The Most Lightweight & Greaseless Sunscreen Ever : Nik's professional Aqua Sun Protect SPF 50+ / pa+++

Name: Nik's professional Aqua Sun Protect SPF 50+ / pa+++

Price: $30 SGD

Volume: 15ml

Rating: 4/5 stars
Website: LINK

Niks Professional is a skin care brand that originated from a Doctor's office. The first branch of the clinic was opened in the eastern side of Singapore and I've even been there once! I vaguely remember the queue being so long that after queuing for an evening, I still didn't managed to see the doctor and had to return the next day. I've never waited this long to see a doctor before but I guess the snaking queue attest to it's quality.

Here's a little about the brand itself 

" Niks Professional is an integrated medical skin care provider, incorporating family dermatology and aesthetic medical services, skin care products, facial treatment and medical camouflage service under one roof and a single NIKS brand.
We own and operate three medical clinics in Singapore focusing on family dermatology and aesthetic medicine. Our clinical services are complemented by a portfolio of some 200 quality medical skin care products. Our products are conceptualised and developed in Singapore and made in the finest factories in the United States and Europe. We brand our products and services under one unified, consistent NIKS brand. All our products satisfy stringent regulatory requirements in the United States and Europe, and are regularly updated to reflect advances in skin care technology. We are also active in paramedical camouflage cosmetics." 

Let's jump straight into my simple review.

Review: The ORCHID Skin Orchid Flower Aqua UV Sun Gel SPF30 PA++ 5

Name: The Orchid Skin Sun Screen SPF 30 PA++
Price: $40 for 3 ( 60 ml)
Rating: 2.5/5
Weblink: Qoo10

Kose Babyish High Moisturising mask (50 sheets)

Name: Kose Babyish High Moisturising mask
Retail price: SGD$19.90 (50 pc )
Quantity: 50 pieces
Rating: 2.5/5

I bought Kose's Babyish High Moisturizing mask (50 sheets) at my local department store recently because I thought they were selling it at $15.50. Turns out the promotion price was only applicable if you purchase another $15 worth of stuffs. Anyway, here's my short review of the product.

Packaging

It's a 50 piece mask pack. It's basically a big aluminium Ziplock bag with 50 sheets of mask all stacked together in the watery essence. Pretty standard pack mask design though some might worry about the air-tightness of the Ziplock and worry about leakage or premature drying.

I say, just be sure you've fully pressed the Ziplock down. Unless very intense pressure was applied on the bag, it's unlikely to leak though I've been careless enough to allow that to happen haha.

50 sheets of mask piled together while soaking in the Essence. This is how they roll.

The bulk mode of the packaging might put some people off as questions about hygiene and product (mask Essence) distribution can be raised. I'm personally not too bothered by that since I always wash my hands before applying face masks. While Essence distribution is indeed a worry factor for bulk facemasks - remember you also pay much lesser per piece so imho, it all evens out. But each to its own. I personally enjoy bulk facial masks as they forces/ encourages me to keep using them Everyday.

Texture & effect

The facemask seems to be made out of some thin paper fabric. Quality and moisture retention ability of the face mask is average. The quality of the masks are definitely below say, Leaders Insolution masks. The masks tends to be on the slightly dry side and my forehead is a little too high to be fully covered. The mask feels cheap (sorry) and doesn't fit the face as well as I hope.

But the fit isn't too much of a problem as I always wear my face masks with DAISO's silicon face mask on top of it to keep everything in place. If you haven't tried the DAISO Silicon mask yet, and you're a big facemask junkie - you need to check it out. It is such a game changer!

The essence from the facemask is watery and tends to drip a lot when worn.

Unlike many of my other face masks, I often remove the mask after an hour or so to a "just-as dull" face. Because the mask was not able to retain as much Essence, the skin starts to feel a little dry after an hour. The skin is slightly plumped after the treatment but nothing to rave about.

Conclusion

Overall, there's nothing to boast about here. Kose's babyish high moisturising face mask borders on the disapproval zone.

With a label that claims (and a few others) to be topping the popularity chart; I'd say I was more than a little disappointed. While I understand it's only meant to be a daily maintenance face masks and is cost at only 39 cents each - it is still the most under performing facemask I've ever used.

Unless your skin is super dehydrated and unable to retain its own moisture which forces you to face mask every day (like me) , or your skin is super good and you just need some basic hydration, otherwise I say just give this product a miss. Spend your time on something better.

Since I'm stuck with this product now, Ive devised a way to make it work twice as hard. I apply a layer of sleeping gel mask to my face before slapping the mask and the result is a brighter and more hydrated face when I remove the mask.

Hope this review was helpful. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think or what you want me to review next time !

Review : Innisfree Super Volcanic pore clay mask (first impression)

Name: Innisfree Super Volcanic pore clay mask
Retail price: SGD$22.60 (full size)
Volume: 100ml
Rating: 3/5

I've been breaking out non-stop after my first trial with the Cledbel face lifting mask and serum. It might not be the product that's against my skin but rather my skin itself being sensitive for no good reasons. But my skin has been feeling dehydrated, dry and congested recently. I've even taken to applying a hydrating face mask almost every night to combat the acne and skin discomfort.

Decided to give this mud mask a try since I was so impressed by Belif's mud mask the last time I tried it. Maybe this would become my holy grail, who knows? I've only ever used this product once because it's a sample and I can only have one try with it xD.

Review: Cledbel Face Lift Solution, Super Miracle Lifting Mask

Name: Cledbel Face Lifting Mask
Price: $32.90 (Buy on Qoo10)
Volume: 70ml
Rating: 1/5

I've been conscious about my smile lines for the longest time so when I saw Cledbel's face lift solution promoting on Qoo10 last early november, the beauty product enthusiast in me perked up.

Review: Flatana Botanical Mayouncin Super Serum

I can't remember how long I've been using this product but I've gone through at least two bottles of this essence. I started using it when it was still using its old packaging more than a year ago.

Name: Flatana Botanical Mayouncin Super Serum
Price:  S$19.90 (Qoo10)
Volume: 30 ml
Rating: 2.5/5

The seller on Qoo10 claims that this serum consists of 87% pure botanical mucin and 99.7% of high purity botanical extracts. The product claims to help in oil controlling, moisturising, firming , elasticity, wrinkles and whitening. I always try to review a product after I've properly tested it to avoid hazy and unreliable reviews and I'm mighty glad I did it with this product too. 

Review: Etude House Baking Powder Pore & Bb Deep Cleansing Foam

So I decided to finally try that sample packet of facial cleanser I've had it in my arsenal for God-knows-how-long . I'm not sure what piqued my interest in it but it did and I'm thanking my lucky stars (aka God) for that. The sample satchet was so old I worried it might have expired but thankfully it didn't hehe.

The product amazed me enough to purchase a full sized tube and here is my review after a few weeks of use.

Name: Etude House Baking Powder Pore & Bb Deep Cleansing Foam
Price : USD$9.80 (website), Qoo10 price
Rating : 4.5/5
Size: 150ml

Packaging

The packaging is simple. Just a brightly coloured squeeze tube with a nice, stable foundation. It stands well on its own and that's all I can say about it.

Texture

The cleanser is opaque white and has micro beads in it to help exfoliate. The beads are small and doesn't scratch like some old school exfoliator does. After some massaging the beads seem to melt away.

The cleanser foams up very well and only needs a tiny amount to clean the entire face.

Effect & Usage

It leaves the face feeling squeaky clean without stripping it of it's moisture like some old foam cleansers. I've been avoiding foam cleansers like a plague for the longest time but it seemed like science have came out with new formulas that not only cleans extremely well but moistures too. In fact the skin actually feels supple enough for me to go buzzing around after washing - sans moisturiser .

Of course I don't recommend you do that often because it's best to follow up cleaning with proper skincare procedures. Especially since that is the time your skin absorbs products the best.

The official website says you can use it to remove everyday makeup and it received glowing reviews for that. I haven't actually tried that as I found it hard to clean the areas around my eyes without getting the foam into my eyes haha. Can someone enlighten me? Am I supposed to remove makeup around the eye with makeup cleanser and cotton pad seperately XD?

The amount of foam you create however, will directly affect the squeaky /dry effect on the face. For people with sensitive skin, I recommend getting your hand on a sample satchet like me to test it first. I also only use a tiny pea amount which I concentrate mostly on my T-zone.

Most of the time my face feels clean and nice after the wash and my skin doesn't feel like it's been stripped of it's natural moisture. But there are days that I feel like I overdid things and experienced a day or two of tautness which needed to be compensated with face masking or serum. I try to avoid applying serums these days unless I absolutely have to as they seem to break me out.

Someone on Instagram commented that after going thru a quarter of the tube, it started to dry her skin out a lot. So I alternate this with my Cetaphil cleanser to avoid drying my sensitive and dehydrated skin. Even though this is supposed to be a mild exfoliating product, it's better to be careful.

Conclusion

I highly recommend this cleanser to people with acne prone skin or suffer from blackhead and whitehead problems. My blackheads and whiteheads problem improved significantly after using this product and avoiding serums. My skin is almost acne free now except the occasional zits.

At just USD $9.80, this 150ml product will last a loonnngggggg time. This is my new holy grail!

Review: Pure Smile Face Masks (Japan)

Name: Pure Smile Face Masks
Bought from: Japan Drugstore
Price: S$4.19 (¥324) (Qoo10)
Rating: 4/5

My skin has been feeling pretty happy after the Pore Shrinking treatment at CNP much to my relieve and joy. But starting from a few days back, my skin suddenly took a turn for the worse. Suddenly the itch and redness is back and I have no idea why! I’m still trying to find the culprit but before that, time for some skin SOS! The only thing to rescue the skin now is a lot of face mask and some serum.

In this blog entry, I’ll review the Japanese face mask collection called Pure Smile. It is a drugstore face mask with a range of benefits and price tags. However I'm only going to blindly review the funny faces ones as those are the only ones I've tried. 

According to the english wordings at the bottom of the masks, it seems like the funny face mask are all designed to contain collagen, Hyaluronic acid and Vitamin E. Sorry for the unexpectedly long introduction , let's jump straight into the review. 

Review: Su Moisture Cream (The Orchid Skin)

Name: Su Moisture Cream
Price:  35,000 Won (SGD$40.80)
Volume: box of 100 ml
Rating: 4/5

As a Budget traveller who travel minimalist style - South Korea was one of the few countries I travelled to with the intent to bring something back. Being an avid fan of Korean skincare products , I wasn't going to come home with a empty suitcase so a shopping trip was scheduled on the last night of my trip. 

I was actually pulled into the shop by an overly enthusiastic salesgirl in Ehwa Women university’s shopping area. I had already spent most of my bucks in TheFaceShop so I wasn't too keen on buying more. But the power of persuasive sale is strong here as I walked away 50,000 Won poorer –_-;;

Review: Etude House Pure Water Baobab Moist Cream

Name: Etude House Pure Water Baobab Moist Cream
Price: SGD$16.7 (Qoo10)
Volume: 60ml
Rating: 4.5/5

My skin was going through a painful recovery earlier this february. My skin has a history of sensitivity and is easily affected by environmental elements so I wasn't sure what happened at first. Thankfully, I soon narrowed it down to a facial cleansing brush I had purchased recently. It worked fabulously the first few days but after a week, my skin suddenly became red, irritated and painful. Applying my usual Hada Labo Koi Gokujyun Whitening moisturiser and all my other skin care products over my irritated skin was scorching. I had in my naivety, over scrubbed my face which in turn, caused the skin to be irritated, agitated and sore. I quickly ceased usage after realisation.

Soon after, a friend casually passed me a jar of Etude House's BabBao Moist Cream insisting it is very hydrating and will help my condition. The sample jar she passed me lasted me slightly more than a week. I liked it enough to get myself a full sized Jar when I went to Korea last month. 

 

Review: Belif Peat Miracle Revital Mask

Name: Belif Peat Miracle Revital Mask
Price: SGD$58.40 (Qoo10)
Volume: 50gm (Jar)
Rating: 3.5/5

I met up with an old friend recently and she passed a few sachets to me. They were Belief’s Peat miracle Revital Masks, a skincare line from Korea that focus on it’s use of natural ingredients and honest products. While I’m not big on Mud masks due to my sensitive skin, there are days where I need them to fight the gunk in my pores.

 

Pore shrinking in Korea

I went to CNP skin laser clinic for a laser treatment when I was in Korea last month. I had an Intracel treatment that promise to shrink the pores, lift the skin and improve the overall texture. I went to the new branch in Yangjae. As you can see, it's really cosy and professional looking. 

 

There’s even a coffee and tea machine that I wasted no time in trying, hehe.

 

 

Hada Labo Koi-Gokujyun 3D Perfect Gel (Review)

Name: Hada Labo Koi-Gokujyun 3D Perfect Gel
Price: 1,695Yen (SGD$19.42)
Volume: 100gm (Jar) 
Rating: 4/5

I bought this in Japan early this year when I was in Kansai for the Cherry Blossoms. I’ve been a fan of Hada Labo for a long while now and my favourite moisturiser from them is their Koi-Gokujyun Whitening Perfect Gel . I ran out out of moisturiser halfway through the trip (travel size container problems!) and decided to try their 3D perfect gel. Then, this product has not reached Singapore yet and it’s novelty caught my attention.

Queen Helen’s Avocado & Grapefruit masque (Review)

It’s been a while since I reviewed any products. Not because I stopped my quest for the next skin saviour but more because I’ve been too tired and lazy from travelling to do any reviews haha. Anyway, I started my Christmas shopping last Sunday. Watsons was having a buy 3 get 1 free promotion and as my fourth item, I picked this baby up.

Name: Queen Helen’s Avocado & Grapefruit masque
Price: $7.50
Bought from: Watsons SG
Rating: 2/5

 

 

I’ve been struggling to keep my pores clean for the longest time but nothing seems to work by themselves. It always needed to be the whole arsenal of multiple cleansing with multiple cleansing tools , exfoliators and Sebum control gel , so on and so forth -_-.

 

So I decided to try a masque that promise to not only deep cleanse my pores but leave my skin moisturised as well.

 

 

The ugliest face mask ever (Review)!

As part of my Transsiberian trip a couple of months back, my last stop was China. And being such a fan of Taobao, it was impossible not to lug something back. I ordered a tonne of stuffs from Taobao to be shipped to my last hotel in Mt Emei. The Face mask I’m going to review here was one of my loot. Yes, it’s probably the ugliest and most disgusting looking facemask you will ever see.

 

 

Review: LAM SAM YICK 林三益 Clean Acne Bye-Bye Brush

Name: LSY 林三益 X 柳燕粉刺焕颜限定组
Price: $700 TWD - SGD$18.90 on Qoo10 (Price varies )
Website: Lam Sam Yick Official Website & Qoo10 sale page

 

 

Introduction

Lam Sam Yick was a calligraphy brush making company that started in 1917 in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. The company relocated to Taiwan in 1946 and has since spanned across four generations. With the decline in use of calligraphy, the business has since ventured into the world of beauty brushes. Lam Sam Yick’s brushes are said to be incredibly soft and comfortable.

 

This Skincare brush range is made in collaboration with the Beauty Guru/ Skincare Teacher from Taiwan;  Liu Yan Teacher. She is most famous for being a regular on the hit Beauty talk show; Nu Ren Mo Zui Da. This Bye-Bye brush specifically targets removal of blackheads. The brush has a ring of short soft bristle on the outside while the inside consists of extreme fine but tough and flexible synthetic fibres.

 

 

 

 

“Clean Acne BYE-BYE Brush

Teacher Liu Yan is very particular on cleansing as cleansing is the most important step for a beautiful and healthy skin. With the collaboration with LAMSAMYICK (LSY), they have specially designed a two-layer brush which has a mix of different diameters in the inner and outer layers.

Clean Acne BYE-BYE Brush is made of Synthetic Fibers 化纖 where bristles will not break. Designed with a softer-touch exterior and a harder-touch interior bristles.With the inner layer bristles smaller than your pores made of 0.07 mm, it is able to penetrate deep into the pores where the underlying dirt are. While the 0.10 mm outer bristles are responsible for loosening the blackheads/whiteheads and acnes, accelerates the acne health and boosts metabolism time.

For those with healthy skin, this outer layer of brush can also be used to clean the deepest part of the skin, to help adjust the skin so as to prevent the growth of any blackheads and acnes.
Able to use this for your nose, hairlines and other parts.”

~ Info from Qoo10

 

Apparently the Bye-Bye blackhead is so effective in removing blackheads, Taiwanese Singer & TV host Pauline Lan even managed to remove a 10 year old blackhead with it.

 

 

Review: B’liv Off With Those Heads

I have a love hate relationship with this product. In fact so intense is my grudge against it that merely thinking about writing a review on it makes me angry. I have used it since 2006 and for anyone to use a product for this long, it either means one doesn't care for a change or one finds a product very effective. I belong to the latter.

But then why do i get so angry with it you ask?

 

Name: b.liv - off with those heads (used to be known as Cellnique)
Price: $44.95 (15ml) $69.95 (30ml) $94.95 (45ml)
Website: http://www.bliv.com/

 

 

Because it's expensive as heck , runs out super fast (for the price) , can only be bought in Sasa (or online) and is by far, irreplaceable. Such a toxic concoction! It makes me upset to know I need to continuously rely on a product so much, much less such an expensive one! Each 40ml bottle cost  $94.95 without discounts and only last me 3 months since I use it on the entire face.

My grudge might have been wrongly placed but just talking about this product pains my heart as I quietly mull over the thousands  I've spent on it. I'm sorry but I need a moment T.T

Ok lah ok lah. Damn drama I know LOL.

 

Review: TFS Arsainte Ecotheraphy Crystal Water Ultra Cream

I’ve been through maybe 3 jars of this and I’m finally here with a review! This is the Arsainte Ecotheraphy Crystal Water Ultra Cream from the FaceShop.

 

Name: Arsainte Ecotheraphy Crystal Water Ultra Cream
Weight: 100ml
Price: $24 (Online price) $58:00 (Retail Price. Price may vary)

 

 

Item Description & Application method

A cream that contains pito collagen keeps the skin moisturized for 25 hours. Gives elasticity and miniaturization. After putting toner & emulsion, get adequate amount and apply from inside to outwards

Info from: TheFaceShop.com

Review: Za True White Whitening series

I  bought Za's annual 2 Way foundation Bundle package recently and the travel size Whitening series was packed together as complimentary gifts.  The bundle includes the Toner, lotion and night cream. I've used the entire series for a couple of days and I think I'm ready to share my thoughts.

Review: Hada Labo Koi-Gokujyun Whitening Perfect Gel

Name: Hada Labo Koi-Gokujyun Whitening Perfect Gel
Price: SGD$ 21 - $38.90 (Price varies drastically depending on where you purchase)
Volume: 100gm (Jar) 80gm (Refill) 

 
I've really been sitting on this review for far too long but here it finally is! I'll just cut to the chase, this is my favourite Hada Labo moisturiser by far ( and I've tried mannnyyy of HL's moisturisers) and if i go back to Japan again I'm gonna buy at least 3 packets of refill back!

photo source: Hada Labo (SG)

 

Colour

Product looks translucent white in the jar however goes on clear.
 

Texture & Absorption

The product is easy to spread and has a pretty watery effect (pretty not very).

It takes a bit of time to get absorbed into the skin but after you are done it doesn't feel sticky at all! This has got to be the first Hada Labo moisturiser I’ve use that doesn't feel sticky at all after patting. It felt light on the skin and skin feels well hydrated.
 

Effect

This is what i consider a 'Hydrating Moisturiser'. A product that works on pumping moisture into the skin and while it’s not the most hydrating moisturiser out there, I personally think it does a pretty darn good job! I'm not really into whitening; partly because i think I'm fair enough and partly because I don't think any products that claim to whiten the skin has worked for me before.

However this is the first time I felt that this moisturiser, with continuous use, has really brightened my overall complexion. While we can argue that brightening is not whitening , it's hard to deny the fact that it has evened out my overall complexion. My skin looks significantly hydrated and healthy.
 

Price

Singapore Sasa sells each jar of this for $38.90 for 80gm (not sure why this jar is 80gm instead of 100gm) . After knowing how much this sells in Japan I refuse to buy it in Singapore!! The refill pack sells for roughly 1400 yen in Japan and that’s like just SGD$15.3!!!! What we get in Singapore is twice the cost!

Objectively, i think this is considered expensive for a drugstore product.



 
 
Overall

For anyone who’s hoping to get one shade lighter , this might not be the holy grail you’re looking for. But if you tend to have dull, sallow skin; this product should help brighten and even out your skin tone. 


Would I recommend you to buy it? Well, I absolutely love everything about this product! From how it gets absorbed, how it isn’t sticky to how well it hydrates and brightened my skin! The only thing stopping me from replenishing my stock in Singapore is the exorbitant price tag. Now I beg friends who are travelling to Japan to lug a few packs back for me ^_^;; 

If you are not too concerned with the price tag, have oily, normal, acne prone, uneven skin; then this product is suitable for you. Because it hydrates reasonably well yet gives a non-sticky finish. So I presume it would be good for people with oily or acne prone skin who don't need any more oily stuffs on their face. 

For people who have dehydrated or dry skin ( like mine, it's oily on the outside but dry on the inside) I would suggesting using another cream moisturiser on top of it to enhance your skin's ability to retain moisturise.