[Mask Review] Swanicoco Bio Cellulose Soft Coco Peeling Mask Pack

Price: RM16.90

(received from Swanicoco in exchange for an honest review)

Verdict: 9/10
Repurchase: Yes (during sales?)

Product & Packaging

Swanicoco is a South Korean cosmetic company that has been around since 2005 and prides itself for it's patented raw component and nano-fermented formulations, using natural extracts in it's products. Swanicoco pursues the elegance of a 'swan' and the naturalness of botanical cosmetics ('coco' as in 'coconut'). They use fermented extracts instead of purified water and uses natural ingredients good for the skin. Their products do not include dyes, artificial fragrances, alcohol, mineral oils, parabens, chemical preservatives, steroids, and benzophenones.

Swanicoco launched in Malaysia Watson store in late 2017 and sent out a lot of products for their Swan program to promote their brand and I was lucky enough to be chosen in their Swan 1 program. They've since held a Swan 2 event. ^^

In addition to the Swanicoco A.C. Control Toner and Swanicoco A.C. Control Emulsion, May from Swanicoco sent me this sheet mask. This Bio Cellulose Soft Coco Peeling Maskpack was produced under Dr. Syul by Swanicoco, which is an eco-friendly cosmetic, collaborated between organic ingredients from plants and biocomponents with high technology. Dr. Syul is made up of bio ingredients which have better effects on the skin compared to our existing products. They product safe and environmentally friendly cosmetic which are proven by the counsel from cosmetic researchers through systematic processes.

Ingredients

There are plenty of beneficial ingredients in the mask, including niacinamide, gluconolactone papaya fruit extract, centella asiatica extract, kiwi extract and green tea extract. The ingredients aim to brighten, heal, and moisturize skin. The 'peeling' from this mask comes from gluconolactone, which removes dead skin softly for silky smooth skin. I couldn't find full ingredients of this mask, but their list of things they don't use, including alcohol and mineral oils or artificial fragrances, is good enough for me. 

Texture & Directions

The mask is made with natural bio material sheet made with natural microbe cultivation that gives better absorption. The nano find structure of bio cellulose allows for better adhesion while allowing better fit and enhancing skin elasticity.

The Swanicoco is definitely one of the more interesting masks that I've tried. First off, there's two layers to the mask, a mesh outer (inner?) layer and a bio-cellulose second layer. I applied the bio cellulose layer to my skin directly and the mesh layer over it (swipe for pictures). The mask didn't smell like anything to me and the experience is really just like applying a hydrogel mask. It's really pleasant and cooling, especially for the weather here (hot and humid).

Instructions:

1. After washing face and using toner. Then remove vinyl supporting to place mask onto skin evenly.
2. 15-20 minutes later, remove mask and tap the essence lightly for absorption.

Performance

I was reluctant to take this off after ~30 minutes of wearing because it was so comfortable and cooling to have it on the entire time. The mask was still wet when I removed it. even after 30 minutes. My skin is really super soft and smooth after! It also helped brighten my acne scars and tone my skin. There's no sticky residue and my skin just soaks this up completely. 

I'm surprisingly my broke ass self by saying I might actually repurchase this. Swanicoco is now available in local Malaysia Watson Stores, but I'll keep an eye out for sure! Especially for sales. 

Price: RM16.90

(received from Swanicoco in exchange for an honest review)

Verdict: 9/10
Repurchase: Yes (during sales?)

[Skincare Cream Review] Bella Monster APA Cream

Price: $11.27 on BBcosmetic

(Use affiliated coupon: C10T190S3 for 8% off) 
Verdict: 9/10
Repurchase: Maybe

Price & Bella Monster APA Cream

I've been curious about this BellaMonster APA Cream ever since BBCosmetic made it available on their shop. I purchased this for $11.27 on their shop, with an additional 8% off with my code:  C10T190S3 applied during checkout. The reason why I was so  intrigued was because this peeling cream is supposed to encourage skin turnover with it's use of porous natural compounds in the form of fine needles extracted from sponge, a primordial marine creature living in the clean sea, and it is obtained by refining irregular needle-shaped structure. Needles!

The description on BBCosmetic says this: 

APA Cream hurts when you apply.

That got my attention instantly. A cream that hurts upon application? Call me a masochist, but I'm game! In the name of chok-chok skin, bring the pain! This is supposed to promote dead skin cell's elimination through skin renewal. The micro needle penetrates into the skin with the cream and helps restore the skin's 28-day rhythm. In addition to it's exfoliating properties, it's moisturizing and whitening. 

Packaging & Ingredients

I very much prefer tube squeeze packaging like this compared to the open-mouth tubes that basically have me contaminating the entire tube with every use. The tube is sealed tight, but there's 40ml of the cream in this tube, which is, honestly too big for it. There's a lot of air in the tube and the bigger tube gives the impression that it's not filled, which isn't a big deal, but to give you an idea, this tube is bigger than the full 50ml squeeze tube of the a'pieu that I purchased at the same time. 

In addition to the exfoliating properties of the sea sponge's microneedles, it has moisturizing and whitening ingredients as well. Unfortunately, I can't get ahold of the ingredients of this cream in english, which makes me wonder what other chemical exfoliating ingredients may be present in the cream, and what exactly would allow the brightening and whitening. There is, however, this picture description that I found! It appears there's centella in the cream, in addition to papaya and what appears to be some sort of pea... extract? XD Your guess is probably going to be better than mine. That means there's calming and moisturizing ingredients.

Instructions & Performance

Instructions says to apply this as the last step of the skincare routine, avoiding the eye and lip areas. It also warns that skin flushing is natural, which means no wait times, like my other actives, which is convenient.

I applied this originally on my wrists and felt the stinging straight away. It wasn't too bad though, sort of like rubbing sand to my hand. There's a slight flushing that went away almost instantly. You can't really tell in the picture below, but the stinging effect lasted a long, long while! Brushing my hand over my arm would trigger the stinging sensation, which is like pinpricks from sitting too long. XD 

What really brings this apart from my other actives is that it claims to be able to moisturize the skin instead of dry it out, which is something I can attest to. I didn't feel any drying sensation from applying this to my skin. However, trying to apply anything else after using this cream is like rubbing cactus all over my face. It was really interesting, but super prickly and the sensation lasts a good day after using it. I've tried using clay masks the day after using the cream and the prickling sensation doesn't go away, which makes me believe in the power of the cream, in that it works deep in the skin.

I used this pretty consistently every third day for a month and while it's always odd to find my skin prickly, I eventually got used to the sensation. On the other hand, I didn't find that it did much for my skin other than moisturize. Then again, consistent use of cosrx aha and bha didn't do much exfoliation for me either, so I wasn't too surprised when this didn't exfoliate much. This might work for others, but it didn't really work for me. I'm not really upset, since it's fairly cheap at $11.27, and most of the reason why I got this in the first place was because of the tagline. XD 

It does do a decent job moisturizing, and the prickling sensation lets me know that it continues to do it's job days after application. There are, of course, lots of other things that moisturize without pain, so while this was very fun, and I don't really regret buying it, I'm not too keen on repurchasing. 

Price: $11.27 on BBcosmetic

(Use affiliated coupon: C10T190S3 for 8% off) 

Verdict: 9/10

Repurchase: Maybe

I also do quick, short reviews on my instagram so if you're up for it, do follow me here too! :D https://www.instagram.com/peachy_amy/

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[Sheetmask Review] Maxclinic Propolis Black Mask

Price: $10.45 (for 4 pieces, $2.6 per piece)

(Use affiliated coupon at checkout C10T190S3 for 8% off) 

Verdict: 9/10

Repurchase: Yes

Purchase & MaxClinic Intro

These Maxclinic Propolis Black Masks is available in a pack of 4 for $10.45 on BBCosmetic.com. I got these during one of their free gift events, where they were giving away 3 sheet masks for purchases in a certain category, which is ridiculously amazing. I purchased the Cosrx low pH cleanser and the package masks and the items on top are all the free gifts included. T.T Honestly, their free gifts are amazing. 

Maxclinic as a brand I don't really see that often other than their famed Maxclinic Cirmage Lifting Stick, which went viral at one point due to it's amazing lifting effect showcased in a youtube video. Maxclinic a home spa skincare brand that got it's name from Max (Maximum) + Clinic (Skincare). It's brand concept:

"Under the motto of Max Clinic - Healing skincare optimized to fit my skin', esthetic spa experts and cosmetology experts came together to create the Luxury Spa Clinic brand in Korea. You can experience a professional spa care at convenience of your home through Max Clinic."

It is dermatologically tasted, natural and healthy, and provides beauty devices optimized for each skin type. 

Their selection on BBCosmetic includes a Royal Caviar Oil Foam 110g that creates natural foam from oil to cleanse skin without irritating the skin. It's made with jojoba oil, green tea seed oil, and olive oil to provide skin with moisture and promote blood circulation. They also have N.T.S. Program box (DIY Home care program that allows highly enriched collagen to permeate your skin), and lux addition intensive emulsion. 

Maxclinic Propolis Black Mask

This is a honey mask for all skin types. It claims to have 3 moisturizing nutrients from bees , including black bee propolis, manuka honey, and royal jelly, which offers moisturizing care without dryness. In addition, it has black sesame, black bean, black rice, and black food ingredients to help moiturize and supply nutrients to loose skin. It has padded cellulose hole sheets to match the curves of the skin for easy adhesion. 

At $2.60 per sheet, I have somewhat higher expectations for it, so let's see how it does!

Ingredients & Texture

Notable ingredients include black bee propolis from Provence, which can reinforce skin barrier and soothe as well as provide nutrients to the skin. The manuka honey from New Zealand forms a moisture barrier that supplies rich nutrients. and royal jelly. According to maxclinic's own description, it can control oil and balance moisture for strong, moist skin. The black food ingredients, which include black beans, black sesame, and black rice can supply nutrients to loose skin and restore it's elasticity. It has dual functional whitening and anti-wrinkle functions as well.

The mask material was ridiculously comfortable to have on, though it was a little soft and took a little time to adjust. There's fragrance, but nothing too heavy and the 20ml essence is absorbed in the thin mask well. The weather here is hot and humid, and sometimes masks become a little stifling, but this was perfect the entire time I had it on. 

This is a cellulose sheet mask that's cut to match the curves of skin. I doubt everybody's going to find this a perfect fit though, since everyone's face is different. Personally, this mask fit me just fine and I'm a really big fan of the mask material. The only mask comparable to the texture would be the Papa Recipe black mask, which is HG for me, tbh. 

Performance

Brightening isn't one of the functions of this mask, but I found it to be pretty good at it! My skin was very much moisturized. Actually, I had been suffering from an eczema flare prior to this mask. You might be able to see faint red patches on my forehead still, but it was much diminished after using the mask. The redness, irritation, and itchiness was very much reduced as well. :) I didn't expect the mask to work so well, but am really grateful it did!

It does run a little expensive, at $2.6 per piece on bbcosmetic, but seeing as the paparecipe mask, which achieves pretty much the same effect, is sold for about the same price point, I feel like it's quite worth the asking price. I'd repurchase this once I'm done, but I actually do have a box of this in addition to the three from bbcosmetic. ^^ Plenty to spare!

Price: $10.45 (for 4 pieces, $2.6 per piece)

(Use affiliated coupon at checkout C10T190S3 for 8% off) 

Verdict: 9/10

Repurchase: Yes

I also do quick, short reviews on my instagram so if you're up for it, do follow me here too! :D https://www.instagram.com/peachy_amy/
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[Lifestyle] Malaysia Subscription Box: Cubecrate November Box Featuring King's Cookiers, PSLove, & PlasyWalsy&Co

Price: RM35/RM44 for Sabah/Sarawak

(Given a free in exchange for an honest review by cubecrate.com) 

Verdict: 7/10

Repurchase: NA

Cubecrate is a surprise subscription box that costs RM35 per month and includes a variety of locally sourced products ranging from beauty to decor and handmade items that you wouldn't think to try out on your own. For three months, the subscription is RM90. They also have a wine subscription if you're into fine wine, personalized boxes for a loved one, or an entire team of people, and many other options. ^^

Subscribe With Cubecrate Here.

Disclaimer: I received this box in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, as usual. ^^ You can also check out: 

2016: October's Box, November's Box, December's Box

2017: January's Box, February's Box, March's Box, April's Box, May's Box, June Box, July's Box, August's Box, September's Box, October's Box

November's Box

Cubecrate's November box went back to the roots of cubecrate, introducing two new local brands to the box while bringing back a brand that we've only seen once. 

PS Love Company

The pslove company has innovated a 100% natural and portable heating patch that heats up almost like magic, providing effective and quick relief. I've tried their NeckHeat pack before and it does go as warm as the MenstruHeat pad, but is still hot enough that the skin might get burned a little with constant use.

I've tried their MenstruHeat pack which is aimed for ladies who feel abdominal pain during that time of the month. Their product, MenstruHeat, has won awards and is one of their top selling products. 

MenstruHeat will heat up on its own within 5-10 minutes, providing the pain relief and comfort needed without side effects. It reminds me of another menstrual heating pad that I've tried. It's sold for RM7.60 each on their site and I've tried it in April's box a while back! 

PS Love: Website | Instagram

The King Cookies

The King's Cookies is a new brand in more ways than one. It's not just new to cubecrate, it's new in such a way that the brand hasn't even started it's social media accounts yet, or any way to purchase this other than to call the number included in the box. 

The cookies are a little sweet for my taste, but pretty good! The packaging is beautifully done, but it's a big package and I kind of hope that they've included included the ingredients there. There's a card with a phone number included in the pack for orders. ^^ Cubecrate's also able to provide more if you're keen on trying them.

Palsy Walsy Candles

Upon opening the box, I caught a strong whiff of vanilla, which turned out to be caused by this little thing! This is Palsy Walsy's Cream on cake candle and it smells like vanilla! They launched only recently and in conjunction with their launching, they are offering free shipping for every purchase of 2 handmade candles. XD

There's 26 fragrances to choose from, from flowers to fruity scents, cookies, and coffee. Each candle is being sold for RM34 on Carousell and are significantly bigger than the bottle included here, which will surely last longer. :) 

Palsy Walsy Candles: Carousell | Instagram

Overall Impression

I've a soft spot for PsLove and am impressed cubecrate managed to find two new brands to introduce in this month's box. It's not easy to be able to source new brands every month, even more to convince them to join in the subscription box. If you know anyone who's trying to start their own business, selling their new brands, let them know if they're keen on joining Cubecrate. :) It's a good way to have different people introduced to the new brands. 

Subscribe With Cubecrate Here.

Price: RM35/RM44 for Sabah/Sarawak

(Given a free in exchange for an honest review by cubecrate.com) 

Verdict: 7/10

Repurchase: NA

I also do quick, short reviews on my instagram so if you're up for it, do follow me here too! :D https://www.instagram.com/peachy_amy/

And Like my Facebook page? :D https://www.facebook.com/MalaysianBeautyHaul/