Huge Konjac Sponge Collection Comparison and Review

Hello Everybody. I have a huge collection of konjac sponges that I will be reviewing.

 The brands that I will be reviewing are:

Ecotools Pure Complexion Facial Sponge in Deep Cleansing-$5.99

My Konjac Sponge Facial Sponge in Bamboo Charcoal -to be reviewed-$10

Dew Puff in Asian Clay and Bamboo Charcoal -to be reviewed-$7

Dr. Sponge Facial Konjac Sponge in Green Tea -to be reviewed-$8

Boscia Konjac Cleansing Sponge with Bamboo Charcoal -to be reviewed-$15
The Japanese Konjac Sponge in Cherry Blossom Puff-$11

Revive Beauty Konjac Cleansing Sponge in Bamboo Charcoal -$4.99

I will be updating this post with links to the reviews of each sponge.

The list of brands will be listed based on my preference -with Ecotools being my current favorite and  Revive Beauty being my least favorite.

Below is a picture of all the sponges without the outer packaging so you can see their relative sizes.

All the ones on the first row are packaged in a box-like container. Inside the box you would find the sponges wrapped in plastic. The ones on the second row comes in a plastic bag packaging and after tearing open the outer packaging, the sponge wasn't rewrapped again. 

From Top (left to right): Japanese Konjac Sponge in Cherry Blossom Puff, Dr. Sponge in Green Tea, Boscia with Bamboo Charcoal, Ecotools Pure Complexion Facial Sponge in Deep Cleansing
From Bottom (left to right):My Konjac Sponge Facial Sponge in Bamboo Charcoal, Dew Puff in Asian Clay and Dew Puff in Bamboo Charcoal 

From left to right: Dew Puff, My Konjac Sponge, Boscia, Ecotools, The Japanese Konjac Sponge, Dr. Sponge.

From the picture above, you can see the ones with the largest size is from Dew Puff and and My Konjac Sponge. The smallest would be Dr. Sponge. All the sponges have a string attached so you can hang it up the with exception of Ecotools. 

From Left to Right: Boscia, Ecotools, Dr. Sponge, Japanese Konjac Sponge, Dew Puff, and My Konjac Sponge

 The picture above shows the thickness of the konjac sponges with a decrease in thickness as you move from left to right. The thickness between Boscia and Ecotools; Dr. Sponge and Japanese Konjac Sponge;  Dew Puff and My Konjac Sponge are relatively similar.

What is your favorite konjac sponge brand?

I will be updating this post with new konjac sponge reviews as I go through them.

Thanks for reading,

VanillaDreamCream

Top Makeup Setting Spray Selected By Get It Beauty

 The Top Five Makeup Setting Spray selected on episode 5 of Get It Beauty season 2.

1st place: So Natural All Day Tight Makeup Setting Fixer-$10 for 50mL
has staying power and hydration. 
makes your skin tighter and adheres well
fine mist

• online:3
• expert:3
• better girls:1

2nd place: Too Cool For School Perfect Day Make Up Fixer -$10 for 50mL
fine mist

• online:5
• expert:1
• better girls:2

3rd place :Mac Fix Plus- $20 for 100mL 

ranked the highest in hydration

• online:1
• expert:2
• better girls:3

4th place MAKE UP FOREVER Mist & Fix $30 for 125 mL
pump spray 
good for hydration

• online:2
• expert:4
• better girls:4

5th Clarins Fix Make-Up-$30 for 30ml 
has grapefruit extract and nice fragrance
pump spray

• online:4
• expert:5
• better girls:5

In this episode of Get It Beauty they showed the audience how to achieve this season's hottest hairstyles. I wasn't that interested in the hairstyles of the models but I did think this week's host had really nice hairstyles. Yoo-In-Na had a nice side braid with a bit of volume on the top. While Kim Ji Min had layered hair with nice sidesweep.

Tell me your favorite makeup setting spray or tip to make makeup last longer.

Thanks for reading,

VanillaDreamCream

EOS Visibly Soft Lip Balm Sphere review

Hello everybody, a while ago, I was strolling around kohl's and came across a new version of the EOS lip balm sphere called visibly soft. Instead of being one solid color, the visibly soft line is packaged in a sphere that's a swirl of color.

It shocked me because I didn't hear anything about this release at all- not on my favorite beauty blogger's page nor in magazines. Seeing that it promises to give an "immediately softer" lip I had to fight the urge to buy them and finally during labor day weekend I picked it up with my 20% off coupon at Bed Bath and Beyond.

There are two versions of the visibly soft collection:  vanilla mint with blue swirls and coconut milk with pink swirls which I bought. I not much of a fan of vanilla and I've previously tried a vanilla scented lip balm and didn't like it so I chose coconut milk.

The one I bought was sealed up in a nice cardboard package. On the back there is an expiration date that's imprinted on the cardboard. Side note: they also sell them without the cardboard packaging and just wrapped in plastic.

What I noticed is that compared to my very first EOS lip balm, lemon drop, the quality of the round case that surrounds that lip balm has considerably drop. When I got my first lip balm, just holding the round sphere with its soft cushion on the outside was so delightful. When I placed my finger on the thumb convexed area, it was completely flat and lined up with the ridges exactly. When I bought my second EOS lip balm, I already saw a decrease in the quality of the packaging.

Subsequently, the newly released EOS visibly soft lip balm has an even lower quality. As you can see on the left, the edges on the thumb convexed area does not line up correctly when it's clicked in place. It almost feels like I am borrowing the cap from a different lip balm and does not fit exactly. While the older version on the right is more perfectly lined up, when you are actually holding it, you can feel the area is not smooth and the top half is jutting out. Still even though the older version is not as high quality as the very first EOS that I bought, it's still remarkably better than the newer ones produced now.


As I was still hyped up with this new visibly soft lip sphere to add to my collection, once I got home I ripped open the package and swiped it on my lips. To my disappointment, there was no significant change. The formula was a bit softer and bit more emollient. That's it. It goes on clear and gives your lips a tiny bit of a waxy shine.  My first thought on the scent was that it smelled sweet. If this wasn't labeled coconut milk, I wouldn't think coconut but knowing that it should be scented like coconut, it does faintly smell like coconut and is an enjoyable scent. You still needed to reapply every 2-3 hours like the original version. This is still one of those daily lip balm and not those heavy duty ones that you pull out in winter to relieve your chapped lips.

I looked up the ingredients to the old version and randomly chose honeydew to see what was the difference in formulation compared to the new visibly soft version was and was surprised to find that there was basically no change in the ingredients aside for the addition of vitamin C and  polyglyceryl-3 diisostearate (which I had no idea what it is but EWG told me it's a conditioning agent) that was way down on the ingredient list.

So unless you are a collector, I do not think it is necessary to purchase the new visibly soft version if you already have other EOS lip spheres.

On the moisturizing scale it would be a 6 out of 10 which is one point higher than the original version. If you need something more moisturizing, I would definitely go with the visibly soft line over the original one while the original formula is perfect for the summer time. Out of all the EOS lip balm I have, if I have to choose my favorite one, it would still be the lemon drop one. I feel that the lemon drop one is the most moisturizing, emollient, and cushiony one out of the entire lip sphere line and it has a nice lemon creme biscuit scent that I am totally in love with.

What do you think about the new EOS visibly soft lip balm compared to the original formula? For those who tried the vanilla mint version, how did you like that one?

 Thanks for reading,

VanillaDreamCream

Stippling Brush Blind Test on Get it Beauty 2014

Top 5 Stippling Brush rated on episode 4 of Get It Beauty 2014

This was the first blind test that I actually felt was a blind test. Each brand normally has a distinctive package that you can't cover up with a sticker. For example a dior eye palette has that 4 shades on each corner of a square and a color in the center. For this stippling brush blind test, by covering up the brand on the handle, I could not tell the difference between each brush. They looked all the same.

I really wanted them to rate Samantha Chapman's real technique stippling brush but keeping in mind that this show takes place in korea, they probably do not have access to the real technique brand.

The Top 5 stippling brush chosen on Get It Beauty is listed below

From left to right: VDL Duo Fiber Face Brush, Mac 187 Duo Fiber Face Brush, Espoir Highlighter brush, Etude House Pro  Skill 102 Transparent Gloss Brush, Skinfood Premium Touch Pearl Brush

1st place VDL Duo Fiber Face Brush  $20

online:3

expert:2

better girls:1

• applied foundation thinly
• bristles has an extra coating so it doesn't lose stiffness and stays soft

2nd place Mac 187 Duo Fiber Face Brush $60

online:1

expert:1

better girls:2

• feels really soft
• By using only stippling a few strokes, foundation is applied smoothly and quickly
• this is the original brush that had so many companies copy it

3rd place Espoir Highlighter brush $27

online:4

expert:5

better girls:3

• better for powder products
• sheds a little
• very soft

4th place Etude House Pro  Skill 102 Transparent Gloss Brush $10

online:2

expert:3

better:4

• didn't cover all pores
• stiff bristles
• there's a glossy coating on bristles that allows it to apply a smoother foundation

5th place Skinfood Premium Touch Pearl Brush $8

online: 5

expert:4

better girls:5

• some hair shedding
• good for foundation and shimmering blush

These are also other tips from episode 4 of Get It Beauty

During the spring, it's inevitable to encounter pollen and pollution in the air. These dust particles contains lost of acid and heavy metal particles like mercury, lead, cadmium, that clog up pores, penetrate the skin and acidify causing aging.

Techniques to clean the face:
sparkling water-bubbles goes deep into skin clean deeply
combine water and sparking water in 1:1 ratio. remove makeup with a foam cleanser first then soak face for 10-20 seconds in a bowl the sparking water combination.  Pat  dry face.

Bean flour and egg yolk cleansing
Lecithin and vitamins in the egg yolk will nourish skin. The bean flour will exfoliate and wash away all the fine dust.
mix 1 tsp of bean flour and 1 egg yolk. spread an even layer over skin and then gently massage face for 30 sec to exfoliate. Then wash off with lukewarm water

spinach water- beta carotene in spinach is good for dry and sensitive skin caused by the fine dust. After blanching spinach in water, allow to cool thoroughly and pat the liquid on face.

salt-exfoliate skin and sulfur in salt helps detoxify skin.
Simply add some salt to your normal cleansing cream and gently massage face. Put saline solution on a cotton ball and wipe away dirt from skin.

I haven't tried any of the cleansing and nourishing method above so I have no idea how it works but I just leave it here so that when I have free time and a bit daring, I can try out these methods. These tips were all taken from episode 4 of Get It Beauty.

Thanks for reading,
VanillaDreamCream

credits to Cosmetics Love from youtube for the brand name of stippling brushes because I would have never figured it out

Skintimate Mandarin Burst Shave Gel review

Hello everybody I am back with a review of Skintimate's new Signature Scents Moisturizing Shave Gel in Mandarin Burst.
I have tried a Skintimate shave gel in the past and loved it. Since my last bottle was all used up I was so ecstatic to get to try this.

It funny how it looks like the bottle is blending in with my table. In reality the bottle is gradient color of orange and yellow

There are three different scents: mandarin, lemon and lime. The one that I got was the mandarin scent.

The labeling on the container says that it contains 6 different moisturizers including vitamin E and Olive butter which helps replenish skin's natural moisture while providing for unbeatable razor protection for a close comfortable shave and healthy feeling smooth skin.


Directions says to wet area to be shaved and then either dispense product on your fingertips or directly on the area. Rub gently to spread the gel/ foam over entire area, shave and then rinse off completely.

The product comes out from a tiny hole and is a really pretty pinky orangey color.  Even though my palms didn't have any water it changed from a pink orangey gel to a thick white foam in seconds. You really only need about 2 quarter size for each calf. The first time I tried it, I dispensed too much and got way too much foam all over my calves. Consequently when I was shaving I couldn't see my leg well and accidently got a tiny cut. Regardless of my stupidity, I felt that the gel did provide a layer of protection to prevent razor burns.

I wasn't quick enough to capture the pretty pinky orangey color before it changed into the foam but you can see a little bit of the color underneath the foam

the foam had a nice fluffy and dense texture-kinda like cool whip- felt like I was frosting my leg-made me want to eat cake so much XD

Scent: I liked that the scent was just right. Its a nice sweet mandarin scent that was light and not overpowering. For those who don't like overly scented products, this is just right.

All the foam washed away without leaving any residue and left my calves feeling lightly moisturized and refreshed.  Its ok to use in the summer when my skin isn't quite as parched as in the winter but in the winter, it will definitely not be moisturizing enough for me since I have very dry scaly skin.

I actually like Skintimate's moisturizing shave cream that I bought before more because it is like 10x more moisturizing than this shave gel. After using the shave cream, I seriously do not have to apply moisturizer over my legs and that's in the dead winter. However it does leave a little bit of oily residue which some may not like. I also liked that the shaving cream doesn't foam up so I can see where I am shaving. However, I don't like the package because it makes dispensing out the product messy. The cream dispenses from an opening at the bottom and in order to allow the bottle to stand upright, the bottom is a wide flower shape, but because of the shape, cream gets caught in the crevices. Overtime there is old cream in the crevices that turns black and its disgusting.

Replenish: I will not purchase this for myself when it runs out mainly because it wasn't moisturizing enough for me. It was like any other foaming shave gel but I did like its light scent. After I run out I am most likely going to repurchase the Skintimate moisturizing shave cream since winter is coming and I definitely need the extra moisture. This might be for people who likes a light foaming shave gel but its not a one for me.

PROS: - lightly moisturizing shave gel
            - refreshing light scent
            - dispenses cleanly

Cons: not moisturizing enough for my dry skin

Disclaimers: I got this as a free sample from crowdtap. I was not paid by the company to write this review and all opinions are completely mine.

Thanks for reading,

VanillaDreamCream

Tips For Making Dark Or Dull Skin Appear Brighter

During episode 3 of get it beauty, they showed how to make dark or dull skin appear brighter.

If you tend to have bluish dark circles you can help it by doing an eye massage.

• start in concave section right next to the nose and draw spiral/circles all the way out to the temples. There are lots of capillaries in those area so it helps with improving circulation.

The host pointed out that  her skin isn't that bright but on TV, it looks brighter  and that's because of the help of the light reflector. Then they proceeded to demonstrate the difference between no makeup, with light reflector and with the makeup artist's "light on" makeup.

To make it look like you have a light reflector with you all day, the makeup artist points out the following tips:

To get rid of dull skin:

• mix rice powder and yeast cream in 1:2 ratio.
• apply it on the area where there's most dead skin cells. 
• massage in circular motions and wipe off with a moist towel. 

Rice powder has exfoliating effect and whitening properties. To get rice powder you simply grind white rice into fine powder.


The makeup artist also points out that by lightening the apple zone your skin tone can look brighter overall. She says that if she doesn't have time to put a mask on her face in the morning she just puts it on her cheeks and then proceeds to do her eye makeup with the cheek mask on.

For brighter appearance:

Choose a lavender cream eyeshadow- instead of white because lavender makes skin appear brighter and cleaner. then lightly apply coral blush on top and brownish-reddish eyeliner. violet colored mascara-makes pastel colors more refreshing.

final eye look with lavender base shadow topped with coral shadow and red brown eyeliner

 Regardless of whether I want to brighten my skin or not, I actually like the pinkish eye look. This is my perfect daily eye look-very sweet and simple.


For the foundation:

• Apply a peach based shimmer foundation. Make sure the particles aren't too noticeable so you don't look like a disco ball
• Apply a matte highlighter on top of shimmering foundation- use a matte highlighter on top of shimmer foundation instead of matte foundation with shimmer highlighter makes skin look more dimensional and you get a thin transparent makeup look. 
• Lastly spray yeast essence onto flat powder brush and pat onto face to make makeup adhere to skin and moisturize it.

sidenote: I think this episode was sponsored by some brand because throughout the entire episode
they kept on mention fermented products. For exfoliation they added to apply powder to fermented cream and for mask they said to use fermented essence mask. I have never heard of putting essence on a powder brush and patting it on my face to make makeup adhere. That's what makeup setting sprays are for. I would take some tips on using a fermented product with a grain of salt especially the last tip.

thanks for reading,

VanillaDreamCream

Ecotools Pure Complexion Facial Sponge Review

I keep on hearing that exfoliation is a must for keeping skin clear and wrinkle free. There are many different ways to exfoliate and many people have raved about using the clarasonic. However, the clarasonic is a bit beyond my reach and after consulting with a sephora associate she said the boscia konjac sponge would help with getting rid of dead skin cells that's clogging more pores. However at $18 its still beyond my reach so I searched for other alternatives: in comes the six dollar Ecotool's Pure Complexion facial- which I am willingly shelling out.

The Ecotools Pure Complexion Facial Sponge comes packaged in a cardboard box

These three photos are just the packaging and labeling of the  Ecotools Pure Complexion Facial Sponge

So what is all this hype about that konjac sponge that makes is so different than other sponges. The konjac sponge is made from the root of a konjac plant, also known as the devil's tongue or konnyaku in japan, and is hailed as a health food since it contains high amounts of fiber with zero calories. The plant itself is naturally slightly alkaline to help break down dirt, oil and makeup from your face without any additional cleanser and also provides you with gentle exfoliation.

Ecotools makes two versions of this sponge. The deep cleaning one (which is the one I bought) contains bamboo charcoal which is supposed to be more exfoliating and also draw out impurities deep inside pores. The sensitive version has nothing added so its less abrasive and is just pure konjac to clean and exfoliate your face.

inside the cardboard box you find the sponge wrapped in plastic

the other side is rounded with ecotools logo

The above picture is the dried sponge. After removing the plastic wrap around it, you see that one side is flat and the other side is rounded. It looks really big but is actually small and fits easily in the palm of my hands. When wet, it doubles in size. As I was uploading these picture, I find that it looks oddly like the pores of my face.

What it promises: The Ecotools Pure Complexion facial sponge promises to give you a "better clean by removing impurities and revealing smooth, refreshed skin…Wash away dirt, oil, and makeup and leave skin glowing without over-drying or causing redness"

How to use: You soak the sponge in water until it softens. Then you can use it by itself to exfoliate or use it with a cleanser. Use it with the flat side against your face (but you can use any side you want). The product labeling says that after using to rinse with water and lay flat to dry. I think its best to keep it in a cup upright so it has least contact with any surface grime.  I find that when you place it in cold water it takes longer to soften, in warm water it takes less than 30 seconds. On the first time it make take up to a minute but after using it, it should soften more quickly.

Verdict: The first thing I noticed after using this was how baby soft my skin felt and I constantly looked forward to using this during my nightly cleansing. I find that the tear shape of the sponge helped reach the corners of my eyes more easily and the tiny tip was less harsh on my delicate eye area. The sponge is like a rock when dry but once softened, it so squishy. I just love the squeezing water out of the sponge and washing  my face with the sponge- feels like an ultimate spa experience.
As for exfoliating wise, my skin feels baby soft, however when putting on makeup, I would still see dry flakes that annoy me so much and doesn't disappear unless I use my chemical peel.
As for cleaning- the bamboo charcoal drawing out impurities is a lie. It just exfoliates to prevent any blocked pores. I use the sponge after removing all my makeup because I don't want the makeup to ruin to sponge. I get the feeling that dirt and oil get trapped in the sponge and I don't want to get makeup trapped in the sponge.

How to Care for Sponge: The labeling says the sponge will last about 1 to 3 months. You can help the sponge last longer by soaking it in warm water and let it air dry in a non-humid area after each use. Also, squeeze and not wring the sponge out to prevent breaking its fibers. I kept mine in a plastic cup to air dry in the bathroom since its a bother bringing the wet sponge elsewhere. It lasted for 3 months of daily use before splitting apart right in the middle. I tried to salvage what's left by continuing to use the broken piece but tiny fibers kept on falling out as I washed my face. It's said that the konjac sponge is so natural that you can bury the fallen apart sponge in the soil to keep plants hydrated.-however I haven't tried it yet. Other konjac sponge comes with a string to hang up the sponge, sadly ecotools doesn't incorporate that in the design.

How to Disinfect the Sponge: Place the wet sponge in hot (not boiling) water for 3-5 minutes or place the wet sponge in a bowl of water that completely covers the sponge and microwave for 1 minute. Take care to let it cool down before using tongs to take the sponge and allow it to dry completely. I disinfect it about once a month and have only tried the microwave method since I deem boiling water too time consuming. You can disinfect it as often as you like but doing this more often will cause the sponge to break down more quickly. A blogger had posted about placing it in a bowl of ethyl alcohol but I feel that putting it in hot water is a lot easier.


Pros:

• made my skin feel so utterly soft
• does cost as much compared to other brands

Cons:

• although flaky skin is removed visibly, when putting on makeup, still not as smooth as using chemical peel
• doesn't have a string to hang dry

Repurchase? Probably not since there are many different konjac sponge brand out in the market right now and I just want to try them all. Also other bloggers have said that the ecotools sponge was a lot smaller compared to other brands like dew puff so although the ecotools sponge is cheap you don't get as much bang for your buck. However the ecotools brand is easily found at your local drugstore/ beauty store. If you don't want to pay steep shipping fees to purchase other konjac sponges online, then ecotools is probably the most easily accessible brand. I have also heard that there are fake konjac sponges online, so unless you are buying from a reputable brand, make sure to check the seller before purchasing or buy it from the actual brand website.

Is there a brand of konjac sponge that you highly recommend. Please comment below.

As always,

thanks for reading,

VanillaDreamCream