My favorite natural ingredients for beauty purposes

skincare
This time I'm back with an article about the very core of beauty : natural ingredients. This won't be about any manufactured product sold by some popular brand, but about ingredients that are loved and well-known in the beauty world.

Instead of buying beauty products with these two ingredients, why not just buy the natural ingredient and make the most of it ?


Argan Oil

I've been that old aunt mumbling about the same thing over and over again in the previous posts but here, another layer : My skin is suffering from extreme dryness these days, winter season is to blame here. I've used creams and I've even been planning to buy more high end creams (does Clinique ring a bell ?) to fight off this dryness of mine. But then I'm across the absolute perfection that is Argan Oil.

I don't think I need to introduce what Argan Oil but let's go over its main benefits :

 - Moisturizing properties :
Argan oil is most commonly used as a skin moisturizer to hydrate and soften skin. With its high vitamin E and fatty acid content, argan oil is the ideal product to give skin a natural boost. It absorbs easily and is non-greasy and non-irritating, which makes it a great natural moisturizer.
(from arganoilworld.com.au)
It also has natural anti-aging properties and is usable from acne-prone and oily skin as well. I know that there's this popular belief that oily skins should stay away from any form of oil and stick the mattifying cream and such.. But using those products actually worsen your case, your skin will produce more oil to overcome the mattifying effect of your products. By using argan oil, or any other type of moisturizing oil for that matter, you're tricking your skin into believing that it doesn't need to produce more oil as Argan Oil is already deeply moisturizing your skin.

 

How to use it without any effort 

 I use Argan oil in it's purest form and way possible : I've poured the oil into a essence/serum drop container and apply 3 to 4 dropsskin onto my skin and massage it in. Argan oil gets really quickly absorbed by the skin, isn't greasy or thick in any way and leaves your supple, soft and moisturized.

It goes well under makeup as well, I use it every morning as a moisturizer and I did notice that my nose gets less shiny (Sheer Glow to blame here) ever since I've started to use Argan Oil.

 

Oatmeal

Now, that we've got the moisture part covered, let's get into the acne part. Oatmeal is a natural ingredient you can literally find in any supermarket. A few years ago, when I had that teenager acne mode going on, I swore by Oatmeal. Now I rarely use it anymore, just from time to time if I break out badly or need a natural boost of brightness to my skin.

Oatmeal has the ability to relieve to redness, dryness, irritations and has a lot of anti-oxidants properties. Used everyday, not only did my skin cleared up a lot but it was also instantly brighter.


How to use it without any effort 

I used to get a bit of oatmeal into my palm and then add a little bit of lukewarm water and just cleanse my face with it. The little bits of oatmeal provide a little bit of exfoliation and leaves your skin softer. 

I was using a bio type of oatmeal, I guess you can use any type of oatmeal but do check the ingredients to see if there's any type of chemical preservation ingredient, because if that's the case I would naturally not recommend putting that on your face. 




If any of you tried, or will try one of these two ingredients , keep me posted ! I loved using Oatmeal and am currently loving Argan Oil. If you want a natural oil that's even more hydrating and a bit thicker, I recommend using almond oil (which is also good for under eye darkness) for the same moisturizing properties.

Klairs - Gentle Black Sugar Facial Polish - Review

skincare


Today, is a review about a product I received in my Wishtrend Pore Box (unboxing here). The Gentle black sugar facial polish is a scrub for the face which is perfect for any skin types, I'm currently loving it and let me tell you a little bit more about it :





What the brands says

Klairs keeps your skin soft and supple by providing effective exfoliation with deep moisture properties. Its anti-bacterial and anti-aging effects help treat and manage dry flaking skin.
Klairs gentle black sugar scrub for face instantly clears away dead skin while providing deep moisture. Klairs supports 4 main directives in all their products to make you feel safe and comfortable about using the brand. An Eco-friendly product with No Alcohol, Parabens and no artificial colors.

Key ingredients and benefits :
  • 4 Free System : No alcohol, No animal testing, No paraben, No artificial coloring.
  • Black Sugar exfoliates away dead skin cells, leaving the skin soft and glowing
  • Shea Butter for extra care and comfort for dry skin.
  • Cranberry Oil controls skin aging.
  • Andiroba Oil acts as an anti-inflammatory ingredient to calm the skin.
  • Vitamin E enhances skin elasticity and ability to retain moisture.
An effective facial polish for all all skin types.

Ingredients


Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Black Strap Powder, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Candelilla Wax Esters, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Polysorbate 20, Beeswax, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Powder, Fragrance, Carapa Guaianensis Seed Oil, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil


Packaging

The scrub comes in a little brown plastic jar. It also comes with a lid to keep your product away from any germs, and as always, I'm grateful that Asian skincare products come with a lid as a further step towards clean products. 





As you can see, I wasn't exaggerating when I said I was loving this product, I pretty much dug in there !   



60g of products for 18,99$ - Get yours here

You get a lot of product for a reasonable price and for the effects it has on the skin, I do think it's worth it. 


My Thoughts

The product's title has the word "gentle" in it and that's really how it could be describe. It isn't a harsh scrub and would be suitable for sensitive skin. In my current winter skin situation, this scrub is the only one (between the other one I own, that is to say) that's gentle enough on my skin and doesn't dry it out in the end with no feelings of unbearable tightness. The exfoliant agent in this, is actual sugar which ends up melting and leave you with a moisturizing substance. You can also use the corresponding oil that goes with this product (also received in the box), I'm going to review it next.

I would say this is more of a mild type of exfoliation which is perfect for weekly consistent use but won't get all the junk out in one go like clay masks tend to do, but this product never claim to do such. I didn't notice any improvement in the blackhead department, although I do have less dry and flaky skin going on.

Will I buy it again when I'm done with it ? 
Yes and no : Yes, because it's a good product and worked out for me but no, because I still want to try out other products as the asian beauty junkie that I'm. I've also hoped into the chemical exfoliation bandwagon with BHA/AHA, pH and all of that, so I'm setting regular exfoliation aside. (I'll probably do a proper article about acids and pH of products in a couple of months when I get everything in order and try out products). 

Get yours 

Now, if you want to get this product you can head over to the Wishtrend site here to get yours and use these codes to get the most out of your order :
    • With orders of 55$+ :  WISHAPR2015 - Get 10% off of your order
    • Coupon Code : 033450111 - Get instantly 5$ off of your first order with ANY amount by registering to Wishtrend and writing this code in  the "friends invitation program" box in the registration form ! 
    • With ANY orders, receive a free Elishacoy Vitamin Collagen Sheet Mask with code : WISHGIFTAPR2015
     
    (If you're reading this after the month of April, alway check the sidebar for the updated promo codes)
      And you have a little bit of space left in your Wishtrend cart.. Check out my raving review about the truly amazing OST Vitamin C Serum here, trust me if you have the same skin issues as I do, you'll love it !

      If any of you are going to try it, keep me posted, I'd love to know what you thought of it, It worked out for me and I hope it will for you as well !  

      Testerkorea Haul 3 : Laneige, Innisfree , Etude House, Banila Co, etc..

      haul
      Another Testerkorea haul today. Some products from my previous wishlist are there, and some aren't. 
      I started my last Testerkorea Haul with the free gifts given by the site but, for the first time ever, I got no samples whatsoever. In terms of value, this order was the most expensive compared to the previous one and my guess is that they forgot to add samples but.. I can't help but feel bummed out. I e-mailed them about it and they didn't even have a proper excuse so..It's probably time for me to start trying out some other websites !


      Innisfree - Sheet Masks



      If you've been reading my articles, you might know that I've become a fan of Innisfree's sheet masks. These were pretty inexpensive and perfect for my upcoming late night studying sessions. I've already reviewed the Shea Butter (here) and mentioned the Green Tea one here.

      • Type : Full-Size
      • Quantity : 4 masks
      • Skin Solution Mask - Moisturizing - Price : 735 won
      • It's real Squeeze Mask - Shea Butter
      • It's real Squeeze Mask - Green Tea
      • It's real Squeeze Mask - Bamboo
      • Price : 665 won
      • Product links : Squeeze Masks & Skin Solution Masks


      Etude House - Play 101 Pencils



      I've had my eyes on these pencils for the longest time ever. The constant 30% deal Testerkorea has, sold me on these. I'm going to review these soon, so there are no extra pictures for this post !

      • Type: Full size
      • Quantity :  6 x 0,5g
      • Price :  6 x 4200 won
      • Shades :  5, 11, 12 , 21, 22, 49
      • Product link here

      LANEIGE - Original Essence White Plus Renew



      I ordered 4 boxes of this Laneige line in my previous order, I got the full size version here for my mother. Because I was using my OST serum at the same time, I didn't see much difference with the essence on me (the Emulsion and Skin Refiner kept on me breaking me out) but my mother said she has seen a change in her skin. The line didn't broke her out though so I wouldn't put it pass the product. 
      When I got the box out, I saw this lipstick with the free tag on. Now, I can read Korean but I don't understand what I read (really helpful I know.. Time for me to get some lessons) but my guess is that it's an event because they won 40 beauty awards with this product or something. Anyways, we got a tiny free lipstick.




      The packaging looks so good though, I almost feel jealous !






      Cool toned pink lipstick with shimmers. The opacity is just like how Koreans like it, enough to be able to make a gradient lip and semi-opaque full lip.




      Su:m 37 - Water-full gel timeless Essence






      It's Skin - Pure Moisture Gel




      I'll admit it. I only got these sample pouches because the triangle size was cute and because it's a practical way to apply moisturizer for my upcoming road trip.




      The Face Shop - Rice Water Bright Cleansing foam


      I mentioned the milk version of this product in my wishlist and the foam version of Nature Republic's Aloe Vera cleanser but it was sold out so I got the foam version of The Face Shop's Rice Water Bright instead.



      LANEIGE - Water Bank Essence



      The White Plus renew Essence didn't work out for me but I thought I'll try out the Water Bank Essence to bring back some moisture into my skin.


      Innisfree - The Green Tea Seed Serum



      I didn't get any samples for this and went straight for the full size, I read great reviews on this product and I'm hoping that Innisfree won't disappoint me ! Review here



      Banila Co - Clean It Zero (Original version)



      As I said in my wishlist, I've wanted this product for the longest time ever. I wanted to try balm type of products and let's face it, when Ace Song Ji Hyo uses it, you just want it too. (Video of Song Ji Hyo using it here , I do want to mention that she's endorsing Banila Co so don't be suprised by all the Banila Co branded product she uses). I will be reviewing this product as well so no extra pictures of it yet !

      • Type : Full Size
      • Quantity : 100 ml
      • Price : 12 600 won (I got it for 18 000 won but as I was writing this article, I've noticed that Testerkorea keeps on fluctuating prices, so if you have an item in mind, check the website daily and you might see the price decrease or.. increase if your lack some luck !)
      • Product link here


      The next haul is already on its way ! And this time, it'll be a Wishtrend haul ! Don't forget to use the promotional codes (located in the right sidebar) if you're hauling on Wishtrend as well !

      ps : I am also on Reddit and /r/asianbeauty!



      MAC Studio Conceal and Correct Duo - Rich Yellow/Burnt Coral - Review & Swatches

      makeup
      And this time I'm bringing you Western make up again. I'm leaving my NARSissist self at the door and present you a brand new product from MAC Cosmetics : The Studio Conceal and Correct Duo in Rich Yellow/Burnt Coral.




      What the brand says

      A professional duo of two complementary corrector shades for customized skincare correction. Create your ideal skin tone in pairs of blendable shades in four new colour combinations: Light, Medium, Deep Medium and Dark. Fortified with shea butter and vitamins E and C, the correcting formula evens skin tone and visibly reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles for up to eight hours.


      The packaging

      As you can see, the correctors come in a double ended product and each of them are 4 ml.

      8ml of total products for 25$ (MAC US) / 25€ (MAC FR)



      The applicators are standard doe-foot ones which make it easier to apply directly onto the skin.





      Swatches



      My thoughts

      The ingredients such as shea butter make the product extremely creamy. This particularity makes it easier to blend without effort. Now, the reason why I got this product is because of the dark areas on my face. If you have brown/tan/indian or even olive skin chances are you have those darker areas in your face too. Thanks to my C20 serums, the darker areas around my mouth have greatly diminished so I don't have to to use this product on a daily basis on these areas. But, although I don't have a severe case of dark circles, they are still there and needs to be corrected ! If you are one of those people who likes to highlight their under-eye areas and you are using a lighter concealer shade (not pointing fingers, I do it myself !), you have to correct those dark circles before concealing, otherwise you'll get a gray finish after "concealing", and that doesn't look good at all ! 
      With this product, orange cancels out those dark areas and works great on those blue,brown almost black dark circle and the yellow is great to cancel redness or can also be used as a brightener/highlighter on tan to deeper skin tones.

      The correctors are crazily pigmented but the very fact that you can easily blend them makes it easier. In this case, a little goes a long way. However, I found that no matter what I did, used underneath my eyes, the product settled unto my fines lines. I was and still am, extremely annoyed so what I do is that I apply the burnt coral underneath the area where I have fines lines and then bring it up a bit when I blend. If you want to use the Rich Yellow as a highlighter, keep in mind that this product isn't meant to be used as such because it's actually a tad too thick to be used this way. I'd suggest using the prep and prime highlighters from MAC in Light Boost (which is really light but has a yellow tone and is lightweight as consistency) for that matters. 

      Pros

      • Comes in different shades suitable for all skin colors
      • Highly pigmented
      • Easily blendable thanks to the creamy finish of the product
      • Doe-foot applicator

      Cons

      • Creases
      • Expensive (but used sparingly, it would last a long time)

      As an overall, I'm pretty disappointed with this product. The very fact that it creases put me off from using it ! As such, I wouldn't recommend it and I'm thinking that I should've gotten Armani's Master Corrector in peach instead, it's pricier but could be better in the long haul !



      The Beauty Wishlist - Korean Skin care & Western Make up

      wishlist

      The beauty junkie that I'm is never satisfied and only wants more. Mixing up some Western love with Asian love, here's my current beauty wishlist.



      (Ps : It's an interactive wishlist ! You can click on the pictures to view the products)

       

      1 - Nature Republic - Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera Foam Cleanser

      Nature Republic's cleanser version of their famous Aloe Vera gel. I need a new a foam cleanser, and what's better than soothing aloe vera ?

      2 - Mizon - Good Night White Sleeping Mask

      I still have to go through my Laneige Sleeping Mask but after hearing good things about Mizon's Good Night White sleeping mask, I can't help myself but want it now.

      3 - The Face Shop - Rice Water bright cleansing Milk

      This cleansing milk would be the second part process of my double cleansing. Rice Water is good for brightening, and back in the days when I had time for it, I would use actual rice water to do the trick so this cleansing milk from The Face Shop is something I really want to try out, plus, it's cheap !

      4 - Banila Co - Clean It Zero 

      Okay, now this is something I really want. It's not me just wanting it, I need it ! I never tried cleansing balms and after debating with myself about trying Sum:37's cleansing balm or Banila Co's famous "Clean It Zero", I decided to go with the cheaper alternative. Did I mention the fact that seeing Song Jihyo using it live to remove her makeup helped out a lot in that decision ?

      5 - Mizon - AHA & BHA Daily Toner

      Another universally loved product. I don't use any toner currently and never actually tried any acids containing product (other than sheet masks). I heard good things about this product, and my clogged pore (make up anybody ?) would be happy to try this product. 

      6 - Beauty Blender

      I don't think I need to introduce this beauty tool. Everyone loves it, everyone uses it, and yet it's only now that Sephora France decided to sell it. Better late than never !

      7 - Nars - Amour blush

       I'm actually pretty sorry that I keep introducing Nars make up product but every since trying their Sheer Glow foundation, I kind of became a NARSissist. I'm thinking that they could turn a girl who never wears blush to loving it ? Amour is a matte peachy blush that I personally think would suit my skin tone, the only thing left is : Will I like it or not ?

      8 - Nars - Ita Brush

       If you didn't notice it already, every western make up brands are falling into the contouring frenzy. This NARS brush could replace my cheap and flimsy current angled brush from ELF but this Ita Brush is so expensive that I never got myself to buy it  yet. The splurge isn't needed but wanted !

      9 - Bobbi Brown - Stick Foundation  

      Last but not least, because I like to test different things and ways to use products, Bobbi Brown's stick foundation is something I want to try not as a foundation but as a cream contour. I'm thinking shade 7 Almond could work out but I still need to test things first. One thing is sure, sooner or later I'll get this little stick foundation.


      Some of these will be ordered on an upcoming Testerkorea order, so do keep an eye on that ! As for the Western makeup.. Will I splurge ? My wallet is already bursting into tears at the mere thought of it !



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