Sponsored Review
My favorite beauty curator, BlackBox.sg, has returned with another incredible treasure trove of beauty delights – the Rachel K Exclusive Box.
If you’ve been faithfully following my phenomenal, magnificent and amazing blog (hehe :P), you would notice by now that I’m an ardent believer of Rachel K products and their mantra to offer products that are fit for a (beauty) queen. 🙂
So when I learnt that Rachel K has undergone a packaging and contents facelift, I wasn’t a wee bit surprised. Because I know that this is just a further testament to their devotion to keep producing better and higher quality products.
Their new and improved CC products are free of parabens, are non-comedogenic and most importantly, cruelty free, with improved coverage! I’ve been using them for weeks now and I’m loving their new formulation that minimizes the appearance of pores and evens the skin tone effortlessly.
So what kind of sorcery are they employing now??? Well, read on to find out!
The key products of this exclusive Black Box are Rachel K’s CC Renew Pressed Powder and Supreme Whitening Lotion.
Even though I’ve only just received the CC Pressed Powder, I’ve actually been using it religiously for a year now. This is because two Christmases ago, Rachel K herself had personally delivered her newly launched products to me as a Christmas gift. 😀
It is extremely sweet of her eh?
However, as I was extremely busy with wedding planning last year, I haven’t had a chance to elaborate on the goodness of her products on the blog. So now here we go!
I received all three shades, namely, Very Light, Light and Medium.
From left to right: Very Light, Light and Medium.
The CC Renew Pressed Powder transforms your skin, revealing a naturally luminous, flawless and perfectly smooth complexion.
Its unique color-correcting complex instantly perfects skin with the Organic Shea Butter and an antioxidant complex while Vitamin E delivers powerful anti-ageing benefits. Talc free, paraben free, non-comedogenic and dermatologically tested!
How to use: Lightly press all over your face or specifically on prone-to-shine zones with the powder puff for more coverage, or with a brush for a natural look. For extra coverage and long-lasting matte finish, apply it over your CC cream.
Where to buy: BHG and www.rachelkcosmetics.com
Retail Size and Price: 12g, $42
My verdict:
The pink undertones of the Light shade blended better with my skin tone than the other two. I felt like Goldilocks when I was choosing a suitable shade for my face. Haha!
The Very Light shade, as the name suggests, was ‘very light’ for my face and made me look like a pale ghost. The Medium shade is a deeper tone that inevitably acts more like a bronzer than face powder.
The Light shade was just right. Upon application, the powder disappeared into my skin, giving a flawless mattifying coverage that its predecessor (below) did not offer. I thought the old Pressed Powder did not sit on my face too well. It gets slightly cakey after a few applications.
The old Rachel K Mineral Pressed Powder
The CC Renew Pressed Powder is on another level and its color-correcting pigments even compensated for my blemishes and freckles.
I wore the CC Pressed Powder on every photo in this blog post and you can clearly see that my imperfections are nicely disguised and almost invisible.
However, I thought its weather-proof abilities were not as impressive as other powders I’ve tried. I’ve been using Tony Moly’s Face Mix Oil Paper Powder for the longest time and not only does it banish shine, it also keeps my face looking fresh and matte even in our summer temperatures.
In contrast, my Rachel K makeup started streaking and melting right off of my face after a few minutes outdoors. 🙁
So if you’ve oily skin, you might want to apply some oil control powder over your Rachel K makeup before you head out.
That said, I’m still in love with its buildable properties that make it great for touch ups throughout the day. And my skin never fails to glow with radiance with just a few sweeps of the powder.
ILoveBunny Beauty Tip! Dust the powder lightly on your face with a kabuki brush instead of the puff provided. The puff tends to cake powder on while the brush will help the powder blend in seamlessly.
I’m hitting the big 3-0 so I was happy to find Vitamin E and organic shea butter in its contents. These are perfect anti-aging warriors that any girl my age will appreciate. Bonus points for Rachel K!
So how many Honeyz crowns does the new CC Renew Pressed Powder deserve?
I think its nourishing ingredients and brightening attributes is a great pick-me-up for my lacklustre skin so 4 Honeyz crowns!
Whiten your skin without harming it and take it from dull to brilliant with this toner formulated with breakthrough natural ingredients. Octadecenedioic Acid (ODA) is a skin brightening agent that whitens skin by regulating tyrosinase within skin cells.
Clinical tests have proven it as effective as Arbutin, but without the damaging effects. Delentigo™ puts the brakes on age spots by regulating the formation of lipofuscin and melanin. β White™ is an encapsulated TGF – β Biomimic peptide which corrects the MITF cellular pathway to decrease various types of pigmentation, resulting in optimal whitening of your skin.
And finally, SEPICALM VG decreases regular pigmentation induced by inflammatory stress, and Basal pigmentation caused by genetic ageing. Furthermore, enriched with Aloe Vera extract, this multi-tasking miracle in a bottle also cleanses and refines your skin, leaving it pore-less and beautifully radiant.
How to use: After cleansing, pour a generous amount of lotion into palms or on to cotton pad and lightly pat over face, avoiding the immediate eye area.
Where to buy: BHG and www.rachelkcosmetics.com
Retail Size and Price: 80ml, $24
My verdict: I haven’t tried this for a long enough time to access its efficiency. At first glance, it just looks like it has an extremely low viscosity – almost like water.
As such, the product is easily absorbed by the skin unlike many other lotions that leave a sticky residue before they dissipate. My skin was immediately smooth and clean after application.
What drew me in was its rich source of safe brightening ingredients that decrease the synthesis of melanin and prevent photo-aging and dark spots.
I’m gonna be using this for the next few weeks! I’ll let you know on my Instagram if this makes it to my February list of faves!
Meanwhile, 3.5 Honeyz crowns for its high absorbability and natural ingredients.
Besides those groundbreaking products mentioned, I also received the following products in sachets. 🙂
Rachel K Stem Cell Cleansing Gel [ 1.5g x 3 sachets]
Achieve younger and healthier skin with every drop of this effective cleansing gel. Formulated with innovative PhytoCellTec™ technology that boosts the natural performance of human skin stem cells, it prevents loss of moisture and maintains your skin’s balance naturally, cleansing it without the use of foaming chemicals. It also contains Witch Hazel and Aloe Vera for a soothing and refreshing effect.
How to use: Use every morning and evening. Apply a small amount of cleanser to a damp skin and gently massage avoiding the eye area. Rinse well.
Where to buy: BHG and www.rachelkcosmetics.com
Retail Size and Price: 80ml, $19
Rachel K Youth Spell Day Cream [1.5g x 2 sachets]
This balancing day cream is radically different from other skin care product as it is non-comedogenic, and balances the secretion of sebum in both dry and oily skin, ensuring that your pores never get clogged. Formulated with Matrixyl™ 3000 to prevent wrinkles and a unique mixture of Bamboo-silk and Rice-silk which work together to mattify skin by absorbing sebum, you’re left with instantly quenched, soft, elastic and gorgeously hydrated silky-smooth skin.
How to use: Apply to cleansed skin with gentle patting motions until absorbed.
Where to buy: BHG and www.rachelkcosmetics.com
Retail Size and Price: 30ml, $29
Redeem the Rachel K Samples
Would you like to try the Rachel K products too? I’ve placed the samples I received in my Blackbox on my beauty encyclopedia, Honeyz Cube for your redemption.
All you have to do is to sign up for an account at HoneyzCube.com, accumulate Cube Points through voting and reviewing your fave products and you can redeem your points for the Rachel K products on our Rewards Catalogue.
To get you started, use promo code ‘honeyzbelle’ and receive 50 points absolutely free so you can start redeeming the Rachel K samples straight away! Only 5 available!
Remember I mentioned earlier that Rachel K sent me a nice Christmas parcel? Well, the generous Rachel also included her latest CC Renew Creams.
And like the powders, the CC cream also came in 3 shades – Very Light, Light, Medium.
From left to right: Very Light, Light and Medium.
From left to right: Very Light, Light and Medium.
It’s pretty evident that the Light shade is the closest to my skin tone. 🙂
Rachel K CC Renew Cream (Note: This is not included in the Rachel K Exclusive Box)
CC Renew transforms your skin through instant skin perfection and long-lasting anti-aging skincare.
The advanced color-correcting complex illuminates your skin and visibly minimizes all imperfections and dark spots instantly and over time. Deep Sea Water, highly concentrated in rich minerals, immediately and lastingly moisturizes dehydrated skin. The break-through Biomimetic Anti-Age Complex boosts the skin’s natural regeneration process to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and to improve skin’s firmness.
-SPF 35 / PA++
-Skin type: ALL
-Coverage: Sheer to Moderate
-Texture: Featherweight
-Finish: Natural Radiant
-Oil free, Paraben free, Non-comedogenic, Dermatologically tested
How to use: – LIGHT COVERAGE Apply CC Cream where skin looks red or dull. – NATURAL COVERAGE Wear it alone over cleaned face. – FULL COVERAGE Wear it under foundation or with CC pressed powder.
After cleansing, apply a small amount and dab on your face in a patting motion. Wait 2-3 minutes until the cream disappears into the skin.
Key ingredients: REJUNEVATE YOUR SKIN -EGF: Repairs skin tissue and promotes collagen -Adenosine: Wrinkle reduction -Macadamia oil & White Tea: Anti-oxidant and protects skin
INTENSE HYDRATION -Deep Sea Water: Intense Hydration -Hyaluronic Acid: Hydration and skin’s firmness -Arbutin: Evens skin tone and reduces redness -Mineral color pigments: Gives radiance and smooth skin
PROTECT YOUR SKIN -Vitamin E: Prevents from sun damage and age spots -SPF 35++: Protects against UV rays and ageing process My verdict:
I was surprised to see Arbutin in its ingredients list. Remember this ‘Clinical tests have proven it as effective as Arbutin, but without the damaging effects.‘ from their Rachel K Supreme Whitening Lotion description above?
So is Arbutin supposed to be harmful then? I looked it up and here’s what I found.
There are two types of Arbutin – alpha and beta. The alpha isomer offers higher stability over the beta isomer and is the preferred form for skin lightening indications. Alpha-Arbutin doesn’t appear to have any nasty side effects and some government studies have shown it to be safe to use. Questions about it’s long term safety look promising but are incomplete. Anecdotally it is much less irritating to the skin than hydroquinone (bleaching agent) at similar or even greater doses. It works primarily by inhibiting melanin and it has been shown to work effectively on all the different skin colors. Pure forms of arbutin are considered to be potent skin lightening agents. Generally, Arbutin is considered safe alternatives to commonly used depigmenting agents to make the skin fairer.
The above is a compilation of info I found on different sites. It seems like everyone is singing the same tune about Arbutin. Well, it is still important to take note that it’s a form of hydroquinone so it may cause some kind of skin reaction for some individuals. If you’ve sensitive skin, I’d highly recommend you to consult a dermatologist before using any product that contains Arbutin.
As for me, it did not cause any irritation on my skin. In fact, it’s been doing the exact opposite by protecting my face from pollution particles that have been giving me rashes.
The haze in Singapore last year seemed to have changed my skin condition and made it more sensitive. I notice that my face will be itching from rashes (that are raised and red) every time I come home from long hours outdoors.
Not a pretty sight.
The foundations and CC Creams I’ve been using seem to aggravate the situation further. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find my face normal and clear of rashes after using the Rachel K CC cream one evening.
If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you would know that I held my second wedding in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The city is well known for being one of the most polluted places in the world. I knew my face will definitely break out in rashes within hours of being in the city.
And like I predicted – it did.
On my second day in Dhaka, I decided to apply my Rachel K CC cream and pressed powder instead of my usual foundation and hey presto! No rashes that day!
This is my skin close up after applying the CC cream. No more rashes!
I also like how it acts like a light diffuser and reflects light away from my nasolabial folds (laugh lines) making my skin look more smooth and dewy.
Comparing it to its older model, the consistency of the new CC cream seems thicker. As such, it doesn’t glide on as smoothly as the previous CC cream.
BUT!
This also allowed its coverage and staying power to perform better!
Now let’s look at the packaging.
Even though the net weight of both are the same, the sleeker design of the new CC cream makes it easier to fit into my stuffed makeup bags.
All in all, I thought the overhaul was a good one. 4.5 Honeyz crowns for Rachel K’s CC Renew Cream!
The Rachel K Exclusive Box is now available on BlackBox.sg at only SGD49.90 (with products that are worth more than $75!).
Psst! Special Offer for Honeyz Belles
Enjoy 10% off any exclusive Black Boxes by using the discount code:
BBXJUL10
That’s not all!
From now till 15 Feb 2015, Black Box is giving your favorite men a special FREE ‘For Him’ pack worth more than $360 for every Exclusive Box purchased.
The FREE “For Him pack” includes: – Nuxe Men Shaving Gel mini 35ml x 1 – Toppik mini 12g x 1 – Sunstar Tonic Shampoo 12ml x 2 – Atos Wellness voucher – $180 x 2
Shopping can only getting better with BlackBox.sg.
🙂
Your friend, Juliana
Disclaimer: Please be rest assured that even though the products were sponsored, they do not have any bearing on the content of this post. Opinions stated are objective and genuine. Also note that all sources, information, content, links are valid to change at any time.