i always want to love the body shop skincare range, however, their skincare products don't seem to agree with my skin. i've tried their drops of youth, and somehow it broke my skin. i had to stop and test it again to be sure, but i still got some breakouts. so i decided to stop it and resell the serum. it was unfortunate. anyway, the body shop recently launched edelweiss line that's supposed to replace the drops of youth line. thankfully, now they have a starter kit so i can try it in smaller size before committing to the full size. 

this is the description from their website: unlock the 5 signs of resilience, for visibly stronger, smoother, plumper, fresher, bouncier skin. our best selling drops of youth concentrate just got even better. made with 99% ingredients of natural origin, it only takes a few drops of our new edelweiss daily serum concentrate to leave ski. looking smoother, fresher, stronger and plumped with 24hr moisture. this light, non-sticky, fast-absorbing formula also forms an invisible layer over your skin to help protect it from indoor and outdoor pollution (perfect for all you city types), which can lead to dehydration, dullness and premature skin aging. smooth on a few drops every day and you'll have that fresh-faced, post-lie-in, pre-commute, healthy-looking glow in no time!

daily serum concentrate. suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin. leaves skin feeling fresher and smoother. helps protect skin from pollution. made with 99% ingredients of natural origin. now enriched with double of the concentration of edelweiss. certified by the vegan society. non-comedogenic (doesn't block pores). dermatologically tested.

main ingredients:

- edelweiss: this star crop is marveled for its resilience and power to protect and repair itself. you'll find it in our edelweiss range.

- rice peptides: derived from rice, natural-origin peptides are known to help maintain and protect the skin's natural moisture barrier. 

when i knew i was going to korea, i have this long list of products that i wanted to buy and try. however, since i only have one face, i have to be realistic and ultimately scratch some off my list. i didn't plan on buying this toner at first. however, upon reading mixed reviews about the other toner that i was about to buy, and how this one is cheaper, i decided to give this one a go. plus, this is not available yet in my country. let's see how this goes then.

this is the description from their website and olive young's: skin with a mineral glow that is full of moisture! a toner with a mineral-rich texture that not only provides smooth skin care but also moisturizes up to the 7th layer of the stratum corneum, creating a base for skin that is good for makeup application. the toner complete with 89% mineral hot spring water provides moisturizing and smooth skin texture. provides effective moisturizing boosting by adding 5 kinds of hyaluronic acid to 89% hot spring water. 89% hot spring water provides moisturizing while minerals help with deep hydration and making healthy skin. the 5 different layers of hyaluronic acid create moisturizing skin both inside and outside. contains 3000kDa high molecular to create moisture layer and retain moisture. contains 200kDa high molecular to make moisture layer. contains 50 kDa medium molecular to supply moisture and volumize skin. contains 5kDa low molecular to improve inner skin hydration. contain 1 kDa low molecular to help with maintaining inner skin hydration. contains PHA to help with low-irritating skin texture care and improving skin tightening. skin brightening product containing niacinamide.

the packaging: i bought this as a package set so it comes in a box with the picture of the product plus the gift at front. there's description at the back in korean, so i have no idea what it's about. the toner comes in a pink plastic bottle with pink plastic screw cap. the opening is as big as any other toner. they secure the opening with aluminum foil seal. it comes in 200 ml which is quite a lot for a toner, but i think everything comes in bigger size in korea. anyway, the set is a full size toner and a mini size. the mini comes in 50 ml. both toners look exactly the same. 

the scent: i think this one has subtle scent in it but i can't pinpoint what kind of scent. i'm just bad at describing scents. anyway, most korean products are scented so if you're sensitive to scent, maybe you want to try their tester at the store first. 

the product: it's a watery type toner so it's very watery. it looks like water and it's as runny as water. since it's quite watery, i can't say how much i'm using each time. i just pour some onto my palm and then pat it to my face. if i feel that my skin is dryer than usual, then i will pour some more for another layer. but usually i only need one layer each time. anyway, like i've said, it looks like water but once i pat it onto my face, i can feel that it immediately forms a thin layer of moisture on top of my skin. it feels slick, like the feel that you get when you use product with silicone. 

the result: it does hydrating and a bit moisturizing. when i first used this toner, my skin was in good condition, so it feels normal. however, when i got back from bali, suddenly my skin is breaking out. perhaps because of the weather changes between perth and bali, plus the pollution here that makes a mess with my skin. anyway, after starting to use this toner again, i notice how it immediately plumps up my skin and in such short amount of time, my skin condition is getting better. 

i think this toner delivers its promise for moisturizing and smoothing the skin. however, i don't think this toner is better than other hydrating toners that i've tried. it doesn't have that wow factor that makes me want to keep buying it. i do think that it's a good product. it will be suitable for all skin types considering it's light weight and can be layered. i forgot how much this one costs, but considering it's sold in olive young, it's still affordable. i don't think i'll repurchase it but give this one a try if you're in need of a hydrating toner. especially if you can get this especially during sales.

i made a mistake of buying the wrong set. actually i wanted to try the fresh tea elixir serum. however, the set that i bought didn't have that one. fortunately, when i went to sephora again, i spotted a set that contains this serum, so i bought it immediately. however, i wasn't reading the size of the serum. and i'm quite bummed to learn that it's really, really small. oh well, if i do like the serum, i will save some money so i can buy the full size. so let's get into it.

this is the description from their website: awaken smooth, glowing skin with this 4-piece set that includes a mini soy face wash, kombucha essence, tea elixir serum, and rose face cream in an exclusive fresh pouch. this skincare set delivers smooth, glowing results. start with soy face wash to gently cleanse. then, antioxidant kombucha essence to prep, protect and visibly repair skin. next, tea elixir serum to resist and diminish signs of aging. finish with rose face cream to strengthen and lock in deep hydration.

- 15 ml soy pH-balanced hydrating face wash

- 20 ml kombucha antioxidant facial treatment essence

- 5 ml tea elixir skin resilience activating serum

- 15 ml rose and hyaluronic acid deep hydration moisturizer

the description about tea elixir serum: an advanced face serum that boosts skin's visible resilience to everyday life stressor for smoother texture, visible glow, restored bounce, and reduced look of wrinkles. this resilience serum is powered by exclusive APT technology, proven to increase skin's bioenergetic systems and antioxidant protection. it works with niacinamide to refine the look of pores, hyaluronic acid to minimize visible lines, and ceramide to strengthen skin's barrier. 

- makes skin stronger and more resilient so it can bounce back from life stressors that lead to signs of aging

- works with exclusive APT technology to enable skin to bounce back from life stressors, niacinamide to refine, hyaluronic acid to deeply hydrate and ceramide III to strengthen

- resilient skin has smoother texture, visible glow, restored bounce, and reduced look of lines and wrinkles

key ingredients:

- niacinamide is known as vitamin B3 and helps to refine the look of pores while minimizing uneven skin tone and improving radiance.

- 5kDa hyaluronic acid helps to strengthen the skin barrier for more hydrated, supple skin.

- ceramide III works to deeply hydrate and is clinically proven to minimize the look of lines and wrinkles.

- adaptive phytocompound tea (APT) technology is scientifically proven to increase skin's bioenergetic systems and antioxidant protection.

the packaging: as i've said before, i bought this as a set. so it comes in light blue pouch with a cardboard envelope. there's a picture of everything inside at front and there's a bit description of everything at the back in both english and french. they also put everything in its respective boxes. for the serum, it's inside a dark green box. there's a bit description and ingredients list printed on the sides of the box. the serum is a miniature of the full size. it comes in a green bottle with tiny dropper to dispense the product. i forgot whether it's made of glass or plastic. but i think it's plastic for the mini. it's only 5 ml so i don't get many uses of this. the dropper is so small that i might need to go back twice. 

the scent: this one also has that same relaxing tea scent which i love so much. the scent is subtle and relaxing so it makes the experience of using this serum is more enjoyable. however, if you're sensitive to scent, you might want to skip this.

the product: it's a milky white lotion-like serum. it's runny so it's easy to spread around. since it's milky, it takes a few seconds to be absorbed, but it's absorbed well afterward. it layers well with my other skincare products and it doesn't pill. it's lightweight so i feel like i can slather it on my face numerous times. 

the result: this one is clearly moisturizing. since it's so tiny, i don't get much uses from it. so i can only say that it's really moisturizing perhaps because of the hyaluronic acid and the ceramide in it. i've also just realized that it contains niacinamide. however, my skin didn't react to it. 

i do like this one. this is moisturizing but still lightweight. plus the tea scent is soooo relaxing. i just wish it isn't that expensive. anyway, fresh is available here in sephora so you can try this if you're curious about it. price wise, it's expensive so try this if you have the budget. i think this serum is suitable for all skin types since it's quite lightweight but still giving a punch of moisture, but do avoid this is you can't or sensitive to scent as this is scented. as for me, as i've said before, i would like to repurchase this if i have the budget.

when i went to korea, i always stop by any olive young stores that i spotted. mainly because each store has different stocks. and then, i was quite fortunate that one of the myeongdong branch was just re-opened, so i got a box of samples when i purchased over a certain amount of product. inside, there are some of their best selling products, one of them was the dr.g black snail retinol ampoule. i've heard about it before but it was too pricey for me to buy the full size, so thankfully i get this as a sample so i can try it.

this is the description from their website: snail retinol shaves 6 years off your skin age. powerful! contain powerful black snail retinol. clinically proven that has powerful effect than regular retinol. the most! clinically improved solve 12 aging concerns. solve 12 aging concerns after 4 weeks of use, 6 years younger effect. mild! 4 weeks anti-aging solution for sensitive skin. clinically proven skin irritation test.

key ingredients: snail retinol - snail secretion filtrate (34%) + retinol (900 ppb) + hydroxypinacolone retinoate (1,000 ppb)

the packaging: i don't know how the full product looks like, but i think the mini size comes in a miniature of the full size one. the mini size comes in a brown-black plastic bottle with a dropper head. there's description at the back in korean. the dropper head is soft and easy to pinch. however, due to the texture of the serum, it's quite hard to suck the serum if i pinch it too quickly. i have to pinch it at least two to three seconds to suck the serum onto the shaft. the mini size comes in 10 ml which surprisingly enough for my two weeks trip to australia. 

the scent: as i'm extremely aware, most korean skincare products are scented because they believe that the scent adds something to the whole skincare experience. anyway, this one is definitely scented. it's too fragrant for a retinol serum that usually smells funky. at first i'm not used to the punch of scent, but after using it for two weeks, it doesn't smell as strong as the first time. 

the product: it's a creamy yellow serum that has strange consistency. it's a bit on the runny side, but since it contains snail mucin, it becomes stringy. that's another reason why it's hard to suck this serum with the dropper. i can only suck two to three drops at a time. and the drop falls onto my skin in a slow pace as well. if i tap the serum with the tip of my finger and slowly drag it up, it will form a thin string just like a snail mucin serum. it's a bit sticky at first, but as i spread it around, the stickiness will go away. even though this serum has a weird consistency, luckily it layers well with my other skincare products. it doesn't pill or anything.

the result: as i've said, this is just a mini serum and it lasts about two weeks and a bit more for me. i use this every night and it doesn't irritate my skin. even though it's winter and quite cold and the heater is harsh on my skin, the serum doesn't cause any dryness. though i still slather a lot of moisturizing cream on top. anyway, i think this is super mild that i doubt it's more powerful than a regular retinol. i don't see any improvement in my skin condition it doesn't get worsen either.

i think if you're new to retinol, this might be a good option since this is super mild. however, this contains snail mucin and i've heard lately that some people are irritated by it, so if you have sensitive skin, you might want to try the mini or the tester first. dr.g products are available here in sociolla, but i don't remember whether this serum is available here or not. price wise, the price range is quite expensive, but not as expensive as sulwhasoo. so maybe mid-tier? anyway, i don't see impressing result after using this for two weeks straight, so i won't purchase the full size one. however, if you like snail and new to retinol, you might want to try this if you can get this and have the budget.  

it's been scorching hot these couple months that i always reapply my sunscreen when i have to pick my kids from school. i used to just use the suncreen for my face on my arms as well. however, since i reapply them so often, i find out that i run out of my sunscreen faster than usual. so i decided it would be better to buy another sunscreen for my body and keep using my usual sunscreen for my face. i usually buy the azarine one, however when i saw the amaterasun, i decided to give it a try. you know.. i never buy one thing from a brand, so when i made my purchase, i bought three of their sunscreens in one go. two of them are part of a set and then the body sunscreen. if you never heard of amaterasun, it's a local brand that is focused on sunscreen. they don't have other products in their line up aside from sunscreens. 

this is the description from their website: 6-in-1 vegan body sunscreen with SPF 40 PA ++ formulated by intelligent DNA guardian which can protect skin against UVA, UVB, blue light, free radicals, and pollution to the DNA level. formulated by ingredients that is comfortable to use every day, can increase skin hydration, non-sticky, no white cast, no pilling and no white residue.

the packaging: it doesn't come in any box. they just wrap the tube with plastic wrapping to secure the product. there's an aluminum foil sealing to secure the opening. all their sunscreens come in similar packaging. the only difference is the color combination. for the body sunscreen, it's green and darker green for the screw cap with yellow as accent. there's description at the back in indonesian as well as the ingredients list. it comes in 100 gr which is the same size as other body sunscreen that i had before. 

the scent: this one is scented as well. it smells fragrant. floral, maybe? anyway, it dissipates after an hour or so, but it's clearly noticeable when you just slather it on your arms. usually, i don't mind a bit of scent, but somehow, i don't like this one. i don't know why. 

the product: it's a white thick cream. the consistency almost as thick as the sunscreen that my children use before they go swimming. compared to the body sunscreen from the other brand, this one is thicker. since it's thicker, it takes longer time to completely spread this around until it's invisible. it doesn't leave white cast but it takes effort for it to be completely absorbed.

the result: this one has lower SPF than i usually use. i usually use SPF 50 PA++++ for my face and arms since i used to use the same sunscreen. in terms of protection, i think this works okay. i brought this to bali with me and i don't suffer any sunburnt. oh well, except for the part where i forgot to apply this. however, i feel the need to reapply sooner than i usually do.  and they promise of non sticky, non white cast, no pilling and no white residue. the former three are true, but no white residue? i have a hard time cleaning the residue from the back of my watch. i don't know why it leaves residue when i always make sure that it's completely absorbed before wearing my watch. and even though i do sweat and else, it doesn't leave residue as bad as this before when i used other sunscreen.

honestly, this works okay, but it needs a lot of efforts rubbing it onto my arms every day. somehow, the thick consistency doesn't make it favorable to use. these days, it even makes me lazy to put it all over my arms. more over since it leaves white residue, it makes me even lazier to put it on. but i still have a lot remain in the tube, so i will try to finish it. anyway, this is easy to find here because this is a local brand. however, it costs more than my previous sunscreen. considering that it's not as enjoyable as my previous sunscreen, i don't think i'll repurchase this one. however, if you're looking for a body sunscreen and have no problem with scented product, then you can try it yourself. however, if you're asking me, i'd recommend the other brand instead of this one. 

i've seen skindoze ads numerous times, and i wanted to try them. but somehow the time wasn't right. then i decided to just buy some of their products that i probably need. i bought their face wash and their brightening serum. okay. i was at fault for not reading the ingredients carefully. i thought since they listed 3-EAA as one of their main ingredients, it is just a vitamin C serum. but turns out, after i read the full ingredients carefully, it also contains niacinamide. and it's placed higher than the EAA. oh shoot. let's hope this one works on me. or at least not breaking me out.

this is the translated description from their website: glow get it! brightening serum is a facial serum with swallow nest's extract 7500 ppm from realfood. this serum also contains niacinamide 6% and vitamin c (ascorbic acid) that works to brighten facial skin effectively. this serum is formulated with chamomilla recutita flower's extract (matricaria), extract acer saccharum (sugar maple), extract portulaca olearacea that works to soothe facial skin.

benefits: 

- nourish skin until the deepest layer to maintain skin's moisture

- brighten skin

- soothe skin

the packaging: it comes in a light green box. the brand name is embossed at front and there's description at the back in both indonesian and english. they also printed the full ingredients list as well. that's why i knew that the niacinamide is higher than the 3-0-EAA. they seal the box with sticker sealing. the serum itself comes in a frosted transparent plastic bottle with white pump head that's covered with white plastic cap. the serum comes in 20 ml which is usual for a local brand. at first, i didn't notice about the pumping mechanism, but lately i realize that they use airless pump system. i have no problem with the pumping, except sometimes it feels like shooting the serum instead of just dropping it out.

the scent: i think it's scentless and it doesn't have any foul scent due to the ingredients.

the product: it's a transparent runny gel type serum. it's quite runny so it's easy to spread it around. afterward, it gives a slight glow. i can layer this serum without any problem with my moisturizer and sunscreen. as i've said before, i have some preservation regarding niacinamide in this serum. so at first, i only use this in the morning instead of using it twice a day as i've been doing with my previous vitamin c serum. i use two to three pumps for my whole face and another pump for my neck.

the result: okay, at first, i was testing this serum around my period. the last two period, i didn't experience bad breakout. however, after changing my vitamin c serum with this one, i got one giant pimple and it was big and painful. however, i didn't notice anything else, so i keep using it in the morning. not after i finish my period that i start using this serum twice a day. so far, i can only say that it helps in moisturizing my skin. but i don't see any brightening nor soothing effect yet. however, i'm relieved to see that it doesn't break me out any further.

update: i've finished the whole stuff and aside from hydrating and slightly moisturizing, i don't see any brightness effect. it doesn't cause me any breakouts anymore, but it also doesn't help preventing acne from popping up.

i'm relieved that this serum doesn't break me out despite having niacinamide as one of its star ingredients. however, it doesn't give me satisfying result. this serum feels meh. i have to admit that i have a bit hope that this would work well, so maybe that's why i'm a bit disappointed when i see there's no noticeable change. anyway, this serum is pretty good so if you don't have any problem with niacinamide, then you could try it. it's affordable and easy to get. as for me, i won't repurchase for sure.