Holika holika - A new Korean brand!!!!!!!

Holika Holika
Korea has come out with a brand new brand *snickers*.
I came across when in Seoul a couple of weeks ago, tucked away in meyong-dong, across from Forever 21.
Holika Holika

The building definitely makes an impact, all pink with a giant clock and witch riding a broom.
And the shop ladies are all wearing cute purple witch costumes!!!!!!!! I didn''t take a picture of the shop ladies though.... I thought that would be a little creepy!
It's seriouly exciting!

The store itself is really pretty, lots of magical themed displays, gold, purple, swirls, black cats. oooo

                                      

The poster is of Matsushima Emi. But Holika's main endorsement is CNblue.

                              

I got this folder, with a CNblue member on it, with some of the stuff I but at Holika!

Holika Holika only came out in March, I was there only a couple of weeks after opening (sadly I don't live near Seoul, other wise I would have found out sooner.
The brand is by the same makers of Enprani, but much much cheaper.
The whole theme of Holika Holika is witches and magic, which I think is too cute.
I immediately bought a ton of stuff!

Apple shine-peeling sheet mask, Cream shadow, peach BB cream

Garden recipe body scrub,  Pore cover mousse

My favorite item is this plumping cream. It's bizarre, and comes in a cute bottle!

My other favorite, a gel toner! Its super nice :) 


But I do have bad news for all my readers, the brand is so new, that none of the items are avaliable on G-market yet....
So you will all have to wait...
It probably won't be long though, because a second store already opened up in Myeong-dong, in Seoul. 2 stores in 2 months, that's quick :D

Brand new line of Skin food wash of masks!!!!!!

Skinfood has a new line of products!!!!!!!!!!

I was perusing my local skinfood, when I noticed a sign, saying new.... And sure enough, there is a whole new type of product.

It a series of six different masks.
Acorn jelly mask 10900 ($10.90)
Acai Berry  mask 11900($11.90)
Honey Red Orange mask  9900($9.90)
Chocolate  mask  9900($9.90)
Ginesing  mask 12900($12.90)
Olive mask 10900($10.90)

The selling point is that each contains products from across the world, like Acai berries from the Amazon, Honey and red orange from New Zeland, Chocolate from Belgium, Olives from Spain, and the acorns and ginseng from Korea. Which probably accounts for the cost.... Since for skinfood the masks are more than a little pricey. Their regular masks run from 4700won to 8000won, for about the same size as the new masks.

They come in little glass jars with paper wrapped on top. Much like little homemade jam jars. I like the look of the packaging, but if anyone is considering ordering them online, the glass makes them very heavy :( .

I picked up the Red Orange Honey mask intially.
Since I was in Skinfood the day after the masks came out, there were no testers out yet.
I brought it home, and opened it up...
Only to find, it wasn't a mask at all.
But a scrub.
Then I look at the tag. Silly me, I should have looked at the little tag in the store. I did actually try, but it was tightly attached to the product, and i was concerned about ripping the tag with a Skinfood worker hovering next to me....
It says inside that the Honey red orange mask is a scrub. And to thoroughly mix the two layers, with the enclosed spoon, before using.

Then I check for the enclosed spoon.
There is no enclosed spoon. I discovered later, that because I went to Skinfood and bought the mask during the promotional period I was supposed to be given a spoon....
The lack of a spoon doesn't really bother me.
At least that is, until I try to mix the two layers with a regular kitchen spoon, on to make a epic mess.
As you can see from the picture, the jar rounds out towards the bottom, and wedging my large kitchen spoon down there, in attempt to actually mix the layers, results in product slopping over the sides, onto the jar, the counter, the spoon and my hands.
*sigh*

So a few days later I go back to Skinfood, and pick up anonther mask. I really was looking for a Mask/Pack not a scrub. So I pick up the Acai berry. This time their are testers, so I open the jar and check, and I read the tag. It's says moisturizing mask.

So I take it home. This time I recieved a spoon. Which for the Acai berry I don't need, since it doesn't need to be mixed, but solves my problem with the honey scrub.
That night, I first use the honey scrub, then follow with teh Acai berry mask.....
Only to discover, it too is a scrub....
WTF?
The scrub particles are tiny, and few. So upon testing it seemed just like a moisturizing mask, but when applied, there are enough scrubbing particles to be a scrub.
*sigh*
So I went back to Skinfood yesterday, and tested every single one of the six new masks. Here are my results

Acai Berry  - Scrub

Honey Red Orange - Scrub

Chocolate - An actual mask!!!!!!!!!!

Ginesing  - Scrub

Olive - Scrub

Acorn jelly - Also a mask!!!!!

Only two out of the six are masks. This is bizzare. Since they all say masks. And they are all in the skin care section. The cleansers and scrubs are generally in the cleansing section....

The Acorn Jelly really is a jelly. Very curious, I will probably pick it up at some point.

Also the chocolate mask is like a pot full of chocolate pudding, it smells like real chocolate.  Very interesting.

So the reviews.

Honey Red Orange Mask

This mask is MESSY! Not only is it super sticky, you have to stir the whole mixture before it can be used. With the freebie spoon that Skinfood included during the promotional period, this is not a problem. without the spoon.... good luck.
It has to be stirred because it's actually a salt scrub, with large granules of salt settled in the bottom.

Generally I don't like salt scrubs. I find they tend to be drying, not to mention to rough for the face.

But with the super thick honey mixture, the effects of the salt seemed to be cancelled out.

I apply about two spoonfulls to my face, then scrub.

But as I said, this Mask is messy, and best done before a shower, in the bathroom, while naked.

Seriously. I made the mistake of being clothed the first time I tried it.
Not only did I splatter my clothes with little droplets of honey and salt (And I swear I am not a messy person!), I also smeared honey into my hair.
One really shouldn't attempt this scrub without planning on showering afterwards.

The scrub is quite good, very cleansing, and the honey is great. It's really moisturizing. After it was all washed off, which was a bit difficult, because the honey really didn't want to leave...
I found my face moist and soft.
And the next day, it was extra soft, and a little extra glowy. This mask really did make my skin look brighter and healthier.

Though the Honey red orange mask was not what I was expecting, I really really like. It's actually a really nice scrub.

Acai Berry Mask

In the store this looked like a good gel mask. The little exfoliating particles are so small that I didn't even see them.
The seem to be the same as the particles in St. Ives Apricot scrub. They are really rough, but they are also very loosely divided. So it's like scratching my face with random pieces of sand....
As a scrub, I don't like it.
In my opinion less exfoliating particles don't make for a gentler scrub, rounder, smaller particles do. less just means more scratching, less exfoliating.

Like the Honey red orange mask, it contains rough salt granules, but they are densely packed in a thick medium, so the scrub doesn't feel nearly as rough.

I've had both masks for nearly a month now. I've been ready to post my review of the Red orange honey mask for ages, but I wanted to post both reviews together.
But the Acai mask.... I don't know.
I've been using and using it, trying to find something to say about it to review.
But.... nothing....
It does NOTHING! It is not a wash, it will not clean my face, I tried.
The rough bits are not dense enough to be a scrub. So it is definitely not suitable to be a scrub.
It is not at all moisturizing. I've used it as a wash of mask numerous times.
It does nothing, nothing at all.
So while the Honey mask (ie scrub) is worth purchasing, the Acai mask is quite frankly a waste of money.

VOV Daily fresh mask - AHA

VOV Daily fresh mask - AHA
Price: 1000won/ $1

I adore masks/ peels with AHA's, so I always snap up any item with it on the label.... (sigh, i get sucked in by marketing  far too often....).
The VOV masks, both wash off and sheet are consistently good.
The AHA wash off mask is no exception.
Some of the wash off masks contain enough product for multiple uses.
This masks, i feel you can 2 good uses out of it, if you cover your face well enough to have an effect.
2 masks for $1, thats a great deal.
The mask is pretty simple, apply, wait, then wash off.
Sadly it didn't do anything amazing. My skin was a bit softer..., the next day it was still a bit softer....
Of course with AHA, and chemical exfoliants in small weak amounts you really need to use them consistently for a while to see real results.
This mask is worth picking up to try, and I am definitely going to get a couple more, see if using it for a span of few days will do better,  but after two uses, It's not a must have....

I love the Skinfood -Papaya yogurt wash off mask

Skinfood -Papaya yogurt wash off mask
Price: 4500won ($4.50)

Oh Skinfood, so boring looking and yet so yummy!
The Papaya yogurt wash off mask is one of many skinfood wash off masks.  Like Banana, Cucumber and Kiwi.

Here in Korea, sheet masks are plentiful and diverse. But more and more I'm finding that no matter what the packaging says, they are all basically the same inside. And I never get the sort of results that I do with a good wash off mask.
Of course, since sheet masks are cute and convenient, there is no way I'm giving them up, but I still like to keep some wash off masks in my repertoire.

So this mask is super cheap. Considering it's only $4.50 and I've used it at least 10 times, and I'm about 1/2 way through.... That makes it what? about 25cents a use? Compared with VOV daily fresh masks which are about $2 each (for the sheet masks...)
Thats crazy!

However, It's totally not about the money. If the product is shit, I don't care how much it cost, or how little.
The Papaya yogurt mask is not shit though. It's AMAZING!

So in the white jar is a pale green cream with lots of dark green dots. I presume they are supposed to burst or dissolve for extra conditioning power. They don't. Ever.

You apply the mask all over the face, and then leave it on for 15minutes, then return to the bathroom and wash it off.
I hate wash off masks. I hate tramping back and forth to the bathroom, and I loathe anything with the possibility of drippage!

But when you wash of this mask... ooooo. My skin is smooth and super well moisturized! I's so gorgeous and amazing! It still feels fresh and young even the next day!!!!!!

Plus, I've discovered that if I put the mask on my face during my shower, then shampoo and condition my hair, my face is baby soft by the end of my shower! So now I always use the mask when I'm showering! It is wonderful!!!!!!!!!

daily fresh mask - tomato white collagen

Vov Masks
Daily Fresh - Tomato white collagen

Price 2000 won (less than $2 US)

On the package :Yammy mask pack for clean and pure skin

Tomato’s fresh vitamin provides a whitening effect, and Lycopene’s anti-oxidation effect helps to provide an elastic skin like tomato’s.

 The Tomato white collagen mask,  promises a lot. Whitening, tightening and freshening.
I’m not sure about any of the claims. 

Unlike some of the Daily fresh masks, there was no tingling while wearing it.  The solution absorbed well, but left my face slightly greasier than the others. Almost as though it contains some oil. So the product did not absorb and then disappear.

The day after, there is some mild irritation around my nose. Suggestion a possible reaction. Nothing major, but my skin isn’t lovely and nice like it was the day after the Pomegranate collagen mask.

I will not repurchase this one!

vov face mask

Vov Masks

Daily Fresh - Blackbean Isoflavon

Price 2000 won (less than $2 US)

-for all skin types

On the back - Black bean’s isoflavon, which is a key ingredient for anti-oxidation, provides a vitality and nutrition to your skin , and helps to provide an elastic and healthy skin to you.

The blackbean isoflavon mask is supposed to be moisturizing and purifying. Its meant for already healthy skin, I think more for maintenance than treatment of a particular problem.

The mask itself is of good sturdy cloth, not super thin and easily tear-able like some.

The size is perfect for my face, it reaches from my forehead to my chin, and from ear to ear without any extra.

However, I don’t have a wide or large face, so for some it might be a bit on the small size. However that’s generally true with all Korean masks.

The package contains a lot of extra product, enough to scoop out and apply on the neck and above the chest.

The essence is clear, and almost gel like. It’s light, without a strong smell.

It has a slightly cool feeling when applied to the skin, even when warm.

The essence is super gentle, feels almost like aloe. It absorbs moderately well, and after twenty minutes the mask is still damp, there is extra left over (Not that you can use a face mask twice).

With this mask there were no noticeable effects. It was super gentle, and I do think it would be a good one for sensitive skin.

The next day my face was moist, but not significantly so. 

Honestly, after one use, this mask doesn’t really go either way. But since I like the daily fresh style, and it’s non-irritating, it’s worth getting, and for me getting again, to see if continued use will get real results.