Snoe White No.2 Extra Strength Glutathione Beauty Bar

I'm into shower gels more than bar soaps. No, scratch that. I love shower gels more than plain old bar soaps, but if I see an interesting soap (a cute one, or one that has awesome skin benefits), then I'd gladly give it a try! Snoe has a wide range of beauty bars for targeted skin concerns, and it's just recently that I gave one a try. Let's just say that I'm so glad I did!

Snoe White No. 2 Extra Strength Glutathione Beauty Bar (P139.00 for 150g)

Glutathione is a potent anti-oxidant which inhibits tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for the production of dark melanin pigments. This will revitalize your skin, reduce signs of aging, skin dullness, and blemishes to give you that healthy white glow.

Some of you might be wondering why the heck am I using a glutathione soap since I have already fair skin to begin with, but I would love to have even, glowing skin all over. Now who wouldn't want that? Plus, this bar comes in the color pink! :D

Active Ingredients:

Glutathione, Songyi Mushroom, Vitamin E and C, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Grape Seed Extract, Hyaluronic acid, Jojoba oil, Papain enzyme, High-Grade Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

The packaging of this beauty bar is just simple. It's wrapped in plastic with a cardboard label. The soap itself looks like something you'd get from LUSH.

The reason why I haven't been using Snoe soaps long since it was launched was because I was afraid that any whitening bar soap (in general) would be drying. Marian (of Snoe in Landmark Trinoma) convinced me to finally try it. She promised that this won't be drying at all, and it was so true!

Pros:

• It looks so cute! Snoe beauty bars would add a nice pop of color in your bathroom.
• It lathers pretty well.
• It has a mild scent that doesn't linger long after you bathe, so it won't affect the fragrance you're going to wear.
• It is a soft kind of soap, but it doesn't melt off too easily. Just keep this away from water after use, and this will last for long.
• This bar will last for about 55 days, if used once a day. (I still use my shower gel during my AM shower since I'm too lazy for body SPF in the morning. When you use a whitening soap, SPF is a must right after you bathe.)
• A week after I started using this soap, my skin peeled when I slightly rubbed it during the shower. This happened again in another 1 week interval, and so on. I like this since it effortlessly loosens my dead skin cells while I shower. I skipped my usual weekly body scrub (for about 2 months!) while I was using this.
• My skin looked brighter and more radiant after every shower. No exaggerated whitening effect, but this one made the skin on my outer arms more even with my inner arms.
• My skin never felt dry with this. I've tried whitening soaps before which would leave my skin dry, but this one was rather moisturizing. In fact, it's even more moisturizing than the bar soaps you could get from the supermarket.
• The skin around my waist had always been flaky and darker than the rest of my body, but since I started using this, I have noticed that the skin around that area felt more supple and looked a shade lighter (from brownish to yellowish - but not hepa-yellow), and that's an improvement!
• The packaging indicated that a slight tingling/prickly sensation might occur with the use of this product, but that never happened to me. (I just use this for my body, as I have a separate facial wash.)

Cons:

• Nothing!

Price: P139.00/150g

Will I repurchase? Yes, I'd like to try the other variants as well!

Available at all Snoe stores/kiosks nationwide. View complete store list here.

I've used this beauty bar up almost one week ago, and I went back to my usual shower gel, but I noticed that my skin didn't glow as much as it did while I was using this soap, so I guess I'll be going back to using Snoe Beauty Bars for my PM shower. Good thing I still have these samples to try! :D

Which variant of Snoe Beauty Bars have you tried, and how did it work out for you? :)

Love,

Helen

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream

The Body Shop just released their newest BB cream early this month. The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream is the latest addition to their well-loved Vitamin E skincare range, which hydrates and protects the skin from pollution and free radicals that can cause premature aging. After using this for weeks, I'll now be sharing with you a review!

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream (P695.00 -> P495.00, introductory offer)

Freshen your look. 12hr quenching moisture and protection.

Meet our skincare hero, Vitamin E Cool BB Cream. Our new take on BB cream illuminates, evens skin tone, and protects with moisture for 12 hours. Available in one cool shade, the lightweight texture will effortlessly blend onto skin for a fresh and natural look.

• Hydrates to protect
• Evens tone
• Fresh-looking skin
• One cool shade

Ingredients:

The Vitamin E Cool BB Cream has Shea Butter and Wheat Germ Oil to moisturize the skin. Despite it's name "cool", I don't spot any cooling ingredient on the ingredient list. It must relate to the shade then?

Pros:

• It comes in a squeeze tube packaging for easy and hygienic dispensing.
• It has an air-whipped texture that's different from most BB creams in the market. It's not watery or runny at all, and it almost feels like mousse. This means, there's no chance for spills, ever.

 

• It's very easy to blend. Absolutely no tugging required.
• Although it's a bit darker than the Korean BB creams I use, this one did not give me any grayish cast.
• Despite its shade not being yellowish, It blended well on my skin tone, and it looked natural because of its sheer coverage. It looks like I had no makeup on.

Before

After

• It has a dewy, radiant finish - ideal for dry to normal skin.
• It does not oxidize on my oily skin.
• This was the only BB cream where I noticed any real skin-healing/improving effects. Even after I remove my makeup and wash my face in the evening, my skin feels more supple and moisturized whenever I wear this BB cream during the day.
• Because of the sheer coverage, it could work as a makeup base. Since I have oily skin, I always top it off with my trusty The Body Shop All-In-One Face Base in 035 to make it look matte.
• It's actually inexpensive for its price, since each tube holds a lot of product - 50g to be exact.

Cons:

• It only comes in 1 shade (named Glowing Shade), but it's not the "one shade fits all" kind of BB cream so others may not find their match. It's slightly pink toned more than yellow toned, and yellow is more flattering for Asian skin. See the comparison below.

Left: The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream (unblended)

Right: The Body Shop All-In-One Concealer in 01

• It has no SPF, so you'd have to use an SPF-laden moisturizer before or powder after applying the BB cream.
• Some may not like its sheer coverage. Only those with perfect skin can use this product alone. (Even I have to use a face powder afterwards when I apply this, but when I do, I like the effect!) Those with noticeable imperfections may find this lacking in coverage. This one is not enough to cover reddish acne marks and pimples, but it does okay for minor redness. This one is more like a tinted moisturizer. Other BB creams I've used before would make my pores disappear, but with this one I can still see the pores on my cheeks after application.
• Oil control lasts only about 3 hours, even if I top it off with powder.

When worn:

 

I used The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream and topped it off with The Body Shop All-In-One Face Base in 035 here.

Photo Credit: The Body Shop, Philippines

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream is less whitish than The Body Shop Moisture White Shiso BB Cream SPF 25 PA+++ and less orangey than The Body Shop All-In-One BB Cream. The shade is more natural-looking, and among the BB creams the Body Shop has to offer, I like this one the most. I'd recommend The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream to those with dry to normal skin, and to those who have minor skin imperfections and would like to just even things out with a sheer-coverage BB cream.

Like The Body Shop, Philippines on Facebook for more info! :)

Love,

Helen

Mid-Year Sale: Ensembles | Freeway | Solo

The much-awaited MIDYEAR SALE of Freeway, Ensembles, and Solo has just started!

Get up to 50-70% off starting June 14. I'll make sure to drop by tomorrow to see if I can get great deals for my office dresses and casual wear. You should too! ;)

Love,

Helen

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Exchange in Trinoma

Yesterday, I went with my friend Dawn to the Double Wear Foundation Exchange event at Estee Lauder Trinoma. Yes, girls - Estee Lauder currently has a temporary counter at Trinoma (across Chronos and MAC), until June 23, 2013, which means Northerners don't have to go far just to have their luxurious beauty fix!

This Double Wear Foundation Exchange was announced over at their Facebook page (Estee Lauder - Philippines) 5 days before the event, and I was lucky enough to see it! I RSVPed right then and there and asked Dawn if she wanted to come with me. I'm happy she was equally excited as I was, and we were booked in the same time slot.

It's Double Wear exchange again! Visit us at Estee Lauder Trinoma for an exciting make over and new profile photo for your social network page, phone, or blog. So flattering, you’ll keep it up forever. Plus, bring your old foundation bottle and exchange it with a 10-day supply of Double Wear foundation, absolutely FREE. Visit us on June 15 from 2-5PM.

Estee Lauder Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10 is a long-wearing liquid foundation that works wonders, especially for people with oily skin. Makeup stays fresh, even in the humid Philippine weather. Available in 8 shades.

During the event, I spotted these fancy Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation cookies! They looked real - too cute! Everyone who attended the event got a cookie. I still have mine, and I don't want to eat it. :D

Those who brought their old liquid foundation bottles dropped it in this plastic bin, and got their 10-day supply of Double Wear foundation, in their perfect shade, absolutely free! (You get to dispose your old foundation, and get a sample of a super nice one in exchange, so that's definitely a win!)

If you RSVPed, then you're also entitled to a complete makeover and a photoshoot afterwards. (Walk-ins were also allowed provided the slots are open.) I was very excited for this, so I didn't wear any makeup when I went here.

Good skincare (and not even makeup) is the secret to good skin! If you have good skin to begin with, you'd need less makeup elsewhere. For the first part of my makeover, my skin was cleansed/toned using Estee Lauder Optimizer Intensive Boosting Lotion, which made my skin feel so refreshed. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serums were applied to my face and eye area, followed by Estee Lauder Hydrationist Maximum Moisture Creme to moisturize my face. Moisturizing was the last step to "seal" the nourishing ingredients of the serums that were applied on my skin. My face felt so hydrated and fresh afterwards.

Next was the actual makeover, using the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10 in Warm Vanilla 2W0. My lids were painted in purple shades, while my cheeks and lips in rosy shades. A photoshoot followed afterwards, which you'll see below.

On display was a jumbo bottle of the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation - a lifetime supply if you ask me! It's so cute, I want to take it home, punch a few holes at the back, make it my coin bank (if that makes any sense). Haha!

I was with Dawn most of the time during the event, so of course we had to take pictures together!

Skincare

Makeup

Fragrances

We also roamed around the counters and checked out their products on display. Then, we both found out that we love the same fragrance - Estee Lauder Pleasures!

Dawn and I

With the gorgeous and hardworking Estee Lauder girls (who are working even on a Saturday!) - Thank you so much for making this event possible. We truly enjoyed it!

When I  was done with my makeover, I was given this loot bag filled with loads of goodies! I got so kilig, and I felt like a kid who received a party bag, only this one was a big girl's party bag filled with deluxe-sized samples from Estee Lauder! I went to the event just expecting to have my old bottle of foundation traded for a sample, so I was very surprised with this! Thank you so much, Estee Lauder!

I received an Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation cookie (the cutest I've seen!), and a 10-day sample of the foundation in my shade.

Aside from the makeover, I also got this polaroid photo as a souvenir and an Estee Lauder USB flash drive that contained the soft copy of my makeover photos. This flash drive is the most kikay one I have right now, and I am so loving it!

I also received deluxe-sized samples of Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum, Hydrationist Maximum Moisture Creme, Sumtuous BoldVolume Lifting Mascara in 01 Black, and Double Wear Stay-in-Place Dual Effect Powder Makeup SPF 10/PA++ in 36 Sand.

This was my favorite photo from the shoot. My skin looked perfect and radiant here, all thanks to Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup!

I also had my own photoshoot after I went home! Haha! It's not everyday that I get all glammed up like this, so I have to savor the moment. :D This one was taken indoors, no flash, but this time with bangs! My skin looks a bit sunkissed with the shade, but I am loving the matte, poreless finish of this foundation!

I had so much fun during the event! I heard they're also having another event like this in Makati soon, so you better attend! Make sure to like Estee Lauder - Philippines on Facebook so you don't miss out on the announcement.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10 retails for P2,100.00 in all Estee Lauder counters.

Estee Lauder is available in the following locations:

Rustans Makati +632 817 1884

Rustans Shangri-la +632 633 4636

Rustans Alabang +632 850 5532

Rustans Gateway +632 912 9959

Rustans Cebu +6032 231 5633

Essenses Rockwell +632 890 6273

Love,

Helen

Etude House Hot Style Hair Tools Bangs Cut Kit

I've always wanted to grow my hair long yet keep my bangs short, but I always end up going to the salon to have my hair trimmed because my bangs become tendrils so fast - in a matter of weeks! I found a worthwhile investment in a pair of pink hair scissors. Now, I can keep my desired hair length while keeping my bangs freshly trimmed at home. Indeed, nothing is impossible with Etude House.

Etude House Hot Style Hair Tools Bangs Cut Kit (P448.00)

About the product:

This kit containing a hair clip and a pair of scissors to easily accomplish salon-quality trimmed bangs at home.

 

Hair Clip with an Equipped Level Checker

 

Pair of Scissors

How to use:

1. Place the clip near roots of hair where you wish to trim.
2. Keep it horizontally leveled with the equipped checker.
3. Slide the clip down along bangs, leaving desired cutting length.
4. Cut carefully with a pair of scissors.

 

I think this is the girliest pair of scissors I have seen! This kit is fool-proof since it comes with a hair clip that serves as a "ruler". Just follow the instructions carefully, and you'll absolutely not have to worry about messing up. On my first try, I was still kinda scared with the idea of cutting my own hair so I left the bangs a little longer, and just combed it to the side. This one was my second try - hello full bangs!

What's nice about it is that you can cut your hair into full bangs. If full-on fringe is not your thing, then you can just comb it so that it will look like side bangs! Just leave the length a little lower than your eyebrows (but of course above your eyes) so it would be more versatile.

I am in love with Etude House Hot Style Hair Tools Bangs Cut Kit! Because this kit is so in-demand, it's hard to spot this in stores. When you do see it, grab it ASAP! ♥

Love,

Helen