Review: Shills Whitening Mud Mask

Shills Whitening Mud Mask (RRP: $28.90SG) claims to be able to whiten the skin and clean pores. The only size available at the shop was the large 200ml bottle, so I bought that. I applied a very thin layer on my face and washed it off quickly after it started to dry on my skin. I found it did do a deep clean up of the pores and left the skin smooth, but whitening effects were not observable. It works like any clay or mud-based mask and helps to tighten the pores a little. Other than that, I didn't find anything incredible about this mask. It is a little drying, so I don't advise leaving it on for too long. The price wasn't so expensive, and since it did work, I didn't mind having bought this large bottle, but I'll wait and see if I'll ever need to buy a second bottle. At the rate I'm using it, I may not even finish it by the time it expires. keke. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Review: Shills Magic Bubble Peeling

Blair asked for the ingredients list for Shills Foam Esthe Pack, so I've updated the review post ("Review: Shills Foam Esthe Pack") with the ingredients list. Hope this helps! I'm having K-drama fever now, watching this. The lead actor, Hyun Bin, is my favourite Korean actor by far: He has the cutest smile with dimples and he's really good at crying. I'm so distracted by K-drama that I didn't go to Tangs for the card-member preview sale but headed home right away, so that I could continue watching the show. Today's review: Shills Magic Bubble Peeling (RRP $23.90SG). There's a typo in the package! It's spelt "peeing" haha! This is about the only item in my Shills Haul that has details on the bottle instead of only on the box. The ingredients: This is what it claims to do:

"Fine ingredients penetrate deep into skin layers, to give you a whiten, moisturized, fresh and shiny new experience!

Adopting a unique enzyme-ceramic component technology, these moisture rich bubbles gently massages the skin to remove old surface dead skin. It gives you moisture rich & clean pores removing sebum clogs and preventing large pores. It reduces spots, pigmentation and improves the absorption of other skin nourishments. Suitable for sensitive skin. Removes rough dead skin to give you immediate smooth skin. Taking care of your skin has never been so easy. Allow your skin to restore its original luster and shine."

This product doesn't whiten as much as Shills Foam Esthe Pack, and it STINKS! It has a strong perfume smell. The foam is also so huge and stiff that when I rub it on my face, I feel it's too hard to control, and some foam inevitably got onto my eyes. Although I don't like the smell and texture, it does exfoliate and unclog my pores. When I rub the foam, it feels like the foam is dissolving the dead skin and I can feel flakes of what I think is dead skin rubbing off. My skin is smooth and clean after usage. It is also stated that it's suitable for sensitive skin. That said, I have dry skin with slightly oily nose and chin. So I can't tell if it will work well on oily skin. I probably will not buy this again due to the awful perfume smell and difficulty I have controlling the huge foam. I agree with Pinky's comment that over-exfoliation and AHA can trigger another allergy/sensitive skin reaction. So, I'm using only one product at a time, once a week for exfoliation and deep cleansing purpose. Hopefully this will minimise potential damage or reactions. For those who asked, Shills is a Made-in-Taiwan brand and can be purchased in Singapore at John Little Stardust and also online at Beauty Bistro. I heard they are also available at Sasa stores but I've not personally gone to Sasa to check. Shills products were reviewed in the popular Taiwanese Queen beauty talk show, hence it become quite popular in Singapore. Apparently is extremely cheap in Taiwan, and available in almost any drugstore there. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Review: Shills Foam Esthe Pack

I'm very tempted and want to buy Jill Stuart's spring eyeshadow palette and blush from some online shops, since I won't be heading to Taipei or Tokyo anytime soon. It's not a cheap brand but I've sort of lost interest in Lunasol's spring palettes having read reviews that they aren't that great. I'm also losing interest in the other items from Chanel and Dior. So, if I don't buy them, I could get Jill Stuart. Should I or should I not? I am looking at Bobodave.com Well, on to today's review, which is on Shills Foam Esthe Pack, (RRP SG$24.90). It is the first item from the left in the picture. This is what the product promises to do:

"Oxygen whitening SPA bubble bath. Create an elastic white and soft skin in just 3 minutes! Mediterranean islands Olive extracts is a natural anti-aging ingredient that provides the skin with elasticity and moisture. Arbutin repels yellow skin tones and melanins giving you a clean, white and watery skin! Added with herbal Wood Grass essence and Hamamelis extract, it purfies the pores and removes dead skin. Its unique yeast formula can also soften and moisturize the skin. Just like a facial SPA with plenty of creamy bubblies giving you freshness throughout the day! "

I found the product does whiten my skin. I've used it twice and it whitens my skin so much that my face is slightly paler than my neck! It also exfoliates and unclogs the pores. I have no idea what it is that makes the whitening so effective. I certainly hope it's not some bleach! But it does have AHA and arbutin listed in the ingredients. Here's the ingredients list: That said, it doesn't have a strong smell, doesn't feel harsh, and doesn't strip the skin but leaves it soft and smooth. It hasn't irritated my skin. It doesn't really bubble up much though. I find that I have quite good luck with products that don't have to be left on the face for long. So I can use these, as long as they are not too drying, without much problems, unlike creams or lotions. The thing I dislike about Shills products is that the bottles don't contain much information. All the info is left on the box, so I find myself having to keep the boxes, as I tend to be forgetful. But I don't like clutter and find having to keep the boxes annoying. I hope Shills will improve it's packaging in the future. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Review: Anosa L Carnitine V Face Water Gel

Today's review is on Anosa L Carnitine V Face Water Gel (RRP: $13.50SG). It is the 2nd item from the left. Here's an official product poster/photo. Lookie at the bottom right hand corner: There's a "before" and "after" photo of what the gel can do for you. It will slim your face down! According to Beauty Bistro and Shill promotion posters, this Anosa gel has:

"Super slimming mini water molecules!! 100% absorbent rate.

Anosa L Carnitine V Face Toning Water Gel’ combined with the latest technology from Japan, enables L- Carnitine to dissolve into tiny molecules which can be absorbed into the skin to remove excess water hence assist in the removal of bloated face. The Caffine composition and toning essence tones up the curve and reduce face flabbiness. Together with the green tea and seaweed extracts, it promotes blood circulation and retains skin moisture."

It does just that for me, only not as dramatically as seen in the product photo. It does not sting, absorbs quickly and is not sticky, has a slight fragrance and does not irritate the face. I don't use it every day though, only when I remember. Actually, I've always hated how puffy my face and nose looks. After I apply this, my face and nose are less puffy. Who would have thought I have water-retention in my nose too?!!? I think I really ought to review my diet, like abstain from some foods, but I don't have the discipline to do it. Meanwhile, my skin is acting up again. Right now, it's peeling at my cheek area and I need to stop using SANA. Probably because the SANA product is for acne?!!? >_<;; Gawsh. This drives me nuts. It's also probably a combination of stress at work, sleeping late (I'm watching k-drama dvds late into the night!) and eating badly (all the Chinese New Year snacking!) In such situations, I feel really frustrated because it means I must truly go back-to-basics for skincare, such as simply washing with Cetaphil and applying nothing else (this is normally what the doctor prescribes and it normally works). But I don't want to do that!! (Why don't I want to do that? It's because ... I'm so sold on the idea that I need stuff to improve my skin ... like prevent wrinkles, lighten my freckles, smooth my pores etc. And I like the idea of "pampering" myself ... but it's really getting me into more problems with my skin instead... Ugh I don't know.) Anyway, I went to get a trial set of Sukin Organics face care products (the only thing available at the nearby shopping centre I went to during lunch). Almost as basic as Cetaphil, but at least I get the illusion of using something "luxurious" because it smells nice and has 3 steps. Fortunately it's rather cheap. I decided to try this because it's cheap, rather than Fancl, Jurlique or Dr Hauscha (which come well-recommended). I used those brands before, then stopped using them but I can't recall exactly why. If Sukin works well, I can save money on the skincare basics in the long run. I'll let you know how it goes. Wish me luck. © Copyright. All rights reserved.

Shills Haul

Sorry for the lack of updates. I thought I don't have much to do for Chinese New Year that's coming up this weekend, but it turned out that I did have quite some stuff to settle which has kept me busy. I've also been busy settling the spa issue. After much to-ing and fro-ing, I ended up with a "settlement" that I am content with (all things taken into consideration): I now have enough spa products like body serums and lotions to use for the rest of the year! Although it ended relatively well, I must remember to never, never, never, NEVER buy packages anymore, because as a working mother with a young child to care for, I really don't have the time to go out for such regular treatments. Anyway, on with the beautification blogging. A couple of days ago, I had the idea that I should go get a back-up bottle of Canmake Eyelash Essence. I haven't observed any dramatic overnight increase in the length or density of my upper lashes but I did notice my lower lashes were slightly longer! Maybe it takes time for the upper lashes to grow further? However, when I walked about the store, I noticed a brand, "Shills" and wondered why I didn't see it previously. It has a tonne of really interesting stuff with great prices (although I hear that it's cheaper in Taiwan) and cute packaging, abit like Benefit and the like. I ended up getting the Shills Eyelash Essence instead of Canmake, as I'm convinced it is better since it has more ingredients: Vitamin B3, B5 & E, and panthenol. I am now applying Shills' essence at night and using Canmake's essence as a protective layer under my daily mascara application. I didn't take any "before" photos ... so I don't know if I should take any now ... maybe if my lashes do grow alot, I can show you later. Ofcourse, with a 30% discount, and the rather affordable prices of the products, I picked up more than one item. I purchased (from L-R, original retail price in brackets): Shills Foam Esthe Pack $24.90SG Anosa L Carnitine V Face Water Gel $13.50SG Shills Magic Bubble Peeling $23.90SG (edit: OMG I just noticed there's a spelling mistake on the box! HAHAAHA!) Shills Whitening Mud Mask $28.90SG Anosa Magic Lash Essence $19.90SG I will focus my up-coming posts on reviews. Among them I will tell you about the outcome of using Shills. I have started using some of the products and do have some good reports. In fact, I am surprised some people expressed reservations about buying Made in Taiwan skincare. I found the products innovative and of rather good quality at a reasonable price. If you are interested, Shills products can be purchased in Singapore at John Little and also online at Beauty Bistro. I also heard they are available at Sasa stores. © Copyright. All rights reserved.