Review: Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion

I literally forgot I have not taken a single picture of it and had to crop it from my pics of skincare routine

I got this through Amazon, shipped from Japan ... so it fully Japanese, so information I got was from numerous reviews online and also Ratzillacosme which was really really helpful.
From Ratzillacosme:-

The ingredients here is pretty basic and that's what I love it for!

I heard of this product wayyy before but just never got interested until Hyaluronic acid become 'trendy'... lols... so since a lot of skincare brand started to emphasize how their formulation is so rich with Hyaluronic acid, I just went for this after reading numerous the great reviews.

10 years ago when it came out in TV ads while I was still in secondary school back home in Malaysia I never really think this product relevant to me because I was the acne-prone teenager who knows nothing other than killing acne with benzoyl peroxide and that hydration ? that ain't doing anything to my skin... so I thought. but now I've learnt. 

I found that this the most basic hyaluronic acid product, and basic is good. I would not say this is the best and maybe as a single product something else can be better but it is one of the best you can start with especially those who is new to  serious skincare. Especially for the price for the amount it just make sense!

Application:
It just slightly more viscous than water but and can felt a little sticky which do not last. It's clear and oh so easy to apply. No smell. You can just drop it to palm and swipe across face and neck, and pat it. I usually use it after putting on my vitamin C or my retinol in light thin watery formula, then followed by thicker serum.
It is perfect for layering, best use by adding more toners afterward or mist and finish off with a more occlusive products. You don't need to of course,  it perfectly fine to just leave it on and yes it's great for those DIY lotion mask.

Packaging:
Simple plastic bottle, quite squeez-y, non-leaking top in 170ml.

Performance:
It gives a kick to your complexion and plump it, great under makeup. Feel well hydrated all day. I have no reaction to it and not causing me break outs.
I have to say that if you are 'very' dehydrated and the weather soooo dry ie. low humidity you do find this is not enough. This is probably not the only solution. You need something richer or go into layering.
But if you live in Malaysia or more humid climate or has oily skin this should great and actually enough.

Price:
I got it for about 11 to 12 quids something on Amazon for 170ml with free delivery which is very affordable given it deliver direct from Japan. I do know this is cheaper in Malaysia and probably so in Japan.

Overall:
4.95/5.00

I have finish my last bottle and has no plan to repurchase is as I dabble the premium version which is really good and kinda plan to stick with that one. That's where I took off the 0.05, lols.

How to find the right foundation?

To be honest, there is really no absolute right or wrong in makeup.
As much as makeup aims to eccentuate your natural look, it is also an extension of your personality, and we got to admit there are people out there who express more with makeup, even going avant garde with their makeup... whether wearing foundation too dark, too orange, too white or too thick... I say if you're happy and comfortable... crack on... That being said, I was inspired to make this post after experiencing how difficult it is to find 'the' foundation.

There are a few factors you have to consider to get the right foundation... it is more about your taste and what you want to achieve than just skin type. Skin type does play a role but again it still depend on how you want to look. I am oily and was always told to stick to matte foundation...but I really like more satin finish with shimmery highlighter. And I believe there are dry skin out there who loves a matte finish. There is always trick for you to get away with foundations that supposedly not for you. Just keep on reading.

The 'Right' shade

This is the most crucial part, hence the longer paragraph *rants*.

While foundation shades range from light to dark, there are also variety undertones. When I started wearing makeup, wrong undertone was the biggest problem by making my face look gray.
Undertone in foundation generally divide into:-

Cool tone
Contain Pink, Peach or Red. Give that rosy tone. 

Warm tone
Contain Yellow or Orange. Give that golden tone. 

Neutral
Mix of both cool and warm.

If you're not sure what you are, try and look it up, there are tons of articles available about finding your undertone. I like this one.

I myself am warm but I do have that slight olive undertone which means the orange in warm tone foundation can look 'off' on me. Olive undertone has a slight green mix into yellow undertone...which can be a bit tricky. This undertone is common among South - South East Asian, Latinas and sometime mixed people.  While reading up on internet I kept seeing different articles that sort of have different ideas on olive undertone. I myself believe olive undertone needs a slight green in foundation. Usually olive are categorized as warm, but as you go darker you find darker warm tone foundation tend to look orange which can look a bit 'off' on olive tone. Yellow green undertone foundation actually look very 'dead' on the bottle but it blends naturally in olive tone skin.

Does season matters?

It is also helpful to consider how tan you are throughout the years. This is more common with those living in 4 seasons country where they would use lighter shade in winter and darker shade during summer. I personally don't do that even after studying in Belfast for years. Instead of buying darker foundation for summer, I would just adjust with bronzers. Though I admit I do have a few 'accidents' of buying foundation tad too dark.

Generally you want to be matched exactly to your skin, that is a no-brainer. That being said, you would want to take into account on your perspective and preference on how you want your complexion to look. For example, usually people from 'West' have more appreciation for that tan healthy look, so they may still be happy even if the foundation is very the slightly darker than their skin.
Whereas I'm being typical Malay would like to look the brightest I possibly can would go for slightly lighter foundation, and I don't think anything wrong with that. This is similar to other Southeast and Eastern Asians like the Thais or Koreans. I don't tolerate foundation that give the slightest 'tan tint' to my skin, even if they blend in. It might still look 'good' but it's just not my style.  Another reason is also because my hands looks lighter than my face.

Now if you look the Lancome's cushion in 04 it looks clearly too gray on my skin, there was not enough yellow it in addition that it is tad too light. While 05 is just too dark, surprisingly not as orange but still. So you see skin like me have this problem everyday...no in between shades. But thanks to brands like MAC, NARS, Makeup Forever even Kevyn Aucoin and more I still manage to find my shade.

NARS Barcelona has a good mix of yellow in it and look how nice blends into my skin. 

I include swatches of my best matched foundation, and these are all swatches heavily compare to the Barcelona. If you look at the MAC NC42 there is slight 'green' cast to it really brightens up my complexion instead of looking sallow and dead.

Swatches in flashlight, look how grey the foundation could be without enough yellow.

 Of course I'm sure it is different for everyone. I feel the need to mention this because of the vast contrast between the beauty market in west and east. Tanning products are never a staple in Malaysia as how brightening products are not in the UK.

If you skip finding out what you prefer you'll find yourself dissapointed with foundation you get matched to.
 
From past experiences, I try to avoid getting matched from the get-go because I felt it can be misleading, being someone with yellow green undertone and preferring a slightly brighter shade, it can be difficult to explain well to the sales assistant.

TIP:
I find it is helpful if you sort of have an idea what shade you might be and suggest that at the counter. I try to find mine by watching youtubers/bloggers of similar skintone and use foundation matrix at Temptalia.

There are still wonderful sale assistants that just listen to customers well and match foundation to perfection. *Thank you Chanel and Illamasqua counters at Belfast Debenhams!*

Be patient while explaining and take your time while trying out at the counter. Never rush to buy a foundation unless it's 2nd bottle/tube.

Last resort is to get samples, try at home for a few days, compare to other foundation you have at home. Although this may only be availabe for higher end brand.

The Right Coverage
Coverage refers to how pigmented the foundation is, range from light to full.
While this may have to do with how clear your skin is, it is again up to you. Some who have crystal clear skin may still prefer full coverage. Even for me, despite having acnes, I find myself satisfied with medium to almost full coverage.
Now having said that each type of coverage can have pro and cons. Since now we have wider range of coverage, I just be simple in explaining.

The Lighter coverage
This means more of your skin comes trough, makes it more natural like your own skin, but also mean less flawless, and blemish is reduced only by little.
The BAD: this also can mean skintone is not fully even, might even look blotchy.

The Fuller coverage
So this mean less of your skin comes through, makes it less natural but more flawless and even tone. Your blemish can literally vanished
The BAD: If not applied well can give mask-like effect.

Don't forget, foundation coverage can dictate how much concealer you need. The fuller the coverage the less concealer you need.

The Right Finish

Welcome to 2016 where foundation finish is as advanced as your smartphone. When I started wearing makeup it is just as simple as dewy finish, satin natural finish and matte finish.
Now we have the modern formula such as demi-matte, glow from within look and more. Confused? I'll tell you there is no simple way of explaining the finish of new foundations nowadays.

So for those who new to makeup, I will explain the classic finish of a foundation.

Dewy finish

Give the glow even a sheen to skin making it look lively, and even have fresh wet effect. Think Korean beauty ads. Usually associated with spring summer with lighter coverage, aim for those with near perfect skin.

The Bad: Those that contain shimmer which can make you look greasy and highlight pores.

https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lue490onx31qd9chs.jpg

https://scbeautyhigh.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/dewy-skin-how-to.jpg?w=1159&h=1739

Matte finish
This finish get rid of shine on your complexion and give a powdery finish. Usually associated with autumn winter and fuller coverage, aimed for those with oily and acne-prone.
The Bad: It can give a flat, dry, cake-like effect, can catch on dry patches.

http://ris.fashion.telegraph.co.uk/RichImageService.svc/imagecontent/1/TMG9734471/m/16-Dec-intro-pic_2423260a.jpg

http://ris.fashion.telegraph.co.uk/RichImageService.svc/imagecontent/1/TMG10298369/m/MAIN-VICTORIA-BECK_2666592a.jpg

There is also the satin or natural finish which what most latest formula try to emulate. It is basically mix of both dewy and matte . Although it is always hard to find the right balance between dewy and matte. This really depends on each individual foundation.

Like I mention above, I would ignore the specified demographic for each finish, even if you dry, you can go matte and even if you oily you can go dewy. Nowadays with these modern formula it is easier and there are things you could do to avoid the BAD from each finish. For example moisturizing well before a matte foundation to avoid dry flatness and powdering a dewy foundation to reduce the shine and oiliness.

The Right Type

Nowadays you could get foundations in many forms; in liquids of all consistency, from thick creams, gel-cream, to watery liquid. Then you have the  powder; pressed or loose. Then you got the cushion compact which is technically a liquid although I admired the convenience. Too bad I haven't found one of my perfect shade... Lancome UK recently come up with "Teint Idole Ultra Cushion" which is the second cushion foundation launch. It probably the first of UK brands to come up with cushion closer to most Korean cushion, which is matte and full coverage... alas... they make a big jump between a medium shade to dark, which left no room for someone with medium dark skin like me. I'll just stick to liquid. (see the swatches above)

We can't really says which form or type is better, it really depends on the brand and the formulations. Some of us might be prioritizing the convenience, so they like powder foundation but some might hate dryness from powder. However, now we are in 2016, there are powder foundation compact with better formula which is not too drying and not too forget the vast cream compact and cushion compact alternatives. Just find one or a few if you like that fit your cup of tea.

The last thing i like to share with you all is never get sucked in by the hype etc... now that we live in the age where Instagrammers and bloggers are trusted more than advert, you have to remember that a lot of these internet personalities got affiliate links and got paid for hyping something. It's good to get to know the latest trend and product but chances are you might still prefer your old favourites.I do admit it is quite difficult if you're just getting into makeup but I believe everyone went through that trial error process and eventually figure how they like their foundation to be .

MAC Studio Sculpt, Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation, Chanel Perfection Lumiere,
Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer

. Just finishing fast I am sharing my top favourite foundations. In terms of formulations, the first three are great and I can't say one is better than the others. But I must say MAC Studio Sculpt wins on other aspect, ease of application, tube packaging with extra 10ml (40ml tube) and works cheaper.

Studio Sculpt NC42 swatch

MAC studio sculpt in NC42 - the best match, and I use this as my reference when I am looking into other foundations.

Nars All Day Luminous Weightless in Barcelona

Nars all day luminous - either Barcelona or Syracuse + Stromboli (not shown in the picture)

Chanel Perfection Lumiere in 50 - slightly cooler, but still match fine, I tried 60 and 54 but it's darker and too orange for my liking.

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer SX11

I just starting to use the Kevyn Aucoin Skin Enhancer and I believe it is included in my top favourites and probably on par with MAC Studio Sculpt with how the shade SX11 match me.The only gripe with it is getting used to cream formulation.

I will do reviews on all these foundations, especially the MAC Studio Sculpt as I have been using it for years!

I hope this post helps and give some ideas especially for those just starting to get into makeup.

Review: Missha Geum Sul First Essence Booster

I bought this from my last trip in Korea after getting a sample of it. It was quite an impulse purchase as I didn't plan on buying this at all unlike the other products i got there. 
I was attracted to the texture of it as well it's herby smell and it seems like a premium line from Missha. Plus it was a good deal 2 full size bottles including full size day creams, travelling size of boosters and eye creams for the the price of 1. Seriously Korea, you are killing me.
I took the plunge resulting to 35kg luggage *though there were other products included, most of these essence and booster are in glass bottle. So you can imagine* Fast forward now I have finish 1 bottle of the booster and eye creams and i give away the day cream as I am not interested.

Bits of Missha claims (from MISSHA US website)

The highly-concentrated oriental Booster is for the very first step in your skincare regimen as it awakens your skin. It helps control oil-moisture balance, soothes to improve skin texture, nourishes, vitalizes, and purifies. Also provides wrinkle repairing and whitening benefits.
Made with wild ginseng, deer antlers and Reishi mushroom fermented and extracted based on gold. Contains Ginseng Water to nourish and moisturize dehydrated skin. Also contains Ginseng from Geumsan, Korea, which is famous for the best quality of ginseng around the world.

Sounds promising right! 

Ingredients:
Phellinus Linteus Mycelium Extract/Ginseng Root Ferment Extract Filtrate, Glycerin, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyglutamic Acid, Arbutin, Propanediol, Betaine, Ginseng Water, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Acorus Gramineus Root/Stem Extract, Ipomoea Hederacea Seed Extract, Codonopsis Tangshen Root Extract, Pinellia Ternata Root Extract, Eucommia Ulmoides Leaf Extract, Daemonorops Draco Extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Extract, Poria Cocos Extract, Zizyphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Fruit Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-yuen Seed Extract, Ardisia Crispa Extract, Acanthopanax Sessiliflorum Bark Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Velvet Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum (Mushroom) Extract, Honey Extract, Bacillus/Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Seed/Artemisia Annua Extract/Phaseolus Angularis Seed/Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed/Wheat Bran/Xanthium Strumarium Fruit Extract Ferment Filtrate, Asparagus Cochinchinensis Root Extract, Cynanchum Wifordi Root Extract, Lycium Chinense Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract, Mineral Salts, Gold/CI 77480, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Carbomer, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Glyceryth-26, Sucrose Distearate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ethyl Dimethyl Silane, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Dimethicone, PEG-2M, Cellulose Gum, Arginine, Adenosine, Benzophenone-5, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Fragrance


I have to admit this is one of the longest ingredient list i encountered on a product I used... it does scare me a little. I do like that Ginseng is the first on list, and we got Sodium Hyaluronic and Arbutin up in the list as well. Lots of root extract which really give that oriental medicinal vibe or smell... although they do have Fragrance last in the list. Given the many extract I still wonder how much are really in it, especially when there is glycerin 2nd in the ingredient.

Personal Experience:
Colour, Texture and Packaging:
It is a water gel texture in light amber with gold specks infused through. It  does make me feel lush. Given the price, which was quite expensive, more so than the more popular Time Revolution line, it has to feel great.
The bottle is nice enough to display on vanity but the cap looks a bit tacky to me, lol. But the pump works great and it is an actual glass bottle, so quite heavy to travel with.

However, while this does feel good and I like the light water gel consistency... after a while I started to hate those gold specks. Since my skin is quite textured... I noticed some of the gold specks settle in my acne scars... I don't think the gold really does anything...
I heard about all these 24k gold facials etc... but in this case it does nothing... or maybe it just not obvious.
At first I use to wear this before serum, after acid tone/ mist... I think it works well in combination with my brightening serum... but on it's own it really does not do much other than hydrating and softening. But I guess in Missha defense it does what it supposed to do? Prep skin for the products to be absorbed better. I can't help  but started thinking it's basically a mix of ginseng extract and glycerin... which not to bad but not worth the price.

I don't want to say this product is bad, but I kinda felt slight tingling and irritating whenever I wear this, it might be the gold or the actual liquid itself. Overall it making me less excited to use especially when I have other better essence. But I just kept using so I can get rid of it. On the bright side it does not cause any bad reaction to my skin or flare up my acne.
Now I change to use after serum instead just before moisturizer which felt bit better. 
Another reason I change to after serum is because of the long list of ingredient and its texture. While it is quite watery,  the consistency is almost as thick as my current serums and my serums have shorter ingredient list so to be safe and wanting to get most pf my serum I believe it might be better to be worn after serum.

I even put on after moisturizer just so that I can finish it asap. But I think it's good under foundation especially the matte finish one. It gives an extra moist glow.

Neverthelesss it is still quite a dissapointment as a skincare product. Although I do notice a couple UK beauty blogger use it, so I am actually waiting for their review.

Overall I give it a 2/5.
Even if it is available to buy online in the UK, I will not repurchase.

Makeup look - Inspired by Antonio Marras ss 2016

Of all the videos I like to watch on youtube, I like to watch backstage videos and makeup looks from the runways, thank you to Fashion TV.  So back in spring which was ages ago I was really awed by this makeup look from Antonia Marras SS2016. I guess this look was quite popular that I found another video by Adversus interview the MUA

This look was design by one of my favourite MUA, Tom Pecheux with MAC.
So I thought I share this inspired look which I adjusted into my style. He says you can take everything from the look and he's quite right. That is what I love Pecheux, he's adventurous but still chic.

Pic from junipers journal

Pic from Image.ie

The look is not exactly too out of the world. You still can sort of take one feature either eye or the lip, dots without dots.

 

 Okay.. I tried... lol. But you what I learnt, I learn to like pink and red on my eyes... usually I tend to  avoid, but thanks to this, I'm open to pink. *Hello Anastasia Modern Renaissance Pallete!*







































Face:
Foundation as usual and  contour minimally. No blush.

Eyes:
Eyebrow is my usual and maybe a bit more minimal.
Eyes following true to the look following facechart would be just blush very soft warm pink
blend up to crease with  with silver pigment in the centre. Then 3 black dots on the bottom under the pupil/ iris.






































I used MAC Paint Pot is Soft Ochre and contour slightly with MAC cork. Swipe softly a warm pink blusher from Elianto.

I then add Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Pallete Vintage Vamp, using the enhance shade for extra contour in plummy shade.
I used NARS Dual-Intensityin Dione, a pewter which is more wearable than just silver.


If you want to make it last or make pink more stand out, do pink base - with cream blusher or warm pink lipstick like MAC Verve+Twig.








































He says the dots is for surrealism and I don't know how to translate that but its very unlikely I wear 3 dots like the original. So I subtitute with blended black accent on lower lashline at the outer corner. I add minimal mascara n softly blended brown line on the upper lasline again on outer corner to follow my natural eye shadow/contour.







































We can carry on without the black  if it enough to define eyes with mascara +/- brown liner.


Usually I'll skip black eyeliner if I got striking shadows with striking lips but since I am inspired by Pecheux I still want that black under the eye. If I am bold enough I might just do the dots because overall it is still a well balanced look. However to be honest it is very unlikely... well who knows .

Lips:
Just a deepened plum colour lip and matte out with
dark matte bronzer. I use mac nightmoth
(similar to actual one used) but more matte/
dryer. He used MAC Velvetease in Velvet Teen which has more slip. Then achieve that 'rusty' effect with bronzer.

I add lipstick for more slip for the bronzer and to make it last longer with more packed
colour. I used MAC Hung Up and edges set with MAC  Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Deep Dark.

That completes the look.

Review: Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water

So finally micellar water is getting the attention they deserve! A few years ago we only have heard about Bioderma Micellar and nothing else, but then the micellar storm hit the UK ... everybody use them now!

I thought I share a review one of the micellar water I used.






































BRAND CLAIMS:

PURIFYING MICELLAR WATER - GENTLY CLEANSES
For sensitive skin and all skin types.
This purifying micellar water with Rose Petals removes make-up from face, eyes and lips.
A 3-in-1 product, it cleanses, purifies and softens. Leaves skin clean, soft and comfortable.

Contains at least 97.4 % of natural origin ingredients
No parabens. Hypoallergenic fragrance specifically developed for sensitive skin.

INGREDIENTS: AQUA/WATER, ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER WATER, GLYCERIN, PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, BENZYL ALCOHOL, CAPRYLOYL GLYCINE, CITRIC ACID, COCO-GLUCOSIDE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, ALLANTOIN, CAPRYLYL/CAPRYL GLUCOSIDE, TETRASODIUM EDTA, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, SODIUM HYALURONATE, LINALOOL [N2305/A].

I think the only ingredient that people going to have an issue with is the parfum. Though generally parfum does not irritates me. I like its short list of ingredients and I also like that it contains Rosa Damascena Flower water as the second ingredients, great for rose lovers!

Personal experience:
Packaging:
Good sturdy plastic bottle in pink... definitely suit being a rose theme range. Good cap and small opening so very little spillage.

Application:
Like a typical makeup remover, splash on cotton pad and swipe across face.
This remove all type of makeup including waterproof mascara. Not just it removes makeup well, it does not sting at all!!

You don't really don't need much to break up your makeup but if you want to really remove everything well that you skip second cleansing, you might need to use more like any other micellar water. 

I generally used micellar for heavy eye makeup or to correct makeup mistake.

Texture and colour:
Unlike typical micellar which look just like water, this actually like amber tinge water.

THE SMELLS!!!
I should have mention this first and foremost, it smell divine!!! Hint of rose but not off putting at all.
If you like rose smelling micellar this would be it.

Overall I give it a 4/5
I would consider repurchasing this but I just got a couple more micellar lotion at the moment.
This is really a lovely product though being NUXE  it is not too cheap.
Especially considering there's rise of micellar in highstreet/ drugstore.
This retail for £14.00 for 200mls.

Review: Ren Clarimatte Clarifying Toner

So after finishing my Clarins Exfoliating Toner, I am back on my Ren Clarimatte. I can't remember how many bottles of this I went through so I thought this definitely deserve a proper review.

Ren claims

Ingredient for those interested:

Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Water, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Passiflora Quadrangularis Fruit Extract, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Alcohol Denat, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Extract, Linalool, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Bisulfite.

At first I was quite confused with how they claim to contain Glycolic acid but it is not written in ingredients. For the record, I bought the first bottle when glycolic acid craze was still recent and I was desperate to get one.

So according to the website which is very informative

" Salicilin from Willow Bark gently exfoliates, purifies congested skin, reduces pore size, and is antibacterial

Glycolic Acid from Pineapple Extract, Lactic Acid from Passion Fruit, Citric Acid from Lemon Extract and Tartaric Acid from Grape Extract exfoliate, decongest and remove dead skin cells to renew skin surface"

So after a bit of googling I learnt about sources of glycolic acid other than sugar cane *the most common* which include pineapple and papaya. So Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) fruit extract is the glycolic acid, that make sense.

Is it because it is not synthetic glycolic acid, so they put in pineapple fruit extract instead in the list...

It claims "do not contain 'synthetic' AHA BHA" which to be honest I don't fully understand. They used the term 'bio-extract' but I would imagine other AHA BHA products would come from the similar sources but they still list the actual acids name. I don't know if it just REN marketing style, but I'm not too keen to pry into this and try to define what are synthetic AHA BHA...

While I was trying to figure out where the glycolic acid lies in the ingredient list, I also did a quick google on other ingredients which I don't know, which is not really a good idea...I don't recommend doing that.

It is like basically googling about paracetamol or ibuprofen and you definitely get the information about the side effects on liver,  all the gastric upset, hypersentivity and you could get scared about it for nothing. I've been taking them since childhood... as far as I know I am fine and dandy... 99%people taking this common meds are.

So things like Phenoxyethanol which is dub as an alternatives of parabens, while you can appreciate it's germicidal/antibacterial properties *a plus point for those with wounded skin ie. Scars, popped pimple, eczema etc...* you will get those warning of it may be a skin irritant and those paranoid articles which use the  word 'severe' too frequently. 

I don't deny that there might be someone out there with an allergy to any of the ingredients in any products, you just have to get to know your skin. You would not want to just blindly follow articles/bloggers.

Enough ranting! Sorry about that.

Personally I have no problem at all with this toner...none whatsoever.

It never gives me flares up and any active acnes seem heal/improve at least slightly faster. It is not really a miracle to be honest, but it definitely do not make things worse. 

This is definitely a mild acid toner, suitable for everyday use or good one to start off if you're new to acid toning.

Application:  So refreshing and moist and you don't need a lot! There is no sticky or oily feeling afterward and no dryness.. After months of using just Clarins then finally back to this wonderful stuff from Ren, my skin felt back into it's good momentum, I don't get that weird slippery feel like from Clarins. I felt comfortable and fresh and ready for the rest of the skincare routine. 

I applied with dampen *not soaked* cotton pad after cleansing day and night. On certain days when I I feel I need extra tingle I went for higher acid %.

So for those just starting to get into acid toning, I believe this is a good start.
Only GBP 13.00 for 150 ml and it will last longer than you expected.

Overall Rating - 4.9/5.0
(seriously, you can't go wrong with this. who cares the word 'clarimatte' does not make sense!)

Simple Midtone Orange Lipstick

I am no good with bright lipstick, but I could not help being attracted to it especially ORANGE believing that I might be able to carry it off. I have searched and searched for the best way to wear orange lipstick, googling for tutorials and celebrities pictures that can inspired me and without looking too dramatic.

Alas, the only way I found best is definitely to keep it simple.
It really depends on your skin tone, the orange you choose and the effect you want.
I want to have that edgy effect of orange in a elegant way.

Inspiration:

after seeing Tessa Thompson, I have sudden urge to wear my orange lipstick more often

I am not really into that ultra sexy bronze goddess look that would be achievable with warm gold bronzy smokey eyes, this look is what most tutorials and celebrities go for . But it is just too much for me, the orange is already bright enough for me. In addition to that, matching clothes and headscarf would be very tricky. You can go bright and light if you're up for it. But I really think the best colour to wear is definitely black like how you love the contrast in girls with dark black hair.

So I am just sharing with you guys how I would wear a midtone orange lipstick especially now that we're in spring/summer.

I opt for a dark brown headscarf instead of black just because of the top I am wearing and that there is no black at all in this outfit. But I tried before with black outfit and it probably match the best.

Base makeup: 

Wear foundation that match your skin and conceal as needed. 

Cheeks:

I definitely avoid blusher even the peachy one. It might look good but just not my style. I just go for bit of bronzers. Contour and sheer highlight as usual. 

EYES:

Just kept the lid bare, with just foundation/concealer or matte skintone eyeshadow.

Then contour slightly on crease and outer corner of the eyes.

I also put a bit of nude liner in waterline and sheer shimmer on inner corner for brightening 

Then the BLACK eyeliners. Go thicker if you want bolder. I definitely think a bit flick at the end compliment this look.

LIPS:

 Lined with orange lipliner followed by a midtone orange lipstick, a bit more toned down orange. I used MAC Mouth Off lipliner and MAC Alibi lipstick. Orange brown like MAC chili without the red. But unfortunately discontinue? or is it just available in certain place, because I think I remember my mum still buys this back in Malaysia, it's her favourite. On her fairer skin it looks like a mature brown orange. On me it can look a bit clownish, hence a bit tricky to wear. Generally orange can look too bright and clownish on me. My orange need some brown in it.