when i went to japan the first time, i got the mascara but i didn't get the mascara removal simply because i think i still have separate eye and lips makeup remover back at home and i think it would be enough. but when i tested the mascara, the mascara is pretty stubborn and even though i've used the separate eye makeup remover, sometimes i still have to rub my eyelashes when i used cleansing oil to clean my whole face. so on my second visit, i decided to get the remover. but it was buried under my stash so i forgot about it. then i became frustrated with my mascara since it was hard to remove completely. that's the time when i remembered the remover and decided to try it.

this is the description from alphabeauty website: specially design for mascara removal, even the stubborn waterproof type. with the special design of comb & oil, it applies liquid accurately on eyelash for and easy and efficient makeup removal. after 2-3 minutes, just remove the liquid by cotton and done! with rose hip oil and chamomile flower extracts for eyelash nourishment.

the packaging: the packaging is similar to the mascara. it has cardboard backing with hard plastic cover. there's the usual comical lady picture at front which is the trademark of this brand. the difference is there's a "speedy" text and the picture of an eye which half has mascara on its eyelash and half of it has the mascara melted from its eyelash. both indicated that it's the mascara remover. at the back there's description but as usual, everything is in japanese.

the packaging

the product: the tube is a turquoise plastic tube with white screw cap with the wand attached to it. the tube is pretty slim just like the mascara tube. but when you unscrew the cap and pull it out, you can see that the end of the wand is different from a mascara wand. it has short-tooth comb that's covered in the mascara remover. the liquid of the mascara remover is clear and quite runny.

the remover tube

the result: honestly, i regret not trying this sooner! the mascara remover is so easy to use. you just have to dip the comb into the tube and then comb your mascara-coated eyelashes with it. i do it a couple times to make sure that i've reached all of them. and i wait for a minute or two before cleansing my whole face with cleansing oil. and amazingly, i don't have to rub my eyelashes again to completely melt the mascara! the mascara is already melt from the mascara remover and all i have to do is removing the traces. and after i wash my face, there's no mascara residue on my eyelashes!

the comb at the end of the wand covered in the remover liquid

absolutely like it and i will repurchase it again. it makes mascara removing so easy! and it's slim so it's travel friendly too. i don't have to pack separate eye makeup remover which is usually biphasic liquid in chubby bottle. and it makes me more diligent in using up my mascara, even the waterproof one. absolutely recommend this to everyone, especially if you like using waterproof mascara, or any mascara in general. as for the price, i completely forgot, but i think it's around the same price as the mascara, which is somewhere in between. not too cheap and not too expensive either. as for availability, if you're in japan, you can get this basically in every drugstore. but if you're living outside japan, you can order this online. unfortunately, i'm living in indonesia and there's only a couple of seller that sell this in pre order system. and the price is higher than in japan, much higher, so i will stock up if someone i knew went to japan.

if you've known me from my review, you will probably know that i will only try things that i'm intended to buy and most of them are affordable since i'm a mother of 3, my skincare should be affordable. but when i went to japan, i was strolling around family mart in my hotel, and then i saw that aisle. it displayed a whole bunch of this special edition travel skincare set. i've tried hada labo one and i like travel set since i don't have to bother with transferring my current skincare routine to a smaller pot, especially if it's just a few days trip. so, when i saw that it's kose sekkisei, i was intrigued. i knew that i couldn't afford to pay for the full size, but it was a special edition set! beauty and the beast too! so i had to buy it. and honestly, i regret trying the full size because turned out it was raved by many because it was good!

this is the description from lazada malaysia's website: chinese herbal plant effect - natural and herb, makes skin as clean and translucent as snow - whitening and moisture. easy to travel, skin care 4 piece set. the effect of chinese herbal medicine make your skin clean and translucent like snow, easy to travel trial skin care 4 piece set. content: cleansing oil, whitening cleaner, whitening lotion, whitening emulsion.

the travel set in the plastic bag

the packaging: just like hada labo, it comes in a plastic zip bag with a little card at the back with the description of what is inside, but everything is in japanese. as stated previously, it has 4 items, cleansing oil, facial foam, lotion and emulsion.
to make it easier, i will review each items.

the complete set

- cleansing oil: this one is easily differentiated from the rest because it has different bottle's color. all bottles are blue plastic bottles with beauty and the beast theme ornament at front, but the cleansing oil one has different color. it has purple top and light purple body color. the cap is a screw cap which is not a problem for cleansing oil. the opening of the bottle, however, is a little bit small than my usual cleansing oil's opening, although i prefer a pump rather than a regular opening with my cleansing oil. since it's a little bit too narrow for cleansing oil, i have to shake it to get the oil out. the cleansing oil itself is more on the runnier side. i think it has same consistency as hada labo cleansing oil or a bit runnier. it looks clear on my palm and has a bit fragrance. it doesn't emulsify as much as my usual cleansing oil, even i doubt whether it's really get emulsified or not, but it gets the work done. i forgot to bring separate mascara cleanser with me when i was away for my sister wedding and unfortunately the mascara that i brought was the waterproof one, but luckily this cleansing oil managed to clean it just well. although i might have rubbed it a little bit too much.. oh, and it still stings my eyes. so, cleansing oil is just a mediocre product for me from this set.

cleansing oil

the opening is enough to dispense the product

- facial wash: this comes in a blue plastic tube with white screw cap. pretty standard packaging for facial wash. this also has subtle floral fragrance that i enjoy very much. the facial wash itself is a white cream and a bit stringy like mizon snail face wash. it lathers up okay. after rinsing it off, my face doesn't feel tight.

the facial wash

the tube opening

facial wash on my hand

- toner: the toner bottle is same as the emulsion one. it's blue plastic bottle with white screw cap. it has teacup ornaments at front (which differentiated it from the emulsion one from outside), although there are japanese texts at the back but since i can't read it, i know nothing about it. the opening of the toner is perfect to dispose the toner. the toner has subtle floral fragrance which i enjoy very much. the toner is not as water as daiso toner but not as viscous as hada labo toner. it spreads well and get absorbed quickly. it's more moisturizing than my usual hydrating toner and i'm surprised that two layers of this plus the emulsion can plump my skin back from dehydration due to air travel and japan's cold spring weather.

the toner bottle

the bottle opening

the toner is clear so it's barely noticeable on my hand

- emulsion: the packaging is the same as the toner one. i'm supposed to remember what picture at the front of the bottle to make it easier to differentiate the toner and the emulsion, but i can't seem to remember it until the last time, so every time i have to use it, i have to open the cap first to know which one is the toner or the emulsion. the opening of the emulsion is significantly bigger than the toner so i have to be careful when pouring the emulsion because sometimes i pour out too much emulsion. the emulsion also has the same subtle floral fragrance that i like and it's white gel-cream like emulsion. it spreads well and absorbed rather quickly. at first i was afraid that this might be too rich for my skin, but turned out it's just perfect. it moisturizes my skin well. if i was away, the combination of the toner and emulsion is perfect for daytime. though i still add another night cream at night. but when i forgot to bring one with me, i'll just add another layer of emulsion and it works just fine.

the emulsion bottle

the large opening which help dispensing the emulsion easily

emulsion on my hand

after pat it in

result of using all of them at once is clear and well-moisturized skin. i was having trouble ever since i'm trying the ordinary products, and when i was away for holiday, i only use this set. and turned out it clears out my skin pretty well. and it also brightens my overall complexion! i'm quite surprised with the result since i always thought my skin is too fair to notice any brightening effect.

sooo.. you can see now why i'm regretting my choice to buy this set because i like it so much but i can't afford getting full size of them all. oh well, i can always buy another set if i want to and use it on my holidays... anyway.. if you're not worrying about the budget, do try kose sekkisui line. i think it will suit most of skin types.

when i was in japan, i wanted to try some of their hair products. i want to get a hair mist, the one that will help me get that straight, frizz free hair when i straightened my hair with hair straightener. and i think liese styling product will help. but at that time, the shopping time was limited and since i was pregnant, i couldn't get to the store numerous time, so the moment i saw some liese hair product, i just grabbed it. i think i will figure it out later. then i went home and found out that it's their wave defining foam. i was disappointed at first because i was pregnant and i didn't think i will ever curl my hair myself since i will have to take care of another baby. but then i stumbled upon some other mom instagram and she posted tutorials video using repit (the hair curler and straightener that i have) and she said that she felt good when she felt pretty, so she encouraged other moms to give some me-time, make themselves feel pretty. and i did. and i felt better. and lately, i got haircut, and they curled my hair and it looked pretty. so i decided to give this foam another try and i like it.

this is the description from yesstyle: contains damage-repair ingredient to moisturise dry, rough permed hair for airy, soft waves with defined waveline. gives airy, bouncy curls that last all day.
instruction from kao website: apply generous amount of wave defining foam on dry or damp hair, apply evenly, massage and scrunch hair with fingers to make the curls more defined. apply foam and scrunch hair at the tip to maintain the curls.

the pump bottle

the packaging: it comes in fat pump bottle. no seal whatsoever. only stopper at the neck of the pump.

the foam

the scent: oh.. finally.. it smells fragrant and soothing. a bit on the fragrant-end spectrum, so if you have sensitive nose, this might smells too much for you.

the foam and my hair curler

the product: you only need to pump and it will foam easily. now, since i don't have curly hair naturally, i use it on my dry hair, especially on my hair ends, from middle shaft to the end. and then i will use hair curler to make it curl. then apply more and scrunch it again. it does make my hands slightly sticky afterward like using hair mousse, but it doesn't bother me. it doesn't make my hair sticky though.

this is my hair after i curled it and then styled and then going back home after about 3 hours and it still hold after a good night sleep (although the curl is starting to get loose)

the result: it does help hold the curl longer. i know that we're not supposed to comb our hair when we have it curled, but i can't help it. i comb my hair and the curl will last about two days, although most of it will be loose, but i can see the curl.

now, i will say that it holds well even though i don't have curly hair naturally, so i imagine it will work as well for curly hairs too. and i like this better than my previous hair mousse. my previous hair mousse will make my hair and hands sticky. and then my hair will be coarse, like being sprayed by hair spray. while this foam only help holds the curl without making my hair stiff and coarse. if you like to curl your hair daily and doesn't want to use harsh product, then you should try this foam. as for availability, liese is not available here in indonesia, so i have to preorder at higher price from online shop. if you're in singapore, then i think it's sold at sasa or other drugstores. so definitely grab it when you see it if you're in japan.

when i went to japan, i always make sure that i bought lots of sunscreen. especially after the biore one has gone through formula changes that lots of people don't like, we all seems to be in a hunt for the perfect sunscreen one more time. i decided to try some new releases, one of them was nivea. i've heard good reviews about other nivea sunscreen, but since japanese like to renew their formula and packaging every 3 years, i decided to get the newest one to try. and i've set for their gel type.

you can read the description from ratzillacosme's website through this link:
https://www.ratzillacosme.com/sun/nivea-sun-high-adherence-care-uv-milky-gel/

the packaging

the packaging: i think this is standard japanese packaging. most of the sunscreens that i bought comes in cardboard backing with plastic cover. the back of the cardboard has some description and maybe ingredients list, but everything is in japanese. once you rip the plastic cover, you can hold the bottle. it's a blue plastic bottle with weird dumbell-like shape. it has twist cap and spout to dispense the product. at the back of the bottle, there's another description but still in japanese. it comes in 80 ml which is the same size as biore uv gel.

the bottle

the scent: i thought it has a bit citrusy scent similar to biore one, but it's very subtle and i'm not sure since i finish it when i wrote this review (this is unusual for me. usually i've already written a review before i finished the whole product). and since i always do my morning routine in a rush, i somehow forget how this one smell. if you're worried about scent, then don't since it's barely noticeable once you put it on your face.

the description at the back

the product: it's a white lotion which is pretty runny just like the biore one. it spreads easily on my skin and takes quite some time to be absorbed. the difference is, this one leave a bit milky white traces after being spread out, but it will be gone after being completely absorbed.

the spout on top

the result: although it leaves white traces at first, it will be gone after being completely absorbed. you just keep patting it to your skin. it doesn't leave sticky feeling, but it doesn't give you matte finish either. you still need to put powder on top if you don't want your makeup on top of it melts after a few hour in hot days.

the sunscreen on my hand

i like it, but i'm not super eager about it. i still like biore uv gel best and then the shiseido one better. if i don't put powder, it will make my face greasy after a few hours, especially when it's super hot. i don't experience any breakouts from this sunscreen, so if i couldn't find a new favorite one, i might put this one on my sunscreen rotation. this one is also affordable. i think beside anessa, there are lots of affordable japanese sunscreen. however, if you're not living in japan and you can't shop this online, then you might get difficulty getting this one. so, it's really up to you whether or not to try it. as for me, i will put it in my "maybe repurchase" category.

after patting it in

i go through facial wash or facial foam pretty quickly that's why i like to stock up when i went to japan. usually i will order online, but since we almost go to japan annually for the last 3 year, i just buy them when i go there. it's cheap there! and there are a lot of options. for this time, i decided to give in and try the famous shiseido senka perfect whip. i've seen this facial foam on the bin of "best seller" for years and i don't want to try it, but since i went to japan two years consecutively, somehow it narrows down a lot of option in the facial foam department, so i decided to give in and buy this one.

this is the description from watson's singapore website senka perfect whip is a gentle and deep cleansing facial foam. formulated with naturally derived silk essence and extracted from natural white cocoons to create rich and refreshing foam that protects the skin's natural moisture barrier.

the bottle

the packaging: this comes in a light blue plastic tube bottle with flip top. honestly, i'm not sure whether this is the same as the original best seller that i've been seeing for years, because i thought it was darker than the one that i bought, but everywhere i go the bottle seems to have the same color, so perhaps i was wrong. this has sticker of approval on outer seal (which is just a plastic sealing) and nothing on the opening of the tube. i always grateful that all the stuff that i bought there didn't spill or leak since japanese products have minimal sealing. at the back there's description but everything i s in japanese so i have no clue what are they talking about.

back of the bottle

the scent: oh this smells okay. it's not scentless but not overly fragranced too. for me, i like my facial foam to have some kind of subtle scent that will evaporate during my shower. somehow it will give the aromatherapy-kind of situation.

notice the mess on top part of the cap, it's because the foam is stringy

the product: it's a white cream foam. pretty thick and a bit stringy. somehow it reminds me of my previous snail foam. if you're using foam net, then it will bubble like crazy. but since i only use my hands to make it foam, it doesn't go as much as if you're using foam net. but still it will lather up pretty nicely.

on my hand

the result: i was surprised that i kind of like it. personally i'm not picky about facial foam, especially since i don't have issue with it. i don't care about the pH because i don't have pH tester and the government decided to ban reddit website so i can't check with the list. sometimes i feel that this one really gentle on my skin but sometimes i can feel that it leaves squeaky clean feeling which is not good with facial foam. if i can describe it, somehow the squeaky feeling is in between the evita kanebo and the rosette face wash.

i use tiny amount so it doesn't bubble up nicely. it will if you used more

honestly, i'm quite surprised that i like it. i'm bored with scentless japan facial foam, so this one really brightens me up in the morning when i use it during my morning shower. definitely i will buy this more especially since it is really cheap! super duper cheap! but again, i won't recommend if you have concern about the pH, but if you don't care like i do, then grab one. there are other variations in this line, so if you've tried other variations, please let me know if you like it or not.

as skincare junkie all of you might find similar problem, how to re-apply sunscreen without removing your makeup (if you put any) and then starting over the entire routine and then apply the sunscreen again. i saw some korean beauty show and they presented some types of sunscreen that's suitable for reapplying sunscreen, such as sunscreen stick, powder and even spray. and that's how i became interested in sunscreen spray. i have no luck with my previous spray so i was hoping the famous japanese sunscreen will make a difference. but i was wrong again..

the description from suncut website: maximum uv protection factor for complete full-body sun protection to ensure that you don't burn! in an unbelievably light and non-greasy spray. just spray on for even coverage of difficult-to-reach areas and protect your skin and hair from uv damage. this extreme gel withstands sweat, water and excess oil and a maximum uv protection factor offers extened protection from UVA and UVB rays. prevents wrinkles and freckles, which are caused by exposure to the sun. we've added more powder for a lighter and less sticky result. the result is an incredibly light texture. you can reapply the gel - or break a sweat - and your skin will remain smooth and dry. because it dries quickly, you can even put it on before dashing out of the door. a translucent spray that doesn't leave white traces. since it is translucent, you can use it on your scalp, parting, and hair, and even on top of your makeup. we have used special technology to improve the coverage of the spray. it can also be used upside down, so you can protect your back, fingernails and other difficult-to-reach areas with just one spray. total protection for your skin and hair from uv damage. it has waterproof formula but can be easily removed with soap.

the packaging: it comes in toothbrush-like packaging, with cardboard backing and hard plastic cover. at the back there's description and ingredients list but it's in japanese. the sunspray comes in a white can with plastic cap. the bottle is also white and has description at the back in japanese.

the packaging

the scent: although they say it's scentless, still you can smell the alcohol/aerosolic scent once you spray it onto your skin. i'm not a fan of that scent, so no way i'm putting it on my face. but for my body, it's okay.

description at the back

the product: the sunspray is very similar to my previous korean sunspray. you have to spray a lot before you can notice the white sunscreen sprayed on your skin. it's white and very runny and once i think it's enough, i will spread it on my skin so i can get even layer. i'm not spraying it all over my skin because i can't see how much i'm using and whether or not i'm spraying it evenly.

the can bottle

the result: from practical reason, it's reasonable to get this one. the can is small and lightweight so you can bring this in your bag and use it for reapplying. and it has cooling sensation so it's refreshing to use especially on hot days. i'm not trying it on my scalp so i can't say anything about it. i use this on the back of my feet so i can see that when i use this regurlarly, i don't get more tan lines from my sandal. but i need more product if i use this as primary sunscreen. so i will finish it very quickly if i use it everyday. it does spread easily and doesnt leave sticky feeling. i have to agree that it does dry quickly. it also has cooling sensation when you freshly spray it to your skin.

the back of the can

the spray head

i've sprayed a lot and only this come out for one feet (about 1-2 minutes on one spot) then i spread it around with my hand

honestly, i think i have enough sunspray. i'm not trying another one. i don't like this one too. somehow i think no one can get rid of that aerosol-ly scent that usually comes with aerosol products and i don't like that scent so no more spray. as for recommendation, if you only use this as secondary sunscreen and you don't mind bringing the can with you anywhere, then you might try it. it's cheap. but if you're looking for a way to apply sunscreen other than using lotion or gel, then you might have to spray a lot and you will finish it quicker and then you will have to get another can, and in the end it wouldn't be that cheap anymore. so, basically it depends on your preference. as for me, i will stick to lotion or gel and will find other way to reapply my sunscreen.

i tried their highly promising biotin shampoo and although it doesn't work miracle on me, i still like to try other variants. perhaps i should try both shampoo and conditioner for better result, but the supermarket near me only sells the shampoo so i have to satisfy with only shampoo for now. unfortunately, there aren't many option, so i was stuck to this lemon highlight one and i bought it without knowing what it was for.

the description on the bottle: a tropical blend of brightening lemon citrus oil to enhance shimmer, sunlit highlights all year long, with rich coconut oil to smooth and add shine while exotic key lime extract takes you away to a sensual paradise.
*okay.. the description doesn't give clear direction at all. for me, at least. so i guessed that this one is supposed to help keeping the blonde highlights vibrant.

the packaging: just like the other variants, it comes in a big plastic bottle. for the lemon highlights, it is a yellow one. there's description at front and also ingredients list at the back. as i've stated in other review, i don't like the bottle because it's too big to hold while in shower. and the flip top doesn't make it any easier to dispose the product on my palm with just one hand holding and squeezing the bottle. so i transferred it a pump bottle and it works okay.

the bottle

the scent: definitely smells citrusy but not too overwhelming.

description at the back

the product: the shampoo is colored according to the type. the biotin one is purple so this one is yellow accordingly. the consistency is somewhat runnier than the biotin one, but it's still a thick creamy shampoo. it spreads easily and lathers okay on my hair. but since this is thinner, i need more than one pump for my shoulder-length hair.

the opening

the result: honestly, i don't know how to judge this shampoo because i don't have blonde highlights. i do colored my hair about a year ago and it's halfway down of my hair. although i have light brown color half my hair, i can't see the difference in vibrancy after using this shampoo. i cleanses my hair okay, but somehow it doesn't help much with my scalp. i occasionally get dandruff after using this shampoo.

definitely won't repurchase this variant, but i will try other variant. ogx has a lot of variants, so i'm pretty overwhelmed with the choices. i'm thinking the argan oil or the coconut one, but i still can't decide which one. have you tried ogx shampoo that you like and definitely would recommend? fyi, i have wavy coarse hair with dry ends but slightly oily scalp. please let me know if you can recommend something for me.

we went to singapore to get the kids vaccinated because the vaccine is not available in indonesia. so i think i might as well use that opportunity to get more my beauty diary masks that i like. i've tried several variations that i bought from japan and i like them all so far. so i guess i will try as many as i can find. fortunately, i was able to get 4 types on my visit. two of them are targeted to normal or oily skin and two are for dry skin.

i put some list of things that i want to try from europe brands when my husband was on tour to europe last december, and essence was one of them. i wanted to try several items, but i can't be sure what to get. everyone seems to like their mascara, so i put it on my list. i also want to get rid of my catrice blush because it's getting too stiff so i put their satin touch or matt touch on that list. my husband managed to get the matt touch since it was the one available there, and i get the shade "rose me up" mainly because i think coral is too usual for me and i don't like berry me up, so i think i'd like to try neutral hues like rose me up.

this is the description from their website: coloured cheeks! the matt touch blush with a soft powder texture creates a matt finish on your cheeks gives your complexion a fresh touch of colour for a healthy look.

the packaging

the packaging: since essence is a cheap drugstore brand, don't expect fancy packaging. in my opinion, it has similar packaging as catrice. the blush itself comes in a round plastic compact, the hinge is very fragile just like catrice's. mine has broken after a few days using it daily. i don't drop it or anything and the hinge breaks easily. at the back there's a sticker with description as well as the shade name and ingredients list.

the pattern on the pan

the color : this is the matt version, and there are 3 shades in this range. coral, rose, and berry. mine is the rose one. on the pack it looks like mauvey rosy brown and pretty dark. even my husband was unsure that i want the rose one. on my hand swatch it looks rosy brown.

arm swatch

the product : the blush has diamond pattern on the pan. the satin one also has similar pattern but dotted, if i'm not mistaken. it feels smooth when i touch it with my hand. but when used with brush, it's a little bit powdery, but i always tap my brush before putting it on my face, so no problem.

on my cheek

the result : even though this is a drugstore blush, this is quite pigmented. even more pigmented than my catrice blush which i ditched after a couple months. so i usually use light-handed with this one. it gives my matte rosy blush that i never had before. i think it's a little bit dark for me but if i use sparingly, i think i can get away with it. so definitely gonna be a long way to go for me.

definitely like it, although some people say that they like essence satin blush. unfortunately i won't be buying another blush since i've already had a lot in my collection, so i have to be satisfy with this one for now. but i do like it. and if you're looking for cheap blush, then try essence if you can get to it. here, we don't have essence in offline store and some online shop only sells their bestsellers such as their brow gel and their highlighter and nothing else, so it's difficult to get it. but don't get it if you like to bring your makeup to travel with you since the packaging is pretty fragile so you might end up shattering the whole product just like my essence powder. other than that, i'm pretty happy that i have a new blush tone to my collection which mainly consists of coral and a bit pink.

i like to clear something first before proceeding to my review: i bought this product before all the viral news about their company/founder attitude, and although i'm not agree with all the issue, i've already bought it so i won't waste my money and not using the product because of the problem. but, it will affect my decision whether or not to repurchase this product.

now, when the ordinary started to get their products out, one of their best sellers is this serum, the niacinamide and zinc one. i suspect many people thought that their skin is oily skin, especially if you're living in tropical country which is usually hot and humid, you will most likely think that you have oily skin, so the claims of this product that helps to reduce sebum will definitely lure that kind of people to buy this serum. so, naturally, i wanted to try whether this product really worth the hype or not, aside from my skin type. me personally had oily skin but now slightly toward combination-normal, so reducing sebum is not my main target anymore. i've used similar product like this from it's skin, one of their colorful serums (i completely forgot the exact name), and it does work although very slowly, but if i recalled correctly, it doesn't have the added zinc. so, i will try to compare both of them.

this is the description from their website: niacinamide (vitamin B3) is indicated to reduce the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion. a high 10% concentration of this vitamin is supported in the formula by zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid to balance visible aspects of sebum activity. contraindications: if topical vitamin C is used as part of skincare, it should be applied at alternate times with this formula (ideally vitamin C in the PM and this formula in the AM). otherwise, niacinamide can affect integrity of pure-form vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid).
notes: while niacinamide and zinc PCA reduce the look of blemishes and balance visible sebum activity, neither is a treatment for acne.
independent studies suggest niacinamide is also an effective ingredient for brightening skin tone.

the box

ingredients list

the packaging: the product comes in ordinary white box just like the other products from this brand. there's a few description and ingredients list printed on the box. inside there's a glass bottle with a dropper to dispose the product. the bottle is frosted but still see-through so you can see the remaining product inside. the dropper is pretty long that i have no problem reaching until the last bit of the product. since the product inside doesn't need protection from the sunlight, the bottle is white.

little bit description

the bottle

the scent: i don't think this has distinctive scent, but even if it does, it's very subtle.

the dropper

the product: the serum is a bit cloudy white in the dropper, pretty similar to the buffet one, but when i drop it on my hand, it's clearer than the buffet.   it also has similar consistency to the buffet, but i think the niacinamide just slightly runnier than the buffet. it spreads easily on my face. it's absorbed a couple minutes and leaves slightly sticky feeling that fades away if i keep patting my skin. i only need a drop or a half dropper for my whole face.

the product on my hand

after spreading it on my hand

the result: i was baffling to find out which out of 3 products of the ordinary that i tried in my last batch that caused me some breakouts. i've tried them separately for the last month and found out that the buffet might be the culprit. i've yet tried the retinol, but i think the buffet is the culprit so it clears out the niacinamide. now, i don't have enough time the second time to judge the result, since i only got a bit left, so i will try to corporate both result from both trial time. i've seen no difference in my pores, but it's expectable. as for the sebum control, i can say that it helps especially on hot and humid days. my makeup will hold better if i use this serum underneath. but compared to my it's skin, i think both works well equally. as for the brightening effect, i'm also using a vitamin c serum and a sake serum that also claims to help in brightening area, so i can't say about this effect for sure.

now, i would say that i like this serum, but i'm not making decision to repurchase this just yet. i found that the effect is similar to my it's skin serum but i don't know the price of that serum now, so it might only depends on the price difference. but i also discovered that there's a phytoniacin serum from nacific (used to be natural pacific) that works similar to these serum, so i think i would try that one before deciding which one to repurchase.