Spot emergency: Mizon Acence Blemish Out Pink Spot review

Mizon's Pink Spot is my mate for over a year now - I'm used to see it my bathroom so much now, that I still forget to review it. But finally, today is the day! ;)

Product description:  It works effectively while sleeping at night for soothing skin troubles. The patented formula of AHA, BHA, Calamine and Triclosan relieves acne and prevents it to develop.
How to use: Dip a cotton swab down to the bottom of the bottle and apply only to troubled spots.

Important ingredients:

• Calamine - is either a mixture of zinc oxide (ZnO) with about 0.5% ferric oxide (Fe₂O₃) or a zinc carbonate compound. It's used to relieve pain, itching, and discomfort from minor skin irritations. Also used as a mild antiseptic to prevent infections that can be caused by scratching the affected area, and an astringent to dry weeping or oozing blisters and acne abscesses.
• Salicylic acid - organic acid originally obtained from willow bark. It's a key ingredient in many skin-care products for the treatment of various skin conditions, like acne, psoriasis, calluses, corns, ichthyosis, and, warts etc. It works by causing the cells of the epidermis to shed more readily, opening clogged pores and neutralising bacteria within, preventing pores from clogging up again by constricting pore diameter, and allowing room for new cell growth.
• Triclosan - an antibacterial and antifungal agent.
• Coptis japonica (Japanese goldthread) root extract - contains berberine, a plant alkaloid revered in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Berberine has various medicinal uses, as a supplement to support treatment of heart diseases, low bone density, diabetise. Used on skin it has anti-bacterial and anti-ageing properties.
• Bilberry (European blueberry) fruit/leaf extract - used in traditional European medicine, has many different healthcare uses. On skin it has anti-aging effects by stabilizing collagen structures. Recent research showed that Bilberry extract has promising anti-ulcer activity.
• Portulaca Oleracea Extract (also known as wild portulaca or pigweed) - has many benefits on skin: soothing effect, accelerating healing process, improving skin's elasticity. As a natural source of vitamins A, C and E and the co-enzyme Q10, is an excellent antioxidant, fighting premature ageing and protecting skin from enviromental damage.
• Cluster pine bark extract -   has anti-oxidant properties and ability to enhance the microcirculation by increasing capillary permeability. Supports healing processes, reduces scar formation.
• Ivy extract - It has emollient and itch-relieving properties, as well as anti-inflammatory and pain killing actions. It's alsoa circulatory compound and helps other ingredients to be absorbed by the skin.
• Sugar Maple Extract - contains naturally occurring Malic Acid (AHA) and is used to promote smoother, younger looking and more clear skin by increasing the rate of cell renewal.
• Sugar Cane Extract -  main source of glycolic acid (AHA), used to promote smoother, younger looking and more clear skin by increasing the rate of cell renewal.
• Orange Fruit extract - soothes sensitive, irritaed skin
• Lemon fruit extract - A natural source of Vitamin C and antioxidant bioflavonoids, protects skin against damage from reactive ozone, has anti-inflammatory properties. 
• Raspberry Fruit Extract - soothing and relaxing to inflamed skin. Excellent for sensitive skin and any irritation from acne, shaving or windburn. 
• Tea tree oil - essential oil with powerful antiseptic properties, widely used in acne treatments, aids in healing and soothing the skin.

Full list of ingredients: Aqua, Alcohol, Calamine, Glycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Glycolic Acid, Dimethyl Sulfone, Camphor, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salicylid Acid, Triclosan, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Propylene Glycol, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Butylene Glycol, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Hedera Helix (Ivy Extract), Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil. 

This product is fairly similar to Etude House AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder Spot. They both contain salicylic acid and they are meant to be used in the same way: make sure the bottle is not shaken, so the powder is settled on the bottom. While dabbing cotton bud into the bottle, it gets first disinfected in the liquid, then it reaches the powder that settles on cotton. Even though you have to pull again through the liquid, the powder stays on the bud and it's ready for application.

The product comes in a blue cardboard box, sealed with "Original Mizon" holographic sticker. The bottle is made of frosted glass and contains 35ml of liquid/powder. It has a strong smell of herbs and alcohol. Cotton buds are not included.

Back of the box

When applied on spot, powder settles on skin, leaving a pale pink, powdery circle - that's why it's recommended to be used at nightime. I do sometimes use it during the day - when I'm not leaving the house, or even before work. Powder mark wipes away easily, if I put a make up on, it will just wipe off during make up application, so if I use it before work, I apply it on my skin minimum 15 mins before applying make up, so it has some time to work on skin. The powder doesn't stain, I've used it at bedtime multiple times and even though in the morning it's gone, there is no marks on my bedding.
During application product may sting a little, because of the alcohol. Fortunately this sensation last only a moment.

Now, does it work?
Yes! But only on certain type of spots.
Mizon's spot powder works topiary, so it won't work on nodules and cysts, that are sitting under the skin. For this kind of trouble acne patches are wroking magic. Spot powder is great to fight "classic spots" - pustules, red bumps with white/yellow top. It dries the spot out and reduces inflammation. It's also helpful when we squeeze - I always apply this powder on top of any squeezed spot, to disinfect the area. It helps to tone down redness and soreness, it takes about 2-3 nights to completely heal average pustule.
A little goes a long way - I use occasionally for about a year now and didn't even used up half of the bottle.

Price: from £10 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ helps reduce the inflammation
+ disinfects the area
+ soothes irritation after squeezing
+ a little goes a long way 
+ powder doesn't stain fabrics - if used overnight won't mark your bedding

Cons:
- takes about 2-3 nights to treat pustules
- not effective against under skin bumps
- may sting a moment after application

Summary: I like this product and I find it helpful in my acne treatment. It is not a miracle product, it won't magically clear you acne during one night, but it certainly helps to reduce inflammation.

Mizon All in One Snail Repair Cream & Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule

Snail secretion is known from it's regenerating properties. The story is that people working on snail farms discovered that any scratches or wounds on their hands were healing quicker when they were handling snails and then it ended up in cosmetics. I already reviewed my very first snail product - Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream, now I would like to follow it with reviews of two other Mizon's snail cosmetics.

The whole Mizon's snail line.

Mizon All in One Snail Repair Cream

Product description: The original snail mucus takes care of your all kind of skin problems in all in one skin care system on your first skin care step. It repairs tired and ageing skin, leaving it refreshed. It also the first protector of your naked skin.

The product comes in brown glass jar with capacity 75ml.

From the whole line, the All in One Repair Cream has the highest snail secretion content - 92%.
The cream is basically unscented and has kind of jelly-cream consistency. It is not sticky, but it kind of stretches, follows the finger a little bit:

It's the first skin care routine step, so it's very lightweight - absorbs in skin quickly and completely. After use skin is well moisturised, smooth and matte. For oily skin it may do the AM job on it's own, specially under some moisturising BB Cream, but for more thirsty skin it has to be followed with other moisturising product. A little goes a long way - the jar lasted for approx. three month of everyday use.

This cream is a great companion of Snail Recovery Gel. Gel provides more moisture and locks it into skin. For my oily skin this duo worked well, but I had to be careful with amount of gel I used - too much would make my skin feel a little bit heavy. If the right amounts were used creams worked well - didn't make my skin more oily. It also worked well for my acne - helped the skin to heal quicker. The only downside of the duo was that skin was shiny.

Price: from £10 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ very lightweight
+ absorbs quickly and completely
+ matte finish
+ a little goes a long way
+ skin is nice and smooth after use

Cons:
 - may be not moisturising enough used on it's own (but it's supposed to be used with other products, so it's not a real con).
- Recovery Gel on top of All in One is more shiny than on it's own

Ingredients: Snail secretion filtrate, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, glyceryl stearate, hydrogenate vegetable oil, dimethicone, triethanolamine, carbomer, butylene glycol, PEG/ppg-17/6 copolymer, polyacrylate-13, polyisobutene, polysorbate 20, sodium polyacrylate, caprylyl glyocol, ethylhexyglycerin, tropolone, adenosine, sodium hyaluronate, portulaca oleracea extract, betula platyphylla japonica juice, amica Montana flower extract, Artemisia absinthium extract, achillea milefolium extract, gentian lutea root extract, alcohol, camellia sinensis leaf extract, centella asiatica extract, copper tripeptide-1, human oligopeptide-1, propylene glycol, rubus idaeus (raspberry) fruit xtract, beta-glucan, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, disodium edta
Ingredients analysis [HERE] 

Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule

Product description: High content of snail secretion filtrate and EGF* help skin regeneration and improve skin elasticity while moisturising skin.

*Epidermal Growth Factor -  an age-prevention ingredient that supports cell renewal and wound repair by stimulating cells to produce collagen.

The full size product is a 30ml glass bottle with pipette applicator. I was using set of ten sample sachets. One sachets lasts for two applications.

The product has consistency of very runny gel. It's clear and unscented. It has second biggest content of snail mucus in the line - 80%. During application there is some slimy feeling to it - it absorbs quite well and laves skin a little bit sticky, but this fades away when topped with another product.

I tried to use the ampule in as many combinations as possible, so:
- with All in One Cream - skin is a bit shiny, but well moisturised without heaviness, a little bit sticky but in pleasant way; the application of ampoule is much smoother and efficient on the top of All in One, than on bare skin
- with Snail Recovery Gel Cream - gel reduces the sticky feeling of ampule, skin is well moisturised; skin is very shiny, but not much oilier than usual; skin feel smooth, nourished and elastic; have to be careful with BB Cream - to heavy one on top of this two products will make skin oily
- with All in One Cream and Snail Recovery Gel Cream - skin very well moisturised, but shiny; for oily skin it may be too much for AM use; for PM use very pleasant combination - skin feels smooth and elastic in the morning.

Used on it's own ampule gives nice moisture boost to the skin and it's quite lightweight - it could be easily used with any cream. It also works on it's own, just under BB Cream - but only for not very thirsty skin.

Price: from £8 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ nice moisture boost for skin
+ quite lightweight
+ can be used with any cream

Cons:
- a little bit sticky (however it goes away when topped with another product) 
- the whole line used together makes skin very shiny

Ingredients: Snail secretion filtrate, sodium, hyaluronate, butylene glycol, glycerin, alcohol, panthenol, glycereth-26, carbomer, triethanolamine, trehalose, copper tripeptide-1, human oligopeptide-1, palmitoyl pentaopeptide-4, cornus officinalis fruit extract, nelumbo  nucifera flower extract, caprylyl glycol, ethylhexylglycerin, tropolone, sodium polyacrylate, adenosine, coptis japonica extract, disodium edta
Ingredients analysis [HERE]

In general I think that Mizon's Snail Line is worth trying. Each product is interesting on it's own, but I think it's really worth to try them together to feel that "snail power" :D You can easily buy samples of All in One Cream and Ampule on e-Bay (sets of 10 for approx. £3) and the Recovery Gel is cheap enough in full size version (from £3) to give it a go.

Lioele AC Control Trouble Patch Review

For some reason I tend to forget about my essentials when doing reviews. Lioele's Trouble Patch is one of the products, which I HAVE TO have and if I reach half of packaging I start panicking and immediately order it no matter how long until pay day it is. Pretty bad, huh? xD

Product description: Lioele's A.C. Control Trouble Patches help to relieve and care for troubled skin. It contains Salicylic Acid & Tea Tree Oil to help disinfect the area as well as reduce redness and assists with healing. If you feel a pimple arising, place a sticker patch directly onto the area. For best results, place onto the spot directly and leave for 8-12 hours (overnight while sleeping) then remove and continue with regular skin care routine.

Directions of use.

I came across this product accidentally, browsing some e-Bay stores with Korean cosmetics. I've tried many things to help my acne, but never heard of acne patches before, so ordered one sheet as a sample. Full size product contains five sheets of patches, each sheet has 12 patches.

The patches themselves are made of clear PU film, with one side sticky. They stick very very well - I already used up three full size packs (180 patches! 0o) and it happened to me only once that the patch didn't stick very well - when I put it next to my mouth corner on a day time, so every time I smiled or opened my mouth the patch was affected and started to peel off after few hours. During the nigh time they stick wonderfully. A few times I had forgot that I have any patch on and washed my face with the patch on - it still didn't peel off! But don't worry, even though they stick wonderfully they are easy to remove - it sometimes tricky to be able to catch the edge (a little bit like when you loose sellotape end!), but once you catch it, the patch pull out easily enough to not be painful.
Because they are made of film they are slightly shiny, what makes them visible, however I found that visibility depends on where we stick them. On "harder" base, like chin or forehead they are more noticeable, when they are on soft skin like cheeks they kinda blend better. I don't know why xD

Now the performance: for me this patches work absolutely wonders BUT they have to be used in the right way:
1. They work best on the spots that didn't "pop out" yet, the ones without white/yellow top. My biggest skin problems are nodules and cysts - painful form of acne forming under the skin, and these help to make them go away quicker.
2. The sooner you put it on the better they will work - I can usually feel nodule or cyst forming under my skin before it even discolour/bump surface of the skin. Just some part of my face would be sore to touch or mimics. These patches used early enough can even prevent the nodule/cyst from forming! :)
3. The longer you keep them on, the better they work - if for some reason you can't keep the patch on at least 8 hours it won't work as good. 8 hours is a minimum! Don't worry, they won't cause inflammation or anything like that - few times I kept them on longer than 12 hours and they did a good job.
Depending on the size/kind of spot it can takes me from 1 to 3 patches to heal the spot. 

I love this product and wouldn't be without it. It magic lays in Salicylic Acid - my skin seems to react well to it acne-wise. What I love most is that this stuff doesn't dry out skin - I got a very good medical cream for acne, but it dries out quite  badly and creates dry patches on my face, which are pain when it comes to make up. With this product I don't have dried out skin anymore - however if you want to use it in a day time you need to know that this patches don't go with make up very well. Because they are made out of PU material, the make up just don't stay on top of them, it impossible to put anything on top of them. And a foundation/corrector will form a circle around the patch. So if you can't be without the make up, it's better to use this patches at night time.

Price: you can buy single sheet as a trial for £1.80 or full pack of five sheets for £5.40 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ sticks well
+ clear - not very visible
+ used early enough prevent spot from fully forming
+ helps heal spots quicker
+ quite cheap

Cons:
- don't work with make up

I would strongly recommend this product to all acne sufferers, especially those with nodular acne.
Have you ever tried acne patches before? What are yours favourite brands of them? :)

Ingredients: Acrylates Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Water, Alcohol Denat., Salicylic Acid, Water/Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., / Vitis Vinifefa (Grape) Seed Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Polysorbate 80, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytosphingosine
Ingredients Analysis [HERE]

Etude House AC Clinic Intense Trial Kit

Hello :)
I wasn't here for a while, so here you go: a well deserved, quite large review.

I came across quite few good reviews of anti-acne products from Etude Huse's AC Clinic, but couldn't decide which one exactly I should go for. Fortunatelly I came across this handy Trial Set - five samples of product for approx. £5, which according to seller should last for four weeks.

 Set contains: cleansing foam, toner, lotion, two spot products and a few cotton buds for application.

I am going to review products in the order they should be used.


AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser

Poduct description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid, Triclosan* and Sandalwood Oil, Acne Foam Cleanser removes acne causing germs to keep your skin clean all day. AC Clinic line is formulated without  acne-inducing ingredients to promote clear skin.

*Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent.

The trial version is a 30ml tube, protected with foil. The full size product contains 150ml.

The foam itself looks and smells like my dad's old fashioned  shaving cream ;)

 It's a thick, pearlised-white cream, which turns into rich foam when spread on wet skin. A little goes a long way - pea size of product is enough to clean the whole face. It has very characteristic, medicine-like herbal scent - I personally don't find it unpleasent, but I know some people might.

Pros:
+ a little goes a long way - when other products ran out, this one seems to be never ending ;)
+ leaves skin nicely fresh and squeeky-clean

Cons:
- dries skin up a little bit
- I haven't notice any improvment on my acne

Ingredients: WATER, GLYCERIN, STEARIC ACID, MYRISTIC ACID, PEG-32, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, LAURIC ACID, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, HYDRATED SILICA, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PEG-100 STEARATE, SALICYLIC ACID, PEG-90M, DISODIUM EDTA, SODIUM BENZOATE, FRAGRANCE 

AC Clinic Daily Toner

 Product description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid and Hinoki Cypress, AC Clinic delivers trouble care. Skin toner removes pore clogging residues. 

That's a strong stuff. Contains alcohol, which I can smell quite strongly among the herbal scent known from foam. I definetly wouldn't recommend this product to people with sensitive skin.

Pros:
+ cleans well, what we can see on a cotton pad...

Cons:
- dries up skin :(
- doesn't last for long - from all the samples, this one get used up quickest

Ingredients: WATER, ALCOHOL, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERETH-26, SALICYLID ACID, CHAMAECYPARIS OBTUSA LEAF EXTRACT, GLYCOPROTEINS, AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM (CHORSE CHESTNUT) SEED EXTRACT, SAURURUS CHINENSIS EXTRACT, CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) EXTRACT, AMPELOPSIS JAPONICA ROOT EXTRACT, CARICA PAPAYA FRUIT EXTRACT, ALLIUM SATIVUM (GARLIC) BULB EXTRACT, ALLIUM CEPA (ONION) BULB EXTRACT, ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS ROOT EXTRACT, ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER EXTRACT, LIPPIA CITRIODORA LEAF EXTRACT, MANNITOL, AMMONIUM GLYCRRHIZATE, ZINC GLUCONATE, CAFFEINE, PEG-60, HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, CELLULOSE GUM, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, DISODIUM EDTA, PHENOXYETHANOL, FRAGRANCE 
 
AC Clinic Daily Gel Lotion

Product description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid and Hinoki Cypress extract, AC Clinic Gel Lotion clarifies and soothes troubled skin while maintain oil/moisture balance without aggravation.

AC Lotion is a lightweight moisturiser, white-ish, almost transparent. It has characteristic for this line herbal scent with a hint of alcohol (alcohol in a moisturiser?! Whyyyyy??!!). The application is annoying, because the bottle is hard and I can't squeeze the product out and shaking it out is also not very effective, so I ended up getting it out from the bottle with cotton bud.

The sample is 25ml, full size product 150ml.

Pros:
- absorbs quickly
- very lightweight, doesn't make skin oily
- moisturises a bit, but...

Cons:
- ...but not enough to make it the only mosturiser in my skin care routine, especially after drying foam and toner
- annoying application - what's interesting it doesn't improve in full size version, as it's glass bottle with casual cap and no pump or any other kind of applicator attached.

Ingredients: WATER, ALCOHOL, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, BETAINE, DIMETHICONE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, SALICYLIC ACID, CHAMAECYPARIS OBTUSA LEAF EXTRACT, GLYCOPROTEINS, AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM (HORSE CHESTNUT) SEED EXTRACT, SAURURUS CHINENSIS EXTRACT, CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) EXTRACT, ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS ROOT EXTRACT, ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER EXTRACT, LIPPIA CITRIODORA LEAF EXTRACT, AMPELOPSIS JAPONICA ROOT EXTRACT, CARICA PAPAYA FRUIT EXTRACT, ALLIUM CEPA (ONION) BULB EXTRACT, ALLIUM SATIVUM (GARLIC) BULB EXTRACT, MANNITOL, AMMOINIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE, ZINC GLUCONATE, CAFFEINE, DIMETHICONOL, OCTYLDODECETH-16, POLYACRYLATE-13, DIMETHICONE/PEG-10/15 CROSSPOLYMER, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, POLYISOBUTENE, CARBOMER, POLYSORBATE 20, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, TROMETHAMINE, DISODIUM EDTA, FRAGRANCE


AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder Spot

Product description: Contains Salicylate acid, Retinispora, Chaga Mushroom, Houttuynia. Two level concentrate spot care with pink powder and water. Treats sensitive skin for clearer look. Non-artificial color, Non-comedogenic.

The product is a cloudy  liquid containing pink powder, which stays on the bottom of the bottle. Important: don't shake the bottle! It should be applied on spots with cotton bud, which is meant to go through the liquid before reaching the treating powder, to make sure application is hygienic. It leaves pink marks on the skin, so it's recomended to use during the night.

The sample contains 5ml, full size product is 15ml. The full size product is not available on it's own, but in a little kit with sample size Pink Powder Water, as the products are supposed to be used together.

Pros:
+ dries up quickly, so doesn't stain bedding
+ helps treating acne

Cons:
- because of pink marks I can't use it during the day
- doesn't last for long

Ingredients: WATER, ALCOHOL, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, BETAINE, DIMETHICONE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, SALICYLIC ACID, CHAMAECYPARIS OBTUSA LEAF EXTRACT, GLYCOPROTEINS, AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM (HORSE CHESTNUT) SEED EXTRACT, SAURURUS CHINENSIS EXTRACT, CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) EXTRACT, ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS ROOT EXTRACT, ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER EXTRACT, LIPPIA CITRIODORA LEAF EXTRACT, AMPELOPSIS JAPONICA ROOT EXTRACT, CARICA PAPAYA FRUIT EXTRACT, ALLIUM CEPA (ONION) BULB EXTRACT, ALLIUM SATIVUM (GARLIC) BULB EXTRACT, MANNITOL, AMMOINIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE, ZINC GLUCONATE, CAFFEINE, DIMETHICONOL, OCTYLDODECETH-16, POLYACRYLATE-13, DIMETHICONE/PEG-10/15 CROSSPOLYMER, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, POLYISOBUTENE, CARBOMER, POLYSORBATE 20, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, TROMETHAMINE, DISODIUM EDTA, FRAGRANCE

AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder Water

Product description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid and Hinoki Cypress, Powder solution alleviates trouble swelling on contact to minimize damage.

The name of product may be confusing, as it's white not pink... It's also a cloudy liquid which splits into two layers just like the Pink Powder Spot, however in that case we have to shake the product before use. It is kind of a day version of Pink Spot Powder, as it not so visible on the skin:

However as it dries up it can leave white residue on a skin, which is annoying and hard to cover with make up.

The sample contains 5ml of Water, full size product is 45ml and it is availabe on it's own.

Pros:
+ not so visible on the skin as Pink Powder Spot

Cons:
- doesn't work as well as the Pink Spot
- sometimes leaves white residue on skin, which is hard to cover with make up.


Summary

Unfortunatelly I haven't notice much of improvement on my skin while using these products. I am a bit dissapointed, as usually my skin responds well to Salicylic Acid. Actually the only product from the Trial Kit which clearly worked was Pink Powder Spot, but I am not going for the full size version anyway. As it comes to efficiency, the only products that lasted four weeks were foam and lotion.

Mizon Multi Function Formula Snail Recovery Gel Cream

It's time to review "the classic" - a skincare product, that probably everyone interested in Korean cosmetics has tested. It was my first Korean skincare product and it's influence on my skin trigged my interest in Korean cosmetics.

The phenomenon of Mizon's gel is snail secretion filtrate (74%), which has shooting and regenerating properties and can help skin heal. It also contains hialuronic acid, well known for it's moisturising properties and adenosine, which helps to keep skin elasticity. This gel-cream is recommended for people with various skin concerns; irritation, pigmentation, acne. I realise that putting something coming from snail on your face may gross you, but trust me, there is nothing disgusting or snaily about gel's consistency or smell. And it contains snail secretion filtrate, which means that secretion is processed (so it's not like someone squeezes the snail straight into the tube xD).

Product is a pink squeezy tube with 45ml capacity. It comes in pink cardboard box, sealed with Mizon's "genuine product" sticker. Capacity may seem quite small, however a little goes a long way - the amount shown on picture is well enough for the whole face, so one tube easily lasts for two months of everyday use.
The product is much closer to gel, than cream. It's whitish and semi-transparent with gel-like, light texture. It absorbs into skin a bit longer than some creams, but quick enough to not be annoying. It absorbs completely, doesn't leave sticky film on skin.

I used up two tubes of this product and on the beginning I was absolutely delighted, BUT after some time and when I started to test other Korean products I felt that Mizon's gel is missing something. But first I will focus on it's good sides.

It moisturises quite well, however we may feel some lack of moisture - putting two layers of the product helps and doesn't feel too heavy, which is good. The biggest pro of this gel is that it covers any dry patches very well. Currently I am using the second tube of the product and it's hard to tell if it helped with my acne, as I just started antibiotics treatment, but in general my skin condition improved very much and I think it's partly thanks to Mizon. After-spot redness is disappearing quicker and I'm sure it's thanks to this gel, as I haven't been using any other anti-acne, anti-scar or brightening products (now I just started Skin Food Tomato Whitening Serum). I certainly can recommend this product to anyone with acne-prone skin, oily, combination or normal complexion.

Now as it comes to cons of the product. Mizon's gel is supposed to be used with the whole line of products as the last step of skincare. It means, that other products from the line (the ones that we would put before the gel) are supposed to absorb and moisturise the skin, when the gel is supposed to stay on the top and protect the skin. The gel doesn't leave the feeling of film on the skin, however after some time of using it I started to feel that may skin is smooth and good looking on the outside, but underneath still feels a bit dehydrated. So for long term Mizon's gel is not good to be used as the only moisturising product, we need something else to support it. The gel contains silicon, so it's best to use it as a last step of skin care (the way it's supposed to be used). For people sensitive to silicon the good news is that silicone in Mizon's gel is Cyclopentasiloxane, kind of light silicone that evaporates from the skin.
Another downside, that causes my main issue with the product is that it leaves skin really shiny. So even if I decide to have make up free day I cannot bear leaving the house without at least a little dab of mattifying powder on my nose. The gel doesn't make me more oily, just more shiny...

Summing up: Mizon's gel is definitely worth trying, I think it's a great product to start the adventure with Korean cosmetics. It is also worth trying the rest of the line (reviews yet to come), like very popular All-in-one cream, which samples can be easily bought on e-Bay. But it's not perfect, so after using two tubes I am moving on to try some other snail gels :)

Price: from £4 on e-Bay.

The whole Mizon's Snail line.

Ingredients: Snail Secretion Filtrate, Butylene Glycol., Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Bis-ped-18 Methyl Etherl Dimetyl Silane, Polysorbate 10, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carbomer, Glycolsyl Trehalose, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolustate, Triethanolamine, Dimethicone/vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethulcellusole, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylexylglyceriunm Sodium Polycarylate, Centellia Sinensis leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Jucie, Tropolone, Copper Tripeptide-1, Allantoin, Panthenol, Olea Europea (Olive) fruit oil, Heliantus Annus Seed Oil, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Denosine, disodium Edta.