Hada Riki and Hada Labo Review! ^^

Hallo Everyone! ^^ It’s time to review 2 of my Sasa purchases, the Hada Riki Arbutin Essence and Hada Labo Shirojyun Whitening Lotion. But first, let me start with the essence.. :) Description from sasa.com

HADA RIKI Arbutin Essence is blended with arbutin extract and APPS (Vitamin C derivatives), providing skin with ample moisture while fighting against the production of melanin. Using it as over-night skincare can effectively brighten up skin tone, repair skin with pigment and freckles and avoid further pigment formation. Your skin will look supple and radiant with a translucent, even complexion.”  

It has a pump-bottle, so it’s easy to use. On my hand.. the texture is like water.. But it has a bit white-ish color..

Spread on my hand.

REVIEW:

This is my first encounter with Japanese whitening essence, so I have a very high expectation for it. From the ingredient you can see it contains Arbutin, which I love so much.. ^^ You know, since I started beauty blogging, I’ve become aware on what ingredient works for me best. For example, to make my skin brighter, licorice and Vit C work wonder for me; to combat acne, my skin accepts Salicylic Acid and tea tree oil; while for whitening, the winner will be Arbutin. Maybe some of you are familiar with these already.. ^^ Arbutin itself comes from the extract of Bearberry plant and has been used as a natural double action whitening agent for skin de-pigmentation and whitening, also protects the skin against damage caused by free radicals, wow! Good stuff! ^^ (Source: here.)

This essence has watery-like texture, not oily at all and very light, really easy to absorb in my skin. I have tried this for almost 2 weeks, only at night because I other serum for day (I’ll tell you more about it later) and I can see the result already.. \(^_^)/

For the first 5 days, I can see my face became a little bit paler.. I also feel the same when I used Dr. Jart’s BB Cream (also contains Arbutin), that’s why people were saying when they use that BB Cream, their face will turn into ghastly white.. But no worries, I’ve figured it all out right here. 

And then, when it’s almost 2 weeks, my face has turned more even with my neck. Quite a result, actually. I didn’t think the result would be that fast, hehe.. :) When I visited The Face Shop counter last week, I asked for acne spot eraser serum and guess what? The serum actually has Arbutin in it.. I didn’t get to buy it, of course, since I have this already.. (but I got the sample, hoho..) So I think this may also make my blemishes fade away.. Yayey! \(^_^)/   I’ll give you the update on how this serum’s effect, maybe another 2 weeks.. :)

NEXT!

 description from Sasa.com

“HadaLabo SHIROJYUN Arbutin Whitening Lotion contains the effective whitening & anti-ageing ingredient －arbutin－ which penetrates deep into skin and effectively inhibits the formation of melanin, dark spots, and freckles, leaving you a bright skin tone with high translucency. The vitamin C derivatives help improve uneven skin tone, and effectively improve the skin dullness. Essence and lotion are more easier to be absorbed. Weak acid, no fragrance, no alcohol and no oil. Suitable for sensitive skin use.

Hyaluronic Acid helps improve the moisture retention of skin. For 1g of Hyaluronic Acid, it could hold 6L of liquid. With high degree of pure whitening factor "Arbutin" and vitamin C derivatives, Shirojyun skincare products give you the optimal result of whitening and balanced skin tone.”

for more details, go to Hada Labo’s website, here.

REVIEW:

When I first got it, I thought they (Sasa.com) sent me the wrong product. When you read the name of the product, Whitening Lotion, a term of “lotion” would mean something more thicker than fluid like that, right? Apparently, I was wrong, hehe.. Because  for Japanese, the term “lotion” would mean ‘toner’ for us. Ha! :P

First trial on the morning, I put it in my face and massage it. But it feels sticky. I let it dry for a while, still sticky to me. Hmm.. OK, no luck, I decided to try it again at night. Although it’s very hidrating, but it’s still sticky and it won’t dry fast. Definitely worth to google the answer, hehe.. :P   After I google it, I discover that the right way to do it was to pour two-three drops on your palm and then, pat it on your face until it’s completely absorbed. Here’s my reference from mywomenstuff.com.

After I pat it on my face for almost a minute, I can feel the difference on my face. It’s finally fully absorbed and my skin felt bouncy and fluffy.. (okay, fluffy?? haha..) ^o^  Like there’s an injection of pure water to your face, really hydrated and fresh.. ^^

After thinking about it for a while, I think I know now, why it’s not so easily absorbed on me at the first place. Yup, if you’ve guessed too, it’s my oily skin.  Unlike my mom with her very dry skin, any lotion or cream will be absorbed fast. So when it’s on my oily skin, I have to pat it so the lotion will be ‘pushed’ under my skin. Quite a trick, haha! ^^

The result after using it for two weeks combined with the Arbutin essence is incredible! My skin feels better than ever before, and I’m glad that I decided to buy them. For my next purchase at Sasa, I’ll buy something more from Hada Labo, cause I think the formula really suits my skin. ^^ I’m eyeing for the Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion, it’s so popular in Japan, 1 bottle is sold every 4 seconds! WOW! Now that is something really worth to buy, hehe.. ^^

This is the video, take a look on how to apply it to your face. Pat pat pat! ^^

 

That’s it for my review then, any questions? Have you ever tried these products before? Tell me your opinions! ^^

And I’ll see you all at the next post.. ^^

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My Sasa Purchases! *teaser*

Hallo there! I just wanna share this quick post cause I’m so happy right now, my Sasa order has arrived safe and sound today! ^^ More details and reviews later ya.. :D

If you have seen my HK trip post, here and here, you’ll understand that Sasa is the beauty heaven for most of us here, haha.. It took about 3 weeks to get here, since I paid for Standard Shipping, but it’s ok la.. Cause it’s so worth to wait! ^^v

Yuhuuu.. What’s in the box?? ^^

It’s my order from Sasa! Tadaaa.. v(^_^)v

HadaLabo Shirojyun Whitening Lotion

Suki Eyeliner Cream

Hada Riki Arbutin Essence

Shills Perfect Brightening Makeup Base

Suki Vitamin E Lipgloss

I’ll start making the reviews tomorrow! ^^ Oh dear, so many thing to review.. But it’s okay though, I love it! ^^
See you all at the next post! :D

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Enjoying Hong Kong! *part 2-The Haul*

Hello everyone! ^^

So sorry it took me a long time to do this post.. Busy taking care of college stuff and others, because I’ll be back to campus in February… :(

But anyway.. This time I’m gonna share you all my haul from HK! Ehm, I have to mix some of my pictures from HK and the ones that I took in my house. In HK the products are still complete with the packaging, but after I took the pictures, I throw the packaging away..cause I don’t want to carry the packaging, no space left in my suitcase, hehe..

OK, ready start GO!! ^^

It all started here.. This is my first Sasa store that I went to..and my first impression was.. SHOCKED!! O_O *gasp*

There are so many beauty products and..they’re soooo…cheap!! I mean, compare to what we have here in store in Indonesia..the difference was “skyhigh..” (cause the tax and shipping fee were added..) My eyes went crazy for awhile, but..phew! I tried to breathe and act normally, haha.. After that, the shoppingvaganza was begun! Ehm, and if you think that’s it’s the only Sasa store in Causeway Bay, no! There are maybe 10 of them in the area alone, small stores but so many items! Not to mention there are also Bonjour, and many others.. I come up with my own saying for beauty shopping in HK: In there, buying makeup is like buying groceries.. They’re all lined up, waiting you to pick it up and put it in your pink basket. Heaven.. ^^v

I have to separate them into a few (lots) batches to make it easier to you to read.. and I also added a short review.. But don’t worry, I’ll write their full reviews on my future posts.. ^^

First batch..my fave of them all.. the powder foundation..

Maybe you asked, why not buy BB Creams??? Well, not that I don’t want to.. There are sooo..many of them in Sasa’s shelves, and so cheap! I wanted to grab them all, but..we want to pass the liquid restriction in hand carry baggage at the airport, so I have to left them all behind and just go with the powder foundation.. Besides, I rarely use powder foundation, so it’s time to explore some new things, yes?? ^^ 

The left is Cezanne.. my new love.. I discovered this one accidently cause I wanted to buy a gift for my girlfriends.. But now I’m in love! It’s affordable, this one is HK$78, less than US$10, made in Japan. The texture is so soft and making my pores invisible! I can hardly see my pores anymore.. The finish is matte not dewy, great for oily skin like me. Perfect for daily use! Visit the The Cezanne’s website, here.

The right one is Maquillage by Shiseido, very hi-end! It’s about HK$370, or US$50! This one is also unique, I have to pay for the packaging (HK$85) AND the content (HK$285)! It’s a limited edition, because the packaging is designed by Alexander Wang.. But the quality, wow.. Even though it’s powder foundation, but it makes my skin flawless.. No concealer needed! Really-really! I have to make a full review on this later, the price is so worth it! ^^

OK the next batch is the powder batch..

Ehm, no,the right one is not a cellphone, haha! ^^ The packaging is so much alike with a certain cellphone, eh?? Wait till you see this.. :P

Top left is MAC Blot Pressed Powder. Three best words I can use to describe it are: It’s MAC. Amazing. Amazing. The only thing I don’t like about it is the sponge, so rough! I use my brush to use it, btw. Problemo solved. ^^

(update: this MAC powder is broken apart, and my heart goes with it too..:’-( I don’t know why, but I’ll try to solve it, Manju and Cherry_16 said via Twitter I can use alcohol to press it again to normal.. hope it works!)

Top right is Suki Compact Powder, made in Japan. The packaging is so cute, yes?? ^^ You can pretend that is a cellphone, hehe.. Just make sure people don’t see the powder, haha! ^^ Again, with the sponge, it’s making my face look thick on the powder, so I use my brush to apply it. The quality is quite good actually, but the main reason I bought it is because the cute compact mirror and all the flowery ornament in the front, hehe.. So princess-like.. ^^

The bottom one is Palgantong Theatrical Powder, it’s the same like the one I already made a review before, but this one is a bigger size, 25gr. The link is here.

Next is the Lipstick Batch. Do you believe that every shade of color in lipsticks has different effect on everyone?? I do.

Left-Right:

MAC Amplified Creme Rouge Lipstick “A Girl About Town” Very bright yet deep fuchsia color, my mom was the only one who can use this color..

Shiseido Maquillage Lipstick for my mom it’s purple-ish shade. But in reality, it’s not that deep purple, the texture is sheer and creamy.. It turns into soft lilac color on my lips (I usually borrow it from my mom, hehe..)

Shiseido Maquillage Lipstick I bought this pink beige color because I got inspired by Fuzkittie, I’ve seen her wearing this lipstick in this color for a long time and I dreamed that someday I’ll buy one for myself. I finally did it!! Woohoo.. ^^ And, you better believe me on this, I did not buy any lipstick other than this. This is the ONLY lipstick that I bought in HK. Although I went to many other stores too, but I didn’t buy more lipstick for me. This is how I love thee, my lovely lipstick! <3 (you see how devoted I am?? haha..)

Now don’t believe what you see above, the lighting was a bit off, too dark.. Sorry.. :( Just see the swatches below.. It’s more accurate..

Unto the next batch! The cheeks! ^^

It’s Nars blush. Orgasm. Period.

*nothing more to say, cause I guess most of you know the verdict, hehe!* Very very good!

Hmm.. This blush is very sheer.. It has light shimmer and the lighter shade below is named the pearl powder. More update on this one later, still busy discovering more about it.. ^^

 

For your eyes only..

Eyeshadows from Kate, Lavhusca, Cezanne, and MAC! Closer look! Blue and purple are my main attraction..

This one is quite a steal! Less than US$10 for this 2 eyeliners with 3 colors that came in this combi pencil.

The swatch: pearly white (really glitters!), black and brown. The brown one makes my eyes look naturally big. Love it! ^^ 

 

Nails section.. ^^

All of them are so cute, can’t wait to try and show it all to you!

For hair.. OK, let me read your mind here, hehe.. “What are those??” Well, this is the strawberry roll curling hair.

Put a little section of your hair in the gap there before you go to sleep, and let it overnite.

Tomorrow morning you’ll have naturally wavy hair! Easy! So cute.. ^^

 

Brushes..

This Lajour brush is perfect for powder foundation! Creates a thin layer on your skin, kinda airbrushed look. ^^

And the left one is from Sasa, for blush on.. I know, it’s pink, again.. hehe.. It’s very soft, too!

Some magazines..

  Choc Beauty and Choc Magazine with Rainie Yang on the cover, Popteen, JessicaCode, Vivi, and of course, “Nu Ren Wo Zui Da” aka Queen. ^^

 

OK, now I’m gonna share you my powerful tips. If you want to travel light and don’t want to worry about liquid restriction in hand carry baggage, just leave all your skincare behind and buy the samples when you got there, like what I did right here. This way you can finish it all up when you’re there and don’t have to worry carrying it back. I got this Sisheido White Lucent series as freebies for my purchase at Shiseido store, such a perfect timing! haha.. But I don’t really feel comfy with the serum, it’s too thick for my oily skin. I only wear it once and the rest of it is used by my mom who has dry skin. What I like the most are the Brightening Cleansing Gel and the Refining Softener. The gel is really soft and moist, not making my skin dry or squeaky clean. Oh, I might buy the Refining Softener in big size later, it makes my skin really soft and brighter! ^^

This Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief is a the mini size that I bought in Sasa, really cheap! Only HK$38 if I’m not mistaken, so it’s around US$4.

I know many people swear by this one, but it’s too thick on my face.. I prefer something lighter.. That’s too bad, really.. I really hope that I can like this one, but.. :(

On the other hand, I really recommend this one! Don’t need any toner and that lotion remover la.. This one is enough for removing makeup and really mild for my skin.. Plus it’s alcohol free! Too bad I can’t find it in Indonesia, it’s so convenient I’ll put this in my bag all the time!

Oh and I also bought a new bag! A large bag with huge capasity, hehe.. ^^

 

For the accessories..

A very romantic earrings, hehe.. ^^ Fresh from Japan, baby! ^^

My mom bought this, really like Yin and Yang, right?

I really like this ring, but unfortunately, it only fits my pinky, but I LOVE it so much..I bought it anyway, hehe..

I gotta tell you, if I like something but I didn’t buy it, I might dream of it in my sleep, really really! So I thought, well, this is for HK! Everytime I wear this ring, I’ll remember: I LOVE HK! ^^

Jade, baby! Jade! ^^ This is not the expensive one however, it has the lower quality of Jade. But I don’t care, it’s beautiful and I love it. :)

It’s more like an engagement ring, right? *cough cough* Well, I’m saving it for a future reference only, haha.. #hint!

The 2 silver necklaces that we bought from JCL Jewelry, the jewelry factory owned by “the” Jackie Chan.

Left is pendant with the Hanzi “Fu” in it, means prosperity, happiness, etc. (just add all the good things, LOL)  while the right one is my mom’s, the dragon cause my her shio is dragon.

OK, remember when I told you that my fave Jackie’s movie is Rush Hour in my previous post? If you pay attention very closely in the movie, Lee (Jackie) gave the little girl, Soo Young a necklace, well.. the necklace also has the Hanzi “Fu” in it, although the design is a bit different, but almost same concept la! This necklace reminds of me Jackie Chan, because I want to remember this necklace is made in HK, from his factory! Jackie Chan, if you read this, I’m   your HUGE FAN!! ^^

The souvenirs:

I saw these chopsticks and I was like, “Wow, they’re cute!” ^^ I can’t resist cuteness at all, haha..

Handmade fan with different paintings and writings on both sides!

Really traditional and has the feeling like I’m a warrior princess from the Ming Dinasty, hehe..

 

The last one, what’s in the red box??

Ok, lets open it…

Wah! It’s a custom made signature stamp for my Chinese name, compete with the red ink, and super fancy box! All in all is HK$275. Around 15minutes-30minutes of making, if you ever go to HK, go to The Peak and you can make this in one of the souvenir store there, just ask the seller. So worth it and unique! ^^

The red ink..

Because my shio is Snake, so I chose this one. At first I think it’s kinda spooky, but suan le la..hehe.. I really like the ancient and historical feeling in it.

My Chinese name is: “Guo Qing Lian”. Most of my Chinese friends and Laoshi call me Qing (clean, pure) Lian (Lotus). That’s why my Indonesian name is Priscilla, hehe.. ^^

 

OK, that’s all of them!

For the conclusion, I’m a type of person who likes to buy a few items but for every category, hehe.. From foundation, eyes. cheeks, souvenirs.. I only buy 2-3 items per category yet they still have lot of varieties. I don’t like buying 10 items from 1 brand only at single purchase, I want to try different brands too! ^^

Well then, thank you so much for reading and if there’s anything you wanna ask about certain items, please do comment here! I love comments and I reply to every single one of them.. ^^ I’ll see you all on the next post! Bye! *mwah mwah* Peace.. v(^_^)v

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