though i love my sana retinol cream, somehow i'm relieved that i'm reaching the bottom. and it also means that it's time to find something else. i've been wanted to try naruko sleeping mask or beauty of joseon one, but since i was going to go to singapore, naruko is a better choice. so i got the famous night gelly hoping that it would work for me.

this is the description from their canada website: raw job's tears supercritical CO2 pore minimizing and brightening night gelly contains high concentration of active ingredients. the pore minimizing and brightening night gelly refines the appearance of visible pores and even the skin tone.
benefits: improves the hydrating level of the skin while sleeping and minimizes pores. creates a fair smooth and flawless skin.

the original packaging with sealing

the packaging: since i bought this in watsons, it doesn't come in any packaging, just the tub itself. they put plastic sealing all over the outer tub so you can be sure that it's secure enough. the tub is a red plastic tub with ingredients list at the bottom. the packaging is quite plain. there's a plastic separator inside to keep all the gel secure in the tub, but there's no spatula. and since the texture is quite sticky, i think spatula would be a good idea to add to the packaging.

the tub

a bit description

the scent: it's scentless, but since it's scentless, sometimes i think it smells unpleasant. it makes me appreciate huxley's scent more. but if you have sensitive skin or nose, then this is a good product for you.

ingredients list at the bottom

the plastic separator

the product: it's a cloudy white toward greyish jelly. yes, it's like a semi-liquid jelly in texture. it's sticky and bouncy just like jelly. if you use your finger, you might have difficulty scooping the product. so again, a spatula would be nice. the texture is one of a kind. i never had other product like this. it does spread easily onto my face. but @memore.glow from instagram said that she experienced pilling. she said that she had suggestion to put a thin layer and she admitted to use quite thick layer. me, myself, only experienced it once, and i didn't even use thick layer. so definitely be careful in layering this mask.

the gelly inside

look how sticky/stringy it is!

the result: i have to admit i'm a little bit disappointed. i have good and visible result from the essence, so i have high hope about this one, but this only moisturize my skin. i don't see any changes in my pores. i also doesn't notice the brightening effect. if i have to compare it to my previous sana retinol, it doesn't make any changes at all.

the gelly on my hand

after blending it in

so, you can definitely say that i won't repurchase this one. i like my retinol cream better as i can slap as much as i want without worry about pilling. and although both are not easy to find, the retinol is cheaper than the sleeping mask, so obviously i will purchase the retinol one when i could get one. but if you're die hard of naruko and you like sleeping mask, you should try it. i like it better than my previous sleeping mask and i can use it everyday without pore clogging problem. i think it can cater all skin types. have you tried it? if you have, let me know what's your thinking about this product.

when i first buy character masks, there's only one left that i didn't purchase since i couldn't find it. when i saw it, i purchased it and it got buried in my stash. and lately i've been lazy in sheet masking, so i have to push myself to take a look at my stash and use one. so i decided to give this one a go.

this is description i found at ulta website: SNP animal panda brightening sheet mask replenishes drab and rough skin with brightening energy for beautiful and smooth skin. it contains coconut water, which effectively replenishes moisture in the body, and high levels of essential electrolytes and potassium. paper mulberry, mulberry bark extract, and niacinamide make skin translucent and invigorated. the mask is exceptional for improving skin tone and brightening effect. SNP animal masks are made with natural pulp for highly concentrated essence to stay on skin longer and safe color element that does not stimulate skin. safe ingredients and character designs are satisfying in its texture while adding entertainment for a new experience!

the packaging: it comes in black sachet with description at the back in korean but the ingredients list is in english. and the english directions is quite funny. maybe they just google-translate it. it has panda face at front.

the packaging

the scent: i don't know how to describe it, but to me it smells sweet? you can only smell the scent if you sniff the pouch. the scent doesn't linger after you put the mask on your face.

the product: the mask is made of thin but rather stiff material with panda pattern on it. it's not stretchy, so if you've been used to thin and stretchy material, you might not like this one. it has clear runny essence and there's excess on pouch. it feels sticky when i try to lather it on my hand. it has slit on temples and side of lower jaw. it has big enough mouth and eyes holes and long enough nose flap. it has inner eye slit like lululun's but this one doesn't poke my eyes. i don't have any problem adjusting the mask on my face.

left: before middle: mask on right: after

the result: i put this on my face for about 15 minutes and after i take it off, i can feel that it's hydrating just enough without being sticky but it definitely brighten my face. but as predicted, the effect is just temporary.

although it works well in brightening my face, but it's not super special that i would repurchase. if you like to have mask-tainment every now and then, a character mask might be a good way to do it. and SNP is a good brand. the price is quite affordable too. i think it might be suitable for all skin types, but there's alcohol in the ingredients list. if you are avoiding alcohol from your skincare, then you might want to skip it. as for, i won't repurchase just for the sake of entertainment. and i just found out after buying the last mask that there are fakes in the market. i don't know what's the difference, so i'm hoping i buy the genuine one and won't repurchase these kind of masks just to be sure.

i was bored with my masking routine so i didn't realize that i have two similar masks in my stash. both of them contains rose, so i think it would be a good idea to do comparison side by side and see which one is better. although pixi is known as affordable brand in UK, it's not that affordable here. especially if you're looking at the size. and though the body shop is not exactly a drugstore brand, it's still within reasonable price considering the size. so let's see which one is the winner for me.

the body shop claims: grow your glow with our british rose fresh plumping mask. inspired by the European bathing rituals, our 100% vegan refreshing gel face mask is infused with real rose petals, rose essence, rosehip oil and organic community trade aloe vera. and what's more, it's formulated without parabens, paraffin, silicone or mineral oil. reveal skin that's replenished with moisture and visibly smooth with a youthful dewy appearance.

ingredients list: aqua, glycerin, propanediol, PPG-26-buteth-26, PEG-32, PEG-40, hydrogenated castor oil, alcohol denat., phenoxyethanol, carbomer, rosa gallica flower powder, parfum, sodium hydroxide, caprylhydroxamic acid, rosa canina fruit oil, methylpropanediol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice powder, disodium EDTA, rose extract, benzyl salicylate, menthoxypropanediol, limonene, citronellol, geraniol, alpha-isomethyl ionone, citric acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, CI 14700.

what pixi claims: this radiance-boosting balm is the ultimate pick-me-up for tired, lackluster skin helping with signs of fatigue in a flash. this 3-in-1 oil free, quick absorbing formula instantly moisturizes and brightens and is great as a revitalizing mask as well as a primer to prep skin for perfect makeup application. suited for all skin types, not tested on animals, paraben free.

ingredients list: water/aqua/eau, rosa centifolia flower water, propylene glycol, octyldodecanol, tapioca starch, polysorbate 60, sorbitan stearate, carbomer, phenoxyethanol, triethyl citrate, aminomethyl propanol, sucrose cocoate, glycerin, olea europaea (olive) leaf extract, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, rose extract, bisabolol, ethylhexylglycerin, polymethylsilsesquioxane, disodium EDTA, sodium citrate, red 40 (CI 16035).

the packaging: the body shop mask comes in dark brown glass tub, with plastic screw cap, which is quite heavy but it contains 75 ml of product, while pixi comes in plastic squeeze tube and the full size is only 45 ml. and if you're environmentally conscious, body shop offers recycling if you bring back empty bottles to their stores. and if you can't, you can re-use the packaging as it's made of glass and quite big while the pixi one you can only throw it away.

left is pixi and right is the body shop

the scent: both has different rose scent, the body shop is more fragrant than the pixi, but somehow pixi smells more florally if that make sense. and i don't quite like too floral scent, so i personally like the body shop better. but if you're sensitive to scent, you should notice that body shop has perfume in its ingredients list.
the product: the body shop comes in gel form which is easy to spread around and gives cooling sensation. it's also quite pretty to look at as it has rose petals in it. while the pixi is just a pinkish cream which just boring. and it's quite difficult to layer the mask thickly as suggested, so again, i like body shop better in this area.
the result: body shop is more hydrating than pixi one, which i couldn't understand why since it has alcohol in it. but somehow the body shop is more hydrating and plumping on me than pixi. so again, body shop wins.
so, you could see that body shop wins for me, but in picture, both look the same. price wise, body shop is more affordable here. but if you have both pixi and body shop readily available, i think pixi would be more affordable. anyway, i would certainly repurchase the body shop and wouldn't purchase the full size of pixi. if you have tried them both, which one do you like better? let me know in the comments..

i knew that snail is a highly raved ingredients couple years ago, and i have to blame fiddysnail for showing lots of snail products on her feed that i became intrigued and tried it myself. i first tried the big snail all in one stuff couple years ago that even though i like it, it took a year to finish. so no way i'm repurchasing that one. so i switched to benton snail essence since lots of people swear by it. it works okay, but it feels not hydrating or nourishing enough for my skin. so i decided to try the famous centella ampoule, but again.. it feels something is missing. then i saw some people started showing this benton snail serum, and they said that it's more moisturizing. lucky enough, my usual online shop sells this serum so i bought it instantly. let's hope that it lives up the hype just like the essence.

the description from their website: benton's snail bee ultimate serum is a multitasking serum enriched with saccharomyces/ snail secretion filtrate ferment filtrate, bee venom and tea tree leaf water. the serum helps to nourish, soothe and keep skin supple with the increased density of nourishment by fermentation.
key ingredients: saccharomyces/ snail secretion filtrate - snail secretion, which is secreted by snails to protect their bodies, is packed with skin-loving ingredients such as mucin and collagen that help skin stay bouncy and regain its healthy state. the beneficial ingredients in snail secretion is fermented by yeast derived from grapes for better absorption and denser nourishment.
recommended for skin that needs intense nourishment, skin that wants to prevent damage, skin with hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone, skin with a poor oil-water balance, skin that wants to stay supple, rough and loose skin that needs to be revitalized.

the box

ingredients list

the packaging: it comes in a brown cardboard box with english description on it. there's also ingredients list in english as well. there's a korean description but since i bought it from local online shop, they put another sticker label on top of the korean description and they added BPOM sticker as well. the serum itself comes in a dark brown plastic bottle with dropper to dispense the product. there's another description on the bottle.

the sticker label they put on top of the korean description

another korean text which i don't understand

the scent: i believe it's scentless, but since it has numerous ingredients, one or two might give a bit scent to the product but it's very subtle.

the bottle

the product: it's a clear viscous serum, not as thick as huxley oil in essence, but thicker than the snail essence. it glides on to my face easily and absorbed quickly too. it does feel a bit tacky after being absorbed, but not too sticky. then it will turn matte after awhile.

the serum inside the dropper

the result: it's more moisturizing than the essence. it feels a bit rich and more nourishing compared to the essence. it also helps speeding up the process of acne healing just like the essence. however, it doesn't help preventing acne to form. in combination with huxley oil essence, i feel my skin is more supple and bouncy, but not glowy enough as if i'm using oil. and compared to the famous centella, i think my skin like snail better than centella in the acne fighting area.

the serum on my hand

after blending it in

overall, i'm happy with the serum. i like it better than the essence. i think if you have oily skin, then the essence would suffice for you. but if you have normal or combination toward dry skin, you should try the serum as it might suitable for you better. it layers well under other serum too. as for the price, i think it's still considered affordable. if i would repurchase any snail product, i would buy the serum and not the essence. however, i might not repurchase this one quickly as i wanted to try the famous cosrx snail essence. if you have tried them both, let me know what you think in the comment below.

i was excited when watsons opened at nearby mall. ever since i went to japan, drugstore is something exciting for me. and since there's no 7 eleven, or lawson or family mart or donki or matsumoto kiyoshi, either here or nearby singapore, i had to content with watsons and guardian in singapore. but lately, guardian and watsons are opening stores here, so i was super excited finding out that they sold several brands that i used. but... when i looked at the price, it was not near the price from the original country or from watsons/guardians in singapore. so, even though they came with membership and discount, the price is still much higher here. but, since i was strolling long enough, i decided to buy a mask and some baby products there. and i bought mediheal mask. might as well bought something that i knew i'd like.

this is the description from their hong kong's website: elastic lifting, firming repair. enriched with a large amount of hydrolyzed collagen and elastin, it is easily absorbed by the skin and forms a moisturizing essence film on the skin to rejuvenate tired skin. long-term use can help delay skin aging. thin silky cellulosic material, soft and delicate, fully applied to the face to enhance the effect of high concentration of essence.

the packaging: i used to buy mediheal in boxes, but since the price here is ridiculous, i only bought one mask. usually the box will have the same design as the individual packaging. it comes in oddly shaped sachet with different color label at front according to the type. for this mask, it's bright yellow. you can read the name of the variation at front and there's another description and ingredients list at the back. since i bought it here, there's a sticker label covering the original description. the sticker has description in indonesian. but you can read the original ingredients list written in english.

the packaging

the scent: this one smells fresh and lightly fragrance. very subtle and not overwhelming at all.

the product: the mask is thin and soaked with clear runny essence. there's a bit left so i pat it back on the mask. the fit is okay for me, thought it has tall forehead, wide side so i have to fold the temples part. long nose flap which is okay for me since most mask has short nose flap. it has slit on jaw area to help adjusting the map. it adheres perfectly for the whole time i put it on my face.

left: before middle: mask on right: after

the result: i put it on around 20 minutes (maybe longer...) and it's still juicy when i take it off. it's super hydrating and a bit brightening as well, but as expected, the effect is temporary.

i think this mask might be suitable for all skin type, but since i only use one time only, i can't judge the effect for anti-aging effect. i do see that my skin is plump after one use, but i think most juicy sheet mask will give similar result. so far i like all mediheal masks that i've tried, so no matter which one you see, better grab one if you see one. as for the price, i think the price is still reasonable. i will definitely find more variations if i could get one at decent price.

i've been using hair oil regularly and it has been a staple in my hair care routine, but unfortunately, i'm running out of one, and my usual supermarket hasn't gotten any of them yet, so i decided to try something new. i've tried aussie conditioner and i like it, so i thought i will try their hair conditioner spray.  honestly, i never heard of it, so let's find out whether it's working or not.

this is the description from their website: hair getting a little unmanageable? knot today! get rid of tangles and rough strays and embrace silky smooth perfection with our hair insurance leave-in conditioner spray. it's time to crack the whip and show unruly hair who's boss (it's you, in case you were wondering. our hair insurance leave-in conditioner spray, infused with australian jojoba oil and sea kelp, will smooth those stubborn knots and leave you with detangled tresses - which are a lot kinder on your brush.
the direction says that you should spray it to your damp hair.

the packaging: it comes in a big plastic purple bottle with spray head on top. there's a transparent plastic cap to cover the spray head. there's a bit description and ingredients list at the back. i'm completely forgot whether it has any sealing around the bottle the first time or not.

the bottle

the scent: it's scented alright. it has this subtle floral scent. a bit strong at first, but as it gets absorbed into my hair, it doesn't smell so strong anymore. if you're sensitive to scent, you might not like it. but i like scented hair products, somehow it's relaxing to me.

description at the back

the product: the spray head is not the best. but it works okay. it will spray all over the place, so sometimes i will just spray it to my hands before rubbing it to my hair. but sometimes i'm just lazy and i will spray it to my hair. the hair conditioner spray is a bit sticky after i spray it to my hair. it's less sticky when being sprayed to a super damp hair. but sometimes i just get lost track of time so my hair will almost dried when i use it, but it works just as well.

spray head

the result: it's really best if you spray it to damp hair. it doesn't feel sticky much. but i need to spray a lot more if i spray to super damp hair. and when it's dried more, i need to spray a little bit more, especially at the ends of my hair. i never spray to my root, so i honestly can't say anything about whether or not it will interfere with scalp condition. i would say that even though it works okay, i still like the hair oil better. i need more of hair conditioner spray to get the same result as the hair oil.

the conditioner when being transfered to clear spray bottle

i think it's a good hair conditioner, but considering that i might get the same result when i use hair oil with less amount, it's more economical to buy hair oil. sometimes when i don't apply more after it's half dried, i can still see frizzy hair and dry ends. but if i remember to do it, my hair will be okay. and one time, my hair is looking super glossy and super soft and not frizzy at all when i spray a lot of it into my damp hair and apply some more after it's half dried then sleep on my back. somehow the pressure of the pillow help unfrizz my hair. if you're looking for no fuss hair conditioner and don't have problem with scented product, then you should try it. if i remember correctly, it's not that expensive. but since it's imported product, it's not easy to get. if you have access to it, you should try it. as for me, i think i like hair oil better, but i will switch to this one if i can't find hair oil.

if you read my other post, you'd find out that i'm trying to finish my stash, especially these eye mask. i've tried one in yuzu and i like the experience, so i decided to try other scent to find out which one is my favorite before buying a box of my favorite scent. i bought a box of mix scented eye mask, and it has 4 scents. i've tried yuzu and now i'm trying chamomile.

this is the description from their singapore website: developed with japan's unique and innovative steam heat technology, meg rhythm steam eye mask is a self-warming steam eye mask which produces comfortable steam heat. the abundance of comfortable 40°C steam heat produced gently envelopes your eyes to relieve and relax strained eyes and eases away tensions to soothe your stressful moods.
relieve eye strain and work stress! long working hours and a heavy workload can leave you with strained eyes and feeling stressed out. indulge in a well-deserved relaxation after a hard day's of work!
3 comfort features of meg rhythm steam eye mask: abundance of warm steam, warms up quickly, comfortable feeling lasts 2x longer.

the packaging: since i bought the mix box one, it comes in a big black box with the the same design as the individual scented ones, but this time there's a big text that probably said that there are 4 scents in a box (the text is in japanese). there's also the picture of all 4 scents in tiny boxes. at the sides you can see some pictorial description about the usage suggestion and a bunch of other description in japanese. inside you can find individual packaging, 5 from each scents, so there will be total 20 sachets. for chamomile, you can see a banner with picture of chamomile at the top of the sachet. the other part is totally the same for all 4.

the chamomile packaging

the scent: since chamomile is a common ingredient in tea, no wonder it smells like tea, chamomile tea. so it's very relaxing, compared to yuzu that's more refreshing.

the product: after ripping off the sachet, you can find a soft cotton eye mask. you need to rip the perforated line at the back so you can separate the ear holes. i don't know what it is made of, but the material for the earloop is really soft. the mask itself has purple quilt pattern at front and from the back you can see the circular heating pad. the mask starts to heat up immediately after you open it and it will reach its highest temperature in about 5 minutes. it will stay hot for about 20 minute-ish (it's hard to remember the time when you have to close your eyes and do nothing for the whole time). then it will start cooling down. the ear loop is quite loose so sometimes i feel i can feel the heat better if i push the nose part down. again, it's dead on similar to the yuzu one.

the eye mask inside is the same as the other one

the result: it's definitely soothing for aching eyes, but i don't see any noticeable effect. at that time i don't have swollen eyes or anything, so it's just something that you can feel, not noticeable. but the heat combines with the relaxing chamomile scent is very relaxing, really suitable to end your tiring day.

i have to say that i like the sensation that these eye masks give. the heat to soothe the eyes and added fragrance to give maximal relaxation effect seems work well to end a hard day. if i have to say, i like the chamomile better than the yuzu. it's more subtle than the yuzu one. but it's also a bit weird since i always thinking that i have a cup of tea in front of my nose because of the chamomile scent. if you face screen all day and you feel that your eyes are tired, this is a good way to soothe your eyes and do a relaxation for a bit. the price is quite affordable as well. two down, two more to go. do you have any favorite? let me know in the comment below.

i didn't plan to stroll around basha market but since the kids were playing at kidzoona, i thought why not? so i strolled around and decided to drop by at rosé all day booth. i was interested in their face kit, so i wanted to make sure that i like all the color in the face kit. i was planning to bring it along during holiday since it would be practical to use. i didn't have any face palette that has bronzer, blush and highlighter in one piece, so it will be useful for travelling.

if you've read my other post, you might have known that i went to singapore shortly and i bought some stuff in guardian. apparently there's a promo going on so i got a pouch of freebies. everything in sample size, but most of them i haven't tried yet so i'm excited about it. i've tried the antipodes serum and i was away for a week during Raya holiday, so it's a good thing to take out the cetaphil cleanser which comes in sample size. i thought i have tried the gentle version but i can't be sure since it's been a long time since then. so let's see about this one.

this is the description from guardian's singapore website: effective cleansing for oily skin, combination or blemished skin. removes oil, dirt, skin debris and makeup. reduces sebum level by up to 60% without clogging pores. can be used in conjunction with acne medication.

the packaging: the packaging is really similar to the original size bottle. it comes in white plastic bottle with the usual cetaphil shape but with blue plastic screw cap. i think the original size comes with pump. there's a label at front that indicates the product name and "face" text along with a face picture to indicate that it's meant for face only. there's ingredients list at the back. and surprisingly, the text size is quite decent even though it's a travel size.

the bottle

the scent: i think it's scentless but sometimes i think it has subtle medicated/baby powder scent. but it has no added fragrance in the ingredients list which is good for sensitive skin.

the back of the bottle

the product: it's a clear gel-like cleanser that's non foaming. it doesn't foam at all. which is good for sensitive skin. but i try to make it foam a bit before using my foreo, but it's not working. since it's not foaming, the cleanser feels tight when i use my foreo on my face. so it's better to use with bare hands. it comes in 30 ml size which lasts me for about a month once daily use. i only use this in the morning and use another cleanser with my foreo.

the opening

the result: as second cleanser, it works okay. it really feels gentle and not stripping dry at all. i do think it also help with the sebum since my face is okay even though it's super hot in singapore.

it's an okay face cleanser. it's really good for someone who wants fragrance free skincare and has sensitive skin. i do like it as travel size item, but i don't think i would purchase the full size one since it bothers me having to use separate cleanser in the morning and at night. but if you have sensitive skin and currently looking for a fragrance free cleanser, then you should try it. i think it's still considered affordable because they come in big size. and if you're afraid that it might be too drying for your dry skin, then you can try the gentle version.