September Favourites

Hi, everyone!

I hope you had a great September! Unfortunately mine was more stressful than I thought it would be so I had to simplify my normal skin care and make-up routine from the previous month. I also had to stay up for hours studying and doing papers which left my skin dehydrated by morning. This means more hydration and trying to look like I had more sleep than I actually did. Here are some of my favourites for September!

Too Cool for School Marshmallow Puff

I got this at the start of the month and I have been using it every single day to the point that I have to stop myself and give the sponge a few rest days to make it last longer. I love using this with my concealer the most (which I'll mention in a bit) because it makes it look so natural on both blemishes, redness, and under the eyes. 

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

If there is anything that is very important to me, it's concealer. It took a good month for me to finally get this in my shade (as it is always out of stock) but since I got it I have been using it everyday. It's medium to full coverage, a little goes a very long way, and is very brightening under the eyes but still works well on blemishes. You can definitely blend it in with fingers but I love using it with the marshmallow puff for a seamless finish. Easily the best all-around concealer I've tried and it's about time it got mentioned in a favourites post!

Laneige Water Bank Eye Gel

All the stress and lack of sleep has seriously dried my under eyes to the point that I needed to use this during the day (as I used to only use it at night). I discovered that it's a great eye gel for my concealer as it prevents it from looking flaky under the eyes and it doesn't settle so much on my milia (which needs to go -_-). I'm having an issue with fine lines though so I'll definitely switch when this runs out, but highly recommended if you're looking for hydration!

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque

This marks the first time I'm talking about a hair product! I got my hair trimmed about three weeks ago and got this to help my very dry, frizzy hair. This is the first hair mask I've used that really works!  I used it twice a week and it just leaves my hair feeling soft, light, and very healthy-looking. It also makes my hair easier to style, too. It's a bit expensive but well worth the price!

There you have it! I know that school just started for a lot of you plus autumn is coming in, so I wanted to know how this changed your skin care and make-up routines! What products have you loved from September? Let me know in the comment below!

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Friday, October 03, 2014

September Favourites

By Pauline Read More

REVIEW: Laneige Water Bank Eye Gel

Hi, everyone!

Thought I'd take a break from make-up for a while, and I wanted to do a review on a product that I've been using for years. I wanted an eye cream since the skin under my eyes is quite dry, and during the time, I've read good reviews about this particular eye cream, and the line it is from in general. I am talking about the Laneige Water Bank Eye Gel!

I'm showing two boxes is that I recently emptied the box on the left, and the one on the right is apparently the newer packaging. The new jar is much wider in size and slightly taller, and has a wider mouth which I like more as it makes the product easier to scoop out. 

It still contains the same amount of product, and the only difference I've noticed in the formulation is that the scent is much less potent than before, which I like.

It claims to retain the skin's natural moisture through an emollient taken from palm kernel for a maximum 12 hours, reduce puffiness and eye stress with the use of bilberry. Let's find out if it lives up to this.

This eye gel is packaged in a blue glass jar, and comes with a seal that I've already broken open. It also comes with a lid and its own spatula, which makes up for its otherwise unhygienic packaging. Inside the jar the product is white, but when spread onto the skin turns translucent. 

   

For application, I just dot this below my eyes (though not directly below - about a centimeter below) and pat it gently into my skin with my ring finger. I do advise that you use your ring finger for under-eye application as this portion of your skin is the easiest to wrinkle because it is much thinner. I use a very small amount, as a little goes a very long way with this product. I do this step right after my serum and find that the skin under my eyes stays soft and moisturized for a much longer time and does not feel rough to the touch. 

The product takes about 10 minutes to absorb fully. As it is a gel and not a cream I don't find it as heavy (if not at all - this is quite lightweight), which is great as sometimes creams tend to break me out despite my dry/combination skin needing the moisture. It is quite sticky to the touch once spread, and comes across as quite oily (though it certainly does not feel oily), so I would recommend this for night time use only. It also has a slight cooling effect which I really like.

This product claims to retain the skin's natural moisture for up to 12 hours. I cannot say it lasts exactly 12 hours, but I find that when I wake up  (after about 6-8 hours sleep), my skin is not dry at all - more of soft to the touch and definitely not oily. Since using this, my BB creams do not settle onto the dry skin under my eyes as much, though it wouldn't show at all if I used a day eye cream.

As for reducing puffiness, I do think that it does a good job with this. It definitely makes my eyes look more rested and even when I cry with this on - which has happened, mostly stress-related - my eyes never look incredibly puffy in the morning which I really appreciate. 

Overall I would recommend this for dry/normal skin, as well as acne prone skin (if not oily) as this has never broken me out in the three years that I have been using it, and a lot of creams have broken me out in the past. 

One jar usually lasts me an average of 7 months, which despite its price, is okay for the quality it gives. This is priced at 32000₩, which is an equivalent of P1440 or around $32. Laneige is a luxury brand in Korea which explains its price, but for the result and the amount of time one jar lasts, I would say it is a very good eye gel.

This is available at Laneige stores (Robinsons Magnolia, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Manila, SM Megamall, SM Aura, and Trinoma) as well as in online stores if you're not in Seoul or visiting anytime soon. 

Summary:

(+) Hydrating

(+) Light-weight

(+) Long-lasting on skin

(+) Need only small amount for application

(+) Reduces puffiness

(+) Always available in Laneige stores

(-) Expensive

(-) Not travel friendly (glass jar)

(-) Night time use only

Rating: 4.4/5

Repurchase? Yes.

Friday, August 08, 2014

REVIEW: Laneige Water Bank Eye Gel

By Pauline Read More