All posts filed under: Subscription Boxes

Unboxing: Le Métier de Beauté Beauty Vault VIP August 2014

Published by

Hi everyone! I’m not sure if anyone noticed (since I’ve queued up a few posts), but I’ve been in the USA since the 13th of September. I haven’t had much time to sit down and make new posts, reply to comments or read blogs, but I’m trying, I’m trying! I haven’t bought a lot of makeup yet—just a few pieces, and skin care—but I have 4 cities in 2 more states to explore. So far, we’ve been to New York, Boston and Stockbridge in Massachusetts, and now we’re nestled in New Jersey. If you’re interested in following our American exploits, I’ve been posting a lot on my Instagram, @presidents. Let me know if you want to see a supremely tiny haul, too. 🙂 Anyway, here are a few bits I’ve gotten from the second round of Le Métier de Beauté Beauty Vault VIP subs. I had this specific box shipped to my friend Barby’s place since there was a shipping mix-up and it first ended up at a dead address (my fault). Unfortunately, I hadn’t …

Korean Skin Care Routine in 7 Steps feat. Beyond True Eco Line*

Published by

Trying to get into Korean skincare is a bit daunting because of their fabled multi-step routine, which usually involves products like “emulsions,” “boosters,” and “essences,” and I had no idea what to do with them or what the order of application was. The general rule is to go from light to heavy, so water-based products first before moving on to the lotions. Charlotte Cho shared her 10-step skin care routine adopted from her stay in Korea on both Elle and Into the Gloss. Sheryll from The Wanderlust Project shared her version, using different types of products from all kinds of brands and ranges. This is allowed, by the way. Whatever works for you. The most extensive guide I’ve found, however, is from Hope in a Blog, where the general purpose of each step is explained, as well as day- and night- routines. I received three boxes containing products from Beyond’s True Eco Line* so I thought I’d get into the multi-step Korean skin care routine using these. Please take note that though I have 7 …

REVIEW: Bello-Vita Cell Optimizer S-Essence*

Published by

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. 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.

Dermal Bee Venom Relaxing Cream*

Published by

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

REVIEW: isoi Bulgarian Rose Pore Tightening Tonic Essence*

Published by

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. 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 …

REVIEW: Migabee Honey Pureberry Oilsoap*

Published by

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.

REVIEW: Faith in Face Truly Waterly Cleansing Water*

Published by

After a long wrestle with the customs office (AGH), I finally got my BNT Girls box! So in addition to Harry Potter week, I’ll be reviewing quite a bit of products from Korea this week. I hope you guys don’t mind. 🙂 The Faith in Face Truly Waterly Cleansing Water* is a 2-in-1 product that acts as both a makeup remover and toner. The main ingredient is the Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, which is a natural cleansing agent. From the looks of it, it’s similar to the micellar water products that have boomed in the beauty market place lately. I’m not a big fan of those myself, having only tried the Bioderma Sensibio H2O, which is pretty much the cult favorite of everyone on earth. I find that micellar water doesn’t really take off much of my makeup—especially not the eye makeup—and they also sting my eyes. I was keen on finding out if my experience with the Faith in Face Truly Waterly Cleansing Water would be similar to that of my Bioderma one.