review | Berries in the Snow

Review: Catrice Bold Softness Collection

2. March 2016

Spring season is the time for light and colorful makeup and the new Catrice Bold Softness Collection brings exactly these attributes to us. I received some products from this limited edition for reviewing purpose, and moreover few products from the new regular launches from Catrice. Here is my impression:

‘Pastel Passion. Spring 2016 welcomes a mixture of voluminous lightness and greyish pastels. High-tech materials such as light neoprene are combined with summery fabrics. Loose cuts with partially androgynous shapes take over from the styles of the winter season and offer inspiration with their soft, chalky colour worlds. The Limited Edition “Bold Softness” by CATRICE is also heading into the spring season with soft sorbet nuances in March 2016. Subtle colour graduation in mint and mauve create feminine make-up looks and offer an exciting contrast to the popular genderless-trend. Soft Spring – by CATRICE.’

That said, the description brings me into a spring mood already! Catrice is a drugstore beauty brand available in many countries. Their products are inspired by the Fashion trends of the world’s capitals and have a good quality despite the affordable price. The brand is against animal testing for their cosmetics products, too. The spring collection they release this month is called Bold Softness and consists of 5 different products, all in soft pastel shades, which fit perfectly to the season. The Catrice Bold Softness Collection consists of Duo Eye Shadows, Voluminous Lip Colours, a Colour Correcting Powder, Satin Matt Nail Lacquers, and a Perfume Stick. Below are the four products I received from this collection:

Catrice Bold Softness Duo Eye Shadow ‘VoluMINTous’

‘Wash-off Pastels. Three powder eye shadows present three different colour duos. Each with one lighter and one darker nuance, they conjure-up contrasting shades and effects on the eyelids. Available in a choice of mint, rosé pink and mauve, these eye shadows offer a convincing high pay-off and create soft, feminine eye make-up styles.’

I received the Duo Eye Shadow in the shade ‘VoluMINTous’ and as the name says this is a mint colored powder eye shadow. It comes in a lighter shade in the middle of the pan and an outer ring of a darker mint color around. The eye shadow contains 2 g. The colors are easy to apply and have a good pigmentation, even when applied with fingers. They do not create much fall-off either. There is a light pearly/shimmery effects, but without containing visible shimmer particles. Usually I’m more into the brown or mauve shades and if I would have selected any of the three available colors, it would have been ‘Mauve Medley’. The third shade is called ‘Soft PINKmentation’. Nevertheless, I’m curious to try out the mint color and I think it will be a good choice once we have some more sunshine and the temperatures are rising.

Catrice Bold Softness Voluminous Lip Colour NeopRED

‘Break in Style. An elegant contrast to the delicate pastel shades in this edition: the two Voluminous Lip Colours – available in a soft pink or an intensive red – ensure medium coverage and a shiny finish for a conscious touch of colour on the lips. The creamy texture feels wonderfully soft and pleasant.’

The Catrice Bold Softness Voluminous Lip Colour is available in two shades, called ‘NeopRED’ and ‘Bold Pinkmentation’. I received the red shade and I’m more than happy, since it is such a lovely shade! The lipstick applies very creamy and lightly pigmented and therefore can be applied in a natural tone, but adding more layers darkens the shade and makes it more visible. It is a red/mauve shade which is neither too bright, nor to nude- perfect for every day use.

The lipstick has a glossy finish as you can see below on my lips. I applied more than one layer and I’m totally in love with this color. It is not long-lasting since it is sheer, but fades naturally, It doesn’t dry the lips because of the creamy texture.

Catrice Bold Softness Satin Matt Nail Lacquer ‘Bold PINKmentation’

Smooth Neoprene. Four nail polishes in the colours of the season – mint, mauve and soft as well as bold pink. The formula of the Satin Matt Nail Lacquers stands out for professional coverage, long durability and unique neoprene effects. All polishes have a fashionable semi-matt finish. In addition, the mint and soft pink versions have a light shimmer.

There are four shades of the Satin Matt Nail Lacquer called VoluMINTous, Mauve Medley, Soft PINKmentation, Bold PINKmentation. I received Bold PINKmentation, a bright pink shade. The nail polish bottle contains 10 ml and comes with a think applicator brush.

The nail polish has a thick consistency and therefore it is quite hard to apply, especially if you want a seamless layer. It has a semi-matte finish and dries quickly. Since it is fast drying it makes it even more difficult to apply easily, unless you work quickly. I used two coats below, which are enough to create an opaque layer. The color is very pretty and is perfect for people who love pink shades.

Catrice Bold Softness Perfume Stick ‘Walk On Air’

Scented & Solid. A stick with the benefits of a perfume. The pleasant, fresh and tangy fragrance invites you to head into the spring season. Thanks to the practical pen-shape and the solid texture, the Perfume Stick is an ideal alternative to perfume to carry around in a handbag as it won’t leak and can be applied anytime and any place.

The second product from the Catrice Bold Softness Collection which I really love. This perfume stick is so easy to use and perfect for on the way. It has a sweet, flowery scent. The bullet of the pen melts slightly when it gets into contact with the skin and lives the light scent. I wished all perfumes would make such a perfume stick pen. I’d love to have my favourite scents with me all time :D

In addition to the new spring limited edition Catrice also has some new additions to their regular collection. I received the Catrice Lash Boost Lash Growth Overnight Serum, Eye Brow Stylist, and Volumizing Lip Booster from their new releases.

Catrice Lash Boost Lash Growth Overnight Serum

‘The transparent serum contains active ingredients that encourage long-term lash growth. The confirmed test results: 18% lash growth after just four weeks of daily application*. Wow! Apply the serum with the fine brush applicator onto the lid like an eyeliner and let it work overnight. For fabulous XXL lashes during sleep. *Effectiveness test with 20 women for 1 month’

I never tried any Lash Growth Serum so I’m really curious whether this will work. You have to apply this transparent serum on the lash line for one month. 18 % lash growth is not really much though, so it will be a minimal effect probably. It comes with a fine brush, similar to liquid eyeliner and can be applied easily by using it.

Catrice Eye Brow Stylist ‘Date With Ash-ton’ and ‘Don’t Let Me Brow’n’

‘Spot on: center stage for the eye brows – the Eye Brow Stylist comes in a practical pen-shape and convinces with its simple yet accurate application. It creates perfect eye brows thanks to the professional brush, which helps to apply the powdery texture on the eyebrows for a natural finish. Never go without again!’

These two eye brow pencils out of three available shades come with spoolie brush on one end and a pencil side on the other. The pencils have to be sharpened using a sharpener, which is not included.

The texture of the pencil is solid and you are able to draw fine lines with it. Also, the pigmentation is powdery and soft and the color looks natural. I think the two shades look really similar, although ‘Date With Ash-ton’ (left swatch below) is supposed to be the lighter shade. It goes towards a reddish-brown, whereas ‘Don’t Let Me Brown’n’ is more towards a brown-gray shade. Both colors go well with dark brows.

Catrice Volumizing Lip Booster ‘Volume To Go’

‘The Volumizing Lip Booster gives your lips a wonderful volume effect thanks to its menthol ingredients and also hides fine lines on your lips. The results: feminine lips with a shiny rosé finish. With jojoba and almond oil.’

Is a light pink – almost clear– lip gloss, which makes the lips look pumper. It contains jojoba and almond oil to smoothen the lips and make them hydrated. The menthol ingredient makes the lips tingle slightly and acts cooling, which produces the volume effect and makes the lines and dryness disappear. The lip booster comes with an angled applicator.

All in all there are some product with I really like. My favourite products from the Catrice Bold Softness Collection are the Catrice Bold Softness Voluminous Lip Colour in NeopRED and the Perfume Stick. And I also do like the Catrice Eye Brow Stylist Pencils. If you have a local drugstore carrying Catrice products you might want to check them out. The products are really affordable and usually only cost a few euros. Did you try any products from the ones above? Do you know Catrice? And if yes, do you have a favourite product?

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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.catrice.eu/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample review Wishtrend

Review: Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream

27. February 2016

When I tried out the first product from the brand Klairs I would have never thought of that it becomes one of my favorite skincare brands. I’ve tried so many of their products and there wasn’t a single one which I despised. Now, I was able to try their newest product, the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream which will be launching on 10th of March. Another exciting news for you: Wishtrend is still looking for 20 beauty testers for the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream. Click >>here<< to see how to apply. Recruiting period will be until 1st of March!

Klairs is a Korean brand sold on Wishtrend. It is eco-friendly, claiming to produce products which are animal-testing-free, alcohol-free, paraben-free, and artificial-color-free. Their products adress people with sensitive skin and people who want to moisturize their skin. I reviewed some of their products before, like the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum or the Klairs Gentle Black Cleansing Combo, which both convinced me in their effects. I also did like the Klairs Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner, which by the way has been updated and improved recently to a larger volume and more moisturizing ingredients. The new Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream was designed for those people loving the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing line, but still had concerns about irritated skin. Here is the explanation by Klairs:

“The KLAIRS’ Rich Moist Soothing line is loved for its excellent calming & moisturizing effects by many consumers. We believe the primary reason for the popularity of the Soothing line was due to the high satisfaction most of our customers felt from the powerful moisturizing effect. However, we wanted to design the optimal product for the few customers who were still experiencing irritations from external stimuli with additional skin concerns. After a long-term of researching with the R&D team, the KLAIRS’s Midnight Blue Calming Cream was created to go that extra mile.”

So the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream is a comforting moisture cream that provides the skin with intense, soothing hydration. It is designed for targeting the irritated areas of the face and therefore is mainly used for smaller areas, but can be spread easily and also used on the full face. The cream comes in the typical Klairs design with simple packaging and vintage-esque appearance. The cardboard box has the English and the Korean description available and you can check the full ingredients >>here<<. The cream is formulated using guaiazulene combined with Centella asiatica extract and various peptides to recover damaged skin cells from stress and stimulation.

Guaiazulene: Guaiazulene is a herbal ingredient extracted from Chamomille. Due to its natural purple color the cream appears blue. It has soothing and cooling properties on inflammation and damaged skin and also affects skin regeneration. It is often used as ingredient for burn ointments.

Centella Asiatica Extract : This extract has healing properties and helps regenerating damaged skin and preventing scars. It is anti-inflammatory and has skin conditioning properties.

Other ingredients as Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide 3, Butyrospermum, Parkii (Shea Butter), Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil have moisturizing properties. Also, you will spot soybean ferment extract in the list. Unfortunately, the cream also contains Triethanol amine and a few potential irritants, so be sure to check whether you are allergic to any of the ingredients. The cream also contains three different peptides: SH-Polypeptide-1, SH-Polypeptide-9, and SH-Polypeptide-11. I talked about peptides in my review for the Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack.

The directions for use are to apply a small amount on the affected area in the morning and evening after using toner and serum as last step of the skincare routine. Wait until it absorbs fully, so your makeup will not pile up. The cream is a blue cream, as described above and it has the classic facial cream consistency, except for the color. The Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream comes with a spoon/ spatula and you can take out the cream out of the jar without using your fingers. The blue color is gorgeous, but even more amazing is the herbal scent the cream has. It is not a bitter herbal-flowery scent, which I do not like, but it has the scent of fresh herbs from a meadow with wild flowers growing all over….that’s my imagination at least :D It does contain Ylang Ylang and Eucalyptus, too…and a Camomile of course. I love the scent! The cream is easy to spread and also doesn’t take to long to absorb. It dries off matte and doesn’t leave any greasy residues. It is not a deep moisturizer, but it doesn’t claim to be one, so if you have dry skin you can or should still keep using a moisturizer with this cream. I’m still not sure if it is best to apply the midnight blue cream before the moisturizer or after. I tried both, but I didn’t feel any differences between the two ways. I personally think it makes more sense to apply the calming cream first onto the desired areas and add a moisturizer on top. What are your suggestions?

Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream Vs. Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream

The first question I had in mind was how the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream compares to the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream? I used up my first jar of the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream super quickly, because I liked the texture and it was nicely spreadable onto the skin. I’ve started a second ja recently. The most obvious difference between the two cream is the color, which is resulting in the different key ingredients. The Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream has Glycerine and Hyaluronic Acid as main moisturizing ingredients, but also contains a lot of plant extracts. Moreover it contains yeast derived Beta-Glucan for soothing and also Ceramide 3. Unlike the Midnight Blue Cream it doesn’t come with a spatula. The spreadability of both creams is similar, but the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream absorbs few seconds more quickly than the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream. Unfortunately, I do not have any meassures to compare the amount of moisture each of these creams is providing, but once absorbed both creams are not greasy but dry off matte. I think that the two creams make a good duo for using on the skin on almost all skintypes (of course given the fact that your skin doesn’t have any allergies to any of the ingredients).

I propapbly do not have to repeat myself and tell you how much I like the brand Klairs. Having tried almost all their products I can say that I like both the Klairs creams and I think that the new Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream is a great addition to the rich moist soothing line. I can recommend you to try the cream! Grab your chances and be one of the 20 testers for this cream or wait until it launches on March 10th. The cream retails for 24.50 US$ and has a volume of the jar is 30 ml. The cream is available at Wishtrend and you will find all the information about this new product >>here<<. Ah, and by the way, you can look up my other reviews on Klairs products >>here<<. Would you like to try this cream?

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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.wishtrend.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: Recipe Slowganic Cleanser Lemon

25. February 2016

I’m usually not picky about my cleansers and I love trying new ones…and to admit I have a bunch of unopened cleansers flying around, which are waiting to be tested. One of these cleansers I started using recently is the Recipe Slowganic Cleanser Lemon.

Recipe by Nature is a Korean brand which was introduced to me for the first time by MeMeBox and I’ve tried a Recipe by Nature Spray Essence Water previously. I really love the packaging design of their products. It is not cute, but clean and still modern with a vintage-esque vibe to it. The Recipe Slowganic Cleanser is a pH balanced cleanser made from 98% natural ingredients and is available in three different types: lemon, green tea and adlay.

Recipe Slowganic Cleanser Lemon comes in a pretty cardboard box with an illustration of the actual product jar. A lemon is displayed to show which of the three cleansers you have here. The description on the cardboard box is only in Korean, and also the official product page only has Korean description. You will find some English description on MeMeBox though. The ingredients are also listed on COSDNA and you can check them >>here<<. Most ingredients are green labelled and you will find many plant extracts in the ingredients list, but also discover that there are quite some potential irritants and three red-labelled ingredients. The red-labelled ingredients are Triethanol Amine, Methylisothiazolinone, and Benzyl Alcohol. The irritants are mostly the oils used for cleansing. If you have oily skin I can recommend you to use a second cleanser afterwards.

The product contains these plant derived oils: olive oil, jojoba seed oil, camellia oil, macadamia oil, marjoram oil, evening primrose oil, lime oil, lemon peel oil, basil oil, borage seed oil, brazil nut oil, sweet almond oil, argan nut oil, ylang ylang flower oil, sunflower oil, and wild geranium oil…quite a list!

When you open up the cardboard box you will see a large plastic spatula on top of the cleanser, which comes in a jar. I love the preserving jar style of the cleanser. It makes me feel like the product is hand-made. You can open the jar by removing one of the metal clips. Between the lid and the product you will find a plastic sheet.

Removing the sheet reveals a fluffy, white colored cream. It has a mousse-y and bouncy texture and has a fresh citrus scent. Using the included spatula you can take out an appropriate amount from the cleanser and apply it on the dry skin. By massaging the spongy cleanser it will take off the makeup and can be washed off with water. The cleanser has a pH between 4-5. I made a test using different makeup product on my arm and using the cleanser. I think it cleanses off nicely the BB cream and makes the skin feel very fresh and clean. It is not as effective with color makeup. Maybe I have to massage it for a longer time.

Despite the lack of power for color makeup I still think that the Recipe Slowganic Cleanser Lemon is a good cleanser and especially, it does not feel drying on the skin. It has a good pH between 4-5 and leaves the skin clean and refreshed. I really like to use it as first-step cleanser using a second foam cleanser afterwards. It doesn’t leave any oily residue, and sometimes I only use it on its own as well. I’d like to try the other two types of this cleanser, especially the green tea version. The Recipe Slowganic Cleanser retails for 18000 Won on the official site and contains 100g. You will find it for 20 US$ on MeMeBox, on testerkorea for ~18 US$, and for around 19 US$ on ebay. What is your favorite cleanser? Did you try any products from Recipe by Nature?

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asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: Beyond Alice in Glow Oil Tints

24. February 2016

I’m really late for this review, since the Beyond x Alice in Wonderland Collection launched half a year ago! Nevertheless. since the Beyond Alice in Glow Oil Tints are amongst my favorite lip tint I still wanted to share my opinion with you. I also discovered that Beyond will launch a new Cushion with the Alice in Wonderland theme soon ♥

Beyond is a Korean natural cosmetic brand and part of LG Household & Health Care. It is dedicated to sustainable beauty and had been against animal testing since its foundation. They have an official site which is available in Korean and English. The Beyond eco philosophy states:

‘Beyond believes that you are part of nature and can become more beautiful. The solution and wisdom of beauty lies in nature. With this belief, we respect “Eco Values” throughout the entire process of everything we do from ingredients, production, distribution and disposal. Our research into Eco Values, which we consider part of our know-how, enhances the value of true beauty.’

Their products have minimal chemical colors and fragrances, their packaging is recyclable and has minimum waste. Their products are also free from parabens and dermatologically tested. I tried few products of this brand before, but I never disliked their products. They have a super cute selection of sheet masks, too, which I can really recommend.

The reason to buy the Beyond Alice in Glow Oil Tints is obviously the packaging design and the Disney Alice in Wonderland theme. I knew I had to get my hands on at least something from this collection, and since I loved the Tonymoly Shaking Tint Delight Oil Tint it was time for me to try more tints of this kind. There are five different shades available for the Beyond Alice in Glow Oil Tints and I selected two of them: No. 03, a pink red shade, and 04 a cherry red shade. The packaging design is dedicated to the Guardians of the Queen of Hearts and comes with a beautifully illustrated cardboard box. The same illustration of the guardians is found on the tint bottles, each containing 4.5 g.

The formulation is a oil based tint, but in contrast to the Tonymoly Shaking Tint Delight you do not need to mix it before applying. It is a bit thicker than the Oil Tint of Tonymoly, reminding me of the texture of a gloss, without being as sticky as one. The Beyond Alice in Glow Oil Tints contain Royal Black Tea for moisturizing and giving elasticity to the lips, apart from the oils in the tint. You will also smell a nice black tea scent mixed with a fruity hint if you use the lip tint. This is also one of my favorite aspects, because I love the scent!

The applicator is a doe-foot applicator with a hole in the middle. It does a good job in applying the tint. The tint itself feels very smooth on the lips. Since it is oil based you will feel how it smoothens the lips and moisturizes them. The lips don’t feel dry, even when the gloss dries off. In the swatches on my hand the shades look identical and at first I had to check the labels twice in order to be sure if they are different or not, but on my lips I see that No. 4 is more pigmented and has a hint of purple. It is not much visible on the pictures though. I also feel that the tint intensifies if you reapply the tint after a couple of hours. The stain itself lasts quite some time and wears of in a way that it looks still natural and that you can reapply without any problems of clumping etc. Both tints have a very natural stain, despite the light stain they give and they are perfectly useable for every day.

Although I was initially disappointed that the two shades I picked look very similar and that the pigmentation is quite natural I love the texture of the Beyond Alice in Glow Oil Tints and I use them surprisingly often. The stains also disappear very naturally, which makes it convenient for every day use and if you do not have the time or patience to touch up your lips every few hours. I love the scent, too, and I probably do not have to tell you how much I love the design. I’m very happy about these two precious tints in my collection. They retail for 10000 Won and you can find them on ebay or amazon for ~14 US$. Did ou try any of the products from the Beyond x Alice in Wonderland collaboration? Do you have any favorites?

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beauty review

Review: L’Oréal Indefectible Matt Lippen-Puder-Stifte

23. February 2016

// BEAUTY / MAKE-UP //

Today's post will be about a new lipstick from L'Oréal Paris called Infallible Matte Lip Pens, which is not yet available worldwide. Therefore I decided to write the post in German. But if you want to know any details, please feel free to ask in the comments below. I'll be happy to answer your questions :)

Vor einigen Tagen erreichte mich ein Paket von L’Oréal Paris mit einem Set der neuen L’Oréal Indefectible Matt Lippen-Puder-Stifte, die ich bei einem Gewinnspiel auf Instagram glücklicherweise gewonnen hatte. Ich bin immer noch sehr froh und aufgeregt, dass ich so die Möglichkeit bekommen habe gleich 4 Farben der neuen Lippenstift Reihe zu testen.

Wie ihr bereits an dem Namen erkennen könnt, handelt es sich hier nicht um gewöhnlichen Lippenstift oder Gloss, sondern um einen Lippen-Puder-Stift. In der Beschreibung von L’Oréal findet ihr folgendes:

“Der INDEFECTIBLE MATT wurde von L’ORÉAL MAKE-UP DESIGNER PARiS kreiert, um auch die Lippen modellieren zu können – für einzigartige Looks und Effekte. Unsere Innovation INDEFECTIBLE MATT vereint getönte Puderpigmente, Polymere, samtige Mikrokugeln und einen Schwamm-Designer-Applikator für präzise modellierte Lippen, absolut wischfest und nicht austrocknend.

Ein getöntes Puder von intensiver, aber unaufdringlicher Farbe. Der innovative Schwamm-Designer-Applikator bietet neue Wege zum Auftragen von Lippenfarbe – für präzise definierte Lippen und lang anhaltende Farbe. Matt, mit 8-Stunden-Halt für alle vier Lippenfarben. Der Indefectible Matt ist unser erster Lippen-Puder-Stift, für einzigartige Looks & einzigartige Effekte.”

Insgesamt sind bisher fünf Farben der L’Oréal Indefectible Matt Lippen-Puder-Stifte erhältlich von denen ich vier Farben hier vorstelle: 001 Silencio, 002 Virgin, 003 Ooops I Pink It again und 007 Say My Name. Von der Optik her sind die Stifte auch sehr elegant aufgemacht, typisch für L’Oréal Produkte. Jeder Stift hat eine Kappe in der entsprechenden Farbe der Lippen-Puders.

Mit den L’Oréal Indefectible Matt Lippen-Puder-Stifte können verschiedene Effekte auf den Lippen gezaubert werden, sei es ein Gradient-Look (auch Kissed-Off-Look genannt), Ombre-Look oder einfach ein vollständiger Auftrag und somit ein Matt-Look. Auf der Rückseite der Geschenkbox sieht man auch alle drei Beispiele als Schema aufgezeichnet.

Von der Größe her sind die Lippen-Puder-Stifte in etwas doppelt so lang wie ein regulärer Lippenstift. Sie enthalten 1.06 g Produkt, welches anders als bei Lippenstiften im Deckel des Behälters zu finden ist. Das Konzept erinnert mich an einen Japanischen Highlighter von Relevance, den ich einmal getestet habe. Das Prinzip ist folgendermaßen: im Deckel befindet sich ein gepresstes, cremiges Puder. Der Stift selbst besteht aus einem Schwämmchenapllikator. In dem der Deckel durch drehen verschlossen wird gibt er das Puder auf das Schwämmchen ab und kann aufgetragen werden. Wenn man mehr Produkt braucht dreht man das Schwämmchen wieder in den Deckel und erhält wieder neues Lippen-Puder .

Die Farben sind wie zu erwarten matt und und lassen sich einfach und auftragen. Die Textur fühlt sich samtig-pudrig an und die Farben wirken sehr weich. 001 ist die hellste Farbe, ein leichter rosa Ton. 002 und 004 sind Pinktöne, wobei 004 ein kräftigeres Pink darstellt. 007 ist ein klassischer Rotton.

001 Silencio entspricht fast meiner natürlichen Lippenfarbe. Man sieht kaum einen Unterschied, wenn er aufgetragen wird, außer dass die pudrige Textur dazu neigt trockene Lippen und Hautschüppchen zu betonen. Das Problem haben helle Lippenstiftfarben im allgemeinen, wie ich finde. Die Textur fühlt sich auf den Lippen an, wie wenn man Puder auf die Lippen gibt. Ein weiches Tragegefühl, was sehr angenehm ist, und keinen speziellen Geschmack hat, wenn man mit den Lippen darüber fährt. 002 Virgin ist auf den Lippen besser zu erkennen als der Nude-Ton 001. Es ist ein leichtes Pink, welches trotzdem sehr natürlich wirkt. 004 Ooops I Pink It Again is ein kräftiger Pink-Ton, der sehr schön auf den Lippen wirkt. Der Rotton 007 Say My Name ist der kräftigste Ton unter den vier Nuancen. 004 und 007 lassen die trockenen Lippen nicht so auffallen wie die beiden helleren Farben. Die L’Oréal Indefectible Matt Lippen-Puder-Stifte sind weder austrocknend, aber auch nicht besonders pflegend. Laut Beschreibung sind die Lippen-Puder wischfest, was ich allerdings nicht feststellen konnte, allerdings hält der Stain der beiden dunkleren Farben 004 und 007 relativ lange an, auch wenn sie kein fettiges Essen überstehen.

Tragegefühl und Wirkung der L’Oréal Indefectible Matt Lippen-Puder-Stifte gefallen mir sehr gut. Die beiden dunkleren Nuancen 004 Ooops I Pink It Again und 007 Say My Name sind meine beiden Favoriten. Wenn man gerne auch Gradient Lips trägt sind die Schwämmchenapplikatoren sehr praktisch, können aber auch unhygienisch sein. Nach einer Weile sollte man das Schwämmchen jedenfalls säubern. Ob und in wie fern das möglich ist habe ich noch nicht ausgetestet. Wer allerdings nach einem pflegenden und langanhaltenden Lippenprodukt sucht ist hier wohl möglich nicht an der richtigen Adresse. Die L’Oréal Indefectible Matt Lippen-Puder-Stifte sind für je ~13.00 € in den Drogerien oder Amazon erhältlich. Was haltet ihr von den neuen Lippen-Puder-Stiften? Welche Farbe ist euer Favorit?

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample review TesterKorea

Review: Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack | TesterKorea

18. February 2016

Now, this is not a newly launched product like the two previous reviews, but a product with a good reputation in Korea: The Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack, a multifunctional product for exfoliation, brightening and lifting on the same time. As I announced via Instagram I’m honoured to be part of TesterKorea’s Real Tester, who offered me this product for reviewing purpose, amongst two other products, the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel and the Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream.

First, some information about TesterKorea: if you know me and my blog for some time you will know that TesterKorea is my favorite online retailer for larger Kbeauty hauls. I’ve purchased products from them many times and they never failed me. Also, they are quite popular for offering many free samples and having a LARGE variety of samples for sale aswell. If you do not know a specific products and you want to test it first the place to recommend is TesterKorea. Also, they have a huge amount of different products from many brands, so you can be sure to find what you are looking for in most cases. Unlike other online retailers they do not offer free shipping, though, but their shipping is based on weight. The cheap prices of the products themselves totally balances the shipping costs in my eyes – especially for larger hauls. They even have a specific topic where you can request a product, if it is newly launched. They are also quite fast in listing the latest products from most brands. Considering the fact that I know they are a reliable retailer and have a good reputation makes me even more happy that I’m part of the 17 members of their 1st Real Tester round-up

The Korean brand Proformula was new to me up to now. The name is made up by the two terms “Skin Professional” and “Formulation”. Proformula has a 3-Step System. The first step is to examine the active ingredients, the second step is the dermatological test, and the third step is to provide an optimized solution for the skincare concerns. Proformula doesn’t have many products, but all I saw on the official page were skincare products. The packaging design is simple black and white with no frills or pretty illustrations, simply text. This can be professional looking and attract customers this way. The Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack comes together with a brush for applying the mask. Both come in a cardboard box containing mostly Korean, but also some English description.

The cardboard box states that the product is free from parabens, synthetic fragrances and dyes, minerals, benzophenones, silicones, propylene glycol, triethanolamine and SLES. If we look at the full ingredients list we see that there are no harmfull ingredients included. According to COSDNA almost all ingredients are green flagged. Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack contains 7 % of AHA and is a mild chemical exfoliation. The AHA used is Lactic Acid:

Lactic Acid: Lactic Acid is an AHA (Alpha hydroxyl acid). It is derived from sour milk that hydrates the skin by sloughing off old dead skin cells. It has whitening properties and is an astringent.

Also, a couple of plant extracts and fruit extracts have skin conditioning properties and help the exfoliation and make the skin feel smooth. Another two key ingredients are Niacinamide and Adenosine:

Niacinamide: Niacinamide is a water-soluble form of Vitamin B, which has a firming effect with anti-inflammatory properties.

Adenosine: Adenosine is known for having anti-aging properties and providing for healthy skin and elasticity.

Hyaluronic Acid and Aloe Leaf Juice provide the skin with moisture. Furthermore you will find a couple of other moisturizing chemicals in the ingredients lists.

Some words about Peptides in Cosmetics:

Also, according to the description the formulation uses peptides for elasticity and a lifting effect. The three peptides used are Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8. I know that many of you do not know what peptides do and if they can do anything at all when applied topically on the skin. Peptides are chains of amino acids. Usually, the name of the peptide tells us how many amino acids are part of the peptide. A tetrapeptide is made from 3 amino acids for example. Our body uses peptides for messaging, that means a peptide is a molecule which sends a signal to a cell. Let’s think about collagen for example: the breakdown of collagen forms peptides, which give the signal to make new collagen. By applying this specific peptides on our skin we might be able to tell the skin to produce new collagen.

The Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack comes in a sleek tube containing 30 g. The included brush has a good length and is used to apply the product on your face. The formulation of the Lifting Pack is a lightly yellow colored gel with a high viscosity. It’s similar to glue and very sticky. The product has a slightly bitter scent with a hint of fruityness.

The bristles of the brush are very soft, but once you start to spread the pack with the brush it becomes sticky and makes the application a bit harder. Nevertheless, I still think it is better to use the brush than to use your fingers. It is recommended to use the pack 2-3 times a week. You apply the pack in a thin layer from the inside of the face towards the outside. After 15-20 minutes the pack dries and you can wash it off with luke-warm water.

Below you can see the process of using the pack on my skin. First I applied a layer of the Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack. After 15 minutes the mask dries. You will feel how the skin tightens up. It really looks frightening, because your face looks suddenly so wrinkled and dried…almost as if you were dying :D This was the moment when I decided that it was time to wash off the pack. My skin felt smoothed and firmer after using the mask. Nevertheless, my skin was feeling dry, too. The pack contains some moisturizing ingredients, but this was not enough for my skin. I have dry skin, so the experience might vary for people with oily skin. If you have dry skin like me I would recommend to add an especially rich cream to your skin after using this pack.

The Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack convinces with a good ingredients list and is perfectly suited for people who want to start to incorporate AHAs into their skincare routine. I liked using it and I do feel that it is lifting and smoothing out the skin. It leaves my skin a bit dry after all, which is why I can only recommend you to use a rich cream or oil after this pack if you have dry skin. This mask has also some creepy side-effects, since it really looks horrifying on your skin after 15 minutes. The skin looks so wrinkled up and old, as if the pack wants to tell you how you will look like if you do not use it, haha. You can get the Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack from TesterKorea for 30400 Won, which is around 25.51 US$. What’s your favorite AHA containing product?

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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://testerkorea.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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asian cosmetics beauty review TesterKorea

Review: Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream | TesterKorea

17. February 2016

// PR SAMPLE / KBEAUTY / SKINCARE //

The Missha Super Aqua Marine Stem Cell Defending Cream was the first Korean skincare product I used and I bought two, or even three jars of it because I liked it so much back then. When I heard about the newest addition to the Missha Super Aqua family I was really excited to try it: the Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream is part of a full new moisturizing skincare line consisting of toner, emulsion essence and the cream which I’ll be reviewing here. As I announced via Instagram I’m honored to be part of TesterKorea’s Real Tester, who offered me this product for reviewing purpose, amongst some other products, like the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel I reviewed before.

First, some information about TesterKorea: if you know me and my blog for some time you will know that TesterKorea is my favorite online retailer for larger Kbeauty hauls. I’ve purchased products from them many times and they never failed me. Also, they are quite popular for offering many free samples and having a LARGE variety of samples for sale as well. If you do not know a specific product and you want to test it first the place to recommend is TesterKorea. Also, they have a huge amount of different products from many brands, so you can be sure to find what you are looking for in most cases. Unlike other online retailers they do not offer free shipping, though, but their shipping is based on weight. The cheap prices of the products themselves totally balances the shipping costs in my eyes – especially for larger hauls. They even have a specific topic where you can request a product if it is newly launched. They are also quite fast in listing the latest products from most brands. Considering the fact that I know they are a reliable retailer and have a good reputation makes me even more happy that I’m part of the 17 members of their 1st Real Tester round-up!

The product I’m reviewing here is from the famous Korean brand Missha. Missha has a lot of online stores all over the world and are available in US/Canada, Australia and even in Germany. It is the first Korean brand with a physical store in Ingolstadt in Germany, too! Missha is against animal testing. The products always come in a very mature and luxurious packaging and the design is usually very elegant although simple. I think that it can be liked by almost everyone. The Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream follows these criteria as well: The signature color of the Super Aqua Ice Tear collection is ice-blue. The cream comes in a blue cardboard box with descriptions in both Korean and English. It states description, directions and the ingredients of the products.

According to COSNDA the ingredients in this hydrating and refreshing cream are safe to use. It contains Alcohol den., which can be a potential irritant, but apart from this is used to thin down the consistency of a cream. Glycerin is the main moisturizing ingredient in the list, but the cream also contains Urea. You’ll find a bunch of plant extracts from the Ice Plant, Oarweed, Devil’s Apron, Spirulina Platensis, Lotus Flower, and Chinese Plum. The algaes Oarweed and Devil’s Apron are also used in products of the high-end brand ‘La mer’. They act as skin protectors. The other extracts act as humectants and have moisturizing properties. Sea Water provides minerals and trace elements. Raffinose, which is a sugar and also included in the list, has moisturizing properties. Lactic Acid has brightening properties. All in all, a nice ingredients list for a moisturizing cream. The cream comes in a sturdy jar containing 50 ml, but it doesn’t come with a spatula unfortunately. If you want to keep it hygienic you should use a spatula instead of your fingers for taking out the cream. The Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream is a mixture between gel-type and regular cream. It feels light upon application and emollifies into a watery essence-like product on the skin. This makes it feel refreshing, too. It also leaves the skin moist. The scent is nice and a mixture between flowery and soapy.

The Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream is a simple, but effective moisturizer. Although the list of the ingredients is not too overfilled with fancy ingredients it still contains some important ones for moisturizing the skin: There are Urea and Glycerin for one, and a bunch of plant extracts, most of them are algae ( I was surprised to see two of the ingredients being part of products from the famous brand ‘La mer’ as well). On top, you have Raffinose and Lactic Acid and the Sea Water. I really like the list and although a simple moisturizer I can definitely see that many people might like this skincare range. I didn’t use it for a long time yet, but so far it didn’t break me out and was a hydrating and refreshing experience. The product retails on TesterKorea for 11520 Won, which is around 9.69 US$. The price is really affordable and perfect for people starting a skincare routine, aiming at a hydrating and light cream. It might be a nice refreshment during hot seasons, too, because the formula feels very watery. If you are looking for the deeper nourishment of the skin this cream might be too lightweight for you. Did you try any products from the Missha Super Aqua line? What do you think of the Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear line?

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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://testerkorea.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample review TesterKorea

Review: Etude House Tint My Brows Gel | TesterKorea

15. February 2016

I love Etude House’s eyebrow products! I’ve been using the Etude House Color My Brows and I’m still using the Etude House Perfect Brow Kit, and the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel is the newest addition to my collection. As I announced via Instagram I’m honoured to be part of TesterKorea’s Real Tester, who offered me this product for reviewing purpose, amongst some other products I cannot wait to share with you.

Let’s start with the review for the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel: The Korean brand Etude House is one of the best known Korean brands for cute packaging. If you are a lover of cute, girly and pink packaging, reminding you of being a child and the princess you always dreamt to be, THIS is your brand. Their packaging is usually so adorable that you cannot keep yourself from impuls-buys – only because you saw the packaging…Looking at the packaging of the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel it appears simple, but yet feminine. The combination of the gray-brown color and the pink makers it look adorable in a way. The product comes in a cardboard box which shows the Korean and English description. The product is one of the newer products from Etude House. The gel comes in 3 different shades and works similar to lip tint like the Berrisom My Lip Tint Pack, that means you apply a layer of the gel, leave it to dry and peel it off after a while. This new-concept eyebrow gel tint is designed for a long-lasting eyebrow makeup.

The three shades available are #1 brown, #2 light brown and #3 gray brown. I chose gray brown, because I have naturally black eye brows and I think the gray brown will suit my eyebrow color best. The ingredients of the Etude House Tint My Brow Gel are harmless according to COSDNA. There are minor irritants, but no bothersome ingredient. And although the product is made for simply tinting your brows it contains some plant derived ingredients with anti-inflamatory, antioxidant and moisturizing properties. As I said before, the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel works like a kind of non-permanent tattoo. The bottle reminds of a liquid eyeliner and comes with a thin brush-type applicator. The gel has a sticky consistency and reminds of brown colored glue. The brush is thin enough to create proper outlines for your brows. Below you can see how the gel looks when swatched on the back of my hands. First you apply a proper amount of the gel. After a while it will start to dry. When you peel off the dried product you will see that it stains the skin. After 1.5 h waiting the stain is already properly visible and shows in a light gray brown. After one day (including washing hands and showering) the stain is still visible, but is looks more light and the color changed to a light yellow-brown.

When using the product on your eyebrows Etude House advises you to trim your eyebrows first and not to apply skincare products or makeup. Then you should apply a liberal amount according to the desired shape of the eyebrow. Dry the gel for at least 2 hours. For stronger coloration you can apply the gel before going to bed at night and remove it the next morning. After the gel dried completely you can remove it starting from the tail of the eyebrow, but don’t be too forceful. Etude House also says to not use a cleansing product (product with detergents) or apply force on the eyebrow area within 24 hours of using the product. Below I applied the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel on my eyebrows. As you can see, my eyebrows are dense and very dark, but I have some spare areas at the front and on the arch of my eyebrow. I applied the gel according to the desired shape of my eyebrows and waited for 2 hours. You can see that the spare areas look slightly more filled, but it doesn’t look too strongly pigmented and not unnatural either. The effect is comparable to a light brow powder, giving a natural finish.

Do I like the Etude House Tint My Brows Gel? Yes, I do, and I think people with spare eyebrows or very bright color of eyebrows will like this product a lot! It looks natural and it is long-lasting. The downsides are that you have to be patient and maybe you need to practice a couple of times before you know how to paint your desired eyebrow shape. The gel contains 5 g and depending on the thickness of the layers you apply on your eyebrow it will last for a while. The price for the gel is not expansive either, so it is worth a try, especially if you love using eyebrow products. If you are already too lazy to use an eyebrow pencil or powder this product will not make it any easier or quicker though. The product retails on TesterKorea for 7650 Won, which is around 6.50 US$.

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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://testerkorea.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample q-depot review

Review: NoTS 28 Remedy Perfect Solution Set

11. February 2016

I love Korean deluxe sample sets, since they contain every product you’ll ned when you are on vacations. They are also great for getting to know a brand or a specific skincare line, therefore I was really happy when I was offered to review the NoTS 28 Remedy Perfect Solution Set by Korean cosmetics online shop Qdepot. So far this brand is still new to me, and apart from the NoTS Silk Glow Stick Foundation I haven’t tried any products from this brand. But finally I can now try some of their skincare products:

Unlike brands like Etude House or Tonymoly the Korean high-end brand NoTS is yet not widely known among people outside Korea. NoTS stands for ‘noble through skin’ and was founded in 2011. It is supposed to be natural functional cosmetics with eco-friendly ingredients. Since it is a high-end brand the products are more expansive than drugstore brands like Etude House or Tonymoly. Their packaging design is also not girlish or fun, but more mature and targeting another age group than the two other brands. The NoTS 28 Remedy Perfect Solution Set comes in a silver cardboard box and contains 4 products. The NoTS 28 Remedy skincare range is made for sensitive and acne prone skintypes and is a multipurpose range targeting also anti-ageing and having whitening properties.

The set contains the NoTS 28 Remedy Acne Pore Deep Cleanser, The NoTS 28 Remedy Balancing Toner, The NoTS 28 Remedy Intensive Serum, and the NoTS 28 Remedy Repair Cream. These four product already build a perfect tiny skincare routine. From the 4 products the cleanser stands out most, because it has orange-colored fonts and cap on the white plastic tube. The other three products are simple but elegant. The bottles and jars have a white color and silver fonts and caps. They are made of hard plastic and seem to be very sturdy and perfect for travelling without fearing for them that they’ll break or leak.

The backside of the silver cardboard box reveals the Korean description for the 4 products, but you can check Qdepot for English description of the single products. The first step of your skincare is usually a cleanser. The NoTS 28 Remedy Acne Pore Deep Cleanser is a cleanser containing salicylic acid. It also contains a bunch of plant ingredients. All in all there are some minor irritants within the ingredients list, but the formulation is color-, scent-, and alcohol-free. The deluxe size comes with 25 ml volume, whereas the full size contains 120 ml. The foam cleanser has a white consistency and a pH of 7 when mixed with water. It cleans of almost all the makeup as you can see in the picture below. It is a bit weak towards lipliner, eyeliner, and smudgeproof eyeshdow formulations, but it cleans nicely the BB cream. The cleanser builds a soft foam when lathered and doesn’t have any specific strong scent.

After cleansing your face you would use the NoTS 28 Remedy Balancing Toner and the NoTS 28 Remedy Intensive Serum. Both products come in bottles with a pump applicator, which is very convenient to use. The toner contains 15 ml in the deluxe sample size and 100 ml in full-size. It is a clear toner with a light gel texture. It is not completely watery when pumped out of the tube, but when spreading it the texture feels watery. It has a faint alcohol scent and the ingredients list reveals that it includes alcohol. Apart from this the toner contains many plant derived ingredients. Unfortunately, it contains Triethanol amine and Triclosan, which are red labelled according to COSNDA. Especially since it contains Triclosan I wouldn’t recommend using it because Triclosan is highly discussed and already banned in many cosmetics (in Europe). The NoTS 28 Remedy Intensive Serum is used after the toner. It also comes in a pump bottle containing 12 ml for the deluxe sample and 35 ml in the full-size. The serum is clear and like a gel. It also contains alcohol and has a faint alcohol scent like the toner. Apart from this the other ingredients look good. Similar to the toner the gel formulation melts like water when spread and therefore absorbs quickly and feels refreshing. The last step of your skincare routine would be the NoTS 28 Remedy Repair Cream. The cream comes in a jar containing 10 g, the full-sized jar contains 30 g. The cream has a thick, creamy consistency and a strong herbal scent. It contains a whole bunch of plant derived ingredients, similar to the serum, and also contains Niacinamide and Adenosin. The cream also contains some red labelled ingredients according to COSDNA, which are Triethanol amine and BHT. And it also contains Salicylic Acid, and some minor irritants. It also contains Zinc Oxide as UV protection, which is great. The cream applied nicely on the skin, but leaves the skin a bit tacky first. There is no greasyness though. The strong herbal scent lingers quite some time unfortunately.

It is nice that these kind of deluxe sample sets give us the opportunity to try out a whole range of new products. Out of the 4 products my favorite is the serum. I wouldn’t recommend using the toner because of the Triclosan. The cream has a very intense herbal scent and it is kind of bitter, too. Also, for a high-end brand it contains too many irritants and not so great ingredients. The cleanser is probably a good choice for oily skintypes and acne-prone skin, because of the salicylic acid. For me it was too drying, and since my skin is dry anyways it is not the perfect cleanser for my skintype. Also, considering the higher prices of NoTS products I would advice you to get some samples of the products from this range before, since they may contain irritants.

You can get the products at Q-depot. The Cleanser retails for 26.88 US$. The Toner is available for 67.20 US$. The serum costs 75.60 US$, and the cream retails for a proud 102 US$. Q-depot is an online retailer for Korean cosmetics. They have already quite a variety of the most popular Korean brands and they keep adding products frequently. The site is easy to navigate, too. And they offer free samples for each order and free shipping for orders above US$ 69. What I like especially, that they have an extra section for cruelty-free products, which contains brands like Iope, Innisfree, Etude House, etc. I didn’t see that before for most of the online stores, so that’s something really innovative and nice. Also, they are committed to contributing 3% of their group’s net profit for social causes in different countries. So you can shop for your favorite Korean products and do something good, too. Also,Q-depot is having a promotion were you can get 25 US$ coupon upon signing up. The coupon is useable for a minimum purchase of 69 US$.

Here are also some useful coupons and free gifts you can use and receive when ordering at the moment:

Coupons

Get $10 OFF on orders $129+ Coupon Code: A83RvEYo

Get $70 OFF on orders 99+ Coupon Code: LuGf8ZMX

Get $5 OFF on orders 69+ Coupon Code: Uxurfv9C

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Free Gifts

Orders 69+ – Free Missha Misa Gumsul Mask (worth $3.58)

Order 99+ – Free Tony Moly Kiss Kiss Lip Patch (worth $6.39)

Orders 129+ – Free Face Shop Lovely Mix Pastal Cushion Blusher (worth $8.99)

Have fun shopping!

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://q-depot.com/, which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

beauty PR Sample review Vivant Skincare

Review: Vivant Skincare Skin Fitness System

9. February 2016

Did you ever get a customized skincare routine proposal? A while ago I was approached by Vivant Skincare and they asked me whether I would be interested in the Vivant Skincare Skin Fitness System. I was not sure, if it would be possible to stick to the products from Vivant Skincare for the recommended 30 days, but I tried my best and here is my thorough review for the products I received.

Vivant’s history as a leading skin care brand goes back more than 50 years and is based on the formulations of researcher, cosmetic surgeon and dermatologist James E. Fulton, M.D., Ph.D., the co-developer of Vitamin A acid, known as Retin-A®. Vivant Skincare offers solutions for each and every skin concern, be it acne, hyperpigmentation, aging and even more. They have different series of cleansers, toners, correctors, hydrators, body care, masks and eye and lip treatments. I’m sure that there is a product suited for everybody within their product range. When they approached me and I agreed on reviewing their products and asked them for specific product suggestions. After a couple of days I received an email by the director of Vivant Skincare, Susan. She is the daughter of James E. Fulton and she gave me a very detailed explanations on which products she would advice me and what she will send to me. She also stated that she found my page through reddit, and you could see in her email that she was familiar with Korean skincare routines. She even send me her personal email and cell phone number in case of any questions, which speaks for a good customer service and availablity.

One of the key ingredients of the Vivant Skincare Skin Fitness System is mandelic acid. Susan stated the following when she emailed me about the products:

“One of [my father’s] discoveries was that Mandelic Acid, derived from bitter almonds, is a different kind of AHA; an exciting new 3 in 1 skin care therapy, effective in treating photo-aging, irregular pigmentation and acne. Developed for skin too sensitive for glycolics and benzoyl peroxide, it is perfect for sensitive skin that has a tendency to break out or is prone to hyperpigmentation from over exfoliation. I am sending you a Mandelic Wash and a toner, it would be a perfect AHA for you to try. If the toner is too much for your dry skin back off and try it one day on, one day off. The Cleansing Milk I am enclosing can be used one day on, one day off if the mandelic wash is too drying. I am also going to send you a Vivant Rejuv RX with peptides. […] I would like you to eventually start to use the Derm-A-Renew serum from the Vivant line but only after your skin has acclimated. “

So, the Vivant Skincare Skin Fitness System consists of 4 main products: a cleanser, a toner, a corrector, and a hydrator. In contrast to most toners known from asian beauty routines the toner here is meant to prepare the surface of the skin for better penetration of the skin by the Vivant Skincare serums. The Vivant Skincare Skin Fitness System comes with an insert which describes how to use the products. Within 4 weeks the skin is adjusted to the routine by slowly increasing the steps from week to week.

I received a total of 7 products: The Vivant Skincare Cleansing Milk, the Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Wash, the 3% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Toner, the Day Treatment Lotion, the 8% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Serum, the Rejuv RX Peptide Concentrate, and the Derm-A-Renew Gentle Peptide and Vitamin A. I used the products like this for more than 30 days, but after the first 30 days I made some adjustments, which I will describe at the end of this review:

Routine in the mornings:

1. Cleansing Milk or Mandelic Acid Wash

2. Rejuv RX Peptide Concentrate

3. Day Treatment Lotion

Routine at night:

1. Mandelic Acid Wash

2. Mandelic Acid Toner

3. Mandelic Acid Serum, after a while replace this with the Derm-A-Renew

First of all the packaging of the Vivant Skincare products is designed in a simple, neat, and clean way. It reminds of typical products you would receive in a pharmacy. The serums come in brown glass bottles with included pipettes attached to the lids. The small bottles contain 1 oz (~29.6 ml). The other products (cleansers, lotion, and toner) come in white plastic bottles. You can press the lids down on one side to reveal the opening. All in all the packaging design is convenient to use. Unfortunately, the caps of the plastic bottles may leak if you carry them around. This happened to me two times with the Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Wash. The other products however never leaked out, so it may be that it was only a problem with this bottle. Since I’m already speaking of the cleanser I will start of with their performances aswell.

Vivant Skincare Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Wash and Vivant Skincare Cleansing Milk

I received two different cleansers, the The Vivant Skincare Cleansing Milk and the Vivant Skincare Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Wash. The Madelic Acid 3-in1 Wash is a gel-type cleanser. It is a clear, light-pink gel which lathers up into a bit of foam. It is not a rich or dense foam though. The gel cleanser has a pH of 3 when mixed with water. It has a light bitter scent of almonds. It is not only a facial wash, but can be used on the body, too. And even more, it can be used as shampoo for fighting dandruff and acne. You can check the full ingredients list >>here<<, and as you can see the list is very short, which I like, and contains mainly safe ingredients, too. The key ingredients are Mandelic Acid, Green Tea Extract, Grape Extract, Kiwi Fruit Extract, and Honey Extract:

Madelic Acid: As we learned before the Mandelic Acid acts as a mild chemical exfoliant and is used as natural antibacterial to suppress pigmentation, treat inflammatory, cystic acne and rejuvenate photo-aged skin.

Camellia Sinensis (Japanese Green Tea) Leaf Extract: It is rich in Vitamin E and C and also known as powerful anti-oxidant with anti-inflammatory and astringent properties. It helps to maintain the collagen formation and healthy skin.

Kiwi Fruit Extract: This extract is high in omega-3. Kiwi has excellent antioxidant properties to rejuvenate tired skin and slow the aging process. It helps to diminish the appearance of fine lines and dark eye circles, making the skin appear more radiant.

Honey Extract: Honey is a natural humectant with long-lasting hydration. It contains enzymes with anti-bacterial properties to clarify the skin and has been used for centuries as beautifying ingredient.

Grape Seed Extract: Grape Seed Extracts is a potent antioxidant that shuts down free radical activity.

The Vivant Skincare Cleansing Milk is a lotion-type cleanser. It has a milky consistency and a nice, sweet scent. I prefer this scent over the scent of the Mandelic Acid 3-1 Wash. The Cleansing Milk has a pH of 4. The full ingredients can be looked up >>here<<. As with the above cleanser the ingredients list is very short and neat. The key ingredients are Grape Seed Extract and Glycerin.

Glycerin: Glycerin or Glycerol is a humectant present in all lipids. Glycerin combined with other emollients or oils is part of most moisturizers and in this way makes the skin soft and moisturized.

Both cleansers perform good on cleansing the skin from basic makeup, but they are weak when used on color makeup. Therefore, I would advise you to get rid of your makeup first by using any proper makeup remover. Below you can see that both cleansers are weak when cleansing lip products and eyeshadow. Eyeliner, BB cream and water-soluble mascara were removed by both cleansers.

Next products of my Vivant Skincare Routine are the 3% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Toner and the Day Treatment Lotion. Let’s take a closer look at these:

Vivant Skincare 3% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Toner and Vivant Skincare Day Treatment Lotion

As I already said before the 3% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Toner is not designed as moisturizing toner, but is an astingent toner. You will already see from the ingrdients list. The ingrdients list is short but it contains SD Alcohol in 2nd place. So, I know that many are wary when they hear that alcohol is inlcuded in a specific product. I shared an interesting article on this topic on facebook recently. Usually, SD Alcohol is used to thin down a product, which makes sense for heavier creams for example. The 3% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Toner is a clear, watery solution. The toner has a strong alcohol scent. The key ingredients are Witch Hazel and Mandelic Acid.

Witch Hazel: Witch Hazel has antioxidant properties. It acts as astringent and anti-inflammatory.

Actually, I’m not sure why they used SD Alcohol here, since this is a toner and not a cream. The toner clears the remaining makeup from the skin, when used, but it also dries out the skin as far as I experienced. The toner might be suited better for oily skin, or skin with acne problems. Nevertheless, I used the toner 1-2 times a day during 30 days, but after that I changed to my regularly used toners for adjusting the pH.

The Vivant Skincare Day Treatment Lotion is a daily SPF moisturizer. It has SPF 15. The moisturizer is a thick, white-colored cream. It is similar to many of the heavy sunscreens, which I usually avoid using. But what I liked about this lotion is that it can be mixed with loose powder or mineral makeup for creating a tinted moisturizer. The moisturizer has a scent, but it is similar to the scent of pharmacy creams, not any perfumed scent. I did not like the scent too much. The full ingredients are listed >>here<<, and the key ingredients are Aloe Leaf Juice and Zinc Peptides.

The ingredients list contains some minor irritants and acne triggers. Octinoxate, Octisalate, and Titanium Dioxide are used as sunscreens.

Part of my Vivant Skincare Skin Fitness Systems were the Rejuv RX Peptide Concentrate during the day and 8% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Serum at nights. After three weeks I replaced the Mandelic Acid Serum with the Derm-A-Renew Gentle Peptide and Vitamin A.

Vivant Skincare 8% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Serum

The first serum to use during the Vivant Skincare Skin Fitness System is the Vivant Skincare 8% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Serum. At the beginning it is used every night. Later it is replaced by the Derm-A-Renew Gentle Peptide and Vitamin A. The Vivant Skincare 8% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Serum is an alcohol free and mild serum to treat acne, discoloration, and age spots. It also targets the appearance of fine lines. It is a clear water like serum. It has a bitter scent of almonds, too. The serum is very light and absorbs fast into the skin. I discovered that my skin feels smoother after using it for a week already. The full ingredients list is again quite short and contains safe ingredients. The key ingredients are mandelic acid, urea, lactid acid, and niacinamide:

Lactic Acid: Lactid Acid is an AHA (Alpha hydroxyl acid) aswell. It is derived from sour milk that hydrates the skin by sloughing off old dead skin cells. It has whitening properties and is an astringent.

Urea: Urea binds moisture to the skin and keeps skin smooth and supple. It promotes re-hydrationand has anti-inflammatory properties aswell.

Niacinamide: Niacinamide is a water-soluble form of Vitamin B, which has a firming effect with anti-inflammatory properties.

Vivant Skincare Rejuv RX Peptide Concentrate

The Vivant Skincare Rejuv RX Peptide Concentrate is a serum which enhances firmness and elasticity. It also relieves rednesses. The ingredients contain some minor irritants, but other than that it is short like all the products from Vivant Skincare I tried. The key ingredients are Oligopeptides, Lactid Acid, Urea, and Niacinamide. The downside is that this serum contains SD alcohol. Like with the toner I do not think that it is necessary to have SD Alcohol here. The serum is clear and watery, like the mandelic acid serum, but instead of the bitter scent this one smells of alcohol. It also doesn’t feel really moisturizing. After 30 days I stopped using this regularly, and I didn’t see any differences for my skin. By now I do not use this anymore, but instead I’m using the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum instead during day time.

Vivant Skincare Derm-A-Renew Gentle Peptide and Vitamin A

The last product I added to my Vivant Skincare Skin Fitness System is the Vivant Skincare Derm-A-Renew combines peptides and vitamin A for improving the skintone and texture. It is a milky, light yellow product. It is still fluid enough to be taken out with the pipette. It has a mild, nice scent and applies easily without being greasy. The ingredients list contains some minor irritants and it also contains a red labelled ingredient, BHT, a preservative. The Vitamin A derivate used here is Retinyl Propionate. Apart from this it contains Oligopeptides, Lactid Acid and Niacinamide.

Retinyl Propionate: Retinyl Propionate is a synthetic ester of retinol and propionic acid. While retinyl palmitate is an earlier form of retinol, it does not have the same effects as retinol. Instead, retinyl palmitate can be effective in boosting collagen fiber production in your skin, which can help you look younger. It does not have the same exfoliating effects as retinol however.

From the three serums this is my favorite since I like how it applies and how it smells. It feels like a nice boost to the skin, but does not feel too aggressive or drying.

My final thought on the Vivant Skincare Skin Fitness System is quite positive. First of all I like the customer service and the option of getting a personalized skincare routine kit. Therefore I think that it is great for people starting a skincare routine. I also had a couple of products within my customized Vivant Skincare Routine which I really liked, but of course there were also some products which I liked less. From the two cleansers I preferred the Cleansing Milk because it was less drying and had a nicer scent than the Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Wash. Both of the cleansers are great if you are looking for low pH cleansers. The Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Wash contains 8 oz (236.6 ml) and retails for 31 US$. The Cleansing Milk comes with the same amount and retails for 29.50 US$. The Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Toner was far too drying for my skin, even if only used occasionally. Sine it has the purpose to balance the pH and get rid of any excess sebum you can replace it with another pH adjusting toner with the same properties, maybe one without alcohol. 4 oz (119.3 ml) retail for 44 US$ which is also quite expensive compared to the ingredients contained here. I really appreciate the idea of a Day Treatment Lotion with SPF and I wish that more moisturizer would consider to add this to their formulation. The scent and the thickness of the moisturizer were not my cup of tea really, so I switched to my regular moisturizers and sunscreens. This adds an additional step to the routine, but I don’t mind that specifically. The Day Treatment Lotion contains 4 oz (119.3 ml) and retails for 33 US$. I do like the 8% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Serum and Derm-A-Renew Gentle Peptide and Vitamin A! I like the key ingredients used in booth serums and I like how they make the skin feel. The Rejuv RX Peptide Concentrate on the other hand was again too drying for me, probably because of the alcohol. It was not so bad as the toner, but still from the three serums I would choose this to opt out. The downside for the serums is that they are really expensive. The Rejuv-RX retails for 106 US$ and is the most expensive out of the three serums. The 8% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Serum retails for 50 US$ and the Derm-A-Renew Gentle Peptide and Vitamin A retails for 87 US$. The Vivant Skincare Skin Fitness System including the Mandelic Acid Wash, Toner, Day Treatment Lotion and the 8% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Serum can be obtained in a Kit for 130 US$. I’m really thankful that Vivant Skincare has offered me their skincare products to review and I hope that my experiences with the products will help you in case you want to go for any of the products.

Did anybody try products from Vivant skincare before? Or did you ever get a customized skincare routine and how were your experiences?

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.vivantskincare.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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