Love Me Low [pH] & Gently: Make P:rem Safe Me Cleanser Review

You know what I should be doing daily? Washing my face with something other than puppy slobber and the occasional half-hearted swipe of BHA exfoliant on a cotton square. Somehow, though, that hasn't quite always worked out as I planned, much like my plans to raise a perfectly trained, polite dog that doesn't jump on people's faces to greet them and isn't plotting diabolical schemes to procure bits of steak on demand.

That had quite a bit to do with why I'm reviewing the Make P:rem Safe Me Relief Moisture Cleansing Foam, but I'll get to that shortly.

Sure it says it's pH 5.5, but is it really? We've been mislead and our wallets waylaid before.

As it turns out, puppy slobber can be pretty irritating, or perhaps it's just the combination of noncon puppy tongue baths + the winter elements when it's 11pm and -18C** and you're outside huddled in your jacket chanting "go potty, go potty" like some sort of scatologically-obsessed cult member. Wind chapping is no joke, I'd almost forgotten what real winter weather is like after a decade outside Canada.

**That's just below zero Fahrenheit for my non-metric peeps out there.

It turns out that skin savaged by winter like the twitterstorm that obliterated that article about the "skincare con", isn't thrilled about the application of products. Especially cleansers (even low pH ones) gamely trying to strip the last remnants of lubrication out of your moisture barrier.

While digging through my stash (much like my dog in our doomed garden, except with less mud and no eating of unknown objects) I realized I had a full tube of the Make P:rem Safe Me Relieving Moisture foaming cleanser waiting to be used. I had bought the full size after going through several sample sachets, and remembered liking its gentle, mild foam. It's also low pH (as proclaimed proudly on the packaging) and into my bathroom it went, standing like a lone, forlorn soldier against the tide of unholy bacteria no doubt marching across my face.

In this post:

• Product details
• Ingredients
• Does it foam, though?
• Cleansing demo
• Overall thoughts

I suppose not everyone is as concerned with the qualifications and performance of their cleansers as I am, but everyone's got their kinks. Mine is for low pH cleansers that snuggle my skin's horny layer with soft suds and sultry scents, and I'm not ashamed. Let's roll!

Cosrx Low pH Gel Cleanser Review & Demo: My Acid Mantle is a Cheap Date

There's little not to like about the Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser; it's low pH, it's cheap, it foams, and it comes in a huge tube.  I'm into that.  It's not a perfect product, but the flattened carcass of my current tube is a pretty eloquent testament on its own:

I've wrung every drop out of this tube.

It's also popped up in many routine post on my Instagram, in my Beginner Friendly: Simple K-Beauty Starter Kits for 4 Skin Types series, and in several posts.  I've been living the low pH life since diving into the studies on pH in Why the pH of Your Cleanser Matters back in 2014, but low pH is just the first criteria needed to earn a spot on my sink.

In this post:

• Product details
• Ingredients & gel 1st cleanser demo
• Review & foaming 2nd cleanser demo

After I had to engage a bunch of whacking, flapping, squeezing, and scraping to get it out, I realized that I was rapidly running out of product with which to photograph for a review.  Time to get it done!

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser Review: We Tried, But It's Time to Break Up

Yep, that's right, a review of the low pH non-foaming Milky Jelly cleanser from Glossier.  Your eyes do not deceive you; this is a non-K-Beauty, non-Asian product, despite my overall efforts to keep my blog content consistent.  I do try, and use, western products regularly, I just rarely post about them.  Since I'm all about that low pH cleanser life, and this cleanser was getting good reviews from other K-Beauty fans, it's been on my radar for quite a while.

We're visiting family out of state, who are bemused at me hauling around a giant white table top for photos.

While hemming and hawing over whether to grab it, my fellow Snailcaster Tracy of Fanserviced-b offered to send me a bottle since she had some spare store credit, I thought, why not?  Let's see what the fuss is about.  Now that I'm almost halfway through the bottle, it's time for a review!

In this post:

• Product details
• Ingredients & thoughts on the hype
• Demo as a dry & wet (first and second) cleanser vs double cleansing
• What I'd rather use instead

This review is going to be fairly photo heavy, because I had to pack a lot of stuff to work on this review while we were out of state for the long weekend and then felt obligated to use it, haha.

Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask Review: Tested & Detested

Mid-week is the perfect time for a mini-review of the famous Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask.  (Update: my word counter tells me that "mini" review is a lie.  Eh, everything's relative!)  This mask is old news; it's a classic example of skincaretainment, and the product is more well-known for its entertainment value than the actual effects on the skin.  That's partly why I've avoided it until now, but it's summer and my skin is a slimy mess in this humidity so it's very ready for an occasional clay mask.  Why not one that inflates into a comically wide cloud of foam while on your face, making you look like a pixar character while doing double duty of first cleansing and clay mask style deep pore cleansing all in one go?

There is an inner jar lid/seal to keep air from reacting to the product.

Sounds too good to be true, right?  Plus, lots of people have used this mask, including fellow Snailcast podcaster Fifty Shades of Snail, so I purchased a jar of it and give it a try.  Then I dropped all irritants out of my routine and tried it again.  Sometimes, you have to just have to hurt yourself twice to confirm something is bad news.

In this post:

• Product details
• Ingredients
• What it did to my face
• What I'd rather use instead

Before using this mask the second time, I skipped anything that would compromise my moisture barrier for at least a week: no acid exfoliants, no manual exfoliants, no tretinoin, nothing to weaken my skin barrier or make me more sensitive.  I wanted to make sure there was no chance the culprit was just piling clay on top of sensitive skin.  Unfortunately, it still left my skin screaming for mercy and I smothered its cries with snail gel to recover.

Hada Labo Gokujyun Foaming Cleanser vs Medicean ER Nature Cleanser Review: Low pH & Fun-Free

It's taken me a long time to review the Hada Labo Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Foaming Wash, and not for interesting reasons.  It's hard to write reviews of unremarkable products-- sometimes products are really good or really bad, but most of the time, they're just bland.  Such is the case with the two self-foaming cleansers that I'm reviewing today as my newest "Dirge of Duds" post.

This outdoor image brought to you by SPF 50+ PA+++ sunscreen.

Ironically, my last Dirge of Duds post (linked above) also featured a Hada Labo product, but unlike the Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Lotion which I actively disliked, I actually emptied the entire bottle of the cleanser, which is a pretty amazing feat considering that I've got a lot of cleansers in my rotation.  Part of it was just determination to empty a cleanser so I could purchase something fun that excited me more, and part of it was that it was an easy sell for my husband's nascent skincare routine, being both utilitarian and unoffensive.

Still, both of these cleansers were so boring that they added to, instead of mitigated, my ennui towards cleansing and that resulted in me skipping my routine more often than I'd like to admit.  I purchased these with the intention to try a very famous cleanser (the Hada Labo is a favourite of adoredee and many others) and to compare it against a similar Korean product (the Medicean) which was a relatively rare animal-- an openly low-pH Korean cleanser.

In this post:

• Product details
• Ingredients
• pH results
• How they compare
• Final thoughts

Before we jump in, I'd like to take a moment and remind people that skincare doesn't work the same way for everyone; many people don't care about Skincaretainment and just want their products to do the thing they're supposed to do.  I'm just jaded and can't get it up for bland products these days-- I need my products to motivate me to drag my exhausted backside into the bathroom and start my routine.

Both of the cleansers work just fine, and they're good options for beginner cleansers, which is why the Hada Labo cleanser appeared in my Beginner Friendly: Simple K-Beauty Starter Kits for 4 Skin Types series, which details 4 really simple beginner routines with only 5 products for a variety of skin types.  I just need excitement in my bathroom, and not the kind that evokes dead grandmothers and ignores safewords.

Sulwhasoo Herbal Soap Review: The Day I Hanbanged Too Hard

It's finally happened.  I've always been one of those reckless, flirt-with-danger, no-such-thing-as-too-hanbang, hanbang-me-harder types.  There are so many proverbs and fables that warn of this foolhardy approach, but I didn't pay any attention, seeking greater hanbang highs with every product, until it all culminated in traumatizing regret.  I'm talking about the venus flytrap of Hanbang products, the Sulwhasoo Herbal Soap set.  Don't be fooled by it's comely appearance; this product has no concept of boundary limits or safewords.

It looks so pretty, so enticing, so ... innocent.

It was only a matter of time before it happened, to be honest.  My endless thirst toward all things Hanbang is even something I'm known for; the Hanbang tag on my blog is a deep, deep rabbit hole ... the kind that smells of rich earth and ginseng.  Hanbang (한방) is traditional Korean herbal medicine, and has its roots in TCM (traditional Chinese herbal medicine) but with its own local herbs and fermentation-heavy preparation methods.  Many people aren't into the intensely herbal scents of Hanbang, but dried herbs, teas, and tinctures were all forms of torture commonplace during my childhood and I find the herbal notes in Hanbang products an irresistible alternative to the sickly-sweet synthetic florals that pervade most K-Beauty products I've tried.

In this post:

• Regrets

Also includes: product details & ingredients, but mostly regrets.  Also, this review is going to be firmly NSFW so if you're unamused by concepts like safewords being used in a humorous context, turn away, this is not the review you are looking for.

Lazy Morning Staple: Su:m37 Skin Saver Cleansing Water Review

If you follow me on Instagram, where I often post my daily routines, you may have noticed that the Su:m37 Skin Saver Essential Cleansing Water has been featured pretty heavily lately.  After I realized that I had only used my favourite foaming cleanser of 2015 just once in the last two weeks, because I had been reaching for this cleansing water every day, I figured it was high time I reviewed it!

Mmm, this packaging.  The opalescence of the bottle cap is so hard to capture!

This is the third cleansing water I've tried to date, and so far, I like it best of the three although I'm not passionately in love with it- hence why it did not make it onto the 2015 in Review: My Favourite K-Beauty Products of 2015 list.

That's not to say that it's merely the best of the available evils; I quite like this, and it's been my "dear saint snail I'm freezing my ass off and my bathroom is cold as hell and I don't want to wash my face because the chance of getting water on myself is too damn high" cleanser of choice.  It's also my "there had better be coffee when I sloth out of this bathroom like Jabba the Hut" cleanser, and my "I can't feel my fingers" cleanser, and also my "I've lost fine motor control functions because I'm wearing 8 layers to stay warm" cleanser.  It's the first real winter I've experienced after 8 years in the desert, and needless to say, I'm feelin' it.  Especially in the morning, when I look like one of those "before and after coffee" memes and I try to walk through walls and doors that have somehow leapt out to obstruct my path. Jerks.

So if you're like me and you 1. hate mornings in general, 2. hate cold mornings especially, and 3. can't manage to wash your face without splashing water all over yourself, cleansing waters are great.

In this post:

• Product details
• What is a micellar/cleansing water?
• Ingredients
• Packaging
• Demonstration
• Final thoughts & why I like it

I'm going to demonstrate this product's ability to remove makeup as some people use it as a first cleanser/makeup remover, but that's really not what I use it for.  I use it as a gentle, convenient, super-quick AM cleanse for mornings where I am super lazy and/or hate the world and everything in it because I haven't had coffee yet.

Powder Cleanser Comparison Review: Tosowoong, O'slee, Su:m37, & Tatcha

As I've mentioned before, it's really easy to write reviews of products that you either loved or hated, but it's harder to write about things which are simply mediocre.  Those bland reviews still have value, even if there's little to say about them, so I like to knock out a few at a time and compare them to other products if possible.

Today I'll be doing a comparison review of 4 powder cleansers I've used, and why only one of them has a spot in my cleanser wardrobe.

Secret weapon to create better foam with powder cleansers: konjac sponge or foaming net!

Powder cleansers are relatively new to me (as in, the last year or so), but I became interested in them when I discovered that many of them are actually low-pH as well as being super fun to use.  Since my dive into the research behind low-pH skincare was so compelling as to convince me to give up my old HG cleanser, I've been on a bit of a mission to find cleanser options that thrilled me in addition to being low-pH, since that's simply not enough on its own.

In this post:

• What is a powder cleanser?
• Tosowoong Enzyme Powder Wash review
• O'slee Rosehip Hydra-White Cleansing Powder review
• Su:m37 White Award Enzyme Powder wash review
• Tatcha Polished Rice Enzyme Powder review (sorta)

Before we jump in, I'd like to remind folks that skincare is the ultimate YMMV (your mileage may vary) so what worked best or worst for me is totally dependent on my skin and experience, and it doesn't necessarily mean that your skin will react the same way.

Let's do this!

Dirge of Duds: Reviews of Mizon Almighty Cold Cream, Acence Blemish Control Gel, & Good Night White Sleeping Mask

This week I'm going to be doing something a little different, because different is interesting and St. Snail knows I need "interesting" to get through this backlog of products that need review.  Why the backlog?  Because they bored me.

It's really easy to write reviews of things that you either loved or hated, but it's a lot harder to review things that are on the scale of "didn't really like it" to "sorta bland."  I can summon the burning fires of bloggerly rage about things that my skin violently rejected, but mediocre is tough!

Today's batch of boring products: Mizon edition

Then I feel guilty for being so behind on reviewing things long since discarded or even emptied, but I can't bring myself to spend all weekend writing about something that doesn't interest me.  So here's the Dirge of Duds: a series of mini-reviews to clear the backlog of products that I mildly disliked, felt ambivalent about, tolerated, or had tepid feelings about them one way or the other.

In this post:

• Mizon Acence Blemish Control Soothing Gel Cream Review
• Mizon Good Night White Sleeping Mask Review
• Mizon Almighty Cold Cream Cleansing & Massage Review

I'll be providing details, ingredients lists, and brief thoughts about each.  Onward to slay the Dragon of Dullness!

Low pH & High Luxury: Sulwhasoo Snowise EX Cleansing Foam Review

I'm current locked in an epic struggle between our cross-country moving company, the city permit office, and our local moving company; it's throwing me off my blogging game as I try not to throw myself off a cliff.  It's difficult.  People things need to be thrown and I need to throw them.

But I'm taking a moment to unglue my phone from my cheek and stop rage-throwing things to unveil a new low pH foaming cleanser contender: the (unsurprisingly) luscious Sulwhasoo Snowise EX Cleansing Foam.

Sulwhasoo: when even samples are fancy

One of the things that I really appreciate about Korean products is how readily available they are in sample sizes, at least compared to traditional western offerings.  That's how I stumbled across this low-pH cleanser hidden in my stash; I was packing my stash for the move, and my pH strips were handy.

If you are new to the low pH cleanser life, click here to read about Why the pH of your cleanser matters.  But low pH cleansers are rare and hard to formulate, leaving very few options that are enjoyable to use.

In this post:

• Product details
• How well does it foam?
• Ingredients list
• Final thoughts

As you can see, I have yet to purchase this in full size, although I do have a heck of a lot of samples; and at 4ml per pouch, I've managed to snag myself a good amount of product without committing to a full size.

Review: Cremorlab T.E.N. Cremor Cleansing Gel Oil, Why Can't I Quit You?

So, last week I mentioned that I am giving up accepting Press Samples for testing and review, and the catalyst was the whopping 2 products accepted to date (which had me wrestling with reviewing ethics like Laocoon and the Serpents**) as I found myself trying to hate on products just because they'd been given to me for free.

Spoilers: As you can see, I've been going hard on this.

Today's review is one of those 2 products accepted for review, specifically the one from Peach & Lily, who contacted me back in May after we had a Twitter interaction to ask if I was interested in trying some of their products.  I still haven't reviewed the other, and I likely never will, as I just ... well.  Read on for my struggles feelings about press samples.

**Scroll down for photo reference if you're not a Classical Studies nerd like me

In this post:

• Product Details
• Why I accepted this product
• Why I can't quit it
• Demo - does it work?
• Ingredients list
• Final thoughts: pros and cons

As I am sure you can tell from the post title + the half empty bottle, despite all my efforts, I liked it.  Saint Snail help me, I liked it a lot.

Alchemy In Your Bathroom: Review of the Su:m37 White Award Enzyme Powder Wash

Isn't it amazing when a cleanser turns out to be good for your skin, the right pH, effective at its job, and fun to use?  That's right, fun to use.

I'm talking about the "you get to be a mad scientist in your bathroom, watching the power of chemical reactions right before your eyes" sort of fun, courtesy of the Su:m37 White Award Enzyme Powder Wash, which might just be my new favourite cleanser. 

Su:m37: Killing it on the packaging front, every time.

I actually purchased this in sample packets to put my curiosity to rest, assuming that it was gimmicky in addition to being expensive (it is Su:m37, after all) but to my chagrin, it ended up being amazing.  I pined for it for weeks after my samples were done, so finally I splurged on a full size from 11st (you can read my Guide to 11st here!)

The Su:m37 official site describes this powder wash as follows:

This powder-type cleansing form with its mild finishing texture contains acai berry, rice extracts, and enzymes, which removes skin wastes during the wash-off and makes your skin crystal clear and bright.

I suspect that's supposed to be 'foam', but hey, it is also a 'form' of cleansing, so let's roll with it!

In this post:

• What is a powder wash?
• A quick note on low pH cleanser hype
• The magic happens! A demo of of how it works 
• Ingredients translation & pH result
• Why it's worth the price (for me)

I tried not to love this product, honestly.  I try not to fall in love with expensive things, but Su:m37 undoes me every time.

Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil Review

Oil cleansers, sigh.  I have a toxic, co-dependent relationship with them; on the one hand, I need them to properly remove my sunscreen and makeup, but on the other hand they're highly comedogenic for me because my skin's mission in life is to clog its pores at all costs.

This means I buy, try, and hate a lot of oil/balm/sherbet cleansers in my quest to find something that 1. takes off my sunscreen and makeup completely, 2. rinses/emulsifies completely, and 3. doesn't break me out.   I am asking a lot, I know.

This week I will be reviewing the Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil (travel size) which I managed to completely empty despite it being, well, an oil cleanser.

This weekend I needed to take a picture that spanned about 5 feet, so my lightbox was useless; deciding to go ahead and continue with the same set up including the dark background = regret

I was quite pleased to see that the Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil comes in sample/travel sizes, because I can safely assume every oil/balm/sherbet cleanser out here is going to be hated passionately by my skin.  It's just statistical probability at this point, and becomes a matter of how much my skin is going to hate it.

So why do I use them?  I'm a firm believer in the Double Cleansing Method, which is a key feature of the Asian skincare philosophy, if sunscreen or makeup is involved.  If you are new to Asian skincare, you can read more about Double Cleansing and the products recommended/formulated for that use here: Cleansing Megapost: Double Cleansing, Cleanser Types, Tools, & Techniques.

In  this post:

• Product Details
• Ingredients Analysis
• Effectiveness Demo
• Final Thoughts

Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick Review

Today I'll be reviewing the much-buzzed-about, hard-to-find, ever-elusive Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick.  I just finished off my 2nd tube and I am about to crack into a brand-new pristine one, so I figured now was a good time to review it while the new tube is still untouched and pretty.

Nonetheless, it is what's inside the packaging that counts, right?

Su:m37 has gorgeous packaging of course, but they also make excellent (if expensive) products.

If you are at all interested in Asian cosmetics, you have probably heard of the mythical MRCS; it's rarely stocked, sells out immediately, and is usually offered at exorbitant prices when available.  It causes buying frenzies, backups purchased before the first has arrived, and other questionable shopping practices (not that any of these apply to me.  Heh. Heh. Heh...)  It's almost like a Korean Beauty goal: Achievement Unlocked: Purchase Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick!

So you might be asking, what is the fuss about?  The primary benefits of the MRCS, in my opinion, are as follows:

• Low pH foaming cleanser (click here to read about why the pH of your cleanser is actually a big deal)
• Is cosmetically elegant, delicately wrapping your skin in a luxurious froth of fermented rose
• Has a novel packaging/application method that is travel-friendly

And that's it.  You might be looking at that list and thinking "this thing is so hyped I was expecting it to pay my mortgage and take me on fabulous vacations to Spain" and I do think that people get a bit too caught up in the buzz, but I have also purchased 4 of them and only have one left.  Clearly it's got something goin' on for it.

In this post:

• Methods of use and length of use
• Ingredients Analysis
• Where to purchase it
• Alternatives/Dupes
• Final thoughts

Etude House Real Art Moisture Cleansing Oil Review

Cleansing oils are fabulous inventions; they have all the benefits of the Oil Cleansing Method but unlike traditional OCM blends, they are formulated with extra ingredients so they emulsify with water and can be rinsed off cleanly.  With water.  How crazy is that?

They are a staple in the Korean double cleansing technique, which I discuss in more depth in my  Skincare Discovery: Cleansing Part I megapost if you are unfamiliar with either double cleansing or oil cleansers.  As I mention in the breakdown of double cleansing, the first cleanse is really meant as makeup and sunscreen removal, not actual skin cleansing.  Sunscreen is serious business to remove, I have discovered, and oil cleansers do a wonderful job of it.

The challenge I have found is trying to find an oil cleanser that works for me, as the Holika Holika one I have used is too stripping for daily double cleansing and also broke me out a bit.  After seeing Etude House's Real Art Moisture cleansing oil recommended on Get It Beauty, I figured I'd give it a try.

I love the Mona Lisa 'art' on the packaging, such a cute touch.

Etude House makes several Real Art oils meant for various skin types and troubles, and this one is for dry skin; although I do not have dry skin, my logic was that since I needed an oil cleanser that was less stripping for my double cleanse, a formulation for dry skins should be ultra gentle, right?

I received this oil back at the beginning of August and am only reviewing it now due to the fact that I don't wear makeup often and thus rarely need to double cleanse, that I wanted to confirm the results, and that I wanted to combine it with several other products to verify that it wasn't just a perfect storm triggering my skin's reaction.

Mizon Snail Repairing Foam Cleanser Review

This week's review is yet another Mizon snail product, specifically the Snail Repairing Foam Cleanser, or; The Last Foaming Cleanser I Bought Before I Knew Better.

Sigh.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss, my friends.

This foaming cleanser, and the Mizon Skin Turnaround Pore Refine Deep Cleansing Foam I purchased at the same time, is the last full size cleanser I'll purchase without either first getting a sample size or confirming that the pH is within an acceptable range.  

I purchased both because I was looking for a replacement to the Shiseido FT Sengansenka Perfect Whip Facial Wash (reviewed) which gives me a dense, firm foam that is the perfect compliment to my Clarisonic brush.  It's also way too high in pH for me to use, so I desperately need to find an alternative that works the same way with my brush.  I use my Clarisonic much less now that I am gripped in the voodoo of chemical exfoliation, but I still use it when it feels like my skin needs it.

So how does it measure up against my beloved Perfect Whip?

Skin79 Smart Clear All In One Cleansing Gel Review

This week's review is of the Skin79 Smart Clear All In One Cleansing Gel, which is part of my ongoing series titled: Finally Reviewing Last Summer's Haul Products So I Can Buy More Guilt-Free.

Also included in this series is Tonymoly's Latte Art Cappuccino Cream-in Scrub, Skinfood's Ancient Rice Toner, and last week's ill-fated My Beauty Diary Natto mask.

Not only is it assisting with culling the giant list of overdue reviews, but this cleanser is joining the ranks of empties I am hoarding in anticipation of doing an Empties post in the future; nothing gives a beauty product addict the rush of justification like a collection of things you actually managed to finish.

Despite me nearly finishing this bottle (I have only a tiny amount left in the bottom) it's not something that I'd necessarily recommend or repurchase.

Read on for the full review!

Shiseido Perfect Whip Cleanser Review

This week's review is of the best cleanser sidekick for my Clarisonic, the Shiseido FT Sengansenka Perfect Whip Facial Wash.  This cleanser is unlike anything I had ever encountered in western skin care, and on its own it seems gimmicky and unremarkable, but when paired with my trusty Clarisonic, it's a match made in skincare heaven.  I've also included how to make Perfect Whip foam, using two different methods.

Shiseido is a very widely recognized Asian luxury brand, but this particular product is from their 'drug store' line of products, so they are affordable but still considered to be decent quality.  I wouldn't dare use conventional drug store skin care like Neutrogena, etc, on my face (cue skin rage) but I've heard good things about Shiseido's drug store products and certainly my skin likes the Perfect Whip just fine.

Details:

Full product name: Shiseido FT Sengansenka Perfect Whip Facial Wash

Purpose: A foaming cleanser with a unique foam formation that resembles a very thick, dense shaving cream more than your traditional foaming cleanser.  It creates a thick cushion of foam on the skin, and is supposedly to be very gentle on the skin.

Texture: Starts as a pearly ultra thick cream and looks like toothpaste out of the tube.  It's slick and stringy at first, but when water is added and agitated with fingers, brush, or foaming net, it whips into a giant cloud of dense, superfine foam which resists pressure.  Almost like a mousse texture.

Scent:  Medium.  It has a sort of chemical smell, like Clearasil, Neutrogena, etc, but with a pleasant fruity/floral scent on top. Doesn't linger after rinsing.

Packaging: A squeeze tube, so be careful as a little goes a long way.

Quantity: 5oz, which is a large amount considering how little you need.

Availability: I bought mine from Amazon, also available various places online.  If you happen to live in Japan, it will be easily available.

Price: With shipping, it came out to about $9 from the above seller.  Compare that to the $33 for the ElishaCoy All-In-One BB cleanser that also has a place in my beauty lineup, it's a steal.

Rating:  5/5!  9/22/14 Update:  I have since learned that any cleanser over 5.6 actually damages your skin (click here for full post including scientific sources) so sadly this previously loved cleanser is no longer something I can recommend.  

Repurchase: You bet.  I have had a Clarisonic for years, and have always been hunting for the perfect cleanser to pair it with-- this foam is it.  As this cleanser is a stratum corneum-wrecking nuclear pH level of 8, no.  Never again.  I miss you, Perfect Whip, but you're destroying my ability to fight off acne bacteria every time you touch my face.

Onward to the review of this strange, but brilliant, little product!

Holika Holika Soda Pore Cleansing BB Deep Cleansing Oil Review

July 2014 Update:  After some discussion with other bloggers about cleansing oils, I have updated a few points in this review, marked with **

This week's review, much delayed by a paralysis of indecision on what to review next, is the Holika Holika Soda Pore Cleansing BB Deep Cleansing Oil, which I purchased in my mega-haul from pretty&cute.com

Like most of the items I purchase, there were not a lot of English reviews of this specific cleansing oil, but considering my overall faith in the Holika Holika brand, and the affordable price point, I figured I would give the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) a shot.

OCM, if you haven't heard of it before, is cleaning your face with a blend of oils, usually specific ones with certain properties that lend themselves to this application, rather than smearing whatever you have in your kitchen onto your face.  OCM is something that I have been aware of, but have scrupulously avoided, for years-- primarily because I associated it with hippies who were fond of wearing patchouli and sandalwood in lieu of proper bathing, or trend addicts who were constantly latching onto every new "natural" beauty trend, up to and including cleaning their face with their own urine. (EURGH!)  Thus, OCM was something I was pretty skeptical of, and considering my skin clogs very easily, I was not willing to take the risk.

However, I had read someone describing how the oil loosened their blackheads to the point where it felt like "sesame seeds" under their fingers, and considering my ongoing quest to de-congest my skin, that sounded promising.  Plus, PBunnieP and her video on how to cleanse your face with oil convinced me to give it a try.  I noticed that the actual cleansing appeared to be from massage as opposite to the oil itself doing the "heavy lifting" and that it needed to be removed via emulsification to accomplish a proper clean, which made perfect sense to me.

**Update note #1:  'Emulsification' is a nebulous beauty term, and is casually used by many bloggers, including by PBunnieP in the link above, but more on that later.**

I have been using this product once a week for about 10 weeks, and it's one of those things that I'm glad I took the time to use for a while before reviewing it, because my opinion of it has drastically changed in that time.

Elisha Coy BB All-In-One Cleanser Review

This week's review is of a product by Elisha Coy, or ElishaCoy (website here) as it's technically called, which is a Korean cosmetics brand that touts itself to be an organic, all-natural line.

I bought their All-In-One-Cleanser when I was searching for a cleanser that would take off all my makeup and BB cream at night.   This ended up being more complicated than I expected, because unlike regular makeup, BB cream sinks into your skin to provide you all the skincare perks (like moisturizer, sun protection, oil control, etc) so it's stubborn to get off.  I was using my Clarisonic brush every night to remove it, and my skin was getting chapped and irritated.

The ladies at pretty&cute.com recommended this BB cleanser to me as the solution:

The problem?  I hesitated to spend $33 for a cleansing product when I could have bought something at the drugstore for less than $10.  I started researching online, but other than the sparse reviews on p&c's product page, assorted retailers selling it, and the brief mention in From Head 2 Toe's skincare routine video, details were hard to come by.

I eventually bit the bullet and picked it up, and have been using it for a month and thus it's ready for review!