The Face Shop Herb Day 365 Cleansing Foam - Acerola Review

The Face Shop is known for using natural ingredients and for creating great skincare products, and the brand's Herb Day line fits these concepts perfectly.  Herb Day has a variety of products, such as cleansing foam, cleansing tissue wipes, cleansing cream and massage cream.  These products come in various organic flavors, with the most diverse selection of flavors for the cleansing foam.  Here I'll be reviewing my Herb Day 365 Cleansing Foam - Acerola sample, which I received from my purchase at The Face Shop in San Francisco's Japantown.

I didn't know what acerola was, but based on the image it looks like a cherry.  After a quick Google search, I figured out it's a type of tropical cherry from Central and South America, as well as the tropics around the world.  The sample is entirely in English, with the front stating that this is for all skin types and the back listing the ingredients.  The Face Shop's webpage gives more detailed information on the product.  Each flavor targets a specific need; acerola is suggested for whitening skin.  The online descriptions states that this product is "a mild, natural cleanser, effective in cleansing and brightening."  To use, rub on your face until the product is foamy, and rinse off.

The consistency is rather smooth and liquidy, making it easy to use.  This cleanser has a slight pinkish hue that turns white as it's mixed.  With lots of water, it easily foams.  The amount pictured above is very abundant for washing the entire face.

Pros

• The mild, cleanliness scent isn't overpowering nor bothersome.
• My face feels and looks clean afterwards.
• It is very smooth and mild, making this cleanser gentle on the skin.

Cons

•  This product seems too mild, and seems equivalent to using plain hand soap.

Overall, as a mild cleanser or for someone with sensitive or very healthy and normal skin, this isn't a bad product. Of course, I'd have to use this cleanser frequently until I can judge whether or not my skin has gotten brighter and whiter.  In all honesty, I probably won't buy this product because it is too mild and the effects seem comparable to using an ordinary bar of soap. 

My Dentist's Encounter with Infinite

I usually don't post blogs like this one, but today I had a unique experience of my dentist sharing his bystander account (not fan account since he didn't even know who Infinite was) of spotting Infinite.

I've never been a fan of visiting the dentist until today.  My dentist, who immigrated to the US from Korea some time ago, brought up the fact that I like Kpop, and Infinite in particular.  I've never talked to him about my interests other than small talk, but somehow my brother had mentioned my obsession to our dentist during his appointment a few weeks ago.  My dentist then began his story of how last year, 2012, he boarded a commercial flight from Incheon Airport to Thailand.  Suddenly teen girls were taking photos of my dentist, or so he thought.  He turned around to see a tall, slender, very good-looking guy and assumed the photos were of this mysterious prince charming (those were my words, not his).  Then seven good-looking guys boarded the plane and sat in first class with their crew while my dentist sat one row behind them.  He asked the stewardess who these people were and she replied, saying they were Infinite, a popular boy band.  My dentist goes on to say that once he arrived at the Thailand airport, there were other Kpop groups there as well for some Kpop concert and that fans were going crazy.

Me: If only I had a closer relationship with my dentist, he could have met Infinite for me!  But I'm sure they wouldn't want to be bothered on their flight.

I later asked my dentist if it's common to see celebrities at the airports, and he said it's not really common.  But some target celebrity sightseeing would be at broadcasting centers like KBS and SBS, and certain streets and hangouts at Gangnam, because that's where many celebrities live.  He then said how it's true that celebrities' appearances and normal people's appearances are from two different worlds, which throws me back into reality that Kpop stars are rare in the world's population.

Infinite: Inspirit 1st Single Album Review

I bought this album from i-Deals Store, a seller on Amazon.com with the lowest price and based in Kentucky.  To my very pleasant surprise, my package arrived on a Saturday, 5 days after I had ordered it, and 3 days before the earliest arrival date!  The album came in a clear, almost vacuum-sealed wrap and then in a thin cardboard envelope.  I'm very satisfied with the price, delivery and package protection.

Inspirit is Infinite's first physical single album, which released on March 17, 2011.  This album's dimensions are the same as Infinite's mini albums, just vertical-wise instead of horizontal-wise.  However the cover isn't as strong as the mini albums because this album is paperback, while the mini albums are hardcover.  The front cover showcases an interesting new font and a fun and unbalanced logo, while listing the definition of "infinite" once again.  The back cover has the tracklist and the authentication sticker placed perfectly aligned with the text.

Once opened, on the left is the photobooklet and on the right is the disc.  Underneath the disc is adorable, with an image of Infinite smiling happily.  I like how in this shot, they reveal their faces while on the back cover they playfully shield their faces.

While the overall concept of this era is very cute and adorable in the I-want-to-pinch-your-rosy-little-cheeks kind of way, this album consists of two distinct photoshoots that fit this theme. These two photoshoots are displayed in the 38 page photobooklet.  Because the photobooklet is simply stapled together instead of bounded together at the spine, the quality is lower compared to Infinite's mini albums.  The first and main concept is like an adorable schoolboy look.  The only reason I don't like this concept is because all the outfits are mismatching, and there isn't a single pattern in outfit that flows from member to member.  Some of the solo shots also include what I'm guessing is a message composed by that member, such as the top image of L.  The bottom image's configuration is similar to that of Paradise's photoshoot, where the members in the background are unfocused.  Throughout this photobooklet, I see one or two more comparisons to Paradise's photobook as well.

The second photoshoot is so fun, bright, summery and just plain adorable.  The boys have fluffy, natural bedhead hairstyles, white boho-beach tees and bright skinnies.  The back cover looks like the members are having so much fun, which is such a contrast from their predecessor Evolution and successors Over The Top, Paradise, and now Destiny.  The bottom photo shows the uncommon pairing of Hoya and Sungjong, which is also seen on the last page of the Paradise photobook with a similar pose.

This album consists of 3 tracks.  Here is the tracklist from the photobooklet.  The three songs on this album are all from different genres, illustrating how Infinite can perform a wide range successfully.

1. "Nothing's Over" is a very cutesy and fun song that shows Infinite's youthfulness and innocence.  The music video matches this concept perfectly, with its playful settings.  This main track isn't as powerful as Infinite's other main tracks, but it has its own unique personality that adds to Infinite's wide range of concepts.  This era is definitely a nice refresher from the harsh and dark Evolution era.
2. "Shot" is a song that never gets much attention.  It's not performed on stage or in concert often, though it does have potential.  This song is a bit edgier than the other tracks, balancing out the overall cuteness and gentleness of the entire album.  It is definitely very different from usual, yet varied, Infinite sound.  I myself have never given this song much attention because the beginning sounds too much like Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4."  These two songs are very different in many more ways than they are the same, but I love Chicago and felt this a bit too conflicting.  Other than that, "Shot" is a great song that I hope will get as much attention as other Infinite songs.
3. "Can You Smile (Remake)" is a beautiful ballad rendition of the more upbeat original version in Evolution.  This is the song that truly made me fall in love with Infinite, more so than any of Infinite's main tracks.  "Can You Smile" is a remake that really showcases each member's unique and amazing voice.  The tune is very soothing, which is why I always come to this song when I need a pick-me-up or when I'm feeling very sad.  This is a very meaningful song that concludes this short, yet worthy album.

Though Inspirit contains only 3 tracks, each track is very high quality and significant.  The overall packaging is nice as well, making this album an equal part in my collection and a beauty in anyone's Kpop collection.

Kinokuniya Bookstore in Seattle

Kinokuniya Bookstore is a Japanese bookstore located throughout the world.  Each store carries Japanese books, as well as Japanese and Chinese magazines, Japanese CDs, travel guides, stationery and more. 

This Seattle location is the only Kinokuniya in Washington state, and it's located in Chinatown's Japanese grocery store Uwajimaya.  There are two entrances: one is from the corner of 6th and S Weller, and the other (pictured above) is from the inside of Uwajimaya.

And inside the store, there are signs of Kpop!  There are recent album promotion posters lining the stairway up to the second floor.  The only Kpop posters I found, and by Kpop I mean Jpop music by Kpop artists, include Girls' Generation's "Love & Girls," Jang Geun Suk's "Nature Boy" and SHINee's "Boys Meet U."

The second floor carries Jpop CDs.  Among this collection are some sparse Jpop CDs by Kpop artists.  The first section of CDs displays the new releases, which is where I found most of the Kpop artists.  Here I found Donghae & Eunhyuk of Super Junior, SHINee, Girls' Generation and Kim Hyun Joong (not shown in picture).  In alphabetical order I also found FTIsland's latest album, Rated FT, and more Girls' Generation.  To give a rough idea of just how expensive these CDs are, I'll list the prices.

This is majority of the Korean artists' Jpop CDs in the store.  As you can see, the prices are quite high and the store only carries well-established artists.  These are the listed prices and discounts seem to rarely happen.

Also upstairs is the travel section.  Here is a shelf with Korean travel guides in Japanese.  What drew me to this one book were Pig Rabbit and Jang Geun Suk on the cover, reminding me of my first drama, You're Beautiful.  Inside includes an abundance of pictures and locations, including this section filled with lots of Korean beauty stores like Nature Republic, Holika Holika, The Face Shop, Etude House, SkinFood, and more!

Downstairs is where all the magazines are.  The Kpop section is my most favorite area in the store!  This photo displays the entire Kpop boyband and actor magazine section, and as you can see there is a large variety.  These Japanese magazines showcase the hottest Kpop stars and Korean actors.  The magazines that caught my eye were one of Infinite (first magazine in the fourth row from the top) and of actor Song Joong Ki (second magazine on the top row).  These magazines do seem a bit pricy, with some being roughly $15.  While I prefer not to listen to Jpop (because if I can't understand Korean nor Japanese, I'd prefer to listen to music of the artists' native language), I have no preference with magazines because pictures are the same in any language and either way I can't understand the writing.  So I'm always inclined to buy a magazine while I'm here!  I did end up buying the Infinite magazine, which I'll review soon.

I come to Chinatown very often, but I only step into this bookstore maybe once a year.  What turns me off about Kinokuniya are the unreasonable prices (I understand that these our shipped from overseas, but finding these items online is much cheaper) and the very limited selection of Kpop.  But if I ever need a quick Kpop fix, I'd come here!

Tony Moly Latte Art Cappuccino Cream-In Scrub Review

While Tony Moly is famous for it's fruit and egg shaped packaging, the brand also has another line known as Latte Art with equally adorable products.  The Latte Art line has coffee inspired products, such as the Cappuccino Cream-In Scrub and the Milk-Tea Morning Pack, which I'll review later.

The front and sides emphasize how this scrub changes color while in use, showing that it's working. The backside has information in Korean while the bottom has information in English.

The bottom has an elaborate description and instructions in English.  The description explains all of the benefits of using this scrub, including removing dry and dead skin, providing nutrients, cleaning out pores, firming skin, slimming facial contour and leaving a smooth and glossy finish.  Much of this seems a bit bogus, but it does work as a general scrub for me.  The instructions say to rub the scrub on your face until the scrub changes color, then rinse off with lukewarm water.

The packaging, not the product itself, really won me over.  The "stirring spoon" comes straight out from the top and can be used to stir and scoop up the scrub!  I guess this feature is more for those who want to be sanitary to scoop out the scrub, but then the spoon slot will get all covered in excess scrub, which isn't good.  Also the top is adorable, showing cute latte art. 

 

The bottom of this "cup" has information in Korean and the date of production.  To open, simply screw off the top portion.  Sadly despite having a protective slip, a bit of product still spilled into the inside of the lid.   The top right photo reveals that the product isn't full to begin with.

The scrub itself is very coagulated.  You can kind of see that where I dipped the scrub, there is still an indent in the cup one day later.  The scent is of unsweetened coffee (maybe that's how cappuccino smells like?), not as strong or sweet as the SkinFood body scrub.  It reminds me a bit of hard coffee candy.  This subtle scent lasts while the scrub is still on my face, creating a soothing and relaxing environment.  The scrub first appears translucent (top left photo), then transparent once spread (bottom left), and finally opaque white (right) after rubbing it on my face.  This transformation quickly takes place as soon as my fingers heat up and massage the scrub.  I usually don't add any water and treat the scrub like a lotion.  Because the scrub is already so mild, I wouldn't want to dilute the scrub.  The scrub is mostly a smooth gel-like consistency with sparse exfoliating beads that are very gentle on the skin.  The amount in the bottom left photo covers about 2/5 of my face.

Pros

• The packaging is way too adorable.
• The scent is heavenly!
• The color-changing effect is unique and easily indicates when the scrub has taken effect.
• My face instantly feels and appears very clean and healthily matte (not glossy).
• It seems that this cup will last me awhile.
• The scrub is very gentle, perfect for an everyday cleanser.

Cons

• I honestly have nothing to complain about!

Overall, I love this product!  Not only is the packaging adorable, the scrub itself is lovely.  I use it when I am very tired and just want a quick face wash to clean my face.  Also this scrub is very mild, like a gentle cleanser, yet effective for cleaning my face.

SkinFood Coffee Body Scrub Review

SkinFood is well known for using natural and appealing ingredients to make quality products that are good for the skin.  The Coffee Body Scrub is no exception!

This scrub comes in a 160 gram durable plastic container, just like SkinFood's face masks, with a heavy duty screw-off lid.  Under the lid is a thin plastic slip to protect the product from spilling over. To my pleasant surprise, the scrub was completely packed and filled to the top of the container.

The scent is of strong, sweet coffee, yet it is not overwhelming.  This flavorful scent livens the mood and rejuvenates my mind.  The scrub is of a gooey, deep brown consistency with dark brown coffee bean flecks.  As the scrub becomes more spread out, it becomes transparent.  When using this scrub, the coffee bean and sugar extract are very rough, but in a non-hurtful way that exfoliates my skin very well.

The container came in a plastic perforated wrap that includes much more elaborate and different information in English than the label on the actual container.  The label on the wrap gives a description, instructions, ingredients and a warning.  This description explains that the scrub "moisturizes and exfoliates...and smoothes [yes, with an 'e'] away impurities."  The instructions say to mix the scrub with body cleanser or water, then work into a lather on rough spots for several minutes, and lastly rinsing with a lot of water due to the highly concentrated formula.  The warning informs users to stop using this scrub if irritation occurs.  It also informs to always close the lid tightly, keep away from children and store at room temperature.  The label on the container gives a very brief and vague description and instructions, a list of ingredients and no warning.  I suppose for the American market it is a requirement to have such detail and therefore there are new labels printed on the exterior wrap.  Strangely there was also a bit of brown water (residue from the scrub) that was under the wrap, making the container dirty.

Pros

• The scent of coffee is fun and enticing.
• The roughness of this scrub really exfoliates my skin.
• My skin feels nice and smooth afterwards, and not dehydrated.
• There is a lot of product inside that container.

Cons

• I can't think of any!

Overall, I am very fond of this body scrub!  It smells delightful and feels like a natural exfoliater.  This product is not just something to use for fun, like other beauty products I've tried, but will actually benefit my body.

Tony Moly Peach and Cherry Mini Lip Balm Reviews

Tony Moly is known for their cute packaging, especially their fruit-shaped products.  Despite having so many other lip balms, I couldn't pass up getting yet another lip balm in peach and cherry containers!  The peach has no color while the cherry, like the blueberry, does have a punch of color.  Here are my thoughts on these two products.

Peach Mini Lip Balm
This lip balm comes in a matte, almost spherical container that has a pink to beige ombre effect.  The packaging mimics the Asian peach so well, just like the matching peach hand cream.  This peach balm also smells like the peach hand cream, a strong artificial peach scent like those sugary peach gummy rings.

You can get an idea on the size of this balm compared to my hand.  The balm has a subtle peachy, nude hue to it but once on the lips, it gives off a transparent sheen meant purely for moisturizing, not for color.  The peach balm focuses on using peach extract to moisten and plump lips while soften dead skin cells. Like the blueberry balm, this peach balm is very solid and you need the warmth of your finger to melt the product.  Each swipe of the fingertip also gets a very thin layer of balm, so you need several swipes before getting a decent amount.

Pros

• This balm is so moisturizing!  For all of my other products, I've always needed unchapped, healthy lips before using them.  But for this balm, it actually heals my chapped and dry lips with just one use.
• The packaging is so adorable.
• The size is great for travel.

Cons

• The solidness of this product is a hassle if you're in a hurry because you need to apply the balm several times before using it thoroughly.
• Some people are against dipping their fingers in balm due to it being unsanitary, but that's the price you must pay for such cute packaging!

Cherry Mini Lip Balm

This cherry balm is shaped like a very ripe red, glossy cherry.  It's so realistic that it is even a darker shade at the top and has a dark green rubber stem sprouting from the top.  This cherry flavor has a subtle citrus scent.

This balm is surprisingly softer than the peach balm.  It melts much easier and with one swipe, more product comes out.  This balm does have color; it is a soft, reddish orange shade.

However once out of its packaging, the color becomes a translucent pinkish orange.  On my skin (top right photo), the orange pigment is still noticeable.  Once blended in (bottom right photo), the pigment fades and produces a very faint, translucent orange.  This shade of orange on naturally pink lips is rather unnoticeable, so it takes quite a few layers before the orange is visible on the lips.  Yet this orange is very natural looking and flattering, despite it being an uncommon lip color.

Pros

• You need many layers before seeing any color.  This may seem like a con, but I see it as a pro because you can choose the shade and intensity of orange.
• The packaging is so realistic and adorable.  I'm definitely displaying it on my bathroom counter.

Cons

• The packaging is adorable, however the rubber stem seems fragile and therefore I wouldn't want to bring it with me while I'm out and about.
• This balm is purely for the shade, not for moisture.  You need to have unchapped, hydrated lips before using this balm.

Both balms are similar in size and shape and fit nicely in the palm of my hand.  The small size, yet abundant balm, is convenient to bring around for the day in a purse.  The packaging comes with a small sticker with Korean characters.  Annoyingly the peach balm has a date printed on its side, tampering with its naturalistic quality.  The lid takes up half of the packaging, and you turn it to remove the lid.  Inside is a thin plastic slip to protect the balm.

Overall the packaging is enough to win me over.  I love looking at them on my counter, along with my other Tony Moly products.  Also the peach balm is surprisingly super moisturizing, so I can use it as a first layer before applying other lip products, like the cherry balm.