Lots O' Reviews Video Post

Holy smokes, I certainly took my sweet time finishing this post -_-;;; But without further ado, this is a post that condenses some of the reviews I've already posted about here :)  So blog readers, this video will be nothing new to you ^_^  But I do have Pros/Cons list for each item, which I didn't have in my blog reviews so if you like, do take a gander.  Or just watch to hear me completely butcher the word "Laneige" -_____-

Products mentioned:

SkinFood Fermented Soy Milk Sleeping Mask

Cosline Strawberry Yogurt Pack

Vitacreme B12 (see below)

Sasatinnie Dolly Lip Smoothie - Raspberry

NYC Liquid Lip Shine - Fashion Avenue Fuchsia

Boscia Enlivening Amino-AG Eye Treatment (see below)

Zoya Sunshine Collection

Vitacreme B12

Purchased at: on Sasa ($25.60) and BonjourHK ($11.50) <-- I'm about to throw a cat fit because I paid $17.50 for mine (still a really good price) but $11.50!??! GAHHHHH SO CHEAP! I have NEVER seen VB12 for this price....if BonjourHK weren't a registered company that I've bought from before, I'd think it was a fake ><!

Either way, I obviously don't really recommend Sasa but BonjourHK tends to sell out really fast and with their (I kid you not) SHITTY web design (there's no request restock), it can get hard to get your paws on the more popular items.

Description: See website, it's quite long.

Scent: A delicate baby powder scent.  Very mild and pleasant.

Texture: Smooth, creamy, absorbs without residue.  If you squeeze out too much at once, it takes a few minutes of massaging to get it all absorbed into your skin though.

Overall: As I said in the video, I like this product quite a bit.  I've been using it for several months now and while I wouldn't say this is a miracle worker, it seems to have helped my skin's texture smooth out.   I don't think it does that much for redness imho but it definitely helps in the texture department.  It's very gentle, I've never broken out from it, smells nice, seems to work and the price isn't all that bad in my opinion :)   I would recommend this for people who want to smooth out their skin texture and have a brighter complexion.   This is a very popular item among bloggers and while everyone's skin is different, I would say I have yet to see a review that hates on this item~  I personally have used it every night for 5 months now and am on my second tube.

Fyi, you need to massage this into your face in little circle motions to "enhance the effects."  I don't know how much enhancing massaging does but might as well right :)?  Remember to always massage up and out.

Boscia Enlivening Amino-AG Eye Treatment

Purchased at: N/A. From a sample bag Julie (PDXbeautiful) sent me :)!! But it retails at $38 at Sephora and Boscia.

Description:  

A silky gel-cream that nourishes and firms while diminishing puffiness and dark circles around the eye area.

• Alanyl Glutamine, an amino acid that provide moisture-retaining benefits, help repair and prevent fine lines and wrinkles.
• Coix Seed acts as an anti-inflammatory, and helps minimize puffiness.
• Tocopherol-Vitamin E, derived from soybeans, promotes circulation to diminish under-eye dark circles.
• Jujube Fruit helps accelerate cell renewal and smooth the appearance of fine lines.
• Jojoba Leaf, a powerful antioxidant, combats free radical damage while it nourishes and protects skin to prevent premature aging, and Willowherb, a unique anti-irritant, helps to calm skin inflammation and reduce visible redness and irritation.

Scent: Essentially scentless.

Texture: Light, silky, and cool gel.  Absorbs quickly without residue.  Feels good as you massage it on your orbital bone, though I have doubts whether it feels goods because of the massaging or the product.

Overall: Not recommended.  I don't have any significant complaints but I swear it doesn't do anything :\   I don't have wrinkles but as for dark circles and puffiness....no.  Not so I have noticed anyway; they were definitely still present in the video xD

And that's all :D  Btw I'm glad there was so much enthusiasm over the last post ^_^   Glad to know I am not alone in my constant chocolate cravings!

Review: SkinFood Aloe Vera Foaming Cleanser

Shops are pretty generous with their samples in Korea, especially SkinFood (or is it Skin Food or Skinfood?).  I've had this since Summer 2010 ^^ but I just started using it in February with my Youthful Essence brush (basically an ancient version of the Clarisonic Mia, which my mom bought in the 90s).  It works just great btw ;)  I'm glad I didn't buy the Clarisonic ^^  Anyway, I use this cleanser with the brush because it's a "foaming" cleanser and it's fun to watch it bubble up as I massage my face with the brush ^^

Purchased at: N/A. It was a free sample.

Cost: N/A.

A picture of the full size bottle.

Description: A fresh foaming cleanser with Aloe Extracts to soothe and hydrate the skin. Keeps the skin soft and calm after cleansing. Apply an adequate amount to damp hands. After making sufficient lather, massage your face gently following the skin’s own texture. Wash off with lukewarm water.

Scent: Kind of an artificial, clean soap scent.  The aloe plant doesn't have much a scent so I'm not surprised this cleanser has a very difficult scent to pinpoint ^^  But it's mild, fresh and subtle.

Appearance: The appearance is an opalescent cream with a tinge of green.  It's very pretty actually ^^ I'd love to see a nail polish color in that shade ehehe

Texture: The texture is very creamy and smooth.  One thing I like about this cleanser is that it actually foams and it's not drying :)  I wouldn't say it's a hydrating cleanser but it doesn't strip the oils from my face and dry it out either.  I love how this creamy cleanser foams so nicely, especially with a brush!  It's very satisfying to see and feels very nice ^_^

Effectiveness: Though it seems to be a very gentle product, it does seem to clean quite well.  Once I used it without the brush and my face still felt very clean afterward.   BUT I have never used this cleanser alone to remove makeup so I'm not sure how this would work as a makeup removing cleanser.

Overall: This seems to be a decent cleanser.  I'd probably never buy the full size purely on the fact that I'm pretty happy with the cleanser I currently use (Boscia Purifying Gel Cleanser), but I can see this being used as a daily cleanser for people who don't use much makeup.  I also believe it's not very expensive online.   Overall, it seems to be a slightly above average product.  Not amazing but does exactly what it promises: a gentle cleansing with lots of foam :)

Also check out Mischievous Mack's review of this product.

Review: SkinFood Fermented Soy Milk Wrinkle Care Sleeping Mask

I've been using this every night for a little over a month now.  I got this because while I'm not 'terrified' of wrinkles, I feel like I'd rather be safe than sorry.  Plus I was curious about the idea of 'sleeping masks', which was why I picked this up.  The Laniege Sleeping Pack EX is a more popular (and expensive) sleeping mask that tends to go for $20+ online; this was my alternative and I'm quite pleased I tried this overall ^_^

Cost: $14.70 @ Sasa.  Quite a reasonable price considering it retails for 14000won (~$12.50 USD) in Korea according to Cosmeddicted :)

Description:
 

Skin Food Fermented Soy Milk Wrinkle Care Sleeping Mask is an anti-wrinkle sleeping mask that contains adenosine and soy milk ferment extract. It forms a protective layer onto skin and provides continuous moisturization overnight, making skin smooth, resilient, and moist by morning. - From Sasa

Leave on facial mask steeps skin in potent anti-wrinkle ingredients, soothing and healing skin while you sleep, to deliver a fresh and youthful complexion, with improved resilience and texture, in the morning. Recommended for aging and wrinkle-prone skin types. Gently massage sleeping pack on skin as the last step of your nighttime skin routine. - From YesStyle

Directions: After emulsion or essence, apply desired amount evenly onto face and gently massage to absorb.

Packaging: Love the hygienic pump!  No real complaints, everything is sturdy and pumps smoothly.  Honestly, this is definitely one of the best pumps on a beauty product I've tried - it never catches, splatters or leaks ^_^!  The cap fits tightly too so this is quite portable.  If I had to be super nitpicky though, I'd say that one full pump gives enough for almost two uses so you need to do half a pump if you don't want to use it up too fast.   Overall, the packaging is simple yet excellent.

Top: one pump

Bottom: totally absorbed (~15-30s)

Texture: A lovely, milky white watery gel.  It soaks in pretty fast but if you put on too much you'll have a slightly oily looking sheen in the morning.  No biggie though, this is a sleeping MASK, not a lotion anyway.  Super light and I'm quite fond of the gel texture, which is a refreshing change from how gels are usually drying/not moisturizing.

Scent: I wouldn't say it smells like soy milk (the best soy milk product: Silk Whitia Soy Milk mask = LOVE), but it's a fine scent nonetheless.  It has a vaguely artificial, fresh, clean scent.  I can't quite put my finger on it but it's inoffensive and mild.

Experience: Really nice. I put this on as a last step at night.  I usually use about 3/4 of a pump and liberally massage it into my face and neck.  It feels a little "wet" when you put it on at first but it soaks in quickly and feels refreshing.  Like my face is "drinking" it in :D I don't believe this leaves a residue even though when I wake up in the morning sometimes I'll have a little sheen of oil? on my forehead.  I think it's just a sign of hydration ^^ and in any case, it's easily remedied with a swipe of toner or a splash of water.    I have never experienced any irritation or breakouts.

Results: I find this to be a very hydrating (but not overly so) mask.  As far as I'm concerned, sleeping mask is basically a synonym for lotion/moisturizer, but whatever the name, the results are good.  I am a very oily skinned person and strictly in the "It's Impossible to Over-Moisturize" Camp.   I find that generously moisturizing at night actually keeps my face fairly oil-free during the day.  This neatly ties into the fact that oil secretion increases when your skin is too dry.  Thus oily people should actually moisturize more.  This philosophy works for me quite well and I have seen a remarkable decrease in oiliness after incorporating sheet masks and a reliable moisturizer into my skincare routine.  I would say that this sleeping mask helps too.  My skin is always nice and plump in the morning and the fact that it has anti-wrinkle prevention in the ingredients is just a bonus.

Overall
I find that this works well for me and will probably re-purchase it in the future.   I like the light gel-like texture, the quick absorption, and low maintenance quality of not having to wash it off.  It's simply a very convenient boost of hydration + wrinkle care in one.  The hygienic pump and fair price seals the deal for me.  One caveat: I admit I have no idea if this is actually preventing wrinkles.  I suppose it's one of those things where only the absence of something proves your point ^^ For now I am content to just believe I am preventing future wrinkles while hydrating my skin :}

I recommend that everybody try this. Also it seems fairly gentle so even sensitive skinned peeps can use it.  For people on the fence about whether chicks in their 20s should use anti-aging products, this mask is a good compromise by rolling a gentle anti-wrinkle and moisturization all-in-one for a good price.  It's not an intensive anti-wrinkle cream by any means but still provides a small measure of prevention :)

Fyi SkinFood has a Fermented Pomegranate version of this mask (review from Cosmeddicted).  However, the Pomegranate version is a whitening mask, not a wrinkle care one.  Also Cosmeddicted says the mask doesn't actually whiten though and we all know how I feel about beauty products that don't do what is promises ;)

Review: SkinFood Black Sugar Mask (Wash Off)

Purchased at: I got this it in Korea but you can get it at Sasa or YesStyle

Price: $12.90 at Sasa or $17.00 YesStyle.  Obviously, I have my preferences ;)

Description:

SKINFOOD Black Sugar Mask Wash Off contains black sugar ingredient, which contains rich minerals, vitamins and glycolic acid, for removing aged cuticles.  It ensures better absorption of the following skin care products. Skin is revitalized and hydrated. Bright and tight skin is resulted.

A leave-on mask with generous moisturizing and effective exfoliating ingredients. Grainy sugar granules slough off excess oil and grime, while a self-heating formula opens up pores, allowing skin to fully absorb the rich minerals and vitamins.

Directions: After cleansing, apply the mask to lightly wet face (avoid eye and lip area). Gently press and massage. Leave it for 10-15 minutes and then rinse well with water.

Suitable for: All skin types. (Though I don't agree, I think those with sensitive skin/acne shouldn't use it).

Experience: I tried a sample of this and it was a very generous amount, good for 3-4 uses, honestly.  I didn't like how large the sugar grains were, it felt too harsh on my face even though I didn't massage very much.  When I washed off the mask after minimal massaging (not scrubbing), my face felt very clean and there was no residue left.  However, I forgot to put on lotion once after I used it and my face felt very parched.  This isn't really surprising though since it is an exfoliating mask ^_^

Overall:
Scent: I thought this would have a sugary sweet scent but it was a lime-soap scent O_o More lime than soap so it smelled quite clean and I liked it - but it startled me a bit.

Texture: Very large sugar granules!  You should use a very small amount of this with plenty of water or another cleanser.   Those with open lesions or active acne shouldn't use this since it'll be harsh on your face I think.  And I have to add how utterly....feces-like this looks xD

Claims:

Contains rich minerals, vitamins and glycolic acid, for removing aged cuticles.  <-- aka remove dead skin? Well, yes it does though it definitely should considering how large the granules are xD

Skin is revitalized and hydrated. <-- Revitalized, yes.  Hydrated? Not so much though my freshly exfoliated face did soak up moisturizer faster.

Bright and tight skin is resulted. <-- Yes indeed-y.

Generous moisturizing and effective exfoliating ingredients. <-- Not so much on the moisturizing, yes to the exfoliating.  

Grainy sugar granules slough off excess oil and grime. <-- Yep.

Self-heating formula opens up pores, allowing skin to fully absorb the rich minerals and vitamins. <-- I did not experience any self-heating :\  The Skinfood Black Sesame Seed Hot Mask (which I really like btw) does this really well, this one not so much.

Overall results: This is a very well-loved mask (MUA Rating: 4.2/5.0), I have come across almost no negative reviews about this product.  As for me I have to say....I wasn't crazy about it ^^;;

Good:
- I liked the lime scent but it might be odd for those expecting something sweeter.
- Exfoliates decently enough.
- My skin felt very refreshed and revitalized afterward.
- No residue left behind, skin feels clean and tight.
- Very reasonable cost on Sasa.

Bad:
- No self-heating effect.
- Large (possibly harsh) granules. They don't melt over time either I don't think :\
- Not moisturizing.
- Tub setup is very unhygienic :P You'll need to use spoon to get this stuff out.
- Skin will be temporarily red afterward.
- Looks like poop in the tub ^0^ but on your face it's just fine :)

Overall, I'd say you could give it a try if you do not have active acne/open lesions on your face.  I personally would not purchase the full size of this - it's not because I think it's a bad product, it's just not for me.  Also I suspect you could get the same results with a DIY brown sugar mask ^^  I'll be sticking to my good ol' SkinJourney Microdermabrasion Scrub, which has much smaller/gentler exfoliating beads and is more moisturizing.

December 2010 Top 5 Favorites + Review: SkinFood Red Ginseng Repairing Toner

Omg 5 days till Christmas!  Time for mistletoe kisses, wrapping presents, writing cards, and a monthly  Top 5 favorites video!  I was a little schizophrenic between just "going over" products and "reviewing" products.  The concept of just talking about a product without reviewing it confuses me a little....

Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel
Purchased at: Sephora

I feel that it's gentle yet very effective at cleaning off my face makeup (not eye makeup).  I wear BBcream, sometimes concealer, and some kind of setting powder everyday and this gets everything off without me having to scrub at my face.  I wet my face with warm water, massage one pump all over my face, brush my teeth (I do this b/c I feel like it gives the cleanser time to soak in), then rinse with cold water.  This is a makeup remover and cleanser so it saves me the trouble of doing a two-step process (makeup remover wash then cleanser).  I like that it leaves no residue, seems very gentle, yet leaves my skin feeling clean.  No breakouts.   Bottle is pretty small though....ok, I need to stop, I'll cover the rest later.

Will do an in-depth review later.

Boscia Luminizing Black Mask
Purchased at: Sephora

I picked this up b/c Fuzkittie loves this mask xD   However, she recently said that it's not supposed to remove black/whiteheads, just refine and luminize skin.   However, for me, this does remove whiteheads...I will post pics of this on my in-depth review later.  Personally, this mask removes almost all of my whiteheads and many blackheads as well.  It is a very powerful mask though and you should not use this if you have open sores/lesions or popped/healing acne on your face.   I feel that this mask really helps my skin turnover and I will definitely agree that this mask refines and luminizes your face.  The texture of my skin has really improved in the 5 weeks I've been using this (have used 4x so far).   You must moisturize like a mofo afterwards though, especially since it's winter, or else you'll end up as dry as the Sahara.

Will do an in-depth review later.

Skinfood Red Ginseng Repairing Toner

Purchased at: Sasa

Description: Skin Food Red Ginseng Repairing Toner is enriched with nutrients from red ginseng and royal jelly extract. This toner with oriental medicine moisturizes and nourishes skin, making it moist and smooth.

Beneficial Ingredients (from video):

Ginseng
- Revitalizes skin cells.
- Helps skin circulation = reduces fine lines and makes skin firmer.
- Adaptogen: helps the skin adjust to stress.

Royal Jelly
- Healing, moisturizing.
- Antibacterial: effective for eczema, neurodermatitis, & impetigo.
- Restores proper pH balance.
- Contains amino acid (collagen building block) helps eliminate age spots and wrinkles.

I ended up pretty much reviewing this in the video so I guess this will be my official review of this toner :\  That said, I really like this toner!   Unlike the Skinfood Peach Sake Toner, which is infinitely more popular (no doubt because of its delectable scent), this one actually seems to work!   To quickly summarize, here's my pros/cons list from the video:

Good:
- Skin seems much healthier, plumper.
- Does not dry my skin out.
- No oily or sticky residue.
- A little goes a long way.
- Absorbs quickly.
- Very reasonable cost.

Bad:
- Honey-like consistency makes toner hard to get out of bottle.
- Herbal ginseng scent may be very off-putting (I got used to it).

Royal jelly and ginseng has always traditionally been known to be great for skin, but I've always associated both with *ahem* old ladies because the ginseng smell is so herbal and lots of older ladies in Korea use royal jelly.   But I picked this up anyway since it said this is a "repairing" toner and I am always on the hunt for something to help my scars and the texture of my skin.   I haven't been using this long enough to comment on whether it helps heal old scars, but my skin has definitely gotten plumper and seems healthier somehow. I am going to say I've recently been using a lot of face masks too, so they definitely aided the effect.  Regardless, I haven't broken out at all from this toner and my face really took to this like a fish to water.  I used it for a week before I started using sheet masks regularly and I felt like my skin was plumping out ever so slightly and it just felt refreshed - like my face could breathe all of sudden.   Also, toners are notoriously drying but this one is not at all.  It's not moisturizing per se but it definitely is not as drying as witchhazel or the Peach Sake toner.  Perhaps because of the honey-like consistency?

Like I said, this toner is a real pain in the ass to get out of the bottle; I've tried prying the plastic top off, but haven't been able to manage.  I guess that's alright though since too much would come out at once then, I only need 3-4 drop to cover my whole face anyway.  I don't use a cotton ball for toners btw, I just shake the bottle over my face and spread the droplets that land.  I feel like using a cotton ball soaks up too much toner and wipes off rather than applies :\  The scent is ginseng and pretty strong.  I found it very off-putting at first but I've gotten used to it really fast.  One you put it on your face, there's no scent anyway.  I put this toner on right after I wash my face or after a sheet mask.

I would highly recommend this to people with sensitive skin who have always found toners either too harsh, drying, or completely ineffective.   This is truly a rather unusual toner and at $10.10, it wouldn't hurt to try.  And if you like it, this bottle is gonna last you awhile. I've been using this toner for several weeks and it still looks like I haven't used any :} The fact that it's hard to get out of the bottle probably helps me limit how much I'm using at once too ^_^  Also while the scent is quite herbal, I promise that it doesn't linger on your face and you will get used to it surprisingly quickly.  

R&R Contrived Blush in X-rated
Purchased at: Official R&R website (how to order)

There are about a million swatches of this so I'm not going to bother.  Overall, it's just a luscious matte berry with cool fuchsia undertones - perfect for a holiday look.   I've seriously been using this blush everyday since the day I got it.  X-rated and Foreplay are hands down the best fall/winter blush colors ever.

NYX Round Lipstick in Pumpkin Pie
Purchased at: Cherry Culture

Although my initial review of this color was lukewarm, I have really fallen in love with this color.  It's my second favorite NYX color after Circe.  I never thought an orange-tinted l/s would work on me but...damn.  This color is understated, yet not quite a nude lip, and markedly trendy since it has a rather unusual orange-rose hue.  The texture is creamy and leaves a glossy sheen.  Goes well with both dramatic and simple eye looks.

My favorite look these days are understated e/s with a semi-dramatic wing, berry-colored cheeks, and Pumpkin Pie on the lips.  I feel that it's holiday-ish without being the typical bronze/gold eyes + pink cheeks + berry lips look.   It looks more natural, is easier to put on, and it looks like your cheeks are flushed from playing in the snow ^_^ Downside is that it wears off pretty quickly since it's creamy :P But it's moisturizing, which is vital for the winter months :D!

I still want to try NYX Orange Soda (still OOS on CC), which I hear is a lighter version of Pumpkin Pie though :)

Review: Holika Holika + SkinFood + Etude House

Sometimes I wonder if I'm trying to cram too much into one video....  This was a long one :P  But I only had three Holika Holika products and one thing led to another so yeah~ This is mostly a Holika Holika vid, which I think needs to be talked about more anyway because it's such a new brand :)

Holika Holika Apple Shine Peeling Sheet

You can actually buy these online but the website is in Korean ^_^. They are 1000won each = ~.85 - $1 USD.  But you really needn't be troubled by this...cuz this is a crap product :\ It really is.

Basically, you scrub the hell out of you face with a rough piece of cloth :\ Of course there will be some exfoliation going on like that but not only was it annoying to use, I don't think it worked very well either.  Forgot to mention this leaves a white residue on your face (and fingers).   Wouldn't recommend this useless product to anyone.

Holika Holika Juicy Hawaii Kiwiade Cleansing Tissue
Smells fresh n' fruity...a strong, tart granny smith apple scent.  It works pretty well and is very portable but I don't particularly recommend it for US-buyers because I don't think it's "amazing" enough to import. I'm sure you can find comparable items but if you do come across it, it's a great, convenient product to have.

Holika Holika Aqua Muse Watery Lipstick

I really like this product personally but I feel like it may not be everyone's cup of tea, even if I do love the unique watery finish and have never come across anything else like it. This is why I said you're not missing too much if you don't try it in the video.

Full review here.

Skinfood Facial Water Vita-A Gel Mask

I really love this product.  This is currently my favorite face mask and by far the most unique mask I've ever tried.    The gel and Alaskan water perhaps? really cools down and de-puffs your face.  It's so weird how it actually gets colder the longer it sits on your face O_O I don't know it works but I love it.  Takes down redness, soothes irritated skin....can't say enough.

In fact, I think it cut the recovery period the second time I had hives down in half.  I didn't use this mask the first time I got hives and it took about 5-6 days to go away completely.  The second time I got hives, I used this mask exclusively - my hives were gone in 3-4 days.  This kind of result could be particular to me but I think everyone should give this mask a try, especially those with sensitive, irritated skin.

The top layer is clear plastic, the middle is the gel mask, then there's white plastic on the bottom.

The only downside is that this mask is not adjustable. At all.  And if you tear this very fragile mask at you won't be able to "stick" it back together.  It doesn't help that you need to gently peel two layers of plastic off the gel to use it.  Also, the gel is pretty thick so if the pre-cut shape of this mask doesn't sit on your face right....it's just not going to sit on your face right.  Quite simply, this gel mask is not adjustable to many face shapes.

Nonetheless, I think everyone ought to give this a try.  I really want to try the Facial Water Vita-B and Vita-C gel masks as well, maybe someday~

Skinfood Pineapple Peeling Gel

Doesn't work very well on me but works quite well on my brother. Like all skincare/makeup, results varies by individual but this is one case where I actually witnessed a product working significantly better on another person versus me.  So I'd say, give this a try if you feel like it ^_^

Full review here.

Etude House Aqua Cure Gel Cream

I only used two of the sample packets but the samples were pretty big so I think I can make a somewhat-informed review.  I pretty much covered everything I want to say in the video. Basically, the product feels nice on your face, doesn't break me out, and is pretty unique at least to me (I've never tried gel creams before).  Super light, absorbs fast, but I swear it leaves a bit of residue.  Also it smells odd and it's not that moisturizing all things considered. Overall, it's just nothing amazing.  I personally would never buy a full size of this product, especially if I had to import it, but others might find it worth trying if they are not looking for a lot of hydration and a slightly matte finish. 

Overall
Love:
- Skinfood Facial Water Vita-A Gel Mask
- Holika Holika Watery Muse Lipstick

Passable:
- Holika Holika Juicy Hawaii Kiwiaide Cleaning Tissue
- Skinfood Pineapple Peeling Gel
- Etude House Aqua Cure Gel Cream

Reject:
- Holika Holika Apple Shine Peeling Sheet

Review: SkinFood Pineapple Peeling Gel + Peeling Mask Recommendations

I felt so bad about me ragging on this product so I wanted to do a review on this product right away with my revised opinion and experience ^^ There is actually a whole line called the Pineapple Peeling Line but I've only tried the Peeling Gel. 

Cost: I picked up the Skinfood Pineapple Peeling Gel in Korea for about 11000W (~$10, I think).  You can get it on YesStyle.com for $12, though it's OOS right now.

Scent: Strong, rather sharp scent of pure pineapple.  It's not a sweet scent, it's pineapple with an edge.   Not bad though :) Very fruity.

Texture: It's a smooth white gel with little white eraser shavings floating in the gel. You can barely see the "eraser shavings" when you first squeeze it out so it may appear that it's dead skin coming off your face but I don't think it is (more on this later).

Ingredients:

Besides Pineapple and Apple extract (hence the tartaric acid), there is also Aloe.  As for other peeling agents, there is Lactic, Citric, Glycolic, and Malic acid (lactic acid is one of the "trendier" chemical peeling agents nowadays, it's found in the Philosophy Microdermabrasion set).  These acids are pretty frequently used in chemical peels nowadays.

Tartaric acid was something unfamiliar to me so I had to look it up.  It's an AHA and primarily found in grapes, apples, pears and tamarinds. It has anti-aging and smoothing properties, and works as an exfoliant. It unclogs pores and stimulates production of collagen and elastin which helps in formation of fibers over the skin layer and prevents the skin from sun damage and aging effects of skin. It is the best natural chemical for people who are concerned with uneven skin texture, blotchy or uneven skin tone, the way the skin feels, and aging gracefully. Tartaric acid is most recommended for almost all skin types, including those with sensitive skin or those with certain skin conditions, such as rosacea or eczema can consult with their dermatologist or physician.

There's alcohol in this product so it may be a bit drying. This also contains parabans and preservatives for those who are sensitive to such things.   Overall, there are a surprising variety of chemical peeling agents in the ingredients, which makes for a rather effective peel.  I suspect the cellulose acts as a manual peel as well (more on this below).

This is my foot btw ;)

Experience: Out of the tube the product is a white gel with a faint graininess. When you spread it out it's clear with faint semi-opaque eraser shavings.   After a few minutes of massaging, the gel will soak into your skin and you will be left with just the eraser shavings.  Some people may think the shavings are "dead skin" but I really think that the shavings are cellulose that was already in the gel.  In other words, I'm not certain this gel was "effective" just because I got a lot of eraser shavings.  But then  Cosmetic candy's review says that she "tried rubbing the gel with a latex glove onto a plastic surface to see if it would ball up anyway and no, it didn’t so it must be my dead skin." So, I'm not sure....

After massaging for 10-15 minutes (until all the slickness of the gel is gone), I rinsed my face.  My face had a soft glow and my face felt remarkably hydrated and smoother.  I can't comment on my pores because I don't have enlarged pores.  The one thing I wasn't crazy about was how I felt it left some kind of oily residue behind.

My brother has used this 2x and I've used 3x (once before the allergy incident, twice afterwards to help slough away my flaking skin after the allergy).  This works exceptionally well on my brother - he seriously gets 1-2 shades lighter and his pores seem smaller.  He's quite a bit tanner than me though, around an NC35+ if that makes any difference.  He has some acne but overall his skin is decent.

As for me, I was impressed most by how moisturizing it was despite having so many peeling agents. It's surprisingly gentle and my face felt very moisturized. It did get rid of some flakiness I had but I did not feel "refreshed" after washing my face because I felt that there was some kind of residue.  In the end, for me this was not amazing. My face felt soft but I don't think anything had been peeled off my face - maybe just gently exfoliated...if that makes any sense. It did not get rid of my blackheads at all.

Note: Your face has to be clean but dry.  I once used this on a damp face because I forgot and the peeling wasn't half as effective.

Overall
For $12 it's a good price; the bottle is quite large and it does seem to work.  The scent is strong but not unpleasant.  I have sensitive skin and I did not react to this so I would say it's gentle enough. "Peel" always makes me think of heavy duty exfoliating and this is not heavy duty at all.  This also does not get rid of blackheads as far as I can see.  I would say this is good to try since it's fairly cheap but this is not a favorite of mine and actually just let my brother use it. I only recommend this to people with sensitive skin, no blackhead problems, and looking for a gentle exfoliater. 

For a gentle chemical/manual exfoliator, my favorite is actually the Tony Moly Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream.  It smells like granny smith apples, does not leave a residue, and still leaves my face very soft and moisturized.  It's very gentle (I can use it as often as I like) so this does not get rid of blackheads either but to me, I would rather use this over the Pineapple Peel.  For a more effective manual scrub I really like the SkinJourney Microdermabrasion Scrub, which I reviewed here.  For heavy duty peeling the Boscia Luminizing Black Mask is excellent.  Fuzkittie gave this excellent reviews and I agree.  It's very powerful though and should be used maximum once every 7-10 days but it gets rid of blackheads and whiteheads like no other.  The downside is that if you have a lot of acne the Boscia mask will be too harsh, it will peel off the top of pimple, bleed like crazy, and you will get a scar (plus it hurts like a mofo) :\ I know this from experience ><  If you have only a few pimples though, you can just go around them ^_^

miniReview: SkinFood Pineapple Peeling Gel + Pineapple Allergy?

Update 11/24/2010

Ok I lied - I'm not actually allergic to pinapples or the Skinfood Pinapple Peeling Gel at all.   I was reacting to the Philosophy Hope In A Jar moisturizer.  Read my full post about it here.

Guess what? So I had a most unpleasant surprise last Friday - I found out that I'm allergic to pineapples. Interestingly, I can eat the raw fruit just fine, so how did I find out about this allergy?  Well, of the thousands of fruit-products out there I decided to try the Skinfood Pineapple Peeling Gel.

A deep peeling gel with Pineapple Extracts that exfoliate the skin, thus enhancing skin turnover.

From YesAsia.com.

It worked very well on my brother (he's my guinea pig wbahaha). He legit turned 2-3 shades lighter and his skin tone evened out a lot (and many reviews concur this is a nice buy).   So with high hopes I smeared this liberally on my face and because I love you all so much I shall reveal to you exactly how I spent my weekend:

....yes, that is my extremely resentful eye staring at you. And yes, even my tear ducts were swollen -___-   I'm afraid I don't have the cajones to put my entire miserable face up but I think you get the idea ;) So, basically I broke out with hives all over my face ~7-10 hrs later and itched like a madwomen for about 3-4 days.  I took nothing but Claritin (works better on me than Benadryl) and abstained from all makeup/lotions except a gentle cleanser for 4 days. I didn't scar at all but it was a trial for my patience since I couldn't scratch anything.

Honestly, I'm not 100% sure if it's pineapple that caused this or something else in the Skinfood Peeling Gel.  Since I can still eat pineapples and I got hives just on my face, I am exploring the possibility that my allergy may be to some other ingredient.  I'm currently spot-testing myself (must be my lab rat side coming out) to narrow the possibilities.  Either way, this peel is most certainly not for me since I know it was the peel that caused it, pineapple or no.

Anyway, the point of this post is that I read that people allergic to either mangoes, pineapples, or kiwis (all acidic fruits) tend to be allergic/sensitive to all three of these fruits.  I broke out in hives around my mouth in HS because I developed an allergy to mangoes (*sigh* I must have been asked if I had an STD 100x) so I guess I should not be surprised I've developed some kind of sensitivity to pineapples as well.  I love kiwis so I hope that I won't become allergic to that too >_>  Something that kind of supports my allergy theory (tho still unconfirmed) is that my brother is not allergic to mangoes and he took to this gel like a fish to water.

To clarify, this isn't a review of the Skinfood Pineapple Peel, it's more of a warning to those allergic to mangoes, pineapples or kiwis to avoid this peel because you may not react well to it.  Otherwise, it's fairly cheap ($12 at YesAsia) and my brother and other people got a very good result from the gel; give it a wing if you wish~

Review: SkinFood Products, Part 2 of 2

Ehhe missing a bunch of items ^^ Threw out the packaging before I could get a group shot :}

Part 2 of the Skinfood review!  Believe it or not I actually have even more Skinfood stuff to review ^_^

Version without background music.

Skinfood Product Reviews, Part 2 of 2
1.) Carrot Sun Cream
2.) Honey Black Tea Jelly Foam
3.) Rice Mask Wash Off ***recommended***
4.) Orange & Mint Body Wash
5.) Hop Beer Hair Wash
6.) Lychee Essence Mist
7.) Moisture Egg Hair Pack ***recommended***

In-Depth Reviews + Pics
1.) Carrot Sun Cream

  
Very sunscreen-y smell :P The entire Carrot line in Skinfood is unscented and that's probably why it's not particularly popular xD I dunno, it's really just a regular sunscreen, not much to say.

It's a slight off-white. It does absorb pretty quickly leaves a bit of a shine on your face that you could argue as either greasy or dewy.  I didn't try topping makeup on it but considering the greasiness it leaves behind, I dunno how well makeup would stick to it.  I feel like it would cake :P

2.) Honey Black Tea Jelly Foam

I really hated the smell and look of this foam.  It does foam very well but lord knows the herbal smell is hard to ignore.  Plus it feels very drying and I am a very oily skinned person; this is really odd considering it's supposed to have honey (a moisturizer) in it.

Doesn't it look awful :(?  Actually the Hop Beer Hair Wash looks just like this too...and both smell weirdly herbal....  I almost have nothing good to say about this except that it foams well.

3.) Rice Mask Wash Off 

This is very nice indeed, moisturizing, wonderfully scented and gentle even though it's an exfoliater. Very recommended.

See the little granules of rice?

FYI(s) the actual product comes in a tub, which I find a little unhygienic since you have to dip your hands into the tub to get out the mask.   It's a pretty good sized tub too so you probably won't be able to finish for at least a few months and you definitely don't want bacteria festering in there in the meantime.  I'd say make sure you scoop this stuff out with a spoon if you buy the actual product, maybe even refrigerate it.

Also you're supposed to put this on a clean DRY face.  I once just used this in the shower and the exfoliating and moisturizing affect is lessened if you don't use it on a dry face; why that is beats me.  After you wash you face, put the mask on and massage gently.  When you first put on the mask, it should be all white and goop-y.  After a couple minutes of massaging, the grains should still be on your face but the white cream/gel part should be gone and your face should like a bit "greasy."  Then rinse and you will see how moisturized your face is :) You can find this for a reasonable price all over the internet (ranges $11-15 USD), so it's not pricey considering how many uses you get out of it.  I don't recommend this for those looking for heavy exfoliation.

4.) Orange & Mint Body Wash

Very, very strong mint scent with a hint of orange.  I find it a pretty nice smell, refreshing and zesty but it might be too strong for some.  It's definitely a "summer" body wash considering the fragrance and the slight drying quality.

Looks like a typical body wash, a gel with a faint orange tinge.  Nothing special really but nice as a sample.

5.) Hop Beer Hair Wash

Again, the herbal fragrance was off-putting but it wasn't nearly as bad as the Jelly Foam. Faint and quite bearable.  But the smell just sticks to your hair though even if you follow up with another shampoo.  Can't say much about the cleansing strength because I have so much hair (hence only got to used it once) and this didn't foam very much. 

6.) Lychee Essence Mist

Not too bad and it does work if you use it very generously.  But then again, I have a lot of hair.  I read reviews about people saying they like how light this is and how it leaves no residue.  This is true, this leaves no greasy residue or shine and absorbs very quickly.  So this may very well be an excellent product for someone who has less hair then me.  For people with thick hair though, this is way too light. Once I finish this I look forward to trying the DHC Hair Lotion.  Also the scent is most definitely not lychee (smells like any other hair spray).

7.) Moisture Egg Hair Pack

I like~ I've been trying to pinpoint what the fragrance is exactly -- it reminded me of egg but yet...not egg. Then someone said custard!  And that's exactly right :D this smells like custard.  It's sweet without being cloying and it definitely works.

Tip: You must squeeze the water out of your hair before you put on the Hair Pack, otherwise it won't work nearly as well.  I made this mistake the first time: I just put it in my hair like a regular conditioner without wringing out my hair.  I didn't think it worked.  The next time I squeezed the excess water out of my hair, lathered the hair mask into my hair then rolled my hair into a bun so it wouldn't get wet while I scrubbed.  It worked much better :)