[SKINFOOD] STRAWBERRY BLACK SUGAR MASK *WASH OFF*

I was always a bigger fan of mud masks but recently I also love to use sheet masks. I got tons of those masks from Korea and Taiwan like Kieskin, My Scheming, My Beauty Diary, innisfree, DERMAL, VANEDO, PUREDERM and so on.

I like that I just put the sheet on my face, leave it on for about 20 minutes and remove it without washing it off. The quality of the sheets are different: some are a bit too thick, so that it feels not very comfortable on the skin, others are so thin that they easily break when I unfold them.
I got different types while my favorites are always those for troubled skin (tea tree, charcoal, propolis, mango) or just for moisturizing (bamboo, watermelon, seaweed, herbs).
I would like to try japanese sheet masks as well but I never find interesting ones except of the moisturizing LuLuLun FACE MASK.

Back to mud masks: I received two new ones. One of these is the [SKINFOOD] STRAWBERRY BLACK SUGAR MASK WASH OFF. Most of the korean masks I used were from [SKINFOOD] and I decided to get this one because it is a mix of a facial scrub and face mask. In addition, strawberry is often used in products for oily or troubled skin with enlarged pores.

Description: A facial mask that contains mineral-rich Brazilian black sugar along with strawberry seeds and strawberry seed oil. Applies smoothly on skin and leaves skin fresh, clean and fragrant with a strawberry scent.

Like all face masks from [SKINFOOD] the STRAWBERRY BLACK SUGER MASK also comes in a milky white, slightly see-through plastic container with a white twist-off lid and 100g inside.

The description is written in English and Korean!

The ingredient list is only written in Korean and hard to read for me. The only things I could find out are Sucrose/ Sugar (16,500mg), Glycerin, Candelilla Wax, Lanolin, Macadamia Seed Oil, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Strawberry Seed (1,000mg), Berry Seed Oil (500mg) and Caramel.

The consistency is rather thick and feels kinda oily. When applying the mask to the skin you can instantly feel all the sugar in it. The strawberry seeds are also visible in this reddish-brown 2-in-1 product.
The sweet strawberry scent is nice but I don't think that the scent last very long on my skin.

I use a spatula (not included) to take the product out and mix it with a bit water before I apply it to my face. Then I massage the STRAWBERRY BLACK SUGAR MASK for about 1 minute - the sugar will start to melt away and makes the mask more soft. It reminds me a bit of [Holika Holika]'s Pig-nose clear black head cleansing sugar scrub!
After another 5~10 minutes I wash it off with clear water.

Afterwards my skin really feels smoother and cleaner. The sugar works as a scrub and removes dead skin cells while the strawberry inside cleanses the pores.
Since I have sensitive skin I use it only once a week!

How to use: After cleansing, massage onto damp face, avoiding the eye and mouth areas. To minimize irritation add water or toner while massaging.
Leave for 10~15 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water.

Price: around 9,- €/ US$12  
Bought at: eBay (f2plus1)  
 
What I love:
My skin feels smoother and cleaner afterwards!
 
What I don’t like:    
The sugar might be too harsh for sensitive skin but when mixed with water it's way better.
 
Will I buy this again? Not sure yet because I always like to try out new stuff.

[A'PIEU] Aqua Nature Fresh Bamboo Soothing Gel

Since a few months I like to use aloe vera gel in the morning and evening underneath my regular face cream.
I've already reviewed the ALOE VERA 92% SOOTHING GEL from [NATURE REPUBLIC] and now I got a similar product but with bamboo instead of aloe vera in it: [A'PIEU]'s Aqua Nature Fresh Bamboo Soothing Gel.

I tend to stick to products from [ETUDE HOUSE], [Holika Holika] or [SKINFOOD] but it's always nice to try out another cosmetic brand. [A'PIEU] belongs to [MISSHA] and contains mainly natural ingredients, similar to [NATURE REPUBLIC] or [SKINFOOD] I guess.

Official Website: http://shop.beautynet.co.kr/apieu/

I got the Fresh Bamboo Soothing Gel because it is said to be good for oily & combination skin. For those with dry & normal skin it's also available as Deep-sea Soothing Gel.

Description: AQUA NATURE provides pure and natural energy to your skin, with its high moisturizing benefit. With AQUA NATURE, you will experience the beautiful innovation to your skin with the pure and harmonious ingredients from natural water.

The Fresh Bamboo Soothing Gel comes in a clear plastic container with a milky white twist-off lid. The conatiner contains 200ml and has only a short english description on the front, while on the back is everything written in korean.

This Fresh Bamboo Soothing Gel is just one product of a whole bamboo skincare line. There are also available a toner, serum, emulsion and cream.
The main ingredients are Bamboo Water (5.0%), Swiss Alpine Herbs, Lavender and Chamomile.

Like the aloe vera gel its consitency is gel-like, non-sticky and highly moisturizing. The green-colored gel has a fresh scent and gets absorbed by my skin quite fast.
It can be used on the face and body!

After using [A'PIEU]'s Aqua Nature Fresh Bamboo Soothing Gel for a few weeks now I can say that I like it a little bit more than the aloe vera soothing gels I tried before. Not only because it is recommended for those with oily & combination skin, but also because my skin feels less 'tight' afterwards. I'm sure I could use it alone by itself but I still apply a face cream over it.

How to use: After cleansing your face or body and toner application, apply gel gently on the face or body.
You can keep it in the fridge for a more cooling sensation.

Price: around 10,- €/ US$13 
Bought at: eBay (iamlove-shop)  

What I love: 
The fresh feeling and that my skin doesn't feel super tight and oily afterwards.   

What I don’t like:   
Nothing yet! 

Will I buy this again? I would buy it instead of aloe vera gel again!

[SKINFOOD] Vita Water Drop CC cream *Floral Water Drop*

After trying [MIZON]'s CORRECT COMBO CC Cream and being positively surprised by its finish I wanted to give another CC cream a chance. To be more exact I purchased two and one of these was [SKINFOOD]'s Vita Water Drop CC cream.
This CC cream is available in two different designs: a blue tube (#D1 Smile Water Drop) and a white tube (#D2 Floral Water Drop). I don't know if there is a difference in the CC cream itself but I got the Floral Water Drop one. Somewhere I was reading that the CC cream in the white tube is good for reddish skin but I'm not really sure about that.
This products are a collaboration with 'water drop sonata'!

Description: Perfect All-in-one CC cream that absorbs in the skin deeply and makes the skin smooth.
It works as skincare + make-up and makes the skin tone brighter. SPF35 PA+++

As already said, the Floral Water Drop comes in a white tube and contains 30g. On the front is a cute print designed by 'water drop sonata'. The tube comes with a pump and has only the korean description on the back.

As the description is only written in korean it's also hard for me to read the ingredients. I still could find out that this Vita Water Drop CC cream contains extracts of Tomato, Celery (300mg), Broccoli, Apple, Carrot, Pumpkin (300mg), Asparagus, Raspberry and more.

As the other CC creams I've used so far had a whitish color, I expected the same from [SKINFOOD]'s Vita Water Drop CC cream. But this CC cream comes in a beige shade with a slight pinkish undertone. I was highly sceptical at first because the color doesn't look like my skintone. Surprisingly, the rather watery CC cream blends in very good and fits my skintone quite well afterwards. My skin feels smooth, looks brighter and less reddish. 

Unfortunately, it has just a sheer coverage since it's supposed to be a color correcting cream. The scent is not too bad and reminds me of a floral/ vegetable scent.

I like this CC cream because it evens out my skin tone, makes it less reddish and smooth. But since my skin often needs a better coverage I will use it mostly in combination with a BB cream or face powder on top. It even doesn't come with a great oil control what makes it a better product for those with normal or dry skin.

Price: around 9,- €/ US$12 
Bought at: eBay (iamlove-shop)       
 
What I love:    
The cute design and that it evens out my skin tone. 

What I don’t like:  
The sheer coverage is not perfect for those with skin problems. 

Will I buy this again? No, I will give other BB creams or CC creams a try.