Baviphat Peach Peeling gel

Peeling + Peach = BUY!!!

But I ended up with disappointments with this one. It started in my luggage... I got this one from Korea, not opening it and storing it in my luggage... guess what... it leaked. Apparently the gel contains so much liquid, the liquid manage to leak out and wet the packaging plus some stuff in my luggage.

Leakage aside... let’s go to the product. As you can see... it is housed in cute peach shaped plastic container. It smells like peach ice cream or peach flavouring if you like... the gel is more jelly like jell-o.  

This product is actually gommage. Just take a little and rub it on your face. Unlike most gommage I’ve used, this one get clumpy ultra fast. Just rub a little and voila-clumps! And unlike when I used other gommage (usually I stopped when the clumps started to form), I just continue on massaging gently with this one. I feel that I don’t get any of the peeling or scrubbing effect if I stopped after the clumping.

I do think this is just like regular scrub... I don’t feel my skin cleaner and blackheads are still there too... I’ll give it a skip if I were to try tester sized first...

Holika Holika Apple Shine Peeling Sheet

The moment I saw the word ‘peeling’, I just wanted to try it!

This product is really a pad, rough pad with green dots dosed with apple scented liquid. To use it, just rub it on your face, rough side down. I followed it up with washing my face with regular cleanser.  Kinda no brainer, if you ask me.

After using, I don’t really feel any big difference. This is just regular physical scrub with roughened up pad.

The liquid itself contains ultra fine scrubbies, when wet I don’t really feel it. but when dried, I can see the whitish deposits on my skin.

Erm.. bottom line...i don’t really know what this thing is doing for my skin except scrubbing it (which my regular scrub cleaner also can do very well). The only good thing from Apple Shine Peeling Sheet is its apple shaped packaging and the fact that it is not drying on my skin. That’s all...

Baby Foot Easy Pack

I have always been interested with this product... partly because of the gross picture of dead skin peeling from sole of feet in the promo ads.

(picture from adambeauty.com)

Sounds nice if that can happen to my feet. My foot skin is really dry and rough. I’ve scrubbed it, moisturize it... using physical scrub, exfoliating products... none ever worked.

When I saw this in adambeauty.com, I just hit the ‘buy’ button! 

Wont go into details on how to use it here... many websites and the instruction leaflets described it nicely already. What I don’t really fancy is the fact that I have to bear wearing the moist plastic socks for two hours... I hate moist socks!

Moist socks aside... let’s fast forward 2 days after my first application... nothing yet...

Day 3... whoaaaa.... my skin started to dry up and peel  easily. As tempting as it might be, I strongly do not recommend you to pull your skin while your feet is dry. It hurts. Trust me... I tried!

By day 4, I learnt that soaking up feet in warm water and scrubbing slowly with gentle scrub will make the peeling process faster and easier... minus the pain.

For me, the peeling lasts for about 4 days (after initial peeling). Since the first application until the peeling process is completed, I abstained from applying any lotion on my feet. Just to make the dead skin dry faster and peel off faster too.

A little gross, granted. But my feet feels smooth after all the peelings. It doesn’t completely remove ultra hard patches of skin on your feet... but it helps.

I would definitely re-purchase this one!

Holika Holika Glam Box Powder Eyeshadow in 02

Another one from Korea! Holika Holika’s Glam Box.

Simply put, this line is a series of shimmering powder eye shadows housed in tiny pot with small opening on top. you can use Q-tip or (like lazy me...) just shake a bit while pressing your finger tip on the opening... 

As you can see here... the color is sheer pretty iridescent pink. Smooth and fine, easy to blend too. reflects light really nicely, but it doesn’t really pack any pink pigment....

The funny thing is... it appears not powdery, but a little clumpy. I tend to get a few balls of pigments on my fingertips... then when I blended it, I tend to pick too much. For sheer shadows like this one, I tend to  use them as final veil over my lid to add light shimmer... but with this clumping happening... I cant use it as I wanted it to...

Well... may be I should start using Q-tip? Or the humidity here is much higher than Korea? I don’t know...

Overall, the clumping problem aside.... I like the color powder shadow as highlighter for brow bone

Etude House Aloha lipstick pencil Two Two Kiss in 2 Sandy Pink Hula Hula

Aloha series is the latest from Etude House. The face of this campaign is still Sandara Park – just like my favourite Miss Tangerine line from earlier this year.

Two Two Kiss is combo of tint and gloss in one handy pencil. Pink Hula Hula features what looks like nude-peachy tint and gloss...

The gloss is pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get. Not the tint. While it looks like pale cold pink on my skin... it turns to sheer pop of magenta pink on my lips. I do like the color...

It is not drying, just slightly moisturizing too (on my ultra dry and often chapped lips)... and it last decent hours... about 3 hours with my heavy tea-drinking habit.

In summary...

Packaging: easy to use pencil

Color offering: mainly poppy summer appropriate colors

Texture: glossy, slightly moisturizing

Lasting  power: 3 hours appprox. (tint)

Is it worth it?

Yes if... you like sheer poppy colors, you want two in one product

No if... you don’t have access to etude House, you don’t like internet shopping

Tony Moly Red Appletox Honey Cream

Okay.. actually I didn’t want to get this one... I wanted a tomatox mask... but when I saw appletox sold in package together with red fruit shaped container... I just grabbed it. by the time I have time to really take a look at it... if found out...

Haha.. it is the Red Appletox Honey Cream.

I wont go in to details about the packaging... what can I say.. it looks like apple, as big as apple and I hope it is as good as apple. 

Now...The nice thing is, it comes with a small spatula. I don’t really get the spatula part until I open the seal...

Woah... gooey golden honey-like cream inside! It smells faintly of apple, but on application the smell just dissipates.

The texture is just like how it looks.. ooey gooey gel-like stuff. Super moisturizing and cooling during application. I find it too moisturizing even for my dry skin, makes are of my face which is not usually oily-to feel oily. May be it is the humid air here... might be wonderful for drier climate...

In summary...

Packaging: just like apple!

Texture: ooey gooey honey colored gel

Is it worth it?

Yes if ... your skin is ultra dry, you live in drier climate

No if... you live in more humid climate, you don’t want to bother finding online retailer or buying marked up Singaporean price

Holika Holika Egg Soap Set – White Egg, Red Clay, Green Tea & Charcoal

I do think egg soap or egg shaped soap is on the rise now... anything related to pore seems to have egg shape nowadays... knowing Asian’s general obsession on making pore smaller and reducing blackheads... naturally, few Korean brands have egg products.

This one is from Holika Holika, the whimsical magical brand from Korea...

I got a set of four types of egg soap from them. The soaps came in cute recycleable carton egg container. But since my luggage was full already, I threw away the egg carton and bring home only the eggs...

Guess I don’t have to explain which color is which... 

Holika claims that these soaps are handmade, how handmade it is... I’m not sure. Now, don’t expect soap as big as chicken eggs, they are more of quail egg size.

These soaps are supposed to make my pores smaller and blackhead to be gone. Sounds like a dream! Just use them instead of your regular facial wash! Sounds simple...and indeed it is simple. Some says you need to lather it in your hands then use the foam. Since I don’t fancy messy foam, I just rub the soap lightly on my wet face. Now, it doesn’t lather as much when I use it this way, and when the soap is still around, It just feel like gel. But after it is washed... my skin feels soooo refreshed and clean. Lovely!

It has fresh-powdery floral scent that seems to be everywhere in Holika Holika’s products... doesn’t bother me much, since the smell doesn’t linger after washing the soap with water.

In summary...

Packaging: standard for egg soaps (egg carton lookalike), but unique to regular soap standard

Variants: egg white original, red clay, green tea and charcoal

Price: KRW 15,000 for a set of 4 (assorted variants)

Holika Holika Midnight Owl Blush 02

This is the other product from Holika Holika’s Midnight Owl series. Previously I reviewed Holika Holika Midnight Owl Highlighter 01 . And of course... the blush is calling me too... cant say no to it... this Korean brand really know how to pack their blushes... first they came with the Merry Holika – cat patterned blusher and face powder. Now the owl.. sigh...

I wont go into details about how lovely and easy to use the packaging design is. It is just nice...

Same with the highlighter, the owl design is not over spray! Hurrah to Holika!!!

The blush is mix of deep pink, light purple-pink, lime green, yellow and pearly white. First few use, i notice it is shimmery... but it decreases as  the shimmer is mostly overspray.  

Is it worth it?

Yes if... you just adore Owls, you like the design, you want compact blush for travels, you like sheer colors

No if... you don’t want to go internet shopping , you want blush with more pigment

The color itself is rather sheer, but still lovely to create fresh look.

In summary...

Packaging: cute and easy to use

Color offering: Midnight Owl only comes in highlighter (01) and blush (02)

Price: KRW 20,000

Texture: sheer cool pink, fine,  slightly shimmery and easy to use.

Holika Holika Midnight Owl Highlighter 01

Compared to other Korean brands, Holika Holika is pretty new for me, I just discovered it recently. They brand themselves in a pretty unique way... not princess or pretty... but more lighthearted gothic-magical. Look at the logo...I think I see silhouette of a witch here...

Anyways... branding aside... who wont be attracted with this one...

First, I adore adore adore the packaging. Just like its name suggests, Midnight Owl highlighter features golden owl perching on tree branch. The tree and other silhouette is printed in deep aubergine, pretty detailed and very lovely.

The brush comes with the compact highlighter. It is pretty soft and surprisingly a pleasure to use.

Once you open the compact, you have to open another clear plastic covering. On top of the plastic cover, you put the brush. I like the design. No mess on my highlighter and so easy to use!

Now the product... it features owl perching on tree. The nice thing is...it is not overspray! Hurrah! The owl design actually stays.

The powder are light lavender, deep lavender, pearly white, peach and baby blue.. here it is swatched one by one.

This is totally lovely to use. Just swirl you brush and voila! It is shimmery and makes my face glow when I use it. I am in love...

In summary...

Packaging: cute and easy to use

Color offering: Midnight Owl only comes in highlighter (01) and blush (02)

Price: KRW 20,000

Texture: fine, shimmery and easy to use.

Is it worth it?

Yes if... you just adore Owls, you like the design, you want compact highlighter for travels,

No if... you don’t want to go internet shopping

Ginvera Green Tea Whitening Marvel Gel

Now, Now... what would I do if I saw a small tube claiming ‘Zero blackheads in 1 Step’?

What about these claims:

‘1. Rubs away deep layer of dead skin cells

2. rubs away blackheads painlessly

3. contracts pores for refined skin(as dead skin cells have been cleared from pores)

4.lightens black spots, freckles & scars

5. removes oil seeds

6. regulates sebum secretion to prevent pimples

7. brightens dull complexion

8. changes dark, rough skin to smooth skin

9. whitens skin as it gives way to new born skin

10. enhances quick absorption of skin care products’

Whoa... skin care sent from heaven! Of course I grab it and run to the cashier with it!

Ginvera is Malaysian brand which has been around for quite some time. Just I their packaging managed to attract my attention, until ‘Zero blackheads in 1 step’.  It claimed ‘safe for daily use’ too! What more can I ask?

So, you are supposed to rub this gel on clean, dry face with dry hands. Rub rub rub and ... adios black heads, sayonara dead cells...

Hm... after rubbing, the gel turns to whitish flakes. Not much, only a little bit. I suppose these are dead skin cells or something? But the color of those flakes were milky pale green, not brownish color as I expected my dead skin flakes look like (at least my dead skin looks like translucent light brown sheet, when I peel them if my skin was ultra dry).

I don’t care about dead skin or not... now come to the serious business... the blackheads... *looking closely in the mirror* *looking closer...*

Unfortunately... my blackheads are still around... oh well... my effort rubbing and rubbing are useless... Another SGD 13.4 down the drain...

In summary...

Price: SGD 13.4

Is it worth it? No, sadly, I don’t think so....

Rouge Automatique Workshop Jakarta - Guerlain Rouge Automatique in Shalimar 166

In the beginning, I fell in love with Guerlain line of perfumes. And then, as my interest in lip colors grow, I tried Guerlain’s gorgeous KissKiss Strass. Too bad, it doesn’t agree with my lips and make my lips feel ultra dry. I’ve steer away from Guerlain’s lippies since then.

But when I saw the promo pictures of Rouge Automatique, the signature color is soooo gorgeous. And the model looks totally lovely in it. Not to mention, many blogs I followed such as Musingsofamuse and Karlasugar has mentioned and reviewed it. I enrolled myself to beauty workshop/launch of Rouge Automatique in Jakarta.

Paid about 23 USD for the workshop, feels a little expensive, but it is fully redeemable with Guerlain goods sold on that day (too bad, they don’t carry full line of make up and skin care during the event). Maxime Poulin, the Parisian make up artist was there for this workshop.

I really enjoyed listening to him, he sounds very passionate about make up and willing to help answer audience’s questions.

Unfortunately, no hands on make up session here, but he demonstrated day to night make up technique to the lovely model.

Of course, there’s full display and tester of Rouge Automatique on each table for us to try on...

Was soo tempted to do full swatch, but light in the room was not so good, so decided not to do it... anyways, one of my favourite blog, Karlasugar done lovely swatch already.

Now... to the lippie! First ...the design. Albeit not novel, it is still so pretty. They keep on emphasising the fact that ladies can apply the rouge with single hand using this. But really... no big deal for me. I love the design still... looks almost vintage. Very pretty.

I decided to take Shalimar with me. It is cool-pink-fuchsia with light shimmer. Ultra lovely. This shade is slightly lighter than Champs Elysees – the signature color.

The texture is heavenly. Guerlain claimed second-skin lippie... and they are so totally correct. Rouge Automatique glides on nicely and easily. It is light and I don’t really feel like I’m wearing lippie! It is crème, but not heavy.... gel but not light or drying. Some said it is gel-creme... I totally agree!

Pigmentation is just nice... not too crème, but covers lips well. However, it is not as lasting as I would like it to be. But hey... you cant get everything, right? The color doesn’t migrate, even though I didn’t prep my lips or apply any lip liner beforehand. Lasts about 3-4 hours and completely gone after meal.

During the workshop, Maxime even picked a pretty red for me. He suggests 121 Rouge D’enfer or 122 Liu for me. Rouge D’enfer is medium true red, lighter sister to Liu. According to Maxime, Rouge D’enfer would fit most skin tone. It is ...well, medium true red, not too crème. I noticed it is slightly sheer... and turns out slightly different on different skin tone, because some natural lip tone peeks thru nicely below Rouge D’enfer. I tried it on... and fallen in love with it. even though, not used seeing myself in such bold red, initially I was a bit hesitant.

Too bad, the only Rouge D’enfer they had left when I decided to purchase was not in prime condition. I have to delay my purchase and bring home only Shalimar.

This is worth lemming for... but I can see this would be too expensive for some. In Indonesia it goes for around whooping USD 43!!!

In Summary...
Packaging: golden chromed plastic, light but not too light. Still has some weigh to make it feel luxe
Color offering: 4/5 lovely range of beiges, oranges, reds and rose-pink
Collateral damage:around USD 43 in Indonesia
Moisturizing: not moisturizing, but not drying, just nice. Like second skin!