Laneige Clear-C Advanced Effector_EX

Full set of Laneige Clear-C Advanced Effector_EX

Who ever heard about Clear-C series from Laneige before??? To be honest, i never heard about it before. All i know from Laneige only White Plus Renew (whitening) and Water Bank series (for dry skin). Until one day, i was told to try this Clear-C product, which very popular for brightening by boosting my White Plus Renew treatment.

Basically, Laneige Clear-C Advanced Effector_EX is a vitamin for brighten your face. It contains 92,5% superberry extract which really good for brightening. This product will make your whitening treatment work faster. Actually this product will make a perfect combo if we use it together White Plus Renew Essence. However, i have used SK II Facial Treatment Essence and i don’t have any plan to change it.

When you buy Laneige Clear-C Advence Effector, it will comes with a box of "special" cotton pad. Why did i say it special?? Because unlike the ordinary cotton pad, there are 2 layers in each this "special" cotton pad, with stripe-patterned and without pattern. The cotton pad that comes with patterned, it used for the morning care. And the other which comes without pattern, it used for at night.

Left : Stripe-Patterned Cotton Pad for morning care | Right : Without Pattern Cotton Pad for night care

How to use it???
Laneige Clear-C Advanced Effector used as the first step on your skincare routine. It has a water texture, which could be easy to absorb. Pump it 2 - 3 times on the cotton pad, and apply it on your cleaned face. If you think it's too much, just pump it 1-2 times like i did.

Applying this product, has a different way between in the morning, and at night before you sleep. In the morning, rub it all over your face, with a right direction like at the picture below. At night, just tap it gently on your face. Yeah, it might sounds complicated at the first, but actually it's not.

How to use Laneige Clear C Advanced Effector

I just finish a bottle of it, and i've felt the amazing result of this product. My skin really get brighter, and it's also very soft and smooth. Even though i'm not using White Plus Renew essence, but i always use White Plus Renew Original Cream every day. And once in a week, i never forget to use White Plus Renew Capsule Pack at night, to get a fairer skin. I'm sure that Laneige Clear-C Advanced Effector also work better with those products.

Laneige White Plus Renew Capsule Pack

Seems like this week gonna be a Laneige week on my blog. Because for this past few months, i just tried some new products from Laneige, and i would say that i love them all. Not just their skincare, but the make up products as well. Well, i’ll write a review about them all in sequence on my blog. So stay tuned and like my Facebook page, to get an update about it.

There are 16 capsules in each box. Which can be used up to 4 months if you use it once in a week.

 Well, this post still about review from White Plus Renew series which i love the most. After satisfied with the result of White Plus Renew Original Cream, i decided to try other product from White Plus Renew series. It’s White Plus Renew Capsule Sleeping Pack.

Before i start to write more about this product, have you read my post about Laneige Water Sleeping Pack??? I’ll write a little about it. First time i knew about Laneige is because i’m looking for the best skincare for dry skin type. And it led me to the best seller product by Laneige, Water Sleeping Pack. Basically, sleeping pack is used as a night cream. So after get your face cleaned and use your night skincare routine, skip your night cream, and replace it with sleeping pack. Sleeping pack has a very creamy texture, easy to absorb, and it’s really helpful for your dry skin. At the first week, i used the sleeping pack everynight because my skin was very very dry. However, when it started to get better, i just use it once in a week, until now.

Actually, that sleeping pack is work on me. However, i want something more to brighten my skin tone. One day i was offered to try White Plus Renew Capsule Pack, which can make my skin get brighter, faster than just using the original cream. Felt curious about that product, i decided to give it a try.

This products has a unique packaging. Unlike the Water Sleeping Pack which looks like a cream that comes with a jar, White Plus Renew Capsule Pack comes with a small packaging, which only can be used for 1 time only. In each capsule, there are 2 kinds of formula. To start to use it, we need to mix it together until it blends perfectly. After that, apply that on your cleaned face, and wash it at the next morning.

Mix with the applicator.

Until it become like this.

I’ve used this product for more than 6 months, and to be honest, i love this product, so muchhhhh..... I use it once in a week, and after 1 box i really feel the result from this product. It really make my skin get brighter, and keep it moisturized at the same time. It’s even better when i combined it with Laneige Clear-C Advanced Effector_EX, which i’ll review about it at the next post..

Laneige Clear-C Adcanced Effector_EX

Laneige White Plus Renew Original Cream

Another review about skin care from my favorite brand ever, Laneige. Last year, Laneige has discontinued White Plus Renew Daily Protection Cream SPF 36 ++ and White Plus Renew Night Cream. After that, they launched a new product for White Plus Renew series, it's White Plus Renew Original Cream.

This cream can be used for in the morning and at night before sleep. Basically, we could say this cream replaced the 2 types of cream before. Actually this concept is better for me. So when i traveling, i don't need to bring 2 jar of cream. However, 1 thing that i don't like from this cream is, they don't have any SPF in it. So i need to use different sunblock to cover my face in the morning.

As you can see above, this cream has a texture which looks like White Plus Renew Night Cream. It's really moisturize your face, to keep it soft and smooth. I've used about 4 jar of them, and i really feel the amazing result from this cream. Now, my skin tone get brighter, and it also really soft. No more dull face and i'm so happy for that.

Anyway, if you're going to buy this cream at onlineshop, and they sell this cream with the package like at the picture below, it's not fake! It's the first packaging from White Plus Renew Original Cream. However you should ask about the expired date, because that package has been changed into the new package long time ago.

Old Package of Laneige White Plus Renew Original Cream

P.S : In 1 jar, it contains 50g cream, and based on my experience, that's enough for up to 6 months. In Indonesia, the price is IDR 560k. And i think it's really worth it.

Beauty Haul from Europe (Part II)

This is the second post about beauty haul from Europe Trip. It's kinda embarrassing to post about it at this time, because it’s been 2,5 years since i had this trip. But i really forgot at all about this post and it has been at my draft for that long. I’ve make promise to post about other beauty things that i bought in Europe at the first post about beauty haul from Europe. And i’m not a kind of person who likes to break my promise.

If at the first post i wrote about luxury beauty stuff that i got in Paris, this time i’ll talk about beauty stuff that i bought while i was in Milan, which is more affordable. Actually i don’t have any plan to shopping again. I’ve got everything i want in Paris. But when in Milan, i just found some new make up brand, and they’re all looks amazing. Really hard to ignore them, so i bought some make up and nail polish to add my make up collection. (Also read : Cheap “Fashion and Beauty” Shopping Guide in Europe)

Essence
I never heard about this brand before. I found this brand at OVS Via Torino, near Duomo di Milano. OVS is a shopping store, and they sell affordable fashion stuff. First time i stepped in to this store, i just wanted to shopping for a daily outfit. But i saw this Essence stall and i fell in love with their product. Not just because the cheap price that they offer, but the products itself looks pretty. They have a lot of variety beauty products from make up until nail polish.

I fell in love with this nail polish since the first time i saw it. The color looks fabulous. And, Oh! It's not and ordinary nail polish. It's a nail gel, and i love nail gel so much. I'm not a kind of person who likes to change a nail color at the short time. I really need a long lasting nail color, and nail gel it's a perfect things for me First time i knew nail gel from Sally Hansen, and since that moment i started collect nail gel. The gel nail polish from Essence is really a good products. Easy to use, not bubbling, long lasting, and the color so beautiful. You can get this good quality products only with €1,7.

From top to the bottom : The Gel Nail Polish 34 (Candy Love), 21 (a whisper of spring), 36 (dare it nude), Effect Nail Polish 28 (truth or dare?)

Other products that i bought at Essence is the eyeliner. I bought 2 types of eyeliner, "liquid matt" and "long lasting pencil". After try both of these products, i would recommend you to buy the pencil one. I love this eyeliner because it's super easy to use and also smudge-proof. And like the name of this eyeliner, it has a long lasting result. So far this is the best eye pencil i ever tried, and the price is only €1,6.

Essence Liquid Ink Matt Eyeliner 

Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil - 20 Lucky Lead

KIKO Milano
Still at the same street, KIKO Milano has their own store and it's like a heaven for make up addict (like me). The price is not as cheap as Essence, but it's worth with the quality.

Started with this eyeshadow stick, this is one of my favorite product from KIKO. The formula is really good. Well pigmented, easy to blend, and the most important is long lasting. It's really suitable for a traveller like me. Since i have this eyeshadow stick, everytime i travel, i'll bring this because it's so simple to use.

KIKO Long Lasting Stick 38

Next is concealer. Dark circle always be a problem for me. I've tried many eye cream and also get enough sleep, but it never gone. So everytime i'm at makeup store, i always looking for their best seller for cover the dark circle. With the peach color, this concealer from KIKO really cover the dark circle under my eye. They have a good formula, however i don't like the packaging. It's a pump type concealer. Everytime i pump it, the concealer always come out a lot and it's too much for me.

KIKO dark circle concealer 02 Peach

The last is the blush on. I love this color since the first time i saw. It's so perfect for my skin tone which not too fair.

KIKO colour veil blush 03

Flor de Mayo
Actually it's not a beauty product that i bought in Milan. But this product is really good so i also write about it at this post. I bought this hand cream at El Corte Inglés, Barcelona. I love to using hand cream because it makes my hand keep moisturized. I have many hand cream, but this hand cream is my favorite. Not just because the natural formula that they have, but i love the smell too. It's vanila, and it always be my favorite.

Cooking Kenyan Food - Beef Pilau - for International Day

Last week, there's International Day event at Aurelia's school. This event held every 2 years. At this moment, every students will bring food and dressed up in traditional costume of the country that has been chosen based on their grade. Beside that, they also will do some activities that has a connection with that country as well.

For Aurelia's grade, they got Kenya. Kenya is a country in Africa. So at that day, Aurelia was wearing Kenya traditional costume. She also brought a face painting equipment for the activities. Beside face painting, there are also another activity such as making a mask and making a necklace with beads. Before they're doing the activites, they have dancing performance, and also presentation about Kenya.

 

About the food, the students being told to bring Kenyan traditional food such as beef pilau, samosa, chapati, mandazi, beef stew, and ugali. Aurelia got beef pilau and samosa. For samosa, it's easy! I just bought the frozen samosa at the grocery store. However, about the beef pilau, it's a "homework" for me. I never heard, never eat, and of course never cook Kenyan food before. So i was googling about beef pilau, and i found out it looks like Briyani rice. I love Briyani rice. Everytime i go to Indian restaurant, Briyani rice is a must ordered dish for me. I love the texture of the rice which use Basmati rice, and it also use a lot of spices which i like the most.

Frozen Samosa by Spring Home

Even though i love Briyani rice, but i never cook it before. So it's really the first experience for me to cook with Basmati rice. I bought the Basmati rice at Lulu Hypermarket, a newly opened hypermaket at BSD City. Lulu Hypermarket is a huge grocery store, based on U.A.E (The United Arab Emirates). So it won't be hard to find Basmati rice at this place.

Note : This recipe is for 7 adult portions.

Ingredients :
- Dried spices (Put them all at the pan, roast it on medium heat to intensify the flavor. Do it until you can smell the spices, about 15 - 20 seconds. After that, blend it until it soft like powder)
4 dried bay leaves
1 tsp cumin
2 cinnamon sticks
6 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp blackpepper
1/3 nutmeg

- Other spices
1 large onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
6cm ginger, chopped
8cm turmeric, grated

- Rest of ingredients
3 Tbs cooking oil (i use extra light olive oil)
2 large tomatoes (blended to make a puree, no water added)
2 beef cubes
500g Basmati rice
500g beef (cubed, and boiled until the meat is tender)
2,5 cups of beef stock (i used a beef stock from the water that i used to boiled the beef)
Salt to taste
Bunch of coriander leaves

Beef Stock Cubes from Knorr Malaysia

Directions:
1. Preheat the oil at the pan and put the "powder" dried spices. Cook it for a few seconds.

2. Add onions, cook it for about 5 minutes. And then add other spices such as garlic, ginger, and turmeric. Cook them until fragrant.

3. Put the puree tomatoes and let them cooked until the mixture reduces. At this point, there will be no raw taste of tomatoes anymore.

4. Put the beef at this time, and let it cooked for a while (around 5 minutes)

5. Add the rice and cook it for about 5 minutes to absorb the flavors from the spices.

6. Put the beef stock, and season it with beef sock cubes and salt.

7. Leave it cooked until the rice starts showing at the top, and the beef stocks starts to reduced.

8. With a wooden ladle, lift the rice from the bottom to the top, and vice versa. Do it gently so the rice won't break.

9. Reduced the heat, and wait until the rice cooked perfectly (not too soft) and there's no more stock left.

10. Put them on a plate, and add the coriander leaves on the top.

Cooking beef pilau is not as hard a i thought before. It's easy and it's also taste delicious. In Kenya, the result of cooking pilau be the determinant of whether you're a good cooking. The rice from the good pilau, should be not clumped together. I'm so satisfied with the result of my beef pilau. It's not clumped at all. Why don't you try to make your own pilau, and find out whether you're a good cooking????