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REVIEW: Bello-Vita Cell Optimizer S-Essence*

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The Korean skincare routine differs from our usual steps of cleanse-tone-moisturize, going up to as much as 10 steps per routine. It sounds crazy, but there is some logic behind all of it. Korean skincare systems are a bit intimidating to try for the first time because they’re so extensive, but I’ll save the meat of everything for a later post this week. For now, I’ll write a bit about the Bello-Vita Cell Optimizer S-Essence* which I got in my latest BNT box.

Bello-Vita Cell Optimizer S-Essence

This serum is “formulated with Biocell System Originated in Fermentation Science.” Because most of the information is in Hangul, it’s hard to decipher what this serum/essence is for. Going from my understanding of the many-stepped Korean skin care process, I’ve gathered that “essence” is usually a pre-moisturizer step, to prep the cleansed skin that’s stripped of moisture for the bigger molecules of heavier moisturizer. These usually come in a light, more liquid-y form that’s easily absorbed by the skin, and allow for easier absorption of the follow-up moisturizers. Read More

Dermal Bee Venom Relaxing Cream*

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The Dermal Bee Venom Relaxing Cream* is a hypoallergenic soothing cream with royal jelly and bee venom. It also has plant extracts like portulaca and aloe that are both soothing, and it has hyaluronic acid for moisture. The Bee Venom Relaxing Cream is part of their special cream series, that includes pearl, snail, and syn-ake (a peptide similar to snake venom).

The bee venom variant is supposed to be an alternative to botox, as it is supposed to make facial muscles firmer, and decreases the fine lines. It is also meant to be anti-wrinkle and to improve acne-prone skin. I am quite a big fan of the Dermal Sheet Masks (reviewed here), so I was excited to try this product.

Dermal Bee Venom Relaxing Cream - Open

This helps “promote the natural healing process, enhances skin ability to recover, dissolves dying cells, triggers skin regeneration and repair.”

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Harry Potter Week: Spellbound

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Okay, so for Harry Potter Week, I was thinking of things I could do instead of doing House- or Character-inspired looks, which I think tend to be more common when it comes to Harry Potter and beauty crossovers. I ended up thinking of making looks inspired by spells and charms! I picked 3 that have a distinct visual effect about them that are also widely used in in Rowling’s magical world, at least in Harry Potter’s timeline.

Look 1: The Patronus Charm

“This ancient and mysterious charm conjures a magical guardian, a projection of all your most positive feelings. The Patronus Charm is difficult, and many witches and wizards are unable to produce a full, corporeal Patronus, a guardian which generally takes the shape of the animal with whom they share the deepest affinity. You may suspect, but you will never truly know what form your Patronus will take until you succeed in conjuring it.”Miranda Goshawk

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REVIEW: isoi Bulgarian Rose Pore Tightening Tonic Essence*

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The isoi Bulgarian Rose Pore Tightening Tonic Essence* “make[s] your pore skinny.” It’s a multi-functional toner and essence that reduces enlarged pores, controls sebum, and removes dead skin cells. It also restores radiance, hydrates, and helps increase skin elasticity.

After cleansing the face, you wet a cotton pad with a generous amount of the tonic essence and rub all over the face. This is designed for oily skin (not me) so its full effect is a bit lost on me. However, I do like their direction as a company, promoting safe beauty. isoi uses natural ingredients, instead of the potentially harmful chemical ingredients found in most luxury cosmetics.

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Since it is a toner/essence, I find that it doesn’t “refresh” my skin quite as much as a usual toner would. There is a very, very slightly sticky feeling on the skin left after use, presumably to act as a moisturizer/essence. I think it might be best to follow this up with your normal moisturizer, as I found the feeling to be slightly unpleasant. The essence itself is quite liquid-y and runny but with a slight slippy, soapy feel to it.

isoi Bulgarian Rose Pore Tightening Tonic Essence

I would still use this as I like most of the ingredients and I find that it does work well as a toner. I’ve used this as a base for a dinner out and it worked well under a very, very light finishing powder. I don’t think it shrinks pores, though I find that products rarely ever do that. It does very thoroughly clean the skin, though, so that there are no impurities left behind after cleansing.

Ingredients: Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Mannan, Glycerin, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Alcohol Denat., Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus(Apple)fruit extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Glycolic acid, Lactic Acid, Rhus Semialata Gall Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Allantoin

Say hello to the bntgirls official badge! * PR Sample. Product was sampled and reviewed as part of the terms outlined for the BNT Girls.

Other BNT Girls: Joanne, Kine, Doris, Bella.

I have no information regarding isoi’s animal testing policy.

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REVIEW: Migabee Honey Pureberry Oilsoap*

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One of the products I was most excited to have received was the Migabee Honey Pureberry Oilsoap.* It removes makeup, dirt, and oily ingredients, and can be used on the face, hair, and body.

This product reminds me of castile soap like Dr. Bronner’s, which is used for several uses and is made of olive oil, because it is also multipurpose. Since most of the writing on the bottle and site itself is in Korean (or Hangul), I went to a lot of websites for more information that I could understand. This “oilsoap” has lauric acid as the second ingredient, which is found in coconut oil, laurel oil, and in palm kernel oil (not palm oil).

I’ve been using organic honey as a light cleanser for the face in the morning, so I’m pleased I got this variant because I know that it works for my skin type. It also contains cranberry, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry fruit extracts. Read More

Made-Up History: The Unicorn in Captivity, ca. 1495-1505

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the unicorn in captivity

For Harry Potter week, I thought I’d do a Made-Up History of an actual work of art I glimpsed in The Half-Blood Prince. This is a tapestry called “The Unicorn in Captivity,” and is the seventh in a series called The Hunt of the Unicorn or Unicorn Tapestries. I’m not sure where I first found out about this work—probably in a documentary I saw about restoration—but it was a great Easter egg for me when I saw it in that Room of Requirement scene in HBP:

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The artist of this series of tapestries is unknown, though it is widely believed to have been commissioned by Anne of Brittany, who became Queen of France twice.

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Hallelujah! The Leaders AC-Free Spot Patch* Came at the Right Time

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I’ve been breaking out lately and I know it’s because I sleep so late. Aside from germs and food intake, emotional stress and fatigue can cause your skin to break out into cystic horrors. My worst ones always happen around my nose area. I literally have nothing to blame except my 4a.m. bedtime, and I have been looking for a more advanced treatment for my breakouts, instead of my usual tea tree oil fare.

Leaders AC-Free Spot Patch - Header

Inside the BNT Box is the Leaders AC-Free Spot Patch*, which are spot treatment stickers that contain salicylic acid and tea tree oil to target blemishes. Inside the pack are 50 individual patches in two different sizes, divided into 5 foil packets with 10 patches a sheet. You need to leave the patch on the affected area for 8-12 hours after cleansing. This is great to keep treatment on the skin while sleeping or working. The patches are transparent, so it’s not very conspicuous. Read More