Tester Korea Haul Part 1

Everything was packed securely in bubble wrap.

I haven't been shopping at Tester Korea because Memebox has more or less been my jam lately.
Don't get me wrong, I still love Memebox but the company seems to be focused more on their own brand of makeup rather than curated boxes from different Korean brands. Anyway, Tester had a Black Friday event offering a discount on certain brands like Innisfree, Too Cool For School, and Etude House. Not everything I picked up was part of the event but I find their pricing to be lower in comparison to other sites. I made two orders with Tester as a birthday present to myself. I'm still waiting for the second order which is why I've split up the haul into parts 1 and 2.

You do have to factoring in shipping costs with your order since you pay by weight. DHL and EMS will get to you the fastest (3-7 days) but it is also the most expensive. Then there's the Air Parcel option (1-5 weeks) which is not as expensive as DHL. And lastly, there's the K-Packet (1-8 weeks) and Registered Air Mail (1-10 weeks) options which are the most affordable. Usually there's only a 1500-3000 won difference between the two. I paid 9000 won for the cheapest option, Registered Mail. I ordered products on Nov. 24 and they were shipped out on Nov. 27. Sometimes it takes a few days for Tester to gather up the products but it really depends on what you order. I received my order on Dec. 11, much faster than I expected.

Now on to the haul:
Re:cipe By Nature Slowganic Sheet Mask (1500 won)

I really like Re:cipe's skin care products so I wanted to grab some of their sheet masks.
1 each in Jeju Tangerine, Grape, and Peach. Tester sells 2 other varieties.

Grape - Minimizes the size and appearance of wrinkles
Tomato - Gives skin a healthy and radiant glow
Aloe -  Replenishes hydration to dry, taut skin, and locks in moisture for all day hydration
Peach -  Enhances skin's elasticity and suppleness for the look of healthy skin
Jeju Tangerine - Brightens the complexion, evens out uneven skintones, and lightens dark spots

Velvizo Marine Spa Vital Mask Real Brightening (12,600 won for 8 masks)

Um, this came with a post it with 주민번호 printed on it. That's like a Korean social security number. Why is it there???

I'm not familiar with this brand and it looks like Tester just recently started carrying Velvizo products. It looks like the brand started out as an internet shopping mall and only selling their products at the Shinsaegae Department Store and has slowly been expanding their reach into countries like Vietnam and China. Velvizo 벨비죠 (pronounced Bel-bee-jyo) comes from two words, Bello (아름다은=beautiful) + Viso (얼굴=face).

There are 3 other varieties in the Marine Spa Mask line sold at Tester Korea.

Marine Spa Vital Mask Control Soothing (14,400 won)

Marine Spa Vital Mask Lifting Renewal (14,400 won)

Marine Spa Vital Mask Radiance Intensive (16,000 won)

In retrospect, I should have purchased the Control Soothing Mask but the brightening one is fine for getting a feel for the brand. It also looks like the prices have increased since I purchased the brightening mask, now 14,400 won. The masks are still a good value at 8 masks for $13 or so depending on the current exchange rate.

The Face Shop Green Tea Water Purifying Moisture Mist (5175 won for 60 ml, now 5865)

This mist contains green tea water from Jeju Island to provide minerals and moisture to the skin. I haven't tried too many products from The Face Shop except for a few sheet masks from back in 2007 or so. But, ever since I used their Chia Seed Cleansing Water it's sparked a renewed interest and curiosity about the brand, plus the mist and the product below were on sale.

The Face Shop CC Cushion Intense Cover Jeremy Ville Edition (12,670 won, now 14,365)

I'm a little annoyed I didn't receive the Jeremy Ville edition.

This is what I should have received.

It's too much trouble to email Tester, wait for a response, and then see how they resolve it. At least I received the correct cushion and shade but I wanted this particular packaging. There are three shades available: V103, V201, and V203. I chose V103. There's an SPF of 50 PA+++. I'm interested to see just how much coverage this cushion can provide.

Aritaum All Day Compact Foundation (9500 won)

This compact foundation has an SPF of 22 PA++. It's a little lower than I'd like but I do always apply sunscreen before makeup. I'm very strict about always wearing sunscreen but it's nice to have extra protection from a foundation or cushion compact. This is available in two shades: #01 Light Beige (my shade) and #02 Natural Beige. From the product description, the foundation seems best suited for combination to oily skin. It contains a lethicin coated powder to cover big pores and uneven skin, offers sebum control, brightens and whitens, and contains avocado extracts for long lasting makeup.

Too Cool For School Art Class by Rodin (12,800 won, now 14,400)

I've never really been into the contouring thing but, lately, I've been interested in adding this extra step to my makeup routine. I'd been eyeing the TCFS contour palette on Memebox for a few months but it always sold out before I could place it in the cart. Last I checked Memebox sold this for $17 and I bought it for approximately $11.34 on Tester. And yes, Rodin is Auguste Rodin, the sculptor since the product is inspired by his art. Side note, just saw a few of his sculptures at Musee d'Orsay when I was in Paris a few months ago. The contour palette is probably best for light to medium skin tones.

Samples

Missha Super Aqua Refreshing Cleansing Foam
Skinfood Watery Berry Toner
The History of Whoo Qi & Jin Essence
Beyond Phytoganic Sun Cream

I'm behind on reviews but I'll try to have some more up in the next few weeks. Look out for a Tester Korea haul part 2 in the upcoming week.

I'm hosting a giveaway through Dec. 18 so enter here.
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Thanks for stopping by!

Jennifer