Category: Althea Angels

I received the new cleanser from Althea for review few weeks back. They are really expanding their product range now. You’ll see more next year. WOW!

Anyway, let’s talk about Althea Pore Purifying Serum Cleanser. It’s a makeup remover that is suitable for sensitive skin which is mild enough to be used daily. The texture is serum-like which can remove makeup, dirt, and oil without making your skin feeling taut or felt like left with a layer of ‘something’ after cleansing. It also helps in balance the pH levels of the skin for a healthier skin.

See the colours on my arm? They made up of very stubborn mascara, smudge-proof eyeliners, eyeshadows, and blusher. I took the challenge of using this cleanser to remove all these products from my arm in one wipe without holding the cotton on them for a period of time to dissolve them. Check out my video below that I posted in my Instagram.

The key ingredients are mint leaf extract which is able to cool down the skin and soothes irritations; jojoba seed oil can deeply moisturize any dryness without feeling heavy; tea tree leaf extract has antibacterial properties that purify the skin.

Impressive! Even the most-stubborn mascara(the biggest black mark that was still there after first wipe in the photo on the left) that I could only remove with specific makeup remover can be removed without much hassle. Even though not one wipe, three wipes did clean it well. Other brands will not be able to clean it at all no matter how much product I used.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Irene Law – Sweet Surrender (@lovebellbelle) on Dec 20, 2018 at 1:14am PST

The way to use it is just like any makeup remover, you can use cotton pad or just use it by massage onto your face with your finger to melt everything away. After that, you can just clean it with water or do a second cleansing. I notice that there is no need for second cleansing though.

It’s a very good makeup remover, I highly recommend it. The only down side that I experienced was having difficulty in getting the product out. You might want to replace the top with a pump dispenser(suggested by a fellow Angel) for easier dispensing without making the whole bottle covered with the cleanser from your hand. It can be slippery if you are not careful.

The price is RM33.00 for 150ml. You can get it from Althea website or mobile app.

Full ingredients:

Water, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Cyclomethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Butylene Glycol, Fragrance.

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Next, Althea has body mist now! It’s called Althea X Titi Kamal Stay Fresh Body Sparkling Mist which is a collaboration with a very pretty celebrity from Indonesia, Titi Kamal. It comes in 100ml, quite big in size fpr me. Even though there’s mention that it is small enough to be carried around, it really depends on the bag you’re using. I don’t carry big bag, it definitely cannot fit into my bag hehehe…

The smell is very light with sweet orange and peach, followed by rosy floral notes. I like the scent, not bad, was quite worry that it will be overly sweet. Not overpowering at all. Very lightweight to use. However, do not expect it to last because it is not perfume. The scent on me lasted for less than 1 hour. You can keep the smell longer by spraying it on your clothes which I did by accident *lol*. Bear in mind though, there’s alcohol in the ingredient hmmm… It’s not advisable to spray on your expensive clothes such as clothes made from silk.

The key ingredients consist of Damask rose water that can keep the skin hydrated and give a gentle fragrance; sweet orange oil to refresh the senses; and elder flower extract to cools and soothes the skin.

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A post shared by Irene Law – Sweet Surrender (@lovebellbelle) on Dec 26, 2018 at 9:46pm PST

It’s now available in Althea website or mobile app at the price of RM35.00 per 100ml. Only available in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Philippines.

Full ingredients:

Alcohol, Water, Glycerin, Fragrance, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Extract, Magnolia Liliflora Flower Extract, Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract, Lilium Tigrinum Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin

There you go… Few more days to 2019… Then not long later Lunar New Year is around the corner! How time flies.

2018 is ending… I’m very glad and happy to be accepted to be one of the Althea Angels in Malaysia mid of this year. To close the year, I would love to share the K-Beauty products that I’ve been using in my skincare and beauty routine. Don’t worry, my post on my reflections of 2018 will come for sure.

The top 10 products that I’ve been using and had blogged about are all listed down here. They are all below RM90! I highly recommend them. Even friends are happy using them. I’ve been stocking up from Althea since 2017 mainly because of free shipping and the amazing prices offered in the site. What’s more?!?! They are shipped directly from Korea.

Let’s see what I’m using…

1. Facial Cleanser:
Elizavecca Milky Piggy 24K Gold Snail Cleansing Foam (RM25.00)

Very affordable with 180ml of product. It consists of snail filtrate (1000ppm) which can sooth and protect your skin from environment harm and gold (10ppm) which is able to provide moisture and brighten your skin. A little goes a long way. The foam is very luxurious and wash off easily. No dry and tight feeling after wash. Face felt so clean and soft to touch.
Read the original post here http://www.irenelaw.com/?p=17170

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2. Bubble Mask:
Althea Milk Peel Cream Mask (RM36.00)

Very gentle bubble mask, dense bubble with baby powder smell, not overpowering. Easily wash off revealing soft clean skin without feeling dry and tight. Great packaging with pump to ensure freshness of the product.
Read the original post here http://www.irenelaw.com/?p=18038
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3. Skin Detoxer:
Real Fresh Skin Detoxer Rose & Green Tea (RM86.00 per set; RM43.00 per tube)

Rose for morning, Green Tea for evening. Daily 10-second mask with real rose petals and green tea leaves to get your skin ready for your daily morning and evening skincare routine. It enhances skincare products absorption. Rose Skin Detoxer is made with French rose petals and extract to refine the skin; while Green Tea contains Jeju green tea leaves and extracts to purify.
Read the original post here http://www.irenelaw.com/?p=17648
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4. Toner:
Real Skin Healthy Vinegar Skin Toner (RM43.00)

The one I’m using is Red Viengar but there is also other variant. 300ml of vinegar skin toner to prep the skin for the next step of skincare routine. No sourish smell even though it’s vinegar. There’s mild citrus scent. The PH of the toner is 5.5 which is recommended for healthy skin. I would pour a few drops on my palm and pat it on my face until it absorb(it won’t take long, very fast absorbing) before applying serum or moisturizer. My face is instantly refreshed and hydrated. No stickiness on the skin too. No breakout or redness after using it.
Read the original post here http://www.irenelaw.com/?p=17246
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5. Facial Serum:
Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum (RM89.00)

I’m using it as my daily serum+moisturizer for both day and night. Even though it is serum, it is rich enough for me. Contains organic Jeju green tea and green tea seeds that hydrate your skin from deep within as it is rich in amino acids and minerals. They are using Dual Moisture-Rising Technology™ in which fresh green tea can deeply hydrates your skin while green tea seed oil creates a strong moisture barrier to keep your skin moisturized for longer.
Read the original post here http://www.irenelaw.com/?p=17789
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6. Multi-purpose Cream:
Guerisson 9-Complex Cream (RM46.00)

The scent is very pleasant and the texture is just like butter. Use it sparingly, just a little will work wonder. If you have normal, oily or combination skin, use very little, don’t be too greedy. When it is applied on the skin, it has emollient effect. If you are staying in places where the air is dry, this is God-sent! I tried it myself when traveling to those dry places or sleeping in air-conditioned room, no itchiness and flaky skin developed on the face and other body parts. It can be used anywhere you feel it’s dry. My friend even applied it on her lips when she was in Japan, she suffered very bad cracked lips and it helped a lot. I have few pigmentation spots on my cheek area and it is lighter now. My pores are smaller too. I did not develop any sensitiveness to the cream.
Read the original post here http://www.irenelaw.com/?p=17391
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7. Sunscreen:
Petal Velvet Sunaway with SPF 50+ PA++++ (RM43.00)

This bottle is 55ml, that’s rather huge. Love the simple and minimalist design of the bottle. Sebum control was quite a surprise! I tried blotting my face with one layer of facial tissue after 6 hours, it didn’t soak up the tissue, just a little. Contains Damask rose extract can deeply hydrate and sooth irritations, leaving the skin feeling healthy; hyaluronic acid attracts moisture to the skin, preventing dehydration; and Geranium oil to provide the skin with a radiant boost and help in acne healing.
Read the original post here http://www.irenelaw.com/?p=17972
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8. Eyebrow Pencil:
Etude Drawing Eye Brow (RM11.00)

Been using this for over 4 years. Easy to use. The head is slanted, it’s great for the brow. No sharpener needed, just twist it to reveal more product. Sweat and smudge proof.
Read the original post here http://www.irenelaw.com/?p=16076
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9. Blusher:
Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher (RM26.00)

The packaging is so cute. Very pigmented and smooth blusher, you don’t need a lot. No shimmer in this. Easily build up. It has sebum control powder and coating pigment. This means it can absorb oil and sweat as well as preventing oxidation. The colour on the cheek can be quite lasting, I did not do any retouch. When I remove my makeup at the end of the day, can still see it on the cotton pad.
Read the original post here http://www.irenelaw.com/?p=17605
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10. Sebum Control and Make-up Setting Powder:
Althea Petal Velvet Powder (RM16.00 for #0 Translucent or #23 Warm Beige; RM17.00 for Pink Lavender)

The powder is lightweight and smell really good. Puff is included. You can also apply it with brush. It can be used as makeup setting powder because it has sebum control properties and translucent enough.
#0 Translucent – No coverage, transparent.
#23 Warm Beige – Minimal coverage, can even out skin tone. Not suitable for very fair skin but it’s ok for me.
#Pink Lavender – Not much coverage but gave the skin an illusion of healthy pinkish glow.
Read the original post here http://www.irenelaw.com/?p=17972
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There you go! In fact, 9 out of 10 items are below RM50!! Get them from Althea if you want. They are tried and tested by me and I blogged about every single one of them before too.

That’s really fast of Althea to come out with another product. I’ve just finished sharing about Sunaway, now they have Milk Peel Cream Mask!

I love how the bottle is designed. The pump dispenser is very practical and able to ensure the ‘freshness’ of the bubble mask preventing it from oxidization which is a common problem with this type of mask.

Milk Peel Cream Mask contains milk protein extract to moisturize and strengthen the skin. It is formulated with AHA & BHA to gently but effectively remove dead skin cells.The dispensed product has clay texture as Kaolin made up part of the ingredients which can detoxify and pull out impurities from the pores.

Full ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Kaolin, Glycerin, Disiloxane, Bentonite, Propanediol, Myristic Acid, Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether, Stearicacid, Methyl Perfluorobutyl Ether, Potassium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Palmitic Acid , Ethylhexylglycerin, Milk Proteinextract, Disodium Edta, Gaultheria Procumbens (Wintergreen) Leaf Extract, Gluconolactone, Glycolic Acid, Titaniumdioxide (Ci 77891), Fragrance (Parfum), Coumarin*, Hexyl Cinnamal*, Citronellol*

Let’s see how this product performed…

Left: Dispensed from the bottle and it took me about 1 minute to get a proper photo of it. It immediately started bubbling up once it came into contact with the air.

Right: Spread it over an area of my arm. WOW! It could easily spread to a very large area with that amount but I didn’t spread it too far out hence it’s concentrated on that 6cm width area on my arm. This is the 2nd minute exposed to the air. You really just need very little product to work on your skin.

Left: 3 minutes… Amazing…

Right: 4 minutes… WOW! The luxurious, airy bubbles… When touched, it’s so creamy and bouncy!

I thought it will be quite hard to wash off but I was so wrong. It’s easy to clean and leave no drying feeling after washing it off. My skin felt so smooth and soft after that! I’ve tried other bubble masks and they’re all so drying and required longer time to wash off. Milk Peel smells so yummy just like milk custard while the others smell like clay.

Look! How it bubbled on my face! Very little product applied and the amount of bubble was amazing! See how fine the bubble is.

How to use?
1. Dampen the skin and apply an even layer onto the skin.
2. Massage till a rich lather forms.
3. Leave on for 30-60 seconds before rinsing away with warm water.

Even though Althea did mention that it can be used daily, I would say it really depends on an individual’s skin condition.

I would suggest using it once, twice, or thrice a week in the evening. Due to AHA and BHA presence in the product, you might over-cleansed if you used it twice a day or daily. AHA and BHA are meant for exfoliation, your skin will be rather raw after using it and can easily be damaged by the sun, that’s why I suggest to use it in the evening.

If you’re using it in the day, be sure to protect your skin from the sun with Sunaway or any sunscreen as your final step of your morning skincare routine. Again, I don’t really recommend you to use during the day.

If you are using it in the evening, make sure you follow up with proper night time skincare routine to replenish and pamper your skin so that you will wake up with a happy skin.

This is by far the best I’ve tried. This is my first time posting about bubble mask even though I’ve tried out two other brands over the past one year. I’ve been procrastinating in posting them as they did not impress me. Their packaging weren’t that great which caused the product to oxidize rather quickly, such a waste; the smell was rather awful; bubble was pathetic; hard to wash off; and very drying.

I highly recommend you to get Milk Peel Cream Mask if you plan to add bubble mask to your skincare routine. You can get 10% discount now from Althea. It’s only RM32 (original price is RM36).

Do let me know how you feel after using it 😉

I’ve been waiting and waiting for so long… Finally I received it from Althea for review. Petal Velvet Sunaway with SPF 50+ PA++++ is the latest addition to Althea Exclusive range of products. You know how I can’t live without sunscreen. When I found out about this new product, I was looking forward to it.

First impression…

This bottle is 55ml, that’s rather huge. Love the simple and minimalist design of the bottle. Before I go into details, this product requires you to shake well before use. Not easy to shake though. I’m guessing the sunscreen is filled to the brim inside the bottle with little space to shake the liquid inside to blend. So… Shake all you can! Otherwise you will get both transparent and white liquid coming out. Once you shake it well, it will look like what you see on my palm.

The smell of the fragrance is rather strong. If you like the smell of Geranium/Lavender/Rose, then you might like it. However, the smell won’t linger on for too long, it will go away pretty quickly.

Key ingredients:
1. Damask rose extract can deeply hydrate and sooth irritations, leaving the skin feeling healthy.
2. Geranium oil to provide the skin with a radiant boost and help in acne healing.

Full ingredients:
WATER, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, ZINC OXIDE, DISILOXANE, PROPANEDIOL, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, DICAPRYLYL ETHER, METHYL METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, PELARGONIUM GRAVEOLENS FLOWER OIL, SALVIA OFFICINALIS (SAGE) OIL, POGOSTEMON CABLIN OIL, CITRUS AURANTIUM BERGAMIA (BERGAMOT) FRUIT OIL, ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER EXTRACT, PEG-10 DIMETHICONE, STEARIC ACID, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, VINYL DIMETHICONE/METHICONE SILSESQUIOXANE CROSSPOLYMER, SODIUM CHLORIDE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, SORBITAN CAPRYLATE, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, POLYGLYCERYL-6 POLYRICINOLEATE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, ETHYL HEXANEDIOL, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL

My verdict…
Non air-conditioned and humid environment: It took quite awhile to absorb. A little sticky on the surface of the skin. The skin doesn’t look matte, not too shiny, just like flower petal, I guess. Sebum control was quite a surprise! I tried blotting my face with one layer of facial tissue after 6 hours, it didn’t soak up the tissue, just a little. The layer of slight stickiness stayed throughout the day but no feel of it clogging your pores or making your skin feel suffocate. No dry patches too after a long day. The stickiness can only be felt if you touch your face.

Air-conditioned and dry environment: It absorbs immediately, soft to touch, no sticky feel. However, it also doesn’t give you the matte look. No dryness at the end of the day and no oily face too! I guess it works well in air-conditioned and dry environment. However, once you are no longer in air-conditioned room, out in the usual Malaysia’s humid weather, the stickiness can be felt. So it’s great for those working in the office. As I mentioned before, even though you are not exposed to the sun, you are exposed to blue light from your phone, computer screen, or glass and steel components that can reflect UV in your surrounding. If you don’t protect your skin from that, you will develop premature pigmentation or worsen your pigmentation.

I did not use any makeup for the above two situations. It is applied after moisturizer as my last step of day-time skincare routine. Love the awesome sebum control, I am not that fond of the stickiness.

Fear not! Pair it with Petal Velvet Powder, that will solve the stickiness issue. In fact, any face powder will do the trick too.

Petal Velvet Powder, has been in Althea Exclusive for quite awhile. Recently, in conjunction with the 3rd year anniversary of Althea, a new shade was introduced. So they have 3 shades now for you to choose.

The key ingredients are:
1. Althea seed extract which is rich in antioxidants can protect the skin from externality and ensure it stays nice and hydrated.
2. Polyphenols keeps the skin protected from UV rays.
3. Saponarin repairs damaged cells and restores elasticity to aging skin.

The powder is lightweight and smell really good. Puff is included. You can also apply it with brush.
From left to right: #0 Translucent, #23 Warm Beige, #Pink Lavender

What are the differences? Refer to the image below from Althea, I believe it can cover all your questions:

Full ingredients:
PETAL VELVET POWDER #0 TRANSLUCENT – SILICA, MICA, VINYL DIMETHICONE/METHICONE SILSESQUIOXANE CROSSPOLYMER, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, METHICONE, HIBISCUS SYRIACUS SEED EXTRACT, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, MALTODEXTRIN, FRAGRANCE

PETAL VELVET POWDER #23 WARM BEIGE – SILICA, MICA, VINYL DIMETHICONE/METHICONE SILSESQUIOXANE CROSSPOLYMER, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, METHICONE, HIBISCUS SYRIACUS SEED EXTRACT, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, MALTODEXTRIN, FRAGRANCE, IRON OXIDES(CI 77492), IRON OXIDES(CI 77491), IRON OXIDES(CI 77499)

PETAL VELVET POWDER #PINK LAVENDER – SILICA, MICA, VINYL DIMETHICONE/METHICONE SILSESQUIOXANE CROSSPOLYMER, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, METHICONE, LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) EXTRACT., HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, FRAGRANCE, ULTRAMARINES(CI 77007), RED 30 LAKE(CI 73360), IRON OXIDES(CI 77491), IRON OXIDES(CI 77499)

Let’s see how it looks on my face on top of Sunaway. There’s no foundation or concealer or any makeup on my face.

From left to right, my verdict, not sure you can see the difference or not:
#0 Translucent – No coverage, transparent.
#23 Warm Beige – Minimal coverage, can even out skin tone. Not suitable for very fair skin but it’s ok for me.
#Pink Lavender – I had problem taking a sharp and clear photo of my face, the camera just couldn’t focus!!! Some how the powder can blur out imperfection until my camera couldn’t really focus on my face hahaha… Not much coverage too but gave the skin an illusion of healthy pinkish glow.

It can be used as makeup setting powder because it has sebum control properties and translucent enough. However for me, I will just use it own its own after sunscreen and then follow with a bit of highlighter on the key areas, blusher, eyebrow pencil, eye shadow, lip balm and that’s it. I don’t use foundation/CC/BB or concealer.

I guess you can also mix the powder to come out with new shade that might do wonder or more suitable to your skin tone. Add in #Pink Lavender to give some glow.

Overall, they are good and very affordable. No harm trying it out. The sunscreen broke me out a little on the first time(likely due to my skin condition lately) but not anymore after subsequent use. If you don’t like the feel on your face, no worries too as you can just use it on your body, no harm. That’s what I normally do if I happened to buy new facial sunscreen that I don’t like after using it on my face. It’s all about trials and errors to find the most suitable products for your skin.

Then again, I must emphasize that the sebum control is two thumbs up!! Stickiness issue can be solved with face powder.

As for white cast issue that some people might experience with other sunscreen, I can’t say anything on that because I’ve never purchase any sunscreen that gave me white cast experience. Maybe I’m just lucky. If you do experience such problem with other sunscreen, then maybe you can try this out.

If you would like to try it out, get the Petal Velvet Sunaway & Petal Velvet Powder now at Althea at only RM47.20(original price is RM59.00). If you want to just get the Sunaway, then it’s now priced at RM38.70(original price is RM43.00)

Last but not least, they are all cruelty-free.