Rethought Review: Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Sleeping Mask

You know how I wasn't impressed by this sleeping mask?

I tried it again, this time without wearing my usually cream first.

Then I tried it again, slathering a thick later onto my face.

Then I tried it again when I was suffering from pimples and wanted my face to calm down a bit.


Each time I woke up, without fail, GREASY T-ZONE. Totally as if I didn't do anything to my face at all! No balance, whatsoever. It would get absorbed the same way, even that one time that I globbed it on so generously I was scared that my skin would stop breathing halfway through the night.

It smells so clean, so fresh. It has a great consistency that is like a matte gel. But it doesn't do anything to me! At least, I cannot tell. All I can tell is that it doesn't balance out the dry and greasy parts of my face like Donkey Milk 3D Moisture Cream does, and for that, it makes me feel like I almost didn't put anything on at all.

This product was a fail in my book. Smells great, but I can't seem to see or feel a difference that I am happy with.

Rating: Will use, but only out of fun, not actually for results. Such a pretty box and packaging, but I would gladly trade it for something else less pretty looking that actually gives me a bit more oomph.

The Short of It -- Review: Freeset's Donkey Milk 3D Moisture

It has to be said: I love it, but it's not my holy grail.

This cream is a bit tacky, so it comes off as a bit stringy when you dab it, but it really does the job in a few dabs.

However, after the two week trail period, I've noticed that my T-zone is still a bit shinier than I would like it to be. My U-zone, the dry parts, do feel hydrated and soft. But the moisture that they need is different from the T-zone where it still feels unbalanced.

The scent is also kind of nice, though I cannot put my finger on what exactly it is.

Bottomline: For $40 I am satisfied, but always looking for something that really makes my face more balanced. Maybe I am just spoiling myself and this might be one of the better products I've used. We will see.

Skincare Routine Mondays: November 30, 2015

1. Oil Cleanser. None. Still none. Even though I am looking into it.
2. Water-based Cleanser (Foaming Cleanser). None, see above.
3. Water rinse. My actual step 1. Water is at a neutral ph of 7. Check.
4. Toner. Although I have purchased Missha's Clear Toner (in the Time Revolution Starter Set), I am waiting until Friday to start. This is because I want to see how Freeset's Donkey Milk 3D Moisture Cream adjusts to my face after two weeks. Two weeks is my bare minimum in regards to adding a new product, even though I would love to use everything I bought all at once. I was having a reaction to the Hada Labo Alpha Lotion, so that was nix just shy of a week. Missha's Time Revolution toner and first essence will be incorporated late this week.
5. Serum or essence. Still using samples of SK-II Facial Treatment Repair C from Sephora. Honestly, I do not know if it is making a difference. I am on my third or so sample, and have been using it consistently for at least the last two or three weeks. Probably going to go out to get some more samples because it makes me feel better to have a fairly expensive serum in my routine. Whereas the freebie Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum has not been seeing as much love. Right now going through a hormonal acne phase, and really, with SKII Facial Treatment Repair C, I think this second serum is just child's play.
6. Moisturizer. 
      AM: Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer SPF 30. Seriously, I don't know why I love this over-fragnanced product so much. It leaves me moisturized and sun protected all in one go. However, I will be trying to incorporate Nature Republic's Provence Calendula Perfect Sun Block SPF50+ PA+++ since I no longer wish to use Clinique's City Block when I use a regular moisturizer without SPF in it.
      PM : Freeset's Donkey Milk 3D Moisture Cream, still smells great, still leaves my skin plump and nice. Still has not been two weeks, so I am not sure exactly how it's going to adjust to my skin just quite. 

Skincare Routine as of November 23, 2015

1. Oil Cleanser. None. I haven't worn make-up, so I really don't take this step seriously.
2. Water-based Cleanser (Foaming Cleanser). None, see above.
3. Water rinse. My actual step 1. Water is at a neutral ph of 7. Check.
4. Toner. None! I have the outdated Holika Holika one that I referred to in my last routine check-up. Unfortunately, I am having a slight reaction to the Hada Labo Alpha Lotion that I purchased earlier this month. It did not last me a week because I was tired of all the little bumps and white-heads that I do not normally get. It has been one week since then and my skin is still trying to heal itself.
5. Serum or essence. Right now I have been leeching samples of SK-II Facial Treatment Repair C from Sephora. They have this nifty thing where I can go in and ask for a sample, they give me a few pumps in a small container, and viola, liquid gold! And at the price Sephora is selling it for, ($170 for 1 ounce) it truly is. I keep it in a dark place in my medicine cabinet and one sample usually lasts me almost a week. Mornings and evenings. In the evenings I have also stuck to using my freebie Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum.  Usually I place this on the drier patches of my face, the "U" shape that combination skin knows so well. Especially since they're the problem spots the Hada Labo Alpha Lotion had exacerbated.
6. Moisturizer. AM Go to: Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer SPF 30. PM Go to: OH YAS MY DONKEY MILK 3D, where you can read the lovely Fifty Shade's Review on it. I have scoured, found it for 35.99 for a 50g glass tub, and I had purchased it the day after I bought/used the Hada Labo Alpha Lotion for the first time. It took me five days, but I finally gave up what isn't good for me for something better, and that is Freeset's Donkey Milk 3D Moisture Cream.

What's new here? SKII and Donkey Milk.

The tricky thing about the SKII Facial Treatment Repair C is that people are often confused and fooled by the name. Even the Sephora rep told me that it has vitamin C in it. Which I quickly corrected him, "Oh, actually, no, it doesn't." He didn't believe me and had to read the label himself.

"Saccharomycopsis Ferment Filtrate*, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Methylparaben, Sodium Benzoate. *Pitera."

And that is all there is. No Vitamin C, none of that active culture at all. "C" is supposed to be for "concentrate," but why not create one good product versus a bunch of little ones? The Essence, which another Sephora associate raved has the "highest content of Pitera," is the main-seller and is so watery that I cannot get a sample of it because it's just going to go all over. Hmm, it's about time for me to pick up another sample of liquid gold. Good thing a little of this serum goes a long, long way.

The Donkey Milk 3D Moisture Cream has been making me very happy, but I am going to wait until the two week mark to see if this is just instant gratification or what.

All in due time, my dears, all in due time.

New Product Excitement! - DONKEY MILK 3D MOISTURE CREAM

To be honest, I capitalized the title to be obnoxious.

So, yesterday, which I got the Japanese toner, the nice lady there also introduced Freeset's (Korean brand) product. Donkey Milk is all the rage these days, no? It was forty dollars and the sale associate even said it was really popular and they're only down to one even though it's rather expensive.

Either way, in my extensive research (re: reading fifty shades of snail's review where she gave it a 4.5 our of 5, very high satisfaction rate!) I saw a pharmacy named dropped somewhere within the comments. Asian beauty products sold in an Asian pharmacy? I had to say I was a bit surprised, but then not too surprised at all. So today I went scouted and found that it indeed was sold there for 35.99. The box was a bit dusty, but since there was only one I got the fear of missing out of purchasing opportunities and just bought it.

When I brought it up to the cashier, she remarked to herself in Chinese, "wow, why are so many people buying this?" I asked back in English, "yeah, I don't know." Then I asked in Chinese, "have a lot of people been buying this?" To the extent of which she did not recoil at my Chinese (in shock not disgust) and replied in Chinese, "yeah, a lot of people lately, but they're all foreigners." May I remark that "foreigners" usually imply non-Asian of a Caucasian variety. Like me. Which is what I replied, "ah, hmm yes, just like me" and sheepishly walked out of there.

Sheepishly because, yes, I feel like such a sheep jumping on an expensive cream bandwagon. I hadn't even researched the Hada Labo Alpha Lotion (aka Japanese for toner) before buying it, but I did it anyway. Turns out I made a good purchase decision as I looked it up online, and price checked the pharma where I got the Donkey Milk cream, and where I got it was the cheapest I saw the Hada Labo toner. Fist pump for getting a good price. Saving the world five to ten dollars at a time.

Which also is to say that I am saving my pocket by getting liquid gold samples of SKII from Sephora. This weekend was just crazy!! So many people in the stores because VIB get 20% off. This was written about already, hasn't it? OH WELL.

One thing I've learned in my skin care research is that we get too excited to try on ALL THE PRODUCTS and yet we never let a product fully take it turn. So I AM SO EXCITED about donkey milk....but will have to practice self restraint before I use it. Beauty bloggers have noted around two to three weeks before introducing a new product into your routine. That is to say that you have a "wardrobe" of products, but you can't wear all of them at the same time. Therefore, since the Hada Labo Alpha Lotion is my latest new product I've been using, I have to keep using it for at least two weeks and then I can change my routine and incorporate the Donkey Milk into my regimen. I still have my little samples of SKII Repair C (the "C" is not for Vitamin C which even the Sephora associate thought and informed me it was. The "C" is for concentrate, how misleading!).

Testing Hada Labo Alpha Lotion

Went shopping in the neighborhood and found that upstairs had a plethora of Asian beauty products.

They had Hada Labo line of products, and after using a Kate Somerville toner that made my face feel hot and unpleasant, I decided to stick to my Asian guns and go with Hada Labo Gokyujyun Alpha Lotion. I was tempted to get the regular moist product that beauty bloggers either rave or say it's overrated, but at 16 dollars I really did not mind trying the anti-aging one that I have seen less reviews of. Basically there is hyaluronic acid in the white bottle one that people usually review, whereas there are several additional ingredients in the Alpha Lotion like collagen to promote new skin growth. However, as I plug away the ingredients, I realize that the original has much fewer ingredients and also no irritants and less problems. Where the Alpha anti-aging toner that I purchased comes with a slew of irritants and not so safe chemicals. Less is more when it comes to many things in life and I am beginning to believe this about beauty products as well.

Used this product tonight and have a pimple forming on my cheek. Just one not so nice pimple. We will see if it gets better or worse as times progressed. Still using SKII Repair C serum that I ask for every time I am at Sephora. Ain't nobody got time for a $170 for 1 oz product. Sephora gives me a couple days worth at a time and in two weeks I can reevaluate if I like it enough at that price (hint: probably not).

Did try out a Donkey Milk 3D cream that smells great and puts one back of my hand to shame. (I always test there for some odd reason.) $40 later I think I am going to get it, but shop around in case I can save five bucks.

Let's see how my skincare wardrobe pans out. Can't wait to get to Lotte Duty Free in Incheon!!! I've been dying to get my hands on sum37's rose stick cleanser.