Holiday Discounts

Disclaimer: In the following post, I'm not affiliated with any of the shops except one. This post is just to inform you about the discounts some shops are having. 

Happy Thanksgiving and Black Friday! I hope everyone had a wonderful time eating and shopping. I for one didn't buy anything in-store, but I did do a little (well... not so little) online shopping. Cyber Monday is coming up, and quite a few shops that sell Korean beauty products are having some sort of discount. Here are some of the deals you should take advantage of before they're over:

BeautynetKorea

BeautynetKorea is having a discount that lasts all the way until December 25 (GMT). You get 5% off, then an additional 5% off if you're a member (all you need to do is sign up), so that's a total discount of 10%! You also receive 5% credit and a mini tint from Tony Moly. 

W2Beauty

Alice has decided to give everyone a 10% discount on the entire shop. Just enter W2SALES10 at checkout to get 10% off your order. Plus you get a free sheet mask for every $40 spent, and a surprise gift for spending $150+. Remember that for first-time buyers, you can enter the code 04308009 at registration to receive a $5 voucher which can be used on minimum orders of $30.

I'm sure many of you have seen the Christmas collections that many brands have started releasing, and now you can buy them here. Alice has already included Innisfree's and Laneige's, and I'm sure she will be adding many more. You can also buy the new Etude House Princess Etoinette 2013 Winter Collection! There's also a special deal in which you can get the entire Benton set (Aloe BHA Skin Toner, Snail Bee High Content Essence, Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel, Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream, and 10 Snail High Content Sheet Masks) for $75.99. You're saving $25! I know a lot of people have fallen in love with this brand, so this is the perfect opportunity for those who are interested in buying some (or for those who would like to stash a few extras). 

Cosmetic-Love

Cosmetic-Love is having a pretty big sale that lasts until December 1st, and you can get up to 50% off all the products they have. Talk about a good deal.

Missha

Do we have any Missha fans here in the US? If yes, then good news: Missha is having a 40% discount off all items in their shop until December 25th. Yes, all. I don't know about you, but I am extremely tempted to buy the Time Revolution First Treatment Essence (2013 Limited Edition) simply because it's priced at such a great deal ($37.20 for 215 mL) that you can't even get it for that price in Korea. In addition to the 40% discount, new subscribers receive a M Perfect Cover BB Cream in #13 for free in their first order. 

The bad news? You might expect a delay in shipping up to 2 weeks during the sale. 

Lioele

How about Lioele? Any Lioele fans in the US? For Black Friday, Lioele Texas is providing $5 off purchases of $25+, $10 off $50, $15 off $75, and $25 off $100. Just enter the following codes (shown in picture) at checkout to receive the discount.

RoseRoseShop

Last but not least, RoseRoseShop. There's a sitewide discount up to 30%, and for some brands, it's 50%. These discounts last until December 2nd 8 AM (Korea Time). 

So who's going to advantage of these deals and stock up on their favorite products or try new ones? I decided to do one last haul of the year (and after this I'm going on a shopping ban for 6 months) at W2Beauty because of the new Christmas sets and this:

Isn't it absolutely adorable? Etude House Cat Paw Stove (sold only at W2Beauty so far) is a feet warmer. This will be perfect for winter since it's downright chilly in California once it starts raining. 

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you didn't go overboard on shopping (because we all know how easy it is to do that). Now it's time to get out the Christmas decorations and start working on those presents because Christmas is less than a month away! 

Review: Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX

You've probably heard about this sleeping pack plenty of times because so many bloggers raved about it. Apparently this is Laneige's bestseller, and one is sold every 30 seconds. So after reading all those great reviews, I just had to see what the hype was about and whether or not it was that amazing. Turns out... it is.

라네즈 워터 슬리핑 팩 EX

Name: Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX

Price: ₩ 25,000 ($23.55)

Amount: 80 mL

Description: Light gel-type texture provides intensive hydration, vitality, and brightening effect while restoring skin with deep relaxation

Directions:  

1. In the evening, follow the face relaxing massage after applying skin refiener and emulsion after face wash.
2. After taking appropriate amount (2.5cm in diameter recommended), mark on nose tip, cheeks, forehead, and chin areas, and feel the scent for about 3 seconds.
3. Gently spread over the face from inner part to outer part along the skin texture.

4. Go to sleep after absorption without rinsing off. (Wash face in the next morning)

* Use once or twice a week.

* Apply more than recommended amount when your skin is particulary dry.

* Open the cap and breathe in the scent of Water Sleeping Pack_EX for about 5 seconds before use when you feel heavy stress.

* Apply to neck area for neck care.

Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane. Glycerin, Trehalose,Camelia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Water (Himalaya Snow Water) Prunus Armeniaca(Apricot)Fruit Extract,Beta-Glucan, castanea,Sativa(chestnut) Seed Extract, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Hydroxypropyl Buspalmitamide Mea, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract,Actinidia Chinensis (kiwi) Fruit Extract,Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomata) Fruit Extract,Stem Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol.Glycogen,Glutamic Acid,Dimethicone,Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone crosspolymer ,Dimethiconol, Lysine HCL,MAgnesium Gluconate,Magnesium Aspartate,Mannitol, Serine, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfatem Sucrose,Steryl Behenate, Citrulline,Silica Dimethyl,Silylate,Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11, Atelocollagen, Alanine, Arginne,Ammonium Acryloldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer,Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Inulin lautyl carbamate, Zinc Gluconate, Carbomer,Copper Gluconate, Caprylyl Glycol, Calcium Gluconate,cose Threonine, Tropolone, Triethanolamine,Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate,Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose distearate, Polysorbate 20, PCA, Histidine HCL, Disodium EDTA, Chlorphenesin,Phenoxythanol, Fragrance, Cl 42090

Claims

-Night time skin trasmissivity shows higher rate than that during the day. Applying it just before going to bed, the best state for skin transmission according to the skin circadian rhythm, maximizes the efficiency of overnight water supply.

-The function of skin remarkably declines during the night time. Enriched with Beta-glucan, Water Sleeping Pack_EX deeply hydrates fatigued and dry skin while Ceramide formula strengthens the skin barrier. 

-Antioxidant effect of Hunza Apicrot Extracts brings crystal clear and even skin tone by removing harmful oxygen and by purifying skin. 

-Recoverine from chestnuts promotes turnovers of horny layers to remove dead cells for vigorous water supply and sleek skin texture.

-An aromatic essence compound exlusively developed by AMOREPACIFIC, Sleepscent™ helps to relax your mind and body to promote good sleep. A good sleep with sufficient relaxation eventually strengthens skin revitalization. 

-Himalaya Snow Water helps to keep your skin to look more crystal clear and vitalized.

-Light gel-type texture without stickiness allows comfortable sleep.

They even included a small booklet with all the information ^^

Box dimensions: 6.9 cm x 6.8 cm x 7.2 cm

Height: 7.2 cm | Diameter: 6.2 cm

It's a simple plastic tub that feels very sturdy. They have the manufacture date printed on the bottom of the tub :D They also included a spatula (not pictured here) which makes it a lot more hygienic. 

How it looked before I opened it.

 It's light blue color (appears more turquoise in real life) that I've never seen before in skincare products. According to Laneige, depending on where and when the natural flavors (ex: rose oil) are extracted from, the color can change. Hm... interesting.

The scent is a scent created by AMOREPACIFIC called Sleepscent™. Essential oils from Orange Flower, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Sandal Wood and etc. are contained in the Sleepscent™. It's very calming and smells nice. I don't find it strong at all, but it does remind me of some sheet masks I used from The Face Shop. I wonder why? I'm not really sure if it actually helped me sleep better though. ^^;

Here's the spatula! ^^ 

The texture is watery and gel-like, but very light as well. It's easy to spread and doesn't feel sticky. A little goes a long way. However... it takes awhile to absorb (about 20-30 minutes depending on how much you use).

Here is how it looks before it's spread, after it's spread, and after it's been absorbed.

I've only used this twice but already the results have amazed me. When I woke up the following morning, my skin felt really soft and smoother, and looked brighter and more plump. I was kind of afraid that it would break me out since I read that it did that to some other people, but nevertheless it didn't, which made me love this sleeping pack even more. ^^ I've tried Holika Holika's Wine Therapy Sleeping Mask before, and let's just say it can't even compare with Laneige's. 

Pros

-Brightens skin

-Calming scent and not too strong

-Moisturizing

-Skin feels soft and smoother

-Didn't break me out

-Lightweight 

-Sturdy packaging

-Hygienic

Cons

-A little pricey (but not by much!)

-Takes awhile to absorb

Overall Rating: 5/5

Repurchase? Yes! Haha but not for awhile though, since 80 mL is quite a lot. I'm pretty picky when it comes to skincare, so the fact that this product will be staying in my routine means that it's really good.

Where to buy? You can buy this at any of the following: 

-Koreadepart $22.02

-W2Beauty $34.58 (free shipping, get a $5 voucher when you enter the code 04308009 at registration)

-various eBay sellers

What about you?

Have you ever tried the Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX? Do you prefer any other sleeping packs?

W2Beauty Haul #3 / Gift Package

You guys were expecting this right? I did warn you after all in 2 posts. The only thing is that I never expected the package to arrive today, not even tomorrow. Yet here it is. When I first saw the package (it was way bigger than I expected), I jumped around and couldn't stop smiling as I opened it. Alice and I did a sort of... gift exchange? Not exactly, but I sent her a gift package and she added some snacks and gifts to my order. Alice if you're reading this thank you so much! ❤ 

But as with all gifts, you know when you first open it and you're just so happy? But then a minute later all you can think about is how much your gift sucked compared to the one you received? Yep... that was me.      I'M SO SORRY I swear to god if there's ever another chance I'll send more stuff.

Anyways back to the haul~ 

Ordered: 11/11 and 11/16/2013

Shipped: 11/19/2013

Received: 11/27/2013

The package probably could've been shipped much earlier, but the nail polish I ordered was discontinued, and Alice had searched in a lot of places and still couldn't find it, so she asked me if I wanted to change it to a different color. It was so sweet of her to go to so many places to find it. I changed it to a different color, ordered one more item, and it was shipped in just a few days. And it arrived in 8 days. Umm what? That's extremely fast. ^^

Dimensions: 34 cm x 25 cm x 21 cm

Filled to the brim and everything was very well protected as always.

Here is everything unpacked! ^^

What I Bought:

A'Pieu Cotton Puff 100 $3.60
Mizon Real Oatmeal Essential Lip&Eye Remover $7.46
Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask $19.98
The Saem Big Brother Aloe 95% Soothing Gel $11.21
Etude House Play Nail #157 Man from Mars
The Saem Saemmul Tint Aqua Tint (Red) $7.00
A'Pieu Smart Cushion Case $15.85
Etude House Dear Girls Cute Eyes Maker $11.55

Looks like I have a lot of things to review now... good thing winter break is coming soon :D 

Gifts: 

There were just way too many gifts so I had to split them up into 2 pictures.

Wait what is this? An eyebrow kit and lipstick? The Rosy Tint Lips I was expecting but those... Alice thank you soo much ❤

-gasp- A hand mirror from A'Pieu! It's really cute. ^^ And the snacks look delicious.

Guess what was in the Club Clio bag? A box of cotton pads  from Peripera with Na Eun on it. 

Well... this was an unexpected package that totally made my day. Thank you so much Alice unnie!! :) I don't even know how to express my thanks. 

Everyone go check out W2Beauty! Alice is planning something special for Cyber Monday which is coming up soon. She's also selling all the Christmas gift sets that many brands have released, and the newly released Etude House Princess Etoinette 2013 Winter Collection. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. Sign up now using the code 04308009 to receive a $5 voucher which you can use on any minimum purchase of $30. ^^ Plus, there's a reward program in which you receive 5% back in rewards that you can use on future purchases (and did I mention free shipping?). 

HappyearlyThanksgiving everyone! 

Thanks for reading! :D

Review: Skinfood Rice Mask

Most of you have probably heard about Skinfood's bestselling Black Sugar Mask right? How about its Rice Mask? When I first saw the Black Sugar Mask, I originally wanted to get it but decided to get the rice one instead because it was cheaper. ^^;

스킨푸드 라이스 마스크 
Name: Skinfood Rice Mask
Price:  ₩ 7,700 ($7.26)
Amount: 100 g

Description: A wash-off mask containing rice extract that moisturizes skin and brightens tone. With its texture of ground rice, it leaves skin bright, soft, and lustrous.

Directions: After washing, apply desired amount onto face, focusing on nose area while avoiding eye and mouth areas. Wait 10 to 15 minutes, and then wash off with warm water.

Ingredients: Water, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclomethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Prorylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Polysorbate 80, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Butylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Water, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Stearate, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Sucrose Cocoate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Butylparaben, Parfum

Height: 7 cm | Cap Diameter: 7.8 cm | Bottom Diameter: 5.1 cm

The packaging is very simple- a tub made out of plastic. I guess it's Skinfood's way of trying to look natural? It's very durable, and on the side it has the English description + ingredients list. They also include the manufacture date and expiration date as well. ^^ There's no spatula provided though, so it is a bit unhygenic. > < (however, I always make sure my hands are clean before I touch my face)

It has a refreshing floral scent. It doesn't smell amazingly good but it doesn't smell bad either. 

Close-up of the mask

It has a very creamy texture with little bits of... rice? Think porridge or rice pudding. I wouldn't exactly call this an exfoliator, because it doesn't exfoliate that well. It's very gentle. More like a nice moisturizing mask to use 1-2 times a week. 

Those little bubble-like things are the rice ^^

It's a little difficult to evenly distribute the rice. It feels cool once you first apply it, but after you massage it in for about a minute and leave it there for 10-15 minutes, it feels... oily? It definitely does look oily right before I wash it off. 

My face feels a bit softer and moisturized after washing it off, and it does temporarily brighten the skin. I use it 1 to 2 times a week, but this definitely doesn't replace my exfoliator. I think of it more as a nourishing mask for my skin. ^^ 

Pros

-Skin feels softer

-Moisturizing

-Temporarily brightens skin

-Gentle

-Didn't break me out

-Not a strong scent

Cons

-Price is just so-so

-Feels oily before washing off

-Unhygenic

-Difficult to evenly distribute the bits of rice

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Repurchase? It's a nice mask but... I'm afraid not. It doesn't have any factors that made me go wow or -gasp- or anything like that. Plus this will last me for quite awhile. Some people really liked this product, but I'm picky about skincare so this was just so-so for me.

Where to buy? You can buy this at the following places:

-W2Beauty $15.15 (free shipping, get a $5 voucher when you enter the code 04308009 at registration)

-Eopenmarket $8.88 (free shipping)

-Koreadepart $8.43 

-Testerkorea $7.62

-BeautynetKorea $9.01 (after registration and discount, original price: $9.99)

-various eBay sellers

What about you? 

Have you ever tried any Skinfood masks before? What did you think of them?

Review: Etude House XOXO Minnie in the Nails (#2 and #6)

 When Etude House first released the XOXO Minnie collection, I just had to buy the nail polishes. I mean, who can resist? So I got them in #2 Bubble Pink and #6 Minnie Black Face.

에뛰드하우스 미니 인 더 네일즈 (2호 버블핑크 + 6호미니블랙페이스)

Name: Etude House Minnie in the Nails (#2 Bubble Pink + #6 Minnie Black Face)

Price: ₩ 3,000 ($2.83)

Amount: 8g

Look at the caps! ^^ I've always liked Etude House's packaging for nail polishes. The container is made of either glass or hard plastic.

Height: 6.5 cm | Diameter: 2.4 cm

They even have the manufacture date on the back. And the sticker is in the shape of mickey mouse's head. :D

Their signature logo is stamped on top of the bottles.

#2 Bubble Pink is a very bright hot pink, and it's texture resembles those gel nail polishes. #6 Minnie Black Face has glitter (or should I say confetti pieces?) in white, black, and pink hexagon shapes and black mickey mouse heads. I don't know why but it the texture of the clear nail polish is kind of gooey...

It's easy to apply the #2 Bubble Pink, but dang are those mickey heads hard to apply. It took me quite awhile to fish them out. It's also difficult to evenly distribute the glitter pieces. > < The nail polishes take awhile to dry. 

The camera doesn't show it well, but the pink isn't even close to purple. > < Like I said earlier, it's a bright hot pink, and it's fairly similar to the colors Etude House shows in their images. 

I think the nail polishes themselves are really cute, but since I'm not really a fan of bright hot pink, I think I'm going to try wearing the #6 Minnie Black Face with a pale or peach-y pink. ^^ Also, I always apply a top coat (Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Top Coat) over this because I feel like gel nail polishes are easily ruined even after they've dried. 

Where to buy? You can buy these at the following places:

-BeautynetKorea $4.87 (free shipping, discount after registration, original price: $5.39)

-Jolse $4.98 (free shipping)

-Testerkorea $2.97

-W2Beauty $6.42 (free shipping, receive a $5 when you enter the code 04308009 at registration)

-various eBay sellers