liisaa

Notice.

2011-04-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let people know that, though I may not currently be able to update posts often as I would like. I am working on posts to upload step by step as I am in my final year of university and it is really overwhelming me taking up most of my time. But no I have not forgotten about my blogger account and hope to update after my final exams ^^.

All I ask is please have patience ^^, it is a wonderful virtue :D

Take care everyone.

Lisa <3

Late. Introductions.

2010-09-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

I felt like my blog needed a post introducing myself as I haven't really personalized this blog other than posting a few reviews on products I have tried and tested.

Most of all I really needed to update the blog. I really have to kick my procrastination habit and update more often... the least once a week. Now with that off my chest lets begin with introductions!

My name is Lisa ^^
I am a 20 years young student in my final year at university.
I am born and bred from the UK.
I'm fond of many things both cute and at the same time creepy.
My favourite place in the world is Thailand, visited every year since I was born and never plan to stop. But Japan and South Korea are my runner ups :)
I hoard cute products and both Korean and Japanese make up brands as I prefer them to make up sold in the UK.
I practice Nail art often for friends and family, Sometimes if I'm lucky I get paid to do it for people, which comes in handy since I'm a poor student with empty pockets all the time.
I'm a constant day dreamer, I love to read and eat desserts, cake and puddings :3.
I'm a serial dieter constantly trying to lose weight but failing.
I am inspired by many things both real people and fictional characters, I hope one day to be an inspiration for others! x3

And... I'm at a loss for words right now but I will try to answer anything you would like to ask me. Both regarding either myself or my reviews.

Expect soon a new review! soon... I promise :3 *pink swears* I leave you with a picture of me plus my sister and friends.

Take care everyone, I appreciate all readers.

Etude House Essence Mask Vitamin C. REVIEW

2010-07-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hellooooo~

Well today I am here to review the Etude House Essence Mask Vitamin C. I tried this mask for the first time today.

I couldnt find much English detail on what it claimed to do to help skin. Other than -

"Essence Mask for skin Vitalising with Vitamin C and Lemon Extract"

From this I made my own assumptions from knowing that Vitamin C's benefits on skin are as an antioxidant it helps skin recover from environmental damage i.e the sun and reduce signs of aging. While Lemon Extract is commonly used in whittening products to reduce dark spots (melanin) while being a good cleanser.

The instructions said to leave the mask on for 15-20 minutes, But I left it on for 30 mins since it seemed a waste to take it off while it's barely dried still having more to give. Before I applied the mask i washed my face with my regular cleanser then patted my face dry with a facial towel so my skin wasnt completely dry when i applied the mask. After 30 minutes of wearing the mask i removed it then just rinced off the left over residue with cold water and applied my moisturiser.

Smell: The facemask actually smells quite chemicley to me, I cant pick up any citrus fragrance which I assumed there would be since the mask contains Lemon Extract. :/

Opinion: After using this mask my face felt fresh, smooth and soft to the touch. I noticed my spots (Ive had really bad break outs lately) redness was reduced/lightened however not anywhere near vanishing (of course I didnt expect the one facial mask to cure them). I noticed my face also appeared brighter, which made me happy :).

Verdict: Though the mask had nice effects on my skin, I would not say they were significantly amazing. But general goodness you would expect from using a regular Facemask.
A negative for the mask was when I got some of the sheet fluid in my eye it REALLY hurt >.< and the fact that the effects of the mask did not exactly... blow me away... nothing special but average of what you would expect from a regular facemask but not one I would obsess over.

Recommendation: I would recommend this mask as just a quick 'pick me up' for an occasion like, going out clubbing and wanting fresh skin to feel nice before applying make up... random scenario but one of the only ones I can imagine using this sheet mask thing for anything else since its quick on the go being a sheet mask with effects that I would want fast (feeling fresh and appearing brighter). Would I repurchase this mask again? Yes I would for the examples I have listed and to add to my sheet mask variety for days Im too lazy to make my own home made masks.

To those who read this review I hope you enjoyed it and it was usefull to you in someway.

Thank you for reading :3 its really late here so Goodnight everyone!

Etude House Goodbye Dark Circle Eye Cream REVIEW

2010-02-14T16:24:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Hope you are all well~

Ok today i am reviewing the Goodbye Dark Circle Eyecream from Etude House. Pictures of the product are as follows -

Getting older (Im currently 19), late drunken nights out, unprotected exposure to the sun and not having the most healthiest diet are my unfortunate bad habits that have contributed to me now having dark eye circles. Like many others out there, I hate them and want to get rid of them by any means possible without covering them up (I dont use any kind of concealer). Whilst browsing Etude Houses online website I came accross this product and with the words 'Goodbye Dark Circles' I had to have it immediately.

*click images for better view*

Product Overview.
The active ingredients listed on the product are broccoli, slim tea complex (male tea, green coffee).

Into more detail...

Brocolli- Now I have never herd of this helping dark circles but after a little research, summed up is that broccolli is very high in Vitamin K. This Vitamin helps blood circulation and one of the causes of dark circles is poor circulation.

Slim tea complex & Mate tea - I unfortunately was unable to find any real information about either of these 2 ingredients. *failure*

Green Coffee - I think this ingredient fits in with the 'slim tea complex' claim as when I was researching the main results for Green Coffee were assosicated with weightloss and slimming. I couldnt find anything that linked this to dark eye circles, again Im sorry about not being so informative.

Appearance.
At first looking from the outside of the packet I thought the see threw tube like thing that came with the cream was a sort of serum? However it is a massage stick, pretty decieving eh?
Overall I find the packaging really cute, I like the pale yellow and little racoon/badger (not sure?) character on the front.

How I use it.
I apply this cream to my eye as directed after I have toned my skin with my regular toner. I dont really use the massage stick provided as I find that by using it i apply to much pressure to the eye area, which Im sure wont do me any good personally so I use my ring finger and apply a pea size amount of cream spreading onto both my eye lids and under my eyes. Then as in the diagrams on the packaging I then use my ring finger and massage in circular motions around my eyes then dot using the same fingers instead of the massage stick around my eyes 3 times gentley. Once done the cream would have been completely absorbed.

Results.
I have used this eye cream now for a week included with my night time skin routine. Does it work? well I have personally noticed my dark circles to have lightened slightly, with only 5 days usage and slight results already visible I would expect for my dark circles to improve further and become fairly unnoticeable. My mother and non blood related older sister have noticed improvements and wish to try this product for themselves also.

My Comments.
I do like this product as I have seen suttle changes in only a short amount of time. However when i do apply it to the skin around my eyes, it stings slightly though goes away as fast as it came but occurs for me with each application and Im generally not sensitive skinned, so to those of you with sensitive skin try at your own caution but i wouldnt recommend it on this basis.

On the bright side, the cream is a nice soft texture that drys and is absorbed by the skin quickly leaving the skin feeling soft with no sticky residue at all.

Verdict.
I would recommend this if people want a simple anti dark circle eye cream to fit in with there regular skin care routine.
I wouldnt buy this product again for myself as I personally would like to try a new anti-dark circle eye cream once this runs out. My next eye cream buy Im pretty sure will be Skin Peptoxil Intelligent Dark Circle Eraser.

Anymore questions about the product dont hesitate to get in contact with me, Im happy to help. ^^

Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream REVIEW.

2010-02-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

[I will revisit this soon with swatch pictures i just wanted to get it up ASAP!]

Hello!!
Oh my days this is my first official post on this blog *yaaay*, I strangely feel nervous...But I hope this helps anyone that reads this review interested in the product. Anyway's moving on to the product.

Yes today I tried the Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream for the first time, my mother purchased this for me from an Etude House store in Thailand, so I'm affraid i cannot give you the exact price I paid. :(

I have never previously tried any products from Etude House nor have I tried a BB cream before so this is item was one of my first BB creams (I got 2 on at the same time, will review the other later when i try it) and the first item i tried of the korean brand. :)

Pictures of the Item below ~

Product Overview.
This BB cream is part of the Precious Mineral Skin Project Line of cosmetics from Etude House released in 2009. The line of cosmetics claimed to 'Promote a lightened glow to your complexion with pearl mineral powder and the trouble-free efficacy of BB cream'.

I took a picture from the back of the box for you all to see (And to save me typing it all out hehe).

So as you can see the benefits offered by this BB cream are~

Silky complexion/ sheer coverage.
Anti-Wrinkle Efficacies. (Adenosine)
Whittening Efficacies. (Arbutin)
SPF 30/PA++.

There are 2 shades of this particular BB cream #1 Sheer Silky Skin (best for fair skin tone & oily skin types, said to give 'fresh make up look') and #2 Sheer Glowing Skin (best for light to medium skin tones & dry skin types, for a 'moist & glossy make up look'), Though I would think both are better matches for asian skin but as a most BB creams should blend into your natural skin tone in general. I Have the lightest shade #1 Sheer Silky Skin.

First i would like to go into a little detail about Adenosine & Arbutin because i think you should all be informed. (Through browsing websites i extracted this information and summed up to form these terms).

Adenosine- Is a compound naturally found in the body that helps to increase the production of collagen & elastin that are important proteins in reducing fine lines and wrinkles maintaining skin elasticity, thus helps towards anti-aging.

Arbutin- Is a natural skin whitening agent said to lighten and brighten your skin by inhibiting Tyrosinase (Enzyme that causes darkening of skin) thus inhibits melanin pigmentation and reduce skin damage from free radicals.Now with the overview out of the way, let’s go into what I think of this product.

Appearance.
The packaging I personally found quite adorable being fancy and girly. The BB cream comes in what appeared to be a squeeze tube however when I looked closer, I realised how wrong I was, it was no ordinary squeeze tube but it had a type of pump lid, I’m not necessarily to fond of the pump function since it was hard to get used to and work with, in my opinion.

Colour.
On first look when I squeezed the cream on my fingers, to me appeared to dark for my skin tone, however it once I rubbed it into my skin, it blended in well matching my skin tone. Being the lightest out of the 2 shades offered by Etude house on this product I would say is pretty versatile since, my mother who is 100% Thai with tanned skin is able to use this shade, without it looking sickly or un-natural (In other words blended with a medium skin tone as well as a fair skin tone). So I wouldn’t say this is ONLY for fair skin toned people. :)

Coverage.

The coverage was thick like a liquid foundation, smooth to spread on my face however was a little too quick drying as before I could really blend it into my skin, within a few seconds it was almost set dry once applied to my skin. However I think once gotten used to using the BB cream and its texture this shouldnt be a problem.

Once applied to my face, the cream nicely evened out my skin tone with a flawless matte finish that really impressed me, I used no more than a 1pence sized coin amount for all over my face, since this was such a little amount to cover my face I would say this product is good to last me a while before I would have to splurge out on a new one.

It covered my redness, pores, dark circles nicely however did not manage to cover my spots to my dismay ><, so for spot coverage while using this BB cream I would suggest the use of a concealer (I know that many people regularly use concealer but personally I have never used one as part of my make up routine). I had no need to apply powder over since my face was matte enough to my liking (infact looked like powder).

General Comments.
I wore the BB cream all day, on the skin I wouldn't say it felt heavy but at the same time not particularly light, in other words it I think best to describe it as it feels like wearing ordinary liquid foundation (Liquid foundation is not something I am accustomed to since I regularly use powder foundation which feels much lighter on my skin. It was only after approximately 5 hours did oil/shine begin to appear on my T-zone. I blotted the once and that was the only time i needed to till I removed my make up at the end of the day.

As for whittening & anti-aging effects of the BB cream, I cannot say how effective this could be as for one, I am naturally white skinned (although I do want to be paler) but since the BB cream lists containing Arbutin, I would assume with regular use over a period of time (1-2 months) a difference of lighter skin tone i would assume be noticeable but not extreme. And with anti-aging, well i am 19, I have yet to show any signs of aging (though i can dream and hope never to). The anti-aging ingredient listed, Adenosine, you can research this yourself but i have found through articles it is said to be an effective ingredient towards anti-aging and is regularly used in anti-aging cosmetics in asia. So perhaps again with continued use this could contribute to anyones range of anti-aging products?

Verdict.
Would I buy this product again, Yes I found it ok, However it is my first BB cream and I hope to try more so I wont be re-purchasing it anytime soon once it has run out as the next BB cream i want to try is the Dr. Jart+ Silver Label. Thank you to anyone that has read this review, I hope it has been of use to you in someway, If you have anymore questions about the product being reviewed feel free to comment, email or formspring me :).

Have a nice day, or night in my case. Take care!~

Happy New Year.

2010-01-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

I know that i havnt updated any of my posts in a long while and i do apologize. I am not only a naughty procrastinator but due to the not substantial popularity of the blog, its made me lazy. I know this is no excuse because it is not fair on people that do take the time to read my blog and all i can say is one of my new years resolution is to when i find time, stick to this blog and hope i help someone in the process :3.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope its the best yet for all of you.

The Niqi Mask. ^^

2009-09-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine asked me for acne advice. So i tailored a face mask (and named it after her) i thought would give her the best results for treating acne and thought i would share it with everyone else ^^. I would recommend this mask for both men and women.

The ingredients needed are :-

Green tea ( leaves or tea bag is fine, i personally use tea bags for convenience ).
3 Aspirin pills.
Lemon juice.
Honey.
Brown Sugar.

Info about honey and brown sugar you can find at the end of this post (I'm sorry I'm to lazy to type it all again D:)

Why is green tea so amazing ? well... other than drinking it for all its benefits i am only going to list its benefits when applied directly to the skin (i recommend doing your own research on the benefits of drinking green tea, i personally have 2-3 cups a day, gotta love the stuff!)

Green tea is naturally rich in antioxidants, which help protect the body from free radicals and flush out nasty toxins that your skin pics up from your everyday environment (such as exposure to pollution, smoking , excess sunlight).
It is said to neutralize the damage done by exposure to UV rays and since sunlight is the major cause of aging skin its argued that green tea can help prevent/slow down premature aging. (UV rays & free radicals cause up to 90% of premature aging).
Green tea is able to rejuvenate skin cells so may help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Green tea is also well known for its benefits in treating Acne, as it has anti-bacterial properties that helps to reduce inflammation and can decrease hormone activity (when being drinking) and as green tea is less toxic than other acne products this means it is a good effective way to control acne with no side effects (well few, each persons skin is different) as it is more natural then chemical based acne products.
Green tea has also been found to smoothen, even out and lighten complexion.

Yes i mean that tablet that is normally used to treat mild pain (don't know about you guys but it has no effect on helping me when I'm in pain) but believe it or not aspirin is amazing for skin.

Aspirin is 'Salicylic Acid' which is a BHA (Beta-Hydroxy Acid) as a BHA this means it is able to penetrate deeply into skin to really clean out pores and exfoliate dead skin. which in turn will help to reduce acne outbreaks as it encourages growth of new skin/cell renewal.
Through its good exfoliating properties and cell renewal properties it can also help with Skin-Hyperpigmentation, imrpoving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, Helping heal photodamaged skin, and of course mainly acne. (it is one of the main ingredients in most store brand acne products)
As a benefit it gets rid of roughness and leaves you with lovely baby soft skin ^^.

When life gives you lemons... make lemon juice! as a beauty aid lemon is very versatile for skin.

lemon after all is one of natures best cleansers. It contains enzymes that help to cleanse dead skin and like green tea helps to heal damage from exposure to pollution in our everyday environment.
As an Alpha Hydroxy Acid (i talk more into the benefits of AHA's in my sugar scrub), It is very good at removing blackheads, and treating spots when applied directly to skin it removes dead skin cells and promotes elasticity in skin. (you can apply pure lemon juice to areas with blackheads and visible spots, leave on for 15 mins then rince off, do it everyday before bed and see blackheads disappear). However Applying lemon juice all over the face i wouldnt recommend for sensitive skin, and if you do so wish to try this a time period of no more than 10 minutes is enough.
Lemon is able to refresh and tone the skin. leaving skin feeling fresh.
Lemon is also well known for lightening the skin because of its astringent properties, so it will help to brighten your complexion and fade freckles and age spots.

Guide :- (might do a vid or something similar later to make this easier )

Put your tea bag into a cup and fill half the cup with hot water then stoop the tea till the water is lukewarm. ( i used a green tea bag, but if you do use leaves prepare the tea same way as the bag and follow step 2 as normal but do not add the tea leaves to the mix ).
Then remove the tea bag, cut it open the tea bag and empty the contents into a bowl and then add 2 table spoons of the tea from the cup into the bowl. ( KEEP WHATS LEFT IN THE CUP WE WILL COME BACK TO IT LATER!! ).
Now add 3 aspirin tablets, let it dissolve into the green tea ( wash your hands and crush it a little with your finger helps speed things along ).
Add 1 table spoon of lemon juice to the mix.
Next add 2 table spoons of honey. ( yummmmmy!! n_____n )
And finally add 2 table spoons of brown sugar.
mix mix mix it all together.
Apply the mixture to a freshly cleaned face.
As you apply it use the grainy texture to your advantage and massage against your skin to exfoliate.
Leave the mask on your skin for 10 minutes, no more or your face may go a little red >< ( don't worry if you do by accident the slight redness subsides within the hour )
Rinse off gently with warm water.
Pat dry, now remember what was left of the tea i asked you not to throw away ? well use a cotton pad and soak up whats left of the tea and apply it all over your face as a great natural toner and then apply a good moisturizer. ^^
And done! enjoy soft skin, for best results do once each week! and your sure to see and feel a difference!!.

Further advice for acne :-

I would recommend of course a balanced diet of good healthy fruits and greens etc etc (I'm sure you know whats healthy to eat so i wont bore you with that). What goes in shows on the outside remember! so eat right for your skin.
Wash your face twice a day (day & night) with a good facial wash. But be sure not to over wash your face as this can cause the skin to produce sebum that will increase your acne.
Girls (and boys if you do..) make sure to always remove your make up after each day, never sleep with it on, no good comes of it, it will only serve to clog your pores worsening acne.
Drink as much water as you possibly can each day, Yes the recommended amount is 8 pints but lets face it who really does manage 8 per day ? The most i get up to is 6! But drinking water is essential for clean skin not to mention overall health as it literally flushes out all the bad stuff in your body.

No matter how tempted you are do not squeeze, scratch , rub or touch your blackheads, white heads, blemish/spots! (i admit i am guilty of this temptation too) this ruptures spot membranes below the skin causing infection and more sebum to spread underneath your skin... leading to more spots D:

I would also recommend taking a Multi-Vitamin tablet everyday (because if your like me and find it hard to keep a balanced diet this is a sure way to make sure you get your daily needed vitamins, though this does not mean you can cheat on eating healthy!).

Milk & Honey Facemask.

2009-09-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

I know Ive written earlier about the benefits of Honey and Milk in my sugar scrub but a friend of mine had an inquiry purely on dry skin (yes you Angee =P) and well i recommended a simple mask to her that i thought i would blog about while im at it.

For a simple but effective way to improve dry skin i would recommend a Honey and Milk mask. I recommend doing this mask once a week to feel improvements on your dry skin. :)

Now to make this you will need to mix :-

2 table spoons of Honey
1 table spoon of milk ( preferably semi-skimmed or full fat milk )
and one table spoon of baby oil ( optional but i do it for added softening bonus)

Guide :-

Mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 1 table spoon of milk ( and baby oil if you chose to use it ).
Apply the mixture by gently massaging the mask using finger tips to a freshly cleansed face. ( you can use a foundation brush or a soft brush similar to apply the mask if you want ).
leave face mask on skin for 10 minutes.
after 10 minutes rinse off with warm water.
pat skin dry and then apply moisturizer.
Enjoy soft skin! :3

Brown Sugar Face & Body scrub.

2009-09-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite 'sweet' beauty secrets to great looking skin! Yes it's sugar! Yup that's right, who knew delicious sweet sugar goodness can not only benefit your taste buds but also your complexion! but remember... it is not to eat... well in this case!

This mask will help to

Nourish, hydrate and moisturize your skin. (most of all!)
Exfoliate your skin removing dead skin cells.
Improve acne and Photodamaged skin.
Help fine lines and improve wrinkles.

This scrub can be rubbed on your face and body for super sweet and soft skin. It can benefit both women and men! and being homemade you can get the benefit of knowing you don't need to spend much to have great skin!

For this mask you will need :-

Sugar!! (Brown Sugar preferably).
Milk. ( preferable semi-skimmed or full fat milk )
Honey.

Now before i go into how to make the scrub im going to tell you all about the ingredients that makes this mask amazing!

First off the main ingredient SUGAR!! There are honestly endless lists of benefits sugar has to offer to your skin but ill try to list as many as i can :D.

Sugar is a natural exfoliant which makes it better than using chemical based ones you can buy in stores as it is less likely to have any harsh side effects on your skin.
It is great for all skin types especially dry skin and is good with helping skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
Despite the tough grainy feel it is gentle to the skin and protects the skin against lost moisture and as a natural exfoliant it gets rid of dead skin cells, absorbs dirt and oil from pores while promoting the growth of healthier even coloured skin.
Sugar does not clog pores, so wont cause any nasty breakouts (boo to spots D:) in fact it effectively helps to eliminate and quickly heal blemishes and restore the skins natural oil balance not to mention hydrates the skin too!.
Brown sugar (what I'm going to use) is full of molasses that make it brown and moist. molasses help stimulate cell renewal that re-textures the skins surface leaving it smooth and lusciously soft (and smells so nice!) with a nice glow. ^^
Sugar give a glow to skin because of its Alpha-Hydroxy properties. (Alpha-Hydroxy acid is commonly used in rejuvinating products to help replenish skin as an anti-ager).
Sugar is also good to use on skin after shaving as it soothes the skin and prevents ingrowing hairs.

Now on to the second ingrediant! MILK!!

Like sugar, milk is also a natural cleanser.
Milk contains 'Lactic Acid' which is again like sugar also a Alpha-Hydroxy Acid often used in rejuvenation products as it is a gentle but effective anti-aging treatment. As it diminishes fine lines & wrinkles.
Milk is well known for its moisturizing properties which makes it a great softening agent excellent for sensitive skin as it does not irritate the skin as much as other Alpha-Hydroxy Acids.
Milk can also have a tightening effect on skin and refines pores.
Milk stimulates collagen production in skin cells, improving skin texture.
Milk also helps to reduces Hyper-pigmentation. ( Hyper-pigmentation are were patches of the skin become darker in colour than the surrounding skin e.g. Age spots ).

And last but not least HONEY!! (buzzzzz hehe)

Honey has the ability to absorb and retain water/moisture making it an ideal ingredient in a lot of beauty cosmetics as it prevents dryness keeping skin fresh.
Honey is another one of mother natures natural cleansers because of its ability to absorb impurities from the skin and one of its most common benefits to skin is its minor acne treatment.
It is rich in Vitamins, minerals and amino acids which are the basic building blocks of life.
Honey has natural anti-oxidants and anti-microbial properties that help to protect and fight against the suns damage to skin (UV rays) and aging.
The anti-oxidants in honey slows down aging by neutralizing free radicals by performing healing at the deepest cellular level. (free radicals are what cause the skin to age, unfortunately these are everywhere, in the air we breath, food we eat and even come from our beloved sun.)
It is an effective moisturizer because of its humectant properties. As a humectant it binds moisture to the skin and as a result helping the skin to stay hydrated.
It is extremely nourishing for the skin as it supports the skins ability to rejuvenate by eliminating fine lines and plumps wrinkles leaving it smooth and supple.
It is a valuable moisturizer not only for your face but your body as well smoothing dry, rough skin.
Honey works well with Alpha-Hydroxy Acids ( Like milk and sugar ) as it soothes skin against abrasive treatments ( another reason why I'm using it ).

Guide to use it as a face scrub & mask :-
(I may do a video to make this more simple or at least a picture guide once i get more into this blog)

Mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 1 tablespoon of milk and 3 table spoons of brown sugar.
Cleanse face first and then apply the mix.
as you apply the mask using your fingers (not your palms) gently massage the mask against your skin to exfoliate (you will feel the nice grainy texture).
Then leave the mask on for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes as your rinse of the mask with warm water massage it against your skin like before until its completely washed off.
Gently pat skin dry and then moisturize and enjoy soft skin! ( i don't use toner after this mask because i try to lock in softness by applying my moisturizer straight after )

To use this scrub on the body.

[STILL IN PROGRESS]