Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Gmarket Tips

Have you seen the Beauty Calender section in Gmarket and wondered what it does?

(Source: english.gmarket.co.kr/)
Beauty Calender for November 2012

It notifies you when your favourite brands will be discounted! So far, I've seen discount events from Etude House, Holika Holika, It's Skin and The Saem.

For some reason, I prefer purchasing my favourite items directly from the brand itself so I'm including some official minishop links in this entry just in case you've been looking around for one:
Banila Co
Baviphat
Etude House
Holika Holika
Innisfree
It's Skin
Luview
Mizon
Nature Republic
Sidmool
The Face Shop
The Saem
Tony Moly
Zeniswell

Let me know if I missed out any brands in the comments section. I'll update my list accordingly!

In other news, I often times notice search results with the words Gmarket sender directed to my blog. I'm going to address this question on this article, you can write type anything/anyone you desire to be the sender: yourself, Gmarket or even your favourite Korean celebrity as seen in my case.


Yeah, SHINee's Choi Minho haha!

I will also go through something that I experienced on Gmarket recently, and I hope that my solution can be of help.

1. Your Cash Balance is insufficient to pay for your purchase. The first thing you would think of is to deposit funds to your account via
a) PayPal
Depositing funds through pay@gmarket.co.kr is currently restricted.
b) Gift Certificate
You can only pay for gift certificates with your Cash Balance or Private Account (domestic banking account).
Therefore, it is safe to say that for international customers, options (a) and (b) can't be done.

2. What you can do is to divvy up your purchase, place an order with the item(s) (and do bear in mind to include the domestic as well as international shipping costs) that can be sufficiently covered with your Cash Balance. Pay for it with your Cash Balance and then place another order with the remaining items.


You can pay for the second order with the payment method that you usually use, may it be a foreign credit card or PayPal. You can then combine the international shipping fees as seen in my tutorial.

3. But what if you didn't know about the problems that I highlighted in (1) earlier and thought that there was a way to get money to your account? And you have already set Cash Balance as the payment option?

Unless you know somebody in Korea, the only way is to cancel your order and make a new one. I had to learn this through the hard way as well. It's impossible to change the payment type after it is set in stone.

Have you made a purchase from Gmarket? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Lashem™ Review: Picture Perfect Anti-Wrinkle Cream, 3-in-1 Eye Bright

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul.. as you can see (a pun haha!) it is very important to keep that fragile area in the best condition possible. After all, you wouldn't want your eye bags/circles/lines to be the first thing people notice when they meet you right?

Thanks to Lashem™ I got to try TWO eye creams! Eye creams are notoriously expensive and they can easily cost twice as much compared to the average moisturizer..

(Source: lashem.com/)

Picture Perfect Anti-Wrinkle Cream


Name: Lashem™ Picture Perfect Anti-Wrinkle Cream
Price: US$ 38 for 15 ml
Made in: USA

How to use:
Dab a thin layer on the area around your eyes after your morning cleansing routine. Let dry completely before applying makeup for face creams. Use on a daily basis for a long term effect. (Source: lashem.com/)

This eye cream is infused with vitamins and minerals and nourishes as well as aids in increasing elasticity. It doesn't seem to do a thing for elasticity, but it is moisturizing enough without causing milia.


The formula is runny and it takes some light patting before it absorbs. It wears well under makeup and doesn't cause foundation or concealer to ball up.

The full ingredient list for Picture Perfect Anti-Wrinkle Cream:


3-in-1 Eye Bright


Name: Lashem™ 3-in-1 Eye Bright
Price: US$ 39.99 for 15 ml
Made in: USA

How to use:
Apply in the evening after your cleansing routine and gently smooth the formula to the area around the eye. Let formula dry completely before bed. (Source: lashem.com/)

It is supposed to de-puff and rejuvenate the appearance of tired eyes for a brighter and refreshed look. The consistency is gel-like, it goes on smoothly and is easily absorbed by the skin.


I didn't notice any significant brightening effect nor a dramatic difference to my under eye area however prolonged usage did help in reducing the appearance of fine lines.

The full ingredient list for 3-in-1 Eye Bright:


These eye creams come with a pump which make them much more hygienic. The only downside to the opaque packaging is that you cannot tell how much product is left in the bottle.


I prefer 3-in-1 Eye Bright because it actually did something and the lighter texture is much more to my liking. I will purchase it after I'm done with my current bottle, that is if I do not get distracted by other eye creams in the market.

Disclosure: Press samples.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

New At The Drugstores

It has been ages since I last had the time to properly loiter in the drugstores.. I usually pick out the items that I want and go. While meandering around over the weekend, I came across items new to our shores.

Dolly Wink collection geared towards the otona kawaii crowd.


Kate Wide Edge Eyes. Their new releases don't excite me anymore, the eyeshadow palettes look extremely uninspiring.


Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter. We only have a measly eight shades - 020 Brown Sugar, 025 Peach Parfait, 030 Fig Jam, 070 Cherry Tart, 075 Lollipop, 080 Strawberry Shortcake, 085 Sugar Plum and 096 Macaroon - compared to twenty in the US.


Rimmel London Glam Eyes HD Eyeshadow and Glam Eyeshadow Quad.



Baviphat stand. You no longer have to go to Parkson to get your fix!


Dove self foaming cleansers and cleansing oil. They are all made in Japan~


My Beauty Diary Sleep Concentrate, Mist and Wishing Box.



Tsubaki Head Spa.


The part that made my day besides spotting the Dolly Wink stand (which is why I placed it first haha)? A Shu Uemura SA stopped me and gave me cotton candy! It has been a long time since I last had some (^ ω ^)


Drugstores do terrible things to my wallet, I shall stay at home from now onwards! What did you do over the weekend?

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Recent Gets: Dresses

What is new about me? I have sort of fallen out of love with eyeshadows, which is a mean feat considering that I used to think about them 24/7.

I have discovered a new found joy in purchasing dresses. They make me much happier than eyeshadows! For one, people can actually tell that I have a new dress on. If I think about it, no one knows the difference when I wear Lunasol Beige Beige or Lavshuca BR-1 on my lids (> ω <)


The other reason why I can't justify getting another eyeshadow palette ever? I used the quad above everyday for two months straight and I barely made a dent. I get lightheaded thinking about my drawer of eyeshadows... but I digress. Back to my topic - dresses! Beautiful dresses!


Love the chiffon fabric but it is a horror to iron


Liz Lisa




Promod


H&M


Desigual



The lighting in my room is just horrible and these dresses definitely look much better worn than hung up listlessly.

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into the contents of my closet, I have much more to show you as I've been busy prowling the malls haha!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Rainbow Rose

Lately I've been going for manicure sessions.. it's so fun getting someone else to trim and care for my nails although I despair at the manicurists' attempt to shape my nails, I want them to be square and not oval! *grrr* Since I'm overtly obsessed with my nails, there's nothing better than a post about nail polishes to reflect my current interest~

OPI Nail Lacquer Rainbow Connection
Rainbow Connection, a glitter infused polish packed with rainbow coloured hexagonal particles suspended in a clear base, is prettier when sparsely applied. Three coats is just too much, the whole manicure look a little messy and there's a certain thickness about it that I'm not very fond of.

Name: OPI オーピーアイ Nail Lacquer ネイルラッカー Rainbow Connection
Volume: 15 ml
@cosme rating: 5.5
Release date: 1.11.2011



From left: one to three coats

Integrate Nails RD381
RD381 is a wine red with a golden sheen. It applies like a dream and two coats is enough to be rid of drag marks. The lasting power very weak compared to the other nail polishes in my arsenal - it chips extremely quickly. Such a shame because I really like the consistency and the brush applicator.

Name: Integrate インテグレート Nails ネールズ RD381
Volume: 5 ml
@cosme rating: 4.8
Release date: 21.2.2008



Revlon Post Trauma Nail Treatment
Post Trauma Nail Treatment looks nude with one coat but adds a milky white tint with two coats, which is surprising since it is a pale pink shade in the bottle. It gives a nice matte finish that looks very natural on. My nails are healthier and less prone towards yellowing after I started using this treatment. A definite repurchase!

Name: Revlon レブロン Post Trauma Nail Treatment ポスト トラウマ ネール トリートメント
Price: ¥ 1260 for 14.7 ml
@cosme rating: 3.5
Made in: USA


Bourjois So Laque 28 Rose Lounge
There is nothing special about Rose Lounge at all, unless you count that the Duchess of Cambridge wore it for her wedding. It's sheer, streaky and the colour doesn't compliment my skintone. There isn't any swatches for both Post Trauma Nail Treatment and Rose Lounge because they don't show up on my white nail wheel - a sign that I need to purchase clear ones!

Name: Bourjois ブルジョワ So Laque ソー ラック 28 Rose Lounge
Price: S$ 9.70 for 10 ml
@cosme rating: 4.5
Release date: 27.6.2006


OPI Nail Lacquer Don't Mess With OPI
Don't Mess With OPI is a dark shamrock green. What I really like about this polish is that while vibrant, it is still very wearable. Sadly, the formula isn't up to par, it is streaky and the consistency is a touch too thick but I am still really pleased with it because it doesn't chip whatsoever.

Name: OPI オーピーアイ Nail Lacquer ネイルラッカー Don't Mess With OPI
Volume: 15 ml
@cosme rating: 5.5
Release date: 1.2.2011



I hope you enjoyed reading my little review, there will be more of these in the near future!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Recent Gets: Accessories

As promised, here are the accessories that I purchased over the past few weeks. There are more, but I can't recall where I placed them.

H&M necklace


Leaf necklace, am undecided on extending the chain length... any thoughts?


Topshop feather earrings


Topshop chandelier earrings


H&M ring


Studded wristband


Skinny belts


Cincher belt


H&M Alice band


Polka dot fedora


Will end with a picture of my Etude House x SHINee badges because I'm random like that hahaha. Yes, I'm missing the Taemin badge *sniff*