magical ingredient: arbutin

Hello (^-^*)/ !

this is my first post since I've decided to change this blog's theme : D I hope you will like it （／．＼）


OKAY

today I wanted to write a bit about ARBUTIN. why ARBUTIN?
you've probably noticed that on maaaany many bb creams you can see ARBUTIN as one of the main ingredients:

most of SKIN79's bb creams have arbutin


but not only them

 

Dr. Jart+

 

Skinfood

 

Baviphat

you can also find this ingredient in creams, toners, lotions etc.!

 Charmzone

 

Tonymoly

okay, but what exactly ARBUTIN is and why would I need it?

Biohemist, Hannah Sivak will give you the best answer :333
source: http://www.ebay.com/gds/What-is-Arbutin-The-most-common-skin-lightener-/10000000012957788/g.html

"Arbutin is one of the many actives we sell as powders, and we also use it as an  ingredient in our skin brightening cream. The mechanism of action of arbutin is through the competitive inhibition of the enzyme tyrosinase, a key enzyme in the synthesis of melanin, although it has been suggested that it may also affect other steps in the synthesis and accumulation of melanin."

 and wikipedia:
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_whitening#Arbutin


Some of alternative lighteners are natural sources of hydroquinone. They include Mitracarpus scaber extract, Uva ursi (bearberry) extract, Morus bombycis (mulberry), Morus alba (white mulberry), and Broussonetia papyrifera (paper mulberry). All of these contain arbutin (technically known as hydroquinone-beta-D-glucoside), which can inhibit melanin production. Pure forms of arbutin are considered more potent for affecting skin lightening (alpha-arbutin, beta-arbutin, and deoxy-arbutin). Beta-Arbutin is also known by its more common name of Bearberry extract
Arbutin is derived from the leaves of bearberry, cranberry, mulberry or blueberry shrubs, and also is present in most types of pears. It can have melanin-inhibiting properties.^[12] Arbutin and other plant extracts are considered safe alternatives to commonly used depigmenting agents to make the skin fairer. Medical studies have shown the efficiency of Arbutin for skin lightening.^[13] There are patents controlling its use for skin lightening. Arbutin actually exists in two conformations, alpha and beta. The alpha conformation offers higher stability over the beta conformation and is the preferred form for skin lightening indications.

<------- so in other words this ingredient makes your skin more radiant, less grey'ish and dull, it's also got this whitening effect.

we have to remember that original bb creams were made for Asian women (and I don't have to remind you that for 99% of Asian women bright skin is the most wanted thing ever..? )! they usually have problems with melanin's accumulation when aging, that's why prevention and protection is the must! so not only high sun protection filters but also skin whitening ingredients are very welcome in Asian cosmetics.

I don't mind whitening effects in my cosmetics, mostly because I like my super pale ghost's skin and every little imperfection would be VERY visible on "white" background.



let's sum everything up!!!

+
whitens skin (blemishes, dark spots, freckles etc.)
prevents melanin's accumulation
not very hard to find in Asian cosmetics


+/-
lately not soooooo common in cosmetics (probably because of new super technologies?)

-
none? :D

so,
what do you think about arbutin?
have you ever tried any cosmetics with this ingredient?


ps. did you like the post? share your thoughts with me please!

love,

onigiri and small skin79 bb cream review!

Hello minna-san ＼(＾▽＾*) !!!




how are you doing? how's the weather? :3

today in Warsaw is soooooo pretty (☆▽☆) it's sunny and quite warm (5'C) !

I hope that spring will come to Poland soon!







anyways!!!

in the last post I said I'm too lazy to upload pics about something XD

so I will post them now! lolz at my laziness ﾍ(;´Д｀ﾍ)







so! Usagi-san made us a super YUMMYYYYYY onigiri ▽・ω・▽ !!!!















it was with some tuna, mayo and onion inside xD !

omg, soooo goooood!!!!









Usagi-san, please make them more often lololol (´ω｀★)




***




yesterday I went to Galeria Mokotów (it's a shopping mall in Warsaw) to leave my CVs at every place I actually want to work XD we will see what happen...









and then we went to drink some bubbletea ｡◕‿◕｡

mine was a lychee tea <3 !

Usagi-san chose mango one xD oishikattaaaaaa~




***

REVIEW!









SKIN79 dream girls BB beblesh balm




spf30




what's written on the package:

Functional beblesh balm with fresh and non-sticky O/W shape thatcontains Porous Powder which prevents oily skin and keeps the skin soft, dry, and smooth for a long time, and it blocks UV A and B rays at the same time. It protects skin from skin irritation and stress with Licorice and Portulaca Oleracea ingredients, and it covers up the blemishes and evens out your skin tone in order to make your skin look clean and beautiful.







okay.... so...













as you can see.... IT'S TOO DARK DDDDD:












I will have to remember... TO NEVER BUY SKIN79'S BB CREAMS BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO DARK FOR ME (T___T)







PROS:

+ price (bought it for 20PLN)

+ smell (very nice and refreshing)




CONS:

- too dark for very fair skin (I have to mix it up with some very light foundation..)

- coverage is around... 20-30% only, so it does NOT cover blemishes

- doesn't really matte your skin




FINAL THOUGHTS:

MAYBE it would be okay for people with normal skin shade (not as white as mine..) and normal skin in general (without blemishes and redness). would I buy it again? definitely NOT. it's just not for me.




***









because I've run out of my night cream, I decided to buy this baviphat's night pack thingie!

I got it yesterday so I can't really say if it works or not xD we will see :3







okay, that's all for now!









love,

Miru

PS.

See you tomorrow at Nippon Freak Show @ Metal Cave! ^^

recently

Hello my Dears (。^_・)ノ !









how are you doing?


jak się macie?




it's time for update ｡◕‿◕｡ !

czas na małą aktualizację!


I've ordered a new bb cream (☆^O^☆) and it's finally arrived <3 !

zamówiłam nowy krem bb :3 i w końcu mi przyszedł <3

I can't use it yet xD because I still have my old bb cream x: but I just can't wait to use this one (●⌒∇⌒●)
nie mogę go jeszcze używać lol xD ciągle mam jeszcze mój stary krem x: ale naprawdę nie mogę się doczekać aż wypróbuję ten!



it's from SKIN79
jest ze SKIN79

"dream girls BB beblesh balm"


"This is the multi functional beblesh balm for juniors. (but I've read it's for girls from 16-22 years old xDDD because it helps with acne, lol) it is not oily because of O/W shape and has double ultraviolet rays blocking effect"
wielofunkcyjny krem bb dla młodych dziewcząt (ale czytałam, że to dla dziewczyn w wieku 16-22 lata xD dlatego, że pomaga przy trądziku lol). jest beztłuszczowy dzięki O/W shape (??? o.ó ) i zawiera podwójne filtry przeciwsłoneczne

<-- luźne tłumaczenie xD
SPF 30






and I've got these :D

i dostałam te próbki :D

SKIN79's BB cleanser and TONYMOLY's AC control acne cleansing foam (^_^)v
bb cleanser od skin79 i AC control acne cleansing foam od tonymoly (^^)



I really needed a new bag (v.v) my lovely old one got broken (;_;)

naprawdę potrzebowałam nowej torebki (v.v) moja ukochana stara torebka się rozwaliła (;_;)'

so when I went shopping with my mom, she bought me this one from Mohito as a Santa Claus Day's gift (in Poland it's in 6th of December) (*≧▽≦)

więc kiedy poszłam z mamą na zakupy, kupiła mi właśnie tę torebkę z Mohito jako prezent na mikołajki <3













ignore my hair here >.>

ignorujcie tu moje włosy >.>











small cosmetic shopping (^_^);;

małe zakupki kosmetyczne (^_^);;;

Wella Pro Series' volume mousse

pianka na objętość z wella pro series

Isana's shower gel

żel pod prysznic z isany

aaand Dove's hair treatment

i maskę do włosów z dove











I've decided to try this whole aegyo sal (dunno how it's called in japanese/english/polish ^^;;;; )

postanowiłam spróbować to całe aegyo sal (nie wiem jak to się nazywa po japońsku/angielsku/polsku ^^;;; )

I've tried to make this really soft and natural looking x:

próbowałam zrobić to naprawdę delikatnie i naturalnie wyglądająco x:

what do you think?

co myślicie?











random XDD

yesterday I went with my Domi-chan to some cool place in my hometown Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ

wczoraj poszłam z moją Domi-chan do takiego super miejsca w moim mieście

when you're in Lublin, check it please!
sprawdźcie je proszę kiedy będziecie w Lublinie!


http://www.facebook.com/KatiesCupcake?fref=ts

http://muffiniarnia.com.pl/





our cupcakes （＾ω＾）

nasze babeczki

Domi-chan's tiramisu on the left

tiramisu Domi po lewej

and mine banana on the right :333

i moja bananowa po prawej

super yummy <3 !!!!!!!

pychaaaaa <3333 !!!!!!!





and lol, the last thing xD

i ostatnia rzecz xD

I really DON'T KNOW what made me buy this x"DDDDDDDD

naprawdę NIE WIEM co mnie podkusiło żeby to kupić XDDDDD

but I thought it's super cute >w>'

ale pomyślałam, że jest urocze >w>'

it's H&M's lingerie (^_^);;;
bielizna H&M























doesn't it look like a bit Ma*rs/D.I.A (^_^);;;; ?

czyż nie wygląda trochę jak z Ma*rs/D.I.A (^_^);;;; ?

I might use it just like a top for parties lololololol
mogę to użyć jako zwykły top na imprezy lolololol


that's all for now!

no i to by było na tyle!









love,

Miru

skin79 vip gold collection super plus beblesh balm review

I know I promised to make thet review yesterday BUT I got an email with a negative answer on my job interview from thursday and I got a bit down x:
Wiem, że obiecałam napisać recenzję wczoraj, ALE dostałam maila z negatywną odpowiedzią z mojej rozmowy o pracę i troszkę się podłamałam >.>

of course, I will make this review just as promised!
oczywiście recenzja będzie, jak obiecałam!


shall we start? :3
zaczynamy!

producer's promises:
*whitening
*UV protecting SPF25 PA++
*wrinkle improvement
obietnice producenta:
*wybiela
*filtr UV SPF25 PA++
*wygładzanie zmarszczek


my thoughts:
whitening - hmmmmmmmmmm......... I'm naturally PALE so dunno.... but I haven't noticed any freckles on my face this summer so maybe that works (o_O);

uv protection - well, actually that would be the same as above x:

wrinkle improvement - I can't say anything about it because I don't have that problem >.> .... yet x:

opinia:
wybielanie - hm, jako że jestem naturalnie BLADA, to jakoś ciężko mi powiedzieć... ale nie zauważyłam żadnych piegów na swojej twarzy tego lata więc być może to właśnie to (o.O)

ochrona uv - no cóż, raczej powiem to samo co powyżej x:

wygładzanie zmarszczek - o tym akurat nie mam za wiele do powiedzenia, gdyż po prostu nie mam tego problemu >.> .... jeszcze x:

with flash

without flash

PROS:

+ nice smell xD

+ you don't need much to cover your whole face with it

+ uv protection SPF25

+ it's okay even if your skin is dry and/or flaky

PLUSY:

+ przyjemny zapach

+ wydajny

+ filtr SPF25

+ jest w porządku nawet w przypadku suchej skóry, nie podkreśla skórek i nie wysusza

CONS:

- a bit too dark for me, so I often mix it with my IsaDora foundation

- because of the packaging you can't see if you're running out it

- doesn't cover well, which is too bad :c

MINUSY:

- za ciemny dla mnie... muszę go często mieszać z moim podkładem z IsaDora

- opakowanie.... przez nie nie da się zobaczyć czy przypadkiem krem się nie kończy

- marne krycie

FINAL VERDICT?

I'd say it's just a normal bb cream for someone who isn't super pale and doesn't have problematic skin.

I can't give that product more than 3/5 points. 

OSTATECZNY WERDYKT?

Powiedziałabym, że to zwykły krem bb, bez rewelacji, dla kogoś, kto nie jest super blady i nie ma cery problematycznej.

nie mogę przyznać mu więcej niż 3/5 punktów.

would I recommend it?

not sure >.o;

czy bym go poleciła?

nie jestem pewna x:

that's all for today!

love,

Miru

small pic spam, small review and other stuff

Hello!

After some shitty time I can say that today was just awesome :D !

Because of our communication class, we went to the Japanese restaurant Inaba to practice the etiquette! It was really nice time and the food was just great! <3

everyone had this kind of set. don't be so surprised, I know it's quite unusual xDD

that's because we had to practice eating with chopsticks ne!

very yummy!

too bad there wasn't any dessert included haha ;D

SKINFOOD's Good Afternoon series, honey and black tea BB cream

yes, a small review :D

I've been using this for some time and still haven't done a review >.<;

anyways! this one in the light shade (01) and it's for dry skin :3

too bad you can't smell it from the pictures because the scent is WONDERFUL!

smells like honey, for real <3333 !!!!

haha, I've used my tattoo to show you the coverage level XD'

I guess I will start doing this from now on lol!

anyways. 

you can actually see that the coverage is like 70%

I still need to use concealers on my imperfections.

PROS:

+ cheap!

+ smells good :D ! (yep. it's a huge PLUS to me!)

+ you can buy it on ebay and not bankrupt!

+ doesn't make my skin dry

+ color blends in very well

CONS:

- you can't buy it in Poland (drug store for example)

- NEEDS a powder on it! otherwise you will "shine" D:

OTHER THOUGHTS:

I haven't noticed if that BB cream causes pore clogging or not. my pores are the same as usual (read: like after using any make up foundation etc.) but not worse.

I think it's worth trying anyways!

mostly because Good Afternoon series has a few types of BB creams for every skin's needs!

I still have a few products to review so stay tuned (^_^) !!

***

small pic spam lol

just wanted to show how exactly my new hair color looks like xP

and yes, I'm wearing clip in exte here!

like a boss XD'

***

OH! GUESS WHAT!

I WON, I WON!

oh my God, I've never won anything until today!

thank you so much Golly !!!!!!!

I can't wait to get that package hahaha XD'

***

RANDOM, LOL

you know I don't really drink alcohol but sometimes I just like some yummy drinks just like this one:

try this if you ever see any of Sobieski's Impress drinks ;D'

that would be all for now (^.^) !!!

love you,

Miru