REVIEW: Pony Effect Spray Paint Nail Lacquer

Nail polish used to be my thing, though I was never really good at using it, especially when it came to applying it with my left hand. I was also never good at keeping my nails unscratched, so they always looked ugly within a few days. Sometime last year, I started getting gel nails done, and I was so pleased at how pretty they were and how long-lasting they were compared to my own polish-painted nails! This eventually became my monthly hobby, and I would come up with different patterns and ideas for the lady to copy. Soft gel nails usually only last 2-3 weeks, but hard gel nails can usually last 4-6 weeks (of course by 6 weeks, the nails would've grown out too much and would look very ugly). Recently, I've been in hospital, and my nails had grown out so much that I had to get them cut by myself at the hospital. Eventually, two of them fell off by themselves, and that's when I noticed how soft and thin my nails had become - they were like paper! I knew I had to get all the gels removed, and take a break from gel nails.

This was when I came across these spray paint nail polishes! I originally only wanted to order the silver and blue, but then I realised they came in a set, and I could not purchase them separately. I ordered these from www.minikmall.com for HK$328 (US$41.60) for 5 cans, each can costs HK$65.60 (US$8.30). This set took around 2-3 weeks to arrive, because they said that spray cans could not be shipped by airmail, and needed to be shipped to HK via surface mail.

Pony Effect Spray Paint Lacquer Set (HK$328/US$42)

Colours:

#Secret Code (gold/yellow)

#PingPong Game (green)

#Chic Chico (blue)

#Go Play (purple)

#City Roller Coaster (silver)

The set also includes some stickers for you to decorate your nails with.

How To Use:

1. Apply base coat onto nails.

2. Give the bottle a good shake, and hold around 10-15cm away from your finger.

3. Spray onto your finger nail in a downward motion (towards fingertip). Repeat if necessary.

4. Apply top coat onto nails.

5. Wash away the nail lacquer on the skin with water.

To remove the lacquer from your nails, use your usual nail polish remover.

The Packaging:

They all come in a reflective gold cardboard box with a colour label on the top.

The cans look like this - not girly and pretty as such, and you can only see the colours from the front, but if I were to put these into a box, I would've hoped to see which colours I would be taking out on the lid, instead of having to guess the colour of each.

Here is a swatch of the five colours under natural lighting.

All the colours turned out pretty okay, except for the green. Even after a few sprays, the green still appeared to be thin, uneven, and cheap. The silver, blue, and the purple looked pretty good, though the gold was a bit too yellow for my liking. I actually quite liked the silver, as it's quite bold in colour, and it's unlike the colour of other silver nail polishes. I didn't add a top coating to these, as I wasn't planning to have multi-colour fingers. With the exception of the silver, all the other colours washed off pretty easily. I had to use my nails to scratch away the silver, as it wasn't as easy to wash off.

The next day, I decided to make my nails silver and blue. I added the base coat from Missha, the paint lacquer, and the top coat from Missha. The top coat actually makes the nails appear to be more glossy rather than matte. When I tried to wash off the excess paint on my skin, the blue on the nails washed off too (I didn't even rub it with my fingers). Most of the silver remained on my nails, but a little bit chipped off too.

The Verdict:

The idea behind these paint sprays are amazing, but only if the colours had stayed ON my nails instead of having being washed off so easily under water. I wonder what would happen if I washed my hands with soap and water! I also ended up having a blue sink, and I had to rub the blue off (I started off using nail polish remover, but it took too long and I had to literally scrub my sink, and then I started using my Young Living Thieves Household Cleaner, and it got the job done within a few seconds! These were fun to play with and easy to use (even with my left hand), but I would definitely not repurchase again! Will try again using a different brand of base coat and top coat, but I doubt it would make a difference!

If you want to find more about Young Living products, you can go here.

Thank you for reading, and have a nice day!

REVIEW: GINSENG HEALTH PATCH (KOREA)

So I've been really lazy with blogging recently, but I thought this deserved its own post here, because it really works!

Some history about me...

I injured my back from ice skating over 10 years ago, and I guess it never recovered properly. Back then, I couldn't even sit properly at school unless I used a cushion! I saw both Western and Chinese medical practitioners, and I thought I recovered, as I didn't feel anymore pain. The pain suddenly hit me a few years later when I was in New Zealand, and it was so painful that I couldn't even walk properly.

 I've sought all kinds of medical help, including acupuncture, Chinese massage, acupressure, Chinese medicine, physio, yoga, and other pain relief patches (Tiger Balm's warm plaster does a good job to relieve pain temporarily), but nothing had really done any long-term change. Having constant back pains has disrupted my sleep, and it's one of the main reasons why I joined yoga, but even so, yoga only gives me temporary relief.

I suddenly came across this product whilst looking for masks for MaskGenie, and I decided to try it. There were a few reviews on this product, all saying how good it was.

The product that I'm going to review today, is the
Ginseng Health Patch from Korea.

The idea of the patch is it stick it onto a part of the body which feels painful or tired. I forgot to mention in my review on Instagram that the patch feels slightly warm after application.

Each patch is like a thin sticky piece of paper that smells strongly of ginseng, and has many small black dots in the patch. Each patch is 9.5cm x 13cm in size, which is not particularly large, but I managed to stick it on the most painful part, and it still worked for me. It is recommended to use the patch each night for three days consecutively, even if your body doesn't feel painful or tired anymore.

On the packaging, it shows the places (acupressure points) where you can stick the patch.

The patch is very thin, but it adheres to the skin very well, and the corners do not roll up. It's not obvious under clothing unlike other pain relief gel patches. After taking my shower at night, I waited for 30 minutes before sticking on the patch. There is a Chinese belief that you need to let the "wetness" (濕氣) inside the body out first, otherwise the "wetness" will just build up, and cause even more discomforts.

I couldn't understand any of the instructions on the packaging (and there's not much information online), so I assumed that I had to peel it off in the morning (after 8-10 hours) like any other pain relief patches, but I just realised it does say "24 hours" on the packaging, so perhaps you're supposed to leave it on all day. When I peeled it off, a little of the plastic had stuck onto my back, and I had to rub it off.

After the first night, I felt that my back wasn't as painful anymore already, but I continued to use it for two more nights to get optimum results! My skin isn't super sensitive, so after the first night, my back didn't feel itchy. By the third day, I was really amazed to see that my back was not painful at all anymore, and I've never felt so good before! My skin, however, did start to feel slightly itchy after using the third patch. It's been one week since using the patch, and my back still feels perfectly fine!

I did, however, try the patches on my thighs which had muscle aches (from an intense yoga session), but the patch didn't seem to be effective at all.

I'm super satisfied with the results, and I hope they're not temporary, but even so, I'm a happy girl again, and I can finally get some good night's rest!

Rating: 9.5/10

Thank you for reading, and have a nice day!

REVIEW: CNP LABORATORY ENZYME POWDER WASH

During my CNP Laboratory haul, I got a free bottle sample from the shop, and my, it's quite a big sample with quite a lot of uses.This is the first time I've tried an enzyme wash, but I've heard many great things about it before.

I feel that the traditional Korean peeling gels aren't really effective, as I've tried rubbing the peeling gel on different surfaces (including the stone bench top), and the same rubber pieces still appear. I've also been told many times that scrubs are too harsh for the skin, especially if you have thin and sensitive skin like me.

So here I am with my powder wash. It's not the first powder wash I've tried though, as my first was with a Japanese brand, Fancl. The difference between the two, is that the Fancl required the use of a sponge to foam up, whereas this enzyme powder wash foams up with water alone.

So, back to business, this is the
CNP Laboratory Deep Enzyme Powder Wash.

Full Size Product: 70g 

Ingredients

Mixed fermented complex (pomegranate fermented extract, pu'er tea fermented extract, bean fermented extract), green tea EGCG

Product Description

Plant originated protein decomposition enzyme cleanses old impurities deeply.

Creates smooth skin texture.

Enzyme removes dead skin cells on skin surface to activate turnover period and create healthy skin.

Fine lather exfoliates without burden to the skin

Skin remains moisturised skin without dryness after cleansing

Contains niacinamide and rice bran extract for dull skin improvement to brighten the skin.

Enzyme in the powder wash activates the best among 35-40 degrees.

No additives, artificial colours, talc, benzophenone, mineral oil, alcohol, silicon, sulfate, surfactant.

How To Use

Pour a moderate amount into your palm and add some water.

Add some water to create enough lather.

Apply the foam all over the face, and gently massage.

Rinse off with warm water.

Apply 2-3 times a week depending on your skin condition.

Tip 1: Put some water to the powder, and rub against the face for a scrub effect. *Avoid the eyes

Tip 2: Rub the powder to wet nose to remove sebum and blackhead.

Tip 3: Mix the powder to your usual facial cleanser for a richer lather and deep cleansing effect.

You only need around a penny size worth of product to work with. There's a slight fruity scent, but not artificial or too overwhelming. It foams up easily with water, but it may feel slightly beady at first when the powder is still dissolving. The powder only foams up slightly, as it does not contain any foaming agents. After rinsing the foam off my face with water, I instantly noticed that my face felt super soft, smooth, and pores were minimised. My face did not feel dry afterwards.

There were so many uses out of the small bottle that I still haven't finished my bottle yet, though I went to buy myself a full size product during the Mother's Day promotion. I use mine at least once or twice a week, and have loved it since! I'm really loving CNP Laboratory so far!!

Rating: 10/10

Thank you for reading, and have a nice day!

REVIEW: OSEQUE HIGH-END TOUCH SPF34 PA++

This product has been continuously showing up on my Facebook news feed, so as a beauty blogger, I knew I had to get it!

This is the Osèque High-End Touch in shade 21 Light Beige. This product was also mentioned in the "Get It Beauty 2015", hence its popularity.

The Osèque High-End Touch comes in two shades:
#21 Light Beige#23 Natural Beige

Volume: 30ml

Product Features
Soft and fantastic colour
Soft moisturisation all day long
Colour which improves the beauty of all types of skin tone
Youthful skin with dazzling sparkle
Contains new material RonaFlair® (sapphire structure)
Fine wrinkle hiding effect using light diffusion
Expression of 3D facial features
Moisturising and nourishing makeup
Contains propolis, fermented bifidus lysate
1 bottle of essence for reinforced nourishing powder
Makeup and skin care at the same time
Convenient applicator
Roller type for easy and convenient application on curvy facial features
No lumping even after multiple applications
Sebum control for maintenance of balance
Moisture upon application, with fluffy finish
Sebum control for refreshed makeup all day long
Whitening care with blemish elimination
Wrinkle care for firm skin
Sunlight and UV ray blockage (SPF34, PA++)

Major Ingredients

Lorna flare (synthetic sapphire) , propolis extract, non-seafood appetiser for fermentation, six kinds of plant callus culture extracts (green tea, cactus, rice, tomato, carrot, lotus).

It comes in an elegant and sleek, black plastic bottle with a roller applicator. The lid (and even the shape of the bottle) reminds me of Chanel's products.

The roller applicator is perfect for lazy people like me, as there's no need for foundation bases or brushes or sponges anymore; however if you don't like the idea of using a roller on your face, you can easily pop off the applicator and apply it with your hands or usual applicators.

When you press the button on the side a few times, the foundation will leak out, so that you can easily roll it over your face. It does, however, get a little messy if you press the button too many times, and too much foundation squirts out at once. Sometimes, the foundation doesn't roll onto the roller applicator, so you may need to use your finger to wipe it off the applicator to put onto your face, then to use the roller applicator to blend.

The Osèque High-End Touch comes with skincare benefits too ~ anti-wrinkle, whitening, and SPF34, so it's not just an ordinary foundation! 

How To Use
After using your usual moisturiser, press the switch on the container, and roll the roller puff evenly onto the face. Press the switch several times so the contents are squeezed upwards. To wash the puff, old the puff and pull upwards to detach.



If you have trouble getting the foundation on the corners of your nose, you can try dabbing the applicator onto the area instead of rolling it on.


If anyone is interested, I did a tutorial & review video on the Osèque High-End Touch. I just realised that it's a pretty long video (oops!).

COMPARISON: OSÈQUE High-End Touch vs. JENNY HOUSE Perfect Skin One Shot Cover Stick Foundation

In the first photo, I only applied the Osèque High-End Touch onto the left part of my face. If you look carefully, you will see that my dark eye circles are less dark, but it didn't really change the colour of my skin. There are no obvious differences yet. 



In the second photo, I am applying the Jenny House Perfect Skin One Shot Cover Stick Foundation onto the other half of my face.



If you look carefully in the photo below, you can see that my dark eye circle is concealed better on the right hand side. I do have quite a few moles (as shown in the photo above), but the small one below my eye is not as obvious anymore. The Jenny House Stick Foundation does a better job at concealing dark eye circles and small moles.

On the left: Osèque High-End Touch

On the right: Jenny House Perfect Skin One Shot Cover Stick Foundation

As you can see, with the photo on the left, the pores on my nose are not obvious, whereas with the photo on the right, the foundation seems to be stuck inside the pore. The Jenny House Stick Foundation is obviously more dry, as it is, after all, not a liquid foundation, hence sinks into the pores, so until the nose starts creating oil, the pores will still appear to be powdery. So, in this case, the Osèque High-End Touch seemed to do a better job at making the face appear poreless! As for the fine lines under the eyes, I think both give similar results, but Jenny House's Stick Foundation is slightly better, due to the better concealing function.

Overall, I think the Jenny House Perfect Skin One Shot Cover Stick Foundation still wins. The reasons are:

1) It's in the form of a stick, so it won't leak or spill, so it will be easy to carry around.

The button on the Osèque may accidentally be pressed when put inside your handbag, so it may leak.

2) The design is really convenient, as my hands don't get dirty your hands at all.

The Osèque can get quite messy, and you may need to use your hands to apply the foundation onto your face, before using the roller applicator.

3) It gives more coverage, so I don't even need to use a concealer unless I have a pimple or something big to cover up.

The Osèque gives a more natural look, so its coverage is very low.

4) It leaves my skin matte even after a whole day outside.

The Osèque doesn't make my face oily, but the finish is more dewy.

5) The retail price is much cheaper than the Osèque (Jenny House is selling for USD25, whereas the Osèque is USD33).

Overall, the Osèque High-End Touch is a good product if you don't need much coverage - it gives a natural look for everyday wear. The colour stays and doesn't wear off until you wash it off with makeup remover. It is very light-weight, isn't drying for the face, and makes your face look brightened. The bonus is that it contains many natural ingredients, as well as a serum included, so that it is not only a foundation, but also a skincare product. The main downside of this product is still its applicator, as it can get a little messy.

Rating: 8/10

Thank you for reading, and have a nice day!

REVIEW: HITACHI HADA CRIE CM-N8800BF

Back when I had little-to-no followers, I did a blogpost comparing the Clarisonic Mia2 and the Hada Crie that my sister-in-law bought, but as I was pregnant at that time, I was unable to test out the Hada Crie for myself, and as time went by, I never got around to purchasing my own, until one day, hubby's friend told me he owned one and he could lend it to me to play around with. I borrowed it so that I could do a blogpost comparing it with another device that I purchased, but after a few uses of that device (and a lot of procrastinating), that stupid device stopped functioning, so I didn't get around to blogging. Recently, my sister-in-law told me that she stopped using her Hada Crie, and said she could give it to me, so now, I can play around with it again.

In my previous post about the Hada Crie, which was about a year ago, she stated that she really loved using her Hada Crie. Things, however, have changed since then. She told me she used to use her Hada Crie everyday, and at first, her skin was amazing, but after a few months after using, she broke out. She's not sure whether it's because of the Hada Crie or other reasons, but she started having really sensitive skin, so she stopped using it. She also stopped going to the beautician she used to go to, as she suspected that it was one of the factors causing her breakouts. The thing is, I've taken up her package at her beautician's, and so far, I'm really enjoying the service there. So she has now accepted the fact that her skin is SUPER DUPER sensitive, and she now has to be super careful when trying out new things.

Okay, so I'm finally able to do MY OWN REVIEW on the product!

Hada Crie CM-N8800BF by Hitachi (HK$2190 = US$292)

Please note that this model is equivalent to CM-N820, but the plug is a Hong Kong plug instead of the two-legged Japanese plug, hence the different model number.

This is an ion cleansing with moisturising support device.

Key Features:

Made in Japan

Pore Cleansing & Moisturising

3 Operating Modes: Cleansing, Moisture, and Mask

Titanium Head: Prevents allergy

Dimple design which allows you to use thicker toner-type products

Can use with your regular toner, lotion, and mask

AC/Rechargeable: can be used when travelling

3 power levels selection

Auto-stop function

Items inside the box:

White Hada Crie unit

Hada Crie holder

2 cotton rings to keep the cotton pad in place

Charger

Summary Card (in Chinese)

User Manual

How To Use:

1. Before first use, charge the device for at least 8 hours.

2. You must remove all makeup before using this device.

3. There is a contact plate (for ion induction) at the back of the device, and you need to wrap your hand around to device to "complete the circuit" in order for your device to work.

4. Push the on/off button to turn on your device.

5. Push "MODE" to select what you want to do: Cleansing, Moisturise, Mask.

The default setting is at Cleansing.

6. Push "LEVEL" to select speed. For first time users, it is advised to use the lowest speed. The default level is at Low.

7. If you are on the Cleansing Mode, place a cotton pad on the titanium plate and snap the cotton ring over it. Slowly soak the cotton pad with your toner, and massage onto your face. The device will stop after 5 minutes.
8. For the Moisturise Mode, you can either pour your moisturising toner onto a cotton pad, or if you are using thicker products, you can just add the products directly onto your face, and massage with the device.
9. For the Mask Mode, you can either apply the products directly onto your face or apply a face sheet mask, and glide the Hada Crie directly over the mask.

The way to massage is to either glide the Hada Crie onto your face, or by making circular movements on your face.

The way to glide the Hada Crie onto your face:

9. Place the device on your face and it will start vibrating.

10. The device will turn off automatically after 5 minutes.

11. Do NOT wash the device with water as it is not waterproof!

You can experiment with different cotton pads, but the cotton pads I use when I use the Hada Crie, are the ones by IOPE - they are big enough to cover over the Hada Crie, feel silky, and work very well with the Had Crie, though they do tend to tear more easily. This is the cotton pad after 5 minutes of it massaging over my face and neck (it's actually my neck that made it so black).

If you're still unsure of how to use the Hada Crie, don't despair, because I did a video just for you guys!

The HadaCrie that hubby's friend lent me is the older version, CM-N810.

The differences between the N820 and the N810:

1. The new edition no longer has the "Micropat" mode
2. The ion plates now have a dimpled design
3. In the "Moisture Up" mode, thicker products (i.e. gel or emulsion type products) can be used without a cotton pad
4. The contact plates (for ion induction) have moved from the side to the back
5. The duration of the full course (all modes) is reduced from 20 minutes to 15 minutes.

I think the products that you can use for each step is quite confusing, so I tend to stick to these for easy remembering:

Cleanse - toner

Moisturise - essence/serum

Mask - face sheet mask

I know you can use a toner for the Moisturise Mode, and you can also use the serum for the Mask Mode, but I don't like to confuse myself!

I think the Hada Crie is great with its cleansing function, as it feels so satisfying to see the cotton pad so dirty, despite cleaning my face with the Clarisonic Mia2 everyday already! The other functions are so-so, as I haven't really noticed anything WOW to my skin yet (I have noticed my face to look brighter, but I don't know whether it's because of the Hada Crie or the masks I'm using). The fact that I got my device for free makes the product more worth while, otherwise if I had to pay for it myself, I'd probably not be so keen. The other thing I don't really like is that each step takes 5 minutes, so it's actually quite time-consuming - you can stop it any time you want, but the full procedure takes that long! Hubby really hates the vibrating sound - haha!

That's it for today. Thanks for reading and watching :)

REVIEW: JENNY HOUSE PERFECT SKIN ONE SHOT COVER STICK FOUNDATION

I've been so busy lately that I haven't really had time to update my blog, especially after I've realised how easy and convenient YouTube videos are compared to blogging, however, I think videos can't always show how great things are, so here, I've decided to write about it instead!

The product that I'm going to review today, is...

"Jenny House Perfect Skin One Shot Cover Stick Foundation".

A portable 3 in 1 (Base + Sunscreen + Foundation) perfect skin cover stick foundation can transform your skin through instant skin perfection and long-lasting makeup. Its advanced lightweight formulation delivers a very subtle sheen with high coverage and great adhesion to your skin. Patented Vitamin-C complex core essence illuminates your complexion and whitening your skin, also visibly minimises all imperfections, pores, fine lines, and dark spots instantly and over time.

Lightweight, breathable, silky hydrating base with high coverage that make your skin become a beautiful flawless airbrushed finish without any stickiness. It helps to keep you looking and feeling your best through any season. Its high coverage, great adhesion and long-lasting formula that leaves your skin looking virtually flawless without a trace of heavy foundation after blending like a natural born beauty.

It comes in a pretty silver box, and the product itself is also wrapped in silver, with a pink bow at the top.

Why did I get it? I was really tempted to get it after watching videos that appeared on my Facebook newsfeed! I'm so glad I bought it, because now I'm in love with it!

This is a foundation stick that comes with a sunscreen level of SPF50+/PA+++. The foundation stick comes in two parts - the bigger circle with the foundation, and the smaller circle with the sunscreen and serum - they come out as one, so problem there!

The fun thing about it is that the foundation is on one end, and the brush is on the other. The brush is also at a slanted angle, so that it's easier and less tiring to use. 

The bristles of the brush are super soft and silky, so it doesn't cause any irritation to the face whatsoever.

There are two shades to choose from:

No. 21 Light Beige

No. 23 Natural Beige

How To Use:

1. Gently twist the bottom part of main container for 0.5cm of stick foundation then apply a thin layer directly on your face, no primer is needed generally.

2. Use the built-in special designed professional foundation brush for blending the foundation inside out evenly onto your skin in order to get a flawlessly blended, full coverage, high definition results. Re-apply it as a concealer on specific spot area for building up some extra coverage there if needed.

I did a video to demonstrate how to apply the Stick Foundation:

The shade I'm using is the No. 21 (I also use the N21 IOPE Air Cushion XP). The foundation is very creamy and very easy to blend in (it does take some time, but it'll be perfect after you're done!). It doesn't even feel like I've got anything on my skin, and it doesn't block my pores! It's not sticky too, doesn't need a lot of loose powder to cover up, and my face doesn't look oily at the end of the night!

It matches perfectly with my skin tone, perhaps slightly white on my face, but it gives my skin the kind of glow that it needs!

"At the end of the night" look - still flawless and non-oily (with no touch-ups during the night)! I had a few bumps on my forehead that night, but the foundation stick did an awesome job to cover them up (my concealer sucks, so the foundation stick definitely takes the credit)! I guess I forgot to mention that I use minimal makeup each time, so what you see is what you get!

I also forgot to mention that in the past, my face would normally feel super dry after a day of makeup, and I would urgently need to use a face mask that night, but since using this foundation stick, I haven't had this problem anymore!

The only complaint I would make would probably be the silver packaging, because all my fingerprints get stuck onto it and makes it not so pretty, but it's easy to wipe off so it's not too bad!

Price: HKD188 (equivalent to USD25)

Let's compare this to my previous favourite...

IOPE Air Cushion XP in N21

I really liked this before because...

1) the colour was a perfect match to my skin

2) it's really easy to use

3) it's not drying on my face

But what I don't like about it is that using it was very messy to use (and I don't like my things to look dirty!). As you can see from the photo below, the puff has already changed to become a beige coloured puff, but I've only used it a few times (every time I dipped the puff into the cushion, the foundation would all float to cover the sides of the puff). The mirror is also very dirty too, though it was never clear enough to be a mirror in the first place. The most important thing is that the cushion is already used up, and I've only used it a few times, so it's quite pricey for something that can only be used with a few uses! It also left a sticky feeling on my face, required me to apply a lot of loose powder on top, and yet still had an oily nose! I guess it's really not suitable for the humid weather we have here in Hong Kong!

Enough rambling over my new product...I bet you guys want to know where I got it from or where you guys can buy it (goodwillbeauty ships worldwide too!):

http://www.minikmall.com/shop/all/jenny-house-perfect-skin-one-shot-cover-stick-foundation-%E6%99%BA%E5%AD%9D%E7%B2%89%E5%BA%95/

http://www.goodwillbeauty.com.hk/en/face/595-perfect-skin-one-shot-cover-stick-foundation-spf50-pa.html

Thank you for reading, and have a nice day!

The italicised phrases are copied from www.goodwillbeauty.com.hk.