How do you pack?

Not long ago, in one of the FB beauty communities I belong to there was a discussion about packing. As in your suitcase, your bag, when you travel.

What do you take? How do you pack?

Do you take your usual skin care products in full size bottles?

Do you decant?

Do you use mini and trial sizes?

What do you do?

Nie tak dawno temu w jednej z grup fejsbukowych do ktorych naleze, dziewczyny dyskutowaly na temat jak sie pakowac kosmetycznie na wyjazd.

Co zabierac? I jak zabierac?

Pelnowymiarowe kosmetyki?

Odlewki?

Probki i mini opakowania?

Co robic?

~~~

Because tomorrow I am going on a short trip (be back on January 6th), I thought I would share with you how I pack.

Basically, it's going to be a week of foils and trial sizes. 

I can't be bothered to lug around cosmetics in full size containers. I'm lazy. And I need the space for other things. Like, the stuff that I'm going to buy duty free, for example.

My trip is quite short, so these small bottles of L'Occitane shampoo and body wash are just perfect.

For conditioner, I will take with me the rest of the tube that came with a box of hair color. 

I poniewaz akurat jutro wybieram sie w krotka podroz (bede z powrotem 6 stycznia), pomyslalam sobie, ze pokaze wam moje pakowanie.

Jestem leniwcem i nie chce mi sie wlec ze soba normalnych rozmiarow butli i sloikow z kremami. Bo i po co? Potrzebuje tez to miejsce w walizce na inne rzeczy. Te ktore kupie w sklepach wolnoclowych, na przyklad.

Wiec dla mnie bedzie to tydzien probek i folii.

Jako ze jest to dosyc krotka podroz, te mini butelcyny L'Occitane szamponiku i zelu pod prysznic sa idealne. Jako odzywke do wlosow biore resztke tubki z zestawu do farbowania wlosow. 

Washing my face is a big deal for me, everybody knows that. I was considering taking the 70ml bottle of DHC Cleansing Oil, but then decided against it. I have foils!

Kazdy wie, ze mycie twarzy to dla mnie powazna sprawa. Myslalam nawet, zeby zapakowac 70 ml butelke DHC Cleansing Oil, ale przeciez mam folie. Niech sie w koncu na cos przydadza!

And I'm quite excited to try these cleanser minis from SK-II, too. Finally I have an excuse!

With cleansing out of the way, moisturizing and daily care is a bit more complicated. I decided to go all foil this time. 7 days of stuff I've never tried before is not going to kill me. I hope.

I w koncu mam wymowke, aby sprobowac tych cleanserow od SK-II.

Oczyszcznie z glowy. Nawilzanie jest nieco bardziej problematyczne.

Tym razem postanowilam pojsc na 100% probkowo i foliowo. To tylko 7 dni, mam nadzieje, ze zadna z tych probek mnie nie zabije.

Yep, this is the pile. I'm really looking forward to these Ahava packets.

I'm also taking these:

I jeszcze ten stosik. Juz sie nie moge doczekac sporbowania Ahavy.

Biore tez to:

This BB cream, or rather, sunblock pretending to be a BB cream is my hit of 2014. L'Oreal, made in Japan. I doubt you can get it in Europe. And pity, too, because this is truly an excellent product. The tube is almost empty and I'm pretty sure it won't be coming back with me.

Apparently there's a difference between SK-II Treatment Essence and Clear Lotion. I'm going to give this Clear Lotion a chance. Let's see what happens. And Astablanc moisturizer is a nice all purpose moisturizer that you can't go wrong with. And a few more sunblock foils, just in case.

Whatever doesn't agree with my face will be relegated to the rest of my body. That's why I'm only taking this sample size bottle of Aveda body moisture:

Ten krem BB, a raczej filtr udajacy krem BB, to moj hit tego roku. L'Oreal robiony w Japonii na tutejszy rynek, watpie czy mozna go dostac w Europie. A szkoda, bo to naprawde swietny krem. Tubka juz niemal pusta i jestem pewna, ze ze mna nie wroci.

Czlek uczy sie kazdego dnia i teraz juz wiem, ze ponoc jest roznica pomiedzy SK-II Treatment Essence i Clear Lotion. Biore ten Clear Lotion. Pozyjemy, zobaczymy, mam nadzieje, ze ryjek mi nie odpadnie. Moisturizer Astablanc wiem, ze zrobi co ma zrobic. I pare filtrowych probek.

Jesli cokolwiek z probek nie zgodzi sie z moja twarza, to zuzyje do smarowania ciala. Dlatego tez biore tylko ta mala buteleczke nawilzacza do ciala od Avedy:

And Missha cleansing wipes, just in case.

Also, just in case, I'm taking an additional selection of foils:

I chusteczki Misshy, tak na wszelki wypadek.

I rowniez na wszelki wypadek biore tez ten dodatkowy stosik:

Some of these I would never use under normal circumstances (same as with the foils a few photos up), but sometimes it's good to explore. 

I'm also going to explore this makeup:

Wiekszosci z tych wszystkich folii nie uzywalabym jako pelnowymiarowych kosmetykow, ale czasem fajnie sobie poeksperymentowac i sprawdzic co to takiego.

Poeksperymentuje rowniez z tymi probkami:

I'm afraid it will all be too dark for me. But let's see.

For other makeup I'm taking the new cushion I'm testing - Lioele Crystal Beam Pact (a nice low end surprise, I must say), Jill Stuart blush, KohGenDo Illuminator, Fasio mascara and mascara base, and a few colored pencils for eye make up. Lips - Lavshuca BB gloss and DHC Lip Cream. 

And done!

Happy New Year!!!

Boje sie, ze wszystko bedzie dla mnie za ciemne, no ale zobaczymy.

Z innych kosmetykow kolorowych biore poduszke Lioele Crystal Beam Pact (calkiem niezla poducha jak na niska polke), roz Jill Stuart, rozswietlacz KohGenDo, tusz i baza Fasia, i kredki do oczu. Blyszczyk Lavshuca na usta i pomadka ochronna DHC. 

I jestem spakowana!

Szczesliwego Nowego Roku!!!

PS. A Wy, jak sie pakujecie na wyjazdy?

su:m37 Air rising TF Dazzling Cushion Foundation

You know it's not going to work. You know because you've tried. You know because the helpful su:m37˚ sales lady told you "there's no way in hell it will work."
Your friends hummed "let it go, let it go" when you asked them for advice.

And yet, you just can't let go. And like a dumb moron that you are, you plunk down the money and take that damn thing home.

That's basically the story of Anna and The Snow Queen su:m37˚ Air rising TF Dazzling Cushion Foundation in 01 (also known as clear beige, or light beige) with SPF 50+ / PA+++.

Dobrze wiesz, ze to nie dla ciebie. Wiesz, bo probowalas. Wiesz, bo panie sprzedawczynie powiedzialy ci prosto z mostu "lepsze szanse sa na to, ze swiniom urosna skrzydla niz ze ten podklad bedzie ci pasowal."
Twoje psiapsioly zgodnym chorem zaspiewaly ci "let it go, let it goooo...", kiedy zapytalas sie o ich opinie.

Ale jak kazda osoba zaslepiona logiem marki, wylaczylas logike i kupilas ta rzecz. Bo chcialas ja miec.

I to wlasnie cale streszczenie mojej historii z su:m37˚ Air rising TF Dazzling Cushion Foundation w odcieniu 01 (znanym rowniez jako "clear beige"- czysty bez, lub "light beige" - jasny bez) z SPF 50+ / PA+++.

Air rising? Dazzling?
The good folks at LG didn't hold back this time, now did they?

Yes, this is yet another one of my Korean cushion foundation stories. If you are new to Korean cushion foundations, I strongly suggest you check out the stuff already on the blog - just click on the "Cushion Foundations" link in the top menu.

The promises they made were equally grand:

Cos tam o unoszacym sie powietrzu w nazwie produktu? Promieniejacym?
Copywriterzy w LG poszli na calego.

Tak, to kolejna z moich blogowych opowiesci poduszkowych. Jesli to pierwszy raz, kiedy slyszysz o koreanskich podkladach w poduszce, dobrym pomyslem byloby klikniecie na zakladke Cushion Foundations w menu u gory i rzucenie okiem na to, co juz bylo na blogu.

Obietnice producenta sa rownie wielkie:

Anti-wrinkle, whitening, cooling, UV blocking, micro pearls foundation, long lasting with more than 80 fermented extracts to keep your skin moist.

Delusions of grandeur surely, but since this is su:m37˚ we're talking about here, there's actually a chance that this thing might do all that.

Those 80 fermented extracts made me very hungry for some sauerkraut. And then I got lost deep in thought trying to determine if slathering pickle juice on my face would have any potential skincare benefits.

Luckily for me, the beautiful su:m37˚ logo was sufficiently distracting that I forgot about my pickle juice as patting water plan.

Dzialanie przeciw-zmarszczowe, rozjasniajace (dodajace blasku), chlodzace, ochrona przeciwsloneczna, micro perelki z podkladem, dlugotrwaly, ponad 80 sfermentowanych ekstraktow aby cera byla nawilzona.

U kazdej innej firmy bylyby to bajki dla naiwnych, ale skoro tu o su:m37˚ mowa, to akurat jest szansa, ze ten podklad zrobi, to co obiecuje.

Te 80 sfermentowanych ekstraktow narobily mi ochoty na kiszona kapuste. I potem zaczelam rozwazac czy woda po kiszonce nadalaby sie jako toner do twarzy.

Na szczescie to ladne su:m37˚ logo odwrocilo moja uwage na tyle, ze zapomnialam o planie kiszonka jako kosmetyk do twarzy.

For those unfamiliar with the brand, su:m37˚ is one of the high end cosmetic brands (if not THE high end brand) from LG Household & Health Care. Both in Korea and in Japan it was presented to me (and other non-Korean customers) by its sales people as "Korean SK-II".

And one of those sales people did her absolute best to dissuade me from buying this cushion. Mad props to her for that. When most cosmetic sales people try to sell you stuff, no matter how wrong the color for you (hear that, you MAC ladies in Tokyo? You actually said that NC15 was perfect for me! I laughed so hard I had to sit down to steady myself), the su:m37˚ woman flatly said "no, it's too yellow." And after checking everything else she had available, she added "it's all too yellow for you, now get lost."

Dla tych, ktorym su:m37˚ jest obce - jest to jedna z selektywnych marek rodem z LG Household & Health Care. I w Korei, i w Japonii byla ona przedstawiana (i mnie, i innym nie-koreanskim klientkom) przez panie sprzedawczynie jako "koreanski odpowiednik SK-II".

Jedna z tych pan sprzedawczyn starala sie jak mogla, aby odwiesc mnie od kupna tej poduszki. I chwala jej za to. Bo gdy wiekszosc "konsultantek" bedzie robilo odwrotnie i wciskalo ci kosmetyk zupelnie dla ciebie nieodpowiedni (tak jak nadgorliwe "eksperki" w tokijskim MACu, ktore przekonywaly mnie, ze odcien NC15 jest dla mnie idealny, dawno sie tak nie usmialam!), pani z su:m37˚ od razu powiedziala "za zloty dla ciebie". Potem zeswatchowala wszystko inne co miala dostepne i oglosila "wszystko za zolte, tera spadaj."

But as you can see, and to her despair, I still bought the damn thing. I don't know what I was hoping for. That one day I'll wake up with a yellow skin tone?

Anyway, the packaging is very pretty, and the compact itself exudes class and understated snobbery. When many companies go for generic cushion compacts these days (Banila Co, A-True, VDL and tons of others), it's so nice to see a unique, brand-specific design.

Inside the box, besides the compact, there was also a refill pack and a leaflet.

Ale jak widac, i ku jej rozpaczy, i tak kupilam ta poduszke. Nie wiem na co mialam nadzieje. Ze moze pewnego dnia obudze sie z innym kolorem skory?

Ale mialo byc o poduszce, a nie o mnie.
Opakowanie jest bardzo ladne, a sam kompakt od razu daje wrazenie luksusu i minimalistycznego snobizmu.
Kiedy wiele firm idzie na latwizne i pakuje swoje poduszki w bardzo pospolite i jednego rodzaju kompakty (Banila Co, A-True, VDL i wiele innych), milo bylo zobaczyc cos innego dizajnu.

W pudelku, oprocz kompaktu, byl rowniez pakiet z wymiennym wkladem i ulotka informacyjna (po koreansku).

The leaflet missed the group photo op, but rest assured, it was there.

Ulotka nie zalapala sie na zdjecie grupowe, ale tutaj dowod, ze istnieje:

I opened the compact and peeked inside to take a few photos:

Otworzylam kompakt, aby pstryknac kilka zdjec.

Everything looks exactly as it should. The applicator sponge is a typical cushion foundation sponge, no surprise here. It rests on the inner lid.


Wszystko wyglada tak jak w kazdym innym kompakcie poduszkowym. Gabeczka do nakladania to typowa poduszkowa gabeczka do nakladania. Zadnych niespodzianek tu nie ma.
Lezy sobie ona na wewnetrznej pokrywce.

You lift the inner lid and, shocker!

Ale jak podniesiemy wewnetrzna pokrywke, to szok na calego!

The cushion's surface isn't protected by a stick-on seal, but by a round piece of plastic film. I suppose that in a way it's actually better for your cushion. The sticky seal you peel off and chuck away, but this film you can keep on using.

Now, for the real reason why I'm giving this su:m37˚ Air rising TF Dazzling Cushion Foundation away:

Powierzchnia poduszki nie byla zalepiona ochronna naklejka. Zamiast naklejki mamy tu przezroczysty krazek ochronny. W sumie, to chyba nawet i lepsze rozwiazanie. Naklejke odrywamy i wyrzucamy. A tym tu krazkiem mozemy chronic powierzchnie poduszki po kazdym uzyciu.

I teraz powod dlaczego ta su:m37˚ Air rising TF Dazzling Cushion Foundation powedruje w swiat:

It's definitely much too yellow for me.

But that's good news for you!
You can win this cushion in my su:m37˚ winter giveaway!

Jest zdecydowanie za zlota dla mnie.

Ale to dobra wiadomosc dla Was.
Bo ta poduszka jest to wygrania w moim su:mowym rozdaniu zimowym.

If you are interested, here's the ingredient list (translated by Agathblog).

Tutaj sklad przetlumaczony przez Agathblog.


su:m37˚ Air rising TF Dazzling Cushion Foundation 01 SPF 50+ / PA+++ ingredients:

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Titanium Dioxide, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Dipropylene Glycol, Zinc Oxide, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Niacinamide, Tromethamine, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Mica, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Alumina, Sodium Chloride, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Zinc Stearate, Dimethicone, Lactobacillus Ferment, Glycosphingolipids, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Phospholipids, Butylene Glycol, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone/Methicone Copolymer, Lactobacillus/Ampelocissus Martini Fruit/Lavender Flower/Rosa Canina Fruit/Rosemary Leaf/Sage Leaf/Thyme Leaf Extract Ferment Filtrate, Ceramide 3, Acetobacter/Aspergillus/Lactobacillus/Leuconostoc/Pediococcus/Saccharomyces/Zygosaccharomyces/Citrus Unshiu Fruit/Citrus Japonica Fruit/Citrus Junos Fruit/ Apple Fruit/Banana Fruit/Papaya Fruit/ Pyrus Serotina Fruit/ Diospyros Kaki Fruit/Watermelon Fruit/Peach Fruit/ Prunus Mume Fruit/Fig Fruit/Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit/Eriobotrya Japonica Fruit/Apricot Fruit/ Zizyphus Jujuba Fruit/Cucurbita Maxima Fruit/Castanea Crenata Fruit/Vitis Coignetiae Fruit/Raspberry Fruit/Momordica Grosvenorii Fruit/Lycium Chinense Fruit/Glycine Max Seed/Phaseolus Angularis Seed/Canavalia Ensiformis Seed/Rice Seed/Hordeum Vulgare Seed/Coix Lachryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed/Echinochloa Crus-Galli Seed/Setaria Italica Seed/Millet Seed/Hemerocallis Fulva Flower/Cabbage Leaf/Stem/Morus Bombycis Leaf/Perilla Frutescens Leaf/Ipomoea Batatas Root/Colocasia Antiquorum Tuber/Dioscorea Batatas Rhizome/Iridea Laminarioides/Laminaria Japonica/Nemacystus Decipiens/Undaria Pinnatifida/Radish Root/Turnip Root/Carrot Root/Arctium Lappa Root/Nelumbo Nucifera Rhizome/Onion Bulb/Lilium Auratum Bulb/Licorice Root/Sagittaria Trifolia Root/Sesame Seed/Ginkgo Biloba Seed/Juglans Subcordiformis Fruit/Panax Ginseng Seed/Actinidia Polygama Fruit/Hydnum Erinaceum Fruiting Body/Grifola Frondosa Fruiting Body/Prunus Salicina Fruit/Akebia Quinata Fruit/Crataegus Cuneata Fruit/Cornus Officinalis Fruit/Nephelium Longana Fruit/Houttuynia Cordata/Artemisia Princeps/Sasa Veitchii Leaf/Glechoma Hederacea/Chamomilla Recutita Flower/Equisetum Arvense/Cassia Obtusifolia Seed/Taraxacum Officinale/Isodon Japonicus/Safflower Flower/Plantago Asiatica/Smallanthus Sonchifolius Root/Garlic Bulb/Ginger Rhizome/Beet Rhizome/Polygonum Odoratum Rhizome/Turmeric Rhizome/Acanthopanax Siebodianus Root/Pinus Koraiensis Seed/Lentinus Edodes Fruiting Body/Auricularia Auricula/Vitis Labrusca Fruit/Helianthus Tuberosus Tuber Ferment Extract, Adenosine, Palmitoyl Proline, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Cholesterol, Magnesium Palmitoyl Glutamate, Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate, Pearl Powder, Palmitic Acid, Kluyveromyces/Lactobacillus/Camellia Japonica Seed Oil Ferment Filtrate, Kluyveromyces/Lactobacillus/Safflower Seed Oil Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Honeysuckle Flower Extract Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Clover Flower Ferment Extract, Yeast Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Boswellia Carterii Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citral, Citronellol, Limonene, Geraniol, Linalool, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499

And that's pretty much it.
So now go and enter the giveaway (link in the top menu).
Good luck!

I to by bylo na tyle.
A teraz ostatnia szansa na rozdanie - konczy sie 31 grudnia.

Powodzenia!

AQMW Cosme Decorte Holiday Coffret

I don't have the patience, not to mention skills, for color makeup. By the time I make it through my primer and foundation, I'm too exhausted, too frustrated, and too late for work to fiddle with eyeshadows and liners and some such. Now you see why I consider cushion foundation a gift from the gods of makeup. Pat pat pat and done.

I'm a firm believer in crayon eyecolor / eyeshadow - if you can hold a pencil, you can get your eyes done. And if you're like me and prefer light colors in general, you don't even have to draw an even line. Any line will do. Just remember to smudge it out quickly - very important if you're using those stay-in-place forever crayons from Shu Uemura, or Etude House Play 101.

Nie mam ani cierpliwosci, ani umiejetnosci do kolorowki. Jak juz przebrne przez primer i podklad to jestem zbyt wykonczona i zbyt kurzona i zbyt spozniona, zeby bawic sie z cieniami i linerami. Teraz juz jasne dlaczego uwazam podklady w poduszkach za dary niebios. Ciap ciap ciap i gotowe.

Jestem fanka kredek do oczu - jesli potrafisz trzymac olowek, od bidy dasz rade umalowac oko. A jesli jestes jak ja i lubisz naturalne i jasne kolory, to nawet nie musisz wysilac sie z prosta kreska. Bo kazda kreska da rade. Tylko pamietaj, zeby ja troche rozmazac zanim zastygnie. Bardzo wazne, jesli bawisz sie tymi super trwalymi kredkami od Shu Uemura albo Etude House Play 101.

~~~


I'm way too old to learn new tricks, or should I say "too lazy", so I tend to avoid the pressed eyeshadow scene altogether. Color palettes terrify me. I actually have a couple. All in neutral shades to minimize the chances of turning myself into a color blind makeup disaster.

In general, I prefer to stick with what works for me and despise any changes to my makeup routine.

Then, why the hell this???

Jestem za stara (choc moze powinnam powiedziec, ze "za leniwa") na uczenie sie obslugi tradycyjnych cieni do powiek. Wiec omijam je z daleka. I choc ich nie lubie, to zdarzylo mi sie kupic pare. Wszystkie w neutralnych odcieniach, zeby zminimalizowac szanse na  makeupowa tragedie.

Generalnie, trzymam sie tego co mi pasuje i nie lubie zmian.
Wiec, jak do cholery, mam wytlumaczyc to?

My excuse is, it looked like a box of chocolates.

Moja wymowka jest, ze wygladalo to to jak pudelko czekoladek.

And I must have been particularly hungry that day.

Cosme Decorte is one of the selective brands made by Kose.

Never heard of Kose? It's one of the three huge cosmetics and health care companies in Japan, the other two being Shiseido and Kanebo.

I actually quite like Kose. Their products seem more compatible to me than Shiseido or Kanebo. I'm a fan of Albion and Astablanc and Sekkisei and Jill Stuart and yeah, even Fasio.

Here, take a look at their brand overview:

I musze przyznac, ze bylam naprawde glodna tego dnia.

Cosme Decorte to selektywna marka ze stajni Kose.
Co to Kose? Ano, jedna z trzech gigantycznych firm kosmetycznych w Japonii, dwie pozostale to Shiseido i Kanebo.

Ja lubie Kose. Ich produkty jakos sa dla mnie bardziej kompatybilne niz te rodem z Shiseido czy Kanebo. Jestem fanka Albionu i Astablanc i Sekkisei i Jill Stuart. I tak, nawet Fasio.

Tutaj szybki przeglad marek z Kose rodem:

source: Kose.co.jp

As much as I like to look at holiday coffrets and limited editions, I never buy them. Well, almost never. Because as you can very well see right now, I did buy this one.

And as much as I don't like color makeup, I must say, I'm very glad I got this set. It's clean and natural and sophisticated at the same time. And the best of all, even such a makeup challenged person like me can manage to use these products without fear of turning into a walking disaster.

Ja bardzo lubie podziwiac swiateczne limitki i swiateczne zestawy. Ale ja ich nigdy nie kupuje. No, prawie nigdy. Bo jak latwo zauwazyc, to ten tutaj akurat kupilam.

I o ile kolorowka ogolnie mnie przerasta, to jestem zadowolona, ze wzielam ten zestaw. Jest bardzo prosty, naturalny, i ponadczasowy. I najlepsze w tym jest, ze nawet taka makeupowa sierota jak ja da rade. Ciezko sobie tym zestawem krzywde zrobic.

So, what did we get in this set? An eyeshadow palette, a liner, lipgloss and cheek color. All in very wearable shades that according to the brand, will suit almost everybody.

AQMW stands for "Absolute Quality" and "Marcel Wanders" who is the art director for this line.

The colors:

A co my tu mamy? Cienie do powiek, liner, blyszczyk do ust i roz. Wszystko w kolorach bardzo latwych do noszenia, i ktore, wedlug opisu producenta, pasuja niemal kazdej kobiecie.

AQMW to skrot od AQ i MW. AQ to Absolute Quality, a MW to Marcel Wanders, ktory dziala jako art director tej linii.

A tutaj kolorki:

The colors are very mellow and very natural. 

I suck at swatching, but this will give you a basic general idea:

Odcienie sa bardzo neutralne i naturalne.
Nie umiem robic swatchy, ale te myziania cos tam pokazuja:

The cheek color is very subtle, but being creamy, it needs to be applied with a light hand. 

And as you can see, the eyeshadow palette has helpful hints as to where each color should be used.

And if you still can't do it right, this information card should be able to help:

Roz jest bardzo delikatny, ale poniewaz ma kremowa konsystencje, trzeba uwazac przy jego nakladaniu.
Jak widac na zdjeciu, paletka cieni ma pomocniczne informacje dla sierot takich jak ja, gdzie dany kolor idzie na oku.

A jesli nadal cie to przerasta, to tutaj mamy karte informacyjna z dodatkowa instrukcja obrazkowa:

All in all, I am very pleased with this purchase. It wasn't cheap, but I think it was well worth it. 

Podsumowujac, ciesze sie, ze to kupilam. Nie bylo tanie, ale mysle, ze bylo warto. Idealne dla makijazowo sprawnych inaczej.

My only complaint - couldn't they stick a piece of real chocolate in there as well?

Tylko jedno "ale" - nie mogli tam wsadzic kawalka prawdziwej czekolady do kompletu? Wtedy naprawde bylby to strzal w dziesiatke.

Happy Holidays!!!

From your favorite K-pop idols:

And a Happy New Year courtesy of SK-II:

The treatment essence is going to be a gift. I'm keeping the rest (including the dark red, heart-shaped SK-II cushion).

Happy Holidays!!!

VDL Beauty Metal Cushion Foundation in M101

I had to restrain myself from titling this post "Full Metal Cushion". Because I really hoped this would be a "me love you long time" cushion story.

If you are new to Korean cushion foundations, I suggest you first check out the motherlode of reviews and other info by clicking the "Cushion Foundations" tab in the top menu.

It all started a few months back when my friend suddenly sent me a photo, totally out of the blue, with a very short and cryptic message "This color! You!"

Nie wiem jak przetlumaczyc pierwszy paragraf na polski, bo nigdy nie ogladalam "Full Metal Jacket" po polsku.

Jesli to pierwszy raz, kiedy spotykasz sie z koreanskim podkladem w poduszce, proponuje najpierw zajrzec w zakladke "Cushion Foundations" w menu w pasku u gory. Tam znajduje sie juz kilka innych poduszkowych recenzji, oraz jasiek pelen informacji.

Z VDL wszystko zaczelo sie od krotkiej i dosc lakonicznej wiadomosci przez Line od mojej przyjaciolki "Kolor! Ty!" ze zdjeciem w zalaczniku.

No filters applied. 

Bez filtrow.

I looked at the photo, and yes, all I could think of was "This color! Me!"

Later she brought the cushion over and I had a chance to see it up close in person. I decided to buy it right there and then.
A week or so later, this lovely VDL Beauty Metal Cushion in M101 was mine. All mine.

No co ja pacze! Jedyne do przyszlo mi do glowy to "Kolor! Ja!"
Kiedy pozniej psiapsiola przyniosla poduszke do pomacania osobiscie, juz wiedzialam, ze musze ja miec. Tydzien pozniej, ta miluska VDL Beauty Metal Cushion w kolorze M101 byla moja. Moja!

"Metal cushion?" I hear you say.

Yes, that's right.

In traditional cushions, the foundation saturated sponge is exposed. You simply press the sponge with the applicator and then pat pat pat on your face.

In a metal cushion, the spongey part is covered by a metal plate with tiny holes.

Metalowa poduszka?
Ano, tak.

W tradycyjnych podkladach w poduszce, gabka nasaczona podkladem siedzi sobie na wierzchu. Naciskasz na ta gabke gabeczka do nakladania podkladu, w ten sposob nabierasz podklad i potem ciap ciap ciap na twarz.

W metalowej poduszce, gabka nasaczona podkladem przykryta jest metalowa plytka z malutkimi dziurkami.

You press the metal part and the foundation is dispensed through the tiny holes.

Naciskasz na metalowa plytke i podklad jest dozowany przez te male dziurki.

This solution has several things going for it:

• less contamination
• keeps the foundation from drying out
• keeps the foundation fresher longer
• allows for a thicker formula, which then allows for more substantial coverage
• looks very cool and futuristic.

Me likes. Me likes very much.

To rozwiazanie ma kilka waznych plusow:

• jest bardziej higieniczne
• chroni podklad przed wyschnieciem (zmora "analogowych" poduszek)
• przedluza swiezosc podkladu ogolnie
• pozwala na zastosowanie bardziej tresciwej konsystencji, ktora potem pozwala na mocniejsze krycie
• wyglada bardzo futurystycznie.

Ja lubic. Ja bardzo lubic.

When you open your cushion for the first time, you see that the metal plate is protected by a sticker.

The applicator sponge is a standard-issue cushion sponge.

Po otwarciu nowego opakowania widac, ze metalowa plytka chroniona jest przez naklejke.
Gabeczka do nakladania to standardowa gabeczka "do poduszki".

VDL supposedly stands for "violet dream luminous". Hmm... I clearly don't smoke whatever it was that they did. But whatever...

VDL to ponoc skrot od "violet (fiolet) dream (marzenie) luminous (swietlany, swietlny)". No coz, najwyrazniej nigdy nie palilam tego co oni. Ale niech im bedzie.

~~~

VDL Cosmetics is one of the many brands from LG Household & Health Care (the home of su:m37, Ohui and Isa Knox, among many others). All VDL products supposedly contain the company's proprietary Lumilayer™ Technology designed to give each product its dazzling color.

Oh yes, the color. That was the reason why I went after this cushion like a hungry cougar after a chicken.
M101, otherwise known as Bright Milky Beige, seemed just perfect for me. Too perfect almost.

VDL Cosmetics to jedna z wielu marek ze stajni LG Household & Health Care (podobnie jak su:m37, Ohui, Isa Knox i wiele innych). Ponoc wszystkie produkty VDL zawieraja technologie Lumilayer™, ktora ma dawac ich kosmetykom ten zniewalajacy kolor.

Tak, ten kolor. Poszlam za tym kolorem jak w dym.
M101, rowniez znany jako "jasny mleczny bez" wydawal sie idealny dla mnie. Niemal za idealny.

No filters applied.

Bez filtrow.

The color aside, VDL Beauty Metal Cushion offers the usual cushion benefits:

• SPF50+ PA+++
• glowing radiance
• moisture-keeping formula
• long-lasting with no color change
• prune water.

Oprocz koloru, VDL Beauty Metal Cushion oferuje mniej lub bardziej standardowe poduszkowe dzialanie:

• ochrona przeciwsloneczna SPF50+ PA+++
• blask
• nawilzanie
• trwalosc bez zmiany koloru przy utelnianiu
• ekstrakt z suszonych sliwek.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. 

Przepraszam, nie moglam sie powstrzymac.

What? Come again?

Yes. Prune water. While the last point is not typical to other cushions, this VDL Beauty Metal Cushion indeed features prune extract as its main ingredient.
So now your face can be regular as well.

Damn, this would make for one sick advertising campaign, all metal plated and prune juicy. If it can make a Klingon look great, just think what it could do for you! A warrior's cushion. 
Somebody stop me please...

Here's the complete ingredient list:

Ze co prosze?

Ano. Tak. Ekstrakt z suszonych sliwek. Moze nie jest to typowy punkt programu dla innych poduszek (lub kosmetykow ogolnie), ale wlasnie jest on glownym skladnikiem w tej poduszce.
Kto by pomyslal! Suszone sliwki sa dobre na wszystko!

Kurcze, to by nadawalo sie na swietna kampanie reklamowa.
Tutaj cala lista skladnikow:

And here you have the usual promises:

A tu, obietnice producenta:

And warnings:

I ostrzezenia:

What surprised me was the fact that there was no informational leaflet in the box. All the relevant info was printed on the box. Whatever the reason behind it, I was happy to see this earth-friendly gesture.

The only things in the box were the cushion compact and a plastic cover intended as a metal plate protection:

Bylam nieco zdziwiona, ze w pudelku nie bylo ulotki informacyjnej. Wszystko co sie dalo, wydrukowali na pudelku. Bardzo mi sie takie ekologiczne i ekonomiczne podejscie do sprawy spodobalo.

Jedyne co znajdowalo sie w pudelku to kompakt poduszkowy i ekstra plastikowa przykrywka:

And here with the plastic cover in action:

A tutaj kompakt z ta dodatkowa przykrywka w akcji:

You can also see in the photo above a sheet of clear plastic film. This was used to protect the mirror:

Na zdjeciu powyzej widac tez krazek przezroczystego filmu. Ten byl przyklejony do lusterka w ramach ochrony:

Here you can see the mirror is not sparkly clean. That's because it's covered with this protective plastic.

Overall, the compact is very sturdy and fuss-free. Very basic, but functional.

Na zdjeciu powyzej widac, ze lusterko nie jest blyszczace. To dlatego, bo jeszcze nie oderwalam tej ochronnej folii.

Ogolnie, kompakcik jest solidny i bez zbednych udziwnien. Prosty, ale funkcjonalny.

On the bottom you have the expiration date:

Na spodzie kompaktu widnieje data waznosci:

There was no refill included, so all you get is 15 grams of product.

Oh yes, the product...

The color was indeed ideal for me, but...
Despite the claims that this VDL Beauty Metal Cushion is suitable for all skin types, it doesn't want to work with dry skin.
My friend has combo / oily skin and she loves, loves, loves this cushion. For her, the "me love you long time" story has a happy ending.

For me, not so much. The cushion is about to find a new, more appropriate home.
I am heartbroken, because the color is perfect.
Here you can see it compared to NC15:

Nie bylo dodatkowego wkladu wymiennego, wiec jedyne co dostajemy to 15 gramow produktu.

Ach ten produkt.
Kolor idealny dla mnie, ale...
Choc firma twierdzi, ze VDL Beauty Metal Cushion nadaje sie do wszystkich typow cer, to w rzeczywistosci zupelnie nie chce sie dogadac z cera sucha.
Kolezanka z cera mieszana w kierunku tlustej jest natomiast zachwycona i cala w skowronkach. Dla niej ten podklad to jak dar niebios.

Dla mnie, juz nie bardzo. Wiec wkrotce podusia powedruje do nowego domu.
Jestem bardzo smutna, bo odcien rzeczywiscie jak dla mnie stworzony.
Tutaj porownanie z NC15:

In conclusion, this is a great cushion for normal, combo and oily skin types. For dry skin, if you want to try it, be prepared for even drier skin.

The finish is not dewy, and not glowy (only in artificial light), and not satiny, and not matte. It's radiant, but natural, with medium to heavy-duty cover. Applied in the morning stayed in place all day long.
If Estee Lauder Double Wear Light had a younger, fuller, radiant, fresh and more natural sister, VDL Beauty Metal Cushion would be it.

Ah, VDL Beauty Metal Cushion, you broke my heart...

Podsumowujac, to swietna poduszka dla cer normalnych, mieszanych i tlustych. Cery suche wysusza jeszcze bardziej.

Wykonczenie nie jest ani mokre, ani glow (jedynie w sztucznym oswietleniu ten glow wychodzi na jaw, ale tak jest przy kazdym niemal podkladzie), ani satynowy, ani matowy. Jest za to promiennie i naturalnie i swiezo. Krycie od sredniego po mocne. Trwalosc faktycznie imponujaca.
Gdyby Estee Lauder Double Wear Light mialo mlodsza, promienniejsza, radosniejsza, lzejsza i bardziej naturalna siostre, to VDL Beauty Metal Cushion pasowalaby w tej roli jak ulal.

Ach, VDL Beauty Metal Cushion, zlamalas mi serce.

And here's that extra plastic lid once again, it fits perfectly on the metal plate and prevents from accidental pushes:

A tutaj ta dodatkowa przykrywka raz jeszcze. Pasuje idealnie na metalowa plytke i zapobiega przypadkowym nacisnieciom.

The applicator sponge goes on top of the extra lid. And somehow, amazingly, it all fits inside the quite slim compact.

I got my VDL Beauty Metal Cushion from G-Market, but plenty of other internet shops offer it as well.
I can recommend this ebay seller. Though based in Australia, the items are shipped from Korea, and my order from him was filled to the brim with extra samples. Also, excellent communication and very helpful overall.

The list of available shades can be found on VDL's website. No worries, it's in English. Yay!

And that's the me not love you long time story of a full metal cushion.


Gabeczka do nakladania idzie na wierzch tej ekstra przykrywki. I jakos wszystko to daje sie upchnac w tym niezbyt pokaznych rozmiarow kompakcie.

Jak kupilam ta poduszke na G-Markecie chyba, ale wiele innych sklepow internetowych rowniez ja oferuje.
Od siebie moge polecic tego sprzedawce ebayowego. Choc lokalizacja figuruje jako "Australia" to wszystko wysylane jest z Korei. I moje zamowienie od niego wypelnione bylo po brzegi ekstra probkami i mini produktami. Rowniez szybko odpowiada na pytania i jest w stanie zasugerowac kolor, itp.

Lista dostepnych odcieni widnieje na stronie VDL Cosmetics. Spoko strona jest po angielsku.

I tak konczy sie moj romans z metalowa poduszka VDL.

The end.

Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 series

Let's make things perfectly clear, I have a great sentiment for Shiseido as a brand. It was my first introduction to asian skincare in, oh…, sometime in the last century.

I remember using the UV White series way back when, and being quite pleased with the results. Meaning, it didn’t break me out. I adore Shiseido's color makeup. The mid-priced Maquillage line intended for the Japanese domestic market is just as good, if not better, than Shiseido's global color offerings.

I remember trying skincare from the global Shiseido versions ages ago but it didn’t really wow me. It was meh to the point that I don’t even recall what exactly it was that I was using. I decided it was wholly average, ridiculously overpriced and highly overrated.

Then there was my very brief and disastrous experience with the Ibuki line... Oh well... Let it go... la la la la...


Zeby nie bylo nieporozumien, to od razu mowie, ze do Shiseido jako marki mam ogromna sympatie. Ona byla moim wstepem do azjatyckiej pielegnacji, oh, gdzies tak w zeszlym stuleciu.
Pamietam, ze uzywalam serii UV White, czy jak ja tam teraz przeinaczyli, i bylam nawet zadowolona. Znaczy sie, nie wysypalo mnie po niej.
Bardzo lubie shiseidowska kolorowke. Linia Maquillage na lokalny rynek japonski jest tam samo dobra, a w wielu przypadkach nawet lepsza, niz to co kolorowkowo Shiseido oferuje globalnie.

Pamietam tez, ze bawilam sie swojego czasu pielegnacja Shiseido z wersji globalnej (czyli tej na caly swiat, a nie na rynek japonski), ale bylo to na tyle marne, ze nazwy produktow wylecialy mi z glowy. Juz wtedy doszlam do wniosku, ze bylo to bardzo przecietne, przereklamowane, i z bardzo wyimaginowana cena.

Po drodze bylo tez moje malo przyjemne doswiadczenie z linia Ibuki.

~~~

Fast forward to January 2014…

I was coming back from Tonga (brownie points for those who know what and where it is) and had a very boring and quite long layover in Hong Kong. On New Year’s Day, no less. So I did what any other reasonable person in this situation would do. I went duty free shopping.

There was a Shiseido event going on at one of the stores.
I thought "why not?" and before I had a chance to change my mind, I became a proud owner of a set of three Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Resist24 creams: day, night, and eye. To complete the set I also got a toner, or rather - a balancing softener, as the brand calls it, from the same line.
All of them were full size products.


Przewijamy do stycznia 2014 roku.

Wracalam z Tonga i mialam przesiadke w Hong Kongu. W dniu nowego roku do tego. Wiec zrobilam to, co kazda inna rozsadna osoba zrobilaby w takiej sytuacji. Poszlam na zakupy w duty free. Bo Nowy Rok sam sie przeciez nie uczci.

Jeden ze sklepow mial promocje na Shiseido.
Pomyslalam sobie "dlaczego by nie?" i zanim mialam szanse sie rozmyslic, stalam sie wlascicielka zestawu trzech kremow Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24: na dzien, na noc i pod oczy.
Do kompletu kupilam tez "balancing softener" z tej samej linii.
Wszystkie produkty byly pelnowymiarowe.

That I decided to take the plunge and buy it all shows you that despite my past experiences with the brand, I'm always willing to give Shiseido a chance...

To ze zdecydowalam sie na kupno wszystkich od razu, pomimo moich wczesniejszych malo przyjemnych doswiadczen z globalna pielegnacja Shiseido, pokazuje, ze zawsze jestem w stanie dac tej marce kolejna szanse.

I finished all of these products quite a while ago.
In the meantime I had a chance to use other skincare claiming to offer similar benefits, both Asian and western. Both high-end and drugstore. Expensive and cheap.

And what's below is just my personal opinion based on my needs, my experiences and my comparisons...

Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Balancing Softener was the first one to hit my empties pile. It was a decent toner / lotion / softener, but... Did it live up to its claims?
No.
It's a drugstore quality toner in a fancy bottle with a ridiculous price and highly imaginary skincare benefit claims. A quick look at the ingredient list seems to confirm that.

Skonczylam juz je wszystkie jakis czas temu.
W miedzyczasie mialam rowniez okazje uzywac innych kosmetykow pielegnacyjnych obiecujacych podobne dzialanie, zarowno zachodnich marek, jak i azjatyckich. Selektywnych, jak i z drogerii. Drogich jak jasny gwint, i tanich.

Moja opinia ponizej oparta jest na moich wlasnych potrzebach i oczekiwaniach od "selektywnej" pielegnacji, moich wlasnych doswiadczeniach kosmetycznych i porownaniach z innymi produktami.

Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Balancing Softener byl pierwszym zdenkowanym produktem z tej linii. Byl w porzadku jako toner. Ale... czy spelnil obietnice producenta?
Nie.
To przecietny drogeryjny toner w "ekskluzywnie" wygladajacej butli, z wygorowana cena nieadekwatna do dzialania.
Sklad to potwierdza.


Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Balancing Softener ingredient list:

Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, SD Alcohol 40-B, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, PEG-30 Soy Sterol, Isostearic Acid, Benzophenone-5, Erythritol, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, PEG/PPG-7/14 Dimethyl Ether, Sodium Citrate, Algin, Fragrance, Sodium Metaphosphate, Citric Acid, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Serine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sapindus Mukurossi Peel Extract, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxyproline, Alcohol, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Yellow 6, Uncaria Gambir Extract, Red 4, Tocopherol

~~~

Now for the cream trifecta...

• Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Intensive Eye Contour Cream
• Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Night Cream
• Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Day Cream with some pitiful SPF of 15, hahaha (a clear sign it's a global Shiseido product, because such low SPF in Japan would be met with empty laughter)

Did they live up to their claims?

No.

They moisturized. Half-assedly, at that. They made my skin feel a bit softer. But that's due to the high petrolatum (vaseline) and glycerin content in them.
Well, you know what?
Basic moisturizers I can get at my local drugstore, for a lot cheaper than those duds.
Other than that?
Any visible anti-wrinkle, smoothing benefits?
Zero, zip, zilch, nada.


A teraz do trojcy kremowej.

• Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Intensive Eye Contour Cream
• Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Night Cream
• Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Day Cream ze smiesznym SPF15, hahaha (najlepszy dowod, ze to produkt na swiat, a nie na rynek lokalny, gdzie taki niski SPF zostalby przyjety z pustym smiechem)

Czy wywiazaly sie z obietnic producenta?

Nie.

Nawilzaly. Ale to wszystko co robily. To zasluga wazeliny i gliceryny w skladach.

Ale gliceryne i wazeline to ja se moge tanio w drogerii kupic.

Oprocz tego?

Nic. Zupelnie nic. Zero. No moze nie totalne, bo ladnie pachnialy.

~~~

I remember that to test their claims, I was using this WrinkleResist24 set on one half of my face and Estee Lauder Advanced Time Zone for dry skin on the other. After a month of that, it was clear that WrinkleResist24 offered exactly zero wrinkle resist benefits.

So, in conclusion, if you are looking for anti-wrinkle skincare products, there are other, better options.
But if you're feeling snobbish, love to overpay for mediocrity and want a really expensive daily moisturizing set, this series is perfect for you.

Pamietam, ze aby przetestowac ich dzialanie, uzywalam WrinkleResist24 serii na pol twarzy, a na drugi pol Estee Lauder Advanced Time Zone dla cery suchej. Po miesiacu tego eksperymentu musialam przestac, bo bylo jasne, ze WrinkleResist24, oprocz nawilzenia, nie robily zupelnie nic.

Wiec, w podsumowaniu...
Jesli szukasz czegos na zmarszczki, to sa inne, lepsze opcje.
Ale jesli masz zaciecie snobistyczne, kochasz przeplacac za przecietnosc i jara Cie drogi zestaw nawilzajacy, to seria WrinkleResist24 bedzie strzalem w dziesiatke.


~~~

Ingredients below:
Sklady ponizej

• Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Intensive Eye Contour Cream:

Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Mineral Oil, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Butylene Gylcol, Paraffin, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Squalane, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Glutamate, Sodium PCA, Dipropylene Glycol, Beeswax, Microcrystalline Wax, Polyethyene, Methylparaben, Phytosteryl/Octydodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Fragrance, Trisodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Alcohol, Tocopherol, Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Butyphenyl Methylpropional, Sapindus Mukurossi Peel Extract, Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Unicaria Gambir Extract, Benzyl Benzoate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Sanguisorba Officinalis Root Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxyproline, Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, BHT

• Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Night Cream:

Water, Glycerin, Hydrogenated C6-14 Olefin Polymers, Petrolatum, Cetyl Octanoate, Dipropylene Glycol, Squalane, Microcrystalline Wax, Maltitol, Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, PEG-150, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Sodium PCA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Phosphate, Arginine HCI, Ginseng Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxyproline, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Polyvinyl Alcohol, PEG-12 Dioleate, Butylene Glycol, Trisodium EDTA, Alcohol, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Tocopherol, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Fragrance, Iron Oxides.

• Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Day Cream:

Active Ingredient: Oxybenzone,
Inactive Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Sorbitol, Myristyl Myristate, Dimethicone, SD Alcohol 40-B, Petrolatum, Stearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Silica, Palmitic Acid, Xanthan Gum, PEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sapindus Mukurossi Peel Extract, Uncaria Gambir Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxyproline, Thymus Serpillum Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, PEG-5 Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Bentonite, Trisodium EDTA, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Metaphosphate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Alcohol, Sodium Metabisulfite, BHT, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Iron Oxides.