Tuesday 23 August 2016

Mini-Review of Lovemore sheet masks + Beautius Shop

Beautius is a newish shop based in Hong Kong selling (mainly) Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese sheet masks. I like the option to buy them individually instead of boxes because some brands have so many varieties to try!
 
The prices seem reasonable and shipping is free on orders over $45

Here are a few of the Lovemore masks I ordered. (These are all of the types available on Beautius, except Aloe & Loofah because wtf is a sponge doing in skincare??)























 
The Rhodiola and Red Barley masks were actually freebies. Rhodiola has the best reviews among Lovemore varieties but is always out of stock (literally everywhere). After placing an order, I e-mailed on the off-chance that Beautius would be re-stocking soon. Turns out theres a supply problem (possibly a case of being discontinued) but there happened to be one leftover which Tracey included in my order. So sweet! TT.TT

And here is a pic of the free masks received so far :3

I was accidentally sent the five My Scheming black pearl masks instead of five Lovemore black pearl masks. Rather than have me send them back or offer them at a discounted price, Tracey simply told me to keep them as a gift and sent a replacement the next day!

Oh and also: orders come with handwritten thank-you notes and sweets!

** Mini-Review **
 
I’ve tried the Cubilose, Black Pearl, Snow Lotus, Pearl Barley & Milk, Wine Yeast and Rhodiola mask so far.
I don’t think theres much difference between them TBH because they all leave my skin feeling really soft and hydrated. If I had to pick a fave it’d probably be Pearl Barley & Milk because it feels more hydrating and smells so yummy.

Fit: the masks are a bit too big for me but stay in place when folded. The material is thin and comfortable.

One thing I have noticed is that the masks are really drippy out the packet but start to dry out after around 20 minutes. (You’re supposed to keep them on for 10-15 but I don’t follow instructions meh) It’s always the nose bit and under-eyes that dry first while the rest of the sheet is ok, so I just peel those bits off, pat in the leftover essence and keep it on for another 20 minutes.

Friday 5 August 2016

Review: Sidmool Madagascar Centella Asiatica Skin (마다가스카르 병풀 스킨)


This turned out to be one of my most disappointing purchases to date - though admittedly, I probably had my hopes pinned a little high so take this review as 50% disappointment in Sidmool and 50% disappointment that Centella asiatica does f**k all.


 
What is it?
This product is a “skin” aka lotion, which is applied as the first step in a skincare routine. It has the viscosity of water, absorbs quickly and has no detectable smell.

It’s packaged in a clear plastic pump bottle. I appreciated the hygienic and convenient design at first, but it turned out to be a pain in the ass because the remaining product is difficult to dispense.

Ingredients
Centella Asiatica Extract (97%) - anti-inflammatory, increases production of collagen
Butylene Glycol - humectant
Asiaticoside
Asiatic Acid
Madecassic Acid
Madecassoside - these four ingredients make “Centella asiatica extract powder”, the highly enriched active ingredient in this product. Riiiight.
Allantoin - anti-irritant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (liquorice root extract) - anti-inflammatory, brightening
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract (Peony root extract)
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract - according to the product info page, these last two ingredients are added to stabilise the product. 

Where are the preservatives!?

전성분
병풀추출물(97%)
부틸렌글라이콜
아시아티코사이드
아시아틱애씨드
마데카식애씨드
마데카소사이드
알란토인
디포타슘글리시리제이트
모란뿌리추출물
황금추출물

I first started using this in March and took pictures of my face every week to document my progress. It literally did nothing: didn’t reduce or calm breakouts, didn’t improve my skintone. At least it didn't make my skin worse!

Price: W14,800 (150ml)
Bottle lasts around 5 months

Where to buy Sidmool products:
Sidmool products are rather difficult to acquire. (Should this rave review here inspire a spending spree.) One option is to order through the website. It's all in Hangul yet somehow I made it to the order page, only to have the card payment fail).
Another - and much easier - option is to order from Sidmool’s official G-market mini-shop and ship it over (using a service like Avecko, which is what I did).

I’d love to know if anyone has had any success with Centella Asiatica!