poshmakeupnstuff: May 2016

Get Authentic and Affordable Korean Products: Althea Beauty Box Unboxing

Althea is an online beauty shop that provides consumers with authentic and trendy Korean products at a very low price. The reason behind their best price policy is because they work directly with the Korean brands and have no middle men involved in their transactions thus passing all their savings to the consumers. All their packages are sent directly from Korea straight to your doorsteps.

They only sell authentic Korean products and guarantees the quality of the products they send by fulfilling the 5 point quality assurance check for all their items. And in case you are not satisfied with any of the products you receive, they guarantee a 30-day unconditional return policy as well.

They also offer free shipping when you reach a certain minimum worth of purchase:

Philippines -- P1500.

Malaysia -- RM150.

Singapore -- S$50

Indonesia -- Rp500,000

This is my Althea Beauty Box which I received within 5 days since I ordered my products.

I received a Scrub Foam freebie from the Saem. Yay! ^^ I ordered Angel Factory's Under-arm Perfume Peeling Pads which the site claims is a trendy item in Korea.

I also ordered Chica Y Chico's Matt Cushion in Shade 23. This one is something I am really excited to try since all cushions I've tried so far have a dewy finish. I have to admit that being an oily-faced gal, I am not a very big fan of the dewy look especially in the summer. That is why I am very excited because this is the first cushion that I will try that claims to have a matte finish.

I also bought an It's My Cushion puff and some It's My Brushes and lastly I bought Witch's Pouch Selfie Perfect Concealer.

I really like how this site has introduced me to other Korean brands that haven't reached mainstream in my country yet. That's why I highly recommend that you check out their online stores which I have links below. Click on which country you are from and it will take you to your respective country's link. You can also use my discount code below upon your checkout. Enjoy shopping!

Discount code: poshmakeupnstuff

, by poshmakeupnstuff

In beauty, body peeling

BODY PEELING?? WTF?? Nature Republic Body Peeling Mist

Everyone has probably heard of peeling gels. It has been a popular trend in Korea because of its instant smoothing effects on the skin. Plus, it is a gentler alternative to the harsher exfoliating scrubs we've all used for years. The first peeling gel I've used was the Dew & Dew peeling gel with Diamond Powder. Back then peeling gels weren't that popular yet so I was a bit hesitant when an SA included it as a freebie in an Asian haul I did in her stall in Greenhills. She tested it on my skin first and showed me how it works. I was surprised at the white flakes that formed when she rubbed it on my skin and was more amazed at how smooth my hand felt afterwards.

Several years later, my interest with peeling gels are renewed and I am happy with how many Asian brands have popped up with their own peeling gels. After much research, I was able to discover this BODY peeling mist of Nature Republic.

The product comes in a green plastic packaging. Since it is a mist and not a gel, it has a spray nozzle so you can easily spray it on your body. You get 250ml product in an affordable price of 495php. As you can see at the bottom, you can peel off the label so you can get the English translations for the ingredients. I chose the cotton scented peeling mist because I thought it's the safest scent among the 3 mists available: Cotton, Peach and Phytoncide.

The product has a milky consistency. The cotton scent of the peeling mist is very similar to other cotton scented products of Nature Republic (also bought their Cotton Deo Spray). The fragrance does disappear after a few minutes or maybe your nose just gets desensitized with it. For those of you who are not familiar with peeling gels or mists, you just have to apply the product on your skin then rub it until you see white flakes form. They say these white flakes are supposed to be your dead skin cells. Basically these peeling gels or mists are supposed to exfoliate your skin, get rid of your dead skin cells to reveal a new and smoother layer of skin.

After removing the white flakes, my skin felt a bit smoother so I guess the product works. However, the smoothing effects does not seem to last a very long time or maybe it does but the difference is not really that significant. I have used my Dew & Dew Peeling Gel on my body even before body peeling gels/mists have been made and I think it made my skin smoother than this body mist from Nature Republic.

I had this product for like a month now and so far my skin has no negative reactions with it but I really don't have any allergy to anything. For those with sensitive skin, since this thing has fragrance, I suggest you try a patch test first at the store before you try this peeling mist. Nature Republic is well-known for using organic ingredients so those of you who are into Organic Products then you'll surely love this brand.

So let's summarize this review with this products Hits and Misses:

Hits:

affordable (495php for 250ml)
easy to use
works
Cotton scent is light and disappears after a while

Misses:

smoothing effect is not very significant

Packaging: 4/5

Product: 3/5

Price: 5/5

Overall Rating: 4/5

So will I repurchase this product? Hmm maybe I'll pass and search for another body peeling product.

Thank you for reading this blog post! If you have any suggestion on products you want me to review feel free to comment below. If you like what you read, don't forget to like or share this post. Follow me and I'll follow you back. Have a great day, everyone!

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, by poshmakeupnstuff

In beauty, best makeup remover. pH balanced skin cleanser

Why We Need a pH Balanced Cleanser: ft Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

The nature of my job forces me to wear makeup all day long. So at the end of the day, I have to make sure my skin breathes by removing my makeup and trying to be religious with my skin care routine. Sometimes I use makeup wipes especially on days I wore a lot of waterproof products but on my lazy days I skip that and just proceed to cleansing my face. I have tried a lot of facial wash and cleansers before but the one thing that I always repurchase is my Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. Even before trying it, I heard a lot of positive things being said about this product. It has been around for years and I read that the manufacturers of this product has not changed its formulation. I think they don't really need to since consumers love it the way it is.

The cleanser comes in a white, plastic bottle with a flip-top cap. Wished they made it clear so we can see how much product remains inside. This cleanser can be a bit pricey depending on which country you are or where you buy yours (I got this 250ml from Lazada). As you can see on the photo above, the product description, directions and ingredients are all there. This cleanser can be used wet or dry but I prefer to use mine wet. I like how this cleanser is pH balanced unlike other facial washes/cleansers I've used before, which is probably the reason why it does not leave my skin tight and dry.

I highly suggest everyone to use a cleanser that is pH balanced and not think of it as just a typical marketing slogan. Our skin is slightly acidic in nature at a 5.5pH level. Most soaps, facial washes and cleansers leave our skin a bit too alkaline which is why our skin feels tight and dry after using them. High alkalinity of the skin makes it susceptible to pimples, wrinkles and sagging, especially if you have poor skin care and diet.

The cleanser itself is a milky-white liquid that has no scent. I don't have sensitive skin so I'm not sure if it will work great for those with sensitive skin. The product says it is good for all skin types (including babies) so maybe for those with sensitive skin I suggest to do a patch test first before you use it. Since this is a product review, let's do a mini test of its cleansing powers.

I swatched some makeup on the back of my hand like so (Bottom-Top: VS kohl eyeliner, Nature Republic Lip Crayon, Tony Moly concealer, Nature Republic cream blush, Maybelline 24H COLORINK cream eyeshadow, Milani Liquideye in Aqua, and a waterproof liquid liner). Since some products here needed to dry first, I waited before I applied the cleanser.

I applied as much just for demonstration purposes but feel free to use more of the product (I usually use more to remove stubborn waterproof makeup.). Massage the cleanser afterwards concentrating on those waterproof makeup. Then wash it all off with water and pat it dry. This is how my hand looked liked after I rinsed the cleanser.

As you can see it may have been a bit red because I may have rubbed my hand with the towel a bit too hard but still, all the makeup I swatched earlier are gone. Some of you might even think this is a photo taken before I swatched it but just trust me when I say it isn't. The redness also disappeared after a couple of minutes after my hand dried ;)

This bottle is a repurchased which means I was so satisfied with this product before (I initially bought the 60ml product to try it out) that I feel like it's a must for me to have it again. I feel like it does its claims. It feels very gentle enough that when I try to get waterproof eye makeup off, it does NOT sting my eyes. It does not feel drying and completely removes my makeup better than other cleansers and makeup wipes I used before.

So to summarize this product review:

Packaging: 4/5 (-1 bec I wish it comes in a clear bottle)

Product claims: 5/5

Price: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4.3/5

Thank you for reading this blog post! If you have any suggestion on products you want me to review feel free to comment below. If you like what you read, don't forget to like or share this post. Follow me and I'll follow you back. Have a great day, everyone!

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, by poshmakeupnstuff

In beauty, best oil control toner

Battle of Korean Cult Products: Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner Vs Skin Food Peach Sake Toner

A good toner helps remove the remaining bits of oil, dirt and impurities left behind by cleansers. Toners nowadays are multi-functional. Some toners help soothe, nourish and hydrate the skin while restoring its delicate pH balance which is 5.5. The kind of toner you use should depend on the needs of your skin.

Today, I will be comparing 2 toners that are considered Korean cult products. Both are pretty popular but do they both live up to the hype? If you're thinking of getting any of these toners, keep on reading and maybe I can help you decide which one will give you your money's worth.

Let's start with Skin Food's Peach Sake Toner. Here's what the product looks like.

The product comes in a clear, glass bottle. It's nice that the bottle is clear so you can clearly see the amount of product inside. However, I'm a bit ambivalent about the glass packaging of the product. I love that it seems fancy because it comes in a nice, Sake-looking glass bottle, but at the same time it makes me afraid of breaking it. I'm not sure if the glass bottle is made of tempered glass or just regular glass so be careful in handling this thing or you might break it and waste the product inside. Another thing I don't like with the packaging is the cap. On the outside, it looks like a typical cork used to cover sake but it comes with a twist-off cap. Maybe Skin Food is trying to stay true to their sake-like packaging of the product. But it just makes it a bit inconvenient for users having to twist it off and on in every use.

The label in front says it contains 135ml and that it contains many nutritive ingredients such as fresh plants, fruits, etc. to keep the skin healthy. Skin Food brand is pretty notable for using organic ingredients which is a plus for those of you who prefer using organic products.

Its description at the back says that it is a refreshing toner that eliminates shine from enlarged pores and excessive sebum production with finest sake and peach extracts. The directions in using the product is also written in English but the rest is in Korean. The manufacturing and expiration date are also stamped at the back which is nice. If you look closely at the bottom, there is a note that says, "open here". Once you peel off the paper the English translation for the ingredients are there. I didn't completely tear off mine because I like mine as is.

Now let's talk about the toner itself. The toner is a clear liquid with a distinct smell. For those of you who are turned off with products that has fragrance then this stuff is not for you. The fragrance has a strong alcohol scent mixed with a mild hint of peach. Here are the product claims of this toner.

After describing the packaging and the product, let's show a mini-demo of how this toner works.

I used a lavender makeup base and applied it on the back of my hand so you can easily see the effects of the toner. I then wiped a portion of it using a cotton pad with the toner. The toner feels a bit cold on skin so maybe, that's why it is described as a refreshing toner. The fragrance of the toner doesn't stay long on my skin as well which is good since I am not a big fan of its scent. When it comes to its claims, I think it did minimize my pores just a tad bit but not significantly enough. It did make my skin smoother than before I applied it. Toners are usually applied after initial cleansing of the skin to further remove the remaining dirt and makeup that cleansers failed to remove. So in the photo above, I wanted to show you its cleansing ability as well.

I've been using this toner 2x a day for about a week now and I think it does help in controlling my sebum (I have combo skin, btw). My skin looks matte for hours, however, I don't do much physical activities and I pretty much stay in an air-conditioned room for the most part of my day. But if you're out doing physical activities under the burning heat of the summer sun, this toner alone will probably be not enough to keep your oilies at bay for the entire day.

Now let's compare it to the more popular Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner.

The 250ml product comes in a see-through blue, plastic container with an easy flip-top cap. Since it is made of plastic, you don't have to worry about dropping and breaking the container and wasting the product. However, the packaging does not look as fancy as the Skin Food Toner. Since I threw away the box that comes with it, I have no idea if it is made of organic ingredients because the bottle does not indicate any of its ingredients.

The Wonder Pore boasts 10 benefits as stated on its cover:

Balance skin's ideal pH level
Refine skin tones
Keep the elasticity of pores
Remove skin surface's dead skin cells
Cleanse pore insides with cooling effect
Deep cleanse pores
Minimize appearance of pores
Minimize appearance of pores
Control a large amount of sebum
Moisturize inside and outside of skin
Complete smooth glass-like texture

Wew! That's a lot! But the question would be, does it live up to its claims? Let's test it out.

I used the same lavender makeup base so you can see the difference on my skin before and after I used the toner. Like the Skin Food Toner, it did slightly reduce the appearance of my pores but if you have large pores around your cheeks and nose, don't expect visible results. It did have a slight cooling sensation and made my skin slightly smoother. Comparing it to the effects of Skin Food Toner, I think Skin Food had more cooling and smoothing effects. Also, it does not have fragrance unlike the Skin Food Toner which is good.

I have used this toner 2x a day for almost a year and I still have a tiny amount of the product left. So I guess, even though it was slightly more expensive than my Skin Food Toner, you get more product for the small difference in price (it has more than a 100ml difference than Skin Food's). When it comes to the 10 benefits that it claims. I honestly don't see why this product has become very popular because I feel like it does not have much effect on my skin.

So let's summarize the hits and misses of both products, shall we?

Skin Food Toner

Hits:

Fancy sake-like packaging

Lots of organic ingredients

Makes skin smoother after application

Pores are slightly reduced but will probably have no visible results for large pores.

Good oil control properties

Misses:

Inconvenient to open and might be easily broken

Strong fragrance

Packaging: 4/5 (-1 for the twist cap)

Ingredients: 5/5

Product claims: 4/5

Price: 4/5 (750php for 135ml)
Overall rating: 4.25/5

Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner

Hits:

Convenient to open
See-through bottle so you can see amount inside
Good amount of product
No strong fragrance

Misses:

Cheap packaging
Does not live up to the hype or its claims

Packaging: 4/5

Ingredients: 3/5

Product claims: 2/5

Price: 5/5 (around 1000php for 250ml)
Overall rating: 3.5/5

So for this battle of Korean cult products, I declare Skin Food Toner as the winner!

Thank you for reading this blog post! If you have any suggestion on products you want me to review feel free to comment below. If you like what you read, don't forget to like or share this post. Follow me and I'll follow you back. Have a great day, everyone!

Note: This is not a sponsored review. The products I reviewed here were purchased using my own money. However, if you are interested in trying some of Skin Food's products (I highly suggest you do), click on Skin Food Products and type in the code upon checkout for a discount.

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, by poshmakeupnstuff

Life Lessons I Learned from Gossip Girl

Get Authentic and Affordable Korean Products: Althea Beauty Box Unboxing

BODY PEELING?? WTF?? Nature Republic Body Peeling Mist

Why We Need a pH Balanced Cleanser: ft Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

Battle of Korean Cult Products: Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner Vs Skin Food Peach Sake Toner

HEY THERE! I'M CARMINA

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Life Lessons I Learned from Gossip Girl

Get Authentic and Affordable Korean Products: Althea Beauty Box Unboxing

BODY PEELING?? WTF?? Nature Republic Body Peeling Mist

Why We Need a pH Balanced Cleanser: ft Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

Battle of Korean Cult Products: Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner Vs Skin Food Peach Sake Toner

HEY THERE! I'M CARMINA

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Translate

Search This Blog

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poshmakeupnstuff

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