REVIEW: Klairs Freshly Juice Vitamin C Serum

 ~MG~

Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum is a highly raved online by korean beauty youtubers and by wishtrend. Bought it in Korea at Aland Myeongdong on March 2017.

Started using it in August, it has been three months of usage already. Initially I only used it at night and only 2 drops of serum because I wanted to test whether it would irritate my skin. It contains 5% of Vitamin C and is gentle enough for sensitive skin. I did not see any adverse reaction so I started to use it in the morning too but I always made sure to use an SPF product afterwards. It is important to use a sunscreen after using Vitamin C serum, as the latter will make our skin more sensitive to the sun. Since I had no bad reaction after using the serum twice a day, I decided to increase to 4 drops during each use. Despite the increase in product usage, it did not break me out.

A slight warm sensation can be felt when I pat the product onto my face but it is actually normal because that means pure Vitamin C is being absorbed into my skin. It does feel slightly sticky, but once you apply it onto your face, the tackiness will go away. I apply it after my toner, essence, eye cream and before my moisturizer/facial oil.

Klairs Vitamin C Serum is the best Vitamin C serum that I have used so far! It made my face more radiant, and helped to fade my acne scars rapidly. Acne scar is a big problem I always deal with. All my acne, even if I did not pop it, will always gift me a scar at the end. I feel like this is the more affordable version of the Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution which I loved and went through two bottles. The Kiehl's retails at USD50 (S$68) for 30ml while Klairs Vitamin C Serum retails at USD23 (S$32) for 35ml. Klairs is half the price of Kiehl's Serum. Even though the packaging of both products looks similar, in that it comes in clear packaging and has dropper applicator. Another difference is that Klairs Vitamin C Serum comes in a plastic packaging which makes it convenient to travel with, while Kiehl's Solution came in a glass packaging.

Highly recommend to all acne prone people who always have acne scars! One bottle of Klairs Serum can lasts at least six months. For those with very sensitive skin, I would suggest you to use only 2 drops and mix it with your moisturizer. For those new to Vitmain C product, I would suggest you to start conservatively, starting with 2 drops first and only increasing the number of droplets if the product does not irritate your skin. For all skin types, I would not go over 5 drops though.

REVIEW: Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moist Eye Cream

 ~MG~

On a search to find  more affordable eye cream and with a pump. Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moist Eye Cream contains three types of hyaluronic acid to deeply moisturize the skin around the eyes. It contains ACTIFLOW to visibly lighten dark circles and reduce puffiness. It also contains natural Jojoba Oil to smoothen the fine lines around the eye area.

This is an affordable eye cream at S$22 compared to my HG Kiehl's Creamy Avocado (S$53), which I love and have went through four tubs of it already. Hada Labo Eye Cream contains 15 g of product and lasts for about three months. The pump packaging is perfect for lazy person like me. It is also more hygienic that way since you do not have to dip your fingers inside the tub, especially if you have long fingernails. The slim packaging is convenient to travel with, I carry it in my handbag whenever the skin around the eye area feels dry. Always a fan of  Hada Labo products because there are free of fragrances, mineral oil, alcohol & colorant.

Even though it claims to visibly lighten dark circles and reduce puffiness,  I did not have much expectation for those. I only wanted the Hyaluronic Acid ingredient to moisturize my dry undereyes. I cannot stand the look of the dry lines when I apply CC cream/concealer on. All I want in an eye cream is for it to moisturize my undereyes. Although I do have dark circles but I never believe that an eye cream can lighten it. I do not think dark circle can be reduced solely by an eye cream. Hada Labo Eye Cream does have some moisturizing properties but it is not very hydrating.  Sometimes i have white tiny spots which looks like milia, but not sure whether it is caused by this eye cream. so whenever i have the milia, i would stop using it until it go away first.

I will repurchase and recommend for those who is looking for an affordable moisturizing eye cream. You can find it in Guardian and Watsons in Singapore.

REVIEW: Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter in Opal

~AG~

Heard about Becca Cosmetics many years ago from famous makeup artist, Lisa Eldridge. She was a big fan of their Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Highlighter. When Becca Cosmetics introduced the Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Bought it last year when I was in the States from Sephora for USD 38 (S$55). The Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed comes in 10 shades. The shade I selected was Opal which is a golden bronze. Since I have a warm undertone, Opal's golden shade matches my skintone well. 

 

The shimmers on this pressed powder highlighter are highly reflective and creates an healthy glow. The powder has a smooth texture that is not powdery. I use the Ecotools Deluxe Fan Brush to apply Becca Cosmetics Pressed Highlighter. I apply the highlighter to the top of my cheeks and the bridge of the nose. A light hand is recommended to apply the highlighter, as too much of the powder will make the face looks shiny. To create a beautiful glow, I first apply Chanel Blush Duo Tweed Effect to add some rosy color and then highlight the skin with Becca Cosmetics Pressed Highlighter. 

I will definitely recommend Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter as it is highly pigmented and creates a beautiful natural glow. As this product comes in 10 various shades, you can select the one that is most suitable to your skin tone. This Becca Pressed Highlighter can lasts a long time as you only need a little product to highlight the skin.

REVIEW: Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Clay Cleanser

~MG~

I was very excited when I saw this cleanser at the Sephora store in Sydney, because Sephora Singapore does not carry Sunday Riley products. So obviously I had to get it right?

This Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Clay Cleanser costs USD 45 (SGD 62). This is the most expensive facial cleanser that I have bought so far! I actually have this mantra (which AG always disagree with me) that if something is expensive, that means it must be good and effective. I purchased this Ceramic Slip cleanser out of curiosity to see whether an expensive cleanser actually does what it says. Ceramic Slip Clay Cleanser is targeted for those with normal to oily skin type. What attracted me to this cleanser, besides the many positive reviews and that it is Sunday Riley, is its clay and Vitamin C ingredients. I was hoping that these ingredients will help with my oily acne skin and reduce my large pores, and brighten my uneven skin tone. Sunday Riley claims that this skin-balancing cleanser will visibly tighten the appearance of pores. The French green clay and Morroccan rhassoul clay is supposed to remove pore-clogging, excess oil and impurities, without drying the skin. Neroli essential oil claims to balance and soothe the skin, while Vitamin C ester helps to brighten the skin.

Despite the hundreds of positive reviews on this product, it is not worth your money. I would describe this product as a wonderful basic cleanser with a not-so basic price tag.It claims that it would tighten the appearance of large pores but I disagree, I can still see my large pores! And surprise surprise, my skin still looks uneven. The not-so-good thing about Sunday Riley Cleanser is that it does not smell that pleasant, but still tolerable for my nose. AG, on the other hand, cannot tolerate the strong scent. Secondly, before using this product, you must first shake it well before pumping it. The only two things I enjoyed about this product is that it deep cleanse my face without drying it out, and the pump makes it very convenient for a lazy user like me who hates squeezing out the product especially when I am half awake in the morning.
A bottle with 125ml of product took about 5 months to be used up. I wash my face twice a day with Ceramic Slip Cleanser, two pumps for each use. Honestly, I cannot tell the difference between this USD45 cleanser and USD10-15 ones. I would rather you save the money and get a more affordable cleanser which works equally as well, and spend more on eye cream, serum, moisturizer and sunscreen.