2011 First Half Wrap Up
Since we’re already half way through 2011, I wanted to dedicate a post to the products I used mainly in 2011. I admit I haven’t been posting a lot on this blog, but on offline, I have actually been using a lot of old and new products.
I want to clarify certain things since everyone has different opinions and reactions on products. These short reviews are based on my experience with the products. Opinions are very subjective, so please read my reviews with a grain of salt. Some products are company sent products, but most are my personally purchased products. As most of you might know I had a horrible skin year so far. My breakouts were rather random, which means most of my attention was geared towards skin care products rather than makeup products.
Acne prone, dehydrated oily skin.
the face is covered with old and new acne scars. Skin tone is pretty complicated – I have patches of strong yellows (especially around the eyes and the neck area) along with disconnected micro-vascular veins that give me a blue tint + red scarring that covers most of the skin surface.large pores
.sensitivity = 6 out of 10ish.
dry around the mouth area.pale with freckles
.NC20 (other foundation shades)
Although I have been a fan of Missha’s smaller products, I really don’t like their skin line products.
The remover is like a dupe of Lancome’s famous Bi-facil eye makeup remover.
The plastic bottle is half filled with blue and transparent liquid.
It’s okay to use to remove heavy and obvious makeup, but it’s not as thorough as the more expensive alternatives.
I have to use more than what I usually use to get a decent result with Lancome’s remover, so it makes me wonder if it is truly more economical to use such a cheap makeup remover. Cheap + use more (2x-3x) v. Expensive + use less?
I’m not sure what is economically savvier.
Affordable price Hate the strong scent Oil cleanser Works wet & dry
DHC’s cleansing oil (the yellow one) is the more famous sister product, but I grabbed this one from a Japanese market in New York.
It is of a clear oil form with a strong floral scent (Asian products in general love to over-perfume their products).
The price is about 17 dollars for 5 fl.oz, so I think it’s pretty affordable.
Similar to the missha remover, this cleanser removes heavy makeup pretty well, but isn’t the best at catching small leftovers (mascara on the roots of the lashes or gel liner in between lashes).
Texture is nice and smooth and once I rinse it out with water, I don’t have that left over feeling.
Overall, if missha is 5.5/10, DHC is 7/10.
Neutorgena Oil-Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing Facial Cleanser (6 fl. oz)
I don’t know how many bottles I’ve went through, but Neutorgena’s oil-free acne wash series is by far my favorite facial cleanser.
It’s not a medicine, so I don’t expect it to cure my acne problems, but it does a great job in minimizing and preventing potential outbreaks.
When I first started using this cleanser, I was blown away at how it reduced my breakouts.
My skin has grown immune to the cleanser, so I don’t get that drastic change anymore, but it is still the best of all the cleansers I have tried.
It could be a bit drying for those that have dry skin (it’s even drying on my oily skin if I don’t properly moisturize asap), but it leaves that squeaky clean finish when you’re done cleansing. It isn’t intended to be used as a makeup remover.
Also, I can’t tell the difference between the original oil-free wash and this green bottle. I couldn’t notice any redness soothing after going through an entire bottle.
HERA Gel to Oil Cleanser (150 ml)
ugh.. I don’t know how much frustration I went through every time I tried to make good use of this cleanser.
It makes me feel stupid because there is no ‘ease of use’ with this product.
The cleanser is squeezed out in a clear gel form (which is drip free), and changes to oil when rubbed on dry skin. If contacted with water, the oily part changes into a milky solution, which you have to thoroughly wash off.
The annoying part is, it is rather hard to use and the filmy after feel is horrible. I feel so confused because this cleanser always leaves me wondering if I took everything off my face thoroughly. Also, the gel sometimes doesn’t spread out evenly and gets lumpy on the face and it’s really tedious to locate the lumps and spread them out.
I love HERA products, but this cleanser is an absolute bastard child.
Lancome Absolue Premium βx Advanced Replenishing Cream Cleanser (6.7 fl. oz)
I’ve always been a fan of Lancome’s cleansing products and this one delivers what it promises.
The cleanser is of a cream form and all you have to do is rub it on top of your heavy makeup and dirty oils.
It doesn’t leave behind any makeup up (props for that!), and the after feel is amazing.
Of course the steep price is one of the biggest cons of this product.
Since the cleanser is a cream type in a bottle, rather than a liquid type with a pump, it is hard to ration the product. I tended to overuse more than what I needed and went through a bottle really quickly.
Caroline Chu Gentle Facial Cleanser (5.8 fl. oz)
I recently did a review on CC products (watch here), and the cleanser was one of them.
The cleanser has a mild and fresh scent to it.
It’s only for facial cleansing and not makeup removal.
The finishing feel is nice, not too tight and not too filmy.
I was sent free products and didn’t know how expensive it is, but the price is pretty high.
KOSE softymo White Medicated Cleansing Cream (7.41 fl. oz)
I bought this along with the DHC cleanser at a Japanese market in New York.
The price for this huge bottle is under 10 bucks, so it’s awfully cheap 🙂
I wasn’t sure if I should include this in the list because I couldn’t use it for the face.
It literally strips off so much facial oil it leaves a super tight feeling, even with ample moisturizing.
I used a whole tube to wash my brushes, and it strips off makeup like magic – I really recommend this for brush cleansing! (10 stars out of 5!)
The R7 system skin care line is a line developed in Korea, specializing in Salmon Ovary Placenta (hence, SOP is in every product name) as the main ingredient [patented]. Other than the salmon ovary, the toner has real gold powder in the formula.
The price tag for a package of four products (toner, serum, lotion and eye cream) is about 520 USD.
It can only e purchased at limited venues, so it’s too exclusive – even in Korea.
Other than the cons of the price tag and availability, the skin care line delivers amazing results.
I instantly felt my skin getting better and healthier.
The only down fall is that the products are too rich, I can’t use the for day time moisturizing. It’s the best for night time use.
This is by far the best skin care line I’ve ever used. I don’t think anything can easily top this line.
Hydra SOP Moisture Skin Toner
This is the first item I apply on a clean face.
The toner itself is very rich and moisturizing. It’s pretty thick for a skin toner, but it’s not sticky or gross.
I love how it makes my face feel moisturized and not oily.
Energizing SOP Lift V Serum
You only need to use one drop of this serum.
I don’t use it everyday since it’s really rich.
I usually use it when I feel like my skin is dry or dehydrated.
I’m not sure about the lifting part, but it definitely makes my
Brightening Repair SOP Cream
This is the lotion part of the skin care line.
Very light weight, but extremely moisturizing.
I only need to use one dab, and it covers my entire face.
Bottom line is, if you get an opportunity to get your hands on these products, get it! I really recommend it.
Cetaphil moisturizing lotion
I’ve been using this lotion for a very long time. It doesn’t irritate nor improve my skin condition. It’s thick, but I like to use this when I have dry spots.
Despite the fact that it’s so thick, it doesn’t make me break out.
Caroline Chu Skin Care Line
I already did a video review on this, so I won’t reiterate too many things.
All of the line products are pretty light. I don’t think it will be good for dry skin people.
The moisturizing lotion is the worst, but the day and night cream is okay.
The skin toner stands right in the middle.
L-R: Caroline Chu Eye Cream, R7System Advanced SOP Eye Contour Cream, AVEDA green science firming eye cream
Caroline Chu Eye Cream
Lightest of all three.
I think I’ve already said this before, but it’s hard to evaluate eye creams for me since I don’t really have eye wrinkles or permanent dark circles.
Out of the three products I have, the texture is the most fluffiest and after patting in the product, I can barely tell any difference around my eye area.
One con is (and this is for all of CC products), the product stings my eye if it gets in.
R7System Advanced SOP Eye Contour Cream
rich not sticky moisturizing expensive hard to get This has the richest texture out of all three. It’s very creamy, yet not sticky at all. I can feel my eye area instantly becoming hydrated.
The downfall is the small amount and the expensive price tag.
I don’t use it everyday, but I definitely like how my eye area feels the day after I use it. Aveda Green Science Firming Eye Cream
thick not sticky firming a bit stingy 
Chanel Double Perfection Compact
matte light weight medium coverage finally in the states! MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation
thick heavy a bit oily hard to blend
patchy application full overage dewy medium coverage a bit yellow not available in the states 
pretty packaging comes with brush not very pigmented
matte finish velvety texture not very pigmented starflash formula great for everyday look warm taupe