Empties 4 (hair and body focused)

reviewing products that I have finished, and liked/disliked.

Bath & Body Works Secret Wonderland Triple Moisture Body Cream- this has got to be my favouritest product from B&BW! ok to set things straight, i dont like going to b&bw because my sense of smell becomes suicidal after. most of the products just have waaay too overwhelming scents. BUT THIS! this was a product i picked up back in 2012 when i visited California, and have kept asking friends to bring this back for me. alas, b&bw discontinued this product a couple of years later; much to my dismay. first of all, the smell is still very sweet (strawberries + jasmine petals + white amber), but in a calming way. its ‘triple body moisturizing’ promise is also comes through, leaving your skin smooth and supple. 

Beyond Scalp Clinic Shampoo - think i randomly chanced upon this when i ran out of shampoo on one of my trips to korea. this is really refreshing (major props to the peppermint ingredient) especially for days when you’re really in need of a deep scalp cleanse. it also smells strongly of mint, slightly played down by the occasional camomile whiffs. the thing about this shampoo though, is that it leaves my hair a little dry and frizzy after; so i always have to pair it with conditioner. bad for lazy days, good for post-bbq dinners.

Beyond Damage Repair Hair Mask - at a point in my life, i binge-shopped too many hair products from beyond. the outcome wasn’t bad though, because i get to stumble upon products like this fab hair mask. with brazil nut oil as the foundational ingredient, this product resolves to restore your hair’s health. and yes i would say it does! in fact i have gone through so many hair masks and this is one of the better ones that surfaced. my hair doesn’t feel heavy nor clumpy after, but in fact i do see an improvement in terms of quality (less split ends, less wire-like, shinier!) this is probably my 3rd tub, and i don’t intend to stop.

Beautek Hair Reconstructing Shampoo - i was sold when i heard this product will quell oily bangs AND IKIDYOUNOT IT LEGITLY DOES! so after like 2-3 days of using this shampoo, i could slowly see the transformation in the state of my fringe. usually by midday my fringe will start splitting and separating into chunky strips, and not even oil blotters can’t save them. but now they are perfectly fine even by 5pm HALLELUJAH. i think what this shampoo does is to make your hair more resistant to picking up the oil off your forehead maybe? my fringe doesn’t actually look or feel oily after using this shampoo, even if my forehead gets oily (sidenote; i intentionally do not use makeup on my forehead). its a miracle product im telling you, except that its a little hard to get your hands on if you live outside korea.

Beautek Keratin & Moisture Restoration Treatment - basically the complementary half of the above shampoo. i must say using these 2 products has really improved my hair condition by keeping my tresses tamer and definitely healthier looking. beautek is also a brand sold in high-end korean hair salons and frequently used by many korean celebs. a little bit goes a long way for both products so even though they are indeed on the pricey side, its worth the investment if you’re looking for a hair-changing experience.

Empties 3 (face focused)

reviewing products that I have finished, and liked/disliked.

Aēsop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque - i have a soft spot for clay masks which require some leave-on time, it psychologically convinces me that my face is being worked on lol. this masque contains a sturdy formula which applies on neatly, tightens my skin while doing its anti-oxidising magic, and smells more lavender-ish than parsley. i would classify it as a superficial cleanser though, as it doesn’t exactly remove impurities (especially from your pores), it does leave your skin feeling fresh and soft.

Aēsop Control - my current turn-to product whenever something extra pops up on my face! the formula is transparent, gooey, kinda reminds me of diluted honey; but oh does it disappear right straight into your little bugger blemishes! a lot of other pimple products work by sitting on your blemish as a protective layer and drying up your zit, which in turn dries up the skin around it too. but this claims otherwise, and by the looks of the ingredients list, i know i’m in safe hands.

Aēsop Camelia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream - absorbs well, light finish, smells peculiarly comforting. i used this on lazy nights where i don’t want to do much for my face, but its surprisingly enough for my skin to get through 7 hours of blasting aircon. the product comes in an unexpected shade of yellow, and apparently works best with dry skin. i might consider repurchasing this.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack - no stranger to the masses, this is probably laneige’s most famous product. i remember first buying it when i was in college and treating it like a precious piece of gold. i strictly followed the instructions and applied it carefully lest i make a mistake on any of the mentioned steps. but now ha, i couldn’t care less. overtime, i and my skin have outgrown this product; to the point that i now use it on my legs and hair lol. the last time i used it on my face, it didn’t absorb well so i ended up sleeping with a sheet of product on my face, very uncomfortable.

Caolion Blackhead Steam Pore Pack - (an improved version has been released!) to remove impurities from your pores, you’ll need them to open up. and this product wins in that aspect because it heats up your face upon application, and remains heated till you wash all the product off. it also contain micro grains for ‘exfoliation’ purposes once your pores are open. very ingenious i would say! note of caution though, do not apply too much gloop at one time, the heat burns and induces tears haha #truestory

Hera UV Mist Cushion Long Stay - the 1st cushion pact i liked, and the only one i was faithful to. i honestly cant find a bad hera product! used this pact as my daily base and i’ve gone through 2 refills. the formula is very buildable, depending on how much coverage you’re after and how much product your puff is picking up. the finish isn’t the mattest of matte (typical of a korean cushion pact since 물광 is all the rage), but its a great improvement from the original formula and i really like the balance of both worlds. regarding the ‘long stay’ promise, it lasts throughout the day for me personally since i’m usually indoors under the aircon (sun melts me sorry). i’m not a fan of bringing my base makeup out and touching up midday so although the sophisticated case is bulky, it doesn’t affect me at all. i’ve actually bought even more refills for this, but while waiting for them to arrive i got impatient and moved on to the iope pacts, so till next time hera!

Aritaum Water Sliding Tint - finished another one!

Empties 2

reviewing products that I have finished, and liked/disliked.

Hera Cell Essence - my ABSOLUTE skincare necessity! not only does it moisturize, but it also gives my skin this slight glow and preps my face for smoother make-up application. now this is a product my face no longer can live without. i once ran out of it and tried another brand of bio essence, and all hell broke loose on my face as i started getting little spots and zits :( so lesson learnt, and i stock up massively on this every time i return to korea. Hera is quite hard to spot in korea though, its always either a random standalone store, or in a departmental store. my best bet is to visit Lotte near myeongdong every trip.

Vichy Thermal Spa Water - thermal mists constitutes the 1st step of my make up routine. and i have to say, out of all the thermal mists i’ve used, this has got to be my least favourite. i experienced both good and bad days while using this. good being my skin gets enough moisture, bad being my skin starts getting sensitive and itching. but to be fair, this has the easiest cap to open! haha

Aritaum Water Sliding Tint - initially hated this product because the colour pay off wasn’t strong enough. but after using it a few more times, it sort of grew on me because of how rich the water content was! my lips never felt parched at any time, and its actually great for a more natural look (ie, going out for a few hours). plus, its super affordable!

Sexy Look Super Hydrating Duo Lifting Mask - a friend bought 2 boxes for me so it took me some time to finish everything. but i must say this mask is one of the more effective ones i’ve come across. my preference is still taiwan masks over korean ones; something about the former just works better, and something about the latter just feels mass produced & commercialised. upon applying, i can literally feel my skin feeding off the essence, sometime it stings a little but the pain is worth it because my face feels so smooth after!

Skinfood Black Sugar Honey Mask Wash Off - an extension of the black sugar scrub i suppose? i hate the smell of this, and the smell stays on for a few hours after washing off! didn’t think i’d be put-off by honey, but with this product on, my face literally feels like a playground for ants hahaha. other than that, i didn’t really notice any difference in terms of my face becoming brighter, but definitely feels exfoliated.

Innisfree Green Tea Mint Fresh Scalp Scaler - comes in a pack of 3. innisfree actually does pretty good hair stuff on hindsight. this is a product i use once a week on my scalp; simply apply on the scalp (try to get past the hair), massage, wait about 15 minutes and enjoy the cool minty sensation, and then wash off with shampoo. it is mentioned on the product that you should use more shampoo than usual too when washing it out. after which, your scalp feels clean and fresh!

Aesop Immediate Moisture Facial Hydrosol - my trip to sydney back in february converted me into an aesop addict. walking into an aesop store makes me feel like a 5 years old in a candy store, i want to smell and try everything. but aesop is so expensive back here in sgp compared to au! heavy pricetags aside, i quickly learned that the products are really a hit or a miss haha. this one is a definite hit for me, although it doesn’t exactly immediately moisturize, but it does the trick in ensuring i dont feel like a desert. smell wise, rose petals and chamomile saves the day (but i hate the scent of rose ironically).

Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution - received this as a sample, but wow this product is unexpectedly good! i have a couple of new spots on my legs and this product lightened them quite a bit! wasn’t expecting to see miracles especially with a sample, but this experience proved me wrong haha. i might consider buying the full product now.

Empties 1

hi im back to revive any existence of this space haha

so i am actually currently maintaining (at least attempting to!!) another space off blogger, specifically about my travels and cosmetics (skincare/makeup). #sotypicalomg

but i'll TRY to migrate the 'cosmetics' posts here too.

on that page, i mainly do EMPTIES posts; so reviewing products that I have finished, and liked/disliked. here you go!

Nature Republic Argan Essential Deep Care Hair Pack - used this product once a week, when i deep-conditioned my hair during the weekends. wouldn’t say its the most amazing hair mask, just okayyyyy. after washing off and drying, my hair feels limp, as if its drunk on chemicals. but after the 2nd wash (the next morning) it does feel healthier, softer, and more tamed.

Pure Supplement Lemon Blueberry Rejuvenating Overnight Mask - didn’t like this product from the start. it was sticky, and the stickiness didn’t disappear even if i reduce the amount used. it felt like lemon & blueberry jelly, very wobbly and sweetly scented. i ended up using this mask on my legs instead haha!

Banila Co. Bird’s Nest Forever Young Multi Care Lifting Cream - MAJOR HOLY GRAIL! love this product and cannot live without it. i use this cream as my last skincare step in the morning, and my skin absorbs this product like a sponge. a little bit goes a long way so you don’t need a lot of product for your skin to feel moisturized. also, this allows my make up to glide on perfectly, and prevents make-up patches from forming throughout the day on my face. - https://www.banilaco.com/en/product/productView.do?c_pm_seq=101636

YuskinA Family Medical Cream - absolute lifesaver whenever i travel to colder countries. because my skin dries out easily, but yet i hate moisturizers which leaves a sticky feeling after application; it wasn’t easy settling for 1 product which fulfills both conditions. this however, was heaven sent (from japan). it moisturizes your skin immediately and restores it to normality in no time. only downside is its heavy medicated smell, and suspiciously bright yellow colour.

Beyond Amazonia Body Balm - got this as a present from a friend’s mom. unfortunately Beyond has discontinued this product. very moisturizing, very soothing; makes my skin feel like a baby’s the next morning. love the hint of nutty scent too.

Chanel Rouge Coco 440 Arthur - t’was my first Chanel, and my most treasured Chanel. unexpectedly moisturizing, doesn’t highlight the cracks on my lips, rich colour pay-off, compliments my skin tone, doesnt tint my lips (also means it isn’t the most lasting product), and gives me all the confidence i need! my definite go-to lipstick on all important days.