Worth the Splurge?: $5 Walmart Beauty Boxes

I first heard about the Walmart beauty box from youtube. I saw videos of girls sharing what great things they got in their box and for $5 the stuff was a bargain. Technically speaking it is "free" you only pay for shipping of the box. There is only 4 Walmart beauty boxes a year. It releases one box per season. I purchased the winter 2014 box and saw value in the items I received.

What was in my Walmart Beauty Winter 2014 box:

Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes - $2.99 at my local duane reade store
Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash 1.8 oz - im guessing maybe $2 or less
Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion 1oz - $1.59 at my local duane reade store
Covergirl Colorlicious Gloss in Juicy Fruit - $7.99 at my local duane reade store

The box is worth around $15 not including the packet samples included below.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Shampoo and Conditioner Sample Packets & $2.00 off any John Frieda Luxurious Volume styling product
L'Oreal Paris Color Vibrancy Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Mask Sample Packets ( I actually tried the sample packet and really like this shampoo and conditioner)
Flower Fragrances in Cherished, Sultry, and Radiant one time use samples


However, apparently there was another winter box. And it looks like this:

The other version of Walmart's Winter Beauty Box 2015 that I did not receive:

This box is way better and people on the reddit forums say its a VIP box or something because the average user did not get this box. 

I was so looking forward to my Spring box, but boy was I in for a big disappointment. Prior to receiving my box I also looked up what some you tubers got. Here is what other people got:

Walmart Beauty Spring boxes that I saw other people get, but did not receive:

Box 1

That Rimmel mascara item above, pays for the box itself. I believe it is around $8+ in drug stores.

Box 2

I am pretty sure those lip items pay for the value of that box.

Box 3

The box above has no full size items, but a decent amount of travel size shower items. A lot of people were disappointed with the above box. They valued the the items around a little less than $6 and that was being generous.

So I thought I was going to end up with one of the above boxes. I was totally hoping for a full size mascara or lip item. I figured if I did get the shampoo and body wash box my mother would like it and I would get to try out new shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I was okay with receiving the shampoo box. I would have been a little disappointed, but had I gotten that box I would have kept my subscription.

Here is what I got, which is even worse than that shampoo box above:

I received no make up items and the only full size item was the wipe which retails for $1.99 in my local Duane Reade.

The above are the coupons and foil packet samples. There is a foil sample of Maybelline's Fit Me foundation in 115 ivory and the Nivea in shower body lotion.

Simple Sensitive Skin Cleansing Face Wipes 7 count - $1.99
Dove Go Fresh Revitalize Body Wash - $2 or less
Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Repair & Moisture Shampoo - less than a dollar
Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Repair & Moisture Conditioner - less than a dollar
Lady Gaga Fame perfume sample - probably $1 or less, most perfume companies give out such   samples for free and I don't even wear perfume because I am allergic.

Total Value:  around $5-6

I wasn't excited by any of these items and feel like they just threw together what was left over from other boxes for me. I basically got what the better boxes had, but with the lip or mascara item, and the sample Neutrogena face cleanser item replaced with $1.99 face wipes.

I don't place value on the coupons because for discount coupons you have to make a purchase to get any value out of it. As for foil samples, companies give them out for free, they have enough product for basically a one time use. So yeah there were a lot of coupons, but I probably won't use any of them, so the value to me is around zero.

$2 off any Loreal Cosmetic item
$2 off Covergirl + Olay Simply Ageless Foundation Product
Maybelline  Fit Me foundation sample in 115 ivory
$2 off any Maybelline face product
Nivea in shower body lotion packet sample
$1 off any Nivea in shower body lotion
$2 off Schwarzkopf hair care or styling product
$3 off one Schwarzkopf hair color


One of the things to know about boxes is some boxes do give youtubers better things in their box because in a sense they are a major advertisement for people to purchase the box. Some of these companies also prioritize the better items if there is a limited amount to ensure those who have a large following get those items, and if it runs out, too bad for the rest of the buyers. I feel that is kind of what happened in my scenario. They simply had a limited amounted of the more expensive items, ran out and just threw together whatever they had left in a box for me.

A lot of people who received the same box I had or even the shampoo box were disappointed. This is because most Walmart beauty boxes usually includes 1 full size make up item that is worth more than the value of the box ($5).

I canceled my subscription because I couldn't see this beauty box going uphill from here. This is definitely a NOT buy. The value simply isn't there. For an extra $5 bucks you can get ipsy or birch or maybe another box that has more return value than this one.

Especially since it is a big company like Walmart. This big company couldn't pull it together and release a box barely worth more than its value when smaller companies like ipsy, birch, etc, can. This box lowers how I think of the Walmart brand.

I recently purchased a year of Birchbox because my friend had some great stuff in hers. I didn't think every box was awesome and great, but hey I figured those boxes give good return on value and I can always save some of those goodies for when the holidays come around to give out to my friends.

Holika Holika Red Wine or White Wine Sleeping Mask?

As you guys might be aware, I absolutely LOVE the Holika Holika Wine Therapy sleeping masks. They are affordable, doesn't break me out, smell fantastic, great texture on the red wine, and  moisturizing. Its been about 2 months since I first purchased my Red Wine therapy sleeping mask and it is half empty, because I use it almost everyday (except when I am too lazy or tired to).

To read my review of the Holika Holika Red Wine Sleeping Mask click here.

One of the first questions I had when trying to purchase this product was red wine or white wine? Which is better for me? I didn't find a lot of information about what was different between the two products except that apparently the white wine was more moisturizing than the red wine. So now that I have finally tried both products, here the answer to the question, red wine or white wine.

Red Wine                                                                                                            White Wine

Texture and Appearance

The white wine is a lot easier to spread than the red wine. The white wine feels and looks just like lotion.

Above is the product just applied to the hand.
Below is the product applied to the hand and allowed to set (dry).

Scent

The red wine smells like grape jelly sandwich spread. The scent is strong but not overwhelming. I enjoy this scent a lot. The white wine has a very light medicinal grape scent. Smells exactly like children's chewable grape Tylenol. It is not a bad scent, but it reminds me of the Tylenol, which brings back memories of me being sick in bed with fever as a child. So because of the negative memories I associate with this scent, I prefer the smell of the red wine to the white wine.

Overall Differences

The red wine is great for combination skin. It provides good moisture, but it is not moisturizing enough for  the cold winter months. When I was using the red wine mask I had to layer on two layers of light lotion. I haven't been able to find a good one for the face. Most lotions I encounter are usually too heavy or too light.

The wine white is great for winter, cold, and dry weather. Its is perfect for dry skin, but it is too heavy for warmer weather. Sometimes when I use it when its warm, my face feels greasy when I wake up. It is a good product, just too heavy for summer or warm springs.

Definitely think they are both great but if I had to only pick one, I would pick the red wine. This is because I can use it 3 out of 4 seasons. If it is not moisturizing enough alone, you can simply add another layer of moisturizer before applying the red wine sleeping mask. However, if the product is too thick and heavy for the situation there isn't really anything you can do about it. Again keep in mind I don't have dry skin except in winter. For people with dry skin all year round, the white wine is the one you want.

Hope this is helpful. I definitely recommend you give this one a try. This is THE best Korean beauty product I have tried to far. One of my top 10s, probably even a holy grail.

Mega Haul from Korea Depart!

 So my order from Korea Depart finally came in on 4/17/2015.
Order was placed March 7, 2015. It took a really, really long time for the order to arrive.

They canceled one of my items without asking me because with bubble wrap and the samples, it went over the weight limit. They canceled my Etude House Moonlight in Spoon Blending Cream in Green Tea. I was a bit upset they did not ask me what item I would have prefer taken out from the order. I would have rather they taken out that same cream in royal jelly and kept the green tea one. It appears they removed an item of the cheapest and lightest weight needed to meet the weight requirement.

Here is what I ordered and the prices.

Items finally arrive I was so excited!

The picture below is the baggie of samples they gave me. The mask is going into the gift set along with the rest of the masks I have been purchasing for my friend. I will keep all the pearl essence masks and 2 of the black caviar masks for myself. Since she doesn't need or want any tone correct products.

Samples were:
- Demal wine Collagen Essence Mask
- Pure Block Natural Sun Cream
- It's Skin Prestige Bebe Lotion D' Escargot
- Nature republic Bee Venom Emulsion
- Nature republic Bee Venom Toner

Is ordering from Korea Depart a good deal?

 Korea Depart has some of the cheapest prices for Korean beauty products. Of course, this depends on the specific item(s). For me the main reason I placed this order was to get those 2 tea tree essences and tea tree cream.

The tea tree essence is completely SOLD OUT on Memebox at $40 a bottle! I paid 18.80 per bottle in comparison, the Tea tree cream cost me 22.38. The cheapest place that I have found the LeeJiHam Tea Tree Essence is on ebay from blueprint21 for currently $27.49 (free shipping), I do remember seeing it at a sale price at $25.99 a few weeks ago.

My total shipping was $17.21. However, if I only opted to buy 2 bottles of essence my shipping would be $12.39.

$18.80 + $12.39 = $49.99 for both bottles of essence (which is cheaper than buying from ebay and membox). I didn't list amazon because the same bottle of essence is going for a ridiculous $50 each.

The cheapest I can find the LJH Tea tree Cream is $31.99 on Amazon. It claims the price was $65.16 ea and now is on sale for $31.99. The upside to this is that it is prime so you can get the item in 2 days. However, you will still be paying $9.61 extra over the Korea Depart price.

So if you are ordering items like this, where even with shipping included, you are getting a good deal, go for it. You can also fill the extra weight with other goodies. Some of the prices on Korea Depart is incredibly low especially when they are trying to sell out a line that has been discontinued. I am talking about stuff as cheap as 12 cents bottles of nail polish.

Just be warned the stuff takes a long time to arrive. So if you need things in a jiffy, this is not the place to go to.

What you need to know before ordering from Korea Depart:

Customs: If you live in the USA like I do, be happy because of the Korea Free Trade Agreement. The agreement went into effect March 15, 2012. I believe it is set to expire in 2016, but don't quote me on that. Usually the agreement is renewed when it expires. This agreement basically means we can get Korean products free of duty and the merchandise processing fee! Which I must tell you is fantastic. I read horror stories about girls living in Europe who had to pay a $20 dollar fee to claim a Memebox worth $30. So rest assured, you don't have to pay additional fees to receive the item you purchase.

However, your beauty items can still be turned away if it includes some ingredient not approved by the FDA or conforming with USA safety standards. There was also another incident where a whole pallet of Memeboxes was rejected at customs, because apparently, one of the beauty items contained an ingredient not approved by the FDA.

If you live elsewhere, check your customs policy before ordering. Korea Depart openly states on their site that they will not mark the box as a lower value than what you actually paid. I know other sellers including Memebox will mark down an order for customs if it helps the buyer avoid custom fees. Strangely enough, Korea Depart does mark the package as a gift instead of merchandise though.

Shipping: Shipping can get very pricey, very fast depending on what you order. Korea Depart charges shipping by weight if shipped to USA. Some other countries have cheaper flat rate shipping. On the bright side all the items they sell have the item's estimated weight next to it to help you plan your purchases. Just be warned, do not do as I do and fill your purchase to the allotted weight limit as they do not include packaging and sample weight in the total. As a result, they may cancel items that you really want from the order in order to qualify the parcel for the shipping limit you paid for.

Free Samples: You cannot pick your free samples. I think they give you samples base on what you order. I didn't get any makeup samples like my friends did, but they ordered make up. I pretty much got only skin care items, which I really like. I do wish they gave me more samples as opposed to large ones, yet at the same time, when it comes to skincare items larger samples are better than many small samples. Unless you have an immediate reaction (rash, breakouts) you really cannot tell if a product is working immediately or upon one of a few applications. Also, my order weight was full so they probably couldn't fit in anything else and still keep it under the appropriate weight limit.

The wine mask is $4.52 for a pack of 10 on Korea Depart and about $8-9 for a pack of 10 on Amazon. Overall the samples for the rest of the products, the skin care items when full size only come to about $20-30 ea. I heard about people getting samples of really high end Korean products such as Prestige. I would even like to try Laniege as that is available for purchase now in Targets. I was a bit disappointed with the samples I received, but I shouldn't complain since its free and I am grateful. It is just my expectations were raised when I saw what my friends received with their orders from Korea, but I just realize they didn't place their orders with Korea Depart. It was Tester Korea. Time to give that site a try. If their prices are comparable to Korea Depart, wouldn't hurt to place some orders.

Sales: Korea Depart has amazing sales. To see if things are really a bargain it is suggested you do your own research. Keep in mind the weight of the items and calculate in the shipping to see if you are getting a cheaper deal than you would from another site or seller.

To find the cheapest items with the largest on sale %:
1. click on cosmetic located under the Korea Depart logo located at top of page left hand side.
2. click on the word outlet located  in the bar to the left.
3. You can also sort the items by price and you will see beauty products for pennies on the dollar. Problem is most of the items are usually sold out. I would have loved to try that 69 cents toner.

I also recommend looking at the Korea Cosmetics Best Selling Items, which is available as soon as you click on the cosmetic button. This basically gives you a good idea of what products are really popular and generally I find when a lot of people are buying out a product, that the product is usually something worth trying.

Lastly, to find out what special brand sales and events they are having, when you enter the Korea Depart page click on events in the upper right side of the page. This will take you to their calendar which lists all the planned sales for different brands and events coming up. If you have a favorite brand this is definitely the place to keep an eye on. Korea Depart does sales on certain brands only a limited time period. Some of the sales are crazy and I've seen them go up to 75%.

The only problem I have with taking advantage of these sales is that I usually take a long time to plan my orders since I am trying to fill all the weight because of the expensive shipping and by then the really good deals are sold out. Also, that I have to buy bulk items and do massive research because most of the time it is not worth it to purchase only one item due to shipping.

Points: I love points but the ones on this site are pretty tedious to use.
How to get points: You can get points by purchasing products, writing review, or logging into the site.
- You get 0.06 points per log in every 24 hours
- 0.12 points per review you write ( I am unsure if you had to purchase the item and review it to get the points, if not I am pretty sure they will get tons of fake reviews).
- You also get 0.01  point for every dollar spent (unfortunately does not include shipping costs).

Basically if you buy 100 dollars worth of good you get 1 point...

If you log in everyday for an entire year you will accumulate 21.9 points. Which means $21.90 of cosmetics for free (if you pay your own shipping)!

How to spend points: 1 point is = to 1 dollar. You cannot use points to pay for a partial order or for shipping costs. You must have enough points to cover the entire cost of the order before you can spend your points. Points are valid from one year since the last order date.

I am not sure if that means I can keep my points as long as I want so long as I place an order before my year is up and the year renews. That policy is pretty damn good compared to most place with set time limit expiration.

The problem with this point system is:
1. you will always spend money on shipping
2. Because of shipping costs for those of us who live far from Korea, we will have to accumulate a pretty substantial amount of points since placing small orders it not worth the shipping.

I just really hate the fact you cannot use points on part of the order. Some of these rules are basically just to keep people from spending points they otherwise could well have. When you force people to apply the points only to whole purchase orders and not be able to apply point toward shipping, you are basically making it almost impossible for people with high shipping costs to place orders, because the orders have to be large enough to justify the expensive shipping costs. Basically the further we live form Korea, the more we are disadvantage in the point system. The areas really near Korea has a $5 to free shipping zone.

I will have a review for you on the Tea Tree products (which I currently LOVE) and on the Green wine mask to finally settle the question. Should I buy the red or green wine mask.

Hope this information was helpful.

Carefree Acti-Fresh Liner Review

I was sent some Carefree pantiliners to test out and to give an honest opinion on. As part of the program I am also suppose to blog about it.

First off, let me say I am shocked that 562 people gave this product 5 stars and only 5 people gave this product 0 stars. Only 40 people so far of the 785 people who reviewed this product have it anything less than 4 stars. I kind of feel like when you give people a product for free and then ask them to blog or in some way advertise it on social media, people are not going to be honest unless the product was really awful and cause a rash or something big. Either that or I am just a minority of people whom this product does not work for.

Anyway here is the cute pink box it arrived in:

They are quite small and discrete. The wrapping design is nice.

The pads are only 6 inches across and about 2 inches wide.

I used about two of these pantiliners toward the end of my period since I have spotting. These were the most awful pantiliners I have used and I will never purchase them. In fact I don't think carefree as the best brand, but it is not a poor quality brand in my mind, and these pantiliners make me think twice before buying this brand.

Lets start off with the positives first.
- The packaging is small and discrete and easy to carry around.
- I like the pink flower pantiliner individual wrapping.
- The product didn't have any scent when I smelled it (however, my nose has been a bit stuffy). I prefer unscented products when it comes to stuff for my face and down there since perfume can irritate sensitive regions. The pantiliners were very soft.

The drawbacks are the:
- The pantiliners are really small, (which isn't that big of a problem for me).
- The product is very flimsy.
- The adhesive is weak and what happens every single time I use them is that after a few hours, it kind of balls in and sticks to itself and leaves me with a mess to clean up.
- Product balls itself up if you wear loose fitting underwear.  I think if you had spandex type material, form fitting underwear there is a chance this might not happen.

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own.

SNP Animal Masks and Seoul*Lindarium

I purchased a pack of 5 SNP Animal Masks from ebay seller Seoul*Lindarium. This person sells korean beauty products for a cheap price amongst other products. I love this seller because she gives out free gifts.

The reason why I ended up picking this seller was because I wanted 1 of each animal masks. All other sellers I encountered on ebay or amazon do not sell a variety pack. Instead you are forced to either buy packs of 5 or 10 of the same or buy the masks 1 each at an increased cost.

This seller sold them in a pack of 5 for $12.50 USD which is a reasonable price of $2.50 a mask. She also lets you pick which masks you want. I purchased these as a birthday gift for a friend and wanted her to try every design.

I placed the order April 02, 2015 and it arrive April 14,2015. That is super fast considering it was coming from Korea. My Korea Depart order has been almost 5-6 weeks and still no progress.

My animal mask ordered and the free gift mask included!!!

My friend's greatest concern were wrinkles and since the mask only came in 4 different animals and I had to get 5:

Dragon Soothing Mask
Otter Aqua Mask
Panda Whitening Mask
Tiger Wrinkle Mask

I ordered 2 of the Tiger Wrinkle masks for her. I hope she enjoys them.

For those who are unfamiliar with SNP Animal Face Masks, they are basically face masks that have an animal print. Doesn't it look super cute?

The seller gave me a free Red Ginseng Mask with my purchase!!!

Which was super nice since I didn't know I would be receiving one. It was nicely packaged in a clear plastic gift baggy and was personalize to me. I think this seller personalizes all the gifts she gives with purchases. I will definitely buy from her again. This mask is going to be gifted along with the ones I brought for my friend. Shes a face mask junkie.

This goes back to my love of Korean sellers and Korean marketing. They always give out samples and free stuff. Compared to all other sellers who are selling identical products at the same price, I will definitely go back to the ones who include freebies. Also, if I try and like the item I will end up purchasing it from them anyway and get even more freebies.

I don't usually recommend sellers but this person had super custom service and she was the ONLY ebay seller to let you pick and choose a variety mask pack to purchase made it great. The fact that she throw in personalized freebies makes her one of the best sellers in my book. Will definitely go back to her for my future korean beauty needs!

Sadly I probably won't be doing a review on these masks since I will be gifting them away.

SkinFood Black Sugar Cleansing Oil VS TheFaceShop Rice Water Cleansing Oil

Price?

Skinfood Black Sugar Cleansing Oil 170mL: $14.19 free shipping on Amazon (not prime).

The Face Shop Rice Water Cleansing Oil 150mL: $11.03 Amazon Prime.

The Face Shop Rice Water Cleansing Oil is cheaper than the Skinfood Black Sugar Cleansing Oil, by like 0.01 cents per mL.

Scent:

I like the scent of the Rice Water Cleansing Oil more then the Skin Food one. The Skin Food one is a lemony citrus similar to the scent found in hand soaps or other cleaning products. The Rice Water Cleansing Oil smells lightly floral and baby powdery. It smells like deodorant, the good non overpowering kind.

Texture:

Both oils are light especially when compared to olive oil, but the Skin Food cleansing oil a bit heavier. The texture of the Skin Food cleansing oil is similar to olive oil, but a little bit lighter. The Rice Cleansing Oil has the texture of baby oil, which is noticeably lighter and runnier than the skin food one.

I didn't swatch the oils for you because on camera they would be identical, they are both basically runny oils with no difference in color.

Oil:

This is a big one.Now the Skin Food is MINERAL OIL. And if you google whether mineral oil is good for the skin you are basically going get mixed reviews. Basically there is a lot of stuff saying mineral oil is bad for you and your skin.

The Face Shop Rice Water Cleansing oil is made from rice bran oil and jojoba seed oil. Which seems like a safer, healthier alternative.

Packaging:

Both have very nice pump packaging, I really like the clear bottle of the Rice Water Cleansing Oil. However, the pump on the Rice Water Cleansing Oil works nowhere near as good as the Skin Food Black Sugar Cleansing Oil one. For reasons unknown, it is a bit difficult to push downwards and the oil just kinda dribbles out. The Skin Food one is like your basic pump, you pump and the oil flows out smoothly. Overall unless the pump was broken or extremely difficult to use, it wouldn't effect me repurchasing the product.

Which one cleans better?

Skin Food Black Sugar Cleansing Oil is B 
Face Shop Rice Water Cleansing Oil is C

 

So same routine as last time with the olive oil vs Black Sugar Cleansing Oil.

I am wearing my usual full makeup which has been on my face for around 7+ hours. I wrote B and C in a 24 hour tattoo gel liner. This stuff cannot be removed with anything not oil based.

I then washed the cleansing oil off with the same Neutrogena rapid clear face wash, following by the same alcohol toner on a cotton pad. You can read more about it in depth here.

 This is my face before cleansing foam but with the cleansing oils applied. Notice side B the face is noticeably darker, the oil on side B took off the B written in gel eyeliner and its kinda of sitting on top of my face in the oil.

This is what the clean cotton pad with alcohol looks like before it is used on the face after cleansing foam is used to remove the cleansing oils.

Here are the results. I think overall the Skin Food Black Sugar Cleansing removes makeup better than the Face Shop Rice Cleansing Oil. I noticed that when I applied the Skin Food Oil to the B side of my face, my face looked like it was covered in dirt because it removed the eyeliner B and the product was sitting on top of the oil. I didn't really notice that when I used the Rice Cleansing Oil. I do like the scent of the Rice Cleansing Oil more. But I think the Skin Food seems more effective at removing makeup and possibly also dirt on the skin.

Conclusion:

Based on my personal experience, I think the Skin Food Black Sugar Cleansing Oil removes make up and dirt on the face better than the Face Shop Rice Water Cleansing Oil. I originally thought I was going to go with the Skin Food oil, but after reading a bit more about mineral oil and it's negative effects I am a bit concern. So I will do more research so I can figure out for myself whether or not mineral oil is worth being concern over. In the meantime I will keep using it as I find it does a superior job of removing make up, and as it is a cleanser most of the product will probably get washed off the face anyway.

I am concern about claims that mineral oil clogs pores.

Hope this was helpful if you decide to purchase a cleansing oil.

Mini Haul!

So two products I ordered from Korea finally arrived. Both included free samples!

The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Light Oil 150ml ordered on 2/27/2015 from Amazon for $8.91 shipping included. It also came with free PURITO Snail Clearing BB Cream and a PURITO Snail All in One BB Cleanser samples.

The other is the, It's Skin Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Cream $12.98 from ebay shipping included on 3/5/2015. It also came with free TonyMoly Goddess Aura BB cream, Lioele Dollish CC cream, and Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint samples.

Both products were shipped from Korea and arrive on 3/30/2015 and 31st. So it took about a month to arrive from the day I ordered it.

I really love ordering from Korean sellers, they always include free samples! Which to me is great marketing. I will probably try it since it is free. If I like it I will buy it. If I don't like it I won't buy it and the company will only lose the cost of the sample which in most cases is a few cents.

Plus if you bought it and hated it, and you can't return it cause shipping to Korea is too expensive then you will probably give the seller or product a bad rating. If you had a sample, tried it and don't like it, most people simple won't purchase as opposed to leaving a negative rating unless they had some horrible skin allergy or negative experience with it.

My Korea Depart order still has not arrive and its has been 5-6 weeks now. It is a larger order containing around $80 USD of products so it is possible the box is being held up at customs.

Just a quick note I swatched the It's Skin Hyaluronic acid cream. It is very moisturizing, but I am not a fan of this brand. This is actually one of the first items I ordered before all that Memebox stuff came in. I tried the serums, toner, face cleanser, mist, and this lotion from this brand.

The serums and toner clogged my pores. The lotion and mist seem okay so far but have way too much perfume. It makes me dizzy and honestly to not waste the money I spent on these products I will probably use them on my body instead. Items with really strong fragrance are generally not good for your skin anyway as perfumes are usually irritants, especially on the face.

The Yeon CMK Pore Blemish BC Stick SPF 45 review "Shade 02"

I received this product as a gift to try out and review. I was told this is a new product and The Yeon is the only store that carries it. To read more about The Yeon store or information of its location in NYC Chinatown please click here.The product looks like this:

You twist the tube and the product which is a stick, rolls up. The box warns you not to roll it up too high or the product might break off. After you apply the product you spread it with the brush end. I did have some sanitary concerns about the brush and whether it would be difficult be to clean, but I found out that the brush is removable for easy cleaning.

I really like this brush. It gives a really great skin texture when used with this product. Since the product has a smooth cream consistency the brush textures it really well without soaking up the product as they usually do with liquid foundations.

The product I was given was about two shades paler than me. People looking to try this product might have a shade matching issue as currently the product is only available in 2 shades and both are very pale. The shade 01 is called pink beige and the 02 is called natural beige. The shades are very good for the Korean pale skin beauty trend, but less so for Americans who generally prefer a more natural look.

Quick Note: All pictures are self taken on a camera phone, which is not as high quality as my regular camera. It is really hard to take selfies on a regular camera and none of the pictures have been retouched or edited in any way.

The pictures below show the product on only the right half my face. This product is actually light, it doesn't feel heavy or suffocating on the skin. The coverage is actually pretty impressive. It covered my acne and acne scars really well.

The pictures below show the full application of the product on the face. The finish is also the popular Korean "dewy" finish. Which as you can see in different lighting may show up a bit shinier than people might like. That is not a problem are you can easily mattify some of the shine with any face powder.

Below is the finished look with blush, lipstick, and contouring. I also applied some powder to set and mattify some of the shine. You will have to powder set the product, as it will transfer. It actually looks really well without being heavy on the face. The product actually takes on blush and other powders easily. You do not want to actually brush the blush and contour powders on as it might move the stick foundation, instead just pat them on and the color shows up beautifully.

The finish is gorgeous, it is the prefect pale porcelain flawless finish. My face looks flawless and smooth, this product really does hide all the pores and blemishes on your skin.

The only issue I have with the product is the very limited shade options. The product is too pale on me. However, I think it looks beautiful in dimmer lighting as you can see in the second set of photos.

Update:
I had the product on my face for about 7 hours. It looked natural in day light. I didn't have any allergic reactions or breakouts, but I did notice some of my pores were clogged. Product didn't oxidize or wear off in the 7 hour time period. This product removes cleaner than my Estee Lauder double wear, but probably because it is not water proof. It is water resistant since it is oil based.

Pros:
- Easy to apply, product goes on and spreads easily.
- Sleek stick design is good for traveling and touching up on the go.
- Great finish, takes on powder blush and contouring easily.
- Doesn't feel heavy or suffocating on skin.
- Great SPF protection.
- Conceals pores really well, make you look like a porcelain doll.
- Has a light clean powdery smell.
- Doesn't dry out skin.

Cons:
- Shows up really patchy on dry skin, as with other foundations, so make sure you moisturize well before application.
- Product transfers, doesn't self set. Not a big issue as you can set with any face powder.
- Look is very dewy, which is not so popular in America. However, you can remove the shine easily by mattifying with powder.
- Product only comes in two shades which is too light for many people.

So if you are in NYC Chinatown head over the The Yeon at 53-55 Division St. New York, NY 10002 to try the products.