So I got sick of Googling comparison swatches for the Target Laneige Medium vs Laneige Pore Control Shade 31 and not finding anything; so I did what any other sane person would do:  Buy all of them and swatch them so you don't have to!  PLUS a bonus Laneige Anti-Aging Shade 31 Swatch just for fun!  

Laneige BB Cushion (U.S. Target Version) Shade Medium
VS Laneige Pore Control BB Cushion Shade 31
VS Laneige Anti-Aging BB Cushion Shade 31

My wallet.  It hurts.

INFO SHEET

Brand:  Laneige
Product:  BB Cushion (Target Edition)
Shade:  Medium
Coverage:  Light - Medium
Dewiness:  Very Dewy
Scent:  Strong, Floral Potpourri - Just like Grandma's house.
Oxidation:  Slight
Price:  $34.00
Availability:  Target in Select Stores and Online

The Run Down:  
P.S. I already reviewed this cushion in another post!

• Great match for NC37
• Potent Grandma scent for the first 1-2 hours of wear
• VERY Dewy
• Not good for Combination / Oily Skin

---

Brand:  Laneige
Product:  Pore-Control BB Cushion
Shade:  31
Coverage:  Light - Medium
Dewiness:  Slightly Dewy
Scent:  Fresh Floral with Notes of Grandma's House
Oxidation:  More than Slight
Price:  $50.00
Availability:  YesStyle.com

The Run Down:

• Better match for NC30 - NC35
• Scent lingers for the first 1 - 2 hours of wear.
• Slightly Dewy
• Better for Combination / Oily Skin

---

Brand:  Laneige

Master Swatch List

In Chizu Saeki's book The Japanese Skincare Revolution, she states that excessive skincare damages the skin.  She goes on to recommend "skin fasting" which basically means do not do anything for one day out of the week.  Don't wear makeup, do not put absolutely anything on your skin save for rinsing it with water.

The Skincare Diet and the Art of Listening to Your Skin

Left:  Damaged skin with Acne, Right:  A year and a half later.

This scared me.

But she has a great point.  I had been struggling with painful, itchy acne and bumpy skin for a long time and while my routine had good products in it; I was still breaking out.  So I thought it was time to go on a diet, a Skincare Diet.

I was going to follow Saeki's advice but I still wanted to wash my face because my skin is oily.  I decided that I was going to slim down my routine and only use my trusted Cerave Foaming Cleanser and Benton Snail Bee Steam Cream.  Cerave Foaming Cleanser is a gentle, low PH cleanser that doesn't strip your skin.  If your cleanser leaves your skin feeling tight then that is not good!  That means your skin was stripped of it's natural oils and barrier.  Benton Snail Bee Stream Cream is moisturizing, mild and soothing for me.  I figured if I was still breaking out then one of these products may be the culprit.  Luckily for me, they weren't.

After two weeks of dieting, my skin no longer itched and was no longer in pain.  I still had acne but I realized that I was doing something right.  This is how I learned to listen to my skin.

All along, my skin was telling me something was wrong!  It was clearly upset and I wasn't listening.  I was putting stuff on my skin that it did not like but I thought would help.  So over the next few weeks, I was determined to find out what that was.  I decided that the next item to try from my original routine would be Tarte Maracuja Oil.  I put two drops on my skin once every three days, and that's when the itchiness returned.  Cross that off the list.  I tried it and my skin said "Nope, try again." This sucked because I had just purchased a very large, expensive and most luxurious bottle of this stuff; which Ulta so graciously let me return.  You guys, the bottle was so beautiful and encrusted with gems (holiday edition).  I really didn't want to give it up, but my skin told me that I must let it go.

Through this process, my skin also told me that it does not like Glycolic acid.  Even in very small doses, it ranted in the form of acne and pain.  I had always patch tested before but I did not understand the subtleties of what my skin was telling me until it was too late.  In the end I thought I was purging, but purging shouldn't be itchy and inflamed!  This time, I listened.

Now when I want to try a new product, I have a process that I follow.  For example, I wanted to stop using Paula's Choice BHA Liquid because I did not see any results from using it for a few months.  I decided that I wanted to replace it with COSRX BHA Blackhead Power liquid.

I patch tested in two areas:  1) My Chin - Where I do not break out, and 2)  My Right Cheek - Where I break out quite easily.  My skin's response:  Two very large zits on my right cheek (these are now the two spots on my cheek you see pictured above).  It was angry, but the flare up occurred in a location where I would normally break out.  I deduced that the product was working as intended by bringing a would-be zit to head, but I needed to scale it back.  I now apply only 3 - 4 drops once a week on damp skin as I originally tried it on dry.  Since then, I haven't gotten any zits and even the occasional hormonal acne I would normally get also ceased.

Another example is that I wanted to try out Kikumasamune High Moist Lotion with the intention of using it for Chizu Saeki's Lotion Mask technique.  I used the same testing process as above.  My skin's response:  a few very tiny whiteheads on my cheek that rubbed away when I washed my face.  I translated this as "This is okay, but I need time to get used to it."  I now use it for the Lotion Mask technique, but only a few drops once a week.  In the lotion mask technique, you wet the cotton square on the back of your hand with distilled water and press out the excess water.  You then apply the hydrating toner of your choice, separate the cotton, and place on your face for three minutes as a sort of make shift sheet mask.  Since my skin told me it needed time, I only did this once a week with maybe eight drops of Kikumasamune (which is diluted in the wet cotton) and slowly increasing the dosage over a few weeks. Now my skin does not react with the little white heads, and I get to experience the joy of soft hydration that Kikumasamune High Moist Lotion and sheet masking can provide.  I don't sheet mask at all otherwise, because you can't patch test a sheet mask :(.

One thing to remember is that everyone is different.  What works for others may not work for you.  I thought Tarte Maracuja Oil was probably the most gentle thing I could use, but my skin did not like it.  Just like our food, some people can eat oranges and some people can't (I can't - acid sensitivity) even though oranges are good for you!

So there you have it.  The trick is to listen, wait, and be patient.  Don't haul and shock your skin with a bunch of random stuff.  Imagine how your stomach would react by dramatically changing your diet suddenly?  Your skin is no different.  Give it time and be gentle.

This weekend I tried the Laneige BB Cushion (Target Version) in Shade Medium.  I was feeling hopeful that this shade would be a good match for NC37, knowing that Light-Medium would be too light and Medium-Dark would be too dark.  Oh, the joys of being in between shades.

Laneige BB Cushion (U.S. Target Version)
Shade Medium

Laneige BB Cushion (U.S. Target Version) in Shade Medium

INFO SHEET

Brand:  Laneige
Product:  BB Cushion (Target Edition)
Shade:  Medium
Coverage:  Light - Medium
Dewiness:  Very Dewy
Scent:  Strong, Like Grandma
Oxidation:  A little
Price:  $34.00
Availability:  Target in Select Stores and Online

This cushion comes in the standard cushion packaging that you see everywhere.  It uses the old bulky Laneige case and not the newer more streamlined version - so I don't believe the refills from Korea will fit into this case.

SWATCH

Laneige BB Cushion in Medium Swatch (U.S. Target Version)

BEFORE AND AFTER

Laneige BB Cushion in Medium (U.S. Target Version)

I felt that the Laneige BB Cushion in Medium (U.S. Target Version) was a good match for NC37.  It is not exact because it is slightly lighter, but it does oxidize a little bit.  It is definitely a much better match than the Etude House Real Powder Cushion in No. W24 Honey Beige.  I showed the arm swatch to my BF and asked him if he thought it matched, and he couldn't see it right away (it was a big swatch too).  I had to point it out to him.

I was pretty happy to find a matching cushion but I was sorely disappointed with how dewy it was.  It did not feel nice on my skin at all.  I also did not use a setting powder for testing purposes but I honestly rather continue my search than try to work with a dewy cushion.

The Laneige BB Cushion in Medium does have pretty decent coverage.  You can see in the photo above that I had a pimple on my cheek and it did a good job covering the irritation from it.

 I wore the Laneige BB Cushion in Medium for the entire day and found that I had to blot more often than normal.  I definitely feel that this cushion is better suited for dry skin folk who don't mind the dewy look.  It also settled into my pores in a bad way, but did not pill in my oily areas like the Etude House Real Powder Cushion did.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I will not buy this cushion.  While the shade matches, it is just too dewy.  It also smells like grandma!  Scented products don't usually bother me but it had a pretty potent grandma smell for the first two hours of wear.  It's like they gathered a bunch of grandmas and studied them because the scent was on point.  I was worried that I smelled like grandma too :(.

I am going to try the Laneige Pore Control BB Cushion in Shade # 31 because I HEARD that it is the same shade as Target Medium (this is not true - see this post), but I am not sure.  I know it is catered more to oily skin so that piques my interest.

So if you are around NC35 - NC37 with dry skin, and want to feel nostalgic about grandma, then I would give this cushion a try.  You can find a little sample set on ebay for like $5 if you are not sure.

Rating

SWATCH COMPARISON LIST

The Jamsu Diving Method is taking r/AsianBeauty by storm!  Well maybe for like... a week.  But what is the Jamsu Diving Method, anyway?  Well, you've probably heard of "baking" which is a popular way of setting makeup by letting translucent powder sit on your face for 10 minutes and then dusting it off.  The Jamsu Diving Method is for setting makeup, but from a different approach...

The Jamsu Diving Method

(For illustration purposes only, because it is a cool picture.)

A fellow redditor stumbled upon this Vogue article (Kim, Monica. "The Wonderfully Weird Makeup Trick That’s Sweeping Korea." Vogue. Aug. 2016) where you essentially set your makeup by dousing your face with loose powder, plunging it into cool water for 30 seconds and then patting dry.  It seems to be hit or miss on the forums, so I decided to see how it fares with my combo / oily skin.

Many redditors used the alternate method cited in the article by liberally spraying their face with cool water rather than diving.  I chose to try this method because my hair is naturally curly, and I can't deal with the poof - not even for science.

Not nearly as cool.

TAKING THE PLUNGE

First and foremost, here is what I wore:

• Skin Food Salmon Dark Circle Concealer Cream # 2
• IOPE Air Cushion XP Shade N31
• Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner in Black
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Twice Baked
• Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy
• Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW Pomade in Chocolate
• Benefit Roller Lash Curling & Lifting Mascara (applied after Jamsu)

I purposely chose a the dewiest cushion that I had because I wanted to see if this method could make a dewy cushion matte.  However, the IOPE Air Cushion XP is more Semi-Dewy than full on shiny.  When applying the Jamsu Diving Method, I used my tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Setting Powder - which normally doesn't work too well for me after a few hours so I figured I would get a better use out of it using this method.  The Vogue article states that you can use baby powder or any loose powder, but please note that the talc used in baby powder can be extremely dangerous if inhaled.  I would not recommend using baby powder at all.  Please do your research and take precaution!!!

HOW TO APPLY

Step 1:  Apply Makeup
Step 2:  Apply enough powder to create a white cast.
Step 3:  Scare your family (required)
Step 4:  Spray face with cool water until dripping wet
Step 5:  Pat dry

BEFORE AND AFTER

Stage makeup brows locked and loaded.

RESULTS

I really had no expectations for this... but it actually worked.  After application, my skin was matte, even, and felt baby smooth.  I went on to do my normal weekend activities such as cleaning and drilling choreography.  It was pretty hot so I had sweat quite a bit...   so imagine my surprise when I looked in the mirror after all of that and saw that I still looked pretty much the same.  I wasn't a hot mess or an oil slick.

The thing is, Jamsu made the area around my mouth uncomfortably dry.  So I decided to try it again under more extreme conditions, but this time I focused on my t-zone and did a light dust everywhere else.  Then I went to a theme park.  It was hot, sweaty, and I got rained on.  Now for the moment of truth...

Look ma!  I'm not a greasy mess!

So there you have it.  You can see I look more satin-ey than oily after 12 HOURS!  DUDE!!!

Yeah!  Take that, Oily Skin!

FINAL THOUGHTS

I was very impressed about how well the Jamsu Diving Method worked.  My skin looked and felt smooth and actually softer than usual throughout the day.  My oily t-zone seemed like it wanted to be oily, but was being absorbed by the set powder.  It left an effect that left my skin looking not quite dry, but not shiny either.

It is not all peaches and cream though.  I do have some concerns:  My Biore Watery Essence Sunscreen is not waterproof.  Which means that spraying your face with water or "diving" into a bowl of water will rinse off or weaken the sunblock's effect.  Therefore, I do not think it is a good idea to use the Jamsu Diving Method during the day if your sunblock is not waterproof.  There are many waterproof sunblocks available.  I heard the Missha All Around Safe Block has a waterproof version that was nice, but have never tried it myself.

I also think that if you have dry skin, Jamsu may be uncomfortable for you.  My face is a kind of dry around my mouth, and when I initially tried this method it left the skin around my mouth very VERY dry.  To the point where it was not only uncomfortable, but painful enough to want to wash it off.  I can only imagine what that feels like on your whole face!

In the end, I am going to only use the Jamsu Diving Method for special occasions in the evening.  I am also only going to mostly use it on my t-zone like I did above in the 12 Hour Test.  This should address my concerns about non-waterproof sunblock and dryness around my mouth.

I have to say that the Jamsu Diving Method is definitely more effective than using just setting powder or any other primer that I have tried.  It helps your makeup stay put and last longer.  If you have translucent powder lying around, and a sprayer bottle or large bowl:  Give it a try!

Until next time...

Today we are continuing our quest to find a good BB Cushion match for NC37; which sometimes feels like an exercise in futility.  So check it out:  Etude House Real Powder Cushion in Shade No. W24 Honey Beige.  Will it match?  Does it really help with oil control?  We shall see...

Etude House Real Powder Cushion
Shade No. W24 Honey Beige

Etude House Real Powder Cushion Shade No. W24 Honey Beige

INFO SHEET

Brand:  Etude House
Product:  Real Powder Cushion
Shade:  No. W24 Honey Beige
Coverage:  Light to Medium
Dewiness:  Matte
Scent:  Subtle, Flowery
Oxidation:  No
Price:  $21.60 + Shipping
Availability:  Etude House, Amazon

The packaging is cute and slimmer than the usual cushion cases.  The pot that contains the sponge is shallower too, so you don't need to press too hard into it to get product on the puff.  The case doesn't seem to firmly snap closed like my other cushion cases, and it has popped open in my purse on more than one occasion.

A note before we continue:  Before and After photos are taken in the same lighting, pose, and room position.

SWATCH

Etude House Real Powder Cushion Shade No. W24 Honey Beige Swatch on NC37

BEFORE AND AFTER

Etude House Real Powder Cushion Shade No. W24 Honey Beige on NC37

If you look closely, you can see my natural skintone compared to the application of Etude House Real Powder Cushion in W24 Honey Beige.  Notice that the color is a bit lighter and more neutral in comparison to my warmer skintone.  I also have a blemish on my cheek from when I had tested another product (literally one drop of Honest Beauty Everything Tinted Moisturizer) and it settled into the dry / uneven skin surrounding it almost immediately.  Not good for people with acne and bumpy textured skin.

I wore this cushion throughout the day and saw that after a few hours the Real Powder Cushion did not stand up to the test of time.  I think reapplication might be required with this cushion - which is something I do not like to do because I don't want to get the sweat and oils accumulated throughout the day in the cushion by reapplying.

As the day went on, my skin looked more and more uneven.  The makeup seemed to slide around my face; most likely because I was getting oily.  But wait!  Isn't this cushion supposed to be marketed to people with oily skin?  Well now we know that it does not do much in the oil control department.  Also, the makeup began to pill and settle oddly around the oily areas on my face.  I have never experienced pilling with my other cushions before.  You can wipe these little puddles of makeup off with your finger!  Maybe a nice setting powder will help prevent this, but doesn't the cushion already have powder in it?  It's in the name!

We all know that I have combination / oily skin (sidebar).  This means that I get the best of both worlds:  Dry and oily at the same time (yay, me!).  How did this cushion fare on the dry areas around my mouth and jaw line?  Well... it started to look pretty patchy around my mouth and jawline.  Pilling in the oily areas and patchy in the dry areas.  No sir, I don't like it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I wont be rebuying this cushion.  Which is a shame because so many people love it and had great things to say about it.  This just goes to show that we are all different and that your mileage may vary!  I do wish this cushion came in darker shades, but it still settles into dry and oily areas unevenly.  It just looked worse on me as the day progressed.

If I had a group of cushions to choose from, this will probably be one of the last ones I would reach for - even if the color matched.  This is more of a "going to run errands" cushion for me until I buy something better lol.  Shade W24 Honey Beige was just passable on my NC37 skin, and that's because I wear one thin layer of it and don't try to build coverage.  So if you are darker than NC35, have acne, uneven skin texture, and / or have oily skin then I would suggest skipping this one.

Rating

SWATCH COMPARISON LIST

Master Swatch List

There can be only one.

I have been using MAKE UP FOREVER's Aqua Brow for several years now and heard that Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW Pomade would be better for oily skin.  After taking a trip to Sephora to pick up a sample, I decided to let the two fight to the death.

I am Duncan MacLeod.

SWATCH

Here is the swatch of MAKE UP FOREVER Aqua Brow in Color 30 Dark Brown (left) beside Anastasia Bevery Hills DIPBROW Pomade in Chocolate (right).  DIPBROW Chocolate seems to be the closest shade to the Aqua Brow 30 Dark Brown (the Sephora associate and I swatched the DIPBROW pomades against the Aqua Brow 30 Dark Brown).

MAKE UP FOREVER Aqua Brow Shade 30 Dark Brown - Left  |  Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW Pomade in Chocolate - Right

It's a little hard to tell in the picture but DIPBROW in Chocolate is a little warmer than Aqua Brow 30 Dark Brown which is more ashy.  The swatches are still very similar and barely noticeable if you switch between the two.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

The two have different applications.  For MAKE UP FOREVER Aqua Brow, you simply extract a small dot of product onto your hand and dab the brow brush and apply.  Some claim that this is messier than DIPBROW but honestly it's not.  There is literally a dot of product on your hand that you can wash off.  No need to call the EPA for a mass clean up.

For Anastasia's DIPBROW you open the jar and dab your brow brush directly into the product.  This seems less sanitary to me than the tube packaging of Aqua Brow.

The consistency of Aqua Brow is more liquid than DIPBROW.  Both are easy to apply but I feel that DIPBROW adheres better (you can see in the swatch).  Sometimes when I apply Aqua Brow it seems to just not want to stick to my skin - and sometimes the brush will actually remove product than add more.  I'm not sure if it's the brush, because the same (clean) brush applies DIPBROW just fine.  Wiping the brow area with a towel to remove foundation helps, but for some that is not an option.

Another thing to note is if you live in a dry climate you may want to consider Aqua Brow over DIPBROW because the tube packaging of Aqua Brow will ensure the product doesn't dry out.  I have heard many times that DIPBROW will dry out within a few months.  Aqua Brow has lasted me a very long time - about a year of daily use.

THE SMUDGE TEST

I gently slide my finger perpendicular to the brow to see how smudge-proof it really is with oily skin.  "How hard did you press?"  Think sensually grazing a tomato.  I know we do what we can to not touch our face, but sometimes it happens and we need to see what that looks like.

THE HUG TEST

What the heck is that?  Well how else are you going to test that there brow filler, son?  Just imagine you finally got your hands on that new Jeffree Star Skin Frost highlighter palette.  Your girlfriend just texts you and as you reach for your phone, you knock that palette off the table.  Watch in slow motion as it bursts into a plume of fabulous chaos.  What do you do?  Cry, of course.  Cry to your significant other while you press your face into his or her manly bicep.  "How could this day get any worse?" you shriek.  Your eyebrows rub off on your SO's crisp white t-shirt.

So... the hug test is basically just that, oily skinned one.  Will your brows still be on your face after the above scenario?  Let's find out.
Note:  Simply press onto a white tee for ten seconds.  No rubbing and using reasonable pressure.  Since it's hard to measure pressure accurately for this, I replicated the same test several times throughout the week to ensure the results are comparable.  

RESULTS

I want to note that I did not use foundation, primer or a setting powder for these tests.  We all use different products and there are too many variables involved.  So I just applied on bare skin.  Setting powder or primer has not made a difference for me as far as lasting power anyway.  Now for the moment of truth...

I'm ready for my close up... Yikes!

So they perform pretty much the same.  At any rate, it's best to keep the product in your bag so that you can touch up after blotting.

WHAT I CHOSE

I am going to purchase the full size of Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW Pomade in Chocolate.  I just find it easier and faster to apply because the pigment jumps onto my skin better than Aqua Brow.  I feel like I need to use more Aqua Brow to get the same look as DIPBROW.

In the end, they are still very good products and I believe it might be best to try both!

Garden of Wisdom Mandelic Acid 5% Serum (No Alcohol/No Seaweed)

I purchased a sample size of the Garden of Wisdom Mandelic Acid 5% Serum (No Alcohol/No Seaweed) in hopes to find a mild AHA (alphahydroxy acid - a chemical exfoliant) that wouldn't cause my skin to freak out.  My skin will not tolerate Glycolic Acid so I needed something more gentle.  This serum is advertised to reduce pore size, improve complexion, even out skin tone and help to lighten skin irregularities and hyperpigmentation.  Honestly, I could not wait to give it a try.

Garden of Wisdom Mandelic Acid 5% Serum has a PH of approximately 2.5

PH:  2.5 

INGREDIENTS 

Spring Water, Rooibos (red) Extract, Mandelic Acid, Lactic Acid, L-lysine, Sodium PCA, Panthenol B-5, Sodium Lactate, Hyaluronic Acid

Notable Ingredients:

• Rooibos (red) Extract - A powerful antioxidant with anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.
• Mandelic Acid - A mild alphahydroxy acid (AHA) derived from the hydrolysis of an extract of bitter almonds and is said to have germicidal qualities.  It acts as an anti-inflammatory and pigmentation suppressant.  
• Lactic Acid - An alphahydroxy acid (AHA) derived from sugarcane or milk; used to gently exfoliate dead skin cells.
• Sodium PCA - Skin repairing agent.
• Hyaluronic Acid - A humectant and skin conditioner that it helps prevent skin dehydration.

Hnnggg, a limited ingredient product packed with goodies?  It's what my body craves.

Get on my face!

COSDNA Alerts:  

Ratings for potential Acne Triggers, Irritants and Safety Hazards.

• Lactic Acid - Rank 4 Index Safety
• Sodium Lactate - Rank 4 Index Safety

(According to COSDNA, the Safety Index is ranked from 1 - 9 with "the lower number means this ingredient is low hazard... Safety is a comprehensive index focus on safety on long term usage, according to harmful report from CIR, RTECS, FDA and other related information. The purpose of the index is more inclined to assess whether long-term injury of skin, cells or the human body.)

Scent:  

The scent is kind of like... that plastic smell when you put a laminating pouch through a laminator.  It doesn't bother me, it's just strange and it doesn't linger either.  But hey, there are no added fragrances.  Not everything smells like roses.

Texture:

Watery... like water.  Well that's the first ingredient isn't it?

Results:

As previously mentioned the product was advertised to reduce pore size, improve complexion, even out skin tone and help to lighten skin irregularities and hyperpigmentation.  I have to say that it did most of the things on that list.

I didn't notice a difference in the reduction of the size of my pores but I did notice that it definitely evened out my skin tone and hyperpigmentation.  I also noted that whenever I did get a pimple it would heal significantly faster with reduced PIH.  Before using it, I would run my fingers across my skin it would feel bumpy from the closed comedones under the skin.  Those have also been reduced after several weeks of use.  As I said I did not notice a difference in pore size but maybe because it is only at 5%.  There are higher percentages available through Garden of Wisdom.

Purchase Again?:

Yes I would definitely repurchase this item.  It was gentle enough to not cause any purging when I *slowly* introduced it into my routine, but it also got the job done.  Garden of Wisdom also offers other variations of this serum with up to 15% Mandelic Acid.  You can view their list of Mandelic Acid products here.

GRADE A-	A Ingredients	B+ Effectiveness	A Wearability	B- Packaging
Garden of Wisdom Mandelic Acid 5% Serum (No Alcohol/No Seaweed) essentially performs as advertised but did not reduce pore size.  The packaging is practical, but ordinary.