Troiareuke ACSEN TOC Oil Cut Cleanser & ACSEN TOC Toner + GIVEAWAY!

Wednesday, 26 October 2016 at October 26, 2016

I'm back with another review for one of my favourite Korean skincare brand, Troiareuke, and this time round, we're coming back with a GIVEAWAY! Read on to find out how you can enter, and stand a chance to win the Troiareuke ACSEN TOC Oil Cut Cleanser and ACSEN TOC Toner!


Troiareuke is a Korean skincare brand from MK Universal and I have previously done 2 reviews for them (here and here). Their products never fail to impress me and I always end up getting super obsessed with the products I received. Their Troipeel H+ Cushion was featured in one of my favourites video, and the 3 skincare products that I reviewed here was the only products I was using in my daily skincare routine.



This time round, they have sent me the Troiareuke ACSEN TOC Oil Cut Cleanser and ACSEN TOC Toner. Since it has been quite awhile since my last review for them, I have actually emptied the toner that was sent to me previously. So, I was super excited when they offered to send me 2 new skincare products which includes a new toner! *Woohoo!*


The ACSEN Oil Cut Cleanser is essentially a facial cleanser, suitable and specialized for acne-prone and sensitive skin. It is supposedly able to remove all the oils and dirt trapped in your pores as well as fine dust, and make-up. Since this is a gel-type cleanser, it does not foam. So unlike most foam cleansers, it does not contain any surfactant which makes it suitable for people with sensitive skin. If you have been following me, you'll know that I love foamy cleansers as I love how squeaky clean it makes my skin feels. But I do have combination (more towards oily!) and acne-prone skin so I'm willing to give this cleanser a shot!

The main ingredients of this cleanser are Papaya which helps to remove dead skin cells (oooo a little bit of exfoliate, I like!), Aloe Vera which moisturizes the skin, and Usnea extract which provides anti-fungal and antimicrobial (anti-bacteria!) effects.

After cleansing, my face still feels moisturized without the tight feeling I get with foam cleansers. I wouldn't trust this cleanser to remove all my make-up, so I always use an oil based cleanser to remove any make-up (especially waterproof ones) before going in with this one for a good second step to my double cleansing routine. If you prefer using foam cleansers, try using this as a first step to your cleansing routine (before your foam cleanser) as I find that it helps remove most of my make-up anyway.


Once my face is free from make-up and dirt, it's time to use a toner to prep my skin for the essences and moisturizers I'm applying next. The "TOC" in the ACSEN TOC Toner stands for "Turn Over Cycle", meaning this toner helps to control the turn over cycle of your skin cells, keeping it active and healthy.

Unlike most toner, this toner is slightly thicker and it feels more like a watery gel than plain liquid. It comes with a pump which is so handy as I tend to pour out too much toner. With a pump, I can easily control the amount I need. Applying it on, it feels really cooling and it gets absorbed in really quickly as well. It doesn't have any strong scent to it which is nice. Using a cotton round, you can clearly tell that this toner definitely wipes away all the dust and dirt on your face.

Apart from using it as a regular toner, you can also use it to spot treat your pimples. All you have to do is soak a piece of cotton round (big enough to cover your spot) with the toner and refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes. After it's chilled, apply it on to your spot for 15 to 25 minutes or until the cotton round is dry. This will help calm your skin, aiding the healing process.

The main ingredients of this toner are Sulfur (anti-inflammatory and anti-infection), Salicylic Acid (helps to remove excessive keratin and aids in wounds healing), Glycolic Acid (removes dead skin cells), and lastly, Hyaluronic Acid which calms and moisturises.

Once again, I'm extremely impressed with the quality of their skincare products. Without doubt, I'm definitely keeping these in my skincare routine until I run out again. Wanna own these 2 products? Now you can stand a chance to win them by entering the giveaway! All you have to do is:

1) Subscribe to my Youtube channel here
2) Like Troiareuke's Facebook page
3) Comment below this post on their Facebook page why you wish to be the winner of the giveaway.

And that's it! Giveaway ends 2nd November 2016, 2359HRS. Winners will be announced at Troiareuke's Facebook page! Wishing you all the best of luck!

Labels: beauty, face, korean, review, skincare, tips

Whimsical Mermaid Halloween Make-Up Tutorial with SASA Singapore

Thursday, 13 October 2016 at October 13, 2016

Halloween is not all about horror creatures, ghosts, zombies, vampires and all things scary. So if you're like me and you're not a fan of creepy stuff, why not be a Whimsical Mermaid this Halloween!

Labels: beauty, looks, make-up, tips, tutorials

Review: Zoeva's Nude Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette (with swatches!)

Wednesday, 12 October 2016 at October 12, 2016

Another eyeshadow palette review! YAS!

During my weekend  trip to Johor Bahru, I went into Sephora (of course I did) and coincidentally they were having a 20% sale! Unfortunately, even with the 20% off, the price of the Zoeva Nude Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette was around the same of the one in Singapore WITHOUT the 20% off. So technically if there weren't a 20% off, the price of the palette in JB is actually 20% more expensive. And we thought that everything in JB is cheaper...... Therefore, make sure you check the prices online before purchasing!


Nevertheless, I was a happy gal as there weren't any other things in JB that really caught my attention so I basically just spent all my money on this palette and the Son & Park Beauty Gel.  Even though I've never owned any eyeshadow palettes from Zoeva, I have swatched many of their palettes in stores countless of time and I must say that they are extremely soft and buttery.



First off, I absolutely love the packaging of this palette! It's black and rose gold, just like my favourite set of Zoeva brushes (pictured above)! It also has a matte texture to it which I thought looked really sleek and chic. The palette is really thin and it shuts with a magnet which is basically my favourite type of packaging for a palette as it's easier to travel with the palette and you don't have to worry about the cover breaking off.

This palette contains 15 neutral and warm eyeshadow shades which are easy to pair and wear all year round. I feel that this palette gives off a strong "fall" vibe due to the good amount of red-toned shades included. This palette also kinda reminds me of the Lorac Pro Palette as it offers quite a number of basic shades such as gold, browns, matte black and cream.




With that said, I highly recommend this palette if you are looking for a good warm neutral palette. Or, if you are considering the Lorac Pro Palette, you can try this palette out instead. The shades are honestly really basic though and you can definitely find dupes of the individual shades easily. So I wouldn't recommend this to someone who already has a collection of nude palettes.

Labels: beauty, eyeshadow palettes, make-up, review

The Battle of Foil Sheet Masks! (Gung Baek Hwa VS Natural Pacific)

Monday, 10 October 2016 at October 10, 2016

I love sheet masks. I use them so often because being the lazy girl I am, they are just so handy to use compared to the wash-off types. Plus, it makes my skin happy! With that said, I was so excited when I was introduced to the latest Korean trend in sheet mask - Foil Sheet Masks! Who knew sheet masks could evolve?!

Foil Mask VS Regular Sheet Mask, what's the difference? Well, the main benefit of a foil sheet mask compared to a regular sheet mask is that the layer of foil is able to block off any essence from evaporating, hence preventing your mask from drying out while you're using it. That will ensure maximum absorption of all the essence from the mask, to your skin!

So today, I will be exploring 2 foil sheet masks, offered by two different brands. Gung Baek Hwa and Natural Pacific. Having oily skin, it is essential for me to deep cleanse my face and prevent the buildup of dead skin cells. Hence, from Gung Baek Hwa, I got the Mung Bean Foil Mask which claims to soothe and cleanse out your skin's waste. Another skin complex I have is dull and uneven skin tone. So from Natural Pacific, I decided to go for the Premium Metal Snow Mask which claims to not only moisturize my skin, but also brightens it, giving it a glowy look. So which is actually better? Let's find out!

Round 1: Price 

I ordered both masks from Qoo10. The Mung Bean Foil Mask comes in 3 pieces for S$12.20 (excluding Q-Express shipping of $3.99), that's S$6.10 for one piece! The Premium Metal Snow Mask comes in boxes of 10 pieces for S$18.90 (excluding Q-Express shipping of $2.90) which makes it only $1.90 per piece.

Most of my sheet masks range from $1 - $3 per piece. However, I do have a few which costs up to S$10 per peice but are of top notch quality. If you're a strong believer of the saying "what you pay is what you get", the Mung Bean Foil Mask might be worth the hefty price. But if you like using sheet masks as often as I do, the affordable price of the Premium Metal Snow Mask may be more than enough for you.

Round 2: Shipping 

I placed the orders together at the same time and used Q-Express for both masks. The Premium Metal Snow Mask arrived in 1-2 days, while the Mung Bean Foil Mask took around 2 weeks! Apparently there were some errors by Q-Express for this delivery and also, they don't deliver during Korea's holidays so do take note of that! I'm not a fan of waiting for my parcels, so the Premium Metal Snow Mask won this round for me.

Round 3: First Impressions 





Mung Bean Foil Mask 
The masks arrived without a box which was a little a little a little turn off for me but hey, it's just a box. One sheet definitely feels heavy as it claims to contain 35ml worth of essence (which is supposedly one of the highest in the market!), the pack is also slightly bigger than regular packs. Opening the pack, it doesn't have a strong scent at all which is nice. When I removed the mask from the packet, it was dripping with essence! The mask itself is split into 2 parts, the upper, and lower. It is very thick as it has 2 layers to it. The outer layer is basically a full piece of foil while the inner layer is quite similar to a regular sheet mask.




Premium Metal Snow Mask
Overall, the Premium Metal Snow Mask felt like a regular sheet mask to me in terms of the packaging and overall feel of it. The size of the pack looks like an ordinary $2 masks you can get from InnisFree or Watsons. I guess the only plus is that it came in a box. But hey, it's just a box. The mask itself is thin and has a thin coating of foil.

Mung Bean Foil Mask definitely won this round for me. It looks more exquisite and you can clearly tell that it's not one of your cheap masks. The purpose of a foil mask is to lock in all the essence and prevent evaporation on the outer layer. Looking at the masks, I'm pretty sure the full outer foil layer of the Mung Bean Foil Mask will achieve that purpose.


Round 4: Quality 






The Mung Bean Foil Mask is reeeeally heavy due to the foil layer. Unlike a regular sheet mask that sticks closely to your skin, I find that the foil mask moves around quite easily so I had to lie down while I use it otherwise it will just slip down my face due to the weight as well as the nature of the foil. Even when I had it on my face, the mask kept on dripping with essence! So it was without doubt easier to use if you're lying down (which... of course I wouldn't mind). After I've left it on for 15 minutes, my skin feels extremely moisturized and clear. I decided to leave the mask aside instead of throwing it away to test its ability to reduce evaporation and guess what? Even after 4 hours, the sheet feels wet and moist! Amazing! In future, I will make sure to leave it on for a longer period of time to make full use of it!




The Premium Metal Snow Mask felt really similar to a regular sheet mask.The only difference would be that it did not fully adhere to my skin as well, most probably due to the nature of the foil coating. However, it definitely did not slip down my face as compared to the Mung Bean Foil Mask. After I left it on for 15 minutes, I did feel like my skin looked more brighter and energized.

In terms of quality, the winner goes to the Mung Bean Foil Mask for sure as you can clearly tell that it is not one of your cheap masks. The full foil layer also ensured better prevention of outer layer evaporation which kept it moist even after hours.

Results 

Both masks claim to provide different benefits for my skin hence it was difficult to compare them by its functions. However, the main purpose of both mask is supposed to include a layer of foil to block of outer layer evaporation from occurring, maximizing full absorption of essence. So in this case, the Mung Bean Foil Mask won this round of battle of foil masks! Even though it is pricier than the Premium Metal Snow Mask, it is still affordable at $4 per sheet and the quality of the mask itself is way better than the latter. During my second use of the Mung Bean Foil Mask, I did not throw away the packet after removing the mask from it because it actually contains a ton of leftover essence which you can apply to your neck and body. The Mung Bean Foil Mask also contains 10ml more essence than the Premium Metal Snow Mask so the slightly heavier price tag definitely did not come without a reason.

I use sheet masks up to 2-3 times a week. So I would recommend the Premium Metal Snow Mask if you use sheet masks as frequently as I do. On a weekly basis, I feel that the Premium Metal Snow Mask is enough to make my skin feel perked up. However, on "pamper myself" sessions or if I have an upcoming occasion, I will definitely reach out for the Mung Bean Foil Mask.

So what do you think of both foil masks? Would you prefer them to a regular sheet mask?

Labels: beauty, face, korean, review, skincare

Review: Dr.G Brightening Peeling Gel (BB Cosmetic)

Sunday, 9 October 2016 at October 09, 2016

Today, I'm reviewing my second product from BB Cosmetic. If you haven't read my first review for them, click here to know more about the Petitfee Black Pearl and Gold Hydrogel Eye Patch! BB Cosmetic is an online shopping site that offers a variety of Korean beauty products, perfect for Korean beauty lovers like myself!


After browsing through their website, I have decided to pick the Dr.G Brightening Peeling Gel to try out. I'm honestly quite a mask collector. Personally, I suffer from high levels of stress, anxiety and exhaustion. So to conquer all that, I love having pamper myself sessions as often as possible and the easiest way to relax myself is to lie in bed with a facial mask and a good show to watch. My boyfriend and I also enjoy having mask sessions together so all these motivates me to keep my mask collection growing! BB Cosmetic do have a good selection of facial masks and skincare products to choose from apart from make-up products, so definitely check them out!

I also have an 8% discount code "F0I13I1BK268" valid up till 8th November 2016 for all my readers so make sure to include it upon checking out! ;)



I have combination skin, however I'm more towards the oilier side and I feel like there are 2 important things to do if you have oily skin, to reduce the chances of breaking out. First, is to remove all the dead skin that is sitting on top on your face. If you don't have a habit of exfoliating your face often, dead skin will form a layer on top of your face and that prevents your skin from absorbing all the facial products you use. What a waste! Dead skin also makes your complexion dull-looking. Hence, I always ensure to gently exfoliate my face at least 3 times a week. Secondly, is to clean out your pores! Clogged pores are the worst and  it is pretty much one of the main reasons why I break out.


So the Dr.G Brightening Peeling Gel is essentially a wash-off mask. Surprise! It's not a peel-off mask. Its main function is to "peel off" all the old tissues and dead skin cells on our face using natural ingredients such as Cotton Fiber Cellulose and Bark extract whilst you are gently rubbing the gel on your face. Apart from getting dirt and dead skin out of our skin, the Dr.G Brightening Peeling Gel also contains other ingredients that will help moisturize and sooth our skin. It's huge misconception that people with oily skin should avoid moisturizing their skin! Even with oily skin, you should continue moisturizing your skin to ensure that it stays lively and healthy. Just avoid products that contains oil. Dr.G Brightening Peeling Gel uses natural ingredients such as Phyto-oligo and Honey forumla to gently hydrate and retain moisture to my skin, making it soft and supple after peeling.

One great thing about this peeling gel is that you don't have to apply it to your entire face. Personally, I like to use different masks to tackle different skin troubles, so I'll usually only use this on clogged areas such as my nose, and chin/jawline. You can even use it to spot-treat any spots you have at the moment!


The consistency of this peeling gel is really thick and moist so it's still a little runny. It has a really strong scent of tea tree I guess? Well the smell just reminds me of any anti-acne skincare product. Personally, I really like the scent as it's minty and minty scents are probably my favs. The special thing about this mask is that you don't actually have to leave it on, which is great if you're not a fan of having a thick layer of gel on your face. All you have to do is to apply a suitable amount on wet skin and start massaging it. The rubbing motions will help the gel "peel" off all the dirt and dead skin on your skin. Once you think you're done, simply rinse off with water. Quick and easy!

Overall, I absolutely love this product. I love how minty fresh it feels and smells on my skin. After peeling, my skin feels rejuvenated, clean and hydrated. Even though it has removed all the unwanted stuff on my skin, it still managed to leave my skin moisturised.

Labels: beauty, korean, review, skincare, tips

Review: Petitfee Black Pearl & Gold Hydrogel Eye Patch (BB Cosmetic)

Wednesday, 5 October 2016 at October 05, 2016

About a week ago, I was contacted by BB Cosmetic to review 2 of the products they are offering, and I was so thrilled! Since this is the first review I'm doing for them, I'll just begin with a little introduction of the company.



BB Cosmetic began its journey via Ebay in the early 2009 and has since started to expand into the global market. Recently, they have launched an online site (http://bbcosmetic.com/) to provide better convenience for their buyers!


BB Cosmetic offers a WIDE range of Korean beauty products from various brands (seriously, the list of brands is so long I couldn't even count! the image above is not even the full list!), so if you're a Korean beauty junkie like myself, you should definitely check them out.

I'm always up to try and explore new Korean beauty brands and products. My favourite thing about Korean beauty products is the fact that they are often affordable and of good quality. Apart from the bigger and more popular brands such as Etude House, InnisFree, 3CE, etc, there are actually many more Korean brands out there that offers really good quality beauty products for us to explore.

They can get a little pricey if you buy them directly in stores, so I always get my Korean beauty products online as they are so much more affordable that way. On top of that, I also have an 8% off discount code "F0I13I1BK268" valid up till 8th November 2016 for you guys so make sure to use it upon checking out!

  *Bonus* Korean brands also love collaborating with other companies to come out with cute and adorable special editions products, so if you're the kind of person who buys a product for its packaging (*cough*me*cough*), do keep a look out for those specially packaged products!

Disclaimer: Even though this post is very kindly sponsored by them, I have chosen the product myself and was not paid and asked to mention anything in particular. ;)

So now that we've gotten our introduction and disclaimer out of the way, let's begin with the review!


The first product I chose from their website is the Petitfee's Black Pearl And Gold Hydrogel Eye Patch. Honestly, I can't even remember when was the last time I used a skincare product specifically for my eyes. So when I saw Petitfee's Black Pearl & Gold Hydrogel Eye Patch, I decided to try it out because it sounds really nourishing and I guess it's time I should start taking care of the delicate area around my eyes.


Shipping only took 4 days and all items were well-packed in perfect condition.

So the two main ingredients of this eye patch/mask are Black Pearl and Gold. These two ingredients are widely used in many skincare products because of its distinctive benefits it provides to our skin.


Black Pearl mainly provides Amino Acid which helps rejuvenate and reconstruct our skin, making it more supple, smooth, radiant, and flawless. Gold is also capable of cell-activation and cell-stimulation, which helps increase the elasticity of our skin (thus reducing wrinkles! woots!). Apart from that, Gold also helps improve blood circulation which will keep our skin bright, glowing and healthy! Amazing!

I figured out that both products would be the perfect ingredients to include in an eye mask as the delicate area around our eyes are more prone to aging and the appearance of fine lines. Being a young adult, I also have dark eye circles benefit my eyes which is actually caused by the lack of blood circulation around the eyes.

One pack costs only US$10.90 and it contains 60 patches! Which means if you were to use 2 patches a week, it will be able to last up to 7 months! That's really affordable in my opinion. In my case, I love having mask sessions weekly together with my boyfriend, so these eye patches was a sweet addition to our mask collection.




Like the name mention, this eye patch is a gel type eye patch that is thick and soft. I like how the edges are smooth so it doesn't make my eyes sensitive. Having it on was really comfy as well, as I nearly fell asleep while having it on! After a short while, I did felt a tingling sensation. It's not painful, in fact, it felt really nice and cooling.

I feel like eye patches are great for that extra care the skin around your eye needs. Like I mentioned, I haven't been taking good care of the delicate skin around my eyes as I'm just too lazy to apply another layer of eye cream. However, these eye patches are so handy to use as you don't even have to massage or pat it into your skin for it to absorb. Simply slap them on! I'm not sure if there's a limit to the amount of times I should use this in the week but I have been using them every night since I received them because it's just an easy way to show my skin some extra love. Plus, it makes me feel extra pampered.

Labels: beauty, review, skincare, tips