If you clicked the link expecting Korean textbook reviews, I’m sorry. I think you have to wait a little more :P.
It’s been quite some time since my last Gmarket haul (post), I went to google and found that I blogged about my first Gmarket purchase in 2010!! I can only lament that time really flies.
Based on my sporadic Gmarketing experiences over the years, I’ve learnt not to buy items where the quality of the real products can differ from pictures (i.e. clothes / bags / accessories / shoes) unless I’m very familiar with the sellers or brands. With the exception of Bunnyshu, where the shoe quality is still acceptable and usually still a hit for me, I don’t buy stuff from the abovementioned categories on Gmarket anymore.
Instead, I usually buy books, skincare and cosmetic products where its really hard to go wrong if you buy from the official brand stores. Yup that’s another time. Most Korean skincare brands have official shops, so I’ll rather get from those to be assured that I don’t receiving near expiry products or even worse, fake products. Alternatively, I’ll get from GlobalHmall, which I believe is Hyundai Department Group’s presence on Gmarket.
Ok. Enough of the preamble. Apparently I’ve still not learn how to write concisely and succinctly ):
This haul is book-free, simply cos I have too many unread books at home ):
These days, I also derive joy from trying to take better care of my skin and it’s also a way for me to relieve stress and fatigue. I’ll feel extra happy if I managed to do my skincare routine for the day, and sometimes when I’m working at home and feel very frustrated, I’ll stop for a while to put on a mask pack lol.
Making use of this post to do quick reviews and to also introduce some of my fav buys on gmarket 🙂
My purchases
the freebies! 🙂
Purchases and quick reviews
It was an awesome haul cos Gmarket was having quite a good sale and look at the freebies I’ve received! (especially from Sulhwasoo) Ok, onward to the reviews! (Links are valid at the time of writing)
One of my all-time top 3 sheet masks. Enough said. It’s probably my 3rd or 4th repurchase. It’s my fav mediheal mask out of a couple I’ve tried.
Good: Perfect fit for me, and the sheet is of good quality and not too thin/flimsy. The serum is pleasant-smelling, doesn’t leave a sticky residue (very important!) and of course, my skin feels a lot smooth and looks better immediately. I usually wash my face with water around 30 mins after taking off the mask.
mmm: –
Overall: BUY.
Bought this because I love the shampoo! And I received the shampoo as a freebie when I bought my usual mise en scene shampoo in the last gmarket haul. lol. Think they changed the packaging, cos it used to say I LOVE MOJITO lolol. I liked that more. In any case, bought the conditioner instead to try cos I still have shampoo at home. Quick review based on a single try.
Good: Hair feels smooth enough, but not fantastic?
mmm: Slightly more runny compared to usual conditioners.
Overall: Not too sure how I feel about it. Might stick to the shampoo only next time.
Received the miniature sponges before when I bought other Pony Effect products and instantly fell in love!! I tried the high-raved beautyblender once and personally I thought that the quality didn’t justify the price point at all. The hot pink colour runs after awhile when I washed it (with the special soap that comes with it, not even some random cleanser), and the foundation doesn’t come off that clean too. The Pony one was so much better.
Good: Easy to apply. The foundation products don’t really seep into the sponge (if used wet) and it was easy to clean too, especially if you clean within the day. Texture wise, its firmer than the beautyblender. Overall, a good applicator, and hence decided to purchase the full-sized blender!
mmm: –
Overall: Recommended if you are looking for a good sponge applicator!
Pony Effect Defense Longwear Cushion Foundation
Didn’t include the link cos it says temporarily out of stock. Blogged about it before. Will be blogging about my mini stash of cushion foundations next time hahaha.
Good: My go-to cushion foundation for at least the last two years. While I didn’t find it perfect, I realised how much I like it after trying other brands. It applies beautifully and while it doesn’t last the whole day, it doesn’t make my face feel oily. I don’t need to layer much and it doesn’t accentuate my pores (very important). Finish is dewy but doesn’t make you look oily.
mmm: It clumps / runs a little at the nosebridge area (I wear specs), but not a huge issue.
Overall: Will keep on purchasing.
Pony Effect Seamless Foundation
Used samples before and I thought it was quite good for its price point. The foundation is in a glass bottle (but with a pump yay) and it looks classy. Review next time!
First time purchase. Was looking for loose powder and thought it looks decent. Previously using EMODA, which I guess the cosmetic line is discontinued?! WHY.
Bought this because it looks like a really for-value set! Not sure if its just a limited time set or not, but it really allows you to try quite a number of products! In essence (hah), all I bought was the two big bottles in the picture above and the free gifts I got were:
- Mini First Care Activating Serum Ex (8ml) x 2
- Mini Essential Balancing Water Ex (15ml) x 2
- Mini Essential Balancing Emulsion Ex (15ml) x 2
- Mini Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream Ex (5ml) x 1
- Mini Essential Hydrating Eye Cream Ex (3.5ml) x 1
- Herbal Soap (I misspelled as soup 2 times..) x 2
- First Care Activating Mask x 1
- Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Creamy Mask x 1
- Clarifying Mask Ex (50ml) x 1
- Overnight Vitalising Mask Ex (30ml) x 1
- Gentle Cleansing Oil Ex (50ml) x 1
- Gentle Cleansing Foam Ex (50ml) x 1
woah that was a long list to type out…
Honestly, I don’t know how I feel about Sulhwasoo yet. I have friends who swear by it, but mmm I don’t know, especially since its really not cheap. Will reserve my thoughts for next time. But overall, my favourite product so far is their Clarifying Mask. It’s the best peel-off mask I’ve tried so far.
OK this is a long blog post. The longest I’ve written in a long while 🙂 I hope to come back to blogging regularly. I miss writing long(ish) blog posts and penning (typing) down my thoughts. I know Instagram is probably the new style of blogging, but I still love having a website.
I hope you guys stick around too, and sorry for the sporadic posts!!
It has become a routine of some sorts, to post about TOPIK results every two years or so! 🙂 It was my 5th time (starting to lose count!) taking TOPIK and I think it was my 3rd level 6 pass! Well, I know there are a few camps of thoughts on TOPIK. It’s debatable how accurate it reflects “real” proficiency, whether there’s any “use” in the exam and if it means anything. Personally, I treat TOPIK as a milestone, to remind me that yet another two years have passed since learning Korean and it serves as a fun way to test myself and to see if I’ve made any numerical improvement in the scores (just for fun!). I enjoy taking language tests so much that my friends think I’m crazy. But I also think that it’s a blessing to see it as something fun, and not something stressful!