i was running out of my emulsion when i went to japan, so i decided to get some there. i knew that korean are more accustomed to emulsion, so i was hesitated that i could find any in japan. but turned out they named their emulsion milk, which is basically a lighter moisturizer. i bought some from sana, and then i was very excited about this one. hada labo has an alpha line which is targeted for anti aging and claimed to use retinol in their ingredients, which is weird. since japan is usually about hydration, light layers product, simple routine. i never saw an acid product from their brand. so i was curious about this one.

this is the description from their usa website: infuse your skin with moisture while locking in the hydrating power of hada labo gokujyun alpha lotion. hada labo gokujyun alpha milk provides deep nourishing hydration, plus firming and smoothing conditioners for your face and neck. its light texture is perfect for your daily routine. for even deeper moisturizing, use hada labo gokujyun alpha serum before applying hada labo gokujyun alpha milk, or follow it with hada labo gokujyun alpha cream. wait until the product is fully absorbed, then continue with your daily beauty routine.

the bottle

the packaging: it comes in a red plastic bottle with flip top cap. there's a plastic sealing around the bottle. there's a label at the back but everything is in japanese as usual. now, this is the confusing part. since all japanese products only have japanese text, i got confused when buying this one. at first i thought i was buying the toner because they all look the same. there's no different text at front to indicate which one is the toner, which one is the emulsion. the only answer is on the bottle size. the emulsion bottle is smaller than the toner bottle.

the back of the bottle

the scent: okay, i try my best to sniff it, but i can't pick up any scent. so that's mean either this is a scentless product or the scent is very subtle. anyway, most japan products that i've tried never have overwhelming scent, so this might suitable for sensitive skin.

the flip top cap

the product: it's a white emulsion. pretty runny. i think it has the same consistency as the sana soy emulsion (the original one in white bottle). it spreads easily all over my face and leaves watery traces once being spread. it takes a while to be absorbed.

the emulsion on my hand

the result: this one doesn't leave sticky feeling. although it takes a minute or two to be absorbed, it doesn't get tacky. but it does give that watery traces that takes some time to be absorbed. if i added sunscreen on top of it, my face will look greasy. it's moisturizing enough even on hot days.

after being spread and absorbed

actually i like this one better that all the sana ones. it's moisturizing enough without being too rich. it gives better hydration than the original sana one, but doesn't get oily throughout the day, unlike the sana haritsuya one. which is surprising considering this one is marketed as anti aging, which usually means rich products. i think i will repurchase this one rather than the sana one. as for the retinoid, even though they said that it contains retinoid, there's no explanation about the concentration. and i've been using it in combination with retinoid serum and other hada labo gel cream that also claims to contain some retinoid, but i don't experience sensitivity due to over exfoliation. hence, it's safe to say that probably the concentration is pretty low. i would say that this emulsion might suit normal to dry skin, but dry skin will need something more. or if you are in winter weather, then this emulsion might not be enough, but in hot days weather, this emulsion is sufficient to give enough hydration and moisture. as for the price, i believe all hada labo products are affordable so it won't hurt your wallet. as for availability, i think hada labo is more easily to get if you're in the US considering it's easy to order it online. but here, you have to preorder it through some online shop and the price would be doubled. so definitely stock up if you're going to japan or you can get this in similar price.

japan is a heaven for sunscreen seekers. and every summer, all you can see in every drugstore, even electronic stores is sunscreen. i tried to grab a pile of sunscreen every time i went to japan, and some are miss, some are okay. last time, people in ig community freaked out when biore decided to reformulate their famous sunscreen. people doesn't like the new formulation. so everybody seeks the new holy grail sunscreen. then i learn about this mommy brand. some people seems to like their products, so i reached out to a person from instagram and asked her where to find unusual japan brand like mommy and mochitto. and i found it. so let's see if this one works well for me.

with the cardboard backing

the description from sentoheal website: mommy uv sunscreen contains no colorant, harmful preservative, mineral oil, fragrance and alcohol. mostly made by food ingredients that can be used on parents, children and sensitive skin people. 80% food ingredients, milky texture. waterproof, suitable for outdoor. hypoallergenic, can be used on delicate skin. removable by soap.

the tube

the packaging: i think all of japanese sunscreen comes in similar packaging. it comes with a cardboard packaging and plastic sealing all over the sunscreen tube. all the text on the cardboard and the back of the tube is all in japanese. the tube itself is made of white plastic with bear pattern all over the body and blue screw cap. it has spout just like the usual sunscreen tube.

back of the tube

the scent: okay, i finished the tube without properly sniff the product. i really can't say whether or not it is scented. but that means even though it's scented, it doesn't bother me.

the spout

the product: the sunscreen is a white milky gel cream that spreads easily. it is a little bit on the moisturizing side so it leaves glistening trace after i spread this all over my face. it does need some time to be absorbed.

the sunscreen on my hand

the result: as far as the protection goes, it works just the same as my other sunscreen. fyi, i use this as daily sunscreen and i'm not that much outside, but i use retinoid every day so i think the sunscreen works well in protecting my skin. but as oily skin, this is way too rich for my skin.

after patted it in

honestly, i don't like this sunscreen. although it seems lightweight at first, it doesn't end up matte on me. if i'm using it, i have to use powder or i will look like greaseball in no time. especially on hot days like recently. i sweat a lot and this sunscreen doesn't help. but if you have normal to dry skin, doesn't live in hot and humid country, want something that's practical so you can use it for you and your kids, then you should try it. as for the price, i honestly forgot. i just grabbed it without thinking about the price. but i think it doesn't as expensive as anessa. as for availability, again, japanese products are hard to get here. you have to preorder it and the price will be higher than in japan. but if you can get this online or if you're visiting japan, try looking for this. if you're strolling in japan, look inside tokyu hands or ainz tulpe.

if you're like me, having unusual skin tone in your country, you'll end up having difficulties in finding your right shade especially in foundation. i have no luck buying foundation in department store or any other store offline, so i recently bought my foundation online and it worked. so, when i saw the body shop was releasing their makeup transformer drops, i was excited. it was similar to cover fx one, which is expensive. unfortunately, the body shop one is still pretty expensive too, so i'm not buying it. but then, i saw catrice was having the same product, but this one is way cheaper and it came in a tube! not a glass dropper bottle. so i automatically asked my husband to find it when he was away to europe and luckily he succeed. however, not long after he came home, the closest guardian store to my house is having the same product in their catrice's display! oh well, at least i got it slightly cheaper. again, i've been trying the lightening one but haven't get the chance to write down a review, sorry about that... but i've been trying the darkening one, and the foundation that i mix it with is already gone, so better write a review about this asap!

this is the description from their website: to personalize liquid makeup. highly pigmented, liquid texture. shades can be mixed together. vegan. individual transformation. makeup can be individually aligned with the needs of the skin thanks to the highly pigmented, liquid texture: lightening drops lighten the texture of foundation while the darkening drops make it darker. the transformer drops provide the possibility of personalising any catrice foundation.

the tube

the packaging: this comes in a brown plastic tube with black plastic screw cap. it has description at the back of the tube. and i forget whether or not this comes in a plastic sealing. it has this spout to dispense the product, which makes it easier to control the amount of the product that i want to squeeze out of the tube.

the back of the tube

the color: this one is dark brown, and has a little bit of reddish undertone. that's why it changes the foundation's color slightly. as i don't have dark skin tone, i'm not sure how this darkening drop might help for the darker skin tone.

the spout to dispense the product

the product: this is a cream product, so it doesn't change the consistency of the foundation much. it's easy to mix with the foundation and it only need a small amount for it to make a difference.

the transformer on my hand

the result: this is definitely help darkening the foundation. but somehow it gives slightly reddish undertone. so if you're super yellow undertone, then you might want to add just tiny bit so it doesn't change your foundation's undertone.

the product swatch on my hand (you can see the reddish tone here)

top: my wnw foundation bottom: after mixing it with transformer drop

i think this is a good affordable solution for those who live in 4 seasons country. you don't have to purchase darker shades when summer arrives. or for you who is worry about ordering online, worry that you might buy the wrong shade. i actually prefer this squeeze tube packaging than the body shop one which comes in dropper bottle. but i would like it to be neutral brown. without the reddish tone. then it will be perfect. if you like your foundation and you don't want to buy several shades, then you should try it. or if you want to try something new but you're afraid of getting the wrong shade, then this might also work you. and this is super affordable. my only hope is catrice will make this permanent as they like to add and remove things from their product lines.

i'm soooo sorry for not putting up a review of this set sooner. life is a little bit busy here in my house especially since all of my kids are in school now, with different school end-time. my girl goes to separate school with the boys only for this year, so i have to spare some time to deliver and pick them up to and from school. and i also do baking and now i have new sewing machine so i get distracted with a little sewing too for now. but, i will still put up reviews on this blog, so don't worry.

this is the description from their website: high quality synthetic hair and rose gold glossy aluminium ferrule. package include: 1 pcs blending brush, 1 pcs shader brush, 1 pcs concealer brush, 1 pcs eyeshadow brush, 1 pcs eyebrow liner, 1 pcs eyeliner, 4 pcs blending brush, 1 pcs highlighter brush, 1 pcs pencil brush.
this set has two options, with a leather pouch or without. since i order other set with the pouch, i picked a no pouch option for this set.

all the brushes in their plastic cover

the packaging: since i only bought the brushes, it comes in a plastic bag, but each brush comes in their individual plastic cover that you can throw away afterwards.

the product: all the brushes have wood handle, rose gold ferrule, with synthetic hair brush just like advertised. now i will talk about them each because it's easier.
1. big blending brush: this is a small version of the small face blending brush. this is pretty big for eyes. it has this rounded top and pretty dense for an eyeshadow brush. i use this for putting eyeshadow all over my lid or powder all over my lid. this is a good brush, the hair bristles is soft and works well.

big blending brush

2. crease blending brush: this is your usual crease blending brush. a bit too big for my eyes, but it's not as big as my BH cosmetics one. but it works perfectly, the brush is soft and blending my eyeshadow well.

crease blending brush

3. smaller crease blending brush: at first, i didn't realize that this one is smaller, but when i put it side by side, i can see that this one is slightly smaller. a bit shorter too. but both is fluffy and soft and blending my eyeshadow well.

you can see that this one is slightly shorter than the first blending brush

4. flat fluffy blending brush: this brush is similar to my body shop blending brush. this is flat at one side, but the brush is fluffy. i think this is more precise blending, but i rarely use it. but the bristles is soft just like the other.

flat fluffy blending brush

5. smaller and thinner blending brush: this is obviously smaller and thinner version of the previous crease blending brush. it's pretty slim that i think it's not stable enough to blend. but i think it's perfect for precise crease blending especially if you have smaller eyes, but i rarely use it.

the smallest blending brush

6. flat shader brush: this is not my usual shader brush. my previous shader brush will be all flat both sides. but this one is different. it's flat at the top but slightly thicker at the bottom. but it works really well.

flat shader brush

7. pencil brush: this is just similar to my other pencil brush. it works well in picking up the color and putting it on my outer eyes. the bristles is soft and doesn't poke my eye.

pencil brush

8. concealer brush: this is a flat brush, pretty similar to shader brush, that's why i was mistaken the first time. i thought it is a shader brush and it didn't work. that's when i knew that it was a concealer brush. the bristles is somehow so slick that the pigment from the eyeshadow won't shown. but since i always use my sponge to blend my sponge, i never get to try this brush.

concealer brush

9. slanted eyebrow brush: this is a pretty big eyebrow brush. again, since i don't use eyebrow powder or gel or pot, or whatever it is that use brush, i never get the chance to try it.

eyebrow brush

10. eyeliner brush: this is slanted, and it's smaller than eyebrow brush. i never try it with eyeliner gel, but i've used it with dark eyeshadow, and it works well in lining my eyes. although since i use it with powder, i can't make sharp wing with it. but i bet with the shape and size, using the right product can give you sharp wing.

slanted eyeliner brush

11. bent eyeliner brush: this has pointed tip, and pretty thin. again, i don't use this type of brush, so i can't say anything about it.

bent eyeliner brush

12. another pencil brush: or as they say highlighter brush. the other pencil brush is more pointed than this one. this one is slightly more rounded. but the size is similar to the other pencil brush. so i use this to highlight my brow bone, but it doesn't work to highlight my inner corner. i wish there are other precise brush to use for highlighting my inner corner.

smaller pencil brush/highlighter brush

overall, i honestly impressed with this brush set. i even like this set better for my eyes than the ones that comes with the other set. probably because i like synthetic hair better. it's easier to wash and store and use, so that's just my preference. but i have some problem with the brush selection. i hope there's only one eyeliner brush and not so many blending brush. perhaps a precise brush is more appreciated. or a smudge brush for my bottom lash line. but overall, i like this set. i bought this when it was on sale, so it's very affordable. but if it weren't on sale, and you bought the pouch too, then it might be slightly pricier. especially since you don't know the brand, you might not want to pay that much for an eyeshadow set. but if you want to try something new, then you should try it. unfortunately, since it's probably made in china, that means this one is not cruelty free. so, the choice is definitely yours.

i bought this mask from althea when i was ordering my nail polishes set. i saw this mask everywhere on instagram when i made that order, but since i put it inside the nail polish set box, somehow it gets forgotten. but i found it and then put it with the rest of my sheet mask pile waiting its turn to be used. unfortunately, by the time i used it, it seems to be forgotten by most people.

this is the description on the back of the sachet: it is a mask that contains yogurt and lactic acid bacteria fermented extract, which supply moisture and nutrition in tired skin, making your skin moist and smooth. it will help to take care of your skin, making it look more soft, and flexible. using lemon, pomegranate, apple extract and adenosine ingredients will improve wrinkles.
this is the description from koreadepart website: yogurt extract and lactobacillus extract gives tired skin rich moisture and nutrition for soft moisture skin. lemon, pomegranate, apple and other fruit extract gives softer clear healthy skin care. green tea extract and aloe extract moisture irritated skin and enhance stress for healthy skin care. adenosine ingredient enhance wrinkles.

the packaging: it comes in regular white rectangular sachet, but it has this big picture of yogurt milk drink. it looks exactly like a yakult's bottle (if you get what i mean), but this one is labelled as "yogurt mask". at the back there's description and ingredients list in english and korean.

the packaging

the scent: it smells just like yogurt milk! that sweet probiotic milk.. but not too overpowering though.

the product: it's a thin mesh mask, which i think similar to minon mask, but thinner. since it's pretty thin, it's difficult to unfold because there's no plastic backing. it's drenched in clear essence, but there's no excess in the packet. again, since it's thin, it's a little bit difficult to adjust. it has slits, big eye holes, and super thin under nose bridge that it gets roll when i put it on my face. let's just say that i'm not a big fan about the fit. the mask adheres well.

left: before middle: mask on (you can see the rolled part under my nose) right: after

the result: i put this on my face for about 20-25 minutes, and after removing it, i can feel my skin is well moisturized. a bit brightening too but as usual, the effect is temporary. it also feels a little bit sticky afterward. but it's okay since the moisturizing effect holds on until the next day.

this is a decent mask. it's moisturizing and a bit brightening and doesn't break me out. as for the price, i think it's still considered affordable. but it's not as great as papa recipe or my beauty diary. this feels more like a regular mask for me. but i think if you want to try it, then go get it. it will be suitable for most skin type. as for me, i don't think the trouble adjusting the mask worth the effect, so let me just stick to my usual masks for now.

this is the last ordinary product that i reviewed. i've been meaning to write this review, but somehow i get distracted, a lot. i've tried this serum along with the buffet and niacinamide, but i've experienced breakouts while testing all three, so i decided to take a break and testing them one by one, and i've found the culprit. so now i'm ready to let you know my thought about this product.

this is the description from their website: this water free solution contains a 2% concentration of and advanced retinoid active complex called granactive retinoid that has been shown to offer better results against multiple signs of aging than retinol without any of the irritation and drawbacks common with retinol. granactive retinoid, an active technology from grant industries, is a solubilized system of hydroxypinacolone retinoate, a highly-advanced form of retinoid which is, in fact, a non-prescription ester of all-trans direct retinoic acid that offers a multi-fold better effect against signs of aging than retinol, retinyl palmitate and nearly all other forms of non-prescription retinoid. this product uses next-generation retinoid active technologies which have been shown to achieve better reduction in signs of aging than retinol without irritation. these technologies cannot compared directly with retinol itself in terms of concentration because they include a different retinoid molecule, in a similar way that retinol cannot be compared with retinoic acid in terms of concentration.

the box

description on the box

the packaging: all ordinary products are packaged the same way. it's inside a white box, with ingredients list and description printed on the box. the product is in the same size glass-dropper bottle. the only difference is since retinoid is a uv sensitive product, it is packaged inside a dark glass bottle for uv protection. on the bottle there's another label with description and description as well. i really like their dropper since somehow it could reach deep into the bottle and it can get most of the product out of the bottle.

another description in france

the bottle beside the box

the scent: perhaps because this one contains squalane, it smells like fish oil. but just a little bit. it doesn't have added fragrance so what i can smell from this product is basically the ingredients' scent.

the dropper

the product: the retinoid is a light yellow runny oil, very runny that i have to put it on my hand before putting it on my face. i've tried to put drop directly to my face and it keeps dripping down to my neck before i managed to spread it around, so i decided to drop it to my face then spread it around. it's said to be used after watery serum but before moisturizer, so that's exactly what i did. it's easy to spread around but takes forever to be absorbed. even with all that patting and a little bit rubbing. i know.. i'm not supposed to do that but i'm not that patient.

the retinoid on my hand

the result: since i have bad experience with acid, i use this slowly. i use this once a week for two weeks, then twice a week. and every other day. but i noticed that i get breakouts when i use this that frequent, so i decided to use this every monday, wednesday and friday. and in that day between, i try my best to use sheet mask to hydrate my face well and then on weekend i exfoliate my skin with peeling gel or use clay mask. that seems to work better. unfortunately, although i didn't experience irritation, i don't seem to see the effect. but i don't have any fine lines yet to begin with, so i can't really say about that anti aging effect. all i can say that i don't notice any difference whether or not i'm using this product.

after spreading it

that being said, i think i want to try the retinoid emulsion, the one that get raved by many people. i'm trying to document my progress, but since i don't have any issue as standard base, somehow i can't see my progress. but if i did end up buying the emulsion, i will try to document it for sure. again, i have to say that this is really mild retinol so if you're an acid beginner, then this is something that you can try. but if you've used to other acid, then this might feel too mild for you. but the ordinary has other retinoid products that you can try, so find out which one is suitable for you. as for their scandal, i don't have any comments. but if you don't want to try their products because of their scandal, then have it your way. but as for me, the only product that i want to repurchase for now is their vitamin c serum, so it won't be happening any time soon since i still have my melano cc serum.

i have big pile of skincare stuff in my closet, but mostly they are toners, facial foams, cleansing oils and masks. but i never pile up on essence, serum or acid treatment. i like to buy something when i'm close to end of stuff that i'm using that time. so when i went to japan, i knew that i have to buy essence or serum but i don't want to repurchase daiso serums. so i've been looking at my instagram feed looking for inspirations. then i stumbled upon the @the_lost_duck 's instagram and i saw this essence from kikumasamune that she had popping on her feed frequently. i guess it must be good so i asked her where she bought it and luckily i managed to go there and i found it! along with the high moist toner. will tell you about the toner later... but for now, let's discuss about the essence.

this is the description from kirei station website: the beauty serum featuring kikumasamune's kojic acid rich dry sake to hydrate, soothe, smooth and brighten the skin. an additional blend of 12 amino acids, 3 ceramides, 2 vitamin c derivatives, arbutin, and placenta extract further nourishes and protects the skin while helping to fade discolorations. lightweight, slightly acidic formula absorbs quickly, leaving skin looking plump, supple and luminous. ideal for use on the face and neck.

the bottle while still sealed

the packaging: honestly, japan is always so straightforward about their products. no boxes, no extra sealing.. just the product itself. this one too. the bottle is a pink plastic bottle with white pump head and transparent plastic cap to cover the pump head. there's description at the back but it's in japanese. the only sealing on it is the plastic sealing that cover the whole body of the bottle. although the bottle is pink, but it's a see-through so you can see the remaining product inside. and the bottle is huge for an essence, 150 ml.

the back of the bottle

the scent: this is quite surprising since i find out that this one has scent! i usually try scentless japanese products and it's quite common, so finding out a non-scented japanese product is a rare thing. this one has sweet sake scent and pretty strong, but somehow it dissipates pretty quickly so it doesn't bother me. but if you're sensitive to scent, then you should put that in mind. unfortunately, there's no sample size or sample sachet that i knew of.

without the seal

the product: the essence is a milky white gel type essence that is slightly viscous at first but once spread on my skin, it melts into my skin and leaves watery trace. it spreads easily on my skin but takes awhile to be absorbed.

the pump head

the result: it leaves a bit sticky feeling afterward, but it's moisturizing without being too rich. after using this for couple months, i can say that this is moisturizing but might not be enough for dry skin. i usually use one pump for my whole face but on my dry skin days, i will add a little bit more. after using it every night, i can see that it helps brightening my whole complexion, but let me remind you that i also use vitamin c serum plus a whitening gel cream, so the result might because of all that products combination.

essence on my hand

after spreading it on my hand

i like it, how it's moisturizing my skin without being too heavy. and it smells nice. although it's not widely available here. even in online shop, it's not easy to get it. and it's not that easy to get it in japan too. i get it from tokyu hands, and i don't see it on usual drugstores. so if you can get it yourself or ordering it online, then you should try it. i think it's suitable for most skin types, although dry skin might need another products to add moisture. as for me, there's still a lot to finish so there's no repurchasing in the meantime.

if you've been reading my blog, then you might know that i like my beauty diary masks very much. that's why when i went to singapore, i decided to buy some more. all of them comes in a box, so i have lots of masks for now. i thought most of them are hydrating or for dry skin, but i found out that there are some masks that's meant for oily skin or pore care. so let's see one of them for now.

this is the description from the back of the box: mexico anastatica survives in an extraordinarily dry environment. its leaves curl into a tight ball during dry weather, and resurrects after the rain. adapting to such extreme environment, it demonstrates superior hydrating power that helps replenish and refine the skin, allowing the skin to appear plump, delicate, and wonderfully smooth. mexico anastatica extract penetrates rough skin surface to purify deep seated dirt and impurities, as well as regulate uneven skin tone and minimize large pores. it is blended with rapid infusion factors aquarod X tinysome X cosphingo to further enhance pore clarification, leaving skin continuously replenished to look delicate and gorgeous. this formula contains hemerocallis fulva, arctostaphylos uva-ursi compound, aloe vera, and other skin soothing extracts. it fights early signs of skin darkening and prevents dull skin, thereby reviving translucent and refined looking skin. for treating comedone and enlarged pores. use for pore refining and purifying, clarifying.

the packaging: both the box and the individual packaging has the same design. it has green background with the picture of the desert. description at the back of the individual packaging is in mandarin, but the one at the back of the box is in english. somehow all the variants that i bought from singapore have bigger box and bigger individual packaging.

the packaging

the scent: it smells fresh upon opening, but the scent dissipates quickly. not too overwhelming even for my sensitive nose.

the product: again, i feel like the mask from all the variants that i bought from singapore is different from the ones that i bought from japan. but it's still a thin mask, without slit, slightly narrow jaw and a pretty big eye holes. since it's pretty thin, the plastic backing on this mask is highly appreciated. it's soaked in generous clear essence, but there's no excess from this variant. the mask is fully soaked that it slides down from my face so i have to lie down when i first put it on my face.

left: before middle: mask on rightL after

the result: i put in on my face for about 20-30 minutes and after that i can see that it's moisturizing but at the same time, it doesn't feel too heavy on my skin. more refreshing but still moisturizing at the same time. i was having acne at that time, and this mask helps it to heal faster, but i don't see any other effect.

again, i like this variant as well. i do have to agree that this mask is suitable for normal, combination or oily skin. but it's still moisturizing even for dry skin. the price in singapore is the same as in japan, so the mask is still affordable. but here in indonesia, the price for individual packaging is higher so that's why i always stock up when i go abroad. definitely recommend this mask to whoever that wants to try new things, but let me tell you so far i don't find any my beauty diary mask that i don't like so although i'm recommending this mask, i won't repurchase any until i try them all.

i was in search of a new night cream when i went to japan and i heard good things about hada labo perfect gel. the problem is, when i was there, i completely forgot which one to get, which one that i read the review. and i simply didn't have time to stop and browse because i only had limited time to shop. my husband would take my two kids walking around while i shopped so i had to keep on going. so, i decided to get the koi gokujyun perfect gel. in my mind, the gokujyun line is the hydrating line, the shirojyun one is the whitening. but i didn't know that the koi-gokujyun has whitening properties too! so let's see about that..

this the description from amazon website: hada labo gokujyun whitening perfect gel has the following features : 3-in-1 perfect combination of essence, moisturizer and sleeping mask to provide your skin with the ultimate intense hydration. nano hyaluronic acid and hyaluronic acid provides intense and long lasting hydration. contains high concentration of arbutin which effectively inhibits the formation of melanin, dark spots and whitening skin. enhanced with vitamin c to even out skin tone and improve skin dullness caused by sun exposure. free of fragrances, mineral oil, alcohol and colorant. 

the box

all the description on the box is in japanese

the packaging: it comes in a holographic box with the picture of the tub on top. there are various descriptions at the sides, but everything is in japanese. the only way that indicates the name of the product inside is the english text that says "koi-gokujyun" on the bottom right. the tub is a big white plastic tub with screw cap. no spatula and no sealing on the tub opening, so not very hygienic. from packaging-wise, i like korean products better because they offer better protection for their products and also provide spatula, which is very hygienic.

other description

again, another description

the scent: this is completely scentless. you can pick some scent due to the ingredients in the gel, but no fragrance is added.

the tub

the product: the gel has jelly-like texture, which is pretty tempting to poke around, although it doesn't bounce back like laneige sleeping mask. it's a transparent gel and it is difficult to scoop unless you're using a spatula. i usually scoop a bit then put it on my hand before putting it on my face. the warmth of my hand helps melting the gel a little bit so i can spread it all over my face better.

the gel inside

the result: after spreading it, it takes a minute for the gel to be completely absorbed, and afterward, it leaves sticky feeling for a couple minutes. then my face will be only a bit tacky when i touch it. and the weird thing is, the next morning when i wash my face, i can feel there's a layer of jelly moisture on top of my face. the feeling that i get from putting a sleeping mask on my face the night before. now, it contains hyaluronic acid which is widely know to hydrate the skin. and i can see that my skin is hydrated well after using this regularly. it also contains arbutin which is known as whitening agent. now, i also use vitamin c serum aside from this gel, so both of them might help in lightening my acne scar. but let me tell you, it's a very slowly working agent. don't expect instant result.

the gel on my hand

after being absorbed

this one is a big tub so it might take awhile for me to finish the whole tub. i only need a scoop for my whole face and neck so i might underestimate it when i bought it. this one is a 100g tub so you might want to put that in mind if you want to try it. although i use it at night, i think you can use it daytime too. i have to say it might suit everyone, but it might be more suitable for combination to oily skin. since this one is free of fragrances, mineral oil, alcohol and colorant, i think it might be suitable for sensitive skin too. as for me, i don't think i will repurchase it since it is so big. i think i will try the gokuyjun perfect gel next time, and not the whitening one.