Body: Skinfood » Coffee Body Scrub Mini Review

I think it's because I absolutely love the smell of coffee shops that I was so excited to try the Coffee Body Scrub from Skinfood. Not to mention, Skinfood is high on my list of favorite skincare brands. So when I received a few samples on my last visit to their store I couldn't wait to try them out in the shower. But when I actually did, my excitement slowly faded away. (-_____-)

FLASH FACTS

Brand » Skinfood

Product » Coffee Body Scrub

Size » 100g

Cost » $12 USD

Website » www.theskinfoodus.com

Would I purchase the full product? » Probably Not

I absolutely love pampering myself in the shower because, well let's face it, it feels pretty nice! Skinfood claims that their Coffee Body Scrub exfoliates dry, rough, skin with coffee bean powder, leaving skin soft and moist. The coffee acid element adds resiliency and the honey and sugar make skin smooth.

Now, on to what I think! The coffee bean powder actually contains pretty decent sized bits that would seem to do a great job at exfoliating. However, I would say this product exfoliates only a little and it doesn't leave my skin feeling refreshed or smooth. This scrub does not lather at all and is the consistency of moist sugar.

The Coffee Body Scrub smells like sweetened coffee (which it basically is) and at first it smelled amazing. After a while though, the smell became too much. I'm not sure why, as I mentioned earlier I love the smell of coffee, but I just don't like the smell for a long time. You don't come out of the shower smelling strongly of coffee, but there are faint hints of the smell throughout the day.

Warning; this product will make a mess of your shower! The coffee bits get absolutely everywhere! I wouldn't mind dealing with this if the product was amazing, but since I wasn't too impressed by this scrub, having to clean the bits after each shower just felt like working for free. Also, a little does not go a long way with this product, and I feel I would need to use so much of it each shower to do the job that I would run out of the scrub way too quickly.

My overall feeling? It was okay. I think sensitive skin types could use this and if you are a huge fan of coffee you might enjoy this scrub. In my opinion, there are much better products out there to exfoliate and soften your skin in the shower.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

P. S. Love it? Hate it? What do you think of Skinfood's Coffee Body Scrub?

First Look: Tonymoly » Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream

First off, I'd like to say that this is not a full review of this product. It's simply my initial thoughts on it as I have only tried samples. The photo above is from the Tonymoly website. The photos below are the size of the samples I've tried.

That being said, I'm sure many of you are already familiar with CC creams, the sort of "advanced" versions of BB creams, as you will. They've been extremely popular in the blogosphere as of late and I've also heard that CC creams are pretty famous in Korea right now!

From my understanding, CC creams are quite similar to BB creams except that they offer less coverage, but are packed with more skincare benefits. In my opinion, as long as I have my BB cream I don't feel that a CC cream is absolutely necessary (which is why I still haven't purchased the full version), but would be great for use on those days where your skin is looking particularly flawless.

FLASH FACTS
Brand » Tonymoly
Product » Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream
Size » 50 ml
Cost » $13.99 to $18.99 USD
Website » www.etonymoly.com
Would I purchase the full version? » Maybe...

This is my skin on a pretty bad day. As you can tell, I have a lot of dark spots from a recent outbreak and my dark circles are looking pretty bad (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ

On the bright side, my skin being so horrible today means I could get a pretty good test out of this CC cream!

The Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream from Tonymoly is pretty watery compared to the BB creams I've tried. It spreads quite easily on my face (in a good way) and feels slightly cool when you first put it on. It has pink undertones and a satin finish and only comes in one shade. It smells really good, too!

The Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream comes out white and "color changes" to beige. It takes several minutes for this baby to oxidize on the face, and probably isn't suitable for quick touch ups.

What I like:
This CC Cream keeps my skin extremely moisturized throughout the day. My skin also feels firmer when it's applied. It contains SPF 30 PA++! It evens out my skin tone and smoothens out my pores. My skin looks brighter and feels firmer all day.

What I don't like:
You can't tell so much in the photo, but I felt a little like a ghost when I first put this on. Even though the cream changes to a beige color it still seems too white on my face, and I have pretty pale skin to begin with. This CC cream creases easily and makes my face feel sticky the entire day! It has been pretty hot in Cali lately and that might be why, so I'm curious to see how this product fares in colder weather. It definitely does not cover all of my flaws or dark circles. I can't necessarily blame it for that as it is supposed to be light coverage, but I would probably use this as a primer instead of a replacement for BB cream.

I have not ruled out adding a CC Cream to my collection, but I think I might try Etude House's or The Face Shop's version before I make my purchase.

I'll leave you with a commercial for Tonymoly's Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream simply because the kpop band JYJ is in it! Kim Jaejoong is such a hottie (clearly he's my favorite member)!

Love,

P. S. How do you feel about CC creams?

Review: Tonymoly » Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream

Tonymoly's Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream is one that I truly recommend. Now, in case you don't know what a peeling cream is, it is a skincare product that exfoliates your skin by gently removing dead skin cells. Awesome, right? This peeling cream is a nifty and wonderful product that comes in the most adorable apple container (by the way, if you can't tell by now, I love apples)!

FLASH FACTS

Brand » Tonymoly

Product » Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream

Size » 80g

Cost » $10 USD

Website » www.etonymoly.com

Would I repurchase? » Yes

The Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream contains a slew of ingredients that help exfoliate and maintain skin's natural brightness and firmness. Here are a few:

• Green apple extract » An antioxidant and natural source of Malic Acid, a hydroxy acid.
• Vitamins A, B1, B6, and C » Brightens and firms.
• AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) » Loosens bind between skin and dead cells.

The product inside is creamy and smooth in texture. It feels great when I massage it on my face. Also, maybe I'm weird, but I think it's also kind of fun to use! Plus, it smells like fresh apples! Yum!

The container unscrews to reveal a small plastic lid that simply lifts off. Don't throw this away because it helps to keep dust and whatever else from falling into the cream. The container is pretty hygienic for the most part, which is a must for me, but what I think is lacking is a tiny spatula to scoop out the product. Even with freshly washed hands I don't like the idea of dipping my fingers straight into the product for application (ew, germs). I actually use a spatula from a completely different product to do the job.

How to use: After cleansing, apply generously to dry areas all over the face, avoiding eye and mouth area. Gently massage for 1 to 2 minutes and leave for 30 seconds. Gently rub your face in a circular motion and wash off with lukewarm water.

Note: You only need to use this 2 to 3 times a week. You don't want to overdo it!

These little clumps are actually the dead skin cells. Gross, I know, but effective!

I honestly think that the Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream does just what it claims. It removes my dead skin which results in my face being incredibly soft! I have never had any breakouts or irritations from using this product. I feel that sensitive skin types would be fine to try this also.

One of the perfect times to use the Appletox cream is right before you apply your face mask, as removing the dead skin cells allows for better absorption of the mask essence. Also, for 10 bucks (I actually bought mine for less on Ebay) this product really is a steal!

Love,

Mini Haul: Etude House and Tonymoly

Sometimes you just need to do something nice for yourself. And with some online shopping a couple weeks ago I did just that. I picked up some fun items from two brands I love: Tonymoly and Etude House! This time I placed an order through Amazon and my package arrived just in time for the weekend!

The first item in my cart was the Petite Bunny Gloss Bar in Juicy Grape from Tonymoly. I believe there are nine colors to choose from and each of the nine little colored bunnies wears a different expression which I think is a really neat detail. I chose Juicy Grape because I was lacking that shade of lip gloss. It smells like yummy grape candy and goes on pretty sheer. There is only a slight hint of color, which I'll admit was a little disappointing, but it does make your lips feel incredibly smooth and moisturized!

The second item I couldn't resist is the Kakapo version of Etude House's Missing U I Can Fly Hand Cream. It is an item that I essentially don't really need, but the packaging is so kawaii I really wanted to make a home for it on my shelf! This hand cream smells like sweet apple candy and does a good job at keeping my hands moisturized throughout the day. It probably isn't the best hand cream that I've ever tried, but it is paraben, sulfate, ethanol, and mineral oil free! It contains ingredients such as aloe, lavender, shea butter, centella, lemon verbena, and marshmallow root which create a luxurious combo for the skin.

There are 4 in total: Kakapo (Sunny Sunny Apple), Eastern Grass Owl (Peach Peach Peach), Eagle Owl (Very Berry Cherry), and Cerulean Warbler (Sweet Cotton Candy). Also, Etude House donates a portion of the profits from this collection to help save the endangered birds they represent! And the bird house package is even made from 100% recycle paper! Definitely a bonus reason to buy!

The next two items that came in my order aren't quite as cute, but I'm still just as happy with them. I'm certainly fond of the Tear Drop Liner #4 Sunlight from Etude House. I use this eyeliner to add a beautiful shimmer to the inner corners of my eyes. I used to do the same thing with sparkly eyeshadow, but this product does a much better job! It looks so pretty when I'm wearing it! You have to be careful not to scoop up too much on the brush or it can get a tad messy, but other than that I love it.

The last item is a cream eyeshadow from Etude House. The Look At My Eyes Icing in #BR401 Caramel Icing has a delectable name and as I am a fan of neutral colors it was the last item in my cart. I use a brush to apply it and the color adds a subtle shimmer to the lid. If you apply too much it will sink into any creases which tends to be annoying, but most cream shadows I've tried have this outcome. However, if you apply the right amount I haven't had this happen and it's lasted throughout the day.

(1) Petite Bunny Gloss Bar (2) Missing U Hand Cream (3) Tear Drop Eyeliner (4) Look At My Eyes Icing

Thank you for reading!

Love,

Review: Skinfood » Steam Milk Bubble Mask

The name of this product certainly is deceiving. I feel a more appropriate name would be Steam Milk Bubble Cleanser because that's exactly what this product actually is, and a great one at that! I'm lucky enough to have a Skinfood store near me here in LA and had no idea this product even existed until I paid the store a visit. I originally intended on buying their Black Sugar Mask (it's still on my wish-list), but the girl in the store pointed this cleanser out to me and after testing a bit on my hand I had to bring it home with me!

FLASH FACTS
Brand » Skinfood
Product » Steam Milk Bubble Mask
Size » 150ml
Cost » $25 USD approximately
Website » www.theskinfoodus.com
Would I Repurchase? » YES!!

I really love the Skinfood brand in general and especially when their products come in cute packaging! Their Steam Milk Bubble Mask comes in a milk carton shaped box and once you open the top you'll find the canister inside that dispenses the foam!

The Steam Milk Bubble Mask is packed with plenty of great ingredients for your skin! A few of them are:

Milk Protein » hydration, elasticity, helps heal the skin
Milk Lipids » moisturize, anti-aging, reduce appearance of skin irritations
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract » nourishing skin protectant
Citrus Nobilis Fruit Extract » soothing, oil control, toner
Angelica Archangelica Leaf Extract » bacteria fighting properties to help with acne
Chamomilla Recutita Fruit Extract » smoothing, anti-inflammatory
Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract » soothes and relaxes inflamed skin

This cleanser is great for oily skin (like mine), but is also great for dry skin as it contains many hydrating ingredients. Sensitive skin types and acne prone skin types could also give this a go. It is extremely gentle on my skin and does not burn or sting, which has often happened to me throughout the years of trying new cleansers. It also does a perfect job at removing my base makeup, however if you are wearing heavy eye makeup I would suggest using a makeup remover as this product won't work without a lot of scrubbing in that area (which probably isn't the best idea).

I usually use this cleanser in the morning, but you can definitely use it both day and night. For dry skin, you might want to follow up with your favorite moisturizer after you wash off the cleanser. For me, I always apply toner and lotion during the day regardless, but at night I use a moisturizing cream after cleansing with this product when my skin is feeling extra dry.

$25 is a little expensive for my taste for a cleanser especially on a product I've never tried before, but fortunately I truly lucked out on my spur of the moment buy! Honestly, I think the Steam Milk Bubble Mask from Skinfood is my favorite cleanser of all time (it could be beaten out in the future, you never know). It doesn't smell like milk (in case you were wondering), but it does smell pretty dang good. I'm not quite sure what the smell is specifically, but it just smells fresh, soft, and clean!

Speaking of soft, my favorite part about this product is that it leaves me with a baby soft skin every time!

Love,

P. S. Do you have a favorite Korean brand cleanser?