Missha Super Aqua Water Supply Essence

When I started "building" my skincare routine, I remember saving the "leftover" from the mask sheets that I used and used it as my everyday essence.  After that, I don't remember having a "proper" essence (I remember having a first essence but it's not really a full legit essence more of like a fusion of toner and essence) and only used samples if my memory serves me right.  And if you noticed (I just noticed it too) I use the "used" to much and " in this paragraph, I don't know why.

So here's my very first "proper", full sized essence eversince I started to be "maarte", the Missha Super Aqua Water Supply Essence.

Missha Super Aqua Water Supply Essence
40ml
online regular price around $12 in korean shops/around $30 on non-korean shops
got it for around P600 around $14.50

If M&M melts in your mouth, this one melts in the skin and it's as if providing the much needed water to a thirsty land making my skin feeling refresh and hydrated.  I couldn't believe how this essence made my skin soft and supple overnight that when I woke up the next morning, I couldn't stop pinching my cheeks.

It says in the description that it's a fresh moisturizing essence to enhance skin's moisture level while leaving a fresh feeling of softness on the skin which I already observed on my first day of application and still experiencing it up to now and I regret that I didn't take advantage of the 50% off sale of Missha last December (I asked Bae Lu for the discounted price and she said it's P330 or around $8 only which I think is one of the cheapest yet effective essence that I know and I only ordered it for a friend...I really should have get another one for myself but I guess I was attracted to the design of Missha's Misa essence, I really don't know what I was thinking last December).

the essence

The "secret" of this essence is that instead of purified water, this essence contains 100% Ice Plant Water which is rich in minerals and Active Water (Blue Lagoon Water, Mineral Water, Damask Rose Water) that provides moisture to dry skin and enhances skin's moisture level.  I don't know anything about these kinds of water, they are just in the description of the product's box but it seems that their claims are true.

It also says in  the description that it's oil-free and I don't feel any greasiness when I apply this, it just melts and sinks into my skin.

hooray for english description

Missha forgot to put c on direction

Aside from the nice fresh moisturizing effect, I also like the scent of this essence:  it's like a subtle combination of the fresh ocean and the scent of a freshly showered and powdered baby.  I also didn't experience any allergic reaction while using it although it didn't says in the packaging that it's dermatologically tested.

the pump is much appreciated

For the packaging, I like the blue frosted glass part but hate the plastic cap not because of the plastic material but because of it's not so tight grip to the bottle (I pick the cap of the products when I used them so there are many times that the bottle of this one just drops on the floor, to my relief it's not yet broken up to now).

ingredients

Overall, I love this essence that I bought the rest of the products from this line/series. It's a perfect starter to those who have normal to dry skin because it's simply moisturizing leaving the skin fresh and soft and because of it's oil free and non greasy formula, those with oily or combi skin type might also be okay to use this as their essence-moisturizer (but better try a sample first to make sure, okies?).

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

Etude House Natural Mask Pearl

This is the first time that I will be posting a face mask from Etude House simply because it's my first time to use one, thanks to all the online sellers since physical stores of Etude House in the Philippines always run out of face mask, Pearl variant in particular which I used last weekend.  This is perfect for my skin since I have a dull one

Etude House Natural Mask (Pearl)
Essence mask contains pearl extract that promotes natural skin glow.  Tension fit design for improved facial adhesion and comfot
1000mg of essence
P58

I love the matted packaging and find the cartoons pulling  and holding the pearl a little funny.
The sheet mask has a medium thickness and doesn't tear easily.  It's a little short on the chin area though but other than that, it fits my face alright (those with big/matangos nose may have a little problem with the nose area of the mask, I have a small nose by the way).

only have 2 cuts

The essence of the Etude House Pearl Mask is so light it's almost like water but when I applied the excess essence, my face feels sticky.  It has also a light pleasant smell and it's white in color with some small pearly glitter particles when applied to the skin.  I am so happy at how this mask instantly brighten my face after 45 minutes (yeah, I let the mask stay on my face for nore than the recommended time which is 20 to 30 minutes) and when I woke up the following day (I use masks before I got to bed), the glow in my face remains and my skin is smoother.

I'm not just okay that it opened up my pores in the cheek area (I must really buy a closing pore serum) but overall it's a good refreshing and brightening mask.

Thanks for reading. Till then. Bye!

On Serum

photo from katasher.com

Serum is a thick liquid-like product that targets the deeper layers of the skin which regular moisturizers are unable to reach.  It's a beauty product that has an active ingredients to target specific skin problem like wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots and dullness and some serums also promises to prevent acnes.

In choosing a facial serum, keep in mind the skin type and complexion of your skin and the effect you wanted to achieve or the issues that you want to address or prevent.  For example, look for a serum that has a Vitamin C as it's key ingredient when you are after an anti-aging effect as Vitamin c helps in fighting free radicals from our environment.  For hydration, it's best to have a serum with hyaluronic acid as it helps in moisturizing and improving the elasticity of the skin.

The serum for your skin greatly depends on what your skin needs.

Now let's go to how to apply serum.  Actually it's more of how I apply a serum.  I start with a freshly clean face.  After toning, I quickly spread 2 to 3 pumps or pea size serum to my palms then pat it to my face and neck.  pat a little more to help my skin absorb the serum faster and at the same time provide a light massage to my face.  Then to completely seal the serum, I top with with a moisturizer.  I have dry to very dry skin type so I still need moisturizer to fully hydrate my skin but based on my readings, you can skip to apply the moisturizer.

Here some links/sites that may help you in knowing what serum is best for you but of your course nothing beats your dermatologists

About.com -http://skincare.about.com/od/extraskincaresteps/f/SerumFAQ.htm
wiseGeek.com -http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-face-serum.htm
APIVITA -http://www.apivita.com/new/natural-serum/

5 Korean Skincare Routine

When I was a kid, I just wash my face.  When I'm in my adolescent stage, I wash my face then moisturize if only necessary.  When I'm already in my early 20's I learned a little about toning but never bothered to include it in my wash and moisturize routine.  So, I'm shocked when I heard that Koreans have 5 steps in their skincare.  Most of you probably already know this but for the benefit of all latebloomers out there like me, here's an intro on how most Koreans take care of their skin.

photo from bellasugar.com.au

1. Double Cleanse
Nowadays when all kinds of dirt and pollution are present in our faces and with the trend of wearing make-up, double cleansing is a must.
A good cleansing cream or cleansing oil removes dirt and makeup while a cleansing foam washes away anything that is left behind your face, leaving it clean and refresh.

photo from http://trendnstylez.com

2.  Massage, Scrub and Mask

Now to make the skin look brighter and looking healthier, regular massaging and scrubbing should be part of a good skincare routine.

It is said that facial massages improves blood circulation leaving your skin looking stress free and glowing.

Use a mild scrub once or twice a week as scrubbing slough off dead skin cells and will help in resurfacing new cells though this part is not advisable for those with oily or acne prone skin type as it will irritate the oil glands.

Once in a while when you are not massaging your face, you can use facial mask/sheet mask.  I use whatever kind of sheet mask that is available in my closet once a week but if undecided as to what sheet mask to get then a cleansing and/or a moisturizing one are the best options.

By the way, massage, scrub and mask are part two of the routine but whenever I use facial mask/sheet mask, I first tone my skin.

photo from holisticmamas.com

3.  Tone

For many years, I neglected this part of the routine because I thought it's unnecessary.  I mean toner for me before is like an ordinary liquid or water put into a cotton pad.  But of course I was wrong as toner removes any residue left behind by foam cleansers and make-up.  There are a lot of kinds of toner that are available in the market that can help remove dead skin cells, balance the skin PH and other features depending on your skin type.  Toners also prepare the skin to the next step of the routine.

from realsimple.com
most serums in the market are in pretty bottles 

4.  Essence or Serum

Essence or serums are liquidy concentrated substance that penetrates the deep layer of the skin to nourish and help treat specific skin problem.  There are brightening, whitening, nourishing, moisturizing, anti-aging and whole lot more.  Just ask the sale assistants in the shops or your dermatologist as to what is the best for your skin type.

I just started to use a serum this year and it did help in smoothening and hydrating my skin.

photo from http://www.123rf.com

5.  Moisturize

After letting the skin absorb the essence or serum, apply moisturizer or emulsion to keep the skin well hydrated.  The outer layer of the skin will benefit the most from this step.  Creams are more advisable for those with dry skin while emulsion is more for those with oily skin type because it's more liquidy and lighter than a cream.

I'm still learning as to what is the best for my skin but maybe in the near future I'll post my discoveries and more specific topic on each step.  How about you what's your skincare routine?

Thanks for reading.  Till then.  Bye!

sources:
k-popped.com
http://tonymoly.ph
arya de guzman's brain and experience :p