Sidmool Secret of Red Astaxanthin Concentrate Review

I always had problem with defining my skin undertone: warm or cool? Yellow or pink? When I look on my hands I would say I have yellow undertone, but then my face is obviously pink. Pink to the point when it started to annoy me. And I'm no talking about pink cheeks (I think everyone know as least one person who has always pink cheeks ;) ), but about the whole face being pink, like I'm constantly blushed.
In my flat the bathroom mirror is hung perpendicularly to the toilet. So whenever I go to the loo I'm used to see something pink in my peripheral vision - my pink, not necessarily beauty, face. But one morning when I went half awake to my bathroom I almost had a heart attack when I caught a glimpse of something white in the mirror. I came closer and could not believe my eyes - my face was pale and bright. What happened? Well, I'm using Sidmool Astaxanthin Concentrate from over a month.

Product description: Secret of deep ocean - astaxanthin, natural anti-oxidant for milky skin.
How to use: after the essence, apply an appropriate amount gently around the eyes or spread over face with gentle pat.

Astaxanthin is natural pigment of animals and plants, giving them red colour. It's in shells of prawns, crabs and lobsters, feathers of flamingos and in salmon's muscles. Astaxanthin has ability of absorbing UV rays and it's one of the strongest known antioxidants - it is estimated that astaxanthin can be up to six times more effective as an anti-oxidant than vitamin E and Beta-karoten! Astaxanthin also accelerates skin renewal process, strengthens the protective function of the epidermis, prevents water loss from skin, stimulates production of collagen and elastin. Applied topically can reduce melanin production by as much as 40%.
Sidmool's concentrate is made of Astaxanthin in 98,7% . Remaining 1,3% of the product is Butylene Glycol (solvent) and plant extracts: grapefruit extract (rich in vitamin C, brightening and purifying), eucalyptus and clove extracts (antibacterial), Sophora Angustifolia extract (inhibiting melanin production) and Yuzu fruit extract (skin brightening).
Looking just at the ingredients product seems to be perfect for skin battling with first signs of ageing, acne and pigmentation - perfect for me then!

INCI: Astaxanthin, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Cellulose Gum
Ingredients Analysis [HERE]

Product is in a plastic 30ml bottle with pump applicator. The bottle is packed in  characteristic for Sidmool brown cardboard box. The concentrate is runny, so to apply it I first have to pump some on my palm and then pat into skin. I use two or three pumps for my whole face - two if I want to top it up with some other products, three if I finish my skin care regimen with it.

The liquid is a bit oily, takes a while to absorb and leaves filmy feeling on skin. Maybe some dryer skins would find it suitable for day use, for my oily skin is a nighttime only product. It's perfect to use after high frequency treatment - after Darsonval my skin is a bit dried out and absorbs everything like crazy. After treatment  concentrate is absorbed so well that I can easily top it up with some other product, for example Baviphat Sleeping Pack.

My product is running low and the pump catches air - that's why the bubbles appear

After application my skin is moisturised, smooth and soft. I didn't have any breakout in a while (suspicious =.=), so I'm not sure how the product would work for severe acne sufferers. For me it does fantastic job of toning down my skin tone, which is now brighter and more even. I'm not pink like a piglet any more, finally my face doesn't stand out from my neck so much. I don't know what had caused this pinkness on my face at the first place, but whatever it was it has been defeated by Sidmool :)

Piglet no more!

Price: approx. £10 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ moisturises and smooths skin
+ evens out skin tone, brightens
+ very good ingredients with high astaxanthin content
+ considering the outstanding results very cheap

Cons:
- a bit oily
- takes a while to absorb

Summary: I am really pleased with this product, I'm about to finish off my bottle and I'm sure I'm going to buy it again. I think this product will stay on my "Certainty list" - products I rely on and always keep them handy in case some new product won't work out. I am pleasantly surprised how even my skin tone is now and I'm sure it's thanks to this particular product and the moment I am using up all my "old" skincare - Hada Labo Kiwamizu, Purebess Snail Gel, Baviphat Sleeping Pack - none of them has such a powerful whitening properties. The only thing that makes me wonder is why I noticed the change in my skin tone so suddenly - but it's probably because when I get up to work it's dark yet and when I'm coming back from work is dark already, at work I wear make up so for a long time I didn't have chance to have a look at myself in natural light.

Shiseido Anessa Whitening UV Protector A+ SPF50+ PA++++ Review

UV rays are not good for our skin, so we should use UV filters to protect ourselves. We know that, yet still many of us decides to ignore this knowledge and just rely on low SPF included in moisturisers or make up products. I was like that myself and for a very long time I was relaying on BB Cream's SPF only, but the ugly truth is that we simply don't put enough of BB/CC Cream on our skin to make the SPF work properly. I knew that, but I still resisted the idea of using separate sunscreen, as I got oily skin and I was afraid of putting an extra product on it. Especially that sunscreen brings to my mind greasy lotions that my mum used to slash over me on the beach when I was a kid... but some reviews on Asian skincare blogs proved me wrong. Thanks to one of the Polish skincare blogs, Green Tea Love I decided to cure myself from ignorance and buy my first UV-blocker. It was meant to be Hada Labo UV Whitening Emulsion, but before I managed to order it, the owner of My Asian Skincare Story blog started a little jumble sale - selling of products that she didn't like or had too many of. That's where I spotted Anessa UV protector. The blog owner described it as a suitable for oily skin and it includes my favourite skincare promise of whitening... so there was no other way, I had to have it!

Product description: Sunscreen 2in1 milk that protects skin from signs of ageing and dark spots and acts as make up base. It contains Shisheido-developed M-Tranexamic Acid which suppresses melanin production and prevents freckles and dark spots. Milky formula leaves skin soft and smooth, ready for make up application. Resistant to sweat and sebum, removable with face wash.

The main UV blockers in this product are chemical:  Bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, also known as Tinosorb S and Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, also known as Octinoxate or Octyl methoxycinnamate. At the very end of ingredients list we will also find physical blocker: Zinc Oxide.

Product also contains moisturising hyaluronic acid, anti-inflammatory and cleansing thyme extract and turmeric root extract, which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and skin brightening properties.

Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Alcohol, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Hydrated Silica, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glycerin, PPG-17, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Isostearic Acid, Dimethylacrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Crosspolymer, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Succinoglycan, Citric Acid, Aminopropyl Dimethicone, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Silica, Ethyl Ascrobic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Dipotassium Glycerrhizate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Extract, Soluble Collagen, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Fragrance, Zinc Oxide Ingredients Analysis [HERE]

Product is in a plastic 60ml bottle. The bottle is sleek white opalescent pink - my favourite colour combination ^^ The milk has a pleasant scent, overall product leaves very good first impression of simplicity and neatness.

The milk has lightweight texture. After application I can still feel in on my face for a while, it needs a moment to absorb into skin. Once it gets absorbed my skin feels great - slightly moisturised, smooth and not shiny (I heard a lot of complaints about different sunscreens that they leave skin shiny). Anessa is giving almost matte finish to the skin - it's not a full matt, but slightly satin-like, very natural looking. It doesn't leave white cast on skin.

Now the best part - Annesa offers quite decent sebum control. As I said above, I was afraid to use UV blockers, because I thought they would increase my skin skin oiliness - however this product was a very pleasant surprise. The sebum control is not mind blowing, but enough to make me feel difference and because I didn't expect any sebum control it really impressed me.
Now for the doubling up as a make up base - well, it won't cover enlarged pores, but thanks to the sebum control, make up is able to look well on my skin for longer. However you must be careful with product choice, as not every BB Cream goes well with the sunscreen - for example Holika Holika Petit Clearing BB is oxidising terribly applied on top of anything. Fortunately ma favourite Tony Moly Petite Cotton BB creates a nice duo with Anessa, Maybelline Satin Liquid Foundation also performs well. Unfortunately I cannot use one of my favourite BB's Lioele Dollish Veil Vita on top of the sunscreen. Because it contains pigment capsules, it requires rubbing skin during application to achieve the right colour. However bear in mind that if you apply anything on top of your filter you shouldn't rub, just gently pat, otherwise you may rub your protection off!

Price: Product is available on Rakuten from 24$ and Amazon from £35.

Pros:
+ lightweight texture
+ sebum control
+ doesn't leave white cast
+ gives satin, almost matte finish
+ noncomedogenic

Cons:
- a bit pricey
- unavailable on e-Bay

Summing up: I feel really lucky that I could start my adventure with sun blocks with such a good product. It definitely encouraged me to try other Asian sun blocks and if any new sunscreen fails me, I will have that one to come back too. Highly recommended product :)

If you plan to buy it, pay attention to bottle's appearance and product description - my version is the newest one, formula has changed in 2014. The older version has pink bottle and lover protection - SPF32 PA+++.

Anessa has couple of different sun blocks to choose from - if you search for "Anessa" on Amazon or Rakuten you may see both bottles and tubes. The main difference is that products in bottles have milky texture, while products in tubes are gels.

Waterproof milk for face and body

Waterproof gel for face and body

Tinted UV blocker available in two shades

Laneige Skin Veil Base EX No. 40 Light Purple Review

Hello and Happy New Year! I hope you had great Christmas and New Year :)

Product description: UV ray protecting makeup base giving sleek and soft skin looks with veil-covering effect.

This Base contains three UV filters: Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, which together give SPF22 PA++.

In the ingredients list we won't find any plant extracts, which disappointed me a little bit, but on the other hand it makes perfect sense. In Skin Food Black Egg Base we could find rice extract, in TCFS Rules of Pore Primer there were some plant extracts and hyaluronic acid, in Laneige's base - nothing. But as I said it makes sense, because at the end of the day base is base, not skincare product and plant extracts among all these silicons wouldn't do much for our skin anyway.

Full ingredients list: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Trisiloxane, Titanium Dioxide, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Glycerin, Lauryl Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Talc, Sodium Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Vinyl Dimethicone/methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Dimethicone/vinyldimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Aluminum Stearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Chromium Oxide Greens, Methylparaben, CI77492, Alumina, Fragrance, Disodium Edta, Propylparaben, Aluminum Hydroxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Ingredients analysis [HERE]

The full size product is a 30ml bottle with pump applicator, I bought set of 10 sample sachets, 1ml each. One sample is enough for approx. 3 applications.

This product is available in three colours: No. 20 Light Peach, No. 40 Light Puprle and No. 60 Light Green. The peach one is supposed to revive skin's appearance, the purple one is brightening and the green one tones down any redness. If I could I would try all three of them to compare, unfortunately there are only samples of the purple one available.

This base has a very characteristic consistency - it seems just like any cream, but it feels kind of dry. Because of that dryness it's not very efficient, the amount shown on the pic wouldn't be enough to cover whole face:

Even though it's "dry" and light, it sits on the skin creating perceptible film. Using smaller amount of product may help with reducing that film feeling, however I cannot use it in smaller quantities, because in small quantities it doesn't cover my enlarged pores. In more generous amount it still doesn't exactly cover my pores, but makes them appear smaller and more shallow.

Since this base is not very good at pore covering, what it is good at then?
It works really well if you want to even out and brighten your skin tone.

There is no base on my pinky's knuckle and outside edge of my hand - can you see the difference? Where hand is covered in base my skin appears whiter. This whitening effect may concern some, but believe me - under the make up there is no Twilight effect, skin is just evened out.

For some odd reason this product doesn't like my BB Creams. I think that the cause may lie in BB's nature - BB creams kind of sink in, merge into skin. Because this base doesn't sink into skin itself it also doesn't allow the BB cream to sink in and after approx. 6 hours make up starts to oxidise and look cakey. However the Skin Veil EX goes well with the foundations, as foundations don't have BB's habit of sinking into skin, they just sit on top of the skin just like this base. It makes a great duo with Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid foundation, giving effect of almost perfectly flawless skin. Unfortunately I cannot use foundations on a daily basis (they make my acne worse), so I also gave up using Skin Veil everyday - Skin Veil and Satin Liquid duo is now my set for going out only.

The product has pleasant, but hard to identify smell. It's neutral for sebum production.

Price: the full size product costs about £20 on e-Bay, Amazon, Tester Korea. I bought set if 10 samples for £3 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ SPF - usually the SPF in primers doesn't matter as we don't put enough of them on our face to make the filtres work, however because this base's consistency requires generous application, it makes me believe that SPF in this product actually works
+ evens out skin tone
+ in a duo with foundation it gives a nice effect of almost perfectly flawless skin
+ nice smell

Cons:
- even when you apply generously it doesn't exactly cover pores
- leaves perceptible film on skin
- doesn't go well with BB creams
- quite pricey

Summary: I'm not sure about this product - it's a decent base, but it didn't blow my mind. A lot depends on your skin needs - the main reason why I want to use primer, is to cover my enlarged pores better, so if you have the same problem give up on that one, cheaper Skin Food Black Egg Pore base did much more better job with my pores. But if you are looking for something that would smooth and even out your complexion - give this a try.

Laneige Skin Veil Foundation

I wonder what effects could I achieve using Skin Veil Base EX with foundation from the same line. Since it worked better with foundation than with BB cream maybe the key to get flawless looking skin is using this two together? Unfortunately it is extremely hard to get hold of foundation samples, but if I ever manage to get some I'll try them together :)

Secret Key Snail + EGF Repairing Gel Cream Review

Review of another Snail Product from Secret Key ^^ Enjoy!

Product description: Take control of your skin, keeping it lightweight, cool and refreshed! Low irritation skin therapy with added hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract.

Contains only natural preservatives: extract from Chinese pepper, pasque flower and usnea are good natural preservatives and have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.

Main ingredients:

• Snail secretion filtrate - protects skin from infection, reduces inflammation, effective in treating acne and scarring, anti-wrinkle
• Human Oilgo Peptide-1 (EGF) - known as a "beauty factor" - eliminating scars and speckles by improving the texture and condition of the skin, anti-wrinkle by rejuvenating skin by stimulating cell proliferation
• Witch hazel extract - a strong astringent & antioxidant, has antibacterial & anti-inflammatory properties, effective in acne treatments
• Aloe vera leaf extract - moisturiser and anti-irritant used for it's rejuvenating, healing and soothing properties
• Beta glucan - a natural compound, extracted from plants, that helps to maintain a youthful appearance for skin
• Lemon extract -  a natural source of Vitamin C and antioxidants, protects skin against sun damage and works anti-inflammatory

 Product is a 50ml plastic jar with extra security lid under the plastic screw cap. It comes in cardboard box.

Product is a clear gel with nice floral scent. For me it looks and smell a little bit like a hair styling gel :P The consistency is light, but not runny.

The product is really lightweight on the skin - on the beginning I had problem with finding the right amount to apply and I was using too much , but even generously applied it doesn't make skin feel oily. It's moisturising and refreshing, non sticky. I use it with Secret Key Prestige Snail + EGF Ampoule & Cream (cream at PM and gel for AM) - after two weeks of regular use I noticed a great improvement in my skin elasticity and moisture level. The gel is getting used up a bit quicker than Prestige Cream - I use the series for a month now and I already used up half of my gel and only 1/3 of the cream.
What I like most about this product and what makes me like it much more than Mizon's Snail Gel Cream is that it doesn't leave skin shining. Mizon's gel was well moisturising and took good care of my skin, but after application my skin was madly shining which was soooo annoying. Secret Key's gel absorbs to almost-matte finish:

The other thing that makes Secret Key's snail gel beat Mizon's snail gel is the fact that latter contains silicone (a lightweight one, but still). Secret Key's snail gel has quite impressive no-nonsense ingredient list and contains a few ingredients good for skin. The downside is that in Secret Key's product snail secretion filtrate is not on the first place in the ingredients list and we don't really know how much of a snail there is in a snail product, when Mizon tell us on the label that their gel is made in 74% of snail secretion filtrate.

Price: from £6 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ lightweight
+ well moisturising
+ doesn't leave skin shiny
+ nice smell
+ cheap

Cons:
- the manufacturer doesn't say how much of the snail secretion filtrate actually is in the product

Summing up - I really like this product and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for lightweight moisturising and improvement in skin elasticity :) All the Secret Key's Snail Products are working really well for my skin and I am planing to continue using this series to see what it can do in a long term. Snail secretion filtrate is supposed to be good in scar healing as well, so I hope it will help me beat my acne scars, but it's a ling term process so I just have to continue use and see how it goes.

Ingredients: Water, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata Extract, Human Oligopeptide-1, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Babadensis Leaf Juice, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Beta-Glucan, Nonoxynol-12, Disodium EDTA, Arginine, 1,2 -Hexanediol, Fragrance
Ingredients analysis [HERE]

Double Review: Secret Key Snail+EGF Prestige Ampoule & Prestige Repairing Cream

I was looking for some Snail products to help my skin heal my acne scars. While I was browsing my favourite e-Bay seller's shop I came across the Secret Key - it was affordable and I couldn't find any reviews about the cream, so I just decided to try it and make one myself ;)

 Snail+EGF Prestige Ampoule

Product description: Snail muscus filtrate acquired from nature keeps hydration and protects skin from outer harmful substances.
5 free system: no mineral oil, no benzophenone, no coloring, no animal oil, no animal test
 
Major ingredients:

• Arbutin - skin lightening
• Human Oilgo Peptide-1 (EGF) - known as a "beauty factor" - eliminating scars and speckles by improving the texture and condition of the skin, anti-wrinkle by rejuvenating skin by stimulating cell proliferation
• Adenosine - helps prevent wrinkles, reduces UVB sun damage, increases the production of elastin and collagen reducing skin sagginess and improving tone
• Snail Muscus Filtrate -  protects skin from infection, reduces inflammation, effective in treating acne and scarring, anti-wrinkle
• Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract - optimizes and reinforces collagen synthesis, rich in potassium and therefore regulates the intercellular pressure and retain the water content in the skin
• Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Leaf Extract - a powerful antioxidant 

The ampolue comes in a 30ml glass bottle with glass pipette applicator, packed in golden cardboard box. The packaging is quite simple yet elegant, making it look like a high end product.

The ampoule itself is a clear, runny liquid with nice, but very subtle smell, I literally have to stick my nose into the bottle to smell it. It's only a little bit sticky when we try it between two fingers and doesn't feel sticky on the face at all. It is very lightweight and well moisturising, absorbs into skin very quickly. I have an oily skin and this works well both as an only moisturiser and underneath some cream. I use it all over my face, including eye area and I noticed a big improvement in my skin, especially under my eyes. I have problem with bags under my eyes since like always, tear through is very visible. After approx. 3 weeks of using this under my eyes I noticed great improvement in my skin elasticity, skin is firmer, appearance of the tear through improved. Of course my bags didn't completely go away, but there is an improvement :)

Price: from £9 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ lightweight
+ well moisturising
+ helps improve skin elasticity

Cons:
- the manufacturer doesn't say anywhere about how much snail muscus is actually in the product
- very opaque bottle, so we can't see how much of the product we got left

Snail + EGF Prestige Repairing Cream

Product description: Snail muscus filtrate acquired from nature keeps hydration and protects skin from outer harmful substances. Snail beauty ingredient penetrating through dermis, activating cell proliferation, reproducing damaged skin.
5 free system: no mineral oil, no benzophenone, no coloring, no animal oil, no animal test.

Key ingredients:

• Snail Secretion Filtrate - protects skin from infection, reduces inflammation, effective in treating acne and scarring, anti-wrinkle
• Human Oilgo Peptide-1 (EGF) - known as a "beauty factor" - eliminating scars and speckles by improving the texture and condition of the skin, anti-wrinkle by rejuvenating skin by stimulating cell proliferation
• Arbutin - skin lightening
• Adenosine - helps prevent wrinkles, reduces UVB sun damage, increases the production of elastin and collagen reducing skin sagginess and improving tone
• Macadamia Seed Oil - contains Palmitoleic acid that is vital for delaying skin and cell aging, Oleic acid that has regeneration and moisturizing properties, Linoleic acid that helps to prevent skin water loss and Plant phytosterols that are calming and healing
• Birch sap - traditional herbal medicine that is antiseptic, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory
• Shea butter - helps with dry skin, eczema, skin problems; deep moisturizing, skin regeneration, skin healing properties.

Full ingredients: Purified water, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Macadamia Seed Oil, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Arbutin, Microcrystalline wax, Beeswax, Birch sap, Sodium Hyaluronate, Shea Butter, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, C14-22 Alcohol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Polysorbate 60, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Human Oligopeptide-1, Adenosine, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Anisate, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance
Ingredients analysis [HERE]

  
 The cream comes in glass 50ml jar, packed in golden cardboard box. Packaging altogether is simple yet elegant, making it look like a high end product. I really like the lid of the jar, that is smooth and glossy on the top and rough and matte on the side, easy to grab and open. I know that a lot of people consider jar packaging as a unsanitary, but I like jars the most - I can always use up the whole product without the struggle. Just make sure you apply the cream with clean hands and you will be fine.

The cream has rich consistency and lovely smell, same like ampoule but much stronger - we can smell it immediately after opening the jar. Smell is hard to describe, it's a combination of floral and herbal notes, a little bit medicinal, but my nose likes it ;)
The cream is super moisturising, rich, but not oily. I have an oily skin and rather use it at nightime, but I used it couple of times in the morning and it was fine, I just had to be careful with amount used. I think people with normal/dry skin could easily use it both AM & PM.
As for the performance - this cream is my cosmetical discovery of the year. The first effects I noticed were after a week of PM use, on my neck & neckline. I have sensitive skin and skin allergy that makes my whole upper body dry and itchy. I am taking antihistamine, that helped a lot, but my neck and neckline were still very dry, after every shower I was literally runing from the bathroom to the bedroom to apply some moisturiser on my itchy skin. After week of using this Repairing Cream my skin calmed down, became well moisturised and smooth again. I honestly can not belive how good my skin is - now I can even ocasionally skip my neck moisturising in the evening and it will be still good in the morning. Miracle! I also notice improvement on my face, skin is smooth and well moisturised, no breakouts at all. My acne scars are still there, but I realize that I will take a long time for them to fade - that's just the nature of the acne scars.

Price: from £8 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ well moisturising
+ rich, but not greasy and not sticky
+ skin is so nice and smooth after it
+ lovely smell
+ a little goes a long way

Cons:
- for AM us on an oily skin I would recommend very little amount or just use some lighter product
- the manufacturer doesn't say how much of the snail secretion filtrate actually is in the product (in opposite to for example Mizon, where we can find percentage on the label)

Summing up: I really liked both of the products. I also use Secret Key Snail + EFG Cleansing Foam (review yet to come) and Secret Key Snail Repairing Gel, so I use ampoule + gel in the morning and foam + ampoule + cream in the evening. After couple of uses I noticed improvement in my skin moisture level, after couple of weeks elasticity of my skin improved. They are definitely good value for money - after I used them up I am planning to buy them again at least once, to see what they can do during long time use. I would strongly recommend them to anyone :)

BRTC Whitening & Repairing BB Cream

Review of my second BRTC product - enjoy! :)

Product description: Multi-benefit cover cream with whitening and wrinkle prevention functions cover naturally and evenly. SPF37 PA++.

The full size product is a 35g tube, I purchased three sample sachets. For easier application I decanted it into small jar:

This BB Cream is pretty similar to the Jasmine Water one. It's has creamy, thick consistency, that applies smoothly to skin. It offers medium coverage and is easy to build up if you need more coverage. However it can be a little bit heavy, so if you have combination or oily skin you have to be careful with amount used. This BB is very efficient - three samples lasted for three weeks of every day use.
Similarly like Jasmine Water, it's is quite shiny and using some mattifying powder was necessary for me. It's also not very good with enlarged pores - it doesn't cover them, actually I think it make them more visible.

The colour is pretty similar to other BRTC BB Creams.

As for it's whitening properties - it looks bright on skin, but it's a make up effect - for the three weeks of use it didn't make my skin tone brighter, but to be perfectly honest I didn't expect it to do so - at the end of the day it's a make up product, not whitening skin care cream.

I can't find the whole list of ingredients, however I can see it contains Titanium dioxide and Zinc Oxide, that are SPF filters that whiten up skin. It also contains arbutin that may help improve skin tone. For it's anti-ageing properties it contains hydrolized collagen and adenosine.

Price: the full size products costs from £10 on e-Bay, I payed £3 for set of three sample sachets.

Pros:
+ a little goes a long way
+ nice bright colour
+ high SPF filter
+ good coverage

Cons:
- very shiny
- makes pores more visible
- may be a little bit heavy

In general it's not a bad BB Cream, however I am not tempted to go for full size version. I would prefer something lighter and less shiny. But if you don't have problem with enlarged pores and excess sebum you may like it!

Balance Active Formula Vitamin C Elixir Serum

Hello!
Today for a change I got a review of European product - my first Vitamin C serum.
Vitamin C is a popular ingredient in skin care products as it has many positive properties:
- brightens and evens out skin tone
- as effective antioxidant fights free radicals and supports UV protection
- works anti-inflammatory and can speed up healing process
- stimulates production of collagen is skin, making it smoother and firmer.
So if you have acne and scars or spots and would like to take care of them without resigning from anti-ageing products, Vitamin C is what you should look for in cosmetics!

Product description: Brighten up your day, starting with your skin! Balance Active Forumla Vitamin C Elixir is a concentrated and fast absorbing Pro-Radiance "Serum-Powder Mix" that contains active levels of Illumiscin* and Stay-C 50**.
How to use: Before the first use, pour the content of the vial in the Serum bottle, reclose the bottle and shake well in order to dissolve the Vitamin C powder in the liquid. Apply the Serum-Powder mix by gently smoothing it over face and neck. Use within 1 month from mixing and shake well before each application.

*Illumiscin® - patented complex of stabilised Vitamin C, Zinc PCA and Oleuropein, the most powerful plant active from the olive tree. Illumiscin has been proven to reduce the appearance and size of age spots, for brighter and more even skin tone.

**Stay-C 50® - is form of stabilised Vitamin C.

In the packaging we will find 20ml of serum in plastic bottle with pipette applicator (also plastic) and plastic vial with 1.8g of powder. Both bottle and pipette feel rather cheap, but well, we don't buy the product for bottle, do we? :D
Powder and serum are mixing up easily into smooth, runny, opaque liquid. Mixture has a little bit chemical lemon scent, like washing up liquid :P I am using the whole pipette content for my face, it takes a moment to absorb, but it's a good chance for some face massage :) In theory this serum is supposed to be followed by some cream, however for me it feel moisturising enough, so I just use it on top of Hada Labo lotion and follow by BB cream only. For more dry skin you may want to top it up with some moisturiser, for my oily skin this serum is enough, sometimes even too much for the am use.

Because the mixture has only one month life (in theory), I can't remember last time I was using any product so religiously, without any breaks to try something different. I use the product in the morning and in the evening every day, the month time is about to pass next week and the serum is almost done, so the capacity of product is well measured to it's short life.
I must say that I'm quite happy with how the products works on my skin. Used with whitening Hada Labo lotion helped me to brighten up my acne scars, took away redness of the troubled areas of my face. My skin is in good condition, maybe not especially radiant, but for sure not dull and brighter.

Price: I bought the product in TK-Max for £4.99, and the label says the RRP is
£10.99, however on Amazon it's £4.99 as well and on e-Bay we can find it in range of prices from £5 to £12.

Pros:
+ it does brighten and even out skin tone
+ easy to apply - cool pipette applicator
+ cheap, considering the result

Cons:
- only one month product life
- cheap feeling of the bottle
- chemical smell

Summing up, I'm quite glad I came across this product. It worked out quite well for me, probably if I would use it longer it would give even better result, however I have some other products waiting for their turn, so I don't plan to repurchase so far. But I definitely would be looking for some Vitamin C products in the future, perhaps famous It's Skin Effector.

Serum Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Tocopheryl Acetate. Carbomer, Ascrobyl Glucoside, Olea Europea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Zinc PCA, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Parfum.
Powder Ingredients: Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate.
Ingredients Analysis [HERE]

Rohto Hada Labo Arbutin Whitening Shirojyun Lotion

Hello ^^
Today I would like to review for you my first Japanese product: Hada Labo lotion. Hada Labo products have great opinion across many reviewers and are well know to everyone interested in Asian skin care products.
Hada Labo products are available on-line on e-Bay and Amazon, however be careful as many of them are offered by sellers from Thailand. As I said in my What you should be careful about when buying on e-Bay post, I always make sure I buy cosmetics from country of origin. With that particular product I've been lucky, as one of my colleagues was on holidays in Japan and kindly agreed to buy Hada Labo for me :) He said that Hada Labo lotions are so popular that they can be bought basically everywhere, not only in drugstores, but in places like railway stations as well! 

Product description: Fulfil your dreams of a white, perfect skin with Hada Labo Arbutin Whitening range that contains Arbutin to help fight dark spots and brighten up skin tone. Also contains Vitamin C to enhance skin fairness and reawaken dull skin caused by exposure to UV rays.

Hyaluronic Acid is a powerful anti aging ingredient in skin care. It is naturally occurring in the skin, but as we get older it's level decrease causing our skin to age and sag. It has ability to absorb water up to 1000 times its weight, what makes it one of the best moisturising substances known. Arbutin brightens up skin tone and Vitamin C

protects skin cells and skin's support structure from UV-related damage, improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin, reduce inflammation and promote collagen production. 

How to use: Use twice a day after cleansing face. Apply on palms and gently pat onto skin until thoroughly absorbed.



The lotion comes in 170ml plastic bottle. It doesn't have any other external packaging, the top of bottle is thermally wrapped in plastic.

The lotion has very watery consistency, whitish colour & subtle, hard to describe scent. I must admit that I find application a bit problematic, I'm very clumsy and always spill a little :P But even though I waste some of it one the floor, the product is very efficient. I use if from over a month and used up only 1/4 of the bottle.

Tapping lotion in the skin brings an immediate relief to skin dried out after cleansing. Depending on how much you use the application may take longer - on the beginning I was using too much and had to pat my face for a while. The amount shown on the picture is just about right for me - moisturises well whole face, I have to pat for a moment, but not too long. Straight after application skin is a bit sticky (both face & hands), but this feeling fades away after a moment or as soon as we top it up with another product.
What I really like about this lotion is the weightless feeling of ultimate moisture. Before I started using light moisturising essences like that (I was using Missha First Treatment Essence before Hada Labo) I often had problem with dehydrated skin - in the middle of the day under the sebum (I have oily skin) I would feel that my skin is tense, dehydrated. With Hada Labo I don't have this problem any more.
As for it's whitening properties - I definitely can see improvement in my skin, my acne scars faded. It's not a dramatic change and it takes a while to notice it - if I would use other products from line it would probably be more significant.

Price: from £13 on e-Bay (incl. postage), my friend payed for it in Japan approx. £8.

Pros:
+  moisturise skin
+ weightless
+ it does brightens a little
+ a little goes a long way

Cons:
- easy to spill during application
- a bit sticky after application

In general I'm really pleased with this product. Even if it wouldn't brighten my skin I would still be happy with it, thanks to it's moisturising properties. I am tempted to try other Hada Labo products :)

Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Arbutin, Sorbitol, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ester, Methylparaben, Disodium Succinate, Styrene/VP Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Succinic Acid, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Hada Labo Lotion is available in three versions: original Hyaluronic Acid one (white), whitening one with arbutin (blue one, my choice) and anti-ageing one with Retinol (red). In general all of them contains Hyaluronic Acid, so all of them are good for giving your skin extra moisture :)