Review: Olay Aquaction Softening Sleeping Mask

Weight: 130g
Price: RM 50-ish
Availability: Nationwide pharmacies

I've uncovered this sleeping mask amongst the skincare products stash at home and it's nearing its expiration date O_O

My previous sleeping mask, NARUKO's Oriental Beauty Tea Youth Revitalizing Night Gelly was empty already and I just picked this randomly to use.

Let's look at the ingredients, shall we?

It doesn't have loads of different plant extract unlike Eastern beauty brands, but let's see how it fares!

First impression, the tub was huge and kinda heavy. The tub was sealed with a plastic cap so it is completed separated from possible contamination. However, they did not provide any spatula for hygiene purpose. Oh well.

Moving on, the smell is similar to Laneige's Water Sleeping Pack (the older version), so it is a nice surprise! Quite relaxing to my nose.  The colour and also texture are similar too.

For optimum results, this sleeping mask cannot be used on its own. I tried only using this mask and it was so dry I have to apply one layer of cream 10 minutes after.

Firstly I slap on toner and serum before slathering a generous amount of this sleeping mask to ensure that my skin gets all the moisture that it needs. Anyway the mask wasn't sticky so you don't have to worry about the mask accidentally staining your pillow or bedsheet.

The morning after, my skin feels slightly oilier than usual, but feels very moisturised if I pair it together with serum.

Packaging: 3/5 Nothing surprising there. Big tub and no spatula :/

Smell: 4/5 Smells pretty good, very relaxing but disappears once applied onto skin.

Moisture level: 3/5 Pretty average and needs to be layered/used together with other products to prevent my skin from drying out.

Overall:3.5/5 Big tub, but not really big on effect. it's pretty good for body use though:)

MASKS GALORE! Sister Diary & My Scheming Review

I went crazy and bought 8 boxes of paper masks.

And this will be an overall review of the masks ;P I've only bought from 2 brands this time round, and it was Sister Diary and also My Scheming, both brands are from Taiwan.

What I've bought:
Sister Diary

• Cherry Arbutin Mask
• Grape Seed Hyaluronic Mask
• Apple Polyphenol Platinum Mask
• Rice Yeast Mask
• Black Diamond Caviar Mask

My Scheming:

• Bulgarian Rose Whitening Mask
• Natto Extract Hydrating Mask
• Pentadecpeptide + Amino Mask

They were so so affordable while on sale! Roughly about RM1.50 per piece. Beats those counterfeit ones you see selling in Pasar Malam.

In case you are wondering, I bought these on Hermo during their 3rd anniversary sale, some were nearing expiry date (Oct/Nov 2015) but I use 2 pcs weekly so I guess I can manage hehe.

One thing that differentiates Taiwanese vs Korean masks is the sticky feeling after you remove the paper masks. Personally I feel that Korean masks are stickier than Taiwanese masks, possibly due to difference in humidity in those two countries :) 

I've tried ALL of the masks I've listed above and I really can't decide which one I like most! It's like having to pick between all types of cheese cakes zomg.

I'll be writing about my impressions about these different masks. The one thing in common about these two brands is that the paper masks are so thin! and feels very soft.

First one! Sister Diary Cherry Arbutin Mask- For whitening and moisture fix. Okay-ish, however it doesn't impress me in the whitening department. I'll give it a 3.5/5.

Sister Diary Apple Polyphenol Platinum Mask fared better- it functions to revitalise and repair skin plus some serious moisturising going on. I loved this one. Makes my skin feel more alive. 4.5/5.

The Grape Seed Hyaluronic mask functions to moisturise your skin. I felt that it performs slightly better than the Cherry Arbutin Mask and I'm rating it at 4/5.

Rice Yeast Mask calms and repair the skin, and I liked this one too! It gives my skin a brightened look, calms my stressed skin so I will rate it 4/5.

Now, the last of the Sister Diary variant- Black Diamond Caviar Mask claims to repair and protect, and fights ageing signs. The paper mask is black in colour and this mask functions well too. Softens and makes my skin look brighter and moisturised. A 4.5/5.

My Scheming is also a Taiwanese brand and I only bought 3 variants from the brand. The Bulgarian Rose Whitening Mask claims to whiten and moisturise skin. This one smells like roses + other flowers. Very moisturising but not really a must-have in my book. A 3.8/5.

The Natto Extract Hydrating Mask smells nothing like natto, thank goodness! It functions wonderfully to hydrate and provides nutrient to my skin. I'm rating it a 4.5/5.

Jeng jeng, the last one of the bunch and also admittedly one of my favourites, the Pentadecpeptide + Amino Mask. Makes my skin feels softer, more energized and nourished. I'm rating it 4.8/5!

When you have loads of different types to choose from, life gets easier as you can find something to suit your skin's needs! Haha. I also liked using paper masks because they are so convenient plus so so relaxing after a long day.

Till next time!

Year End Haul Post!

I bought quite a few stuff during the year end! Sorry, too stressed I had to shop sometimes ^^

Anyway, I bought stuff that are not only for me, some for my family at home~ Now that I'm back home for a few days, it's time to dig them out for a group photo session :)

The most recent purchase~

Klairs Rich Moist Foaming Cleanser

Klairs Supple Preparation Toner

NARUKO Oriental Beauty Tea Youth Revitalizing Night Gelly

Naruko Tea Tree Purifying Clay Cleanser 

NARUKO Raw Job's Tears Supercritical CO2 Pore Minimizing & Brightening Washing Powder

Mizon Vichum Cream

EKEL masks (Cucumber, Green Tea & Vitamin) (not in picture)

Review: Innisfree Green Tea Hydro Gel Mask

Weight: 25g

Description: A dewy moisturising hydro gel mask contained with green tea ingredients to replenish skin with moisture from deep within

ingredients list

My mom got a few of these from her Korean supplier coming to Malaysia for a visit. I had a zit threathening to pop out before using this - trust me, it is red and looks pretty angry too.

I remember the last time I used an Innisfree mask. My sis bought it when she went to Korea 3 years ago. And it wasn't nice. It was icky and pretty much an oily mix of liquid on my face after I'm  done using it.

Anyway, this mask is slightly thinner and more rigid compared to other hydrogel masks out there, but the fitting is okay and I actually felt real cooling effect after removing the mask! Yums. It also has this faint floral smell which was nearly gone unnoticed after I put it on. Hehehe

see that zit? The reddish part suggests that it's going to be big, but it went down after using this mask :)

I woke up to a slightly oily but much, much relaxed and toned skin. It even made the angry upcoming zit subside!! That accounts for not 1, but 2 exclamation marks!!

Overall: 4.5/5 Hehehe. I'm very happy about this mask. It doesn't smell like someone poured a whole bottle of perfume inside +1 and it diminishes my evil zit +1 hahaha

Review: I.myss Military Natural Mask Pack Rosehip

Weight: 25 g

Price: I got this at RM 1 <3 b="">

Continuing from my last post, this mask is also available at In2Face Malaysia. It's now on sale, and there's a few other variants to choose from. This mask is for brightening.

I can't really understand Korean but I could read some of the characters. It contains rosehip extract 0.5 %, Chuyu (?) 0.1% and Manuka honey 0.1%. Also contains fragrance and propylparaben

It is a paper mask but with military print! I loved it! I'm guessing that plain white masks aren't manly enough for guys to use, huh? Nevertheless, this mask smells very good and refreshing.

The cutting is also good and fits my face nicely.

Effect wise, this makes my skin look brighter by a tiny wee bit. It is also quite moisturising and I do not need to top up moisturiser after using this.

Overall: 4.5/5 Smells nice, cheap, good fitting. Most importantly, I feel relaxed when I put this on. A thumbs up! Will be better if parabens is not formulated in the essence.

Review: Baviphat Adenosine Hydro Pure Gel Mask

Weight: 20g

Price: I got it at RM 1 per pc!

In2face is the Malaysian distributor for i.myss, CLIO, Baviphat etc and I chanced upon their FB page a few days ago and found out that they were having a massive clearance for a lot of masks!

Being the cheapskate that I am, I just had to grab some (?)

Anyway, the parcel arrived today and I am just happy that I only paid RM34.50 for 30 pcs of masks! Some of them are hydrogel masks too.

But there was a catch. All of the masks were produced in 2011 or 2012, which made them 2-3 years old! I was quite unhappy that they still ship expired products but I figured that the masks can't go bad in a tightly sealed bag don't they?

The hydrogel mask is sandwiched between 2 plastic flaps, and is quite difficult to separate it nicely. Thankfully it doesn't drip and the mask doesn't rip very easily. It has a woven fibre net embedded in the gel which acts as the structure. 

The mask isn't particularly strong smelling, but it is fragranced.

It is not hyper cooling like Savee's hydrogel mask, but still comfortable on my face. After about 30 minutes, the mask feels constricting on my face, which is time to remove!

the ZIT!

Prior to using this, I had a huge zit on each cheek. I feel that the bump was significantly reduced and it wasn't as painful. Although I feel that my skin is not moisturised enough after using the mask. I had to top up moisturiser afterwards.

Overall: 3.8/5 Generally speaking, the mask was okay-ish. But I expected greater results from hydrogel masks cuz yannoe, they are supposedly able to deliver better results than normal paper masks. 

Review: O'slee Clear Spa Sleeping Mask

Volume: 50ml

Price: RM49.90 (i got it at RM33.88)

Availability: O'slee Malaysia, Guardian Malaysia

Description:

·       ·       Purifying:

Botanic Clarifying Complex purifies skin and neutralizes skin toxins, making the skin more absorbent.

·       Hydrating:
Spa Moisturizing Factor (SMF) provides non-stop hydration to skin which enhancing skin revitalizing action overnight.

·       Relaxing:
The natural scent of rose helps realize relaxation and nice sleep. And skin becomes receptive to nutrients and moisture from skincare products.

·       Anti-Oxidant :
Newly added Licorice Extract and Vitamin E avoid skin from oxidation and provide skin with extra moisture overnight.

This sleeping mask had been around since 2006 I believe. O'slee is a Hong Kongese brand which is famous for their Rosehip Beauty Solution. As far as I know, it is a steady seller in Malaysia too.

I bought this along with 3 travel sets during my lastpurchase. The sleeping mask is housed in a solid tub. It does not include a separator lid or spatula to scoop the contents out.

The sleeping mask is a clear, bluish gel which doesn't really sink into my skin after spreading it out.

Smell:2.5/5 It smelled like their Skin Aerobics Whitening Sleeping Mask. Quite irritating, and not relaxing at all.

Absorption: 3/5 It doesn't absorb into my skin. In fact it leaves a thin film on my skin, which can be annoying to certain people because it is a sleeping mask and we don't want to stain our pillowcase or sheets while using this. What I do is to apply a thin layer of this mask as the last step of my regime and wait to dry for a bit before going to sleep.

Moisture: 3.5/5 It doesn't heal my peeling nose or rough skin on my cheekbones. So I'm pretty disappointed.

Overall Effect: 3/5 It doesn't make my skin glow/super plump or healthy (the mask supposedly detoxifies?) . Well, I suppose I've put my hopes up too high I guess, because my skin usually likes O'slee products but this didn't work for me.

On a side note, I applied for O'slee samples a month ago and they arrived a few days ago! I love how generous they are in giving out samples, makes you feel appreciated as a customer/ potential customer :)

Next up I'll be doing a mini review on their new Lemon Soda Serum, as I have a lot of the samples at home!

Review: NRK Essential VC Brightening & Deep Hydrating Mask

Volume: 25ml

Price: I got this at RM 1 per piece. Normally it goes for RM4.90/RM5..90?

Availability: Naruko Malaysia

Made in: Taiwan

Ingredients List: water (aqua), peg-7 glyceryl cocoate, glycerin, irish moss (carrageenan), hydroxyethylcellulose, phenoxyethanol, sodium hyaluronate, malphiga punicifolia extract, cameilia sinensis leaf extract, peg-60 hydrogenated castor oil, honey extract, carbomer, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, soluble collagen, triethanolamine, allantoin, ascorbyl glucoside, lecithin, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, caprylyl glycol, xanthan gum, fragrance

NRK Essential is Naruko's basic line which offers a range of basic/essential products which is cheaper than the NARUKO or AMPM line. Their packaging are characterized by the retro, bright colours that really stand out amongst girly, feminine packaging of other brands. Some may or may not like it, beauty is a matter of perspective anyway.

So how did I managed to purchase these at RM 1? Well, they have great deals during Christmas every year, so be sure to check it out! I missed to purchase their Q10 masks the other day but this time, I managed to score the deal, thanks to my roommate who was also buying ^^

The mask is in a bright yellow colour with green frame, and looked like product design from the 1960s. I kind of like it. This was actually my first time using Naruko's masks, but I didn't put my hopes up high because it was the basic line.

Cutting: 4.2/5 The mask is incredibly thin, the cutting is ok, just a bit long on my lips but no folding up is required. Also, the mask soaks up the essence pretty well, loved it!

Smell: 3/5 It smells like candy/soft drinks. Period. It kinda feels like you have the soft drink splashed all over your face. Not really relaxing cuz I know some people will freak out. However the scent will not linger on your face after you have removed the mask.

Effect: 4.5/5 The essence was quite slippery but not as sticky as Korean masks. The essence dried down to a soft powdery feel. I did not feel sticky at all. My face looked brightened up and looked more energetic. Well, I found out that if you use the essence in your skincare after using any sheet mask, the effect was almost always better than right after applying the mask itself.

Overall: 4.5/5 I love the material, essence, and the effect it brought me. It's not easy for my skin to show improvements right after using sheet masks (because of all the good stuff I've put in daily hahaha) but I think that this mask is good even for those who have sensitive or oily skin. Even at their normal price (RM4.90 or RM5.90?) I find it justifiable to purchase. 

Review: DAISO Coenzyme Q10 Mask

Volume: 25ml

Made in: Korea

Price: RM 5 for 3 pieces

Ingredients: Water, glycerin, BG, ethanol, snail secretion filtrate, hydroxylethylcellulose, metylparaben, phenoxyethanol, ubiquinone, tea leaf essence, Centella asiatica extract, glycyrrhizin acid 2k, triethanolamine, carbomer, EDTA2NA, hyaluronic acid, tocophenol, fragrance (Google Translate)

I am running out of masks so I thought to try out DAISO's masks. I bought a box of the coenzyme Q10 variant, which has 3 masks in it. What really got me to buy this mask is because it contains snail secretion filtrate. And I am absolutely crazy for snail slime. The second pull factor was because it was made in Korea, not China or Vietnam (like Daiso's other beauty products are)

So how did the mask fare?

Firstly, the essence is not very thick nor runny, which is just nice for me. The mask wasn't drippy, so another plus point for that. And I don't feel sticky after using this, given that snail masks are always sticky and heavier.

The cutting fits nicely on my face, and I didn't have to fold up any parts, which also surprised me. One thing that annoys me is the scent of the mask. It is so very overpowering.

The mask's material is the usual non-woven ones you will get among paper masks, however I suspect the quality is a bit inferior to others as the fibers comes out easily. Also when I am using the mask, I kind of felt a reaaaaaaaaaaaally minimal tingling sensation (kind of because I wasn't sure if it qualified as tingling) . I guess it must be the alcohol. But it disappears after a while and I am comfortable using it after.

Packaging: 3/5 Ditch the paper box will do. Also, product description and ingredients list in English are really necessary.

Scent: 1/5 Too strong floral smell. Me no likey

Cutting: 4/5 Just nice

Effect: 3.8/5 Okay good kind of mask. Effect wise it is supposed to reduce wrinkles, but that is something you can observe only after using this for a long long time. Moisturising, good. Soothing, okay-ish. Whitening, yes my skin didn't seem so dead anymore.

Price: 3/5 Well, effect wise this is on par with those standard Korean masks you can get anywhere online. However, I did purchase Korean masks under RM1 per piece so at RM 1.67 per piece it loses out a bit. I think they can cut cost by not using cardboard box as packaging. Plus points for availability though. As cheap Korean masks are a bit hard to get by *coughexpensiveshippingQoo10cough* so I think it's good that people living near to a Daiso store can easily purchase this.

Overall: 3.5/5 Okay-good mask, just that the floral smell is so strong. I also wish they'd release a line of various ingredients.  That'll surely attract a lot of customers.

Review: A'pieu Eco Green Tea Sheet Mask

Weight: 21 g

Description: Containing green tea extract, it provides moisture to dry and lusterless skin while caring dull complexions caused by old dead skin cells, making pure and clean skin in all seasons.

Price: Not for Sale

Availability: My sis got this from Korea

packaging

ingredients list

My skin was a bit dull and a zit popped up on my chin so I used this to calm my skin. The packaging looks very nice and clean. It was produced by Able C&C Korea, which is the same manufacturer of Missha, woot woot! Didn't know that! And some googling tells me that the brand is endorsed by B2ST, a Kpop boy band for a few years already.

The mask is quite drippy, and will drip if you're not lying down while using it. I love the smell tho, it is absolutely soothing but smells nothing like green tea.

The sheet is pretty thin but I do not really like the cutting. It has flaps for the eye area.

After using this mask, I feel that my skin looks moisturised and calmed. No too bad, I kinda want to repurchase this because of the smell.

The good: thin and comfy material, not very sticky, calming and moisturising

The bad: Cutting of the mask

Review: Denden Snail Mask

Weight: 18g

Price RM0.90 during promo

I quickly grabbed these masks when I  saw them going on sale plus free shipping. The description provided by the seller claimed that the masks are bestsellers in Japan in 2012. How true is that, I cannot confirm.

Snail related beauty products have always been one of my favourite with their all-in-one function.

The packaging looked nothing out of the ordinary and everything is printed in Japanese. Although I understand what they have printed, I personally think they could add some English for their international users. 

The mask is traditional in every sense, the material and cutting which are okay to me. Nothing really special there. The essence of the mask smells of faint flowery scent, which does not bother me. The mask stays on pretty well on my face without dripping.

As Korean masks leave a sticky film on my face after using, I always put them on and sleep. This mask is less sticky than other snail masks. I think A'pieu's snail mask is the stickiest snail mask I've ever used.

Effect wise, I rate this as the second best snail mask after Nature Republic's snail mask.                                                                                                                                          

The good: good quality, cheap

The bad: 

Review: A'Pieu 3D Sheet Mask - Snail

Weight: 22g

Description: Containing snail slime extract with skin protecting and damage improving benefits It helps make the skin highly moisturised, nourished, vitalised and healthy.

A sheet mask with 3D ergonomic design, perfectly adheres on the face curves even on the nose and chin areas helping active ingredients delivered evenly onto the skin

Ingredients: water, glycerin, butylene glycol, alcohol, snail secretion filtrate, propylene glycol, sodium hyaluronate, portulaca oleracea extract, peg-60 hydrogenated castor oil, phenyl trimethicone, 1,1-hexanediol, propanediol, capylyl glycol, illicium verum (anise) fruit extract, carbomer, xanthan gum, triethanolamine, disodium edta, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, sodium polyacrylate, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, propylparaben, fragrance (parfum)

This mask is a Korean 3D mask which is cut in halves and joined in the middle for the supposedly 3D adherence onto your face. Cutting wise, it does not stick on my forehead and nose. The smell is floral, but not very strong. I do not smell anything after applying the mask onto my face.

The essence is pretty runny given that it's supposed to contain snail secretion filtrate, compared to Nature Republic's Snail Therapy Experience Mask Sheet which I reviewed here. However, this mask sheet cools down my skin tremendously. It gives me this cooling sensation but not overwhelming like Savee's hydrogel masks. I find it very comfortable to use before sleeping.

The results: I had fairly problematic, dull skin prior to using this. My skin's recovery speed is sooo painfully slow I don't even know why. The redness on my cheeks after blackhead extraction just wouldn't go away even after a few days. -.-

After using this mask, I don't really see a difference aside from a tiny bit of whitening. I used the leftover essence for a few days, which speeds up the healing and reduced the redness. However, I feel that Nature Republic's mask performed better