Guess what signifies a season's change for me? Colors of trees, scent of the air, migratory birds or.. new make up collections rolling in. Like in fashion, there's seasonality and trends in beauty. I especially look forward to Suqqu's new collections and this Autumn there's a lot of new releases and sadly discontinued products. The Suqqu UK team kindly sent me some items of their Autumn collection, which I will test and review for you. Today I'm showing the new limited eyeshadow palette EX-32 RENGAZOME (煉瓦染) that will be released in the UK on 11th of August, exclusively in Selfridges (Fenwick Bond Street and Harrods on 25th). 

Packaging

Rengrazome 煉瓦染, roughly translates as 'brick dye'. The inspiration of Autumnal brick colors is clearly visible in the dark brown and burnt red eyeshadows, contrasted with a lighter shimmer shade and a beautiful greyish green. Suqqu has paid attention to detail by including the brick theme as an embossing on the dark brown shadow and on the lid of the compact. If you're a Suqqu collector, this quad is a nice unique addition to the mix. Otherwise the packaging is similar to the classic Suqqu palettes: it comes with a velvet pouch and two dual-ended applicators, a sponge and a mini brush. The palette retails £45/¥6,800 for 4.2g.

Performance

Suqqu is famous for it's complex glitters and layerable, smooth formulations, but in my book the pigmentation has been on the sheer side. However, Rengazome is more pigmented than I've seen from the brand (except for Summer 2016 UK exclusive collection, but I haven't tried them in person). You need only a light hand - especially with the darker shades. All three shimmer shades apply very smooth and effortless, they meld to each other and need little blending whatsoever. I also got no shimmer fallout or excess powder kick off from the pans.

I wish I could say the same about the matte brown shade in bottom left corner. As much as I love the color and intensity, it does skip when applied on my lid and needs proper blending. With a soft squirrel hair brush this was a notorious task. Despite needing more blending, the brown doesn't appear otherwise dry or chalky. One day I got minor fallout on my lower lash line, but it could be me picking up too much product. Formulating dark mattes seems to be difficult as it's a pretty common problem among the most hyped palettes as well. When you're buying a palette a good tip is to pay extra attention to the dark brown mattes and reds when you're swatching. 

With an eyeshadow primer the shadows lasted +8 hours on my hooded lids without creasing or fading. An primer is an everyday essential to me, so I felt it was only fair to apply the shadows by my usual method before judging their performance.

SHOPPING FOR SUQQU

If you have no access to a counter and/or you want to purchase the palette from UK, I'd encourage you to reserve the palette by email (suqquuk@eqpuk.com) or phoning a counter. I've once emailed my reservation and then gave my billing details on the phone. Suqqu's limited edition don't always come up to the Selfridges online shop punctually and they tend to sell out quite quickly. You can find Suqqu UK contact details here.

Swatches

- a greyish khaki green with golden shimmer
- a satin medium cherry red with pink undertones
- a warm-neutral, matte dark chocolate brown
- a medium, yellowish champagne with golden microshimmer

Color combinations

The red has become my favorite in this palette, I especially like how it combines with the yellow champagne shade and khaki green. All the shadows compliment each other alone or layered, which is one of the reason I love Suqqu eyeshadows so much. There could be a bit variation in the shimmers to bring more complexity, but like this the shades are beautifully uniform.

Look using Rengazome

Here's one of my MOTD's using EX-32 Rengazome. In this look I used the yellow champagne as a base, brown all over the lid, khaki in outer 'V' with little bit of red. Other make up worn: pink blush, SUQQU Extra Glow Lipstick in EX-02 MITSUGAKI and Armani Luminous Silk foundation (2 and 4 mixed). Excuse me odd my Summer hair!

Overall Thoughts

Despite the blending problems with the brown shadow, I enjoy this palette a lot. I said there could be more complexity in the shimmers, but the mix of finishes and depth in the shadows bring it the needed versatility some past palettes lacked. The final result is harmonious and beautiful, and I can see myself reaching for this year around. 

How do you like these colors? Are you planing to get this palette?  

See my other Suqqu quad reviews here: EX-27 Hanashion and EX-29 Koukiori
For more Renzagome goodness check out the beautiful reviews by Linda and Belly.

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This post contains products that were generously provided for consideration. Regardless, my opinions are my own honest and unbiased views. The links are for your convenience and do not contain ads.

Deep Nuance eyes is a new limited edition launch for SUQQU's Autumn 2016 collection. I think it's a shame to bring out a gorgeous selection of cream colors without making them permanent, but perhaps SUQQU has other beautiful launches coming to our way? There are totally five shades in the range: a pink, burgundy, beige, brown and grey with various intensities of shimmer. They retail for £22/5g. Today I'll show you EX-03 SHINKICHA (深輝茶) and EX-04 GENSYUKOU (眩朱光)!

Packaging

The creams come in a sturdy glass pots with black plastic caps. If you're familiar with SUQQU's (or other brands') cream eyeshadow pots, they aren't that different. The pots do come with a small brush-like synthetic applicators which I had good intentions using more than once, but soon got forgotten in my make up pouch.. it does work for dabbing shadow on the lid, but I find fingers or a goat hair brush more efficient.

Texture

The texture is a creamy sort of geléé, which is easy to pick up with your tool of choice.  According to SUQQU, the creams contain resilient silicone gel, which makes the texture nicely "bouncy" cushion - unlike Tom Ford's creams that are more like "a whipped" texture. There are also a balance oils in the formula to keep the delicate eyelids moisturised and allow pigment remain full during the day. 

Application

I usually don't apply my make up with fingers, but these creams were so convenient to pick up and apply. One swipe and pat and and you're good to go. Alternatively, goat or synthetic hair brushes work perfectly well, but I wouldn't use squirrel hair as wet textures will damage the delicate hairs. The shadows were easy to blend, but the problem I encountered was building up intensity. The more intense coverage I tried to build, the more shadow got swiped off. I found them best used as a soft veil on the mobile lid, without blending too high in the crease.

SUQQU DEEP NUANCE EYES EX-03

EX-03 Shinkincha (深輝茶) roughly translates as deep glittering tea (color) and it does remind me of the color of houjicha, which is roasted Japanese green tea. Again, the name is quite fitting as the warm medium brown has chunks of gold glitter.

Suqqu Deep Nuance Eyes EX-04

EX-04 Gensyukou (眩朱光) translates roughly as dazzling vermillion light, which is quite fitting for this color. I'd call EX-04 Gensyukou a warm red with pink undertone and fine golden shimmer, as you'll see in the swatch below.

Performance

Unfortunately the lasting power was disappointing, without primer EX-03 Shinkicha lasted barely 3 hours on me and I had prominent glitter fallout under my eyes. I know glitter fallout could be avoided by doing my base after the eyeshadow, but I'm quite resolved in my method to do base first. Using an eyeshadow primer did decrease the amount of fallout but made little to no difference to the longevity. This was not a big surprise to me, as my hooded lids are highly incompatible with cream formulas.

For science, I tested priming and concentrating the shadows mainly on my mobile lid and setting with a translucent powder. This way the longevity extended around 5 hours before starting to fade around my fine lines, but the look was wearable. EX-04 Gensyukou had significantly less fallout compared to EX-03 Shinkicha. The shadows looked very pretty and application took barely 5 seconds. It's such a shame my hooded lids are highly incompatible with cream formulas.

MOTD

Here's a look using variety of SUQQU products from the AW/2016 and upcoming collections. I have the limited edition eyeshadow quad EX-32 Rengazome as a base, mainly khaki and brown on the crease, some champagne and red layered on the mobile lid. There I dabbed Deep Nuance Eyes EX-04 Gensyukou with my finger in the centre of my lid, avoiding the crease area and setting with my favorite loose powder+brush combo I talked about here. The blush is SUQQU 03 Sumiayasayake, lipstick Extra Glow Lipstick 05 Saeanzu, liner Liquid Pen Duo in brown and foundation Extra Rich Cream Foundation. I will review all the new products soon (spoiler alert: love them!).

Overall

As much as I like the ease of application and colors, anything that creases on my lids is a no go. I know I'm being picky, but same goes with fallout. I do enjoy the product itself, but unfortunately the type didn't work for me. This doesn't necessarily mean SUQQU Deep Nuance Eyes are a bad product - if you have no obvious problems wearing cream shadows then I'm sure you would enjoy these pots a lot. They're now released on Selfridges online. I'll keep on experimenting.

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This post contains products that were generously provided for consideration. Regardless, my opinions are my own honest and unbiased views. The links are for your convenience and do not contain ads.

I never in million years thought I would be hosting a giveaway - I always saw them as a promoting method only wealthy bloggers could afford (if there was no sponsor behind it). Today I have a special opportunity to give back something to my friends and readers who have took the time to view and read my blog. Thank you for your support! I'm still quite new to beauty blogging world, but I'm very passionate about my subject and hope you'll enjoy reading my future articles.

The winner of this giveaway gets two Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips lipstick: Tell Laura and Secret Salma - you can read all about them in my review. (The ones in the picture above are mine, the winner of course gets brand new ones).

How to participate:

1. Follow me on Instagram @laurantaina
2. Comment this blog post: what you'd like to read about in the future
Bonus: Get an extra entry by following me on Bloglovin' 

Open internationally until August 31st 23:59 (GMT+3)

That's it! Please include your Instagram and Bloglovin' usernames in the comment (no giveaway accounts, insufficient entries will be disqualified). I'll randomly select the winner on August 31st 23:59 (GMT+3). The winner has 3 days to answer my message and claim the price or a new winner will be randomly chosen. 

Good luck! xx

Thank you to the giveaway participants! I've got great recommendations for future blog posts, feeling very inspired now. There's still time to submit your entry, good luck! Today, I'm posting about SUQQU again. These items have just been released and I know some of you want to see more swatches and reviews. More make up and skincare posts coming later this week!

I'm quite sad the old SUQQU blushes were discontinued, as I loved the silky soft formula, buildable color and two pans to customise the blush. On the bright side, SUQQU released more shades, decreased the price and didn't abandon the color duos. Today I have two of the five permanent blushes to show you: 03 SUMIASAYAKE (澄朝焼) and 05 YAWAKOUKI (柔光輝). They retail £30/¥5,500(+tax) for 7.5g Available in Selfridges, for example.

The new blush look

Instead of two same sized pans, the new SUQQU blushes have a gradient where main color takes 2/3 of the space and lighter accent color 1/3. SUQQU suggests mixing the two colors together or applying the lighter shade as a wash of color and the darker shade on the apples of the cheeks as a pop of color. Charlotte Tilbury Swish & Pop Blushes follow the same idea, why not. Lighter outer color gives the apples of the cheeks nice blended halo effect. I've also used the darker shade blended towards cheekbones and added the lighter shade as a subtle highlight. The packaging is slim and sleek black compact with a big mirror, comes in velvet pouch.

Applicators

Unlike many compact applicators, SUQQU mini blush brushes were fairly decent for emergency touch ups and incredibly soft. I think the brush is squirrel (left), but the new ones are synthetic (right). It feels flimsier and I gotta say I'm not a big fan. The price decrease of SUQQU blushes was very welcome, but probably affected the quality of the brush. For most everyday blush users the synthetic one is handy to have, but me being a blush (and blush brush) crazy person I'd prefer to omit the mini brush and have a smaller compact.

Formula

What I like about SUQQU blushes they're buildable and very finely milled. No matter how many layers you do the result doesn't look like powdery layer on the top of the skin, but very natural. I think this is thanks to the emollient oils (such as petroleum jelly, jojoba seed oil, beeswax, mineral oil) in the formula. While cycling in rainy Copenhagen the blush faded on me, but on "normal" days the longevity was very good and lasted for the whole day. 

03 Sumiasayake

Sumiasayake's is mainly a hot medium pink, which shifts to a lighter pink with a peachy undertone. All mixed together is a healthy pink flush on the cheek, which is very pretty. There's tiniest amount of microshimmer, almost undetectable to the eye. It gives the blush a gorgeous finish with a light sheen, far away from 'dead flat' matte look. On me Sumiasayake pulls quite neutral and I feel the pink even has some red undertones. If you have lots of redness in your skin I suggest using a proper base or you may look little sunburnt.

05 Yawakouki

This shade is interesting to me.. In the hand swatches it looks like a highlighter, but it's certainly too dark for me. I've been wearing the darkest peach shade as a blush and the glittery pale yellow as a shimmery blush topper. It gives me a lot of sheen which stays on the cheekbones even after the color has started to fade. Far left is a light peach with golden flecks of shimmer, the middle is a champagne with golden shimmer and far right a pale yellow with similar shimmer, almost glittery. If you have a medium to deep skin tone I'm sure this would be a stunner! Very fair skin tones could also wear it as a proper blusher.

Sumiasayake blush motd

Other make up worn: Integrade mascara, SUQQU Treatment Primer, SUQQU Extra Rich Cream Foundation, SUQQU Creamy Glow Lipstick Moist EX-01 SAE BARA, Viseart brow palette, Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadows Rain Dove, Rufous-Tailed Weaver and Alabaster Starling. I'm liking this look a lot!

Overall

To be honest, I loved the old blushes and didn't expect to like the new ones as much as I do. They have great formula, sleek packaging and two colors in one is just wonderful. The price point is very decent and I can't get enough of the color combinations I've seen online. Is it too much if I want.. all of them? As soon as my low buy is over I think I need to collect the rest of these blushes. 

What do you think? Eyeing any of the new SUQQU blushes?

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This post contains products that were generously provided for consideration. Regardless, my opinions are my own honest and unbiased views. The links are for your convenience and do not contain ads.

About Addiction

ADDICTION is a make up brand by a New York based Japanese make up artist, Ayako. Her style is edgy, cool and urban, often driving her inspiration from the streets of New York - both in collections and item names. While working with many Hollywood stars and prominent photographers, she cultivated her philosophy, believing with confidence and drawing out one's personal features, style comes naturally. 

A year ago she revamped most of the line, creating 99 eyeshadow shades and a vast line of blushes and contour powders you can both mix and match into empty palettes. With black packaging, simple typography and an edgy vibe, one could call ADDICTION as the "Nars of Japan" - no surprise that Ayako used to work for NARS. She has an unique artistic sense, differing from many Japanese brand aesthetics. I've never met an ADDICTION product I didn't like, I'm addicted! 

ADDICTION BLUSHES

ADDICTION offers a variety of cheek products from powders to lipstick shaped cream cheek sticks to nail polish looking liquid formulation. The powders come in highlighter, contour, beige, pink, peach and rose shades. There are also 5 gradation blush mixes. The shades are somewhat basic yet captivating - there's something for everyone in the range. Each blush comes 3.9g of product, retailing 3,024 yen, made in Japan.

Formula

Like many Japanese blushes, I'd call the pigmentation sheer/medium. If you're familiar with their eyeshadows, the formula feels similar: not buttery, not soft veil like THREE blushes, but excellent in color and performance. The feel is more like in Western powders, but never a glitter fest of kicking off excess powder. They build and perform, which I love about these blushes.

Blushes

Naked Lies 27

Naked Lies is a contour powder for fair to light skin tones. It's lighter than Kevyn Aucoin's sculpting powder in Light for example. As I said above the sheer-medium pigmentation is buildable, and on me it's fairly neutral brown - neither too warm nor too ashy to turn muddy. The SA said Naked Lies is the most natural shadow color for me, as Nocturne 02 and 26 Ibiza Dream pulled too orange. On light-medium to darker skin tones it probably won't show up. The swatch is close to the skin tone of my hand, but on the face it's a perfect natural contour.

Stylish 30

A medium, matte neutral orange, ADDICTION defines it as a mahogany brown. For me it definitely pulls more orange than brown with burnt undertones, creating a beautiful summery cheeks or complementing any make up look when you need a warm cheek color.

Sweet Dreams 33

A pale candy pink with very fine micro shimmers. One of my favorite pink blushes to brighten up my skin. I bet this would suit variety of skintones from very fair to dark.

Winter Blush 34

Winter Blush is what the gorgeous model wore in ADDICTION's Winter 15/16 campaign. I'd say Winter Blush is a muted antique pink with neutral mauve undertones. Understated and very pretty on the apples of the cheeks.

Overall

I'm currently very happy with my ADDICTION blush collection, but I wouldn't hesitate to pick up more if I got the chance to visit a counter. I love to experiment with different blush formulas and has some of the nicest mattes I've encountered. To some of you my blush colors might not appear very complex or interesting, but thanks to ADDICTION's wide range I believe there's something for everyone.

Have you tried any ADDICTION powder blushes? Would you like to?

Happy Friday! Let's talk about sunscreen and sun exposure. I want to share some of my favorite Asian sunscreens with you, but before getting into product recommendations I'd like to address why we should be mindful about sun exposure. To my fellow beauty junkies this maybe old information, but you wouldn't believe how many of my fellow Scandi beauties don't know this stuff. Because we live here far from the equator and see the Sun so briefly you wouldn't even call this season a Summer - we tend to gloss over sun care. To my boyfriend's request, I try to keep this short and sweet.

Sun exposure

Sun exposure (UVA and UVB rays) are the no 1 cause to premature ageing. And this is a fact, as UV rays are classified as a carcinogen to our skin - just like tobacco. Ultraviolet rays (UV) is electromagnetic radiation from the Sun, which is only partly absorbed by the ozone layer. UVA rays can penetrate clouds and glass as well. Rain or shine, Summer or Winter, indoors or outdoors - we're exposed to both of them. We need sun care every single day, and I repeat: every. single. day.

Causes and damages in a nutshell

Most known subtypes of UV radiation to the subject are UVA and UVB. Long wave UVA rays penetrate deeply into the skin dermis (thickest, bottom layer) and play a major part in collagen and elastin damages, which leads to wrinkling aka. photoageing. Medium wave UVA only penetrate the epidermal (outermost) layer of the skin causing reddening, burning and pigmentation changes. I find freckles adorable, but unfortunately freckles, tanning and sun spots are 'injuries' to the skin DNA, as the skin darkens to prevent further injuries. Mutations in the skin DNA may lead to cancer. Simplifying: UVA is A for ageing and UVB is B for burning. Both ultimately damage your skin.

Damage prevention

- Avoid the peak sun hours when the sunshine is "strongest". Check out the UV index where you live, but it's usually around morning-noon.

- Wear protective clothing, long sleeves and hats

- Never, ever, use UV tanning beads. If tan is your jam, take it from a bottle!

- Look into supplements that protect your skin health, including: Vitamin D, Vitamin C, healthy fats and vegan Astaxanthin (carotenoid and potent antioxidant)

- Wear sunscreen. Rain or shine, dead of Winter or Summer, wear sunscreen.

Is sunscreen Dangerous?

I'd like to acknowledge I know there are mixed views about the safety of sunscreen ingredients: do they increase or decrease your chances to get cancer, will the chemicals cross the skin, cause allergies and so on and so fort. I agree you should be mindful of the ingredients and what you put on your skin, but also be responsible about sun exposure. Call me vain, but personally I'm in the sunscreen bandwagon. Not any sunscreen, but trustworthy ingredients and application. Let's talk about those next.

Choose your type of sunscreen

There are 2 main types of sunscreen: 'physical' and 'chemical', which are little misleading names as they're all chemicals in the end, but for clarity let's stick with the most common division. I also talk about filters, the active ingredients in sunscreen that block either UVA, UVB or both. You want a filter that has a broad spectrum UVA and UVB care and which is photostable, meaning it won't degrade when exposed to light. Often sunscreens combine these filters for the best protection.

Physical sunscreen protect your skin by blocking or deflecting the UV rays. They're usually thick, opaque and creamy formulas that leave a white cast on the skin and cause flashback in photographs. These filters are Titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide. The former has a good UVB but not UVA block while the latter has a full spectrum care. If you break out from mineral make up, you may want to avoid Titanium dioxide and stick with Zinc instead, but generally they're both safe for sensitive skin and stable.

Chemical sunscreens absorb or scatter the sun's rays, but mostly absorb. They should be applied ~20 minutes before you're being exposed to the Sun. Usually the textures of these sunscreens are very nice, runny and light, easily absorbed into the skin. Many Asian sunscreens are chemical and they apply nicely under make up. There are plenty of filters and many offer a broader spectrum care than physical sunscreens do, but some (such as avobenzone) are not photostable. They more commonly cause irritation and break outs to sensitive skins. 

SPF and PA ratings

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and only applies to UVB rays. The number after SPF indicates how many times longer you can stay in the sun without burning (let's say SPF15 let's you stay 15 times longer) You can't double the protection factor by wearing two lower factors - two SPF15 creams won't protect you 30 times longer, you need a higher factor. Confusingly, you want to your sunscreen to also have a PA rating for UVA rays, which are marked with a +. The more plus symbols the more protection from the sun. I recommend at least SPF30 PA+++.

Application

Use a designated sunscreen. Tinted moisturizers, powders or day creams with SPF usually won't cut it as you're not applying enough. Day creams with SPF is usually just an expensive version of a sunscreen: go for a great cream for your skin type and a separate sunscreen you care to apply. Apply to your whole face, neck and chest area as your last skincare step. You want sunscreen to be the outmost "barrier". The amount depends on your body size, but use liberally. Often at least "nickel size" is recommended - I use about 1/2 teaspoon or more. You also want to reapply during the day. The recommendation is "at least every few hours" if you're outdoors, in water or by a window, but if you're wearing make up or have a life - reapplying can be a chore. Do your best, reapply as often as you can. I aim to reapply at least once a day and stay out of the sun. Here are more application tips I find useful.

TL:DR; 

You want a stable, broad spectrum sunscreen for UVA and UVB that has both high SPF and PA rating. Choosing a filter is a personal preference which texture you like or is your skin sensitive to particular ingredient. If you're worried about the safety of sunscreens or sensitive: go for physical. If you hate the heavy feeling: go for chemical. Apply liberally as your last skincare step and reapply as you can. I promise, I tried to keep it short and sweet! 

Do you wear sunscreen every day? Which sunscreens do you prefer?

Modern Nostalgia is ADDICTION by Ayako's AW2016 collection, which includes limited edition nail polishes, lipsticks, blushes and 6 eyeshadows. I love Addiction eyeshadow colors and formula, but oddly I wasn't expecting any limited edition launches as she already had 99 eyeshadows in her permanent collection. As soon as I saw the teasers and read the inspiration has been a Finnish painter, I asked my dear friend to help me get these. The shadows retail ¥2,160 (tax included) / 1g.

Inspiration

Ayako speaks about her new collection as 'hazy colors' and being inspired by Helene Schjerfbeck (1862-1946), one of the most famous Finnish painters. Her painting style is naturalism, realism and expressionism. Schjerfbeck is known for her series of self-portraits, the change of their visual style well depicts her tragic life. A lot of her work are displayed in the Finnish National Gallery, Ateneum, which I can highly recommend. I especially like her simplified paintings. The artwork displayed in some of Ayako's IG promo pictures is Schjerfbeck's "Self-portrait with black background" from 1915. 

CUSTOM PALETTE

I popped my eyeshadows in order into an empty Addiction Compact Case II, which retails for ¥1,620(tax included). You can fit 6 shadows or 3 blushes in the case or a combination of both. The depotting itself is easy as there's a small pinhole behind the individual shadow cases for popping out the pans. Unfortunately Addictions "custom palette" design has similar flaws as Surratt shadows - the pans aren't magnetised but have little bit of glue behind them. Not very convenient if you want to re-arrange your shadows.

Here's what the packaging looks from the top. There's a neat Addiction inscription on the cover. The Compact Cases also come for 4 shadows or 2 blushes. As I've accumulated a fair collection of Addiction shadows during the years, I decided to label mine after the one of the shadows.

Performance

Addiction shadows are one of my favorite formulas. They apply beautifully without being patchy and adhere to the lids very well. There's rarely any fallout with more glittery shades. Most Japanese eyeshadows are on the sheer and shimmery side, but Addiction provides a variety of finishes to mattes, pearls and glitters. I especially love Addiction's matte formula, as it's easy to blend and build. The intensity of shadows are medium-sheer: you get a very nice, workable amount of color once you dip a brush into the pan. The shadows are soft, not exactly 'buttery', but won't kick off excess powder. 

NORTH SEA 100

Is a beautiful iridescent baby blue with pearl beige dots.

QUIET 101

Dark sea green with almost undetectable green micro shimmer.

VOLCANO 102

A yellow ochre with fine golden micro shimmer.

MODERN NOSTALGIA 103

A pearl finish taupe with silver micro glitter and a hint of purple undertones.

HAZY NIGHT 104

A medium pearl grey with greenish undertones and silver shimmer.

Dancer in the Dark 105

A deep forest green with cool undertones and very fine multi colored micro shimmer. The pan has a flecks of red. This was the only shade I had some issues to work with, it doesn't apply or swatch as strong and smoothly as the others.

Overall

Although I'm not a big fan of green or blue eyeshadows, I very much like the color palette of this collection. Adding forest green or ocean blue to the crease or lower lash line gave a nice twist to my usual warm neutral looks. I find it easier to venture out from my comfort zone with a shadow formula that I know and love. I don't know if I had purchased all these shadows if they weren't inspired by Helene Schjerfbeck, but I'm glad I did.

This post is going to be a lengthy one, I hope you're into a more personal update. First, big thank you for everyone participating the giveaway - I love your post suggestions! Some of you requested my skincare routine and obsessed with Asian skincare I gladly write about it. Except, I'm on Accutane and not following my regular routine. Maybe this post will serve as a documentation of my skincare journey and interest others with troubled skin. I will review the products I use more in depth in the future posts, if they are good or interesting.

Background

Growing up I had unproblematic skin. I didn't have any major break outs as a teenager nor remember suffering from a very dry skin. In my mid twenties my skin started to change. When I moved to Japan in 2014 I had a very bad diet, and a lot of small whiteheads and impurities started to appear. The break outs weren't massive deep cystic ones, but my cheeks looked very angry and covered with small red pimples. I had to quit hot yoga as my body skin got itchy and irritated.

First actions

After a year I moved back to Finland and gave up gluten and dairy again, my skin started to clear up a bit and became less angry looking. The itchiness vanished completely. I still had whiteheads and impurities on my forehead and on my cheeks, bigger pimples left a red scar for months. I educated myself about skincare: acid toners, exfoliant, lotions and potions. I'be listed my first tips for mild acne here. I find Paula's Choice salicylic acid and a retinol serum helped me as the larger break outs surfaced less frequently, but wouldn't go away nor did the smaller impurities.

Trying medications

After +2 years of struggling I went to see a doctor who prescribed me topical a gel with retinoid and benzyl peroxide (not a common ingredient in Finland). The impurities and small whiteheads disappeared from my forehead, cheeks and chest in an instant. However, the gel made me extra dry, very flakey and easily irritated although I had stopped using exfoliators and paid extra attention to moisturising. It didn't stop the larger pimples outs or scaring, I kept breaking around chin and cheek bone area, could be hormonal(?). 

Then, I got described Accutane/Roaccutane, an oral Vitamin A medicine. I'm taking it for about two months. I was mentally prepared for even drier skin, dry eyes, flakey lips and sensitivity to sun and light. It took about couple of weeks until I noticed any side effects at all. Not using my regular BHA/AHA I got blackheads on my nose and once tried an acid on them.. not my smartest moment, as a result my skin literally peeled off. After a month on the medication, my arms got tanned during a holiday and the skin turned extra parched and dry. I look like a lizard vigorously slapping body butter and sunscreen on my skin. But my face has started to clear up - so far I've had only 1 pimple on Accutane.

Focus on hydration

Before taking Accutane I was all about acids, peels and exfoliating. Now they're on a break, shyly in the corner of my skincare cabinet. I've been extra focused in nourishing, moisturising and using a sun block. You can read more about necessary sun care in my earlier post here. These are steps I've always done, but now with extra care. I use a gentle facial wash in the mornings, pat dry with a towel and prep my skin by layering Niod Copper Amino Isolate 1.00%, layered with hydrating Estée Lauder Micro Essence and moisturising lotion Hadalabo Gokyjyun (しっとり =moist version). The Esteé Lauder essence is lighter than the Hadalabo lotion, which is why I use it first in my attempt to make my face a moisture sandwich. 

Serums

These are my current serums I rotate or use together for day time. I was lacking actives in my routine opted for Mad Hippie Vitamin C serum. Gotta say, I'm not crazy about it. The price is reasonable and the ingredient list is nice, I've read it having 10% sodium ascorbyl phosphate, but I haven't seen much effectiveness and I'm almost finished with the bottle. I have similar feelings about Hylamide, but I haven't made up my mind quite yet. At the moment, all the hydration is welcome, but I wish I could see more improvement on fine lines and texture issues.

Eye care

NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate* has the same parent company as Hylamide, all three products I've shared here share the similar bottle and watery consistency. I feel it's a good eye serum, keeping the visible signs of my ageing at bay with antioxidants and peptides. No effect on my genetically dark under eyes or hooded lids, but I don't expect it from anything. It's hydrating, but on Accutane I crave for more moisture around my eyes, so I top the concentrate with Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. It's a classic, heavy and creamy moisturiser. Good, but doesn't do much else.

My favorite step

Moisturiser, sunscreen and coffee. Yep, having a cup of joe after my routine is a necessary part of relaxation and recharging for the day. Don't they all say skincare should be "me"-time? I'm in love with this January Labs Revitalizing Day Cream*. Very fluid, very pleasant to use, packed with niacinamide, antioxidants and moisturising ingredients. Equally in love with this Innisfree Eco safety perfect sunblock SPF50+ PA+++. It's a heavy duty physical sunblock, which does leave some white cast if you don't massage it in, but my dry skin loves this stuff. I'm on my 5th? 6th? tube of this.

After thoughts

To a blush addict it's a nightmare to break out around the cheek area, and I'm afraid medication won't totally prevent it in the future. Despite the dryness, I'm quite happy with how my skin looks. It's not angry, bumpy, inflamed. I don't feel the need to roll in concealer. I can't wait my medication to end, go back to my acids, testing new products and see how things go. I'll be talking a lot about skincare in the future: routines, knowledge and product reviews.

Have you suffered from troubled skin? What kind of skincare have you used?

Related posts:
My comprehensive sunscreen post
5 simple ways to battle break outs

This post contains products (*) that were generously provided for consideration. Regardless, my opinions are my own honest and unbiased views. The links are for your convenience and do not contain ads.

Deciem is a new rockstar company in skincare, perhaps a product or two has popped in your social media feed recently - especially if you follow any skincare bloggers. NIOD (Non-Invasive Options in Dermal Science) is a branch under the Deciem umbrella launched one year ago, bringing you a lot of brown pipette bottles, abbreviations and high science products for the "hyper educated" consumers. Today I show you one of NIOD's star products: CAIS 1.00%

Shopping for NIOD

You can cherry pick products from the Deciem sub-branches while shopping on their website and there's a free international delivery(!!). Nothing makes me happier than a free int delivery. They also run lots of site-wide promotions so check out their newsletter or your favorite coupon code website for a discount code. The CAIS serum is 15ml and costs 45.60€

Science behind CAIS

NIOD's philosophy behind CAIS departs from 'traditional thinking' in skincare, which is often addressing various existing, specific and visible signs of ageing. CAIS focuses on skin health, placing your skin into a constant state of repair. The star ingredient of CAIS is copper tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu), which said nothing to me before reading into it. The health functions of copper peptides help in preventing and reversing multiple signs of skin ageing - from elasticity to enlarged pores, sun damage, lines and wrinkles. Unfortunately, the natural concentration of this peptide in human plasma continues to drop as we age. 

I'm skincare obsessed and could talk about the science for hours and hours, but in the case you want the short version (aka tl:dr;):

Do I need it / want to put this serum on my face? Uh, YES.

Science (in-depth version)

A tripeptide is a peptide which consists of three amino acids joined by peptide bounds. Amino acids are biologically important organic compounds - you may have heard of 'essential amino acids' in nutrition or amino acids also used in drugs and cosmetics. In skincare products, amino acids are water-binding ingredients and some act as anti-oxidants. Combined with other ingredients amino acids can fight signs of ageing, aid ingredient penetration and help wound healing. This is the sort of 'repair from within' CAIS aims at. 

The other peptides in CAIS tripeptide are Proline and Lysine. According to studies (sources below) Lysine is found hydrating and may aid in collagen production. Proline has anti-aging properties and has been shown to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. In CAIS, these peptides are in a stabilized form and according to their website the concentration is much higher (1.00%) than in other topical anti-ageing products. Personally, I don't know any other skincare products that claim using a copper peptide, but after short googling I found out there are a bunch. According to some of my sources there isn't enough research demonstrating copper's effects in anti-ageing, but NIOD's claims are definitely promising.

The other ingredient in the product is a form of hyaluronic acid, a molecule which your skin loves. It's a natural structural component of the skin, with amazing ability to hold moisture. Hyaluronic acid delivers water to the skin, making it plumper, softer and smoother - which are also qualities of younger-looking skin. Hyaluronic acid must be bioengineered to have a lower molecular weight to penetrate beneath skin surface. Sodium hyaluronate, a salt derived from hyaluronic acid, is a much smaller molecule and also the form CAIS uses. According to NIOD's website, their formula also allows smaller technologies to penetrate the skin. This is exactly what we want - a very-low-molecular form to deliver both water and tripeptides to the low depths of skin.

Ingredient list:

Aqua (Water), Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ethoxydiglycol, Glycerin, Copper Tripeptide-1, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Zinc Palmitoyl Nonapeptide-14, Decapeptide-22, Ogliopeptide78, Palmitoyl Decapeptide-21, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenylpropanol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol.

Using CAIS

NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 1.00% or CAIS for short comes with a separate activator you dispense into the serum bottle, replace the cape and shake 30 seconds and your ready-to-use serum is created. The activated serum is stabile, doesn't need refrigeration and stays good for about 6 months. The color is gorgeous bright blue, as you see below. Would I prefer a pump over a dropper? Definitely. But am I bothered by it? Not really. I dab the serum on a cleansed skin every morning and evening as my 1st skincare step, followed by an essence, lotion, etc. The serum absorbs into the skin in seconds, there's no residue, but the results kick in slowly over time. 

Results with CAIS 

I like to give my skincare some time to take an effect, especially before I write these reviews. I don't believe there's one magic product that will change your skin, but a combination of good ingredients with a healthy diet. I'm on my second bottle now and I can't say I can pinpoint any significant changes. I wish I could hype this product and promise you overnight results, but skincare just doesn't work like that.

But - my skin looks better, healthy. Having dry and troubled skin I don't say these words lightly. I'd say my skin is balanced and its condition hasn't worsen back to flakey, inflamed mess, which is a big deal to me. My pigmentation issues from acne scars have been healing significantly faster, but there could be a little bit help from my acne medication. Above all, I believe in the science behind CAIS and am very happy how my current skin condition has slowly improved. If CAIS can help me delay more fine lines or wrinkles and continue improving my skin, I'm more than delighted. Would I purchase a third bottle? Yes.

Further reading

Peptides 1, 2 
Amino acids 1, 2,
Proline study
Hyaluronic acid
Arly's review

Firstly, thank you so much for all the participants in my giveaway! I never expected so many of you. I got a ton of great ideas and suggestions for my blog, I'll definitely take them in account when planing future posts. I can definitely promise you a lot more interesting content about skincare, brushes, high end make up and Asian beauty! Unfortunately, there can only be one winner. I checked all the eligible entries, those who also Bloglovin' got two entries per person and entered them in a random choice generator. And the lucky person is.. @nopsaneva!

Congratulations, you'll win Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips in Secret Salma and Hot Laura! Please respond within 3 days on Instagram or leave a comment with your email address so I can get back to you.

Some of the upcoming posts

- More Japanese make up reviews and swatches. I have a personal mission to swatch all my Addiction eyeshadows for you asap!
- How to depot eyeshadows tutorial
- Japanese brush showcases, cleaning and storing tips
- My recent trip to Kumano, the brush village of Japan
- More nerdy skincare posts from acid mantle to acids and retinols, interesting product discoveries and routine advice.
- Sheet masks! Shopping, reviews and are they safe?
- ..And much more!

Thank you again to all the giveaway participants! Have a lovely day, I'll be back to you by tomorrow with a new post!

When I saw sneak peeks of Rouge Bunny Rouge's new release my thoughts were "another neutral palette? Isn't this little late to the party?" I already had Burberry Mocha quad, Viseart Neutral Mattes palette and all RBR matte shadows, so I wasn't too keen on ordering Antigo. After seeing my friend @hello_fafa's recommendation on Instagram my curiosity got the better of me. Thank goodness! 

Eyeshadow palette Raw Garden - Antigo

Antigo is a balanced quad with both neutral and cool tones, all four shades in a one big single pan. The palette comes in a big round cardboard packaging, which looks and feels 'expensive'. The compact case itself has a magnetic closure and a decent size mirror. The quad retails 49€ for 7g/ 0.25 oz - which is a great deal as RBR eyeshadow refills are only 2g for 17€. Burberry's Mocha is little more expensive than Antigo and only 5.4g.

Texture

When I got my hands on the quad I was blown away. I knew RBR makes impeccable powders, especially mattes, but this formula has extraordinary satin-matte finish. The shadows are enriched with argan oil, but the main ingredient is just talc, also mica and dimethicone are high in the INCI list (complete ingredients are here). In the pan the shadows look plain matte, but on the lid they have a flattering, three dimensional sheen without any glitter or shimmer. When I can get more of this?!

I was afraid the beautiful zigzag embossment would be ruined right away, but this how the palette looks after serval uses. I'm not bothered by the one big pan at all, it's very easy to pick up the shade you want or mix them together. The texture is lightweight, silky and feels natural on the skin. Smooth, almost buttery soft shadows blend effortlessly. There's no fallout but the shadows are so soft and pigmented that I recommend being gentle when you pick up the colors to avoid any excess powder. 

Colors

- Creamy white vanilla with a hint of yellow; perfect for base or highlight. Thanks to the satin finish it brightens up inner corners without any glitter! So pretty. Shows up my light skin as well.

- Taupe brown with a hint of cool rose, very beautiful and unique shade in my collection.

- Warm milk chocolate brown, perfect for contouring the crease or all over the lid.

- Rich dark cocoa brown to intensify your look, outer corner and lash line for example.

Comparison swatches

This picture was taken in natural light. Unlike I expected, the RBR mattes look nothing like Antigo's colors or texture. For example, Papyrus Canary is a fair beige where as Antigo has a creamy vanilla white. Sweet Dust Seriema is way cooler and Umber Firefinch is darker with a slight shimmer, which is more visible in the direct sunlight photo (below). See how Antigo swatches appear more luminous and less 'flat' like the other mattes and Umber Firefinch? 

Sunlight swatches

This picture makes my heart sing. I wish they would come out with singles in this texture! The satin-mattes add little special something to a neutral eye. I think you can create a beautiful, interesting look without any added pop of color or shimmer (unless you want to, of course). With little primer the shadows last on me the whole 12h day without fading or creasing. Even when my foundation has worn off, the eyeshadows look good.

Make up of the day

Here's a simple daytime look wearing the palette. I have the vanilla as a base and inner corner highlight, the rosy taupe all over the lid, milk chocolate in the crease and deep cocoa brown in the outer V.

Overall

Rouge Bunny Rouge Raw Garden: Antigo palette stands out from other neutral palettes with its impressive pigmentation, sublime finish and gorgeous design. Close to a perfect palette, certainly a must-have for any neutral lover. Huge love!

special discount: RBR-LAURALOUKOLA20

Using the code RBR-LAURALOUKOLA20 on your shopping bag you get 20% off your order! I am no way affiliated and gain no commission for promoting this code. I just want my readers to try out the brand I love so much! Antigo palette would be my pick if you're trying out RBR for the first time. Have a gorgeous day!

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Peeling gels are a huge thing in Asia, one of the most recognised being the Japanese Cure Natural Aqua Gel. When talking about classics in Japanese skincare, Cure often pops up, although there are competing peeling gels from various brands. But how do they work and do a gel really remove your dead skin cells?

Packaging

Cure Natural Aqua Gel comes in a large clear pump bottle, made of plastic, which looks pretty plain. I wonder why haven't they tweaked the packaging or typography to more interesting one? If you're picking up the bottle in Japan look out for 'dupes', as some brands imitate Cure's clear packaging. I use about 3 pumps per use for my whole face, around 2-3 times a week. One bottle lasts me months and months to finish, maybe a year. Some times the pump clogs a bit from the dried gel and might squirt if you're not careful. It's not a big deal, but always remove the gel residue from the pump. Cure Natural Aqua Gel retails ¥sss for 11111g. Some places to purchase are Loft, Tokyu Hands and Plaza.

How to use a peeling gel

Apply ~3 pumps of gel on cleansed, DRY skin and massage into your skin. Like with cleansing oils, Cure won't give you the best results if your skin is too damp. Gently rub your nose, chin and forehead – or any of the areas where you have dry patches, make up turns uneven or you have used chemical exfoliants. During massaging the product little bits of loose "skin" will appear. It's so gross it's kind of cool. Very cool, in fact, true skinentertainment. After massaging for about a minute, you can rinse off any gel residue and pat dry. 

Ingredients

Water (activated hydrogen water, non-acidic and purified), glycerin, acrylates/C10-30, alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, dicocodimonium, chloride, steartrimonium bromide, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, gingko biloba extract, rosmarinus officinalis/rosemary leaf extract, butylene glycol

Don't you just love a short ingredient list? Cure Natural Aqua Gel consists mainly of water, solvents, viscosity controllers, emollients and a couple of plant extracts: aloe leaf, ginkgo biloba leaf and rosmary leaf.

The MYTH BEHIND THE 'DEAD SKIN' CELLS

As you probably know, there are typically two types of exfoliants: chemicals such as AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) or mechanically removing the dead skin cells with abrasive particles like as beads, sugar etc aka scrubs. In a gentle gel like this, I'd expect to see chemical exfoliants like AHA or BHA as ingredients, but no safe acid would ever remove your skin cells within a minute.

So what are those bits and balls? I tested applying the gel on my bathroom counter and the white bits showed up whether or not the gel touched my skin at all. This has been discovered by many other bloggers as well, but still many reviews falsely claim the bits to be dead skin cells. It's the gel. If you add a little bit of oil and rub your hand, there will be even more bits forming, gently scrubbing your skin. I won't deny some the bits aren't skin cells, dirt, make up etc., but the effectiveness of the gel is based on you manually scrubbing your skin with those bits.

Results

Knowing  Cure Natural Aqua Gel is a very gentle scrub instead of a chemical or "magical" exfoliant, you'd expect this product to be a total gimmick. Personally I even try to avoid any abrasive scrubbing, but I assure you – Cure works wonderfully. Bad looking make up or dry patches, I remove my make up and apply Cure for a gentle exfoliation. If I haven't used it in a while I do see more bits forming while massaging the product into my skin. After rinsing the gel off my skin feels so smooth and soft, not dry, squeaky or irritated at all. It won't remove blackheads, but skincare products sink in better and my make up applies like a dream after using Cure. After years of using, I'm still in love. Totally a back-up worthy item.

Have you tried peeling gels?

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I.e. starter's guide to one of my favorite brands I keep getting "what should I get" type of questions, so I thought it'd be helpful if I wrote a dedicated blog post. You could ask yourself a question: what do I need? Rouge Bunny Rouge has got you covered. So far I have never been disappointed or even encountered a "mehh" product. To me, that's quite impressive. RBR seems to have a really high standards for their product launches and won't come out with limited edition every single season. Here are some of my top picks and product recommendations if you fancy to try out RBR - with a discount code at the end of the post.

Raw Garden Antigo Palette

You may know how hyped up RBR matte shadows are, but in my opinion, Antigo is even better. I'd dare to call it one of the best neutral eye quads on the market. Silky soft formula and good, buildable pigmentation. The unique matte-satin finish will be a gorgeous addition to any make up lover's collection. Read more in my review here. 

Impalpable Finishing Powder in Diaphanous 

A must have. If you want a silky, fairy dust -like finishing powder or set your under eye concealer with no fear of caking, then Diaphanous is your powder. Translucent, great packaging, diminishes the appearance of pores. I've dedicated a whole post to this powder and my beloved Chikuhodo Z-2 brush, click here for full review and pictures.

Original Skin Blush - For love of Roses

One of my very favorite blush formulas, I can't rave about these enough. Pigmented, extra finely milled and almost buttery soft powders to touch. These blushes blend effortlessly and leave a natural glow on the cheeks without chunky glitter. Carefully picked shades for "my cheeks but better" make up looks. See all blushes swatched and reviewed in my earlier post.

Sheer Lipstick - SUCCULENCE OF DEW

The name 'sheer' is a little misleading, as these lipsticks do pack a punch. They can be applied sheerly for a transparent of color, but layered for more intense pigment. The lipsticks are very moisturizing and leave your lips looking juicy, while feeling featherlight on the lips.

Milk Aquarelle Foundation

If you love healthy, dewy finish then this is a foundation for you. The gel-like texture feels nourishing on the skin, without being heavy. Light-medium coverage hides any imperfection giving the skin a beautiful natural look. Especially good for dry skin types, but the shade range is very limited. Read my full review here.

Use RBR-LAURALOUKOLA20 discount code to get 20% off your order (for a limited time)! Again, I'm not affiliated, sponsored and gain no commission for promoting this code or products. The links are for your convenience.

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Sometimes I wonder if I'm qualified enough to write about fude (=brush). I don't have that large of a collection (in my opinion..) and struggle to do as many comparison photos as I want, but then again, the purpose of this blog is sharing the fun and passion for make up, skincare and fude from my perspective. Maybe some of you are totally new to this amazing brand, which in my opinion deserves a lot more love and recognition.

Kyureido

Kyureido (九嶺堂) is a brush manufacturer in Kumano, near Hiroshima in Japan. Unfortunately I didn't have the time to visit their shop during my last Japan visit, so I ordered a couple of brushes to a friend's place. Their premium Kiwami series, otherwise known as 'Fine Kalla' among fude fans, has altogether 10 brushes, of which four are grey squirrel. I have three of them to show you: the blush brush, large and small eyeshadow brushes. I made the unwise decision to not order the face brush, as now my fude heart is breaking I'm missing one brush from this post (and my life). 

I know this post is about the brushes, but isn't this the most gorgeous brush roll you've ever seen? Hand made of real kimono fabric and lined with waxy fabric to repel any dirt, this brush roll was a very generous gift from Sarah aka 212kiki (she might made these to order!) If you like, I can share more about my brush rolls in the future.

Ordering from Kyureido website was easy and the delivery was done in a couple of days, packed in a beautiful black box with orange lining. I had my brushes engraved with my name in katakana, which is a personal and luxurious touch to the brushes. The ferules and handles are black with gorgeous silver flecks in the handles, Kyureido logo and 'Fine Kalla' written in gold.

Blush brush KK-002

Total length: 155mm, hair length: 35mm, price ¥7,560

Kyureido Fine Kalla blush brush is a true beauty. Although pom pom style circle cheek brushes are my favorite, nothing beats KK-002 when it comes to working with the most pigmented blushes. Ultra soft and relatively small brush is perfect for depositing color precisely on the cheeks. The hairs grab and optimal amount of pigment for a sheer to medium/buildable coverage. The hairs spread out out evenly while pressing onto skin and there's enough density and resistance so the brush won't feel floppy while blending. 

 It's great for sheer to buildable/medium coverage. Ultra soft an, efficient, and I adorable the handle with subtle gold flecks. 

Above I have Wayne Goss' Air Brush as a size comparison, but it's a totally different brush: much more pointy and tapered from its wide/flat side. As the tip of the WG brush is less dense than Kyureido, they both feel featherlight and similar softness. In the photo above you can see my name customisation in the Kyureido handle.

Kyureido KK-002 vs SUQQU Cheek

Now to the burning question that might interest many of you: are they dupes? It's common knowledge that Chikuhodo does SUQQU brushes OEM, but when it comes to the face brushes, there's been many speculations online if Kyureido manufactured them. I don't feel like sharing what might be a trade secret, so these are my personal opinions based on the brushes. 

The wide side of SUQQU is slightly more tapered than Kyureido, otherwise I would dare say these are the same brushes by the same company. The hair, ferule and handle length are the same, except for logo design and Kyureido's gold flecks. In many reviews the SUQQU cheek is said to be softer than the Kyureido, but I'll disagree. When I first got my Kyureido I was certain it was softer than the SUQQU. I blind tested the brushes on my other half and he said the same. Now when I'm stroking myself repeatedly with both brushes it gets harder and harder to pick one over the other. I doubt many could tell any difference. Please keep in mind I'd need ten of each brush to do a perfect comparison and the softness may differ from each batch. 

Could be the Kyureido is a bit fluffier than the SUQQU. Otherwise I don't feel much density differences. They're both sublime brushes made with care, craftsmanship and precision. You'd be happy with either one. Do you love the luxury of owning a SUQQU brush or are you drawn by the beautiful handle with metallic flecks of the less expensive Kyureido?

Eyeshadow brush (large) KK-003

Total length: 140mm, hair length: 20mm, price ¥5,400

All three of these Kyureido beauties are unique in their own league, and KK-003 is among my favorite eyeshadow brushes. I find myself reaching for it all the time, especially working with soft and pigmented eyeshadows. I actually use it mainly for blending, although judging by the shape it'd be well suited for patting the color evenly on the lid. For that purpose, I prefer a bit denser brush. KK-003 is not one bit floppy, but it has a great flexibility for blending purposes: either in round swipes or windshield wiper motion. The tip and the slimmer side of the brush are great for the crease, the wider side for larger areas. Believe me, for my hooded eyes blending with this brush is like a gentle massage therapy for the eyes.

Out of my big flat eyeshadow brushes, KK-003 is definitely my favorite. Not only it's the softest, but unlike "straight haired" Chikuhodos and Houkudou, Kyureido has a slimmer ferule and the hairs fan out. I use Chikus and Houkudou for densely patting a base color all over the lid color on the lid, and leave the more the pigmented shadows and blending for KK-003.

Eyeshadow brush (small) KK-004

Total length: 133mm, hair length: 13mm, price ¥4,860

And finally, the pencil brush. KK-004 is on the larger side of pencil brushes, pointy and dense yet maintaining its ultra softness. For me, it works the best for applying a shadow in the outer corner of my eye and blending into the crease. It's great if you need just a touch of contrast to deepen out your look, but don't want to go dabbing a dark shadow with a bigger brush.

You can see how pointy the Kyureido is compared to Chikuhodo R-S4 for instance, but also a lot larger. For me, the KK-004 doesn't really work for smudging the shadow on the lower lash line or inner corner. Although the tips of the brush is very precise, I prefer something smaller with more control, like C011 or R-S4. Similar shape, different purpose. One day I hope they would come out with a mini version of KK-004.

Final words

Although my collection is still small and humble, Kyureido has become one of my most favorite brush manufacturers. I can't wait to get my hands on more of their brushes. I sincerely hope you've enjoyed this post, let me know if you have any questions and I try my best to answer them!

Have you tried any Kyureido brushes or are you intrigued to?

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I love cleansing balms and oils. For me, nothing else removes make up more gently and efficiently without leaving my dry skin feeling tight. Banila co. used to be my first cleansing balm I bought during my Korea trip a couple of years ago, and I've kept repurchasing its variations ever since. Heimish All Clean balm caught my attention after I heard one of my favorite beauty Youtuber rave about it, and after that the product kept popping in other videos I watched. I'll be putting both to the test and also compare the ingredients for you!

Using a cleansing balm

If you're unfamiliar with cleansing balms then believe me, you're missing out! Especially if you wear make up or sunscreen (as you should, like I explain in my sun care post) - double cleansing is a must. A cleansing balm is a great way to cleanse efficiently yet gently as your "1st cleanse". The balm has a solid or sherbet like texture, which turns into an oil thanks to the warmth of your hands as you massage it into your dry face. Adding little water to your hands, the oil usually emulsifies into a cleansing milk which you can easily rinse off. The other way is to use a warm wash cloth for wiping off the cleanser and get a bit of a manual exfoliation at the same time.

Banila co. Clean it Zero

Banila co.'s Clean it Zero is a cult classic with a few variations for different skin types. I've tried both the sensitive and the regular one, without seeing much difference in them. It's popularity is based on its performance: this cleansing balm will melt of your make up like nothing else. Banila co.'s Clean it zero retails 18,000 won (~14.35€ but usually more expensive online) for 100ml.

The tub comes with a spatula and a separate clear lid for holding the spatula in place. The spatula is quite ergonomic, but I didn't like the flimsy, hard to grab lid I had to remove every time before digging into Clean it Zero's sherbet-like texture. The balm smells soapy, which I'm not quite a fan off, but fortunately the fragrance is the last ingredient and doesn't smell overpowering.

Clean it Zero Ingredients

Mineral Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, PEG -10Isostearate, Polyethylene, Butylene Glycol, Water, Rubus Suavissimus (Raspberry) Leaf Extract, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract, Viscum Album, (Mistletoe) Leaf Extract, Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract, Carica Papaya, (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Malpighia Glabra (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Epilobium, Angustifolium Leaf Extract, BHT, Butylparaben, CI 16255, CI 15985, Fragrance

The bulk of Banila co. Clean it Zero is mineral oil. To my knowledge, mineral oil used in cosmetics is researched to be completely safe, cheap and efficient. Shu Uemura's high end cleansing oils are mostly mineral oil. Claims "mineral oil free" or actually "xxx free" is just mostly just marketing gibberish to me, trying to make consumers more gullible the product doesn't contain any nasties. Molecular size of mineral oil is too big to get into our pores and clog them. However, not every ingredient works for everyone. If you know your skin can't handle mineral oil - you do yo and that's OK.

Heimish All Clean Balm

Now let's talk Heimish, a relatively new addition to the ever growing Korean beauty market. At this moment they carry only 2 cleansers and some make up items, and I'm excited to see how this brand grows. First of all, isn't the packaging gorgeous? I usually prefer to judge the packaging by its performance and not by a pretty design, but the clean typography and graphic patterns with rose gold accents is something I love seeing when I open my bathroom cabinet. Heimish All Clean Balm retails 18,000 won (~14,35€) for 120ml, which is slightly cheaper than Banila co.

There's also a separate lid for the spatula, and while Banila co. takes the spatula points, I find is this lid much sturdier and easier to take off and place back. The consistency of Heimish All Clean Balm is a harder balm with a little bit of oily liquid separated on the top, while Banila co.'s was a "fluffier" sherbet. All Clean Balm also melts effortlessly into an oil when I gently massage my face and emulsifies with water to rinse off all my make up, dirt and sunscreen. My face doesn't feel stripped, irritated and there's no redness.

ALL Clean Balm Ingredients

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Polyethylene, PEG-8 Isostearate, Shea Butter, Donkey Milk, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Fruit Extract, Freesia Refracta (Freesia) Extract, Iris Versicolor (Blueflag Iris) Extract, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Extract, Lilium Tigrinum (Asian Lily) Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum (Edelweiss) Extract, Nelumbium Speciosum (Lotus Flower) Extract, Narcissus Flower Extract, Rose Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Lavender Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Extract, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Tea Tree Leaf Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Frankincense (Boswellia Carterii) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, 1,2-Hexanediol

On first glance, Heimish's long INCI list looks frightening, but can you see what's right after emollients and emulsifiers? Shea butter and currently so popular donkey milk, known for its skin conditioning properties. Although I do use some non-vegan skincare and make up, I wonder if knowing the balm includes donkey milk had put me off from purchasing. Then, there's coconut fruit, lime extracts and a long list of floral and plant extracts, finishing with essential oils and a moisturiser. Some of the plant and floral extracts have anti-inflammatory properties or serve as antioxidants, the others might be just for fragrance purposes. But unlike Banila co, there's no plain fragrance listed.

In general, I'm not a fan of any kind of fragrances in my skincare: I'm here to take care of my face, not to please my nose! For enjoying scents I have this magical bottle called perfume. That being said, I don't mind if the ingredients smell pleasant naturally. Heimish has this botanical, almost medical scent to it when you open the jar, and I find it very very pleasant. I dream I'm in a Korean medicinal hanbang spa every time I clean my face. I find it especially intriguing if the ingredients also serve a skin beneficial purposes and aren't there to just smell nice.

Overall

I hope these two reviews gave you some insight about these two cleansing balms. I'm sure you'd be happy with either as they're both highly performing and inexpensive (depends on where you buy them, I've shopped mostly on ebay). I'm not shy to say I prefer the plant oil packed and cheaper Heimish over Banila co, and will be repurchasing All Clean Balm in the future. The heavenly medicinal scent might be a turn on or off to some of you, but to me it's a plus - not an essential. I have a feeling the Heimish All Clean Balm could be a future cult classic.

Have you tried cleansing balms? Do you have a favorite brand?

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First time I tested SUQQU's complexion products was in a makeover I had in Osaka, after trying their famous gankin massage. The foundation and loose powder were very promising, but in the end I ended up purchasing only color make up. When SUQQU UK generously sent me some of their Fall 2016 items to try, I almost squalled from excitement when I saw there was a new foundation - who doesn't love a good foundation? I've put it to a proper test well over a month, and today I'd like to share my thoughts on it!

Idea behind the foundation

When I test products I try to keep an open mind and see how things work on me, not how their live up to the often exaggerated marketing claims. SUQQU describes this foundation beautifully like a perfume: with top, heart and base notes how the foundation and its level of dew evolves throughout the day. The used technologies are made of Phenyl Trimethicone, a silicone-based polymer and pearly mica pigments to keep the skin radiant and dewy, confining dullness yet sustaining dimension on the face. I'm more happy to say the Extra Rich Cream Foundation lives up to its claims. The foundation is 30g and retails for £65.00/¥10,800 (with tax).

Packaging

The SUQQU Extra Rich Cream Foundation comes in an elegant black cardboard box, on a little stand. The jar is heavy frosted glass with a golden metallic lid and Extra Cream Foundation printed on the side in golden letters. Inside there's a double lid to keep out the product from smearing around. It keeps the product in the jar, but often there's some foundation on the edges, which can result in messy fingers. 

I say it right now I'm not a fan of jar packaging at all. Not in make up, not in skincare. I find them unhygienic and there's a higher risk of contamination or the product going bad when exposed to air. Edit: The Extra Rich Cream Foundation does comes with a small black spatula, which is hidden in the bottom of the cardboard box. Thanks to Ann pointing this out! I've used my own as no earthly power gets me to stick my finger in a foundation jar.

FInish and wear

Like the name suggests, the foundation texture is creamy, but doesn't feel heavy on the skin - only moisturising, almost like a serum. I've been on Accutane and my skin is dry like a desert with textural issues, as I'm afraid to use exfoliators while on heavy duty acne medication. The foundation smoothly glides over everything, even on my bad skin days it won't cling on my dry patches or emphasise my pores or textural issues. If I'm suffering from redness I can build up the foundation and my skin looks evened out without leaving a heavy or cakey finish. 

I use the spatula to tap a few foundations dots on my face and then blend and buff with a natural goat hair brush. I won't say it's completely undetectable on the skin like some very sheer and liquid foundations are, but the look is very natural with a healthy amount of glow. The foundation stays looking "healthy dewy" during the day without turning into an oil slick -look or separating after +8-10 hours of wear. 

And whoa, how beautifully it does wear while lasting so long! I could build up the coverage to cover my acne scaring, but I prefer to pinpoint conceal. Do you know how some dewy foundations start separating towards evening OR your skin "eats up" the foundation? Well, neither of these have happened to me with SUQQU. I have a habit to lean on my jaw sometimes and that's where my foundation usually disappears, but SUQQU Extra Rich Cream Foundation stays strong. It evens out my skin beautifully and my acne scaring and redness is less prominent, although not completely masked. 

Shade range

There are a total of 7 shades available, but I'd say they're all on the light-medium side, as SUQQU is a brand catered mainly towards Japanese audience. The undertones of the shades are ochre (10X series), pink ochre (20X series) and beige ochre (00X series) with 2-3 variations of lightness. Here is a map of the color system, which is quite easy to navigate even if you don't read Japanese. If you can, go test your shade in-store and request a sample. On me this foundation doesn't oxidise during the day, but I've noticed if I pick up some old product from the cap the foundation is slightly darker. In the end, not changing color on my skin during the day is what matters.

comparison swatches

The sample shade I received was 102 Natural Ochre, which is my perfect summer tan shade for light warm/neutral skin tone. I'd say it's around MAC NC20? In Winter I definitely need to opt for a lighter shade, as you can see from my usual matches. I never purchase a different shade of foundation for different seasons, I just try to stay out of the sunshine and 'make it work', but this time I think I'll might make an exception and buy 101. That's how much I love this foundation.

Ingredients

Unfortunately, I don't have the full ingredient list translated yet, but I can share you the 12 natural extracts the foundation features: Cork Tree Bark Extract, Olive Leaf Extract, Cherry Tree Leaf Extract, Coix Seed Extract, Camellia Seed Extract, Angelica Extract, Phyto Hyaluronic Acid, Yuzu Extract, Apple Extract, Japanese Kelp Extract, Shell Ginger Leaf Extract, Angelica Keiskei Extract

The foundation has SPF 30 PA++, which shouldn't be your only sunscreen but gives a decent amount of extra protection. 

Overall

My final verdict is this foundation is something phenomenal. I've never tried anything so moisturising with a natural, healthy glow finish that would last this long during the day without oxidising, separating or fading. I believe SUQQU Extra Rich Cream Foundation works great on dry to normal skin types, but from my personal experience the lasting power is so good I would give it a try even if you're combination. A bit early to say, but I think I've found my Holy Grail foundation (or at least top 3).

SUQQU EXtra Rich Cream Foundation has already been released in Japan, launching in UK 22nd of September (testers/samples already available).

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This post contains products that were generously provided for consideration. Regardless, my opinions are my own honest and unbiased views. The links are for your convenience and do not contain ads.

Burberry is famous for their fashion, but also their luxurious high end make up line. Their single shadows, especially Pale Barley, has won over the hearts of many bloggers thanks to its wearable everyday color and great formula. Today's palette has a close dupe for Pale Barley, which might interest you if you prefer quads over singles as I do. A quad also has double the amount of product but is less than double the price compared to two single shadows. It's still definitely a splurge 53€ for 5.4g/0.19oz. Fortunately the Burberry website does offer free international shipping which I love. If something is out of stock on the official website, you can usually find it at Net-a-Porter.

Burberry Pink Taupe packaging

The quad comes in a sturdy metallic compact with the classic Burberry check pattern faintly printed on the cover. It has some nice weight to it and there are no unnecessary applicators taking space. There's nothing wrong if you like to use those tiny sponges or brushes, but personally I prefer a more compact case. 

Colors

The eyeshadows are arranged diagonally and debossed with the similar check pattern, which is a very nice, luxurious touch. I don't mind 'ruining' the pattern as I use the palette, I'm thinking it's just a way of showing 'love' to the product. Burberry's choice of colors is always wearable, chic and elegant, definitely inspired by their fashion. The placement for the shadows is usually from lightest to darkest shade, medium shades having the most space. This makes sense to me, but the light cool-toned brown is such a gorgeous shade for softer, everyday wearable looks I'd like to dip my whole face in it. No wonder Pale Barley single is popular, as they look very similar. I'll do a comparison post once I have both.

Swatches

- a pale greyish taupe with a satin finish
- muted, khaki grey with a satin finish
- subdued matte rose pink with grey and plum undertones
- a rich, dark chocolate shade with a matte finish

FORMULA

It's ah-mazing. I don't say this lightly when it comes to eyeshadows, as I've been spoiled with great formulations (Viseart, SUQQU, Rouge Bunny Rouge..). But Burberry's is among the best - even the notoriously hard to formulate dark mattes. In pink taupe there's a gorgeous combination of mattes and semi-mattes with a lovely, subtle satin sheen. I'd call the texture soft, but not buttery. The colors have a nice amount of pigment: they aren't in-your-face intensive, but build up nicely and softly. The shadows adhere well to the lids without patchiness or skipping, wearing beautifully without showing fading during the day. However, I do always recommend using an eyeshadow primer if you wear eyeshadow +8 hours and your lids are hooded like mine are. 

Make up of today

I tried a little stronger motd for Pink Taupe: with the khaki all over the lid and lots of matte brown in the outer corner. Other make up worn: Rouge Bunny Rouge lipstick in Musings, Dior sculpt blush in 03, Addiction Skincare Foundation, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer

Overall

With well coordinated colors and this beautiful formulation, it's hard to go wrong with Burberry. Pink Taupe is among my favorite palettes thanks to the unique, subtle and elegant choice of colors, but so far none of Burberry palettes has let me down. They have a decent selection of colors for various eye/skin colors, and I can highly recommend picking up a quad according to your own taste.

Have you tried any of the Burberry eyeshadows? Are you intrigued to?

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When I'm preparing my skincare posts, I want to provide an enjoyable read for both beginners and HC skincare enthusiasts. Some of these pieces of information seem so mundane and general knowledge to me I wonder if sharing them again is worth it? After having multiple chats with my friends, only a few had heard of chemical exfoliants. I think they're unsung heroes of skincare, especially where I live the importance of chemical exfoliating isn't loudly hyped up. Personally I love chemical exfoliants, I think every one should know how to use - or in some cases avoid them!  (PS. never put lemon on your face, they're just for decorative purposes)

Why should one exfoliate?

The uppermost layer of our skin consists of dead skin cells with a cell turnover of ~28 days, which slows down as we age. A packed layer of these dead skin cells can make our skin appear appear dull, uneven texture or congested. Most common form of acne is caused as a hair follicle gets clogged by excess dead skin cells and sebum. Exfoliating gets rid of the dead, old skin cells revealing younger, plumper skin underneath. It helps to brighten our skin, safely get rid of pigmentation or scaring over time, help with texture issues and even acne and blackheads. After exfoliation other skincare products will also penetrate better, making them more efficient.

Chemical exfoliation or scrubs

Scrubs are lotions, gels, etc. which contain small grains of salt, sugar, coffee, oats, powders and unfortunately in some cases microbeads, which pollute our environment. Scrubs can also be washing cloths, dry brushes and gloves, basically any mechanical/physical exfoliator. I find them especially beneficial for my body skin like elbows, knees, legs or anywhere I can use more abrasive exfoliating. The problem with facial scrubs is you can make micro cuts on your face, which can damage your skin, cause redness or sensitivity.  I almost never use mechanical exfoliators on my face, except for my favorite Cure Natural Aqua Gel, which is a very delicate scrub. 

Chemical exfoliators are mild chemical peels that come in two general types: AHA and BHA with various strengths. Not to be confused with putting battery acid on your face, chemical exfoliators can be even gentler than traditional scrubs. Most of chemical exfoliants are toners or lotions you apply on a clean face and don't wash off. This is an effective and safe way to mildly exfoliate your skin many times a week (instead of scrubbing 1-2 times/week), treat acne, congestion and texture issues. A mild strength chemical exfoliator can be well-suited for even sensitive skin types.

What are the differences between BHA and AHA?

AHA and BHA have a lot in common regarding smoothing or evening out your skin, but there are some unique qualities that benefit different skin concerns. Please notice AHA and BHA strengths don't go hand in hand and the you should start from a lower dosage (<1% BHA or <8% AHA) – especially if you're sensitive. Experimenting will show what works the best for you and how often you should apply: from 2 times a day – every other day, for example. Like with all skincare, please use a common sense, patch test and step away if you're irritated. Your skin shouldn't peel or burn.

AHA is short for alpha hydroxy acid, such as glycolic acid (from sugar cane), lactic acid (from milk) and mandelic acid (from almonds). Sometimes called 'fruit acids', as most commonly they can be deprived from foods, such as fruits. AHAs help getting rid of dead skin cells by loosening up glue-like lipids between the cells, revealing reveal brighter and healthier skin underneath. Shedding the dead skin cells can treat hyperpigmentation effectively. They can also plump the skin and help with wrinkling, as all AHAs have some humectant properties. AHAs do increase photosensitivity, so always use a stable sunscreen during the day!  

BHA is short for beta hydroxy acid aka salicylic acid is known acne treatment, as it can penetrate deeper in to pores and get rid of the gunk inside a pore. If you have blackheads, acne or clogged pores is BHA potentially your best friend. BHA can be drying and is often a good choice for combo or oily skin. Personally I have dry and acne prone skin, and I haven't had any problems using BHA. Salicylic acid is derived from salicin and not recommended if you have an aspirin allergy. 

Recap

- AHA is great for: loss of firmness, signs of ageing, treating pigmentation such as scars or sun spots, texture issues, dry skin. Causes sun sensitivity.
- BHA is great for: blackheads, clogged and enlarged pores, oily skin, bumps under skin

pH and concentration

The concern with picking a hydroxy acid product is pH. Too high pH and the acid won't penetrate the skin, too low and you have the risk of irritation. Usually in commercial products, the problem is the former. Also, there's the issue of concentration of acid in the product. In proper chemical exfoliants, the concentration and pH should be listed on the packaging or manufacturer's website. As I said above, you want to start from milder and work your way up, but here's an example what the pH and effective concentration for a leave-on chemical exfoliant should be:

- AHA: pH less than 4, concentration 4-10%
- BHA: pH less than 3.5, concentration 1-2%

Acids in a skincare routine

On Accutane, I don't use any chemical exfoliants to avoid irritation and peeling, but normally my routine would go something like this: I rarely use a traditional toner so I apply AHA/BHA or combo of both after cleansing, both AM and PM. If I'm using combination of both, I'll apply BHA first - assuming it's lower pH (as it should). If I'm using a Vitamin C serum like LAA, I'll apply a pH adjusting toner after cleansing, then the Vitamin C with ~15 wait time to let the product absorb, then acid(s), hydrating essences, toners and so on from water soluble to oil soluble. Recap:

Cleanse (single/double) > pH adjust > LAA Vit C + wait time > BHA > AHA > rest of routine

Use what works for you

As I said, experiment and chose your exfoliant according to your own skin concerns. I'll save the differences between types AHAs and product recommendations for a future post. I hope this introduction post was helpful and gave you more insight about chemical exfoliants and what wonderful benefits they can have for your skin! 

Have you tried chemical exfoliants? Please leave me a comment if these type of basic 101 posts are helpful or should I get into product recommendations and particulars right away.

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FANCL and DHC are both popular Japanese cosmetic brands with very skin health focused vision, minimal packaging and the best selling cleansing oils in Japan. Both FANCL and DHC also produce Vitamins and supplements for various health concerns, diet, detox etc. Today I'm doing a comparison post of these two cleansing oils, in the same manner I did my Heimish vs Banila co. cleansing balm review. Without testing yourself it's difficult to choose one over the other, especially if you're shopping online, and I hope this post will aid you in deciding which one you'd like to pick up. 

FANCL Mild Cleansing Oil

FANCL is advertises its skincare being preservative free and suitable sensitive skin types. These are marketing claims to me (usually all skincare is somehow preserved), but it gives you and idea of the brand philosophy. The packaging is very clean, minimal and fuss free. The usual packaging is plain blue, but in the 1st picture you can see a limited edition(?) artwork version. FANCL does no test on animals, but is sold in China where animal testing is required by law. FANCL Mild Cleansing Oil retails for 120ml/¥1,836

FANCL Mild Cleansing Oil Ingredients

Cetearyloctanoate, Butylene Glycol Diisononanoate, Polyglyceryl-10 diisostearate, Octanoic acid, Polyglyceryl-20 Octaisononanoate, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyglyceryl-20 Hexacaprylate, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Behenic acid, Phytosteryl / isostearyl / cetyl / stearyl / behenyl, Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Stearoyl Inulin, Dextrin palmitate

Most of these ingredients were unfamiliar to me and I couldn't find an official English translation, so here's what's listed on FANCL website and I translated with the help of COSDNA. Fortunately, FANCL decodes the ingredient list on their own website: The Mild Cleansing Oil consists mostly of emollients and emulsifiers with only two mildly potential irritants according to COSDNA. I very much liked FANCL, the only thing that annoyed me was it ran out quickly (120ml) and I wish they sold this in a larger bottle instead of double pack.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

DHC (Daigaku Honyaku Center) bases its philosophy around the health benefits of virgin olive oil. Their cleansing and facial oil both are olive oil based. If you know you're sensitive to certain oil, such as olive, choose according to your needs. In the pictures I have their limited edition Alice in Wonderland packaging, otherwise the packaging is clear, plain plastic bottle. DHC also does not test on animals, but they do sell their products in China. Their cleansing oil retails for ¥1,486/120ml or ¥3,000/300ml (various sizes available).

DHC DEEP CLEANSING OIL Ingredients

Olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, sorbeth-30 tetraoleate, pentylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, tocopherol, stearyl glycyrrhetinate, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil

Although there's no 'fragrance' listed, but caprylic/capric triglyceride is a perfuming (and skin conditioning) ingredient quite high up in the INCI. Compared to the FANCL, DHC has a slight clean scent to it, but nothing overpowering. DHC also uses a preservative, phenoxyethanol, if using a preservative is a concern to you. Otherwise the ingredients are a couple of plant extracts, emulsifier and moisturiser. On COSDNA, DHC has a low amount of irritants or potenttial acne causing ingredients: the same vitamin E FANCL uses and DHC signature olive oil. Personally I don't find any of the ingredients irritating me and I can well use it around my eyes to remove any mascara and other make up.

User experience

Although oils remove make up, alone they aren't cleansing enough. That's why in most cleansing oils there's an emulsifying agent and both FANCL and DHC perform it nicely. First, massage the oil into your face with dry hands, then wet the hands lightly and massage again, letting the emulsified cleanser do it's job. There's no foaming, just a slight milky texture. Both FANCL and DHC remove any dirt, hard to remove make up and sunscreen from my face. I don't use waterproof mascara, but I believe you could use these cleansing oils to gently remove any waterproof make up as well. They rinse clean without leaving any residue or film on my skin. Best of all, my dry skin doesn't feel tight when I go to my second cleanse.

Overall

I've tried many cleansing oils from Korean drugstore brands to Japanese high-end THREE or Shu Uemura, but nothing so far has beaten FANCL and DHC. Oddly, I was sure I'd find a winner taking a look at the ingredient lists, but as I'm no chemist I couldn't find a faulty or advantage in favour of one over the other. I think they're both excellent and inexpensive cleansers and you'd be happy with either of them. Choose FANCL over DHC if you're very very sensitive or can't tolerate/enjoy olive oil, otherwise I'd go for which ever is easiest to access with a decent price. Next time in Japan I'll be buying both.

What's your current favorite cleansing oil?

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From now on Laurantaina Beauty Blog will be using Disqus for comments, so if you have a profile you can easily comment, follow and take a look at current discussions.

Unfortunately transferring the blog to this system will replace the old comments and they will no longer be visible. They're hidden, not deleted, and I've read every single one of them. I'm just letting you know in the case you wonder why the blog posts look lonely with 0 comments.

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