Saturday, January 7, 2012

Review: Etude House Nymph AURA Dear Darling Roll Roll Gloss

Phew! That was a mouthful. Korean brands tend to have such long names for their cosmetics!

Etude House has been in Philippine shores for some time now. I love the products and adore the cutesy-patootsy store interiors. One thing's for sure: If I had been in high school at the time this brand was launched, my friends and I would've had a field day over all that pink. That said, Etude is definitely geared towards teens and high schoolers with all their shimmer and glitter makeup. (I spoke with a Korean friend who confirmed that mostly students are the target market of this brand back in her native Korea.) But adults are more than welcome to bedazzle themselves with some shimmer here or there. *wink*

Today, I'm doing a review of the Nyph AURA Dear Darling Roll Roll Gloss (shade #18) that I received from Etude House. It's a sample size, but still totally worth talking about in this post!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Small 3-inch (7.5 cm) tube[/caption]

As you can see, the tube is in a travel-friendly size. I like the simple design and the pearlized lavender lid. Truthful to its young demographic, the clear tube highlights the shimmery, light coral liquid gloss inside. Frankly, I'd prefer to buy this in this EXACT size as opposed to the original size (PHP278) they have in-store. The logic? Gloss is mostly used sparingly as a topper to add shine to bare or lipstick-enhanced mouth. I've never finished an entire tube of gloss, even when I apply with a heavy hand, so I don't see the point in big containers. Cheaper, pocket-sized varieties sound waaay better to me. Also, I prefer a squeeze tube over a bottle with an applicator, since the little brush inside tends to gather color from my lipstick. (Read: Messy and gross.)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="553"] The slightest hint of pink on the lips[/caption]

On the pucker, the gloss looks translucent. There's barely a hint of the color and the shimmer is kept to a minimum. The formulation is neither too sticky nor too runny, perfect for a makeup newbie; a natural/low-maintenance look lover; or anyone who wants to top their lipstick with light gloss. (Another reason to stick with a tube container rather than a bottle-with-brush: A non-sticky formulation will also make a mess on the mouth of the bottle.) And I'm raving about the strawberry candy scent! It's addictive and reminds me of strawberry Fruitella.

To sum it up, a small tube trumps a big bottle, and this gloss is PERFECT for everyday use.