i was running out my from nature FTE and although i love it, it's hard to get it, and i don't want to bother my sister to order it for me every time i'm running out of it, so i decided to look for something else. and i've seen some people mention that this secret key is an affordable option to look out for. so i decided to get myself one. i was planning to get the original version, but my usual online shop didn't have it and they only had the rose edition one, so i bought that one instead.

this is the description from memebox website: this anti-aging starting treatment essence lavishes skin with its cult fave ingredients, like the brightening antioxidant galactomyces ferment filtrate and the softening, conditioning rose water. your skin is left majorly moisturized and more elastic, with less visible wrinkles and more noticeable softness. it's the ideal starting point for your skin to absorb the next products in your skincare routine.
beneficial ingredients: niacinamide, adenosine, rose
free from SLS, phthalates, dye, alcohol, triclosan, propylene glycol, silicones, formaldehyde, tea, peg, coal tar, formaldehyde-releasers, parabens, sulfates, mit, talc, mineral oil.

the outer box

the packaging: it comes in a white box with the name at front. with the original version, it's just that. but the rose one has the gold rose printed at front. the bottle itself is a frosted glass bottle with gold cap. the original one has silver cap. the bottle is really similar in design with other fte bottle. the stopper at top dispense enough amount of fte to my hand. the ingredients list is quite short, but i think my previous fte also has short ingredients list.

the description on the box

the scent: i am a bit disappointed about the scent. since this is labelled as "rose edition", i was hoping that it has a bit of rose scent, but it doesn't. it has that fermented scent when i first use it, but after a while, somehow the scent is gone. or perhaps i become to familiar with the scent? but it doesn't as foul as AHA, so don't be scared.

the ingredients list

the product: it's just like other FTE, liquid and clear just like water. it spreads easily, absorbs easily and doesn't leave any trace behind.

the bottle and the box

the result: after using it for about two months, i can say that this one is just ordinary. it does hydrate my skin, but sometimes i need more amount to achieve the same hydration level as i would get with my previous FTE. as for the brightening effect, i'm not seeing it, but perhaps it's because i'm already pale to start with, and i also do treatment with my vitamin c serum. it doesn't have any other ingredients that has brightening effect either.

the seal on the opening

actually, i'm a bit disappointed with this one. many people love this as it's affordable and get the similar result as the more expensive one, but i like my previous FTE better. as for brightening, i think skinfood black sugar first serum works better in brightening section. while my trusty innisfree provides more hydrating and calming effect. again, the result might vary, so don't make me stop you from trying this FTE. after all, this is really affordable. as for me, i don't think i will repurchase this. i have to find another option since the innisfree one is really expensive right now and the from nature one is hard to find.

the essence on my hand

after patting it on my hand

this is the description from ratzillacosme.com: this product is a whitening quasi-drug in japan. mentholatum melano cc intensive anti-spot essence is a japanese beauty serum to treat hyperpigmentation and acne. the serum features active vitamins c and vitamin e derivative to fade and prevent dark spots and acne marks. it also contains dipotassium glycyrrhizate and thymol to reduce redness and irritation, while killing acne-causing bacteria to prevent acne. refreshing yuzu fragrance.
how to use: after cleansing and preparing skin with lotion, apply to problem area or entire face. a tube will last 5-6 months if 4-5 drops of product were used daily.

the outer box

the packaging: it comes in a slim rectangular yellow box. at the front you can read "melano cc" and the picture of the serum tube. at the other sides of the box there are some description but everything is in japanese.
the scent: it has that similar acid citrus smell like other product containing vitamin c does. it's very subtle so you don't have to worry about the scent.

left: the tube right: the bulb-tip

the product: it comes in a silver tube with yellow screw cap. the tube is very slim so it's very easy to take it travelling with you. when you unscrew the cap, you can see a bulb-tip to dispose the product. i think it'd very easy and hygienic. with dropper, you can risk spill the serum when you take the dropper out. but with this kind of tip, you can squeeze the tube and dispense the product to your palm or straight to your face easily. plus, it's perfect to squirt a drop to your face if you want to spot treatment using this serum. at the back of the tube there's description in japanese again. the serum is clear or a bit yellow-tinge (if i only use one drop, i can only see clear serum). it's watery like water but when you spread it on your skin, you can feel the slippery feeling that you usually feel from an oil serum.
the result: it takes some time for the serum to be completely absorbed. i have used it several ways since i'm not sure how to use the serum. many review didn't say how the users use the serum in what step, so i'm kind of experimenting with it. i've used it in acid step, but i don't see any result in brightening area and it makes the other steps seem to take ages to be absorbed. then i use it in serum step (oil serum step) both as spot treatment and as overall serum. as overall serum, i don't see the brightening effect nor the plumping effect that i get from the ordinary's ascorbyl serum. but as spot treatment, it works okay. although it takes some time for my acne scars to fade away, this serum definitely helps fading the scars. as for blackhead prevention or acne prevention, i don't seem to get that effect from this serum.

this serum definitely lasts longer than my ordinary ascorbyl serum, mainly because i use it only for spot treatment. sometimes i will use it as overall serum if i have longer time, but when being used as spot treatment, about 5-6 drops for my whole face, it will last for about 6-8 months. compared to ordinary ascorbyl serum, i prefer the ordinary one because i see the effect in plumping my skin as well as a little scar-fading effect. but since i can get this serum easier (thanks to my in-law that seems to love japan so much that we've been to japan 2 years in a row), i will use this serum in exchange of my ordinary one. but i definitely will repurchase the ordinary one if i can. but don't let me discourage you from trying this serum, many people like it, so perhaps it's only me who isn't too fancy about it?

i do like makeup, especially the colored one. lipsticks.. blushes.. eyeshadows (oh well, this is new), anything that has many color option attracts me better. i don't have much luck with foundation mainly because i have no idea how to get the best match, so that's why i'm more a cushion person. that's goes the same to concealer. before this one, i only have one concealer, the la girl one. and i don't like it. many people like it, but i don't seem to get the product out without getting it anywhere. so, i'm a bit on the fence about getting another concealer. but my wet n wild highlighter stick is more like a cream that dries out my under eyes without concealing anything, and now sometimes i get pimples that makes bad scar, so i need some concealer. these days, youtube are everything, and based from what i've seen, most people like maybelline age-rewind, maybelline fit me concealer or catrice one. both maybelline has shades that i don't understand and they have higher price than catrice, so i decided to go with catrice since i could try the sample. plus it was recommended by more than one youtuber, so it's must be something.

this is the description from their website: high-coverage and ultra long-lasting. waterproof, liquid texture. optimal coverage and care at the same time. dark under-eye circles, skin irregularities and redness are a thing of the past- the liquid camouflage offers optimal coverage and care. the liquid formula is highly pigmented, waterproof and therefore particularly long-lasting. the practical flock applicator guarantees an easy application.

the packaging: it's really simple, it comes in transparent plastic tube with screw top that has the wand attached to it. i'm glad about the transparent tube since it will allow me to see the remaining product inside. and although i'm not used to the doe foot applicator, but i'm glad that finally i can find a concealer applicator that's easy to use. although for me, the applicator picks up too much product for my liking, but i can swipe it off on top of the tube or just dot it really tiny on my face.

the concealer tube

the scent: okay.. this is my first scented concealer too. and i like it. it has floral scent to it. not too fragrance but not too subtle too. i can still smell it when i first put it on my face. maybe some people will have concern about that since you might use this under your eyes, where it usually is a sensitive area, so perhaps you should keep that in mind before purchasing it.

my shade

the color: there are only 3 shades and i have the lightest one, 005 in light natural. i was hesitating a bit, afraid that it might be too light, but the second lightest one is too pink, so i decided to get the lightest one which has yellow undertone. i believe they are coming up with another two shades, but for me it's still too light.

the wand applicator

the product: the concealer is creamy, runnier than my previous la girl concealer. but it glides easily on my skin and blends easily too. i've been using it for all over concealing as well as under eye brightener (i'm too lazy to have separate eyeliner for brightening and concealing) and it works just fine.

swatch on my hand

the result: it has medium to full coverage, depends on the amount of product you put on your face. it has enough coverage for my eyes, so i usually use it to prep my eyelids too. if i'm putting too much on my undereyes, it will too bright and i will look like panda. as for conceal acne, i have to use a bit more than my undereye and sometimes put more before setting it with powder. for my under eye, i have to set it real quick or it will start creasing on me. and somehow it's better to set it with my canmake powder rather than my maybelline powder foundation. the powder foundation dries my skin even more that my under eyes will crease. but i can fix it by patting it with my finger real quick.

before

after

before - after

this concealer is raved by several youtubers, and now i see why. despite its limited shade range, this concealer works really well. it's in between creamy and watery concealer, and i like that consistency. it provides enough coverage to cover up dark under eyes as well as blemishes. i like how it stays well after setting it with powder and it doesn't clog my pores when i use it to cover redness on my face when i don't feel like using foundation. and that scent... somehow the floral scent lifts up my spirit every time i use it. and don't forget the doe foot applicator. probably it's not as big as tarte shape tape applicator, but it's a nice applicator. again, i think if you have the right shades for you, then you should try it, considering it's very affordable. as for me, i will try to finish it before considering repurchasing or trying something else.

i was in japan when i bought several more masks. i was looking for this one when i went to japan the first time, but i didn't find it. then on my second visit, i managed to find it, so yayy! i've been liking all other my beauty diary masks that i've tried, so i had high hopes for this.

this is the description from target website: optimal whitening, brightening and moisturizing! supreme black pearl essence rich in vitamins, minerals and amino acids that rejuvenate tired and dull skin; hydrolyzed yeast proteins, lemon extracts, red algae and malvasylvestris extract that relieves dryness and strengthen the skin's natural barriers against environmental damage. use regularly to achieve brighter, fairer and soften skin.
skin concern: dry skin, dark spots.
used for: brightening, deep hydration, moisturizing, skin texture improvement, spot treatment

the packaging: i bought a box of 5 masks, so i will enjoy them. both the box and the individual packaging has the same design, black background with clamshell with a pearl inside pictured at front. at the back there's description and since i bought this in japan, everything is in japanese.

the packaging

the scent: it has this subtle floral fragrance. for me, it's subtle, but for some, it might be too much. so  if you're sensitive to fragrance, you might want to put that in mind.

the product: the mask is pretty thin, either made of cotton or silk, and has plastic backing which i deeply appreciated since it's very flimsy so the plastic made it easy to unfold the mask. the mask itself doesn't have any slit but it doesn't matter for me since the mask is very thin, it's pretty easy to adjust the mask on my face. a bit short on my forehead but it's okay. the mask adheres well. the essence is milky white essence, only a bit more viscous than water. the essence is super generous too, and it's even dripping from the mask so i have to lie down first time putting it on. i save the excess but apparently it's a little bit viscous to soak a dry tablet mask with it.

left: before middle: mask on me right: after

the result: i put this on for about 30-40 minutes and it's still a little bit wet. i pat the remaining essence and wait for about 5 minutes to get it absorbed completely. it's hydrating and the plumping effect lasts until the next morning. it also brightens my complexion.

again, i'm impressed with my beauty diary masks. so far i never tried a variants that i don't like. all of them are hydrating and plumping, some of them has brightening effect too. and the effect, although it's temporary, but at least it holds until the day after. i think it suits all skin types, but if you're super oily, maybe this will feel a bit too rich for you. but i think it will be okay if you don't use this consecutively. i'm hoping i will get other variants as i'm enjoying all the variants that i've tried so far. do you have favorite from this brand?

okay, i was pleased with my skin condition lately and it affects my makeup application's result. seems like almost everything i put on my face look good. so i've been craving into makeup more lately. i buy more eyeshadow palette more than i'm supposed to be. luckily i also have been watching a lot of tutorials lately so my eyeshadow application is better than before, hence using my eyeshadow palette more. i still want to try colourpop eyeshadow palette though, but i'm still hesitating. i'm tempted to try some lipstick, but i still have a lot to finish, so i'm stopping myself not to buy anymore lipstick or liquid lipstick. as for contouring/bronzing, i want to finish my catrice before buying anything else. as for highlighters, i'm tempted though.. there are couple more highlighters that i want to try but i won't buy anything else yet. so it leaves me with blush. my collection is very limited. one apricot cream blush, one peach eyeshadow that i use as blush and a rosy powder blush. i've been browsing a lot about blush palette (well, what can i say? i'm color-freak.. somehow palette suits me better since i will have lots of color selection), but i don't like the option out there. it's either pink blush palette or peach blush palette. the one that almost have both color option are elf and beauty treats, and i'm a bit on the verge about those two brands. i want to buy makeup revolution one, but i keep hesitating since i'm worried that it might look the same on me (6 similar peach/orange blushes is a waste of money if they all look the same). but i reached out to one of the blogger/youtuber that has tried elf, beauty treats and makeup revolution and she suggested the makeup revolution. so this month, i allocated my spare money to buy this palette. i'm buying the blush palette in hot spice.

this is the description from tambeauty website: our ultra blush & contour palette is perfect for the professional application desired by all of us. perfect for highlighting and contouring too. professional and highly pigmented, yet easy to blend, these contain 8 shades consisting of shimmer and matte blushers, merged baked blusher, and merged baked highlighter powder. the ultimate blush palette offering you 8 shades in 1 to suit any occasion! 8 exclusive and unique shades in each palette can be either used individually or combined to create the shade that you want. with a selection of matte and shimmers, merged and highlighting powder in each palette and set in a mirrored compact for touch ups on the go. vegan, cruelty free, gluten free.

the outer box

back of the box

the packaging: it comes in a black box. the previous version has "blush & contour" text written at front, but the newer version that i have only has "blush" written at front. at the back there's color diagram of the blushes inside, but i don't think it's true to the palette. and it doesn't have names on it, which is annoying for me since i like shade names. the palette itself is made of black glossy compact with makeup revolution name written on it. at the back there's a label indicating which type is your blush palette, mine is hot spice. when you open it, you can see full size mirror which i appreciate since it makes the palette more travel-friendly. there's a plastic covering all the pans. again, i wish they printed shade names on it.

the box and the palette

inside of the palette

the product: there are 8 pans in the palette, 6 blushes and 2 baked highlighters. the blushes has various finish. i will number the pans 1 to 8 starting from 1 on the top left and then 2 on its right up to 4, then 5 on the bottom right to 8. #1, #3, #5 are shimmery, #2, #6, #7 are mattes. the mattes are smooth and soft, while the shimmery is not that shimmery. it has microglitter in the pan, but on my cheek, it's barely shown. i think the shimmery is more like satin finish rather than shimmery finish.

close up of the pans

another close up

the result: the pigmentations are varied among all shades, most of them are okay, it gives decent pigmentation, but there's one blush that is a little bit chalkier than the rest. even swatching it takes a lot of effort. on my cheek, since the pigmentation are varied, i have to be careful not to go all in with several shades. so i like to tap a bit color to my cheek then blend it in before adding more, otherwise i might look like a clown. all of them blended easily too. i don't experience any patchiness with these blushes. all of them last pretty decent, about 4-5 hours which is good in my book. unfortunately, i can't seem to get decent picture of #4 and #8 so i won't have them in pictures below.
#1 - this is the darkest of all, it's like rosy color. it has gold microglitter in it.
#2 - this is one of my favorites shade. it's apricot shade.
#3 - similar to number 2, but this one is slightly more coral than 2.
#4 - the pinkish white shimmery highlighter. at first i thought it would be silvery white, but it's pinkish white.
#5 - bright orange, i have to be careful with this shade or i will end up looking like a clown. it's also the shimmery shade, but once again, it's barely detected.
#6 - another rosy color, darker than #1, but this time it's matte.
#7 - lighter apricot color. this is the shade that's harder to swatch. it feels drier than the rest so i have to building up the color to make it shown on my face. especially since this one is pretty light, it's barely shown on me too. this is also supposed to be shimmery, but i can't barely see it.
#8 - pink baked highlighter, but it's more like pink shimmery blush. i barely used this one since i'm still figuring out how to use it.

arm swatches (#1-#4)

#1

#2

#3

arm swatches (#5-#8)

#5

#6

#7

i'm glad that i buy this palette. it's nice and worth the money. the color selection is good for paler skin like me. with the exception of the bright orange shade, i can use every single one blush in this palette without any problem. i just have to adjust the application according to the shade. but i still can't use both highlighters. i can't seem to make it work. but i will keep trying though. i have to say i bought this palette just in time, because apparently, spring means blush palette and several brands came up with blush palette, but nothing seems good enough for me. somehow the color selection isn't for me. i know that this palette isn't new, but if you're looking for an affordable blush palette, then you might want to consider this palette. the hot spice is more on the orange-apricot-coral side, and it has a sister which is "sugar and spice" that leans more to pinky side. whatever your pick is, it only depends on your preference because it only has one color family per palette, while other palette might consist more option in one palette. if you like a palette that you know well every colors in it will suit you, then you might want to consider this palette. but if you want more wider options in one palette, then don't buy it. as for me, i'm super glad i bought this one.

face swatches on all shades