Read how I chose this advent calendar
This post almost did not happen. When this advent calendar was announced I was so excited. The packaging is alright but I was excited about the products inside. Considering I’ve just started dabbling in K-cosmetics, this calendar was right up my alley: it has all the brands I wanted to try — Beauty of Joseon, artclass, Cosrx (thought it’s not the serum I want to try), Some by Mi, etc.
But here’s the funny thing. They launched the calendar at 3 am ET! I don’t get the timing; did Yesstyle not want to sell to North America?
Needless to say, during the first round of the release it was sold out before I could order it. For the restock, I wasn’t sure I’d be purchasing it. There was no way in heck that I was staying up till 3 am for an advent calendar. The only time I’ll stay up till 3 am is if I have a flight at 3 am. But it so happened, I woke up at 6.30 am because of a cough and I got up to grab water. But I was in this half-sleep state, and apparently in that state, I’d decided to check if the calendar was available and ordered it. I didn’t realize till I actually woke up an hour later and saw the confirmation email in the morning!
As of publishing this post, Yesstyle is expected to release another batch of the calendars.
Ordering & Shipping
Yesstyle used to be one of the biggest online stores where you could purchase K-beauty and J-beauty. Now, with competition from Stylevana and Olive Young, they’ve become more like Amazon for Asian cosmetics. I thought that it was a Korean company but it’s headquartered in Hong Kong. Which explains the influx of what looks like drop shipped clothing and home goods.
Don’t get me wrong, Yesstyle still has some of the lowest prices but their shipping takes forever. I have an order that’s a month old. Which is kinda annoying because the charge hits your credit card when the order is shipped and throws off my expense plans.
Surprisingly the advent calendar shipped in 2 days. Priced at CAD 229.22 it’s one of the cheaper premium calendars.
Packaging
The packaging is very Asian cute and I like that it has drawers. It’s a sturdy calendar but just like the Liberty calendar it does have some very minor finishing issues. The lowest drawers always get stuck. But apart from that, it survived being shipped from Hong Kong!
Products in the calendar
What I really liked about this calendar was the lack of hair products and the number of full size products. What I didn’t really like was that some makeup products like the eyebrow pencil and liner were brown, which doesn’t suit my skin tone.
Day 1
Rom&nd (Romand) Better Than Cheek #03 Blueberry Chip
Full Size
I love this blush. It’s a shimmery blush but it looks so beautiful on the face. I was worried that it would be a bit too light for me, but it looks so nice. I’ve included a swatch of this blush and the tint after Day 3.
Update: I used it a few more times and I like this blush as much as any other powder blush from Tarte. I’ve moved on to glowy liquid formulas like Rare Beauty blush. These powder blushes tend to mattify and take down the glow in your skin, even if you’re using a glow primer.
Day 2
Isntree Chestnut Aha 8% Clear Essence Exfoliant
Sample size (20 ml)
I’m excited to try this. I have so many exfoliators to try, so this might end up in the back of the line.
Day 3
Moonshot Performance Lip Blur Fixing Tint – #06 Bang
Full Size
I love this! It reminds me of Peripera Ink the Velvet. It has that thick lovely mousse-y formula. It was easy to apply and lasted a long time. The first time I applied it, I applied several layers, so when it faded, it faded beautifully. The next few times I applied it, I applied a thin layer and while it starts off looking like a nice tint, it faded in a weird manner. Idea is to build up the pigment in thin layers. I would definitely repurchase this.
Day 4
Pyunkang Yul Black Tea Time Reverse Eye Patch
Full Size
I’m most excited about trying this. I’ve been looking for an eye patch for days when I haven’t slept enough and my skin feels tired. I’ll update this post once I use it.
I have to mention here that the packaging is stunning. It’s a black box with the picture of a Korean landscape.
Day 5
Rovectin Clean Lha Blemish Ampoule
Full Size
I’m looking forward to trying this product. When I don’t have an acne breakout I have a blemish, and just as my skin becomes clear, acne shows up. I’m forever chasing clear skin and I hope this helps.
Day 6
Mizon Vegan Eyeliner
Full Size
I’m not very excited about this. I’m very picky when it comes to eye and hair products. I’ll definitely give it a shot though.
Day 7
Beauty Of Joseon Propolis & Niacinamide Glow Serum
Full Size
This is another product I’m excited about. I’ve heard the best things about Beauty of Joseon, especially their serums and sunscreens. I’ll update the post once I try it.
Day 8
Naming Reflecting Pearl Fixer
Full Size
While the name is confusing, it’s a glitter infused setting spray. I’m a little apprehensive because the glitter particles look big. It looks similar to the ABH and MAC setting sprays and could be a dupe.
Update: I used this setting spray and it left my face very shiny. Especially on a video call. It kept my makeup intact longer. I like it, but I’ll keep testing it to see if I feel different later.
Day 9
Frudia Avocado Relief Cream Mini
Full Size (10 gm)
Can we talk about the packaging? It’s such a cute honey pot. I thought that it was a lip balm, but it seems to be a face cream. This brand reminds me of Glow Recipe, so I’m looking forward to using it. This is definitely not for people with oily skin.
Day 10
By Wishtrend Green Tea & Enzyme Powder Wash Jumbo
Full Size
This reminds me of another powder wash — the Good Molecule Pineapple Exfoliating face powder. Apparently, this type of powder cleanser is a common product. Most brands including Tatcha, Dermalogica, Versed and Paula’s choice have a similar product. The only problem I have with this product so far is the awful packaging. It’s white text on a light green box. Come on people, it doesn’t help people with vision impairment.
Packaging apart, I’m looking forward to trying this.
Day 11
Neogen Dermalogy Extra Slim Metal Maxicara
Full Size
I’m excited about trying this Mascara. It has a metal brush and I’ve never used a mascara like this.
Day 12
Purito Inner Green Reworth Able Cotton Rounds Set
Full Size (10 pads)
I love that this was included in the calendar. Most other calendars have fillers like hairties and stickers. I have a set of cotton rounds from etsy that I use as well as makeup eraser cloths.
Day 13
Make P:Rem Peel Me Radiance Peeling Sleeping Pack
Mini
So, I’ve heard of Make P:Rem and I’ve always wanted to try it. This seems to be a sleep mask.
Day 14
Coringco Shalala Snow Ball Lip Balm in Swan Lake
Full Size
This is a super cute lip balm. This isn’t a sexy lipstick that you whip out at a party. This is something you use when you want a bit of sparkle in your life. I find the packaging so cute — it’s transparent with a liquid in the cap that moves the glitter around the packaging. It’s like a little snowball but in a lipstick packaging.
The formula itself is nice. It’s not a very moisturizing balm, but it works great under lipsticks. I would definitely consider repurchasing this product.
Update: I continued using it and I love it. The wax protects my lips and I like it. I would consider repurchasing this.
Day 15
Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Facial Oil
Mini (10 ml)
While I haven’t used this product yet, the packaging is a winner in my book. It had the name of the product in Braille on the box and printed with soy ink. I’m looking forward to using this oil over the winter.
Day 16
Macqueen My Waterproof Auto Eyebrow Pencil Fixing Powder – Walnut Brown
Full Size
So, brown eyebrow pencils don’t work on me. It shows up in sharp contrast to my dark black eyebrows. I’ll definitely give it a try though.
Day 17
Sioris Bring Back Memories Hand Cream
Full Size
I’m a bit apprehensive about using this. It has an unusual scent but if it fixes my grubby fingers, why not!
Update: I love this hand cream. It’s not very sticky unlike the Chemistry brand’s Hand Chemistry (part of the Ordinary family of brands). I use this hand cream when I’m working because makes it easy for me to type without the sticky feeling. I use the Hand Chemistry for the night as a mask for my hands. If you have extremely dry hands this may not be enough.
The scent is unusual: it’s very earthy and herby. If you like the smell of the Lush Henna brick then this should be fine. If you don’t then you may want to skip it.
Day 18
Some By Mi Propolis B5 Glow Barrier Calming Mask
Full Size
Some By Mi is another brand I’ve always wanted to try. So this is a nice way to try it. I’m looking forward to try it.
Day 19
Clio Extreme Gelpresso Pencil Liner – #01 Black Brown
Full Size
I rarely use brown liners but I’ll definitely give this a try.
Day 20
Goodal Vegan Rice Milk Moisturizing Cream
Full Size (70 ml)
I can never get enough of moisturizing creams so I’ll definitely be using this. I like that the box for this cream is printed on Sugarcane paper!
Day 21
Too Cool For School Artclass By Rodin Shading Master Set – #01 Classic
Full Size
This was another product I was excited about. I’ve used it just once, and during that use it kinda mattified my skin and that worries. It would mean that it’s not meant for dry skin.
Day 22
Cosrx Balancium Ceramide Lip Butter Sleeping Mask
Full Size (20 gm)
I’m kinda excited about trying this. I would’ve preferred a sample size of the Cosrx serum but I’ll take what I can get!
Day 23
Village 11 Factory Relax-Day Foot Moisturizing Mask
Full Size (5 masks)
I love the packaging and I love that Yesstyle decided to include a foot mask instead of a face mask. Almost every calendar has a face mask. I’m looking forward to trying this because my foot needs the TLC; it’s starting to tear my stockings.
Day 24
Peripera Sugar Twinkle Liquid Glitter #001 Glitter Wave
Full Size (1.9 g)
I like this. I probably wouldn’t use it near my eyes because my eyes are very sensitive. I did try using it as an eyeliner (and quickly removed it) and it was easy to apply. I would use it for Halloween around my eye brows.
Final Thoughts
I like this calendar. It has no hair products and contains more skincare than make up which I like.
So should you buy it? If you can afford and are just beginning to try K-skincare then yes. This gives you a decent idea of what K-beauty offers and most of the products are from popular brands.