Beauty Empties 24.0 | March

Two weeks into MCO, how are you guys doing? I've been going at my emptied products; cleaning them, organising them and running around my apartment looking for more. Obviously running out of things to do so here's my beauty empties for the past quarter of 2020!

Using more and more quite intense anti-bacterial soaps so I'm upping my body lotion game to avoid dehydration.

I guess that's all from me and I'll be seeing you guys on my next Empties post! Take care and stay at home!

Review | SKIN1004 Cocoon Soap Mask

As I have previously reviewed a product from the SKIN1004, I want to share another one that has kept me interesting onto their brand which is this wash-off mask in the form of a soap and it is actually made with cocoon extract.

If you are not familiar with what cocoon extracts are good for, apparently it is featured in many pore-tightening and clarifying sheet masks with some even claim to give a firming effect on skin.

Now, firming one’s skin might sounds a bit over the top but clearing the pores out of impurities without drying out the skin is something that I’m looking for. Clay and charcoal wash-off masks are traditionally good for blackheads and whiteheads too but these ingredients tend to dry out my skin even more so I’m down for a much gentler option.

High points of this mask-soap!

Skin1004 highlighted that the Silk Cocoon Extract supposedly cleanse the skin gently, tighten enlarged pores by removing dead skin cells and blackheads to visibly enhance skin firmness.

This mask-in-soap also contains the brand’s signature ingredient, Centella Asiatica; its component, the Madecassic acid which is known for its ability in suppressing inflammation therefore is great for acne-prone skin. Argan Oil is known for its function in replenishing the skin nutrients that allows to treat and prevent acne scarring.

The cleanser comes in 100g size so I estimated that this actually lasts for about 4 months, used twice daily.

Ingredients list:

Purified Water, Cocoon Extract, Argan Oil, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Palmitate, Sodium Oleate, Sodium Laurate, Sodium Myristate, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Hydroxide, Titanium Dioxide, Fragrance

Packaging:

 

The facial cleanser comes in a box with sufficient English product description printed on the sides of the box for your reference.

 

The expiry date is printed at the side of the bo in YYYYMMDD (year-month-day) format.

There is instruction on how to use the soap mask printed on the inner lid of the box both in English and Korean for your convenience.

 

The soap was covered with a thin white wrapping paper and sealed with the brand sticker across the knot. Although you do not have to worry as it is actually fully covered with clear plastic wrapper inside; I’m assuming for hygiene and quality purposes. The soap was debossed with the product’s name right in the center of it.

Application:

 

You can simply lather up the soap by running some water with it and get decent amount of foam within seconds but I would prefer to use a bubble maker like I’ve shown above to get more foam and bubbles.

The foam is lightweight and it feels so fluffy on skin! It is easy to rinse off in a sense that it is not too soapy, so it takes less time and water.

It has a mild scent to it so it doesn’t bother me much but I think it’s still tolerable if you’re not into fragrance-containing skincare products.

Thoughts:

I’d like to highlight that I always use this mask soap as a morning cleanser. It is not that I don’t trust this product to wash away excess of makeup removers in the evening but after using this for over couple of months, I find that this mask soap doesn’t make my dehydrated skin drier even I were to take my time after rinsing off the lather and dried my face with towel.

But the pore-minimising effect gets me every single time. My skin looks smoother and softer to touch after every wash. Thanks to Centella Asiatica contained in it, my redness area somewhat reduced or does not look inflamed or irritated (which is usually happened with cleansing bars) at the very least.

I considered this wash-off mask as a mild exfoliating cleanser therefore I always follow up with layers of hydrating toner and use lightweight moisturiser as a sealant to my routine prior sunscreen or base makeup application.

Overall, I give this product 5/5. It works well even during my sensitive skin days. My normal skin with oily T-zone feels comfortable and as you see in the above photo, I do have a backup for it.

How to store this mask soap is depends on your liking but for hygienic purposes, I either just simply let the mask soap in the bubble maker and hang it on the wall just like that but once it dried out, I’ll keep it in a ceramic case (plastic will do too!) to avoid water contamination in between uses as shown above.

I saw in their official Korean website that you can simply use the soap for about 10 seconds but I’d say, take a good 30 to 60 seconds of massaging your facial area with it before rinsing it off. This product is definitely unique compared to others I have encountered before; including non-Cica products so that’s actually quite interesting.


I guess that's all from me so definitely let me know if you have tried anything from SKIN1004 before as I'd like to try more from the brand. I'll see you guys on my next post ! Annyeong~

Review | SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule Foam

SKIN 1004 or as any South Korean would refer to as ‘SKIN Angel’ is a considerably new brand in the K-beauty market as they emerged sometime last year or the year before.

Lots of skincare enthusiasts with sensitive skin are big on Centella Asiatica (locally known as pegaga)-based products and the star product of the brand is their Madagascar Centella Asiatica 100 Ampoule which I’m personally a big fan of!

If you have been following the brand then you would probably noticed that the brand had a major rebranding as they changed or starting to change some of their skincare products packaging design and this Madagascar Centella Ampoule Foam is the very first product that was introduced.

What's good about this cleanser? 

It’s a foam cleanser that contains Centella Asiatica Extract, a symbol of purity in Madagascar and plant-based cleansing ingredients with a pH level of 5. As acne-causing bacteria are not able to thrive in acidic environment, it’s recommended to use gentle low pH facial cleansers to lower skin’s pH to keep acne at bay.

SKIN 1004 reinvented their pre-existing pH-balanced cleansers by minimising slippery cleansing sensation and maximising foaming abilities. The newly developed formula with enriched foam and creamy texture allows even individuals with sensitive skin to use the cleanser on daily basis.

The cleanser comes in 125ml size so that can last around 3 months, used twice daily.

Ingredients list:

Centella Asiatica Extract(30%), Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Water(Aqua/Eau), Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Coco-Betaine, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Cocoate, Potassium Benzoate, Polyquaternium-67, Citric Acid, Dextrin, Sodium Bicarbonate, Theobroma Cacao(Cocoa) Extract, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Coptis Chinensis Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Packaging:

  

The facial cleanser comes in a box with sufficient English product description printed on the sides of the box for your reference.

 

The box is sealed before opened and the Period-After-Opening is 12 months.

 

As shown above, the product comes in a tube with a nice transparent sealed cap before opening.

 

There are simplified product descriptions at the back of the tube although in Korean. The expiry date is printed at the top of the tube in YYYYMMDD (year-month-day) format.

Application:

 

The creamy cleanser is light brown in colour and the foam is lightweight for small amount of product but it feels so fluffy on skin without having to use a bubble maker!

It is easy to rinse off in a sense that it is not too soapy, so it takes less time and water provided that you use an appropriate amount to wash your facial area. A pea-sized amount is sufficient for my whole face, back of my ear even neck area.

I’ve got to say that the scent might be a little unpleasant to some people but it doesn’t really bother me that much as I personally would rather not have fragrance in my skincare products.


Thoughts:

The first point I’d love to highlight is this cleansing foam doesn’t make my dehydrated skin feeling drier even after several minutes post rinsing off.

I always have hydrating facial mists and first treatment essences ready in my bathroom because most of my facial cleansers are high pH, thick foams that can substitute my shower creams so they tend to make my skin feeling tight but not in a good way.

With this facial cleanser however, I find my skin feeling nice, clean and smooth and most importantly, it also does not irritate my sensitive facial area so that puts me in a good mood to continue with the rest of my daily skincare routines.

Overall, I give this product 5/5. It works well during my sensitive skin days and I have been reaching for this cleanser quite frequently compared to my other foam cleansers.

Ingredient-wise, I do think that the high concentration of Centella Asiatica in the cleanser helps with calming the skin because I don’t see my redness being flared-up after every wash. It goes without saying that, you would still need functional essences, serums and/or ampoules to treat your problematic skin area so I would say this is a good cleanser to accompany your skin barrier-repairing routine.

I guess that's all from me. Definitely let me know down below if you have any suggestion on gentle facial cleanser that you have tried before. I'll see you guys on my next post! Annyeong~

Blogger Mail | Wako Beauty X Skin1004 Malaysia

A package arrived from Wako Beauty as they sent me the above Skin1004 Malaysia Zombie Pack & Activator Kit / Pore Tightening & Lifting Pack, a 4-pack Box to try and as it's Saturday, I’ve managed to do a first impression on InstaStory so here’s my mini review!

First off, a little bit info on the product; Zombie Pack is known for its ability to diagnose skin issue (lack of moisture and elasticity in the skin) AND provides skin tightening and replenish the hydration onto the skin.

Knowing that the product contains Albumin from egg whites so I’d be expecting some skin tightening with a little bit moisture thanks to Propolis extracts. There’s also Aloe Vera extracts so that should help with soothing and calming my skin with a little bit redness. The pack and activator were easy to mix and applied on skin by using the provided brush.

On the first use, my pores are clean and minimal in appearance. I’ve never seen my pores almost diminished like that. I'm quite impressed as I don’t feel my skin feeling dry or right after rinsing it off. Just smooth and soft to touch!

I'll update more on this after I've finished using them all - more like a month-program so do stay tuned for that!

Beauty Empties 19.0 | December

Here we are, after tracking i.e updating my inventory  for my extensive skincare products that I have, we have arrived at the final post of 2018; Empties Post for the last quarter of this year so let's get started!

As per usual, let's start with skincare and for this category I've finished my first bottle of that Natural Pacific (currently known as Nacific) Deep Cleansing Oil. One of the best makeup remover I've tried  as it literally removes all kinds of makeup I have so I already am on my second bottle. As for the pump, I'm reusing it for another product that deserve at least a good pump.

As for that full-sized I Am Sorry Just Cleansing: Cleansing Water which I'm only half-way through the 500ml bottle, I don't know why but it suddenly turned into that milky-coloured water. As I've already finished the travel-sized bottle, I stopped using the big bottle one on my face and use it to clean my makeup cases or bottles instead. Won't be repurchasing anytime soon. 

That Dr. Jart+ Dermaclear Micro Foam is a nice deep cleanser however I've noticed that this dries out my skin so much afterwards I had to spray on facial mist literally 3 seconds after stepping out of shower or maybe it's just my skin that's going crazy right now so I guess I won't be repurchasing this anytime soon.

This time around, I've finished using that Innisfree Moisture Lip Scrub and its Treatment sister. I've got to say that I finally found products from the brand that I don't appreciate at all. Even after using these two together religiously, I still feel my lips aren't improving in moisture department. Won't be repurchasing.

As for that Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Asiatica Ampoule 100, I'm so thankful to Wako Beauty for sending this product as it's truly a saviour while I was recovering from episodes of allergic  reactions which resulted my skin being overly sensitive for about 6 months. I finished my first bottle and received another from fellow micro-blogger and I'm already halfway through it. Definitely will purchase a third bottle soon.

I've finished that Koelf Bulgarian Rose Hydro Gel Eye Patches little after 2 months as my under-eye area had patches all  over which is driving me nuts sometimes so it seems that it's time to enforce the habit of using eye cream in my routine. I'm not repurchasing this as I've already bought its sister product.

That Innisfree Green Tea Sleeping Mask is kind of nice as it does moisturise well and I don't mind the scent at all but as I've already tried its upgraded version, I'm going to get the new one instead.

I actually felt sad when I pumped out the last portion of this Brightening Up Sun from Dr. G. From the overall finishing to texture and colour, I love every bit of this sunscreen. It works well with my skin and as I was so curious to try its sister products, I bought a trial kit that include the mini-sized upgrade version of the above sunscreen (SPF50+) along with the mild and moisturizing sisters with PA++++ from Sasa.

Now onto makeup empties! I've finished the LANEIGE BB Cushion Pore Control SPF50+ in No. 33 Cinnamon and I'm currently using its refill. You guys know I'm all over cushion foundations from LANEIGE and but I do think with the release of 2 other cushions; Powder Fit and Layering Cover Cushion this year, the brand will likely release the fourth upgraded version of their permanent line of cushion foundations next year.

For primer, I've finished the first full-sized version of that Benefit Cosmetics POREfessional Face Primer and as I haven't found anything similar to it in terms of performances, I decided to just get another tube of it around April. As I use this primer solely under foundations, I always use that LANEIGE Lumi Block Primer prior my cushion foundations application as the consistency is thinner and suits the cushion foundation finishing; nice and natural even with powder on top.

Speaking of powder, I've finished another tub of my all time favourite translucent powder, Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder and its Blur sister. You guys probably can tell that I still have backups for both of these. Same goes to my newfound love in powder department, Althea Petal Velvet Powder in Translucent. I've finished my first tub and I already have 3 tubs as backups. Yes, I'm totally obsessed with this affordable makeup from Althea.

While I was taking care of my hospitalised nephew throughout October till early November, I've finished at least 3 bars of homemade soap that I bought from Gaya Sunday Market and that travel-sized Green Tea Fiji Body Wash and Body Butter. As I don't like any of it, I don't think I'd be repurchasing them.

Last but not least, Soul Secret Blossom Perfume from THE FACE SHOP in that 2017 holiday packaging. I do love the scent but I'm going back to my old favourite body mists from THE BODY SHOP for now and will not be repurchasing this anytime soon.

So that's all of it! I hope you enjoyed reading this post and do let me know your thoughts on these emptied products by leaving comments down below. I'll see you guys on my next post! Annyeong~

Blogger Mail | Wako Beauty X Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Asiatica 100 Ampoule and Facial Mask

Throughout my whole K-Beauty journey for the past 5 years, I've never truly given much attention to soothing skincare products as I have never experienced severe irritation, flakiness and inflammation until I've had allergic reactions due to food poisoning (barracuda fish!) few months ago and it took months to be fully recovered from all that although I still see some flaky area along my jawline and neck. So far, I've only indulging myself in soothing, hydrating, nourishing sheet masks in the form of hydrogel masks, bio-cellulose masks even cream masks, but after I've noticed that they're all quite costly as average price per piece of those sheet mask is RM20 (~USD5)!

Well, I wasn't actually prepared for that at that point of time so while I'm in the search for some products that I can try to improve my overall skin texture, Wako Beauty; a Malaysian-based e-commerce site selling various skincare products has sent these products from the brand Skin1004 and I don't know if it's in their intention or not but I'd know for sure that in Korean, 1004 pronounced as chun (1000) + sa (4) = chunsa which also means angel so the products are indeed somewhat heaven-sent to me.

But first, let's go into details on this ampoule!

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Asiatica 100 Ampoule

Made of 100% centella asiatica extract from Madagascar.

What is Centella Asiatica?

It is also known as tiger grass and it has been recognized for centuries for its medicinal use. For generations, active ingredients in Centella Asiatica has been known as medication that soothes skin damages by strengthening the skin cells. It is also well-known for hydrating skin and reducing uneven skin tone.

How to Use: Smooth the ampoule onto cleansed skin in the morning and night or whenever the skin feels irritated or wounded.

Ingredients: Centella Asiatica extract 100%


Now, let's go to the packaging!

   

As you can see in the above photos, the product comes in a box with that minimalist style of green and white colours. You guys know me, I love minimal design because honestly, I can't handle fancy or messy-looking packaging these days as there's too much chaos going on my vanity these days. 

I truly admire the brand's choice to print the English product description in similar way to the Korean version as it is used to be on the smaller side of the box and this one comes in a tall square box! Nice, right?

On another side of the box, they indicated the product is 100% of Centella Asiatica extract and it's in 100ml sized. 

Onto the bottle of the product, it's made of sturdy glass so you guys better be careful and make sure to not holding the bottle with wet hands! It's covered in slightly opaque white colour so you can still see how much product left in it. I like that the bottle fits nicely on my hands and I can just grab it well with one hand. 

Note that the expiry date was printed at the bottom side of the bottle; in the format of YYYY.MM.DD so that's 17th June 2020. I've noticed that no date was printed on the box itself so I'd just write on it myself as I do it sometimes on boxes that I'd still want to keep (read: hoard) in my packaging drawers. Yes, my drawers are filled with box packagings of my currently opened products because sometimes dates printed on tubs and tubes can be erased especially facial cleansers.

At the back of the bottle, there's simple Korean product description telling that this is facial ampoule is Madagascar's original and again, at 100% of its extract.

Application:

It's been awhile since I last encountered serum or ampoule with a pipette to dispense the product. I've noticed that the size of the opening of the bottle nicely fit the pipette itself however I do think that the shaft for the pipette is too long for the size of that dropper so it's filled with only 3/4 of the ampoule every time and there are bubbles trapped so I usually go with 5 to 7 drops of the ampoule for my whole facial and neck area.

Unexpectedly, the ampoule is in that clear, watery consistency (while taking the photo, I had to balance that drop of it on the back of my hand or it'll run down!) and absorbed well into the skin merely in seconds! It's indeed soothing upon application and I kept wanting to apply more! So I guess, as it's called ampoule because it's meant to be applied topically i.e. certain affected facial area but the first few times of using this, I've literally applied onto my whole facial area and another extra layer on my most flaky area along the jawline.

The ampoule is hydrating, smoothing out the rough flaky area of my skin with the scent is only slightly and to my liking. As I don't have much redness throughout the time I was testing it, I couldn't see whether it's able to tone it down but I'm sure it actually can. 

I'd give this 5/5 for its overall look, function, and how it just works so well with my current skin condition. I wish I've gotten my hands on this ampoule on the actual day when I got my allergic reaction but still, I'm glad I've received this product and happily repurchased it when it's finished.

This product is available for purchase on Wako Beauty for RM79.20 here or on their official Shopee account here. 

Now, let's go to the facial mask!

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Asiatica Facial Mask

Maintain PH balance, Soothing - While improving sensitive skin, it enhances the ability of skin to heal skin barrier. Make your skin shine on rough skin result from the external hazardous environment.

Tencel Sheet (Nature fabric) - Tencel mask that perfectly adhere to your skin with extra softness and effective absorption of the essence.

High-enriched cream (2-step moisturizing) - Deeply hydrates the dried skin with Centella Asiatica powerful moisturizing effect.

Ingredients:

Step 1:

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sea Water, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Disodium EDTA, Panthenol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Polysorbate 80, Ethylhexyglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Fragrance, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Capryly Glycol, Beta-glucan, Swiftlet Nest Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Honey Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1


Step 2:

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate,Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol ,Hydrogenated Lecithin,Niacinamide, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, PEG-50 Shea Butter, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Squalane, Carbomer, 1,2-Hexanediol ,Tromethamine , Panthenol , Sodium Carbomer, Erythritol, Trehalose, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Adenosine, Lavandula Spica (Lavender) Flower Oil, Xanthan Gum, Ozonized Olive Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Orange Roughy Oil, Madecassoside, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Asiaticoside, Malt Extract, Asiatic Acid, Butter Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Leaf Extract, Ceramide, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Linoleic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Linolenic Acid

Do note that the Hydrolyzed Collagen is actually marine collagen.

Packaging:

This mask comes in similar design to the ampoule sister; simple green and white for the mask with detachable black sachet for the cream at the top.

You guys know that I’m a sheet mask addict so I’m glad that this product also comes in sheet mask formed and such a plus that this is a 2-step pack as it comes with moisturiser from the same Madagascar Centella Asiatica skincare line which is perfect for travel or weekend getaway. 

The sheet mask doesn't come with English description at the back but in short, the Step 1 is the facial mask followed by Step 2 the moisturiser. So, I cleansed, toned and applied the sheet mask for about 20 minutes then followed up with the cream on top prior applying my sunscreen of the day.

As you can see, the Tencel sheet is quite thin and nicely fits my facial curve with a little bit extra on my chin area. The adherence is excellent and it has a similar scent to the ampoule sister. The essence for this is light and watery and well-absorbed into the skin. After I took the sheet mask off, there's slight excess of the essence so I just tapped my face with fingers until it dries down to smooth silky finish. 

The moisturiser that comes with the mask is in white, quite heavy creamy texture. It does takes a little bit of time to be fully absorbed and kind of oily for my T-zone so I decided to smooth everything out with matte sunscreen.

Overall, 4/5. This is surely convenient but I think I'd rather just use air-laid puffs with the ampoules sister to use as facial mask and getting the full-sized of that cream as I find the amount of the cream contained in the sachet is quite a lot for single usage. Knowing my own habit as I'd usually dispose the sachet after opening can be wasteful while dispensing the cream into an empty travel tub can be a hassle but still a good option. 

This product is available for purchase on Wako Beauty for RM60.20 here or on their official Shopee account here. 

I guess that's all of it! Do let me know your thoughts on these two products from Skin1004 by leaving comments down below. Feel free to suggest Centella Asiatica-based products if you'd like. 

Until next post! Annyeong~

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Website: https://wako.com.my/78_skin1004
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Disclaimer: Links provided are non-affiliated. The products were sent to me for review purposes and all opinions here are based on my personal use of the products.