Korean Makeup Review - Mamonde 'Vivid Touch Eyes' Eye Shadow in #8 and #12

MAMONDE VIVID TOUCH EYES - REVIEW & SWATCHES

Here comes the second part of my little eyeshadow review series. I'm focusing on my reddish-brown hues, and the first one up was the Aritaum Shine Fix Eyes in #25 Vampire Kiss. For this review, the eye shadow that takes center stage is a lot more subdued and more suited to elegant or simple daily looks.

On we go!

Mamonde has a comparably small selection of eye shadows, which might be a weak point in some opinions - especially if compared to the large selections at brands like Etude House or Aritaum. I actually quite like their available shades! The colors are easy to combine, not too repetitive, there's some stand-out shades and they do add special collections depending on seasons and festivities.

Their Vivid Touch Eyes shadows, as the single eye shadows are called, can be separated in three categories:

• Shimmer (11 colors)
• Sparkling (8 colors) 
• Matte (6 colors)

MAMONDE VIVID TOUCH EYES - #8 Dry Rose and #12 Bouquet Daisy 

The brand Mamonde as a whole is inspired by flowers, with flowery essences of all kinds being featured in their skincare, and their makeup lines especially taking their names and shades from flowers. I love their Creamy Tint lip crayons, and so I ventured on to their eye shadows last autumn.

This review features two eye shadows that go well together, with the star of the show being the Vivid Touch Shadow in Matte #8 'Dry Rose', a gorgeous deep, rosy-brown shade, that depending on the lighting can go from purple undertones to rusty hues.

Mamonde Vivid Touch Eyes Matte 08, Dry Rose

Artificial , indirect lighting.

The second shade is the Vivid Touch Shadow in Sparkling #12 'Bouquet Daisy', a toned-down rose and beige shade with colorful glitter.

Mamonde Vivid Touch Eyes Sparkling 12, Bouquet Daisy

The glitter particles are tiny, but range through a surprising variety of colors, featuring pinks (mostly), violet, mint green, gold, light blue... It's not overpowering at all (quite subtle actually) but I really love the combination of the simple basic shade and the more rainbow colored glitters.

The packaging of the Mamonde Vivid Touch Eyes shadows is square and a bit bulky. One shadow consists of 2.2 g of product, but the packaging made it look like more.
These retail for 5.500 Won here in Korea, so a bit more pricey than my normal shadows from Innisfree and Aritaum.

The swatches for #8 Dry Rose show how it can go from purple to rust in color.
On my skin it leans rusty, on paper it's purple. It depends on lighting (here direct sunlight) and skin undertone, as well. The warm, rusty hue helps, though, because straight-up purple can look sickly.

Left: #8 Dry Rose
Right: #12 Bouquet Daisy

More swatching, in indirect light.

Artificial light, no flash.

Now for the eye swatches! #8 Dry Rose can, like I feared, make me look tired and sick when applied all over the lid. I much prefer it only as an extended eyeliner or on my outer corners, but for review purposes, I went for the all-over look.

The shade does work much better with eyeliner to define the eyes, though!

This matte shadow does migrate into fine lines. I'd recommend using a primer (I didn't). Other than that, the lasting power is quite good, not budging throughout the day, and the color doesn't fade.

Mamonde Vivid Touch Eyes Matte #8 Dry Rose. Direct sunlight.

Better than on its own, the shade #8 works perfectly as a base for burgundy or red eye makeup. As it's not too saturated, it can bring down the 'swollen' look red shadows often give.

It also works really well with the glittery Bouquet Daisy #12 shade on top, as the purple-rust color makes the overall effect of the glitter more interesting.

#12 Bouquet Daisy goes on more buttery and blends more easily than #8.

 #12 has, except for its colorful glitter pigments, a very simple base color that blends well with the more saturated, darker #8, but looks good when used on its own all-over the lid, too.

Artificial light, no flash.

Direct sunlight, no flash.

Both eyes have #8 and #12 applied on the whole lid, but you can only see the glitter caught on camera on the far right.

I'd expected #8 especially to be a very striking shade back when I bought it, but it's actually very wearable on a daily basis - I use it in place of normal brown shadows.
The shade isn't for those who want a dramatic or evening eye makeup look, it's much too natural looking for that.

#12, too, isn't a very eye-catching shade. It's not very glittery, especially when compared to the Shine Fix Eyes shadows or other metallic, glitter pigments. The very fine glitter pieces are hard to see unless you look really closely, and the varied colors the glitter shows don't make it look fluorescent or metallic, but glossy. Thanks to that, it looks good with 'dewy' makeup finishes.

That might sound negative all in all, but despite being very understated, this is actually one of the prettiest glitter shades that I've tried! It works well on top of any color as well as alone, and the glitter pigments spread very evenly over the lid, without fall-out or clumping. It's easy to blend and, while looking very natural, brings light to tired eyes.

I do love these two shades in combination for simple but put-together daily makeup. If you have green or hazel eyes, give a rosy-brown color a go! It's not as hard to pull off as an all-out red or burgundy shade.

All in all, I'm very happy with my (first) two Mamonde eye shadows. The whole collection and brand image goes for natural, elegant and feminine looks, and the colors are very easy to work with.

I've been reaching for this combination on all the rainy days lately, and love to combine them with my newest lipstick (the rosy innisfree real fit one). Other lipstick colors are a bit tricky with that rusty-rosy color on the lids, but in general, toned-down rose and red shades go well with the colors.

Thank you so much for reading! :D Next up in this series is a brighter red eye shadow~

Korean Makeup and Beauty Stickers - Updated Art Shop!

Just a quick update on the art front in between makeup reviews! :)

Some of you who follow me on instagram might have noticed that my makeup illustrations have been shared by the official innisfree account (yay!?!), and as I've since had several people ask me why I don't sell via a platform like etsy, I decided to do a little update on this whole art print thing. 

I actually do have an Etsy Store! I just... never used it, haha. Thanks to having published manga books back home in Switzerland/Germany, I always sold my manga artworks over my facebook page and didn't really need the additional platform. And while I like to keep things 'personal' for the beauty illustrations as well, I believe it's time to finally put that etsy store to good use. 

Especially the stickers, which are so easy to send as they're small and light, deserve some additional spotlight, don't you think? I recently ordered my first round of re-prints, too!

So for those of you who prefer an official platform like etsy (maybe some of you already have an account over there?), please have a look! 

(Update: I now sell exclusively over etsy, but you can always contact me via email if you'd like to order directly.)

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you prefer! Many thanks to all of you who've supported me by ordering some of my work! 

So, here's the overview:

evydraws on etsy

my facebook page, which is a bit more manga-art-heavy

and here's the information for my commissions

Thanks <3

Korean Makeup Review - Innisfree Real Fit Lipstick #8 Rosy Latte

REVIEW of the INNISFREE REAL FIT LIPSTICK

Another day, another review - I'm on a review roll this month! Finally some time to go through all the products I've been meaning to review for a while...

Edit 2017.02.03: This post contains an affiliate link (additionally marked with an * asterisk in the blog post), meaning I will make a small commission from anything you buy. View my 'About' page for the full disclaimer and my review policy! All products are purchased by me.

Before I continue with my review series of red-hue eyeshadows, I'll take a little detour through the world of lip products.

I've gone ahead and put stickers on it...
The packaging is similar to my Creamy Tint Lipsticks, so this combats confusion!

The Innisfree Real Fit Lipstick were the brand's fall release in 2015, and especially the more muted colors (#6-#10) made quite a splash. Perfectly fitted to the season, the colors were elegant and subdued, with some nudes thrown into the mix.

From the official homepage

I'd been wanting to get my hands on one - but, confession time, I'm not a big 'hauler'. I had other lipsticks I was completely happy with and didn't need anything in particular, so I waited... but as I'll be on a small television program end of this month, I was craving an alternative to my usual bright colors - something that would be easy to wear and elegant no matter the time of day or occasion.

After looong deliberation, I went with the main color of the line:

#8 라떼 한잔 로지 Latte Hanchan (meaning: one cup) Rosy, or as the official translation on Amazon goes: Innisfree Real Fit #8 Latte Rosy (*)

Real Fit Lipstick 'A lipstick that instantly covers your lips with a clear color and without a heavy feeling'

Innisfree Real Fit Lipstick #8 Latte Rosy

I just love the name! In Korean, it gives the feeling of ordering a cup of latte. The line also had a Coral Latte and a Pink Latte (#6 and #7) but those looked a bit too pale/nude for me.

The claims on the packaging:
- light fitting
- clear color
- long lasting
- camellia oil

The whole line is described as lightweight with just one stroke of the lipstick providing intense color.

My expectations were high, and I wasn't disappointed!

The packaging and size are identical to the Creamy Tint Lipsticks from innisfree: Small and compact, very sturdy. One lipstick contains 3.5g of product and retails in Korea for 12,000 \ - I got it on sale for 9,000. If you're in Korea for a while, chances are that you'll catch an innisfree sale weekend. ;)

The color is exactly what I had in mind, even a bit more vivid and pretty than I'd expected. (And yes, one layer is actually pigmented enough!) I'd expected it to be a bit more 'milky', but there's just the right amount of saturation for my taste.

It changes depending on lighting, so here's two swatches: The first one in indirect light, the second one in direct sunlight.

The finish is also very nice - not exactly glossy or creamy like the Colorglow Lipsticks or Creammellow Lipsticks by the same brand, but still with a sheen that makes the lips look moisturized. It does feel lightweight on the lips - after the initial slight stickiness goes away, I couldn't feel that I was wearing lipstick at all. Despite the finish looking moisturizing, the formula itself isn't, so I need lipbalm before applying.

The texture is, for lack of a better word, 'natural'. It looks like my lips would look anyway (ok, I'm being generous here...) just with more color! The 'Real Fit' name suits the feeling.

It's easy to apply just with the lipstick itself, but I still prefer using a brush for final touches.

Colorwise, this could be a MLBB shade for me. It's rosy, a bit muted, with hints of pink and a neutral or even warm undertone - very difficult to catch on camera! Imagine a pink rose petal that has dried, and there you go.

The finish reflects light really prettily, without looking heavy or creamy -
maybe I should call it a 'silky' finish?

The color is so beautiful in reality - rosy and muted without looking pale.

It does settle ever so slightly into lip lines, but that might just be my lips... I've got that problem with every single lipstick out there.

In direct sunlight, the color becomes a more vibrant rosy pink than I expected.

It does transfer onto cups, but the color itself is surprisingly long-lasting! I'd forgotten to use makeup remover on my arm after swatching, and even after showering the color was left visible till the next day... Not exactly a stain, but it does 'cling' to the skin and lips.

Eating did destroy most of the lipstick, though. I went through a huge bowl of Rice Cake Soup for the Lunar New Year, and the center of my lips was wiped clean by it. The outer rims were still intact, though, and reapplication was simple.

If I don't eat (... which is rare lol) the lipstick stays put,
only slightly fading throughout the day.

After five hours and a cup of coffee...

Final Thoughts:

I'd wanted an 'elegant' but subdued, natural color, and I think this fits the bill perfectly.

It's simple to apply, lasts long and flatters my skintone. I'm sure I'll get a lot of wear time out of this, especially during spring! The Real Fit Line was a autumn concept, but the pale rose color should fit light, pastelly spring makeup, too.

While I normally prefer lip tints (for their long lasting formulas) or creamier, more moisturizing lipsticks, the finish of this one looks silky and natural - I'm quite liking it, despite it falling outside of my comfort zone! The same goes for the color, as it isn't my usual fare of bright corals or reds, but very feminine and adaptable. I'll try combining it with some glossier, more saturated colors, as this looks like a perfect base for a gradient lip!

A stupid selfie to complete any post~

Next up will be part 2 of the eyeshadow review series - Mamonde Vivid Touch eyeshadows. I used my two shades for the eyemakeup here, too, so I thought I'd mention that already. :)

Thanks for reading and see you soon!

If you're interested in the stickers, here's the link to my Etsy Shop :D

Real Fit Lipstick - Innisfree - Rosy Latte

Korean Eyeshadow Review - Aritaum Shine Fix Eyes in #25 Vampire Kiss

Hello everyone!

This post is the start of a little series of reviews. I've got quite a lot of eyeshadows lying around and while I want to review and swatch them all, I want to do it in an *~orderly~* fashion. So, themed reviews. The first part will be a look at red hues.

While I only have one 'true' red eyeshadow, I do lean to buying reddish hues like browns, sienna colors, and the occasional orange or pink. Wearing only red is impossible for me, as my eyes just look swollen and sickly, but combining red-brown hues with a red color as the point of focus works very well for me! (also, there will be one burgundy eyeliner thrown into the mix!)

The brands introduced in this series will be my usual fare, cause I'm just that boring:

Innisfree Mineral Single Shadows (the old formulations as well as the new collection that came out in autumn 2015)
Aritaum Mono Eyes (the 'basic' eyeshadow line)
Aritaum Shine Fix Eyes (the glittery-sparkly eyeshadow line)
Mamonde

Let's start this series of with my very red, very sparkly contestant:

The Shine Fix Eyes eyeshadow line by Aritaum is quite popular in Korea! All shades are incredibly sparkly, but they also have great staying power, which makes them easy to wear when compared to some more fall-out prone glitter shadows.

Them being popular makes it a bit difficult to get certain shades on sale... As soon as they're part of an event (mostly 1+1 sales) all the popular shades are immediately sold out.

The shade I own is: Aritaum Shine Fix Eyes #25 Vampire Kiss or 뱀파이어키스

It's a deep red with gold glitter particles.

I went with this red shade because I figured that, as I don't like to wear glittery eye makeup on a daily basis, it would be great to have a more 'special' color instead of a simple one for daily use.

I'm surprised to say that this IS actually very wearable! I like to combine it with a brown hue, though.

The packaging is very well made. In addition to the screw-on lid, there's a plastic cap to protect the glittery gel-like eyeshadow from drying out or spilling.

I've already used this several times but there's not yet even a dent in the product! This lasts forever!

Shade #25 looks like a bronze color in the pot, but don't be fooled! It's really a red (leaning slightly pink), and the illusion of an orange-bronze color is created by the golden particles reflecting the light.

See? Nothing bronze there. I was really surprised how pretty this looks when swatched, but it's impossible to catch all the glittery goodness on camera...

Swatching on paper (yes, I'm an illustrator, I HAD to do this.) and on my arm.

The beige hue on top is what I'm using in the following swatches on my eye as a base color. Innisfree Mineral Single Shadow (the old collection) in #22 Cashmere 푹신푹신 캐시미어

The second from the top is the Shine Fix Eyes #25. Due to the angle and lighting, the glitter particles aren't visible - you can see the base color clearly!

The swatches below are what I normally would combine with that red shade to give the eyes some depth and definition. I'll introduce them in another blog post (this is a series after all) - they are by Mamonde and Innisfree respectively.

The Innisfree Mineral Single Shadow in #22 is barely visible on my skin, which makes for a great base color.

For the following swatches, I didn't use any primer, just layered the Shine Fix Eye #25 on top of the Innisfree Mineral Single Shadow in #22.

This was my first eyeshadow - bought it two years ago, some time after I'd moved to Korea. It's suffered a lot since then!

A warm beige with very, very, INVISIBLY tiny shimmer particles.

Here we go. Eye swatches!

First, just a tiny smudge near the eyeline. The Shine Fix Eyes are surprisingly easy to blend and use. I didn't use a brush, just my fingers - I seem to generate less fall-out this way.

Blend blend blend! I built the color up gradually, as I'd never used it all over my lid before. It's easy to layer, too. There's definitely some glitter all over my under-eye area and in my lashes, though. Not sure if that's just my lack of practice and precision, or a general feature...

I think it could be cleaned up by applying eyeliner and mascara, though!

The shade changes slightly depending on lighting. Sometimes it's more pink, sometimes a deep, blood-red. I love the glitter! The particles are very small, and the effect all over is delicate and beautiful.

Also: Red shades are great for hazel and green eyes!

Overall:

Especially when used in combination with a primer or fixer, this shadow really stays put! In that, the Shine Fix Eyes shadows are similar to the Mono Eyes shadows by the same brand. Aritaum's stuff just won't budge, or crease. The inital fall-out (if you're as untalented with application as I am...) can be cleaned with a soft brush. Once the application is done, there was no more falling out over the day.

This shade is also great for a night out - it looks good in dim light and, as I said, stays put.

Now I kinda want some more shades, though... I'm falling in love with how the glitter looks both in reality and on camera! Here you can have a look at the shade selection on Aritaum's official website. Which should I get...? (And review, of course.) #22 and #32 are calling to me!

These retail for 8,000 Won and contain 3.5 g of product each. For comparison, the Mono Eyes eyeshadows contain 1.3 g of product - so there's really a lot in these little pots here!


I hope the swatches and my rambling review were useful and I'll be back with more soon!