Berry AHA!

Greetings, bumblebees! So if you have noticed, a few months ago I changed this blog header in pursuit of rebranding my beauty journal, while in actual fact I just couldn't commit to a specific topic and even talked about something else aside from beauty. Therefore, I sort of wanted to remake a new header without binding myself into a particular niche blog. You may now expect a fashion, lifestyle report or perhaps random chats from me! 

Here we go again to beauty related post, this time it's about a not-so-new-anymore toner from Etude House called Berry AHA! Bright Peel Boosting Serum. Phew.. What an eye-catching name! I think this was released earlier this year along with their Toning White C line in which I have zero interest with.

Etude House Berry AHA! Bright Peel Boosting Serum.

Description: The first-step peeling essence for skincare removes dead skin cells and impurity residue daily.

Directions: After washing the face, at the first step of skincare, dispense an appropriate amount on a cotton pad and apply on the face in the direction of skin texture, starting from the inside and working outward in a gentle blotting motion.

My question was "is it toner, is it serum?" when I first saw this product (I didn't know their description in the beginning). Obviously it's called serum but it looks too watery from the outside, yes? We know that toner is the first step, meanwhile serum is supposed to be used at the last step of your skincare routine. Thanks to Google, uh I mean Etude House website (or should I say my meticulous research before purchasing every skincare item?), I bought the right product for my need.

Click here to zoom.

I've always had a thing with AHA ingredients simply because it's known to be great at rejuvenating. The only downside of wearing AHA is that your skin can get extra sensitive to sunlight, thus a sunscreen is a must (thought it's always a must all the time). This boosting serum has salicylic acid too in it! That seriously surprised me because I was presuming this line would only concern at peeling or brightening the skin.

Packaging wise, it's kind of sleek despite its name. Moreover, considering it comes from Etude House who always gives such cutesy atmosphere to their product, I think this one maybe intended for more matured target market. Haha.. I might be wrong too. Anyway, I like how secured the seal (picture below), so bravo Etude House for the consideration. I still remember their Wonder Pore toner didn't include such seal to prevent leakage. However, the outlet of this bottle is too small for the product to come off. Because texture wise, it's not as watery as usual toner (now the name boosting serum makes sense). The liquid is thicker than water, it seems like it contains a teeny tiny jelly-like substance.

Nice security seal you got over there.

Scent wise, it smells fruity with minty tinge. It doesn't only feel sweet but refreshing. I don't know how bilberry fruit's supposed to smell, but it definitely has the kind of smell that doesn't bother me at all. Performance wise, as a toner, I can say I was impressed for the immediate effect. It moisturizes my skin and on top of that, it gives me this silicone effect, you know? Yeah, they do use a synthetic skin conditioning agent and surfactant belonging to the chemical class of siloxanes and silicones. No wonder the instantly smooth skin. However, the good thing, it doesn't break me out.

In conclusion, I might finish it all since I totally enjoy the immediate result. Umm.. But you know me, when it comes to cosmetics, I always want to explore, try new things, and whatnot. That's why I'm here for you guys ;) To review more and more exciting products!

Price: IDR 210k

Home Sweet Home

If you want to decorate your home, but you don't want to break the bank, shopping with a catalogue gives you choice and flexibility over how you pay. Err.. I know I know.. Some people might prefer to visit a physical store when it comes to furniture, but considering the price might be higher and the quality is just the same. Let's check out some catalogues, shall we? My only tip when it comes to shopping furniture online is to read the reviews. If there is no review, then check the product details carefully. I hope some of these websites below can help you to refresh your home.

Home Essentials

Home Essentials is a UK catalogue brand that provides you with more bang for your buck. When you sign up for a new personal account, you can spread the cost of purchases you make and pay in affordable instalments. What's more, you can have your products delivered to your home address and make repayments online or over the phone.

From bedding to living room furniture to kitchen accessories, you can find it all at Home Essentials with big savings on hundreds of products. The brand also has various furniture packages that could save you money. It is one of the best catalogues for home shopping, and offers a large variety of products. Other benefits include click and collect and a flexible returns policy. Don't forget to find the discount code to save more money on your order ;)

Look Again

Look Again is another destination for home ware, including beds, chairs, rugs and bathroom essentials. The catalogue company can stock your need to transform boring, bland wall spaces or old-fashioned rooms. You can apply for an account and make repayments online. Alternatively, pay for your items by phone. New customers who open a personal account with Look Again can get £15 off their order when they spend £75 or more. When you apply for a credit account, you'll receive a monthly statement with details of your purchases and the minimum amount you need to pay.

Have you tried shopping furniture online? How was your shopping experience? Mind to share with me?

Brace Yourself, Summer is Coming

Have you ever gone shopping on the high street only to go home empty-handed? Perhaps the shop was too crowded or they didn't have clothes in the size you wanted. This was so me when I visited the Big Apple LOL. I "hate" crowds, or being stuck in the middle of a crowd, and the idea of browsing clothes in such condition can give me a bad shopping mood.

When you shop for fashion with a catalogue, you can choose from the latest big-name brands and well-known designers from the comfort of your own home, saving you the hassle, I guess.

Without further ado, here are the some of the women's fashion catalogues I've found:

Marisota

From swimwear to lingerie, shoes to accessories, Marisota has an assortment of clothes for women of all shapes and sizes. The brand specialises in plus size clothes (sizes 10 to 32), with hundreds of products on offer, including clothes from designer brands and new labels. Customers can use the website's search feature and find products by name or catalogue number to be taken to individual product pages. Alternatively, you can click on one of the menus to find the clothes you're looking for. When you open an account with Marisota, you can pay for your order in instalments, spreading the cost over time. Doing so is easy: there are lots of repayment options and you can apply for finance on their website or over the phone. Not completely satisfied with a product? Marisota has a flexible returns policy, too.

Simply Be

Just like Marisota, Simply Be specialises in plus size clothing, with clothes that range from sizes 12 to 32. You'll find shoes, coats, shirts, dresses, nightwear and more on their online store, with a free click and collect option when you spend £40 or more. New customers can save even more money when they apply for finance. Simply Be offers free delivery and 10 percent off a first order when a customer opens a personal account. The catalogue brand is the home of unique fashion brands and big name labels, with thousands of must-have clothing items for almost every occasion.

P.S: Yes, it's hard to believe that Summer is just around the corner. It was getting hotter in NYC, I can't wait to go back :)

Western Beauty Wish List

When I travel overseas, I need to stay on the budget. Around one year ago, I made this Korean Beauty Wish List before flying to Seoul, and seriously it was pretty effective. I got home with loads of beauty products that I loved, the wish list picture also made my shopping experience easier since all I had to do was showing the picture to the sales attendants and they would helped me finding the product.

On the contrary, last Summer I visited LA without having any wish list on my hand, guess what? I ended up buying almost nothing I liked yet surprisingly I spent my whole pocket money. Hmm, it makes me wonder too what my purchases were besides those depilatory creams (always have to get them in the States because they're freaking expensive here). Ok.. I think I only liked my purchase on that Stilla Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Color. *deep sigh*

Now that I'm even on a tighter budget than last year, hopefully this wish list would help me not to buy things impulsively. However, if you have any recommendation on good products (or the new released ones), please let me know, maybe they can be my lifesaver ^^

1. Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Eyeshadow Palette // USD 34
2. Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara // USD 7
3. Essence How To Make Nude Eyes Palette // USD 10
4. Too Faced Melted Chocolate in chocolate cherries // USD 21
5. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in petal // USD 24
6. Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid // USD 28
7. Real Techniques Eyes Starter Set // USD 18

Oh my my my, I'm counting down the days! Can't wait to share it all with you ;)

When Brown Meets Cushion

Time passes so quickly... Now that Spring season is coming, I seriously can't wait to have myself dressed in pastel colors and see all those flowers in full bloom. Speaking of pastels, I made my first guest post just a week ago at Steph's blog, check it out to see my stylebook to welcome Spring :D

Back to the true purpose of this blogpost. I'm about to review another cute thing from the K-beauty world. It's just recently released in South Korea, a product collaboration between Missha and Line Friends. I have to admit that Koreans are expert in creating cute design when it comes to cosmetics. In the end, they're successfully making all the K-beauty junkies difficult to refuse such impulsive buying. It's like they know the market so well! This Missha x Line Friends are sold out everywhere and surely it takes effort to get this (especially when I'm an Indonesian based blogger). So here you go!

Missha M Magic Cushion Line Friends Edition.

Description: Magic cushion with perfect coverage to help achieve flawless skin and long lasting makeup without darkening. Micro cover pigment delivers flawless coverage to skin and silica-bead powder effectively absorbs sweat and sebum, leaving makeup last longer with sun protection benefits with SPF50+/PA+++.

What it promises:

• Perfect coverage
• Long-wearing
• Lightweight
• Smooth, dewy finish

Got myself shade #23.

There are actually two versions of this cushion, I got myself the Brown one, M Magic Cushion which is made for oily-combination skin, whereas the other one, Sally in M Magic Cushion Moisture is made for people with dry skin. My skin type is oily on the T-zone area and normal on the other part. Moreover, I like Brown more than Sally. Even if this Brown edition is marketed for people with dry skin, I would still buy it. Sorry, Sally... T^T If there's a hierarchy, I'd put Jessica on the first place (because she is so me), Cony on the second place, Brown on the third place, then Sally and their other friends (Moon, Leonard or Edward doesn't matter).

The first edition came with 2 refills with no extra puff, so I'll either buy a new puff later or just wash it regularly with my Etude House Puff & Brush Cleaning Mist. However, Missha has changed the bundle, so if you order now you'll get 1 refill and 1 extra puff instead, but with the same price! *sigh*

Brown face all over the packaging, super adorable!

Told ya I'm a fool for cute packaging. Anyway, despite the cute design and being a Line Friends' fan, I find the packaging and the puff are not in the greatest quality. I haven't seen the original M Magic Cushion in person, but based on the photo, it must feel like the Laneige one? This Brown edition looks so plastic and also feels like plastic, which can be also a good point because it's not as heavy as my Laneige BB Cushion. Hence, those who want to have a more elegant look while touching up, might not like this. Obviously people who would buy this are either a fan of Line Friends or just adore anything cute. I guess, so?

The swatch on my skin.

I was confused whether to get myself shade #21 or #23 because I've always been using shade #21 in my whole life, but based on the YouTube reviews I saw, #21 looks too pale! Then I asked the reseller which one should I get if I normally use #21 for Laneige BB cushion, they replied Missha shade is a bit lighter and #23 would be right for me. I trusted them and seriously loved the result. I have been using this cushion for a week and will definitely bring this to the States because the coverage and oil control is just great. Though I'll be bringing my Laneige too just in case the weather is still cold.

All in all, for people with oily combination skin like me and live in such humid climate, I think they will like this version more than the M Magic Cushion Moisture one. Besides, it still gives me that semi-matte finish, not dewy as it promises, but fairly glowing looking, I suppose.

Anyway, if you're interested to buy this cushion and live in Indonesia, just feel free to email me and I'd recommend you the reseller, they're so kind to me and also trustworthy. I bought their Eye Color Studio Mini Line Friends Edition too as a gift for my friend and personally asked them to wrap it neatly for me, and they really did it without hesitation. Have I mentioned I'd appreciate it when people want to go extra mile for their customers?

Price: IDR 249k