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Review: Swanicoco Bio Ferment F Fermentation Snail Care Skintoner and Emulsion

7. December 2017

// PR SAMPLE / AFFILIATE LINKS / KBEAUTY //

Two things that always get my attention in skin care products are fermented ingredients and snail secretion filtrate. I love both of these in my skin care products and I feel that they do the trick on my skin to make it happy all over. 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, including the Swanicoco Bio Ferment F Fermentation Snail Care Skintoner and Emulsion.

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 Bio Ferment F Fermentation Snail Care Skintoner and Emulsion is a perfect basic skin care combination. It is hypo-allergenic, has soothing and calming properties. The combination of fermented ingredients and snail secretion filtrate helps to recover the skin and transit to a new skin care routine. It recovers and provides sufficient moisture to the skin. Snail Secretion filtrate claims to be rich in hyaluronic acid and antioxidants and thus help our skin to regenerate stimulating the formation of collagen, elastin and dermal components that repair the signs of photoaging. Also, it claims to minimize the damage generated by free radicals that are responsible for premature skin aging (there is a wikipedia entry for snail mucus, too). The snail mucus is not obtained by harming the snails, but it is collected is so-called snail farms. Ferment filtrate is nutrients-rich. It contains many vitamins, amino acids and proteins and helps to improve the moisture level of the skin.

Swanicoco Bio Ferment F Fermentation Snail Care Skintoner

The Swanicoco Bio Ferment F Fermentation Snail Care Skintoner is a hydrating and soothing gel-type toner. It comes in a large bottle containing 120 ml and will last you for quite some time. The hard plastic packaging has the typicxal packaging we are used to from Swanicoco: simple with many information and a kind of medical/science-y design. The toner has a milky color and a floral scent. It absorbs fast though and fells refreshing on the skin. After application the skin feels hydrated and plumped and feels nice upon touch.

The ingredients of the toner are listed below and you can also check the ingredients via Skincarisma.

ingredients: Water, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Water, Aspergillus/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract, rh-Oligopeptide-1, Saccharomyces/Asparagus Cochinchinensis Root/Lycium Chinense Root/Ophiopogon Japonicus Root/Panax Ginseng Root/Poria Cocos/Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Ferment Filtrate, Bacillus/Cordyceps Sinensis/Ganoderma Lucidum/Inonotus Obliquus/Lentinus Edodes/Phellinus Linteus/Schizophyllum Commune/Tricholoma Matsutake Extract Ferment Filtrate, Saussurea Involucrata Extract, Saccharomyces/Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Imperata Cylindrica Root Ferment Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 60, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Ceramide 1, Carbomer, Arginine, Rosa Centifolia Flower Oil, Magnolia Kobus Bark Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Thujopsis Dolabrata BRANCH Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Leaf Extract

Apart from snail secretion filtrate and fermented ingredients the toner also contains licorice extract, collagen, hyaluronic acid, ginseng extract, and so many more ingredients worth mentioning!

Swanicoco Bio Ferment F Fermentation Snail Care Emulsion

The Swanicoco Bio Fement F Fermentation Snail Care Emulsion has similar properties as the toner and many of the same ingredients. The two products work perfectly together, and also the emulsion comes in an identical bottle packaging containing 120 ml. You have to look and read what’s on the bottle if you have both. I sometimes grabbed blindly and reached out for the emulsion first, before having used the toner. The emulsion is a light textured cream, which is perfect as daily moisturizer, leaving no greasiness or traces after application. It has the same scent as the toner.

You can find the ingredients listed below and they are also included in Skincarisma:

Water, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Water, Aspergillus/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Stearic Acid, Lactobacillus/Bambusa Vulgaris Shoot Extract/Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract/Luffa Cylindrica Fruit Extract/Morus Alba Root Extract/Pueraria Lobata Root Extract Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract, Human Oligopeptide-1, Saccharomyces/Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Imperata Cylindrica Root Ferment Extract, Saussurea Involucrata Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 60, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Ceramide 1, Carbomer, Arginine, Saccharomyces/Lycium Chinense Fruit/Rehmannia Glutinosa Root/Cuscuta Chinensis Fruit/Cistanche Deserticola/Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit/Chrysanthemum Morifolium Fruit/Poria Cocos/ Cinnamomum Cassia Ferment, Rosa Centifolia Flower Oil, Magnolia Kobus Bark Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Thujopsis Dolabrata BRANCH Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract

Also here the ingredients are mainly targeting moisturizing and soothing the skin. The main difference between the toner and the emulsion in my opinion lies in the fermented extracts which are either from Saccharomyces, Lactobacillus, Aspergillus, or Bacillus.

I love how great the Swanicoco Bio Ferment F Fermentation Snail Care Emuslion and Skintoner work together! They both provide moisture and are soothing and therefore perfect for stressed skin. Nevertheless, both products contain so many great ingredients, that they also have properties that support the elasticity and nutrition of the skin. I can imagine that this is perfect for recovering stressed skin and for a transition into a new skin care routine. I also really like the huge packaging contains 120 ml each. This will make sure to last for a while. Unfortunately, both look very similar in their design, so you have to look properly what you are grabbing. My skin worked well with these two products and I didn’t experience any negative reactions. Still, everyone’s skin might react differently, so in case you will be trying out these products, please do a patch test before starting to use it, just to be sure. You can also find Swanicoco products at Beautytap (formerly W2Beauty). The toner and the emulsion retail for 15 US$ right now each.

You can also use these coupon codes until end of 2017 for a discount:

berriesholiday: 30% off of Swanicoco, SanDaWha, Eclado, Cellnco, Romand, Moksha, La Bellona, 107 Oneoseven and Oseque

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 MeMeBox PR Sample review

Review: Oolu Orchid Emulsion and Toner

13. November 2016

Let’s continue with the reviews for the wonderful brand Oolu by Dr. OhKims: Today I’ll share my impressions with the Oolu Orchid Emulsion and Toner! First of all, who else loves orchids? Such a beautiful and exotic flower which is great in retaining nutrients and water and thus it is also popular in skincare. The Oolu Orchid Emulsion and Toner, which were sent to me by MeMeBox uses these flowers as key ingredients for their skincare here:

Oolu is a sister brand of Whamisa. If you know Whamisa you might already have thought about the resemblance in their packaging design and style. Both products are belonging to Dr. Ohkims Cosmetics. That is why both brands are focussing on natural cosmetic products and especially fermented plant extracts. The description for this brand stated at MeMeBox says:

“When plastic surgeons from Korea, the world’s leading nation in plastic surgery, create an organic skincare line, everyone ought to take note. The doctors behind Oolu, by Ohkims Cosmetic, believe natural beauty is the best beauty, so they curated choice floral leaves that help strengthen skin’s self-regenerating powers. A 1,656-hour fermentation process from selection to blending and steeping maximizes the natural benefits of these organic ingredients. Then the premium products, from toning mists to mask packs, are hand-made to ensure the highest quality. As they say, true beauty takes patience.”

I received a whole bunch of products from Oolu but I didn’t want to fit them all in one post, instead I divide the post into three parts starting with the Oolu Moisture Liquids, which I reviewed a couple of days ago and now continuing with the Oolu Orchid Emusion and Toner. Again, both products are beautifully packed in flowery cardboard boxes. The products themselves come in plastic bottles with metal screwing caps.

What makes Oolu cosmetics so special is that the key ingredient is preserved in the fluid products. For the Oolu Moisture Liquids there were jasmine and rose petals and blossoms inside the bottles. Here the Oolu Orchid Toner contains one single Orchid Flower. It is so pretty to look at! Also, the ingredients used in Oolu Cosmetics are Ecocert and from organic origin and they are free from animal testing!

Oolu Orchid Toner

Of course the signature color for the Oolu Orchid Emulsion and Toner is purple. The Oolu Orchid Toner is a liquid solution, almost like water with a light purple color. Toner is used after cleansing the face. You spread a bit into your palms or onto a cotton pad and pat it into your damp skin. I usually use my hands instead of a cotton pad, so I can benefit from the warms of my hands. The product tends to absorb more quickly then. The ingredients of the Oolu Orchid Toner are:

Orchid Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Helichrysum Italicum (Everlasting) Flower Extract, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Leaf Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Bellis Perennis (Daisy) Flower Extract, Lilium Tigrinum Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Orchid Flower, Adenosine, Rosewood Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Brassica Oleracea Capitata (Cabbage) Leaf Extract, Beet Root Red

You can check the ingredients on COSDNA, too. According to COSDNA all the ingredients are safe to use and green-labelled. As I said before, the ability of orchids to retain moisture and nutrition makes it a great ingredient for anti-aging and strengthening the skin’s barrier. Additionally, the Oolu Orchid Toner contains Hyraluronic Acid and Glycerin for providing the skin with moisture. Moreover, the toner features a bunch of plant extracts and oils. This is why the toner doesn’t feel like water, although it is a runny liquid. The oils make it feel richer and it feels more nourishing on the skin, but doesn’t make it greasy. In contrast to the Oolu Moisture Liquids the Oolu Orchid Toner doesn’t contain alcohol. The scent of the product is mild and flowery.

Oolu Orchid Emulsion

The emulsion also features the signature color of the Oolu Orchid line, which is a purple color. The Oolu Orchid Emulsion is a lotion-type, light cream. It has a more runny texture than thick creams and is perfect for daily moisturizing. It is used after the toner. If you have serums and essences you should use them after the toner but before the emulsion. The ingredients of the emulsion are listed below:

Orchid Extract, Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Oil, Rice Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Leaf Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Shea Butter, Sorbitan Olivate, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Cetearyl Olivate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Adenosine, Rosewood Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Brassica Oleracea Capitata (Cabbage) Leaf Extract, Beet Root Red

You can check the ingredients via COSDNA for their properties. According to COSDNA there are three potential irritants included, which are Cetearyl Alcohol, Jojoba Oil and Apricot Oil. If you know that you react to these ingredient make sure to patch test before you use them. Apart from this all the ingredients are safe to use and green labelled. Also here, the key ingredient is orchid extract with its anti-aging and smoothing properties. Additionally you will find mostly plant extracts and oils in the ingredients list. Although the texture of the lotion is very liquid and light it needs more patience until it absorbs into the skin. It needs a couple of extra rubs and pats as I discovered. Once it absorbs it doesn’t leave the skin sticky or greasy but simply hydrated. It has a pleasant flowery scent.

For the Oolu Orchid Emulsion and Toner I can say that both products are really nice. I love the fact that Oolu cosmetics uses natural and organic ingredients and mostly plant extracts. I also love their packaging, especially their cardboard box, design and the idea of the flowers in the solutions. I especially like the toner here, because it contains the oils and feels nice and smooth on the skin. In contrast to the Oolu Moisture Liquids it doesn’t contains alcohol either, pure essences and extracts instead, which is lovely! The emulsion has the downside that it really takes a bit longer to absorb and to rub it into the skin. Once it is absorbed it feels nice though! My second downside for the emulsion is the bottle. I hate it when emulsions come in bottles like this! I always prefer pump containers here! It makes it so much easier to use…Both products are available from MeMeBox for 28 US$.

What do you think of Oolu Cosmetics so far? Would you like to try them?

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

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asian cosmetics beauty review Wishtrend

Review: CosRX Oil-Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion

11. April 2016

//KBEAUTY / SKINCARE / AFFILIATE LINKS //

Everytime CosRX releases a new product the whole asian beauty lover community seems to be freaking out with joy and looking forward to get their hands on it as quickly as possible. And no doubt, most of the products I tried from this brand are worth to be repurchased and additionally are really budget-friendly. So, no wonder when the CosRX Oil-Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion was launched a couple of weeks ago I was determined to buy it.

CosRX is an affordable Korean brand “offering good quality beauty items for 10 years”. The brand name is composed of Cos for cosmetics and RX for prescription. Brand like Ciracle and C20 (yes, the famous vitamin C serum) are also part of COSRX. One of the rather popular skincare lines from COSRX are the AHA/BHA skincare products. Their products feature key ingredients which show a visible effectively and a simple no-frills design. On top the prices of their products is affordable compared to similar products with the similar ingredients. I tried quite some CosRX products in the past and I will make a quick list of them at the end of the post (and I have still a bunch of products from this brand waiting to be tested, too!).

Going back to the CosRX Oil-Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion, the name drew me in for two reasons: the first one is the part about ‘oil-free’. With summer approaching here (very slowly of course-today morning it is still 4°C…) the skin will be more oily that usual, even for my dry skin my T-zone gets shiny during summer. In order to avoid any additional greasyness an oil-free product is of course a perfect solution! The second part is the ‘Ultra Moisturizing’ which assumes that it still contains the moisture needed for my dry skin overall.

The packaging of the CosRX ist simple as usual, still the pump bottle has a frosted material, which makes it look elegant on the other side. The bottle cones in a cardboard box with detailed English and Korean descriptions, so the ingrediento are also listed on COSDNA.

I use this emulsion and I add a second moisturizing cream on top, or at night I pair it with a sleeping cream. The emulsion has a milky almost balm-like texture with a fresh citrus scent. It disolves like a gel and leaves a fresh and moist feeling and is not greasy, as expected. The key ingredient birch sap has skin conditioning properties and leaves the skin satin-like and smooth, but hyaluronic acid, panthenol, and some other ingredients act moisturizing. I need some pumps of this emulsion to satisfyingly cover my face. I can imagine that this amount of hydration is enough for normal and oily skintypes. I still need some more moisturizers oin top. I still hope that this will be suited to wear on its own in summer. The product is also mild and doesn’t irritate the skin. I had some irritations on my cheeks some weeks ago because of the cold weather and my hot showers, and many products seem to leave a light burning sensation, but the CosRX Oil-Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion worked perfectly fine luckily.

The CosRX Oil-Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion is a good emulsion which will be widely loved by oily and normal skintypes. If you like citrus scents you will like this product even more. The fresh scent and the hydration effect combined with no greasy feeling makes this product a perfect buy for summer-time. The bottle contains 100 ml and retails for 20 US$ from Wishtrend and Beautytap. I have included this emulsion tightly into my skincare routines and I’m happy my skin likes it although it is having some problems with irritations at the moment.

Don’t forget to check out my post for current discounts and coupon codes >>here<<!

Here are my other reviews of CosRX products:

COSRX Propolis Light Ampule

COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum

COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner

COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch

Did you try the CosRX Oil-Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion? Leave me a comment below :)

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asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: SNP Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Set Part 1

21. December 2015

There is something about oriental ornaments that makes one think about something super luxurious and high quality directly…Please, let’s just appreciate this packaging design of SNP Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Set for a moment! This skin care set contains all the products you need for an elaborate skin care routine from cleanser to essence. I divided this post into two parts. The first part is about the cleanser, skin and emulsion, whereas the second part will be about the eye cream, cream and essence.

SNP is a Korean brand developed by dermatologists and focusing on the creation of functional cosmetics combined with the knowledge of scientific cosmetic research. You may have heard from this brand before, mainly because of their sheet masks. I’m also a big fan of their hydrogel eye patches! But I never tried a full skin care set of this brand which makes it even more exciting to try out this beautiful set!

The products come in a ornamented gift box and if you open the box the inside looks even more breathtaking! All the products are embedded in a red fabric. This looks like a perfect present for any cosmetics lover! The set consists of the SNP Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Skin, SNP Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Emulsion, the SNP Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Essence, SNP Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Cream, and SNP Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Eye Cream. The skin and emulsion also come in an additional travel size. Also, there is a plastic spatula for the cream.

All the products contain 7 different herbal ingredients such as wild ginseng, a kind of figwort, a kind of sage plant, sophora root, codonopsis, pilose bellflower and leguminosae. All these plant extracts are put through a 2-step fermentation process to gain the so-called extract “seonsu”, which is also known as “miraculous water”. Seonsu is a patented herbal fermented solution which supplies nourishment to the skin and maintains health. The skin care line is designed to have anti-aging benefits. The order of use for the products is like this:

Cleansing Foam -> Toner -> Essence -> Lotion -> Cream -> Eye Cream

SNP Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Cleansing Foam

The cleansing foam is a hypoallergenic foam that effectively eliminates wastes and excessive sebum. It creates a rich, soft foam with more than enough bubbles. The cleansing foam comes in a regular tube. The product has a creamy, shiny consistency. Mixed with water the pH is around 8, which is slightly alkaline, so if you have problems with cleansers with high pH this one is not the right cleanser for you. For me it doesn’t really change anything, whether the pH is high or low because usually I use an pH adjusting toner afterwards. But, I must say that the more alkaline the cleanser is the more drying it can leave the skin, so it would not be my first choice to be honest. The cleansing performance is okay, but it is not an ideal makeup remover. As you can see below it does get rid of powders, bb cream and mascara, but it has problems with lip products. The ingredients of the SNP Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Cleansing Foam are:

Glycerin, Water, Potassium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Peg-8, Lauric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Polyquaternium-7, Fragnance, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Fruit extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, C14-C22Alcohol, Squalane, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Triethylhexanoin, Soy Isoflavones, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Butylospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Arachidyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Pueraria Mirifica Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Cimicfuga Dahurica Root Extract, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Dimethicone, Ceramide 3, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Carbomer, Cholesterol, Tromethamine, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Aspergillus Ferment, Scrophularia Buergeriana Extract, Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract, Codonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Codonopsis

The ingredients are marked mostly green on COSDNA, but there are some potential acne triggers, too. Please check out >>here<<.

SNP Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Skin and SNP Za Aryeon Eun Yoon Emulsion

The emulsion and the skin (or toner) are also based on herbal ingredients, like the whole line. The two products come in beautiful bottles of hard plastic. They are quite large, but not too heavy in the hand. It is really nice that the set comes with two smaller travel-sized bottles for the emulsion and the skin, since it would be really inconvenient to take along the larger bottles with you. The bottles have both regular openings. For the toner it is no problem to pour it out like that, but I can imagine that it will be difficult for the emulsion when it gets more empty over the time. A pump or a bottle which can be squeezed would be better suited for emulsions.

The skin/ toner has a liquid, watery consistency and an herbal scent. It absorbs fast and feels refreshing. The ingredients are:

Water, Glycerin, Methyl Gluceth-20, Alcohol, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl silane, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Trehalose, Panthenol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crossploymer, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, Fragnance, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Aspergillus Ferment, Scrophularia Buergeriana Extract, Salvia Miltorrhiza Root Extract, Codonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Codonopsis Pilosula Root Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Fruit Extract, C14-C22Alcohol, Squalane, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Triethylhexanoin, Soy Isoflavones, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii, Arachidyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Pueraria Mirifica Root Extract, Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Cimicifuga Dahurica Root Extract, Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Dimethicone, Ceramide 3, Carbomer, Peg-100 Stearate

According to COSDNA there are two red flagged ingredients, which are Alcohol and Triethanolamine. The other ingredients are mostly green flagged. Again, there are some potential acne triggers and irritants, so be sure to patch-test in advance. Other than that the toner does quite a good job as first step of the skin care routine. It refreshes the skin, which may be a bit dry because of the cleansers used. The damp skin makes it easier for the following steps to penetrate the skin.

The emulsion has a lotion like texture. A light cream which is not too heavy or rich and suited perfectly for oily skintypes, or for wearing it at daytime, if the emulsion plus the cream is too much for the skin. It has the same herbal scent as the toner. The ingredients are:

Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Triethylhexanoin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Trigylceride, Hydrogenated C6-14 Olefin Polymers, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Peg-100 Stearate, Trehalose, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Butyrospermum Parkii, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Palmitic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Carbomer, C14-C22Alcohol, Squalane, Xanthan Gum, Triethanolamine, Panthenol, Fragnance, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Adenisine, Arachidyl Glucoside, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Aspergillus Ferment, Scrophularia Buergeriana Extract, Salvia Miltorrhiza Root Extract, Codonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Codonopsis Pilosula Root Extract, Beta-Glucan, Ceramide 3, Cholesterol, Tromethamine, Cucurbita Pepo Fruit Extract, Soy Isoflavones, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Pueraria Mirifica Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Cimicifuga Dahurica Root Extract, Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Punica Granatum Extract

According to COSDNA Triethanolamine is the only red labelled ingredient. As before the others are mainly green labelled with some potential acne triggers and irritants. The emulsion absorbs quickly into the skin and doesn’t leave any greasyness or heavy feeling. It makes the skin soft on the same time and gives it some moisture.

From these three products the emulsion is my favourite so far. Of course the design of the whole box is awesome and it will make the most beautiful gift for someone. If we look closer at the ingredients we mainly spot a whole bunch of different plant extracts. The products all contain fragrance, but the scent is a herbal one. I had to get used to it at first, but that is typical for most products with oriental medicine inspired ingredients. In the next part I will take a closer look at the cream, eye cream and the essence. So far, I hope this review was helpful! By the way, the whole set retails for a proud 160000 Won (around 160 US$)!

This product was provided to me by BNTnews for reviewing. Don’t forget to visit the other BNTGirls Kim, Bella, Mary, Celine, Alene, Joanne, Chermaine,Mitha, and Blair and check out their reviews for the August BNT Beauty Box. And visit BNTnews for the latest Korean news and trends:

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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.bntnews.co.uk/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

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asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: May Coop Raw Sauce

29. July 2015

I’m super excited to review the May Coop Raw Sauce today, which was featured in ‘Get it Beauty’ by Secret’s Song Ji Eun. This is my first time trying a product from May Coop, but apparently this brand is getting more and more attention lately. Time to take a closer look at this toner, emulsion and essence 3 in 1 product:

As I said above, the Korean brand May Coop is really new to me and until it was featured in ‘Get it Beauty’. I had never heard from that brand before. It seems it is a more high end brand according to the very beautiful packaging and the materials used. It also seems that they are focusing on natural ingredients.

The May Coop Raw Sauce is a multifunctional essence that combines the effects of a toner, an essence and a emulsion/lotion in one. Unlike most cosmetic items that are made of water, this one contains acer maple water instead. It is quite a trend in Korea right now to use products containing other liquids as replacement for water. The description of the product packaging says acer maple water, but the translation of the ingredient list says maple sap. I think they mean the maple xylem sap, because 93 % maple sap/ syrup would be super sticky and sugary. You can find the ingredients on COSDNA. Apart from a whole bunch of plant ingredients it sadly contains alcohol. So if you have sensitive skin be aware of this point. On the other hand, the main ingredient here is maple tree sap, which makes 93 % of the total volume. All the other ingredients fall into the remaining 7 %.

The design of the cardboard box of the May Coop Raw Sauce is like a wooden box. It has the key points of the essence listed on one side, shaped like wooden rings. The features of this multipurpose essence are: Humectant, Nature 701 Complex, Organic Grain extracts, Natural Moisturizing Factor, Eco-cert Certified Fructan, and Acer Maple Water. Maple xylem sap is mainly a watery solution of hormones, mineral elements and other nutrients of the plant. The maple xylem sap is a very effective moisturizer as its rich in glycerin and reinforces skin’s immunity. The similarity to the water molecule size of the skin allows the maple xylem sap to penetrate deaper into the skin than regular water. Another key ingredient seems to be the skin-nourishing fructan powder (eco-cert certified), which is supposed to strengthen the skin.

The May Coop Raw Sauce comes in a 150 ml frosted glass bottle. The cap is from plastic, but has the same wooden pattern as the cardboard box. The bottle comes separately packed in a canvas, which gives it another high-quality touch. the regular drop dispensing opening of the bottle is sealed by a plastic in order to prevent leaking.

The glass has the same description in wooden rings like the cardboard packaging. According to the official site May Coop Raw Sauce fulfills these three points: intensive moist supply, intensive nutrition supply, constantly strengthening. The May Coop Raw Sauce is a watery liquid (a tiny bit thicker than water though), which has a light yellow color. It has a fragrant smell to it, which is stronger than most of the other toner/essences I use atm, but the scent is nice and doesn’t linger long. Apart from that, the May Coop Raw Sauce feels moisturizing, and is not sticky after absorption. although it contains some alcohol it doesn’t feel drying (probably since the amount is not much). Although quite moist and labeled as multi-function product I still use many other products in combination and I do not skip my usual moisturizer. I’ve only used this for 2 weeks so far, so I cannot make any remarks about long-term effects like strengthening, but I think it fits nicely into my skincare routine, doesn’t give me any breakouts and feels like an extra hydration boost for my face.

I enjoyed trying the May Coop Raw Sauce very much and I’m happy it found a place in my skincare routine. I yet don’t know if I will repurchase it again and if it will replace any of my other steps in future, but it will be used up to the end for sure. The May Coop Raw Sauce is available at Peach and Lily for 42.00 US$ or at Koreadepart for 38.27 US$. From the official May Coop page you’ll find it listed for 36000 Won. Although it is a multi-purpose product it is more on the expensive side. On the other hand, the detailed packaging and material makes up for the price. Also the volume is more than enough to last for a long time, since not much product is needed. So probably, it will take some time before I’ve used up this precious product.

This product was provided to me by BNTnews for reviewing. Don’t forget to visit the other BNTGirls Mary, Celine, Alene, Joanne, Chermaine, Faith, Mitha, Laura and Blair and check out their reviews for the July BNT Beauty Box. And visit BNTnews for the latest Korean news and trends:

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♥ And if you have time please visit my post about the July Japan Candy Box. There is even a giveaway where you can win a Japan Candy Box for yourself ♥

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

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asian cosmetics beauty review Wishtrend

Review: Pongdang Donkey Milk Emulsion

25. February 2015

You read it in the title, this product contains donkey milk, the key ingredient of Cleopatra’s beauty bath! Pongdang Donkey Milk Emulsion is supposed to be a nutritious moisturiser for all skintypes leaving the skin silky by balancing the moisture and oil on the skin. I’ve been curious to try a donkey milk product since forever- no I’m kidding, actually it was brought to me by the korean beauty industry who started to use this ingredient more often in the past months (?). When I saw that Pongdang has a whole skincare range containing donkey milk I took my chances and ordered the emulsion from Wishtrend.

Pongdang is a Korean brand by people’s. It has a small product range with simple products focussing on the ingredients as it seems to me. They have a webpage >>here<< but it is in Korean. The products have a clean design, which is what was most obvious for me for this brand. You can find their products on Wishtrend.

The Pongdang Donkey Milk Emulsion comes in a surprisingly cute cardboard box. From the images on Wishtrend of the bottle itself I didn’t expect the cardboard box being prettily designed with a donkey illustrated on it. Another surprise for a not internationally well-known brand is the description on the cardboard box which is detailled and not only in Korean, but in English, too, displaying also the ingredients. I checked out the ingredients before I ordered via COSDNA and tis product has a short and good ingredients list. It contains shea butter, various plant oils and donkey milk as main ingredients. Donkey milk is rich in Omega 6, Casein, Hyaluronic Acid, and Betaine which makes it beneficial for skin nourishment and hydration. you will also find all the details on Wishtrend >>here<<.

The emulsion itself comes in a plastic bottle with a simple design. Although the amount in the bottle is huge (it contains 200 ml) the material of the bottle is leightweight and doesnt add much to the weight, which is good.

The back side of the bottle contains some Korean description and some details, displaying again an illustration of a donkey. The expiration date is printed on the bottom of the bottle.

The opening is a simple dispensing hole. You have to squeeze the bottle in order to dispense the product. I think it would be more convenient for such a large volume to have a pump dispenser, like the Pongdang Donkey Milk All-In-One Cream has. There is also a toner from the Pongdang Donkey Milk line! The Pongdang Donkey Milk Emulsion has a milky consistency. It is not a creamy cream and rather light, but not runny like some other emulsions. It has a nice scent. I would describe it as sweet, milky scent. I know the scent reminds me of something, but I don’t know what exactly. I do like the scent- luckily, because lingers quite some time and is strong. The emulsion absorbs quickly and leaves the skin silky soft and is not sticky at all.

The Pongdang Donkey Milk Emulsion retails for 19.99 US$ at Wishtrend. This might sound expensive, but when looking at the size, which is 200 ml, I think that this lasts for a very long time. Most Korean emulsions have 120 ml volume and retail for 15 US$ or even more, depending on the brand. Looking at the volume and the ingredients and also the scent I absolutely love the Pongdang Donkey Milk Emulsion. The application could get easier with a pump bottle though. The only downside I have to remark for this product, or rather the product packaging, is the print on the bottle starts to flake off. The Korean letters for Pongdang on the front are halfway gone already…but this is only a downside of the packaging and not the product itself. I can recommend you to try this product. I can imagine that also people with oily skin might like this, because this emulsion is not heavy or super oily. It also works well with other creams on top since it absorbs fast. I made a post about the promotions from Wishtrend for February >>here<<. Also, keep in mind their friend-referral program: 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.

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asian cosmetics beauty honestskin PR Sample review

Review: Iope Super Vital Cream VIP Kit

15. January 2015

Here is another review from the honestskin Special Gift Event about the Iope Super Vital Cream VIP Kit. This kit comes with 5 products from the Iope Super Vital Extra Moist line, and honestly speaking it is the first Iope skincare line I’m trying. I was really happy therefore, that this kit was part of the gift event I received.

Iope is a Korean high-end brand and part of the Amore Pacific family, similar to other brands like Laneige, Innisfree and Etude House (and many more of the known Korean cosmetic brands). The brand focusses on innovative biological technologies in their cosmetics. Thus their brand image and approach is not cute or girly, but rather mature and scientific. The product packaging reflects this by being elegent and high quality. Also here the Iope Super Vital Cream VIP Kit comes in a golden reflecting cardboard box. It looks very luxurious (but makes photography hard due to reflecting material).

The description on the packaging is not very detailled and it is in Korean only. Probably it lists what kind of products is included in the VIP kit. This set contains 5 products in total: The Super Vital Extra Moist Softner (20 ml), the Super Vital Extra Moist Emulsion (20 ml), the Super Vital Extra Moist Serum (5 ml), the Super Vital Cream Bio Intensive (7 ml), and the Super Vital Extra Moist Eye Cream (3ml). You’ll find some of the ingredients for the products on COSDNA (Softener, Emulsion, Serum, and Cream). Most of the ingredients are green flagged, but you’ll find some irritating ingredients like alcohol, PEG and Triethanol amine. You’ll also find some great ingredients like niacinamide, titanium dioxide, ascorbix acid, and various plant extracts. You’ll also find caffeine in some of the ingredient lists.

The products in this kit are all travel sized and come in a plastic packaging. Unlike the fullsized products, the packaging looks less sturdy and elegant, but still the golden color of all of the products gives it a luxurious touch. The softener and the emulsion do have normal bottle packaging. The serum comes with a pump dispenser. The cream comes in a tiny jar and the eye cream in a tube. It was harder to get ptoduct out of the softener and the emulsion, because the plastic of the bottle is very hard. You have to shake it a couple of times. The pump dispenser also needed a few pumps before the first product could be pumped out. Other than this the packaging was fine. The back side of the tubes, bottles and jars contains a short description in Korean, too.

I swatched the five products on my arm below and as you can see the softener is a liquid toner with a bit of a gel-like structure. It has a soft flowery scent and feels moist on the skin. After a few pats it will absorb and leave your skin soft. The eye cream has a rich creamy texure which melts away on the skin nicely and leaves the skin moisturized and nourished. The eye area feels hydrated for quite a long time. The serum has a gel – like consistency and the same flowery scent as the softener. it has a slight stickiness to itself, but feels also moisturizing. It is not oily after application. The emulsion and the cream are my favourites out of this set. The emulsion has a light milk-type formula. It feels lightweight and yet deeply moisturizing. Actually, although I have dry skin I only use the emulsion during daytime, because it delivers enough moisture especially with the serum in advance. The cream has a butter-like creamy texture and is a VERY rich cream. I’m apllying it during the night and the next morning my skin is still moisturized and my T-zone is even shiny. Both have a very nice flowery scent which I liked a lot.

The Iope Super Vital Cream VIP Kit is very recommended to people with dry to very dry skin. Also people with dull skin will like this. The products in this kit are highly moisturizing and very nourishing. The Super Vital Cream Bio Intensive cream is not recommended for people with oily skin. It made my dry skin oily on the T-zone when I applied it over night. People with super dry skin might love to try this out. The eyecream was rich and hydrating and is great for people with lines. The extra moisture and lipids will make your lines appear finer. If you only have dry lips you might want to try the Laneige Waterbank Eye Gel instead. A downside is the price, of course. Since it is a high end brand the Iope Super Vital Set with the fullsized items (not the travel sized items I showed you here!) retails for 95.34 US$ at honestskin. Before you go ahead and buy the fullsized product I would advise you to look for a trial kit like the one I showed here.

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asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: TheFaceShop Mango Seed Silk Moisturizing Facial Butter, Toner, Emulsion and Exfoliating Clear Smoother

22. February 2014

As you know, I’ve normally dry skin, especially in cold winter. This year’s winter is still quite mild, so luckily my skin is not that sensitive yet. But in any case, I love good moisturizing creams for my skin especially my face. One cream which caught my attention is TheFaceShop Mango Seed Silk Moisturizing Facial Butter, after I saw it on an episode of Get it Beauty, where different moisturizers were being compared. This one was the most loved moisturizing facial cream, so I decided to give it a try and bought a bunch of samples. And since I was really curious about the product, I added the toner, the emulsion (lotion) and exfoliating liquid from the same line.

The design of the Mango Seed Line is made in yellow, which is the color everybody would associate with Mango :D Let’s start off with the main product: The Mango Seed Silk Moisturizing Facial Butter.

The full size product comes in a jar and it is delivered together with a spatula for scooping out the butter.

Special about this product is the consistency of the cream, which has the consistency of butter. Although it seems having a rather solid structure, it melts off easily if it is in contact with the skin. It has a silky and smooth feeling and it leaves the same smoothness on the skin.

The scent is fruity and similar to another Mango product I tried (Nature Republic Fresh Hawaiian Mango Pack, click >>here<< for the review). It absorbs quite quickly into the skin and leaves the skin moisturized in a pleasant way. I had the feeling that the moisture really sunk into the skin and wasn’t lying on top of it, if you know what I mean. And the great thing is, that this feeling was noticeable all day long! Moreover, the facial butter doesn’t leave the skin sticky or greasy at all. I really loved using this facial butter ♥

You can combine the facial butter with the other products from this line, like the Mango Seed Moisturizing Toner, Emulsion (also called Lotion) and the Exfoliating Clear Smoother. All products come in bottles with a pump, which is super convenient to use. The toner has a see-through plastic body.

The toner has two phases: a milky phase and a clear phase, which have to be mixed previously. You can see in the image below that the toner has a milky color after mixing. The scent is the same fruity scent which the butter had. The toner also feels moisturizing on the skin. Probably the milky phase is some kind of lotion providing the moisture.

The emulsion/lotion is a light creamy type emulsion, which is lighter than the facial butter. It is slightly sticky after application, but the stickiness fades away after 1-2 minutes. Also here, the scent is the same, as for the other products of the line.

The last product I bought is the Mango Seed Exfoliating Clear Smoother. You have to use this one after cleansing your face. I put the clear liquid on a cotton pad and wipe it over my face as an additional cleaning step to remove dead cells. The cotton pad did show excess dirt, so I guess it was effective. This one feels also slightly sticky after application, but also here the stickiness fades off after some minutes.

I discovered for my dry skin, that if you use all products together, the skin starts to look a bit greasy. I would recommend the use off all products together only to very dry skin, or people living somewhere, were it is super cold and dry and your face is exposed to that. This is a super moisturizing line for this purpose. If you have oily skin, I would use the toner and the emulsion only, occasionally the exfoliating clear smoother. For dry and normal skin the facial butter in combination with the toner is the best choice in my eyes. Using the Exfoliating Clear Smoother in the evening after cleansing.

This line has a lot of potential if you are looking for moisturizing products. If you are not sure which one or which combination might be the best for you, you should order some samples like I did (I ordered my samples at www.testerkorea.com). I decided to buy the full size jar of the facial butter definitely after I used up my other moisturizers, because I really loved how nice and supple my skin felt all day long. I also used this butter in combination with the Face It Primer Moisture Fitting I reviewed yesterday, and it gave me a super nice finish ♥

You can get all of these products at W2Beauty. The Facial Butter (50 ml) costs US$ 32.23, the Toner (145 ml) costs US$ 24.49, the Lotion (125 ml) costs US$ 25.49 and the Exfoliating Clear Smoother (145 ml) costs US$ 25.49.

My rating for the whole line and especially the facial butter is:

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