Not So Complex

Rating: 5/5

I just got back from a workshop in Subic. We stayed at Grande Island which is literally an island. The food was not good at all but I had fun with the towable water rides like the Banana Boat and the Chariot which were included in our package so we did not have to pay. I also got to row a kayak for the first time! *woot* It was soh fun!

I will be posting about this trip in another blog, just wanted to give you an idea what I have been doing *excuses from slacking*.

As always I had my trusty Shiseido SPF 50 for face and body sunblock and Shiseido SPF 50 for the face, I know... It's redundant. But I like the feel of the cream on my face better than the lotion.

My face is already recovering from the torture that was Estee Lauder Soft Clean Facial Wash. I have been using Advanced Night Recovery Complex Estee Lauder and I have gone back to my Dramatically Different Moisturizer of Clinique. I have already used Shiseido Skincare Very Gently Cleansing Foam and I think it's doing the trick. The little pimples are going away and my skin is getting back to normal. Whew!

ANR Complex Estee Lauder is runny and has a funny smell but it works so who cares right? I put it on after cleansing my skin and leave it overnight. If I have time to let it sit and dry, I apply moisturizer before I sleep but if I get too lazy I just let ANR sit.

I recommend this because it's cheaper and if you are not in a rush and are wanting dramatic results in a short amount of time, it is okay. :) Still saving up ANR Concentrate for the future *hehe*. I have some left over from the wedding preparation from last time.

Waxamacallit

Summer is here and while it tends to rain every now and then do not be deceived. Wear sunblock! This is of course coming from a sunblock addict so you can choose to ignore this. :)

Summer is also the time when a lot of people tend to focus on removing stubborn hair. I have reviewed here Veet but it's really not a product that I like. In fact I think I have only used it a couple of times in the past. I was afraid it will burn my skin.

I have tried Sally Hansen's Washable Cold Wax Hair Removal Set as well. It's priced at around 500 Php per decent sized tube that comes with a calming lotion, spatula and roughly 25 cloth strips that are also big enough for the legs. I do not have much hair on my legs and I do not bother taking them out. My concern is the underarm area so I had to cut the sheets into smaller strips. The packaging says you can wash the strips but I am not a washer, am a thrower, nature forgive me. I just do not think it will work by washing. The strips do not look reusable.

Unlike other types of wax, the cold wax need not be melted. It's already in liquid form but to make it thinner you have to put it in warm water. After you warm it, you then apply it and use the cloth strips to take out the hair.

Anyway, The product always works best for me when it is new. I do not know why on the second use it is no longer as effective. I do not know if it's me or the product. You might ask me if I finished my first tube. I did not finish the first tube. It got punctured so I had to throw it out (nature please forgive me again) also the strips got lost for some reason. They got lost because after my second try, I gave up on it and then when I wanted to try again everything was missing. *snicker*

I bought the second tube and the same thing happened, the tube got punctured. It's either I am doing something wrong or their packaging sucks. I followed the instructions to the dot and so I am inclined to think that it's their packaging.

Waxing is a nice way to get rid of hair because hair grows back softer and thinner however, you have to grow them! Really long!!! I cannot do this so I do not use wax these days anymore.

If you can tolerate long hair for a while then waxing is definitely the way to go. I do not find it painful at all, at least for the underarms so if you are feeling dangerous, go and try waxing!

Dry Spell

Rating: 5/5

I never had acne. Mostly, I have little pimples. Very rare do I get a big one and this only happens while I am cramming for a project. However, during my oily teen years, I came across a magic potion for acne: "Salicylic Acid". This is really effective for acne, why you say? Because it literally dries everything up. Do not use this if your skin is not oily otherwise you will end up with a chalkboard for a face.

I have realized after my Soft Clean Estee Lauder facial foam episode that it is a matter of consequence to really know your skin type. If you make a mistake your skin will suffer. I am still in the process of rehabilitating my skin with Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Complex. This is not the concentrate version that I have reviewed in the past. Will let you know if it does something for my face.

Going back, my brother was a fan of this Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash Salicylic Acid product and I have to say, for those times he used it, it did improve his skin taking away the shine and leaving it matte.

It comes in great quantities because the packaging is huge and practical. I like the dispenser concept so you will find it easy to use as you wash your face. Unlike the Soft Clean Estee Lauder. *boo*

For those struggling with oil, good for you because that means you are still young. :) If you want it matte, you can use Neutrogena. It's cheaper than Shiseido Pureness Cleansing Foam. :)

Dove-a-Dub-Dub

Rating: 5/5


I have written so much about soaps but now I realize that I have neglected to write about a soap that I have used for literally, decades now. I am talking about none other than Dove. This choice has been reinforced by my Chemistry teacher who has tested the Ph Level of the soap and found out that it has the PH level nearest to our skin. He also tested other soaps and did not get as favorable a result as in the case of Dove.

I do not use the solid soap if I am traveling or swimming because it can get a bit messy. The soap tends to melt easily compared to other soaps so store the soap in a dry place. When traveling, save yourself from all the soap goo by bringing along the liquid soap. There is also a Dove body wash with beads that you can use for exfoliation. I have tried this and was not so happy with it because there is not as many bubbles and the beads are not as bountiful, I feel they're not even there. :)


Over the years, Dove soap has not failed me and I hope it won't fail you as well. :)

Strip Away

Rating: 5/5


I hope you had a good Holy Week. I did. I got to spend it in my husband's hometown, San Fernando, La Union.

I think today I will talk about pore strips. I have not tried so many actually, I have been buying for the past n years Bench Pore Strips. I think it works. I do not know if it is harming my skin in the process but it does the job.

I do not use pore strips as much anymore. I think after I have been visiting Murad (which I have not done in a while now because I have been very busy) I did not have to use Pore Strips anymore.

They are convenient because you can pack them easily, they're just sheets after all. All you need is a clean damp face and it should work already. :)

If you want a quick blackhead, whitehead fix, go Pore Strips. :)

On an unrelated side note, my Soft Clean Estee Lauder is still giving me pimplets (small pimples). *sigh* I will stop using the facial wash soon... grrr...

Perfectly Clean... not!

Rating: 2/5

Okay, I promised to review the Soft Clean Moisture Rich Cleanser. I love Estee Lauder products, in fact, I am a big fan. Finding out that this facial wash is cheaper by 500 Php than Shiseido Skincare's Gentle Cleansing Foam was very good news to me. It has a luxurious smell and feel and it has a beautiful bottle too.

In spite all the aforementioned "features" I still find this cleanser to be far from perfect. In fact, I would like to go back to Shiseido ASAP. Here are some of the reasons why I feel it's far from perfect:

1. Packaging - I realized that this product was not really properly evaluated in terms of packaging because it does not have a flip-top closure. Instead, you rotate the elegant gold cap so that once you put in one of your palms, you need to use it again to close the cap. Baaahd design.

2. Texture - While you are using it, the texture is creamy and luxurious however, the cream is a tad bit runny so that when you open the cap, a lot of it gets stuck in the cap which I find uneconomical. I have to ask myself if this is indeed cheaper than Shiseido.

3. Residue - I think that there's much residue left on my face after I have rinsed for several minutes because my face still feels slippery (for the lack of a better term). Maybe because this is designed for dry skin but am always getting told that my skin is dry so I tried this.

4. Effect - My face is nowhere from calm (as it promised), my skin is a bit bumpy. I am thinking maybe my skin is not dry or maybe the facial wash is really no good. If you want to try then please do and then let me know how it goes for you.

5. Fragrance - Hands down, the product really smells good!

Overall, I was disappointed. :(

Am Back!

The Gunkee is back!

Whew! For a while there I did not think I would ever get through March. It has been a hectic two months for me but am back.

My skin is a disaster though. Just this February and March I have been to Bangkok, Dumaguete, Beijing, Phuket and then Bangkok again.Bangkok and Dumaguete burned my skin, Beijing got it dry and Phuket burned it some more. :) And no, I have not taken my Murad Pomegranate supplements faithfully.

I have shifted to Perfectly Clean by Estee Lauder, which I will review soon. I just remembered that I have tried Neutrogena's Salicylic Acid for a while so I will review this too. I have been using a new shower cream of Bath and Body works called Velvet Rose so more on this too.

This is it for now though. :) Sorry, I need to catch my breath first from all the things I had to do. Actually, I still have much to do *hehe*.

See you very soon! :)