Review: Hada Labo Mask

Bought this hada labo sheet mask in HK to try though I knew it contains alcohol. I realised its rather common to see alcohol in Jap masks. Well, i used to be avoid such mask but I decided to give it a try.

I bought a box, and 1 piece cost me about $3. Again, its cheaper than Singapore. A box of 4 cost nearly $20 if I din remember wrongly.

Result:

Cutting is perfect for my face and adheres well to skin. Mask is very wet, soaked with lotsa essence. Essence is similar to my fave madom beauty mask, gel-like texture, very comfy.

I relised for most of the jap masks, its alway written that mask is recommended to be apply for 5-15min. So I followed the instructions as usual, fearing that my face may be 'over moisturised' and zits will pop out.

After masking, there will be unusally losta of essence left on the face. I wonder if my face absorb in the goodie. But face really look hydrated and soft. After I wipe off some of the left over essence on my face, skin feel smooth.

Verdict: 9/10 Quite like the effects, definitely will re-purchase when I visit HK again!

Review: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sport Sunblock Cooling Mist SPF30

Decided to start searching a new body sunblock mist when I found out that my fave sunplay stop selling the 2 products which I was previously using.

I know its kinda weird bt Im allergic to some sunblocks like banana boat, i reckon its bcos the spf is too high, Hence, I will not purchase suncare products which has high spf. Kinda sad huh.. especially when I hope to prevent myself from getting tanned etc.

Spotted this neutrogena sunblock mist for quite some time. This is the only sunblock in a spray form selling locally if i am not wrong.

Its retailing for about $25 but I got it at $17.70 at those shops at AMK central.

Review:

The spray is much stronger as compared to my previous sunplay, sufficient sunblock is being sprayed onto skin each time. Bcos of this, I can apply sunblock quite swiftly and evenly.

Fragrance is rather strong I feel, takes a while before fading.

Left skin quite oily/sticky after usage. This feeling last for quite a while as well.

A very minimal colling feeling when sprayed.

Verdict: 7/10 Dont really like the sticky feeling after usage.

Review: Dejavu Fiberwig Lash Knockout Mascara

Mascara is never my cup of tea, especially with the tedious removing process involved. I always have difficulty removing mascara and the whole process prolly took me more than 10minutes before convincing myself that its totally removed. Hence, I always prefer mascara which can be removed with water.

Bought this mascara in Tokyo, for about $25, roughly the same price as singapore. Got Lash Knockout cos I need volume more than length.

Review:

As you can see from the picture, the applicator is a straight brush, hence its abit hard to reach out to some of my lashes, especially those at the side. Its abit wet and brush tends to have small clumps. No smudging experienced so far.

Im not those who go for dramatic effects so I dont apply multiple layers. Usually I only apply 1 or 2. I only use those battery operated lash heater to curl my lashes.

Can be removed with warm water quite easily.

Verdict: 5/10 A normal mascara I feel, nothing too fantastic.

Review: Fancl Skin Renewal Pack

Bought this skin renewal pack, hoping that it will be the right exfoliator for me. Well, I was wrong again. I reckon Fancl skincare dont really suits me, except their washing powder.

Review: Gel form, have to leave it on for like 5 minutes then massage it off. No obvious after effect i will say. Probably becos im too used to exfoliating products with either micro beads or at least some dead skin coming out when I massage, its hard to imagine that this product is able to rid dead skin.

Verdict: 4/10 For this price and short shelf life of only 2 months, this product is just not for me.

Review: Origins Out of Trouble Mask

Bought this as a package in Hong Kong last Nov. It comes together with their famous Clear Improvement Mask & Drink up Mask. All 3 for$60 only! Its retailing for around $42 each in sg.. HK is really a shopping paradise haha.

Have to leave mask on for 10min before rinsing off.

Review:

The scent of this mask smells like those medicine which I used to put on my tiny ulcers in my mouth. similar to the clear improvement mask, a tingling sensation can be felt once applied, but its nothing too unpleasant as usual. Very cooling once rinsed off. Zits look less red after usage. Can be easily rinsed off as well.

I always applied hydrating mask after using this mask. I think when combined with Clear improvement mask, they more or less keep some zits at bay. Won't irritate zits even if i applied on them.

Verdict: 8/10 Worth trying if you've pimple prone skin like me!

Review: Dior Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm

Got to know this lip balm when I was looking at dior website for the swaeovski necklace lip gloss which was introduced in early 2010. I simply adore the balm's casing! So elegant..I laid my hands on it in Nov at Changi Dutyfree. It was a few bucks cheaper than town. Lip balm was retailing at $41 at Dior counters.

This lip balm claims to responds to the color chemistry of our lips to create a shade thats uniquely yours. It comes with spf 10 as well.

Result: After application, you can see your lips slowly turning pink haha. Rather natural. Lips stay moisturised for hours too! Since it gives lips color, be sure to apply evenly.

Verdict: 9/10 A rather impressive lip balm thats worth to spurgle once in a while.

Review: DHC Olive Hand Cream

Bought this hand cream when I visited Tokyo earlier in May. Well, Im a sucker for hand cream and of cos when I saw this going for less than $10, I grabbed it almost immediately haha. If I did not remember wrongly, its retailing @ 500-600yen.

Review:

Cream texture which smells a little weird. I guess its probably the olive, but its definitely not unpleasant and overwhelming.

Hands looked oily after usage but did not left my hands feeling smooth.

An average handcream I would say, nothing too fantastic.

Verdict: 6/10

Though hands looked oily and did not felt smooth, but it did moisturised my hands in a way haha. Hands did not feel dry after usage like some lousy handcream.

Review: Origins Clear Improvement Mask

Heard some good reviews from friends around me for this mask. Since my ahava deep cleansing mask is finishing, i decided to give this origins mask a try. I glad i did haha.

Origins is cheaper in HK as compared to Sg. For more details on Origins products, pls refer to my previous post.

Review:

No unpleasant smell detected. Its rather easy to apply, not too watery etc. According the the Sales assistant, i gotta leave it on for 20-30min. Its very much more time consuming as compared to my Ahava's deep cleansing mask. So I make sure I bring a magazine to the toilet whenever I use this mask LOL.

After I covered my face with 'charcoal', there was a slight 'burning' sensation. I dont really know how to describe the feeling, but it was not very uncomfortable I promise. As in I will feel something, maybe a little warm?! Cos when I was using Ahava, I experience none of this. Well, my sensitive face don react negatively to this mask so I guess the sensation is normal.

This charcoal mask can be rinsed off easily too. This is the part which Im worried about at first. Bcos its black in color, it made my rinsing job easier since I can easily spot which are the areas I've not yet wash etc. This can be a little tricky when I am using the Ahava mask previously, esp when I am not wearing my glasses.

Face looked significantly brighter after usage! A little tight but still bearable after rinse, so I always make sure I do a hydrating mask after this charcoal mask! face felt smooth. Pores seemed to look smaller as well haha!

Verdict: 9/10 My fave deep cleansing mask at the moment! 1 point deducted cos the 20min wait is kinda long esp when I am left tired and sleepy after work everyday. So I usually only use mask once a week. NExt will be the weird sensation I feel upon application.

Review: Loreal Paris Smooth Intense Anti Frizz Serum Leave In

Bought this hair serum cos I saw alot of magazines recommending it, won a couple of awards in those magazines' hall of fame as well.

Rather affordable, selling at around $15 @ watsons if i am not wrong. Its also available @ cold storage, guardian etc.

Result:

Smells nice though I find it a bit too strong sometimes. Texture of serum is some sort oil I feel, abit oily if I were to use too much.

Serum did help to tame frizzy hair quite a bit but it will cause my hair to be a bit oily if I use too much of it. So Ive to be really careful with the amount I use. A 50cent coin size will be enough for my short hair.

Hair felt soft and quite smooth for the whole day too.

Verdict: 8/10 1 worth trying for the results and price.

Review: Mandom Beauty Barrier Repair Hyaluronic Acid Mask (New)

Long time since my last post. Was away quite some time for a camp, glad I enjoyed it.

Anyway, this is the new edition for mandom beauty HA mask! Ive previously reviewed about mandom beauty masks. They used to have 3 kinds, now they only have the super moist & Hyaluronic acid. I only bought the latter cos I reckon super moist will be too heavy for me, just like their Q10 mask previously.

Its available @ adambeauty. I got mine during my last HK trip, 5 for 70hkd, which is slightly more expensive as compared to their previous version.

No coloring, No preservatives and no added fragrance.

Result:

Though the packaging etc is different now, im glad it still work wonders for me! Essence in gel form, really comfy. mask fits my face perfectly!

I think the moisturising effect is better compared to their previous one, face felt more smooth the next morning and skincare glided on more easily.

As usual, not so much of brightening effect in my opinion. But face do look refined after usage!

Verdict: I like it! 10/10

Review: Bihada Ichizoku 美肌一族 Hyaluronic Acid Mask

Bought this mask for $8/pc @ sasa. Really expensive for a mask, in fact my most expensive one so far. But I saw quite a few positive reviews for it so I decided to give it a try.

Main ingredients: Diptoassium Glycyrhizate, allantoin, Trehalose, opunia streptacan tha stem extract, collagen, soya bean extract, aloe, pueraria lobata root extract, methylparaben, alcohol

MAsk claims to Balance the water to oil ratio. contains pearl ingredients, hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed collagen and 3 types of seaweed extract ( Red, brown and green algae) for instant elasticity repairment to fight aging, whitening effect

Result:

Mask was really wet and material felt comfy on skin. The cut was great too, 1 of the best for me so far. Scent was ok, pretty decent and not overwhelming, I dont think mask has added fragrance.

Face felt hydrated, but not too much of a brightening effect. Next morning, face felt soft and smooth and skincare glided on easily.

Verdict: 6.5/10

For this kind of price, I expect better results. But I guess this mask dint able to satisfy me :(

Hong Kong Skincare & Cosmetics Price List!

Yes, Im back from my Hong Kong trip!

As usual, lots of loots from HK =p

I've previously wrote a post on buying skincare & cosmetics in HK a few months back, I will do a update on the prices and stuff available in HK now.

I will start with stuff @ Sasa first. I've learnt my lession from my previous trip, ALWAYS go SASA 1st before shopping @ HK departmental stores. Sasa is always cheaper!

Here's a rough guide to some of the items sold @ hk sasa:

- L'occitane cherry blossom hand cream 30ml @ hkd60 ( sgd10). The loccitane shop in HK is selling 3 30ml for 210hkd.
- Biotherm 360deg eye roll on @ 232hkd (40sgd). singapore is selling it @ $69!
- Shu Uemura cleansing oil 500ml @ 440hkd ( sgd70+)
- laneige sleeping mask @ hkd158 ( sgd30+)
- elizabeth arden 8hr handcream, 30ml tube @ hkd120 ( sgd20)
- h20+ oasis @ less than hkd300 ( less than sgd50)
- hada labo masks x4 @ hkd72 ( sgd12)
- kosa capsule mask x4 @ hkd10
-sofymo eye remover 230ml @ hkd56

Now, loccitane handcream, h20+, elizabeth arden perfume & handcream can be found in Sasa.

Silk whitia is rather expensive in HK. I still think the $1.95/pc offer in Sg is cheaper. Sasa in hk seems to have more taiwan & Japanese masks as compared to korean masks i feel. They have sexylook, kracie ( not the ones that are available in sg), my beauty diary, ELG, hada labo, aqau moist, hisamitsu, silk whitia, clear turn, mandom beauty, skinlite. They dont have alot of Jap masks actually.. so for this trip, I stocked up my mandom beauty (new formula).

The lucky me met the SOGO xmas sale again! I met the anniversary sale in May too haha.

- Paul & Joe lipstick @ hkd162
-shu uemura limited edition brush travel set ( takomo set thats released this season!) @ hkd420 ( sgd70 only!! Sg is selling @ $120!! changi airport terminal 1 selling @ sgd 102)

As usual, the price diff for shiseido items in HK is not big compared to SG. I think its almost the same price there even when sgd is strong now.

Origins is found in HK too. From causeway bay mtr station to Sogo, origins can be found on the way there. Clear improvement + drink up mask + out of trouble package is only selling @ hkd415 ( sgd70)! single tube is hkd210.

I found the highly raved bioderma @ hk guardian too! I saw from cosme that their makeup remover is very popular in taiwan.. so when I saw the xmas package i just cant resist it! 3 bottles ( 100ml, 250ml, 500ml) is retailing @ hkd299 ( sgd50)!! a single bottle of 500ml costs hkd240. I was rather skeptical about it cos that package was totally too good to be true. So i went on to check the expiry date, only to know that it expired in 2013. So i went ahead to buy it :)

Sofina is available @ sogo too. They are famous for their sunblocks..

All in all, below are the brands which are available and cheaper to get in HK than in SG:

- Anna Sui
- Ettusais
- biotherm
-h2o+
-shu uemura
-paul & joe (some items)
-clinique
-laneige
-loccitane
-origins
-kanebo

Review: Kracie CO Q10 Mask

This is my last pc of mask from the kracie range. This Q10 mask targets firming since it consists of Q10.

Review:

Essence is milky and thick, which I dont really fancy. But the cut is good, and mask is soaked with loads of essence. No significant scent.

After usage, face felt a bit sticky. but face felt soft and supple. Quite hydrating too. Face was radiant and smooth the next morning though I slept at 2am. Skincare glide on easily the next day too.

Verdict: 8/10

Though essence felt a bit thick for me, but the effects were pretty good. I realised for some masks, their effects can be better gauged after a night while some produce immediate effects.

I just tried the highly raved 美肌一族 ( Bihada Ichizoku) Hyaluronic acid mask. Look out for my review :)

Review: Kracie Pore Tightening Black Mask

Bought this black mask along with some other kracie when its retailing @ $1.95/pc @ watsons a few months back. A box of 5 is actually retailing @ $18.90, so $1.95/pc is really a bargain.

Tried and reviewed the whitening & moisturising mask sometime ago, was not that impressed with this range of masks so far. The black mask is prolly the best one out of the 3 to me.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Onsen-Sui, Glycerin, PEG-75, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Methylparaben, Methyl Gluceth-20, Potassium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Polyglyceryl.

Review:

Similar to shills charcoal mask, this kracie mask is black in color too. The texture of the mask is much smoother as compared to shills'. Mask was well soaked with essence, though its stated 18ml on the packaging.

The cut of this mask is perfect! Fits my face nicely.

After usage, it did not irritate my zits, face was left quite smooth, no sticky feeling, quite hydrated, no brightening effects though. Face din really look very refined after masking.

Face was less oily the next day, and a few of my red bumps actually reduced in size. I realise charcoal mask always do wonders for my face haha.

Verdict: 8/10

I still think shills perform better than this charcoal mask in terms of price & effects. But wellm i think it deserves a score of 8.

Review: Galady Fragrance Hair Spray

I bought this hair spray when i was in tokyo, at the rankingqueen store @ shinjuku station. It was ranked no2 for the hair section. Because I cant really read jap, I am not sure if its ranked no2 among all hair products or only among the fragrance hair sprays. I bought it for around 15ooyen if i din remember wrongly.

I was interested in sexygirl fragrance hairspray after miao introduced to me. I thought such fragrance hair sprays are very handy especially when I go to hawker to have my lunch almost everyday. But I got this hair spray instead since it was highly rated in tokyo. I shall do a product comparison if i were to try sexygirl in future.

Result:

This hair spray smells really nice! But I dont think the scent is lasting, or probably because I've short hair, so I cant really smell it haha. But I think it does helps to rid the food smell a bit.

After spraying, hair felt really smooth for a moment. But it does not helps to tame flyaway hair. Not that moisturising either. But well, we cant really expect the fragrance hairspray to work like a hair serum right?

Verdict: 8/10

This is my 1st fragrance hair spray. As long as the scent is nice, I think it has does it job haha. Moreover, after spraying, my hair did feel softer and smoother after spraying, though that effect din last long.

Review: Anna Sui Face Color Accent Review

Bought this anna sui blusher when I went to Hong Kong in May. It is slightly cheaper in HK as compared to Singapore. SG is probably retailing @ close to $40 if I dint remember wrongly.

I got color 300. I always prefer my make up to be minimal, so miao suggested that I go for something lighter so I can add the intensity easily.

The main reason to why I got this blusher is simply because of the gorgeous packaging!! I've always been a fan of Anna Sui's products, since I couldnt use their foundation cos I think its meant more for dry skin rather than oily skin, the next thing to target is their blusher. Moreover, the online reviews for their blusher were quite promising.

Review:

There is added fragrance as usual, I love the signature rose scent! Even though I only have 2 Anna Sui products (blusher & eyeshadow) in my make up box, but whenever I open my box, I could smell the rose scent. Simply love the scent.

The brush given was soft and enables me to apply the blusher easily. Friends told me they can see the blusher applied on my face (finally) and was natural.

I personally feel its rather lasting too.

Verdict: Love it to bits!

This is only my 2nd blusher so I cant really compare. But for me, as long as the color suits me, intensity can be build easily, natural, lasting and din give me zits, its a good blusher to me. Moreover, the packaging is nice.

Review: DHC Make Off Sheet

Bought this DHC make off sheet (50 sheets) in tokyo. It was retailing at 630Yen (around sgd 10), refill is 525Yen. the DHC make off sheet packaging in HK looks different from the one in Tokyo. Not sure if its the same composition of ingredients. They are similar in price though. Both are not available in SG currently too.

Result:

The size of this make off sheet is about 3/4 to that of simple remover sheets. Sheet is very wet, more wet than simple's. No fragrance or alcohol detected.

Sheet texture is smoother as compared to simple too. I find simple sheets too rough for face.

I tried removing foundation with this sheet. Have to wipe a few times before it thoughly removes foundation. No sticky feeling after usage. Gentle enough for my sensitive skin.

Verdict: 9/10

Smooth enough to be used on skin. Gentle enough for my sensitive skin too! Cleansing power is quite good. Too bad its not available in SG. I intend to buy the HK DHC make off sheet when i visit HK in 2 weeks time :)

Review: Etude House Green Tea Mask

Bought it from sunnanz when I was looking for pimple mask a few months back. well, ever since i found skin vitals tea tree mask, I dint bother trying other pimple mask after tt.

Found this mask in my storage box, so I decided to finish it off haha.

Got it for $1.7o/pc. It claims to purify skin. Do note there is added fragrance & alcohol in the ingredient list.

Result:

Mask is moderately wet, slightly too big for my face. Cant really detect the alcohol and scent.

Hydration effect was so-so, but it did look slightly brighter. No sticky feeling. I realise I always experience brightening effect from purifying mask.

Verdict: 7/10

An average mask I feel, nothing too fantastic. I prefer masks with specific function. this mask is like in between. Not super hydrating, brightening is minimal, as for purifying, im not too sure since I don have any pimples then.

Review: Dress Me 就是爱美丽 Moisturising & Refreshing Mask

Bought this Dress Me mask yest at Sasa to replenish my mask instocks at home. Ever since I started working, I realised I mask more reguarly, without fearing that my mask will be 'too' moisturised cos the aircon in my office never fails to dry my face I feel. Moreover, my face became less pimple prone lately. *touch wood* My masks are depleting and before I stock them up again in HK in Nov, I better try more masks at Sasa so I will know what I can buy there haha.

The SA recommended me Dress Me masks. Its 2 in a packet, for $4.20. There are a few choices, like whitening, oil control etc. I got the one for moisturising.

Its available at sunnanz too. Its cheaper than Sasa too.

Result:

Cute polka dots packaging. No alcohol & fragrances added. Ingredients include aloe vera, leamon fruit extract, kiwi extract & Squalane. I remembered Squalane is one of the star ingredients found in HABA products. I think Squalane has moisturising properties.

Mask is quite wet, soaked with essence. Material is close to pulp, similar to those korean masks which claimed they are made with 100% pulp material. Mask adheres well to skin, fits my face quite nicely too.

Scent isnt strong, rather mild.

After masking for 10minutes or so, face looks significantly brighter! After massaging remaining essence, face felt soft but not super smooth kind. A little sticky too though still bearable. Face looked refined.

Face was less oily and looked radiant the next morning, but I seem to secrete more oil in the afternoon.

Verdict: 10/10 For this price, i think this mask is great for brightening and hydration effect is not too bad too!

Review: Ettusais Eye Color C BE1

Another review for eye shadows :)

Ettusais Eye color C BE1 is the 1st eye shadow which I bought for myself. It was retailing at $19 at the ettusais counter.

When I knew how much kanebo Coffret D'or ($16/color) was retailing for, I kinda regretted buying the ettusais one oops. Coffret D'or being more popular and famous for their eye shadows, was actually cheaper than Ettusais', was the reason why I regretted buying ettusais eye color at 1st. Well, Im glad the experience with etttusais eye color was rather good, hence making me feel much better.

Result:

BE1 was a very shimmery yellow beige, close to white/silver eye color. I used it as a base color.

When applied onto eye lids, color was not really obvious, but it was rather shimmery, with a pearlie effect. even the short sighted JX (100 degrees) can see the shimmers without her specs on in the dim lighting at Sakae. But she felt that the shimmers was acceptable, dint make me look too loud or what. I agreed with her, im not those who likes thick or loud make up in the 1st place.

Even when layered, color was still not obvious.

The color or should i say the shimmers was rather lasting as well, though ive slightly oily eye lids. Not flaky as well.

Verdict: 8.5/10

I hope the color would be a little more intense, if not it seems like im applying shimmers onto my eye lids. but the texture wise was great, smooth.