As promised, I am sharing more on my new skincare routine. Besides using apple cider vinegar regularly, I have taken to using a sheet mask before bed almost daily for a month. About once or twice a week, I would use Clinique’s Acne Solutions Oil Control Cleansing Mask which is a clay mask to rid my skin of clogged pores, but on other days, I will put on a brightening or hydrating sheet mask.

I have heard so much about Japanese women using sheet masks as a part of their daily skincare routine that I decided I had to try it. The second reason was that although I have an oily T-zone, I was also battling dry flaky skin on the rest of my face. Unfortunately, a rich moisturizer would make me too oily especially in the daytime so I tried layering different serums and light lotions but I think this caused my skin to freak out.

Here are the sheet masks I have been trying…

Kracie Moisturizing Facial Mask Extra Rich
25 ml of essence per sheet; no fragrance or colouring
I LOVE THIS! Seriously, it is so moisturizing but completely oil-free due to the hyaluronic acid. It’s perfect for my “parched” oily skin (oily skin tends to overproduce oil because it’s actually dry) and my skin doesn’t feel that oily in the morning.

Mandom Barrier Repair Facial Mask HA
22ml of essence per sheet; no fragrance, colouring, and mineral oil
I love this as well but this has slightly less essence. I like it so much that I will sell it on my store soon. It still does an excellent job and the results are the same to me and the plus point is that this product has no parabens.

Kose Clearturn Hyaluronic Acid Mask
22ml of essence per sheet; no fragrance, colouring, alcohol and mineral oil
I’ve never actually tried this product even though I sell it in my store (I tried the coenzyme Q10 and collagen) and I’m glad to confirm it works well on my sensitive skin. Seriously, anything with hyaluronic acid in a sheet mask will do wonders to pallid, sallow skin. I can actually tell a difference right after I use it and the morning after. Ditto with the Kracie and Mandom Barrier Repair masks.

Raffine Perfect One Deep Treatment Mask
25ml of essence per sheet; contains collagen, hyaluronic acid, baker’s yeast, pomegranate & chamomile; slight fragrance
I also sell this in my store and this is indeed a luxurious deep treatment mask. Even after wearing it for 40 minutes, this still had essence on the mask. It is generously infused with essence that will brighten your complexion immediately. My skin feels softer the morning after but since this is pricier than drug store brands, I will use this once a week or once a fortnight.

Aqualabel Reset Whitening Mask
18ml of essence per sheet; slight fragrance
Of all the masks I tried, I really didn’t like this one. My face felt tight after using it so I didn’t even want to try it again. Enough said.

Bihada Ichizoku Whitening Mask
27ml of essence per sheet; slight fragrance
I didn’t find this “transforming” at all and it left my skin slightly tight after I took it off. I did more research on this and the brand is based on a TV anime series on Tokyo TV which frankly doesn’t give me much confidence in this brand. The reason why I tried it because it is in all the drug stores and ranked quite well on Cosme.

SKII Facial Treatment Mask
I used to slather the Facial Treatment Essence on my face when I was working at a women’s magazine yonks ago — on hindsight it was a waste because I was in my mid-twenties and young skin just defies anything from aging to pollution to fried food. My skin looked brighter after using it but it wasn’t enough to justify an on-going crack addiction to SKII. But recently, I’ve been desperate (and I have two weddings this year) and turning 33 soon, so I thought I should treat myself to the grand dame of all sheet masks and this is by far the best of all I have tried. The mask is full of essence (strangely I couldn’t find an amount stated on the packaging) and the mask itself is very sturdy and thick compared to all the above brands. My skin feels moisturized and looks clearer and brighter after wards — it’s the best but you gotta pay top dollar for it. Definitely a once a week or once a fortnight habit.

I hope you enjoyed my sheet mask marathon experience/review. I am a convert now because my skin has improved visibly — I will definitely put on a mask daily or every other day to maintain my skin. Perhaps my complexion is a little schizophrenic — oily but dry, acne-prone and sensitive — and therefore needs more love and care so I would seriously recommend a sheet mask treatment as often as humanly possible if you have the same issues as me.

-

“Like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our RSS feed to get the very latest updates, giveaways, and promotions.

I totally wanted to do a video on my top 10 winter essentials as a follow-up to my summer faves video here. But the iMovie program on my Macbook is not working for some reason and I can’t figure it out.

Soooo, here’s a blog post on them instead…

Fruit of the Earth Vitamin E Oil is something I use almost every night along with some aloe vera gel to thin it. It moisturizes my skin in this dry weather and helps to heal scars and acne.

There’s also another reason why I have not moved my butt to get a video camera to replace my faulty Macbook — my skin is not in great condition and as a beauty blogger, I feel embarrassed to have problematic skin at the moment. One of my resolutions this year (and the year is almost over!) is to be more authentic and I’ll be honest why I’m suffering from pimple breakouts: I came off birth control pills at the end of June and the transition has been a bit rocky emotionally and physically. I took the pill for six years and my mother would be so upset if she read this (but mum, if you are reading this, take it as good news that I’ve finally stopped) because she is very against pouring artificial hormones into the body.

For those who have not been through this experience, let me tell you that it is no less than awful. My emotions are better because I don’t have so much estrogen in my body but I feel flat because my body is not used to having that large amount, too. Skin-wise, it has been sucky — I’m breaking out like a teenager and it makes me feel depressed.

But I know it is temporary and I’m trying the best I can to help my body heal. Let’s go back to my winter love list.

(more…)

I have a new episode on Beauty Box TV today and it’s about one of our new products, Raffine Solid Cleansing Oil.

I think we all love Japanese cleansing oils that remove makeup in a jiffy, so this oil that comes in solid form really intrigued me. When I read about it, I couldn’t fathom how it could wash off cosmetics, but it’s really easy peasy. I would only share great products with you!

Tune into this demo video to see how it works and what it looks like.

By the way, our Spring Sale (10% discount off all Raffine products) has been extended to the end of May.

Click to buy here

To celebrate new additions to the Beauty Box Store, we are holding a very special Spring Sale — 10% discount on ALL Raffine products!

Our first Raffine product was the Perfect One Collagen Cream and it proved so popular that we thought our customers would love to try other products in this natural beauty range.

BUY HERE

(Clockwise from the top left:)

Raffine Perfect One Collagen Cream Moist – USD92 USD82.80
This has THREE times more collagen power than the original Raffine Perfect One Collagen Cream.

Raffine Solid Cleansing Oil (Makeup Remover) – USD49 USD44.10
An innovative makeup remover, this is a waxy paste made of orange, lemon, and grapefruit oil, that turns into oil once it comes into contact with your skin. It can remove heavy, waterproof makeup and leaves skin soft and hydrated.

Raffine Perfect One Deep Treatment Collagen Mask – USD65 USD58.50
These masks are infused with nourishing ingredients like royal jelly, hyaluronic acid, baker’s yeast, ginseng extract, soybean extract, pomegranate extract and chamomile that rejuvenates and moisturizes sallow skin deeply.

Raffine Clear Lotion – USD65 USD58.50
Brighten your skin tone with this hydrating toner made with vitamin C, baker’s yeast, saxifrage flower extract, peony extract, mulberry root bark, chlorella extract, and hyaluronic acid. Like many Japanese toners and treatment water products, you splash this on after washing your face, instead of using a cotton pad.

BUY HERE

We are excited to announce the launch of a new product we are selling in our store: Raffine Perfect One Collagen Cream.

This top-selling cream in Japan is a collagen-infused moisturizer that is also full of nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, royal jelly, vitamin C, chamomile, olive, orange extract, and baker’s yeast.

Treat your skin to a moisture-rich anti-aging cream. The texture is like a gel and doesn’t feel heavy despite its hydration power. Winter is just around the corner, so it’s time to switch to something with more grunt.

By the way, you don’t need a toner or serum if you use this cream. Just wash your face and apply — great for busy women who are too tired to go through multiple steps to give their skin what it needs.

I’ve been using this product for almost two weeks and my skin is lovin’ it.

Buy it here