All posts tagged: skin care

Tales from the top shelf: skin care update

Published by

Hello, friends. Today, we talk about skin care. Contrary to how I titled this post, I don’t actually reach for the top shelf when it comes to skin care (off to a great start, aren’t I?) — if it works, it works. I do enjoy trying new things, though I’ve scaled back the trying a lot. These are the skin care things currently in my rotation, in case you want to try new things, too. A caveat: I don’t currently have the best skin situation, though I can say that these have more or less taken care of my skin, under the stress of moving and changing temperatures, among other things. (I’m moving in a few weeks, and I thought it would be nice (lol) to say ‘hi’ from my current student halls bathroom. I have an ensuite — hallelujah.) On my very tiny shelf, I’ve got: micellar water and a face wash from the drugstore — nothing to write home about; they get the job done! I also have a face scrub in the …

New Loves: 2016

Published by

Hey everyone, I’m alive. I just wanted to take a bit of time to write about some (admittedly kind of boring, but still amazing) things that I’ve been enjoying during the year so far. To be honest, I haven’t been that adventurous with makeup in a while. I’ve been working part-time and I usually have to throw on a quick lewk before dashing out the door. In any case, what I’ve got here are just essentials, really, to my routine lately. I tried to pick the items I haven’t really spoken about at length here before. Just a disclaimer: most of this post is made up of items that are gifted by friends and family or sent by PR teams, as that’s the only time I’ve been able to really test new stuff out. I’ve cut down on my spending (on makeup, at least) a lot as I’m saving up for trips later on in the year. Lucas’ Pawpaw Ointment One of my mom’s brothers has been based in Australia for a while with his …

Sample Stash Sunday No. 1

Published by

I’ve been doing Sample Stash Sundays for a few years on this blog, and the feature comes and goes, and actually focuses on specific samples at a time. Well, in an effort to destash my samples and keep them from wasting away, I made a dedicated attempt at using them up. But, I’m going to be posting the little reviews in groups. So, we’re going to start back at “No. 1.” Because I said so. Here’s a look at my first batch of samples, some of which were tried from late last year. Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Treatment Mask* This was honestly a great moisturizing mask, but I am just really averse to creams you wipe away from your face. I just don’t like that sensation. This was very effective in moisturizing my face, though, especially taking care of the dry patches around my mouth area, which regular moisturizers tend to leave dry. Recommend if you don’t mind wiping off product from your face. GLAMGLOW POWERMUD™ Dualcleanse Treatment Mask This stung the shit out of …

New Discoveries from Indie Lee

Published by

The Indie Lee Blemish Lotion and Calendula Eye Balm aren’t necessarily new items, but they are new to me. I was wrestling with a weirdly relentless bout of acne and was a little desperate for a spot treatment, so in the bin the Blemish Lotion went. I was also looking for a replacement for my current eye cream, which is by One Love Organics. It was okay, as far as moisture went, but I was also in the mood to try something else. The Blemish Lotion ($26; shop here) is a talc-free spot treatment, where you let a 100% natural solution of colloidal sulfur, zinc oxide, salicylic acid, magnesium aluminum silicate, camphor, and iron oxide settle onto the bottom of a bottle of water and isopropyl alcohol. You dip a cotton swab in the settled sediment and apply to spots, over a few hours or overnight. I swear, this has been a game changer for me. I tend to get really persistent spots around my nose area, but this calmed them down after just one …

Updated Skin Care Routine, December 2015

Published by

Okay, I’m about to look like a crazy, and honestly, you don’t need this much shit in your life, probably. I started getting into skin care when I started getting into makeup. My skin wasn’t doing worse necessarily, but I was made more acutely aware of what my skin type was and what it needed. I’ve mainly had pretty good skin for most of my life. I had like a disgusting rash on my cheek in grade 5, but other than that, no acne or very much breakouts except for hormonal ones like when I get my period. My skin got a little more high maintenance as I grew older, though. I honestly used to just let the water run down my face in the shower (lol), didn’t even use soap or any kind of moisturizer. But I think that wearing makeup and probably the stress of like adult life or whatever took a toll. I can’t really say for sure. All I know is that I want to take care of my skin, and …

Scrub the Day Away

Published by

I don’t remember the last time I’ve exclusively used bath soap, favoring shower gels and meshy bath sponges in the last couple of years. As such, I have an extensive array of shower gels (another story for another day). Washing away grime doesn’t feel quite complete without a little bit of exfoliation, either. I received the Keekai Charcoal Sponge* in the mail a few weeks ago. I thought it would replace my regular mesh bath sponge, but it doesn’t give the same kind of cleansing grit that I like, so I use it after my normal/regular cleansing. If you don’t like too-rough exfoliation, this might be perfect for you. The charcoal sponge can be used alone or with your cleanser, as it’s a little hard to completely rinse away the cleanser from the sponge. It’s gentle enough to use for the face, too (though I haven’t used it back on my face after using it on my body). The charcoal sponge is great to massage the skin to stimulate blood flow. (Activated) charcoal is also …

Burt’s Bees Holiday 2015 Sets

Published by

My go-to gifts for people whose wishlists I’m not privy to are books and holiday sets. I’m such a sucker for these, so imagine my delight when I came home to a bunch of Burt’s Bees Holiday Sets for 2015*. These didn’t come with any PR information, so I don’t even think they were expecting me to post anything—i.e. this post may or may not be helpful—but like I said. I’m a sucker for efficiency and gift sets—especially when they come so cutely packaged! Beeswax Lip Balm and Moisturizing Lip Balm in Wild Cherry The beeswax lip balm (Php 325) is perhaps what Burt’s Bees is most well-known for. I’m a fan of these myself, as are the rest of my family, even my brother who is kind of wary of most “beauty” products. Everyone could use a bit of lip balm, though, right? The beeswax lip balm comes in a tin, too, which contains more product, but although this incarnation is not as physically appealing, I do prefer not having to dip my fingers …