Product Review : Naruko Lip Repairing & Smoothing Lip Balm Set

Hello! I'm not super hardworking but I've decided to blog here and there while I'm free :D Also, very very unfortunately, I have the habit of purchasing items online whenever I am feeling a little down. Retail therapy is super bad for health okay, online retail therapy counted as well! So... I kinda have a lot of products on hand... *Briefly considers burying credit cards and ib device*

Anyway, I got lip balms! I'm very anal when it comes to lip balms because I have super dry lips. They're so terrible that using any lip products, balms included, can cause them to peeeeeel. Then I'll end up looking sick with pale dry lips :/ So ever since, I've constantly been on the hunt for newer and better lip balms. I was purchasing something for my mom and decided to add this to the cart as well.

Introducing the Naruko Lip Repairing & Smoothing Lip Balm Set!

Well I'm don't need so many lip balms and given a choice I would go with the pink one! Just cause it's pink. But it comes in a set anyway so...

Pardon my mentos xD I was trying to get better lighting with my mentos container! Very simple packaging, just like your usual, average lip balms? (But I like pink :P)

The pink one's called the Vitamin ACE Ageless lip balm and the purple one's called the HA Intense Hydrating lip balm. As you can very obviously see in the picture, the pink one contains a yellowish balm that looks a little... Not so appealing. Whereas the purple one contains a creamy looking whitish balm that looks normal I suppose?

Here you can see their functions and ingredients.

L - HA Intense Hydrating Lip Balm / R - Vitamin ACE Ageless Lip Balm

As you can see, or not see (lol), the HA Intense Hydrating Lip Balm (Purple), looks like nothing on the lips. It's good for prepping the lips before lipstick application. Probably will not change the finish of your matte lippies but I can't say for sure as I don't own any matte lippies. Works well with the lip stains I own. HOWEVER, over application will give you a whitish film on your lips. You don't want that so remember not to spam. As much as I'm obsessed with lip products, I often do not like feeling anything on my lips or accidentally tasting/consuming my lip products. This lip balm feels almost like nothing on my lips, making me feel more at ease. This product contains fragrance but it's very mild, just a herbish lavenderish scent?

For the Vitamin ACE Ageless Lip Balm (Pink), it has a glossy finish. It's not obvious in the picture but obvious in reality. You can safely spam this on if you desire the finish to be more glossy. I usually use this when I'm going out without any other lippies or at night before bed. I find that this balm is a lot more moisturizing than the purple one and it glides on a lot smoother :/ It improves the appearance of fine lines because of the glossy finish and have not noticed any significant difference in my lip lines. I prefer this pink one to the purple on because it hydrates my lips a lot better and keeps it from peeling or shriveling up. This smells similar to the purple balm with the addition of a slight menthol scent. Don't ask me why :/

To conclude, there's no need for a comparison as these come in a set haha. Either way you'll still get both and you'll wanna use both unless you're super rich and don't mind just using the one you prefer. If sold separately, I'll get the pink one. I have not seen these at Watsons thus I assume that they're only available online at Naruko's website HERE for $7.90 (Not inclusive of GST I think). Also, it's mentioned that for best product quality you'd wanna finish this within 6 months after opening. Time to spam spam spam!

HA Intense Hydrating Lip Balm (Purple)
Moisture level : ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (Average lip balm :/)
Scent : ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (Nothing pleasant or unpleasant)
Texture : ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (Feels like nothing but doesn't glide on very smoothly)
Overall : ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (Just... An average lip balm?)

Vitamin ACE Ageless Lip Balm (Pink)
Moisture level : ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (Very very moisturizing!)
Scent : ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (Nothing pleasant or unpleasant)
Texture : ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (Glides on smoothly but one star off cause... I just don't like feeling stuff on my lips.)
Overall : ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (Better than the purple one, get this! [But you can't choose lollol])

It's worth getting if you're not as picky as me, about $4 per lip balm? Would work better for people whose lips aren't as extreme as mine.

Love,
Domo ❤

Disclaimer : This product was purchased by yours truly and reviews are as always, 101% honest!

Product Review : Naruko Apple Seed & Tranexamic Acid Soothing White Mask

Hello my Domokies! Long time no a proper review~ Have been prepping for some stuff and somewhat occupied this week. I'm currently sipping away at a packet of ChocoMarvel because I'm having my cramps now. I'm finally safe to use new stuff on my face so on this particularly tired day, I decided to slap the Naruko Apple Seed & Tranexamic Acid Soothing White Mask on my face.

I wanted to use it since a long time ago but I couldn't as my face was having its down moments.

FOR THE STRANGEST REASONS, I CANNOT FIND THIS ON THE NARUKO SG SITE ANYMORE. So this is the most I can provide.

The instructions if you can read Chinese, otherwise thank goodness for the picture tutorial but I'm sure most people know how to use a sheet mask!

When I first tore the packet open, I was slightly disappointed. I was expecting some fresh and crisp apple scent but it never came. In fact, it smells as though it is fragrance free? I'm not sure as I did not receive the box and the website doesn't seem to carry this anymore.

However, I was pleasantly surprised when I touched the mask. It felt really soft and the material felt sooooooo thin on my face! Yet it manages to soak up most of the essence and not drip them all over me?

This mask is really really gentle because you can even cover your eye area with it. With this mask I like to just take a really short 15-20 minutes nap with it on. However if you're someone who needs to do your homework / work, you can peel down the eye pieces thingy and continue with your work!

On a side note, the mask material is so wonderfully fine and thin that I can see through it xP I absolutely adore such a great quality cloth!

L - Before / R - After

I think the difference is pretty obvious correct..? No photoshop to fake results okay, I took these pics in the same lighting! I used it because my skin was in a super dull state after make up so now that it has restored my skin's radiance, I can put make up again and still look fresh!

This mask is suspended in a clear essence too.

The down side is that it takes a whole lot of time to absorb. This is a really moisturizing mask and it works great on my skin, IF I give it enough time to sink in. That means a few minutes of massaging and patting it in. I do think that the result is really worth it as my skin felt so soft and plump after using. Like the toing toing / boing boing kinda feeling ya know?

The mask soaks up so much essence that it's still so wet after 20minutes! I LOVE the shape of this mask. If you look at the photo of me using it, you can see that it's like a 95% fit for my face. Just extend the nose area a lil bigger and it'll be perfect for me! I did not have to stretch the mask or do anything uncomfortable, it just settled on my skin like a second skin. (Sounds disturbing but it's just an example)

In all honesty, I jumped to my laptop and went to the Naruko SG site to search for this mask but I couldn't find it. I was devastated because I really did like this mask. WHERE DID IT GO? I have no idea. But if it's available, I'll definitely be buying this!


Texture : ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ (A little hard to absorb at first)

Effectiveness : ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (Absolutely and madly in love with it.)

Mask shape : ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (A near perfect fit for my face!)

Overall : ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (One star off simply because it takes a little time to get it all in.)

I WANNA PURCHASE IT WHERE DID IT GO? :( Okay but I do have quite a handful of mask, so maybe by the time I finish my own mask supply, this mask will magically appear on the Naruko SG site once again?

Love,
Chiharu ❤

Disclaimer : Naruko SG sent two pieces of this mask to me for reviewing purposes! Results may differ with individuals and I am just sharing how this mask performed on me.

Product Review : Naruko Raw Job's Tears Supercritical CO2 Whitening Serum

As I'm blogging, it's nearly 4am! But I promised to be back on track and since there's an event tomorrow, I'll have to do the reviewing now and scheduling this to be published in the morning! Once again, it's a Naruko product. If you've watched 女人我最大, you'll know that Niu Er often talks about Naruko, which is actually his own line of products. The emphasis is on effective yet affordable skincare.

This Naruko Raw Job's Tears Supercritical CO2 Whitening Serum sounds pretty good doesn't it.

The box is a recyclable paper cardboard packaging kinda thing.

I'm not sure if it's right but I think the Chinese name for it translate to a phrase with the word "supernatural" in it! O____O???

His face is important. You want to know that your product is REAL and AUTHENTIC.

Here's the product. I totally adore it. Look at the luscious red bottle.It's a dear to have this around your vanity table. Most products don't really have such a rich color but this one does and it kinda perks up your day because of the color. Did you know that if you don't get enough colors in your life, you actually get depression?

That's the product description and usage in Chinese. Let me be your translator once again! Supposedly, this serum brightens your skin, gets rid of excess melanin and gives you skin that is free of dark spots!

Here's what the pump looks like. Easy to manage, one pump is sufficient for my entire face.

Take a quick look at what Naruko says.

To me, this serum is very very different from most whitening products. I'm not sure if most of you have noticed but the SKII Cellumination Essence, the newest Estee Lauder Even Skintone Illuminator and maybe your own whitening serum has shimmery particles in it. This is because of the ingredient Mica. It's a fine shimmery powder thing that's often used in whitening/brightening products to give your skin the pearly iridescence so that your skin will look brighter. So at that very moment upon application, you'll definitely see radiant skin. It's like a "trick" to get radiant skin on the spot so that after you test your serum at the counters it'll look as though it has an immediate effect.

This  Naruko Raw Job's Tears Supercritical CO2 Whitening Serum has no shimmers in it. That would mean that it's actually harder to get instant results. So personally, I've been testing this for at least 2 weeks now. Domokie only reviews stuff we've tested out for a trial period of 1 week at the very least, unless it's a mask or something along that line. This product has no detectable scent either and I think that's good for those peeps with sensitive skin. I swear I tried sniffing this for a scent really hard while trying not to snort it up my nostrils. I could NOT detect a thing. I did wish that it would have that kinda signature lavender / majoram scent that most of Naruko's products seem to have? (Those I've smelt anyway)

This product is a tricky one to review. Initially when I used it, it was honestly blah. Like because there was no mica in it, there's no instant gratification. After a few days, I still couldn't tell the difference. It was only till I had the most dreaded PIMPLES. Please note that I do not have freckles or pigmentation. So as usual, me being the itchy hand attempted to squeeze them out. Yes, it's actually okay to squeeze your zits ONLY IF you know how to. There'll definitely be scarring too. And then it hit me. I realized that with the usage of this serum, my pimple scars faded faster! Remember in my previous post on the AMPM Dual-Phase Tone Correcting Tinted Sunshade SPF35 ***? I've been using these two products together and I must say I have definitely gotten fairer. By fairer I do not mean bleached or snow white. My complexion is brighter and I think I don't look as ghostly when I see myself in the mirror without make up.

Also, this serum is super light. It's not light as in watery in texture but it absorbs into the skin within seconds. It's not oily which is a plus point for people like me. Should you prefer to massage this in slowly and lift your skin, I'd suggest 2 pumps or more, depending on the size of your face. Blot off any excess!

If you've always been looking for a whitening serum that wouldn't break your pocket, no harm giving this a go! You can get it for just $28.90 at Naruko's Web Store or head down to your nearest Watsons outlet! For a list of Watsons outlets that carry Naruko products, please see HERE.

On a side note...

You can make a box outta this! Awesome, I love boxes because I have TOO MUCH STUFF.

Ta dang~ Mine has nice bamboo prints on it :D Really lovely, I personally suggest using this as a lipstick casing. I think it fits the best.


Texture : ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (Almost instantly absorbed.)
Effectiveness : ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (It works well for my pimple scars but I can't be sure about dark spots...)
Overall : ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (I think it's affordable and effective for me, I just wish it had a scent to it!)

Up till this point, Naruko hasn't disappointed me yet :D Plus, I adore their night jellies! My aunts and cousins use Naruko too~

Remember to like Naruko's Facebook Page if you haven't already, for more promotions and updates!

Cheers,
Chiharu ❤

Disclaimer : This product was sent to me for reviewing purposes by Naruko SG. This does not affect the honesty of my review in ANY way and it is 101% honest as usual. Do note however that time taken for results to be seen varies with individuals.

Product Review : AMPM Dual-Phase Tone Correcting Tinted Sunshade SPF35 ***

Ever since I saw this on my favorite beauty show, 女人我最大, I've wanted to try this. In case some of you don't know, 女人我最大 is a Taiwan beauty show that gives you tons of tips on skincare, make up and even clothes. It's a really popular show and often, each guru will recommend products that they've used and found to be fantastic.

So what did I see that sparked off my interested in this product?

Yes, it's the AMPM Dual-Phase Tone Correcting Tinted Sunshade SPF35 ***! I was intrigued to try this because firstly, it's white, and if my eyes did not fool me, I thought I saw the sunscreen turn slightly pinkish beige and then finally, it just melted into her skin.

Here it is ^____^ I've not reviewed sunscreen in awhile and I KNOW some of you are interested!

SPF 35, this is perfect for those of us who are sitting in classrooms / office / home. If I'm not mistaken, those 3 stars should stand for the 3 plus too. And that is the maximum protection you can get. The number on the sunscreen doesn't represent the "ability to let you remain fair", it actually just represents how long it will last you throughout the day.

Also if you do get this, make sure this is on your product packaging~

NIU ER'S FACE. It's like an authenticity sticker cause you know, there's lotsa fake stuff out in the market these days and you don't really want to risk it.

Part 1 of the ingredients list.

Part 2 of the ingredients list. I don't usually split them up but the tube was too long for me to take the ingredients list in one shot. If I'm not wrong, this product is fragrance free. I couldn't detect any scent despite sniffing really hard!

Here's the description! The word that's blinded by the spot of light is formula.

You'll get 30ml in nice hygienic squeeze tube.

I'm glad product doesn't just ooze out of this tube. I've had problems previously with sunscreens / bb creams that just oozes product out continuously even if I cap them!!!

Here's a few images taken from Naruko to show you their description + benefits of this sunscreen!

Okay okay, I know most of you wouldn't want this review to be just about what Naruko says about this product because you can read it yourself! Do note that I will not be judging on the anti aging factor as I do NOT have wrinkles/fine lines/dark spots on my face currently. I'm hoping I'll not have them anytime soon!!!

Here's MY SAY on the AMPM Dual-Phase Tone Correcting Tinted Sunshade SPF35 ***

As seen in the video, it's creamy and white. However I did not squeeze a lot out for this swatch because... I have to conserve the remaining of this precious for my face don't I!

L - Without / R - With

Yay for no ghostly white cast! I'm not sure if you can tell the difference just by looking so let me tell it to you. If you squint carefully at the picture, you'll be able to tell that the mole with the sunscreen on looks slightly lighter. Also, once again I'm not sure if it's very visible in the picture but this sunscreen gives you a beautiful dewy finish.

When I say dewy, I know those peeps with oily/combi skin will start worrying about this sunscreen being greasy. Okay to this, I'd say watch the video if you understand Chinese. If you don't, you'll have to attempt understanding my own translated version of her words. Basically, this product does contain a lot of goodies for your skin, like Vit E. To prevent the greasy problem we often face with sunscreen, this is developed such that the nutrients are as though kept in this little ball that only breaks apart and gets absorbed into your skin after you apply it all over! Does that makes sense? Like it only gets "activated" after it touches your skin.

Personally, I also noticed the white sunscreen turning slightly pinkish beige on me before magically disappearing into my arm / face.

L - Before / R - After

Can you tell the difference now? In the before picture, my complexion was more yellow and dull. After application of this product, my complexion's more even, radiant and pinker as opposed to the yellow skin before. It gives my face a nice dewy finish, not the oily-disco-ball kind though. It is super light and I don't feel anything on my skin afterwards. Also, no concealers were used in the picture. I didn't need one anymore, except for my eye bags maybe. Do note that though it evens out your skintone, coverage is pretty sure so if you skin requires a more heavy coverage, I recommend pairing this up with a 2 way cake or a loose powder.

I can't tell if this is sweat or waterproof since I don't have a test to help me judge in this aspect. I did however become fairer after using this daily for almost a month? At the same time, remember that this is not some kinda face bleach. You will not become 10 shades fairer just from using a sunscreen.

All in all, this is a pretty handy 2-in-1 item as I often use this during the early mornings while I'm feeling like a zombie. Just slap this on with a bit of powder to set it and I'm off for work. And maybe a lil bit of concealer on my under eyes and I'm good to go. Really convenient if you're the kind who doesn't require a whole lot of coverage. It's great for peeps with dry skin too because this is hydrating. Note, hydrating but not greasy!

This product is now easily available at most Watsons outlets near you! Naruko SG has kindly written up a note with a list of Watsons outlets that carry their products HERE. Alternatively, if you're feeling a little lazy and prefer to do online shopping, you can get it HERE too at a discounted price of $29.90 for a limited period of time.

Effectiveness : ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (I think it evens skintone and protects against the sun pretty well.)

Texture : ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (Creamy but light, easily spreadable and blendable.)
Coverage : ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ (Really sheer but this is just to even out your skintone, it's not a concealer.)

Oil Control : ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ (It's not oily but it doesn't have much oil control.)

Overall : ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (I like it, slightly poor oil control but this product never claimed to do that.)

For more updates or promotions from Naruko SG, like their Facebook Page!

P.S. Though this product has skincare properties, you need to remove it thoroughly with a make up remover at the end of the day.

Cheers,

Chiharu ❤

Disclaimer : This product was sent to me for reviewing purposes by Naruko SG. This does not affect the honesty of my review in ANY way and it is 101% honest as usual.