Mega Empties Post Part 2: Masks, Serums, Essences, Sunscreens, Eye Cream and Makeup

This is my epic empties post part 2 (part 1 was written a few weeks back), and yes, we're going to do a quick-hits rundown of what I liked, what I didn't like, and why! And yes, there are some products I didn't like in part 2, unlike in part 1 where everything I did actually like. Which ones? You'll find out!

Yes, I am indeed capable of using up my massive stash of skincare products!

Today's post will focus on sunscreens, serums and essences, masks, sleeping masks, and exfoliating products, as well as the lone eye cream. Basically we continue from part 1 and cover all the product categories part 1 did not.

Instagram post of all my empties!

Well, we've got a lot of products to cover today, so if you're ready, let's get started!

Bellabox August Review: National Day Box

Bellabox's August box has arrived, together with the National Day holidays. Of course, the box itself is themed for the occasion as well, and the tiny box itself is packed with beauty goodies!

August's Bellabox: makeup, skincare, handc cream, and tea. Yes, tea.

The first thing I noticed about the box was the very pretty Peranakan-inspired packaging. It is such a nice touch. Although, we're not just looking at the exterior of the box - we really also want the interior to have goodies, don't we? :)


The box is so pretty! Love the Peranakan-inspired print!
Inside is a good mix of products - there's makeup, skincare, hand cream, and tea! That's right, there's tea, too.

Enavose Swiss Glacial Loose Powder SPF 15 in Nude Glow Review and Swatch

Enavose, the Swiss-based skincare line, has officially launched a line of makeup items, too, and I'm pretty excited! The previous skincare products I've tried were pretty good, so I had good expectations for their makeup line, too. The product I tried was the Swiss Glacial Loose Powder with SPF15, which the company touts as a face powder perfect for setting your makeup, or for touch ups on hot summer days - perfect for the summer season. Enavose claims that the product has "encapsulated Swiss Glacial Water" that "releases hydration gradually into skin to provide up to 24 hours of hydration". Sounds great, right?

Enavose Swiss Glacial Loose Powder with SPF15 - look at the cool container!

Enavose Workshop: Juice Your Way to Fresher Skin

Enavose is holding a "Juice Your Way to Fresher Skin" workshop! Back by popular demand, the interactive workshop lets you learn which combination of fruit juices helps to improve hydration, detox skin or keep acne at bay. I always like it when a company takes a more holistic approach to health and skincare (there is, after all, only so much products can do if you aren't keeping yourself healthy), so I thought I'd share this with you guys!

What You’ll Learn:
• The most nutritious superfruits and veggies that greatly transform the skin
• When should we drink juices to get the optimum nutrition
• Juice recipes beneficial for skin concerns
• Sampling of the juices!

Dates:
7 September (Fri), 6.30pm – 8.00pm or
8 September (Sat), 11am – 12.30pm

Fees: $60 per person, $100 for two

The course fees are fully redeemable for products and includes an $80 goodie bag plus refreshments. I happen to have tried a couple of Enavose products in the past, and I do think the brand's products are of really good quality.

Register: Please sign up at our Enavose store or email feliciachng @ enavose.com (you'll have to remove the spaces in the email address - that's an anti-spam measure) (Tel: 6775 9026) to register.

(Information provided by company. I am not affiliated with the company and do not benefit in anyway from sharing this information.)

Enavose Sunbrella UV Mist SPF45: Sun Protection That Feels Light

Enavose has launched their summer product - the Sunbrella UV Mist SPF 45. This is sunscreen, but in the form of a spray! In addition to the SPF rating (which as I've mentioned before in my sunscreen information post, only measures UVB rays) it also has a PA+++ value, so it does offer suitable protection against UVA rays too.

I got quite a surprise when I first sprayed this sunscreen and saw it out of the bottle. You're supposed to spray it directly onto your face, but for this blogpost, I've just done it to the back of my hand, so you can see the product.

The Sunbrella UV Mist is really, really light, which surprised my quite a lot, since most sunscreens I know of from European brands tend to feel a little heavier. Not the Enavose one, though. This one has a texture that is like water, and - did I mention it - is so light. I think it might be actually be lighter in texture than Japanese sunscreens, even! What you see in the photo below is actually about three sprays worth of product.


Since it has such a light texture, it absorbs fast, and doesn't feel heavy in the skin. Enavose claims that you can apply this sunscreen over your makio too, mid-day, and although I haven't tried using this over makeup yet I do think its light texture probably makes it suitable for such an application.

I couldn't find the ingredients list anywhere online, so here's my small contribution to humanity (haha!), in the form of the full ingredients list for the Enavose Sunbrella UV Mist! As you can see from the ingredients, it's primarily a chemical sunscreen (methoxycinnamate and methoxydibenzoylmethane are the two main filters, and commonly found in sunscreens), which accounts for its light, watery feel. But I also liked that there are other ingredients that are good for the skin, and some interesting botanical-derived ingredients too - glycerin, green tea leaf extract, etc.


So, would I recommend this? Yes if you're looking for a light, convenient to use and carry sunscreen, this is right up your alley. It's got good broad-based protection and is cosmetically elegant, so I think this is worth giving a shot. The only exception in which I would not recommend it is if you are one of those types with super-sensitive skin that can tolerate physical sunblocks only, and the only gripe I have about the product is that 30ml isn't a lot of product. It's on sale in Singapore now for S$29 instead of S$39.90 for the GSS period, so if you're thinking of trying it out, now's a good time.

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)

Enavose Floracomfort Micellar Cleansing Water Review: Feels Like Water, Cleans Like Oil

Micellar cleansers have been all the rage lately, so I finally got my hands on one to try! Micellar cleansers are supposed to feel like water, but clean as well as oil-based cleansers, which is why they have been so popular. Basically the technology involves suspending tiny oil particles in a watery base, thus giving micellar cleansers the best of both worlds.



After doing much reading up, I finally figured out what the difference between micellar and non-micellar cleansers is. An emulsion (in this case a oil-in-water emulsion) is defined by the particle size. There are 3 types - macroemulsions (particle size >1000nm), microemulsions (10-300nm), micelles (5-10nm), and anything with smaller particle size than a micelle is considered a solution. So basically, a micellar cleanser consists of many many really tiny droplets (micelles) of oil, suspended in water, held together by emulsifiers. Hence, you get the cleaning power of oil, but the nice light feel of water.


I recently tried Enavose Floracomfort Micellar Cleansing Water. Enavose is a Switzerland-based brand with some really good products - I previously tried their Black Tea Quench Mask with really good results. So, I had high expectations for their Micellar Cleansing Water as well.



One of the differences between Enavose and other brands' micellar cleansers is the natural slant to Enavose's product. Enavose's cleanser comes packed with a lot of botanical-derived extracts, so it's good for those who want something a little more power-packed. As with all Enavose products, the packaging is very clean, simple, and functional. The Enavose Floracomfort Micellar Cleanser comes in a plastic bottle. No fussy jars or breakable glass! And I like the pump top. Pump tops are my favourite type of packaging, since they're a lot more airtight than other alternatives.



The cleanser itself looks and feels just like water - it's a clear, watery liquid with no smell or colour. Very light-textured, too, in contrast to the heavier oil cleansers I've used.



So now on to the key question - how does this work at removing makeup? Well I've got a demo for you! Below, I've totally coveered my arm in all the most waterproof makeup I have in my arsenal - Bobbi Brown and MUFE eyeliners, Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge, Bobbi Brown No Smudge Mascara (serious - I wore this to a waterpark and it didn't budge), Benefit's Creaseless Cream.



Right, so let's see if the Enavose Cleansing Water removes all this! I poured some onto a cotton pad, and then swiped the cotton pad back and forth across my arm.

And...below are the results! Ta-da! Impressive right? I didn't expect it to, but the Enavose Cleansing Water removed all the makeup, and actually did so quite cleanly! And it didn't leave behind any weird sticky or oily residue, unlike most oil-based cleansers. I guess the technology behind this oil-in-water thing must be pretty darn amazing, to get something that feels like water clean like an oil!



So, do you need this? I think so, if you're still looking around for a cleanser that would remove your makeup fully, and is easy to use. If you like the cleansing power of cleansing oils, but find them to hard or time-consuming to handle, but at the same thing want something stronger than your average cleanser-type makeup remover, then this would be the jackpot for you. It combines both ease of use and serious cleansing power to give the beset of both worlds.

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)

Enavose Black Tea Quench Mask: Light but Intense Moisture

Enavose is a skincare brand hailing from Switzerland, and has only in recent years hit Singaporean shores. The brand promotes itself as being a natural brand with products formulated bases on research.

I'm always partial to European skincare brands - the best ones have excellent quality that is hard to replicate elsewhere. And unlike American or Asian skincare brands, which can be very trend-driven and tend to be susceptible to jumping on the bandwagon (e.g. "Facial foams/cleansing oils/sleeping masks are popular now! Let's quickly jump on the bandwagon and launch one now!"), the best skincare brands don't. In this sense, I have a lot of respect for Enavose. Their product lineup makes sense, is clear in its ingredients and benefits (none of that "7-products-in-1" nonsense), and doesn't have any trend-driven elements. It comes across as a sensible brand.



In particular, the Black Tea mask, which I tried, was a pleasant surprise. The packaging was simple yet practical. When I first saw the jar packaging, I thought, "Oh, yet another unhygienically packed mask in a jar." But the opening actually has a mechanism whereby a bit of the mask is dispensed if you press on the inner lid, so that's pretty cool. Turns out, it's actually a jar with an airless mechanism, so your product isn't tainted by air once open. I really think this is a nice touch - it really shows the level of attention to detail the brand has.



Enavose claims that the mask will revitalize dry skin in 15 minutes, and has encapsulation technology which allows for time-release of their key ingredient (glacial water). Other active ingredients include sweet black tea, extracts of arnica montana flower, lecithin, and a yeast-derived ingredient, which the company has branded Envacel. When I saw the "Envacel" on the press release, I was like, "Pfft, the marketing guys have been making up fancy names for common ingredients to generate more buzz". You know, like those companies claiming their products have "cellular repair matrix" or "nano-nutrient complex" or "pico-nutrients" (before you roll your eyes at my examples, the last one is real). I mean, those are just marketing names, they aren't actually proper ingredient names (e.g. cyclomethicone, isopropyl alcohol, cocoamidopropyl betaine, etc). This type of marketing usually makes me a little more skeptical of a product. But I was pleasantly surprised - this actually seems to work.



The mask itself is a lightweight, white gel that applies clear. It doesn't have any scent, which I'm grateful for. On my skin, it feels light, and doesn't irritate my skin. After leaving it on for 10 - 15 minutes, you wash off the mask with warm water. I don't know if I'm imagining things, but I feel like my skin is smoother and more moisturized after use. I also like that it washes off easily without leaving any residue behind. To be honest, this performed beyond my expectations. Needless to say, I had to eat my words, and admit that this worked.



All in all, I really like the Enavose Black Tea Mask. It works, is of good quality, and is easy to use. And while you know I can be mean and I like to have a good laugh at the expense of the marketing guys (to be fair, I'm an equal-opportunity offender in that respect), I really do appreciate the attention to detail and quality that Enavose has put in. And for the price point, although it's not exactly drugstore-cheap, I think the quality is worth it. I even daresay that at this price range, most brands may not even be as good in quality as Enavose.

Enavose has counters at Suntec City Mall (Tower 3) and Tangs, VivoCity Beauty Hall, and the mask costs S$59.90. They also have an Enavose Facebook Page that you can check out for other products.

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. Obviously, if I can be mean and snarky and make fun of some of the brand's marketing efforts, I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)