[REVIEW] Innisfree Jeju Hand Creams

It's hand cream season!  I wasn't one that particularly cared for lotions or hand creams, so much so to the point that my hands would crack and bleed in the winters.  I hated applying lotions of any sort as they would glob a layer of oil and render my hands useless and slippery.  Yet, granted that, with age, I started to suck it up, apply lotion, blot palms with tissues to find that I actually appreciate not having hands that look of a desert.  But more so, I finally found there were hand creams out there that don't leave my hands feeling sticky and greasy!

I almost missed out on discovering these lovely hand creams as hand creams aren't something I must buy.  But, with the holiday deals on innisfreeworld.com, I decided why not and added it as a shopping cart filler with the intent to add them to gifts.  My little sis was the lucky receiver of the first one and she chose the Hallabong cream.  If she hadn't opened it right then and there and MADE me try it, then I might have just given away all 4 hand creams.

The texture of Innisfree's Jeju hand cream is like none other, it's thick and looks creamy, but it's heavy.  It's very smooth and dry hands will just drink it up. The hand creams do an amazing job at moisturizing without the stickiness and come in so many wonderful scents that make it something you would actually want to use and reapply often.  Scanning their ingredients list (part of my skincare/makeup purchase ritual), I'm happy to spot plenty of natural ingredients too.  I love, love, LOVE these hand creams.  My only regret now is that I didn't purchase more!

• Price Point: $
• $4.50 Each (Buy 2 get 2 free from www.innisfreeworld.com during Holidays)
• Packaging: Convenient little 30 mL tubes that twist to open and close tightly; good travel size that can fit into a pocket, small clutch, or any handbag
• Ingredients: A bounty of natural fruit and plant extracts; to highlight a few...
• Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter): great moisturizer
• Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract (Satsuma Mandarin/Tangerine): According to dermalinstitute.com, it's a skin brightener
• Cammellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (White and/or Green Tea): antioxidant; Innisfree is known for their green tea line and I guess they included some extracts in their hand creams as well
• Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract: comes from dried cactus fruits and is known to be a skin conditioner
• Other noteable ingredients: Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract (from Japanese Camellia flower/plants); Orchid extract
• Thank you Innisfree for adding such fruit and seed extracts!
• Texture: Thick but lightweight; creamy and smooth; non-greasy!
• Scent: 
• Jeju Hallabong (Tangerine): Light, Citrusy scent--like when you open a tangerine and the peel's citrus molecules spritzes into the air; it's not an overpowering, I-spilled-orange-juice on me scent
• Jeju Peach: like peach candy!  *YUM* I wouldn't call this a natural scent, but the peachy smell is definitely characteristic of many peach lotions--can't get enough of it!
• Other Notes: Absorbs quickly and effortlessly while leaving hands feeling really soft and moisturized without being coated in a layer of oil (a winner for those who still need their hands to work and don't want to spread lotions to other items--keyboard, phone, etc).

[REVIEW] Innisfree Ampoule Intense Cushion SPF34/PA++

I have a thing for cushions compacts--BB, CC, any letter makeup cushion.  Once I tried the cushion compacts, I never went back to the liquid-in-a-bottle alphabet letter creams;  after all, a cushion compact offers such great all-in-one packaging and usage because it includes a mirror, a puff to apply and blend, and an overall enclosed case that's easy to throw into my purse or pocket without the worry of cream accidentally squirting out. 

Innisfree offers a couple of cushion compacts in their makeup line.  The Ampoule Intense Cushion is one of their newest that's specifically designed to keep skin super moisturized during the winter season.  It was all new to me, but apparently there is different makeup and skincare for different seasons.  For instance, in the winter season, you would want products that help retain moisture and fight the damaging effects of the cold, drying weather. However, in the summer, a product that combats excessive oil, doesn't melt off in the heat and/or humidity, and also contains higher SPF may be more suitable.  

As this is my first Innisfree cushion, I was more than excited to try it after hearing such great things about Innisfree's other cushions.  After researching some swatches of their cushions, I got mixed reviews saying colors were too light, too dark, or just right.  I must admit, I had a hard time deciding which shade to choose; it's a shame Innisfree doesn't have a store in the States yet, so I'm left turning up the brightness of my computer screen to guess out a shade to match my face.  Out of the 3 shades (No. 13 Light beige, No. 21 Natural Beige, and No. 23 True Beige), I ended up choosing the middle shade of "No. 21 Natural Beige".  My skin is not the fairest, but is still considered on the "light" side with a yellow undertone.  I figured since I'm lighter in the winter, No. 21 (the middle shade) should work. 

 The color seems to blend out well on my hand, unfortunately, I think when applied to the face, it comes off a little too white for my liking.  Other than the color, the cream dispenses easily from the cushion to the puff, transfers and blends effortlessly onto my face.  The cream is very buildable and doesn't get cakey, but as I mentioned, since the color is somewhat lighter for me, too much of it can make me look ghostly.  For those that like the super milky white look, this shade might work for you.  It's coverage is light to medium and seems to balance out any skin pigmentation, but for any dark acne scars or zits, concealer may still be needed.  As promised with this Ampoule Intense Cushion, the cushion does indeed deliver a super moisturizing feel and also gives off a radiant, dewy look that will last you 4-6 hours before needing touch-ups (makeup primer may help it last longer).  Overall, the Innisfree Intense Ampoule Cushion is great in winter months for that extra boost in adding or locking in hydration and provides good coverage for balancing skin pigmentation.

• Price Point: $
• $24 for the Cushion Compact + came with a bonus refill (retailing for $15) when I purchased around Christmas
• Packaging: Convenient packaging for on-the-go touch-ups; Very large mirror; Light weight (lightest of the 3 cushions I have tried)
• Ingredients: More Natural! (e.g. Seed and flower extracts); No Parabens; Contains green tea seed and leaf extract too (but more towards the bottom of ingredient list)
• Color: No. 21 Natural Beige --very light/white; can be a little pale for those in areas of a lot of sun
• Coverage: Light to Medium; Very buildable coverage
• Wear Duration: 4-6 hours, then may need retouching.  Not super long-wear and transfers easily so may need to wear a makeup primer to help it stay
• Other Notes: Semi strong herbal smell (Characteristic of some Innisfree products); Very moisturizing and gives a dewy finish (not good for those that want a matte finish)