Lioele Triple The Solution BB Cream

I purchased Triple the Solution a while ago in a Yesstyle haul, and finally I'm ready to post my thoughts on it. Lioele is a skincare and cosmetic brand from South Korea and is famous for this BB cream. I have oily skin, so it's hard for me to find something that gives me all the benefits of a BB cream but with lasting power and coverage for my oily skin and blemishes, especially in summer. The Triple The Solution claims to cater for all these problems.

When first applying it I was surprised how thick the consistency was. It goes on thick and dries fast, so I definitely recommend using a moisturising base beforehand. I also recommend not using your fingers, as convenient as it is, I didn't particularly enjoy tearing my face apart. I think a brush works a lot better. I use the Real Techniques buffing brush and I find that helps to fill in any large pores for a smoother appearance. Unlike many BB cream's I have tried this one has medium to high coverage, and covers any red spots or volcano's I might be sporting. Unfortunately I don't find this very buildable. When I try to apply another layer it can look cakey. This is probably because it dries matte, so if you have oily skin you won't have to worry about looking too greasy or shiny. When I wear this out for the day I only need to touch up with some powder once. It also has SPF 30 PA++, so you're also getting adequate protection from the sun.

Speaking of sun protection, two of the main ingredients in this cream are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, both which provide full coverage from UVB and UVA rays. This is the kind of stuff you find in physical sunscreens (aka the best kinds). As for the other key ingredients, there is arbutin for whitening, beeswax which has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties , and Hyaluronic acid for added moisture. There couldn't have been much of these last two ingredients in the cream because I do find it drying at times, and can accentuate the hell out of any dry patches or scabs if I'm not careful.

There are a few things I don't like about this BB cream, how heavy it feels on the skin and the dry patches, but overall it is one of the better ones I've come across for oily, blemish prone skin. Medium to high coverage, matte finish, durable (even in hot weather) with SPF 30 PA++. It's not too expensive either, Triple The Solution ranges between $20-30 mark, depending on where you're shopping. It is definitely a must try for BB cream enthusiasts.

Let me know your thoughts below!

Just Another Little Priceline Haul

From left: L'oreal True Match Foundation (Golden Ivory), L'oreal False Lash Wings Mascara & Rimmel Vinyl Max Lipgloss in #601 Passion.

I thought I would upload a short and sweet post on my latest priceline haul. It was finally time to cash in my vouchers the other day, and along with the regular quarterly voucher I received a whole lot of other promotions in the mail as well. The best one in my opinion was $10 off anything in the L'oreal True Match range. The True Match foundation was already 30% off, so I ended up paying like $11 for it! Talk about a bargain, not that I needed another foundation, but whatever. I also bought the new L'oreal False Lash Wing Mascara, which is currently on an introductory offer of only $18. Essiebutton, in her latest favourites video, was raving about this so naturally I had to try it too. And last but not least, the Rimmel Vinyl Max one stroke shine lip gloss in #601 Passion. I was with a friend at the time and when she picked this up and swatched it on her wrist I had to grab one as well.  I thought the pigmentation looked amazing for something labelled as a lip gloss. Alas, that's it for now, or until my next review post on Friday!

Ladykin Vanpir Dark Repair Cream & Activator

Ladykin Vanpir Dark Repair Cream & Youth Activator

I've come across some pretty bizarre skincare in my lifetime but this tops the cake for me. A product that focuses on giving you the translucent, youthful appearance of a vampire? I had to try it. Ladykin is a fairly new Korean skincare and cosmetic brand. Yesstyle.com only started stocking their products earlier last year, and they're not too expensive either. The ampoule is priced at $28, the cream $15, but together on sale only set me back $31. It was because of the low cost I started to have doubts. To be honest I really only wanted these for the super cute packaging (look at those vampire teeth!), but ended up being very surprised by the results.

Both products claim to brighten the skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines, dark spots and even pimples. Basically, give you the youthful appearance of a vampire. Rest assured, this range does not contain any glitter particles whatsoever. Just thought I should clarify that, so you don't have to worry about turning into this guy:

Another factor that perked my interest were the ingredients. Both products contain a lot of natural anti-inflammatory (allantoin, centella asiatica, dipotassium glycyrrhizate) and whitening ingredients (arbutin) including dragons blood (or croton lechliriresin extract). It is also free of parabens, animal derived ingredients, mineral oil, synthetic pigments and benzophenone. So yeah. It sounds too good to be true right?

The Repair Youth Activator

This serum is thick, but still feels quite light and watery on the skin and it absorbs instantly. It focuses on whitening and treating wrinkles, and on the box it also says it makes skin smooth and blemish free. I got quite a shock the morning after I first used this serum. The results were immediate. My skin was brighter, even a little paler, scars were lighter and there was hardly any discolouration or redness around my nose and cheeks at all. It does keep it smooth, and although it doesn't make my skin completely blemish free, it definitely helped keep spots to a minimum. The best part is that it continues to work with my skin even after four months.

Left: Vanpir Dark Repair Cream, Right: Vanpir Dark Repair Youth Activator/Ampoule

The Repair Cream

Out of the two products, I would probably say the ampoule is the most effective, but the cream itself turned out to be a really nice moisturiser. Together, they really do speed up the healing process of spots and scars. The only negative thing I have to say about the cream is the smell. It smells like some form of baby powder (or old people in general - no offence to old people). Luckily, it's quite light so it goes away quickly. The functions of the cream overrides the smell anyway. What I love about it is that its not too rich, it's the perfect balance for combination skin.  It feels heavy but with the right amount it's perfect. In fact, I've noticed my skin doesn't get as oily anymore!

Overall, the combination of these two products has improved my skin dramatically.  My skin isn't bad, but when that time of the month comes around it can take a while for the bad spots and scars to disappear, and by the time they're gone it's that time of the month again. I just can't seem to win when it comes to my skin. As soon as I started using these products redness and scars faded much more quickly, and overall my face has stayed clearer for longer. One of my friends even commented on how great my skin was looking (and that never happens).

| Beauty Wishlist | March '14

It's been a while since my last wishlist post. After Christmas I became more frugal with my money. With Uni starting up again I'll be working less so whenever I spot something I like I have to keep reminding myself: do I really need this? Most of the items on this list I can happily live without, but there is one or two I've decided I'll treat myself to if I stick to my finance goals this month. (The Kiki K goals journal has really helped me keep on track so far!)

1. Bourjois 24hr Colour Edition paint pot in 'Prune Nocturne'

I love cream eyeshadows, and Bourjois have recently released a couple of their own in some lovely shades, this one in particular. The only problem is that they're not available in Australia yet. I recently got in contact with Bourjois Australia and they told me they would be released in mid to late March this year, but only three shades will be available! Knowing my luck it won't be the shade I want.

2. Laneige CC Cream, or any CC Cream for that matter. If anyone has any recommendations please let me know! I've heard Laneige have really stepped up their game with this one, and it's been a while since I've tried something great from them.

3. Kath Kidston Wash Bag

I really need a new wash bag, the one I'm currently using was my mums and it's getting a little grotty. I've been dreaming about this Kath Kidston one for quite a while now. It's such a cute design, also they come in five different sizes for traveling. I have yet to decide which size I want!

4. Etude House Malgem Toner & Emulsion

Two more products on my Etude House list. I'm actually in need of a new toner and moisturiser at the moment, and I've heard some good things about their Malgem line, which means 'clean' in Korean. I'll have to do a little more research on the ingredients before I make a final decision.

5. Butter London nail polish in 'Yummy Mummy'

I've been really into neutral browns this season. I'm not one for shimmery nail polish but this doesn't seem too overpowering. I also happened to find Butter London in my local Biome store!

6. It's Skin Red Ginseng Silk Cream

I received a sample of this cream in my last Korean haul and absolutely loved the silky formula, and how It made my skin feel afterwards. I would definitely like to try out the full sized.