Friday 28 February 2014

[REVIEW] Primera Alpine Berry Watery Cream


Hello everyone, I'm back with a review on the Primera Alpine Berry Watery Cream. Recently I am on a quest to to find a good moisturising cream because I've been using an emulsion for my day and night skin care and I realised that my skin really lacks hydration overtime as the emulsion I'm using is quite light. 

I've always have oily combination skin and living in a hot tropical country with high humidity, slapping on thick creams on my face didn't sound like a good idea for me. Furthermore I used to be lazy about skincare and one emulsion can be all I apply all day. 

Anyway recently, my skin turned much dryer.  I guess its due to ageing (sigh) and long periods of working in an air conditioned environment. 

And after a day at work I noticed that my skin looks dry with lines looking more obvious than before and my makeup will turn patchy. And so I was frantically looking around for a good cream to help my skin restore its moisture level.  

After some research, I ordered the Primera Alpine Berry Watery Cream and also the SUM:37 Timeless Moisturising Cream. I couldn't decide which was better so I got both. I'll be doing a review on the latter soon! :) 

The Primera Alpine Berry Watery Cream is a pretty popular product in Korea. I find it to be quite affordable. I bought it on Qoo10 for SGD$35 (50ml). It comes in a jar container with a protective lid. 




The main ingredients used for this cream are Alpine Strawberry Sprout (moisturising) , Aloe Vera Leaf (Soothing) and Papaya Extract (brightening). 

What it says on the cover " A cream which provides rich hydration with alpine strawberry and aloe vera leaf extract while revitalising the skin with papaya fruit extract containing Vitamin C and Keratinoid" 

I really like how natural these main ingredients are and after using this for about 2 weeks, I am sold ! 

Key things that I love about this cream 
- It is a watery cream as it claims in texture which makes it so easy to apply on my skin. It glides on really smoothly. 
- Absorbs pretty fast into skin. 
- It doesn't cause any breakouts for me.
- It's moisturising function is awesome. It is so rich given the texture. Even for night use my skin looked well rested and moisturised in the morning. 
- The packaging is really travel friendly!


 Things that I don't really love about this cream
- Cream is slightly sticky when applying but it disappears when cream is absorbs into skin. 
- Some people may not like the smell. It has a light herbal/peppermint smell. I personally
have no problems with it.
- Yet to see any brightening effects. Hopefully it will help brighten my skin when I use for a longer period. 

Will I repurchase ? Yes ! For me this did not disappoint at all and in fact, works equally well as the SUM:37 Timeless Moisturising Cream at a much affordable price. 

I would recommend this for for people who are looking for a rich and lasting moisturising cream. :) 

I hope my review has been helpful to you :)

Sunday 16 February 2014

[REVIEW] HERA CC (Complete Care) Cream SPF 35/PA++


I received this cc cream as a gift from my sister last year in December 2013 when she was in Korea. This CC cream costs about 35-40 KRW . It comes in two shades - Pink beige and Natural beige. The one that I have is in natural beige which is more suitable for my yellow skin undertone. Coming up with some swatches below!

           (sorry for the fading words on the product. I've been using this cream alot for a while)






Texture: This CC cream is light weight and blends onto skin really well.


Coverage test !




 Coverage: This CC cream provides medium coverage. I tried to conceal a line of my The Saem black eyeliner as you can see above and it did a great job. It covers my dark eye circles quite well. However I think this cream doesn't help conceal redness on my cheeks. 
 This CC cream can lasts about 6 hours without touching up. However, I do feel that my skin turns dry at the end of the day and my make up becomes slightly patchy. I think this is more suitable if you are outside for a shorter time and you want a natural skin look. This CC cream works like a foundation with a more natural dewy finish. 

Would I repurchase? No. Although I love how this product brightens my skin, it does not help even out my skin tone at all. I would prefer a CC cream that can help with correcting my skin issues. For a foundation like CC cream, I would prefer using a cushion type for easier application.  

Monday 10 February 2014

[REVIEW] IOPE Bio Essence Intensive Conditioning Vs. Hera Cell Essence


Hello! I hope every one had an awesome weekend so far :) Mine was great as yesterday I had a fruitful shopping spree - I bought a couple of skirts from F21 and Zara which is my all time favourite store ever! They always make classic pieces which looks timeless and great for all seasons. I'm sooo loving their SPRING/SUMMER 2014 collection!

Sorry for the digression! Today I'm doing my own take on the much raved IOPE Bio Essence Intensive Conditioning (What a mouthful.. lets just call it IOPE Essence) and also the Hera Cell Essence. These two products are very similar in terms of their packaging, texture and function and are one of the many dupes of the SK II facial treatment essence in the market.




Since I can't afford any SK II products anytime in the near future, I have decided to search for other options which are, hopefully, just as good.

I've read about other blogs raving about the IOPE Essence which has produced similar results to the SK II facial treatment essence and I ordered it on Qoo10 via this seller for about SGD68. The Hera Cell Essence has significantly less reviews online but I still decided to try it simply because I love Shin Min Ah. I ordered it on ebay here for about SGD86. I've have been using both products for at least 2 weeks before doing this review. 

What it claims - In summary, both the IOPE and Hera Cell Essence have very similar claims. They promises to promote clearer skin and firming, evening out skin tone and brighten skin. 

Texture/ Odour - The IOPE essence is odourless and colourless while the Hera Cell essence is odourless as well but its of a slightly milky colour as you can see from the picture above. Both products absorbs into skin really well and so far no break outs on my skin at all.

Application - Both products have the same type of dispenser. It is made in a way such that when you tilt the bottle it just dispenses a few drops at a time. 
I've read that some users are not a fan of how the bottle dispenses the product. I didn't have any trouble with this as I tend to get quite heavy handed with products that comes in a bottle with big openings. I find it easier to get the right amount of product I need with this. 

Both essences recommends to use a cotton pad to apply this product but I feel that most of the time more product gets absorbed into the cotton pad then on my skin. So I have switched to using my hand to pat lightly on my skin after toner. 

Verdict - Between these two, the IOPE essence was my favourite. All other things similar, the IOPE essence really delivered what it promised. I can really see my skin improving. I have one persistant dry patchy skin on my cheek and every time I apply the essence in the morning I can feel the area turn smoother but although the effect does go off at the end of the day I really hope the patchy skin will heal as I use this product longer. I've also noticed a brighter and clearer skin when I apply the IOPE essence. 

In my opinion, this product does a better job then the Hera Cell Essence. I've used the Hera Cell Essence for about 2 weeks but I don't see or feel the effects yet. I might continue to finish this bottle after I've used up my last drop of IOPE essence. But the Hera Cell Essence was a little disappointing for me for the fact that it was more expensive than the IOPE essence and I was really expecting it to do more. 

Will I repurchase? - I might repurchase the IOPE essence but there are still so many products which I would like to try.. So it might take a while before I'm coming back to get the IOPE essence again :) But for someone looking for an all round essence to boost and improve their skin, I would recommend IOPE essence. 

Have a great week ahead everyone !





Friday 7 February 2014

[REVIEW] The Saem - Dr. Beauty Cell White Illumi-Cream, Ardent Lady Auto Gel Pencil EyeLiner , The Gem Miracle Black Pearl O2 bubble mask


Hello! I hope everyone had a great week so far. Today I am going to share my review on the products I got at The Saem store in Hongkong when I was there in January. I bought the Gem Miracle Black Pearl 02 Bubble Mask(what a mouthful ;) haha) which is one of the more popular items from The Saem in Korea, the Ardent Lady Auto Gel Pencil eyeliners in Black and Deep Blood and also the Dr.Beauty Cell White Illumi-Cream. The prices are definitely way more than Korea but oh well, I was really wanting to try out some of their products since I really liked their concealer I ordered from Ebay sometime back.



1. The Gem Miracle Black Pearl O2 Bubble Mask

The Gem Miracle Black Pearl 02 Bubble Mask is a deep cleansing mask. It comes out in a gel form but it gradually turns into foam. My sister tried it out with me together. She wasn't a fan of the ticklish feeling of the foam on her face while she waited out the 10 minutes as required. The mask has a soap smell.. After washing, it leaves a feeling of a really well cleansed face but it gives a tight feeling which I don't really like. 

Overall, I think this bubble mask is a little hyped , maybe because of the bubble mask novelty. I wouldn't purchase it again because i think there are better deep cleansing masks out there which are more moisturising than this one. 

My sister trying out the mask!

2. Ardent Lady Waterproof Auto Gel Eyeliners

I also picked up The Saem's Ardent Lady Waterproof Auto Gel Eyeliners in Deep Blood (more of a burgundy color) and Black. Did a swatch below :). I really like the Deep blood colour which is more towards purple than red. I would apply this lightly on top of my black liner to double up as an eyeshadow. 

It is waterproof but the black is not as smudge proof as I like. It does transfers to my bottom eye area after a while but it is not as bad as compared to the The Face Shop Gel Eyeliner. And I feel this is creamier than the Etude House Proof 10 eyeliner. I have oily lids so most creamy gel eyeliners would smudge on me. However, I still love gel pencil eyeliners because they are so easy to use than liquid and those potted gel liners.. 



3. Dr Beauty Cell White Illumi-Cream




 I wasn't 100% sure why I got this product .. as usually I would have done at least some research before buying skincare products.. I guess I was quite intrigued by the word 'jelly fish' on a cream jar.. Anyway the sales lady was recommending this for a brightening and hydrating cream which I desperately needed so I decided to give it a go.

I went to find out more about this cream before actually trying it. E.G.F stands for (Epidermal growth factors )which is a highly efficient cell division factor with a variety of biological activity. It can repair epidermis, delay aging, fade speckles, inhibit wrinkles, and moisten skin. Sounds good so far.. 

VCCE  stands for Vitamin C Cetyl Ether technology which is effective in reducing uneven skin tone & age spots, and restores collagen fibres bond overnight. 


Finally.. the Jellyfish extract! From what I gathered from a few articles, it seems that the Koreans are finding a solution to the overpopulation of jellyfish which is hurting the fishing industry. And scientists have found a way to extract collagen in jellyfish to be used not just in Korean skin care products but also in cosmetics!

I've been using this with my IOPE Bio Intensive Conditioning and I really love the look of my brightened skin now. I can see a difference in the morning after applying this cream at night. It definitely has some brightening effects and helps to lighten my red patches. Best thing is that it doesn't break me out which I was worried about as my skin tends to do so with rich creams. 

It has no weird smells, just a light pleasant odour. This cream is non-sticky but takes a few minutes to be completely absorbed.

I guess some people might not be comfortable with the idea of applying jellyfish extract on their face but it doesn't really bother me as much. In terms of hydration this cream does enough to keep my skin moisturised through the night but people with dry skin might need to layer this with a hydrating cream. 

I have also not seen any anti-aging effects from this cream and it doesn't do any help in healing my pimples too. 

So I would recommend this for those who are really just looking for a whitening cream. 

I hope my reviews have been helpful :) 

Saturday 1 February 2014

[REVIEW] Mamonde Rose Water Toner , LUSH Tea Tree Water, Bioderma Soothing and Moisturising Toning Lotion


Hi everyone, I'm back with a review on my 3 favourite toners ! 




Mamonde Rose Water Toner 

My favourite toner right now. This is a soothing and moisturising toner that contains 90.89% of damask rose water instead of just water. The roses used are a type of rose grown in Bulgaria well known for their moisturising functions. This toner is free from mineral oil and artificial colour. So far this toner really helps to moisturize my skin and I really love the therapeutic effects of the smell of roses. I use this on days when my skin is clear. It is slightly sticky when I first apply it on my face but after it is absorbed into the skin, the stickiness disappears. Got this for about $25 on Qoo10. Will be sticking to this toner unless I find something even better ! 

LUSH Tea Tree water

This is an antiseptic toner which works well for acne prone skin. Last month my skin was irritated with red splotchy patches as a result of a reaction to the Ciracle Snail Cream which I was testing. Luckily I found this which really helped to calm my skin. It also prevented my skin condition from worsening. Its' light and absorbs very quickly into my skin. Really convenient especially in the mornings where I need to apply my skin care routine fast. It's non sticky and has a light tea tree smell. However this product doesn't do much in terms of moisturizing as I like it to be. 

Bioderma Soothing and Moisturising Toning Lotion

This is my favourite toner for troubled skin! I got this in Hong Kong 2 weeks ago. My skin was really dry from the air flight and my skin got irritated due to a new makeup base I was using from Banila Co.. My skin was really in a bad shape... AND the worse thing was I left my LUSH Tea Tree Water at home ..So I went to the local drugstore and the sales assistant recommended this toner along with a moisturising cream. 

I was really thankful to have purchased this ! This toner immediately soothed my skin and it was moisturizing at the same time. It's slightly thicker than the tea tree water and therefore takes a little more time to absorb into my face but I really like how it softens my skin after applying without leaving a squeaky clean tight feeling.  It's odourless and hypoallegenic and paraben free. I used this with the cream in the same range throughout the 5-day trip and my skin condition really improved alot ! This is suitable for any skin time and I would really recommend this especially for people with troubled or sensitive skin ;).