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Review: Vivant Skincare Skin Fitness System

9. February 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

Routine in the mornings:

1. Cleansing Milk or Mandelic Acid Wash

2. Rejuv RX Peptide Concentrate

3. Day Treatment Lotion

Routine at night:

1. Mandelic Acid Wash

2. Mandelic Acid Toner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vivant Skincare Rejuv RX Peptide Concentrate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Review: Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum

18. October 2015

Large pores are a skin concern that many of us have, especially with raising age the pores around our nose get more visible. Usually, most people just grab a primer and hide their pores instead of trying skincare products that try to tighten the pores. The Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum is exactly such a serum. It is supposed to have moiosturizing and tightening properties and to make the use of primers unnessesary over time. I was really curious how this serum would work on my pores, too, so I grabbed the chance and tried it myself.

Skinmiso is a Korean brand which is sold on Wishtrend. I tried the Skinmiso Rice Foam Cleanser previously, and it was a good cleansing product, but a bit drying for dry skintypes. The Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum is quite popular product by Skinmiso and I have read a couple of reviews where the serum showed good effects on the pores. The packaging design o Skinmiso products is simple and similar for all their products. They have a white and blue packaging design which looks kind of medical. Also the tiny cross next to the brand logo makes it look like medicine.

On the cardboard box of the Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum you will find mostly Korean, but also some English description. Wishtrend offers the full English description of the product. The ingredients are also listed on Wishtrend and you can find them on COSDNA, too. The Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum contains some irritating ingredients, so be sure to check previously and to patch test before using it regulary.

The Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum comes in a bottle with an included dropper. The bottle contains 30 ml of the product, but you cannot see through the bottle to check the amount of the serum. By holding the bottle against the light you might see a bit of a shadow though. Since it is a serum it is applied after your cleansing step and after toner. After applying the milky colored serum on the target areas you can tap with your fingers until the serum is absorbed. You will feel a tightening effect on your skin. It is recomended to wait 20 minutes after application to see the full effects of the serum.

I’ve used this serum for 2 weeks now and I can definitively say that I feel the tighteining effect it has on the skin. I also think that it gives a good moisture oil balance on the targeted area (I used it mainly on my T-zone and the area around my nose). By looking at my skin before and after the application I cannot see a difference in the size of the pores. Also not after having used it for two weeks. Maybe it takes longer to see visible effects. Nevertheless, since it helps my T-zone to be less shiny during the day I think that especially people with combination or oily skin might like to try this product.

Since I feel a tighteining effect and I like the oil-moisture balance the product delivers I will continue to use the Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum. If I will see any visible changes I will be updating this post. So far I can definitively say that oily skintypes and combination skintypes might like to try our this serum, too. Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum retails at Wishtrend for 32.99 US$. You can check out my posts on the monthly Wishtrend coupons in order to get some extra benefits when shopping on Wishtrend. Also keep in mind theirfriend-referral program: You can receive a 5 Us$ 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.

Do you have any favourite pore treatment product?

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beauty MapleHolistics PR Sample review

Review: MapleHolistics Natural Beauty Products

14. October 2015

I’m so sorry for the being absent in the last couple of days…or weeks, but today I’m back with a new review! :) Actually, here are 3 reviews I will be discussing in this post, all of them dedicated to a couple of really awesome MapleHolistics Natural Beauty Products. It could be especially interesting for those of you looking for products with a short ingredients list consisting only on the necessary…and of course for all of you who love natural beauty products! Upon request by MapleHolistics I was allowed to choose products of interest and they were so kind to send me all the products I was interested in, which were a argan shampoo and conditioner and a vitamin C serum. They were so kind, that they even included a lip balm on top! Since I really do like all of the products and I’ve been testing them very thoroughly I can really recommend you to keep on reading and maybe also take a look at the range of products by MapleHolistics.

MapleHolistics is a US based beauty company that has been around for the past few years. They develop and manufacture their own all natural cosmetics, which is also animal cruelty free, and focus mainly on shampoos and conditioners. Nevertheless, you will spot some skincare and bath and body products on their web page, too. I decided to do a review about the Argan Oil Shampoo and the Argan Oil Conditioner. Argan Oil is one of my favorite haircare ingredients, since it makes my hair less frizzy and manageable. I love the Argan oil products from Confume, for example and I’m using them almost daily. I also chose the Vitamin C Serum by MapleHolistics. I was drawn to this serum by the short and really good ingredients lists here. And last but not least I received a Acai Berry Lip Balm on top.

I’ll start of with the Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner: MapleHolistics Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner is designed for men and women. It comes in a red plastic bottle with a simple design. Some illustrations on the label make it still look appealing. Since the bottle of the shampoo and the conditioner is both red, the difference of the two products lies in the color of the label, which is red/brownish for the shampoo and white in case of the conditioner. Also the consistency of the products is different: The shampoo is more runny and has a milky color whereas the conditioner is a white balm product. The scent of the Argan Oil Shampoo and the Conditioner is very subtle and not heavily perfumed at all. In order to dispense the shampoo you can press the cap. This kind of bottle is convenient if you are traveling.

All the MapleHolistics Natural Beauty Products I received came with a information card. The card lists the effect of the key ingredients, but there is a full ingredients list on the label of the bottles, too. Here are the key ingredients of the shampoo as listed on the web page of MapleHolistics:

Argan: Also known as ‘Moroccan Oil’ and one of the rarest oils in the world, argan helps supply shine and a healthy look to hair with its abundance of vitamin E, carotene and essential fatty acids.

Peach Kernel: Contributes valuable regenerative and moisturizing properties, and is great for sensitive skin.

Jojoba: As it closely resembles sebum naturally produced by the scalp, jojoba is one of the skincare industry’s most favored ingredients and has a host of therapeutic properties.

Avocado: Enriches the formula with its high vitamin content, which includes vitamins A, B1, B2, D, and E.

Camellia Seed: Nourishes the complexion and helps condition the scalp, while providing healthy antioxidants to rejuvenate hair and scalp alike.

Almond: An excellent moisturizer,which is rich in proteins, olein glyceride, linoleic acid and vitamin D to help soothe dry and irritated areas on the scalp.

Botanical Keratin: Keratin is a family of fibrous structural proteins, which contribute to the composition of hair. As it is essential to hair’s formation, insufficient quantities of keratin may be a contributing factor to having frizzy and unmanageable hair. This naturally derived ingredient helps to replenish the ideal keratin content for strong, durable hair.

Honey and Vanilla: With their light and sweet fragrances, these ingredients enrich the formula for a balanced and soothing experience.

The Argan Oil Conditioner has these key ingredients listed additionally, apart from Argan Oil and Jojoba Oil

Shea Butter and Green Tea: These helpful ingredients are fast-absorbing and commit moisturizing qualities to dry and delicate hair strands. Shea butter, in particular, contains vitamins A and E, making it an excellent natural moisturizer for the hair. It locks in moisture without leaving the hair greasy or heavy. Green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which strengthens hair roots, activates hair follicles and promotes hair growth.

Pomegranate, Hibiscus and Sea Buckthorn: Certified blend assists in repairing damaged hair follicles to revitalize healthy, flowing hair. Pomegranate contains ellagic acid, which prevents the moisture in the hair from drying out. Hibiscus (“the flower of hair care”) helps prevent dryness, dullness, and hair damage. It also prevents problems like dandruff, split ends, and premature graying. Sea buckthorn, on the other hand, contains high levels of Omega 3, 6, 7, and 9, as well as vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K that promote healthy skin and hair.

Both products work great on my hair and although the Argan Oil Shampoo is sulphate free it leathers up really nicely and generates a soft foam. Furthermore my hair does not feel dry after using these two, which is my main concern with other sulphate free shampoos. The hair is shiny and I can comb it easily even while it is still wet. I definitively like this shampoo and conditioner and it is worth to have a look at it, if you are on the look for a sulphate free shampoo at the moment. The bottles contain 8 oz and retail for 12.97 US$ for the shampoo and 7.89 US$ for the conditioner. It is probably more expansive than a lot of drug store hair products, but after all I think it is worth it.

The next product I tried and really enjoyed using it the MapleHolistics Vitamin C Anti-Aging Serum. You know I love the O.S.T Vitamin C Serum and I repurchased it a couple of times already, but this one impressed me because of its mild formula and short ingredients list. If both versions of the O.S.T C20 Vitamin C serum are too strong for your skin I can recommend you to check out this Vitamin C Serum instead. Like all the Vitamin C serums I tried so far it comes in a brown glass bottle with a pipette attached to the cap. The liquid is almost clear with a slight yellowish tint. Unlike the Vitamin C serum from C20 this one doesn’t have the same watery texture, but a more serum-like, thicker texture which feels very soft upon applying it to the skin. Moreover, it has almost no scent. It absorbs fast without stickiness and works well with other products. Nevertheless, I always wait a couple of minutes after applying any vitamin C serum before I continue with the other skincare steps. The ingredients list is short and contains these ingredients:

Water, Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate), Vegetable Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Vitamin E Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ferulic Acid, Algae Extract, Pullulan Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate

So this serum contains not only Vitamin C, but also Vitamin A and E, plus hyaluronic acid and quite important Ferulic Acid to stabilize the Vitamin C. Really a lovely ingredient list! My skin didn’t react to this serum and I’ve been testing it for a month now. Definitively a very good serum! The bottle contains 30 ml and and retails for 11.77 US$ which is affordable compared to other Vitamin C serums.

Lastly, here is my impression on the Acai Berry Natural Lip Balm by MapleHolistics. This is a solid, but simple lip balm consisting mainly of Shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter and sunflower seed oil. Vitamin E and Aloe leaf extract give some extra moisture and nutrition to your lips. It has a fruity-sweet scent reminding of berries and does a good job in hydrating the lips. Moreover, it comes in this bullet shape and is more hygienic than lip balms which come in containers where you have to use your finger. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it in the shop, but this lip balm contains 4.25 g in total. It was really a nice surprise to receive this and I’m using it daily and I’m totally happy about it, too!

Although I didn’t know MapleHolistics before I’m very pleased and positively surprised about the MApleHolistics Natural Beauty Products. I liked all three of them and I can recommend you to check out their products if you have the chance. There is also the possibility to check out http://www.mapleholistics.com/free-products/ in order to get your hand on a free product. Moreover, I wanted to point out that their blogger connection is being sponsored by edumuch.com. Last but not least, I hope you accept my apologies for my rare postings in the last days, but I promise there will be a bunch of new reviews within the next time. ♥

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asian cosmetics beauty review Wishtrend

Review: COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum

15. June 2015

Despite the fact that my main skin concern is dry skin, which has improved greatly since I’m using asian skincare and an asian inspired skincare routine, I still have another skin concern which is in correlation with increasing age: enlarged pores :’D I have visible pores in my T-zone, especially on my nose and what would be nicer than to make them appear smaller. Of course using BB/CC creams and or primers hides them, still it would be nice to have them smaller even without makeup. For that purpose I have started to use the COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum, a daily useable serum containing BHA to gently deep cleanse pores. After using it for around 50 days (maybe more, but I was inconsistent), here is my impression:

COSRX is a 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. I’m using the COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum in combination with the COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner I reviewed previously. The packaging design of all the COSRX products is simple and similar. They all come in a white cardboard box with a black area where the product name is written in. The rest of the cardboard box contains very detailled descriptions in English and Korean. You can click on the image below to enlarge and read the description.

The cardboard description also contains the rather short ingredient list of the COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum. The ingredients are also listed on COSDNA, if you want to check upon them >>here<<. The main ingredient of this astringent serum is White Willow water, which makes 80 % of the ingredients. Since it is an astringent serum for removing the sebum from clogged pores the second ingredient is alcohol, but although I have dry skin and usually too much alcohol in products makes my skin feel irritated I don’t have that feeling here. I focus for the application on my T-zone mainly, too. The Beta salicylate, the BHA, makes 0.5 % of the ingredients, and helps to exfoliate the troubled areas and smoothen the skin. Condition for the BHA to work is a low pH. The serum itself has a pH of 6-7 according to my meassurement, it says 7 on Wishtrend. Therefore it is important to use a preparation toner with a low pH before. Apart from these ingredients the COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum contains Hyaluronic acid for moisturization and Zinc Oxide for UV protection. Nevertheless, you should keep using sunscreen during daytime when using BHA/AHA products!

The COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum contains 100 ml in a pump bottle made of sturdy, frosted plastic. You see an orangy liquid through the bottle. When you receive it, you will notice floating white particles in the liquid and some white residue on the bottom of the bottle. This is the sebum absorption powder as stated in the description and you have to shake the bottle before every use of the serum, so the powder dissolves in the solution. The serum is made for all skintypes for daily use in the morning and evening, but if you have very sensitive skin COSRX suggests to only use it in the evening and 2-3 times a week. Since it is an astringent serum to remove oil and clogged pores I use a cotton pad to swipe the serum over my target areas. It is important to also leave the product until it is fully absorbed, so the effect of the ingredients is not weakened.

The bottom of the bottle has the production and the expiration date printed on and you will find further Korean description on the body label of the bottle and below the sticker. The serum has a shelf-life of 12 months.

I use a couple of pumps on my cotton pads while applying the serum. The serum has a clear, runny consistency and a light alcohol-scent which dissapears super quickly and leaves a scentless finish. The serum absorbs quickly, too, and is not sticky.

The immediat effect of the COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum is definetly the deep cleanse of the pores. Even after double cleansing this astringent serum shows some dirt on the cotton pad used. The area around my nose looks cleared up and the pores look less visible, which is only ahort time effect. But what about longterm effects of this serum? As I said at the beginning, I did not use this product religiously day and night, but I’d say I used it for around 50 days in total, maybe more. I’m half-through the bottle now. Below you can see a closeup of my nose starting from the first day I used it up to today. Despite the different lightening conditions you can see that the pores appear less deep. From only looking at the mirror I thought there are no huge changes, but seeing the closeup convinced me, that if used regulary I’m sure that the effects are even better to see. At the moment I do not use any other BHA/AHA products apart from this serum and the Treatment Toner, but I want to start using Mizon AHA serum in the evenings now. Let’s see how all the three (together with my OST Vitamin C serum) work together.

The COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish clearly fulfills its purpose as astringent serum for deep cleansing pores. It immedieatelly makes the pores appear smaller and clearer and even on longterm you can see some changes. If used regulary day and night I’m sure the results will be even more visible. I’d say this is a good BHA serum for people with sensitive skin to start with. I’m in love with it and so far it fits nicely into my skincare routine. Let’s see how it works in combination with a stronger AHA serum and if I will keep repurchasing it or not. ~~You can get the COSRX BHA Summer Poire Minish Serum with a volume of 100 ml from Wishtrend for 13.80 US$.~~ It seems the product is currently out of stock!

Check out my other reviews for COSRX products >>here<<.

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample review Wishtrend

Review: OST C20 Pure Vitamin C21.5 Advanced Serum

18. March 2015

You may know that one of my favourite products from Wishtrend is the OST Original Pure Vitamin C20 Serum. I reviewed it previously, but I didn’t have any before and after pictures. Nevertheless, I was really impressed how the serum changed my skin and made it so much better in various aspects. When I saw that there was a new version of this I was most excited to try this new OST C20 Pure Vitamin C21.5 Advanced Serum. And, as you might guess I had high expectations for this serum. Could it hold up to them?

The brand OST or C20 is best known for the popular OST Original Pure Vitamin C20 Serum in it’s signature orange packaging and the brown bottle. This serum is highly effective in terms of using the peeling ability of ascorbic acid in order to improve the skin condition. Despite being effective, it had some minor cons, for example it was very sticky, it was too aggresive for people with sensitive skin and it contained some artificial ingredients. The new OST C20 Pure Vitamin C21.5 Advanced Serum has a completelly different ingredient list and as the name says, the amount of vitamin C serum has been increased, too. The original serum contained 20 % of Vitamin C whereas in the new formula you will have 21.5 %. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and thus can prevent our skin from aging too early. The content of Vitamin C in both serums compared to other vitamin C containing products is rather high. It contains 20 % (21.5 %) Vitamin C. You have to know that a high concentration of Vitamin C doesn’t mean automatically that it is more effective concerning anti-aging. Normally, a high concentration of Vitamin C aims at a visible effect, because it tends to operate as a peeling by loosening dead and old cells. This is not a bad effect and stimulates the skin to regenerate itself, but keep in mind that it won’t affect the inner cell layers of your skin which have to be aimed if you really want an anti-aging effect.

As with the previous serum the cardboard box comes with a lot of description in Korean and in English. It is very detailled in how to use it and what precautions to take. The new serum has even more details in English, than the previous packaging. The ingredient list of the new formula is very short. You can look them up on COSDNA and you’ll discover that the ingredients are safe to use and that there is no artificial ingredient either. The ingredients of the old serum were safe to use, too, but the list of substances is much longer as you can look up >>here<<. Since both products contain Vitamin C they have to be stored in a cool place. They also do have to be protected from sunlight, in order to prevent the vitamin C from oxidizing. When I received the product the manufacturing date was really fresh, which is important for vitamin c products, too, because they have a short shelf life. Usually, I would recommend you to use it up as quickly as possible after opening.

You will find more information and detailled description about the serum on Wishtrend, too. The signature orange cardboard box contains a brown glass bottle and a separately packed dropper. You can simply exchange the lid of the bottle with the dropper after opening.

The dropper makes it very easy to take out the watery and runny product. The OST C20 Pure Vitamin C21.5 Advanced Serum has a clear color, which is also a sign that the vitamin C serum is fresh. If it turns yellow the vitamin in the bottle has started to oxidize. The scent of the product reminds me a bit of oranges, but with a different scent combined, which I cannot figure out. The scent is not strong and doesn’t linger on the skin, so it doesn’t matter anyways.

I’ve been using the OST C20 Pure Vitamin C21.5 Advanced Serum for 3 weeks now in the evening and on most days in the morning, too. When used during daytime keep in mind to use a sunblock, too! Below you can see how the serum effected my skin.

I had some redness, when I started to use the serum. After 3 weeks the pictures show that the redness has decreased and I could feel that my skin is smoothened. Apart from this I didn’t experience any changes in my skin structure. I used this serum in combination with the Klairs Moisture Rescue Kit I reviewed previously. I used it after the Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner and the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum and before putting the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream. Sometimes I mixed the cream with a few drops of the vitamin C serum instead. The Klairs products may have contributed in reducing redness, too. The OST C20 Pure Vitamin C21.5 Advanced Serum is definitively less sticky than the old formula, but it is still a bit sticky, which is why I still like it better mixed with some other product.

Did the new OST C20 Pure Vitamin C21.5 Advanced Serum fulfill my expectations? I’m not sure. Somehow I have the feeling that the old formula was more effective. I remember with the old formula, that I felt a stinging experience the first times I used it. I didn’t have any feeling like this for the new formula. Maybe, this new formula is better suited to sensitive skintypes than the old one. I could observe a decreased redness in my face, but I cannot assure that it is only due to the new vitamin C serum, but it will be a combination of my skincare routine as a whole. Maybe if I repurchased this serum I would go for the old version, just because I had the feeling it worked better for me (and to confirm my observation). I can recommend you to try this new formula of the C20 if you were unhappy with the previous ingredients. This formula is almost completely different and doesn’t contains any parabens or other artificial ingredients. It doesn’t contain alcohol either. The old formula does have some cons, like the extreme stickiness and the ingredients, but I would not claim that the new formula shows better results, even with a higher concentration of vitamin C. Both serum, the old and the new version can be purchased at Wishtrend. The old OST Original Pure Vitamin C20 comes with free shipping and retails for 14.99 US$ at the moment, which is really affordable for a vitamin C serum. The new OST C20 Pure Vitamin C21.5 Advanced Serum retails for 24.99 US$. Both bottles contain 30 ml. I made a post about the promotions from Wishtrend for March >>here<<. Also, keep in mind their friend-referral program: You can receive a 5 Us$ 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.

I shared this post with the Asian Beauty Blog Link Party! Feel free to check out the beautiful reviews presented in their threads:

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 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 Wishtrend

Review: Klairs Moisture Rescue Kit Part 1

9. February 2015

A while ago Wishtrend send me the Klairs Moisture Rescue Set for reviewing purpose, which contained a skincare routine in form of four products from the brand Klairs. As you might have seen from my previous reviews of this brand I really do like their products and this is why I’m really happy to be able to review these items for you. I devided this post into two parts and they gonna be picture-heavy. Klairs Moisture Rescue Kit Part 1 will talk about the Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner and the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum. Klairs Moisture Rescue Kit Part 2 will be about the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Sheet Mask and the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream.

Klairs is a Korean brand sold on Wishtrend. It is eco-friendly, claimimg to produce products which are animal-testing-free, alcohol-free, paraben-free, and articial-color-free. Their products adress people with sensitive skin and people who want to moisturize their skin. I reviewed the Klairs Illuminating Supple BB Cream and the Klairs Gentle Black Cleansing Combo before, which both convinced me in their effects. I was interested in this Rescue Moisture Set especially, because as you know, my skin tends to become drier in winter as it is right now. This set consists with everything you need for a solid skincare routine, starting with toner, serum and moisturizer. The mask sheets on top are a great addition for days you want to treat yourself with extra moisture.

Usually, the first step after cleansing your face is to balance the pH of the skin and helping it to keep moisture by using a toner. This is different from western astringent toners, which tend to be an additional cleansing step here. By giving the skin moisture and an adequate pH it helps other products of your skincare routine to be more effective, too. The Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner claims exactly to have this fuction. It is supposed to be a good start for your facial skincare routine. According to the very throout description from Wishtrend this toner is designed for people who

– need a facial toner that re-hydrates and refreshes skin.
– prefer an alcohol free toner that neutralize skin surface impurities such as excess sebum.
– want a gentle yet effective toner for everyday use.
– have sensitive skin and need products that are free from chemicals and harsh ingredients.

It sounds like a good toner for almost everybody according to the description. The packaging of this toner fits perfectly to all the other products from the Klairs range. It is a simple and yet vintage-like design, focussing on few decorations but a lot of text on the packaging. If you have several Klairs products together they look quite pretty together in the bathroom. The Klairs Supple Facial Prepation Toner comes in a hard plastic bottle. The plastic is brown, but you can see through it in order to check the amount remaining in the bottle.

The labels contain a clear description in Korean and English. The ingredients are also listed in English. You can also find the ingredients in the product description on Wishtrend. The ingredients can also be checked via COSDNA. Mostly they are green flagged, but there is also one red flagged preservative included (but in a small quantity, as it is almost the last ingredient on the list). Apart from this it contains a couple of plant extracts and hyaluronic acid as moisturizing ingredient. Moreover the key ingredients are phyto-oligo and Betaglucan for antiinflammatory effects. The pH of the toner has a weak acidity and lies at 5.

The bottle has a regular drop dispensing opening which is closed by a white plastic lid. Although the bottle is of hard plastic you can lightly press it and make the toner come out more easily. The toner itself is transparent and a bit less runny than water. It feels thicker than water, too, but I wouldn’t call it geltype, yet. It feels refreshing on the skin and has a light scent which is a mixture between herbal and flowery scent. After it absorbs the scent is not noticeable anymore. Also, it doesn’t leave stickyness or greasyness on your skin.

All in all, I like this toner. The pH it provides is perfect for other products to be effective. It feels also quite moisturizing, refreshing and isn’t sticky or greasy. I would say it is a perfect toner for everyday use. What I don’t like about the toner is the higher price compared to other toners. The 150 ml bottle retails for 21.99 US$ on Wishtrend. It still lasts for quite some time I have to admit though (I’m using it for almost three weeks and I’ve only used 1/5ths of the amount). The opening is easy to use. I directly applied it on my hands, but you can also use it with a cotton pad. Alöl in all, I’m totally happy about having this toner in my skincare routine at the moment!

The next step in my skincare routine using the Klairs Moisture Rescue set is the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum, a serum designed to boost the moisture level of your skin and give your skin a healthy and moisturized glow. This serum is designed for people who

– have sensitive skin that needs a calming, soothing serum lotion for sensitive skin.
– have dry, dehydrated skin that needs deep long-lasting moisturize.
– want to smooth and reduce redness and irritation on your skin.
– want to cure your skin constant flaking and peeling.
– want to smooth out fine dehydration lines.
– want to prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

We have here a very basic serum focusing on moisturizing properties, perfect for dry skintypes. On the other hand this serum is designed to have soothing properties, too, so people with irritated skin are addressed aswell. Also here the design fits to all the Klairs products, having a lot of text on their packaging instead of cute or colorful illustration.

The serum is delivered in a cardboard box, unlike the serum, which was only packed in plastic. The cardboard box made of recycled paper contains descriptions in Korean and English. You can also find a detailled description on Wishtrend.

The serum comes in a pump-type bottle made from brown see-through plastic. The pump comes with a protective cap, too. The serum is clear and more of a gel-type consistency than the toner. It has the same scent as the toner, which is a mix between herbal and flowery scents. The ingredients are listed on COSDNA and a lot of vegetable plant ingredients are part of it. also Hyaloronic Acid is the second ingredient in the list, providing moisture. Phyto-Oligo is also listed as main ingredients here. The lists also contains two red-flagged ingredients which are Triethanol amine and the same preservative used in the toner called Methylchloroisothiazolinone. If you know that you react to those two ingredients I would advice you to not use these two products or be careful and make a skin reaction test before. I didn’t have any negative reactions on my skin while using any of the products from the Klairs range yet. After using the serum on the skin it feels almost creamy rubbing it into the skin. It feels moist and hydrating, but it also leaves the skin noticably softer. Also here I didn’t experience any stickiness after it fully absorbed into the skin.

Also for the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum I can say that I was positively surprised how I liked the serum. The feeling of it on the skin was nice and also the point that it wasn’t sticky. This made the application of other products afterwards and of any makeup much easier. I also do like the pump -type bottle. What I don’t like is the small amount of only 50 ml. I used up more than 1/3rd of the bottle already within the three weeks of use. The price on the other hand is relatively normal for a serum. The bottle retails for 22.99 US$ on Wishtrend. The serum is available with free shipping right now!

Both these products are nice products. If I had to choose which one I would by myself from the two mentioned I would choose the toner propably, but only in order to buy a serum with other properties, like anti-aging, etc. I also 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. I’ll try to do the post about the second part of the Klairs Moisture Rescue Kit about the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Sheet Mask and the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream as soon as possible and I hope this review was helpful for you, too. See my other Klairs product reviews here:

Klairs Gentle Black Deep Oil Cleanser and Sugar Facial Polish

Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Sheet Mask

Klairs Illuminating Supple BB Cream

Do you have any favourite product from Klairs? What are your experiences?

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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: D’Ran Wonder Serum

3. December 2014

Remember when I received the MeMeBox Oriental Medicine? It contained some really great products, amongst these the D’Ran Wonder Serum I’m reviewing today. This serum contains 20 kinds of Korean medical herb extracts and is supposed to nourish and revitalize your skin.

D’Ran is a Korean brand affiliated with Kordeal Asset, a company for nature and bio beauty. D’Ran is the name of their cosmetics and skincare brand, which also produces the here presented Wonder Serum. There are different Wonder Serums available, targeting each a specific skin concern. The D’Ran Wonder Serum for Nourishing and Revitalizing is supposed to help the achievement of brilliant and elastic skin by offering norishment and various anti aging properties. The product comes in a milky glass container with a pump dispenser. The design of the serum is simple and not really special, but since the pump dispenser has a golden colored part it makes the product look very noble and mature.

The ingredients are written on the label in English, which is really great for a product focussing on Korean medicine:

Water, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, PEG-32, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, C14-22 Alcohols, Phytosqualane, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Triethylhexanoin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Arachidyl Glucoside, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Ceramide 3, Cholesterol, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Tromethamine, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Royal Jelly Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Avena Sativa (Oat) Meal Extract, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract, Glycine Max (Soybean) Seed Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Seed Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum (Mushroom) Extract, Morus Alba Fruit Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract, Red Ginseng Extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Placental Protein, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Panthenol, Arbutin, Fragrance, Human Oligopeptide-1, Copper Tripeptide-1, Camellia Sinensis Callus Culture Extract, Methylparaben, Allantoin, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate

You’ll find an evaluation od these ingredients on COSDNA. The ingredients are mostly green flagged and the serum contains a lot of different plant extracts. Moreover, it contains hyaloronic acid for moisturizing, niacinamide for brightening, and snail secretation filtrate for its anti inflammatory properties. All of these are really great products which I love to use :)

The pump dispenser is protected by a plastic cap, too. Unfortunately, the dispensing part of the pump is very short, so you’ll always have to tilt the bottle, so that the serum doesn’t run down the container instead of on your hands or fingers. The serum itself has a clear color and a thicker consistency. It can be spreaded easily and smells of herbs, especially of Ginseng. It absorbs after little time and doesn’t make the skin look greasy. But it has a slight stickiness to itself. If you use other products afterwards it might dissapear though.

The bottle contains 30 ml and I almost emptied it during the last 4-5 months. I was using 1-2 pumps in the morning and evening. I didn’t see any super obvious changes, despite that my skin feels nourished and I really enjoy the relaxing herbal scent. It adds some moisture to my daily skincare, too. Moreover, I didn’t have any breakouts while using it, so I think it is a pretty descent product, which I was glad to be able to try. I’m really looking forward to the MeMeBox Empress Edition and I hope it will contain some similar and nice products like the ones from the MeMeBox Oriental Medicine. According to the product description from MeMeBox this product retails for around 30 US$, unfortunately, it is not available at their shop.

♥ PS: Check out my post on Beautiful AM Moisturizer and PM Vitalizer. There is a giveaway for you, too :) ♥

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asian cosmetics beauty beautystar PR Sample review

Review: Tunemakers VC3 Vitamin C Derivate

20. September 2014

A while ago I reviewed the Tunemakers Original Moisture Lotion (a Japanese toner) I’m using currently, and – as I mentioned back then- I use it together with a serum called Tunemakers VC3 Vitamin C Derivate Serum. Both items have been provided by Beautystar, a new online shop for some Japanese beauty products which are harder to get for people living outside of Japan. If you want to have soft skin and don’t use products with a long ingredients list but with natural ingredients mainly these two products are a perfect combination which I can recommend to you anytime. Keep on reading if you want to read more about it :)

Tunemakers is a Japanese brand, which seems to be featured in a lot of Japanese magazines…unfortunately the brands site is in Japanese only, but according to Beautystar’s describtion, Tunemakers was born through the wish of a lot of people for skincare products which contain ingredients which are part of the skin. I think this means, the use of raw ingredients in a good concentration to be absorbed by the skin and yet have the best possible effect. Tunemakers VC3 Vitamine C Derivate serum is formulated, as you can say from the name, from a vitamine C derivate for skin conditioning. It can fix the balance of oil and moisture in skin, and leads to glistening and smooth skin according to the product description. The ingredients list is again – like for the Tunemakers Lotion- very short and contains safe ingredients only: water, BG, ascorbyl phosphate Mg, hydrogenated lecithin, citric acid Na, PEG-100 hydrogenated castor oil, dihydro correspondent-20, Toriokutanoin, citric acid, cholesterol, tocopherol acetate, methyl paraben. You can look up the ingredients on COSDNA >>here<<.

This tiny bottle is made of brown glass, like the Tunemakers Lotion, and prevents the content from light in this way. Nevertheless, since it is real glass you have to be careful not to drop it. The design looks again like the old bottles in pharmacies. I personally like it, but maybe some of you will consider this boring… The cap can be winded on the bottle tightly, too, to prevent oxidization. The opening of the bottle has a dripping nozzle, so you can get out the product dropwise…according to the product description it is advised to use 2 drops in the morning and two in the evening. In this way the bottle should last you last less than two months…I was sometimes a bit unpatient with the nozzle and I ended up with more drops on my hands than the two drops, but still after 4 weeks I have still serum left in the bottle.

The serum is a watery milky colored liquid which is scentless. After a while of using the product you’ll see some white powder on the winding of the bottle. Don’t worry about this, because it is only the dried vitamin C powder. The VC3 derivate is a stabilized vitamine C derivate matched with a derivate of phosphoric acid in high stability. In order to guarantee the stability it is based on capsular lecithin. Other than the O.S.T. Vitamine C Serum, this serum doesn’t change it’s color because of oxidization or anything and doesn’t have to be used up super quickly...but the concentration of the vitamin C in this serum is also less than in the O.S.T. vitamin C serum and thus the effect of these two serums is quite different. As a huge fan of the O.S.T. Vitamin C serum I certainly want to compare these two vitamin C serums and I came to the conclusion that both are good in their own ways. The Tunemakers VC3 Serum makes your skin as promised smooth. Especially in combination with the lotion the skin feels nice afterwards. The ingredients list of both products is short, so it will be suitable for sensitive skintypes, too. The O.S.T Vitamin C Serum shows a more visible result. Because of the high concentration of vitamin C it acts like a chemical peeling, and you will even feel some tingling on your skin sometimes. I didn’t experience any tingling feeling with the tunemakers serum. The downside of both are, that they feel a bit sticky after application, that’s why I prefer to use them at night. If you mix the serum with a cream the stickyness is reduced though.

Concluding these points, I would say that I recommend the tunemakers VC3 serum for a use on daily basis, whereas I recommend the O.S.T. serum for a more deep peeling. People with very sensitive skin, who did not like the tingling effect of the O.S.T. serum will maybe enjoy the tunemakers VC3 serum more. You can get Tunemakers VC3 Serum (and a lot of other serums, too) from BeautyStar. This bottle costs 14.60 US$ and contains 10 ml. Also, check out my review on the Tunemakers Original Moisture Lotion which teams up perfectly with this serum. Did you know about this Japanese brand? Which is your favourite vitamin C serum? :)

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

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asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: Innisfree Green Tea Pure Deluxe Kit

3. July 2014

// KBEAUTY / SKINCARE / AFFILIATE LINKS //

I received this Innisfree’s Green Tea Pure Deluxe Kit a while back during a giveaway and I was very happy about it. Innisfree’s Green Tea line is often talked about within the blogger communitiy and since green tea is a very beneficial ingredient I was especially curious how this would work, especially as a mini version of the complete skincare line, including toner, emulsion, cream, essence and sleeping pack. These kits are always a great way to test a special line if it works with your skin or doesn’t. Here is my impression on these products:

Innisfree is an eco-friendly korean skincare and makeup brand focusing on natural ingredients and recycle packaging. The design of their products is simply and neat and nicely reflects the ideology of the brand. The Green Tea Pure Deluxe Kit is a 4-free product, that means that it is free of 4 commonly used ingredients, which are not beneficial, most likely parabens, etc. I couldn’t find any english ingredients list, so I don’t have the exact information for you, unfortunately.

Nevertheless, the key ingredient in this line is Jeju Green Tea. On Innisfree’s official web page you’ll find the following description:

“Green Tea Pure Line with the clean and clear moisture of 100% Jeju Organic Green Tea Water: The vitality and condensed moisture of green tea grown on the organic green tea field of the pure island of Jeju, refine the skin for clarity and suppleness.”

As I stated above, the kit constists of the Innisfree Green Tea Pure Skin (toner), Innisfree Green Tea Pure lotion (emulsion), Innisfree Green Tea Pure Cream, Innisfree Green Tea Pure Sleeping Pack and Innisfree Green Tea Pure Seed Serum. I used the items for my daily routine as this: toner, emulsion, cream. During my night routine I used: toner, serum, emulsion, sleeping pack. Of course it depends on your skintype how your routine works best. It may be, that cream and emulsion are to much for oily skin for example. My skin is rather dry, so I used emulsion and cream together.

Let’s start with the toner and the emulsion.

These two items come in two miniature plastic bottles, as do also the full size products. The plastic appears sturdy. The Innisfree Green Tea Pure Skin is a gel-type clear toner. It contains tiny particles which disolve while applying onto the skin. This makes it feel grainy during the application first. But the toner absorbs quickly and since the grains dissolve the only thing which lingers is the scent of green-tea mixed with some fruity/flowery scent. It is a nice scent, but if you don’t like scents at all, I wouldn’t recommend you this line at all. In principle all the products have this scent.

The Innisfree Green Tea Pure Lotion is a milky emulsion, which absorbs really fast into the skin. It is not sticky and doesn’t leave a greasy feeling. The skin feels instantly smooth and firmer. It has the same scent as the toner.

Innisfree Green Tea Pure Cream:

The Innisfree Green Tea Pure Cream also contains some grains, but in contrast to the grains in the toner, you don’t feel these on your skin. This cream is a good moisturizer and feels very refreshing. In contrast to the emulsion, the cream takes a bit more to absorb, but once it is absorbed, it isn’t sticky either. The cream gives you really that glow you get after being well moisturized. The deluxe sample comes in a mini jar, which is really nice.

Innisfree Green Tea Pure Seed Serum

The Green Tea Pure Seed Serum is a geltype serum, which is lightly milky. The consistency is thicker than of the toner. After it absorbs it is not sticky at all. It feels like adding some moisture, but not a lot (so this might be good for combination/oily skin?). Again, it has the same green-tea scent of the other products. The set included 6 of these ampoules. Each ampoule was for one usage only. The other products of the kit are more often usable, so it would have been nice, if the set included also more of these serum ampoules. The fullsize product comes in a pump bottle.

The last product is the Innisfree Green Tea Pure Sleeping Pack

The sleeping pack in this kit comes in a tube (the fullsize product comes in a jar). Also here, we have tiny beads. The beads dissolve while massaging the pack into your skin. The sleeping pack doesn’t absorb quickly, but it takes some time, but since you put it on before sleeping it doesn’t matter after all. The skin feels a bit sticky, too, but this is also a minor problem for a sleeping mask. On the next day the skin feels soft and refreshed. Also here, I really like the green tea scent, especially before going to bed. It is so relaxing.

My total impression about Innisfree Green Tea Pure Line is quite positive. My favourite products are the sleeping pack and surprisingly the emulsion. I’m rarely using emulsion during my skincare routine, only if I’m testing a specific skincare line as a whole like now. This emulsion made my skin so soft and firm, I really enjoyed using it ♥ The scent is also nice if you like green-tea scents. That’s why I like the sleeping pack aswell. It is so relaxing to use. Most important, none of the products gave me any breakouts or irritations :)

Also, Innisfree refreshed their Green Tea Line. The line is now divided into Green Tea Fresh (oily skin), Green Tea Balancing (normal/combination skin) and Green Tea Moisture (dry skin), which is a good idea. I think the former line will resemble most likely the new balancing line. I would suggest you to browse through W2Beauty for all the products.

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