All posts tagged: skin care

Bioré Aqua Rich Whitening Essence*

Just a quick post to kind of get my bearings re: this blogging business. I received this a few weeks ago, and have been using it for a little over a month, if I’m not mistaken. So I think it’s time that I talk about it a bit. To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting much from the Bioré Aqua Rich Whitening Essence* mainly because it seems to be your standard sunscreen and, also, I tend to be automatically averse to anything that claims to “whiten” your complexion. Still, it was worth a shot. Bioré claims to be “Japan’s #1 sunscreen brand,” and judging from how this performed on me, I can see why. It’s incredibly pleasant to use, especially in this humidity. I find that it’s pretty impossible to find a sunscreen that doesn’t leave your face slick and oily, but this is a true gem. I’ve been using it, with pleasure, every day since I first tried it. It has the triple benefit of UV protection, hydration, and whitening (debatable as a “benefit!”), …

Kainda Sensuous Body Wash in Jasiri*

Hey all! We gotta stop meeting like this, I guess. I was gearing up for a Beauty Blog Revival, but then… I got a job! Like, a full-time gig, which I haven’t really had since 2010/2011. So, this explains my absence, I hope? I was losing interest in beauty for a while, too… in a way that it overwhelmed me, but I’m starting to get excited about it again, so that’s a great thing, I think. 🙂 Anyway, I wanted to post about something I’d been meaning to post for a while, but haven’t gotten around to. The upside is that I’ve been using it for a pretty long time and found that I still like it. The Kainda Sensuous Body Wash* (PHP 649) could just be your typical, run-of-the-mill body wash, except it’s not. Kainda is a pretty interesting brand to begin with: a plant-based, cruelty-free brand that places an emphasis on sustainability as well as utmost care for the self. Aside from bath products, they have laundry detergent and surface cleaners, for the …

Le Métier de Beauté BVVIP June and July 2015

August marks the beginning of the next cycle of the Le Métier de Beauté Beauty Vault VIP beauty subscription, and it’s the first time in the three short years it’s been up that I opted out of it. I think I have gone down a couple of notches in terms of beauty enthusiasm. So, even though a part of me is excited to learn what they’re sending to subscribers this year, I mostly think it’s a good decision for me to save my money instead. Anyway, I realized that I hadn’t shared what I got for the last two months of the sub—again with the absence of enthusiasm—so here’s what I got for June/July 2015. Items from the BVVIP usually pop up on eBay, so if something interests you, you could probably go check there! June 2015: Instant Line Perfecting Serum This is actually still a “coming soon” item on Dermstore, set to retail at $150. It’s a “heat-activated” anti-aging serum that targets lines and wrinkles. “Within seconds of applying Le Metier de Beaute Instant …

Skin Care Savior: Antipodes

A few months ago, I received the best surprise from Liz—a paper bag full of Antipodes! Antipodes is a premium natural skin care brand pioneering “scientific organic beauty.” Created in Aotearoa New Zealand, Antipodes sources its raw ingredients sustainably from the area’s unique native flora. Antipodes is one of the brands I’ve always been keen on trying (the Aura Manuka Honey Mask has been on my to-try list for a long time), but just never got around to since it’s a brand that had to be ordered online. Antipodes is locally available at Wellness Connect New Zealand, which has a store located at SM North EDSA Annex, Ground Floor. I was able to try out four products, and I’m going to write a brief review for each and tell you which ones I ended up liking. Antipodes Ananda Anti-Oxidant Rich Gentle Toner* (Php 1425, 100ml) — I’m suspicious about rose anything in my skin care; I don’t think my skin reacts all that well to it. This was a refreshing addition to my routine, though …

June Favorites

Short post dedicated to the stuff I was using last month that gave me a lot of happies. 🙂 I’m still pretty over the moon with them a week+ into July. Skin Care — Antipodes Worship Superfruit Antioxidant Serum* This stuff’s amazing, I’ve been using it a lot with different types of moisturizers and facial oils. It’s a little boost of antioxidants and my skin’s been loving it. — Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream* This is a light moisturizer that plays well with humidity and smells so, so good and fresh. It’s got Manuka honey and the same antioxidant concoction as the Worship serum. I don’t use this everyday, but it’s always a pleasant experience when I do. Makeup — Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder (Medium) I love this! I use this all the time, I don’t even use blush anymore. It’s a good contour powder and I mostly exclusively use this, putting aside even my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant Light because I can’t with the shimmer this summer. Anyway, again: I love …

Tony Moly Egg Pore Tightening Cooling Pack*

Hiya! I just washed off a strip of this stuff off my nose + a bit of my cheek area. It’s the Tony Moly Egg Pore Tightening Cooling Pack*, which is a most welcome source of relief from the heat and sweaty summer. Product Description The enhanced ice corset pore pack tightens open and loose pores seamlessly with a cooling effect that covers the pore. I’ve always been skeptical of pore packs (pores don’t “open” or “close”) but there are certain masks and products that reduce the appearance of enlarged pores, and this is one such product. It’s water-based and has kaolin clay as the second ingredient. Kaolin clay, even by itself, is widely used as a face mask since it absorbs oil. White Kaolin also has an astringent effect, removing impurities from the skin.

Kracie Natululu Natural Skin Conditioner*

I received these awesome “skin conditioners” a few days ago from Kracie* in the Rice Extract and Yuzu (Citrus) Extract variants. I don’t usually get too excited about body products, and I left these alone for a while until I saw them again on Liz’s Instagram. This moisture-rich skin conditioner/lotion comes in the form of a watery liquid that hydrates the skin without the greasy feeling. It’s also got a plant-based Ceramide Mixture that nourishes the skin. At first, the thought of the texture put me off—I thought it was going to be similar to body oil—but this is straight up liquid that gets absorbed into the skin fairly quickly. Which makes me love it because it’s hard to wait for lotion to dry before going out in this heat. Really pretty much the best summer companion! The Kracie Natululu Skin Conditioners* are allergy-tested, fragrance-free, less acidic, coloring-free, mineral oil-free. What’s awesome about it, too, is that it can be used for the face. I usually use a face oil, but if I want something …