My Beauty Diary Platinum Nanocolloid mask review

What they say:


"Platinum Nano Fights against Age
Japanese platinum nano material has great anti-aging effect by preventing drying and dullness of skin.
Japan-introduced mask material, fragrance and alcohol free:
Introduced from Japan, the highly fitting mask material is 100& fragrance-and alcohol-free. With gentle and pure texture, it offers the skin a fresh feel without discomfort.
Low Electronic potential makes prolonged moisturization possible:
It absorbs moisture content in skin (WTH?!), increases moisture retention and prolongs skin hydration.
Nano-Biotech Double Vehicle:
A combination version of nanospheres and MLC, multi-layer capsulation, seals active ingredients in multiple layers of bio substances, then through a controlled time-released effect the ingredients, works on skin by degrees and so are absorbed more easily in epidermis"

What I say:

Don't you just love the Chinglish? xD
This mask is part of the "Luxury line" of MBDs, which also include White Tea Peony, Camilla and White Truffle.
This Nanocolloid variety (I really wanna call it "flavour" cos there's so many different varieties that it's like a sweet shop xD) is supposedly targeted for anti-aging purposes, so to THE person who got this for me...not that I'm mentioning names or anything... *stank eye*
I tried Googling "Platinum nanocolloid" and all I got in return was a bunch of scientific gobbledeegook, patents show that it's something invented by a bunch of Japanese guys, and from what I can make of it, it's essentially tiny platinum particles, suspended in a fluid. I've seen photos of fruits that were rubbed with platinum nanocolloid and as a result, they don't rust. I think that means it's an antioxidant, as in it works by preserving your skin from...er...rusting xD. Why the heck am I suddenly reminded of the Red-Ox table from high school chemistry?

Give me exclusion clauses any day.

Moving along! I'm sure by now you all know of my unwavering love for MBDs by now (read my original review here ), and if these "Luxury" MBDs are an improvement on the regular MBD line, then I will climb DOWN mountains. for them.
These Luxury line masks are packaged much the same way as the originals MBDs, with a plastic backing sheet in individual packets, however, they come in a box of 6 instead of the regular 10.
The mask fabric is of a different texture and also much thinner than the originals. As a result, they are more prone to tears during use. I think I've torn mine every time I used them T.T. Thank god it's just a mask. No further elaborations. xD
Instead of having several adjustment notches along the edges of the mask, the luxury masks only have 2 notches on either side of the cheek area.
Fit wise, they are both better and worse than the originals, they're a better fit around the face, there's no excess fabric to tuck away, the nose area fits much better, however, it's worse in that the eye holes are much too small (for me at least) and I end up either having to rip them wider or sit with obscured vision.
There is slightly less essence in these masks compared to my Black Pearl MBDs, however, they are sufficiently saturated to last through the usual 35-45mins that I keep my masks on for.
As to their effectiveness, I have to say the results I get with these "Luxury Line" masks are no different than the ones I got from the original MBDs. I see a brightening effect, my skin is softer, more hydrated, and redness and inflammation are visibly reduced.
For some odd reason, and I'm probably alone here, but each time I use this particular mask, I inevitably wake up with small white heads, however, this does not happen with any of the regular MBDs that I use. Maybe I'm allergic to the platinum...no that allergy does not apply to jewellery so don't even think about it person that I'm giving stank eye to!

Damage: C$14.99-C$19.99 for a box of 6. Considerably cheaper if you buy in Asia.
Final Verdict: Unless you REALLY have an issue with the fit of the regular MBDs, these aren't worth the price hike. At their cheapest, they're the same price as a box of regular MBDs not on special, however, you'll be getting less masks than you would get in a box of regulars. For me at least, they deliver the same results as the regular MBDs, so you're essentially paying for the fitting of something you're gonna have on your face for 45mins. Buy only if you're curious and it's on special xD.

Photo time!

Before. If you're interested you can click on the photo to enlarge it. Aside from my right cheek which is currently going through Vitasoy Breakout 2010, what you're seeing is about 6 months of consistent Black Pearl MBD use. For a photo of what my skin looked like before see here.

The thinner fabric and cut of the mask really makes for a much better fit compared to the regular MBDs.

After approx 40 mins. Can you actually see any difference? I must say I really can't... My skin does feel more moisturised and it feels softer to touch. Shoddy camera aside, I would say that my complexion on the whole is brighter after use. Most noticeably a small mark on the left of my cheek is significantly less red after the mask.

Great, now there's an internet record of what my face looks like bare T.T

Oh and the Pookie had a request:

Er......yeah.....I have no words either.

These are a few of my favourite things...

1. My Beauty Diary Black Pearl Masks

"How do I love thee? let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach when feeling out of sight."
Liz Browning didn't have these in her days, but if they did, I wonder how they'd compare to her feelings for Bob Browning?
Seriously, I LOVE these. I'm on my upteenth box, they're dirt cheap, they're convenient and most importantly, they work.
Long time readers will recall the 10 day challenge that I did with these masks. For ease of reference, here are the photos from the challenge:

BEFORE: Dehydration, uneven skin tone, dullness, enlarged pores, redness, you name it I had it. My skin has pretty much been like this for as long as I remember, it's never been problem free, and the combination of indoor heat and freezing weather probably exacerbated it.  I also scar really easily, so pimples usually leave behind a nice dark mark, which would be around long after it has healed.

AFTER: This is the closest to PERFECT skin I've ever been. I can actually go out without makeup, and children will not run from me screaming.  The redness and swelling are gone, my skin tone has evened out, and  my skin is also brighter and noticeably more plumped up than before. Scars from old break outs have also lightened considerably.
I've been using these masks on a regular basis for about 4 months now, and I've gone from a MAC NC25 to a NC20, so there is definitely some whitening effect to them.
I now use these masks about 2-3 nights a week, I'll wash my face as usual, slap the mask on, read a book for an hour, take it off, rub the excess serum into my face and then moisturise as usual. In the morning I'll wake up with baby skin.
The Beauty Diary Mask range is huge, however, the majority of their ingredients are the same, and would thus probably give the same effect. My own personal preference is for the the black pearl or the pearl powder ones as I feel they are more saturated with serum than say, the Bulgarian rose one, which dries up around the 10-15 min mark on my face. The apple one did sting my skin a tiny bit, apparently that means the AHA is working, but I find that it didn't give me any extra results that the black pearl wasn't giving me. My olfactory nerves did not agree with the Red Wine or the Sake ones, it reminds me of how I'd smell once the exams were out back in university.
I'm currently taking the premium masks for a test drive, I'll update on those soon. Also at some point, I'll take a photo of the current condition of my skin, just so you can see if there's been further improvements after prolonged use of the masks. I can't do that right now because the Pooker's mum has run off to the Olympics with our camera xD.
Btw, I have since noticed that the Black Pearl masks seem to be disappearing off the shelf faster than any of the other varieties. If any of you is the culprit, please refer to my 1st paragraph, and stop buying my stuffs. It'll make you ugly. xD
 
Damage: CAN$10.99 - CAN$19.99 for a box of 10
What would Kanye say?: "One of the best masks of all time"

2. The Body Shop Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream and Nourishing Night Cream

One day, during an "omg I've run out of moisturiser and I forgot to buy any!!" moment, I found a sample tub of The Body Shop's Vitamin E Intense Moisture cream that I'd received as a GWP and subsequently forgot about. In my desperation, I put it on, not expecting much, after all, I've tried their tea tree oil range before...
My skin practically sang hallelujah when I put it on.
It felt like I was rubbing...pure silky moisture onto my skin (omg so cliched!). My skin gets itchy, dry and flaky in the winter months, this cream left me with soft, completely moisturised skin. That moisturised feeling lasts all day even when I'm huddled next to the heater whimpering from the cold. It doesn't leave a greasy film, nor has it broken me out or clogged my pores.
Their website says that it contains organic olive oil, shea butter and vitamin E wheat germ oil, what do I know, I did law. I'll leave it up to people like Russianfortunecookie to figure out the chemical side of these things. I do know that it contains Dimethicone and Cyclomethicone, which gives it that silky feeling and gel-like consistency, therefore people who are allergic to, or dislike silicone in their skincare products should probably skip this one. However, if you're friends with silicone, it means that this cream can double as a primer for foundation.
I use this in the morning after the Vitamin E serum, which I like but is not really a life changer.
I was so impressed with the day cream I went out n got me a tub of the night cream. The night cream is a lot richer and denser than the day cream. It's quick thick in the tub, probably as a result of the cocoa butter, but really melts once it's on your face. I am an absolute grease ball, but with this cream, I wake up with no visible oil on my face, it just feels soft and moisturised.

Damage: $20 for the intense moisture cream and $16 for the night cream
What would Chuck Norris say?: "Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table because he only recognises the element of surprise"

3. Vichy Normaderm Anti-Blemish Intensive Treatment Cream

This is honestly the only spot treatment I've tried that delivers noticeable results overnight. It contains 2% Salicylic Acid, and on top of controlling the breakout it also speeds up the healing process. I feel that the majority of acne treatments on the market are too strong, they actually burn your skin and that's why often times you're left with a dark mark where the spot used to be. The Vichy cream, on the other hand, is quite mild, but really does its job MINUS the dryness and dark marks that you'll get from other acne treatments. In my own use, I've found that if I catch the spot early enough in it's development, and put this on immediately, by the next day the skin will be flat again with little or no redness. If it's already a full blown mofo with it's own shadow n everything, applying this cream twice a day (it can be used under makeup with NO pilling!!!!), gives you less inflammation and redness in approx 2-3hours and total control within a day. By the 2nd day it should start healing, and you can use it less often and start using things like face masks to fade and heal the leftovers.
I know that it seems to be rather pricey for such a small amount but honestly it'll last you for frikken ever. It has a narrow, almost pin point opening, which allows you squeeze out a tiny amount just enough to pat onto the pimple.

Damage: CAN$14-$20 wait for the 3 for 2 specials!
What would Vichy say?: "Mario Badesco can bite my blue ass."

4. Lush Angels on Bare Skin
 
A cult item that needs no introduction. I braved the smell of the Lush store that threatened to assimilate me into part of the Borg Lush collective. Resistance was indeed futile. Omg, ok I promise! no more Star Trek references!!!
I'd bought this on Temptalia's and the Muse's rave reviews, I proceeded to use it every day, and to my disgust it broke me out in a mass of white heads. I then banished it to the naughty corner of the bottomest drawer. However, as is the nature of things like this, I subsequently took it back out for round two, this time I used it only once a week. Success!!! no break out!!! just gorgeous, soft, smooth skin!!!
It contains ground almonds and kaolin clay, together they buff away all dead skin, lumps n bumps on your face, suck out all the muck from ur pores, and leaves your skin heavenly smoooooooth xD It's not a foaming cleanser, it's more of an exfoliator or scrub, however, unlike other scrubs, it doesn't leave your face taunt and dry. Actually, it almost feels like it leaves an oily film on your face, but once you dry your face off, all you'll feel is soft, smooth, skin that almost feels like you've applied moisturiser to it!
I now use this twice a week, it has not broken me out again, I've had less break outs, and on the days that I use it, I definitely notice my foundation going on MUCH smoother.
It IS a bit messy to use because, you have to break off a piece from the roll, and mix it with a bit of water to form a paste before you can apply it to your face. Also I'll recommend using this in the shower as bits of crushed almond and lavender seeds DO tend to get into your hair when you rinse, however, the results are just SO worth the extra schlep.
I believe Lush gives out quite generous samples at their free standing stores, so if you're curious, do try it out!

Damage: $10.50 per 100g
What would Robbie say: "So when I'm lying in my bed, thoughts running through my head, and I feel that love is dead, I'm loving angels instead."

So those are a few of my favourite things, what are yours? Do tell me, as I'm always on the look out for new things to love xD.

It wasn't mono and haul (plus a minor Sephora rant)

I didn't have mono after all.
Instead, I had a mofo case of strep. Antibiotics were taken and I have made pretty much a full recovery. Thank you all for your concerns.
Things have been really crazy at work since my return to the office, the only thing keeping us going is the continuous stream of chocolate which have been arriving at our office. Nonetheless, I managed to sneak in a quick visit to the downtown Sephora, they had been sending me almost daily reminders of how it's the last day to spend my $15 Beauty Insider coupon, and my Asian genes were screaming at me to not let go of a good deal.
Oh. My. God. it was utter chaos inside.
Things were flying off shelves, I saw a man indiscriminately throwing things into his his basket, and women fighting over the last remaining Urban Decay palettes. I grabbed the 2nd last NARS Orgasm blush and the 3rd last Dior Petal Shine quint and ran to the cashiers.
Here comes my rant.
The below conversation took place between me and the cashier:
Me: "Do you still have the clutch with the 8 samples?"
Sephora: "No, besides those don't apply in conjunction with promos."
M: "Apparently I can get a Kat Von D tote with this coupon..."
S: "I've never heard about it."
M: "Do you know what's the Sephora sweet steal for this week?"
S: "What is that?"
M: "It's when you have a special product that's usually discounted to like $10, but only for a limited time."
S: "We don't have that for the holiday season."
M: "..."
When I got back to the office , I checked the Sephora website and saw that the sweet steal of the day was a Philosophy shower kit for $5!!!!She lied!!!I'm kinda angry because I really want that kit!!!Grrr!
Anyways, for all you who are interested, here is a photo of my recent hauls.

I made a big Bookcloseouts order when they were having their Black Friday sale. All those books only cost me $37!!! If I'd purchased them individually at somewhere like Chapters, that would've gotten me about 2 or 3 books if I'm lucky! Raw deal!!! As you can see, I'm quite a fan of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (still debating whether or not to buy the final book, it's just not quite the same if it's written by someone else), I am also finally reading the Bridget Jones Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada.
While I was in line waiting to pay at La Senza, I saw these cute colourful tubes of eyeshadow, (actually I didn't know what they were, the Pookie told me xD), it's like a loose shadow with a built in sponge bullet applicator. They remind me of those old YSL Eclat de Givre eyeshadows. They're part of Victoria's Secrets' Beauty Rush line and were on promotion at 5 for $10, so out of curiosity I decided to swatch them on my arm:

Needless to say, these 5 promptly came home with me. I believe the colours I got were Bluetopia (light blue-green), After Midnight (dark navy) , Plum Passion (who named you?!), Brown to Earth (brown with gold shimmer) and Gold School (true gold). They're all shimmery (or "Luminous" according to their label) and they're definitely pigmented. I used After Midnight the other day as a liner on my upper lash line, I did have to reapply once throughout the day, but then I do have super oily lids >.< and I never really remember to use eyeshadow primer...
Another haul I made today:

My Beauty Diary Black Pearl and Pearl Powder masks. They were on special again at my local Asian supermarket for $10.99 a box of 10 so I hauled hard. These are going off to my girls xD.
It's exactly 7 days until Christmas!! Have you all done your present shopping? I'm not really a Christmas person, I'm more of a scrooge xD, but I will be attending an xmas dinner with le pookie and some friends this weekend, there is going to be a $20 secret Santa hahah.
Until next time my lovelies.
xx

My Beauty Diary Masks 10 day challenge

The results are in for the Nunu's first beauty challenge!!

My Beauty Diary Black Pearl Masks.

Without further ado, and because a picture is worth a thousand words, I present to you the "After" photo.

This is what my skin looked like before the challenge.

The masks come folded up with a 'backing sheet'. I think it's to prevent the mask from sticking together. I kinda find this inconvenient, as after you unfold the mask, you still have to peel off this backing sheet. It's kinda wasteful too.

Each mask comes with more than enough serum, I use the excess on my hands xD. The serum itself is clear and is slightly viscous...and feels just like glycerine?

I've heard some beauty bloggers complain that the mask is too wide, I personally didn't have this problem, probably cos I have a wide face? Anyways, the mask itself has 'notches' which allow you to adjust the mask to fit your face.

The masks are of a decent thickness and had quite a pleasant texture. (<---is that an odd statement?)
I was so happy to find that even though I had the mask on, I was immobilised!I could actually walk around, watch tv, do work and it'll still stay stuck on my face!

Did it work?

YES! I changed nothing else in my daily routine during this challenge, my diet was the same, no special action creams or lotions, I washed my face as usual in the shower with Lush Coalface, then I'll apply the mask, leave it on for 30 mins, take it off and apply my usual Body Shop Vitamin E night creme.
In my "After" photo, you can clearly see that there's less inflammation and redness, my skin is more hydrated, when I wake up in the morning, my skin feels so plump n juicy xD. My face is smoother, those annoying bumps under my skin are mostly gone, my makeup goes on SO much easier! I can actually fake perfect skin without using any concealer! Oh, most importantly, no irritation or allergic reaction noted. I've heard some bloggers say that the Apple variety can cause mild to severe irritation due to the acidity, so I'm gonna stay away from those. I really really really recommend these!



...


I would also like to mention that during the span of the challenge, I was asked out 3 times by guys other than the Pookie. Hee! Make of that what ye will xD.

More photos.

My Beauty Diary

The Nunu first came across these masks via the lovely Yumeko's blog. She'd liked them enough to haul them en masse, and if the queen of sheet masks deemed them to be worthy, how could a mere Nunu refuse? I'd tried sheet masks only once before, and I liked them quite a lot as there was no need to spread the product over the face like traditional liquid masks or rinse after use. I'm just lazy like that.

The lowdown:

• Made in Taiwan;
  
• Comes in a variety of flavours, to suit different skin conditions;
• Has Nanosphere technology, which supposedly aids in absorption of the good stuff.
  

Sounds good eh? (Look at me trying to be Canadian!). The hard part was trying to find them.  Sasa has it available for around $18 for a box of 10...and shipping to Canada is another $18. What the frak.
You gotta be kidding me, I live in Vancouver for heaven sake, home to the biggest population of Asian people outside of Asia! There's gotta be some local Asian market that stocks them!
Fast forward a couple of weeks by which time I'd mostly forgotten about them.
The Pookie and I were out grocery shopping one day after work at the local T&T (Asian supermarket chain), and guess what I saw in a display stand on the corner of instant noodles and tooth paste? MY BEAUTY DIARY MASKS!Yes!!!
I squealed, ditched the poor Pookie, and ran over.
Now, being the obsessive compulsive beauty blogger that I am, I'd already pre-did all my homework on these masks to determine which would be the best one for my skin type. I wanted either the aloe one for dry damaged skin or the bulgarian white rose one which promises to give white translucent skin.
They didn't have it. Nothing. You heard me. Nada.
As per usual, I threw a nunu tantrum.
"Can't you just get a different type?" asks the Pookie. Noooooooooooooooooooo!I had my heart set on that one!
For the next couple of weeks, each time we went shopping, I'd check to see if they have the ones I want, and then pout.
One night, they went on sale. For $10 a box. Of 10 masks.
I immediately called the Pookie, I don't think he understood most of that garbled conversation. The only problem was they still didn't have the ones I wanted, "but it's only $10 a box!what have you got to lose?", besides, Black Pearl sounds good...Mmmm....Johnny Depp. The Asian inside of me trembled a lil in excitement.
By the next day I'd convinced myself to get them, a 30% discount is enough to make The Body Shop's never drying mascara look attractive.
Guess what?
They weren't on sale no more.
Yip, apparently the sale ended the night before.
Cue a nunu tantrum, and another week of refusing to buy them at regular price and lots of whining.
Last night the Pookie smsed  me on his way to the supermarket:

P: "Since I'll be at T&T. Do we need anything?"
N: "Depends...how nice you are to me?xDDD"
P: "Hahahahhaa I get it"
N: "Innocent big eyes blink. Wot do u mean?I din't say nufing"
P: "You move tail I know haha"

So, it is on his generosity that I bring you the first ever M.A.C.nunu Beauty Challenge!
I will use the masks every night for 10 nights, at the end of which I'll post an 'After' photo. The only rule is that I change nothing else in my skin care routine.

Without further ado, the Before photo.

Big noticeable pores, dry from indoor heating and weather, scarring, redness and dark marks from previous breakouts.

The Goods.

My Beauty Diary Black Pearl Mask
Claims from website: Black pearl actives to whiten and soften the skin. Pineapple, lime and cucumber extract to accelerate metabolism of stratum comeum; gently removes dead epithelial cells.

Let the games begin.