i'm so sorry for not keeping my promise to write the rest of my mask sheet immediately. but i will try to keep my promise before giving birth. after all, these last months will be perfect timing to pamper myself before being busy again with the new baby. uughhh.. i hope everything will go well with this one.. i still haven't got a new helper, plus my son is already starting his kindergarten.. so more activities from now. and my toddler has kept us busier than ever by climbing everything she can. oh well, let's just cherish the moment and hoping that the kids will grow up well, shall we?

this time i will review the etude house collagen mask. actually i've used this a couple time, and i saved the last one to write this review. anyway, this is the description from etudehouse.com: this mask sheet contains collagen (hydrolyzed collagen) that strengthens the skin for firm, youthful skin.

the packaging: like the rest from this line, the mask comes in regular rectangular sachet, with the picture of main ingredient on it. actually, i don't know how collagen should be pictured, but they picture collagen like bubbles. oh, there's english text at the back, just like the rest from etude house products.

the scent: i think it smeels fragrant like wet tissue. not annoying though, but probably since i'm already used to mask sheet's scent.

the product: the fit is okay for me, although the cheek part is a little bit bigger as usual. the essence is milky white and quite generous, but not so much that i can put my tablet mask in the essence excess. this mask is very moisturizing, and can last up to 30-40 minutes, but last night, i was bored so i take it off after 20 minutes or so. and it takes a loooonnngg time to be absorbed too, and i can still feel my skin a little bit sticky afterwards. and when i wash my face the next morning, i can still feel a layer of moisture on my skin. i tried to put my night cream and it was too much.. i only managed to put my vitamin a cream and decided to skip the vitamin e cream. unfortunately, i get little breakout from this mask. i forgot about the other two times i put it on my face, but last one, definitely cause me acne. perhaps because it's too rich for my skin.

the result: absolutely moisturizing. definitely recommend this for dry skin or super dry skin. but for combination or oily skin, perhaps you should try this with caution as it causes me breakout. other than that, i don't notice other significant effect. perhaps it will provide firming effect since it's so moisturizing, but single use won't give you that i suppose.

for me, i won't purchase this one again. somehow, after trying lighter mask sheet from japan, i prefer that mask from heavy essence mask like this one. but probably those who live in winter weather or super dry weather will benefit from this mask. anyway, since this mask is not very expensive, you should try this one and decide for yourself.

the mask sachet

before-during-after (you can see that my face is soaking wet after using this mask)

this is another cleanser sample that i brought during my holiday. but let me first apologize. i forgot to take any picture of this sample. it's quite hectic with two kids and one of them was sick due to teething, so before moving to the other hotel, i completely forgot to take any picture.

this is the description from misshaus.com: this super aqua cleanser gives you a deep cleansing and a massaging effect. its O2 carrier complex energizes and moisturizes your skin. the mild cleanser contains swiss alpine herb extract, which protects and relieves skin. the oxygen bubbles clean and help remove makeup.

if you follow me on my instagram, then you've known already that i just get back from my holiday in japan. and japan is famous as a heaven for skincare/makeup lover. everything there is cheap, and you find skincare items even in drugstore. but that's not what i want to talk about in this post. i know that i haven't tried any samples lately. part of me didn't want to ruin my face (although i still have some acne scars, but no active acnes at the moment) due to product testing, but i know that i have to finish my samples, so i decided to bring cleanser samples during my holiday. i think they are safe to try, plus i need cleanser since i had long waiting period between flight, so this is a win-win solution.

the first sample that i tried is the nature republic snail solution foam cleanser. the description from qoo10.sg: this premium cream-to-foam cleanser, formulated with snail secretion filtrate and (neofinetia falcata) callus culture extract, penetrates deep into pores without over-drying to gently remove makeup, dissolve impurities, and purify the skin with a luminous glow.


the packaging: i only have the sample. the shapes of the sachet looks like the foam tube, with the picture of the full size product at front. no english text at the back.

the scent: well, considering there are only two snail foam cleansers that i've tried, then i prefer this one better. it smells nice, but not too overpowering. like floral, but very subtle. i like it.

the product: actually, i'm trying it without reading any reviews, so i have no idea what to expect. i have no idea that this is a cream to foam cleanser. all i know, it's a milky white foam, slightly thicker than any of my previous foams. and it foams nicely. not too much, but just enough. and it's slightly sticky at first, perhaps because it's actually a cream, but i don't know it at first. a sachet of this sample can lasts up to three time use.

the result: i didn't try it as makeup cleanser, but i think it works pretty well. i use sunscreen everyday during my holiday, and sometimes if i didn't use any bb cream, i only wash my face with this foam. and i didn't experience any breakouts, so i think it can cleanse the sunscreen off my face. and although it foams nicely, it doesn't strip my skin off. in fact, i feel my skin is slightly moisturized afterwards.

so, even though i quite like this cleanser, i won't be buying any full size cleanser any time soon since i've bought two or more cleansers from my trip to japan. but i will keep this in my wish list anytime i need to buy another cleanser. if you like snails and non stripping cleanser, then you have to try this one.

the sample sachet

the packaging: the outer box is color coordinated. the top is silver with hologram pattern, but the bottom of the box has different color. for C it's yellow, and blue for E. the product itself comes in a tube, like a toothpaste tube. a silver one with a black screw top. it has the label on the tube that will tell you which vitamin cream it is.  it comes in 30 ml just like the vitamin c one, pretty small, considering many of korean skincare stuff that i have come in big size. but many people say that it's quite thick so a little goes a long time. well, i do hope so, since this is not that cheap.

the scent: okay.. this is super weird. it smells like synthetic something. feels like applying plastic-like cream on my face. it's not intimidating, but i don't enjoy it either. and it lingers quite some time, so it's quite irritating. i've used this cream for a month, but i still can't get used to the scent.

the product: it's a white cream, the consistency is similar to my olay one, but slightly thicker. since it's a thick cream, it feels a little bit sticky afterwards. okay, i've used this cream with combination of sheet mask and sleeping pack. etude house lemon sheet mask and this cream = not sticky. the face shop character nourishing sheet mask and this cream = very sticky. acid + sheet mask + this cream + sleeping pack = not sticky. nourishing sheet mask + cream + sleeping pack = slightly sticky. cream + sleeping pack = not sticky. and since it's quite thick. it takes some time to be absorbed.

the result: i was worried that it will be too rich for my combination skin, but turned out i was wrong. probably my skin aged quicker *gasp* but i can say, in all combination that i've mentioned above, luckily it doesn't cause me breakouts. it's moisturizing enough, so probably normal to dry skin will appreciate this cream. oily skin, i think you might want to try some samples first. as for in combination with vitamin c to achieve remarkable brightening, well... i don't see remarkable result yet. but it does help lightening my skin tone just a bit, but as for fading the acne scars, it still works very slowly.

overall, i think this is a good night cream for combination to dry skin. but very dry skin will need additional sleeping pack. aging skin too. but for oily skin, better try some samples first. price wise, i don't of repurchasing it. it's very small for that price! i will try other options or back to my previous olay night cream for that price.

the outer box

the product tube

left: the seal right: product on my hand

in some countries, summer is kicking in, but here, it's summer all year long. although the weather here is a bit strange lately. it's supposed to be rainy season from october to march and dry season from april to september, but rain keep pouring everyday. usually it will be super hot in the morning and then it will rain in the afternoon until midnight. oh well, enough about the weather. i'm sure some of you are excited when summer comes. it's time to hit the beach. and talking about the beach, i'm quite lucky to be in indonesia. if you haven't heard about bali, then you miss a lot. bali is a fantastic place. beautiful beach, nice scenery, and friendly people. you can be backpacker or you can be high-end traveller, it's up to you. or if you want more virgin beach, you can head to lombok or other eastern region of indonesia. well, it's the perks being in tropical country, you can enjoy summer and the beach whenever you like.

but before heading to the beach, i believe some of you have essentials to pack. me too.. and i've gathered some of my essentials in this post.

(pic of swimsuit and coverups from adore me website, others from rakuten and payless)

1. swimwear/bikini: yes of course, this is no brainer. being a mom of two and living in eastern country makes me choose one piece swimsuit over bikini. and adore me has magnificent options on their website. they even have plus-size options, and it's cute and sexy too. like janna plus, it has sheer parts in perfect places. and although i never had printed swimsuit, somehow floral prints on maliah swimsuit attracts me. if you want to check their swimwear collection, you can see them on their website.

2. cover-ups: it will bothersome to have to take a shower before leaving the beach, so cover-ups is a good idea. although i never had one, but i picked some favorites from adore me website. it's perfect for a pregnant woman like me, and i can still use it after having my baby. i like emika and lucielle, perhaps because of the lace and the loose cut. i can imagine it's comfy to wear due to its loose cutting and lightweight fabric.

3. sun hat: i'm not a hat person, but lately, since i'm back from japan, i noticed something there. hats are essential there, especially in summer. ladies use straw hat to protect their face from the sun. some in fedora forms, with black ribbon, simple but cute. others have wider brim to give more protection. even though you've used sunscreen, extra protection from the sun won't hurt, right? especially if it makes you look cuter...

4. flip flops: i think everyone agrees that shoes is overrated at the beach. everyone will opt flip flops or sandals at the beach. it's easy to use plus you won't be bothered by the sand going into your shoes. i usually use ordinary rubber flip flops, but cute flip flops like those two from payless are irresistible. plus it will look nice if you're heading somewhere else, perhaps to eat or grab a drink, after from the beach.

5. collapsible waterproof bag: i had one of these before, but somehow i lost it. it's quite useful, i'd say. it's waterproof so you can put your wet clothes or your stuff in it without worry. and then if you don't use it, you can fold it and flip it and it will give you cute strawberry pouch. i believe there are several options out there now.. so you can pick whatever your favorite is.

6. water pouch: hydration is a must when you're out at the beach. the last thing you want is dehydration, so water or other liquid is a must. and if you don't want to carry big water bottle, you can try this water pouch. just like the bag, you can fold it if you have finished all your water so it doesn't occupy much space inside your bag. plus it has little clip to hang it on your bag so you won't lose it. the picture that i have shows plain bottle, but there's a japanese discount shop near my house that sells them in cute pictures and cartoons.

7. sunglasses: yes, another important fashion items. but necessary to protect your eyes from the sun. you can pick the shapes and sizes of your sunglasses according to your preference, but lately, i've been attracted to aviator shape. i don't know about you, but i don't believe craps about sunglasses for you according your face shape. i think as long as you like it how it looks on you, then go for it.

8. sunblock: last but not least, sunblock or sunscreen is a must. usually i would use my banana boat sunblock, but i've been reading a lot of japanese sunscreen, and people rave about it. and i have to try it. i've bought it alright, but i haven't tried it yet. i have the biore aqua water rich essence, the gel version and the new cool gel version. i can't wait to try them! what's your favorite sunscreen?

okay.. i think i've put every essential items for me to go to the beach.. so while the sun is out and shining bright, let's head to the beach and enjoy the moment of our life, shall we? and don't forget to check #BeachDayMusts hashtag on instagram to read other bloggers beach essentials. and i want to know what's your beach essentials? let me know in the comment below..