{ HAUL } Aesop + COSRX + eSpoir + random stuffs

Hey guys! If you guys have been following me on my Instagram (here : xxzyro /selfpromotes) you guys probably already saw my hauls before but yeah I know not all of my readers do follow me on my Instagram plus I rarely update my blog so I decided to share with you guys on my blog too! Really sorry for the lack of updates.. Idk, I have been enjoying life and blogging was kinda out of my life for quite awhile.. I always try to come back to blog more but then I forget my New Year's resolution (which is to blog more) again and again, OTL. Really am sorry for the lack of updates once again.. So yeah anyway, let's start with the haul post! :>

AESOP

• Aesop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser 200ml | $73.83 SGD
• Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Facial Toner 200ml | $81.31 SGD
• Aesop Mandarin Facial Hydrating Cream 60ml | $58.88 SGD
• Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm 75ml | $34.58 SGD

I got myself some Aesop's products! I got them online from Aesop Singapore because the stores are quite far from my place and this might be weird to some people but am I the only one like scared to enter expensive stores that look too aesthetic to enter (just like Aesop's store lol)? lol. Idk why but I feel like I don't have much freedom to look around and feel much more comfortable to buy them online.. lol. This is actually my first time trying Aesop and Aesop is one of the expensive skincare brands that I've tried. The cleanser and toner is the most expensive cleanser and toner that I've bought and I wondered if it's going to worth it but I was like "I'm going to try this brand at least once before I die" lol. I seriously bought them without much thinking and doing much researches just because the packagings are too /aesthetic/ for me to pass by. I know that's something not really good to do but I feel like if buying them makes me feel happy why not once in a while? lol.. But tbh, I did feel a bit guilty buying them because I'm actually trying to shop less makeups, skincare, clothes and things I don't need because I'm saving up for my trip to Japan. I currently am trying out the Aesop's products (haven't tried the hand balm yet tho) and I'm actually happy with my purchases! really am loving the cleanser the most so far and really delighted with how lightweight the hydrating cream is! :D Definitely a review material! Going to review them once I've finished using! 

COSRX + Random Stuffs

I've been wanting to try COSRX's products since forever but couldn't because had products to finish :/ Totally glad that I finally able to try them out tho! Ran out of my sunblock too (totally need a sunblock) so I repurchased my all time favorite sunblock from eSpoir. Random but thought the heating eye mask from Etude looks interesting so I decided to get it too. Got two earphones as well for my spare part lol.. I don't think most of you know but I play games on PS4 like everyday (lol) and this earphone is actually my favorite one. It was cheap (they raised the price ; A ; ) but the sound quality is great and the mic is good too (I talk to my friends when I'm gaming or I do a livestream on Youtube here ; selfpromote again) but the only problem is it's quite fragile and usually I can't use it anymore after one year (no more sound coming out from the earphone lol). I swear it's quite hard to find an earphone that you don't have to plug it inside of your ear (is it called in ear earphone? lol) that has mic with it so I've been sticking with this brand for years. I totally prefer something like Apple Earpods. Btw, isn't that LINE Brown Bin too cute? ; A ; omg, I swear it's too cute to pass by. lol. There goes my $10 to a cute mini trash bin. lol. 

COSRX 

• COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
• COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid
• COSRX One Step Pimple Clear Pad
• COSRX One Step Moisture Up Pad

I'm trying out the COSRX's products too and omg, I'm really liking the results so far! My skin's texture definitely becomes so much smoother even just after one use *o* (the moisture up pad!) Another brands that I'm really glad for giving them a try! No wonder there are so much raves on COSRX's products like everywhere on the internet (although the results aren't pleasant to some people). Really liking how it's convenient to use the pads whenever I'm lazy, haha. I do recommend to check them out (especially the pads!). 

LINE Brown Bin

Got this cute bin from GMarket and not only Brown, there is Sally and Cony too! It cost me around $10 and you can check it out here if you're interested on getting one. The material they used is really good and it looks very sturdy (and of course very cute!). 

So that's it for my recent haul! I thought I actually am growing up this year because I didn't buy much skincare/makeups because of the packagings (lol) but yeah... I failed this time. OTL. But at least! I feel like thanks to my plan to go to Japan, I am now on my way on becoming a smart spender! (I hope so! lol). Because of my upcoming trip to Japan, I probably won't spend much on makeups this year and that means the possibility of lack of posts from me increases too (well it's not like I post regularly to begin with either ^^" sorry). But the good news is, I'll try to blog about my trip to Japan and I'm actually thinking to start doing a vlog too! I've been thinking to become a vlogger this year but I'm not sure yet when to start.. and I'm also not even sure if there'll be people out there going to watch my vlogs, lol.. Another bad news is.. I can't go to Japan alone, my family and bf won't let me so I have to go with a friend. I'm done with saving up the money for my trip but I still have to wait for my friend.. I'm planning to go at the end of this year because I kinda promised to my bf but my friend might can't go with me if it's this year (she suddenly remembers that she still has student loan to pay) so I might have to wait for her. I don't want to rush my friend and I kinda promised to my bf so if I can go alone that might be a better option but yeah ^^" Still don't know how it'll goes.. sorry for the little rant! Hope everyone's is having a good day! Thanks for reading <3

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{ ♥ Valentine's Special } Handmade Chocolate & Card

Hey guys! Today I'll be writing something a bit different from the usual. From the title and the picture above you already know it's about the upcoming Valentine's day right? :D To any of you who is still wondering what to give to your lovely boyfriend or crush, how about a handmade chocolate this time? This is actually my first time making my own chocolate and I seriously thought it will be easy because I just need to melt the chocolate and put them into the mold but nope, nope.. lol. I should've done my researches more but yeah I was totally fooled into thinking that it is really easy to make one! Prepare yourself because this post is unexpectedly long because of the so many pictures! lol.

♥ I actually got the Valentine's Chocolate Kit from Gmarket and mine is from this seller here. You can see that they actually offer many different types of chocolate! You can get them separately (choose how many grams of chocolate you want and what kind of packagings you want by your own) or you can pick the set they already offer! I got the Fall In Love Chocolate Kit here but too bad it's already out of stock now if you want the same kit... OTL.. However, there is a similar kit (Delight Chocolate Kit) here that is still available! It's just instead of a box, you'll be given a plastic packaging. If you still want the box, last time I checked the box is still available if you purchase it separately here. For me, I think this seller has the best chocolate making kit in Gmarket! Although tbh, I'm not sure if you purchase it now you guys will make it out on Valentine though.. ^^" But if you don't mind giving it to your special someone a bit late, you can hurry up purchase now before they're out of stock! 

I actually got into fight with my bf when I made this chocolate for him and I'm glad things already been sorted out now.. Was wondering if I actually able to give him the chocolate too because we were fighting.. ^^"

Really really glad that everything is fine now! 

The Materials

These are the chocolates that I bought. I bought extra just incase I messed up and I'm glad that I did! lol. They all have different flavors. Milk chocolate, white chocolate, strawberry chocolate, I'm not really sure what is the green and purple lol. I think green is a melon flavor or something and purple might be a grape flavor but I could be wrong! LOL. Need to taste it again.. The flavors are very subtle (that's why it's hard for me to distinguish what flavor it is lol) so even if they're mixed together they still taste fine. I'm not really sure but from what I saw from their picture I believe that the chocolate is from a company named Beryl's Chocolate Sdn Bhd and surprisingly Beryl's Chocolate is actually a Malaysian's brand which their first factory was set up in Desa Serdang located at the southern zone of Kuala Lumpur, in 1995. I'm glad that the chocolate tasted actually good! Even better than what I thought it would be! 

These are the box, ribbons, the bag and the packagings for the chocolate. I didn't know that I have to assemble it by myself. lol. I got myself an extra ribbon (the pink one).

The bag once it's assembled! I love the color combinations. This bag is actually purchased separately and it doesn't come together with the Fall In Love Kit. 

The box! 

This is how it looks like when it's assembled. I swear it was quite hard for me to assemble it! Can't believe I actually managed to assemble it alone since I'm quite weak at stuff like this. Glad that I didn't wreck the box too lol. 

These are the packagings for the chocolate. Got an extra packaging for a middle size/square chocolate. I decided to get the pink ribbon to wrap the middle size chocolate. 

Thought I will only receive 4 packagings in total (judging from the picture on their website and I can't read Korean) but there are actually total of 12 packagings (3 for each design). I love the designs a lot! I love how simple and girly it is. Love the color combinations too!

I like how you can write some notes on the back of the packaging!

The molds, bought some chocolate pens in sky blue and pink, dried strawberry and some nuts. My bf really likes to eat nuts so it's like a must thing to include in my handmade chocolate. Whenever I heard him crunching over the phone and I asked what he is snacking on and it always turned out to be nuts lol. I always be like "eh? nuts again? D:" haha. Me on the other hand doesn't really like nuts. How I wish I like nuts so I can snack them instead of those unhealthy snacks T____T

I thought of including crushed oreos in my chocolate too but I actually forgot... OTL

These are the wrappers for the smaller size chocolate that comes together with stickers and plastic for the chocolate. 

The stickers! Love the wordings! "You are my favorite thought", "Made by me handmade chocolate", "Handmade chocolate it's so delicious" and so on! lol. Glad the English is fine because when I was browsing through Gmarket, some of the packagings from the other seller have wrong spellings for their English. lol.

The wrapper comes in different patterns and they're just too pretty ♥ D:

The plastic wrappers for the chocolate.

How To Make The Chocolate

Firstly, transfer the chocolate according to their colors into the piping bags. 

I forgot to mention before but I'm also given these Chocolate Transfer Sheet. Had to cut them individually first before using and make sure to cut it before you melt the chocolate.

It's time to melt all le chocolate!~

Once the chocolates are completely melted (make sure it's completely melted or else you'll have a hard time to pipe the chocolate!), you're ready to fill in the chocolate molds! Milk chocolate not pictured above because it leaked when I was melting it. Not sure that I wasn't being careful enough or the piping bag was already teared before I even put the chocolate in ^^" Btw, this is the important part! I didn't know that chocolate actually hardens really fast, OTL (is it only me who didn't know about this? lol). I didn't fill the molds quick enough that some of my chocolate hardened before I could actually fill them into the molds. Had to transfer the chocolates into different piping bags to remelt the chocolate again. OTL... I prepared myself a spatula just incase dropping the tray won't help smoothen the surface of the chocolate but turned out I didn't need a spatula at all. You have to be careful when dropping the tray too because once I didn't notice the tray was slightly tilted... and there goes my chocolate... lol.

Filling the chocolate into these molds are harder that what I thought. I should've cut the tips of the piping bags a little bit smaller so it could've filled in those small parts easier... Well, I'm still a beginner indeed, I hope my bf doesn't mind with the messy-not-so-cute-chocolate ^^" 

Placing the Chocolate Transfer Sheet was quite hard too. I actually gave up on using it afterwards tbh lol.

Wait your chocolate to harden and you're done! It didn't take that long for the chocolate to harden so it probably took me around 10 minutes or something and maybe less? Sorry that I forgot to time it but I believe it didn't really take that long. Remove your chocolate from the molds and if you got yourself a chocolate pen, you can write anything you like on the chocolate then wait for it to harden again. To use the chocolate pen like the one I got, I had to melt it first too before using and I swear it gets hard super fast like real fast lol. Btw pictured above are the chocolate I made that I will give to my bf! Of course I had some fails too (accidentally tilted the tray and the chocolate got mixed lol) but luckily I still managed to make some good enough to give to him. Wrote his name and my name on some of the chocolate using the chocolate pens! I really regret that I forgot to include some crushed oreos ;-; 

Valentine Cards

I decided to make my own Valentine Cards too! However this card pictured above is totally not my own idea! lol. You can watch the tutorial for this card above below here ;-

I totally recommend checking her channel out because she uploads super adorable DIY card videos! This one is super cute and doesn't require so many tools only cheap watercolor, brushes and a watercolor paper are needed so it's totally what I can make with what I already have at home! Just too bad that I don't have a purple color (tried to mix colors to get purple but mine turned out ugly perhaps because I didn't get the right amount of colors T A T) and also becsuse my watercolor paper isn't a good quality one so mine turned out uglier, lol. 

Inside of the card! This one I also copied it from Youtube, lol.. but! I changed some things to make it more like my own.. lol. and mine is really messy.. OTL. I'm blaming the paper and I didn't have a tape to make it looks cleaner! /excuses lol. For the right side of the card, I just decorate it on my own. You can watch the tutorial for it here! ;- 

My mom said my cards look like cards made by kindergarten kids.... /criesinlecorner

I actually made two cards! This one is actually much more simple because I didn't have enough time.. I'm not sure if you guys can see but it's a heart shaped card! Thought the card looked too simple so I added the cute lil bunny as an embellishment, lol. 

The Outcome (pictures heavy)

I'm done! :D

Put everything inside the bag and I'm ready to give it to my bf! :D Hope he will likes it! Because the instructions to make the chocolate from this seller is only available in Korean, I thought this post might help somehow if you actually decided to get something from the seller too. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below! :) 

Do let me know if you already have anything prepared for the upcoming Valentine too! Hope you guys will have a lovely day for the upcoming Valentine ♥

To those who are going to confess their love this Valentine, I wish you a good luck!

Have a nice day everyone! 

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{ Review } Pony Effect Skin Fit Powder Pact SPF25/PA+++

If you are a fan of Korean makeups or skincare, I bet you already know who PONY is! Pony is one of the hottest k-beauty icons in the industry. The Korean self-taught MUA, Pony launched her own makeup brands, Pony Effect quite few years ago. You can clearly see that the packaging for her products are all thoughtfully designed. I'm totally digging the black and rose gold packaging! All of her products have that luxurious feel to them that make it even hard for me to resist. Today I will be reviewing this Pony Effect Skin Fit Powder Pact by Pony.

PRODUCT INFO

 { Name } Pony Effect Skin Fit Powder Pact SPF25/PA+++

 { Descriptions } A smooth and skin-friendly powder pact containing moisturizing factor that keeps your skin balanced and hydrated. Specially formulated to control sebum, cover blemishes and correct skin tone to achieve a porcelain doll perfect bright & clear skin. 

 { Directions } After the basic skincare, apply appropriate amount gently on the skin by using the puff.

 { Net Wt. } 8G / 0.28 OZ.

 { Price } ~₩ 28,000 

.......

PACKAGING

I guess I don't need to talk much about the packaging, right? The combination of black + rose gold is just hard to resist. *O*

closer look to the Pony Effect Skin Fit Powder Pact.

Back of the pact.

Your shade is written on the back of the pact together with expiration date. The ingredients list is nowhere to be found. 

Just incase you're wondering where is the puff, the puff is located in a different compartment under the powder.

Upper and bottom part of the puff.

The puff is actually quite on the stiff side. Other than it's a bit stiff for my preference, it's still a good puff nevertheless. 

Overall given the size, mirror and puff included inside makes it a travel friendly product. The rose gold hue gives a luxurious feel to it. Imo, the packaging is very well designed. I really like the packaging a lot. 

.......

SHADE.COLOR

Mine comes in #fair and there are total of 5 shades available for you to choose from. From fair to #21 Rosy Ivory, #21 Natural Ivory, #23 Rosy Beige and #23 Nude Beige. When I heard there are total of 5 shades, at first I thought more like from fair to more darker shade than #23 but it's actually two of #21 and #23 which one for those with pink undertones and one for those who have yellow undertones.

TEXTURE.CONSISTENCY.FORMULA

I would say it's quite thick and tend to cake on you when you try to touch up with it. It's smooth however it's not moisturizing as it's promoted. It's said that it's specially formulated to control sebum but I feel like it's a bit misleading. The oil control isn't that good, my skin usually gets oily after 2-3 hours (and maybe my recent skin conditions contribute to it too but yeah). It has SPF25/PA+++ but when other pact contains SPF50, I just can't help to think SPF25 is a bit low.

COVERAGE

Left :- w/o powder | Right :- with powder

It has a light coverage and for a powder pact I would say the coverage is okay but nothing impressive about it. Imo, Chosungah 22 Bounce Up Pact has a better coverage for a pact powder. 

WHAT DO I THINK?

I AM IN LOVE WITH the packaging. Love the packaging a lot but not really the powder. For the price, I am for sure there are better powder out there. Do I recommend it? Yes if you care only about the packaging or maybe you already have a flawless skin to begin with. Tbh, don't expect much for the quality of the powder. The only thing I like is probably how it helps my oily eyelids well. I use it just to set my foundation. The texture and how it felt on skin somehow reminds me of a cheap talcum powder ^^"

PROS

1. Yay for rose gold packaging! 

2. Sets foundation quite well.

CONS

1. Oil control/sebum control isn't that great.

2. Definitely not a powder to blot your shine away/for a touch up since it tend to cake. 

3. Not 'moisturizing'. 

Overall it's just an okay powder pact with a nice packaging. What do you think of Pony's products and have you tried any of them yet? I personally really like Pony's packaging and that's the reason why I purchased her products. Thank you for reading and have a nice day!

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