Category: Skincare (Page 4 of 9)

MY BEAUTY DIARY BIRD’S NEST SHEET MASK REVIEW

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Ahh sheet masks, something that I hope by now everyone is using on the regular. Both a lovely excuse for some personal time and relaxation, and the most inexpensive little workhorses of skincare, a sheet mask should be an integral part of your routine. My Beauty Diary sheet masks have gone from cult favourite to just plain ole’ favourite. These are arguably the most well known sheet masks since they’re carried in huge chain stores like Wal Mart in North America, My Beauty Diary has a whole selection of sheet masks available but today I’m reviewing the Bird’s Nest mask.
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If you’re familiar with or a part of Chinese culture, you might have had bird’s nest soup, which contains the same kind of bird nest as this product, which is how I’d heard of it. If not here’s a short education via wikipedia:

Edible bird’s nests are bird nests that are prepared and eaten by humans, particularly prized in Chinese culture due to their rarity and exquisite flavor. They are among the most expensive animal products consumed by humans, with an average nest selling for $2,500 per kilogramme for end-consumers in Asia. The nests have been used in Chinese cooking for over 400 years, most often as bird’s nest soup.

The most heavily harvested nests are from the Edible-nest Swiftlet or White-nest Swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus) and the Black-nest Swiftlet (Aerodramus maximus). The white nests and the red nests are supposedly rich in nutrients, which are traditionally believed to provide health benefits, such as aiding digestion, raising libido, improving the voice, alleviating asthma, improving focus, and an overall benefit to the immune system.

Most nests are built during the breeding season by the male swiftlet over a period of 35 days. They take the shape of a shallow cup stuck to the cave wall. The nests are composed of interwoven strands of salivary laminae cement. Both nests have high levels of calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium.”

I’m assuming those high levels of good stuff make it a good bet for skincare. Whatever the case, this mask is billed as being good for

  • Ultra whitening and hydrating
  • Hydrating and revitalizing 
  • For all skin types, recommended for dry, rough, and dull skin

I would certainly agree on all points except for the whitening. I’ve never noticed a brightening effect after using this mask, and I’ve used them several times. This scentless mask is very soothing and hydrating, though. Another plus is since it has such an insanely cheap price point, you can indulge in this mask frequently without guilt. It’s a great, affordable, basic sheet mask and you could give them a try with confidence you’re getting a pretty solid little product, and without breaking the bank.

available at ebay here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/My-Beauty-Diary-Mask-10-sheets-1-Box-/221237991608?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3382cfd8b8

and amazon here with Prime shipping!
http://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Diary-Birds-Nest-Maks/dp/B003VWP3VA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1433883789&sr=8-2&keywords=MY+BEAUTY+DIARY+BIRD%27S+NEST+SHEET+MASK

3.5 out of 5 turtles!
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WHAT THE BEAUTY BLOGGERS USE: FEATURING CHARLOTTE CHO OF SOKOGLAM

We write, we curate, we cull the herd, we try it all, we pare it down, we’re always searching for the standout stars. Do you ever wonders what the bloggers themselves are using? I’ve rounded up my favourite ladies in the game and asked them about their personal line-ups and thoughts on skincare!
CharlotteCho
Today I’m featuring Charlotte Cho, the brains (and absolute beauty!) behind Soko Glam. The write up on Soko Glam says it all:
Soko Glam is dedicated to discovering Korean cosmetics & beauty trends. With our thoughtfully curated selection from the most innovative and trusted brands, we invite you to explore Korea’s best in beauty.”

I’m a huge fan of Charlotte, she’s been featured in several well known publications and curates the Soko Glam online boutique. With her flawless skin and classic beauty, you can’t look at her without thinking “Giiiirl, what are you using? Because I want to look like that.”

I started by asking what she uses in her morning routine. She let us know that recently it consists of:

charlotteAM
Shingmulnara: Ultra Light Sun Gel SPF 30 PA++ (this was featured in the Get K-Beauty Box)
I then asked her to let us in on what she uses for her nighttime routine. She let me know that the evening is the time when she tests new products so it’s ever changing (I think this is the case with most of us beauty bloggers!) Currently she’s using:
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Skinfood Lemon Brightening Cleansing Oil
Su:m37 Rose Cleansing Stick
Missha Super Aqua Hydrating Toner
Benton Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel
Banila Co Brightening It Radiant Cream
Su:m37 Water-full Cream

I also wanted to pick her brain and find out what her favourite beauty products are right now. Charlotte always looks so put together and cute, so I was especially interested in these answers!
charlotteproducts
Charlotte says:

IOPE water fit lipstick, because Jeonjihyun is my spirit animal (and it’s super moisturizing).
Clio Waterproof Pen Liner – I never liked liquid eyeliner until I used this one. It’s a game-changer!
Tony Moly Petite Bunny Lip gloss for cuteness and a sheer tint!
The secret to the glow-y dewy face without looking too shiny? A good sheer highlighter makes my face glow (in a matte) type of way?

I then wanted to know if she had any other beauty recommendations, any tools or anything that didn’t quite fall into the skincare of makeup category.
Charlotte says:

“I have a lot of annoying baby hairs so this bow hair pad is everything!”
http://sokoglam.com/collections/hair-body/products/lioele-pink-hair-pad
(The Beauty Wolf says: I know that pain all too well, baby hair club unite. Those little things are super useful when you’re doing masks or your routine!)

The one thing I’m always curious about is how people get into the game. Whenever I get a chance, I love to find out more about these self starters who’ve gone onto success. It’s one thing to toy around with the idea, and a whole other to try to make it happen. So I asked, what was the catalyst that propelled her from just daydreaming about it to actually doing it?

Charlotte says:
My husband Dave and I loved living in Korea and we have always been very passionate about the people and the culture. It was the perfect opportunity to share with the rest of the world one of the things Korea does best – skincare and cosmetics! It really wasn’t easy leaving stable careers and taking this leap into entrepreneurship, but I’m so glad we did.
Finally, I asked her what she thought the future held for her, and what her thoughts were on what she’s doing now:

Charlotte says:
I want to keep doing what I am passionate about: testing and curating Korean beauty products and making the discovery process enjoyable for others! 
In the past year, I started receiving emails from people who have experienced positive results after trying out my 10-step Korean skincare routine. Knowing I made an impact on someone’s confidence and skin has been incredibly rewarding which made me decide to go back to school to become a certified esthetician! I’m not sure what the future holds for me, but I’m truly grateful to be part of this journey and happy about where I am now.

So there you have it folks, a peek behind the curtain at one of the best out there. Thank you so much Charlotte for participating, it was a pleasure!

Who else would you guys like to see featured? Let me know in the comments below 🙂

SUM:37 MIRACLE ROSE CLEANSING STICK REVIEW

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If you would have told my 10 year old self that when I grew up I’d be washing my face with rose petals, I’d have said “So you’re telling me I did grow up to be a Supermodel-Princess-
Anthropologist-Millionaire?!”. Well, I may have grown up to be a lowly anonymous beauty blogger, but I am still washing my face in pure luxury thanks to the Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick

I’ve been meaning to write this review for awhile and by now you’ve probably already heard the praise heaped upon this product by my beauty blogger peers. I’m here to tell you every bit of it is totally deserved. In case you have’t yet heard of this wondrous pink baby, allow me to introduce you to your new best friend.

When I first heard about this product from my girls over at The Wanderlust Project and Skin&Tonics, the unusual presentation of a cleanser in stick form was enough to get me to sign on. Housed in a sturdy plastic tube that reminds me of a glamourous industrial sized glue stick, this twist up cleanser is solid like a soap, but much creamier and softer.
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To use you simply twist it up a couple of millimeters, apply to your wet face in a circular motion, and then lather as you would any other cleanser. Speaking of lather, this one’s is like a rose scented marshmallow cloud. If I had to guess what unicorns used to wash their face, I couldn’t imagine them choosing anything but this product. It’s unbelievably lush and creamy. Ugh, it’s heavenly. You really feel like you’re doing something special to pamper your skin rather than just the routine, boring, chore of washing your face. Keep in mind before I tried this cleanser, I was perfectly happy with my CerAve cleanser, and I still use it just to switch things up, but now I can’t imagine my routine without the Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick in there at some point. 


In addition to smelling, and feeling like a rosy dream, this cleanses superbly. It leaves my skin feeling clean but insanely soft. I really dislike cleansers that rob your skin of it’s moisture in the name of ‘squeaky clean’. This is the opposite of that, it leaves me feeling more supple than before I washed my face when I’m experiencing dryness. That being said, it’s not overly heavy if my skin is behaving normally.


Another huge plus for this already brimming with positives cleanser, is it’s portability. Traveling with your regular cream or foam cleanser is such a pain. This plastic tube keeps your cleanser protected, takes up minimal space, and will never be subject to those B.S. liquid limits at the airport. It’s slim upright design also lends itself perfectly to your precious bathroom storage space. If you live in the city like I do, you’ve got a bathroom like a closet and space is always an issue, especially when you follow a multi-step routine. 

Keep in mind before I tried this cleanser, I was perfectly happy with my Cerave cleanser, and I still use it just to switch things up, but now I can’t imagine my routine without the Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. 


Packed with ingredients that boast basically every good “anti” you could ask for: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and emollient properties, Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick certainly lives up to the name Miracle for me. Five out of five turtles, plus one, earning a holy grail status. 

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 Available at Amazon with Prime shipping at a great price here

and on ebay here

 

EXCLUSIVE IOPE SUPERBOX MEMEBOX DEAL

IOPEBBCUSHIONXPYou know how much I love my Iope Air Cushion, Iope products, and Memeboxes. Well, they’ve combined those precious beauties and have released an Iope Superbox!
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From the website

This box contains IOPE’s famous Essential Skin Boosting Serum, Eye Cream, Relief Cream, Essential Face Oil, Lip and Cheek, plus an IOPE Air Cushion!

 

Now, don’t miss this exclusive chance to try all the skin and beauty benefits that this IOPE Box has to offer, and see for yourself what the buzz is all about! This box has a retail value of over $325, but you can grab yours at an exclusive price!

On top of the already reduced prices, your  will receive an additional 10 reward points just for purchasing the boxes through my referral link!

http://us.memebox.com/referral-only-deal/superbox-47-iope-box-2-ref-deal?acc=44f683a84163b3523afe57c2e008bc8c#.U8m8QIBdVdI

I don’t usually advertise things like this, but this one truly is an excellent value! A $325 value with amazing products? Yes ma’am, sign me up. The serum alone retails for almost the entire price of the box, and the inclusion of my favourite bb cushion really seals the deal! I highly recommend picking one up if you’re a lover of Iope products, or are just looking for a way to give them a try!

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HANYUL WHITE CHRYSANTHEMUM POWDER SERUM REVIEW

hanyul white chrysanthemum powder serum
Chrysanthemums, in their various incarnations, are one of my absolute favourite flowers. It’s fitting then that this chrysanthemum serum has turned out to be one of my absolute favourite discoveries.

Hanyul white chrysanthemum powder serum is a brightening and dark spot lightening serum. It says “whitening” but that doesn’t mean what you might think it does, this does not bleach your skin. It simply targets any dark marks or visible sun damage you might have in a very gentle way. It’s also works as an overall skin tone brightener. The namesake of this product, chrysanthemum extract, is used in skincare for it’s anti-inflammatory, natural astringent, and revitalizing properties. Other skincare ingredient stars with anti-inflammatory and skin brightening properties are also featured prominently on the ingredient list. Notably Peony root extract, Ginger extract, and Angelica root extract. The serum is a light watery milk consistency that absorbs nicely into the skin. It’s very light and doesn’t offer much in the way of hydration, but you should get getting your hydration from your other products anyway.
hanyulwhitepowderswatchWith the inclusion of all of those natural and flower derived ingredients you get not only a stellar performance, but also one of the most delicious smells I’ve come across in a skincare product. It’s a highly subjective thing, but to me this smells like heaven’s garden. This serum has a light but divine floral fragrance. It’s not an old lady powdery floral either, it’s a throughly modern earthy floral that I ended up looking forward to every night when it comes time to do my skin care ritual.After only a month of using this serum I noticed visible lightening of some emerging sun damage that was starting to peek through on my cheeks. I didn’t have any dark post inflammatory hyperpigmentation acne marks to test it on but others have had truly amazing results treating them with this serum. Though, if I did I feel as though I would want to find a professional (like thevictoriancosmeticinstitute.com.au) to help sort this, rather than use a product like this. In any case, in addition to the lightening of the sun damage, I also noticed visible overall brightening to my skin tone. Not lightening, straight up brightening. My skin was in a tailspin after a long bout with illness and this really put me back on track and beyond. I could not be more pleased with the results of this product and I will absolute be repurchasing it again, and again. This has earned a coveted spot in my permanent lineup. I’m thrilled with this product, I’m only sad I didn’t know about it sooner!

Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Powder Serum get 5 out of 5 turtles plus an extra turtle for overall outstanding awesomeness (so scientific, right?)
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This product is available at W2 Beauty where if you’re a first time customer, you can get a five dollar voucher to use immediately on your purchase by entering my sponsor code 071087605 when you sign up for an account!

Also available on eBay in the 40ml size here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HANYUL-White-Chrysanthemum-Serum-40ml-/400896401576?hash=item5d5749a0a8

You can get a 40 piece lot of samples of it here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hanyul-White-Chrysanthemum-Powder-Serum-40ml-1mlx40pcs-Anti-aging-Whitening-/201241509047?hash=item2edaedbcb7

And on Amazon with free shipping here
http://www.amazon.com/Hanyul-White-Chrysanthemum-Powder-Serum/dp/B00L8HN4DY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1438359959&sr=8-2&keywords=HANYUL+WHITE+CHRYSANTHEMUM+POWDER+SERUM

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