[BEFORE and AFTER] Benton Cacao Moist and Mild Serum

 Hello!

So I've been so excited to share my review on this NEW RELEASED serum from Benton Cosmetics! I saw that they are recruiting for reviewers and I tried my luck and just happen to be selected! Yeay!

Although this serum is almost confiscated by my local custom because they said I import illegal cosmetics from outside which I have been doing for years and it was fine. I guess it had something to do with DHL a.k.a expensive shipping so guys, avoid DHL at any cost because your products might get into a problem. 

Anyway, I was so excited when I saw they're releasing the Cacao Moist and Mild in a serum because I also have tried and reviewed the cream here and it was amaaaaazinnnng!

Without further ado, let's get into the review!

Product information:

Hydrating/Nourishing/Skin Protection/Water-oil Balance

Benton Cacao Moist and Mild Serum is a lightweight and hydrating serum. 

With Cacao extracts and Hyaluronic Acid, this serum replenishes moisture to the skin. 

Various botanical extracts in the serum further help to keep skin smooth.

Net weight: 30ml/1.01 fl. oz

 Source: Benton Cosmetics

 A dropper bottle :)

Both manufactured and expired date written :D

 Colorless and scentless liquid.

 Almost resemble emulsion consistency but once it is spread on, it turns to water.

(Excuse for the pimple-like thing on my hand. Apparently, I was allergic to a medicine that I took to heal a wound)

 Source: Benton Cosmetics

 I'm not sure if you guys can see it but my pores are disappearing in the 'after' picture. 

My thoughts:

The serum came in a clear glass-looking plastic(?) dropper bottle and honestly it legit and feels like glass.

I have tried this serum for about two weeks now and honestly, I think this would be a great serum for a simple skincare. On days where I'm having a bad skin where I don't want to put too much of a product on my skin, this would be a great substitute.

It is very lightweight. The consistency almost looks like emulsion when I first put a drop on my palm but then it spreads like water and absorbs quickly into the skin.

It feels very hydrating, enough to hydrate combination to oily skin especially in these hot summer days. It won't make my sebum got worse on the day and wouldn't mess with my makeup either.

In terms of hydrating, I do feel like this lasts for the whole day and it doesn't feel that much of hydration when you apply it but then I don't see any dry patches throughout the day either so that is definitely a plus!

All the ingredients are level 1(green) according to cosDNA and you don't have to worry about putting this on your skin. On the plus side, this is also colorless and scentless!Hooray!

Lastly, as you can see in the photo above, I was surprised too when I see the pic because my pores totally look less visible after I put on the serum! Would totally recommend this to those who are concern about your big pores :D

Overall, I'm liking it! Surely not bias because this is an honest review although it was gifted by Benton.

Definitely a great combo with the cream!

Thank you for reading :D

[REVIEW] COSRX PHA Moisture Renewal Power Cream

Hello :)

I've been wanting to post this as soon as possible on the blog but blog review do take some time because of editing pictures and writing a long review compared to Instagram so I actually posted the shorter review of this on my Instagram so in case you haven't followed me on Instagram, do follow me @ashihana :D

I'm a huge fan of COSRX and I'm sure many of you are too so when I saw they released this cream and I too were looking for a new moisturiser to try so I immediately grab this when it is available on eBay :D Ebay do have sellers who are selling this cheaper than a lot of online sellers and a lot of them are credible so I had no problem with trusting those shops.

In two weeks, by free shipping, I received my product safely and as expected, it was as small as the COSRX Centella Blemish Cream XD I'm not sure how long is this gonna last on me because the Centella finish up pretty fast because it is only a 50ml product.

Product Description:

 PHA Moisture Renewal Power Cream designed for dry skin is formulated with PHA to help your skin appear smooth, dewy, and moisturized.

Volume: 50ml

PH (30℃): 4.0 ± 1.0

So what is PHA?
"Polyhydroxy acids, aka PHAs, are a third-generation of peeling ingredient that is just as effective, but less irritating than AHAs and BHAs. They promote a mild peeling by acting at a top surface level to smooth skin and improve overall tone. PHAs are also known for attracting moisture to prevent skin moisture loss while effectively exfoliating"

Who Should Use PHAs?
The great thing about PHAs is that, since they have larger molecular structures-which limits how deeply it penetrates into the skin-, they are more gentle on the skin, causing less irritation when compared to AHAs and even BHAs. This characteristic makes PHAs great for every skin type, especially the sensitive ones. So if you tried AHAs and BHAs in the past and have noticed signs of irritation and redness, PHAs could be the perfect for for you.

What Good Can They Do For Your Skin?
Along with being less likely to cause irritation, PHAs have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Plus, some PHAs, like galactose-which is a sugar used in collagen synthesis-can help skin heal faster. Other forms of PHAs include lactobionic acid, which is derived from lactose in cow's milk, and gluconic acid (or gluconolactone), an antioxidant acid that naturally occurs in cells.

Source: theklog

 

 Based on cosDNA, all of the ingredients are green level 1-2 so they're safe to use on the skin :)

 It does have that safety cap like you would see on most Kbeauty products :)

My Thoughts:

The cream itself has a silky and easy to apply on the skin. As it claims, it is definitely heavier because only just a little amount of it can supply ample of hydration to the skin. 

It was recommended that the cream to be used at night because it is heavier to be used on the day but it didn't matter for me. As nowadays I felt like my skin will be a little dry, so I use this day and night. It just the amount that I'm using on both times is different where I put a lot more at night and a little lesser of the day.

One thing about the heavier cream is that it usually will cause me to have those milia especially under my eyes and I was also a bit skeptical about this. However, after using it for about 3 weeks, I didn't see any production of milia under my eyes or any parts of my face and that's a really good thing!

The cream also had this natural coconut smell which I guess that is probably because they're putting 50% of the Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract (Coconut) as the first ingredient. I would also like to clarify that this ingredient is not acne triggering as I've seen some blogger said. Don't confuse this ingredient with Coconut oil because coconut oil is the ingredient that you need to watch out when putting it on the skin because it can block your pores.

Rather than AHA or BHA, this cream is using PHA instead. It's a gentler version of AHA and BHA and I think it does a better job than when I use products with AHA/BHA alone. I can see that my skin texture have improved so much and it look like I had a glowy skin every morning because of this cream. It also able to calm my redness from the other day too :)

Despite the absence of silicone in this cream, I don't find it suffocating my skin nor it entrapped the pores like a lot of creams do. I find this more breathable and hydrating at the same time.

There are some days that I do feel that I have a slick of oil on my face whenever I woke up from the sleep and it probably had something to do with me trying those moisture-sucking cleanser or I just put a little too much of the cream the day before. Another reason is probably I don't wait until my skincare steps are properly applied so it will disturb the process of absorbing the next skincare steps.

Overall, I do love this and would definitely make a repurchase. Just to note you guys that I'm already at the 3/4 of the tube and thinking that I should buy a backup! :D

Anyway, thanks for reading <3

xoxo Mizu

[REVIEW] Althea Skincare Line "Bare Essentials"

 Hi guys!

So recently AltheaKorea is releasing the shop's first ever skincare line named "Bare Essentials" which is aiming at the simplest skincare as base makeup because sometimes complicating your skincare won't do your skin good. I was lucky to become their blogger and trying this first hand.

There are three products in this line which is the Contour Cleanser, Primer Water, and Fixer Cream which is the usual steps that you can find to complete a skincare routine.

The first product, which is also the first step in the skincare line is the "Contour Cleanser"

Ingredients:

Glycerin, Water, Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Lauric Acid, PEG-32, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Lactose, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Polyquaternium-67, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Menthol/Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-7, Fructooligosaccharides, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Pullulan,1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance 

Product Description:

A rich and foaming cleanser that removes impurities while improving blood circulation for that V-shaped look. It contains microcapsules to gently exfoliate dead skin cells and leaves the skin feeling cool and refreshed.

My Thoughts:

The cleanser is very thick in texture and I guess it was due to the presence of cornstarch as one of the ingredient. It has this microcapsule that will dissolve while rubbing the cleanser on your face.

Because the texture is quite thick and I only need a pea-size amount of it to cleanse my face as it lathers quite easily (caused by Cocamidopropyl Betaine). It is quite a deal for RM23.00 cleanser and a big one at that because it will last for quite long.

As I cleanse with this, I do notice that it's quite minty because the presence of menthol in it and it has quite a strong scent to it which I believe came from the Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract and Fragrance. As written in cosDNA, the Lippia Citriodora Extract is an ingredient that acts as a perfume and astringent and it is quite hazarding since it is on the red-level (7). The scent is too strong in this one and I have not used much-scented skincare these days so it does bother me.

As for the performance, I do notice that it quite sucked on the natural moisture on face after I was the cleanser off my face. You know the feeling of the dryness like those pulling feels? It's literally that. Also, I'm not sure which ingredients caused this but every time after I use this cleanser, the sensitive part of my skin which is along my temple hurts, although there isn't a physical thing can be seen like redness or such but it does feel hurt. However, this wasn't the worst cleanser I've tried because it doesn't do those "squeak-squeak" thing although I'm hoping that they would revise some of the ingredients that can be used by people who have sensitive skin.

The next product is "Primer Water"

Ingredients: 

 Water, Propanediol, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Betaine, Fructooligosaccharides, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pullulan, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Saussurea Involucrata Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Origanum Vulgare Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sclerotium Gum, Agar, Polysorbate 20, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Fragrance

Product Description:

Smooth, hydrating and ever so slightly balm-like, this bottle of wonder penetrates into the layers of the skin and making it a smooth canvas for products to come. Made with patented dewdrop technology, it smoothes and evens out the skin, prepping it for the next step and leaving the skin in a youthful glow.

Price: RM43.00

My Thoughts:

 This rich primer water does feel like an emulsion to me. It's thicker than most essence and it is definitely closer to an emulsion texture which is liquidy but still retains a weight to it.

According to cosDNA, the ingredients are pretty much safe with the medium hazard ones are the Polysorbate 20, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil and Fragrance (3 to 4). Do note that the alcohol is the fourth highest ingredient as well.

To be honest, I did like this primer water although the scent is also quite strong in this. It is because it doesn't break me out nor giving me any strange effects on my skin rather it supply my skin with moisture and it has my favorite ingredient too which is the Centella Asiatica Extract that works so well on my skin :D

I usually used this primer water by pouring the desired amount of my palm, rubbing it between my two hands and dab it on for a few seconds to let the emulsion absorbs into the skin. I do see a slight brightening to the skin after some time (because of Snow Lotus) and the dewdrop technology which is to provide moisture is definitely a plus!

The last product is the "Fixer Cream"

Ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Dimethicone, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, PEG-100 Stearate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Polyacrylate-13, Fructooligosaccharides, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Polyisobutene, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pullulan, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Fragrance

Product Description:

 Powerful moisturizing properties are packed into this little jar that provides the skin with hydration for up to 24 hours for a fresh, revitalized complexion. It penetrates deep into the layers of the skin to plump them and it has non-sticky finish once absorbed.

Price: RM50.00

My Thoughts:

This cream is so silky in texture and it feels so light on my skin and it hydrates pretty well too. Since it is light and easy to spread on the skin, I prefer to wear it on the day because it won't interfere with my foundation texture. It is not sticky as it claims although this too has a strong scent to it.

From the ingredients, it seems that there are a few that could be acne triggering such as Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, and Butylene Glycol while Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysorbate 60, PEG-100 Stearate, Polysorbate 20, and Fragrance are a medium hazard. Although there are a few that could be acne triggering, so far I did not experience any breakout while using this product nor it did inflame my skin so I think that's good.

The product also claims to be supplying 24-hour hydration and although I did not use this for the whole 24-hours, I do think that the hydration lasts pretty long! It also contains my all-time-favorite Centella Asiatica Extract for wounds healing and skin improvement.

 Bonus: Aside from sending the slab of marble, Althea also sent its hand mirror! How cute is that?!

If you are interested in buying these skincare, do visit Althea;

Website: althea.kr / my.althea.kr (Malaysia) [They ship worldwide]
Instagram: @altheakorea

Thank you for reading :)

[REVIEW] Purito, Centella Asiatica Line and Fermented Complex Essence

Hey guys!

So today I'll be reviewing these awesome products from a Kbeauty brand called "Purito"

I saw the brand on Instagram and would never be thought that they'll contact me to gift me all these three products that I personally chose from their website. 

In all honesty, they would like me to review these without any bias towards the products and giving my feedback since the brand is fairly new.

If you haven't known about Purito yet, they are a brand who practiced safe and honest ingredients in their products and the ingredients used is not all that useless fillers but give benefit to your skin.

I have tried all these products together in slightly more than a month and now I can share with everyone of what I think of them.

Let's start with their "Centella Green Level All in One Mild Pad"

Source: puritoen.com

Centella is such a trendy ingredient these days and I have a lot of trust with it because I see the results myself and it works wonders because Centella or Cica functioned as wounds healing, improve blood circulation, helps to prevent scarring and prevent future blemishes. So when I saw products that do contact this magic ingredient, I couldn't help but be obsessed with it. By the way, these ingredients above are analyzed by the cosDNA and you can see that all of it are green level! Other ingredients that should be noted is that it also contains BHA which works deeper in the skin.

It has two sides, (the rough side, the one you see in the picture) and (the smooth side)

So what this pad do is;

- to wipe away any residue after cleansing

- for exfoliation

- remove sebum

The rougher side, the one that bumps is suitable for exfoliation of dead skin and the smoother side is for hydrating or makeup modification if you made a mistake :)

I usually use these as to remove any residue after my double cleanse and it did! I can see some yellow dirt on the pad after use. Other uses would be exfoliation especially to remove dead skin from my lips and to hydrate my skin after cleansing. I find that it calms my skin, keeping it smooth on the surface and did prevent me from breaking out! However, I do find that the pad itself is a little too rough(?) I can see that it is made from pure cotton however it did feel like there is a lot of friction on face especially when I'm a bit rough so be careful and be kind to your skin :D Other than that, there is a scent to this and I believe it did come naturally from the ingredients.

These are the words written inside the box! How cute is that? They also wrote some other uses for the pad like exfoliating the dead skin on your heels. :)

The next product is "Fermented Complex 94 Boosting Essence" 

I believe that this product is listed under their bestseller and honestly I can see why!

Aside from its amazing ingredients which are the Fermented Complex 94%, it also supplies the skin with a lot of hydration with a few drops! I was so surprised when I tested it out on my hand because I only put a little amount and it already feels so hydrating!

Source: puritoen.com

The texture is almost like water however I do find that it also has a little weight to it which is why they call this as an essence instead of toner. I love that Lactobacillus is one of the highest ingredients because it works better in terms of skin penetration and it also functions as smoothing the wrinkles [Adenosine] and a safe ingredient in whitening the skin. Added with Niacinamide which also function as skin whitening, it boosted the whitening properties.

Came in this colorless liquid and after a month of use, I can see that it provides full hydration to my skin and brighten my whole complexion. I usually used this by dabbing it onto my skin for extra hydration. On some days that I felt like I needed more hydration than usual, I could go on with this with three steps and it feels amazing! I definitely recommend this to be used daily as it is not tacky, scentless and perfect for either on day or night.

The last product that I tried is "Centella Green Level Recovery Cream"

This is the newest product of Purito and I bet you guys already know why did I chose this cream :D Yes, you are correct, it is because of Centella Asiatica! XD

Since I already chose the pads and essence, why not I end this skincare routine with a cream and when I saw this, I thought this would be a great completion to this routine of all Purito products.

You guys probably knew that I was an acne sufferer and although it wasn't as bad as it used to now (thanks to the incredible kbeauty skincare routine) I do find that the acne still came back from time to time depending on my body hormonal changes so I was constantly looking for product that can keep those under control.

Source: puritoen.com

Instead of water, the cream contains Centella Asiatica Extract as the first ingredient!Yeay!

And as you guys already saw from the three products, all of their ingredients are a green level which means it is safe for the skin even for sensitive ones!

Purito says on their website that the cream is made in small quantities because it doesn't have preservatives and it is advised to be stored in the fridge. However I didn't do any of those since I don't have a fridge access at my college ;( Still, the cream doesn't go bad or anything and it performs as it should but I do think that it won't last long this way until it goes bad. But then, the cream amount is too little for me so by this post is published, I already finished the whole tube :D

The cream has the similar scent to the pad and I believe it came naturally from the ingredients. The cream is lightweight and provides full moisture to my skin, plus, it is not tacky at all. On the first stage of using this, I actually used it all over my face and I would not recommend you guys to do that because it will run out fast like mine XD So I recommend this cream to be used only on affected trouble areas like redness, newborn pimple or even any areas that you feel it needed this cream.

Nowadays, my affected areas are always on the side of my face where I lied down the most when I'm sleeping. That can't help because my skin is sensitive to friction and sometimes it also hurts because of those moisture-sucking cleanser that I tried so I try applying this cream and the hurting gone overnight! I also applied on parts where my skin is "angry" or inflamed/redness and it works wonders!

 Sorry for the different color on both picture because one is captured early morning and the other were captured on golden hour. However you can see one of the example that I managed to take with my camera is this red pimples on my forehead that calms down after using the cream for three days.

On the end note, I am satisfied with all three products that I tried from Purito because aside knowing that it is safe, it suits my sensitive acne skin and it also works! I would recommend you guys to check out this brand! They are also available on ebay if you're keen on purchase :D and by the way, you guys can read more informations of all these products on their website and it is in English! The ingredients benefits that I may not able to explain properly might have been written in the website instead. It's worth a read!

Website : puritoen.com / purito.co.kr
Instagram : @purito_official

Thank you for reading :)