A Skin Care Product Review Of Some Sort.

Two weeks have passed since summer came and I can't say I'm having the best days.. The weather's pretty crazy. Sometimes it gets really hot and humid, other days it'll rain the whole day. I like when it rains a little bit. It's hard to go out and all, but at least I could sleep soundly at night without air conditioner (which reminds me, I really have to cut back on using it ~ our electric bill had doubled already!). But we're still on the early part of summer, and pretty soon it's gonna get even hotter (and God forbid HUMID as HELL), and there'll be no more rain to relieve us from the heat.

I'm actually ok with the heat, but extreme humidity kills me. That's why I'm awfully choosy when it comes to skin products. I hate putting on layers of gunk that'll make me feel sticky all over. I have sensitive skin to begin with, and one bad product and my face will turn into a zit battleground. It's always a nightmare when I try to experiment with skin products, so as much as possible I only stick to two brands that work for me - Neutrogena and The Body Shop. I use Neutrogena's Skin Clearing Line for the cold months. And for warmer seasons, I use The Body Shop. If you're into all natural, organic, alcohol and oil free products for the face, you'll also dig their products. I'm so pleased with it, I thought I should make some sort of a product review here.

Clear skin starts with a clean face, and for that I use Neutrogena's Skin Clearing Foaming Wash. It's an oil-free wash for pimple-prone skin like mine. It has Salicylic Acid and Natural Plant extracts that help combat acne. *175 ml bottle - 12,000 won.

After that I use The Body Shop's Seaweed Clarifying Toner. This is probably the best toner I've ever used! It's alcohol-free, very gentle and leaves your skin tingling after. It's very refreshing especially on a hot summer day. *200 ml - 17,000 won.




For moisturizer, I use Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream, also from The Body Shop. It's an easily absorbed, non-clogging, oil-free, hydrating gel-like moisture cream for Combination/Oily skin. It uses oil balancing technology to control excess sebum and shine whilst delivering essential moisture. It leaves your skin feeling soft, supple and shine-free all day long! The label says it's day cream but I also use it at night and still get great results. *50 ml - 20,000 won.

And if my skin feels drier than usual (perhaps from using too much air conditioner), I skip the mattifying cream and use Aloe Soothing Day Cream instead. It's nice and soothing and gives your skin optimum hydration. But it kinda leaves your skin sticky after so I only use it when my skin is really, really dry.

And for my hands, elbows and knees, I use Moringa Body Butter. It's an intensive, super creamy all-over body moisturiser with a delicate floral fragrance. And surprisingly, it works quite well with insect bites and rashes. I'm very adventurous when it comes to food and sometimes I get an allergic reaction. This product helps relieve the itch. *50 ml - 22,000 won.

And after sweating it out in the gym, I veer away from creamy shower creams and use bath soaps instead. I love The Body Shop's bath soaps cause it's gentle on the skin and it's guaranteed to leave your skin smelling great! I use this whenever I shower in the gym, and I always hear people talking about how good it smells.

I admit I'm a little crazy over The Body Shop. It's also my brand of choice for make up. I absolutely love their All-in-one Face Base, Super Volume Mascara and Born Lippy Lip Balms. I don't have a complicated make-up routine, just these three and I'm good to go. It's better to buy these in the Philippines though. Not only is it cheaper there, but they usually put it on sale. Like the All-in-one face base for example, here it costs 27,000 won, but I got it on sale in Manila for 800 pesos only.



I hope you guys find this review helpful!

Skin Care Tips For Trouble Skin.

I had a long and tedious bout with acne before, so I experimented a lot with skin care products hoping to find some that might actually work. It's exceptionally hard since Korea is like the skin care capital of the world, where every street is spruced up with shops selling so many product that promises ageless beauty, clear skin, and perfect complexion all at your fingertips. Well mostly, those are just empty motherhood statements, and they really don't get the job done. Then I found Neutrogena, and it was love at first use. After years of searching, I'm so glad to have found a product that actually works for my troubled skin and zapped those zits away. I've been using this product for more than two years now.



I'm particularly happy with how it works on my face. But given that it goes head-to-head with sleepless nights, alcohol-infused night outs, or a peanut butter and jelly binge, it might still need some serious reinforcement. And by reinforcement I don't mean some fancy product that costs an arm an a leg, but a sure fire zit-zappin' concoction that surely helps keep those nasty breakouts at bay. I tried-and-tested everything and it works wonders so I'm sharing it with everyone.


*Green Tea Splash

Mix one cup of green tea, two aspirin tablets, and ten drops of tea tree oil until thoroughly incorporated. After washing your face, apply this mixture with a cotton ball. It will have a soothing, cooling effect that your skin will love!

*Soothing Baking Soda Paste

Mix one tablespoon of baking soda and just enough water to make a paste. Apply to your face and let sit until dry. Rinse it with warm water and cloth. Your face should feel smooth and soft. Baking soda will help neutralize the PH level of your skin and help your pores resist acne.

*Whipped Mask

Eggs contain vitamins and nutrients that help heal and regenerate. Try whipping up egg whites until frothy and apply as a mask.

To A Prettier You.

I love make up, I love buying, experimenting, and wearing them. As much as I love to wear make up, I know that it's not good for the skin, so I only use it when necessary. On normal days when I don't have any appointment, I follow this weird 5 km rule whether or not I should wear make up. 5 kms is the distance from our house to the subway station, and if I go some place less than that distance, I don't wear make up, but further than that, I have to wear.

Like every girl I know, I also have a small "kikay kit" which I always bring whenever I go some place important. It only has a couple of things, and most of them are really basic and simple. I don't really go for heavy make up that really covers the face and alters the appearance. I like to keep everything light and natural. Here are the products I use:

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Skin Food Aloe Sun BB Cream SPF 20

*Skin Food is my favorite brand when it comes to BB cream (I use it instead of foundation). For me, their Aloe Sun is the best, I really like it cause it's not that oily compared to Gingko, and not as runny as Mushroom, but be sure to apply it on a well-moisturized face. It goes on light and smooth, and it smells nice like that of Aloe Vera. It doesn't give much coverage though.

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The Face Shop Flower Radiance Powder Pact NB23 *I like that it's so light on the skin and it gives you a nice matte finish. It also has a subtle minty, freshly-cut grass smell that I really love. And the best thing about it, the SPF 50 PA +++ that gives your skin both UVA/UVB protection.

***
Skin Food Sugar Bloom Shadow Box in Pink Haze Bloom

*I'm not really big on eyeshadow, and it's something I'd usually skip. But if I need a splash of color to my eyes, I use this shadow box. The colors are nice and subtle, and it's not too 'metallic' and shimmery.

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The Face Shop Color to Cheek in Pink 103

*Brush can easily pick the pigments of the blush, hence application is a breeze. The color is really subtle too, so you don't have to worry about overdoing it. It also has light reflecting pigments that gives you a radiant and luminous effect.

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Beauty Credit Lovely Lip Balm in Peach (silver case), Maybelline Fruit Jelly in Watermelon Red, The Face Shop Cushion Touch Jelly Tint in Strawberry

*I don't wear lipstick, but I love using lip gloss, lip balms, and tints. They're my favorite cosmetic products, and something I can't get enough of. The Face Shop's jell tint is really good. It smells like succulent strawberries, the color goes on for hours, and it has the gloss that I wanted. When the gloss wears out, usually after a meal, I apply lip gloss or lip balm on top of it.

***

Maybelline Volum' Express Turbo Boost Mascara, Skin Food Black Bean Eyebrow Pencil

*Maybelline has always been my favorite brand for mascara. The Turbo Boost mascara gives you 5x thicker and longer lashes in just one sweep. I like it's patented 'anti-clump' brush, it makes application a breeze. It doesn't curl your lashes like that of "Hypercurl", so be sure to use a lash curler first before using it. *Skin Food's Eyebrow pencil is also good. It's mechanical so it delivers easy application and you don't have to sharpen it. It's waterproof for all day wear, and it comes with a brush (like that of mascara) to blend the color and comb your brows.

Movies, Shopping, and a Sumptuous Dinner

Chris heard from a reliable source that the Song-do Festival pretty much sucked, so he figured we better do something else that Sunday. We went to the theater to watch "The Perfect Getaway", it stars Milla Jovovich and Steve Zahn who played newlyweds on a honeymoon somewhere in Hawaii. As much as the director wanted the story to be 'unpredictable', we kind of predicted 95% of what's gonna happen. The story wasn't original and I thought they copied it from the movie called "Taking Lives" which was far better, and far loaded with punch.

Chris wanted to do a bit of shopping so we hit the stores right after the movie. It amazes me how long it took him to choose 2 shirts of the same style but different colors, and how he spent the next hour trying it on again and again. The saleslady looked annoyed as hell that she had to 'sales-talk' him for like two hours, but he ended up not getting anything. I waited for him at some couch, but when it became unbearably long, I decided to shop as well. I was able to buy a pair of jeans from Polham, two blouses, and a skin care set in less than 15 minutes.

Dinner was "Dak Galbi", stir-fried chicken in spicy sauce. It was delicious, but spicy as hell! I sweated profusely and got a fervent runny nose while eating...

Most grilled, barbecued, and stir-fried food here have really strong smell that cling to clothes. If you don't want to roam the streets smelling like what you had for dinner, go spritz yourself with that fabric spray before leaving the restaurant. Most restaurants here have one sitting by the counter...

Of Neutrogena and my sensitive skin...

The Neutrogena products I ordered last week was delivered here yesterday. It's cheaper to just order it online than buying it in stores.. I have really sensitive skin and it's difficult for me to find a product that suits my 'sensitivity-level'. I find Korean products too strong and too heavy for my skin. This rationale didn't come from a person who only tried a thing or two... cause if there's one thing I love splurging on, it's got to be skin care stuff. I've lost count how many different products I tried before, and my review would always be the same.

During a trip to Manila, I visited my sister's dermatologist/friend. I consulted my problems with her, and she offered to get my skin care product tested by their chemist. I think I was using DeAge at that time. My itsy-bitsy-tiny-little 'hunch' proved to be correct. It has very high alcohol content that makes my skin feels raw and red. Their moisturizer uses a lot of oil which blocks the pores, hence the annoying pimples. I cant remember the other stuff she mentioned cause she used a lot of 'medical lingo'. Since the product they were exclusively selling cost $80 a month (way too expensive), I asked her advice for a cheaper alternative available in the market. She said two things, Cetaphil (my sister is their biggest fan^^) and Neutrogena, whichever works. I chose Neutrogena and it clearly works. That's how my love affair with Neutrogena began, and I never tried any other product since then.



It glides on smoothly and it's absorbed quickly. It doesn't have that oily-sticky-icky-feel that I usually get from Korean products, which is a total hassle when you're applying make-up after. It's very light, and it doesn't give me that 'raw-skin' feeling. None of the paraben and other evil stuff that cause blocked pores and allergic reaction. Ok, I should stop right here.. this post is beginning to sound like a blog advertisement which is so not the case.

First snow.

While in the middle of doing the laundry yesterday, I looked outside and saw snow all over the place. Although this may not be the first snow this season, it's my first time to witness it since I got here. Don't get me wrong, I have seen snow multiple times before but there's always something magical with the first snow that makes me feel like a kid all over again.. So I told Chris that we should go out for a walk. And since his empty stomach was rumbling from hunger, he readily nodded.

We haven't eaten anything all day, so we had lunch first at the resto nearby. I'm feeling all japanese and got some pork cutlet, 'tonkatsu' in japanese, 'tonkasu' in korean (you drop the 'T'). They serve it in gigantic plate (double the size of your regular plate back home) with some 'udon' in mildly-flavored broth on the side. The restaurant was feeling a little generous that day so instead of giving me one, they gave me two pork cutlets! Wow...



After lunch, we walked for about 20 minutes while it's snowing till we arrive at New Core Department store. We need to buy a few things, not exactly 'we'.... but Chris has to get a few things and since I'm a 'very' impulsive buyer, I would probably end up with a shopping bag as well. Before we entered, we saw a cute spot and Chris volunteered to take this photo (before the snow totally melts)...

It took him 2 hours to buy a pair of pants, a sweater, and a long sleeved shirt!!! I was fuming mad that it took two hours when he can all do that for 15 minutes. But of course, I controlled my despicable temper so I just let out a sigh every now and then. He knew I'm terribly upset that he made me wait that long, so he sort of offered to bribe me with a cup of latte and a slice of cheesecake.. Isn't that a little childish? But the soft-hearted me (eeew.) prevailed and I just couldn't help but lean on his shoulders while walking. The air was romantic, there were christmas lights everywhere, we could hear some christmas songs being played, and it's snowing a little; everything felt like it was taken right out of a movie..

Before going home, we went to HomePlus to get a few things but ended up getting a cart-full of groceries instead. I'll be forced to show my kitchen flair (if there's any...) once again and cook him some good home-cooked meals. I'm terrified just thinking about it so enough of that. We then went to have dinner before heading home. Dinner was 'bossam', and as usual.. it's good to the last bite...



Just before entering the house, I saw this...



Neutrogena finally arrived. What a great way to end the day!!!

Of Neutrogena, Shopping, and Christmas

So I went to Aekyung today looking for Neutrogena Toner and Moisturizer. I forgot to pack my old one when I came here and this cold weather makes my face so dry that I rushed to buy a new one. Too bad, Aekyung only had limited Neutrogena products... I was only able to buy a facial wash which I don't exactly need so I resorted to just ordering those stuff online. It's kind of urgent so I wanted to buy it in the mall and use it as soon as possible but now I would have to wait a couple more days... with uber dry and itchy skin, almost unbearable.

Since I've got plenty of time to waste, I decided to go window shopping which turns out to be a bad idea. I ended up buying some tights and underwear which (again..) I don't really need. I don't know what's wrong with me but everytime I go to malls some different person possesses me and I always end up buying something impulsively so as much as possible I stay away from malls and department stores.

I saw a lot of 'eye candy' Christmas decors and trees lit with bright lights which entertained me while walking. I totally forgot all about the Christmas season ever since I came here but the nice decors of Aekyung reminded me that it's just around the corner. It hasn't been a week but I kinda miss the carols I hear back home. I miss feeling the 'anticipation' of the coming holidays, the preparation, the food and everything that has to do with Christmas. This will be the third year I'm spending it here.

Then I remembered the last Christmas I spent in the Philippines. It was last 2005, Chris and I had dinner first at Italianni's before I came home for noche buena. It was our first Christmas together so I nodded when he asked me out..


At home, I was assigned to do the barbecue while my brother and sister were helping my mom prepare the dishes. My dad came home carrying a 'mango bravo' cake from Conti's and we just couldn't wait so we ate it as soon as we saw it! I lost count how many servings of buko salad, spaghetti and ham I ate that night (and how many pounds I gained..^^). Then at stroke of midnight, we all went to the rooftop to watch the firework display and in the middle of all that noise, we greeted each other "Merry Christmas".

Chris perfectly understands whenever I get lonely come Christmas time so he tries his best to celebrate it in a special way. But of course no matter what he does, it wont be as special as the Christmas back home.

The Peel

So I recently had derma peel for my face to get rid of those annoying dead skin cells. Little did I know, that it would create a great deal of discomfort while I'm hitting the gym and getting all sweaty. I didn't have any problem with it right after the procedure, problem arises when I'm working out. It still feels kinda raw so when it gets in contact with perspiration, I feel a certain kind of sting all over my face. And since I love going to the sauna every so often, the discomfort gets even worse! I tried washing my face with ice cold water to help lessen the redness and soreness and it helped a little. But the weather is so hot and humid that sweating (my biggest pet peeve!) is inevitable. How I wish I could just stay in a cold room with AC in full blast the whole day...

Spacial Mask

I got this mask for free when I bought some make-up. I like getting freebies whenever I make a purchase. But notice how it says 'SPACIAL LINE' ??? The dictionary defines spacial as ~relating to, involving, or having the nature of space. Uhm... ok, spacial na kung spacial.

DeAge No.2

The skin care set I ordered online just arrived today. But since I wasn't around when they came, they left the package at the convenience store just in front of my place. The store owner is kind enough to accept it so instead of just picking up my package, I bought several items from there as a way of thanking her.

This is DeAge White Addition skin care set which I so-love. I'm a huge fan of DeAge products... I just love them! It's great for my sensitive skin. I find other skin care products too oily especially in this weather, but this one isn't.

The one I previously used was also from DeAge and from then on I was hooked!

The Face Shop

I'm actually not a fan of 'The Face Shop' in Korea and I preferred Missha, Beauty Credit, and Skin Food more. Not until they opened a new shop about 20 meters away from where I live. I go there from time to time especially when they are on sale.

It also helps that Kwon Sang Woo is their product endorser since he's my favorite Korean actor of all time! Yeah, I know.. I'm "so mababaw", but who cares. Seeing him shirtless everyday as I pass by the Face Shop, brightens up my dull and boring day. Others need their sugar fix when they are feeling low, all I need is my Kwon Sang Woo fix to melt it all away! hehe

It's very dry these days and it's going to get worse even more soon. I've been using my humidifier almost every night. I noticed my skin got very dry though I religiously put on moisturizer in my face. I thought about retiring my old product and buy a new one this season. I used that last spring and it worked well but it doesn't suit me now.
Upon the recommendation of a friend, I recently purchased DeAge Red Addition by Charmzone. I instantly fell in love with it! The Red Addition means it has the essence of red wine, pomegranate, tomato and several other red fruits that are very high in antioxidants.

After cleaning my face I put the Toner first then next is the emulsion. I haven't used the control cream (middle-one) because I don't have any idea how to use it... It's like a facial wash with beads but it doesn't lather up. It'll stay in the shelf for now...

Baths

Since the temperature is rapidly dropping day by day and the nights are getting colder, I feel that taking a shower seems to be more like a burden (eew!). I normally take a shower twice a day back in my country but here, I usually do it once.
In my country, taking a bath is usually done in the morning before going to work. In Japan and in Korea, people normally take a shower night time. I asked my friend the reason for this and I was told that they are very busy and don't have time to spare in the mornings. And unlike in Philippines where tardiness is a forgivable offense, here it can be a ticket to losing a job.

ACNEVER

I was browsing thru a mag and I saw a column about a new skin care line called ACNEVER. The name really is enticing and sounds very promising right? I literally had to check this product out in vieu of the breakouts I need to get rid of. Well the packaging looks fine but the mere fact that it's entirely written in Korean doesn't help. The sales lady did her best to explain in broken english about the product. My gut tells me it's not the miracle i've been looking for. Why? Because there is something creepy about using it in my entire body like what the lady said. I don't know if it's just the girl who spoke very little english but nevertheless I didn't buy.

The breakouts

What's with my face these days??? I'm having breakouts all over my face and I know I've got to do something about it. I've tried several over-the-counter topical creams to combat zits and breakouts but it usually doesn't work for me...PanOxyl or Pond's pimple clearing gel and the likes. It works as a drying catalyst that dries up the pimple faster than I can imagine but it deprives my face of essential moisture responsible for a soft and supple skin. By the way, it itches as hell but if you are not so darn sensitive as me you'll be just fine.
I thought it's about time to buy some skin essentials so last night, I headed out to three of my favorite skin care boutiques here; The Face Shop, Skin Food, and Beauty Credit. I liked Beauty Credit from the three because the place looks the cutest. The Interior design is good, it's spacious, and it has a huge plasma screen TV showing Hyun-bin in a very catchy jingle. I know it's stupid but my thought is that, if they are 'that' willing to go the extra mile then it's probably worth it. I like Missha the best (the one which Jang Dong Gun is representing) but sadly there isn't any branch nearby.
The are tons of skin essentials to choose from. Some has Coenzyme Q10, wine extracts, pomegranate collagen, and green tea herb just to name a few. I chose Acerola Intensive whitening skin care set, skin, essence, emulsion, and suncream. Something about Korean summer...it's very hot and very, very humid. My skin got a lot darker from doing a lot of traveling. How I miss spring where it's cool and the wind smells like pine trees so crisp!!!!
Well anyways, after getting the essentials I looked over the make up counter. it's not my plan to buy but it looked tempting to me. Guys will never understand the need for make-up. In a heaven of superficial people where beauty is the ultimate power for women, it's a commodity. I ended up getting a compact pressed powder, a lip gloss, a mascara, and an apricot colored eyeshadow.