[REVIEW] IOPE BIO ESSENCE ~ INTENSIVE CONDITIONING

 

Good morning, friends. I hope you had a fantastic start to your week. I wanted to come on here and share a product I have been trying out for the past 3 weeks. Don’t be deceived by the amount I used – these are photos I shot when I first got it. I also used this before I got a chance to take a perfectly new bottle.

Question for you all before I begin my review, do you take photos of everything you first get?

I try my best to take pictures of brand new products but it’s just so exciting to open new products sometimes. I’m sure some of you can understand and relate, haha!

Alright, so today’s product we will be talking about the Iope Bio Essence ~ Intensive Conditioning. This was kindly gifted to me through Meibe Korea in exchange for an honest review of the product.

Iope Bio Essence – Intensive Conditioning
Available at: eBay | Meibe Korea|Amazon – Prime CA | Amazon US
168 ml ~ prices may vary where you decide to purchase this. 

Claims:

This is a water-based essence that helps strengthen the skin and to create a clear and smooth appearance. This essence can quickly absorb into the skin and able to penetrate deeply into the skin; which allows long-lasting moisture to the skin. This contains advance Bio-Redox A components that recharge the skin natural strength on a daily basis so that skin becomes strong against time or changes in the environment. This essence also evens out skin oil and moisture balance. For long-term use, it provides conditioning, wrinkle-improvement, and whitening.

My thoughts:

There’s a lot of essences in the market and I’ve tried quite a few. The two popular ones I’ve tried were the Missha fte and also SK-II fte, both were alright. I personally found this did more for my skin than both of those two individually and possibly, combined. My skin instantly felt hydrated the moment I applied this onto my skin and absorbed so quickly! After 2 weeks of continuous use of this product, I noticed my skin was so much plumper, brighter and made product absorption a lot quicker + easier. The reason why I believe this was the product that allowed my skin to absorb more product is that this was the only product I changed and added to my existing skincare routine and even facial oils absorbed a lot faster into my skin when I use this. I usually rely on cotton pads when I am using toners, eye makeup remover, and micellar water but for essences, I like to dose it directly on my face so I don’t have any wasted product. (Yes, I’m serious. It may sound silly but it works and the thought of no wasted products brings me joy, ha!)

TIP: Pour small amounts of the essence on your hand, apply on face then pat and repeat if you need more. If you pour out too much, you make spill some off your hands.
Out of the essences, I’ve tried I prefer this one out of all of them. I would most likely repurchase this because it works best for me!

• Texture: 5/5 – It’s exactly what it’s named. Micro essence, it’s like water but thinner in consistency. It’s super lightweight feeling and absorbs beautifully into the skin without making it looks wet or leaving any residue/water drips behind.
• Scent: 5/5 – There is no scent to this and this is for those who are sensitive to scent/prefer to have no scent in their products. It also does not have that ferment scent like SK-II FTE does.
• Price: 5/5 – I personally think the price is reasonable for what you’re getting. It’s really well made and is a fraction of the cost of many expensive essences out in the market. This will last you a while before you need a replenishment. I’ve had mine for 3 months and barely am halfway in my bottle. I also use this about 4-5 days a week so it has been lasting me for a while now.
• Performance: 4/5 –  My skin is usually really dull and dehydrated, along with a lot of congestion issues going on around my t-zone. I find this product alone helps other products I apply on my face absorb more faster. Facial oil tends to sit on my face for a while before they absorb in properly and I find this essence allows my skin to drink up the skincare products I decide to apply on. How awesome is that?!
• Packaging: 5/5 – Packaging feels luxurious and made of a frosted glass bottle with a metal bottle cap, everything is easy to read and clear. There’s a good weight and feel to it but do be careful because it’s made of glass and is fragile.
• Overall: 4/5 – I would repurchase this and would recommend you to try this if you were interested in getting into facial essences. It’s a great addition to a skincare routine!

Well, that’s it for today! Please feel free to comment below if you have any questions about this product or a product you would like me to try and review for you. I’ll try my best to get it ~ Have yourself a wonderful day!

[REVIEW] Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream

Good Morning, friends! Today I will be sharing one of the most incredible discoveries I have found in my skincare journey. I was first introduced to this cream back in late 2017 by my dear friend – Sharon. She kindly sent over a sample of the product and I was instantly hooked to it! This is actually my 2nd tube of it and was kindly gifted to through Meibe Korea for me to do a review for you!

Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream ~ 50ml for $60 CDN/ $45 USD
Available on:  Yesstyle | eBay | Amazon (available for Prime)

What is it?

This is a moisturizing cream formulated with 5 types of ceramides that help strengthen and protect the skin from water and moisture loss.

Ceramides are lipids that assist and protect skin barrier by retaining skin moisture and they protect the skin from any environmental irritants. They can also improve the look and feel of dry skin instantaneously.

 

My thoughts:

I personally adore this cream and will continue to repurchase it. I do prefer this version over the original one they released with the pale yellow packaging; they removed a lot of the unnecessary filler ingredients such as silicones so it absorbs more easily into the skin rather than just filming a thick film layer on top of the skin.

There are a lot of ceramide creams in the market to choose from so if this is not within your price range, you can always try drugstore ones. My favourite ceramide based cream from the drugstore is the Cerave Moisturizing Cream.

The one thing that kind of confuses me is the claims of this being suitable for sensitive skin; there is bergamot oil (essential oil) in this and although it is on the lower dosage in the ingredients. Please be aware that there is essential oil in this product; Essential oils can be irritating to the skin in some people and may even cause redness to the skin. I believe this cream would perform best on most skin types but most certainly not all – dry, combination and oily.

• Texture: 5/5 – This has a dense texture to it but spreads and applies beautifully into the skin once your fingers touch it. It creates this beautiful smooth film on top of the skin when first applied and leaves the skin feeling so moisturized and nourished. My skin feels so soft the following morning every time I use this. There is a soft, very light brown hue to the cream so don’t be alarmed if you see that. Initially, when I used the cream I assumed it would be a white colored cream for some reason and was concerned mine may have gone bad. Turns out it’s how the cream is supposed to look like.
• Scent: 5/5 – I absolutely adore the smell of bergamot and am not sensitive to it so it works for me. I would like to warn sensitive skin users, to be aware that there are essential oils in this so I would highly suggest you to do a patch test prior to applying this directly onto your face and this applies for all beauty products. The last thing you want is a negative reaction.
• Price: 3/5 – Price is a bit ridiculous for what it is however if you have the budget to splurge on this fantastic cream, go for it. Sephora has two sales every year and usually, it’s between 15% – 20%, I would suggest you purchase this cream during that time. eBay also has a lot of South Korean based sellers who may sell this cream for a fraction of the cost. Otherwise, you can always try cheaper alternatives.
• Performance: 4/5 –  Works wonders, leaves my skin feeling like SILK the following day and protected. Winter in Canada is extremely brutal and I really relied on ceramide based products and facial oils to nourish, moisturize and repair my skin. This definitely did the job.
• Packaging: 5/5 – The packaging for this is quite clever. Although I do prefer creams in tubs, this tube comes with a clip that allows you to squeeze every last bit of the product. I find tube products are very difficult to remove the last little bit of product in them so I’m glad they included this useful clip.
• Overall: 4/5 – I would recommend this for anyone who’s open to trying this cream out because it’s a fantastic cream and has really done a superb job protecting my skin all fall and winter long. It definitely stood by its claims and I will continue to repurchase this as long as it’s available.

Well, that’s it for today, friends! Please feel free to comment below if you have any questions about this or you have any products you are curious about having try and review! Have yourself a fantastic week.

 

*Some links on this post may be affiliate links – I make a small commission per each sale and this supports me to be able to run my blog and to purchase the products you want me to review.

 

[REVIEW] SOME BY MI AHA, BHA, PHA 30 DAYS MIRACLE CREAM

Hello friends! It has been a long while since my last blog post and I have been quite occupied with life along with my struggles of protecting my moisture barrier. Luckily for me, winter in Canada is almost all over. I wanted to share a product I have been using for almost 2 months behind the scenes. I received this cream back in early February and wanted to give this cream some time to see results.

My skin type:

My skin type is combination (oily t-zone, dry cheeks), congested, dehydrated and somewhat sensitive.

Claims

This cream was designed to firm skin barrier, recover damage skin, soothe, provides scar and pore care. It has a high potency is Centella Asiatic content (700,000ppm) and enriched 4 kinds of cica extracts (Asiatic acid, Madecassic acid, Asiatic acid, Madecassoside) to protect damaged skin barrier. There is also tea tree leaf extract (anti-oxidant), adenosine (wrinkle-care) and niacinamide (whitening/brightening).

What is AHA, BHA, and PHA?

Before we talk about the ingredients and the product breakdown, I want to share a break down of what AHA, BHA, PHA are because I know they can get confusing and even myself get them mixed up.

AHAs are used to reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation – dark spots, scars, enlarged pores and uneven skin tone. This is excellent for penetrating deeply into the skin and removing excess dead skin cells and surfacing the skin. You may have seen them in your skincare’s ingredients before. A very common one is Glycolic acid; this acid is derived from fruit extracts and even sugar cane. Another AHA is Lactic acid and unlike most AHAs that are derived from fruits, this one is made from lactose in milk. It’s also known to reduce the effects of aging. Whatever kind you decide to use, please be advised to wear sunscreen every day to prevent age spots, skin irritation, and burns.

BHAs are meant to be applied a few times during the week until your skin adapts to its effects. BHAs do not sensitize the skin like AHAs do but please be sure to wear sunscreen every day to prevent any further sun damage. A very common BHA that you may already use in your skincare routine is Salicylic acid. This is a common ingredient used to treat acne and also calm skin’s redness and inflammation. This is more suited for oilier skin types.

PHAs are quite similar to AHAs however they are much milder. This is usually for those who have more sensitive skin types who can tolerate neither AHAs and BHAs and is an exceptional alternative. PHAs can help smooth and resurface the skin without any skin irritation.

Key ingredients:

Centella Asiatica Extract (Cica): is a plant-based ingredient that has multiple healing properties. The extract is rich with amino acids, fatty acids and etc that can help treat and prevent acne, calming down skin inflammation and promote collagen growth.

Niacinamide: ability to stabilize and tighten your skin barrier + visibly shrinks the appearance of pores and diminishes skin dullness.

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract is an antiseptic and a moisturizer. Aloe is known to soothe act against inflammation and is clinically proven to heal burns, wounds, and scars.

Madecassic acid is an antioxidant and helps replenish the skin’s surface.

Ceramide: are lipids that assist and protect skin barrier by retaining skin moisture and they protect the skin from any environmental irritants. They can also improve the look and feel of dry skin instantaneously. *amazing for winter*

Full list of ingredients:

Centella Asiatica Extract (70.8%), Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Water, Niacinamide, Caprylic/Capric Trigyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Maleleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract (10000ppm), Cholesteryl/ Behenyl/ Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Camellia Sinesis Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender Extract), Rosemary Extract, Origanum Vulgare Flower/ Leaf/ Stem/ Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Extract, Fructan, Albatrellus Ovinus Extract, Willow Bark Extract, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Lentil Seed Extract, Witch Hazel Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Coptis Japonica Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Betaine, Allantoin, Madecassoside, Madecassi Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Adenosine, Ceramide NP, Oleanolic Acid, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid (100ppm), Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Polygryceryl-3 Methyglucose Distearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lactobionic Acid(100ppm), Citric Acid(11ppm), Ammonium Acryloyldimenthyltaurate/VP Copolymer, 1-2 Hexanediol, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexyglycerin, Raspberry Ketone, Disodium EDTA, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) oil.

My thoughts

The first thing I noticed about this product’s ingredients was that the first ingredient listed is Centella Asiatica Extract. This means the potency of this ingredient is very concentrated. I swear by this ingredient and use this on a regular daily basis – it’s one of my favourites for countering skin irritation and redness. I see a huge significant difference when using products with this specific ingredient. The texture of this cream is a gel and has a very pleasant cica, fresh scent to it. The moment I applied this onto my skin, it instantly felt hydrated, moisturized and cool! I did not refrigerate this product but if I did, I bet it would be even more cooling. I noticed the appearance of my skin looked brighter and more even after using this cream.

• Texture: 5/5 – I love gel creams, they’re not ideal for me during winter but I’ve been using a lot more facial oils on my skin so it all works out. I am very thankful to know this cream does not pill nor is it sticky. It absorbs seamlessly into my skin without any issues.
• Scent: 5/5 – There is a light cica scent to it and I absolutely adore it! If you’ve ever smelled cica products, they smell very pleasant to them.
• Price: 5/5 – This is pretty affordable for cream and will last you a while before you need a replenishment. It’s a lot more affordable many resurfacing creams in the market and would highly recommend you to give this a try.
• Performance: 4/5 – Absolutely fantastic! My skin definitely has improved from what it looked like since early February to today. It’s less textured and way brighter looking. My skin was going through multiple phases during winter and it was never consistent but I found myself reaching for this cream a lot as night care to resurface and restore my skin. The following morning after using this cream, my skin is soft to the touch and quite radiant! I have this healthy glow to my face. I also used this during when I had a few active breakouts and almost immediately after I applied this cream on, it had this amazing soothing sensation to it. After maybe about 3-4 consistent uses every night, my breakouts were practically diminished and no longer inflamed!
• Packaging: 5/5 – Practical and easy to use. I prefer jar packaging over tubes because tubes are such a pain to get the excess product out when you’re almost done using it.
• Overall: 4/5 – This product is a beautiful product and definitely worth a shot trying. I find this is an effective cream and budget-friendly because it will last you a long time and user-friendly. Anyone who struggles with uneven skin or acne-prone skin really should try this product out. It’s quite mild and does the job for a reasonable price! I would definitely repurchase this along with their toner from this line! Alright, the reason why I jotted off 1 mark is that the name “miracle”. Yes, this is an effective product however there really isn’t a product out there that is a one-stop shop that will solve all of your skin care issues. Everyone has different skin concerns and we need to keep that in mind. You as the individual, need to be able to take care of your skin and be consistent with your routine. With consistency, you will see results! Overall, I would highly recommend this for you guys to give this a try if you have similar skin concerns like I do.
  

  

I hope this review helped you out on whether you would be interested in this cream, thank you for dropping by and have yourself a fantastic day!

Available on: eBay | Yesstyle | Amazon (Cream) | Amazon – Full Line Set
60g – prices may vary between $20-$25

This product was kindly gifted to me in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

 

 

*Some links on this post are affiliate links. This means that I will earn a small commission if you purchase from these links.

[REVIEW] PHYKOLOGY Bright Tomorrow Guardian Cream

Hello, hello dear friends! I’m finally back on here and wanted to share a product I have been using a lot lately and has been part of my evening routines for these couples of weeks now.

Introducing… the PHYKOLOGY Bright Tomorrow Guardian Cream, this cream is specifically formulated to strengthen and hydrate skin moisture barrier. Winter in Canada has been a brutal time for me and I can honestly rely on a cream with ceramides in it. This cream naturally enhances the skin’s strength and defends the skin to stay moisturized, soft and remain plump throughout the day. As you can see, this cream is on the thicker side for creams and I absolutely love that for winter. I can’t get away with a simple gel based cream because winter here, is extremely dry. Temperatures drop low as -45 degrees Celsius here. The moment I get home, my skin feels numb and all the moisture has been zapped out. I find this cream is able to quickly restore my skin’s texture and feel when I use it.

PHYKOLOGY Bright Tomorrow Guardian Cream
50ml ~ $33.37 USD / $43.72 CDN

| Phykology Facebook | Phykology Instagram| PHYKOLOGY Official Website|

Check out the ingredients below:

The star ingredients that I liked from this product:

Undaria Pinnatifida Extract – This is the very first ingredient of the list and I always appreciate brands that don’t use water as a filler ingredient. This ingredient is a brown algae potent with antioxidants, provides the cream and formulation a thick+dense texture and provides skin hydration.

Centella Asiatica Extract – is a plant-based ingredient that has multiple healing properties. The extract is rich with amino acids, fatty acids and etc that can help treat and prevent acne, calming down skin inflammation and promote collagen growth.

Beta-Glucan – is a polysaccharide sugar derived from yeasts/oats. It has skin soothing and some antioxidant properties that are fantastic to improve the skin’s appearance by reducing redness and any signs of inflammation.

Ceramide NP – Ceramide are lipids that assist and protect skin barrier by retaining skin moisture and they protect the skin from any environmental irritants. They can also improve the look and feel of dry skin instantaneously.

* PHYKOLOGY is also vegan. 

You can see how dry my hand is and the texture of this cream is dense enough to restore and repair my skin’s lost moisture. I only need about a pea size amount of this cream on my face and it usually does the trick. I always go in with my skincare steps prior to apply the cream and I seal everything in with a facial oil of my choice. The facial oil I have been using a lot lately is the Teami Blends Soothe Facial Oil. It’s formulated with Blue Tansy (anti-inflammatory) , Lavender (purifies) and White Sage Leaf (wrinkle prevention and reduction). If you’re interested in purchasing it, please feel free to use my discount code: DORK15 and get 15% off your purchase!

TIP: dispense a pea size amount of the cream and with clean hands, massage the product to breakdown the thick consistency into a creamy, smooth texture. This allows easier application rather than applying the cream directly onto the face and massaging it. The warmth from your hands will make a huge difference in the product’s texture.

Overall thoughts:

I’m impressed with PHYKOLOGY as an overall brand choosing to be one of the very few k-beauty vegan brands and they are focused in creating quality products. Their minimalist packaging is absolutely gorgeous and very travel friendly! You can purchase this cream here: Bright Tomorrow Guardian Cream

• Texture: 5/5 – Dense, creamy and spreads wonderfully on the face. It does not dry down sticky or tacky on the face. Comfortable to have on and perfect for cold weather conditions because it’s able to recover your skin within a short period of time.
• Scent: 5/5 – No detectable scent, perfect for those who are sensitive to scents.
• Price: 3/5 – It is a bit on the pricier side but varying in your budget, I would reccomend this to those who would like to try out new products and need an excellent winter cream. Also, do keep in mind this is a vegan product.
• Performance: 5/5 – Fantastic, I have no complaints here. It works exactly how it claims. My moisture barrier has been slightly damaged from the terrible weather conditions here in Canada and I know I can rely on this cream to save my skin overnight. I would apply this right after my hydrating serums and ampoules for the best results!
• Packaging: 4/5 – The standard aluminum tube that looks similar to medical topical creams/gels packaging. Aluminum tubes are easy to dispense product out, look and feel nice! This is small enough to travel with and you don’t need that much to cover your entire face.
• Overall: 4/5 – I did enjoy this cream and had no negative reactions/skin irritation from using it. I will continue to use this cream.

This product was kindly gifted to me in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. I am pleased with this product and I look forward to share with you further ways how I like to use it in my routine. Be sure to stay tuned for my instagram story posts and feed posts. I always post daily :)!

Have yourself a fantastic day!

Skin Update & Skin Congestion

Hello friends, today I wanted to bring up a really important topic in skincare that I don’t hear about enough. I’m sure most of us have been through it.

My skin has been acting up this past holiday break due to poor diet, environmental changes and Canadian winter season dryness. We came from having freezing cold weather to having warm spring-like temperatures. My skin has taken a huge toll from these changes. I’ve often had issues where my skin was so dehydrated and dry where it could flaked up and start bleeding. This time around, it was just itchy and congested. When my skin is in this state, I don’t apply on just any skincare product on my face because my skin will often reject it. I have to carefully select which products are appropriate for my skin and are able to soothe the inflammation down.

A month ago, I went on here to review the JKosmmune Beta Glucan Toner mist and it is still my favourite toner mist. If you’re interested in hearing my thoughts on this product, feel free to search up “JKosmmune” on the search bar to find my blog post on this product.

As some of you may know, I’m a huge fan of hot showers. Now now… I know how terrible and drying it is for the skin but I cannot help myself sometimes! It feels nice and I prefer showering in hot water over showering in cold water anyway.

I always leave this mist in the washroom because it’s very accessible for me. After every shower, I would quickly mist this toner all over my face evenly to restore, rehydrate and reduce the redness in my skin from the hot shower I took. It works wonders and my skin drinks it up so quickly.

This toner mist is simple because it only consists of 10 simple ingredients and has a shelf life of 9 months. Most products have preservatives which increases their shelf life however Jkosmmune made this toner with mild ingredients and compatible for all skin types (yes, that includes extremely sensitive skin). It’s special and star ingredient is beta-glucan.

Beta-Glucan is a fantastic ingredient to maintain skin’s texture, plumpness and is able to promote collagen growth. It aids the skin as a healing agent from rashes, wounds and also sun exposure.

If you’re interested in this product, please check out Jkosmmune Official Website to purchase a toner for yourself. I highly recommend this toner for anyone who suffers with skin inflammation and most importantly, redness.

The reason why I wanted to revisit this product is because I wanted to share my positive experience with it and I will continue to repurchase this product because it works and I strongly believe in this product. I hope my experience has helped you decide whether you would like to try this mist because it’s truly a fantastic product.

My favourite moisturizer to pair with this toner mist is the drunk elephant lala retro moisturizer. It is quite expensive so I’ve been patiently looking for an alternative because drunk elephant pricing is quite steep for my budget.

Until next time, friends!

 

Disclaimer: I was given this product in exchange for an honest review. All views and thoughts of this product are my own. What may work for me, may not work for you so please keep that in mind.

 

[REVIEW] Klairs Unscented Supple Preparation Toner

Hello dear friends, Merry Christmas to you all!

I know it has been an insane week for us all and I’m sure you still have some holiday stress since we have the new year not far from here. I came on here to share this toner I received through Wishtrend in exchange for an honest review. I have tried the original Klairs Supple Preparation Toner a while back but it was not compatible with my skin and I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to try this wonderful toner out.

My skin type: Combination-Dehydrated, Acne Prone

Available on: Wishtrend | Amazon | Mikela Beauty | SokoGlam

*bold italics – ingredients that stood out to me

Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethyl Sulfone, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Natto Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Chlorphenesin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Panthenol, Arginine, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Beta-Glucan, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Portulaca, Oleracea Extract, Lysine HCL, Proline, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Acetyl Methionine, Theanine, Copper Tripeptide-1

Key Ingredients

• Natto gum is fermented product of soy protein and is potent with antioxidants.
• Centella Asiactica is a plant-based ingredient that has multiple healing properties. The extract is rich with amino acids, fatty acids and etc that can help treat and prevent acne, calming down skin inflammation and promote collagen growth.
• Licorice Root is effective in improving the appearance of skin by evening it out, it’s also potent in antioxidants and has skin soothing properties.
• Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract is an antiseptic and a moisturizer. Aloe is known to soothem act against inflammation and is clinically proven to heal burns, wounds and scars.
• Beta Glucan is a polysaccharide sugar derived from yeasts/oats. It has skin soothing and some antioxidant properties that are fantastic to improve the skin’s appearance by reducing redness and any signs of inflammation.

TIP: If you have an inflamed and dehydrated face, soak this toner in cotton squares/pads and apply onto face. Leave it on for 15 minutes before applying skincare routine. Before removing cottons, be sure to massage the remaining excess toner on face.

My thoughts:

I often rotate through many toners and this toner is on my top three I would like to travel with because it’s perfect for my skin. It’s lightweight, easy to absorb onto my skin, does not alter my skincare products and easy to control – where you don’t waste any product because of it’s packaging. I was shocked by the consistency differences from the original and the unscented. Firstly, the original toner was formulated with essential oils and was very dense/thick in formula. When applied onto my skin, it feel like it would take forever for my skin to absorb the toner into my skin. It was quite unfortunate but I’m glad Klairs cared about their customers and heard them out to formulate this toner. I always appreciate it when companies hear their supporters out. I’m guilty for skipping my 8 step skincare regimen some nights so I would just double cleanse, apply this toner on my face or soak it in cottons as use it as a mask then go in with my moisturizer/sleeping pack of choice. Sometimes less is more and when my skin has outbreaks, I can’t really do my regular regimen without it getting all itchy. This product has 4 of my favourite ingredients that provide calming and soothing benefits for my skin.

 

Overall:

• Texture: 5/5 – In the bottle, it looks like it would be on the slightly thick side of toners but it really isn’t. It’s very lightweight and spreadable. It’s very easy to layer with other products on-top. It’s also fantastic for makeup prep and does not alter or effect the appearance of the makeup applied on-top + provides an extra boost of hydration onto the skin.
• Scent: 5/5 – Because this product is unscented, do keep in mind it will smell like the natural ingredients in it. The scent is very light and doesn’t bother me.
• Price: 5/5 – I think the price is quite reasonable and affordable for those who are on a budget. It’s a very nice toner and be an excellent addition to collections.
• Performance: 5/5 – I’ve used this toner 3-4 times every week and I find it’s perfect for me skin in all conditions. My skin often gets easily dehydrated and very cracky during the winter seasons. As many of you may know, Canadian winters can be very harsh and my skincare options are VERY limited. I get seasonal eczema so my skin not only is dry but is extremely itchy; I can’t use a lot of products on my face during this state. I had a “skin outbreak” not too long ago and I used this toner on my face during the healing process along with my trusty cerave moisturizing toner. It truly worked wonders and my skin healed within 4-5 days.
• Packaging: 5/5 – Packaging is practical, simple but easy to read. Even if you don’t bother reading the paragraph on the front label, it does state at the bottom in bold “essential oil-free, balances pH level, deep moisturizing and cleanses and soothes”. Easy to use and stopper on the bottle is easy to control – you don’t ever need to worry about pouring out more than you need.
• Overall: 5/5 – I’m pleased with this toner and would recommend this to all everyone of all skin types, especially to those who are acne prone and have seasonal eczema because this is effective for soothing the skin. It’s budget friendly, effective, a little goes a long way and easy to control/use. I was very disappointed and wanted the original toner with Essential oils to work out for my skin because I genuinely did love the scent to it. This toner did not give me any issues and my skin drank it up without having any issues. If you don’t have sensitive skin and essential oils are not irritating to your skin, please try feel free to try out the Klairs Original Supple Preparation Toner.

That’s it for today, friends. Wishing you a fantastic holidays and cheers to clearer skin days!

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I was given this product in exchange for an honest review. All views and thoughts of this product are my own. What may work for me, may not work for you so please keep that in mind.

[REVIEW] b.liv See Ya No More Mask + HA Temptation

Hello friends, happy friday to you all. I know this is a long anticipated review because I’m sure you’ve seen me do an unboxing, talk about this product and shared photos of it in my instagram feed. These were kindly gifted to me by b.liv in exchange an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I wanted to point out that b.liv’s official website is very easy to navigate around and unlike some skincare websites, b.liv actually provides you options to choose from by skin type, skin concern, lifestyle/skincare tips and etc. If you don’t know your skin type is, b.liv offers descriptions and wonderful diagrams explaining and showing you the types of skin types and skin concerns.

❤ b.liv see ya no more mask 

available on: b.liv
price: $19 USD for 10 sheet masks
made in: Taiwan

Claims: This mask is formulated with chamomile, papaya extract, mango extract, witch hazel, aloe vera, gluconolactone, burdock root extract.

Star ingredient breakdown:

Chamomile contains one of the most powerful skin properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti bacterial, antiseptic and antioxidants.

Papaya Extract has a natural non abrasive exfoliant that is effective to remove skin impurities, push away dead skin cells and brighten the skin’s complexion.

Mango Extract is a natural astringent that reduces the appearance of blemishes, controls excess oil production and can deeply penetrate into the skin to clear impurites from pores.

Witch Hazel treats acne, minimizes the appearance of pores and controls excess oil production.

Aloe Vera is a powerful emollient for the skin that can deeply moisture, soothe and protect the skin.

Gluconolactone is a PHA(polyhydroxy acid) that offers all the benefits of AHAs but is suitable for sensitive skin types.

Burdock Root Extract is a natural ingredient that has anti bacterial and anti inflammatory properties

*italics+bold – ingredients that caught my eye *italics – ingredients to be aware of

Ingredients: aqua (water), butylene glycol, glycerin, gluconolactone, propylene glycol, sodium citrate, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) water, xanthan gum, phenoxyethanol, saccharide isomerate, polysorbate 80, aloe barbadensis (aloe) extract, ppg-26-buteth-26, sodium hyaluronate, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil, alcohol, carica papaya (papaya) fruit extract, disodium edta, mangifera indica (mango) fruit extract, o-cymen-5-ol, zinc pca, menthyl lactate, ethylhexylglycerin, yeast extract, arctium majus (burdock) root extract, leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate, sulfur, pyridoxine hcl, thiamine hcl, fragrance.
My thoughts: These sheet masks are very “juicy” and filled with essence. There’s a generous amount of essence per sheet mask and immediately after application of the sheet mask, you can feel the cooling sensation in your skin. The sheet mask material wasn’t fragile like some cheap sheet masks in the k-beauty market and was decent quality. The fitting/adherence was great and fit nicely on my face. I have quite a few issues getting J-beauty sheet masks to fit my face. Luckily I didn’t have any issues with this one! This mask has a very soft fruity scent to it, nothing too overpowering and I quite like it. 🙂

I prefer this mask over my all-time favouite Dr. Jart+ Soothing sheet mask because the only drawback I had with the Dr Jart+ mask was that it gave me irritated eyes. The corners of my eyes tend to go red/get irritated when I use products that irritate my skin. Is that strange or what? Same thing happens to me when I use heavily alcohol based products on my skin. This mask does not give me that issue and I can feel it calming down my skin and also giving the most pleasant cooling feeling. The cooling sensation reminds me of menthol. If any of you tried the Japanese Rohto eye drops that are formulated with menthol, it’s gives a VERY similar effect to the skin and it feels amazing.

I’ve personally never refrigerated my skincare products before but this mask gives that lightly refrigerated cooling sensation and I high recommend this to anyone who struggles with inflamed, acne prone and also that have congested skin concerns. I’m surprised that the alcohol in this did not irritate my eyes or skin, usually my eyes react when there are alcohol in products. If you look in the ingredients very closely, alcohol isn’t on the top of the ingredients but middle. I believe they used it for formulation reasons so I’m not bothered by that. Also, notice that there is fragrance at the very bottom, because fragrance is the last ingredient listed this means that there is VERY little fragrance in this so I doubt this would make an impact on sensitive skin types.

It’s a 5/5 for me and I would 100% repurchase this.

 

 

Alright, you friends are in for a treat because there is another item I wanted to share ~ 2 in 1 review post! 🙂

❤ b.liv HA temptation

available on: b.liv
price: $19 USD for 30ml
made in: Taiwan

Ingredients: water (aqua), glycerin, propanediol, hyaluronic acid, tremella fuciformis (snow fungus) polysaccharide, phenoxyethanol, acrylates/c10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, panthenol (vitamin b5), methyl gluceth-20, chlorphenesin, hydrolyzed silk, disodium edta, potassium hydroxide, nelumbo nucifera (lotus) phytoplacenta extract, rosa centifolia (cabbage rose) flower water, ascorbic acid, caprylyl glycol, methylpropanediol, butylene glycol, octoxynol-9, artocarpus altilis (breadfruit) wood extract

Star ingredients:

*Hyaluronic Acid* ❤

Panthenol is a proviotamin of B5 and it’s used a lubricant, emollient and moisturizer to bind to hair and penetrate into skin providing both lubrication and hydration.

There is no secret that this gem is formulated with Hyaluronic Acid. There’s a lot of buzz in the beauty market about this one specific ingredient. HA is a powerful humectant that is able to keep the skin appear plumped, hydrated and youthful. Don’t let the word “acid” scare you, HA is not abrasive, harsh or strips the skin’s moisture. In fact it does the opposite and binds the skin and acts as glue to seal all moisture in.

Please keep in mind that HA will not solve all of your skin moisture issues, you need to use other skincare products to support this ingredient into your skincare cocktail/regimen.

 

My thoughts: I have been enjoying mixing in products for skincare cocktails but for this specific serum, I prefer to apply it right after toner as instructed then I go in with my other serums and then finish with a moisturizer. If I’m feeling extra, I will finish everything off with a facial oil to seal it all in. I wake up to the most soft and supple skin ever. This really does a fantastic job quenching and fixing my dehydrated skin. I would use this all season round. I’m not quite sure if I would personally repurchase this because there are a lot of serums like this in the market but it is nice to own. I’m always excited to try out new products so this was a positive experience for me.

Once again, thank you for swinging by and reading my thoughts on these two star products. If you have any questions about these, feel free to drop me a comment below. Til next time, friends! Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead of you and beautiful skin!

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I was given this product in exchange for an honest review. All views and thoughts of this product are my own. What may work for me, may not work for you so please keep that in mind.

[REVIEW] Purito Centella Green Level Calming Toner

Happy weekend, friends. It’s that time again, self care Sunday! How will you spend your self care Sunday? I will be doing my regular skincare routine and making sure I put on a sheet mask ~ I haven’t been as persistent with my mask game lately just because life has been a bit more busier than usual.

Are you suffering with breakouts and skin congestion? Do you have sensitive skin and some toners just don’t work out for you? I thought it would be a good time to come on here and share my opinions on this toner. You’ve seen it on my posts and stories but I haven’t really went in depth about my overall thoughts on it.. so here it is!

Available on: Purito | ebay | Beauty Tap

Price may vary where you want to purchase this.
It usually ranges between $18 USD to $23 USD

Product claims:

Purito Centella Green Level Calming Toner not only deeply hydrates your skin and kick-starts your skincare routine, it calms and heals with 10% Centella asiatica extract in a supercharged powder form. Witch hazel extract soothes as panthenol draws in moisture, working in synergy with hyaluronic acid to create a moisture shield, protecting skin from external stimulation. Its natural scent, derived from botanicals and not synthetic fragrance, helps calm the senses, and its deeply hydrating formula means you can shorten your 7-skin routine to just 2 or 3! Formulated without any unnecessary, potentially irritating ingredients, including preservatives, this toner features 99% EWG 1 (green/safe) ingredients, making it comfortable even for sensitive skin.

It is super hydrating and has the a pH5.5 balanced toner which reduces irritation on the skin with mild care.

Free of 40 potentially irritating ingredients and allergens.

 

Key ingredients:

• Centella Asiatica: is a plant-based ingredient that has multiple healing properties. The extract is rich with amino acids, fatty acids and etc that can help treat and prevent acne, calming down skin inflammation and promote collagen growth.
• Hyaluronic Acid:  as we age, our skin lose’s it’s natural elasticity. This fantastic ingredient has the ability to hold up to 1000 time it’s water weight. It is an ingredient that is known to retain moisture in the skin.
• Panthenol: This ingredient is common in beauty products such as moisturizers, ointments, shampoos and even eye drops! It’s speifically used to help heal the skin such as from sun burns and wounds. Panthenol is another ingredient that does a fantastic job binding water and enhances hydration.
• Witch Hazel: is a plant-based ingredient and has several antioxidants. It’s fantastic for minimizing the appearance of enlarged pores and can control excess oil production. It’s a very popular ingredient used in acne treatment and for home remedies.

My thoughts:

This toner has a really lightweight, watery feel to it. The first thing I noticed it’s very watery but the moment you apply it ontop of your skin it really reminds me of the whamisa organic flower deep rich toner. It isn’t sticky but does have a VERY slight tack residue once it dries. Trick: Apply moisturizer ontop and the tackiness will go away~ One of my favourite things about this toner is that it absorbs beautifully into my skin seaminglessly. It doesn’t take long for it to absorb and I can layer other products ontop of it.

Overall:

• Texture: 5/5 – Lightweight and effective on the skin~ mild tack but it’s not unbearable and can be layered with other products.
• Scent: 5/5 – Light medicinal/centella scent to it. I personally love the scent so I’m happy with the way how it smells and it doesn’t linger and stay on your face. The scent eventually does go away.
• Price: 5/5 – The price is reasonable and there’s a lot of product in it. It’ll last you for a while before you need a replenishment.
• Performance: 5/5 – I rotate toners quite frequently but this is one of my go-to toners to use especially in the colder seasons and also to treat+prevent my acne. It’s nourishing and does not have harsh ingredients that could trigger further irritation.
• Packaging: 4/5 – Packaging is functions fine, it’s simple and easy to read. The claims are on the front in case you threw away the box.
• Overall: 5/5 – I own a lot of toners but this gets the spotlight for being the most multi functional toner – it’s soothing, calming and hydrating! I would reccomend this to everyone and especially to those who have sensitive skin and are also acne-prone. I am someone who likes to try out new things and sometimes, it can overwhelm my skin so I would turn this toner to calm down my skin. If you have rosacea, you may want to avoid this product because it had witch hazel in it.

Well, that’s it for now friends! Until next time ~ 🙂

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I was given this product in exchange for an honest review. All views and thoughts of this product are my own. What may work for me, may not work for you so please keep that in mind.

[REVIEW] JKosmmune Toner Mist

Good afternoon, dear friends.

How are you? I know black friday was quite chaotic yesterday. In case you missed out on any special deals, do keep in mind that Cyber Monday is right by the corner with tons of new deals.

Here is my long anticipated review… You’ve seen it in my skincare routines and also my stories talking about this product. This was kindly gifted to me in exchange for an honest review.

JKosmmune Toner  ~ 150 ml for $29 to $31
Available on: JKosmmune Official Website
Made in Korea

Product claims:

• Gently revitalizes and refreshes skin
• Highly pure and potent beta glucan
• Reduces appearance of redness
• Soothes skin irritation and re-hydrates skin
• Maintains skin pH balance
• Free of irritants and most importantly, alcohol
• Free of Paraben, Ethanol, Talc, Mineral Oil, Silicon Oil, Benzopheone, Phenoxethanol, Parraffin/Perfume!
• This toner is enriched with 99.9% beta glucan and the formula is able to penetrate deeply into pores, leaving the skin feel refreshed and comfortable
• Excellent for all skin types

What is Beta Glucan?

Beta Glucan is a polysaccharide sugar derived from yeasts/oats. It has skin soothing and some antioxidant properties that are fantastic to improve the skin’s appearance by reducing redness and any signs of inflammation.

My thoughts

I’ve used this toner mist consistently for 3 whole weeks every single day and I have noticed a huge significant difference in my overall skin’s complexion. Firstly, I noticed the redness around my cheeks are drastically less prominent and also my forehead does not produce as much as oil as it use to. I’ve used this toner alone and also mixed in with other toners, it doesn’t affect or have any negative affects on my skin.

Do you ever get that dry, dehydrated, cracky skin feeling after a hot shower?
I always seem to have that issue so the moment I step out from my shower, I would dose myself with this toner all over my face. SokoGlam Charlotte Cho shared that towel drying your face after a shower isn’t a good idea so what I do is, the moment I step out from the shower I would spray this toner mist all over my wet face.

This is a fantastic product to be used under or over skincare and makeup. I’ve brought this with me to work to refresh my makeup and it doesn’t shift or affect my makeup. Unlike most mists in the market, this beauty is free of irritating chemicals and also has a shelf life of 9 months, which indicates that it doesn’t have a lot of preservatives to it. Be sure to mark the bottom of the mist the date you opened it. Also, please be very careful with getting this mist too close to your eyes. It’s formulated with citric acid so it will burn your eyes if you get it too close.

I have been introducing my skin to a lot of new products and I noticed I would break out from them. Everytime my skin is irritated, burning or even red, I would quickly mist this all over and I would the inflammation and swelling go down with half an hour. How fantastic is that? I have combination, acne prone skin so my skin will have days where it may be more sensitive than others. I would do my regular double cleanse routine, mist a generous amount of this toner and let it sit then apply my iunik propolis viatmin synergy serum and my moisturizer of choice.

Lately, it has been a lot colder and dryer so my current moisturizer pick is the Cerve Moisturizing Cream (formulated with ceramides and hyaluronic acid). I tend to pick ceramide based creams during winter because they’re more on the thicker side and dense in concentration to rehydrate and restore my skin’s moisture barrier. I also like to use hyaluronic acid to retain my skin’s moisture.

Here is a photo of my skin after 3 weeks of continuous use to this product. If you’re curious how red my normal skin usually is, please reference from the photos below for my haruharu repetitive cream.

Overall:

• Texture: 5/5 – Lightweight and effective
• Scent: 5/5 – No scent what so ever! Non-scented products are perfect for all skin types as well!
• Price: 4/5 – It’s a fair price for what you get and it’s free of irritants so I would highly recommend this to everyone especially those who suffer with skin redness and often have irritation
• Performance: 5/5 – This is one of very few mists I love and use every single day. It’s so effective and the ingredients are pure. My skin looks brighten and refreshed from every use and I often like to use this as my skincare base and finisher to seal in everything!
• Packaging: 5/5 – Packaging is practical, easy to read and use. Nothing complicating and perfect to bring on the go.
• Overall: 5/5 – I am REALLY happy with this mist and will repurchase this when I run out. It’s one of very few mists that do what they claim. Sure, many mists in the market are able to give a “cooling and soothing” feeling temporarily but this is probably the first facial mist that has tremendously saved my skin’s irritation. I am quite blown away with the results and how happy my skin is now.

Thank you for swinging by and reading my review. If you have any further questions of this product, please feel free to leave a comment below and I will be sure to read it and respond within a timely manner. I wish you all beautiful skin and have yourself a wonderful weekend.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I was given this product in exchange for an honest review. All views and thoughts of this product are my own. What may work for me, may not work for you so please keep that in mind.