Review: TonyMoly + The Face Shop + Missha

I think I only have one or two things left to review from my 2010 Korea-trip haul now :D They're all sunscreens and not "popular" items people want to know about so yahhh ^_^v  I also made a few small orders of more sheet masks (I know, I'm insane but I actually used ALL the ones I ordered last time and my skin has really improved from 3-4 months ago).  I purchased a number of masks from lesser known Korean brands like Cosline, Skinlite, and VOV along with the usual MBD and Silk Whitia.  I can't wait to review them but Sasa has been taking forever - almost three friggin weeks (they were exceptionally slow this time, it's usually just 2 weeks) but it should be here in a week or so.

For people who skipped the end ^^ there were some general announcements:
1.) Giveaway to win a UD Naked Palette (w/ pencil) ends in 10 days (2/28).  Minimum donation of $5, that's it :)
2.)  I've opened a little Blogsale (tab in the horizontal menu) with a few items I am weeding out.  Most of these products aren't necessarily bad - they just don't work for me and I figure it's better to let people who might want to try these for pretty darn cheap if I say so myself ;)
3.) I have v-log channel of ridiculousness.
4.) And...hi real-life peeps!  You guys know who you are ^_~  And uhhh, try not to laugh at me too much hehehe >0< Like at my overuse of emoticons @_@

TonyMoly eggpore Blackhead Out Oil Gel + Silky Pore Balm
Full review here.

The Face Shop Oil Blotting Papers

I don't like these.  I've seen these go on Ebay for as low as .99/packet (not including S&H of course) but even so, I don't think these are worth buying.  The famous Boscia blotting papers are just so superior, even at $10/packet.  The texture, feel, and paper-y scent of the TFS sheets literally makes you feel like you're blotting with brown lunch bags :\  The only positive I have to say about these is that since they're thick, they don't tear easily even when soaked with oil ;)

The Face Shop Gold Eyelash Curler

This is the eyelash curler I use at the moment but I'm not particularly fond of it.   It works and fits my eye well (much better than American brands) since it's flatter, but it is tarnishing and it's been less than a year :( And that is all I have to say about this.  Maybe the silver color will be fine but the gold one - stay away :P

Missha The Shining Stick Eyes
Full review here.

Overall
Lots of 'nays' in this batch review, unfortunately. I don't recommend the TonyMoly Blackhead Out Oil Gel, the TFS Oil Blotting Papers, or the TFS gold eyelash curler.  I recommend the TonyMoly Silky Smooth Balm only to those with small textural scars and wrinkles.  The only thing I do recommend for everyone to try are the Missha The Shining Stick Eyes.  However, considering how difficult it is to get in America, I'd add that you should only buy it online if you can get it below $8 USD at least.  Anything more, you may regret it since there have been people saying it creases a lot on them (why it doesn't on me I'm not sure).

Review: Missha The Shining Stick Eyes

...though it wouldn't have hurt them to spell "shing" right -_-

This was my first experience with an eyeshadow in stick form.  Even though I bought these last summer, I didn't start using them till this January because I just wasn't interested. Now I use the white one daily ^_^

Purchased: In Korea at a Missha shop.  Unfortunately, it's pretty hard to get online for a reasonable price. Most charge at least double.

Cost: It was only 4500won ($4.00 USD)/each at the Missha shop.

Packaging: Quite nice, sturdy, and easy to use.  Cap fits on well and it's just overall well-made. One thing I really like is how the rounded edges of these shadow sticks just roll into your crease.  This is very helpful for Asians where the "hollow" above your eyes (aka the "crease" between your eyeball and browbone) is harder to find.   These also don't need to be sharpened since the rounded tip is how they are supposed to be. I have never experienced any fallout or clumping with these either, which is a huge plus.

Texture: Remarkably creamy for a shadow in stick form.

Staying Power: They're not as long-lasting as Urban Decay or MAC shadows but they are quite comparable to drugstore shadows such as Maybelline and Almay. The BR02 lasts longer than WH01.

Color Payoff: Surprisingly good pigmentation.   It's also buildable.  The white one has large glitter particles and a shimmery finish while the brown just has pearl finish with a faint purple flash.

Blendability: It's not the most blendable shadow ever but it blends pretty well with minimal streaking considering it's in a hard stick form.  I wouldn't say it's "silky smooth" when it comes to blending but I wouldn't complain about it either.  It's very acceptable.

The WH01 is ideal for a subtle inner corner highlight or just putting it on the ball of your eye for a bit of dimension.  This is how I use it.  It's doesn't go well over foundation as a highlighter for your nose tho and the glitter particles chunk up when you blend it.  Nonetheless, I like white quite a lot for my eyes.  BR02 is a less versatile but it's more long lasting and excellent for a subtle "no makeup" look.  I like to use this color just along my upper eyelid and the outer corners. Together both these pencil eyeshadows work well together to create an easy everyday look since all you need to do is 'scribble' on your eyelid and smudge ^_^

Overall
For ~$4/each, these are great.  Very convenient and I am surprised how often I use these, the white one especially is a staple of mine for the center and corner of my eyes.   I would certainly buy these again; I'd prolly buy one of each if I was in Korea.  I really like the stick form and while they are rather expensive if you think about it (aka you get 4 eyeshadow colors for ~$7-8 in a Maybelline Quad), it's really not that bad when you consider the packaging and convenience that goes with it.  They're rather hard to get in America though, I've seen these being sold on Ebay as high as $18/each, which is just ridiculous :P

Good:
- Overall, both pencils are a good balance between creamy but not "too" creamy.
- No fallout, streaking, or clumping. Not powder-y in other words.
- Surprisingly good pigmentation.
- Sleek packaging. I really like the idea of eyeshadows in stick form now :)
- Lasts as long as a drugstore eyeshadow.
- Not a huge color selection but has many basic, wearable colors (10 total).
- Doesn't crease.
- Has a nice pearl/shimmery finish.

Bad:
- Large glitter particles in WH01 make it unsuitable for face highlighting.
- Difficult to get online.
- Not moisturizing like they claim :\ Though only heaven knows how an eyeshadow can be moisturizing :P But in that respect, it doesn't flake/have fallout or anything.

Overall, I do recommend these.  I like them quite a bit and having 2-3 colors in your purse is very convenient without the hassle of brushes/sponge tips. Also here's a a full copy of the original Korean ad for these:

#05 shows various looks you can do with these color sticks.  All the colors are mentioned by their color code (Ex: WH01) so you can easily figure out which color sticks go with each look.  I would translate the looks but I don't think enough people will be able to get their hands on these for the instructions to be useful :\  Maybe I'll do it in the future when these become more readily available.