My deep_discount_dvd_cd Package!

Despite the sketchy company name, I think I like this business!  deep_discount_dvd_cd is an online seller that has a storefront through Amazon.  This company sells miscellaneous CDs and DVDs, including kpop ones.  I have been eyeing Infinite's Second Invasion: First Concert Live in Seoul DVD for a bit on Amazon's webpage, but as expected, there is limited information.  There was no information of the contents of this product besides 3 discs (so I wasn't sure if there was a photobook), there was no region code and there were no given subtitles.  I was basically blindly buying this product and hoping it was exactly what I was looking for.  I decided to email deep_discount_dvd_cd, but they never responded.  After three days I emailed three other sellers through Amazon, and they all responded back the next day.  (By the way they all said they can't provide this information because a third party supplies them this product).  I decided to order from deep_discount_dvd_cd regardless of them not replying to me, because on their seller information it says if you order by 11AM PST (which I did do), they will ship your package on the same day and provide a tracking code.  I'm very naive and hopeful, so I continued to be faithful to this company.  But it wasn't until three days later that Amazon said my package has been shipped.  I ordered on April 22nd, and Amazon said that my package would arrive between April 29th and May 14th.  USPS said my package would arrive on May 1st.  Yet before I knew it, my package came on April 27th, just five days after I ordered it!  My package arrived earlier than expected which was very surprisingly.  And here is the beauty:

My Second Invasion ended up coming in a cardboard box that fit perfectly, with plastic air bags on top to completely fill the package.  The product itself was in good condition, though there was a slight ding on the side.  This item ended up being about $60, which is about the same as Kpoptown and cheaper than YesAsia and other sellers on Amazon.  So despite the lack of information given, everything worked out perfectly, much better than expected.  Overall, I'm so happy at how early the package came and can't wait to watch Infinite in action!

My Kpoptown Package! (Poster)

Despite the agonizing anticipation of my CNBlue CD from my first Kpoptown order, I decided to order from this website again.  I had ordered my Infinite New Challenge CD without a random poster so then I could order a poster separately and choose from the three myself.  I ordered from Kpoptown on April 12th, and the next day they had already shipped my poster!  Finally my poster arrived on the 26th, arriving only 2 weeks since I had placed the order.  I am very satisfied with the shipping this time.  Also the price was reasonable, $4.90 for the poster and $4.90 for shipping.

Here is the package:

My unfolded poster came in a mini poster tube, about 2 feet tall.  The tube is made of hard cardboard, which protected the poster pretty well.  Under the metal caps was a small layer of bubble wrap.

And here is the poster:

I can't stare at this poster too long or else I feel like passing out from fangirling so much!  I absolutely love this poster because it shows the group dynamics of Infinite that the other two posters didn't portray as well.  The entire theme is so fun and carefree, and how the members created an infinity symbol is very cool and the camera angle makes for a new and creative composition. 

Sadly my poster was a bit damaged at the top left.  It was a bit crinkled, and lasted about 5 inches across the top.  Besides that, I'm quite happy about my poster.  It's made of good quality paper.  This poster is also much bigger than my Paradise poster, with dimensions of 77cm by 52cm (roughly 2.53' by 1.71').  You can get a visual idea of its size by comparing the poster to the two Infinite CDs to its sides.

Overall, I can't wait to put this up on my wall!  I'm so happy I decided to purchase the poster separately from the album so I can choose the type myself.  This is definitely my most favorite poster of Infinite (or any poster in general) because of how happy, fun and carefree the members look!

Tony Moly Peach Anti-Aging Hand Cream Review

Tony Moly is known for its adorable, realistic beauty products.  This cute hand cream is no exception!  According to online descriptions, the Peach Anti-Aging Hand Cream contains peach and apricot extracts and other vitamins and ingredients to improve wrinkles and aging.  The result is supposed to be smoother, softer and whiter hands.

This peach is about life size, fitting in the palm of my hand.  The packaging itself is very similar to its nature counterpart.  The finish is matte, mimicking peach fuzz.  The color gradient, from cream to peachy pink from bottom to top, is also like a peach seen in Asian culture (red envelopes, cartoons, etc.).

The top half of the peach twists off, revealing a flat, white lid.  Surprisingly the lid doesn't have 'Tony Moly' imprinted, but instead is just a flushed lid.  This is to prevent the cream from spilling if the product weren't placed upright.

The color is white, from seen inside the peach, there is a slight, pale pink hue.  The texture is very rich, creamy and smooth.  This hand cream is definitely very moisturizing for even the driest, chapped hands, making my hands feel very smooth and soft despite previously being dry and rough.

Pros

• The packaging is too adorable!
• 30 grams is a lot for using just on the hands, so this can go a long way.
• The peach and apricot scent is very strong and lovely.  I smelled it right after I opened the lid, it's so intense!  Also with my hands typing, I can still smell the cream.
• This cream has been ranked as my go-to cream for when my hands are super dry and seeking moisture.  I'm amazed at just how healthy, smooth and soft (not to mention yummy-smelling!) my hands are right now.

Cons

• Maybe if you're sensitive to fragrance, then this product could be a problem.  But I see nothing wrong with this hand cream!

Overall, I love this product.  It is definitely another win for Tony Moly!  The sugary fruit scent reminds me of peach gummy rings, which is pleasing.  I didn't actually know that this product is supposed to whiten your hands until I read up on it, so I really hope the cream does just this.  This cream already moisturizes my hands to perfection, so if it whitens as well, I'd be a super happy camper!

My YesAsia Package!

Ever since Woollim Entertainment began building great anticipation for the main track "Man in Love" with its week-long teasers and both Google+ events on the day of New Challenge's digital release, I have been following Infinite closer than ever and waiting so long for their physical album release on the 25th.  This past month has been so stressful as I had been trying to get my hands on my own copy.  Here is my journey of frustration:

I was in Toronto during Infinite's release and had expected the stores there would magically have New Challenge in stock.  Unfortunately every store I checked said that they would receive the album two weeks after the release date.  I was disappointed because a store on the west coast of Canada had the album in stock just 3 days after the release date.  I understand that the west coast is much closer to Korea than the east coast, but I still had faith.

I decided to order mine directly from Amazon.com instead, which I had thought would have the fastest shipping sense usually direct Amazon packages arrive at my doorstep on its pre-order date.  Amazon's pre-order date was April 2nd, but once that date hit, the webpage said that this item was temporarily out of stock.  This webpage was already causing me concern because of the lack of information provided (including the title of the album being 'Infinite' and having no information of whether it comes with a poster or not).  With even more frustration, I cancelled my order.

Then I decided to order from YesAsia.com, which supposedly has very fast shipping (under a week).  I ordered on April 6th and it shipped on April 8th.  The shipping time was 6-14 days.

On Saturday, April 20th, Amazon finally announced that it had a few New Challenge albums in stock (last I checked was 4), meaning the CD would have arrived pretty shortly after then with prime, 2-day shipping.

Infinite's album has really been haunting me, because for the past 3 nights I've had dreams of other people receiving their CDs (including the limited edition ones) and on the last night, I finally received my copy, which happened to be a limited edition.  My dreams were a sign that the CD has finally come.  Today, 10 days after it had shipped (excluding weekends), my CD has finally arrived!

Sorry for blogging about all of that unnecessary frustration, but I just had to vent it out.  But now that my package has arrived, I can't stop grinning; my friend said I look so happy :)  And here it is:

 

 I was so excited that I opened my package just as I got it, walking on the sidewalk.  My album came inside a bubble wrap envelope, which was wrapped with 2 more layers of bubble wrap, then placed inside a tight plastic envelope that was then bounded by lots of masking tape.  It took awhile to open the package and reach its core, showing brilliant packaging.  I must admit, it did feel awkward carrying around a suspicious looking package...

Now a bit about YesAsia.  YesAsia is the same company as YesStyle, and it's based in Hong Kong.  The website has a huge selection of official Asian entertainment goods.  YesAsia is a trustworthy website, but with such high standards comes high prices.  YesAsia's products are usually more expensive than prices at Amazon, Kpoptown, etc.  They do have occasional deals though, like if you're a first time shopper.

Holika Holika Real Lip Butter Review

Holika Holika is a Korean beauty brand that has an enchantingly magical theme.  I decided to purchase one of their lip products that doesn't fall into its main concept but is still fun and refreshing.  I bought Holika's Real Butter Lip Balm for $11.50 (Canadian currency) at Pacific Mall in Markham, Canada.

Holika's lip butter comes in three flavors: milk, strawberry and butter. I'm also drawn to the unique flavors, but butter was a bit too extreme as a beauty product.  I had originally purchased the milk flavor to give to my friend, but loved the scent so much that I decided to keep that and buy the strawberry flavor for her.  This 6 gram lip balm comes in a flat tin with a perforated plastic wrap.  The bottom of the packaging doesn't offer much.

With this image, you can see just how big this balm is relative to my fingers.  You can also see the opening/closing mechanism, which I explain below in the 'Pros' section.  The texture is smooth and the consistency is very thick and hard.  I had to put a lot of pressure while swiping my finger tip on the product to get a thin layer.  Because with several swipes I barely got any product on my finger, and because the color is transparent, it wasn't worth a swatch photo.

Pros

•  I absolutely love the milk flavor!  The scent reminds me of sweet Asian milk candy, which is so unique and definitely not a flavor found in western products.
• It is very easy to open this tin with just one hand: simply put pressure on the lid and slide it open.  Despite opening it with such ease, it still has a very sturdy closure so you can't easily slide the entire lid off (though you can if you want to turn the lid 180 degrees).  You can see this with the third image.
• This tin is very small and flat, so it can easily fit anywhere, including tight jean pockets, without looking bulky. 
• My lips are left feeling smoother and healthier than before.
• Because this is the type of balm where you scoop the product yourself, you can choose the amount to put on.

Cons

•  The balm is very hard to pick up out of the tin.  It's like using the heat from your finger to melt a frozen chocolate bar.

Overall, my favorite part about this product is the scent.  I love just flicking the lid open and smelling it.  This balm is meant for already healthy, unchapped lips so I wouldn't suggest this product to severally chapped lips.  Because it is kind of hard to scoop out the product, I wouldn't purchase this product again, but I'm not disregarding this product either! 

Korean Beauty Brand: Holika Holika

Holika Holika is a newer Korean cosmetic brand, launching in early 2010.  In early 2013, Holika launched its American website, along with a Facebook page and twitter account.  Holika has stores throughout Asia and only one location outside of Asia, in Markham, just outside of Toronto, Canada.

This brand has a magical, witchcraft-like concept.  To me, their American counterpart seems like Urban Decay due to similar themes.  Holika's logo is a deep purple silhouette of a witch flying on a broom with stars twinkling in the background.  Holika Holika comes from the English suffix -holic, meaning addiction, and the Korean word holida, meaning temptation.  The brand's motto is "Holika Holika, cast a spell on your wishes. Holika Holika, magic cosmetics for your wishes to come true." This is a bit arbitrary, but fits with the overall magical theme.

Currently the endorsers for Holika are actor Jung Il Woo, actress Park Shin Hye and girl group Sistar. Previously CNBlue were the endorsers, which was what originally drew my attention to this brand.  Throughout the store I visited in Markham, Il Woo's face is smiling all over the place :)

Holika's prices are a bit higher than that of other Korean cosmetic brands of the same customer target, including The Face Shop and SkinFood.  In my opinion, many of the products are overpriced, but there are some reasonable items.  The nail polish, pictured below, was $8, mask sheets started at $2 and a 6 gram tin of lip butter was $11.50, all in Canadian currency.

Products range from skincare (including the adorable egg soaps packaged in egg cartons, like in the second photo) to cosmetics to BB creams (for males and females) to beauty tools.  The packaging is very charming, matching the magical fantasy theme.  You can see how this nail polish has a pretty look to it, with the glass bottle almost looking like a crystal ball.  The hue is also very unique and looks like a witch's potion, also having a similar color to Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck perfume.

To get information on my experience in Holika Holika's only store outside of Asia, check out my post on Pacific Mall.

SkinFood Good Afternoon BB Cream Review

SkinFood has an adorable BB cream line called Good Afternoon BB Cream, with five different tea flavors that target specific needs, though many of these features overlap with one another. All of the creams in this collection have SPF 20 and come in two shades.

Besides its function, this line's packaging is very adorable. One tube of BB cream is placed in a small, foldable, brown paper bag similar to fancy tea bag packaging.

I bought the lightest shade of Honey Black Tea from C&C Korean Cosmetics at a fair price of roughly around $10. According to the back of the package, the Honey Black Tea is meant to moisturize and brighten skin.

Here is a swatch of the lightest shade offered:

This cream smells more like generic sun screen rather than honey black tea.  The product comes out quickly and is a bit runny.  The amount shown is enough for moderate coverage (1-2 layers).  1 layer is very minimal coverage, so just keep layering for your desired amount of coverage.

The directions say to apply the cream in a gentle patting motion, though I prefer rubbing it in a small, circular motion. Either way seems to work just fine.

Pros

• I absolutely love the finish!  This BB cream leaves my skin looking and feeling smooth and healthy.  It doesn't look too matte or dewy or unnatural.
• (Similar to the first point): My face doesn't feel greasy or gross like other face creams I've tried.
• This color matches my skin very well.  Because the consistency is so runny, 1 layer is very translucent and can be used by a range of skin tones.
• The cream dries quickly so layering doesn't take much time.
• The small size and convenient shape make this cream easy to bring around.
• The packaging is adorable.

Cons

• The smell is tolerable, but could be more fun and pleasing.
• 1 layer is still very translucent, so try 2-3 layers.

Overall, I love this BB cream!  Though this is only the second BB cream I've tried, I definitely love its quality and will continue to try this afternoon tea line.  The finish gives my face a polished, naturally healthy glow and stays throughout the day.