Some days I really don't mind being woken up early by the postie, and this is one of those days as I was brought one of the most adorable things I've ever seen!
San-XRilakkuma usually comes on a yellow background, but I was happy to find a pink Rilakkuma schedule book with cute strawberries (one of my fave fruits) on the front; this was a custom purchase from an Etsy seller.
The schedule book says 2010, but starts in November 2009 and ends March 2011. It has a double page monthly calendar, followed by a page per week, and from what I've seen so far it has no repeating Rilakkuma pictures which keeps it interesting.
It's so small and handy compared to my current pink one (from Victoria's Secret) which is bulky, heavy (it does have ample writing space though) and empty most of the time since I just don't have that much stuff to write. I almost don't want to use start using this though, because it looks way too cute!
The Rilakkuma pictures are themed - I think this is a really nice touch. For example, January 2010 has him wearing scarves, there's a snowman and yarn; presumably because it's cold. Then there are Halloween and other festive themes too.
There are a few pages for notes at the back, cash book for expenditures etc, address pages, even a BMI chart and subway maps - I guess these are always useful!
I did plan to do this banila co review of their eyeshadow palettes last week, but somehow ended up being busy. I'm putting them all together for now, but if it looks like too much to digest I'll split it into 3 posts. Anyway, here are my thoughts!
Palette stacking!
Gossip Girl Multi Palette S01
I think this was released around spring this year and consists of a blusher, 3 eyeshadows and a soft brush. The 3 eye colours can be used to create a soft girly look.
Texture is silky with decent (and buildable) pigment, and the shadows all have a pearly finish. Although they don't crease thoughout the day, I do find that the colour fades a bit. The blush is a soft pink which blends very nicely. It's a tiny bit on the light side (would be better if it was slightly warmer) for me as it's medium pigmented, but it still works. Purchased from Gmarket for 22,000KRW (around $19 currently), but a few days later it went on sale at half price. Typical! S Night Standing Palette Shadow S03
One of banila co's summer releases - I have no idea what "S night standing" is supposed to mean though...
Contains 6 eyeshadows in a pretty star decorated metal case with a dual ended sponge applicator (nothing spectacular there). Out of the 3 palettes this is probably my favourite case - as much as I love pink, I'm just not a huge fan of those random bubbles on the Gossip Girl palette. All eyeshadows have a bit of shimmer but not glittery. You can create different looks using different colour combinations, which is always versatile. Some of the colours are more pigmented - such as the gorgeous metallic bronze on the left and some lean towards the sheer side, but all are smooth and blend easily.
Deep The Night Multi Eye Kit F05
The most recent banila co eyeshadow palette; has 5 eyeshadows and a cream liner. The box is very pretty but the case is just a deep purple with sparkles (like the background in the pic below). There's a dual ended applicator with sponge for shadow application & smudging, and an eyeliner brush. This is obviously more of night time palette, but could be used during the day too since some shadows are quite sheer despite appearing pigmented in the palette. I really like this palette in particular, as all the colours go so well together. None of the eyeshadows are matte and they all have either a metallic sheen or some shimmer - I actually prefer this, but I guess not everyone does. The cream eyeliner (far right) has some shimmer too, but it's only noticeable if you look really closely. I think at 22,000KRW each, these palettes are excellent value for money and totally worth picking up if you don't already own similar colours. The quality is definitely there as the shadows are silky, blendable, smooth and don't crease too much, but I have noticed some colour fading both with and without primer.
Note: due to the closeup angles the photos were taken, the palettes may seem bigger than they actually are. They measure approximately 9cm x 5.5cm x 1cm.
I purchased all palettes from the same Gmarket seller 바닐라코 (official banila co distributor I believe).
Once in a while I think we all come across something we simply have to have, and for me it's none other than the mega awesome Face Brush by SUQQU.
Quick background story of how I came across it. I discovered SUQQU on my most recent London trip where I had a makeover by one of the (loveliest) MAs. Various brushes were used on me but the one that particularly stood out was when foundation and powder were applied to my skin. It was honestly the softest brush I'd ever felt on my face that it didn't even feel like a brush. I commented on how nice it was, and noticed how it made application even & utterly flawless. As she proceeded to work the products into my skin, I decided there and then that I would not leave without that brush!
Looking at the entirely shiny black body the Face Brush doesn't look that special, but (this is a huge but) it has the softest, most luxurious and exquisite hairs imaginable. I'm not sure what hairs they are (squirrel maybe?) but they are so damn fine and of such superior quality that I actually look forward to using the brush every single time.
Trying to describe how soft the hairs are will not do this brush any justice; I think being wrapped & caressed in warm fluffy clouds would be the most appropriate. The hairs are so soft and light it literally feels like gentle air on my face. The MA didn't even have to sell it to me; it completely sold itself.
The quality of the whole brush is exceptional with very densely packed hairs which pick up the perfect amount of product. There's been no shedding whatsoever (unlike MAC & other brushes I own), and after each wash the brush retains its shape beautifully, but I always look after my brushes anyway.
At £160 it could be considered bit of a ridiculous purchase, but in my opinion a 100% worthy investment because it's provided me with the most enjoyable foundation & powder applications since. This isn't just any face brush; it is the face brush.
I'll be booking a makeover (maybe go for a gankin massage too hehe) at SUQQU for around end of November, which is conveniently about a week after my birthday so I'll definitely be treating myself to some goodies! And yes, I'll be posting about it!
Generally I'm not a fan of Christmas or any other commercialized holidays, but this year I'm actually getting quite excited but only because of SUQQU's tempting new Yukihana release (does that make me strange?).
Received this in an email Those snowflakes look so pretty - that eyeshadow quad will be mine mwahahaha!
Since I'm rather behind on posts, this will be my second entry for the day
Luckily another one of my Gmarket orders arrived this afternoon so I can post about it. I love how the package took only 4 days to get to me including the weekend too; Gmarket is seriously efficient when it comes to shipping out items, awesome!
This time I purchased a few Etude House items, and banila co's latest eyeshadow palette. Swatches and reviews to follow.
banila co Deep The Night Multi Eye Kit (the packaging is seriously pretty). I will try to post a review of it along with my other banila co palettes this week. It's starting to get dark a lot earlier now so I'll wait to take more pics during the day.
No flash
Taken with flash
Etude House Moistfull Special Set, Peach Skin Pact and Precious Mieral Brightener. I also received some freebie primers, and a toner & emulsion mini pack from EH's new Total Age Repair range - I have no use for this though hehe.
I think I've pretty much run out of things I want to get from EH and banila co (~sigh~), unless they release a bunch of new items of course. In the meantime I'll try to review what I've purchased so far asap - there's a rather large backlog!
