My thoughts on the highly pigmented gloss after wearing it just once.

i have been keeping a look out for these lip gloss ever since they made their debut last year. i didn't buy it immediate because 1) i wasn't in the right condition or mindset to wear makeup last october, 2) the price is too jarring.

each pop costs SGD 20.90 normally.

i got it a few days ago as it had a 50% discount. it's a weekly special at watsons, so i took my chance and made my long awaited purchase. there's only one shade that have captured my heart since a year ago, so i brought it home.

005 PARISIAN PASSION is a deep purplish-berry shade. 

similar to the maybelline lip polish/elixir and innisfree creamy tint lip mousse, this lip gloss-lip balm hybrid has shine of a lip gloss, the colour of a lipstick, and the moisturizing capability of a lip balm.

COLOUR: you can call it a burgundy shade, to me it's more like a purplish-wine shade. 005 parisian passion doesn't contain any shimmer or glitter.

PIGMENTATION: the gloss is rather pigmented. one layer gave me a translucent wash of colour (photo below) while two coats fully coloured my lips (as seen above).

FINISH: it has a glossy finish.

PACKAGING: the colour of the squarish tube reflects the colour of the product within. i think it's quite true to how it looks on my lips!

a paddle applicator with a tapered end for precise application. the colour payoff is good and that's just one coat of product!

TEXTURE: a very thick liquid, some skills are required to spread it out evenly over my lips. thanks to the stickiness, it adheres to the skin very well. when i smack my lips, they didn't stick together like i had expected it to do so (as with the revlon ultimate suede lipstick), which is a pleasant surprise for me.

does it stain? see for yourself!

STAINING POWER: it stained my bare lips pretty well within 10 minutes. the longer i have it long, the darker the stain. i love the natural look of my wine stained lips! (note: my lips are clean and bare prior to application)

FORMULA: the product is very hydrating and can be worn on its own (without any lip balm). in fact, i think it's best to start off with a pair of bare lips if you want to get stained well. the viscosity of the product allows it to be spread out evenly, thus ensuring an even stain. even though it adheres well to the skin, it isn't overly sticky.

STAYING POWER: the gloss itself isn't long lasting, but the stain is.

SCENT: lightly scented, i can't quite pin point what's the smell but it doesn't smell unpleasant.

taken under yellow/warm lighting

taken under white/cool lighting

HOW TO PERFECT YOUR APPLICATION: when i said some skills are required to fully maximise the benefit of this product, i just mean for you to utilise the paddle applicator for a perfect application. i find that the best way to apply this new kind of liquid balm (similar to the maybelline lip polish/elixir and innisfree creamy tint lip mousse) is to use enough force to smooth the product over your lips. lip smacking pre-maturely may result in an patchy application. also, make sure your lips are clean and bare without a trace of lip balm for the best application experience.

OTHER PRECAUTIONS: you may also want to dip the applicator slowly back into the tube to prevent over spilling of the product because the thickness of it will increase the risk of trapping air and thus, spilling out of the tube. you don't want to get this sticky mess onto anywhere that's not your lips.

VERDICT: a lovely formula with amazing colour payoff. i love how it moisturizes my lip which packing the colour on so intensely. i would prefer it to the loreal shine caresse glossy stain as the former is more hydrating and pigmented. one layer of product gives you about 70% of the colour, but if you're aiming for super dark lips, two coats might be necessary.

First Impression And Swatch of the Sigma Lip Base (Indulgent)

this is the first time i used a lip liner and i really liked it.

my mom isn't into makeup like me, but she do use lip liners, so i've always associated lip liners with the older generation since young. moreover, lip liners aren't marketed as heavily as lipsticks are, i just never thought of buying myself one.

sigma has sent me some of their beauty products (you can read more on a separate entry) and here's my first impression review on their lip base in the shade indulgent.



COLOUR: nude pink that can look a little peachy under warmer lighting.

FINISH: matte, but has a slight sheen to it that resembles natural lips.

a nude pink that is a my-lips-but-better shade for me.

SCENT: unscented.

TEXTURE: almost velvet like because it glides onto my lips (without lip balm) really smoothly and evenly.

PIGMENTATION: able to completely cover up my original lip colour easily, it also lifted my mom's slightly darker lips a little. you can see from the swatch above that the lip liner covered a brown spot on my lips.

STAYING POWER: it can be wiped off easily with a piece of tissue, but it doesn't transfer to cups as easily as lipsticks. i got 2-3 hours of wear before i wiped it off (because i had to eat). reapplication is very easy since it can be cleaned off so easily. 

at the end of the lip liner is a colour that matches the colour of the product.

OVERALL: a very light weight product that hugged my lips like second skin, giving me a really natural look. i really didn't feel a thing on my lips. even though my lip lines are pretty visible when wearing just the lip base alone, my lips isn't actually dry or uncomfortable. the product didn't sink into lip lines like certain lipstick does. as i'm an avid fan of smacking my lips subconsciously, i notice this product doesn't have that sticky feeling like the revlon ultimate suede lipstick.

VERDICT: i'm loving this lip liner! 

since i've never used lip liners before, i have nothing to compare this to, but the performance of the lip base surprised me very pleasantly :) it's perfect for days when i wish to look a little more under stated yet made up. this might just send me into a lip liner hunt in the future for more amazing stuff.

you can check out the other lip base shades they offer.

Tosowoong MakeOn Princess Eyeliner (First Impression Review)

tosowoong contacted me about 2 weeks ago asking if i'm interested in trying out their products in exchange for a review. after a few email exchanges to confirm that i will be able to have complete autonomy in my opinions and style of reviewing, i picked out season 1 and season 3 of the makeon princess eyeliners as i was interested in their eyeliners. they come in a huge selection of colours, about 30 colours in total spanning from two series (the original series of eyeliners are called super long lasting waterproof gel pencil liner). given how indecisive i am, i decided to just go with a coordinated set to relief my brain of some decision making. since there are only 3 sets of the princess eyeliner, it's easy to pick 2 products out of 3 (as opposed to picking 2 eyeliners from the 30 available).

as this is the first time i'm reviewing a product that was sent to me (with the expectation of a review in return), i have to make all these clear:

1. i only picked these items because i am genuinely interested and would personally pay for it.
2. while the company expects a review (and some exposure), i am not obliged to give a positive review - all views are my own, and i'm a very honest person. ;)

here's my first impression video on the products! this is amazingly long (my longest video yet, at 16 minutes) because i've included about 4 minutes worth of extra footage into it (waterproof and oil proof test). i've tried my best to cut out the unnecessary parts, but if i cut any more i can't capture the entirety of my review.



the original footage was about 2 hours long. the rest of the information that got cut away from the video will be written below.

i received the package from korea about 10 days later. i was sort of expected a full 2 weeks based on my past online shopping experience. i guess the mailman is happy :D


in the package: makeon princess season 1 (pink box), makeon princess season 2 (yellow box) and some samples.


season 1 comes with the little mermaid, while season 3 comes with an egyptian queen.

from the name of the eyeliner, you may already guess it's functionality - long wear and waterproof. makeon's eyeliners have some really bold claims on their website:
1. waterproof
2. oil proof
3. comes off easily with makeup remover
skeptical me just gotta test them out. i mentioned in the video that makeup can't be waterproof and oil proof at the same time, because if it were, it's probably gonna stay on your skin permanently like paint.

on the wishtrend website, they listed another 4 claims of these eyeliners.
1. creamy and soft
2. waterproof
3. pigmented colours
4. useable as eyeshadow
i've addressed them in the video, but i'll mention them again in the summary below if you're too time tight to watch the video.


on the back of the tin case are a bunch of product description in korean. thankfully the names of the colours are in english. i mean, i can read some hangul, but it's just easier and faster to read english!


each set comes with 5 colours, well coordinated with each other for convenience.

these eyeliners contain 0.8g of product each (FYI, maybelline colorshow eyeliners contains 0.3g of product). they are slightly shorter than the single eyeliners (at 1.2g per eyeliner). the black part at the end of the eyeliner pencil IS NOT twist-able, as these requires sharpening with an old school sharpener.



season 1's colour coordination: a mixture of basic dark and highlighting shades. 

season 1 is a selection of colours from their basic eyeliner series, with several familiar colours like black, brown, gold, purple, blue, and beige. the only colour in this selection that i find slightly hard to incorporate into daily looks would be the sexy vampire burgundy, since most people probably wear black or brown most often, while using the beige and gold as a highlight is pretty normal too. but i must confess, i got season 1 instead of season 2 because of the burgundy. i couldn't find a shade like this anywhere else other than korean brands, and etude house in singapore did not bring in the burgundy shade of their play 101 eyeliners. :( plus they cost twice as much as korea's price over here. no thanks.



season 3's colour coordination: a beautiful blend of different shades of brown

i seriously had a problem describing these shades in the video because.. they are all browns. hahaha 50 shades of brown!? season 3 is a selection of colours from their relatively new release, the bronze spectrum. if i could i would have gotten all the shades because they just look so good together - not that i'll wear them all at once - i just like to admire the complementary shades as it is. maybe i should buy some paint swatch cards instead.


season 1's colour selection, from left to right:
#S02 party tonight pearl black | #S03 lovely espresso brown | #S04 sexy vampire burgundy (love its name) | #S05 secret princess gold | #S06 look at me lovely beige


season's 3 colour selection, from left to right:
#BS01 dark brown | #BS02 glam brown | #BS03 deep bronze | #BS04 blonde | #BS05 sunshine


photo at three different viewing angles to show you the finish of each eyeliner.
top row: season 1 - #S02 party tonight pearl black | #S03 lovely espresso brown | #S04 sexy vampire burgundy | #S05 secret princess gold | #S06 look at me lovely beige
bottom row: season 3 -  #BS01 dark brown | #BS02 glam brown | #BS03 deep bronze | #BS04 blonde | #BS05 sunshine

SEASON 1:
#S02 party tonight pearl black is a black with silver shimmer, satin/matte finish.
#S03 lovely espresso brown is a dark chocolate brown with gold shimmer, satin/matte finish.
#S04 sexy vampire burgundy is a wine shade with very very fine reddish shimmer, satin/matte finish.
#S05 secret princess gold is a frosty light gold shade, packed with nothing but gold shimmer.
#S06 look at me lovely beige is a frosty off white shade, has a pearly/frosty finish.

SEASON 3:
#BS01 dark brown is a milk chocolate brown, metallic finish.
#BS02 glam brown is a copper hue brown, contains more orange/red than dark brown. metallic finish.
#BS03 deep bronze is a yellowish bronze shade, contains more yellow than dark brown. metallic finish.
#BS04 blonde is a yellowish gold shade, metallic finish. compared to secret princess gold, this is yellower and slightly darker, not frosty at all.
#BS05 sunshine is a vibrant orange, metallic finish. very similar to my etude house look at my eyes OR205 eyeshadow in terms of colour.

all eyeliners are very creamy.

IN A NUTSHELL (TL;DR)
1. waterproof and oil resistant
2. long wearing on the eyelids, not so long lasting on waterline
3. vibrant colours
4. creamy and soft from pen to eyes
5. not as blendable as i thought, gotta act fast as they set fast (the satin/matte shades are harder to blend)
6. requires a sharpener

IMHO
i'll start with the things that i'm happy with first!

1. long lasting and waterproof
the eyeliners are indeed very long lasting and waterproof as they have stayed on my eyelids for a good 8 hours before i finally removed it with an eye makeup remover. this part wasn't covered in the video as i removed my makeup after recording - but i was really quite surprised at how easy it is to remove the eyeliner. as usual, i place the cotton pad on my eyes for 10s before swiping it off - they're mostly gone after that. i'm taken aback because i had to rub so long with the vaseline to get it off, i didn't expect it to come off so easily with the eye makeup remover. i'm using the bifesta one (with two phases), in case you're wondering. i also tried it with the cleansing lotion and it also came off really easily.

2. high pigmentation and vibrant colours
the pigmentation of the colours lived up to my expectation - i do have high expectations for eyeliners as they are supposed to be more pigmented than powder eyeshadow in the first place! what i love the most is probably the gold shade that remained vibrant at the end of the day. if i were to use powder eyeshadow as my highlight, it may wear off throughout the day as powders just don't adhere that well, especially when i perspire so much.

3. ooh-so-creamy
just as they have claimed, the eyeliner pencils are indeed very creamy. i feel like they're of the right consistency - soft enough to deposit a layer of product, but not overly soft to deposit too much product (like my catrice made to stay highlighter, but that's the way it's supposed to be because it's meant for blending out with a finger).

4. possible to use it as an eyeshadow, if you act fast enough
i'm also liking the fact that i can use these as eye shadows, but this will definitely need some practice and techniques because they may end up looking really uneven on my eyelids if i don't blend quick enough. plus, the colours are already coordinated for me, rids me of the decisions.

i notice that the season 3 eyeliners blend a lot better than the darker colours from season 1. i believe it has got something to do with the finish, as the darker colours tend to be matte/satin finish. all other metallic/shimmery shades blends out a little easier.

and here is where i'll start talking about the little improvements that could be made.

1. it doesn't stay on my water line
the eyeliner isn't setting fast enough on my waterline, but sets too quickly while on my eyelid!? not sure if it's the product for the nature of my eyes. the eyeliner doesn't stay on my waterline (but then again, i haven't found one that stays after 8 years into making up). i noticed that the gold shade i used on my inner half of my eyes sets way too quickly, by the time i try blending it out it sort of fragmented.

can't have it all, i guess! if it were too soft, it may have taken too long to set and wouldn't have made a good eyeliner. since these are meant to be eyeliners, i'd be understanding and not expect too much out of it as an eyeshadow. eyeliners are probably a good way to intensify powder eye shadows to enhance the look though.

2. not an auto-type eyeliner, will require a sharperner
lastly, the packaging of the pen itself..... i'm definitely a spoilt brat, because i've shown my mom these eyeliners and told her about the lack of a twist mechanism, you know how she reacted?

"isn't this normal? just use a sharpener!".

i guess i'll suck it up and count my blessings instead - these products are wonderful on my eyelids irregardless of its packaging. i can live with that considering the price point and colour selection. but i still wish for that day to happen - when these eyeliners are all twist up style.

since i said i wouldn't have done a review if i didn't like it.. now that i did, you know what that means. ;)

MAKEUP LOOK_______________________________________________________________





BEFORE YOU GO
if you're interested in these products, you can check out the following links according to your region (as they have different websites for different countries?). all prices exclusive of shipping.

USA:
wishtrend USD$28.87
amazon USD$25.90
tosowoong 39800 won (their english site is supposed to be up soon? either way, just get it from amazon because 39800 won = USD$39.8)

SINGAPORE:
qoo10 sg SGD$12.80 (i think it's currently on promotion, not sure how long this will last)

HONG KONG:
qoo10 hk HKD$121.50

xoxo

karman

Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion First Impression Review

here comes my first bb cushion. i know i'm very late into the game because i couldn't justify buying yet another foundation when i already have an existing bb cream to finish. my mentality back then was different - bb cushions are a waste of product (since the cushion will hold on to the last drops of the product) and a waste of my money (because i still haven't finished my bb cream yet).

i changed my mind after i studied more about the product. i realized what the bb cushion offers is unlike any other bb creams that i used to know of. it's designed to help make the application more even, to speed up the makeup process, and to allow for easy touch up on the go (mind you, we're talking about a liquid product here! it's a revolution from the pressed powder era!).

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY! i want to try it out if it's really that convenient. since i'm on a budget, i chose the etude house precious mineral any cushion as it's one of the more affordable ones as compared to laneige, hera, and iope. plus etude house's precious mineral bb cream was so raved about, this thing should be pretty good too, right?

let's see.





PACKAGING==========================================================


the bb cushion comes in a round pact that reminds me of a macaron. the pearlescent cover added about 40 points to the sweet packaging.


the pact is slightly bulky because it contains the cushion and the puff! the puff is designed to be non-absorbent, and the patting motion helps to create a flawless finish (it made my skin look buffed. BUT please smoothen out your skin with a primer if you have larger pores! it'll make a world of a difference!)


PRODUCT INFO=========================================================


i got it in W13, natural beige. i mentioned in the video that they only have 3 colours for this product. this is the middle shade.

it comes with SPF50 and PA+++.

this product claims to brighten, reduce wrinkle, control sebum, and offer you a flawless finish.

the ingredients list are on the right. i'll list out the things that stood out from the rest to serve its stated purpose.
brightening: zinc oxide, titanium oxide (both are sunscreen which give you the white cast), niacinamide
wrinkle reducing: niacinamide, adenosine
hydration: sodium hyaluronate

for 18000won, i got 15g worth of product. refills go for 10000won.



SWATCHES==========================================================


W13 natural beige, in the cushion.


W13 natural beige, on the back of my hand. blended out with the puff on the right.


FIRST IMPRESSION====================================================

a few plus points first!

1. easy and quick makeup application
you don't need any extra tools or skills, all you need is your fingers in the puff and pat away to get the most beautiful finish and glow. the good thing about cushion on cushion (or puff on cushion) application is that it allows for a very even distribution of product thanks to the larger surface area of contact between the puff and the product. it is unlike the traditional bb cream or foundation where you have a concentrated source of product (which you have to spread it out on the back of your hand before applying to your face to help with the evenness). fuss free, fool proof, and very beginner friendly.

2. touch up on the go
this pact was designed to be carried around without worrying about getting the liquid product everywhere. it's indeed a new innovation as most ladies touch up with pressed powder. i don't remember seeing anyone touch up with a liquid product before. definitely another plus point for ladies on the go. but that also means that this makeup probably isn't very long lasting huh, since it was designed for touching up???? HMMM.

3. affordable price
very affordable as compared to the other cushions in the market! this cost 18000won in korea, and you can probably find it online for around the same price (exclusive of shipping) if you know where to look.

4. flawless and dewy finish
i am totally in love with the flawless finish. they weren't kidding! i think the puff deserves some love when it comes to this. the rubber surface did some magic to the product, giving me a buffed out look even though all i did was to pat. and look at that dewy glow!

full makeup done without powdering my face. only had blusher and some shading powder along the hair line.


on to the parts that it can improve upon!

1. not as sweat resistant
to be fair, it was never touted to be a sweat resistant nor a long wear product. i wish it's more summer proof because i'm in singapore and there's no way i can escape heat and sweat. i'll have to face it: dewy finish makeup is good for photo taking and indoor only. the product transfers slightly when i blot off my sweat with a piece of tissue paper.

2. overly strong scent
the scent did smell good at first, but it got to me after 4 hours of constantly smelling a whiff of it. korean products are usually scented, this is just too much for my liking.

3. limited colour selection
they have 3 colours for you to choose from, super fair, fair, and not so fair. hahaha they do have product names for it but i thought my description of the names would give you a better idea. of course, 3 colour choices are a vast improvement from the original one-colour-fit-all bb cream, but it's very asian oriented. as with all other bb creams, this will not suit those with slightly darker skin tones because of the white cast, which will make you look ashy. if you have the typical asian skin, then you don't have to worry too much about the colours. i think you don't even have to bother about matching it your skin colour because the product will sheer itself out eventually to match your skin. all you end up with is the white cast which will brighten your face.

4. what's with the white cast!?
even though it fades with time, the initial application scared me. honestly speaking, i bet it's mostly due to the physical sunscreen. hopefully i get more used to the amount i use for my face so that i don't turn into a ghost again in the future.

5. the product may oxidize throughout the day
my forehead (far away from where i applied the shading powder) turned darker with time but the center of my face remains relatively bright. i may have gotten some of the products off my face when i blot off my sweat. or the part on my forehead just oxidized more due to more oils being produced there? i don't know. just stating a possibility based on the colour change i observed.

there's one point which makes me sit on the fence.

1. sebum control
i forgot to mention this in the video as i was too taken away by the other points. also, i didn't really pay attention to the oil control part as i was perspiring too much to take notice. the heat makes me produce oil and sweat. however, my skin appears semi matte towards the end of the day. i did blot off my sweat with tissue, i'm not sure if it took away the oils too? i'll have to try it out a few more times before arriving at a conclusion for this.


FULL FACE MAKEUP=====================================================





products used:


foundation: etude house precious mineral any cushion (W13 natural beige)
shading powder: nature republic shine blossom blusher (05 shading beige)
blusher: bourjois little round pot blusher (32 ambre d'or)
eyeshadow: etude house look at my eyes cafe (L-R: BR401 cafe latte, BE102 honey milk)
eyeliner: maybelline masterliner (BR-1)
mascara: maybelline the falsies mascara (black)
lipstick: nature republic botanical lipstick 04 berry peach


IN A NUTSHELL===========================================================

i'm liking this product so far. i wish the staying power is as lasting as the fragrance.. this product does come across as very convenient and time saving, but i seriously don't recommend you patting this all over your face and use this as your sunscreen because that white cast is very terrible. wear a separate sunscreen (with lesser/no white cast) beneath this if you don't mind the hassle. i do that personally because the white cast from the bb cushion will enlarge my already not-so-tiny face.

may not be the best product if you're prone to perspiring like me. powdering may help, but will also take away some of the dewiness it imparts.

other than that, i foresee myself trying more cushion products! now i just have to pray for a long wear formula that is good for hot weathers.

have you tried any bb cushions before? what are you experience with them?

xoxo
karman

White Formula Extreme Hyaluronic Acid Essence First Impression

my first essence! i've been eyeing one for a while, this seems to fit my needs and budget well, so i purchased it after seeing pretty good reviews on urcosme, the taiwanese peer review site for beauty products.

white formula is a taiwanese brand, i think it's pretty new in town, for they have just reached the singaporean shore a few months ago. i got this from hong kong because just 6 months ago, it wasn't in singapore yet.

this is purely for hydrating and moisturizing - packed with hyaluronic acid. read on.



on the back the product description.
let me do some translation!

"complete hydration - the ultimate and improved version. get hydration in just one drop thanks to the high density hydration delivery technology.

the high density water delivery techonology couple concentrated hyaluronic acid allows for the instantaneous release of moisturizing factors. with 4 patented beefed up hyaluronic acids, it is able to penetrate the skin to supply strong and long lasting effects of moisture induction, moisture replenishment, and moisture retainment. you just need one drop for perfect hydration.

- high technology moisture induction hyaluronic acid SYN-HYCAN, aims to inject dry skin with water, works in synergy with collagen.

- low molecular weight hyalurnoic acid Hyalo-Oligo, able to penetrate deep into the skin, allows the skin to be hydrated inside out.

- high density water retaining hyaluronic acid Sodium Hyaluronate, forms a strong net to keep the water in.

- concentrated hyaluronic acid Hyaloveil-P, powerful moisturizing capabilities, constantly supplies the skin with hydration."


ingriedients list.
even though it's a taiwanese brand, it's made in korea!

it comes with suggested usage instructions:

suitable for extremely dry, dehydrated, and sensitive skin.
use it twice a day, morning and night. after cleansing your face, take an appropriate amount of the essence and gently massage it into the face and neck.



pump dispenser.


i really like the blue bottle, looks pleasing and relaxing to my eyes! there are also simple instructions (same as the one on the box) at the back of the bottle.




it's slightly more viscous than the whitening lotion.



similar to the whitening lotion this is extremely slippery, and there is a slight stickiness to it, when i apply it on my face and pat it with my palms, it will resist me from pulling it away from my face (as with all other products containing hyaluronic acid).

IN A NUTSHELL

texture: slightly viscous, very slippery, spreads easily and absorbed quickly.
after-feel: a slight adhesive feeling, skin feels soft and hydrated.
fragrance: no fragrance. in fact, there's a chemical smell to it because they didn't add any fragrance to cover it up.

IMHO

i've only started using it recently, so i can't give too much comments yet. as far as the texture goes, i kinda like it. the slippery feel makes me think of the snail mucin products (even though i've never tried it, but i've linked slippery-ness to moisture retaining effects). the scent is a little turn off because the chemical scent is quite apparent, and the thought of slathering chemicals on my face isn't that appetizing at all. nonetheless, it is a very hydrating product and i can get away with it as my creams at night, perhaps even in the day. but that sticky feeling is something i try to avoid during day time because i need it to be compatible with my make up (meaning, my face should feel hydrate and smooth, not hydrated and slightly sticky, which may result in uneven application of my powders!).

full review will be up in at least 2 months time for me to observe any differences.

my gf picked this up from HK for HKD$110.

Innisfree Olive Real Skin (Review)

i'm only doing my research for this product right now as i'm writing this because i received this as a gift from my relative. it's a toner, but koreans call then "skin". this is different from what americans call toners though. this is NOT an astrigent. asian toners are meant to be used after washing our face to prepare our skin for the other skin care we'll be using after. by hydrating our face with the toner, it supposedly allows the skin to absorb active ingredients better later.

most toners i've used are oil free, so this is definitely something new for me. it contains organic extra virgin olive oil. it's emulsified to form this slightly thick emulsion that is surprisingly light on my skin and is absorbed quickly. the scent is SO LOVELY - a slight tinge of citrus.

from its website, it claims to be

A highly enriched hydrating skin with nutritious organic olives to fill in the skin with nutrition.
so this is a very basic toner that aims to hydrate the skin. nutrition wise.. ERRR. if my skin is getting nutrition from the outside, i'll have to be very worried.


their brand is all about being organic and eco friendly, part of their brand image i guess!



it's nice of them to include english ingredients and usage information.


i look a look at its ingredients, the top ingredients are water, propanediol, butylene glycol, and butylene glycol, all are humectants that will help retain moisture on the skin.

olive oil is pretty high up there too! don't worry about the alcohol because this toner is NOT DRYING at all. the alcohol is probably there to open up pathways for the skin to absorb more product. there're a lot of other natural extracts, even though i don't know their purpose and effects. 

apparently they don't contain parabens, but they have phenoxyethanol as the preservative to make its shelf life longer.




it comes with a little white stopper to prevent spillage. you can throw that away after you transport it home safely! the opening may be a little too huge for my liking. i try to do a magic trick everytime i pour it out of the bottle by tipping the bottle really really quickly, so quickly that you can't see my hands move at all.



it's a little cloudy, afterall, it's an emulsion. a little bit thicker than water, but still quite watery.



from start to finish it didn't even take a minute. it absorbs very quickly. my hands returned to its matte looking state after all that patting. on my face, there can be a little sheen (but that is desired by me).

IN A NUTSHELL

texture: slightly viscous, spreads easily and absorbs quickly.
after-feel: no adhesive feeling like the hyaluronic acid toners made me feel. skin feels soft and hydrated but not for long.
fragrance: slightly citrus scented, makes me feel like a salad with the olive oil dressing and a dash of lemon juice.

IMHO

i've used this for a good half a year, but i haven't been very consistent with it as i switch in and out with the whitening toner that i have. it does a good job preparing my skin for what comes next. i feel that the oil in the toner helps open up my skin to other oil based ingredients in my creams, so that's a good thing.

since there isn't that sticky feeling that hyaluronic acid toners give me, those who dislike that feeling may be interested in this product. however, i feel that this product isn't moisturizing on its own. i definitely need to throw on a cream after that. you know how come oils can make you feel dry? you'd be surprised that this toner doesn't leave me feeling oily at all. i guess all that olive oil got absorbed by my skin instead of sitting on top forming a protective film to keep it hydrated.

all in all, i enjoy using this product, partly because i really love the scent. it makes applying my skin care a pleasure.

White Formula Intense Brightening Laser Toner with Arbutin First Impression

anything with "whitening" will catch my attention because i'm constantly trying to brighten my skin tone. this is something new in the market, in fact, at the time of purchase it was still unavailable in singapore. i had to ask my gf to get it for me from hong kong.

white formula is a brand from taiwan, and their lotion/toner has gotten really good reviews on the urcosme.net ranking, hence i wanted to give it a try. at a price point of HKD$88 for 290ml, i have nothing to lose. if this doesn't work as a whitening toner, it'll still be good enough for just hydrating.



on the back the product description.
let me do some translation!

"a highly efficient triple action whitening formula, it contains arbutin for penetrative whitening, mandelic acid for exfoliation type brightening, and stabilized vitamin c inductor AA2G, an effective whitening ingredient, activating an all round whitening mechanism - exfoliation first before penetration into the skin to reverse the darkening process, getting rid of melanin formation completely. There is an addition of patented compound RADIANSKIN^TM to correct spots and to brighten the skintone. Does not contain alcohol, fragrances, it is gentle to the skin. Consistent usage will result in bright and clear skin all year round.

- gentle penetrative whitening ingredient arbutin, it is absorbed into the skin easily to inhibity tyrosinase to prevent melanin production.

- exfoliative whitening ingredient mandelic acid genltly removes surface epidermis to improve melanin accumulation problem.

- effective and stabilized vitamine c inductor AA2G will release high concentration vitamin c continually to reverse melanin that has already formed."



i took a look at its ingredients, the top ingredients are water, butylene glycol, and propyl glycol, all are humectants that will help retain moisture on the skin. butylene glycol is probably what makes the formula so slippery.

malic acid is quite high up in the ingredient list, an alpha hydroxy acid, it helps in removing dead skin cells, serving a similar function as mandelic acid. and then there is the usual sodium hyaluronate the water magnet. i believe sodium chondroitin sulfate is also there to attract water to the skin.

the skin whitening agents are arbutin, ascorbyl glucoside (AA2G), and alpha-arbutin.

comes with a slew of preservatives (all 4 parabens plus phenoxyethanol).




the bottle has a small open that dispenses enough product by flipping the bottle over quickly over your palm.



it may look watery on my palm, but it's actually slightly, just a tiny bit viscous. the lotion is extremely slippery, making it feel like it's very moisturizing.



even though it's very slippery, it is easily absorbed into the skin with a few pats. there is a slight stickiness to it, when i apply it on my face and pat it with my palms, it will resist me from pulling it away from my face.

IN A NUTSHELL

texture: slightly viscous, very slippery, spreads easily and absorbed quickly.
after-feel: a slight adhesive feeling, skin feels soft and hydrated.
fragrance: no fragrance.

IMHO

so far i've only used it for less than a week, and i really like how it feels on my skin. my previous lotion is the hadanomy collagen lotion, which is quite meh when it comes to hydrating. but the white formula lotion, even though it's touted as a whitening lotion, it is HIGHLY HYDRATING. it's too early to tell the whitening effects at this point in time, and i can only report the immediate effects that i feel, and it's moisturizing capabilities surprised me. my face feels so soft and supple after using it! i will top this up with a cream (either simple moisturizer or hadanomy gel cream).

i also like that it's not entirely watery, it's slight viscosity means it doesn't drip all over my palm when i spread it open. also, when i pat it onto my face, i feel that the texture helps it spread over my skin more evenly, whereas if it was watery like water, it tends to congregate into droplets.

full review will be up in at least 2 months time for me to observe any differences.