BNTnews | Berries in the Snow

asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series Favorites

14. July 2015

Did you read my previous review about the Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series? I’m talking about my Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series Favorites today, since BNT News was so friendly as to send me another bunch of these mask. This sheet mask series has a very interesting theme, since it contains 7 sheet masks for one week use and each sheet masks is related to the greek gods who are behind the single days of the week.

Forencos is a Korean brand which sells environmental cosmetics since 1988. The brand has quite a range of skincare and makeup products, but in the internationally known Korean online shops they don’t have a lot of products from this brand, which is why it is quite unknown. They have 7 main issues within their brand philosophy: skin rejuvenating, skin refreshing, skin revitalizing, skin relieving, skin regeneration, skin revival and skin resolution. You will find all the 7 sheet mask in my previous review >>here<<, but here is a quick reminder about this sheet mask series: The 7 sheet masks of the Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series each come in a different color and have a different key ingredient. These sheet masks consist of two steps. Each mask has a sachet with a mask base ampoule attached, which contains 2 ml of the ampoule and is used before applying the sheet mask (the only exception is the first sheet mask, where you have to use the ampoule afterwards).

Since the sheet mask try to relate ancient Greek mythology to the single days of the week here is the purpose of all the seven sheet masks in a short summary:

Tuesday: Detox with Hephaestus
The weeks begins on a Tuesday with Hephaestus, god of metallurgy, fire and volcanoes. Jeju’s volcanic ashes eliminate dead skin cells and clean and contract pores.

Wednesday: Moisture with Poseidon
The caviar extracts that Poseidon, god of the sea, gives to your skin has a similar texture with it in terms of amino acids, minerals and vitamins. Moisturizes and increase collagen production.

Thursday: Relax with Dryas
Australian indigenes were already using tea tree leaves to cure infectious diseases. Tea tree oil is amazing at calming and soothing the skin.

Friday: Regenerating Midas
24k pure gold treats wrinkles and helps blood circulation while delivering minerals.

Saturday: Elastic Gaya
Horse oil is similar with human sebum and helps control its secretion. It also contains ceramide for skin regeneration and elasticity.

Sunday: Illuminating Helios
Pearl was loved by Cleopatra for its high mineral and amino acid concentration as well as for the bioactive substances it contains. Its reinforces skin’s immunity and acidity for a bright complexion.

Monday: Selene’s total care Swiftlet’s bird nest contains 2000 times more sialic acid that human saliva and 200 times more than royal jelly for a total turnover: moisture, elasticity, skin tone, it cleans and protects the skin.

After trying the whole Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series for a second time I have made the following conclusions:

1. I do not like the ampoule: The mask base vita ampoule which is attached to each of the sheet masks contains 2 ml and has a very gluey consistency. It warms up the skin and is supposed to improve the effects of the sheet mask. It contains 8% Vitamin C and the key ingredient adenosine as anti-aging ingredient, which is nice, but the consistency of the ampoule is hard to work with. Not only is it gluey while applying, but it doesn’t absorb into the skin either and leaves a sticky film on the skin. I would not advise you to use the whole sachet, which is way to much. Instead, I only use a tiny bit of the ampoule before applying the mask. The skin feels still sticky, but not as bad as with the whole 2 ml.

2. The whole mask series used regulary for a week may show a nice improvement of your skin: Personally, I didn’t see any changes with my skin condition before and after, but I have to add that my skin condition at the moment is good and it is difficult to observe such changes. I can, however, suggest you to take a look at another review from Kim Kine. She is one of my dear blogger friends and she has a awesome and very honest blog and she shows a nice before/after picture of her skin using the Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series.

3. My three favorite sheet masks from the Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series are the ones containing black pearl, swallow’s nest and mayu: as I said before, it is difficult to see any changes of your skin, if your skin is in a good condition already. Also, using all these different sheet masks daily makes it difficult to see what the single sheet masks do for your skin on their own. Another point which makes it hard to select a favorite is the point that all the sheet masks have the same scent and the same fabric. The fabric of these masks is super soft since it contains silk and the sheets are thin and thoroughly soaked with the essence. So, how did I choose these three masks as my favourite masks? All of the masks of the series (apart from the first one, which is a pore minimizing vocanic ash mask) leave the skin hydrated and feel refreshing. My main reason for choosing these three in the end are the key ingredients!

Although I cannot read Korean and I did not find the full ingredients yet, you will find some hints on the backside of each mask from the Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series. In the blue box below the English name of the mask is written that the mask contains 750 mg of swallow’s nest. Swallow’s nest or Swiftlet’s Nest is believed to be very nutritious and is consumed as food. Swiftlet nests contain sialic acid which is supposed to be 200 times more nourishing than royal jelly. The swiftlet nests are made from the saliva of the birds (not from twigs etc!) and therefore are rich in minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium. Its vitamins help to recover tired skin. The proteins in the swiftlet nest extract contain EGF components that are beneficial for the skin, too. At first, this maybe gross to hear, but similar to snail mucin, also bird’s nest extracts contain beneficial ingredients for the skin.

The next ingredient is Black Pearl! Pearl powder has been used in ancient times for facial treatment because it is rich in nutrients. Pearl powder contains many amino acids, minerals (calcium, zinc, magnesium), and proteins and acts as an antioxidant. Moreover, it is said that pearl powder evens out the skin tone and helps to rejuvenate the skin in general. The Forencos Helios Black Pearl Whitening Silk Mask contains 500 mg of pearl powder.

Last, but not least one of the recent Korean trend ingredients: Mayu, Bayhu or Horse Oil! Also here, this ingredient has been used in ancient times but it became popular again recently. Horse oil has been known as home remedy for treating dry and chapped skin for many years. It is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and is close to human sebum in its composition and therefore absorbs fast into the skin, which leads to a more elastic and hydrated skin with an improved barrier. By the way, in order to obtain horse oil no horses have to be killed! It is taken from underneath the mane without harming the animal and refined afterwards. The Forencos Gaia Mayu Elastic Silk Mask contains 50 mg of horse oil.

All in all, I like the Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series! I love the topic and the variety of different key ingredients for each day. The masks have an interesting concept and although I do not like the mask base ampoule I would recommend you to give this series a try. This Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series containing 7 sheet masks retails at the official Forencos page for around 21 US$. As far as I checked it, it wasn’t available at any other of the online stores I normally buy Korean products from.

This product was provided to me by BNTnews for reviewing. Don’t forget to visit the other BNTGirls Doris, Celine, Alene, Kim and Bella and check out their reviews. And visit BNTnews for the latest Korean news and trends:

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.bntnews.co.uk/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

7 Comments

asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: Daeng Gi Meo Ri Ja Dam Hwa The First

10. July 2015

I love the ingredients used in traditional asian medicine, like ginseng or ginger, so when I received Daeng Gi Meo Ri Ja Dam Hwa The First Scalp and Hair Cleansing Treatment with my BNTnews beauty box in June I was very excited to try it. I previously saw an episode of Get it Beauty, where they pointed out the importance of also using scalp treatment along with your regular hair care and though I never heard of that approach before I was willing to give it a try.

The name of the brand and product sound very long and complicated to someone with no Korean language knowledge, but the brand name Daeng Gi Meo Ri can be translated in this way: Daenggi is a traditional Korean ribbon which is tied to the braided hair of unmarried Korean women. Meori means simply hair in Korean. Daeng Gi Meo Ri Ja Dam Hwa The First is a multi-function product that washes scalp and boosts hair’s vitality by using traditional Korean medicine inspired ingredients.

First thing to notice is the beautiful packaging! The cardboard box and the tube containing the treatment shampoo are both very luxuriously ornamented with an oriental flower pattern in red and golden colors. I love the design! The cardboard box also contains a lot of Korean description, so if you speak and read Korean you’ll find a lot of information there (click below to enlarge).

Since the shampoo is oriental medicine-inspired it contains ingredients like white ginseng and ginger and the patented formula containing crinum lily extracts provides tired scalp and hair with energy, strength, and beauty. Moreover, silk extracts from golden cocoons and proteins protect the hair while reinforcing firmness and glow. It also contains a real herb complex made of green tea, camomile, sage, calendula and henna to moisturize the hair deeply. The foam created by the natural surfactant softly helps eliminate wastes on scalp, too, which is why this is not only a shampoo, but a scalp treatment, too. The tube contains 250 ml of the red coloured shampoo-treatment, which has a flowery/herbal scent. It is described as a subtle wild flower fragrance. The Daeng Gi Meo Ri Ja Dam Hwa The First also creates a nice foam while lathering it up in your hair and I really enjoyed the scent while using the shampoo. Unfortunately, it doesn’t provide my hair with enough moisture in order to make it shiny. After only using this shampoo-treatment on its own my hair feels pretty dry and tangled. I tried to keep using it on its own hoping my hair will get used to it, but I discovered that I simply cannot use this product without using a conditioner or deep hair treatment afterwards.

In conclusion I must say that this product doesn’t suit my hair. It makes it too dry and tangled and I have used other products that suit better. I even could not figure out where to buy it online or how much it retails, but according to other hair products from this brand it must be around 20 US$. If you want to try an oriental medicine inspired shampoo that really worked for me check out my review on Damoe Therapy Treatment Shampoo. It really made my hair soft and shiny and I had the feeling my fine hair felt more firm and fuller! Other than that I still prefer using the Shiseido Tsubaki line as my daily hair care.

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

♥ Oh, and if you have time, feel free to join my two giveaways! You can click on the images to be redirected :) ♥

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.bntnews.co.uk/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

4 Comments

asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews review

Review: Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda

9. July 2015

Although I’m doubtful about diet and slimming products I have a curiosity to try them out. Most of you have probably heard of these shaping gels, which heat up once applied and promise to make the skin more elastic. Too Cool For School offers another possibility with the Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda, a foam product using air bubbles to stimulate your skin. Oh, just in case you were wondering about the lack of reviews in the last days: my PC crashed and I have not figured out how to make it work again. I will send in the part which I suspect is damaged and hopefully everything is fine afterwards again…Unfortunately, I had and still have to retake all the images for the upcoming reviews :'(…

The design cosmetic brand Too Cool For School is a Korean brand, known for a unique packaging design. Their products are in the mid-pricey region and slightly more expansive than Etude House for example. The packaging design of the Too Cool For School products is always very creative and unique. I mentioned probably a thousand times how much I love their packaging design, and hands down, the design of the Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda is not only super sexy, but fits perfectly to the advertised purpose of it. As you can see it displays a female body in lingerie and she has a super skinny waist, too :D

Of course, Too Cool For School provides us with a detailed English description as well (you can click to enlarge the image below). The Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda has 4 in 1 functions: tightening, firming, massage and soothing. The sparkling air spray is a combination of carbonated water and gel for a new bubble experience (you remember the carbonated bubble face wash I reviewed some time ago?). Moreover, the product contains patented ingredients that help to construct a body line. You can check the ingredient list on COSDNA, too. You will see a bunch of plant and fruit extracts mentioned. The packaging states that the beauty ingredients used here are “body toning patented ingredient SLIMLITE, Mate Tea Extract“. The Mate extract contains caffeine, which is the key ingredient of almost all body toning products. The patented tightening ingredient used here is called FRUCTAN, which is known to improve the elasticity. All these ingredients should help to improve cellulite and increase the firmness of the skin, but it also states in the description that the reduce of cellulite is a temporary effect and may depend on the individual. They show some reviews on Too Cool For Schools official site and you can also see some before and after images there.

As I said, this product is a sparkling air bubble spray which comes in a spraying pump in the same design as the cardboard packaging. It has a clear cap and a regular foam-spray dispenser, which might be familiar to you if you have used hair foams before.

The bottom of the spraying bottle shows the production date of the product, which has a shelf-life of 12 months after opening. The volume is 150 ml. Before you use the Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda you have to shake it vigorously, otherwise only cold air is released. It says to shake it more than 10 times, spray it on your palms and massage it on the desired areas of your body. Since the foam contained air bubbles you have in total 30 seconds to massage it into your skin before the bubbles have disappeared. You can see in the image below how airy the foam is. It disappears quickly and a thin film of white emulsion remains, which can be massaged until fully absorbed. It also absorbs quickly, but it leaves a bit of a tacky feeling. The air bubble released out of the bottle is very cooling and the carbonated air bubbles tickle the skin, so be prepared for it in case you want to try it yourself. Did I see any changes while using the Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda? Honestly, no! I never had much of cellulite in my youth and even now it is not that bad honestly, but I didn’t feel my skin be firmer either. I loved the cooling properties of the air bubbles though and I can imagine that it has soothing properties and makes the skin feel tighter for the time of the cooling, but it is no long term effect.

I personally would not repurchase the Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda, but if you had good experience with similar products it might be worth a try. The cooling effect is definitively nice for summer time, but in winter I would prefer the heating body gels :D The air bubbles are fun to try and I can imagine that it has some massage effect due to the sparkling bubbles. Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda retails for 17000 won from the official page (~17 US$). You can also receive it from W2Beauty for 24.96 US$. The Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda is also available on testerkorea for 13600 Won (14 US$).

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

♥ Oh, and if you have time, feel free to join my two giveaways! You can click on the images to be redirected :) ♥


		
		
			
			
		
	
		
		
			
			
		
	Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.bntnews.co.uk/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

12 Comments

asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: 3CE Creamy Cheek Stick

24. June 2015

I’m getting more fond of Stylenanda’s 3 Concept Eyes product with every item I try try from this brand! I still don’t understand why the 3CE Water Wrapping Mask was the first item I tried from this brand, making the 3CE Creamy Cheek Stick the second item :D This items was part of BNTnews Beauty Blogger Box for June and provided kindly to me for reviewing purpose. I’m not as much a blush hoarder or addict as I’m with lip products. Nevertheless, I have accumulated quite some different shades and types. Most of them are peach or red toned, but I do not own a pink blush which is as vivid as this cream blush by 3CE. I hope you don’t get bored, since this is my second blush review this week :D

3CE stands for 3 Concept Eyes and was launched in 2009 as a cosmetic brand by Stylenanda. The packaging of the products is similar to MAC cosmetics and mainly black with the triangular logo displayed on the product. Although very simple I think that this kind of packaging looks somehow very trendy. The price of Stylenanda’s 3CE lies in the mid region, but since it is more expensive than Etude House for example, I never ended up buying any 3CE products previously. The 3CE Creamy Cheek Stick comes in the typical black cardboard box with the white lettering and logo. The blush is available in 6 different shades, each of tem has its significant color in the upper part of the cardboard box displayed. The blush I’m showing you here has the shade “Pink Factory”, a lovely soft pink color for a lovely mood!

The sides of the cardboard box show the Korean description. You can find English description for the product on the official site >>here<<.

The 3CE Creamy Cheek Stick is a cream-type stick blush which is supposed to melt onto the skin and give it a long-lasting color. The stick contains 7 g of product. I added the ingredients to COSDNA and you can look them up >>here<<. The blush even contains titanium dioxide for some minimal UV protection. The other ingredients are mostly safe to use and the only red labelled ingredient is the yellow pigment for giving the blush its color. Supposingly, the concentration of the pigments is so low that we can overlook that point.

The design of the stick is the same as the cardboard packaging. The material is plastic and it has a winding mechanism to push up the blush-bullet. The product is sealed, too, so you know if somebody already opened it, or if it is new.

Normally, you use such kind of stick-type products by winding them up a bit, but I was curious how much 7 g looks like and I pushed the bullet out completelly in the image below. You can see that the color is a true pastell pink color. The 3CE Creamy Cheek Blush is described as a product providing real color, bright creamy texture and practical stick-type applicator. It contains “Real fiiting powder” in the formula in order to adhere to the skin in its realest hue. The creamy texture makes it possible for the product to melt into the skin and base makeup without clumping and nevertheless expresses a bright color. And of course the small size of 8 cm and the stick-type applicator is super travel- and handbag-friendly and makes it possible to take it everywere.

Below you can see how the blush looks like when applied. When swatched you can clearly see the bright color. It applies like a matte lipstick from the feeling, so it is creamy, but not oily or overly moisturizing, nor super slippery. The color can be blended easily with the fingers and it doesn’t leave any streaks, but turns into a pretty soft pinkish color. The feeling of it is soft, but not oily or dewy like some cream blushes can be. The finish therefore is neither glowy, nor powdery, but pretty much looks like skin. The pigmentation of the blush is buildable, but always nicely to blend out to create soft borders. It does not clump with my makeup or the cremes I’m using. The staying power is good, too, and although the stick is very handbag-friendly I don’t think that there is much need for a touch-up during the day. The color also looks pink on my cheecks and is nicely visible on my skintone. The bullet has no significant scent by the way.

The 3CE Creamy Cheek Stick is the second item I tried from 3 Concept Eyes and the second one I love aswell. I like the point that it blends in so nicely and can be carried around easily, too. Apart from the high pricetag I don’t see any negative aspects for this blush. The 3CE Creamy Cheek Sticks retail from the official Stylenanda page for 25 US$ or from testerkorea for 22000 Won (22 US$).

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

♥ And remember to take part in my 2nd bloganniversary giveaway! ♥

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.bntnews.co.uk/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

10 Comments

asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Pack and Soap

8. June 2015

// PR SAMPLE / KBEAUTY //

The Too Cool For School products I tried so far were mostly makeup products rather than skincare, but today I have reviewed the Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Pack and Soap for you. This special duo can be bought as a set or each of the two products can be purchased and used on their own. These two products help to improve the elasticity and the moisture of your skin with the nutrients from eggs.

The design cosmetic brand Too Cool For School is a Korean brand, known for a unique packaging design. Their products are in the mid-pricey region and slightly more expansive than Etude House for example. The packaging design of the Too Cool For School products is always very creative and unique. I mentioned probably a thousand times how much I love their packaging design. The Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Pack and Soap are no exception. This special duo comes wrapped up in a plastic bag and contains two pump bottles of 50 ml (Egg Mousse Pack) and 70 ml (Egg Mousse Soap).

The pump bottles are mainly white, but have a cute doodle on the front showing mixing tools you usually use to beat eggs. The difference between the two products and the design of the bottles is obviously the color, which is yellow for the Egg Mousse Pack and blue for the Egg Mousse Soap. The pump is protected by a plastic cap and works like hair mousse products: You shake the bottle vigorously and push the pump. You will directly get a thick, foamy mousse product out of the bottle.

The backside of the Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Pack and Soap bottles contains description in Korean only, but the plastic bag contained a paper sheet with Korean and English description and ingredient list (click the image below to enlarge). The ingredients are also listed on COSDNA and you can look the up >>here<< (Egg Mousse Pack) and >>here<< (Egg Mousse Soap). As the name says the key ingredient of both is egg or better egg yolk extract and albumen (egg white) extract. Albumen and yolk extract have moisturizing and conditioning properties for the skin and it is reported that egg white gives a temporarily relief to pores which leads to the appearance of tightened skin. The Too Cool for School Egg Mousse Pack and Soap contain each 450µg yolk extract and albumen extract, respectively 420 µg. The TCFS Egg Mousse Pack contains safe ingredients, but the Egg Mousse Soap contains two red labelled ingredients unfortunatelly: Triethanolamine and PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate. If you have very sensitive skin you might want to be careful in that case.

The direction for both products is super easy! The Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Pack is a soft whipping cream massage pack. It is supposed to warm up while massaging and be great to use before applying makeup. It brightens and nourishes the skin with help of the egg yolk and albumen. It is advised to use this pack 2-3 times a week, by pumping an appropiate amount of the foam on your dry hands and massage it on your (also dry) face. After that you can rinse off the pack and voilá! The Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Soap on the other hand is a pore washing item. It creates a very dense and tight mousse which can be used for skin cleansing, but also as shaving foam for men. Again you can pump an appropiate amount of the foam on your hands and cleanse your face in the morning and evening. Afterwards rinse it off with water.

Because you get both products as ready-to-go foam out of the bottle the application is very easy and straightforward. Both products are dense and soft foam, but the foam from the TCFS Egg Mousse Soap is stiffer than the one for the Egg Mousse pack. From the description I expected the Too Cool For School Egg Mousse pack to warm up while massaging, but the warming effect is not really as much as I expected. I was focussing very hard to feel it, if you know what I mean :D Nevertheless, the foam is very smooth and nice to apply. It has a fruity scent to it, which I didn’t expect. After washing it off my skin feels definitively tight, but soft. I didn’t see any differences in the size of my pores nevertheless. Although I expected the product to have a tightening effect I also have the feeling that my skin is drier, too, so if you have very dry skin I would not use the TCFS Egg Mousse Pack more than the advised 2-3 times a week.

The Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Soap is a super easy and quickly useable foam cleanser. It has a pH around 6-7 (I’m sorry for those lovers of acid cleansers). In contrast to the Egg Mousse Pack the Egg Mousse Soap doesn’t have that extreme tightening effect but brightens up the complexion after use. The foam is super thick and stiff and it is really nice to work with. Unfortunatelly, the cleanser is not the most powerful one. In the picture below you can see that it doesn’t really clean off the eye crayon, lipstick and bb cream, and also for the eyeliner and mascara I had to wash it very thoroughly. If you are a double cleanser you will probably not mind the weakness of this foam cleanser. I wouldn’t advise you to use this foam cleanser as only step, unless you don’t use makeup/sunscreen. It is a good morning cleanser though, since you usually remove all the makeup in the evening and don’t use sunscreen during nights. Oh, and surprisingly, the TCFS Egg Mousse Soap doesn’t smell fruity, like the Egg Mousse Pack, but it has a soapy scent. It didn’t feel drying on my skin either, but made the skin feel soft instead.

My conclusion for the Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Pack and Soap is a positive one. It has some negative points for sure: The weak cleansing power of the Egg Mousse Soap is definitively a con for this product, but I love the easy application and the feeling of the skin afterwards. The thickness of the foam is also great for those who love rich and dense foams. I also like the idea that it can be used as a shaving cream, so you can share it with your husband/boyfriend…The Egg Mousse Pack definitively gives me the tightening effect it promises, but it may be too drying for dry skintypes. Since it is not a daily pack I can live with that point. I wished the warming effect was more noticeable though. You can get the Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Pack and Soap Special Duo from the official Too Cool For School site. It retails for 18000 Won (18 US$) and contains the Egg Mousse Pack with 50 ml and the Egg Mousse Soap with 70 ml. If you buy the single products you will receive bottles of 100 ml (Egg Mousse Pack) and 150 ml (Egg Mousse Soap) volume, which retail around 12 US$. At W2Beauty the Special Duo retails for 27.85 US$. The large single bottles retail at testerkorea for around 10 US$ each.

This product was provided to me by BNTnews for reviewing. Don’t forget to visit the other BNTGirls Doris, Celine, Alene and Bella and check out their reviews. And visit BNTnews for the latest Korean news and trends:

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

Here is my rating for the Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Pack:

Here is my rating for the Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Soap:

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.bntnews.co.uk/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

9 Comments

asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: It’s Skin Prestige BN Gel Mask EX

7. June 2015

// PR SAMPLE / KBEAUTY //

Another sheet mask review! I hope you’re not getting bored, but here I have another hydrogel sheet mask, the It’s Skin Prestige BN Gel Mask EX. This hydrogel mask contains Bird’s Nest and Gold as key ingredients. If you remember, I talked about Bird’s Nest as ingredient in my SNP Bird’s Nest Aqua Eye Patch review >>here<<.

It’s Skin is a Korean brand made by dermatologists at Seoul University and it was created to recover the natural power of the skin. The brand is not expansive, but on the same level like Etude House. They also have some cute designs for some of their products, so in general it is an interesting brand, especially their Power 10 Formula bottles intrigue me and I heard positive reviews about it. The only other It’s Skin product I tried so far is the It’s Skin Have A Pomegranate Cleansing Foam, which I didn’t like. With the It’s Skin Prestige BN Gel Mask EX I’m giving the brand a new chance :D

The masks come either in single sachets or in a cardboard box with 5 sheet masks, like the 3CE sheet masks I reviewed yesterday. The design of these sheet masks looks super elegant and has a golden color, which also can be referred to the Gold mentioned as one of the key ingredients. The material of the cardboard box and the sachet is a reflective paper, so it was hard to take the pictures to be honest :’D. The pictures almost don’t show that the color is golden. The backside of the cardboard box and of each sachet contains the Korean and English description and a small picture on how to use the sheet mask.

This mask is separated into two sheets, one for the lower part of your face (mouth/chin) and one for the upper part (forehead/butterfly area). Each part of the gel mask is folded into a plastic and a paper sheet, and both parts are covered by another clear plastic (not really environmental, but it makes the separation of the gel sheets easier). The sachets are not dripping with essence and also the sheet mask is not soaky/wet, but typically for a hydrogel mask the material feels cooling and moist. The gel sheet has a fine grid structure which helps to fit the mask and to keep it on the face.

This hydrogel mask is thicker than the Mediheal hydrogel mask I reviewed previously (see review >>here<<). It also has a yellowish, lightly shiny color, which is partially from the gold (at least that is what I’m thinking/hoping). The ingredients were written on the sachets and the cardboard box, too, and I added them to COSDNA, so you can look them up >>here<<. The ingredients are safe to use and surprisingly niacinamide is one of the first ingredients in the list. Also, the sheet mask contains titanium dioxide for UV protection. Sadly, the two key ingredients are among the last ingredients on the list, so their concentration will be quite low. Bird’s nest is supposed to be nourishing for the skin and improve the skin texture and gold is having brightening and revitalizing properties. I definitively can say that this mask feels nice on the skin and fits nicely, too. It brings a glow to the skin and brightens and cools the skin aswell, but I’m sure that these properties are mainly due to the niacinamide in these masks. It doesn’t need much time to absorb fully, and leaves the skin almost not sticky. There is a slight tacky feeling though.

It was nice to try out another hydrogel mask and the It’s Skin Prestige BN Gel Mask EX is definitively not bad compared to all the masks I tried. It gives a nice glow, brightens up the skintone and has a cooling effect, but if you are looking for moisture I would advice you the 3CE Water Wrapping Facial Mask instead. Unfortunatelly, the two key ingredients bird’s mask and gold make this mask expensive. You can find a box of 5 sheet masks at testerkorea for ~23 US$ or at W2Beauty for 39.69 US$, so the prices may vary. I’m happy that I could revise my bad first impression from the brand It’s Skin and I will try out other products in future for sure.

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.bntnews.co.uk/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

6 Comments

asian cosmetics BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: 3CE Water Wrapping Facial Mask

6. June 2015

// PR SAMPLE / KBEAUTY //

Can you believe that the 3CE Water Wrapping Facial Mask is the first product I’m trying from 3CE?! Those who love asian beauty products will have heard of this brand previously. The May beauty box send by BNTnews contained mainly sheet masks and the 3CE Water Wrapping Facial Masks were part of them. Since I’m a dry skintype I’m always happy about moisturizing products, especially about moisturizing sheet masks, and I think I have found a new favourite moisturizing sheet mask here:

3CE stands for 3 Concept Eyes and was launched in 2009 as a cosmetic brand by Stylenanda. The packaging of the products is similar to MAC cosmetics and mainly black with the triangular logo displayed on the product. Although very simple I think that this kind of packaging looks somehow very trendy. The price of Stylenanda’s 3CE lies in the mid region, but since it is more expensive than Etude House for example, I never ended up buying any 3CE products. The 3CE Water Wrapping Facial Mask are available as single sheet masks or in cardboard boxes containing 5 sheet masks.

The cardboard box and the sheet mask sachets have the same design. They are black colored and have the product name written on it. It looks like a sketch or a doodle. Some waterdrops and an inforgraphic on the key ingredient make the packaging look pretty cute, too. The backside of the masks and the cardboard contain the description of the product. The description is written in Korean only on both, but you can find English description on the official Stylenanda page.

The 3CE Water Wrapping Facial Mask is a hydration solution mask, as the name already tells us. It is supposed to deliver the moisture deep into the skin layers in order to prevent dryness. The two key ingredients of this sheet mask are hyaluronic acid and mineral-rich Alaska glacial water, which are perfect for moisturizing dry skin, since both these ingredients have moisturizing properties. Moreover the sheet mask promises to be non-sticky and refreshing and contain a moisture rich essence which has soothing properties. Also the cotton sheet is made from super fine fibers and is supposed to give you a velvety smooth feeling.

When opening the sheet mask the first thing I recognized was the thickness of the cotton sheet. From all the sheet masks I tried this is probably the thickest one. Nevertheless, the cotton sheet mask is soaked in lots of essence. There is also quite a good amount of left-over essence in the sachet to be used on your neck. The essence used in the 3CE Water Wrapping Facial Mask is not that watertype, clear and super runny essence, but a milky essence which reminds me of japanese lotions. It feels more creamy than watery and I really do like that feeling. The sheet mask is so heavily soaked with the essence that it doesn’t dry out quickly either. The cotton sheet mask is super smooth and I can imagine that people with sensitive skin will definitively like the feeling of that mask. I love the feeling it has while on the skin (velvety is definitively the right word to describe it) and I totally agree about the points that the mask claims to do. After using it the skin feels refreshed and moisturized. When the essence is absorbed it doesn’t feel sticky afterwards, which is also a point that I really like about the mask.

The 3CE Water Wrapping Facial Mask fulfills all the claims it has: it is deeply moisturizing, it is not sticky and refreshing, it contains a nice amount of essence and it has the most velvety smooth sheet mask I tried! Regarding all these point I can say that I love this sheet mask and that it has become one of my favourite moisturizing sheet masks! The only downside is, that it is more expansive than other sheet masks, but definitively worth a try! On the official Stylenanda page it retails for 4 US$ each. The box with 5 sheet masks costs 18 US$. You can also get the box from W2Beauty for 24.84 US$.

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.bntnews.co.uk/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

12 Comments

asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program Part 1

5. June 2015

If I’m buying cosmetics I’m usually on the hunt for budget cosmetic finds. I’m not a person longing for luxury cosmetic brands, because in my experience the cheaper ones do a good job, too. When I received the May BNT Beauty Box there was one item which looked like a high-end brand to me from first glance: the Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program. This anti-wrinkle kit is a skincare program designed for 28 days of use in order to boost your skin with Jeju horse oil and EGF for a timeless and younger looking skin. This is probably the most expensive cosmetic product I have tried in my life so far! In this post I will show you the content of this kit and include my first impression. I didn’t use it for the full 28 days yet, so I will be making a second review part for this product, where I will take a closer look at the ingredients and show you some before and after pictures (if there is any difference). First, let’s take a breath and look at this amazing and elegant packaging:

Coréana is quite a well known Korean company with the motto “art through nature”. It has quite a variety of brands, like Senite or Biodefense and many more. Sho is one brand of Coréana using horse oil as key ingredient. Horse oil or “Mayu” has been very popular in Korea in the last months, esecially during winter, because of its deeply moisturizing properties. The Sho EGFactor line combines the horse oil with EGF in order to have even more anti-aging properties. This Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program contains two items: an ampoule and eyecream.

The items are packed in a beautiful box, in golden and brown colors. It is a hologram on the box, so you see if it is an original product or a fake. The logo of Sho shows a horse and reflects the key ingredient. You can flip open the lip and you will find the logo with the horse inside aswell. the inside of the box has a golden color, too.

You can already tell from the packaging that this is a more expensive product. The is even a transparent paper with golden imprints to separate the lid of the box from the products.

Finally, you’ll find the ampoules and the eye creams inside. There are two seringe shaped eyecream containers and 28 small vials with the ampoule. To be honest, I thought there would be one eye creeam container and I was totally surprised to see the two seringes inside the box.

Even for the products the colors are in brown and golden. The eyecreams even have some beautiful golden embroided ornaments and really look pretty.

Ususally, the eyecreams I have used were either packed in a regular tube, or a jar. I have never seen an eyecream packaging like this.

You can twist one end of the seringe to open or close it and by pressing on that end you can push out some eyecream from the tube.

The material is plastic, but it seems good quality plastic, too. If you press down the bottom you’ll get a nice dollop of the eyecream, which is more than enough for the eyes. The eyecream is a creamtype one, which is supposed to treat and brighten the eye area through a soft, easily absorbed texture that suits even sensitive eyes. The eyecream has a light floral scent and absorbs quite quickly. It doesn’t feel greasy or heavy. Each of the eyecream seringes contains 10 ml of eye cream.

The ampoules contain 2 ml and each ampoule is designed for one use. The 2 ml seem small but it is more than enough for the face AND the neck. The ampoule is designed to prevent the skin from dryness while preserving oil-moisture balance. In order to open these small vials you have to push aside the golden cap. I found it quite difficult to open so far, but maybe I’ll get the hang of it :’D

The consitency of the ampoule is not oil-like, but rather like a gel-type emulsion. It has a clear, light golden color. It is a bit sticky and takes quite some time to absorb, but it isn’t greasy at all. The scent is the same floral scent as the eye cream has.

As I said at the beginning: I didn’t use the Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program for many days, so I cannot tell you any details about how effective it is yet. So far I didn’t react negatively and I’m really curious if there is any difference after the 28 days of use :D As for the packaging and the overall design, this kit is definitively eyecandy! I hope this first impression made you curious to read my second part of this review in a couple of weeks. I will include the ingredients and give a final verdict for this product then. What is your first impression on this anti-aging kit? It may be a pretty present for next mother’s day, do you agree?

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.bntnews.co.uk/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

5 Comments

asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series

1. June 2015

As a child I’ve been very curious about ancient cultures, like the egypt, roman or greek. I read so many children’s science books back than and I knew many of the facts by heart. Today, I almost forgot everything, but nevertheless the topic still makes me very curious. I received this Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask series with my BNT News Box a couple of weeks ago and- apart from the fact that I love sheet mask- this mask series made me very excited because it has sheet masks for each day of the week related to the greek gods who are behind them.

Forencos is a Korean brand which sells enviromental cosmetics since 1988. The brand has quite a range of skincare and makeup products, but in the internationally known skorean online shops they don’t have a lot of products from this brand, which is why it is quite unknown. They have 7 main issues within their brand philosophy: skin rejuvenating, skin refreshing, skin revitalising, skin relieving, skin regeneration, skin revival and skin resolution.

The Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series is a sheet mask series containing 7 sheet mask for daily use. Normally, I do not use sheet masks daily, but I heard many (koreans) do that. Honestly, on most of the days I forget or I’m to lazy, tired or busy :D Having a sheet mask series like the Forencos Sele Project Silk Mask Series is great, because each of the sheet masks is themed for a day of the week and each weekday is translated to the ancient greek good for that specific day. This way even a person like me is motivated to keep using the sheet mask on a daily basis.

As you can see from the images, each of the 7 sheet masks comes in a different color and has a different key ingredient. These sheet masks consist of two steps. Each mask has a sachet with a mask base ampoule attached, which contains 2 ml and is used before applying the sheet mask. The week starts with Tuesday, the Forencos Hephaestus Volcanic Ash Detox Silk Mask. Hephaestus was the ancient greek’s god of metallurgy, fire and volcanoes, which make Jeju volcanic ashes the key ingredient of the mask. Volcanic ashes eliminate dead skin cells and clean and contract pores. Wednesday‘s mask is dedicted to Poseidon: The Forencos Poseidon Caviar Moistuire Silk Mask will provide your skin with moisture and increase the collagen production. The key ingredient are caviar extracts which have a similar texture to skin it in terms of amino acids, minerals and vitamins. On Thursday it is the Dryas Tee Tree Relax Silk Mask. Australian indigenes were already using tea tree leaves to cure infectious diseases. Tea tree oil, the key ingredient here, is amazing at calming and soothing the skin.

On Friday you can use the Forencos Midas Gold Regenerating Silk Mask, which treats wrinkles and helps blood circulation while delivering minerals with 24k pure gold. For Saturday the Forencos Gaia Mayu Elastic Silk Mask helps to make the skin more elastic. Mayu, or horse oil, is similar with human sebum and helps control its secretion. It also contains ceramide for skin regeneration and elasticity. Forencos Helios Black Pearl Whitening Silk Mask is dedicted to Sunday. Pearl was even loved by Cleopatra for its high mineral and amino acid concentration as well as for the bioactive substances it contains. It reinforces skin’s immunity and acidity for a bright complexion. Last but not least, the week ends with Forencos Selene Swallaw’s Nest Total Care Silk Mask on Monday. Swiftlet’s bird nest contains 2000 times more sialic acid that human saliva and 200 times more than royal jelly for a total turnover: moisture, elasticity, skin tone, it cleans and protects the skin (if you are interested in other bird’s nest products read my review on SNP Bird’s Nest Aqua Eye Patches >>here<<).

Unfortunatelly, apart from the sheet mask names you’ll not find any other English description here. Everythink is written in Korean, even the ingredients. I would have loved to read more about that specifically, since the advertised key ingredients sound nice. As I said, these masks consists of two steps, a base ampoule and the sheet mask. Each sheet mask sachet shows in an image how to use the ampoule in a first step and add the sheet mask on top. The Hephaestus Volcanic Ash Detox Silk Mask is the only exception as it seems (at least this is what I interpreted from the images). First of all, this mask is the only one which is soaked in a brownish, almost creamtype essence. You have to put on the sheet mask first and wait until it dries off. I waited for almost 1.5 hours, but the mask only dried partially. Nevertheless I took it off and the feeling was a bit like using a peel-off mask. I expected a tighteing effect and it was indead tightening, especially while the mask was drying. Unfortunatelly, I had the feeling that it was too drying on my skin.

I used the ampoule after the mask in this case, hoping that it would somehow moisturize the skin after the tightening mask, but the ampoule is a very sticky, viscous and rich one with a milky color. It feels like putting liquid glue on your face and has an instant warming effect. I think it is designed this way to keep the moisture inside the skin. I don’t know if it was correct to use the ampoule afterwards, since my skin was so dry. MAybe I should have used a moisturing toner before. It even didn’t absorb that way, so I had to wash my face because I could not bear the sticky feeling.

All the other masks of the Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series are liquid essence masks. For the other sheet masks I first used the ampoule and added the sheet mask on top. I had no problem with the other masks and all of them were really refreshing and nicely soaked with the essence. The sheet masks themselves contain silk, as the name suggests. They are thinner than regular cotton sheet mask, but not as thin as some other maks. They didn’t dry out either. The fit of the masks was not perfect for me, but this is something which depends to your face and the shape your face has. The scent of all the masks was the same. It was quite strong and noticeable and had a soap scent. I would have loved if the scents were slightly different from mask to mask, for example that the tee tree mask smells of tee tree oil. Unfortunatelly, because of the really rich and sticky ampoule, the sheet masks leave the skin quite sticky even after they absorbed fully into the skin. But I must say that putting a sheet mask on top of the ampoule still leaves the skin better than using the ampoule on its own.

All together, I like the concept of Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series. It is nice to have a specific mask for each day of the week and the relation to the ancient mythology is a nice idea. I also like the idea of having a boosting ampoule before using the sheet mask. I didn’t like the ampoule in this mask series too much, because of the super sticky consistency. The warming effect it had might be good to open up pores for example, but I cannot imagine that the ingredients of the sheet mask essence can penetrate through this thick and gluey ampoule. My skin felt moisturized afterwards, but I couldn’t see any real differences between the single days although the key ingredients were supposed to be different in each mask. It would be nice to know how the sheet masks perform on their own without the ampoule for example. I hope that I can try these masks again in the future and maybe I can make some more indeep review of specific single masks of this series. This Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series containing 7 sheet masks retaills at the official Forencos page for around 21 US$. As far as I checked it, it wasn’t available at any other of the online stores I normally buy Korean products from.

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.bntnews.co.uk/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

5 Comments

asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: Too Cool For School Art Class by Rodin

5. May 2015

// PR SAMPLE / KBEAUTY / AFFILIATE LINKS //

I saved my favourite item from April’s BNTbox for last, and here it is, the Too Cool For School Art Class by Rodin contouring powder! If you have read my blog previously you will know that I’m a huge fan of the Korean design cosmetic brand Too Cool For School. They have the most creative packaging design and illustrations. When I saw this product I was absolutely in love from the first moment! ♥

Too Cool For School is a Korean brand, known for a unique packaging design. Their products are in the mid-pricey region and slightly more expansive than Etude House for example. The packaging design of the Too Cool For School Art class products is dedicted to the arts. I reviewed one of the art class cream blushes in the past, which came in a tube packaging, similar to the tubes painting colors are packed. Below you can see the georgeous packaging of the cardboard box of the Too Cool For School Art Class by Rodin contouring powder, or in french “créateur du contour”:

This contouring powder helps you to shade and sculpture you face, as if you were August Rodin himself. The french sculptor Rodin was the progenitor of modern sculpture and is the inspiration for this product from Too Cool For School. The powder comes in a usual compact, wrapped by transparent paper and labelled with a “by Rodin” sticker. Too Cool For School makes all efforts to show how much love for the detail they put into their products. ♥

The cardboard box has written Korean and English instructions on the backside, suggesting to either mix the three colors of this contouring powder or use them separately to shade the facial features like nose, cheeks and hairline. The inside of the cardbox reveals the story behind this product labelled “by Rodin”. I especially like the idea of giving some information about the concept of the design of a certain product by hiding them inside the cardboard packaging.

Let’s have a closer look at the contouring compact itself:

The compact has the same design like the cardboard packaging and looks super pretty on its own. The back of the compact displays the shelf-time of the product and the production date.

I was looking for a contouring powder for quite some time, but I had the feeling that the shades were either too dark or only came in one shade alone. This contouring powder contains three different shades, reaching from a light one, to a darker shade. The compact comes with a mirror in the lid which is protected from the fall-off powder by a transparent plastic sheet labelled with the word “artclass”.

The shades fit light to medium skintones and are not too yellow-y, neither too pink, which I like especially. The powder is very light and transparent, especially once blended into the skin. I needed a couple of swatches to make the colors show properly on the back of my hand. In order to have a natural contouring effect it is important to have not too pigmented shades, because it makes it easier to blend in. Also, if you are a contouring newby like me, you can make less mistakes in that way.

When I’m using the Too Cool For School Art Class By Rodin contouring powder I make use of all three shades. I use the darkest shades for accentuating the arch reaching from the beginning of the eyebrow to the bridge of my nose. I mix the darkest and the middle shade for contouring the nose and use the middle shade to blend it into the sides of my nose. I also mix the middle and the darkest shade for drawing a line at my cheekbones. For the hairline and trhe sides of my face and my jawline I mix all three shades and use them there. You can find some nice images on Too Cool For Schools official site were the areas you can use the powder are shown.

I’m totally happy with Too Cool For School Art Class By Rodin and my search for a contouring powder has finally ended! And I’m definitively recommending you this contouring powder, if you are looking for one and the shades in this palette suit your skintone. Too Cool For School Art Class By Rodin retails for 12800 Won at testerkorea, for 13.02 US$ at KoreaDepart, and for 21.01 US$ from W2Beauty.

This product was provided to me by BNTnews for reviewing. Don’t forget to visit the other BNTGirls Doris, Joanne, Alene and Bella and check out their reviews. And visit BNTnews for the latest Korean news and trends:

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

And here is my rating for the Too Cool For School Art Class By Rodin:

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://www.bntnews.co.uk/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

6 Comments

Older Posts

Newer Posts