Korres crisis!

Hello! Ooh I’m getting excited as it is not long till AVCon (Adelaide’s Anime and Videogame Convention)! The opening night is on Friday and it promises to be a fun weekend for people of all ages. This event has grown to become the BIGGEST anime related event in Australia – check out the official site here.

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Well, okay, you can now guess what my experience has been with the Korres products that my Mum had kindly brought back from her Greek travels (first blogged about here)! :-0 Luckily it wasn’t a complete washout so I will start with the product which was a gem!

Before I do that, a little more about Korres (from Kit Cosmetics‘ site – kitcosmetics.com.au):

A Greek company with roots in Athen’s first ever homeopathic pharmacy, this naturally derived range was set up in 1996 by George Korres.

Clinically tested (so no inflated promises), the Korres bath, body and hair range is enriched with active plant extracts with a focus on native Greek flora and fauna. This philosophy is emulated in the unique and naturally derived Korres colour range which offers the benefit of skincare in a makeup range. To ensure ultimate skin compatibility, specific synthetic ingredients have been replaced by skin-friendly ingredients that possess inherent moisturizing and nourishing properties.

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The star of the show – drumroll please! – Korres Lip Butter in Quince

Price:  $18.95 AUD

Where can I get it? In Australia, from Kit Cosmetics in store or online.

Korres describe this product as being “a buttery lip balm that melts on the lips and offers a shiny, tinted finish. The combination of shea butter and rice wax offers a deep hydration and softness. Ideal for chapped lips.”

This lip butter is creamy, leaves a lovely rosy flush on my lips, and has average staying power. It has an amazing scent too (vanilla + fruit – probably quince!). I wouldn’t recommend using it on chapped lips, however, as the bright shade will probably bleed into any cracking or flaking (so go for a clear or very sheer shade in the range if that is an issue for you).

The only beef that I have with the Lip Butter is that it’s in a pot – I prefer lip products in a tube. Less mess and more hygienic!

Tip: apply darker shades such as Quince in front of a mirror. Otherwise, any errors in application will be very noticeable!

Swatches (sorry took these with my mobile phone camera this morning! You can see I’m quite tired in one of the pics! :-0) ~

Beautiful Rating 7/10: quality 4/5, value 3/5 (average for value as it is quite expensive – having said that it’s similar to the RRP for Revlon Lip Butters in Australia!)

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The products which didn’t do much for me were the White Tea Fluid Gel Cleanser and the Yoghurt Moisturising Mask. I’ve grouped these together because I think they were both not good for me due to being designed for much oilier skin. As such, whilst I’ve been told that my skin is combination-oily, I would only recommend these particular products to those with very oily skin. This is confusing, however, as despite my personal observations, Korres indicate the cleanser is for “all skin types” whilst the mask is for “normal to combination skin”! (Huh?!)

L to R: Cleanser and Mask

Price and where can I get them? Mum picked these up for 4€ each (16mL tubes) and I can’t see them for sale on Kit‘s site. You may have to try eBay if in Australia… But somehow I don’t think you’ll want to purchase these!

The Cleanser in the flesh -

My thoughts: I needed about a 10 cent coin (2cm diameter) sized amount to clean my whole face and neck area, which is pretty good! The gel had a lovely fresh scent which was not overpowering and foams easily with water. Unfortunately my cheeks were very dry after using this product and so I won’t be using it again. I don’t understand why it is marketed as a cleanser which “deeply cleanses and refreshes, without dehydrating the skin” as this was not my experience at all.

Beautiful rating 4/10: 2/5 quality, 2/5 value (based on my experience).

The Mask in the flesh -

My thoughts: a 20 cent coin (2.5cm diameter) sized amount was plenty when using this mask, as Korres advise to use a thin layer of the product. It has a sweet and tangy fragrance, just like fresh yoghurt which I liked. It felt cool and refreshing on my skin, but after washing it off (as per directions and waiting for allotted time) my skin was smooth but dry again! Defeats the purpose when it is sold as a “moisturising” product that is meant to provide “long lasting hydration and comfort”.

Beautiful rating 4/10: quality 2/5,  value 2/5 (based on my experience).

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Is it just me or has anyone else had a dodgy (bad) experience with Korres?