Level up your gift-giving skills with Parlon
With Christmas right around the corner, Parlon is here to level up your gift giving skills because now, you can easily give your beauty besties and loved ones the gift of self-care with a Parlon Gifting!
Sleep, Boost, and Breathe: Stepping up my self-care routine with The Body Shop’s new wellness range
Self-care became a beauty buzzword these past few years. Because of the pandemic, our collective focus shifted towards our physical and mental well-being. What may have been perceived as indulgence before has become a seeming necessity. Taking care of ourselves is essential after all!
I tried Heart Evangelista’s favorite lash extensions at NÉW Lounge Salon
I’m usually willing to try anything once but one beauty procedure I’ve held back on is lash treatments. I’ve been scared of getting anything done to my lashes because they might damage my eyes and maybe even cause permanent blindness in the worst case scenario. To enhance my eye makeup game, I’ve been making do with a good lash curler and hoarding my fave P600 Japanese mascara. But let’s be honest: no amount of curling or mascara applications will ever result in a look like Sam’s fabulous lashes!
Is this the cure for stress? What it’s like spending 90 minutes in a sensory deprivation tank
I remember being targeted by a stream of ads for sensory deprivation tanks shortly after watching Stranger Things. Marketed as the newest, hippest way to meditate and relax, it piqued my interest until I learned that each session costed $100 and up. I filed it under my mental folder of bougie treatments I can’t afford, and haven’t thought about it again until our managing editor, Den, asked me to try it some weeks back. The newly opened Saltwater Float Center in Ortigas invited us for a session and I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to access the upside down to de-stress from work.
I got a non-surgical face lift! My experience with the Menarini Happy Lift
At 25, I’m still considered “young” by many standards. However, over the past year I’ve begun to notice the beginnings of “signs of aging,” no doubt exacerbated by my sleepless nights and hectic schedule (#millennialhustlelife). Considering my mother is famous for having been asked to show ID in bars all the way into her thirties, looking older than my actual age is admittedly an insecurity of mine, one made worse due to the fact that tons of people do actually assume my age as (much) older. True story: In a recent Facebook Live I did for work, when I asked viewers to guess my age, their average estimate was 33!
A needle-phobe tries microneedling: Does it actually work?
A few months ago, I started using adapalene, a third-generation retinoid that was recently approved for over-the-counter use. Supposedly, a Reddit user banished her textured skin and blackheads in just one month, using daily exfoliation and this “miracle” retinoid gel.
Despite the warnings every single website about adapalene mentions that it’s really only for cystic acne, and that skin will become dry and sensitive for up to two months - a process that is called “retinization” - I bought the product, began using it, and experienced the four worst weeks of my life, skin-wise.
Bargain Beauty Hunting: Was getting this 252-peso lash perm worth it?
I am a firm believer in the power of beautiful lashes. Long, voluminous, and charmingly curled - a good pair of lashes does so much to make your eyes look more awake and vibrant. I have been meaning to try lash perming forever but shelling out P3,700 for Yumi lashes was a little steep for my cheapskate heart. After reading several recommendations for Let’s Face It Salon from the Project Vanity community, I decided why not, and gave their P252 (!!!) lash perm a go.
True Story: How I made my stretch marks disappear in 15 minutes
Confession time: I’ve been plagued by stretch marks on my butt and thighs for years and years. Though they don't usually bother me, I get conscious about wearing swimsuits and opt for styles that feature shorts and skirts. I was resigned to hiding them forever until I heard about Strip Manila's newest offering: a laser procedure called Strip White.
What you need to know about Revlite Laser
I've been having my laser treatment at Wink Laser Studio for over half a year now, and I swear, hair barely grows on my legs and pits after five sessions! My life is easier knowing that I can wear whatever I want without worrying if I look like a sasquatch (no offense to sasquatches though, I'm sure they are awesome). I think I'm due for one last session until the hair is all gone indefinitely.
Anyway, I'm excited to enjoy that kind of freedom - on my face. I mean, imagine not having to wear concealer or foundation anymore because your skin is completely blemish and wrinkle-free. Imagine not having to spend a lot of time brushing and layering on the ironic "no makeup" makeup. Well, it's possible with laser today. Wink Studio's latest laser facial, Revlite, is now available in the Trinoma branch! While it is expensive, it's not as expensive as you might think.
I worked on launching Wink's Revlite treatment to the press and bloggers a few weeks back. Our magazine friends were there, and of course, our favorite online personalities. Holly Chang, the founder of Wink, and dermatologist Dr Angela Castro were there to talk about the new service. The very funny Karrots Nazareno also hosted!
So what is Revlite, exactly? It's a laser treatment that stimulates and rejuvenates collagen in your skin with short pulses of light. The increase in collagen gives skin a youthful glow, a smoother texture, and a more even skin tone.
Wink Laser & Wax Studio
Remember the epilator I was so excited about last January? I still like it, but I find that waxing is still the best way to remove body hair. The epilator is great to use if I'm in a rush but the downside is I don't get ALL the hair and sometimes, if I'm not careful, I end up doing a half-assed job. Waxing is much more thorough (when done by someone else) and has a better guarantee that I won't get those pesky ingrown hairs.
Now I won't be throwing out my epilator anytime soon but if time permits, waxing remains to be my first choice. :) That said, have you heard about the newest hair removal place in town? It's called Wink Laser & Wax Studio, located in Bonifacio High Street Central on top of Slice.
Now before we go any further I want you to know that I do PR and marketing work for Wink. :) Let's get that out of the way first! Nonetheless, I hope you can trust me to share a review that is honest. Believe me when I say that I won't chuck Project Vanity's credibility out the window just because of a client.
So! Let's get started.
Wink is the baby of Holly Chang, a 24-year old woman who claims to be extremely hairy (and pimply in college - but that's another story!). She's funny, down-to-earth, a true-blue skincare junkie, and yes, all of 24 years on the planet. She decided to start this business because she found out that laser is so cheap in other countries that people would prefer to get it instead of wax. Here it costs an arm and a leg! She wanted to bring affordable laser hair removal treatments to the Philippines and so Wink was born.
Laser gun!
Laser is Wink's specialty, but the salon also offers waxing services. Brazilians, legs, femstache, knuckle hair - if you need them taken out, Wink can take them out. I love that the pricing is quite affordable considering the location and how beautifully appointed the place is.
MD Dermatics Glow Facial at CACI 6750: Look ma, no pricking!
I tried an intriguing facial the other week from CACI 6750. Why intriguing? Instead of pricking and scrubbing, the facial involves simply scraping off whiteheads and blackheads with an ultrasonic spatula. I know, too sci-fi! But it works. The machine cleaned up my face nicely without the stressful pricking that usually comes with facials.
CACI, short for computer-aided cosmetology instrument, is a brand from the United Kingdom which specializes in non-invasive anti-aging techniques. It has been in the Philippines for seven years, but oddly enough it's not yet too popular. Former Ms Universe Gloria Diaz loves the signture facial, the CACI Premium Non-Surgical Face Lift, and comes in every so often for a treatment!
I didn't try that face lift because I'm just 24 (although some people like to start young). Instead, I went for the MD Dermatics Glow Facial, which is basically for clearing out nasty pore blockages and acne. It uses microcurrent toning, a technology that was initially used to treat those with Bells Palsy. However, the affected muscles did not react as well as the normal muscles and this is where they saw the aesthetic value of the technology.
