Lux Loot!

It is almost Christmas and I will have to say, I am going on a vacation for a while. Technically, I will not be slacking for the next few days, I am simply taking a leave of absence. I do not think the posts will be missed though since everyone will be taking their vacation too. It is Christmas after all! :)

On this note, I want to great all the beauty gunkees a Merry Christmas! :)

The other day, I was in Makati at Valero corner Salcedo I think *hehe* I rarely go to Makati so forgive me if I am a bit geography-challenged. Anyway, there was a LuxAsia sale in the same building where Raffles had a sale (they had cheaper Corelle and Pyrex stuff!). LuxAsia is the distributor of luxury items and at first I was reluctant to go to this sale but my husband told me there were more Shiseido products this time than in their last appearance at the MegaTent sale. I went and I was not disappointed!

Shiseido Sun Care Sunblock SPF 50 PA+++ was only 999.00 Php when the original price is 1,800 Php! I just bought a couple of boxes of SPF 50 from Shiseido Rockwell and the manufacturing date said 02/07, and the ones I got from LuxAsia says 03/07 but of course, these are stickers. I only bought one from LuxAsia because I still want to closely compare the consistency. The smell was the same but the consistency seems to be different since the one from Rockwell that I got is more creamy. It could just be paranoia, I am yet to conclude that they are of the same quality. I also bought sunblock for the body which was sold at 1,175 Php at LuxAsia it is more than two thousand at Shiseido boutiques.

I also tried the YSL Touche Eclat concealer in number 2 and I thought it did not do much for my raccoon eyes, yet a few minutes after application and a few minutes away from the store, I looked in the mirror in our car, and my eyes seemed to really look better! They were sold at 1,200 Php, I better buy one of those on their next sale!

I bought (finally!) a gift box of StriVectin which had inside StriVectin for the eyes, StriVectin SD and StriVectin Anti-Oxidant. I have not used this yet, I am currently doing a patch test on my hand to see if the Clinique and StriVectin combination will irritate my skin. So far, so good, no bumps yet. :) The set was just a bit over 3,000 Php which is really cheap considering that a tube of StriVectin SD can easily fetch for 8,000Php.

So there's my loot for this week. I better start saving up again because well, I have spent a lot! *wahaha!*

Reviews on StriVectin to follow. I really need to use it first before releasing a review so I will not have to retract anything later. :)

Rinse/Off

Rating: 5/5

In my quest to find a cheaper moisturizer and eye cream, I cam across Clinique's Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser because it came free with the other loot I got for buying the All About Eyes Rich Moisturizer and the Dramatically Different Moisturizer, (both have been reviewed in this site). If you are wondering what other stuff I got, I got plenty *hehe*. I got a free faux leather purse, a canvas purse (that can be used as a make-up kit), a travel size Dramatically Different Moisturizer, Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser, Sample Tube of Pore Minimizer and another tube of something I have not checked out *hehe* I have too much gunk in my hands. :) I am not complaining of course. I also got a tube of lip gloss, a small compact of foundation too. Some of the loot I got because I have a Citi Rustan's Gold and apparently that card works when you are in Rustan's after all. You get extra freebies!

So going back to the Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser, I like it because it does not dry my skin, it's priced reasonably and comes in a giant package so it lasts you a long time. They have different products for different skin types, I am type II so they gave me this. Consult the Sales Associate so they can give you what matches your skin. I also like how it feels on my skin. The bubbles are also rich and soft and it leaves me with a nice fresh glow after washing my face. The packaging is light and practical. It does not have a strong scent so you almost do not notice it is there, not that it smells bad.

I recommend this because it's not expensive but gentle and effective. I have used it for three months now and still no breakouts. :)

Beada Beads

Rating: 4/5
While I was in Boracay, I realized that I have left my Clinique facial wash (which I will review eventually *hihi*) and so I used my sample tube of Shiseido The Skincare Purifying Cleansing Foam which is like the previously reviewed Shiseido The Skincare Extra Gentle Cleansing Foam except that it is not gentle. It has beads and I was thinking, the beads were not that many and the beads did not feel rough on my skin, I was thinking it was alright if I used it more than twice a day in Bora. I mean I wash my face in the morning, after the beach and before I sleep, that's at least three times a day and I stayed in Bora for four days! *yikes!* No wonder my face got really dry after, I was blaming the Shiseido Suncare SPF50 PA+++ that I use everyday anyway!

Note to self, I must not use the exfoliating facial wash more than once a day. If you ask me, one should just exfoliate twice a week and several days apart. I just thought that... nah... I left my facial wash and I had no other alternative.

To avoid dryness, you can also use the Shiseido make-up remover which I will talk about next time. You can use this product to remove the waterproof sunblock. This is oil-based so this is not for those with oily skin and you must wash again with facial wash after using this product lest you want to look like buttered fish. :)

Christmas Bubbles!

Veena, my sister in-law went to the States for three weeks and among the loot that she gave us as "pasalubong" (gifts the person who just got back gives to people who did not go anywhere :) ) is a Bath and Body Works Winter Candy Apple Deep Cleansing Soap and a Winter Candy Apple Hand Sanitizer. The Winter Candy Apple scent smells so great I want to eat it *hehe*! It also comes in a real festive color with blue beads for a deep clean!

The scent reminds me of Victoria's Secret's Endless Love.

It is Christmas after all, so why not bring the Christmas Cheer to your bath! I would love to try the glittering body wash and the lotion! They are on sale on their website!

Hair Ye, Hair Ye

Rating:4/5
I do not know about you but hair has been a problem for me and have been plagued by it since adolescence. I mean I have, like all other maybe, resorted first to plucking. This was painful but after a while the skin gets numb. It hurt my eyes though more than the skin so I eventually gave up on this method. Most of my younger years were spent not wearing sleeveless because I did not know what to do with all the hair. My mom suggested a cream that melts the hair away.

The product is called Veet. It's essentially just a lotion that burns the hair. It comes with a spatula and a not so appealing scent. You are supposed to clean the skin, dry it, apply the lotion, leave it on the skin for a few minutes and then use the spatula to remove it. Note though, that the time may vary depending on the sensitivity of your skin, the thickness of the hair among others. If your skin is sensitive, the skin begins to sting while you use the spatula. Also, if the hair is too thick, some of the hair may still remain. When you use the spatula, you will notice some of the hair going with the spatula.

I used this several times but it was stinky and it kind of stung so I was worried that in the process of using it I might be burning my armpits. :)

The hair grows still thick because I do not think it burns to the root, in effect it's just like shaving but it's more expensive. I could be wrong, but this is how I look at it.

This product is effective, I mean it really tries to get rid of the hair. I just think I would rather shave than go through all the trouble of having to grow my hair long enough so I can burn them. I do not like staying away from my sleeveless blouses too long.

Sun Kissed

Rating: 3/5

I love reading the Beauty Awards issue of Cosmopolitan because I really try out the products that they have there if the products intrigue me. This was how I ended up trying Glam Shine of L'oreal, Estee Lauder's Thermal D Idealist and the Nivea Lip Gloss among others.

Today, I feel like talking about the Nivea Lip Gloss in nude. I found the nude lip stick sexy but I later on found out that this color is simply not for me. It makes me look more anemic than I really am and well... the ghastly look is not what I am aiming for. I cannot make everyday Halloween! Anyway, I came across a Beauty Award issue and sa the Nivea Lip Gloss article and ad and thought to myself, I am going to try this gloss. This was of course before my long-term affair with Ilog Maria's lip balm with peppermint.

The very day I tried it on, I got the same rashes I got from The Body Shop's Vitamin E Lip Care SPF 15. I was so disappointed because the color really looks so yummy! It's like cinnamon and it's all sparkly. I tried it again for the heck of it after my rashes were gone and well, that second trial invited the rashes back to my lips. That was the end of my Nivea Care Lip Gloss. I tossed it out!

If you are the type whose lips are not too sensitive then go for Nivea, it really has nice shades but if your lips are sensitive, try and be more conservative about the glosses taht you try. :)

Rave for Kiehl's Creme de Corps

Just an update on my parched skin from too much Bora and sunblock, I will not have to resort to Lush's Dream Cream *yay*! This means no stinky gunk on my skin! *woot* Creme de Corps did its job in just a few days. My skin is more hydrated now. Still a bit dry but if i continue using the lotion it should go back to normal soon... If I continue using it. Sometimes I no longer bother because I am going to be late for work *hehe* but so far the texture of my skin has improved immensely!

I recommend this lotion for those who are suffering from really dry skin. They have a lighter formula if you find the lotion too creamy for your taste. From my chalkboard skin that allows me to draw three dimensional graphs, Kiehl's Creme de Corps has managed to turn my skin to a skin moist enough to disallow me from writing anything on it!

Lip Service

Rating: 2/5
Unless mandated by the doctor, I am not the type of person who consciously tries to drink enough water in a day. As a result, my lips tend to chap. In the past I have tried several fixes and got burned. The ones I have tried that worked are Ilog Maria lip balm and Kiehl's #1 Lip Balm with SPF 15, both products I have reviewed in the past.

Today I choose to review The Body Shop's Vitamin E lip care stick with SPF 15. This was too oily for me and I found my lips having rashes. At the end of the day, my lips were not kissable. Literally, I could not kiss because my lips became too rough and itchy.

I do not recommend this to those who have very sensitive lips like me. If you want lip balm that has a hint of peppermint and is soothing as well as effective, go for
Ilog Maria Lip Balm. I swear by it. They accept local and international orders. :)

Dry Patch

Rating: 3/5
When I travel, I bring with me liquid soap. I used to bring my Vanilla scented shower gel from The Body Shop but I have emptied my small bottle already. Most of the time though, and for particularly long trips, I bring with me Dove moisturizing body wash. Since a lot of people have given me Bath and Body Works shower gel, I tried using it. I use it everyday because the smell is great. I have been using White Cherry Blossoms and the smell is just so yummy. I was also given a matching lotion which also smells yummy! I have emptied that bottle already and I have moved on to Japanese Orchids and it also smells wonderful.

However, since I do not have time to apply lotion in the morning and I am too lazy to do this too, I have found my skin drying. I am now using my emergency lotion Creme de Corps of Kiehl's in the hopes of resurrecting moisture on my skin. If this does not work, I will have to try the stinky but effective Dream Cream of Lush. I do hope the Kiehl's lotion works!

Eye Clinique

Rating: 4/5
From my last post, you might be wondering what eye cream I am currently using. I have tried Estee Lauder ANR for the eyes and so far this is the best that I have tried. I mean I have tried Shiseido too and it was ok, Estee Lauder though is the best I have tried. Since I got married and I wanted to be more practical *sheepish grin* I have decided to go with a cheaper brand. I just wanted to see if it would work just the same since it is a sister company of Estee Lauder. I tried Clinique All About Eyes Rich and well, I do not think it is doing much for my eyes. Maybe my eyes need my cream to work harder. I noticed that it softens the lines around my eyes but it seems my wear and tear is more powerful than the repair that Clinique can perform. For a while I have contemplated on using Stri-vectrin. A serum that is supposed to help reduce stretch marks but instead of following the instructions of the package, people started using them for their wrinkles and low and behold, they found out that it is a nice substitute to BoTox. I just do not know if it has the same side effect when you try to frown but can't because you seem to be always smiling when on BoTox. *peace sign to those who are doing this*

Clinique All About Eyes Rich is so much cheaper than other eye creams. It does not have an applicator though which I think is not hygienic. I got the rich cream type because I thought this will be more effective. Maybe next time I will try the other version.

Rants of a Beach Bum

Rating: 4/5

I have been using Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizer for two months now and while I did not have any major breakouts and for a while I felt like my face was amply moisturized, after my Boracay trip recently, I have found my face becoming dry. This is probably because of the amount of waterproof sunblock that I have applied on my face and the lack of sleep and lack of water during the entire vacation plus all the partying. I really can't blame my face for going crazy. I hope it goes back to normal soon.

This moisturizer is soh much cheaper (you will be very surprised!) than other brands! Plus, it comes in such a big bottyle! It has been more than two months (almost three actually) and I am not even halfway in emptying the bottle! The pump is great too! On my way to Bora, there were no spills but on our way to Manila, there was a little sign that it was about to spill but it did not.

I am also back to dark undereyes because after I started the initial program of the Earth Therapeutics Hydrogel Mask for the Eyes, I stopped. I just thought it was too much of a hassle to wait for 30 minutes to remove the two patches that goes off clean (without any trace of residue) when peeled. I am the laziest person! Now I am starting over because my eyes look terrible. Especially since I have been soh very busy lately because of the end of term things I have to do.

I also started taking Feosol (Ferrous Sulfate), not for vanity mind you but for health reasons (okay maybe partly for vanity too, my nails are beginning to look pale and I was wondering too if this can improve my undereye). It's only 250mg and I only take it once a day. A few years ago I was borderline anemic. A few months ago, I was declared anemic by the doctor. I hate eating liver so I was glad when she asked me to just take Ferrous Sulfate.

I have a bunch of blogs I was not able to post because I was just doing them during my gap time (my nothing to do moments :) Belle de Jour has this on the planner, still can't wait to use mine this coming year!).

Sorry for being such a slacker, I promise to update more regularly.

One Month of FitFlops

I have been using my FitFlops for a month now (I wrote an entry when I first got them, read it here), I don't wear them at home but at work I wear them all the time (one of the reasons I love my job) and I must say, I really feel they are effective. I have just been to Bora and I was able to notice how more toned my legs are and some sections of my thighs, mostly the front part... pardon my ignorance *snickers*.

My knees now hurt less because the FitFlops absorb the shock. Moreso, since I bought the WalkStarII with the inner leather, it is so much more comfortable.

My lower back now has an arc that has long been gone. Unfortunately for me, the FitFlops do not work for my abs and since I have stopped doing crunches, I am stuck with flabs instead of abs. What I am sure of though is that buying my FitFlops was a good call.

Blocking Options

Rating: 4/5
Sorry for not updating for a couple of days, I was in Boracay since Friday and we only flew in yesterday night to Manila. It was such a great long weekend getaway! We bumped into a lot of friends and ended up partying with them every night we were there! This was supposed to be the second leg of our honeymoon. Details will be posted in my wedding blog Beyond I Do's *snickers* shameless plugging!

Anyway, on to our review. Today, I feel like reviewing Nivea Sunblock SPF 50. I bought this some years ago simply for the purpose of sharing it with others. I bring with me all the time Shiseido Sun Care SPF 50 PA+++ but the bottle is too small that it might not enough for sharing. Out of curiosity, I tried the Nivea SPF 50. It was effective (in the period that I used it) but it was very sticky and it tends to leave a white cast. It also takes a while before it dries. Make sure you get it dry first, lest you will look like a Kabuki mask once you dip into the water!

For those on a budget, this is a great sun block though. If you want it to work, make sure you bring this around with you as you will need to reapply after you take a bath.