Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Review: Etude House Correct & Care CC Cream in No. 2 "Glow"

CC Cream, also known as Correct and Care cream, has been all the rage nowadays, expanding from Asian markets to global very quickly within the past year. Nowadays, BB cream can be found not only at Asian beauty stores but also at your local drugstore. And it appears CC Cream is quickly catching up! Leading Korean brands such as Tony Moly, Etude House and and Banila Co. are just one of many that produce CC cream and believe me, competition is fierce! Today, I will be reviewing Etude House's CC Cream in No. 2"Glow".


So what exactly is CC cream and what are its benefits? Like its predecessor, BB cream, CC cream provides all of the benefits that bb cream offers such as whitening, SPF, base and coverage while also adding additional benefits. CC cream is also lighter upon application and is supposed to provide a more natural coverage, as opposed to BB cream. Whereas BB cream is more about providing coverage, CC cream is more about providing a more even, clear skin tone, thus emphasizing your natural skin's beauty. It's the true "no-makeup" makeup hahaha.

Etude House's CC cream claims to have eight benefits in this one little tube. Does it actually live up to its claims? Well, keep on reading to find out :)

Benefits: 

  • Anti-aging 
  • Stress relief 
  • Hydration 
  • Whitening
  • Sun Protection 
  • Tone-up
  • Smooth texture
  • Luminosity 



Source: Etude House

Doesn't Krystal from F(x) just look radiant? I think she is just the perfect person to endorse this! 

For those who aren't familiar with Etude House's CC Cream line, there are two types of CC cream you can choose from: No. 1 "Silky" or No. 2 "Glow". For those with oily skin who want a more matte and plush finish, you would go with "Silky", whereas those who with dry skin who would opt for a more dewy, natural finish would go with "Glow".




Source: Etude House 

My skin type is normal. However, I have a tendency to get dry spots around my nose and mouth area so I decided to go with "Glow". I'm also a fan of the dewy look, as opposed to matte. Especially in the summer, who can resist glowing, dewy skin? 


The packaging is reminiscent of Etude House's cute and princess-like concept. The box is a delicate light-pink box with gold lettering and helpful instructions in both Korean and English on the sides. As someone who only knows how to introduce herself in Korean or order Coca-Cola at a Korean restaurant, I'm grateful that Etude House included instructions in English. 


Description
"This multitasking, 8-in-1 formula hydrates, primes, conceals, treats and protect skin at an easy single step for a healthier complexion, inside and outside. It glides on with a glowing finish. 

Directions 
"Apply liberally and blend evenly with your fingertips for natural, sheer coverage. Use it alone or layered under your favorite foundation for more coverage. 




This tube of CC cream is actually a lot slimmer and sleeker than the Etude House Mineral BB Cream. While the BB cream contains 60 mg of product, the CC cream contains 35 mg which I think is significantly less. Oh well, it's still selling like hotcakes! It's not that big of an issue, considering you don't really need much CC cream for coverage, but I had to admit that I was a bit surprised to see how small this was. 


For application, the tube comes with a pump, which dispenses a small, delicate pile of product, which is good for sanitary purposes. For me, based on two different experiences, one pump was definitely enough for me. For those who want more coverage, you can use the CC cream as a base and layer BB cream/foundation over this. But DON'T apply too much product to your face. I will explain why later in this entry.

The scent is a pleasant, floral-like smell, similar to that of Tony Moly's Triple Expert BB cream, not too strong or chemical-like. I'm assuming that this is a pretty common scent among Asian face products. 


Ahhhh, it's so white! That was my first reaction upon dispensing the product and I was skeptical on how in the world would this match my skin tone. But take a closer look. Can you see the tiny little capsules within the white cream? These tiny little capsules will burst upon application, self-adjusting the color to match your skin tone and texture and provide a moisturizing, glowing finish. Yes, it's just like magic! 


Source: Etude House 

 It's highly recommended that you use your hands to apply the CC cream onto your face. I usually use a foundation brush to apply my face makeup but in order to 'pop' all the capsules onto your face, it's best that you massage it into your skin. 

Please be advised you should only apply one light layer at a time. So why have I emphasized to not put too much on your face? Well, I made the mistake of applying two pumps, which ended up being way too much. Some of the capsules ended up not popping and therefore, the product didn't merge with my skin tone and I was stuck all afternoon with a white ghost-face. Therefore, I concluded that one pump is sufficient and it quickly matched my skin tone within 10 minutes. If you need more coverage, you can add a layer of BB cream or foundation on top.


Before - No makeup whatsoever, After - 10 minutes after application

See the difference? While I don't have major problems with acne or spots, I do experience some dullness and uneven skin tone, which really benefitted from this CC cream. My skin looks brighter, whiter, hydrated and my overall complexion is improved. In this before and after, I don't have any base or moisturizer on. The coverage is very light, compared to BB cream and foundation. But I love the "my skin, but better" effect and I really think it was a genius idea for Etude House to market to those looking for the most natural coverage as possible. 


Before - 5 minutes after application, After - 10 minutes after application with finishing powder

Now for the 'glow' effect, I had to admit, I found the dewiness in the product a little overly dewy and to me, it just looked a little oily for my taste. Just a little though. I feel like this product would really benefit people with dry skin but for those with oily skin, you're really better off with the No.1 Silky instead. To mattify the oiliness, I added just a pat of finishing powder and then I had the nice, luminous finish that I wanted. 

Final thoughts on this product? 

Rating: ❤❤❤❤

Pros:
  • Delivers most of what it promises--hydration, whitening, sun-protection, skin tone brightening, skin-texture smoothing and luminosity. As for anti-aging, we'd have to see but it's good to know. And stress-relief? No comment. 
  • Fixes my dull, uneven skin tone 
  • Love the one-step process of just applying it directly onto my face. This will save me a lot of time in my makeup routine. 
  • Great for people who are looking for a natural, fresh-faced look 
  • Long-lasting, did not start looking oilier until around 5 hours 
  • Affordable. I ordered mine at Kollection K for $15.60
  • Love the glowing, dewy effect 
  • Feels really light on my skin, definitely great for the summer

Cons 
  • Coverage is realllllly light. If you're looking for the least bit of coverage, you may need to use a BB cream in addition to this 
  • Can look a bit greasy to those with oily or normal skin--I'm wondering if I should've ordered the No. 1 Silky instead. 
  • May not match darker skin tones. I have a warm medium skin tone in the summer and the product looked just a tad light for my skin.
Overall, I quite like the Etude House CC cream because it's just what I needed for the summer. My skin looks refreshed and brightened and best of all, the one step application process makes my makeup routine so much faster and easier. However, I had to deduct one star because I know it's not for everyone. While I appreciate its concept for providing skin with a more natural look, the coverage would definitely be too light for those with moderate acne and would be better off a primer. I know this probably has been said before, I feel like CC cream is designed more for people who already have decent skin and are just looking for enhancement. 

And for those who regularly use BB cream, I can't really see the CC cream offering significantly better benefits maybe besides anti-aging. You'll notice that out of the eight benefits this product claims to have, coverage is not one of them. The CC cream is good to have on hand when you're going for the "my skin, but better" effect but this may not be the best substitute for BB cream or foundation. However, this does not mean that this is a bad product, as I like it very much. But I would definitely do my research on CC creams to see which one would be the best for what you're aiming for or if BB cream is better for you.



So what did you think of this product? Have you had the chance to try it yet or are you planning to try it anytime soon? I hope my review was informative in helping out those who are interested in purchasing the Etude House CC creams or any other CC creams of that matter. If you have your own review of this CC cream, feel free to share your links with me. Are there any other CC creams that you have used or want to use? What do you think of CC cream overall? Let me know in the comments below! 

With love, Tiffany

63 comments:

  1. I want this CC cream so much *A* Looks like it really brightens and smooths the complexion! Just what I want for the summer too. thanks for the review^^

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    1. No problem, Chee, glad you liked it! Yeah, it really does work! I get lazier in the summer with my makeup routine, so this is seriously a lifesaver :3

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  2. Lol I won the silky one on etude global ^^ can't wait to try it and a shop sponsored me this one and its on its way here lol your review is very detailed and helpful (; ^^

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    1. Awww so lucky, Nhi! I'm really curious about the Silky one now, looking forward to reading your reviews on them :D

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  3. Haha tiff I'm about to review this cc cream as well xD I've been using it for a week now and I love it but I think I ordered the wrong shade. I got the glow one too I should've ordered silky I guess >_> haha I like the glow but you're right it gets too oily especially for me after 4-5 hours. Does it really fix your skin though? Cause I dont feel any difference for now other than the brightening effect haha love your review though so detailed and so true cause I keep nodding my head while reading this xD

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    1. Yay awesome, I always love reading your reviews! It seems like this product is super popular with beauty bloggers. Hmm, honestly I think it does improve my skin overall in terms of brightening and minimizing my pores but I don't think it really whitens my skin long-term, just the temporary effect. And as for anti-wrinkle...loool let's hope I don't get wrinkles anytime soon whether these do the job or not ahahaha I'm glad you enjoyed reading this though, Misa! <3

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  4. Great review! I love how detailed it is and the fact that you go through all the pros and cons.

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    1. hehe thank you so much, Alexa! I try to be as detailed and helpful as possible, don't want to miss anything! :D

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  5. this is interesting. it truly does just brighten your complexion and make your skin look a lot healthier without providing much coverage! Everyone always thinks that they need a full cover foundation to achieve beautiful skin but this product proves otherwise!

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    1. Oh definitely haha I agree with you 100 percent. Especially in the summer, it's really better for us to let our skin breathe as much as possible. And thank you, Jenny! I love the healthy "glow", at least it works hehe :D

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  6. great review! looks so pretty!

    p.s. I'm having a ray-ban giveaway if you'd like to check it out!
    devorelebeaumonstre.com xx

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    1. Thank you for stopping by! And I will check out your giveaway, Ray-bans are awesome! :D

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  7. Thanks for the really in-depth and helpful review! I've yet to purchase my first bottle of cc cream, but now I think I may just get this one from étude house. I love how the cc cream looks on you. Really natural but at the same time making yr skin look flawless. :)

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    1. No problem, Chermaine, I'm glad this review was helpful to you! I highly recommend it if you're looking for the natural look. I was about to say that it'll be perfect for the summer but I believe it's wintertime in Australia right now? Correct me if I'm wrong haha either way, I'm sure you'll like it :)

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  8. i do wonder how exactly it works, like beyond the general description all the CC creams give. great review! :D i had tony moly's on the way, but this one looks really good (in silky ofc haha) too!

    kittencuddler.blogspot.com

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    1. Haha I was pretty confused at first and even skeptical when I first tried the product but it's pretty cool to watch how quickly it works to match your skin. Looking forward to your review on the Tony Moly cc cream, I've been wanting more info on that one :D

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  9. Great review, would like to try them but I never saw them here in Italy :(
    What about following each other? Just let me know!
    Xxx

    Carolina

    www.the-world-c.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you for stopping by, sure I'll follow you! You can find cc creams online, they're getting quite popular so I'm sure you'll be able to find them somewhere :)

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    2. Followed back! 51!
      Now I'm starting to search them online, thank you so much for your help babe <3

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  10. This is the first review for the glowing Etude House CC cream I read. Thanks. But all together I'm still not sure which of all these CC creams I might try in the end :D

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    1. No problem, I hope this was helpful! Haha yeah, it's best to do some research before purchasing one, since there are so many on the market now :D

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  11. Nice review! I ordered the silky one because I have combination/oily skin and I'm afraid glow might make my face oilier especially in our hot and humid weather now. It looks good on you. :) I'm excited to get mine. Thanks for the detailed review! I'm following you now too. :)

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    1. Smart choice haha I feel like I should've ordered Silky instead too. I think Glow works best for people who actually have dry skin, don't want the makeup melting off from the heat. Haha thank you, I hope this was informative and helpful. And thank you for following me, looking forward to more entries from you :D

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  12. Hellllos! The product packaging looks so cute LOL.
    thanks for checking out my blog, its greatly appreciated!! :D
    PS. you've gotten yourself a new follower ^^

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    1. Hehe no problem, Ivy, thank you for following! And yes, the packaging is too adorable, just like most of Etude House's products :D

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  13. Oh I think we have similar skin tone and type! I was hesitant to try this CC cream because it reminds me of a body shop BB cream I have (color changer), but it looks really good on you. Maybe I will order one next time keke (or maybe I just want to buy something new lol!) Thanks for the review!

    (-also a Tiffany here, nice to meet you!)

    samplehime.blogspot.com

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    1. Ahhh hahaha nice to meet you too, Tiffany! I don't meet too many Tiffanys nowadays, I guess we were a thing of the 90s =p lol jk but thank you! I was a bit hesitant too since I've already gone thru bb cream and I like foundation better anyways. You should check it out though if you want something new to have on hand, seems like beauty bloggers are really excited to try it :D

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  14. I've been wanting to try out this CC cream as well except in silky! I quite like how it looks on your skin :)

    Louise
    dreamdustx

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    1. Aww thank you, Louise! I'm hearing from more people that they prefer Silky over Glow, it's probably the safer choice since people don't want to risk getting oily. Smart choice, I'll look forward to your review on it if you do end up deciding to try it :D

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  15. I initially couldn't decide between Silky and Glow, but I ended up deciding on Silky! Haven't gotten it yet, but I'm excited!

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    1. Yay, you got it too! haha so many people are getting it now, Etude House must be making bank this summer xD good choice though, I'm kinda curious about Silky now haha

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  16. New follower here! ~~ I don't normally buy from Etude House, but I have tried Glow and it has really worked.

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    1. Hello, Lucy! Thank you for following! :D Haha I haven't started buying a lot of Etude House products either until now, they have so many cute stuff nowadays <3

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  17. too bad about the coverage because i really love full coverage looks *0* but other than that looks pretty promising! Lol!

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    1. Aww haha yeah I know, I don't think this product is for everyone since the biggest negative about this product is the lack of coverage. But for those with mild oil control problems or normal skin tones, this works quite well :D

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  18. I had try the sample from the silky. The oil control is great for my combi skin. Just need to blot once in mid day and your skin will good until night. I just use cc only. I don't have any blemish, just some annoying redness cause by sensitive skin and hot weather. And this cream coverage my redness and uneven skin tone also brighten it. Really love it. I will order it after I finished my bright fit.

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    1. Ooh, I see. Dang I think the Silky would've been better for me then! My skin sounds pretty similar to yours, I don't have acne either, so the CC cream is exactly what I needed. Yes, this would definitely be a great purchase for you :D

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  19. i've tried the sample size for silky and i think it's great to achieve more matte look! i really want to try out the glow one though (i'm really into dewy look right now haha) but i have oily skin especially in summer :(

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    1. Aww haha I really want to try the Silky one! The glow cc cream is okay if you have normal to dry skin but if you have oily skin in the summer, you might end up having to use setting powder frequently throughout the day ><

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  20. Ah! I want to try this CC Cream, since you have a yellow skin undertone, and this cc cream have pink undertone, is this cc cream match yellow skin undertone if spread thinly??

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    1. Hmm I think it should be okay if you have a yellow undertone. A lot of Asians have naturally yellow undertones and this product is still popular with them :)

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  21. I'd really love to try this - I'm just scared it'll give a scary cast or something! D: My skin isn't too forgiving on bb and cc creams, eeek~ D:

    junniku.blogspot.ca

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    1. lol to be honest, it does leave a slight white/pale cast on me, since I'm definitely a lot darker in the summer than I am in the winter. haha if you're a little tan, maybe it'd be best to wait till around winter time to get lighter. I haven't touched this in a while because of the white cast :(

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  22. Hi Tiffany! Wow such a loooong post! Very detailed. Dont mean to be rude, but was this a sponsored post? :) I see that you're still using the old commenting format. You should try disqus, its so easy to use! You'll love it. And how do you get so many comments on your posts? Is it because you also comment on other people's post so they go to your blog and comment back? if so then I should start doing that, too. lol. I read blogs a lot but the problem is that I seldom comment. <3

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    1. Ahaha naw this wasn't sponsored, would've been awesome if I got sponsored for it, but I just blogged about it because it was selling like hot cakes and was really popular among other bloggers at the time. Haha I actually considered going to Disqus before and I've been meaning to change my commenting system but I heard that it glitches a lot? I was kinda scared but it doesn't seem like there's too many problems with it anymore, so I think I'll switch sometime soon hehe

      As for comments, I try to make it a habit of catching up on my blog roll and commenting on other bloggers' entries once or twice a week. It's a great way to build relationships with other bloggers and show them your appreciation for the hard work they put into their entries. Plus, if you enjoyed their entry, it benefits both you and them to share and let them know that you liked it. Most likely, they end up returning the favor because everyone feels warm and fuzzy when they get comments xD And I'm guessing the reason why I have this amount is because I don't blog that often so by default, they just end up commenting on the entry that they like best or is available. Hope this helps answer your question. I haven't been so good at commenting lately because I've been swamped the past couple of weeks but I will definitely start when I have time again :D

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  23. Hi tiff!! Your review is so amazing! I've been searching for bb cream but I discovered cc cream ( and your review) which I think is better for me, I have fair skin and its not dry but also gets dry in winter, it confuse me if ever I will get my first cc cream, as you said in your review the cc cream glow gets oily after 4 to 5hours , is it really oily? It's winter in New Zealand and the skin around my lips and eyebrows is flaking but I don't want my face shining after 5hours lol, pls help, any suggestion you can give to me? The silky is to make your face matte but I don't want my skin to look more dry. Mmmm what do you think?

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    1. Aww haha thank you so much for you comment, Cheryl! The thing is that the silky isn't going to make your face dry-looking, the finish will just be matte, not really shiny, which I actually think is better. I have some dry patches around my nose and when I wear the Glow, it actually emphasizes the dry flakes as well so I don't think getting Glow will take the dry flakes away :x haha but if you'd really prefer a dewy finish over a matte finish, you could use Glow and use some finishing powder over it. That way, you'll still have a slight dewy finish but it'll take away that shine. And you can reapply the powder whenever it gets oily. Hope this helps, good luck choosing! :D

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  24. Hi Tiffany, thank you so much that you replied. Your awesome review is perfect for searchers like me! I'm glad I found you and your blog. I been reading your blogs and very detailed informative like this. I hope you keep writing about things and I'm happy to follow you here. Thank you:)))

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    1. Ahaha your comment made my day! Reading comments like yours is the reason I love blogging so much, I want to be a helpful source for curious beauty readers and I'm so glad you like my blog, thank you Cheryl! <3

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  25. Ahh Tiffany, thanks to your review, I'm not sure which CC cream I should get!

    I'm debating between Tony Moly or Etude House, and now I'm even more confused. The Etude House looks really good though...

    Thanks for your informative review! I enjoyed reading your post a lot. Keep writing x

    I find that CC cream tends to run smaller than BB creams. I wonder if that has something to do with the formula.

    Etude House packaging is awesome! It's one of my favourite Korean brands.

    Just followed, great work.
    Mind following me back?^^

    Y-OONYEE [click here]

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    1. Hi Sandy! thanks for following, followed back, loving your blog here! :D

      From what I've read among beauty bloggers, I think more people prefer the Etude House cc cream since there's more choices in terms of finish and I heard that the Etude House changes colors better. haha Etude House has such adorable packaging and they're really upped the ante this year with designing their products, I just can't get enough xD

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  26. Thanks for the review, I have been wondering how CC cream works! I am running out off my bb cream soon... maybe I will consider to buy this great product!!

    New post: Magic Care Professional Hair Care Serum

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    1. No problem, thanks for checking out my review! haha I really do like it better than BB cream but it does function kind of differently. But yeah, you should give it a try and see how you like it, it's been all the rage this year :D

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  27. is this product dont have any effect? wish i can buy this ^^ ty

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  28. Hi~ Tiffany,
    I'm a bit hesitant to get the #2 Glow also, (rather than the #1 Silky)
    but now I'm enjoying the #2 Glow !~

    Kindly check out my review on this Etude House CC Cream #2 Glow also!
    http://luzzang.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-etude-house-cc-cream-2-glow.html

    - ✦ L U N A ✦

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  29. Nice review, tempted to buy it

    xoxo
    The Blah Queen
    Lakme CC Cream Review

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  30. Hi Tiff, Good job! I'm really curious about this products, and now I'm 100% sure to buy this product.

    Would you mind to visit and leave a comment on my blog too? Nice to know you ^^

    http://sweetlikeapeach.blogspot.com

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  32. And i think foundation aeveryday is just too much for me.. This is perfect! Reading your review made me decide to buy this cc cream! One step application makes it look less fussy, cos I need something to apply before going to work everyday that makes me not being late to office :)

    www.littleandflushed.blogspot.com.sg

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    1. Thank you for reading, I'm glad my review convinced you to get it! I agree that foundation everyday is too much, and all-in-one products save so much time. Gotta maximize our time in the morning before work :D

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  33. I am Asian and have a dark combination skin. As per your review, Etude CC is not best for dark skin. Do you have any advice on which CC cream to use?

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    1. I'm not too familiar on that many CC creams but for those with darker skin, I would look into brands that have a wide variety of colors for different skin tones such as Smashbox's CC Cream. I've only heard good things about that particular one and they have shades for medium/dark skin tones and dark skin tones. I hope my recommendation helps :)

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