HANNA

9Wishes Vanishing Balm Ultimate

Bought for: Free | SRP: $47.52 (P2,476)

From: Style Korean

We’ve lost internet connection for the past few days so I can’t really blog as much as I’ve wanted. Here I find myself drafting and editing photographs, so you’ll know that I’m still working on the background. I know babbling like this won’t make any sense because by the time you read this, connection has been fixed. Anyway, let’s start with today’s skincare review about 9 Wishes Vanishing Balm Ultimate Tone-up Cream I got from Stylekorean.com!

CLAIMS

This advance multitasking complexion enhancer brightens skin tone instantly while minimizing the appearance of fine lines and pores. An antioxidant rich formula provides exceptional hydration, leaving skin smooth and healthy all day long.

This product has Jojoba Seed Oil, Licorice Root Extract, Cirnicifuga Racemosa Root Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract, Sesame Seed Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Paeonia Lactoflora Root Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extracts, Glutathione, Sciadopytis Verticillata Root Extract, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder.

APPLICATION

I usually apply the cream every morning as my last step in skincare. A single pump is enough for the whole face and neck area.

PACKAGING

The product comes with a white box and the information are printed in gray/silver fonts. The tone-up cream comes in an opaque white tube with a transparent cap and a silver pump for easy dispensing of product. Overall, I love the simple yet clean-looking and very informative packaging. It displays all necessary information about the product such as ingredients, direction for use, claims and expiry date—all in crisp font style.

TEXTURE, CONSISTENCY AND EASE OF APPLICATION

Milky white in color and light in texture, this cream blends so easily on the skin without any dreaded white casts other tone-up creams impart. A little goes a long way and I also like the fact that it doesn’t cling to dry patches of the face and doesn’t look streaky at all. Despite the semi-matte finish (when used alone), it gives thorough hydration without any stickiness or discomfort. It’s a day cream that you can opt to wear alone or top off with makeup without contributing to cakiness or patchiness.

OVERALL PERFORMANCE

I would say that this is also a favorite of mine from 9Wishes. I’ve tried a few products from this independent brand (thanks to Style Korean) and all of which are highly recommended by me. This is one underrated product that I truly love and been continuously using for the past weeks. I like how it tones down redness and brightens my complexion without looking pale or ghostly. I’ve always been looking for a tone-up cream that won’t look awkward on skin with yellow undertone and the quest has finally ended.

Despite the loads of oils and extracts mentioned above, I’m glad it didn’t irritate my skin nor break me out. I also noticed that it has Titanium Dioxide which has been used for sunblocks so despite being discreet, I’m glad to know that it’s adding up to my daily sun protection. I just hope 9Wishes could tell how strong the sun protection is. It also has Glutathione (in small concentration though) so this is great for those who would like to maintain light skin.

Using it in conjunction with other skincare products, I noticed some blemishes have lightened a bit so I know further use can make a huge difference. Long story short, I’ve found a brightening cream that suits someone like me who has oily skin and has scars to lighten.

Does 9Wishes Vanishing Balm Ultimate Tone-up Cream interest you? Let me know your thoughts down below! Happy blogging!

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Here's another shop review! This time it's from Luxie Beauty, a US-based beauty brand that's also popular for their chic makeup brushes. Fine, you're probably wondering what I'll do with all these brushes but I couldn't just help it! I like to see them placed neatly in acrylic jars, displayed on the vanity area. I don't know why but they just make me happy. I'm sure you know the feeling whenever you see something and they just bring joy to your heart without you knowing why. Hugot much? Kidding! Anyway, onto the review!

THE WEBSITE

The website looks really feminine and chic. It's user-friendly too. You have the option to sign up to save your shipping and billing address and other personal information. You also have the option to subscribe to their mailing list, which I highly suggest, so you'll get first dibs whenever they are having sale offers. I love the fact that Luxie Beauty has rewards program wherein you can earn two points for every dollar you spend. Those points are reusable as credits that you can use the next time you shop at the website.

SHIPPING AND DELIVERY

Processing of orders are swifter than Sedona Lace can but still a little longer than expected due to the volume of orders that they received. I placed my first order 11/22/2018 and they had it shipped after three days or exactly on 11/25/2018. Second order was placed 11/27/2018 and was shipped 12/03/2018. Shipping Cart warehouse received the parcel 12/04/2018 and 12/08/2018 consecutively. That's more or less a week's time which isn't bad at all.

There's a reason why I placed two orders, one is during Black Friday, one is during Cyber Monday. Black Friday's deal was at 50% off the entire website, Cyber's Monday at 60% off. I don't want to make a fuss about it but I felt like I was deceived. I was happy to snag some items at 50% off but suddenly felt disappointed when I could have gotten them at 60% off had I waited a bit more. There was no time to cancel because all orders were already shipped before they started the 60% off sale. Id didn't get it why Luxie Beauty had done this. Either way, I still saved a lot.

HAUL

I bought a total of three sets: Luxie Rose Gold Kabuki Brush Set ($54), Luxie Rose Gold 12-Piece Makeup Brush Set ($110) and Luxie Dreamcatcher Makeup Brush Set ($150). I also got two individual brushes: Luxie 520 Tapered Face Rose Gold ($24) and Luxie 518 Large Powder Rose Gold ($24). I like the fact that the brush sets comes with sturdy boxes and brush cup holders that I can bring for travels. The brushes are individually wrapped in plastic, some has brush guards to ensure that bristles don't flare out and lose shape.

I love the quality of the brushes. They are dense and soft and I'm in loved with both their face and eye brushes. I see a few hairs sticking out on selected brushes so I'm yet to see whether or not they'll continue to shed even after several uses and washes. I can tell though that they will last a long time.

Overall, I'm quite happy with my Luxie Beauty shopping experience from browsing to receiving the haul. I kept on thinking about their marketing though but this is a lesson learned for me. I'll make sure to shop during when sales are on full blast. Let me know what are your favorites from Luxie Beauty!

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Here's a quick share of my experience in shopping through Sedona Lace (http://www.sedonalace.com/) website. Sedona Lace is a famous makeup brush brand based in United States and a lot of beauty enthusiasts claim that their products are something that will last you for a very long time. You all know how I am into makeup brushes not just because they add aesthetics to the vanity but mainly because they help me apply makeup with confidence. They are something I can always invest on, work with until they are all worn out for as long as I wish without the thought of expiration scaring me. So yeah, I'll forever be an avid fan of quality makeup tools. You can tell because during Black Friday, all I did purchase were brushes. Which is why, I am going to talk about my experience in shopping at Sedona Lace and I hope it helps you in case you are trying to shop overseas too.

THE WEBSITE

The website is really not the best but I like that you can easily navigate. Click on something and it displays the entire page, showing all items in that category. It's easier to browse than having to load pages one at a time. They also offer different payment methods but if you are an international buyer, your best bet is to pay through Paypal with your credit/debit card. Sedona Lace offers free shipping by using the code 50FREE (for purchases worth $50 and above) and cannot be used in conjunction with another offer code. Hence, the best time to shop is during sale season when products are automatically discounted so you can still apply the free shipping code on top of it.

I placed an order during a holiday sale and everything was at 75% off. Just imagine the savings. I got two brush sets and two Kabuki brushes all for only about $60. I'm also surprised that Sedona Lace did not charge the US sales tax.

SHIPPING AND DELIVERY

Sedona Lace do ship internationally. I just found the shipping cost way too expensive so I opted to use a third party courier. I was shopping at another US site anyway so I thought of just consolidating the orders, pay extra for the shipping and so I can also avoid my parcel landing to customs. Long story short, I'll be charged more if I opted for the straight shipping plus, oh gosh, the inconvenience.

So there. I placed an order at 11/22/2018. I instantly received a confirmation e-mail regarding the items purchased and quantity and payment approval. My parcel was shipped 12/11/2018. Yup, I waited for like 19 days before I receive an e-mail confirmation about the successful shipping. This is the reason why my other parcels have been stuck at Shipping Cart's warehouse. I am not patient and I don't really like the thought of waiting but because it's about makeup brushes, I've been.

My parcel was in transit for about a week until Shipping Cart notified me that they received my parcel from Sedona Lace too.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

I feel like I didn't really wait in vain because when I sent them an e-mail about my order's status, they replied right away apologizing for the delay and that it was because of the unexpected volume of orders due to Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. I kind of expect it but I still reached out to them just in case my order was overlooked.

I also appreciate the message they probably sent to everyone apologizing again for the delay and that cancellations will be honored. I decided to push through with the order because deals like that don't usually happen and I guess waiting will be worth it.

HAUL

I got myself the Vortex Synthetic Professional Makeup Brush Set ($109.95), 12-Piece Synthetic Professional Makeup Brush Set,($89.95) 480 Synthetic Round Top Brush ($18.95) and 928 Synthetic Flat Top Brush ($18.95). They were packed in individual plastics--no brush belts/cup holders included (you can buy these separately). This is just a minor concern as I prefer acrylic holders for brush storage anyway. Some of the brushes have been shedding already but I know it's too early to judge them based on that alone. I am so happy to tell you that they are indeed soft and they don't prick the skin which is enough to make them stay in my stash. I haven't washed them yet nor use them for full makeup so if you are interested to know what I think about them, just let me know and I'll write them a review.

Overall, I love the items I got and I'm positive I'll shop again next time. I'll get more individual and kabuki brushes! I understand the delay in shipping, with the huge markdowns and holidays, what do you expect? If you're not very particular with your budget, shop during regular days, there are coupons everywhere that's best used for bulk orders that you can apply for further discounts. I bet you'll get your item much earlier than you expect. Let me know if you have tried any Sedona Lace brush before!

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Use your makeup skills to create superb and bold looks following different themes for a chance to win the grand prize in Ever Bilena’s The Big Beauty Challenge ongoing until March 25.

The top winner in the weekly make-up tutorial video contest will win a trip for two to Phuket, Thailand, plus P50,000 cash and an additional P20,000 worth of Ever Bilena products. The grand winner will also sign an exclusive contract as a brand ambassador, and shall perform special projects for Ever Bilena.

Open to video bloggers, aspiring and professional make-up artists residing in the Philippines, the three-year-old contest requires participants to create a one-to-three-minute make-up tutorial video on how to do a complete look following a specific theme and using only Ever Bilena products. Participants can post as many videos as they want, but using models is not allowed.

The contest, which began on December 14, will test the skills of participants as they create their own versions of Ever Bilena’s weekly theme, which will be announced every Friday on Ever Bilena’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/everbilenacosmetics. There will be one winner every week who will get P15,000 in cash.

The weekly winner with the most number of video shares and likes will receive a special prize. Weekly winners will automatically compete in the grand finals.

Entries must be public and uploaded on Facebook with the hashtags #EBBigBeautyChallengeY3 and #EverBilena. Contestants should tag Ever Bilena Cosmetics, Inc. A marketing representative from Ever Bilena will acknowledge the video submitted.

Participants will be judged based on the following criteria: 4% creativity, 20% most number of Ever Bilena products used in the video, 20% make-up executions and skills; and 20% most number of views and shares.

Ever Bilena, the leading local cosmetics brand, carries Ever Bilena Advance, a full range of make-up essentials for young professionals; Careline cosmetics for teens; Blackwater for fragrance and other personal care products.

To know more about Ever Bilena and The Big Beauty Challenge, visit Ever Bilena’s website, www.everbilena.com.ph and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/everbilenacosmetics.

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I am so happy to share the good new--Althea's just come up with color makeups! We've all loved their affordable skin care exclusives and so now be prepared for more exciting new releases. I just received the items and it comes in a limited edition Hanbok box and Althea Korea stickers in celebration of the Lunar New Year. I personally love this touch because I love both K-beauty and K-dramas! :D

I hate to spoil it to you, dear, but shades are way be-you-ti-ful! I will be posting a separate blog post for the tutorial using all the makeups I got and share my honest feedback whether they are worth the repurchase or not. Can't wait? Let's dig deep into the haul!

BCL X ALTHEA SUNRISE & MOONRISE EYE PALETTE (P1780)

SPOTLIGHT EYE GLITTERS IN #01 GOLD LIGHT AND #02 PINK LIGHT (P300)

WATER COLOR CREAM TINTS IN #01 PLUM CREAM, #02 STRAWBERRY CREAM, #03 PEACH CREAM, #04 MARRON CREAM (P260)

FLAWLESS CREAMY CONCEALERS IN

#01 VANILLA, #02 GINGER, #03 HONEY AND #03 MOCHA (P200)

SKIN RELIEF SPOT FILM GEL (P240)

Sharing this new skincare product too that's included in the haul--Althea Korea Skin Relief Spot Film Gel. I've tried it two days ago and sure it works! Also, not too long ago, I received an eye shadow palette as part of Althea's Christmas and New Year Gift to Angels. This is not an Althea Exclusives but colors are really nice and warm too so you can recreate different eye looks whether it's for a daily use or just occasionally.

SIXTEEN BRICKIT SHADOW KIT

So there you have it! I'm so grateful and privileged to be part of Althea Korea family especially with the fact that I just don't promote it, but am also a certified user and lover of a brand that I truly trust. I'll be posting a tutorial sometime in February so I hope you'll come back. Happy blogging and enjoy the last day of January!

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