i've always wanted to try character mask ever since i saw them on instagram. but the prices are higher than normal masks. after all, it's only for single use, so i'm still not willing to pay extra for character only. so, i asked my sis to buy it for me when there was sales in singapore. and my sis bought me three types, and i've tried the cow and pig one, but i haven't taken any notes or taken pictures of the cow one.

this is the description from their canada website: this moisture radiance character mask provides deep moisture and radiance deep into the skin with honey rich in vitamins and minerals. dermatologist tested & formula without 6 additives (sulfate, talc, mineral oil, quarternium, polyacrylamide, paraffin).

the packaging: it comes in regular sachet with the picture of the animal in front of the sachet. for this honey one, it was a pig. english text was available at the back of the sachet.

the scent: let me tell you, it was nowhere near honey. in fact, it was quite fragrant like wet tissue. very deceiving. reading that it was honey will make you think that it was honey scented, aren't you? so i was a little bit disappointed that it was smell like ordinary wet tissue, which most sheet mask had.

the product: the mask itself is a thin one, more like paper since it was a little bit rigid, compared to etude's. and of course it had pig pictured on the mask. without the eye and the mouth part. and that leads us to the fit. the eyes hole were big, bigger than etude's. the mouth hole was big too, and wide cheek area. let's just say that i didn't feel comfortable with the fit. it was quite surprising since most of the korean mask that i've tried fit me well. but this one was way too big. pretty strange since korean are fond of small face. the essence itself was a clear type essence and it was pretty generous, but not too much.

the result: i used this mask around 30 minutes or so. and it was still wet. i couldn't keep it up any longer since i didn't feel comfortable using it. it kept dripping. although i used my daiso mask, but since the fit was quite weird, the daiso mask made it even worse. but i can assure you that it will give you what it was promised to do, which is moisture. it took a long time to dry on my face, and afterwards i can still feel that my face was slightly sticky. even when i washed my face the next morning, i could still feel the sticky feeling before washing my face.

so, i was right to buy this on sale since character masks didn't offer something new. in fact, i didn't enjoy it as much as my ordinary etude or innisfree mask. but if you want to take cute selfie and love cute masks, then try this one. after all, everyone is different, so perhaps my preference isn't the same as yours.

the mask sachet

left: before; middle: mask on my face (see it was wrinkly and weird?); right: my wet face after using this mask

this is the description from their malaysian website: skin& lab's dr.vita clinic collection is vitamin skin care solutions for various skin concerns & types. 5 vitamin creams consist of 5 different facial creams with 5 different vitamin ingredients: strong anti-aging agent (vitamin a), acne relieving (vitamin b), skin tone brightener (vitamin c), rich antioxidant (vitamin e), redness & sensitivity reliever (vitamin k).
vitamin cream a (a plus lifting): best for normal to dry skin, wrinkle improvement and anti-aging functional, approved by KFDA. better to use at night time, can be used as eye cream. good with vitamin c/e/k.


the packaging: the outer box is color coordinated. the top is silver with hologram pattern, which makes it so difficult to capture since the text is printed on the top part. the bottom of the box is colored according to the vitamin type. for A it's dark blue (slightly different from E, which is light blue). the product itself comes in a tube, just like the other, similar to toothpaste tube, with black screw cap. there's also a label on the tube that will tell you which vitamin cream it is. the size is just like the other, only 30 ml, quite small considering the other arsenals in my vanity comes in big sizes.

the scent: all i can say it's quite fragrant, but i can't describe it any further. but it's not annoying like the e one.

the product: it's also a white cream just like the e one. but it has different consistency. the a one is quite watery, while the e one is quite thick. although it's watery, it takes a while to be absorbed. and i don't know about the finish, but sometimes i feel it leaves slightly sticky feeling, but some days it doesn't. i don't know what gives the different feeling, but usually the order before using this cream is pretty the same, so i really don't know what causes it.

the result: well, since i don't have any lines or wrinkle yet, i don't know how to judge its anti-aging properties. all i know, it's quite moisturizing, but not as heavy as the e cream, so it can be layered with other moisturizing product. even sleeping pack at the end of my routine. even though it works best for normal to dry skin, i think combination skin can use this one too, as for oily skin, perhaps trying the sample first would be wise.

well, suffice to say that i won't be purchasing all those creams again, not because it's useless, but because of the effect is not quite noticeable. i stopped using these vitamin creams while i was away to melbourne, and my skin didn't experience any changes except for longing moisture since it was winter in melbourne and i didn't have my usual arsenal. with the size and the price, i don't think i'm willing to pay that amount of money for 30 ml tubes that only gives me moisture. but all of them don't break me out, and people keep saying that i don't age, so perhaps the creams help, or perhaps it's the whole skincare routine. but hey, don't let me stop you for trying these creams.. after all, it might be different for you. YMMV!

the outer box (yay to english text!)

the tube on my hand

the seal, the product on my hand, and you can see how watery it is

if you're reading my blog, then you might know that i'm not impressed with my loreal telescopic mascara. and i wanted to try maybelline lash sensational one since it gets a lot of rave from a lot of people. it must be good and i have to try it! but unfortunately, here in indonesia, we don't get the same product as quick as it has to be, sometimes even never. very annoying, isn't it? then we went to japan. and i found out that they sold maybelline at donki. and when i saw this one, i grabbed this instantly and never look back. since probably i might change my mind.

this is the description from their website:
lash sensational washable mascara. this fresh liquid formula captures lashes from root to tip for a full-fan effect. exclusive fanning brush with ten layers of bristles reveals layers of lashes for a sensational full-fan effect. ophthalmologist tested. suitable for contact lens wearers.
how to use:
use inner curve to reach the roots of lashes. sweep from the root to tip of lashes. do not let mascara dry in between coats.

the packaging: the tube is chubby, just like any maybelline mascaras. most of them are chubby, so not so travel friendly since it will bulk inside your makeup pouch. the color though.. this time they pink rosy pink color, soooo pretty. the moment i saw it i wanted it since it's so pretty.

the product: the wand is similar to loreal butterfly mascara, which i loved. it was made of plastic, and each bristles can be seen easily, which means it doesn't pick up too much product that might clump my eyelashes. the wand has two sides, one has slightly longer and curved bristles, while the other side has short comb-like bristles. so it's supposed to help curl and lengthen your eyelashes.

the result: the bristles really helps to separate the eyelashes, i don't experience any clumping if the mascara is still wet. but if you applied more coat after it's dried completely, then it might clump. it does help lengthen my eyelashes, and for me, it's okay to use it on my lower lashes. but some might not comfortable using it on lower lash since the shape of the wand is unusual. but it doesn't give much volume to my eyelashes. and i've tried it without curling my eyelashes first and curling it first. if i didn't curl my eyelashes, the mascara doesn't help much with the curling, even it weighs my lashes down. i don't experience flakiness but some said that this one becomes flaky at the end of the day. but however, i don't use this all day long, so probably it's not long enough to be flaky.

so, definitely like this better than loreal one. love the wand since it's similar to loreal butterfly mascara which i also love. and usually i like waterproof mascara, but this one, i don't mind with it being not waterproof. but i do hope that it will help with curling without have to curl it using eye curler.

the packaging

the mascara tube and the unique wand (notice the different shape on different side)

top - before middle - without curling it first bottom - after curling it

left: maybelline lash sensational right: loreal telescopic mascara (notice that the maybelline one fuller than loreal one)

if you've read my previous post, then you might know that i only bring a sample sachet to my last trip to melbourne. i usually try a lot of samples during my holiday, and honestly, i'm quite happy that it's a hybrid product since i don't have my usual skincare. i got this sample along with my birthday gift from my sister. but since i only have one sachet, this won't be a thorough review, but only a quick impression.

as i've told you before, i was planning to use up all my samples before the baby came, and holiday is a perfect time to use some of those samples, but i prefer doing it safely, mainly sunscreens and facial wash only since my skin has been in pretty good condition, so let's say that i'm worried that tasting a new essences or creams will give me breakouts. and i thought summer in japan is perfect time to test a sunscreen sample, so it's time to put the famous missha sunscreen on test.

this is the description from misshaus: sun milk for daily use. refreshing and lightweight formula absorbs quickly and gives a smooth soft finish without the sticky feeling, shine, and white cast to protect skin from uv rays. contains myrciaria dubia fruit extract for bright and clear skin. natural barrier complex and thanaka protect skin from harmful environmental factors, while hydrating and nourishing the skin.



the packaging: the full size version is just like the picture above, the one in the pink bottle. the sample also comes in a bottle-shaped sachet with pink color just like the full size version. and just like most samples, no english description at the back.

the scent: okay, honestly i forget a little bit about the scent, but one thing for sure, it's quite fragrant, but not too overpowering. but more fragrant than my etude's sunscreen. personally, i like sunscreen that doesn't smell like sunscreen.. you know.. i think most sunscreen have that similar scent, so that's why i like my etude one since it doesn't smell like usual sunscreen. but this one is slightly too fragrant for me.

the product: the sunscreen itself is a very liquid milky white cream, it spreads easily. but you have to be careful if you're using a sample, since it's quite runny. one sachet can be used up to 2-3 times.

the result: this sunscreen doesn't give me white cast and no breakouts too. as for the protection properties, i have no saying since japan was cloudy during the time i used this sunscreen.

so, although this one doesn't smell like usual sunscreen, no white cast and no breakouts caused, but i still don't think i will buy the full size version, although many people love this sunscreen. if biore one is THE japanese sunscreen, then this one is THE korean sunscreen. the one that people talk about and fall in love with. well, let me say that until i try my biore, i won't give any judgement. but if you love this sunscreen, please tell me about it... perhaps i can be persuaded..

the sachet sample and the sunscreen on my hand

hi everyone! it seems ages but it's only 10 days or so. i visited my brother in melbourne and the whole family came too, so it was a good reunion-kind-of holiday. luckily the whole family was there so i had a lot of help dealing with my two kids. being pregnant and all, it was quite tiring dealing with two kids, so i'm grateful they were there. but i won't talk about my holiday in this blog. what i will talk about is about the disaster that happened slightly before departure.

we tried to leave earlier, but somehow the traffic wasn't friendly with us. there was an accident at the freeway, so we had to turn around, but the other way was also jammed with vehicles. and we were late. they had called our names at the airport before we came, and my husband had to argue with the counter staff about our baggage, and sadly, we had to leave them. yep. we had to leave our baggage.. the baggage that full with our clothes, and medicines, and the kids' formula and medicine..

oh well, if it was the old me, i would freak out like my mom, but i was with my husband quite some time, so i didn't blame him. he couldn't control the traffic, so at that time, my only concern was my kids medicine and formula since i knew well i couldn't get them in australia. my little one was sick and she was on cold medicine which have to be prescribed in melbourne. but unfortunately, the time wasn't enough. we were in bali for transit, and my husband quickly called gojek driver to buy the baby formula and essential baby stuff, and he found it. but unfortunately, since the formula was quite expensive, the gojek driver didn't have enough money to buy the medicine, so we decided to just take the formula and baby essentials.

so our first day was spent to buy clothes. thankfully there's target. hahaa.. cheap clothes for emergency. and you might wonder, what happened to my skincare? well, my skincare was also in our baggage and being left at home, so i had no skincare at all when we arrived at melbourne, not even a face wash. i only had biore face wipes and a sachet of missha all in one cream. but at that time i completely forgot the sample. buying another korean skin care is out of question since it's not common, plus i had to buy full size, while i still had a lot of stuff back home. buying common skincare was also not an option, since i can't browse what to buy there, and again, everything was sold in full size. luckily, i asked my sis to buy me stuff from q10 and brought it to melbourne. i ordered scinic snail AIO, goodal firming sleeping pack, SNP aqua bird nest eye patch, hadalabo mild peeling lotion and bifesta cleansing water. i think it will be enough..

so, at the first few days, i used my sis travel size facial foam and then bought neutrogena one since i thought my sis will run out of her facial foam if i kept using hers. and there's no travel size, so i had to buy the full size one. for makeup wipes, i used my biore facial wipes. for essence, serum, and cream, i use the snail AIO. it was light, but surprisingly moisturizing enough for daytime. but at night, i use the goodal sleeping pack. almost every night since it was winter and i think only AIO won't be enough. for the first week, it seems enough. but around our time to get home, i noticed that my skin is a bit dry, probably due to harsh cold wind around that time. but somehow, i managed. i even slap the sleeping pack during daytime if i noticed my skin was drier than usual. hahaha..

okay, somehow i managed, but once i got home, i slapped my usual skin care for the straight three days before using acids again. and sleeping pack almost every night to counter the dryness. luckily it doesn't make me greasy since here's super duper hot. like melting hot. even other people who stayed in surabaya complained about the heat! i must say i'm quite lucky i had my sis bringing my stuff over so i don't have to buy something entirely new. however, i still don't think it's enough, but it's enough for emergency. thank God for those hybrid products. how about you guys? have you ever been in same situation as me? and what did you do?