[ REVIEW ] Clinique – Pore Refining Solutions and Even Better

No, I’m not ditching the Asian skincare world, I just wanted to give Western skincare another shot and see how it copes with my skin condition that changes almost daily. I strolled around Myer (a store that seems to be exclusive to Australia) and got a facial done with Clinique. I found it very interesting and though they provided me with the information that I already knew, it was nice to have someone else tend to my skin for me. From the brand, I picked up two serums, a mask, an exfoliator and a lotion, which were recommended to me by the person who analyzed my skin through the facial treatment. I’ll try and keep this as short as I possibly can, since I’m doing 5 products in this review.

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I’ll start off with the Even Better range. It works to target the melanin found in the skin and breaks down old acne scars, uneven skin tones and hyper pigmentation marks around the face, breaks them down into smaller pieces and lightens them over time. From the Even better range, I got the Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector and the Even Better Brightening Moisture Mask.

Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector

This serum is supposed to improve the shade of your hyper pigmentation marks by 1 or 2 shades lighter in 4 weeks, and decrease the appearance of darkened skin by 58% over a period of 12 weeks. I applied this serum to my skin for roughly 3 months to measure the effectiveness of this serum.

Used upon my dark spots, I noticed a few of my spots disappeared over a few days, but my spots caused by over exposure to sunlight didn’t budge at all. Monitoring for a month, though, they faded over time, and within that month period, my dark marks are almost completely gone.

INGREDIENTS: Water, Dimethicone, Isododecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysilicone-11, Butylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Turmeric Root Extract, Rice Bran Extract, Grapefruit Peel Extract, Barley Extract, Wheat Germ Extract, Birch Bark Extract, Cucumber Fruit Extract, Dimethoxytolyl Propylresorcinol, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Mulberry Root Extract, Trametes Versicolor Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Yeast Extract, PEG-6, Tromethamine, Salicylic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Cholesterol, Isohexadecane, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Sunflower Seedcake, Caffeine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Simethicone, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hyaluronate, Di-C12-18 Alkyl Dimonium Chloride, Sodium RNA, Squalane, Sodium Sulfite, Sodium Metabisulfite, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate VP/Copolymer, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Yellow 6, Yellow 5

All the bolded ingredients are those that have raised alarms for acne triggers (there are quite a few) so please keep this in mind before you make any purchases for this product. I’d say that 30% of the ingredients here are also yellow category for safety, meaning that there MAY be a detrimental side effect using this product over a long period of time but YMMV. The red ingredients are red category safety ingredients, meaning they’re more dangerous for you in the long run. Though salicylic acid is listed as one, it is a really great BHA ingredient used for acne treatments and skin tone evening, and an ingredient I’m constantly telling you guys to try and find in skincare products as it truly works wonders. Sodium Metabisulfite is a preservative to keep the serum from decomposing too early. I also wanted to point out that this serum is also tested on animals, so if you’re the type of person that wants products that are cruelty free, then this isn’t for you.

PROS:

• Nice scent, almost sweet like candy or pastries
• Worked for me and faded my scars in the recommended time issued by Clinique
• Hydrating for the skin
• A little can g a long way with the serum

CONS:

• Not the cheapest as I got the small sized for $60; I believe the largest size is $90 or something around there
• Quite thick and feels uncomfortable on the skin if you apply too much
• Animal tested
• Lots of acne triggers
• Two red category ingredients and 30% yellow category ingredients
• Though it’s not listed in the ingredients list, many bloggers have raised alarms that this serum DOES contain a percentage of hydroquinone, a whitening agent that has been claimed to bleach the skin

RATING

QUALITY ★★★☆☆
PRICE ★★★☆☆
REPURCHASE RATE ★★★☆☆
OVERALL ★★★☆☆

VERDICT:

I don’t know if I’ll repurchase or not, since it does work, but there are alarms that it may trigger my acne. I haven’t broken out using the serum, but it’s to early to tell, and now that it is now Summer here in Perth, my skin has become incredibly acne prone, and it’s a risk I don’t want to take. Though it’s not officially stated, it does contain hydroquinone and I’m not too happy with that ingredient itself, since there are reports saying how harmful hydroquinone can be for the skin, and if not used correctly, can damage your skin further and possibly worsen the effects of scarring.

Even Better Brightening Moisture Mask

This is a wash off moisture mask that helps to brighten the overall complexion of the skin, whilst holding in moisture in the dermal layers. I’ve used this twice a week for the past month and honestly, I haven’t seen any changes to the skin whatsoever. I’m questioning whether this actually works or not.

You’re supposed to only leave this mask on for 5 minutes each time and tissue off, but using this method doesn’t do anything. I’ve left it on longer for 15 or so minutes and sponged off, and nothing. Repeated and washed off with lukewarm water, still nothing. I think it was a waste of time in the end and there is no way I’m recommending this to anybody at all.

INGREDIENTS: Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, PEG-100 Stearate, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopropyl Isostearate, PEG-40 Stearate, PEG-8, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Betula Alba (Birch) Bark Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Rosa Roxburghii Fruit Extract, Porphyra Yezoensis (Algae) Extract, Sucrose, Yeast Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seedcake, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Isohexadecane, Caffeine, Nylon-12, Sodium PCA, Oryzanol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Sodium RNA, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 80, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Sulfite, Calcium Chloride, Carbomer, Sodium Metabisulfate, Trisodium EDTA, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Titanium Dioxide.

There are a few yellow category ingredients, but I’m not going to go into detail with them at all. The bolded ingredients (excluding titanium dioxide) are all acne triggering ingredients, ranging from acne-1 (minor) to acne-5 (major) which I’m definitely not happy with. Titanium dioxide is highlighted since it is a UV protection ingredient, so it isn’t wise to use this product during the night.

Upon using the mask, I can definitely say it does trigger acne like no tomorrow. If you suffer from current acne, or have acne prone skin, then stay away from this mask at all costs. It did nothing it claimed first of all, and secondly, there are too many acne triggering ingredients to deem this suitable for any of us.

PROS:

• I don’t have any at all, how sad

CONS:

• Animal tested
• Doesn’t work
• So many acne triggers
• UV ingredient that means this can only be used in the day time ONLY
• $58 for the mask, which is a waste of money
• Really thick
• Smells off-putting in my opinion
• Doesn’t wash off well if you use water to rinse off, and sponges off poorly, leaving you feeling unclean

RATING

QUALITY ★☆☆☆☆
PRICE ★☆☆☆☆
REPURCHASE RATE ★☆☆☆☆
OVERALL ★☆☆☆☆

VERDICT:

If there was a product that I can happily recommend you guys not to get, this is it. Even if I  really hated you and wished ill omen upon your very soul, I couldn’t even bring myself to recommending this to you; it would be too cruel. Not only did it not work for me, but it broke me out and was the biggest waste of time and money. If I gave this away to someone, I really must hate that person with the deepest passion imaginable, not that I’d be comfortable doing so, or be able to bring myself to doing it for that matter.

Pore Refining Solutions Correcting Serum

This is supposed to decrease the size of your pores by 58% and help to keep your pores clean from debris or waste matter that can have an impact on pore size and cleanliness. However, this did nothing to the pores whatsoever. I’ve mentioned that my pores are already as small as I can possibly get them, and they generally stay clean without me having to use pore strips or deep cleansing masks. Using this serum actually made my pores larger, and clogged my pores more often that it did with me not using any pore care whatsoever. I literally would have better pore care not tending to my pores, than I would using this serum.

This was also supposed to control my sebum levels around my incredibly oily t-zone and provide a smooth canvas to work with when applying makeup. This did smoothen my skin, for probably an hour before my skin returned to normal, and I noticed that my skin also became more oilier using the serum than without.

INGREDIENTS: Dimethicone, Water, Polysilicone-11, Alcohol Denat, Acetyl Glucosamine, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Serenoa Serrulata (Saw Palmetto) Fruit Extract, Sigesbeckia Orientalis (St. Paul’s Wort) Extract, Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Extract, Sea Whip Extract, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Caffeine, Pantethine, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, PEG-11 Methyl Ether Dimethicone, Algae Extract, Polysorbate 20, Salicylic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate , Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Lecithin, Isohexadecane, Di-C12-18 Alkyl Dimonium Chloride, Polysorbate 80, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Coconut Acid, Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract, Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Silica, Citric Acid, Hexylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Maleate, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides

All the ingredients above are acne triggers in the skin with a low rating, so if you’re acne prone, keep in mind this may be detrimental for you. Alcohol is a level 5 irritant ingredient, and though alcohol may or may not be essential for skincare depending on your skin type, it as been classed as level 5 since alcohol has both, good and bad traits. For pore care, alcohol is very bad since it dries up the skin significantly, but also stimulates the pores to produce an unhealthy amount of sebum in the skin once the pores are completely dried up. There also doesn’t seem to be any ingredients that counteract the alcohol content in the skin, so another think to keep in mind.

Once again, tho product contains titanium dioxide and is not recommended for night usage, since UV protecting ingredients tend to clog pores and cause breakouts in the skin during cell turnover during your sleep. The saleswoman insisted the serum was okey for night usage, but now that I have discovered titanium dioxide in the ingredients list, I am more than unhappy with the service I had back then.

PROS:

• Didn’t break me out

CONS:

• Animal tested
• Made pores worse
• Aggravated sebum levels around my t-zone
• Alcohol listed high in ingredients list with no soothing agents to counteract
• Pricey for what it’s worth
• Thick and feels uncomfortable if using too much on the skin in one application
• Contains titanium dioxide

RATING

QUALITY ★☆☆☆☆
PRICE ★☆☆☆☆
REPURCHASE RATE ★☆☆☆☆
OVERALL ★☆☆☆☆

VERDICT:

Once again, I was let down and this is a product I’m definitely not happy with at all. Not only did it do nothing for me whatsoever, it made my pore problems even worse. Not only that but I was given incorrect information about the product upon my purchase and I am extremely upset by it. The product has titanium dioxide meaning, I’m not able to use it during the night, where my pores are at their worst, and that’s where I need the most care. If I can’t use a serum during the night, then what’s the point of me getting a serum then?

Pore Refining Solutions Stay Matte Hydrator

I was looking for a lotion for the Summer that can control my sebum levels. This controlled my sebum extremely well; maybe a bit too well for my liking. This guarantees sebum free skin for 8hrs, and I can definitely vouch for it, at the expense of feeling ultra dry whilst wearing the lotion. My skin felt incredibly dehydrated whenever I used this lotion, and no amount of cream or hydrating cushions I used that usually don’t work for my skin type, helped to rehydrate my skin. I felt the lotion sucked up all the moisture levels from not only my skin, but every other hydrating product I used on top. If you love your skin feeling dryer than the Sahara desert, then get this. Otherwise, another Clinique flop for me. It also clogged my pores and aggravated the size of them, despite the ingredients in this product making them appear smaller. My pores appeared smaller using the lotion, but only up until I washed it off. When my skin was cleaned, my pores actually became a lot larger, so it seems this lotion only plays optical illusion with you, which tricks you into thinking it works if you continually use it.

INGREDIENTS: Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Silica, Talc, Butylene Glycol, Trisiloxane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sigesbeckia Orientalis (St. Paul’s Wort) Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Extract, Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) Extract, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Cholesterol, Glycine Sojo (Soybean) Protein, Sucrose, Linoleic Acid, Squalane, Diethylhexyl Succinate, Polyethylene, Acetyl Glucosamine, Polyethylene, Acetyl Glucosamine, Polydodecanamideaminium Triazadiphenylethenesulfonate, Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer, Phospholipids, Hexylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyvinylalcohol Crosspolymer, Sodium Carbomer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, Titanium Dioxide

Once again, anything highlighted here are all acne triggers, but they sit only at level 1 or 2, so they aren’t too severe. If you have acne prone skin, then keep this is mind. Alcohol denat is present in this product again, and can cause severer reactions to your skin if you aren’t careful as this has no soothing agents to counteract the alcohol present. Titanium dioxide is present in another Clinique product I was told was suitable for night usage. Finding this out made me even more upset, because that makes it 3 products I’m not able to use at night AT ALL.

PROS:

• Controls sebum in the skin very well
• Didn’t break me out

CONS:

• Animal tested
• Completely dried my skin out
• Titanium Dioxide
• High alcohol content
• Did nothing for the pores actually
• Pricey for what it’s worth

RATING

QUALITY ★☆☆☆☆
PRICE ★☆☆☆☆
REPURCHASE RATE ★☆☆☆☆
OVERALL ★☆☆☆☆

VERDICT:

Again, as I mentioned earlier, a huge flop for me. Why would you make a product that controls sebum exceptionally well at the expense of hydration? Not only that but a temporary fix product for pores, that, in the long run, will worsen the condition of your pores? I can’t use this at night, and most certainly can’t use this during the day, so there really was no point for the purchase of this damned product. At least it didn’t break me out.

Exfoliating Scrub

This cooled my face right down whenever I used this scrub, and really smoothened out my skin. However, doing my research, the beads in this cleanser are synthetically made with polyethylene, which I mentioned a while ago in one of my posts, are harmful to marine wildlife, and possibly to us as well. I do like the scrub itself because of the menthol feeling it gives, but at the end of the day, the bead issue really gets to me, and I’m on the lookout for a better exfoliator.

INGREDIENTS: Water, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyethylene, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium Oleamido Mipa-Sulfosuccinate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Salicylic Acid, Menthol, Stearamidoethyl Diethylamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Titanium Dioxide

Thank goodness that this time, there is only one acne irritant, being hexylene glycol at a level 2 rating. If you’re acne prone, then this shouldn’t be a product that triggers acne in you, unless you’re incredibly sensitive. Stearamidoethyl Diethylamine is listed as a red category ingredient because if used inappropriately, can dry out the skin and cause severe rashes or skin troubles. Once again, titanium dioxide makes it’s way into the ingredients list, and I hate repeating myself, but this is a product that stays only in your day time routine.

PROS:

• Didn’t break me out
• I love the menthol cooling effect this scrub offers
• Smoothens out the skin well
• One acne trigger only, meaning this possibly may not trigger acne at all in the majority of people

CONS:

• Animal tested
• Polyethylene can be toxic to marine life, and contaminate our water drinking supplies
• Titanium Dioxide
• Will irritate a lot of skin types because the beads are very abrasive
• One red category ingredient that seems to be very bad for the skin if used long term

RATING

QUALITY ★★☆☆☆
PRICE ★★☆☆☆
REPURCHASE RATE ★★☆☆☆
OVERALL ★★☆☆☆

★☆☆☆☆ – I want all my time wasted and all my money back for this crap. If I could turn back time and tell my past self not to use this, then I would without a single doubt. If I find this in my collection or if someone gave it to me, I’ll set it on fire and pray to the All Maker to repent for using such a terrible product.

★★☆☆☆ – It’s pretty bad and I definitely wouldn’t recommend this to anybody, but it’s nice to give it a go for myself. I’ll only use it if it was given to me for free and I’m severely desperate.

★★★☆☆ – It’s nice but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get another one for myself. Maybe if it was on special then I’d consider buying it, otherwise there are better products that I like a lot more than this.

★★★★☆ – It’s quite good and I would repurchase definitely. It’s not a staple yet, but if I can’t find anything better, then I’ll happily stick to this product.

★★★★★ – OH MY GOD GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS BECAUSE IT IS A LIFE SAVER AND WORTH EVERY SINGLE PENNY EVEN IF YOU BECOME POOR BECAUSE OF IT OMG

Now that you know what the stars mean, you can figure out what I mean by my personal ratings.

VERDICT:

At the end of the day, this scrub does what I want a scrub to do, but but it contains synthetic beads and I shun products with synthetic beads in them. I prefer natural exfoliators like sugar or rice bran, that dissolve into the skin but aren’t harmful to the environment or wildlife. This also contains titanium dioxide and an ingredient that can damage the skin if used long term. I’ll continue using this scrub since the menthol feeling it offers really pleases me, but I’m going to be looking to purchase a scrub elsewhere now.

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At the end of the day, the only product I’ll think about repurchasing, if, God Forbid, I can’t find a better one, is the dark spot corrector from the Even Better line. Otherwise, there are products I’ve used in the past that are WAY better than everything I talked about today. What are your thoughts and experiences with the Clinique ranges? Let me know down in the comments below or through my Facebook page. Have anything worth reviewing? Let me know as well. Until my next post.

Anthony signing out.

Q&A with Anthonay [ 28 ]

As this segment goes, I come back every weekend to compile a list of questions to answer that you guys all have sent in to me. Welcome to the weekly corner of my blog that you guys all love to read, the Q&A with Anthonay. You guys messaged me A LOT through the DM’s on twitter and inbox feature on Facebook, and it’s nice and all, but sometimes I’d love a comment once in a while too. Nonetheless, you guys sent me a few questions that I wanted to answer so here we go.

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Do you spend more money on skincare or makeup?

Two people in store asked me this recently, but I’m answering it here since through my personal messages, this question came up. I love spending money on the latest makeup trend or the need sensation taking everyone by storm. I love trying out the new lip pies that hit the counter, or a revolutionary eyeliner that has become so hot it’s selling out fast. At the end of the day though, your makeup is only makeup and it can only perform optimally on a well looked after face. I don’t see the point in investing in a $400 makeup product, only to waste it if your face remains unclean and your skin issues aren’t well treated. I therefore spend more money on the skincare side, since good skin is what makes your makeup look beautiful. Taking good care of your skin is what sheds time off in the morning when you’re applying that BB cream or concealer. You’ll notice, that when you tend to your skin concerns starting from the skincare, you’ll need less time, product and effort in treating it or hiding it with the aid of makeup, which saves you extra minutes looking after, or doing something else. It’ll cut back on how much you need to use on your face which then leads to more natural looks since you’re not applying heavy layers of foundation or concealer to your skin.

To summarize, good skin means less makeup. Less makeup means less money thrown away, so I think personally, it’s vital to invest your money into skincare, so you’re not needing to buy unnecessary makeup products to conceal your flaws.

Can you overdose on beauty supplements?

Of course you can. Just like how you can overeat meats or have too much of one thing in your life, over consuming supplements can cause detriment to your body, and it ain’t pretty. Overdosing on things like vitamin C tablets or ceramide can cause your body to become upset. Vitamin C is well known for the benefits of a brighter and livelier kin tone, and high doses of vitamin is linked to skin whitening as well. However, consuming more than the recommended daily intake of vitamin C can cause your stomach to flip upside down and give you the runs, if not, harmful damage to your digestive system.

Ceramide, a building block for the production of collagen, water retention and healthy skin/hair is often consumed and found in a lot of beauty supplements to keep our bodies healthier and stronger. Overdosing on ceramide though, can actually decrease the strength of your hair, worsen your skin’s appearance and cause opposite reactions within your body.

Your best bet, go see a doctor or enquire with a pharmacist beforehand so you can get enough information from them in order to take your supplements in the correct dosage. Enquire with them the minimum and maximum YOU personally can take so you can adjust your levels according to what you want to improve in.

How did you get your hair grey?

I underwent multiple bleaching sessions. I tried to do it myself and my air ended up looking rainbow with 50 colors in my hair. Since I gave up on self bleaching, I went to a salon where they took my hair from a grade 8 (orange-blonde tone) to a grade 10 (light blonde). From there, I went for another bleaching session to lift my hair up to as close to white as possible. Please keep in mind though, that before I bleached my hair, the color was dark brown, so possibly sitting on the lines of a grade 3 or 4. While my hair was being treated, the damage I caused my hair with the self bleaching became incredibly aggravated, and my hair started to melt away. By the end of the bleaching, I had to chop almost all of my hair off, since I had huge balls of jelly sitting off of my scalp. Whatever was left over, seemed to be the healthier parts of my hair that was able to endure the vigorous bleaching sessions over time.

From there, my hair was a grade 12, basically white with the slightest tinge of yellow. My hairdresser added a purple toner to my hair, to remove all traces of gold and warmth from my hair, and we left it in for half an hour, which gave me the grey hair color. To maintain my hair color, I make sure to treat my hair with purple shampoo every few days to remove any yellow tones peeping through the grey.

Do you have to use serum when you care for your face?

No you don’t. Serums are basically thick creams you apply before your moisturizers (don’t forget to moisturize after because serums are NOT moisturizers, and though they hydrate fairly well depending on what you get, they can’t keep your skin hydrated for long) that are power packed full of special treatment ingredients to target certain specific skin issues. I’d say, unless you’re looking for a particular skin treatment you wanted to tackle, serums aren’t that all important, and you can simply stick with your 3 step skincare regime.

My lips are always dry. What can I use to help keep them hydrated?

I also suffer from excessively dry lips. I don’t go a day without chapped lips, so I can understand your struggles a lot. The only thing that has worked for me throughout my 21 years of living on this planet is the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. I apply that every night before I go to bed, and I wake up with very soft, well nourished lips. From there I will put another layer of mask onto my lips again in the morning whilst washing and tending to the cleansing routine of my face. Now, once I’ve done with cleansing using my foam cleanser (and any wash off masks I may have used during that period as well), I wash my lips with lukewarm water to remove any trace of the lip mask, and follow with a simple lip balm to keep my lips well hydrated.

To avoid dry lips throughout the day, stick to lip glosses, tinted lip balms or hydrating lipsticks. Anything that is matte will cause your lips to become chapped again, and lip tints are a huge no-no. Whenever you put anything against your lips, be it food, a tissue, whatever it is, apply a layer of lip balm to your lips to keep them from becoming dry. Until I find a better solution, this is what I’ve been doing (and it’s a pain in the ass).

What is your most favourite thing to wear during the morning, afternoon, night and during your sleep?

I hate clothes so much; sometimes I wish it was possible to just walk around naked. I love taking my clothes off at the end of the day and sleeping completely nude, doing things nude and just being nude altogether. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not a nudist or anything, I just hate the feeling of heavy clothes sitting on your body, especially during a hot Summer’s day/night.

In the morning, unless it’s freezing, I will slip into a singlet and some shorts. If I have to go out, I will most probably wear jeans and a shirt of some kind. Most chances, I’ll also bring a jacket of some sort with me to cover up my skin to prevent damage or burning. During the night, I’m usually at home, so I will strip down to the bare minimum and wear a singlet and some light shorts just to cover up. Whenever I sleep though, I try my absolute hardest to keep at least my underwear on, but somehow I wake up every morning and I’m completely naked. I must subconsciously take my clothing off while I sleep. I don’t even know.

Do you use whatsapp?

No I don’t. I used to before my phone number mysteriously went around and everyone started adding me, and talking to me. Look, I don’t mind sharing with you guys my wechat, Facebook or anything like that for that matter, since it doesn’t reveal my personal contact number or anything like that. Whatsapp however, sort of did, and when random people started to add me and message me everyday, it got out of hand, and I deleted the app altogether. Nowadays, I generally keep my number to myself, my family and closest friends. If I don’t recognize the number, I don’t pick up. Don’t ask me how it got to this topic, but to answer your question once again, no. I do not have whatsapp, and possibly will not get whatsapp again.

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That’s it for this week’s installment of Q&A with Anthonay. Remember, you can always message me your questions through to my SNS or leaving comments below here. I check my emails everyday as well, so if you didn’t add me on my SNS (I will ask why! No not really) you can also submit questions through to me via emails as well. Until the next Q&A.

Anthony signing out.

 

[ REVIEW ] Cloud 9 Cream

You guys heavily request whitening products, so I’m back with another whitening product that seems to be selling pretty well in our store. This is the Cloud 9 cream that is always sold out whenever I’m working. I was lucky to snag myself one to try out because, literally, people buy them in threes to stock up, otherwise they’re waiting a while. I didn’t even do any research on this cream, nor have I really sold one of these before, so I went into using this blind, as in to say, I didn’t know the functions of this cream, nor did I know what it would be like on the skin, or for what skin type for that matter. I was next to clueless when I used this, so here are my findings for you.

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Cloud 9 seems to be under the brand name Claire’s, which was established back in 1997. I’m not too familiar with the brand myself but it seems that the products they produce are tested at the P&K Skin Research Centre. This is what the packaging states.

 

Blemishes? Freckles? If you are confused, be doubtful about freckles. Treat certain freckles which appear consistently with the anti-freckle cream, Cloud 9. The Cloud 9 Whitening Cream was featured in a popular Korean Beauty Show, the Star Beauty Show. They tested this product for 2 weeks. Cloud 9 Whitening Cream gives instant whitening that lasts for hours! The cream doesn’t feel greasy, gets absorbed quickly and can be easily removed by water and can be mixed with other products as well, like sun block or facial scrubs. It doesn’t look cakey even if you put foundation or bb cream over it. The whitening effect also looks natural just don’t apply too much and it can be a little drying too when you apply a lot. It gives a dewy finish and reduces redness slightly. You can use this to even out your skin tone. Spatula is included and so hand-free!

It was so broken that I had to slightly fix the grammar to somewhat make it more understandable. Even I didn’t do a good job. Ugh. Nonetheless, it seems to be a whitening effector product that targets melanin production in the skin. It claims to do the following:

• Help reduce melanin
• Maintain skin brightness for 12hrs
• Reduce redness caused by UV rays
• Improve immediate skin brightness

The packaging also claims that it was tested on 23 healthy women aging between 20 to 55 years old. If I’m not mistaken, then it has similar concepts to the Lei Lani Wear White that I reviewed a while back. Have a read of that too, which I’ll link here.

I opened the package for the first time and was so glad to see it was sealed with a foil peel off lid thing; a definite plus in my books, because it means no air exposure and less bacteria able to get inside. Peeling off the foil though revealed a glob of white stuff that resembled curdled overdue yoghurt. It looked pretty disgusting and I’m surprised that the Cloud 9th cream was supposed to look like that. Putting that thought to the back of my head, I went on to use it regularly for the sake of reviews.

It did what it claimed to do, which is whiten. Whenever I put the Cloud 9 cream on, I could definitely tell my skin became brighter with each use, and definitely kept it that way for a while. However, being a cream, I imagined it to be nourishing and hydrating, because that’s what your typical cream does. Nope, not this one. If you have oily skin, then this one is a good one for you. It skimps out on hydration so much, that even I can’t tolerate it, and I much enjoy the feeling of being dry sometimes. If whitening comes down to having skin as dry as the Sahara desert then I’ll happily choose hydration over skin whitening any day. Don’t try to put anything on top of the cream, because not only does it NOT work, but it makes the whitening effect on your skin really patchy. As to my hypothesis, it definitely is the same as Lei Lani in terms of effects; that is to say the whitening seems to be temporary, and with constant use, you’ll become lighter over time. A little goes a VERY long way with this one. If you use too much, be prepared for your skin to bump up 4 shades. You need to use it sparingly, because not only is it difficult to even get product out of the jar, but if you use the slightest bit too much, then the results will be incredibly noticeable. Be warned now, as nobody warned me.

On the plus side, the product is 50mL which is quite a good quantity, the cream has little to no fragrance, and seems to be uncolored as well. Well, it’s white, and it’s a whitening product so obviously adding a white whitening cream to your face is going to make your face white. Besides that, it’s the cheapest cream I own to this day, retailing at $35 at Cosmehut or for a fake version, go online and grab your one for $28.95 yay! Honestly, go grab a real version of the Cloud 9th cream because I’ve seen fake ones flying around on online stores selling for way cheap. Don’t risk it guys. I found the retailing prices for real Cloud 9 creams online and they exceed $40, so if you’re wanting to save a bit, and live in Perth, then go down to Cosmehut and buy one.

I tested to see how well it performed mixed with other products. It didn’t go so well. Whatever I tried, it honestly just felt as if I was wiping the cream onto my face straight from the jar. Even with something as rich as Sulwhasoo’s Overnight Repairing Mask, it felt so dry mixed with the Cloud 9. Definitely not something I want to do again.

I think I’ll happily use this sparingly during the hotter days when I want to keep my skin tone from darkening, and it’ll be great as a cream during summer when it’s so hot and I can’t stand having anything too rich on my face. It definitely works like Lei Lani Wear White did, and does seem to hold color pretty well. It skimps out on so much hydration which I do not like, and the is going to bring the score down by a lot. You can’t wear hydrating products underneath because Cloud 9 sucks it all up, and you can’t put it on top either otherwise you’re wiping off that layer of cream on your face, which would be a waste. Overall, definitely not a cream for anyone other than purely oily skin types who can  handle the dehydration a lot better.

Impression:

Product Quality ★★★☆☆

Price ★★★★★

Repurchase rate ★★★☆☆

Overall ★★☆☆☆

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This was only a quick review, since it was pretty easy to sum up. If you liked this, then give me a like and hit the subscribe button for more reviews and random blogs about my life. Don’t forget you can add me on my SNS accounts, which I’ll give you all the links to here. Have you used Cloud 9 before? Let me know your experience with the cream through the comments below. As usual, I’ll see you in my next post.

love anthony ♡

p.s: none of these pictures belong to me, and in no way do I claim them as mine. Credit goes to the owner of these images.

 

Lei Lani Whitening Finisher – Wear White Face

I’m coming back with a new review and this time, it’s a whitening product from Korea I received from Wishtrend. This is the Lei Lani Whitening Finisher – Wear White Face, worth $25.99 USD on Wishtrend.

Lei Lani is a company from Korea who have worked with the Korean Food and Drug administration (KFDA) to deliver whitening products for all skin types. The Wear White Face uses certified whitening ingredients such as Niacinamide and Arbutin for immediate whitening results, and allows for long-lasting and permanent skin whitening over time with daily usage. The product contains macadamia nut oil for easy spreadability and hydration to the skin. It also contains Vitamins A, B3, C, E and the co-enzyme Q10 to effectively prevent free radicals from damaging and aging the skin, keeping skin light, bright and well nourished.

Lei Lani claims their product prevents aging, promotes lighter skin tone and moisturizing care without causing harm to skin. Wear Face White can be used day and night, as the last step to your skincare during the day. For the night, it’s up to you whether you want to use it under or over your night cream. I did both methods and either of these two methods still gave off the same whitening effects. As for hydration however, night cream is more rich than the Wear White so if you want a more hydrating finish to your night routine, then I suggest applying Wear White under your night cream.

I did a blind test with another Korean product called Cloud9, using people to test the two products and give me a full report on the effectiveness and preference between the two products. Everyone has selected the Wear White over Cloud9 since Wear White is more hydrating and gives a brighter and lighter skin tone than the Cloud9 product does. Wear White also works after the first application, whereas Cloud9 progressively lightens your skin over time.

I swatched the Wear White on the back of my hands, and it looks like your everyday cream. It’s quite hydrating compared to other whitening products and the effects of the whitening are immediately noticeable right after application. The immediate white shade lasts for 12hrs, although, with constant usage, retains the white shade permanently so your skin becomes more brighter over a long duration. So far so good.

Compared to another whitening product called Wedding Dress by It’s Skin, both do give off immediate results. It’s Skin doesn’t absorb very well and feels quite heavy on the face and body; possibly because Wedding Dress only gives a temporary light tone. Wear White however seems to absorb into the skin well, and washing off doesn’t make the light tone go away; even using alcohol based sanitizers didn’t budge the Wear White.

I naturally grow facial hair fairly quickly; I would have to shave 2-3 times a day to keep my face clean cut and smooth. That said, my stubble is quite dark and it’s very hard to conceal the darkness around my mouth due to the facial hairs. Wear White seems to lighten the area a bit, giving the illusion of less hair when in fact, I’ve pretty much grown some stubble throughout the day. This also somewhat proves to be able to be used on sensitive areas after shaving; ie: face, underarms and bikini line.

The product is quite lightweight too, so easily applied during the day under makeup can replace your primer, since it offers similar effects as a primer too for long lasting makeup, and works well under sunblock as well. In fact, using sunblock with the Wear White makes the effects of whitening far stronger and prolongs and prevents the effects of re-darkening in your skin.

What I Liked:

– Immediate Whitening results after application
– My skintone looked brighter after ONE day of using Wear White and I did notice even after cleansing, my face was still lighter after using Wear White for a day.
– It’s been 2 weeks since using Wear White and my skintone hasn’t been this light in almost forever; the permanence of the product seems to be true to it’s word.
– Quite hydrating and didn’t cause irritations to the sensitive parts around my face at all.
– Even with the macadamia oil included in the product, I didn’t look or feel oily after using it.
– By far the cheapest effective whitening product I’ve come across, and with 60ml, I think it’s a steal.

What I didn’t Like:

– For daily use, twice a day, there doesn’t seem to be much product. Possibly might last up to 4 months which for me, seems quite little.
– Very hard to find; I have looked everywhere and no retail stores sell Lei Lani. Online stores didn’t even sell them (unless I wasn’t looking hard enough) so until I can find other places that sell Lei Lani, I think you can only get it from WishTrend.

Overall:

This product is pretty good and so far, all it’s claims seems to be true. It definitely does give a whitening effect immediately and my skin tone is noticeably lighter now. I really do want to repurchase another bottle, but for the time being, I will leave it until I desperately need another one, since I really dislike shopping on WishTrend.

love anthony ♡