HAUL: Roseroseshop ☆

So much for posting more often, let's just admit that I suck at this. In reality though, I just haven't had all that much to blog about. Apologies. I'll try harder, I promise.

In my last post I mentioned that I bought in bulk with my friends. Well, it arrived. Since I wasn't the one who placed the order, my friends and I caught up the other day to distribute our goodies. It totally looked like we were dealing drugs out it in the open, even I'd be suspicious. We ordered from roseroseshop, if that wasn't already obvious from the title. I've only ever bought from their eBay store, though I had only heard good things from the people that have ordered from their site.

I wasn't too fussed with the samples, so I let my friend keep them all.

While I'd love to say that I bought everything you see in the photo above, I didn't want my bank account to start weeping (let's be honest, it's probably already bathing in its own tears). So, in an effort to rule it down to a couple of items, I ending up buying 5 products in total. Despite wanting to buy the whole store, I did manage to control myself. Applause!

I don't think I was looking for anything in particular, so I just went it looking for anything that appealed to me. I bought:

★ Nature Republic Aloe Vera Mist 92% Soothing Gel Mist

★ 3W Clinic Intensive UV Sunblock Cream

★ Innisfree Mineral Shading (#07 Sweet Vanilla)

★ Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer (Perfect Lash)

★ Secret Key Snow White Skin Booster (for my mum)

Other than the skin booster, I'll probably make a review for each if I can remember. I've also got some other products getting shipped my way, so I'm looking forward to trying those out too. 

(Shoutout to my swag buddy Natt and her boyfriend for ordering everything, and even taking photos for me)

REVIEW: Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Primer

First of all, I hope everyone had a lovely christmas! I'm finally reviewing Innisfree's No-Sebum Mineral Primer, after much delay. I've had it for a while now so I think it's safe to say I know how I feel about this product. I hadn't used a Korean primer before and I had read some good reviews about Innisfree's No-Sebum line and the primer itself, so I thought I'd give it a go. According to the packaging,

"This sebum controlling primer smoothly refines pores and fine lines as it presents you with a shine-free complexion".

Ever since I started wearing primer under my make-up, I've truly appreciated its purpose and I've never gone back. I've actually forgotten to wear primer countless times by accident, then I've gone to check my face afterwards and realised how patchy my make-up up looks. But by then, it's too late to start over. The moral of this? Primer makes a difference.



The product itself comes in a squeeze tube as pictured, with a little nozzle ideal for controlling the amount of product that comes out. You get 25ml of product, which is quite reasonable honestly since you don't need very much for every application. Forgive my fail attempt at focussing, I didn't realise until I uploaded the photos ㅠㅠ


The actual primer itself is clear and easy blend, leaving a nice satin-like finish much like your typical silicone based primer. I couldn't find the ingredients written anywhere, unless it's the bunch of Korean written on the packaging, that I can't understand #fail.

Directions are as follows: "After your daily skincare routine, apply an appropriate amount and lightly spread onto areas where excess shine is a concern and gently pat to finish."


Probably not the best comparison picture, but you can tell that the primer took away the shine and the fine lines are slightly blurred compared to the side that has no primer. As for smell, it reminds me of the glue sticks you use in school. It doesn't bother me at all though, since the smell disappears after application.

Conclusion:
If anything, I think it's quite comparable to Maybelline's Baby Skin Pore Eraser, which I also use from time to time. Both leave a satin-like finish and the texture is very silicone-like. Having a very oily/combination skin type, I can't say that it leaves me totally matte for a prolonged period of time, but it definitely does it's job in smoothing out the texture of my skin and makes my make-up glide on much smoother. I can say that it does leave me looking less shiny than I normally would be without primer, though I can't say much about it's lasting power given that I get so ridiculously oily. From my experience though, primer is definitely a necessity for me and anyone else who wants their make-up lasting longer and looking flawless. Perhaps not the best primer in my opinion, but still recommendable ^^

PROS:
- Gets rid of shine and excess oil
- Helps make-up glide on smoother
- Leaves skin looking matte for a while

CONS:
- Questionable lasting power (Obviously varies on skin type)

Would you repurchase?
Yes, probably. It's a nice cheap alternative that definitely serves some benefits to your make-up. I would like to venture out and try other Korean primers though, in order to compare.

REVIEW: Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum

You'll have to bare with me since it's my first review. Things can only get better, right?
Today I'll be reviewing Innisfree's Green Tea Seed Serum. I actually received it just under a month ago so I've been using it ever since then, but only now have I had the time to write a review. After hearing so many good things about it, it was meejmuse that got me sold. Taken from the Innisfree website itself, this serum is "a moisturizing & nourishing serum with organic green tea seeds from Jeju to fill the skin with suppleness and clarity". It's one of Innisfree's best sellers and just one from the many products in their green tea line.


If you know me, you'll know that I love anything and everything green tea. This therefore caught my eye for obvious reasons. I had never actually tried a face serum before since I've never really thought much about it, so this was a first for me. Winter may have just ended in Australia, but it still gets pretty chilly in Melbourne now and then which only leads to a dry, patchy face in my case. In other words, moisturiser is my best friend.
I was looking to incorporate a serum into my skincare routine that could give me extra moisture, without leaving me oily. I also wanted something I could use both during the day and at night.

The bottle itself has a pump, which is extremely handy. I know some serums come with eye droppers instead. You get 80ml of product, which in my opinion is really good compared to some serums that only give you half the amount for the same price. The lid is also shaped to fit the bottle nozzle. While this is less bulky, it is pretty difficult to clean if it ever leaks, which happened to me once for some reason, due to the shape of it. Other than that, the bottle is sturdy and not a bad size for travelling.

In terms of texture, it almost looks like goo when pumped out but has a quite watery and slimy consistency when it's spread. This therefore makes application really smooth and I find that I don't need very much to cover my entire face and neck. I use exactly one pump day and night and it seems to do the job. It also leaves a nice finish after applied, due to it's light consistency it dries matte and doesn't look glossy or greasy at all. I instantly notice a difference in the way my skin feels after I apply it.

Okay I'm not going to lie, I freaking love the smell of this stuff. I'd actually wear it as perfume, no joke. You could say it smells like citrus, but sweet and refreshing. It may be a bit too overpowering at first for people who are sensitive with smell, but it doesn't seem to linger after it's applied.

The directions are as shown on the packaging. They even provided a usage order which recommends you to use the serum as the first step to your routine. Since my own routine isn't very complicated, I normally use toner after I wash my face, followed by serum then moisturiser.

By the way, was anyone else aware that you could print with soy milk? I definitely wasn't, um. I know Innisfree is actually know to be an environment-friendly and natural company so I'm not really surprised.

Conclusion:
Overall, I really like this product. I've seen slight improvements in the texture of my skin and it feels and looks a lot more healthier as compared to when my skin was quite dry and dull (No thanks to the cold weather). I think it's quite moisturising for a day serum, but perhaps not as moisturising as I would've liked for night. I normally wear makeup during the day when I go out so it gives the right amount of moisture, but I typically look for something more moisturising for use at night. I honestly think it's a good value for money and you get a lot of product for what you pay.

PROS
- Quite moisturising
- No oily residue
- Light consistency
- Soaks up quickly
- Refreshing scent
- Value for money

CONS
- May not be moisturising enough for night
- Scent may be too strong for some

Would you repurchase?
I definitely would! It's a great serum for during the day and even at night, if you're not looking for something overly hydrating. I personally love the way it smells and you get a lot of product in the bottle. Knowing myself though, I'd really like to venture out and try new and different serums for comparison.