Nobody like a higher SPF sunscreen that feels sticky on the skin. I certainly don’t. I stopped using sunscreen that are anything higher than SPF35 a few months ago where my face is relatively much more oilier than it was before. I’m very much into applying sunscreen on my face no matter what therefore to completely stop using sunscreen just because it’s sticky is not an option for me. I can live without cream base moisturizer but not sunscreen.

Nothing makes me happier than receiving sunscreen product. For some reason I’m obsessed with trying out all the sunscreen products available. I think we should all gift everyone sunscreen for all occassion lol. Enough of the rambling. Let’s see if SENKA Mineral UV Essence SPF50 PA++++ fits the bill for me shall we?

SENKA together with it’s philosophy “The Skincare Made With You” is developed by Shiseido that aims to fulfill customer’s skincare needs that are gathered through a survey. Although it is made available to consumers through retailing at drugstores nationwide, do no underestimate its quality and efficacy. You get the same if not better quality as any premium or counter brands. I always said it and I’m going to say it again. Japanese made the best skincare products. Don’t you agree?

Now. SENKA Mineral UV Essence SPF50 PA++++ came in the simplest packaging but this time round it came in a bright orange tube! This sunscreen was developed after Shiseido Japan did a survey of 100 people and through the survey, they found out that women are concern about dehydration, aging and sagging besides dark spots and freckles. Basically its the signs of aging that we women are afraid of . I know how confusing it is with all the UVA, UVB and so on so to make your life easier, just remember this. UV rays is the skin’s worst enemy because:

1. UVB cause sunburn to the skin if you’re exposed under the sun for too long.
2. UVA is able to penetrate deep into the layer of the skin AND it accelerates the process of aging.

At first when I received SENKA Mineral UV Essence, I thought it’s an essence aka skincare. The name is in such way instead of the more obvious is because it is made from 100% Mount Fuji Mineral Water. I’m half right on this product being an essence as it is indeed an anti-aging sunscreen serum that blocks out UV rays and at the same time help in preventing any premature skin aging that as you know are caused by being under the sunlight for a long time, hectic lifestyle, stress and environmental aggressors.

The tube is pretty handy. It is soft and mushy to touch, unlike other similar packaging. Feels odd at first. The slim nozzle opening makes it easier for me to control the amount I need. I know some people give a big hoo haa on shaking the tube before opening. I on the other hand would prefer to shake the tube before opening the cap. I like how everything printed on the tube is in Japanese but its definitely frustrating not to be able to read what’s on the tube especially if I accidentally threw away the card that came with the product. Anyhow it doesn’t really bothers me since I keep the original packaging until I finish the whole product.

Let’s talk about the texture. This is the crucial part for anyone who is fussy with sunscreen. The consistency is thick. It stays put on the back of my hand without budging. It is not in creamy white color but it has a yellowish tint to it. If I spread it out a little bit I can see a yellowish shadow sitting on top of the skin. Just a tiny bit. However it doesn’t seems to leave a tint when I really spread it onto the skin evenly. It doesn’t have a distinctive scent to it, only the typical sunscreen scent. So this would be perfect for those that are sensitive towards scented products.

For a SPF50 PA++++, I’m surprised that SENKA Mineral UV Essence is not even a bit oily. I usually dispense some product onto my palm, spread evenly on both palm before applying onto my face. The product immediately turned into velvety satin on my palm even before touching my face. I do find that it would be oilier if I dispense too much on my palm. So it’s the matter of how much I apply. On the face without makeup on, it gives my skin a soft and velvety smooth finishing. It does feels like powder to touch even until mid day. When my T-zone starts to oil up, it doesn’t feel oily or tacky to touch. Its weird though. Somehow the sunscreen change the oil texture into something else, as if I have a translucent powder on.

What about with makeup on? You know how much I hate higher SPF sunscreen that feels heavy and makes the skin oilier on faster rate. This one? It doesn’t do any of that. I have to give credit to the 100% Mount Fuji Mineral Water that gives the sunscreen a light texture. Of all SPF50 PA++++ sunscreen that I’ve tried before, this one feels like as if I’m wearing a SPF30 sunscreen. It is not oily, doesn’t make my makeup slip by the end of the day and it makes a good makeup base as well

SENKA Mineral UV Essence contain Coenzyme Q10. This particular ingredient is a moisturizing ingredient that is able to uphold elasticity of the skin while providing a superb protection and repairing to the skin. Sodium Hyaluronate is also added in to further infuse the skin with sufficient moisture. It is mineral oil free, fragrance-free and artificial coloring free

SENKA Mineral UV Essence is suitable to be used on the face as well as on the body. Although SENKA said that you can remove this sunscreen with just cleansing form, I would suggest removing it properly if you do have acne-prone skin, sensitive or oily skin. You know, just to be extra careful . But of course you can always remove it with cleansing foam especially if it has always been your usual routine and it doesn’t cause any harm to you.

So what are you waiting for not putting on sunscreen? Stickiness is no longer an excuse now that you have a superior SPF50 PA++++ protection sunscreen that not only has lighter texture but also helps in preventing premature skin aging.

Disclaimer: Product was sent to me for review consideration. This doesn’t affect my judgement in the review in any way.

The post SENKA Mineral UV Essence SPF50 PA++++: First anti-aging sunscreen that is light on the skin with superior protection appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

While I was composing product review for a new skin care range that I’m currently on, I feel the need to walk you through types of moisturizer and how to choose the right one for your skin type. Come to think of it, it will be a bit odd (for me) if I don’t start from the cleanser up to moisturizer. Being as random as I can be sometimes, this brings us to today’s topic – Facial Cleansers.

There are so many different type, brand, texture, function and benefits cleansers out there to choose from. Sometimes I can’t help but to wonder, is it really necessary to came out with so many type? I don’t usually go with a specific cleanser targeting a skin concern unless I have a severe breakout then only I’ll start searching for something to calm the breakout. Otherwise, I’m more into texture type of cleanser.

In today’s Cleanser 101, I’m going to walk you through basic types of cleanser for the last step in cleansing before toning. I’m also leaving makeup removers out of today’s topic because that’s going to be in another topic. Do bear in mind I’m only talking about some of the cleansers I have with me with what I think, there might be more cleanser out there and you may have different view than I do. But really, it used to be as simple as gel, self-foaming, milk and cream cleanser!

Gel Cleanser

Suitable For: Combination, oily and acne-prone skin.
Recommended Product: Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser, Biotherm PUREFECT SKIN Cleansing Gel, Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Daily Face Cleanser.

Several years ago, I was recommended to use gel-based cleanser as I have combination to oily skin. The right gel cleanser with the correct pH balance could be perfect for combination to oily skin users. Some gel cleanser doesn’t foams up a lot but they do provide decent amount of foam for cleansing action. I have been on and off gel cleanser because I’m not crazy over it. It does clean my face well but due to the fact that my face oils up faster than other people, I prefer cleanser that is “stronger” i.e. exfoliating cleanser. The gel-ish texture doesn’t give me the psychological peace of mind that my face is clean. For me, I feel that all skin type can use gel cleanser. Some people do feel it’s a tad bit too dry on them but that depends on which brand / type of gel cleanser. If you are looking into trying out gel cleanser, look for one that suit your skin type.

Cleansing Milk

Suitable For: Normal, dry and sensitive skin. Some cleansing milk is formulated for oily skin as well.
Recommended Product: Clarins Cleansing Milk With Gentian

I was debating with myself if I should include cleansing milk into this post because I use cleansing milk as my makeup remover, not as a form of cleanser. Typically, cleansing milk is meant for normal, dry and sensitive skin users as it’s a cleanser with moisturizing properties. It does not foams up at all. Some said it’s not suitable for combination or oily skin but I personally feel it is definitely suitable. As you know, some oily skin users are dehydrated on the inside so they need to hydrate their skin in order to control sebum secretion. You also need to be careful not to stripped of the skin’s natural oils therefore cleansing milk is the way to go. I was told to incorporate cleansing milk as the first part of my cleansing routine because of this reason. However, it can be too tacky thereafter so I would need to double cleanse. Dry skin user may find this step not necessary. I say follow what your skin tells you. If you feel your skin is clean and happily hydrated, just skip the 2nd cleansing step.

Self-Foaming Cleanser

Suitable For: Normal, combination and oily. Dry, very dry, sensitive and eczema-prone skin will need to beware.
Recommended Product: SENKA Speedy Perfect Whip, Yadah Anti-Trouble Bubble Cleanser, Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Daily Face Wash.

Self-foaming cleanser has been a hit over recent years as it’s hassle-free, time-saving and environmental friendly as you use lesser water to rinse. It can be quite fun and luxurious to use due to the ultra-smooth foams. I wouldn’t recommend this to very dry skin users because the foam can (some don’t) dry your skin out. I think it all lies down to how long you left the cleanser on the face. I would suggest to quickly cleanse and rinse to prevent dryness. I personally didn’t encounter any dryness nor has it stripped off the natural oil from my skin. I actually kinda like the squeakily clean feel after rinsing.

Exfoliating Cleanser

Suitable For: All skin type, except for sensitive and very dry skin.
Recommended Product: Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser With Orange Extract.

My favourite cleanser of all time is some sort of 3-in-1 cleanser whereas it removes makeup thoroughly, cleanse and exfoliate at the same time. I call this my lazy cleanser. This type of cleanser is one of the best to use because it really do removes makeup completely and cleanse at the same time. The exfoliating beads is not too harsh on the skin thanks to the cream cleanser. Depending on the brand and type, some cannot be use daily. So far I’ve only tried one brand and it can be use daily. I have nothing else to say about exfoliating cleanser but everyone should give it a shot. Oh and this is also suitable for all skin type, even dry skin. A few of my friends that have dry skin said this cleanser suits them well. If you have very dry skin, you should avoid any form of exfoliating products.

Multi-Task Cleanser

Suitable For: All skin type.
Recommended Product: Philosophy 3-In-1 Cleanser For Face and Eyes.

A multi-task cleanser is an all-round removes makeup, cleanse, tone and hydrate product. It’s similar to exfoliating cleanser except that this one includes toning action and without exfoliating beads. What this means is you can skip your toner after using the cleanser. I like to use this when I don’t have heavy makeup on and when I’m in a rush. It may look like a lotion cleanser but it lathers well and does a great job in cleansing. It is somewhat a light cleanser but extremely hydrating on the skin. You can also use this on bare face itself. Not necessary when you have makeup on. However do bear in mind not all multi-task cleanser available in the market are formulated and made to be same.

Foaming Cleanser

Suitable For: Combination and oily skin.
Recommended Product: Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser With Cottonseed, Hada Labo Fash Wash, Oxy Deep Cleansing Wash, Oxy Anti-Blackhead Wash.

The most common and popular cleanser of all time is foaming cleanser. Foaming cleanser may be too drying for dry to very dry skin users so combination and oily skin tend to have better luck with foaming cleanser because it is made to deep cleanse, removing dirt, sweat, sebum, bacteria and moisturizes the skin. Usually this type of cleanser lathers very well so you only need a small pea size each use. One tube of cleanser could last you for months!  Some foaming cleanser are infused with oils or other emollients but these ingredients may not strip the natural face oil from the skin. There are tons of different types of foaming cleanser available. Choose the right one according to your budget and needs.

Hope you enjoy today’s feature on Cleanser 101. I do apologize if there is any shortcoming with the feature as it’s a last minute decision to do this post. These are just the basic types of cleanser that I’ve used personally. It can be quite confusing shopping for cleanser because there are just too many types out there. All you need to remember is to choose either gel, milk, self-foaming, multi-task or the conventional foaming cleanser. Then from there it should be easier for you to choose the specific targeting cleanser that you need.

The post Cleanser 101: Types of Facial Cleansers appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

The brand SENKA that I first got to know is probably because of the whole foam “whipping” phenomena using one of their star product – Perfect Whip. And of course you can use the cleanser without the whole whipping action but what’s the fun of it right? I still remember vividly that most of my friends are so into all the foam producing that they went all out with it. Some bought a foam net, which I think is the most easiest and brilliant way, while some use a mask bowl set to whip the cleanser into foam.

Okay, I find all this extremely time consuming and not to mention tedious. It’s fun to do it once but everyday? Nah. This lazy bump opted for an easy way. Introducing SENKA’s newest member in the Perfect series – the SENKA Speedy Perfect Whip.

Now that we are done with our happy dance, let me tell you more about this new product from SENKA

You know how all of us nowadays are constantly busy with our life, our work and our lifestyle so more and more women will either ignore the most simple step in beauty, which is cleansing or they will go for the easy way like rinsing with just water. Don’t laugh. I’ve been told some people do that. SENKA Speedy Perfect Whip is especially created for busy beauty-conscious women as SENKA truly understand the need and the importance of providing a high quality and yet high efficacy product for daily skin pampering.

What can you expect from this new SENKA Speedy Perfect Whip? Let me see. Since this cleanser is a foam cleanser, you can expect a satisfying face massage from the thick and creamy foam, extremely time-saving as it’s already foam-ready and also environmental friendly as you waste lesser water during rinsing. How about that? .

The bottle is quite adorable too. It’s in blue, which is SENKA’s usual packaging color and it comes with a rather large pump top and dispensing hole for the foam. Usually it takes us roughly about 30 seconds maximum to create a good thick lather from the usual cream cleanser but with SENKA Speedy Perfect Whip, it’s literally zero second as a whipped-ready creamy and thick foam is dispense out by just a push of a pump! It takes an average of one minute or 12 litres of water for rinsing with normal cleanser. SENKA Speedy Perfect Whip water consumption is reduced by 6 litres so you are saving 4,380 litres of water annually

Just like it’s sister cleanser – Perfect Whip, SENKA Speedy Perfect Whip’s foam is also solid and it doesn’t drip or fell off from my hand. That shows how creamy and thick the foam is.

Usually I would use one full pump for normal cleansing or two full pumps as the last step of double cleansing. The texture is like a soft cushion, easily spreaded all over the face effortlessly. Most people would just avoid foam cleanser because it is said to be drying on the face? Nope. Not this one. I even tried leaving it on my face for a minute just to test out if it dries up my skin after rinsing and I don’t feel any tightening at all. It also doesn’t strip all of the natural oil from my face. Instead I feel that it balance up my skin PH as my face is actually less oilier. I found out that SENKA Speedy Perfect Whip is formulated with silk extract as a moisturizing property so eventhough it removes excess oil and dirt, it retain all the necessary moisture on the face. This formulation explains why I don’t feel the tightening and my face is less oilier.

The scent is absolutely amazing. The first thing my nose detected is rose scent. It actually smells like my Victoria’s Secret Delicate Petal Body Mist, which is a rose scent that I hunted for like a mad woman as it was discontinued a few years ago. So when I first smell this SENKA Speedy Perfect Whip, I feel connected to the scent in a way. The scent went off immediately after rinsing. After all it’s a foam cleanser which means it’s quite light on the face

Here’s the Before and After. There is nothing to compare as this is a cleanser only after all but I feel like doing it just to see how different my skin looks like. The camera didn’t detect the fact that my face is less oilier in real.

Besides targeting the busy beauty-conscious women who are lack of time to pamper themself, this affordable SENKA Speedy Perfect Whip is also suitable for those in their 20s who is seeking for a product that are with distinct quality but with lesser amount paid. No doubt there are quite a number of foam cleanser in the market these days but finding something that doesn’t dries up your skin, smells good, affordable and easy access to is not plenty. Be a beauty and environmental-conscious user at the same time

How many of you tried foam cleanser but your skin just can’t take it? So far I’ve tried a few and so far so good. My only complain is that the other foam cleanser’s foam bubble is quite large so it’s not as smooth as it should be.

Disclaimer: Product was sent to me for review consideration. This doesn’t affect my judgement in the review in any way.

The post Review: SENKA Speedy Perfect Whip – A Whipped-Ready Version of SENKA’s Star Product, Perfect Whip appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

With the price hike creeping in bit by bit recently, it is understandable to have the need to source for a cheaper but good alternative on daily fast moving consumer goods. I like to treat myself with nothing but the best when it comes to beauty products. I also like to splurge even on makeup removers although I know it’s a bit waste but hey it’s my face at the end of the day :D.

Year end holiday season is my favourite time of the year. All the tiring gift set hoarding shopping, all the dinners and parties to attend to…it is important to have a good but quick and efficient makeup remover that are able to do a good job in stripping off all the makeup and impurities before hitting the sack.

SENKA offers a wide efficient range of fast, hassle-free and fun cleansing products that are able to fulfill the needs of a busy and beauty conscious women.

When I said wide range of cleansing product, I really do mean so. SENKA offers the perfect five best friends that will suit different need and preference. These five best friends are Perfect Whip, Perfect Liquid, Perfect Gel, Perfect Watery Oil and Perfect Oil. I won’t be reviewing all five but I will be sharing with you SENKA’s two totally different type and texture makeup removers.

SENKA Perfect Gel (RM19.90 / 160gm)

Perfect Gel contain this smooth micro-oil gel so it’s not completely gel-gel. The natural skin oil cleansing elements in the gel works like a flash of light but effectively to remove makeup off the face which detaching mascara from the eyelashes and lift of impurities from the pores.

Usually gel type of makeup remover is said to be suitable for combination to oily skin. I would expect this gel to be less powerful than oil but I will soon learnt that it is not. I have totally under estimated the gel texture. I thought it’s light but to my surprise this Perfect Gel is kind of thick and gluey.

Let’s do an experiment shall we? On the back of my hand I have various product swatch on. I left it on my hand for 15 minutes before I start removing them with Perfect Gel. These product comes with different ingredients, staying power, texture, color and so on so it will be the best example to test out the efficacy of Perfect Gel.

The gel is in white as seen below. The scent is quite pleasant on the nose but definitely not overpowering. In fact this is the less clogging scent from makeup remover that I ever used. I never realise that Perfect Gel is thicker in texture comparing with others in the market so I sort of over-used it lol. It is also as smooth as souffle. Most of us will be thinking the more remover used, the easier to remove makeup right? Well, that’s not the case with Perfect Gel. It’s a complete opposite. When used in moderate amount, it removes makeup with breeze. It works by melting into a more watery texture when massage in. If used too much, it is so hard to massage the gel all over the face so makeup are not removed thoroughly. Not forgetting rinsing the gel off would be a pain. I’ve learnt it the hard way

The trick here is to massage thoroughly. Even the most stubborn mascara that can only be removed with water comes off bit by bit. If you notice I actually tested Perfect Gel onto a few long lasting / matte makeup products so the residue will require some extra massaging.

SENKA Perfect Gel is a fuss-free makeup remover product that you can choose to either rinse with water or wipe off with a tissue or cotton. For this experiment I used a tissue to wipe off the residue and you know what? All the makeup residue that I wasn’t able to remove earlier came off just like that. Without any tugging, without force and without any pressure placed on the back of my palm. There wasn’t any stickiness or any discomfort after that. However I prefer to rinse with water on usual days because it is more convenient for me while in the shower and I always double cleanse after.

I personally use this Perfect Gel when I feel that my face is not very oily and dirty by the end of the day or when I’m using light makeup. No doubt Perfect Gel is also suitable to remove heavy makeup but I just choose to use it the way I wanted to :D. For heavy makeup, I have another review below

SENKA Perfect Watery Oil (RM49.90 / 230ml)

Perfect Watery Oil comes with Sebum Cleansing Ingredient and Moist-Cleansing Ingredient. Oooo I like that already! This cleansing oil remove makeup and impurities effortless from deep within the pores without any need of scrubbing.

Cleansing Oil is not a stranger to me but this will be my first time trying on “watery oil” makeup remover. Although it carry the word “watery”, don’t ever under estimate this makeup remover. When I was doing this demo in my room for this review, I was shocked. Why? Because as soon as I dispense the cleansing oil onto the back of my hand, makeup started melting itself.

Let’s do the same lil experiment just like Perfect Gel earlier using the same makeup products shall we? :D. This time I have also left the product swatches on my hand for 15 minutes prior before.

I begin to understand why this product was named “watery”. The texture of Perfect Watery Oil is really runnier than other cleansing oil available in the market. Not only the oil is runnier, it is also more lighter. The scent on the other hand is also quite pleasant on the nose. It’s a similar scent found in other Japanese cleansing oil. I thought it smells a bit fruity floral

As I mentioned earlier, the makeup swatch on the back of my hand melts off on it’s own as soon as I have the oil on, even before I started massaging it. It is true when SENKA mentioned that Perfect Watery Oil comes with a light cleansing finish that only need soft cleansing motion.

The recommended amount to use for the whole face is 4 full pumps. I’m using just 3 full pumps :D. This cleansing oil can be used on dry face as well as with wet hands and on wet face. You know how sometimes we wash our hands in the shower before even removing makeup? You don’t have to worry about that with Perfect Watery Oil.

SENKA Perfect Watery Finish is simply amazing. Just a light massage and all makeup came off effortlessly. This one really doesn’t require much work. So convenient and easy to use. But what I like the most is the rinsing. The oil is easily wash off from the face together with all the makeup residue and impurities, leaving absolutely no traces of oil or stickiness thanks to it’s Super Micro-Water formula. Face is surprisingly squeakily clean but even though so I do suggest following up with double cleansing after that.

I don’t suggest you wiping off the makeup remover residue using a tissue but I was a curious cat so I used a tissue to remove the oil from the back of my hand just to see how it fares. As usual the mascara is the stubborn one which still stay put on my hand. As soon as I wipe the oil off, the mascara was lifted up at the same time. Amazingly there wasn’t any stickiness or oil left behind.

Which SENKA cleansing product are you?

The last thing that we need now is to spend time removing all the makeup after a long night partying. I like that Perfect Gel doesn’t require rinsing. All you need to do is to wipe off with tissue or cotton, change into your pyjamas and off to bed! You can do all that at the comfort of your room.

What if you are still pretty much sober awake and you like to cleanse your face thoroughly before bed, Perfect Watery Oil is the perfect solution for you. This light cleansing oil gives you a properly cleanse face with a piece of mind.

What about me? Well, if I were to choose a favourite between SENKA Perfect Gel and Perfect Watery Oil, it will be Perfect Watery Oil. I’m the kind of person who will still take my sweet time removing makeup properly no matter how tired I am. I may skip skin care layering and just slap on a thick moisturizer after that but I never take removing makeup, a skin care step for granted

Disclaimer: Product was sent to me for review consideration. This doesn’t affect my judgement in the review in any way.

The post Review: SENKA Perfect Gel and Perfect Watery Oil, Your After-Party Best Friend This Festive Season. Ho ho ho! appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona