Shiseido Majolica Majorca Skin Lingerie Pore Cover

Review of a make up base which I received from Japanstore.

Product description: A makeup base that thoroughly covers pores for porcelain doll skin.

This make up base contains moisturising glycerin, skin smoothing silicones, silica to absorb sebum and combination of mica and tin oxide to lighten up the skin. The product also contain SPF - Octinoxate and Titanium Dioxide. You can find full loiste of the ingredients [HERE] and the ingredients analysis [HERE].

 The product is packed in soft, squezzy tube with capacity of 25g, so it's small and handy. It's unscented. After unpacking the product the first thing I liked about it was the pigment - I like coloured make up bases, they make my acne prone skin look much better. This one has a yellowish-beige colour, which helps to even out the skin tone and reduces redness. You can actually use this product on it's own to even out your skin - after application the skin looks bare, but smoother.

From the product's name and the description on the official website we can conclude, that the main role of this product is pore coverage and I must admit, that it's fulfilling this role very well. It creates the effect of perfect, smooth skin, it covers both enlarged pores and ice-pick type of scars. It creates fantastic duo with Lioele Dollish Veil Vita BB cream. The product is suitable for oily skin, even though the tin oxide is supposed to lighten up, I find it to be actually slightly mattifying. It does not control sebum production, but also doesn't make skin more oily.  As for the SPF ingredients - there are at the very end of the ingredients list and we also don't apply the base in amounts large enough to offer any real UV protection. To cover whole face I need to use about twice the amount of the picture, so sadly the small tube won't be very long lasting.

Skin Lingerie has one significant downside - it doesn't help out the make up as a whole. A lot of BB creams after some time seems to just disappear from the face and I usually make up base slows this down. In this case, Skin Lingerie maybe makes the BB cream to stay on a little bit longer, but at the same time it causes make up to be more cakey. During the first couple of hours the make up looks nice and smooth, then even the BB cream that itself was very good in staying put, suddenly starts to roll up in wrinkles. It created a very bad duo with my recent favourite, Innisfree Long Wear Cushion.

Price: around £12 on e-Bay, $18 in Japanstore.

Pros:
+ covers up the pores nicely
+ thanks to the pigment evens out the skin tone
+ mattyfies
+ no perfume, no parabens

Cons:
- doesn't help make up to last longer
- rolls up in wrinkles
- considering small capacity - a bit expensive

Summary
It's my first Japanese make up product, so I'm glad I had opportunity to try it out. It's a decent product, on a skin without wrinkles in which it could roll, it would be very good. It's definitely worth recommending  for people struggling with enlarged pores, as it really covers them up nicely. I will use up this tube till the end with pleasure, however I won't be re-purchasing - the search of perfect make up base continues :)

Long lasting makeup for oily skin - Innisfree Long Wear Cushion

Recently I've tried my first BB cushion, Laneige Pore Control and even though the BB itself didn't work for me, I enjoyed the experience of using cushion. Handy compact and easy application - I was eager to try another product of this type. This time I reached for Innisfree, mostly because of the "long wear" name.

Product description: A long-wear cushion formulated to keep the skin smooth and bright for a long time. This foundation reduces the appearance of pores, discolourations, and imperfections and ensures a perfectly flawless complexion every time. SPF 50+ PA+++.

The foundation contains:

• Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) - offers multiple benefits for ageing skin- can improve skin's elasticity, enhance skin's barrier function, help erase discolourations, and revive skin's healthy tone and texture.
• Citrus Unshiu (Satsuma Mandarin) Peel Extract - rich in carotenoids, coumarins, limonoids  and flavonoids, has anti-oxidant properties. Promotes proliferation of fibroblast cells ("colagen factories"), thus enhances skin's elasticity. Prevents dark spots and skin darkening by inhibiting the activity of tyrosinase (enzyme responsible for hyperpigmentation).
• Orchid Extract - has anti-oxidant, skin regenerating and brightening properties. Contains minerals such as calcium, copper and iron, that help to keep skin nourished.
• Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract - it's a powerful antioxidant, protecting skin cells from the damage caused by free radicals. It is also known to reduce skin swelling and help soothe and condition sensitive skin. 
• Camellia Japonica (the Japanese camellia, known as Tsubaki in Japanese) Leaf Extract - Camellia has been known for it's conditioning and anti-ageing properties since ancient times, mostly used as an oil extracted from flowers. Camellia is rich in fatty acids (Palmitic and Omega-6) and anti-oxidants. Thanks to Omega-9 has great penetration power, permeating deep into the skin and enhancing cell growth to give skin support and flexibility. Camellia is very effective in retention and enhancement of skin moisture.
• Opuntia Coccinellifera (Prickly Pear Cactus) fruit extract - rich in vitamins (A, B, C) and antioxidants, has skin soothing and firming properties.
• Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Extract - has antibacterial and sebum controlling properties. Promotes healing process and skin regeneration, also regulates melanin production. Great in treating acne and/or scarring.
• Adenosine - helps prevent wrinkles, reduces UVB sun damage, increases the production of elastin and collagen reducing skin sagginess and improving tone.
• Rice powder and corn starch - absorbing excess of sebum from skin.
• Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit or Flower Extract - A fragrant floral extract excellent for use on sensitive, irritated skin. 
• Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract - contains vitamins A, C and E, antioxidants and  essential phytonutrients - lycopene, beta-carotene and bioflavonoids. Has antifungal and antibacterial properties. Promotes skin regeneration, however should be used with caution on sensitive skin. 
• Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Extract - has ability to improve circulation, which leads to more healthy and vibrant skin. Has sebum-controlling and moisturising properties. 
• Volcanic Ash - rich in Sulphur, which has antibacterial properties. Sulphur is one of the main proteins needed for the structural integrity of the skin, supports synthesis of Collagen. Thanks to it's ability to protect against toxins Sulphur slows down ageing process. Volcanic ash contains minerals and has powerful purifying properties - being able to absorb up to 10 times it's own weight, it will soak up impurities, toxins and excessive sebum from skin. 
• UV filters: Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide (physical) and Octinoxate (chemical).

Ingredients: Water, Zinc Oxide (CI 77947), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Trisiloxane, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Hdi/trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Niacinamide, Lauryl PEG-8 Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Glycerin, Orchid Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disodium Edta, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Lecithin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Mannitol, Mineral Salts, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Extract, Boron Nitride, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Stearic Acid, Silica, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Powder, Adenosine, Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate/Dimethicone Methacrylate Copolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Isostearic Acid, Isopropyl Palmitate, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Extract, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Propanediol, Volcanic Ash, Iron Oxides (ci 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Fragrance 

Ingredients analysis [HERE]

Innisfree cushion is simply designed, ivory compact with single refill already placed inside and ready to use. The refill contains 15g of foundation. Many cushions comes with additional refill, but not this one. The foundation is available in three colours: #13 Light Beige, #21 Natural Beige and #23 True Beige. I've got shade #13, which turned out to be very similar to my Laneige cushion:

The colour is the only similarity - Laneige's foundation is a bit thicker than Innsifree and against the manufacturer promises it's definitely NOT suitable for oily skin. Innisfree, on the other hand, turned out to be great for oily skin.

First of all, this is my first Asian foundation that promises to be matte and really IS matte. Whatever the weather, I don't need mattifying powder any more. It's not 100%, dull matte, it looks natural, but it's matte enough to look good even on the tip of my oily nose. Secondly - the lasting power. As the manufacturer description promises, this foundation really stays put for a long time. It doesn't oxidise, doesn't get patchy, doesn't change colour. It does disappear during the day a little bit, but just a little bit. After 12 hours it's still there (when blotted every couple of hours). The best part is that it's performing well with any type of background - both with primer or sunblock or on bare skin. It covers pores and evens out skin tone, tones down any redness.

Does it have any cons then? So far the only major con is efficiency. I use for about a month now, almost every day and while £5 tube of BB cream can last for good couple of months, in this case I already have to "look" for my foundation at the edges of refill, as the middle seems to be already drained out. Another con is lack of sebum control, even though product is clearly aimed for oily skin. It's actually pretty neutral towards sebum, it doesn't control it, but also doesn't increase oil production. Another con is lack of additional refill - you need to buy refill separately, what makes this cheap cushion a bit more expensive. For comparison, Laneige Pore Control costed £23 for compact with refill + another refill, so about £10 per refill, while Innisfree costs approx. £14 for compact with refill and extra refill costs approx. £10. Se even though we think that we are buying cheaper product, we don't really, Innisfree value is similar to Laneige. The significant difference is that Laneige is just prettier, more elegant. Innisfree's compact looks just cheaper than Laneige, even though it's not really...
On the other hand some may find lack of extra refill as a advantage, if you wouldn't like the foundation you wouldn't have to worry what to do with another refill.

Speaking of refills, I had to tell you that Innisfree startled me a little bit. From what I saw on "cushion blog" My Asian Skincare Story, most of the cushions has opening in compact bottom, through which we just push out the refill. That solution is used in my Laneige cushion, so I was expecting something similar from Innsifree, but surprise! The bottom of Innisfree pact is solid:

For a moment I thought that you simply cannot change the refill and you have to buy the whole thing over and over again. But no, I saw the refills on e-Bay. So maybe I got some tester version or something? Turns out that you have to lever the refill underneath the hinge of protective cover. It's a bit stubborn on the first time, but then it gets easier. Don't use your nails though, as you need to put a bit of force into it and I'm sure the nail would just brake. I used a screwdriver :P

Price:  approx. £14 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ finally foundation that promises to be matte and really is matte
+ long lasting wear, stays put even for 12 hours
+ nice colour
+ good, buildable coverage
+ high SPF

Cons:
- the amount of foundation doesn't last for long, which makes it a bit expensive
- no extra refill included
- no sebum control (but it also doesn't increase sebum production)

Summary
At the moment it's my favourite foundation. Even though it runs out rather quickly, I still recommend it as worth trying, especially if you are looking for something matte.

What if you prefer dewy over the matte?
Innisfree created two cushions at the same time, which are opposite to each other. The opponent of matte and sebum-resistant Long Wear is Water Glow Cushion, which moisturises skin and leaves dewy effect.

 

Which one you would go for?

My first ever cushion! Laneige Pore Control BB Cushion Review

Some time ago the BB Creams market was hit by new type of product - BB cushion, a little sponge soaked in BB cream with specially designed applicator, hidden in handy compact. On the beginning I wasn't much interested in the idea, as I prefer to simply apply my make up with my fingers, also cushions are more expensive than the casual BB creams. Then I came across My Asian Skincare Story blog, also unofficially known as a "cushion blog" - thanks to reviews posted on this blog I finally decided to buy my first cushion.
I couldn't make my mind for a long time - there is so many cushions to choose from. My natural impulse would be to start off with something cheap, just to see if the whole "on the go" conception of the compact will suit me, but MASS blog was tempting me with middle range and higher end products. I was torn between three cushions: Iope Air Cushion - known as a "mother of BB cushions", so it just seems to be the right choice; VDL Beauty Metal Cushion - because MASS blog owner was recommending it as suitable for oily skin and Laneige Pore Control  - because if it there is "pore" in products name I automatically feel urge to have it ;) as you can see my "pore" obsession won and I bough Laneige cushion.

Product description: Matte version of Laneige BB cushion offering neat finish, without shine. Contains Pore Purifying Complex™, which purifies pores and helps to control secretion of sebum and Soft Focus Powder, which covers enlarged pores and uneven skin. Long-lasting make up without  turning dark or sticky feeling.

In the ingredients list we can find the Neem tree leaf extract, which has antibacterial properties, brightening arbutin and skin-normalising salicylic acid. The full list of ingredients you can find [here].

The cardboard box contains compact, leaflet and air tight packed additional refill for the compact. Single core of the cushion (refill) contains 15g of BB cream, so altogether we got 30g of foundation.
While unboxing my cushion I quickly understood what is that whole "cushion boom" about. The compact is just so damn pretty, so pretty I feel like buying another few and decor my house by just placing them here and there. Seriously, any room with this compact displayed gets +5 points to style.

In the compact I found the applicator sponge, all ready to use, settled on protective flap. Under the flap there is BB soaked-sponge, protected from drying out by special sticker.

The sponge seems very orange and rather dark, but the BB cream itself is very bright. There is four shades to choose from:  #13 True Beige, #14 Pink Beige, #21 Natural Beige, #23 Sand Beige. Usually I go for #21, but I've read that Laneige's cushions are quite dark, so I choose #13 in this case. It turned out that I made a good choice, it has nice light beige shade:

as you can see Laneige's #13 is darker than Missha's #13, but still brighter than Missha's #21. It also has different tone, not as grayish as Missha.

Now for the cushion itself. I must admit that I haven't read the description on the Laneige website before I bought the cushion, but I assumed that product offering pore control will be suitable for oily skin, since most oily skins have problems with enlarged pores. After checking the description for this review it turned out that my assumption was correct - product is designed for porous AND oily skin. But only in theory - in my opinion this product description is completely inaccurate.

First of all, this BB cream definitely isn't matte. Not even a little bit! It offers typical for BB creams dewy effect. I must say I'm not that surprised really, I already came across a few BB creams that were supposed to be matte, but they weren't. Normally I just apply a little bit of mattifying powder and life goes on, however with this product it's not that simple - Laneige doesn't like to be mattified. Any attempt to apply even a little bit of powder on top of Laneige ends up in an immediate cakey effect. In general this BB likes to roll up in wrinkles a little bit, but after any attempt of mattifying it my face seem to be consist of pores and wrinkles only. Yuck.

The other issue I got with this product is lasting or I should say a complete lack of lasting. It starts to cake after about 5 hours, after 8 hours what I got on my face is much closer to rice pudding or semolina than to a foundation. Moreover, it tends to slip off some places on my face and build up in others, creating spots and patches. The spots are not such a big deal, all you have to do is rub them with your finger to spread the foundation back again, but at work I don't have time to check myself in the mirror every 15 minutes, so I don't know for how long I've been looking like spotty cow in front of my customers and that annoys me to bit. First thing I thought that the fault of this foundation wearing so badly was my sunscreen - I already got one BB cream (Holika Holika) that is alright applied on bare skin, but turns into disaster applied on the top of the sunscreen, so the second time I skipped my sunscreen before the cushion. Unfortunately result was exactly the same. "What a dumb bitch I am" - I thought to myself, since I haven't done my microdermabrasion treatment for a long time, so my face was a dead skin cell cemetery, no wonder then that the foundation looks cakey. I've done my microdermabrasion and the next day applied my cushion with expectations raised. No luck again - although I do think it caked a little bit less, still my makeup was in unacceptable state after 8 hours. Oh well, I thought, maybe it's one of those BB's that can't be without primer. So on the day four, I applied it on the top of Innisfree No Sebum Primer (review coming soon) - cake, again! I blamed the Innsifree this time, in general this primer is a little bit weird, so I thought that it was the primer that spoiled my makeup this time. On the day 5 I used Laneige Skin Veil base, now this time it has to work... Nope. Cake and spots were laughing at me in the mirror. On the day 6 I finally admitted that I won't make friends with this cushion, no matter how hard I try.

In my opinion, against the manufacturer statements, this cushion is definitely not suitable for oily skin and I got a feeling that on other skin type it could perform better. It looks nice for some time after application, the colour is just lovely. The coverage is just about right, evens out the skin tone and cover some imperfections and blackheads, but looks natural. It's buildable if we need more coverage and lightweight, you won't feel it on your face. The application itself is quick and easy, although some areas are tricky to reach, like the "corner" between your nose and cheek. It has high SPF 50 PA+++, but bear in mind that you don't apply enough of it to achieve true SPF50 protection, so separate sunscreen is advisable.

Price: £23-28 on e-Bay, I bought if for approx. £23 on Tester Korea.

Pros:
+ nice shade
+ coverage is perfect, evens out skin tone, but doesn't create mask-like effect and looks natural
+ gorgeous, pretty, fabulous packaging
+ easy and quick application
+ high SPF50 PA+++
+ compact is suitable for other Amore Pacific cushion refills, like Iope or Hera

Cons:
- rolls up in winkles
- doesn't last for long, gets cakey and patchy
- no promised by manufacturer sebum control
- against manufacturer description it's not matte
- any attempt to mattify it with powder makes it look very cakey and ugly

Summary
There is quite a lot of positive reviews about this product in the Internet and I don't think it's utterly useless, I think it's just nor for me. I regret buying it, mostly because it's not cheap, actually is the most expensive BB I've bought so far. Yes, it is pretty and handy, but I don't fancy paying double or triple the price of normal BB just for the pretty packaging. For comparison, one of my favourite BB - Tony Moly Dear Me Petite Cotton costs only £5 and lasts on my face for the whole day. I don't like wastage, so I'm not gonna throw the cushion away, I will use up the current refill for some quick go outs, when I will be able to get back home before it gets all cakey and patchy. But I won't attempt trying to use the second refill, so I have send it to someone else. We shall see how dry skinned person finds it :)

Aritaum Bamboo Charcoal Peeling Gel Review

Aritaum is Korean brand mostly known for make up products. However in May this year they released skincare line Bamboo Charcoal. Products caught my eye and as soon as I started to run out of my Lemon D-Toc Peeling Gel I ordered Aritaum's one.

Product description: Aritaum Bamboo Charcoal Peeling Gel removes old, dead skin cells with bamboo, charcoal & cellulose. Keeps clear skin tone with excellent skin turn over effect. Controls dead skin cells and has moisturising ingredients.
How to use: 1. Wash and dry your face 2. Apply proper amount & spread it to your face all over evenly except the eye & lip area 3. Massage until peels of dead skin cells come out from your skin, then rinse it off with warm water. 4 . It's good to use this product once or twice a week but the number can be adjusted depending on your skin condition. 

Why bamboo and charcoal?

• Bamboo contains silica, that improves skin health by helping the body absorb essential minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Bamboo extract also offers anti-irritant properties, soothing the skin when applied directly through lotions or creams. It also contains anti-oxidants, helping to minimise wrinkles and naturally boost youthful radiance.
• Charcoal has natural detoxifying properties, it draws bacteria, poisons, chemicals, dirt and other micro-particles to the surface of skin. Charcoal powder can adsorb thousands of times its own mass in harmful substances! It's widely used in skin cleansing and purifying products, mostly face masks.

Unpacked bottle

Product comes in 150ml plastic bottle with pump applicator. I must admit that pump is one of the main reasons I've bought this particular peeling gel - so far I was using gels in tubes, when pump is so much more handy! The bottle was wrapped in foil and the pump was protected with blocking clip.

Serial number and date of manufacture

The gel it self is grayish cream, with visible cellulose bits. There are two types of peeling gels - smooth ones like Ginevra Marvel Gel and cellulose ones, like this one. I find that the second type is more popular, from 4 peeling gels I tested so far, 3 of them had visible cellulose bits in it.
Product has lovely, fresh and floral scent.

As you can see on the pictures, after massaging into dry skin cellulose connect with impurities and dead skin cells and rubs of the skin. After washing it off with lukewarm water, skin is smoother and appears brighter. This peeling gel is effective, yet very gentle - I use it every day and it works well for me. Because of my acne I'm not allowed classic scrubs, as they irritate my skin quite badly. Once I had an every day face wash with scrubbing particles and after two weeks I had to stop using it. The cellulose is much more gentle, suitable for use even on sensitive skin.
The downside of it's mildness it that it may not be enough if you have very rough and dry skin. If you need a lot of exfoliation you may try using this every day and support it with scrub once or twice a week.

Now, the problem with cellulose containing peels is that there is always a doubt if they actually cleanse skin on just roll on their own. To check it I always perform my "plate test":

1. I apply peeling gel on clean plate

2. I rub the gel for a minute or so in a clean glove, so it doesn't react with skin on my fingers

3. I check the results:

As you can see the gel didn't roll either on the plate or on the glove, what makes me think that it does really react with impurities in the skin.

Price: around £8 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ handy pump applicator
+ a little goes a long way - I use it every day from two months and I hardly used 1/3 of the bottle
+ mild, even used every day doesn't irritate my skin
+ skins is brighter after use, pores appear smaller
+ nice scent

Cons:
- opaque bottle, we need to take the pump out to figure out how much we got left in it
- if you are looking for heavy duty exfoliation this may be to gentle, even used everyday


 Summary: I really enjoy using this product I would strongly recommend it :) however I'm not sure if I would buy it again, because I like testing new stuff so much ;)

The whole Aritaum Bamboo Charcoal line contains:

From left: mud pack, peeling gel, bubble gommage and cleansing foam. I think that gommage is especially worth attention, as a type of peeling gel suitable even for very sensitive skin with visible capillaries, as it doesn't contain any type of grains (even cellulose), but enzymes that renew skin.

Too Cool For School Rules of Pore Get Ready Dual Primer

Product description: Silicon neatly covers pore and unevenness. Moisture reinforcing complex keeps skin smooth & moist all day long. Sebum absorbing powder wipes out excessive facial oil. Magical pore cover ensures visual changes, no more frequent make up corrections, take sebum under control!

Product is a duo of 50ml primer in squeezy tube and 1.5g of pore balm hidden in tube's cap. I ordered set of 10 sample sachets, which are unfortunately only the primer, so I didn't have a chance to try the pore balm. One sample sachet lasts for approx. three applications.

In the ingredients we can find some good stuff:

• 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.
• Betaine - An amino acid also known as Trimethylglycine or glycine betaine. Primarily functions as a humectant and anti-irritant in cosmetic products. It's able to give superior hydration to the skin, without the residual stickiness often associated with glycerin based emulsions. When used in skin care products, it can temporarily decrease the depth of wrinkles, giving the face a much smoother appearance.
• Sodium Hyaluronate (sodium salt of 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.
• Witch hazel extract - a strong astringent & antioxidant, has antibacterial & anti-inflammatory properties, effective in acne treatments

but considering the presence of silicones and parabens I wouldn't expect any skin miracle effect, however it's good to know they are there.

Full list of ingredients: Water, Cyclomehicone, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Stearyl Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Betaine, Talc, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG/PPG-19/19 Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, BHT, Hamamelis Virginina (Witch Hazel) Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Fragrace
Ingredients analysis [HERE]

 In the pore balm we can also find some extracts:

• Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract - it'a a powerful antioxidant, protecting skin cells from the damage caused by free radicals. It is also known to reduce skin swelling and help soothe and condition sensitive skin.
• Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil - essential oil with powerful antiseptic properties, widely used in acne treatments
• Witch hazel extract
• Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Full list of ingredients: Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Idodecyl Neopentanoate, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Hexyl Laurate, Dipentarythirtyl Hexahydroxystearate/Hestearate/Hexarosinate, Ceresin, Polyethylene, Tihydroxystearin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Polybglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Sea Water, Fragrance, Propylparaben
Ingredients Analysis [HERE]

The primer has creamy consistency and white colour, but spreads into clear gel texture, does not leave white cast on the skin, actually does not influence skin tone at all. After application skin is nice and smooth in touch and what really surprised me - it does feel moisturising! I know it contains hyaluronic acids, but I didn't actually expect such a nice, moisture feeling.
Unfortunately the primer does not do much to the pores. To be honest I don't see any improvement to my pores at all. My wrinkles are not covered as well. There is also no sebum control, my skin get just as oily as always. The BB Cream is just a little smoother, that's it.

Price: from £12 on e-Bay for full size product, I payed £3 for set of 10 sample sachets.

Pros:
+ contains hyaluronic acid and feels really moisturising on the skin
+ skin is nice and smooth after application

Cons:
- does not cover enlarged pores well
- no promised sebum control

I think that this product rally has to go in duo and maybe with the pore balm it would work better. It's a shame that the sample offers only the primer. If you are looking for simple primer with some moisturising properties this may work for you, but if you want to cover enlarged pores I would suggest to try the product as a whole (duo) or maybe try the Magical Pore Balm on it's own:

I think I will pass on this product, especially that I prefer tinted primers, as they help me to even out my skin tone and cover my scars better. Skin Food's Black Egg Pore Gel Base worked much better for me.

Skin Food Black Egg Pore Gel Base

My skin is quite porous - I did try couple of pore regulating products, but I noticed that I really have influence only on the size of my pores near nose and on the temples. The rest of my skin is just always porous, no matter what I use, what temperature it's outside etc. But if I cannot control them, I can at least conceal them with some good primer.

Product description: A pore-refining primer gel with a velvety finish that improves the appearance of enlarged pores while preparing skin for makeup. The apricot colour base brightens lacklustre skin tones.

In the ingredients list we will find silicones and talc, but also Titanium Dioxide (UVA & UVB filter) and rice extract, which contains skin soothig enzymes and has antioxidant properties.

Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Water, Dimethicone, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Boron Nitride, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Sorbitan Isostearate, PEG/PPG-19/19 Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Talc, Fragrance, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Sulfur, Polysorbate 80, Oleth-10, Albumen Extract, Titanium Dioxide, CI77492, CI77491, CI77499.
Ingredient analysis [HERE]

The original product comes in 25g squeezy tube, I ordered set of 10 sample sachets (1ml each) on e-Bay. One sample last for approx. 4-5 applications.

The base has a very nice, light & velvety feel to it. Although it's called "gel base" it has consistency of light cream rather than gel. Nice, floral scent. It glides easily on the skin, a little goes a long way. Because it's flesh-coloured it evens out skin tone a little bit, but not as well as Baby Choux Recipe primer. But the good side is that it doesn't white up skin so much as Baby Choux - when I used Baby Berry Choux couple of my co-workers noticed that I look more pale than usual, the Black Egg primer doesn't influence my skin tone that much.

After first few uses I wasn't impressed with this product, it seemed to me like it doesn't really do much except of making skin slightly smoother. But then I discover that it needs a moment to blend into my skin - I have to give it a minute or two to sit on my skin before BB application. When I do that, the base covers pores and shallow wrinkles really well. This waiting time may annoy some, I personally don't mind. The primer makes application of any BB really nice and easy, also it mattifies skin a little bit, therefore the BB cream on top of that base looks slightly more matte than without it - that's a big advantage for my oily skin. Product itself is rather neutral for sebum control, but it makes make up last longer - some BB creams just disappear from the skin after some time, this base keeps them in place. It also makes my make up almost waterproof - once when I forgot to use cleansing oil and went straight under the shower, I could feel water just sliding off my face like off duck's back. Funny feeling ^^

Price: from £6 on e-Bay for the full size product; I payed £3 for set of 10 samples.

Pros:
+ a little goes a long way
+ covers pores and shallow wrinkles well
+ leaves skin velvety smooth
+ makes BB cream last longer
+ contains Titanium Dioxide - mineral UVA & UVB filter

Cons:
- have to wait a moment after application to let it settle on the skin

Overall this is a good product. Just remember to double cleanse your skin when using silicone based products like that - I recommend using cleansing oil ^^

If you have problem with enlarged pores you may be interested in the rest of Skin Food's Black Egg Pore line:

Line contains: Serum, Gel Base, Primer, Foundation (two shades: #1 Light Beige #2Natural Beige) and Finish Powder. The difference between primer and base it that base is tinted, while primer is clear.

Skin Food Peach Sake Pore Serum

This product is recommended by many bloggers for oily skin. I couldn't wait to test it and finally there it is!

Product description: Containing rice sake, peach extract rich in vitamins A and C, and silica powder, this soft essence minimises shine and the appearance of pores. 

Key ingredients:

•  Silica - skin mattifying
• Titanium Dioxide - UVA and UVB filter
• Chamomile - well known skin soothing ingredient
• Licorice Root Extract - has anti-inflammatory properties and has ability to interrupt the stimulation of an enzyme that activates melanin production, so it's effective for improving dark spots and hyperpigmentation
• Centella Asiatica (also known as Gotu Kola) Extract - an effective anti-photoageing agent, mainly due to enhancement of collagen, which amount in skin decreases with age. Listed in Indian Ayurvedic medicine to combat excessively dry skin. Has anti-inflammatory properties, suitable for sensitive skin.
• Soybean Seed Extract - rich in amino-acids that helps keep skin smooth, aids in wound healing, stimulates elastin and collagen synthesis and increases oxygen in tissues.
• Enantia Chlorantha Bark Exract - it has antibacterial properties and ability to regulate sebum production, prevent acne and shrink pores. Soothes irritations and reduces skin inflammation.
• Rice Ferment Filtrate (Sake) - known from high end beauty products, rich in peptides, which help to moisturize the skin, sooth irritation and create a smoother, more youthful looking skin.
• Peach Fruit Extract - it has ability to tightens pores and contains vitamins that nourish, refresh, and brighten the complexion.
• Argan oil - rich in vitamin E, essential fatty acids and antioxidants is used to revitalize and hydrate dull, dry skin and can treat many skin conditions from dry skin and wrinkles to psoriasis, eczema and acne.
• Saw palmetto fruit extract - traditionally used for a variety of male health issues including hair loss, used in skin care for it's soothing properties.
• Sesame seed oil - an excellent moisturiser and emollient with many skin benefits. Contains vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant and can be used as natural sunscreen. Contains antioxidant called sesamol which effectively prevents the appearances of wrinkles and fine lines.

Full list of ingredients: Water, Silica, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Hydrogated Polyisobutene, Isohexadecane, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Stearate, Sucrose Cocoate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Staryl Glycyrrhetinate, Alcohol Denat., Propylene Glycol, Hydogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricara) Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licroce) Root Extract, Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract,Oleanolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Rice Ferment Filtrate (450mg), Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract (450mg), Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Seasame) Seed Extract, Magnesium Aluminium Silicate, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Butylparaben, CI 17200, CI 19140, CI 15985, Fragnance
Ingredients analysis [HERE]

The full size product is 45ml glass bottle with pump applicator. I was using sample sachets bought in pack of 8. One sample sachet lasts for approx. 4 uses.

As other peach products from Skin Food (Peach Pore Pact, Peach Green Tea BB, Peach Sake BB) this products has absolutely gorgeous peachy smell - however I can smell something bitter in it as well, just like someone would add some orange peel into it. Still yummy though ^^

Serum has consistency of very light cream. It spreads easily on the skin and we don't need much for the whole face. After application skin feels smooth but a little bit powdery - I suppose that powder touch is the secret of this serum's oil control.
Mentioning oil control - this works pretty good, but in different way that I was expecting. I thought it will help my skin stay matte for longer, bu no - it got shiny after my standard time - 2-3 hours - however the amount of oil was reduced. Normally I have to use two blotting tissues for my face, while with this serum one is enough. I still have to blot at least twice at work, but thanks to the reduced amount of produced oil my make up doesn't melt so easily. Also pores are less visible. Nice!
The only downside of this serum is that it's not very serum-like to be honest, I would rather classify it as a "finishing cream" or primer. It's not moisturising itself and contains silicone, so moisturise the skin before the serum. It works well with Hada Labo Lotion or Snail Ampoule.

Price: the full size version from £7 on e-Bay, I bought set of 8 sample sachets for £3.

Pros:
+ light consistency
+ gorgeous smell
+ reduces sebum production 
+ reduces appearance of enlarged pores
+ a little goes a long way

Cons:
- doesn't really moisturise 
- the powdery feeling on the face can annoy some people

Overall, this is good product for oily skin, especially for warmer days. If you have an oily skin you must try it! Just remember to use moisturiser before the serum, if you appy it after the serum, moisture simply won't reach the skin because of the silicones.

Enlarged pores problem? Mizon Pore Refine Deep Cleansing Foam & Pore Control Peeling Toner.

A lot of people has problem with enlarged pores. If you are one of them I have a bad news and a good news for you. The bad news is, that the size of your pores is depending on your skin type and there is nothing you can do to change it permanently. For example my forehead has visible pores and no matter what I use, they always look like that - it's just the structure of my skin. The pores on my cheeks near nose are even more visible, BUT I manage to control the size of them. And here is the good news: pores appear bigger because of excessive sebum and waste in them = you can minimise appearance of them by properly cleansing. And here is where this Mizon's products come handy :)

Mizon Pore Refine Deep Cleansing Foam

 

 

Product description: Minty cooling foam containing kaolin and charcoal that effectively absorb excessive waste, sebum and dead skin cell in pores and help keep skin clean while killing bacteria. Shooting botanicals leave skin moisturised and smooth.

Mizon's 'Genuine product' sticker.

The foam has fresh and minty smell, a little bit like a toothpaste :P It has thick and creamy consistency, a little amount easily leathers up in nice, thick foam. As you can see on the pictures, it contains tiny little particles (I suppose it's charcoal related?), but you can hardly feel them, so this is not exfoliating product. It leaves skin refreshed and squeaky clean. As for the cooling effect - I delicately stings skin, but tings not in a painful harsh way, but in a nice refreshing way.

Price: £5-6 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ a little goes a long way
+ cleanse very well, leaves face squeaky clean
+ refreshing feeling
+ nice scent
+ leathers up well into thick foam
+ cheap

Cons:
- can be a little drying/harsh for sensitive skin

I was using this product before I started to double cleanse with oil. It's good to remove all the make up - I'm a hardcore and used it on my eyes as well (takes off mascara), but be careful with that as it stings if it gets into an eye. I don't plan to repurchase so far, as since I use double cleansing I choose more mild foam (oil does the "dirty job"), but I bear in mind this foam as a really good one. If you don't double cleanse and want just one good cleansing product - this is a good choice. It does minimise pores a little, however effect is MUCH better if used with toner.
  It contains Lauric Acid and Pottasium Hydroxide that may be recognised as a potential irritants/acne triggers, however I didn't notice any influence on my acne or irritation while using this product.
  Ingerdients: Aqua, myristic acid, kaolin acid, lauric acid, stearic acid, potassium hydroxide, cocamidopropyl betaine, hydroxyethylcellulose, charcoal powder, sodium hyaluronate, beta glucan, vaccinum myrtillus fruit/leaf extract, saccharium officinarum (sugar cane) extract, acer saccharum (sugar maple) extract, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) fruit extract, citrus medica limonium (lemon) fruit extract, amica  Montana flower extract, Artemisia absinthium extract, achillea millefolium extract, gentian lutea root extract, carica papaya (papaya) fruit extract, gypsophila paniculata root extract, hedera helix (ivy) extract, hydrolyzed extension, collagen, disodium edta, caprylyl glycol, ethylhexyl glycerin, tropolone, fragrance
Ingredients analysis [HERE]

Pore Control Peeling Toner

 

Product description: Specialised formula removes makeup residue and calms skin after cleansing, while balancing skin pH. It keeps skin oil free and fresh all day long.

First of all I must say that I absolutely LOVE the sleek square bottle design. It's not well visible on the photo, but bottle is coloured in gradient green (darker on the bottom and lighter on the top), and the silver "Pore" word is holographic. It has such a elegant and modern look! The only downside is the size of the bottle - I consider 80ml as quite small for a toner. Gets used up much quicker than foam.

Mizon's 'genuine product' sticker.

The toner has a very handy pump dispenser, which reaches right to the bottom of the bottle, so we can easily use it the the end. I was using six pumps of product on a cotton pad to tone my face. Toner has citrusy smell with a hint of alcohol, but in general smell is quite subtle and not bothering.
When I was using just western products, the toner was qualifying for me as a cleansing product and astringent. I noticed that Asian toners are more on the skincare side, but some of them are still more cleansing (the containing alcohol ones) and some of them are more moisturising and caring. This one is more on the astringent side, which is fair enough as it's supposed to control pores.
The toner gives refreshing feel to the skin. When used on it's own slightly minimise pores and has a bit of moisturising touch to the skin. When used with foam it has great impact on my pores on the cheeks (the ones on the forehead don't react to anything...).

Price: £8-9 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ elegant packaging
+ refreshing feel
+ has impact on pore size

Cons:
- I didn't notice any extra sebum control, my skin was as oily as usual
- small capacity - for that price we can get at least 100ml, or even 210ml like Mizon's Witchhazel toner. I think we are paying for the pretty bottle here :]

It contains Alcohol and Salicylic Acid that may be irritating for some skins. For my skin alcohol is almost neutral and my skin loves Salicylic Acid.

Ingredients: Aqua, alcohol, glycerin, sodium lactate, peg-60 hydrogenated castor oil, glycolic acid, salicylic acid , theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) extract, copper tripeptide-1, collagen, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower/ leaf extract, carica papaya ( papaya) fruit extract, camellia sinensis leaf extract, disodium edta, caprylyl glycol, ethylhexyl glycerin, tropolone , fragrance 
Ingredients Analysis [HERE]

In general this two are a great products for pore control. I ordered foam first and then toner and I noticed that used together they have much better influence on pore size. However, as I said on the beginning of my post we can not change our pore size permanently, so the effect won't last after you stop using the products. I also didn't notice any extra sebum control, my skin was as oily as usual while using this products. Unfortunately used together they have a bit more drying effect on the skin than used separately, so if you want to give them a go, make sure you have some good moisturiser handy.

The whole Mizon's Pore Line.

The line contains also Pore Refine Silky Smooth Essence and Pore Tightening Lotion.
Note: On many websites the recommended order of use is Foam > Toner > Essence > Lotion, however Essence contains silicons and sun screen, so I would recommend using it last. If you put silicone first, the ingredients from Lotion won't be able to reach the skin.