The first time I ever heard about nose pore strips was back in the 90’s, when my college-level cousin would often be found with one stuck to her face. She used to lament about how it made her pores too big, so I shied away from it for a while. Eventually, the distaste for whiteheads/blackheads got the better of me, so I relented and bought some. It worked wonders and didn’t make my pores any bigger than usual (so long as it’s used just once a month). Pore packs ended up becoming a dermatologist-free way of doing ‘major renovations’ to my face.
As far as brands go, I haven’t been very adventurous. I prefer the pre-cut white strip-type that sticks to a wet nose like tape as opposed to the type that comes in liquid for that you have to layer over the skin yourself, because those never come out clean. My latest buy comes from Biore, a brand I’ve known and trusted since I was a kid:
Biore Aroma Collection in Jasmine
What drew me to it was mainly curiosity. seeing the pretty packaging and the different scents. (I remember there being a rose-scented one as well.) This line seems to be limited edition as I can’t find it in the official Biore site.
Ingredients
Previously, I’ve had bad experiences with black nose strips in that they tend to leave gunk on the skin after the strip is removed. Getting this was really just an impulse buy on my part.
Individual pack inside
It’s the same as the usual pore strips, shape and all. Same instructions: Wet nose, stick it on, let dry for 10-15 minutes, then gently peel off.
Textured outer part
What I find remarkable is the scent that sets it apart from all the others. Because it’s part of their aromatherapy collection, the strip had a Jasmine scent that wafted out strongly immediately after I tore open the pack. How to describe the scent… As a veteran drinker of Jasmine tea, I can definitively state that this doesn’t smell much like the tea. Instead, there’s a sticky, sweet Jasmine scent that reminds me of Jasmine Tea-flavored mochi. Definitely more cutesy than aromatherapeutic, but I didn’t mind.
I’m not going to post any photos of me using this or the resulting dirty strip because that’s all very gross. Instead, I’ll just post the “After” photo:
Still some gunk left, but minimal
While Biore’s cleansing oil was a clear, eye-stinging miss for me, their pore strips are great! The best part about the black ones are for when you want to see if the blackheads really do come off—and, boy, do they come off. Just be ready to wipe off some gunk after, especially when you’re using a black strip in hot weather.
Food + World + Me 