It’s been a while since I’ve tried any Za skincare products – I can still vividly remember the day I went for my first Za event back in 2007ish – holding a blue Za logo as I took the commemorative “guest-was-here” shots heh. Damn uncool.

Anyways, after I attended my very first Za facial a couple of months back. I was much impressed with the results. Who would have thought that the products used are affordable and available on shelves?

Za Essence Lotion – $21.90

Note the very tiny micro capsules of essence?

Ooh, my skin glows…

I say…

Ever since I was exposed to the wide plethora of skincare products from my Cleo days, I’ve gradually drifted away from Za, but with this, I’m right back on the bandwagon.

• It comes in a tall plastic bottle, concaved slightly along the sides so that the base and top are wider. This gives a good grip and a wider base at the bottom to prevent it from slipping out of your hands accidentally.
• This is an essence lotion, which is micro capsules of essence suspended in the lotion (toner). This will give you the benefits of both an essence and lotion toner while saving time.
• In fact, it’s actually a 3-in-1:  lotion + essence + emulsion. Time-saver much!
• Simply massage it gently into the skin and feel the tiny capsules of essence melt into your skin, leaving no greasy / sticky residue.
• Whitening products can sometimes be drying on the skin, but not this product.  On the contrary, I found my skin exuding that Korean glowy and dewy effect after usage.
• Its key ingredients are whitening 4MSK, double vitamin C, SPA ingredients, white lily extract and pearl extract.
• The scent of the Essence Lotion is extremely fragrant and really relaxes and rejuvenates my senses. Just take a whiff of it at Watsons (if they have a tester) to be convinced.
• It’s touted to improve and whiten your skin tone in just 7 days, but I actually saw improvement in just 3 days – slightly fairer skin with more bounce and vitality to its texture.

I’m really pleasantly surprised by this product – I mean, to be really honest, most people just dismiss Za as just your everyday drugstore brand, but this product is proof that you can get value and efficiency for a smaller price tag. I answered several questions during a video interview with Za with the same responses I’m giving here, but I’m not sure if the video is floating out there in cyberspace lol. Lemme know if you see it?

Uguisu Poo Uguisu No Fun Illuminating Mask

By: Widya Hu

Hi guys I just want to give a short review for Uguisu No Fun Illuminating Mask.

Before, I have a very dull skin.  So im looking for a facial mask that will be eradicate that dull skin. So using internet I do searching, I found this link www.birdpoopfacial.com

And then I checked that website, i saw this product which is the Uguiso No Fun Illuminating Mask so I purchased it immediately for a trial. I was 8 Days before I received the package.

I use Uguisu NO Fun Illuminating Mask twice a week , I noticed within that days that my skin pores get smaller and smooth already smooth and the discolorations in my face was improved.

So this product was so effective that’s why I ordered again 3 pieces and I shared it my friends to give them sample , they said that this product is unbelievable they want to buy that product too.

How to use?

As a facial mask:

 Mix 1 teaspoon of Uguisu Poo Uguisu No Fun Illuminating Mask powder with warm water and make a paste. Apply on the skin while avoiding the eyes. Leave for 10 minutes or longer then rinse.

As a facial wash:

Lather the facial wash with hands and mix half teaspoon of the mask in the lather. Wash the face using this mixture and rinse.

Description of products:

Uguisu Poo Uguisu No Fun Illuminating Mask

Is the only mask in the world made from 100% pure Uguisu No Fun. It contains the highest concentration of Guanine that illuminates the skin and Proteolytic Enzymes that effectively eradicate the dull layer of the skin revealing a brighter and smoother skin in just a few sessions. Natural Urea guarantees optimum skin hydration, cellular regeneration and skin healing while preventing sign and symptoms of skin ageing and photodamage. Using our Illuminating Uguisu No Fun Mask guarantees a smoother, poreless and brighter skin with a perfectly even skin tone in just 3-5 sessions. If your skin is dark, dull and always looks tired, the illuminating mask is the best product for you!

Uguisu Poo Uguisu No Fun is made from Enhanced Uguisu No Fun, the only one of its kind and is clinically proven to be 4 times more effective than raw Uguisu No Fun. Enhancing a raw Japanese Nightingale Droppings/Feces means that unnecessary contents such as ammonia and food residue eaten by the Japanese Nightingale Bird like insects, fruits and its seeds are carefully removed to produce the purest form of Bird Poop Facial or Geisha Facial as it is known in high end beauty clinics.

Final Verdict

I love this product even if expensive, but it is very effective. I recommended this product . I will try also their another product soon.

So out of 10 points I will give 9 points, because the delivery is slow and the packaging is not too good.Expensive but very effective!!

Redken Curvaceous Conditioner

Redken Curvaceous Ringlet Lotion

I am always on the hunt for a great conditioner and curling lotion. My hair is naturally curly however, I feel like it needs a curling lotion/cream to help define my curls and decrease the frizziness. My hair is also extremely dry and it needs a thick, nourishing conditioner.

Every now & then I like to place random beauty orders on places like All Beauty & Feel Unique. A few months back though, I found a new website which I love called Active Beauty. I just like spending money on stuff I don't need ok? :)

So late at night when I didn't give a damn about spending money on random stuff I ordered two items from the Redken Curvaceous range.

Redken Curvaceous Conditioner

A leave in/out formula quenches hair with weightless conditioning and can be left in for extra curl definition and softness. A 2-in-1 formula, quenches hair with intense moisture and weightless conditioning. (source for info)

Oh this conditioner does EXACTLY what it says it's going to do. I wash my hair and then apply this conditioner using the ever so infamous scrunching action. I don't wash it out because my hair is so dry it really benefits from leaving it in. The conditioner is thick and creamy and damn hydrating. When my hair is no longer wet it feels great. It feels nourished and moisturised but it doesn't feel heavy or weighed down. Im pretty clued up with conditioners and this is up there with the best. It hasn't cured my extreme dryness, however, it makes a considerable difference when used. 

Top 5 points!

- Nourishing

- Hydrating

- Weightless

- Smells SO good (clean & freshl)

- £12.00 for 250ml = BARGAIN!

Redken Curvaceous Ringlet Lotion

Reigns in curls with control, definition, soft hold and a shiny, touchable finish. Perfect base to prep curls. Frizz free, weightless control for curls. Great base for product layering that prepares curls to take any desired shape. Creates long-lasting curls with amazing bounce and shine. (source for info)

Although I have fallen in love with this lotion, it doesn't do everything it says. Lets start with the negative shall we?

I feel like maybe this could just be me and my rubbish hair, but it doesn't help with shine at all. I think its particularly hard for curly hair to look shiny due to it normally being so massive, thick and dry. What do you think? Anyway, it doesn't add any shine what so ever which is a bummer. For shine I think I shall stick to my hair oils. My favourite being the L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil

Now, although this product doesn't help with shine, everything else it does is pretty awesome. Over the past few years I have dabbled with lots of different curl defining products. You can see a few of themhere. This is one of the best ones I have tried. I really recommend it.

I apply this to damp, towel dried hair as recommended. Just like the conditioner, I apply it with the scrunching action which I swear by. Its the small things right? Then I blow dry my hair with a diffuser. Once dry, my hair is SUPER SUPER curly with minimal frizz. I love when my curls are defined and bouncy, not lifeless and frizzy. That is the main reason I love this product. It simply does what I want it too. My curls last for about 4 days, before I feel like it needs a good wash and a good condition. I often use other products on my hair throughout the week too, so I suffer from the occasional product build up.

I am yet to try this product as a base underneath other products. Im a tad lazy with my hair at the moment, and I am also trying to use minimal products. Have you used this product in this way before? Let me know. I also think this technique could be for people who don't have naturally curly hair? Who knows..

Top 5 points!

- Defines curls

- Light in texture

- Weightless

- Easy to use due to the swivel pump

- Smells good (exactly like the conditioner also mentioned in this post)

I hope this post helped. Please comment below with your recommendations for other Redken hair products.

Product Review: Sofn'free Curl Activator Lotion

Product Review: Sofn'free Curl Activator Lotion

Hi everyone....

I think it's time I did this review. It's funny because it isn't even a product I ever thought I would wanna do a review on. I got it on amazon.co.uk when I needed to order a curl activator in preparation for my big chop. It serves as both a curl activator AND a moisturizer. It's contents are OK, as long as you do not have anything against cones in hair products. But before I go on with this review, here's what I found out about cones from www.tightlycurly.com:

-They condition by preventing water loss

-Dimethicones are the heaviest of all silicones used for hair care, they provide the most smoothing effect, but is hardest to wash out

-Gives a velvety feel. This does not evaporate. Dimethicones are considered non-irritating to the skin and eyes.

-There has been many rumors about silicones being bad for the hair, but the opposite has been scientifically proven.

-Tightly curly hair needs to be protected in a moisturizing layer that helps keep it calm and weather-proofs it.

-Kinky hair is not wimpy and cones will not weigh it down. As long as you clarify periodically, you would be fine. 

-Check out Teri's hair in www.tightlycurly.com to see how these so-called bad-for-hair ingredients can actually protect your hair and help you retain mad length!

How how use it: I use it either on soaking wet hair,damp hair, or perfectly dry hair.

What it does for my curls: It makes my hair really soft, guys-I am currently rocking a TWA and when I apply it to wet, conditioned hair, and I apply the finger massage method to create curls, it speeds up the process for me. It is also great for detangling and I do not even have to use so much. When I use it on dry hair, it helps me detangle better and it softens my hair.

Ingredients: It's main ingredients are Panthenol, Mink oil,  Vitamin E, Glycerine.

Other ingredients include Dimethicone and Cyclomethicone, but if you check out these jaw-breaking (haha) ingredients against Teri's ingredients list in www.tightlycurly.com, like I did, you will find that Sof n' Free should be a keeper! It is water-based too.

Price: Almost free, maybe 2 pounds for a 350ml bottle? It was so cheap that my friend ordered 2 bottles for me when I asked for just one.

Fragrance: Overwhelming in my opinion. There is something cucumber-ish about it, and then some other stuff......the only up side is that the fragrance dissipates to about 20% after some time.

Packaging: OK. A typical squeeze bottle-fine by me.

My recommendations: Use this for everything you can think of for your hair! Twist outs, wash n' gos, daily moisturizer before sealing, braid outs, deep conditioning treatments. This product is a keeper for me, because it leaves my Type 4 curls soft for days.

I know this product isn't one of the "popular" brands out there, and I can't imagine why. Maybe because it says "curl activator", and most popular stereotype activators are only good for TWAs. I have not tried any other Sof n' free product though (I spotted the shampoo months ago at the mall here in Lagos-I should look out for it), but this particular one I have tried is worth it.