Quick Review: Holika Holika Soda Pore Cleansing O2 Bubble Mask

Many years ago (perhaps 7-8 years ago), I tried an oxygen mask from Etude House and fell head over heels in love with it because of how effective it was. I think the product name was 02 White Mask Sheet - I can't really remember now because it has sadly been discontinued by the brand. After that, I just couldn't be bothered to find an alternative (poor JC student's woes) and I stopped using oxygen-infused masks from then on. 

The thought came back to me a couple of months back. What if oxygen masks can help with my acne?! I researched and found one that's particularly suitable for acne-prone skin - Holika Holika Soda Pore Cleansing O2 Bubble Mask. This contains carbonated water, baking powder, tea tree and gold kiwi - all great for cleansing out those dirty clogged pores. 

I bought mine from Qoo10 for S$21.90 (+ S$1.90 shipping) and this has become a staple in my skincare routine. 

First of all, the application process is very ... gratifying. After cleansing, lather one-two pumps of the Holika Holika Soda Pore Cleansing O2 Bubble Mask on your entire face, avoiding the eye and lip area. Then watch the magic happen - the white clay-mask-like consistency froths up steadily, covering your face gradually with dense white bubbles. After 2 minutes, rinse with lukewarm water and you're done! 

I saw a noticeable difference even only after one application - my skin felt immensely smooth and the dry patches on my skin (usually scars from freshly popped pimples) were not so obvious anymore. Also, my face looked so much brighter and more radiant, like as if I just did a 30-min slow jog (minus the sweat). 

I have used the Holika Holika Soda Pore Cleansing O2 Bubble Mask for close to 2 months now - twice weekly - and I have been enjoying every application. Does it tackle pimples? Maybe not so much. However, it didn't break me out and I love how radiant I looked after each application, so it's still a winner in my books. 

I really love incorporating oxygen-infused masks to my skincare routines, so please let me know if you have a similar product from another brand that I can try! :)  

Review: Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB with SPF20 PA++

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of BB Creams. I have tried so many and some of them broke me out really badly. My go-to BB Cream used to be the highly raved Missha one (the one in red packaging), but after I used that up, I decided to try out new brands. 

There are sooooooo many BB Creams in the market right now and even the big luxurious brands are jumping on the BB Cream bandwagon. I didn't want to just try any random BB Creams because well, buying something that breaks you out simply sucks. 

THEN I SAW THE LIGHT.

There were plenty of positive reviews on the Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB with SPF20 PA++. Beauty bloggers were raving about the unique texture and how it has a good coverage without being too thick. Of course I was intrigued!! 

As usual, Qoo10 was where the cheapest Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB with SPF20 PA++ retailed. I bought mine for only S$9.90 with free shipping from Korea! I think I was lucky and I bought it during a Timed Sale, now it's retailing at S$14.50 (which is still WAYY cheaper than the price at the counters). 

Go to this link if you want your own: http://list.qoo10.sg/gmkt.inc/Goods/Goods.aspx?goodscode=406869953 

Outer packaging: Definitely attention-grabbing. It's such a nice Tiffany blue colour!

The Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB with SPF20 PA++ promises:

• Easy blending on skin
• Fully hydrated skin
• Covering up of facial blemishes
• Soft and bouncy skin

I'm most intrigued by its "jelly texture". That's not something you come by often! At first I thought it was all a gimmick, but no, I really fell in love with this BB Cream! 

Ingredient List

Do take note that if you have severe acne or skin inflammation, you need to avoid BB Creams. You need to avoid any form of makeup when you have such skin conditions. Let your skin breathe for a while! 

The BB Cream came with an application sponge, which is quite neat! This is the first time I see a sponge packaged together with the product. Also, it's not some low-quality sponge that will fall apart after several usages. It's a really dense sponge that's really great for even application on those hard to blend places (for example, the sides of your nose!).

Product packaging: I love this packaging!!! It's so cute with the floral design and the frosted glass actually made the product more expensive-looking. Holika Holika is very clever with this packaging. A cutesy exterior is coupled with a functional interior. The cap comes with an attached spatula for easy product scooping. BRILLIANT. It's more hygienic this way and you can control the amount of product you want to use. I am just IN LOVE.

Texture and consistency: The Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB with SPF20 PA++ definitely lives up to its "jelly" claims. It's a much thicker consistency than your usual liquid BB Creams, but once you blend it out, it becomes liquid. It's a unique texture, but I love it. The consistency is thicker at first, but after blending, you feel like you just applied moisturiser on your skin. Also, this BB Cream dries quite quickly. No irksome sticky feeling!! 

After application of Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB with SPF20 PA++

Before applying the Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB with SPF20 PA++

Coverage: It has a medium coverage. It will definitely not cover extremely red blemishes, but it does well in concealing bumps and veins. After applying one layer of the Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB with SPF20 PA++, I needed less concealer for my acne scars. Yay! Also, this BB Cream covers huge pores really well.

Application: This BB Cream applies like a dream. I'm not even exaggerating here. I don't know what chemical they included in the product, but once you blend the product out, you get this instant cooling sensation that is very pleasant on the skin. Imagine feeling this cooling sensation on a really hot and humid day!

One downside about the application is how cakey your face looks after you apply the second layer of product. I will suggest that the product is used sparingly because it's better to conceal using a concealer on certain areas than to look cakey on your entire face.

Also, I find that application with my fingers is much more easy than using the sponge. Some people will find the sponge a great help, but for me I have tossed the sponge aside. However, the fact that it came with the BB Cream is a good idea because it gives the users an alternative way of applying the product.

Longevity: As with all BB Creams, my skin tends to look oily after three or four hours. It's no biggie for me because I'll just either use an oil blotter or mattify my face using loose powder.

Here's a photo of me after applying the Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB with SPF20 PA++ and some concealer (and other eye makeup lah haha).

Will I buy it again? I will. And that's saying something because I don't like to use BB Creams frequently. The Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB with SPF20 PA++ proves to be a stellar BB Cream and it's definitely the BB Cream that I will recommend to everyone!!

If you're looking for a new BB Cream to try out, do get this one! It's really a great product!

Enjoy your weekend guys and hope this post has been useful! :)