Sparkled Beauty

Tony Moly is a Korean brand launched at Sephora not long ago and at the Bay very recently, with "criminally cute packaging and fun products". I came across a store while on vacation with extensive product lineup, and bought a few skin care products :)

This first product is not a stranger to North America - Egg Pore blackhead steam balm.

Meant to acts as a steamer to open up your pores and help remove dirt and oil, the self-heating balm feels like a gel.

The formula is infused with:
- Charcoal powder and sea salt to aid with blackhead concerns
- Vitamin E, egg shell powder and egg yolk extract to hydrate the skin.

The packaging is, though cute, a little misleading as the lid, which accounts for more than half of the "egg", is actually empty and the product is all housed in the small bottom part :)

Instruction: apply onto areas with blackheads, gently massage 3-5 minutes and wash with lukewarm water.

I find the heating effect pretty mild, but the gel does a good job in cleansing the skin. The areas with black heads do seem to be improved after a few uses but I cannot say for sure if they are all removed.

I personally prefer this product than those pore strips, a lot more gentle and I do have the control over how much pressure I want to apply.

Ingredients: Glycerin, Isopropyl Myristate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Polysorbate 80, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sea Salt, Onsensui, Charcoal Powder, Vinegar, Egg Shell Powder, Cellulose, etc.

The "egg" has 30g of product, I paid about $20 (tax in) vs. $23 (before tax) at Sephora. The line also includes Egg Pore Silky Smooth balm and Tightening Cooling pack, cleansing foams, primer, nose packs, etc. that Sephora does not carry.

I bought this Peach hand cream plainly because of the packaging. I love the plush pink gradient on top of real peaches, am so glad that Tony Moly replicates that.

And not only that, they replicate the scent as well, not the overly sweet scent but the delicate fresh peach scent, I could not get enough.

Hate to get that smooth surface getting scratched up so I haven't carried it in my bag but leave it on my coffee table instead and reach for it whenever I can.

The formula is infused with shea butter, real peach extract and adenosine to provide antioxidants and support natural elasticity of the skin.

The texture is very creamy but does not take long to rub in and does not feel sticky after.

The moisturizing effect does not last extremely long, but the product does what a hand cream needs to do, so no complain here.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Vegetable Oil, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclohexasiloxane, Octyldodecanol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Tribehenin PEG-20 Esters, etc.

The jar is 30g, $10 vs. $14 at Sephora.

On to products that I have not seen before, starting with this Clean Dew Apple Mint cleansing oil.

The formula contains:
- Pure green complex (green tea water, tea tree water and Japanese cypress water) to retain moisture on the skin for hours
- Apple mint to remove dead skin and impurities.

Standard bottle with a pump, and the bonus small clip to act as a stopper for the pump to avoid spillage, which I think is very helpful.

It is important to note that this cleansing oil is quite different from others I have tried here. It feels very light, with texture somewhere between an oil and a cleansing water, with a subtle apple scent. It emulsifies very well with a small amount of water added on after being massaged in, but takes more time to wash off completely.

This does bother me a little bit at first, because I want a quick rinse but the skin feels very refreshing, clean and soft after that I can deal with a few extra time at the sink. I am a fan!

Ingredients: Paraffinum Liquidum, Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Polysorbate 85, Fragrance, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Mentha Rotundifolia Leaf Extract, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Olea Europaca (Olive) Fruit Oil, etc.

The oil is paraben/ phenoxy ethanol/ benzophenone/ sulfate surfactant/ tar color free. The bottle is 150ml, $20.

Another exciting product is the Aquaporin fresh (no wash) cleansing water, which I got as a free gift with my purchases.

What a gift it is, as it is just what the name suggests, a refreshing cleansing water that does a good job with even long wear liners and mascaras. No irritation nor greasy feeling after, and no panda eyes in the morning.

It has a light fresh scent which, to me, making cleansing work more fun. Needless to say, this cleansing water is favourite status, despite the higher price tag (Bioderma level).

Ingredients: Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Alcohol, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG-32, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium Edta, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Plankton Extract, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.

The bottle is 300ml, almost $20. The Aquaporin line is quite extensive, with products from masks, sleeping packs to mists, emulsions and gels.

Happy Friday, everyone. I got back to Canada yesterday, thought it was about time to come back to the blog. A friend told me she missed my hauls, so here is a haul post for you all.

During the 4 weeks at home, I basically bought no makeup at all, as the price was not any better than here, plus there was hardly any sales. Within the last few days there though, I kinda wanted some nail polish from Asian brands that I don't have access here, so I went out and got a few. Please note that almost all Asian nail polish have numbers as names. Also, the prices I paid in local currency were already included tax, hence so are the converted prices in CAD.

First batch, in the top left and right are 2 shades from a brand I don't know (Diana Manicure), shade 1317 and 1913, both have shimmers, 12ml. These were given to me by a friend, so I don't know the price.

Top row, in the middle are the regular Missha in small size (6ml), a bit more than CAD2 a piece. From L-R: WN02, BR03, PP01 and KH02.

Bottom row, on the left are also from Missha but from the Lucid line, bigger size (7.5ml), almost CAD4: BK01, BL03 and VL04. On the right are 2 shades from Etude House: 42 and BL009, CAD4 each.

Missha and Etude House have stores scattered around the city but stock was quite limited compared to what the mother companies offer, which was a shame. These 2 brands have been known in the nail polish community for some unique shades that should be more widely available.

Another brand that I was looking forward to haul was Tony Moly. Unfortunately, the famous Galaxy glitters were not available here, so I only got some shades from their regular line. Top row, from L-R: WT01, PP03, TR05 and PP02, 10ml, CAD2 each. The brand name is printed on the top of the lid, so you can't see it in the pic.

And finally, the Face Shop, from 3 different lines based on bottle designs. First group on the left, from L-R: GR501, BL603 and GL112, 11ml, CAD2.50 each. The bottle with white cap in the middle is OR204, a bit over CAD2. And the 2 on the right are from the "FACE it" line, also are the most unique (and more expensive, CAD6 each): BK901 (looks like a multi-chrome in the bottle) and a purple holo shade given to me with the name sticker already came off, so I can't say what shade it is. There is another line called "FACE it Repair", the most expensive with nail treatment included in the formula, CAD9.50 a piece but I didn't want any.

The nail polish market there has a lot of potential but I feel like brand awareness is quite low. I was glad to find a few shades representing the brands I wanted to try out but wish they had more to offer.

Hope everyone is close to be ready for the holidays. I did a bit of shopping yesterday but was still jetlagged, didn't really enjoy it. Hoping for better on Boxing Day :)