Allie Comfortable Sunscreen EX WaterTouch SPF50+ PA+++

Update Monday, May 24, 2010.

Thanks to Ratzilla who pointed out that the picture posted below is actually of the revamped 2009 version, renamed Precious Barrier Sunscreen WaterTouch. The 2008 Allie Comfortable Sunscreen EX Watertouch had been discontinued as of 2009, so I had been sloppy in calling it the 2008's "new packaging." My bad!

By the way, this 2009 version had also been discontinued as of 2010. I haven't even gotten around to reviewing mine yet, and I think I'm not going to. Looks like Allie is going to change the formula yearly, and plus the naming convention is getting more and more convoluted and confusing (what's with the "N"?), so I'm not going to bother chasing after them.

For 2010, Allie's website features the latest generation that includes Precious Barrier Protector WaterTouch N, Precious Barrier Protector Whitening N, and EX Guard Sunscreen UV Perfect N. Check out this Sunscreen Comparison by Ratzilla, after reading the results, I think I might need some of this Precious Barrier Protector WaterTouch N stuff :)

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Original post Thursday, April 9, 2009.

I switched from my favorite Allie Comfortable Sunscreen EX Perfect to EX WaterTouch simply because I ran out of the former. Yep, I ran out of it while away on vacation, and the only sunscreen we had with us then was the EX WaterTouch version that hubby was using because he didn't want to fuss with the oil cleansers and whatnot. So yes, this EX WaterTouch version is the non-waterproof version of the Allie sunscreen that does not need an oil cleanser for complete removal.

Allie Comfortable Sunscreen EX WaterTouch in new packaging. See the list of ingredients translated from Japanese.

***Picture from Adam Beauty.

NYX Duping B&C Lab Lip Creams?!?

Oh no they didn't! They couldn't! Knocking of those ridiculously cute little fruity tuitty packaging of the B&C Lab Lip Creams? Noooo!

Then I saw this - GASP!!! <*O*>

Oh yes they did...down to Mikan chan's green nub!!!

They did it alright, even poor La France couldn't escape the fate, although their Apuru chan looks a bit, umm, *plump* ^.^

***Pictures from NYX.

But hey, I guess this is sorta good news for those who's been going crazy trying to find the now-discontinued Kumomo chan (Peach), right? Plus instead of paying $6-8 for each B&C lip cream, you'll get all 4 flavors for $9 from NYX! Oh yeah, and the glosses, as NYX calls it, all look like they have color in them instead of being just completely clear lip treatment creams. I'm not exactly tempted to try them though, so I can't say a thing about their quality, fragrance, texture, or how they measure up to the "real" things :P

Actually, now that I think about it, I remember seeing another dupe of these B&C Lab Lip Creams from yet a different brand, an Asian brand, perhaps a Korean or a Taiwanese brand, I don't really remember too well. If I run into it again, I'll post an update :)

Lancome Color Fever Gloss

I think this Lancome Color Fever Gloss should really be called a liquid lipstick instead of a gloss. That said, I've also tried just a GWP version in the color Heatstroke, so perhaps it was just this particular color that is way too thin and super duper pigmented. It felt very much like I had just applied lipstick after putting this on.

Regardless, Heatstroke is a pretty awesome color. It is a sharper, more pigmented, and metallic version of the Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Lip Gloss in Wet. Yes, I said metallic. I kept staring at my lips after application because it looked so cool. Too bad it also made me look 10 years older :P As expected, since I don't do well with mauves that are more than a couple of shades deeper than my lips. But damn, now I'm totally curious about the other colors...



As you can see, the applicator tip for this gloss is different as well, although since this is only a GWP version, I actually don't know whether the full size will have the same applicator. Either way, it's pretty...tubby :) Totally not used to having such a wide applicator on my lips since most are more on the narrow side or just a simple brush. Because it is so wide, it didn't dispense the gloss very well, although no where near as bad as the Fusion Beauty LipFusion Color Shine or the Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss (note these 2 are GWP versions as well...).

SkinFood Lettuce & Cucumber Emulsion

I was a bit apprehensive to try the SkinFood Lettuce & Cucumber Emulsion, after all, the Water Jelly Cream didn't quite satisfy and the Water Drop Essence totally missed the ball park. But thankfully, the Emulsion doesn't disappoint too much. While it's not excellent and far from perfect, it's definitely much much better than the other two!

The Emulsion comes in a huge glass bottle, a whopping 135 mL, and for only $13-15 plus shipping, it will probably last for months and is a deal even for Ebay! If you can get it for retail, probably around $8-9 or less, I'd jump on it if I were you :) The bottle is made of the same pretty glass as the rest of the line, with an aluminum twist off cap. It didn't come in a box but was factory sealed.

Thanks to Clarissa from Beauty Unfolds, I got the list of ingredients for the Emulsion and was able to determine that it is a moisturizer containing argan as well as sesame seed oils. But fear not, the oil ingredients did not affect its light texture. The emulsion is on the thin and runny side, but it's not as watery-crisp as the Water Jelly Cream. It's not as fast absorbing as the Water Drop Essence either, but it still absorbs pretty fast, leaving my skin with a dewy finish that lasts for about 5-10 minutes before it completely dries up and doesn't feel like anything there after.

I started out using it over the Water Drop Essence, hoping it might somehow make a better combination than with the Water Jelly Cream. Unfortunately, the combo still wasn't enough and I still got lots of dry flakes around my chin and mouth, with or without layering on sunscreen. Anyway, being patient with a product I decided to tweak things around some more to see what happens - I decided to use Emulsion just by itself underneath the sunscreen. And what do you know, it worked a whole lot better! I still got some flakes here and there on the rounds of my cheeks and the corners of my mouth, but at least I wasn't feathering like a growing duckling anymore around the entire nose, mouth, and chin areas! I guess it's just like the Water Jelly Cream in that it didn't quite satisfy my super dry skin, but how weird is that?

So I thought, hmm...would I still get flakes if I were to slather it on like crazy? I tried that, and it turned sticky on me, so yeah, gooping it on is a big no no. Instead of tipping the bottle upside down and dumping a whole gunk out, I now tip the bottle sideways and 2 small dollops make an adequate amount for my face. If you live in a hot and humid environment and/or your skin isn't dry like mine, I wouldn't recommend using more than 2 small dollops or you'll risk some stickiness.

And here is where it dawns on me - underneath sunscreen, while both the Water Jelly Cream and the Emulsion didn't stop all the dry flakes, the Water Drop Essence was the true offender all along in worsening the drying and flaking of my skin. I couldn't use it by itself, and in combination with the Water Jelly Cream or the Emulsion it was good without layering sunscreen over. But as soon as I layer sunscreen over, poof, I flake and peel like crazy!!! I have some guesses as so why that is. Just take a look at the ingredients for the Emulsion below - Alcohol is the #4 on the list! I don't know the regulations in Korea, but here in the US, manufacturers are required to list the ingredients in the order of concentration. With Alcohol being #4 for this Emulsion, layering Allie Comfortable Sunscreen EX Watertouch on top which also has Alcohol as the #4 ingredient, it makes perfect sense why layering 2 products chock full of alcohol would still give me some flakes! This makes me think Alcohol must be pretty high up there too for the Water Jelly Cream because it also gave me some flakes underneath Allie. And crap, Water Drop Essence must have Alcohol as it top 3 ingredients to deep fry my skin the way it did underneath Allie!

Of course, until I actually get an ingredients list for both the Water Jelly Cream and the Water Drop Essence, this is all pure speculations. But I have to admit, as dry as my skin is, it can put up with a lot of Alcohol before giving in to flaking. So if your skin is sensitive to alcohol to begin with, you might want to proceed very carefully with these products.

Lettuce & Cucumber Emulsion:
WATER, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERIN, ALCOHOL, CYCLOMETHICONE, ISOSTEARYL NEOPENTANOATE, BIS-PEG-18, METHYL ETHER DIMETHYL SILANE, CUCUMIS SATIVUS (CUCUMBER) FRUIT EXTRACT, C14-22 ALCOHOLS, C12-20 ALKYL GLUCOSIDE, GLYCOL STEARATESE, BETA-GLUCAN, LACTUCA SCARIOLA SATIVA (LETTUCE) LEAF EXTRACT, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, STEARIC ACID, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, METHICONE, STEARYL GLYCYRRHETINATE, ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL EXTRACT, SERENOA SERRULATA FRUIT EXTRACT, SESAMUM INDICUM (SESAME) SEED EXTRACT, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, VIOLA TRICOLOR EXTRACT, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ALLANTOIN, STEARYL GLYCYRRHETINATE, DISODIUM EDTA, IMIDAZOLIDYNYL UREA, METHYLPARABEN, CI 42090, CI 15985, PARFUM.
***List of ingredients provided by Cacaopack - thank you Clarissa!

SkinFood Lettuce & Cucumber Water Drop Essence

Almost done with this SkinFood Lettuce & Cucumber Water Drop Essence bottle, and I think I will not repurchase. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but it's not working quite right for my skin, alone or underneath its sibling Lettuce & Cucumber Water Jelly Cream.



Just a quick description first. Like the Water Jelly Cream and many other items in this Skinfood Lettuce & Cucumber line, this Water Drop Essence comes in the same pretty translucent glass packaging with an iridescent green tint and aluminum snap on cylindrical cap. It dispenses with a pump so for those who dislike dipping fingers into jars, this is very hygienic and a definite plus. I do have issues with the cap though. Let's just say after the first few times, it just doesn't stay close anymore and would pop right back off after snapping close.


This Water Drop Essence has one of the most unique texture I've seen in a skincare product. It dispenses as a gel cream, however upon further contact (applying directly to facial skin or rubbing in between the fingers or palm), it literally melts into a runny, water-like liquid! I guess this is how it gets its name? Anyway, my first application was a bit of a surprise as the spilled fell right through the cracks of my fingers :D


Unfortunately, I won't be repurchasing this. I don't know why this is, but this product is oddly too much on its own, good when layered underneath just a moisturizer/hydrator (the Water Jelly Cream), but was then ultimately lacking when topped with sunscreen. I have tried using it just by itself and nothing else, and it turned my face into an oil spill after an hour or so. Then I tried it underneath the Water Jelly Cream and skipped sunscreen on my lounge-around-at-home days and it was good. But when I did go out and had to wear sunscreen, it struggled and ultimately failed to keep the balance and I ended up with tons of dry flakes around the mouth, chin, nose, and cheek areas!

I mentioned in my review for the Water Jelly Cream that the Water Drop Essense and Jelly Cream combo was okay underneath the Mentholatum Skin Aqua UV Moisture Milk. However, I didn't like the finish, and as non-drying as the Skin Aqua UV Moisture Milk was, I still got the occasional dry flakes. The same Water Drop Essence and Jelly Cream combo struggled even harder underneath Allie Comfortable Sunscreen EX Watertouch. In the end, it lost the battle, and there were mornings when my face was freshly washed, moisturized and applied with sunscreen but I still looked like I was molting! Yuck!

So if I were a hikikomori, this Water Drop Essence would be perfect because I would never go outside, therefore would have no need for sunscreens, and underneath the Water Jelly Cream it would keep my skin nice and matte all day. But I do go outside and do wear sunscreen every day, so buying this Water Drop Essence just for the sake of keeping my face nice and matte on those rare stay-at-home days makes no sense!