Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First Serum 🌸

I cannot what I ordered from Ebay or from which seller but I got this Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First Serum for free. Maybe together with the other samples I posted before.

It is serum so I was expecting it to be a light cream but instead it is a clear liquid. Was not able to take a photo of that one as I accidentally spilled some on the floor and immediately used up the remaining liquid. Well it was fine but I cannot say if it will be in the long run as the serum was for one time used only. And right now I cannot buy anything for the face as I still have many stocks.

Just posting it to document that I was able to use this brand/product and take note for the future if ever I run out of facial products. Other items worth trying out also: 
Etude House Honey Cera
Tony Moly Snail Cream
Tony Moly Black Tea Cream
Etude House Sunscreen
But maybe, just maybe, Korean product works well with me because they are specifically designed for Asian skin?

Skinfood Mineral Sugar Blend Eyes #4: Gold Mango Roll

I bought this Skinfood Mineral Sugar Blend Eyes #4 Gold Mango Roll in Ebay 2 months back. And I made the purchase out of curiosity. I do not need it really. And to be able to afford it I did not buy snack. You know when you are a poor OFW in the Middle East, if there is something you want you must sacrifice something in return. In my case I often sacrifice a delicious lunch or snack in the afternoon. 

I admit it was a purchase that I should have never done in the first place if I were to live a frugal and minimalist life. But anyway here it is. I got this for around 13.85USD and I used the company PO Box. It probably has taken less than 2 weeks to arrive in UAE but since I am not allowed to take any parcels in company PO Box even though the package is under my name, I had to wait when the authorized person will be available to get it for me. So I got it only this month and in spite of that I am thankful that it came in one piece unlike my broken Etude House.

I got freebies again. Not all sellers are giving freebies so upon getting some I am happy. Sorry for those who are on my page hoping to see swatches and review. It just that I am writing this post because I am happy upon receiving it and getting it in good condition. of course I can't wait to use it even though I know it will take time before I come to that.

Small and sturdy palette. It comes without a box and I do not mind. There is something in my birthday. That whenever my birthday is about to come there is always an urge to buy a new makeup even though I do not really use much makeup. Even me cannot understand us (women) why we do the things we do. Haha.

Hopefully I get to use it this weekend. And so far I am do not have any pending orders from Ebay. And for half a year that  I am ordering online I lost money twice. For the Yesstyle package of charcoal nose strips that never reached me, don't know whose fault was that. The seller or the Empost? And The Faceshop 300ML facial toner that I never got because it was not addressed to any PO Box and no tracking number or mobile number. Simply my name. And that's how I learned to really use a tracking number no matter what. No tracking number then do not buy it.

Innisfree Makeup

Not my photo. Got it from the website of Innisfree and I am not sure if this is a permanent collection or limited edition/ Sharing because I found Korean makeup to be more affordable compared to US and other Western brands. So if ever in the future I will be needing a makeup again, Innisfree will be one of my choices. All good shades of neutral, eh?

Etude House Honey Cera

I got this Etude House Honey Cera cream for free from one of my purchases in Ebay back in February. Decided to finish off the free samples I've got before they expire. Feedback? Sorry Etude House, this cream is not for me. You see I am not really hard to please when it comes to  moisturizer but my skin must feel something extraordinary compared to all the creams I used in the past, before I sing praises. In short there is nothing in this brand that makes it stood out.

Tony Moly Snail Cream

Tony Moly Snail Cream sample comes as free with an Ebay purchase I made months ago. Well what can I say? Been seeing snail cream for years now but not paying any attention to it. Methinks it is just a marketing ploy to lure people to buy and try it out. Well I was mistaken. I am surprised that this sits well with my combination skin. Does not make my face oily. Absorbed by my skin in no time. And I woke up the next day with feeling my skin has soften. I will definitely purchase a full bottle. But not anytime soon as I am stuck to finish off all my moisturizers before getting a new one.

Tony Moly Black Tea Cream

Another sample from an Ebay purchase. Decided to use it now before I forget all about it. Well first of all, silly me as I was expecting it to be black because the name says Black Tea cream. Anyway this sample is good for one use only. Which is fine with me. Impression? Well this is good for my combination skin but I did not feel any difference. I mean my skin says there is nothing special to it that makes it stand out from all the facial moisturizers I used in the past. So I will not be buying the full size.

Etude House Sunscreen

Got this sample from my Ebay purchase last February 2017. Has taken me a long time to use it because as I always say, I have way too many products. And I only have one face. Now for the feedback. Well this is not for me as this makes my face oily. Normally only my T zone is oily but using it makes my whole face sticky. So needless to say that I will not buy a full size.

The Faceshop Calendula Moisture Toner

I read online where people says that Korean brand of cosmetics are so affordable. But in spite of it only The Faceshop managed to come here in the Gulf and the prices are not exactly affordable. 

Today let me share with you The Faceshop Calendula Moisture Toner. I forgot the exact price but I got mine on sale around 50.00AED for 150ML. This said to be a moisture toner.

Calendula is said to be a flower but unfortunately I haven't seen one so I do not know the real smell and to where to compare its smell. And I cannot figure it out either. I know the smell of roses and sampaguita too well. But not this one. I bought this Calendula Moisture Toner just to try it out. It has a faint flowery smell and said to be moisturizing on the skin. Above photo is the box where the Hangul is written which is something I do not understand. Next photo is written in English with ingredients list.

Next photo is how the Calendula Moisture Toner looks like. Thicker than the usual toner I used in the past. But not as thick as serum or essence. It can remove make up and dirt but I simply run out of time to take photos as a sample. (When did I ever have an ample of time anyway?)

I have 3 variants of toner from The Faceshop but this is my least favorite due to smell. As of the alcohol even though it is not alcohol free my skin does not feel funny nor heavy. And to be honest I also tried the 7 skin steps which was a Korean craze a few weeks ago. Meaning you will use a skin/softener/toner 7 times not necessarily mean you need to have 7 brands or 7 variants. Did I like it? Well yes but then it was cold that time but as soon as March came it became hot (weather) and I don't like applying too many products on my face anymore.

It was 2014 when I decided I wanted to have a beautiful skin. Beautiful in a sense that it does not dry out. Dry skin is not cool as it can be itchy and flaking does not look good. I tried different brands and included toner in my beauty regime. But since 2014 you will hear me say contradicting views regarding toner. The factors are the price and the weather. 

Some says that when the weather is cold that is the time they experience extremely dry skin. But seems like it is the opposite for me. When the weather is hot that is the time that my skin goes crazy. Name it. Dry skin. Oily nose all the time. Whiteheads on my nose 24/7 no matter how I clean, scrub and moisturize. By the time I finished writing this post the bottle would be emptied out. But even so I do not have plans to repurchase it.

No plans to repurchase yet as I still have other toners at home. In UAE even though it is extremely hot almost all the establishments do have air conditioner. And since I am working inside the office I will not be exposed that much under the sun. So even though my skin is going through some craziness I still do not need much face products. As too many face products will lead to feeling sticky and heavy. As well as irritating. Just a cleanser and moisturizer will do. Being inside the air conditioned areas + not being exposed to sun makes my skin not produced much oil and whiteheads.

But if I am in Turkey or Philippines or any place with the opposite condition in UAE meaning the summer is not as hot as UAE but then not all establishments do not have air conditioner, and I will be exposed under the sun ~ that is the time that I will still need all the toners in the world. To prevent my nose from producing too much oil. As well as prevent the whiteheads. Or at least slow them down. 

And since I've used far too many brands of toners that I do not have a specific favorite anymore. Since most works the same. Difference would be the price and the scent. But then financially wise once I lost my job I probably would not even bother to purchase a toner at all.

A minimalist mantra as a friendly reminder.

Another Batch Of Korean Products

This is the first time I ordered items from TheBBCreamGirl. I shopped so many items for the month of March ~ nope I didn't win a lottery or got a salary increase :) I just got my ticket money and I didn't go anywhere for vacation so I have extra money for 'shopping' for all the items that I need and I want to try. This seller has a sleek website. So many items to choose from. So far she has the lowest rate of shipping fee for only 14AED. And if you purchase items for 300AED and above you'll get a free shipping fee. All the products she's selling are from Korea. Prices are not very low and at the same time not very high. Just in the middle. Lastly, the items arrived right on her promised time. Just don't expect her to give replies via Social Networks.

As can be seen in the photo I got myself 3 products for underarms that can also be used in other body parts Milky Dress Deo Essence, Milky Dress Peeling Gel and Milky Dress Sweat Proof. And for the face I got myself Innisfree MakeUp Blender (2 colors) and Missha Pore Cover Primer ~ both products are make up primer. And 1 Innisfree eyeshadow. How I love to get all the colors but I had to restrain myself due to my budget. And I don't need it much since I don't use eyeshadow on daily basis. 6 products that again I'll see for myself if they are good or not. The Etude House Precious Mineral Sachet was for free.

Skinfood Peach Sake Pore Serum

 

Skinfood Peach Sake Pore Serum

Purchased from IG @koreancosmeticsuae

70.00AED for 45ML

Made in Korea

 

Ingredients: Water, Silica, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Hydrogated Polyisobutene, Isohexadecane, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Stearate, Sucrose Cocoate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Staryl Glycyrrhetinate, Alcohol Denat., Propylene Glycol, Hydogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricara) Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licroce) Root Extract, Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract,Oleanolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Rice Ferment Filtrate (450mg), Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract (450mg), Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Seasame) Seed Extract, Magnesium Aluminium Silicate, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Butylparaben, CI 17200, CI 19140, CI 15985, Fragnance

 

According to Wikipedia and it's website the company has been around since 1957. And even without reading it is written in front of their products like this Skinfood Peach Pore Sake Serum as can be seen in the photos below: 

 

 

 

 

This photo is taken using iPhone 6 Plus

This photo is taken using Pentax Q7


Skinfood is a South Korean brand of Skin Care and Beauty Products. Their selling point is their products are made of natural ingredients as well as fruits and vegetables. As far as I know they have a shop in Dubai, UAE. But I never visited it even once. As I can see in their website that the prices are quite high compared to the online seller in Instagram.

The only thing that's oily in my face is my nose. So every morning and sometimes at night I put a little amount only on that area. Means this bottle will last for me for a very long time. Thus wouldn't hurt my pocket that much. I know this has Alcohol which I think is really a must in all serums so I don't mind anymore. As long as I am not feeling a stinging sensation. It helps in controlling the oiliness even for just a few hours. And anyway I haven't really found a product that can control the oil for the whole day.

This is one of the products I would definitely stick to and repurchase. Will just update this post when I get the time to take more photos to share or any change that might happen along the way while I am using it. Till then..

Skinfood Peach Sake Toner

Skinfood Peach Sake Toner
Price: 70.00AED for 135ML at IG Seller
Made in Korea

Ingredients: Water, alcohol, butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethoxyethyl succinate, peg-60 hydrogenated castor oil, oleanolic acid, hydrogenated lecithin, allantoin, bis-peg-18, methyl ether dimethyl silane, stearyl glycyrrhetinate, disodium edta, prunius persica (peac) fruit extract, rice ferment filtrate (sake), enantia chlorantha bark extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, centella asiatica extract, glycine soja (soybean) seed extract, dimethicone, argania spinosa kernel oil, sesamum indicum (sesame) seed oil, beta-sitosterol, tocopherol, serenoa serrulata fruit extract, imidazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, CI 17200, CI 19140, CI 15985, parfum


Just a quick post for today. I do admit this is not my favorite brand of toner. My favorite toners happen to be French brands which tend to be expensive and I am living frugally. Which led me into buying different brands of toners. Comparing their prices and how do my skin reacts with each brand. Yes my face is kinda guinea pig with all the brands I am using.

One of the brands I purchased recently is this Skinfood Peach Sake Toner. Korean Skin Care Products are quite popular. Too many brands to choose from but then I settle with Skinfood. As their website states, they had been around since 1957. So I expect them to really know what they are doing. They wouldn't last for so many years if they don't. And their selling point is their products are made with natural ingredients such as fruits.

The only setback of this toner for me is that this have Alcohol. But then upon using I don't feel any stinging sensation caused by Alcohol so the content must be relatively small. Don't have any other issues aside from that. And thankfully it smells like peach instead of smelling like Sake.

Skinfood has a physical store in Dubai but I don't bother to visit anymore. As I can see from their website the prices are quite higher compared to the IG seller (@koreancosmeticsuae)

Thank you for dropping by. Till next time.

Faceshop: My Lips Eat Cherry [Aqua Tint]

The Faceshop My Lips Eat Cherry Aqua Tint
Lip and Cheek Tint
Price: 40.00 AED at Faceshop
Made in Korea

Honestly MAC is my favorite lip product. But right now, I don't think that the price in UAE is still reasonable. If you will compare the US price with TAX to UAE price WITHOUT TAX still UAE price is much higher. And in UAE they don't have sale any time of the year. Even if there is an ongoing Dubai Summer Sale or any other nationwide sales.  Because of that I started looking for other brands in the hope that I will totally forget about Mac. One of the brands I tried is this lip and cheek tint from Faceshop. It comes with this applicator:

This is my 2nd lip and cheek product after Ever Bilena. As of the scent, I don't have any issues at all as it is good. There's a hint of Cherry on it as promised. But upon applying on the lips it is inevitable that you'll get to taste the product which is something I don't like. I find the taste bitter which bothers me so once again I don't use it as lip product. But as a cheek product it is perfect for me. Here is the photo when applied and I can say that the pigmentation is good:

Here is another photo when blended. It is long lasting and the color is subtle on my brown skin. Another cheek product on my drawer which I have no idea when will I be able to finish. And I hope I do before the product expires to avoid wasting money. And sadly, haven't found yet the lip product that can replace Mac.