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.

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]

Missha Super Aqua Marine Stem Cell Intensive Serum Review

Good morning ^^
Today is International Woman's Day, so dear ladies - all the best! ^^
A quick review for the weekend :)

  
Product description: The Super Aqua Marine Stem Cell Intensive Serum contains Ulvalax from seaweeds to fill in the gaps in the inner layers of the skin and effectively create firmness and elasticity. 

According to Missha's New Zeland website, product is aimed at mid20s ~ mid 30s "Who has dehydrated, rough and dull skin - Who wants richly moist skin care series - Who wants to get moist and firm skin care benefit at the same time".

The full size product is glass bottle with pump, I was just resting out the 1ml sample.

Product has consistency of a light, opaque cream. It has very subtle and refreshing smell. It glides very smoothly among the skin and absorbs quickly and completely, but it leaves skin slightly shiny. I was testing it out in the morning, under BB Cream and it worked perfectly. For AM use on my oily skin it offers just the right level of moisture without feeling heavy.  However for the nighttime, when I would like to give my skin as much moisture as possible, this product wouldn't be enough and it would have to be followed by some cream.

Price of full size product: from £12 on eBay.

Pros:
+ lightweight
+ offers just the right level of moisture for day use
+ absorbs quickly and completely

Cons:
- too light for nighttime use on it's own (but since it's only a serum not a cream it's fair enough)

I am really torn apart by this product. It was nice in use and refreshing and the whole line has such an elegant and fresh look, I just want to buy it all! But it's not the cheapest (in general Missha is more expensive than for example Tony Moly) and I would really want something preventing wrinkles or brightening not only moisturising... but on the other hand my oily skin feels a bit dry recently, so it produces even more oil than usual and this done a good job on hydrating it without oiliness... Maybe I will just buy more samples and see how it goes (there are also samples of toner and emulsion available). If you fancy purchasing some samples I really strongly recommend this product, it's soooo nice! :)

 Official Aqua Marine Stem Cell advertising. Looks very appealing for me :) 

Ingredients: Water(Aqua), Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Niacinamide, Silica, Glycosyl Trehalose, Hizikia Fusiformis Callus Culture Extract, Rhizophora Mangle Callus Culture Extract, Chaetomorpha Solitaria Callus Culture Extract, Salicornia Hebacea Callus Culture Extract, Sea Water, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Sargassum Pallidum Extract, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Hydrolyzed Algin, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Triethanolamine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Adenosine, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Sodium Hyaluronate, Octanediol, Lecithin, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance(Parfum), Limonene
Ingredients analysis: http://www.cosdna.com/eng/cosmetic_fbe0133511.html

Skin Food Tomato Whitening Toner & Serum

Hello! :)
Today I will tell you about products, which is are my No.1 skin care at the moment <3

Skin Food Tomato Whitening Toner

Description: This skin-brightening toner containing arbutin and tomato extract rich in lycopene, vitamins, and minerals makes dull skin clear and blemish-free, improving skin tone.

Key ingredients:

• Arbutin - an active ingredient brightening up skin, used to treat hyperpigmentation caused by acne, allergies, infections, scars etc. It's also a natural filter against UV radiation (types A, B, C).
• 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.
• Aminoacids: Alanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Glycine, Arganine, Lysine - moisturising and nourishing skin
• Tomato extract - rich in lycopene and vitamin C. Lycopene is natural colourant occuring in red-coloured fruits and vegetables; one of the strongest antioxidants - protects skin cells from premature aging. Vitamin C protect skin cells and skin's support structure from UV-related damage, improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin, reduce inflammation and promote collagen production. 
• Konjac root extract - Kojac has many healthcare benefits and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for detoxification, tumour-suppression, blood stasis alleviation and phlegm liquefaction. Root extract is rich in Glucomannan, that can support skin healing process.
• Pomegranate fruit extract - incredible antioxidant, has anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties and ability to encourage radiant skin. It can help with a number of skin care issues including dry skin, age spots, hyperpigmentation, acne flare-ups and acne scars.

Full list of ingredients: WATER, ALCOHOL, GLYCERIN, ARBUTIN, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, PEG/PPG-17/6, COPYLOMER, PEG-60, HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, BETAINE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, SORBITOL, ALANINE, PROLINE, SERINE, THREONINE, GLYCINE, ARGININE, LYSINE, GLUTAMIC ACID, SODIUM PCA, DIETHOXYETHYL SUCCINATE, BETA-GLUCAN, SODIUM CITRATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, CAPRYLICYC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, DIACETYL BOLDINE, SOLANUM LYCOPERSICIUM (TOMATO) FRUIT/LEAF/STEM EXTRACT, AMORPHOPHALLUS KONJAC ROOT EXTRACT, PUNICA GRANATUM FRUIT EXTRACT, CHAENOMELES SINENSIS FRUIT EXTRACT, DISODIUM EDTA, METHYLPARABEN, PHENOXYMETHANOL, CI 15985, PARFUM 

Toner comes in 135ml glass bottle. Under the cap it also got plastic blocker with small hole in the middle - it prevent's from spilling the product, you can turn the bottle upside down and only one drop will come out, so you need to shake it to get out more on your cotton pad. It was a little annoying on the beginning, but now I used to it - and considering how clumsy I am it's actually doing a good job.
Toner does contain alcohol, however dosn't smell with it, which is good. It has very nice, cosmetic scent, a little floral I would say, however nothing tomato-like ;) The consistency - to my surprise - seems to be a little bit more thicker than typical watery one I used to with toner. But difference is slightly noticable.
What I really like in this product is, that even though it contains alcohol, it doesn't dry my skin. Usually after face wash my skin feels a little bit dry and tight and some toner are making this feeling worse - this one dosn't.
As for whitening properties I am unable to judge it separately, as I purchaed it after serum.... I will sum them up together at the end of this note.

Price: £9-15 on e-Bay 
 
Skin Food Tomato Whitening Serum

Description: This skin-brightening essence containing arbutin and tomato extract rich in lycopene, vitamins, and minerals makes dull skin clear and blemish-free and improves skin tone, without stickiness. 

Key ingredients:

• Arbutin - an active ingredient brightening up skin, used to treat hyperpigmentation caused by acne, allergies, infections, scars etc. It's also a natural filter against UV radiation (types A, B, C).
• Tomato extract - rich in lycopene and vitamin C. Lycopene is natural colourant occuring in red-coloured fruits and vegetables; one of the strongest antioxidants - protects skin cells from premature aging. Vitamin C protect skin cells and skin's support structure from UV-related damage, improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin, reduce inflammation and promote collagen production. 
• Pomegranate fruit extract - incredible antioxidant, has anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties and ability to encourage radiant skin. It can help with a number of skin care issues including dry skin, age spots, hyperpigmentation, acne flare-ups and acne scars.
• Honey extract - natural moisturising and nourishing extract. Honey has also anti-bacterial properties, may be used to reduce inflammation and aid in tissue health. Great for sensitive skin.

Full list of ingredients: WATER, GLYCERETH-26, ISOHEXADECANE, ARBUTIN, SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM (TOMATO) FRUIT/LEAF/STEM EXTRACT, ISOSTEARYL NEOPENTANOATE, DIETHOXYETHYL SUCCINATE, BIS-PEG-18 METHYL ETHER DIMETHYL SILANE, SODIUM ACRYLATE/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE COPOLYMER, POLYSORBATE 80, C14-22 ALCOHOLS, C12-20 ALKYL GLUCOSIDE, STEARIC ACID, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, PUNICA GRANATUM EXTRACT, HONEY EXTRACT, HYDROXYETHYL UREA, CHAENOMELES SINENSIS FRUIT EXTRACT, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, ALCOHOL DENAT., DIACETYL BOLDINE, ARGININE, CARBOMER, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, DISODIUM EDTA, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, PHENOXYETHANOL, FRAGRANCE
  
Product comes in white plastic bottle with pump. It doesn't have any extra packaging (like box), comes just thermo-wrapped in transparent foil.

The serum itself is quite rare, lightweight, white-ish cream.  The scent is similar as in toner - floral and not tomato at all ;) It absorbs in skin quickly and completly - dosn't leave any film. A little goes a long way - one "pump" in enough to cover whole face, for night time I use two.

On this picture I was trying to show you how full bottle is - when I opened it first time it was full up to the bottle thread. Now, after two months of constant use, I can't see exactly how full botte is, but I didn't use up even a 1/3 of it...

Now the best part - effects. I started using this product before I created this blog, so I can't really show you any "before" and "after" photos, but belive me - it does work. My skin is nicely moisturised, well conditioned, face is a bit brighter and my acne scars are less noticable. Name of the product may be a little confusing, as it's not really whitening but brightening in delicate, beautiful way - so don't worry, there won't be any "Twilight" effect :P It's also very light on skin - dosn't make my skin more oily, neither block my pores. Effects pleased me enough, to buy the toner, which I started using approx. month after serum.

I must say, that since started using both product together I didn't actually notice any more bightening. What serum did, was brightening my skin to certain level and then just keep it. It doesn't displease me, because if it would brighten more and more I would end up completly snow white and I don't think it would look healthy...

Price: £9-11 on e-Bay

Pros:
+ serum is moisturising
+ serum is lightweight
+ little bit of serum goes a long way
+ toner doesn't dry out skin
+ serum is good priced comparing to how efficient it is

Cons:
- toner is using up quicker than serum - I am sure one bottle of toner won't be enough for one bottle of serum
- toner is quite pricey for how efficient it is

Overall, if you would like to brighten up your skin tone a little bit I can strongly recommend this products. However, if you want to cut off costs a little bit, I think that serum on it's own will do fine...