Etude House O2 White Mask Pack Review

I've been feeling a little uninspired lately, so I figured it was time to get back to some fun, inexpensive Asian products for a nice change of pace.

Etude House's O2 White Mask ($14.99) is a skin whitening and revitalizing wash-off mask that contains an oxygen complex meant to give your complexion a whitened, brightened appearance.


The O2 White Mask has a fresh fruity/floral scent and a fun jelly-like consistency that's cooling to the skin upon initial application. I do experience some tingling when this touches my rather sensitive skin so I wouldn't recommend this for those of you who are really sensitive and prone to irritation, but apply the mask, wait 2-3 minutes and rinse off (you'll see a tiny bit of foaming as you wash this off) and you'll immediately notice smoother, brighter, happier looking skin.


Etude House's O2 White Mask makes a fabulous inexpensive midweek pick-me-up and is something I like to slather on as I'm sitting in front of the television (like tonight) not doing much of anything at all. It takes zero effort and provides immediate results - can't really ask for much more than that!

This product was a gift from my aunt in Korea - the last time I visited her she saw that I was interested in Etude House and she actually remembered - very sweet of her! She's also a typical Korean woman, meaning she's on a neverending quest for that perfect milky white complexion, which explains her choice of product for me =P.

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Etude House Peach Skin Pact Review & Swatches

Etude House Peach Skin Pact in #1 Peach Bloom

Baked compact supplies light skin coverage with minute, pearl powder particles for long lasting complexion flawlessness.

Etude House's Peach Skin Pact was released a few seasons back along with the Pore Erasing Peach Base (review HERE), and like the Peach Base, has that same heavenly peach scent that I utterly adore. Come to think of it, most of the Asian products that I own smell pretty amazing--case in point, Jill Stuart's products. Yumminess in gorgeous packaging!


The powder itself applies like rather nicely--it's smooth and silky and contains brightening pearl powders to give your complexion a nice brightened look. The trouble for me comes a few hours later. My oily complexion doesn't take too well to this powder, and while I'm oily around mid-day like I usually am, the real issue is that it just doesn't look so good once the oilies set in. My face ends up looking a little splotchy as this wears down unevenly and people ask me if I've been crying.


I know there are a lot of people who simply adore this powder, and if your skin tends to be on the less oily/dryer side, I can definitely see how it might be pretty amazing, but for me it's just average.


Still it's a really nice powder for a really low price. This was actually a gift from my cousin so I can't remember the exact price, but I believe that it was around $15 or so, and while I'm not in love with it, I do quite enjoy owning it.

Photo of bare skin.

Photo of skin with Peach Pact.

RATING: 3/5

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Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint Review & Swatches

Etude House Fresh Cherry Tints in #1 Red and #2 Pink
(6,000 won each = approximately $4.75)

Tint promotes moist & shiny cherry lips with a creamy, smooth texture.

[Directions] Use tip to father and apply tint. Apply extra layer for added coverage.

Etude House's Fresh Cherry Lip Tints are easily my favorite purchase from Korea--and probably amongst my cheapest too! While I am enjoying playing around with the Asia-exclusive high end products that I picked up (check out my Korea haul HERE), there's just something so satisfying about finding a cheap product that's absolutely amazing and cute to boot.

Etude House has consistently impressed me with its low-priced, high-quality products; most recently I've been loving the Plumping Lip Tint (review HERE) and Speedy Total Mineral Base (which I picked up during my Korea trip as well--mini review HERE).

I tend to be very picky when it comes to lip tints/stains, and with good reason. I love a good, long-lasting lip stain in theory, but they never work out too well for me in practice. Maybe I don't keep my lips as well moisturized as I should, maybe they're just not as smooth as they should be, or maybe I just have weird lips--regardless, stains always give me a dark ring of color on the inner portion of my lower lips that's far from attractive.

Close-up of Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint in #2 Pink on the applicator.
Milky creamy goodness!

My first shopping day in Korea I picked up a lip stain that ended up being a bit of a disaster, so of course I hesitated over these, but I just couldn't resist the star-embellished plump little bottles.

What Makes These So Great? Well unlike most tints that I've seen, the Fresh Cherry Tints are very milky and creamy, rather than runny and watery, giving you a lot more control when it comes to application and making them a lot easier to work with. There's no funky taste (just a very light, yummy cherry flavor from the sweet cherry fruit extract) and no Kool-Aid mouth - just beautifully stained lips that last and last. I didn't expect great lasting power from this stain given its milky quality, but believe me once it's on it isn't going anywhere!

The #2 Pink is reminiscent of Benefit's Posietint (but a million times cheaper), and while I tend to veer away from reds, the #1 Red is just perfect. The stains left behind are bright and clear, like the skin of a perfectly ripe cherry, and your lips are left looking lush and moist, a difficult feat for most stains which leave my lips looking rather dry.

Swatches of #2 Pink and #1 Red

Not So Much: Well, as is the case with all stains, if you use your fingers to apply this, things can get a wee bit messy. But on the bright side, it's actually the easiest-to-use stain that I've tried, and therefore the least messy as well. And of course there's the fact that it's hard to find outside of Korea, at least for a decent price.

So in the swatch above you'll see what I mean about staying power. The two 'stains' you see in the bottom half of the photo are the swatches from the photo above. I dabbed it on, quickly took a photo then went to blend, but the color had already absorbed into my skin, staining it, and pretty much refused to budge or blend and an inch. Above the colors you can see what the Tints look like when blended right away ~ a gorgeous sheer wash of color that looks amazing on both lips and cheeks.

Lip Swatch of Fresh Cherry Tint in #1 Red

Have I mentioned that I love these tints? Sooooo so so so so so so much! To the point where I'm feeling the need to ferret away random tubes of Fresh Cherry Lip Tint in every available nook and cranny of my room on the off-chance that I might lose one of my two precious tubes. I say we petition Etude House and demand that they open a US location for the sake of my sanity :).

RATING: 5/5

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Etude House Plumping Lip Tint Review & Swatches

Etude House Plumping Lip Tint in #1 Red
(6,500 won = approximately $5.25)

Colorful lip plumping tint supplies smooth moisture.

Directions: Twist to dispense. Use silicone tip to apply to lips. Apply extra layer for added volume.

I almost didn't purchase Etude House's Plumping Lip Tint while I was in Korea, but like so many times in life, managed to be talked into by the perky and oh-so-helpful salesgirl (she was really sweet! she followed me around the store fanning me because I was overheated) and it would've been a serious tragedy if I hadn't, as it's quickly become my favorite everyday gloss!

The main reason that I purchased this was for the packaging--the fat, stout tube of gloss just seemed so fun and different, and I adored the silicone-tipped applicator. Unlike other silicone/spatula-type applicators that I've tried, this one has the perfect amount of flexibility and give, making for perfect gloss application every time.

Top view of silicone spatula applicator.

The Applicator: I've raved about the benefits of a silicone-spatula applicator on the blog before, but I'm again to start again! A spatula applicator allows you to have much more control over the amount of gloss you pick up and apply initially to your slips, makes for smoother application as you just slick it on and there's no fuzziness to absorb the gloss (meaning the gloss actually ends up on your lips), makes for even application, and ensures that you don't end up with waaay too much gloss on your mouth making for unattractive goopiness.

Side view of the silicone applicator.

The Gloss: The gloss itself is also pretty rave-worthy in my opinion. It's a light, not-too-thin yet not-too-sticky gel type gloss that has a pleasant bubblegum minty hybrid scent and flavor and imparts a refreshing cooling sensation to the lips when applied (with no stinging I promise!). I usually hate reds, but the shade is bright, clear, and simply beautiful--it makes my lips look lightly tinted (like I'm wearing a great lip stain with some clear gloss on top), and while there isn't any major plumping action, my lips do look a bit fuller and poutier post-application.

Lip Swatches:

My sole regret is that I only purchased one of these fabulous little glosses, which are a serious bargain at $5 and change. If I were back in Korea, I think I'd stockpile at least 5 of these in both shades (I think it also comes in pink), as I know this gloss would keep my lips pouty, moisturized, refreshingly cool and beautifully tinted throughout the sweltering summer months.

RATING: 5/5

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Etude House Speedy Total Mineral Base Review

Unfortunately there are no swatches or product shots of this one, since I had a few samples of Etude House's Speedy Total Mineral Base from back when my cousin was kind of enough to buy me their Pore Erasing Peach Base which are now long gone. But I still felt the need to review it as I've been thinking about it often lately and it really was great stuff!

What it does: Etude House's Speedy Total Mineral Base is basically supposed to be your sun protection, primer, concealer, and foundation all in one handy little product. It's made with deep sea water complexes and mineral powder and contains SPF 41, making it an all-around great product. The texture was light and easily blendable and didn't have that greasy sunblock feel that I dislike so much, and provided enough coverage (similar to a light foundation or a tinted moisturizer) that I didn't feel the need to wear foundation.

The bad: It doesn't really do much in the way of oil-absorbing, and so I needed to set this with a loose powder, but other than that the Speedy Total Mineral Base was pretty great. It's cheap (in Korea), effective, and easily portable. But for those of you who aren't the wide-ranging shades of super pale or pale (LOL), this probably won't work for you since it only comes in two shades.

But of course the tragedy is that this isn't available in the US and my only route is to purchase through ebay, where it's ridiculously marked up *sigh*. I guess I can live without it, but I want it! I may just need to wait until my next Korea trip though since I can't even remember what shade I was in this, not that there's all that much guessing involved with the two shades it comes in.
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Etude House Pore Erasing Peach Base: Review and Swatches (you know you've been waiting for this!)

Etude House Pore Erasing Peach Base in Peach (left) and Mint (right), plus an Etude House nail polish and lots of other samples!


Aren't the boxes darling? They got a little crushed on the trip here from Korea but I still love them!

I first got to try Etude House's Pore Erasing Peach Base thanks to Taryn who was generous enough to send me a few samples--I'd been whining about not having access to this for AGES!!

Etude House is readily available in Korea, but unfortunately for those of us in the US, the only place I've found it is on ebay, and for an exorbitant mark-up! I love my cosmetics, but not enough to pay triple or more for them. So when my cousin told me she'd be visiting from Korea, of course I asked her to bring me two of these-one in each shade =D

Etude House Pore Erasing Peach Base in Peach


Etude House Pore Erasing Peach Base in Mint

I'd have to say the best part of Etude House's Pore Erasing Peach Base (next to its absolutely heavenly scent) is the price--11,000 won, which is approximately $10. Where can you get a great jar of great primer for $10?!

The Pore Erasing Base has a thick putty-like consistency, meaning it's not something you can just scoop out of the jar with your fingers--you really do need to use the included spoon. The package recommends that you warm a small amount on the back of your hand before applying, and I've found that this is the best way to create a smooth and even canvas. Once warmed it applies like a charm, since it has the siliconey consistency that I love in primers.

Like I mentioned before, the scent is absolutely heavenly-like a scrumptious peach! I know that cosmetics are supposed to make us look prettier, but for me they're an all-around sensory experience!

The included spoon and enough Pore Erasing Base (in Mint) to cover my entire face (actually a little too much!).


Warming it on the back of my hand. In case you're curious, the Mint isn't any better for concealing redness than the Peach is, so if you don't have it you're not missing out on anything!

Now onto the actual "pore erasing" aspect of it. The base is great if you've got small to medium-ish pores--it'll glide right over them, creating a seamless smooth surface. BUT if you also happen to have some monster pores like I do, this base sinks right into those suckers, which really isn't the most attractive look! But I can't really say that that's a flaw of this base alone, since all primers do that to my larger pores =X

Two additional caveats I have are (1) that you need to blend really well, and (2) if you have dry skin, this will probably emphasize your dryer patches. The first few times I used this I made the mistake of not ensuring that it was completely blended in, and it left streaky white marks that were pretty difficult to rub off once dry.

Also, unless you happen to go for the pasty look, I wouldn't wear this on its own since both the Peach and the Mint shades lend your face a white-ish cast that isn't all that natural. However, because they are a bit opaque, they'll help to conceal any redness you may have, which is always great for those with rosy cheeks like me!

Overall this is a great primer for a bargain price, and with cute packaging to boot! I've never been entirely satisfied with any primer I've tried, and Etude House's is no exception but I'd say this is amongst the best, and definitely the cheapest by far! If you have access to this, I'd highly recommend checking it out for yourself.


Related Posts:
I haven't had the chance to review many primers on this blog, but check out a review of one that I love (but can't quite afford) here.

I love Korean cosmetics, and one of my current favorite brands is Clio-see my review of their blush here, and their eyeshadow palette here.

Have you heard of Laneige? It's another great Korean line of cosmetics--see my review of their Ideal Glossy Rouge here.

See what other amazing goodies Taryn sent me here.

Majolica Majorca makes some great products for even greater prices-see two of my favorites here and here.

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