Mercury Drug Joyful Daybook 2019

Last year, I got to blog about what's inside the viral Mercury Drug Suki Daybook 2018, and now it's time to feature their Joyful Daybook 2019.

You can get this for only 35 Suki points. I don't have a Suki card.... so thank you, Mama! 😄

This year's edition comes in 4 colors - red, yellow, blue, and violet.

I'm loving the embossed cover.

2018-2020 calendars

Monthly view

This one's more like a journal/notebook than a planner because it lacks the monthly and weekly view. Majority of the sheets are just lined pages. The paper they used is really smooth so it's a joy to write on.

Lined pages

My favorite part of the daybook are the inspiring pages. These are just some shots I took, there's definitely more inside.

Will you be getting your own Joyful Daybook 2019?

Love,

Helen

PS. My sister is selling a Joyful Daybook 2019 at Carousell with the lowest listed price. 😊

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SWATCHES: Ever Bilena Kris Matte Matic Lipstick (ALL SHADES!) + FREE EB Lipstick Alert!

How rare it was to chance upon ALL shades of Ever Bilena Kris Matte Matic Lipsticks at Watsons! The testers are all brand new so I had to have a swatch party, of course! 💋

From the original first two shades, this lippie range has now expanded to seven!

The new shades are pretty, but my favorites are still Life and Love. (I still use Life every single day!) 👍

Also, if you're planning to buy from Ever Bilena, I spotted this (secret) promo on the makeup kiosk inside Watsons SM North North Towers - FREE Ever Bilena Beauty Shine Lipstick for the first 200 customers. This Watsons branch opened early December 2018 and the promo is still ongoing. (You're welcome!) 😉

Love,

Helen

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Skincare Empties

It's been a while since my last empties post. I can't believe I was able to regularly dedicate full blog posts on my skincare empties years ago.  I love it when I'm able to use up products! 🤭
 

Also, I'm quite amazed because these trio - my cleanser, toner, and moisturizer all ran out almost simultaneously.

I switched to Cathy Doll Ready2White 2 in 1 Bubble Mousse Cleanser when my last facial wash dried my cheeks out. This one from Cathy Doll is fun to use! It pumps out the cleanser in foam so there's no need to lather it up first on your palms before spreading it on your face. I ALWAYS double cleanse, and right now I'm using micellar water + this cleanser, and it is enough to remove even long-wearing foundation. Like when I tone my face, there's barely any makeup residue left.
 

AcneCare Anti-Acne Toner is alcohol-free and paraben-free. It makes use of silver (!) and 3 powerful ingredients (one of which is cinnamon) to fight and control acne. It's effective, at least for me! I did a full detailed review of this toner, which you may backread here. AcneCare is available in Lazada.

Human Nature Pollution Defense Emulsion is my HG moisturizer. I can't believe I finally found one for my dehydrated oily skin! 💙 I use this one religiously day and night. My sister does, too! It's just P350 but with this, I can do away with my pricey serum and my skin will still look so healthy! You may also backread my full review of Human Nature's Pollution Defense range.

Share with me your current empties on the comments section below! 😀

Love,

Helen

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AcneCare Anti-Acne Toner Review

Gold is often infused in skincare to give it a luxe feel, but what about silver? Did you know that colloidal silver, when used in skincare, treats acne by suffocating the bacteria on the skin and triggers skin healing? 👍 AcneCare Anti-Acne Toner is one of the newer releases of Vida Nutriscience earlier this year. Vida Nutriscience owns AcneCare, SnowCaps, and Snow Crystal White Tomato.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I bought this toner in Mercury Drug Store Trinoma.

My go-to toner was Snow Pore Minimizing Toner even though it contained alcohol. That toner felt ice cold! The AcneCare Anti-Acne Toner is the opposite - no alcohol, and it feels slightly warm on my skin after application. The kind of warm probably stems from its ingredient cinnamon (!), but it never left any redness or irritation on my skin. Both toners worked nicely on my skin, but AcneCare left my skin in a better condition. I used up my bottle in 2-3 months and I now can get away with just sunscreen + loose powder. No more foundation on regular days!

One thing they need to improve on is the packaging. The "How To Use" part looks like it was copied from Snow Pore Minimizing Toner. There is no "refreshing mint extract" in AcneCare Toner.

As for the ingredients, AcneCare Toner makes use of 3 powerful ingredients: Capryloyl Glycine, Sarcosine, and Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract AKA SEPICONTROL™ A5. This active ingredient protects and purifies the skin, regulates sebum, and targets acne. Also, silver is added to the mix to combat acne and heal the skin.

Silver particles suspended in the formula

Manufacturing and expiry dates are indicated on the packaging

AcneCare Anti-Acne Toner has a very mild, almost unnoticeable scent. Fragrance is NOT in the ingredients list which is a good thing. It has a slightly thicker but still watery texture that feels slightly warm on the skin upon application, but don't let that alarm you because it's just really like that. After application, I experienced no redness or irritation, and consistent use has really improved my skin. It got rid of my comedones gently, and I didn't experience breakouts or dryness throughout the past 2-3 months that I've used this toner.

I still have several toner bottles in my stash for review, but I'm willing to repurchase AcneCare Toner because it's effective yet inexpensive.

Price: P149/100ml bottle

Available in Lazada

Love,

Helen

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Althea Exclusives [New Releases for 2018]

When I tried the very first Althea exclusive product last year, which is the Althea Petal Velvet Powder, I wished that Althea Korea would come up with MORE brand exclusive products. My wish was granted this year! 💖

Feel free to read my reviews on other Althea exclusive products:

• Althea Bare Essentials Contour Cleanser, Primer Water, and Fixer Cream
• Althea Real Fresh Skin Detoxer in Rose and Green Tea
• Althea Petal Velvet Sunaway SPF 50 PA++++

And these are their newest releases for November and December 2018.

I already did a short review on Althea Milk Peel Cream Mask (P490) at my Instagram account @LUCKYCITRINE, do follow me there! 😊 This mask is so unique because it turns from creamy clay mask to foam (!). If you don't like the feel of gritty face scrubs, you can use this one to exfoliate as it makes use of acids (AHA & BHA). It also contains milk protein to moisturize so you won't end up with peeling dry skin. Swatches + before and after shot are also on my IG.

I'm excited to share with you Althea's first celebrity collaboration with Indonesian singer and actress Titi Kamal. (She's a beauty!) Introducing Althea's first body mist: Stay Fresh Body Sparkling Mist (P450). Nope, it doesn't have any shimmer in it. Instead, it's a lightweight body mist that has sparkling fruity and floral notes - starting off with sweet orange and peach, followed by a trail of elegant rose. It doesn't have a sharp and strong fragrance, just soft and mild all throughout wear. It also dries fast and does not leave any sticky residue on the skin. I personally love using this after a gym workout. It's a very feminine scent!

One thing to improve on is the packaging. The atomizer spray works perfectly and disperses the right amount of product at even bursts, but the bottle design could be more minimalist with matte details to make it look more premium.

Last but not the least is the Pore Purifying Serum Cleanser (P430) - a product I didn't understand at first. Haha! It turns out to be a makeup remover/facial cleanser that comes in a serum texture. How innovative is that! It contains mint extract to cool down and soothe the skin, jojoba seed oil to wrap the skin in moisture so as to prevent dryness, and tea tree extract to purify the skin and prevent pimples.

You can use the Pore Purifying Serum Cleanser to remove makeup AND to cleanse the skin. As a makeup remover, this takes the place of the traditional cleansing oil. It's lighter than a cleansing oil, but thicker than micellar water so the texture is somewhere in between. Just massage the product over the skin in circular motions to remove makeup, rinse off with water, and use a second cleanser to completely remove any residue. As a facial cleanser (like as an AM cleanser), just massage this product on your skin for 5-10 seconds and rinse off. The magic happens as you rinse off the product because your skin will feel insanely soft. It's amazing!

Oh, Althea also now has Flawless Creamy Concealer in 4 shades at only P200 a pop! I love how they are able to release so many original, exclusive, new products in the span of a year. And that's just the beginning. 👍 Althea Angel Helen is excited for what lies ahead in 2019 for Althea Korea! 💖

FREE SHIPPING on all ALTHEA Exclusives with CODE: PBSHIP

Love,

Helen

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Life-Proof Brows with Project Vanity x Ellana Minerals

Ever since my encounter with Ellana during their relaunch way back in 2014, I was and still am so hooked on their products. I get to try a lot of beauty products for review, but ALWAYS go back to my trusty Ellana Loose Mineral Foundation when my skin needs to rest but still needs coverage. Just recently, they've come up with an eyebrow pomade that promises to be life-proof, sweat-proof, and water-proof! If you're interested with the Project Vanity x Ellana Minerals Life-Proof Eyebrow Gel, then read on! 😊
 

Kilay is life, and being the go-getter that you are, it's important to have brows that would stay on ALL DAY no matter how busy your schedule is (and how oily your face gets LOL). I still remember the days when I had to do OT work and if I would accidentally rub my face, part of my eyebrows would come off! Yikes! That won't have to happen anymore.(Confession: I cheated by doing eyebrow microblading years ago, so the when worn shot below will be my sister's brows.)

Project Vanity collaborated with Ellana Minerals to create life-proof eyebrow gels in 3 shades that would suit Asian skin and hair: Light Brown, Red Brown, and Dark Brown.
 

The Project Vanity x Ellana Minerals Life-Proof Eyebrow Gel is housed in a pink cardboard box that's actually Liz's painting! The pots are housed in lightweight acrylic jars making it travel-friendly. This product contains marula oil to nourish your brows, and it's paraben-free, cruelty-free, and fragrance-free. 

Swatches

(Photo Credit: Ellana Mineral Cosmetics)

Look at how pigmented they are! But don't let it intimidate you though because they look really natural when applied with an angled brush.

Light Brown - when worn

Among the 3 shades, Light Brown is the most universal as it can suit both black and colored hair. This shade works best with sparse brows such as my sister's. It's actually perfect - not too red, not too warm. And true to its claims, it IS life-proof. You can feel secure with this one, in a way that it will not rub off at any point during the day. This is the product my sister wished she had when she went to makeup school earlier this year. It's that useful.

As for the other 2 shades: Red Brown will suit auburn hair, and it doubles as cream eyeshadow. Dark Brown is too dark for light skin and it still doesn't match my tattoed brow (that's now gray). I prefer using this shade as eyeliner instead.

You can mix several shades together for a more natural outcome - like use a dark color for the bottom and tail of the brows, and blend a lighter shade at the beginning and top of the arch.

Price: P499

Available at all Ellana counters nationwide, The Project Vanity Store, Ellana Online Store, Shopee, and Lazada

What do you think about this Project Vanity x Ellana collaboration? 💖

Love,

Helen

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Shopwise is now on Honestbee!

I love grocery shopping and I've always found the experience enjoyable. But to be honest I hate going out during the holiday season because there are people everywhere. 😕 Thank God for online shopping! I've bought a couple of Christmas gifts online and they've saved me so much time and effort. Now, we can also do grocery shopping online because there's Honestbee!

The first Christmas basket to arrive our home was this hefty and pretty one from Shopwise! Now that I'm a tita, gifts like this actually excite me because I love food and making pasta, and with Christmas baskets, there's almost always spaghetti in it. 😍

Did you guys know that you can now have your groceries from Shopwise delivered straight to your doorstep? You can do this via the Honestbee app or website.

Shopwise has a really nice selection of imported goods such as Sun Harvest and Papa Alfredo. What's nice is that the prices in the app/website are the same as the actual store.

The app has a neat interface so it's very user-friendly. You get free delivery for grocery purchases above P3,000 from Shopwise. If you're planning to give Christmas baskets as gifts, you can also conveniently do so at the Shopwise Christmas Store, with free delivery for purchases above P2,500. Super convenient!

Download the Honestbee app on Android or iOS.

Love,

Helen

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My Althea Korea Wish List for Christmas

My friends tell me it's SO DIFFICULT to find me a Christmas gift because I seem to have everything, and I think it's because I get sent a lot of beauty products my way and I don't want things all the time. But I'll be an angel and help them with my Althea Korea wish list! 😉 You can see here my penchant for cute sets. Hihi!

1. LANEIGE Mini Sleeping Mask Set (+Basic Sample kit) (P1,240)

If you haven't gotten this Laneige set yet, well you should! It contains 3 mini pots (with 25ml) each of their best-selling sleeping masks plus samples. 💙 Super excited for that Lavender variant because sometimes it's hard for me to fall asleep.

2. MISSHA The First Treatment Essence Intensive Moist (P1,520)

This one's said to be a dupe for SKII Facial Treatment Essence. Shhh! 🙊 We all know how pricey SKII is, so hooray for dupes!

4. dear, Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop (P1,560)

Because I'm not getting any younger and prevention is always better than cure. This serum is made for ages 20-50, and can erase signs of tiredness as you sleep. SOLD!

5. belif The True Cream - Aqua bomb (P1,930)

This one's made for my oily but dehydrated skin as it's an oil-free and lightweight gel-cream. Excited to try this!!!

6. COSRX Centella Blemish Cream (P980)

Everyone is raving about how effective Centella Asiatica is as a healing ingredient, and this one's perfect for days when you're breaking out. This moisturizer soothes redness and irritations, while providing hydration without causing even more skin problems. Basically, you cannot go wrong with this one.

6. MISSHA Perfect Cover BB Cream (P560)

I remember vividly when Missha first landed in the Philippines, this one was priced at over P1,000. It gave me an impression that this was a pricey brand, but lo and behold, Althea came and sold it at a fair price! I've used up a tube in Shade #21, but I might just get Shade #23 next time because it's seems to be a closer match for my skin.

7. I'M MEME I'm Multi Cube (P910)

How can anyone not be enticed with how cute and functional this tiny cube is?! It contains 4 shades of eyeshadow and 1 blush and this is what I will bring with me during travels. My top pick is All About Coral!

8. peripera Mini-mini Peppy's carrier (P1,170)

Another round of gushing over how cute this is!!! Althea, why you do this to me? 😍 This mini suitcase contains Ink The Velvet, Ink The Airy Velvet, Vivid Tint Water, Ink Concealer, Multi Shadowing - all deluxe-sized. Super cute!!!

9. too cool for school Art Class by Rodin Shader (P640)

With three shades of contour, this one's so versatile! You can go from subtle to extra effortlessly. It's also not too warm or orange-y, so it looks very natural.

10. Medi Heally Herb Warm Pack (P380)

For that time of the month! This warm pack is so convenient, I no longer have to improvise with a hot bottle at work because I can just stick it under my clothes and soothe period cramps. Also, I have 5 sisters, so this pack will disappear in no time. 😝

How about you, what's on your Althea Korea wish list? Get 20% off your first purchase at Althea. Shipping is free for orders above P999! 💖

Love,

Helen

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