Mapple's Blog

Innisfree Wine Jelly Sleeping Mask

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:46:00 +0000

Some times ago I was looking for a sleeping mask to complete my night treatment. After gathering information, I decided to take Innisfree Wine Jelly Sleeping Mask. Here is the description:

Enriched with wine extracts from France, wine creates a clear and smooth jelly-like skin by gently lifting away dead skin cells and providing hydrating moisture. This hydrating wine sleeping pack creates a clear and resilient jelly-like skin with its shape-memory barrier.

The texture is like a jelly pudding but it melts at body temperature and absorbs into the skin. It feels fresh and cool and not sticky at all. The smell is sweet and fresh like red wine.

I don’t see much different with my face in the next morning. Even after I use it a lot of time for several months. It does give me a slightly radiant complexion and a slightly moisturized skin but the effect gone when I cleanse off my face in the next day. But it is a suitable for giving a relaxing night due to its wonderful scent.

Before this I also tried a sample of Innisfree Green Tea Pure Sleeping Pack, and just like Wine Jelly, it doesn’t do much except makes my skin a little more hydrates.

My first sleeping mask, Hanbang Boyun from Dodo Club do much better. When I use Hanbang religiously every night, I found my face got a glowing look, moisturized, less oily, and the complexion looks dewy. Too bad it is so difficult to find Hanbang again in Indonesia.

Peel So Good Foam Cleanser (Enzyme Peel)

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:15:00 +0000

My friend told me that she found a new peeling product line from Etude. Therefore both of us ordered the sample just to make a try.
It is Peel so Good Foam Cleanser. It has three variants: Diamond Peel, Enzyme Peel, Natural Peel.

Description
Diamond powder / Enzyme / AHA, BHA formulated facial foam cleanser supplies a through cleansing with a smooth peeling of dead skin cells.

How to use
Apply to wet face and lather. Massage throughly and rinse with warm water.

Strength of Peeling: Natural < Enzyme < Diamond

I chose the Enzyme Peel sample. It comes in blue sachet.

The foam looks like transparent sheer gel that has many tiny beads. The beads is not melting on skin when being rubbed. I really can feel the beads scrub my face. The foam itself doesn’t really foamy. But small amount can handle my whole face.

The result:
It slightly reduces whitehead and makes my skin looks cleaner and smoother. But my skin goes a bit red after use it whereas I apply it lightly!

I wouldn’t buy the full version as it seems a bit harsh for my skin.

Tips:

Though it is foam cleanser but it is not a foam you can use daily. Use it once or twice a week
Always follow up with moisturizer to avoid your skin gets dry after use this

I have tried another peeling product from Etude that also has that "enzyme peel" tagline. One that I used before was the Magic Enzyme Pack Peeling. You can read the review here.

Makeup Remover Tissue: Biore vs Purederm

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:25:00 +0000

I used to get problem whenever I tried to remove my eye makeup, especially mascara. In the evening, I used cleansing milk as a makeup remover before foam cleanser. I found that the cleansing milk really stings my eyes if some of it accidentally enter my eyes. Though I always tried to do it very carefully, my eyes always sting and red. Therefore I decided to buy another makeup remover that is more friendly to my eyes. So when I went to shopping center and found Biore Cleansing Oil Cotton Sheet, I immediately bought it.

It is cotton sheet drenched with cleansing oil to remove makeup. The sheet size is actually quiet small. Only about 10 x 12cm. But it is enough to clean my whole face. Eyeliner pencil can be removed easily. While mascara needs to be swiped for a few times to be removed completely.

The cotton sheet itself is thick enough hence make it easy to be wiped without tearing the sheet. It leaves my skin feels clean and moist. It really helps to easily remove my makeup.

Besides, I also tried Purederm Makeup Remover Cleansing Tissue. Just similar with Biore Cleansing Oil cotton sheet, it is also a makeup remover wipes. The sheet itself is wider but a bit thinner than Biore’s. The cotton fibers are also more fragile.

I can’t really see a difference about the cleansing abilities between Biore and Purederm. Both of them are the same. They remove most of my makeup with one swipe but take a little more effort to get rid whole traces of mascara and eyeliner. Unfortunately I don’t have any waterproof makeup, therefore I can’t see how they works with waterproof makeup.

About the price, Purederm are cheaper than Biore.

Herb Day 365 Peach Cleansing Foam

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:08:00 +0000

Herb Day 365 cleansing foam from The Face Shop is my favorite cleanser. It has some variants: Mung Bean, Peach, Aloe, Spearmint, Lemon, Acerola. I have tried some of them and so far I find they bring a nice result and has a good price too. This time I'm going to review the Peach cleansing foam.

It’s a foaming cleanser. You just drop a pea-sized amount onto wet skin and activate it by rubbing it gently in circular motion. One thing I love with Herb Day cleansing foam series is the very gentle bubble it creates. The foam smells fruity and peachy which is refreshing.

This second-step cleansing removes away surface dirt. If you are using makeup, you should remove it first using first-step cleansing such as cleansing oil/cleansing cream/cleansing milk. Imposing foam cleanser for cleansing makeup will only remove more natural moisture and makes your skin drier.

The peach, compared to the rest variants (in my opinion) has a long lasting clean feel and somehow makes my face clean, looks radiant and feel fresh longer.

Though foaming cleanser usually tends to dry skin, the Herb Day cleansing foam series (imho) is less drying. I say this since it doesn’t leave squeaky-clean feel. When I leave my face without using anything after use this product, I only get a very little tight feeling which is still bearable.

The other nice thing I find is the large amount of herbal ingredient they put into this product. Not only Peach, the other variants of Herb Day cleansing foam also use so many herbal ingredient. No wonder it gives nice result on my face.

If you are looking for affordable and good cleanser, it is worth to try.

Burt’s Bees Radiance Night Cream

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:37:00 +0000

Burt’s Bees is one of my favorite organic brand. This brand is quiet rare in my country. When a friend go abroad I always ask them to buy me some Burt’s Bees products. I’m still searching where I can buy it easily and in a good price.

I have tried its several products and most of them are great. This time I would like to share my experience using the Radiance Night Cream.

It is night cream infused with royal jelly. Works to enhance radiance glow and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The consistency is like 'whipped cream' and smells nice. It is okay for my skin: absorbs well and doesn’t cause breakout. But since the consistency is quiet rich, I’m afraid it would be too heavy for people with oily or sensitive skin.

After using it for several weeks I start see improvement on my skin. My skin looks slightly more radiant, smooth, and glowing. And the best is the fact that it is natural and organic so I shouldn’t be worry to have it on my face every night.

The complete description and ingredient can be seen here

Neutrogena Fine Fairness Toner

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 02:50:00 +0000

Facial toner, is a “must do” part of my daily regime. The latest toner I bought was Neutrogena Fine Fairness Toner. I bought it during my visit to a shop in Batam City. It’s a toner supposed to lighten the complexion. I actually didn’t buy it due to its whitening properties since my face is quiet radiant. I was interested to pick it up from the shelf and bring it home since I was curios while reading that it brings soy as one of its active ingredients.

Before convincing myself to buy, I carefully checked the ingredients list. Well, I’m not an expert with what is safe and what is not for a product, but with all my limitation I tried to skim it to avoid all stuff sounds like alcohol, paraben, or dimethicone. After ensuring myself that everything was okay (beside of the fragrance which is listed in the bottom of the ingredient list), I picked this.

The packaging is okay. It comes in a simple white plastic bottle with screw cap. It is practical to use.

I use it after cleanse my face. Shake well the bottle first, pour out few drops unto cotton pad and then swipe it over my face. It always successfully helps to remove any traces of cleanser, makeup, dirt that were left behind. After using the toner I feel slightly cleaner, smooth, and fresh. And since it is alcohol free, it adds moisture into skin without leaving sticky layer on top of the skin. It leaves skin looks hydrated without shiny look. It also shrinks the appearance of pores.

Cons? Sometimes I get burning sensation (but it is very rare happen) and its whitening effects is not significant. I think we need to use its complete range to achieve optimal whitening result.

Girly - Addictions Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 04:16:00 +0000

Hey, check out giveaway held by Girly - Addictions

LANDBIS Red Dot Ribbon Pencil Eyeliner

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 06:25:00 +0000

This is my 1st time writing about eye makeup. I used to not too care about makeup. My biggest concern is about how to fix up my skin appearance. But lately I start eyeing on new thing: eyeliner! It gives you a more dramatic eye look. Yes I started to think that I need to dress up my eyelid area as well.

So, I started to use my eyeliner which usually abandoned in my beauty shelf. At the first time I felt my face looked like a ghost with those messy lines on my eyelid. But practice indeed makes perfect. After several days practicing I get used to it and able to draw a slightly better line.

So, after preparing myself to use eyeliner, suddenly I got an offering from KKCenterHK to sponsor me a product. They allowed me to pick one product. After pondering a lot, I chose the LANDBIS Red Dot Ribbon Pencil Eyeliner.

Product Description (taken from here)

Great for create softer line( Specially for light make up or daily make up.)

Comfortable to apply and suitable for different kind of skin.

Last all day without any flaking, smudging, smearing or streaking.

Net Weight :1g

Price in KKCenterHK : USD9.03

Pros:

Easy one stroke application
Smooth to apply
Creamy texture
Soft eye pencil
Less smudge
Long lasting

And the best is: it is sooo easy to be removed! I don't need to remove it several times nor rub it hardly

To be honest, this is the best eyeliner I ever use so far (well, I only ever tried Black Bean eyeliner and another eyeliner from local brand). Thank you so much KKCenterHK for giving me such a good eyeliner. It really suits my need!!

Kracie Hadabisei Brightening Facial Mask

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 07:25:00 +0000

Using mask sheet is one of my secret weapons to overcome dry, rough, and dull-looking skin. Several weeks ago I bought Kracie Hadabisei Brightening Facial Mask. I found it accidentally when I was walking around in a supermarket. I bought this at IDR 27K. 1 sheet drenched by 20ml serum.

It says "vit C + Collagen to bright and moisturize skin". It contains:

Vitamin C derivative, to control the melanin occurance which help to prevent the freckles and dark spots to occur.
Fruit Acid (Lemon extract) to soften your skin's keratin.

How to use:

After cleansing and toning your face, take out a sheet mask.
Unfold the mask nicely, and place the sheet gently so it'll cover your entire face.
Leave on for 5-15 minutes or so, and then remove. Press the remaining fluid into skin with your hands. Do not rinse off.

The Essence is not sticky and it’s comfortable to use. It didn’t sting as well. I took off the mask after 15 minutes and my face was dripping wet. I followed up by massaging the essence into skin

Result:
Skin turns firmer, hydrated, and looks instantly more radiant. The essence fluid absorbed properly and leaves less of sticky feel on skin.

Lancome Hydra Zen Neurocalm Extreme Soothing Moisturising Cream Gel

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:25:00 +0000

I used to be fanatic to Korean skin care. But recently I start wanting to know more about western brands. After pondering on some products, I decided to buy the Hydra Zen Neurocalm Extreme Soothing Moisturising Cream Gel from Lancome.

Description (taken from http://www.sasa.com)
Lancôme HYDRA ZEN Extreme Soothing Moisturizing Cream-Gel frees your skin from external aggressor, emotional tension and tiredness by the unique skin-soothing agent, NeuroCalm™ complex. Fused with French Rose, Peony Bark extract, Moringa extracts, deliver a high potency skin-soothing action, unbiding your skin from all kind of stress, calming and replenishes moisture, helps to maintain an optimal barrier function.

Enriched with moisturizing agent and hyaluronic acod, this cream-gel continuously infuses moisuture and recover skin’s suppleness and comfort, render you a naturally soft and luminous complexion.

It is called cream-gel, describes its texture which is creamy but fresh like gel. It leaves long lasting moisture film on top of the skin. The best is, it is moist but not sticky. It's not greasy either. Very comfort to use.

After using it for 3 days suddenly I woke up finding big bumps on my nose. Since I was still confused whether it was caused by my Lancome cream or something else, I decided to keep using it. Several days later I got three other big zits on my cheek. The latest zits pushed me to stop using this product temporarily.

After ignored my Lancome for two days, my face became cleared up. Still didn't want to give up I used it again. This time I applied it less than usual. Actually though I use a little cream, my face wasn't dehydrated in the middle of the day. This cream hydrates pretty well. But, though I tried to use very few of the product, I still found some tiny bumps under my skin. So I stopped it immediately.

Now I left the cream inside my shelf. Only use it sometimes. This product is way too rich for my skin.

Facial Treatment at The Face Shop Part II

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 05:57:00 +0000

Again I got my second facial treatment at The Face Shop. My last facial was about October 2009 which was two years ago. The last experience was quiet good and this time was also nice.

After made an appointment several days before, I came at 2 pm and directly entered the treatment room. After changed my clothes to treatment costume, I laid in the bed. The therapist observe my skin under spotlight before suggested what treatment type suitable me. Since I got many zits around my neck, she suggested me to take Quick and Clean treatment.

At the former facial, the therapist used lip and eye remover but this time the therapist only used cleansing cream and cleansing foam. The foam smelled heavenly refreshing. After that she still applied some other stuffs which I guess was still in part of cleansing and maybe some kind like blackhead oil to soften bleackheads around my skin. Soon afterwards she put vapor mist to give relaxation and opened pores thus would ease blackhead removal process. Though I enjoy the vapor mist moment, I knew that the painful process: blackhead and blemishes removal would come soon.

Now go to the suffer moment (I hate this phase). The therapist put wet cotton pad on my eyes (to hide the bleeding tools from my sight *sigh). And she started the operation. Using blackhead removal tool she squeezed my skin to pop up the ugly blackheads (It's still bearable for me). Sometimes when she got deep embeded acne/blackhead she would use a tool like needle to suck it out (OMG it's damn sick). And sometimes she found heaviest acne/blackhead she would use her hands to squeeze it out ..ooh I'm gonna die.. (>.<). She finished it out within 45 minutes.

After that she cleansed it up and applied electrical tool which provide light electricity to reduce inflammation and kill the bacteria.

Next she applied another electrical tool which felt like a cold ice. I bet it was used to close the pores.

Soon afterwards she put massage cream and started to give me nice facial-neck-shoulder massage (yes I deserved this service after the painful moment). She said that since my face was okay (few acne) she could give me the facial massage. It can't be given if you have inflammed acne since massage it will activate sebum thus cause more acne. Then she followed it up by applying facial mask. At the former facial treatment the therapist gave me green clay mask while this time I got transparent mask which maybe was some kind like seaweed mask. After waited for 45 minutes (yes 45 since she was busy treating another patient), she cleared it up; applied toner, moisturizer, and finished with BB Cream. That's all.

What I like about The Face Shop facial treatment is that I get no reddish or inflamed face after the treatment. Besides, my neck which was full with blemishes now has cure.
What I don't like is the price which is quiet expensive.

Yoko Spa Milk Salt Before/After

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:17:00 +0000

As per Stellalee's request, here I post my before-and-after pictures when I used Yoko Spa Milk Salt. You can see my previous post here. I took pictures of my hand before using the salt, during applying the salt, and after the usage.

Please do not focusing on my skin color which looked more radiant after using the salt. I bet it was the lighting only. I’m not a professional photographer thus I don’t know how to set the lighting.

Gold Kiwi Serum

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 08:15:00 +0000

Here is my experience with tester of Gold Kiwi Serum by The Skin Food. Here is the description (taken from here):

Moisture-rich skin-whitening GoldKiwi Serum restores and renews your skin from deep under, using a substance found in goldkiwis.
[A Secret in GoldKiwi fruits] Do you know that New Zealanders eat goldkiwis without peeling them off not to miss out their nutritional effects? Skinfood has newly discovered a substance found in the goldkiwis's skin, helps restore your sun-damaged skin from deep under.

The texture is milky, watery and lightweight. Leaves no heavy feel. It absorb slowly. I wait for approximately ten seconds before it sink completely in my skin. It leaves matte look, isn't greasy and neither hydrating. It would be okay to be used before you apply makeup because of the non greasy texture. I applied a little too much of it and after 30 minutes it didn’t feel moist anymore.

Actually my trial run was not complete since I didn't have the complete set of Gold Kiwi moisturizer products (Gold Kiwi Emulsion and Cream). I still have faith that Korean products should be used in complete range to get its optimal result. So though I said this serum is not hydrating enough, I might say different comment if I use it combined with the emulsion and the cream as well.

Well that's all. It was just a tester. No long term observation. I was honestly not impressed with the tester.

Burt's Bees Body Wash, Lotion, and Cuticles Cream

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 07:32:00 +0000

I got a set of Burt's Bees when my husband went to Malaysia. It is a gift set wrapped in mini orange box with sweet red ribbon. It contains three items: a mini bottle of soap, a mini bottle of body lotion, and a mini jar of cuticles cream.

The soap named "Citrus and Ginger Root Body Wash". It states as 99.3% natural. What a good stuff! It creates a lot of light lather with energizing scent. I said it is "light lather" which means the lather is not creamy (rich). It lathers very well but feels not creamy enough. It leaves my skin soft and moisturized but the scent which is yummy isn't long lasting. The only thing which is a bit bothering is the screw cap bottle. I have to pour it out and close the cap afterwards which is quiet troublesome. Would prefer to have it in pump bottle.

Now proceed to the story of the lotion: Aloe & Buttermilk Body Lotion. It is not like the other body lotions I have used before. It is milky yet watery. Leaves sticky feeling. I apply it to my skin and wait and wait and wait but the sticky feel doesn't want to go. It feels less comfortable. The moisture is long lasting though the texture isn't heavy. I'm a bit bothered with the scent. It smells like raw aloe. Normally people go out with floral scent or fruity scent comes out of the products they're using. But using this makes me smells like spicy aloe. Overall, although it is a bit inconvenient to use, I think it's okay since the product stick to natural ingredients. Just like my experience: natural d.i.y treatment is often less comfortable to use.

The last one is the Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. The texture is waxy; more similar to balm than a cream yet dilute easily. I massage it to my hand focusing on the nails and it absorbs pretty well. It keeps cuticles moisturized and smells great. I wash my hands pretty often and this stuff makes my hand nourished and moisturized. You have to wait for a while after applying this since it makes your hands kind of greasy.

Cure Natural Aqua Gel

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 01:27:00 +0000

I had tried some peeling gel: Arazyme, SNP, and some other products so that I didn't think I needed to try Cure Natural Aqua Gel though the girls rave it so much. I was thinking it must be similar to the other peeling gel products. Until someday I was planning to order some samples of BRTC blemish balm. The online store which I ordered the BRTC BB was also selling samples of Cure Natural Aqua Gel. So I decided to order it as well remembering that my Arazyme Peeling Gel is almost empty.

For you who doesn't know what peeling gel is, it is a gel which gives your skin an exfoliation to remove the dead skin and dirt. Removing the top layer of your skin is important to keep your complexion clean and smooth. Exfoliation is an important routine for me. I used to exfoliate my skin by peeling or scrubing once or twice a week. By doing this my skin is fairly protected from blackhead. But this product can’t get rid stubborn deeply embeded blackhead. I usually go to facial therapist to help me remove them. To exfoliate my skin, I ever used Skin Food Black Sugar Mask, Arazyme Peeling Gel, Etude Magic Enzyme Pack Peeling, and some other random products that was available in my beauty case.

Now, back to the topic, The Cure Natural Aqua Gel comes in gel texture, but will turn to liquid when it is being rubbed unto the skin. After rubbing it for a few seconds, you will see small white granules comes off from your skin. As the result, skin become smooth and hydrate.

It claims to be: No Fragrance, No Alcohol, No Artificial Preservatives/Coloring

How to User: apply a small amount on desired area after cleansing. Leave it for a few seconds to allow Cure Natural Aqua Gel to react to the skin cells. Avoiding the eye area, gently massage in a circular motion from 30 seconds to 1 minute. The gel will turn into a milky liquid and dead skin particles will be visible. Rinse well with water.

This is actually a good product. When I used arazyme, it felt mild. But it stings if I let it sit on my skin for few minutes before rinsing it, while the Cure Natural Aqua Gel is not. Besides, this product also gives me hydrate and smooth sensation everytime I use it. My skin feels moister than when I use Arazyme.

I’m eager to buy the full size someday! Going to collect my money first. The full size bottle is quiet pricey *sigh

Award from Onik

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:17:00 +0000

Some times ago some blogger gave me awards. But since I somehow feel so lazy to update my blog, I defer to post it until now. Now I want to talk about award that comes from Onik. She is one of my favorite blogger. She writes so many interesting articles about random things such as foods, beauty products, beautiful places, etc. Here are the awards:

The award’s rules are:
1. Thank and link to the person who awarded you
2. Share 7 facts about yourself
3. Pass on the award to 7 new-found blog friends
4. Let your friends know they were awarded!

Since most of my blogger friends have received this award too, so I think I will just stick with seven random facts about me. Here they are:

1. I’m very fond of local natural soaps lately. I’m trying to reduce inserting chemicals to my body. My favorite soap is citronella soap. I will review it someday.

2. My newest hobby is cross stitch. I used to be bored if I have to stay at home alone. But now I sometimes wish to be alone at home so that I can continue my cross stitch project. Here is the latest pattern I am currently working at:

3. My favorite snack is candied mango. It tastes a bit sour and sweet. I actually kind of scared to eat too much sugar, but the candied mango is always tempting to be enjoyed. You know what, my weight gained quickly and I become fatter since I often consume the candied mango. Now I'm trying to avoid eating it. I want to look slimmer :(

4. Currently there are new pet in my house, they are two cute little hamsters. My sister named them as Achan and Puchan. It is nice to play with them. But sometimes I feel sorry since they live in cages and can not live freely in nature.

5. Though I'm Asian, but I have reddish-brown hair color. Many people think that I dye it, but it is truly original color.

6. My favorite game in facebook is Pet Society and I never play other games. I’m a type of person who likes routine activity. Once I enjoy to play a game, I rarely have desire to play the other.

7. My most wanted book for today is Fantastic Cosmetic written by Kim Mi Kyung. I'll buy it immediately after the payday. Here is the book:

Fresh Juice C Emulsion

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 06:23:00 +0000

Hey, I just finished a sachet of The Skinfood Fresh Juice C Emulsion. Besides cleanser, I'm also keen to try various types of moisturizers. That’s why I was so excited when I received this sample.

Description:
This skin-brightening cream contains fruit complex extracts with vitamin C and nano-processed vitamin C derivatives to revitalize skin. It also contains arbutin to keep skin looking radiant and vibrant.

The Fresh Juice C claims to bring brightening effects, hydrates, and moisturizes at the same time. The texture is fresh, lightweight, absorbs promptly, and has mild citrus smell. It left no sticky residue on the skin and it hydrates my skin pretty well. But you know, Korean creates many types of moisturizer that actually meant to be used altogether. So if you intend to obtain a durable moisturizing effect, you should use not only this emulsion, but also combine it with the cream and serum.

Since I have oily combination skin, I sometimes get pimples. But honestly I never used acne medication treatment since none of them is effective for curing my zits. Instead, my zits actually healed if I apply a moisturizer that contains high doses of vitamin C. Therefore I also want to see if this Fresh Juice C emulsion is effective to heal my pimple. Unfortunately it did nothing with my zits. It even didn’t dry up as I expected. BRTC Vitalizer C cream did it even better. The BRTC dries up my zits only in a night. Well, maybe I need more applications before I can see improvement with my zits. But unfortunately the contents of my sachet had been empty.

Platinum Grape Cell Essence and Cream

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 08:01:00 +0000

Few days ago, a friend of my husband went to Korea. And as you can guess, I didn’t waste the opportunity to ask her bought me some beauty haul. I actually gave her some list of stuff to buy, but unfortunately she only managed to buy one: Platinum Grape Cell Essential BB Cream from The Skin Food. And as I often hear that store in Korea love to reward customer with many samples, my haul was also flooded with product samples gift.

my haul with samples gift

Since I bought the Platinum Grape BB Cream, so I decided to try the samples which came from the same range at first. I usually use Egyptian Magic Cream as my night treatment. But last night I decided to leave my EMC for a while and tried essence and cream of Platinum Grape Cell instead.

Skinfood Platinum Grape Cell Toner & Emulsion Mini Gift Set

How I used it:
After used my toner, i waited until it rather dried, then I applied the essence. And after that I waited some minutes more before added a layer of the cream on it.

It felt slightly sticky upon application but then gradually disappear after about 30 minutes later. To be compared to Etude Moistfull cream, these products are less sticky and more comfortable for me.
I did not wake up with severe oily face in the next day. My face felt moist. I only got slight grease excess around my nose.

I also used both of the products as moisturizer before applying the Platinum Grape Cell BB Cream (just want to know how it feels to use products in a same line), and the result is good. There is no excess oil. My skin tone looks natural and quiet stable until I leave my office.
For detail description about the essence you may see here

MISSHA TIME REVOLUTION IMMORTAL YOUTH AMPOULE ESSENCE

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 02:45:00 +0000

Recently I got a sample of MISSHA TIME REVOLUTION IMMORTAL YOUTH AMPOULE ESSENCE. I was absolutely very pleased and impatiently to try it.

Then I searched over the internet to find out what is the function of the product. Then, here is what I got:
High function ampoule essence that takes care of glycation vector that it is a cause of aging
Paraben free, Pigment free, animal nature free, Mineral oil free, Triclosan

The sample itself contains a very tiny bit of the product. But I could use it for 5 times application. Honestly that’s not a proper size for seeing a result objectively. But I’ll try to make my at-a-glance review as objective as possible.

The texture is colorless and liquid. It doesn't make my skin became greasy afterwards. It feels lightweight. After using the product, my skin texture seemed to be improved dramatically. The skin complexion looks cleaner, the pores are tighter, and moist. I can say that it is worth to try.

Yoko Spa Milk Salt

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 02:39:00 +0000

I had been curious about Yoko Spa Milk Salt since long ago. Until last week I went to a shopping center and I found it! It was the first time I found Yoko bath salt being sold in public store. I was a bit surprised knowing there is a distributor in Indonesia (it is used to be sold in online stores only). There were three variants of the product in the store: black, pink, and purple. At that time I picked the pink one.

I had no experience with bath salt. I usually did extra treatment for my skin with body scrub. So using salt for body was a new thing for me. The bath salt is pinkish and smells like strawberry milk. I wondered whether it would also taste like strawberry milk. Then on my second usage, I accidentally swallowed it, and it was salty!

So here was what I did: I rub it on my wet skin, left it about three minutes, rinse it off and continued with body wash.

There are a lot of girls say that the product works wonder to smooth skin, but I found it not very well acted. It stung and left red rash on my skin.

Besides, there’s also a little hassle about the zip-locker packaging. Once I pour the salt onto my hand, the rest of the salt grains stuck on the sidelines of the zip locker. It makes the container can’t be closed again. I think the zip-locker packaging design is useless.

Finally I read a review from Onik who also use Yoko Bath Salt. Then I asked her if I did it wrong. Onik told me that I should apply it instead of rub it and leave it for three minutes before rinsing. She warned me not to scrub since it will sting. So I immediately practiced as she taught that afternoon, and the result is good! Though I didn’t rub it as when I’m wearing scrub, it did make my skin become smooth and moist. Besides, the moist feel is long lasting, longer than if I use my body scrubs.

All in all, I like this bath salt and I will repurchase it. I’ll buy the black one next time.

Note: I found an article tells that bath salts is bad for people with high blood pressure. If you aim to use it and you have hypertension, you better consult with your doctor first.

Royal Jelly Yellow Soil Mask Washable

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 09:07:00 +0000

It is a wash-off type mask from Beauty Credit, one of the souvenirs I got from Batam. I've been using this product for more than two months, once or twice a week as a part of my beauty regime.

The texture of the mask is yellowish brown, clay-like, and it is slippery. It smells so strong like oil paint. I think the formula of the product was not mixed well. The dense material of the mask separated from the oil. Sometimes there are some oils dripping from tube when I try to squeeze the product onto my palm.

Product Detail
A washable mask with extracts of royal jelly and yellow soil to thoroughly cleanse and remove makeup and dirt. Rich mineral yellow soil and highly nutritious royal jelly controls sebum to maintain a balance of natural oils and healthy skin. Use for all skin types.

How to Use
Apply mask and wash with lukewarm water after it dries completely. The mask will dries and tighten your face after 10 – 20 minutes. The instruction on the packaging says that after rinse the mask with water, we may continue with foam cleansing or skin shower. I did it once and you know what, it made my skin become so dry. Therefore I prefer wash my face first, masking, and then rinse it off with water only without any soap or face wash. After wearing the mask, you shouldn’t wash your face again otherwise your face might gets very dry.

It is easy to remove the mask. I just wipe my face while rinsing it off with water, and my face is clean. After that, I tone my face and put moisturizer and it’s all done.

Result
Improve skin texture
Helps to control sebum

The only annoying thing is that it often leaves some soil-like residue on my hair strands. Those residues make the hair strands feel rough to touch. It feels like I don’t wash my hair properly after playing mud.

Isoflavon Essential Cotton Mask

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:50:00 +0000

Today is the schedule of my peeling treatment. I usually use arazyme facial gel twice a week followed with mask treatment. Two weeks ago my friend went to Batam and bought me some stuff from Beauty Credit. One of the haul is Isoflavon Essential Cotton Mask. It is sheet-type mask: a piece of tissue drenched with nutritious liquid. We put it on cleansed face and let it sits for about 15 minutes before remove it away.

Benefit of the product (taken from http://www.beautycredit.com.sg)
- Isoflavones, a type of antioxidant polyphenol found in beans
- Reduces free radicals, slows skin degeneration and aging
- Has cancer-preventative properties
- 100% cotton hypoallergenic mask

The sheet size is rather too wide for my face but it could be customized easily by folding down the corners. The most troublesome thing I always hate with mask-sheet is the messy essence overflow everywhere. I put the remaining liquid into legs, arms, neck, and even I share it to my parents.

Once I put it on my face, I can smell an alcohol-like scent. I was actually interested with the "isoflavon" term, the ingredient key that I bet supposed to be inside the product. But the alcohol-like smelling is somehow makes me a bit worry.

Using this mask instantly leaves my face seems firmer, moist, and healthily glow. Are you interested with this mask? There are a lot of mask-sheet products in the market, and I have tried quiet many of them. When I use a mask sheet (in various brands), I often feel it doesn't give special result. But I can say that this Isoflavon mask does give an instant visibly result.

Red Wine Pore Control Moist Cream

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 03:36:00 +0000

After spending my The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture cream, I buy another product to replace it. I asked my friend who was going to Batam to buy me Red Wine Pore Control Moist Cream there. There is a counter of Beauty Credit in Nagoya Hill shopping center, Batam city.

The product is stored in 50ml sized jar. The container cap is very attractive. There is lovely rocking horse craving on it. The cute packaging of Korean beauty products is one of their strategies which have successfully attracted girls’ attention.

rocking horse on the cap

Here is the product description:
A Basic skincare line with red wine extract that contains polyphenol and tannin for elastic and resilient pores.
Intense water with red wine extracts that contain an abundant amount of Polyphenol and Tanning that tightens and refreshes skin for softer and smoother texture.

Directions: After washing face, take needed amount and apply on face along skin texture with light tapping motion.

The texture of the product is like water jelly cream: leaving cool sensation on skin. It does leave a bit of residue but it does not bother me. Once I applied the cream, I usually blot the residue before continue using next products. That is effective way to prevent my face become greasy afterwards.

see its texture

The scent is very nice. Smells like fresh sweet grape. My husband immediately said that he like the smell when I applied this cream on his face.

I tried using this cream before bed as night cream. Then I wake up the next morning with moist skin though I stay all night in air-conditioned room.

About the pore treatment function, after using this product, my skin pores do look tighter thus provides me better complexion appearance. But I think it is a temporary result only since there is no product can instantly shrink your pores forever in one time application.

Now I’m waiting for my Red Wine Pore Control Emulsion which I ordered from a spree few weeks ago. I used to use more than one product just to moisturize my skin. Therefore I decided to buy the emulsion as well. Going to review that later.

Elianto Miracle Multiplex BB Cream

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 04:12:00 +0000

When he traveled to Malaysia, my husband grabbed Elianto Miracle Multiplex BB Cream for me. The front label of the packaging states its function: SPF 25 PA+, Moisturizing, Oil Control, and Brightening. It is available in 3 shades (my husband can’t remember the name of each shade) and he picked me the shades #02 (Natural).

Elianto BB Cream and Burt's Bees Gift Package (souvenir from Malaysia)

It has watery texture. So watery until it spilled out everywhere when I put it on the mattress with unclosed cap. Whereas I didn’t squeeze the tube. The good side is that it is lightweight thus gives me no heavy makeup feel.

The scent is a bit strong. It smells like lavender. But it is not a big problem for me.

The concealing effect is sheer to medium. It fails to cover heavy spot. I doubling up the layer to get better covering. But it does helps to even out the skin tone and give nice glow.

The thing I like most about this product is its natural shade. Other BB creams I tried before always give me unnatural skin tone. The shade#02 of Elianto is the most suited to me. Even if I use it double layer, I never get that “too white” look. It blends with skin tone after a couple of minutes. Even when I’m sweating, color of the BB cream does not comes off and still blends properly with my skin.

Royal Jelly Yellow Soil Foam Cleansing

noreply@blogger.com (mapple) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 03:15:00 +0000

I was so glad to receive a surprise from my husband who just traveled to Batam. He brought me some stuff from Beauty Credit. What a coincidence! At that moment I was indeed really curious about the brand. My first haul from Beauty Credit was Co-Enzyme Q10 Wrinkle Essence which I got by joining a spree. The essence was quiet good. That’s why I wanted to get my hands on more of its products to give it a try.

My husband was in mall when he saw a cosmetic counter named Beauty Credit. Since he really knew that I liked all of Korean products, he entered the store and finally ended up buying me three things: two pieces of Royal Jelly Yellow Soil Foam Cleansing and one Royal Jelly Yellow Soil Mask Washable. There was a promo program of buy two get three items. That’s why I get two tubes of foam cleansing.

This time I want to review the cleansing foam first. Please take a look.

Royal Jelly Yellow Soil Foam Cleansing
This foam cleansing with nutrition-rich royal jelly and yellow soil that is rich in minerals and effectively controls sebum of the skin, cleans out skin residue by covering the skin with its soft, creamy bubbles.

How to use: Apply appropriate amount and foam at the hands, and massage over the face. Rinse with tepid water. I usually squeeze about 1 cm into my palm and it is more than enough to clean my face

The texture is soft with mild pleasant fragrance which is similar to honey royal jelly. The color is light brown. I guess the color comes from the yellow soil. I tried sample of Green Tea Yellow Soil before and it also has that “soil” yellow texture. It produces lot of creamy lather when being mixed with water.

It leaves my skin feels slightly dry but the skin tone looks radiant, clean and fresh. Don’t forget to apply moisturizer afterwards to replace the moisture lost. Besides, it also helps to control sebum. My face stays oil free longer. The area around my nose is slightly oily but is in control than usual.

My overall rating for this product is 3.8 out of 5 stars