Why only two weeks? Because sensitive skin.

This entry is long over due, as I've received this along my other iHerb purchase in November of 2017. iHerb was having a Korean beauty sale, if I remember correct it was a 15% discount, so I got this for SGD17.35 instead of the usual SGD20.41 (it's now a little more expensive at SGD25 .43 though, for reasons unknown to me). It's a good deal!

I wanted to give this product a try because I read on reddit how it helped soothe redness in other users' skin. I have plenty of redness on my face, in fact, my entire face is red, except my nose. If this could bring down the redness, it'd be worth a try.




This snail mucin essence comes in a plastic pump bottle, very much different from the Mizon AIO Snail Repair Cream, which comes in a glass container. Price wise, after the discount, the COSRX is a little more affordable ($17+ vs $21+). Also, pump bottles are slightly more hygienic as there is no direct contact with the product within the bottle.



The official description of the product:

Formulated with 96% Snail Secretion Filtrate (Mucin), this essence protects the skin from moisture loss while keeping the skin texture smooth and healthy.

Compared to Mizon AIO which has 92% mucin, the COSRX contains a little bit more of that slimy goodness. Also, it contains lesser ingredients, which I thought would be a plus for my sensitive skin.



The pump is easy to use, but deposits a little too little product in one pump. Is it because I have a big face, that's why I require more product?



On the bottle, there's only Korean description. For English description, refer to the outer packaging (which I've thrown out before taking a photo).



This is how much one pump gives me. One tiny splooch. I need 2 pumps to comfortably cover my entire face and neck. It has a watery consistency, yet still a little viscous and slimy. I feel this is more slimy than Mizon's AIO. Then again, the COSRX is a in liquid form, while the AIO is in a gel form.

It spreads very easily and is absorbed almost instantly. It has no emollients as far as I can feel, because if i do not top up my normal face cream quick enough, my skin feels tight and taut again. Although it has sodium hyaluronate in the formula, that stuff alone is insufficient for my parched skin.

The COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence does an amazing job at giving my skin a surge of moisture, but doesn't nothing to keep it that way. With that said, it's meant as an essence that boosts the hydration of your skin when coupled with your other face creams. 

I've only tried it for 2 weeks because it started stinging my face. What I did not know is that whenever I clean my face in the shower, I create a lot of micro abrasions that I can't see with my eyes (I have a lot of dry flakes that I try to exfoliate while in the shower). While the product felt great on my skin the first week, it slowly began to sting starting from the second week.

:( This is a no for my sensitive skin. I have no idea what's going on with my face right now. I can only describe it as dry, red, and flaky. I do not have any before and after images, but if there were, it'd look a bit better at the end of the first week, then a little worse at the end of the 2nd week because it stung my face.

On the iHerb page, there is a list of warnings, one of which states

Do not use on damaged or broken skin

So.. That's me! I've since passed this on to my brother since he has dry skin, but his skin ain't broken like mine! But he didn't use it consistently enough for me to tell you it made a huge improvement to his dry and oily skin.

Should you try this? If you have pretty normal skin that needs a little boost of moisture, have tried other snail products before and like its effects, and if iHerb is running another promotion on Korean beauty, then yes you should! Otherwise, maybe you could skip this. No one really needs a 10 step skin care routine, for reals. Unless you have too much time on your hand, or too much money to spend?

Unrelated Note

Thanks for staying with me after almost 2 months of inactivity on this blog. I went back to HK in December to visit my family, I did not bring my laptop back consciously because I just wanted to have something like a digital detox. After I got back, I was busy with other stuff. Plus, I haven't been using much new stuff in my skin care so I have nothing to talk about. 

Also, photobucket (the photo hosting service I've been using forever) recently axed their old paid plans, so I'm left stranded in an awkward situation where if I do not pay their new plan price (USD599 a year), I can no longer host my images using photobucket. This just paralyzed me because it's like being held hostage. All of the past entries are built from photos hosted on photobucket. Heck, even parts of my blog skin are kept visible because I hosted on photobucket. Till now, I still do not dare to take a look at the plight of my blog. I would hate to see all the photos unavailable. I hate knowing it will take a tremendous amount of work to relocate all my photos, and then to relink every single one of them. FML. I'm just paralyzed by the amount of work it'd take to fix this silly issue, and I have yet to think of a better idea yet. So, in the mean time I'll just look forward and make sure I host my new images elsewhere. I don't even make 599 a year from the ads displayed on my blog, and to pay such a huge amount for a hobby blog just doesn't make sense to me. 

With that out of the way, I have been trying new skin care products for the past 2 months and I think I have something to write about soon! 

Once again, thank you so much for reading.

Karman.

I used it for exactly a month today. No miracles though.

Looking at my skin care corner that hasn't been touched much the past year (because my skin couldn't tolerate most things), I admit this purchase was more of an impulse buy out of desperation. I heard so many wonderful things about this cream that I decided to take the risk and give it a try. I figured, if I turn out to be sensitive to it too, I could always pass it along to my brother. It was all done in hopes of giving my face a little help in healing from my ongoing eczema woes.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

MIZON is a Korean skin care brand that is well known for using snail slime extract to improve skin conditions. I know snail slime sounds off putting, but it merely sounds disgusting because of the mental image it conjures up. If you focus on the healing benefits of snail mucin, which includes speeding up wound healing and possibly improving photoaged skin, perhaps you can overlook that preconceived distaste for the product.

The product retails for USD16.09/SGD23.46 on iherb. It contains 75g of product.



It claims to be made of 92% snail secretion filtrate. I took a look at the ingredient list and it's rather long. Assuming their claim to be true, then there is 8% of "others", part of it is what I would call fillers and stabilizers that make the cream from separating into its individual components. Of the 8%, it also includes plant extracts, polysaccharide, as well as polypeptide. But it's all the way at the bottom of the list, so are they there for functionality? Who knows.


It comes packaged in a protective paper box. So fancy in its foil finish!



The cream is housed in a brown tinted glass container which is rather weighty.

The container itself has double leakage prevention – an extra plastic lid to keep the products in, and plastic film wrap keep the lid in place. I didn't manage to get a photo of it this time round as I happily opened up the cream before remembering to snap photos. Next time maybe?

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION


A look into the glass container. Nothing special! What were you expecting?


The cream is whitish, lightweight and has a gel texture. It spreads easily, so a little is enough to cover my entire face. Because it's mostly water, it absorbs very quickly too. It hydrates effectively, but doesn't keep my skin supple for too long, so I usually end with a layer of facial oil (currently using argan oil) to lock in the moisture.


The cream got all over the sides because I lay it on the side to take photos for this entry. It's normally neater than this!


The product is fragrance free. But if I take in a deep whiff, there is a sterile scent to it, perhaps with a tiny tinge of floral scent. It's by no means unpleasant. You won't be able to smell anything after you spread it out on your face.

75g is actually quite a generous amount. I use it twice daily on my face and neck. After 1 month, it's down to half the original amount, so I'd say a container would last me about 2 months.

PERSONAL THOUGHTS

I believe it was some reddit post that got me interested in this product. They've been raving about how much it helps to heal their wounds, get rid of redness, and how it fades their pigmentation after using it for a while. Even though my skin type (dry/sensitive) is different from theirs (dry/oily/acnetic), but mine has a lot of wounds too, albeit a different type. I wanted to try my luck. If 22 bucks can give my skin a boost to have a breakthrough in my eczema recovery (I've been in for the past year), why the hell not!?

The cream didn't irritate me most of the time, unless I broke my skin is flaring. It might sting a little bit, but it dissipates quickly. It doesn't make me itch, or uncomfortable as it sinks in so quickly. I believe this cream is meant to be a "primer cream" for the later skin care products, as such it is only logical that the cream isn't all thick and heavy. I add this to my minimal skin care routine now, before I apply my facial oils to give it that moisture surge.

After years of dealing with eczema, I know well enough that there are no miracles (except steroid creams, which are a no-no for me). But I still hoped nonetheless, that the cream can do something more for me. I really can't tell if the snail filtrate did anything more for me than a regular gel cream does. Maybe it did, maybe it didn't. There isn't any comparison for me. But that didn't stop me from liking this cream. Compared to the other gel creams in the market, the MIZON All In One Snail Repair Cream offers more product for about the same price as its competitors, making it a rather economical choice.

In the past month, my face flared twice even as I used the cream. My skin continued to go through its flare-dry-flake cycle. All I can say is that while the cream didn't help get rid of the inflammation in my skin, it didn't make it worse.

I like that it's lightweight and highly absorbable, leaving behind supple and smooth skin even if it's only temporary. It's intended to be used as a first step in your skin care, so layer it with something else if you want more.

Will I repurchase it? I think I might! But I'll decide again when I'm actually done using it for 2 months.

I believe people with dry and oily skin will have the best results from using this cream. You can get it from iherb with my referral link if you wanna give it a try! If you're a US resident, then you can get it at a lower price at amazon!

UNRELATED SIDE NOTE
I've been getting myself busy with graphic design and stuff, hence the lack of updates! Otherwise I'm still alive, and healing. Still not able to wear face makeup though. But lipstick, yes! So maybe I'll finally write about a few lipsticks I tried next time.

More collaborations!

Is it deja vu? I thought I already blogged about this collaboration before.. Then I realize it's the 2nd edition of the collaboration. 3 new cushion cases, and 2 new products!

It seems like it's been released in Korea since March, and is only hitting the Taiwanese shores this month. I tried looking for online retailers to link but failed to find any.

THE FACE SHOP | BB POWER PERFECTION CUSHION SPF50+ PA+++ | 20000 WON | 15g

A high coverage BB foundation that feels light weight, it hugs the skin closely while moisturizing it. Contains hyaluronic acid to make skin appear plumper and more defined.

THE FACE SHOP | CC LASTING CUSHION SPF50+ PA+++ | 20000 WON | 15g

A long lasting CC cushion that is sebum resistant, it's able to cover pores and uneven surfaces. Formulated with moisturizing ingredients to create a glowy look that isn't sticky.

THE FACE SHOP | CC COOLING CUSHION SPF42 PA+++ | 20000 WON | 15g

Containing 60% moisturizer, the CC Cooling Cushion effectively hydrates your skin with the help of botanical extracts. It maintains the water/oil balance to enhance your natural glow. Infused with "snow oil", it cools down your skin as you pat it on.

All three cushions are available in the same 3 shades.

Then again, if you've ever tried Korean foundations, they are usually very fair/pale, so I doubt the difference between these 3 shades is gonna be huge.

Click to enlarge!

An overview and comparison of the three different cushions.

THE FACE SHOP | CUSHION PRIMER | 10000 WON | 25g

Using this primer before the cushions helps cover any pores or fine lines, prepares your canvas for the perfect foundation application. Infused with botanical extracts, it hydrates your skin so other products can stay on your skin better, allowing your make up to stay on longer throughout the day.

THE FACE SHOP | CONCEALER MULTI PALETTE | 20000 WON | 0.9g X 6

A concealer for your every needs, all included in one small and cute case! From left, there are 2 shades for colour correction (light green and brightener), 2 shades for correcting dark circles (ivory beige, natural beige), 1 shade for contour (deep brown), and 1 shade for brightening/highlighting (light pink). Comes with a dual sided brush for precise application and blending.

Spring is coming.

Etude House has released a new line of lipstick! It's very Spring appropriate as it's so candy like! Gonna quickly blog about it before it's promotion ends 31st March. Details at the end of the entry!



Described as a lipstick with vivid and clear colour, I imagine the lips turning into a delicious looking crystal candy that I find hard to resist.

DEAR MY GLASS TINTING LIPS-TALK | USD 10.40

You may have noticed the lipstick looks a little weird above. Why does it look kinda naked? Keep reading.

It comes in a whooping 20 colour variations. 20! Let's take a second to let out a "AH~" as we enjoy this collage.

click to enlarge!

It ranges from orange to fuschia, with a few beige tones as well. Wonderful!
See image below for their colour codes, and swatches of it being applied lightly and heavily.

click to enlarge!

To answer the question of the Glass Tinting Lips-Talk looking a little naked, it's because the lipstick case is sold separately, and for a good reason.

GLASS TINTING LIPS-TALK CASE | USD 5.20

There are 20 designs in total. SAY WHAT!?

click to enlarge!

I really like this idea of replaceable lipstick bullets. It can really cut down on the amount of trash in the long run! Well, I just assumed the lipstick case is reusable, but there are no information about that on its website. So maybe it's not as reusable as I thought. If you tried it you'll have to let me know!

Also, you can mix and match the lipstick cases to get funky new combinations.



Not only is it fun, but the environmental aspect (fingers crossed) of it made me so excited when I saw it on the Etude House website just now!

Etude house is currently running a promotion till 31st March.

The Glass Tinting Lips-Talk is going for 20% off (USD8.32), while the Lips-Talk case are 50% off (USD 2.60)!



If you like the colour combinations shown above you're in luck, because each of those sets are going for 30% off (lipstick case not included, USD 14.56 for 2 lipsticks!)

That's all for now!

Image credit: Etude House

Were the marketing team hungry? Chiffon.. Cake?

Etude House recently released a new line of lipsticks! They are a mix between cream and matte finish. I have no idea what "chiffon" has got anything to do with the finish. In my mind I imagine it to have a bouncy finish (my mind is clearly thinking about the chiffon cake, what a glutton!), which speaks nothing about the finish.

Stripping the marketing thing aside, it's a semi-matte lipstick that promises more moisture than a traditional matte lipstick.

DEAR MY BLOOMING LIPS TALK CHIFFON | USD 12.40

The lipstick has a brand new packaging - eyelet trim decorating one side of the lipstick. With the cap off it looks like a capital letter B. The first time I saw this lipstick I only saw an image of it with its cap off, it made me wonder why a letter B on the packaging :P

Comes in 12 whopping shades, including the rarer brownish and nude shades. Case in point, brown shades are pretty rare in Asian lipsticks.


Click to enlarge!


At a glance.

For actual swatches, check out this korean blog.

EDITOR'S NOTE:
The nude shades (BE109 and BE110) really appeal to me. The almost neon pink PK027, which it's quite common amongst Korean brands still stands out to me. RD315 looks like a beautiful wine red! I might actually hunt these down some time in the future.. :) I don't have a lot of nude lipsticks, YET.

Image credit: Etude House

Because one release is never enough.

Not too long ago, MISSHA released a load of cute products in collaboration with LINE. This is the second release to rip that hard earned money off your hands.

Actually, it's just 3 products, but each having 6 colour variations.

DUAL BLENDING CUSHION SHADOW | 7800 WON

a high blendability eyeshadow (x 2!) thanks to the cream to powder formula.

click to enlarge!

                                                         

TENSION BLUSHER | 11800 WON

the bouncy formula will leave you with a natural and long lasting flush.

click to enlarge!

                                                         

POPTASTIC JELLY TINT | 7800 WON

a jelly formula to stain your lips evenly with strong vivid colours.

click to enlarge!

                                                           

EDITOR'S NOTE
What interests me the most is the tension blusher. At first glance, I thought it's just the usual cushion blusher which by now has sort of become the norm. I do see the merits of a liquid blusher, and an applicator with a larger surface area to ensure even and diffused application. The tension blusher however, appears to be a lot less watery than the cushion blusher I have come to know of. It's a thicker liquid encased within a mesh (I think!). The formula also looks very hydrating, so it might be the perfect blush for girls with dry skin. 

And the tint, you can tell how well it stains the lips just by looking at the model's lips. Especially in the "hot coral" swatch, you can see the stain from the previous colour! Haha!

Even though I can't wear any makeup currently, I'm lusting after peach toned eyeshadows. The orange cupcake shade looks really good on the model's eyes!

What about you? Saw anything that interest you?

image credit: missha

Cuteness overload in 3, 2, 1..

MISSHA has teamed up with LINE to release an entire line of product (pun unintended) with cute packaging! if you're fans of cony and brown, you're in luck!



there are products for your every needs!

1 // FACE

MAGIC CUSHION | SPF50+ / PA+++ | 15g | 11600 WON

comes in two shades, 21 and 23.

MAGIC CUSHION MOISTURE | SPF50+ / PA+++ | 15g | 11600 WON

comes in two shades, 21 and 23.

the formula appears to be sheerer than the original magic cushion above.

2 // EYES

EYE COLOR STUDIO MINI (01 CONY PINK, 02 BROWN BROWNIE) | 12800 WON

swatches of the respective palette.

3D MASCARA, 4D MASCARA | 3300 WON

the 3D mascara provides long curls while 4D mascara gives you voluminous lashes.

3 // LIPS

WATERFULL TINT | 4.5g | 5800 WON

available in four shades.

COLORING TINT BALM | 3.3g | 8800 WON

available in four shades.

MATTE LIP ROUGE | SPF17 | 4.1g | 11800 WON

available in four shades.

GLOSSY LIP ROUGE | SPF13 | 4g | 11800 WON

available in four shades.

4 // CLEANSING

MICRO BUBBLE FOAM (GREEN TEA SEED, LOTUS SEED) | 250ml | 8800 WON

the green tea seed formula is moisturizing while the lotus seed formula is brightening.

5 // HANDS

GLAM ART NAIL STICKER | 4500 WON

LOVE SECRET HAND CREAM | 30ml | 3000 WON

all these collaborations are amazing!
i believe brown/cony lovers will like this collection a lot!
and can i just make a comment about how amazingly affordable some of the products are?
only 3300WON (about 3.3USD) for the mascara? WHAT???

all information and images adapted from missha.