Review:Dermal White Collagen Essence Mask

Finally, the Belle is back. My most sincere apologies. I am glad I am (almost) back to functioning normally. More about my bout of sickness later.

Here is one of my long delayed reviews!

Dermal White Collagen Essence Mask

Pros:
-Visible glow and bounciness after use that lasts throughout the next day.
-Skin feels well hydrated and soothed. Dry lines were greatly reduced.
-Non sticky after essence was patted in (tested in Singapore's extremely humid weather)

Cons:
-Did not fit very well, especially the awkward slits at the nose area.

The verdict?A definite keeper in my routine! I used this after almost a week of skipping masking in favour of sleep, and the results did not disappoint. The pocket friendly price, at SGD1 , gives me even more reason to repurchase.

Thank you for your patience! The Belle will be back again soon with more reads!

See you again soon, my beauties!

Review: Dermal Vitamin Collagen Essence Mask

Another one of my recent purchases. Without further ado, here is the review!

Dermal Vitamin Collagen Essence Mask

Pros:

-Skin was left visibly more even, brighter and more luminous
-Brightening effect lasted throughout the next day
-Non irritating to skin

Cons:

-Left a sticky after feel.
-Again, mask did not fit well as with the others in the same range.

The verdict? As with the others in the same range, great value for money. Although the effect, again, was not as pronounced as the Pearl Collagen Essence Mask,I would still repurchase it. It is a good basic brightening sheet mask,that is very economical at SGD$1 per sheet, that does its job. I would recommend it for those on a budget.

Stay beautiful, and see you again soon, my pretties!

Review:Dermal Gold Collagen Essence Mask

Gold has been long touted as a beauty secret, and used in many high end beauty treatments. Now, you can experience it in the comfort of your own home,  for a fraction of the price.

Dermal Gold Collagen Essence Mask

Now, I do not expect gold particles on my SGD$1 purchase, of course. But does it work? Let The Belle give you her 2 cents worth.

Pros
-Skin is left well hydrated and fine lines around the eye, as well as dry lines at the jowl area were significantly reduced.
-Non irritating to skin.
-Non sticky, as compared to the  Dermal Pearl Collagen Essence Mask

Cons
-Brightening effect not as pronounced as the Dermal Pearl Collagen Essence Mask
-Fit was a problem, especially around the eye area. The eye flaps were uncomfortable and ended up looking like I had white eye bags while I was doing my mask. Similar to other masks in the range. (Or maybe it's just me.)

The verdict? It does assist in hydrating and reducing minor lines, but did not do much for brightening. Regular use should help with those who have a minor problem with fine, dry lines. Repurchase, however, is only a maybe for me, because I prefer my masks to have more of a brightening effect.

*The Belle is on the road to recovery, and is trying to resume normal operations . Please be patient with me!

See you again soon, my beauties!

Review: Dermal Pearl Collagen Essence Mask

My skin has been looking rather dull and tired lately, no thanks to my terrible sleeping habits.  Masking is a great solution, but can get rather costly if you have to do it often. So, I have been on the lookout for cheap, efficient masks. This is one of those that I found during my jaunts at the local Unity Pharmacy, which cost about SGD$1 each.

Dermal Pearl Collagen Essence Mask

To be honest, I was not expecting much from this mask since it was so cheap, but I was pleasantly surprised. Here's the verdict!

Pros

-Skin is left firm, even looking, and well hydrated.
-Brightening effect lasts well throughout the next day
-Mask is well soaked with essence, so plenty was left over to mask the neck (or if you are like me, to swipe over the arms and legs as well)
-Non irritating to skin
-Very inexpensive-need I say more?

Cons

-Left a sticky after feel that didn't go away (Tip: Use it before bed, so that the stickiness is gone by the time morning comes.)
-Mask sheet somehow took a lot of adjustments before I could get it just right. (But maybe it's just my OCD at work, trying to get rid of every single bubble..haha..)


This is a definite repurchase, when the stock I bought runs out. Cheap, good value for money, and definitely does what it promises. Good fix for those on a budget. The Belle has since purchased this in other variants, so look out for the reviews coming up, after I have sufficiently tested them.

See you soon, my beauties!

Review: The Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Toner

I  came across this toner by chance.

Recently, the weather in Singapore has been extremely erratic. One moment rainy, and blazing hot the next. So, my skin has been just as schizophrenic. One moment, it is dry and tight, the other moment, my oil glands start working overtime to compensate for the lack of moisture. I needed something in addition to my regular skincare  to soothe and add moisture but at the same time, not cause breakouts in Singapore's humid weather.

I have always loved The Body Shop products, due to their environmentally as well as socially responsible practices. Therefore, when I came across this toner on a discount (SGD12.9 VS the usual SGD22.90) at The Body Shop, it was a shoo in candidate. So here goes.

Pros

-Hydrates and prepares skin well for other products--other skincare absorb better after that.
-Skin feels soothed. Non irritating.
-After about 3 weeks of use, skin looks less tired.
-Removes any last traces of impurities after cleansing .
-Hormonal breakouts are reduced
-Smells great!

Cons
-None for me at the moment.

Verdict:

This product is a keeper. I normally prefer toners to have some sort of whitening effect, being prone to  spots genetically. However, the Vitamin E (which functions as an antioxidant) in the product makes up for this. Skin is visibly brighter following consistent use. I would purchase this product again in a heartbeat.

Review: Stiefel Physiogel Lotion

My skin has been finicky of late. Flakes, rashes, itchiness... you get the drift. Tempting as it may be to bathe my skin in my beloved Jorubi Aloe vera gel (which I use for everything), it simply isn't very budget friendly, neither is it moisturizing enough.

Attracted to the TV advertisement that promises,with its patented DMS technology, to 'repair,rehydrate, and revitalise dry skin', I did a little research. DMS, or 'Derma Membrane Structure'  technology, uses ceramide and other physiological lipids that imitate your skin's natural lipid layers. This means dehydrated skin is repaired and moisturized naturally, and itch and dryness is reduced. It also claims to lock in moisture for up to 3 days.

I put the product claims to test, and this is what I found.

Pros
-moisturizes well
-Really 'repairs' skin'. I used it on itchy, flaky skin to immediate relief that lasted throughout the day and the next. Consistent use saw my skin return to its original condition in 3 - 4 days. It also helps heal my poor boy's itchy legs which  are scratched almost to the point of bleeding to heal faster. So much that he asks to apply it, even though he dislikes the smell.
-Hypoallergenic, no coloring and preservatives to irritate sensitive skin.
-A little goes a long way. It may seem expensive, but a bottle lasts quite a while.

Cons
-The smell. But then, it disappears after awhile so I can deal with it.
-Can get a little greasy if you get over zealous about applying it.

Conclusion:

Heaven sent for my dry, itchy sensitive skin. It works so well that my 4.5  year old boy goes around recommending it to whoever  he feels needs it. Haha...Excellent product that will sit in my holy grail list for a long, long time.

Review: Hada Labo Arbutin Whitening Essence

This review has been sitting in my to do list for awhile, but I never got around to doing it since I was experimenting with other products on and off. But this product has become a staple in my routine, and for a good reason.

But first, let me get on to my experience with the product first.

Pros
-Easily absorbed, like all the other products in the range.
-Visible brightening effect with consistent usage. Skin is brightened, and hydrated rather than simply whitened.
-Scars heal more easily (I don't really get spots--touch wood---due to my obsession with sunblock on my face)
-scent free, lowering the risk of irritation 

Cons
-can be sticky if you do not pat in the product well, but the feeling disappears quickly, so no biggie
-hard to get the last of the product out, even with the pump. But opening up the bottle solves the problem.

Verdict:
So whats not to love? Pocket friendly product that works. While it does not offer lightning quick whitening results, it does seem to improve the skin texture over the long run. And the results are visible. I should know, since I've used up a several bottles of the stuff (in replacement of my beloved Clarins White HP whitening smoothing essence). For a skincare schizophrenic like me, that's saying a lot.

Review:Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid face wash

Getting older means that my skin isn't what it used to be.From normal/combination to dehydrated skin that has a tendency to turn into an oil field if I use the wrong products, I have had to overhaul my skincare routine in the past year, and thankfully have settled into a routine that works for me. But more about that later.

When my Avene cleanser ran out, I took a leap of faith and tried the SHA (Gokujyun) facial wash from Hada Labo. I was a little skeptical at first, as I had earlier tried the AHA+BHA (Tamagohada) facial wash on my finicky skin with less than desirable results. I was glad I did.

I used it for around 3 weeks before I did this review. Here goes...

Pros
-Rich texture and creamy foam that provides a 'cushion' to the skin while cleansing
-Cleanses well without stripping moisture-- thanks to the super hyaluronic acid content
-No scent to irritate sensitive/sensitized skin

Cons
-May be too rich for skins that clog easily--my friends have commented that they tend to get clogs when the weather gets too humid. But a good exfoliator usually solves this problem. So far, so good for me. My dehydrated skin seems to like it.

Verdict:
I have since purchased the full size, after using up the travel size version that I bought for my overseas trip. It works perfectly for cold weather, or overly strong hotel air conditioning. I didn't have to rush to apply my skincare as there was no tight feeling after I stepped out of the shower.

So far, no complaints from the family using this facial wash even with different skin types in the house. Simple product that does what it says. I will probably stick with it until the itch to try new products strikes me.

Review:Hada Labo Lifting+Firming Lotion

The hot, humid weather recently made me reluctant to slather on my usual cocktail of skincare products for daytime. So when the red bottle of Hada Labo's (antiaging) lotion caught my eye, I thought it was worth a try.The result? Here goes! Results based on about 2 weeks usage.

Pros:
 -Easily absorbed texture -Highly moisturizing -my dehydrated skin practically drank it up! -Gets rid of flakiness, appearance of fine lines reduced
-Skin feels bouncy and looks radiant

Cons:
 -No visible 'lifting' effect
 -Did nothing for visible neck lines
 -Caused some hairline breakouts--But then this was my fault since I over applied it to my hairline and was too lazy to tissue it off.
 -Not for sensitive skin

Verdict:
 I love this product! With once-twice daily usage, depending on my skin condition, the dry lines on my nose are almost gone. Combined with the whitening lotion from the same maker, I am sometimes able to skip my serum for daytime and go straight to moisturizer.(yes I know both of them are technically toners but his works for me. So there!)While this product may not suffice for heavy duty anti-aging, it does go a long way in prevention--its ingredient list contains goodies like retinol,collagen, and Super Hyaluronic Acid. With its pocket friendly price, this one's a keeper in my skincare regime!

Review: Hada Labo Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion

Hada Labo has been launched in Singapore for a while now, and the reason why I am so late to reviewing it is because I was trying to use up my stockpile of products, and also because I wanted to give the product time to work its magic. Review is based on usage of nearly one bottle of the lotion.

Something to clarify: In Japanese skincare, lotion=toner. Different from what we usually see on the labels of European brands.

Pros:
-Scent free, and simple ingredients lowers the risk of any adverse reaction
-A small amount hydrates the skin well, leaving it smooth and bouncy
-Perfect for Singapore's humid weather-with correct application, it literally disappears into the skin
-Budget friendly--one bottle lasts ages!

Cons:
-Slight tacky feeling after application which may be irritating for some, but no biggie for me since the feeling vanishes shortly.

Star Ingredient:
Super Hyaluronic Acid-2 times the moisture retention capacity of normal Hyaluronic Acid. That's a whopping 2 X 6 Liters for every 1 gram!No wonder my friend, who swears by this, has such gorgeous, bouncy skin...

Verdict:
What's not to love? I would repurchase this again in a heartbeat,except for the fact that I have found my new love(s).

Coming up next, my reviews on the Lifting+Firming Lotion and Arbutin Whitening Lotion from the same makers.

Reviews: Coming Right Up!

On the way:

Hada Labo- Arbutin Whitening, Lifting+Firming, and Hydrating Range.

Testing and reviewing in progress :)