On Monday here in Korea, A’PIEU rolled out their second release of the Rilakkuma collection in shops all across the country. I zoned in on it likes bees to a honey pot – if you thought the last release was cute, you’re definitely going to be a fan of this one. In total, five new products have been released, with various packaging styles for some of them. Here’s a quick run-down of each one, and don’t worry – I did actually buy some of the products, so I can give you a real look at them instead of just listing what they’re supposed to do!

Aqua Nature Dew Drop Clouding Cream

The dew drop clouding cream already existed in A’PIEU’s collection, just with different packaging, so you may have tried this product. I hadn’t tried it before, and found it really difficult to get information about online. A’PIEU’s packaging only lists things in Korean or explains things in Korean, but I managed to find that the clouding cream is meant to brighten your complexion, and give you a more even skin tone. It said to use after toner, but many products say that, and I don’t think that’s the right step for me in my routine. I’ll explain why later, as this is one of the products I bought. This product can act like a primer, or make-up base, giving you an all-round even complexion.

Lip and Eye Make-up Remover

Does pretty much what it says on the tin. This make-up remover is water based, so it’s supposed to be better for a more natural, refreshing cleanse, rather than feeling oily and stinging if you do happen to get it in your eye (happens to me all the time).

Triple Correcting Powder

I looked at this powder in store and debated over it – it’s a blend of pink, white, and yellow (which goes really well with the Rilakkuma packaging design, by the way), again designed to even out your skin tone and correct blemishes/dark spots on your skin. It’s priced at 9,000won, and should help your make-up last for longer.

Air Fit Tension Pact

Again, this is an existing product at A’PIEU, except they have released a new shade, lighter than both the 21 and 23 already carried in their range. The cushion is covered in mesh rather than being a typical squashy one, and provides an even finish while being moisturising too. The new shade is called ‘bboyan’, which means immaculate. It’s really light in colour so is ideal for those with a pale complexion. You can also use it to highlight areas on your skin.

They have also released a new design of their cushion compact – so I suppose the products released are technically four in total, with a redesign of one of the existing products.

The new designs are adorable and as this range is inexpensive, I decided to go and buy some despite not really needing anything at all from this release. Need and want are two different things, though, so how could I resist? It’s all for the blog, right? I’m doing it for you guys, honest.

Here are the products I bought:

The Aqua Correcting Cream (brightening/whitening) and Air Fit Tension Compact.

They match, you see! The packaging is really cute and as these products together were only 16,000w (roughly), it was a no-brainer. The packaging is really sweet and I especially love the design for the cushion compact. It’s quite simple but I like the colours and how they run through the whole range with pinks, whites and creams.

The correcting cream retails at 4,800w (€3.85/$4.30/3.25GBP) for the standard, and 6,800w (€5.50/$6.10/4.60GBP) for the brightening. I chose the brightening as I hate the red tones in my skin, and hoped this would help me when priming and prepping my skin before putting make-up on.

The cream is pretty thick, and should be added last in your routine. I found information that says you should use it after toner, but many things say that, and if you have an extensive routine, that’s not a lot of help. You should use this like a primer, and it should be last in your routine. This is also because you won’t be able to add anything on top of it apart from make-up. It’s thick, and quite oily/greasy. It takes a long time to blend into the skin, and while it does make my complexion more even, it takes its time doing so! I like to be able to get things done quickly when it comes to putting my base on, so this is a con for me. If you’re interested, I took a video of me applying the cream just so you can see how long it takes. I didn’t even finish in the video. There were still some patches of it I had to blend in afterwards. I generally apply this five minutes before I do my make-up, so I can be sure I didn’t miss rubbing any in.

However, it acts well as a base and doesn’t cause my make-up to clump or clog, so thus far I haven’t had any problems. My make-up lasts well and longer than it would without a base/primer, so it works in that sense. I would prefer it to be a little less heavy and oily, but for those with very dry skin I think this would be a good product. It provides moisture and doesn’t actually feel heavy when you finish applying it. There is a slight scent to it but only when you virtually stick your nose in it – I have never noticed it during application. It’s slightly sweet-smelling and somewhat floral. I’m not wowed by this product but we all know you’re only buying these things just for the packaging, and anything else is a bonus…so if you look at it from that perspective, it’s alright and I’ll probably just use it until it runs out, and then not repurchase.

The other product I bought was the Air Fit Tension Pact. This is a cushion compact, designed to be your base make-up. It’s different from regular compacts, as instead of being a product-filled cushion, you have the soaked product stored under mesh. This means you don’t have to dab in and out the sponge all the time, and you can see the stage your product is at – do you need to buy more, or not? I have some cushions where I can’t tell how much I have left and often end up pressing into the sponge in a futile attempt to get more, or underestimating and coming up with a soaking cushion puff with dirty sides. I like that you can get a clear circle of product on this by just pressing the cushion in, like so:

There are three colours: 21, 23, and the new ‘immaculate’, which is super light and is a really nice shade. I bought the immaculate, as it’s a very pale product and in my opinion is perfect for highlighting. I normally buy 21, but it can have somewhat of a yellow tinge to it, so I like the colour of the new A’PIEU cushion. It’s great for those with pale skin. As it’s summer, I have more brown in my face, so I won’t use it as a full face compact just yet. I’ve been using it on my forehead in parts and under my eyes as a highlighter when contouring my make-up. It works a treat. I really like the shade, and the style of the compact means i know how much I’m getting and applying each time.

The only minor issue I have with this product is that it has somewhat of a tacky feel to it. It’s a little sticky to apply, especially when dabbing the cushion into the product itself. It feels somewhat heavier than other creams I have, but it does last a while and the coverage is great, so that’s possibly why it’s not so fine and light. It does provide a good base, and is highly moisturising. My skin hasn’t dried out once, and it never clumps together, like some of the BB creams in my other cushion compacts do. It’s only 9,800w (€7.90/$8.80/6.70GBP) so it’s worth the price for a good highlighter or base product. I would even consider repurchasing, because it’s just a nice little pact that you can easily touch up your make-up with throughout the day. I’ve included some swatches below along with application under my eyes, so you can see how I use it as a highlighter combined with Sulwhasoo’s Perfecting Cushion. The first picture of me, on the right, is with no make-up, and the second is with my combination of cushions on. I really like the brightening effect.

Nothing on yet! Under eye coverage

For things which are somewhat of a novelty rather than super effective skincare and make-up products, I’m pleasantly surprised with the collection. It isn’t something that will blow you away, but they’re cute staples to have in your make-up bag and as they’re inexpensive, they’re worth spending a little on, mostly for the packaging! I’d definitely repurchase the Air Fit compact case, but the brightening cream is going on the ‘will not buy again’ list. Now I have the tub, I don’t need to – that’s the packaging I was most drawn to, and it seems like it will be useful for other things or for travelling with creams.

Now go forth and spend wisely! Hopefully A’PIEU give it a rest for a while now, as I have to keep my purse firmly closed for the rest of this month. Two releases is quite enough, thank you!