Jayjun Eye Gel Patch

These Jayjun Eye Gel Patches were random, impulse buys that became popular with hubby ^.^ There are several different varieties but here I'm reviewing Green Tea and Lavender Tea. Each jar contains 60 patches of 1.4g each, so basically 30 applications per jar. For $15, that's not bad.

HABA Squalane Oil Mask

Here's a mask I won't be repurchasing anytime soon: HABA Squalane Oil Mask. It wasn't the mask's fault. Rather, I should have known better--it was soaked in 20mL squalane oil diluted in a serum which was beyond generous and was just way too much!

Decorte Liposome Moisture Liposome Mask

Here's another Decorte mask, the Liposome Moisture Liposome Mask I received from an order last December.

Decorte Prime Latte Mask

Squeezing in a quick post for this Decorte Prime Latte Mask, which I liked a lot and will definitely repurchase. This was part of a GWP I received when I purchased the Makeup Coffret II in the winter of 2019.

Nature Republic Real Nature Mask Sheet

These two Nature Republic Real Nature Mask Sheets, one Cucumber and one Aloe, were part of T.-san's lovely care package (thank you, T.!). She said she picked these up in Taipei where they were popular at the time.

Honestly, after using both, I honestly couldn't tell them apart. They both were pretty nice and light, had a decent amount of serum, scented with a mild fragrance, and was adequately moisturizing. I won't buy more, but I was glad to have tried them. Thanks again, T.!

Lancome Genifigue Hydrogel Melting Mask

Another belated post for this pair of Lancome Genifigue Hydrogel Melting Mask soaked in a generous 28g of serum. This was part of the Skincare Essentials Collection I bought from Nordstrom a couple of years ago. 

Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Creamy Mask

Tried one set of this 18g/0.63oz. Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Creamy Mask last week and thought it was pretty nice (and a bit of a learning curve!). It was from the Concentrated Ginseng Anti-Aging Care Kit I got as GWP with a Sulwhasoo order a while back.

Naruko Tea Tree Oil Out Peeling Gel

I first read about Robin Niu from Rouge Deluxe's Kose's Talk Show with Niu Er post. At the time, I was one week away from moving to Japan and trying a new Taiwanese brand was the last thing on my mind. But I'm in Taipei now and seeing Niu Er's skincare brands everywhere naturally makes me curious. Since I needed a peeling gel at the time, and Watsons was (and perhaps still) having this promotion for buy one get one *almost* free (see below), I picked up this Naruko Tea Tree Oil Out Peeling Gel to try. 

SK-II Starter Sets via Aeon Shop

I've been curious about SK-II for a long time, six years or so, ever since they brought Cate Blanchett on as a brand spokesmodel. Excellent move, in my humble opinion, at least it caught my attention and I usually don't even look at the ads in the magazine. Cate Blanchett perfectly embodies grace and elegance, and if that is what SK-II is aiming for, well, bullseye! The down side is that in all these years, I haven't seen SK-II offering any kind of trial or travel sets, at least not for the American market, and I wasn't about to drop some serious dough for full sizes of something I've never tried before.

Fast forward several years, and I totally forgot about SK-II. Gee, there are only about a gazillion other lovely cosmetics and skincare products out there to keep me occupied, and until I read about SK-II Facial Treatment Essence and Clear Lotion on one of Yumeko's Friday photo memes, it didn't occur to me that SK-II is a Japanese brand and, well, heeeeeeey, I was also in Japan! Yeah, talk about a duh moment. Somehow, all the ads I saw on TV, in the magazines, at the mall, etc. for SK-II promotion sets and trial kits just didn't register within the past 2 years. Double duh moment. I guess Japan was a bit of a sensory overload, even if I was none the wiser xD

Aeon SK-II Starter Set with 2.5g sample of Skin Signature Cream

The newer Aeon SK-II Starter Set with 7mL sample of Cellumination Essence EX

Sekkisei Lotion and Emulsion

Sorry to say this, but I officially dislike Sekkisei Lotion and Emulsion. I got 2 deluxe GWP bottles that are decently sized and for the several weeks prior to leaving on my trip I struggled with these, trying my best to like them but ended up hating them every time. And no, I didn't take them with me on my trip. They simply just didn't make the cut. 

Happy December!

I was having another busy day at work minding my own business and my colleague stopped by my desk with a white package, "This is yours." She said, putting it on my desk.

I was mystified, since I did not expect anything to come in the mail today. At the upper right hand corner of the package, it says, "Mask," so I thought it was the stage masks I had ordered for a client. Then I flipped the package and read the from-address and saw Singapore - heeeeeyyy, I know that name!

So I tore into it, of course, although nicely, with a pair of scissors. Inside was another envelope with pink hearts in silver circle. "Merry Christmas" and smiley face was hand-written on it in black marker. I gasped, speechless.

My girlie friend Cacaopack over at Beauty Unfolds took me by complete surprise - look at what she sent me! How sweet and lovely is she?



Nooooo wayyyyyy, for me?!?

Inside the envelop was these wonderful items she knew I'd totally appreciate:
- 3 Etude House Moistful Sheet Masks (try these chilled on a summer day!)
- A Watsons Bird's Nest Essence Facial Mask (better hide this quick cause my mum will probably fight me for it!)
- A SkinFood Carrot Collagen Eye Sheet (will try these and review ASAP!)
- A pretty purple gift box with ribbons and bows, inside of which is necklace with my initial, filled with a pearly drop!



Thank you, thank you, thank you, Clarissa! You didn't just make my day, girlfriend, you made my MONTH!!! What a way to start December, and you bet I'll be laughing all the way!

*hugs and kisses*

Etude House Moistfull Sheet Mask

During my sheet mask phase, I was dying to get my hands on these Etude House Moistfull Sheet Mask but apparently they're not for sale but are given out (by Etude House) as GWP. And then I found an Ebay seller who sold them :D



Been using them off and on since the summer, more frequent during the hot months and much less often now, if at all. These have the same scent as the rest of the Moistfull line, which I really like. However, the masks themselves didn't have the best fit and they were cut funny. I was also a bit disappointed that the serum they were soaked in was runny and watery, and that they only provided very light moisture and hydration. And while that combination worked perfectly in the heat and humidity, they're pretty much useless right now and I might as well skip them.

So yeah, I sort of see why they don't sell these and give them out instead. But then again, during the summer and your skin needs some refreshment, these are awesome chilled!!!

But they're pretty much a seasonal item, limited to usage during the hot and humid summer, I'm afraid.

DHC Water Base Moisture

I guess the purpose of this DHC Water Base Moisture is light hydration, even though the name is totally misleading as there are no oil ingredients in it. I bought it the first time I saw it. How could I not? A water based hydrator that is identical in texture as water? Sold.


***Picture from DHC USA.

It comes in a 2 fl. oz. glass bottle with a blue twist off cap. The texture is identical to water: it is completely clear, runny, and is supposed to be unfragranced, although I must admit there is a slight scent of something rather, not bad though. There is a dropper, so don't worry about spilling. You are supposed to shake a drop or two into the palm of your hand, rub them together, and then dab all over your face.

And while the concept sounds wonderful and easy enough, it's actually not that great. At first, I thought I'd try it as an intense hydration treatment, i.e. soaking a sheet mask tablet in it and wear it for a 15-20 minutes or so. Bad idea. It made my face so incredibly sticky afterwards (perhaps the royal jelly extract?), even worse than the sleeping packs(!), that I had to go splashed some water on my face, which then rinse the darn stuff right off :( Okay, my bad, so I stuck to the original instructions and only shook 1-2 drops into my palm and dab onto my face. Nope. Same result, my skin was as sticky as syrup. The worse part is that I didn't feel any hydration in my skin. No relief, no comfort, nothing, just stickiness like I had painted sugar water on my face. What was the point of this product again? Boo.

DHC Water Base Moisture:

Water/aqua/eau, butylene glycol, sodium hyaluronate, glycerin, pentylene glycol, placental protein, soluble collagen, hydrolyzed elastin, serine, phenoxyethanol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, olea europaea (olive) leaf extract, royal jelly extract, panax ginseng root extract, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, allantoin.

***List of ingredients from DHC North America.

Somang Lavender Moisturizing Mask

Somang is Korean, but that's about all I know of the brand :) That makes the Lavender Moisturizing Mask is my first Somang product. Actually, I've been eyeing it for months now and never went through with the purchase. The reason being I've heard different opinions on using lavender directly on your facial skin. Some say it's good because lavender is healing, soothing, etc., and some say it's bad because lavender can be too harsh and can provoke a reaction, especially for those with sensitive skin, etc. Oh well, I figured I'll never know whether it's too harsh for my skin if I don't try it. Testing out stuff on my fragile facial skin is not a smart thing to do, but I was curious enough, and I don't have sensitive skin, so let's just hope for the best... +.+



First, a rant. Sorry. Had to get it out. I was kind of, okay fine, I was really ticked off by the packaging of this mask. It was HUGE, freakin' gigantic! Almost twice the size of your average sheet mask packaging. Yes, I know, there may be tangible values in bigger sizes, but there are definitely more aesthetic values in smaller things. To be blunt, I hate big anything so please don't super size my stuff. To make the matter worse, the mask inside was folded, so it actually took up, like, a third of the pack - what's the point here, folks? If you look closely at the picture, you'll see a faint raised figure of a standing rectangle in the middle of the package. Yeah, that's the actual mask.

Anyhow, Somang just doesn't stop. There was a plastic tray inside, in which the mask sat neatly folded. I think they were aiming to contain the essence serum, so that when you open the package it doesn't drip anywhere. The only problem is that this nice idea isn't at all practical (or realistic). You guessed it, the box of sheet masks is handled the way all boxes are handled: it is laid side up, down, here, there, everywhere. So when I opened the package, it wasn't just the sheet mask that was dripping, the whole tray was dripping!!! Grr...*smacks Somang, "Which idiot came up with that idea, huh?"*

Anyways, at least they got something right (phew!) and the mask itself was very nice. The 30% lavender essence was a bit frightening since I wasn't sure I was supposed to put lavender on my face to begin with, let alone so much of it. But it turned out to be a very soothing and calming experience, and my skin didn't react to the lavender content at all. The scent was nice, even though it was more of a spiced lavender fragrance that reminded me of some herbal medicine :D My skin was comfortable afterwards and I didn't need to apply extra moisturizer.

VOV Daily Fresh Mask Strawberry Yogurt Collagen

I got this VOV Daily Fresh Mask in Strawberry Yogurt Collagen solely because the packaging was attractive :) What, you don't think all those strawberries in the glass jar looks yummy enough to slather all over your face? :P



VOV is a Korean brand that makes interesting-looking makeup and skincare products. I'm eyeing a few eye and face palettes from this brand. The problem is G-market doesn't like my Powerbook, so I'm left to the mercy of the Ebay sellers, and we all know they aren't very nice when it comes to cut throat prices. Sigh...we'll see. If I'm desperate enough I'll pay the price. Until then, I'll just go screen shopping :D

Anyhoo, back to the Strawberry Yogurt Collagen mask. Actually, it was kind of disappointing. First off, it was a bit too harsh for my skin. The moment I put it on, the area above my lips started to burn. I wasn't surprised as this usually happen with a product that has lots of alcohol in it. Secondly, the word strawberry yogurt made me think the essense would be milky, but opening the package I thought, Heeeeey, where's my milky yogurt?!? The essence turned out to be crystal clear! Come on, yogurt isn't supposed to be clear, folks! Where's my yogurt? Not just that, the mask's scent reminds me of...medicine. It smelled like strawberry cough syrup with hints of yogurt, and I didn't really dig that. And last but not least, it was kind of expensive, $3.50 per mask.

So yeah, my conclusion is just to skip it.

SkinLite Aloe Essence Mask

More SkinLite sheet masks! My illogic just don't quit, does it? :P

But to my surprise, this Aloe Essence Mask was actually very nice and hydrating! Wow, a SkitLite sheet mask that works for once. Oops, did I just say that out loud? :P I left it on for about 15-20 minutes and my skin was nice and soft and feels very plumb. So I guess that means it did deliver the hydration it promised! I'm totally curious about the wash-off version of this mask now :D



It smells nice, nothing like you would expect an "aloe" product to smell like (you know how they all have this "aloe-y" scent?), but it's not bad. I can't even describe the scent, it just smells fresh. I put this in my fridge and applying it chilled was an awesome experience. So cool and refreshing. Ahh... I'll definitely do this again on a hot summer day!

SkinLite Cucumber and Green Tea Essence Masks

I have previously tried the wash-off versions, Hydrating Cucumber Masque and the Re-Energizing Green Tea Masque, and found both of them disappointingly blah. However, Encouraged by my experience with the wash-off SkinLite Strawberry Yogurt Masque, I decided to give SkinLite Cucumber and Green Tea Essence Masks nother chance. My logic, or rather illogic, was this: since the SkinLite masks were pretty much hit and miss, I might as well try them all. I was somehow hopeful that with this method, I will happen upon something that will work for me.

Not making much sense, right? Yeah, I thought so :D I didn't know what the hell I was thinking either, because -what do you know- both of the sheet mask versions were not that much better than their wash-off counterparts. Ha. They were a little better, but just a little, and not enough to justify anymore money spent on my part (like it was justifiable to begin with LOL).


The cucumber mask still smelled very much like cucumber.


The green tea mask smelled nice, but that was about it.

I really wished these sheet masks were better. I mean, what's the point of putting something on your face only to feel as though you didn't put anything on at all? Now, in terms of makeup, people would call this the "natural" look, as in spending tons of time and products to make one's face look as though it is bare. However, only in the makeup world one can actually get away with this irony. This is skincare, and when spending tons of time and products only to have one's face looks like it hadn't been cared for, people get mad, you know?

Oh well. Next.

IsQueen Moisturizing Essence Collagen Mask

I bought IsQueen Moisturizing Essence Collagen Mask expecting at least a decent piece like IsQueen Ultramicro Aqua Deep Repairing Mask, but I was fouly disappointed.



Don't get me wrong, it started out well. I liked what I smelled...for the first few seconds. It was a light fragrance, so light and weak it was poorly masking something else very vile and...fishy. Yes, this mask reeked, not of the rancid, something-had-gone-sour smell, but of defrosted frozen shellfish. My 20 minutes felt like I had slimed myself with raw seafood. Ick. Gross. What the hell did they put in there?


Other than the unbearable stench, the paper mask is the same in material and quality as the Ultramicro Aqua Deep Repairing Mask. Afterwards, my skin wasn't sticky or oily, although I had to really really fight the urge to go wash my face as the odor lingered on even after the essence was fully absorbed.

The next morning, however, I woke up to the absolute horror of an oil spill. My face was so slick and shiny and greasy I seriously could have made French fries for breakfast. Worse, right in the middle of my forehead was a huge red cystic pimple!!! Dammit! I really should have washed it off the night before! Why the hell did I put myself through this stinkin' torture? Grr... Goes to show sometimes, patience is NOT a good thing. That's it. I swear off this mask for good. Urgh.

IsQueen Ultramicro Aqua Deep Repairing Mask

My first dab into the Chinese brand IsQueen, which claims to employ Japanese NANO technology in its skincare products. Yeah, okay, not sure what that means but if their stuff is good, I'll give it a try.


IsQueen Ultramicro Aqua Deep Repairing Mask is decent. It comes with a thick and soft quality paper, almost cloth-like, mask that is better cut than others. It is lightly scented and unoffensive. After applying the mask for 20 minutes, the results is not fantastic, but it was good and refreshing. My skin was soft and moisturized with no greasy residue the next morning. No breakouts either, which is definitely a good point.


Unfortunately, that's it though. There's nothing impressive about the mask. Definitely another case for saving my money for the Hadabisei Moisturizing Masks with Collagen.

Juju Cosmetics Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Face Mask

My first Juju Cosmetics item, the Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Face Mask. Apparently it has a skincare line loaded with hyaluronic acid, but since I'm iffy about the other items, I only tried this sheet mask.



The thing I notice first and foremost with sheet masks is their cut. I am happy to tell you that I have found a sheet mask with the best cut, much better than my current favorite Hadabisei Moisturizing Masks with Collagen! It just fits like a glove on my face with little to no air bubbles and wrinkles! The quality of the sheet mask itself is also high, in that it is thick and soft, feeling more like a thick fabric than paper!



Other than the cut and the quality of the masks, however, it actually took me a few tries just to figure out how to use it. The first time I tried it, I had it on for about 15-20 minutes as recommended, then I massaged the leftover serum into my skin afterward, leaving it for several more minutes until it dries. Or so I thought. After about another 30 minutes, I felt my face, and boy, it was more sticky than fly paper! Fine, no problem. With some other sheet masks I just need to splash some water on my face (as in the case of SkinFood Honey & Royal Jelly Mask Sheet). So I did just that, dabbing dry with a towel and waited for yet another 30 minutes, only to find my face was still sticky! WTF?!? So this time, I went to RINSE my face until I cannot feel the slickness on my skin anymore. And that finally got rid of the stickiness.

So yeah, this looks like a curious case of a sheet mask that actually needs to be rinsed off after use. I can't read the Japanese instructions, of course, so I'm just guessing. I think I'm wrong too, because sheet masks almost always do NOT require rinsing, which means this Juju Cosmetics Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Face Mask isn't going to work for me. Because I'm rinsing off all the good stuff as I can't stand the disgusting stickiness otherwise! Good thing it didn't break me out.