Mizon Great Pure Cleansing Oil 145 ml Review

Ingredients:

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Mineral Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Water, Butylene Glycol, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Heliathus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Linoleic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Water, Hedera Helix (Ivy) Extract, Gypsophilla Paniculata Root Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Fragrance.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- This cleansing oil is very poor at emulsifying and it's almost impossible to rinse off of skin, it sticks like glue, no matter how you try to wash it off. The oily half emulsified thick layer just moves around!

- A second cleanser is a must as you must get the thick layer off somehow

- Fragrance is something I don't like at all, very strong and sharp, goes deep into my nose

- Takes so much more time to use than Tosowoong's Apricot Cleansing Oil for example (it emulsifies immediately and washes off clean)

- Not enjoyable to use for me at all




+ Very good slip on skin, feels thin and nice in the beginning, not much oily at all - then it all goes wrong...

+ Does get the make up off, 1-2 pumps is enough

+ Doesn't irritate my eyes, but I'm hesitant to go near my eyes with this oil as it's so difficult to get off

+ In the end, skin is soft

+ Doesn't seem to make my skin to break out

+ The lilac retro feeling packaging is really appealing to me

* Ok, so Mizon's Great Pure Cleansing Oil cleanses the make up and sunscreen in the end but this is not a product for me. I have however read reviews where people said that the scent was faint and lovely and the oil is the best they've used... so it's all personal experience.

* This cleansing oil does have some interesting oils included, like grape seed oil and evening primrose oil.

* I wonder if using this as non-emulsifying cleansing oil could help the issue? Massage this oil to skin, then wipe if off and wash the residue with a second cleanser... But I do want a cleanly emulsifying oil cleanser, something as easy as possible.

* I'm thinking I should try next Clinique's Take The Day Off Cleansing Oil. Seems to be a cult favorite, easily available and in a cute lilac bottle, as well! (I still do use Tosowoong's Cleansing Oil as it's a great staple but I like trying new things on the side.)

Price: 

USD 16.21 / 145 ml

Bought from: 

Ebay seller roseroseshop

Buy again? 

Definitely no.

Worth the money? 

I do regret buying Mizon's cleansing oil. I'm just powering through it right now because I've paid for it so I feel I'm obligated to not waste it. I don't recommend it for anyone really. This is not anymore about the price per ml or how great results are, it's just that the user experience is so bad that it's almost torture.

Tonymoly The Black Tea London Classic Cream 60 ml Review

Ingredients:

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract , Cyclomethicone, Glycereth-26, Glycerin , Dipropylene Glycol,, Butylene Glycol, Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide , Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate,
Jojoba Esters, C12-16 Alcohols, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate SE,Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Phytosteryl Isostearyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Water, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Behenyl alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Polysilicone-11, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Arachidyl Glucoside, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Crosspolymer, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tromethamine, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Dextrin, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil , Glyceryl Caprylate

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Such a cheap looking and feeling plastic packaging. The size looks huge but the product jar just sits inside the bigger, empty container. And of course the big tub that is half empty, takes more space in my small cabinet!

- The lid is annoying to screw open and close. And of course it's not very hygienic to expose the cream to air every time you open the tub.

- The product didn't come with a spatula (which I would expect when product is in a tub and costs over 15 €).

- The smell is cheap faint citrusy (not strong, barely noticeable after you've started to use the product) that I just can't bring myself to like

- If you apply too much it doesn't seem to absorb properly and feels and looks somewhat greasy and shiny.

- I feel this cream is not suitable for oily skin.

-  I'm not a big fan of this cream under make up unless the make up products/sunscreen is a very drying type.




+ I think this product gives me the feeling that it's exactly what I wanted and thought I would get when I purchased The Body Shop's Drops of Youth Cream! (Which turned out to be very unusable.) Meaning that this is great for aging skin.

+ Hydrating and moisturizing at the same time. When I put this cream in the evening, my face feels still moisturized and smoothed in the morning.

+ Good for dry skin and as a night cream/sleeping mask. Feels pleasant after using AHA products.

+ The cream is really creamy and soft and melts on skin, you don't need much.

+ The 60 ml tub size feels generous, especially because you need so little that it lasts for a long time.

* I don't see very many reviews floating around for this product... I got lots of samples of Tonymoly's Black Tea London Classic Cream in the beginning of my skincare journey and I liked them good enough so I bought it! I was struggling to find a moisturizer for my suddenly aging skin. Before I had never felt dryness and it started suddenly. (Also the reason I started this notebook blog!)

* I've had the Black Tea London Classic Cream now for a bit over a year and I've been using it on and off. I don't think it's breaking me out, not badly at least, maybe a little pore clogging if used too much/often?

* Tonymoly doesn't have the best reputation with skincare products. Their thing seems to be the gimmicky cute packaging and make up products. However based on the things I've tried from Tonymoly, they are not bad compared to other brands of the same level. But still my first choice probably would not be Tonymoly. 

Price: 

About 18 USD including shipping / 60 ml

Bought from: 

Beautynetkorea

Buy again? 

Probably not.

Worth the money? 

Interesting because the cream itself is fine but everything else around it, packaging, smell, the overall experience using it is not pleasant. It's not for all skin types either, it can feel greasy. I feel it's a bit (a couple of dollars) overpriced but it does last for a long time (I purchased this at the very beginning of my skincare journey) and it feels so, so pleasant when skin is so dry that it's hurting. But then again there are a lot of options from pharmacy brands for a problematic dry skin as well.

NIOD Sanskrit Saponins 180 ml Review

Ingredients:


Aqua (Water), Stearic Acid, Sapindus Mukurossi Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Arginine, Polysorbate 60, Acacia Concinna Fruit Extract, Balanites Aegyptiaca (Desert Date) Fruit Extract, Gypsophila Paniculata Root Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Melanin, Sorbic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Should be used within 6 months after opening

- Strangely doesn't feel like it cleanses the skin, I don't know how to explain? I know it's not a make up remover, that's why I use it in the morning

- I think Sanskrit Saponins causes me to break out or purge - tiny whiteheads on my cheeks, forehead, that are gone the next morning (usually I don't have breakouts on my cheeks)

- Doesn't leave skin as soft as my normal cleanser, Garnier's Micellar Gel

- The smell is quite peculiar, like flour and yeast and something earthy? I wouldn't say it's bad, but it's not especially nice either

- The tube design is from hell! The cap is small, difficult to open, you have to keep the tube upwards so that the cream doesn't leak everywhere when you open the cap!

- The price




+ After using Sanskrit Saponins for the first time in the morning, I couldn't help but take a double look on my face everytime I saw myself in mirror during that day - my skin was so naturally glowy/healthy! (I wasn't wearing any makeup.)

+ My pores do look quite small afterwards... or like smoothed a bit. A bit mysterious. I'm in a wrong time of month for my pores to look this good. (I try to follow how hormonal changes affect my skin.)

+ I like the creamy, soft but not soft, thick and thin at the same time consistency of SS

+ SS can be used as a cleanser and also as a mask (haven't tried yet)

+ No irritation, don't feel that it makes my skin any more dry than other cleansers (Deciem warns that it might at first for some seconds)

+ The NIOD sticker on the package is the coolest sticker I've seen for a while. I do love when companies make creative/beautiful packages. (But why is the actual tube so bad to use then? Did design get in the way of practicality?)

* Got this tube a long ago on Deciem's Back Friday sale that was crazy (2017?). 2018 they had nothing I wanted for prices I wanted. Just now I had the time to actually take a closer look at it. Life is also crazy and time flies. I just hope my Sanskrit Saponins hasn't gone bad while being in storage this long.

* I will have to come back and talk about SS more when the tube is ending, some weeks is not enough time to tell if this could be the secret weapon for my skin! 

Price: 

41,00 € / 180 ml

27,00 € / 90 ml

I paid 5 € if I remember right

Bought from: 

The Ordinary webstore, during Black Friday sale

Buy again? 

Probably not. Unless the glow gets even better (!) and I stop having those whiteheads. 

Worth the money? 

So tempted to say no, especially if you are trying to save (I want to buy a cheap trip abroad rather than a couple 41 € cleansers a year) and have other very good inexpensive cleanser already. But on the other hand, Sanskrit Saponins is almost more like a treatment than a cleanser in my eyes (I like my cleansers to take off makeup too). And it is pretty impressive to see results on my pores/glowiness after all this time I've also been using The Ordinary's Lactic Acid 10% and Salicylic Acid 2% and who knows what. But it's not like I suddenly look like a goddess because of some cleanser.

This sticker was the most exciting thing in this packaging. Maybe I'm easily amused. So you get 3 pointless pictures of NIOD sticker!

Ahead is not further than behind. Rest in peace, Brandon.

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Asiatica 100 Ampoule 100 ml Review

Ingredients:

Centella Asiatica Extract.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Honestly can't notice any difference whether I use it or not. Actually in the beginning I started to break out a little after switching from LJH's Tea Tree Essence to this.

- Can't feel that it would hydrate much.

- No soothing effect.

- Dropper feels too long to use comfortably, feels delicate.




+ Feels very nice on skin, basically like water, absorbs quickly.

+ Bottle feels sturdy and nice.

+ Very good packaging, bottle is also wrapped in plastic.

+ Clear best before dates.

+ No fragrance.

+ Can be layered. Doesn't affect other products.

* I was very excited about centella asiatica products when I discovered them for the first time and I've had some success with them, too. So a big bottle of centella asiatica essence felt like a logical thing to buy, right? Still, after a long time of using it, I don't really notice any reason to use it anymore and I just don't reach for it. Maybe the ampoule works for other people, I hope so at least. I will probably just try to end it by splattering the rest of it on my neck or use as a mist.

* But I must say maybe this essence is something you have to use for a long time and consistently and I failed to do that and that's why it's not working? Maybe my skin just doesn't need it?

Price: 

$15.99 USD

Bought from: 

Bbcosmetic

Buy again? 

No, at the moment I don't think so.

Worth the money? 

For me, no... quite expensive for water as I have no idea how much extract is in the product and I don't notice any difference whether I use it or not. But it's not doing any harm either and watery products feel nice on my skin. Eh, maybe Skin1004's Madagascar Centella Asiatica Ampoule should be even a bigger bottle and labeled as a toner. But for an ampoule 100 ml is a lot.

Derma Face Sun Lotion/Solcreme Ansikte/Aurinkovoide Kasvoille SPF 30 UVA+UVB 50 ml Review

Ingredients:

Aqua, Dibutyl Adipate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Distarch Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenol Triazine, Ceteareth-20, Saccharide Isomerate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceteareth-12, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Acrylates/C10-30 Slkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Sodium LAureth Sulfate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Dehyroacetic Acid.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- I wish this was SPF 50 but for winter SPF 30 is ok too

- I don't like the slight chemical smell that lingers. The sunscreen is unfragranced.




+ Zero white cast

+ Natural finish, satin like, no greasiness

+ Absorbs fast, 5 minutes tops

+ Works well with make up on top (not exactly a primer though)

+ Affordable

+ Pump bottle! And it dispenses a good amount and feels sturdy, despite the packaging looking plastic and cheap

* I've been using Derma's sunscreen only for a little while despite buying it last summer. I just didn't remember to use it, and I was favoring a physical/chemical sunscreen mixture that definitely stayed on my face (Clio's Kill Protection Matte/No Sebum). Derma Face is purely a chemical sunscreen.
.

* I haven't noticed that this sunscreen would be breaking me out yet. I hope it won't, as it seems it has everything going on for it, despite it not being SPF 50 and not being exactly a glamorous to use (the smell, bottle look, the pharmacy look brand).

* I know now that I shouldn't buy too many sunscreens at the same time, I can't test them properly in a short time. Also they lose their effectiveness apparently in a year? Or at least some of it.

No white cast at all!

Price: 

Can't remember clearly but definitely under 10 €, maybe 6-8 € / 50 ml

Bought from: 

Supermarket

Buy again? 

Maybe? Will have to test run this one more and check out the competition!

Worth the money? 

Definitely, I'm actually very surprised how good Derma's Face Sunscreen is! It's definitely worth a try if you're struggling to find an affordable and reliable gentle sunscreen that doesn't feel or look like sunscreen. It really has made me question my needs and wants of ordering sunscreens outside of EU, like from South Korea.

Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Clear Lotion 170 ml Review

Ingredients:

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Disodium Succinate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxyethlcellulose, Methylparaben, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Succinic Acid.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Leaves a slight tacky/sticky feeling if applied generously (disappears after a while though)

- Too many layers and applied too often feels pore clogging?

- When my skin feels and looks ok, doesn't really make any difference



+ No fragrance

+ Soothing

+ Good value - the bottle is big and you only need little at a time

+ Versatile - can be a toner, essence, serum, applied at any point of routine

+ Really smooth skin after applying about 3 layers (when skin is feeling rough, otherwise feels like it could be breaking me out a little)

+ Works really well with most moisturizers, lighter ones feel a lot more effective and heavier ones don't feel so heavy on top of it while still having all the benefits

* I bought this crowd pleaser last summer. I didn't have any huge expectations despite that, I just wanted to see what everyone was raving about.

* I've been using Gokujun Hyaluronic Lotion on and off and I still have 2/3 left in the bottle! I can't do 7-skin or other layering method, as they seem to clog my skin, but I have layered this one 2-3 times successfully when I have felt my skin was unusually rough. Good for sensitive skin, this is one of my "safe" products (if not too much is applied).

* I have applied Gokujyun Lotion probably at every step of my skin care routine and it's all fine. Right after washing, in the middle of creams, at the end, too... of course it might leave slight stickiness to the skin at the end. Sometimes when my skin has been feeling a bit irritated or hot I have applied it on top, and it actually feels soothing.

* Compared to The Ordinary's Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Serum, Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Lotion is a lot lighter, absorbs better, doesn't pill. However they are completely different things by default (toner vs. concentrated serum) but if  TO's HA doesn't work for you it's easy to get HA in other products, like Gokujyun Lotion. Personally results on my skin are visible with TO's HA but it's a bit tricky to apply just right.

* Now that I think of it, I should've bought Hada Labo Gokyujyun Light Lotion because it doesn't have Butylene Glycol. I don't know if it causes me to break out, but it sure seems to be one ingredient high in the list in many products that I've discarded.

Price: 

11,13 € / 170 ml

Bought from: 

Ebay seller  get_your_japan

Buy again? 

Maybe? Even though I'm probably stuck with the current bottle for two years at this pace...

Worth the money? 

Yes, it is worth it, but it's not some miracle product that some people make it sound like! On its own it's nothing as it's not a moisturizer. I would say any hyaluronic acid toner/essence/serum probably does the same thing! This one is just amazingly cost effective and lasts forever.

Wishlist 2019

Today I broke my no-buy promise I've been keeping up for months (the culprit was Lumene Lähde Aerating Gel Mask on sale - such a fun looking product and beautiful packaging!). I feel a bit disappointed in myself. But then I remembered that if I create a wishlist for 2019 and start listing interesting products again I might not be tempted to impulse buy so badly!

My older wishlists are still probably relevant! Not sure I've got anything on them and it's interesting to read them later. Wishlist 2017. Wishlist 2018.


Wants/Curious

* The Body Shop Tea Tree Anti-Imperfection Night Mask

* The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser

* Hylamide BOOSTER SERIES C25

* NIOD HYDRATION VACCINE

* BIODERMA Nodé DS+ Shampooing Anti-Dandruff Intense Shampoo

* Eucerin Dry Skin Replenishing Face Cream Night 5% Urea

* Caudalie Make-up Removing Cleansing Oil

* Caudalie Grape Water

* Lumene Instant Glow Fresh Skin Tint

* The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Cleansing Oil-in-Gel

* Canmake Secret Beauty Powder

* Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Oil

Missing

Things that I've used at some point and would like to try them again!

* The Body Shop Tea Tree Night Lotion

* The Body Shop Drops Of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask

* Caudalie Vinosource Moisturising Sorbet 

Clio Kill Protection Matte Sun Base SPF 50+ PA++++ and Glow Sun Base SPF 50+ PA++++ 50 ml Review

Ingredients:


Clio Kill Protection Matte Sun Base SPF 50+ PA++++

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Ingredients:

Clio Kill Protection  Glow Sun Base SPF 50+ PA++++ 

Thoughts:

- Glow Base doesn't stay put like Matte Base, if you sweat it will migrate to your eyes... and it seriously burns! I felt like I couldn't see properly until I washed my face. But I have sensitive eyes.

- Glow Base doesn't work as well as a primer as Matte Base, it doesn't hide imperfections. (But it smooths the skin a bit!)

- Matte Base leaves a slight white cast.

- Matte Base is also slightly pore clogging. (But it seems to be the same for all physical sunscreens, Matte Base is mixed filters.)

- The Glow Base could look shiny instead of glowy depending on skin and other products.

- Neither one works for eye contour area: Glow Base hurts eyes and Matte Base makes the thin skin horribly dry.



+ Matte Sun Base acts exactly like No Sebum! Lasts on my face all day and works amazingly as a primer and makes everything stay put on my face. Not much oiliness on my T-area at the end of the day either.

+ Glow Base doesn't leave any white cast (almost fully chemical sunscreen) and absorbs super fast. About 20-30 % of the shine disappears in 5-10 minutes.

+ Glow Base leaves skin looking very fresh and moisturized and slightly smoothed. So I guess that could be called glowy. Makes also skin very soft and works well as an illuminating primer if you don't sweat much.

+ Good size, sleek stylish tubes, easy to use, sealed with foils.

+ High sun protection with SPF+ PA++++ (compared to physical sunscreens I've been using)

+ Fragrance is fresh and not too strong for both of them, Glow Base smells a bit fruitier. They both linger for maybe 10 minutes. EDIT: Sometimes the fragrance of Glow Base can linger for hours, sometimes it doesn't, maybe depends on what you put on top of it?

* So I've already used up one tube of the older version of Matte Sun Base (Clio Kill Protection Sun Base No Sebum SPF 50+ PA++++) and I liked it... Of course I bought Matte Sun Base when I noticed the ingredients were the same/about the same. I also wanted to try Glow Sun Base.

* My older review for No Sebum still stands for Matte! They are basically the same.

* Haven't had time to test Glow Base properly as during the summer the sweating stopped me from using it. So not sure if it could break me out etc. EDIT April 2019: I have been using Glow Base now for two weeks, every day. It is surprisingly good make-up base, you would think otherwise because of the glow/shine. It does hold the makeup throughout the whole (normal no sweaty) day and makes skin seriously very soft. No breakouts so far. I quite like it.

Price: 

USD 11.94 / 50 ml (both of them)

Now on ebay USD 14.42

Bought from: 

Ebay seller roseroseshop (both of them)

Buy again? 

Yes for Matte Base, it is already a repurchase. I think I actually have to get a back-up now in case Clio decides to terminate it or something. (I live in constant fear when I find things that I like.) As for Glow Base, I don't know yet because I haven't tested it enough!

Worth the money? 


I do think so. They both are very pleasant in fragrance and consistency and serve different purposes. Price is average for a face sunscreen.