Nindia's Letters

A lot of you have heard the brand Cosrx and Klairs before. If you haven’t they are Korean skincare and cosmetics brands from S.Korea which specializes in natural and simple ingredients. Their products have become the rave in Korea and all around the world due to its effectiveness and affordability. It is time for me to test it out myself.

For your information, I have oily and sensitive skin so my main skin concerns are acne and scarring (I know, the worse!) Without further ado, let’s get right to the review J

The two products that I will reviewing today are: Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence and Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop

Claims: moisturizing without using heavy oils, Alcohol + Paraben + Fragrance + Artificial Coloring Free

Main Ingredient: Snail Secretion Filtrate

Application method as suggested: Apply a light amount to the T zone; on the other hand, apply a generous amount to the cheek area, and tap lightly for the under the eye area.

Texture: gooey, transparent, and spreads on like a dream! A little goes a very long way and it does resemble the slime of a snail (?)

Packaging: A rounded plastic bottle with a pump top.

How I use it and my personal experience:

At first I thought that this is going to be a thick essence which gives extra hydration to the skin however even though it does have a thick consistency at first, the moment you spread it on your face it directly absorbs into the skin leaving a cooling and refreshed sensation. I do agree that there are no heavy oils in this product but it does a great job giving my skin a healthy glow (and when I mean glow, oh, it truly GLOWS) without any sticky feeling.

As I’ve mentioned before, it does give a cooling sensation and calms my sensitive skin. Major redness that I have on my skin disappeared right after I applied this.

I have been using this product for a couple of months and I cannot say that I see any difference on my acne and/or scarring issue but it does not trigger any new acne so far. My skin just calms down when I use this.

I apply this essence at night religiously but not in the morning since it might be too much for my oily skin. Unless when my skin feels dehydrated, I applied this before my sunscreen and it instantly creates the most beautiful glow. If I live somewhere dryer then I would definitely recommend applying this day and night since it moisturizes without the feel of an extra layer on your skin.

One pump is perfect to apply to the whole face.

Claims: helps stimulate collagen production, improved skin texture without harsh irritation, Alcohol + Paraben + Fragrance + Artificial Coloring Free

Main Ingredients: 5% Pure Vit. C, Centella Asiatica Extracts, Yuzu Extracts, Grapefruit Extracts

Vitamin C is known for its amazing anti-aging and spot correcting effects while Centella Asiatica Extracts are great for wound healing. As a result, this serum is helpful to heal active acne and remove its scars (just what I’ve been looking for!) However its 5% concentration level is quiet low in comparison to other Vitamin C essence in the market which goes as high as 20%. Its low concentration makes it possible to be used on sensitive skin or for those of you who are skin care newbies and have just dipped your toes in extensive skincare routine.

Klairs stated that it uses a Hybrid Stabilization Technology which provides L-ascorbic active ingredients into the skin. This helps to protect the skin from UV damage while fighting destructive free radicals.

Texture: oily

I was quiet surprised when I first tried on the product on my hands. From videos that I’ve watched I have always had an impression that this vitamin drop would be like water. To be honest, I was quiet concerned since thick oils can block out pores therefore causing acne. For the first month I was disappointed that this product does not do anything neither to my active acne or my scars. I really wanted this product to work but I just can’t see any result. But once I experimented here and there, here’s my ultimate tip for you:

DO NOT layer anything on top of this product before leaving it on your skin for at least 10 minutes. Vitamin C does not like to be combined with other ingredients so let it chill and be absorbed into the skin before layering your moisturizer. This makes a whole lot of difference both to its texture and effectiveness. After leaving it on for 10 minutes, the oily texture have totally seeped into the skin leaving a smooth finish on my skin (none of that sticky feeling anymore) therefore other products you put into your skin now won’t disturb this vitamin drop anymore.

Packaging: A clear glass with dropper

This might go against what most people have told you about Vitamin C oxidizing when exposed to sunlight which is why most companies use dark tinted packaging for its Vit. C serums. I personally store my product in the refrigerator so that it is protected from the sun and gives of a cooling sensation when applied. It is recommended to store this in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.

How I use it and my personal experience:

I use this vitamin drop after the Cosrx Snail Essence by dropping products on my entire face. I gently tap and spread it around my face. To help the absorption process, I rub my hands together really fast and using the heat created I gently lay the palm of my hands on my face. I’m not sure what ingredient causes this, but the second I drop the product on my face it feels very cooling (since I store it in the fridge) but right when I spread the product around my face and rub my hands together, it gets warm very easily. For your information, I have relatively cold hands so I know that this product is reacting when I started rubbing it in. It’s nothing bad but just an interesting info for you all J

I use this product only at night just because it is Vitamin C and I know that it can oxidize and lose its effectiveness when exposed to sunlight.

If you have an extremely sensitive skin, you can also mix this with your serum or creams to calm down its concentration level.

In conclusion, will I repurchase this again? I will definitely repurchase the Cosrx Snail Mucin Power Essence since it is just a great product as a basic moisturizer without leaving any sticky feeling on the skin. As for the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop, I would love to see how this product will help on my acne scars. Will update you guys if I see positive results ;)

Thank you for reading and do leave a comment below if you have other products that you want me to review J

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Thank you and see you on another letter!

From Yours Truly,

Nindia Djie

Dear Friends all over the world,

It’s time to get to the bottom of things. We’ve seen enough of “Paraben-free” products labelled in drugstores, online shops, banners, etc. Most of us would instantly categorize these products as “gentle”, “natural”, and “safe” for the skin but do any of us really know what paraben truly is? Is it a poison? What effect does it have on the skin? This letter is just the tip of the iceberg and more research is being done on Paraben but I want to share with all of you the real deal. Is Paraben truly is a threat to our health being or is it used mainly as a marketing tool? Let’s find out!

Paraben is a group of chemicals used for preservatives in a lot of beauty products such as shampoo and skincare. The main point is to extend products’ shelf life and preventing the formation of molds; therefore also protecting the users from premature expiration dates. There are usually 6 common types of paraben found in a product: Methyl/Ethyl/Propyl/Isopropyl/Butyl/Isobutyl parabens. Parabens are widely used due to its effective qualities as a preservative and their affordability.

Studies shows that paraben is a chemical that acts as an endocrine disruptors which means that it disrupts the normal function of the hormone system (including the growth, development, and reproduction of hormonal cells). This may cause disturbance in monthly ovary cycle for women, various skin problems due to hormonal confusion in the body, etc. One of the main reason for its current hype is that a study found a correlation of the existence of paraben in our body with breast cancer. HOWEVER, no significant prove has been found that paraben IS the cause for breast cancers or any of the stated health issues. Which is why the FDA hasn’t been able to put forth a proper ban for the use of parabens in products; because no research is conclusive enough to convince them. Also keep in mind that these studies are done in labs and where the number of Paraben used are elevated and is directly injected to a cell in a dish plate, and not to a human skin.

Even though there are no studies that prove paraben is the cause for cancer, we cannot run away from the fact that paraben does affect how our body functions. Different people will experience different things as well as how sensitive they are when they are in contact with parabens. Some may experience dryness in the skin while some might suffer from hormonal acne, and others doesn’t react at all. It is due to the fact that the amount of paraben used in the market is in a very low amount and does not pose a deathly threat to our well-being.

More companies are now focused on eliminating chemical parabens and use natural parabens instead. Some examples of natural preservatives include grape seed extract, lavender, green tea, and eucalyptus. It is also deduced that germs grow in water, therefore some companies eliminate the use of water in their products to lengthen their shelf period.

Be aware that natural ingredients does not mean that it’s safe for our skin or to consume! A lot of natural ingredients are not suitable to be used on human body, so do read the ingredient list carefully. Same goes to the principle that “paraben-free” does not mean that it is safe. Companies may replace paraben with other materials that are as hazardous or even more hazardous.

To my surprise, a lot of popular and holy-grail products on the market does contain paraben. Here are some examples:

On the other hand, these are brands that claims that they do not use paraben in their products and people do claim that their products are gentle as well as effective:

It is true that there are no studies that can show that Paraben pose a significant threat; however, it does affect the well-being of some people who are more sensitive to foreign chemicals being in contact with their body. Therefore it is important to pay attention to the ingredient list of a product and find the safest products to use. Another important thing to note is to always make sure that your products are not expired! Pay attention to an open tube symbol with 6M/12M/24M/xxM written on it. The number xx represents the amount of month that the product is safe to use after opening. 

Read reviews from various users before making a purchase or consult with your doctor if necessary. For me personally, I do prefer paraben-free, alcohol, and fragrance free product to be completely safe. How about you? Leave a comment down below and let me know!

If you find this letter helpful then please share it with your friends and family.

Thank you for reading and I’ll be back with more product reviews!

Yours truly,

Nindia Djie

P.S. Thank you for the reviews.com team for reaching out to me. Click here to read more about Paraben on their website. Credits to reviews.com for the content on this post <3

Aloha friends!

Summer has arrived and the hype is real with healthy glowing skin! Highlighting is still a thing this year, as a matter of fact, the highlight game is getting even stronger. A couple of days ago I had the amazing opportunity to attend Rollover Reaction’s beauty class taught by Carlos Shu and a beauty talk show with Hellua a.k.a @thelipstickmafiaaa! As you might have guessed already, the theme is all about that summer glow.

Rollover Reaction was a newly launched local brand which specializes in creating liquid lipsticks that are multi-functional and long lasting. They currently have 2 amazing formulas for their products: “Sueded!” or a matte finish formula and “Flushed!” or a sheer/glowing formula.

Sueded! Have amazing pigment payoff with ultra-light formula. It doesn’t feel heavy or drying on the lips/cheeks/eyes. Yes, you read that right. Sueded! Formulas can be used as a lip color, blush, and even eye shadows! Due to its matte finish, it is super long lasting and can beat off the humid summer weather.  

On the other hand, Flushed! Is much more forgiving in its color payoff. It has a sheer and radiant formula and infused with aloe vera and sunscreen to give your skin the much needed protection. It can be used as a lip/cheek stain and will give your complexion a glow from within vibe.

FYI, you can definitely combine both formulas and create your own colors. In the class I combined Flushed! Thulian with Sueded! Moss to create a fresh blush color.

Penny is such a beautiful cool-toned shimmery rose-bronze color (yes, all those adjectives are necessary). It is a collaboration with Hellua and is a limited edition color. This color can transform from a shimmery to a satin finish as you blend it out. Such an interesting color to have in your collection! Use this as a lip color for a metallic look, tap it on the high points of your cheeks as highlighter, or brush this all over your eyelid as a pearly eyeshadow color!

Lucy is a warm tangerine-nude color. It is perfect for everyday wear and gives off a fresh summer vibe.

Umma is a deep berry color that looks intimidating but can be really flattering to be used as a gradient lip color.

In this picture, I use Lucy as the base color and swipe Umma on the inner part of my lips then gently pat it to create a gradation effect.

Moss is a matte brown shade that is the perfect nude for those of you who have a deeper skin tone. It is also a perfect color to deepen your crease or as a contour shade.

Thulian is the perfect product for those of you who want a fuss-free makeup. This pink-nude shimmery lip and cheek tint will give you a young-fresh vibe without trying too hard. Perfect for school/office wear.

As you can see, you can really play with the intensity of all these colors. The formula is very easy to blend; therefore, do not be afraid to try to bolder colors

All in all, I'm very impressed with the products that I’ve tried so far. The colors are super wearable as well as easy to use. The packaging is high quality, simple, and chic; however, I must say that it is kind of hard to look at the colors from the frosted glass exterior.

Their individual product prices is only 119k – 179k each! You can also get amazing deals by purchasing special bundles. In this blog post I reviewed all the colors from “Sunset Delight” bundle + Sueded! Moss + Sueded! Penny.

For the versatility and endless looks that you can create from these products, it is not a surprise that Rollover Reaction has been gaining lots of attention.

Have you tried one of their products or are curious about their brand? Leave a comment below to let me know!

Until next time J

From Yours Truly,

Nindia Djie

Another letter, another story to tell

And this time, it’s all about Laneige BB Cushion SPF 50+ PA+++ !!

This cushion has been around for quiet some time and have been capturing a lot of people’s hearts! In this post you will find further details about this product. Anything from price, ingredients, longevity, and whether or not it is worth it to purchase this product.

Product link: click here 

Price: Rp330,000

Size/Content: 15g / 0.5 OZ

Available colors:

11: Light Beige

13: True Beige

14: Pink Beige (China Exclusive)

21: Natural Beige

21P: Pink Beige

23: Sand Beige

31: Brown Beige

33: Coffee

35: Cacao Beige

The packaging is very sleek and simple which reflects Laneige’s overall brand image of having clear, healthy skin. It is also nice to see a variety of color options as Korean BB cushions often only comes in 2 very light shades resulting a very hard time for women with darker skin tones to find a matching shade; however, the availability of these colors also depend on where you live. Another good thing is that Laneige provides refills for their cushions which means we can save some money while also preserving the environment J

As you can see from the picture above, one light layer gives off a light coverage. It covers minor blemishes and evens out the skin tone. On the second layer it gives a light to medium coverage therefore this BB cushion is definitely buildable. This cushion is very good to even out the skin tone with very little product but a proper concealer might be needed if you want to achieve a full coverage look.

Longevity

I tried wearing this product with a complete skincare and primer underneath but did not powder it to achieve a dewy look. It lasts approximately 3-4 hours before looking very shiny but do keep in mind that I have naturally oily skin, especially in the T-zone area.

Next, I tried wearing this product with a moisturized and primed face (I use a pore filling primer) then top it off with Innisfree No Sebum Powder. This time it lasts around 6-7 Hours until I have to blot my face.  

This product is save for those of you who want to go out for a swim or to the beach since it is waterproof, meaning that it won’t melt when you’re wet but I suggest not to rub your face too much as the product might move around.

Overall Review

I am very impressed with this cushion and it is one of my fav cushion to achieve a no-makeup-look without much hassle. One thing is that the packaging is quiet bulky so it is not travel friendly. Other than that, I highly recommend this product and IT IS worth it to buy it at its current price point (continue purchasing the refill once you’re done with the product and save some money!)

This is not in any way a sponsored post. This is my honest review and I just want to share it with you guys who are thinking of getting this cushion or want to try something new. Laneige has amazing skincare line and this product is sort of a hybrid between makeup and skincare; which is another plus to point out ;)

Comment down below if you have any suggestions of other Laneige products that I should try or other K beauty products. Your suggestions are much appreciated!

Until next time,

From Yours Truly,

Nindia Djie

Dear my lovely friends,

And I’m back with another skincare review! This time I’m introducing a skincare line from Maharis Clinic, a medical aesthetics and wellness clinic in Jakarta. I’m super excited because skincare lines brought by beauty clinics usually focuses on less but effective ingredients. None of those super long ingredient list that you have no idea what it actually do to your skin! All of the products mentioned below are suitable for sensitive skin and non-comodogenic.

This spray is used first and can be re-applied throughout the day. It is “enriched with kojic acid derived from the fermentation of malting rice”. It is useful to brighten up the skin tone and refresh tired skin condition. I love that the pump creates micro-sized particles of the product making it super easy to seep into the skin. Many facial sprays in the market use poor packaging which spritz off large particles therefore drenching my whole face! Super good quality for both the product and the packaging. One downfall is that I use this product super often that I already need another bottle just after 2 weeks of using it!

This serum is the 1^st step in the skin care routine. What I find helpful is that Votre Peau has an indication number of which product to use first (you know the struggle of having too many skincare products that you don’t know which one to use first).

What I noticed first is that one pump is perfect to use on the whole face. I dot the product all around my face and spread it using circular motion then finishing it off by patting my face. It claims to hydrate, protect, brighten, and tighten the skin. It definitely hydrates very well and what I have seen is that lots of my acne scars have started to disappear! It does have a pleasing citrus scent to it but for those of you who are sensitive to fragrances and/or alcohol, do be aware that this serum contains it.

It has become an essential step to use sunscreen every day to protect your skin from harmful UV lights and pollution. This product protects your skin with SPF 50 and is enriched with zinc oxide, salicylic acid, and tranexamic acid. Which means that it protects your skin from the sun, brighten it up, and prevents pore blockage. It’s a magic sunscreen that you need especially in a tropical-climate country just like Indonesia.

This cream is used at night to boost collagen production which is useful to rehydrate, clear up scars, and create smoother + bouncy skin texture. This product contains glycolic acid and argan seed extract are super useful for anti-aging, easing inflammation, and brightening. A little goes a long way for this one so I use very small amount to cover the entire face. My guess is that if I use this product every night, it will last me 5-6 months (so 10 ml is a decent amount).

This is an automated facial and body cleansing brush that helps with exfoliating and unclog pores from impurities. The brush moves in a circular motion and helps to exfoliate, clear off left over foundation, and brush off fine lines. This product is wireless and has a single power button which moves in a slower circular motion on the first click and moves to a faster one when you make another click. It is recommended to use this product used twice a week.

It comes with 3 interchangeable types of heads which are:

Sensitive skin: this blue head brush is recommended to be used on the face since it has finer bristles. I do get why it is recommended to be used only twice a week because I do feel that even if this is meant to be used on sensitive skin, the bristles and the overall circular motion might be a bit too harsh to be used every day. I can feel that my skin feels smoother and my skincare products are more easily absorbed. Thumbs up on the exfoliating effect

Body Exfoliator: this brush head is meant to be used as a body exfoliator however I do realize that the brush size might be too small to be used on the whole body. But nonetheless the brush feels soft and it does the job very well leaving my skin smoother.

Moisturizing: this latex sponge helps to penetrate moisturizer deep into the skin. This is such a calming experience for me as the sponge is ultra smooth and no pressure is needed in this process. Just let the rotating sponge brush through your entire face. I pair this with Collagen Booster Night Cream and my skin absorbs the product very well.

Be aware that you DO NOT need to put any pressure while using the Dermasonic Facial Brush. Just a light touch on top of your skin and it will do the job ;)

And that’s it! All in all I love their skincare line and it works well in moisturizing, brightening, and tightening my skin. Their products are also safe to be used on pregnant women. If you wish to purchase or personally ask Votre Peau team for inquiries, visit their instagram account for more details: @votre_peau

Let me know if you guys have any skincare recommendation that I can try in the comment section below.

So, until next time!

Yours Truly,

Nindia Djie

Dear,

Coffee/Instagrammable Café enthusiast!

Now, who loves to try out new coffee shops? I’m super excited to see that coffee culture is springing out in Indonesia at the moment and new cafes are opening up not only to offer great ambience but great quality coffee. Bogor is not an exception. It seems like every week there is a new coffee shop opening up! But for today, I visited a long time favorite for a lot of people: POPOLO Coffee.

*Direction to the store can be found at the end of this post*

Entrance

The store was first opened on 13^th of May 2015. I’ve heard some good things about this place so I decided to check the place out on working days to avoid the crowd but to my surprise there are quite a number of traffic going on.

POPOLO means ‘people’ in Italian BUT it is also an abbreviation for People & Coffee. The owner aspire to introduce coffee culture and share her knowledge to the world. She does this by building an open kitchen where coffee experts (baristas) can communicate freely with customers and able to explain their array of coffee options.

Open Kitchen

To support that idea, POPOLO also focuses on friendly customer service and a very homey store concept. You can spend hours lounging at the outdoor/indoor area as they provide lots of tables and sofas with different style to suit everyone’s taste/purpose.

Outdoor Area 1A

Outdoor Area 1B

Outdoor Area 1C

Outdoor Area 2

Indoor Area

FOOD/BEVERAGE

Menu

Enough with all the details, let’s talk about FOOD! POPOLO focuses on making great quality coffee classics such as espresso, lattes, etc but they also offer some house specialties. For you coffee lovers, you should definitely try out POPOLO’s manual brew with their in house coffee blends. Since I’m a coffee newbie, I opt for a lighter caffeine intake. The top three coffee beverage are the avocado coffee, caffe cubo, and ice baileys latte (non-alcoholic).

Caffe Cubo

Step 1: pour the desired amount of flavor syrup into the milk Step 2: Stir thoroughly Step 3: Pour milk+flavor syrup mixture into the coffee cubes

Enjoy!

I ordered caffee cubo and it doesn’t disappoint! The coffee cubes keep the beverage cool throughout time without distorting the taste at all and you can measure how many flavor syrup (cyou can either choose caramel or toffee nut flavor) you like in your coffee since this beverage is all about D.I.Y.

Red Velvet Latte

Another drink that I ordered was their red velvet latte. The aesthetic value for this is top notch however I’m not a fan of the strawberry-milk-flavor. It tastes nice but it’ll be better if they can add some dark chocolate to balance out the sweetness.

Bread Pudding + vanilla ice cream. YUM

For dessert, I ordered their bread pudding with ice cream! The bread pudding has a nice cinnamon and brown sugar combination while that vanilla ice cream on top acts as a sweet sauce that emphasizes the moist texture from the pudding. Superrr super good! They have lots of desserts, pastries, and food selection near the cashier that changes from time to time so definitely ask one of the baristas which one they recommend!

Food Selection near Cashier

Do you have kids around or just super bored and don't know what to do? POPOLO Coffee provides coloring utensils to keep yourself busy and creative!

Fridge Situation

POPOLO also offered non-caffeine drinks such as their selection of teas from Lewis & Carroll, dark chocolate, and ice lychee yakult. So there’s definitely something for everyone!

Tea Selection

An exciting news is that POPOLO is planning to open up a branch store in Sentul City this year (2017)! So let’s hope that they can continue to expand, give great service, and quality coffee.

If you would like more information about POPOLO, you can directly go to their Instagram account @popolocoffee

Where to find them? Super easy!
Click here to get clear directions ;)
Full Address: Jl. Loader No.9. Baranangsiang, Bogor Timur, Kota Bogor, Jawa Barat 16143

If you would like more Cafe/Restaurant reviews please let me know by leaving a comment down below and subscribe to this blog <3

Sooo until next time ~

From yours truly,

Nindia Djie