Review: Simple Micellar Cleansing Wipes

Today’s review is for the cleansing step. There’s a Landers store that just opened a few weeks ago near our area. So we stopped by and bought some items. Of course, I had to see the cosmetic brands in there. It’s just the same with S&R. There’s Cetaphil, Dove and Ponds. I bought Simple’s wipes. I heard a lot of good things about it.

Description:
Simple Micellar Cleansing Wipes combining gentle and effective cleansing in one convenient product. These face wipes are made with our clever cleansing bubbles called Micelles which are smart enough to gently lift make-up and impurities out, including waterproof mascara, and unclog pores while instantly hydrating skin with just one wipe. Made with skin-loving ingredients, multi-vitamins and triple purified water Simple Micellar Wipes leave your skin feeling fresh and hydrated, perfect when you’re on-the-go.

Ingredients:
Aqua, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Benzoic Acid, Ceteareth-12, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Panthenol, Pantolactone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate

Pros:
– Affordable, around 199 pesos at Landers for 25 sheets
– Available locally in Landers and department stores
– Oil-free
– Fragrance-free
– Effectively removes full coverage face makeup (foundation, concealer and powder)

Cons:
– Stung a little
– Triggered my contact dermatitis
– Tissue is rough for sensitive skin
– Smells like soda cracker

As you can see from the cons, I’m kind of disappointed that it triggered my contact dermatitis. It removes full coverage makeup just like the other wipes I’ve tried. It smells like soda cracker, just like Etude House’s Baking Powder Pore Cleansing Tissues (Oil Type). It leaves a film but goes away in seconds. Even if it goes away, it’s best to proceed with your facial wash. It stung a little and the tissue was rough for me which caused mild redness for a few minutes. I didn’t see anything special about it except that it’s free from fragrance, oil and color. This is ideal for someone who wants to avoid those and if you do not have hypersensitive skin.

Review: Torriden Cellmazing Centellareal Soap

The challenge to find a cleanser is still not yet over for me. I’m taking a break from my holy grail tea tree cleanser. So I’ve been switching to different products until I find a good one. Let’s start this year with Torriden’s soap. This was in my past haul. I visited Althea’s website again and I couldn’t find its product page. I don’t know what happened. Now I dont have its description.😧

Anyway, here’s what it looks like

There’s a date stamped on the plastic. I’m hoping it’s the manufacturing date.

Pros:
– Affordable
– SLS/SLES-free
– Has a clean scent
– Doesn’t melt quickly
– Gives enough lather
– Doesn’t dry out skin
– Doesn’t leave film/sticky residue
– Skin feels clean

Cons:
– No ingredients list on the label

I got this on Althea’s website at 178 pesos (approx $3). It’s 100g and has a square cut unlike the usual soaps. I suggest cutting it in half if you have small hands like me. Keep the other half in a dry place. That also helps with the curing process. This soap has a clean scent which reminds me of medicine/hospital.😅 It doesnt melt easily but it gives enough lather. It doesn’t leave a film when rinsed. My skin doesn’t feel dehydrated and there’s no tightening.

There’s no ingredients list on the box. But you can see it in the description found on Torriden’s website. Centella asiatica or gotu kola is its main ingredient. It has anti-inflammatory properties. The brand claims that it’s SLS and SLES-free. Those are used to make lather but can cause irritations to some. It’s nice that they are not needed to make this soap.

I consider this a maintenance if moisture and hydration are your concerns. I didn’t see any improvements on existing acne. It doesnt heal them or cause breakouts. It’s a basic cleanser. Good choice if you’re just starting to get serious with your skin care routine. Or if you’re using drying medications or products.

Althea Shopping Experience + Haul Unboxing

Lately, there’s no product in malls that caught my attention. So I went back to online shopping. I knew Althea since the first day they opened but never really ordered from them. It’s the only cosmetics shop in Korea that accepts cash on delivery payment (COD) for Philippine-orders. It is a good thing. Most Filipinos do not use card for transactions. We’re more comfortable with cash payment.

I ordered from Althea last Monday. They sent an email about my order confirmation right away. Updates can also be seen in your account. Here’s the time table:

Monday
January 15 (around 1PM) — Order received and Processing order

Tuesday:
January 16 — Preparing for shipping

Wednesday
January 17 — Shipped with tracking number

Saturday
January 20 — Received my order

And here’s the complete tracking from Korea to our house in PH

They update the online tracking fast unlike other couriers. You’ll receive a text message from the courier notifying you that your order will be delivered within the day. The delivery guy will also send a text asking if you/someone can receive the package. If no one is available, you can tell the guy and they’ll deliver it the next day. After 5 days, my package was delivered right at my doorstep. Best of all, I didn’t have to pay 112 pesos for customs tax and duties.

I’d recommend COD if there’s someone at your home who’ll pay & receive your order. But for me, it was difficult to do that because I’m sort of living alone. So if Im not at home, no one’s gonna receive it. The staff at our lobby can do that for me if my package was paid already. I’m going to use card or bank transfer next time.

Everything was in bubble wrap even if the box itself is already protecting the products. There were no dents on the product boxes. I signed up on the site way back. I already have a wishlist of products. I ran out of concealer and almost finished with my moisturizer. I was looking for serums and found a lot on their website.

Onsaemeein Galactomyces
I’ve never tried this active ingredient before. But I know it became a trend in k-beauty community. Onsaemeein offers it in 100%, no other ingredients included. I’m using this for more than a week now. My skin feels tight like I had botox. I’m liking it so far. I’ll review this after a month.

Calmia Oatmeal Therapy Cleansing Tissue
I needed a new makeup remover because Bench/ Cleansing Baby Wipes are rough which in my opinion is not good for facial skin. I just tried Calmia tonight. The tissue is soft and big enough to remove my full coverage makeup. It smells good too. I just wish they were 30 to 50 pieces.

The Saem Cover Perfection Dual Concealer
I only wanted to try The Saem’s liquid concealer. But I know I’ll be looking for a cream variant in case I’m not satisfied with the coverage. I bought this duo to test both of them in half the price. The weights are different from the solo cream and liquid concealer. I’ll see which one I like better then I’ll buy that alone next time.

Torriden Cellmazing Centellareal Soap
I was also looking for a facial wash. I’m taking a break from my favorite cleansing soap. I got this one on sale. Centella Asiatica is one of the main ingredients based on the website description. I’m using this for a week. I’ll do a full review on this after a month.

RiRe Luxe Full Cover Concealer
This one’s just an extra order. I added it in my cart because it’s so affordable. Where can you see a concealer worth 140 pesos, right? The packaging doesn’t look cheap. I havent tried it yet. It claims to give great coverage. It weighs 1.5 grams so I’m hoping little goes a long way.

Overall, I’m satisfied with my shopping experience on Althea’s website. They have different payment options like paypal, credit card, cash on delivery and bank transfer. I received the products in great condition. I’ll buy again from them once I’ve finished these all up. I’m already window shopping and adding some items on my wishlist. There are unique finds here like unpopular brands which are promising.

Review + Photo: Beauty Fix Nose Pack

Whitehead and blackhead are difficult to remove unless you get regular facials and if you know how to use comedone remover. I went to Watsons again (dakilang tambay sa Watsons) to buy packet-sized products. I heard some of them are effective including Beauty Fix’s Nose Pack. I got the Oil Control & Detoxify variant.

This was scheduled last week but it didnt do anything when I first tried it. It was a fail because I have a habit of squeezing my nose using my fingers. I needed another week to see if it works. It was so difficult to break my habit. Haha!😅 total testing period is two weeks.

Description:
Controls and detoxifies nose skin,removing dirty looking blackheads and whiteheads. Loaded with active ingredients that will soften and protect your nose skin

Ingredients:
Sorry I did not take a photo. I left the sachet on my bed and it magically disappeared again.😱 I’ll update this part soon.👍

Pros:
-Affordable, it’s below 30 pesos for 5g
-Accessible, available at Watsons stores
-Little goes a long way
-Easy to peel off
-No oily or sticky residue
-Gets those whiteheads

Cons:
-Smells like alcohol. It fades once the pack is dry

There are still some left on my nose as expected. I understand since most of black and whiteheads are deep in our pores. There’s a right tool for that. Overall, I think it’s a good product considering its price. It can be used twice a week according to the instructions. You dont have to spend a lot to pamper and take care of your skin. Thank you drugstore brands! Hihi.😁

Review: Biore Cleansing Oil Facial Cotton Sheets

Hi guys, I’m back with a review! Sorry for not being active these past few weeks. There’s so much going on in my life right now. Hehe. Plus we dont have internet. Aaaaah. Now I’m back on track and I’ll post twice weekly.

Biore is raved in the Philippines lately. Ana Victorino posted a video about it. That’s the sign to try it out! Haha! I’m seeing their products in department stores so why not grab a little packet? 🙂

Description:
Easy-to-use dirt and makeup remover sheets. Now contains 20% more cleansing oil in each sheet for easy makeup removal; new formula enriched with Hydrating Beauty Essence delivers soft, moist skin-feel after cleansing; no oily or sticky sensation. Gently cleansing away makeup, especially eye makeup

Ingredients:

Pros:
-Accessible, you can get this in department stores / Watsons
-Great for traveling
-Smells good
-Sheets are well-moistened
-Doesnt sting
-Doesnt leave film/oil/greasy feeling
-Did not cause breakouts
-Quickly removes my makeup especially the long lasting concealer

Cons:
-Quite expensive (99 pesos for 10 sheets), even the full size is around 300+ pesos.
-Sheet is too small for my big face. Not sure if the 40-sheet variant has the same size.

Overall, I like this makeup remover. It’s not the best thing I’ve tried when I look at the ingredients… But its performance is really great! Although you can still feel some oil, it doesnt feel greasy at all once you swipe it around.

This is a travel size variant so the sheets are small. One sheet is enough to remove our non-waterproof makeup. Everything is removed in just few swipes.

Have you tried anything from this brand? Which one’s your favorite?

Review: Etude House Lip & Eye Makeup Remover

This is an overdue post and it’s going to be a quick review. Oops. I got this sample last year. I’ve been using it every time I have eye makeup.

Description:
Gentle, yet highly effective, this double formulated lip & eye remover easily and instantly dissolves all traces of make-up for a soothing and moisturizing effect on the sensitive eye & lip area without any irritation.

Directions:
Shake well before each use. Apply to eye & lip area using soft cotton or tissue

Ingredients:

Pros:
-Affordable, full size is Php198 ($3)
-Little goes a long way
-Did not cause irritations
-Doesn’t leave film
-Doesn’t feel sticky
-Doesn’t sting
-Doesn’t taste bad
-Effectively removes lip & eye makeup

Cons:
-Not a fan of the smell. It smells like men’s hair gel/clay

Before & after:

I’d buy the full size if I always wear eye makeup. It’s good to have a sample size of this product at home just in case I wanted to step up my makeup game.

I know I’m not supposed to taste it but I’m glad it doesnt taste bad/bitter.  I’m glad it doesn’t sting either because eyelids are very sensitive like the rest of my facial skin. I leave it for a few seconds and it removes my eyeliner quickly in just three swipes.

Overall, I’m very satisfied. It’s an effective product to gently remove lip & eye makeup while avoiding premature aging.😊

 

*p.s. Happy birthday to my dad!🎉

First Impression: Rucy’s Vanity Foam Cleansing Green Tea

I couldn’t end the week without talking about skin care. We have another fist impression post today. It’s for Rucy’s Vanity’s Foam Cleansing Green Tea. This also available in Aloe and Pomegranate.

I love green tea whether it’s just the scent, in food, drink or cosmetics. It’s one of my most favorite ingredients.

Description:
Removes make-up, dirt, impurities and excess oil. Leaves skin perfectly clean with deep cleansing action. Contains collagenn and green tea. Green tea extracts effectively remove harmful bacteria in your skin occurred by makeup and environmental pollution.

Ingredients:

Pros:
-Very affordable, Php 130 for 100ml
-Simple packaging
-Easy to dispense
-It has aloe, vitamin E, licorice root extract and marigold (calendula officinalis) and collagen
-Green tea scent
-Little goes a long way
-Lathers well
-Doesn’t dry out the skin
-Easy to rinse
-No film/sticky residue

Cons:
-Has parabens

The consistency is light and creamy but it lathers really well even if you only use a pea size amount. I couldnt find the green tea in the ingredients list. I’m assuming it’s the scent? Because it does smell like green tea especially when lathers up.

Overall, I’m satisfied with it. It removes oil and I’m glad it doesn’t dry out my skin. It’s easy to rinse and doesn’t leave a film. No stickiness at all. I’d also get the other variants. I also like the packaging.. all their product packaging in general because you’ll know you are not only paying for a pretty design but the product itself works really well. You’ll get 100ml for 100 pesos only. I think it’s a great deal… Especially this week since this cleanser is on sale for 25% off. 🙂

Rucy’s Vanity extended their sale until December 17, 2015. All products are on sale and 25% off with additional freebies for above 500 pesos purchase! Visit their website rucysvanityph.com

Updated Skin Care Routine

It’s my first time to post my updated routine. My skin’s better with less breakouts these past few months. I think these things help a lot; my diet, skin care & Im slowly saying goodbye to puberty. Hyper-pigmentation is my main problem now. Let’s start~

Oops, I forgot to include my EH Cleansing Tissue in this photo. It’s too big and it’ll take a lot of space.😅

1. BLOT OIL & USE MAKEUP REMOVER: blot skin whether bare-faced or wearing makeup then use cleansing wipes
I dont want the oil to cover my skin when Im splashing water. It feels like the cleansing step will not be effective. I blot my skin with a regular tissue before anything else. Then I use Etude House Every Month Cleansing Tissue if I have makeup on or after a long day of sweating & commuting. Full review here.