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asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: Amaranth Messaline Ultra Hydrating Cream

30. July 2015

My last review for BNTnews Beauty Box July is about the Amaranth Messaline Ultra Hydrating Cream. Although from all the super interesting items this month the May Coop Raw Sauce was my favorite I saved the Amaranth Messaline Ultra Hydrating Cream review for last because it has the most interesting formula. Keep reading if you want to know more:

Personally, this is the first time I realized the brand Amaranth. I saw some reviews before, but it never was really present in my head. This Korean brand though belongs to the Samsung company. The Amaranth Messaline Ultra Hydrating Cream belongs to the Messaline Special Care Series, which has the motto: “Pave your way to beautiful and healthy skin. It meets your needs”. The line consists of four products divided into four steps. The Amaranth Messaline Ultra Hydrating Cream is step 1 of the series. Step 2 is the Messaline Vibrant Shimmering CC Cream, step 3 the Messaline Bubble Berry Mask Cleanser and step 4 the Messaline Overnight Moisture Sleeping Mask.

According to the description of the Amaranth Messaline Ultra Hydrating Cream it gives“elasticity and moisture to the skin and makes moist and healthy skin by vegetable moisture water drops containing Rosa Centifolia flower Water, Panax Ginseng Root Extract and Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extracts”. The cardboard box of the cream contains only Korean description, but inside the box was an instruction paper with some English description, too. Apart from that the packaging design is elegant in blue and gold with reflective paper (which made it a bit hard to take a pictures). The cream itself comes in a pump bottle/tube with the same colors made of sturdy plastic with a clear cap.

Apart from the Korean description on the cardboard box you can find the English ingredients listed on the side. I added them to COSDNA and you can check them >>here<<. Unfortunately, there are some ingredients I didn’t hope to see. These ingredients are silicon, alcohol and parabens. The other ingredients are mainly plant extracts, like cabbage rose, red ginseng and chamomile extracts to boost moisturizing and elasticity. According to the description this cream is used after cleansing and toning, but seeing that it contains silicon and the fact that it is smoothing the face it sounds more like a primer to me.

The Amaranth Messaline Ultra Hydrating Cream has the consistency of a gel-type cream when you pump it, but now comes the special part: the cream transforms into water once rubbed. It forms tiny water droplets and feels really moist that way. This formula is called water-drop texture, and you will find some other products like that within the Korean beauty market. The water-drop texture makes it particularity very fast absorbing, and the skin really feels moist during application, as if you use a toner. It has a nice floral scent, too, maybe a bit rose-like scent. It definitively makes the skin feel smoother (silicon), but although it feels moist while application I would not say that it is rich enough for dry skin-types (also because of the alcohol). Moreover, since it is more similar to a primer I applied it after my regular moisturizer. I was a bit confused nevertheless, if I should apply it before or after sunscreen. I tried both, but I’m not sure about either way. If you have any recommendations for that part I would be very thankful.

The Amaranth Messaline Ultra Hydrating Cream is really interesting considering its water-drop texture. It smooths out the skin, too and is a nice primer considering that fact. I dislike some of the ingredients and I wish it would not contain alcohol or parabens. And I’m a bit confused about how to use it the best way. Probably, I wouldn’t repurchase it, but since it contains 60 g of product it will last me some time anyways. I couldn’t find it in the known online stores, so it is a bit tricky to now how much it retails. But from the looks of it I’m sure it is a more pricey brand.

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

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

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

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asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: May Coop Raw Sauce

29. July 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

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

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

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asian cosmetics beauty review Wishtrend

Review: Lailly 7 Second Make-Up Booster

16. July 2015

I’m too lazy to use primer before applying makeup, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have any. Mostly, I use my TheFaceShop Face it! Primer Moisture Fitting, but recently I have a new addition to my base make-up family, the Lailly 7 Seconds Make-Up Booster. This prepping cream is supposed to provide the skin with the perfect oil-moisture balance, so that the makeup used afterwards is long-lasting and flawless.

I do not have a lot of information about the Korean brand Lailly, and apart of the three products available at Wishtrend I did not see any other products from this brand. The products available at Wishtrend a cooling pore pack, a steaming pore pack and the Lailly 7 Seconds Make-up Booster I’m reviewing today. all the products have the same, simple design and come in a black jar with simple lettering on it.

The front label of the plastic jar displays the name and some short English description. This product has four main functions: Whitening, Anti- Wrinkle, Make-up Boosting, and Face-Conditioning. The key ingredient of the Lailly 7 Seconds Make-Up Booster is Aronia Melanocarpa (Chokeberry) Fruit Extract. Chokeberries are high in Vitamin C and are packed with antioxidantes. Apart from Chokeberry extracts the Lailly 7 Seconds Make-Up Booster contains a bunch of other fruit extracts with anstringent properties. Furthermore, the product contains on the one hand niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, and on the other hand titanium dioxide, Isoamyl p-methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl salicylate, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate as sunscreens. It does not state what SPF it has unfortunately. There are some minor irritants also included in the ingredient list, but all in all the majority of the ingredients is green flagged at COSDNA. You won’t find the ingredients in English on the product label, since the backside is written in Korean only, but Wishtrend has listed the ingredients on their product page.

The jar contains 50 ml of a light blue colored, cream-type product. There is no spatula included, so you have to take out the product with your (clean) fingers, or use your own spoon or spatula in order to keep it hygienic. Lailly 7 Seconds Make-Up Booster is made for all skin types and is “made to cover, protect, and strengthen the skin in just 7 simple seconds!” It is recommended to people with blemish-prone, rough skin, people with enlarged pores, and people whose skin is refusing to work with make-up. The cream product has a nice baby powder scent and can be easily applied and rubbed into the skin. It blends in nicely and leaves the skin with a glow and brightens up the skin tone. Using make-up after the Lailly 7 Second Make-Up Booster has absorbed works nicely. The foundation or BB cream used above this primer doesn’t clump and it lasts longer before it gets patchy at the usual nose/chin area – but not all day long. It doesn’t make pores invisible though, much more it smoothens the skin and gives it a healthy glow.

The Lailly 7 Seconds Make-Up Booster is a solid makeup boosting primer giving the skin a nice glow and containing a bunch of good ingredients and sunscreen. Like most primers it also contains silicone though and cetearyl alcohol. I don’T use primer everyday, but for an occasionally user of primer this one does a good job in evening out the skintone and smoothening the skin for better make-up absorption. It retails for 18.50 US$ at Wishtrend. Also, check out the July promotions on Wishtrend before grabbing your products. Keep in mind their friend-referral program: You can receive a 5 Us$ referral coupon if you use my invitation code 17939205 upon registration and you’ll receive this voucher immediately.There will be a specific field in your registration form called “friends invitation program” where you can put the code mentioned above. This way new customers can safe 5 US$ which is a great possibility to safe some money.

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asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program Part 2

15. July 2015

Some of you have been probably waiting for my second part review for the Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program. In the first part I showed you already this gorgeously packed set consisting of 28 ampoule vials and two eye cream tubes and I talked about my impression. Today I will go a bit into the detail considering the ingredients and my verdict after using it for 28 days.

Coréana is quite a well known Korean company with the motto “art through nature”. It has quite a variety of brands, like Senite or Biodefense and many more. Sho is one brand of Coréana using horse oil as key ingredient. Horse oil or “Mayu” has been very popular in Korea in the last months, especially during winter, because of its deeply moisturizing properties. The Sho EGFactor line combines the horse oil with EGF in order to have even more anti-aging properties. This Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program contains two items: an ampoule and eye cream.

Everything has a beautiful golden color. Even the vials have golden caps. I love the ornaments on the eye cream containers and their syringe shape. I showed some more details about the eye cream packaging in the first post, too. All in all, the Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program is a beautifully packed gift, targeting more mature skin and therefore makes a good present for your mother maybe?!

Now, let’s take a closer look at the ingredients of the Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program this time: The key ingredients of this anti aging kit are Jeju’s horse oil and EGF as the name already says.

Horse Oil

Let’s talk about Mayu first: Mayu (korean), Bayhu (japanese) or Horse Oil has been used in ancient times but it became popular again recently. Horse oil has been known as home remedy for treating dry and chapped skin for many years. It is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and is close to human sebum in its composition and therefore absorbs fast into the skin, which leads to a more elastic and hydrated skin with an improved barrier. By the way, in order to obtain horse oil no horses have to be killed! It is taken from underneath the mane without harming the animal and refined afterwards.

EGF- Epidermal Growth Factor

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

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

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

Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program Ampoule

I’m starting off with the Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program Ampoule first. As I described in my first review, the ampoule comes in 28 tiny brown glass vials with a golden cap. In order to open them, you have to push the cap, which is super hard! I’m not kidding! I’m struggling every time when I want to open up a new vial and sometimes I have to ask my bf to open it, because it takes such an effort. I do not know why they designed the vials like this, because it is not convenient to have such a hard time with the ampoule every night before going to bed. They could have either made a large ampoule bottle with a dropper instead, or if they wanted to pack these up in single portions they should have taken these tear-shaped capsules which you can tear open. The ampoule itself has a golden, clear color and has a gel-oil-type consistency and a pleasant scent. It takes some time to absorb, but if you are patient it will sink into the skin, leaving it moist but with a tacky feeling. The packaging description says that one ampoule vial is for one day use of your face and neck. Each vial contains 2 ml, but I personally think that 1 ml is more than enough for face and neck. Taking the whole amount of the product makes it only more difficult to absorb and may result in a sticky feeling, too. I started to use the ampoule before my final moisturizer, but I decided that it is better to mix it with my night time moisturizer instead of applying it separately. My skin doesn’t feel dry nor dehydrated in the next morning, since the barrier of night cream and ampoule keep all the moisture inside. I’m sure this ampoule will do great work in cold seasons. The ingredients of the ampoules are:

water, glycerine, dipropylene glycol, morinda citrifolia fruit extract, alcohol, xylitylglucoside, saccharide isomerate, hydrolyzed elastin, hydrolyzed collagen, morus alba twig extract, human oligopeptide-1 (0.1 ppm), acetyl glycosamine, sodium hyalurunate, glycosaminoglycans, colloidal gold, acetyl heptapeptide-9, anhydroxylitol, xylitol, acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymere, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, PPG-26-buteth-26, glyceryl acrylate/acrylic acid copolymere, butylene glycol, horse fat, phenoxyethanol, fragnance, potassium hydroxide, ethylhexylglycerin, disodium EDTA, benzoic acid, dehydroacetic acid, yellow 5, red 4, blue 1

The ingredients are safe to use according to COSDNA and you can have a more close look at them >>here<<.

Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program Eye Cream

The Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program Eye Cream comes in these two beautiful syringe-shaped containers. Each of them contains 10 ml, which is quite a lot for eye cream. The good thing about having two of them is, that I could put one in my own bathroom and the other one at my bf’s apartment :D. Although the packaging states, that this product is an eye cream you will find in the directions to apply it all over your face. I don’t know if this is a translation mistake, or if this is really meant to be. I only used it for my eye area after all. The eye cream is a cream type, light product, which melts into the skin easily and absorbs very quickly, leaving a matte and not greasy finish. It is not heavy either, so you can use it also on your eyelid and not only for your under eye region. I have absolutely no complaints about the eye cream, since it absorbs fast and feels nice on the skin. The pump type syringe container is very easy to use and you can even close and open it, so it can e carried around without spilling product. The ingredients for the eye cream are:

water, propanediol, cetyl ethylhexanoate, caprylic/ capric triglyceride, morinda citrifolia fruit extract, cetearyl alcohol, glycerine, cetearyl olivate, methyl gluceth-20, sorbitan olivate, pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate, dimethicone, hydrolysed elastin, morus alba twig extract, hydrolyzed collagen, human oligopeptide-1 (0.1 ppm), tocopheryl acetate, sodium hyalurunate, lecithin, acetyl heptapeptide-9, colloidal gold, glyceryl stearate, beeswax, hydrogenated vegetable oil, PEG-100 stearate, sodium acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl, tarate copolymer, xanthan gum, isohexadecane, polysorbate80, horse fat, phenoxyethanol, fragnance, ethylhexyl glycerin, disodium EDTA

The ampoule and the eye cream have quite some ingredients in common as you can see. You can check all the ingredients on COSDNA >>here<<.

My final verdict for the Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program is that the products on their own are good products and will be nice for dry skin types. Both products are hydrating and feel nourishing for the skin. But, is there any improvement considering their anti-wrinkle claim? I do not see any changes in the amount of fine lines I have (for example on my forehead or under eyes) after using this program for the advised 28 days and longer. Since I like the hydrating properties of it I will continue to use them up, but in case you are looking for a anti-wrinkle wonder I can assure you that this product will not change anything. Now, the negative points for the Coréana Sho EGFactor 28 Days Timeless Program are the design of the ampoule vials and the price tag of this set. The vials are so hard to open and I do not see the sense in that point. Especially in the evening you don’t want to use all your last powers to open up a tiny ampoule vial. For lazy people this will be a reason to skip the ampoule. And the price tag is for this set is….enormously high! You can find it on ebay for around 100 US$. I saw it on RoseRoseShop discounted from 296 US$ (???) to 59.26 US$. Would I spend 100 bucks for this skincare set? No! 50 US$ seems much more reasonable, and it is considerable to buy this set a a mother’s day gift or similar.

This product was provided to me by BNTnews for reviewing. Don’t forget to visit the other BNTGirls Doris, Celine, Alene, Kim and Bella and check out their reviews. And visit BNTnews for the latest Korean news and trends:

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

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

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asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews PR Sample review

Review: Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series Favorites

14. July 2015

Did you read my previous review about the Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series? I’m talking about my Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series Favorites today, since BNT News was so friendly as to send me another bunch of these mask. This sheet mask series has a very interesting theme, since it contains 7 sheet masks for one week use and each sheet masks is related to the greek gods who are behind the single days of the week.

Forencos is a Korean brand which sells environmental cosmetics since 1988. The brand has quite a range of skincare and makeup products, but in the internationally known Korean online shops they don’t have a lot of products from this brand, which is why it is quite unknown. They have 7 main issues within their brand philosophy: skin rejuvenating, skin refreshing, skin revitalizing, skin relieving, skin regeneration, skin revival and skin resolution. You will find all the 7 sheet mask in my previous review >>here<<, but here is a quick reminder about this sheet mask series: The 7 sheet masks of the Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series each come in a different color and have a different key ingredient. These sheet masks consist of two steps. Each mask has a sachet with a mask base ampoule attached, which contains 2 ml of the ampoule and is used before applying the sheet mask (the only exception is the first sheet mask, where you have to use the ampoule afterwards).

Since the sheet mask try to relate ancient Greek mythology to the single days of the week here is the purpose of all the seven sheet masks in a short summary:

Tuesday: Detox with Hephaestus
The weeks begins on a Tuesday with Hephaestus, god of metallurgy, fire and volcanoes. Jeju’s volcanic ashes eliminate dead skin cells and clean and contract pores.

Wednesday: Moisture with Poseidon
The caviar extracts that Poseidon, god of the sea, gives to your skin has a similar texture with it in terms of amino acids, minerals and vitamins. Moisturizes and increase collagen production.

Thursday: Relax with Dryas
Australian indigenes were already using tea tree leaves to cure infectious diseases. Tea tree oil is amazing at calming and soothing the skin.

Friday: Regenerating Midas
24k pure gold treats wrinkles and helps blood circulation while delivering minerals.

Saturday: Elastic Gaya
Horse oil is similar with human sebum and helps control its secretion. It also contains ceramide for skin regeneration and elasticity.

Sunday: Illuminating Helios
Pearl was loved by Cleopatra for its high mineral and amino acid concentration as well as for the bioactive substances it contains. Its reinforces skin’s immunity and acidity for a bright complexion.

Monday: Selene’s total care Swiftlet’s bird nest contains 2000 times more sialic acid that human saliva and 200 times more than royal jelly for a total turnover: moisture, elasticity, skin tone, it cleans and protects the skin.

After trying the whole Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series for a second time I have made the following conclusions:

1. I do not like the ampoule: The mask base vita ampoule which is attached to each of the sheet masks contains 2 ml and has a very gluey consistency. It warms up the skin and is supposed to improve the effects of the sheet mask. It contains 8% Vitamin C and the key ingredient adenosine as anti-aging ingredient, which is nice, but the consistency of the ampoule is hard to work with. Not only is it gluey while applying, but it doesn’t absorb into the skin either and leaves a sticky film on the skin. I would not advise you to use the whole sachet, which is way to much. Instead, I only use a tiny bit of the ampoule before applying the mask. The skin feels still sticky, but not as bad as with the whole 2 ml.

2. The whole mask series used regulary for a week may show a nice improvement of your skin: Personally, I didn’t see any changes with my skin condition before and after, but I have to add that my skin condition at the moment is good and it is difficult to observe such changes. I can, however, suggest you to take a look at another review from Kim Kine. She is one of my dear blogger friends and she has a awesome and very honest blog and she shows a nice before/after picture of her skin using the Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series.

3. My three favorite sheet masks from the Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series are the ones containing black pearl, swallow’s nest and mayu: as I said before, it is difficult to see any changes of your skin, if your skin is in a good condition already. Also, using all these different sheet masks daily makes it difficult to see what the single sheet masks do for your skin on their own. Another point which makes it hard to select a favorite is the point that all the sheet masks have the same scent and the same fabric. The fabric of these masks is super soft since it contains silk and the sheets are thin and thoroughly soaked with the essence. So, how did I choose these three masks as my favourite masks? All of the masks of the series (apart from the first one, which is a pore minimizing vocanic ash mask) leave the skin hydrated and feel refreshing. My main reason for choosing these three in the end are the key ingredients!

Although I cannot read Korean and I did not find the full ingredients yet, you will find some hints on the backside of each mask from the Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series. In the blue box below the English name of the mask is written that the mask contains 750 mg of swallow’s nest. Swallow’s nest or Swiftlet’s Nest is believed to be very nutritious and is consumed as food. Swiftlet nests contain sialic acid which is supposed to be 200 times more nourishing than royal jelly. The swiftlet nests are made from the saliva of the birds (not from twigs etc!) and therefore are rich in minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium. Its vitamins help to recover tired skin. The proteins in the swiftlet nest extract contain EGF components that are beneficial for the skin, too. At first, this maybe gross to hear, but similar to snail mucin, also bird’s nest extracts contain beneficial ingredients for the skin.

The next ingredient is Black Pearl! Pearl powder has been used in ancient times for facial treatment because it is rich in nutrients. Pearl powder contains many amino acids, minerals (calcium, zinc, magnesium), and proteins and acts as an antioxidant. Moreover, it is said that pearl powder evens out the skin tone and helps to rejuvenate the skin in general. The Forencos Helios Black Pearl Whitening Silk Mask contains 500 mg of pearl powder.

Last, but not least one of the recent Korean trend ingredients: Mayu, Bayhu or Horse Oil! Also here, this ingredient has been used in ancient times but it became popular again recently. Horse oil has been known as home remedy for treating dry and chapped skin for many years. It is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and is close to human sebum in its composition and therefore absorbs fast into the skin, which leads to a more elastic and hydrated skin with an improved barrier. By the way, in order to obtain horse oil no horses have to be killed! It is taken from underneath the mane without harming the animal and refined afterwards. The Forencos Gaia Mayu Elastic Silk Mask contains 50 mg of horse oil.

All in all, I like the Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series! I love the topic and the variety of different key ingredients for each day. The masks have an interesting concept and although I do not like the mask base ampoule I would recommend you to give this series a try. This Forencos Selene Project Silk Mask Series containing 7 sheet masks retails at the official Forencos page for around 21 US$. As far as I checked it, it wasn’t available at any other of the online stores I normally buy Korean products from.

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

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

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asian cosmetics beauty BNTnews review

Review: Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda

9. July 2015

Although I’m doubtful about diet and slimming products I have a curiosity to try them out. Most of you have probably heard of these shaping gels, which heat up once applied and promise to make the skin more elastic. Too Cool For School offers another possibility with the Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda, a foam product using air bubbles to stimulate your skin. Oh, just in case you were wondering about the lack of reviews in the last days: my PC crashed and I have not figured out how to make it work again. I will send in the part which I suspect is damaged and hopefully everything is fine afterwards again…Unfortunately, I had and still have to retake all the images for the upcoming reviews :'(…

The design cosmetic brand Too Cool For School is a Korean brand, known for a unique packaging design. Their products are in the mid-pricey region and slightly more expansive than Etude House for example. The packaging design of the Too Cool For School products is always very creative and unique. I mentioned probably a thousand times how much I love their packaging design, and hands down, the design of the Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda is not only super sexy, but fits perfectly to the advertised purpose of it. As you can see it displays a female body in lingerie and she has a super skinny waist, too :D

Of course, Too Cool For School provides us with a detailed English description as well (you can click to enlarge the image below). The Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda has 4 in 1 functions: tightening, firming, massage and soothing. The sparkling air spray is a combination of carbonated water and gel for a new bubble experience (you remember the carbonated bubble face wash I reviewed some time ago?). Moreover, the product contains patented ingredients that help to construct a body line. You can check the ingredient list on COSDNA, too. You will see a bunch of plant and fruit extracts mentioned. The packaging states that the beauty ingredients used here are “body toning patented ingredient SLIMLITE, Mate Tea Extract“. The Mate extract contains caffeine, which is the key ingredient of almost all body toning products. The patented tightening ingredient used here is called FRUCTAN, which is known to improve the elasticity. All these ingredients should help to improve cellulite and increase the firmness of the skin, but it also states in the description that the reduce of cellulite is a temporary effect and may depend on the individual. They show some reviews on Too Cool For Schools official site and you can also see some before and after images there.

As I said, this product is a sparkling air bubble spray which comes in a spraying pump in the same design as the cardboard packaging. It has a clear cap and a regular foam-spray dispenser, which might be familiar to you if you have used hair foams before.

The bottom of the spraying bottle shows the production date of the product, which has a shelf-life of 12 months after opening. The volume is 150 ml. Before you use the Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda you have to shake it vigorously, otherwise only cold air is released. It says to shake it more than 10 times, spray it on your palms and massage it on the desired areas of your body. Since the foam contained air bubbles you have in total 30 seconds to massage it into your skin before the bubbles have disappeared. You can see in the image below how airy the foam is. It disappears quickly and a thin film of white emulsion remains, which can be massaged until fully absorbed. It also absorbs quickly, but it leaves a bit of a tacky feeling. The air bubble released out of the bottle is very cooling and the carbonated air bubbles tickle the skin, so be prepared for it in case you want to try it yourself. Did I see any changes while using the Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda? Honestly, no! I never had much of cellulite in my youth and even now it is not that bad honestly, but I didn’t feel my skin be firmer either. I loved the cooling properties of the air bubbles though and I can imagine that it has soothing properties and makes the skin feel tighter for the time of the cooling, but it is no long term effect.

I personally would not repurchase the Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda, but if you had good experience with similar products it might be worth a try. The cooling effect is definitively nice for summer time, but in winter I would prefer the heating body gels :D The air bubbles are fun to try and I can imagine that it has some massage effect due to the sparkling bubbles. Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda retails for 17000 won from the official page (~17 US$). You can also receive it from W2Beauty for 24.96 US$. The Too Cool For School Skinny Body Soda is also available on testerkorea for 13600 Won (14 US$).

Official Page |Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

♥ Oh, and if you have time, feel free to join my two giveaways! You can click on the images to be redirected :) ♥


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

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asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: Shara Shara Kissing Sugar Lip Scrub

3. July 2015

A quick review on a tiny but helpful product, the Shara Shara Kissing Sugar Lip Scrub! Especially if you have often dry or chapped lips lip scrub should be known to you. There are many alternatives to make DIY- lipscrub using honey and sugar, but sometimes it is just more convenient to have a ready made lipscrub at hands.

Shara Shara is kind of a newer brand compared to Etude House or Missha etc. It attracts the attation mainly by a very girly and cute packaging design, using bright colors and illustrations. The subtitle of their official page is “the romantic lounge for ladies”. You’ll find a lot of doll faces and comic figures on their products, too. I reviewed the Shara Shara Real Sauce sheet mask previously and I have some other Shara Shara products which still need to be reviewed, mainly from my MeMeBox purchases of last year :D (unfortunatelly, they don’t ship to Europe anymore, but if you are from the US you still might to check it out). The Shara Shara Kissing Sugar Lip Scrub is from MeMeBox, too, but I still had another lip scrub which I wanted to use up before starting to use this one.

First thing to notice for this lip scrub is the doll face depicted on the tin, where the lip scrub comes in. Depending on your taste you might regard the design as cute or too childish. For me personally it is not the prettiest design, because I don’t think that the doll face is specially cute :’D Nevertheless, I can understand if people love the design. The colors of the tin are pastell colors to have everything fit in this dolly-girly image.

Inside the tin you’ll find the product, which looks like a solid lipbutter with some dark particles inside. The Shara Shara Kissing Sugar Lip Scrub contains 10 g of product and consists mainly of brown sugar, avocado oil, honey extract, shea butter and vitamin E derivate Tocopheryl Acetate. apart from the brown sugar for exfoliating it also contains Walnut Shell particles.

Of course, the disadvantage of having a tin is that you have to touch the product either by your (hopefully clean) fingers, or use a spatula in order to keep the product as clean as possible. I preferr lip scrubs with a more creamy formula which come in a tube which is definitively more hygienic. Other than that the product is easy to take out, since the shea butter is melting easily. There is also a good amount of sugar and walnut shell particles to ensure an effective scrub. After using it and washing the product of your lips the lips feel soft and also hydrated because of the Shea butter (and probably also the other ingredients like avocado and argan oil) and they feel like you have applied lipbalm. The taste of the product is flowery/perfumy, which is a bit of a sad point here. Of course there is the sweetness from the sugar, but I would have preferred a more yummy scent than perfume.

Alltogether the Shara Shara Kissing Sugar Lip Scrub does a good job as lip scrub and makes the lips feel soft and nourished and nice afterwards. It is not expensive either, so if you don’t mind the lack of nice taste and like the packaging you will do nothing wrong with this. I personally will use it up, but I will probably try out another more tasteful lipscrub after this one :D You can get this lip scrub for 4730 won (~5 US$) from testerkorea for example.

♥ Oh, and if you have time, feel free to join my two giveaways! You can click on the images to be redirected :) ♥

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beauty other Wishtrend

Wishtrend July 2015 Promotions

1. July 2015

It’s July already! Time passes too quickly at the moment :’D Finally we have some higher temperatures in Germany aswell. I feared it will be like 20° C all summer long :D Here are Wishtrend July 2015 Promotions, which means new codes and and gifts for our shopping experience at Wishtrend. Yeah! If you don’t know Wishtrend, but love Korean or asian cosmetics and skincare products I can recommend you to check out their online shop, especially for one of my favourite products, the O.S.T. Vitamin C Serum. You’ll also find some products sold at Wishtrend on my Top 20 favourite product list for 2014, like the Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil. Also, they have listed the brand COSRX, which is gaining a lot of popularity these days. 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. I’m very honoured that I was chosen as their affiliate of the month for June (Thanks again, Wishtrend!). So, without any further addo, here are the coupon codes for July:

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 coupon available for July. Below, you’ll find the coupon code for this:

Coupon Code: WISHJULY2015
Requirement 1: Shopping cart order must be 55 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 July 2015

The second promotion code is a special gift you will receive by using the code below. The voucher is valid on ANY orders at Wishtrend! You will receive in addition to the usual free samples a Lei Lani Pink Mochi Nose Clear Pack (2.99 US$ value).

Voucher Code: WISHGIFTJULY2015
ANY ORDER
Only valid until the end of July 2015

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!

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:

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? ♥ Oh, and if you have time, feel free to join my two giveaways! You can click on the images to be redirected :) ♥

beauty beauty boxes Rossmann

Unboxing: Rossmann Schön für Mich Box June

25. June 2015

When I received the Rossmann Schön für Mich Beauty Box June I was super excited about it, since the previous Schön für Mich box in May was surprisingly good, and I started to unwrap the package eagerly! Rossmann Schön für Mich Box is a monthly beauty box by the German drugstore company Rossmann. The beauty box contains some of the Rossmann beauty brands, but also other known drugstore brands. Let’s see what I received in June:

Another beautifully designed box with purple flowers! These boxes are so pretty and definitively nothing to throw away afterwards! Inside the box the product description card with the same flower print is waiting to be opened.

The Rossmann Schön für Mich Box was pretty heavy again and filled completely with products. There were a total of ten different products inside, a mix of Rossmann beauty products and known drugstore brands. For the price of 5 € these boxes are amazing!

Again, all the items are fullsized products and apart from the product description you’ll find discount coupons for all the products, if you want to repurchase them.

Here are the products I received with the Rossmann Schön für Mich beauty box June:

Isana Dry-Shampoo

This dry shampoo is from the Rossmann brand Isana. I like dry shampoo a lot, especially in summer for camping or festivals. Or simply if you have bangs and don’t want to wash the hair every day. This one will definitively be used.

Kneipp Showering Balm Almond-Blossom

I had the almond blossom body oil from the same line and I’m addicted to the scent! I’m very happy about this shower gel and it really feels hydrating on the skin, too!

Rival de Loop Eyebrow Pencil

This is a brand by Rossmann, too. I’m not a fan of western brow products so far and this is no exception. I like the included brush, but the pencil is too pigmented in order to give a natural look.

Colgate Max White One Optic Toothpaste

I didn’t try this one yet, but I tried other Colgate toothpaste and liked using them. I guess this one will be similar..and you’ll always in need of toothpaste :D

RdeL Young Million Dollar Lips

A lip lacquer from the Rossmann brand RdeL Young. The color is a pretty cherrypink, which is the color I would have selected from the color options available. One can never have enough lip products :D

Sun Ozon Sunmilk Sensitive SPF 25

This waterproof, fragnance-free sunmilk by Rossmann comes just in time…I’m still waiting for the weather to warm up finally (it is almost Juny and we are still below 20°C! :'( ). It contains Jojoba Oil for dry skintypes, so I’m especially curious how it will be when using it on my skin.

Nivea In-Shower Cleansing Cream and Makeup Remover

I was super excited about this one, because I hate it when my eye makeup is not removed completely why taking a shower in the evening. It is a mild cleanser and it leaves the skin not dryx after using it, but it is not the greatest makeup remover unfortunately.

Aok Daily Moisturizing Cream

This moisturizing cream contains grape extract and plant hyaluron and is supposed to be moisturizing for 24 hours. Looks like an interesting moisturizer, hopefully it will provide enough moisture for me.

Dove Compressed Deo Spray

Usually, I’m buying this deo spay when I’m out of deo, so it is great to have it in this box. The compressed size looks perfect for taking it along in the handbag and/or travelling.

For your Beauty Traceless Hair Ring

Similar to Invisibobble, Rossmann has their own traceless hair ring. They have a good quality and I’m very happy with them and use them daily :D

I can only repeat myself at this box: although the Rossmann Schön für Mich Box contains only drugstore products the price of 5 € is really great. All the products are fullsized and the box is filled up completely. The box design is pretty, too. All in all, a great value for a fair price! If you love drugstore brands, you will like the Rossmann Schön für Mich beauty boxes, too. The boxes each month are limited though and they are raffling each month to select the persons who will be able to get it. For more information check out facebook. If you are curious for any specific product from this box leave a comment and I will try to write a review.

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

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asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel

18. June 2015

Of course with summer approaching everybody thinks of sun protection, but even in winter you should use your daily dose of UV protection for your face. UV radiation will not only cause visible and accute skin damage (like sunburn), but it also makes your skin look older by the time. It is responsible for getting more lines and pigmentations (freckles). Looking at asian cosmetics you will find daily useable sunscreens everywhere! One brand which is often mentioned when it comes to daily sunscreens, especially japanese ones, is the Bioré UV Aqua Rich Line. Many people have heard of the Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence, but the Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel I’m reviewing is a new product in this year in that line.

Bioré is a japanese brand within the Kao cooperation, a chemical and cosmetics company. It is knwon for mainly skincare products like cleansing, lotions and sunscreen. The Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel has an SPF 50+/ PA++++ and is a daily useable sunscreen for face and body. Not only does it protect your face from UV radiation, but also it can be used as a makeup base. One thing I have to point out here: most asian sunscreens are usually made for daily use, but not for sunbathing or outdoor activities! You should use a sunscreen made specially for that purpose if you plan on using it therefore. Moreover, the Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel is not waterproof ( that means it is not sweatproof either).

You might be wondering why to buy an extra sunscreen for daily use if it is not sweatproof and not suited for sunbathing etc? You could go ahead and use your regular beach sunscreen daily and for protecting your face, too, but the problem I discovered with most of these sunscreens is, that they made my skin too greasy and heavy. They were not suited for base makeup either. The Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel is totally different here and I will describe my experience toawards the end of this review. But first let’s take a look at the packaging and the description:

The Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel and the Watery Essence have both a signature pale blue plastic packaging. In contrast to the Watery Essence, which comes in a regular tube, the Watery Gel comes in a squeezing bottle. It also contains 90 ml volume, whereas the Watery Essence tube contains only 50 ml (big size 75 ml). Like most japanese products it does not come in a cardboard box, but in a plastic packaging. The description is in Japanese only, but if you are curious about the ingredients you can check up COSDNA >>here<<. The key ingredients for sun protection are Octinoxate, Tinosorb S (BisEthylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine), Uvinol A Plus (Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate), Uvinol T 150 (Ethylhexyl Triazone), and Titanium Dioxide. Unfortunately, this sunscreen contains alcohol, but unlike aggressive skincare products with alcohol, this one didn’t feel uncomfortable on my skin. You will also notice a light alcohol scent at the beginning which vanishes quickly and leaves the signature citrus/lemon scent of this sunscreen. Apart from this, the Watery Gel contains moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and royal jelly and is thus also useable on dry skintypes like mine. If you want to read more about the description I can recommend you the my holy grail blog for asian sunscreen reviews, Ratzillacosme. Apart from descriptions for almost every japanese sunscreen you can also find reviews for tons of them. It is one of the most helpful sites if you are looking for an asian sunscreen.

So, the Bioré UV Aqua Moist Watery Gel is designed as a gel-type sunscreen which also moisturizes the skin. Since it is designed as a makeup base I have certain expectations for it, like to be non-sticky and not greasy. Like the product packaging also the bottle contains only japanese descriptions.

The cap of the bottle can be unwind easily. There is a small nozzle to squeeze the product out, but since it is quite runny in its consistency I would be careful not to squeeze too hard. Unlike you would think from the name the product is not a gel-type one, but it looks like a runny, light-yellow colored milk. It has a citrus scent to it, which I didn’t like in first place, but I got used to it eventually. It isn’t too strong anyways.

When applied the milky texture turns watery immediatelly. If feels moist and nice and not oily or heavy at all. It contains tiny white capsules which dissolve after blending the gel in and it absorbs super fast. When it is absorbed it leaves the skin neither greasy, nor matte and powdery, but just like healthy and moist skin. It has no white cast either. Although it contains alcohol I don’t have the feeling that it makes my skin tight or dry- on the contrary, the skin feels moisturized and fresh. Since it absorbs so quickly and isn’t oily or drying it works great as makeup base. I had no flaking or clumping problems with following steps.

I love the Bioré UV Aqua rich Watery Gel! Point! Despite the fact that I’m not the citrus-scent lover there is nothing I have to complain here. It is not greasy, leaves the skin healthy looking and not dried, doesn’t leave a white cast and absorbs fast. Oh, it is non-sticky, too! The application is watery and refreshing, too, and it works great as base make-up. I bought my tube from Adambeauty for HK$67 (~8.40 US$), but it is out of stock at the moment. It is also available on ebay for around 10 US$.

And something a bit off-topic: I repaired the link to my RSS feed and also put a link to my Email subscription list on the sidebar now. If you are interested feel free to subscribe :D

♥ And remember to take part in my 2nd bloganniversary giveaway! ♥

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