Review: Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel

I got this deluxe sample a while back from my purchase on the Sephora website.  The 2.5oz retails at $60.00.


Description:
What it is:
A highly effective, botanical-based brightening exfoliator made without harsh ingredients. 

What it is formulated to do:
This exfoliator helps brighten and even skintone without chemical abrasives. Natural papaya enzymes work to eliminate dry, dull surface cells and toxins to reveal a soft and smooth complexion. It improves penetration of other treatment products due to removal of dead surface cells. 

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Sulfates
- Petro-Chemicals
- Phthalates


Suggested Usage:
-Use after Cleansing.
-Wet both hands and pour pre-measured dosage onto one hand.
-Rub hands together to create a rich lather.
-Massage gently over face and neck for 30-60 seconds focusing on congested areas.
-Rinse well.

Ingredients:

-Papain: A papaya-based enzyme that works to exfoliate the skin without causing irritation.
-Allantoin: Calms and soothes the skin.
-Green Tea Leaf Extract: An antioxidant that protects the skin from free radical damage.

Lactose, Mannitol, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate Dextrin, Water, Zeolite, Silica, Betaine, Papain, Allantoin, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract Starch, PEG-32, Butylparaben, Methylparaben, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Yellow 5, Green 3, Fragrance.

Description behind bottle:

Water-activated botanical enzyme treatment to effectively eliminate excess surface cells and toxins responsible for irregularities in texture and tone and optimize penetration of all skincare products which follow.

What I think:

Just a little information from what I know about Amore Pacific, the brand behind this great product is that it is a Korean brand and I think they also own Laneige.  But Amore Pacific is the higher quality line.  

Okay, first off, I've read that powder peels are better than liquid peels because liquid peels lose potency over time while powdered ones, that activates when water is added does not.  So, unconsciously, I already gave this product a plus. 

I love this scent right away when I opened the bottle.  Very soothing scent.  A little earthy and little floral that just smells sooooo natural and pleasant!! Nothing overpowering, just right.  In short, I love this scent!! =]  The beige-ish color powder is very fine and small.  Be careful not to pour it out too quickly otherwise it may get in the air and get into your nostrils and cause you to sneeze.  I use this after I wash my face and while my face and hands are still moist, I pour a little onto my palm.  This is how it looks:

I just need to add a little water to work it into a creamy lather.  Literally just a little water, you should start out with just a drop of extra water (because your hands are already moist).  And you will see and feel what a beautiful creamy lather you have made. 

I just massage it on my face for about a minute while adding a little bit of more water near the end when I want more cleansing foam.  

After rinsing, you can instantly see and feel your skin smoother and rejuvenated without it being harsh to your skin.  I don't use it everyday because I only have a small sample bottle, but I think it is gentle enough for an everyday light peel or for every 2 to 3 days if it is too overdrying for you.  

I usually use a sheet mask after I use a peel or after exfoliation to restore moisture to my skin.  I really like this peel because it feels very natural (see ingredients).  It's quite pricey though, but I would definitely save and splurge on this when my sample is finished. 

Thanks for reading xP
Peary

Review: The Face Shop White Tree Snow Hydra Advance Emulsion and Dr. G Hydra Intensive Mask

I've only shopped at The Face Shop a couple of times and the last time prior to this will-be final one was a long time ago (a few years, I'd say, lol, does that make any sense?).  And this recent purchase reminded me of why I stopped.  First off, I read that The Face Shop is just a drugstore brand in Korea, which may be the reason for the quality or lack of.  Though, there are many drug store stuff that are very good.  So, I was in the little cramped store, (important to note, because that may have resulted in my impulse shopping) and started testing the lotions.  The back of my hands were brighter and hydrated after massaging the emulsion on.  So, I decided to buy this.


I have mixed feelings and bad impressions.  The very bad thing is that I bought this last month, and unfortunately, I checked the bottom of the bottle a little too late.  EXPIRED. If that is the date, then it expired for a freakin' year.  I used it a few times I checked, because there was no date on the box.  I didn't return it because first of all, I don't have the receipt.  They also speak little to no English.  Secondly, I kind of don't want to face that attitude that they have, which also reminded of the other times I was there.  So, I use it for my hands. 


UPDATE 5/29/12: I decided to update and edit on this post since it is so popular.  
Apparently, its not expired?  That is only the manufacturing date.  How do I find these facts?  Should I google, "When do Korean beauty products expire?", "What is the date on the bottom of Korean products"? I still think that this is a skip because the floral fragrance is so overpowering.  The brightening is temporary.  It does hydrate a bit but with ickiness. I don't like the texture, the texture is similar to Japanese lotions. It feels like liquid plastic.  If that is your thing, go for it.  I guess I've been using Western brands of serums and face creams often that I find these items repulsive.  

So, apparently, according to some users, S. Korea lists there manufacturing
date by law.

I will still give a fair review despite this incident.  I'm still mixed about this, because it does hydrate and some what brightens temporarily, but the smell is overpowering.  It has this very chemically floral smell that is very strong.  I also think that the texture and product itself is very chemically.  All products have chemicals, but this feels like chemicals.  I don't know how to describe it.  It just feels like there is nothing benefiting, no vitamins, no minerals etc.  That is what I hate about it.  It is also a little bit sticky.  It doesn't leave me with a good feeling.  That also reminds me of why I will never shop at The Face Shop ever again.  And at $30.00, it is way overpriced.  And most of their items are overpriced and overrated, in my opinion.  


If you happen to like The Face Shop White Tree Snow Hydra Advance Emulsion, check out my review for HadaLabo Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion.


Dr. G Hydra Intensive Mask


Ahhh, another disappointment!! I had really high hopes for this product! I read that S. Korea's first lady swears by this mask! Plus, Dr. G's introduction is quite seductive. 

I didn't take photos of the product because I used this
 just before my initiation of my blog.  I was also a bit bummed
 and just quickly finished the box of 3 in three
consecutive days.

Dr. G is developed by Dr. Gun-Yong Ahn, the founder of Gowoonsesang, the world’s 2nd largest medical skin care group. His over 20 years of clinical experiences on skin restoration is behind the birth of Dr.G. He entered a medical school with the facial burn from his childhood. He treated his scare and restored skin of many patients. He gained a reputation in the skin restoration area. He developed Dr.G by request of patient who wanted daily skin care after the dermatological treatment. Five skincare lines of Dr.G suitable for people in different ages, the Trouble Care Line for acne skin and Luxury EGF Line make Dr.G become a reputable top brand in Korea.

Dr.G Philosophy: Medical formula for beautiful and healthy skin
Gowoonsesang means ‘Beautiful World’ in Korean. With the clinical knowledge, state-of-the-art technology and high quality ingredients, skincare products of Dr.G rejuvenate skin inside out.

Biography:

• Gowoonsesang is the No.1 skin clinical centre in Korea
• In Seoul, every 1 out of 8 women is the user of Dr.G skincare products and services
• Star product: Hydra Intensive Mask is the favorite mask of the Korean president’s wife
• Dr.G is appointed by Asiana Airline to provide the skin care service for their first class customers

Product Description Dr.G Hydra Intensive Mask is a high concentrated mask containing 60% of botanical elements such as hyaluronic acid and evening primrose oil.With portulaca oleracea extract, it provides calming effect on skin. Since a sheet contains a full bottle of essence, the professional result can be obtained at home. This mask is also the choice of Korean President's wife.  how to use it After base skin care, tear open the sachet, and take out the mask. Enjoy the relaxing feel of the mask on your face. Use it for 10-15 minutes, linger if you feel like it. Discard mask after use. Do not need to wash after that.  ingredients Evening Primrose Oil Extract: Moisturize Skin and encouraging blood circulation Hyaluronic Acid: Moisturize Skin Portulaca Oleracea Extract: Claming and relaxing, anti-sensitive. Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate: Claming, reducing inflammation country of origin Korea  suitable for all skin type / sensitive skin

I've wanted to try this for awhile now, and Sasa had it on sale for $16.10 a box (3 pieces).  Yes, it comes down to $5.37 a sheet, still very very expensive but I thought it would be worth it since the name is "hydra intensive".  Please note that I had really high expectations.  The mask is kind of thicker than other sheet masks, but it was not drenched in essence/serum (Sorry no photos).  There was so little serum.  There was barely enough liquid for the mask, let alone any excess serum.  So, as a result, it doesn't stick well to the face and it also didn't provide moisturizing relief and the mask dried out very quickly.  It was just below average.  And for the price, what a waste.  I don't know, was it just my box?  With the term "intensive" in the title, it turned out to be just a misnomer.  I say, save your money, its a skip.


Update 5/29/12:
In other words, the mask could have been good, however, the mask texture was not appropriate for the product.  The cloth mask did not complement the essence/serum.  This is one of the reasons why some sheet masks fail.  It's not just this mask, but I have tried one of Neutrogena's, Method Swiss, and Elizabeth Ardin Cyber White and they all failed for this very reason.  


These two just happens to be both Korean products.  Just a coincidence.  I just want to note that I am not hating, before any misinterpretations occur.  I have tried Laneige and Hanskin masks and both are good. Okay, maybe just I just like Hanskin.  Hanskin's mask, one of the best I've tried. High quality.  I'll do a review on them next time.

Review: Simply Bio Cellulose Mask

Purchased at: Sasa Website


Price: $2.60 for one piece

Description Simply Bio Cellulose Mask effectively leads essence in cells and the wrinkle gaps with the help of its fine and closely woven fibers. It also gives whitening effect in a flash. The result is equivalent to that brought by iontophoresis. Claims: The precisely designed 3D mask has two pairs of ear hooks. Note: Mask does not have ear hooks.  The design allows it to closely fit your face, enhancing the tightening and lifting effect. It leaves your skin moisturized, comfortable, whitened with less visible blemishes. Skin elasticity is improved. How to use it After cleansing face, unseal the package and take out the three-layer mask. Remove the white layer. Put the elastic and transparent middle layer, the cellulose mask, onto the face, making it closely fit. Remove the “blue” outer layer. Leave on for 15 – 20 minutes. Then remove the mask and gently massage the face without rinsing. Follow with daily skin care regimen. Ingredients Deep Ocean Water – to hydrateLumiskin™ – to whiten, soften and moisturize skin AA-2G – to prevent the formation of melanin Matrixyl™ – to diminish the appearance of wrinkles Camellia sinensis leaf extract – to purify and relieve Acerola Extract – to anti-oxidize and promote collagen growth Chrysanthellum indicum extract - to anti-oxidize and be anti- anti-inflammatory Dipotassium glycyrrhizinate – to relieve inflammation, anti-oxidize, promote removal of dead skin cells and whiten Vitamin B3 – to diminish the appearance of wrinkles and improve skin elasticity Suitable for all skin type

This is my very first time using a bio cellulose mask.  I have only used cotton paper sheet masks before and I heard that bio cellulose masks were excellent.  I've wanted to test out bio cellulose masks for awhile and the Taiwan brand For Beloved One is supposed to be the pioneering company that came out with the bio cellulose mask.  However, FBO and Dr. Wu's (also a well known Taiwan company, Queenie from BeautyQQ did a review of this awhile back) bio cellulose masks are a bit pricey.   This brand, Simply, also a Taiwan company (yes!! Taiwan makes amazing beauty products!!), was on sale on the Sasa website for $2.60 for one piece so I decided to give it try.  Yes, it is still more expensive than regular paper masks but it is sooooo worth it!!! I was really excited to try this.   So, what is a bio cellulose mask?  I copied this from Dr. Wu's website description, it should be similar to Simply's as well. DR.WU's Bio-Cellulose Mask is composed of nano-fibers formed by fermented microbes. The fiber structure is interlaced in three-dimensional space allowing active ingredients to be absorbed deeply into epidermis and demonstrating extraordinary immersion efficacy. It is almost like the inner liner of a chicken egg. That is what it feels and looks like.   Here is how it looks when I tore open my package. 3 layers of mask  Pulling out the mask, I find it full of essence. Very moist The mask consists of three layers. The white plastic protective sheet and the blue woven cotton sheet protect the middle bio cellulose membrane mask.  The instructions tell you to remove the white protective layer and apply the bio cellulose membrane side to your face then slowly peel off the blue cotton layer.  The bio cellulose mask is very very (I'm really stressing this! Remember this brand is even thinner, like the inner liner of an chicken egg) thin, so this way, you won't have the membrane folding and wrinkling on itself.   Three layers, the middle one is the bio cellulose mask. The bio cellulose mask is soooo tight and is just hugging my skin like another layer.  It's just a totally different experience from cotton paper masks.  And the feeling is great because it is sooooo tight, it helps to firm and tighten your skin.  You can instantly feel the firming effect.  Have you ever peeled off the inner layer of a chicken egg and placed it on your face?? It is the same feeling, except you can use the mask on either sides. I wipe off the excess serum from the plastic protective sheet and the blue cotton protective paper for my neck and arms.   blue cotton protective sheet left over for your neck and arms white plastic protective sheet left over for your neck and arms The suggested usage time is 15-20 min just like any other sheet masks.  I wanted to use mine a little longer (frugality!! ), I think I napped for about 2 hours.  The down part about this brand Simply, is that it is not as long lasting as what I heard about Dr. Wu's bio cellulose mask.  According the Queenie of BeautyQQ, Dr. Wu's was still really moist even after 2 hours!!!  Maybe because it is thicker? It looks thicker.  Mine was about 85% dry when I peeled it off.  But I can see my skin brightened, tighter and supple.  Nice! =]   There was a lot of excess serum remaining from the packet but it was already late so I decided to save it and use it the next morning.  The texture of the serum ranges from a clear to milky color.  I applied the abundant amount of excess serum, I can instantly feel and see the tightening effect!!  The only down part is that you shouldn't really apply any thing over it, otherwise it will become mushy. Lots of excess serum, color ranges from clear to milky white. I also wanna show you how the bio celluose masks looks when semi-dry.... and completely dry. And one last photo to show you how thin it is.   eh okay, not the best photo to show the thinness. Overall, this is an amazing product.  I am loving this bio cellulose mask!! Being that this is my very first time using bio cellulose mask, my review is really based on my experience with cotton masks.  I am not sure how Simply's bio cellulose mask compares to the other bigger named Taiwanese brands.  I'm hoping that I will have a chance to try them out soon and give a comparison!! xP UPDATE: One thing I forgot to mention is that the eye opening is small.  It is made for Asian faces, but being Asian myself I find the eye opening to be INCREDIBLY SMALL!!! I literally cannot even open my eyes.  And the mouth opening is not a hole but just a cut. UPDATE 5-22-12: Please read my updated review of this mask here. Thanks for reading  Peary

Review: Vichy Normaderm ProMat Ultra Mattifying Oil-Free Lotion

If you frequent Duane Reade, you should already know that it has gone through a whole new retail/marketing store transformation.  Most importantly for ladies to know, is the expansion of the beauty department.  Not just a greater variety of the usual brands of Maybelline and Neutrogena, but you might just think you walked into Sephora!  New beauty counters offers more higher end beauty products with beauty reps to help you out.  


I was at my local Duane Reade browsing around, when a beauty sales rep handed me a coupon for a free beauty consultation that also promises a free bag of beauty samples.  I usually don't take advantage of these, but since it was free and a group of school girls were giving it a try, I decided to as well.  


The beauty rep that I had did not have good skin and looked like she had dirty hands and I was kind of afraid that she was gonna touch my face.  I was starting to regret it more because it felt like she was just asking me the questions from paper.  But she did not touch my face and just asked questions about my skin and offered me an abundant amount of samples.  She gave me four different products and about 3-4 packaged samples of each!  I think that is great because usually sales reps are kind of cheap with samples, and Sephora retail reps only give the squeeze out ones (I've also had very rude Sephora reps before).  


One of the product samples I received was the Vichy Normaderm ProMat Ultra Mattifying Oil Free Lotion.

Price: $22.00 for 1.1 Fl oz.

Skin Concern: Shine Prone
Skin Type: Combination, Oily

Ultra Mattifying Oil-free Lotion with Dry-Finish Technology + LHA + broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection SPF15. For an instant matte effect and lasting shine control. ALLURE OCTOBER 2009 BEAUTY AWARD WINNER.

Technology Description:

Because UV rays can increase oil production by 26%, this ultra mattifying lotion comes with SPF15. Shine-control formula with blotting micro-spheres for a lasting mattifying effect. Absorbs excess oil for smooth and even skin.

Ingredient Innovation:
Dry Finish Technology, blotting micro-spheres for a lasting mattifying effect. Broad-spectrum UVA/UVB to protect skin from harmful UV rays. In an oil-free, light, non-greasy moisturizer.

Claims:
Immediately: mattified and shine-free skin. In 4 weeks, skin is visibly less oily. Regulates the appearance of shine. Prevents re-occurring oiliness. Skin is ultra-matte.

Dermatological Standards:
Allergy tested. Tested on sensitive skin under dermatological control. Non-comedogenic.

Texture: Green lotion a little gooey, but not sticky. Not as watery or light as other facial lotions. Absorbs well.


Overall: Okay, so I am not sure why the DR beauty rep lady offered this to me because I do not really have oily skin!  I have a little shine but nothing major and I prefer to have a little glow than completely matte skin.  That said, this lotion does what it claims.  It absorbs well into my skin but I also think it is a little too dry and matte for my skin.  It's almost not moisturizing enough for me.  You can instantly see mattifying results though.  I think it is best to use if you have really oily skin.  If you have combination skin, use it on your T-zone, and use another lotion for the other areas of your face (which I would do for my skin).  It's just not for me.  If you have really oily or shiny skin, then this product is right for you.


It also only has spf 15, I usually wear spf 100 uva uvb or at least spf 45 when I go out.  For me, it is not enough sun protection.