Theodore's Dust Mite Spray Review

People don't realize how much allergies can ruin a face.

First, allergic shiners. These are commonly called eye bags. People who suffer from allergies have congested sinuses which lead to congestion in the veins under the eyes. This leads to puffiness, dark circles, and irritation of the skin around the eyes.

Second, lymphedema. It's hard to tell which comes first, poor lymph drainage or allergies. It's a chicken and egg scenario. But it's also possible that neither causes the other because something else entirely causes both. Nonetheless, it's common for allergy sufferers to have swollen, puffy faces. 

Third, sneezing wrinkles. Try to recreate a mid-sneeze. See which parts of your face are crumpled? Those parts - the eyes, the nose, the sides of the mouth, the forehead, basically your entire face, keeps a record of those lines which by your 30s or 40s starts to develop into full-fledged wrinkles. 

Fourth, blemishes. There's a correlation between allergies and poor skin. People with allergies often have skin asthma and other skin issues. 

Fifth, and most importantly, mouth breathing which causes the face to lengthen and drag the features down. This deserves an entire blog post on its own, so suffice it to say that when you have a chronically clogged nose, you breathe through your mouth, and when your mouth is chronically open even the slightest bit, the foundations of your face (your bones, your muscles, and then the soft parts like collagen, etc.) lose their tone and you end up with a saggy, downturned, lengthened face. 

Allergies.

In my early 20s, when beauty was the be-all and end-all of my existence, I took anti-histamines daily like they were vitamin supplements. I didn't care if it destroyed my kidneys or liver or whatever, all I cared about was not having to breathe through my mouth, and just being able to not sneeze all day, and not have to wear concealer everyday. 

As I got older, I started to worry about actually dying from kidney and liver issues more than wrinkles and eye bags and sneezing. I didn't want to die a slow, expensive death from internal organ issues. So I started to look for ways to deal with my allergens without taking oral medications. 

It was rather difficult because I was allergic to basically everything. I had a patch test done, and it turned out I was allergic to pollen, to cats and dogs, to grass, to cockroach, and like what I've always known by intuition, to dust. Not dust per se, but the mites that live in dust. Dogs, cats, plants, and pests, I can avoid or move away from, but dust? There is no place on earth that does not have dust. 

Luckily, there are ways to minimize dust. I clean and clean and clean and clean like my life depended on it - because the quality of my life depends on the cleanliness of my environment. But just to be sure, I also spray Theodore's Dust Mite Spray.

I've kept a bottle since 2015. I spray it on the bed, on the couch, on sofas, on car seats, on curtains, on soft surfaces and hard surfaces.

Now I have no microscope to check if dust mites do die upon contact. I just know that after a good, thorough house cleaning, and obsessive spraying of Theodore's I do not sneeze for a few weeks.

What's inside Theodore's Dust Mite Spray?

• distilled water
• sugar cane alcohol
• eucalyptus
• lemon
• lavender
• tea tree
• peppermint essential oils

In theory, this is supposed to smell divine. I do not know why it smells like neem oil. To those who have no idea what neem oil smells like, it smells like tea leaves with a hint of rubber. The label says it's going to make your home smell heavenly. I don't know what heaven's supposed to smell like, but I'm sure it doesn't smell like neem oil. 

The scent though, does not last for very long. Or at least you nose gets used to it that you forget it's there after a few minutes.

What I like about it is that despite the presence of essential oils, it does not make surfaces feel sticky. It somehow evaporates and just leaves surfaces sanitized. 

I can't vouch for this being effective against COVID-19, or any virus for that matter, I still use regular 70% alcohol, but in surfaces that come into contact with my nose that could trigger a nasty bout of sneezing, this is a good enough sanitizer for me. 

Bottomline

This is a product that I can live without, but I choose not to. Not only for its actual value as a sanitizer/deodorizer/dust mite spray, but for the psychological benefits of knowing that tiny dust mites that exist only to ruin my life are dying microscopically horrific deaths.

It's quite expensive at P450 per 500 mL, so I try to use it at a minimum. Recommend? Yeah, maybe. Only to people whose faces I know are ruined by allergies. But then you know, when I try to tell people about how horrible allergies are, they look at me like I'm claiming the earth is flat. So I mostly just let people get ugly from allergies, and keep this wonder product a secret.

Five stars out of five though. 

PS the spray contraption thing could be improved. I've had bottles leak during dust mite massacres.

WHERE TO BUY

As of 2022, the prices have gone up a bit. But you can get a 1 L refill for P650 at this store click here.

Cyme Hydrating Lip Balm + Exfoliating Lip Scrub + Hydrating Lip Mask Review

 

All the COVID19 prevention measures are wreaking havoc not only on my skin, but my lips as well. With all the antiseptic gargling, frequent washing, face masking, and not wearing lip products under the mask to prevent product migration to an already bacteria-breeding humid environment, my lips are cracking, peeling, and sometimes even bleeding.

So I stumbled upon this set of lip care products from US brand, CyMe. I've written about another CyMe product here. Let's see if this set solves at least one pandemic problem.

CyMe Smooth Exfoliating Lip Scrub

Let's start with the lip scrub. Label says, "Exfoliating lip scrub helps cleanse and restore your lips. Brown sugar gently exfoliates while shea butter and avocado oil softens."

The label pretty much says it all. As for the experience... well it's nothing like I've tried before. Which doesn't really mean much because all I've ever tried before to smoothen my lips are toothbrush and towel methods. Toothbrush method is basically "brushing" your lips after brushing your teeth. Towel method is basically rubbing your lips with towel after a warm bath. Both methods loosen dry lip skin, I find using a toothbrush to be gentler and more convenient.

Using the CyMe lip scrub was a novel experience. Because I wasn't sure what to feel about rubbing minty-brown-sugar-paste on my lips. It wasn't doing much, and all the dry skin that a toothbrush or a towel would effectively get rid of are still on my lips. The paste is just too gentle, it wasn't doing much.

My lips still looked unkempt and neglected (do they mean the same?) after using the CyMe lip scrub. A good redeeming quality was how moisturized my lips felt. I checked the label at the back and found that aside from shea butter and avocado oil, the scrub also has the following: 

• aloe vera
• sunflower oil
• palm oil
• carbuba wax
• bamboo extract
• raspberry extract
• vitamin E
• mango seed butter
• peppermint oil
• lime oil
• lemon oil
• buchu leaf oil

An impressive list of moisturizers. This product is more of a lip moisturizer than a lip scrub/exfoliator. I would recommend this to people with zero to mild lip issues. Like if you have unsightly, dry, cracked lips, this isn't the product to solve it. It will help with the dryness and maybe a little with the cracked parts, but lips will still look unsightly the first use. I imagine using this long term would fix major lip issues. However, its just one more step to an already complex beauty ritual that I do nightly, so if you have the time, this is a product to try. I don't have the time.

CyMe Hydrating Lip Mask

The label doesn't really say much except that it's perfect for use in dry, cold, or wind conditions to moisturize dry lips.

Like the lip scrub, this product has an impressively long list of moisturizers:

• sunflower seed oil
• castor oil
• ozokerite wax
• coconut oil
• shea butter
• rapeseed oil
• candelila wax
• carnauba wax
• mimosa wax
• paraffin wax
• jojoba seed oil
• vitamin E
• raspberry extract
• blueberry extract
• cupuacu seed butter
• goji extract
• seabuckthorn extract
• vitamin C
• oat extract
• cranberry oil
• peppermint oil
• lime oil
• lemon oil
• buchu leaf oil

I bet you didn't really read the list and just glossed over it. I find that American brands tend to have this looong list of product ingredients with exotic fruit extracts and oils, they tend to just add and add and add random berries and oils from the Czeuchides mountains of the South Wind Tribe. Not that it's a bad thing. Just makes me wonder how much of these are actually in the product and if these make any substantial difference. 

Nonetheless, I was surprisingly pleased with the actual product itself. It's kind of like thinned out petroleum jelly with a minty feel and a fruity scent. I woke up with soft, shiny, luscious lips.

Now this I would definitely recommend to people with major lip issues. This is excessively hydrating, I feel that the driest lips in the driest environmental conditions would love this. Also, compared to petroleum jelly, this has more longevity. My lips still had some product on it when I woke up. This can also double as a day balm. However, I wouldn't recommend this for use under a face mask. It can get sticky with all the oils and waxes from faraway mountains which can clog pores.

CyMe Hydrating Lip Balm

Label says, "Hydrating lip balm softens and moisturizes lips with Q10 and vitamin E with a nourishing infusion of avocado oil, squalene and olive oil."

This also has a rather short ingredient list:

• vitamin E
• lime oil
• lemon oil
• buchu leaf oil

It's not as hydrating as the mask, but it does what lip balms are supposed to do. I love that it isn't sticky, doesn't taste like plastic, smells fruity but not sickeningly so, and stays put for a few hours.

I also like that it comes in a dispenser tube. I was never a fan of stick-form twist balms that expose the entire product to air and bacteria. Burt's Bees is my all time favorite, but just for the packaging, this is just about to snatch that top rank. 

Bottomline

Recommend? Yes! 

Purchase again? Maybe the just mask? And the balm? 

Price? Ranges from $7 to $12 

Scrub ~ 3 stars out of 5

Mask ~ 5 stars out of 5

Balm ~ 5 stars out of 5

One pandemic problem solved. Please pray for this pandemic to finally be over.

3W Clinic Rose Water Cleansing Foam Review

 

I'll be honest. 3W is that one Korean brand that I've always ignored simply because it looked like a local Filipino brand pretending it's Korean. Nothing wrong with Filipino brands, which is exactly why it's annoying that some local brands pretend they're foreign. For some reason, 3W doesn't seem Korean enough to me. I have no idea why.

Maybe because their packaging lacks polish? Or their brand comes off as outdated? You know how Korean brands always seem to have cutesy elements like pastel colors, animal mascots, and collaborations with makers of cartoon characters? 3W has none of those. 3W's colors are always dark and muted and... aged. There are some Korean brands that cater to more mature, more moneyed women, but their brand comes off as sophisticated and classy and fresh. 3W on the other hand, employs late 90s to early 2000s packaging styles down to font and image choices. 

Also, the price range makes you question if they're even legitimately Korean. Chinese and Filipino brands that pretend to be from Korea are generally cheap, with product prices ranging from P20 to P100. I've seen 3W products being sold in low end malls for below P100. Makes you really think if they're knockoffs or not.

There's a 3W product I've tried and loved - the Palgantong powder. It was all the rage in 2016 and I just had to get my hands on it. It's a good product. Makes the skin look perfect but only for 30 minutes. I'll probably do a separate review. So yeah, that's my first brush with the brand. I was impressed but I was also disappointed. Check out the packaging below. See what I mean? 

It took me 5 years before finally giving 3W another chance.

And if it wasn't for my limited Shopee Wallet balance, I would have ordered an Innisfree facial cleanser instead. I was P60 short! Lol

Guess how much 3W Clinic Cleansing Foams are?

I got mine for P100!

As cheap as Ponds and other drugstore brands!

So I wasn't exactly expecting stellar performance from this dubiously affordable, unconvincingly Korean cleansing foam. I was even expecting to get a pimple or two - because that's what Ponds and Nivea and similarly priced facial cleansers do to my face. But no. 3W clinic had to prove it's legitimately Korean through and through. 

I did not break out. Not a single pimple. No rash. No trace of irritation major or minor. My skin is as normal as it gets. 

Considering it smelled, looked, and felt like the usual Ponds cleansers, I was really expecting the worst. 

I checked the product labels and nothing seemed special. It says, "Voluptuous foam and hypoallergenic ingredients melt away impurities." I mean, when was the last time hypoallergenic was used to market skincare products? Right? Circa 2007. The era of St. Ives Apricot scrub and Maybelline mineral powder foundation!

The label at the back says nothing special either. Rose water... vitality... makeup leftover... skin wastes.

I checked the ingredients, and there I found what was special:

Rosa Hybrid Flower Extract

Lavender Flower Extract

Tiger Lily Extract

Freesia Extract

An entire garden of extracts and not a single stripping acid or exfoliant. Well, there's lauric acid, but that's super gentle and it's usually from coconut oil. No wonder my skin felt soft and smooth and calm and chill. 

Bottomline

It's now my favorite cleanser. I alternate it with Kojic acid + Grapeseed oil combo. When I don't feel like double cleansing with Kojic and oil, I just wash my face twice with 3W Clinic, which really doesn't make sense, but you know, it's relaxing just cleansing my face and not worrying about how many pimples I'd wake up to the next morning.

Four and a half stars out of five. I'm reserving the half star for when 3W Clinic finally hires a young graphic designer for their packaging.

WHERE TO BUY

Click here for the most reasonably priced entry on Shopee. 

CosRx All Green Comfort Sun SPF 50 PA++++ Sunscreen Review

I've ran out of my trusted sunscreen, Biore UV Perfect Protect Milk, and so I haphazardly ordered random sunscreens on Shopee.

Today I'll be reviewing a promising product from skincare groupies' favorite brand CosRx.

I've been watching YouTube videos of skin vloggers and they are still raving about Centella Asiatica. I wasn't exactly Googling what sunscreens have this miracle ingredient, so I was pleasantly surprised that my random Shopee order included a product with this ingredient. 

Centella Asiatica, as I've mentioned in a previous post, is an all around miracle worker. What it basically does is calm the skin, help wounds heal, stimulate collagen production, improve circulation, and make the skin healthier and more resilient. 

It also has Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, or white water lily extract, which brightens the skin. It has anti-inflammatory, soothing, and hydrating properties. It's used in products made for super sensitive skin.

Another ingredient is Artemisia Caliaris Extract, which protects the skin from toxins and environmental stressors.

And just to prove it's all green and filled with nothing but goodness, this is an EWG approved product. EWG, or Environmental Working Group, is an organization that advocates corporate accountability through research and information dissemination. They assess products and systems to make sure that consumers and the environment are protected from unethical manufacturing processes. If something is EWG approved, it's deemed safe from cancer-causing toxins, and other hormone-disrupting ingredients. 

Now that we know that it's SAFE, the question remains, is it EFFECTIVE? 

You know, with sunscreen and all the Korean scandal from last year about brands hiking up their SPFs and PA++++++ just to boost sales, I've taken product labels with a grain of salt. If a product label says it's SPF 50, I take it as SPF 25 and reapply the sunscreen as often as I remember throughout the day when I'm out under the sun.

I've so far not suffered from sunburn and have not noticed spots since using this product, but there's no way to really tell. We either trust the brand or we don't. The risk is more or less the same with any sunscreen product (except Chinese brands with dubious packaging and ridiculously low prices - please don't support knockoffs!)

What I love about this product, aside from all its glorious promises, is that it's not sticky. It has a creamy texture that takes a while to absorb into the skin. It's thick when applied, which actually means you need more product to cover your face, but that thickness disappears into the skin. It does not make the skin feel like a hot gooey mess after a few hours.

It's supposed to be matte, but I find that it leaves a glowy effect. People are torn about this, some like it, some don't. I personally love it now that my skin is getting drier and more mature. I miss the glow of youth and this product gives just enough. 

It's also supposed to not leave a white cast, but it does. I'm not sure how it will look on darker skin. But on my currently darker than usual but still pale skin, it leaves a white cast that can look a little BB cream-like. It does not cover flaws, zero coverage, but it makes the skin just a tiny bit lighter upon application. 

My overly sensitive skin did not show any trace of irritation. Which is impressive because I tested this product during my hormonal days when anything causes a breakout. My skin, as I type, is bright, glowy, generally clear, and refreshingly not sticky. Skin also feels soft due to the light, creamy texture of the product.

Bottomline

I'm currently loving it, but I'm still giving it a few weeks to truly convince me. At P850 for a 35 mL tube, this can get expensive for daily wear. I would recommend this for skin with sensitivity and redness issues that need a good balance between brightening and mattifying. Four and a half stars out of Five.

 WHERE TO BUY

Random Shopee Store

Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Nose Pack Review

 

It was in the early 2000s when nose pore strips were introduced. I remember watching friends torture themselves pulling out hardened pore strips off their nose, enduring that pain of getting bits of skin and fine hair pulled along with some blackheads - all for a (temporarily) pore-less nose. It was satisfying.

In my early years, beauty was all about pain. Losing weight involved pain. Bleaching skin involved pain. Straightening hair involved pain. Getting rid of blackheads involved pain. Beauty came with a price. And who knew the price wasn't only pain, but larger pores?

It took years, perhaps even an entire decade before the truth came out that nose pore strips were actually bad. How bad? Well, because these tools of torture involved stretching pores and forcefully removing their contents, the pores eventually lose elasticity and so they grow wider and wider. They remain "open" over time, making them look more noticeable. By then, an entire generation of skincare junkies have gotten addicted to nose pore strips that it was part of their daily routine. Imagine worrying about blackheads that only you see, and replacing that problem with GIGANTIC pores that everyone from a meter away sees? 

After finding out the truth from the Internet, my generation turned our backs completely on nose pore strips. It was feared, and then largely ignored.

It was 2017 I think when nose pore strips from China started seeping into the common street person's consciousness.

Pilaten was everywhere - on social media, on video platforms, you can get them online and on the streets for cheap. I was never a fan of Chinese products so I never gave it a chance. I just knew that whatever it was in those must be of poor quality because how else do you explain the price? A pack of 10 for P10?! I've seen DIY videos of blackhead removing techniques that involved white glue. Whatever is in this Pilaten product must be cheaper than white glue. Scares me to think people put these things on their faces, on their noses, inhaling unknown stuff and letting unknown stuff seep into their skin.

So why exactly am I reviewing Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Nose Pack? One, because I saw a pack in my makeup kit and I thought why the buck not, it's been 4 years at least since I last used a nose pack. Two, because it's a trustworthy Korean brand with a reputation at risk if they bucked up their products. Three, because I'm currently hating the pandemic and need a distraction of sorts so I chose my nose to obsess on. I'm trying to create a minor problem here so I can forget about the bigger problem that the world is currently facing. 

I love this nose pack. It's not like the usual nose pack that involves a rather messy application, spreading glue-like stuff all over your nose. Innisfree's nose pack is a sheet of nose-shaped paper with adhesive on one side. You wet your nose, yes your nose, and then apply the paper sheet, adhesive-side, on your wet nose. Wait til it's dry. The package says wait for 15 minutes, I think I kept mine on a bit longer just to, you know, distract my mind for a longer period of time. 

And then you peel it off. 

Unlike glue-like nose packs, this paper-like adhesive does not hurt so much. It still hurts a bit because it also pulls out fine hair and bits of skin. But it's not as painful. I remember using iWhite and crying tears of pain just trying to pull out that last millimeter of glue off the tip of my nose. Innisfree's nose pack does not elicit crying.

What I rather dislike is the color. Glue-like nose packs come in either white or black, and so once you take it off, you enjoy the lovely sight of the gross, yellow/brown gunk from your pores. Innisfree's paper nose pack comes in beige/skintone and so once you take it off, you don't really see the contents of your pores, you have to like really look close. I even thought it didn't pull out any because I couldn't see anything. I had to use a flashlight for the stuff to cast shadows.

It was a grossly satisfying sight. 

What I dislike also is that by design, this thing failed because it leaves so much adhesive on the skin. You need to use a toner or a wet cotton ball to clean your face after. (A derma told me not to wash the face after using these things because getting the newly forced pores wet would freeze them or something and keep them from bouncing back to its "closed" form.) I still have bits of adhesive around my nose as I type. I look like I have dried mucus all over my nose. I don't want to wet my face yet. I don't wanna stretch my already stretched pores. I already have enough problems.

This thing costs P15 to P30 a piece on Shopee. Which is extremely cheap considering you only really need one every 4 years.

Recommend? 

Obviously not. I mean, yes, but use sparingly. The trouble with good bad products is that they can get addictive. This is a good blackhead remover, but removing blackheads using physical means is just a bad idea. There are chemical means and dietary means. But if you need a quick fix and an effective 20 minute distraction from the pandemic, this is a good choice. 5 stars out of 5

Belo Prescriptives Tyrosinase Inhibitor Review

 

Backstory on my first taste of Belo Prescriptives here. 

So I also got to try this Tyrosinase Inhibitor Cream from Belo Prescriptives. 

This costs P650, which is surprisingly affordable compared to the other product I've tried (P6,400 if you haven't read!) Considering it's only 10 grams a tube, I guess P650 is in an okay enough price range. 

I'll cut to the chase and just tell you right away that this product is EFFECTIVE.

It's not a miracle product in that it does take at least 2 weeks to see a difference. But compared to other spot whiteners I've tried which are just as expensive, this is the first to actually show an effect to my dark spots.

I wasn't really expecting much because I've tried all sorts of products with all sorts of mixes of bleach and whiteners and brighteners and whatever, but nothing worked. My dark spots didn't fade even half a shade. But Belo Prescriptives blew my mind. Nothing was happening the first 10 days at least, but after 2 weeks of use, I was hearing imaginary angels singing every time I looked at my spots. Kidding. Let's just say my dark spots were no more. They faded down to the same shade as the surrounding skin. 

Had I known it would only take P650, I could have saved a fortune trying out product after product trying to get rid of my flaws.

As far as I know, this is a prescription strength product, and so would require prescription (?) idk. You can purchase it online though, so maybe Dra. Belo now does online skin consultations (?) idk. Does anybody know? We're in the middle of the pandemic as I write so I really have no idea how you can purchase this product but it's there on the BeloMed shop: https://shop.belomed.com/product/belo-prescriptives-tyrosinase-inhibitor-5-10g

Bottomline

Obviously this is a good, good product and I only have positive things to say about it. I do recommend it for stubborn dark spots, even those that are years and decades old. Five stars out of five.

Belo Illuminating Cream Review

First things first. This thing costs P6,400 a tub as per the Belo website.

Let that sink in, my fellow beauty product hoarders.

Now that I've enjoyed a few seconds of getting you to maybe think I'm Heart Evangelista-rich, let me come clean by admitting I received a 250 g (P3,600 when bought new) as a gift/hand-me-down. LOL

So P6,400 Illuminating Cream. I have a mental list of things I could buy with P6,400 instead of one single beauty product, but we live in a world where rich people need ridiculously priced things or else they die of existential crisis so things like this exist. Honestly though, this isn't a horrible product. Let me tell you why.

It's basically a luxuriously rich body cream that is so thick it's almost a liquid foundation. It also functions somewhat like a liquid foundation in that it goes on thick and opaque on the skin. I initially expected this to be like normal body lotion, but it is nowhere near normal as its price suggests. It takes a full minute to get this to spread evenly on skin and can look like makeup when applied thickly. A little goes a long way and P6,400 can be stretched to a full year of use.

Unlike most leg foundations though, this is does not come in shades of skin colors. The color is bright Boysen white, and so you have take your time spreading it well, maybe even use a sponge or foundation brush to get it to go on smooth and natural-looking. I've been out under the sun for months and have gotten dark so this looked weird on my arms. My neck, which is generally paler than my body, is an ok area to put this product on thickly. 

I imagine if I were back to my original color, this would have worked perfectly well, blending inconspicuously. I guess this product is for people with pale pale skin to begin with and needs a product to get their skin to look blindingly bright. That makes sense, considering this is an ILLUMINATING cream. This product actually makes you look like you have an invisible ring light following you around.

The star ingredients are Alpha Arbutin and Liquorice.

Alpha Arbutin - a plant extract that brightens skin and is found to be effective in reducing pigmentation caused by sun damage, acne, and wound scars. This is a popular skin whitening ingredient in Japan. It is well loved because it is at par with other bleaching ingredients, but unlike harsh exfoliators, Alpha Arbutin generally does not make the skin more sensitive to the sun. 

Liquorice - a natural extract which used to dominate skin whitening products in the early 2000s. I was surprised to find this in an expensive product because licorice had its time back when I was young. To me it was a sentimental skin whitener like Papaya extract. Nonetheless, this no-longer-popular whitener works to brighten skin, fade pigmentation, and help treat issues like acne and inflammation.

Other ingredients include: Niacinamide, Titanium Dioxide, Bee Venom (!), Glycerin, Citric Acid, and other stuff normally found in skin creams. 

Bee Venom - helps stimulate formation of collagen and so reduces damage and fills in wrinkles and scars.

Belo Illuminating Cream also has SPF 40 for UV protection. 

No funky fragrance. For the price I was expecting it to smell like cherries and champagne, but it smells like regular lotion so that's I guess the only negative comment I have. 

I feel like people who have naturally pale skin, or those who are actively taking oral whiteners, can benefit from this product the most. Belo is known for being the skin doctor of the stars, and so this product was probably developed for artistas in mind who need to look bright, fresh and 3D on camera. 

Normal people can still probably benefit from using this for photoshoots or special events or for when they want to look ridiculously blindingly bright idk. I forgot to mention that this product does NOT have shimmers, thank goodness, so normal people can probably get away with using this on a normal day. That is, if they can afford the price idk. 

Bottomline

Erm. This is an overall amazing product. But again, this has a specific market, not only due to its price tag, but due to its shade. It's not marketed as a whitener, but as an illuminator because that's really what it does - it makes already pale skin look lit-from-within. 

Oh, before I forget, just to add to its exclusively-for-the-rich-and-artistas, this product is not for people who have to walk and work under the sun. This can get sticky in an unairconditioned room.

So recommend? Yes, if you're a) rich, b) an artista, c) stays in airconditioned spaces all day, d) already white/pale to begin with. If you're not at least two of those things, this product isn't for you. Sorry. Belo has a product line for us mere mortals on Watsons shelves. 

Top 15 Fragrances for Women 2021

My hoarding problem isn't exactly limited to skin products. As of this writing, I have nearly 2 dozen bottles of perfume, and only a handful are empty. I buy not exactly to use them, but to smell them when I need a mid-day energy boost, night-time relaxation, or when I'm bored and I feel like getting reminded of random memories. 

This article from LiveScience explains how strong the connection is between scents and memory. Scents are my drug of choice. Which is sad, because my TMD problem has affected my sense of smell in recent years and I need more than a few spritzes just to be able to smell stuff. 

Let's start first with my personal favorites:

CK One Summer

The current version is in a blue packaging, but back in the early 2000s, this was how summery it was. The colors also mirror how it smells: oranges, pineapples, lilies, with just the right amount of woody musk scent to balance the floral fruitiness. I don't know why they changed the bottle to blue, the scent is nowhere near calm, serene blue. It's fun, fresh, energizing, and youthful. I wore this in high school, and the scent reminds me of fresh air and sunny days. I recommend this for pre-20s to early 20s women who do not want ultra-feminine, seriously elegant scents.

Tommy Girl 

I loved this scent in college and I still love it now. It's a sporty, casual fragrance that's light and with just the right blend of citrus and floral notes. It's a young girl fragrance, and can smell very powdery and cologne-y. I remember how this smelled so much like my Nivea lip balm in Velvet Rose. I don't imagine this being worn by a grown woman. There's just something about it that reminds me of soccer fields and lemonade and grass and laughing without a care in the world. 

Versace Bright Crystal

I received this as a gift on my 19th birthday. Back in the day I wasn't exactly into luxury brands and only knew Versace as something career women wore. I was reluctant to wear this to school because the scent was too strong and it just grabs attention and just lingers. It smells like nothing I've used before. No shampoo, soap, lotion, or any perfumed product smells like this. It has this air of exclusiveness that it has its own scent category. But it's a scent that you eventually get addicted to. Like its packaging, it smells ultra feminine, luxurious, with a strange clarity to it, like... bright, sparkling crystal, like you're bathing in pink and white roses, like you're spraying cold, expensive air, if that makes any sense. I recommend this for women in their 20s who want to smell and be treated like a princess. 

Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue

This scent is so so so versatile and wholesome and beautiful that it's everyone's favorite. In fact, when I wore this in my early 20s, I smelled like my boyfriend's sister, and the girl who wanted to snatch him from me. LOL. Everyone was wearing this that it's annoying. I took a whiff just now and all the annoyance came back. Anyway, like the packaging and its name, this scent is reminiscent of clear skies and calm waters. It has an interesting mix of apples, lime and cedar with a breezy, sparkly, lingering scent. I recommend this for... no one, everyone has practically worn this at some point in their lives, I feel. It's a tired scent. Or I probably just associate it with too many bad memories. LOL. 

And before we get to my perfume recommendations, let me get this out of the way, so you can gauge if you'd like my recommendations. Fragrance I do not like:

Victoria's Secret Love Spell

People who love this fragrance, you may now stop reading. I never understood the popularity of this scent. It's too dark, too heavy, too artificial. The first time I heard someone talk about this was when a friend was trying to get me to buy this lotion that according to him, smelled exactly like VS Love Spell. So I was under the impression that this was a popular scent that people were actually replicating it in other products. Imagine my disappointment when I first caught a whiff. I literally got dizzy. It's just too strong. I normally can tolerate masculine scents, I love musk, so it isn't that this is not light and feminine, it just tried too hard to smell seductive and powerful that it ended up smelling stinky and overpowering. I hate it. I hate it. It reminds me of dizzying car rides - that's exactly what this smells like, it doesn't smell like a girl or a woman, it smells like a car. 

Now that that is out of the way, let me present to you my top recommended fragrances for women. 

Victoria's Secret Bombshell Seduction 

Recommended for: Bombshells

Where VS Love Spell failed, VS Bombshell succeeded. Victoria's Secret, this is the right way to seduce, the right scent to draw a lover in. Much like Versace Bright Crystal, this scent grabs attention, scratch that, this scent demands attention. This can only be worn by alluring, fun, confident women who want to cement their sexy status. The notes are jasmine, tangerine, vanilla, strawberry and musk. 

DKNY Be Delicious Apple 

Recommended for: The Au Naturel, Effortlessly Pretty Girl

I first saw and smelled this on a US magazine. You know how they have testers of perfumes printed in between ad spaces? The photo accompanying the tester was enticing, I remember it was of a pretty girl in a green dress, biting into an apple. Like the packaging, this smells like green apples. It has a refreshing mix of cucumber, grapefruit, lilies, and roses. This is perfect for girls who want something light, fresh, and delicious. This has zero sexual undertones and can be perfect for daily, casual wear.

Paris Hilton Heiress

Recommended for: That Sickeningly Sweet Princess

I mean no malice. There are girls who take pride in being sickeningly sweet and this is just the perfume for them. This smells like candies and glittery unicorns. The notes are champagne, peach, orange and a whole lot of jasmine. The champagne scent is the redeeming bit in the mix. Reminds me of pink kisses aroma beads in the 90s. Nonetheless, I wear this with pearls when I want to feel extra pretty. It's an addictive scent, so beware if you want to steer clear of that sickeningly sweet image.

Kenzo Flower

Recommended for: Adult Sickeningly Sweet Princesses

If you still want to smell sweet but do not wish to be seen as juvenile, this is the scent to wear. The unconventional bottle mirrors its scent: rose, black currant, opoponax, vanilla, and incense. It's very wearable and the sweetness is forgivable. The balanced mix of serious and sweet - which before experiencing this scent was not even imaginable.

Elizabeth Arden Green Tea

Recommended for: Simple, Fuss-Free Women Who Want to Smell Fresh

This smells exactly like how you imagine it would: Green Tea. Why would anyone want to smell like tea, you ask? I don't know. But this is a surprisingly beautiful scent that leaves you calm and centered. The notes are, well, green tea, jasmine, fennel, cloves, and mint. Another Elizabeth Arden fragrance I love is Red Door, which did not make this list because I currently do not have it and can only imagine what it used to smell like. Nonetheless, if you happen to be in a store that carries Elizabeth Arden, then these two are worth checking out. 

Estee Lauder Beautiful 

Recommended for: Mature Women Who Find Chanel No. 5 Just Too Much

This scent was launched in 1985 and so has reached hall of fame level of popularity. This surprisingly does not smell dated, you won't smell ancient, just romantically beautiful as the name suggests. It's marketed as the perfume that smells like a thousand flowers, and looking at the loooong list of notes, it does look like it was formulated with dozens of flower scents. It smells like an entire garden with jasmine, marigold, rose, lilies, magnolia, lilac, freesia, geranium, and all of 'em flowers.

Chanel No. 5

Recommended for: Mature Women Who Do Not Find Chanel No. 5 Too Much

This was launched in 1986 and like Estee Lauder Beautiful still gets included in lists of top perfumes year after year. I used to not like the scent, I don't know why I find it beautiful now. The first time I smelled this over a decade ago, I was reminded of my mean-spirited wealthy aunt and her equally mean-spirited wealthier friends. Jasmine, vanilla, patchouli and vetiver grass make this one strong, statement-making perfume. It smells like wealth and traditions and haughtiness. I bought a Chanel Mademoiselle thinking I'd ease my way into Chanel territory, but Chanel No. 5 is a pleasanter snooty scent, so I took the plunge and committed to Chanel "Too Much" No. 5.

Anna Sui Secret Wish

Recommended for: Women Who Like D&G Light Blue But Associate It With Bad Memories

Okay, so from two classic, haughty scents to a charming, light-hearted scent. Secret Wish smells like lemons, melons, pineapples and peaches, balanced out by musk and amber. This smells a lot like D&G Light Blue but lighter and does not remind you of your cheating ex boyfriend. The bottle looks juvenile, but the scent is versatile and is still wearable for women in their late 20s. The problem people have with Anna Sui scents in general is the lack of longevity, so I guess we have no choice but to go back to D&G every once in a while. Or just maybe move on from past heartbreaks. 

Clinique Happy

Recommended for: Androgynous, Happy Women

LOL. I write my captions and I go wtf. So anyway, this is a rather popular perfume. Especially in the early 2000s. Clinique has since produced variations of this that smell nicer (Clinique Happy in Bloom, Happy Summer, Happy Smile - all happy smelling things) but this remains to be cult favorite. I now find it smelling like glue for some reason, this smells like glue on me, but smells okay on other people, for some reason. This is also very versatile that even the variation for men - Clinique Happy for Men - can smell good on women. Notes are orange, apple, lilies, freesia, rose, and orchids. 

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey

Recommended for: Women In Their 30s Who Like Fruity Scents

This smells like every fruit-smelling shampoo I've ever used. So If you like smelling like freshly washed hair, this is the fragrance for you. My older friends love this and they tend to have a couple of things in common: a career and family to juggle and a fascination with all things American. This is from London but it does smell American for some odd odd reason. So I guess it's for family-oriented but still ambitious women with Western tastes? It's very fruity and green and organic and... fruity. It reminds me of Jessica Simpson for some odd odd reason. IDK with my mental associations. Bottomline: I don't personally like this, but most late 30s women I know love it. I don't really know why. 

Lacoste Love of Pink

Recommended for: Women in their 20s Who Enjoy Warm, Fruity Scents

This smells like mangoes despite it not having mango scents in it. The notes are passionfruit, lemon, magnolia, vanilla and musk. It's fruity and fun but the vanilla and musk balance it out and make it smell wholesome and warm. It is not too sweet, despite the name and packaging, which makes me wonder why it's called Love of Pink at all. The only fragrance I know that fully embodies the color pink is Gucci Pink, which Gucci has sadly discontinued. This fragrance from Lacoste is wearable for days on end and does not overwhelm with saccharine aromas. I suggest they rename it Love of Fruit. Or Love of Mangoes. No, okay, I now understand why they chose Love of Pink. 

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion Review

I recently reviewed Eucerin Body Wash, which I have been singing praises for. It's the ultimate solution to washing dry skin. My skin had improved so much ever since switching to Eucerin.

But just to make sure my skin stays pretty despite sun exposure, stress, poor nutrition (sorry) and aging, I use body lotion:

• Once a day during the summer (March to May)
• Twice a day during the rainy season (June to November)
• Three times a day during the windy season (December to February)

I simply cannot live without lotion. In my younger days, I'd pour whitening lotion all over my body. I was obsessed with fair skin, but could not do without outdoor activities, so whitening lotions took all my money. In recent years, I found that whiteners are not for aging skin. It made me a little sad, but I moved on quite quickly, and went about looking for the best moisturizing lotion for my skin type. 

I've tried several moisturizing supermarket brands: Cetaphil, Nivea, Olay, Jergens, Vaseline, Suave, even inhouse products from Watson's, the Body Shop, and random organic stuff. The best I've found so far is from Aveeno. 

Dermatologists have always agreed on colloidal oatmeal being the best ingredient for moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, healing products. I remember being in total shock at how nice my skin was after washing it with colloidal oatmeal soap, but that's a different story. I've always loved oatmeal for skin.

What oatmeal does is it binds to skin to form a protective layer. This layer protects the skin from external stressors such as harsh temperatures, friction, and other irritants. All this while locking the moisture in. Oatmeal is perfect for all skin issues, from acne, to allergies, to eczema, to sun damage. Aveeno uses Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour. 

This lotion also works perfectly because it's fragrance-free. I'd have preferred something that smells nice, as applying lotion is one way for me to relax and I missed applying luxurious-smelling products. But, Aveeno is just so good and wholesome that I no longer mind.

Other bad stuff it's free from: parabens, phthalates, talc, toulene, mineral oil, and chemical sunscreens. 

The texture is somewhat like thin but not sticky petroleum jelly. It feels light, spreads nicely, absorbs quickly. It's a different sensory experience from creamier lotions. It leaves the skin oddly matte, too. Other lotions usually have ingredients like titanium dioxide that leaves the skin subtly shimmery. Aveeno has nothing like that, this leaves the skin looking like normal, healthy, youthful skin, which should really be the goal. 

What I got is the Daily Moisturizing Lotion, it's the most basic variant. Unlike other brands that have an entire range of lotions with varying fragrances, Aveeno only has this basic variant, the basic variant plus sunscreen, and lotions for babies.

Ingredients:

• Water
• Glycerin
• Distearyldimonium Chloride
• Petrolatum
• Isopropyl Palmitate
• Cetyl Alcohol
• Oat Flour
• Benzyl Alcohol
• Sodium Chloride

Pretty basic list. I know people have issues with using petroleum in beauty products. But everything I've read so far are inconclusive. At the moment, what matters is that it works. I am more concerned with harsh exfoliating ingredients, chemical sunscreens and cancer-causing brighteners.

This can be bought for P850-P950 locally for a 591 ml pump bottle. Landers Online also has the smaller bottle for P550. 

Recommend? Absolutely. I found out about this product from a friend who suffers from major eczema every windy season. This is the only thing that has helped soothe her flare ups. 5 stars out of 5.

Eucerin Body Wash Review

 

It's eczema and dry skin season here in the Philippines. The strong, dry winds are calming to the soul, but not to the skin. And I know I'm not the only one. I see dry skin everywhere. I read rants about dry skin on my social media feed. It's a yearly tradition for my people - to suffer from dry skin every January to February. My body skin had been acting up lately and I have had to change my body care products just to stop scratching my skin. Eucerin is the only thing that helps.

I will forever be singing praises for Eucerin. This is by far the best body wash to have ever touched my skin. I have searched far and wide and nothing, NOTHING, beats Eucerin.

Why is Eucerin so special? Well, for one, it's super expensive here in the Philippines, so it better work. I'm not sure if the big name shops carry it, but online, it's sold for at least P1,000 a bottle. For comparison, other brands cost about P200-P300 per 250 ml bottle. So Eucerin costs about 5x the popular supermarket brands. It better perform miracles.

As the label says, it's SKIN CALMING. It delivers omega oils and natural lipids to soothe and moisturize the skin. The ingredients list is pretty short, which I guess is why it's so good, see:

• Soybean Oil
• Castor Seed Oil
• Laureth-4
• MIPA-Laureth Sulfate
• Poloxamer 101
• Laureth-9
• Propylene Glycol
• Water
• Propyl Gallate
• BHT

No fragrances, no dyes, no acids, no added stuff to make it lather thickly. Just oils, and SLES. SLES, is the gentler version of SLS, which is the ingredient used to make soap. SLES does not cause dryness and irritation, and is often used for baby care products. The packaging says it's not soap, but it still is technically still soap. It's just very gentle and soothing.

Recommend? Absolutely. If this weren't so expensive, I'll give a bottle to every single person on my social media. In fact, when I finally get rich, one of my goals is to send a bottle of Eucerin to everyone. This is THAT life changing. But you know, I'm still very much poor, so the best I can do is to recommend Eucerin this way.

10 stars out of 5

Spectro Cleanser Review

 

Since the pandemic started, I've been looking for ways to add an extra cleansing step in my routine just to be sure I get rid of every bit of gunk from my masks. As mentioned in the past posts, I already have a solid skin care routine consisting of kojic acid soap, mandelic acid serum at night, alpha arbutin serum in the morning, and jojoba/rosehip/grapeseed oil whenever my skin feels dry or tight. This routine typically works, but in the rare times that I get out and wear a mask or makeup, I need something extra for cleansing. 

I have this small bottle of Spectro cleanser. A friend came to visit from the UK and gave me this. I've honestly never heard of this brand before, but judging by the way it's packaged, it looked like it's from a reputable brand. Like, it doesn't look luxurious but it doesn't look cheap either. Nothing fancy, pretentiously hippy, or fraudulently "herbal." Just something you'd normally find in supermarkets. 

It's supposedly a gentle cleanser. I'm sure about the gentle part, not so about the cleansing part. It's so freaking gentle that it doesn't really seem to do anything. It's very similar to Cetaphil cleansers texture-wise, although this is thicker and smells a little bit like white glue.

I wanted to like it. Because it's fragrance-free, non-irritating, and moisturizing. However, it simply just did not work the way I needed it to. I have oily skin that needs to be exfoliated regularly, and kojic acid soap does this just fine. The Spectro Cleanser does not remove makeup, sunscreen or mask gunk. 

You're supposed to massage this into the skin for 30 seconds to loosen up deep-seated debris. I do that and then rub it off with a cotton ball, the way I do it with Cetaphil. I find though that it takes at least 3 times of repeating those steps just to feel clean enough.

This isn't sold locally, but in the US, it's sold for $35-40 for a 500 ml bottle. Quite expensive, by Philippine standards. 

In essence, this is an awesome product. I guess it's just not for my skin type and routine. I would recommend this for normal to dry skin, with an occasional blemish, no heavy usage of makeup or sunscreen. In sum, it's still worth a try. I'm giving it 3 stars out of 5. 

Review: L-Lysine Supplement for Beauty

 

I'm still currently obsessed with taking non-beauty supplements for beauty. I recently started taking Mason Natural L-Lysine 500 mg. Initially, I wasn't sure what this was for, but I did a quick Google search and found out that L-Lysine helps the body produce more collagen, so I decided to start taking it for kicks.

I used to take Collagen supplements from Daiso. For some reason, the one in green packaging was okay, but the one in pink packaging caused massive breakouts. Pills from both green and pink packaging made the same claims, and the only difference was one being good for 20 days, and the other for 15 days, I think. I don't know. I mean, collagen is supposed to be good for the skin, I don't know why the one in pink packaging wanted to destroy my face. 

Anyway, so L-Lysine. This is not for beauty enthusiasts. The packaging clearly says *may support* immune function. I'm glad they do not make hasty claims, unlike locally produced and marketed supplements. L-Lysine *may or may not* support immune function and claims nothing else.

At the back of the bottle, it shows that 1 tablet contains 72 mg of Calcium in the form of Dicalcium Phosphate, and 500 mg of L-Lysine in the form of L-Lysine Hydrochloride. I did a bit of research and found that L-Lysine increases the amount of Calcium in the body. What this means to us, beauty enthusiasts, is that this is going to help us maintain good posture, good facial structure, and nicer teeth. In theory.

You're supposed to take 1 tablet 1 to 2 times daily with food. I only take 1 just to be sure this doesn't destroy my face the way pink Collagen from Daiso did. 

I did further research about Lysine and found out that there are studies concerning its promising role in the prevention of inflammatory acne. What is inflammatory acne, you ask? To oversimplify things, it's the kind of acne that isn't caused by dirty hands, unwashed pillow cases, cheap makeup, and under-washed skin. Inflammatory acne is what you get when you've done everything you can to keep everything clean and nice, and yet you still wake up with disgusting spots, generally around the mouth and nose. Inflammatory acne is caused by internal factors such as poor gut bacteria, stress, and irregular sleep.

Here's a bit of science regarding the effects of L-Lysine on collagen production. What it basically says, is that Lysine helps build collagen. Collagen helps the skin stay firm and elastic, therefore preventing wrinkles, sagging, and premature aging.

Lysine isn't naturally produced by the body, so it has to be taken from external sources such as meat, dairy, fish, and avocados. It's beneficial to take supplements just to be sure there's a steady amount of Lysine in the diet.

As a bonus, Lysine happens to help ease anxiety - this link show some interesting information: Lysine helps reduce both chronic and stress-induced anxiety. Ha. Makes you pretty and unfidgety.

It's too early to tell whether Lysine is effective in making my skin look young, or me feel less anxious. The only thing that matters to me at this moment is that Lysine has not broken out my skin so far. It's only been days, I know, but Daiso Collagen in pink packaging traumatized me so much that anything collagen has to prove itself worthy before I put it in my mouth. Mason Natural has not done anything ridiculous so far, so I'm giving it 3 months of fair trial.

Updating this in 3 months. 

Turmeric Supplements for Beauty Review

My first brush with turmeric was when I had my wisdom teeth taken out. I was told that applying turmeric powder on the wounds would help heal them. Turmeric is also a natural anti-septic so it can be used as a powerful natural mouthwash. 

I was skeptical using ground turmeric powder as mouthwash, as it's a bright shade of yellow. And I don't want it staining my teeth. So after my stitches were taken out, I moved on from turmeric. 

I recently discovered Turmeric supplements. I bought a bottle for P280/100 capsules. Fairly cheap for a supplement that promises some amazing health and beauty benefits. 

1. Anti-inflammatory

Curcumin, a component of Turmeric, is proven to be an effective anti-inflammatory. This helps fight skin problems from eczema to psoriasis to acne to dermatitis to rosacea. 

2. Prevents heart disease and cancer

Curcumin helps protect from further inflammation that causes heart disease and cancer. It also helps slow down the spread of cancer. 

3. Prevents arthritis and diabetes

Turmeric helps the body produce insulin, and therefore helps keep blood sugar (and therefore weight!) down. It also helps prevent age-related stiffness of joints so you can stay physically active and fit.

4. Treats brain degeneration and depression

Studies show that turmeric helps keep nerve cells healthy. Curcumin helps protect these neurons to help fight brain diseases including Alzheimers, depression, and anxiety. 

5. Anti-oxidant

Anti-oxidants help keep the skin and body youthful. Curcumin helps scavenge free radicals to prevent them from damaging healthy cells. 

In summary, Turmeric promises to keep skin pretty, organs functioning properly, weight down, brain happy, and generally make one feel and look young. 

I've been taking a 600 mg capsule once a day for the past week now. So far no breakouts, no allergic reaction whatsoever. I've been eating dairy the past days as well, so I was expecting some mandatory pimples to show up. I don't know if it's turmeric's anti-inflammatory powers, whatever it is that's been protecting me from my sensitive skin & gut's wrath, I am grateful. I hope it doesn't get tired of keeping my insides in order.

Recommend? Absolutely. Rating? 5 stars out of 5.

Usana Visionex Review

 

I recently added a supplement to my current routine. Usana Visionex is not exactly a beauty pill, but I'm reviewing still because surprisingly, this actually can be a beauty pill.

So this can be bought for P2,700 for a small bottle with 56 tablets. I wasn't particularly concerned with my eye issues. I get the usual eye strains from working with computer and gadget screens all day, also from my TMJ issues, but my eyes were never really a priority. They get back to normal after a few hours of rest anyway. The reason I bought is because I saw the ingredients list:

Vitamin C 75 mg - Calcium Ascorbate, Potassium Ascorbate, Magnesium Ascorbate, Zinc Ascorbate

This superstar vitamin has always been popular in the beauty industry, from oral supplements to topical products. I feel like an explanation won't be necessary. But for the heck of it, vitamin C is for wound healing, collagen production, immune support, etc. etc. It affects every cell of the body from the skin to the organs to the bones. Supplementation is needed because the body does not produce vitamin C.

Bilberry Extract 25 mg

Anthocyanosides from the bilberry fruit help maintain healthy eye capillaries. This is also a powerful anti-inflammatory, which means the world to people with acne, eczema, allergies and other skin issues. There's also a study that suggests bilberry helps with blood sugar levels, so people struggling with weight may benefit from this pill. 

Zinc 5 mg

I was advised by my derma to take zinc supplements for my skin issues. This mineral helps fight sun damage, repair scars, and fight inflammation to prevent breakouts. Zinc also deals with wrinkles, keloids, psoriasis, dermatitis, and other beauty problems. Even hair luster can be improved by zinc supplementation. 

Lutein 5 mg & Zeaxanthin 1 mg

These are anti-oxidants that help prevent cellular damage. 

I normally don't take supplements without prior research. I have extremely sensitive gut/skin, and when I take something that my gut doesn't seem to like, I tend to develop rashes and zits around my mouth with 24 hours. I didn't experience that with Usana Visionex. My skin remained clear. I also did not experience bloating and stomachaches I'd usually get from taking Vitamin C pills.

Overall, I'm satisfied with Usana Visionex. I am yet to see any eye benefits which is what this is intended for. But at least I now get my Vitamin C and Zinc needs, along with some anti-oxidants thrown in. 5 stars out of 5.