Eyeko 3 in 1 Cream (Review)

Product Blurb: Create a flawless base with Eyeko's 3-in-1 Cream MOISTURISER, HIGHLIGHTER & EYE CREAM in 1!

Infused with skin perfecting light reflectors and antioxidant Vitamins A& E plus a Vitamin C boost for a radiant, clear complexion.

Eyeko says: "To get that A-list glow skip foundation and use Eyeko Cream all over focusing on the eye and cheek area for lit from within skin."

CELEBRITY FAVE As Seen In OK Magazine Issue 365: The cute packaging of this glistening moisturiser is just one reason to fall in love with this great lotion. Kylie has great skin anyway, but a layer of this cream will add a bit of lustre."

Price: £5.00 (approx. $8 USD)

Available at: eyeko.com -- Enter Code: E122 for a free gift

Overall Rating: 4 out 5












Quick Rundown

PROS

• gives a nice, quick, easy glow
• it's a nice sheen and not glitter on your face
• softens the look of your face
• illuminates your face
• can double as a face primer
• makes blush last a little longer and apply easier

CONS

• cream is in a tub, can be unsanitary
• no SPF
• over application of the cream can leave a white cast

Thoughts?: I've always been curious with Eyeko cream. The pink tub with a cute anime character was enough to attract my attention, not to mention the good stuff I've heard about has piqued my interest.

Ever since I've purchased this cream, I can't leave my house without it! I'm always usually short in time in the morning when I'm getting ready for work. This cream just helps brighten my dull face in the morning. Just a dab of it on my cheeks and the bridge of my nose and I look more awake already as oppose to looking like a zombie. It gives that healthy looking glow.

The texture of the cream is mousse-like. It feels sorta like those marshmallow cream in a jar, so it's very light but a little goes a long way. It also absorbed pretty well on my combo skin, and so far it hasn't broken me out after some weeks use already. By just looking at the jar you can tell that it has some shimmering particles in it, but it doesn't make you look like a disco ball even if its used during the daytime (just as long as you don't smother the thing on your face). I also love how it softens the look on my face.
I don't really use primers on my face, and this is as close as what I use to a face primer. I did notice that my blush was easier to apply on my cheeks especially my MAC blushes. Sometimes my MAC blushes tend to go on blotchy on my cheeks, but with the Eyeko cream it went on evenly and was easier to blend.
A few things about it that I didn't like were the fact that it doesn't have SPF on it and it comes in a tub which is a bit unsanitary to use. I also noticed that if you put too much of this cream, it will leave a white cast on your face especially in pictures.

Final Verdict: I really like this cream. I can't leave my house without this. I really don't wear foundation at all, but this cream makes my skin a healthy glow when I'm out and about. Just a dab on cheeks, chin, and the bridge of my nose and I'm good to go.

Tidbit: I suggest to get any Eyeko products at eyeko.com. I know Cherry Culture carries them as well, but the prices for the Eyeko products are jacked up. Most of the products on Eyeko Beauty are £5.00 which approx. coverts to $8 USD (depending on the currency exchange rate) and they also offer free international shipping!! And to make the deal even sweeter if you enter the code E122, they'll include a free gift with your purchase!! YAY!

Product Review: ROHTO Mentholatum Acnes Gel

Product Blurb: ROHTO Mentholatum Acnes Gel is a medicated type face gel that helps protect your skin from acne. Contains Vitamin E and B6 protect your skin from dead skin and dryness. Contains glycyrrhizin acid and resorcinol extract for protect your skin from burning and tanning.

Size:18g

Directions: 1. Apply good amount into finger and foam onto acne.

Price: $19.99

Available at: Ohayo Store and Ohayo.com

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5





Quick Rundown

PROS:

reduces the size of the pimple within the first use

doesn't sting, burn, or any adverse effects

OK to use during the day (doesn't leave a white cast after
blending)

CONS:

has that sulfuric smell

not readily available (if you're not from Japan)

a bit pricey for a tube

Thoughts? This is definitely my pimple arsenal. I recently picked this up when I made a trip to Ohayo store in Puente Hills (Buy it here!). Although I don't breakout as much as I did before, I still get occassional pimples here and there (mostly on my forehead). And when I get them, they come in massive sizes and they hurt! Sometimes they linger around for weeks, just because I let them be meaning I don't touch, pop, or put anything on it.

I was a bit skeptical when I first bought this though. First of all, I don't understand a lick of Japanese as mentioned in my previous post, so like any other acne cream that comes in a small tube, I simply just used it as a spot treatment. I'm not sure why the Ohayo website says that it foams when it clearly isn't meant to be a face wash (at least I don't think it does).

Anyway, so I applied this at night before I went to sleep (minus the Ly-na cream). And the morning I woke up, I noticed that the size of my pimple have been reduced to a significant size. The pimple wasn't in-your-face-waving-hello type of thing. I also noticed it also reduced the redness of the pimple.

By my third use, my pimple is no longer hanging out on my face. It also didn't leave a nasty scar (granted I didn't pick on it as well) by the time it went bye bye.

I also like how the cream doesn't sting at all. I noticed that most spot treatments have that burning sensation once it gets contact with your skin. I also didn't experience any peeling or flakiness where I've applied the cream while using it.

The only thing I don't like about this product is the smell (it's always gotta be the smell). You can definitely smell sulfur in it. So if you're allergic to sulfur, I probably wouldn't recommend this. The smell does linger even though the cream applies clearly on your face. So if the smell does really bother you, I suggest to just use it at night.

This cream is also a bit pricey for a small tube. It's $20 a pop although you only need a little cream just to cover the pimple. So depending on how often you get your breakouts will determine how long this product will last you. It's also hard to locate this in a store. You'll probably get a better luck just buying it online. Although I'm not too sure if this might be available at Marukai or Mitsuwa.

Final Verdict: Overall, I love this product despite of its sulfuric smell. It's gentle enough for me that it doesn't cause a burning sensation when I apply the cream, and I definitely saw results after the first use. But please, don't expect a miracle that it'll vanish your pimple right on the spot, because it wouldn't. The results are gradual, but it definitely shortened the time of the pimples' presence on my face.

Product Review and Swatches: LORAC Croc-Case Full Face Collection Palette (Sephora Exclusive)

Product Blurb: LORAC Croc Case - Full Face Collection is packed with all the products you need to capture the spotlight this season. Armed with an arsenal of shimmering eyeshadows, highlighters, bronzers, and lip glosses, you'll be able to create enough gorgeous looks to match your every mood. The luxurious Croc makeup case can be used strictly for beauty business or as a party-perfect clutch for a night on the town.

This Sephora-exclusive, limited-edition collection includes:
- Sixteen Eyeshadows
- A Highlighter
- Bronzer
- Two Blushes
- Three Lip Glosses

(source: Sephora.com)

Price: $56

Available at: Sephora and Sephora.com

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5


Product Images






With Flash





Without Flash





Size comparison
Swatches
Eyeshadows
(Row 1, top)
(Row 2)
(Row 3)
(Row 4, bottom)
Blushes

Lip Glosses

What I Like About it: This palette has everything in it. Sixteen eyeshadows, four blushes, and three lipglosses that compliment each other to create any looks whether it be for day or night. It's a pretty good palette to stow away for those quick weekend getaway that doesn't really require you to bring your whole traincase with you.
The eyeshadows have a pretty decent and buildable pigmentation. The eyeshadow colors are pretty flexible to mix and match with anything on the palette that'll appropriate for any occasion. If you're looking into getting the NARS Bohemian Gold, the colors on the first row (second and third swatches from the left) are pretty close and good dupes for it although it's not as vibrant as the NARS eyeshadows. The eyeshadows also blends pretty well as far as I am concerned.
I love the blushes in this palette. The colors are buildable but they apply really nicely on your cheeks. I also like how the palette comes with a highlighter. The blushes give you that nice glow on your apples of your cheeks and it's not blotchy when it comes to application. I also noticed that the color lasted much longer compared to my other blushes.
As far as the lipglosses go, I love how they came in tubes instead of a palette form. It makes it easier just to take the lipgloss instead of the whole palette. If the gloss came in a palette form, I probably wouldn't have picked this up just because I hate glosses or lipsticks that are in palette form. I just don't like using a separate lip brush or using my finger to apply lip color. The lipgloss tubes also has brush applicators which makes it even better! All glosses should have brush applicators, period. Brush applicators just makes it easier and makes application more even on your lips. The lipgloss was also not sticky like MAC lipglosses which I found really surprising.
What I don't like about it: Some of the eyeshadows are a bit chalky. I did experience some fall outs on my face because of this. The eyeshadows are not as pigmented as the Urban Decay eyeshadows in the Book of Shadows palette. It's not necessarily all that bad since the colors are buildable and it gives you room to go for a lighter look. The eyeshadows has some glitters on it, but they're not so chunky and there's not much on one eyeshadow.
And for the lipglosses, don't expect good pigmentation on these because they're pretty sheer. You kinda have to layer them if you want the colors to show.
The palette is also only secured by magnets, so it'll be better to keep them in the case it came with to secure the palette not opening in your bag or luggage just to avoid any accidents with it.
Final Thoughts: Overall, I actually like this palette. First of all, I really like it's packaging and how it's also comes with a case which has enough room to probably pack some other makeup essentials. It has a pretty good selection of eyeshadows and blushes and the lipgloss comes in a tube form with brush applicators. I'm definitely bringing this to Vegas for our mini getaway this Thanksgiving weekend. Just throw it in your luggage and you're good to go with what you'll need for the weekend. It also makes a good gift for this holiday season!
And here's one of the many looks I'll be doing using this palette.
Eyeshadows: Row 3, 2nd e/s (inner lid), Row 3, 4th e/s (outer V and crease), Row 1, 1st e/s as highlight
Blush: Highlight color (1st) and the 2nd blush from the left.
Lip color: First lipgloss





I'm gloooowing!

PROS:* palette has everything you need
* creates day or night looks
* lipglosses that come in tube form as opposed to palette form
* lipgloss has brush applicators
* cute case, cute palette
* blushes have good lasting powers, and no blotchy application

CONS:

* some eyeshadows tend to be chalky that can cause fallouts on your face
* may not be a good palette for those who want vibrant and bold colors
* lipgloss colors are sheer
* eyeshadows has some glitter
* palette secured with magnets only.

*I didn't use any foundation, just like in my other looks unless stated otherwise.

Aveda Dry Remedy Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner (Review)

Product Blurbs: Drenches even the driest, most brittle hair with moisture, leaving it soft, supple, touchable.

- instantly improves dry hair up to 63%, when used as part of our Dry RemedyTM Moisturizing System
- patent-pending Deep-Moisture complex penetrates hair to deliver lasting, intense moisture, powered by buriti oil, pomegranate and palm-derived conditioners
- relaxing floral aroma blend with certified organic palmarosa, ylang ylang and rose geranium, plus a hint of vanilla

Available at: Aveda salons, spas stores, and at Aveda.com

Price: $24 each (200 ml)

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

I had to get my boyfriend's opinion on the results after using this shampoo and conditioner. And we are both loving the it!

I've always had a problems with my really, really thick hair looking dull, fried, and dry. For a couple of years, I had to deal with a really bad hair day, all day, everyday after so much abuse from straightening it everyday, highlighting, and rebonding it (in short, it was badly fried). It wasn't up until this year when I finally got my hair to a decent (and way better) condition than what it was before after taking care of it by avoiding straightening it everyday (yes I couldn't live a day without straigtening my hair after I shower in the morning. It was just that impossible for me).

Even though my hair has already been softer and better, the shampoo I was using prior to Aveda shampoo and conditioner did not really do much to my dry ends and it was lacking the ability to make my hair shiny. I also had problem with the frizziness on certain days when I forgot to put serum on my hair. My old shampoo did still leave my hair nice and manageable which I was pretty content with, but Aveda took it to a whole different level.

My hair is now super soft 20x! It's super silky, shiny, and smooth and I was surprised because I actually saw the difference within two days later of switching to this killer combo. My hair is seriously soft to touch. My boyfriend even made a comment that by just looking at it he said that it looks soft and silky. He's really big on nice hair, so he kept running and playing with my locks, and I couldn't stop playing with my hair too.

Even after only using this shampoo and conditioner twice, I can't help but rave how good this thing is. It really made a difference on how my hair looks and feels. I've been trying to get my hair in as its best shape possible and Aveda made it happened! My ends aren't dry and no frizzies considering I didn't even use a hair serum. It also doesn't make my scalp itch unlike other shampoos and conditioner. (Sidenote: the shampoo and conditioner looks like I guess pureed bananas. It looked a bit odd on me for a shampoo and conditioner)

I really don't have time to blowdry my hair in the morning, so I just step out of the shower and let it airdry. Even without blowdrying my hair, by the time I get to work, my hair has dried nicely and shiny while taming out the frizz.

But, I have a few gripes about this shampoo and conditioner. It has an herbal smell to it (due to the mixture scents of ylang ylang and rose geramium) which I'm just not really a fan of. I just kinda had some difficulty showering with it in the morning since the herbal, minty smell is pretty strong in the beginning although I'm pretty used to it now. The smell does go away after you step out of the shower, and it doesn't have a strong lingering smell not unless someone really tries to sniff your hair out.

The price range for this shampoo is along the lines of Ojon and Frederic Fekkai. It's a bit on a pricey range for a small bottle, but I guess it comes with such a high end product. But then again, you can really tell the difference within days after switching to this.

I really, really, really love my hair right now. It's been a week since I've been using this shampoo and conditioner, and I still can't believe how amazing my hair looks right now compared to how it was prior to using it. My ends aren't dry, my hair is shiny and way healthier. It's way easier to run your fingers through my hair now. My only biggest complain is the price especially that we're in a recession right now! But other than that this product delivers good results. And, this is with just the shampoo and conditioner. Imagine when I actually start using the masque too.

Swatches: Sephora Exclusive Palettes (Dior and NARS)

So early this morning, I rushed to Sephora to check out more makeup and mainly to pick up the Clairsonic. Anyway, I didn't get any of these palettes in particular (I ended up with a different one). But these pretty much almost made it to my basket.

If you are thinking about getting these, here are the swatches. I think the NARS palette is great if you want to try out or don't have a NARS palette yet. As far as the Dior one, it has a really pretty color combination. Either palette you choose is great, and they make pretty gifts for friends too!

Dior Chic Palette - $49.50 (Sephora Exclusive)

Shimmering bronze
Ivory sheen
Brownish green sheen
Shimmering grayish black
Light mauve gray sheen
Plum sheen

NARS Best Palette - $50 (Sephora Exclusive)



Kilimanjaro I (opalescent gold)
Bohemian Gold II (iridescent copper)
Surbaya II (chestnut)
Himalayas (iridescent pink)
Ondine (plum with gold shimmer)
Night Flight (black with cobalt blue pearls)

(Product Image Credit: Sephora.com)

NARIS UP Skin Moisturizing Point Mask/Lotion (Review)

Product Blurb:
NARIS UP Skin Moisturizing Point Mask/Lotion is a natural skin pack that comes with a tube of pre-essence that grabs and treats blackheads while the point pack mask helps remove dirt, oil, and blackheads in stubborn, difficult to reach areas. The natural packs are added with egg shell membrane extract and charcoal for an absolutely clean and moisturized finish. Your skin will look visibly cleaner and more beautiful.

Directions: After washing face, apply a small amount of pre-esssence onto your finger tips and apply onto nose, chin, and other bothersome areas where blackheads are present. Before the pre-essence dries, apply a small amount of the point pack onto your finger tips and cover the skin area where you applied the pre-essence. After the pack dries in 10 minutes, peel off the mask upward. Use toner and facial lotion after use. Use 1~2 times a week.

(Source)
Price: $7.99

Available at: Ohayo, Ohayousa.com, Marukai, Mitsuwa

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5

The Good Stuff: What's good about this nose "strip" is it conforms to the shape of your nose regardless of the shape and size unlike the infamous Pore Strips. You just lay the the black goo (step 2) which binds on top of the clear gel (step 1) and once it dries, you can pull the suckers out of your pores even the ones on the side of your nose that regular pore strips tend to miss. It also doesn't form any air bubbles (which usually happens with pore strips when you don't smooth it out your nose properly) that can leave certain sections of your nose out with black or white heads.

After the black goo has dried, peeling it is not as painful as the Biore nose strips. I don't know if it's just me, but the Biore really hurt that no matter how slowly I pull the strip,. It will still bring tears to my eyes. However, with the NARIS UP Skin Moisturizing Point Mask/Lotion is practically painless compared to the Biore strip (well it depends on your pain tolerance too). You can feel your whiteheads being lifted away from your pores minus the tears. If anything it actually tickles my nose (for some weird reason), or it's just like taking gift wrapping tape off your skin (without the hair of course).


The Bad Stuff: As much as it gets the whiteheads on my nose, its grip to your nose is not strong enough to get the blackheads out. I still have some blackheads remaining that I've attempted so many times to get rid of it, and it still stayed there. I've tried it by leaving it as short as the moment it dried to as long as leaving the nose strip overnight on my nose, and still to no avail. My stubborn blackheads are still camping out on my nose. It doesn't penetrate deep and strong enough to get all the gunk out.

And for obvious reasons, this can get really messy. The black goo tends to be runny, and if you dont tilt the bottle upside up, the black goo can go all over the place or even drip (and it will), so you have to be careful.

More product pictures:



You only need a thin layer of the clear gel hence why it's smaller. You have to put a pretty thick glob of the black goo so it's easier to peel off your nose once it dries.




Don't mind the peeling finger. Anyway, you can tell that the black goop is pretty runny. It can get pretty sticky too when it's still wet.


And here's my nose. This was the first time that I did it and I had the hardest time taking it off my nose because I didn't put enough of the black gel. You can tell that I didn't since you can see my skin through it. Just slathered it on your nose and make sure your skin is not peeking out. You can actually see it in action the the tip of my nose.

The Verdict: It's good for the mean time. It's not really something that I'm too ecstatic about or "OMG-YOU-HAVE-TO-TRY-THIS!" kind of deal. It's something fun but messy to use. It does the job of getting the whiteheads out, but not so much with blackheads. If you want a less painful route of nose strips, you might want to try this out though.

Kracie (KANEBO) Naive Facial Foam Green Tea Cleanser (Review)

Product Blurb:
Kracie(KANEBO) Naive Facial Foam Green Tea is a cream cleanser with added tea leaf extract to help penetrate deep down into the pores to rid of dirt and oil.

It's 100% nature generated washing ingredients including amino acid and its extra fine lather gently cleanse your skin while protecting it from drying.

This foam helps grab onto to dirt and make-up for a refreshing and clean feeling. There is no need to double wash because this facial cleanser also works as a make-up remover.

The added trehalose helps restore the natural moisture back into your skin for softer and smoother. Its for oily skin.

(Source)

Price: $6.99

Available at: Marukai, Mitsuwa, Galleria, and Ohayo

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Good Stuff: I've been using this face wash for almost two months now. Everytime I wash my face with this cleanser, my face just feels so fresh and so clean (and you can really feel it). It leaves a cool, tingly (not stingy) feeling after each use. I really like this in the morning especially because it wakes my face up.

The cleanser leaves a fresh, almost minty scent on my face but not overpowering smell. It lathers up on my face pretty quickly which for some reason I really like on my face wash (I just feel it's cleaning my face better). And at the end of my routine, it leaves my face soft to touch.

It's also always a good thing when face washes don't break you out, and this will be one of them.

The Bad Stuff: Do not expect this to take your all of your makeup off at the end of the day because it wouldn't. You'll get better and cleaner results once you've removed your makeup with a remover or a wipe. It will get your foundation and eye shadow, but it'll leave traces of your mascara and eye liner (especially any waterproof mascara or fluidlines). I can't vouch for the liquid foundation users because I don't use it.

Also, lately, this cleanser has been leaving my face a bit tight and dry on my cheeks and around my blemishes, but not to the point that my face is flaking. I have a feeling that this cleanser might contain alcohol in it, which I've realized is usually one of the main ingredients in most Asian skincare line, but I wouldn't know that because I can't read Asian characters.

Overall: I'm probably not going to repurchase this face wash again once I finish this bottle. It's pretty mediocre to me and it's really not holy grail status. Yes, it does its job in cleaning my face, but it does nothing to control any future breakouts due to a new product (unlike my HG-status Pure Luxe Calamine Facial Bar). I'll probably only use this now in the morning because of that refreshing feeling that I can really use early in the morning. But I don't like how it leaves my face a bit dry afterwards.