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: My Beauty Diary Southern France Apricot Mask

Wheee....more My Beauty Diary~ This was a very scrumptious smelling mask.  This and the MBD Yogurt mask (though I didn't like it that much) are two of the yummiest smelling MBD masks. Though I must admit the yummiEST smelling mask to me is still the Silk Whitia Soy Milk Whitening mask...it smells like delectable cake ^_^;;

Purchased at: BonjourHK ($9.70) or Sasa ($12.10)

Description:

My Beauty Diary Southern France Apricot Mask softens, smooths and highly moisturizes the skin. Apricot extract from southern France provides excellent moisturizing effect. It quenches the thirst of skin, leaving dry skin keenly comfortable. The skin surface will be inscrutably velvety to the touch.  Added with extracts of highly moisturizing grain, such as oat, job's tears and hydrolyzed rice protein, it gives more in-depth nourishing and nursing effect to dry skin. The stratum corneum is fully soaked in moisturizing ingredients. It maintains skin’s suppleness, elasticity, fairness and clearness.

Suitable for: It is suitable for normal skin. It is especially recommended for dry skin and combination skin that tends towards dryness.

I had to increase the saturation to make the silvery text show :P 

As cute as MBD packages are, the shiny packaging is a pain to photograph ><

Experience: The scent was lovely from the moment I opened the package. A very sweet, apricot scent.  There was a mild cooling effect and the experience was very nice.  I think the soothing, pleasing scent had a lot to do with that.  After removing the mask my face felt refreshed, looked brighter, and was more hydrated.  Redness was generally down and I have never experienced any irritation.  Downside is that the effects of this mask aren't as obvious compared to the MBD Apple Polyphenol mask.  I dunno what it is but the Apple Polyphenol always gives my face this incandescent glow (I reckon from the mildly exfoliating effect of the mask).

The envelope packaging is a little blah - I think it's the pre-2010 packaging.

Overall
Fit: After a bit of research, word has it MBD updated the material and cut of their masks (though the ingredients/formula are unchanged) in 2010.  For me personally, post-2010 masks, which are thinner and cut with a lot of forehead space ^^ are the ideal fit for me.  I believe the Yogurt mask I tried was manufactured pre-2010 and was an awful fit.

Scent: Exactly as you'd expect. Like a sweetly spiced apricot. Very pleasing and mild.

Mask texture: Thin and silky.  Sticks well to your face a holds a lot of serum.

Excess serum: A dime sized amount as does most masks from the MBD Natural Key line have.

Claims: Soften, smooth, moisturize/suppleness, elasticity, fairness and clearness. <-- I would say this mask does everything it claims.  My face always feels softer, plumped (smooth), and more moisturized afterward.   

Overall Results: Definitely solidly in the category of masks that are good but not fantastic.  I'm not positive if I'd buy it again but it's something I would definitely recommend others try if they are interested in trying a couple MBD masks.  It's very gentle, smells excellent, feels good, and there was no irritation.  There was a slight cooling effect as well.  I would give this a solid 7/10.  If it were more of a unique mask and the results were startlingly good, I'd rate it higher. However, it does everything it promises so I can't complain too much :)

Review: Cosline Strawberry Yogurt Pack

I'm quite excited to review this mask because it is so cheap and I have become quite fond of it.  It's from a relatively unpopular brand, I suspect because of the un-cute packaging, so I went out on a limb trying it and I'm pretty glad I did :)

Purchased at: Sasa for $4.90

Description: COSLINE Yogurt Strawberry Yogurt Pack is a wash off mask which contains strawberry extract (850g), yogurt (170mg) and Vitamin C and E.  COSLINE Yogurt Strawberry Yogurt Pack promotes metabolism rate of skin, smooths skin and increases skin brightness.  The nourishing COSLINE Yogurt Strawberry Yogurt Pack also helps to keep skin elastic and moisturized.

Directions: Apply an appropriate amount on clean face, spread evenly and gently massage on the whole face beside eyes and lips. Wait for 15-20 minutes to absorb nutrient. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.

Packaging: Plain and foogly.  It's not hideous but come on - how cute would a strawberry shaped jar have been ;)?  What really irks me though is having to dip my fingers (or spoon) into the jar to get out the product.  AHHH I hate unhygienic setups like that!

Scent: Amazinggggg~ Probably one of the best characteristics of this mask is the delicious, vanilla strawberry scent.  I could sniff this baby all day seriously....this is the best smelling mask I've had the pleasure of smelling ^^  It's good enough to eat - sorta ;) - and doesn't taste half bad (don't ask me how I know that).

Texture: Exactly like Dannon or Activia yogurt, I kid you not.  Some reviews on Sasa have said if you goop on too much it drips - but personally, I've never had a problem with that and I'm pretty generous with the blobbing on of this mask.  It's like a slightly runny yogurt but it doesn't drip.  It also has little red beads in it (it's not strawberry seeds) that dissolve as you massage your face.  The beads dissolve very easily so it is not harsh on your skin.  It's pretty satisfying "crushing" all the beads ^^

Experience: Initially, I was put out with the jar set up :P....but yeah, I started blobbing this on my face.  Then I massaged my face (always up and out, never down!), taking my time to crush all the little red beads ;) The scent was lovely and the creamy texture felt cool on my face (also you can refrigerate this baby to make it even cooler). It felt very nice but it was annoying to have to wash my hands after the massage.  When you first put it on your face the yogurt is pinkish.  After 20 or so minutes it becomes clear - I assume it means it soaked into your skin.  Rinsing off is easy, it comes off like a charm and your face feels immediately much smoother.  The next morning my face was brighter but I had an oily sheen (hydration methinks) on my forehead.  No breakouts, itchiness, or irritation.

Effectiveness: For me this was an effective product.  My skin was soft and a tad smoother.  I've used this pack about 5-6x and I haven't had any allergic reactions or irritation in general.   I also feel like there was a mild exfoliation since my face was brighter - a very gentle exfoliation like the MBD Apple Polyphenol sheet mask.  There were no flakes but somehow I feel like there was some sloughing of the skin.  Yogurt has long been vaunted as a great acne deterrent and although I doubt this thing has real dairy yogurt in it (otherwise, it would go bad really fast), the idea does seem to play out well here.  I had a zit on my jawline and it seemed to help it go down.  At least it didn't irritate it ^_^

Overall
Don't expect miracles but to me this was a remarkably effective product for the price.  I'm sure there are more effective products out there in much more hygienic non-jar forms but for $5 this is a good buy.  It feels good, smells great, works at least a bit, and you get a lot of bang for your buck.  I don't necessarily think it's a must-have but I do recommend people try it if you're looking for a face pack or a dupe of Laneige's famous Strawberry Yogurt Pack ($22+ retail).   Note: Laneige's may work a bit better but I'm not the sort to invest much in wash-off masks :P  No matter how good a wash-off mask is, it's only on your face for 20 some minutes.

FYI the word 'pack' can be used interchangeably with 'wash-off mask' - these are usually in jars or tubes.   Just the word 'mask' = sheet/gel masks.   Of course there are exceptions to the rule but that's usually how it is.  Nonetheless, Skinfood has made it their business to be confusing with their latest line of "masks" (most of which are actually scrubs), which should be named PACKS since they are wash-off masks and scrubs :\   These are the new Ginseng, Acai Berry, Olive, Honey Red Orange, Acorn and Chocolate masks for the curious (scroll down if you want to look at them here).

Check out Musings of A Muse's review here.

Review: My Beauty Diary Cooling Mask

I actually first tried this mask in a swap I did with Elisa and I'm so glad that she sent me this one to try  because I really liked it!  I got another box of 10 because I liked it so much and it's absolutely perfect for summer.

Purchased at: BonjourHK

Price: $9.70/10 masks

Description: My Beauty Diary Cooling Mask is enriched with cooling ingredient to wake up fatigued skin and restore skin radiance by boosting metabolism.  Marigold Extract is an ideal soothing treatment for skin damaged by UV rays. Skin is comforted and refreshed.  Perfect blend of green tea extract and ginkgo extract works to leave skin watery and translucent, while Hyaluronic Acid and elder extract intensively pour moisture into skin. 

Suitable for: For all skin types, particularly for fatigued skin or skin damaged by UV rays.

Experience: Scent was a little stronger than usual (not that strong though) and had the sharp edge of witch hazel and calendula (both are pretty pungent in their natural form).  Even though this mask does have menthol and peppermint in it, it smells more like witch hazel and calendula.  When I first put it on my face, it wasn't that cool but after 1-2 minutes it got suddenly much cooler.  I haven't had such an extreme cooling effect since the Skinfood Vita-A Gel Mask (still one of my fav masks).   It lasted for over 10 minutes and felt really, really good.  When I removed the mask my face was brighter, smoother, and refreshed.  It also made me feel more awake ^_^  I wouldn't say it was the most hydrating mask ever but my skin was still decently moisturized.  I have no complaints and my face felt very plumper, smoother, and awake.  Fyi calendula and witch hazel are great for acne-prone skin (though witch hazel can be a bit drying).

Overall
Fit: Quite good, like all post-2010 MBD masks :)  Perfect for me.

Scent: Witch hazel-calendula-ish with a hint of peppermint.  Very fresh and clean smelling.

Mask texture: Silky, thin, and smooth.

Excess serum: A little nickel-sized scoop.

Claims:

Soothes skin <-- Yep. Especially if you have slight sunburn. Fyi, if you get a BAD sunburn (ei your skin is peeling) this might sting a bit - I don't know for sure but witch hazel can sting if your skin sometimes.  In any case, for mild sunburns, blotchy skin, and skin irritations will be soothed beautifully.

Lowers skin temperature <-- YES.  Works like a charm.

Softens skin <-- Face feels plumper.

Nourishes and moisturizes skin <-- It's not the most moisturizing mask ever but then this is a cooling mask not a moisturizing one necessarily.  It's not drying and that's the important thing.  

Overall Results: With summer right around the corner, this mask is going to be perfect.  I really like this mask because it's so refreshing. The scent isn't absolutely amazing but it's tolerable and not bad at all.  I highly recommend this mask especially with summer coming up and I've already repurchased a whole box so you know where I stand :)

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: My Beauty Diary Yogurt Mask

ARGHHHH wtf blogger.  It "unblogged" this review (I had it posted a few days ago), wiped all the comments, and I had to retype the whole review because it was re-saved as the draft I wrote a month ago.  *&$*(@ Blogger has been such a pain lately with the buggy image uploader, posting limitation, and now "unblogging" of posts. Oh for chrissake.  Not to mention, I was browsing and commenting on blogs for the last 2-3 days and I noticed NONE of my comments ever got posted - then I heard from blogger that comments from the last few days were being lost *sigh*  So yeah, if my wording in this review is very short and impatient sounding it's because this is my 2nd time writing it -_-

Control oil and repair skin: Yogurt extracts deeply nourish skin and keeps skin watery and shine-free.

Tannins extracted from Witch Hazel, Birchwood and walnut soothes and moisturizes skin.

Hydrate skin: Hyaluronic acid extracted by biological technology prevents water loss and provides deep hydration.

Amazing Nanospheres Technology: Structured with plenty of tiny holes, it enhances absorption of nourishment, leaving skin moisturized.

Purchased at: Sasa - it's OOS right now though.

Price: $2.00/for a pack of 2 masks = $1.00/each (cheapest price I've paid for 1 mask yet :D)!

It was kind of cool getting a mini-box of masks.  It's a really nice way to try a mask out more than once yet without getting stuck with a box of 10 if you end up not liking the mask. 

Packaging: MBD Natural Key line packaging isn't very ornate to begin with but this Yogurt mask was simple to the point of being...boring :\  Not hugely important but surely they could have embossed something more than just silver lines :P

Suitable for: Oily and acne skin / combination skin.

Directions: Put the mask on cleansed and toned face. Leave it for 20-30 minutes and peel off. If some serum is left, gently massage for better absorption. No rinsing is necessary. Followed by usual skin care products.

Overall

Left: MBD Yogurt mask Right: MBD Mixed Berry mask

Fit: VERY STRANGE.  This mask had six slits, the eye holes were larger, and the nose hole was shorter.  All the previous MBD masks I have tried have been like the one on the right, with two slits around the chin with large forehead space.  This MBD Yogurt mask did not fit my face shape very well at all :(

I actually wondered if this mask was a fake but I bought it from Sasa which is pretty legit (right?) and the packaging seemed pretty good...it had none of the fake giveaways like printed expiration dates, crooked slits on the envelope etc.

It seems to be the real thing though... If anyone knows what's up with these MBD masks let me know.

Scent: Vanilla yogurt.  Very delicious scent.

Left: MBD Yogurt mask Right: MBD Mixed Berry mask

Mask texture: This mask was exceptionally thick and cloth-y compared to previous MBD I've used.  I did NOT like it because it refused to stick to my face very well.  The flaps kept coming off :(   I much prefer the thinner MBD masks.

Excess serum: A quarter-sized amount. Typical for the MBD Natural Key line.

Claims:

Control oil and repair skin: Yogurt extracts deeply nourish skin and keeps skin watery and shine-free. <-- I will never get used to the Asian love of describing nice skin as "watery" aka hydrated -__-

Tannins extracted from Witch Hazel, Birchwood and walnut soothes and moisturizes skin. <-- even though I experienced itching, in the end my face did look brighter and soothed.  I don't feel like this was very moisturizing though. It wasn't drying per se but it was not as hydrating as other masks I've tried.

Hydrate skin: Hyaluronic acid extracted by biological technology prevents water loss and provides deep hydration. <-- Definitely no on the "deep hydration"

Amazing Nanospheres Technology: Structured with plenty of tiny holes, it enhances absorption of nourishment, leaving skin moisturized. <-- "nanospehere technology" aka paper that has tiny holes in it to hold the serum -_-;; 

Experience:  Loved the scent when I opened the packet - sweet vanilla yogurt.  My face itched at first and there was no cooling effect.  After 5 minutes the itching went away and once I removed mask my face felt extreamly "clean" and refreshed somehow.  A con: the mask left about 1-2 inches of my forehead bare (big forehead heehe).   After using the mask, the remaining essence was quickly absorbed into the skin with just a few seconds of massaging your face, and it’s not sticky at all.  My face was startlingly brighter - almost to paleness and redness was way down and I experienced no irritation despite the initial itching.  The first time I forgot to moisturize and my skin was a tad dry in the morning so it was not very hydrating. You definitely need to moistuize afterwards.  Nonetheless, even though my face was a tad dry, redness was way down and my skintone was remarkably even.  The effect is enough that I noticed it (which is saying something as use a lot of sheet masks).  Only con is that it's a little drying and I get a mild itching the first 10-15 minutes I put it on.

Unfortunately, the second time I used the mask (I itched again), the next day I noticed that 2 pimples had popped up on my face.  I am not sure if the mask caused the pimples or they were just under my skin already :P  I guess this means that this mask doesn't "prevent" pimples though ^_^ My skin did look brighter, however, and my skin felt quite smooth.

Overall results: This mask smells faintly of sweet milk, nothing too intrusive. I liked the scent a lot.  I hated the odd thickness of the mask though.  Even though it was well absorbed with essence (so none of that gooey essence dripping down your neck) it did not fit my face well.  I used this mask consecutively for 2 nights, and each morning I woke up to fresh skin, no oil slick in my T-zone; dry peeps will definitely need to moisturize though. Blemishes and blotchiness are also reduced.  The reason I will NOT re-purchase, despite the good results, is that I got two pimples on the 3rd day and the fit of the mask.  Given I am not sure if the pimples were already "ready to come up" and if this box of masks was a fluke in terms of shape, but those two things ruined the overall experience for me.  Yogurt is supposed to be good for people with acne-prone skin but I think you would be safer using "real" yogurt, not this mask.  I can't really recommend this mask overall :(  There are definitely better masks out there.

Review: Skinlite Green Tea Essence Mask

I was poking around Sasa for something interesting to try and this caught my eye, primarily because they're selling this brand at Forever21 now of all places O_O   Given, F21 is owned by Koreans, but I was still surprised to see them selling Skinlite and Cosline (if I remember correctly) sheet masks!  I tweeted about this a few days ago and I guess it was only a matter of time since 1.) sheet masks will definitely be making waves in America within the next five years and 2.) F21 is trying to expand into a makeup/skincare (surprise, surprise).  The marketing of their makeup and skincare leaves much to be desired (they have everything jumbled in a big bin -_-) and if they just displayed it better I bet more people would buy it.  The way they have it now makes sheet masks look so....cheap.  But on the upside, they weren't expensive either :D!  Though I wouldn't say they were cheap. I think they were $1.50/each (F21 actually has better prices than Sasa).  Anyway, I thought I'd pop this review up and let you guys know about this intriguing sheet mask development.  Speaking of, if anyone sees these masks at F21 - try the COSLINE brand (I'll review their Strawberry Pack soon) because dude, they are so cheap but sell some damn fine~ products :D

Purchased at: Sasa

Price: $1.60/mask

Description:

Skinlite Green Tea Essence Mask is useful for lifting and ultra-hydrating results. Enriched with Vitamin E, Phyto Collagen & Green Tea Extract helps lift and hydrate in 15-20 minutes.

* Skin recovery sheet type essence mask.
* 23ml/sheet
* Green Tea Extract helps to keep skin much moisturized.
* Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate prevents skin trouble and making skin healthy.
* Vitamin E & Collagen : increasing skin elasticity & brightening.
- Official site description.

Suitable for: All skin types.

Experience: The mask comes all folded up like the Silk Whitia masks.  It smelled rather strongly of fresh cut herbs (basil?) rather than the gentle, mild scent of green tea that I was expecting.  It was nicely drenched with about a quarter sized amount left over for your neck etc.   I thought I'd love the many slits (aka more adjustable) but there were so many slits that the mask was floppy and annoying to place on my face.  The thick cloth texture did not stick to my face around the edges very well either.  So far, not great.   My face starting itching a bit, which made me nervous but I left the mask on 20-30 minutes anyway.  The itching went away after 10-15 minutes and after I took off the mask there was no redness so I'm not sure where the itching came from.  Although the mask experience itself wasn't all that great, my face did look plumper, brighter, and was more hydrated - so I guess it did a good job.  I also noticed a pimple I had on my forehead healed the next day.  I'm not sure if the mask had anything to do with it healing quickly, but obviously the mask didn't hurt.

Overall

You have to click to see the # of slits.  There's 8 slits around and slits between the eyes and at the corner of the lips.

Fit: Sadly, not so good.  Even though it had a ton of little slits to adjust, the mask was too thick and did not stick to my face well. After a few minutes, all the flaps were pretty much flopping around :\  I think they tried to make this super-adjustable but the inability of the mask to stick your face really well kind of killed it.  Also the mask itself just did not fit my general face shape well.  The nose placement was odd and barely covered my nose and I dunno, it was just not a fun experience putting it on.  People who like the shape of the MBD or FaceQ masks will not like this mask.

Scent: Clean, sharp scent of basil or fresh cut herbs more than green tea imho.   It smells very natural and organic but it's rather strong.  People that are sensitive to strong scents may not like it although the fragrance itself is not bad.

Mask texture: Quite thick (see pic) and did not stick to my face well. It's a cloth mask, as opposed to a paper/pulp mask, so it did have a bit of a fabric feel to it, which was nice.  However, overall I did not like this mask texture because it was just so damn thick so the flaps (around the slits) started flopping as the mask dried :P  This is a problem I've never had with other paper masks (MBD, Silk Whitia, FaceQ) so I wasn't too happy about that.

Excess serum: Mask was very wet and there was about a small quarter-sized amount of excess serum.

Claims: Lift, hydrate, increase skin elasticity, brightening.  Not sure about "lifting" or skin elasticity, but indeed my face felt more hydrated and looked brighter. 

Results: Pretty good regardless of the faint itching and terrible mask fit.

Overall
I don't really recommend this mask because:

Pros:
- Lots of slits and thus very adjustable.
- Clean, organic scent.
- Face did look brighter and was more hydrated.

Cons:
- Mask did not stick to face well.
- Strong basil scent.
- Faint itching sensation.
- Expensive.  Even the MBD Blooming of Beauty masks are only ~$1.52/mask.  

One thing that popped out at me was the remarkably good English on the packaging albeit with a few odd capitalizations and dropped prepositions. I was so curious about this phenomenon (because let's face it, grammatically correct English on any Asian beauty products pretty much is a phenomenon), that I did a bit of research: Skinlite is owned by Adwin Korea Corp (Est 1999), who also owns Purederm, Carederm, Aqualette, and Prreti (minus a point for the suspicious and slightly nonsensical spelling of what I think is 'pretty' :P).  These are new brands to me so I am quite interested in trying them out someday.  I can tell they are weak on packaging style (probably why they aren't so popular) and they seem to be going for a more scientific skincare angle, so who knows what gems they may have ;)?

Although I don't recommend this particular mask, if anyone knows more about other Skinlite products, let me know :D

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: My Beauty Diary Damask Rose Mask

Whee~ here's the last Blooming of Beauty mask I've tried.  It's probably my second favorite of the three, but in terms of uniqueness...it's my #1 :)   And to respond to Joyce, yessss I got the maximum of 7 Zoya polishes (aka I got 14) from the Zoya BOGO promo!  I spent so much I even qualified for free shipping -_- but ultimately, 14 polishes for $56 =  $4/polish w00t!  I plead temporary insanity but lord knows I AM EXCITED.   I've heard a lot of complaints about the Sunshine collection's formula but I don't care, I love sparkles so I think I got all the colors except for Rica ^_^v  Overall, though I would say I've seen better collections - all three Zoya collections for Spring were so...dupable in some ways.  I dunno. For people who missed out, no worries.  Zoya does a lot of excellent promos, some are BOGO free on the entire website so this promo, in the big picture, was not actually all that great. Lastly, I've been wrapped up in a lot of stuff lately, hence the ever-so-slow updates and lack of blog-hopping/commenting :(

Purchased at: BonjourHK

Price: $7.60 USD/5 masks = $1.52/mask + S&H

Description: Brightening, moisturizing, improve skin radiance.

Suitable for: All skin types.

Experience: I was so excited about this whole "ice cream in a mask" idea.   When I opened the packet I got a whiff of a very sweet rose...if that makes any sense.   It was a pretty mild scent so even as a not-crazy-about-rose-scented-things person, I liked it.   Whilst I had on this mask, the experience was quite nice.  Nice fragrance, mask stuck on well, no irritation.  Afterward my face looked brighter and more radiant.  My face felt moisturized and all in all, it was a good spa-like experience.  Downside, I expected some kind of massive cooling effect (ice cream anyone?) and this mask was just cool when I initially put it on and that's it :\  In other words, it was only cool on my face for 5-10 minutes because ....it's just wet.  Given, redness did go down but regardless, I was looking for a cooling effect a la Skin Food Vita-A Gel mask.  Speaking of, I have yet to encounter a face mask as wonderfully cooling as those SF gel masks (they're a close contender for my #1 mask of all time actually ^_~).

Overall
Fit: Cut and size are identical to the MBD Natural Key line masks.  2 slits around the chin and as I've said 100x before, MBD masks happen to fit me perfectly so the fit was excellent.

Scent: A sugary sweet rose.  There's really no other way to describe it. Very mild and pleasant; tolerable to even those not nuts about rose scented things :)

Mask texture: Smooth, silky, very absorbent, a hair thinner than the regular MBD Natural Key line.

Excess serum: Mask itself is well drenched but there is only about dime sized amount of excess serum for your neck.

Claims: Brightening, moisturizing, improve skin radiance.  I would say this mask does all these things. It mostly temporarily brightens and improves radiance.  This mask is moisturizing, yes but it's not SO moisturizing I'd recommend this for dry skinned peeps.  As an oily skinned person though, this was just enough hydration.  In any case, if you're looking for moisturization in the Blooming of Beauty line, apparently the Sunflower mask is the way to go. Overall, I'd say this mask does what it claims to do.

Overall Results: Quite good, it does everything it promises and the experience of using it is always nice.  I have no significant complaints about it other than I wish it had an more tangible cooling effect to play into the ice cream theme.  That's just a nitpick though.  However, even though this mask is a good 8/10 at least, I probably would not repurchase this.  I say this because personally I have enjoyed other masks more and the price tag is too much for results I can get from (ever so slightly) cheaper masks. I literally use sheet masks at least every other day (minimum 3-4x a week) because they have made a huge difference for me.  I know this sounds like a nutty investment to others but it's what works for me.  Hence I need quite a large hoard of sheet masks to get me through the months and those few cents add up for me fast.   While the results of this mask were nice, I just happen to like other masks more (which I will discuss in my Uber-Ranking of Sheet Masks post... which I will finish soon, God willing).  This mask didn't blow me away by any means but I don't regret buying a box to try at all :) 

Overall, I do recommend people try this mask for themselves.  It's a fun, sweetly scented, gentle, effective mask.  Price isn't too bad at all either, very reasonable on BonjourHK.  Don't expect miracles, but it does the job~

Review: My Beauty Diary Japanese Hydrangea Mask

Part of the limited collection in celebration of the Taipei International Floral Expo, the Japanese Hydrangea mask soothes and comforts skin while providing remarkable oil control to keep skin matte and shine-free. 

Purchased at: BonjourHK

Price: $7.60/5 = $1.52/mask + S&H

Description: Oil control, soothing.

Suitable for: Best for combination and oily skin types.

Experience: First impression when I opened the packet - not good >_> I got a strong wave of something that reminded of black tea, a scent I'm not nuts about.  The mask texture and fit was good, as all the My Beauty Diary masks are.  Unfortunately, as many of you know, one thing I always look for in a mask is that "cooling factor."  This is important to me as "cooling" masks are vital to reducing redness and puffiness on my face, something I'm very prone too. In general, all sheet masks have at least a little bit of a cooling effect simply because you're putting something wet on your face. However, some masks have an extra cooling sensation and I don't think it's just in my head because certain masks feel exceptionally cool on my face (w/o refrigeration) and redness goes way down. Sadly, this mask is not one of those.  Initially, it was cool but I don't know if my face was reacting to one of the ingredients or what, but my face started getting rather warm after 10-15 minutes.   It didn't break me out or anything, but redness did not go down at all.  Usually face masks at least temporarily take the redness on my face down at least 90% but this one....my face just looked the same :\  I've tried this mask 3x so far on 3 consecutive days and I haven't been impressed by either the immediate or (slightly) long term results in terms of oil control.   

Overall
Fit: As all MBD masks, the mask fits me well and has 2 slits around the chin.

Scent: I admit that I don't know what Japanese Hydrangeas actually smell like :P but this mask smells - to me - of black tea.  Really strongly.  I don't like the smell and this is one of the reasons behind why I wouldn't repurchase this mask.

Texture: Mask texture is nice, smooth and almost silky.  Quite nice.

Excess serum: Mask is well-soaked but there is minimal excess serum in the packet for your neck etc. You can usually squeeze out a tiny handful, just enough for your neck but that's it.

Claims: Oil control, soothing.  I personally have not noticed much oil control improvement.  I used this mask three days in a row and there was no "oil reduction" on those three days or afterwards.  So...yeah.  As for soothing, not particularly.  It didn't irritate my skin per se but I didn't see any redness reduction at all :\

Overall Results: I'm a little surprised how ineffective this mask was on me since the MBD French White Lily and Damask Rose (coming up next!) masks were wonderful. Besides the fit and texture of the mask itself, there is nothing I really like about this mask.  It didn't soothe my face nor did I see any oil reduction.  And one thing I particularly despise when it comes to beauty products is when something doesn't do what it promises.  I don't expect something to fix every problem on my face but if a mask promises oil control, I should see some oil control.  Everybody's skin is different so it may just be me so don't let this review prevent you from trying it out if you like, but don't expect great things. On the upside, the packaging is just lovely isn't it ^0^?  I have to say I just adore the Blooming of Beauty packaging, it's so floral, feminine, yet not overdone.  Overall, I did not like the smell and this mask didn't do what it promised, so I would not repurchase or personally recommend it.