Review: Skinfood Salmon Darkcircle Concealer Cream

I've been very curious about this Skinfood Salmon Concealer since the product came out, I think last year? correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, since my sister in law tried this concealer at the store and fell in love with it ever since, I decided to buy her one as a gift. I was planning to buy pre-ordered cosmetics in Korea (through kkochipida) that month anyway, so I bought the number 1 for her (she has lighter complexion than me) and number 2 for myself, just to put my curiosity for this product to rest.

Skinfood Salmon Darkcircle Concealer Cream

Current Price:

P515.00 

still a bit pricey for a concealer that is not high end, but this is still cheaper compared to the price that is being sold in Skinfood stores in the Philippines.

Place bought:

kkochipida (please refer to my side bar for the link of the online store)

Since I bought the number 1 shade as a gift to my sister in law, the product remained untouched and sealed until I gave it to her, so unfortunately, I won't be reviewing the no.1 shade anymore.

no. 1 shade

no. 2 shade

I still took a picture of what the no. 1 shade looks like. I know this pic is not really helpful in visualizing the actual product, but it's rude to open someone else's gift.

Artificial light:

Here is my concealer in shade no. 2

 Natural light:

shade no. 2 is the darker of the 2 shades. I don't know my skin shade number in MAC bec. I don't own any, but anyone who's darker than me will be having a hard time matching this to their skintone. It would already look ashy on darker skintone than mine.

Swatches:

As you can see, the product is creamy and easy to blend just by looking at it.

blends seamlessly without much effort.

Comment:

Pros:

- has a peachy/salmon undertone to it that helped "brighten" my undereye area.

- creamy and easy to blend.

- if you don't have much to conceal or if your dark circles are not that "dark" than this is for you.

- a little goes a long way.

- you'll get a huge amount of product for a concealer. I was wondering how I could use this all up before it expires.

- this would be great for dry skin people.

Cons:

- cannot be used solely as an undereye concealer especially for really dark circles, this is more of a corrector than a concealer.

- it is scented. No, it does not smell like fish, thankfully. Unfortunately, it has a perfume-y scent that is sometimes overpowering for me, especially on my skin bec. after using this for quite sometime, I think my skin reacted to the scent and I had an allergy around the eye area....again...

- expensive for a non high-end concealer and not readily accessible to many.

- creases a bit especially if I did not set it with powder.

- this did not agree with my skin when I tried to conceal blemishes on my face. Every time I apply this on my skin other than the eye area, I was greeted with a zit the next morning. Maybe, because of the scent and the emollient consistency of the concealer. 

- limited shades available.

Conclusion:

If you don't have super sensitive skin and you don't have much to cover, then go for this. If you have the same skin condition as I have, then ditch this. It's very unfortunate that this product did not work for me. I wanted to love it, I really do. I would have loved this if it did not give me any adverse reaction because this is a really decent concealer for the days that I don't need to conceal much and also a really nice corrector in conjunction with a concealer that I am using after putting this concealer on.

This product did not work for me, but that does not mean it won't work for you. If you're really that curious about this product, then try it. Maybe, you'll like it. 

(Long Post) Battle of the Affordable Makeup Removers: Maybelline Lip and Eye Makeup Remover vs. Etude House Lip&Eye Remover

Oh yes! It's just LIP&EYE REMOVER...scary description, but I think we get what this is supposed to do.

I've read so many reviews about this and some said that this is comparable and even better than the Maybelline lip and eye makeup remover. For me, yes, it CAN be comparable to the Maybelline lip and eye makeup remover, but it doesn't perform better than Maybelline.

I feel that, sometimes, people could get carried away with the cuteness of it all, the packaging, the marketing,etc. and I don't blame them for that bec. I'm a sucker for great packaging too, but since I've tried so many products, I've learned to see the difference of one product from another, not in a biased way.

Etude House Lip&Eye Remover

has a bilayer composed of an oily substance and "water", just like any other waterproof lip&eye makeup remover.

Current Price:

P198

Place bought:

Etude House flagship store in SM north edsa The Block

Smell:

- like baby oil

description w/ a special appearance of kitteh:

Comment:

Pros:

- removes waterproof eye makeup easily.

- is affordable for P198

- packagaing is cute for most people, for me it's just ok...

Cons:

- stings my eyes for just a teeny weeny bit. Now, I've realized I have sensitive eyes too.

- gives me blurry vision for a few minutes.

- since my skin is sensitive too, the skin around my eyes also stings a teeny weeny bit.

- smells like baby oil which I'm a bit iffy about. It makes me think that I'm applying baby oil around my eyes. Baby oil is kinda harsh to be a makeup remover especially around the eyes...in my opinion, at least.

- feels a bit oily after applying this on my eye area.

Maybelline Makeup Remover

Sorry, it's almost empty when I remembered taking a picture of this...since I don't do haul posts anymore, I usually remember taking pictures of products that I'm going to review when the product is almost used up or if I have already finished it. I'll still try to take pictures of products in their brand new state to at least make my post look more....organized? (^_^)v

as you can see, the Maybelline makeup remover also has a bilayer of "water&oil" that you shake/mix up before using, same as the Etude House one.

Place bought:

Watson's

Current Price:

P99.00 (this is the smaller version of the regular sized Maybelline lip&eye makeup remover). The regular size is P199.00, just a peso difference from the price of Etude.

Smell:
- no scent at all, which I'm very, very thankful for since I already have a very, very sensitive eye area.

ingredients and description of the product (yes, you can click all photos in my blog to enlarge)

Comment:

Pros:
- removes waterproof eye makeup easily.

- no scent at all.

- did not sting my eyes and eye area one bit.

- did not give me blurry vision

- comes in 2 sizes (small at P99 and regular at P199)

- eventhough this is a peso more than the price of Etude, it is still fairly affordable.

Cons:

- still feels a bit oily after appyling on the eye area like Etude, which is what you expect in almost all bilayer eye makeup remover.

Conclusion:

It's obvious that for me, the Maybelline lip and eye Makeup Remover wins!

What made the difference for me?
- the SCENT. For people with extremely sensitive skin, who easily experience an allergic reaction to scents (at least on my face, since I can still put on certain perfumes on my body without any allergic reaction), I think Maybelline is the one for me. I still like the makeup remover by Etude bec. it still does the job in removing eye makeup, but I would love it if it doesn't have any scent at all.

FYI:
My Etude House lip&eye remover is already finished for quite sometime now and my Maybelline makeup remover is almost out too, so I'm alternating the Lancome Bifacil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) as my current lip&eye makeup remover. After I've finished my Lancome Bifacil, I will switch back to Maybelline and EVOO bec. these suits my skin more than the Lancome and Etude.

If ever there will be a new makeup removing product, I am still open to try, use and review them, but I will still keep on coming back to EVOO and Maybelline.

Review: Sasa HD Hydro Matte 2-Way Cake

This is the first time I'll be reviewing compact face powders that I have. Honestly, I'm not a fan of face powders bec. I don't think it is that useful for me. Why?

because:
- I sweat a lot throughout the day...there's no use for me to apply a powder foundation/face powder if it will just melt away or cake on my face.
- Face powders clogs my pores faster and I have really sensitive skin already.
- If I want more coverage, I'll always choose a liquid foundation.
- If I want to have an "au natural" look, I will only use sunblock on my face.
- If ever I will use a face powder, I don't like re-applying throughout the day because honestly, I am a bit grossed out at the idea of re-applying face powders on a dirty face. I mean, do you always wash your face before you apply face powders?  I don't think so.
- If I feel my face is oily, I'll just use a blotting paper or a face tissue then wash my face with water.

So why the heck do I own a few face powders/compact powder foundation?
- Almost all of my face powders are only given to me as a gift. It will be rude to refuse a gift even if you don't want it.
-I only use face powders to set my liquid foundation or bb cream (which doesn't happen very often).

Having said all that, making a fair review of a product that I don't usually prefer using will be a challenge for me. Let's get it on!

(for a clearer image, click on the photos to enlarge)

Sasa HD Hydro Matte 2-way Cake

Place bought:

- This was a gift to me from my mother. She bought this in a Sasa outlet in Beijing when she went on vacation to China.

Price:

- I don't know. I did not dare ask.

do you agree that it has a Shu Uemura-ish feel to it, like the lipstick that came with this? The packaging is really sturdy, doesn't feel cheap and of really good quality.

here's the ingredients. This face powder was formulated in Korea, while the lipstick that came with this was formulated in Japan. 2 of the many Asian countries that makes great beauty products. (^_^)

Unfortunately, like many powder foundations from Asia, this face powder has limited shades available. This was the "darkest" shade that my mom chose. 

Mind you, I have a natural light tan skintone and I get a bit paler in cooler months, but this shade is still a tweeny weeny bit light for my skin. BUT! It's ok since my skin is acidic, the shade just blends in with my skintone after a few mins.

It may look a bit dark in the pan, but when applied, it goes on lighter.

here's the actual shade of the powder.

under the pan, it also comes with a good quality soft sponge.

As I've mentioned before, when swatched/applied on the skin, it goes on lighter than the shade in the pan.

Comments:

Pros:

- it is not chalky at all. It goes on seamlessly on the skin.

- it gives a smooth feel to the skin.

- honestly, even when I sweat a bit, it does not cake and it even looks better on my skin (giving me a "flawless" finish) after sweating a bit.

- great quality packaging.

- did not break me out or cause any adverse reaction.

Cons:

- available in limited shades only.

- not readily accessible to everyone.

- as with all face powders that I've tried, it gives me a bit of whiteheads, but that's bec. I have very sensitive skin. Maybe it will work for you.

Sorry for the long post, 'till my next blog! (^_^)v

Swatch: The Face Shop Nailpolish in BL606

Just catching up on my nailpolish swatchfest.

My reviews about The Face Shop nailpolishes are all the same unless I've observed some changes in the formulation of a certain product, so just read about it on my past entries.

The Face Shop Nailpolish in BL606

 w/ flash:

This picture taken with flash is more accurate in showing you the true color (blue with a hint of green) of the nailpolish than the ones taken in natural light. My camera is having a hard time capturing colors that has a hint of blue, violet or green...weird.

 natural light:

Swatch: Elianto Nail Color in Turquoise

Elianto Nail Color in Turquoise

this nail color leans a bit more on the green side than the blue.

Swatch:

The swatch on my nail should have to be more green than bluish...yep, crappy camera...the photo above is more accurate than this.

Comment:

Pros:

- affordable. I actually bought this during a sale in Sm dept. last June. I think I bought this for just P50-70+...about that price range.

- wide range of colors to choose from.

- I believe it has more product (14ml) than The Face shop (11ml) nailpolishes that I have.

Cons:

- applies a bit streaky.

- does not lasts as long as my The Face Shop nailpolishes.

- you have to apply 3 coats for an opaque finish, but that's really not a con for me.

- it takes too long to dry which I hate so much.

not really a big fan of Elainto nailpolishes since all of their nail polishes in this line has the same so-so formula. Unless, they change the formula, I'll just buy their nail polishes on sale...I don't know if they still have a store in SM north edsa...I haven't seen any since their flagship store was closed and occupied by Etude House.