In the modern world these days, who doesn’t want to look fair? Literally everyone that lives in the Asian countries are very much into anything that gives our skin the fairness, brightness, luminous and radiant glow. Everybody know I am into brightening beauty regimen although bronzing up the skin to look like as I have sun-kissed skin is my most favourite makeup step to do . However I don’t like to look pitch white overall. What I’m looking for is that radiant and glowing skin. And that is how I embarked onto the Hakubi White C Series regimen. I have tried many whitening or brightening skincare and I have yet to try a brand from Japan. Yes! Hakubi is from Japan. The brand is by Sato Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., an established name in healthcare in Japan, with a presence in the US, Europe and Asia. Most skincare works on the outside aka skin surface but Hakubi’s new White C Series lighten skin blemishes as well as blemishes and freckles from the inside out with its unique formulation. Overall the White C Series range only has two products and each of them are different in its way. A topical skincare – White C Gel to be applied on the skin and White C Plus, an oral supplement. When used together, both products aimed to give the skin a brighter, fairer and healthier skin.

White C Gel (RM97.40 / 20g)

Needless to say, the Hakubi White C Gel was opened and used immediately the minute I got it from the mail man because I was having some breakout and a whitening gel is what I need to lighten the stubborn acne scars.

White C Gel comes in a handy slim white tube with a rather unique fine nozzle tip. I actually like this type of tip as the product is quite liquidy and this type of tip somehow prevent the product from streaming out of the nozzle uncontrollable. It also ensure that I do not squeeze out more than necessary for pin-pointing application. You don’t really need that much actually.

This White C Gel is a liquidy gel. It has no color or any artificial scent to it. It has Vitamin C derivatives and Licorice Extract to help repair the skin from the outside. It has a list of benefits such as:

• clear blemishes and freckles
• suppresses the production of melanin and protects against blemishes and freckles
• tightens, purifies and conditions skin
• maintains a healthy skin
• moisturizes and protects skin
• prevents dry skin and acne
• antioxidant effect prevents acne by suppressing the oxidization of fat
• Licorice Extract or Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate in the gel acts as an anti-inflammatory agent to soothe irritation
• conditions the skin by activating collagen synthesis
• prevents spots after treatment

I used this Hakubi White C Gel day and night. Day time under my makeup, while night time as the last step. However I have to warn you that you have to be careful with the amount to apply because if you apply too much, it hardens up and turned into flakey white surface. Your makeup will definitely look patchy on top of it. So beware of the amount! The reason why I apply this as the last step despite the texture to resemble a serum is because I do pin-point application and I don’t want it to get everywhere. You can also apply the gel on the entire face but as I said before, beware of the amount you apply.

I did also apply it on top of acne just to see how it goes and I’m happy to report that my acne did not worsen but instead it shrunk in size. It doesn’t irritate the skin or acne like other product, which I am very glad. Want to see the Before and After? Continue reading

White C Plus (RM122.85 / 180’s)

I have never taken any whitening supplement before but I wasn’t worried because before this I have heard that this White C Plus supplement is really good and works. I suppose anything that are taken orally are anyhow better and works faster since it is working from the inside out.

This one I admit I am slightly confuse with. I have to Google and ask my friend if the instruction was really 2 tables for 3 times a day. After reading other reviews online, I was less worried and started taking the supplement. It contains Vitamin C, L-Cysteine, Vitamin B6 and Calcium Pantothenate is recommended for daily use. Perfectly safe

The White C Plus comes in a glass bottle and the empty area in the bottle are stuffed with a clear plastic so that the tablets doesn’t move in the bottle.

I’m amazed with how Japanese think thoroughly about their packaging. This bottle of White C Plus has a desiccant canister attached to the inside of the cap. Brilliant! But that means I can’t tilt the bottle and dispense the tablets into the cap LOL. Anyhow I still like the idea.

The tablets are all white, smooth and taste sweet too. There was no weird or nauseating taste. It taste just like sweets! If the White C Gel repairs from the outside, this White C Plus repairs FROM THE INSIDE.

• promotes healing with Vitamin C as antioxidant
• Vitamin C and L-Cysteine to help maintain a healthy body
• L-Cysteine promotes skin metabolism
• Calcium Pantothenate or Vitamin B5 assists Vitamin C to help in carbohydrate and fat metabolism and has a detoxifying effect
• Vitamin B6 activates the metabolism of the skin
• helps regenerate the skin

Some of you may be skeptical about ingesting a whitening supplement but I can tell you after nearly a month of taking this oral supplement that I did not experience any side effect nor do I feel unwell. I really like the idea of taking supplement to help with improving the skin and health overall but since I am kind of new in all this oral supplement regimen, I have my doubts. The main doubt was – does it work? Am I any fairer? Does my skin looked better?

The answer is YES. And it has been amazing. My situation is a bit tricky. On another hand I am breaking out like crazy from trying out other skincare. But at the same time I looked healthier and hence fairer by a fair bit. It is more visible when I have makeup on. I do not have the smoothes skin texture of all time and the other day I took a face photo for a foundation review and my skin looked smoother, less texture than before.

Here are the Before and After photo comparison, after nearly a month of using and consuming White C Gel and White C Plus.

To be honest I was only expecting fairer skin but instead I got a radiant, brighter skin, smoother face texture, pores especially on the inner of my cheeks are visible smaller, and uneven skin tone are visible evened out. I am impressed!

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

The post Expecting a Radiant, Healthier Complexion with Hakubi White C Series and I Got More! appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

While I am still on the whitening Olympic game, I also took on the L’Occitane (pronounced as “LOX-EE-TAHN” for those who still scratching head on how to pronounce the brand name) challenge on trying out their new addition, Reine Blanche Whitening Rich Cream, which is now a part of the Reine Blanche range that was launched 2 years ago. Reine Blanche range was launched with 6 products. This year, L’Occitane added another additional 3 products into the range.

P/S: I don’t think I will ever be off the whitening bandwagon just FYI lol

Reine Blanche Whitening Rich Cream, as its name would suggest is a rich cream. I still remember vividly that a few years ago, whitening range is known to be drying on any skin especially dry, dehydrated and matured skin. Not anymore. With this new rich cream formula, you will be expecting not only a bumped up whitening formula but it also nourishes skin and re-plumps it with moisture. The formula contain Reine Blanche Complex that also works to even out skin tone.

The jar itself is very hefty. It look like it is more than 50ml because no matter how much I used it seems full still. I have to triple check the ml to double confirm it is just 50ml

L’Occitane products are typically fragranced. However this Reine Blanche Whitening Rich Cream is not as strongly scented as I thought it would be. The scent is sensorial, without overpowering the nose. The scent disappears almost right after application so that is a good news for those who are not a fan of scented skincare.

The Reine Blanche whitening and illuminating range are formulated with Reine de Pres, a unique flower that grow whiter over time, lightening itself from creamy shade when it first blooms to a pure white color. That is what the skincare targets to achieve as well.

Consistency wise, it is definitely thicker and creamier than any other cream product. It has a pure white cream color but not the type that gives you a paint-like mask on the face like the one I reviewed previously by Dr. Jart. It does leaves a thin white cast over the face but it disappears soon after.

I have been quite lucky with whitening products so far including this L’Occitane Reine Blanche Whitening Rich Cream. It gives me the brightening effect that I want and further lighten past acne marks as daily maintenance for me. I’m quite comfortable with my skin these days that I even go out to the mall without any makeup on but just my eyebrow done. Although there are still a lot of work to be done to further lighten those uneven skin tone but hey, I am quite happy about the product and that I know nothing works overnight. A complete skincare routine, lifestyle and diet plays a big part in a beautiful skin too. I also always believe in using whitening products to compress future pigmentation from deep inside from emerging up to the surface. Prevention is always better than cure.

This is me, bare face. No makeup on as me and 40 others more participated in #IWillBeOkay Trail Hike. Imagine meeting 40 people and I have no makeup on. I must have had some kind of confidence boost that day LOL.

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

The post L’Occitane Reine Blanche Whitening Rich Cream Has Been Making Me Leaving The House Without Any Makeup On appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

There are three skincare range I am into and using daily – anti-aging (a must!), hydration and of course, whitening is pretty standard. Asians are into having a fairer skin. That is not the case for me. I love my tan skin! I only started dabbing my toes into whitening because I wanted to lighten my acne marks.

I have been with Clarins since 2010. And I have been on their whitening bandwagon at the same time I started Clarins skincare journey. Now enter the new White Plus Pure Translucency era. In 2016, Clarins launched Tri-Intensive Brightening Serum. And now, this new range completes the whole regimen with Purify, Prepare, Correct, Embellish and Revive steps.

Why the change? Clarins Research team identified that dark spot formation due to melanin overproduction happens in 3 stages. Clarins also identified a fruit extract – Acerola Fruit Extract that works to regulate Melanocyte’s environment. It helps to decrease 24.5% and counterbalance Exosomes’ impact on melanin overproduction.

• Stage 1 (Under Normal Conditions): Melanocyte produce melanin, which was transported to Keratinocyte. It is responsible for natural even skin tone, which can be affected by UV exposure which then leads to future dark spots.
• Stage 2 (Under UV Exposure): The direct hyperactivity of Melanocyte and Exosomes enhanced Melanogenesis. This increase the melanin content in Keratinocyte although not enough to cause it to be visible on the skin surface. This is what skin analysis devices detected “under the skin”, which is referred to dark spots in progress.
• Stage 3 (Over Time / Due To Intense UV Exposure): The melanin quantity accumulated in Keratinocytes reaches the level where dark spots are made visible at the skin surface. Now that is called stubborn dark spots.

The new Clarins White Plus Pure Translucency range includes five products in total. I only have the new four products with me so I will not be talking about the serum as I did not have it.

Purify: Brightening Creamy Mousse Cleanser (RM140)

Of all four products, my favourite has got to be the Brightening Creamy Mousse Cleanser. Coincidentally I was sick and tired with cream cleanser as the balance 10% product is always the hardest to squeeze out from a tube. So I convert to bubble cleanser or self-foaming cleanser. “Clarins coming out with mousse cleanser? Cool!”. That was my first impression the moment I saw the product at the launch event.

A pump is all you need for the whole face. I made a rookie mistake by pumping 2 pumps. Boy oh boy that was too much. That is because this one from Clarins is a creamy cleanser. True to its name, it is indeed creamy and thick. Therefore a pump is really all you need each wash. Some said foam cleanser can strip of the skin’s natural moisture hence the skin feels dry and tight. Not with this one. I do have more dehydrated and dry skin type now and I do not feel any sort of dryness or tightening on my skin. Love this! Smells great too!

Prepare: Brightening Milk Treatment Lotion (RM180)

The toner aka lotion has two variant to choose from. A clear version named Brightening Aqua Treatment Lotion and a milk version, which is the one I have. All these years using Clarins I have only used the clear type lotion. This is my first time trying out milk lotion. Brightening Milk Treatment Lotion is said to be Clarins’ legend in terms of formulation since 2007. It has a thicker consistency but when used with a cotton pad all over the face, it gives the skin a soft, bouncy and hydrating result. Just as what other users claimed. It took me just two usage to get used to this type of lotion. My drier skin texture really love this thicker lotion. Where have I been all these while! lol. Despite having a thicker texture, it does not overly drenched my skin so I have to work faster to apply my eye cream and quickly apply my face serum.

Embellish: Brightening Emulsion (RM255)

Just like the previous range, the emulsion range also comes in two variant. One is the normal emulsion and the other one with SPF20/PA+++. I remember I bought the one with SPF20/PA+++ before and I did not like it that much. I felt that it is too heavy for me. Imagine I piled up so much serum (3 at least) then emulsion that has a SPF, which means it is heavier and then a separate SPF etc. And I also remember this bottle is so huge that I could never finish it. Fast forward to today, I was glad that I have the normal emulsion version instead.

It has a OPEN and CLOSE nozzle but me being the lazy bum me had the nozzle turned to OPEN all the time. It has a cap anyway so I am not bothered. However the cap does not suction down to the bottle so if you hold the bottle by it’s cap, you will risk having the whole bottle drop. The bottle is made from glass therefore it tend to be heavier. I was glad I did not smash the glass on my vanity table!

The Brightening Emulsion has a rather light and liquidy consistency than any other emulsion I have tried. For me, this act as the last step of my skincare routine before sunscreen. When used on it’s own without makeup, you will feel slight stickiness on the skin. That is normal if you do not have makeup on. It claimed to have a velvety matte finish but for me, not so. Maybe my acceptance on matte is different. My matte is really matte type of matte lol. Whitening product has come so far now. It used to be drying on the skin but I can say this Clarins White Plus Pure Translucency has been providing hydration to my skin as well.

Revive: Brightening Revive Gel (RM285)

Now, now. Something new and different. Instead of a whitening cream, Clarins shocked me by coming out with a gel instead. Those with drier skin will gasp in horror thinking if the gel will be sufficient for this skin. The answer is YES.

The other different thing about this Brightening Revive Gel is that it has multiple function. It is a moisturizer, an intensive mask and a sleeping mask. This explains the gel consistency!

Personally, I do not use this in the day time. I have the emulsion for day use so I reserved this gel for night regimen. It has a fresh scent that is ultra-sensorial and smooth over the skin. When used as normal, it is a face moisturizer but when applied thickly, it acts as a quick intensive mask or even a sleeping mask. So far I have only used it as normal moisturizer and as sleeping mask. Either way I like how brighter my complexion is as days goes by but I still prefer to save it as moisturizer instead. I do not need to be a typical Asian that wants a fair skin

If you have been noticing a dull skin tone, give this Clarins White Plus Pure Translucency range a try. Before I started using the whole range, I was mixing a few other products and I notice the lack of brightness on my skin. At that time I was focusing a lot on anti-aging and hydration. After a few weeks on nothing else but this White Plus Pure Translucency range only, I notice a tremendous change in terms of brightness. No, you will not get from shade 3 to shade 1 by using whitening or brightening skincare. What the product does is that it brings out the aura from within so that your skin look more translucent and brighter. This gives the illusion of a fairer skin, not bleachy white skin

Disclaimer: Product was from media launch. This doesn’t affect my judgement in the review in any way.

The post The 2017 Whitening Olympic Starts with Clarins White Plus Pure Translucency Range appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

What do you do when Hada Labo released two different gel close at the same time? You do THE BATTLE OF THE HADA LABO GEL of course! . Rather than the usual one by one product talk-through and making your life harder referring to different pages on which gel to get, I thought why not combine two of the gel and show you what is the difference? This way you will get a clearer idea on which gel to get that is suitable for your skin need

Function

(Blue) Whitening Water Gel – This gel provides 3 times brightening benefits. It is infused with multiple intensive brightening ingredients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin B3 and Carnosine. All this ingredients promises a luminous, fair and translucent skin with natural radiance with 3 brightening action – Anti-Redness, Anti-Dark Spots and Anti-Dullness.
Formulated with High Performance Penetrating and Deep Moisturizing (HPP&M) Technology, this Whitening Water Gel are also infused with 4 types of Hyaluronic Acid, just like every other Hada Labo products, which includes Large size, Medium Size, Super and Nano HA. Additional to that, there is a Aqua Oil Volume Matrix Technology, which is a 3D moisturizing System to help to form a moisture protecting shield on the skin surface to keep the skin hydrated at all times.

(Red) Lifting + Firming 3D Perfect Gel – This gel on another hand is a multifunctional 5-in-1 moisturizer to help life and define the skin’s 3D contoured appearance for more sculpted look. 5-in-1 means it is a cream, milk, essence, emulsion and sleeping mask for skin nourishing and skin aging repairing. This new 3D Perfect Gel comes with a unique restoration gel texture. It is formulated with 4 types of Hyaluronic Acid + Sacran. What this gel does is that it hydrates the skin deeply from the surface to inner skin to give the skin intense hydration and it also contains 3D Hyaluronic Acids, which is an advanced generation of interlocked Hyaluronic Acid structure that instantly replenishes and boost the skin with deep hydration and locks in long lasting moisture. As this is also an anti-aging focused product, it contains Retinol Vitamin A to promote skin elasticity and to help diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for overall skin smoothness. In addition, Hydrolyzed Collagen to lift and define the skin’s 3D contoured appearance are added in. Other aging skin issues such as age spots and uneven skin tone are repaired and lightened with Resveratrol Extract, a powerful anti-oxidant from red wine.

Packaging

(Blue) Whitening Water Gel – Whitening Water Gel is only 50g. The jar is significantly smaller but heavier due to the gel structure. The cap is white as opposed to the blue jar.

(Red) Lifting + Firming 3D Perfect Gel – This one on the other hand is a 100g product. The jar is of course larger in size but not that much. Having 100% more content than the other gel, it is somehow lighter due to the gel structure, which you will see in the next paragraph.

Texture and Scent

(Blue) Whitening Water Gel – Between the two, this gel smells more refreshing and more pleasant on the nose. The gel has a light blue color from the jar but goes on the skin translucent. It has an ultralight watery texture which will absorbed into the skin in no time.

(Red) Lifting + Firming 3D Perfect Gel – This gel is so light and watery that it spilled all over me when I opened the cap so becareful with the gel. It is a translucent gel that feels a little jelly-ish in the jar when touch and quickly smooths itself to restore back to its original state. It kind of reminds me of Asta Lift. It does not have any scent except for the the typical gel scent, which I am not a fan of. It goes on the skin with a slight hardened gel feeling but quickly diminish when the gel was smoothen out. Because of this it feels heavier on the skin comparing to the Whitening Water Gel.

In conclusion, Whitening Water Gel is more like a gel and Lifting + Firming 3D Perfect Gel is like a jelly.

There you have it! The difference between Hada Labo Whitening Water Gel and Hada Labo Lifting + Firming 3D Perfect Gel. Hope this back-to-back comparison gave you a clearer picture as to which gel to get that suits your preference and skin need.

The post Battle of The Hada Labo Whitening Water Gel and Lifting + Firming 3D Perfect Gel appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona