SK II Facial Treatment Essence Review

SK II Facial Treatment Essence is their bestseller and signature product. They called it as ‘Miracle Water’ as it has over 90% Pitera, a miracle ingredient discovered 30 years ago. It’s a much-loved, most-awarded and must-buy product whenever you’re considering SK II products. I was advised that in order for the Essence to be absorbed effectively, one must use SK II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion (refer to my previous post) that act as toner that cleans and exfoliates the skin. So, I decided to buy both of the products to achieve optimum results.

What are their claims?

“It’s irreplaceable formula gently exfoliates the face and helps moderate the skin surface renewal cycle.

•    SK II Facial Treatment Essence helps to improve the appearance of 5 dimensions of beautiful, crystal clear skin: spots are less visible, appearance of wrinkles is reduced, skin textured is more refined, firmness is improved, and radiance is beautifully elevated.

•    Skin becomes breathtakingly crystal clear.”

For more information, you can refer to website here.

Product Details

Packaging : It comes in a bottle made of glass with a silver cap on top. The glass gave the luxurious feel especially if you bought their special editions. I bought the Essence in the smallest size, 75ml. So, it doesn't come with a pump but it has a rather small hole which may help prevent spilling too much of the products onto the face pad. I find it hard to control the amount at first as I always end up pouring more than I should. But with time, I managed to get the amount just right. But don't worry ladies! Some of you might not even have this problem. I always have troubles with my hands and feet coordinations. LOL. Hence, the zero participation in sports :P But the largest size, 330ml does come with a pump but it costs a fortune! (at least to me lah. Haha)

Sizes & Prices : It comes in 4 sizes.
75ml (MYR229)
150ml (MYR429)
215ml (MYR579)
330ml (MYR794)

Texture : Just like the toner, the Essence solution is lightweight and watery. It quickly absorbed by the skin.

How to Apply : Soak a cotton pad. I normally use 4 drops and it's enough to cover my whole (wide and chubby) face. Gently PAT onto your face and neck. You can also smooth the pad around your face first and then, you PAT onto your skin. The general rule to use this Essence is to PAT the water into your skin  Apply every morning and night after cleansing and toning.

Feeling upon Application : Unlike the Clear Lotion (toner), the Essence doesn’t give any tingling sensation. For me, it has a cooling and moisturising effect. So, it relieves the drying effect from the usage of Clear Lotion previously. It also has a unique smell. It’s neither fragrance-like nor a bothering kind of smell. I like to think of it as the Pitera smell coz it somehow similar to the Clear Lotion’s, only concentrated.

Post-Application : I really feel my that my skin is now fresh, clean and moisturised. I then, apply Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion ++ to allow my skin be well-moisturised and keep moisturised throughout the day.


Do you noticed any changes after one year ++ of usage?

I noticed a dramatic change. Now, my skin is looking more radiant, even-skin tone, reduced spots and clearer from acne. The changes is somehow very subtle. So you might not noticed it yourself as you look into the mirror every day. However, other people such as your friends and collegues may noticed your changes.  In my case, I used it for about two months + during my summer holiday in Malaysia. So, when I got back to Ireland for my studies, most of my friends told me that I looked more ‘berseri-seri’ (radiant) and the greatest compliment is when a couple of my friends told me to remove my makeup after a long, tiring day when I actually have removed them! Ohhh the feelingggg~~ :D :D :D It felt like the biggest achievement. Ahaks! My mom had also experienced the same thing when she went to visit her old collegues at the previous school she worked in! So, I can assure you, this ‘Miracle Water’ is indeed a miracle ;)
Thank you Allah for making this ingredient available to us. Alhamdulillah.


Did it meet your expectations?

Definitely! I'm blown away by the results. Haha

Rate : 5/5
Would you recommend? : Million YESses!! :D
Where to buy: SK II counters in Jusco, Parksons or airports :P You can also purchase them from their online official stockist, Zalora.com.my. You can save a lot by using their discount codes too! The only downside to this is the risk of receiving a damaged bottle as it is made of glass :/

Use my Zalora code for 15% off your purchase at Zalora: 
ZBAPQSAO

SK II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion Review

I have always wanted to try SK II products for as long as I can remember. Most of it due to the fact that I have an acne-prone skin when I was a teenager. I heard a lot of people are raving about it (TV ads, mommy's friends,etc) but I thought perhaps I'm too young to use it at that time. Not to mention, its hefty price tag! Even to this day, I still think that it is incredibly expensive. So, I'm afraid that what if it's not worth the money? what if it's not as brilliant as the hype? or worse, it'll causes more irritation? So, I put it on my wishlist, perhaps one day when the time is right, I would be able to buy their products.

As I reached 21 y/o, about two years ago, I noticed that my skin has been behaving quite good. I wasn't acne free but the breakouts weren't as bad as I used to have in secondary school. My finance was quite good at that time as well. So I thought, hey, why not I try out their products this time. I mean the stake wasn't too high this time. So I bought SK II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion and SK II Facial Treatment Essence. I bought both items because some reviews mentioned that you need to use both in order to see the results. To be honest, I'm glad I did. I will also write a review on the SK II Facial Treatment Essence in the next post. So Ladies, do check it out! :)

Now, moving on to the SK II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion review! :D

What are their claims?

"An effective toner to remove dirt and exfoliate old skin cells. This effective toning lotion with a mix of AHA and Pitera exfoliates dead skin cells and impurities. Its clarifying formula prepares your face for the rest of your skincare regime."


Pitera is actually what they called as 'Miracle Water' as it miraculously restores and enhances translucency, softness and smoothness of our skin, making the skin looking more radiant, youthful and crystal clear. You can learn more about their discovery and Pitera technology in their official website here. :)

If you ask me how much of their claims are true on this product? I'd say, 100%! So, you can expect a positive review throughout this post, alright. ;)

Product Details, pleaseee!

Packaging : It comes in a bottle made of glass with a silver cap on top. The glass gave the luxurious feel especially if you bought their special editions. It doesn't come with a pump but it has a rather small hole which may help prevent spilling too much of the products onto the cotton pad. I find it hard to control the amount at first as I always end up pouring more than I should. But with time, I managed to get the amount just right. But don't worry ladies! Some of you might not even have this problem. I always have troubles with my hands and feet coordinations. LOL. Hence, the zero participation in sports :"D

Size : There are a lot of sizes you can choose from. The smallest would be in their trial set which is 30ml. Then, you'll find 150ml and the largest, 215ml.

Price : Trial set will costs you MYR199 (but you'll get 75ml Treatment Essence and a Mask. So, it's a really good bargain if you ask me!).
150ml = MYR199
215ml = MYR264

Texture : The solution is light and watery. It easily penetrates into the skin.

How to Apply : Soak a cotton pad. I normally use 4 drops and it's enough to cover my whole (wide and chubby) face. Start by WIPING the oily areas, then to the rest of your face.

Feeling upon Application : I find when I applied onto drier parts of my face there's a tiny bit of tingling sensation. It's not painful or discomfort tho. Unlike, Clinique toner, it stings my face. I cannot tahan so I stopped using it. However, my friend who is in the active phase of breakouts told me that SK II Clear Lotion stings her skin. She also has a super sensitive skin. Perhaps anyone of you who share the same concern as her can bear that in mind. As for me, the explanation to the tingling sensation would be the fact that it exfoliates (drying on the skin) after the usage of a foam cleanser (drying on the skin as well).

Post-Application : THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP! As you can see all the products that I've been using are drying, so I cannot stress enough the importance to MOISTURISE, MOISTURISE, MOISTURISE!! Especially if you didn't buy the Treatment Essence, you need to moisturise! This is because the essence is really hydrating, so if you skip the moisturiser step, you'll still be safe. But either way, don't forget to moisturise alright lovelies. You'll see a dramatic change. Trust me :)

Do you notice any changes after one year ++ of using?

I noticed a dramatic change on my skin. It's definitely clearer and free from acne. Even my hormonal acne has been significantly reduced. If it pops, as soon as I put this clear lotion, combined with the essence, the pimple somehow didn't increase its size. As if, it halted the acne processes. Yaayyy! :D But to shrink the big pimples down, I need to use other product *sigh* Haha let's be realistic here. But for small pimples, it will vanish in time.  I also notice that my skin felt more clean. This because I wear makeups in most days so this toner helps me to thoroughly remove all the dirts and makeup traces. SInce it also exfoliates, I can skip exfoliation step in my skincare regime. Besides, not all toners can exfoliate without containing alcohol and significantly dries my skin. Last but not least, I can still see its effect even during my lazy days, when I'm not using the Treatment Essence. The only difference is that my skin just lack radiance. But it still clear from pimples. Alhamdulillah.

Did it meet your expectations?

Definitely! I'm blown away by the results. Thank Allah, that you exist! Haha :D

Rate : 5/5
Would you recommend? : Hell, YES! :D
Where to buy : SK II counters in Jusco, Parksons or airports :P You can also purchase them from their online official stockist, Zalora.com.my. You can save a lot by using their discount codes too! The only downside to this is the risk of receiving a damaged bottle as it is made of glass :/

Use my Zalora code for 15% off your purchase in Zalora:
ZBAPQSAO

Laneige White Plus Renew Bubble Cleanser Review

I came across Laneige White Plus Renew Foam Cleanser when searching for products that can help treat my long standing skin condition. I have a quite severe acne problem during my teenage years and it has left me with lots of hyperpigmentation especially on my cheeks, chin and nose areas. Back then, I didn't know that I need to apply sunscreen in order to prevent acne from hyperpigmenting. Plus, the sunscreen available on the market at that time are just too oily and I hate it! Like many people out there, I like to kacau my pimples. So hands off! Don't pick, poke, or touch your pimple. You'll regret it.

So, here is a bit of information to educate yourself on why acne leaves dark marks and what are the recommended treatements. If you are not interested (I pun kdg2 malas baca.Lol), you can scroll down straight to my review on this product. However, I do recommend to read the next couple paragraphs. It will help you to make smarter decisions when picking up your next product. I promise it won't be long and without all the scientific jargons (Teehee.I'll try my best!).

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or PIH, is the medical term given to discoloration of the skin that follows an inflammatory wound. It is the skin's natural response to inflammation. PIH looks like flat areas of discoloration on the skin (macules). They can range in color -- pink, red, purple, brown or black -- depending on your skin tone and depth of the discoloration. When skin is opened up, like when you pop a pimple, and then closes back together, you can get abnormal pigmentation, texture, and tone that looks different from the rest of your skin. Sometimes broken blood vessels that remain after an acne lesion fades can result in a mark that appears more red or purple than brown. These are commonly seen in people who are more fair/light skinned. People with deeper skin tones may develop darker marks or hyper-pigmentation, while people with lighter skin tones may notice redness. Sun exposure can supercharge melanocytes, or pigment-producing cells, causing marks and scars to darken. On the other hand, acne scars are different. They occur when normal tissue in the skin is destroyed and replaced with fibrous tissue. You can think of an acne lesion as a wound. When the damage caused by acne is severe, the body can respond by creating too much tissue or too little tissue. The production of too much tissue forms a keloid or a hypertrophic scar, and too little tissue leads to that depression in the skin, or atrophic scar. The deeper and more inflamed the acne lesion, or the more that it is picked or squeezed, the more likely it is to scar. So, again, hands off your face, people! As for treatments, use any topical creams or chemical peels that contain glycolic acid. It's an ingredient that can speed up skin cells turnover and even out the skin tone. Of course, there are other various ingredients that also worked but this is one of the common ones. Skin lightening can also be used to reverse hyperpigmentation and prevent future discolouration as it contains ingredients such as retinol, vitamin C, hydroquinone, kojic acid, or licorice. Hence, the idea of trying products within the whitening range. I would say, this is one of the best decision I made :)

Since skin lightener (whitening products) can help reverse dark marks, I am interested to try this range from Laneige. Honestly, I put my faith on the brand as Laneige is one of the leading skincare brand in Korea. As we all know, Korea technology in skincare is 10 to 15 years more advanced than that in western counteries. Besides, look at their skin, FLAWLESS! Well, though I know refering to some Korean celebrities and citizens can be a generalisation bias, most of the reviews available on their products are positive. So, why not give it a try, right? If it doesn't work, at least I can tell you guys my experience and I get to discover which products that doesn't suit me. I got nothing to lose (kot.haha).

Laneige claims that this White Plus Renew Bubble Cleanser is a Brightening, bubble cleanser that offers rich lather for deep pore cleansing.

*The rich lather gently and perfectly removes all the dirt and makeup residues from the pores. The skin-friendly amino acids work perfectly even on sensitive skin.

*Silymarin, a compound capable of inhibiting melanin synthesis, helps to prevent the skin from turning dull and serves to brighten it from the cleansing stage onward.

*Salicylic acid gently exfoliates the skin keeping it pure and radiant at all times.

Product Details

The product is packaged in a soft blue bottle with a white pump on top of it. It comes only in one size if I'm not mistaken, which is 150ml. Big enough for me. I'm already on my 2nd bottle (so i supposed you can tell I love this product already.haha). My previous bottle lasted me for about 7 months because it offers rich lather so, you won't need much. A small pump would suffice. For me, it's really worth it for a price of RM90. Texture wise, it's foamy. To those with dry skin like me, please please don't forget to use MOISTURISER afterwards. ANY FOAMY products can dry the skin. So those with oilier skin, you might benefit a lot from this product.

Effects/Changes observed after 10 months of usage?

I noticed my skin has become brighter and more radiant than before. Honestly, I didn't notice it right away as the changes are very subtle. But I get multiple compliments from my friends after my summer hols (after 2 months of usage), so I guess it really works. All my dark marks has definitely become lighter. Though not fully reversed, they have improved a lot. I don't need to use concealer anymore. I can even use foundation with light coverage now. Even skintone? Well, it depends on how you define an even skintone. I know my skin has natural blush to it so I can't expect my skin to be an opaque, all-over white with a yellow undertone. I need to be realistic. So far, using this product has reduced the dark marks which at the same, evening out my skin tone. Less visible spots=more even skin tone. Get it? Haha. But i do admire those with yellow undertone. I find their skin to appear healthier, but that doesn't mean other skintone does not. Just my personal preference. :)

Did it meet my expectations?

Well, I always keep my expectations realistic as I don't want to be disappointed too much. As for this bubble cleanser goes, I'm very satisfied of the results. Not having to cover or correct much by using makeup is happy enough for me. That way, I can keep my makeup as natural as possible. Furthermore, my acne hasn't been around as often as before. Even if it does, it isn't as big as it used to. Perhaps it's due to the salicylic acid ingredient. Perhaps due to confounding factors as well, since I'm using SKII Clear Lotion and SKII Treatment Essence. My age, which has passed teenage phase can play a big role as well. Most people my age only has hormonal acne, which means acne only appears during stress or 'that time of the month'.

Rate: 4.8/5
Would I recommend? : Yes, definitely!
Where did I bought it? : Hermo website, Sephora outlet, YesStyle, Cosme-de.com