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beauty InStyle

Unboxing: InStyle Box Summer Edition 2018

3. August 2018

// WERBUNG / PR SAMPLE / UNBOXING//

Summer means sun and vacation, ideally, it also means holidays. Since we have a new season I have also a new InStyle Box for you. The InStyle Box Summer Edition! I’m really loving the InStyle Box, because of its versatile content and moreover, it is not a monthly box, so you have enough time to use up the products that you receive. I received the InStyle Box Summer Edition 2018 for reviewing purpose and here is what’s inside:

The InStyle Box is curated by the InStyle Magazine, and provides you with trendy items for the season. I received some of the InStyle Boxes from previous seasons, too, and if you are curious you can have a look at the past boxes >>here<<.

As always, the products are dedicated and fit to the season. The topic revolves around hot days and vacation and the InStyle Box is filled with 10 different products and a sample, together with a booklet with descriptions and more discount coupons inside.

As you can tell from the pictures the box is really packed and heavy, and there are a lot of new products inside that wait to be discovered!

Taste Nirvana Real Coconut Water

This coconut water is infused with passion fruit juice and seeds to deliver an exotic feeling. A great and healthy way to refresh yourself during hot days.

SMO Smoothie Bar

I never buy any fruit bars, because I’m more the nutty-bar-type, but this smoothie bar was a nice and fruity treat for in-between. This one comes in the flavor pitaya and soursop

InStyle inflatable Watermelon drink holder

I love these inflatable drink holders. They deliver a tropical vibe and can be used to let your drink swim in the pool.

Waltz 7 Shower Bombs

There is nothing more relaxing than a hot bath, but showers can be easier and some people prefer showering over bathing. These shower bombs are perfect for anybody who wants to have a relaxing spa Atmosphere while taking a shower. You simply put the shower bomb on the floor of your shower and the water will melt it away and release the relaxing scents. The two versions here are scented with mango and rose, respectively. I tried these shower bombs in the past and love them so much!

Bilou Sweet Hands Hand Mousse

This hand care product comes as mousse-y foam out of the bottle. It contains vitamins E, almond oil, avocado oil and panthenol and has a sweet scent.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat

I love this top coat! I’ve already used it so much since I received the box and it is so convenient to use and makes your nail polish dry down so much faster.

Ultrasun Facial Sunscreen SPF30 PA+++

This water-resistant sunscreen doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients or hormone-active ingredients and protects your skin from sun damage while providing moisture to the skin. I used this sunscreen before and it feels nice and hydrating and doesn’t leave a white cast. It tends to leave a bit of a greasy feeling though while wearing it throughout the day.

Mudmasky Sleep Repair Renewal Nourishing Mask

We should not forget to give our skin some spa-time for in-between, despite having so many things planned during summer. This pH balanced mask can be applied before bed-time and provides hydration, acts rejuvenating and repairing, and protects and smoothes the skin.

Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette and Cleansing Gel

I’m very excited about these two products! Cleansing your makeup tools is very important if you want to prevent breakouts and this kit seems perfect for cleansing your beloved makeup brushes.

What do you think of the content of the InStyle Box Summer Edition? My favorite products are the Real Techniques Cleansing Set and the Shower Bombs from Waltz 7. ‘But I also love the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat.

I’m happy with this Box content again, and I must say it has a good value for its price. The InStyle Box Summer Edition 2018 is available on shop.instyle.de for 29.90€ and comes with 3 e-paper versions of the InStyle magazine. The InStyle Box is released every three months, for each season. You can also get it for a yearly subscription for 100€.

What are your thoughts on the products from this box? Let me know in the comments below :)

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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 https://shop.instyle.de/ 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 Supple Preperation Facial Toner (Unscented Version)

21. May 2018

// KBEAUTY / SKINCARE / PR SAMPLE //

There are two Korean Toners that I absolutely love and recommend every time someone asks me: one is the Whamisa Organic Flowers Deep Rich Toner, and the other one is the Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner! Even more was I excited the moment that Klairs announced that their toner will now be available in an unscented version, too. So, this is for everyone with sensitive skin who has been waiting for a version without essential oils, the Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner Unscented Version:

Klairs is a Korean brand which is eco-friendly, producing products which are animal-testing-free, alcohol-free, paraben-free, artificial-color-free and recently they are vegan, too. Their products address 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 (repurchased that one 4 times already!) or the Klairs Midnight Blue Cream, which both convinced me in their effects. Their saying “Simple but Enough” really nails it and I think that many people will agree in that point with me.

The Klairs Supple Preparation Toner is your first step to a moisturized and rejuvenated skin every day. It is non-irritant, balances the pH level of the skin, and acts calming and soothing. As all toners, this toner is designed to be used directly after cleansing the skin. It gives it first hydration and helps the skin to be prepared for the following skincare steps. The Klairs Supple Preparation Toner in both the regular version, and the unscented version, comes in a plastic bottle containing 180ml. The bottle is supposed to last for 1-2 month according to the description.

The only difference between the regular version and the unscented version is that the unscented version has all the essential oils removed from the ingredients. These essential oils give the regular version its signature scent, but there are people with sensitive skin types that react to the present of essential oils in skincare. The colors of the bottles and packaging are also different: the unscented version has a clear bottle with a purple label whereas the regular version comes in a brown colored bottle with beige label.

Here are the ingredients of the toner:

Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethyl Sulfone, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Natto Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Chlorphenesin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Panthenol, Arginine, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Beta-Glucan, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Portulaca, Oleracea Extract, Lysine HCL, Proline, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Acetyl Methionine, Theanine, Copper Tripeptide-1

You can spot some known plant-based ingredients like licorice root extract (brightening and acne fighting), centella asiatica and panthenol (wound-healing), but also hyaluronic acid (moisture), and aloe extract (soothing). You can check the ingredients via Skincarisma.

The toner has a clear toner and has a jelly like formula, which is less runny than water. It tends to absorb very quickly and leaves the impression of the skin ‘drinking’ the product.

Despite absorbing quickly it leaves a nice and moist glow on the skin, but is not feeling sticky!

I can still confirm that I love the Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner and I love how this unscented version of it also gives sensitive skintype people a chance to try this wonderful product by leaving out the essential oils. If you have not tried this toner yet I can totally recommend you to do so in future, especially if you are a Kbeauty lover. You can buy the Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner in the regular and unscented version from Wishtrend for 21.99 US$. Also check out my page for Coupons and Discount, so safe some bucks o your order. I also have reviewed so many other products from the brand Klairs and I can say that this is one of my favourite Kbeauty brands with great products. Check out all my Klairs reviews >>here<<.

Have you tried the Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner? What are your favourite toners?

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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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beauty beauty boxes Glossybox PR Sample

Unboxing: Glossybox January 2018

23. February 2018

// PR SAMPLE / BEAUTY BOX / AFFILIATE LINKS //

As promised, I have some more unboxings for you this month. Today, I want to show you the content of the Glossybox of January, the first Glossybox in 2018. This beauty box was kindly provided to me by Glossybox.

Glossybox is a monthly beauty subscription box containing a selection of 5 beauty and wellness products packed in a box and delivered to your doorstep. The box was founded in 2011 and has spread in over 10 countries all over the world. This is the Glossybox for Germany in December 2017:

What is the best way to start into a new year? Usually it is some me-time, and new goals to reach. This will keep you motivated and gives you strength. Many people start to get more active and healthy at the beginning of a new year. This is all included in the January Box with the topic “Namaste Beauty”. The word “Namaste” is a common Hindu greeting, but it is also a word that makes us thing of yoga and meditation – maybe a way to find your inner beauty for 2018?!

As usual, the Glossybox comes with a mix of different surprise products. The January box includes 6 different products, including full-sized ones and samples, too. Let’s have a look inside:

Pantene Pro-V Volume Pure Foam Conditioner

I used one of these foam conditioners previously and I loved the idea of using a foam instead of the regular conditioner. Unfortunately, it was drying for my hair the last time I used it, and it was used up super quickly, too. Nevertheless, I will give it another chance and hope that it will work better this time. 140 ml retail for 2.95€.

Nivea 1 Minute Urban Detox Mask

Detox is always a great idea at the beginning of a new year. This peeling mask contains white clay and magnolia extract, and sounds nice. I do not use many mechanical exfoliators these days, but this looks like something I want to try as soon as my skin recovers from the cold weather :D The tube contains 75 ml and retails for 4.99 €.

Nail Medic Rejuvenator

This is my highlight in the January Box: a nail serum containing green tea extract and jojoba oil for giving your nails some moisture and vitamins. The serum is actually two-phased, but you only see one phase in the picture. There is a pink phase and a purple phase, and you mix the serum before use to combine the colors. So pretty! 15 ml retail for 6.80€.

Benefit Cosmetics The Porefessional

This is one of my favourite pore blurring primers, together with the very similar one from Innisfree that I showed on my Instagram some time ago. A little of it goes a long way, because you only want to use it on the areas were you want to make your pores appear less visible. Since it contains silicon remember to clean your face in the evening properly. This tube contains 7.5 ml and retails for 13.00€.

Lord & Berry Magic Brow Perfect Eye Brow Pencil

This eye brow pencil contains two colors to give you a natural eye brow look. I love eye brow pencils and products and so I’m sure that I will use this soon. The pencil retails for 18 €.

Tetesept Detox Green Bath Salt

This reminds me of taking a bath again soon. I love the products from Tetesept and Detox seems to be a good idea these days, too. The sachet retails for 1.35 €.

A nice selection of products to start of 2018. I’m sure that I will use all the products, but my personal highlight was the nail serum. The milk glass bottle ind combination with the two-phased liquid in pink and purple is a perfect eye catcher. I hope that the Pantene Pro-V Foaming conditioner will convince me more than last time. For the other products, you can never go wrong with some eye brow pencil and primer, neither with a detox mask and bath. A very balanced box between makeup and skin/body care.

Glossybox is available as flexible subscription for 15 € per month. There are also other subscription options available, like a 3 month, 6 month or 12 month subscription for 14,50 €, 13,50 €, or 12,50 € per month, respectively. Check out www.glossybox.de for more information.

How do you like the content of the “Namaste Beauty” Edition?

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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 https://www.glossybox.de/ 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 Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask

19. January 2018

// PR SAMPLE / AFFILIATE LINKS / KBEAUTY //

By now it is no news that I love the brand Klairs. And of course, I’m always excited to test and review new products from the brand. Today I have a review for one of the newer products from the brand, the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask. I received this product from Wishtrend for reviewing purpose. This mask targets brightening the complexion and has anti-aging benefits and can be used during day or night.

Klairs is a Korean brand which is eco-friendly, producing products which are animal-testing-free, alcohol-free, paraben-free, artificial-color-free and recently they are vegan, too. Their products address 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 (repurchased that one 3 times already!) or the Klairs Midnight Blue Cream, which both convinced me in their effects. I also love the Klairs Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner, which has been updated and improved by now, too. Their saying “Simple but Enough” really nails it and I think that many people will agree in that point with me.

Why Vitamin E?

Vitamin E, with the chemical name Tocopherol, has a lot of benefits for our body. But apart from the benefits it has when digested, it also is of good use when applied on our skin. Tocopherol is skin conditioning, has anti-oxidant properties, and reduced the skin’s water loss… probably, there are even more effects. Another advantage of Tocopherol is, that it protects other ingredients from oxidizing, and thus is a perfect combination to be used with oils to keep them from going bad. It is also great in combination with Vitamin C, since the two vitamins enhance each others properties, and Vitamin C stays stable for a longer time.

Getting back to the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask: First of all, I love the holographic packaging design, which fits to the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum. The Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask comes in a jar, and of course includes a spatula for taking out the product from the jar. The jar has a volume of 90 ml. The cardboard box contains all the necessary information in Korean and English and also a full ingredients list:

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carrageenan, Gellan Gum, Betaine, Algin, Mannan, Ceramide NP, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Chlorphenesin, Arginine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Fruit Extract, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Phragmites Communis Extract, Adenosine, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil

If you are interested in the benefits of the single ingredients, I can recommend you to check out SkinCarisma. They really have a great cosmetics analysis tool, and I started to prefer this over COSDNA (but COSDNA is still great for quick use). There are several ingredients to point out: Niacinamide has brightening properties, but it also has anti-aging benefits. Also Adenosine and Ceramides have anti-aging properties, and are great in combination with Niacinamide. Cenetlla Asiatica Extract promotes wound healing and can be spotted as well. Additionally, you will find a bunch of other plant-based ingredients and oils. The plant-based oils are a critical point for sensitive skintypes though, so if you know that you react to any of these oils make sure to patch test the product before using it on your face.

Maybe you are wondering, why I haven’t talk about the Vitamin E yet. If you look at the ingredients list again, you see that one of the first ingredients mentioned is Tocopheryl Acetate. Tocopherol is Vitamin E, that makes Tocopheryl Acetate a derivate. When a vitamin derivate is delivered inside our body it will be transformed to the vitamin. Many cosmetics products use Tocopheryl Acetate, because Tocopherol is not stable, but the derivate is and thus has a longer shelf-life. It also has the same skin conditioning properties as Tocopherol, but it doesn’t have the anti-oxidative properties. In order to have anti-oxidative properties it has to be absorbed into the deeper layers of the skin. In watery solutions 50% of the Tocopheryl Acetate absorbs into the skin, in oily solutions it is probably only 5%. The Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask is rich in oily ingredients and also in the description of the product on Wishtrend is says that the Vitamin E is coated in oil. That would mean that the amount of Tocopheryl Acetate that is delivered inside the skin and can be transformed into Tocopherol and acts anti-oxidative is only very low.

However, the consistency of the mask is really interesting. It has the so-called “shape-memory” properties. Once you spoon out a bit of the jelly, or pudding-like cream the surface of the cream will go back to a smooth and even surface after few minutes. The white cream really reminds me of custard-cream or jello. Once you start rubbing it emulsifies into a gel-like consistency, feeling moist and cooling. Once rubbed into the skin you will see the oils of the product leaving a nice glow. Also, a little of the product goes a long way, so start out with fewer and add some more if you feel necessary.

I used the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask as sleeping mask mainly. It feels nice when applied and I love the consistency of the “shape-memory” cream. I could observe the brightening effects that the cream has, due to the niacinamide. It also feels really moisturizing and makes the skin feel nice and smooth on the next morning.

My final verdict for this cream is, that I love the application and feeling of the cream. I can see some positive effects of the cream, like brighteining and moisturizing. I’m not convinced fully about the Tocopheryl Acetate, to be honest. It has of course benefits for the skin, like skin conditioning, but I doubt that a lot of the derivate will be incorporated into the skin to be turned into Vitamin E and show its anti-oxidative properties. Of course, I’m not a cosmetics expert, and if you know any more information on that point, I’d be glad to hear about it.

If you are curious about the product yourself you can get it for 27.00 US$ from Wishtrend. Keep in mind the friend-referral program from Wishtrend: You can receive a 5 Us$ referral coupon if you use my invitation code 17939205 upon registration and you’ll receive this voucher immediately. There will be a specific field in your registration form called “friends invitation program” where you can put the code mentioned above. This way new customers can safe 5 US$ which is a great possibility to safe some money. Also, Wishtrend has a Free-Shipping Area, were you can find products that can be bought with free shipping. You can additionally use the coupon WISHJAN05 for 5% off in January. The coupon code is stackable, by the way!

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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 PR Sample review Swanicoco

Review: Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R

5. January 2018

// PR SAMPLE / KBEAUTY / AFFILIATE LINKS //

A while ago I was selected for the second round of the Swanicoco Swan Program, and they send me a huge package containing a ton of skin care products. Previously, I reviewed the Swanicoco Bio Ferment F Fermentation Snail Care Skintoner and Emulsion and today I want to let you know about my experience with the Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R.

Swanicoco is a Korean brand that stared off its business by creating naturally fermented soaps. Now, they have a huge range of products including skin care and make up products, but still all the products share the same believe in natural ingredients excluding artificial and chemical components. Swanicoco uses grains, fruits, herbs and oriental medicine materials as raw materials for their fermentation. By fermenting the products they can be much more easily absorbed into the skin, help retaining moisture and improve damaged skin. They state that instead of using purified water like in most existing cosmetics, Swanicoco has replaced the water with ferment filtrate. Additionally, pigments, synthetic perfumes, chemical preservatives, alcohol, mineral oil, paraben and benzophenones have been excluded from their products. Oh, and they are also free from animal testing!

The brand name Swanicoco is derived from the word “swan” and the term “coco”. “Swan” referrs to the elegance and feminine aspects of the bird we probably all know. “Coco” refers to the coconut, representing the natural ingredients. In the logo of the brand you will find the word “natural”, which refers to the brand as being a natural cosmetics brand. There is also a peony blossom in the middle of the logo that stands for richness and splendor.

The Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R targets aging skin by providing a mixture of EGF and FGF for wrinkle care, nutrition and soothing. Typically for an ampoule the ingredients list is also very short and concentrates on the key ingredients:

sh-Polypeptide-11, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Carbomer, Arginine, Adenosine, Olibanum, and Rosa Damascena Flower Oil

If you want to check for the properties of the single ingredients I can advise you to look them up at SkinCarisma. The analysis shows directly that the product has anti-aging benefits and is free from alcohol, sulphates and parabens. Apart from the peptides that act skin conditioning, Allantonin and Tocopherol (Vitamin E) are great for preventing skin aging. They help with elasticity and regeneration of the skin. Olibanum and Rosa Damascena Flower Oil add to make the skin feel smooth and conditioned.

FGF and EGF

Let’s also talk more in-depth about the peptides FGF and EGF first: These two are the key ingredients of the Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule. What are these two and what do they actually do for our skin? EGF is the short-term for Epidermal Growth Factor. In the ingredients list you will find it as oligopeptide-1. The EGF targets specific receptors in the cell (EGFR) and is the necessary molecule for this receptor in order to work. From the name you can already tell that it promotes the cell growth, so it is important for our body, since dying and growing cells are a regular process in our body.

Short excursus: It is important to note the difference between the receptor and the EGF: EGF is not carcenogenic! Mutations in cells can cause overexpression of the EGFR for example, which means we have too many of these receptors in our cells, which can lead to uncontrolled growth of cells, means cancer. Other proteins can put the EGFR in a permanent on-state, which leads to uncontrolled growth of cells aswell.

FGF is the short-term for Fibroblast Growth Factor and this peptide plays a role in wound healing of the skin. The FGFs play an important role for the so-called Fibrobasts. Fibroblasts are cells that produce collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastin.

So do peptides like EGF or FGF have anti-aging properties? Since the growth factors should address wrinkles in first place it has to affect the collagen production somehow in order to be beneficial for our skin. When EGF is applied with a cream it has to be absorbed into the dermis, the inner layer of the skin, to have any effect, and only a very, very small amount of topically applied EGF will be able to reach the dermis at all. And even if it helps to produce collagen it does not have any effect on the degradation of the old collagen. In conclusion we can say that the peptides may be responsible for a plumping effect of the outer skin layer, but it will not have any effect on the inner skin layer and therefore will not reduce deep wrinkles.

The Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule comes in a beautiful golden cardboard packaging with a lot of description and information available. The box can be opened up sideways, so you can take a look at the ampoule bottle directly upon first opening. The bottle is golden-colored like the cardboard box and comes with a dropper. I was surprised to see how light the bottle is, because it is made from plastic. Yet because of the golden color it doesn’t look cheap, but makes a valuable appearance.

The ampoule itself can be taken out with help of the dropper and has a milky color and a light rose/flower scent. The consistency is runny, but not as runny as water.

The Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule absorbs quickly into the skin and doesn’t leave a trace or stickiness behind. It doesn’t feel oily either, but leaves the skin fresh and soft. Upon touch the skin feels smooth and nice. I used the ampoule in combination with the Swanicoco Bio Ferment F Fermentation Snail Care Skintoner and Emulsion and added a moisturizer on top for my whole skincare. The amount of moisture provided was enough for my dry skin type. I didn’t feel any reactions from the product on my skin either, but this varies of course from person to person.

I think that Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule R can be a nice add-on to your skincare. Although the effect of EGF and FGF on deeper skin layers is not very likely, they will at least act topically and make your skin feel smoother and elastic. I really like the short ingredients list and the lightweight packaging. If you are interested in a similar product containing EGF and FGF, but without Vitamin E I can advise you to take a look at my review of the Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop.

You can also find Swanicoco products at Beautytap (formerly W2Beauty). The Swanicoco FGF Pure Ampoule retails for 53 US$. This week you can use the code SWAN30 to get 30% off Swanicoco products. And on the 10th of January the FGF and EGF Ampoule with higher concentration of 10ppm are on sale as special deal for 41US$!

Did you hear about Swanicoco already? See my other Swanicoco product reviews >>here<<!

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

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asian cosmetics beauty Olivarrier PR Sample review

Review: Olivarrier Dual Moist Hyaluron Essence

7. October 2017

// PR SAMPLE / SKINCARE / KBEAUTY //

Here is the last product I received from Olivarrier for reviewing purpose, the Olivarrier Dual Moist Hyaluron Essence. I already reviewed the Olivarrier Gentle Glow Seed Polishing Mask and the Emolient Extra Comfort Cream before, so if you are curious about the brand be sure to check these out as well. But first, let’s see what this essence is about:

Olivarrier is a new Korean beauty brand focusing on the key ingredient in their product, which is olive squalane. The name is a mix of “olive” and “barrier”, since the olive squalane in their skincare products is supposed to moisturize and penetrate the skin and helping to protect its natural moisture barrier.

Olive Squlane

What is olive squalane exactly? First of all, there is squalene and squalane. Squalene occurs widely within animals and plants, since it is part of the synthesis of sterols. It occurs in our sebum for example. But also in plant oils and in a high concentration it is also found in shark liver. Squalene is unsaturated and therefore it oxidizes easily. In order to prevent oxidization squalene is hydrogenated leading to saturated and stable squalane. Olive squalane is an animal friendly alternative of using squalane derived from sharks for example and has the same benefits for skin. Squalane is a great emollient, humectant and suited for sensitive skins by being non-irritating.

When I heard about the brand first time on Fiftly Shades of Snail I was attracted especially about the word “olive”, but also because of the simple and minimalistic design of the products. They have a beautiful skincare range that you can check out on their official web page. It consists of a cleansing bar, a toner, an essence, two different creams, a mask, and .

The Olivarrier Dual Moist Hyaluron Essence comes in a simple white cardboard box with descriptions in Korean and English. It is a highly moisturizing essence containing hyaluronic acid and panthenol. The essence comes in a grey colored, plastic pump bottle.

Below the ingredients of the essence are listed:

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane (Olive Squalane), Panthenol, Madecassoside, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Arginine, Allantonin, Olea Europaea (olive) Fruit Oil, Ceramide NP, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Carbomer, Octyldodecanol, Isohexadecane, Dodecane, Isoeicosane, Octadecane, Tetradecane, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Avena Sativa (Oat) Meal Extracts, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-60 hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydrogenated LEcithin, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Linoleic Acid

You can also check the ingredients via COSDNA or check out the ingredients analysis by Skincarisma. Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane,Panthenol, Olive oil, Ceramides…all those ingredients are contributing to moisturize and hydrate your skin. Additionally, the list contains Madecassoside, a triterpenoid compound found in Centella asiatica. Madecassoside has anti-inflammatory, wound healing, and anti-oxidant activities. It is supported by Allantoin, which also has wound-healing and cell-regenerating properties.

The essence itself has a gel-cream consistency. The milky essence is quite fluid and spreads to a moist and hydrating layer and absorbs quickly. The skin does feel hydrated after using it. The Olivarrier Dual Moist Hyaluron Essence is weak acid based (pH 5.5), free from chemical preservatives (parabens & phenoxyethanol), moreover, it is fragrance-free, coloring-agent free and dermatologically tested.

If you are looking for a cruelty-free, vegan hydrating essence, which is free from chemical preservatives you will do nothing wrong here. It does a descent job as essence and worked well with my skincare products. It didn’t break me out during the whole time I’ve been testing it and I’ve used it happily, but keep in mind that everyone may react in a different way.

You can buy the Olivarrier Dual Moist Hyaluron Essence from:

RoseRoseShop for ~30 US$

Jolse for ~30 US$

Did you try any of the products from the brand Olivarrier already?

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

asian cosmetics beauty lovemycosmetics PR Sample review

Review: Klairs Rich Moist Foaming Cleanser

27. September 2017

// PR SAMPLE / SKINCARE / KBEAUTY //

The last products I received from LoveMyCosmetics as part of their ambassador program for the Korean brand Klairs is the Klairs Rich Moist Foaming Cleanser. I talked about the Klairs Gentle Black Cleansing Oil and Klairs Gentle Black Sugar Facial Polish previously, so be sure to check out these two reviews as well. By now those who are reading my blog for some time know how much I love the products from the brand Klairs. I almost tried all their products at least once and they never disappoint me. A good thing is also that Klairs frequently updates their products regarding their ingredients or their packaging and volume. And usually they listen to the recommendations and remarks made from their customer in reviews.

Klairs is a Korean brand which is eco-friendly, producing products which are animal-testing-free, alcohol-free, paraben-free, artificial-color-free and recently they are vegan, too. Their products address 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 Midnight Blue Cream, which both convinced me in their effects. I also love the Klairs Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner, which by the way has been updated and improved, too. Their saying “Simple but Enough” really nails it and I think that many people will agree in that point with me.

The Klairs Rich Moist Foaming Cleanser is a hypoallergenic face wash containing low irritant amino acids instead of chemical detergents. Together with hyaluronic acid, olive oil and ceramide 3 in addition to a pH of 5-6 it keeps the skins moisture level and prevents it from feeling dry. The cleanser comes in a pumping bottle, which makes it very easy to use and you do not have to use an additional foaming net to foam up the cleanser.

The ingredients are listed on the bottle itself:

Water, Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, Glycerin, Propylen glycol, Lauric acid, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Sodium hyaluronate, Dimethyl sulfone, Potassium hydroxide, Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, Betaine, Stearic acid, Chamaecyparis obtusa water, Ananas sativus(pineapple) fruit extract, Chlorphenesin, Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil, Illicium verum (anise) fruit extract, Citrus paradisi (grapefruit) fruit extract, Nelumbium speciosum flower extract, Paeonia suffruticosa root extract, Scutellaria baicalensis root extract, Panthenol, Citric acid, Pyridoxine, Linum usitatissimum (linseed) seed extract, Hibiscus esculentus fruit extract, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, Arctium lappa root extract, Hibiscus mutabilis flower extract, Corchorus olitorius leaf extract, Hydrolyzed pea protein, Lecithin, Olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, Phytosterols, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Ceramide NP, Propanediol, Apium graveolens (celery) extract, Brassica oleracea capitata (cabbage) leaf extract, Brassica oleracea italica (broccoli) extract, Brassica rapa (turnip) leaf extract, Daucus carota sativa (carrot) root extract, Oryza sativa (rice) bran extract, Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) fruit/leaf/stem extract, Lysine hcl, Proline, Sodium ascorbyl phosphate, Acetyl methionine, Theanine, Tocopheryl acetate, Panax ginseng callus culture extract, Piper methysticum leaf/root/stem extract, Centella asiatica extract, Portulaca oleracea extract, Beta-glucan, Papain

There are a lot of plant-based ingredients included in this cleanser. Just some to stress some are : licorice extract, aloe vera, tea tree oil, shea butter, rice bran extract…ect. But also fruit extracts like pineapple and papain for a light peeling effect. The product is free from alcohol, animal testing, parabens and artificial pigments. also it is designed as an eco-friendly product. You can also check out Skincarisma for an ingredient analysis.

The foam itself is very soft and not a thick solid foam like you would expect from shaving foam for example. There are visible bubbles and it has a herbal scent to it. I use the Klairs Rich Moist Cleansing Foam as second step of my cleansing routine after I have removed the makeup with another oil-based cleanser. This cleanser is also not made for removing make up. Instead it will make your skin feel clear and cared for after you already removed the layer of your makeup. I think it is a nice cleanser and it doesn’t dry out my skin, even after several cleansing steps.

If you are looking for a good and non-drying, easy to use second cleanser for your double cleansing routine you will like this cleanser. The pump application makes it so easy to use and saves you some time. The ingredients are great, too, and eco-friendly on top! It is made for all skintypes and comes with 100 ml in full-size. The Klairs Rich Moist Foaming Cleanser retails for 22,95 € from LoveMyCosmetics. Oh, and here is a little bonus for my lovely readers: You can get a discount of 10% using the coupon code “misslavenklairs” while shopping on LoveMyCosmetics!

Did you try the Sugar Scrub from Klairs?

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

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Unboxing: InStyle Box Summer Edition 2017

12. September 2017

// PR SAMPLE / SUBSCRIPTION BOX //

Let’s have another unboxing of a summer themed box before it has passed completely :D I’m happy to have the chance to show you the content of the InStyle Box Summer Edition 2017, which was provided to me for reviewing purpose. Like the Instyle Box I showed last time >>here<<, also this box was packed heavily with awesome products in my opinion. This post will be picture-heavy due to the loads of products that were included, my apologies in advance >_<

As the name already suggest this box is dedicated to summer and to products that bring us in a summer mood and are useful during this season. And as if they knew, they already predicted the ups and downs of summer in Germany. You must know that the weather here is not really reliable in summer, so our beauty routine has to be adapted to every possible situation :D

That said I will start with the beauty products first:

OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Shampoo and Conditioner

These travel sized bottles of the OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Shampoo and Conditioner are perfect for vacation. I already bought them last year and liked the products a lot. They make the hair smooth and manageable even in dry climate. They contain argan oil of Morocco, which also protects the hair from UV rays and heat damage, by giving deep nutrition. I used both of these during my vacation and it was the perfect size for the 2 weeks showering daily. These are available from your drugstore or amazon. The fullsize retails for around 8 €.

Douglas Make-Up Mattissim Lipstick

The Mattissim Lipstick by Douglas comes in the summer color called “Senorita”, an orange hued red shade. This liquid lipstick has a velvet matte texture without stickiness. A soft doe-foot applicator helps to create your look. I love the lid, which is covered in black velvet. It retails for 9.99 €.

Aqua Colonia Pink Pepper & Grapefruit

Solid soap becomes very handy during vacation time. Usually, I’m using liquid soap at home, but the benefit of having solid soap that cannot spill inside your luggage is definitely a plus here. The Aroma Soap from Aqua Colonia in Pink Pepper and Grapefruit is a perfect scent for warm weather. The spiciness of the better together with the freshness of grapefruit make a perfect combination. The soap retails for 7.38€.

Treaclemoon Soft Watermint Rain

I have resisted to buy this new line called Watermint Rain from Treaclemoon for weeks, since it released and luckily the InStyle Box contains the Body Milk of this line. This refreshing body milk is absorbed quickly into the skin and is easily to spread. I love the packaging design with the mint color and the mushrooms. You can get the products from your local drugstore or amazon (around 10 €).

Comodyness Urban Cosmetics Self-Tanning Body Glove

I need to try this yet but is sounds very interesting, since it is a glove and not a spray or cream. It is free from parabens and allergens and promises a natural and uniform body color for all skincolors. Maybe I can get rid of my tan lines with this glove. One piece retails for 5 €. You can get a set of 3 for 15 €.

L’Oréal Botanicals Fresh Care Geranium Glow-Elixir

A perfect fit, considering the fact that I received shampoo and conditioner from Botanicals Fresh Care in my previously unboxed Barabara Box! The product comes in a spraying bottle and contains oil from Geranium, soy and coconut to help your hair fix its glow. The products from Botanicals are without parabens, silicons and dyes. The spray can be used on toweldry hair or in between. It retails for 9 €.

Avon Mark. Gel Shine Nail Enamel

This nail polish from Avon gives your nails a gel-look without the need of an UV lamp. The shade “Fabulous” is a dark pink, perfect for summer. There are 33 colors available for the Mark. Gel Shine Nail Enamels.

Vandini Hydrating Face Mask

This Face Mask containing hyaluronic acid and caviar helps to retain hydration of the skin and makes your skin smoother and plumped. Each sachet can be used for two applications. I haven’t tried products from Vandini yet but I’ve heard good things about it. Looking forward to try this mask. This mask retails for 6€.

Let’s turn to the fashion and accessories products from the box:

Rapunzel of Sweden Magic Rubberbands

I love these kind of curly hairbands. And since you never can have enough hairbands I was super happy to see 5 colors of these included in the box. The brand Rapunzel of Sweden was new to me, but they are popular for hair extensions in Sweden. The set of 5 retails for 3.99€.

Levi’s Pins

Levi’s is not only a brand for denim, but also do they now offer pins. After the comeback of patches on clothing pins seem to be the next big thing to decorate your favourite jacket. The box included two pins from Levi’s.

Flamingo Luggage Tag

Another of my favourites from this box: I love this flamingo luggage tag. It was my perfect companion during my travel and I had it attached to my suitcase all time during the weeks in Mexico.

The food item in the summer box was Corn Chico Popcorn Magic Mix. I love popcorn, and this one was no exception and gone in a minute :D

What I really like about the InStyle Box is the versatility and the thorough magazine with the information. The magazine also includes a bunch of coupons for various online shops and even a Starbucks Coupon. The box really has a great value for its price. The Box is available on shop.instyle.de for 29.90€ and comes with 3 e-paper versions of the InStyle magazine. The InStyle Box is released every three months.

What are your thoughts on the products from this box? Let me know in the comments below :)

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 https://shop.instyle.de/ and www.tracdelight.com which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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Review: Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop

26. July 2017

// PR SAMPLE // KBEAUTY //

When the Korean brand Klairs launched their first anti-aging product some time ago I was kindly offered a bottle of the Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop for reviewing purpose by Wishtrend. As I have stated more than one time I really appreciate the products from this brand and so far they never have failed me and some have become steady companions in my skincare. As you can guess, with my age I’m also interested in anti-aging, apart from caring for my dry skintype. It is really exciting to see what direction Klairs goes with their first product targeting aging skin.

Klairs is a Korean brand which is eco-friendly, producing products which are animal-testing-free, alcohol-free, paraben-free, artificial-color-free and recently they are vegan, too. Their products address 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 Midnight Blue Cream, which both convinced me in their effects. I also love the Klairs Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner, which by the way has been updated and improved. Their saying “Simple but Enough” really nails it and I think that many people will agree in that point with me.

The Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop is a night serum containing the peptides EGF (rh-Oligopeptide-1) and bFGF (RH-Polypeptide-1) to target aging skin. The serum is made with only 10 core ingredients and without the use of purified water and acts as a high concentration/ high strength delay aging serum.

The key ingredients are the two peptides, EGF and FGF. What are these two and what do they actually do for our skin? EGF is the short-term for Epidermal Growth Factor. In the ingredients list you will find it as oligopeptide-1. The EGF targets specific receptors in the cell (EGFR) and is the necessary molecule for this receptor in order to work. From the name you can already tell that it promotes the cell growth, so it is important for our body, since dying and growing cells are a regular process in our body.

Short excursus: It is important to note the difference between the receptor and the EGF: EGF is not carcenogenic! Mutations in cells can cause overexpression of the EGFR for example, which means we have too many of these receptors in our cells, which can lead to uncontrolled growth of cells, means cancer. Other proteins can put the EGFR in a permanent on-state, which leads to uncontrolled growth of cells aswell.

FGF is the short term for Fibroblast Growth Factor and this peptide plays a role in wound healing of the skin. The FGFs play an important role for the so-called Fibrobasts. Fibroblasts are cells that produce collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastin.

Apart from the lipids there are some other ingredients in this serum. Here is the full ingredients list:

RH-Oligopeptide- 1, RH-Polypeptide- 1, Butylene Glycol, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Chlorphenesin, Guaiazulene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine

As you see the list is very short and does focus on the essentials. It contains castor oil, blueberry fruit extract and adenosine. Also, it has a light blue color which is the result of the Guaiazulene. This was also an ingredient in the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream. You can check the list via COSDNA, too.

Here you can see the light color inside the attached dropper in the cap of the brown bottle. The bottle is small containing only 20 ml, but you only need few drops each night. The best way is to apply it after cleansing the skin and before applying any products containing oil/lipids.

The liquid has a texture like water and reminds me of First Essences. It absorbs very fast and feels like nothing on the skin. Yet, the skin feels soft and smooth after applying. The product is scentfree, too. At least I didn’t have the feeling that it had any specific scent.

All in all it seems to be a nice product to start your skincare routine. As said, it is hard to say how effective peptides act when applied topically, even when they are applied as first product after cleansing. Somehow, the serum still has a good effect on the skin and makes it feel soft. I don’t think that it will reduce any existing wrinkles though. I love the fact of the very short ingredients list, reduced to the essential components.

If you are curious about this serum, too, it retails for 30.00 US$ and is available at Wishtrend. You will find all the information about the I’m from Ginseng Serum >>here<<. Also keep in mind the friend-referral program from Wishtrend: You can receive a 5 Us$ referral coupon if you use my invitation code 17939205 upon registration and you’ll receive this voucher immediately. There will be a specific field in your registration form called “friends invitation program” where you can put the code mentioned above. This way new customers can safe 5 US$ which is a great possibility to safe some money. also, Wishtrend has a Free-Shipping Area, were you can find products that can be bought with free shipping. Check out my post on the current Wishtrend Coupons. Until end of July you can try out the new I’m from Magnolia Wake Essence for FREE (you only have to pay the shipping costs) with the code >> IMFROMJULY <<!

What is your opinion on peptides for anti-aging purpose? Do you use any products containing EGF or other peptides?

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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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beauty beauty boxes Glossybox PR Sample

Unboxing: Glossybox June 2017

25. July 2017

// PR SAMPLE // BEAUTY // UNBOXING //

I have a lot of unboxings in the next time, so i hope you won’t get too bored… I’m a bit late on this box though. Here is my unboxing of the German Glossybox for June 2017:

As mostly, the Glossybox comes in its signature pale pink box and is beautifully packed inside with a ribbon. It contains the so-called Glossy Magazine for the month of box containing all the information about the products that were added in the boxes.

The topic of the Glossybox June 2017 was “Salsa Summer Nights”. The products of this box were dedicated to passion and enjoyment of life during hot summer nights. Usually, Glossybox contains 5 products, but extras are added aswell. Let’s see what was inside:

Luxie Onyx Noir Small Contouring Face Brush 512 (full-size, 20.60 € /pc)

I’m always happy about makeup brushes! And since I do not have a descent contouring brush this one was perfect for me. This brush is paraben-free and vegan and has very fine and soft bristles. The price is really steep, so without the Glossybox I would probably never had considered buying it.

Catrice ICONails Gel Lacquer 05 (full-size, 2.99 € / 10.5 ml)

I was curious about the new nail polishes from Catrice the last time I was in the drugstore. I didn’t buy any and lucky as I am here is one of them…and in my favoruite nail polish color, too! Love the shade, but I haven’t tested it yet. It promises to last 7 days long without top coat and contains Acai oil.

Rausch Hairspray strong aerosol (4.80 € / 75 ml)

The brand Rausch is known for herbal cosmetics from Switzerland. This hair spray is supposed to have a pleasant scent and not be sticky. Also it is easy to brush out. I haven’t used it yet.

Ciaté London Fierce Flicks Eyeliner (full-size, 18.00 € / 1,7 ml)

My favourite product of this box! I love brush pen eyeliner and I was thinking about testing the one from Ciaté previously. I’m so happy it was part of this box, and together with the red nail polish it really brings some Salsa vibes. The brush tip is easy to use and is really pigmented. Love it!

Invisibobble Nano (full-size, 3.95 € / 3 pc)

These are the tiny versions of the regular Invisibobble hair ties. I like those kinds of hair ties and the small versions will be useful for smaller braids. Looking forward to use them, a pitty though they are not black or brown :D .

This time two extra goodies were added:

Quickcap Beauty (Bottle and 1 cap, 21.90 € / Set (7 Caps + bottle)

The concept of Quickcap are special caps containing supplements to add to your water. The box contained a bottle and one cap from the beauty range., tasting of peach and promising the stimulation of collagen production. when looking at the ingredients list it is moistly a mix of tea and plant extracts. Nothing special. I doubt that it has any effect on collagen production and also I do not like the idea of producing more waste by using a new cap each time, apart from the high price on top. This product is not my cup of tea after all.

L’Oréal Hydra Genius Aloe Water

A sample of this new hydrating toner by L’Oréal was added,t oo. I’m curious about it and so I’m happy about this goodie :)

The products in this box were nicely selected and there were some highlights for me. What I didn’t like that much was the beauty drink Quickcaps. Apart from the taste and price it is a lot of waste which is produced by products like that. It is better to make your own beauty water by putting some herbs and fruits into plain water and drink it. I doubt that drinks like that show much of an effect. Anyways, since it was a goodie it is fine, too. Also, I do not use hair spray very often (Rausch), but apart of these two products I love all the others. The nail polish has a beautiful cilor, the eyeliner pen is awesome and the mini invisibobbles are great. And who doen’t love to receive a good quality makeup brush either?!

How do you like the content of the June Box?

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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 https://www.glossybox.de/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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