Innisfree haul

It was a few years ago when my dad brought us home huge-ass facial washes from this Korean cosmetics and skincare brand Innisfree. He told us it was a popular brand loved in Korea, and until now, it still hasn’t set up its own flagship store in the Philippines—which I hope will change soon.

Before using the wash my dad gave me, I did a bit of research on the brand, making sure it was cruelty-free and made for sensitive skin. And lo and behold—it is!

Innisfree has an all-natural philosophy, and is, in fact, Korea’s first natural brand. That means majority of the ingredients they use are extracted from natural and local produce, while their pigments are derived from minerals.

The brand prides itself of using natural ingredients from Jeju island, which is known for its pristine environment. There is fresh air, fertile soil, and unpolluted waters in the island. Its green tea, volcanic clay, camellia oil ingredients, among many others are sourced directly from Jeju.

Another reason to love the brand is its green causes. It has collected over 8 million Innisfree bottle containers from its patrons for recycling, and continues to promote the use of eco-friendly materials like recycled paper and soybean ink for its packaging.

It took us months to finish the 300-ml products my dad had as pasalubong, and since it was such a bang-for-the-buck buy, I was determined to bring home another bottle—among many others.

My first day in Seoul made me realize I had forgotten my makeup kit at home, but that just gave me an excuse to buy more than what I intended, and even try out their basic products.

I now present my Innisfree haul:

   GREEN TEA CLEANSING FOAM & BALANCING SKIN TONER   

My love for matcha transcends from food to beauty. Both products have a really mild scent, and a little bit of it can go a long way.

All you need is a pea-size of the cleansing foam to create a lather that’s enough to make your face temporarily look like a kabuki mask. Paired with the toner, my skin feels fresh and looks radiant after use.

It’s extremely moisturizing, but not the type that will make you feel irritatingly sticky after some time spent under the heat and out in the humid weather.

I’ve never been a fan of concealers and foundations (and I’ve never really had the patience to put them on) so I’ve recently decided to completely ditch those two layers and focus on getting clearer and healthier skin instead.

It’s my first time to actually pay attention to skincare religiously, so I started with these two basics from Innisfree. My skin has cleared up a lot, except for the occasional pimples on my brows and under the lip area. But I think these breakouts are most probably triggered by my unhealthy diet and late sleeping time—these factors matter too.

I later learned that the green tea line is just mainly for providing moisture, but I think my skin needs specific ingredients for blemish-correcting right now, so I plan to purchase the brand’s Bija line.

   IT’S REAL SQUEEZE MASK   

The 20-piece pack was on sale and I was really curious about the deal with facial masks. The ones I got had a concentrated moisturizing blackberry serum which I use once a week.

I still don’t get the use of a facial mask, nor see its effects as of writing, although it is a very relaxing step in the 10-step Korean skin regimen.

Best part? This facial mask is totally biodegradable as it is made with 100% cotton wool.

   ALWAYS NEW AUTO LINER   

I have a thing for funky-colored eyeliners (that I just practically hoard and never use). Since I didn’t have a shadow palette with me, I decided to have just a bit of pop in my eyes and made this purchase. This shade is called #27, a warm pink color.

It’s so easy to use and doesn’t crumble at all each time you attempt to make a line. My past experiences with pastel-colored liners have been a disaster since the lead easily breaks. Just be careful with getting the product out of the barrel, this one doesn’t retract.

This pink liner has a creamy matte finish, but is disappointingly not smudge-proof. However, I wouldn’t deduct points for its duality. It’s actually creamy enough to be a lip liner, too.

Also bought a nail polish in the similar shade and I’m really loving the millennial pink trend!

   AUTO EYEBROW PENCIL   

It gives you less-pigmented strokes which makes it easier to achieve a natural brow look, without having to use its built-in spoolie.

Their brow pencil isn’t that long-lasting, though. I’m always scared that sweat would wipe it off my face.

MOVING ON TO MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES...

   GLOW TINT STICK   

I initially thought it was a matte lipstick because it was right beside those products. It didn’t have a name on its barrel, and just assumed it was a creamy lipstick in the shade of deep red (#9) that I wanted.

Man, was I so wrong. It’s actually a camellia-oil based lip tint, which meant it had a clear color and it was sticky as hell. Remember those lip gloss rollers we had as kids? It had that same texture!

I was gonna mark it as a wrong buy, but I’ve grown to love it. It has a lip-smacking lemon scent (which fades immediately) and you just literally need a single swipe of this Glow Tint Stick to complete your no-makeup-makeup look.

I actually love using these on my cheeks than my lips. It’s oil-based so you really have to blend it in your skin with a bit of effort, but it disappears into a natural yet dewy flush. It also leaves no color trace on your fingers which is an absolute plus!

   SKINNY LONGLONGCARA   

If you’re like me who already feels made up with just mascara on, this is the real deal.

It has a micro-tip wand that picks up just enough mascara to define your eyelashes. I love that it has no dramatic or spider-legs effect, and just tidies up your whole eye look.

It looks very natural, leaving an almost transparent layer of smudge-proof mascara on your lashes. I make it sound like it doesn’t do anything, but it does help make your lashes longer, as well as appear neater and more in place.

Its wand also makes it unnecessary for you to purchase a separate mascara for your lower lashes. It’s the perfect mascara for an everyday makeup routine!

What’s your favorite Innisfree product? Comment them below!