Lush Dream

Rating: 4/5
I used to swim 30 laps every other day and while it did wonders for my shoulders and the rest of my body, it did great damage to my skin and hair! My skin was so scaly, dull and dry and so being the beauty gunk addict that I am, I looked for a perfect lotion. I tried the Body Shop's Body Butter first. Since I was looking for dramatic effects, I opted for the Olive Oil Butter. It smelled terrible and the color was icky green but I thought to myself, it might be effective.

Not. It was not at all effective. It did nothing for my skin. My skin was still dry, only now it also stank from the fugly smell of the lotion. So I kept on looking and I found myself reading a catalog of Lush. I know, I must have plenty of time in my hands! It was there that I found out about Lush's Dream Cream. Halle Berry swears by this moisturizer and we all know how smooth, silky and dewy her skin is! In a heartbeat, I was in a Lush Store buying my first ever tub of Lush Dream Cream.

I was not disappointed at all. It did all that it promised. It was also stinky but at least it is effective. It is handmade with no preservatives so the downside is the expiry date. This expires in a little more than six months. Fortunately, I swam every other day so I was really able to consume my tub. You will really feel the difference! It does quench your parched skin!

Now, you might ask me, why switch to Kiehl's Creme de Corps? The smell might not drive me away but my husband can be driven away by the smell! Now that I am married, I find it more practical to stick to Kiehl's. Oh and yeah, this lotion, no matter how humble the container is still on the pricey side.

Result: Smooth, moisturized, dewy, stinky skin :) Hey you take the good with the bad
Downside: Has a quick expiry date

Fee, Fi, Fo, Foam

Raing: 5/5

Shiseido Pureness Gentle Cleansing Foam is very effective for those who tend to have oily skin and even those who tend to have pimples and other blemishes caused by oily skin. This has worked for me in my oiliest of years. I only wished my mom could have discovered this earlier in my life *haha*. My skin was never extremely oily however, it did have its way of making my face shine like an oily pan.




I have used Shiseido Pureness Gentle Cleansing Foam for years until that fateful year when I went to a Shiseido bar in Hong Kong. The sales associate told me not to use the Pureness line anymore as my face is absolutely dry already. I attributed the scaling from the cold winds of March but the woman refused to sell me the Pureness line! (I was shocked and was forced to believe her!) She gave me the samples for the Skin Care line after I also bought the SPF 50 Sunblock (yes the one that I have admitted to being addicted to!) After I tried the Shiseido Skin Care Gentle Cleansing Foam, there was no turning back. I even got to a point where I saved all my points in the SM Advantage Card so I can get myself some of this product for free! Of course the price of this product does not come cheap too. *hehe* Darn these cosmetic companies! :)

The texture of this facial wash is so nice when you lather it up, the bubbles are so small and soft to the skin! I know you might say, aren't all bubbles? But you have to try this to believe it. The scent is really nice too! I am still using this and I really drain the tube up to its last drop because I do swear by this gunk.

And yes, this was my facial wash in the one year that I was preparing for my wedding. :)

Loco for Lotion

Rating: 5/5

I know there are so many gunk for lotion out there. However, I have tried one that actually makes you skin soft as soon as you apply it. There is even a ten-day promise. I cannot vouch for this promise because I was not able to follow the routine religiously for ten days. It's not the lotion, it's me! I am always in a hurry in the morning that putting on lotion is the last thing on my mind. It is nice to use however, for moments when you actually have the time to slather some.

The effective lotion? Kiehl's Creme de Corps lotion. There is a light formula if you do not want the thick one. I bought the thick one just so I am sure I am not getting shortchanged. I want all the moisture the big bottle can offer. The downside? It's a bit more creamy, hence takes a bit more time to get absorbed. You have to let it sit on your skin but it is worth it. You can apply it on dry areas and you will surely notice the difference as soon as you apply it. At least, this is how it is for me.

This is the best body lotion I have tried so far. The scent? Do not ask me about the scent! Haha! It does not have a strong scent, if it even has any at all. Then again, you got lotion so your skin will be softer, if you want to smell nice then you would have used perfume instead. I think a lotion without scent is actually good because this means you will not have to layer your perfume with another scent.

This lotion is more expensive than the usual lotion you can buy in other shops but it is worth it.

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.

When It Rains, It Pores

Rating: 3/5

I was obsessed about my pores for a while and so I tried Shiseido Pureness Pore Purifying Warming Scrub ( I know this sounds so much like the Estee Lauder Idealist)and then the Shiseido Pureness Cooling Essence. The Cooling Essence it to be applied on the pores (avoiding the mouth and eye area, maybe because it's drying) night and day. The Pore Purifying Warming Scrub can be used once a week because this has beads that exfoliates.

I tried this but stopped using it because I did not see immediate effects and also, a few days after I bought this, I got obsessed with Estee Lauder's Idealist Thermal-D Refinisher. It won the Cosmopolitan award then. The Shiseido Pureness line is cheaper than the Estee Lauder's Idealist line.

I still have these, do you think I should give it another try? My concern is that Pureness is a line for oily skin, and I am past the oily stage. I am already 28 so while I have bouts of oiliness at times, most of the time, my skin is parched and in need of moisture. I am just worried it might ruin the balance (as if!) of my skin.

NutriSystem and Acai Berries

Okay, the first time I heard about the name, I thought this was again one of those instant stuff that you put into water and gulp until your mug is empty, leaving an aftertaste of Salmon Shake. I was wrong. This apparently, is not a product inside a can but rather, a service. Yes, you heard me right!

I have long been fantasizing about this, eating healthy food but not having to prepare the healthy food yourself. I have tried 5-day diets and 3-day diets and fat burning soup that in the end, burns me out because of long food preparation and of course, cleaning up afterwards. Fantasy made into reality is what Nutrisystem is.

Nutrisystem is a service that delivers over 100 types of delicious food. Delicious? Let me be more specific, some exampes of these food: Mac and Cheese (I know, is this heaven or what?), Chicken Parmesan (Cheese! Cheese! Cheese! Gotta love 'em), Tacos plus do not think you will have to skip dessert because you don't. Here are some of the desserts available: almond biscotti and blueberry lemon bars. If that is not enough, you will also get to eat not just three times a day but five times a day. Three meals and two snacks! Now how cool is that? So you might ask, how will this make you lose weight.

Essentialy, Nutrisystem offers low glycemic food. Let me translate this to English. Glycemic Index (GI) indicates the effect of carbohydrates and sugar to the blood glucose levels. The lower the GI the slower the sugar and starch is absorbed by the body, the longer the body consumes the food you eat, the longer you feel fuller.

Another concern might be nutrition. The diet contains 55% carb, 25% protein and 20% fat so you need not worry about not getting enough or too much of something. I think you should add fruits though, I do not know if they have enough fiber and other vitamins. A nice fruit suggestion is Acai Berries that will be discussed further on. If you're into exotic and healthy, this is definitely the fruit for you.

Nutrisystem provides different programs for different cases like: females over 60, males over 60, diabetics and males and females specific programs.

Cost of this service/food is 300 USD for a month. That is roughly 10 USD per day. I think that is not so bad at all, if you are living in the states that is... Actually, even if you are not.

Aside from losing weight, another thing that almost everybody wants to do is to look and feel young. One of the ways to do this is to make sure your body gets enough antioxidants. While other people prefer green tea to do the job for them, there is another alternative if you are not into green tea. A product from the Amazon called the Acai (a-sigh-ee) berry has been discovered. They have packaged this now in a form where it is easier to be consumed by us regular people who do not want to get old.

This is one of the top ten products featured in Oprah's Website 10 Superfoods list of Dr. Pericone. If that is not enough to convince you, this also tastes like a mix of berries and chocolate (hmmm... chocolate...). If this is not enough, this is supposed to boost your immune system as well! Remember, earlier I mentioned about lack of fiber in the NutriSystem diet? I think Acai berries will complement NutriSytem beautifully.

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. :)