The Skin Care Regimen

The weather's been crap and a lighting has just been a short of friendly to take any decent photos. Well, better late than never. Something scheduled for 2016 showed up in 2017. But my skin care routine has always been very slowly evolving and it's quite hard to talk about products when they require such long periods of testing. But I'm quite satisfied with the routine and most of those in my arsenal so I'm a happy camper. Alright, don't think I use all of these at once, even though as much as I'd like to be that girl who has only one of everything, I like to switch things up. And masks will not be included in this post so if would like to see the masks, please go to the Face Mask Collective post.

The Face Mask Collective

Been a bit of a slow month coming up with this post. And now we're coming up to December and kiss its face with all its bankrupting glory. And I see it's finally time to write up my skin care routine again. Why I only do it once a year? Because skincare is definitely a routine set in stone for me unless I add new products, basically same routine just different products, not nearly as interesting as piling on 3 bronzers in one sitting or say, blue lipstick. But I digress, and here is my current collection of face masks. 

Additions to the Arsenal #4: A few bits from Manila

Hello there. Back from a bit of a blogging break since my eyes are still in the healing process from my LASIK procedure last week which meant a trip to the capital city, Manila. If there's one thing I like about Manila, it's the shopping basically. I love the vast selections of shops and restaurants so that also means I wasn't going to leave without a few little purchases here and there. And just brands that I don't come across in Davao.

Be prepared for how skin care centric this has become though.

Travel Skincare (5 Day Trip)

Can you believe I'm writing this at such a last moment? Literally minutes before I'm hailing a cab and heading over to the airport. Not sure about any internet connection where we're staying and honestly I much prefer writing blog posts on the desktop, so this all called for a very last minute post.

"So You've Been Wearing Too Much Makeup Lately" Skin Care Picks

So you've been wearing too much makeup recently? A situation I find myself  in a lot because I wear it to work and when skin's gone crazy, I'll need to add extra. But we need skin to breathe and it needs time to heal itself from the abuse, and here are my picks for when skin just needs to relax and lay-off the makeup.

Banila Co. Clean It Zero Foam Cleanser: The Less Known Sister

I think a majority of Korean beauty and skincare enthusiasts are aware of the existence of the award winning Banila Co. Clean it Zero Cleansing Balm. In fact it's literally everywhere nowadays. But since I wasn't looking for a cleansing balm, but was also curious about Banila Co.'s other offerings, this found itself in my shopping basket.

My Skin Care Routine 2015

2015 was very kind year to my skin. I had less allergies and less breakouts. I managed to find affordable and new skin care, realized that some things are worth the investment and what was frankly unnecessary. Since my routine has not really changed I don't like to do Skin care routine posts since it is far more taxing and variably more difficult since changing your skin care and seeing results is difficult to document. Sometimes it's not the products, its you. Hormones, stress, lifestyle, so many things go into account. But I'd like to think products merely improve your skin, not completely responsible but they help and at times they help A LOT.

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.

January Favorites

A tad late and repetitive as all the products on my January Wallet Damage post are featured, and some old things that I have been loving again.

• The Balm Instain Blush in Argyle - A lovely fresh pink that looks absolutely rosy on fair skin, 
• Happy Skin Shut Up and Kiss me Lippie in Under the Sheets - My current go to nude/ tawny lip
• Happy Skin Feeling Sculptacular Contour kit - A great got-to-go bronzer-highlighter duo
• Etude House Drawing Show eyeliner in Brown - My very first proper eyeliner and I just had to get brown because it felt more forgiving than black.
• Maybelline Rocket Mascara - One very easy, no fuss mascara
• Mary Kay Makeup Finishing Spray - Finally, makeup spray that actually works for me.
• Etude House Play Nail polish in #26 - The perfect, are-you-wearing-nail-polish-or-not, pinky healthy nail color, basically, it's an absolute go to when I prefer my nails to look clean but healthy as well. 

• Derma E Scar Gel - Brilliant for acne wounds to accelerate healing
• Alba Organics Acne Toner - Contains salicylic acid and overall great for my acne-prone skin

Etude House Real Art Cleansing Oil in Moisture Review

Makeup removal is serious business for me, and I have always been on the lookout for a good and locally available makeup remover.

2014 Favorites: Skin Care

2014 has equally been as good to me in skincare, with new discoveries and trusted loyalty to some products that have been kind to me. This pretty much sums up my skin care routine as well which I rotate from time to time. But my basic routine is pretty much Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize and Treat.

Etude House Real Art Cleansing Oil - My Holy grail cleansing oil, removes all makeup thoroughly and quickly for nights and days when I just want to take it all off as quickly as possible, so I use oil for that. It has a nice fragrance and doesn't feel as thick as other cleansing oils I've tried. I'll definitely repurchase a refill in the near future.

Cleansing Research AHA cleanser -  Alpha hydroxy acids from fruits usually help clear up skin with exfoliation which increases skin renewal, This cleanser is packed with that and gives a good refreshed clean feeling as well especially after using cleansing oil. This is recommended for acne prone skin.

Etude House Every month Cleanser in 7 Aloe - I love this line of Etude Cleansers, it is so fun choosing variants, I had Green Tea before but I prefer Aloe more, due to its gel consistency and amazing scent which just relaxes me, I use this usually on mornings.

VMV Hypoallergenics Illuminants Face Body and Hand Lotion - Hyperpigmentation and acne go hand in hand, and to combat that I use this as my moisturizer to help. It has done improvement overtime and I wouldn't mind using this on scars on my body as well. It's quite multipurpose.

VMV Hypoallergenics Superskin 3 Toner Monolaurin + Mandelic Acid - This is a toner which treats acne.

Derma E Scar Gel - I use this to speed up the healing process of acne scars and other injuries on my body as it contains Allantoin which improves wound healing.

Nature Republic Aqua Peeling Gel - I exfoliate about once a week, sometimes with a scrub but I prefer these gommage peeling gels more, It is so interesting to see dead skin just rolling off your face (not a good mental image) however very satisfying to see gunk just get removed. I would repurchase if I can find a seller.

Sunplay Watery Sunscreen - In lieu of the pricey Biore sunscreen, I decided to use a more budget friendly and easily sourced sunscreen which I can just find in department stores. This is quite affordable, no horrid sunscreen smell and has a very thin consistency. This is the consistency which makes me want to put on SPF everyday,

Thanks for reading!  If you have any recommendations for skin care please do share in the comments below~!

Etude House Wonder Pore Freshener

Price: P798 for the 500mL bottle

Availability: Online stores, EH boutiques and counters

Content: 500 ml

Description:

1. Deep cleanses pores. 

2. Maintain ph 4.5 +1

3. Control a large amount of the sebum

4. Minimize appearance of pores

5. Refine the skin tones

6. Keep the elasticity of pores

7. Moisturize inside and outside of skin

So I actually first discovered this through a Youtube guru named Nayoung (Oiseau88). She featured this as one of her skin care staples and I was very interested when I learned of its promises

In my original review I raved about this but after 2 years I decided to renew my thoughts on it. 

It's a nice toner, a very gentle almost water but refreshing kind of feel. It says its suitable for all skin types but I can't vouch for that. I have oily acne prone skin and this was my first toner, all I know is that it didn't cause any bad reactions for me, nothing worse nothing better. I really liked it back then and but I can't say I can recommend it with as much glee as before. It's an average product for me. 

But notable points on this product is that it doesn't dry out your skin, subtle scent, and feels like water.

If you love Etude House, go ahead, but if you don't, then better pass on this product for something more suitable for your skin, like right now my toner has AHA for acne before I had Clindamycin + Retinoic Acid toner. 

Hadalabo Shirojyun Arbutin Whitening Lotion

Price: P750

Availability: @BeautigramShop on Instagram Japanichi.com.ph

Description:
Contains Arbutin to fight dark spots. Smoothes & clarifies to optimize skin’s radiance & translucency.
Vitamin C helps skin recover from accumulated sun damage while reducing the appearance of dark spots to give clearer, fairer skin.
Contains Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate intensely, keeping skin soft & supple.
Skin pH balanced. Low irritation.
Free of fragrances, mineral oil, alcohol & colorant.

Directions
Use twice a day after cleansing face. Apply on palms and gently pat onto skin until thoroughly absorbed.

Search Japanese skin care on Google and Hada Labo will definitely pop up. It's just that popular, it's world famous for their quality products, so popular that bottles of their lotions get sold every few seconds.

I am pretty much contented with my skin tone, could go a touch darker I guess, but my main problem is hyperpigmentation, that's actually the main reason for the many many many whitening products in Asia, not really for whitening skin tone, more on banishing dark spots.

This lotion is NOT a toner, there is a very big difference between the two please refer to this article for the whole explanation.

So assuming you've read that article, this lotion is not meant to be swiped with a cotton pad, but can be used to be a mask by soaking a cotton pad. It is a scentless, slightly whitish liquid that feels just like water on skin.

I use this after toner to prep skin for all the moisture that I'll be bombing on my skin. I think it does help a bit with my dark spots, but as of this moment I am using a lot of brightening products it can be quite difficult to determine which one is actually working.

There are other lines from Hada Labo, this lotion isfor all skin types, for dry skin, you might want to check out the Goku-jyun line. You might want to give this a try if you have dark spots but I guess to fully appreciate the benefits, you might want to buy the whole Shirojyun line.

Ettusais Puru Puru Serum

Price: P1400

Availabilty: Japanichi.com.ph

Content: 47g

Description:

Limited Edition Release

Instant moisture yet feeling that it is not sticky, a moisturizing effect that is sustained for a long period of time. The 5 concentrated beauty ingredients makes it highly effective in moisturizing in one one drop (hyaluronic acid · W collagen, royal jelly, glycerin, moisture keep oil). Can be used on all skin types for day and night.

I've actually had this for quite some time now, late last year I was nuts for Ettusais products. And the moment I saw this was on shelves I pre-ordered it.

It is very intriguing, I mean a serum in a form of a scrub like substance. But it's no scrub, it contains little balls of highly moisturizing ingredients, (give up on the topical collagen ladies, its chemical structure is to big to enter pores). And this is actually my first serum for anti-aging purposes, yeah yeah, I'm too young blah blah, but prevention is better than cure and moisture equals youth. And though I'm oily I find my skin is really thirsty for moisture after washing my face, even with a mild cleanser.

Heads up on this guys, it can be used as a primer since it has that dimethicone feel to your skin, but it's a bit difficult to spread so i mix it with my VMV Oil free moisturizer to make it spread better and melt in better. I use this sparingly since a bit packs quite a punch of moisture. Overall decent product, but the smell might be a bit off setting, but the delivery system is quite niche for a serum.

Might buy again if I find more real need for it, I recommend this for drier skinned ladies who might notice a little or two fine lines creeping up.

Lioele Water Drop Sleeping Pack

Price: P595

Availability: Online, I got mine at Szakiyah Pena's Online Shop, Lioele booths
Content: 120 mL

Description:

Lioele Waterdrop Sleeping Pack includes Swiss Alpine extract, it is absorbed without stickiness and also formulates moisturizing film to supply moisture and nutrition onto tired skin by daytime to keep your skin moisturized until next day. Various beauty ingredients give shaping effect to make skin elastic by tightening skin while sleeping.

Usage:

Before going to bed, apply an thick layer over clean dry face and massage in an upwards direction until water droplets are formed. Then gently pat into skin for better absorption. For better result.

Directions

1. Cleanse skin

2. Apply appropriate amount all over face and avoid eyes and mouth area.

3. Do not rinse~

A sleeping pack is like a wash off face mask which you put while you sleep to better absorb its full effects at night. This is quite common in Korea. 

In Action

Packaging: Packaging is adorable! I love the cornflower blue and checkered pattern, somehow it reminds me of the Sisley express flower gel, which I can never afford!

 It smells nice and subtle, a bit like Wonder Pore Freshener. It comes out like a light blue cream. I apply this before I sleep and I tell you when I wake up in the morning, my face is plumper like bouncier. And my face is glowing! Yeah. No lie!I really like the consistency which is watery yet creamy at the same time, it easily spreads through out skin and forms these little water droplets that just amaze you. This feature is also found in the Lioele Water drop BB cream.If you watched Bubzbeauty's Airplane beauty video it's great for long flights when your skin gets dried.

I love it but it's kinda difficult to get a hold of it. Good thing I got mine from a trusted seller. I think this is an affordable dupe for the Laneige Water Sleeping pack EX which has received praise. I will definitely repurchase!