Swatches + Review: the Rilakkuma x A'Pieu Collection
When I saw the Rilakkuma x A'Pieu limited edition collection drop at Althea last September, I knew I had to grab a few things before they go out of stock. The price wasn't too bad, plus I've been meaning to try the popular Korean brand A'Pieu anyway! But wait, what on earth is Rilakkuma? He is a famous fictional Japanese character created in 2003. His name means "relaxed bear", and he is usually shown lazing around in bed, slouched on a pillow, or eating snacks with his friends Korilakkuma, a white bear, and Kiiroitori, a yellow canary. He's a pretty chill bear who knows how to have fun!
The collection available on Althea only has the first (facial wash, cushion foundation, and cushion blush) and second (lip tint and eyeshadow palette) editions; the third edition, which adds mascara, nail polish set, and puff set to complete the lineup is not yet out in the store. I have one of each except for the third edition. Here's a quick review and swatches of the products I have!
The A'Pieu Air Fit Cushion XP Set Rilakumma Edition (P720) comes in a cute yellow and white compact with a custom printed applicator. The coverage is light to medium, with a lovely glowy finish that evens out the skin in just a few neat pats. It's very easy to blend and adheres on skin smoothly! It comes in two standard shades, No.21 and No.23.
I got the shade No.23. As is the case with all other cushion compacts in that shade, it's too light on me. I'd say it's ideal for NC30! The swatch on my wrist looks ok but on my face it is obviously not my color. Unlike the other ones though this has a slight greyish cast when applied; fortunately, when set with foundation in a slightly darker shade, it seems to disappear. It also oxidizes a bit so it's not ~white~ on me after a few minutes.
Staying power is decent as long as I blot regularly and retouch whenever needed. Most Korean cushions have this tendency to liquefy on the face later on in the day, for some reason, so it's important to keep them in place. You should be fine though if you will be in indoors all day and have dry to normal skin.
This is currently out of stock at Althea, btw. They might restock soon, as they did the lip tint (more on that later).
The Air Fit Cushion Blusher Rilakkuma Edition (P520) comes in a smaller compact and five lovely shades. The blushes look gorgeous, but I was more curious about the contour color! I got the shade BR01. It's so close to my skin tone that it can be my foundation shade already. Hay Koreans! It's actually about the same consistency and finish as the base, so what I do is I sort of mix them together to take down the lightness of the No.23 shade. I apply the BR01 on the outer part of my face, then fill in with the foundation. It works. I do wish the Koreans would come out with shades for darker skin tones someday.
The A'Pieu For Your Shadow in Good After Brown (P490) is a nice warm neutral palette. It has three mattes for contouring the eyes, and one gold shimmer shadow for that pop of shine on the center or inner corners. Pigmentation is good (just use a base to maximize it) and it goes on the lids smoothly. It's not exactly groundbreaking but it's a pleasant compact palette that should work for light to medium skin tones. If you're morena though, you would want darker shades for better contrast.
The Rilakkuma x A'Pieu Water Light Tint (P390) was actually a follow up order. It was out of stock when I got a box early in September, but after 2-3 weeks, it was available again! I grabbed it for my next order. It's out of stock yet again but it might just be back briefly, so it helps to keep checking the product page every once in a while. ;)
The shade I got is called Deep In Love Rose. It's a shiny red that looks pretty as a full coverage color or as a tint! The Water Tints are a clever mix of oil and water to create a light, hydrating texture that won't dry out the lips. They have a light soapy scent but it's not too unpleasant and it goes away quickly - just an FYI, in case you're sensitive about that. Staying power is average at three hours but it leaves a light stain even after eating or drinking.
Here's a look I did with all the products. ^_^ The base surprisingly works for me as long as I layer it with the contour, and the eyeshadow palette makes a lovely neutral eye.
It's shallow but I feel kilig whenever I use the products. They're just too cute!
Last but not least, I got one skincare product in the Rilakkuma line. The Gonyak Cleansing Foam (P190) is so affordable that it wouldn't hurt me too much if it didn't work out. Luckily, it is nice - it wouldn't rock your socks off, but it is a basic cleanser that foams pleasantly, has a mild soapy scent only, and won't dry out your skin. It is a clear, dense gel and comes in a large 130ml tube. Not bad at all for just P190! There are two other variants, the Mud Cleansing Foam and Milk Cleansing Foam.
Well, that was long! I hope you enjoyed the review, swatches, and the look. <3 Let me know what you think of the collection! They're running out fast so I recommend getting them soon!
Product photography by Samantha Gonzales
