REVIEW: Etude House Real Powder Cushion, Dear My Blooming Lips-talk Chiffon, + Play 101 Pencils (May Pink Bird Box)

For a while now, dewy and glowing skin has been the most popular beauty trend all over South Korea, the capital of incredibly cute beauty products, which eventually spread all over the globe. From 10-step skincare routines to cushion compacts with ultra dewy finishes, everything was made to help you get that fresh-faced and youthful look. The dewy look has won over many hearts, but now it's time for it to take a break and move over for matte finishes!

I personally love dewy and glowing skin, but sometimes the dewiness is too high-maitenance for me -- I always have to make sure my foundation doesn't transfer anywhere or try and keep my hair from sticking to my face all the time!

So with summer officially rolling in, Etude House launched a brand spankin' NEW collection which is perfect for the hot, and admittedly sweaty, season. This new launch features products that are longer-lasting and more matte. The new collection includes the Real Powder Cushion and the Dear My Blooming Lips-talk Chiffon! I was lucky enough to receive a few of these products, along with two new shades of the Play 101 Pencils in my Pink Bird box to review for you guys this month! So without further ado, lets get to the review! ^ o ^
Warning: this post is VERY photo heavy :)

REAL POWDER CUSHION

This innovative multitasking powder cushion provides all-day flawless face makeup with a light and powdery finish.

The Real Powder Cushion comes in 3 different shades: Light Beige, Natural Beige, and Honey Beige. I was sent the cushion in Honey Beige and was pleasantly surprised to see that it matched my NC 30-35 skin tone VERY well. To me, it was a pretty perfect match! Most Korean foundations don't really match me, but Etude House does a decent job having a slightly wider range of shades than most Korean brands.

First of all, I have to mention the compact itself because it's impossible not to notice how much thinner it has gotten! The new case looks so sleek and is much more purse-friendly and even clutch-friendly! I'm digging this new design and it's seriously a huge improvement. One thing I do miss though is the button to press that makes the lid pop open! Instead, you'll have to pop it open on your own.

Not only has the case changed, but the cushion that holds the product has also changed -- it's not nearly as squishy as it used to be and is sort of stiff. This makes it a bit more difficult to pick up product since you really have to press into it, but it's not a huge setback.

The Real Powder Cushion boasts a new innovative liquid-to-powder formula with it's easy and fast 5-in-1 multifunction cushion which combines primer, BB cream, concealer, powder pact, and oil control powder. Plus it has SPF 50+ PA+++!

The Real Powder Cushion seems all too perfect for the hot, sweaty summer weather now that dewy skin is too much for the heat. I was SO surprised to find myself completely in love with this cushion.  Admittedly, I've only tried dewy cushions thus far and was skeptical to try one with a matte and powdery finish, but this has seriously won me over. The cushion turns into a powdery matte finish the instant it's applied to the skin, with almost no wait time for it to set. The Real Powder Cushion does, however, require a bit more effort into application since it sets so quickly. It's best to work in sections and blend it out as you go or you'll risk it looking patchy.

 It provides the skin with a very decent medium-high coverage that I found to be long-lasting. I can get about 5-6 hours of wear with this product before it starts to fade a bit, but this also depends on your location, climate, and the weather (if it's hot and humid). It gets pretty hot during the summer where I live, so if I'm sweating, the wear time would probably decrease a lot. 

This cushion is best in a thin layer because it does tend to look more thick and cakey the more layers you apply. However, I found that one to two layers is all you really need for decent coverage!

One thing I do want to mention though is that since this is more of a powdery finish, it does emphasize dry patches, flakes, fine lines, and pores so it's extremely important to moisturize properly beforehand! If you have very dry skin, then this cushion probably isn't for you. :( Luckily though, I happened to exfoliate and moisturize well before trying this out and I got a flawless and soft airbrushed look!

All in all, I absolutely love the finish and think it's perfect for the summer months and also for oily skin. This cushion just felt so matte and smooth to the touch and it also didn't transfer easily as compared to dewy cushions. Though it requires more time and effort, I really prefer this powdery finish over dewy ones!

DEAR MY BLOOMING LIPS-TALK CHIFFON

The new Chiffon texture combines the best of both cream and matte types, so you can get a soft application and a smooth finish.

The new Dear My Blooming Lips-Talk comes in a Chiffon finish, a Matte finish, and a Cream finish. The Chiffon texture leans a lot more towards satin than a true matte, which I prefer because my lips tend to be too dry for full-on matte lips. The new lipstick comes in 12 new shades with a semi-matte finish. I received the shades PK027 and BE109, which are both Chiffon lipsticks. PK027 is a very vibrant red with pink undertones, while BE109 is a neutral brown rose.

PK027 is definitely a shade I see myself wearing on date nights or when I want to add a bold pop of color to my makeup look or to my outfit. It's a very loud color that is very eye-catching! I think it's a really fun and bright shade for the summer months.

BE109 on the other hand is my favorite out of the two, and maybe my favorite lipstick ever! It's the best nude for a MLBB (My Lips But Better) because of its spot-on mixture of pink and brown. It's the perfect lip color to wear for everyday makeup looks, or to pair with dramatic smokey eyes. BE109 is super versatile and can go with every look and any occasion.

The texture of the Dear My Blooming Lips-Talk Chiffon seriously blew my mind, you guys. I haven't had a decent history with the Dear My Blooming Lips collections because they either applied too patchily on my lips or settled into my fine lines, but the new and improved lipstick line, with the new finishes, is just hands-down one of the best affordable lipsticks I have ever tried. The formula is super creamy and pigmented with just ONE swipe. Literally, all you need for intense color is just. One. Swipe. Along with the crazy pigmentation, the color goes on so evenly with zero patchiness whatsoever. It goes on so smoothly like butter and kind of just melts onto the lips. Thankfully though, it doesn't settle into fine lines or emphasize dryness at all.

As mentioned above, the Chiffon finish is more of a satin finish, so it's not completely matte. This means that it isn't transfer-proof; it does wear down when you eat, drink, or etc, so it does require reapplication throughout the day.

I seriously can't rave about these lipsticks enough -- The color payoff is fantastic and the texture is buttery smooth. It doesn't settle into fine lines or emphasize dry patches on the lips. It's practically everything I could ever want in a lipstick, well besides it being totally transfer-proof, but I'm okay with that trade-off. Plus, the Chiffon lipsticks all have a delicious fruity scent that smells so good! This is definitely a hit for Etude House!

PLAY 101 PENCIL

The Play 101 Pencil is a gel-type pencil that comes in vivid colors and various textures for easy and fun makeup play.

Also included in my Pink Bird Box was 2 new Play 101 Pencils, 77 and 79! Though the Play 101 Pencils have been around for a long time now, Etude House recently launched 4 new shades! These 4 new colors are the same shades as the best selling Look At My Eyes Shadow:
76 - BR417  |  77 - BR418  |  78 - BE110  |  79 - OR209

*Above photo taken from EtudeHouse.com

77 (BR418) is a beautiful bronze shimmer while 79 (OR209) is a warm peachy coral with microglitters, that thankfully weren't chunky or gritty at all! The Play 101 Pencils are probably my most favorite pencil liners of all time and for very good reason too. They're super easy-to-use and apply very evenly onto the eyes, lips, skin, etc. Their texture is ultra creamy and smooth, like butter, and just glide on like a dream.

The new additions are mostly no different, however, shade 79 didn't apply as evenly as 77 did, probably due to the presence of microglitters in its formula. It required me to run through it twice to make sure the application was even, but on a brighter note though, the formula is definitely buildable, so it's a quick fix. Regardless, these specific shades were very pigmented with just one swipe and can be used as liner, smudged out to be eyeshadow, or even as a highlighter. It's super blendable, but does not budge AT ALL once it sets, so work quickly!

I vigorously rubbed my finger back and forth against the eyeliner and it didn't budge or smudge one bit. Plus, it's very waterproof -- water bounces right off the formula!

FINAL THOUGHTS?

This is definitely the best Pink Bird Box I have ever received!! I am so obsessed with all of the products Etude House released for the month of May and have found myself reaching for these items everyday.

The Real Powder Cushion has a lovely powdery matte finish that is perfect for the summer months and for those with oily skin. It has medium coverage that I found to be quite long-lasting! However, it can accentuate dry skin, dry patches, fine lines, and pores so it's super important to moisturize well beforehand. Nevertheless, I love the soft powdery finish which gives my skin a very soft-focused look!

The Dear My Blooming Lips-talk Chiffon is probably one of the very best affordable lipsticks I've ever owned. The finish is semi-matte, like a satin, so it's not completely transfer-proof and does require reapplication throughout the day once you eat, drink, and etc. Despite that trade-off though, you get buttery smooth application and intense color pay-off that doesn't settle into fine lines or emphasize dry patches. If you ask me, the good totally outweighs the bad! I highly, HIGHLY recommend these to anyone, especially shade BE109 which is the perfect MLBB shade.

Lastly, if you haven't tried the Play 101 Pencils yet, you're seriously missing out. That's all I have to say because these eyeliners are not only cheap, but so high quality. They glide onto the lids with ease and don't budge, smudge, or transfer once it sets. It's one of the best eyeliners I have ever tried to date.

All in all, I'm surprised to say I loved everything in last month's box! Usually there's always a few hit or misses, but Etude House has hit it out of the ballpark with it's recent new releases! :D

WHERE TO BUY?

The Real Powder Cushion, the ENTIRE Dear My Blooming Lips-talk Collection, and the Play 101 Pencils are all available at EtudeHouse.com!

Products reviewed today:

- The Real Powder Cushion (0.49 oz. / 14 g) retails for $21.60, but is currently on sale for $15.12 and is available, HERE

- The Dear My Blooming Lips-talk Chiffon (11 oz / 3.4 g) retail for $12.40 and is available, HERE

- The NEW Play 101 Pencil (0.02 oz. / 0.5 g) retails for $7.80 and is available, HERE

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for reviewing purposes however that has no effect on the review itself. All reviews are my own 100% honest opinions.