Friday, September 28, 2018

Mamonde Rose Water Toner

The Bulgarian roses used in this Rose Water Toner are gathered from the village of Turia in the Valley of Roses of South-Eastern Bulgaria, where the harvest period only lasts a measly 30 days (May 15th to June 15th).


Name: Mamonde 마몽드 Rose Water Toner 로즈워터 토너
Price: ₩ 15,000 for 250 ml
Made in: Korea

Although high temperatures are typically used, Mamonde went for low temperature and high pressure conditions to minimise damages due to heat, thereby maintaining the integrity of the rose hydrosol (a by-product of the steam distillation process). 90.97% of the Rose Water Toner consists of this hydrosol, while solvents, emulsifiers and preservatives make up the rest.

The first thing I noticed was the beautiful scent. Some may find roses cloying. As for myself, nothing makes me happier than to smother myself in this stuff from head to toe. Well, each to their own! I noticed that my skin was getting better at retaining moisture after a week or so. Even the area around my nose, eyes and forehead have ceased feeling tight and stripped.


I have been floundering no thanks to my dry skin because I was not prepared for this to happen - I have always suffered from oily skin, so this is a whole new ballgame for me. I think it is safe to assume that rose water is the remedy for a lot of ailments, between its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, moisturising and soothing properties.

This infusion doesn't curb oiliness or mattify the skin in any way, but it is soothing and calming and provides the refreshment that I need in this hot and humid weather. In fact, my skin feels strangely moisturised after using it so every now and then I have been skipping moisturiser altogether!


Fancy the sound of it? This 250 ml bottle is priced at RM 85 on lazada.com.my.

The full ingredient list for Rose Water Toner:
Damask Rose Extract, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Purified Water, Sucrose, Rosehip Fruit Extract, Indoleacetic Acid.

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Althea Green Tea & Rose Real Fresh Skin Detoxer

An exclusive collaboration between popular Korean TV programme Get It Beauty and Althea, the Real Fresh Skin Detoxer is a dual-purpose facial cleanser-slash-mask (cleansing mask for short) formulated with botanical extracts (such as oat, artichoke and amaranth) while steering clear of nasties (including but not limited to mineral oil, sulphates and silicones).


As a second step cleanser, I leave this skin remedy on my clean (and dry) face for 10-seconds. Then I add water, massage the resulting lather in circular motions for a bit and finally, splash it all off.

As an intensive mask, I do the exact same steps as above but I let it sit for 10-minutes. Yes, 60× more - ample time for the ingredients to work their magic and also because I refuse to let it sink down the plughole so quickly 😳

There are two variants:
◆ Green tea
6,000 ppm Jeju green tea leaves and extract help rid the skin of impurities.


◆ Rose
3,400 ppm Grasse rose petals and 1,000 ppm rose water tackle dullness and roughness.


Proceed with caution if your skin is on the dry side. Don't leave them for too long - your skin could feel parched afterwards. You want to be a juicy grape, not a raisin!

They lift my mood (love the smell!), and at the same time, give me healthier, fresher and clearer looking skin. They are such a joy to use that this time-starved urbanite reaches for them even after hitting snooze once too many. To purchase, go to my.althea.kr. Only RM 43 for a 150 ml tube!

The full ingredient list for Green Tea Real Fresh Skin Detoxer:
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Acrylates Copolymer, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Pteris Multifida Extract, Cynara Scolymus (Artichoke) Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-51, Beta-Glucan, Betaine, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol.

The full ingredient list for Rose Real Fresh Skin Detoxer:
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Acrylates Copolymer, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Pteris Multifida Extract, Cynara Scolymus (Artichoke) Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Rosa Gallica Flower Powder, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-51, Beta-Glucan, Betaine, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol.

Disclosure: Althea Angels samples.