PRODUCT: TONYMOLY Intense Care Snail Gel Mask
COMPANY: TONYMOLY (Korean) DESCRIPTION: If you've read my earlier posts, you know I adore snail-based mask sheets and products in general, as it's an ingredient that actually results in skin healing. TonyMoly is one of the hottest cosmetic stores in South Korea, and has recently branched to the U.S. (you can spot their brand in Ulta and many other U.S. stores). This particular mask is unique as it's made of 100 percent cotton, yielding a softer face mask experience than other products. After cleansing, wear this mask after for 20-30 minutes before bed. As with all sheet masks, avoiding getting the product into your eye and remove immediately if you feel any irritation (some will tingle a bit; this is normal). I personally like to pat my face dry after using a mask and find I get a better effect in the morning. INGREDIENT ANALYSIS: Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, PEG-32/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Glacier Water, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Panthenol, Allantoin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Betaine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance The ingredients don't list the amount of snail secretion filtrate and unfortunately it is pretty low down on the list. However, I found this mask to be highly effective, soft and enjoyable, probably because of the cotton texture combined with the moisturizing ingredients. According the the packaging, the mask sheet is made of non-bleached fabric containing cottonseeds, an extra bonus. SMELL: pleasant TEXTURE: minimal YAY OR NAY: Yay, for a comfortable, relaxing and moisturizing mask. RATING: 3/3 Rating Score Sheet: 1/3: Wish I could turn back time and get my money back. 2/3: Decent enough to buy again, especially if it's on sale. 3/3: Shut up and take my money! More info: Amazon (note that most sheet masks in Korean are about $1 but can be marked up 3 or 4 times as much when buying in the U.S.)
0 Comments
PRODUCT: Liptone Get It Tint #5 All-Night Red
COMPANY: TONY MOLY COST: ~7,000 WON ($7) DESCRIPTION: This is one red in a series of color options in Tony Moly's immensely popular long-lasting lip tints. EXPERIENCE: This product has really opened my eyes to the potential of a good lip tint! This lip product doesn't feel like anything and absorbs really rapidly. whatever it touches it will stain red, with little spreading power, so I had to take more time to make sure it covered every spot of lip, as any space missed would create a noticeable contrast. This is a very different tactic for me, as I typically apply a smudge of lip product to the inner portions of upper and lower lips and then gently smear and smooch to get a subtle, natural look that, most importantly, only takes a few seconds to apply. However, with this one I had to apply carefully to the outer lip edges and take time to not miss a spot. I wore this out to dinner and a movie, where I was constantly eating, drinking and rubbing my lips with napkins. But behold--the color remained! After about 5 hours it lost a bit of its brightness but this stuff does not come off! it's really quite amazing. Because it is so bright and long-lasting this is probably one I'll save for special occasions. (Also I find it a tad bit alarming how effective it is, feeling like its seems and permanently binds to my lip cells!) SMELL: Very lightly fragrant TEXTURE: The tiniest bit drying YAY OR NAY: Yay, for being an incredibly effective long-lasting lip color. There are additional colors you can see here and another "HD" line you can read about here.  PRODUCT: Banana Lip Balm COMPANY: Tony Moly COST: ~4,000 WON ($4) DESCRIPTION: A sweet fruit-flavored lip balm containing banana extract, coconut oil and milk protein extract with a small keychain attached. EXPERIENCE: I have never been one for sweet/strong fruit flavor smells, so if this wasn't a K product I probably would have skipped it. That said, this cute little balm makes lip care on-the-go more fun and gives me a burst of entertainment and nourishment for the suckers. The banana scent and flavor is distinct but not overpowering. While adorable and moisturizing, it is not incredibly long-lasting. INGREDIENT ANALYSIS: Banana extract is far down on the list, with the other 'good' ingredients, coconut oil and milk protein extract. However, cheap ol' petroleum is the lead ingredient. SMELL: As expected, banana. If you don't care for the flavor, skip it. TEXTURE: smooth, probably from the mix of petroleum and coconut oil YAY OR NAY: Nay, unless you find it cheap. LINK: Ulta (Several times the price) INGREDIENTS Petrolatum, Polybutene, Silica Silylate, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Diisostearyl Malate,Tocopheryl Acetate,Titanium Dioxide (CI77891), Fragrance (Parfum), Polyethylene, Dehydroacetic Acid, Polyglyceryl-2Triisostearate, Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract, Ceramide 3, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Milk Protein Extract, Water, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol  Tony Moly ferment snail hand cream PRODUCT: Ferment Snail Hand Cream Timeless COMPANY: Tony Moly COST: ~12,000 WON ($12) DESCRIPTION: This hand lotion boasts the much-coveted snail secretion ingredient. This is called snail secretion filtrate (SFF) and is literal "snail slime," the mucus that snails leave behind as they move around. This is a HOT ingredient in Asian skin products and has been used for centuries. The be-all-end-all of cosmetic ingredients, SFF is proclaimed to solve every skin blemish and banish every wrinkle. In reality, there is no such magical ingredient but SFF has been shown to have a deeply moisturizing and healing effect. The box claims an "anti-wrinkle & whitening & moisturizing" in line with typical snail product advertising. EXPERIENCE: This was not nearly as moisturizing as I had hoped, and I needed to use a lot to get a moisturizing effect. Snail secretion is super popular in k beauty products. This particular product, however, was disappointing compared to others I've used. Also you have to use a lot to get a moisturizing effect, which is not ideal given the cost/size. INGREDIENT ANALYSIS: This product has dozens of ingredients, with snail secretion filtrate and shea butter appearing several down, which may explain the less-than-awesome results. There are also traces of aloe, lemon peel/orange/lime oil, bergamot and eucalyptus. SMELL: None noticeable TEXTURE: Slightly sticky YAY OR NAY: Nay. There are better snail products out there I'm sure. INGREDIENTS: Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Niacinamide, Palmitic Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearic Acid, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter...[and more]  PRODUCT: Panda's Dream Brightening Eye Base COMPANY: TONY MOLY COST: ~10,000 WON ($10) DESCRIPTION: "Brightening" skin is a popular k-osmetic feature. This eye stick rubs on with a clear sheen and claims to freshen up dark or dull circles around the eyes and hydrate skin. EXPERIENCE: This one wins stars for the design alone. Applying it felt like rubbing a bit of faint white cover-up under my eyes; once rubbed in I did not see a noticeable difference. For make-up effectiveness, it seemed too translucent and temporary to do much good to cover up my under-eye circles. INGREDIENT ANALYSIS: Really, nothing special (see below). SMELL: none noticeable TEXTURE: fairly smooth YAY OR NAY: Nah... LINK: Ulta INGREDIENTS: Purified water, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Stearate, Ethanol, Xylitol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Glycerin, PEG-8, BIS-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Niacinamide, Sodium Citrate, Dimethicone, Adenosine, Actinidia Extract, Seawater, Bambusa Vulgaris Shoot Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Sap Extract, Glacial water, Potassium Alginate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Citric acid, Steareth-20, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Potassium Sorbate, Chrysin, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Tropolone, Perfume, FD&C Blue 1(E133), Phenoxyethanol, Complex Component Holoxyl |
About me
With a background in molecular biology, I worked for decades as a scientist and science journalist. I use my background to look into the science of affordable and high-quality Korean skincare products. Then, I share my findings with you!
CategorIES
All
|