Empties: November 2016

CHANEL Hydra Beauty Gel Creme

CHANEL Hydra Beauty Micro Serum

CLARINS Extra-Firming Eye Concentrate

CHANEL Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde Clair

KOSE Softymo Honey Whip Cleansing

I have finished full sizes of both the CHANEL Hydra Beauty Micro Serum and Gel Creme and whilst I did like them, I didn't think they were awesome for the price tag. Love the scent, but having tried less expensive hydration products which perform just as well, I would not repurchase. However, if you are interested in the brand, do give their hydration products a go.

I've finished travel sizes and also full sizes of this CLARINS Extra-Firming Eye Concentrate, and it's my favourite eye cream. This 3ml size lasts me for more than a month with daily use and you only need a grain size each time. No oil seeds nor irritation and it keeps my eyes smooth. Okay my first favourite is actually the Super Restorative Eye but it is significantly more expensive (and not intended for my age range, its targeted at women in their 50s). Will keep repurchasing.

This CHANEL Eyebrow Pencil has been in my makeup case forever, glad it's finally finished because I sort of forgot about it. I really liked it but kept "saving" it, as I do with many of my brow products. I used to hoard brow products (and then open them to test it out) so I don't have to worry when one of them finishes. The eyebrow pencil was a good match for when my hair was very light and even now in a darker shade, Blonde Clair still matched it. Easy to use, but I prefer brow powders now so I would not be repurchasing.

KOSE Softymo Honey Cleansing Whip was sent over by Wonect (full review here) and I used it as my morning cleanse and also at night if I have minimal or no makeup on. This lasted me for a good 4 months, a nice gentle cleanser which foams up when pumped out and removes all traces of light makeup. Still have many morning cleansers in the testing queue but I wouldn't rule out repurchasing this.

Wonect Beauty Review: maNara Hot Cleansing Gel

Cleansers are a must in my daily skincare, I might skip on lotions or eye cream when I'm lazy but never my cleansing step! I have to cleanse twice a day, once in the morning with a light gel or foam, and once more at night to remove the day's makeup and buildup.

I've always favoured cleansing oils to remove my makeup as I find the slip of the oils as I massage away the grime to be enjoyable and gentle on my skin. A perk for me is dislodging little oil seeds or bits of dust as I massage away (regardless of brand used). 

maNara Hot Cleansing Gel isn't new to the market but I was wary of picking it up despite the raves as I was concerned the heat produced would irritate my sensitive skin. But guess what, again I am proven wrong! I don't usually type in caps but I LOVE THIS!!! I REALLY DO!!

Wonect sent over a trial pack of 6 sachets, but because I am on a cosmetics & beauty ban (I have enough cleansers to last me another year) I can't even buy it!! I really love this product so I'm saving the last 2 packs for when my skin needs a little TLC.

This gem here is formulated with 91.4% of serum-like hydrating ingredients- Collagen, Ceramide, Royal jelly extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, Honey and Grapefruit extract amongst other things. There is zero Paraben, Mineral Oil, Petroleum derived agents, Ethanol, Synthetic colour or scent. 

Many high-end brands boast nutrient rich ingredients but I've never really felt any of them to live up to the claims not even La Mer's Cleansing Oil. So I don't buy into expensive cleansing oils anymore and instead started trying out more drugstore brands as they all did the job. But this, this is LOVE! I definitely felt the ingredients nourish my skin and it felt so soft after!

The orange gel which gets it's colour from carrot extract squeezes out thick and has a orange scent to me but apparently it's 100% grapefruit. As I massaged it on my face it turned into a oil-like texture which spread easily. It also got hotter but never to an uncomfortable stage. I was initially worried I would end up with a red face because of the heat but I didn't experience any redness nor irritation. It removed my makeup perfectly and it felt like I had a mini-facial. I couldn't stop stroking my soft face after! Read more about how this gel works here.

I never thought a makeup remover or cleanser could be SO GOOD! Love the scent, the texture, the deep cleansing from the heat and the softness I experienced after is like no other. I highly recommend this product!

I've really discovered many new Japanese products through Wonect, thank you to the lovely team for the carefully curated and prettily wrapped packages!

Interested in the maNara Hot Cleansing Gel? Check out the link below!

Shop Here!

Review: Kanebo Evita Rose Beauty Whip Soap

New in stores! Just picked up this recently launched foaming cleanser and immediately tested it out. Pretty roses when doing something as mundane as washing my face? Yes, please!

The Kanebo Evita Rose Beauty Whip Soap is targeted at more mature skin types but I prefer more moisturizing cleansers anyway so I didn't hesitate to pick one up. Plus I found the novelty of creating roses each time I washed my face quite appealing.

Ingredients include Royal Jelly Extract, Collagen, Rice Extract, Hyaluronic Acid and Damask Rose Water. Simple instructions to dispensing the foam are illustrated on the back of the can.

It took me a few tries to create the rose shape, the key is to pushing it slow and steady- the first few times I pressed down too hard resulting in oddly shaped "roses". 

The foam was really thick and dense, the most dense I have ever come across. It's like a thick melted marshmallow and the scent is so lovely- not an old rose but a more fresh and light version of the flower. 

First impressions, I like the texture and scent and after washing it off, my face felt a teeny bit taut but so soft! I also got Y* to use the foam (I made one too many roses) and I could definitely feel softness after he dried off his face. I used it as a second cleanser, after removing my makeup so I can't say if you're able to use it solely to remove makeup. Will update once I have used it longer. 

Overall, not bad for a "gimmicky" product!

Beauty Review: Wonect August Box

Update 3 Sept: Use the code "XEN<3" for 15% off the items reviewed below. Offer ends 8 Sept 2016, Worldwide delivery available!

I've finally tested all the products Wonect sent me for August! Whilst they were sent to me complimentary, all opinions are honest and of my own. 

First up, the skincare products!

I've never heard of morning masks (without the need to pre-cleanse the face) until now! Saborino Morning Masks are meant to be used that way, they are an all-in-one: face wash, skincare (tightening which reduce puffiness) and moisturizer. Just pop one on when you get up or whilst still snoozing in bed. Instructions say to leave on for at least a minute, I had mine on for about 5. So what's in it? For cleansing- apple fruit acid, tightening- peppermint extract, cucumber extract, tea tree leaf oil and grapefruit leaf oil, and for moisturizing- collagen, hyaluronic acid, orange oil, avocado extract and honey.

Saborino masks are folded but do not stick together when taken out. Nothing more annoying than accidentally pulling out 2 sheets and "contaminating" the second when you only need one. The mask looked a little small initially but it does stretch out.

The mask has a light minty-tea tree scent which I found energizing in the morning. On the skin it tingles slightly, however it doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes at all. The scent does linger and it's not as "wet" as other sheet masks which I've used, but then again it's not meant as a moisture mask. Overall, I found it super easy to use, my face was clean and I experienced no irritation at all. Really great for mornings when you need an extra pick-me-up but are short on time, also on long haul flights before landing.

Aside from the latest in sheet masks, I also got to try a top ranking cleansing product- Kose Softymo Honey Whip Cleansing Foam. I've seen it many times at drugstores but I never picked it up as I felt it would not be suitable for my skin (sensitive, acne-prone, and I prefer natural/no parabens). Looking at the pink and adorable packaging, I just assumed it was laden with synthetic and drying ingredients. Oh, how wrong I was!

This foam claims to be a makeup remover and cleanser all in one, you can use it with dry hands and after massaging the foam in, rinse it off thoroughly. Key ingredients include- 5 types of 100% pure honey (lavender, damask rose, lycium, orange blossom and lychee) and glycerin for rich moisturizing properties.

My skin is sensitive-normal, and I can't use cleansers which are too harsh or drying. The best cleansers for me are low-foaming and which provide some moisture. I tested this cleanser in the morning on my bareface, and also with makeup swatches below:

Top to bottom: Eyebrow powder, Maybelline Gel Liner (love this! super black, long-lasting and doesn't smudge), Clarins Kohl Pencil Liner, Clarins BB Cream, RMK Lipgloss and Chanel Joues Contraste Blusher in Rose Tourbillon.

The liquid pumps out as a dense foam, sorta like whipped cream and pillowy to the touch. I massaged it in with ease and rinsed off with cool water. As you can see, it took off the powders without difficulty but the eyeliners still remain as well as a hint of the BB cream. That said, the eyeliner is crazy hard to remove (water-based doesn't work, it only moves with oil) and if you use light makeup, this could function as both your makeup remover and cleanser. On days when I use a compact powder instead of BB cream, I don't even need to double cleanse.

I like that the Softymo Honey Whip Cleansing Foam is free of preservatives(parabens), mineral oils, silicones, ethyl alcohol and colorants. Even the floral honey scent is natural! I would never have guessed that this was a "gentle" cleanser based on it's packaging. Because gentle and natural products are usually housed in more basic/generic packaging. I have been using this for 3 weeks as my morning cleanser and also nightly second cleanse (after cleansing oil). Very gentle, no irritation and soft skin after each wash.

Next up, the 2 makeup products! The first is the Fujiko MayuTint in 01 Chocolat Brown which is very popular (saw it on many Japanese instagrammers page). Whilst my eyebrows aren't sparse, I still need to fill them in, else I end up looking unpolished and incomplete. I can step out of the house without eyeliner but definitely not without filling my brows.

The liquid is thick but spreads well and is not gloopy or runny at all. Instructions say to wipe off any oils on the brow area, paint the tint on (it dries in about 15 minutes) and leave it on for at least 2 hours before peeling off. It has a nice floral scent and the brush is a good size and easy to paint with. Check out my before and after below:

The end result was so much better than I anticipated! At first I was worried it would be too dark, but the colour was definitely natural, even and matched my hair colour well (medium brown). It was so easy to use and my brows lasted for 5 days before completely fading off. I highly recommend this as it saves time not having to do my brows daily, and on top of that I look polished even sans makeup. Love!

Lastly, I also received the RMK Lip Jelly Gloss in 04 Orange Pearl. This lip gloss is one of the top ranked beauty products on @Cosme for the first half of 2016 (read more here).

From their website- "A colour whose tone is so sheer, so pure, it positively bursts with lustrous juiciness! Our newly developed spatula allows you to apply a highly concentrated moisturizing gel in great abundance for full and captivating lips." The applicator is rather unique, it's a silicon foot which is kinda shaped like a spoon. It makes for easy application and I can easily clean it.

I wore it on bare lips and I found the formula to be moisturizing and whilst it was glossy it didn't feel tacky or overly sticky. I liked that it made my lips plump and juicy, and there was micro-glitter (you can see it in the swatch above) but wasn't visible once on unless I stared really closely. I could not detect any scent nor taste in the RMK Lip Jelly Gloss.

Hope you found the reviews helpful, you can purchase these items at most Japanese drugstores or department stores (for RMK) and also online:

Saborino Morning Masks 5 sheets
Kose Softymo Honey Whip Cleansing Foam 200ml
Fujiko MayuTint in 01 Chocolat Brown
RMK Lip Jelly Gloss in 04 Orange Pearl

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