Review: Etude House Zero Sebum Fresh Gel Cream

Today I'll be reviewing the Etude House zero sebum fresh gel cream. I usually like to research and read reviews of products before I buy them since my skin is problematic but I couldn't find anything so I bought it anyway and thought I'll review it.

Packaging- I'm not really fussy with packaging but this one was nice and simple. I liked the colours and it also comes with a spatula for hygienic application.

My opinion- As you can just about see in the crappy photo above, the cream is a clear gel. It has a light citrus smell which I LOVE, I really need a perfume with the scent. Having oily and acne-prone skin, it's difficult to find a moisturiser that keeps you matte but doesn't make your skin feel tight. This moisturiser takes care of that! As the name suggest, it leaves your skin feeling fresh with no sticky residue since it absorbs easily. My skin also feels hydrated and moisturised. It didn't cause any breakouts and didn't irritate my sensitive skin.

PROS:

• hydrates and moisturise while keeping me matte
• nice citrus smell
• easily absorbed
• spatula for hygienic application
• didn't cause breakouts or irritation

CONS:

• if I was being picky, I would say it contains alcohol

I DEFINITELY would recommend this to anyone that has oily/combination skin that are prone to spots. I would've repurchased this but I generally avoid products with alcohol especially now that I'm on acne medication and it's advised no to.

Enjoy your day :) 

Pimark 3D mask

So I was in Primark the other day and spotted THIS. I bought it straight away because 1) I love sheet masks and 2) it was only 80p!

This mask reminds a lot of the Tony Moly mask (review here). The smell is quite similar and since the Primark one is manufactured in South Korea they might have the same manufacturers or something like that. 

My opinion: The best thing about this mask is that it's not just your average sheet mask, it has an extra extension for your neck. I feel like the neck get neglected a lot so it's nice that you can treat our face and neck at the same time. Like the Tony Moly mask, the fitting wasn't that good. the eye area was fine but the mouth whole was too small (maybe I just have big lips?). This was well saturated in essence but it also meant the mask had a tendency to slip off my face. I suggesting lying down when using this mask. There was no sticky residue and my skin felt nourished.

Pros:

• soothes skin
• cheap
• skin feels tighter
• skin is brighter and moisturised
• skin is left feeling soft
• nice smell
• has extra neck mask

Cons:

• doesn't sit on face well

I would definitely by this mask again (still can't believe it's only 80p!)

Tony moly I'm real seaweed sheet mask

To be honest, I have a slight obsession with face masks. Sheet, clay, peeling any and all types. My love for kpop eventually led me to look more into Korean cosmetics and these sheet masks were the first things I tried. I've tried the tea tree one first but today I will be reviewing the purifying seaweed one.

 If you are not familiar with sheet masks, they are basically cotton or gel sheets soaked in essense that you apply to your face. The back of this one shows you picture instructions of the application process.

Ingredients- If you zoom in on the picture below I think you can *just* about make out the ingredients. But the main thing I want to say is that it's alcohol free, yay! As a muslim I don't really like using products with alcohol and I try to avoid it if I can, especially since I have sensitive skin too.

My opinion- The sheet mask itself is very saturated in the essence and there is plenty extra which I apply over the rest of my body. The sheet mask however is very delicate and it is very likely you could rip it. The fit also isn't the best since eye holes don't rest properly on my face and the mouth hole is too small. But, once I apply it to my face it feel so cool and refreshing, it instantly feels better. The instructions say leave for 20-30 mins and then pat in the remaining essence but honestly, I leave on my face till the sheet is dry. Sheet masks are gentle compared to other masks so you can get away with wearing them longer. The mask does leave a slight sticky feeling on the face, hence why I only use this sheet mask at night. The next morning it is still sticky but this is gone when I wash my face. THIS is when you see the results. My skin is much smoother since tiny bumps on my face are gone, red spots are reduced in size and redness and overall my face feels cleaner and brighter.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Nice smell
• Well saturated with plenty of extra essence
•  Alcohol free
• Feels cool and refreshing
• Face feels smoother

Cons:

• Leaves sticky feeling
• Delicate sheet mask that could easily rip
• Sheet mask doesn't fit well

Overall, I would but this product again (I already have) and I would recommend it to others.

2-in-1 facial steam and rosemary rinse

This is for the lazy people like me that want to take care of their hair and skin and can 'sometimes' be a bit lazy. This a great 2-in-1 DIY that treats your hair and skin. We have a massive rosemary bush in a garden so we like to use this in different ways, there's only so much rosemary you can eat.

For the facial steam:

1.  Fill a kettle with water and boil
2.  Pour into a heatproof bowl and add rosemary leaves, the more the better. (The day I took the photo above it was raining so ran quickly grabbed a handful and legged it back inside. So, if you do this, use more rosemary than I did)
3.  Steam your face by putting your face over the bowl and covering your head and the bowl with a towel so the steam doesn't escape

Steaming your face is great way of opening up your pores to get rid of all the dirt. It's also great if you suffer from blackheads and whiteheads and makes them easier to extract. I personally like to follow up with a clap mask or a homemade one to help the extraction process. Adding the rosemary will help you relax and de-stress as well as add a nice aromatherapy quality.

For the rinse:

1.  Pour the water in the bowl into a jug, so it is easier to pour. You would want to put it through a sieve while doing this so it catches the rosemary leaves. Use a spoon to squeeze the leaves for anymore goodness left in them
2.  Take a shower/ wash your hair as normal
3.  Just before you are about to get out, you want to pour the rosemary solution over your hair. There is no need to rinse this out since it leaves no residue behind. 

This leaves my hair soft and shiny (I even skip conditioner when I use this). Rosemary is not only good for your hair but also your scalp. My scalp is less itchy and if you suffer from mild dandruff from time to time like I do, that will be taken care of too.

Please let me know if you tried this and how you got on, would love to know :)