everything from makeup to gifts to diapers (sposies and cloth) to specialty foods and everything in between.  We order from them every few months and enjoy their superfast (like within 2-3 days usually) FREE shipping to our door.  I don't get paid to issue this love to them. . . I just love them that much.  And if you've read my other posts, you know I don't tend to throw that word around lightly.  Check them out!

And if you don't do ebates yet, why not? If you do any online shopping, it's like getting a slight discount on things you already buy.  True, 1% cash back isn't likely to be a ton of money. . . but it's better than 0%.  And many stores offer larger cash back amounts than that as well as excellent deals and coupons for ebates members.  And we're talking a lot of stores including amazon, etsy, shop.ca, joe fresh, carters - lots of kids clothes (you know, you have to buy them anyway. . . it'd be frowned upon if you didn't dress your kids, lol).  Check it out! (And yes, that one's my referral link - thanks for supporting me if you choose to use it!)

Smiles all around on this one :)

Latest Rose Rose Haul

It's been a while since I had a good old fashioned haul post.  And this is actually two.  The first is all items from the "free shipping" section of the site - which means it's a mini-Mizon haul.  And the second is other assorted goodies.  I don't have the exact dates these were ordered / shipped / delivered any more (since these are pre-baby and baby drama orders) but I do recall that it took longer than I would have liked for these orders to show up as "shipped" although they then shipped relatively quickly compared to other orders from Korea.  So there's that.

Enough preamble - let's look at the stuff!!

(clockwise from bottom left) Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream, Mizon No. 1 King's Berry Aqua Step Up Cream, Mizon Olive Cocoa Butter Foot Cream (x2)

Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream ($4.57US at the time)

This might look like a little tube but I find eye cream goes a long way - in fact, I'm still using the Purebess Galactomyces Eye Cream that I started in November! So this one will have to wait but I am excited. . . because snails :)

Mizon No. 1 King's Berry Aqua Step Up Cream ($13.60US)

This, on the other hand, is gigantic! It has a light berry scent and a light gel-texture which is perfect for summer (I tried to take a pic of the texture for you - see below).  My one complaint is that it is not super-moisturizing (which is fine for me in the summer but if you have drier skin than I do, it might not be a great choice for you) and it is a bit sticky on the skin at first - although it does dry down without the sticky-factor.

Mmm. . . gloopy and fresh-feeling. . . plus blue!

Mizon Olive Cocoa Butter Foot Cream ($6.00US each)

This is creamy and not greasy.  And we go through a lot of foot cream since my husband likes giving foot massages and I like getting them :)

Now on to the other haul:

(from left to right-ish) Missha Premium Aloe Sheet Mask (x5), Secret Key Telling U CC Cream, Look At Me Fairy Dust Pigment Eye Shadow in No. 18 Ilene, Nature Republic By Flower Lip Scrub

Missha Premium Aloe Sheet Mask ($3.55US for all 5)

I love a good sheet mask and Missha's are quite good compared to the ones I usually buy (a bit more expensive too. . . although still totally reasonable).  Aloe is soothing and glorious, especially after a day in the sun so these are also a great pick for summer!

Secret Key Telling U CC Cream ($6.43US)

I love the Killing Me Zombie CC Cream (by Welcos Merit) that I picked up a while ago so I wanted to try something similar - surely my first foray into CC creams couldn't be HG?! Well, it's better than this one.  Although this has a lovely texture, it also has a bit of an orange cast on my fair, pink-toned skin.  I can make it work for summer but won't buy it again.  I tried to take a swatch pic. . . and my camera just couldn't handle it in a non-blurry fashion, so sorry about that!

Look At Me Fairy Dust Pigment Eye Shadow, No 18 Ilene ($9.14US)

Once upon a time, I purchased a silvery loose pigment eye shadow.  And despite using it all the time, for pretty much every "fancy" or "going out" eye look, it lasted for years and years.  And when I finally finished it, it was no longer being made :( This is a replacement and it's also very nice.  I will get a lot of use out of it and might need to buy another one. . . in 10 years or so, lol! Or maybe in another shade? Mmm. . .

Nature Republic By Flower Lip Scrub ($3.35US)

Despite using lip balms like they're going out of style, I do get dry and flaky lips from time to time.  I decided a lip scrub was in order to take care of that issue and allow my lip repairs to do their jobs effectively.  I like the squeezy tube this comes in and find it has a suitable amount of grit.  I couldn't tell you what the scent is supposed to be but it's light and not offensive.  This does a decent job getting my lips in shape which is exactly what I was looking for. . . and that price is lovely too!

so. . . umm. . . I bought hand creams. . . lots of them

(Secret Key Berry Milk, Missha Aloe, A'Pieu Melon, Innisfree Jeju Peach, Innisfree Jeju Udo Peanut, Innisfree Jeju Hallabong)

Disclosure:  I haven't used any of these yet as I have a few hand creams open - shocker! But I love the size of the tubes (great for travel or purses) and the range of scents.  I also know that I have used products from these brands with success before (or read rave reviews) so I'm excited to try them out and am sure I will like them!

Since I can't really "review" them, here are the prices:

Secret Key Berry Milk Hand Cream ($1.20US for 60ml)

Missha Premium Aloe Hand Cream ($1.43US for 60ml)

A'Pieu Melon Hand Cream ($0.93US for 60ml)

Innisfree Jeju Peach, Udo Peanut and Hallabong ($2.66US for 30ml)

And I got samples. . . I combined the samples from both hauls into one pic:

lots of cool things to try :)

I haven't had a chance to try most of these yet so I'll reserve judgement.  I think samples are one of my favourite things about hauls like this.  I've found a few products through samples that I've gone on to purchase.  How about you - do free samples make you want to buy things?

Little Tester Korea Haul

In addition to my last Rose Rose haul, I picked up a few items at Tester Korea - either ones that I couldn't get through Rose Rose or ones that were cheaper through TK.  This order was placed on March 31 (the same day as the RRS order) but took a little longer to ship and didn't arrive at my door until May 1!! That's about two weeks longer than the RRS order :( I know that sometimes shipping from Korea can take a while and it's something that I've been getting more and more used to but when two orders are placed the same day, I get a little antsy when one takes 2 weeks longer to arrive than the other.  I have been hearing about others having similar shipping issues with TK lately as well - especially that there is a relatively long delay before the order is even shipped.  So, if you're looking to place an order, be conscious of that.

As always, costs are in won and 1 won = approximately $1 US for reference.

Anyway, delays notwithstanding, I received my entire (little, for me) haul:

(from left - Nature Republic Snail Solution Foam Cleanser, Nature Republic Lemon Peeling Foot Mask, It's Skin Plant Water Balancing Serum, Skinfood Black Sugar Cleansing Oil and, in front, a sample set of Skinfood Platinum Grape Cell which includes a tiny toner and emulsion)

Nature Republic Snail Solution Foam Cleanser (9030 won)

I received a sample of this from either a previous TK or RRS order and really liked the texture.  Snail mucin does great things for my skin and despite this being a foam cleanser (which can often be a little harsh on skin - I don't ph test so I'm not sure where this falls), I found it to leave my skin feeling clean and soft.  I decided to spring for a full size but I haven't opened it yet as I have a few other products to use up.  I think my skin will be particularly happy with this come summer when it tends to get a little oilier.

Nature Republic Lemon Peeling Foot Mask (2800 won)

I have used a different brand of peeling foot mask in the past and quite liked it.  For those who don't know, this contains little booties full of the product which you wear over your feet for 1 - 1 1/2 hours then discard and rinse your feet completely.  Within a few days, all the dead skin on your feet will begin to shed and peel off.  While I experienced great results with these types of mask in the past, and this one gets great reviews, I didn't find it did that well on my feet.  While I did get some peeling, it was nothing compared to my prior experience.  Maybe my feet were in better shape to begin with? It does smell better than some peeling masks for what that's worth.

It's Skin Plant Water Balancing Serum (7020 won)

This serum is supposed to be light and appropriate for all skin types.  I haven't tried it yet so I'll hold off on any strong opinions.  I am hoping it will be light enough to use this summer.

Skinfood Black Sugar Cleansing Oil (6790 won)

I recently got into the 2-step cleansing method:  an oil cleanse to remove make-up and dirt from dry skin, followed by a traditional cleanse to finish the job and get rid of any leftover oil.  I have a few samples of a cleansing balm but much prefer an actual oil.  I also really like Skinfood's product lines and how delicious they smell plus have heard great reviews about this particular oil.  Excited to try!

Skinfood Platinum Grape Cell Toner and Emulsion (800 won)

My husband has been complaining about his fine lines and wrinkles so I thought I'd pick him up something to try out.  I really like Skinfood and this formulation is supposed to be great for anti-aging.  He has tried it once so far and said it was interesting.  But then, he's not that big on skincare.  Oh well, it was just a little sample and relatively inexpensive so he'll either use it or he won't.  I thought it smelled great though :)

And that's all folks! No samples this time around which was a little disappointing :(

More Rose Rose Shop Goodies

I love waiting on shipments from Korea.  As frustrating as Memebox was, there was something magical about having boxes en route to my house. . . sometimes for great lengths of time (frustrating but oddly enjoyable?).  I also really enjoyed (and still enjoy) all the fantastic products that winged their way to me overseas.  My new obsessions are Rose Rose Shop and Tester Korea, both of which offer great sales and deals (and regular prices, lol) on great k-beauty items (make-up and skincare).  Here is my most recent Rose Rose haul :)

This order was placed on March 31, shipped on April 5 and arrived at my door in Canada on April 17 with only a short stopover in  customs (and no customs charges).  Not too bad!  And shipping cost just over $20 which isn't bad.  All prices here and below are in USD, fyi.

All the masks :)

Clockwise from top left:  3W Clinic Fresh Mask Sheets in Apple, SNP Charcoal Mineral Black Ampoule Masks, 3W Clinic Fresh Mask Sheets in Syn-Ake and, my fave, Etude House's Blending Sleeping Creams in Royal Jelly, Green Tea and Blueberry

3W Clinic Fresh Mask Sheets in Apple (10 sheets for $1.81):

 I have purchased 3W sheet masks before and wasn't overly impressed with them. . . at first.  Upon further use, I find that they are a good size for my face and loaded with essence, which I really appreciate.  I still find that the sheet itself feels a little thinner than some other masks I've tried and sometimes worry about tearing them - but I haven't torn one yet.  To top it off, that price! Fantastic! That is a sale price but RRS always seems to have these guys on sale.  This version is Apple and is intended to:  "absorb into the skin that needs keratin management and organize the skin texture without stickiness and . . . make the skin soft and moist" - uh, what??? Best I can decipher, this is for softening and moisturizing skin? Also, it smells like apples and I like it.

SNP Charcoal Mineral Black Ampoule Masks (10 sheets for $10.57):

Okay, so these are obviously more expensive than the last ones although about a dollar per mask is still a totally reasonable price! These are actually black in colour, which gives my husband the giggles whenever I wear one.  The charcoal in this helps to cleanse pores and control excess oils.  Some sites bill this as a "men's" product but aside from the colour and the more medicinal-looking package, I'm not really sure what makes it more "manly" - women can have oily skin sometimes too!  I find that these do what they say they will as my skin feels less oily and shiny after using them.

3W Clinic Fresh Mask Sheets in Syn-Ake (10 sheets for $1.81):

More 3W masks! These ones are syn-ake which is a synthetic snake venom to help with anti-aging concerns.  I will say, there are some ingredients / masks that don't really seem to have much immediate effect on my skin.  These ones do.  I actually bought them for my husband to try out since he's been a) willing to join me in wearing masks once or twice a week and b) interested in anti-aging products now that he's 30.  He was very impressed with how well these seemed to minimize his fine lines and wrinkles after a first use. . . and I was pretty happy with them when I tried them too.  Seriously, I wouldn't touch a real snake but I'll gladly spread synthetic snake venom or snail goo all over my face? If you told me that last year, I would have thought you were crazy but. . . well, live and learn :)

Etude House Blending Sleeping Spoons ($1.14 each):

I've shared my thoughts on these before and I still love them.  They are a sleeping cream so they are smoothed on as the last step in a skincare routine before going to bed and provide moisture and other benefits (as listed) in addition to sealing in your other skincare products overnight.  One of these little spoons holds a generous amount (and you don't need to put much on!) so I find they can each last for 3-4 nights! The Green Tea ones (for Clear and Moist skin) are still my absolute faves - they smell awesome and I wake up with soft, glowing skin.  This time, I also decided to try out the Royal Jelly (for Firm and Moist skin) and Blueberry (for Antioxidant and Moist skin. . . what's antioxidant skin? lol) versions.  They're nice enough but. . . I really love the Green Tea ones :)

What? No more masks?

From left:  Skinfood Honey Lip Treatment, 3W Clinic UV Snail Day Sun Cream (x2) and Skinfood Peach Sake Pore Serum

Skinfood Honey Lip Treatment ($2.97):

This is not a lip balm, rather a lip treatment that you smooth over your lips before bed.  It is really sweet smelling and tasting, not to mention sticky!!, because it's basically honey.  I've read rave reviews about this.  I'm still trying to decide how I feel about it.  The texture doesn't really do much for me and I'm not sure how much effect I'm noticing on my lips.  That said, I do prefer this to a petroleum jelly type of treatment (that's the grossest texture on my lips, imo!).  I'll reserve judgement for now.

3W Clinic UV Snail Day Sun Cream ($4.28 each):

I'm going to tell you a secret:  despite my incredibly fair skin, I don't wear sun protection as much as I should.  If I'm going to be outside for an extended period? Absolutely.  But on a daily basis? Nope.  I just struggle so much with sunscreens.  I need a high spf but the higher it gets, the greasier and chalkier and white-white-white-why-won't-it-absorb?-how-can-I-wear-makeup-over-this? things get.  And I just can't deal with that.  This is a game-changer! This is a day cream so I'm using it as the last step in my routine (before make-up if I'm wearing any).  It has an spf of 50, it absorbs well, it doesn't leave a white cast on my skin and it has the skin-moisturizing effects and awesomeness of snails! This is a sun cream I can, and will, wear every day! And, while the tubes aren't super-large (70ml each), a little goes a long way and the price is fantastic, even with shipping.

Skinfood Peach Sake Pore Serum ($7.62):

I had purchased a few sheet masks in this line from Skinfood and really loved them so I wanted to try more of their Peach Sake products.  Seriously, they smell sooo good and are intended to reduce shine and the appearance of pores - what's not to love?  I have a serum on the go right now so this one's on deck for summer uses.  I have high hopes for this.

And the free samples:  Mizon Original Skin Energy Placenta 45 Ampoule, Etude House Collagen Moistfull Peeling Wash, Missha Super Aqua Refreshing Cleansing Foam, Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream and Mizon Water Volume Aqua Gel Cream

It's impossible to adequately review such small samples (although I always love getting them), so here are a few thoughts:

- The Placenta Ampoule? Yeah, I just couldn't try that one out.  I couldn't find out exactly what kind of placenta this uses and I don't eat much meat and I'm pregnant right now so the whole idea just turned my stomach :(

- The Peeling Wash was okay.  It's a gentle exfoliant which also moisturizes and it did a decent enough job.  I just don't think my skin type is what this was intended for.

- The Missha Cleansing Foam, on the other hand, was really nice.  I don't test ph levels in face washes, although I know many who do, so I can't comment on that but I did find this pleasant to use and it didn't strip my skin.

- The BB Cream was actually a pretty good colour for me.  I found it a little heavy but maybe I put too much on.  I haven't been wearing much make-up lately either so that could be it.  I'd test it out again but. . . little sample size ;)

- The Aqua Gel Cream was really nice - a good texture for oily or oil-leaning-combination skin with a refreshing feeling and a good amount of moisture.  I'm not in the market for a new cream right now but I'll keep this one in mind once summer demands I adjust my skincare accordingly :)

Tester Korea Mask Haul

After a successful RoseRose haul, I found myself needing more masks. . . and more varieties of them! I had a fair number of sheet masks but I wanted more options and thought another wash-off, some more sleeping packs. . . why not? After shopping around, I decided to try out Tester Korea for this haul.  They do charge for shipping as well but I find their pricing to be reasonable.  They don't seem to have the crazy deals or crazy selection that RoseRose has but they definitely stock a few things that I really wanted to try that either RoseRose didn't have or that were cheaper through TK.

Shipping:  I placed this order on February 15 and it was delivered March 13.  There was a delay in processing the order due to the Korean New Year so that accounts for some of that time. . . but really, under one month in shipping is not bad in my k-shopping experience.  Further, this was held by customs for a few days although there were no customs charges :)

Please note:  for these reviews, the pricing is in Korean Won.  For your reference 1000 won = approximately $1 US.  Tester Korea is awesome because they keep the current exchange rate at the top of their page. . . if only they also converted to Canadian dollars!

Here's a first look:

In this shot, you can see a few of the main reasons for this haul:  my Etude House Blending Sleeping Spoons (2 each in Green Tea, Seaweed and Rosehip).  I also picked up Laneige's Water Sleeping Pack since I'm suddenly into sleeping packs and a 4-pack of Honey Wash-Off Packs from Etude House.

Etude House Blending Sleeping Spoons (1050 won each at the time - 1500 won now)

I had tried the Green Tea version of this product in a Memebox and loved it.  For those who don't know, sleeping packs or sleeping masks are used over top of your nighttime skincare.  They are thicker and help to seal in moisture as well as the benefits of your skin creams, etc.  That's in addition to the benefits that they promise as well.  At first, I was concerned that a product like this would break me out like nobody's business but after that first spoon (which lasted through 3 applications - I find I can stretch them to 4 if I want since there's a surprising amount of product in them), I was convinced.  I picked up two of the Green Tea (clear and moist) spoons and they are still my faves.  I also tried two of the Seaweed (smooth and moist) and, while I like the results, wasn't as crazy about the scent.  The Rosehip (bright and moist) was probably my least favourite.  While the scent was a little perfumy, I didn't hate it. . . but I didn't find they made my skin as happy as the other two.  I've already ordered more spoons!

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack (25000 won at the time - 20000 won now)

This sleeping pack promises moisture and a soothing, relaxing scent.  They actually suggest massaging this over your skin to calm yourself before bed.  I'm not sure how much I find the scent to be soothing - this is pretty lightly scented which works for me.  I also enjoy the light texture in contrast to the creaminess of the spoons.  I don't need heavy creams often with my combo-skin so this is just right.  I wake up with fresh-looking, dewy skin and I love that :)  This wasn't a cheap purchase but a little bit of this goes a long way so it should last for a while.

Etude House Honey Wash-Off Pack (2450 won)

This is a 4-pack of wash-off masks made with honey.  I liked trying out the yogurt wash-off masks I had gotten in the Winter Masks Memebox and also have heard great things about honey products so I thought these sounded neat.  I will preface this by saying I use these in the bath. . . and wouldn't use them any other way since they are a pain to wash off! They are sticky and require some effort to rinse completely clean (I guess that's the honey).  This includes 4 different varieties:  ginseng, red ginseng, ginger and cactus.  Thus far, I have tried two:  the red ginseng had a pretty strong scent that I didn't love, and the ginger was lovely (but I love ginger!).  Again, these hold quite a bit of product and I can make each last two uses (three if I really wanted to).  My skin feels smoother after using these and a bit moisturized but I don't find that they are a miracle or anything. . . at least not enough of one to make washing them off worth it.  I probably wouldn't buy these again but I'm glad I tried them.

Clockwise from top:  Skinfood's Black Sugar Wash-Off Mask (the other main reason for this haul), Innisfree's Jeju Sudachi Soothing Mask, Etude House's Skin Note Deep Moisturizing Hydrogel Mask in Brightening Up! and Calming and Relaxing, Skinfood Peach Sake Pore Essence Mask Sheet (x2), Innisfree It's Real Squeeze Mask in Bija (x3), and Etude House I Need You Mask Sheets in Aloe (x2), Pearl (x2) and Lemon (x2)

Skinfood Black Sugar Wash-Off Mask (5390 won)

This is awesome! I had heard good reviews about this one and needed to try it out.  It's a sugar scrub mask which means that it exfoliates well.  It also smells absolutely delicious - lemony and sweet.  This gets rubbed over clean skin and then can sit on it for a while before rinsing clean.  It rinses pretty easily too and doesn't leave my skin sticky like the honey masks.  I would totally buy this again or try out some of their other flavours.  It leaves my skin smooth, soft and bright.

Innisfree Jeju Sudachi Soothing Mask (7000 won at the time - 8000 won now)

So I got into Jeju products after researching and trying out the products in my From Jeju Memebox Value Set.  Check out that review if you like - or just google Jeju Island.  Can I go there? So pretty! Anyway, I liked the idea of a soothing mask to cool and calm fatigued skin.  That's the kind of mask I can really get behind.  This one smells so good - citrusy and lovely.  It also has a texture a bit like runny jell-o and really does feel soothing and cooling on my face.

Etude House Skin Note Deep Moisturizing Hydrogel Mask (1750 won each at the time - 2500 won now)

I had never tried a hydrogel mask before so thought I'd give these a shot as they're pretty reasonable for this type of mask.  So far I have used the "Calming and Relaxing" version which is made with aloe and glacier water.  The hydrogel is definitely an odd texture to get used to - kind of like plastering thicker jell-o on your face - but it did soothe and calm my skin.  It felt fresh and cool.  That said, the hydrogel mask itself is in two pieces and I had to keep adjusting them as they slid around on my face a little.  I'm saving the other one for a special pampering session :)

Skinfood Peach Sake Pore Essence Sheet (1400 won each at the time - 2000 won now)

Skinfood's Peach Sake products are recommended for oily and acne-prone skin (which I sometimes have) so I picked these up to have an alternative to my Benton Snail-Bee Masks.  OMG these smell so good.  Like so much better than the snail bee ones! I'm not sure they're quite as fantastic as the Bentons in terms of effect but I do like them and want to try more from this line.

Innisfree It's Real Squeeze Mask in Bija (665 won each at the time - 950 won now)

On the other hand, the It's Real Squeeze mask in "Bija" is also supposed to be great for acne-prone skin.  While it also smells pleasant and is generally moisturizing and fine, I didn't see a whole lot of results in comparison to either the Benton Snail-Bee mask or the Skinfood Peach Sake version.  It's a fine mask with lots of essence but I'm not sure this particular version lives up to its promises.  There are a lot of other flavours to try though, promising a variety of other effects.

Etude House I Need You, Mask Sheets (700 won each at the time - 1000 won now)

I keep thinking I really like Etude House masks and then not being as impressed by them as I want to be.  They are, again, a fine mask with a suitable amount of essence and available in a variety of types but I always find them somewhat underwhelming.  Maybe I hype them up too much in my mind, thinking that they're the best, before I use them? I do like the variety and the price is good so I will keep purchasing them, I'm sure.   I should just try to remember that they're a regular mask - not an HG product for me.  Anyway, I picked up two of the Aloe masks for Soothing Relief and liked them - but I always like a good Aloe mask.  I also got two Pearl masks for Bright Complexion and they were okay but I'm not sure that they brightened much.  After quite liking the lemon brightening mask from Velieve, I picked up two of these Lemon masks for Tone Brightening. . . and they were also okay.  In short, meh. . . but nice enough.

Tester Korea also sent me a bunch of samples:  Holika Holika Skin and Good Cera Cream, Nature Republic Super Origin Waterproof BB Cream, Nature Republic Snail Solution Foam Cleanser, Holika Holika Make-up Starter, Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream, and Skinfood Watery Berry Serum (clockwise from left)

I won't review these in detail but here are some general thoughts:

• The Skin and Good Cera Cream has the strangest name! It was also a little thick for me but someone with dryer skin (or combo-dry) might like it more.
• The Nature Republic BB Cream was a nice surprise and a decent colour for me.
• I also really liked their Snail Foam Cleanser and have ordered some :)
• The Make-up Starter was. . . um. . . strange? I don't really get why I need a special pad to smooth over my face prior to make-up when I have enough products to prep my skin.  It felt wasteful.
• The Watery Cream was my least fave Nature Republic product out of these samples but it was still pretty nice.  I should try more of their products.
• The Watery Berry Serum was disappointing.  It smelled nice and I usually like Skinfood but it was wholly inappropriate for my skin type and gave me a little break out (thankfully I had some sheet masks for troubled skin to solve the problem!).

Overall, I was really happy with most of my purchases from TK and had a great first shopping experience with them.  I've already placed a second order :)

First RoseRose Haul

I had to find a new place to get my kbeauty fix. . . but where to turn? Some of the helpful ladies on MUT suggested RoseRoseShop and, after shopping around for a bit, I decided to take the plunge.

Shipping Info:  This order was placed on January 31st and arrived at my door on February 20th.  While that's not the fastest shipping ever, it is comparable to Memebox's shipping when they were shipping to Canada from South Korea.  The box also spent 4 days making its way through customs and had actually been opened by them and examined.  Nonetheless, there were no customs charges despite this order clearly being worth much more than the "gift value" RoseRoseShop had labelled it with.  Shipping costs with RRS is determined by weight so this wasn't a super-cheap order to ship.  Shipping costs came to just over $30 but, even with shipping, I still found the prices here to be an excellent value and was able to get many items for 50-80% off!

Here's a pic of the whole haul (it looks like so much more when it's not words on a computer screen!):

So, what did I get? Well, let's start with masks (because I always love to talk, and use, masks!).  All prices listed will be in USD.

(clockwise from top left:  Leaders Mediu Foot Peeling Mask Baby Soft Foot x2, Baroness Green Tea Sheet Masks x10, 3W Clinic Coenzyme Q10 Fresh Mask Sheet x10, Tonymoly Intense Care Snail Foot Mask x3, Etude House I Need You, Pomegranate Mask Sheet x3)

Leaders Mediu Foot Peeling Mask Baby Soft Foot (2-pack for $2.60, 50% off sale)

While I have not yet used these particular foot peeling masks yet (what's the point with all the snow?), I have used peeling masks in the past and enjoyed them.  I have also heard excellent things about Leaders so I'm excited to give these a shot.  For those who don't know, foot peeling masks are housed in little booties that you wear on your feet (obviously, I know) for a period of time and then you wash off the essence.  At first, it may seem like nothing has happened but within a few days, your feet start shedding dry skin like no one's business.  It's kind of gross, kind of satisfying and in the end, it looks like you have brand new feet (like a baby's, hence the name)! I needed to get more of these after my first experience but I will save them for sandal weather.

Baroness Green Tea Sheet Masks (10-pack for $1.92, 80% off sale)

Those who have read this blog before know that I love green tea in skin care products.  It is soothing, yet appropriate for my skin and doesn't cause breakouts.  While these aren't the highest quality masks I've ever worn, they are nice enough and do the job.  And seriously, for under 20 cents a mask - ?

3W Clinic Coenzyme Q10 Mask Sheets (10-pack for $1.83, 80% off sale)

Coenzyme Q10 is for smooth and vibrant skin.  Again, these aren't the highest quality masks I've ever used (I tried one of these on my husband last night and he liked it okay but it was his first sheet mask ever, lol) but they do the job and that price is just amazing :)  They also have a ton of essence!

Tonymoly Intense Care Snail Foot Mask (3-pack for $2.96, 30% off sale)

These are foot masks, again housed in little booties but purely for moisturizing and nutritional purposes.  You can wear them for longer than the peeling foot masks and do not need to wash off the essence.  These were billed as "samples" but they are still, obviously, full size so I'm assuming they would usually come in a different amount per package? I tried them last night and do feel moisturized.  For those concerned about the snails - there is no off-putting scent and nothing feels weird about this product (well, weirder than wearing booties full of essence anyway); the snail slime extract provides nutrition to dry skin.

Etude House I Need You, Pomegranate Mask Sheet (3-pack for $0.92, also on sale -50% off maybe?)

These are nice.  Etude House is a quality brand and it shows in these masks - they just feel a little more substantial than some others (see above).  I chose Pomegranate because it promised to be smoothing and energizing plus it smells really nice :)  These were also a "sample" package but again are full-size so it must just be the number of them.  They are still on sale although not as steeply, at 20% off ($2.19).

And now for the non-mask goodies:

(clockwise from far left:  Welcos Merit Killing Me Zombie Crazy Gloss Lip Tint Gift Set in Bloody Red, Welcos Merit Killing Me Zombie CC Cream Set, Tonymoly Egg Pore Deep Cleansing Foam, Skinfood Parsley and Mandarin Toner, Tonymoly Mini Lip Balms in Peach and Berry, Banila Co. Clean It Zero Samples x4)

Welcos Merit Killing Me Zombie Crazy Gloss Lip Tint Gift Set in Bloody Red ($8.66, on sale 55% off)

Welcos Merit Killing Me Zombie CC Cream Set ($10.39, on sale 55% off)

I'm a sucker for zombie anything and how awesome is that packaging? I'm reviewing these together because I actually did some swatches! I know, right?! But here goes.  The first shot is of these products out of their boxes:

The cc cream includes a large (40ml) pump-style version for at home and a 7ml tube to go.  A little goes a long way (like, I don't even use a full pump for my whole face!) so these should last a while!  The lip tint set includes a Crazy Gloss Tint (that's the larger one) and a smaller Watery Gloss Tint - more on those later.

 Here's a swatch of the cc cream upon first application at left - see how white it is? And an inexplicably sideways (and slightly out of focus?) shot of it rubbed in at right.


I am really enjoying this cc cream.  I never thought I could "get away" with wearing anything other than a heavy foundation capable of covering up acne and acne scarring but now that my skin is looking better than it ever has, I am happy to use something lighter that has less coverage.  I also love that this has an SPF (even if it's only 30) and am really impressed by how well it colour-matches.  It even matched my husband's arm which is much darker and warmer than mine so that's super-impressive too!

And here's the swatch of the lip tints.  Texture-wise, I prefer the gloss tint (at left) as it feels a little more creamy and substantial.  With the watery tint (at right), I worry a bit about it migrating from my lips before it sets.  Colour-wise, while they are both nice, I think the watery tint is truer to its name - it really does look more "bloody" but both work for me.  They don't have quite the staying power of other tints I have tried and tend to fade from the centre, outwards, but they are still longer-lasting than most of my lipsticks.

Tonymoly Egg Pore Deep Cleansing Foam ($4.62, on sale 20% off)

This cleansing foam also includes delicate exfoliators and has good reviews for oilier skin.  I have heard that it does have a higher ph than many would prefer but I'll give it a try.  I might save it for warmer months when my skin does get oilier (especially because this summer, I'll also be dealing with postpartum hormones and all the fun 16-again skin that goes with that!).

Skinfood Parsley and Mandarin Toner ($5.19, on sale - 25% off?)

This line from Skinfood is intended for "troubled skin" and promises to control excess sebum and skin problems while hydrating skin.  I'm using a toner right now so I'm waiting on this one but did open it to take a sniff - wow! The parsley scent is a little intense! Hopefully it dries down much subtler or I'll smell like I've been cooking all day :( We'll see how this one goes.

Tonymoly Mini Lip Balms in Peach and Berry ($4.54 each, on sale 20% off)

How cute are these lip balms? And they smell really, really delicious and genuinely like the fruits they claim to smell like.  The peach is very lightly tinted (almost not at all) while the berry includes SPF 15 and is pretty pink when applied.  Both require you to put a brush or finger in the little pot which isn't my favourite way to apply lip balm. . . but they're really nice so I'll make an exception.

Banila Co. Clean It Zero Samples ($4.23 for 4)

This is an oil balm that is used as a first cleansing step.  The balm is applied to dry skin and effectively removes make-up and impurities then water is added to emulsify the product and wash it all off.  A second cleansing step (often with a foaming cleanser) is then needed - especially for those of us who would break out horribly if we left an oily product on our faces! I am excited to try these out but I have an oil cleanser I need to finish up first.  If these work anything like that one (and like the rave reviews indicate), they'll be awesome!

Overall Impressions:

Shopping like this is seriously addictive.  I already have a Tester Korea order en route and am refusing to buy anything else until I use up some of my stash! In all honesty though, This whole order came to $86.33 USD including the significant shipping fee.  Even with the cost of shipping, that was cheaper than it would have been for me to buy most of these items through a source which offers free shipping (believe me, I comparison-shopped it!).  Further, I have to point out that I said "most of these items" because some of them were not available for other shops - especially the outrageously cheap masks at 80% off!  I am happy with everything I have tried thus far and excited to get through some products so I can try the others :) I will definitely be doing a RoseRose haul again. . . but maybe not for a while!