Monday, September 7, 2015

Korean Beauty Mini-haul + Korean Story Shop Review

I'm not very into talking about hauls and stuff like those because most of the time I don't usually see the point of talking about things that you shop and buy for yourself. But I guess hauls and things like that give viewers a sort of avenue to discover different products and brands so I thought I'd give it a shot.

This blog post is not sponsored, in case you were wondering.
My mom knows me fully well and understands my penchant for Korean or Japanese makeup items. It's not my fault that I favor Asian brands much more than the Western ones, because my skin is more Asian than anything else (not to be racist) and I find my makeup style to lean towards Asian beauty trends more than anything else. She told me that her friend runs an online shop where you can pre-order 100% authentic Korean beauty products for a cheaper price compared to how much they sell here in the Philippines.

Personally, I don't like buying from other parties that sell brands that are already available in my country because it doesn't really feel like I'm supporting the brand at all. BUT that's not the case with Korean Story. They buy DIRECTLY from the authentic brand in Korea, where everything is sold cheaper than here in the Philippines, and resell it here. I get the perk of getting cheaper products but still buying from the brand directly (or indirectly?)

Anyways, I have bought a couple of items from Korean Story before and I wanted to make sure that they really are legit before I go out and recommend them to other people--which is the smartest thing to do. This is not the first time I have bought from them and I've already treated myself to several of their on-hand and pre-order products so I can pretty much say that they are 100% legitimate and scam-free.



A plus about Korean Story is that you can buy authentic Korean products that are not available in the Philippines. I've been wanting to try out Innisfree for the longest time because of Pony and I love how it's an all natural brand but sadly it is not in the Philippines yet and I don't think it'll arrive here anytime soon for now.

Lately the cushion trend seems to be a steady staple in Asian beauty. I've heard of other brands like Tony Moly and Etude House giving the cushion a go, but I've read a lot of reviews that Innisfree's Long Wear Cushion is one of the best and that it's amazing for oily skin. My shade is #21.



I bought a refill from them which costs Php600, the original one that I bought about a year ago was Php900. It's a pretty penny but I loved it so much and how it keeps my oil at bay even without powder. It's really lightweight and I love the sort of green tea smell it has and it cools my face every time I apply it. It's very refreshing for the kind of weather we have here.


The coverage is light, but you can build it up without it looking too cakey. The rubycell puff is amazing too, I love that you don't need to wet it every time you use it. You can dampen it with water if you want to, but using it dry is just fine.


The other thing I bought was three Play 101 Pencils. They cost Php348 here in the Philippines, but I bought them for just Php300--which might not seem like that much of a difference, but I didn't really mind. I got two shades that were limited edition for the summer and one that was a regular shade.


#15 (Original, glossy): A glossy and slightly moisturizing pink-coral
#67 (Limited edition, glossy): A glossy and slightly moisturizing baby pink
#68 (Limited edition, creamy): A satin hot pink


I really loved the previous Play 101 Pencils that I bought and I have collected a whole lot more of them after my initial review to try out different finishes and colors. I wanted some colors that were useful for my blush and lips, since I realized that I don't have that much blushes and lipsticks in my collection.

#15 is my every day go-to lip color. It looks really peachy and orange in the pencil itself, but it looks more pink and coral once applied. I like it as a blush too, whenever I feel like changing my makeup game.

I originally wanted #67 as a lip color but it washes me out when I use too much, so I only use a thin layer to give myself a nice tint. I love it as a blusher though, because of its glossy texture, it's super easy to blend and looks like a natural flush of color. 

#68 was just a spur of the moment pick, but surprisingly it became my favorite. I thought it was going to be hard to work with like my #16 pencil, but it was so creamy and smooth. I use it on my lips and on my cheeks and sometimes as an eyeshadow for a fun pop of color.

Since I bought quite a lot, I received an Etude House Refresh Foot Sheet as a gift and a sample of the Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam. I'm super excited to try out those two as well!

KOREAN STORY REVIEW

Overall, I am pleased with their service. They're very accommodating and I think they give you the best deals for much-coveted Korean products. They have a few items that are on-hand, and some are for pre-order. They're not limited to cosmetics only but they also provide skin care products as well.

They're not as quick to reply on Facebook, but I'm honestly not bothered by it because there's only a few hours delay. I love how they really give you the gifts and samples that go along with your purchase, which I find that isn't present in other Korean cosmetics sellers online.

YES, I definitely recommend this shop for you to try out if you're the Asian beauty junkie like I am and YES YES YES, I will definitely buy from their shop again. It really gives me a wider avenue to try out products that aren't within my comfort zone and it gives me a chance to find certain products that I absolutely love. This is definitely not the last time I will transact with them.

If you want to check them out, they have a Facebook page and an Instagram account which is well worth the peek.

Also, if you guys want me to do more of these 'haul' kind of posts, let me know. I'm happy that a lot of people visit my blog and I want to interact with everyone more. 
Please don't be scared to comment, message or follow me here. ♪d(´▽`)b♪

Thank you for reading! ♪♪v(⌒o⌒)v♪♪

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