Skin Inc Optimizer Tri - Light

While watching some beauty YouTube video a few of my favourite youtubers mentioned the Skin Inc Optimizer Trilight in their skin care video. I wanted to find out more as I suffer from acne, roceasa and hyper-pigmentation.  Rather me trying to reword what this device does, I have provided the description from the Skin Inc website instead:

One device, 5 benefits - Repair, Glow, Soothe, Optimize and V-Sculpt. The new game-changing Optimizer Voyage Tri-Light combines the power of colored LED Chromotherapy and Low Frequency Stimulation to empower you with the ability to tackle multiple skin concerns for younger, brighter and blemish-free skin.

LED Chromotherapy penetrates deep into your skin to activate the light receptors in your skin cells, addressing specific skin concerns while Low Frequency Stimulation gently regenerates skin cells, helping them increase their metabolism, blood and lymphatic circulation and helps enhance the penetration of active ingredients in skincare products.

Customize and enjoy 5 benefits at one-go!

Repair with the Red Light - Renew and repair damaged skin cells. Increase collagen and elastin production. Best paired with Collagen and Coenzyme Q10 Serum.
Glow with the Yellow Light - Revive dull skin for a brighter complexion. Best paired with Chlorella and Vitamin A Serum.
Soothe with the Blue Light - Alleviate acne, oily or congested skin and calm skin sensitivity. Best paired with Licorice and Vitamin C Serum.
Optimize - Boost absorption of active ingredients in skincare products.
V-Sculpt - Achieve lifted V-shape facial contour and reduce water retention. information credit goes to Skin Inc

I've always used the blue LED light for my acne (TANDA Zap), and have been wanting to buy a Japanese device that helps with skin care absorption. This device does both and in addition it has the red and yellow LED light.

Price: 

$394.06 CAD including tax.

Thoughts:

I've been using this device daily for about 2 weeks now, mainly focusing on the blue and yellow light. Note* I did buy this device with my own money.

Pros:

• My skin is a lot more even tone
• Less redness around my face
• Calmed my sensitive skin
• I haven't been using my steroid cream to calm my rosacea for 2 weeks now which is a big PLUS for me.
• Controlled my break out
• My skin feel extra smooth 
• The device is light and easy to carry when travelling

Cons:

• It uses 3 AAA batteries (Wished the device could be recharge-able)
• It is not water proof
• The price of the device is pretty high
• Can only be purchased on the Skin Inc website, or Skin Inc studios (no it is not available at Sephora)

How to clean the device:

When you have acne prone skin like I do, cleaning the device after each use is very important. You probably would not want to put bacteria and dirt back on your face. To clean the device I simply use alcohol. I wipe the area that makes contact with my face a couple of times. I also wipe the entire device down at the end, as I do not want dirt/bacteria build up on the handle.

Where to buy:

Unfortunately we cannot get this device at any store in North America or the North America Skin Inc website. But it is available on the Skin Inc Asia/All other countries website and they do international shipping (there will be tax/custom charges).

1. Simply go to the Skin Inc website
2. At the top right hover over the link 'Regions'
3. Click Asia/All other countries

Did I regret my purchase?

No, I love the result and its only been 2 weeks. I haven't touched my steroid cream at all and my skin feel great!

Hada Labo Gokujyun Clear Lotion

A couple of years back I got a bunch of Hada Labo Gokujyun Clear Lotion samples from Manning (drugstore in HongKong) and after going through the samples I am completely hooked. This product is licensed by Rohto Pharmaceuticals Japan and manufactured by The Mentholatum Company

Price:

~$140 HKD which is about $20 CAD. You can also find this product on Amazon for ~$15 USD

Claims:

Instantly hydrate your skin. HADA LABO Goku-jyun Clear Lotion should be used after washing with HADA LABO Goku-jyun Face Wash and serves as the foundation to your moisturizing routine. While it looks clear like a toner or makeup remover, it’s actually a moisturizer that helps prepare your skin for better absorption of other HADA LABO products. In fact, the HADA LABO Goku-jyun Clear Lotion can be used as a standalone moisturizer. Or, if you feel your skin needs additional moisture after it has absorbed the HADA LABO Goku-jyun Clear Lotion, follow it with the HADA LABO Goku-jyun Serum, HADA LABO Goku-jyun Milk, or HADA LABO Goku-jyun Cream—or a combination of all three, depending on the level of your moisturizing needs -- Information credit goes to: http://hadalabousa.com/products/moisturizing/

Benefits after test:

• Super moisturising! I have very allergic and sensitive skin. I have dry red patches on my cheeks and when I apply this lotion it feels great! For my dry skin, I couldn't get away with just having this on. I usually add a moisturiser on top

Texture:

• Clear liquid that is on a thicker side
• Non sticky

Will I purchase this again?

Yes yes yes! I have been in search for a moisturising toner for the longest time and this product really met my needs. In addition it does not irritate my sensitive skin.

Where can I buy this product?

• As noted above this product is available on Amazon.com
• If you are in HongKong you can get it at the drugstore like Manning and Watson
• If you are in Toronto, this product is available in T&T supermarket's beauty section 

*REVIEW* Innisfree skinny microcara

Previously, I have posted a post on using inter dental wand to apply mascara on the lower lashes due to the pricy lower lash mascara. But recently I have discovered the Innisfree skinny microcara. The wand it self if 2.5 mm wide, a fantastic wand if you have minimal lashes.

During the summer of 2014 I have asked my parents to pick up one for me when they were in Hong Kong.

Here are my thoughts...

Price:

$85HKD, which is about $12-$15CAD

Colour Selection:

It comes in 2 colour black and brown.

Waterproof:

The one I got was not waterproof, but they do have a waterproof version that I've yet to try

Pros:

• Super tiny wand, 2.5mm
• able to coat hard to reach lashes
• lengthen lashes

Cons:

• A bit of fall out
• Does not provide much volume, though it does not claim to do that.

Will I purchase this again?

Probably not this version since the fall out wasn't pretty, but I am hoping the waterproof version of this mascara will do the trick

Cream soup UDON - super fast and delicious meal

I have always used cream soup as a sauce for pasta, but that kind of got boring. Recently my friends suggested that I mix the cream soup with UDON! I've tried it and it was delicious!

This is a super simple recipe for a delicious dinner/lunch for 4. You can change up the ingredients you add to this dish all you want, so be creative :)

All you will need is:

1. A can of cream of broccoli/mushroom (you can substitute with any cream soup you like)
   
   
2. 4 Korean/Japanese udon. Note that Korean/Japanese udon have more of a chewy texture. You can find these in the frozen section of an Asian super market
   
   
3. 3/4 can of milk/cream/water (use the can from the cream soup to help you measure)
4. 1 can of tuna (optional). You can substitute with anything you like :)

Instructions:

1. Cook the 4 udons in boiling water. Let the water simmer for a few minutes until the udons softens.
2. Drain the udons and set aside (you may want to keep it in a bit of hot/warm water as it can become a bit starchy and sticky)
3. In a separate pot, pour in your can of cream soup and add the milk/cream/water. If the additional ingredient(s) that you want to add requires cooking then you may add it to the soup to let it cook, or you can cook it on the side as you prefer. Stir occasionally.
4. Prepare the udons on separate plates, and pour the hot steaming soup on top of each dish. Mix and serve

*REVIEW* Etude House Dear Darling Tint

Lip tints are my favourite. They give your lips a natural tint of colour without looking like you've tried. I have always been using the Benefit Lip Tint (I own the bene-tint, posie-tint and chacha-tint; cha cha-tint is my favourite), but they could be quite expensive $36 CAD per bottle at Sephora.

Korean cosmetic has a wide variety and brands of lip tints, and they are also A LOT cheaper than benefit. One brand I decided to try out is Etude House, I've bought 2 shade of their Dear Darling Tint:

#1 Berry Red - $3.78 USD

#2 Real Red - $3.78 USD

I love the colours, but I had a tough time getting the product to tint my entire lip evenly. For some reason there are certain part of my lips that doesn't get tinted at all no matter the amount I've applied. For example the majority of my upper lip doesn't get tinted at all, except for the inner part. In the end I could only use this product for a gradient lip look with a concealer to blur out the lines.

Texture:

Jelly like texture with a doe foot applicator

Hydration:

Not drying (I did use a lip balm as a base)

Tinting power:

Beautiful colour, but my lips wouldn't tint evenly - not sure if this is only my issue

Staying power:

I expected to have a strong staying power, but I did have to reapply after eating and drinking, and the colours do fade with time.

You can pick up this tint here at www.ibuybeauti.com

Top 1 Seafood Restaurant

Top 1 is a Chinese restaurant that specializes in seafood. It is located at 165 East Beaver Creek Rd , Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada in a very ghetto plaza. I have been to the restaurant twice already and the food is so freak-en delicious! The first time, I went with a group of 6 and we got a combo intended for 6 people, there was so much food that we had to pack to full boxes. Unfortunately I did not get the chance to take picture that time.

The most memorable food was the deep fried oyster in sweet pepper sauce, deep fried fish fillet in the sweet pepper sauce, 'May Geck' stir fried lobster, and the pickled veggie with fish in broth.

There sweet pepper sauce is so delicious, it really goes well with everything fried. It sweet like honey with a nice kick of black pepper. The black pepper isn't over powering or spicy :).

The second time I went, I remembered to take some photo, my family and I ordered a combo for 4, see pictures and description below.

The combo starts with a pumpkin, corn and snow pea tip soup. The colour of this soup is so beautiful and the snow pea tip are not over cooked. I nice healthy way to start the meal. This soup is truly delicious

Next up, came the fried fish fillet with the sweet peppery sauce. Did I mention how delicious this dish is. OMG I can't even explain how good this sweet peppery sauce is. The batter on the fish is light and crispy, the fish is not over cooked and not oily at all.

Next was one of their signature dishes 'drunken ribs' (sorry about the blurry picture, I just couldn't wait). I personally like the fried fish fillet in sweet peppery sauce more. This is sort of like sweet and sour pork, but it is not sour. Also it is pork ribs so there will be bones in this dish. I felt there was too much batter on the ribs, I didn't know if I was eating batter or meat.

Sake Stir Fried Lobster. At first glance I thought it was lobster in cream sauce (do to the colour of the sauce) which is kind of weird (you don't see cream sauce in Chinese restaurant much). Bur it wasn't cream, it was sake! The taste of the sake when very well with the lobster, it brought out the 'seafood' taste (not fishy taste). This dish is very rich and flavourful, it is best to taste a few bite as it can feel pretty heavy especially when you have so many food in front of you.

And finally we have the veggie and mushroom stir-fried rice. The rice was nice and not oily. I just wished they would've served this earlier in the meal, and some of the previous dishes has some strong rich flavouring. Having the rice earlier on can help balance out those flavours.

Finally we end with a Mango milk pudding. A cute little dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth. This dessert is not overly sweet, the mango sauce at the top really does help refresh your taste bud after all those flavourful food.

Side note: I've been there for lunch as well. There wasn't anything special regarding their lunch menu (avg Chinese food). This is definitely one of those restaurant that you go for dinner and order big seafood combos.

How I highlight my aegyo sal using the Etude House Play 101 in #5

This past Christmas I've discovered a new product for highlighting my aegyo sal (inner corner, lower eye lid). The Etude House Play101 Pencil in #5

The Etude House Play101 pencil comes in 50 different shade and finishes. It is a multi purpose make-up product. You can use it as a shadow, liner, lipstick, blush, concealer and much more.

I've recently discover #5 a light beige colour with a glitter finish.  I simply put this product on my inner corner, and my eyes are instantly brighter. It is fast and convenient .

From the picture below you can see how beautiful and subtle the play101 in #5 is. I've used it on my lower lid focusing on my inner corner. When this product catches the light, it is soooo beautiful

Price:

$6 USD - which is a steal for such a beautiful product

Long Lasting:

I wear this product at least 8 hrs a day and it does not fade. Note* I only use this on my inner corner

Packaging:

This is a twist up liner. There is a built in sharpener at the end so you can sharpen the tip for a precise line.

You can purchase this product on www.ibuybeauti.com or by clicking here

Picture credit goes to www.ibuybeauti.com