Unique beauty products intrigues me to try them, including this one called KUU Konjac sponge.

Konjac is a traditional Japanese jelly-like health food made from a type of potato called “Konnyaku potato” and calcium hydroxide or oxide calcium. Konnyaku potatoes are grown in Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Japan.

KUU Konjac’s factory is set in one of the purest areas in Korea, on Jeju island. The island produces some of the world’s purest water, which is filtered through volcanic rockland and combined with food grade Konjac to produce the high quality KUU Konjac sponges. The sponges are very soft and contain no chemicals and preservatives, nor any colorings or additives. This makes it suitable for all skin types, even for people who suffer from eczema. The cleansing process helps to stimulate blood flow and encourage new skin cells growth, effectively revitalizing the complexion without damaging the delicate skin.

There are 5 types of KUU Konjac sponges:

Pure (S$9.90) – Suitable for all skin types, including those with hypersensitive skin and skin disorders such as eczema.

Natural French Green Clay (S$11.90) – Specially designed for users with oily or combination skin types.

Natural French Red Clay (S$11.90) – A sponge customized for dry, sensitive and mature skin.

Bamboo Charcoal (S$11.90) – Fight acne with Bamboo Charcoal suitable for problematic and acne prone skin.

Baby (S$11.90) – Perfect for children with sensitive skin or even eczema, the pH balanced sponge is ideal for baby’s delicate skin.

I was given the Natural French Red Clay for my review consideration. The sponge comes in a ziplock bag and looks slightly damp. I gave it a rinse to make sure it is clean before using it.

Dry sponge vs Damp sponge

The sponge will harden after drying. It’s almost as hard as a cookie and it’s extremely fascinating to see it shrink in size haha! To make the sponge return to its full size, simply submerge it in running or warm water and gently massage it.

Sponge Benefits

- 100% natural sponge
- No chemicals or preservatives
- No colors or additives
- Suitable for all skin types
- Perfect for infants
- Stimulates blood circulation
- Encourages new skin cells
- Cleanses and soothes
- Sustainable and biodegradable

How to Use

1/ Rinse the sponge before use and then gently massage the sponge until it has absorbed the water.
2/ Squeeze out excess water and use the sponge in circular motions alone or with a small amount of cleanser.
3/ Rinse sponge in clean running water after use and squeeze out excess water. Do not wring the sponge. Hang to dry.
4/ Sponge will harden when dry, rehydrate by submerging in warm water and gently massage the sponge until it has returned to full size.
5/ The average life span is about 3 months if the sponge is cared for in the correct way. Once the sponge shows signs of breaking down it is time to replace it.

My Verdict

I have been using the sponge as an exfoliator, sometimes I would use a little bit of cleanser and massage it on my face. It feels really soft and springy, like a massager. It doesn’t dry the skin nor feels too harsh. It is extremely gentle that I can use it daily without worrying that I will stress or over-scrub my skin too much. For those of you with sensitive skin or is looking for something that is gentle yet effective, do consider the KUU Konjac sponges.

KUU Konjac sponges are available at all BHG stores and online at www.beautycarousel.com

I have long heard about Illamasqua’s awesome blushes and managed to purchase one during one of their online sale. I chose the shade Naked Rose after seeing the swatches online. If I remember correctly, I paid about S$28 including shipping.

The packaging looks somewhat cheap looking since it is made of plastic but it feels pretty light and sturdy. Even so, I love the packaging due to its quirky design and that cute, little logo embossed in the middle. I can even see the shade instantaneously through the transparent cover.

Naked Rose is being described as a neutral beige pink shade. The blush is of matte texture and finely milled. It is extremely soft & smooth and picks up really well on my brush. The pigmentation is crazy. You don’t need too much of the blush to get a really nice flush on the cheeks.

Naked Rose without flash. Left – Unblended, Right – Blended.

Naked Rose with flash. Left – Unblended, Right – Blended.

Me, wearing the blush under natural light. Overall, I am extremely impressed by the quality of the blush and I can’t wait to visit their store in Bangkok to get more stuff!

Do you own any Illamasqua products?

Hair oils seem to very popular these days. When I first saw the L’Oreal Paris Elseve Extraordinary Oil (herein Extraordinary Oil), I felt that it look quite similar to L’Oreal Professionnel Mythic Oil which was launched last year. The difference between the two oils is that L’Oreal Paris Elseve Extraordinary Oil is for consumer use and readily available at supermarkets, pharmacies and departmental stores whereas L’Oreal Professionnel Mythic Oil is for salon use and only available at selected hair salons.

We had a little test to compare the Extraordinary Oil versus other hair oils (Oil B) in the market. We applied both hair oils on our hair and it turns out that Extraordinary Oil gets absorbed really fast while Oil B makes the hair extremely greasy.

The glass packaging gives a very luxury feel, given that it can be found in drugstores. Made from six floral oil extracts, it emits a very pleasant floral scent to enhance the application experience.

The thing about hair oils is that they are very versatile in terms of use as you can use it as a pre-shampoo treatment, a protectant before you use a straightener or curler and even for styling on dry or wet hair to give your hair that glossy finishing.

Bye bye frizzes! I love how the hair oil leaves my hair extremely smooth and easy to manage, especially when I don’t bring a comb around and my hair ends get really dry and tangled easily. Using just one pump, it doesn’t weigh down my hair or make it look too greasy but rather, leaving a healthy looking and glossy shine.

L’Oreal Paris Elseve Extraordinary Oil is available at major supermarkets, pharmacies and departmental stores and retails at S$23.90 for a 100ml bottle.

Ending the post with a lovely view of Marina Bay!

CocoPiel is a Korean online shop that sell items like colored contact lenses and accessories. They had kindly sponsored me some pretty Korean accessories! Shopping at CocoPiel is fairly simple. You purchase the products, make payment through PayPal, select your shipping method (Standard or Express), get the tracking number from CocoPiel and wait for the parcel to arrive! I received mine within 4 days after confirmation, totally impressed!

The package comes in a nicely packed brown paper box and each item is sealed with plastic packaging. Here are the items that I have received!

2ne1 Green Orange hair band and Love Harmony bracelet

With Me Blue bracelet and Daisy Violet earrings

Do follow my Instagram and Twitter accounts as I will be posting more photos of the items while wearing them!

www.cocopiel.com
www.facebook.com/coco.piel.1

“The Anthelios Commitment: Prevention is our priority.” – La Roche-Posay

La Roche-Posay is nothing new to me as I have reviewed some of their products here. The brand had kindly sent me their new Dry Touch Gel-Cream and Thermal Spring Water for my review consideration.

Since 90% of skin cancers detected in time are curable, La Roche-Posay Laboratories have always made skin cancer prevention their priority. In 2009, La Roche-Posay Laboratories launched the site myskincheck.org that allows you to evaluate your risk and self-monitor, keep track of changes in moles throughout the year and manage your sun exposure. Isn’t that wonderful?

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Dry Touch Gel-Cream SPF 50+ (S$49.90, 100ml)

Living in a country that is extremely hot and humid, it really gets on my nerves sometimes. And so, having a sunscreen that has a non-greasy and lightweight formula would be my top priority. The Dry Touch Gel-Cream is definitely a great choice. It has SPF 50+, UVA-UVB protection and offers optimal tolerance for sensitive or sun allergy-prone skin.

Here is a barefaced me wearing the gel-cream, please don’t laugh at my horrible face! There was no white cast and it melts and blended into the skin perfectly. The texture of the gel-cream is quite thick, thus I had to apply it fast though as it settles into a matte and powdery finish really quickly. Even when I perspire, my skin doesn’t feel icky. It is anti-irritant, sweat-proof, paraben-free, non-comedogenic and fragrance-free.

Tips on sunscreens:

- Sunscreens are categorized into physical and chemical. Here is an article that compares both types of sunscreens for your reference.

- Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide in sunscreens are the culprits for the white cast. Now, this white cast may not necessarily be bad as it helps to deflect all UVA and UVB rays immediately from our skin. Dry Touch Gel-Cream contains titanium oxide but I couldn’t find any traces of zinc oxide. If you would like tone down the white cast, apply a non-SPF tinted moisturizer, foundation or powder over your sunscreen.

- As mentioned before, there are two types of sunrays – UVB which causes sunburn and skin cancer and UVA which causes skin aging and cancer. Dry Touch Gel-Cream contains very high, broad, photostable UVA/UVB protection.

- Each and every one of us has different skin conditions, just because it works for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you. Do experiment and try different sunscreen formulations to find one that best suits you.

La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water (S$9.90, 50ml)

My skin feels dry all the time due to the weather and the constant exposure to air-conditioning in the office. With the Thermal Spring Water, I can bring it wherever I go and use it as and when I like to give my skin a boost. The nozzle produces a fine mist with a precisely controlled flow. Contains zinc, it helps to fight against acne and inflammation as well. I would also use this to refresh my skin after walking under the hot sun and set my makeup during midday when it starts to get a little cakey.

La Roche-Posay is available at major Guardian, Unity and Watsons retail pharmacies. Thanks for reading and good luck finding the best sunscreen for your skin! =)