Saturday, November 6, 2010

Hadalabo Arbutin Whitening Lotion Review

*Creeps back in*
Oh herro! Fancy seeing you here! *fidgets*
...
So I'm back from my month long hiatus from blogging, why the hiatus you ask? partly (mostly) because I'm too lazy and also partly because it's now Winter here in the Northern Hemisphere which makes it almost impossible to take photos.
In the span on this month I've managed to:
1. Become someone's spouse;
2. Gained enough wisdom to grow ONE wisdom toof;
3. Had to remove said wisdom toof;
4. Picked up a new obsession; and
5. Finally buy dining chairs.
All this makes for great blogging material so you SHOULD be hearing from me quite regularly from now. Anyway, onwards to today's product review!
What they say:
"HadaLabo SHIROJYUN Arbutin Whitening Essence contains the effective whitening & anti-ageing ingredient -arbutin- which penetrates deep into skin and effectively inhibits the formation of melanin, dark spots, and freckles, leaving you a bright skin tone with high translucency. The vitamin C derivatives help improve uneven skin tone, and effectively improve the skin dullness. Essence and lotion are more easier to be absorbed. Weak acid, no fragrance, no alcohol and no oil."

What I say:
I'd previously used Hadalabo's Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturising Lotion (click to read my review) and was really impressed with its ability to hydrate my under eye area, so come winter I gave Hadalabo's whitening lotion a try.
Being a Somalian pirate, I hate being pale and usually avoiding whitening products like the plague, but since it's already Winter and I can't possibly get any paler, I thought I might as well, but this means I can't really speak to this product's whitening claims xD
This whitening lotion is more watery in texture compared to the moisturising lotion which was more viscous. On application, this lotion is much less sticky than the moisturising lotion and doesn't take as much patting to be absorbed.

Before:






After:






Again for the past few weeks I've been slapping myself silly day and night with this lotion, and as you can see, it did hydrate the area under my eyes and the lines under my eyes are less visible. However, I feel that it's not as hydrating as the moisturising lotion from the same product line. My skin also feels less "bouncy" and less "plump" compared to when I was using the moisturising lotion.
As to its whitening properties, I really can't say I've noticed any whitening per se, but then again I'm currently a ghostly NC15-20 and probably can't tell if my skin is any whiter.
Damage:
$11 for 170ml from Sasa.com
Verdict:
If you're looking for hydration, you're better off with the moisturising lotion. If you're looking to whiten, you can give this lotion a try, it still does a pretty fair job of hydrating. This is especially worthy of a try for those who found the moisturising lotion too sticky as this lotion absorbs very quickly with very little work.

Bonus pic:

16 comments:

  1. Welcome back!!!

    You got MARRIED?!?! :D :D :D That is big news, girly!! haha You don't just become someone's spouse haha :)

    Thanks for the review!! I have a little more insight on Japanese products. I think I will try this... and also the other one you reviewed. They are priced pretty good :) I would like to know what bouncy skin feels like :D

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  2. Ooooh wifey! Congrats!

    I agree, this one isn't as moisturizing as the hydrating one. I like this for the summer, though, since the other one is a bit too heavy for me when it gets warm.

    LOVE your blingy nails!

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  3. welcome back :)!

    is this a serum/lotion or a toner? :D they have such a large range and I got confused...

    congrats on becoming a spouse!

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  4. aww.... i saw Hada Labo just came out with another new cleanser :)
    but overall, it is pretty amazing!

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  5. Congrats Mrs!! Good to have you back!! Missed your funny stories. Btw, how did that Maple Leaf Contest turn out?

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  6. You're married! Congrats :D
    Thanks for the review, I need a good whitening product right now.

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  7. Aw congrats! You announce it so casually haha, that's so you :P

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  8. congratulations on being husbanded!

    winter in the northern hemisphere makes me want to become a polar bear and hibernate

    thanks for the review!
    whenever winter comes my face just feels like an oily layer on top of a dry layer
    gross eh?

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  9. Dang, you blinged up your nails, sister!

    I love toners with hyaluronic acid. This is a lot cheaper than the Marie Louise moistraiser I'm using. I'll keep it in mind when it comes to get me a nother bottle.

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  10. Wah?! We/I didn't know you were engaged. CONGRATS, DOLL!!! =D Lurve your bling-y nails. Btw, I stopped using Hada Labo. Gave me the itchies.

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  11. Oh wow! Blogging thru your pain *kudos to you, girl!* Even "wisdom-less", great post nevertheless!

    And congrats on being unavailable anymore ;)

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  12. OMG congratulations !!!! I'm glad to see you back, can't wait for your posts!!! ^__^

    btw, thanks for the review on the Hadalabo product :)

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  13. A huge congratulations on getting married! :)

    Thanks for the review and I loooove your nails! You're so talented, very Japanese/princess style that I always want to try.

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  14. Congrads, girl for becoming a missus!

    You made me curious about this hadalabo lotion...Props to taking before and after photos...I've got to try this now...

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  15. Ohh Congrats on the engagement - if you have time, you should blog about wedding planning!! I'm not quite there yet...but I LOVE following planning. No pressure though haha.

    Did you notice any lightening on scars with this lotion?

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  16. congrats! its such a great start to look forward to.
    i've used one bottle of this lotion. i'd say it was alright but not the greatest. love your nail art a lot

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