Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Sana Hadanomy Collagen Cream

I absolutely love this lotion, it is a must have if you have sensitive, combination and acne-prone skin like me. The cream is color free and mineral oil free, and it contains 1000 mg of Micro Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid Na, Acerola extract and Honey. As you may already know, collagen is supposed to help promote elasticity and make our skin look plump and youthful. 

Due to my skin type, typical anti-wrinkle products are often too creamy and caused me to breakout.  Then I would have to stop using the cream for awhile and wait for my acne to go away, which means I can never consistently use traditional cream to see any results.  

However, Sana Hadanomy Collagen Cream is the perfect blend to keep my skin moisturized while maintaining it acne-free!  I know the name has the word "cream" in it but it really is more of a thick gel-like lotion, and it will feel a bit sticky initially.  But this stuff works, smells great and is inexpensive, I highly recommend this product!!!  Winter is coming, it's the perfect time to give your dry-out summer skin a good replenishment.

You can also find this product at Amazon.com, in case you prefer to purchase it from a bigger online store.
  • Consistency  
    • Thick gel-like lotion
  • Moisturizing
    • Yes
  • Fine line Reduction
    • Yes
  • Wrinkle Reduction
    • Yes
  • Preventive
    • Yes
  • Price 
  • Rating (out of 5)
NOTE: I took the photo after I have almost empty my bottle, sorry.

Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner

I just want to make sure that you don't even waste five bucks on this eyeliner.  It's worthless. The self-sharpening doesn't work and the tip keeps breaking off.  I ended up throwing this away and eventually it broke into two pieces and only a small piece remained inside the tube.  It's difficult to "glide" since it wasn't all that creamy.  It's impossible to draw the line. I have pretty much switched permanently to use Korean brands eyeliners, they work way better!!!
  • NOT Smudge-proof, NOT Waterproof
  • Poor Pigmentation
  • Not Creamy 
  • Difficult to Apply
  • Price 
    • $5.99 at CVS, at $5.64 Target
  • Rating (out of 5)


Thursday, June 28, 2012

Skin97 BB Miniature Set

If you follow my blog, then you may recall I had mentioned purchasing the Skin97 BB Miniature Set.  I was really excited when I saw this mini set because it's cheap and I can try four different types of BB cream.  And from what I read in the Internet, Skin97 is supposed to be the better brand of BB cream and people raved about Skin97.  


The packaging is very nice and cute but otherwise, nothing special about this BB cream.  The coverage is not bad but the color is a bit odd for me, it doesn't look natural at all.  BB cream is known to give you a natural look but all four of them give me that good old foundation look and feel.  And yes, I do mean it feels like foundation.  It's very sticky in my opinion, so maybe this will be good for people with dry skin.  After wearing the BB cream for one normal day, not an extremely long day, I had those little oily bump. I had to do a very thorough job cleaning my face afterward!



The BB Cream is in the following order in my photos:
  • Gold Label Mini BB Cream SPF25 PA++ (5g)
  • Pink Label Mini BB Cream SPF25 PA++ (5g)
  • Diamond Mini BB Cream SPF25 PA++ (5g)
  • Diamond Luminous Mini BB Cream SPF25 PA++ (5g) 
The differences among this set of four is that the Gold Label is the thickest of the four and the lightest is Diamond Luminous . You can probably see in the picture that the far right, the Diamond Luminous, is very fluid and was running down my hand.  Also the Gold Label is the darkest and most shimmer of the four and the color and shimmer quality go down as you proceed to the right.

I'm just really disappointed because I read so many good reviews about this line.  I guess I set my bar too high!  :(

  • Coverage
    • OK
  • Color
    • OK
  • Skin Type
    • Dry only but not for Combination, Oily or Acne types
  • Price 
    • ~ $10.00 at Amazon.com
    • Price varies depending on seller and shipping
  • Rating (out of 5)

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Hello Kitty in Star Wars!

This is too cute and I have to share it with everyone.  If you are a fan of  Hello Kitty, you have to check it out.  Just when I thought they can't possibly come up with any more new ideas with Hello Kitty, they prove me wrong!!!

http://giik.net/herro-kitty-art-toys-hello-kitty-figurines-for-geekettes.htm#

http://gadgetsin.com/more-hello-kitty-model-kits-by-joseph-senior.htm

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Lioele Quick Point Eraser

Besides the actual cosmetics, the one thing I must have when I put on my makeup is cotton swap.  Even after years of practice, I still make mistakes when I apply my eyeliner and mascara.  This is especially true when I want to draw the "wings" eyeliner effect, it's hard to get both sides even and aligned.  So I would dip the cotton swap to the make up remover to fix my eyeliner.  Another common clean up is to remove the mascara that I accidentally brushed onto my eyelids, very annoying!

I saw Lioele Quick Point Eraser on Pretty and Cute website, granted that I do think is a bit expensive, but I still want to give it a try.  And I absolutely love this eraser pen! It really works, even on waterproof eyeliners.  You are probably wondering what's so special about this pen when I could use cotton swaps.  Well, the problem with the cotton swap is that it smears and it's not a one-clean-swipe. And not to mention, those little fuzzy cotton sometimes get caught in my eyes, irritating!!! 

But this pen can do the touch up in one simple step and no fuzzy strand getting stuck in my eyes is wonderful. And yes, you do have to wipe the head clean after each use, but it's still so much more convenient than a cotton swap.  Also, what if you need to touch up your make up in the middle of day?  I most certainly don't carry a pack of cotton swaps with me in my purse, but this pen, I could take this with me everywhere! Yeah!!!

  • Works on waterproof eyeliners
    • Yes
  • Price 
    • $13.99 (1 oz) at Pretty and Cute
  • Rating (out of 5)

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Rimmel ScandalEyes vs Maybelline Colossal

I've been sick and just finally recovering from my cold.  So I'll keep this post short by showing just comparisons of my two latest volume mascaras.

  • Rimmel ScandalEyes
    • Brush head was way too big, it was very difficult to use.  Every time I stroke the brush, I have to clean up my eyelid.  It was impossible to use this on the corner of the eyes, the brush was just too awkwardly huge. I tried up to three coats but I still didn't get the volume I was hoping for, and no plump either!
  • Maybelline Colossal
    • The Brush head is bigger than normal size but much more manageable than Rimmel's. My pictures don't do the justice, but I saw immediate difference using the Colossal. Even my boyfriend commented on it, he said my lashes look much fuller. ;) The tip of the brush head is pointier and it's much easier to brush my little corner lashes.

BrandEase of UseClumps-FreeVolumeLengthPrice*Verdict
Rimmel ScandalEyesPoorYesBelow AverageGood$6.99Returned
Maybelline ColossalGoodYesVery GoodGood$7.49Keeper!!!
 * Prices are from CVS.
NOTE: The pictures are showing one coat.



  
Rimmel Volume Flash Scandaleyes Maybelline Volum' Express the Colossal

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Philosophy Miracle Worker Dark Spot Correcting System

I'm finally done with Philosophy Miracle Worker Dark Spot Correcting System and my overall impression is that it's OK. I do believe it is effective to certain degree but it does come with a pretty hefty price tag.  


My skin tolerates both the Retinoid Solution and Corrector, no allergic reaction and they are fragrance-free products, which is also good.  The pad is a bit greasy and it does dry up fast, so apply it quickly and be sure to tightly close the lid immediately after each use.  The Corrector has an odd light brown color to it, but it spreads clear on the skin, so don't worry. I use the system at night and apply plenty of sunscreen in the morning, and you should use sunscreen everyday anyways to protect your delicate skin from sun damages and aging.  


When I started this system, I was going through my regular episode of acne breakout, so I had quite a few red spots on my face.  And I felt like my spots did fade a bit faster this time around.  But, my one very old acne scar from many years ago remains about the same.  Now, according to Philosophy, this system also has a number of other benefits which I'm a bit skeptical about and I included my results in the list below.  I absolutely see no improvement on my fine lines, maybe it works for other people, but not for me!


The Correcting System costs $80 and it comes with a 0.5 oz Corrector and a 30-day supply of Retinoid Solution/Pads.  In other words, it will cost me $960 for a one-year supply, now that's a lot of money for just one product in one year.  Let's be honest, I still need to spend money on other skin care products such as sunscreen, masks, eye cream etc, and this system cannot replace my entire skin care routine, so this is far too expensive for me to invest in it.  However, I may use this as a treatment once or twice a year. If you know of a good dark spot correcting product, leave a comment.  It's almost Friday, yea...have a good weekend!!!
  • Skin Radiance Improvement  
    • No
  • Skin Brightness Improvement
    • A little
  • Skin Evenness Improvement
    • A little
  • Discoloration Improvement
    • Yes
  • Fine Lines Improvement
    • No
  • Price 
    • $80 at Sephora
  • Rating (out of 5)