Review: Skinfood Black Sugar Mask

Hello everyone! I rarely blog anymore but I would like to blog about this Skinfood Black Sugar Mask. I was on the hunt for a good physical scrub that both me and my husband could use (since we are both vain! haha). I remember reading good reviews about this scrub back then, so I did more researching and was finally convinced to buy it. At P645, it's not too expensive (I also used a BDJ coupon to get an additional 10% off).

Product size: 100g

I took a picture of the ingredients.

Description: A mask that contains mineral-enriched Brazilian sugar, and promotes smooth, glowing skin.

To use: After cleansing, massage onto damp face, avoiding the eye and mouth areas. To minimize irritation, add water or toner while massaging. Leave for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water.

The scrub is composed of mostly brown-colored sugar. It has a citrus-y scent (not sure how to describe it) which I like because it's not too girly so my husband will enjoy putting it on his face, too! I applied a little bit of the scrub on my hand to show you how it looks like.

Once I start massaging the scrub onto my skin, the sugar starts melting, as you can see on the picture below.

I like how this doesn't contain any hydrogenated castor oil. I tend to stay away from that ingredient since I have extremely oily skin that can break out from that. Keep in mind though that this is not an oil-free product (for gals that need their products to be oil-free). The scrub can be a little bit abrasive on the skin, which is why it is best to follow the instructions and dilute it with something else. Nevertheless, after washing, the scrubbed part of my hand felt much smoother than the un-scrubbed part. Yay!

I tried this also on my face and noticed similar results. My face was smoother after I washed the scrub off. My face also seems brighter when I use this regularly in conjuction with my other favorite skincare products. My hubby enjoys using this too and he can't wait for a few days to pass so he can scrub his face again!

So to sum up:

PROS

• Skin feels smoother and softer even after one use
• No parabens and no hydrogenated castor oil

CONS

• May be unhygienic for those who prefer their products in a tube
• Not oil-free

TIPS

• For those with sensitive skin, do not use this undiluted and/or use only once a week.
• Try not to get water inside the tub. I have a feeling that a little bit of the sugar can melt if it gets wet

Will I repurchase? Yes! It's nice to have something affordable that both me and my husband can enjoy.

I'm Back!

So everyone, I haven't posted in forever so I'm not sure if anyone is actually reading this. I have been absent from beauty blogging for more than two years, although during that time, I still read some beauty blogs from time to time. 

So let me explain what has happened to my life since I last blogged. I stopped blogging when I decided to pursue a master's degree in the US. Preparing the paperwork for my departure was hasty and took a lot of my time. When I arrived in the US, I became very preoccupied with my studies, and I didn't have a lot of money to buy makeup. I stuck to a very basic makeup arsenal and my fondness for reading beauty blogs fell by the wayside.

During that time, my skin started breaking out. I lost my relatively pimple-less skin, which made me depressed about my appearance even more. I went through a phase where I stopped wearing makeup altogether. I eventually started wearing a little bit of makeup, and I even started wearing eyeliner often. Eyeliner is such an important part of a woman's routine (at least in the part of the US that I lived in).

The biggest change in the beauty department during my hiatus is definitely my hair. For the longest time, I had my hair rebonded because I absolutely abhorred my curly hair. When I was in the US, I had no choice but to grow out my natural hair. By the time I chopped off my previously rebonded hair and that was left was my curly locks, I learned to embrace my hair.

So here is how my hair looks like now:

I actually like my hair now more than my previously rebonded hair, but I have to admit that it is definitely more high maintenance. I will write a separate post about what I put on my hair to help control the frizz.

The biggest event in my life, however, is that I am getting married! Yes folks, I am a month away from becoming a missus! We are having a simple ceremony, because we want to be practical and save money that could be used in starting our life together instead. So there you have it. I hope you follow me as I embark on a new journey.

Product Review: VMV Armada Face and Body Shield SPF 60

Product Description:


The most comprehensive protection, with some of the highest protection factors ever against the full spectrum of skin-harming light: indoor and outdoor UVA, UVB, Infrared and Visible Light.
Impressive power in a weightless, anti-oxidant cream that's friendly to all skin types.
When used everyday, indoors and out, also helps lighten melasma.
Protects against melasma, sun-induced skin cancer, photo-aging, and other photo-induced damage.

Active Ingredients:

Zinc Oxide, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor.

Other Ingredients:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Laurate, PVP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Tetrasodium EDTA, Aluminum Hydroxide, *Tocopheryl Acetate, Zirconium Dioxide.

VMV Armada has been my dream sunblock since college, but it was never within my budget. The Armada linke of VMV has always been part of its bestsellers, so sales are hard to come by. Thankfully, after I started working, I chanced upon a 2-hour sale of the Armada line in a VMV boutique, so of course I had to try it.

PROS

• Offers a comprehensive indoor and outdoor light protection
• Doesn't feel greasy at all
• Dries quickly
• Didn't give me breakouts

CONS

• The zinc oxide ingredient has a whitish cast. Even if I put a small amount only, I still get a whitish cast that's why I don't like to use it when I'm not wearing makeup
• Expensive at more than P1000 (I forgot the exact price)

Will I repurchase? Maybe. The comprehensive protection is great, but the whitish cast makes it hard to work with. The price is a bit prohibitive too.

Current Favorite Acne Mask: Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

For the next installment of my "current favorite" blog posts, I bring you my favorite acne mask: Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. I don't know why I've never written about this before, when I've consumed several tubes of this already.

Product Description:



Mint Julep Masque is the original natural home treatment developed by a dermatologist that helps dry up acne pimples, rinse away blackheads and shrink enlarged pores.

Simply apply Mint Julep Masque to your clean face and neck.  Within minutes it firms and hardens, drawing out impurities from your pores.  After the masque is removed, your skin will feel clean, refreshed and smooth.

Even for individuals who are fortunately free of skin problems, Mint Julep Masque is a refreshing facial treatment that helps relaxed tired muscles and ease tension lines on the face and neck.

Ingredients:


Water, Kaolin, Bentonite (CI 77004), Glycerin, Zinc Oxide, Propylene Glycol, Sulfur, Chromium Oxide Green (CI#77288), Fragrance (Parfum), Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben

This product has one of the shortest ingredient lists for a beauty product, which I guess is a plus, because the simpler, the better! I actually neglected this for a long time since I didn't have pimple problems for a long while but now that I'm breaking out, I've started using this again. I apply a thick layer on top of a pimple before I go to bed and just leave it in. It dries up small pimples overnight, but the bigger pimples need a little more work. Yes, I sleep with green spots on my face, but there's a price to pay for beauty. It's really quite helpful for people with light acne. On the few occasions that I used this as a facial mask during my bedtime routine, I find that I'm significantly less oilier when I wake up. Not bad for a very affordable product!

This product has a 4.1 out of 5 rating in Makeup Alley, which is high for a non-cosmetic product.

Where to buy? Your best bet would be Robinsons Department Stores.

How Much is Too Much?

Being the beauty junkie that I am, with a sister who's pretty vain herself, we've seriously accumulated a lot of beauty products. When our household helper says that she's going to clean our room, she says she's going to Watsons. And in the past my friends have also remarked that it's like a little PCX in our room. So without further ado, I give you, pics of our beauty products/toiletries:

more...

more....

the biggest stash of beauty products...

but it still doesn't end there...

and some more...

and more.

Ughhh... These aren't all mine, but I'll admit that at least 60% of these are mine. I have so many bottles of lotion and body colognes that are still unopened. I bought none of them though. They were all given to me. This doesn't even include my makeup collection, which I have a lot of too, especially since I'm a makeup artist.

I'm aware that we have too much stuff though so I've resolved to consuming five bottles before the end of year, and my sister has pledged to finish three. If it has to be replaced, though, like facial toner and the like, it doesn't count. I also haven't bought any beauty products aside from a facial masque and anti-acne stuff. It's really time to lessen the clutter. 

How about you? Do you think it's too much? I'd love to know your thoughts.

Current Favorites Part II

Hello everyone! Here is part two of my current favorites post. I already have a lot of products and I don't think I need to be buying more since I already have a lot of favorites among the ones in my stash. So here is part two!

Current favorite finishing powder: Guerlain Meteorites

Yes, it comes at a very steep price, but I'll tell you why I think this product is unique: I've tried a lot of oil-control powders out there and there is seriously NOTHING out there that can control my oily face for more than one and a half hours. Yes, I'm that oily. With Meteorites, however, I still oil up but I look more dewy rather than greasy-oily.

Current favorite makeup remover: Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover

I'm so glad that my mom sent me a bottle of this. It's pricey for a makeup remover, but this one removes waterproof makeup easily without irritating my eyes.

Current favorite lip balm: Human Heart Nature Lip Balm

Okay, this is a picture of the old packaging, but I haven't picked up a new one yet. My gosh, I love this to bits. The best part is that it only costs P65! Who can complain?

Current favorite mascara: Maybelline The Magnum Volum' Express Waterproof

This is my favorite among the Maybelline mascaras I've tried. It's not clumpy and adds a good amount of volume as well. 

There you go for my current favorites for now. I'll be posting individual reviews of my other current favorites in the future so watch out for that.

Current Favorites

Hello everyone! I'm really sorry for not updating my blog often. I tried to but I've been really busy lately and to make matters worse, my hard drive crashed! Ughh. So anyway, I've accumulated so much stuff already that I rarely purchase anything anymore. My room is sort of like a little Watsons already, so I really have to use up what I have before I purchase even more. So for now, I'd like to show you my current favorites among the things that I'm using. 

Current favorite cleansing oil: Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil Fresh

Whoa that's a long name. I've seriously tried all the variants of the Shu Uemura cleansing oils, and I feel that this one is the best for my skin type. The makeup removing properties are just okay, but this helps make my skin less oily, so I will keep repurchasing this until I find something that works as well but more affordable and will not break me out.

Current favorite evening product: M2 Skin Refinish 20% (formerly Mama Lotion)

I'm currently on my second bottle. It has a high price tag, but my first one lasted me at least six months. This is very good for my uber oily skin. It helps keep breakouts at bay and is an anti-aging product as well.

Current favorite foundation: Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup

This is my favorite liquid foundation! Its staying power is superb, and after I oil up I still look good.

Current favorite body scrub: Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub

I still haven't found anything to replace this. I haven't seen any whitening effects (which I'm not really after) but it's affordable, exfoliates without being too abrasive, not to mention it smells good!

How about you? What are your current favorites?

Product Review: The Balm Cosmetics Liquid Timebalm Spot Concealer with Tea Tree Oil

Hello lovelies! Did you miss me? I'm sorry for not updating my blog. I went on a self-imposed exile for a few weeks to deal with something important. I'm not gonna spill anything for now, though. So anyway, back to business! I've been dealing with a lot of stress lately, and as a result, I've been having really bad breakouts. My self-esteem is suffering from all these zits, so I had to find a spot concealer with tea tree oil to help heal my zits while I recover. I remember reading some good reviews about The Balm Liquid Timebalm so I gave this a try.

There are three shades available: Fair, Nude and Honey. Nude was the closest one to my skin tone. This comes with a doe-foot applicator, much like a lip gloss. I recommend that you don't put this directly on your face, otherwise you might end up with more concealer than you can handle.

Here's a blended swatch on my hand:

As you can see, the concealer is not completely yellowish. There's a bit of a salmon undertone, but still workable for blending onto pimples.

PROS

• The tea tree oil helps heal zits.
• A little goes a long way
• Provides good coverage.

CONS

• Because it's liquid it takes longer to dry
• Not that long-lasting; I have to reapply after a few hours.

TIP: For spot concealing, I find it better to use a small concealer brush instead of my fingers. This way, the concealer only goes into the spot as opposed to all over your face. Don't forget to set with powder.

Place bought: Beauty Bar for P875.

Will I repurchase? Maybe. Hopefully I won't have to buy another one since I rarely breakout and just have the occasional zit.

Other spot concealers with tea tree oil that you can try are The Body Shop and Fashion 21.