Nature Republic: Botanical Green Tea Primer

Primer!

It has taken me months to write this damn post because I either keep losing my photos or forget to update it lol.

Steve went to Korea in October because his grandma died and he bought me some random stuff, I asked him that if he could, could he buy me a cleanser and a primer "the cheapest one, doesn't matter" lol that's what I told him. Then he came back with like 5 cleansers >.< LOL I was like only 1! he was like "I didn't know which one to get you.."

Primer with a pump

I wasn't really sure what type of primer this was (moisturizing, matte, etc) since the box didn't really indicate but I assumed it was a moisturizing one since it has green tea in it, I didn't really want a moisturizing primer (since I am a oily skinned girl) but I tried it anyway to see if it would break me out.

Thick and Smooth

This primer has a light lemon scent and is nice and smooth. When I first put it on my face I knew right away this is too moisturizing my foundation is going to melt off. I think this primer is best for those who have dry skin.

My face this day

Face before and after

Sorry for the blurry photos

 For me the primer didn't really cover/fill my pores and lines that well it made my skin feel smoother/softer and more moisturized but that's about it, it didn't really boost the look of the foundation on my skin or make the foundation last any longer, it actually did the opposite for me.

 Oily and shiny by the end of the day

Yep I was right. This primer isn't for me, by the end of the day my foundation was literally melting off my face >.< Could be a great primer for the winter but for the upcoming summer months, not so great (for me at least!)

Overall, great product design (the bottle) I like the pump and feels like you get a lot of product its probably best used in the winter months than in the summer months, not really sure if it has SPF in it or not as the bottle and my box doesn't really specify.

Not really sure where you can buy it online perhaps sasa? but as far as I know, they don't really sell a large variety of Nature Republic products.

I noticed recently that there has been some actual Korean beauty stores here in Vancouver, The face Shop opened in metrotown a few months ago but the prices are a bit higher here in store, but I can order the same products online for a cheaper price and Tony Moly has opened in Richmond. I'm not really sure if they are legitimate stores or not though lol.

Nature Republic - Moroco Ghassoul Pore Pack Update

A long awaited update

I've been meaning to update some previous posts but with not much downtime its kind of hard to do. Now that school is done (at least the theory portion of it) I finally have some time to post things. Although, I haven't been purchasing many products the past few months (poor student budget >.<) so I shall start updating the old shitty posts that I crappily wrote lol.

**********

So, I waited until a time where my skin was really shitty lol because this product has the best affect on my skin when its at its worst lol. As I'm writing this, my skin is super oily, I have tons of clogged pores and a considerable amount of redness in my skin.

 so hawt

You can see how uneven the texture of my skin is in this picture (bumps in my skin because of my clogged pores) and some redness, not much shine due to lighting? lol but my skin is pretty oily.

I tend to use this product before I get my period (my skin is at its worst during this time) or once a week if I feel that my skin needs a boost.

Yeah.. I've had this product for a long time so it can get super messy lol

I haven't used any other clay mask since I have been using this (either too poor or can't find one with a decent price) but I'm really happy about this product.

Spread Out

Spreads out smoothly and smells so good (although as I mentioned before the scent can be a bit overwhelming) At times I feel like when I first apply the product, it kind of burns LOL but its not bad. I feel like it dries out your skin just a bit so make sure you apply toner and moisturizer afterwards.

I tried looking online to see if I could repurchase the same one, but it seems that either my searching skills suck or they don't make this product anymore. Nature Republic does make a clay pack still but its called the Hawaiian Fresh Clay Pack, not entirely sure if its the same one but I will purchase it to see if it is.

Let me know if you can find this product online somewhere >.< but let me know if you know where I can repurchase this online :)

The Face Shop: Real Nature Mask Avocado

 Avocado sheet mask!

So sorry I've been neglecting the blog! Lots of things have happened at home >.< but I will provide the details on that later. I've been meaning to catch up on some beauty/skincare products but I've fallen way behind.. poot!

Let's jump into it! A few christmas's ago Steve's mom gave me some sheet masks which I've been neglecting since I have TONS but I finally got around to trying them (which I sort of explained in the lemon sheet mask)

The past few days my skin has been quite dull and flaky >.< stupid changing weather! (there was a heatwave last week but now its cold and rainy) so I used this today since it claims to re-energize dry and rough skin.

 The back!

I wonder if The Face Shop has upgraded more of their sheet masks after I received these, they're so much better than before but there's still some things to work on lol but its a major improvement.

The sheet absorbs the serum inside the packet really well, but the shape of the sheet mask is still odd (i get that everyone doesn't have the same size face but its so.. melty? that's the best way I can describe it)

ignore the lighting, its like 1AM lol

Still clings onto the face quite well. Taking the sheet out of the packet is kind of annoying, its folded in a way so that it takes while to get the sheet mask ready to stick onto your face and makes your fingers all goopey.

The scent of the serum is nice and it doesn't burn or sting my dry/flaky face, I feel like if you don't massage the serum into your face enough for absorption it leaves a light residue on your face..

Personally, I think this mask is great for the fall/winter but a little heavy for right now, since its a little warmer out. Its still nice and refreshing to have a sheet mask on but I think for the summer I want to use a lighter one that doesn't leave a residue on my face. But you know, everybody is different. Give it a shot if you can!

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Another Sasa Haul

Another Sasa haul.. Went a little nuts this month lol

The main reason why I did another order was for the hair mask lol most of the other products are just filler.. lol.

 Haruhada Collagen Moisture Cleansing Water

One of the top favorite products on Sasa, I wanted to get this cause I want to try using some more eye makeup but didn't really have a proper makeup remover for it so I purchased this! 

Super inexpensive (like $15) I didn't want to jump the gun on something like Bioderma that's double the price of this so its a good starting product and if it works well then that's good!

 Essential Rich Premier Honey Hair Mask

I've used the pink version of this before (the nuance airy one) but I heard this one is more moisturizing? I might be wrong but the pink one was good I just wanted it to be a little more moisturizing.

Essential Hair Serum

I've been using the Biosilk silk therapy oil stuff but I kind of think its not doing anything anymore lol but why not give this a shot so I ordered it.

 Heynature BB Cream

I was a little hesitant on purchasing this because it says "moist tightening" and since I have oily skin anything that says moist screams oily lol but maybe that's me. Not only that it was a bit on the pricy side (close to $30) I don't think I've spent that much on a BB cream before but we will see the end result.

Will write a post on this product later :P also there's only one color available (from what I saw) on Sasa.

Sana BB cream

I've never used a Japanese BB cream before and this one had 4/5 Stars based on its rating on Sasa but I ordered it anyway because it was like $15 lol. I know they sell this product at T & T at the Metrotown location but its like double the price >.< so yeah good deal on Sasa lol.

moop!

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Nature Republic: Bee Venom Toner & Emulsion

Toner and Emulsion!

I've never found a product that could get rid of the redness in my face and unfortunately this ain't the product but let's talk about this product first.

I got this from Steve's mom as a gift when she went to Korea last December she actually gave me like 3 boxes because it was packaged together for a deal. I gave one box to Ashley and I'm currently using my first box.

 unfortunately no pump

I love Nature Republic but I wish they would update their packaging just a bit with a pump. Perhaps maybe it keeps the cost of the product down, but I feel like I'm wasting a lot of product when I'm trying to get it out of the damn bottle and I can't really put it back in without contaminating the whole bottle of product >.<

What the tops look like

These bottles are plastic and they actually have quite a nice bottle just add the damn pump! lol

In terms of using the product, the toner absorbs quite well, you can kind of feel it absorb into the skin... its hard to explain and it doesn't sting or anything when you put it on your skin and it keeps your skin nice and moisturized and it smells quite nice, I can't really describe the scent its like .... floral and earthy LOL I have no idea.

Light Emulsion

I think the emulsion is the problem for me, if you use too much your skin will look and feel oily and because you have to bang it onto your hand to get the emulsion out its a little hard to control how much comes out. Its not a thick emulsion its actually quite light but I found it a bit odd that it could make my skin so oily, maybe I have to use less? but even if I use less the same thing happens.

These two products at first did help with the redness of my skin but eventually it just stopped working maybe within a week or two of using the product it just stopped working for me and I've used this for months now. Maybe I have to use the whole bee venom line? I know they have way more products that I wish I tried with the toner and emulsion (like the cleanser or the spot treatment, sleep mask, sheet mask... list goes on)

I think I'm gonna switch it up next month and see if I can find a longer lasting redness reduction product for me.

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The Face Shop: Real Nature Mask - Lemon

Lemon Sheet Mask

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We're gonna start this year off with a skincare product! Hope you all had a good time partying (remember to refresh your skin with a sheet mask ^_~)

Its been a while since I talked about a sheet mask and I haven't used any new ones since I have a huge pile of the same ones I've been trying to get rid of and it takes a while since I only use sheet masks twice a week (if I can remember)

I was given these sheet masks from Steve's mom from her visit from like last year >.< and I finally got around to trying these.

The back

What this mask claims it does: A brightening mask sheet containing fresh lemon extract to brighten dull skin tone while maintaining translucence.

I've had some trouble in the past with The Face Shop sheet masks.. like the kelp one... and the mung bean one in terms of the quality of the actual sheet.

Huge Improvement

This sheet mask isn't constructed in a way where it looks like your face is falling apart lol. It retains the moisture much better than the previous ones (doesn't dry out by the time you are done with it) and the sheet has a much smoother texture to it. Its still not as good as the My beauty diary sheets though lol but its a huge improvement since the last time I used the face shop sheet masks.

As for the essence, it definitely smells lemony, it sort of reminds me of lysol disinfecting wipes.. not in a bad way, I mean it smells good lol. I didn't really have much of a problem with the essences of the previous sheet masks I've used and this one is just as nice. I didn't notice brightening effects or anything :P but the skin always feels nice after a sheet mask so its definitely worth a try. These are inexpensive anyways (most of the time) and it didn't break me out.

Give them a shot! They're much improved since last time :P

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Etude House: Correct & Care CC Cream Glow

Second CC Cream Review!!

I'm not sure if some of you read my CC cream review by The Saem and some of you might remember that I couldn't use that because I broke out which made me sad since I waited for it to come in the mail for a long time lol.

So what are the functions of this CC cream? It has 8 in 1 functions, according to the box:

- Anti-Aging

- Stress Relief

- Hydration

- Whitening

- Sun Protection (SPF 30/PA++)

- Tone-up

- Smooth Texture

- Luminosity

This formula is more like a primer than it is a BB cream since this doesn't really provide any color coverage, its just like a cream with extra skincare benefits.

I'm not sure if your supposed to mix it with BB cream, foundation or just apply it directly onto your skin but I prefer to put it directly on instead of diluting whatever product I choose to put on afterwards. If you choose to only use the CC cream by itself then your face will be abnormally pale lol.

 Its quite small and it has a pump!

Its smaller than I expected but still worth the price. I've never really tried any products from Etude House except for the sheet masks and they aren't very good... lol. But I like this product and the packaging is always super cute and pretty.

I'm not sure if you can see it but there are little black flecks in the cream

I have to say that a little goes a long way, when I first got this product I was kind of like "oh its so small, I'm going to have to use a little at a time" but a little does go a long way, it just spreads out really well. Its that time of year where my skin is overly dry so this wouldn't be enough for me to moisturize my skin (moisturize and then put this on top) but I like this a lot! 

I'm not actually sure if it does all the things it claims it does (have to use it longer to find out) but I feel like the texture in my skin feels smoother when I put on foundation on top of this.

So Yes! Give this a try guys its definitely worth the price and it didn't break me out (unlike the saem one... lol)

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Nature Republic: Truffle [EX] Wrinkle Emulsion and Toner

Wrinkle Toner & Emulsion enriched with truffle mushroom 

extracts for wrinkle improvement

Its been a while!

In a previous post I mentioned that I purchased this at the Nature Republic store in Hawaii. Its not that I have wrinkles but I was starting to notice (or think) that my pores were getting a bit droopier. Then again it could have been the hot weather during that time. I also previously reviewed the sleeping mask for this line here.

Long Glass Bottles

One thing I really like about this Nature Republic brand is that the packaging feels and looks really expensive but the cost of the overall product is really really reasonable. One thing I worry about is accidentally smashing these on the floor lol.

The down side

One thing I really don't like about this product is the design of the bottle... Its kind of hard to dispense the product inside, you really have to give it a good shake upside down to make sure all the emulsion comes out. The toner is fine you don't need to shake it to dispense but since the emulsion is thick you have to shake it pretty good lol, I wish there was a pump instead.

I've used the toner and emulsion for a few months now (only for my night skincare routine) and I've noticed how much more toner I've used in comparison to the emulsion so I would say buy two toners and one emulsion if you think you will use up all the product.

Its pretty thick and creamy

(and old lady hands LOL)

The toner is a thicker toner its not super watery and its not as sweet smelling like the emulsion. It doesn't absorb right away but you can feel it absorb into your skin.

The emulsion has a mushroomy scent (duh! it has truffle essence in it) I'm not the best at describing scents... but to me it smells sweet and earthy if that makes sense. To me it feels a little bit oily and thick (a little goes a long way) and I honestly don't need a moisturizer after I use it. If you have oily skin and you're thinking of using it during the day you'll probably have super oily skin lol because it feels quite heavy, I'll lounge around the house during the night and can feel my skin feeling oily.

So! Does it get rid of wrinkles? or minimize the appearance of them?

Honestly the overall feel of my skin has softened and tightened a bit since I've started using this product. As for wrinkles, I don't really have any to begin with except for some laugh lines but I'll probably need something stronger than this to get rid of. My skin is pretty sensitive too and this hasn't broken me out in case you are wondering. So if you are looking for something that will minimize the look of your wrinkles, I don't think this is for you.

 

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Nature Republic: Moroco Ghassoul Pore Pack

I had totally forgotten that I purchased this

A week or two ago I noticed that my pores were extra big.. Naturally I have big pores especially on my cheeks they're quite noticeable. Since the weather has been warming up my pores have been looking extra big and extra oily which SUCKS! 

I was looking at my beauty shelf because I was looking for a Skin Food pack mask but I found an unopened pack mask by Nature Republic that I forgot about and never opened, plus it was clay!

Moroccan Ghassoul (or Rhassoul) clay is a mineral rich clay that absorbs sebum, reduces redness, improves skin clarity and elasticity and has extractive abilities that remove impurities, unblocks pores and blackheads. Some people make their own masks and apply it to their hair and skin but personally I don't have the patience to make a clay mask plus I think I would mess it up. I don't think this Nature Republic mask can be used on your hair though.. lol.

Click below to read more.

The Face Shop: Real Nature Mask Kelp

 Kelp Mask!

What the mask claims to do: This mask sheet enables a pure skin appearance with a clear complexion as kelp extract protects the skin from air pollution and facilitates the skin in discharging impurities

I was pretty hesitant when I first tried this mask, for some reason I expected it to smell like the sea lol. But because Kelp/Seaweed has great skincare benefits I wanted to give it a try (anti-aging, antioxidants, vitamins, etc). It has a nice pleasant smell. This mask wasn't as ridiculous as the previous one I reviewed in terms of the actual sheet but there is some room for improvement lol.

 Sticks to the face a lot better but I still have to push it down every now and then to make sure its absorbing (even when I'm lying down)

I kind of think that their masks dry out a little quicker than others so after having it on for 15-20 minutes the sides aren't as moist as other parts.

As for the actual serum I think it works well. It does leave a bit of a residue on your face but its not too bad and it doesn't make you break out (at least it didn't make me break out) When I woke up my skin felt pretty soft and it did reduce the redness in my face just a little but not significantly.

Overall I think it works well in terms of getting rid of some impurities but its not a very signficant change. I would buy again unless I find a better kelp mask.

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The Face Shop - Real Nature Mask Mung Bean

I guess technically its THEFACESHOP ?

I can't remember if this was one of the masks that Steve's mom bought me or one of the ones I got in Hawaii.. none the less I'm guessing that it was less than $3 lol.

What it does: A cleansing/purifying mask sheet containing mung bean extract. effective in purifying pores for a clean and smooth texture.

I use sheet masks twice a week so I can tell which ones are good and which ones are bad. This one was alright, not good not bad just neutral. The Face Shop usually makes ok sheet masks, since I know I can get better quality ones from other brands I probably wouldn't buy from them unless the essence inside was super amazing or cheaper than it is now but the sheet itself is a different story..

 My face looks like its literally melting

For some reason the hole for where your mouth goes is super big, 

WHY? WHOSE FACE IS LIKE THIS!?

I guess some people have extra big mouths/lips lol. The essence itself is nice and gentle. It smells good and doesn't leave a residue on my face. My only complaint is the quality of the actual sheet, it really needs to be changed, its the same for most of the sheet masks The Face Shop produces.

It doesn't adhere to the skin well, I had to push on my face every now and then to make sure it is sticking to my face. So I'm probably not going to repurchase based on the quality of the sheet, the formula of the essence is good though my skin feels quite smooth.

So I'm doing a little format change on the products I review. Since most of my previous review posts have the "where can you purchase this product" section I'm getting rid of that. I figured by now you can figure out where I usually purchase these products so I don't really need to tell you anymore (ebay, sasa, amazon) plus I haven't been posting much lately so yeah its quicker for me to write a post that way.

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Nature Republic: Truffle [EX] Wrinkle Sleeping Mask

Finally got around to using this product!

I bought this product in Hawaii back in December on a whim, I was thinking that I should start using some anti-aging products since I am getting older T_T (I'm 23 LOL) I wanted to start using anti-aging products earlier since prevention is key :P and I don't want to wait till I develop deep lines and wrinkles when I start, I'm sure most people don't.

Nutrient supply and wrinkle improvement sleeping mask

What Do I Think Of This Product?

This is the last step in your skincare routine it says on the box to avoid the eye area but I put it there anyways lol. If you put on too much you will wake up oily but if you put on the appropriate amount your skin will feel really smooth and your skin will look really smooth when you wake up.

 

Its very rich, thick and very creamy

It's also slightly oily when you first put it on so a little really does go a long way so make sure you rub it in real good so your skin can absorb it really well. It also has a really light mushroomy/earthy smell to it... lol its a little difficult to explain but its a very subtle scent.

So I would buy this again, as far as I can remember this product was less than $15 but I really can't remember but it was a really decent price.

Where Can You Get This Product?

So apparently NO WHERE SELLS THIS as far as I know >.< at least I can't find it anywhere I usually shop at online. If anyone actually knows where to get this comment below!

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Etude House: Red Ginseng Sheet Mask

Hoho! Have not posted anything in almost a week? sorry about that!
I've been quite busy this past week which I will post about later :P
But for now I'm going to tell you about Etude House's Red Ginseng Sheet Mask!

Smells like sticks! lol

It seems to me that the Etude House sheet masks are really hit or miss. I've tried some before that weren't so hydrating and the mask would just dry out after 5 minutes and leave a really strange residue on my face, I don't know... the surface of my skin would have some sort of resistance to it instead of being smooth and the next day my skin would be really oily >.< it could be just me though.. not everyone has the same skin.

BUT! this one didn't do that to my skin. According to Sasa:

Etude House Red Ginseng Mask Sheet, ingredients extracted from 6-year-old red ginseng, restores skin strength after exposing to harmful radicals including stress, pollution, debris and weather. It helps to maintain firmness and smoothness and provides nourishment needed to slow down aging process.

 Adhered to my skin quite well

This mask didn't dry out after 5 minutes of applying it on and it did smell like sticks lol but it wasn't a bad smell and its really subtle anyways so its hardly noticeable unless you are super sensitive to perfumes and scents.

What Do I Think Of This Product?

No residue this time

 My skin felt really smooth and moisturized after using the product. In terms of actually providing some nutrients... I can't say that much has changed, whenever I do use sheet masks my skin gets super moisturized anyways because its getting soaked into the skin, at least it didn't leave a residue nor did it make my skin oily.

Where Can You Buy This Product?

Currently Sasa says its currently out of stock but when you look at the whole Etude House inventory list they have its not listed there so I'm sure they have stopped selling this product.

You can get it on Ebay about 3 for $7 and up

This product is also available on Amazon but there's only one seller and its $3.38 + $4.49 for shipping >.< and I'm pretty sure its only one sheet mask since it doesn't say how many you will get.

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