Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Skin Treatment Review

Missha has a line of skincare products, Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail, that uses snail slime to heal and strengthen damaged skin. Here I'll review the Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Skin Treatment. This product's US webpage states that this product is "a soothing gel that contains 30% snail slime extract for glowing skin," and is a "skin awakening booster and toner to firm skin foundation."

The page continues to state that this gel can be used for day and night by applying an adequate amount directly after washing your face. Then you can follow up withe the Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Essential Moisturizer for further cell regeneration.

This product is clear and has a very water consistency, yet it's slightly smooth, like highly diluted gel. Therefore, it's easiest to apply on your face by first pouring a bit into the palm of your hand. The scent is like that of high end perfume...full of musk and flowers. It isn't noticeable once on the face though.

The Pros

• This treatment feels very light on my face.
• I have no reaction, no stings, nothing while applying this on my face.
• Within seconds it dries and leaves a sticky residue, but within minutes that stickiness fades.
• My skin feels a bit smoother the next morning.

The Cons

• There is nothing negative to say...but I'm neutral on the product. It doesn't actually seem like there are benefits to using this, just that I'm adding an unnecessary extra step to my skincare routine.

Overall, I'll probably have to use this product over a period of time to actually see cell regeneration and stronger skin. While my skin does feel a bit smoother afterwards, I'd rather use a thicker face cream that will more quickly moisturize my skin and guarantee instant results.

F to F Magazine Jan 2013 Vol.01 Review

F to F World Wide Entertainment Magazine is a monthly Japanese magazine focusing on the Hallyu wave, including Kpop, Korean dramas and advertisements for Korean brands.  The physical magazine is rather minimal, with just two staples at the side instead of a real spine.  This easily causes creases across the covers.  Each issue is 980 Yen, but of course buying overseas makes the sales price much higher.  I bought the F to F January 2013 issue in Singapore's Kinokuniya bookstore for $29.30 SGD (roughly $22.99 USD).

Anything to do with Kim Myungsoo, and I'm all over it.  Instantly when I saw the cast of Shut Up Flower Boy Band as the cover of F to F, I shrieked with joy.  All of the magazines at Kinokuniya were wrapped, so sadly I was unable to look at the contents before purchasing.  I decided to take a gamble and buy the magazine, despite knowing how much of Myungsoo I'd actually see inside.  I didn't know that the SUFBB cast was featured in a magazine, let alone one from eight months ago, so I was really happy to add this magazine to my Kpop collection.

The individual photoshoots of the five current members of Eye Candy were beautifully laid out at the beginning of the Shut Up Flower Boy Band spread.  Unfortunately this article was only 10 pages long, but they're filled of gorgeous photos of the flower boy cast.

The next six pages covered the five main actors.  The first two pages were dedicated to Myungsoo (top photo).  These photos alone were worth the price of the magazine!  I love that he's first in the list of characters, despite not being the lead.  The next two pages were of Sung Joon, the main character of the drama.  The following two pages were for the remaining three flower boys.

The last two pages of the spread continued its focus on the remaining three band members of Eye Candy, as well as showed screenshots from the drama.  In total, there were nine stunning photos of Myungsoo, making this magazine a treasure.

The bulk of this magazine has 10 different interviews about two to four pages long each of Hallyu stars, from Korean actors to dramas to boybands.  These interviews include actors John Hoon and Yoo Seung Ho (shortly before entering the military!), drama King Two Hearts, and boybands Boyfriend, Code-V, Shu-I, and more.

There were a few pages of advertisements that caught my eye.  On the back cover (left picture) is an ad for perfume by Korean beauty brand Missha.  On the inside cover (right picture) was an ad for Lotte Duty Free shopping with endorser Jang Geun Suk.  There was also another ad for Jang Geuk Suk's cookbook, showing the singer-actor-(and now chef?) having fun while preparing food.

Overall, I wish that this issue had a larger spread on Shut Up Flower Boy Band.  While the photos from this shoot were nice, it probably wasn't worth the price (but the photos of Myungsoo made up for it).  But I am glad to have a magazine with the lovely Myungsoo on the cover!

Korean Beauty Brand: Missha and Super Aqua Ultra Waterfull Cream Review

Missha is a Korean beauty brand that focuses on quality and reasonably priced products rather than packaging or "mass media advertising," according to the company's US website.  This brand's goal is to satisfy customers with the products itself, while other brands draw in customers with adorable packaging and celebrity endorsers (I'm a huge sucker for both packaging and endorsers, which is why I'm not too familiar with Missha...).  According to Missha's ideology, quality, lowest prices and customer satisfaction are the main goals of this company.

In 2009, Missha began focusing on the American market, opening stores in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas, and launching the US website www.misshaus.com.  This website is fully functioning in English, so it is very maneuverable for English speaking fans.

The prices definitely are more expensive than other Korean brands, but this company does seem to focus on quality rather than facade, so prices might be worth the quality.

Super Aqua Ultra Waterfull Cream

I received this sample from my purchase as Debbie in Markham Mall.  All of the information on the backside is in Korean, so I researched this product through Missha's US site; here is the link.

The description states that this product moisturizes skin from dryness.  This cream is made from desert plant extracts that survive year-round, supporting this product's effectiveness toward dry weather.  This product's page goes on to list specific qualities of the cream, like how this cream protects moisture from escaping from your skin, it makes your skin more elastic and how baobab tree extract helps to stop your skin from drying out.  Let's see if my face agrees with all of these statements!

This cream is very thick, like a coagulated solid.  The right photo illustrates how even when I tilt my hand to be parallel with the wall, the cream doesn't slip off or even budge from my palm.  The amount in my hand was enough to abundantly cover my face, excluding my forehead and eyelids.  Because of the thickness, a lot goes a long way!  Despite its solid form, once the cream hits my face, it melts on my skin, is very creamy and spreads well.  Also the scent is a very subtle, clean soap smell.

My skin is a combination of dry at the cheeks and oily at the t-zone.  When I apply this cream to my entire face, it leaves a smooth and matte finish that evens out my dryness and oiliness.  I used this as a night cream and when I woke up the next morning, majority of the cream was still on my face and hadn't been fully absorbed into my skin yet.

Pros

• This cream works well as a primer: it leaves a thick layer on your face that takes hours (20 hours later and I still feel a bit on the apples of my cheeks) to be absorbed by the skin.  This layer smooths over my rough spots and blackhead areas and lightens my acne scars like a concealer.  When I apply concealer onto my zits, it looks a lot more natural and flush whereas using concealer on my bare face created an unnatural look.
• As a primer, this cream lasts all day.
• This cream is a great, strong moisturizer for dry skin.  This seems perfect for the cold, harsh winds of winter!
• My face is left feeling smooth and healthy, not oily.
• After 24 hours, my abnormally rough skin is significantly softer.

Cons

• When applied to my days-old zits, the area does sting.

Overall, this is the first time that I really loved a product after using a sample.  After one use, my face feels highly moisturized.  I'd be willing to pay more money for the high quality of this product (roughly $30USD for 47ml).  I absolutely love how this moisturizer doubles as a primer!