Skincare Review: Akoco K-Beauty Goodies

Akoco sent over a few K-Beauty products and I have been playing with me for a few weeks now. I have been doing a longer morning routine are now more discerning as to how most products work.

I am no stranger to cleansing pads but the Latte Bubble Deep Cleansing Pads from Sonreve feels so gentle on the skin while cleansing. To use, you wet one side with water and lather before wiping the embossed side on the face. You can use the rougher side afterward before rinsing but I only do that when I want to exfoliate.

To tone, the Fresh Calming Balancing Toner Pack from Laneige promises to refresh the skin and restore the skin’s moisture and oil balance. I have not tried the bottled version of this one but this toner pack is very travel-friendly. I know we can’t travel right now but the thin packaging would be very useful when we do. For now, I have been using this while checking my emails. It feels calming and not stripping.

I never thought I’d be able to mask while I work but this is where we are now. The Aloe Soothing Mask Pack from Benton aims to revitalize, hydrate, nourish, and moisturize the skin using aloe leaf water, camellia sinensis leaf water, glycerin, pentylene glycol, and sodium PCA. I have tried this before and it’s soothing and relaxing to the skin, especially when your skin is feeling sensitive.

The No-Sebum Mineral Powder from Innisfree claims to be a replacement for oil control paper. This is also another product that I have tried before and it does mattify the skin. It’s great for those who don’t wear much makeup but wants to keep the skin matte.

The Sonreve Latte Bubble Deep Cleansing Pads, Laneige Fresh Calming Balancing Toner Pack, Benton Aloe Soothing Mask Pack, and Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder were provided by @akoco. Available at akoco.com

Brand Overview: Onomie Beauty

Every morning, I would rather use hydrating products than a moisturizer that can either make my face oilier or clog it or both. These are the products from Onomie that I’m currently playing around with.

A not so new addition to my #morningroutine, the Powerful Priming Serum ($50) promises to be an antioxidant-packed #serum and makeup #primer in one. It contains blackjack botanical and willow bark extract to smoothen and moisturize, daisy flower extract and vitamin c to brighten and improve texture, and chaparral to even the skin tone.

Using it again, it’s still as good as I remembered. It’s creamy, it sinks in quickly, and it leaves the skin satiny. It has a serum texture with a yellowish color that contains tiny flecks. On first look, it looks like something someone with oily skin would stay away from.

When applied, however, there’s no trace of the glittery mess, just a luminous effect to the skin. A glow from within look that is badly needed on days I feel sluggish. It also minimizes the redness around my nose, cheeks, and forehead. I really enjoy using it under makeup every morning as I don’t get extra oily in the afternoon, despite the other reviews I’ve read about this saying so, fortunately. I use a mattifying primer when I have to stay out until the evening but use it alone for every day. It helps smooth, brighten, and moisturize my skin.

My eye area has always been a challenge. I have a god-given eyeshadow, oily lids, and extremely dark and dry under eye circles. Add to that the lines that are forming under and on the corner of my eyes and it’s just a sad party. I once got rid of them. Well, not me, but the makeup artist on my wedding and it took minutes of baking. I can’t always do that but I’m always on the lookout for products that can help without taking too much of my time.

The Bright Concealing Elixir ($30) is a welcome addition to my stash. Concealers are my second most bought makeup product next to lip colors.

Free of fragrance, parabens, alcohol, and phthalates, this #concealer is creamy enough to spread around and doesn’t feel tacky. It may come in a small package but a drop of product goes a long way. It doesn’t gather around my fine lines, which isn’t an easy feat as I’ve had many concealers create lines where they don’t exist.

It claims to be full-coverage but for me, it only has medium coverage plus the ability to brighten. I also like that it has vitamins B, C, D, E, and K. This is enough as a daily concealer but would need to be built on if I’m trying to cover the fact that I only had three hours of sleep.

The A.C.E Illuminating Eye Treatment ($40), on the other hand, is both a #highlighter and an #eyecream. A.C.E. is the vitamins in the product for anti-aging, moisture, and brightening.

This has a soft emulsion-like texture and has a fine shimmer. It acts as a brightener and a reflector, which makes me look alive, like I didn’t stay up all night to watch reruns of The Office. As for its actual brightening effect, my dark under eye circles lightened a bit and the fine lines on the corner of my eyes are somewhat managed. I like to put this on before my concealer to brighten. I also sometimes use this as a highlighter under my brows because of its light but vibrant sheen.

They also have the Brilliant Blending Sponge ($5), made free from latex, for blending the concealer and highlighter. The pointed end can be used on the corner of the eyes and the rounded end can be used under the eyes or the high points of the cheeks. The #blendingsponge is a bit harder than the other blending sponges I have but I like it that way because it makes patting the concealer easier. Perfect for applying makeup that requires precision, it also helps in blending my highlighter, especially when you go a bit overboard with liquid and cream ones. It gives me more control when getting in the nooks and crannies of my face.

The AHA! Perfecting Setting Powder ($30) contains lactic acid for hydration and exfoliation, peptides for collagen boosting, and vitamin c to block free radicals, even skin tone, and smooth fine lines.

This is a finely-milled #settingpowder that feels luxurious on the skin. Even for my medium toned skin, this disappears and doesn’t give a white cast at all. I love the packaging because, for someone with oily skin, retouching is a must and this is easy to lug around without any fear of the powder spilling on my bag. It helps sets concealer and mattify the oily parts of my face.

I first wore this on a warm day and I was surprised that the whole day I didn’t feel the need to blot. Yes, my skin is not as matte as it was that morning but my t-zone doesn’t look shiny at all. I’m amazed as to how this hydrated my skin. It worked well even with my foundation that has a radiant finish. I like using this all over my face, especially on the areas I applied concealer on. It doesn’t make me look like I applied powder on, honestly. This is a revelation for me because I am not a fan of applying powder on my face but this made me a convert.

As a final step, the Radical Setting Mist ($30) aims to refresh and replenish while leaving a glowy and dewy finish using rosewater, extracts of algae, blackberry, calendula, and chamomile extracts, and moringa seed oil. It gives a light and fine mist that instantly refreshes the skin. It feels lightweight, gentle, and most especially, it doesn’t sting. It helps set everyday makeup but I find a better use for this as a refresher in the middle of the afternoon after being stuck in an air-conditioned room or under the sun for a long period of time, like other face mists.

These products were provided by @onomiebeauty for review. Available at onomie.com

I have repeatedly professed my love for cream and liquid blushes despite my oilyskin – they are blendable, easy to apply and reapply, and they look more natural. That’s why I never saw a #creamblush that didn’t interest me. So, when Onomie sent over some of their products, the Boosting Lip + Cheek Stick is the first product I picked up.

This lip and cheek stick is formulated as a hydrating, plumping balm promising a healthy, natural glow. It contains spilanthes acmella flower extract and caprylic to hydrate and smooth, cacay oil to improve skin’s texture and radiance, sunflower seed oil to tighten and protect, and shea butter to soften the skin.

As claimed, this has a balmy texture. It applies creamy on the cheeks and but its sheen is more noticeable when applied on the lips. I also apply this on my eyes for a glossy look. This has a smooth and soft glide that can be buffed and blended with your fingers or the Cheeky Blending Brush ($10). Despite the balmy texture, the pigmentation of these sticks a good and colors stays true to the packaging and the colors are also buildable and blendable. As a blush, the color stays on for about 5 hours, and before drinks or food as a #lipbalm. It’s available in 6 shades that I think would have something to offer for a lot of skin tones.

⁃ Tamar is wine colored and it suits my skin tone. It creates a natural flush on my cheeks and a subtle tint to my lips.

⁃ Cruz is a berry shade and provides a deeper flush if that’s what you’re going for during the day.

⁃ Nightingale is nude and works as a subtle bronzer on my skin. I also like blending this with the other bright colored sticks to deepen or add definition.

⁃ Caria is a pink nude that brightens the entire face and looks great on me if I’m just doing a quick simple makeup. This just brightens my face.

⁃ Aquitaine is an orchid color that looks a bit weird to me because of its purple tone but blends well with my medium skin tone. It provides a subtle blush and gives off a darker lip tone.

⁃ Rani is a toasted papaya shade for a sun-kissed look.

#skinwhimsreview Onomie Boosting Lip + Cheek Stick

This product was provided by @onomie. Available for $30 at onomie.com

Skincare Review: BareMinerals Pureness Gel Cleanser and Pureness Soothing Light Moisturizer

Using coconut water, prickly pear, and coconut milk, BareMinerals created the Pureness Gel Cleanser and Pureness Soothing Light Moisturizer to hydrate, balance, replenish, and soothe the skin.

The Pureness Gel Cleanser feels mild and gentle on the skin. The gel cleanser feels soothing and refreshing to the skin. It doesn’t leave the skin stripped and dry. When used in the morning, this leaves my skin feeling a bit oily.

The Pureness Soothing Light Moisturizer feels lightweight. It has a slightly watery consistency but feels creamy on the skin. It quickly sinks in but leaves a satin-like but not tacky texture on my face. This does lean more on the moisturizing side than hydrating.

Both vegan, I feel that these products were for those who have normal skin types that love BareMinerals. These are both gentle and soothing but my oily skin would need more than that.

The BareMinerals Pureness Gel Cleanser and Pureness Soothing Light Moisturizer were provided by @bareminerals and @tractenbergandco. Available at bareminerals.com

Skincare Review: Bliss Pumpkin Powerhouse Mask, Drench and Quench, and Green Tea Wonder Mask

Some Bliss tubs I’ve been testing the past few months.

The Pumpkin Powerhouse Mask promises to exfoliate and resurface the skin using pumpkin puree, lemon and rice powders, and sodium hyaluronate, and shea butter. This is a creamy mask with tiny bits that feels soft and not at all scratchy. It almost feels likes tiny fibers. It just that lightly exfoliates the skin. The masks sting a bit but it does soften the skin. After every application, this helped with my skin’s texture a bit.

To moisturize, the Drench & Quench promises to hydrate and balance the skin with purified microalgae, hydrozome, vitamin c, milk thistle oil, passion fruit seed oil, and german chamomile. As expected, this gel moisturizer feels like a burst of water when you apply it to the skin. It also has a fresh floral scent that’s similar to body moisturizers my aunt used to use when I was a kid. It settles into this slightly creamy, silky texture as it dries. It feels hydrating, which didn’t really surprise me. It’s just not as hydrating as I would like.

I have never encountered a cuter overnight mask than the Green Tea Wonder Mask. It glistens on my hands on my face when applied. Aside from how it looks, this overnight mask also aims to balance and smooth the skin while absorbing excess oil using azelaic acid, fermented green tea oil, green tea extract, aloe leaf juice, and rosa canica extract. This feels so good on the skin. It feels soothing and rejuvenating so I use this after exfoliating or when my skin is feeling sensitive. Most of my overnight masks focus on hydration so this is a welcome addition in my stash.

The Bliss Pumpkin Powerhouse Mask, Drench and Quench, and Green Tea Wonder Mask were provided by @bliss. Available at blissworld.com

Skincare Review: Murad Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum and Vita-C Eyes Dark Circle Corrector

I’m a vitamin c fan so I am happy to see a lot of vitamin c-focused products. Newly launched from Murad is the Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum and Vita-C Eyes Dark Circle Corrector – both gold-stabilized (for enhanced stability, efficacy and potency) and promising healthier and brighter skin.

Containing vitamin c and glycolic acid, two ingredients that my skin loves, the Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum aims to protect, brighten, and combat dullness. First off, the serum looks metallic. It has a creamy consistency and it feels light and nourishing on the skin. It spreads thinly and sinks in quickly, leaving a plump surface. It does have a tingling sensation seconds after application, which I didn’t really mind. I like that it virtually doesn’t smell like anything. After a couple of weeks , I can see how it brightened my skin and left it looking plump and soft. I do not have grave skin problems right now, which I’m thankful for, but I do need to protect and maintain it that’s why I like products like this to help me.

Similar to the serum, the Vita-C Eyes Dark Circle Corrector glistens and is light-reflecting. It uses gold-stabilized vitamin c, red and brown algae extracts, light-reflecting micro-minerals, and cucumber extracts to protect, de-puff, soothe, brighten, and hydrate the eye area. The glowing cream spreads thinly on the eye area and feels hydrating on my dry under eyes. A little goes a long way on this one. A couple of dots cover both areas and still leave a creamy finish. It prevents my eye area from feeling too dry. It also leaves a bit of tingling but not as strong and as long as the serum does. I will have to use this more to see it’s brightening effects but the light-reflecting particles help cover my dark undereye circles when I use it in the morning. It also hydrates and keeps my eye area from feeling and looking dry.

The Murad Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum and Vita-C Eyes Dark Circle Corrector were provided by @collectively and @muradskincare. Available at @muradskincare, @sephora, and @ultabeauty

#sephora #ultabeauty