The hot grueling rays of summer can be your best friend, giving you the ultimate sun-kissed look.  But it will also be your worst enemy as the number 1 cause of skin ageing. And whilst rocking the summer tan is always a trend this time of year, dry skin isn’t.

Good thing Human Nature has come out with something to combat just that. Introducing Human Nature’s Healthy Lotion in Berry Bliss. It’s a premium, healthy and indulgent body skin nutrition that’s infused with naturally powerful ingredients like our bestselling miracle sunflower oil. It’s the ultimate, fast-absorbing moisturizer that’s great for normal and dry skin and it’s the first of its kind in the market! Why you may ask? Well, because while most lotions can moisturize, not all of them are healthy. This one is!

Human Nature’s blissfully berry scented lotion gives your skin its much-needed daily vitamins and antioxidants without any synthetic chemicals such as parabens and the health disorders brought along by them. It’s 100% natural, 100% safe and 100% healthy.

What’s even better is it’s only Php64.75 for a 50ml bottle and Php199.75 for a 200ml bottle – because staying and living healthy doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. So grab a bottle now and make sure to keep your skin healthy, nourished, young and glowing in the bright summer sun!

To learn more about Human Nature products and advocacy or to learn how to be a dealer, visit www.humanheartnature.com or your nearest Human Nature Branch, or call (02) 931-5787. You may also visit Rustans, Shopwise and Beauty Bar for a select line of Human Nature products.

I just had to steal my former office M-W-F’s signature scent. I wasn’t really adventurous with CLEAN variants, as I already love the original one. But, hers also caught my heart’s, or rather, my nose’s desire.

CLEAN Eau de Parfum is a light, breezy concoction of various fruity-floral notes namely litsea cubeba, orange, sweet lime, pink grapefruit, passion lily, rose geranium, and white musk. What I love about it is that it stays and lingers for a while without being overpowering. To me it’s a perfect scent for the young and feminine, but that does not exclude the “young at heart”.

A friend of mine has been a fan of the Shower Fresh variant. One time, I asked for a spritz for some reason I couldn’t remember. She took a bottle from her purse, and handed over to me. To my surprise, it’s CLEAN, only tinged in a shade of blue (or cerulean). I took a whiff,  immediately loved it, and spritzed it onto my pulse points.

CLEAN Shower Fresh is a mixture of lemon, mandarin, orange, jasmine, lily of the valley, orange blossom, sheer woods and musk. It has a distinct floral-fruity scent with a hint of musk as base notes. The scent wears off easily, unlike the original variant. Nonetheless, I still love it, being the less feminine version of the former. Think of Davidoff’s Cool Water or D&G Light Blue.

I’m for fresh-from-the-shower scents, without being too musky, floral or woody. CLEAN has been one of my few favourites, along with Lanvin Eclat d’Arpege. I was happy to score a couple on sale; I got each for 50% off! Oh yes, I was in olfactory heaven.

Price: Php 1,800/ $38 for a 30 ml (1 oz) bottle, but I got them at Php 900 each.

I finally resolved into posting something in this blog, and prolly my home blog. Been almost two weeks since I moved out from the Philippines to another Asian country…mainly for work.

Anyway, here’s the story of something old.

A few years ago, I was excited to own a Smashbox Tokidoki palette. You know how I love cute packaging, non-realistic doodles and Japanese.

I got Celebrita, which has a berry, a plum and two neutral (b/w) shades.

Swatches

With flash

Without flash

The plum and white colours give off a subtle lustre, whilst the the berry and grey-black colours have a more defined shimmer (but not way too glittery). I often use the neutrals, of course, especially the white one for highlighting. The colour payoff is more of satiny, especially for the grey-black one.I remember using it during Levi’s Roadwear Party.

Given that it was just launched in the Philippines, the price was quite steep. I believe I got it for no less than Php 2,000.

…and now, for something new.

A few months ago, amidst defying boredom, I found myself browsing eBay listings and stumbled upon the other Smashbox Tokidoki palette in Modella up for bids. I didn’t think twice and bade on it. Eventually, I won it along with 2 other palettes from Milani. I was a happy camper indeed!

Modella’s cutesy packaging

The colours weren’t interesting at first sight, maybe because I’m biased to girly pink and plums . Having swiped them onto my skin (as swatches), I took that impression back and started to appreciate them.

Swatches

With flash

Without flash

The three colours (yellow, blue and orange) have sheer payoff with subtle shimmer, whilst the lone brown colour has a muted, matte finish.

Best thing of all, I only shelled out a measly Php 500 for the palette. eBay isn’t really your best bet when it comes to finding quality, original stuff, but I’m happy that the seller sold me an original one. Definitely, one must have a keen eye for spotting trusted sellers.

Here’s one lip product that’s been regularly stashed inside my makeup kit for quite a while and one of my favourites.

I was very curious about it when I sought upon this product for the first time. The label’s written in Korean, so I had no idea what kind of makeup it was, until I received the product information saying it works as a “lip tint”.

Tony Moly Berry Berry Magic Lip Tint is made of water-soluble dye that melts on moistened skin, such as the pucker. It’s enriched with Vitamin E that moistens and protects the lips from irritation.

It comes in 3 colours: strawberry, green apple and grape. I got mine in strawberry, hinting on the tangy berry scent as I took a whiff on it.

Translucent Gel, Tinted when Applied

Inside

The strawberry flavour disguises as a clear translucent gel, hence I didn’t have a clue that it was indeed a lip product. I was caught by surprise the moment I applied it on my lips — the once clear gel magically transformed into a tinted one. I guess it has the same formulation as that of Smashbox O-Gloss’, but I’ve yet to find out for sure.

Great Colour Payoff, Yummy Strawberry Scent

It delivers a deep pink tint, and has a rich colour payoff for a lip tint. I use it in lieu of my old The Body Shop Lip and Cheek Stain, since the former is more moisturising that I don’t even need to apply a lip balm after. It has a glossy sheen that’s not too overpowering, making it perfect to wear alone sans the need of a lip gloss. It’s not sticky to boot!

The finger application may set you off, but a separate lip brush will do the trick.

Me with Tony Moly Berry Berry Magic Lip Tint on my lips

Price is only at Php 198.

Available at Tony Moly stores nationwide.

Human Nature introduces its new eye shadow palette in Enchanted Evening — composed of lovely gradient shades of purple for a captivating smoky eye look.

Human Nature Mineral Eye Shadow Palette is enclosed in a small purple packaging, and comes with a dual sponge tip applicator.

Being an organic brand that Human Nature is, rest assured that this mineral eyeshadow palette is 100% all-natural, free from harmful chemicals and animal cruelty-free. It’s enriched with passion fruit seed oil, which is rich in vitamins A & C and has a calming effect on the skin. Vitamin C serves as a natural skin antioxidant.

The colours are made especially for Filipina’s skin tone, which suits all kinds/types of complexion — from the fair mestizas to the copper-skinned morenas.

Here’s the palette up-close in varying shades of purple. It has a velvety smooth finish with shimmers.

I also took the liberty of making swatches on my skin.

Without flash

With flash

Our friends from Human Nature also shared to us a simple three-step makeup application procedure to pull off an “eyening glam” look.

Price: Php 325.

Human Nature Mineral Makeup is available through Human Nature dealers and branches and in all Beauty Bar outlets in Metro Manila. To learn more about Human Nature, visit www.humanheartnature.com, your nearest Human Nature Branch or call (02) 931-5787.

Last time, I asked a good guy friend of mine, Kirk, to review a product for me. He gladly obliged, and came up with this insightful review. Enjoy reading!

Many say that men are crude animals — they don’t give a damn about manners, grooming and hygiene.

As long as they have sports, beer and a hot girl they can call their own, they’ll live a happy life.

Considering all of these aspects, I can proudly say that I fit the description perfectly. I consider myself a Neanderthal. I love the violence and excitement of sports (I play for a flag football team), I believe that beer should replace water, and I have for myself a girl who understood and accepted my crudeness.

However, there is one thing that I consider an exception; something that I put a premium on is facial skin care. I don’t choose facial care products, even if they are hypoallergenic and all, immediately. These products must first pass a ‘testing phase’ before I consider using them.

I admit that I am not a handsome guy. I fully admit that I don’t possess the facial features befitting of a model and the flawless skin that almost everyone wants to achieve. However, I am still picky when it comes to skin care products, especially facial washes.

I have psoriasis. It’s a skin disorder wherein the body’s immune system speeds up the growth of skin cells, causing the some areas of the skin to flake. This skin disorder can occur all over the body, affecting even the scalp, palms and feet and even the nails. The condition is not contagious, and the cause is still not fully understood by medical experts. However, the cause is said to be genetic. Psoriasis can be aggravated by a number of factors which include environmental factors, stress and withdrawal to some drugs.

The severity of psoriasis differs from person to person. In my case, there are some patches that appear on my face. When these patches are irritated, I tell you, it’s like hell. My face is very itchy, and there are red patches everywhere. After these areas dry up, these patches will flake off skin. It’s gruesome, painful and at times, disgusting — especially if you have it on your face. It’s really that difficult.

To resolve the problem, it would take days and a rigorous maintenance regimen to help my face heal. I would need to moisturize often and not let my face dry up. I also need to have enough rest and sleep. I also need to shake off the stress. It’s an arduous task just to recover.

That is why I’m very particular with facial care products. One wrong move and it may cause my face a psoriasis outbreak. I tell you, I’m very particular. I shell about Php 600 just for a bottle of a hypoallergenic facial wash. I don’t settle for less.

It is also important to note that this is the first time that I will be using a masculine facial product. I think I have patronized one particular facial wash for the past 10 years. I did not even dare try another brand. We can say that trying this product was like getting out of my comfort zone, and it was quite difficult for me. The apprehension was already there, but when the product arrived, it transformed into fear.

My friend, Roanne had me try L’Oreal Men Expert Pure & Matte Charcoal Black Foam. At first, I was like, “what’s this black sh*t?” I just thought that if there is a beauty regimen called a mud pack then using charcoal for your face wouldn’t be a far-cry. And also, in this time and age, the more natural the ingredient is, the better.

I set up a regimen in using the L’Oreal product. I used a two-week testing period. I decided not to immediately use the new facial product all throughout the testing period, because I’m afraid that my skin will react to it. I decided that I will only use it once a day for the first week, and gradually use it for the whole day for the following week. I wash my face twice in a day.

When I first opened L’Oreal Men Expert Pure  & Matte Charcoal Black Foam tube, I liked its musky, manly smell. It’s swabe. I checked for the product’s consistency and feel. I pressed the tube, thumbed a dollop, and let it lather between my fingers. I was impressed with the fine bubbles and the black particulates. I guess those are the charcoal.

When I used L’Oreal Men Expert Pure  & Matte Charcoal Black Foam, the sensation and the feel was good. It was quick to lather and very easy to rinse. My face felt clean after the wash and very smooth. The skin on my face is very oily especially after I’ve perspired. The product is said to work best against oily skin and it did exactly that after the wash. My face felt good.

However, I have stages in cleaning one’s face. I don’t do the exfoliating thing and I don’t use toner. I only wash and moisturize right after.

I wanted to see if my face would immediately dry up after using L’Oreal Men Expert Pure  & Matte Charcoal Black Foam, and it did. So, I had to immediately moisturize. That’s one thing that I feared that the product would do to my face, especially after the wash – to dry my face up.

But I cut L’Oreal Men Expert Pure  & Matte Charcoal Black Foam some slack as it was only the first time that I used the product. My sensitive face was still not used to it.

After the first few days, my face still dried up right after I washed my face. I immediately needed to moisturize. However, I immediately noticed that my pores were more visible. I guess it was because my face was cleaner as the sebum and dirt were easily washed away.

After the first week, my face was definitely cleaner, clearer. There were less blackheads and face shone – literally. I remember my girlfriend complementing my new cleaner look.  Hehe.

After the first two weeks of using L’Oreal Men Expert Pure  & Matte Charcoal Black Foam, I can happily say that the product fulfilled all its promises and do even more. With my condition and all, it was able to perform quite adequately and do much better by getting rid of my pesky blackheads.

I’m happy that I decided to crawl out of what I’m used to and achieve something better. Based on my experience, I’d recommend L’Oreal Men Expert Pure  & Matte Charcoal Black Foam for those guys who do a lot of sports and live an active lifestyle. It cleans your face thoroughly and keeps the oil in check.

For me, L’Oreal Men Expert Pure & Matte Charcoal Black Foam is a must for every man’s gwapo arsenal — whatever kind of crude animal they may be.

Introducing the Dear Me Skincare (and Makeup) Line:

Each of these Tony Moly Dear Me products contains baby herb complex — composed of 7 different botanical potent extracts — that works as a skin barrier, keeping the skin healthy and protected against the harmful effects of environmental pollutants. It also promises to relieve the skin from stress, whilst keeping it rejuvenated and moisturised. Its mild formulation makes it suitable for sensitive skin types.

I haven’t tried any of these products yet, but I’m thinking of trying one or two from the line for an extensive review.  

Tony Moly Dear Me Waterful Lotion

Tony Moly Dear Me Waterful Lotion – Php 498

It’s a mild, moisturing lotion that promises to transform rough, dull skin into its soft and supple state like that of baby’s.

Tony Moly Dear Me Waterful Skin Toner

Tony Moly Dear Me Waterful Skin Toner – Php 498

It contains Nordenau water, known to have miraculous healing properties, which is rich in antioxidants keeping the skin dewy and well-hydrated.

Tony Moly Dear Me Waterful Cream

Tony Moly Dear Me Waterful Cream – Php 528

It’s a rich moisturising cream in a pocket-size tube that deeply moisturises and nourishes the skin.

Tony Moly Dear Me Petite Cotton BB Cream SPF 30 PA++

Tony Moly Dear Me Petite Cotton BB Cream SPF 30 PA++ – Php 348

This blemish balm cream adheres lightly to the skin, giving it a flawless, baby-soft finish. It has a light-medium coverage sans leaving an oil residue behind. Amped with SPF 30, this blemish balm is convenient to use even when exposed under the sun.

I got mine in Cotton Beige which closely matches light to medium-light skin complexions.

Tony Moly Dear Me Petite Cotton Pact

Tony Moly Dear Me Petite Cotton Pact – Php 348

This teensy powder compact would easily be mistaken as a toddler’s toy, because it’s “that” tiny.  It’s like a typical powder compact with sheer coverage, which I think can also work well as a blotting powder.

Inside

It has a separate compartment for the powder puff, making it an interesting little toy to tote along with the rest of my beauty armaments.  Its mild ingredient promises to relieve skin irritations such as itching.

I got mine in Natural Beige which I think best fits light to medium-light skin tones.

ECHOstore is one of my favourite local stores in the metro that sells organic brands at reasonable prices. It’s been a haven for most local organic brands such as Giga, ZEN, Human ♥ Nature and Ilog Maria to name a few; not to mention, the store houses its own brand of organic products under its namesake.

I frequent their branch in Serendra whenever I have the time to pass by the area from work in search of interesting finds. That’s where I got my Burner lip balm, among other things.

Sharing with you is my ECHOstore mini-haul from my last trip. I’m sure you’d be surprised on how much each of these products cost.  

ECHOstore Body Basics Spa in a Bottle

ECHOstore’s own line of organic products never fails to amaze me. My first purchase was a pocket hand sanitiser in yummy grapefruit scent, which I religiously used and recently emptied.

As for ECHOstore Body Basics Spa in a Bottle, I can really attest to its calming and relaxing scent! I know, it can be very addictive! The product name is kinda bemusing at first, but you’d get what exactly it is once you tried it yourself. It’s like an oil concentrate from a concoction herbal ingredients such as virgin coconut oil, peppermint, orange, musk and lavender.

It’s a great reliever for congestion, stress, nausea and dizziness.

To use: spray a small amount on a palm of the hand. Rub oil gently with two hands. Cup hands to the nose and mouth area. Take a deep breath. Oil can be rubbed on the nape area and temples of the head for stress relief.

I believe it can also double as a massage oil. Also available in balm or cream variant.

Price: Php 125 for a 50ml bottle.

Ilog Maria Honey & Propolis Shampoo

I’ve been a fan of Ilog Maria for many years. I usually have their products delivered right to my doorstep (via shipping), coming straight from their honeybee farm in Silang, Cavite.  They have a variety of organic products to choose from; most are honey-based, of course.

Finally, there’s a one-stop shop for Ilog Maria products here in Manila, and one of which is in ECHOstore. I got curious about Ilog Maria Honey & Propolis Shampoo, so I gave it a try. One of the things I like about the shampoo is its high peppermint concentration that really feels good on the scalp. I love the pleasantly cool after-feel the peppermint leaves. However, I don’t find the shampoo sudsy enough, which is common for most all-natural, organic products. It requires me to apply an ample amount in order to cleanse entirely my super long hair.

Price: Php 155 for a 125ml bottle.

For bulk orders, it would be better and much cheaper to have it delivered from the farm, since the original price is almost half the retail.

Indigo Jar of Hope First Aid Gel

I got a small jar of Indigo Jar of Hope First Aid Gel out of curiosity. Although it has a steeper price tag as compared to other local organic brands available in the store, this nifty product justifies it all by proving its versatility in relieving burnouts, stress, insomnia, fussiness, insect bites, motion sickness, inflammation, rashes, cuts, wounds, chicken pox, diaper rash baby acne and, uhm, sore nipples.  So yea, it can be used by both babies and adults!

The gel inside

Its main ingredient is the blue chamomile essential oil, which contains Azulene‘s healing properties. I use this gel as an initial treatment for insect bites and breakouts. Once I had a breakout (due to extreme stress), and this was my “life saviour” in keeping those nasty red zitties at bay. It dries fast and is easily absorbed by the skin sans the greasiness thereafter.

Price: Php 510 for a 30ml jar.

ZEN Palawan Kelp Organic Body Scrub

ZEN Palawan Kelp Organic Body Scrub has got to be one of the best [organic] body scrubs I’ve ever tried, and I’m not exaggerating.

I’ve been curious about ZEN, which stands for “Zestful”, “Energetic” and “Natural”, ever since I saw them flocking most stands in leading department stores, yet I never tried taking one home until recently.

The reason why I bought this variant is because: first, it’s made out of kelp (a huge sea algae) found in Palawan; and second, it looks like Cookies ‘n Cream from afar (hahahaha!).

Inside

It has a creamy consistency like that of lotion. The apricot seeds are finely milled and evenly distributed, making it less abrasive than the usual (except if rubbed vigorously).  I’m surprised that it doesn’t smell fishy at all. It kinda smells herbal in a nice way. The kelp isn’t slimy to touch. It’s rather an interesting twist to run-of-the-mill body scrubs found in the market today.

Price: Php 150 for a 100g jar.

Zits. It’s always been my huge dilemma until now. I really envy those people who never had a breakout in their entire life. As for me, expect a zit or two during a bad day — even a colony whenever my hormones are raging.

Whilst passing by Watson’s one rare afternoon, I grabbed a box of Garnier blemish clear pen on a whim. Anti-acne products are something I highly consider. Like other acne sufferers, I’m in dire search of a magical product that will keep my skin woes at bay.

Garnier Pure SOS Blemish Clear Pen contains Zinc plus Vitamin B3 that promise to lessen imperfections in just 5 hours. It also helps visibly reduce dark spots and marks over time.

I’ve been using benzoyl peroxide (like benzac, duac or panoxyl) as a zit spot treatment. I thought this one would be a wonderful alternative, since it promises not to leave acne marks such as dark spots once the zits are healed unlike the former.

To use: apply directly on the blemished part as soon as it appears. Repeat application until it has disappeared.

Pocket-sized Tube Packaging, Slanted Nozzle Tip

The packaging is similar a lip gloss (think Lancome Juicy Tubes). It’s small and portable, which can fit my makeup kit for quick, emergency touch-ups.

Nozzle Tip

On the other hand, I find the nozzle opening a bit huge, which makes it hard to control the amount of product squeezed out. Whenever I squeeze out more product than needed, I simply use a Q-tip to carefully spot treat blemishes minus the product overload.

Transparent Gel, Stinging Sensation

The product looks like a typical transparent gel (similar to a small drop of water), albeit sticky to touch. It camouflages on the skin when it dries, as if I didn’t apply anything on the affected area. However, due to its sticky consistency, it doesn’t blend well with makeup. So, I highly suggest to use it without any makeup on.

After application, I notice a stinging sensation. Perhaps, it’s a sign that the product is doing its job to cure those icky zits, keeping them from brewing like crazy.

I notice that regular use can over-dry the skin. Hence, wearing a moisturiser helps mitigate the dryness.

Works on Small Zits

I’m not sure if it works as fast as 5 hours, but it really works overnight for small, newly-brewed zits. As for cystic acne, it’s a hit or miss thing. Usually, it’ll take 3-5 days before a big, cystic zit calms down completely. Oftentimes, not at all. Its efficacy is also lessened on old, infected zits.

Good thing is that it actually does not leave dark spots behind, unlike benozyl peroxide-based products. However, I don’t think it helps brighten or reduce marks or dark spots.

It’s a cheaper (though less effective) alternative to Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion.

Price: about Php 150

Available at Watson’s, and leading department stores and drugstores nationwide.

If you remember a month ago, Giordano gifted me this body butter, which got me fascinated (mainly because of its nice packaging).

I’ll be giving a more detailed review as promised.

Giordano CheerÜup Body Butter is part of the brand’s CheerÜup (read as “cheer you up”) collection, which also includes a shower gel. It’s available in two scents: regular and lavender. I believe I got the regular one if I’m not mistaken.

To use: take an appropriate amount of body butter and slather it lavishly onto the skin. Gently massage until completely absorbed.

Smiley Packaging, Soapy Scent

One of the things that made me quite interested about this body butter is its pretty packaging. It’s enclosed in a spherical transculent yellow jar with a smiley print atop of the lid.

However, I’m not a fan of its soapy scent. I can hardly describe it, but I guess it’s safe to say it has musky top notes.

Lightweight, Less Sticky

When opened

Onto the skin

Unlike other body butters (like the ones from The Body Shop), this one’s really lightweight yet less emollient. Its consistency is almost comparable to a lotion.

Moreover, it’s less greasy and sticky as compared to its TBS counterparts, albeit the buttery feeling is still present once I run down my fingers onto my skin.

This would be perfect for someone who prefers a lighter version of the body butter, yet more moisturising than the lotion.

Price: Php399.00

Available at all Giordano branches nationwide.