I've just recently discovered that my skin is sensitive which is why I constantly have minor breakouts. I just want to ask if you have any suggestions for hypoallergenic BB creams? One that is non-comedogenic since I'm on the oily side. Thanks for sharing! - Nina

Hi there Nina! Having sensitive skin can be a nightmare, but as long as you use new products carefully you should be fine. Just remember to do a patch test on the side of your jaw before putting the rest of the stuff on your whole face! If you're allergic to something in the product you'd see a reaction within an hour, but it usually takes a couple of days to know for sure. So, test it on that one area of your skin for a few days before fully committing to it. It's a hassle but this is the easiest way to know how your skin would react to your new find!

As you've requested, here are four hypoallergenic BB creams you can look into. One of them is a tinted moisturizer but it does what a BB cream does so I've included it. ^_^ I've picked them out based on the hypoallergenic reputation of the brands. Of course, you won't know what works best for you until you've tried it out, but at least we have narrowed down the options. Hope this helps!

The Celeteque Dermoscience Multi-Benefit BB cream (P325) has sheer, brightening coverage that should fit light to medium skin. This is great to start with if you're on a budget and is looking for barely there yet enhancing coverage. It's great for oily skin as it sets completely and has a matte finish.

Swatch of the Celeteque BB Cream. It's rather light but it blends on fair-medim skin after a few minutes. 

I loved the VMV Hypoallergenics Skintangible SPF30 (P1,050) for quite a while since it makes my skin look amazing! It's hydrating but doesn't make me extra oily. And oh, VMV is really the best brand for sensitive skin. They're so OC about it that they even created a rating system for how hypoallergenic their products are - don't quote me on this, but I think they're the first skincare brand to do so.

I've lost count of the number of intro paragraphs I started writing for this post. Maybe half a dozen? I can't seem to make any headway because cuticle cream is at its core extremely boring. Who talks about cuticle cream? It's not glamorous. It's something maybe more mature people would appreciate using. Lately however, I'm really liking the Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream since it smells so nice and it resuscitates my dying cuticles! 

Have you heard of the concept "basic bitch"? A basic bitch is someone who is a cliche and a conformist. She likes what everybody else likes - basic clothes, music, books, basic anything. Think Sex and the City, Marilyn Monroe "quotes", pictures of lattes and shoes, pink clothes, and so on. She is boring, fake, and mediocre.

No one would of course admit to being basic, but I really wouldn't take it seriously. So what if the Internet has classified you as a basic bitch? You like what you like. That doesn't define your entire life and identity! I think I'm a basic bitch in many ways, but I'm also non-basic in other ways. I wouldn't lose sleep about it. ;)

On to Skincare Week! Here's another facial wash that I've been enjoying lately: the Bobbi Brown Lathering Tube Soap (P1,600). This is a cleanser that also promises to remove makeup - by that alone, I'm sold! Lazy ol' me is always on the lookout for products that can quickly take off gunk on my face as soon as I get home. This looked like it'd be perfect, and I'm happy to report that I'm not disappointed.

I've read someone describe herself as a "shower gel whore". It just means that she has no loyalty whatsoever to any particular body wash, which made me think, am I like that too? A quick scan of my bathroom will show maybe five or seven different kinds of washes, but the truth is I really only use one regularly. Two, but only when I feel adventurous. :P I'm definitely up to try anything I receive as a gift, but I will only buy my favorite.

These past couple of months, it's been theThe Body Shop Honeymania Shower Gel. I LOVE THAT STUFF SO MUCH. It gets me in such a good mood every time I use it, and my place smells fabulous afterwards. It's definitely high up in my repurchase list!

Still, I was pretty psyched to receive The Body Shop's Olive Shower Gel (price to be updated). This surprisingly smells fantastic as well - it has an energizing, sharp scent that makes me feel charged in the morning. It's not olive-y at all, more like a green acqua with some florals thrown in. 

Other than the invigorating scents, I love The Body Shop's shower gels because they don't dry out my skin.

How was your long weekend? Mine was very quiet as I just stayed at home painting and working. ^_^ Anyway, this week I thought I'd do Skincare Week, where I will be talking about excellent products you can use to nourish and protect your skin. We all need a few of those! Hopefully this week you can discover awesome additions to your current skincare routine.

To start off, I have a unique find for you: the Avon Skin So Soft Fast Hydration Body Gel Lotion (P330). I've tried quite a host of body lotions but it's my first time to see a legit gel one! I mean, gel face moisturizers are easy to find, but it's rare to see one for the body in the PH. That's why I was pretty excited to hear about this latest innovation from Avon!

So what's up with this gel moisturizer? It literally feels like you're applying water on your skin - it's light, quickly absorbed within seconds, and leaves no greasy residue. It smells very fresh and clean and has this cooling effect due to the alcohol content.

At first I thought that having SD Alcohol-40B in the ingredients list is counterintuitive as alcohol is known to be drying.

The thing about sharing your thoughts and life online is that people form an opinion on who or how you should be. I think everyone is entitled to have that opinion - if you're free to think or talk about whatever, everyone else is darn well free to do the same! That's why I'm always super chill about any critical comments I occasionally get here. What people think of me is not equivalent to who I actually am. It's healthy to know the distinction!

That's my advice for you today: have a strong sense of who you are and what you're worth, so that when the time comes these are challenged (because they will be), you know how not to be lost.

Anyway, I have a skincare product for you here: the Philosophy Hope In A Tube Eye and Lip Firming Cream (~P1,900). I've been using this for about three months now and it's been pretty great! It didn't magically remove my under eye circles and lines overnight, but I've noticed that they just look fresher - I often don't even need to wear under eye concealer. When I do, I can get away with just sheer brightening ones.

Philosophy claims that Hope In A Tube has antioxidants and vitamins but I've observed that they are rather low in the ingredients list. The main components of this eye/lip cream is water, squalane, glycerin, mineral oil, and petrolatum.

Being a beauty blogger, I get lots of opportunities to try out products I wouldn't have purchased myself. If it were up to me I'd probably stick to one drugstore facial wash forever and completely miss out on the good stuff! For there is a difference between high-end and drugstore skincare. Most people would recommend you splurge on moisturizer, eye cream, and serum (well I do too) but I think there's also a case to be made for expensive facial cleansers.

Yes, you're just going to wash them off anyway, so why pay big(ish) bucks for something that'll stay on your skin for only a couple of minutes? It's because high-end cleansers have a softer, fluffier lather, they smell better, and usually remove light makeup effectively too.

This week, I'll be featuring some interesting products from the cheekiest cosmetics brand in the block: Benefit! I picked out some new finds a couple of weeks ago, and I'm very excited to talk about them as I'm happy with the results. ^_^ In fact I'm so happy, I decided I can't keep all of the products to myself haha. I'm giving away a toner and moisturizer at the end of this post, so one lucky reader can also try out Benefit's skincare range!

Before all that though, here's a review of the Benefit Foamingly Clean Facial Wash (P1,200), a one-step makeup remover and foaming facial cleanser. 

Benefit isn't exactly famous for skincare, but I have tried the brand's Triple Performing Facial Emulsion as well as the It's Potent! Eye Cream before and really enjoyed using both. The skincare range smells fantastic - clean, light, and expensive. I love that very little goes a long way, and that their creams work well with combi to oily skin.

The skincare line looks like it's designed for maintenance more than anything. It's pretty basic, with nourishing ingredients, but they don't promise (nor deliver) any drastic changes to the skin. If you're already happy with your face and just need something gentle to maintain its glow, Benefit's skincare line can do it for you.

Now, the Foamingly Clean Facial Wash. This is a "1-step gentle wash" that can remove makeup and cleanse your face of impurities.

I'd be lying if I said that everyday is a mega hyper inspiring blogging day. Sometimes I just really want to get work out of the way and/or attend to my other hobbies. Sometimes I don't feel like adding yet another beauty product review to the hundreds that this website already contains. I mean did you even notice that I've already written 2,210 posts in the last six years? I don't but sometimes I do notice.

Obviously I can't blog forever. Maybe I'll stop when I reach 5,000 and finally, truly feel that I've said all I can possibly say about the beauty industry. That's still some time in the future though! When I don't feel inspired, I try to be consistent instead. Inspiration is awesome to have but it won't sustain me and take me all the way to the top. Consistency, while dull and repetitive, is reliable. No one can't take it away from me except me.

Anyhoo, we're back to MAC Week. I have here the Prep + Prime Fortified Skin Enhancer SPF35 PA+++ (P1,450), a tinted sunscreen that has illuminating properties. This was a CC cream before CC creams were born. It's quite sheer but it brightens my complexion wonderfully!

This isn't a primer in the sense that it makes makeup stay on longer. It's really designed to correct complexions with certain issues like redness (Neutralize is recommended, a yellow), dullness (Adjust, a peach), and sallowness/yellowness (Illuminate, a lavender cream). I have Neutralize here and true enough it can tone down redness and keep my skin bright while at it.

One of these days I'm going to write a post on five beauty products that every crazy lazy girl needs. Why? Because we all have days when we don't want to do the whole song and dance on our faces. We either want to head out or take it all off ASAP, sometimes! I just want to tell you that it's okay to cut corners and/or simplify your routine if you're just not feeling it. It's your face, it's your call.

Anyway, one of my recent fave finds is the Philosophy Purity 3-in-1 Cleanser for face and eyes (P1,195). I've actually had this bottle since December but it's only now that I'm truly appreciating it. I thought it caused me to break out but this wasn't the culprit after all! I've since enjoyed how it has simplified my face cleansing routine.

If you wear light makeup, or even a medium amount of makeup, this is all you need to take it off and cleanse your face at the same time. This pale yellow liquid isn't foaming at all which might be weird to those used to sudsy facial washes, but it's pretty effective nonetheless.

It has a mild soapy scent. It doesn't sting my eyes but it tastes extremely bitter - so don't lick your lips even if you think you've washed off the product! 

I squirt a peso-sized amount on my dry palms and then massage it all over my face. I focus on my eyes, gently easing off the eyeliner, eyeshadow, and non-waterproof mascara off with small circular strokes using the tips of my fingers. No sting there so I'm not worried to really massage Purity in. Be prepared for cloudy eyes though, if a lot of the stuff gets in!

Nope, it's technically not makeup! The Mario Badescu Silver Powder (P745) is more like a face mask and acne troubleshooter than anything else. It's a skincare product that could pass off as finishing powder - actually, if you really want to maximize it, you can add a pinch of it to your loose powder just to amp up the oil-controlling properties. Just a pinch for one jar, no more.

For the Silver Powder is crazy oil absorbent. It contains calcium carbonate, which is a kind of chalk commonly used in mineral makeup, as well as kaolin clay (usually found in masks and long-wearing makeup) and zinc oxide (a sunscreen agent). It's mission is clear and devastatingly simple: to absorb excess oil and bring blackheads to the surface.

To use, dip a damp cotton bud into the powder and cover your nose with the wet powder. That should bring out most of the oil and impurities hiding near the surface of the skin.

Everybody is oily. If your skin does not oil up you're probably dead! Oil is a natural expression of our skin as it keeps the surface of our body lubricated and elastic. Some people have more of it than others and this causes problems like acne and unflattering shine. Now there isn't much you can do about your body's oil secretion levels (causes are gentic or hormonal), but there are ways to manage it - that's where beauty products come in.

Lately, I've discovered a few nifty things that can help with the oil, so this week will be dedicated to them. Allow me to bring you Oil Control Week!

I'll kick it off with a super effective product that I've been loving lately: the VMV Hypoallergenics Fine Finish Pore Minimizing Skin Mattifier (P700). This is a toner meant to be used like any other toner, but what makes it different is its main ingredients, Aluminum Chlorhydrate and Sodium Bicarbonate. These two are usually found in anti-perspirants and deodorants.

You're probably thinking, yuck. But I swear that this is a pretty effective toner! I've been using it for about three weeks now and I have noticed that my skin is much less oily, even when I've been out for like six hours. I didn't change anything about my skincare regimen except for this toner.

This toner is matapang. It lets off a fume-like smell that can sting your eyes if you apply it too near that area; the toner itself also has high alcohol content. My skin feels super dry and tight after I use it! However it feels okay after I apply my moisturizer. 

I'll be completely honest with you, this isn't a pleasant product to use.

Philosophy is finally, truly here in Manila! The cosmeceutical skincare and cosmetics brand officially launched its new store last Tuesday, with Global Press Director Robin White to celebrate the opening. Now you can finally have your favorite Philosophy products anytime - no need to order abroad or at Duty Free. ;) 

The new store is located at the 2nd Floor of Mega Fashion Hall (the new wing of Mega Mall). It'll be right across H&M which by the way will open on August. Take a peek!

With Robin White, Philosophy's Global Press Director

I had the chance to sit down with Ms White to talk about Philosophy and random things like, oh, advice she'd give herself if she can go back in time, or things she wish would be invented now. I'll blog about that interview soon, but for now, check out the beautifully appointed store. It's the brand's biggest yet, even including a skin spa called Peel Cabine in the back. 

At Peel Cabine you can avail of gentle facials and peels. Do visit if you love Philosophy's peel products, as they are the brand's best-sellers.

More photos of the store after the jump!

I felt like a bee drawn to honey when I opened the latest package from The Body Shop just the other day. The smell was so intoxicating, so sweet, so yummy - I just had to use the new Honeymania products immediately! This new collection includes the Body Butter, Lip Balm, Soap, Shower Gel, and Eau de Toilette. I suggest you get everything if you like to layer and intensify scents.

The Honeymania fragrance isn't your traditional syrupy honey; it's actually quite floral, since the bee-goop was supposed to be harvested from wildflowers in Ethiopia. The honey is just the base here and not the main note of the fragrance. It's not at all what I expected but I love it!

On to the products. The Honeymania Shower Gel is my top pick because it makes my bathroom smell like a sweet floral paradise. I also like that it lathers easily and thickly, without me having to use too much in one wash. It's also non-drying on my skin even though it's a gel.

Instant bathroom freshener

It normally takes me a week to write about press junkets, but this time I decided to try writing everything down while my memory is fresh. I want to remember everything! El Nido, Palawan is the most beautiful place I've been to so far. Thanks to Nivea, I was able to experience it and #embracethesun!

I was invited along with fellow bloggers, press, and celebrities to attend this annual event. We stayed in a gorgeous resort for three days - El Nido in Lagen Island - and got to visit the surrounding islands. I'll write about our stay in a separate post, but in the meantime, I'd like to introduce to you the latest product from Nivea.

Guys, meet the Nivea Sun Protect & Bronze Spray (P599)! It simply lets you tan beautifully and safely, without having to resort to self-tanners or tinted oils to get bronzed. The liquid is completely clear as it works in such a way that your skin develops its most natural tan, versus orangey and fake-looking tans out of a bottle. It promotes the skin's natural melanin production so that you get a color that is truly yours.

It comes in SPF 20, 30, and 50, which means that you can choose the level of protection as you need it. If you're in the beach though, you should go for the PF50! It protects your skin from UVA and UVB rays for about 4-5 hours (depends on your skin). Did you know that you actually don't need to go higher than 50? It should bounce off 93% off all harmful rays from the sun! (If properly applied, that is.)

This is already available in all major drugstores and supermarkets. ^_^ Keep an eye out for it if you're soaking up some sun soon! Anyway, here are photos of the actual launch.

My birthday is in three weeks and I am feeling old. My skin is just not as supple as it used to be! I've also been having my legs lasered these past six months so they feel quite dry. Then, there's this freaky cold weather in Manila lately that just sucks out the moisture from my skin. Rant rant rant. Bottomline, I'm dry and I feel uncomfortable and old about it.

So I've brought out the big guns. My goal is to reclaim the smoothness of my skin, if for no other reason than to spit in the eye of my 26th birthday. Lol. I'm not yet that age conscious, okay, just very conscious of my changing skin. Anyway, here are three things that I've found most effective in battling the dryness on my arms, legs, and neck!

Whenever I get argan oil from brands, I usually give it away. Now I realize that's a huge mistake. It took me a while to open my eyes!

I love this Melchior & Balthazar Argan Oil, as it takes my legs back to their erstwhile youth! I'm not kidding! This stuff is crazy. It makes my legs super duper smooth and velvety again. I can't believe it. I never thought my legs can feel that way!

Buuut are you ready for the price tag?

It peeves me when negative things attract more interest than positive ones. People who think other people are stupid, those who are jealous, those who are just a certain flavor of malicious - it's like a snake eating its own tail. They're the source of negativity and they also feed that negativity. They love a story where they can show just how superior they are to all the other people making mistakes, as if they never make one. 

You may not be a negative person normally, but tell me honestly, did your ears prick up with that first paragraph? I notice that I do the same thing whenever I get a whiff of controversy in my circle. I try to be conscious of and try to control it, but sometimes I just can't help it. I wanna know more. I wanna sneer more. I wanna take the high ground as if that's my permanent address.

However, I always tell myself never to judge. Or at least, not to judge harshly. We never really know the full story - we may never do. I think it helps us to be kinder just to know that.

Anyway! Today I'd like to show you the best hand cream I've tried so far: the Burt's Bees Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream (P950 for 90g). I got this as part of a gift set so I'm not sure if 50 grams is the full tube, but I do love the size (update: the full tube is 90 grams, and 50 grams is only P550 but this isn't available at Beauty Bar). It's ideal to bring during the day when my hands get dry!

And boy, do they go dry. I've never had such serious dryness before. When my partner touches my hand now he says it feels like cardboard! Ugh. It must be all the hand washing after scratching my dog's belly, and the dish washing too. I'm lucky not to need to wash my clothes, but I imagine that the dryness would be much worse if it were otherwise.

I've tried other hand creams before but I honestly can't use them as regularly as I want to. They are usually greasy and they take forever to get absorbed! I have this compulsion to always check my phone, my laptop, so ten minutes away is such a hassle. I always end up washing my hands to remove the cream, just so I can move on with my life.

Enter this Burt's Bees hand cream.

My first visit to Japan last July was all about experiencing Shiseido's 140-year old heritage and consummate love for art. You saw how the brand evolved through the years and how it looks like today. You've read about the Shiseido Museum in Kakegawa, the Flagship Store, and the Parlour in Ginza. Now, I'd like to show you the Shiseido factory in Kakegawa, Shizuoka!

This is an exclusive feature as I am honored to be the first beauty blogger to tour this factory. I'm grateful to Shiseido for the opportunity, because they don't normally work with bloggers; they usually go with traditional media. I'm happy that they're beginning to support this medium! ^_^

Moving along! The Shiseido Factory in Kakegawa is about an hour and forty minutes from Tokyo by bullet train. It's a sprawling complex that produces Shiseido's makeup products, among them foundation, eyeshadow, and lipstick. If I remember correctly, each building is dedicated to making only one type of makeup!

Shiseido Philippines Brand Manager, Jen Jimenez-Yalung, with myself

The background is actually a mosaic of real eyeshadows

I'll be talking more about the production aspect of the brand on Part 2 of this post. For today, I'll be discussing one of the brand's latest projects: a test facility right inside the Kakegawa complex.

You might be thinking: a test facility? What? That's boring! Guys, it's not. This is my favorite part of the factory visit, actually. The test facility is further proof of Shiseido's commitment to excellence. It was built because they want only safe and reliable plant raw materials for their active ingredients. They seek only the highest quality ingredients which are traceable to the source.

This facility is a preview of the things to come in 2014. It's only a small area for now, but the plan is to re-create it in a larger scale should it prove successful! The photo above shows a cube where various conditions like temperature, irrigation, light intensity, and carbon dioxide are controlled to get the best possible harvest.

Here's what's inside!