ALTHEA KOREA MAKE UP: HIT OR MISS?
That makes me feel much better haha, but really i do apologize if my works aren't what it used to be. I'm actually quite curious to know how many of you still actually camp for my beauty reviews?
Think hardly on blog since most people rather have quick updates on Instagram stories/ posts, it's really hard to keep up with trends these days.
This post isn't gonna be long winded, i'm just gonna keep it straight to the point and let the photos speak for itself. As seasoned readers of my blog you guys would know that i've tested and featured a few items from Althea Korea over the past few years and so far they are all good that i even buy restocks like their translucent powder & sunaway lotion!
Many of their fans (me as well) were hoping that they will release a make up range soon with the rate of positive responses they've gotten for their independent products and fast forward end of last year i received a notification that they will be releasing their make up range in 2019!
Was lucky to get my hands on the full set of Althea Korea's new arrivals, some received them much earlier than i did (because i got mine shipped to Japan) and lo tons of beauty bloggers, instagrammers and youtubers were raving about it like it was the 4th of July fireworks or something. So i was wondering, "IS IT THAT GOOD??"
I like to give reviews the benefit of the doubt so that the disappointment doesn't hit me hard if things didn't live up to expectations lol.
So without further adieu, let's check out which are hits and misses for me!
MAKE UP
Doesn't matter what look you are going for, you can achieve it with Althea Korea's latest make up range
RATE: 2.5/5
I definitely like the fact how they thought about having more shades (4 to be exact) aside from the usual standard 2 "fair & normal" shades often released by Korean cosmetic brands. Coming from Malaysia we have all sorts of skin tones, though their variety might not be as extensive as Fenty Beauty or Bobby Brown, for a newcomer they did better than others.
For the price point it's definitely very affordable, RM15 per tube!
That price is definitely hard to come by often and those that are around that price range are often pretty disappointing as its quite useless. The fact Althea's concealers are cheap, do they perform well on the skin?
I have a love hate relationship with it, not sure if it's my skin condition (which is perfectly normal), weather reaction or application technique. Some days it sets well, some days it's just horrible like after an hour the way it cakes and patches on my skin makes me want to just wipe the whole thing off. Don't get me wrong, i LOVE the texture as its creamy and blends effortlessly almost like a foundation than a concealer. That's why i see people using it on their entire face not only as a concealer but also as a foundation or contour.
It has a below average concealing strength for pimples/ acne but for dark circles it covers up pretty well without enhancing the fine lines underneath the eye area and to apply it i found out the best way to get a decent coverage for your pimple/ scars is to use a dry beauty blender and dab unto it.If you use a wet one, the coverage is almost non existent and i tried using my finger/ brush it still doesn't cover my pimples/ scar more than 70%.
Would be great if someone could share with me more tips on how to use it "properly".
I personally wouldn't recommend this to people who are looking for "High coverage" concealers, but if you are looking for a "natural finishing" then by all means feel free to test it out.
Rate: 3.8/5
I love the color selection for their watercolor cream tints, all of them are wearable daily and they work well as blushers too thanks to it's smooth blendable texture!
I would have given it a higher rating if only it was long lasting given it's name "tint", from my experience with most tints they are usually hard to remove as it literally tints your lips but the perk is that you don't have to touch up throughout the day. As for Althea's watercolor cream tint, after eating or drinking you'll definitely need to touch up as the color will obviously fade off. I found myself having to touch up a couple times a day which isn't very nice as i had to excuse myself each time; However on the cheeks it stayed on pretty well.
These cream tints works well if you wear them as a solid shade on its own or you can use your fingers to blur off the edges creating a softer look.
You don't need to use any lipbalm before applying the cream tint as it is moisturizing enough and doesn't enhance your lip wrinkles.
Using #04 Marron cream on my cheeks & lips
My favorite shade is #04 Marron Cream as i found it more versatile for daily work look while the other shades come out abit too strong.
Rate: 4/5
This one got everyone screaming over the sun and moon literally because of it's price, RM140?? Is it worth splurging on this palette?
I would say, it depends on the person and would their usage justify the spending. If you don't wear make up on a daily basis then it's not something up your alley, a cheaper alternative would do but if you travel frequently and would like to create various kinds of looks without having to lug around a large eyeshadow palette then i think this would be a great choice.
From the amount of shades it may look limited but the possibilities are endless, all you need is to mix around; be adventurous and you can easily wear your look from day to night. I actually did that for my recent work trip, had only less than 30 mins to change for dinner so i added on a darker shade on top of my existing day make up to create a subtle "smokey eye". In terms of color options, i think their selection is pretty good and it's super duper easy to blend just using your fingers. Don't need to bring around your fancy eyeshadow brushes! I got quite a number of questions asking what eyeshadow i'm using and how i usually blend it, so here the secret!
There are some somethings i would like to point out is their metallic glitter eyeshadows (Gold & Rose gold), it isn't as pigmented as i expected; hope they can improve it next time and with that the palette would be perfect. Now it requires a few applications to bring out the color, however their normal shimmers and mattes are quite pigmented.
DAY
NIGHT
DAY
NIGHT
Using Nude shimmer as highlighter
#ArisaTips: You can also use the shimmer nude (top far right- 1st color) as a highlighter!
ALTHEA SPOTLIGHT EYE GLITTER
Rate: 4.5/5
Now this is an item i genuinely like because i had a couple of eyeliner glitters before and it doesn't really apply or dry well, having to apply it a couple of times without smudging it just to get the glitter to pop out is so tedious!!
But for Althea's spotlight eye glitter all you need is 1-2 applications and a couple of seconds, you'll have perfect glitter eyeliner on a fleek. It's so obvious and it doesn't take forever to dry, something you wouldn't expect from a RM24 tube. This isn't a colored eyeliner however it's opacity is around 50-60% with 1 application just in case you are wondering on its outcome. Lasts well without dropping glitter bits all over my face so that a plus point.
Moving on to few more Althea items before we wrap up this post, it's a facial cleanser, pimple cream & body mist (collaboration with an Indonesian celebrity- Titi Kamal)
PORE PURIFYING SERUM CLEANSER
Using the white glitter for this look
Using the pink glitter for this look with strawberry cream lip tint on lips & cheeks
Moving on to few more Althea items before we wrap up this post, it's a facial cleanser, pimple cream & body mist (collaboration with an Indonesian celebrity- Titi Kamal)
PORE PURIFYING SERUM CLEANSER
Though i am not a huge fan of oil base products due to it's texture, but i like how this cleanser leaves my skin feeling super refreshed, clean & firm (not the drying kind of tightness) after rinsing off. Doesn't give me any breakouts nor flaky skin problems so that's a good thing especially when my skin condition is quite sensitive after giving birth and the cold weather in Japan isn't very kind as well.
There are 2 other ways to use this cleanser as well; you can apply it on a cotton pad to wipe off your make up & rinse after or directly put some on your palm & massage it on your face to remove make up + cleanse at the same time. It's ideal for days when you are so lazy to remove your make up after work, just hop into shower with this and you can cleanse + remove make up at once!
This came just in time for spring! If you are not too fond of overpowering floral perfume scents you can try this instead as it provides a subtle tangy fresh floral scent that's enough to make heads turn (in a good way). The thing with scents it doesn't always agree with some people (need to check chemical reaction compatibility) but with this mist i don't have a problem with it and just a few light sprays on my body before wearing my clothes keeps me smelling good all day.
I really had high hopes for this spot film gel as it's marketed as a perfect canvas for your pimples before applying make up on. Supposedly provides a thin film layer on troubled parts of your skin while healing it from within at the same time which no doubt it does help to reduce and heal my breakouts over CNY but for applying make up on it, i would strongly recommend against it; The troubled patch will end up obvious and patchy no matter how well you try to blend make up over it whether it's foundation, powder or concealer. Also make sure not to laugh or smile after the film dries up on your skin especially near your mouth/ dimple area as it may cause it to stretch and tear lol.
It definitely heals, but not very much as a pimple cover make up base.
Hope you found this entry useful!
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Yours Truly,
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