When I was in Korea a couple weeks ago, one of the brands that I was super excited about checking out was 3CE. 3CE, or 3 Concept Eyes, is under Style Nanda and is a brand that is a little bit more expensive in Korea. They recently launched their Fitting Cushion Foundation so you know I had to get my hands on it and review it for you guys! I did a first impressions of it on my channel, where I tested it for a couple days in a few different ways, so check that out if you haven't yet!

Let's get to the breakdown...

Packaging

It comes in the typical 3CE packaging... matte and black. I actually like this but the only downfall is that the matte packaging gets really dirty easily. It picks up all your fingerprints and is kind of hard to clean. 

Application 

This goes on very thick and heavily. I'll get into that later, but you can definitely feel the makeup on your skin. Also, I think it's worth mentioning the the puff that comes with this cushion is terrible. I was reading about it, and evidently, it's a "ruby cell" puff. I used the puff the first day and felt like it didn't blend the makeup well and applied it even heavier. So I switched to an air puff (the blue one that comes with other cushion foundations) and it applied much better. Another thing I want to point out is you have to work in sections with the foundation and fast!

Coverage

This is a HIGH coverage cushion foundation. Like I mentioned above, it does feel a bit heavy on the skin (even when using an air puff) but, in my opinion, that's the natural of high coverage foundations. So for those of you who have been on the hunt for a high coverage Korean foundation, this will be great for you! For someone like me, who prefers not to have a ton of coverage on a day to day basis, I'll use this on special occasions or when I just want more coverage. Not an everyday foundation for me. 

Lasting-Ability

I took a close up to show you guys what happens when you use the ruby cell puff. As the day goes on, you can see the foundation sitting in your pores because the ruby cell puff doesn't blend the foundation in enough. I would like to note I did not have this problem with I used an air puff and when I used a little powder to set this foundation. So, to sum it up, I found the best way to use this foundation and make is last all day is to use an air puff and set it with a little powder! Then it last easily for 6-8 hours and starts to fade around the 8-9 hour mark. Keep in mind, I do have dry skin though, so for those of you with oily skin... you might need to use more powder to set this (because it never really sets if you don't) and need to carry the powder with you touch-up!

Shade Range

There's only two shades available in this foundation. I used the shade 002, which is the darker of the two. For reference, I'm about an NC 20-25 in MAC foundation shades. 

Overall: ****

Packaging: *** (and a half) 

Application: ***

Coverage: *****

Lasting-Ability: ****

Shade Selection: **

Thoughts

I kind of have mixed emotions about this foundation. Once I used it with a different puff and with a bit of setting powder, my skin was FLAWLESS. The coverage is so high, I didn't even need a concealer. That's insane! I really like that aspect and the finish looks pretty natural. The only complaint I have with this the puff sucks and you can definitely feel it sitting on your skin. However, to me, this just comes with the territory since it's high coverage. I've never found a high coverage foundation that feels light.. it's just not a thing. So you can decide for yourself whether you think this would be a good foundation for you! 

xoxo, 
Morgan 

Beauteque October BB Bag "Life of Luxury" Review

Alright guys, here's my review for Beauteque's BB Bag for the month of October. This month's theme is "Life of Luxury" so let's jump right into it!

Beauteque has a subscription service that brings asian beauty right to your door. Every month, you receive asian skincare, makeup, body care, beauty tools, or anything else beauty-related! I've reviewed them in the past, so check out those videos if you have already. There's this one and this one!

As for pricing, with this subscription service, the longer your subscription is, the cheaper it is! If you pay for one month or three months, it's $24 per month. If you prepay for 6 months, each BB bag is $23 per month. For a full year, it's $22 per month. The value that you receive in the bag, however, is much higher than what you actually pay for.

So let's get to the breakdown...

 As with every BB Bag from Beauteque, you get a card that tells you a little bit about each product and the value.

SNP Cactus 90% Soothing Gel

I LOVE soothing gels like this. I've tried aloe ones and rose ones, but I have yet to try a cactus one. Why do I love these? Because they're so light weight! So when I workout in the morning and take a shower, I can put this on when I come out and put my clothes on pretty soon after. Lotion makes me feel sticky and takes too long to soak in. So this is perfect! Plus, it smells amazing. 

Baviphat Urban Dollies EasyLooks Soft Lipstick in "Original Red"

This is the definition of glam and luxury! Look at this color! I actually thought it was going to be matte, but it ended up being nice and balm-y. It's super comfortable to wear and looks so pretty!

 Secret Key Glam Romance Perfume Body Lotion

I can never have enough lotion because I burn through it like crazy. This one is nice, light and absorbs pretty quickly. I like this because it has a light fragrance, which goes away after you apply it. So it's good for those of you who are super sensitive to heavy, over powering smells. 

 Beauteque Contour Brush

I didn't even know that Beateque made their own makeup brushes! Either way, this one is pretty nice :) It's soft and a pretty typical synthetic brush. Plus, who doesn't love this color?!

 AngelLooka Hand Mask

Hand masks are great. I get super dry hands from over-washing them because I'm a germaphobe. I'm saving this for a cold day because mine is in the "heating" type. How luxurious ;)

 Happy Bath Facial Yogurt Foam Cleanser

Like lotion, I burn through cleanser so quickly! I can always use foam cleansers and this one is a good cleanser for normal skin. There's nothing super fancy about this... it's a foam cleanser. haha. 

So if you're planning of subscribing to Beauteque, let me know! Hope my review was helpful and don't forget to check out the video review :)

xoxo,
Morgan

October Mask Maven Review: Beauteque's Brunch

So you all should know at this point, I love sheet masks. I did a full video review of them on my channel, The Beauty Breakdown and spoke about why you should be using them. So yes, Korean sheets masks are like my secret to great skin!

However, there are so many sheets masks on the market and if you live in the United States like I do, they can be OVERPRICED. Luckily, Beauteque has a service called Mask Maven, which sends you 9-11 sheets masks a month for $15 a month (at most!).

Let's get to the breakdown...

First, I want to go over the prices! Since Mask Maven is a subscription type of service, you get a better deal for the longer you subscribe. For a one time purchase or 3 months prepaid, it's $15 a month. For 6 months prepaid, it's $14 a month and for 12 months prepaid it's $13 a month. Do the math... that's at most about $1.30 to $1.60 per mask. What a deal, right?

One thing I personally really like about Mask Maven is it takes the guess work out of it. Meaning, if you have no idea what masks are good or you don't know which ones to try (since there are literally 1,000s of masks to pick from), this is a good service to try!

Every month, they have a theme! For the month of October, the theme is so cute! It's called "Beauteque's Brunch", so all the sheet masks are food or drink themed :)

On the back of the card you receive with your Mask Maven, there are descriptions of each mask and their benefits. Of course, since this one is brunch themed, it's set up like a menu!

 Beverage

Green tea is a common ingredient in sheet masks. This one is from Botanic Farm! Green tea soothes the skin, helps add antioxidants to the skin, and reduces inflammation. 

This one is even shaped like a drink! It's a Cacao-Ade mask that also contains anti-oxidants, which fights free radicals that prematurely age the skin. 

 Fresh Fruit

Not going to lie, I'm fully aware that tomatoes are fruit, but I still consider them a vegetable! In Korea, they're definitely considered a fruit and can be found in ice cream, bingsu, and other desserts. It always makes me cringe... but I digress. This one from Beauty Friends II helps even the skin and fades dark spots and acne scars. 

Skinfood is known for using food as ingredients and Jeju is known for it's amazingly famous citrus fruits. Put those two together and you get this mask! It looks awesome and I hope it smells like tangerine :) 

 Eggs

You can't have brunch-themed anything without eggs. This one is from Esfolio and kind of reminds me of the Too Cool For School ones, which are really popular. Eggs are great for moisturizing, strengthening, and softening the skin.

 Dessert

This Skin 9 Super Puppy Whitening Honey Pack is one of those sheet masks that have the animal face imprinted on it. I've been dying to try one of these so I'm glad they included them in this Mask Maven. 

 As you can see, I went ahead and tried this one! It was so cool :) If you weren't aware of the several skin benefits of honey, honey helps keep skin firm and improves it's elasticity. Plus, it's naturally anti-bactieral, which helps fight acne.

 I also tried this one, but I hadn't opened it yet when I took this picture. This mask was SUPER moisturizing! Definitely one to use at night so all the essence has time to sink in. It also had this cool quilted pattern, which sustained the moisture for longer. If you want to see what it looks like, check out the video review :)

 House Special

Last but not least, there's the house special! This one is the Rainbow L'Affair 3-Step Mask Pack in Vitamin! If you've never use a sheet mask like this, they're pretty nifty :) You use step 1 to cleanse your skin and prep it for the treatment. Then you apply step 2 all over your skin and apply the sheet mask on top. Result; amazing skin. 

Well, that's my review of Mask Maven for the month of October. Don't forget to check out my video review and let me know if you've tried anything like this service!

xoxo,
Morgan

[Review] XO Memebox I'm Lipstick in #BC012, #MT007, #BC004, and #BC002 Review

Here's part 2 of the haul/review I'm doing of the XO Memebox line! Be sure to check out my review of the I'm eyeshadows as well :) Let's go ahead and move on to some of the lip products from Memebox.

You might be aware that they had an I'm Lipstick line that was packaged differently. These new lipsticks are supposed to be more opaque and have a better formula. Although I've never tried the original ones, let's go ahead and discuss these new versions.

Overall, I like the formula of these because they're nice and smooth. They're pretty hydrating, which works well on my ultra dry lips, and they're very pigmented so they don't apply blotchy. Also, keep in mind, none of my shades have shimmer or frost in them. They're all pretty balmy and they don't crease.

Let's get to the breakdown...

I'm Lipstick #BC012 Notting Hill

This is a great peach-based nude. It reminds me so much of my Etude House Color in Liquid Lips in BE101. This applies nice and smooth and unlike some nudes, looks nice and moisturizing. It doesn't get the gross cracked look nude-ish lips tend to get. I'd definitely say this is a great "nude" for those of you with darker skin tones because it doesn't wash you out!

I'm Lipstick in #MT007

This is easily my fave out of the bunch I have! I've actually almost used up half the tube and I've only had these for a month or so! This is a great mauve that doesn't look overly purple. I'd say this is the ultimate "my lips but better" type of color!

I'm Lipstick in #BC004

This is a pretty average pink color, although it's a bit more neon than I was expecting. Obviously, to me, this isn't a bad thing because I love me a nice pop of color every once and while :) Has a nice glossy finish, which provides a comfortable wear!

I'm Lipstick in #BC002 Ultra Violet

When I saw the swatch of this on the website, I HAD to get it. Look how great of a color this is! Obviously, this is not for the faint at heart. It's a "WHAM in your face" kind of color and comes off just like it looks in the tube! I love that they had more alternative colors that you don't see from every brand. 

Overall, these lipsticks are great! I mean, at $16 a piece, I'd hope they'd be! Since they're rivaling prices like MAC, I'd say they're really nice but kind of steep. I do love the packaging, however, and I think it looks super classy. 

Consistency: ****

Lasting-Ability: ** and a half

Comfort: ***

Packaging: ****

Price: **

Overall: *** and a half 

xoxo, 

Morgan 

[Review] XO Memebox I'm Eyeshadow in PB300, PB304, PB306, PB309, PB311, PS305, and PG302

Hellooooo!

Well, I'm back from Korea! I'm ready to hit the ground running bringing you guys a ton of new posts and videos on this website and on my youtube channel, The Beauty Breakdown! Have you subscribed yet? Well, you should because there's TONS of fun stuff coming up. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Anyways, I'm getting a little distracted because I'm so excited about everything that's coming up. I wanted to talk to you guys also a bit about the new XO Memebox I'm Eyeshadows, I'm Lipstick, and I'm Liquid Lips. Altogether, I have 7 of the eyeshadows, 4 of the lipsticks, and 1 of the liquid lips and in this post, I'll be showing you the eyeshadows! If you want to read about the lip products, the post is finished! These are technically not new since they have been available in Korea, but they're new for us in the United States. Now, without further adieu, here's the review! (By the way, this is going to be a super picture heavy post!)

Let's get to the breakdown...

Let's go ahead and do a quick overview of these eyeshadows! They're formulated in Korea and they're the in-house brand of Memebox. There are three different finished offered: matte, shimmer, and glitter. I have all three kinds of I'll mention which is which as we go along. 

THE MATTES

I'm Eyeshadow #PB300 Creamy Beige

This is a matte finish that pretty much works well for everyone. I've been pleasantly surprised with Memebox's matte eyeshadows because I'm sure we all know, matte eyeshadows can be really hit or miss. Sometimes they're really great, and other times, they don't show up on your skin. Despite this being a light color, it is nice, pigmented and try smooth. 

I'm Eyeshadow #PB311 Daisy Deep Coral 

This is a matte, medium brown with a heavy orange undertone. In my opinion, it's the same color as adobe clay so I love how this compliments looks and how it shows up on yellow-based skin tone. Again, it's soft, smooth, and pigmented.

I'm Eyeshadow #PB309 Classic Brown

This is pretty much your run-of-the-mill crease color. A nice cool-toned brown that would be great for smoking out a dark look yet neutral enough to be able to pull of a natural look. 

I'm Eyeshadow #PB306 Brown Brick

This is my favorite of all of my matte eyeshadows. Such a unique color and again, this color looks great on my yellow-toned skin. Although, now that I think about it, I think this would look great on pretty much everyones' skin tone! Look how pigmented it is too! I actually took this with me to Korea and pretty much used it the entire trip in my crease!

THE SHIMMER

I'm Eyeshadow #PS305 Sparkling Hazel

 I haven't tried as many shimmer finishes from this line as I have mattes (obviously) but this one is great. Doesn't have too much fall out, it's true to color and I really enjoy this color. It's a bit of a coppery pink! In real life, it has a little more of a copper undertone than it's showing in the picture.

THE GLITTERS

I'm Eyeshadow #PG304 Blondie Brown

 The glitter eyeshadows also have a very smooth texture. I like these because they don't have too much fall out (still there but not terrible!). These are SO shimmery! I wouldn't necessarily even call them glittery because in my head, when I hear glitter, I think chunky glitter. But since this is so smooth, I just think it's like an ultra-shimmer :) This color is a gold with a pink undertone.

I'm Eyeshadow #PG302 Allure Marine

 Ok, I'm in love with this color! I think it's SO beautiful! I'm so happy I picked this one out because it does not disappoint! Like all the other eyeshadows, it's very smooth and pigmented. Like the other glitter eyeshadow, the glitters are very finely milled so it's not chunky whatsoever. Look how pretty :D

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this review if you're looking into these eyeshadows. I'm very pleasantly surprised with the quality, packaging (which has an awesome little mirror!), and the price point. Let me know if you guys have tried any shades and which ones you've been enjoying. Hope you're all well and healthy :) 

Lasting-Ability: ****

Pigmentation: ****

Texture: ****

Packaging: ****

Price: ***

Overall: ****

xoxo, 

Morgan