If you have inflamed or overly sensitive skin, it's best to stop using normal drugstore shampoos with creamy textures. That's not a professional opinion ha. It's just common sense. :) Most drugstore shampoos are formulated to be aggressive with too many active ingredients that may or may not be hypoallergenic to you. Better bet on a clear shampoo specifically tailored for sensitive skin such as the VMV Hypoallergenics Essence Clark Wash (P800)!

The VMV Clark Wash is a hair and body wash for those with medically-managed conditions (such as psoriasis, rosacea, and dermatitis) or those who have easily irritated skin (acne, random rashes, itchiness, etc.). I used this for a few weeks and it worked pretty well for me! I didn't break out (of course) and it made my hair soft and manageable - compared to similar shampoos that is.

I received an interesting question on my Kiehl's post last week. Says Dewi:

Hi liz! I'm really clueless about skincare... I'm in my mid 20s and my only regimen is cleanse, tone, sunblock (AM) and eye cream. Do i really need a serum especially kasi acne prone ako? I'm afraid na serums might cause me to break out or be more oily! Help! 

Oh, you! You're not clueless about skincare at all. You have the basics down pat, although I would recommend that you invest in a good night moisturizer to keep your skin supple. I don't think that a sunblock is enough to maintain your skin's moisture barrier (and by extension, its elasticity) since you're probably using something that's very light.

I do think that everyone should moisturize their skin at night, especially if they have a fan or an aircon unit in their room. These appliances can dry up our skin much more than we think. Besides, night time is the best time to heal our skin from the day's stresses (like pollution, sun exposure, etc). Most moisturizers - especially those designed for evening use - have the basic properties to recharge your skin for the day ahead.

Have you seen the new Block & White commercial? It shows a young, tanned girl skateboarding with the boys. Her two girl friends, who are sitting on a bench nearby, decides that this tomboying will not do; they whisk her away to shop for new clothes and give her a makeover with makeup. But wait! She's dark! So, they hand her a bottle of the new Block & White lotion. She is now transformed into a fair, dress-wearing, skateboarding beauty who makes boys' heads turn.

I wish I can find the commercial on YouTube, but feel free to watch it on Block & White's Facebook Page. There's over a hundred comments condemning it. They say that it sends the wrong message to impressionable young girls, telling them that only white is beautiful. 

Don't expect fire and brimstone from me, criticizing women who want to have whiter skin. If that's what they need to make them feel more beautiful and confident then by all means! Let's not patronize them. Girls who want to change their hair color do not necessarily hate their hair. Likewise, women who want to be fairer do not necessarily hate their skin (and/or themselves).

I've been awake since 5 am today and so many things have been running through my head. Work, random bits of information, what I'm going to say online today. Those kinds of things. In the wee hours of the morning when I am the most alone, it's my dog who keeps me sane.

So! It's going to be an extremely busy week! To kick it off, here's a review of a couple of Estee Lauder CyberWhite Brilliant Cells products.

I'm not really into BB creams per se, but I do like tinted moisturizers when they actually have skincare benefits. The Estee Lauder CyberWhite Brilliant Cells Extra Intensive BB Cream is a skincare product first and makeup second. It doesn't have much in the way of coverage, but my skin always feels smooth and bright after using it.

It's the kind of product you throw on when you just want an evened complexion and SPF protection (it has SPF35). It does stay on for at least four hours, and works with my combination oily skin once set with powder.

We women love our skincare potions, but of course that's not all there is to it. We still need novel solutions to small yet equally important concerns. Say, where to get a hand sanitizer that also doubles as a hand moisturizer? Things like that! That's why I'm into Snoe. This brand isn't just about cooking up great face and hair care products, it also addresses our daily needs as women.

Snoe recently released new products that I am loving right now (surprise, surprise). Here's my favorite among them - the Snoe Oh My Wash (P169)!

I'm used to feminine wash that smells a little clinical and obnoxiously soapy, so this pink Oh My Wash! is quite the breath of fresh air. Really, it smells quite fruity. I would hazard a guess of pomegranates?

Well they're not exactly new seeing as I've been using these for almost a month now. Thought I'd let you know what I like about them though!

The Avon Outspoken Intense Body Wash (P250) is an offshoot of Fergie's Outspoken fragrance line. Specifically, this body wash is a partner of Avon Outspoken Intense which was released last year. I liked the fresher, floral take on Outspoken, and this body wash certainly has the same gorgeous scent.

If you liked Outspoken Intense, I suggest you get the body wash as well. It's an open secret that in order to make your scent last longer, you have to layer it over the same body wash and lotion. Crossing my fingers for an Outspoken Intense moisturizer! X

Next up, you know how much I love the Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Lipsticks. The brand released a new shade for a special collection called Smoke and Mirrors. The shade is named Apricot Mystery (P375), a sheer deep pink with pretty blue shimmer.

No matter how well I try to take care of my skin, I still break out a week or two before my period. Sometimes I get puny pimples that are easy to manage. But sometimes, like last week, I get red and angry cystic pimples on my chin or temple! Ugh. I need to see a derma for this hormone problem soon.

In the meantime, I've come across an awesome pimple treatment called the VMV Hypoallergenics Red Better Spot Corrector (P400 for 8 grams).

It's part of VMV's recently-launched Red Better line. Red Better is designed for those who suffer from rosacea, but while the rest of the line is for dealing with irritation all over the face, the Spot Corrector is specifically for inflamed acne. Oh, sign me up. I used it as soon as I got it.

I hate suspense, so here's a before and after photo of my horrid cystic pimples!

A higher SPF number doesn't necessarily mean considerably better protection against the sun. SPF 30, for example, blocks 97% while SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays (the sun's rays that cause sunburn) already. A sunblock with SPF70 or 130 surely has more protection, but it is negligible and not enough to block 100% of the sun's UVB and UVA rays.

So yes, that should set the record straight about SPF numbers. Most experts would recommend an SPF30-50 for daily use. A higher SPF number may mean a bit more protection, but the formula of the sunblock usually suffers. It's whiter, thicker, thus making it harder to wear without looking like someone hit you with a flour sack.

Not the VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Sport 70 though. I've had this sunscreen product for months now and I can say that it's pretty good! It's SPF70 but the cream, while thick, feels like a gel.

The Evian Facial Spray (P459/300ml) is probably the single most expensive bottle of water I've ever bought. Yes, it's just fancy water in a fancy aerosol can and not much else. I rather felt silly when I went home and unpacked it. Almost P500 for water? What the hell was I thinking?

Well, I got it because I've heard so many good things about this mist. It's supposed to make your makeup look more natural, and hydrate + cool down your skin whenever you need it. In this heat, you can't say no to something like that!

I've been using this Evian spray for a few weeks now and I can say that it's useful. Is it a must-have? Not really, but it's very handy to have around. Here's why:

• You know how sometimes your makeup looks too thick and obvious and you wish there was a way to tone it down? The Evian mist can tone it down. A couple of spritzes and your makeup will look more dewy, more like skin, since the water breaks down the binders of the makeup a little.

The fact that we are living in the future is something we take for granted. Imagine, 15 years ago the Internet was just something rich people and offices had; information can only be found in print. We now have personal computers with touch screens that can fit in our pocket. We have hologram Tupac, dead for 16 years, performing in a concert! But we all take it in stride and shrug it off as the natural order of things. There is no wonder, there is no marvel anymore.

Aside from gadgets, this living-in-the-future bit also applies to beauty products. The skincare industry, for instance, is moving fast with new innovations at affordable price points. Products that used to be only available from high-end brands now have doppelgangers in drugstore brands. It's not exactly the same but efficacy is just as good for what you pay for them.

Now, L'Oreal has been diligent in amping up their skincare lines with two new products: the White Perfect Micro-vibration 3-in-1 Eye Brightener and the Youth Code Pre-Essence.

The White Perfect Micro-vibration 3-in-1 Eye Brightener (P695) is an eye cream with a vibrating applicator. The white cream is moisturizing and offers a bit of brightening because it has some shimmer, but the applicator is the real star here. :D It's metal-tipped so it feels very cool and soothing once you place it on your eyebags. The vibration is gentle yet stimulating, a little bit like getting a massage.

You're gonna love this! Avon recently released new products under the Avon Naturals line: the Shakes Body Lotions and the Antibacterial Hand Gels. In a nutshell, these new products smell AMAZING and feel so good on skin, too. 

The Avon Naturals Shakes Body Lotion (P185/150ml) is housed in what looks like a milk bottle. I really love the design as well as the print because they look so expensive and classy. Packaging aside, the lotion itself is uber creamy, non-greasy, and smells so wonderful. It feels luxe when you spread it on, but the rich cream is surprisingly easily absorbed.

My favorite is the Pomegranate & Mango variant. It smells exactly as it says it does!

When Shu Uemura claims something, I find that it rarely jokes around. If it says brightening, it's brightening! If it says that a product will make you look less yellow, you will look less yellow. That's what I discovered with the Shu Uemura Whitefficient UV Under Base Brightening Mousse (P2,150).

I have to admit that I was extremely hesitant to use this product at first. SPF products tend to break me out so I don't really experiment much. But since most Shu products have wowed me in the past, I thought, why the hell not this one? Good thing I did try it, because now this Shu Underbase is an indispensable part of my day makeup! I've been using it for a few weeks now so I can confidently say that. :P

Okay, down to business!

What I love about the product

• It brightens my face instantly, without the use of shimmer or shine. The Pink Purple shade mixes with my yellow skintone to provide a more enhanced color. Call it color correction, if you will.
• My face makeup looks smoother and more pigmented on top of this! It's a great foundation base in that sense. 

EANVIE (pronounced as "envy") is the latest Korean beauty brand to hit Watsons. According to Andrew Wolff, the CEO of EANVIE's distribution company, the brand has been around for ten years. They decided to bring it to the Philippines because they were impressed by the products' results and felt that it suited Filipina skin.

I met Andrew last month to discuss EANVIE - it's always good to hear from the people who know their brands best! He was very kind, soft-spoken, and seemed passionate about his work. Really cool dude.

Of course I had to ask if Andrew uses EANVIE! He said, "Yes I do. You really have to know what you are selling before promoting it to others. Obviously, being male, it is difficult to try some products like BB Creams.  I let our operations manager Matthew Golar try that one! My favourite cosmetic would have to be the REVITAL CREAM as my "spotty" face has cleared considerably since I started using it."

One of my favorite lotions back in high school was from Jergens. It was affordable, smelled great, and didn't feel sticky. It was such a staple then, but when I got more adventurous with products in college, I just sortof forgot about it, y'know? But when Jergens sent me their new lotion, I just remembered why I loved this back then.

After all these years, Jergens still is affordable, nice-smelling, and non-sticky. A new variant, the Jergens Soothing Aloe Relief, has a calming, clean aloe vera smell that doesn't overpower. So not fussy!

I won’t be the first nor will I be the last to wonder, but what’s up with summer this year? It’s quite harsh. Even though I’m lazy with sunblock, I now make it a point to wear one all over my body and face every time I go out. In fact I’ve hoarded a few bottles in preparation for this very month!

Speaking of sunblocks, I want to talk about one that I’ve been using for a while now: Sunplay. I’ve had the chance to try it last May. While it took me some time and practice to get used to this fairly unique liquid sunblock, I ended up liking it a lot! Read my old review first. Done? Here’s why I stuck with this product:

• It’s something I can use over my favorite moisturizer. I don’t like most sunblock lotions because they can get sticky and greasy, but before I thought it’s just something we all need to put up with.

It is an incredibly nice day today, don't you agree? There's a kind of hush all around, a gentleness even. I just wish it won't be too hot later on. 

A gorgeous morning to you all!

Anyway, I just want to share a couple of my S&R finds. When we moved to Fort Bonifacio a couple of years ago, we instantly signed up at S&R. I shopped only once then. Why? Because for a household of two, I thought it wasn't practical to buy in bulk so I just did my groceries at Market! Market!

I've been shopping at S&R these past two months though. It's cheaper in the end because buying more means paying less, plus the meat and vegetables are usually fresh.

A lot of people think I just go around using new face skincare products all the time. I don't! Haha. When I find something I love, I stick to it like a barnacle. Occasionally I like something new enough for me to use it regularly, but after a while, for some reason or other, I find myself going back to my core skincare products. 

So! Let's start. I've known myself to be combination-oily ever since my teens, but in the past couple of months, I find that my skin gets dry and irritated often. When that happens I take a break from my Clinique Liquid Facial Soap (Oily Skin Formula) and just use the ultra-mild Sebamed Face and Body Wash. Then I use a thicker layer of the Clinique Moisture Surge.

Sometimes, when I'm really lazy and dry, I use the Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil as an all-in-one facial wash and moisturizer. Seriously! After removing my makeup with the same oil, I use another layer and rinse it as a normal (but non-foamy) facial wash. Then I don't use anything afterwards. When I wake up in the morning, my face is kind of oily but glowing. I don't know but I feel that the Shu restores my skin's moisture balance.

When I talked about the Vitacreme B12 Body Milk last July, I gotta admit that I gave it a so-so review. I liked it but it's something I can definitely live without. After using it consistently for eight months though, it has become an indispensable part of my skincare routine, and here's why!

First off, it's magical. Lol. Okay, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but it's kinda true! This is what I use whenever my skin is dry, dull, and lifeless.