The Face Shop Jeju Aloe 99% Fresh Soothing Gel

Dang, what a long name for an aloe gel. Aloe gels are well loved all across the world, and so it's quite easy to find one in your local grocery or drug store. I previously tried a Nivea one myself. So what's different about this one?

First of all, it's in a tub. This actually makes things so much more convenient than your regular squeeze bottle. Especially when you're using this gel as more than just your skin/body moisturizer.

Second, the texture. It's different from the others I've tried, especially different from the Nivea one (in a good way). I'll go into detail about this in the texture section.

Third, it's 99%. How often can you find a gel that's  99%? I know other brands such as Nature Republic also make these aloe gels. But they're all 92 or 95%. That just cannot compete with this 99% gel. It's about as high as you can get out in the market.

Well, here are some images of the king of aloe gels.

 Texture: Lightweight, a little sticky at first but it miraculously turns into a watery texture after a few seconds of rubbing in your palms. Feels so nice and cooling...

Fragrance: Well, what else could it smell like? It smells like aloe. The scent is a little strong, though, for those whom are really sensitive. And this smell will stay on your skin for a while (30 min-1 hr) depending on how much you put on.

Moisturizing Properties: Of course it does. But bear in mind, dry skin peoples, this will not be enough. It makes oily skinned people like yours truly very happy, though.

Different uses: I use this also as a leave in conditioner (don't slather on a lot, just a little will do). You can use as after-sun treatment and after-shave, though. There are a ton of other ways you could use it, I'm sure. Oh, and it is important to note that no matter how I use it, I always rub it in my palms until it turns watery and then apply it. Otherwise you may feel a little sticky.

Price/Where to buy: I got this on sale for $7 at an actual The Face Shop store. If you search their website, there are various The Face Shop stores scattered throughout the US and the world. Amazon also seems to carry it. And of course, the k-beauty vendors.

Rating: 5/5 ***** Versatile and cheap. $7 for 300ml really lasts long... Stamp of approval!!

Miss 21 Korea Hair Barrette

*Note: This post isn't about makeup/skincare.* I bought this hair clip from Miss 21 Korea a few months ago, for the price of $21 + $10 shipping. You must think, "This girl is nuts. $31 for a hair clip!?" That's what I thought about myself, too... but I just couldn't get this hair clip out of my mind...

Using rationalization to reason with my superego and satisfy my id, I convinced myself that this would be the only hair barrette I would ever need for a very long time. (But we all know that "long" time is actually until we spot another one we like...)

When I received this hair clip, the rationalization turned into truth. This hair clip is definitely worth every penny and I won't be needing other hair clips because they are all too pale in comparison to this one. Don't believe me? Here are the photos:

                                                      
What beauty... *swoon* It may look a bit too decorated, but against one's mane, this clip is very beautiful and absolutely screams elegance. It's also very versatile because of its color (well, you can't really wear this with sweats or athletic shorts tbh).

And the ultimate question is: Will this actually stay in my hair? If you're like me and have slippery hair where almost every clip seems to slide off within 10 minutes, this is a very important factor. And the answer? Yes, this clip will hold onto your hair like a piranha in the amazon.  It is very strong and sturdy, definitely of high quality. It's even better than the clips I found in Nordstrom.
Although, it is important to note if you don't have a ton of hair, this clip may be a bit too big for your hair (will slip off because there's not enough hair in it). Well, you could always use this to clip your ponytail if that's the case! I have too much hair, so I can only do half-ups with this baby.  

Rating: 5/5 ***** Of course, who didn't see that coming? Stamp of approval!

Where can I buy this? I bought this off of Miss 21 Korea's own website (korean). You'll find it if you google it. Don't know if it's still in stock, though. Yesstyle also carries this brand, but they're out of stock for this hair clip. They have other selections, though, and shipping is free with a $35 purchase.

Too Cool for School Perfect Day Makeup Fixer

This product is a setting spray made by Too Cool for School (a Korean cosmetics company). Interestingly enough, this spray won famous Korean beauty show Get it Beauty's setting/fixing spray product ranking contest. Lured in by this fact and the clearance price of this product from Stylekorean.com, I bought this spray for $2-3.

What can I say? I'll just make this brief and say that it did not work for me. It only gave my face the "dewy" look, and possibly even diminished the time of wear for my makeup. I gave it several chances these past few months, but each time my makeup seemed to melt off faster than usual. So if you want an extremely cheap (maybe not anymore) and fixer that gives you the dewy look, go for it. Otherwise?

Rating: 1/5 * Skip it.

The Face Shop's Face It Oil Cut Pore Balm

Another holy-grail item of mine. Ahh, how beautiful and essential this is to my oily skin. It really does reduce my oily secretions.
The product comes in a teal, tin can that seems to be plastic. It's a little smaller than the size of a cushion refill.

Application: I just have to address this first, because my mistake in application made me cast this product aside for months thinking absolutely did not work. First off, a picture of what it looks like inside the container:

As you can see, there is the balm and a blasted sponge. This particular sponge is supposed to be used for application--but if you want the full effects of "oil cut" don't use the blasted sponge. I just could not pick up product with this sponge yet could smell it on the sponge, so I mistakenly thought I was applying it to my face. Alas, I was not, so I did not see reductions in sebum secretions.
Solution: use your blessed fingers. Just rub some fingers on the balm and directly apply onto the face. If you're gasping about sanitation problems, just make sure you wash your hands before every time you use it...

Texture: Just as its name suggests, this is a balm. It feels like you're putting a balm on your face, but it's not sticky at all. It's a little silicon-y, but all weight on the skin of this balm will disappear within seconds of application.

Fragrance: It smells quite minty and fresh, and is very noticeable when you open the container. However, you shouldn't notice this fragrance on your skin past the first few minutes of application.

Pore Cover: The product is called a "pore balm", so I guess it is fair to assume there should be some pore-covering properties. Unfortunately, I didn't see any pores being covered--although some other bloggers did mention seeing pore cover. Perhaps it depends on the person. Well, this is also a relief to me because I really don't like it when primers clog up your pores when trying to reduce their appearance.

Effectiveness: Even though it doesn't cover your pores, it will greatly increase the longevity of your makeup. Before, cushions (especially the Hera one) would just slip off my face and melt off. Now, they stay on happily for nearly the whole day. I can even wear more moisturizing cushions such as the Sulwhasoo cushions without worrying about looking like a grease-ball!

Rating: 5/5 ***** Mainly because of its ability to make my makeup more long-lasting and superbly control my sebum (especially when used in combination with Innisfree's no sebum powder).

Where to buy: Online ebay or korean makeup stores , Amazon

Mamonde Creamy Tint Color Balm Intense (#16 Velvet Red)

An extremely popular lip product in Korea 2015. Said to be a dupe for MAC's lipstick in Chili, produced by the Korean cosmetic company Mamonde.

Color: The shade I purchased was the hottest shade, #16 Velvet Red. As you can see from the swatch above, the color is not as red as MAC's Chili. That does not mean that it is inferior in any way, however. I personally prefer this to MAC's Chili because it is much more natural than having my lips look like a traffic light at daytime. It creates a red lip version of MLBB's (my lips but better). Absolutely beautiful and natural.

Texture: Glides on like a dream, but can be drying (I have perpetually dry lips) so make sure to wear a lip balm underneath if you want it to last and not emphasize any flakes.

Longevity: 2-3 hours, or until you eat. This leaves a very, very slight tint (nearly unnoticeable for people that have naturally pigmented lips like me).

Rating: 4/5 **** One taken off because it could be somewhat drying, but the color is just too beautiful...

Cloud 9 Whitening Cream Review

This is quite a well known product among foreign-beauty-lovers. It is a whitening cream by Clairs, a Korean beauty company (also known for their famous, ultra-ultra-ultra-moisturizing Guerisson Horse Oil Cream). As the product advertises, it provides a whitening effect that lasts for many hours. Without further ado, let's roll in the pictures!

Would you just look at the beautiful packaging. The box is extremely sturdy, so I've just kept my precious cream in this box. The spatula also has a happy home that way. 

Texture: In picture, you can see the texture of the cream. It's extremely lightweight, like a feather, yet quite moisturizing. Although some sources do claim if you use too much it can be drying (never experienced a dry feel to it myself, though). For someone with combination-oily skin like me, it's great as a morning moisturizer--although dry skinned peoples may need other moisturizing skincare beforehand.

Fragrance: People who do not like fragrances, be warned. This product most definitely has a fragrance. Although, I quite like the fragrance as it smells clean and fresh. Not sure how else to describe it... Ah, but it will diminish once you spread out the product (but you can still smell it a little). I love the fragrance, so I don't mind it at all.

Whitening Effect: Depends on how much you put on and how white you would like to be. But you can definitely see whitening results with the right amount. For me, I just use half a spatula's worth and that is enough for my whole face. This gives me a very natural, bright glow. If you use a whole spatula's  worth, it is possible you may end up looking like you either just saw a ghost or just became one. Below is a picture to show off it's whitening prowess. Bear in mind you will see your hands become as white as if you just bleached it in baking soda afterwards and that this is just temporary.

Longevity: Quite long, even on my oily skin. Especially long during winter time. For me, I am a lazy girl that does not like touch-ups (so you can be assured that all the products that have my approval are definitely long-lasting). This product perfectly allows me to avoid that when I have acne-free skin. It has lasted on my skin for a time-breaking record of 12 hours before.

Bountifulness of Product: Using only half a spatula per day, I have gone through about a little more than half of the 50 mL in the container within 4 months. That's a pretty darn good amount of product there. Bountiful!

Rating: 5/5 ***** Stamp of approval!!

How I use it: Since I like to brighten up my yellow skin, I usually use it as a 2-in-1 primer-moisturizer before my base makeup. I only use it during the day, as I don't really need to look white for when I am asleep. Furthermore, after using it for about 4 months, I don't find that it has permanent whitening properties.

Where to buy? I initially bought this product from memebox.com, but you can definitely get it on Amazon, ibuybeauti, and other various sources for cheaper. (However, if ordering off of Amazon be warned that some of the reviews state their product was fake.)

Ingredients list: Can be found on the side of the container, but for you ingredient-savvy people: 

water, titanium doxide, cyclopentasiloxane, butylene glycol, cyclohexasiloxane, arbutin, dipropylene glycol, sodium acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl, taurate copolymer, isohexadecane, phenoxyethanol, allminum hydroxide, disodium stearyl, sulfosuccinamate, caprylyl glycol, glyceryl caprylate, hydrated silica, polysorbate 80, nelumbo nucifera flower extract, aloe barbadensis leaf water, perfume, adenosine, morus alba bark extract, lilium candidum flower extract, saussurea involucrata extract, houttuynia cordata extract, freesia alba flower extract, bellis perennis (dayisy) flower extract, leotopodium alpinum flower extract, panax ginseng root extract.

What is this "Global Express Reviews" you speak of?

This blog has been designed by yours, truly, to review various products worldwide (hence, "global"). As for now, the focus is mainly on beauty and Korean makeup. However, should I find other interesting gadgets worldwide, I will be sure to write in a good review for them. The style of these posts will mainly be short and sweet, hence, "express". That is, except for products that receive my "stamp of approval"--I am unable to stop my flood of emotions and word-throw-up for those posts. You have been warned.

For reference:
Skin type: combination-oily
Skin shade: NC 15-20, Missha BB Cream in 21, Etude House in W13, Hera in C21, Sulwhasoo Brightening in 17.
Skincare desires: moderate and lightweight (non-heavy) moisturizing, healthy whitening (scar reduction), anti-acne/acne prevention
Undertone: yellow, but I'm not too sure if I'm a warm or cool tone as I have a yellow undertone, but can see blue veins o_o

Please enjoy and feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!