i have said in my other first lab review post that i hate buying something so hype because sometimes, they turn out to be ordinary. but i need a new face wash, an essence or FTE and a serum at that time, and i ran out of option. there would be something sold in one online shop, but it didn't have one thing or vice versa. the only online shop that sells all that i need was beautyhallindo with its famous first lab products. i was annoyed that i couldn't find their official website. japan products are also hard to find, but sometimes if i typed out jp at the end of my search, usually it will show japan website. but i've tried with first lab but last time i still couldn't find the website. but i just find it out.. you can check them here. even skincarisma and cosdna still don't have the ingredients list yet.. so i just rely on the information from beautyhall to make my decision. first lab has two essences, the original one and this reverse one. the original one has several alcohol in its ingredients, while the reverse one doesn't. plus the reverse is marketed as anti aging, so i thought it would be more suitable for me.

the bottle

this is the description from their website that i finally found but i translated it using google translate so it might sound funny: contains probiotic ingredients (patented lactobacillus ville fermentation is healthy, helps to create a skin foundation), texture full of moisture (viscous thin formulation with just one step, deeply moisturizes the skin), add dual functionality (good ingredients are basic, niacinamide and adenosine, upgrade your existing skin essence signature).
regulates skin moisture balance with probiotic and turmeric. lactobacillus fermented lysate recognized by royal british chemical society, ildong pharmaceutical's unique probiotic. turmeric - skin free oxygen suppression, skin anti aging.
contains turmeric ingredients - inhibit inflammation-producing proteins, relieve inflammation, all-round governing skin fixer to help care for damaged skin.
dual functionality - with whitening and wrinkle improvement, simple and strong from the beginning.
hels to create a lively skin texture, rich nutrition in good ingredients.
recommended for people looking for whitening and wrinkle improvement at the same time, those who are worried about excessive sebum secretion, person who wants to balance oil and water, minutes with skin that is soft and sensitive to external irritation, person who is looking for basic product with good ingredients.

back of the bottle

the packaging: all firstlab products come in a box, just like this one. it also comes in a white box with the silhouette of the bottle at front. there's not much description written on the box, aside from stating that the probiotic used in this product is a product from ildong pharmaceutical. the bottle itself is a dark brown plastic bottle with white label on it. again, not much description on the label. no ingredients list written anywhere, except from the website. it comes in 150 ml so at first i thought it's supposed to be used in FTE slot, but the consistency is different, so i use it as essence. the bottle is quite dark, but you can still see the remaining product inside. they also seal the opening on the inside. typical korean.. very secure in their packaging, but a bit excessive in my opinion.

the seal on the inside

the scent: it has subtle floral scent. for me it's not too overpowering, but if you're sensitive to scent, you might want to try a sample or tester if available.

the opening after removing the seal

the product: as i've said before, at first i thought it was an FTE, but i think i was wrong. it is a cloudy white essence, quite viscous. but once i spread it on my skin, it becomes watery and easy to spread around. since it's a bit viscous, little goes a long the way.

the essence on my hand

the result: i've been using this twice a day for more than a month. at first, i don't like this one. i have difficulty dispensing the right amount of essence to my hand. since it has a big opening like FTE bottle does, sometimes i get more than i needed. sometimes i get less. which is annoying especially if i'm in a rush. but after awhile, i start noticing that it gives a nice balance of hydration and moisture to my skin. with FTE, usually it will give hydration but not much moisture. but since this is a bit viscous, it gives a bit moisture as well. and since it's been scorching hot lately, somehow it helps with my skin condition. though it gives slightly tacky feeling, but it doesn't pill under my other skincare routine. as for the brightening effect, i do notice it helps with acne scars, but i can't say that it's solely because of this essence because i also use other brightening serum. as for the inflammation inhibiting properties, it does help speeding up clearing acne when i have one.

after patting it in

for now, i'm glad i'm trying this one. compared to the serum, i like this essence better than the serum. i think it's worth the price. if you have dry skin, i think using this essence will help your skin condition than the usual water FTE. but if you're looking for just hydration, then you might feel this a bit heavy. for my skin, this one is okay especially since i'm older now and it's been super hot here. will i keep repurchasing this one? i don't know. i've been used to FTE that has more brightening effect but i also like the moisture that this essence give. so i will put it in my maybe list for now.

i need to write about this fast because i'm running out of it. living in indonesia which is a tropical country means sunlight all year long, so sunscreen is a must in my stash. i usually stock up when i went to japan, mostly because it had wide selection of sunscreen, but sometimes i also buy when i went to singapore. the one that has been people's favorite is biore, but they have renew their formulation couple times since it goes popular, and i haven't tried the latest version. i've tried the 2017 version that people hate, and i was okay with that.. but wait until you tried the newest version...

this is the description from their japan's website: world's first micro defense prescription. prevents uneven coating up to micro level gaps. it stays moist even over time! a water-sensitive gel that stretches throughout your body. contains purupuru water capsules. prevent drying. contains hyaluronic acid, royal jelly extract and BG (moisturizing ingredient). the light veil effect makes the whole body bright and beautiful. SPF 50+ PA ++++, super waterproof, soaping down, can also be used as a makeup base, white mullet gentle fragrance, coloring free, prevents acne, allergy tested.

the packaging the description behind is in english because i bought it in singapore

the packaging: it comes with the usual packaging, a cardboard backing with description and ingredients list at the back. the bottle itself covered in transparent plastic sealing. the bottle itself is a blue plastic bottle with white screw cap. it looks the same as the other version, the only difference is the gradient color and there's a new text written at front, that differentiate the older version and newer one since the color is similar between the 2017 and 2019 version.

the bottle

the scent: at first, you can smell the alcohol mixed with the usual citrusy scent mixed with a bit floral scent, but as you use the product, the alcohol scent dissipates. but i've used it almost to the end, and suddenly i smell the alcohol scent again. if you don't like alcohol in your sunscreen, totally skip this.

the back of the bottle

the product: biore has reformulate their sunscreen twice since it became popular, and i have no problem with the 2015 version, but this one is a different story. the sunscreen is similar in texture with the 2015 version. it's a milky white slightly yellowish gel cream that turns watery when you apply it to your skin. but when i look closely, i could see tiny dots in the sunscreen, the dots were whiter than the sunscreen. all i know is that when you rub it all over your face or arms, it will give you serious white cast. but if you keep rubbing it (yes... rubbing it), the white cast will slowly go away. then it will give you dewy finish. now, on me, it doesn't give me serious problem, but if you have darker skin, you might want to skip this as this might give you serious white cast.

the spout

the result: as sun protective agent, i have no complaint against this sunscreen. it works just as well as its predecessor. but the white cast is serious problem. i really need to make sure that i rub it all the way, so it doesn't look patchy on me. the tiny dots make it harder though. somehow it seems like a tiny encapsulated active ingredients that make it harder to make the cast go away. like i've said, i have no problem with biore sunscreen, up until now.

the sunscreen on my hand

totally wouldn't recommend buying the newest version of biore uv watery gel. the white cast is a serious problem. it won't be a problem if you're fair enough, but anyone slightly darker than fair or light might have problem with it. price wise it's still cheap like its predecessor, but really.. save your money. i do buy the essence to try, and i haven't tried it, so finger crossed that it might be okay. definitely won't repurchase this one.

after blending it

i totally forgot when i bought this one. all i can remember was i was running out of my emulsion, and i had no plan to go to japan (back at that time), so i had to buy something else. so when i was in singapore, i knew for sure that there were muji stores, and i decided to go with their sensitive line, their most popular line. i've tried their toner and it was okay, so i was hoping my skin would like the emulsion too.

this is the description from their website: a skincare series using natural water from kamaishi, iwate prefecture. it gives a refreshing moisture to sensitive skin that is worried about drying. hypoallergenic that is gentle on delicate skin. no fragrance, no coloring, no mineral oil, weak acid, paraben free, alcohol free, allergy tested (not allergic to all people).

the bottle

the packaging: muji products are always minimalist. for sensitive line, all bottles are made of transparent plastic bottle with metallic screw cap. on the back of the bottle there's a description and ingredients list. on the side of the bottle there's a volume indicator so you can see how much left in the bottle. i got the full size bottle which was ... ml. there's travel size as well, about 35 ml per bottle. the opening of the bottle is the same as the toner one. totally no fuss with the packaging, no extra sealing on the outer, no box whatsoever.

the back of the bottle notice the measurement on the right side of the bottle

the scent: this one is totally scentless. you could smell something but probably it's from the ingredients.

sealing on the inner opening

the bottle opening

the product: it is a milky white emulsion, a bit gel in texture. i think it has the same consistency as the hada labo alpha emulsion one. a bit more watery compared to my previous cutura emulsion. it melts into watery traces once spread onto the skin. it takes a minute or two to be absorbed.

the milk on my hand

the result: it will leave glowing traces on my face, so if you don't like glowing finish, you must use powder to make it less glowy. it hydrates my skin well and moisturizes it just enough. i think it gives similar result to my hada labo alpha. it gives perfect balance between hydration and moisture, while cutura was slightly more oily to my skin.

added label in english

for me, i like that this one is quite simple, no fuss, straightforward. for me i would like to try something new, but if i ran out of anything else, i would totally repurchase this. price wise, it was cheaper in japan, but buying from singapore still okay for me. i don't know whether they have refill pouch for this milk or not since they had toner refill but i can't find it in singapore. but i can find it in japan. hopefully they will also sell refill in other country outside japan. i think this will suitable for people with sensitive skin, combination to oily skin. for dry skin, there are other types of milk, just like the toner. maybe the moisture or high moisture version will be more suitable for dry skin.

i always go through my eyebrow pencil fast, so i decided to make husband bought me some while he was in the US. but i've already had la girl eyebrow pencil in my stash, so i only wanted to try the elf or colourpop one. i didn't think he could buy colourpop, so i was hoping he could get the elf. luckily, he did get one from elf, so i was super excited to try it once i've finished my body shop eyebrow pencil.

this is the description from elf website: this instant lift brow pencil shapes, defines, and fills in brows for a natural, polished look. the dual-sided design applies color with the fine tip liner on one side and tames and combs brows with the other to create defined-looking eyebrows with a flawless arch. neutral brown: for medium brown hair.

the original packaging

the packaging: it comes with a cardboard backing and plastic cover that protect the eyebrow pencil. there is description and ingredients list on the backing written in english. you can see the shade name under the eyebrow pencil.

the pencil itself

the shade: neutral brown is the one that i get. and it is exactly just the name. neutral brown. it is a dark brown without any reddish tone. totally neutral. it suits me well without being too dark or too red.

the pencil tip

the product: the pencil is a dual sided one. it has white body and two sides, one has transparent plastic cap so you can see the spoolie inside. the other one has white plastic cap, totally opaque, so you can't see the tip of the eyebrow pencil inside. the pencil is an automated pencil so you don't need to sharpen it. the pencil itself is creamy, the tip becomes blunt in no time. no waxy feeling whatsoever. the spoolie is big and soft, so it's a nice spoolie to soften the result.

the spoolie

the result: since the pencil is more on the creamy side than on the hard and waxy side, it's a bit difficult to draw straight hair-like lines to mimic the eyebrow hair. but it does work well in filling up spots in my eyebrow. however, since it's a bit creamy, sometimes i can brush it too much so i need to re-draw it again. but after it's done, it lasts decently. however, don't scratch or touch your eyebrow though. i suggest topping it off with eyebrow gel to make it last longer.

swatch on my hand

this is a good eyebrow pencil, easy to use, the shade is great for me, and it's quite cheap if you bought it in US. if you get it here from preorder procedure, the price might get doubled. anyway, i'm glad i have tested this one, but i don't think i'll ever repurchase since it's hard to get. not so many online shop selling elf stuff anymore. but if you can get it in the same price as the US, then you should try it. it's an oldie but goodie.

top: before bottom: after

if you've read my previous post, you've known that somehow probiotic became a "thing" here suddenly. it starts with just an online shop selling the whole line, but then all those influensters seem to use it and adore it. at first, i didn't like trying something so hype and i couldn't find anything else about it, not even a website. i did find the ildong website, but they didn't make another brand named first lab. which is quite confusing since first lab is using the probiotic manufactured by ildong pharmaceutical. anyway, i decided to plunge in because i'm curious. so i only picked the serum (because i'm running out of my current serum), the facial foam and the essence (since i thought it would be an FTE but later i find out i was wrong.. but that's for another porst) which i pick after seeing the whole list of ingredients. anyway, i've tried the serum, so it's now the foam's turn.

the box

a bit description on the box

this is the description from qoo10 sg website: thorough cleansing with elastic foam. rich & creamy foam, fine bubbles clarify deep inside pores. contains lactobacillus fermentation, lactobacillus fermentation revitalizes and invigorates skin. naturally-derived cleansing substances, naturally-derived cleansing substances are used to minimize skin irritation or dryness. moist cleansing, large amount of moisturizing factors including paeonia lactiflora root extract and glycyrrhiza uralensis root extract leave skin moisturized after cleansing. containing probiotics that break down dead skin cells, it provides non-irritating cleansing and gentle exfoliation rather than chemical peeling in cleansing.

they also put a seal on the box as well

the packaging: it comes with a white box with description at front and side in english (both descriptions are the same) and another description at the back in korean. the foam itself comes in a white plastic squeeze tube. there's another seal on the opening of the tube. it's been awhile since i bought korean face wash, and i've been used to japanese face wash, which has minimal packaging, so the box outside the tube is bit too much. since they seal the opening, it seems the box has no purpose other than add more waste, so hopefully they will just wrap the tube and use no more box. and i'm glad that it comes in big size, 140 ml which means it will last for awhile.

the tube

the scent: i thought it will be scentless like the serum, but this one has quite fragrant scent. it smells like old perfume that i found in my mom's cabinet. but it's not that strong. it just smells strong when freshly squeezed out of the tube, but once you lather it, the scent is not as strong as before.

the product: just like described, it's a pearly white face wash, slightly stringy like snail face wash. but this one easier to lather up, unlike the muji one. i can even use this with my foreo without the tight feeling. it bubbles up nicely though i suspect a foam net will help bubbles it up even more.

the description on the back of the tube

the result: this one cleans my face just as well as any other face wash that i've used. now, even though they say that it's moisturizing and non irritating, i have to warn you though, when i wash off my face really clean, this one makes my face squeaky clean. although interestingly, don't strip my face. i don't feel it's drying my skin.

the foam

i have to say after a so-so experience with the serum, i have to say i like the face wash. i think it's okay for all skin types. even though it's not so moisturizing, it's not drying either. but if you like scentless product, then you should try something else, like cosrx or krave. but if you want to join in the probiotic hype, this is a good place to start. now, would i repurchase it? i don't think so. i just bought a lot of other face wash to try, but it will be in my repurchase list once i'm out of option.

bubbling it up