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.

I finally got some TFS Green Tea 🇰🇷

Not all the products are included in the photo and my morning skin care routine starts after taking a shower. And of course on shower cleansing of the face is included too.
⭕️ Toner ~ but not to be confused with the Western toner. Korean toner or Japanese lotion/conditioner. Whichever is available.
⭕️ Serum
⭕️ Emulsion

⭕️ Moisturizer
⭕️ Sunscreen
⭕️ Primer ~ optional
⭕️ BB Cream ~ optional
⭕️ Make Up ~ optional

Now on the photo. The Face Shop is the only Korean brand or Asian brand readily available in the UAE market. But honestly this baffles me a lot. I mean UAE and USA are both rich countries. But then USA has so many choices of products. Whatever is the new thing or fad anywhere in the world they seem to have an access to it. While it is the complete opposite in the UAE. For example the world has gone crazy over the Speculoos Paste. It came to UAE market only when the madness died down and people went back to the good old peanut butter. A friend told me maybe it has something to do with halal. But then I am not talking only about food. I am also talking about cosmetics and skin care products. Fine we have some here but only the most expensive.

 

Some might say BUT Missha and Skin Food are available too! But the word I mentioned was 'readily' available. I heard about Missha and Skin Food shops but I have never seen one. You know UAE has 7 emirates. And they tend to know only Dubai and Abu Dhabi. So since it is only The Face Shop basically they don't have to compete with any other Asian or Korean brand and so they can name their price. People will take it or leave it. And so Janes like me cannot afford their prices the whole year round. I have to wait for them to go on sale but even on sale the prices will not really drop down that much. So I finally got my hands on the TFS Green Tea line when the sale has started.

 

The Face Shop Green Tea Waterfull Serum ~ I got it last December 2016 for 59.00AED and still that is quite a lot of money when I am seeing Japanese skin care products in Amazon Japan in much lesser prices. But I purchased it anyway as I was itching to try out their serum. It delivers and as I write this I am about to finish the bottle. No plans of repurchasing anytime soon. As I am still searching a cheaper Japanese alternative.

 

The Face Shop Green Tea Water Waterfull Toner and Serum ~ each bottle on sale price is 45.00AED and I got it this month only when they continued the sale due to DFS. Still expensive as the Japanese conditioner I purchased last November from Amazon Japan was the same amount but the quantity is 500ML. In the end I am happy with the performance of Green Tea Line but I still have issues about it due to the amount. I want to be beautiful but without breaking my bank account.

Rice Ceramide @ The Face Shop

I was in the Matajer Mall ~ the only mall between Sharjah and Ajman that carries the South Korean store The Face Shop. It has been the second time since last month that I was in that shop. And for the longest time I had been eyeing a moisturizer from the said shop. It has taken me a long time to buy one because honestly I don't need it yet. I will be needing it after a month or so. And they don't even have a promotion. They rarely have a promotion. But then the SA told me that in Ramadan they will have and that's what? More than a month to go! Yay. 

Rice Ceramide Moisturizer Cream

Price: 40AED

Made in South Korea

I purchased it without reading any further reviews of the product. I was attracted to it because of its name. For me it means that this product has a rice extract or something. And being a Filipina I'm used to eating rice all my life. And if it is good for my tummy then it means that it can also be good on my skin. Here's the photo of the product. It is quite small. So you can carry it around in your purse. 

Initial Impression: I used it immediately when I got home. And it feels a little heavy and leaning on the oily side. I wish I can compare it with other Asian or South Korean brands but I can't think of any right now and I haven't tried that much. I mean I may have quite a few face products that are moisturizing too but they are not exactly a moisturizer (Serum, Emulsion, Essence etc..) So I can only compare it with La Roche Posay moisturizers I've tried. LRP tends to be on the lighter side but triple the amount of Rice Ceramide. I will keep it for now but I will definitely use it again. If it won't work on my face then I'll use it in my elbows and knees. Those parts of my body tends to be drier specially now that summer starts to kick in ~ HARD!

Trial packs of Chia Seed No Shine Hydrating Cream are the freebies ~ that is why I love that branch. They are so different from the branch in Mirdif City Center. I will use it next month. And for now I will do some de cluttering of my stuff. Thanks for dropping by.