Review : Naruko Rose & Snow Fungus Aqua Cubic Moisturizer

Product Description
NARUKO Rose and Snow Fungus Aqua Cubic Moisturizer provides long-lasting and in-depth hydration to the skin. It forms a water-binding film on the skin to protect against water loss. This moisturizer improve, firm and tighten pores, keeping skin healthy, tender and translucent.


Key Ingredients :
White Willow Bark extract : moisturize and repair the dry cuticle
Natural Snow Fungus extract : gives the skin endless moisture
Vit E microcapsules and Retinyl Acetate : enriched in antioxidants and helps tighten rough, large pores
Bulgarian Rose essential oil : conditions and relaxes stressed muscles

Naruko products are known to be parabens-free, contain no artificial fragrances and are not tested on animals.
Parabens come in the forms of butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, methylparaben, or propylparaben, and they have been linked distantly (meaning in limited studies and with only a handful of subjects or animal studies) to breast cancer due to their weak estrogenic activity and their presence in a tiny number of breast cancer tissue samples. Parabens can also make your skin look older, diminishing skin tone and accelerating the formation of wrinkles and age spots.

However, according to Paula, parabens actually have a very "natural" origin. They are formed from an acid (p-hydroxy-benzoic acid) found in raspberries and blackberries and that there is no research proving parabens should be avoided when you shop for personal-care products.
From a natural point of view, if you are indeed concerned on parabens, then there are some healthy alternatives (source) :
•Neem extract: Derived from the azadirachta tree in India, neem is a potent antibacterial that, when combined with other botanicals, forms an effective preservative.
•Neopein: This innovative, broad-spectrum preservative is a proprietary blend of natural plant extracts that protect water-based products from bacteria and fungi.
•Phenoxyethanol: A nontoxic, broad-spectrum preservative used to protect against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Phenoxyethanol must be used in conjunction with other preservatives like potassium sorbate to be effective. ( note that according to this source, its best to pair this with diazoldinyl urea which releases formaldehyde )
•Polyaminopropyl biguanide: Kills a wide range of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. An excellent alternative to parabens, polyaminopropyl biguanide does not disrupt hormones or release either formaldehyde or volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
•Potassium sorbate: Derived from the mountain laurel ash, potassium sorbate is a mild antimicrobial that also protects against yeasts. It is used in conjunction with phenoxyethanol to protect against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria.
•Rosemary oleoresin: An oil-soluble antioxidant that helps to prevent rancidity.

At 120ml, its best to be used within 6 months after opening which I thought was quite a short duration. I have been using this for close to 4 months and still have about 50% left, with daily morning usage. Considering that it costs $23.90, its quite a value-for-money moisturiser.

It has a subtle rose-scented fragrance and the bottle has a wide opening but once you got the hang of it, the wastage can be minimized. The white milky lotion-like consistency is easy to massage into the skin but I took some time to adjust to its texture initially. For the record, all, if not most of my moisturisers come from Biotherm. Despite the overhyped and overpriced products, their moisturisers work very well for my combination, sensitive and dehydrated skin.

However, the ever-increasing prices of their moisturisers made me take a step back and re-look other brands. Moisturiser, to me, is the most important step in my skincare regime, because of my dehydrated skin. Serums do contain more goodness than moisturisers but I haven't found the holy grail serum as of now. Because of the rave reviews of Naruko, I decided to take the plunge and try their hydrating moisturiser. In Taiwan, I was told that this range is very good for hydration by one of the promoters. This moisturiser is one of  the products in the trio set I purchased, where it contains a toner and night gelly.

Being used to the cooling gel texture commonly found in Biotherm moisturisers, I was surprised to find that this Naruko product is like a milky emulsion type. It took about a minute for it to sink into the skin after which the slightly sticky feeling disappeared, leaving soft and supple skin in its place.

On their website, this product is recommended to be used with cotton pads and wipe it in a circular motion. However, I am used to using moisturiser with my bare hands so I did not follow their recommended step.
On a normal good day where my skin is doing fine, this moisturiser works well to maintain the hydration level on my skin. However, when my skin is dehydrated and rough, this moisturiser failed to perform any "magic". The hydrating ability is just not enough to soothe, tone and moisturise my badly thirsty skin during those bad times.

Ingredients
Phytoferulin®, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Salix Alba (Willow) Extract, Panthenol, Ceramide, Serine, Alpha-Arbutin, Saccharide Isomerate, Retinyl Palmitate, Encapsule Vitamin E. Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycereth-26, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Dimethicone, Polyquaternium-51, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, PEG-7 Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-40 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Phenoxyethanol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Essential Oils of Rose (Rosa Damascena), Rosewood (Aniba Rosaeodora), Palmarosa (Cymbopogon Martinii), Petitgrain (Citrus Aurantium Var. Amara)

Update (20th Feb 12) :
After 5 months, the scent have turned racid, which smells more like spoilt milk which is kind of nauseating. The colour and texture remains the same. This is the first time that I have experienced a product turning bad on me so I was kind of surprised. It does contains 2 preservatives in the ingredient list.

Phenoxyethanol : Common cosmetic preservative that is considered one of the less irritating ones to use in formulations. It does not release formaldehyde.

Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate : A synthetic preservative that is typically used in concentrations of 0.1% or less. It is very active against fungi but has weak antibacterial activity, which is why it should always be used with other preservatives in water-based products

Source : Naruko

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The No-Knife Eye Lift

Over time, eyelid skin becomes thinner, more lined, and less toned, creating the impression of fatigue. "I often hear this complaint from women who say their eyes make them look worn out," says Washington, D.C., cosmetic surgeon and laser expert Hema Sundaram, M.D. But treatments and makeup tricks can brighten and wake them up. Here are the best of the bunch.


Puffy Eyes
Some puffiness is genetic, and no eye cream will erase or reduce it. But if your bags come and go, fluid retention is probably the cause. Salty dinners, late nights, a cocktail or two — they can all make your body hold on to water. "Since lid skin is thinner than elsewhere on your face, you'll notice swelling more," explains Jody A. Levine, M.D., a New York City dermatologist.

To the Rescue: Thanks to the pull of gravity, morning facial puffiness is usually gone by lunchtime. To speed things up, try placing a chilled eye compress, cold water-soaked tea bags, or cucumber slices over lids for five minutes. Cold constricts blood vessels and reduces swelling, says Dr. Levine. The caffeine in many eye creams is tightening, too. "Gently press on the bones around your eyes as you apply it," she suggests. "The pressure helps stimulate circulation and drain excess fluid."

Dark Circles
When blood vessels show through skin, they can give the eye area a bluish cast. "Since skin becomes more translucent with age, blood vessels appear more prominent," explains Heidi Waldorf, M.D., a New York City dermatologist. A less common cause of darkness: post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, doctor-speak for clusters of brown pigment that collect underneath the eyes due to heredity or chronic rubbing (often because of allergies or bothersome contact lenses).

To the Rescue: Daily use of any basic eye cream will temporarily plump skin so blood vessels are less visible, says Dr. Waldorf. Eye creams are a better choice for this purpose than regular face creams, because they tend to have a higher concentration of emollients for plumping and a thicker texture, which makes them adhere to the ever-mobile eye area. To improve the look of brown pigment, try an eye cream with botanical skin lighteners like licorice and kojic acid.

Lines and Wrinkles
Every time you smile, frown, yawn, or squint, the skin around your eyes crinkles up. Eventually, as the collagen levels diminish, your skin literally stays scrunched, and deeper creases take the place of fine lines.

To the Rescue: A few ingredients are essential. The first is retinol, a vitamin A derivative that rebuilds collagen levels and helps smooth fine lines. (Tretinoin, the stronger, prescription-strength version, also known by brand names like Retin-A and Renova, yields faster, more dramatic results but can irritate the delicate eye area.) Antioxidants like green tea and vitamin C, which help skin retain collagen, are effective wrinkle reducers, too. If your skin is especially sensitive, swap vitamin A products for peptides — proteins that also stimulate collagen growth. "Peptides don't sting or cause redness the way retinols and their cousins can, but they are also less potent," says Dr. Levine.

Sagging Lids
As collagen, elastin, and fat decrease with age, eyelids get droopier. "Genetics determine when your skin will sag and to what extent," says Diane Madfes, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. "And like any skin aging, sun exposure hastens the effect." As a result, some women have sagging in their late 30s.

To the Rescue: No eye cream alone will reverse sagging once skin begins its downward slide. Only surgery gives you truly long-term improvement. But artfully applied eye makeup can make drooping lids less noticeable. "The trick is to define the lashline and neutralize the lid," says celebrity makeup artist Sandy Linter. Apply a light, nude-colored shadow (like cream or mocha, depending on your skin tone) from your lashes to your brow. Next, dip a liner brush, such as Jane Iredale Eye Liner/Brow Brush ($12, janeiredaledirect.com), in a gray, brown, or black shadow, and apply color as close to the base of top lashes as possible. "Shadow creates a softer, more natural look than a pencil liner," says Linter. Finish with dark-brown or black mascara.

What a Doctor Can Do
When you want faster, more dramatic results than even the best eye cream or makeup trick can offer, you'll find plenty of longer-lasting (but costlier) options at the dermatologist's or plastic surgeon's office.

Best for Banishing Wrinkles

Botox injections. The doctor makes tiny injections of botulinum toxin into the muscles that cause wrinkles, forcing them to relax. The injections take effect in a week or so, and the area stays smooth for three to six months. Cost: about $500.

Chemical peels. A medium-depth peel (like trichloroacetic acid, a.k.a. TCA) stimulates collagen growth by removing the top layer of skin. The body senses an injury and cranks out new healthy skin as a way of healing itself. You'll look like you have a bad sunburn for five to seven days, but then facial skin will be smoother and less lined for six months to a year. Cost: about $1,000.

Lasers. Many kinds of lasers are used around the eyes, usually as part of an allover facial rejuvenation treatment. Lasers help reduce wrinkles by resurfacing skin and stimulating collagen production. As with a peel, you'll look badly sunburned for a few days to a week before the smoothing shows up; it'll last for a year or more, until new wrinkles form. Cost: about $2,000 for the face, including eyes.

Best for Hiding Dark Circles

Hyaluronic acid injections. This clear gel filler, known by brand names like Restylane and Juvéderm, is injected directly into the hollows beneath the eyes to even them so they no longer appear as dark shadows. Expect swelling, mild bruising, and tenderness for up to a week afterward (the bruising can be covered with concealer). Results will last three to six months — or more.

Best for Lifting Sagging Lids

Blepharoplasty. During this surgery, the doctor makes tiny incisions around or inside the eyelids to remove loose skin and excess fat, which create a droopy, sleepy look. It takes about two weeks before the bruising goes down; you may not want to return to work until then. But the tightening effect lasts for years. "This procedure can make you look 10 to 15 years younger," says Mark A. Codner, M.D., clinical assistant professor of plastic surgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

How to Fake Looking Awake
When morning news anchors pull off the bright-eyed look at 5 a.m., they often have their makeup artists to thank. Here, New York City makeup pro Deborah Bell, who has worked with everyone from Katie Couric and Ann Curry to Soledad O'Brien and Campbell Brown, shares the eye-enhancement tricks she deploys daily before the sun rises.

Use brightening eye drops. It's the easiest, quickest way to make eyes look more awake. "The drops remove any redness and make the whites seem whiter," says Bell.

Avoid dark eye shadows. They cast the entire lid in darkness. Use a flesh-toned hue instead to even out skin tone, then top it with a sheer gold shadow, applied from lashline to crease. "Gold's luster makes eyes really shine," says Bell.

Dust bronzer over blush. After applying blush, Bell sweeps bronzer along the cheekbones. "Shimmer high on the cheeks brightens the whole face, including the eyes," says Bell.

Dark-Circle Camouflage

Choose Your Disguise. Pick a creamy concealer (like the kind in a compact). "Creams have a stronger hold than liquids and won't creep into fine lines," says New York City makeup artist Shaun Thomas Gibson. Your concealer should be a shade lighter than your skin tone to counterbalance darkness. We like Physicians Formula Concealer Palette ($8, drugstores), a compact with three shades of concealer, finishing powder, and a tiny applicator brush.

Perfect Your Technique. Dab on eye cream, and let it soak in for a minute. Then apply foundation (if you wear it), including under your eyes — this will erase some of the darkness so you can use less concealer. A concealer brush will give you the most expert-looking coverage, though a well-placed finger works, too. Paint the cover-up from the inner corner of the eye to the midpoint beneath the eyeball, then feather it out, blending away any obvious demarcation lines.

Save Your Work. Dust a tiny bit of nude face powder over concealer to hold it in place.

Source : Real Beauty

Review : Nature Gate's Gentle Cleansing Lotion

Product Description
Our incredibly gently cleansing lotion helps melt away the grime of the day without effort. Dirt and oil out; dewy softness in. While Yucca and Rose Geranium get skin refreshingly clean, Safflower, Aloe, Jojoba and Shea Butter prevent dryness and tightness. Clary Sage and Cucumber keep the mood mellow, while Peppermint adds an uplifting experience for the senses. Clary Sage is a biennial plant with three-foot stems, compact blooms in white, light blue or lilac, and velvety, pungent leaves. Also known as Clear Eye, the distilled flower and leaf water relieves irritated eyes. The essential oil is used for perfumes and seasoning. Dried, it is found in teas and potpourri. With aromatherapy, Clary Sage is a powerful relaxant that reduces stress and fatigue. Historically, the herb also helped calm asthma and digestive problems. In our luxuriously rich cleanser, Clary Sage brings comfort to skin, leaving it amazingly soft and free from impurities. Easily dissolves dirt, oil and makeup; Highly emollient, skin-balancing formula; Helps soften, soothe and rejuvenate skin. Paraben-Free. Cruelty-Free. Made with Certified Organic Botanicals.

And so, I bought my very first natural cleansing lotion, from Nature's Gate via iHerb at US12+, compared to the highly marked-up version in Guardian. The glass type packaging does look fragile, especially since I usually place my cleansers at the top glass cabinet in my bathroom.

This cleansing lotion supposingly to be gentle for the skin made my skin worse and I never hate a product as much as this. It made me wonder why I even bother to keep trying. Because I did. I wanted to confirm that its the cleanser. I still have about 75% left in the bottle and I told myself that there is no point trying anymore because its horrible. Period.

It comes in a pump dispenser stored in a transparent glass bottle. I usually pump several times to get the white milky contents out and massage on the face before rinsing off with water. The first week after using it every evening left a red patch on my right cheek that wouldn't go away. The red patch was warm, itchy, red, raw and dry. I have developed an allergic reaction to it! Zits were formed on my chin and nostrils. Several hydrating and moisturising masks just wouldn't make the patch disappear though my zits did disappear with my blemish gel. Left with no choice, I went back to my favourite brand - Avene and bought their cleansing water and thermal water.
After a week of using it religiously, my skin finally calmed down and went back to normal. The whole experience took me 3 weeks. ( During the initial 2 weeks, I have been trying different masks but to no avail ).

So what did I do once my skin calm down? I went back to using this horrible cleansing lotion again, but on alternate days. This time round, it left my skin in eczema-like patches on the face. Cold sores symptoms near the lips, at both ends. Red flaky and gruffy skin around my nose. Itchy and dry patches between my eyebrows.
I stopped using it for several weeks for my skin to recover and then used it just once this week and all the bad patches came back. Totally hate myself. For something that earned itself a 4.5 at Makeupalley and the positive reviews on iHerb, I never thought it would be this bad. My first natural product as a cleanser. My first skincare product from Nature's Gate. ( I used its deodrant and haircare products before) . Horrid experience.
It did remove my make-up but nothing spectacular about its performance.

If there's anyone who would like to try this product or have no issue with it, feel free to email me or leave a comment. You can pick it up from me at no charge. Its hygenic enough due to its pump dispenser and the packaging is still intact.

Ingredients
Water, *Pelargonium Graveolens (Rose Geranium) Water, *Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Water, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric triglyceride, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Wheat Bran glycosides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Extract¹, Melissa Officinalis (Lemon Balm) Leaf Extract¹, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract¹, Yucca Schidigera Extract¹, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract¹, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Extract¹, *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Panthenol, Allantoin, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Isostearate, Sodium PCA, Polysorbate 80, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Bisabolol, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Sodium Coco PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Hinokitiol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance

Source : Amazon

Tame Frizzy Hair

Hair is complex. It's made up of three layers and thousands of cells. But the reason it gets frizzy is pretty simple.
Your hair's outer layer -- the cuticle -- looks kind of like a shingled roof, says dermatologist Carolyn Jacob, MD. When hair is smooth, those shingles lie flat. But when you run a brush through dry, curly hair, those “shingles” lift.

To compound the problem, frizzy hair is often drier, and naturally tends to absorb moisture from humid air, says Dennis Baker, a stylist who owns Baker Lanier Salon and Day Spa in Atlanta. Again, those “shingles” lift.

Fortunately, there are ways to tame the frizz. You just have to give it a little effort.

Frizzy Hair: 12 Quick Tips to Keep Hair Frizz-Free

1. Don't brush dry hair. If there's one tip repeated by just about every expert, it's this: avoid brushing hair after it dries. Brushing not only disrupts your hair's cuticle, it can also stretch hair, leading to breakage.

Instead, Connie Eeyerlin, a stylist at Dionysius Salon in Eugene, Ore., suggests towel drying hair after a shower; brushing, combing, or finger-combing it; adding a touch of your preferred conditioner or anti-frizz product, then just say no to styling with brush or comb.

2. Comb dry hair with wet fingers. If you shouldn't brush, what can you do when humidity or a brisk day leaves your hair a frizzy mess? Water is the key, says Eeyerlin. "The problem with frizzy hair is that it's dry. Water is a basic response to this basic problem." Eeyerlin suggests wetting your hands, then finger-combing to tackle frizz and tame tangles.

3. Tame with a touch of conditioner. To foil her frizz, California archivist Kimber Camacho favors watering down a bit of hair conditioner, then using her hands to apply it to just the tips of her hair.

4. Look for protein in your conditioner suggests dermatologist Jacob. A protein-infused conditioner will not only help you manage frizz, it helps create shine, too.

5. Don't over-process hair. Relaxers and straighteners can make hair brittle and lead to breakage, Jacobs says, so go easy on these products.

6. Put moisture back in your mane. Frizzy hair tends to be drier, so you need to put moisture into it. Use a conditioner, a natural oil, or a frizz cream, says stylist Baker in Atlanta. He says natural oils are better than synthetic because they are absorbed into the hair, while synthetic silicon moisturizers lay on top of the hair, making it appear dirty.

7. Stop 'cooking' your curls. "Anything that would blister your skin doesn’t feel so great on your hair either," writes Teri LaFlesh, author of Curly Like Me. To minimize frizz, LaFlesh suggests avoiding flat irons, curling irons, and limiting heat sources to a blow dryer with a diffuser.


8. Use a round brush to smooth your hair. If you spin a round brush through your hair as you blow dry it, it helps smooth the cuticles flat, says Baker.

9. Dry only the roots of your hair. To help reduce the chance of frizzy hair, Eeyerlin suggests blow drying only your roots, it gives hair lift but helps you avoid drying out the hair shaft and hair tips.

10. Go alcohol-free. Because alcohol can dry hair out, setting you up for frizz, look for alcohol-free products. That may mean switching to salon-quality shampoos, conditioners, and hairsprays, says Eeyerlin. "Salon-quality products don't have to last as long on the shelf, so they don't contain as many harsh ingredients -- like alcohol -- as supermarket and drug store products do."

11. Fight afternoon frizz by smoothing hair with a small amount of detangling spray, the kind made for baby hair. Marie Gains, a North Carolina caretaker, says "I spray a smidge of it in my hand and then smooth it down. It's very lightweight and doesn't make your hair look oily."

12. Talk to your stylist. "If what you're using works, use it," suggests stylist Eeyerlin, whether it's a pricey product or a great drug store find. But if you want help in the fight against frizzy hair, remember that your stylist is there to help and probably has a host of hints that'll help keep you frizz-free from morning to night.

Source : WebMD

Newspaper Inspired Nail Art

Apply a neutral nail color like OPI Samoan Sand and allowed to dry. Then she dipped each fingernail into alcohol -- we'd recommend using vodka for better results. Press a large strip of newspaper onto the top of each soaked nail. Remove slowly and finish with a glossy top coat to seal.


Source : Stylist