[Review] Klairs Illumination Supple Blemish Cream

I have a love & hate relationship with BB creams which goes all the way back to year 2006, where I first moved to Seoul and started out using BB creams. I started with Hanskin, and was totally blown away by the almost "magical" qualities BB creams have in correcting the skin tone and flaws. Although blessed with almost no breakouts in my pubescent years, I have always been very self conscious of my freckles since I was a little girl, which only worsened as I grew older because of the lack of sunblock usage. I didn't realize the BB cream I was using clogged up my pores, and before long, I had the worst break out ever lasting for almost 1.5 years! Obviously it wasn't as serious as Singaporean blogger Bun Bun's case, but still it was to the extent where I couldn't wear makeup to conceal my acne and nothing, IPL or chemical peels or what nots, could heal me. I was totally devastated and gave up on BB cream. Went back to using foundation for the next few years until two years ago, I found a BB cream from a Korean dermatological brand which didn't break me out and stuck with it ever since.

I have been hearing my Korean girlfriends rave about Klairs for the longest time. One of my former coworkers in TFS who's now in Nivea Korea, swears by Klairs from skincare to makeup! To be honest, I was pretty skeptical of Klairs initially because too many Korean brands have been trying to "sound western" and doing the kiehl's style of marketing floating around. So, when I was presented with this Klairs BB cream from wishtrend, I immediately checked out all the Korean reviews in Daum and naver. And OMG, I was really surprised at how many positive reviews Klairs Illumination Supple Blemish Cream received!

1. The Product

Klairs Illumination Supple Blemish Cream 
SPF40, PA+++

THERE IS NO ANIMAL TESTING!!! ^_______________^

It is also:

Alcohol Free and Paraben Free! 
Great to know for skin care ingredient freaks like tinyceci.

2. Price 

Currently retails for USD18.50 at 20% off (usual price USD22.99) on wishtrend.com. 

3. Packaging

I love this toothpaste-like tube packaging! Unlike most other BB creams which comes in an oblong squeeze tube form, this one comes in a long, thin tube form, sort of like 페리오 (perioe) mini? It feels really handy, although it wasn't really that much easier to squeeze out the BB cream. Okay, I'm just really into pretty packaging! ^^   

Here's 페리오 치약 for reference ㅋㅋㅋ

Another plus point is the clever use of an angular flap within the box to prevent the product from moving around! I love the monogram of klairs imprinted on the innerside of the box, so pretty~~ ㅋ ♥ It really adds on to the sophistication of the packaging. ^^

One thing that tinyceci didn't really like was that the nozzle didn't come vacuum sealed. Luckily, it felt pretty tightly closed when tiny first opened it so there shouldn't be any pre-oxidization of the product. ^^

Also, there's a small typo 오타 on the word "illuminating" on both the box and the product itself. Spelled as "illuminaiting". Hope dear klairs correct this little mistake on their next batch of products! ^^

4. Shelf Life

Most BB creams have a shelf life of 12 months once opened. Same for this BB cream!

The date of expiry is 5th May 2015 which is pretty okay, and omg 05.05.05? lol! What an awesome coincidence! ^^

5. Ingredient list

I've read many Korean reviews raving about this BB cream being THE BB cream for sensitive skin, and true enough, the ingredients look really okay on a glance.

Ingredient list in 한국어

Ingredient list in English

On the English label, it is stated that the BB cream shouldn't be used on broken skin, and that we should avoid using on blemishes, pimple, irritated or sunburned skin. However, there's nothing like that in the Korean label. Looks like we will have to test it out to find out if this BB will cause break outs or not. ㅎㅎ

6. Functions

I took this from the original Korean site; and basically this Klairs Illumination Supple Blemish Cream can apparently:

1) Correct the original skin tone without altering your original skin color. So no more worries about having an alien head with different skin tone from the rest of your body~

2) 3-pronged function with "Moisture Battery" Hyaluronic Acid! Basically it has suncare, whitening and wrinkle correcting, so fret no more about BB cream drying out your skin~

3) Sunblock + Primer + Finish = great for busy ladies who want to finish makeup in 5 minutes! If you apply this in the morning, the sebum control powder particles will make sure that your skin remains dewy and fresh up till afternoon. :)

6. Oil Blotter Test

Taken from the original site, Klairs BB is touted to less oily then other BBs. Check this picture for a comparison between Klairs Illumination Supple Blemish Cream vs another brand before and after 30 minutes.

The bottom left and right pictures also show how Klairs' BB is not sticky. ^^ Definitely a plus point.

Seems like this would be a good product for ladies with oily, combination skin!

7. Application

I have combination/dry skin, FYI. 

Tried applying it on two occasions, once for 5 hours, went out and stayed in an indoor environment. And another today, for about 4 hours, in a mostly outdoor environment.

In both indoor and outdoors, I didn't have the feeling that my makeup was melting or that icky oily feeling. It was very comfortable wearing Klairs BB out and running about. However, when I blotted my forehead, the paper was completely soaked. tinyceci has inner dry outer oily skin, especially serious on the T-zone, so my guess is my T-zone overcompensated. My other BB cream, however, did not secrete that much oil.

8. Color Tone Comparison

Took this from the original website too! The Klairs Illumination Supple Blemish Cream is definitely much brighter than other brands. It looks a little more yellow toned than others and thus looks more suitable for Asian skin with yellow undertones.

tinyceci has more of a fair skin with pink undertones, I use Chanel BR20, MAC NC20.

Verdict

Pros

Easy to apply
Just a little product is enough to cover the whole face

Provides a dewy finish and very comfortable to wear out in hot weather

Doesn't ashen out or darken as the day goes on

Pretty and handy packaging
Smells like soap? :P

Cons

Too much oil secretion for inner dry skin type

Recommended for:

- Ladies with normal, oily skin type looking for sebum control type BB cream
- Skin with yellow undertones
- Great for summer!

Not Recommended for:

- Those who dislike soapy scents

- Those who tend to have inner dry but outside oily skin

Want it?

Get it here from the wishtrend site or from qoo10!

[Review] V10 Plus Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Sorry for the hiatus my ♥s! tinyceci was away attending many events in the month of May! Audi Fashion Festival, Wine Voyage, Music Matters, YouTube Fan Fest, The Great Gatsby Premiere and etc... ^^;;

Today tinyceci will review a Japanese brand V10 plus, most famous for their serum, even local stars with flawless skin like Fann Wong swears by them. 

Aren't you just jealous how these lovely ladies NEVER seem to age? I'm so inspired after meeting celebrities like Sharon Au, Jacelyn Tay and Andrea de Cruz whom I've practically grown up watching them on telly when tinyceci was just a little kid to now an adult. They are FABULOUS.

Okay yet I digress again.

A few weeks ago, tinyceci attended a bloggers event organized by Spa Symphony and V 10 Plus for a product demonstration. Did you know that Spa Symphony is owned by National Swimmer Leslie Kwok? The place is cozy and pretty accessible in ION.

We had the lovely Akiko Yokota-san, the founder of V 10 Plus, speak to us about V 10 Plus star products, the serums in colorful and pretty drip bottles, followed by the Water Base Peeling Gel. 

There are a total of 10 serums to suit and ameliorate all types of skin conditions. We were each given the Hyaluronic Serum and the Water Base Peeling Gel to try out. Both products won the Cosmopolitan Beauty Award in 2012 and 2013.

♥ BIO CELL Serum

♥ Vitamin-A Serum

♥ Amino Serum

♥ Pcynogenol Serum

♥ Placenta Serum

♥ Licorice Serum

♥ Hyaluronic Serum [That's what tinyceci is going to review today!~ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ] 

♥ Ceramide Serum

♥ Collagen Serum

♥ Vitamin-C Serum

1. The Product

V10 Plus Hyaluronic Acid Serum

2. Price 

128SGD for 30ml 

3. Packaging

I love nozzle drip type bottles. My favorite serum for lightening acne scars is the Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution which is a nozzle drip bottle. It's perfect for controlling the amount you want, which usually for me is just a single drop, to cover the entire face.

V 10 Plus has a little something extra. Remember the first picture of serum bottles in beautiful rainbow colors? Akiko-san calls it color therapy. Simply put, when you do your skincare in the morning, seeing these pretty bottles lightens and brightens your mood, making you and your skin happier! 

I love aqua blue and intense light blue like this Hyaluronic Acid Serum! I have to agree with Akiko-san, seeing these pretty bottles makes me want to collect-em all! Especially looking at the helpful leaflet with a checklist for skin issues, I think I seriously need to use 90%, if not all of them! T.T

There are also Finnish label instructions. Apparently V 10 Plus can also be purchased in Finnish Departmental Stores. 

 4. Shelf Life

6 months after opening. Manufactured in Sept 2012 and expires in Sept 2015.

5. Ingredient list

YES it's in English! And also, not too many ingredients which is good. 

However, this contains glycols so people who are OCD towards glycols may need to take extra care.

6. Application

The instructions on the box say to take 3 drops and apply all over the face and neck after cleansing. 

I find that 1 drop is more than enough for my whole face and neck because the product is pretty viscous and 1 drop is relatively big.

For serums like this (SKII for example), it is better to use them right after cleansing, before your usual skincare routine for the serums to penetrate the skin better.

The photo on the lower left shows my hand after applying the serum and the right hand without. I can see an immediate effect of softer and smoother skin! The texture is also very good, soothing and deeply hydrates.

7. Stickiness

Some of my friends who also tried this product commented that the serum has a bit of a sticky after feeling.

I think the key is not to apply too much product, because I got the "sticky" feeling too after applying 3 drops.

And also, try to spread it evenly all over face first before lightly patting the skin till it is dry. In this way, the serum will be absorbed better into the skin, and there will be lesser chances of the stickiness from occurring. 

Let me know if you have any other tips!

Verdict

Pros

Pretty bottle 

Deeply hydrating

Easy to apply

Can be applied with other serums

Cons

May have a little sticky after feeling

Not that easily available, can only purchase in Spas

Recommended for:

- Ladies with dry skin or outer oily, inner dry skin (like tinyceci T.T) looking to deeply hydrate their skin

- Ladies exposed to long hours in dry environments like air conditioned offices 

- Those heading over to dry countries for vacation

- Mature ladies who are starting to see signs of aging like fine lines

- Everyone, really!

Want to try V10 plus? 

Check their website link here for a list of the stores which carry V 10 Plus!

Stand a chance to win a mystery gift from V10 plus! 

Simply click on this link and click "LIKE" on tinyceci's 

photo on facebook! 

CLICK CLICK CLICK!

Spread the news and good luck to yall~! ^^

I love how V10 Plus gives back to the society, 

props for Corporate Social Responsibility!

Please also remember to 'like' V 10 plus on facebook! 

♥♥♥

Do check out the reviews from my dear friends,Ciramisu for more skin tests and TheHieno for the finnish perspective! ^^

[Review] Wishtrend + Elisha Coy Always Nuddy CC Cream

Having lived in Korea for 6 years, it has never been an issue for me to buy anything online (I ♥♥♥ gmarket and korean couriers) since well, I speak and write in Korean. But very often than not, my dear friends from all over the world who love (or are curious about) Korean skincare and cosmetic products, could not find any online site where they research on and purchase their favorite Korean products due to language barrier. ㅠ.ㅠ

So. When I first got to know about Wishtrend, I was a little suspicious since most, if not all Korean websites tend to have terrible English and are hardly user friendly for global customers. But my doubts were all cleared once I clicked on the webpage and surfed around.

The Hub of Korean Beauty Secrets

O. M .G

Everything is in English! And it runs so smoothly! Not buggy at all... :D Impressive.

Okay, so the website passed with flying colors.

Now onto the product array.

To be honest, the brands wishtrend offers might not sound as familiar as the usual Korean 'brand shops' such as The Face Shop, Missha, Nature Republic, Tony Moly, Skinfood etc. But I believe this is because wishtrend focuses on bringing products which were previously exclusively word of mouth best sellers within domestic Korea, to the world. Brands like Elisha Coy, O.S.T and skin79 were ALWAYS on homeshopping and my Korean friends' moms would always rave about those brands. 

There were soooo many choices to choose from in Korea and I was pretty lost, as well. However, since I used to be in charge of global marketing communication for The Face Shop Korean Headquarters, I pretty much didn't need to choose any other brand. Perks of the job! ㅋㅋㅋㅋ  

So when I received the Elisha Coy Always Nuddy CC cream from wishtrend, it was actually my first CC cream and first Elisha Coy product! (By the way, the shipping from wishtrend's side is lightning fast! Too bad it seems way too much time was wasted between clearing the customs here and singpost to the house)

*********************************************************************************

But I digress.

1. The Product

Elisha Coy Always Nuddy CC Cream

Wondering what in the world is "nuddy"? LOL it's actually konglish for nude clear 쌩얼(Ssaeng-eol)-like skin. I'd imagine many of our western friends to pronounce this as they were to pronounce "nutty" with a d sound instead of t. Anyways, it's supposed to be pronounced as "noo-dy" or, like the slang "nudie".

So just how different is CC cream from BB cream? CC cream here means Complete Correction; and focuses more on skincare functions than makeup functions. Meaning, CC cream is the perfect answer for ladies blessed with great skin with no trouble but just want to give it a healthy glow. Or, if you belong to the less fortunate population like me, I love the clear translucent barely there makeup finish BB cream creates, but don't you just hate how BB cream never lasts for more than a few hours? CC cream is supposed to a good base for filling up pores before applying BB cream or foundation, making it last longer. 

2. Price 

Retails for USD34.99 on wishtrend.com. 

3. Packaging

The packaging is the standard tube type, like most BB creams in the Korean market for easy adjustment of how much product to squeeze out. What I really love about these tubes is that when you reach the point where you can't get any more product out, you can easily cut them into two with a pair of scissors and scrape the remnants of the cream and use it for a few more days! ^^  

Although I love the nozzle since it really helps preventing too much product coming out all at once, the new product came without a safety seal, which is supposed to prevent oxidization of the product. Hmm... >:|

4. Shelf Life

Once opened, we have to finish the product in 12 months before discarding. Do take note of this symbol when you open any new products!

The date of manufacturing is 4th March 2013 which is really recent! Received this nearing the end of April. tinyceci loves her skincare and makeup products fresh. 

The instructions and descriptions of the product are all in English (No Korean version though) which is really awesome! I wonder if Korean customers would complain about this though... ^^;;

5. Ingredient list

Elisha Coy seems to have taken extra care in formulating this product! Lots of seed extract, floral water etc. 

"Certified by Eco-Cert, more than 20 hydrating ingredients soothe skin and protect moisture from evaporating from long last hydration." - From the box

But no English for ingredient list...? ㅠ.ㅠ This product contains Dimethicone. So it may not be suitable for those with serious acne since it might clog up pores. Other than that, everything else looks great! THUMBS UP!! 

6. Oil Blotter Test

There are little color capsules captured in this picture here! Can you see?  Anyway, I decided to do a oil blotting test since my friends who also tried out this product before me commented that it might be a little heavy and oily as the day went on.

So I dropped a wee bit of product onto a piece of blotting paper. And here are the results after 15 and 30 minutes.

Seems like this would be a good product for ladies working in dry environments like air conditioned offices or colder and dry countries! Otherwise, it might be a wee bit heavy for long hours of outdoor use.

7. Application

I have combination/dry skin, FYI. 

Here, I tried blending some CC cream onto the back of hand to better show you the dramatic effects of the before & after. Can you see? My dull skin became so glowy after blending in the the product! 반짝 반짝 눈이 부셔!~ ㅋㅋㅋ

8. Color Change

I then wiped off the product with a wet tissue and this is the result! The color capsules have blended with my skin tone and became beige! Really amazing... So the brightening effect isn't due to the whiteness of the cream, but because it really "activated" on contact with my skin. ^^

9. Consistency Test

To check out the consistency of this product, you might want to check out my friend, karisa-chan's awesome review on this CC cream!

Verdict

Pros

Easy to apply 

Provides a dewy finish 

Great to mix and blend with BB creams which you find too ashy or drying

Lots of Eco-Cert ingredients

FUN!

Cons

May be a little oily

Recommended for:

- Ladies with dull skin looking to brighten up and even skin tone (Can wear it on its own)

- Ladies exposed to long hours in dry environments like air conditioned offices (Wear it as a base under BB cream or foundation)

- Those heading over to dry countries for vacation

Not Recommended for:

- Those with oily skin and spend long hours outdoors in the summer sun (Maybe a little too heavy)

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So, how was that?

Whilst surfing wishtrend, I also saw these two really awesome deals! tinyceci simply can't resist the word "SALE". *hides*._.

[SKINMISO] Pore beauty nose pack & Comedo remover Set

Touted to be the "World's Best-Selling nose pack of All Time". OMG I wantttttt!!!!! Now there's a *GASP* 40% DISCOUNT (!!!!!!!!!!!) for all these:

Discount from: USD 36.98 -> USD 22.20)

Pore & Blackhead treatment

1Step Mask 10 sheet /

2Step Mask 10 sheet /  

Pore minimizing Essence 15ml /

Comedo remover ★

From the site:+ Sold over 5,000 pcs a day group buy in Korea+ Ranked the best selling item in Singapore No.1 commerce. (2012)+ Not taping remover type+ No stimulus

[Elishacoy] 3D Spin Cleaner + Blackhead Brush + Vita Capsule Cleanser

Ever since a couple of years ago, spin facial cleaners have been all the rage. I have been dying to try but they have always been SOOOOO expensive... ㅠㅠ This bundle sale is soooo tempting!!!

GET 1 : Body (Machine) + Facial Brush (71.80 USD)

GET 2 : Blackhead Brush, Value (18.20 USD)

GET 3 : Vita Capsule Cleanser, Value (30.00 USD)

Discount from: 120 USD -> 72 USD

If you would like to try out the Elisha Coy CC Cream or the other products I recommended, there are two ways to get it.

1) Head over to wishtrend.com

There is a voucher you guys can use:

-Voucher Code: RFXLSCOZ ( 3 USD voucher / Able to combine with other voucher)
-Expiry date:  the end of 2013
-Minimum Amount to Use: over 20 USD order 

2) Check out wishtrend's Qoo10 store

There is currently an early bird discount at SGD14.99 on Qoo10 Singapore (not incl. of shipping SGD4 for Eurasia) ^^

Last but not least, like wishtrend on facebook to be in the loop for newest hot products and latest promotions!

Thanks for reading! ^^ 빠이~ ♥