Iope Essential Facial Oil Review

Iope Essential Facial Oil 30mls

Out of all the products I received in the Iope Super Memebox, this was the product I was most excited to try (I have a thing for facial oils, let’s just leave it at that). The Essential Facial Oil is a lightweight formulation designed to deliver deep nourishment and hydration to the skin.

Ingredients: caprylic capric triglyceride sucrose polycottonseedate, argan oil, macadamia oil, castor oil, dicaprylyl ether, oleic / linoleic/ linolenic polyglycerides, fragrance (check cosdna link here)

This is oil is packed with heaps of essential fatty acids from coconut, argan, and macadamia oils which help soften and repair damaged and uneven skin. And let’s not forget about all those anti-aging properties these oils carry. It’s a nice product to start with for younger users to help prevent and delay the signs of aging. I believe castor oil is the only ingredient that may cause irritation for some, but so far I haven’t experienced any problems.

The texture of this oil is surprisingly silky, and doesn’t feel thick and heavy at all. It does take a while to absorb, but if you only use this in the evening it shouldn’t be a problem. It also has a heavy lavender scent. It’s very calming and relaxing, identical to the scent of the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate. Not a bad thing at all. When I use this, every morning I wake up with a really lovely glow. The skin feels plumper, the fine lines around my eyes and mouth are reduced, and my skin tone looks even. I haven’t suffered from any severe breakouts since I started using this, even when I did get a few pimples, it helped heal them much faster.

I’ve been using this oil for 6 months now, and I’ve only just passed the halfway mark. A little goes a long way with this one, and it’s definitely a product I think I’ll repurchase in the future. However, I have noticed some huge price differences. It’s usually price around $15 to $20. I have seen it as low as $12 on some sites, but I have also seen it as high as $115 on another (I bet you can guess which shameless website that is). Really guys?! In their defense, it definitely doesn’t feel like a $20 product. With the sleek, glass packaging and the results this oil gives, it definitely feels a lot more upmarket.

Iope Essential Skin Boosting Serum Review

Iope Essential Skin Boosting Serum, 40ml

Late last year I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Iope Super Box from Memebox.com for a very reasonable price. Out of all the products I received, I wasn't overly excited about this serum, and wrote it off as moisturising product my skin didn't need. But even oily skin can become dehydrated. I still experience dry and flaky patches of skin around my cheeks and nose, which become blatantly obvious when I wear makeup. All you want to do is just peel it off, but that just makes it worse. When it finally dawned on me that maybe I did need some moisturising products in my skincare, I decided to give this product a go. This serum claims to boost hydration and prevent dehydration. It also works to maintain the right balance on your skin by strengthening its natural healing power and "moisture lock-in capability".

Ingredients: Water, alcohol, butylene glycol, cyclopentasiloxane, dipropylene glycol, glycerin, PPG-17, cyclohexasiloxane, dimethicone, nacinamide, squalane, lactobacillus (soybean) ferment extract, dimethiconol, phenoxyethanol, tromethamine, acrylates (c10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, carbomer, fragrance, ethylhexylyglycerin, monascus (rice) ferment, saccharomyces, barley seed ferment filtrate, disodium EDTA, alpha-clucan oligosaccharide, witch hazel, soybean.

This serum has a light, watery texture that absorbs into the skin fast, without leaving any trace or icky film on the skin. My skin feels plump and soft after I use this, but what I really love is that it's not too moisturising that I can't use my serums afterwards. It has a light, floral scent on par with the rest of Iope and Laneige products, and doesn't irritate my skin (or my senses!) The pump is absolutely fantastic as well, it dispenses the perfect amount of product, and although it does come in a frosted bottle, it's possible to see how much is left with proper lighting.

Results weren't immediate, but after a week of regular use I noticed a huge difference in the dry patches around my cheeks. They had basically disappeared. When I wear foundations and BB creams now, I hardly notice any flakiness or scaliness anymore, nothing huge I feel obliged to tear away from my face anyway. It also hasn't caused any congestion or breakouts, and although my skin is still oily, I have been breaking out a lot less lately, and I think it's because I've finally lost my battle with sebum-controlling and oil stripping products and moved on to more moisturising products that actually keep my skin balanced and healthy.

| Memebox Review | The Iope Super Box

A few weeks ago the one and only Beauty Wolf blogged about a particular sale they were having at Memebox. For anyone who doesn't know, Memebox is an online Korean beauty-box store. I had never heard of them before but decided to purchase the Iope Super Box they had on sale. The Iope Super Box included 6 full sized products, and all for the price of $80 AUD. Most of these products are around $50-$70 each, so savings wise, that's math I can't do without a calculator. It's about $270 actually, but anyway, this is what I received:

Air Cushion XP SPF50 PA+++ No. 21 (refill included) - RRP $48

This is Iope best-selling product, packed with highly concentrated mineral water and beneficial nutrition such as Vitamin B5, E, and P, this air cushion works to cool and moisturise reddened, stimulated skin. It looks and feels like a very luxurious product, it smells heavenly, and I cannot wait to test this out.

Essential Moisture Relief Cream - RRP $87

A light-textured cream suitable for summer, this product soothes, moisturises, and tightens dried-up, worn-out skin. Scent and texture wise, this reminds me a lot of a the Laneige Sleeping Pack (which I will love until the end of time). So not a bad first impression on Iope's part.

Essential Skin Boosting Serum - RRP $84

This serum boosts hydration, preventing any possible dehydration after cleansing. It also works to maintain the right balance on your skin by strengthening the natural healing power and moisture lock-in capability.

Essential Tone & Wrinkle Care Eye Cream - RRP $86

Enriched with shea butter and jojoba oil, this eye cream will fill in fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and create a protective layer to prevent further sagging and wrinkle formation.

Essential Facial Oil - RRP $90

This thick, yet quickly absorbing facial oil creates a thick, protective later over the skin for a softer, smoother skin texture. Organic argan oil and macadamia oil delivers deep nourishment and hydration to the skin. This reminds me a lot of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery concentrate, it has the same heady lavender scent. Because I haven't experienced any severe break-outs yet, I think this is a far superior oil to Kiehls'.

Lip & Cheek 01 in Pink Rose - RRP $42

Last but not least, is the dual lip and cheek compact. The colour is quite strong, but it blends out beautifully. I love the packaging of this one, it feels so sleek! It also has a mirror inside!

Overall my experience with Memebox was really good. As much as I despise shipping costs I found the extra $5 very reasonable, and was pleasantly surprised when this box showed up at my door-step exactly two weeks from the purchase date. A lot of my parcels from South Korea can take between three to five weeks to arrive. Even though this wasn't a mystery box I would love to try one in the future. I used to be a Bella Box subscriber, and although I enjoyed receiving mystery boxes, I was never overly impressed with what I received. Memebox is completely different though. Instead of receiving a mix bag you can choose the box you want: hydration, collagen, whitening, body care, brow care…the list goes on. You can also purchase 'superboxes' that usually contain a whole lot of full sized products (like the Iope one) for a little bit more. So if you're a Korean skincare fanatic like me, and you're interested in trying out new products, definitely check out Memebox.com.

Benton Snail Bee & Aloe Skincare Line Review

Benton has been a pretty hyped up brand in the Korean-skincare blogosphere this last year, and finally after months of testing and deliberating I can finally present this review. Seriously, it took me five months. It took me so long that Benton have already released a whole new range of products to their line! Before I go into the individual reviews, so I don't repeat myself too much, I just wanted to note some key ingredients that are present in all these products, unless otherwise stated of course:

Aloe Leaf Water

Instead of purified water Benton have used aloe leaf water instead. Aloe is an anti-inflammatory and is great for soothing and treating damaged and acne prone skin. It’s very hydrating, and contains natural anti-aging properties to help delay fine lines and wrinkles.

Snail Secretion Filtrate

Researches have found that, structurally, snail skin is very similar to human skin, and contains compounds (glyconconjugates) which are packed with proteins, peptides, anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories to help repair damaged skin. Some of these properties include: Allantoin, which stimulates cell regeneration, sooth irritated skin and moisturises. Collagen and Elastin, which gives the skin 'bounce'. Loss of collagen means a reduction in moisture and elasticity, which basically means 'hello wrinkles'. Collagen production slows down a lot faster in women than men, and this is another factor as to why we age faster than they do (damn them).

*None of these products contain parabens, alcohol or artificial fragrances or colourings, and just like most South Korean brands, Benton do not test on animals.

Aloe BHA Skin Toner

This is probably the nicest toner I have ever used. But there's nothing 'toner'ish about it. It doesn't strip or tighten the skin, its main purpose is to soothe and moisturise which is exactly what it does. My skin feels so soft after using this. Aside from the two key ingredients, aloe leaf water and snail secretion, this toner also has some sasylic acid in it to help fight blemishes. I definitely noticed any spots I had reduced greatly while using this toner. The only negative thing about this is the 'spritz'. It’s more of a squirt than a spray, so I've resolved to use the palms of my hands to pat this on my face.

Snail Bee High Content Essence

This essence can be used after the BHA toner, or in place of it. It comes out as a gel, and absorbs into the skin almost instantly. It's not very moisturising, as the packaging suggests, but it makes the skin feel super soft and supple. This essence contains a more concentrated form of snail secretion to help fight acne and aging as well. I don’t know about the aging part, but I feel my skin has a lot more elasticity or ‘bounce’ after I use this.

Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel

This is the third step in the benton range and look, it's another gel! This one can be used as a moisturiser, and it definitely lives up to its claims for providing sufficient moisture. I actually found this gel too moisturising for my face, and ended up using it to soothe my sensitive legs after shaving, so I guess you could say it's a multi-purpose product.

Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream

Finally we've come to the final product and it's a steam cream! I've never tried a steam cream before, and for anyone who doesn't know, don't expect a dramatic poof of steam when you first open it, it's just the process in which the formula is emulsified. The cream itself looks quite light and watery but it's extremely moisturising, and can feel somewhat thick and sticky on the skin for a while afterwards. Oily skin, steer clear! This is a moisturiser for dryer skin types. I had a lot of problems with this cream in summer when my skin was oozing gallons of oil every minute, it was just too heavy and I suffered a lot of breakouts, but in the cooler seasons (when my skin can get quite dry) this works amazingly! Not only does it keep the dryness away but it also fights acne and makes my skin feel incredibly soft and bouncy. However, the heavy after feeling may be a drawback for some people. Another problem I found, just like the toner, is the packaging. I've found the bottom of my tub has shattered. It hasn't broken apart yet, but I have to be extremely careful with how I handle it. Has anyone else had this problem? I guess it doesn’t really matter anymore because Benton have already fixed the problem by switching the tub for a tube, which I prefer in my opinion, it's a lot more hygienic.

For someone who cares a lot about aesthetics, I love the minimalist design and even though the bottles are plastic they do look very sophisticated. The pump bottles are very handy, hygienic and disperse the perfect amount of product, minus the toner, which just seems to go everywhere. I really enjoyed this range, there was a little bit of disappointment with the Aloe Gel & Steam Cream but overall I had really good results, but it definitely took a while for me to see the benefits. So if you are thinking of purchasing these products, don’t expect to see life changing results overnight.

Ladykin Vanpir Dark Repair Cream & Activator

Ladykin Vanpir Dark Repair Cream & Youth Activator

I've come across some pretty bizarre skincare in my lifetime but this tops the cake for me. A product that focuses on giving you the translucent, youthful appearance of a vampire? I had to try it. Ladykin is a fairly new Korean skincare and cosmetic brand. Yesstyle.com only started stocking their products earlier last year, and they're not too expensive either. The ampoule is priced at $28, the cream $15, but together on sale only set me back $31. It was because of the low cost I started to have doubts. To be honest I really only wanted these for the super cute packaging (look at those vampire teeth!), but ended up being very surprised by the results.

Both products claim to brighten the skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines, dark spots and even pimples. Basically, give you the youthful appearance of a vampire. Rest assured, this range does not contain any glitter particles whatsoever. Just thought I should clarify that, so you don't have to worry about turning into this guy:

Another factor that perked my interest were the ingredients. Both products contain a lot of natural anti-inflammatory (allantoin, centella asiatica, dipotassium glycyrrhizate) and whitening ingredients (arbutin) including dragons blood (or croton lechliriresin extract). It is also free of parabens, animal derived ingredients, mineral oil, synthetic pigments and benzophenone. So yeah. It sounds too good to be true right?

The Repair Youth Activator

This serum is thick, but still feels quite light and watery on the skin and it absorbs instantly. It focuses on whitening and treating wrinkles, and on the box it also says it makes skin smooth and blemish free. I got quite a shock the morning after I first used this serum. The results were immediate. My skin was brighter, even a little paler, scars were lighter and there was hardly any discolouration or redness around my nose and cheeks at all. It does keep it smooth, and although it doesn't make my skin completely blemish free, it definitely helped keep spots to a minimum. The best part is that it continues to work with my skin even after four months.

Left: Vanpir Dark Repair Cream, Right: Vanpir Dark Repair Youth Activator/Ampoule

The Repair Cream

Out of the two products, I would probably say the ampoule is the most effective, but the cream itself turned out to be a really nice moisturiser. Together, they really do speed up the healing process of spots and scars. The only negative thing I have to say about the cream is the smell. It smells like some form of baby powder (or old people in general - no offence to old people). Luckily, it's quite light so it goes away quickly. The functions of the cream overrides the smell anyway. What I love about it is that its not too rich, it's the perfect balance for combination skin.  It feels heavy but with the right amount it's perfect. In fact, I've noticed my skin doesn't get as oily anymore!

Overall, the combination of these two products has improved my skin dramatically.  My skin isn't bad, but when that time of the month comes around it can take a while for the bad spots and scars to disappear, and by the time they're gone it's that time of the month again. I just can't seem to win when it comes to my skin. As soon as I started using these products redness and scars faded much more quickly, and overall my face has stayed clearer for longer. One of my friends even commented on how great my skin was looking (and that never happens).

Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence Review

Missha's Time Revolution: The First Treatment Essence

I didn't have very high expectations when I first bought this essence. I had tried SK-II's essence before and it did the complete opposite to what it claimed for my skin. But when I heard about Missha's dupe I couldn't resist trying it out, and I am really glad I did. I have been using western toners for years now, thinking that they would help with treating my acne, but they were really only making it worse . Korean toners aren't the same as the ones we have in the west, they're gentler, they soften and moisturise the skin. First off, I use this straight after cleansing as I would a normal toner. There is an initial feeling of stickiness but that disappears after a minute or two. When it's fully absorbed into my skin I then continue with the rest of my routine (serum > eye cream > moisturiser).

Having oily skin I was worried about over-moisturising my face, but this essence hydrates my skin without making it feel disgustingly oily. I'm even able to use it in the day time. As well as containing a lot of moisturising ingredients it also has a lot of whitening and anti-inflammatory properties (glycyrrhiza glabra, centella asiatica and camomile) which really helped clear up the redness around my cheeks and nose as well as existing pimples. Overall I've noticed a huge improvement around my T-Zone. Enlarged pores around my nose and forehead are tighter and even my blackheads seem to have shrunk. The redness around my nose and cheeks have disappeared and I love how smooth my skin feels after applying this.

I bought this from RoseRose Shop for $33, so it is on the expensive side but no where near as expensive as SK-II's essence. The 150ml bottle is priced at $185 AUD at David Jones and Myer here in Australia. Missha's is quarter the price and double the size, and in my opinion far superior in results and quality. These South Korean brands never cease to amaze me.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack Review

On my journey through Korean Skincare I've come across many hydrating beauty packs that claim to do wonders to your skin. Laneige's Water Sleeping Pack is one of the few I've recently tried. So once a week before bed I try substituting my moisturiser for this mask.

This pack has a light, gel like texture that absorbs into the skin quickly, even if you have layers of products underneath, it didn't take any more than a minute for the product to completely absorb into my skin. It does leave a thin film over the skin though, but nothing that feels tacky or sticky, it feels smooth as if locking everything in.

My favourite part is the scent, it's a very light and refreshing. It's not very overpowering, so once you apply it it's basically unnoticeable. But to be honest, I like to apply a little more under my nose just so I can smell it as I drift off to sleep (lol).

In the morning my skin doesn't feel gunky or sticky it all, it feels plump and smooth. What I like about this mask is that it  gives you an extra boost of hydration without making your skin feel oily in the morning, my skin feels surprising well balanced. I find this mask particularly useful when my skin is feeling a bit flakey and dehydrated, especially after a long day at work.

I think this is a really amazing mask. It works for all skin types for all seasons, and it feels like such a luxury to put on my face without the huge price tag. You can find this mask for around the $20-$30 mark (depending where you buy) on sites like Sasa, and YesStyle. It's definitely a must try for Korean skincare junkies!

Missha Cell Renew Snail Cream Review

Straight off the craze train from South Korea is the Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Cream; yes, it's a mouthful, and yes, it's made up of 70% snail mucus. 

What this snail cream offers:

• anti aging and whitening properties
• Heals blemishes,
• treats existing fine lines and wrinkles
• Soothes irritated, dry skin
• Evens out skin tone and pigmentation
• Restores skins elasticity

• It's also colour, paraben and mineral oil free!

The snail secretion itself contains a whole lot of natural ingredients such as allantoin: which helps moisturise, soothe and heal damaged skin; collagen and elastin to helps keep the skin cells tight but flexible and in the long run help prevent and treat fine lines and wrinkles; and lastly: glycolic acid, an exfoliating agent that smoothes the skin by removing dead skin cells. Sounds too good to be true, right?

The cream itself is a very light, gel like texture which is great for those with combination to oily skin because it absorbs quickly without greasing us up. It's surprisingly hydrating as well. Although this product is supposed to be used before moisturiser in summer I find I can just wear this on its own. 

There's a lot of talk out there about whether or not snail mucus is legitimately beneficial for the skin or whether it's just a passing fad. I too was a little sceptical because Missha isn't exactly considered a high end brand over in Korea but I have to say that this cream has really helped clear up my acne quickly, especially during periods when it's constantly breaking out. The morning after I first used this my face felt plump, soft,  bright, and irritated spots from the day before were greatly reduced. Instead of taking a week to heal it will only take a couple of days now. After a week of use I even noticed that the eczema around my noise was almost gone! Hmm. Seems legit to me.

I could go on, but the bottom line is that I love this product, and I'm seriously considering branching out and looking for more snail mucus based creams.

Have you tried snail creams before? How do you feel about them?