Review - I'm from Ginseng Serum

If you have read some of my posts before you know of my love of Hanbang cosmetics and particularly of Ginseng. Now if you want to enjoy ginseng in your cosmetics best thing is to turn to Korean cosmetics as they really know their ginseng. 

Ginseng is a health benefiting ingredient and Panax Ginseng or Asian Ginseng has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years and Korea is famous for the quality of its ginseng. 

Ginseng with its natural antioxidant and antibacterial properties has been promoted to have many skin care benefits among which are anti-ageing as it contains considerable amount of phytonutrients, which stimulate and activate the skin’s metabolism. As an antioxidant it rids the skin of the free radicals from when your skin is exposed to sunlight and environmental pollution. Also reportedly it can increase the production of collagen making your skin firmer.  Here is the Wishtrend video/commercial listing the skin benefits of ginseng. 

I personally enjoy ginseng in my skin care and products I have used so far that contained ginseng had a brightening and firming effect on my skin making it appear more luminous. So when I saw on Wishtrend that "I'm from" has come out with a ginseng serum I could not contain my excitement and ordered it immediately, especially as this is the company that produces one of my favorite masks  - I'm from Honey. 

I'm from Ginseng Serum comes in a 30 ml glass bottle with a pipette. Its outer packaging is a nicely designed brown cardboard box containing information in Korean and English. The serum itself is a thicker, amber/dark yellow colored murky liquid. It spreads easily and sinks rather quickly into skin, leaving a sticky feeling that goes away after a minute or two. If you were worried that it will smell too medicinal or like dirt (as ginseng products often do)  do not worry as it has a rather strong vaguely floral scent. It is not unpleasant, but it is rather intense.  So people sensitive to scent might find it problematic. However, once you put serum on the face the scent quickly vanishes. Looking at the ingredients  its formula sounds promising but it is hard to tell its long term effects after only couple of weeks of usage but what I have noticed is that it leaves my skin supple and nourished and reduces redness. It layers well with other products and looks pretty in my bathroom (that is important, you know!). 

Ingredients: 

Water, Red Ginseng Extract, Butylene Glycol, Betaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Panax Ginseng Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis (Licorice) Root Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Rheum Palmatum Root Extract, Angelica Pubescens Root Extract, Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Ethoxydiglycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hyaluronic Acid, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance 

CosDNA analysis is very clean. 

The star ingredient of this serum is of course ginseng. Wishtrend states:

6-year-old 7.98% Ginseng extractBecause ginseng extract is made with a moisture content of less than 14%, it is possible to store the taste, scent and active ingredients of ginseng in a concentrated state for a long time. Meticulous control of temperature, time and pressure is required until one ginseng is made into ginseng extract. Through this process, a new active ingredient unique to ginseng extract was discovered. The I’m from rejuvenating serum is formulated with the concentrate of high-quality ginseng extract at its purest. 

Besides ginseng this contains some other herbal extracts I love in my skincare like: Camellia Sinensis/Green Tea Leaf Extract which contains EGCG polyphenols that are known for their anti-carcinogenic and antioxidant abilities. EGCG has shown to be an effective treatment for reducing the redness and irritation associated with Rosacea and recent research suggests that EGCG indirectly acts as a sun-protecting ingredient by quenching the body's UV induced free radicals, in turn preventing the breakdown of collagen and reducing the skin's UV damage. Both ginseng and EGCG are used to reduce under eye puffiness and combat dark circles so I like to take this serum all the way under the eyes. 

Also there is Glycyrrhiza Uralensis (Licorice) Root Extract, an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral antioxidant used as a soothing ingredient that may benefit skin lightening as it contains liquiritin and isoliquertin, flavonoid containing glycosides which brighten skin by dispersing melanin pigment and enhancing a more even pigment distribution. 

There are other herbal ingredients: Peony Root Extract, a soothing antioxidant rich astringent, Angelica Gigas Root Extract for brightening, Rheum Palmatum Root Extract is an antioxidant, Angelica Pubescens Root Extract an anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory agent, Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract an anti-inflammatory agent that is used to counteract allergic reactions, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract that is used to reduce skin redness and swelling. All in all a bunch of soothing and antioxidant ingredients. 

If you love ginseng or just want to give it a try this is a good product as it is considerably less costly then some other offerings containing ginseng. I'm from has also come up with a Ginseng Mask which is on my way so expect to read about that in the future too.  

I'm from Ginseng Serum is available for purchase on Wishtrend.com  for USD 28.80. 

Wishtrend promo code

If you have never purchased on Wishtrend before you can use my promo code 126235106 to get USD 5 off of your first purchase. 

Just place the code when asked for in the account registration page. You will then automatically receive 5 USD in store credit once your account is made. 

Photo taken from the Wishtrend site

REVIEW and brand introduction - the Ordinary products

The Ordinary is a brand under the DECIEM or The Abnormal Beauty Company umbrella. They have several skincare brands under them and some enjoy the cult status among the skincare lovers and geeks, most notably NIOD and Hylamide. The Ordinary, I  guess, is their budget brand. It is very, very reasonably priced and no nonsense brand aimed at people that actually care and know a bit about science behind skincare. 

The brand itself states on the site:
"The Ordinary is an evolving collection of treatments offering familiar, effective clinical technologies positioned to raise pricing and communication integrity in skincare. The brand was created to celebrate integrity in its most humble and true form. Its offering is pioneering, not in the familiar technologies it uses, but in its honesty and integrity. The Ordinary is born to disallow commodity to be disguised as ingenuity. The Ordinary is "Clinical formulations with integrity". 
The Ordinary exists to communicate with integrity and bring to market effective, more familiar technologies at honourable prices."

All DECIEM products, across all brands including The Ordinary, are free of parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, animal oils, benzalkonium chloride, coal tar dyes, formaldehyde, mercury, oxybenzone. If you have questions about any ingredient that we use, please reach out to us and our lab will provide a response. DECIEM does not test on animals and does not pay others to do so. 

The Ordinary basically gives you an opportunity to use an effective and smart skincare that utilizes great active ingredients and latest technology without breaking the bank. 

Now if you are wondering what kind of company DECIEM is let me quote a few things they say about themselves which are right on the money. 

"We're a humble and happy umbrella of good beauty brands. We're founded on the principle of doing everything others don't do and we are changing the world of beauty based on this principle.
Everything we do is of exceptional quality. Today, quality is no longer defined by merely price points or distribution channels. Quality today means being authentic, being different, being functional, being beautiful and being sensibly priced, even to the wealthy. And we respect these principles. We choose to serve the educated, the curious and the intelligent who appreciate our dedication to this very genuine definition of quality."

Basicly a company that caters to skincare geeks, a rapidly growing category of consumers.

I have dipped my toe in the sea of products that the Ordinary offers and I have to say I like the things I tried so far, and those are:

Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) is indicated to reduce the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion. A high 10% concentration of this vitamin is supported in the formula by zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid to balance visible aspects of sebum activity. 

pH 5.50-6.50

Ingredients

Aqua (Water), Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

Price 5.90 EUR (No, really. I am not joking that is the price.)

The product comes in a seethrough, milky, 30ml bottle with a pipette. Pipette works very well in dispensing the right amount of product. The product itself is a slightly milky gelatinous liquid that spreads easily on the skin. I find the best way to apply it (especially if you layer products) is to wait until the product you applied before completely dries on your skin and then also wait for this product to completely dry before layering a different one. When applied in such a way there was no pilling and it played well with all other products. 

As you can see this product is marketed as the sebum controlling product and it does that marvelously.  I've been using this both night and day and my t-zone is so well behaved that it is a miracle. Even with the sudden rise of temperature my T-zone remains balanced and not oily. However the star ingredient of this product niacinamide, a very stable ingredient,  offers so much more than sebum control which it achieves by improving epidermal barrier performance which also results in reduced redness and blotchiness of the skin.

Honestly, this is the first time I see a company claim less of what their product can do instead of making wild claims.

 The thing is, niacinamide is also a very effective skin-restoring ingredient that offers multiple benefits. Like the ability to visibly improve the appearance of enlarged pores, it also boosts collagen production and therefore improves fine lines, it protects skin from infrared heat of the sun, basically protecting the skin from the heat. And if you suffer from hyperpigmentation (dysfunctional tanning as I like to call it, you basically get blotchy pigmentation on skin instead of an even tan) including niacinamide in a routine is a must. What niacinamide does is, it slows down the transfer of melanin to the skin epidermis thus preventing tanning and hyperpigmentation. 

Of all those benefits, sebum control and improved appearance of enlarged pores I have witnessed within the first month of using this product. As the summer is fast approaching I am looking forward to see how this product might help me prevent and fight my constant battle with hyperpigmentation.  

Niacinamide in combination with zinc (which is the formula in question) is used to treat inflammatory skin conditions (eg. acne, rosacea) as I don't suffer from any of those I cannot comment on its effectiveness in that area. 

I love this product and I never want to be without it. I have purchased a backup bottle already. 

Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

Formula that is supposed to reduce the appearance of eye contour pigmentation and of puffiness.

This light-textured formula contains an extremely high 5% concentration of caffeine, supplemented with highly-purified Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside (EGCG) from green tea leaves. Independent studies have shown that topical use of each of caffeine and EGCG can help reduce looks of puffiness and of dark circles in the eye contour. Additional studies have shown that caffeine can also reduce the appearance of cellulite. 

pH 4.50 - 5.00

Notes: 

1. Hollowness in the eye contour as a result of structure of sub-dermal tissues like fat and bone can result in visible shadows under the eyes. This shadow, which is not to be mistaken for dark circles, cannot be addressed with topical skincare including this formula. 

2. Fat deposits under the eye contour can create permanent puffiness in this area. This type of deposit cannot be improved with topical skincare, including this formula. 

3. Supplied in UV-protective packaging as EGCG is sensitive to light.

Ingredients

Aqua (Water), Caffeine, Propanediol, Maltodextrin, Glycerin, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Hyaluronic Acid, Oxidized Glutathione, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Polypodium Vulgare Rhizome Extract, Cetraria Islandica Thallus Extract, Sphagnum Magellanicum Extract, Urea, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Xanthan gum, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Propyl Gallate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ethoxydiglycol, Benzyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol.

Price 6.70 EUR

The product comes in a dark brown 30ml bottle with a pipette. Pipette works well in dispensing the right amount of product as you need only one drop for both eyes. The product itself is an amber colored formula with a gel like texture that spreads easily and feels moisturizing. Considering how little you need for both eyes this will last a very long time. I like to use this after Arigreline solution and before Hylamide SubQ Eyes Advance Serum or an eye cream of choice. Concealer goes smoothly and does not crease any worse with all these products under it. Formula feels pleasantly cooling under the eyes and sinks in completely under a minute. 

My eyes are rarely puffy but I have dark circles. Also with the switch to summer time I have been missing my hour of sleep badly and I think this helped in making me look less haunted and exhausted. It does not abolish the dark circles completely but it helps in making me look more awake and less run down. Now it's effectiveness was even more evident with puffiness. After working for 15 hours in full eye makeup I woke up with puffy eyes and this really helped in reducing the puffiness immediately upon application.  

Formula contains caffeine which as an antioxidant fights the future signs of ageing, it is also a diuretic (makes skin temporarily appear smoother), and it is a vasoconstrictor (it may reduce puffiness and dark circles by narrowing blood vessels). It also contains EGCG,  a physiologically active polyphenol of green tea.

I will continue to use this as I enjoy the application and the results. I like it, it did not blow me away as the Niacinamide one but I like it just fine. 

Argireline Solution 10%

Lightweight Serum with 10% Argireline Peptide Complex

Arigreline is a trademark owned by Barcelona-based Lipotec. It is a proprietary solution of Acetyl Hexapeptide-3. Controlled studies have shown that Argireline improves the appearance of facial areas prone to developing dynamic folds, including around the eyes and in the forehead area. 

Ingredients

Aqua (Water), Propanediol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Gellan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

Price 7.20 EUR

So what is Arigreline and how does it work?

Firstly you need to know what happens when you frown.

A super lipid (called a vesicle) releases a neurotransmitter to the synapses, sending a signal for the muscle to move. Three proteins, called the SNARE complex, are essential for the final stages of this process (called exocytosis).

And this is when Arigreline  comes to play.

Lipotec discovered that acetyl hexapeptide / Arigreline mimics one of the proteins in the SNARE complex and as a result can destabilize it. Even a slightly destabilized SNARE won’t work. No SNARE equals no muscle movement. No frowning equals no wrinkles. Lipotec does not claim that Argireline works in any other way, such as boosting collagen or repairing skin but claims that simply ensnaring SNARE is enough to have an impact on wrinkles. There is an independent study published  in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science that says that a 10% concentration of Argireline reduced wrinkles by 30% over 30 days. 

 source: www.truthinageing.com

Well this was very sciency and if you got this you deserve a cookie.

Basically it stops your muscles from contracting and forming a frown. I have a tendency to frown due to strong sunlight even when wearing sunglasses, so only visible wrinkles I have are on my forehead. I have been using this for several weeks but not sure I see the difference. But looking at how Arigreline works  it seems to me that this is more of a prevention product than fix what is already there one. 

The product comes in a seethrough, milky, 30ml bottle with a pipette. Consistency of the formula is like water.  Really, it is just like water.  Because it is so watery it is a bit hard to use as you cannot avoid it spilling a bit. I use it immediately after my toner and watery essence step. I put some on my forehead and around the eyes. It sinks in immediately.

I am not sure how I feel about this product just yet. We are in getting to know each other phase. 

So this was my first look into the Ordinary and their products but it will not be a last one for sure, I have already purchased their Advanced Retinoid 2% but I need to use up my Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM first before I give this one a go.  So expect to read more about this brand in the future. All products can be ordered via their site http://deciem.com/ and their customer service is superb.

Note: all text in italics is a direct quote or taken from the DECIEM site. 

Pretty in Pink - favorite spring lipsticks

Getting in touch with my girly side this spring

I am not really a believer in seasonal colors. I'll wear burgundy lip in a middle of summer if I feel like it and rock a coral lip in a dead of winter if it suits my fancy.  But sometimes the weather makes you feel like wearing a certain color, and after this long and bloody cold winter the sun is finally out and I am feeling a bit of pink. And not just any pink but this soft almost bright but not quite wash of color, like sakura (cherry blossom) petals.
The colors are soft and girly (yeah, I know it is out of character but I can be girly ...in theory) and they give life to my face and also one thing they all have in common is that they are super comfortable to wear. Now onto lippies (Missha Cushion and Clinique blush are in the photograph for the pretty).

Peripera Ink Velvet Airy in No.5 Elf Light Rose, Laneige Two Tone Lip Tint Bar in No.3 Tint Mint, Mamonde Oil Shine Stick in No.9 Nude Rose and Urban Decay Vice Lipstick Sheer in Brat

Peripera Ink Velvet Airy in No.5 Elf Light Rose - the only matt formula in the bunch. It is a beautiful warm pink that goes feather light on the lips and feels like nothing but boy does it last. I am telling you this sucker does not budge. 

Laneige Two Tone Lip Tint Bar in No.3 Tint Mint - apparently a super popular colour in Korea. The balm side of the two tone lip bar is very moisturizing and nourishing which makes this one comfortable lip product. Although the colour looks really bright in the swatch it diffuses on lips into this beautiful soft petal pink. It is not overtly shiny or balmy and it is not sticky at all. It just makes lips feel great and look beautiful.

Mamonde Oil Shine Stick in No.9 Nude Rose  - Despite the name this does not feel oily nor is it particularly shiny. It is actually quite pigmented and super comfortable on lips. Colour is very nice natural pink that leans slightly warm on me. Despite being moisturizing it is rather long wearing unless you are eating or drinking. This feels and looks great on the lips. I am impressed with the formula. 

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick Sheer in Brat - surprisingly the shiniest and sheerest of all and the only cool toned pink in the bunch. Formula is sheer but it is also very comfortable to wear. It gives the right amount of shine to lips making them look healthy and moist and not greasy. 

Swatches 

This would be my lipstick wardrobe for this spring.  Almost all of them are great bag lipsticks as they are easy to apply, even without the mirror.

Review - UNIK Propolis Vitamin Synergy Serum

If you read my posts before you know of my love of honey and propolis in cosmetics so when I spotted a new propolis serum on offer with one of my favorite ebay sellers blueprint21 from a company I never heard of I decided to be adventurous and give it a go. 

I learned that UNIK stands for Unique & Natural Ingredients Knowhow. They say they are a new Korean cosmetics brand, that produces effective cosmetics with natural ingredients and unique combinations thought out by their research and development team.

The brand visual identity is clean, no fuss almost medicinal look. Serum comes in a 50ml glass bottle with a well functioning pipette. The packaging contains the full ingredients list, directions and other information in rather good English. Very user friendly to users that do not speak Korean. 

The serum itself is gold yellow in color and has a really pleasant mellow bergamot scent (that comes from Bergamot Fruit Oil that is part of the formula). The consistency of the serum is reminiscent of honey, it spreads easily and evenly and absorbs quickly leaving a slightly sticky finish at first, but stickiness goes away rather quickly. It is lightly moisturising and imparts some of that famous propolis glow and layers well with other serums and essences. It also feels slightly firming on skin. I like to use it as my final step before an occlusive layer that is a cream or oil as propolis is a natural sealant. The smell is really, really nice and natural but does not linger.

Serum consistency

 CosDNA analysis   is really clean and only ingredient listed as possibly comedogenic is Butylene Glycol, a moisturizing agent widely used in cosmetics. 

I also like that they state the exact percentage of their hero ingredients in the formula.
"The unique and optimal ratio, Propolis Extract 70% and Vitamin C (Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract) 12%, 2% Niacinamide and 0.04% Adenosine.This serum can help make calming, nourishing, brightening and wrinkle care with nature ingredients."

Looking at ingredients this serum should do what it claims. 

Propolis Extract - moisturizing, antiviral and antimicrobial and as such beneficial for acneic skin it is an ingredient suitable for sensitive skin that helps reduce redness it is also natural sealant, and as such it may help skin retain more moisture to maintain healthier and vibrant complexion.

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract (Sea buckthorn ) -  an antioxidant Sea buckthorn promotes skin hydration, elasticity, and skin regeneration, and even helps treat and prevent acne. It may also be beneficial for rosacea.

Niacinamide - a skin-restoring ingredient that offers multiple benefits for aging skin. Among these benefits is the ability to visibly improve the appearance of enlarged pores, uneven skin tone, fine lines, dullness, and a weakened skin surface. 

Adenosine - good soothing and skin-restoring agent. Adenosine has proven anti-wrinkle benefits due to its ability to energize skin’s surface so it looks smoother and younger. 

There are also skin soothing ingredients like allantoin,centella asiatica extract, portulaca oleracea extract and other antioxidants that are beneficial for the skin. 

Looking at the formula it seems to be really suitable for skin suffering from acne.

So if you wanted to give propolis a go and you have troubled skin this might be a product for you. Also other skin types could use this product as long as you do not rely on it as your main source of moisture as its moisturizing capacity is light. 

I have been using this product for two weeks, twice a day and although it did not make me 10 years younger in two weeks it also did not cause any irritation or flare ups and my skin seems to enjoy it. Hopefully with continuous use I will see the anti aging and brightening benefits. 

Tint my lips: peripera

peripera's tints

Some of my favorite tints come from brand peripera. Peripera is a sister brand of Clio, and while Clio has this MAC like/professional makeup aesthetics, peripera is all about cute. Actually their design makes me think that peripera's target clientele are teenage girls, however that does not mean that products are not high quality. Peripera's tints are some of the best I've came across.


Peri's INK

peri's INK the Velvet in no.7 Dollish Beige Rose and in no.6 Celeb Deep Rose, 

peri's INK the airy Velvet in no.5 Elf Light Rose and original peri's INK in no.5 No-Spoiler

Peri's INK line is easily recognizable by its ink bottle packaging and cute images done by the cartoonist who did the cute drawings for 2NE1 animated MV "I hate you" (click on the MV name if you want to watch it). Peri's INK are some of the most hard core long lasting tints on the market, their lasting power is no joke.They are lightweight and pigmented. Peri's INK the Velvet line is the relatively new line with super matt finish and cloud like feel on the lips. The latest edition is the airy INK which is even lighter feeling on lips. They are all really comfortable to wear and not drying.

Swatches from top to bottom of: airy INK Velvet in no.5  Elf Light Rose, INK Velvet in no.7 Dollish Beige Rose and no.6 Celeb Deep Rose and peri's INK in no.5 No-Spoiler

Stain after wiping the tint away

Another of the peri's INKs are the Moist line. I have the Mini Set that peripera occasionally issues that contain mini sizes of all colors in the line. What a great way to try them all.

Peripera peri's INK Moist MiniMini Set

Peripera states: 5 piece gift set is a bite size collection of Lip Ink Moist. You can meet all colours of Peri's Ink Moist in this MiniMini Set. Zero texture delivers intense color with no sticky residue. It is high moist and gloss formula. 

All I can say is that the description is right on the money. These tints are moisturizing and long lasting and manage to be glossy without being sticky. 

Colors: 1. Cuddle Orange, 2. The Cutest Pink, 3. Top Red, 4. Bang Rose, 5. Soul Burgundy

Swatches of INK Moist from top to bottom: Cuddle Orange, The Cutest Pink, Top Red, Bang Rose, Soul Burgundy

Stain after wiping the tint away

Peri's tint (water) and Lumi Pang

Peri's tint in no.1 and Lumi Pang in RD0

Peri's water tint is the classical old school water tint. Longevity is really good and color is beautiful but as all water tints I find them rather difficult to use because they are so runny. Usually I end up with more tint on teeth than on lips. It is a great tint for natural "just bitten" lips look. 

Lumi Pang is one of my favorite formulas, it goes on smooth and lasts long. It looks really beautiful on and formula does not emphasize dryness or chapped lips. 

Peri's tint in no1. and Lumi Pang in RD05

Stain after wiping the tint away

If you are looking for a long lasting but comfortable tints that are also very affordable than  look no further than peripera. 

I bought all of them on Jolse and the prices range from USD 11.50 to 6.50 depending on the product. 

Review: Too Cool For School Art Class by Rodin line

Too Cool for school Artclass by Rodin line so far consists of a contour powder, a highlighter and a blush. Undoubtedly the most famous product in the line is the contour powder that has almost a cult status among lovers of Korean beauty products. 

The cult status of the contour powder is well deserved as it is a lovely, pigmented finely milled matte powder that blends well. It consists of three shades of brown, the middle one being the most cool toned one. The color of all three blended together is similar to that of a Hoola bronzer by Benefit, another product with a cult status. It is suitable for people with light to medium skin tone. 

Tiki's thoughts:I like it and use it often.

Top swatch is Benefit's Hoola Bronzer and bottom swatch
 is Artclass by Rodin contour powder

Highlighter is a golden champagne highlight that gives this lovely sheen on skin. It is not in your face highlight but one suitable for everyday wear. If you try to build it up to more intensity it can get cakey and emphasise skin imperfections.  It consists of three shades ranging from light gold to rose gold. I like to wear all of them mixed together. Suitable for people with light to medium skin tone. 

Tiki's thoughts: It is a nice everyday highlight. Office appropriate. 

Blush, as many Korean blushes, is very light, subtle and discreet. It is a matte blush consisting of three colors: apricot (so light that it does not even show on my very pale skin), peach and coral pink, mixed all together they give a light peachy pink blush. Blush blends well and is finely milled but rather light and really not buildable and will show up only on people with very light skin. 

Tiki's thoughts: I am regretting buying it. Even on my super pale skin it barely shows. 

One thing to note is that all of these make nice eyeshadows too. Blush works better as an eyeshadow than blush to be honest. (Sorry for my poor swatch taking skills). 

Swatches: all three colours of blush highlighter and contour mixed, swatches of  all three blush colors, swatches of contour colors and of highlighter colors

Review: Innisfree Ginger Oil Skin

I love ginger. I love it in food, I love it in drinks. I love how it tastes I love how it smells.  So it was safe to assume I will probably love it in my skincare as well. 

Sometime last year I saw Innisfree's Ginger Oil line, and I decided to give toner (skin) a go to see how I like it. After using it for several months I can say that I really do like it.

Let's see what Innisfree says  about the Ginger Oil Skin:

Nourishing ginger enriched with nutrients derived from soil, the source of life 
Nourishing the skin from the inside out to allow it to feel smooth and look radiant 
The power of the skin to protect itself against external irritants 
Enhance the power of the skin that has become tired and exhausted from external irritants in order to keep it healthy 
A highly nourishing rich texture that is completely absorbed into the skin to provide deep hydration with a silky finish 
Nourishing essential toner is completely absorbed into the skin and leaves it feeling smooth and moist.

Nutrient-rich Jeju ginger grown in the fertile soil of pristine Jeju Island has 6-Gingerol which is effective in protecting the skin. 6-Gingerol and functional skin-vitalizing ingredients enhance the natural strength and protective power of the skin to keep it energized and healthy.

Toner comes in 200 ml off white bottle with gold lettering.It is a simple and classy looking design. 
The product opening is nice and dispenses an appropriate amount of product. 
Ginger Oil Skin smells wonderful, it has a mild natural zesty ginger scent without the spiciness. It is a rather thick liquid that spreads easily but it takes a bit to fully absorb.
This is a very rich, moisturizing toner. It leaves skin, supple and nourished with a lovely glow. I prefer to use it at night due to its richness and I belive it would be a perfect toner for people with dry skin. 

CosDNA analysis shows no acne triggers or irritants and my skin did not react badly to it in any way (no breakouts or other signs of irritation). 

Ingredients: WATER, PROPANEDIOL, ALCOHOL, PEG/PPG-17/6 COPOLYMER, GLYCERETH-26, BETAINE, ZINGIBER OFFICINALE (GINGER) ROOT OIL, ZINGIBER OFFICINALE (GINGER) ROOT EXTRACT, CITRUS UNSHIU PEEL EXTRACT, ORCHID EXTRACT, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, CAMELLIA JAPONICA LEAF EXTRACT, OPUNTIA COCCINELLIFERA FRUIT EXTRACT, MACADAMIA INTEGRIFOLIA SEED OIL, ADENOSINE, XANTHAN GUM, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, DIETHOXYETHYL SUCCINATE, METHYL GLUCETH-20, BIS-PEG-18 METHYL ETHER DIMETHYL SILANE, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, DISODIUM EDTA, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, PEG-60 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, FRAGRANCE
Source: http://www.innisfreeworld.com

Notable ingredients (somewhat) explained: 

Ginger Root Oil - anti-inflammatory and skin conditioning agent
Ginger Root Extract  - acts as an anti-inflammatory for soothing the skin and scavenges free radicals while reducing edema
Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract-antioxidant (antioxidants protect from damage caused by free radicals )
Orchid Extract - antioxidant, also anti-aging agent, calms inflammation, and helps increase cell turnover.
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (Green Tea) -antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract-antioxidant, skin-soothing
Prickly Pear Extract - antioxidant
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil - skin conditioning agent
Adenosine - Yeast derived soothing and skin restoring agent with proven anti-wrinkle benefits. 

As you can see it is chock full of antioxidants and some anti-ageing agents which leads me to believe it has anti-ageing properties, besides moisturising ones. 
Also a little goes a long way, and 200ml should last several months at least even if used twice a day. 

Tiki's thoughts: 4.5/5 I love this. I deducted 0.5 from the grade due to fact it is a bit rich for me to use during day but it is a lovely, lovely product that feels especially good after using actives (retinol). I will continue to use it at night and in winter when such a rich, moisturizing toner is something my skin enjoys. Definitely repurchase.