Happy Friday to all! Due to pregnancy and psoriasis, I have been on a hunt for a low ph cleanser. I wanted something to replace my Himalaya Neem Facial Wash (which I have been using for years). I also wanted something that is locally available and affordable. When I saw Iwhite Korea released this cleanser, I was so excited to get my hands on it but it was not available on any Watsons branch near my area. Luckily, I got this tube on one of my rare trips to Mercury Drugstore for 199 pesos. This cleanser is pretty affordable for 85ml.
This cleanser claims to be suitable for sensitive skin, dermatologically tested, hypoallergic, and has low ph. This cleanser is formulated with plant extracts such as Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Water and juice extract, Willow Bark Extract and Hibiscus Mutabilis Flower Extract. After almost 2 weeks of using this product, I must say that this deserves a hype!!!! This works well on my sensitive skin. It does not irritate nor sting my psoriasis flare ups. This cleanser is really soothing and mild. Despite being a gentle cleanser, it thoroughly removes grime, traces of makeup, and other impurities on my face without disrupting the moisture balance of my skin and does not strip my skin's natural oils. After using this cleanser, my face feels hydrated, soft, and refreshed. Unlike other cleansers that I have tried, my skin does not feel tight after using it. The only things I disliked about this product is its scent which reminds me of sulfur soap.
This is gel cleaner and definitely a winner and a holy grail material!!! I definitely recommend this to all of my readers.
What is your favorite low ph cleanser?
Godbless and keep safe,
Donnarence
Having psoriasis flare ups and being pregnanct is probably the worst combo. I have tried asking permission from my OB to allow me to use certain medicated creams as advised by mg dermatologist but she did not give her clearance. Presently, face has large red and scaly patches. My psoriasis patches are very obvious. The least I could do is to use skincare products that may help alleviate the redness and flakiness of my psoriasis patches. Two of the products that I enjoyed using are from A'pieu - the Madecassoside Ampoule and Madecassoside Cream. I am almost finish with both products and luckily, I have a back up of the cream version.
The key ingredients of these products are Centella Asiatica Leaf Water Extract which is known for its anti oxidant properties, helps in boosting collagen production, and has soothing/healing effects. These products are also infused with Niacinamide which is known for brightening dull skin and evening out the appearance of pores and uneven skin. Thankfully, both ingredients are safe to use during pregnancy.
The Madecassoside Cream is a cream gel hybrid making its consistency rich and balmy. It may feel a bit siliconey but it gets easily absorbed by my dry skin. This cream moisturizes my skin immediately once applied. Since it has a siliconey texture, it preps my skin really well for makeup application. This has a slight herbal scent which I like. Before my pregnancy, I really enjoy using this as my daytime moisturizer. It works well on cold weather (tried it during the fall season in Korea) and also during hot humid days in Manila. Now that I am pregnant with psoriasis flare ups, this helps a lot in soothing my flare ups. I notice that it somehow alleviates the redness and flakiness of my flare ups but sadly it does not totally eradicate my flare ups (I really need steroidal creams for medication).
The Madecassoside Ampoule has a watery consistency and does not have any scent. It feels very light and runny. Like the Madecassoside Cream, this helps soothes and calm my irritated skin. It is adds a bit of hydration but is not too moisturizing like the cream variant. I like using the cream and ampoule together especially on cooler days.
Overall, I really love the cream version of this product. As for the ampoule, I prefer ampouls that are more viscous because of my dry skin.
Can you recommend soothing moisturizers/ products? What are your favorites?
Godbless and keep safe!
Xoxo,
Hi everyone! I hope all of you are doing well. I know it has been a while since I wrote something. I truly miss sharing with all of you my beauty finds and favorites. I am presently 24 weeks pregnant with my second baby (yay!! And it's a boy again!haha). This second pregnancy has helped me gained additional pounds aside from the pounds I gained during the first pregnancy. On top of that, my psoriasis flare ups showed up on my face. It is quite disheartening that I cannot use any steroids to tame down the redness and to stop it due to my pregnancy. Also, my lips is drier than before. I often have dry chapped lips and it does not look good at all with lipstick. Due to this, lipbalms have become my bestfriends. These are my favorite lip balms that I currently use in rotation.
My ultimate favorite is the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. I got this sample in Myeongdong last October, 2019 and I have been trying to use it sparingly. This lip mask does wonders to my dry chapped lips. This has a glossy finish and is quite thick for everyday wear. I use it at night time and despite its thick consistency, I use it even during the day. It immediately hydrates and soothes my dry lips. I will definitely get a full size jar once I finish this sample.
Next on my list, is the best buy of them all. I got this Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Mositurizing Stick on sale for 200 pesos during a shoppee sale. Surprisingly, I received a free Rose Micellar Toner and a canvass bag as freebies! I have been using this lipbalm religiously for months. I use it daily and it is evident on the the size of the remaining lipbalm bullet that I am loving this to bits. This gives off a very nice glow on the lips. This is not heavy at all and works well with most of my lip products (tints, lip pencils, and lipsticks).
The third on my list is another one from Nuxe. I asked my bff/ super friend to buy it for me when she was in Europe because it costs less there. This is the Reve De Miel Balm or Honey Lip Balm. This one has a very different texture than the rest on the list. This is akin to a thick butter balm and applies velvety matte on the lips. This does not have that dewy finish like most lipbalms and works well with matte lipsticks.
Last is the Glossier Cherry Balm dotcom. This is a very popular product online and I was so excited to receive it as a gift from my Aunt. This has a very strong cherry scent which I am not fond of but the texture of this lipbalm is really nice. It is emollient and goes on smoothly on the lips. It also delivers a very subtle pinkish red hue when applied. I love using it on its own or with just a lip liner pencil for a quick everyday makeup.
From left to right: Nuxe Honey Lip Balm, Nuxe Nourishing Reve De Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick, and Glossier Cherry Balm Dotcom
What are is your favorite lipbalm?
Godbless and keep safe.
Xoxo,
During my previous trip to Korea last November, I discovered Sampar French Oil. I loved it so much that I wanted to go back to Seoul to purchase back ups.lol Unfortunately, my bank account screams "No no no" to that plan. (Parang anak ko lang yung sumisigaw ng No!) Haha
Thus, I decided to look for an alternative. This is the reason why I am presently obsessed with lip balms, lip oils, and tinted lip balms. On one of my trips to my favorite store -- Watsons, I chanced upon this Oil in Colour product. When I saw the price of 165 pesos, I immediately purchased the shade - pop orange. When I opened the product, it was actually a tinted lipbalm. I was a bit frustrated when I saw that it was in a stick form because I was imagining it to be a lip oil with a tint but the biggest surprise came when I finally got to use the product. This product is amazing! For a fraction of a price, I get a very pigmented product that is truly hydrating on the lips.
This product comes in two shades Chic Red and Pop Orange. This product glodes smoothly on the lip and does not emphasize the dry areas and cracks. I love how it makes my lips feel moisturized without the need of applying a separate lip balm. It lasts fairly well for hours and gives my hint a very healthy glow of color. Throughout the day, this leaves an even hint of colour when it starts to fade. The Red shade is more pigmented, however, I prefer the orange shade more. Oranges translates into beautiful coral orange when worn.
Look at these swatches, aren't they pigmented. This product can cover my dark lip lines too!!!
Here are the lip swatches:
Top:Chic Red Bottom: Pop Orange
Overall, I highly recommend this tinted balm! Product rating is 10/10!!!
Godbless to all!
'Till my next post,
Donnarence
Happy 2020 to everyone!!! I have bought a lot of products (both skincare and makeup) last 2019. To be honest, I really really wanted to share my thoughts on them with you but I was too lazy to open my laptop and blog. I was on the verge of doing micro blogging through instagram. Luckily, I downloaded the blogger app and this will make blogging easier for me as I can upload and edit photos just using my phone. So ayan, sana hindi na ako tamarin magblog. Hehe
For my first post for 2020, I will review a product that was on my wishlist for months - MAC Studiofix Complete Coverage Cushion Compact. Ang haba ng name ng product na to ha!!! I wanted to try this because when I swatched this at the MAC store I was really amazed by the coverage plus this compact was heavily marketed by korean beauty bloggers. Basta Korea ang ang nag advertise, go go fo ako diyan. Haha Also, this cushion have a great shade selection. The korean cushions that I have tried were lighter than my skin tone. I was very hesitant to purchase this because of its hefty price (Php2,200). Luckily, I scored this cushion for only PHP 1,600 at the Duty Free sale ( Thanks to my very good/ super friend, Vaks, for purchasing this for me). The packaging is a bit bulky but I love the posh mirror/glass design of the cover. This contains 12 grams of product.
It comes with an ordinary cushion puff. Not a of the puff. Mas maganda yung puff ng korean cushions
I got the shade NC27 which suits my medium yellow skintone. Althought, the shade NC27 has warm peach tones but it is not noticeable when applied.
Do not be fooled by the swatch at the back of my hand!!! This cushion foundation does not have matte finish at all!!! In actuality, I was surprised that this foundation has a dewy finish. I was thinking this is comparable to the studiofix fluid foundation (which I love for years) but I was mistaken. This Cushion foundation is really hydrating but it tends to be a bit oily for our humid weather. A good matte powder is needed to set this foundation or else, you'll end up looking like a greaseball by mid day. As for me (with dry skin), my skin looks radiant and healthy whenever I use this as a base. Although, this works best on my skin when I have less to none skin bumps or psoriasis flare ups. It does have the tendency to highlight my bumps and texture. MAC claims that it is long wearing and water resistant. I agree with the long wearing claim. Despite having a glowy finish, this lasts whole day on me provided I set it properly with powder.
Coverage wise, it claims to be full coverage but it is not close nor comparable to the coverage of the MAC Studiofix foundation. For me, this Cushion Compact has a medium coverage that effectively covers my red patches, psoriasis flareups, and can even conceal my dark undereyes. This can also blurs out my lines and makes my skin look flawless. This has SPF 50 PA +++ but I have yet to test if it has a flashback.
Cons about this compact? This takes forever to set when layered with my skin care (toner, moisturizer, sunblock). It also feels quite sticky. This cushion compact also cakes badly!!!!Grabe! With our humid and hot weather, this cushion makes my skin oilier than usual. I really think this is best for colder temperature / weather.
My bare face
with one layer of MAC studiofix compact cushion
Overall product rating: 8/10
Till my next blog post :)
Godbless