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Announcement: Asian Beauty Blogparty

13. March 2016

It’s been long time since my last announcement on this blog :D This time I wanted to tell you about a project that has been planned for a while now: the Asian Beauty Blogparty! This blog hop was created together with 5 other awesome bloggers, and was initiated by Sophie from MapleTreeBlog. I’m super excited about this new project and I cannot wait to share with you the participants of this project.

Probably you will know some of these bloggers already, but if not I can recommend you to take a look at their blogs!

And here are the participants of the Asian Beauty Blogparty:

Sophie from MapleTreeBlog

Michele from Beautyfindsforme

Julie from PDXBeautiful

Amy from PeepingPomeranian

Deborah from Adoredee

and me :)

I linked all the ID cards above to the blogs of each person, so you can check them out.

Are you curious what to expect in future? Our first release from this collaboration will be interviews of each of us. There will be two interviews a week appearing on the blogs and hopefully you will follow us through this project. Afterwards we will be collabing on content posts on various topics and you will be able to get 6 opinions from all over the world with different skin types.

If you have any ideas or wishes for content posts that you’d love to read leave a comment. Until then, we will see you soon with the first interviews! ♥

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample review TesterKorea

Review: Missha Lighting Tone Up Base Peach | TesterKorea

8. March 2016

The Missha Lighting Tone Up Base is a newly launched product by Missha and was provided to me by TesterKorea. It is available in three different colors, which have different properties on how they effect your skintone. Depending on your skin concerns you can choose between a mint, a peach, and a purple base.

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

The product I’m reviewing here is from the famous Korean brand Missha. Missha has a lot of online stores all over the world and are available in US/Canada, Australia and even in Germany. It is the first Korean brand with a physical store in Ingolstadt in Germany, too! Missha is against animal testing. The products always come in a very mature and luxurious packaging and the design is usually very elegant although simple. I think that it can be liked by almost everyone. The Missha Lighting Tone Up Base has a very simple packaging though. The tube containing the base comes in a cardboard box with only Korean description. So unfortunately, I do not know the ingredients of the base. The packaging is almost to simple and doesn’t really stand out. The base is available in the three shades I mentioned at the beginning (mint, peach, violet) and I selected the peach color here. Usually, pink/peach bases are designed to brighten up the skin and reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation or dark circles, whereas green bases reduce redness and violet bases reduce yellowish undertones.

The product comes in a tube containing 20 ml. It’s a quite small tube, but unlike BB creams you won’t need as much of the base on your face. A little goes a long way, and is also more easily to spread on the skin. The base has SPF 30 /PA++, but I would still advise to use a sunscreen before applying the base. The base has a clean and soapy scent, which is not overpowering, but rather mild. Applying the base on my face makes the skintone appear brighter and more even. I doesn’t make much of a difference for redness (but you should use the green base here anyways), but for people with clear skin this can be a good product for on-the-go. It can accentuate dry skin, for example around the nose, and settle in a powdery way in these areas – but this effect was minimal for me.

All in all the Missha Lighting Tone Up Base Peach is a solid and affordable base product. It does not do any miracles, but it has brightening properties and makes the skintone more even. If you are interested in a simple, but effective skin correcting base you can find the Missha Lighting Tone Up Base on TesterKorea for 7920 Won (~6.71 US$). Did you try any color correcting bases so far? Do you have a favorite one?

Also, check out my previous reviews for TesterKorea:

Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream

Etude House Tint My Brows Gel

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

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample review TesterKorea

Review: Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter | TesterKorea

7. March 2016

// PR SAMPLE / KBEAUTY / SKINCARE //

This is round No. 2 for the 1st Realtesters from TesterKorea. I have prepared three more reviews (see my Instagram) for you which I will be sharing within the next days. I will start with the Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter. I love body butters / lotions / milk / oils. I’m using them after each and every shower…since I have dry skin and I love hot showers, which makes the skin even drier (I know…but I simply cannot stand a lukewarm shower except in hot summers).

Nature Republic is a Korean brand founded in 2009 and using the slogan ‘journey to nature’. They are one of many Korean brands addressing natural cosmetics and their consumers. One of their most famous products is probably the Nature Republic Aloe Vera Soothing Gel, which comes in this huge container and is super affordable, too. I haven’t tried many products from that brand although many of their products really look interesting…somehow I decide to buy rather from Innisfree and Etude House in the end. And the moment I’m deciding to buy something from Nature Republic it is usually sold out…:D

The Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter comes in a cute jar in a peachy-pink color, showing some illustrations of peaches as well. The illustration fits nicely to the key ingredient of this body butter, which is obviously peach. The descriptions on the jar in Korean, but if you peel up the sticker on the bottom of the jar it reveals the English description. I discovered this after I made the pictures for this post. You can check the ingredients of the body butter on COSDNA. Taking a look at the list you will spot that the body butter contains kernel extract, leaf extract, fruit extract, and flower extract of peach, which have great moisturizing properties. But it also contains cocoa seed butter, which is a great moisturizer, too. Furthermore, Glycerin provides the skin with moisture. A second closer look will reveal two silicones in the ingredients as well (Cylclohexasiloxa and Cyclopentasiloxane). It is common for body products that they contain silicones, because they have the effect of making the skin smoother. The disadvantage of silicones in body creams is that they build a layer on top of your skin instead of sinking into it. This causes a peeling of the product after a while.

The texture of the Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter is thick and silky-smooth. It feels like hardened butter, but can be spread nicely on the skin, making it soft. The body butter smells amazingly of peaches. I do not like too artificial peach scent, but I liked this one. I already used it excessively on my body and it really makes the skin silky smooth (silicons), but also feels moisturizing. I had the peeling problem in areas like elbows and knees, where the product started to build crumbles after a couple of hours, especially when I rubbed with my fingers onto the skin. Apart from this I cannot say anything negative about this body milk.

Nature Republic Body & Nature Provence Peach Body Butter reminds me of the body butters by The Body Shop. I loved and still love using these, but this one from Nature Republic comes close to them as well. The scent is divine. If you like peach scent you will be in peach- heaven here. The design is cute, too. It retails on TesterKorea for 13500 Won (~11.44 US$) for 150 ml of volume.

What is your favorite body care product? Do you prefer body butters or oils / lotions /milks?

Also, check out my previous reviews for TesterKorea:

Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack

Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream

Etude House Tint My Brows Gel

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

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Wishtrend March 2016 Coupons

4. March 2016

Here are the coupon codes for March on Wishtrend! As usual I will summarize the coupons and benefits that you can use while shopping on one of my favorite online retailers for Korean beauty products: Wishtrend. If you don’t know Wishtrend, but love Korean or Asian cosmetics and skin care products I can recommend you to check out their online shop, especially for one of my favorite products, e.g. the O.S.T. Vitamin C Serum. You’ll also find some products sold at Wishtrend on my Top 30 favorite asian cosmetics for 2015, like the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C serum or the ElishaCoy Moist Up Hyalurone Ampoule Toner. Also, they have listed brands like COSRX, Tosowoong and Mizon. You can find a list of all the products I reviewed from Wishtrend at the bottom of this post. Furthermore, they have really a great affiliate program for blogger and I can advice you to join it if you are one. Here are the Wishtrend coupon codes for March:

As usual, I’ll start off with the 5 Us$ referral coupon you can receive if you are a new customer. The principle is easy as this: If you use my invitation code 17939205 upon registration you’ll receive a 5 US$ 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 get 5 US$ off, which is a great to save some money on your first order.

Second, there is also a 10% discount Wishtrend coupon available for January. Below, you’ll find the coupon code for this:

Coupon Code: 16MARDISCOUNT
Requirement 1: Shopping cart order must be 50 US$ and over to be able to use the 10% off coupon
Requirement 2: Coupon code cannot be combined with any other discount or voucher code.
Only valid until the end of March 2016

The second promotion code is a special gift: You will receive one free Klairs Sheet Mask (value 1.99 US$) by using the code below.

Voucher Code: BESTMASK16MAR
All orders
Only valid until the end of March 2016

I also want to point out two new arrivals on Wishtrend. First, the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream which will be launching in a couple of days. I reviewed the cream already >>here<< and I can recommend you to try it. It is really a lovely cream and the people from Klairs did a good job here. The Midnight Blue Calming Cream is a comforting moisture cream that provides the skin with intense, soothing hydration. It is formulated using revolutionary guaiazulene combining with Centella asiatica extract and various peptides to recover damaged skin cells from stress and stimulation.

The second product I spotted are the new body lotions from Pongdang. I really love the Pondang Donkey Milk Emulsion and these new Pongdang Desert Rose Moisture Body Lotion look really pretty. I think I will give them a try as well.

I would advice you to check out their “Free Shipping Area”, so you don’t have to spend the saved money for shipping costs. They have quite some nice items available there, changing from time to time. At the moment they are providing the OST Vitamin C serum for 14.99 US$ in their free shipping zone, and I spotted the Monstory Green Mon Fresh Mask there as well!

I did a couple of reviews on various Wishtrend products in the past. You might like to check these out, if you are interested in purchasing these:

Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream

Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum

Chica y Chico Astazet 4.0

Delight 18 I.U Whitening Cream Glutathione

ElishaCoy Moist Up Hyalurone Ampoule Toner

Skinmiso Pore Corset Serum

Lailly 7 Seconds Make-Up Booster

Pongdang Mulbit Glow BB Cushion

COSRX BHA Summer Pore Minish Serum

COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner

I’m from Honey Mask

Boutique Bebe Hair Salon Protein Treatment

COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch

ElsihaCoy Aloe & Lavender Mask Sheet

Berrisom My Lip Tint Pack and Lip Tint Cleanser

OST C20 Pure Vitamin C21.5 Advanced Serum

Confume Argan Treatment Oil

Pongdang Donkey Milk Emulsion

Klairs Rescue Moisture Kit Part 1 and 2

Berrisom My Lip Tint Pack

CareLab Powerful Pudding Mask

Klairs Gentle Black Deep Oil Cleanser and Sugar Facial Polish

Rojukiss Multi Vita Cleansing Powder

Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Sheet Mask

Damoae Therapy Shampoo and Tonic

Skinmiso Rice Foam Cleanser

Klairs Illuminating Supple BB Cream

O.S.T. Pure Vitamin C20 Serum

Wish Formula Panda Eye Essence Mask

ONL Saladit Essential Juice Sheet Masks

Do you have any favourite item from Wishtrend? What would you love to try from their products?

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asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: Insobeau Perfect Deep Clean One-Step Cleansing Water

3. March 2016

When it comes to cleansing waters I’m a total newbie. Everybody was raving the Bioderma Cleansing Water, but I never tried it – even not today. I have so many cleansers I want to use up before buying new stuff. Then I received a MeMeBox which contained the Insobeau Perfect Deep Clean One-Step Cleansing Water. Finally a cleansing water I could try.

Insobeau is a not widely known Korean brand, which was introduced to me by MeMeBox, as many of those brands you usually do not get to know outside of Korea. The name was derived from “In Natural Science Of Beauty”. They have a range of makeup and skincare products, but so far this is the first product I tried from this brand. The Insobeau Perfect Deep Clean One-Step Cleansing Water is a cleansing water which can be used to remove makeup, so it is suited for first step cleanser…but can also be used as second step cleanser. The cleanser comes in a cute pink plastic bottle containing 200 ml. The advantage of cleansing waters towards foam cleansers is that they are designed to be friendly to senstitive and dry skintypes, but also people whose skin cannot cope with oily residues on the skin can preferably use cleansing waters.

The Insobeau Perfect Deep Clean One-Step Cleansing Water comes in a cardboard box of the same pink color as the bottle. The cardboard box comes with Korean descriptions only, and also the official webpage is in Korean. Although the packaging design is very simply it also looks pretty, and yet girly. The plastic bottle is slightly milky, which is really nice, too. The ingredients are mostly safe to use. I spotted one red labelled ingredient, which is the preservative Methylisothiazolinone. The other ingredients are safe to use and can be checked via COSDNA. The cleansing water contains also plant extracts like Aloe Leaf Juice and Fennel Leaf Extract for moisturizing, and Lemon Balm Extract, Orange Peel Extract, and Camomile Extract for anti-inflammatory effects.

The bottle has a regular opening, so you can easily spread the water onto cotton pads. I personally would also like the option of a pump applicator, but I didn’t see any cleansing waters like this yet. The bottom of the bottle has the expiration date printed on. I applied the cleansing water using soft square cotton pads (e.g. from Muji) and wiped them all over my face and neck. I repeated the procedure on a second cotton pad until the makeup traces were all gone. Done! I finished rinsing with water and using pH adjusting toner afterwards. You can also use a foam cleanser after the cleansing water, but I discovered that the second wipe already was clean enough for my usually light makeup.

The cleanser has a strong performance. Using one soaked cotton pad I’m able to remove all kinds of color makeup. The cleansing water is definitively a good makeup remover.

I used this cleansing water up in a record time and really enjoyed using it for all kinds of makeup removing, be it on my face or for in-between brush cleansing. And I ordered my second cleansing water (this time I ordered one from ElishaCoy- and hopefully it will be similar effective to this one). I think that cleansing waters can be a great option for sensitive and dry skintypes, to avoid too much rinsing and cleansing and stripping off all the good fats on your skin. It can be a good first cleanser for people with oily skin, because it doesn’t leave an oily residue like some balm or oil cleansers. The volume of 200 ml is a good amount of cleansing water and with a retail price of 9000 Won it is affordable, too.The famous Bioderma Cleansing Water contains 250 ml (there is also a larger size with 500 ml) and costs around 17 US$.

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Graveyard: November – February Empties 2015/2016

1. March 2016

My last emties post was back in October! So here is a long post about my November – February Empties 2015/2016 this time. I hope this can give you an idea of which products I really liked and didn’t and which I would love to repurchase.

Moonlab Real Cooling Thermometer Mask – I loved these! I would really like to repurchase them as well, but I still have a huge amount of sheetmasks, so it will take some time until I have the chance. Read my review >>here<<. Repurchase? Yes!
Cossu Body Ade Rose – This body wash smells so amazing, given the fact that you love the scent of roses. The body wash was part of a Cleopatra themed MeMeBox and I loved using it. Unfortunately, the pump was not working properly, which made it hard to use. It was labelled with a price-tag of 29 US$, which I’m still doubtful about. For a cheaper price I would consider repurchasing it. Repurchase? Maybe.
COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner – A very good toner which I can recommend you to try. I didn’t repurchase it because I wanted to try something else, but still I can say that there are many bloggers whoc love this toner. See my review >>here<<…Repurchase? Yes.
Fairydrops Platinum Mascara Film Type – I enjoyed using it, but it started to clump quite fast. It does a good job in legthening and curving the lashes, but it doesn’t give the amount of volume I’d like to have. Here is my >>review<<. Repurchase? No.
Dove DermaSpa Goodness³ Body Lotion – This bodylotion has a nice scent, but unfortunately it starts peeling and doesn’t really sink into the skin. Read my review >>here<<. Repruchase? No!
Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Pack – I love Too Cool For School’s packaging design, no doubt about that, and this pack made the skin tightened and smooth, but I couldn’t use it too often because of my dry skin. People with oily skin might love this, or if you have dry/combination skin apply it only on your T-zone. Here is my >>review<< Repurchase? Maybe.
Nivea In-Shower Make-Up Remover – This didn’t work for me. I tried it in the shower, I tried it on its own. It simply doesn’t work the way it claims, I still have panda-eyes after using it and my makeup isn’t removed. Repruchase? No!
Innisfree Ampoule Intense Cushion – The first Cushion I used up, after flipping the cushion over and over and getting out all the mini-bits from this awesome bb cream. I still have two refills, so I’m really happy and can advise you to give it a try, especially in cold seasons. Read my review >>here<<. Repurchase? Yes!
Shiseido Extra Gentle Shampoo For Dry Hair – A good shampoo, which didn’T feel drying on my hair, but still I preferr the Shiseido Tsubaki Shampoo over this one. Repurchase? Another shampoo from Shiseido maybe.
Lush The Olive Branch – A mediterranian smelling shower gel with a herbal scent. This was nice, but a kind of more manly scent. Repurchase? Probably not this one exactly.
HIPP Shampoo and Showering – I bought this for the obvious reason of the Seal packaging! It’s kid’s shampoo and has a nice baby-powdery scent and is gentle. Repurchase? Yes!
Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner Pen – I love this pen! A pitty the pretty ornaments were vanishing by the time. Read my review >>here<<. Repurchase? Yes, but there are so many other brands to try.
Avène Very High Sunprotection 50 + – This is a really heavy sunscreen and it leaves a good thick white cast and has a neutral cream scent (which I do not like that much). Repurchase? No!
Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Soap – This super rich and dense foam was really fun, but to drying to use on my face, so I used it as shaving foam. Read my review >>here<<. Repurchase? No.
Figs & Rouge Lip Balm Cherry Blossom – This had a bad taste the second moment, so I didn’t really use it up. Also, I’m not much into cherry scented products. Repurchase? No.
Schwarzkopf GlissKur Damage Repair Hair Treatment – I love this line of hair care because it smells of chocolate. I also liked using this hair treatment. Repurchase? Yes.
Purederm Make-up Cleansing Tissue Green Tea – These were part of a MeMeBox, too. I really like Cleansing Tissues, especially after a long night when you are too lazy to cleanse your face or when travelling. Unfortunatelly, these were’nt the most effective tissues I used. Repurchase? No.
COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch – My secret weapon for a newly appearing pimple. I still have more of these, but I wanted to pint out that I really love them. See my review >>here<<. Repurchase? Yes.
a;t fox Lifting Cream and Moisturizing Gel Cream – Another product from my MeMeBox hoardings. Such a lovely packaging, but the creams were so-so. Nothing special. Repurchase? No.
Palmolive Aroma Sensations Feel Glamorous Shower Gel Peeling – a lovely shower peeling with a nice scent. Repruchase? Maybe.
bebe Young Care (Johnson’s) Smoothie Shower Gel – Loved the scent! Repurchase? Maybe.
Rojukiss Multi Vita Cleansing Powder – This is the first cleansing powder I’ve been trying. I really like the fact that cleansing powders are so leightweight and perfect for travelling because there is no danger of leaking. I discovered that there is a risk of them to clump when stored in humid places (like the bathroom). Read my review >>here<<. Repurchase? MAybe another cleansing powder.
Kneipp Bath Oil – I have a couple more of these and I like the scent a lot. I like Kneipp products in genereal :D Repurchase? Maybe.
Aussie Miracle Dry Shampoo – The size of this was perfect for travelling. Unfortunatelly the spraying nozzle didn’T work anymore after 3 uses and I had to discard it. Repurchase? Maybe.
ISANA Young Make-up Remover and Cleansing Gel – A cheap drugstore cleanser. I didn’t like the scent and it is not the most effective makeup remover either. Repurchase? No.
Kneipp Almond Blossoms Showering Gel – They have a body oil from the same line and I’m so much in love with the scent! Repurchase? Yes!
Klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream – A BB cream which I can totally recommend. I was using it way more often on everyday occasions than my other BB creams. It has a nice tone and leaves a nice finish as well. Read my review >>here<<. Repurchase? Yes, but I have too many BB creams to use up.
Trusted Health Products Botanical Splash Body Oil – A body oil with a fruity orange-citrus scent which is very refreshening.Read my review >>here<< Repurchase? Maybe.
Daeng Gi Meo Ri Oriental Special Shampoo – This thick brown herbal shampoo works nicely, but can be leaving your hair dry. I used a hair treatment alweays after using it. This is only a travel-sized bottle, I still have the large bottle to use up. Read my review >>here<<. Repurchase? No, I’ll stick to my Shiseido or Damoae Therapy Shampoo, which I adore both!
OST C20 Pure Vitamin C21.5 Advanced Serum – This was my second bottle of the C21.5 Vitamin C serum, but unfortunately, I dropped the bottle when I was half through it and all the rest of my precious serum was lost T_T Read my review >>here<<. Repurchase? Yes.
MapleHolistics Vitamin C Serum – Despite my love for the Vitamin C serums from OST I really enjoyed using this serum! Read my review >>here<<. Repurchase? Maybe.
Lailly 7 Second Make-Up Booster – A nice makeup base with a baby powder scent. Read my review >>here<<. Repurchase? Maybe, but I have some other makeup bases to try.
Balea Cleansing Oil – If you have the possibility to get Balea products I can recommend you this cheap cleansing oil from the drug store dm. It costs a few euros (2-3 €) and is a good makeup remover. Still, asian cleansing oils have a nicer scent and seem to be more luxurious to the skin, but for quickly and simply cleansing your face this is great. It is also great for cleaning your makeup brushes and sponges. Repurchase? Yes!
BRTC Aqua Rush Cream – Wow! I used this up so quickly, despite having many other moisturizers to be tried. I loved the waterdrop texture of this cream. It was so refreshening. Read my review >>here<<. Repurchse? Maybe!
ElishaCoy Vita Capsule Cleanser – I didn’t review this product yet, although I hav it for quite a time. It was not my cup of tea to be honest and too drying on top, but it came with the ElishaCoy 3D Spin Cleanser (which is not available any longer on Wishtrend it seems), which I enjoy using few times a week. Repurchase? No.
Confume Argan Gold Treatment – I didn’t review this in detail yet, but I loved it! I used it up so quickly, too! Definitively recommendable for those having dry and frizzy hair! Also available on Wishtrend. Repruchase? Yes!
Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program Eye Cream – This was a good and nourishing ey ecream and had a really nice packaging, shaped like a seringe. I used up two of these and really liked it. Read my review >>here<<. Repurchase? Maybe.
Klairs Gentle Black Sugar Facial Polish – I preferr this over the one from Skinfood because it is more gentle. You can read my review >>here<<. Repurchase? Maybe.
Sum37 M;iracle Rose Cleansing Stick – I’m crying because I used it up already and I probably won’t be able to afford this luxurious cleanser in near future :D Lovers of rose scent will adore this cleansing stick! Read my review >>here<<. Repurchase? Maybe one day, hopefully!

Hopefully, this post helps you to deside whether it is worth buying a certain product or better ditch it from the beginning. Do you know any of these and did you try them yourself? What is your opinion on these products I showed above? I’d be happy about your comments ♥

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asian cosmetics beauty PR Sample review Wishtrend

Review: Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream

27. February 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: Recipe Slowganic Cleanser Lemon

25. February 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Review: Proformula Skin Reset AHA 7 Lifting Pack | TesterKorea

18. February 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some words about Peptides in Cosmetics:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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asian cosmetics beauty review TesterKorea

Review: Missha Super Aqua Ice Tear Cream | TesterKorea

17. February 2016

// PR SAMPLE / KBEAUTY / SKINCARE //

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

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

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

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

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

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

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