REVIEW: TONYMOLY GOLD BLACK SUGAR MASK

It's good to exfoliate your skin once or twice a week to get rid of the dead skin cells. One of my favorite exfoliator is Tonymoly Gold Black Sugar Mask. This is also one of the few beauty products that I've actually repurchased (I've just finished my 2nd tub!).

Size: 100ml

Price: 223,000 VND

My opinion: Although this is a mask, it has a grainy texture that resembles a scrub. I tried using it as a scrub but it was a little bit too abrasive and didn't really take off my dead skin cells. The best way to use this, in my opinion, is to apply it all over my dry face and neck, let it sit there for 15-20 minutes, then wash it off. At first, I can feel the mask heat up on my skin, which is quite nice and relaxing actually. The feeling goes away after about 5 minutes. After removing it, my skin feels soft and looks radiant. It helps deflate my acnes, too! It can get rid of blackheads and clogged pores, but only to a certain extent. If you have extremely dry or sensitive skin, don't use this coz it may dry out or irritate your skin. I tried this when my skin was dry, and trust me, it wasn't a nice feeling! But if you have dull, oily and congested skin, I highly recommend this product coz it's cheap, easy to use and effective. One tub can last up to a year since you only need to use it once or twice a week.

Pros:

- Cheap

- Last for a very long time

- Effective in removing dead skin cells and deflating acnes 

- Relaxing feeling 

Cons:

- May not be suitable for people with dry or sensitive skin

- Not really effective in removing blackheads and clogged pores

Score: 8/10

Repurchase?: No. It's good and I like it, but after using it for 2 years straight, I wanna try something new. Besides, I feel that peeling gels are gentler and more effective in terms of exfoliating.

REVIEW: KATE CHEEK COLOR S IN PK-1

When it comes to blushers, I prefer something natural, but not too sheer to the point that it doesn't show up on my skin at all like a Bourjois powder blush that I used to have (I don't know why but it seems that I've always had bad luck with Bourjois products T-T). After a really bad experience with a now-discontinued Clarins blusher, which makes me look like I've been punched and pinched on the cheeks, I also stay away from any reddish/orangish color. I decide to try Kate Cheek Color S in PK-1 coz Asian makeup products in general tend to fit me better than Western brand, and the reviews for this one are quite positive.

Size: 2.7g

Price: 350,000 VND

This blusher has 2 colors. The lighter one is a highlighter, and the darker one is a cheek color. If you hate shimmer, skip this coz both parts contain shimmer. But in my case, the shimmer doesn't show up on my cheeks at all, so don't worry too much about it. As for me, I usually swipe the brush over 2 parts simultaneously for about 10 times, apply it on my cheek, then repeat the procedure for my other cheek. It sounds long but it really doesn't. It takes me about 1 minute to apply the blush on my cheeks. I love the brush coz it's so soft and doesn't shed. I'll keep it even after I finish this brush :) This blusher gives me a natural pink color, the kind you get after going to the gym or when you're embarrassed :) It looks so real that some people even think that it's my real cheek color and not a blusher! However, because of the sheer color, it doesn't show up well on photo and the lasting power is so so (about 3-4 hours for me). I don't recommend this to people with dry or flaky skin as it will emphasize your dry patches. Having said that, this blusher will not dry out or irritate your skin in any way.This is how it looks on me:

I'm sorry if you can't see the color, but I've tried taking various photos in different lightings, and these are the best that I can come up with T-T

Pros:

- Natural pink color

- Great brush

- Affordable
- Non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic

Cons:

- Accentuate dry patches

- Average staying power

Repurchase?: Maybe. I'm not sure yet coz this'll last for a very long time, and by the time it's expired, I may get bored of it :P

MANGA REVIEW: KATEIKYOUSHI HITMAN REBORN! BY AMANO AKIRA

Not only am I a cosmeholic, I'm also a manga addict :P I know this is supposed to be a beauty blog, but since this review was requested, I decide to just go with the flow and try writing something new. This is the first manga review I've ever written, so please bear with me if you think it sucks.

It was pure chance that I picked up this manga. I saw a Hibari Kiyoya cosplay photo and wow, it was so good! A quick Google search later, I found out that he was a character in Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn! I came across this manga a few times on baka-updates.com but never bothered to read it coz the description sounded too childish for me: "Tsuna comes home one day, only to be greeted by a little baby mafioso who apparently is his new home tutor. His job is to guide Tsuna into his role as the 10th Boss of the Vongola mafia family. With the help of all his new friends and an array of special items such as the "Dying Will Bullet", he might just be able to do it." However, as I'm a sucker for bishounen, I decided to read it anyway :3 Below is the picture taken from the baka-updates page for this manga (can you blame me for thinking it's too childish?):

Although I first picked it up solely because of Hibari-san, this is actually my most favorite manga! The main character is Tsunayoshi Sawada, a klutz who's bad at everything, be it academics or athletics (he kinda resembles Usagi Tsukino in Sailormoon). Suddenly an infant named Reborn appears before him one day and declares that he'll become his home tutor and train him to become a mafia boss!

Reborn and Tsuna's first meeting

Reborn has a special weapon called "the Dying Will Bullet". When Tsuna is shot with this, he'll turn into the Dying Will Mode, which enables him to do things that he can't achieve normally. Along the way, he meets new friends, encounters various enemies and gradually becomes stronger and more mature. Volumes 1-7 are hilarious, quirky and crazy (in a good way), but the story gets darker and becomes more serious from volume 8 (but don't worry, it's nowhere near the dark tone of X-1999). I have to admit that I actually prefer the latter coz though the first seven volumes are fun, they aren't that memorable. 

The drawing of this manga is quite good, considering it's a shounen, and it keeps improving volumes after volumes. It's like a more mature version of MÄR by Nobuyuki Anzai. The fighting scenes are beautifully depicted and the weapon designs are cool yet cute at the same time. One thing that I like about this manga is that the fighting styles as well as the weapons actually evolves throughout the series, yet another things that reminds me of Sailormoon.

Natsu - Tsuna's box weapon (he's just so kawaii ><)

My favorite character is also the one who's led me to this manga, Hibari Kyoya ^^ He's cool, brave, gentle to animals and despite his cold personality, his weird way of talking makes me laugh :"> His most famous quote has to be: "I'll bite you to death" :))

This manga is a bishounen heaven. Below are some bonus pics ;)

Rokudo Mukuro

Dino

Hibari and Fon

(On a side note, I really like Fon when he's an Arcobaleno, so cute!!!)

Spoiler alert: As much as I love this manga, it seems that the storyline becomes less interesting after the Future Arc. Furthermore, the ending seems a little bit rushed. I hope Amano-sensei would tell us more about what'll become of the relationships between Tsuna and Kyoko as well as Chrome and Rokudo Mukuro. 

Score: 8/10

Would I recommend this manga?: Yes. Although it's a shounen, I think girls will enjoy this as well because it's really funny (even when it becomes more serious), addictive and memorable. And there are a lot of hot guys in this as well :P

REVIEW: REVLON JUST BITTEN KISSABLE BALM STAIN IN 040 RENDEZVOUS

Currently, I have 2 holy grail lipsticks: Tonymoly Prestige Crystal Lipstick SPF13 in 04 Muse Coral and Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 040 Rendezvous. I've had this for quite a while so the letters kinda faded away.

  

Size: 2.7g

Price: 399,000 VND (about US$19)

My opinion: On my lips, this lipstick turns into a reddish orange with amazing staying power. It's also buildable so if you want to go for a bolder look, just apply 2-3 coats. The color fades after lots of drinking or eating, but it leaves behind a faint red tint. Although it lasts for a very long time, the color can be removed easily with the help of a makeup remover. It has a minty scent that I just ADORE! I've never liked the smell of mint before, but somehow, I just love this one so much! It isn't drying at all, but if you have chapped lips, you should apply a lip balm beforehand. This is how it looks like on my face:

Pros:

- Nice color

- Buildable

- Long-lasting

- Amazing scent

Cons:

- None that I can think of

Repurchase?: No, coz I get bored of a lip color pretty quickly.

REVIEW: MANDOM BEAUTY BARRIER REPAIR MASK HA

I received four Mandom Beauty Barrier Repair Mask HA as GWP at a Watson's store in Hong Kong (HA stands for hyaluronic acid. If you want to know more about it, please click here). Since they were freebies, I didn't have any high expectations for them but I was pleasantly surprised by the way they worked!

This mask is different from the ones that I've tried before as it actually covers my eyes! If you dislike putting mask on your eyelids, you can flip the covers up and it'll become a regular mask with holes for the eyes. As for me, I really like the feel of this mask on my eye area. I use this whenever my skin feels a little bit dry. My face feels cool and comfortable with this on. I often leave it on for 20 minutes and after taking it off, my skin is significantly brighter, dewier and well-moisturized! As time passes, my skin feels hydrated and silky to the touch but not oily! The brightening and moisturizing effects last for a whole day, longer than any other masks I've tried! This mask is odorless, so if you love fragrance-free skincare products, definitely try this one out!

Pros:

- Brightening and moisturizing

- Non-irritating

- Cover the eyes

- Long-lasting effects

- Scentless

Cons:

- None that I can think of

Purchase?: Yes. This is the best sheet mask I've ever tried :)

REVIEW: THE BODY SHOP VITAMIN E SINK-IN MOISTURE MASK SACHET

I love trying new products, but I'm no longer the naive girl who blindly believes in everything the advertisements say (yeah, I've learned my lesson big time). So, before buying anything (especially something pricy), I usually read other customers' reviews or try samples. The Body Shop in Vietnam is not so generous with their samples (the only sample I received from them so far was the Vitamin E Moisture Cream which I didn't like). However, recently they've started selling the sachets of 3 kinds of masks and 1 scrub for only 69,000 VND each (about US$3), so I snapped them all up. Since it's winter right now, I'm going to do a review on The Body Shop Vitamin E Sink-in Moisture Mask.

How to use (from The Body Shop website): Smooth a thin layer onto dry, clean skin with your fingertips. Leave for 10 minutes. You may experience a slight cooling sensation. Then simply wipe away with a tissue.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water) (Solvent/Diluent), Glycerin (Humectant), Cyclomethicone (Emollient), Propylene Glycol (Humectant), Oryza sativa (Rice Bran Oil) (Emollient), Gossypium herbaceum (Cottonseed Oil) (Emollient/Skin Conditioner), Triticum vulgare (Wheat Germ Oil) (Emollient), Glycine soja (Soybean Oil) (Emollient/Skin Conditioner), Diglycerin (Humectant), Methyl Gluceth-20 (Viscosity Modifier), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer (Stabiliser/Viscosity Modifier), Panthenol (Skin/Hair Conditioning Agent), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Tocopheryl Acetate (Antioxidant), Benzyl Alcohol (Preservative), Lecithin (Stabiliser/Emulsifier), Methylparaben (Preservative), Sodium Hydroxide (pH Adjuster), Parfum (Fragrance), Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Butylparaben (Preservative), Ethylparaben (Preservative), Citronellol (Fragrance Ingredient), Isobutylparaben (Preservative), Propylparaben (Preservative), Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone (Fragrance Ingredient), Linalool (Fragrance Ingredient), Geraniol (Fragrance Ingredient), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Citral (Fragrance Ingredient), Eugenol (Fragrance Ingredient), Farnesol (Fragrance Ingredient), CI 14700 (Colour).

My opinion: I tried this mask when my skin was a little bit dry and flaky. The Body Shop website warned us of a possible slight cooling sensation, but the warning wasn't printed on the sachet at all! My skin is not sensitive and as far as I can remember, I've never had a bad reaction to a skincare product, like, ever! But when I first applied this mask, it seriously STUNG the hell out of my philtrum! The sensation went away in about 1-2 minutes though. I left it on for about 15-20 minutes and washed it off. It got rid of the flakes on my cheeks and moisturized my skin well. Despite the initial irritation, it didn't hurt my skin in any way. It didn't make my T-zone become oily. The effect lasted for quite a long time too coz by the next day, I could still feel that my skin was more moisturized than usual. However, I wasn't 100% satisfied with this mask as it didn't leave my skin feeling baby-smooth or brighten it up like regular sheet masks did. The mask is a pastel pink cream but goes clear on the face, so it'll be suitable for those who want to apply a hydrating mask on a long-haul flight to keep their skin moisturized since it looks just like a regular moisturizer. One sachet contains enough product for 2 uses.

Pros:

- Affordable

- Moisturizing

- Suitable for flights

- Suitable for both oily and dry skin

Cons:

- Tingling sensation at first

- Doesn't make skin feel smooth

- Doesn't brighten the skin

- Contain paraben

Purchase?: I won't purchase the full-size product coz it just doesn't impress me that much. I may repurchase the sachet to use when I travel though.

REVIEW: IT'S SKIN POWER 10 FORMULA CO EFFECTOR WITH PHYTO COLLAGEN

As the weather gets colder, I want something more moisturizing for my skin, so after finishing It's Skin Power 10 Formula VE Effector, I switch to It's Skin Power 10 Formula CO Effector with Phyto Collagen.

Description from It's Skin website: Collagen serum concentrated with vegetable collagen extracts hydrates the skin from the inside, giving it a look of effervescence and resilience immediately after applying.

Size: 30ml

Ingredients (taken from ratzillacosme.com): hydrolyzed extensin, water, butylene glycol, glycerin, polyglutamic acid, carbomer, triethanolamine, methylparaben, disodium EDTA, chlorphenesin, fragrance

Price: 467,000 VND (about US$21)

My opinion: It's Skin Power 10 CO has a gel-like consistency. When I first apply this on my face, it feels sticky but after about 5 minutes, it sinks into my skin. Although it contains collagen, it doesn't make my skin as plump and dewy as the VE Effector does. However, this is more moisturizing and the brightening effect is much more obvious! This alone is hydrating enough for me and I don't need any follow-up moisturizer. It really improves my skin tone and fades my acnes scars (in fact, it works even better than the famous Power 10 VC), though it doesn't prevent acnes. When I wake up in the morning, my skin isn't oily at all but I think it's because the weather is so dry right now. I tried some samples of this in the summer and it did feel a little bit greasy, though it didn't clog my pores or break me out. I think those with very oily skin should only use it in colder months.

UPDATE: Although it's winter, the past few weeks have been quite warm and sunny, so my T-zone becomes quite oily. This serum seems to clog my pores a little bit and cause some blackheads :( So this serum is suitable for cold and dry weather only :(

Pros:

- Moisturizing and brightening

- Fade acne scars

Cons:

- May clog pores and cause blackheads for oily skin in warm weather

- Contain paraben

Score: 8/10

Repurchase?: Yes :)