LUMENE Sisu [Urban Antidotes] Defend & Replenish Antioxidant Mist

12:12:00 AM mandy 0 Comments

There was a time when I always had a bottle of facial mist in my skincare routine. I think I stopped using them because the ones I tried didn't seem to do much or had a texture I didn't enjoy. Most of the mists I used just felt like glorified, fragranced, and expensive water.

That was then and this is now. I am starting fresh on this mist discovery journey and hoping the new products I try will change my mind towards the skincare category. Lumene's Sisu [Urban Antidotes] Defend & Replenish Antioxidant Mist made some good impressions already as the first contender.



Lumene's description:

Shield your complexion in the polluted urban environment. Infused with Pure Arctic Spring Water, mineral-rich Nordic Birch Sap and Antioxidant Vitamin B3, this ultra-fine mist helps to protect and hydrate to defend and maintain your skin’s appearance of natural luminosity.

Directions
The final step in your skincare regimen, spray all over the face, neck and décolleté to shield skin from the urban environment.

Ingredients
AQUA (WATER), PROPANEDIOL, RUBUS CHAMAEMORUS (CLOUDBERRY) FRUIT WATER, BETULA ALBA (BIRCH) JUICE, NIACINAMIDE, PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, BIOSACCHARIDE GUM-4, PHENOXYETHANOL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, ABIES PICEA (SPRUCE) EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE)

Mist 100 ml / 3.4 fl oz

Lumene (USA retail): USD $24.99
CVS: USD $24.99

Packaging

Opaque white mist bottle—pretty standard and nothing to really write home about. The mist the nozzle lets out is fairly fine as long as I commit to the full pump. If I only do a half-press, I get a bunch of water droplets instead of a micronized mist.

Kudos to Lumene for having each box wrapped nicely in a plastic sheet. It provides so much reassurance to know if any individual product has been tested since Lumene is typically found in CVS here in the States (for those unfamiliar people love to open and swatch things at drugstores here as we don't get designated testers).

Color, Texture, Finish, & Scent

The liquid is colorless. It feels just like water and isn't vicious or sticky in any way. My skin isn't dewy after the mist is fully absorbed either; just looks like skin. There is a sweet fruity fresh scent straight out of the bottle. But that evaporates after a bit.

How I Apply

In-between skincare steps // Especially between cleansing and toning because I tend to wait a while before toner and my skin gets tight and dry during that time

Through the day over makeup // Rehydrates my skin when I wear drier finish foundations.

On my dry chapped hands // Helps relieve tightness I get during the cold weather without the residue like with lotion.

Thoughts & Recommendations

I am going to refrain from commenting in-depth on the mist's ingredients because I think I spray far too little, on a day-to-day basis, to really benefit from them. That being said, I was surprised to find the ingredients list short and in addition to some trendy components like birch juice and niacinamide. The mist is formulated without parabens yet still has fragrance.

Otherwise, if I am to be completely honest, there isn't much to mist reviews. It either worked or didn't work and, equally as important, didn't irritate my skin or did. As long as I am on the better end of the receiving stick, things like texture and price are the only things that really set the products apart.

There isn't anything negative for me to say about the Lumene Sisu Mist. My skin instantly feels softer and less tight; it looks less dry and flakey as well. I don't show any bad reactions to the formulation either. I love how lightweight and watery the product is. Even though it doesn't leave me glowy and dewy, it also doesn't disrupt makeup while giving me a more hydrated look. This product seems it would fit well with all skin types.

I am not sure if it is worth the full retail price. USD $25 isn't terribly expensive but still a hefty penny for a mist. Sure it has "Arctic Spring water" and cloudberries but it could all just be for easier marketing. I haven't tried enough mists lately in any price range to compare Sisu Mist's overall value versus effectiveness. But since the Lumene brand is easily accessible via CVS, I won't hold its price against it; especially as CVS offers a ton of coupons and ExtraBucks for those with their rewards card.

A part of me wants to believe there is a more affordable option out there that will give me similar results. Until I find that perfect bottle of mist, I may consider repurchasing another Lumene Sisu Mist whenever CVS has a good sale and/or offers me irresistible coupons.

Jungle Botanics Natural Body Glow Nutshell Scrub

12:11:00 AM mandy 0 Comments

I am a super low-maintenance person when it comes to body care; give me some body wash and a pouf, I'm set! But I have recognized that while I may be clean from the day's dirt and oil, that method of cleaning was no match for dead skin or ashy patches. Even when I tried those exfoliating towels the elbow grease required to effectively scrub myself soft was, honestly, tiring and made my skin feel raw.

When I came across Wishtrend's infomercial/YouTube video for their Jungle Botanics Natural Body Glow Nutshell Scrub, I was intrigued. The promise of soft and glowy skin via a gentle AND foaming scrub fit what I thought I was looking for. While I acknowledge that the video could have been edited to best feature their product, it seemed believable enough.



Wishtrend's Description:

The “Natural Body Glow Nutshell Scrub” is a body scrub that contains finely ground walnut shell granules and various natural oils from the jungle. The round-cut granules do not irritate your skin, but gently exfoliates and purifies, leaving your skin healthy, smooth, and glowing.

Round-cut Nutshell Granules
At first glance, the nutshell granules look like ordinary grains of sand. When you take a closer look, you will see the porous surface of the granules. This aids the removal of dead skin cells and other skin impurities by attracting them, making this body scrub ideal of sensitive skin. Walnut shell granules are made from 100% walnut shells, which are biodegradable, thus lowering our ecological footprint.

Energetic Jungle 10-Oils
Cacao seed butter, which ensured the skin health of Amazonian tribes for many centuries, combined with ten different natural oils extracted from various Amazonian plants intensely moisturize your skin. This special combination of natural oils will leave your skin feeling moisturized and smelling seductively sweet.

Directions
1. Squeeze moderate amount of product onto wet skin and massage in circular motion. Rinse thoroughly with water.
2. Recommended use: 2-3 times a week

Ingredients
WATER, JUGLANS REGIA (WALNUT) SHELL POWDER, SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, GLYCERIN, TEA-LAURYL SULFATE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL LAURATE, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, FRAGRANCE, PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, OLEYL ALCOHOL, SODIUM CHLORIDE, COCAMIDE DEA, TRIETHANOLAMINE, PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE, CARBOMER, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, ZEA MAYS (CORN) STARCH, SUCROSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE, MANNITOL, THEOBROMA CACAO (COCOA) SEED BUTTER, PENTACLETHRA MACROLOBA SEED OIL, GARCINIA INDICA SEED BUTTER, BERTHOLLETIA EXCELSA SEED OIL, ASTROCARYUM MURUMURU SEED BUTTER, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, MICA, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, ORIGANUM VULGARE LEAF EXTRACT, OCIMUM BASILICUM (BASIL) EXTRACT, MORINGA OLEIFERA LEAF EXTRACT, MALPIGHIA EMARGINATA (ACEROLA) FRUIT EXTRACT, GAULTHERIA PROCUMBENS (WINTERGREEN) LEAF EXTRACT, EUTERPE OLERACEA FRUIT EXTRACT, EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS LEAF EXTRACT, CROCUS SATIVUS FLOWER EXTRACT, COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) FRUIT EXTRACT, CITRUS AURANTIUM AMARA (BITTER ORANGE) FLOWER EXTRACT, ACHILLEA MILLEFOLIUM FLOWER EXTRACT, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) SEED OIL, PRUNUS PERSICA (PEACH) KERNEL OIL, PERSEA GRATISSIMA (AVOCADO) OIL, MACADAMIA INTEGRIFOLIA SEED OIL, HIPPOPHAE RHAMNOIDES OIL, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, GOSSYPIUM HERBACEUM (COTTON) SEED OIL, EUTERPE OLERACEA FRUIT OIL, CAMELLIA JAPONICA SEED OIL, ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL, PSEUDOZYMA EPICOLA/SOYBEAN FLOUR/ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL FERMENT FILTRATE, TIN OXIDE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, PHENOXYETHANOL, SODIUM BENZOATE, CI 77491

Scrub 250 ml / 8.4 fl oz

Wishtrend (250ml): USD $23.90
*They often have sales and deals.

Amazon - Sold by Wishtrend: ranges from USD $18-25 (price varies)

Packaging

The scrub comes in a standard squeeze tube with a flip-top cap. The opening is sealed with foil to ensure freshness. The tube itself is opaque and therefore cannot see through to precisely know how much product remains.

Since the bottle tapers down toward the cap, if left sitting in the shower, water will tend to collect inside overtime. If left for too long, obviously, mildew will form.

Color, Texture, & Scent

Caramel colored scrub that feels, looks, and smells like a sugar scrub, but it is not one. The ingredients list does not show to have any sweet sugar particles; it only has walnut shell, a lot of oils, and plant/fruit extracts. The scent does linger well after washing but isn't overpower.

The scrub spreads easily and walnut shell powder is incredibly fine; Wishtrend says the walnut shell granules are round-cut and ideal for sensitive skin. When rubbed with no water it can feel very sandy. When rubbed with water it creates a light bubbly lather.

How I Apply

Direct application // Work in sections. Squeeze the scrub directly onto skin. Gently rub with wet hands to help activate the foaming agents. Nutshell bits like to congregate together more.

With body pouf // Apply like I do if scrubbing with bare hands. Just instead of my hands, I work the nutshell scrub with a wet pouf instead. Disperses and dilutes the particles a lot.

With pumice stone or paddle // Squeeze the nutshell scrub onto the pumice and scrub away at the heels.

Thoughts & Recommendations

Since this is the first body scrub I have tried, I don't have much to compare the experience to. There are some aspects of the product that I have come to like and others I didn't.

I appreciate that the scrub is packed full of the walnut shell particles. It isn't just a tiny amount which is then padded with cleansing agents. However, this also means that actually scrubbing it around on every inch of my body typically leave my hands feeling sore and tingly. (Not abrasive or scratchy by any means but discomfort nonetheless.) Using some kind of buffer like a towel or pouf helps; yet at the same time disperses the granules too much, rendering the scrub less effective.

For those looking to cut SLS out of their lives, the Jungle Botanics scrub is not for them. I don't mind it because I like it when my cleansers and body washes bubble and foam. The lather made it easier to spread and rub the scrub around. As with using a towel or pouf to buff the particles, once the product starts to foam up that also becomes a barrier of sorts.

Applying lotion on my body is also a habit I have yet to form. Even still, my skin never feels dry or tight after using the nutshell scrub. Instead my legs and arms feel noticeably softer. I emphasize feel because it definitely doesn't look softer or glowy—I suspect my legs are too dry for that. It doesn't seem to do much for my ashy patches either even with semi-consistent use.

The soft feeling doesn't last very long, maybe a day or two at max? This seems to make sense since Wishtrend recommends using the scrub 2-3 times a week (which in reality is about every other day or every two days). I cannot comment on how long one tube would last since I took fairly long breaks while using the tube of scrub. But I can say it takes quite a bit of product to cover the entire body.

Softer feeling skin isn't enough to make this scrub a staple product for me. Had it worked wonders for my scaly ashiness, my opinions may be completely different. Had the effects lasted longer, I might reconsider. If anyone's skin isn't as extreme as mine, I don't think Jungle Botanic's Natural Body Glow Nutshell Scrub is a bad product. It is also fairly affordable and easily accessible via the manufacture's Amazon.

Clio Kill Cover Pro Artist Liquid Color Concealer - 02 Green (Redness Cover)

12:26:00 AM mandy 0 Comments

I try to keep my makeup simple. Instagram makeup isn't my thing. While I would love to look perfectly flawless, achieving that no-makeup, great-skin do is time-consuming and undeniably high-maintenance.

I don't typically care to do much extra for my base routine; a pat of cushion, a dab of power, and done. This was especially the case when I had pimples everywhere all the time. The bumps, flakes, and discoloration just don't look good with a ton of makeup on top. When the breakouts got to a minimum (knock of wood) the residual cheek redness and scar discoloration had me curious; are those color correctors worth the extra time spent?

Having tried some lower-end/affordable green correctors that were easily available at American drugstores—many years ago—I was weary. My memory of it is negative: pasty, dry, cakey, too pale, low-coverage, etc. Naturally, I turned to a cheaper alternative from the other side of the world (Korea).

Clio's Kill Cover Pro Artist Liquid Color Concealer seems to be popular amongst Korean YouTubers. It looks to work well with their flushed cheeks. It appears lightweight and highly spreadable, which are at the top of my checklist. The brand promises skin soothing and moisturizing properties too. The little tube of color couldn't sound any better!



Clio's Description:

Color-Correcting Shades for Flawless Coverage
Instantly conceal imperfections, leaving you with a beautifully even skin tone.

Customized Skin Tone Corrector
Designed to target specific skin concerns, color-correcting pigments combined with nourishing ingredients even out skin tone while giving skin a healthy glow.

Highly Adhesive & Long-Wearing Formula
The Flexible Film Formula seamlessly adheres to skin and provides buildable coverage for the look of a smooth surface which remains lightweight even after applying layers of makeup.

02 Green
For red, sensitive areas.
Active ingredients: eight herbs including ylang-ylang, chamomile, and hibiscus to soothe and moisturize skin.

Directions
1. Spread 02 Green over red cheeks and troublesome spots.
2. Finish by tapping with a puff for a seamless, natural finish.

Ingredients
02 Green
PURIFIED WATER, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, CETYL PEG/PPG-10/1 DIMETHICONE, DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE, DIPHENYLSILOXY PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, GLYCERIN, METHYL METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, CANANGA ODORATA (YLANG YLANG) FLOWER EXTRACT, CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA (MATRICARIA) FLOWER WATER, HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA FLOWER EXTRACT, JASMINE FLOWER WATER, LAVENDER FLOWER WATER, MENTHA PIPERITA (PEPPERMINT) LEAF WATER, MENTHA ROTUNDIFOLIA (APPLE MINT) LEAF EXTRACT, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF WATER, JASMINUM OFFICINALE (JASMINE) FLOWER/LEAF EXTRACT, NELUMBIUM SPECIOSUM (LOTUS) FLOWER EXTRACT, FREESIA REFRACTA FLOWER EXTRACT, IRIS SANGUINEA FLOWER EXTRACT, LEONTOPODIUM ALPINUM (EDELWEISS) FLOWER/LEAF EXTRACT, LILIUM CANDIDUM (MADONNA LILY) STEM EXTRACT, NARCISSUS PSEUDO (NARCISSUS) FLOWER EXTRACT, ROSE EXTRACT, SORBITAN SESQUIOLEATE, MAGNESIUM SULFATE, PEG-8 DIMETHICONE, TRIBEHENIN, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, DIMETHICONE, DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, ACRYLATES/DIMETHICONE COPOLYMER, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL ISOSTEARATE, DISODIUM EDTA, PHENOXYETHANOL, FRAGRANCE, CHROMIUM OXIDE GREENS (CI 77288), YELLOW IRON OXIDE (CI 77492)

Corrector 6 g / 0.21 oz

Club Clio (Korean retail): ₩15,000
RoseRoseShop: ₩15,000
YesStyle: USD $16.90
Amazon: USD ~$12.00

Packaging

A slanted doe-foot applicator in a twist-to-open tube. The bottom portion that holds the corrector is frosted durable thick plastic or glass, hard to tell. While it is nearly impossible to see how much of the product is left in the tube because the product likes to adhere to the sides of the packaging, the angled tip makes it easier to scrape the sides.

A small detail, but something I like, is the small notch which stops anyone from over tightening the cap.

Color, Texture, Finish, & Scent

Very pale mint in color. The consistency isn't runny; liquid enough to spread easily yet still holds its shape wherever and however it is applied. Once blended the green is matte and barely noticeable. It does make my skin look brighter (or on darker skin tones even whiter)—which makes sense since Titanium Dioxide pigment, white, is the third ingredient whereas green and yellow are dead last. There is a faint floral scent but also unnoticeable when applied.

How I Apply

No matter the tool I choose to ultimately blend out the corrector, I prefer to evenly spread a thin layer of green over the entire central region of my face because it does lighten my skin-tone a bit. If I only apply it on my cheeks and chin my forehead usually looks too dark after applying foundation in comparison.

Patting and dabbing with any method is better than wiping or rubbing.

Fingers // The easiest method. My least favorite method. Blending can be uneven since fingers aren't perfectly flat.

Damp sponge // Requires the most work (have to wet and then wring dry the sponge). My most used method of late just because I've been applying foundation with a sponge as well. Blends evenly but also sheers out the coverage even more. Best for those going for a natural translucent makeup look.

Cushion puff // Takes little effort and is quick. My preferred method when trying to be as low-maintenance as I can. Blends well and gives thicker coverage but makes me look extra bright/pale.

Thoughts & Recommendations

I believe in the above photos I blended the Clio green corrector with a damp sponge.

When looking at a comparison of the corrector on my bare face, the color correction and brightening effects are obvious. As soon as I do a closeup side-by-side view (sans foundation), I start to question the correcting abilities. When I put a light-to-medium coverage foundation over top, the work the corrector does seem even more minimal. Corrector side is brighter but I want redness cancellation, not tone-up.

It looks to work okay on slightly pinkish patches of skin. In any spots where the red color concentration is higher, the corrector doesn't seem to work well. I would attribute this to the thin consistency and (lack of) green pigment.

I had been wary of the pastel green from the beginning. But found some saving grace in how blendable and lightweight the Clio Kill Cover concealer is formulated. With that said, I think that is precisely where the downfall is especially in a low-pigment corrector format. It blends into something overly sheer and all I am left with is a white cast that evens out my skin a teensy bit.

The corrector formulation doesn't settle into fine lines or pores. It isn't overly drying for something with a matte finish. But if there are any dry patches and flakes the product will like to latch onto those.

Before even considering the more expensive color correctors available, I'm glad I gave the Clio Kill Cover Liquid Color Concealer a shot. It was about a third, for some even half, the price of ones listed on Sephora. Even though this particular one didn't work miracles on me I now have a comparison on hand to help weed out what could be better formulation or to see if it is worth the money.

I won't recommend this particular color because the pigmentation is rather weak. The formulation is worth checking out, at the least, and Clio does offer an orange (peachy/salmon) color and skin tone variety concealers that from others' swatches look eons more pigmented.

January Haul

12:04:00 AM mandy 0 Comments

My original plan was to get through at least the first couple month of the new year without a beauty purchase. But I ran out of my makeup remover. Then I discovered my local Target was clearing out their inventory. A couple of "browsing" trips later and a lighter wallet to boot...here I am with a haul post to share.

As I was nearing the end of my previous tub of heimish cleansing balm, I contemplated whether to just get 1 replacement in-store or buy multiple brands at once to stock up for the rest of the year. I like to save as much as the next person but I didn't want to hoard, y'know? After going through some price versus quantity comparisons, I decided to just go ahead and repurchase another heimish All Clean Balm in its newer flip-top packaging since I came across it in-person and at a reasonable price (USD $18 + Californian/SF sales tax). It will sound silly, but this is the kind of packaging I have been wishing and dreaming for companies to use with their cleansing balms. I cannot wait to see if it is actually as practical and effective as I thought it could be.



It has been at least 3+ years since I bought my last makeup brush. My collection isn't humongous but it is more than enough for my face. The more brushes I accumulated the lazier I got with deep cleaning them weekly. That is why I stuck to only a handful of the same brushes the past year or two in order to help develop a better habit (which has worked wonders if anyone is curious).

Now that I have incorporated the use of multiple eyeshadow colors into my daily routine, I found that I didn't have the right tools on hand. Many of the eye brushes I had were too large for my eye shape or did not function well. The only problem was my unwillingness to invest towards more brushes because everyone knows how expensive the better quality brushes and more size-variety brands can be. As soon as I chanced upon the Sonia Kashuk clearance at Target, I picked up one of almost every brush they had tagged. All were ~50% off original prices and under USD $10 per brush.

I picked up the Sonia Kashuk Tools:

• Tapered Powder Brush No.19
• Domed Multi-Purpose Brush No. 18
• Synthetic Foundation Brush No. 05
• Synthetic Concealer Brush No. 32
• Large Domed Eye Shadow Brush No. 20
• Precision Pencil Brush No. 31
• Synthetic Crease Shadow Brush No. 08
• Small Eye Shadow Brush No. 07

Truth be told I probably didn't need yet another foundation or concealer brush. The domed brush and crease brush might be too large for my eyelids still. But I just couldn't resist that price. At least now I have a better understanding of what shapes work for me if I ever decide to go for the luxurious ones.