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!

Reviews: Boscia Reviews + February Favorites

I just discovered that Boscia is a Japanese brand and that explains why their products have such a natural wholesomeness to it, I think~ I love the slightly herbal, fresh scents and how everything (except the Black Mask) seems to lean on the gentle (albeit pricey) side.  Anyway, this video is a short run down of my February Favorites and a review of the above two Boscia items.

I was having audio problems again :P  It's so weird because I record everything in one sitting and normalize the audio on everything yet some clips come out oddly quiet.  AHHH it drives me nuts!  Almost as crazy as I get when iMovie, which is supposed to auto-save, randomly does not save certain things after I close the program.  Sometimes after I reopen videos, some of the text has been removed!  So, every time I close iMovie, I need to watch the video twice to ensure nothing got deleted -__- SO ANNOYING.  It's one glitch I can't stand and something Apple is just too damn busy to address since it comes free with MacBooks -_- Anyway, moving on...

February Favorites
The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist
Rainy Days & Lattes' review is what motivated me to try this out.  It's very light, leaves no residue, and has slight cooling sensation.  Since it doesn't disturb makeup you can pretty much use it any time you want ^_^  with or without makeup.  The only (mild) downside is that it is rose-scented (reminds me of grannies) but it's a very delicate, faint scent so it doesn't bother me.  This is the first face mist I've tried and I must admit it's definitely a luxury I could get used to.

The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Lip Care Stick
Full review here.  One word: Yum. Although I am starting to wonder if my lips are getting used to the formula or something because it seems mildly less moisturizing these days :\ 

Benefit All You Need Is Gloss Set
I'll do a more in depth review of this later but for excellent pictures in the meantime, go to Vampy Varnish.  For now all I will say that:

1.) Each gloss has it's own scent.
2.) Some of the colors are gorgeously pigmented, others are quite sheer (disappointing), so this set is a bit of a mixed bag.
3.) Packaging is superb.  I never finish full tubes anyway so these mini-tubes are perfect.  Great for traveling too.
4.) 24K is a gold lip gloss and I literally got this whole set because I wanted a gold lip gloss ;)
5.) None of the colors are sticky!  This is very important to me.
6.) However, they are not long lasting at all.
7.) Overall, I am pleased :) I pretty much have all the most basic gloss colors so no more gloss-buying ^^

*sigh* I love Benefit~  I'm glad I waited so long to get this set too :) It was limited edition on Sephora awhile back and was retailing for $26.  I picked up mine on Ebay for $15+$3.50 S&H - score :D

Boscia Intensifying Moisture Pack+

Purchased: $30 @ Sephora or Boscia

Makeup Alley Rating: 4.1/5.0 + 83% Buy Again

I specifically purchased this for the dry skin patches I get on my face in the dead of winter.  I generally use this to spot-treat any part of my face or body that's very dry - very multi-purpose ^_^ though you can't use it for lips. This is especially good for that painfully dry and cracked skin some peeps get on their knees and elbows in winter - this has an minty edge to it so it's instant relief!  Unfortunately, it seems to me it takes at least 2-3 applications to get rid of dry body skin.   I have had no adverse reactions yet (it's been 2 months+), no breakouts, rashes etc.  You get a nice tingle when you put this on your skin so you may want to spot-test first before slathering it on your face.

Scent: Cough drop/mint.  Quite strong.

Texture: Light gel-cream that leaves an oily residue/sheen while it's soaking in.  The color is a light yellow.

Effectiveness: Excellent.

Overall
The only real negative I have is that this is a night-only treatment because you can't use it under makeup.  It leaves oily sheen so makeup sticks to it so you may need to rinse a bit in the mornings too.  Otherwise, I don't even mind the scent.  This is very hydrating and even though it's expensive I would buy it again since a little goes a long way.  This one tube will prolly last me a year at least (or even two years since I prolly will only use this in winter).  I do not regret buying this and I am very pleased with it :) I recommend this for people with either chronically dry skin or problem dry patches on your face.

RANDOM TANGENT TIME: As for people with specifically bad dry skin on your body, I would actually recommend Karess Krafter's Herbal Salve.  I found it on Etsy during my Skin Fiasco of 2009 and while I refrain from using it on my face it is hands down, no questions asked the best intensive moisturizer I've ever used for dry skin neck down.  I ought to do a separate review post as it's one of those things you could either hate or love, but I can't resist doing a quick run down now too.

Good:
- This thing relieves itching skin caused by dryness, bugbites, and even residual poison ivy amazingly well. And I say this as someone who's tried it on dry skin, bug bites, and poison ivy rashes ^^
- All natural, always a plus :D Also vegan friendly with no artificial ingredients.

St. John’s Wort – an excellent herb for the treatment of burns, wounds, sores, insect bites, eczema and itching
Plantain – is a general wound healing herb that is especially good for bites and stings
Chickweed – soothing, anti-inflammatory that promotes wound healing
Calendula – soothes and aids in quick healing of cuts and abrasions

Ingredients: Olive Oil infused with St. John's Wort, Plantain, Chickweed, Calendula, Jojoba Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, Cocoa Butter, Candelila Wax, Cetyl Alcohol, Vitamin E, Rosemary Oil

Stuffed with great ingredients and just about nothing else.  Seriously.  The cetyl alcohol is just a surfactant that helps it maintain it's weird gel-like consistency I suppose :}

Bad:
- Literally has tiny pieces of herbs.  They're pretty small but this is why I don't put it on my face.
- Has a very, very strong scent.  It's a very natural kind of smell and it'll clear your sinuses with one sniff but it is very strong and lingers for a few minutes after you apply it.    The scent is similar to Hot & Icy in the sense it has a super strong, sinus clearing smell that isn't pleasant per se but isn't an offending smell either.

Also I'm sure everyone is aware of my dislike of "tub packaging" by now.  I hate dipping fingers into anything tho in this case it's not really all that bad since I don't use it on my face.  The texture is a gel-like liquid...like pourable gel.  I happen to like it but I can see people thinking it's a little weird.  It's a transparent green (like Flubber!) and your skin drinks it up but it leaves a shiny residue in its wake that takes a few hours to soak in completely.  I don't think it's an oil-residue or a sign it's not soaking in per se, it's more like it just takes a bit of time to soak in.  In any case, the "oils" in this salve are all very beneficial stuff.  FYI this is for spot treatment not slathering all over your body, so this tub will probably last you a lifetime. So, yep....that's enough of that ^^

Boscia Smoothing Facial Polish

Purchased: $25 @ Sephora or Boscia

Makeup Alley: 4.1/5.0 + 71% Buy Again

I honestly just got this out of curiosity.  I really like Boscia products overall so I just wanted to try something new.  This had very promising ratings on MUA so I just picked this up with my order.

Scent: Delicate lemongrass.  It's very pleasing, delightfully natural smelling, and subtle.

Texture: Very intriguing exfoliating beads indeed.  They looking like clear little bubbles and were a pain to photograph.  They felt like "soft" balls that don't dissolve - very gentle.  Apparently these balls are mannan granules:

Mannan is a plant polysaccharide that is a polymer of the sugar mannose.
Detection of mannan leads to lysis in the mannan-binding lectin pathway.   It is generally found in yeast, bacteria and plants. It shows α(1-4) linkage. It is a form of a storage polysaccharide.

Hmmm...not particularly enlightening ;) but it is definitely one of the most unusual exfoliants I've used.  It's really hard to describe...they're just like soft, non-dissolving beads O_o  It does feel quite good though!

Effectiveness: I would say it's effective but not that effective.  This is ultimately a very gentle scrub that I can use up to 4x a week with no adverse effects (though recommended use in 2x a week), so it almost borders on ineffective. It definitely works and would be a very good option for those with very sensitive skin, but for those trying to get rid of scars it may be too gentle. 

Overall
I do think this is a good product, don't get me wrong.  Using it is like a spa-experience: it smells lovely, the beads feel really soothing, and it does work - it foams really nicely to boot (which is pretty unusual for a face scrub I think).   It's just that for the price it doesn't impress me all that much.  This is one of those products I enjoy using but personally would not re-purchase because I am sure there other equally effective and cheaper products out there.  I would only recommend this to those with highly sensitive or dry skin.  As for me, I'd rather explore a bit more ^^

Review: More Boscia, CO Bigelow, & Revlon

Ahh, I got so lazy after New Years (oh no!), so it took me few days to get up off my butt and finish editing this video.  It's got a lot more text in it than usual O_o or maybe that's just me...

Boscia Luminizing Black Mask

Definitely by far my personal favorite and the most asked-about product I've mentioned so far :D

Purchased: $34 @ Sephora & Bosica

This jet black, mineral-rich peel-off mask delivers powerful detoxifying, purifying, and brightening results as it exfoliates skin and refines pores. Dead skin, impurities and excess oil are stripped away along with the dried mask for immediate and visible results.

Benefits include:
• Dramatic improvement in skin's clarity and radiance. Skin is brighter and smoother.
• Impurities, bacteria and excess oil are drawn out.
• Powerful antioxidants to prevent free-radical damage, such as lines, wrinkles, dryness and dullness.
• Reduced skin roughness and minimized lines and wrinkles, resulting in younger-looking skin.

I previously mentioned in my December Favorites video that I like how this removes white/blackheads while several reviewers have specifically said that this does not remove blackheads. So, I would like to clarify:

1.) This mask will NOT remove blackheads if you just use it after simply washing your face. 

2.) To reduce blackheads with this mask takes 2-3 rounds AND you must steam your face beforehand each time.  Aka it's a labor-intensive process but it has worked very well to reduce the blackheads not just on my nose, but also on my cheeks.  Keep in mind you can't expect miracles - you need to do this 1-2x a week for a month to legitimately see blackhead reduction.  For me, it was well worth it.  Especially since this mask is quite expensive, I wanted to get the most benefit out of it as I could.

Good:
- Really effective whether or not you steam your face.
- Definitely luminizing and helps skin turnover.
- Seems harsh yet had NO breakouts.
- Saw definite immediate and long term improvements.  Scar lightening (after 3-4 uses) and fantastic improvement in skin texture and tone right away.
- Saw white/blackhead reduction after 2-3 uses.

Bad:
- Pricey at $34.
- Must use a lot of product at once.
- Can't put this over inflamed acne and open lesions.
- Quite drying without moisturizing.

Here is the process I follow each time I use this mask. The simpler version was in the video, this is a more in depth step-by-step.

How I Use the Boscia Luminzing Black Mask:
1.) Boil water. I use an automatic tea kettle ^_^ Have a bowl with a small, clean washcloth ready.

2.) When water is boiled, pour the boiling water into the bowl with the washcloth in it. Let the washcloth sit in the boiling water for 5-10 minutes.  This will help sanitize the washcloth further, besides it'll be too hot for your face.

3.) During those 5-10 minutes you are waiting for the water to cool, put a damp towel (it'll hold the heat/steam in better) over your head and steam your face.  It'll be bit hard to breathe and you should be sweating inside a minute.

4.) When the water is cool enough for you to hold the washcloth, it's time to massage your face.  The water should still be steaming and kind of hurt (not BURN) your fingers when you are holding it.  Pinching the hot washcloth in your fingers, gently place it on your face. I like to just lay the hot cloth on my face and press gently.  I do this until the water is just lukewarm.  Do not scrub, DAB the cloth on your face.  Hot water helps kill bacteria and "opens" your pores.

FYI: Pores do not open/close like stoma on a plant :P It's a common misconception, but what steaming/using a hot cloth does is soften the dirt in the pore so that it comes out easier.

6.) Apply the Boscia Black Mask right away.  Avoid your eyebrows and make sure your hair is pulled back. This thing will yank out any hairs you get it on so be careful :P   You need to apply a thick layer so that you can peel it off all in one sheet ^_^

7.) Wait till mask dries completely, which takes 20-30 minutes.  The edges will dry first and the cheek areas will dry last.

8.) When the mask is completely dry, pick at the edges and peelllllll~!

Look at all those white heads and skin flakes O_O!

9.) Your face is going to be pink afterwards.  Use toner to take off the last bits of the black mask.  Stubborn bits may have to be rinsed off.  Then apply serum, essence etc. The only truly critical step is - you must apply moisturizer especially if it's winter.  Just blob on the moisturizer to be on the safe side.  Now you're done!

So, yeah. Like I said, it's a pretty intensive process.  As they say...no pain, no beauty :\  After 2-3 rounds aka 2-3 weeks though, you should start seeing definite, long term improvements in the pore/blackhead department, maybe in even scar lightening.   If you're someone who touches your face a lot though - that's a habit you're going to have to break before you want to see any long term improvement.  

CO Bigelow Mentha Lipgloss

Purchased: $7.50 @ Bath & Body Works

Our mint-infused lip balm provides a glossy high shine with a refreshing cooling sensation.  Lips stay moist and protected while peppermint oil gives breath a long-lasting freshness.

Good:
- High shine.
- Lovely minty scent and flavor.
- Breath freshening.
- Nice tingling sensation.

Bad:
- Slightly sticky.
- No staying power.
- SLIPS OFF MY LIPS :P and makes it look like I'm drooling...

Apparently this is America's #1 selling lipgloss. But all I have to say is....not for me.  It slips off my lips and makes it look like I'm drooling :P  The shininess is nice but it looks even more "drool-like" when it's not on your lips.   The extreme minty-ness is excellent (I love peppermint) and does disguise bad breath for like....five minutes, but overall, it ain't worth it because it doesn't stay on my lips at all. Plus it's definitely sticky, something I hate in lip products.  I think it's kind of a hyped item honestly, surely there are other high-shine, minty glosses out there.... 

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation in Buff 150

Purchased: $10-12 @ Walmart/other drugstores

Specially formulated for combination or oily skin, this oil-free formula helps control shine all day and gives you flawless looking skin. Makeup looks fresh and feels great for up to 16 hours thanks to the lightweight, comfortable feel from the SoftFlex ColorStay™ formula.   20 colors available.

Good:
- Decent price for a "photogenic" foundation.
- Doesn't oxidize too badly.
- Nice silky application. Blends well.
- Dewey finish.
- Smells alright.
- Wide color selection (20 colors).
- Medium-full coverage.
- Buildable.
- Lasts a respectable 7-9 hours.

Bad:
- Prone to caking.
- It starts off as a dewy finish but on some days I get an oil slick on my face :P  Lack of oil-control is what it is I guess.
- Weak product design, sometimes foundation just POURS out of the bottle.

Not much to say about this beyond what I said in the video.  I don't use this very often because I use BBcream daily (all are SPF 30+), so I only use this when I want to take pictures since it only has SPF 6.  In other words, this is my "camera-friendly" foundation.  I mainly use this because it has a subtle dewy finish without making me look oily on camera, has good coverage, low SPF, and is decently priced.  I don't recommend this for people why want a "daily-wear" foundation since it has no SPF. But for for those looking for a camera-ready foundation, this would be a good option since there are a ton of colors to pick from and won't oxidize while you're taking pics :)

Review: Face Cleanser Comparison (Boscia VS Neutrogena)

This is actually a two part review because I figured the cleanser comparison should just be one video & post ^_^ Just to keep things tidier and shorter~

I'm on a serious Boscia fix right now - I was so impressed with the Boscia Luminizing Black Mask (review coming up in Part 2 aka the next post) that I binged on a bunch of Boscia products with the Boscia $10 off $30 off sale.   So there will a lot of Bosica reviews coming up ^_^ Anyway, this cleanser was my first try at a "higher end" aka non-drugstore, non-bar-of-soap for removing makeup attempt.  I was looking for makeup cleanser that cleans AND removes makeup in one step (I'm too lazy to do an oil-cleansing step and a cleansing step every day :P).

Bosica is all about no preservative, very gentle and as natural as possible - and while people can be just as a allergic to something "natural" as to something artificial - I had no breakouts and I felt this was a very gentle yet effective product.  I won't rehash everything I said in the video, but overall I think the Bosica Purifying Gel is a good cleanser for people with sensitive skin not on a tight budget.  This does remove all my face makeup in one step (BBcream, concealer, and setting powder), but this will NOT remove eyeliner (I tried MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack and Urban Decay pencil in Zero), so you will need to use eye makeup remover.  However, it does remove Koji Dolly Wink Liquid Liner and most eye shadows.  Otherwise, this helps you get as much makeup off your face as possible at once without irritation.

This bottle is rather small and one is tempted to use more than 1 pump at a time since it seems so mild, so this runs out in 2-3 months.  Speaking of, don't be tempted to use a lot of pumps...this cleanser is a clear gel and you need to lather it up first to get enough to cover your face.  Foam up your cleanser before you decided to use more. 

The Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser claims to:

Fresh Foaming Cleanser is a cleanser and makeup remover in one.

Removing makeup before you go to bed has never been easier. This dermatologist-tested formula effectively removes dirt, oil and makeup. It even removes eye makeup, without soaps or oils that can sting or irritate the sensitive eye area. No more raccoon eyes! It rinses completely and won't leave any pore-clogging residue. Forget the excuses and get refreshingly clean skin and complete makeup removal in one step. 

- Soap-free 

- Oil-free 

- Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores) 

- Hypoallergenic

I need to wash my face 2x at least to remove just BBcream, concealer, and setting powder.  It definitely does not remove eye makeup in general, though it does remove lighter eyeshadows.  It  does not irritate my face or cause breakouts, but I feel that it "strips" my face and is a little drying.  It doesn't leave a residue though.  What really turns me off this product is the scent (and appearance); it looks and smells like a cheap handwash soap you use in public restrooms :\  It doesn't seem to harm my face but the experience isn't that great.  Also, this doesn't lather any better than the Boscia Cleansing Gel.  This is a problem since Neutrogena's cleanser specifically advertises itself as a foaming cleanser whereas the Boscia cleanser is just a gel.  It's not a huge deal, but it irks me a little.

Anyway, let's just cut the chase and keep this post as short as possible ^_^

Overall, both are quite "usable" though I much prefer the Boscia - which I should considering the price!  However, even though the Boscia is effective, I still will be keeping an eye out for a cheaper cleanser that is comparable to the Boscia.  After I'm done with this bottle, I'll be back on the hunt for the perfect makeup remover + cleansing in one!  I have my reservations about finding my dream cleanser though :P there's a reason the "Asian skincare regime" involves double cleansing :(....

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 :)