[Review] Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream and Lotion

Sorry for the long wait – real life took the reins for awhile there, but I’m back, and ready to continue with my review of the Benton Snail Bee series, specifically the steam cream and the lotion.  As of this writing, I’m pretty certain I am one of the only person who liked both of these products…together.  Actually, I might be the only person who likes the lotion in this line at all.  But let me back up a little…

The first product I added to my routine was the steam cream.  The packaging description says it

is for all types of skins including sensitive and troubled ones.  The product will help you to maintin healthy and moisturized skin by using steaming method to cure your rough and damaged skin from various stresses and pollution.  Instead of water, the cream uses Snail secretion filtrate, Bee venom and EGF as main components with other vegetable cosmetic ingredients to perform skin trouble care, moisture supply, and skin tone improvement.  Also, this high content multi-care cream contains functional materials, such as Niacinamide and Adenosine that help whitening your skin and remove wrinkles.

The ingredient listing for the Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream is as follows:

• Snail Secretion Filtrate
• Glycerin
• Butyline Glycol
• Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
• Cetearyl Olivate
• Sorbitan Olivate
• Sodium Hyaluronate
• Niacinamide
• Stearic Acid
• Behnyl Alcohol
• Phytosqualane
• Human Oligopeptide-1
• Bee Venom
• Arbutin
• Adenosine
• Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil (sunflower)
• Carthamus Tinctorius (safflower) seed oil
• Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
• Glycerol Stearate
• Arginine
• Carbomer
• Urea
• Tocopheryl Acelate
• Plantao Asiatica Extract
• Laminaria Digilata Extract
• Diospyros Kiki Leaf Extract
• Salix Alba (willow) bark extract
• Ulmus Campestris (elm) extract
• Pentylene Glycol
• Zanthoxylum Pipertium Fruit Extract
• Pulsatilla Koreana Extract
• Usnea Barbata (Lichen Extract.

The steam cream comes in a little brown plastic jar with a screw-on top, and is a white gel-cream.  It’s actually very difficult to categorize the texture, because it doesn’t really compare to any other moisturizers or creams I’ve used – it looks deceptively light-weight, but is actually quite heavy – a little sticky, even – which is why I began using it as my night cream, replacing my EL Daywear Crème.   I found that a little really does go a very long way with this cream – an amount the size of a dime was perfect for first application.  Because yes… I needed two applications of this stuff to get the moisturizing effect I wanted.

steam cream in jar

Basically, the cream was so non-absorbent that if I tried to put on as much as I needed, it would just sit on top of my face for awhile, slowing soaking in.  I can definitely see why some people use this as a sleeping mask, that’s for sure.  However, I wanted to use it as a regular cream, and after some experimentation, found that two light applications half an hour to 45 minutes apart was the best way to get maximum moisturizing capability – the first application would soak in by that time, and I would apply the second and go to bed.  On one hand, it worked really well: my skin looked wonderful whenever I woke up the next day, just plump and glowing, and if I overslept and had to skip my morning cream, I wouldn’t get dry patches until about mid-morning.

consistency of steam cream

texture after rubbing in – it’s a little sticky!

But let’s be real: it’s a pain in the neck to apply a cream twice every night, especially if you’re tired and just want to go to sleep.  Just based on this, I thought that the steam cream would actually be better for people with more oily-type skin, because one application would probably by enough to moisturize.  It’s definitely not enough if you have drier skin.  However, I will say that I experienced no allergic reactions to using the cream, although I will note that it stings if applied on broken skin, like a scratch or acne scab.  I used the cream solo for about three weeks, enough time to think that I would use up the jar I had, but I wouldn’t re-purchase. And then I decided to add the lotion into the mix.

The Snail Bee High Content Lotion is described in a similar way to the Cream.  Apparently,

it is for all types of skins including sensitive.  Instead of water, the product uses snail secretion filtrate and camellia sinensis leaf water, bee venom and EGF to cleanse your rough and damaged skin from various stresses and pollution.  In addition to the skin-soothing, moisture supply and skin tone improvement functions, Niacinamide and Adenosine contents of the product help you whitening your skin and remove wrinkles.

Funny thing, though – if you look at the ingredient list, there is no camellia sinensis leaf water in the mix.  Go figure.

• Snail Secretion Filtrate
• Butyline Glycol
• Glycerin
• Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
• Sodium Hyaluronate
• Niacinamide
• Zanthoxylum Pipertium Fruit Extract
• Pulsatilla Koreana Extract
• Usnea Barbata (Lichen Extract)
• Cetearyl Olivate
• Sorbitan Olivate
• Squalen
• Urea
• Human Oligopeptide-1
• Bee Venom
• Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
• Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil (sunflower)
• Carthamus Tinctorius (safflower) seed oil
• Pentylene Glycol
• Glycerol Stearate
• Stearic Acid
• Cetostearyl Alcohol
• Xantham Gum
• Tocopheryl Acelate
• Bacillus Ferment
• Azelaic Acid
• Althaea Rosea Root Extract
• Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
• Panthenol
• Beta-Glucan
• Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract
• Salix Alba (willow) bark extract
• Plantago Asiatica extract
• laminaria digitata extract
• ulmus campestris (elm) extract
• aloe barbadensis leaf juice
• Adenosine

The lotion comes in a pump container, and it has the consistency of a light lotion – which makes sense, as it is meant to act as an emulsion before the steam cream.  Again, like the steam cream, the texture is hard to describe.  It has a lot of “slip” to it – if you rub it between your fingers, it is surprisingly slippery and non-absorbent.

consistency of lotion

texture of lotion right after application

texture of lotion two minutes later

I have to admit, the first time used this, I really wasn’t expecting much.  On my initial application, I massaged three pumps all over my face, and my initial reaction wasn’t too impressed.  It didn’t absorb at all – the lotion left a white film over my face during the initial massage.  I was pretty ticked – I was actually going to wash my face and start over, but lo and behold, as I was waiting for the water to heat up, the lotion suddenly absorbed into my face.

Yeah, you heard that right.  One second, the lotion was just sitting on top of my face, doing nothing, the next, my skin had sucked it in like it had never been there.  I touched my face, and there was no residue at all.  Since then, I’ve learned the best way to apply it is just to lightly massage two pumps over my face for coverage, then apply my eye cream.  By the time I’m done with that step, the lotion has absorbed, and it’s time to apply the stream cream.

This is where the biggest difference is.  However the lotion works, it acts as a facilitator for the steam cream – instead of two widely spaced applications, I can do one larger-than-usual application that will absorb in 15 min and moisturize my face the whole night.  Additionally, the “sticky” sensation the steam cream leaves behind when used solo is eliminated by using the lotion first.  Below is a comparison of absorption rates for you edification:

The top patch is the steam cream without the lotion, the bottom patch has had the lotion applied first.

So using the lotion and steam cream in tandem is really a must: the lotion isn’t really moisturizing enough on it’s own, but the steam cream is far too inefficient to be used by itself, at least on my skin.  Aside from that…well, I’ve been using the duo for over two months now.  It has never broken me out or given me hives, and since there is no added fragrance, it basically has no natural fragrance.  It moisturizes me pretty well, although I’d like to see how it holds up in the very dry summer months instead of the relatively wetter spring.

However, I haven’t noticed any extra benefits from using this product.  It didn’t clear up any more of my redness than the Essence did – although to be fair, there might not be any more redness to clear up – and I certainly didn’t notice any other changes in the texture or brightness of my skin.  Lastly, these are not safe to use on broken skin – every time I applied the due over an acne scab or a scratch on my face, both products stung!  Not a pleasant feeling.

Ultimately, I feel a little ambivalent about these products.  They work awfully well, as long as they are used together, but I don’t really feel a lot of pizzazz while using them, and the fact that I can’t use them on broken skin is a definite mark against them.  I’m not sure I’ll re-purchase these – I will definitely try other moisturizers before coming back to these two products.

[Review] Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil

If I were to list the top ten products that have changed my life, Shu Uemura’s Cleansing Oil would be first place.  It didn’t cure my acne or improve the texture of my skin, but it did do one thing really, really well: take all the makeup off my face at the end of the day without giving me hives or making me cry.  I guess this doesn’t sound like much, but it was actually a lot, because previous to my discovery of this product, I was unable to wear makeup because I couldn’t bear the process of removing it.

I can’t really remember how and when I discovered this product.  I might have read an article in a magazine; I might have just stumbled upon the Shu Uemura counter in the mall (this was back when Shu Uemura was sold and marketed extensively in the US).  Either way, sometime during college I started using it, and I immediately went out and bought some mascara and a brow kit and starting using it almost every day.  For a redhead with blonde eyelashes and eyebrows, it was amazing.

Using the cleansing oil is very, very simple.  I would pump the container once or twice into my dry hands and rub it all over my dry face; then splash some water on my face and rub my face some more.  The oil would emulsify, and after rinsing, all of my makeup would be gone, including waterproof mascara. Magic!

One pump of cleansing oil, applied dry.

Massaging the oil.

Oil emulsification after the addition of water.

Makeup-free skin!

As you can see in the photo below, the cleansing oil comes in a transparent pump container.  Additionally the pump “locks” if you turn it to the side – I’ve never had it leak while traveling with the lock on, so I rate this feature as pretty good.  Unfortunately, I don’t have the ingredients listing on me, but all of Shu Uemura’s cleansing oils have the same base: a mineral oil base with thickener and moisturizing ingredients, plus a variety of plant extracts and fragrance.  Personally, I’ve never seen any “extra” effects from the different varieties of cleansing oil – they just have different colored bottles and different perfumes, so I after a while I defaulted to buying either the classic version or whatever seasonal version was on sale.

Standard 150 ml bottle.

The other really good thing about this oil is that it usually lasts about 8 months for me. based on 5-6 days of use per week .  I usually get the 150 mL version, which retails at $31.00, so that’s about $3.88 per month for cleansing, which makes it fairly affordable in my book.  So I feel I can safely say that if you are very, very sensitive to makeup removers in general, picking up a bottle of this is definitely worth it.  It totally changed my life, and I’m sure it will change yours too!

[Review] The FACE Shop Bebe Lip Essence and Fruit Ball Hand Cream

This review is a little unusual in that it comes from my mother instead of myself.  In my last haul, she got some stuff, and she has graciously shared her opinion so far.

The Face Shop Lovely ME:EX Bebe Lip Essence SPF 15

TFS Bebe Lip Essence tube

What the balm looks like.

This is basically a semi-glossy lip balm in a tube.  It’s clear and smells strongly of bananas, but the scent fades away within a few minutes, just leaving a nice balm coating on your lips.

On roseroseshop, the non-discounted price is $6.90.  I think it’s main selling point is the pleasant scent of bananas, which you never find outside of lipsmacker products.

The Face Shop Fruit Ball Hand Cream in No. 3 Lemon

Oh, hey, a lemon! What’s it doing all the way over here?

WHAAAT?!?

Ooh, nifty! What will they think of next?

Stereotypical hand cream in adorable fruit container.  The container can be opened by unscrewing the top – it’s not difficult, but it does seems secure enough to be carried around without fear of leakage.  The fragrance does smell almost exactly like a fresh cut lemon (not like Clorox wipes), but like the lip essence the fragrance fades within a few moments.  The actual hand cream is a pleasant, emollient blend that absorbs fairly rapidly into the skin, leaving it moisturized.

On roseroseshop the non-discounted price per item is $4.40.  I will say these would make adorable party favors.  My mother really likes this one, especially for the reaction she gets whenever she pulls it out of her purse when she’s out and about.

 

[Review] Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence

The Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence was the second new step I added into my skincare regime, after adding the Benton BHA Aloe Toner.  An essence, in the Asian skincare regime, is akin to a serum – generally it’s a potion of higher-than-normal concentration, meant to be applied to the face and neck after the toning step, but before the application of lotions and creams.  Basically, it’s a booster of whatever you characteristic you desire: moisturizing, lightening, anti-irritation, anti-aging – if you have a problem, I guarantee you there is an essence/ampoule/serum to help solve it.

Now, I have to admit, I am extremely dubious of most skincare claims, except for maybe moisturization.  I don’t think any product can tighten your pores, anything that claims to “lighten” your under-eye circles permanently without the use of color makeup or lasers is bunk, and the best anti-aging treatment is always going to be sunblock.  With that said, I am coming around to the idea that skincare can be very anti-irritation and anti-inflammatory, and the product I am about to review is the reason why.

The Benton Snail Bee line is generally marketed as an anti-irritation line, and to that end, the ad copy for the essence states:

“Snail Bee High Content Essence is for all types of skins including sensitive and troubled ones.  Instead of water, the product uses snail secretion filtrate, bee venom, and EGF to cleanse your rough and damaged skin from various stresses and pollution.  In addition to the skin-trouble care, moisture supply and skin tone improvement functions, Arbutin and Adenosine contents of the contents of the product help you whitening your skin and improve wrinkles.”

I chose the Benton line simply because they are formulated without perfume or fragrance, which I can find irritating.  I didn’t want a potential reaction to fragrance to taint my reaction to the use of snail mucin and bee venom in the essence.  These are totally new ingredients to me, and I wasn’t sure how I would react.  The ingredients are as follows:

• Snail Secretion Filtrate
• Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
• Glycerin
• Arbutin
• Butylene Glycol
• Human Oligopeptide-1
• Bee Venom
• Plantago Asiatia extract (aka Chinese plantain)
• Laminaria Digitata Extract (aka algae aka oarweed)
• Diospyros Kaki leaf extract (aka persimmon)
• Salix Alba Bark extract (aka willow bark)
• Ulmus cam pestris extract (aka elm)
• Bacillus Ferment
• Azelaic Acid
• Althaea rosea flower extract (aka hollyhock)
• Aloe barbadensis leaf extract
• Beta-glucan
• Betaine
• Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Cross Polymer
• Adenosine
• Panthenol
• Allantoin
• Zanthoxylum Piperatum Fruit Extract (aka sichuan pepper)
• Usnea Barbata extract (aka lichen)
• Pulsatilla Koreana Extract (aka Korean pasque flower)
• Arginine

The essence comes in a serious brown plastic bottle which holds 60 milliliters.  I particularly like the packaging of this essence – it comes in a pump dispensary form, which I like more than the dropper format more commonly seen.  It’s easy to control how much product you want, and also easy to avoid losing any product due to carelessly knocking the container over.

The actual product is a clear, scentless gel.  it’s not sticky or gooey at all, but nor is it very runny.  This makes it very easy to apply to my face.  I simply pump three times, and that amount is enough to cover my whole face and neck.  The product is lightly moisturizing; I generally need to wait a few moments for it to soak in before I can apply my creams.

The consistency of the essence.

The texture of the essence.

I’ve been using this essence a little over three weeks now, and I was pleasantly surprised that the advertising is actually backed up by performance.  I started taking this after experiencing some very bad reactions due to some Philosophy skincare samples.  As you can see from the picture below, I was very flushed and irritated, and I know from previous experience that it can take a week or more for my skin to settle down, during which time it feels painful and tight, and I’m unable to even wear makeup while I’m waiting for my skin to heal.

So irritated. So, so irritated.

I can safely say the results were pretty amazing.  The photo below is my face a week after using the essence once a day, during my night routine.  However, my face returned to it’s normal state within three days.  That’s right, the redness, burning sensation, and slight facial swelling were resolved within three days, allowing me to sleep better without putting a wet washcloth on my face and also allowing me to wear a little make-up for work without wanting to sand my skin off.

One week later: sweet relief!

Additionally, in the last three weeks I’ve only had one instance of spontaneous flushing, and it only lasted a few hours instead of all night and day like my usual pattern.  That right there is pretty amazing.  In terms of use, I’ve used up a little less than a quarter of the bottle in three+ weeks, which leads me to believe that by using this only once a day, you should make a bottle stretch between 3-4 months.  However, I’m going to start using this in the morning as well, so it will probably only last 2-3 months instead.

Final comment: this gel is lightly moisturizing, but more importantly, it is strongly anti-inflammatory.  If you have issues with flushing or irritation, I absolutely think this would be a great starting essence.  You can pick it up from various import sites for $15-20 a bottle, which I think is reasonable.  I’m going to try a few other snail mucus essences, but I will definitely come back around to this one, especially given the wonderful results!

[Review] Trader Joe’s Lavender Salt Scrub

I find that Trader Joe’s is the worst when it comes to impulse buys.  Kimchi in a bag?  Awesome!  Ooh, pomegranate kefir?  That’s great!  Their beauty products are no different – ooh, a salt scrub?  Gotta buy it now!

Sadly, this was an impulse buy gone terribly wrong.  To rub salt on the wound (metaphorically, of course), I pretty much knew what the issue was going to be when I saw this, but I bought it anyway.  Shame on me!  Anyway, let’s get down to brass tacks:

The Trader Joe’s Lavender Salt Scrub can be found in the toiletries section, and costs about $5.99 for 20 ounces.  The ingredients are fairly standard: sea salt, apricot seed oil, other oils, lavender essential oil.  Of course, that lavender oil is the rub.  Like many people with sensitive skin, I find lavender oil to be very harsh and irritating…yet I bought it anyway!  Call it the triumph of hope over experience…

As a scrub, this works fine.  It’s nice and abrasive and feels very pleasant as a once a week treatment.  However, the carriers oils are another matter.  They are extremely sticky and water repellant, and whatever they don’t coat on your body will coat the floor of your shower stall or bathtub instead.  It’s a little gross, and it takes a few days of showering to dissipate.

That would be mark against this product by itself.  However, the addition of the lavender oil makes it pretty much unusable.  If you have any open cuts or abrasions, this scrub will burn like crazy.  I have eczema on one leg, and often have bug bites and scabs on both, so right now, it’s impossible to use…which is why I ended up trashing it.  I have no need for scrub that burns like hell and make my shower disgusting.  This is a terrible product, even for people with non-sensitive skin, so don’t waste your $6!

[Review] March 2014 Samples

Earlier in the month, I obtained several samples through my purchases from Missha and Jolse.  I’ve finally finished trying all of them out, and here are my opinions on each product.  For brevity’s sake, the final verdict will be one of three choices: GOOD, MEH, NOPE.

• Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint

I didn’t bother taking pictures of this one, because I didn’t like it.  The product smelled highly reminiscent of cherry cough syrup, and only “stuck” to the patches of dried skin on my lips.  It wasn’t very attractive looking.  My mother also tried it, but it didn’t work on her, either; in fact, it actually peeled her lips!  Final verdict: NOPE.

• TonyMoly I’m Real Lotion – Seawead Aqua Moisture

Photo of both the seaweed and lemon lotions

The seaweed lotion’s texture.

This is a light day moisturizer, tending more towards the gel than the cream.  It’s not terrible…but it’s not great, either.  Given how light the texture is, you would think the lotion would absorb into my face fairly quickly, but I actually found that it just sort of sat there for a good half hour.  The perfume is a sort of generic fragrance only saved by the fact it dissipates quickly.  Final verdict: MEH.

• TonyMoly I’m Real Lotion – Lemon Brightening

This is weirdly opalescent in real life.

The first thing you notice – other than the weird opalescent sheen on the cream – is the fact this lotion smells exactly like lemon Clorox.  It’s sort of like wiping your face with a Clorox wipe, which is not a favorable first impression.  I had to take this off within fifteen minutes anyway – it turns out the opalescence is from the addition of titanium dioxide to the lotion, which “brightens” the face by depositing a thin film of said titanium dioxide.  It is also heinously itchy – not really sure if it’s the titanium dioxide or another ingredient, because my sunscreens are all formulated with titanium dioxide – but either way, it was unbearable to wear, so I washed it off.  Final verdict: NOPE.

• Etude House Collagen Moistfull Cream

In terms of texture, this actually reminds me quite a bit of Clinique’s Moisture Surge Line, which I used for a time in college.  I found the scent negligible and it absorbed well into my skin.  All in all, not a bad introduction to this line – I would consider buying a full-sized product at a future date.  Final verdict: GOOD.

• Etude House I’m Blooming Brightening Wash-off Gel

I thought this was the dark horse winner of this round of sample try-outs, myself!  This is just your basic, every day physical exfoliant, but it does the job really well.  I thought it would be weird applying this gel and massaging it, but it was just a very gentle, yet effective scrub.  The fragrance is pleasant without being overwhelming, so I wouldn’t mind using this again, or trying another product from this line.  Final verdict: GOOD.

• The Face Shop New Zealand Volcanic Clay blackhead charcoal nose strip

As you can see from the above sequence of photos, this is exactly like the Biore Nose Strips, except not as effective.  Final verdict: MEH.

• Missha Premium Dong Baek Gold Shampoo

I didn’t bother to take any photos.  It’s just your regular, run-of-the mill shampoo, maybe a little less moisturizing than what I usually use.  Final verdict: MEH.

• Missha Misa Geumsul First Essence Booster and Overnight Cream

Both samples

the toner

the overnight cream

I really wanted this to be better than it was.  Sadly, my reaction to both of these products was “meh”.  Both products performed serviceably well, although the overnight cream felt very light for a product with such a thick texture.  The fragrance is a generic floral, and like with all Missha products, it lasts a long, long time.  I just wasn’t excited about this.  Final verdict: MEH.

• Missha Real Essential Multi-Vita Sheet Mask

This isn’t really a sample, so much as one full-sized sheet mask I received in the Missha anniversary sample pack.  The mask had a decent amount of serum in it’s pouch.  It was also way too big for my face, necessitating a lot of adjustment.  However, the actual experience wasn’t bad.  The mask had a light fruity-floral scent, which dissipated quickly, and the serum absorbed quickly into my skin.  However…I also found lots of little acne pustules over my face afterwords.  Disappointing!  Final Verdict: NOPE.

And a special comparison of Missha BB creams for redheads:

Now, the last time I was in Korea, BB cream shades were all too yellow and dark for me…and I swatched quite a few.  But it’s been a couple of years since then, and I know several of the brands are trying to expand outside east Asia, which would necessitate expanding their range of shades, if nothing else.  So I decided to try some samples out and see if anything changed.

• Missha Complexion Coordinating BB in #1

What the BB actually looks like.

I got several samples of this in my Missha order, so I decided to try it out first.  The actually BB is a white, somewhat shimmery cream.  You can’t see it from the above picture, but it also has what looks like beige grains inside the cream.  I applied this amount to my face with my fingers, as I didn’t have a brush or sponge on hand.

Me, wearing the BB.

I was pleasantly surprised!  It’s actually not bad looking.  The finish is rather sheer and dewy – I look pretty wet in the above photo, but the effect is ameliorated somewhat in natural light.  I think I used a little too much, too.  But the shade is true, which I was impressed by.

Me, having taken it off.

Sadly, wear sucked.  The BB cream started flaking off (literally) within 4 hours.  Also, it caused acne – as you can see in the photo above, I got a little pimple on the border between my upper lip and skin.  I tried this BB a few more times, only to get more acne each time I wore it.  Final verdict: NOPE.

• Missha Perfect Color BB in #13

Luckily, I still had other samples!

Look at this smiling face…

Again, pleasantly surprised!  It’s hard enough to find a foundation here in the U.S. that is both pale and cool/pink enough to match my shade, let alone with a  formulation gentle enough not to irritate my skin, but Missha did it!  As you can see, coverage is pretty light; it’s evening out my skin tone, but not covering my freckles.  The finish is just on the right side of dewy – I look like I’m glowing, not like I’m sweating.  I’m pretty sure I’ll pick up a tube next time I order from Missha 🙂  Final verdict: GOOD.

• Missha Signature Complete BB Cream in #23

No pictures of this, since I was just trying out for the sake of texture/coverage.  I found this BB cream to be thinner and more sheer than the Perfect color.  I suspect that I am a match for shade #13…I’m going to try and pick up some samples, or I may just blind-buy and hope for the best.  Final verdict: GOOD.

My mother and brother have tried a few samples too:

• Missha Complexion Coordination BB in #2

My mother tried this out.  She liked the texture, but she found the shade just a little too light and a tad too pink for her.  Additionally, the BB cream seems to settle in all of her pores around her nose, accentuating the flaws.  Final verdict: NOPE

• Missha Perfect Color BB in #21/#23

My mother tried both of these.  She thought #21 was the closest shade match, but #23 had the better wear – for some reason #21 just melted off her face.  It was very perplexing.

• Missha Signature Complete BB in #23

As my mother said to me…

…it’s surprisingly natural looking!

However, she still doesn’t enjoy the texture of BB creams, so her final reaction is MEH.

• Missha Urban Soul First Treatment Essence

I gave this to my brother.  Unfortunately, he’s 17, and thus annoying, so he was very non-descriptive of how he used this product and if he liked it.  Final verdict: MEH.

• Missha Super Aqua Waterfull Cream

My mother tried this and basically had the same reaction I did: Lovely product, save for the intense, eye-wateringly powerful fragrance.  Final verdict: MEH.

• Missha Super Aqua Snail Cream

I gave a sample of this to my mother, and she loved it!  A lovely, light moisturizing cream. The fragrance dissipates quickly, which is a plus.  We’re definitely going to pick this up.  Final verdict: GOOD.

• Etude House Cotton Fit BB Cream

My mother tried this, and mostly told me how hard it was to blend.  Apparently it is a very thick BB cream.  Final verdict: NOPE

[HAUL] RoseRoseShop #1

So buying the below products was a bit of a pain.  RoseRoseShop (RRS) has a gigantic selection and really awesome prices, but I wasn’t too thrilled with parts of their customer service.  I made my original order, and then waited for them to start processing my order for shipment.  I waited…and waited…and waited; I was trying to be understanding, since I knew it was after the new year, and they were probably swamped with orders.

Anyway, after a week I emailed them to find out when the ETA was…only to get a response informing me that two of the products I had purchased had been priced incorrectly, and would I mind paying the difference?  Well, yeah…I kinda do, actually.  But no matter…I ponied up the extra cash and within three days, it was mailed out.  The actual shipping was excellent, by the way – from Incheon to my door, it took about a week.

I guess what really burned me was the fact that they didn’t contact me first about the pricing discrepancy.  I work in sales and logistics, I know how bad it can be when you misquote a price to a customer – someone in IT was getting their head chewed off, I’m sure.  But just letting my package wait in limbo is annoying.   If it was me, I would have contacted the customer right away to try and solve the issue… not wait for them to come to me.

On the upside, once I contacted the RRS customer service, they were very pleasant to me, and they did get my shipment out promptly once payment was made.

And here is the whole lot:

The full monty.

Here are the products I bought for myself:

Benton Snail Bee High Content Skin

Benton Snail Bee High Content Lotion

Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream

Benton Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel

Benton Snail Bee High Content Mask Pack Sheets

The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Milk

I’ve alreayd started using the Snail Bee High content Essence and Steam Cream, as well as the cleansing milk.  Reviews should be forthcoming.

And here are the products my mother ordered:

The Face Shop Fruit Ball Hand Cream in No. 3 Lemon

Holika Holika Smoothie Peeling Cream in Kiwi

3CE Eyebrow Mascara in Brown

Funny story – my mother and I thought this was regular mascara, so we were pretty surprised to see this instead.  It was a bit disappointing, but my mother just told me she may use it anyway because her eyebrows have been going nuts lately.

The Face Shop Lovely ME:EX Bebe Lip Essence SPF15

The Face Shop Lovely ME:EX You and Eyes Shadow in No. 18 Purple Dance

And my mother has started using the lip essence and hand cream, so I’ll have some mini-reviews up soon.

[Review] Missha Glam Art Triple Lips SPF 10

Like many of the Missha products under review, this was an impulse buy.  I was buying other things, I wanted free shipping, and that’s why I picked it up.  This product is supposed to be a dupe for YSL’s Glossy Stain, which I have never tried because I am allergic to paying $35 for a product I can’t see myself using every day.   Missha’s Signature Glam Art Triple Lips, however, is regularly $18, and I actually picked it up for $14.40 during the last sale events, putting well within my budget for “stuff I want to try out”.

The first thing I noticed about this product was how nice the packaging is.  Missha generally does have nice packaging – girly, but in a more adult way – and the glam art triple lips are no exception.  When you open the box up, the actual product is in a square black tube, with a window on the side to see the color of the product.  On the top of the tube, there is a gold ring with the word “signature” impressed on it; the actual cap is black, with Missha’s signature flower motif embossed all around.  To open, you must unscrew the cap and pull out a wand with a doe-foot applicator – there is going to be a bit of resistance as you pull the wand out, as there is a ring inside the tube that removes excess product from the applicator.  All-in-all, I have no complaints about the packaging: it looks pretty-yet-professional, yet feels sturdy enough to take getting jostled in my purse with all my other stuff.

The top of the tube.

Embossed Cap and doe-foot applicator.

The whole package.

I bought the shade TRD01 “Pomegranate Red”, and the first thing I noticed once I pulled the wand out of the applicator was how very vivid the color was.  I was honestly very surprised: Missha advertises this as a tint, and on their US website, states:

The Signature Glam Art Triple Lips features a Triple Layer Technology, making formula change from tint to gloss to lipstick with each touch up.
1 Touch: lively tint effect for a soft natural look
2 Touch: high glossy effect for smooth, moist shine
3 Touch: lip color effect for a vivid color fix

I found that when applying the triple lips, one coat totally bypassed stage one (the “soft, natural look”) and actually hovered between stages 2 and 3 – giving my lips vivid, nearly opaque cover with medium shine.  It actually reminds me of an Urban Decay product I used to wear – the sadly lamented Ultraglide lip gloss.  It’s a little less opaque in terms of coverage, and much quicker to dry, but in terms of how I would use it, they are much the same.

A smear of the the triple lips on my wrist.

This is not a bad thing, though!  Unexpected…but unexpected in the way that finding a $5 bill in a coat pocket is.  The texture of the product is more akin to liquid lipstick or stain than to a lip gloss, but unlike a stain, it has a significant amount of shine to it.  Once you apply it, it feels barely tacky at all.  The product lasts decently long for what it is – I can usually go three hours without re-applying, maybe more if I wasn’t one of those people constantly sipping something to drink.

Before…

…and after!

This product does tint the lips – by the time lunch is over, I really only need to re-apply by dabbing a bit on the center of my lower lip.  Often I will put the triple lips away and just use aquaphor in the afternoon for some shine and moisture, as enough color has been deposited that more would be overkill…at least for my very conservative office!

My lips, at the end of a day wearing the triple lips.

In terms of sensitivity, I did not experience any lip peeling or any burning sensations.  I would categorize this as “lightly moisturizing” – not as drying as a lipstick, not as moisturizing as a lipgloss.  This is a very versatile product – I actually wore this way more than I thought I would.  Sometimes I wear it plain, with no make-up – the gloss aspect makes it great for running around town.  Other times I  wear it with full make-up, in a sort of soft-effect rosebud mouth.  The one thing I can’t do with this product is create a highly-defined lip – regular lipstick and a lip brush are still going to be better at that.

One caveat: this stuff is messy, and it will transfer to anything your lips touch – in my case, mugs, tissues, and in one memorable instance, my suit jacket during a painful sneeze.  However, I like this product enough – and more importantly, use it enough – for it to be worth buying again when I run out, or perhaps buying another color of the same product next time I order from Missha.

[REVIEW] Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner

Benton is one of those companies that gets a lot of airplay in the English-speaking Asian Beauty community, but seems relatively unknown in Korea proper – I suspect because it’s more of an indie brand, instead of being one of the many brands the beauty conglomerates of Korea run.   As someone who has just started to incorporate the toner/essence/emulsion steps into my skincare routine, I decided to go with this particular toner for one reason, and one reason only: NO FRAGRANCE.  As fragrance is a pretty regular sensitivity trigger for me, I was pretty excited by this, as I find most Korean brands pour on the perfume in their products – I’m looking at YOU, Missha.

The ingredient list for this product is pretty simple:

• Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
• Sodium Hyaluronate
• Snail Secretion Filtrate
• Glycerin
• Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract (aka sansho)
• Pulsatilla Koreana Extract (aka Korean pasque flower)
• Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract
• Salicylic Acid
• Arginine
• Althaea rosea flower extract (aka hollyhock)
• Aloe Barbadensis leaf extract
• Aloe Barbadensis leaf juice
• Beta-glucan
• Polyglutamic acid
• Aspalathus Linearis Extract (aka Rooibos)
• Portulaca Oleracea Extract (aka common purslane)
• Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract (aka guava)
• Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Out of all these ingredients, the only one that gave me pause was the second most common – the sodium hyaluronate, otherwise known as hyaluronic acid.  I’m pretty that I have never used a product incorporating this ingredient, but it’s fairly popular in Asian (and western??) skincare, so I figured I should bite the bullet and try it out.

I bought my bottle of toner from Jolse and it arrived without a box, bubblewrapped.  The bottle is a very serious-looking translucent dark green, and the opening is a small hole set into a plastic seal.  The actual toner is clear feels like slightly gelatinous water.  Once spread on the skin, it feels a little tacky to the touch…with one unexpected side effect!

The bottle.

The opening of the toner bottle

Currently, I’ve been using it twice a day for about 3 weeks now.  I usually pour a little into the palm of one hand, then press it between my palms and start patting it onto my face after I cleanse.  I cover my whole face, down under my chin to my neck.  Then I wait for it to dry a little, and apply my moisturizer.

the toner consistency

the toner texture

The very first thing I noted about this product: good god does this ITCH!  I was actually really worried that I was having hives the first time I wore it – I ran over to the bathroom mirror, only to see my my face…looked absolutely normal.  Operating on a hunch, I applied my night cream….and the itching stopped.  This itching sensation happens every time I use it, with one exception – on days when humidity goes above 40%, there is no itchy feeling and the toner does not feel tacky to the touch.  I hypothesize the “itchy” feeling is due to the hyaluronic acid.  I’ve heard that as a humectant, it’s supposed to draw moisture from the surrounding environment to my skin…but in a dry climate, it will do the opposite!  This would explain why the itching sensation immediately stops when I apply my moisturizer.

Aside from that strange sensation, I really liked this first introduction to Asian toners!  I’ve been told they really act as “primers” for your moisturizer, and I can attest to that affect.  When I put on my cream in the morning, I would usually develop dry patches about 3-4 hours later.  This toner isn’t very moisturizing by itself, but when I apply before my moisturizing step, I can usually delay the formation of dry patches until 7-8 hours later, which is a boon to the comfort of my skin, and the appearance of my makeup.  Additionally, when I used to wake up in the morning, my face would feel both unbearably dry, while simultaneously covered in oil!  A very uncomfortable sensation.  After using this toner, I usually wake up still feeling plump and hydrated – my face, while shiny, is not covered in in an oily sheen.

A secondary improvement: I didn’t notice any improvement of the redness of my face, but I have noticed my acne has been ameliorated somewhat.  I usually get these painful papules under my chin, which are doubly horrible because they never come to a head; they just linger as these hard lumps, sometimes for a month or more.  Since I’ve started using Benton’s BHA Aloe toner, the lumps have significantly decreased in size, although they haven’t gone away entirely.  It’s a nice effect…but it mostly makes me want to try a stronger chemical exfoliant.  However, if you’ve never tried a salicylic acid product, this is a nice introduction – personally, I like them much better than the salicylic acid pads you find in the drugstore.

In 3 weeks, I’ve used about a third of a bottle, so I suspect a full bottle will last me about 2 months.  Since this toner usually goes for less than $20, this is definitely on my “re-purchase” list, although I might try a few other toners before I get back around to it.  I definitely recommend this product if you have sensitive skin and dislike fragrance.  However, don’t use it as a standalone product, and maybe think twice if you live in a very dry area.  Other than that, it was a great introduction to hydrating toners!

EDIT: I’m editing this review to reflect that although it wasn’t a bad first primer, I’ve since found others that are even more effective – and not itchy!  So it’s not currently on my re-purchase list.

Foundation Try-out (3/8/2014)

I went to the mall this weekend to pick up some miscellaneous odds and ends that I can’t get on Amazon or Walmart, and while I was there, I decided to try and match myself to some liquid foundation!  I actually have never worn liquid foundation before – every time I’ve tried previous to now, it was very difficult to find something that would a) match my shade and b) not cause a reaction.  I’ve only ever used Estee Lauder Double Wear Powder Compact in 1N1 “Ivory Nude” or the original Bare Minerals foundation in “Fair”.  I remember using Elizabeth Arden’s tinted moisturizer once upon a time, but I can’t remember the shade, and I never repurchased…I don’t think I was that impressed.  So looking for a new foundation is pretty new for me.

I first went by Nordstrom’s – unfortunately, they were insanely busy, even at opening, so it was impossible to find someone to help me.  So I went to Sephora instead to try their genius foundation matching system instead.  It’s impressively hi-tech – one of their representatives takes photo samples of your face from three different locations and then averages them together to get a value and recommendations.  Sadly, I found it better in theory than in practice.  They had a hard time even getting the photos – apparently my skin is too white in the sunlight or something – and when they did, the program stated I had yellow undertones…which I do not.  So all of the foundation shades looked subtly off on me.

I eventually found a match – Cover FX Natural Finish Oil Free Foundation in P30.  It was actually very nice and natural looking – definitely a “me but better” look.  So I went on my traditional “am I sensitive to this” walkabout, only to learn…yes.  I am sensitive to that brand.  I had to return to Sephora within the half-hour to have the make-up removed immediately, as it had started progressing through the “tingling-itching-burning” phases of a reaction. 

I then tested Josie Maran’s Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation in Fair/Light.  It sort of reminded me of a CC cream in effect, blending from white to match the skin tone…and like a CC cream, it pretty much always looks just a shade lighter than your natural tone.  On the upside, I didn’t have a reaction to this.  However, I felt it took about 20 minutes for the foundation to really meld with my skin, so for the initial 20 minutes, I felt like I had a layer of liquid on my face, ready to come off.  Ultimately, I didn’t really want to buy it…so I didn’t.

My last stop was at Estee Lauder.  I tried their Double Wear Liquid foundation in 1N1 “Ivory Nude”, and it matched perfectly!  Which I guess shouldn’t be a surprise, as that is the same shade I wear in their powder compact as well.  I actually ended up purchasing this, so I will post a more in-depth review later when I’ve used it more extensively. 

Sadly, I’m still in the impeccably manicured Estee Lauder foundation ghetto, which is not a bad place to be, all things considered, but I still dream of using other foundations.  Maybe next time!