I know, I'm a sucker for cute packaging. Who isn't though?! I saw Etude House's promos of this cushion and I was smitten. Call it love at first sight? Yes, I think so. This is the new Etude House Any Cushion Cream Filter so...

Let's get to the breakdown.... 

Wanna pick one up too?! Here's where I got mine! 

Packaging
I REALLY like the packaging of this cushion. Personally, I'm really liking what Etude House has been doing lately. I've noticed they're really slimming down their cushion packaging. Not only does this make it more compact, but it just looks so sleek. And can we talk about the holographic cover?! I'm obsessed. It's so beautiful and eye-catching!

The back of the box and compact

Coverage
The coverage of this is low. This does not cover a lot of imperfections and you would definitely need to use a concealer with this cushion. If you have great skin already, you could probably get away with using this alone. For me, I like my pimples, dark circles, etc. to be perfectly concealed so I would've liked this cushion more if the coverage was higher.

I have a dark, little freckle on my wrist. I use that to demonstrate the coverage :) 

Blend-ability
The formula of this cushion is extremely blend-able. It's very effortless and in no time, you're perfectly blended. The formula of this is also a bit sticky upon first applying this. This helps with the adherence to the skin, therefore, making it very easy to work with. Also, this cushion has a "net" aka, the filter. This helps the foundation smooth over the puff more evenly. In turn, making it easier to work with as well.

Shades
Shades. Shades. Shades. This is something that, for most, is an immediate "yes!" or "deal-breaker!". Fortunately, Etude House came out with 5 shades for this cushion foundation! Thank goodness. I personally feel like more Korean Beauty brands need to come out with a higher range of shades. There's vanilla, petal, beige, sand (the one I got!), and tan. I included the promo swatches in my video, but if you're still unsure, I would definitely recommend checking out other live/blog swatches online. Always super helpful, right?!

Lasting-ability
This lasting-ability of this is.. meh. I felt like a lot of it wore off by the 4-5 hour mark. Although, this isn't necessarily marketed as a long-wearing cushion. I feel like a little primer and powder would make it last a lot longer. However, on it's own, it doesn't last spectacularly long.

Finish
This finish of this is another win for me. I love how natural this looks. Now, when I heard this was a "moisturizing" cushion, I was torn. I loved the packaging, but I know myself... I usually don't like moisturizing or dewy cushions. I just don't like the look personally! Although, this is always a battle because I do have dry skin. To me, this cushion was the perfect balance. I LOVED the glow, didn't find it overly sticky or wet, and loved that it kept my skin hydrated.

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
This is not going to make your skin look perfect... unless your skin is already really nice. I do find this is a nice, light cushion but I love me some coverage (like most people I think!). I just wish the coverage was a little higher and that it lasted for a bit longer. Do I think this is a bad cushion? Absolutely not. Is this a must-buy? Absolutely not. Worth a shot if you're curious but keep in mind the notes I made above :) For more information, swatches, and a demo, don't forget to check out the video review I did of this! Also, check out my youtube channel, The Beauty Breakdown, for more Korean beauty, travel, etc!

xoxo,
Morgan

[REVIEW] Rire Lip Powder Review in Hot Plum

I'm always on the hunt for interesting and fun products (let me know if you find any ok? :D ) so when I saw this RIRE Lip Powder, I knew I had to get it and test it out. Check out my video review below to see what I thought about it!

Let's get to the breakdown...

So, in typical fashion, here are the close-up pics and my written review of the product.

RIRE Lip Powder in Hot Plum
Pick one up HERE (affiliate) 

Packaging...

The packaging is... ok. Honestly, to me, it looks a little cheap. Plus, I don't find it that functional. As you can see in the demo that I did in the video, the handle actually makes applying the product more difficult. It doesn't allow for an accurate application and since the handle is tapered, I could see this slipping out of my fingers, dropping it, and making a mess. 

Consistency

This had the COOLEST consistency. Like the name implies, it does start off as a powder. However, magically, it turns into a liquid lipstick consistency when you apply it or rub it. I love it and it actually feels fairly moisturizing on my lips considering this started off as a powder. 

 Application
This applies really smoothly. I love how it glides onto my lips, which are usually very dry. Like I mentioned above, I'm not a fan of the packaging, but overall, the actual product was nice to apply. Plus, I really liked the color!

Overall

I didn't test this to see how long it would last, however, it did pretty much seem like a liquid lipstick stain. It does stain a little bit but you can also wipe it off for the most part. Hopefully, that makes sense. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this first impressions and let me know of any other cool products you've tried!!

Packaging: **

Consistency: *****

Color: ****

Overall: ****

xoxo,
Morgan 

[First Impressions] MASK FROM HELL! Tosowoong Monster Cocoon Pack Review

Alright, alright... this is a post I've been putting off for a little bit.. Probably because I can't stand to look at my poor skin in these pictures. SPOILER ALERT: This mask tore up my skin. I feel like you deserve a proper review however, so I'm relieving this horrifying experience.. for you guys! Anyways, today's review is going to be on the Tosowoong Monster Cocoon Pack. I should've known by the name of this product that this was not going to turn out good.

Let's get to the breakdown...

Packaging...

The product comes in a squeeze tube. There's nothing complex about the packaging but I do like that it's spooky looking. As a Halloween fanatic, I love anything that reminds me of my favorite time of the year! The packaging is probably the only thing I liked about this product. haha. 

Directions...

You're supposed to apply this mask on cleansed skin and leave it on for about 15 minutes. Then you rinse your face to remove the mask. YOU DO NOT PEEL THIS MASK. *sigh* So many people do not read the instructions/my comments/look it up online and comment on my video that I did this mask wrong. People.. this is a wash off mask. It's not a peel off mask. If I'd peeled this off my skin, my skin would've been really sad. haha. Oh and I'd like to note this was terrible to take off.. so hard to rinse off!!

Experience...

Within a couple minutes, this mask started to tighten on my skin. Now that's supposed to happen. Through tightening, it's supposed to tighten the skin and this also helps to remove dead skin cells. You're not supposed to really move your face during this part. I'm aware of this, so I tried to talk whilst barely moving my face. Now, I understand all this. However, this mask was WAY TOO TIGHTENING. I get that it's supposed to tighten, but if a mask tightens to the point where it's tearing your skin... it's a little too much. I feel like that was the biggest issue with this mask. In the process of trying to be interesting looking, it failed to be effective. Actually, it's was more harmful than anything! 

Results...

Well, it's clear to see what happened to my skin. It got SUPER irritated from this mask. Like I mentioned above, through tightening this mask actually hurt my skin because it was pulling at it. I don't understand how they can actually say that this is designed for all skin types?! This would be absolutely terrible for sensitive or acne-prone skin types! I mean, there's not much more to say about this mask.. I won't be using it again and I think there are a ton of other masks that are more effective and gentle. Also, I do want to note that I always patch test products. Proper patch testing is to be done on the side of the neck/behind the ear since the skin there is about the same thickness of your face and because it's more similar to your face. My neck turned out ok but that goes to show.. sometimes with skincare you never know! Just proceed with caution :) Oh and my skin was fine after a couple days. Just a little tender and in need of some TLC but everything is fine. Thank you for those of you who left sweet comments! I love you guys :) 

Overall: NO STARS! (well, except for packaging haha)

Packaging: ****

Ingredients: *

Experience: 

Results:

[Review] Etude House Lash Perm All Shockara Mascara Review

I LOVE mascara and boyyyy am I picky with them. On top of that, we all know my deep love for Etude House and their makeup products. There are very few makeup products from Etude House that I don't love. So when it came to trying the Etude House Lash Perm All Shockara Mascara, I thought it would be a home run. Well was it? You'll just have to read on :)

Let's get to the breakdown...

Packaging...

I love that a lot of Etude House's makeup products match. Notice that the cap of the mascara has a similar design to their lipsticks! I love that. 

Wand...

I was actually really excited to try this wand because I was thinking I was going to be blown away by its separating powers. However, I was sadly let down. Since this wand is plastic, it doesn't carry a lot of the actual mascara on it. So when I use this wand to apply the mascara to my lashes, it takes forever to actually coat my lashes. It does separate my lashes really well, but I just don't like how long it takes to try to build the mascara up. Also, notice in the picture of the wand by my eye, the wand doesn't have any bristles on the end. This makes getting the lashes on the outer corner of my eye almost impossible! Not a fan...

 Formula...

On top of having a hard time applying the actual mascara to my lashes because of the wand, the formula of this mascara is SUPER dry. This is actually probably one of the driest mascaras I've ever tried. So that makes building it up on my lashes very difficult. 

 Results...

You can see in the pictures below that my lashes look... almost the same. Like I mentioned above, I actually do like how this mascara separates my lashes. However, it doesn't add volume, length, or darkness to my lashes. Can you tell a difference? Lol. 

 Overall...

I was SUPER disappointed by this mascara. Honestly, I'm surprised Etude House is still able to sell this mascara because it just doesn't do what it's supposed to do. It's not shocking at all... in fact... this mascara is shockingly bad! Too harsh? Well, at least I'm honest right ;)

Packaging: ****

Wand: *

Formula: *

Lengthening: *

Volumizing: *

Overall: *

Also, if you'd like to see me use this mascara in a video, I used it in the video below. While you're watching, don't forget to subscribe to my channel, The Beauty Breakdown, and follow this website for more reviews, travel posts, tutorials and more!

xoxo, Morgan 

[Review] Gram Double Chemi Ban Ban Pack First Impressions!

Hi everyone! So I get a lot of requests to do reviews on products that are designed for different skin types. While that's a bit difficult, since everyone is different, I do my best to help everyone out and show products that address a wide range of concerns. Today, I'll be reviewing the Gram Double Chemi Ban Ban Pack, which is designed for combination skin.

Let's get to the breakdown...

Packaging....

The packaging of this product is a tub with two sections inside. It separates the two different masks inside. 

Formulas...

The green side is the detoxifying/purifying side. It sucks out all the impurities from the skin and helps level out sebum production. The main ingredients that help with this are bentonite, green tea, lemon balm leaf, applemint leaf extract, tea tree and broccoli. On the other side, you'll see an orange mask. This is made for drier parts of the face. The ingredients in this that make it effective are sweet almond oil, shea butter, papaya, buckthorn, rose hip and vanilla bean.  

Directions...

The green mask is meant for the t-zone since that is wear most people have an excess of oil production. The orange mask is meant for the u-zone, which tends to be more dry. Of course, you can apply these where ever your face is dry/oily. After leaving it on for 10-15 minutes (I usually wash the mask off before it dries completely) wash it off. 

Results...

I did enjoy the 2-in-1 aspect. You can see in the close up pictures of my nose below that there is definitely less sebum on my nose. As for the moisturizing mask, I think it was nice but I've definitely used better moisturizing masks. 

Overall...

I think this is such a great multi-tasker! It's great for combination skin or if you skin tends to change during the different seasons (I'm pretty sure everyone's does!). I liked how it removed my excess sebum, but like I mentioned above, I have used more moisturizing masks. Overall, I think this is a nice mask to use if you don't feel like using multiple masks or if you want something that will address your skin's needs fairly well.