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Makeup and Skincare

Review: My Sister’s Favorite Things from Human Nature

This is a guest post. Guest is my sister, Ace. Sometimes we’re cute like that ^^

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As the market shifts to the direction of sustainable, clean and cruelty-free beauty, I thought I’d share with you the products I swear by with one of the local pioneer brands (at least in my books) in terms of Green and Compassionate Beauty – HumanNature. Enjoy!

 

  1. Cooling Leg & Body Cream, 100ml

On days when I cannot fall asleep no matter how exhausted I feel, this, a good book and a lavender room spray combo works like a tranquilizer for me.

Massage a generous amount onto sore parts of your body (I focus on my shoulders, calves and thighs) and feel a cool and tingling sensation within seconds. A scent of fresh, minty goodness gives the experience bonus spa feels and at PhP375 a pop, this little gem is a steal.

 

  1. Sunflower Lip Miracle Oil, 10g

Plump, luscious, natural-looking lips are a trend I get on with (to be clear, this is different with the glossy, sticky icky look that I am not a fan of). And when Lancome came out with their Lip Juicy Shakers to achieve that look, I thought I would try to dupe that with this (sans any pigment of course).

I keep this on my person AT ALL TIMES. This can be seen on my desk at work when I top it on my lippie of the day, and bring it home with me and put it on as a conditioner after exfoliating with the H♥N lip scrub or even if I do not exfoliate that night and just put it on before bed. You can easily get one for each corner you pitch your tent especially at PhP199.75 a pop. I personally only got one and would only buy a new one when I have consumed what I have on hand (A general consumption rule I effortfully enforce on myself).

I have the Peach flavor and cannot get enough of the sort of artificial but still pleasant candied peach scent. They also carry a Mint flavour and I imagine it gives a cooling and extra plump-boosting action.

 

  1. Natural Lip Scrub, 12g

I rarely go out of the house without lipstick nowadays so I figured I’d address my self-inflicted chapped lips with a natural lip scrub. While there are a lot of DIY Pinterest recipes for lip scrubs, I know myself enough I cannot be bothered to try and concoct ANY of them.

Use this on days when you feel like your lips are getting too beaten up on lippies you put on them. Apply a generous amount on damp lips, and scrub with a dry wash cloth. Be careful to scrub only your lips and not the sensitive skin around it as the sugar granules as big as these can be tough for facial skin. It is true using just a damp toothbrush or wash cloth will give you the same results, but I opted for this because I feel extra using it thanks to the sunflower, jojoba oil and bees wax combo. (Note: Not vegan due to the bees wax component.)

I was going to bite the bullet and get myself the Lush variant at PhP450+, but I’m glad I waited for this instead. This is less than half the price at PhP175 and definitely gets the job done.

 

  1. Pore Cleansing Brush

I got this with the intention of getting serious with deep facial exfoliation. That was a good call on my part (pats self on back).

Squeeze enough cleanser directly to this and brush onto damp, makeup-free (and sunscreen-free) skin using slow, circular motions. Watch as it lathers any cleanser which (I believe) helps clean the gunk out of pores. I use it once a week and everyday during the time of the month.

I got this when it was newly launched at PhP595 but is currently on offer with a free 50ml Nourishing Facial Wash on their website.

  

  1. Radiant Grace Night Cream, 45ml

I will simply say I cannot vouch for the anti-aging properties it is advertised to provide. This however came in so handy when I was decluttering my whole skincare routine and needed a light-as-a-feather, fuss-free moisturizer. Thank the Skincare Gods this did not break me out!

Use 1 and a half to 2 pumps and slowly massage it onto your face down to the décolleté. The cream is so light that I almost always apply layer #2.

I apply this as a last step at night as moisturizer and in the morning before sunscreen. I also use this on days when my skin looks smooth and I feel exceptionally smug, hehe. I mix it with a BB cream of choice with 3:1 ratio, top up with a light dusting of loose powder and call it a day. I like the slight floral scent that lingers for a little bit after application and the OG BB cream packaging is a major bonus.

My sister financed this purchase during its new launch at PhP995 but is currently on offer at PhP795 on their website.

 

You can experience Human Nature at their official website (http://humanheartnature.com), any major department stores, or Sesou stalls near you. I personally get my goodies from my friend who is a certified HN dealer.

More Human Nature favorites here!

 This is not a sponsored post. Guest post by Ace Tria.

If you found this helpful at all, maybe share a coffee?

Makeup and Skincare

Review: Favorite Skin Care Things with Green Tea

It took me a while to like drinking green tea. I guess any 3-in-1 or Starbucks coffee fan should expect the initial hesitation. Unlike the strong, rich taste of a whipped cream-topped cup of joe, green tea was mild, fragrant, and very light. Eventually, its refreshing taste and its long list of health benefits got me hooked, the obsession soon leading to a quest for the miracle tea leaf (and its other tea leaf/tea tree oil sisters) even in my skin care haunts. Is that a normal reaction, linking drink to skin care? Maybe not. But I’ve never turned back.

The antioxidants and anti-bacterial powers of green tea (read: anti-acne) are said to be effective not only when consumed, but even when applied topically. Below are my current favorites: Continue Reading

Makeup and Skincare

Review: Favorite Weird Things in a Skin Care Jar

Seeing weird things in skin care is so common nowadays that it takes a lot for a regular avid consumer to be freaked out. In their advent of course, one would most likely say, “eww, why would I want to put that on my cheeks?” Well, I say to that, because it works. And really, once you start slathering on the gooey goodness, you will really see results.

Below are my time-tested favorites. Continue Reading

Makeup and Skincare

Review: Dr Oguma AquaKey

Dr Oguma AquaKey has been a staple in my makeup kit for eight months now, and thus is way overdue for a review. This multi-function mist was essentially forced upon me by a very talented sales lady in METRO, Orchard Road. Although I’ve made a lot of impulsive buys that I, for shame, wholeheartedly regretted, this was not one of them.

The US website reads that AquaKey is a “multi-active mineral spray that captures the energy of natural ions to rebuild, retexture, and repair skin and hair.” It promises many things, its efficacy is backed by science jargon and many glowing testimonials. In my personal view (and in normal people parlance) though, AquaKey mist is: Continue Reading

Makeup and Skincare

Korean 10-Step Skin Care Routine – Seoul Haul Update

It has been almost a year since I committed to this admittedly elaborate, mildly bankruptcy-inducing, gloriously enjoyable 10-step skin care ritual. Since then, what have I to show for it? Do I presently show any semblance to Jun Jihyun. Um. No. Did I see any improvement in my skin? Categorically, yes. My skin is happily acne-free and virtually blemish-free. I now dare leave the house with only sunblock, some concealer and powder, while still looking human.

Now I do not believe that this is solely due to a painstaking beauty ritual, as it is a team effort of better stress management, a bit more sleep, and maybe even my pescetarian diet. That, or maybe my hormones are just taking a break. Either way, it is easy to know when a skin care product works for you or against you, and below I list down the goodies that at present, work very well for me. Most of the new additions to this list were curated during my November trip in Seoul (also known as the days my credit card ran a marathon). Shall we? Continue Reading

Makeup and Skincare

Korean 10-Step Skin Care Routine

Watching Jun JiHyun 10+ years after My Sassy Girl and seeing the same porcelain, wrinkle-free complexion can do things to a girl. It makes you ransack Google for no-makeup shots of the actress to catch even the slightest blemish on her perfect face. Finding none (dang it!), you go to Plan B – discover the ultimate secret.

Surprisingly, finding the “secret” was pretty easy. Unsurprisingly, applying it, not so much. While I beg to infer that poreless, blemish-free Korean skin is still largely due to good genes, good weather, healthy eating (all that kimchi) and maybe something in the water, it still requires a lot of time and effort. Korean women religiously go through a 10-step beauty ritual every night to ensure that their skin looks clear and supple, and stays that way for as long as humanly possible. Sounds like a lot of hard work and hard bucks? Definitely. Let’s get right to it.

Continue Reading