Archive for 2015

When the snail slime filtrate trend hit two years ago, I jumped on board and bought this online. Snail slime is known for having amazing skincare benefits such as lightening hyperpigmentation and scars, reducing lines and wrinkles, and improving the texture of the skin. Who wouldn't want that in their skincare? So I was on board!

Mizon is one of the brands well known for their snail filtrate line. Although there are more heavyweight products raved by many, I chose this small tube of snail filtrate gel to test how it would fare for me.

Korean labeling

I first started using this on my entire face, because hey I want the benefits on my face, but my face didn't fell in love with it. It kind of just seated on my face without being absorbed. Or maybe I was just putting on too much? Not to mention that I have extremely oily skin so I really didn't like the extra layer on my face.

Don't get me wrong, it was an nice gel - texture-wise. It's not gooey like you would have imagined. Nor does it smell gross. It actually smell quite nice.

Repurpose

Anyway, after several months of just keeping it in the drawer, I found another use for it. Wounds! Which have very recently turned into scars, just right after the scabs got peeled off. And it's a wonder using this snail gel on them! It doesn't take long before the scars lighten and/or disappear completely.

My sister also got a wound/scar on her shoulder after a fall and hitting a furniture and she thought she will be scarred for life! I let her use this and we could literally see a huge difference in the scar's color and prominence within weeks. :D

Repurchase?

So will I buy this again? Definitely. I also want to try out the cream formula in case that would suit my face better.

That's all for my review. Thanks for stopping by! :)

And I also want to announce to the world that I recently opened an Instagram account solely dedicated to my beauty blog. :) I would really love for you to check it out. And maybe follow? :D

How about you? Have you tried snail slime in your skincare yet?

There will come a moment in every beauty enthusiast's life when she will allow herself to look like an alien --- all for the sake of beauty. That moment for me was a few months ago when I first started using Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. I should have taken a picture of my family's expression when they saw me with this mask on walking around the house. Haha! I deserve an applause for this milestone fulfilled. All I needed were cucumber slices and I would have graced my niece's instagram account for being a sight to behold.

Anyway, green alien or not, I jumped at the chance to try out this masque when I saw this at Healthy Options. I've been hearing good reviews on Youtube about this, and this being targeted to oily skin gals, I think it's just the product for me.

I've tried other types of masks before - peel off and sheets, but I've got to say that I enjoy the wash-off type best. It's easy to apply because the consistency is like paste, and it dries up fast so I can go walk around and do chores even with this on.

Washing up is easy too. It doesn't take up too much time unlike with peel-offs which doesn't peel in one go so you have to spend time peeling each piece.

The scent when you first put this on is like toothpaste. But after a while it smells like swamp. It took me a while to figure out the scent. Mud... Clay... Until it hits me - a swamp. And the scent lasts too, even after you rinse off. That is the only thing I don't like about this mask.

It says on the label to leave this on for 5-10 minutes. I usually go beyond that. Other reviews online says they do so too. I don't apply this regularly though. Once every two weeks or once a month, because I forget. :) Sometimes when I feel like I have gunk on my face - clogged pores, whiteheads, oil - I put this on to suck out most of it then use a gentle scrub afterwards on the nose and cheeks to really get all the gunk out. That pretty much makes it smooth again. :)

And yeah, don't forget to moisturize afterwards because that combo can be so drying.

Overall, I am happy to have tried this mint julep mask from Queen Helene. It serves its purpose of removing excess oil and drawing out impurities.

Would I buy this again? Definitely.

That's all for my review. Thanks for taking the time to read it. :) Let me know in the comments if you have tried this mask before and your thoughts about it. :)

Don't forget to subscribe to my bloglovin', twitter and facebook pages. Have a nice day!

This is one of the few bar soaps I made an effort to actually search for in different stores. I discovered this years and years ago when I was still living in Zamboanga and I just picked out the product because it looks curious and because I'm adventurous with products that way. There are a lot of people I know who stick to whatever they're used to using. Same soap, shampoo, face cleanser... Same ice cream, cake, pizza flavors. >.< But not this girl. :) I believe the only way to discover the best is by trying out different stuff - variants/flavors... For instance, I feel like my sister should really thank me for introducing her to Bear Brand's milk with ginseng or gingko biloba because I am 100% sure she would never ever ever pick those up on her own. And she loves it! *feeling under-appreciated*

As for this soap, the yogurt soap from Yoko smells heavenly right out of the box. It smells just like milk. It's a bit sad though that the scent doesn't last a long time but it's enough to make showering pleasurable.

The packaging is nice too, nicer than your average bath soap. It comes in a pink box and inside the bar of soap is wrapped in paper and sealed with gold sticker.

The soap feels creamy on the skin. It isn't too hard like most soaps, and it isn't similar in texture to papaya/carrot/kojic soaps. I could best compare it to Dove's soaps except that Dove's is a bit grainier/grittier than this.

The effect on my skin is amazing. I have extremely dry skin on my body and using this has reduced the dry marks/desert-like appearance. It feels softer and smoother too.

Verdict

The combination of scent, texture, and effect makes the Yoko Yogurt Soap a winner in my book. It is also priced at P50 only so it is pretty affordable. The only downside I can think of is that I only found this in Zamboanga and nowhere in Manila when I was there. There were Yoko Yogurt Bath Salts being sold, but the bar soap isn't available.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this quick review. Please follow me on bloglovin', twitter, and facebook for more reviews and updates.

Have a nice day!

Today I'm posting about Etude House's Bright Fit BB Cream. I've had this for more than a year now and it's still far from being empty. There have been new releases of Etude House BB creams of the same line, but back then I only had the option of getting Bright Fit or Cotton Fit. Cotton Fit as I remember is the one for oily skin, and which I should have gotten, but I was in love with the sample I got from Etude of this exact shade and variant which I have today.

Dang, I promised to get the Cotton Fit one when I run out of this, and one year and a half later I still haven't used this up.

Korean labeling
But you can understand that it has brightening properties and spf 30.
And to use it within 12 months :/

I use only half a pump for my entire face and another half for the neck that's why it still hasn't run out. Not to mention that I go with only using powder on some days when I don't have time to apply bb cream.

Half a pump is actually enough to even out the skin tone. I use my fingers to apply in a patting motion. That way, it doesn't look cakey and obvious on the face.

W13 looks slightly lighter than my skin but it could also just be the white cast because of the spf. As you can see on the swatch above, it evens out the tone pretty well and adds a subtle glow to it. The glow was the reason I chose Bright Fit over Cotton Fit, because I am not into extremely matte looks. This has proven to be a problem in the long run because I have extremely oily skin and the grease starts to show within a couple of hours. Oil sheets and powders help --- for now.

I think I would try next working from a matte base then adding highlighter to get the glow I am looking for. Might take more steps in the morning, but it would save me time from blotting the rest of the day.

Overall I like:

that it evens out my skin tone
gives a subtle glow
has a pump for easy and hygienic dispensing
has spf 30
has whitening, anti-darkening, and anti-aging properties
has enough product to last a long time
no distinguishable smell

What I don't like:

the white cast
makes me greasy (but that's my fault for choosing the wrong variant)
too bulky to carry when travelling

Repurchase?

Although I enjoy this BB cream, I will not buy this again. I will however scour though the new variants available at Etude House to find one that fits my skin type better. ;)

What are your favorite BB creams?

More like what can fit in my bag? I have upgraded to a yet smaller bag (this is the smallest I went so far) and now I have to keep the contents to the barest essentials. Like --- my hair's in a ponytail, I won't bring a comb --- kind of minimalist.

The bag is a Mango blue Saffiano-effect cross body bag. It has black chrome plated hardware and a long adjustable strap.

Two open compartments plus a zippered one in between. The strap is looped around the flap and can be removed for when you want to use the bag as a clutch.

There isn't actually much space in this bag. It might look wide enough to hold more things looking from the outside, but only my phone and lip gloss can fit in one of the compartments.

The 6 things I cannot live without:

phone --- I'm trying to not be tethered to my phone but I can't leave the house without a phone.
wipes --- There is a smaller package (about half of this one) which would be perfect to carry in my bag. This one is from Watsons, around P20 per pack.
oil blotting paper --- An oily-skinned girl's bestfriend. This one's from Daiso.
lip gloss --- This Coralista tube won as the smallest and slimmest lippie in my makeup collection, so it's going straight into the bag. I can also put this on top of any lipstick I'm wearing and it doesn't alter the look I'm going for (which is actually just naturally fresh most of the time). Plus I also need to use this up. :)
card case --- for identification and stuff. Membership and advantage cards are also housed in this convenient case.
money --- goes straight into the zipped compartment because there's just no space for a wallet.

I can also sneak in a comb and candies. :D

I'm actually pleased to have such a small bag. I used one of my bigger handbags recently and there's the usual habit of "I might need this, I'll bring this" 'til my bag is as heavy as if I brought the entire house with me.

Having a small bag forces me to decide and bring only the things that I know I would really use.

Where I bought it

Bought at P585 from the original price of P1950 at Zalora. It's one of the best deals I've had so far. There's always a sale every now and then and the discounts are incredible. The whole transaction was also smooth and fast. It's actually a pleasure to shop.

The quest for my MLBB (my lips but better) color is over! I found it in Happy Skin's Shut Up and Kiss Me Lip and Cheek Mousse in the color The Morning After. In my previous post which is another Happy Skin lippie review, I mentioned that I was searching for this particular shade because I was suspecting that this would match my natural lip color perfectly, but sadly it was sold out everywhere. That just shows how beautiful the color is. And that's why I picked up another color instead.

Last May, when I read from other blogs that The Morning After is making a comeback albeit in a different formula, I checked it out on the Happy Skin website right away, fearing to be left behind once again.

And maybe it was a blessing in disguise that I didn't get the color in crayon form, because a lip mousse that can double as a blush is pretty heaven sent to me.

The packaging too is a win for me, not that I don't love the lip crayons. But this one looks elegant and more mature than the ones I usually pick up. About time I should choose makeup that fits my age I think.

This lip and cheek product hydrates, primes, repairs & rejuvenates with Anti-Aging Peptides, and protects with SPF 15. It also features Shea Butter and Collagen - the same lip-lovin' ingredients from Happy Skin's bestselling Shut Up & Kiss Me moisturing lippies.

--- Happy Skin

I love the teardrop-shaped applicator with the hole in the middle because it ensures I don't take too much product. That means when I apply at the corners of my mouth it doesn't end up inside my mouth.

This would also be a good wand for precisely outlining the lips because of its slim and pointed applicator. I'm not into a precise outline myself though. The Korean practice of blurring out the lip outline is rubbing off on me.

with flash / without flash

With flash, it looks mauve while without flash, it looks reddish nude.

Photos unedited. Because I don't know how to edit the photo with the flash, so best to leave them as is.

(You can view how I edit my photos here.)

The color closely resembles my natural lip color and the mousse formula feels very lightweight. It still tends to dry my lips a little, but that's just how my lips are.

I love how natural it looks and feels, both with the consistency and the color. This lip mousse is something I like to use on a daily basis as it looks appropriate for any occasion --- grocery shopping or meeting up with people or going on dates.

The Morning After as blush

I've used it as blush only a couple of times and I haven't taken any photos of it yet. I will update this post or make another about it when I do.

Repurchase?

Definitely yes. Although this is priced at P699 per tube (which is a bit over my budget), this is something I'd get a lot of mileage of so it's pretty worth it. And it's not easy to find a MLBB shade, you know. Especially one that looks and feels like the natural lip, just better.

How about you? What's your favorite MLBB shade? Share them in the comments.

Both imperfect. But one I'm repurchasing while the other I won't. So which is which?

Pond's White Beauty Pearl Cleansing Gel

The Pond's Cleansing Gel is infused with pearl essence to make skin glow and become fairer. The Oxygenated Gel formula refreshes and cleanses the skin, removes dirt and oil from deep within, while leaving the skin soft and supple.

Review:

I haven't noticed any difference in whitening (probably because it's not something I obsess about) but my skin felt a lot softer after using this. I like the gel formula - its texture, its scent, its bubbles. What I don't like about it is it's difficult to rinse off. Takes forever especially if I'm washing my face at the sink. I find it easier to use at the shower.

It felt like there's a filmy residue which is what's making it so difficult to rinse off. But after using it in the shower under the onslaught of water, I discovered that when rinsed properly the residue doesn't feel so filmy. Instead my skin felt so silky smooth and soft.

Etude House Every Month Cleansing Foam in Revitalizing (Blueberry)

This cleansing foam makes skin bright with blueberry extract that provides energy to skin. This cleanser is part of the Every Month Cleansing line from Etude House which contains 12 variants, which I'm assuming each should be used at the month corresponding to its number.

I got 8 which is August (bought in June/July), not because I plan ahead like that, but because I adore berries scent!

Review:

Like most Korean cleansers, this one from Etude House is opaque white and foams/lathers really well. It is easy to rinse well, which is what I prefer with my cleansers because it's less time consuming and saves more water too.

The blueberry scent is nice. Not too sweet or artificial or overpowering (although others might disagree). I have a sis who's very sensitive to scents and she loves the scent of this cleanser.

What I've noticed though (and my sisters as well) is that this cleansing foam makes me oily. Even my other sister who doesn't have oily skin complains that her nose becomes greasy when she uses this. What more my oily skin! Grease ball all over.

As for its revitalizing function, I think I get revitalized with the scent more than anything. :D The scent is a good pick-me-upper. Apart from that, my skin feels okay right after washing. It doesn't feel tight or dry.

Repurchase?

I'll repurchase Pond's Pearl Cleansing Gel to use in the shower. I would be needing a separate cleanser for the sink and it won't be Etude House's Every Month Cleansing Foam #8. I'll just use it up while enjoying the scent, then I'll move on.

Do you have any recommendations for me to try?

Thanks for reading!

The Versatile Blogger Award is an award that is bestowed to bloggers who are relatively new to blogging - newer than 2 years. It is like a tag which is passed on from newbie blogger to newbie blogger to encourage them try to discover other blogs and bloggers and develop a friendship that would see them for the rest of their blogging lives. :)

I cannot deny that this past 2 years of blogging have made me open up more to strangers which some have turned to friends online. Because of this, I am happy to be able to do another award in hopes of discovering newer blogs and new friends. I would like to thank both Sylden of Delightful Illusions and Arel of The Girl With The Lemon Satchel for nominating me to do this.

Although that was mainly the reason expressed by whoever started the award, I thought I wanted to show you the "versatility" of my blog (lol) so I made a custom image for this post. I guess there is much more "versatility" to be desired, so I guess we can say this award is an eye-opener? I'll be working on making varied posts in the months to come.

On to the rules of this award:

Nominate 15 other bloggers that are relatively new to blogging.
Let the bloggers know that you've nominated them (either thru email or comments).
Share 10 random facts about yourself.
Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog.
Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your post.

Here are 10 random facts about myself:

Although I am into Korean Beauty and Fashion, I'm more updated with Japanese entertainment. I enjoy watching anime and j-dorama and listening to jpop.
Most of my stuff toys are dogs. And they're male (in my mind they are). The breeds include: rottweiler, pug, dalmatian and wolf/husky. The other animals are: giraffe, elephant and bear.
I am addicted to coffee and tea. I am especially experimental when it comes to teas. I try different brands and flavors.
I think my sister thinks I overspend all the time. But if I compare myself to other bloggers, I totally am not! *Okay, probably the wrong way to base my judgment.* :/
My current game app favorites are Kardashian Hollywood and Jelly Splash.
The last time I met my friends from high school and college was in 2013. That is because we moved last year.
My favorite color since I was young was violet (like deep dark violet). But this past couple of years I find myself attracted to a lot of teal and mint.
I have a terrier named Dookie. He's the cutest. And he's so intelligent, I am always amazed. But sometimes he's a handful. :D
I'm currently keeping up with three different dramas: Outlander, Game Of Thrones, and Reign. Notice the similarities? Hahaha. It's my favorite genre.
This blog is turning two in a few days. I'm thinking of hosting a small giveaway. What do you think?

And my Nominations:

Beauty Diaries By Marie | Marie

Blog After 21 | Pavster

Beauteous Raisie | Raisie

Beauscience | Cheryl

Sugar Plum Posts | Olivia

Eden Roses | Eden

Always Emily | Emily

Christie's Lifestyle | Christie

Happy Hazel | Hazel

Infinity | Asiya

I only have 10 bloggers to nominate. I've been working on this post for several months since I was nominated, and it took me awhile to compile a list of bloggers to nominate. Anyway, since my 2nd Blog Anniversary is coming up in a few days, I thought to just post this before the award "expires".

Should there be anyone who wishes to join, feel free to do so and please leave a link at the comment section so I can view it as well. :)

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. :) Have a nice day!

Pages

Keep Calm & Beautify

Repurpose

Repurchase?

How about you? Have you tried snail slime in your skincare yet?

Pink Floral Chiffon Short Dress

Blue Chiffon Lace Short Dress

Verdict

Overall I like:

What I don't like:

Repurchase?

What are your favorite BB creams?

The 6 things I cannot live without:

Where I bought it

The Morning After as blush

Repurchase?

How about you? What's your favorite MLBB shade? Share them in the comments.

Pond's White Beauty Pearl Cleansing Gel

Review:

Etude House Every Month Cleansing Foam in Revitalizing (Blueberry)

Review:

Repurchase?

Do you have any recommendations for me to try?

On to the rules of this award:

Here are 10 random facts about myself:

And my Nominations:

Would I buy this again?

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