Ola! It's almost the end of July. Next week I'll be in Hong Kong with my parents, a trip I'm looking forward to! It's going to be my first time there so I'd love to read your advice on where to shop and eat. ;) I'm not looking for makeup per se. I'm more interested in clothes and shoes at bargain prices. 

Anyhoo, today I'll be talking about the latest products from Celeteque. It's been a while since I've used Celeteque, so the level of quality in its products is a surprise to me! The BB Cream and Brightening Body Cream are pretty good, ha. I'll be reviewing them quickly in this post.

The Celeteque Anti-Stretch Mark Cream has elastonyl (to improve elasticity), phyto collage (derived from soybeans, for plumping), alchemilla vulgaris (herb that has medicinal qualities), and shea butter, four ingredients that are said to lessen the appearance of stretch marks. It is recommended for women who just gave birth, to help stop stetch marks in their tracks as the skin tries to regain its elasticity. 

And here is the star of the trio, for me! The Celeteque Multi-Benefit BB Cream (P325) brightens skin instantly and has a yellow-neutral tone to it that should match light to medium skin. It has the texture of a long-wearing face base - it's water-based, a bit difficult to spread, and sets completely in half a minute. It kinda reminds me of the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Foundation (liquid) and Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in terms of texture.

Hi Ms. Liz! I've been an avid reader since last year & I would like to commend you for inspiring many girls. I especially love your makeup tutorials! I always have a blast when I try them out myself! Anyway, I wanted to ask you about the difference between body oils, butters and lotions? I have dry skin & religiously use hydrating lotion to no avail. I'm thinking of switching but I always get confused because the market right now is bombarded with many products claiming to be effective, you dont really know what to get. Thank you in advance! - Class

Hi Class! Thanks for reading my blog. I would definitely love to do more tutorials once my schedule eases up a little. It's just been hectic but the next one I plan to do is a summer look. ;) Anyway, let's get crackin' on your question!

Body oils are literally oils with very little to no preservatives. These naturally-derived moisturizers can lubricate and maintain your skin's moisture barrier. It doesn't really penetrate deep into the skin, instead coating it with a layer of oil that prevents moisture from escaping the surface (that's why it's called an occlusive agent). Oils also serve to condition and maintain the suppleness of the skin.

It's that time of the quarter again - the dreaded writer's block. I can't seem to write anything worth pennies, and it's driving me crazy! I keep thinking of all the other things I need to do at work and it's extremely difficult to focus on beauty stuff when you're worrying about so and so. However, this should pass soon. Maybe I just need to buy more shoes? That usually kicks the block in the shins!

It usually helps to change my routine or explore a new place, as well. Talking about the things I like is easier and much less expensive though (lol) so here's a review on the MoringaO2 Malunggay Herbal Moisturizing Lotion (P129.75) for you.

(By the way thanks to Sample Room for sending me this! They had free full bottles up for grabs last January. Check them now for new free samples available.)

Not gonna mince words - this lotion is pretty good! It has moringa (malunggay!), sunflower oil, and olive oil to condition the skin. It's light and non-sticky (perfect for summer) but even with this texture the moisturizing power is not compromised. I've tried light lotions that are not very moisturizing short of slathering them all over, but Moringa O2 keeps the skin supple with only a relatively small amount of product.

Its unique selling point, however, is that it smells almost exactly like Elizabeth Arden Green Tea. Swear!

Five years ago I wouldn't have looked twice at healing and repairing skincare products. I mean, what was there to repair when you're a girl of 19? Maybe I'm just ultra-sensitive because I work in the beauty and fashion industry, but I have noticed that my skin is becoming drier over the years. It's not as elastic and fresh as it used to be. Again, the difference may be unnoticeable to most, but since I write about beauty products day in and day out I am hyper observant of my hide. 

Anyway, my main skin problem is dryness on my hands and legs. My hands, particularly, are starting to feel crackly because I wash them so much (I have an active dog)! Thus I use a heavy moisturizer a few times every week to make sure that my hands are soft and smooth (my legs too). I love the Vitacreme B12 Body Milk but it's horribly expensive. I'm happy to announce a way cheaper alternative!

I received these Jergens Overnight Repair and Ultra Healing Moisturizers (P99/ 100ml and P342/650ml pump) a month ago and I find that they do exactly what they promise. These are heavy-duty, thick moisturizers that are designed to heal skin and restore it to suppleness.

My dresser and product storage space are literally close to bursting - and I'm not saying that just to brag. I'm actually in a mild panic about organizing, photographing, and finally using everything I received the past few weeks! I don't know how I can manage all the backlogs what with work plus three events I'm deploying in the next three weeks. -_- Damn I need an assistant.

Anyway! I just want to quickly review the latest Avon Skin So Soft products. I've been a huge fan of SSS since I was in high school, so I'm really happy that Avon is adding more targeted products to the line. My favorite out of the bunch is the Silky Moisture Ultra Moisturizing Body Lotion (P300). It's light and non-greasy, plus it smells like fresh jasmine. That always gets me - I love jasmine in skincare!

There are three new SSS sub-lines:  Soft & White (to help lighten skin), Silky Moisture (for long-lasting moisturization), and Firming & Restoring (to promote vitality and firmness).

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!

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!

At this point I can probably fill a small bath tub with body lotion. I'm not complaining though as long as the lotions I get to try are good ones, such as the latest Avon Skin So Soft Lotion in Signature Silk Resplenishing Body Lotion (P290).

Signature Silk is non-greasy, gets absorbed quickly, and smells good - as with most Avon Skin So Soft lotions. It has a subtle floral fruity scent (do I detect a hint of watermelon?) that's quite soft and pleasant.

It's 2 am as I'm writing this. I am starting this week with a feeling of anticipation, mixed with a healthy dose of dread - I'm going to need a lot of patience and energy to get through it! Today, Monday, is going to be dedicated to meetings so I need to finish my tasks as early as humanly possible!

So anyway, let's talk about moisturizers (again). Body moisturizers don't need to do a lot of things to impress me. I just require three things: that it moisturizes, feels comfortable, and smells good but not overwhelming. One product that I am loving right now is the Nivea Express Hydration Body Lotion because it delivers these three requirements exceptionally well. I am pleasantly surprised because it's unlike the other Nivea lotions I've tried before!

Texture and feel. The Nivea Express Hydration is, hands down, the lightest body lotion I've tried to date. It's watery and absorbs almost immediately on skin without any sticky or greasy residue. It doesn't feel "thick" even when it's super hot and I'm all sweaty. Plus plus plus points - I can't stand greasy lotion.

You'll remember that I liked the Nivea UV Protection Body Lotion because of its lightness compared to other Nivea lotions. Well, the Express Hydration is considerably lighter than UV Protection!

Fluffy, watery texture

I declare this week as impromptu Body Lotion Week! Yes, I have slowly but steadily accumulated body lotions and moisturizers these past few months. I am not complaining, but I can be stubborn when it comes to this type of product! I stick to only a couple of favorites until they run out - that's the only time I consider trying something new, and even then, I usually just stick to my good ol' best friends.

But these latest products need to be reviewed, hence the relative deluge of body moisturizers lately. The next in the series will be two products from Nivea: the UV Protection Body Lotion and Extra Whitening Inner Cell Repair Body Milk.

The Nivea UV Protection Body Lotion does not claim a specific SPF number, but it can help ward off some of the UVA and UVB rays that can cause skin stress/damage and accelerated aging. It's really more of a daily sun protection product than a heavy duty sun care thing. Nivea has a different line for that. 

I like the scent of this one - it's not too strong, and has a bit of jasmine mixed with the powdery smell.

You know, I just realized that I don't use any food-themed skincare product in my daily routine. It's really more of a personal preference since I enjoy florals and fresh scents more than those resembling food. 

However, I do like Inovitelle's latest skincare line called Skin Cravings. It features the Smooth Over Body Lotion (P240) and Scrub Me Pretty Body Scrub (P255) in two flavors each. I enjoy using the scrub because it's not drying, while the lotion absorbs in the skin immediately.

What I love about the Scrub Me Pretty Body Scrub:

• The smell! It's not too strong and doesn't have that fake chemical odor. All variants smell exactly as they promised: Cranberry Yogurt, Dewberry Yogurt, and Strawberry Yogurt.
• The scrub beads are not abrasive on skin. It cleans very well nonetheless.

• After scrubbing, the skin doesn't feel raw and dry.
• Package design! I love the milk bottle concept, plus the image layouting. Tres cute.
• Price is very friendly. Only P255 a bottle which should be good for at least 5 uses, depending on the amount you use.