Japanese + Ulta Haul

My mom went to the Chinese supermarket and found a bunch of Japanese products on sale! She bought me a few decent things that I'm really looking forward to trying out...

-Naris Up's Peke Pore Mask: A special mask to minimize pores.
-Meishoku Kaito's Skincare Powder: Apply during daytime or night to control oil.
-Meishoku Kaito's Essence: Seems like an acne serum; not sure though, can't read Japanese! >_< I'll find it out eventually, I promise!
-Tiffa's Eyeliner in Shiny Pink: A very unique liquid eyeliner; I've tried it already, it's pretty legit, will do a review on it later and show pictures!

And then a few days ago, I went to Ulta with a couple of friends and bought two things that I may or may not do a review on, depending on how memorable they are...

-Physicians Formula's Organic Wear Mascara: It has a really cool-looking cover and seems very healthy for the lashes; I will more than likely do a review just because it's eco-friendly and so so cool!
-NYX's Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese: I have never used a huge pencil eyeliner before, nor have I ever experimented with the color white on Asian skin... so this might be interesting.

Sinoway Herb's Whitening & Nutritious Treatment Mask

[Self-translated description, may not be completely accurate, but this is the main gist]
Each mask has 25 grams of saturated essence, a high degree of hydration for skin, quickly and intensely maintaining white skin. Contains ginseng, pearl powder, and angelica extract. Under the action of this product, it will directly penetrate under the skin to help nutrition, moisture, whitening, increasing the force of water in skin, and adjusting dry and dull skin. When you use it, your skin will be hydrated, white, and bright.

My Skin Type: Combination.

Product Description: There is a mask in each package, and it is kept wet with some substance. When you put it on, it is especially refreshing and feels very light. It doesn't have much of a fragrance; you won't really notice much.

Results: After 15 minutes, I took it off, and saw that I was quite literally glowing. I didn't have high expectations since my mother had just randomly bought this mask in a drugstore in Beijing, but it had felt very soothing and amazing the whole time, and when it was off, my skin still kept a healthy-ish pale color. It really does work! And my skin was also well-hydrated without feeling oily or sticky, which is a nice feeling, seeing as I have patches of dry skin often occurring around my cheeks.


What I Did: Unfolded the mask and tried to evenly put it on my face. The mask was a little too big on the sides and the chin, so I just tucked it and tried to keep the surface even. I left it on for 15 minutes before taking it off, and I made sure to also soak up the excess water in the small package.

New York Color's Cashmere Creme

Sorry this is such a crappy quality of image; I had to use my cell phone's camera.

Anyway... I bought this nail enamel at a local Target, it was on sale for only $0.99! And the color is really lovely; I've never had this shade of blue look so flattering on me. It's almost a sky-blue color, maybe a little creamier, and when you first apply a layer, it's extremely light-colored to the point of transparency. I had to apply three layers.

But for cheap nail polish, it sure stays on a long time... this is how it looks a week later.


The only complaint I have about it is that it takes too long to dry... but then again, I am a very impatient person. For others, the time might not feel so long.

Gap Favorite Lip Balm's Mango Zest

With an SPF of 18, this fruity lip balm does indeed protect your lips, as well as moisturize. The scent is quite nice and edible (I wasn't so fond of it at first, but it's been growing on me), and my lips feel very smooth and soft.

Since the winter has been here, I've been dealing with these annoying flaky dry skin problems, and so this product has really been helping with that.

I first discovered it when I was in the nearest Gap, checking out my clothes. There was a huge jar full of these, and the labels were so decadent-sounding that I couldn't resist digging through them. Each name is really appetizing; there were so many to pick from, so many varieties, mostly fruity, but some were minty. In the end, I picked Mango Zest because I loved the smell of mango, and I didn't regret it.

Among other flavors, I noticed:
-Vanilla Parfait
-Tangy Pomegranate
-Banana Smoothie
-Citrus Frost
-Lemon Sugar
-Mango Souffle
-Apple Tart
-Cranberry Splash
-Guava

When I first opened it up, it was a little stiff, but it gets better and softer with each use. I've applied it on almost everyday now, and it lasts for a really long time - like up to four hours. It's also not too obnoxiously sweet-smelling (which I heartily dislike from some other lip balms), but the scent is definitely detectable. It won't bother you too much when you eat though, which is also nice.

Overall: I definitely recommend this product. It's also super easy to find. So if you need lip balm, you can consider Gap! Never would've expected a clothing store to have such a nice selection.

Himalaya Herbals' Purifying Neem Face Wash

A soap-free, herbal formulation that gently removes impurities and prevents pimples. Neem, well-known for its antibacterial properties, kills problem-causing bacteria, and Tumeric effectively controls acne and pimples. Use regularly for clear, soft and pimple-free skin.

Moisten face and neck; apply a small amount and gently work up a lather using a circular motion. Wash off and pat dry. Use twice daily.

My Skin Type: Combination.

Product Description: Has a consistency like jelly, works like a gel. Takes a while to lather up and become soapy, you may have to rub it on your skin in a circular motion for a while. Very soothing to the skin, has no fragrance.

Results: While this product isn't bad, I haven't seen amazing results either. As you can see from the picture, I am far from acne-free. The product may be soothing and cooling on my face, but it doesn't really help with pimples like it said it would.

What I Did: I cleansed everyday, following the instructions. I rubbed it together in my hands until it became soapy, and then massaged it into my face.

Tea Tree Therapy's Antiseptic Solution with Tea Tree Oil and Lavender

Tea Tree Therapy Antiseptic Solution can be used as an all over body toner and provides soothing relief to minor skin irritations. Its natural antiseptics properties and in relieving minor infections.

Moisten a cotton cloth, gently apply to face and neck. May be used as a nail soak by adding 3 drops of pure Tea Tree Oil to 1 oz. Antiseptic Solution. Soak for 1-2 minutes. Avoid contact with the eyes.

My Skin Type: Combination skin.

Product Description: This is a very light toner/astringent; like any toners, it comes out thinly, almost like water, but has a very refreshing feel on the face. Smells kind of strong, but not unpleasantly so.

Results: Seems effective in helping the face stay clean, but does not really shrink pores (which I have a huge problem with). It easily dries out the face, which wasn't good either. I liked the feel and smell of it though, so I'd still recommend it!

What I Did: Always works best if you dribble a little on after cleansing. I focused most of it on my oily areas, like the T-zone, chin, forehead, and I don't put any of it on my cheeks because they tend to be dry. Rub moisturizer on after applying!

Doctor Li's Deep Pore Refining Milk Cleanser

[The description is entirely in Chinese, and I couldn't find it online, so I translated this with my limited knowledge of Chinese myself.]

Cleanses deeply and cures skin problems, the product is able to scrub off old dead cells, and helps clear acne and blackheads, your skin will feel silkier.

Once you have wetted your face, take the amount you need and gently rub in circular motions (avoid eye area and other weaker spots), focusing on the nose and the areas where the blackheads are most noticeable. Use water to rinse clean. Use product 2-3 times if acne is severe.

My Skin Type: Combination skin.

Product Description: The word "milk" is a misrepresentation. Though product is white, it isn't creamy and slick; it acts more of a scrub, with beads in there. Not an appealing smell, but not strong either - smells a little like rice, actually.

Results: I couldn't tell if I was satisfied with this product or not. It's really a very gentle cleanser - probably good for sensitive skin. The week I used it, I was breaking out a lot due to stress, and the product didn't really help my acne. I'm pretty sure it cleaned my skin, but it really didn't seem to refine my pores either - they stayed the same size. Also, there was the fact that while the brand isn't really unknown, this product was - I bought it in a supermarket in Shenzhen, China. Maybe there was a reason it's not popular. I don't think it's very good for acne-prone skin.

What I Did: I used this cleanser twice everyday, once in the morning, once at night. I rubbed the grains thoroughly over my face, massaging them in.