metamorph-me

i've been seeing AXIS-Y products in my instagram feed or stories for quite some time. i was about to buy their set but when i checked my stash, i have quite a lot of products, so buying another set would be a waste. i know i still have a lot of face wash, and toner, and cream, so that only leaves me the serums. i don't know which one to get first when i got email from AXIS-Y team. i immediately say yes to both their serum. i never tried anything that contains artichoke before, so i'm curious about it. more over it promotes to protect skin barrier. i'm all about skin barrier protecting nowadays, probably because i'm testing various retinol products as well right now. so let's see how it goes.

disclaimer: i received the product for free from the brand, but the brand doesn't influence anything in my reviews. i'm writing the review purely from my experience.

this is the description from their website: an artichoke ampoule that delivers rich antioxidants, nutrients, and hydration to heal damaged, irritated skin barriers. phytonutrients defend against bacteria and pollutants to prevent future breakouts and irritation. retains moisture and deeply hydrates, calms irritation and inflammation, builds up skin barrier for plump, healthy skin.

6 ingredients:

- centella asiatica 110.000 ppm: boosts skin's natural healing process to prevent acne scars.

- tea tree 10.000 ppm: soothes painful irritations using its anti-inflammatory properties.

- sugar cane: removes persistent debris with alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA).

- aloe barbadensis leaf water: helps soothe skin and act as an anti-inflammatory agent.

- licorice: calms inflammation on sensitive skin caused by pollutants and rosacea.

- okra: deeply hydrates to support the development of healthy skin cells.

1 functional, coal-oriented agent:

- arthicoke: helps skin retain moisture and build up cell wall density for tight and tiny pores.

1 quality-producing technology:

LTR technology: this ampoule greatly boosts skin's hydration level after every application. it locks in moisture and keeps skin hydrated more than 6 hours, easily and quickly absorbed into your skin within 3 seconds. this artichoke ampoule soothes cracked skin and leaves skin feeling smooth after every application.

how the box looks like

description at the back in korean

ingredients list: water, aloe barbadensis leaf water, butylene glycol, sodium hyaluronate, centella asiatica extract, glycerin, betaine, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, alcohol, cynara scolymus (arthicoke) extract, sorbitol, sorbitan sesquioleate, hieracium pilosella extract, rheum palmatum root extract, althaea rosea flower extract, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, dimethyl sulfone, chlorphenesin, xanthan gum, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil, ethylhexylglycerin, polyglutamic acid, beta glucan, arginine, linum usitatissimum (linseed) seed extract, hibiscus esculentus fruit extract, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, arctium lappa root extract, hibiscus mutabilis flower extract, corchorus olitorius leaf extract, allantoin, carbomer, adenosine, melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil.

description in english

ingredients list

the packaging: it comes in a light cream yellow box with lots of description on it, both in korean and english. there's a description list on the box as well. looking at the box, it doesn't look like a skincare box. maybe because it's full of description that it looks a bit like school notes rather than a skincare product. anyway, they sealed the top of the box and the seal is quite strong. i received the packaging without any plastic bubble as well. they used paper to stuff the box, and it came safe and sound. the serum comes in a green glass bottle with dropper head. the rubber on the dropper is quite strong, so i have to pinch quite hard to get the product. there's a label on the bottle similar to the box, so the vibe is similar. it comes in 30 ml size, which is the regular size for serum. the bottle is transparent so you can see the remaining product inside.

how the bottle looks like

short description on the label

the scent: it does contain alcohol, but i didn't expect that it would have a strong alcohol scent. but as i keep using it, the scent is not as strong as the first time.

the serum inside the dropper

the product: it's a transparent gel serum, but it's quite runny so it's easy to spread around. i usually use a full dropper to a full and a half for my whole face and neck. it depends on my skin condition. this serum layers well so even if i have to use more than a layer, it would still feel comfortable, no pilling, nothing. it also layers well with my other skincare products. if i have to be a geek, looking at its ingredients list, you can tell that it's intended as soothing and moisturizing serum. it has a bunch of soothing ingredients like aloe, centella asiatica, allantoin and tea tree. tea tree is also famous as anti inflammatory. it also contains butylene glycol, glycerin, betaine, sodium hyaluronate and beta glucan which are moisturizing and good to overcome dryness, and not forget adenosine that also helps with skin barrier. at last, there's licorice that's good for brightening as well. unfortunately, it does contain alcohol, which is not good if you are sensitive to alcohol.

the serum on my hand

after blending it in

the result: the first time i was using this, my skin suffers from irritation because i was testing probably an expired product. i didn't read the box carefully. since i thought this product is soothing, i tried it for the first time and it went wrong. my face felt hot that i had to wash my face and re-do my skincare all over again. then i gave my skin a break, stopping the probably expired product and this serum until the irritation was over and started using the serum again. this time, it worked okay. i can feel the serum gives enough hydration and moisture to my skin. immediately i can feel it adds moisture to my skin, but not too heavy that i can still layer other products on top of it. i also have a breakout and redness around it the first i used it (unfortunately i didn't get the chance to take picture of it) and the redness has subsided the next day and even almost gone the next day. i have to say that it works what it promises to do, soothing and moisturizing. if i have acne, i'd put this and the next day the redness would subside. even if i use retinol, my skin still looks okay, no irritation or dryness.

you can see that in three days the inflammation subsides, but then it popped up again and gone in three days, and for the second time it shows up again

this is on my chin. the progress is not as remarkable as the one on my forehead,
but the one on the right is recovering slowly.
during period of 11-13/2, i also used vitamin c, while during 16-22/2 no added vitamin c

i have to say i'm pretty impressed with this ampoule. it delivers its promise. if you're looking for a soothing and moisturizing serum, then this is a good choice. it gives moisture without being too heavy so even if you live in hot and humid weather, this serum still works. i know that AXIS-Y might be considered as a new player, but it has complete line of products for you to try, from cleanser, mask, serum and even moisturizer. if you are curious, you can head to their website here, or check out their instagram here. if you live in indonesia, then check out their reseller's instagram as well here. fyi, axis-y is also a cruelty free and vegan as well, so for you who are looking for cruelty free and vegan korean skincare, this can be a good option.

#axisy #climateskincare #kbeauty #crueltyfree #vegan

in my other post i've said that after trying real techniques travel sizes brush, i became interested in their brushes. so far i don't feel the need of their brush set, but i was interested in their 3 in 1 brush. i bought all three of them because i couldn't pick which one i don't need, so i picked them all. i've talked about their contour brush, so now let's about the custom cheek.

this is the description on the website: customize your blush with a click. customize your makeup with a simple click. ultra plush synthetic bristles. cruelty free, easy to clean. 3-in-1 for a custom finish. custom cheek provides your choice of sheer to full coverage at the ease of a click.

max - focused application for a pop of color on apple of cheeks.

mid - medium application for a natural flush blush.

min - sheer coverage for a translucent kiss of color.

fully retractable for storage and on the go ease. use with cream, liquid, or powder blush and cream, liquid, or powder highlighter.

the packaging

description at the back

the packaging: it comes in a plastic box. there's description at the back in english. at front, it's transparent so you can see the brush from the outside. real techniques color coded their brushes, pink is for cheek, orange for complexion, and purple for eyes. since this is a cheek brush, there's a pink label marked "cheek" at the top. the handle is pink as well, but this time it's gradient with orange. usually it would be full pink. there's a slider on the side as well so you can adjust the brush according your need. min for sheer application and the brush will be all out. while max means focus application so only a small part of the brush will appear. the brush is placed in a plastic slider inside the box.

the brush inside the slider

how the brush looks like when it's fully retractable

the product: the brush is as big as the contour one. the slider works well too. the bristles is soft as well. but it's not as strong as the contour one. some bristles shed at first, but after that, nothing, no more shedding. this brush has tapered end so it looks a bit pointy. it's dual color as well but it doesn't mean it's a duo fibre one. i forgot to mention that this brush is fully retractable so you can bring it with you while travelling.

left: the min setting. right: how it looks like from the top

left: mid setting
right: max setting

the result: i've tried all modes from this brush. i use the min mode for my blushes. usually with powder blush, but somehow i'm not accustomed yet to the tapered end. it's a little weird so i still prefer my old blush brush to apply my powder blush. i usually use the mid setting for my liquid or cream blush. unfortunately, both my liquid and cream blushes are not that pigmented, so using the mid setting helps the blush shows up more. for cream and liquid blushes, it works well. it spreads the product well without any blotchiness. i use the max setting for highlighter, both powder and cream, and it works well too. i can use it to highlight my cheekbones and nose without any problem. though for cream product, i have to tap it instead of just drag it on my face.

i'm on the fence about this brush. i do like how i can use this with several products, cream and powder blushes and also highlighters. but for powder blush, i'm still not used to the tapered shape. plus the bristles shed a bit. other than that, this brush works for me. i just need to keep playing with it. if you're a beginner and don't want to spend your money for a lot of brushes, then this is a good option. you can get a blush brush and a highlighter brush in altogether. not to mention that it's good for both powder and cream products. i definitely didn't regret it.

i used to buy brushes in set. at least they should have a powder brush, a blush brush, a contour brush and a highlighter brush. then for eyes at least they have a blending brush and a shade brush and maybe a bigger one for base color or concealer. but later i found that brush set doesn't always work for me. there would be a brush or two that i never get to use. that's why lately i've been trying to buy a set that works for me, or maybe individual brushes or smaller set so i can use every brush that i have. i've been buying real techniques brushes lately since i find their prices are good for their quality. actually i wanted to buy their everyday set, but i just like two brushes out of four, so i keep putting it in my list forever. but then i saw an instagrammer used this custom brushes from real techniques. the concept is interesting, but i was afraid it won't work. when i saw that it worked well, i immediately bought them all. especially when i read they can be used with powder or cream product.

the description from their website: customize your contour with a click. customize your makeup with a simple click. ultra plush synthetic bristles. cruelty free, easy to clean. 3-in-1 for custom coverage. custom contour provides your choice of sheer to full coverage at the ease of a click.

max - focused application for sculpting the hallows of the cheekbone.

mid - medium application for framing along the jawline and forehead.

min - sheer coverage for all over warm glow.

fully retractable for storage and on the go ease. use with cream, liquid or powder contour.

the packaging

description at the back

the packaging: it comes in a plastic box. there's description at the back in english. you can see the brush from the outside because it's transparent at front. as usual, they color-coded their brushes, pink for cheek, orange for face and purple for eyes. that goes with this one. you can see "cheek" pink label at the top as well as the handle is gradient pink-orange. inside there's a slider where they put the brush securely inside.

the brush inside the slider

this is the mid setting

the product: for a full size product, the size is similar to other full size brush in my collection. but since it's fully retractable, when you retract the whole bristles, of course it would be shorter. the handle is gradient of pink and orange and it's not cylindrical but a bit elliptical. there's a slider on the side with 3 options, min/mid/max. min means it would give minimal coverage, so all the bristle will be out completely. mid means it gives medium application, and max means focused application so only short bristles will appear. the bristles is duo-color but it doesn't mean that it's made of duo fibre. the bristles is very soft, just like the travel sizes one. for the contour brush, it's angled when it's fully out. there's no shedding with this brush. my slider comes out okay, but i read in the website that some of them received faulty one, where the slider won't work. i guess you can return it if you bought this in the US, but here.. i don't know the policy. i bought this from sociolla store, and i'm glad all of mine are okay.

min setting. look how fluffy the brush is

the max setting

the result: i only use this for my bronzer and i just use the min and max mode. for bronzing the perimeter of my face, i use the min mode. it gives subtle warmth to my face. no patchy or blotchy result. while for my nose, i use the max mode. it works really well for my nose. i've been trying to pinch my contour brush, but it wasn't the same. the max mode is way easier to use.

among three brushes, this one i like the most. it gives beautiful result with no fuss. i bet even beginner can appreciate this brush. i like how finally i can find a brush that i can use for contouring and bronzing at the same time. usually i need to pinch my brush to do so, but now i don't need to. price wise it would be more expensive than local brushes or any drugstore brush, but considering the quality, i have to say it's a good investment. plus, i sometimes notice several online stores have them in sales price, so i usually wait until they're on sale before purchasing.

i have freckles and dark spots. probably it was my own fault. back in my childhood days, i would be the only girl with fair skin among bunch. and being too stand out in a crowd is not comfortable. so i tried to be under the sun as much as possible, without sunscreen. i even joined the scout team which has a ceremony exactly at noon, in the broad daylight, under the hot and sunny sun. for about two years. obviously all my efforts were useless. back then i didn't know there are skin types, and mine is the one that gets burn but not get tan. that's why it's impossible for me to be darker. but dark spots might occur. and with pregnancy, the dark spots are getting worse. that's why i've been friends with vitamin c. so far i have good result with vitamin c. i haven't tried many niacinamide or arbutin yet, so probably after testing several vitamin c, i'd try them later. i also tried to use local brands for now. among those local brands who have vitamin c serum, probably fss and votre peau are ones that came out earlier with vitamin c, so i decided to try between those two. i picked fss for now.

this is the description from their website: non greasy, no animal testing, no paraben, no dyes, no fragrance. this serum is thick in texture and white cloudy in color. easy to absorb. for optimum results, pair with hyaluronic acid serum. enriched with hyaluronic acid, MSM, vitamin E. helps with dullness, hyperpigmentation, sun damage, fine lines.

ingredients list: aqua, cassia angustifolia seed extract, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, dimethyl sulfone, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, acrylates/c10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, tocopheryl acetate, simmondsia chinensis seed oil, centella asiatica extract, equisetum arvense extract, geranium maculatum extract, taraxacum officinale extract, sodium hydroxide, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin.

the box

description at the back

the packaging: it comes in regular cardbox with color accent on the box. at first fss came out with three serums, blue one for hyaluronic acid, yellow for vitamin c and red for retinol. there's a description on the back in english and ingredients list as well. they put a seal on top of the box. the bottle is a dark brown glass bottle with dropper to dispense the product. it's usual for vitamin c serum to come in dark brown bottle, as vitamin c is oxidized by sunlight. some vitamin c are unstable so you have to keep it in the fridge. the fss one is quite stable so i don't put it in the fridge and nothing changed up until now. the dropper works well in a way.

ingredients list

how the bottle looks like

the scent: this is scentless, but since it contains quite a mix of ingredients, obviously it would have some natural scent of the ingredients. it's a bit unpleasant at first, but as time goes by, maybe i'm getting used to the scent, but it's not as strong as the first time.

the dropper (you can see it's a bit left on the rim, right?)

the serum on my hand

after patting it in

the product: the serum is a thick cloudy white gel type serum. since it's quite thick, it's not easy to pick the serum with the dropper. though i'd tried to pinch it for several seconds, i would only get a drop or two. it's supposed to be homogen, but probably because the serum is easily smeared on the rim of the bottle then getting dragged to the neck by the dropper, it became messy on the neck of the bottle. some serum dried on the neck and probably got dragged back inside. i can feel some tiny dry bits inside the serum, but it dissolves after i massage it with my hands. but it's annoying to wipe clean the neck after using the serum. i tried to use it carefully, holding the dropper straight so it won't touch the side of the bottle, but still, some would spill anyway. as i've mentioned, the serum doesn't oxidize at all even though i didn't store it in the fridge. this one contains sodium ascorbyl phosphate, which is one of vitamin c derivatives that's quite stable, though it's not as stable as ascorbyl glucoside or THD. it spreads around easily and leaves glowy finish. to tacky feeling afterward once it's absorbed. there's no tingling sensation as well.

progress on my right cheek
notice reduce redness as well as lightening of my acne scar

progress on left cheek
reduce redness and some dark spot are lightened as well

the result: this serum contains aloe and centella which both are good for soothing. that's why using the serum can calm my redness as well. it also feels moisturizing as well. it layers well under and over other skincare products that i use. i use this daily in the morning as i use other actives at night. though stable, SAP is less potent than ascorbyl glucoside, that's why on my fair skin, it's hard to notice the result. you can see from the progress pictures that although i can see some redness subsides, a few dark spots also lightens. my acne scars also lightened as well, but it takes time. unfortunately, this serum doesn't last long. i can barely managed to take my one month progress picture probably days before i would finish this serum.

i have to say that this serum is working though slowly. price wise it's still considered affordable. if you're looking for an affordable and stable vitamin c serum, especially from a local brand, this one might be good option for you. i think it'd be suitable for all skin types as it's not irritative. probably as long as you don't dread your money being spilled on the rim of the bottle and having to clean the neck afterward, then this serum is a good option for you. as for me, there are some other local brands that offer vitamin c serum as well, so i might try them all before deciding.

last time i bought the famous muji toner in the light version, and thought that it was too light for my skin. so this time when i got to visit muji japan, i bought the moisture version one. if you didn't know, there are three types of muji sensitive toner, light - moisture- high moisture. i've tried the light version (you can read it here) so now i'm trying the moisture version, hoping it would be more moisturizing.

this is the description from their website: a skin care series that uses natural water from kamaishi, iwate prefecture. moisturizes sensitive skin that is worried about dryness. contains purslane extract, grapefruit seed extract, and lipidure R (polyquaternium-51), which have a high moisturizing effect. hypoallergenic, gentle on delicate skin. fragrance free, color free, mineral oil free, weakly acidic, paraben free, alcohol free, allergy tested (not all people are allergic).

the packaging: it comes in a transparent plastic bottle with metal-like screw cap. there's description at the back of the bottle in japanese as well as ingredients list in english. there's a measuring number on the side of the bottle so you can see how much toner is left in the bottle. they have the full size bottle 200 ml and the large size 400 ml and also the travel size which is only 50 ml. mine is the 200 ml one. usually japanese products come in minimal packaging. either they don't come with boxes, or they don't seal the opening. but it guess since this one doesn't have plastic sealing on the outer part of the bottle, they seal the bottle opening to make sure it doesn't spill.

the bottle

ingredients list on the bottle

the scent: just like in the description, it's unscented. i don't know why but when a japanese product is unscented, it's truly unscented. like there's no ingredients that dares to stand out so no scent comes from the ingredients.

measurement number on the side

the bottle opening
surprisingly, they put sealing on the opening

the product: it's a watery toner and it looks like water and feels like water. i don't feel the difference between the moisture type and the light type. both are watery. sinks in quickly to my skin. i can layer this toner without any problem, and it combines well with my other skincare product. the first three ingredients in the moisture version are water, glycerin and DPG, while the light one has different order - water, DPG and then glycerin. they only change glycerin and DPG.

how it looks like on my hand

after patted it in

the result: i don't think i feel much different between the light type and the moisture type. both sinks in quickly to my skin and i can layer well. with the light type, i remember three layers can still feel light. but with this type, three layers i start to feel the added moisture. i usually stop at three or four layers because i still have other products to put on top of it that added more moisture. i guess there's not so much different between the light type and the moisture type especially if you only use one layer. this one gives hydrating and nothing else, but it doesn't promise anything else, so it does what it's supposed to do.

anyway, this toner is pretty famous, especially for those who has sensitive skin as this is unscented. i don't know how the ingredients would be for the high moisture type, so maybe next time i get the chance, i'd try that one to check the difference. as for me, the moisture type now isn't enough as i've been using more actives than before. but if you have oily skin and live in hot and humid country, this kind of toner would be a good choice. price wise, muji skincare is usually quite affordable and it comes in big size too.

i bought several real techniques brushes couple months ago. most of them were travel sizes one at first (i bought more full size brushes after trying the travel size brushes). i bought the RT grab and go at first, then the mini multitask and the midi sculpting next. i've talked about the other two, so it's time to talk about the mini sculpting brush.

the description on the website: the mini medium sculpting brush is perfectly sized for naturally defined contours on-the-go. use with liquid or cream contour. full size head, compact handle. perfectly sized for naturally defined contours on-the-go.

the packaging

the packaging: it comes in a transparent plastic box. you can see the brush from the outside. at the back, there's description in english. just like other brushes, they color coded the brush. pink for cheek brushes so this one comes in pink accent all around the box (the orange ones are for face and the purple ones for eyes).

description at the back

the product: the brush looks similar to the full size one, only it's shorter. it has glossy pink handle but matte at the bottom. there's RT/406 printed at front and the name of the brush at the back. there's no separate ferrule like other brushes. the brush comes in angled shape. the bristles is very soft. a bit dense but not as dense as the RT grab/go multitask face brush. the handle is 6 cm tall so the whole brush is about 9 cm tall. just like the multitask brush, it is easier to hold rather than the RT grab and go one.

how the brush looks like

the result: i make a mistake when i bought the brush. i thought since the grab and go is for cream product, i thought the mini sculpting one could be used with powder bronzer. there was no description on the online shop where i bought it, and i didn't remember to check in RT's website. so i was surprised when i saw that it's for liquid or cream contour again. but i didn't have any mini powder bronzer, so i keep using it for powder bronzer. for your information, my powder bronzer is the physician formula butter bronzer in the lightest shade. i can use this brush for my bronzer because the shade is quite light. i can still blend it okay without making it look too dark. but i have to be careful not to pick up too much product with the brush. i don't have any cream bronzer so i can't say anything about the result with cream. but i will update if i decided to buy any.

the brush is a bit dense than the multitask one

anyway, out of three mini brushes that i bought, so far i like them all. it's practical to bring them when you're travelling and they works really well too. though elsewhere real techniques is considered as budget brand, here with the customs and the exchange rate factor, the price became higher. but luckily, real techniques brushes are often on sales, so better get them while on sale. as for me, i can't wait to test the full size brushes that i just bought. i hope they perform as well as the mini ones.

my husband's sudden plan for us to staycation at bali last november got me buying travel size brushes. i bought the real techniques grab and glow and the multitask brush as i thought it would be perfect for brush, bronzer and highlighter and the multitask for powder because i used to bring cushion for travelling so i don't need brush for my base. and i was glad that it arrived just in time before our departure.

this is the description from the website: the mini multitask brush makes blush, bronzer, and highlighter application easy on the go. plush tapered bristles for soft focus application. use with powder blush or powder bronzer.

the packaging

the packaging: this comes in a plastic packaging. for cheek brushes, usually it has pink as base color for the packaging. at front, it's completely transparent so you can see the brush from the outside. at the top you can see "cheek" text and also the name of the brush in the middle of the front part. at the back there's a bit description in english.

description at the back

the product: the handle is pink and glossy. real techniques color coded their handles according to the type of brushes. pink for cheek, orange for face, and purple for eyes. i guess it's easier to grab the brush since you can see the difference. and it's beginner friendly since you'd know which brush for which part of your face. since this is a mini one, the handle is only 6 cm tall. it has RT texted printed on the handle along with the brush number. for the multitask brush, it's 407. they also printed the name of the brush at the back handle. the bristles is really soft. i thought my previous brushes were soft, but this one if softer. plush and soft. it's 4 cm tall so the whole brush is about 10 cm tall. it's tapered on one side but it still has a dome shape. i have no problem holding it, but if you have bigger hands than mine, then it might be too small for your hands.

the mini multitask brush

the result: i brought it with me during our staycation to bali, and i used it almost everyday. i use it for powder and blush. it works great. i can't stop admiring how soft the bristles are. i use it with pressed powder, and it works okay. since the brush is really soft, i have to swirl the brush several times more than i used to. the result is really seamless. somehow the brush blurs the powder and make it less powdery if that makes sense. however, as for blush, if i'm using something pigmented, then the result would be okay. but if i use a less pigmented blush, then i have to apply it multiple times until i get the result that i want.

how the bristles looks like, it's fluffy and soft

anyway, after trying real techniques brushes, now i get it why people love real techniques brushes. their handles are firm and their bristles are soft. even in travel sizes, they work really well. now i'm hoping i could sell my old brush set so i can buy a brush set from real technique. i've been eyeing their everyday essentials set, so i hope i could buy it someday.

ABOUT ME

SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW

POPULAR POSTS

Categories

Advertisement

Contact Form

Total Pageviews

Translate

Archives