A quick purple FOTD =)

I just wanted to share my makeup look yesterday during the Go Association event :)

PRODUCTS USED:

FACE

- Hada Labo BB Whitening Cream #1 + Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream #2 (50-50)

- Ellana Sheer Velvet in White Chocolate

- The Body Shop Shimmer Waves in 02 Rose

EYES

- LA Girl HD Concealer in Creamy Beige

- MakeUp Forever Star Powder in 927 (all over lid)

- The Body Shop Eyebrow Powder (both for eyebrows and light brown for crease)

- Tony Moly Backstage gel liner in Black 01

- Yves Rocher Mascara in Black

LIPS 

- Watsons tinted lipbalm in Cherry

- Lancome lipstick in 284 

*If you're interested to read my review on the individual products I've used in this FOTD, I included some links on those that I have reviewed already so just click away :)

Disclaimer: As you might have noticed, even though I am now going for cruelty free products, I am still using my previously bought makeup from brands that do test on animals (like Lancome and Etude House). It would be a waste of money if I throw them away or don't use them so I am trying my best to use them all up lately so I can clear my makeup collection sooner. However, I did stop purchasing from these brands last year and will continue to stay away from brands that do animal testing.

Review: Hada Labo Gokujyun (Red) Lotion

Happy Hearts Day! ~

Today I will be reviewing the Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion. Gokujyun is their red line (lifting + firming) which contains retinol as an active anti-aging ingredient. I have been using this 2x a day since the first week of December and I believe I have tested it enough to give a review.

*Lotion - this is the term used for a facial toner that have a gel texture instead of the usual liquid form.

That being said, having a flip cap is the best way to dispense the product because it gave me control on how much to use every time. Also, this very hygienic :)

This product also came with a free face mask from the same line. I haven't used the mask yet so I don't know how it fares.

HADA LABO is a Japanese brand of skin care that is very famous for being mild, simple and yet very effective. The active ingredient in all of their lines is the Super Hyaluronic Acid which is meant to hydrate the skin better than regular hyaluronic acid.


MY THOUGHTS:

YAY!!!

- This did not broke me out like other anti aging products that I have tried.

- No allergic reactions too.

- Very gentle on the skin. No stinging feeling when applied and I can use this around the eyes too. 

- No strong scent. Hada Labo is very famous for having no irritants on their products.

- This tones and moisturizes my skin at the same time.

- Not sticky at all which I am very happy with.

- Dries quickly so I can apply my moisturizer after a minute or so.


NAY!!!

- Not available locally. Buying from local resellers is quite expensive.

- I did not see any anti aging benefits yet even after 3 months. I guess, I should have bought the serum version too so it's more effective since toners are not meant to be treatments.


TIPS:

- Apply 2-3 drops on your hand, warm the product first and then apply it on the skin with patting motion for faster absorption.

- Can be stored inside the refrigerator for a more refreshing feel. 

- Best to be used with other moisturizer as this is not enough even for oily skin.


OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5

I love this toner! This did not irritate my skin and it helps my moisturizer get absorb better. I just hope I can buy it easily since this is quite affordable if bought in Japan.


WILL I REPURCHASE? Definitely! I will probably get the serum too so that it is more effective :)


Have you tried any Hada Labo products? Which one is your favorite? I am intrigued with the shiroyjun (whitening/blue) line and will probably get those next to test out.


Thanks for dropping by!

Review: Hada Labo BB Whitening Cream

Happy Tuesday! I am now ready to share my thoughts on the Hada Labo BB Whitening Cream. I have been testing this out since the first week of December 2012 and I have tried a lot of ways on applying it. I have also used it in both cold and hot weather just to compare :)

BRAND: Hada Labo
PRODUCT: BB Whitening Cream
SHADE: #1 
EXTRAS: sun protection (SPF 32 PA+++), whitening, moisturizing
NET WT: 45g
PRICE: sorry, I have no idea because this is a gift

I have decided to try this BB Cream because Hada Labo is a very famous Japanese brand for skin care. They are known for being gentle on the skin and basic on their ingredients. I am currently using 2 of their skin care products and this BB Cream, but for now, I will focus on the makeup first.


YAY!!

- This didn't broke me out or cause any allergies. Very mild to the skin :)

- Very light. You can hardly feel anything on your skin even if you applied a couple of layers.

- Buildable upto a light-medium coverage. Although if you have some acne scars, this won't be able to cover it. I tried it with my scarring and even if I apply a lot of layers, they still peeps through hehe.

- Blendable. I can easily blend this on my face using my fingers or a brush so you just need to use small amounts per layer.


- This have SPF 32 PA+++! Good sun protection for every day.

- Shade 1 is an exact match on me (I'm around NC 20-25 in MAC) because it has a slight yellow undertone.

- Doesn't make me oilier. I have naturally oily skin and this doesn't control it but at least it doesn't make me oilier at the end of the day.

- Even though this have a high SPF, it doesn't give me whitish cast on pictures.

- I love the squeeze tube packaging. It is so sanitary and gives me control in dispensing product.


NAY!!

- Like with the Tarte Smooth Operator TM, this oxidizes on me too. It gets 2-3 shades darker after a couple of hours so I can't really wear this alone if I plan to stay out a long time. I just mix it with my Tarte TM (1:1) for better oil control and apply a lighter shade of setting powder on top to counter act with the darkening that may occur.

- This is not brightening even though it has a whitening content. I love Korean BB Creams because they give a brightness to my face even though it's temporary but this don't do it for me.


OVER-ALL RATING: 3.5/5

I'm quite disappointed, to tell you guys honestly. I was hoping to be wowed as this is a well raved product and it is quite affordable so if I loved it I can easily buy another tube. But, I think I need to move on and find something new.

I'm not sure if it's just my skin acting up or the products itself, but even my Tarte TM that I have loved oxidizes badly on me now. I can become darker after 30 mins! Can you believe that? So if anyone of you have acidic skin and have found your HG foundation that doesn't oxidizes, please share them with me. I really need to wear full face makeup in my work so I need help asap. Thank you so much!


XOXO,

December Hauls: LA Girl, Lush & stuffs from Japan!

I have bought a couple of stuffs this month and I wanted to share them with you all because these are the items that I will be reviewing starting January 2013. I am still testing them out and I will start sharing my thoughts on them after the holidays. I promise :)

LA GIRL

LA Girl is part of LA Colors and I really wanted to try something from this brand because 1) it's a cruelty-free brand and 2) they are really affordable. They had a sale before Christmas and I decided to try their lipsticks and concealer. The lipsticks are both red but with different finish as I've been searching for the perfect red color for the holidays. I also got their HD pro concealer for my undereyes since I have a bad case of dark circles. The SA gave me a travel size perfume which is perfect to bring along on your kikay kit.

These are sold at SM Department stores, if you are wondering.

LUSH

I am in need of hair products and I really love LUSH so I decided to drop by at their SM North The Block branch and got myself a shampoo and conditioner. After talking with very friendly SA, I decided to go for a solid shampoo called Ultimate Shine and the popular conditioner American Cream. I have been using these duo for more than 2 weeks now and I believe I will review this soon as I have tested it out extensively to give my verdict on these 2 :)

JAPAN HAUL

And lastly, all of the items I got from Japan that were brought by my Japanese friends in the beginning of this month. I got a Hada Labo facial wash, Hada Labo antiaging lotion, Hada Labo BB cream, Aroma Resort body milk and 4 kinds of face masks. I haven't tried the masks so it will take time before I can review those. BUT I have tried all the Hada Labo stuff already since the first week of December and I will give my two cents on those soon :)

See, I have a lot of stuff to try and review. Please do follow my blog so that you can see my reviews for these products as soon as they got posted. :)


Thanks for dropping by!