Some context before the first impressions/mini reviews. I’m in the northeast of the US and ordered from YesStyle. I received the box within 10 days. It did not appear to have been opened or tampered with by customs. I didn’t have to pay an additional fee. All of these products are new to me. I bought 4 brown eyeliners because my HG everyday non-AB brown eyeliner is discontinued and I’m looking for a new HG. I wear brown eyeliner because I’m super pale, have light blue eyes, light blondish/reddish brown hair, and cool/pink undertones so black looks way too harsh on me. Brown is softer. I prefer pencil liners over gel or liquid. I like my everyday liner to have some glitter/pearl in it. For the whimsy. My skin is dry, sensitive, and reactive and I have both rosacea and keratosis pilaris on my face. My skin is particularly reactive to sunscreens, so I always do extensive patch testing.
I swatched everything immediately after opening and then took a picture. Then I left the swatches on overnight to see how well everything would last and took a picture the next morning. I move around a lot in my sleep so I thought that might “simulate” friction/wear lmao. Every product is numbered in all pictures and corresponds to the numbered list below.
- Rom&nd Water Tint in 04 Water Grape
* This tint took about 10 min to fully dry down on the back of my hand. During those 10 min it looked very glossy. When dry it is fully matte and looks like a tint. The color looks much pinker in real life than on screen. I would call this color a bright but darkish cool-leaning pink. I’m hoping to use this as a low maintenance everyday tint that can layer with lip balm on top, like the Rohto Mentholatum Water Lip. I feel like this lasted pretty well over night. It looks much darker in real life than in the overnight picture. I’m impressed.
- RiRe Luxe Gel Eyeliner in No. 8 Tear Pink
* This liner dried down quickly and seems to have pretty good staying power. It’s advertised as waterproof and long-lasting. It hasn’t smeared at all after rubbing the swatch intensely. This color is a very pale, cool-toned, metallic pink that has white and silver glitter/pearl. Depending on the angle and the lighting, this looks almost white or silver. Very little pressure is needed to get good color payoff. The formula is smooth and creamy. Pencil comes with a sharpener hidden at the bottom. The cap also has a silicone gasket, which I’ve never seen on a pencil before, and seems promising for preventing dry out. I like the color swatch being part of the physical pencil body. This is a twist up pencil. For the price, this feels like a great product. This eyeliner looks practically gone in the overnight picture, but actually lasted well in real life.
- RiRe Luxe Gel Eyeliner in No. 7 Rich Brown
* See number 2 for my thoughts on the formula and packaging. This color is a metallic dark brown with multicolored glitter/pearl. Has a very slight copper shift. Of the 4 brown eyeliners I’ve swatched from this haul, this is the coolest toned. Of the 4, this one is also the sparkliest. This color also looks more dimensional and pearlescent in real life. This formula lasted excellently overnight. Of the 4 brown eyeliners, this one did the best in the overnight test.
- Espoir Bronze Painting Waterproof Eye Pencil in Broom St
* This liner is also advertised as being waterproof and long-lasting. It hasn’t smudged at all from my quick rubbing tests. It dries down quickly. It’s super smooth and creamy and required very little pressure to get bold lines and heavy color payoff. Of the 4 brown eyeliners I’ve swatched in this haul, this is by far the most metallic. It also looks much more like copper in real life. I would say the color is a bright, medium copper. I’m impressed that for the price, this pencil comes with a standard sharpener. Makes me feel like this is a good deal. It can be attached to the end of the pencil for storage and can be taken off for use. Obviously, this is a standard pencil that needs to be sharpened. This eyeliner didn’t do super well In the overnight test. The color was still present but had clearly lost some pigment.
- Holika Holika Mellow Gliding Pencil Liner in 08 Mocha Glitz
* Another liner advertised as being waterproof and long-lasting. It didn’t smudge at all after I rubbed at it intensely. It dried down fast and required very little pressure for good color payoff and feels very creamy and smooth. Of the 4 brown eyeliners I’ve swatched in this haul, this one is the darkest brown. I would call this a dark reddish brown with red and white glitter/pearl. This color looks somewhat matte in the picture but is pearlescent and reflective in real life. Compared to the other brown eyeliners, though, this is the least metallic and the least sparkly. This is a twist up pencil. It comes with a sharpener hidden in the bottom of the pencil. For the price, this feels like a great product. Of the 4 brown eyeliners, this one did the worst in the overnight test. You can still see it, but the color is faded and patchy.
- MacQueen Waterproof Pencil Gel Liner in 03 French Latte
* This one is also advertised as waterproof and long-lasting and apparently oil-proof? I’ve never seen that claim before. It’s very soft, smooth, and creamy. And like the others required little pressure to put down bold, dark lines. It hasn’t smudged at all after I really rubbed at it. Of the 4 brown eyeliners I’ve swatched in this haul, this is the lightest color. It’s a real golden-brown that has a gold and red glitter/pearl. It’s also the most reflective in the light. In the picture it looks quite matte, but it is very glowy and sparkly in real life. This is a standard pencil that needs to be sharpened. Unlike the others, this one does not come with a sharpener. For the price, this feels like a great product. This one did ok in the overnight test. The color is still present but did lose some pigment.
- Too Cool for School Art Class Frottage Pencil in 12 Mauve On
* First of all, the name of this product is unfortunate and probably lost in translation. When I saw that these chubby pencils were so inexpensive, I bought a few. They’re advertised as being good for eyeshadow, lining, and blush/highlight. I thought they might make super easy washes of color on the eye for simple everyday makeup. These pencils require almost no pressure to put down decent color payoff. The formula feels slightly powdery and dry but is pretty smooth and lays down color evenly. The pencil also has a smell like old-school drugstore makeup. It’s not a bad smell and it’s kind of nostalgic for me. The smell completely dissipates on the skin. I found that the formula blended decently with my finger. All 3 colors were super glittery, which I don’t mind. The glitter did blend out farther than the color pigment. This color is really a true mauve with silver and white and pink glitter. In the picture it looks like a dark peach, but is much cooler toned in real life. I also blended this swatch to test, so the pool of lighter color on the left side and bottom side of the swatch is the blended area. This formula lasted pretty well overnight, too. In the picture, the color looks super faint. It was much darker in real life. After swatching, I’m impressed by the quality you get for the price.
- Too Cool for School Art Class Frottage Pencil in 11 Dew Beige
* What follows is my description of this color. For my thoughts on the formula, see number 7. This color is a very light pink/peach with white and silver glitter/pearl that can look almost white or silver in different light. This one faded the most of the 3 Frottage pencils in the overnight test, but a light wash was still present.
- Too Cool for School Art Class Frottage Pencil in 17 Taro Chiffon
* What follows is my description of this color. For my thoughts on the formula, see number 7. This color is very similar to number 7 (color 12 Mauve On) but is a warmer peach with white and pink glitter/pearl compared to number 7’s cool mauve. The color looks darker in the picture than it was in real life. It lasted decently in the overnight test as well. The overnight swatch looks fairly faint in the picture but was somewhat darker in real life.
- Rom&nd Better Than Cheek in W02 Strawberry Milk
* These blushes are advertised as being very natural. I agree with this assessment. The powder is very finely milled and soft. One finger swipe picked up a nice amount of product. It applied very smoothly and evenly. In the picture, the color seems barely noticeable. In real life, it looks like a natural variation in my skin color. I’m impressed! This color is a fairly neutral toned light pink. I think it’s very pretty and I’m excited to use this. It also actually lasted well in the overnight test. In the overnight picture it looks nonexistent. In real life I could still see the color, albeit slightly faded. So far I’m pleased with the quality for the price.
- Rom&nd Better Than Cheek in C02 Blueberry Chip
* What follows is my description of this color. For my thoughts on the formula, see above. This color is a super natural looking cool-toned light pink. It’s similar to the other color in that it’s somewhat hard to see in the swatch picture. In real life, it looks like a natural variation in my skin color, just with a cool tone. I have cool undertones so I’m happy with this. This color performed identically to the other color in the overnight test.
- VT Reedle Shot Lifting Eye Cream
* If I’m being honest, I bought this mainly because of the gimmicky vibrating applicator. I like the vibrations so far. You need to apply the smallest amount of pressure on the applicator to start the vibration and it stops when the pressure is removed. I like that it doesn’t have an on/off. I like that the applicator is metal. It has a nice cooling effect. I like the formula of the eye cream as well. It’s not too heavy and dries down quickly. It made my skin feel really smooth and soft. Unfortunately the smell is exceptionally strong and lasts for a long time. I get migraines from very strong artificial smells so this will not work for me. I gave it to my mom and she really liked the vibrating applicator and the product. I know VT has 3 other eye creams that come with the vibrating applicator so I’ll do some research on the fragrance situation and maybe try a different one.
- Jung Saem Moon Essential Skin Nuder Cushion in 13 Fair
* I really like the texture of the little sponge/pouf that comes with this cushion compact. It feels like a beauty blender, just flat. And it picks up product easily and spreads it smoothly. The compact is nice and sturdy and easy to open and access. The product itself is surprisingly high coverage and has a natural-looking matte finish. It took longer than I’d like for it to dry down. I also found that the shade I chose is too yellow for me. It is the lightest color in the range so all the other shades will be too dark. I did not like that the smell of this product is so strong and it is literally headache inducing for me. The smell did not dissipate over time, either. I also found that this product looks very nice from a distance. But close up, it settles into all the natural fine lines of my skin and almost highlights them. Perhaps this effect is more apparent for me because the shade is not close enough to my skin tone. Also after it dries down, it leaves a slightly grippy texture on my skin. I can’t glide my fingers over my skin smoothly, they kind of “catch.” I found that the grippy texture lasted most of the day. The swatch survived the overnight test decently, particularly in the fine lines and grooves of my skin. I could see it but it is barely noticeable in the picture. I’m not a fan of this product. I will keep the applicator and then try to gift it to a friend/family member.
- Purito Wonder Releaf Centella Cream Unscented (no swatch shown)
* This cream has a surprisingly light texture. It feels like a cream, but it sinks in so quickly like a lighter lotion or gel. It makes my skin feel soft and smooth and hydrated. It has absolutely no scent at all, which is perfect for me and lives up to the name. I also have rosacea so my cheeks tend to be red after my skincare routine from rubbing all the products in. I found that when I used this cream, the redness went away much faster than normal. This is advertised as helping to reduce skin redness and I’m glad to see that that claim is accurate. My skin is very sensitive and reactive and this cream did not cause any problems for me. I will most likely buy a full size of this to replace my current non-AB, AM moisturizer, which I like but feels like nothing special for me. I could use this PM too, but I like using a richer moisturizer in the evening since my skin tends to be dry.
- Purito Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen (no swatch shown)
* This sunscreen has a light, creamy texture and comes out of the bottle pure white. It rubs in easily and doesn’t leave a white cast or tint. It has a nice, natural finish immediately. There’s absolutely no scent to this product. This sunscreen is water resistant, which is why I wanted to try it. I know that Korean standards for water resistance are lower than the standards in the US. That’s ok with me. I’m not looking to use this on beach days or when swimming. I’m looking for a good everyday sunscreen that can handle some sweating, since I do sweat a lot from my scalp while outdoors. Water resistance tests are done by having the human subject submersed in water the entire test. That does not resemble how I will be using it, so I’m not super worried. So far I like this sunscreen a lot. I’m almost half way through patch testing and I haven’t had a reaction, which is a good sign. I can provide an update on this if folks are interested.
- Purito Wonder Releaf Centella Daily Sun Lotion (no swatch shown)
* This sunscreen has a similar texture to the other Purito sunscreen but is slightly more watery. It is also off-white in color, which I haven’t really seen before. It rubs in quickly and feels like it vanishes. I cannot feel it at all once rubbed in. It has a more dewy or glowy finish than the other Purito sunscreen. It actually reminds me a lot of the SKIN 1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum. Both have a dewy finish and feel moisturizing. Both feature cica. Both are slightly watery lotions in texture. I’m half way through patch testing and haven’t had a reaction. I like this sunscreen so far and as long as the patch testing continues to go well I will probably use this interchangeably with the SKIN 1004 sunscreen. I can provide an update on this if folks are interested.
- Missha Perfect Cover Serum BB Cream in No. 21 Light Beige
* I like the packaging of this BB cream. The tube is substantial and I like that it has an airless pump with a cap. The pump does provide a lot of product at once. The formula is thick but smooth with a slight watery texture. It swatches nicely and dries down fairly quickly. This shade is too dark for me and it is the lightest shade in the range. While the product is advertised as full coverage, the swatch laid down fairly sheer. I can definitely still see my skin through the BB cream, which is my preferred coverage. I imagine it would build up and layer quite well. It feels invisible on my skin. I cannot feel that I’m wearing a product at all. I love that it has sunscreen protection built it. This swatch survived the overnight test and was still decently visible the next day. It’s very pale in the picture but was more apparent in real life. This product has a very strong smell that lasts. It is headache inducing for me so I can’t tolerate it. The smell along with the fact that the color is too dark means that this product is not for me. If it had a milder scent and came in a lighter shade I would like this product a lot.
- Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in No. 13 Bright Beige
* This BB cream has the exact same packaging as the previous Missha BB cream. I like it. The formula is thick but applies smoothly and evenly. It dries down fairly quickly as well. This shade is surprisingly perfect for me. The swatch is nearly invisible on my arm. When I look very closely I can see it, but it’s still fairly sheer and I can see my skin through the product. I like that kind of coverage. Since it’s advertised as being full coverage (the product is called “Perfect Coverage”) I imagine it would build up and layer well. I can’t feel it on my skin at all, it feels like nothing, which I love. This swatch was still pretty strong after the overnight test. It’s hard to see in the picture, but to be fair it was hard to see in the original swatch picture too. Like the other Missha BB cream this is scented, but the smell is much milder. I was able to tolerate the scent on my hands and arms without getting a headache so I’m going to try a full face and see how I do. I can provide an update if folks are interested.
- Arencia Red Smoothie Serum 30
* I received a free sample of this serum. I haven’t tried it and I will probably give it to my mother. It has some ingredients that my super sensitive skin reacts poorly to, so it’s not for me.
by pengirl55