Empty Bottle 72: Secret Key 🌸

The year is about to end. And I'm sharing you my 72nd empty bottle during my Pan Project. Well my Pan Project is still very much ongoing. And I think I'm close enough in clearing out my dresser. I will decide what I will do with it once it is free from all the clutter. So my 73rd empty bottle is a Korean product called Secret Key Dragon Blood Essence. Please be warned that this is not a rigorous review of the product.

 

Let me share you what I know about Korean Skin Care Regime:

1. Make up removal

2. Cleansing of the face

3. Exfoliator

4. Toner

5. Essence and/or Emulsion

6. Ampoule/Serums

7. Sheet Mask

8. Eye cream

9. Moisturizer

10. Night Cream

Of course you don't have to put on everything on daily basis you have to listen to your skin's need. For example I don't wear make up so it will not make sense for me to use a make up remover. I can go straight to cleansing. There are times that I am too lazy to clean my face with water and facial wash then I could go straight to using toner. Exfoliator and sheet mask are not an everyday thing. You can do it once a week. Serums has many kinds so choose according to your needs. Lastly this is for the night routine. The make up removing process is already a give away though. The morning routine is almost the same just with the additional of sunscreen and of course minus the make up remover and/or toner.

2015 I was into Korean skin care regime. Meaning I purchased too many Korean skin care products. It may not be much to some of you but for someone like me it already was. Secret Key is one of the many brands in South Korea. They have too many that even a beauty aficionado will find it hard to keep track of them all. First of all Secret Key is not available in any physical stores in UAE. Second you can purchase it only thru online sellers. Quite popular is TheBBCreamGirl. Third the amount is around 57.00AED that is if haven't changed. But I got mine for free. The seller was about to go home in the Philippines so maybe she was clearing her stuff. Or maybe Essence is not her thing. Or maybe she just want me to try it out for myself since she knows I am into Korean Skin Care and purchased quite a lot from her. As of this writing I'm still struggling to finish some and I must finish them fast before they expire.

I got this around 2015. Used it for a while and kept it. That's the same old story with all the beauty products and owned since 2014. Managed to finish it before the 2016 expiration date. I don't know the counterpart of Essence in Western beauty products. You will not use cotton balls in applying essence. You just need to tap in into your face. It is lighter than a face cream or night cream. But this is thicker than toner. The best way I understood it is this is a facial moisturizer in the lightest form. And as you can see it claims to be an anti ageing and whitening. I don't believe those claims but I always end up trying anyway. Just the way I don't see dragons around but how come they were able to have a dragon blood to turn into essence.

If I put on a make up the I definitely do layering of essence, serum and facial cream. But if I did not then any of them would be just fine with me. After all they all have something in common. That is to moisturize the skin. There are times that my skin feels extremely dry then I need something tough to put on my skin. But there are days that it is not and so essence would be just fine. But even after finishing it I can't say if I love essence or not. Or will I purchase again if given a chance. As while using it there was an itch on my face. Don't know if it is because of the product itself or because it does not blend well with other products. But the itch is not for all over my face. Only with some areas. I never got around into finding the root cause. I finished it off just to avoid wasting it. And lucky for me I did not develop any rashes or bumps due to itching.

Took photos of the back of the bottle to show you but it is mostly written in Korean. Before I forgot this product sinks fast and well into the skin. And that's all for Secret Key Dragon Blood Essence. If you will scroll down below you'll see that the essence is pinkish in color. Probably to give off the impression of Dragon Blood.

Moving on to my personal story as an OFW. Yesterday I was trying to explain that sounds like ranting how expensive the houses here compared to the salary. Some of you might be wondering if I am living a hand to mouth kind of life then how on earth I was able to hoard beauty products in almost 2 years? How I was able to accumulate clothes for the years that I am here in the UAE? Well I have taken an accommodation that is a walking distance from work. In this way I don't have to spend money on taxi. Walking in UAE is something unheard of. Maybe if you want to die early due to extreme hot weather or fast cars. I go to Dubai and places with a friend who has a car again to save money. 2015 I did not go to vacation and spent my ticket money for my stash. It was so wrong of me. Whatever is happening in my life is not only because of the system but also with mistakes. And I'm trying to correct those mistakes. But sadly I can't change the system.

 

It really is just a take it or leave it situation. I'm still clueless with what I will do next. By 2017. For the mean time I just want to have a clean and free space. Work and save a little before making major decisions. It may irritate some with my whining but then writing it is my way of coping. This is my therapy.

 

The only love affair that I found hard to resist was with lipstick. I can't help myself to purchase some while I was on vacation last August. But after a month I was able to break off. Because I had to. As I don't know why I developed a super dry lips. So dry that there are wounds at the sides.

 

“When you live surrounded by clutter, it is impossible to have clarity about what you are doing in your life.”  ~ Karen Kingston