Ginvera Green Tea Whitening Marvel Gel Review

The Ginvera Green Tea Whitening Marvel Gel is one of the most popular blackhead removers in Asia, I've heard from so many people the benefits of green tea and when I saw this on holiday in KL, I decided to give it a try.

To me, it is like an exfoliant without having the exfoliating beads and grains which means that it is not abrasive as the other brands that I have used.  I personally think that it is fun to gently massage the gel into my skin and then slowly see and feel bits of dead skin start to appear.

Although I do liked the Ginvera Green Tea Whitening Marvel Gel for being so effective and gentle, I found that it whitened the my skin a bit too much with regular use - which meant that my face was whiter than the rest of my body, not something that I personally like.  I have since started using it only once a fortnight which works out better for me.  I would definitely recommend giving this gel a try if you haven't already, especially if you on the look out for an exfoliant which is non-abrasive.

Silk Naturals Blush Review

I brought my first blush from Silk Naturals back in 2009 and loved it.  I love how there are so many colours to choose from and they have dupes for well-known and more expensive brands are a fraction of the price.

I now have four colours from them and my favourites would have to be Lovelace and Tart.   All these apply sheer and are buildable, which is perfect for me.

Left to Right: Wish You Were Here, Tart, Lovelace, Stardust

I haven't brought from them recently as the blushes last so long, but I would definitely recommend them and will continue to purchase from Silk Naturals as I think they're amazing.  The full size blushes come in 10 gram jars containing (containing about 3.5 grams of blush) and the best thing is that they also come in sample sizes - which means that I can try out colours that I'm not sure about or don't usually wear.

Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner and REN Clarimatte Clarifying Toner Review

I was never one to use toners - I didn't know what they were used for and what benefit they had.  I always thought of toners as an extra step that I didn't need in my routine.

During the worst of my acne breakout, I decide to research about toners and found that there was a lot of positive reviews on the Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner.  A lot of the reviewers mentioned that it helped significantly with their breakouts and scarring, so I decide to give it a try.

The instructions said to use the toner morning and night after washing and cleansing my face and I did for the first week, but I soon found that although it did help a little with my acne, my face was becoming unusually oily and shiny around my t-zone.  My skin is usually dry and quite sensitive, so I drop my usage to once a day for the next two weeks - but it still made my face oily.  

That's when I decided to try the REN Clarimatte Clarifying Toner.  I've used this for about four months now, once a day in the morning before applying my moisturiser and it hasn't made me oily or broken me out more.  I'm on my second bottle and I really do like it, it gets rid of all the excess oil or dirt/dust that is on my face from overnight and make my skin feel fresh.

Out of the two toners, I would definitely recommend the REN Clarimatte Clarifying Toner.  It didn't dry my skin and cause me to be oily, and has helped me to clear my acne.  I found that the Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner was too strong for me and stripped my skin of moisture, but what I liked about it was the design of the bottle, especially the nozzle. 

I brought both products from Mecca Cosmetica in Australia for $24 each,