I've always been attracted to Alicia and Peach and Lily's story, especially since she seems to have tackled and overcome a very 'millenial' challenge - blending career and passion. I (and my face) would like to support Peach and Lily by shopping them more often, but 'little' things often make me pause - like the fact that they mark up certain lines by quite a bit. While fast domestic shipping, curation services, and awesome customer service can account for some of the price differential, if you're willing to wait a few weeks, there are very many ways to get a Peach Pick for a lower price by shopping an Asia-based store. But when they do go on sale, like they did for Black Friday - it's hard to not partake. And partake I did... So, I bought a few things, and I have some first impressions for you today. :) Read on if you want to find out if my recent Peach Picks are 'certified fresh' or sadly, moldy and 'rotten'.
HAUL STATS
Ordered 11/28
Delivered 12/3
Samples 2: Aromatica Rose Absolute Serum, Be The Skin Botanical Nutrition Power Serum
UKA D&L DEEP & LIGHT SCALP CLEANSING (200ml)
INGREDIENTS Aqua, Lauryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Propanediol, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Threoninate, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ubiquinone, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Tocopherol, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Swertia Japonica Extract, Kjellmaniella Crassifolia Extract, Butylene Glycol, Vaccinium Myrtillus Lead Extract, Algin, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Threonine, Proline, Histidine, Phenylalanine, PCA, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Leucine, Lysine, Sericin, Allantoin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Trilaurate, Ethyl Menthane Carboxamide, Alcohol, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Parfum [ANALYSIS - check the 'Sort' button at the bottom of the list for accurate results]
GOSH - if you've been following Kinseng since July - that feels like ages ago doesn't it? You'll already know that while my skin is dry, get ready for some overshare, my scalp is prone to accumulating a gorgeous mix of product, dead skin cell, and oil build up. Lovely, beautiful, image right there, I know. I found this scalp cleanser on Peach and Lily and decided to try it out in place of my usual apple cider vinegar/vinegar hair rinse. It's the first product of its kind I've ever seen, and also tried, so I thought I would share some thoughts.
According to Peach and Lily, it's an "award-winning scalp cleanser" and "uses plant-derived amino acids to deeply cleanse the scalp - giving your head and hair a squeaky clean reset". It's also "lightweight" and "keeps the scalp balanced" making your hair "healthier and shinier".
According to uka, "Your hair is made up of 18 different amino acids which are essential to keeping it healthy. The uka head therapy collection is naturally formulated with 15 of those amino acids, which combine to work just like those found in your hair. That means uka's award-winning formulas can truly rebuild and replenish each strand, naturally restoring the hair and scalp to optimal health. It's what makes uka's haircare so incredibly effective and so remarkably different from anything you've ever used."
While I was uncertain of the effects of amino acids on the hair, since I'm more obsessed with my skin, as you very well already know... I saw that this product contains gentle non-stripping surfactants, and promised to keep my scalp balanced. It also does not contain any hefty silicones, which could add to my buildup, and has a lot of antioxidants. What the hey - scalp is skin too. It also does not contain any of my personal acne triggers.
PACKAGING The cleanser comes packaged in a white plastic squeeze tube with a clear, plastic nozzle that is about 1 inch high and very thin. Why mention the height of the nozzle? Well, ahem, when it comes to scalp cleansing, size seems to matter. ::heh heh::
The nozzle is long and thin which makes it easy to slip through the hair, and deposit the product directly onto the scalp - it can very well serve as a really wide-toothed comb itself. The product can be capped off with the accompanying white plastic cap and the whole thing comes in a cylindrical cardboard package.
PRODUCT Since it is essentially a shampoo, it does share the consistency of one. The product is like a clear, thick shampoo that's scented like a hair toner or hair gloss from the salon. I totally marveled when I first squirted some product onto my hand to check out the consistency. I remember wondering could such a thick product actually take away my buildup? It's so different from the thin clarifying shampoos and vinegar rinses I'd come to rely on. I checked the pH (between a 6 and 7) and went for it as soon as it arrived.
Here is also where I do my duty and check on the claims of the effects of amino acids on the scalp and hair.
TO USE It took me a few tries to get the hang of this product, but I use it every other day now. It can be used daily as well, according to uka. The directions say to:
1. Brush the scalp to remove build up and improve circulation.
2. Thoroughly rinse hair and scalp with warm water to wash away impurities.
3. Use the applicator to apply cleanser directly to scalp (NOT to the entirety of your hair which can cause tangling). I make sure the applicator makes contact with my scalp, and while gently squeezing the bottle, deposit the product in evenly spaced rows from the front of the scalp to the back. This lines my scalp completely.
4. Spread evenly across the entire scalp and massage with your fingers. It foams up very lightly at this stage which is always fun.
5. Rinse well. This is the difficult part. Since the product is concentrated on just the scalp, it takes a while longer to rinse it out.
So overall, it's a clarifying scalp cleanser that is very unintuitive for people like me that require scalp cleansers every so often. Before this product, every time I needed clarifying, I would go searching for products with stripping ingredients like sulfates and vinegar to take the buildup away. This product takes a very different approach and uses a combination of a really cleverly designed applicator and nourishing yet effective amino acid-based cleansers to do the same thing. And I much prefer this approach. It gives great volume and is very gentle. I think the only thing that needs improvement is the fact that it takes awhile to wash the product out.
You can get it at Peach and Lily where 200 ml is $36. If it is your first time purchasing with them, using my referral link will get you $5 off of your first $50+ order.
BE THE SKIN PURIFYING WHITE WATERFUL SERUM (50ml)
I only have a few thoughts on this whitening serum by Be The Skin because I've only tested it on my neck, chest, and hands. I'm probably not the only one, but during Black Friday, I'm pretty sure I forgot that I only have one face to test things with and bought too much new skincare.
I picked this whitening serum up because Anna from Asian Skincare Blog reviewed a whitening serum by Hanyul. She said things like her skin was "calm, smooth, less pink, radiant, bright and healthy. How could I not look for a whitening serum after reading that? Well naturally, I looked into the Hanyul serum, but the price and lack of immediate availability in the U.S. (She writes from Japan) made me cast my net a little wider. I landed on this serum by Be The Skin.
Mind you, at this point my skin is calm. It's also pretty smooth, bright, and healthy. But it lacks 'radiance'. I'm cracking up now because I think most people would have stopped at calm, smooth, bright, and healthy.
According to Peach and Lily, it's a "best-selling serum" that helps to "clarify and brighten the skin with botanicals such as mushrooms, green tea extract, and arbutin". And would you look at that, it's 'very popular among Korean consumers' for its 'RADIANCE BOOSTING elements'. "Ideal for all skin types."
I regret this purchase. I must have been drunk on turkey and kimchi that day.
I must dispel a few of the claims on Peach and Lily. First, it is not a best-selling serum and is not popular among Korean consumers. I looked for reviews on 3 of my favorite Korean beauty forums in South Korea and there were no mentions whatsoever of this product. Next, while it may have mushrooms, green tea extract, and arbutin, which are all very good for skin-conditioning, proactively fighting oxidation and hyperpigmentation, and disrupting the melanin production process (in respective order), none of these ingredients manage to crack the top 7 ingredients in the ingredients list. In fact, the second-most prominent ingredient in terms of volume is lauris nobillus leaf extract, which smells nice, but doesn't do much else. Also in the top 7 are some silicones, and butylene glycol - none of which really blow any skincare addict's skirt (or kilt.. no discrimination here) up.
I haven't noticed much of a difference in the testing zones I mentioned, and I'm not sure that I really expect to see much of a difference in the future. I hesitate to slot this into my testing schedule for my face, and will leave it up to you readers to decide if you would like for me to put this through a full 4-week review.
To leave on a positive note, I will say that the Be The Skin brand has impressed me in other ways. The packaging on this product is beautiful and again, well-designed. The container is a very luxuriously heavy glass bottle, and the sleek black plastic pump is probably also the most luxurious dispenser I've ever seen. They included a GENIUS black plastic snap-on cap in the same shape as the pump. It makes the product leak-proof and is solid enough to prevent accidental pumps. They should win an award for this packaging design. Also, Be The Skin impresses me with the consistencies they can achieve with their formulas. This serum while, failing to impress me ingredients-wise, has a really delicate, lotion texture that just bursts with moisture while sinking into the skin completely. What's more, is that this texture is not reserved to just this one product. Thanks to Peach and Lily's sample service, I was able to try the Be The Skin Botanical Nutrition Power Serum which I loved. Now if only I could turn back the clock and purchase that serum instead. I'd be much happier today.
You can get this serum at Peach and Lily where 50 ml is $39. If it is your first time purchasing with them, using my referral link will get you $5 off of your first $50+ order. This serum is also available on Amazon as part of a 3-piece set for $129.55 (contains toner and cream as well)..
Have you ever hauled from Peach and Lily? What was your experience like?
Also, have you ever tried a scalp cleanser? Or any Be The Skin products? Please share!
Disclosure: There is one affiliate link in this post, and I purchased the items featured. If you are curious about my policy on press samples, affiliate links, and sponsors, please see my disclaimer and policies.
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