Review on "The Body Shop" Warming Mineral Mask ^_^

Hi Everyone!

I hope all of you students enjoying your winter break so far! I am, by just doing nothing. =P When you are just studying for 15 hrs a day for 2 weeks for finals, you would want to do nothing for a bit. XD

Anyway, today I am reviewing "The Body Shop" Warming Mineral Mask!

This product can be found in "The Body Shop" store or on their website. It costs $17 and contains 3.3 US fluid oz or 100mL of product. It is a self-warming mask to help deep cleanse the skin.
This product contains cinnamon oil, ginger, and kaolin clay. (If you are allergic to any of these compounds, don't use it)
Directions: Apply a generous layer to clean, wet skin. You will immediately feel a warming sensation on your skin. avoid the eye and lip areas. Leave on for 5 minutes before rinsing with warm water (mask will not dry). Use one to two times per week after cleansing.

What do I think of this product?
So, a while ago, I got a free sample of this mask and I tried it, and I was like woa, it really warms up! I thought the heating effect was pretty cool. I wasn't sure whether to get it or not, so I thought about it for a while.
I finally decided to get it last month and I have been using it once a week before I go to bed. Like the instructions say, I apply it onto my wet face after washing it. However, it can't be too wet because then it will be hard for the mask to stay on the face and it will tend to slip or become difficult to stay on the face when you apply. My face needs to be between damp and wet for best application.
Initially, I always feel an intense heat! It is not a scalding heat, it will not burn or damage the skin. But wow! It definitely feels very very warm! But then it fades quickly and feels lukewarm on my face for the rest of the 5 minutes. This mask is not the kind that dries up, it will stay in a liquid formula, so just wash it off after 5 minutes.
I like this mask a lot! It relaxes my skin and opens up my pores so that while washing the mask off, all the dirt from my pores gets washed away and it makes it easier for my skin to absorb my serums and moisturizers. It is perfect during the winter because I feel sooooo cold all the time and this warming mask makes me feel so comfortable and nice! My skin always feels smooth and soft after using this mask and it helps clear my complexion. =)
I'm still wondering whether to buy it again after I finish using up the bottle, because it is a bit pricey for me. X( But I really really like it! XD
Oh, but one thing to remember, the bottle is really smooth and frictionless, so don't hold it loosely. I did that once and it slipped right through my fingers and landed on my foot, giving me a bruise. T_T It hurt quite a bit actually. ><

Do I recommend this product?
I really like this product, and if you do not mind the price, I recommend this product to oily and normal skin types.This is mostly for treating clogged pores that tend to trap dead skin and dirt. It will help open those pores so that it is easier to wash the dirt and oil out. But, people with dry skin tend to not have large oily pores or product a lot of oil that causes clogged pores. However, I do not think it will harm your skin and will give you a more of a relaxing and calming treatment to help (at most) with the texture/smoothness and softness of the skin.

So I hope you liked this review and it was helpful to you! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to write in the comment box below! Thank you for reading and I will see you later! =)

Oil-Blotting Paper under $4!

Hi Everyone!

Today I wanted to share a couple things that I bought at Marukai yesterday.

These are oil-blotting sheets that I bought at the Marukai Lifestyle store that are a little under $4 and I think they work pretty well =)

The one on the left is Callas Paris and the one on the right is in Japanese, so sorry, I can't read it.

Callas Paris is made with a special stretchable soft plastic-like material, and it has a sticky square that picks up sheets for you. Callas contains 50 sheets.

The Japanese one has a cute design of little chicks on the cover. It looks like a note pad and you can rip out paper sheets. It has 100 sheets.


So if you are interested or what to try them, you can stop by your local Marukai Lifestyle store and check them out! ^_^

I hope you found this useful and so you won't buy over-priced oil blotting sheets at Sephora or something. XP If you have any questions or comments, feel free to write in the comment box below! Thanks for reading!

Let's Talk about Blotting Paper! =O

Hi Everyone!
Today I will talk about oil blotting sheets or paper =) And I will also talk about different kinds of blotting sheets and recommendations on how to find a good one!

 So what is blotting paper or blotting sheets?
Blotting paper are thin small pieces of paper designed to soak up excess oil on the facial skin. Many people, especially those who have oily skin, like to use blotting paper on their face so they don't have a greasy shiny appearance.

Do I need blotting paper?
No, you don't have to use it. It is not like it will make your skin healthier or improve it biologically etc. It is more of an improvement in appearance. It will help mattify your face and it is also useful on oily skin, or people who are not oily usually but become oily because of a change in the weather and environment. I am oily on my forehead and nose so that's where I use them.
Because it helps with the appearance of the skin and doesn't have any deeper benefit, I have decided to make this post a makeup post.

Where can I find blotting paper?
You can find it online, at any beauty store such as Ulta and Sephora, and in Japanese lifestyle supermarkets haha like Mitsuwa and Marukai. They come in small paper packages, largest size being about the size of an iPhone or something with many sheets folded inside ranging from 50 to 200 sheets. The price depends on the brand name, number of sheets, and size of each sheet.

Kinds of blotting paper
There are 2 main kinds of blotting paper that I know:
1) regular blotting sheets: those designed to soak up oil and not do anything else
2) blotting sheets w/ translucent powder: these are designed for ppl who have makup on their face. The sheets will absorb excess oil but will not take off any makeup such as foundation or concealer because of the powder. Also, the powder is a way of reapplying finishing/translucent powder to help keep makeup matt, long lasting, and prevent it from smearing and melting off

How to use blotting paper?
This is very simple. Take out a sheet from the package, open it up (if it is folded), and gently press it on the areas of skin you want to get rid of excess oil. The paper will turn clear (a sign of oil being absorbed). Continuously press and change to unoiled parts of the sheet until the sheet is used or until you feel you are done!

What kinds of blotting paper should I buy/use?
Okay, so, I do recommend buying both regular blotting sheets and blotting sheets with translucent/finishing powder. Regular ones are great for everyday use, because it prevents you from looking like a greasball and that is a real turn off to anyone because it looks like you're not clean, even if you did shower and wash your face. I find the ones w/ powder very very handy for makeup touch ups because they are portable, simple, and fast to use. Also, I really recommend sheets w/ powder if you like wearing concealer and/or foundation and you have oily skin.
Important recommendation for buying regular blotting sheets! Any blotting sheet works the same as any other blotting sheet. It really does not matter what brand you buy. If you are spending more than $6 on a pack of blotting sheets (unless you are buying like a 500 sheet pack), you are getting ripped off. You are wasting your money. I'm serious, all those brand name products, especially the stuff at Sephora, that say they have like special ingredients like tea tree oil, is bullcrap. Why? Think about it. Cleansing your face with a cleanser, goes into your pores and gets absorbed into your skin, therefore, you are getting the special benefits from whatever that cleanser has, like tea tree oil to help oily skin. But, what about oil blotting paper? Oil blotting paper is designed to absorb oil, not give anything to you, it's supposed to take in the excess oil you don't want on your face. So, how is it supposed to give you something when it is designed to take something away? That doesn't make sense. Like, the only thing you are probably paying extra money for is the brand and frangrance, which is unnecessary. So save your money and go treat yourself w/ something more worthwhile! XD
Quick note: It is true that oil blotting sheets have varying thickness, which can give it a thicker and harder texture or thinner and softer texture. Personally, I don't mind if it is a bit thicker, but if you prefer something more gentle, try to find sheets that are thinner, so they feel softer on the skin. But! You can still find softer sheets that are around $6! or definitely less than $10! So, don't get ripped off by some sales clerk at a beauty store for something like it, unless your a rich person, then do whatever you want =P.

What oil blotting sheets do I buy and use?
I go to my local Marukai Japanese store to buy my regular blotting sheets. They are around $5 and I buy whatever brand is the cheapest =P. I also have bought a variety and they all work well and are the same.
Here are some photos of my regular oil blotting sheets:

This one is pretty cool, because it has a sticky tab that pulls the paper out for me when I open it!

For my blotting sheets w/ translucent/finishing powder, I buy it from Ulta, because I don't know where else to buy it XP :

So I hoped you liked my background post on blotting paper! Most people probably know about it, but just in case you would like to learn more or if you don't know, this post is for you!
Thank you for reading! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to write them in the comment box below!
See you later! =)