My Recent Haul From The Face Shop

Hi everyone!

As you all know, I am a through-and-through Nature Republic girl, and while I am pretty open to trying other Korean brands such as Skinfood, Missha and Holika Holika, one that has never really taken my fancy too much is The Face Shop. Honestly, I think the reason for this is that the Guri Face Shop isn’t the best: the staff aren’t that friendly or helpful, and they never give samples. Ever. I don’t think I’ve even received a sample when I’ve bought anything full price (a loooong time ago). So, when you’ve got other shops with really kind staff who help you try things out, and then remove the colourful mess from your hand, and then stuff your bag full of samples, that sort of thing just won’t fly.

However.

Recently I was visiting a friend near Wolgok (somewhere north in Seoul) and Wolgok station happened to have a Face Shop there. They were having a sale and because it was a Sunday and I wasn’t in a rush, I thought I’d give them another go. Well. The ladies there were so nice and it just had a much better vibe than my local one. Maybe I’m being too harsh but I never feel that welcome in there! But I had a ball in this one.

So what exactly did I get? Have a look here:

I had been keen to try out a cushion CC cream, as they are all the rage here in Korea, so I picked up their Cushion Screen Cell SPF 50+, PA+++. It’s also (finally) coming into summer here, so I bought a delicious-smelling sunscreen, Natural Sun Oil-Cut Sun Cream SPF40, PA++. Being supremely light-skinned, I need to have sunscreen on at all times or else risk turning into a sun-damaged lobster. However, because most sunscreens are oily and don’t smell very nice, I will often wiggle my way out of this by covering up with clothes or just not venturing out in the sun. Not ideal. However, this one smells so fresh and fruity, and it isn’t oily either! What the…? I was completely shocked when I tried this, but it feels so nice to apply and can even be used on your face without turning into an oil slick. Win!

I also needed a mascara, so I thought I’d try their Face It Styling Mascara. I really like the packaging of this product, it looks really expensive (without actually being expensive). One thing I have found with this, though, is that it is a little bit thicker and intense than I am used to. I wouldn’t say ‘clumpy’ per se, but it does take me a fair bit longer to remove it at the end of the day. However, the upside of this is that it doesn’t take many swipes to get a full coverage, and Jebus knows I like my applications to be short and sweet!

After I had bought these things I (debatably) needed, I decided to pick up a few little extras. After a birthday makeover in 2011, I am convinced of the miraculous effects of blush. Before this, I never used it and didn’t really get it, but once I had this Gorgeous Cosmetics makeup artist work her magic on me, I was sold. So naturally, I decided to pick up a stick blusher called Kiss the Color Cheek Tint. This felt really creamy and the colour wasn’t too clownish on my skin (always a good thing). I know this is a bit vague but this isn’t a review post, just a haul post! Hopefully reviews/swatches will come soon, once I get a grip on the pile of products in my closet/my life.

After this, I decided on a few novelty purchases, such as this adorable lip mask Cherry Cherry Lips Modeling Gel Patch. Even though winter is out of the picture, my lips are still super dry and chapped all the time. I know we are experiencing a whole lotta Chinese Dust at the moment, but it’s a bit out of control. I try and drink lots of water and keep applying my faithful Lucas’ Pawpaw Ointment, but still the dryness continues. Hopefully after using this I will be able to reign it in a bit – plus it looks super cute!

Last of all, that little red apple in the top left corner is none other than the Fruit Bowl Apple Hand Cream. I have bought a number of adorable hand creams for presents, because they are just so cute plus they feel great and smell delicious. However, somehow they have always eluded me… until now! This was just an indulgent little purchase (unlike the rest of them…?) and I am looking forward to keeping this in my hand bag and whipping it out for a dose of extra cuteness. Because in Korea, too much cute is never enough!

You will also be pleasantly surprised to know that I received some samples! Admittedly, these purchases were already discounted from the sale (although that never stops Nature Republic from showing me the love…) but still, I was appropriately satisfied. The lady gave me two sachets of their Mango Seed Radiance Cream and one sample of their Chia Seed Cleansing Foam. Yes-euh!

And that concludes today’s haul post, I hope y’all enjoyed it ^^ I have been busy shopping and also living a little bit, so trust me when I say I have a whole host of posts up my sleeve. You wouldn’t believe the amount of Korean cosmetics I’ve been purchasing, and I’ve been having a great time while doing so. I like to think I’m making the most of Korea, because these amazing world-class products are basically on my doorstop, and who am I to resist?!

Thanks for reading! Until next time,

Steph x