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Mamonde Age Control Camellia Oil review
If you have read some of my past posts on oils you might already know that for most of my life I considered oils a necessary evil. With my super dry skin oil was simply always in my routine and inevitable when creams just simply don't cut it. Unfortunately, I have some sensory overload beef with most oils and really hate using them just so they can sit on my skins surface tickling and bugging the heck out of me for the next hour/s.
Thankfully nowadays there are many more oils, and oil mixes available besides the good old almond/olive/coconut oils from days past. And the moment I discovered Korean facial oils has been a day of big celebration in my household. I still try out western facial oils regularly but whereas most of them are simply unpleasant on my skin Korean oils, wow me one after the other.
I keep discovering pleasant to use and relatedly non-oily oils and it makes discovering new ones even more fun.
Todays oil stood out to me for its scent.
Boy does this stuff smell good!
I generally prefer non scented products but if you get it soon right like the Mamonde team did I would take it over unscented any time.
I generally prefer non scented products but if you get it soon right like the Mamonde team did I would take it over unscented any time.
This stuff smells like straight up dessert. But not in a overwhelmingly sweet way but in a subtle delicious way, like spreading really smooth lemony cream bars all over your face.
Doesn't sound delicious maybe but it certainly feels that scrumptilicious!
The scent is not strong at all and dissipates fast which is unfortunate to me since it smells so delectable. It is good news for people who dont want to run around smelling like pie though.
Not only does this stuff smell positively addicting but the texture is fantastic too.
It is a relatively dry oil comparable to Graymelins 100% Facial oil. It is light sinks in fast yet you can clearly feel that your skin is more nourished. It is probably the driest oil I have tried so far and it can even fool Johnny who is the biggest facial oil hater I have ever encountered. If you mix this into another product you will likely not notice that any oil is even in there (well, he didn’t). Applied on its own it feels like luxurious and high quality stuff that you just want to keep massaging into your face but suddenly it is completely absorb while making your face smooth and soft.
The only downside is that I feel that you go through this stuff fast since you want to use it all on your face. When ordering samples I usually take forever to use them up since each sample can be used what feels like a gazillion times on my tiny face (yes I can wear children hats). With this oil I would have run out in quarter of the time if I would have used the amount I wanted on each application. Instead I was frugal and tried to savour it for as long as I could to have a decent testing length. The reason why I want to use so much is that the oil is so dry and delicious that two or three drops simply dont cut it for me unlike most other facial oils. I want to use double that and spread it on my face by itself instead.
Next time I will buy the full size and see how it goes but seeing that it is only 15ml it might be the same.
I liked to use this by its own as a layer before my moisturiser at night, and during the day I would mix it in with either my emulsion or my cream.
I loved it whichever way I used it and am looking forward to getting more soon.
As you see I really liked this stuff. Not because it is the best facial oil I have used. I really got lured into loving it with its marvellous texture and irresistible scent. It just shows that if you have a goo product you can always make it better by pleasing the senses.
Purchased at Testerkorea
Available on Ebay
What is your most indulgent skincare product?
The Truth Omega 6 Healing Cream mini review
1: I have been struggling with itchy facial skin for over a year now and their Omega 6 Healing Cream sounded like it might be able to help in those regards.
2: I am currently testing a bunch of retinol containing products and their version sounded very suitable to my needs
3: I am broke and I couldn’t afford their products even if I would try to save for the next 3 years
Today I am talking about Omega 6 Healing Cream only since I want to write a separate review for their Retinol Gel.
So for a little back story on my itchy face.
I always have had incredibly dry skin, dry to the point were hardly any potions I use are rich enough to soothe my skin. It just keeps staying dry and scaly even when I combine products that are both hydrating and greasy rich.
I always have had incredibly dry skin, dry to the point were hardly any potions I use are rich enough to soothe my skin. It just keeps staying dry and scaly even when I combine products that are both hydrating and greasy rich.
The problem started about a year ago when my face started to itch a lot more than usual. At first, I thought it was a pregnancy thing, but alas, it is still going on. It did calm down a little during the summer time but is back full force now that it is chilly outside.
My face is red and hurts on top of the usual dryness and sometimes the itchiness wakes me up at night.
So you can imagine why this cream sounded so interesting to me since I have been using anti-itch and healing products without great success for the past year.
The reason why this is a mini review is because I was only able to use a one week supply. Which is just enough for a first impression of the product but not enough to give you a definite review.
The first thing I noticed (besides the adorable tiny jar) was how balmy the product really was. It really isn’t a cream texture at all. It is a true balm. Not oily though just very soothing. It is semi hard in the jar and once applied to the skin it starts melting away. It is very pleasant actually and it makes me yearn for more balm like products. It is rich and slightly oily but it doesn't leave a greasy film on my skin. I can still feel the product for a while after applying it but it feels more like a pleasant protective film than actual oil.
The cream ( I should really say balm from now on) is unscented and smells like a neutral skincare product. An attribute I appreciate since I don’t like most scents they add to cosmetics.
My skin was quite happy during the week that I used this. The itching went down as well.
It seems to be the best product I have used so far against the itchy redness but I can not say for sure. Usually, I test the products in different conditions to make sure it wasn't some kind of other factors that made my skin wonderful. I would love to test this out more thoroughly to make sure it is as promising as it seems.
This product does have Holy Grail potential for people who have painfully dry skin as me.
I would love to hear from anyone who has used this cream for a longer time or anyone who has a similar skin type and the products that have helped.
Available on The Truth Treatments
Here is an affiliate code "havethetruth13" for you to save 10% on your order.
Here is an affiliate code "havethetruth13" for you to save 10% on your order.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliated links and codes. That fact does not alter my review or opinion in any matter. For more information read my Disclaimer page.
Neulii Teatree BHA Blemish Control Serum review
Unlike what some people might think this is not an exfoliating type serum. The BHA content is used for its anti-inflammatory properties to soothe spots and damaged skin. Together with the tea tree extracts, panthenol and allantoin this serum is meant both tho fight the spots and also soothe the skin at the same time.
I didn't have any spots at the time but I still wanted to test the serum to see how it reacts with my dry skin. I am happy to say that it didn't dry my skin out. It didn't really give me any moisture but it is not meant to do so. I did also feel the soothing properties but I did not get any miraculous results either (Which ones anyway?). Then I gave this serum to Johnny since his skin was being a little irritated at the time. He was also getting 1-2 new spots every other day and thus the opportunity to test the serum was perfect. One thing that I noticed immediately is that it didn't irritate his sensitive skin. That is always a huge plus in my book (if it would irritate his skin he wouldn't use the product anymore of course!) since his skin is even more fickle than mine and one never knows how it reacts. The next thing I noticed is that he did indeed get fewer spots. The ones he had looked less inflamed and smaller and the ones he might have gotten seem to have fled before even setting up shop on his face. After a few weeks, his spot count went down to only about one to two a week. I think the reason he even got any at all was the fact that the moisturizer wasn't entirely suitable for his skin. But he stopped using it and we shall see.
So basically if you do have spots this serum will likely help you to either diminish them or soothe the ones you have to become less visible. If you have no pimples the snail serum is better suited for you and I will talk about how that went for me next time.
I am definitely happy with the results I saw in Johnny's skin and together with the paired down ingredients list it is a product that I might get him again. The bottle actually lasts forever though so he might still have enough serum for the next four to five months!
Ph: 4.2
Available at Roseroseshop
Available at Jolse
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliated links and codes. That fact does not alter my review or opinion in any matter. For more information read my Disclaimer page.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliated links and codes. That fact does not alter my review or opinion in any matter. For more information read my Disclaimer page.
Crazy Color Mega Swatch Party
I have been wanting to write hair reviews for years now. I have been saving packages and taking pictures for so long my hard drive started getting clogged with all this unused stuff.
The reason why I haven't written any is probably because I have never written about hair (besides this one post here) and that it is quite hard and complicated to do so. Also, I am not a professional hairdresser and giving people advice about bleaching and dying hair is a tricky subject.
I get asked about my hair so much though and instead of repeating my methods and experiments over and over I thought I should just write about them. So these are not necessarily instructions on what to do but explanations of what I have done. I like experimenting with hair and have been doing so since I was a teen. I usually have great results but making mistakes is part of the project. So I will share those mistakes with you as well so that hopefully you don't have to.
There will be quite a few posts which I will announce below in case you are interested in one but not the others (aka it saves you some reading time!).
Today I will ease into the subject by simply having hair color swatches. I say simply since it is less complicated than the other posts but describing hair colors is anything but simple.
The reason I bought crazy colors in the first place was that I was not happy with Directions. They were much more expensive in Germany than the US and their lasting power is not too good on my hair. Besides I wanted to try out something else and Crazy Colors has a shade selection that I found more appealing than Directions.
I really liked working with this brand but I confess that my favourite Vegetable based dye brands are Special Effects and Stargazer. The reason why I didn't use them is that they are either too expensive or too hard to find. Also, thy are so excellent since both brands are so pigmented that you can get a good color result on darker hair and they are also the most long lasting vegetable dyes I have ever used. Since my hair is bleached to an 11 base (the lightest you can bleach your hair to) I really didn't need/want a strong dye.
I wanted my hair to be white most of the times and occasionally color it in powdery hues. TO achieve that you need very very light dyes that also wash out relatively fast (not after one wash though) so that I can switch the colors around and not stain my super porous hair to the point where it won't go back to a clean white.
Now you may wonder why I have stronger colors in my arsenal. Well, first off you can mix the colors with conditioner to create pastel hues and secondly I also dyed Johnny Clyde's hair who had stronger colors for a while.
So here are the swatches and my feeble attempts to describe the colors and the results.
Unfortunately, I don't have any strand test to show you since I never used the colors straight on our hair and have thrown out the strand tests I did myself ( I know how could I!), the other reason is that I also don't have enough dye for some of them to do a strand test.
These shades can be used on a medium to dark base (6 - 11)
Violette
Sky Blue
Looks practically like Capri Blue and I honestly did not see much of a difference. It is meant to be lighter but I thought it was more or less just as bright. It also looks to be quite purplish but fades to Aqua green as well. Both these shades do not wash out ever once they get to the Aqua stage.
Capri Blue
These can be used on a medium to light base (8-11)
Lavender
A bright pastel purple-pink shade. It looks very purple but it has a strong pink base.
Candy Floss
A bright pastel pink. I bought this after I realized that Marshmallow was too light to mix. It is a pastel shade but is definitely bright when freshly dyed. It is not suitable to be used for a powdery hue unmixed. It is a neutral pink shade.
Honorable mention Lilac
I don't know where my Lilac color ended up so I can't swatch it here. But I had it and used it quite a lot so I thought I should include it here. It is a bright pastel purple shade with a string blue base. it is very pretty and does not fade to green. It is a good shade to use when your hair is a little too yellow since it can counteract some of the orange, and counteract the yellow without going green.
These have to be used on the lightest base (11)
Platinum
It looks grey on the website but I found it to be almost like a white toner but a little stronger. Depending on your base shade it can go either white or silver but it is a very light faint silver color.
Silver
To me, this is their white toner. Even though I have had completely white hair I was never able to achieve an actual silver (aka light grey) color with this. It only works as a white toner for super duper light hair only.
Marshmallow
Have you tried any of these colors? How did they turn out?
Dear Packer Royal BlackTea & Black Rose Mask review
I am not the biggest wash off mask fan (because I am lazy and I avoid water) but I still have one in rotation since I religiously use it when I shower (reasons here). So when I was offered to try this mask a few months ago I said yes since
A: I was low on my regular shower mask, and B: the packaging is incredible, just look at it.
A: I was low on my regular shower mask, and B: the packaging is incredible, just look at it.
Yeah, I know sometimes I can’t say no to pretty packaging either.
Luckily, that has worked out quite well for me so far.
The first thing I noticed (besides the pretty box!) was the interesting smell of vintage cola candy. I am not sure why some Korean skincare smells like coke candy but it really does. This one is definitely the product that smells the most like it. Fortunately it isn't very strong or overpowering when wearing the mask.
The consistency is pleasantly gel like. It is refreshing on the skin and thick enough to stay put where you apply it.
It has tiny little specks in it that represent tea leaves that just add to its pretty look.
I have used this mask two ways, one as a sleeping pack and the other as the intended wash off mask.
To use it as a sleeping pack I simply applied a small quantity to my face, let it dry somewhat and slept. It was dry enough to not smear on my pillows but still formed a protective film that left my skin hydrated by the morning. The only downside to this is that you will have tiny black specks on your face, but my husband is used to weirder things than that, so I don’t really care about it.
Otherwise I simply add quite a thick layer to my face and neck, let it sit 5-10 minutes and then wash it off in the shower.
The mask is easy to wash off even when applied thickly and protects my face well from the harsh, hot shower waters.
I like the way my skin looks and feels after using this mask. It feels fresh and looks smooth and glowing. It certainly somewhat diminishes some fine lines I have from dehydration.
All in all I like this mask quite a bit. I would love to try some of their other products since I saw some quite promising ones in their line up online.
I think due to its wash off nature it is suitable for any skin types since one can adjust its usage as well.
Ingredients: Here
Available on Amazon
Available on BBCosmetics
You can get a 8% discount with code R3B2R1R81BW on your BBCosmetic order.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliated links and codes. That fact does not alter my review or opinion in any matter. For more information read my Disclaimer page.
Jungle Botanics Forest Leaves Cooling Shampoo and Warming Treatment review
Even though I have never reviewed any hair products on this blog I am actually a bit of a hair snob. My hair has always been notoriously complicated even though it looks like it is easy to maintain.
I have also used quite a bit of Asian hair products, many with great success.
Even though this might not be my biggest success story (it doesn't happen often enough to be honest) I was still quite happy with both these items.
First off, I have to say I love this pump packaging with the shampoo. I would have loved the conditioner in a pump even more, but maybe it was too thick to work in such a container.
Pumps have now become my favorite packaging and I wish everything would come in one!
Besides how convenient it is to use this shampoo,
I am actually also really pleased with the texture of it. It is a very unique shampoo texture that is hard to describe, almost like moist goo, but I really like it!
I am actually also really pleased with the texture of it. It is a very unique shampoo texture that is hard to describe, almost like moist goo, but I really like it!
It smells pleasantly like something I might have smelled in an Asian grocery store before and does indeed have a refreshing feeling. Neither the freshness nor the scent are overwhelming, which I appreciate. Since I have one of the most difficult to maintain colors (grey) I also watch out that my shampoo does not strip my color too fast. I was slightly worried about this since it is meant for oily hair (which I have not, I have the driest of the dry) and often times that means harsher ingredients that can strip the color. Surprisingly it did not dry my hair out any more than other shampoos or strip much of the color out. To be honest it made my hair feel quite lovely and if they would release a shampoo for dry/damaged hair I would be all over that!
I didn't enjoy the conditioner as much as the shampoo (shocking because I generally really don't care about shampoos at all), but was still satisfied with its results.
There really are only four conditioners I actually use (one Korean, one Japanese, one American and one Spanish) and two of those being really excellent in my book (the other two are good). That being said I have tried so many conditioners I could probably not even count them (I buy about 2 new ones a month) and I usually hate them all. So a conditioner doing its job is already quite rare in my snobish conditioner book.
And this is one of those. It enables me to be able to detangle my hair decently when it isn't a complete hot mess (only two can deal with that task) and leaves my hair soft and shiny (as shiny as my bleached hair gets). It also smells quite lovely and decent and I like the almost lotion cream texture it has. The only thing it doesn't do is warm up. Not sure if it is supposed to, but just deducing from the name. I’m not sure if I would even enjoy a warmed up conditioner in the first place.
If it would be easily available in Berlin I would buy this conditioner for the times I run out of my HGs.
So all in all I really liked the shampoo and the conditioner was pretty good too.
If you haven't found a shampoo you liked yet this one might satisfy your needs and if you have hair that isn't too fussy than this conditioner will likely suit you really well.
Ingredients: Shampoo, Conditioner
Available on Wishtrend
Here is a referral code " 021617712" for those of you who are interested and don’t have a Wishtrend account yet. It gives you a 5$ discount upon signing up. Yay for savings!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliated links and codes. That fact does not alter my review or opinion in any matter. For more information read my Disclaimer page.
Which movie am I gonna watch tonight? Halloween movie list and review edition
Johnny and I have had a Halloween tradition for a few years now.
We like to watch at least one Halloween movie a day for the entire month of October.
Sometimes we watch a whole lot of them in one day of course and since there are so many Halloween movie candidates out there we have decided to start our marathon early this year.
Only that this year there was one rule, only to watch films that at least one of us had not seen before.
We compiled a list of films that had been on our watch list for a while together with some other films we found through researching Halloween appropriate movie lists.
In the end the list was 152 movies long (and growing still) but since we started to get a head start we think it is absolutely possible to watch them all by the end of October.
We started on September the 15th and so far we have watched 46 films . Unfortunately most of them were not very good, but some of them quite fun!
I do log and rate every movie of course (diary can be found here) so you can have a look at my ratings of the films I have seen so far.
Unfortunately I don't have time to write out every single film of the list but you can see it here for some Halloween film inspiration.
Today I just wanted to mention the films I liked the most so far.
Hopefully i will have time to write about some of my favorite must watch classics too!
Trick ‘r’ Treat (2007)
A quite typical Halloween slightly campy horror film. It is fun and entertaining and will certainly give you a big dose of Halloween flavour.
The Vanishing (1988)
This was a surprise for me since I really didn't like the look of the film (drab but not in the good kind of way). The story and writing are excellent though! If you are interested in watching a unique film with quite a terrifying “villain” this is a must watch for you!
Swiss Army Man (2007)
This was much more fun that I thought it was going to be even though I had high expectations already. I love the performances by both Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe and simply loved watching them be all sorts of goofy during the duration of this film.
A Page of Madness (1926)
Unfortunately 1/3 of the film is lost and it shows (it is still coherent though) but remains beautiful to watch still. A 20s silent film that usually doesn't pop up on any horror or must watch lists but I think it should.
Brain Damage (1988)
We found this film on Guillermo del Toro's recommendation movie list and it did deliver. It is quite weird but very fun and inventive. The “monster” is adorable and the practical effects are great.
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)
Even though this is made by Roger Corman, it has quite a bit of a Hitchcock feel to it. Not too Halloweeny but a good film nonetheless.
Scanners (1981)
I’m not a huge Cronenberg fan ( besides the Fly of course!) but this was quite enjoyable. It is made very much in his style but the concept of it was weird in a good way.
From Beyond (1986)
I liked this mostly for its special effects but if you liked Re-animator you would probably enjoy this one too.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
I’ve watched this a few times but Johnny had never finished the whole film. I love this one and definitely a must watch for horror, movie, halloween or art fans!
I Married a Witch (1942)
This one was quite fun to watch. Veronica Lake was a lot funnier than expected and I loved the special effects as well.
Tales from the Crypt (1972)
I cant believe I had never seen the before. I liked it much more than I thought I was going to since I am not a big fan of 70s films. The story lines just get weirder and weirder in a good way!
Hideaway (1995)
Jeff Goldblum!
 |
| From the aforementioned The Fly |
Just Buried (2007)
I quite liked this little Jay Baruchel film. It was a typical romantic horror comedy. Unfortunately they don't make this kind of movies that often anymore.
Izo (2004)
This film is one of the weirdest on the list. If you like wild rides I would watch this one!
To Die For (1995)
Goofy yet weird film with an incredible performance by Joaquin Phoenix. The score by Danny Elfman really pulls this film together
What are your Halloween favorties and have you seen any of the films on the list already?
Dear Packer Jeju Flowers Sheet Masks Review + Giveaway
This is my first time using Dear Packer, but I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to not only try these four masks that I am reviewing here but also a super cute looking wash off pack (review coming soon!).
As some of you might already know I am not a big fan of sheet masks but as long as I own some I still like using them occasionally.
The issues I have with sheet masks are mostly sensory (you can read more about it here) but I still enjoy the effects they give my skin.
 |
| Rape Blossom |
 |
| Camellia Flower |
The essence was quite similar in all of them besides some subtle differences. The outcome in terms of how my skin looked was similar too. Generally sheet masks don't give me miraculous results so that needs to be considered as well.
My least favourite was the green Cactus mask. It had a strong perfume scent and was super drippy and wet. I was also not impressed by the results. I think this mask might be better suited to oilier skin types.
 |
| Jeju Cactus |
The Camellia and Rape flower masks where really similar to me. The biggest difference being that the Camellia one has a stronger flowery scent and the Rape flower mask scent is softer and not so noticeable. They are both hydrating and left my face plump and moist.
My favourite of the lot was the Cherry Blossom mask. It had a soft fresh scent that I actually enjoyed and it was not so strong as to over power all my senses.
I also liked the essence. Even though the Camellia mask had a milky essence too, the Cherry Blossom one felt much more hydrating. I always prefer milkier essences since they tend to be less drippy and suit my skin type better.
 |
| Cherry Blossom |
The Cherry Blossom mask felt the best on my skin while being worn and I liked the results the most. They might be subtle but they were noticeable for me. I do think that this would be best suited for dry skin types and the other two for normal skin.
All in all I think these are decent masks that are suitable for a wide range of skin types depending on which masks you choose.
Ingredients Camellia mask: Here
Available at BBCosmetic
If you are interested in trying these masks out head over to Instagram for a little mini Giveaway!
Use code R3B2R1R81BW for 5%off at BBCosmetic!
Use code R3B2R1R81BW for 5%off at BBCosmetic!
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