[REVIEW] Skinfood Red Orange Face & Body Sun Finish SPF 28 PA++

Hi everyone!

Today, I will be reviewing this sparkly/shiny suncreen(?) with SPF 28!  I'm not sure why I bought this, it was probably when I actually believed in this SPF haha.  I have to say that I am quite suspicious of SPF in Korean cosmetics, I prefer not to trust them..  However, when I bought this, I thought this was a clear spray but when I sprayed it, it's actually like sunscreen.

I bought this while I was in Korea last year so it's almost a year old (woops).  It was 11,000 won for 80 mL, so around $11 CAD.  You can change to your currency here.

Along with this, I also bought the concealer stick in the same category which I will be reviewing soon!

For now, let's start with this one.

I didn't really get a lot of information from the bottle since the back was all in Korean.

So, I decided to search it up and found this from here 

Thank goodness for this amazing translation of how this works!  I think I just bought it on a whim since I regret spending 11,000 won now..

Let me just point out that I cannot spray it directly on my face because it is not a transparent solution.  It's a sunscreen colour (white-ish beige) and sprays out in big droplets.  

 This is what the spray nozzle looked after I sprayed it onto my hand.  It seeped into the cap! :(

Here is a before and after of my hand!

Here, we have steps 1-4, step 1 is my hand without any product on and step 4 has the product on my hand.  

I noticed that it does smell like orange, but the smell is not strong.  If you spray it out and put some on your body, you can't smell the orange unless you bring your nose to that area.

I found the spray to have a matte finish but it was also oily, and a bit sticky like sunscreen.  

In the end, I am a bit disappointed in myself for buying something so useless for me because I would probably never use it.  Since I don't use makeup a lot, people who use makeup might find it useful since this product allows your makeup to stay on longer.

I would not buy this again because I have no use for it!  If you say my HK Haul, I bought mostly face washes ahah.  Check it out here

I hope you enjoyed this review!

Thank you for reading,

Melissa

[REVIEW] Etude House Silk Scarf Hologram Hair Serum

Hi everyone!


Today I will be reviewing this pretty bottle of hair serum!  Personally, I don't have a lot of experience with hair serum.  I usually only shampoo and condition my hair and occasionally use a Herbal Essence serum for damaged roots because it's been lying around in the drawer for quite some time.

So, on with the review!

I bought this hair serum in Korea, I don't remember how much I bought it from but on the official Etude House website, it says it's 6,500 won.

Check your currency here: click here

For me, it's around $7 CAD for a 120mL bottle which I think is not that bad!

The serum comes out using a pumping motion. 

The bottle is wrapped in plastic - as you can see in the picture, I have begun ripping it off!

Ingredients are written on a sticker placed on the bottle because the print on the bottle is small and it's WHITE.  Although it blends well with the light pink colour, it makes it extremely difficult to see what Etude House is trying to get across.
 

Here, we can see the production date on the bottom of the bottle.  

The writing is extremely difficult to decipher.  So, I will type down what it says in English!

"Specially formulated with oil complex and floral scent, this anti-frizz serum creates exceptional shine while sealing the cuticle with a moisturizing layer."

Directions: Distribute evenly throughout clean, towel-dried hair, concentrating on the ends. 

Caution:  For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes.  Keep out of reach of children.  Discontinue use if signs of irritation and/or rash appear.

The top is a pump of the serum.  As you can see, the serum has fluidity as it is rolling quickly off my skin. 

 The serum is also not very sticky, after I apply it to my hair, the serum residue left on my skin is easy to wash off and feels almost like nothing.  

I also really like the scent of the serum.  It is not extremely strong but has a soft, mellow scent that I enjoy, considering that I tend to be sensitive to strong smells.

For past the shoulder-length hair, I use two pumps to distribute into my hair.

Here are pictures of the before and after of the serum.

As you can see, the serum did flatten down most of my stray hairs.  

I have nothing bad to say about this serum, but I admit that it didn't really impress me.  It didn't seem to help with my split ends but that may have been because I didn't really pay attention to them.  

I would recommend this as a serum to try out, but I would probably not buy it again.  The price is quite reasonable but I cannot find a reason to why I SHOULD buy it again.  

Anyway, thanks for reading!

As always,

Melissa

[REVIEW] Missha Super Aqua Marine Stem Cell Active Toner and Control Emulsion

Hi everyone!


Today I will be reviewing a toner and emulsion that I got from my friend!  Since she also went to Korea, she got me some samples and I am forever grateful T__T.

So, on with the review!

Just in case, this is a sample, not the full bottle.  I have no idea what the full bottle looks like but I'm sure you can google it.

I have no clue what it's supposed to do since there aren't really any instructions or anything so I tried searching it up. 

"pure and moisture-rich toner that boosts dry and dull skin. This gel type toner instantly moisturizes, energizes, and brightens the skin." 

 Ok, I got that from the official Missha website that also said a bunch of other stuff it did.  However, I didn't get that feeling AT ALL.

First, the toner is very strange.  It's not a liquid, but a clear jelly that took me a long time trying to get it out of the bottle.  Second, it didn't feel different from any other toner.  Also, my skin did not become energized or brightened.  It felt a little moisturized after putting on the emulsion but I have this patch of dry skin that I spread it over and it didn't do anything at all.

As for the smell, it smells really nice!  I don't know how to describe it, kinda flowery scent?  It's not very strong either.

As for the emulsion, the solution is not sticky at all, which is awesome because I hate that feeling when you have cream on your hands after applying it on your face.  Personally, I think emulsions are a bit too low-key for my skin, I need something more hydrating than a watered down cream.

Overall, I am pretty disappointed with this, especially since the bottle of toner is worth $20 CAD!!  That is the usual price of toners are in Canada but I wouldn't buy it since it doesn't feel effective and it's a bit too expensive.

Toner on the top, Emulsion at the bottom

I think I was a bit more satisfied with Skinfood's Toner and Emulsion.  I did a review here.

Check that out and thanks for reading!  Sorry if the review sounds a bit rushed, I am very busy right now but I really wanted to post something.  Anyway, thank you very much for reading!

As always,

Melissa 

[REVIEW] Skin Food Gold Caviar Collagen Cream

Hi everyone!


After getting a lot of these samples from buying products at Skin Food, I finally decided to do a short review on this!

Since the packaging only had a Korean description, I searched it up on the official site and got this:  A collagen-enriched cream with Russian caviar extract, pure gold particles, and collagen extract that fill up loose, deflated skin for a firmer, tighter complexion. (Cosmeceutical for wrinkle care)

Since I don't have wrinkles (yet), I decided to try it on my hands, part of my face, and near my eye.

Top left corner: awesome corner to get a small bit at a time! ^^  Easier to store too if you didn't use up all the product. 

The cream is white and a bit thick.  It feels like it's in between a moisturizing cream and emulsion.  It's also a bit sticky so it feels more like a night cream or moisturizer.  

The instructions are: After toner and serum application, dispense an ample amount into your palm.  Smooth on the face in gentle rolling motions.  

In the pictures below, I took a picture of my hand before and after the cream application.  

The after results look like my skin has been whitened and there's a slight shimmer to the cream.  Also, it looks more hydrated or has a "dewy" look.  It also makes my skin look less red and blotchy!

This is the before and after of the cream.  To be honest, I don't see much difference in the pictures.

Overall, this product does not give me a tightening feel.  It just feels like sticky moisturizing cream.  However, from the pictures shown above, I think it's nice because it gives my skin a whiter look.

I don't know how much this product was since it was a sample but in conclusion, I think I would buy the full bottle container if I had a chance.  I believe it's better to spend money on a cheap but nice cream than an expensive one that's really not worth the money.  

I hoped you enjoyed this review!

Any questions, please comment below :)

Thanks for reading,

Melissa

[REVIEW] Banilla co Claypatra Mineral Salt Clay Pack

Hi everyone!

So while I was in Korea, my mom left me alone to have a cup of coffee so I walked aimlessly up and down the streets.  I found a Banilla co and decided to go in.

I think the girl took me as a foreigner and attempted to let me know what everything was and tried to get me to buy stuff.  Her English wasn't that great but the thing the bothered me the most was that she would follow me around the store while I was trying to look at other products on my own.  I understand that maybe I might have needed help at some point but personal space please!

I felt a bit pressured if I didn't buy anything and the store was pretty empty.  So, I decided to buy this Mineral Salt Clay Pack.

The pack was 14,000 won so around $14 CAD
You can convert to your currency here

I personally think that it's kind of expensive for a pack in Korea and I think it's a bit pricey too for a pack in Canada.

A little size chart here - the box is a bit longer than a bobby pin

So a little warning beforehand.  The whole box (minus the parts shown above) are in Korean.  So, I didn't understand a lot.. I should probably ask my friend for translations :P.

They couldn't spell ingredients right..

close-up of top 

Uh..history of the dead sea and Cleopatra? 

I don't know what this says here..

Un-boxing time!

Since there are no english instructions at all, I decided that I would wash my face and dry it, then apply a thin/thick layer on my face and wait for 15-20 minutes.

The pack itself is very smooth and clay-like.  If you have ever taken a pottery class, this is the feeling of clay with water - smooth and a bit firm.  There are some exfoliation pieces in there (I'm guessing salt or rock..?) .  Overall, it feels pretty good putting it on my face.

So after the 15 minutes of lying there doing nothing, I rinse it off and I probably should have tried rubbing it in and exfoliating my face with the salts provided.  Oh well!

To be honest, I didn't see much that happened on my face.. I saw more on my hand to be honest.  I applied the mask on my hand to demonstrate what the texture was like in a picture somewhere here.  After a few minutes, I washed it off and compared my two hands together.  I noticed that the masked one was much whiter and less red.
So, judging from this, I guess the mask was partially successful.

Below is me trying to capture the texture of the mask.  Grainy clay-like texture, soft/firm.

In conclusion, I don't think I would buy this again.  If money wasn't a factor, I would still not buy it because it didn't work well on me.  As I always say, I think I would like to try out new packs before I come to a conclusion or before I buy it again.

Thank you very much for reading!

If you want to know anymore information, feel free to comment below :)

-Melissa