Secret Key Snail Repairing Eye Cream Review

Hello everyone :)

   I have for review today a product which I have been using for almost half a year. Since it is a skin care item I wanted to use it for a good amount of time before I reviewed it so I could give as accurate an opinion as possible. It is the Secret Key Snail Repairing Eye Cream. This is a part of the Snail Repairing line from Secret Key. I reviewed the sun cream from this line previously and that review can be found here. I bought this product from Beautynet Korea here for $6.22 USD and you get 30g of product.
   
   This eye cream claims to tone up the skin around the eyes and to revive the delicate skin. This eye cream contains snail secretion filtrate and is supposed to be very mild. Some other active ingredients in this eye cream are adenosine, beta-glucan, niacinamide, arbutin, macadamia seed oil, jojoba seed oil and scualan. These ingredients are also supposed to help with elasticity and with fine lines.

    The packaging is a simple beige tube with a brown twist-off cap and brown writing. There is also a small gold snail on the tube. I have to say the product is bigger than I expected. You only need a small amount for each use and I have been using it for almost half a year and I still have almost half of the tube left. For $6.22 I would say that this is definitely a good value for your money.

Approximately how much I would use for both eyes

   The texture of this cream is like a light cream. It absorbs into the skin quite easily. This line is better suited to combination to oily skin I think unless you live in a very humid or warm place. When I received this item it was very cold and dry out so this cream wasn't quite moisturizing enough for my dry under-eye area. However, during the spring and summer it worked really well because it was light enough to not feel heavy or oily. You can see a demonstration of the texture and consistency of the cream below.

   This product does have a bit of a scent but it is not too strong. It smells just sort of lotiony. I experienced no irritation using this product which was good because I have really sensitive eyes and a lot of products either burn, make my eyes all red, watery or itchy. I however did not notice any significant changes in the appearance or texture of the skin around my eyes while using this product. I personally think that this eye cream is best suited to someone who is younger and is looking for a good mild eye cream to prevent aging and to just keep the eye area moisturized. If you are looking for something to help with wrinkles or aging eyes then I don't think this would be the right product for you.

   Overall I liked this product but since I live somewhere where it is very cold and dry for a large portion of the year I think that I will look for something that is a little richer since I am very prone to getting patchy and flakey areas around my eyes during cool weather and I found that this eye cream did not exactly stop this unless I applied a thick layer of cream. However, if you are young, on a budget, or have oily skin and are looking for a lightweight eye cream then you may really enjoy this. Have you tried any of the Snail repair line? :)

        What I liked: - Lightweight
                              - Non greasy
                              - Non irritating
                              - Good price/value for your money

What I didn't like: - Didn't help with fine lines
                              - Sometimes isn't moisturizing enough for drier skin

Rating: 3/5

This product was purchased with my own money and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
 
 

 
 
 

A'pieu Rilakkuma For Your Shadow #No.4 Good After Brown Review

Hello everyone :)

  I have for review today a special edition eyeshadow palette from the Brand A'pieu. This is part of the Rilakkuma limited edition collection. I bought this from Jolse for $11.98 USD. I have this in the shade Good After Brown. There are three other shades for this product which are #No. 1 How To Some which is orange toned, #No. 2 Feeling Coral, and #No. 3 Call My Name which is pink toned.
 
   The packaging is very cute and was a huge part of why I bought it. It is a small yellow compact with Rilakkuma's face on it. When you first open the palette the plastic cover on top of the eyeshadow has cute little drawings of the characters on it. The size is a little smaller then I expected but I don't mind because you still get a good amount of product and the small size makes it good for travelling. The palette has a convenient mirror inside of it as well. No brushes or applicators are included in the palette. I kind of wish even a small one was included so I don't have to pack an eyeshadow brush when I want to take it anywhere overnight. However, that is just me nit-picking and since they didn't include any applicator that means there is more room for the actual product. :) In total you get 7.6 grams of eyeshadow.

   I chose Good After Brown because the shades are very wearable and are good for everyday. Also Good After Brown is the only palette out of the four to contain mostly matte shades. I find a lot of Korean eyeshadow palettes to be very shimmery so this was a nice change. I do of course like shimmery or glittery eyeshadows but I wanted something to wear to work on a daily basis so this seemed more functional. There are four shades in the palette. The first one is a matte light brown, the second is a matte medium warm-toned brown, the third is a darker chocolate brown and the last shade is a glittery gold shade.

First two swatches are top half of the palette
Second two swatches are lower half of the product

   The matte shades all kick up a bit of powder when I use them but it isn't too bad and I would say they have a decent pigmentation and blend well. The glittery shade is pretty pigmented for a glitter eyeshadow. Personally, I like the amount of pigmentation this palette has because the shadows do not look chalky on me and they aren't too overly pigmented which can sometimes be too stark for me. I think I must be one of the few people who like sheerer eyeshadows haha. The wear time and pigmentation is good even without an eyeshadow primer and using an eyeshadow primer will just improve this.
 
  Overall I really like this product and get tons of use out of it. I was looking for brown eyeshadows exactly like the ones the palette contained so this was a really good find for me. I think almost everyone will enjoy at least one of the four palettes. I personally believe that #No. 4 Good After Brown will suit a large range of complexions and is very natural looking and wearable so I highly recommend this. If you are interested in purchasing this you can find it here. Have you tried any of A'pieu's Rilakkuma collection? If you have let me know!

        What I liked: - Super cute packaging
                              - Natural looking
                              - Travel friendly
                              - Blendable

What I didn't like: - Nothing!

Overall Rating: 5/5

This review was completely unsponsored and the product was purchased with my own money.

Zymogen Houttuynia Cordata Ferment Serum and Centella Ferment Cream Review

Hello everyone :)

  I have for review today two products that are highly recommended by Hanbyul in her Acne Care Routine videos on youtube. You can see part one here. Both products are from the brand Zymogen. I purchased both products off of the website Jolse. The serum contains 105ml of product and I purchased it for $23.18 USD. The cream contains 50 ml of product and I purchased it for $27.98 USD. The serum is supposed to help with oily, troubled skin while the cream is supposed to soothe and heal rough skin.

   I have used these products together on and off for about three months now. I do find that when I use the products in conjunction with each other that I do have less acne and less breakouts overall. The serum is quite watery and contains Houttuynia Cordata, Sophora Japonica, and Licorice Root extract as well as Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate and Tea Tree Oil. All of these ingredients help moisturize as well as calm down acne. I would only use this if you have oily skin because it does contain alcohol and may be drying for dryer skin types. I however did not see much oil control using this product.

    The cream contains Centella Asiatica extract as well as gold. Centella Asiatica extract has been traditionally used for wound healing and so it makes sense how it could help acne prone or irritated skin. :) This cream is quite heavy and oily feeling so for oily skin I would only use a small amount. I do not find that this breaks me out though. It actually helps soothe my skin. This cream would be good for drier skin types but oilier skin types can use it to help acne if you just use a small amount or use it at night time.

    I found that it took a couple of weeks for my breakouts to clear up while using this. When I stopped using these two products to try different skincare items I noticed an increase in my acne. I started using these products again and my breakouts got better. I find that these products don't completely erase all acne but they greatly reduce the severity. The cream also ends up absorbing into my skin if I pat it in so the oiliness doesn't bother me too much. Both products have a medicinal/herbal scent but I kind of like this because it makes me feel like it's working more haha.

    Overall I do like these products and I feel like they help. I do want to keep trying new products though to see if I can find products that will help clear up and prevent breakouts even more. I do recommend trying these products though if you want a mild acne care line without salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. I would definitely consider repurchasing these products in the future. What do you think? Have you tried this combination? Let me know if you have!

        What I liked: - Helped with breakouts
                              - Did not irritate my skin

What I didn't like: - Cream may be heavy for oily skin types
                              - Serum may be too drying for dryer skin types
             
    Overall: 4.25/5

I purchased these products with my own money and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish SPF 50+/PA+++ Sun Milk Review

Hello everyone :)

  It's been a while since I have posted a review. I have been very busy with my application to college and with getting a new job. :) But I have had lots of time to test some new products. I have for review today a sunscreen from the brand Etude house. It is called the Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Sun Milk. It has SPF 50+ as well as PA+++.  This product claims to be non-sticky and to not leave a white cast. The sun milk also uses 100% mineral based ingredients for UV protection. It also contains 20 different kinds of vegetable ingredients such as Dwarf Ground Sedge extract, Sunflower Seeds, acai berry, acerola, portulaca oleracea, centella asiatica, mistletoe leaves, aloe vera, cactus and hyaluronic acid.

    The bottle is a light turquoise with a white cap. The cap twists off and you squeeze the bottle to get the product out. My biggest gripe with this product is probably the packaging. When I first got it the cap would just not stay on properly so I just don't feel like I could take this anywhere with me. The cap would just not lock in place. Weirdly enough after about two months it started clicking in place better? Maybe I just got a slightly defective bottle. With this product you get 55ml of product for $13.20 USD on the Etude House website.

  Ingredients (taken from Etude House website): Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Oxide, Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Dipropylene Glycol, Titanium Dioxide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract, Carex Humillis Root Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Malpighia Emarginata (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Methicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Butylene Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Cellulose Gum

    I have been using this sun milk for about 4 months. The texture is very liquidy and has a slight citrus scent. You do need to shake this before you use it so the product does not separate. The sun milk does have a little bit of an oily feel to it. It isn't too bad though. After I apply it on my face it does seem to dry down a bit and it feels pretty nice. My skin just feels soft and moisturized. This sun milk also does not have added fragrance in the ingredients list. The citrusy scent I believe comes from the natural citrus oils in the sun milk. Citrus oils can sometimes increase sensitivity to the sun. I was a little concerned about this before I started using the sun milk but I haven't experienced any sensitivity while using this. I also regularly use a BHA and an AHA and I find that this sun milk gives me adequate protection. I wore this sun milk on my face when I went to the fair all day and it was very sunny out and there was no shade and I didn't get a burn or any sun damage.

   I do not find that this leaves a white cast. It blends in nicely with my skin. I can not speak for darker skin tones though. However, the formula is not thick so I do not think that the effect would be very noticeable if there was any sort of white cast. My skin is fair and is also sensitive and acne-prone. My skin is normally combination but lately has been more of a dehydrated-oily skin type. I have not noticed any breakouts using this product. If you are acne-prone though you should know that this does contain Stearic acid which is a potential acne trigger.  This product doesn't really make me oilier but it also doesn't control oil. When you apply this product it kind of feels like you are just applying a day lotion. You don't get the heavy and greasy feel of Western sunscreens. I like that you can apply a relatively liberal amount for proper sun protection without it feeling like you have a heavy layer of something on your face.

Unblended

Blended

  Overall I think that this is a pretty good product. I would recommend it for pretty much all skin types. It is very mild and it sits well under makeup. Would I repurchase this? I'm not sure. I do like it but I think that I would like a product that is more water based. That is just my personal preference though and does not reflect on the quality of the product. My only real issue with this product is the packaging it comes in but if I just leave the bottle at home then its okay and the issue did seem to remedy itself weirdly enough. Have you tried this? Let me know what you think. :)
 
        What I liked: - Lightweight formula
                              - No breakouts
                              - No irritation
                              - No white cast

What I didn't like: - Can feel slightly oily to the touch
                              - Cap did not close tightly

      Overall rating: 4/5

This product was purchased with my own money and all thoughts and opinions are unbiased.