Review: Etude House Sweet Recipe Baby Choux Base (Mint)

If some of you remember this product my last Beautynetkorea haul, you will probably recall that my parcel arrived completely wet, which damaged the packaging of some products. For that reason, I threw the cardboard packagings away soon after receiving my items.
It's a bit of a shame since this well-known Korean base make-up from Etude House received a package redesign in 2014, which made it look so much cuter than before. I am not sure whether they changed the formulation, too, as it's my first time trying this product apart from the cushion adaption. (Read here!) This product used to come in a jar, but now that it comes in a more hygenic tube packaging, you get 10g extra!

Etude House's Sweet Recipe Baby Choux Base is a light, cream-like make-up base that softens your skin, evens out your complexion, moisturizes and fills wrinkles and fine lines on your face to help you look younger. It comes in three different shades: Mint - for reddish skin, Berry - for pale skin and Peach - for yellowish skin. The base also provides SPF33 PA ++ for a little extra sun protection and in case your foundation doesn't contain SPF.
Even though I generally have a quite pale complexion, I went for Mint in order to control my redness.

The new tube looks absolutely adorable. The gold accents and the lace detail are a really nice concept for a product that promises to give you skin as smooth as a baby's. One tube contains 35g of product and costs around 14$. The cardboard box gives a full, English ingredients list along with instructions.

Swatches

indoors - flash - natural daylight

Performance

halfway blended - completely blended

When evening out your skintone, Mint lightens up your whole complexion by roughly one shade so you have to be careful not to use too much. Otherwise, you might end up looking ghostly. It softens my skin very well, makes my pores less visible and feels very moisturizing. Due to the thick and creamy consistency, it took me a little longer to blend than my BB cream. 

I think the base works decently on its own if you are going for a no-make up look, but it shines as a primer or color corrector under your foundation. The extra bit of color correction synergizes extremely well with a medium coverage BB cream. It even makes your foundation last a little longer. The added fragrance is pleasant and reminds me a lot of soap. Back when this product still came in a jar, some people complained about the smell, but to me it smells good so they might have changed the scent, too. I think this product could also be used as a temporary whitening cream as well.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has troubles with redness!

Final Rating: 5 / 5

What's your favorite make-up base? Do you use a primer at all?

Wishlist:Perfect Summer Dresses

1. H&M | 2. Topshop | 3. Forever21 | 4. Sheinside | 5. Missguided | 6. Missguided 

Flowy fabric, dasies and sheer.This wishlist might seem a little late, especially because the A/W collections are slowly but steadily rolling into the stores, but since it has been raining quite a fair amount and the summery weather only returned recently, I am just in the right mood to share my favorite summer dresse picks with you! I'm absolutely in love with the little white dress this season as opposed to the LBD as it's so easy to throw on, especially at high temperatures. My only issue is that it does look a little better on bronzed skin - it just doesn't compliment my pale complexion all that well!

Which one is your favorite?

FOTD: Smokey Eyes and Red Lips

Face: 

Tonymoly BCDation*

Lioele Perfect Jumbo Concealer*

Eyes: 

Catrice Smokey Eyes Set 030

Etude House Gelquid Eyeliner Black

L'oreal False Lashes Telescopic Mascara

Lips: 

Innisfree Color Glow Lipstick #4*

After feeling not-so-well for a couple of days, I went on a relaxed night-out with my lovely boyfriend and his best friend, which was the perfect reason to finally doll up again after the seemingly endless sick days. Well, I did not go all the way and you can still somewhat spot my dark circles, but I made some kind of an effort so I wanted to share this simple and classic look with you. This is only my second attempt at smokey eyes as I've never really been interested in them and prefered more natural make up but not that I've taken the plunge, I fell in love with the style!
The only thing besides my untamable eyebrows that is bothering me in some way is my fringe - it looks so messy at the moment as it's growing out and I can't seem to tame it!

Outfit: Kimono Craze

Kimono - H&M (old - similar) | Top - H&M | Shorts - Primark (old - similar) | Shoes - Deichmann | Necklace - Urban Outfitters (old, similar) | Rings - BornPrettyStore & H&M (old, similar) | Bag -  H&M (old, similar)

Ever since a friend of mine wore this gorgeous H&M kimono to school about half a year ago if not longer I knew that I had to have it as soon as possible. Especially when she added that she had gotten it in the sale! At that time, I hardly ever checked H&M so I had no idea what they had in store so I was more than happy to snatch this beautiful kimono for 10€. Granted, when I shot this outfit I probably would not have thrown it over my tank top + shorts combo that day. It was absolutely boiling outside, which is also why I went for a really simple face make-up. Anything too complex would have melted off my skin in seconds, anyway.

Funnily enough, even though that I totally fell for this season's kimono trend, I only purchased this one so far. Maybe I'm too picky or maybe I'm too stinted - who knows! 

Have you found a kimono for yourself yet? Tassels or no tassels? Colored or monochrome? 

Thank you for 100 Followers & My 2nd Liebster Award!

First of all, I want to thank you: my readers. After almost 1 year of blogging, I reached 100 followers on Bloglovin. I never thought that this would ever happen and I'm so grateful for every single one of you who is reading my blog! Thank you!

I can hardly believe it myself but this is already the second Liebster Award that I've gotten so far. If you are curious about the first one from December 2013, you can take a look at it here! This time,the lovely Monica from Brunette in Black nominated me. Thank you very much, it honestly means a lot to me! 

You can find all the details under the Read More since the post turned out quite lengthy! 

Review: SKIN79 Kick It Side Look For Me Tint - Attention*

A while ago, I was approached by one of HanaVillage.com's spokespersons who kindly introduced me to their newly founded website. HanaVillage is a sister company to Lensvillage, a circle lens retailer that I have only ever heard good things about. After opening their store in 2014, they now aim to become one of the largest online stores selling quality colored contact lenses and beauty brands in Asia.
They stock brands which I find are a little hard to get hold of such as KOJI, SKIN79 and Missha. Based in Malaysia, they offer worldwide delivery and an excellent customer service.

I was sent two products: Firstly, the SKIN79 Kick It Side Look For Me Tint (Attention)*, which I am going to present you today as well as a pair of colored contacts, which I am going to talk about later as I currently don't have any lens solution at hand.

SKIN79's Kick It Side Look For Me Tint is part of the brand's new unique and stylish make up collection and comes in two different shades: Attention, a coral shade and Cheer Up, a bright pink.

The tint aims to provide a deep, glossy color and revitalises your lips with just one touch. The tint starts off in a lighter color and slowly starts to deepen in pigmentation as you are wearing it. It promises moisture and lustrous lips. The packaging is stylish and stands out from the crowd. For 11.90$, you get 3g of product.

When bottled, the tint looks slightly pink-ish, but once you open it, it is clear that it has actually a coral tone. A silver seal shows that the product has never been opened before. 

The applicator is a brush, unlike most other tints which tend to have a doe-foot applicator. I actually like this a lot since it makes the tint much easier to apply.

Swatches

daylight - flash

Performance

This product seems a lot like a "my lips but better" tint. Attention is a lovely coral color that doesn't stand out too much on it's own despite its name. The formulation is quite yielding - little product will go a long way. Which is good because the tint definitely doesn't last forever. The lasting power is rather weak. this is definitely a higher maintenance product than most other tints that I've tried before. However, it is also one of the first tints that I've tried that doesn't dry out my lips at all. Quite on the contrary, it moisturizes them well ans makes them look really full and luscious!  The other good thing is that it doesn't leave behind an ugly stain when it does wear off. The only thing that was left on my lips was a hardly noticeable coral hue.

For me, this will become one of my summer make-up staples for sure. I love the shade and it just feels so great on my usually dry lips!

Final Rating: 4 / 5

What have your experiences with SKIN79 been so far? Have you found a lip tint yet that doesn't completely dry up your lips?

*The product has been sent to me for reviewing purposes. All my opinions are 100% genuine.

Beauty: Current Hair Care Essentials

A couple of weeks back when I decided to change my haircolor yet again, something terrible happened. My hair turned partly purple and grey. The last resort was bleaching my entire head. Needless to say, my hair equalled rubber afterwards. It was extremely brittle, I couldn't even run my fingers through it when it was wet - it was a complete disaster.
Today, it's in a much better condition, mostly thanks to the products about which I'll talk in a moment. But first, please keep in mind that these are by far no miracle cure for disastrous hair. They simply helped me a lot and what did a great job for me might not work for you.

Guhl Vital Silberglanz Shampoo - 200ml for 6€
I use this to keep my bleached hair from turning yellow. It has done a decent job so far but Directions' silver toner has done a much better one. I'm looking for a replacement but I can't seem to find a decent one drugstore-wise. It's nice, but I don't think it'd help in severe cases of yellowness.

Syoss Supreme Selection Restore Conditioner - 250ml for 6€
Syoss' Supreme Selection Restore series was created for damaged or extremely damaged hair. While I can't say a lot about the other products in the line, the conditioner has worked great for me. My hair seems to absorb the product instantly after applying and it feels super silky afterwards. I will definitely repurchase this as soon as I run out.
Note: A friend of mine recommended Aussie but I just couldn't stand the smell of it so I settled for this conditioner instead.

Schwarzkopf Gliss Kur Tägliches Öl Elexir -75ml for 8€
I got this daily leave-in oil elixir a while back to combat my dry ends and so far it has done a good job. At one point, I was really reluctant to put any oils in my hair because of my oily scalp at first, which is why I only used this on my wet hair. After bleaching, I tried it out on my dry hair and found that it absorbs similarly well and doesn't leave behind any greasy residue.

Schwarzkopf got2be Bügelhilfe Glättungsspray - 200ml for 6,60€ (new version)
I only ever use this heat protection "straightening spray" by Schwarzkopf when I blowdry my hair or straighten it. Let's be real - it doesn't magically give you straight hair but it does an ok job as a heat protection spray. I've had this one for ages since I mostly air-dry my hair. I don't think I'd repurchase it soon but it has done a decent job protecting my hair from heat.

Honorable Mention: Petritsch Hair Gold Magical Hair Shine - 200ml for 16,90€
I once had a sample of this product and I loved it SO much. My hair felt completely different after washing it with this shine treatment. It contains 7 essential oils and if it wasn't so expensive I wouldn't use anything else on my hair anymore.

What are your favorite products to use if you feel like your hair needs to be pampered? 

Namechange: Cupcake Kisses is now Miss Blue Eyes

After almost 1 year of blogging, I took the plunge and changed my blog's name and got a proper domain.

Cupcake Kisses is now known as Miss Blue Eyes under the domain missblueeyes.com

While this may be enough information for some, I want to share my full thought process and why I made this decision in the first place.

It is all attributed to when I first started blogging in September 2013. Back then, I only saw my blog as an opportunity to improve my English. I would have never thought that anyone would ever read what I wanted to share with the world. Thus, and for the reason of wanting to fit with in my niche at that time, I chose a blog name that I was not so sure about keeping forever. Cupcake Kisses.
Now, I am notorious for dropping things I started even though I enjoyed them greatly at one time. Which is why a part of me is still surprised how I managed to get this far even though I was a complete make-up and fashion rookie when I started out.

After one year of blogging, I felt like my blog had grown with me. I felt like that my niche was suffocating me and that branching out to other topics like fashion, trends and western make-up was so much more fun. I did not want to be a beauty-only blogger, I wanted to be more. And I felt like my current name did not do my blog justice anymore. I wanted a name that I could be proud of sharing. A name, that I could print on business cards without feeling embarassed.

Why "Miss Blue Eyes"?

Thinking of a suitable name for my blog was hard, mind you! I went through a couple of ridiculous suggestions while brainstorming, such as "50 Shades of Blonde" or "Where is my Tiara?". At first, I was going for something in connection to my haircolor, but after remembering that I am notorious for changing it every other month, I decided to name my blog after something that most people remember me for, know me for and compliment on: My blue eyes. Now, this might seem a little vain, but my eyes are the only part of my body that I never felt conscious or bad about.

What is going to change?

At first, not much. I still love Korean cosmetics and I will continue posting reviews about them every once in a while. However, I want to do more outfit posts, trend posts, beauty essentials... you name it! I want diversity on my blog. There are going to be 4 categories on my blog: Beauty (reviews, essentials, looks, tips...), Fashion (outfits, lookbooks, trends...), Shopping (Hauls, Wishlists..) and Lifestyle (personal posts). Every post that I write is going to fit in one of these categories.

So basically, everything is going to be more organised!

I already contacted Bloglovin support, so my url will be changed. This means that none of you will have to refollow me! The only downside to all this is that I lost 8 comments on my last post. I have read them all and checked out your blogs but disqus couldn't recover them when migrating. 

Please let me know what you think! I'm so excited about this change!

Review: Lioele Stick Eye Shadow in Espresso and Black Stone (Sponsored)

A while ago, lots of Korean beauty companies released a product that sounded almost too good: stick eyeshadow. They were announced as an easily applyable alternative to the traditional eyeshadow palettes or singles for on the go, but are they really as good as promised? I tested Lioele's Stick Eye Shadows in the shades #7 Espresso and #8 Black Stone for you and they were definitely not as impressive as I hoped they'd be.

Disclaimer: This product has been sponsored by Beautynetkorea. However, this does not sway my opinion of this product in any way.

The shades Espresson and Black Stone are the most recent addition to Lioele's ever growing stick eyeshadow series. They are described as chic and sophisticated in contrast to the cute, pastel shades that the rest of the range consists of.

The stick form that this product comes in is supposed to make the application process of eyeshadows more convenient, and to make eyeshadows more portable than before. The formulation is vegetable-oil based and applies smoothly. Lioele promises a longlasting, highly pigmented color combined with a pearly, shimmery and creamy finish that is blendable and easy to work with.

The packaging is very sleek and sophisticated - just what I expected from Lioele. The top of the small boxes give away the color names in English and Hangul as well as the designated numbers. A full English ingredients list is included, too.

The bottom of the eyeshadow stick conveniently gives away the shade of the product, just like the box. Furthermore does the container display the manufacturing date. Each stick contains 1.4 g of product, which is released by twisting the bottom of the stick. The silver Lioele print makes the product look much more sophisticated than it actually is. It overall feels a little cheap and it only stands on its own when it's shut since the bottom part is rounded off. The cap is sturdy, it won't come off easily, which makes the Lioele Eyeshadow Stick really travel-friendly.

Swatches

room (daylight) - flash - sunlight - window (daylight)

I included a couple more swatches than usually because the colors really changed a lot depending on the lighting. All swatches were taken without a primer.

#7 Espresso: A copper shade with okay pigmentation and a visible shimmer. It's definitely the better shade of the two although it's still a little sheer when applied on the lids without a primer.

#8 Black Stone: A light, charcoal grey shade with an underwhelming pigmentation. Lioele advertised this shade in particular for the smokey eyes look, but I couldn't make it work properly as the eyeshadow comes off quite sheer on the lids.

Performance

First of all, I personally find the application process utterly tedious. The stick is a little too small to spread the eyeshadow quickly enough for it to be convenient. It's hard to get used to it. Without a primer, the product comes of less pigmented than in the swatches. The lasting power is absolutely sub-par as it started to crease after about 30 minutes. My eyelids are not particularly oily but after a couple of hours, all that was left on my eyes was a light grey or yellow-ish mess, depending on what color I tried out. It just wouldn't stay in place.
I was really disappointed by this product and I would not recommend it. I had such high hopes in this product, but it's not even worth the 5$ that it sells for.

Final Rating: 1 / 5

Can you imagine applying your eyeshadow in a similar fashion as your eyeliner? What product has left you disappinted recently?

Outfit: Monochrome Foilage

Blazer - H&M (old, similar) | Top - H&M (old, similar) | Bandeau - Newlook | Skirt - H&M (not online, similar) | Shoes - H&M | Necklace - Forever 21 (old, similar)

When I saw this gorgeous tube skirt in the H&M summer sale for 5€, I knew that I had to have it immediately. Ever since I dyed my hair, I fell in love with monochrome prints and coordinations. They're so easy to dress up, you can add any color you wish accessory-wise - it's a dream. Another piece I love to add to my outfits are my H&M Lita dupes. I can't say how close they are to the originals by Jeffrey Campbell, but I know that I need to get a proper pair in the future!

I'm really glad that I could borrow my friend's garden for this photoshoot. The scenery is simply beautiful! Please excuse my belly sticking out a little, we had lunch before taking the pictures, which was a little unfortunate but since the weather was so changeable I was happy I could get some shots done at all. 

What are your best summer sale bargains so far? How do you like this season's tropical print trend?

Review: Etude House Proof 10 Gelquid Eyliner in Black Hole, Deep Sand and Blood (Sponsored)

It feels like it has been a while since I reviewed an eyeliner, which is most likely because I have one go-to product that I love. For that reason, I hardly ever try out new products. Mainly, since my eyes are rather sensitive and I've had quite a few eyeliners that caused irritations before. However, Etude House's Proof 10 Gelquid eyeliner did not.

Disclaimer: This review is partly sponsored by Beautynetkorea. They sent me the shades Black Hole and Deep Sand, I purchased Blood myself.  

I think that the release of these new shades of the Proof 10 Gelquid eyeliner faded from the spotlight as they came out at the same time as the 101 pencils. As I am not a big fan of allround products - and since the range had a shade named "Blood" - I gravitated more towards the liquid eyeliners.

The main claim of these eyliners is that they're a fusion of gel liners and liquid eyeliners, therefore the name: Gelquid. The waterproof combination of a creamy texture with great color payoff sounds promising. Etude claims that their product dries quickly without leaving a tight sensation on the lid and that it's suitable for very sensitive eyes. 

The top of the packaging gives away the color of the contained product, as do the bottles that the liquid eyeliner comes in. The shades I'm reviewing are BK801 Black Hole, BR402 Deep Sand and RD301 Blood. The other shades that were released are #BR401 Espresso (a deep brown) and GR701 Forest Green (a dark green). 

Each bottle contains 1.5g of product and should be shaken before use.

The applicator is a little big but with a little practice it's possible to create really fine lines nevertheless.

Swatches

Left: without flash - Right: with flash

#BK801 Black Hole: A deep black with a subtle shine to it. This is by far my most used shade out of the three. It's a true black, it doesn't look dark brown or grey when worn, which is a big plus. 

#BR402 Deep Sand: A shimmery, light brown eyeliner. It's great for a more natural make-up look, but it's also a very specific shade. If you want a more versatile brown, I'd recommend you to go for #BR401 Espresso instead. 

#RD301 Blood: A deep, red eyeliner that reminds me a little of vampires. The name choice was definitely the right one. This is the least versatile of the three and I doubt I'll ever really use it despite that I love the shade since I think it might clash with my blue irises. It's a gorgeous color, though, so if you're looking for a red eyeliner, this one is the one!

Performance Test

dry - rubbed when dry

wet - rubbed when wet

The eyeliner lives up to its promises - as long as you don't furiously rub your eyes. And even if you do, there'll still be some kind of residue on your eyelids.

It lasts quite well, but if you have oily eyelids or if you're living in a humid region, I'd recommend you to use a primer as it does fade after a couple of hours of wear.

Final Rating: 4 / 5

For around 10$, you get a really decent product. The only downside for me is that it doesn't sustain through a hot day and especially in summer, I don't want to have to worry about reapplying my eyeliner.

Have you tried the Proof 10 Gelquid Eyeliner yet? Or did you go for the 101 Pencils instead? 

Small Drugstore Haul

This isn't my usual type of post since my blog turned out to feature mostly Korean make up and skincare products. I seldomly share what I pick up during my trips to the drugstore with you. Yet these items tend to appear in my looks sometimes and they'd be featured in my favorites quite often. I don't exclusively order my beauty products online and I doubt I ever will - quite the opposite, really, as I'm more inclined to pick up some bits than ever.

I mean, just look at that little pineapple pouch from Catrice! I instantly fell in love and it was such a bargain at 1,70€. Plus, it fits the smokey eyes brush (2,80€) that I picked up perfectly. The smokey eyes set (4,90€) really got me curious, simply because I like Catrice's eyeshadow singles and the colors looked really nice. The beauty blenders are my go-to option for applying foundation so I picked myself up a new batch of those as well.

I've been thinking about it for a long time whether I should extend the topic of my reviews beyond Korean cosmetics and add some swatches and reviews of drugstore / high end European and American products to my blog as well. I was mainly thinking about brands like Catrice, MAC, Essie, L'Oreal, Urban Decay, Syoss and so on.

Please let me know what you think!