My second and last Memebox - best bauty Rorward, first impressions

Last week my second and last memebox was delivered. The last one, because since 10th of February Memebox ships only to USA. I can see in my blog statistics that I have quite a lot of views form USA, so if you live there you can get yourself some box on Memebox offical website.

So this is the Best Beauty Forward Box:

Box description: With hundreds of new K-beauty products hitting shelves every year, how can you tell apart the goodies that you'll be loving for a lifetime and the dudes of the century? Beauty experts at Memebox tried and tested the most-talked about skincare and body products of 2015 to curate the most perfect box, jam-packed with Memebox-tested winners that will up your gorgeous factor this year. We promise.

In my opinion Memebox went a little bit too far with this description - 'the most talked-about products of 2015', really? It would make sense in November 2015, but for the box released in January? Bitch, please.

So this are the products, that are supposed to 'up you gorgeous factor':

1. Rimbi Powerful Treatment Essence 125ml

Product description: Powerful Treatment Essence functions as a toner and essence and is enriched with 85% galactomyces ferment filtrate - a key ingredient that penetrates deep into the skin to balace skin's renewal process and boost skin's radiance. It is also formulated with nourishing vitamins, amino acids, minerals and organic acids to enhance efficacy of the complete skincare ritual.
How to use: After cleansing, use a cotton pad or your fingers to apply essence all over your face.

The essence was featured in box's spoilers and was the main reason why I bought this box. After what Missha's First Essence did to my face I'm eager to try any similar products. Because for me this is the most important product from box I translated the ingredients:

Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Tamarind Seed Polysaccharide, Purified Water, Adenosine, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin

There is Galactomyces (type of yeast from Saccharomycetale order, some other essences of this kind, for example Missha, despite of Galactomyces contain Saccharomyces, genus from the same order), glycerin, vitamin B3 and adenosine, but where the hell are minerals and amino acids? It's not the first time that Memebox promises something that is not there; in my previous box there was a serum that was supposed to contain Acetyl Hexapeptide and EGF, which were not on the ingredients list... although that serum seriously pissed me off, the case of missing aminoacids in this essence doesn't really bother me that much - the Galactomyces was the most important for me, so it's fine.

The essence is watery and has slippery texture, but isn't sticky. A little goes a long way, the amount show on picture is enough for the whole face. I pour it on my palm, then rub my pals together and pat gently to face. It is moisturising, however it doesn't offer feeling of such deep moisture as Missha. It's scentless.

According to Memebox this essence is worth $34, which is not true - on Avecko website you can buy two bottles for... $11.19. Checkmate Memebox, you're cheating. Unfortunately I cannot compare this price anywhere else, as this "most-talked about product of 2015" is not available anywhere else, not on e-Bay, Amazon nor Gmarket.

2. W.Lab 3P+ CO2 Pore Crown Pack Deluxe Sample (6g + 1 mask sheet)

Product description: These powerful yet gentle blackhead butterfly patches* instantly remove blackheads and unclog pores while tightening and cleansing pores. Completed with carbonated gel syringe and a butterfly shape mask sheet, this two-step system features optimal pore purifying benefits for clear, healthy looking skin.
How to use: Place the mask sheet on hard surface. Inject the contents of the syringe onto the butterfly mask sheet and spread until evenly distributed. Place the butterfly mask sheet on the centre of cleansed face, so that mask covers the nose and cheek areas. Leave on for 15 minutes, remove and rinse with lukewarm water.

*it says "masks" but in this Memebox we receive only one mask.

I haven't tried this yet, so I can't say much. The packaging looks nice and intriguing, but I'm afraid that this "two-step system" may be triumph of form over content. In general I don't like blackhead strips and patches, when I remove them I feel like I'm going to ripe my face off and they usually don't do such a good job on blackhead removing. I don't even use peel-off face masks, they are just painful. So I'm not really looking forward to trying this out. And this "carboneted gel", seriously?

According to Memebox full size product (11g gel and 6 masks) is worth $79. Damn, expensive! However I am not able to check if it's really that pricey, because product is not available anywhere in the Internet.

3. Secret Key Perfume Body Peeling Body Scrub

Product description: This gently exfoliating body scrub hydrates skin and locks in moisture in the skin while rubbery peelings form to resurface, enrich and revitalise. Without the use of harsh granules, this formula is enriched with nourishing sweet almond oil, milk proteins, shea butter and walnut powder for an irritation-free skin cleansing.
How to use: Use approximately a dime size of scrub and spread it onto your face. Massage in a circular motion. Rinse with lukewarm water.

So is it a body or face product? Scrub or peeling gel? Usually word "scrub" describes a traditional peeling product with peeling granules, however this one is a peeling gel, no granules, only cellulose. The name and the size of the tube suggest it's a body peel, however the usage instructions are about face. It turns out that this is actually 2in1 product, both for body and face.

Product is available in two types. I've got pink one, "fresh fruity" with notes of melon, plum and freesia. The smell is lovely, fruity and sweet. The other version, purple one is called "mild soap" and has notes of musk, iris and cotton.

I've tried this only on my palm, so I can't say much. It rolls up well, has lovely smell, as a face peeling the big tube would last ages. I can't really see this as a body product, as it has to be used on dry skin you would have to first rub yourself in it and the enter the shower or bath. I prefer using peeling on already cleansed skin, so it can focus on my dead skin cells not on rubbing off sweat and dust, so I would have to first take shower, then dry myself, rub peeling into skin and then shower again... Nah.

According to Memebox the tube is worth $24, which again is not true - the prices on e-bay start from $13.10.

4. SUR Nail Polish

This doesn't really require description or usage guidance. There were three randomly selected versions placed in boxes: red, lavender and gold glitter. As you can see I've got gold glitter, which I'm not happy about as I hate glittery nail polishes. According to Memebox it's worth $6.

5. Ferfree Ultra Facial Intense Hydration Cream 50ml 

Product description:  This comfortable moisturising cream is an oasis-in-the-desert for the skin, continuously plumping it with hydration for 24 hours. It improves the appearance of fine lines, flakiness and tightness, leaving skin looking and feeling happier and healthier all day long.
How to use: After cleansing the skin, take a dime-sized amount of cream and massage all over the face and neck. Use daily, morning and night.

Cream has a nice creamy, but relatively light texture and lovely smell. For my oily skin is perfect as a moisturising night cream, for day use is a little bit too heavy and leaves skin shiny.

According to Memebox it's worth $16. On Gmarket you can buy it for approx. $12.

6. Virgin Farms Double Care Fresh Gel (7x3g) + Double Care Ultra Cream (7x3g)

Product description: Virgin Farm's Double Care Set aggressively, yet gently and effectively targets matters that plague blemish riddled skin, such as mild acne, redness, dryness and sensitivity as it enhances skin's moisture balance and elasticity. The dual skincare set uses natural ingredients such as baobab seed and fermented galactomyces filtrate to to deliver cosmic doses of hydration, energy and nutrition to blemished skin.
How to use: On clean face apply Double Care Fresh Gel (green) to entire face. After complete absorption apply Double Care Ultra Cream (orange) to the entire face. For best results use twice daily. Continued use helps keep skin looking fresh and rested.

According to Memebox the full size 100ml version of each of these is worth $94. I'm not able to verify this information, product is not available anywhere...

7. Tony Moly Delight Tony Tint in Red Deluxe 1.5ml

Product description: One of the best selling lip tint in Korea, instantly gives vivid colour to your lips with just a single touch. It creates long-lasting, radiant lips, popular among Korean Beauty lovers.
How to use: Apply small amount of the tint from the inside to outside of your lip. Apply before lip gloss to give natural gradient lips. 

Lip tint is not my thing really - after my every attempt to use it I end up looking like vampire after dinner. In addition this is really REALLY wear-proof. If you don't like that your lipstick disappears from your lips and leaves marks on glasses, lip tint is what you're looking for, it's indestructible. And indelible, so if you don't know how to use it, don't experiment just before leaving house... and make sure your lips are moisturised and smooth, applying this on cracked lips gives terrible result!
 

Some time ago I received exactly same sample as a free gift from e-Bay seller, so now I have two. It has gorgeous smell, but I don't think we will make friends. I will give it to my friend, who loves all lip stuff.

According to Memebox the full size product (8.3ml) is worth $4, which is true for a change. But since is so cheap why didn't they just provide full size product???

Summary
I'm happy to use my Galactomyces Essence and Ferfree cream, although I'm not sure about the rest. The Best Beauty Forward box just confirmed that 'mystery box' shopping is not for me, I prefer to choose for myself and know what I am paying for. So I'm not really bothered that they stopped international shipping - even if they would continue selling worldwide, I wouldn't buy another box for a long, long time. I don't like their misleading product descriptions (for example missing ingredients) and overstated prices. They sell low budged cosmetics as a higher end ones by putting them into pretty pink box and adding fancy descriptions. It also annoys me that majority of featured products are so hard to buy anywhere else - it's cool to get something unique from time to time, but then if I like it I can't re-purchase it.
Goodbye Memebox, I won't miss you. 

Memebox Anti-aging first impressions

Memebox is a beauty box containing Korean cosmetics. Every box has some theme to it, for example colour, smell, ingredient, type of product etc. I kept an eye on their website since last fall, I've bought couple of items on sale, but I was sceptical about boxes. I don't exactly like the idea of buying cosmetics at random - I do often buy some products without knowing the ingredients or without reading any reviews on them, but at least I am buying a certain item, for example eye cream and I can choose brand, capacity, price etc. while Memebox is almost completely random. And every time they launched some box that sounded interesting to me, it was sold out in a blink, so I could never find anything that I would really really want. My first two boxes I bought in January and I bought them mainly because of the content spoilers. I bought "Anti-ageing" box, because of the snail cream and serum with Acetyl Hexapeptide, botox alternative. I also bought "Best Beauty Forward" box, because of "first essence" with Galactomyces.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) my adventure with Memebox ended almost as soon as it started. Exactly one day after I purchased my boxes I received an e-mail from Memebox informing that from the 10th of February they will ship only to the USA, Korea and China. I can see in my blog statistics that I have a lot of views from USA, so I hope those who can still enjoy Memeboxes will find this post useful.

So here is my first (and almost last) box:

I apologise for the poor quality of those pictures. My camera is about to die :/

Box description: Anti-aging is everyone's beauty concern, no matter what age. And so, we've curated a mean anti-aging box that defies the laws of gravity - no more lines, no more wrinkles, no more saginess! With all the best goodies for combating visible signs of aging, this breakthrough box is packed with high-performance products that dramatically counteract all the signs such as wrinkles, lines, loss of firmness, dullness and dehydration!

And that's the products:

1. Bory Wrinkle Repair Serum 50ml
 

 
Product description:  This antiaging Wrinkle Repair Serum works on skin to remodel and rejuvenate the skin's surface for the look of firm and supple skin. It contains EGF to enhance collagen production and Acetyl Heaxapeptide, a natural ingredient with properties similar to that of Botox, to relax facial muscles and prevent creation of fine lines and wrinkles.

This description is printed on the little leaflet included in the box and there is a mistake - Acetyl Hexapeptide, is not a "natural ingredient" - it's synthetic peptide. But never mind. The serum is in nice, glass bottle with pump applicator. Pump is protected with special cup, that prevents it from accidental push and spillage. It has consistency of light lotion and smells a little bit like Nivea Soft. It absorbs quite quickly and doesn't leave any film on skin, for my oily skin it seems to be suitable both for AM and PM use.

I translated ingredients from Korean and you know what? There is no Acetyl Hexapeptide in there. And no EGF. I could understand if it would be a Memebox's mistake, but on the cardboard packaging of the product, on one side of the box there is description in Korean mentioning Acetyl Hexapeptide and EGF and on the other side of the packaging there is list of main ingredients in English and full list of ingredients in Korean and they are both lacking those two substances. Are they trying to fool me or what? But before I publish the ingredients I will double check my translation with someone smarter than me, maybe I am a fool...

Edit 03.2015: I contacted Agath from Agath Blog, who is much more experienced in Korean ingredients translation than me. Agath confirmed my assumptions - product does not contain neither Acetyl Hexapeptide nor EGF. Shame on you, Memebox.

Full list of ingredients:
Purified water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10 Liposomes 5%), Sodium Hyaluronate, Raffinose, Ethanol, Polyquaternium-51, Centella Asiatica Extract, Chamomile Flower Extract, Licorice Extract, Green Tea Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, PEG-15 Glyceryl Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Perfume, Allantoin, Methyl Paraben, Benzophenone-9, Disodium EDTA, Tartrazine
 
According to Memebox this product is worth $48. I don't know if it's true - according to the Internet this product doesn't exist :P the only results on Google are the posts about the box itself. It is not available on e-Bay, Gmaret, Amazon...

2. Esthetic House Collagen Herb Complex Eye Cream 100ml

Product description: Now you can have it all. This jumbo sized eye cream will give you the lifted look, the firmer feeling and glowing radiance from around the eyes. The intensely nourishing formula contains marine collagen, herbal complex and adenosine to firm, lift, define and brighten the area to improve visible signs of ageing around the eyes, mouth, brow bone, neck and other areas.

When I first saw the big tube I was quite excited thinking it's a hand cream. I can never have too many hand creams, I got placed strategically everywhere: in bedroom, in living room, in every handbag, in workplace locker, in car... However my excitement didn't last long as I read the product description. Eye cream? Seriously? Who puts eye cream in such a big tube?

Feeling sceptical I decided to translate ingredients. Here they are:

Purified water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Stearate/PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Olive Oil, Caprylyl Glycol/Glycerol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Shea Butter, Allantoin, Chrysanthemum flower extract, Honeysuckle extract, Rosa Rugosa Extract, Rose Extract, Hollyhock Extract, Safflower Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Perfume, Tomato Extract, Elm Root Extract, Magnolia Extract, Gallnut Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Goldthread Extract, Human Oligopeptide-1, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA

Collagen is sixth on the list. Collagen is natural protein present in our skin - it's amount decreases with age what causes wrinkles and sogginess, so it became popular ingredient in anti-aging cosmetics. However you need to know that Hydrolyzed Collagen does not penetrate deep into skin, simply because it's particle is too big - so it won't magically increase the amount of collagen in our skin and make wrinkles disappear. But it will moisturise and condition skin.
In general the ingredients look fair to me, there is promised collagen, there are some plant extracts, there was even enough room for some adenosine and EGF at the end of the ingredients list. I have some anti-wrinkle eye cream from L'oreal that contains almost only silicons, so comparing these two Esthetic House's cream seems to be a miracle in a tube. Probably I won't use it as an eye cream as I currently testing a very good eye cream from su:m37 and I have a tube of Japanese eye cream waiting for it's turn. But I think I will use it up for my neck and neckline, eventually hands.

Cream has a nice, silky texture. It's lightweight and has pleasant, subtle smell. It leaves a bit of film on skin, making it smooth in touch.

According to the Memebox this jumbo tube is worth $42. Again, I am not able to verify this information - when googled it shows up only box's description, it is not available on Gmarket nor e-Bay.

3. Enesti Day to Day Pomegranate Acerola Foaming Cleanser 160g
 

Product description: This daily pomegranate and acerola infused foaming cleanser effectively removes make up and oil, opens and de-clog pores, enhances skin's elasticity and brightens up the overall complexion.

No surprises here, very typical Korean face wash. Thick, pearly cream which resembles shaving cream - massaged into wet skin turns into thick, rich foam. It takes only a pea size to wash the whole face and neck, so 160g would last for good couple of months use. It cleanses well and leaves skin squeaky clean and a little bit tight. As a cream it has a little bit weird fruit+something sour smell, but after turning into foam it has a lovely smell of... bubble gum. I love it! I am very sensitive to smells and bubble gum is one of my favourite smells ever. So this smell and a big capacity would make it quite a good product right? Well unfortunately this foam has one, very important con - high base pH of 9. Two months ago that wouldn't bother me at all, I would just use it and enjoy bubble gum smell, but since I switched to slightly acidic cleanser I would never go back to base. Since I use face wash with pH 6 I didn't have a single breakout on my face, not a single spot, even during my period! So forgive me, bubble gum, but I'm not going to risk it. Maybe I will use it from time to time to pamper myself with that smell, but for sure it's not going to became my everyday cleanser.

According to Memebox this foam is worth $14. Unfortunately I cannot find it anywhere else, so I can't confirm it's price.

4. Puresmile Mask 5 Pack Box

5 different mask sheets:
Pearl: Hydrates skin and locks in moisture
Bee Venom: Softens and smooths the skin's texture, delivers radiant glow
Snail: Repairs, renews and rejuvenates skin
Red Ginseng: Delivers vital nutrients to the skin and enhances skin's elasticity
Vitamin: revitalises and energises dull skin

I haven't tried any of them yet, but I'm quite excited about them. I love mask sheets! ^^

According to Memebox this pack of 5 masks is worth $6. On Gmarket you can buy pack of 8 masks for $5.40, so a little bit cheaper.

5. Tosowoong Snail Natural Pure Cream 45ml

Product description: This intensive skin regenerating, anti-blemish cream contains snail mucin, known for it's regenerative properties. Snail mucin and galactomyces help to control excessive sebum production, the core of acne and skin blemishes, and supports natural cell regeneration to decrease appearance of wrinkles and other flaws.

I really like the appearance of this product, both cardboard box and tube. It is plain and simple, smart. The tube is soft and you have to squeeze it to get the product out. The texture is light and creamy, doesn't leave any film on skin. It's moisturising just right for my oily skin, I think it will do good both AM and PM.

In the ingredients there is snail secretion filtrate (30%) on the first place followed by birch leaf water (20%). Comparing to some other brands 30% of snail secretion filtrate seems a bit low and disappointing, I came across statement that there has to be at least 80% of ssf in cream to make it work properly, but I don't know if it's true. I didn't translate the rest of the ingredients yet, I will use the cream and once I put up full review there will be ingredients there :)

According to Memebox this cream is worth $26. On Tosowoong official website the price shown is 21500 won, so approx $19.50, on e-Bay prices are between $14 to $36.

SummaryIn general I'm pleased with the box, it didn't blow my mind, however I don't think it was a waste of money. For $25 I got snail cream worth $20, some mask sheets, "hand" cream an serum, which may contain Acetyl Hexapeptide. Not bad. The experience of buying cosmetics in box was interesting, but for sure it's not going to became my favourite way of shopping, so I don't really feel upset about Memebox stopping international postage. Despite there I will just continue spending my money on e-Bay ;)

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

Beauty therapy at home: High Frequency Electrotherapy (Darsonval)

If you ever experienced manual cleansing (extraction) at beauty salon you may recognise this "funny glass thing that lights up, makes weird noises and smells like rain". It's Darsonval - device using high frequency current, an electrotherapy instrument. It was invented by french doctor and physicist, Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval.

I am a happy owner of this device from couple of months. I honestly consider it as one of my best beauty investments EVER. So today I would like to tell you a little bit more about electrotherapy at home.

My device's box

How does it work?
Device uses currents  between 300 and 500 kHz. The glass electrode tubes are filled with noble gases. After connecting glass electrode with handpiece and turning the device on, the electrode will light up in blue or orange. Glass electrode produces then high frequency current and creates ozone at it's surface. The current warms up tissue and enlarges blood vessels, while ozone has disinfecting properties. High frequency treatment accelerates blood circulation and improves skin metabolism, kills germs and improves absorption of cosmetic products.

Inside the box - the handpiece and four glass electrodes

Depending of what model of the device you will buy, there are few different kinds of electrodes. My set has four of them:

From left: the handpiece, the comb electrode for scalp treatment, the "mushroom" electrode for large areas, the "point" electrode for spot treatment and "spoon" electrode for hard to reach areas.
In bigger sets you may also come across T-shaped electrode for chin and neck or roller electrode for large body areas.
On the bottom of the device, next to cable, there is a little knob to regulate device's power.

What can you achieve with high frequency treatment?
Darsonval has a long list of possible skincare benefits. It's helpful in treatment of:
- acne
- skin irritations
- seborrhoea
- folliculitis
- hair loss
- dandruff
- eczema
- wrinkles and sagging skin
- enlarged pores
- herpes
- scars and pigmentation
- frostbites
- circulation problems

Contraindications for high frequency treatment:
- pregnancy! The current can harm the baby or even cause miscarriage
- metal objects in body - including braces
- open injuries, wounds
- high blood pressure
- heart diseases
- asthma
- fever
- sensitive skin with visible caterpillars
- rosacea
- epilepsy
- nervous hyperactivity and other nervous system disorders
- fear of electricity

What made me buy my own device?
The high frequency treatment saved my life (or rather face) when I forgot to take my acne antibiotics with me on my holiday. I experienced the worst break out ever: the bottom part of both my cheeks was hot, inflamed mess. I had an appointment in beauty salon for diamond microdermabrasion, but my therapist seeing the state of my skin decided to give my high frequency and ultrasound treatment instead. The effects were great - the inflammation and redness were visibly reduced. After my holiday I changed my antibiotics (the ones that I take now don't change my face into hot mess if I forget to take them), my skin calmed down and somehow I just forgot about the electrotherapy.
Darsonval reminded me of itself when I accidentally came across a review of it on one of the beauty blogs. The review was very positive and remembering that this device helped me with my terrible break out I purchased it without second thoughts.

Is the high frequency treatment painful?
Depending on what level of power we will operate, we may feel from nothing, through tingling sensation to prickling. The tolerance is different on different parts of the body and our skin gets used to it, so the best option is to start low and slowly increase power during next treatments. I was starting treatment of my face at the lowest possible setting, now I am kind of half way through the power scale. My back I could treat with higher power straight away. In general you should never exceed your comfort level.

High frequency treatment step by step:
1. Cleanse your skin - take off all dirt, sebum and make up. Darsonval treatment dries skin out a little bit, so better use the mildest cleansing method available. I normally use cleansing oil and foam, but for high frequency treatment I use cream cleanser. If you wash you face make sure to dry it properly with towel/tissue, if you use cream cleanser/miceral solution give skin a moment to dry, as the treatment has to be proceed on completely dry skin. Using the device on wet skin may cause glass electrode to break!
2. Choose the right electrode. Electrodes should be used according to their destinations - so comb for the scalp, "mushroom" for the face and other large areas, the "point" for spots only. The "point" electrode is the strongest one - so if I use "mushroom" with average power, I need to take the power level down a little before switching to spot treatment.
3. Gently massage your skin with electrode. There is only one rule to follow: do not keep the electrode in one spot for longer than 10 seconds. Longer application may result in skin irritation or in worse case scenario even burn! There are three methods of application:

• Indirect application - before the application coat the electrode in some talcum powder. Method recommended for sensitive skin. Other method is to put on skin some thick gauze and proceed treatment through it. This method is also applicable if you want to use Darsonval to penetrate ampoules deeper in skin, however they have to be oil based ampoules, because water based ones may cause electrode to burst. There are other devices used to penetrate water based products.
• Direct application - apply electrode directly to skin.
• Spark application - the electrode is close to skin, doesn't touch it, but connects with skin by spark (sounds terrible, but it's not ;)). It's easiest to achieve spark with "point" electrode so I use this method for spot treatment only. This method should not be used in eye area! If you have to proceed it anywhere relatively close to your eyes, you should protect your eyes with, for example a piece of damp gauze.

"Mushroom" electrode during treatment

as you can see the electrode lights up and works only in a place of direct contact with skin

4. After the treatment - Darsonval tightens and dries skin a little bit, so it's good to have some well moisturising products handy. If you have any cosmetic products that is a little bit heavy, oily, takes a while to absorb - it will be perfect to use after high frequency treatment, as skin after treatment soaks everything up like crazy. I pat two layers of Hada Labo lotion first, then I use Sidmool serum with astaxanthin, which is a bit oily and normally takes a while to be absorbed, however after treatment my skin soaks it up quickly. Normally I don't use any other products on top of that serum, however after treatment my skin is quite happy to soak up some dessert, so I finish off with my Baviphat Snail Sleeping Pack.

Sidmool Astaxanthin concentrate - my favourite product for use after High frequency treatment. It has skin brightening, anti-inflammatory and skin regenerating properties. It costs around £11 on e-Bay.

5. Disinfection - neither the hand piece nor electrodes cannot be immersed in water. To clean and disinfect your device soak a cotton pad in alcohol (minimum 70% ethanol) and simply wipe your device.

What happens if we overuse treatment?
If you treat your skin with too much power or hold electrode too long in one spot you may experience redness and some swelling. If these symptoms persist after 24h from treatment you should treat it as electrical burn and see your doctor.

Is the treatment effective?
It's VERY effective :) I use this device on myself, my fiance and couple of my friends and so far I noticed great results in treating three different skin conditions:
1. Acne - I battle with acne since I was 13. Since February last year I am on antibiotics, which helps to keep my acne under control, however I still have to deal with some spots from time to time. Darsonval works magic with nodular and cystic acne - my biggest trouble are painful bumps on the skin, either hard (nodules) or filled with puss (cysts). Whenever I feel that some spot on my face becomes harder and sensitive to touch I treat this spot with high frequency up to two times daily. Darsonval just after 2-3 treatments can bring the puss to the surface of the skin, transforming painful cysts into casual spot. And trust me, "casual" spots are much easier to deal with than cysts ;) Different kind of acne haunts my decolletage and back - red bumps on the skin (without white top), called papules. The high frequency treatment helps with them as well, they just disappear...
High frequency treatment also helps my friend with her acne - she had never experienced acne as a teenager, but after she turned 50 her skin breaks out from time to time. In her case Darsonval beautifully dries out the spots and speeds up the healing process.
2. Dandruff - my fiance has long term problems with dandruff. On his scalp there were large, red and flaky spots appearing. We don't know what it exactly is (I find British health services a bit incompetent...), all doctor told us is "it has nervous background" and "it's not psoriasis". We tried several different pharmaceutical anti-dandruff shampoos: Nizoral, Oilatum, Neutrogena T-gel... However none of them seemed to give any significant results. But do not fear, there is high frequency treatment available! My fiance was very sceptical, but I managed to convince him and for two weeks I was treating his scalp every day. After the first week there was no results, during the second week red spots got smaller and paler, after two weeks they just disappeared. Since then I give him prevention treatment every couple of days and his scalp stays healthy and doesn't flake any more.
3. Eczema - my friends had eczema, her skin is dry, red and flaky. Her symptoms get worse when she consumes dairy, eggs or alcohol. Once spontaneously I offered her treatment - the effects were really good, just after one treatment her skin looked better, the redness was reduced, especially on her forehead. However I don't know what could further treatment achieve, as she got freaked out with my snail cosmetics and all the other "weird stuff" that I use and didn't want to me continue her treatment.

How much does it cost and where to buy?
Darsonval is easily available and everyone can buy it. I bought mine on e-Bay for £24. You can also have a look on websites offering professional beauty salon supplies - prices of the big, professional devices for high frequency treatments start from £200. Is there a point of buying big, professional machine? I don't know, I have never used one, but for me the small portable one is well enough. I think it would make sense if you would buy multi-task machine, for example 2in1 Darsonval + Galvan. I already have one big professional device 3in1 diamond microdermabrasion + cavitation + ultrasound, so I wouldn't even have room in my house for another big device ;)

Darsonval or Derma Wand?
Some time ago TV selling channels released "innovation beauty device" Derma Wand. Derma Wand is nothing else than a Darsonval device, high frequency treatment with only one, permanently attached small electrode. So if I would have too choose between branded Derma Wand or no-name brand Darsonval device what would I choose? I would go for my no-name for one reason: the electrodes. Can you imagine scalp treatment on long-haired person with that silly small Derma Wand electrode?

Summing up: even though the treatment my look or sound scary (it makes characteristic crackle noises) it is easy to perform treatment and may help in many skin conditions. I can't imagine my life without Darsonval any more, I also plan to buy another device for my mum.
I highly recommend high frequency treatment! :) And considering that in beauty salons prices of high frequency facials start from £20 up, it is really worth to buy your own device.

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 :)