Enter a collagen box and go back to baby skin in 1.5 hours!

Collagen is naturally occurring in our bodies, but it won't hurt to add more of it to our life. I personally feel like a Tita already so I'm fascinated how it comes in many forms - powder, hot pot (YUM!), and Red Light Collagen Therapy at Beauty Lab Whitening (which is my favorite beauty indulgence to date).

I've done a detailed review of Beauty Lab Whitening's Whitening Solution Full Body Treatment a couple of months back, and just recently I've had my fourth session. Delinquent client, I know. Haha! You can even do 3 treatments in the span of a week for maximum results if you like. My treatments were spaced far apart since I just go whenever I have an OT-free Saturday or if I'm already super stressed. (What a way to pamper my skin!)
 

  

My favorite time to go to BGC is on a chill Saturday morning since I think everyone's still asleep and there's no traffic. LOL! Whenever I arrive, I just head straight to the changing room and trade my clothes for a bathrobe. You don't have to bring anything since they provide everything - even shower cap, disposable undies, and "hotel" slippers.
 

This is what happens during the Whitening Solution Full Body Treatment:

First step is face and body exfoliation, and I have decided that this one's my favorite part of the treatment since it feels so good! The scrub they use isn't gritty but it does the job really well. It doubles as a massage, too. I'm curious with the Suaviss Balancing Toner since it felt rather refreshing on my skin. (Might give it a try soon!)

After scrubbing, a pre-conditioning cream was applied to my face and entire body. This one whitens the skin and prevents melanin from forming. It also contains hyaluronic acid to moisturize the skin! (My face already feels so smooth at this point!)

Finally, time to enter the famed R-630 Collagen Machine! Every time the red lights are turned on, it never fails to amaze me. These Cosmedico Collagen Pro Beauty lamps are made in Germany, and are 100% safe. Zero risks, side effects, and downtime! This ray therapy can activate collagen cells that play a crucial role in anti-aging, so the skin becomes tighter and healthier. It also decreases the activity of melanin cells, giving the skin a pinkish white glow!

I stayed in the machine for a good 15 minutes less the bathrobe. I wore a pair of goggles to prevent glare, but this light is safe for the eyes. You can plug in your phone and enjoy music so you won't get bored. As for me, I just sang with my arms raised up so the red light hits even my underarms. (Of course I wanted whiter and smoother underarms! Who doesn't?) 😁 Inside the machine, it was warm but not stuffy since there are overhead fans.

Here's a no filter selfie right after the last step, which is the post conditioning cream application. This step targets melanin cells and protects the skin with SPF 20. It also locks in the nutrients from the treatment, and gives the skin that immediate one shade lighter effect. I (especially my face) always come out reddish when I come out of the R-630 Collagen Machine, but the redness tones down once my body gets accustomed to room temperature. What I've consistently noticed from every session I have is that the Red Light Collagen Therapy kills off the painful acne that's about to emerge from my face. For example, I can feel a pimple underneath my skin today, if I go and have this treatment done, the pimple would change its mind and not come out anymore. Super love it! 👍 This treatment could work for those with acne or bacne. Also, I can notice the whitening effect the most on my arms, since it has always been darker than the rest of my body. Now it's evening out! After the treatment, I didn't feel the need to put on a lot of makeup, just lipstick! (Evidence is here!)

 

These are ALL the benefits you can get from the treatment! I've previously shared a discount code which has helped some of my readers, so I'll still share it again later. But first, let me share with you this feedback from one of my readers who emailed me after getting the treatment done! 💛

 

I'm so happy it has worked well for Percy (and others), too! 😍 Dearest readers, feel free to share with me your Beauty Lab Whitening experiences as well!

Rates:
Whitening Solution Full Body Treatment

• Regular price - P5,000/session
• Gold (5 sessions) - P19,500
• Diamond (8 sessions) - P27,000
• Platinum (10 sessions + home care product) - P33,500

Whitening Solution Facial Treatment

• Regular price - P2,500/session
• Gold (5 sessions) - P11,000
• Diamond (8 sessions) - P14,000
• Platinum (10 sessions) - P16,000

If you want to try this service too, just mention the code BLWHELEN10 and enjoy a 10% discount on everything - be it a session, an entire package, or even their skincare products! 😗 Call 546-4601 to book your appointment. Walk-ins are also welcome. They're open everyday from 10AM to 10PM.

Another tip: For commuters, Bonifacio Stopover now has a bus stop if you're taking the BGC Bus. Just take the West Route! 💙

Beauty Lab Whitening by Suaviss Lab White
Address: Unit 304, 3/F, Bonifacio Stopover, 31st Street cor. 2nd Avenue Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Website: www.labwhite.com
Facebook: Beauty Lab Whitening PH
Instagram: @BeautyLabWhiteningPH

Love,

Helen

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Flormar Deluxe Cashmere Lipstick

These Flormar Deluxe Cashmere Lipsticks are part of my Beauty Backstage haul. While I am a huge fan of matte lipstick over glossy ones, I was told that the Deluxe Cashmere Lipstick is a bestseller here in the Philippines so I got curious! During the event, I had a hard time picking which shade(s) to get since I wanted a LOT, but I managed to narrow my choices down to these two. These lippies are actually my introduction to the Turkish brand. 😊

DELUXE CASHMERE STYLO Special formula that combines the finest colour pigments with an infusion of last generation moisture - boosting complex. Orchid Complex leaves the lips smooth and provides moisturizing. Fights free radicals and reduces appearance of fine lip lines. Shea butter and Cacao butter gives hydration and protection to the lips with mild and soothing effect. A full basket of anti-oxidants loaded formula leaves lips wrapped in light glossy color, comfort, nourishing and protection.

Sounds promising, right? Time to put them to the test!

Flormar Deluxe Cashmere Lipstick in DC26 Festive Burgundy

Festive Burgundy

On the tube, it looks darker but it shows up as a lighter berry hue. It's a very wearable shade you can use everyday, and not just during festive occasions even if the shade name says otherwise. When my Mom was looking for a lipstick to use for my sister's graduation ceremony, this was her pick among all my lipsticks!

However, it's a shade I know I have seen before. When I checked my stash, I found the exact dupe for it (SilkyGirl Moisture Boost Lipcolor Balm in Wine). HUHU! Duplicate makeup! I felt sad, but I'm the one who chose this shade so you can say that I like the color. Haha 😝

Flormar Deluxe Cashmere Lipstick in DC30 Austere Brown

Austere Brown

When I saw this shade on the display, I knew I was going to get it immediately! It looked dark and vampy on the tube, exactly how I want my lipstick to be on days when I feel I need something more powerful than red lipstick. Austere Brown does not disappoint at all! It's a brown shade that looks fierce and it makes the teeth look whiter. (In person, this looks more brown than red.) It reminds me of Revlon's Wine Not, but that one had sucky texture, and this one from Flormar is the bomb! This one looks very sophisticated. Because I love bold lipstick like that, I also wear this to work. Ganun talaga! 💋

Austere Brown in action! (Hi, Lala! 💖)

Glowing skin care of Beauty Lab Whitening - I am on my 4th session and counting! 😉

Both shades of the Flormar Deluxe Cashmere Lipsticks I've tried have the same smooth texture and glide. They stay on fairly long for a moisturizing lipstick. They don't fade when you drink or snack, but they wear off after a full meal. In person, they're not too glossy, but they make the lips look and feel healthy.

Pros:

• Pretty packaging
• Production and expiry dates are indicated
• Contains orchid complex to combat lip lines
• Contains shea and cacao butter to moisturize
• Very hydrating but doesn't budge! 
• Very mild (almost unnoticeable) scent
• Pigmented
• Wide color selection
• Fair price for its quality

Cons:

• Unsealed (mine was when I got it)
• The cap could be improved so it won't open easily

Price: P399

Available at SM Beauty and Watsons

I'm pleased with my first Flormar product(s). Looking forward to trying more from the brand! I'm testing the Flormar Illuminating Make-up Base next! 😍

Love,

Helen

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Céleteque DermoCosmetics Long-Wear Eyeshadow Palette

The eyes are the windows to the soul, so make sure they always look gorgeous! I'm admittedly lazy with eye makeup and I can't be bothered with doing it everyday just for work, but on the days that I do, I feel more confident! 😁 I'm a fan of the neutral eye look, so I was thrilled to see the shade range from the new Céleteque DermoCosmetics Long-Wear Eyeshadow Palettes. The palettes come in 3 very wearable shades - Pink Orchid, Warm Brown, and Smokey Grey. Today, I'm going to swatch and review two of them for you!

Céleteque DermoCosmetics always has a unique feature with their products and their Long-Wear Eyeshadow Palette is no different. Each palette contains a lightweight primer, 3 complementary neutral eyeshadows, and a dual-ended applicator.

Because the brand is all about fusing skincare and makeup, this product contains Shea Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), and Evening Primrose Oil to help the eyelids retain moisture for a smooth texture and easy application.

This palette is easy to use, even for makeup newbies. Just apply the primer all over the lid. Sweep the lightest color across the entire lid from the lash line to the brow bone to create an even base, define the lids using the medium color, then use the darkest color to contour and create dimension.

Pink Orchid (with primer)

Pink Orchid (when worn)

While I usually gravitate towards browns, the Pink Orchid palette came off as a surprising favorite. The last time I loved pink eyeshadow was during my college days, but this palette has a romantic combination that can be used for bridal makeup. I'm loving how the mauve shade tones down the light pink eyeshadow, resulting to a natural look. This one's perfect for work and date nights!

 

Warm Brown

While I expected to like the Warm Brown palette more, I found the medium and dark shades too warm (reddish) for my light skin. (This would look lovely on morena skin tone though!) Because I'm boring, I loved the lightest shade. Haha! It's a nice skin tone base that makes me look like I'm not wearing makeup, but it brightens up my eye area nicely.

The eyeshadows are smooth and easy to blend, but they can be powdery, so I advise using this with a brush or the applicator that comes with it (and not fingers). The primer is a nice touch, as it makes the eyeshadows more vivid, but on my oily lids this product didn't hold up the entire day. It was intact for about half a day before it began to settle around my crease. On dry to normal skin, I don't see this as a problem though.

Price: P725

Available at all Watson's stores nationwide

Facebook: Céleteque Dermo

Instagram: @celetequedermo

You may backread my Céleteque DermoCosmetics reviews here! 💙

Love,

Helen

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Céleteque DermoCosmetics CC Micro-Hydrating Powder

While I love my long-wearing matte liquid foundation to bits, I prefer a lighter (as in more lightweight) face base for everyday use. I wear makeup everyday at work, so I make sure to pick one that's skin-friendly.

Céleteque's new addition to their makeup range is this CC Micro-Hydrating Powder which comes in a unique packaging. At first glance, I thought it's a cushion makeup, but it's actually powder with an autogrinding technology. Twist it clockwise, and it dispenses off just the right amount of powder you need. What also got me curious was it being a hydrating powder.

Céleteque DermoCosmetics CC Micro-Hydrating Powder hydrates the skin while controlling shine at the same time! It has SPF 30 for added protection. This powder contains hyaluronic acid to help the skin retain moisture, silica to reduce excess oil, and vitamin E to nourish the skin.

 

The packaging is simple just as how their entire makeup line is. I appreciate that the manufacturing and expiry dates are indicated on the base of the packaging. The downside is that it's bulky to carry around, and you won't know when you're running out of powder since you can't see the amount of product left.

This powder comes in 3 shades: Light Porcelain, Classic Natural, and Deep Beige. The one I have is Light Porcelain, which is a seamless shade match for me!

It comes with a mirror and a soft puff, which can be handy with preventing some excess powder from seeping out of the container. The puff works well, but I just prefer to use a brush to apply the product on my face.

Light Porcelain

The powder has a soft and creamy texture and it is really easy to blend.

 

Wearing Céleteque DermoCosmetics CC Micro-Hydrating Powder alone

Céleteque's CC Micro-Hydrating Powder makes my morning makeup routine easy because I get the light coverage I want with just a few swipes. I wear it alone (over moisturizer) since it looks nice as it is, but during the days I wear my matte liquid foundation, I also use this to set my makeup. My skin is generally shiny, but sometimes I get rough patches on my cheeks. I've been told that my skin's not actually oily, but dehydrated, hence it overcompensates for moisture by producing more oil. I think this powder helps, because it keeps shine at bay without drying out my skin. Retouch is necessary by lunch time, though, so I won't count this as long-wearing. I'd give it around 2-3 hours of wear. (You can try Céleteque DermoCosmetics 24-Hour Photoready Matte Primer to extend your makeup's freshness!) True to the brand's promise was that my skin never broke out with this powder, so I think I'll be using this up.😀

Pros:

• Innovative autogrinding technology
• Soft and lightweight feel
• Creamy texture
• Very easy to blend
• Light and natural coverage
• No detectable/strong scent
• Skin-friendly, zero breakouts!
• Doesn't dry the skin
• With SPF 30
• Comes in 3 shades

Cons:

• Expensive when compared with other drugstore brands
• Bulky packaging
• Not enough oil control - just 2-3 hours

Price: P930 for 10g

Available at all Watson's stores nationwide

Facebook: Céleteque Dermo

Instagram: @celetequedermo

Love,
Helen

Let's keep in touch!
Lucky Citrine on Facebook
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Cathy Doll Tattoo Tint Pack & Realbrow 4D Tattoo Tint

Eyebrow tints are products I wished were available way back when I haven't had my brows tattooed yet. Imagine not having to worry about your brows for days! 😁

Cathy Doll sent me some of their newest eyebrow products, and these are just too good to not share! (I can't use them myself, so I had my sisters use them for me. Lucky them!)

Inside the box are 3 shades of the NEW Cathy Doll Tint Tattoo Pack (P549 each). I've reviewed Etude House Tint My Brows Gel (P528) a few months back, and though it came in a bigger packaging, it only contained 5 grams product in it. This one from Cathy Doll comes in a smaller tube but contains 5.2 grams. The price point is almost similar, so I'll discuss some differences with both tints in a bit.

With this product, you won't have to undergo the pain that comes with eyebrow tattooing. (I've had it done, and trust me, it was NOT painless. I have high pain tolerance, and I do such things for beauty, but it really did feel as if my brows were undergoing abrasions for a hour despite the topical anesthesia.) This product contains snail secretion filtrate (which has skin healing properties), argan oil, and Jeju camellia.

Swatches:

#03 Medium Brown, #04 Deep Brown, #05 Dark Brown

I made a mistake though with swatching the third shade (#05 Dark Brown). I just did one coat since I felt that it was dark enough already. The first 2 stripes (#03 Medium Brown  and #04 Deep Brown) are results of double coating. My sister, who has colored her hair brown, finds #05 Dark Brown too dark, so I think this one will work for those with black hair. I left these tints on for 30 minutes on my arms, and peeling them off was effortless and not messy at all. On my arms, these swatches lasted for a week despite me taking a bath twice a day. 😮

When worn:

Before

During

After

As you can see, my sister doesn't have brows, so she's the perfect candidate to test this product. She likes the Korean brow look, and I think it suits her. She used the combination of #03 Medium Brown on her inner brows, and #04 Deep Brown on the rest of her brows, and this was the result. (You can opt to leave it on for 15-30 minutes, or even overnight!) There was no struggle with peeling it off the brows, and it was totally painless. (Compared to that of Etude House, which may take a bit of your brow strands as you peel it off.) The only con here is that on the brows, it lasts for 2 days and not 3 days (as stated in the box). My sister's skin is oily, so that could be a factor to consider with regards to the product's wear. On normal skin, this may last for up to 3 days. Overall, this Tattoo Tint Pack is worth trying, and if I didn't have my brows tattooed permanently, I will purchase and repurchase this one.

The other product they sent me was the Cathy Doll Realbrow 4D Tattoo Tint (P399) in #2 Ash Brown. Naturally, this shade was too light for me since I have black hair. I let my sister try it, but it was also too light for her as well. (I think this shade would suit those with light brown or blondish hair, so this product is now with my teammate for testing. Hehe!)

The concept of this product is really interesting! It comes with a tanning tint technology, so it darkens a bit after 5 minutes of application. Also, take a look at the applicator brush!

It comes with a 4-point tip brush, which resembles a "harmless" version the pen they use in eyebrow microblading (the one used for eyebrow stranding tattoo). You use this to draw on hair strands on your nonexistent brows! 😀

Swatch:

However, you have to have a light hand with this one or else the strands won't show. (It would just come out as a solid liquid brow tint.) This tint really lasts the entire day!

Cathy Doll products are available in the following locations:

Facebook: Cathy Doll Philippines
Instagram: @cathydollphils

Love,
Helen

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