Pretty darned good! Etude House Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub

I'm finding my "travel scrub" to be a pretty darned good use. While Etude recommends you use an ENTIRE sachet each time you scrub your face you'll never be done scrubbing! I find half a sachet at a time will do and the sachet will keep it from drying out even if you scrub on the alternate day.

The scrub is a thick white cream with very fine scrubbing granules, presumably baking soda. It has a light fresh citrus scent that isn't overwhelming but that I enjoy. As you scrub the grains will dissolve and disappear at which point you can rinse off and reveal glowing, clean and lovely soft skin. I find it helpful in clearing up clogged pores and pimples too.

New Fave: Etude Slant-tip Eyeliner Brush

Next to Silk Naturals slanted tip eyeliner brush (silver) for a size comparison

If you recall, I haven't just been looking for a perfect eyeliner brush, I've been looking for a CHEAP perfect eyeliner brush. Anyway I believe I've found it, in one of my steadily-more-favourite places, Etude House. ^_^

1. I love it because:
2. It's tiny
3. It's super fine
4. It's slanted (I work best with these)
5. It's soft
6. But not too soft
7. It works amazing with gel eyeliners
8. It only costs RM24.90

Could it BE more perfect? Happy!

Handbag Handy: Etude House Mini Anti-Germ Hand Lotion

Everyone say, "Awww..."

Despite their overwhelming and slightly terrifying cutesiness, I continue to be impressed with Etude House. You're familiar with my handcream obsession.. well here's another kicker, I'm the daughter of a microbiologist. So while I'm not a germaphobe I do like my anti-bac stuff.

So I squealed (yes I confess I did) when I saw them both rolled into one adorable, portable package. I'd heard of such things, I even have a tube of the one from Boots, but until now they haven't been available here and the one from Boots isn't the most portable.

I was tempted to get out the petri dishes and the agar gel to test its antibac properties, but decided to just take their word for it. As a handcream it's actually kinda perfect. It's light, sinks in quickly and yet you need surprisingly little to keep your hands happy. My dry cuticles have been looking a lot less ragged since I started using this too.

Etude House Minime Stick Perfume in Ms Hot

I just had to share this great birthday pressie with you girls! Not only is it crazy adorable, it's grapefruit scented. And not JUST grapefruit scented, it smells BANG on like the now discontinued Pink Grapefruit range from The Body Shop - fresh citrus, grapefruit floral scent. 

My colleague knows me well. =)

As a stick perfume, it's not as emollient as many and unfortunately the scent doesn't last very long nor is it very strong. The grapefruit fades first leaving the floral a gentle whisper on the skin. The stick format though makes it ultra-portable, great for touch ups on the go. 

This range comes with a perfumed mist - I can't wait to check it out!

Because it's a gift, I don't know how much it costs, but Etude House products are generally very reasonably priced so we can forgive it for mimicking LAMB's Harajuku perfume bottles and TBS's Pink Grapefruit scents. =P

Edit: I checked and each perfume stick is a surprisingly pricey RM55.90! The lemon scented one is calling me now though, it's remarkably like an old The Body Shop scent - lemon tea. 

Etude Proof 10 Lip Stain in 01

Ah Etude House, with you, I don't need Benefit for lip stains anymore! Meet my new favourite daily lipstain. It's slightly warmer than Benetint, but not by much so the colours are fairly close but where I need two coats with Benetint, with Proof 10 I only need one. It's longer lasting than ANY other Etude House Lipstain I've used and I adore it.

The doe's foot applicator makes it great for applying on the lips - much better than the nail polish brush Benetint comes with. I've never used it on my cheeks as I'm still getting over a bad breakout.

Slightly washed out pic in the cool morning sunlight, but I love how natural it looks with just one coat and a slick of lipbalm. Two coats gives me berry-stained lips, three vamps it up to near vavavoom. Great as a base for evening wear.

Conclusion
At cost price this costs about RM25 and is certainly worth every penny. If I spot these babies on sale I'm SO stocking up. LOVE them to death. Have come to believe that clear liquid tints work way better than gel, opaque or solid.

Sweet Stains: Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint in Red and Peach

The stain mania lives on! Etude House has once again produced two love-worthy stains at a wonderful price point. What I love about these two shades is that neither is your typical rosy cool-toned red. The stains aren't clear either and resemble Posietint in texture.

Peach
Perhaps the shade I coveted most, while looking out for non-red shades. Although it looks orange on the does-foot applicator wand, when applied it turns into a natural pinky-peach shade that goes brilliantly with blushes like Coralista. The swatch here is topped with clear lipbalm but it also goes amazing with Nivea's Pink Grapefruit. ;) (Come on, you knew I'd say that)

Red
Unlike Dear Darling Liptint which is a Benetint-style red, Cherry Tint Red is a warmer, bright strawberry red. It's very cheerful and gives your lips a playful stained-with-a-popsical look. I love it on its own so I wear it topped with clear lip balm. It also makes a good base to pop any nude lipgloss that's too flat or for cooler-red lippies.

Wear & Formula
Neither of these tints last as long as the clear tints or even Posietint. They do wear out faster and I find by the end of the day they've faded almost away. Fortunately they do still hang around through meals and drinks far longer than any lipstick or gloss.

As I've just gotten through a breakout on my face I haven't yet tried this on my cheeks and I'm not sure I will. I have blushes that match them exactly and when applied over a base of Revlon Colorstay, powder blushes last as long as stains.

Conclusion
These are both from an older collection and I'm not sure if there are many left. I picked them up at a nice discount of 25% from RM22.90 - very nice. =D If you spot them, buy them!

Sweet stains: Etude House Dear Darling Lip Tint in Shade 01

Yes, I spent a nice amount of time mocking the ridiculous name and admiring the pretty packaging. But what really tempted me was the price - at RM22.90 it is by far the most affordable tint I've ever come across.

So, how does it compare?

The best description I can give is that it seems to be a more intense version of The Body Shop's lip & cheek stain. More pigmented and with a thicker gel formula, even it's taste and scent is similar but stronger. Euch! Like strong chemically sweet cough mixture. Not pleasant, but you get over it.

Colour
This shade is the coolest red out of 3 choices. It is a blue, rosy, almost pinky red. Shade 02 is the most neutral red, and shade 03 is scarily orange.

On the lips it is very pigmented:

One Coat

Two Coats

As you can see this is not a colour I'd recommend for girls still terrified by reds!

Wear
One thing I like about this stain is that it's thick formula makes it feel more moisturising than other stains. Plus, it doesn't settle as much into lip-lines making it very lip-friendly.

As it's not formulated for cheeks, and because it is so pigmented I've never had the guts to try it on my cheeks. If anyone has, do share!

Overall, this stain is very long-lasting, but becuase it's so pigmented it doesn't fade evenly and you can see that the centre of your lips is lighter than the rest after a meal. Not really a look a favour! Fortunately it's easy to tote around and touch up.

It also washes off fairly easily with soap and water - it's the middle swatch in the photo above.

Conclusion
At the price it's worth checking out for a portable, BRIGHT lipstain. Also if you're interested in other colours, this stain does have three different shades, and I believe Etude has a few other stains in different packaging. I think I've seen a bright pink one in Benetint-like packaging. But once again, if you're not into brightly stained lips, better give this one a miss.

Review: Etude House Peach Cheek Blusher is a no go

I have been slightly obsessed of late with the idea of the portable blush that I can tote along for touch ups. At the end of a long long day, or even in the middle of one, the last thing I need is to look as washed out as I feel. What I want is something that will let me dispense with a seperate blush AND brush.

As such I've been eyeing Clinique's Quick Blush which has a brilliantly inserted blush in the cap of the portable blush brush. However when brilliance costs RM110 (YES that's how much they're charging!) I'm sorely tempted to get a portable brush and somehow glue a blush pan into its lid! When I read Zara's review of i-Blossom's cheek stamp blush, I thought that this format would be my solution. So when I saw that Etude House had the exact same delivery system I snapped it up instantly!

Packaging
This is indeed literally a "stamp" blush. The sponge is spring-loaded! Although using this method to get the blush on your cheeks is somewhat fatal as I'll explain later.

The container is solid, and the stamp helps keep the blush cushioned and prevent shattering. This makes it ideal for tossing into your bag and toting it around as it's hardy. However, although it isn't large it is bulky. At 4cm in diameter and 3.5 cm high, it simply isn't a great size to tuck into ANY part of your makeup bag. Or even bag at large. This makes the idea of carrying it around less feasible.

The formula and colour (aka the Boo)
Where this blush truly disappoints I'm afraid, is the colour and formulation of the product. When using this sort of delivery system, the blush should ideally be sheer, and in a nude shade with a naturally luminous (not sparkly) finish. This blush is crazy pigmented, matte, chalky and comes only in CANDY shades. I chose Happy Peach (Shade 5) thinking it the warmest and most grown up of the available shades, and it stilll doesn't work well!

As you can see, the blush leaves a clear matte, dolly-coloured circle! Now I know Korean girls, and the Muse herself, love kawaii, cartoony sweet looks, but I don't! I want to glow, not look painted!

Even when I do my best to use the blush with the lightest possible touch it still requires hard rubbing to blend out - which musses my underlying makeup. Also even when blended out it doesn't look like a natural glow in ANY sense of the world. Using a brush to apply this blush also doesn't help.

Conclusion
I'm afraid I'll have to chalk this one up as a failure. At RM39.90 it isn't a very expensive failure, but no one likes disappointment. I'll continue to try using it as a pop of colour over bronzer just so as not to waste the product. But it has completely failed the reasons I bought it in the first place. Boooo!

What's your favourite on-the-go handbag blush? Please share, I need to find one!

Update 26/04/09: The great thing about blogs is the diversity of opinion you can find. One girl's trash may be another's treasure. Hit the link for a very different take on this blush by Paris B. =)

This is LOVE!: House of Etude Dual Fibre Cheek Glow Brush

Yet another reason for me to adore the virulently pink House of Etude store! I'm so in love with this brush I used it for a week, and went out and bought another one. YES I have TWO and use both daily! I found it thanks to Plue, read her wonderful review in which she even compares it to the MAC 187 brush here.

So why did I buy two? For starters it's only RM39.90, is incredibly well made and applies everything, from liquid to powder, with an air-brushed finish.

When you buy it it comes packaged like this, which does squish the bristles somewhat. A wash though and it springs back into shape. I've washed them a couple of times now, and at most they've only shed one or two black bristles each. No bleeding, no massive shedding.

I bought two because I wanted one for blushes and bronzers and the other for liquid foundation and face powder. As you can see the bristels are fairly dense so it does pick up pigmented blushes with just a touch. I stipple it evenly onto my cheeks, and use the brush to buff in it. Voila! A really pretty natural glow!

It's also amazing with bronzers giving a sheer, natural and even wash. But be careful when applying as it does pick up a healthy amount of pigment.

The head is smaller than my Everyday Minerals Flat Top brush, and the handle is slightly longer. It applies mineral foundation in a lighter finish than the flat top brush so when I use mineral foundations, I still prefer my good old EM.

When I apply liquid foundations though this thing is amazing! I swipe the foundation onto my face and use it to blend in. This creates a truly even, lovely airbrushed finish. It also works great to stipple on and blend liquid and cream blushes.

For the price, you really can't go wrong. This brush has settled all my MAC dual-fibre brush cravings.

Review: House of Etude and their 55 Kissful Tint Chou in 04 Tangerine Orange

You know, I had such awesome posts planned. Full of self-taken pics, swatches, the works. But truth is, I stare at a computer all day, writing, and when I get home I just don't have the energy. Since my weekend was so packed, I'm sorry girls but posts this week (and it's a crazy heavy week at work) are going to be a little scarcer than I'd like. Unless the lovely Syen posts her haul *grins*. Yep I'm as curious as the rest of you.

Meanwhile let me tell you about my newfound love for House of Etude. Girls, it is an INCREDIBLE line of cosmetics. It's wonderfully priced, and such great stuff. The brushes? Amazing! The lippies? Fantastic! And the variety? Unbeatable! But now let's talk about my latest addiction, here is the kookily named, 55 Kissful Tint Chou, in yes.. tangerine orange! (don't die of shock Syen, I swear, it's not orange, it's a a rosey pink).

What's in a name?
Where I'm concerened, too much I'm afraid. Believe it or not I've prowled in and out of House of Etude a million times without dropping a dime because I'm horrible shallow. Yes its true! The pushy salesgirls with awful English who think, "Wah miss you so fair, like Korean!" is a compliment, and a sales technique. I hate the pink fluffiness, and I really really hate the lousy / hilarious names for their products.

My archilles heel is words. And I've been known to buy a product (ie Silk Naturals Raindrops on Roses Lipgloss) against my better judgement just because I love the name (glad I did, it's a wonderful colour). My weakness for Benefit and Soap & Glory is rooted, at least in part, in their names. Hence the total lack of tempation for Etude.

So the breakthrough?
The ravings of the incomparable Muse and the adorable Plue wore down my resistence, upped my curiosity. So I bought something, this product in fact and fell, hook line and sinker.

So review the product already!
55 Kissful Tint Chou is a truly unique product. Like nothing I've ever used. It is a tint, with the appearance and in some ways the consistency of a gloss. But it lasts like a tint, and is completely non-sticky.

The Muse describes it as a silicone-dry texture. I think it's wetter than that, but the effect is a wash of creamy glossy colour that lasts, and lasts and lasts. And even better, it works over lipbalm - something most tints don't.

Tangerine Orange? Seriously?
Remember what I said about hilariously misnamed products? Well... Tangerine Orange is actually a warmish pink that's slightly brighter than neutral. It verges on coral, but fortunately never crosses the line. A bright rose-pink is probably the best description of it.

I adore this colour, it perks me up and goes with just about everything. Do I want to be fresh and pretty? Sophisticated and neutral? Smokey-eyed vamp? This baby works with it all, don't know how but it does.

The other three colours don't appeal to me too much. Number one is supposed to be red, but I suspect will turn fuschia. Number 2 is hot barbie pink! Not for me thanks. And number 3 is a pale pastel pink that I'm sure will wash me out. Girls who love pale pinks though may like it.

Scent, taste, and packaging
It has an unidentifiable sweet scent. Rather candy-ish but not overhwelmingly so. No taste and leaves no unpleasant white gunky build up on the lips either. It comes in a metal tube, with a long tapered narrow nozzle.

The product never squirts out and so far it's endured being bashed around in my oversized bag. I find the packaging makes the amount product very easy to control.

Application
I find that while a brush is ideal, if I'm on the go (or plain lazy) I can get away with dotting the tint on my bottom lip. Smoothing it out with the nozzle's edge, and mooshing my lips together. Perfect!
Price and where?
I only know of the House of Etude shop in 1 Utama, LG, New Wing near Cold Storage. I believe quite a few more shops are scattered around. If you know of any more, please share in the comments!

This tint retails at RM22.90 and it is worth every penny, and then some!