Curel UV Protection Milk SPF25 PA++ (for face and body) review/ swatch

Over the last year I've became a massive fan of Curel products and the brand in general. I've pretty much purchased most items from their original line (featured by green cap/ white bottle packagings) which is targeted at sensitive skin that needs moisturisation.

This was about 20-25USD in Asia. Available most commonly in Japan, then HK and Taiwan.

 Curel also has a whitening line which is featured by grey and white packagings.

Here's a review of the UV protection milk, which is Curel's version of a day moisturiser for face and body with sun protection.

Comes in a simple packaging with cardboard backing below:

Contains 60ml:

Comes in a small nozzle opening like this:

It's not quite those liquidity sunscreen that requires shaking before use like the Mentholatum sunkiller line, this feels less liquidpapery in consistency , it does require shaking but it doesn't have that fast evaporating feel like those liquid-paper consistency sunscreens. It's a light milky fluid. Unscented.

It smooths out easily, leaves a very slight shine, but not sticky.

I took this with me on holiday in Thailand- and quickly realised it may not be waterproof. Hence it's best used as a light day sunscreen for face and body instead. However when used as a body sunscreen I feel like you need a fair bit of product to get the right coverage so the 60ml is very small for use on the body. 

As for the face it's a pretty low SPF rating (SPF25 PA++) so I did not feel like it gave complete sun protection. It is lightly moisturising too so doesn't give that tight or dry feeling which some sunscreens leave behind. It's not quite oil controlling on the face though so does seem to make my makeup slip a bit quicker especially when I was in Thailand with the high humidity and all.

Overall this is best for use on a daily basis regular city life, I still prefer Sofina SPF for my facial sunscreen. For the body I like Kanebo Allie line. Both have consistencies I prefer. 

Rating is 3.5/5. It's a good sunscreen on the go and reasonably priced if you are using it as a facial sunscreen. However I just think Sofina is more compatible with me with higher SPF and better finish under my makeup.

Hadatuko Manten Hada Daily Protector SPF30 (sunscreen/ moisturiser) review/ swatch

"Hadatuko Manten Hada" is supposedly, a Japanese 'originated' brand which seems to be sold almost exclusive in Hong Kong and Sasa.com. "Hadatuko" means skin of a newborn- so the brand image is really going for the vibe of "we are going to give you baby soft skin".

After some googling I'm beginning to suspect that rather than a being a typical true Japanese brand as the website page and product packaging is suggesting, it might be one of those brands which features Japanese packaging and supposedly made in Japan and all, but really could be just be backed by a Hong Kong beauty brand (maybe Sasa given it seems to be distributed out of Sasa exclusively) and probably not very Japanese at all. (if you google the official website basically it's actually primarily in Chinese rather than having a dominant Japanese homepage). 

Hopefully someone can tell me if this is the case. It's not so much a brand origin bias thing, but I don't really like particular brands to be packaged and marketed in a certain way in Asia. ( there was various news these few years about brands that market themselves in Asia that they are Swiss originated etc etc with some secret patents formula,  and turned out to be made in some Asian dodgy factory).

The packaging is minimalistic- white paper boxes with green prints. The cap is a nice silvery blue-green.

The Daily Protector is basically the SPF30 moisturiser from the range for both face and body. The bottle is 40ml, given the fluid consistency it actually goes a long way if you only use it for the face.

English ingredient list:

Instructions (sorry, blogger's picture uploading property is terrible sometimes so it wouldn't rotate properly)

The brand says the product line features 6 unique natural skincare ingredients as its active ingredients:

- Jabara citrus peel extract (anti-oxidation/ anti-inflammatory)

- Sake- rich in amino acids, prevents aging and helps dark pigmentation

- Oryza Sativa (rice) lees extract- helps rejuvenate and brighten skin

- Green tea extract- anti-oxidant and anti-allergy

- Citrus unshiu peel extract: anti-allergy and rehydrates

- Natto Gum- improves dehydration and premature aging

Comes in a convenient nozzle design.

The product is light and fluid. It's similar to most of Sofina sunscreen's consistencies.

However it blends out a lot more watery than Sofina sunscreens.

Leaves a slightest shine below. However you can feel a certain 'coating' on top of the skin.

After going through about 6 or 8 bottles of Sofina sunscreens for the face last few years, I decided I might try something different. While this is in the same vibe of a liquid sunscreen (with the shake before use instruction like Sofina), I feel Sofina's formulation is more gentle and better.

In terms of SPF protection it's weaker than Sofina for sure. I have fairly stable skin while using Sofina sunscreens but since I started using this a month ago, I can visibly see a few more freckles coming up.  Not to mention after maybe 6-8 hours it may be slightly itchy on the skin too.

rating is 2.5/5. It's not terrible but it's not a worthwhile product to try.  If you like Sofina sunscreens, stick with those. If you didn't like Sofina type of sunscreens, you can skip this one too.

I will use this as a body sunscreen when I'm going for a walk or something. (I would not trust the SPF protection to be adequate for full outdoor Australian sun or watersports).

L'Occitane Rose Petals Ultra Rich Body Cream (25% shea butter) review/ swatch

L'Occitane sometimes releases a whole bunch of new scents at once and they are often limited edition scents. Looks like this Rose Petals scent is still selling on the L'occitane website (however it is still labelled as limited edition). Retails for 22USD for 3.5oz, which is a really small size given most other body products typically start at 6 oz or more like 200g/200ml at least.

It's housed in a gorgeous tin:

It's sealed when opened:

You can see the cream sits inside a white plastic tub in the middle rather than the tin itself (which is a good thing as you won't have body cream getting that metal tin scent).

It's a wonderfully luscious body moisturiser- with 25% shea butter. I usually don't really specifically go for shea butter body moisturisers as they tend to be a bit thick and have that particular oil scent to it (and also leave a sticky residue on your sheets, like the Body Shop body butters at times!). 

However this one is just a spreadable, luscious consistency. It's not thin like a body lotion or emollient like a typical cream. Instead it has that semi melted body butter consistency that spreads and goes a long way easily. It has that wonderful feeling of just lightly coating your skin and nourishing it.

It leaves a slight white cast as you spread it out, but once massaged in it disappears.

It keeps my skin hydrated and not to mention the rose petals scent is divine- I think this is easily my favorite L'occitane body product lately. I prefer this over the rose neiges line as this one has a more 'real' rose petal scent. 

Hope they make it into a bigger size and better price though. If used daily this tin runs out before winter finishes here. 

Paul & Joe Body Protection Cream review/ swatch (SPF sunscreen)

I'm not generally too fussed about sunscreens on a daily basis for the body area (as I work in the office indoors and usually start early and finish work late so it's not like I get a lot of sun). However, I'm quite diligent with sunscreen application on the days I do go out and will be in direct sunlight for more than a hour or so. 

For the face however, I apply a SPF moisturiser or sunscreen on a daily basis religiously.

(The Australian sun is incredible- many tourists think they would just tan here like how it is when they go on a tropical vacation and not get burnt and do not realise we do have a huge hole in the ozone layer here and generally you can get seriously sunburnt within 30 minutes, not to mention the risk of skin cancer).

Anyway, due to different country's health authority's assessment of SPF factors, often something that is produced by Japanese brands with SPF30 may not be as sun protecting as an equivalent Australian sunscreen with a SPF30 rating. (Back a few years ago I think the max SPF allowed to be labelled on Australian sunscreen was actually SPF30, so as not to mislead people if they applied SPF50 or SPF100 they'd be able to skip reapplying sunscreen). This means back then a SPF30 sunscreen in Australia could be anything like a Japanese's brand's SPF30 to SPF50 or even SPF80 etc.

So when I use Asian brand sunscreens, if I'm actually going in the water or go to the beach with a lot of sun exposure, I only use something with SPF50 minimum.

Ok this is how the Paul & Joe body protection cream fit in. I'm trying to be more diligent about the days where I may just be out grocery shopping or quick stroll around the park but still want some SPF protection that doesn't make everything sticky or too drying on the skin. I'm happy to go with just SPF30 as well.

The Paul & Joe body protection cream comes in a tiny 80ml  (full retail size), and is SPF30 PA++. Retails for like 25-35USD as well depending on your country of purchase.  It's not the most economical sunscreen size for the body.

Ingredient list: (click to enlarge picture)

80ml bottle basically just fits the size of my palm. I don't really mind the small size , it means it's at least portable so I'd be happy to carry around a body sunscreen in my handbag.

Comes in a standard twist open cap and a squeeze tube applicator.

Directions: (click on picture to enlarge picture)

Here it is- a light emulsion/ cream. It has a rather pleasant light scent (that signature orange blossom scent to all Paul & Joe skincare).

Spreaded:

You can see it blends in really easily and nicely, leaves skin a little bit more moisturised but not sticky. It's not drying on the skin either. 

It also rinses off easily with soap and water.

Overall I think apart from the pricing, it makes a nice daily sunscreen. It probably wouldn't do great for the beach or water etc, but even as a sunscreen for just arms and legs it's pleasant enough to use.  The price tag however is a bit high especially for a body SPF product.

Rating is 4/5 for product, but overall once you take into account the price vs size it gets lowered to a 3.
There are a lot of Japanese drugstore brands (or even department store ones like Sofina ) producing high quality sunscreen with good sun protection and a light, non sticky consistency. If you are really picky about the consistency of the body sunscreens you can even buy face ones and just use them on the body (for like $15-20 a bottle if you are willing to pay for it...). (FYI I like Kanebo Allie sunscreen line and most of Sofina sunscreens, Shiseido Anessa offers very good sun protection but is such a pain to remove and quite drying on the skin).

Fresh Soy Face Serum review / swatch

Fresh Soy Face Serum retails for $45USD for 1 oz (30ml). Which is actually a surprising ok price given most Fresh products are rather overpriced..., and most Asian brand serums from department stores easily exceed 60-80USD now anyway.

The serum is meant to be hydrating and also age-defying.

Ingredient list:

-Amino Acid-rich Soy proteins: retain moisture, stimulate collagen synthesis, and encourage cell turnover.

-Hibiscus Peptides: Soften expression lines.

-Anise Fruit Extract: smooths the skin.

-Cucumber Extract: Calms and soothes. 

Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric/Succinic Triglyceride, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Commiphora Myrrha Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Pimpinella Anisum (Anise) Fruit Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Root Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cyathea Medullaris Leaf Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil,Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum (Ceratonia Siliqua), Silica, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dextrin, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Polyacrylamide, Tetrasodium Edta, Citric Acid, Laureth-7, Citronellol, Geraniol, Carbomer, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Xanthan Gum, Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Phenoxyethanol, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), C13-14 Isoparaffin, Potassium Sorbate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, BHT. 

 Comes in a pump bottle dispenser:

The product is a light gel creme consistency- not runny serum, but liquefies a bit once I spread it on my face. The instructions say after cleansing and toning, apply serum, then also the soy face cream.  I typically do not use a face cream on a regular basis (only when my face is extra dry, since I have combo-sensitive skin at the moment).

It smells like the rest of the Fresh soy line products- I cant quite pinpoint what it is, it just had that 'organic' smell, a bit like raw wheat or soy bean I guess. I don't find it bad or good, the scent disappears quickly anyway. 

The serum absorbs easily and quickly into the skin and seems to sit well under my sunscreen during day time as well (which is Sofina Beaute day protector SPF50, sometimes I use the Jenne SPF50 or the Beaute day protector SPF24 versions). Doesn't interfere with my makeup application either.

The skin feels a touch smoother after application. One pump is all I need for the full face.

Overall I found it to be a nice serum, can't really tell on the anti-aging or youthfulness front since I'm not in dire need of either yet, but in terms of hydration and keeping the skin supple, it does a good job.

I tend to alternative a hydrating serum with a whitening serum so will gladly finish this one up.

p.s. this serum comes in a pump bottle for a reason, I do find that if I didn't use it for a week or something, on the next pump it clearly oxidises a bit and shows a darker yellow on first pump.

Rating of 4/5, it does feel rather nice on the face and compared to other Fresh products the price tag is quite ok.

Sofina Jenne Jelly Moisturizer review/ swatch

Sofina 'Jenne" line is targeted at age group of about 18-25- I'm a bit above that age range but am yet to start on much anti-aging care so I pretty much pick any skincare I'm interested in trying it.

It's 50g size in a nice white lace printed pot. With a screw top container. Retails for just a tiny 25-30USD in Taiwan (depending on where you purchase it), which makes it rather affordable.

I like how the jelly moisturizer is filled to the rim for a new pot-

It's not exactly like jelly consistency but rather a really light whipped gel-cream.

It absorbs rather quickly and leaves a lightly moisturised surface- after one minute (below pic) you can barely see any shine left.

It's a very dry and cold winter in Australia this year, I generally do not use any night time moisturiser in milk or cream (and mostly stick with just a serum each night, or very light facial oil infrequently, or a few very specific moisturising creams with the tiniest amount warmed between palms then patted on face). 

I thought given the jelly or gel-cream consistency it should be light enough for me.

It does work ok as a moderate moisturiser for me, feels really nice to use- easily spreadable, absorbs quickly, and a very very faint but pleasant scent that's non-irritating.

For me this ended up being a moderately moisturising product for me- doesn't get rid of flaky skin with a single or even 2 uses, but just replenishes moisture mildly. However I find that if I use it on a nightly basis I do still experience some very minor congestion (which is the reason I do not use any moisturising milk or cream as I'm yet to really find anything that wouldn't cause congestion on my sensitive skin when used on a daily basis).

Those with less sensitive skin in their early to mid 20s, probably more normal skin or slightly dry skin would probably like this.

Overall rating 3.5/5 for me. I will finish my pot up but will continue my hunt for the perfect night time moisturiser anyway.

(p.s. I have far better experience with almost all Sofina UV products, basically SPF30 or SPF50 moisturisers as my day-time moisturising product- they give me no congestion and moderate moisture and are definitely my staple sun protection and day moisturiser).

What I finished this month: Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo/ Hada senka lotion/ Frederic Fekkai mask

I don't finish a lot of products very often so this week I suddenly finished 4 things and seemed like a post is necessary to celebrate!

From left to right: Frederic Fekkai technicolor 3 minute masque

Kiehl's amino acid shampoo

Shiseido Hada-Senka Moisturising Cream Lotion

(the last two items I have reviewed previously)

And also, Wakigard anti-perspirant gel

Overall thoughts are:

Frederic Fekkai 3 minute masque (I know it seems the jar is really small, it's a travel sized container with maybe 50ml. It smells lovely and looks like a lovely pink creme, and boasts a 3 minute treatment quality for color treated hair. I would really think the moisturising ability is only slightly above a good hair conditioner but definitely below other masques in comparative price ranges (e.g. pay a bit more for kerastase masques and kerastase performs about 300% better than this masque). I'm pretty sure I won't be repurchasing.

Kiehl's amino acid shampoo is actually about my 2nd bottle, they smell lovely (light coconut), performs superbly as a daily shampoo for normal hair. (For those with more oily hair you may find this shampoo too weak, for those with dry hair I believe this is mild enough).  It works great as a daily shampoo but if I skipped shampooing for a day (based on hairdresser advice it's best to shampoo every 2 days with colored hair), I need to double shampoo when using this shampoo as it is often difficult to lather up.

I would however gladly repurchase.

The shiseido hada-senka lotion is probably the best toner I've used in these few years, will gladly repurchase after I go through my millions of other toners on hand.  It is great if your skin generally hates those moisturisers and creams, it just adds enough moisture to the skin so often you can just follow up with your facial serum and that's sufficient for spring through to autumn. Even in winter I only need to use another moisturising cream sparingly as needed.

Wakigard is a Japanese anti perspirant gel. It has minimal scent and a clear gel consistency. It works well as a deodorant (but I don't really have too much of that issue). I don't use an anti-perspirant daily as I don't sweat very much, but I always wear one if I'm wear a nice silk skirt or white blouses as I'm hoping it will keep sweat stains to a minimum. (not sure if any deos actually counters fabric yellowing?).  For anyone who sweats a lot it's probably not really that 'anti-perspiring' , as I find in higher temperatures the gel readily turns back into a liquid on your underarm again! which is rather odd. On the fence about whether to repurchase.

Ok that sums it up! I should get back to my using-it-up project.

Paul & Joe Body Lotion B (2012 collection) review

Here's some Paul & Joe 2012 collection with the new release of limited edition Body Lotion B. (B stands for what I'm not too sure, maybe Blue? lol).  There's also a few other body lotions from Paul & Joe floating around which are in more standard "milky moisturiser" consistency as opposed to this one which features a refreshing gel consistency. They are around 20-25USD depending on which country you are buying it from. (the bottle is 200ml).

The official blurb claims:

Paul & Joe Body Lotion B is a refreshing, limited edition blue body gel.

This water based lotion is enriched with ingredients such as cucumber extract and water soluble polymers for a refreshing, cooling sensation, whilst hydrating and conditioning skin. A marine floral fragrance, with notes of fresh citrus and rose creates a sense of an invigorating sea breeze and leaves skin lightly scented, smooth and beautiful.

I have to admit I only bought this because the bottle looked way too pretty. It's a translucent blue bottle with a silver cap with Paul & Joe designs along the rim. (the bottle could be clear- I can't quite tell whether it's the bottle that's blue or the gel that's blue).

Here's the instructions:

The bottle is actually a "hard" plastic bottle, which makes the design seem very silly (pretty but not practical), as you can't just "squeeze" the bottle, instead I have to tip it upside down and shake some gel out. 

Here it is, it's a clear gel- it's quite light. I do not see any blue tint in the gel. Feels even lighter than a lot of those facial gel moisturisers like Clinique Moisture Surge gel-creme as an example, in terms of consistency.

 

It spreads really easily and dries quickly. It does have that ever so slightly tacky feel you get after using a gel moisturiser but it's not really that much. I usually only apply body lotions at night so transferring on clothing isn't an issue. (and if I apply this 30min before bedtime it seems fine so far and no transfers). 

The scent is not at all what I imagined, most Paul & Joe skincare comes with their signature orange blossom scent, this one instead comes with a generic body lotion scent, slightly floral slightly green. It's not the most pleasant scent but I didn't mind it (and the scent disappears very quickly following application).

Here's the beautiful silver cap again since I like the design so much.

Overall 3.5/5. It's sort of a fun alternative to normal milky or cream type of body moisturisers. In terms of hydration it does just average, it would not work for me for winter for sure as I do get eczema at times when seasons change and I need a strong nourishing moisturiser with some soothing ingredients ( I usually still go to Aveeno body moisturisers).