Bioré Cleansing Oil Review

I love cleansing oils but I hate the prices they go for, which could range from P300 to P5000. Well, fact is cleansing oils ain't cheap. And when I found the ZA cleansing oil a couple of years ago I was happy then sad since it was always out of stock. But I was pleasantly surprised a few months ago when I found this baby in my local SM beauty dept store. I was preparing myself and my wallet for the price and to my shock it was so affordable!

Price: P299

Description: Biore Cleansing Oil effectively dissolves and removes stubborn makeup, including waterproof mascara, while lifting away dirt and impurities. Unlike other cleansing oils, it leaves no greasy film on your face and maintains the skin's natural moisture balance. It does not emulsify upon contact with water, thus maintaining its optimal cleansing performance at all times. Just apply with dry or wet hands and rinse off with water for that clean and fresh feeling!

Content: 150 mL

So in to the shopping bag it went. When I got home, I was excited to take off my makeup with this. and it works nicely. No heavy fragrances and is just as lightweight as more expensive cleansing oils from other brands, but without the worry of breaking the bank.

A little demonstration with a mish-mash of waterproof mascara and eyeliner, MAC pro long wear concealer and Etude House Baby Choux face base on the side, a number of the darkest eyeshadows in the Nude Tude palette and swatches of the Instain Lace blush for good measure.

It easily dissolves everything and emulsifies evenly with no extra greasy feeling after rinsing. It has now shot to the top of my cleansing oil favorites since it is affordable enough to keep on being regularly repurchased and gives you a total bang for your buck. 

Thank you Biore for coming to the Philippines! More Japanese brands please!

Makeup to the Pool?

For those who are heading to winter, sorry for the off season summer-y post, but this is one of the few perks of living close to the equator as a tropical country.

Last week my family and I went to the pool after maybe nearly a decade? That long, I swear. I haven't been to the beach in nearly 6 years, I just couldn't find the time, honestly. But yes I did wear makeup. Even though people roll their eyes when someone says they're wearing makeup to the beach, I don't care, I work it when I want to but I keep it on the light side.

This was the look I did. It may seem a tad dramatic for someone who just said they'd be keeping it on the light side. But it only looks like a lot of products because it looks loud. But just because it looks loud doesn't mean it's not light.

Here are the products I used to make this look.

BASE

As you can see no foundation or powder in sight. But a generous amount of sunscreen base is welcomed instead. And a little concealer for those under eye circles. Luckily it was a good skin day. Since this sunscreen was super mattifying I virtually didn't need powder and who needs it when you're going underwater? And the trusty Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer.

EYES

I need something to define my eyes, but I don't need shadows, so waterproof mascara it is! I recently picked up the Maybelline falsies which is pretty good for giving fluttery volumized lashes and just applied generous layers on my very very sad lashes. It got through fairly well through out the day. Truthfully I did put on some eyeliner but it just did not agree with the water so I just took it off halfway.

I also used the waterproof Jazzy Collection eyebrow gel (not pictured) which really stayed on and on and on.

LIPS

Ahh the main focus, MAC's Ruby Woo for the  lips to really make the pout pop. You can always trust the red lip when you want to look put together.

BODY

Can't go to the beach or pool without sunscreen. Can't go anywhere without sunscreen. I've been pretty happy with the Belo Body sun spray since I got it at half price a few months ago. It moisturizes skin well and applies on easily with no irritating smell. So this has been my go-to!

And that is pretty much it and I'm leaving you with a final picture of my feet in the pool with matching mint green nail polish.

Thanks for reading!

Biore Perfect Face Milk in Blue

Price: P399

Description:

Protect you face from the harsh and harmful UVA/UVB rays that cause photoaging with this ultra light yet long-lasting SPF50+/PA+++UV block.

Bioré UV Perfect Milk Superior UV Protection that effectively prevents the formation of dark spots and freckles. Waterproof and resistant against sweat. Non-sticky formula with light powdery feel. Does not leave white residue on skin and can be used as a make-up base.

Content: 40ml

I am beyond happy that more and more Japanese brands have been floating to the Philippines! And Bioré is one of them. I have picked up a few things from them in the past month since their prices are so affordable compared to those online! 

My HG sunscreen used to be the Bioré Aqua Sunscreen, I love it even now actually, but my wandering eye makes me want to try their other variants. 

And this baby caught my eye as I was running out of my go-to Sunplay Sunscreen.

The texture is light and not oily at all. It's more like a milky texture of the Aqua Watery variant. Well the product is a milk but it dries matte, in fact it does provide slight oil control. If you have dry skin you might not prefer this characteristic.

But one of the best things that is that if offers no white cast! And it's so blends nicely in to skin with I believe to be Bioré sunscreens' signature citrusy scent.

This is a lovely sunscreen which can be used as a makeup base for girls who hate thick and heavily scented sunscreens! And it's below P500 as well so it can be repurchased without a small fortune. Of course other variants are available. In fact I'm hoping to try them all sometime.

In2it Oil Control & Oil Free 2-way Foundation

I really do intense research on the products I want to buy, unless I'm caught by the occasional impulse. But everyone should keep in mind that Betty's cure is Martha's poison. Not everything is guaranteed to work for you as it worked for others. Luckily this worked out. Well, I might add.

Price: P499 for refill

Description: Go for that glowing finish with this Oil Control & Oil Free 2-way Foundation Refill from IN2IT.

• Contains silica and Vitamin E 
• Contains 85% natural ingredients 
• SPF 25 
• Ultra soft two-way foundation 
• No fragrance 

Availability: Watson's Department Store or Any local beauty department

Content: 11g

I love hitting pan on products and when my trusty Estee Lauder Double wear Powder foundation hit nearly full pan and smashed in to a thousand pieces I knew I was on the hunt for a solid oil control powder foundation. And after thorough research on one of my favorite blogs Project Vanity, she revealed one of her most favorite oil control powders was this. This In2it powder which can easily be found in the Watson's beauty department.

Reading from Liz's, from Project Vanity, she can't use this powder everyday since she'd break out and being the vigilant beauty shopper that I was, I only bought the refill, which is quite affordable on it's own. As I stopped bringing compact powders with me some time ago.

I got the second to the lightest shade in the mostly yellow based shade range. OCR 02 Warm beige is excellent for NC 20-25 girls out there. But I have to say, this powder is excellent for its' price! Not only is it so smooth and finely milled, it truly controls oil, I wore it with no primer underneath and it kept oil at bay for a good 7 hours! It has no irritating scents as well! Great news for sensitive noses out there. The coverage is medium but remember, that's nothing a little concealer can's fix.

I am very happy with this powder at the moment and I'd recommend it to anybody (with caution to their skin, if sensitive) who needs a good and reliable oil control powder foundation. With the quality it presents and at this price range, it is a steal, because it surely bested pricier powder foundations. 

Used here with concealer only under my eyes 

Soffia Beauty Opulence Blending Brush

Price: P950 (Regular) Currently (P665)

Description: The SOFFIA Opulence Perfect Skin Foundation Brush can create a flawless complexion in more ways than one – use this to apply liquid foundation or BB Cream and obtain doll-like, immaculately poreless and flawless complexion. Use this for powder foundation and obtain full, unnoticeable coverage. Use this to contour your features. This brush does it all.

Availability: https://beautymnl.com/ and http://www.beautyandminerals.com/collections/soffia-beauty-makeup-brushes

"Expertly designed to address your every makeup need, Soffia Beauty’s brushes are crafted with rare, world-class Lush Opulence bristles that glide silky-smooth over your skin. The bristles are made with one of two materials–first, the softest, most luxurious grade of synthetic hair, or second, top-of-the-line goat hair. Each Soffia brush is put together with meticulous Japanese techniques and held to the highest standards, so you can be sure that you’re getting fine quality tools."

A beauty junkie knows how hard and expensive it is to come across good quality and reliable products especially brushes. They can easily take you for a small fortune a pop, however it stays with you for years and years when properly taken care of. Creams, shadows and powders might expire, but a good makeup brush will be with you through all those empty and expired bottles and tubs. Charlotte Tilbury said if you're going to invest in something, invest in brushes since they can change your whole application method and make your drugstore makeup rival and even emulate luxury makeup brands.

I've been on the look out for a good blending brush without breaking the bank, I'm aware of the famous MAC 217 but there aren't any MAC stores in my area so that wasn't an option. But when I heard of SOFFIA a year back, which is the luxury line of Charm Brushes, I was curious and wanted to get my hands on one of their brushes, specifically this brush because of the glowing reviews. 

So when I saw that it was on sale on Beautymnl back when they had 20% off on the first purchase, I begged my friend to get me this brush as a gift! And I was not disappointed. From the box it came in, it literally spelled out luxury, it looked like it came from a jewelry store!

And the brush looked so fancy with its gold and black tones. The ferrule was sturdy and the hairs were clearly of high quality with a strange mix of synthetic and natural hair. I was in love with the sight of it sitting with the rest of my brushes on my vanity. I reached for it most often now since it stands out so much. 

The hairs are so densely and evenly packed to assure proper blending.  It doesn't fare too well on picking up pigment, which can be done by any flat eyeshadow brush. But blending is, by the name alone, its purpose. It can blend tough eye shadows from my Tartletette eyeshadow palette like a dream. It can save you when you pack on too much pigment for your own good. To be honest I feel like such a pro when I use this. 

It really does glide smoothly on skin. It doesn't irritate, scratch or tug at the eyelids. And love how it feels just right for blending darker shadows in my crease. And reading from other blogs, this is also amazing for contouring the nose.

And since their on sale right now, I'd recommend picking this baby up.

Eyeshadows applied and blended in with the SOFFIA Opulence blending brush

Pink Sugar Sweet Cheeks HD Cheek Color in Summer Nights

Price: P499

Description: Delicate powder formula enhances, highlights, and/or contours the face; nourishes skin with aloe vera and vitamins A, C, and E; leaves complexion radiant and glowing; comes in a mirrored compact with a pony-hair brush applicator

Content: 6g

There's a new local beauty brand in town, and if you've read form other blogs, it's been quite a hit. Thinking it wouldn't come to my city for a while, I didn't mind, until I saw the counter at my nearby SM mall. So after much research and assessing what my kit lacked. I came down  with the thought that I needed a peach blush, a nice matte peach blush, since my kit consisted of more pinks and berry tones.

First of all, I must say I am very impressed with the quality of this brand, to be this affordable and still be able to deliver quality. The packaging is sleek but sturdy, but I must confess I don't use the brush as I prefer my blush brush from Carmen Claire. But the blush itself is quality. Smooth and blendable powder and solid pigment. The skin care benefits I should say is a bonus. 

 Summer nights is a true warm peach shade which suits yellowy and warm toned skins to bring a natural glow. It's not patchy and has very refined powder. Truly a matte and no trace of shimmer.

Bare Cheeks

 Pale pale cheeks with no highlighter and contour on the picture above.

Summer Nights when worn

I know I should've packed on more pigment but I just wanted to show you how subtle it gives a warmth to skin. It almost contours as well. I've always thought that peach gives a more natural flush than pink at times. It's more like an "almost tan".

It can literally feign "healthy" with just a couple of sweeps since it is quite pigmented. But if you do go overboard it will make you look "baked" rather than clowny though.

Overall this might just be the thing for you if you were never really fond of the usual pinks and mauves around town. For this price and this quality, it's totally worth it, especially with the other rocking shades they have to offer.

OOTD: An Excuse to Wear a Turtle neck

My very first OOTD Post! I never thought I'd ever post something like this on my little blog. But here it is. Astonishments aside, I have been quite happy with the current trends of late, a comeback of the 70's and 90's with a hint of 80's. When I think of those decades, the grunge, flare pants and outlandish jackets flood my mind. But right now I am loving turtlenecks and jean skirts, which I actually have in my closet as hand-me-downs from my mother. Who cares about what people say cause hand-me-downs and thrift shop finds are totally cool.

This was my outfit from church. A  white turtleneck and a high waist navy blue skirt with some Charles and Keith strappy sandals. To tell you the truth the only thing that came from this outfit that came from an actual store are the shoes. Everything else is from thrift shops! Bag, top and skirt! I usually don't like to brag but I am damn proud of my thrift shop hunting skills. 

The top is actually very soft and can be worn in normal weather, in my city that is 27 to 29 degrees Celsius. But it's not as fitting as one would like. But that is something that can be remedied with adjustments.

The skirt was actually from my mother but was also from the thrift shop, I am my mother's daughter after all! I love how it flows on my legs with its light and sheer fabric.

The bag is real leather! And it is so adorable. I really hit the jackpot with this baby, glad no one snagged before I did since it was so dirty and dusty at the store, it probably didn't draw the right attention. It has a few scratches but none so obvious, It has that Hermes Birkin detailing which is a nice touch but it's so hard to open for security at the mall or when you're trying to find something. But it is cute. But not a candidate for an everyday bag.

Charles and Keith have always been lovely brand for me, and these shoes are already 2 years old. These babies are still in great shape and are always my go to pair and my fail safe. I have used them on many occasions and they are perfect with a neutral outfit.

Overall I enjoyed writing this post. I hope I can post more in the future or if any of my outfits are actually worth documenting, hahaha. Thank you for reading!

My Secret Skin Weapon: Snoe Awesome Poresome Microdermabrasion Retexturing Polish

Do you have that one product that just literally is a miracle worker? I honestly thought skin care products couldn't be in that level. Concealers, foundations, blush and highlighters can be an instant fix, but if your skin is suffering underneath the makeup, it's no miracle, it's just temporary veil. Until I met this baby.

Price: P399

Description:

A Strategic Attack on Misbehaving Pores!

Awesome Poresome Microdermabrasion Retexturing Polish helps smooth out fine lines, decongests skin, even out skin tone, Helps fade discoloration and encourage cell turnover. It will leave skin significantly smoother, younger looking, radiant and revitalized. A powerful and highly effective exfoliating treatment that also addresses dull, aging, flaking and congested complexion

Minimize pores with:

Witch Hazel Extract: Reduces inflammation caused by acne, anti-irritant

Azeloglicina: Sebum normalizer/regulator

Betafin: provides moisture, enhances skin radiance, reduces skin irritation, and also provides skin lightening effect

Pineapple Extract-rich in AHA, Exfoliator

Content: 50g

I have a condition with my skin if I don't get enough sleep or sleep with makeup on. I immediately and when I mean immediately, I mean overnight or over a few hours, develop strange little pustules, on parts of my face. It goes away after 2 days or with treatments of Fluoccinolone but it leaves intense redness and roughness on the affected areas. Anywho, even makeup can't help it. The bumpiness just glaringly obvious under makeup. And I was strolling around the mall under that horrible fluorescent lighting and stopped by the Snoe stall. I was meaning to pick up one of their many masks and I have also always been curious of their Awesome poresome line. So after several minutes of surveying their wares, I've come to a close decision between the Clay detox mask, the White Scrub and this.

But as shallow as it may seem I went for this because the addictive scent. A fruity, powdery kind of "clean feel" scent. And the half-hearted reason of "anything to do with pores" obsession. At most I was expecting a mediocre scrub. I knew what microdermabrasion meant but I was skeptical. Could it really have such a refining effect on skin?

Got home and took my makeup off, skin still post-war wounded from the battle. I wash with cleansing oil, a mild scentless facial wash and oatmeal to reduce inflammation and stress on skin. Then I used the scrub. Too soon? I hoped not.

The gritty but not too gritty scrub smelled amazing, but honestly I didn't feel as though it were really doing something for my skin other than the usual scrub. But after rinsing, I touched my face. SMOOTH AS A BABY'S BOTTOM. This was no exaggeration. This was Mind: NOT RESPONDING kind of shocking. Even though some of the skin on my cheeks were mildly red, it just felt smooth all over. Fast forward to the next morning after all the hopping and squealing around in joy. Skin still felt smooth and looked great. Felt great. Like the allergy just faded off to a distant land like a nightmare forgotten. It's really not something that can be explained on camera. But really must be felt to be understood. My pores don't look particularly amazing but this scrub is really something else, if you've heard about something called unauthorized use or the use of something other than advertised or claimed, this would probably be named a Hangover scrub. The beads themselves may seem too gritty or too large but rest assured, it does not have an abrasive sensation on skin. It's quite a mild scrubbing/exfoliating sensation.

So what's the verdict? Yes, this is something definitely worth your time. I believe it will last for ages since you need such a tiny amount for your whole face. This scrub is my secret weapon which I use the night before special events or gatherings with old friends. I have already recommended this to one of my friends and she told me she liked it a lot. All this for a product under P500. A jewel in my skincare stash. Will repurchase, no doubt.