Introducing: Jolse

Hello everybody! ^^

Today I would like to introduce you guys to my new partner/sponsor: Jolse. If you haven't heard about them before, Jolse is a Korean cosmetics and fashion shop. They opened in 2013, I believe, and are one of the most trustworthy and reliable shops I know. Want to know more about Jolse? Then keep on reading!

When you go the homepage of Jolse, this is how it looks. The banner slideshow in the center of the page shows their current promotions and events. Every week of the month a set brand is on discount for 10% off! The current brands with discounts right now are Innisfree, Holika Holika, The Face Shop, Etude House, and Tony Moly. This way, if you're planning to buy a lot of items from the same brand that has a discount week, then you can plan on which week to make an order. 

For example, say you want to order a huge haul of Etude House products. You should probably wait until the 3rd week of the month to order then, since all Etude House products are 10% off that week! 

They carry over 40 Korean cosmetic brands, including some that are very well known globally and others that are more known in just Korea.

On the review/tutorial page of their shop you'll find reviews and makeup tutorials written by Jolse themselves. This is really nice since sometimes when products are just released in Korea, they don't have reviews immediately and Jolse will sometimes already have a review up a few days after adding the product to their shop.

Jolse also offers free worldwide shipping. Unlike other shops who offer free shipping but raise the prices of the products by quite a bit, Jolse's prices are really reasonable. The prices are usually really close to the retail price of the product in Korea, and sometimes even cheaper than the retail price ^^ The free shipping doesn't come with a tracking number, but I've never had a problem with my packages getting delayed or lost because of that. If you would like a tracking number though, it only costs an extra $2.50. Jolse also offers EMS shipping for $22. Orders are usually shipped within 3 business days after ordering, and usually arrive in 10-25 business days for standard shipping or 3-7 business days for EMS.

In addition to free shipping, there are samples given with every order as well! You can get an idea of how many samples/gifts you'll be given by referring to the image below.

Jolse also has a point reward system where you can get points back on every order to use for your next order! New customers get 3 points (1 point = $1) just by signing up. Points can only be used on orders $20 and above. 

At Step 2 of the ordering process (Place Order), you'll be given the option to use your reward points. Simply type in the amount of points you wish to use and it'll be deducted from your total amount due. 

Did I mention that Jolse is a trustworthy shop? Yup I did. And I'm saying this from a customer's viewpoint, not because they're sponsoring me or anything like that. I've written a review of their shop before, but it doesn't do it any justice at all (omg looking at my old reviews now they're so embarrassing haha...). Their customer service is absolutely stellar! The owner, Ji Eun Lee, is really nice and sweet, and replies to emails quickly. I've always received replies within 24 hours, usually less. Of course, since they only work Monday-Friday, if you send an email on Friday (PST) you will get a reply on Monday (based on KST). 

Jolse is my go-to shop for whenever I want to order a few products from a brand that I know is on sale that week, or when I need something to reach me quickly. Most of my packages arrive in 10 business days, which is only about 2 weeks! I highly recommend you to at least check out the shop, you won't be disappointed. ^^ Every Wednesday on their Facebook page they hold a giveaway. You can also follow them on their other social media accounts such as Instagram and Twitter to receive updates. 

Thanks for reading and have a great day~ :) 

Disclaimer: I was not sponsored or told to write this introduction post, and it was something I offered to do myself since Jolse really is a trustworthy, reliable shop with very reasonable prices. All opinions stated in this post are honest opinions from my viewpoint as a customer. 

Review: Koelf Peeling Balm + Giveaway Winners!

This review was sponsored by Memebox. All thoughts and opinions expressed are mine and 100% honest. 

October Haul

Hello everyone~

Back in May I decided to go on a shopping ban, and surprisingly the ban actually lasted. Er.. until now, that is. But still! 5 months. That's an accomplishment. Plus this haul was somewhat justified since I really did need most of the products that I bought. 

I bought all of these products either from iBuyBeauti or Jolse. I'll be linking each of the products to the shop that I bought them from~

(left to right)
Banila Co. Clean It Zero $14.70
Happy Bath Facial Yogurt Foam (Grain) $7.98 

First of all, the cleansers. This was a must buy for me since I ran out of my cleansing oil and cleansing foam at around the same time, and boy was that fun. Not. So I decided to get a cleansing balm instead this time, in addition to a cleansing foam from Happy Bath just because it was the cheapest I found. 

Pure Heal's Propolis 90 Ampoule $11.20

If you read my review of this ampoule here, you'll know that I really liked this product. This is just a repurchase since I ran out. 

Banila Co. It Radiant CC Cushion (BE20) $28.20

I was really curious about this product ever since it was released, and after much debate I finally decided to give it a try. 

Etude House Hot Style Bubble Hair Coloring (RD05 Arcane Cherry Brown) $13.98

I've used Etude House's hair dye before and they're quite nice. Awhile back they reformulated their hair dye and added a few new colors, including this one. Since I was getting a little bored/tired of my current hair color, which is just dark brown, I decided to go for a cherry brown this time. 

These are all the samples that I received for my orders. Cheers for the deluxe samples in the Laneige trail kit, which I can definitely bring for longer trips! I actually did buy one more item, but since it's a birthday gift for a friend and she knows about my blog, I thought it'd be safest to not post it here lest she see this post and ruin the surprise. 

Looking at it now this isn't really a haul... more like a mini-haul? Haha, after not buying anything for such a long time I guess 6 items (including my friend's gift) seemed like a lot to me. This post is just to show you guys what to expect in my reviews for the upcoming months! Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see reviewed so that way I can place them first on the "to review" list. I've been so busy lately but I'm trying to make more time for writing posts so that way I won't end up abandoning my blog like I did earlier this year. The next time you'll hear from me will (hopefully) be on Friday, although that might not be true because I need to study for the PSAT. OTL

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day! ^^ 

Giveaway! Everyone's a Winner with Memebox ❤

Hello everyone!

 

It's giveaway time! Hooray!

I'm very happy to announce that I will be hosting a giveaway with Memebox, a non-subscription Korean beauty box and e-commerce retailer.  For those of you who don't know, Memebox (pronounced Mi-mi-box) is based in Korea, and they're often releasing brand new beauty boxes nearly every week. They also have a Memeshop where they sell products from numerous Korean cosmetic and skincare brands.

Here are some details of this giveaway:

• There will be a total of three winners. One first place winner will receive 30 meme points (which is equivalent to a $23 box + standard shipping). Two runner ups will receive 7 meme points (which is equivalent to the price of standard shipping). So basically you will be winning free money to spend on the box of your choice! Of course, meme points can also be used on any purchase from Memebox, not just beauty boxes.

• The theme of this giveaway is "Everyone is a winner with Memebox!" so all signups will receive three meme points to spend on future purchases, regardless of whether or not they win.

• This giveaway is open internationally to any of the countries Memebox ships to (check list here) and to new Memebox customers only. (sorry current customers > < Memebox however does have other events and chances to win points for their current loyal customers!). 

• This giveaway will end at 11:59 PM PST on October 20, 2014. Winners will be notified and awarded by October 24 at the latest. 

Since there will be multiple hosts hosting this giveaway at the same time, you can enter the giveaway as many times as you like (once from each host)! However, you can only win once. So if you've won from one giveaway host already, then you can't win a second time from another giveaway host. 

Rules and Requirements:

1. All participants MUST sign up for an account with Memebox and include complete shipping details.
2. In addition to creating an account, participants must subscribe to Memebox's newsletter. Otherwise Memebox will not be able to send notifications to the winners!
3. Duplicate accounts are not permitted. Memebox has the right to reject any participant that had an account prior to the giveaway. 
4. To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below. All entries may be done once per person unless stated otherwise (retweets can be completed once a day for additional entries). 
5. This shouldn't even be necessary for me to say, but no cheating. Cheaters will not be tolerated and will be disqualified. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and thanks for reading! ^^ May the odds be ever in your favor~

For my readers who currently already have an account on Memebox, don't despair! There will be many more giveaways in the (near) future! :)

Memebox Special Box #33 K-Style 2 Review

This review was sponsored by Memebox. All thoughts and opinions expressed are mine and 100% honest.

Hello my lovely ice princesses! 

Omg I can't believe the real ice princess, Jessica, is gone from SNSD just like that ;__; 

It has been a rough time for those who follow the KPOP industry, since recently there has been a couple news breaking articles that were released. However, that isn't going to stop me from posting a review (after I got over my initial shock and disbelief, that is). Allow me to introduce to you another Memebox- the Special Box #33: K-Style 2. But before I do that, let me tell you a little bit about this company. 

Memebox, pronounced "Mi-mi-box", is a Korean beauty box and e-commerce retailer that is based in Korea. Currently the #1 beauty box provider in Korea, they started shipping to the US and other countries (see the list here to see which countries they ship to) back in November 2013. They do not offer monthly subscription plans, but they're constantly releasing new boxes every month. At the moment they carry four different types of beauty boxes: 

• Memebox Global Box: The original Memebox ($23 + shipping) that comes with 4-8 full-sized products and deluxe samples.
• Memebox Special Edition: Designed to meet various concerns, beauty trends, and seasonal needs, this box also comes with 4-8 full-sized products and deluxe samples. The prices range from $19-$32 + shipping. 
• Superbox: Made up of full-sized products only, each Superbox comes with its own theme, designed to target specific concerns or collaborations with a brand. Prices start at $19 + shipping. 
• Luckybox: Products in this box are based on selections from past Memeboxes. Luckyboxes aren't released as frequently as the other boxes, and are priced at $23 + shipping with 4-8 full-sized products and deluxe samples.

In addition to beauty boxes, Memebox also has a Memeshop where they sell products from numerous Korean cosmetic and skincare brands. The box I will be reviewing today is a Memebox Special Edition.

The information card with the details, descriptions, and instructions for each product: 

1. Royal Nature Pantone Shadeliner

로얄뷰티팬톤 쉐이드라이너

Size: 0.8g (full size)

Value: $12 (retail price: 10,000원)

Apparently this is an eye makeup product that can be used as both an eyeliner and an eyeshadow, hence the name "shadeliner". I received this in the shade 476C Sweetly You, a dark brown color. I've tried this once so far, and I like how the color is perfect for natural looks. I'm really glad to have gotten the brown one, since my other brown felt tip liner is just starting to run out. 

2. Secret-Stargirl S-Style 2 set

시크릿스타걸 속눈썹 2Set (S-Style)

Size: 2 sets (full size)

Value: $7 (retail price: 7,000원)

It looks like Memebox made a mistake and wrote down the wrong product description on the info card, since it's talking about something called "Downy Cheek".  lol This, my dear Memebox, is not a cheek product. However, luckily I was able to find the descriptions online. There were 2 possible styles you could've received, and the one I got (No. 14 Delicate Eye), is supposedly the "style that creates the most natural eyes which is not too long or short". I was pretty happy to find two pairs of falsies in this box, since I've never tried them before. Although knowing clumsy me, I'll end up getting glue all over the place... OTL 

3. Eglips Real Color Lip Lacquer 

이글립스 리얼컬러 립라커

Size: 6g (full size)

Value: $14 (retail price: 12,000원)

I'm not going to lie. The first time I saw this product, I was really disappointed. I thought it would be exactly like the Etude House Color Lips Fit, which were, in my opinion, pretty bad.  Why did I jump to this conclusion? Because the scent and texture of both products are incredibly similar. They both even have a similar powdery finish, but that's where the similarities end. This lip lacquer from Eglips is pretty amazing. The color is gorgeous, it spreads easily, and it has a matte finish that isn't drying but instead somewhat moisturizing. And so the lesson of the day? Don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a lip product. 

4. RiRe Luxe Mirror Eyeliner Black

리르 룩스 리퀴드 아이라이너

Size: 1 full-sized product Value: $14 (retail price: 12,000원) Liquid liners are perfect for creating a well defined line but they're difficult to use (for an eye makeup beginner like me), and virtually impossible to apply without a mirror. With this packaging, you don't need to carry around a compact mirror and you can still touch up your eyeliner anytime! Personally I think the packaging is just genius. Even though the description says it washes off easily though... it's still a pain to remove.  5. Shara Shara Color Eyes Stick Shadow  샤라샤라컬러아이즈 스틱 섀도

Size: 1.4g (full size)

Value: $7 (retail price: 6,000원)

Stick shadows... I've never tried them before, but the mention of them always reminds me of a time back in 7th grade when a girl was talking crap about someone else. She was saying how this other girl uses eyeshadows in a stick form, and how weird and awful they look. At that time, I had little to no experience with makeup, so the idea of an eyeshadow stick was definitely weird and interesting to me. However, I strongly disagree on the awful part (and honestly, they didn't look bad at all at that time, she was just being mean). I find these a lot easier to apply than regular glitter eyeshadows. Out of the two possible options, I received this in GL01 Caramel Gold. 

6. Original Raw Ten Cushion Foundation 

오리지널 로우 텐 쿠션 파운데이션 튜브

Size: 13g (full size)

Value: $32 (retail price: 16,500원)

I think the reason Memebox put the value as $32 is because the cushion version of this product is 32,000원, however the one in the tube is not. Nevertheless it still is a pretty pricey product. Apparently this is a 5-in-1 product, but it contains 10 features (hence the 10 in its name). I'm always willing to try new foundations so I can't wait to see how this one will perform. 

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Total value: $86 (total retail price value: 63,500원)

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My thoughts: 

I have one complaint. Just one. When you think of K-style makeup, you think of perfect, radiant skin, gradient lips,  bright, sparkly eyes, and straight brows. Why are there no brow products in this box? When you look at every single Korean celebrity, almost all of them have straight eyebrows to give them that youthful look. A K-style box, yet it's missing one of the most important parts of K-style makeup. (mini rant done lol).

Personally I think this is a pretty nice box since it gives you all the products you need for a near full-face makeup. I'm happy with everything that was included, since (based on the descriptions and what I've tried so far) all the products seem like they are of good quality. I was actually considering purchasing an Etude House Bling Bling Eye Stick in the exact same color as the Shara Shara one I received, so yay ^^ I was also curious about the brand Eglips after seeing them on BeautynetKorea since the prices were really cheap, so I'm glad I was able to try a product from them through this box. 

Are you interested in trying out Memebox? Although the K-Style 2 box is sold out, Memebox just recently released the K-Style 4 box, so make sure to get that one before it's sold out if you like what you saw in this box. Other than that, there are numerous other boxes that Memebox has released this month as well, so be sure to check them out! Apparently Memebox is planning to collaborate with 3 "Meme beauties" this month (they've already introduced the first one with Vagabound Youth), so keep a lookout for the other two. Here are some coupon codes that are available right now: 

A69AQY $5 off any purchase (expires 10/31)

PJGY $5 off any purchase (expires 10/31)

AFFILIATE-0937-YU6RC-OCZJ $5 off order above $100 (expires 10/30)

AFFILIATE-9912-V24IZ-ANVL $10 off order above $150 (expires 10/30)

What do you think of this Memebox? Which product(s) would you be interested in the most? 

P.S. Keep a lookout on my blog for a giveaway that I'll be hosting soon with Memebox!