Review: Etude House Pure Joy Restorative Cream

Mood: 

Etude House Pure Joy Restorative Cream (50ml)

Description: Chemical-free sensitive skin formulated lotion soothes and nourishes complexion. Void Paraben, Benzophenone, Ethanol, Synthetic Dyes, Mineral Oils and Genetically Modified Ingredients.
Active Ingredient: Quinoa, Phyto-Oligo
Directions: Massage cream onto facial surface.
Targets: Sensitive Skin

Consistency:
Soft cream texture.

Color:
White. As you can see from the picture above, after massaging it on my skin, it will change from white to transparent.

Scent:
It has a citrus-y scent.

Likes:
- chemical-free formula!
- moisturize
- soothes irritation skin(dryness/flakiness)
- reduce redness

Dislikes:
- does not have oil-control
- somehow, I think it does produce a little oil. :/
- packaging --- in a jar container.
- does not come with a spatula!
I find it very unsanitary and I really hate dipping my finger into the jar! I use spatula from other product to dig out the cream and I actually stored a small portion of the cream in a smaller container for easier usage like this:

I have oily and dry/combination skin and usually I will only apply this cream on my face on area where I feel dry and has irritation. I believe this is a night cream? Okay I wasn't sure but anyway, I use this in the morning too when my skin feels really dry. This cream helps to moisturize and soothe the skin really well! I suffered from dryness and mild irritation(mild red, flaky and dry skin) on both of my upper cheekbones due to the AC Gel Lotion not being moisturizing enough [link]. I applied this cream on the dry areas and within 2 days, the redness was completely gone! However, I can still feel the rough texture(dry, flaky skin) when I touch it with my hands. With continue application of this cream, my skin completely healed in another 2-3 days.

Effectiveness: 5/5 but for Overall Rating, I would rate it: 3.9/5.

So all in all, I think this is not a bad product. It claims to soothe and nourish complexion and yes, it does it's job. Highly recommend this to people who have dry and sensitive skin however, if you have oily & dry/combination skin like me, then I would advise to just apply ONLY on area where you feel dry and/or has irritation because I personally think that it does produce a little oil... Anyway, the packaging doesn't specifically state that it's "Oil-Free"... Well, that's my opinion though. :x Hope this helps. :)

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Update on 14 July 2012:
This product has been discontinued. :(

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2012 April Haul

Mood:  *sick - sore throat & flu :(*

A short and quick update about April Haul. :)

Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer

Etude House Tear Eye Liner .aka. Tear Drop Liner 

Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher #2 Strawberry Choux

Etude House AC Clinic Acne Foam Cleanser(1 tube belongs to my friend)

Etude House Collagen Eye Patch

Etude House Black Charcoal Chin Pack

The Face Shop Sharpener

Etude House Nail Polish

The Face Shop Blackhead EX Charcoal Pore Strip
Review: [link]

Holika Holika Jewel-Light Waterproof Eyeliner:

#01, #02, #05(another #05 belongs to my friend~), #08 

Tony Moly Egg Pore Tightening Pack

Konjac Facial Sponge/Puff

Nexcare Acne Patch

Review: [link]

My Beauty Diary Strawberry Yogurt Sheet Mask

My Beauty Diary Black Pearl Sheet Mask

Nivea Extra 48HR Whitening Anti-Perspirant Spray

I actually wanted to get the 24HR Repair & Whitening bottle but I grabbed the wrong one. Both of them have almost identical packaging only the wordings on the bottle are different. I didn't look and read properly so ended up grabbing the wrong bottle... Orz

Perfume Travel Atomizer

Even though it's a replica Travalo Perfume Atomizer Spray ><", it works great as well. Falling in love with this atomizer spray! Will do a review on this soon.

A random black elastic headband

Smart Phone Leather Case for dad's phone

AND....... I can't believe............., Ventus GOT ME THIS!
Received it on 20th April... A 31days in-advance birthday present! yay-yay~^^:

Victoria's Secret Bombshell Perfume!

Holy~~~!, I've been wanting this ever since it first released! But...because it's a little overprice-y in my country so I didn't get it. Lol. Thanks Ventus for this. :D

I got this Victoria Secret Pear Glace Hydrating Body Lotion as a gift as well.

So, that's that for now. Bye!~ *signing-out* ;D

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Review: Etude House AC Clinic Gel Lotion

Mood: 

I've changed my blog banner(?) header(?) or whatever it's called! I've spent a day creating the banner/header and editing the code~ Hope you guys like it. Heh~ ^^

Back to topic... [...]

Etude House AC Clinic Gel Lotion (150ml)
Don't bother looking at the toner because I'm only gonna do a review on the Gel Lotion. I've used the toner once and thinks that it's pretty drying for my skin so I've stopped using it. Therefore, I can't write a thorough review about it.

That being said, I will just start my review on AC Clinic Gel Lotion:

Description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid and Hinoki Cypress extract, AC Clinic Gel Lotion clarifies and soothes troubled skin while maintain oil/moisture balance without aggravation. Non-Comedogenic & Dermatologist Tested.
Targets: Troubled Skin

The bottle is made up of opaque green glass with a plastic twist-off screw cap at the top. Under the cap, the opening is sealed with an aluminum foil(?).

Consistency & Color:
It's runny and has a whitish color. When I rub it on my skin, the color will change from whitish to transparent. Once the lotion is fully absorbed by the skin, it does not leave an extreme sticky feel or greasiness.

Scent:
I like the scent! It's very refreshing and has a citrusy-like(lemon?) mixed with herby(?) scent.
P.S.: I'm not so good at describing scent. (｀_´)ゞ

Like:
- non-comedogenic!
- easy to apply
- not greasy
- soothe & control my troubled skin
- does not sting
- does not aggravate pimples
- does not break me out

Dislike:
- not moisturizing enough...

Rating: 4/5

I love this lotion! It helps to soothe and heal my pimples without aggravating them. The only downside is it's not moisturizing enough! After I started using this, both of my upper cheekbones are drying up. Even right now, I am still facing the drying problem. -_- At the end of the day, I have to use another moisturizer or hydrating cream on top of this. So, I do not recommend this to people who have dry skin unless you have another bottle of really good moisturizer...

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Related Posts:

• "My Acne Story" page: [link]

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Review: 3M Nexcare Acne Patch

Mood:

I did a short review about this last year and I thought I would write a little more in-depth review. I have been purchasing boxes and boxes of this and well, this is my holy grail item that I cannot live without. I have been investing money on them. It's SOOOOOOO EFFECTIVE on getting rid of pimples/zits.

3M Nexcare Acne Patch  Clear Acne Spot-On Fast!

Sterile Pack(per box) contains: 8mm x 24patches & 12mm x 12patches

P.S.: I bought the Value Pack($12.90 per package) with free "non-exposure tapes" included in the package. Not every place sells the same package so do take note about that. :)

Description:

- Water-based material that acts like a sponge to absorb the oily secretion, fluid or pus.

- Act as a barrier over the acne to reduce hand contact and infection

- Waterproof yet breathable to improve healing

Content:

Hydrocolloid dressing

How to use:

1. Cleanse your face well especially the problem areas with acne. Gently pat the skin dry with clean towel.

2. Remove 3M Nexcare Acne Patch from the box and peel open the plastic pouch. Select a suitable sized patch which is able to cover the acne and place it centred on the acne opening. Ensure the skin is dry when the acne patch is used. Gently press the edge of the patch with clean and dry fingers for better adhesion.

3. Once the color changes from skin color to white, it means that the oily secretion has been absorbed. The acne patch should be replaced with a new one.

4. Keep unused patches in the plastic pouch and store in a cool, dry place.

5. If you need to wear makeup, use the acne patch first before applying makeup. 3M Nexcare Acne Patch is skin colored and transparent. Sterility is guaranteed unless individual plastic pounch is opened or damaged.

My view on the above 5 points:

Point 1. & 2. After cleansing, use the acne patch before applying any other skincare products. Make sure the skin is dry before using the acne patch. Otherwise, it won't stick well on your face.

Point 3. For me, I don't bother to change it. I seldom use it in the day time unless I have a really big painful pimple or the pustule(yellow-pus) is leaking out, provided if I stay at home the whole day because the patch is pretty obvious. I will just look like a crazy girl having "stickers" all over my face. I mostly used it at night after cleansing and before heading to bed. I sleep with it on my face till the next morning.

Point 4. I just do the same as stated.

Point 5. I would not recommend to use this under your makeup because it will look really awful. -.- That's another reason why I seldom/don't use it in the day time. The patch is more on a yellow-colored and opaque. Definitely not skin-colored and transparent as stated. Look at the pictures below for more details.

Basically, I only use the patches on inflamed pimples/cystic acne which have pus in it or those painful swelling ones. Once the pimple heals and there is no sign of infection(swelling or pus), I will stop using the patch. I don't use them on non-inflamed whiteheads though. It's kind of waste to use them on non-inflamed zits. -.-

The patch helps to absorb/suck out all the nasty stuff(pus) from the pimple. For pustule pimple, my advice is to use the patch until there is no more nasty stuff being absorbed on it. After it cleared up all the nasty stuff from the pimple and flatten the size of pimple, I assure you that the pimple will not form and return on the same spot/area again. Of course it will form on the same spot/area again if you didn't take good care of your skin(hygiene etc).

Likes:

- easy to apply

- reduce the size of acnes/pimples(papules) effectively and in a fast way

- inflamed pimples/pustules/cystic acne; helps to suck out all the yellow-pus and prevent the pimple from forming/returning on the same spot again

- prevent me from picking and squeezing my pimples

Dislikes:

- a little too expensive for me because I tend to finish up a box pretty fast... -_-

Rating: 5/5

I really love this product a lot! As I've said, this is my holy grail item and it works really well for me so I don't really mind spending a little more. No matter how much I've paid for this, it's all worth it. :)

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Related Posts:

• "My Acne Story" page: [link]

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Review: Etude House Dear My Blooming Lips-Talk Lipstick

Mood: 

A quick review for...
Etude House Dear My Blooming Lips-Talk Lipstick (3.4g)

Description: Smooth textured lipstick supplies vivid color and moist shine.
Directions: Twist to dispense makeup and apply evenly to lips.

Dear My Blooming Lips-Talk Lipstick is the latest collection from Etude House. So when I saw it 'having a sale'($6.90 each), I picked and put them into my cart immediately. LOL. Yeah, I love sales, I love discount. :D

I got them in RD304 & OR204. Colors which I don't own any in my 'Lips collection'. Anyway, both of the colors I gotten are the "Hot Color" from the collection. The packaging are very adorable, lovely and girlish. AHAHAHAH~ I love ribbon/bow. :D

Ok so, there are a heart-shaped detailed being stamped on the lipstick which I think it looks really cool and pretty.

Here are the swatches~ 2 coats of each color

OR204 is a lovely coral-peachy color. *Love this color!~*

RD304 is more on a bright red which doesn't suit me at all. :(

Likes:
- Adorable & girlish packaging!
- A wide varieties of colors(24 colors) to choose from
- Color are build-able
- Glides on smoothly
- Good staying power
- Not too drying...
- doesn't have a strong scent

Dislikes:
- Errr..., the color is too bright for my liking. (><")

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Inexpensive Mulch For Your Garden

I've been looking for inexpensive or free ways to mulch my garden.  My husband has a business that generates a lot of cardboard boxes from items shipped to him. 

The children generally play with the boxes until they are destroyed, then they go out with the trash.  I wondered if the boxes could be used for mulch so I did a little research.  I found that so long as the cardboard isn't covered with a "shiny" coating, it can be used as mulch for the garden. 

Cardboard mulch after high winds

You will want to tear the cardboard into pieces no bigger than 4 inches by 4 inches.  If your pieces are bigger, you will run the risk of the wind catching the pieces and propelling them into your plants.  Then wet the cardboard before placing around your plants.  This will help ensure that it stays in place.    Cardboard makes a good mulch because it helps prevent weed growth and moisture loss.  It also breaks down over time.  Unfortunately, cardboard doesn't hold up so well to high winds.  As you can see in my photographs, near tornado strength winds blew the cardboard all over my garden.   I will still use cardboard mulch because it did work well for the week prior to the big storm, withstanding normal Kansas winds.

Interestingly, the leaf mulch that I had placed around my tomato plants stayed in place for the most part after the severe storm.  To make leaf mulch, simply rake leaves from your yard and place them around your plants, then water!

Other sources of free mulch can be found in your yard or home.  Consider the following ideas ~

• Sawdust - Let rot until it is dark in color before using.  Apply 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick around your plant.
• Pine needles - They are plentiful in many areas and look cool!  Apply 3 to 4 inches thick.
• Hay and Straw -  Spoiled hay makes an excellent mulch.  I've even used straw from my chicken coop, although some would caution that salmonella can be introduced into your garden in this manner.
• Old newspapers - Avoid colored newsprint, I've heard it may contain lead.  Apply in layers 4 to 6 sheets thick and weight down to keep it from blowing away. 
• Grass clippings - Just be certain to let dry out a bit before applying to avoid clumping and don't use grass from chemically treated lawns. 
• Partially broken down Compost - Makes a wonderful mulch!  Feeds your garden while sheltering the soil. 
• Coffee Grounds -  I'm particularly excited about this one as we drink a ton of coffee!   Coffee can be used as an additive to your compost but also makes an excellent mulch.  It repels slugs and other pests but earthworms really love it!  Coffee grounds also offer a slow release of nitrogen. Of course, as with anything you put in your garden, you will want to make certain you are using pesticide free products (if you are organically gardening) 

Why mulching is important -
Mulching may seem like a lot of extra work but it can save you a great deal of work later on. 

• When applied properly, mulching can conserve moisture in the soil, thereby reducing the frequency that you will need to water. 
• Mulching also can smother weeds, which will save you a lot of back breaking work.
• Mulching insulates the soil, providing a nice even temperature for your plants' roots.
• Mulching provides a cozy habitat for earthworms which are just all around "good guys" in the garden.  
• Mulching helps prevent rotting of vegetables such as squash, watermelons, cucumbers or any other vegetable that normally would touch the soil by creating a barrier.
• Mulching also guards against soil erosion from heavy rains or watering.  

When applying mulch -

• Apply in spring after the soil has warmed up slightly.  If you apply while the soil is still cold, you may slow down plant growth.
• Apply after weeding if possible. A thick layer will smother existing weeds but you can get by with less mulch if you weed first. 
• It may seem obvious, but wait until your vegetables or plants are up before mulching.  If you mulch over the newly planted soil, you may not ever see your seedlings!

For a wealth of information you might enjoy reading ~

Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardens

I'd love to hear about your ideas for free or cheap garden mulch!

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