(Skincare) My Sunscreen Duds and Hit

Finding a sunscreen didn't use to be such a big deal before. One would usually just go to the supermarket and grab a tube of Neutrogena, Beach Hut or Banana Boat sunscreen, pay at the counter then go home and slap on that thick, oily cream and be done with it. But with the entry of Asian sunscreens with different textures, finishes, scents, and ingredients, things are now more complicated and sophisticated. Add to that the weather here in the Philippines which changes from wet and humid during the rainy season to dry and very humid in the summer, it would seem that choosing sunscreens is no longer a walk in the park.

Yadah Sun Slush, VMV Armada Face Cover 30, Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence

The first sunscreen I used ever is the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence, a very popular Japanese sunscreen due to its finish and texture. It has a lightweight, gel-cream texture which is very different from the heavy and thick American sunscreens we're used to. It also dries down to a dewy finish preferred by some people. Unfortunately, for someone who has combination and sensitive skin like me, this sunscreen makes my face oily instead of dewy. Also, the alcohol in this sunscreen irritates my skin and turns my face red upon application. After a couple of months of using Biore Watery Essence, I had to admit that it was not doing my skin any good and I had to remove it from my daily routine.

I tried the VMV Armada Face Cover SPF 30 next which proved to be a big no-no for my skin. I was attracted to this local brand because they catered to sensitive like mine. However, I didn't take into account the texture of the product when I bought it. It was a cream and it was too much for my oily-combination skin. One time, I applied it on top of my moisturizer before going to the grocery with my husband. When he took a look at my face while driving, he asked me what I put on my face because it was so shiny and oily. Needless to say, I stopped using it even if there was still half of the tube left.

After the two duds, it took me a long time to find another sunscreen that fits my requirements. First, it should have no alcohol. Second, it should contain little to no chemical sunscreens (specifically oxybenzone and avobenzone) because I am still breastfeeding my daughter. Third, it shouldn't be a cream and lastly, the price should be reasonable. My research brought me towards Yadah Oh My Slush Sunscreen. It doesn't contain alcohol, it was in a gel formula, it had fairly safe chemical sunscreen ingredients and it was affordable. To be honest, this sunscreen is still not perfect mainly because of the finish. It leaves a dewy-almost-oily finish but it isn't something a bit of powder can't solve. It doesn't feel heavy though so it's quite alright.

Yadah, VMV and Biore

Yadah seems to have small capsules that dissolved upon further rubbing. VMV had a bit of a white cast while Biore had a yellow tinge.

After more rubbing, Yadah and Biore are almost fully absorbed while the VMV seems to sit on top of the skin.

15 minutes after, most of the sunscreen are absorbed but left a visible oily film on the skin, particularly with VMV.

I am still on the lookout for that perfect, holy grail sunscreen so if you guys have any recommendations, feel free to share in the comment box. Till next time!

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(NOTW) - Essie Ballet Slippers

It's been a long time since I had a proper mani, about four months to be exact, when I attended my sister-in-law's wedding and had a gel manicure done. This would have been totally unheard of of me four years ago when I was so into nail polishes. I used to subscribe to several nail blogs and updated myself of new releases from OPI, Zoya, China Glaze and Essie, my favorite brand. I'd compare swatches and saved them on my phone then ordered polishes online or bought at Watsons (which used to sell China Glaze). When I got pregnant and gave birth, getting manicures became futile because they didn't last more than two days on me and nobody ain't got time for that!

When I decided to revive this blog, I thought it was a good time to rekindle my love for nail polishes. And what better way to do that than featuring one of my favorite neutral polishes - the classic Ballet Slippers from Essie. To be honest, this shade was not even on my radar when I started hoarding nail polishes as I was all about 'em blues and greens. I had a change of heart last year when I realized that green and blue nails seemed a bit Monsters Inc.-ish and unnatural. Nudes and neutrals suddenly appealed to me as being low maintenance, clean and polished (get it? haha).

Even Hello Kitty loves the Essie bottle

In the bottle, Ballet Slippers is a super light peach with a tinge of pink mixed in. On the nails it looks the same but under artificial lighting, the pink tone is more apparent.

Ballet Slippers on mah nails!

Application was quite easy compared to other pastel shades, meaning it was a bit streaky but evened out when I put top coat. The end result was a slightly streaky but decent manicure.

Under direct sunlight - my hand looks so tan!

I painted two coats on my nails which was still not opaque but I prefer this slightly translucent look that has a bit of softness to it.

Pale polishes for the win!!!

I seriously didn't think I'd crush on this color as much as I do now but ever since OPI's It's In the Clouds from last year's Soft Shades Collection (which will be another blog post), I became a convert. Now my motto is "Once you go light, you'll always be right!" (cue the cheesy hollers).

As for you, what's your favorite pale polish? Any suggestions for this pastel hoarding miss?

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(Skincare) Mini K-beauty Haul at SM Department Store

I've been interested in skincare products, particularly Asian brands, for a long time now. It started with a local brand, V&M, which specializes in making bar soaps and other skincare products from emu oil and other sustainable materials. Then I branched out to buying Korean and Japanese products when my husband was assigned in Hong Kong and things were more accessible and cheaper at Sasa and Bonjour stores scattered all over the islands.

When I got pregnant, I decided to stop using any product on my face except for Physiogel cleanser. It has almost been three years since then. Then late last year, I started buying sheet masks and nose pads to start taking care of my skin again. My skin has become dull and shiny during my postpartum days and I realized I had to start building a routine again to combat dullness and skin darkening. Until now, I am still fine-tuning my routine but things are slowly getting better although now I also have to treat my chin acne which developed when I re-started my skincare regimen (so weird and so sad).

My small shopping haul

Last weekend, we dropped by SM Department Store at Cubao which carries a few Korean brands, specifically Tony Moly (I was looking for anything with cute packaging), Etude House, Holika Holika, Naruko (a Taiwanese company) and Biore (Japanese manufacturer of well-loved sunscreens). I got the items below which cost around P800, a bit expensive but I was really interested in everything I bought.

Naruko Tea Tree Shine Control and Blemish Clear Mask

I wanted to try Naruko masks for the longest time so I finally bit the bullet and bought this one from their Tea Tree line which claims to fight acne and oiliness. It costs around P80, similarly priced to sheet masks from well-known Korean brands.

Pimple Eraser, spot treatment for acne and blemishes caused by acne

This super handy spot treatment ointment is a repurchase since I found it effective in lightening blemish marks and treating active acne. Ever since I used this, my chin acne flattened more quickly and new ones are suppressed from forming. Acne marks also got lighter more quickly. Overall, a really effective product at a super cheap price, only P50 to be exact!

Tony Moly Magic Food Banana Lip Balm and Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Shade 35

Lastly, the highlight of my mini-haul are these Tony Moly Lip Balm in a banana (a banana?!) packaging and Maybelline concealer in Shade 35. I was looking for a concealer which could cover my blemishes from acne and after looking around for a bit, I saw this one from Maybelline which matched my skin tone really well and covered the dark spots acceptably. I also saw this banana lip balm when I was looking for something cute at Tony Moly. It was a bit expensive though, almost P400, but I felt that it was what my dry lips needed when I tested it at the store.

I plan to share my skincare routine in the future so I hope you keep tuned in for that. How about you, what are the products that you bought lately? Did they perform as you expected?

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Review - Braun Silk Epil 7681

My new Braun Silk Epil 7681 Epilator

After much thought and lemming, I finally finally bought myself an epilator. Yey for me who have gone through all sorts of methods of hair removal, from the relatively simple shaving, painful hot waxing, quick-fix depilatory creams, cheap Veet waxes, and my most recent discovery - the uber-convenient waxing salons. (I still have an unused tub of cold wax which I have yet to try.) I tried them all since high school. 

Razors offered a quick-fix to my hair problems but had the least flattering effect which were thicker hair growth, chicken skin and darker underarms.

Hot waxing was painful and might cause slight burn marks but the hair took longer to grow back.

Depilatory creams were fairly easy to use but hair grew back faster though not as fast as with shaving.  Creams don't offer even hair removal as some were left even after leaving the cream on for the recommended time.

Waxes were easier to use and hair was pulled from its growth. Produced good results though it requires some getting used to especially when waxing hard to reach areas.

Waxing salons produced professional results and are fairly convenient if there are salons located near one's house. The price is the only con of going to salons to get your waxing done.

I have been visiting wax salons for the past few months for my hair problems but I recently felt that visiting them are a bit time consuming because I have to go to malls to have my legs and underarms done. Plus, they cost more compared to just waxing myself. So when I chanced upon a Bubzbeauty Youtube video on underarm hair removal and discovered the epilator, I got curious. I read about epilators and how much they cost and found out that these are good investments because even if prices range from  HKD400 to HKD1000 or Php2,240 to Php5,600, these things last for 10-15 years. Imagine the money I could save! This aside, epilators nowadays are high-tech - some can be used for different parts of the body, some even have trimmers/shaver heads and some can be used in both dry and wet settings. They are even rechargeable now! The only downside that I read about epilators is that they are quite painful so I began thinking that I might be unable to handle the pain if most people found it almost unbearable. But due to my hubby's pushing, I decided to buy one and, boy, am I so glad I did.


Before I bought mine, I did a lot of research on the best epilator brands and models. According to the Net, leading epilator brands are Braun, Panasonic, Philips. There are actually several other more but they were not as globally famous as those that I've mentioned. I also found out that Braun, as a brand, offers high-quality and long-lasting products so I looked at the epilator line of Braun and found the newest line which was the Silk Epil. To be honest, Silk Epil wasn't really my initial choice because I didn't think that I'll be using the epilator in the bathroom so no need for a wet and dry one. However, the store that we went to no longer carries the older models so I grabbed the 7681 instead. And what I really liked about the 7681 just by looking at the package was its various attachments. Now, I'm not really a gadget-y type of person but I thought that the different heads of the 7681 will give me better results as I epilate different body parts. For example, I can use the one with the massage rollers when epilating my legs and the one with the smallest head for my underarm.

The Silk Epil 7681 comes with an epilator head and shaver head with 5 caps, one for shaving/trimming and 4 for epilating with different hole sizes for different body parts.

The cap holes vary in sizes for the face, underarm, leg and body. The shaver head also has its own trimmer cap.

The epilator head has 40 tweezers to remove your hair for you.  Looks a  bit intimidating, no?

The epilator has a built-in light to guide you as you epilate and it has two speeds, fast and faster. Haha.

Now here's a look at my legs before and after using the Braun Silk Epil 7681. The hairy one is my right leg and the "smooth" one is my left leg. :D

My hairy right leg. It looks like it's from a guy. (Embarassed...)

Closer look at my hairy leg. The hair looks lighter here because of the direct sunlight.

My smooth leg after epilating.

Here's a closer look.

Notice the red marks on my leg? These means that the hair was pulled out from the roots.

As soon as I got home after buying my Silk Epil, I immediately tried it on my legs to see if I can get salon results from it. To be honest, I was really scared because the tweezers looked so "Texas Chainsaw-ish" and also because of the pain which most users reported so I went really slowly from my ankle to the middle of my shin at first. I was pleasantly surprised when I started because I felt no pain at all but please don't take my word on this. My legs have been through several sorts of waxing torture and the nerves on my legs have probably shriveled up after years of "abuse". After I realized that this wasn't so difficult at all, I zipped through my lower leg and up to my knees and upper leg. This was where things got trickier. Because of the bones on my knees, I had to go slower to make sure that I got all the hair. It is also recommended to epilate bended knees instead of having your legs stretched out. When I moved on to my upper legs, I felt a bit of a pull because I never really waxed my them before. But again, it wasn't really painful, perhaps just a bit uncomfortable.

After around 10 minutes, I was done with one leg. I was so happy with the results because I now had one hair-free leg and it didn't take much time and effort. I was even able to get the hair from the back of my legs which is quite a challenge doing by oneself. After a couple of minutes, both my legs were done and the results were what I expected and more. I was feeling so empowered by my hairless legs that I thought doing my underarms would be just as easy. Unfortunately for me, it was a completely different story.

I changed the massage roller cap for the one with the second to the smallest hole and began epilating my underarm. I couldn't pull the skin taut so my skin got tweezed instead at some point. The hair was also not as manageable and were deeply rooted so I had to go over some parts twice and thrice before they were pulled out. It was quite difficult and painful because my skin got pinched and bled as a result. But I knew that I was still on my learning curve and I just had to try different things to get better results.

After a week, some hair were growing out already but I didn't have to fret anymore because I had my Silk Epil with me. :D Although some hair grew under the skin, a quick exfoliation fixed the problem and I could remove them again with my Silk Epil. As for my UA hair, I discovered that using the massage roller cap worked best because the other caps often stuck to the skin instead of just gliding over. Also, it was easier for me to epilate my UA lying down with a pillow under my shoulders to stretch out the skin completely. Overall, I am satisfied with my new epilator and I'm pretty sure I'll make the most out of it in the next coming years.

What I liked about the Braun Silk Epil 7681:
- Its classic, clean and sturdy design - The white color and silver font made the epilator look classy and beautiful.
- The shaver and trimmer head - I'm sure my hubby will be borrowing this when his goatee gets too long.
- Built-in light - I initially thought that this will be useless but during the epilation, I saw that the light beamed exactly on the area I was working on so I could see if I got everything out or not.

What I disliked about the Braun Silk Epil 7681:
- The noise! - It was unexpectedly loud! It seemed like I was sawing my leg off instead of just removing the hair because of the sound coming from the epilator. It even seemed like the longer you have it turned on, the louder it got so if you've got noise-sensitive housemates, I suggest you wait for them to go out of the house before whipping this thing out and using it because the sound could  be a little disturbing for them. 
- The battery life - A single charge gave me around 30-40 minutes of use. It was "just" enough for epilating my legs and underarms but I won't have time left for other body parts. But since I could still use the epilator while charging, this doesn't really pose much of a problem except if you forgot to bring the cord. 


Would I buy it again? Probably not because I'm sure by the time this one dies on me, Braun would already have newer and better models.

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Skin Care Products Haul

It's so nice to be back here. I haven't had enough time to post entries in the past few months because the hubby was assigned here in Hong Kong and I was kept busy with house stuff. Anyway, I have more than ample time now since I went on a 2-week vacation (weeee!) from work and am now here in Hong Kong with my husband.

One good thing about Hong Kong, aside from the multitudes of tourist spots and activities for foreigners, is their beauty stores carry several brands of skin care and make-up products from different countries. Some are cheaper than in the Philippines, some have almost the same price but some are more expensive here. So here goes my "Hong Kong Beauty Haul" - note that all of the products I bought here are not locally made but are from Japan, Korea and Germany. :D

Skin Care Products Haul

I'm going to run through my purchases according to my daily routine so let's start with the facial washes first. :D

Skinfood Lemon Tea Salt Mask Foam

This Skinfood Mask Foam was an impulse buy because as hubby and I were passing by Skinfood's store, I saw a poster in front of the store that this was on promo for HKD66 only. When I was going to pay for the item, I was told by the cashier that I can only avail of the promo if I buy a regular priced item with this (grrr...) so I grabbed another item which is from their new line of Fresh Apple products. All in all, I spent HKD221 for both. :-(

Hada Labo AHA+BHA Foam Facial Wash

This was definitely not an impluse buy. I've been reading about Hada Labo products for a couple of months now and I was happy to find this product in Sasa. I bought this wash because of its AHA+BHA components which are said to clean pores and reveal new skin. It's, I think, a sort of mild exfoliator so I need to put on sunscreen after using this.

Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Essence with Free Aquamoist Moisture Lotion

I bought this for the HA essence which is a more potent form of moisturizer. The Moisture Lotion that came with it is a toner which also has moisturizing effects. One must use the Lotion first before the essence; essence is recommended for nightly use because it is richer and might cause oiliness. 

Natural Juju Moisture Aloe Milk

I bought this instead of the Milk/Moisturizer with HA because I already have the essence and toner which contains HA. I hope that this product will give me a dewy, moisturized look.

Skinfood Fresh Apple Mild Pore Peeling Gel

I didn't bring my black sugar face exfoliator with me here in Hong Kong so I "impulsively" grabbed this from the display so I can also avail of the promo for the Lemon Tea and Salt Mask of Skinfood.

Tomato Fresh Pack

Just for the price of this product at HKD33, I know that I will love this face pack. I used a tomato based organic soap before and I saw improvement on my face so I was on the lookout for any tomato-based pack. I hope I will can get that fresh, pinkish glow again from using this product.

Well, that's all of my new purchases. I spent a lot of HKD for skin care products and I feel a bit guilty about buying these. On the other hand, I just had to grab the opportunity of getting these because they are not available back in the Philippines except via ebay. I just hope that I'll be able to get my money's worth from these purchases.

 

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Product Review - V&M Lulur and Royal Pearl Soap

I was introduced to V&M products twice - one was through an office mate whom I noticed was getting better skin (less acne and more even skin color). The other instance was through my sister-in-law who has near flawless, smooth, fair skin. Of course, the vain person that I am, I decided to try out the V&M skin care line to see how it will work for me.

V&M (which stands for Venus and Mars) is a small, family-owned company based in Manila. The owners started selling organic skin care products online and they have been participating in bazaars and even had stalls in some malls at some point. Their specialize in making and selling emu oil-based soaps, creams, makeup and other skin care products. When I looked at their online store (Venus & Mars Online Shop) to shop, I saw that two of their products had the most comments. One was for their Lulur Soap and the other was under their Royal Pearl variant. I decided to try these two out first because a lot of people ordered them and were raved about for the positive effects on their skin. I ordered the 60g Lulur Soap and the 120g Royal Pearl Soap.

Lulur Soap (yellow bar) and Royal Pearl Soap (white bar)

Because the V&M site said that their soaps melt easily, I cut the soap bars into smaller pieces before I used them. I also made sure that I had a soap dish ready so they'll dry when not in use. While cutting them, I had a whiff of the Royal Pearl's melony, fruity, sweet scent. It made my mouth water instantly because the smell was so appetizing. As for the Lulur Soap, it smelled a bit sour and sweet at the same time. According to the website, it has a mango scent but it took me a long time before I could identify the smell as mango. Anyway, I decided to use the Lulur Soap for my body since my coloring is uneven and darker in hidden areas. Besides, Lulur consists of strong ingredients that might be too harsh so one is discouraged to use it for the face. Hence, I decided to use the Royal Pearl Soap instead.

To be honest, I was so excited to start using these soaps because I really want to have better skin. On my first day of use, I stuck with the instructions on how best to use the products. I lathered the soap on my skin and let it be absorbed - 10 minutes for the body and 5 minutes for the face. It made my bath time enjoyable and refreshing because I got to stay in the shower longer and the bathroom was infused with this fruity, sweet scent that I just love.

As for the effect on my skin, I immediately noticed that my face had smaller and fewer blackheads and a more even coloration after a week. I used to have darker skin on the sides of my nose and chin because I tend to rub those areas with cotton balls + toner to get rid of the big blackheads that always mushroom there. I also had two dark scars from zits on my cheeks that refused to go away even when I used facial scrubs weekly. I noticed that these dark areas got brighter and now, after a week of use, they almost match the coloring of the rest of my face. I expect that after one more week of using the Royal Pearl Soap, I'll get a completely even complexion for my face. I also hope that the rest of my blackheads will disappear or lessen substantially after months of constantly using the Royal Pearl Soap. On the other hand, I'm a little disappointed with the effects of Lulur Soap on my body. I was hoping that my chest acne will gradually decrease as I continue using the soap. However, it has been two weeks now and there is no apparent improvement for my acne problem. But this does not mean that I see no improvement for my skin. In fact, I noticed that my bikini area got a tad lighter and the soles of my feet are softer compared to when I was not using Lulur Soap yet. Aside from that, I noticed that I did not develop round, irritated, red marks that I always get after waxing my legs. My legs did not even get irritated after I used bath salt the day after I waxed which is a big no-no. My skin also looks moisturized now even if I don't use lotion so I guess, the moisturizing effect of emu oil really does work.

My Verdict
Below is my before picture. I look awful here so I hope you already ate breakfast. Hehe.

Notice that I have a couple of dark spots on my cheek. The sides of my nose are also darker than the rest of my face (plus the shadows, of course). And yes, that group of smaller spots on my cheeks are pores which are just humongous. My face is also redder and darker compared to my neck's complexion.
















This is me after two weeks of Royal Pearl Soap use. The picture quality is much better here so the improvement here is also caused by better lighting and camera settings.

The sides of my nose are considerably whiter than before. The pimple marks are also lighter and the coloring of my face is almost even with my neck's skin tone.


















I will continue using this product for the next few months or so until I achieve the skin that I am aiming for. I'm quite confident that V&M products will be able to deliver what they promise because in the small amount of time that I've used it, I already saw marked improvements in my skin condition. However, I am a still a little hesitant in recommending their products to everyone not because I don't think they work - they do, actually - but because the effects could take a bit longer to see for some or most people. For me, V&M products would have to be used religiously before one can reap the beautiful results she/he is aiming for. Aside from the fact that their soaps are on the pricey side, you also need to order them online because they are not available in groceries or supermarkets yet. If one is committed to shelling out that extra money and exerting that added effort into beautifying her/his skin, then by all means, start using V&M. But if you're the type of person who tries things just because of the hype or who wants immediate results, you'll probably end up disappointed.

As a side note, please make sure to do a patch test first before using the product since some of the ingredients might cause allergies. Don't do as I did when I began using their soap because as soon as I received my purchases/soaps, I immediately got the knife to cut them into smaller pieces then went to the bathroom to slather them on my skin. All thoughts about allergies and safety flew right out of the window - that was how excited I was to use the products. Thankfully, I did not develop allergic reactions after my bath. But this I have to reiterate, do not use this product without doing a patch test first.

(For my next purchase, I will be buying their CPC+G Whitening Treatment, their Bare It All Emu Cream and the Lulur and Royal Pearl Soaps. So stay tuned for my next V&M review which will be in a few month's time. Hey, I'm not done yet with my last purchase. I have to finish those off first before I order again and do my next review. Let me know too how your experience with V&M was and let's compare results. :D Ciao!)

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