Banila Co's Clean It Zero is pretty much a cult product in South Korea now. I'm sure you've all seen it online before (if you're into asian beauty), so I am here to give you my review of it!

So the Clean It Zero is basically a solid oil cleanser. It reminds me of the texture of coconut oil when it's solid, but less solid. If I press on the oil with my fingertip, it will cave inwards easily. I use this as a makeup remover, so I just take a little bit into my palm, massage to turn it into a oil, and then rub all over my face. 

The ingredient list is in Korean, but there are translations of it online. 

This is what it looks like when you open it up. Banila Co has provided a little spatula thing in that plastic cover, which is super nice and helpful for hygiene reasons. 

So I was a religious user of Shu Uemura's cleansing oil (the purple one), but the larger sized one (15.2 oz) was $92 and I had already gone through two bottles of that in approximately two years. Not a bad value, but I had heard good things about Banila Co's Clean It Zero, and it was much cheaper (but smaller in size) so I figured, why not try it out. Shu Uemura also changed the cleansing oils. I'm not sure if they only changed the formula or not, but the one I used to use does not exist anymore. 

The one I own is 100mL worth of product. There is a larger size at 180mL but I wasn't sure if this product would perform as well as my Shu Uemura cleansing oil, so I decided to just try out the 100mL first. 

I find that this removes all my complexion makeup pretty well. A little goes a long way with this one, especially if you only do BB cream/complexion makeup. However, I wear eyeshadow and gel eyeliner, and I find that even after double cleansing, there are still some residual traces of eyeliner left over. The Shu Uemura cleansing oil was able to remove all my makeup (I usually use two pumps) without any residual left over. 

What I liked about this one more than the Shu Uemura one, is that the oil does not drip into my eyes easily. With the Shu Uemura, sometimes there'd be a film of oil clouding my eye and I'd have to take extra effort to rinse it all out, while this one doesn't drip into my eye as easily. Being a solid oil, this one also does not drip onto my arms as I wash my face. Also, this product is more travel-friendly, I'd say. It's solid, so it will not spill everywhere into my luggage. I've had problems travelling with the Shu Uemura cleanser before, where even though I had "locked" the pump, it would unlock itself and spill oil into the Ziploc bag I had placed it into. 

All in all, I'd say that both the Shu Uemura and Banila Co are pretty good oil cleansers. If you wear a lot of heavy eye makeup, and you've got cash to drop, I'd go for the Shu Uemura over the Banila Co. If you're a light makeup user, or on a budget, the Banila Co will work for you. They both remove makeup really well, but come with their cons. 

Would I repurchase this? Banila Co's 180mL version is about $17.55USD (as of writing), not including shipping, whereas the Shu Uemura is 450mL for $92CAD (without tax). This makes the Shu Uemura one about $0.20CAD/mL, whereas the Banila Co is about $0.10USD/mL. The value can be seen in the Banila Co's cleanser, but because I'd probably have to give up my first born to pay for shipping, I'm undecided. If I was making a large order on testerkorea with friends, I'd probably repurchase. I wouldn't just make an order for this though.

Banila Co's Clean It Zero is available here on TesterKorea for 14,400 won and you can buy Shu Uemura's cleansing oil through Sephora here, or here through their main website. 

Disclaimer: Not a sponsored post.

Today's ingredient is dimethicone! Not an ingredient people commonly talk about, nor is it touted as "the next best thing" in skincare, but it is commonly found in most of your skincare, hair and makeup products.

So what is dimethicone? Dimethicone is a man-made silicone oil; it is commonly used as an anti-foaming agent, skin protectant and hair conditioner. Manufactures often use this ingredient because it allows for their product to spread easily. This ensures that the customer gets the feeling of cream or lotion being spread over their skin. Dimethicone also forms a protective barrier on your skin, and will fill in fine line and wrinkles, making it popular ingredient in makeup primers.

The FDA has approved the use of dimethicone as a skin protectant ingredient in over-the-counter products, and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel has assessed it as safe to use in personal care products. So according to the US government, dimethicone has been approved for safe usage in our daily skincare products. The FDA also has one of the highest standards of safety, and they rigorously test ingredients to ensure that you are not being harmed.

However, there are people who refuse or try not to use dimethicone in their skincare products. While dimethicone is safe to use, many claim that it will make your dry skin worse over time, instead of improving it. Additionally, the artificial coating that dimethicone provides is not ideal for your skin:

• Dimethicone traps anything that was already on your skin and essentially keeps it on your skin with its coating. This could lead to increased breakouts and blackheads.
• The coating prevents your skin from doing its usual thing: sweating, getting rid of dead skin cells, regulating skin temperature, etc
• Some people (with sensitive or reactive skin) may have an allergic reaction to dimethicone

From a manufacturing point of view, I can see why companies like to use dimethicone. It's FDA-approved, it fills in your fine lines and wrinkles, and gives consumers that feeling of product being spread over their face. However, there are some negative sides to using dimethicone, as listed above. If you see that you are getting more breakouts than usual, check your skincare/makeup products for dimethicone. Some products may have it listed as an active ingredient, while others list it as an inactive ingredient. Even if you don't see if on the box, check the company's website for the full and extensive list of ingredients. 

If you are not a fan of artificial silicon, check out products that tout natural oils instead, or look for products that explicitly say "dimethicone free". It may be a bit of a challenge, as this ingredient is in almost everything, but there are ways around this. Alternatively, you may be able to just avoid silicone ingredients in general and turn to water-based products. 

I hope you were all able to learn something new! 

Sources

• http://www.drfranklipman.com/the-truth-behind-the-common-cosmetics-ingredient-dimethicone/
• http://www.annmariegianni.com/ingredient-watch-list-dimethicone-the-smoothing-silicone-that-exacerbates-acne/

Aaaaaand I'm back with another post in the series! Almost forgot to write this, haha.

Firstly, what is collagen? Collagen is a protein present in all the body’s organs and tissues. It provides the matrix that sustains the body’s structure. Collagen sustains our tendons, skin and cartilage, while also providing integrity, firmness and elasticity to their structures.

Collagen is useful as a skin supplement; it has been determined that collagen is responsible for our skin strength and elasticity. Our collagen levels decrease as we increase in age, resulting in more wrinkles and fine lines.

However, collagen is difficult for our skin to absorb through topical products, so collagen is mainly found in supplements. Nowadays though, collagen creams can be found but it is important that collagen is found as an active ingredient in those creams.

Etude House Collagen Moistfull cream

Etude House's Collagen Moistfull cream is a popular choice within the AB community. I have tried this product before, but I didn't see any results (keep in mind I am in my early 20s though!), so I didn't bother buying a full sized version. There are also reviews out there with people who have had a negative/allergic reaction to this cream, so YMMV.

Collagen face creams help dry and damaged skin. If you live in a colder climate with harsh winds, it may be worth considering looking at collagen products. Collagen also helps to remove dry patches on the surface of your skin and also to reduce redness, which gives the skin a healthier glow.

But does collagen really help reduce fine lines and wrinkles? Hard to say. Very few studies have been done on the benefits of collagen, and they mainly focus on a specific group of people within a limited period of time. To know whether or not collagen actually eliminates wrinkles, the test would have to be done over many many years, and within many different sample groups. Also, people often use collagen products as a preventative measure for getting (or avoiding, I should say) wrinkles. Does it actually help slow down wrinkles, or is your skin just genetically blessed to not obtain wrinkles easily?

For the most part, I think collagen can be helpful in providing moisture to your skin. If your skin naturally hold a lot of collagen, then you are genetically blessed, and will probably not get wrinkles until much later in life. Hard to say whether or not collagen prevents early wrinkles, but hey, if you think it helps with that, then by all means.

I hope this was informational in some way or another! Until next time :)

Sources

• http://organicbeautyandskin.com/what-is-my-skin-type/collagen-skin-care.html
• http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-benefits-of-face-cream-with-collagen.htm

Hellooooo! This is the second post in this blog series; I hope you're all enjoying them and learning something new.

Today, I'm going to focus on bird's nest! I know bird's nest is not a commonly used ingredient, but it is used in beauty regiments (primarily in Asia), and it's readily available as a mask from MBD and I'm sure people wonder what bird's nest even does!

First of all, let's start with the basics. Bird's nest is very very expensive, with some sources saying it ranges from several thousands of dollars per pound. They're made from the saliva of a type of cave-dwelling birds called swiftlets. Because the nests are located within caves, the nests are difficult and dangerous to harvest, thus giving them their high price. Those who harvest bird's nests will leave some behind, just so the swiftlet can remake their home easily.

Traditionally, bird's nest is consumed as a soup/liquid dessert. I think there are many various different ways of preparing it, but the way I have always consumed it was through a sweetened boiled milk, with the bird's nest submerged in it. It doesn't have much of a taste; you eat bird's nest for its texture and health/beauty benefits. Another popular way to consume it in China/Hong Kong is through a liquid sugar mixture with bird's nest. These things are actually really expensive, so I don't get to buy any unless someone has a free coupon for it.

Scientists have not declared and/or labeled bird's nest with any heath benefits, but it is believed by the ancient Chinese that "the nests are considered to have a high nutritional and medicinal value, believed to have everything from anti-aging and anti-cancer properties to the ability to improve concentration and raise libido" (Parry 2012). 

It was difficult to gather information from reliable sources for this one. I believe most published scientific papers would have been written in Chinese, and my reading comprehension skills for Chinese are terrible, so take the rest of the information with a grain of salt.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong apparently conducted a scientific study on bird's nest before. Their conclusion was that the water-soluble protein of bird's nest contains a Mitogenic Stimulation Factor and Epidermic Growth Factor. These two factors can:

• Enhance the rebirth of cells
• Reinforce the immune system
• Restore energy and stamina
• Boost heart functions
• Supply, distribute heat energy throughout body

One distributor of bird's nest has the following to claim about bird's nest:

Generally... those all are things that have been told to me by my mother as well, so I assume benefits about bird's nests are all YMMV since there is a lack of reputable scientific papers about its health benefits.

Bird's Nest is supposed to improve your skin's collagen and "whiteness". This mask also helps moisturize your skin and makes it feel super soft. It erases dullness and roughness, making skin translucent, tender and smooth. Like any other mask though, these are all going to be instant effects that won't last for long. They'll be perfect if you need a boost of instant moisture before a big fancy event or whatever, but don't expect your skin to look perfect after using this a few time!

As bird's nest grows in popularity, it has been exported to Korean beauty products as well! A few years ago, all the bird's nest products were made in China or Taiwan and were primarily done through face masks. While the most popular form of bird's nest beauty products are still in masks, some companies have turned it into shower gels, and creams.

At the end of the day, whether or not you believe that bird's nest is beneficial to your beauty, it is a popular ingredient and has been used for a very long time in Chinese history. Bird's nest is better to be consumed, but because that is very very expensive, using MBD's bird's nest mask is probably the best way to try out bird's nest.

Let me know if you've ever tried bird's nest! Did you find it helpful towards your skin or did it not do much for you? You can buy the MBD mask on www.sasa.com and www.amazon.com

Sources

• http://www.livescience.com/21534-edible-birds-nests-health.html 
• http://www.emperiobirdsnest.com/benefits
• http://www.amazon.com/My-Beauty-Diary-Birds-Nest/dp/B00DOKA468

Hello! Like I promised, I am here to give you my shopping list for the 20% off event. I am actually headed to Sephora today after lunch, so I will do a haul post after I buy everything from instores and online :D

Sephora always gets me with their 20% off. I've reached a point in my makeup/beauty life now, where I can control my impulsive needs to buy ALL the lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes, but 20% off is such a good deal, I always waver between buying the new Christmas limited edition palettes and lipstick sets and just sticking with restocking on my basics/HGs.

So without further ado, here is the list of things I will definitely be buying:

Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Encre de Peau

This is my HG foundation, the Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Encre de Peau. It's super light weight, but provides medium to full coverage, and is build-able. The thinness of this foundation may not work for those of you who have acne or other similar skin troubles, but if you skin is relatively "smooth", I would definitely recommend this. It covers all my hyper-pigmentation and makes my skin super smooth. I often forget I'm even wearing foundation.

Caudalie Resveratrol Lift Night Infusion Cream

I recently finished up my jar of Philosophy Hope in A Jar Night. I've used this one consistently for about 2 years now, and it does a superb job of moisturizing my skin during Toronto's shitty winters but I find that it doesn't do much other than moisturize my skin. Seeing as there's all these newer products out on the market now, I've decided to try Caudalie's Resveratrol Lift Night Infusion Cream. It claims to visibly redefine facial contours, which I highly doubt.... but why not give it a shot. Sephora's excellent return policy means that I can just try this product and if it doesn't work as well as I'd like it to, I can just return it and get my Philosophy night cream as usual.

Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Night Serum

I'm in the market for a good serum, and I stumbled upon Drunk Elephant's T.L.C. Framboos Glyolic Night Serum. I'm hoping my skin will react positively to this, as this will be my first time trying out AHA. It's got good reviews, and a lot of people say that it's completely healed their skin troubles, while it didn't do much for others. The $112 price tag is quite steep but with 20% off, I figured I might as well try it, and if it doesn't do anything for my skin, or if it breaks me out, I can just return it.

Anastasia Brow Wiz

Stocking up on another HG product. I'm currently using Anastasia's Brow Wiz in the colour taupe, but they've changed the colours/names yet again and replaced the lightest one with taupe. I try to get the same colour as the dipbrow pomade, and seeing as those all the other colours but taupe don't match my hair colour, I'll probably repurchase taupe.

MUFE Step 1 Base Equalizer

I actually have the Hydrating Primer in the travel sized version, but I will repurchase in the nourishing primer full sized one because I find that it works and is super good. I wish MUFE would come out with more travel sized versions because $43 is kinda steep :(

Now let's move on to a list of items I want to buy, but probably will not buy because I think I can control myself... but all the limited edition stuff released for Christmas is super cute and has great value this year so ugh what is my life:

SEPHORA COLLECTION hakuho-do + SEPHORA PRO Kanpeki Perfection Brush Set

A motherfucking set for the Hakuho-do + Sephora Pro brushes. A SET OF THEM. When they were originally released, they were released individually and were priced like $60 each SO THIS SET IS SUCH A GOOD DEAL BUT UGH I don't really need those brushes in my life anyways, so this is something I'm gonna pass on. But the brushes are such good quality. I have the angled concealer brush, which doubles as a highlighter brush (and that's what I use it for), and the bristles are so smooth and soft on my face. Why am I poor.

Clarisonic Mia 2 Keith Haring "Dance" Skin Cleansing System

Clarisonics' are HGs for some, and a complete waste of money for others. I kinda want to try it out, but as my skin isn't breaking out into hives or whatever just yet... (knock on wood), I don't really need to spend this kind of cash, even though the Keith Haring special edition is one I would totally buy just because I resonate with its message.

Elizabeth and James Nirvana White Dry Shampoo

I actually own the Elizabeth and James Nirvana White perfume so when this came out in a dry shampoo formulation, I wanted it so bad. I love the scent of the perfume and it's the exact same scent in the dry shampoo but because it's ridiculously overpriced at $34, I'm probably not buying this. My Batise dry shampoo for $7 works pretty good so there's no need to buy one that's more expensive.

Marc Jacob Beauty Style Eye-Con No. 20 - Plush Eyeshadow

Marc Jacob has released this super gorgeous eyeshadow palette for the Christmas season and I want it soooooo bad. It's got a good mix of neutrals and just a pop of smokey colour and I love the addition of all the purples. But I've got already got enough eyeshadow, and another one isn't going to help me.

I  think this is the finalized list of things I'm going to buy and things that I want, but I know I'm going to be enthralled by all the tiny travel sized shit near the checkout counter so watch me come home with more lipsticks than I need...

Anyways, happy shopping everybody! What are you buying this year? Let me know in the comments below :)

The time for shopping has arrived! Sephora's annual 20% off sale event starts tonight (if you're RSVP-ed to attend their private shopping event), and lasts until the 9th. Rouges get 20% everything Sephora carries, which makes this their best sale of the year. Brands that never go on sale, like Marc Jacob Beauty, YSL, Armani, etc, are all inclusive in this sale so go wild!

Use the code ROUGE20 when shopping online; in stores, just show the sales assistant your VIB Rouge card or give them your email.

From what I've heard, Nov 6-9th is the official sale period for Rouges, and Nov 13-16 is the official sale period for VIBs. No word on why Sephora is separating the sale period this year but it's probably to cut down on the volume of 20% offs they get during this period. Probably makes it easier to do statistics for the higher ups.

Anyways, have you decided what you're going to get during the sale period? Watch out for my own personal shopping list, which will go out tomorrow morning, right before the next ABCs of Skincare/Makeup Ingredients post.

This is the first post of my new blog series! I hope this really takes off, and that you can all learn something new.

First ingredient is "aloe vera"! Aloe has been used in various different ways throughout history, but it has really taken off as a popular topical skincare ingredient. There are various products out there on the market, with various percentages of aloe, but the one above (Nature Republic's) is a popular one, and contains 92% of aloe vera. Why not 100% you might ask? Some people find 100% too sticky for them and that something around 92% is better because it was more watery/gel-like and is less sticky.

So here are some of the things aloe vera are known to do:

• remedy for various skin conditions including, but not limited to:
• burns, sunburn, frostbite, and cold sores
• healing of surgical wounds (1)
• improve blood circulation in wounded areas
• moisturizes and hydrates the skin
• cool and soothe skin after prolonged sun exposure (2)

These are some really basic things that aloe vera can do, and I'm sure you already know of these things. Most people usually use aloe vera as a moisturizer, or to heal surgical wounds in the skin. I've burned myself cooking before, and by slathering aloe vera on it right away, the burn wound went away much quicker and it hurt much less. 

Aloe vera has potent antioxidant and antibacterial properties, which helps limit or prevent the growth of certain infection-causing bacterias in humans (3). There have been studies done to test on the credibility of aloe vera as a faster treatment on burns. One study found that aloe vera reduced the healing time by 9 days, in comparison to other types of medication and gels (4). Other types of wounds however, were found to be inconclusive when treated with aloe vera versus other types of medication. 

Basically, aloe vera has proven to be a good remedy for burns, but not so much for other types of wounds. However, its antibacterial properties would be useful for open wounds or thin cuts (e.g. when the skin next to your lips split open from the cold weather). 

There have also been various studies done on aloe vera's usefulness in improving the skin's elasticity. One study found that topical application of aloe vera improved skin elasticity over a 90 day period and increased collagen production (5).  Another study found that topical application of aloe vera reduced erythema but increased the skin's dryness (6). 

There's a lack of evidence as to whether or not aloe vera is useful for improving our skin's elasticity and for getting rid of erythema (redness of the skin that is usually caused by our skin's negative reaction to something ingested or applied). However, if you find that one brand's aloe vera is having positive effects on your skin's elasticity, don't be afraid to stop using it just because there's a lack of academic studies on this subject! Skincare products have various effects on people, and skin elasticity may be something that is just too variant for it to have a widespread effect. 

Aloe vera can also be drank! It is found in many drinks (usually only found in Asian supermarkets, but I did see a few at a 7-11). I've seen many various brands before, but the image above is probably the most iconic bottle of aloe vera juice. There's also flavours now! I remember buying a mango or peach flavoured aloe juice. Supposedly aloe vera juice helps our skin radiance, but there are no studies backing that up, so take that with a grain of salt.

To recap, aloe vera is useful as a moisturizer, burn remedy, and antibacterial gel. It is relatively inexpensive, and can be found in a variety of products now, but the higher the percentage of aloe vera that is contained, the better. Different percentages of aloe vera gel can be found all over the Internet, and I'll include some links below to various popular brands. Most people I know swear by the Nature Republic's gel, but I'll have to get my hands on 3W Clinic's after I finish my Nature Republic tub.

[Nature Republic's 92%] [3W Clinic's 100%] [Lacvert's 93%] [The Body Shop] 

I hope that was informational! That's all from me, so please come back on Friday, when I release the next post in this series!

Sources:

(1) http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-607-aloe.aspx?activeingredientid=607&activeingredientname=aloe

(2) http://www.lilyofthedesert.com/common-uses-for-aloe-vera/

(3) http://authoritynutrition.com/8-proven-health-benefits-of-aloe-vera/

(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17499928

(5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2883372/

(6) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4078333/