➹ currently loving: skinfood black pomegranate cream

OK, so I made sure to buy a new night cream last December. I didn't really have anything specific in mind so I just asked the Skinfood saleslady for recommendations. I wasn't aware that they were heavily promoting their Black Pomegranate line at that time so I had to listen to her try to sell me the cream in a mix of Korean and English ㅋㅋㅋ. Somehow, I understood enough that it was the newest and nicest line, supposedly very effective moisturizer, and boasting a wonderful subtle fragrance. Sold!




I have been using the black pomegranate cream ON and OFF in the last 2 months but I only recently searched for reviews on this product. So supposedly, this line is anti-aging! The key ingredient is this black pomegranate, which is some sort of "elite fruit" (totally my own words ... that was my impression on all the publicity around this). Its "voluming" effect is targeted to address wrinkle issues. After reading all that, I then remembered seeing some elaborate launch event for this in Kuala Lumpur last January!

★ AN I.T. GIRL'S VERDICT ★
::I don't really know if I can call myself that. But heck yeah, I don't know much about this stuff and I needed a kinda disclaimer of sorts. Anyway~~~::

So of course, not knowing anything about this product meant that I didn't really have any definite expectations. I needed a night cream which makes me feel luxuriously good. The Skinfood Black Pomegranate Cream does that so I am already a happy customer.

I watched some beauty show some time ago where the "experts" were emphasizing the importance of moisturizing during sleep. My major takeaway from that show was to make sure I do not skimp on my night creams! I have to be generous with it and thoroughly enjoy the hydrating effect. Just one thing with the black pomegranate cream is that on occasions when I applied just a tad bit too much, it feels kind of oily on my face. I mean, I wish that the cream is absorbed more if I applied more ... but it seems like there is just a "threshold" to the amount I can "appropriately" apply. But anyway, this is hardly anything to cry about for sure.

As for the anti-wrinkle effect ... I don't think the cream on its own is supposed to miraculously erase anything. I'm saying that there is no drastic improvement to my super fine lines (ahem hehehe). But I am not really paying any particular attention to those. Certainly the black pomegranate effect is best achieved with a whole array of products from this line.

I did notice from other reviews that the serum is tons more interesting than this cream. If I were to really target this anti-aging solution, best to pick out the serum first and then maybe toner, cream and whatnots.

For the purpose of a simple night cream, this product does its job. The lovely scent is also perfectly relaxing. If I don't find anything else interesting, I might buy this again when my current supply runs out. So we'll see. ^^

➹ currently loving: skinfood black sugar strawberry mask

It's been 3 months since I came back from possibly one of the biggest cosmetics haul I've ever had~~~ But I seriously haven't had time to do much of anything about the wonderful stuff I got! So much for idolizing those uber detailed beauty blogs ㅋㅋㅋ. Anyway, I may not have the expertise nor the patience to craft nifty reviews on Korean beauty products... but I still would love to just share some notes on awesome goodies here and there. This is more for those girls who just want to gather ideas on how to fill their EXTRA suitcase while going around the shopping paradise called Seoul!

So the second thing out of my suitcase (after from my Skinfood Parsley and Mandarin Mild Foam) was this Skinfood Black Sugar Strawberry Wash Off Mask. I just finished my Black Sugar mask last December and I was giddy excited to use the next one. I immediately took a liking to it on the first night I was out on the streets of Myeongdong. Just the idea of classic black sugar (which I really love) and strawberries was enough for me to drop this into my shopping basket. I totally did not need any convincing whatsoever.



I studied the label and did my search on this product before using it (haha, yeah ofcourse I did). I was kinda surprised to find TONS of review about this product already. I really had no clue. Anyway, everything online sounded enticing and harmless enough so I just went ahead and gave it a try.



★ AN I.T. GIRL'S VERDICT ★
::I don't really know if I can call myself that. But heck yeah, I don't know much about this stuff and I needed a kinda disclaimer of sorts. Anyway~~~::

The strawberry smell was YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY!!! It smelled like strawberry yogurt icecream on your face. The texture was also not as gritty as the original black sugar concoction. I didn't worry so much about the beads being too abrasive while I massaged it into my face. Or was that just me being hypnotized by that sugary strawberry scent???



So anyway, I normally don't leave the mask on for too long. But this time, I left it on for almost minutes before washing up. Just a tip to make sure you wash up pretty well because the formula does leave some beads here and there. And alas! after washing it off, the yummy strawberry perfume lingered. My skin was also softer - an expected black sugar effect. At the same time, it was just a little brighter ^^. I knew I found my go-to mask for those nights when I just want to feel a little bit pampered. Besides, it's kindof cool to be able to enjoy the sweet strawberry feeling whenever I want right? Takes me right back to those awesome winter nights I was spoilt for choice with all the awesome strawberries sold on the streets!

➹ seoul autumn cosmetics haul

My growing love for cosmetics shopping in Seoul is now directly proportional to the growing luggage space I've had to allocate for these buys. Here's what I bought for myself on the recent trip (gave away some gifts already):






Some freebies from my purchases (except for the face masks)


This one is just a box full of cotton pads ... but the box is ehem ^^.


I used to be totally ignorant on this fascinating sub-culture until I was drawn into that Skin Food shop in Dongdaemun last 2008. I even played it safe and just picked a body essence and a cologne. I could not risk any face or hair products at that time. But I was sold with the samples they dropped into my bag and resolved to muster up my courage to try new things on my next trip.

On my next trips, I fell in love with more essences, face masks and nail polishes! I was still mildly intimidated though whenever I browse through the endless pretty selections. I couldn't decide which ones to pick and I am usually too shy to use my limited Korean to consult the salesladies.

So before I left for Seoul last autumn, I took time out to educate myself on Korean cosmetics via beauty blogs! I didn't realize how extensive the resources are on the web on cosmetic reviews. I can't pick any one favorite since these beauty blogs each has its own style and charm. Just trust your google search and click on the massive selection of "Korean cosmetic reviews"!

Reading through the bloggers' assessments and comparisons of various Korean cosmetics raised my shopping confidence for my Seoul trip. Clearly understanding which brands and products I wanted to try, and how much they would set me back, I am able to walk into most of the cosmetic stores in Myeongdong … and come out with my pretty selections! I'm definitely hyped to try them all out now!