Last Saturday I decided, on a whim, that I wanted to go on an adventure. I usually roam inside the Fort or Makati area so I thought I'd go out of my comfort zone by visiting Divisoria. It's been five years since I was last there and my, how it has changed! There are like three malls separated from each other by a mere narrow street. Everything I can think of buying is all right inside the hundreds of little shops inside the malls!

However, I didn't actually buy much. I was specifically looking for art materials but couldn't find the store. -_- Well, at least I got to take home some washi tapes and statement accessories. Everything was so cheap!

And so we come to segue time, haha. I knew it was going to be hot and muggy in Divisoria so I chose a foundation that'll protect me from the sun while staying intact in the extreme humidity. Three guesses on what it was. 

Ta-dah! Check out the Shiseido UV Protection Compact Foundation with SPF35 PA+++ (price to be updated). As you know I really love its liquid counterpart, since it stays put even when I get super oily or splash around in the beach. You also can't beat the sun protection. The powder foundation promises to be water and oil-resistant as well - does it live up to its claims? 

Here's a rundown of what I like and don't like about this foundation! 

What I love about the product

• It makes my skin look super smooth and silky. It has a matte finish but unlike other high SPF foundations this doesn't look white when worn. 
• Coverage is light to medium, but buildable to a heavy one when applied wet with the sponge.
• Staying power is awesome. I wore this for six straight hours and it didn't even fade or cake! I did get noticeably oily but only after three hours. That's a pretty good no-shine interval!
• It contains SPF35 PA+++, which is a must in foundations for the summer.  
• I didn't break out at all. I don't know how but my skin feels nice after I remove it. It actually has a cocktail of protective ingredients + hyaluronic acid.

Serums traditionally provide intense care and repair for our face. They usually have more concentrated ingredients in a clear, gel-like, sometimes oily solution for better absorption on skin. I was pretty excited when I first heard about a new serum for - are you ready - the body. How fabulous would it be if we can lavish our whole body in intensified skincare?

The Nivea Body UV Whitening Serum SPF25 PA++ (P219) promises radiant and whiter skin with ingredients like Vitamin C, licorice, red seaweed, and Hydra IQ. Does it look and feel like the other serums I've tried before? No. It's white, watery, and feels like lotion. I was a little disappointed because "serum" was the word that hooked me in, but for P219 /200ml I don't see how it could be more than lotion.

But I love it nonetheless. :) Three things: it's the lightest lotion I've tried EVER, it has SPF25 PA++, and has a pleasant citrus smell - no chemical sunblock-y scent at all! Did I say it was super light?

Hi Liz! I just want to understand how the SPFs on multiple products work. If I use a facial moisturizer with SPF 15 and then layer it with a facial powder with SPF 15, does that mean that I'm wearing a total of SPF 30 on my face? I just want to make sure if my understanding is correct. If this is the case, then I can sparingly use a more expensive facial moisturizer with SPF 30 and then simply use the moisturizer-powder combination more frequently and I will have the same degree of protection either way. Thanks in advance for the clarification. - Maybelle

Hi Maybelle! Thanks for your question. I talked to a dermatologist before about this, and she said that it's not possible to layer SPF products to get a higher number. You will just get a higher volume of the sun screening ingredients, which means you get better protection, but it's still on the same SPF15 level. If you mix SPF15 with something that has SPF30 though, the higher number is the amount of protection your skin will receive.

The Bobbi Brown Illuminating Face Base (P2,650) aka the reason I can go out without foundation is now a mainstay in my routine. It has SPF25 which is always useful during the day, but most importantly, it makes my skin look amazing. You'll see a photo later. For now, lemme run through what's awesome about this product!

What I love about it

• The micronized pearl pigments infused in this cream base gives skin the perfect glow. You'll see a bit of shimmer if you look reeeeallly closely but when worn, there's just a can't-put-your-finger on sheen to your skin. Don't worry, it's subtle that it won't make oily skin look oilier.
• Helps makeup glide on better as it smoothens skin. It also helps keep your makeup look fresh longer, although it won't block oil in my experience.

I love the VMV Skintangible, but as fantastic as it is it has limitations due to it being a tinted moisturizer at best. Girls who are looking for better coverage, shade match, and higher SPF may not find it compelling enough. But never worry! Skintangible has a grown-up sister who can take all the heavy lifting: the VMV Hypoallergenics Skin Savvy 60 Foundation (P1,840).

This foundation is exactly like Skintangible in terms of packaging and how it's dubbed to be 75% free of common allergens. But that's where the similarity stops. Skin Savvy is a cream foundation with SPF60, six available shades, and full coverage. It lasts fairly well under the tropical heat, too! Just set it with loose powder and you're done.

However, because of these "extra" features, Skin Savvy has some down sides.

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. 

Christmas celebrations will start tomorrow, so you should be done with your gift shopping by now. In case you aren't though, troop to VMV Hypoallergenics to get rescued! They have gorgeous holiday sets available, like this one:  

There are tons of sets out there but I think VMV trumps them all. The packaging is gorgeous - boxes come with tissue and some fluff inside, neatly tied with a grosgrain ribbon accented with mistletoe - plus you get products that your recipient will probably love. It looks expensive (but it's not since one set is on averge P1,500). It's already wrapped. The products of VMV are amazing. 

Everybody wins!

The set I have here is called Merry Goin' Round.

I'm not going to scare you into using sunscreen. Seriously, you won't die extra ugly if you don't wear sunscreen. You'll just have a few sunspots, more wrinkles, and uneven skin, but really, nothing life-threatening! 

Now we have that out of the way, let me tell you about my new sunscreen discovery, the VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Face Cover 30. It's great! Now I understand why it's such a popular SPF product, after years of hearing about it from friends and magazines extolling its virtues.

The VMV Armada is a non-greasy, light day moisturizer that protects your face from sun damage while offering maximum comfort. It doesn't feel like a blanket of oil and sweat on my face. Better yet, it didn't break me out! I find that most SPF products give me pimples, but that's not the case with the Armada. It didn't block my pores either.

Product samples will be the death - and/or financial bankruptcy - of me! I fell in love with many a Clinique product just because I tried one of their devious sample sizes. You think, "Oh, I like what I'm using already, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a gander at this new tester size I have." Before you know it, boom, you're buying a product worth 2 gs. 

At least, you already know that it's totally worth it.

So that's how I discovered the Clinique Derma White City Block Anti-Pollution SPF40 PA+++ (P2,045). I got a sample of it from one of Clinique's gift pouches, not really expecting that it would be The Sunblock. There are other City Block versions available, but I find that they break me out so I never got around to buying them. Not the Derma White though. This works so well on my skin and I've been using this since May!

What I love about the product

• Has SPF40 PA+++, so it offers pretty good sun protection.
• NO BREAKOUTS. I don't know what's up with sunblocks, but most of them give me pimples - if not immediately, they do eventually.

I visited Rustan's Makati yesterday for my regular "what's up" checkup. Guess who I ran into! Why, Carrot of Bobbi Brown! She was doing her usual counter visits at La Mer and Bobbi, looking all fresh and pretty even though I know she's probably already mega stressed by that time (as all the Estee Lauder girls are!). I asked her if there's anything new, so she told me about Bobbi's latest product: the Bobbi Brown BB Cream with SPF35 PA++.

Developed by Bobbi Brown for customers who want a product with serious skincare and makeup benefits, this all-in-one cream perfects and smoothes skin’s appearance—instantly and over time. Its easily buildable formula evens out and gives skin a lit-from-within glow. Skin is filled with moisture as oil and shine are kept at bay. Plus SPF helps protect skin against UVA/UVB damage.

In a short while, fine lines and wrinkles appear less noticeable, visible redness is reduced and pores appear more refined.

This new BB cream is so popular that it's already sold out within the month! According to Carrot, they will restock by the end of June or early July so BB cream fans, you have to wait 'till then. In the meantime, I have swatches and first impressions for you.

We're brainwashed to think that the higher the SPF number, the better. Well sure, higher SPF means that you get more protection, but did you know that the protection is not increased proportionally? "SPF 15" means that you will not burn/damage under the sun 15 times longer than when you are without it. "SPF 30" means that you can stay 30 times longer without damaging your skin.

Says the American Melanoma Foundation: "Consumers need to be aware that SPF protection does not increase proportionally with an increased SPF number. While an SPF of 2 will absorb 50% of ultraviolet radiation, an SPF of 15 absorbs 93% and an SPF of 34 absorbs 97%." Read up more about sun protection here and here.

All things considered, an SPF of 30 to 50 is already a good number for daily use. Any number higher than 50 is just a little extra - it's not a necessity. So you don't really have to HAVE an SPF130 sunblock like the one from Sun Play. But it would be nice if you did. 

The Sunplay Super Block with SPF130 (P349) is a white fluid with the consistency of water.

As I was browsing through my photo galleries this morning, I came by a product which I simply forgot to review: the Olay Natural White SPF24 Day Lotion (P189). Bought it last February pa. It's actually a pretty good SPF product, although I've stopped using it some time ago. 

Why? Well, it's not the lotion, it's me! My skin reacts with face sunscreens/sunblocks for some reason (well those that I've tried anyway). The worst reaction is I break out, but that's not always the case. Sometimes my skin just doesn't look its prime (I get small bumps that are not quite pimples, dull skin) so I go back to my default moisturizer. Weird.

To protect my face from the sun, I prefer using makeup with SPF. Makeup doesn't get absorbed by the skin so it doesn't have the same effect as sunblocks/sunscreens.

So yes, it's me. Otherwise, this Olay lotion is something I would recommend!

What I love about the product 

• Very light, watery consistency. Applies easily with no white cast and absorbs quickly.
• Not sticky or greasy as long as you apply just the right amount.

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of going on a conference call with Anthony Gonzalez, the Senior Manager of the global research and development center of Avon skincare products. He's based in New York and wanted to share the latest Anew line called Reversalist to the Asian press. The talk happened at the Avon Philippines headquarters in Makati Avenue.

ANEW Reversalist's Activinol technology boosts Activin, to reactivate skin’s repair process and help recreate fresh new skin and dramatically reverse the look of wrinkles. Avon’s patent-pending Activinol Technology is shown to increase the production of Activin to help boost skin’s ability to repair itself and recreate fresh, new skin.

Anthony Gonzalez

Now I know a lot of you are jaded about anti-aging products since so many of them come out with claims of miraculously solving skin issues, so I cut straight to the chase and asked Mr. Gonzalez The Question: what makes the Anew Reversalist unique? He answered quickly and confidently, "Other anti-aging products focus on stimulating collagen and elastin. But we approach aging differently. We go to the cellular level and look at aging as a result of tiny wounds to the skin."

A PR company sent me a 200ml bottle of the Vaseline Healthy White SPF24 sunscreen AGES ago, like half a year ago. For some reason or other though I never blogged about it, which is sad, because this has become an indispensable part of my skincare regimen. I actually finished off the huge bottle, so I purchased a 350ml one!

I love this mainly for its SPF 24 UVA/UVB protection. I never go outside the sun without slathering it on my skin. I know there are other SPF lotions out in the market, but this is perhaps the most affordable with a high SPF rating minus the thick sunblock-y feel.

It has a lotion-y, slightly floral scent that I don't find overwhelming. As for the texture, it's certainly lighter than the usual sunscreen/sunblock lotions

It's hard to keep track of all the latest skincare products, at the rate and speed they're being released! It's all for the better, don't you think? More choices means more potential solutions to our beauty problems and better prices. Anyway, L'Oreal Paris is one brand that just came out with three products that targets major market concerns: cleansing (for men), whitening (for women), and smoothing/priming for makeup users out there.

The Pure & Matte Charcoal Black Foam (195) is designed to cleanse and mattify skin. It's for men who are concerned with oily skin that's exposed to a lot of pollution and stress. I think it's a pretty basic cleanser, as male skincare products go! This might not be for us girls, but there's no reason to NOT give this to our guy friends. It will benefit us in the long run, dare I say!

The White Perfect Day Cream SPF17/PA++ (P595) offers UV protection and promises whitening using melanin-blocking ingredients. It's light and non-greasy as promised - heaven sent in a world of uncomfortable day creams with SPF - but use it sparingly if you have oily skin!