Korean Skincare Products And Missha Snail and 24K Gold Filler Serum

A trip to South Korea is not complete without a shopping spree on skincare. 

Korean skincare and cosmetics are cute and cheap. I stopped over for 19 hours in Seoul and squeezed in an hour in Innisfree, Skin Food, The Face Shop, Etude House, and Missha.

Limiting myself to things that I "really" needed, I bought hydrogel facial and foot patches, cloth masks, pore cleaning scrubs and snail serum. 

 My favourite and the most expensive product is Missha's 24K gold filler serum with 80% snail slime. It was £30.50 for 11ml. The sales girl gave me 7 face masks and a box of moisturiser sachets as freebies. 

The serum comes in a syringe-like container. The slanted applicator tip is soft plastic and I use it on my eyes and forehead at night.  I've found snail slime is effective on filling out fine lines. This product contains gold flakes which I think are completely useless because gold is an inert metal. This is what it says on the back of the box.

This is my Korean skincare haul including freebies. Being in transit to London, I could only buy  items that fit in my cabin liquids bag or sachet products. These are perfect for treating myself when I'm travelling.

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules Before And After Review

This is a review for the Elizabeth Arden Daily Youth Restoring Eye Serum capsules. 

I'm conscious of crows feet. A friend who looks fabulous at 40+ uses EA capsules so I wanted to try them out. I found the EA eye serum capsules cheapest on allbeauty.com and used Quidco for an extra 6.5% off.

The capsules come in a pretty gold jar. Push one side of the lid down and it pops open. Push again to close. The instructions say each serum capsule is for one application but I've found it's enough for two. You just need to be careful opening them because a lot of it spills out. 

The ingredients are: Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Triisostearyl Citrate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Dimethicone, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Ceramide 1, Ceramide 6 II, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Retinyl Linoleate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Phytantriol, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Lecithin, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14, Ethoxydiglycol, Mineral Oil/Paraffinum Liquidum/Huile Minérale, Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3, Polysilicone-11. 

It looks like a mix of oils and silicones with the stuff that makes oils "dry".

To open I pinch the neck and twist off the nib. The serum is a light scentless oil that sinks in or perhaps evaporates quickly. I apply after washing my face in the morning. (I use Missha's snail serum at night.)

I was gobsmacked with the results. After only three applications the wrinkles under my eyes were DRAMATICALLY reduced. I smile and don't get crows feet or crepey skin.  The effect lasts all day. It's like I'm cheating the signs of age!

Check out the pictures below. On the left is what my crows feet look like when I smile. The before shot is not as sharp but you can see I have definite lines. On the right is after my third application of the serum and there hardly any noticeable wrinkles.

The first thing I did was tell my girlfriend and then I bought three more jars. I have to stockpile, even if the anti-aging effect is purely cosmetic.

 Both photos were taken in natural light and I'm not wearing any makeup. I've included my smile to show you the same eye expression.

The only thing I've done to these pictures is adjusted the white balance. There's no filter, blurring or Vaseline on the lens! I haven't been paid to review this product and it was bought with my own money. 

This eye serum a worth a shout out to all the ladies 35+. Botox can wait!

Weekend Haul-Kiehl's, Dr Bronner's and Daiso

Went to Hampstead and bought a swag of stuff. 

Amongst the high end stores is an independent pharmacy and they stock lesser known but quality products. Like Dr Bronner's. I bought a huge bottle of the rose liquid soap since it's the best value for money. I've heard about it's multitude of uses (even for brushing your teeth-ew!) and figured if it's no good for my hair, I could use it for my laundry and kitchen floors.

I tried it as a shampoo. It's concentrated, runny and smells more like geranium than rose. I made sure to use a 10p sized amount and scrubbed with plenty of water. 

People have complained that it's dried their hair out but not for me. I like how it's made with organic ingredients and that it's SLS free. While it suds up well, it leaves a terrible residue in my hair. I'm now using it as bathroom cleaner and body wash.

Also bought two products from Kiehl's and they gave me three complementary deluxe samples, toiletry bag and more samples. I got the Ultra Facial Cleanser, Kiehl's Baby and samples were Creme de Corps (lush but expensive), Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser and a new product, CDC Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter (smells and looks delish). 

And since I was wondering around the Japan Centre in Piccadilly Circus, I bought this cute Japanese peel off mask. The brand is Daiso which is dirt cheap in Asian countries but I paid three times more for it here. It's black and thick as tar. As for it's effectiveness, it leaves your skin softer (I'm guessing because dead skin flakes and fine hairs are removed.) but it's not good at removing blackheads. Pore strips do a better job and it's not as messy. Will not be buying this again!

Korea-Skincare and Makeup Central

Hello from Korea! I got to spend one night in Seoul and the shopping here is amazing.

If the prolific cosmetic stores are any kind of measure, Korean women love their skincare and makeup. How cute are the shop fronts of Etude House and Holika Holika?

In the shopping district where I stayed, there was lots of Missha, Skin Food, The Face Shop, and similar shops. Almost one each on every street!

Most products have super cute packaging. My favorite shop was Etude House because their products were most unique. Got a haul of stuff, erring on the side of practicality. I bought pore treatments and an eyelash serum which I hope can perform miracles. They were kind enough to throw in a few freebies too. Spent less than £20 in there but got suckered at the airport when I wanted to try a snail product.

Yup, you heard me right. The latest skincare trend in Korea is the use of snail slime. I'm not sure of the benefits but just about every brand is pitching this ingredient in their skincare. Despite the mark up at the airport, I bought Missha's Night Mask Treatment with added snail. Will post a review soon!

Fresh Aloe Vera - Nature's Skin Saver

Hello from the land of Oz!

Mum and I did some gardening yesterday and she got rid of our aloe vera plant. However being the resourceful person I am, I kept a few of the leaves and stored them in the fridge.

Aloe vera is great for skin, as long as you're not allergic. It relieves just about any skin ailment but it's commonly used for sunburn.

I peeled a leaf to reveal gooey flesh and rubbed it on after a shower. It's cooling, watery and dries quick. It felt a bit sticky and itchy as it dried but afterwards, my skin was mega-soft.

And because I had a stomache ache, I chopped up the gel (making sure there was no skin remaining) and mixed with water and a squeeze of lemon juice. Tastes better chilled, but surely enough my stomach calmed down shortly after I drank it. Marvelous!

Kiehl's Ultimate Hand Salve

This is my first review of the brand Kiehl's, thanks to the pamper pack I won.

The salve is creamy and thick so you only need a little bit. My 150ml (5.0 fl.oz.) tube will last for ages! It takes a few seconds for it to sink in but afterwards, my hands felt moisturised and soft. There is a faint smell of eucalyptus on application but it dissipates quickly.

Recognisable ingredients are shea butter, sesame seed oil, squalene, avacado oil, eucalyptus oil and aloe vera. It also contains dimethicone which I'm not that impressed on. Dimethicone makes the skin feel smoother but really, it's just a cosmetic effect.

The product is soothing, fast absorbed, deeply moisturises and does'nt leave your hands feeling greasy. It does an excellent job but I would'nt buy this when I run out because of the price tag. Plus, I like my handcreams to smell super-nice so using it is an even more of a treat!

WON! Kiehl's Pamper Pack

It's funny how good deeds can come back to you.

A few weeks ago I found a $20 note on the street. I used the money to buy raffle tickets to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Had a stressful day that almost ended in tears. That was until I was told that I had won a Kiehl's pamper pack!

It was beautifully presented with the products nestled in rose pot purri.

It contains (from left to right):

Ultimate Strength Hand Salve

Creme de Corps

Amino Acid Shampoo

Lavender Foaming-Relaxing Bath with Sea Salts and Aloe Vera

Lip Balm SPF 15

Will review each product soon. (Except for the foaming bath and shampoo which goes to my sister).

The Kiehl's pamper pack had made my day!

Lancome Genifique - Youth Activating Concentrate

Received a free luxury sample of Lancome's new anti-aging product, Genifique.

It came in a little glass bottle with a fancy dropper lid, trademark of the full sized product. Push the button on top to pick up or release the liquid.

The saleslady adamantly stated that "Genifique is not a serum. It's an activator".

What does that mean??? It certainly looks like a serum to me. Well apparently it activates your youth. (Oh boy, how I'd love to be 18 again!!!)

Here are the claims from the Lancome website:

See visibly younger skin in just 7 days.

Drop by drop, skin is infused with life.

Vibrant with youth, skin looks as if lit from within.

Skin's youthful quality returns: cushiony soft and velvety to the touch.

Skin's tone is astonishingly even; its texture dramatically refined.

Genifique is supposed to "boost genes' activity and stimulate the production of youth proteins."

Sounds incredible, doesn't it?

I'm testing it now and will post a review in a few weeks. Stay tuned for the results!

Jurlique Warehouse Sale

Although most of the good stuff was gone by the time I got to the sale, I still managed to pick up a few bargains. The company is trying to get rid of it's old packaging and the products are still fresh as the ones in store. I bought:

Face Wash Cream $15 (RRP $25)

Foaming Facial Cleanser $20 (RRP $40)

Baby's Gentle Shampoo and Baby Wash $5 (Equivalent RRP $12)

Came especially for the Face Wash Cream (now called Daily Exfoliating Cream). It's is a HG! It a beautifully scented a non grainy exfoliator. This infallibly makes my skin smooth and glowing. 

The Foaming Facial Cleanser (now called Purifying Foaming Cleanser) is another HG. I can't wait to finish my cleansers so I can try new products but I always go back to this one. Smells like lavender essential oil. Cleans thoroughly and my skin never feels taut afterwards. 

Bought the Baby's Gentle Shampoo and Baby Wash because I need a shampoo without Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. SLS has been linked with hairloss according to this article. You can get cheaper SLS-free shampoos but this smells as terrific as the Foaming Facial Cleanser so I was sold!

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

Just pulled out a tube from six years ago and it's still good!

My skin is mega-oily and after reading rave reviews on Makeup Alley, I HAD to try it. 

I ordered from American Discount Beauty. Queen Helene products are cheap in the US and after the currency exchange, a large tube costs $12 AUD (not including shipping).

The tube was a hefty 8oz or 226.8g. Packaging was nothing fancy. Looks like a common household product but it promises extraordinary benefits such as:

*Relaxes tired muscles and eases tension lines on the face and neck.

*Suction action draws out waste matter from the pores.

* Dries up acne pimples, rinse away blackheads and even helps shrink enlarged pores.

The masque is ridiculously thick and mint scented. I even had difficulty squeezing the tube because it's consistency is of pottery clay. It dries quicker than other masks and yes, I did feel the "sucking" action!

It noticeably stiffens as it dries. I was deliciously repulsed by the visible oil extracted from my pores. 

I wash off after half an hour and its a b*tch to remove. A cloth is definitely required as per instructions. I have some deeply enlarged pores on my nose and it was annoying to see tiny green bits of the masque remaining. (Gross, I know.)

The end result? Tightened refined pores and my skin glows! Very impressed with this product. If I remember, I'll use it twice a week to keep the oiliness and pores under control. 

You can also use the masque as an overnight spot treatment.

Rating: 5/5 stars. This product delivers on it's promises. Good value for money and a Godsend for oily skin. I will keep coming back to this HG (Holy Grail) product!