Murad Facial

Rating: 5/5

Before I got married, I was so worried about looking good and so I decided to have facials. My face was a virgin. All my life I have been afraid of facials. I was afraid that I might have breakouts after I go to a facial session. I looked around and ended up at Rustan's Heaven on the Fifth. I surveyed all the places there and ended up choosing between Clarins Institute and Murad. Clarins was more expensive and the names of the facials were not very specific about the procedure unlike with Murad that explained what the facials were for and the potent ingredients. Plus, Murad's facials were cheaper.

They have existing packages already so I got that one for 6K, I think I got 7 facials and 2 eye treatments for free. I also got a nice 3-piece kikay bag which I find really useful for overnights for free.

During the course of my preparation for the wedding, they gave me first an AHA treatment which was for exfoliating the skin. The following week I got Vitamin C treatment for sun damage and for skin renewal as well. The following weeks were all Vitamin C. After that it was once a month. I got so used to the relaxing treatments that I missed my treatments after the first four weekly treatments. I wanted to come back right away but after the weekly treatments you are supposed to just have monthly treatments. I should have gone back already but I have not yet because I have been too busy. Now I go every two months.

They have a more attractive package now than when I got another package.

FACIAL TREATMENT PACKAGES
Vitamin C, Clarifying Enzyme, AHA Sensitive and AHA All Skin Types
Packages:

Service	Regular Price	Package Price	Savings
4 Facial Treatments	6,800	3,900	2,900
7 Facial Treatments	11,900	6,000	5,900
14 Facial Treatments	23,800	11,000	12,800
2 Redness Facial	3,800	1, 900	1,900
2 resurgence facial	3,800	2,400	1,400
2 Murad Classical	1,800	1, 100	700
3 Facial Treatments (AHA)	5,700	3,600	2,100

The ambience is really nice and the technicians are very gentle... well except for the part when they are cleaning your skin of white and black heads. :)

I have not experienced adverse effects while going through the facial. Also, they have a resident dermatologist who is available on certain days whom you can consult for free.

A treatment usually lasts an hour.


The telephone numbers of Murad are the following: Direct line: 816-1806 or Trunk Line: 813-3739 loc. 266

Peeling, Nothing More Than Peeling

Rating: 5/5

Like all the other brides-to-be, I was also obsessed with the wedding magazines! I read all of them! In one of the magazines, I saw tips on what beauty products to use at a certain age. One of the products caught my attention because apparently, this product is for all ages. I am 28 already so I fear trying products that can tend to dry out my face. I would like to elude the wrinkles for as long as I can. Knowing that this product is for any age, I was encouraged.

I found a reason to go to Greenbelt 5 *wahaha* to lure my then-fiance *wahaha* and when I got there, I was able to get the bottle that promised beautiful, renewed skin in just one night! I think I got it for more than a thousand Pesos.

Being the girl with no EQ, I immediately tried this when I got home. The directions said I should apply it evenly on my face and let it stay there until the following morning. I should wash it with warm water after wearing the gunk overnight. It did not sting at all nor did it itch, though I have heard other people complain about itching. This gunk is colorless and it peels evenly. The downside of these beautiful features though is that it smells like ammonia.

After one night, my skin was indeed whiter (which I did not particularly like, I am worried I might burn my face under the sun), cheeks were rosy and the pores less obvious. Indications on the product are the following: the product is supposed to help dull skin, hyperpigmentation, dark spots and sensitive to chemical treatments.

It's like you scrubbed your face, without having to scrub. The product says you have to use it every other day but when I tried doing that, I noticed my skin being a bit sensitive to my moisturizer so I used it every three to four days. It was really great.

I would recommend this product but remember to put on enough sunblock all day as this is still a peeling product and therefore, you must protect your skin. I have ended up under the sun for prolonged periods of time (like when we went to Laguna to look for my then-fiance's barong) but thankfully, no maps on my face because I used my Shiseido SPF 50 PA+++ UVA/UVB sunblock.

Happy peeling!

Result: Rosy skin and less obvious pores
Downside: This smells of ammonia so remember to ask the Kiehl's sales associate to let you smell it first. It is tolerable for me though and the effects are all worth it.

My Favorite Shiseido

Rating: 5/5

I started using sunblock a bit late in life because my mom used to believe that sunblock will just make me burn more. Fortunately, Shiseido made her change her mind! She is now a certified sunblock SPF 50 addict and in the process, she has also made me into one.

Now, I can no longer go out of the house without this sun block. Worse, I once tried another formula but the formula was too thick and oily. Shiseido Sun Protection Cream SPF 50+ UVA/UVB for Face is nice because you can easily blend it on your skin, especially when I you have moisturizer on. This comes with PA++ unlike other sunblocks which protects you from aging. It is not too thick and it is certainly not sticky. It has a different smell but it's not bad smelling at all.

Another bonus of this product is that it is waterproof so you can sweat it out and still know that you are protected. I have used this on a very sunny day on the beach, under the glaring heat of the sun while we worked for Habitat for Humanity and it has not failed me yet. I use this with some exfoliating formulas to keep me from having unwanted skin maps on my face.

I love this product so much, that on my wedding day, I put on some even though my makeup artist insisted that I do not put on anything at all. The result? Very nice dewy finish. My make up stayed in tact and beautiful all day! When I say all day, I mean from 8am to 12 midnight!

The packaging is light as it is just inside a sporty blue and orange plastic tube. I never go for overnights or out-of-the-country or out-of-town trips without this thing. As I have said, I too, like my mom, am hooked!

The price of this sunblock is not cheap, I admit that but a tube can last me for several months and I love that it really does its job. It protects my skin round the clock!

If you are wondering how long I have been using this sun block, it has been six years and still counting. :)

Miracle Cream for the Bride To Be

Rating: 5/5
Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Concentrate is indeed a miracle cream. It made my skin glow in just 21 days before my wedding! My then fiance got a great photographer and a great videographer for our wedding and I did not want to waste the money he was investing on them so I wanted to look like the radiant bride I am expected to be.

I did my research and contemplated on diamond peel. However, as I browsed the site of Estee Lauder, I found out about Estee Lauder's pre-wedding program. It comprised of ANR Repair Concentrate and the right moisturizer. I immediately wanted to try this, and so, while this beauty miracle cream is a bit on the pricey side, I took my risk.

I was glad I took the risk because the results were dramatic. I would buy this again if I had too. In 21 days, I was not able to finish it. I only had to apply this before sleeping. I think I have enough to last me another 21 days which I will use 3 months from now. I love this product!

The applicator is a dropper so it's very economical, you do not get to use more than what you need. As any Estee Lauder product, the packaging is also very elegant and luxurious. This is something you want in your cosmetic bag. :)

The price? I'm still glad though that it is not as pricey as La Mer still... Though I have not tried this product. Perhaps someday when I have more moolah to spend! :)

Result: Radiant and glowing skin!

Hydra Complete Me

Rating: 3/5
When I bought an Idealist and ANR Eye Recovery Complex, I got for free two jars of Hydra Complete Multi-Level Moisture Creme, one small and one big. This smelled great and felt fabulous on my skin as I apply it. The texture is just wonderful. I wish I could say the same about the long term effect though.

The thing is, it did not do much for my dry skin. When I went to Murad, which I will also blog about next time, to have my skin checked by a resident dermatologist, she said that my skin is a bit dry. I knew that too, since the lines were starting to appear and I just turned 28! Okay, so maybe, partly I am to blame for not drinking enough water...

The nice thing about this product though is that it does not make my face shine like a greasy plate. Plus, it feels like it gets absorbed easily by the skin because the skin does not feel greasy for a long time. I apply sun block after moisturizer and after this, I can almost immediately get the sun block on my face.

I used this moisturizer on my wedding day and my makeup did not melt on my face though it was a really hot day. My face remained dewy.

The packaging is a jar which some people might find unhygienic. There are no special paraphernalia for applying this so essentially, you just stick you fingers into the jar and apply the glop directly on your face.

I did finish up my stock before I switched brands. I actually planned to get the very same jar when I considered the price. *grin* And of course the not-so-dramatic effect. And once more, my expectations were a tad bit too high for reality.

Result: Change was not very noticeable. Skin was not oily at all.

Idealist Micro-D Deep Thermal Refinisher

My skin is not what you would call fabulous and so when I found out I had 12 months to prepare for my wedding, I immediately got to thinking, I need all the help I can get.

I love reading magazines and I have read wonderful reviews on Idealist Micro-D Deep Thermal Refinisher. It even received a Cosmopolitan Beauty Award. I just had to try it. It is a bit pricey but it is supposed to have three differently-sized grains that helps to exfoliate your face. Also, strangely, it makes your face really, really warm.

It brightens your face the following day. However, it can sting a bit. You also should be careful not to concentrate on the same area too much so that you will not over-exfoliate and end up burning part of your skin from too much friction. The nice thing though is that they provide very detailed instructions matched with really nice animations at Estee Lauder.

I did not use this throughout my wedding preparation but I did use it once in a while. I was afraid I might have a bad break out if I used it every other day as recommended.

Result after using:
A bit reddish skin. Don't worry it fades after and then all you have is renewed skin.

Warning: Make sure though that you wear enough sun block and that you do not go wandering about under the sun for far too long lest your skin might get damaged. You do not want maps on your face.