Big Korean Cosmetics Haul + First Impressions! {Sponsored by Althea}~

Hi lovelies!

I'm really excited for today's post! I was recently contacted by Althea, which is an online Korean cosmetics retailer, and they asked me if I wanted to collaborate with them and do an unboxing review- naturally I said yes! 

So today I'll be showing you everything that I got, and in general will talk about my experience with Althea and my thoughts on the store~

So, let's get started!

Firstly, I'd like to commend the fact that the processing time was very quick! I placed my order Friday 19th, it was shipped Monday 22nd, and I received it Thursday 25th! This was amazingly fast shipping, because luckily my shipping was upgraded to the fastest option (EMS) so that I could do this review in a timely manner ^-^ They also have two other shipping options though, one which is 10-15 days, and the other which is around 35 days. Although Althea does offer free shipping, I imagine it's for the 35 day shipping, and that you'd have to pay a bit extra for the faster shipping ^^"

Everything arrived in a cute light pink box! Actually, the box was in a bubble-wrap mailer, but that had my address on it so I didn't want to show it >< But otherwise everything was packaged very safely!

And inside... were all my things!

The inside of the box lid had a bit of writing about the shop!

The nice thing about Althea is that their products are guaranteed authentic- and if they happen to not be authentic, they'll refund you twice the price you paid! 

Everything was safely placed in a bubble-wrap bag, and absolutely nothing was damaged in the slightest while shipping ^-^ So, let's get into the things that I got! I'll writing my first impressions of the items as well, but I'll also have full reviews up for most of these items sometime in the future~
Oh and also, I did an unboxing video for this!

First were four samples of this cleanser from innisfree!

I actually hadn't tried this cleanser before, but their jeju volcanic clay line is quite popular, so I imagine it's nice ^-^
First Impression: 
This cleanser has a very gentle floral scent, and it has little bits of exfoliant in it! I've only used it once, but so far it seems like a nice cleanser! I like that they included four samples of it; that way you can really confirm if the product works for you or not ^^

These Seaweed Capsule Recipe Packs from Innisfree are one of my favorite face masks! There are actually a lot of different masks in this series, and they all have different benefits; the seaweed ones are supposed to help your skin tone! These have a really nice sort of floral/herbal scent, and they warm up a bit once they're on your skin! I find that I can usually make one pod last about 3-4 applications, which is quite nice given that each one is only $1.50~ 
First Impression:
Since I've used this before, this isn't really a 'first' impression, but I really love this mask! It smells nice, feels nice on the skin, and it makes my skin feel soft and refreshed after I wash it off~

I also got another mask from Innisfree, this is their Real Rose Mask! It's from their 'real mask real' series; they also have quinoa, grapefruit, and peppermint ones! I chose the rose one, because I really like rose skin care >u< This mask has a gel texture, and it has real rose petals in it! It has a really nice rosey fragrance~ This one is also supposed to heat up when you put it on your skin ^^ 

First Impression:
This mask has a very strong rosy smell, but you don't really notice it when it's on your face! It has a gel-like texture that reminds me a bit of hair gel ^^" It was very nice to wear and when I washed it off my skin felt very smooth and plump~

The next thing I got is the Color My Brows brow mascara from Etude House! I got this in the shade 'natural brown', but they carry four more colours as well! I've never tried a brow mascara, but I thought it would be interesting to switch up my brow routine a bit~ I've been coloring in my eyebrows a lot more lately, since I dyed my hair a darker colour ^^
First impression:
I'd never used a brow mascara before, but I really liked this! It evenly colors my brows, dries quickly, and also keeps the hairs in place~ It was quite easy to use, and I think I'll be using this a lot more in the future!

Also from Etude House is the Wonder Fun Park Dear My Blooming Lips Talk~ Isn't the packaging adorable? ^-^ I got this in the shade 'Strawberry Juice', which is a really lovely coral/pink colour~

I really like the formula of Etude House lipsticks, they always go on very smoothly~ This one also smells like candy! 
First impression: 
This lipstick is really pigmented, and it has a velvety finish. I think the color is a bit too bright for me if I put it on my entire lips, so I think I'll be using it for gradient lip looks! It also stays on quite well~

From the brand Missha is this Rolling Heart Ball Blusher! I got it in the shade 'Pink Meringue', but they also have a peachier colour~ The outer packaging is cute, but it only gets cuter...

The blush itself is a bunch of heart-shaped pearls!! And it comes with a really cute, really soft puff~

Here's a closeup of the pearls:

There are four different colours, and the blush is ever-so-slightly shimmery~ I think this will look very cute and fairy-like when worn ^-^ This was the item I was most excited for from the haul, I think it's just so pretty!!
First Impression:
Ahh this blush is so nice! I was worried that it might be a bit difficult to evenly apply it due to the nature of the product, but it was just as easy as using a regular brush! Although there are a lot of very light pink hearts, on my cheeks the blush was a nice medium pink shade that was neither too dark nor too bright~ I really like it a lot, and I think I'll be using it every day now! ^_^

The next item I got was the Prime Primer Finishing Powder from banila co.! This is a high definition finishing powder that's supposed to minimize fine lines, pores, and imperfections. Although the powder looks white, it's actually translucent! This is a loose powder, and I've never actually owned a loose powder, I've only ever used compacts ^^" But I figure it shouldn't be terribly different~ They also included a puff to use with this!
I'm going to wait until I run out of my other powder to open this, so no first impressions, sorry! >< I just don't want to have two of the same product open at the same time ^^"

Another thing that I got is this COC Pro Skin-Adhering Foundation Brush~ This sort of brush has been quite popular in the last year or so, and I've always wanted to try it out! It's an oval shaped brush with a lot of densely packed fibers, and it's shaped in a way that's supposed to make it great for putting on face makeup~

I honestly think this might be a bit small for putting on foundation, maybe it's better suited for concealer? ^^" Regardless, I'm looking forward to using it, because I've never used a brush for face makeup and it would be interesting to try out!
First Impression:
To be quite honest I wasn't terribly impressed with this ;^; I guess I'm just not used to using a brush for my face makeup, but it was a lot more difficult to use this than to just use my fingers... It also left a lot of little brush strokes on my face ;^; I'll keep experimenting with it in the future though, because I really want for it to work!

The next thing I got was the Wash Off Rice Mask from Skin Food! This is a really popular mask that has been around for a long time, and a lot of people like it! The rice in the mask is supposed to moisturize and brighten your skin, and in addition to that, there are bits of rice in the mask that act as an exfoliating agent! This is one of Skin Food's best sellers, and I've never tried it before, so I'm excited to finally get the chance ^.^
First Impression:
Oh my gosh this mask is amazing! I couldn't believe how soft and plump it made my skin, my skin hadn't felt like that in weeks! The little rice bits are very nice, they make a very gentle exfoliant (I was worried they would be too harsh, but they're actually very mild! They're more like cooked rice bits than raw rice bits). My only sight complaint with this mask is that it has a very strong sweet/floral/fruity scent; it's not unpleasant, but I would have preferred if it had a more natural scent ><

Last of the big items is this Guerisson 9 Complex Cream! This is another highly praised item, it's a moisturizer made with German horse oil (which sounds scary, but it's really good for your skin!) The oil is supposed to soothe irritations and deeply moisturize your skin, and in addition to that, it improves skin metabolism. This cream is also supposed to be very fast-absorbing, which is great because I really don't like when moisturizers are on my face for too long and start to feel sticky ;^; Also the packaging on this is amazing I have to say; it comes in a glass jar and it all feels so luxurious *.*
First Impression:
This cream has a texture that's a lot like butter, so you definitely need the spatula to scoop it up! It has a very soft floral fragrance and it applies nicely onto the skin, although I didn't notice it to be terribly fast absorbing. Then again, maybe on someone with drier skin it'd absorb more quickly ^^" I used this in the night time and the following day my skin was nice and soft! 

Lastly, I ordered several sheet masks! This Ultra Moisture Chocolate Mask from the brand Mini Rabbit is honestly the cutest thing I've ever seen! It's a two-step mask; it comes with a chocolate cleanser, and then the actual mask itself! I'm really looking forward to use this; I love chocolate scented things >u<
(I'm not going to post first impressions for these because I haven't used them yet; besides, since they're one-time use masks, my first impression would be my only impression :v )

 I then got these two Silk Blanket Masks, one in Silver and one in Gold! These are really cool because they supposedly have 'hologram foil' on top, so they actually look metallic when you put them on! In addition to looking really interesting, they also have nice skin benefits ^-^

The last item I got was this Yogurt Mask from the brand Itibiti! I mostly got this because the packaging was adorable ehehe >u< But it's also a moisturizing and nourishing mask, which should be nice ^.^
Update: I tried out this mask and it's really nice! It smells amazing and the actual fabric of the mask is really soft and thin. It made my skin very plump and moisturized- I highly highly recommend it! 

Here's everything I got laid out!

I'm so so happy with everything ^-^
And now I'll just do a quick summary of Althea itself~

Shipping: ❤❤❤❤❤ (5/5)
Shipping time was amazing for this package! Granted it was their fastest option, but still! In addition to that, everything was nicely packaged, and nothing was damaged during shipping! None of the product boxes were even bent, which I find admirable~
Communication: ❤❤❤❤❤ (5/5)
Althea contacted me first, so I can't really comment on that, but I always received quick replies to my emails! During the week I got replies within 24 hours, but on the weekend I think they probably don't work (just mentioning that so that if you email them on a weekend, you don't get worried if you don't get a response immediately)~ They were very friendly too! 
Selection: ❤❤❤❤❤ (5/5)
I didn't mention this before, but they have a very nice selection of items on Althea! They carry many popular brands such as Etude House, TONYMOLY, Skinfood, and Laneige, but they also have smaller brands as well. I think you should be able to find whatever you're looking for on their site! 
Price: ❤❤❤❤❤ (5/5)
Althea has really nice pricing, and they always have sales! I think they have some of the lowest prices I've seen on a Korean cosmetics retailer, and I'll definitely be purchasing from them in the future! 
Total: ❤❤❤❤❤ (5/5)
I definitely recommend Althea! I had absolutely no complaints~

On the whole I'm really happy with my experience with Althea, and I'm very grateful that they decided to work with me ^^ I highly suggest that you check out their site, and I hope you're able to find something you like! ❤
Thank you for reading! Bye bye~
(And please look forward to reviews of these products in the upcoming weeks!)

Which of these items would you like to see a review on? ♡