After I forgot to replace my near-empty bottles of the oil cleanser and eye makeup remover and opened up my medicine cabinet to find them both with hardly a drop left, I figured it was time to try the Heimish All Clean Balm. I’ve had my eyes on Heimish’s products for a while now so I jumped at the chance to try it. As a member of the Tribe, nothing is more heimish to me than my mother’s comfort food and the smell of chicken soup so a brand using the name, an Yiddish and German word that means “homey” or “comforting” had a lot to live up to. Luckily, after two uses of the All Clean Balm, I definitely became sold on what Heimish describes as the “clean and comfortable beauty” balm.
The product is meant to be a delicate cleanser that removes every bit of makeup and impurity while being safe for sensitive skin. According to Style Korean, the All Clean Balm all that’s meant to stay is hydration and from what I’ve seen, that’s definitely true. I tried the product twice: first on my face after I got my eyes and foundation done at a makeup counter earlier in the day, and then again on my arm when I tested out its ability to clean lipstick. After scooping a small portion out and rubbing it over my face/arm, the Balm became an oil that appeared to liquidate my makeup relatively cleanly.
The All Clean Balm lives up to its name. It feels and smells clean. It has a gentle eucalyptus scent that reminds me a bit of menthol, but without the tear-inducing overwhelming factor, and a white appearance that reminded me of a translucent bar of soap. In its tub, the product reminded me of coconut oil or shea butter, which makes sense because both are included on the ingredient.
I was able to use only a single scoop to cleanse my whole face, despite the relatively thick makeup I was wearing, so it seems like the small tub can go a long way. The Balm seemed to sooth some redness in my skin, and made quick work of removing the majority of my makeup. After rinsing it off and then using my normal cleansing powder, my face felt smooth and not at all greasy.
Cons
On my first use, I felt that the Heimish All Clean Balm didn’t actually remove all of my eye makeup. I didn’t want to rub too much, and I was concerned about getting it in my eyes when it doesn’t technically appear to be an eye-specific product (although I read review after review that said it was safe). I haven’t worn heavy enough makeup since my first trial to warrant using it again, but there was definitely residual mascara. I wear pretty dark mascara just about every day, and a good all-in-one makeup remover seems like a dream to me but I guess I’ll wait and see. The second test, on my arm, literally turned the color to a gelatinous puddle and after I wiped it off that patch of skin was clearly smoother than the surrounding area.
The Heimish All Clean Balm offered a painless experience at trying a cleansing balm, something I’ve never tried before. The product’s refreshing texture and the crisp scent were a pleasure to put near my face, and I thought it did the job just as well as my previous cleansing oil did but with the bonus that it felt more moisturizing. This is probably something that I’ll be keeping within reach for a while.
4
Have you tried the Heimish All Clean Balm or any other cleansing balm? What did you think about it? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
The sample item was provided by Style Korean, but all reviews are based on the tester’s individual opinions. Email [email protected] for more details relating to sponsoring products and posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Untitled-design-4.jpg7681024Tamar Hermanhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTamar Herman2016-12-21 05:39:102017-01-16 18:55:54K-Beauty Review: Heimish All Clean Balm
While I’ve done plenty of masking in my time I had never seen a bubble mask before, so was completely taken back by my recent experience with the It’s Skin Defense Bubble Mask. According to the package, the Dust Defense Bubble Mask “protects and soothes skin from environmental damage, and offers deep hydration.” Which meant… That it was essentially a cleansing mask?
Since I’m such a masking expert, I rarely take the time to actually read directions but I happened to glance at the Bubble Mask’s guide to skin perfection and noticed that these directions were a bit different because of the mask’s nature. Most sheet masks that I’ve used are meant to be delivering moisture and/or some sort of treatment to your face through the serum. It turns out that this sort of mask, since it’s cleansing (even though it doesn’t seem to imply that from it’s description) you’re not supposed to take off and then pat in the remaining moisture. Nope, you’re supposed to wash it all off, since it’s bubbly and supposed to have made your face dust-free.
Pros
BUBBLES!!!!!!! It felt like a full on bubble bath for my face. So much foam!!! I may or may not have cupped all the suds in my hand after removing the mask and played with them for a minute.
Okay, it may be a bit juvenile, but here’s what happened. When I opened up the mask I had two surprises: First, it was black. Second, it was soapy. Feeling a bit confused, and wondering how much more sudsy it could possibly get, I put the mask on. Ten minutes later, I glanced in the mirror and laughed at myself. It was like a Snapchat filter! The previously black surface of the sheet mask was absolutely covered in the white foam.
Looking super attractive with bubbles all over my face. It was thicker than it looks in the picture.
Cons
I always remove my makeup with a double cleanse before I mask, and this was no different. The only difference came after I removed the mask, when I realized my face felt raw. Because the Dust Defense Bubble Mask is essentially covered in soap, it seemed like it just cleansed my face again. I had to do some serious moisturizing post-mask, which I’m not a fan of. If I ever get another, I’ll likely do it first thing in the morning, so I don’t have to remove my makeup and will just use it to replacy my morning cleanser.
I like sheet masks because I can write an article while putting something good on my face. I really wanted to like the It’s Skin Dust Defense Bubble Mask because I live in New York City and I feel like it ideally would be able to help combat the pollutants. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll use it again because it really felt like a cleanser and I don’t need to scrub my face raw. But it was a fun experience, so I may try other bubble masks in the future and see if they don’t dry me out as much.
It's Skin Dust Defense Bubble Mask
1
Have you ever tried a bubble mask? What did you think about it? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
This review was not sponsored by It’s Skin, but KultScene is always looking for affiliate and sponsors, particularly for product reviews. Email [email protected] for more details.
I was in Seoul last summer and bought far too much K-beauty products so I’m still discovering random items in odd corners of my bedroom. I recently found a vial of Etude House Silk Scarf Damage Protein Ampoule Treatment. When I had seen it at an Etude House store sitting there in a hot pink box and looking like I should inject the product directly into my head, I was already sold. Now, months after a botched dye job had left my once virgin-dyed-hair insanely dry at the ends, it was time to test it.
So what is an ampoule anyway? When I bought it, I just liked the shape of the product and assumed they were trying to say, “This will be a fun way to make your hair feel nice.” So I bought one for me and one for my little sister. After a quick Google search, I discovered that Wikipedia defines an ampoule as “a small sealed vial which is used to contain and preserve a sample, usually a solid or liquid.” The Etude House one is a vial in the form of an injection needle, so the Ampoule Treatment is, in fact, technically an ampoule. According to Etude House’s website it “contains 9 kinds of protein other than keratin protein and 17 kinds of amino acids that fill up dry and damaged hair with both moisture and nutrition and coats hair for firm and volumized hair.” (Does it contain keratin plus nine other kinds of protein? I have no ideas based on the English blurb…)
It smelled really nice! Since I sat with the ampoule on my hair for about 20 minutes, this really mattered to me more than the actually feel of the product, which itself was actually more dense than I expected. Because the ampoule is limited in size rather than in a tub or tube, I didn’t really feel it before putting it in my hair so I thought it may be a gel or liquid, but once I pressed on the pump it turned out that it was a really silky cream. The pearly white color of it gave the product a luxurious, girly feel that’s typical of Etude’s products. Sometimes I feel like the company spends too much time on packaging in a disservice to the product itself, but once I put it in my hair it felt like it was doing its job. I’ve used a few argan oils and conditioning treatments before, but this somehow combined both of those things into one: the Silk Scarf Ampoule Treatment was dense enough that I felt it had some weight (and I could act as if it was really filled with the vitamins it claims to have,) but it seemed to melt in my hair. Kind of reminded me of melting butter on a hot bagel, not going to lie, since it went from being pretty thick to oily slick really easily.
Cons
Because of the vial packaging, I couldn’t actually see where I was squirting the ampoule. I didn’t want to first put it on my hand and then pat it on to my hair since there was a relatively small amount of product, but I ended up squirting far too much out on the top of my head and it was quite greasy the next morning. (It probably wouldn’t have the same result with someone who has thicker hair, but I naturally get greasy relatively easily. Not this quickly normally though.)
The packaging and product itself was pretty and fun to use, which is always a win. I really did feel like the ampoule helped the bottom of my hair restore itself after the treatment- it’s been knotting considerably less, which was something several conditioners hadn’t been able to do. (I hadn’t tried any treatments prior to this and instead was just trying to drown my ends in conditioner…) A few days later, my hair still feels less dry than it did previously.
Aside from my hair’s natural grease going into overdrive when I over-saturated the top of my head, this was a pretty great experience of something I bought on a whim because it looked bizarrely cute.
You can get the Etude House Silk Scarf Damage Protein Ampoule Treatment on Amazon or the company’s website. (Although the latter has some convoluted shipping fees since it’s coming from South Korea.)
Etude House Silk Scarf Damage Protein Ampoule Treatment
4
Have you tried out any of Etude House’s Silk Scarf line? What’s your favorite hair care product? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
This review was not sponsored by Etude House, but KultScene is always looking for affiliate and sponsors, particularly for product reviews. Email [email protected] for more details
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-3.jpg7681024Tamar Hermanhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTamar Herman2016-09-30 06:27:182016-09-30 06:28:23K-Beauty review: Etude House Silk Scarf Damage Protein Ampoule Treatment
Korean beauty masks are all over the place nowadays. From sheets masks infused with natural ingredients such as Aloe Vera or a product like the Jeju volcanic clay mask, which is said to help draw out impurities and reduce sebum, when it comes to Korean face masks, there are so many choices. Even American and other western websites have hopped on the bandwagon, so if you’re not using them already, well, why not? After living in Korea, I couldn’t imagine going a week without at least one mask, but a few days ago one of our writer’s sent me an article about one writer who decided to try two sheet masks a day for a week. That seems like a bit much, but it got me thinking about the fact that I have hoarded way too many Korean facial products for my own good (if there’s such a thing). So I decided to challenge myself: Ten masks in 10 days.
But I couldn’t just do 10 boring sheet masks in 10 days, oh no. Instead, I had to make it harder. Ten different types of masks in 10 days. Not too difficult. I could just use an animal mask one day and plain one another day, right? Not quite. Instead, each day, I wanted to try something new. So here are the sheet masks, the night masks, the hand masks, the masks you never could have imagined… Some are new to me, some I’ve tried before, but everything on here is a type of Korean mask.
Disclaimer: All masks featured in this article were purchased by me for personal use.
First Mask/Day 1: Lindsay Gold Modeling Rubber Mask
Attributes: “Uses colloidal gold extract to calm irritated skin and rejuvenate an exhausted, depleted complexion with a deep dose of hydration.”
Pros: It was a good experience, even though it was my first time using a rubber mask. I really enjoyed how it was like baking; it was like Duncan Hines for my face! After it was all dry, I was able to peel off most of the mask pretty quickly, in large clumps, so it was a pretty quick overall experience. I don’t know if I’ll try the gold one again because I’m afraid I reacted badly to something in it, but I’d love to try other rubber masks in the future.
Cons: My face felt dry afterwards rather than hydrated and it was hard to pull some of the remnants off at the end, although overall I definitely would like to try another rubber mask. The next day, my skin was really soft, but still felt slightly irritated.
Attributes: “The intensive moisturizing sleeping mask makes skin clear, glowing, and revitalized in the morning, as if skin had a restful sleep, with the Sleep Tox function of Laneige Water Sleeping Mask.”
Pros: Goes on easy, just like any other cream product. It smells really nice, and when I woke up in the morning, my skin felt pretty supple. This was my first time using it, but I’m going to definitely start using this sleeping mask regularly.
Cons: I honestly had a hard time getting the packaging open and nearly had to grab a knife to stab through the seal. Additionally, I don’t love feeling sticky when I wake up and I woke up feeling as if my face had been drenched in sweat. Once I washed my face off with cold water though, I felt much better and my skin definitely felt nicer than it does most mornings.
Third Mask/Day 3: Olive Young Dreamworks I Am The “Watery” Penguin Hydrogel Mask
Attributes: “The Watery Penguin Hydrogel Mask sheet is the SOS solution for complex skin problems. A whole bottle of Magic essence is in this Hydrogel facial sheet to moisturize, sooth and give the stressed skin its elasticity back.”
Pro: THERE ARE PENGUINS ON THIS. No, but seriously. There are penguins on my face mask! Okay, but as for the actual mask. I really like this sort of gel mask, where there’s a lot of elasticity. I did one recently that felt like I was putting a mask of ziploc containers on my face; the material was that harsh. However, when this one was was on my face, I could feel the mask gradually lose its moisture, so I knew when it was time to take it off. And afterwards, my skin was really soft.
Cons: The hydration of the mask didn’t go so smoothly. Towards the edge of the mask, it was still really wet when the rest of the mask was 100 percent ready to be taken off. I ended up rolling the mask into a ball and rolling it over my face to spread the moisture, which is definitely not written on the directions.
Fourth Mask/Day 4: Missha Home Aesthetic Paraffin Foot Mask
Attributes: “Special foot mask to provide moisture and nutrients to your dry skin to make it soft and sleak.” Pros: I’ve used this before – usually once a week (thanks NYC streets!) – as well as a similar one on my hands, and love it. It makes my feet feel like they’ve just been massaged with a lot of moisturizers. It reminded me of what my friend experienced after using CBD oil from a store like Blessed CBD (https://blessedcbd.co.uk). I know oils are moisturizing, however, her legs were skinning bright after its use. Anyway, this foot mask has a bonus, because these are like booties themselves, instead of having an extra plastic wrapper that you have to add after the initial bootie, so they’re easy to get on. I wouldn’t suggest walking around the house, but you don’t have to be bound to a specific spot while using them.
Cons: I’ve used these a few times and the stickers that come with the booties to seal them almost are always completely too drenched, so I feel like I’m losing out on a bit of the moisture.
Fifth Mask/Day 5: Etude House I Need You, Yogurt! Mask in Peach
Attributes: “Facial massage pack formulated with fruit and yogurt to soften, nourish, and replenish skin.”
Pros: My face felt nice and clean after using, but I felt like it maybe should have been a exfoliating scrub and not a pack. It was really goopy, which some people may like since it holds in more moisture, but it just seemed heavy to me.
Cons: See above regarding the texture, plus the smell was a bit off-putting since it smelled exactly like peach yogurt (some people may like that too!).
Where Can You Find It: $10.90 for a pack of four yogurt packs Yesstyle
Sixth Mask/Day 6: The Face Shop Tiger Character Mask
Pro: This is pretty much a basic sheet mask, so if you have never done one before and want to try your first Korean sheet mask, The Face Shop’s sheets in general, not just the character masks, are a good choice. They contain a lot of moisture and are really easy to unfold. The sheet itself is pretty thin, so even while you feel like you’re absorbing the moisture, your skin can breathe.
Cons: Most Korean sheet masks are similar, but I’ve never had to manipulate a mask as much as this one to cover beneath my eyes and the space between my nose and lips. (I actually pulled quite a big portion of it over my hairline so that the majority of my skin was covered). It may have been necessary for the animal features, though.
Where Can You Find It: $13.30 for 5 masks at Amazon
Seventh Mask/Day 7: Etude House Collagen Eye Patch
Attributes: “Formulated with collagen to revitalize and improve appearance around eyes.” Use these about once a month usually.
Pros: These are essentially sheet masks, pint-sized for just beneath your eyes. Pretty basic and simple to use. I have dark circles under my eyes and they don’t really seem to do much for those, but I don’t see any bags (which is surprising, given my general lack of sleep so I’ll give the eye patches that).
Cons: Do not get the liquid into your eyes; it stings. Also, be careful when you’re taking them out. The first time I couldn’t get both pieces of plastic off of the cotton, so I thought it supposed to add texture. It’s not.
Attributes: “A clay mask with Jeju volcanic scoria to absorb sebum and impurities for clean skin pores.”
Pros: I have very large pores and I’ve been using this mask for a few years. The clay feels like clay, so I like that instead of some of the liquid “clay” masks I’ve tried in the past. It goes on really smoothly and if you’re careful, you can literally cover your whole face; I’ve put it over my eyes on numerous occasions and it doesn’t cause any irritation.
Cons: It doesn’t come off so neatly, so make sure to use a wash cloth otherwise you may end up with small bits of clay all over your face for the next few hours.
Ninth Mask/Day 9: Kocostar Split End Therapy Hair Mask
Attributes: “Kocostar Split End Mask repairs, rebuilds, and strengthens damaged hair for softer, shinier, healthier tresses. Infused with a rich concentration of hair-saving ingredients including argan oil, simply wrap your hair with this sheet treatment, leave in, then remove to rebuild and strengthen hair, leaving strands soft, moisturized, shiny, and healthy.”
Pros: I’ve never used a hair mask/wrap before, but I know Koreans spend a lot of time and money on hair treatments, so when I saw this at Urban Outfitters, I decided to give it a try. I don’t have that many split ends, but they’re always a problem in between haircuts.
Cons: Aside from a bit of difficulty to make sure all of my ponytail was in the wrap, I don’t know if there are any real bad things. However, I honestly have no idea if it made my split ends go away after one use, so it’s a bit different than other masks which make you immediately recognize softer skin or, like a clay mask, are meant to be used repeatedly to get rid of an issue.
Pros: I honestly couldn’t think of anything due to…
Cons: The intense smell really disgusted me. The entire time I was wearing it, I just wanted the sheet off my face, which is unfortunate. But it smelled like dead fish and the beach to me. The second smell was okay, the latter not so much. I don’t think I’ll try this one again, unfortunately, because I was really excited to try this out after hearing about the benefits of seaweed. The mask is made out of kelp, which I thought was cool, but I think it backfired for me personally.
Ten masks in 10 days seemed like a good idea and my skin is definitely more supple than it is with my normal beauty routine of using one or two masks a week. Trying out new and old masks alike definitely made me realize what I’m looking for in products and what sort of things I’m going to avoid in the future. So if you’re looking to try out a few masks to find the perfect one for you, 10 masks in 10 days is definitely the way to do it!
If you’re trying out 10 masks in 10 days, let us know! And if you have ideas for other Korean beauty products you’d like us to feature, share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_9787-e1446592459193.jpg9001200Tamar Hermanhttp://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTamar Herman2015-11-03 15:24:252015-11-04 14:40:26Introduction To Korean Masks: 10 Masks In 10 Days
