Tag: skincarereview

REVIEW: SOLELUNA

SOLELUNA is a new local skincare brand from Indonesia, just launched on 8/8/2021. Local beauty brands are so in right now (especially in market places), people here seem to put a lot more trust and confidence of using one.

Disclaimer: Yours truly is the mastermind behind the products, yes I’m their freelance product developer. But I’m totally honest about this review. Feel free to DM me on Instagram if you need more information(s).

SOLELUNA Behind The Scenes: when my two lady bosses and me discussed about this startup project, we decided to keep the prices affordable, without sacrificing the formulas for each product. And we also decided to make a no-fuss and simple skincare essentials for all.

THE PR PACKAGE

Currently, SOLELUNA has four SKU’s: Hydrating Face Toner, Brightening Face Serum, Brightening Day Cream, and Brightening BB Cream. FYI, more products coming up before 2021 ends, so watch this space.

OK, let’s start with the review, shall we?

HYDRATING FACE TONER

This is my personal favorite, first: it is fungal-acne safe, and it has minimal ingredients. It only has 8 ingredients on the list, including Zinc PCA and Glycerin. Texture as light and clear as water, I prefer to use this as a mist as I don’t use toner with cotton pad anymore. Instantly cooling, refreshing and hydrates well.
Price IDR 72,6K for 100ml

BRIGHTENING FACE SERUM

For Niacinamide fans’ out there, this contains 4% of it, so rejoice. Plus Gluconolactone (it’s a PHA-new generation of AHA), and Zinc PCA, it’ll be a favorite for those who wants to brighten their skin without vitamin C. Texture like a light gel, it absorbs quickly and didn’t leave a sticky feeling. And you’d be glad to know that it layers well with the next step on your skincare routine, because it didn’t clump or got foamy.
Price IDR 110K for 15ml

BRIGHTENING DAY CREAM

If you’ve been following me, you’d probably know that I apply three layers of moisturizers, first: water, then humectant and emollient. This cream contains Glycerin as humectant and Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride as emollient in one jar. Practical, so I just have to damp my skin with water and apply this, without having to layer. Even though it is called a cream, but the texture is more like a gel-cream and is easy to absorb.
Price IDR 88K for 10gr

BRIGHTENING BB CREAM

It contains Zinc Oxide, a physical sunscreen, but I still recommend you to apply sunscreen on top of this if you go out. Because it’s part skincare and part makeup, it does have Dimethicone, so you’d better cleanse them well when you take them off. Only one shade (brown) is available, but it doesn’t leave my skin look greyish. In fact, it sort of matches itself to my skin tone when applied. It was placed inside an airless pump container, so it might take a few pumps before the formula actually goes out.
Price IDR99K for 15gr

PHOTOS & VIDEO: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: GALLINÉE FACE VINEGAR

This exfoliating toner had me at their Prebiotics & Probiotics claims, to support the skin microbiome. And my first ever purchase from this French made brand.

Price IDR 451K for 200ml (at Sephora Indonesia)

Just a glimpse of this microbiome thing, our skin is home to millions of bacteria, fungi and viruses, invisible life-forms known as the skin microbiome. In order to make our skin healthy, a balanced microbiome is crucial. We need to keep those good bacterias, and banish the unhealthy ones. 

Enter Gallinée Face Vinegar. Acts like a toner, it claims to cleansed away those unhealthy bacterias and eliminates dead skin cells, allowing better absorption of good bacteria and other ingredients in the rest of our skincare routine. 

Yes it is safe for Fungal-Acne

Their first active ingredient is called Actibiome, a novel prebiotic that works to calm stressed skin and prevent it from further irritations alongside gentle postbiotic acids that allow the skin’s beneficial bacteria to flourish. The second actives is hibiscus-infused Apple Cider Vinegar, but no worries, it didn’t smell as sour as the real ACV. 

Some said, this is a dupe for Biologique Recherche P50 Lotion. I’ve tried it before and I found Gallinée ones is more light (in terms of the formula and scent). I remember I have to dilute P50 with water so it won’t sting my skin, but I apply this face vinegar directly without no stinging at all. I do recommend this if you have sensitive skin like me. 

So how do incorporate this exfo toner in my skincare routine? You’d probably know that I don’t use toner everyday since my #skinimalism journey. But I do use Adapalene on daily basis, and it doesn’t exfoliate. A lot of misconception that retinol exfoliates your skin, well….it does not. I apply this exfo toner with cotton pad twice a week (Monday and Thursday), at night time when I don’t use Adapalene. If you are using Retinol like me, I suggest you skip your retinol while using this, because Apple Cider Vinegar is actually a gentle form of AHA. Avoid applying Retinol and AHA together at the same time as it can cause serious irritation. Instead, if you are using this toner, apply hydrating serum afterwards.

Check out that gunk

Unlike some of the exfo toners that I’ve tried before, this is the only one that didn’t make my skin looks red afterwards. However, don’t expect this toner to act as water (even with the watery texture), it didn’t absorb as fast and it did left a bit tackiness on skin. But, still on comfortable level, and I found that my hydrating serum and moisturizer sit very well after using this toner. 

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: KEEP COOL AND SOOTHE TONER

Due to my skinimalism routine, I do skip toner step these days. So I go straight to actives after face cleanser. But, I do love to mist my face (especially during hot and sweaty days) and if my skin got very irritated due to sunburn or retinoid’s usage, I do CSM with hydrating toner. 

This is one of those hydrating toner for such purposes, as I don’t apply toner with cotton pads anymore. The texture looks like water but doesn’t feel like one, once applied. It’s slightly thicker (not viscous though), there’s a slippery feel and it gives a slightly dewy look on skin. As I do have sensitive and easily irritated skin, I do find this toner comfortable and cooling, just like the name stated. 

It has 85% bamboo water which is known for skin calming purpose, Low & High Molecular Hyaluronic Acid for hydrating effect and Polyglutamic Acid for absorption and moisture. It’s a slightly acidic toner of pH 5,5 which calms, hydrates and moisturizes at the same time.

If you are experiencing heatwave weather, or all year round summer (like me here in Indonesia), put this inside a spritz bottle, let it cool down inside the fridge (not freezer) and spray it on your face. You can definitely get extra freshness and hydration boost easily, anytime of the day. 

Since I already bought this on sale, IDR 112K for 160ml (it’s already available officially in Indonesia), I will finish this one bottle, but I don’t think I’ll repurchase. I don’t enjoy its’ after feel, as I prefer hydrating toner with thin like water consistency. I prefer water mist like Avène, a very straightforward soothing mist with no after feel.

It’s safe for Fungal Acne

Ingredients (from Style Korean Indonesia’s website):
Bambusa Vulgaris Water (85%), Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyglutamic Acid, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Forsythia Suspensa Fruit Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Thuja Orientalis Extract, Pinus Densiflora Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: EAU THERMALE AVÈNE GENTLE CLEANSING FOAM

If you’ve been following my hauls recently, you’d notice that I purchased more cleansing products than treatment. That’s because I finished them quite fast, since I washed my face three times a day. 

Yes, you heard me right. Three times:

  1. in the morning straight after waking up (because I apply retinol at night and it made my skin feel burned somehow after I turned off my Air Conditioner).
  2. later after I exercise under the sun (sweats mixed with bacterias, so better wash off).
  3. and in the evening before sleeping time. 

So, it is obvious that I aim for gentler face cleanser. I love my Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser, but I do like to try others. And I stumbled upon this.

This specific SKU is not available yet in Indonesia’s drugstores, therefore I purchased it on marketplace (IDR290K for 150ml). When I searched for information for this in their UK and US website, they don’t seem to carry this product. They only have CLEANSING FOAM sans the GENTLE. So I guess Avène only marketed this Gentle Cleansing Foam in Asia, but still it was made in France.

Disclaimer: on daily basis, I rarely wear makeup anymore since pandemic strikes, so I don’t use this as makeup remover, even though they claim it can also remove makeup. I do appreciate that they formulated this for Asian sensitive skin with only 10 ingredients on the list.

TWO PUMPS ARE SUFFICIENT FOR THE WHOLE FACE, BTW

It is foamy, but it’s soap free, colorant free and fragrance free as well. And of course, it is rich in Avène Thermal Spring Water which clinically proven to be soothing and anti-irritating. I do recommend this if you have sensitive skin that’s easily irritated. It is really that good and gentle.

YES, IT IS FUNGAL-ACNE SAFE

I love the soft cloud-like texture, it feels so luxurious when it glides evenly on skin. It’s also great if you like to dry cleanse: apply on dry skin and massage for about 30 seconds, then add a bit water for another 30 seconds, then rinse them off. Anyway, that’s how I cleanse my face with this wonderful cleansing foam. 

It cleanse my non-makeup face really well and it didn’t leave any slippery feel. Don’t worry of this cleansing foam is going to make your skin tight and dry. It won’t. And as it was developed for sensitive and irritated skin in mine, my skin is loving it so far without any bad reactions. I’d totally purchase it again.

Ingredients (copied from Avene’s Singapore website): 
AVENE THERMAL SPRING WATER (AVENE AQUA), WATER (AQUA), SODIUM COCOAMPHOACETATE, SODIUM COCOYL GLUTAMATE, CITRIC ACID, DISODIUM EDTA, LACTIC ACID, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, SODIUM BENZOATE, SODIUM CHLORIDE

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: JOYLAB WONDERSKIN

What comes with age beside wisdom? Fine lines and wrinkles. Also, skin texture changes. Basically, the easier way to say this is, our skin will become thinner and wrinkled easily following our biological clock.

We need powerful antioxidant to tackle this aging situation, stat!


Enter JOYLAB WONDERSKIN range, which consists of three products: ENERGY LOTION, POWER SERUM and ULTIMATE CRÈME. They are packed with a natural yet powerful antioxidant, named Croton Lecher Resin Extract, which is more popular with the name “Dragon’s Blood”, coming from a tree originally from the Amazon. It is known to energize our skin, giving it hydration, and helps to ward off free radicals that cause premature aging. 

ENERGY LOTION: the first thing to apply right after cleansing, act as a toner. It’s more viscous than an ordinary toner, but absorbed easily with tapping motion (I suggest not to use cotton pads). Great for normal to dry skin, as it also contains vitamin E to strengthen our skin barrier. I do recommend this for normal to dry skin.
Price IDR 270K for 30ml 

POWER SERUM: as powerful as the name and the only one in the range that’s safe for Fungal Acne. This serum also contains Niacinamide which is good to help lighten dark spot and even out our skin tone. Expect brighter and smoother complexion after using this for awhile. I love this hydrating serum as it’s not sticky (nice texture, BTW) and doesn’t make my skin look dewy as most of the hydrating serum I’ve tried.
Price IDR 250K for 15ml

ULTIMATE CRÈME: don’t be intimidated by the name. It does come with a cream texture, but it’s lightweight yet feel luxurious upon application (thanks to Shea Butter as one of their ingredients). If you have normal to dry skin, you can apply this twice a day, for a plumper looking skin. Just look at that glorious cream inside the jar!
Price IDR 250K for 27ml

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA & SCREENSHOTS FROM JOYLABBEAUTY WEBSITE.

REVIEW: ELSHESKIN RADIANT SUPPLE SERUM & ELSHESKIN 5 IN 1 EYESSENTIAL NIGHT SERUM

Local brand from Indonesia, Elsheskin latest release. 


If you are a beginner in serum, to give you less options, you might want to check them out. As both of these serums made from powerful active ingredients, natural and scientific proven.

Price IDR 215K for 20ml

RADIANT SUPPLE SERUM (for face) contains Niacinamide, Glycerin & Arbutin and it’s safe for Fungal Acne. But it does contain Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract (not in top 5 ingredients), which personally doesn’t suit me especially when my acne are still active.

IMHO, it’s best to use when you don’t have current active acnes. Please note, this serum is not dedicated to heal acne, but to even skin tone and help with hyperpigmentation. It does work to lessen the look of newly formed acne marks. I didn’t feel any stinging when I use this serum, it’s just like they claimed: light and gentle.

One week usage, on newly formed acne marks
Price IDR 199K for 15ml

As the name clearly stated, the eye serum is for night time use only, because it contains Retinol. If you’ve been following me, you’d know that retinol works well on my skin and I don’t use eye cream because it produced milia. That’s why, I like this eye serum. Do not worry that it’ll sting your eyes because of the retinol. It won’t. Just don’t apply too close to your eyes, you shall be fine.

Of course, dark circles are genetic, and won’t disappear completely by the use of any eye care products in this world. But you can simply lessen the look of it and make them look fresher. Especially in this era of wearing mask, when mask hits right under our dark circles. 

One week usage, brighter dark circles and less harsh under eyes lines

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: PETER THOMAS ROTH WATER DRENCH

Do you know that for oily skin people like myself, it’s actually harder for the skin to retain moisture? And yet some people still think only dry skin people need hydration. 

Dehydrated skin might worsen oil issues, because they will naturally produce more oil to compensate the dehydration. Therefore, caused more blemishes and breakouts.

IMHO, it’s best to keep our skin hydrated all the time, not to just treat them while dehydration happened. And one of the best way to maintain skin hydration is to use skincare products with Hyaluronic Acid (HA). HA will help to replenish and hold cell moisture, keeping our skin well-hydrated and as a bonus, plumper! 

Enter PETER THOMAS ROTH WATER DRENCH. They’re powered by Hyaluronic Acid to help lock in hydration for up to 72 hours. As I always said in my blog and instagram, never ever count on only one skincare product to fix your skin problem(s), I will also say it again for this range. I believe they are in sync, so I really recommend to try them according to proper skincare steps, to achieve maximal hydration result (especially if you have dehydrated and dry skin altogether).

Here’s what I thought for each product.

WATER DRENCH HYALURONIC CLOUD HYDRATING TONER MIST
If you asked me which one is my favorite from this hydrating line, this mist won my heart at first spritz. If you’ve been following me quite sometime, you’d know that I’d never apply moisturizer on dry skin. I’d always make sure that my skin is damp before applying moisturizer. Why? Because damp skin is more receptive to active ingredients. This Toner Mist also filled with Witch Hazel to help clarify the skin, though some might reacted to it but fortunately my skin can take it. It’s so enjoyable to spritz, it feels just like pure water on the skin. No after-feel, no stickiness, no fragrance, leaving skin feels refreshed and cool. 
Price IDR450K for 150ml. 

WATER DRENCH HYALURONIC CLOUD SERUM
It’s the priciest of them all, but it is a serum with intense 75% Hyaluronic Acid Complex, and you only need one pump for the whole face. I love the clear liquid gel texture, and the fact that it’s oil free and fragrance free. It’s safe for Fungal Acne, too! However, it still contains parabens on the last of their ingredients’ list. 
Price IDR 1.050K for 30ml

WATER DRENCH HYALURONIC CLOUD CREAM HYDRATING MOISTURIZER
Concentrated 30% Hyaluronic Acid Complex cream with three molecular sizes of HA. It also contains Pentavitin® which help to provide up to 72 hours of hydration, even after cleansing. 
I love how the texture is so light and fluffy, and the fact that it is fragrance free. And I do believe that there’s a reason why some skincare products are darn pricey, because they’re so darn delightful when applied. You can feel it glides luxuriously, yet easily absorbed without any effort. 
However, it still contains Dimethicone, PEG and not safe for Fungal Acne (but luckily didn’t trigger mine)
Price IDR 850K for 50ml

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: HIMALAYA PURIFYING NEEM MASK

Thanks to maskne, wash-off mask is making its’ way back to my regime. 

All those heat trapped inside a mask for hours, with all that bacteria, carbon dioxide, sweat and oil. Our skin need all the help, and there’s no better way to tackle this maskne problem than with a clay mask. Clay mask is great to purify and draw out impurities that clogged the pores while help to soothe skin inflammation. 

Fortunately, I found this affordable (priced at IDR 40K for 100ml) wash off mask. It’s also easily found at local drugstores where I live. 


It comes in a plastic flip-top tube, and since the texture is not that thick, it’s very practical, hygienic and mess-free. And talking about the texture, it contains sort of micro beads (you can feel it more when rinsing). But no worries, it surprisingly easy to rinse off. 

Key ingredients are neem and turmeric (and I thought it was colored yellow, but it’s apparently dark green). Originally from India, neem has anti-bacterial and astringent properties to help with acne bacterias. Meanwhile, turmeric (in Indonesia we use this to cook yellow rice) will help to reduce acne due to its’ anti-inflammatory quality. 

It’s fungal-acne safe, but it still contains paraben, sulfate and quite a strong fragrance. Personally, I don’t really mind the herbal woody scent that lingered around even after rinsing off. But for those who are sensitive to fragrances, you might not like it. 

Because of the clay ingredient, obviously our skin would feel a bit tight while waiting for them to completely dry. It’s also a bit tingling for the first five minutes, but when I rinse it off my skin is not red at all. Like any other wash-off masks, I suggest to leave them on to dry (about 15 minutes), then rinse off with warm water. 

I use this twice a week, especially after wearing mask for a long time. I found it (somehow) cooling, refreshing and my skin felt really clean afterward. It didn’t aggravate my existing maskne, or triggered my fungal acne prone skin. I do recommend this if you’re still doing your active lifestyle during this global pandemic, because maskne is seriously no joke, especially for those who are already have acne-prone skin like myself. 

Tips: just apply on problematic area (pores and acne), then rinse with warm water. Don’t forget to hydrate your skin after. 

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA & SCREENSHOTS FROM INCIDECODER.COM & COSMILY.COM

REVIEW: GOODAL APPLE AHA CLEARING AMPOULE

Ah, a good old AHA. If you’re just starting on AHA, you might want to try this first. 

There are different types of AHA, but this one contains Malic Acid (because it derived from apples). For those who have tried different and stronger types of AHA like Glycolic Acid or Lactic Acid, this one by itself might be not enough. 

Personally I use this in between my Retinol night, because Retinol alone might not help at removing dead skin cell build-up, especially on the surface. Yes, AHA works on the top layers of skin and it does increase our skin’s sensitivity to the sun (it also might trigger PIH-Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation), so it’s recommended for night time use. 

Although it’s categorised as ampoule, the texture is very liquid. And it slightly smells like apple (well, it does contain 79% of apple extract). Good thing about this ampoule, it’s very light, you won’t feel any tingling or burning sensation (it only contains a low dose of AHA-1%).

Treat this as a serum, to be use after toning at night. If you are new to this AHA thing, start using 3 times a week then gradually increase the usage. It’s safe to use daily, if your skin can handle it. And yes, this is safe for Fungal Acne.

BEFORE – AFTER (TWO WEEKS USAGE)

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: BEST SELLING SNP

SNP INTENSIVE SOOTHING GEL
This soothing gel contains 99% Snail Mucus Filtrate and Allantoin. It’s also allergen-free so it won’t trigger an allergic reaction or irritate the skin. The packaging is quite big (300ml), I guess it’s because it can also be used as a moisturizer, sleeping pack, eye gel, hair essence, after-shave gel and body lotion. 
If you are prone to skin redness due to UV rays, this soothing gel will help to cool down the skin and reduce the redness (you can store it in the refrigerator for a more cooling effect). And because of the snail extract, it also great to add moisture to dry skin without stickiness (like most of the snail skincare products). 

SNP PREP PEPTARONIC AMPOULE MASK
This ampoule mask contains 6 types of peptides and 7 types of Hyaluronic Acid to help hydrate and tighten the skin. If your skin looks dull and needs extra moisture, you will love this. 
How to use this to achieve maximum results? Use after applying a hydrating toner, apply the sheet mask and leave on for 20 minutes (max time). Remove the mask and pat the remaining essence into the skin until it is fully absorbed. 
I’ve tried this for 7 days in a row earlier, you might want to check it out, here.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA