Review: Etude House Real Art Cleansing Mild Soap

I have always gone for products that are quality over packaging. However, this time, I was intrigued by the lovely packaging that Etude House had. I bought this while on holiday in Seoul last April, and it came in a set of cleansing soap and cleansing oil. The cleansing oil was rubbish so I disposed of it after using 1/4 of it. Yea, it was that bad that I didn’t even want to pass it to someone else. However, the cleansing soap was lovely to use.

It was a basic cleansing liquid that cleansed my face well without leaving it dry and tight.It was clear and runny and only needed a pump to lather up sufficiently. That being said, I didn’t feel that it would be strong enough to clean off the day’s dirt, grime and makeup so I only used this in the morning. My skin was always smooth after using this. And since only a pump is needed each time, the 200ml bottle lasted me from ~Nov 2011 to May 2012.

I would love to repurchase it since it’s a simple cleansing liquid that does what it’s supposed to do, but I guess the Korean brands always have something new to offer. And I’ve still got 3 of those Holika Holika egg soaps to try… *oops, totally went crazy in Korea!*

Review: Mandom Cleansing Gel

Item Reviewed: Mandom Cleansing Gel

Price/pack size: S$12.90

Available at: Watsons

Description: Gel turns into water quickly, indicating the successful remove of makeup. Quick and easy to rinse off, with fresh & slippery smooth after-wash feeling. No need for double wash. Can be used even if hands or face are wet.

Usage: Blend gel (about size of 50cents coin) into makeup. When gel turns into liquid form, makeup has been thoroughly removed. Rinse off well with water.

Review: After having good results with the cleansing water and cleansing liquid from Cleansing Express line, I was interested to try the new addition to the line – Cleansing gel. I love gel products as I think they’re less harsh on the skin and doesn’t dry skin out that much. The cleansing gel has the same concept as the water and liquid – it is a water-based product and is as gentle as water to skin. However, I do not really love this product as much as its ‘brothers’. For starters, the gel stinks. And by ‘stink’, I mean like glue stinky. I felt like a junkie whenever I use this product… not good at all.

The directions say the gel will turn into liquid form to indicate that makeup has been removed thoroughly. However, I felt that it was difficult to gauge when my face and hands are already wet prior to application of the gel. The gel felt slippery and I couldn’t feel it becoming liquid. It still felt like gel on my skin. At first I thought it might be because I used more than required, so I tried using a smaller amount the next time. While I could feel that there was some liquid on my skin, it didn’t feel like water (just felt like liquid gel) and I could still see traces of foundation on my skin after rinsing. It’s truly frustrating to have a product that needs trial and error just to get application right. I mean, a makeup remover should be easy to use!

Rating: 2/5

Would I buy again: Nope, for sure!

Review: Etude House Baking Powder Powder Wash

Item Reviewed: Etude House Baking Powder Powder Wash

Price/pack size: S$16?/60g

Available at: Etude House retail outlets & Gmarket Korea

Ingredients:

Description: Formulated with natural baking powder to supply an exfoliating and pore deep facial cleanse.

Usage: Wet hands slightly and pour a suitable amount into palms. Rub palms together to create lather. Apply lather to skin and cleanse gently. Rinse off with water.

Review: I received a sample of this in one of my previous Gmarket orders… the sample looks really cute. It looked like a stick of sugar! (No. 7 in picture below)

The sample size was also convenient but yet not stingy – I managed to get 2 uses out of it, and believe that I could get a third (but I was on a 2D1N trip, and had to dispose of the balance when I checked out of the hotel). The powder was fine, without being gritty, and lathered up very well with minimal water. It also had a slight milky scent which reminded me very much of Fancl’s washing powder. However, the main difference would be Fancl creates much more thick foam… Etude House’s foam was on the thin side. It did clean my face very well though, without stripping it of its natural moisture. It rinses off cleanly too.

Rating: 4/5

Would I buy again: No… powder washes are too troublesome for me.

Review: Mandom Cleansing Express Essence Conc Wash

Item Reviewed: Mandom Cleansing Express Essence Conc Wash

Price/pack size: S$12.90 / 200ml

Available at: Watsons exclusively

Description: Light makeup remover + cleanser + moisturizer. Enriched with Rich Beauty Essence (no idea what this is) and Royal Jelly. Suitable for sensitive skin.

Usage: Pump a suitable amount onto your hand and lather with cold or warm water, washing gently as if to wrap your skin in foam. Rinse off well with water.

Review: Though I love the Cleansing Express (sebum), most times I wash off my makeup when I’m in the shower, so I feel that it’s kinda a waste to use cotton pads with the cleansing water when I can wash off my makeup one-step in the shower cubicle. What better way to do this than with the Essence Conc Wash (hereby known as Conc Wash)? The Conc Wash is a transparent, runny liquid that smells of oranges which removes my makeup easily, and doesn’t strip my skin of all moisture. The Conc Wash works like your regular face wash where you need water to lather up and water to rinse off.

I often use loose powder, blusher and sometimes mascara and eyeliner. And just 2 pumps of the Conc Wash is enough to remove the makeup cleanly! The foam that I rinse off is brownish in colour, evidence that the loose powder and blusher have been removed. And my eye makeup is also being removed effortlessly (I usually apply 2 coats of mascara, and will need 2 cotton pads, double sided, to remove the eye makeup completely).

The Conc Wash is pretty similar to the Cleansing Express – (artificial) fragrance-free, colouring-free.

Rating: 5/5

Would I buy again: I just bought the cleansing gel from the same range to try and compare.

Review: Etude House AC Acne Foam Cleanser

Item Reviewed: Etude House AC Acne Foam Cleanser

Price/pack size: ~US$5.72 / 170ml tube (Gmarket Korea pricing)

Available at: Etude House stores and/or Online via Gmarket Korea

Ingredients: Salicylic Acid, Triclosan and Sandalwood Oil

Description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid, Triclosan and Sandalwood Oil, Acne Foam Cleanser removes acne causing germs to keep your skin clean all day. Ideal for use as makeup removal cleanser.

Non-Comedogenic & Dermatologist Tested
‘Non-Comedogenic’ means it will not produce nor aggravate acne. AC Clinic line is formulated without acne-inducing ingredients to promote clear skin.

Usage: Squeeze approximately 0.3cm of cleansing foam, lather up and cleanse face. Rinse well with water. Suitable for daily use.

Review: I read that some girls actually alternates their cleansers when their period is about to hit, and I think that’s quite a smart move! Our skin condition changes when hormone levels fluctuate so the skincare products must cater to different conditions… why haven’t I thought of it? Anyway, I bought this AC Acne Foam cleanser together with the Baking Powder Cleansing Foam when I ordered from Gmarket Korea and didn’t use it until recently (I wanted to finish up a cleanser before moving onto the next one, but naturally I couldn’t ‘tahan’ it and had to have 2 cleansers in the bathroom). I have tried the cleanser previously as I got a trial tube of it when I purchase the AC Red Spot balm at Etude House Singapore.

I’ve been using the AC cleanser for almost 3 weeks now but I think the Baking Powder one is better. The AC makes my skin feel like I could get a squeak sound by running my finger across it (like it’s a clean plate). I also felt like it doesn’t rinse well. However, that said, I used it when my period was approaching and I didn’t get any pimples (knock on wood!!)… the worst I had (or could remember) was some bumps that occured due to dehydrated skin. Nothing a moisturizer couldn’t fix. Once my period was over, I switched back to the Baking Powder and I was a happy girl.

The texture is creamy, and it smells strongly of sandalwood, so sensitive noses might want to take note of that. It’s a pretty large tube, 170ml and I only paid around S$9-$10 for it, so it’s definitely worth the money. Buying via Gmarket Korea is a breeze as well and the item came very well packed. It’s much more worth it to buy online than get it from the shops if you can wait and don’t mind the language barrier. If you don’t know how to purchase from Gmarket Korea, you can refer to here for tips or ask me! I will be doing a tutorial on how to buy from Gmarket Korea soon!

Rating: 3/5

Would I buy again: Maybe… I get bored with skincare easily. It would be better if they have a smaller tube sold separately, also good for traveling then!

Review: Etude House Baking Powder Cleansing Foam

Item Reviewed: Etude House Baking Powder Cleansing Foam

Price/pack size: ~US$5.72 / 170ml tube (Gmarket Korea pricing)

Available at: Etude House stores and/or Online via Gmarket Korea

Ingredients:

Description: Facial scrub cleanser formulated with natural baking powder removes makeup, sun protection coverage and dead skin layers for a pore deep cleanse.

Usage: Squeeze approximately 0.3cm of cleansing foam, lather up and cleanse face. Rinse well with water. Suitable for daily use.

Review: I have been using Etude House Baking Powder Cleansing Foam for almost 2 weeks now and I’m liking it so far. Initially, it was a little drying as I wasn’t used to the extremely matte and clean feel after cleansing (I was using Mario Badescu’s Enzyme Cleansing Gel before this). I got used to it after a few days though.

The texture is creamy, with small grains for exfoliation. Just a small pea size will do as it foams up very well. I once squeezed out too much, abt 0.6cm worth of it and it foamed up so much it covered my face like a deep cleansing mask! I like it for its uplifting citrus scent and that it contains real baking powder to help scrub away dead skin cells daily. I haven’t gotten any pimples so far (knock on wood!!) and my scars have gotten a tad lighter, probably due to the gentle exfoliating action.

It’s a pretty large tube, 170ml and I only paid around S$9-$10 for it, so it’s definitely worth the money and wait. Buying via Gmarket Korea is a breeze as well and the item came very well packed. It’s much more worth it to buy online than get it from the shops if you can wait and don’t mind the language barrier.

Rating: 3/5

Would I buy again: Maybe… I get bored with skincare easily

Review: Mandom Cleansing Express (Sebum)

Item Reviewed: Mandom Cleansing Express Sebum (for Oily Skin)

Price/pack size: S$16.90 (300ml)

Available at: Watsons, Guardian, Sasa (most beauty outlets are retailing it, I believe)

Ingredients:

Description: Water-based, gentle but powerful cleansing agent. 3-in-1 lotion. Removes makeup, tones and moisturizes. All in ONE step!

Usage: To use, remove stopper from pump. Soak cotton generously with 2-3 pumps of lotion per cotton and wipe makeup off. Do not rub hard when wiping. Cleansing Express blends well with makeup so only a gentle wiping motion is required.  When removing eye makeup, be careful not to let lotion enter eyes. Repeat steps until all makeup is removed and cotton is clean. There is no need to double cleanse again with facial foam as washing face again washes off moisturizing ingredients. If really a must, rinse face with water only.

Review: To be honest, I was quite skeptical of this product and thus didn’t buy it when it was first introduced to the market. I was using Fancl’s Mild Cleansing Oil then and was pretty happy with it. Then, Joyce introduced me to Mandom Cleansing Express and raved about how good it was. I believe I was in a shopping mood that night and decided to give the product a go. It was also on 20% discount then, so no brainer.

I use sunscreen and a light layer of powder every day and it only takes 3 cotton pads (with 1 pump of cleansing water on each pad) to get my skin cleansed thoroughly. The cleansing water was light and odourless, almost like water. It is also oil-free, alcohol-free and colouring-free. Though the instructions said there is no need to double cleanse after removing makeup with the cleanser (the moisturizing ingredients will be washed off face – if you really want to, just use water), I still prefer to double cleanse with a gentle cleanser as I’m used to it this way, and I’m paranoid. However, I have just left my bare face to dry after wiping with Cleansing Express on days that I’m really lazy and I want to take a shower later in the night (I would wash my face again then) – no big deal. It wasn’t sticky, oily or anything like that. Just smooth, matte skin after drying.

Rating: 5/5

Would I buy again: Yes! I have used 3 bottles so far!

Review: Eumora Skincare Soap

Item Reviewed: Eumora Soap

Price/pack size: S$50 for 1 bar (around 25g)

Available at: *there are many traders online. Unfortunately I forgot where I bought it from

Ingredients: Moor mud among others

Description:

EumorA facial bar is infused with HmA Factor  ,(Hydration MicroAlgae)  which is formulated and 100% imported from Europe.  It is further enhanced by Moor, a rare form of nutrient-rich peat created by the gradual transformation of herbs, plants & flowers which have been permanently submerged under water or underground.

Review:

First of all, I do know that this Eumora soap practices MLM, and quite frankly, I don’t really care about it. I am not interested to be a trader of this soap, so it doesn’t bother me that my money is being earned by someone else via MLM.

Ok, onto the actual review. The soap was sent out quite promptly from Malaysia, and the guy even called me to double check if I am in urgent need of the soap because he was mailing it out over the festive period last year end. Was impressed by the service. Not so because it was a Malaysian number and I had to pay roaming charges. =X

I have tried the soap for almost a month now and still have about 25% left. I reckon it can be used for another 2-3 weeks. Though the bar of soap is small, it lasts quite long because it lathers up easily. Just make sure to place the bar in a well ventilated area, without it sitting in a puddle of water (water causes soap to melt very quickly).

I don’t think the soap can fully replace your moisturizer though it says on the website that the bar of soap can replace your cleanser, toner and moisturizer and save you money in the long run (I don’t use toner anyway). It is important to moisturize your skin after using the soap because it dries your skin. I can feel my skin getting taut 3 minutes after rinsing. A few days without moisturizer, I saw my cheeks having some dehydration lines. Not attractive at all. However, if it peels due to excessive dryness, it only peels around the area with pimples, meaning healthy skin is not being shed off.

I think it dries my pimples and makes them come to a head faster, however, I am also on Diane-35 while using the soap. When my skin was a little sensitive and dry, I stopped using the soap for a while. When I was busy with work, I stopped using the soap as I didn’t have the time to let the lather sit on my skin for 5 minutes before rinsing off. I don’t really see a difference when I stopped using the soap, contrary to what some reviews have said – your skin becomes reliant on the soap and gets worse if you stop using it.

All in all, I think it’s a decent soap, and I like to use it as a mask (once or twice weekly) but I would think twice about using it as my daily facial cleanser. Not everyone can have the luxury of time and spend 5 minutes day and night, waiting for the lather to dry on the face before rinsing off. $50 for a bar of soap is not that attractive too.

Rating: 3/5

Would I buy again: NO

Review: Neutrogena Wave

Item Reviewed: Neutrogena Wave

Price/pack size:

Available at: Major retail outlets

Ingredients:

Description:

Clean up to* 10x deeper than traditional cleansers
Gentle vibrations open pores, so tingly foam can go 10x deeper to remove more dirt, oil and makeup than traditional cleansers.

Reveal softer skin in 1 use
Softly textured pads sweep away layers of dead skin cells, leaving you with softer, smoother-looking skin after just 1 use!

Gentle enough for daily use
That clean feeling you love will last even longer as your skin becomes less oily with continued daily use of the NEUTROGENA Wave™.

Review: I’m sorry for the late review, but er…. better than never right? I hesistated purchasing Wave for ages (first seeing it in Perth when I was over for a visit) but finally decided to take the plunge after I read Kimiko’s review.

Sad to say, I don’t share the same love. The Wave is yet another innovative product from Neutrogena but it was somehow yet another innovation just to use batteries (P&G also owns a battery brand). The Wave is only suitable if you use their refill pads which comes with cleanser, only activated when you wet the pad and switch on the device. That got me thinking: can the device still clean 10 times better than conventional cleansers if you did not use the refill pad? So what is the product that is working: the device itself or the cleanser pad?

I don’t like the cleanser pads because they’re scented and it gave me a filmy feeling after rinsing. You can’t use a cotton round on the device, hoping to use your own cleanser with it, because the cotton round will be a pain to remove after that. Trust me, because I’ve tried and failed.

I don’t know why I keep buying Neutrogena battery-operated devices because they always fail me. I’ve got the one that promises to do microdermabrasion on me (the name suddenly slipped my mind. Hints anyone?) and this Wave but they’re now just sitting in the bathroom doing nothing. Just taking up space.

Rating: 2/5

Would I buy again: NO

$50 bar of soap

Some of you following me on Twitter would know that I did something silly and impulsive. I bought a bar of $50 soap online, touted to be a miracle soap, helping in eczema and pimples, amongst many other things.

I’ve been spending a lot of money and time on stuff to help my acne condition so this is one of those many things I’ve bought. I started using the soap on 9th Jan (after I finished my Fancl washing powder) and to date, though it didn’t help prevent new pimples from popping up, I think it has helped my blackheads to an extent.My skin has become  tighter and the pores on the sides of my nose (you know, the area below the eyes and next to the nose) are smaller. I hardly have blackheads now, and even if there are, they pop out easily with the blackhead extractor.

I know many have said it’s MLM, I shouldn’t buy it, but I don’t understand. I’m now looking for a solution for my acne. If it works, why not? It’s not like I’m getting sucked into the whole MLM she-bang and getting others to buy the soap, and me earning money in the process…

I’m almost done with my 25g bar of soap now, so I’ll only do a review when the bar’s gone. I also need to use it for a longer period of time to access its effectiveness.