TRAVEL SERIES PART 1: MY SKINCARE TRAVEL BAG

I'm gonna go on holiday for 8 days starting next week, so I really want to share with you what beauty products I'll bring with me. Let's start with my favorite subject: skincare ^^ (Some of the products have been reviewed on my blog, so if you want to read the full reviews, just click on the names).

This bag is a freebie that I got from Tonymoly as a GWP. I love it and it has followed me through many trips. 

• Cleanser: I bring along Bifesta Cleansing Express Eye Makeup Remover and Biore Cleansing Milk. The latter can double up as a makeup remover and a regular cleanser, so I don't have to bring a separate cleansing foam.

• Exfoliator: I exfoliate once or twice a week, so I only bring 1 sachet of It's Skin Mangowhite Peeling Gel. This exfoliator is gentle yet effective.

• Toner and moisturizer: I've saved up all the samples I received in several months to use them on the trip. I'll use It's Skin Collagen Toner and Emulsion, It's Skin Hyaluronic Acid Toner and Emulsion, It's Skin Fermented Floral Water Whitening Toner and Lotion, and It's Skin Caviar Double Effect Toner and Emulsion. I know it may sound excessive, but these samples are tiny and can run out at anytime, so I'd rather be safe than sorry :P Besides, I've used them all before and they don't irritate my skin in any ways. Side note: It's a really bad idea to try out new skincare products while traveling because if you're allergic to them, they'll ruin your holiday.

Since these samples are all emulsion, I also bring along some sachets of It's Skin Prestige Creme D'escargot in case my skin gets dry.

• Eye cream: It's Skin Brighten System Eye Cream. (I'm almost out of this one, but I think it can last until the end of my holiday).

• Sunscreen: I have It's Skin 2PM Sun Block SPF50+ PA+++ for my face and Biore UV Perfect Milk SPF50+ PA+++ for my body.

• Lip balm: Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Velvet. This lip balm has good moisturizing property as well as SPF20.

That's all for today. The post about my travel makeup bag will be up tomorrow, so stay tune for that ^^

REVIEW: ETUDE HOUSE SHEA BUTTER NUTRIFULL SKIN CARE KIT

Last summer I received a Shea Butter Nutrifull Skin Care Kit from Etude House Hong Kong, but I put off trying it until winter because if I used rich products during hot weather, I'd break out. 

Description: Enriched with Ecocert certified Organic Shea Butter and Cloudberry ingredient, this three-piece skin care set deeply nourishes and moisturizes dry to very dry skin, This set contains: Nutrifull Shea Butter Essentializer, Nutrifull Shea Butter Cream, Nutrifull Shea Butter Sleeping Pack.

Directions: 

• Step 1. Nutrifull Shea Butter Essentializer (Essence-in Lotion): After cleansing and toning, massage evenly over face. Pat to finish. 
• Step 2. Nutrifull Shea Butter Cream (Ultra-concentrated Cream): After Essentializer and Eye Cream, massage evenly over face. Pat to finish. 
• Step 3. Nutrifull Shea Butter Sleeping Pack: After toning, smooth evenly on face before sleeping. Do not rinse off - the product will absorb. Cleanse in morning with warm water. For an extra nourishment, use after Nutrifull Butter Cream.

Ingredients:

• Nutrifull Shea Butter Essentializer: water, butylene glycol, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, cyclopentasiloxane, glycereth-26, glycerin, squalane, dimethicone, cetyl ethylhexanoate, C14-22 alcohols, cyclohexasiloxane, rubus chamaemorus seed extract, C12-20 alkyl glucoside, glyceryl stearate, glyceryl caprylate, DI- C12-13 alkyl malate, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, ethylahexyglycerin, xanthan gum, carbomer, palmitic acid, polysilicone-11, PEG-100 stearate, tromethamine, disodium EDTA, phenoxyethanol, fragrance       
• Nutrifull Shea Butter Cream: water, glycerin, cyclopentasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane, cetyl ethylhexanoate, squalane, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter extract, dicaprylyl carbonate, disteardimonium hectorite, cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 dimethicone, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed wax, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil, PEG-10 dimethicone, rubus chamaemorus seed extract, salvia hispanica seed extract, lauryl PEG-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone, sodium chloride, ethylhexaglycerin, pentylene glycol, polysilicone-11, disodium EDTA, phenoxyethanol, fragrance 
• Nutrifull Shea Butter Sleeping Pack: water, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, glycerin, cyclopentasiloxane, butylene glycol, dicaprylyl ether, cetearyl alcohol, cyclohexasiloxane, BIS-PEG-18 methyl ether dimethyl silane, sodium hyaluronate, rubus chamaemorus seed extract, dicaprylyl carbonate, glyceryl stearate, behenyl alcohol, PEG-40 stearate, polysorbate 20, carbomer, glyceryl caprylate, hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer, palmitic acid, stearic acid, tromethamine, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, alcohol, ethylhexaglycerin, phenoxyethanol, fragrance 

My opinion:

• Nutrifull Shea Butter Essentializer: This product has the lightest consistency among the 3. It absorbs quickly and doesn't clog my pores or break me out. It's definitely not moisturizing enough on its own, but when used with Nutrifull Shea Butter Cream or Nutrifull Shea Butter Sleeping Pack, the combo still isn't enough for my dehydrated skin in the winter. 
• Score: 7/10

• Nutrifull Shea Butter Cream: This product has the thickest consistency and never seems to absorb into my skin. Even though my skin was dry, this cream just kinda "sat" on my face and did nothing other than making it greasy. It's so ironic that even though it felt tacky and heavy on my skin, my face was still dehydrated with this on! Worse than that, it broke me out! I tried coupling it with Nutrifull Shea Butter Essentializer, but it just didn't work. My skin felt even more greasy but still dry underneath, and I woke up with a new zit on my chin! I didn't even want to try using it with the Nutrifull Shea Butter Sleeping Mask because I was sure I'd turn into an oil slick! So, in short, this cream doesn't work well on its own or with other product.
• Score: 3/10

• Nutrifull Shea Butter Sleeping Pack: Etude House claims that this product can be used alone after a toner, but I beg to differ. On my dehydrated skin in the winter, this is definitely not moisturizing enough. Even when I used the Nutrifull Shea Butter Essentializer beforehand, my skin still didn't feel hydrated. On the plus side, this sleeping mask absorbs really quickly into my skin thanks to its light consistency and it doesn't irritate my skin in any ways.
• Score: 7/10

Purchase?: No. I think the reason why these 3 products aren't moisturizing enough for my skin is because they all contain alcohol. My skin tends to become dehydrated if I use products which have too much alcohol, especially in winter.  

REVIEW: NYX SOFT MATTE LIP CREAM IN ANTWERP AND MONTE CARLO

Thanks to a friend of mine, today I was able to try out 2 NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream: Antwerp and Monte Carlo. Prior to these, I've never tried any NYX products, so I was really excited to try them out.

Monte Carlo

Antwerp

Packaging: These lip creams look just like lip gloss, from the cylindrical bottles to the doe foot applicator.

Scent: They smell like vanilla ice cream to me.

Application: The cream glides on so smoothly and the wand distributes the product evenly on the lips.

Finish: True to their name, they have a matte finish. Lipsticks tend to look all glossy on me lips, but these lip creams don't.

Shade: Monte Carlo is a deep pink while Antwerp is a paler and more subdued shade of pink.

 Monte Carlo

Antwerp

Longevity: I drink water quite frequently, and these lip creams manage to stay intact! They do fade after eating, but there's still some color on my lips. And thank God, they don't fade unevenly! Despite their strong staying power, they can be removed easily with a makeup remover.

Moisturizing property: They aren't moisturizing but I don't expect them to be because of their matte finish. Having said that, I don't find them drying at all. However, those with chapped lips should wear a lip balm before applying.

Score: 9/10

Purchase?: Yes, I'd love to buy both.

QUICK REVIEW: 3 CONCEPT EYES LIP COLOR IN 309 CELEBRITY

Stylenanda is a well-known clothing brand in Korea, and recently, they've branched out to cosmetics with the release of 3 Concept Eyes. A friend of mine was kind enough to let me try her brand new 3 Concept Eyes Lip Color in 309 Celebrity.

Packaging: Very simple but small and light enough to carry around.

Shade: It's a bright and matte orange shade.

Moisturizing property: It's not exactly moisturizing but it doesn't dry out my lips or anything. However, if you have chapped lips, you should apply a lip balm beforehand.

Lasting power: Quite good actually. I drink water frequently and it still stays on my lips for, like 3 hours.

Application: Well, this is kinda a let-down for me. Granted, it looks really nice in photo but in real life, it's actually quite blotchy. It doesn't stain my lips despite its bright color.

Score: 7/10

Purchase?: Probably not because of the uneven application :( 

REVIEW: IT'S SKIN POWER 10 FORMULA YE EFFECTOR WITH YEAST EXTRACT

As you may know from reading my blog, I'm a big fan of It's Skin Power 10 Line. While Power VC used to be the most popular one, it seems that recently Power YE has taken its place as it's the only product out of the entire line to actually have a 60ml version. I received some free samples from It's Skin and quite liked them, so I decided to buy a full-size bottle.

Description (http://en.koreadepart.com): 
- Formulated with yeast extract
- Provides vitality and elasticity for skin

Size: 30ml

Ingredients: water, butylene glycol, glycerin, polyglutamic acid, pseudoalteromonas ferment extract, saccharomyces polypeptides, triethanolamine, carbomer, methylparaben, chlorphenesin, fragrance, disodium EDTA

My opinion: It's Skin Power 10 YE was previously compared to Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair (ANR) and Lancome Genefique on a Korean beauty show and it came out as a winner. I've never tried Lancome Genefique before, so I can't comment on that. I did, however, use one bottle of Estee Lauder ANR (old version) and I was not impressed. It did nothing to my skin: my face didn't get worse but it didn't become better either. It honestly felt like applying some kind of sticky (and expensive) water. 

I first used Power 10 YE in the summer, and it felt a little bit tacky on my skin (it didn't clog my pores or break me out though). However, it was perfect for my dehydrated skin in the autumn/winter. It sank in so quickly and left no sticky trace behind. It brightened and moisturized my skin really well. It wasn't hydrating enough for extremely cold days though, but I just applied a gel moisturizer on top and the combo was moisturizing enough for me. While Power 10 VE is perfect for the summer, Power 10 YE is definitely my stable in the colder months.

Score: 8/10

Repurchase?: Yes :)

REVIEW: THE BODY SHOP TEA TREE FACE MASK SACHET REVIEW

As I mentioned previously, I bought 4 sachets from The Body Shop. While I absolutely love the Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask, the Vitamin C Microdermabrasion and Vitamin E Sink-in Moisture Mask are just... meh. The Tea Tree Face Mask is the final one of the bunch, and if you want to know whether I like it or not, please read on :)  

Description (thebodyshop.co.uk): This instantly cooling face mask cleanses, soothes and refreshes the skin.

• Helps remove impurities
• Absorbs excess oil
• Soothes skin

Ingredients (thebodyshop.co.uk): Aqua (Solvent/Diluent), Kaolin (Absorbent), Cetearyl Alcohol (Emulsifier), Glycerin (Humectant), Myristyl Myristate (Emollient), Glyceryl Stearate (Emulsifier), PEG-100 Stearate (Surfactant), Ethylhexyl Palmitate (Skin Conditioning Agent), Propanediol (Viscosity Modifier), Alcohol Denat. (Solvent/Diluent), Caprylyl Glycol (Skin Conditioning Agent), Cyclopentasiloxane (Skin-Conditioning Agent/Emollient), Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil (Skin Conditioning Agent), Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil (Natural Additive), Cyclohexasiloxane (Chelating Agent), Xanthan Gum (Viscosity Modifier), Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Menthol (Cooling Agent), Limonene (Natural Additive), Leptospermum Petersonii Oil (Natural Additive), t-Butyl Alcohol (Denaturant), Denatonium Benzoate (Denaturant), Tocopherol (Antioxidant), CI 77289 (Colour), CI 77492 (Colour).

How to use (thebodyshop.co.uk): Use once or twice weekly after cleansing. Smooth a thick layer onto the face and neck avoiding the lip and eye area, using fingertips. Leave for 5-10 minutes, then rinse with clean water. Mask does not dry.

My opinion: This mask has a very strong green tea scent, which takes some time to get used to. Similar to The Body Shop Vitamin E Sink-in Moisture Mask, this one also burns my philtrum a little bit T-T The feeling goes away after about one minute though. When I wash it off, my skin looks brighter and feels baby-smooth. However, it doesn't have any exfoliating, deep-cleansing or acne-curing effects whatsoever. One sachet is enough for 2 usages.  

Score: 7/10

Repurchase?: No, it's good but not impressive or effective enough for me.

REVIEW: MAC CREMESHEEN LIPSTICK IN RAVISHING

I saw beautifymeeh wearing MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Ravishing in one of her videos, and since it looked so good on her, I decided to buy it.

Size: 3g

Price: I forgot the price, but it's US$16 on www.mac.com

My opinion: MAC describes Ravishing as a "clean light peachy coral" and I think the description matches the actual color pretty well. I like the color since it's quite natural and suitable for everyday look. It has that signature vanilla scent of MAC lipsticks, which I simply adore. It's quite glossy and non-drying. However, due to its creamy consistency, it has a tendency to accentuate the lines or dry patches on the lips, so if yours are dry, make sure to exfoliate/moisturize properly before applying this. The staying power is so so. If I don't drink or eat anything (which rarely happens BTW, I drink water every hour or so), it'll stay until I remove it. With occasional water drinking, it can only stay for about 2 hours. This is how it looks like on me:

Score: 8/10

Repurchase?: Probably not. I like it but it doesn't really blow me away.