Hadalabo - Tamagohada daily foaming cleanser

Hadalabo - Tamagohada daily foaming cleanser
Size: 160ml
Price: 21000won at Olive Young, $12.30 at sasa

Have you heard that BHA is better than AHA for  skin care? I heard that once.... Ever since I jump on products containing BHA.
So of course I had to buy the Hadalabo daily foaming wash. HAD to. It was not optional. *laughs* I am a freak, I know.

I found it in Olive Young, my source for all things Japanese in Korea.
I paid a hefty 21000won for it ($21!!!).  It has since shown up on sasa for only $12.30US. *sobs* I could have bought 2 for that price (Well, almost....)

The ugly packaging is a complete turn off for me.... It's just blue.... So boring!!!! Don't you think??
But I do appreciate the pump, it's hygenic and convient.
Inside the bottle is a liquid, that turns into a foam when you use the pump.
This is something I really like, a foam without aerosols!

Sadly the foam is useless. It doesn't remove make-up well at all. I do use a cleansing oil usually, so this isn't a big deal, and the Hadalabo cleanser does a good job of removing the cleansing oil.
But teh weird thing is, the cleanser really doesn't cleanse....
It starts out as a foam, so it doesn't emulsify. It just sits on the skin until the bubbles dissolve.

I have tried sooo many ways to get the cleanser to work. I have tried, with makeup, without makeup, with cleansing oil, without cleansing oil. Rubbing it with my hands, rubbing it with my silicone face brush, using more, using less, leaving it on while i brush my teeth, washing it off immediately, using it everyday for a week straight.
To no avail. My skin does not feel clean after I use this cleanser.

I don't want a cleanser that makes my skin feel tight, or squeaky clean. I do want a cleanser that doesn't strip my skin. But this cleanser does nothing!!! Nothing!!!!

Holika Holika - Nail polish #27

Holika Holika - Nail polish #27
What do you think of the color?

I love it. I think.
I do the love polish though. Holika holika makes beautiful nail polishes. This color is very creamy. I get complete, opaque, coverage in two coats, but it is thin enough to apply very smoothly.
The finish is shiny, and very very even. It's not fool proof, but for such a light colored cream, it gives really nice coverage, and a beautiful finish.

Since the formula is so nice, the only question is do you like the color?

Nature Republic- Real Flower Rose Sleeping Pack

 Dear regular readers : Are you getting tired of my ....dislike of Nature Republic??

If so, well you are about to encounter a number of reviews, where surprise surprise, I like Nature republic!!!
......
Now Nature Republic is never going to be my favorite Korean brand, but I have to admit, I dislike it less.

So let me introduce you to Nature Republic's Real Flower Rose Sleeping Pack.

In pink..... There were 3 colors, pink, orange and yellow. But they don't have English names or descriptions, so I have no idea what is different about them.
I picked pink because..... It was the prettiest?

The outside is shaped like a rose bud. Do you think it's tacky? Or not so?
It's not my taste, but I don't find it so frilly as to be ugly. For something that is shaped like a giant rose, it's about as tasteful as it could be....

Inside is a little white plastic cover, which helps seal the very runny contents inside.

The sleeping pact is interesting..... It's filled with rose petals, big chunky bits of roses, in a loose runny mask.
It looks kind of disgusting..... But it also looks eerily similar  to Fresh's rose mask (Which I want!!! But there is not a Fresh seller near me..... :( . I think the similarity to Fresh, is the Whole reason I bought the Nature Republic Real Flower Mask.

The pack is supposed to contain Polynesian lagoon water, and real rose petals...  I don't know whether Polynesian lagoon water is something special or not.... Nature republic loves to say where it's water is from, Is that important???
I will say this about it, it smells like a rose.
Like a real rose. The scent is gorgeous.  IT has a hint of fake, but overall it smells real. It smells amazing (If you how roses smell.)

How it feels is both amazing and lumpy.... The pack itself is really light and watery.  Which is how I like my sleeping pack. It is super moisturizing. Not quite as good as the Etude House sleeping pack. But then, nothing is that good! I do wake up with moist, younger looking skin. It really does help me wake up with my skin better moisturized, looking dewy.
It is also really gentle. I have started using retinol, and my skin does NOT like it.... It ends up super sensitive to the touch.... And in fact, regular moisturizers can sting. This is very light and gentle. I really like to use it when my skin is extra sensitive.

The clumps of rose petals are..... not as irritating as I expected.
They do end up as little clumps on the face..... Not very attractive.
But they do seem to break down overnight. I never find bits on my pillow.

Overall, I really like this pack. I love the scent, I love how moisturizing it is, and I don't mind the clumps of rose petals.
If any one figures out the difference between pink yellow and orange, let me know!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shisedo Tsubaki Shampoo and Conditioner

Shisedo Tsubaki Shampoo and Conditioner

Living in Japan was a mess.... At least where my hair was concerned. I worked in a very conservative environment, I had to wear a suit everyday. But my hair refused to be conservative.
It was dreadful, all frizzy, and partly curly, sticking this way and that..... I felt UGLY.
i mean it was bad enough that I felt like I was going to melt, in a full suit in the middle of the summer.
But every morning I would fight with my hair. On optimistic days I would carefully straighten it into a smooth sleek do. Only to have it a frizzy mess by the time I walked the two blocks to the subway station.
On more pessimistic days, I would tie it tidily back, A look which is not particularly flattering for my face shape.
Only to walk to the subway, and Still end up looking like a complete mess.
Then I would get to work, with my gorgeous Japanese co-workers, and feel like an Oaf.

If you have ever been to Japan, you might be familiar with the feeling. (Korea's not like that though).
My co-workers, wonderful people that they are, never commented.

This quite long tirade is leading somewhere.
To my discovery of Shisedo Tsubaki Shampoo and Conditioner.

It was available at just about any drug store. Conveniently at the one nearest my apartment. So one day, when I was about done with one of the other shampoo's I had bought, I picked this set up.
I'm pretty sure I was swayed by the Shisedo name. Though the shampoo and conditioner  were in fact quite inexpensive.

The first time I washed my hair, I noticed a difference. My hair felt soft, but light and free.
Other Japanese hair care had my hair both oily and frizzy.....
This was different. It helped tame my hair, by really moisturizing, but it was very light.

When I straightened my hair, it stayed straighter, and frizzed less.

I love this shampoo and conditioner set. It was so perfect for my hair, facing humidity, then air conditioning. If you are in Japan, or Korea, pick it up. If not, try sasa.com :)

Cosmetex Roland - Eye treatment Cream

Cosmetex Roland - Eye Treatment Cream
Price : Less than $9

This is the second item I've tried from the really inexpensive Japanese Brand ; Cometex Roland.
I was much less disappointed when I opened up the eye treatment cream, than I was with the Face smoother by Cosmetex.
Which is odd, because the Eye treatment cream is quite possibly the most austere product container I have ever seen.
Look at it, it's just white, with it's name.
For some reason, I kind of like it.....
The box the tube came is the opposite though, very designed and shiny.
I think the discordance between the packaging (product versus display), is in part because it is a cheap brand, but I suspect it is an immature brand, still trying to find it's niche.

Inside the white tube is a very simple white cream. Which is dispensed perfectly and sanitarly by the very narrow spout.
I actually love how little product comes out at a time.
Don't you find that most packaging dispenses too much eye cream? And I hate pots of eye cream, it gets under my nails, which is wasteful and unsanitary.

The cream itself is very very light, more a liquid than a cream. It also absorbs quickly and thoroughly.
Not absorbing quickly or thoroughly enough is certainly an issue with a lot of other eye creams (Not a big one, but still...)

As for effectiveness. Its absolutely wonderful.
Well, it is wonderful if what you want is a moisturizing and super light eye cream.

I don't feel it treats dark circles, or fine lines.
But, It is soooo gentle. It has no discernible scent. It also never irritates my delicate eyes.
I think this is a wonderful eye moisturizer.

Cosmetex Roland -Face Smoother

Cosmetex Roland -Face Smoother
Price : ~$15
Size : 130 grams !!!
For a bit of a change in Pace, I shall review some Japanese products. I love Japan, I lived in Kobe for awhile. But since most recently I have been living in Korea, my reviews have mostly been of Korean Products.
But I do have a bit of an addiction to sasa.com
Which is where I found the "face smoother".
I quite enjoy the name. How blunt is that? Sometimes with products from Japan ore Korea, the English name can be quite..... interesting. Like tony moly's 'Egg pore' or Holika 'sugar syrub gloss'

I bought the tub of face smoother from sasa for about $15.

When it arrived, I was kind of disappointed. I mean look at it. The plastic tag that is part of the sanitary seal is kind of cute. I have no idea why there is an animation of the statue of liberty, but I like it.
But look at the actual package..... It's so bland. A plain white tub, with a teal colored sticker....
Blah.

So I open it up,  inside it is a thick white cream, embedded with ex foliating particles. They are small, and fine. Very very similar to At home micro-derm abrasion kits.

And that's precisely what it is, a large pot of microderm abrasion cream.
At first, I used it once or twice, but I was thoroughly unimpressed.

So I put it away, and didn't come back to it until I was on a mission to use up some products. I began using the face smoother often, partly in an attempt to use it up, partly so I didn't have to go out and find a good exfoliant (I was having an awful time finding one I really liked).

And I began to appreciate the face smoother. First it was the scent. Inially it was too lemony, too lemon cleanser.  But it mellowed, and while the scent still is more furniture polish than lemon grass, it's not off puting.
Then I began to notice how well the exfoliating particles rinsed away, and how smooth my face was after wards.

Plus when you consider how little product comes with at home microderm abrasion kits (One of which cost me $20+, versus the face smoother which weighs in at a hefty 130 grams and cost me ~$15. It is in fact a really good buy.

But the real change came when i started to take it in the shower with me.
The water from the shower, melted the product a bit, so it wasn't as thick.
With it thinned out just a bit, it was creamier, and worked better.

It has become my go to exfoliant.
I finally saw beyond the drab packaging, to the really wonderful product inside.

Skinfood Biscuit Eye shadow Duo

Skinfood Biscuit Eyeshadow Duo

Price 5,900won (Less than $6)

Color : 3 - pink and gold

Color: 6 - green and copper

Do you see the adorable little biscuit shaped eyeshadow? I squealed when I saw it! It is Sooooo tiny and adorable!

It is in the shape of a little Korean biscuit. The kind that comes free with Alcohol sometimes. Usually with delicious fresh fruit juice and soju!

I had to snap one little compact immediately.

Inside the golden biscuit, are two colors of shadow, imprinted with stars. On  the top, there is a teeny tiny mirror.

The mirror is almost too small to be useful. But I like that fact that Skinfood included a mirror. I feel it shows quality.

Obviously there isn't any room for a brush. So when I bought my first biscuit eyeshadow, it didn't come with one, but I noticed later that little sponge applicators were included within the plastic wrapping sealing it shut. I ended up with an applicator when I bought the second shadow. Then promptly lost it, since there is no room for it inside, and no way to attach it outside.

I picked the pink and gold duo initially.  Texturally the shadows are Gorgeous, smooth and silky. They feel like really good quality shadows.  The pink and gold are really nice. The pink is of average to medium pigmentation, and the gold is sheer. Both have little  gold sparkles and are shimmery. The sparkles are tiny, and the shimmer isn't too pronounced.

Later I bought the dark army green and copper. Even though the green looks really dark, it comes out kind of sheer! It's kind of odd.... The green also has a gold sheen to it.  The copper is just how it looks,  and very similar to the gold. I don't really like the green and copper duo..... But it's because I don't like how the green looks on me. I feel it makes me look drab and old...... Blah.

The pink and gold duo I love.  The colors look really pretty on. It is the tiniest eyeshadow compact I've ever owned, and makes for the easiest eye look. I took it with me Backpacking, along with a cream eyeliner, highlighter and BB cream. It was super minimal (for me.....)

This eyeshadow is sooooo perfect, because it is soooo tiny.

Holika Holika's Peach Girl BB cream

Holika Holika's Peach Girl BB cream

SPF 37

PA ++

Price: 13,000won ($13)

Size : 50ml

I love BB cream's. Don't you?
But it can be hard to find the right color.... Especially since most people can't go to Korea and test out all the shades before they buy. It SUCKS to order one online, only to find out the color is HORRIBLY wrong!


*laughs* But BB creams are still worth the hassle.

So I want to introduce you to an AMAZING BB cream. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

It's Holika's Peach girl BB.
It looks so out of place at Holika! The packaging is far more like something I would expect from Etude house(but not as pretty), or maybe Bavi Phat (which I hate). It's bordering between ugly and boring.
What do you think?

I bought it with low expectations, but it was the only BB at Holika that even came close to my coloring. Since they have 4 different lines of BB creams, this was really surprising. I am SUPER pale, and since BB creams in shade 1 tend to be SUPER pale, they work perfectly for me.
In fact, I am so pale, I can't wear most western makeup. The lightest shade in drugstore lines like cover girl, Maybelline, Revlon, etc.... are too dark(usually).

But the peach bb seems like it could be a good match. But Honestly, I bought it because of the little flip up top, with the blush and little mirror.


*swoons* I love getting 2 products for the price of 1!!!!!!!!!

The Actual BB cream inside was worth the buy. It  is a perfect medium coverage. It's thick enough to give good coverage, but thin enough to blend easily.  It gives a beautiful flawless but natural finish (That's a hard thing to find!)

Shown are the two color's the Peach Girl BB cream comes in; 01 (lighter) and 02(darker). My boyfriend bought me 02, as a part of a gift pack. Which was so sweet, if unusable.....  so I gave it to my mom. It matches her more tanned, golden skin beautifully.
The color are pale beige, and slightly cool toned, as I find Korean BB's tend to be.
You can see from the picture that it is a bit darker than I am, but they do blend in beautifully.


This is truly a wonderful BB, mostly because it blends so beautifully. So that my mother and I can both use the same line, even though our skin tones are vastly different.
Texturelly Peach girl is a really nice BB cream, it is heavier than Korean BB's are usually. Which I actually find a plus. So does provide heavier coverage (relative to other BB creams). This is perfect for problem areas, like dark under eye circles. And for the rest of my face I dilute it with a highlighter (Skin food's secret shine base!!!!!!!!)
The cream does feel slightly heavier and it is a bit stickier. But I also feel it has better staying power.
And let's face it, it still feels nothing like foundation (yuck...).

This is my 2nd favorite BB, My fav still being skin79's absolute BB, but since the Peach Girl BB is 1/2 the price of skin79's, Peach girl is what I reach for day to day.              

The Blush

The blush, tiny little compact atop to cover on the BB, is a standout product on it's own. It is basically a mini version of Holika's cream blush, but I swear the Peach girl blush is even more concentrated. a tiny dab is all I need. 
It blend so well though a tiny dab can easily be spread out. The color is gorgeous, a strong peach pink. I love the color and it does go beautifully with the BB, but I find it a bit odd that they have paired a warm toned blush with a cool toned BB. It does work though :)

Holika Holika's other BB creams.
Until Holika releases new BB creams, you probably won't see any more Holika BB cream reviews from me. ALL of their other BB creams are really DARK!!!

At least they are on me. But this is good news for you readers, since I am sure not all of your are so pale. If you are looking for darker BB creams, try Holika, they have a lovely range of colors!!!!!!!!!                  
                                         GWP.... (Gift with purchase)Holika Holika is AMAZING for free gifts :D.With my Peach Girl BB I got deluxe samples of the Secret Shine Toner and Emulsion. Along with a whole bunch of other samples tossed in the bag :D