A bunch of first impressions, part one

Hello everyone!

About two weeks ago I recieved a bunch of skin care products. And as you might already know, every product normally gets a first impression post dedicated to it, followed by a full review post a couple of weeks later. However, today’s post will be slightly different! Perhaps you’ve noticed that the promised first impressions haven’t been posted? Yep, I’m afraid so. I just haven’t gotten around to it yet, but fear not! Today’s post (part 1) will revolve around half of the products. I will shortly touch on what I initially thought as I tried them for the first time. Also, I’ll let you know how the products are doing so far. Keep in mind that I won’t go into too much detail, just my thoughts so far. After all, the full reviews will include everything! Enjoy!

So let’s start off with the Zero Sebum Fresh Gel Cream from Etude House   ↓

I wanted to talk about this product first is because I’ve owned it the longest. Yes, you heard me. I actually recieved it about a month ago, but I chose to include it in this post since I haven’t talked about it on the blog yet. In fact I probably could have written a full review on it, but I’ll wait until it’s empty (which is very soon)!

The first time I tried the Zero Sebum Fresh Gel Cream I really liked it. It smelled soooo good. I would describe the scent as clean and fresh. I also noticed how little effort it took to apply- and spread it, thanks to the light consistency. Oh, and it acts nice and cooling on the skin. And while all of this is still true, my view on the Zero Sebum Fresh Gel Cream has changed quite a bit. Not only is this moisturizer less suited to my skin, it’s completely wrong for it. It just isn’t moisturizing enough for my dehydrated combo skin. And I really should have realised this before I bought it, and um well, not have bought it at all. Why? Because it’s just another gel cream. And I am yet to find a gel cream that will give me what I need. In other words; there won’t be any more gel based moisturizers for this girl! However, I think someone with oily skin might really enjoy this product.

Moving on to the Green Tea Fresh Toner from Isntree   ↓

I had high hopes for this product. In fact, my expectations were sky high. Not only did the ingredient list impress me with its promising components, but it was SHORT. We’re talking under twenty ingredients, and in my book that is a very good thing! The main ingredient is green tea, which is full of antioxidants and known for its nourishing abilities. So the Green Tea Fresh Toner is a very clean, pure and natural skin care product. It’s also vegan, yay!

This toner could be great for normal skin types or anyone who’s looking for a nourishing product, or wants to start introducing products with anti-aging benefits into their routine. However, for me personally, it’s not nearly hydrating enough. But keep in mind that my skin is dehydrated AF! Having said that, I really like the idea of a clean, natural and nourishing product, so I’m going to continue using it for its great benefits, just not on it’s own. For me, the Green Tea Fresh Toner will work better as a thinner layer under a more hydrating toner. So if you’re looking for candidates for a 3 – or 7 skin method, this toner could be a good choice! In other words; this product could be great for people who don’t have dry or/and dehydrated skin. So if your skin type is normal or oily, the Green Tea Fresh Toner may be good for you!

And last but not least, the Caffeine Solution 5% EGCG from The Ordinary  ↓

I suppose you could refer to this product as an eye serum? At least that’s what I’ll call it for now. When it comes to my eye area, I’m not really struggling with fine lines, wrinkles, bags or puffiness. However, I decided a while back that I still wanted to treat the skin around my eyes to some extra pampering. After all, prevention is key! Also, I still haven’t found the perfect eye cream, so why not add an eye serum meanwhile, right?

So far I’m really liking The Ordinary’s Caffeine Solution 5% EGCG! I’m not sure how to explain it best, but It’s like I can feel it working, or at least doing something. And I think that “something” is a good something. Of course it’s still early days, so I’ll have to wait and see, but I can already tell that my eye area is liking it! It just drinks it all up (and I apply quite a bit) and leaves it soft and way less dry! But only time will tell if there’s any long-term effects in this little bottle   🙂

Disclaimer:
“Remember that we all have different skin types and concerns, and that you might react differently to these products compared to what I did. Maybe your experience will be better than mine, maybe it will be worse. It’s all about trying to find the skin care products best suited to your skin type, concerns and issues. Reading reviews can also be very helpful when you’re choosing which products to buy. And finally, it’s always a good idea to look up a product at CosDna before purchasing. Sometimes a product can turn out to be a little (or very) different to what you expected, and there’s little you can do about it after you’ve opened it. But you CAN check which ingredients are in the product, what they are, what they do, and if they’re listed as an irritant or acne trigger. Good luck!”

So that’s it for today! I hope you learned something new or at least enjoyed this post a teeny weeny bit. Happy skin care hunting (if that’s what you’re doing)! And if you’re just chilling, I hope you have a great day. PS: If you have any tips or tricks you’d like to share with me, feel free to do so! Oh, and stay tuned for part two.
– Vicky ❤

The biggest game changer so far!

Hello everybody!

So, i know it’s been quite some time since you heard from me, and for that I’m sorry. I’ve been meaning to post for a while now, but sometimes life and health just won’t cooperate (something that’s been happening quite a bit lately). Hopefully things are starting to turn around, resulting in the blog being back to normal. That’s what I’m aiming for at least, and I have quite a few things I want to write about! So without further ado, let’s start with a product that literally has CHANGED my skin game like no other. I’m talking about the 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil from The Ordinary!

I’ve already talked about this product here, and Mocka has reviewed it here, but this oil is a total amazefest so I decided that it deserved another post! And here we are. If you read my last post about the Rose Hip Seed Oil, you may remember that I really enjoyed using it every night and that I believed it to keep my troubled skin in check. However, I wasn’t 100% sure, because it does take a couple of weeks for a product to show it’s true colours.

This is an oil that is supposed to have skin clearing properties, amongst other things, and boy is that true! I can say, hand on heart, that this product has been the biggest game changer for me, so far. And I f*ckin’ love it. Sure, I’ve noticed small improvements after using other skin care products aswell, and my skin is better now than it was a year ago, even without the Rose Hip Seed Oil. But hot damn! After I introduced this oil to my skin and let it work it’s magic for a few weeks, my skin looks amazing compared to what it used to. And no, it’s still not perfect, but it’s pretty damn close! And I’m never going to stop using it.

The way I apply this oily delight to my skin, is first mixing it with Skinfood’s Tea Tree Clearing Emulsion on my hand, then spread the “mixture” on my face. It works wonders! But you can also mix it with other products or just apply it on it’s own. Just make sure you apply the oil after you’re done applying your water-based products. This also means that the oil won’t nesicarily blend well with all products, if you choose to mix it like I do. You kinda just have to find out through some good old trial and error! Good luck, it’s totally worth it 😀

It’s also worth mentioning that The Ordinary actually isn’t a Korean brand BUT other than being a very effective product, it’s also natural, organic, nourishing and super cheap! Oh, and it will last you a long time.

This post probably sounds very “sponsored” by now, but I promise you, it’s not. I’m just a regular skin care junkie that has discovered a truly amazing product that I love and will from now on never be without. And I just wanted to share the news with you, so it hopefully can help others with awkward skin 🙂

That’s it for now!

Until next time,
Vicky  ❤

July empties!

Hey everyone!

In today’s post I’ll be taking you through the skin care products that are either empty as we speak, or running very low.

So let’s get to it!

The Multi Function Formula Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule from Mizon   ↓
Okay, I’ll be honest. This bad boy has been close to empty for some time now, but I took a break from it a while back and recently started using it again. Well, the little that was left. ANYWAY. It’s completely empty now, and I’m considering repurchasing it! If you’re interested in Mocka’s review on the product, you’ll find it here!

Photo borrowed from Google.

The Moistfull Collagen Water Jelly Cream from Etude House   ↓
This is a great little cream if you want something cheap that will last a long time, smells lovely, and last but not least; takes it’s job of moisturizing quite seriously. You can read my review on it here! I’ve finished about 7 tubs of this gel cream, and although it’s not FANTASTIC, it’s great for the price! Definetely a repurchase for me.

The Multi Function Formula Snail Repair Eye Cream from Mizon   ↓
I’ve had two or three tubes of this little gel, and now that I’ve emptied the most recent one, I know that I will repurchase! I’m not sure how effective it is, but I love it’s thin consistency and gentle cooling effect. And I just think that it’s a great little eye cream to have on hand. Plus it’s mega cheap!

Photo borrowed from Google.

The Jeju Lava Seawater Boosting Ampoule from Innisfree   ↓
Now, this little sh*t didn’t exactly last long before the “Repurchase or not?-question” became real! The thing is, when it arrived, about one third of the product just wasn’t there, and then, about a week ago, me being the idiot that I am, managed to knock it over TWICE in about 7,5 seconds. So, yeah. But I do like the product and I might repurchase it. You’ll find my first impression here. Lol, you know you’ve messed up when you spill the remaining half of a product down the sink before you get your review out.

The Jeju Horse Oil Soothing Gel Cream from The Saem   ↓
Oh my Gosh. I just love this one. I’m usually not a fan of body lotions but this has seriously impressed my balls off. It absorbs into the skin like a dream, leaving it soothed, moisturized and smelling delish! After application the skin has a natural glow and doesn’t feel sticky or oily when touched. Score! I don’t use it every day or night, but whenever I’m going out and my arms/legs are showing, I put some on. Bye bye dry patches, hello amaze! If you’re interested in the first impression, you’ll find it here.

So that’s it for my July empties! Hope you enjoyed 🙂

– Vicky  ❤

Lagre

Two new arrivals!

Hey everyone!

Today’s post will revolve around two products that arrived very newly. I’m talking about the Jeju Lava Seawater Deep Essence from Innisfree and the 100% Organic Cold-pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil from The Ordinary! I decided to include both of these products in one post as opposed to giving them seperate “first impressions” like I usually do. I did this because I’ve already experienced the deep essence before, so I couldn’t really write a first impression post about that one. And Mocka has already reviewed the rose hip seed oil here, as she purchased it before me. But I might do a review on it myself later on, cause you can never get too many opinions on a thing, right? Or can you?  :O

Anyway, let’s see those beauties   ↓

 

Ahh…

So as you may have guessed, I purchased the rose hip seed oil from The Ordinary after Mocka got on the hype train and ran me over with it! She raved HARD about this product for quite some time and wrote a glowing review on it a while back. Apparently this baby comes from The Skin Clearing Heavens! Needless to say; I was wrapped in a dated newspaper and sold like cold salmon on the street. And as far as I can tell, I’m really loving this sh*t. I think it’s keeping my skin in check, but it’ll take some time before I can confirm this for sure. But what I can say is that it adds some moisture and nourishment to whatever cream you mix it with (if that’s how you choose to apply it, of course). It takes a mediochre moisturizer to the next level, if not even further! It adds a lot of thickness without clogging pores or causing me to break out. Loooove.

When it comes to the Innisfree Jeju Lava Seawater Deep Essence, this one’s no stranger to me! That’s right, unlike the rose hip seed oil I’ve had this deep essence in my routine at a much earlier stage of my K-beauty obsession. I was slapping that sh*t on my face every day and every night until I ran out. And I don’t know why, but I just didn’t repurchase it after it was gone. And now that I finally have, it’s safe to say that I have a new-found love for it. It smells soo good, and I feel that it helps hydrate my face just a little bit more than usual. Result!

Both of these products have been successfully introduced into my current skin care regimen. Although one can never be too sure about any product, I have high hopes for the future. Yep, I can see myself using them both in my everyday routine, for quite some time. At least until something potencially better comes along!

Feel free to give me a shout if you’d like to hear more about these two!
Until then,
Vicky  ❤

 

First impression: J.One Hana Cream

Hello everyone!

I know there’s been little activity on the blog for a few days now, but unfortunatly sometimes life just gets in the way. ANYWAY, sorry for the absence, and I’m back with a first impression on the J. One Hana Cream!

Let’s get to it   ↓

 

The basics   ↓
Product type: Capsule cream.
Purpose: Improving elasticity, smoothing, nourishing, vitalizing, moisturizing and anti-wrinkle care.
Step in skin care routine: Last step, unless you apply a sunscreen (day) or sleeping mask (night).
Price (Ebay): 33.50 USD

More details   ↓
Colour: Creamy white
Scent: Very perfumey. And please excuse me when I say this, but: it sort of smells like “old lady”…
Consistency: Semi thick. Spreads out nicely.
Appearance on the skin: After application you’re left with a satin to shiny finish.
Feeling on the skin: Feels nice and cool, silky, luxurious and refreshing on the skin.
Container: Medium size, frozen glass container. A bit heavy and possibly too fragile for travelling.
Packaging: Black box with white writing on.

 

Let me tell you, I spent a lot of time looking forward to the arrival of the J. One Hana Cream, and I was sooo happy when it finally came! Until I opened the jar. Yep, this is another product that left me with a load of mixed feelings and thoughts… We’re talking about a pretty jar of supposedly amazingly moisturizing – and let’s face it, REALLY FUN balls. But there is a drawback. And you can count on me to tell you what it is!

The thing is, I didn’t really have a certain expectation when it came to this product, cause I didn’t read a whole lot about it before purchasing (which I should have, and usually do!) but I didn’t expect what awaited inside the jar along with the balls; THE SCENT. Or should I say “stench”? I mean, it doesn’t smell like dog sh*t, but in my opinion it still smells quite terrible. More specifically: old lady. (Again, please excuse me, but I’m lacking a better way to describe it…). And this is so, so sad, because the jar is beautiful, although a bit bulky, and the product does a good job of moisturizing. But the scent is just too much in your face, literally. It smells VERY perfumey and old? I mean, when I sniff these little balls of goo, the scent I’m picking up takes me straight back to the 50’s. And I haven’t even been in the 50’s! Someone who is very sensitive to scents, will definetely run a mile from the J.One Hana Cream. 

“And remember; I always recommend taking a closer look at any new product before purchasing it, just in case you’re allergic or sensitive to one or more of the ingredients. Personally I always check before buying a new product, because I know my skin is of the extra vulnerable type as I do have dehydrated combination skin with acne prone areas. You can find the ingredients, what they are and what they do at CosDna.” -Myself, lol

 

Usually, I return after a couple of weeks with a full review of every product I try, but I honestly don’t know if the J.One Hana Cream will ever get as far as a review. The reason being that I had a f*ckton of breakouts the morning after I used it. Of course one can never be too sure if breakouts are the result of a newly introduced product, or something else, but I’m very suspicious towards the J.One Hana Cream now, and my guess is that it is indeed the sinner in this case…

So that’s it for my first impression on this cream! I Hope you found it helpful. And please let me know if you’ve tried it and if you like it! Myself? I am not so sure about this one… However I will update you in a while, on how I get on with my new jar of balls!

Vicky ❤

Review: Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream

Hello everyone!

Today I will be sharing my thoughts – and all over experience with a product that you haven’t seen on the blog for a while. I am of course talking about the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream! Maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe you haven’t. This cream is rather obscure compared to others, but then again, I know that many of you are deep diggers and hard sniffers like me and Mocka! Now, I must admit that I no longer use this moisturizer. But I did use for about three weeks before it got axed. And you’ll find out why if you continue reading!

The basics   ↓
Product type: Cream
Purpose: Hydrating, whitening, nourishing, smoothing, anti-wrinkle care and moisturizing.
Step in skin care routine: Last step, unless you apply a sunscreen (day) or sleeping mask (night).
Price (Ebay): 17.17 USD

More details   ↓
Colour: White
Scent: Flowery scent.
Consistency: Quite thin for a cream. Spreads out nicely.
Appearance on the skin: After application you’re left with a satin finish.
Feeling on the skin: Feels nice, silky and refreshing on the skin. Oh, and very luxurious!
Container: Medium size, quite heavy and probably too fragile for travelling as it appears to be made of frozen glass instead of the more typical solid plastic. Comes decorated with some kind of cloth, cute.
Packaging: White box with black decor.
(Copy-pasted from my first impression on the same product.)

So what do I like about the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream?
Honestly, not a lot. To me this product turned out to be a big disappointment. (You’ll find out more about this in the next paragraph.) I don’t know if it’s the product alone, or if it’s because of the high expectations I had. Anyway, the only thing I enjoyed about the Dynasty Cream, was the pink-ish paper “cloth” thingy that covered the lid when I first recieved it. It was cute, okay? Sadly it stops there.

And what are the cons?
In my personaly opinion, the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream comes with several cons. First of all, the scent. I’m not a fan of it at all. To me it’s a bit overpowering. So it’s pretty safe to say that a person with a very sensitive sense of smell, would most definetely find this scent overbaring! Up next is the container, which is very little travel friendly, because it’s heavy and fragile. Yes, it is indeed made of glass and if you read the first impression, you’ll know that mine had some serious leaking going on when it arrived! What’s more? It isn’t really that moisturizing? And how about the fact that it broke me out like a mofo?! Gurl, get out.

Conclusion
For me this will certainly NOT be a repurchase! I should never have bought the product in the first place, and if I had managed to find the correct ingredients list on CosDna, prior to buying it, I never would have. The Dynasty Cream’s moisturizing ability is simply not good enough, and I own cheaper creams that do a better job. The strong scent and the fact that it caused breakouts, leads me to think that this cream is riddled with perfume and quite possibly other “no-no’s”! Oh, and let’s not forget the stupid ass container.

Rating   ↓
Colour: 10/10
Scent: 5/10
Consistency: 6/10
Feeling on the skin: 6/10
Appearance in the skin: 6/10
Moisturizing: 5/10
Container: 5/10
Price: 5/10

Overall   ↓
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸   5/10

“And remember; I always recommend taking a closer look at any new product before purchasing it, just in case you’re allergic or sensitive to one or more of the ingredients. Personally I always check before buying a new product, because I know my skin is of the extra vulnerable type, as I do have dehydrated combination skin with acne prone areas. You can find the ingredients, what they are and what they do at CosDna.” -Myself, lol

That’s it for my review on the Dynasty Cream from Beauty of Joseon! As always, I hope you enjoyed it and maybe even found it a bit helpfull. Please let me know if you’ve tried this product and if so; what your experience with it was/is. 

Vicky  ❤

Review: Banila Co. Clean It Zero – Purity

Hello everyone!

It’s time for me to share my thoughts – and all over experience with a product that I’ve already included in an “experiment sort of comparison type of post”, but not yet fully reviewed. So that’s what we’re doing now!

I’m talking about the Banila Co. Clean It Zero – Purity, which I’ve been using for about three weeks now. This product is a balm type cleansing oil that you’re supposed to use at the first step of your evening skin care routine, followed by your favourite foam – or gel cleanser. In other words, this product is meant to be the first part of a double cleansing routine!

There are several different cleansing oils in the Clean It Zero series, but I chose the Purity as it is catered towards sensitive and troubled skin, and that’s totally me. Yay! Other than the “Purity”, there’s also a “Classic”, a “Radiance” and a “Resveratrol” in the same line!

If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you probably know that I usually post a first impression on a product after i’ve tested a product once, AND a review a couple of weeks later, after the product in question has been properly tested. In this case, I didn’t do a first impression, however, you can if you’re interested read Mocka’s first impression on the Clean It Zero – Radiance here.

Without further ado; let’s get on to the actual review   ↓

The basics   ↓
Product: Cleansing oil.
Type: Balm type.
Purpose: Dissolve and remove makeup and impurities from the skin.
Suitable for: Sensitive skin.
Step in skin care routine: First.
Price (Ebay): 18.97 USD

More details   ↓
Colour: Cream-ish.
Scent: Pleasant, clean and fresh scent with a hint of herbal (maybe eucalyptus?)
Consistency: Semi thick balm, similar to Cocosa (coco nut oil). Spreads out with ease.
Appearance on the skin: Oily, as expected!
Feeling on the skin: Feels quite rich and luxurious on the skin.
Container: Turqoise/mint themed plastic tub with metal lid. Looks very nice, indeed.
Packaging: Same as container. Spatula included.

So what do I like about the Banila Co. Clean It Zero – Purity?
I love the fact that the Clean It Zero – Purity is a balm type oil cleanser and that it therefore comes in a tub, as opposed to a container with a pump, which is less travel friendly and in my opinion more messy in general. I also like the scent and the texture of the oil after it has transformed from a solid balm to a liquid form oil! Another fantastic thing about this cleansing oil is that it dosen’t break me out or give me any kinds of trouble. And last but not least, it does a great job of dissolving and removing my everyday makeup!

And what are the cons?
The only cons I can think of is that this product does sting a tiny bit if it gets in your eyes (but not nearly as much as for example the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil from The Face Shop), and you have to apply it twice and really work with it before it will break down makeup with a stronger lasting power than your average day-to-day makeup. If you want to see how both of these cleansing oils performed on makeup swatches, you’ll find my comparison post here.

Conclusion
If the Clean It Zero – Purity didn’t sting at all when it gets in my eyes, AND if it was able to dissolve and remove more hardcore – and waterproof makeup in just one go, instead of two, it would totally get top marks from me, and I would love it forever. Although that’s not the case, I still love it, because it works for me and I’m not a hardcore makeup wearer. In other words; I can’t say that it sucks, because after all, it caters to my needs. However, people who wear more long-lasting makeup, for example liquid lipsticks and waterproof eyeliners – and mascaras, might not think that the Clean It Zero – Purity is quite good enough. Also, it might be worth mentioning that people with a very sensitive sense of smell might find this product’s scent a bit overbaring. I for one really like it! Definetely a repurchase for me   🙂

Rating   ↓
Colour: 10/10
Scent: 7/10
Consistency: 10/10
Feeling on the skin: 10/10
Makeup dissolving/removing: 8/10
Container: 10/10
Price: 8/10

Overall   ↓
🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨   9/10

“And remember; I always recommend taking a closer look at any new product before purchasing it, just in case you’re allergic or sensitive to one or more of the ingredients. Personally I always check before buying a new product, because I know my skin is of the extra vulnerable type, as I do have dehydrated combination skin with acne prone areas. You can find the ingredients, what they are and what they do at CosDna.” -Myself, lol

So that’s it for my review on the Clean It Zero – Purity from Banila Co! As per usual, I hope you found it a bit helpful or at least enjoyed reading it for some other reason! Please let me know if you’ve tried this product and if so; what your experience with it was/is.  😀

Vicky  ❤

Comparison: Two cleansing oils

Hello everyone!

So on Tuesday I Instagrammed a photo of the Banila Co. Clean It Zero – Purity and The Face Shop’s Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil, saying that I was doing a little experiment on the two (test + comparison), as well as reviewing the Clean It Zero – Purity, and that a post about this hopefully would be up on the blog the day after. As you might have noticed, that didn’t exactly go to plan. It turned out that a post featuring both the review, the experiment and the comparison would not only be a bit messy and unorganized, but also very big. So I dicided to break the monsterous post into two parts: the review by itself and the experiment/comparison by itself, making it easier for me to do both posts justice, and more pleasant for you guys to read. In other words; today you’ll get to see the experiment and read my comparison on the two cleansing oils, whilst the review on the Clean It Zero – Purity will be available on the blog in a couple of days!

 

Banila Co. Clean It Zero – Purity VS. The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil!

Many of you have probably already seen K-beauty Youtubers test cleansing oils on makeup swatches, and that’s what I’ll be doing today. The only difference is that I don’t own seventy-three different cleansing oils, I only have two on hand. But that’s how I usually like to operate.Whenever I find a skin care product I like, even almost love, I’ll still be open to testing out a newbie for the same step, just incase I stumble across something even better. And that’s also the case here. I bought the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil back in the day when I was completely new to AB. I enjoyed it a lot and even repurchased it. But is that a good enough reason to stop there? Not try anything another? No. And here we are, with the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil’s opponent: the Clean It Zero – Purity!   ↓

“Which one of these cleansing oils is better at dissolving and removing makeup?” is without a doubt the million dollar question here. But before we move onto that, there are a few other things about these products that need comparing:

Price
Although comparing a dirt cheap product to a more high-end expensive product (like Mocka did here), might have been more fun or useful to some, these cleansing oils are still in my opinion in two different price ranges. Neither of them are particularly cheap or expensive, however the Banila Co. Clean It Zero – Purity is double the Price of The Face Shop’s Rice Water Bright Cleansing Oil!
Clean It Zero – Purity – 18.97 USD
Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil – 9.07 USD

Type and texture
Both of the cleansing oils are essentially… oils. Who would’ve thought it? However, they’re not even nearly the same type to begin with. What I mean by this is that the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil is an oil in liquid form, whilst the Clean It Zero – Purity starts off as a more solid balm, very much like Cocosa (coconut oil), but during application it transforms into a liquid form oil. When it comes to texture, the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil is very thin compared to the Clean It Zero – Purity (after it has transformed) which is richer and thicker.

Scent
To me both of the cleansing oils have pleasant scents. The Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil has more of a flowery scent while on the contrary, the Clean It Zero – Purity’s scent is more “fresh” and “clean” with a hint of “herbal” (maybe a teeny bit of eucalyptus?). Mind you, someone with a very sensitive sense of smell might find these scents to be a bit overbaring.

Skin type
Whilst the Clean It Zero – Purity is catered to people with sensitive and troubled skin in general, the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil is best suited people with particularly oily skin.

Ingredients list
According to CosDna the Clean It Zero – Purity has a much “safer” ingredients list than the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil, but for me personally, none of them have caused breakouts or any other problems.

Container
The Clean It Zero – Purity comes in a clean looking, solid plastic tub with a metal lid whereas the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil comes in a more cheap plastic container with a plastic pump dispenser. The Clean It Zero – Purity is in my opinion much more travel friendly.

Other
Both of these cleansing oils will to some extent sting if you get them in your eyes. However, the Clean It Zero – Purity stings a lot less than it’s opponent.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here are the makeup products that I will be swatching  ↓

Okay, so maybe not the most hardcore lot you’ve ever clapped eyes on, but I’m not the most hardcore makeup wearer either. The point is that this is a selection of different makeup products with different properties and claims (for example being waterproof, smudge-proof, waxy etc).
Although you for sure can find even more resiliant makeup products than the ones I have on hand, these are definetely a lot more stubborn and long lasting than what I normally wear when I go about my day   🙂

And here are the swatches   ↓

Before we move on to the actual testing prosess, let’s see what these two cleansing oils actually claim to do   ↓

Banila Co. Clean It Zero – Purity
“An off-shoot from the popular Banila Co Clean It Zero Classic, this is a perfect first step in your double-cleanse. This award-winning hypoallergenic oil cleanser appears as a solid balm and transforms into a silky oil on the skin. Its sorbet-like texture and lightweight formula effortlessly dissolves stubborn makeup and impurities without stripping the skin of its natural oils. Free from artificial coloring, synthetic fragrance, alcohol, parabens, and mineral oil. Formulated for sensitive skin types” – Soko Glam

The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil
“Natural extract removes all kind of impurities thoroughly. Maintains healthy skin even after cleansing.” – Roseroseshop

The testing prosess   ↓

How exactly did the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil perform on the makeup swatches?

To the left: Swatches after they’ve set for a while. To the right: The removing prosess with the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil.

As you can tell from the photo, the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil works like a charm on your average day-to-day sort of makeup, but when it comes to the waterproof mascara, the waterproof eyeliner and the liquid lipstick, this cleansing oil is about to give up. But I can’t walk around with this hot mess on my arm all day, so the next logical step is to give the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil a second chance at removing the left over makeup!

Round two! DING DING DING!   ↓

To the left: Swatches after they’ve set for a while. To the right: The removing prosess with the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil.

So, as you probably have gathered, the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil did infact remove 100% of the makeup, but not in one go, two. It’s probably also worth mentioning that I had to rub quite hard and for some time to get all the remaining swatches completely off.

And now let’s take a look at how the Clean It Zero – Purity from Banila Co. performed   ↓

To the left: The swatches are ready for the Clean It Zero – Purity. To the right: During the makeup removing prosess.

I slapped the Clean It Zero – Purity on and massaged it in, as the discription tells you to. As you can see, the product removes most of the swatches with ease, but like the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil; it struggles with the waterproof mascara, the waterproof eyeliner and the liquid lipstick. And since I gave the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil a second chance, it would be unfair not to do the same with the Clean It Zero – Purity. So?

Round two. DING DING DING!   ↓

To the left: The oily makeup mess has been wiped off and the Clean It Zero – Purity has already been reapplied and wiped off again, leaving one clean and happy arm (to the right).

So… The Clean It Zero – Purity also removed 100% of the makeup after two applications, but it failed to break down and remove all of the makeup in one go. And just like the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil, I had to be a bit tough with this one aswell and rub quite hard to get the remaining makeup off. Didn’t someone use the word “effortlessly?”

Summing it all up
The Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil and the Clean It Zero – Purity both work great on your average “day-to-day” sort of makeup, and both of them need to be applied twice on makeup with stronger lasting power. In other words: Performance wise, it’s a tie! So when I remind myself that the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil from TheFaceShop is half the price of the Clean It Zero – Purity from Banila Co, my first thought is “next time I might as well buy the cheapest one, cause they do the exact same thing, they both smell good and none of them break me out”. However, I will for now discontinue using the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil and switch to the Clean It Zero – Purity because I prefer the tub-and-lid container and the product itself doesn’t sting as much when I get it in my eyes (which tends to happen quite a bit)! I also find the Clean It Zero – Purity a lot less messy to work with   🙂

So that’s it for my comparison on the Clean It Zero – Purity from Banila Co. and the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil from The Face Shop. For me personally, the winner out of the two is the Clean It Zero – Purity mostly for practical reasons, and therefore I think it’s worth the extra dollars! Stay tuned for the full review of the Banila Co. Clean It Zero – Purity, which will be up on the blog in a couple of days.

Vicky ❤

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m waiting for you…

Hello everyone!

Today I’ll be taking you through the products I’m waiting for at the moment. You’ve most likely heard of most of them as they’ve been mentioned in previous posts, but some of them were purchased today!  I will also mention a product that I bought ages ago, and still haven’t recieved. So beware of some bitching, cause this chick is frustrated with a big F.

ANYWAY… let’s get to it  ↓

The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
I’m gonna be honest with you guys. I just purchased this Rose Hip Seed oil from The Ordinary, without giving it much thought. Usually I do my job when it comes to researching before buying, but now and again my brain seems to lose it’s ability of doing just that, resulting in the occasional spontaneous purchase! But in my defense, I didn’t buy this product on a complete whim either. Cause Mocka hasn’t stopped raving about it since she got her hands on it, and after I read her review, I was sold. Ka-ching!

Photo borrowed from Google.

The Innisfree Jeju Lava Seawater Deep Essence
Now, this baby has been away from me for soo long now. We’re talking about a year! I purchased this product back in my early K-beauty days, and although I liked it, I wasn’t sure how effective it was. I guess I can’t remember what ultimately made me decide not to re-purchase it, but the other day i realised that I actually miss it. (Weird how that happens.) In other words; I’m giving it a second chance to blow my socks off, which also means that you can expect a review in the near future! Yay!

Photo borrowed from Google.

The Nature Republic Shine Blossom Blusher in the colour “Apricot”.
Another newbie that I’m waiting for is this cream blush from Nature Republic, which is a brand I’ve known about for a long time, but haven’t gotten around to trying. I’m always interested in trying products from different brands, both popular, obscure, tried and not tried, so I’m really looking forward to this. And according to my calculations this baby should be just around the corner!

Photo borrowed from Google.

The Tonymoly The Fresh Phytoncide Pore Gel Cream
Fresh Phytoncide Pore Gel Cream, you say? Who even are you? OH, THAT’S RIGHT! I ordered you AGES ago. Okay, to be fair, it’s not your fault that you haven’t arrived yet. But some person somewhere along the line during this prosess, messed up. I mean, let’s be honest. We have ships, planes, trains and quite possibly UFOs to make sure that sh*t arrives where it should, when it should. And I can accept human error. Things can happen. I can also accept that it takes a couple of weeks for products from Korea to arrive where I live, but not several months. No, just no. This product was lost on it’s way and it should have been sorted a long time ago. #Rantover
But really, they can send me a new one now if they want, but not recieving a product when you needed it, kind of defeats the purpose of the whole thing, right? That’s like recieving your shot after you got ill. And it’s actually quite disoppointing. And sure, I’ve had a few products arrive on me weeks after their estimated date, but nothing like this.

Photo borrowed from Google.

Okay, moving onto something more pleasant!   ↓

The Tosowoong ACNE Cleansing Foam
Now, this one will definetely be a familiar face for you, if you’ve followed this blog for a while. I have mentioned it in several posts and raved about it in this one! The tube I have standing in my shower at the moment, is running really low and has been for a while now. But instead of re-purchasing it right away, I decided to broaden my horizon even further and went ahead and bought a cleanser from Sulwhasoo that I’ve wanted to try for a long time. And that’s where my beloved Tosowoong comes back into the picture. I just couldn’t bare the thought of hating the Sulwhasoo and not have a backup.

Photo borrowed from Google.

The Petitfèe Gold & Snail Hydrogel Eyepatches
O.M.G. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’m looking forward to plastering a pair of these babies on my under eyes. I have tried their sister patches (Black Pearl & Gold) once before, and I loooooved them. I’m hoping that these ones are just as good, AT LEAST. And I’m praying that they arrive tomorrow! #Lastchancebeforetheweekend

If you want to read Mocka’s first impression on the Black Pear & Gold eye patches, you’re welcome!

Photo borrowed from Google.

The J.One Hana Cream
Don’t even get me started on these precious little baby balls!?
I just realised two things after having said that. 1) “Baby balls”? Well, that sounds a bit gross. 2) I can’t know if these (baby)balls are precious before I’ve tried them. But they look damn precious, okay?! And I want them. Now. On my face.
But on the serious note: Have you ever seen a more fun way to apply moisturizer? I just saw these a few weeks ago and I had to buy them. I mean, who doesn’t want balls all over their face? I know I’m preaching about a product I haven’t tried yet, but I don’t care. I still think everyone should try slapping some balls on their face, at least once! That sh*t better arrive tomorrow.

Photo borrowed from Google.

“And remember; I always recommend taking a closer look at any new product before purchasing it, just in case you’re allergic or sensitive to one or more of the ingredients. Personally I always check before buying a new product, because I know my skin is of the extra vulnerable type, as I do have dehydrated combination skin with acne prone areas. You can find the ingredients, what they are and what they do at CosDna.” -Myself, lol

So there you have it; just a little update on the products I’m currently waiting for. Please let me know if you’ve tried any of these babies, and if you enjoy/ed them! And be sure to tune back in for first impressions and reviews on these babies in the near future!

Vicky  ❤

Review: Innisfree Orchid Eye Cream

Hello everyone!

Today I will be sharing my final thoughts- and experince on the Innisfree Orchid Eye Cream. Unlike some of the recent products I’ve reviewed, this one wasn’t bought on a whim. I had actually heard about this eye cream for a long, long time prior to purchasing it, and only good things at that! So when this baby arrived in my post box and I got to hold it in my hands for the very first time, I was fully aware that this product came straight from the deepest part of the holiest of all Holy Grails! Puh! *Catches my breath*.

If you’re interested in the first impression, you can find it here.
But for now, let’s get crackin’ with the review   ↓

The basics   ↓
Product type: Eye Cream
Purpose: Anti-aging, hydrating and moisturizing.
Step in skin care routine: Optional.
Price (Ebay): 19.50 USD

More details   ↓
Colour: White.
Scent: Smells okay. Floral scent.
Consistency: Semi thick cream. Spreads out nicely.
Appearance on the skin: After application you’re left with a satin finish.
Feeling on the skin: Feels good on the skin, absorbs quickly.
Container: Purple themed plastic tub. Cute but looks a tad cheap.
Packaging: Purple and white themed box.
(Copy-pasted from my first impression on the same product).

So what do I like about the Innisfree Orchid Eye Cream?
I’ve used this eye cream for more than a month now and I’m totally in love with it! Not only does it look good on the skin plus feel great, but it also performs like a champion. I mean, it really does what it claims to do when it comes to hydrating and moisturizing. When it comes to anti-aging, I can’t really judge it yet, because I don’t have wrinkly under eyes. However, I do have a few fine lines so I will definetely be on the lookout for any subtle changes!
Other than that, the consistency of the Orchid Eye Cream product is simply delicious, and it’s super easy to spread out. And when it comes to the price it’s definetely less affordable than other Kbeauty eye creams that I’ve tried, BUT with this one, a little really does go a looong way. Like I said, I’ve had the same tub for over a month, and I’ve literally just scratched the surface! For 19.50 USD you get a ton of product and it will last you several months. In my opinion, it’s totally worth it.

 

And what are the cons?
The only cons I can think of when it comes to the Innisfree Orchid Eye Cream is the container and the scent. I’m not even sure that these so-called “cons” really count as cons, as they in my opinion really aren’t a problem, but for some they might be… So, the tub is made of hard plastic and therefore very solid. However, it is a bit big and bulky for an eye cream. My guess is that someone who travels a lot, might not consider the container of this product travel friendly due to it’s size, although it is indeed solid and will keep the product inside nice and safe.

Also, I’d say that this eye cream only scores just above average when it comes to it’s scent. I mean, it doesn’t at all smell bad, but someone who has a super sensitive sense of smell, might not enjoy it because it does have a slightly flowery scent that could take some getting used to. I did, and don’t even think about it anymore, so for me this isn’t an issue. And to be fair; the scent disappears quickly after application   🙂

Conclusion?
I love this eye cream, and I will absolutely repurchase it when the time comes, which will be many months from now, lol! You really get a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to this one and it will for sure last you a long, long time. As already mentioned, the eye cream comes in a secure container, that will protect the product which I for one am very grateful for, because I have experienced the absolute suck when a container breaks and the product inside gets f*cked!
And last but definetely not least, the Innisfree Orchid Eye Cream truly deserves a medal for keeping the dry and fragile skin around my eyes, nourished and super soft. AND a trophy for not giving me Milia, which has kicked my undereyes’ asses before. I must admit that I at first was a bit skeptical towards this eye cream, as it is a rather thick, white cream, but it passed the test, and no signs of Milia ever showed up. Thank God. In other words, I’m really enjoying this product and I won’t stop using it unless I come across an eye cream that has a million medals in it’s pocket!

Rating   ↓
Colour: 10/10
Scent: 6/10
Consistency: 10/10
Appearance on the skin: 9/10
Feeling on the skin: 10/10
Hydrating/moisturizing: 10/10
Container: 9/10
Price: 10/10

Overall   ↓
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸   9/10

“And remember; I always recommend taking a closer look at any new product before purchasing it, just in case you’re allergic or sensitive to one or more of the ingredients. Personally I always check before buying a new product, because I know my skin is of the extra vulnerable type, as I do have dehydrated combination skin with acne prone areas. You can find the ingredients, what they are and what they do at CosDna.” -Myself, lol

Also rember that if you’re very sensitive to smell, maybe consider buying a few samples before comitting to a whole tub, cause I’m telling you, this mother, once she’s moved into your bathroom, won’t leave for a good few months!

So that’s it for my review on the Orchid Eye Cream from Innisfree! As always, I Hope you enjoyed it and maybe even found it a bit helpful. Please let me know what your experience with this product is, if you’ve tried it!   🙂

Vicky  ❤