My Top 5 Most Used Products of 2017

Welcome back fellow makeup lovers!

Today, I wanted to share my top 5 most used products for the year 2017. I have tried so many products this past year that I was able to reach VIB Rouge status at Sephora in 10 months! And that's not counting the drugstore products that I accumulated too since I live near a Superstore (so bad for my wallet LOL 😄). Anyway, these contain mini reviews, but if you wanted swatches or in-depth reviews for any of these, feel free to comment below and I will be more than happy to do so. 

#5 Pixi Glow Tonic

This Glycolic Acid toner helped my skin so much over the past year. It helped me with my breakouts especially during summer and it kept my skin feeling smoother over time. Although this toner is very expensive for something from the drugstore (around $40 CAD!), even with everyday use a bottle will still last you 8 months to a year plus it is effective. Now I know why this is a cult favorite or so many years. 

#4 Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation

This is my go-to foundation since I got this in late 2016 as a gift from my sis when she went to Japan. I could use this on any season (summer to winter) and it will still perform the same. I just need to change my primer depending on what my skin condition is. This is very lightweight (you could hardly feel this on your face!), doesn't break me out even if I use it frequently and it gives the perfect light-medium coverage for everyday use. This also has SPF 25 PA++ which is nice especially since I use Vitamin C on my skincare routine. Shade 213 is perfect for me too which is a bonus since this foundation has a very limited shade range. I don't know what I would do when this run out because it is not available here in Canada.  

 #3 The Balm In The Balm Of Your Hand Vol. I Palette

I know this specific palette is limited edition and that there's a Vol. II now, but all of the items in this palette are in their permanent line so you can get them individually if you want to. This is one of the 3 palettes that I brought with me when I moved here in Canada. I know that I won't be able to bring my whole makeup collection and I knew this would be the best choice because everything I need to create a look is in here. The only item I wasn't able to use much are the lip products and the eyeshadows Lead Zeppelin & Insane Jane. The rest are used on a daily basis even when I have already built a new makeup collection here. These powder products got pigment, staying power and blendability. Consistent good quality performance every time. 

#2 Wet n Wild Megaslick Balm Stains

As you can see in the picture, these are well loved. I have used these lip stains for 3 years now and I keep on repurchasing. They are long lasting, non-drying and very affordable. What more could you ask for, right? If you really wanted a no fuss lip color that you can wear and forget about for a couple of hours, this is meant for you. I never worried about feathering or transferring on my teeth or fading unevenly. That is why this is my go-to lip product if I know I don't have enough time to re-touch and look in the mirror frequently.   

*My fave color is Made You Pink for everyday

#1 Marcelle Micellar Water

I can't count anymore how many bottles I've used up since I came here. This is the best makeup remover I've used! It is so gentle that it doesn't sting my eyes but it is so heavy duty that it can remove even waterproof mascaras. It doesn't irritate my skin or strip it with moisture, no breakouts too. Although this is not cheap compared to other micellar water available at the drugstore (around $20 CAD) but this the only cruelty free brand I can find here and it is so effective that I don't mind paying the price. I just wait for sales and hoard as many bottles I can get haha I never ran out of backups. Love the dispenser too, it makes getting just the right amount of product on the cotton pad faster.

Thank you so much for dropping by today! My next posts would be about my thoughts on the 2017 Holiday Collection/Limited edition releases. I know some of them are already out of stock but there are some that are still being sold at Sephora and on lower pricing too. Please watch out for that, and I will try to upload those in the following days. 😊  

XOXO,

Review: Purederm Baby Wipes

Happy Sunday!

I'm so happy that I'm feeling a lot better today.. I got sore throat since Friday and it hurts to swallow but now I'm okay and I can post something for the weekend Yay! :)

I wanted to share with you all my favorite baby wipes/wet wipes because it is the best I have used out of so many brands that I've tried -- It is Purederm Baby Wipes with Olive Oil.

BRAND: Purederm
# of SHEETS: 80 pcs
PRICE: Php99.00

INGREDIENTS:

PUREDERM SAYS:

MY REVIEW:


YAY!!!

- I love the quality of the wet wipes. It is so soft that it doesn't scratch my sensitive facial skin (and even baby's skin) and it is durable enough that it doesn't rip quite easily. To tell you honestly, I haven't rip this yet even when I used it for my body.

- I also love the packaging. The sticker seal and the lid keeps the whole pack moist upto the last piece which is great because it saves you money!

- Multi-purpose. Can be used for cleaning babies, wiping pets or for personal use. This is effective in removing face makeup and it's the best tool to use with your eye makeup remover as it doesn't absorb too much product like cotton pads.

- Hypoallergenic. I didn't get any kind of skin problem from using this.

- Contains no alcohol which can dry out the skin.


- Affordable and locally available. 80 decent sized wipes for a hundred bucks? That's a steal!
I got this at Landmark Trinoma which is very near to my place so it's convenient.

NAY!

- As with all wet wipes, this can cause the pH of your skin to change and can cause dryness and irritations. 

- Not enough to be a substitute for washing your face with a cleanser but for times that you are really tired and just want to crash to bed using this is still better than not cleansing at all.

- Easily gets out of stock in stores.


OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5

I can't find a better alternative for this because this brand is the most sturdy wet wipes I have used ever and it is one of the softest and mildest too. No breakouts so far even after almost a year of using this almost every night to remove my makeup.Love this product and will continue using this!


What's your favorite makeup remover? :)


Thanks for dropping by and have a great week ahead!

Review: Nature Republic Eye & Lip Makeup Remover

Happy Tuesday! I decided to post this review now before I go to work before I forget again...I am crossing my fingers that I can post at least 3 times every week for the whole year...Do you think I can do it? ^_^

So today, I am gonna talk about the Nature Republic Herblier Lip and Eye Remover Water. This makeup remover is specially created for removal of waterproof makeup. It comes in a 110ml plastic bottle and it costs Php460. It has a dual layer of liquid just like the Lancome BiFacil makeup remover.

The bottle looks like this...

And as usual, I can't give you the ingredients list because everything is written in Korean.

When you open the cap, it has a stopper to regulate flow of products.

What I LIKE about this...

- removes waterproof mascara and eyeliner very easily. This is by far the best eye makeup remover I've tried.

- It doesn't leave a very oily feel. Just moist.

- Can be easily rinsed with facial wash and water. No film will be left after washing my face.

- affordable and available locally.

What I DON'T LIKE about this...

- The bottle doesn't seals very tight. I found it lying down on my table and a lot of the products spilled. Not good for travelling.

- It has a plant smell...which I don't mind but others might not like that scent.

OVER-ALL RATING: 4.5/5. If only the bottle is travel friendly, I would give this a perfect score.

WILL I REPURCHASE? YES!!! This is my HG makeup remover. It never disappoints me ^_^

TIPS:

- Shake well before pouring the product on a cotton pad

- Put your moistened cotton pad over your eyes for 5 seconds before gently wiping. It will easily dissolves the mascara by doing this step.

- Transfer in a travel friendly container if you wanted to bring this when you travel.

What about you? What is your HG eye makeup remover? I want to hear it! Post them on the comments section below ^_^

Review: SkinLite Cleansing Tissues

Happy Monday!!!! I really can't believe that November is already ending in a couple of days...Time really flies so fast :)

I want to start this post with a question to all of you.. Do you use makeup remover wipes as your main makeup remover? If so, what is your HG? And how frequent do you use it?

I'm very curious about your answers because I can't stand it if I didn't use any form of makeup remover to remove my bb cream everyday before washing my face.. I don't feel really clean even if the facial wash I used is meant to remove makeup and dirt.

I haven't replenished my Mandom cleansing express yet (I was unable to ask my Japanese friend to get me one when she went back to Japan) so I am looking around for a cheaper alternative until I can get another cleansing water type of makeup remove when I found these two facial wipes at Landmark Trinoma and they were on sale that time so I got 2 variants to test. I used to only use facial wipes for cleaning (like Kleenex and Johnson's baby wipes) when I go camping or if I'm going out of town but I told myself that these wipes are specifically meant for makeup removal so I might as well try it ^_^

I got the variant for acne prone and a regular makeup wipes.

1. SKINLITE spot reducer cleansing tissues

This costs Php99 for 30 wet tissues. Main ingredients are salicylic acid, tea tree oil and aloe vera.
Once you open the box, you will get this package which has a resealable lid.
I LOVE THIS because:

- Removes make-up and dirt very well.

- It is very convenient to use and mess-free compared to makeup removers that comes with a pump.

- The resealable lid is good quality because it was able to keep every piece moist.

- The cloth is not scratchy. It felt soft to the skin.

- The wipes doesn't tear off easily. It is thick enough to prevent tearing while I wipe my face, neck and arms.

- Easily available at Landmark department store. I haven't seen this elsewhere.

- Affordable. This costs Php99 only and I got this when it was 10% off (Php88!)

- It contains acne-fighting ingredients to fight breakouts.

I HATE THIS because:

- It made my skin very dry after I used this every night. I can't remedy it even if I have used a very heavy moisturizer 2x a day. And the dryness triggered my skin ashtma..I now have rough skin because of the small bumps that appeared.

- Has a chemical scent because of salicylic acid and tea tree oil.

- I didn't notice any effect on its claims about treating acne. I broke out two weeks ago and it didn't helped at all.

2. SKINLITE Make-up Cleansing tissues in Green Tea Variant

The ingredients at the back...
The cloth...
I LOVE THIS because:

- Removes make-up and dirt very well.

- It is very convenient to use.

- The resealable lid is good quality because it was able to keep every piece moist.

- The cloth is not scratchy. It felt soft to the skin.

- The wipes doesn't tear off easily.

- Easily available.

- Affordable. This costs Php99 only.

- This comes with a couple of variants like aloe vera, tea tree oil, etc

I HATE THIS because:

- Made my skin dry that can't be remedied with a moisturizer. But not as dry as when I used the one for acne. {I used this first before I tried the one for acne}

- The quality of the cloth is not consistent for every package. I repurchased this last week and the new one I got is scratchy.

- I got eye wrinkles when I used this to remove my eyemakeup. And it can't remove any waterproof eye makeup easily anyway.

OVER-ALL RATING for both:

CLOTH: 4.5/5 -- softest I've tried but not consistent for every package.

PACKAGING: 5/5 -- good quality. keeps every piece of tissue moist.

PERFORMANCE: 4/5 -- removes makeup easily for the face..not good on eyes.

WILL I REPURCHASE? I'm not yet sure because right now, I am afraid of getting another bad batch. I repurchased last week and the texture of the cloth is scratchy. But if they can control the quality better, I will definitely repurchase but probably not for everyday makeup remover. I'll just use this whenever I go camping and travelling ^_^

TIPS:

- Close the lid properly to keep your wet tissues moist.

- Not for everyday use because it is very drying.

- I sometimes put this in the refrigerator for a couple of minutes before using. It makes me feel refreshed after a long day.

- Do not use on your eyes! It will give you premature wrinkles.

- Wash your face with a gentle cleanser after to remove any residue of dirt and makeup.

- Moisturize! This is quite drying if used frequently. I have very oily skin and this made me dry.

WHERE TO PURCHASE: Landmark Department store.. PHP99.00 :)

Thank you so much for dropping by! TIll next time, bye ^_^

Review: Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

Hello everyone! How was your week? I hope no one got hurt because of the last typhoon that hit us..the wind was so strong that night and I got really scared that my window will break from the hits it were receiving from my windchime. I was unable to blog because our internet connection was wavy the whole week actually...Oh, and I hate the blackouts and the no water supply..hay...

Anyway, as I've promised, here's a review of a product that I've been using lately. You might be wondering why I'm doing a review on this when I can't put makeup right? Well, since I don't really get pimples on my eye area, I sometimes put eyeliner and mascara when there are events I need to go to or when I feel like wearing makeup to lok a little perkier hehe.

So, yeah, my sister actually bought this 1 or 2 months ago because our Mandom cleansing express was used up already and we wanted to try this out because of the good reviews. And since someone from Mary Kay went to their office for demo, she was able to get one sooner than later.

MARY KAY OIL-FREE EYE MAKEUP REMOVER

What I like about this:

- Effectively removes waterproof mascara and gel liners.
No need to wipe your lids a gazillion times to remove mascara.

- A small amount of product is needed for removing the whole eye makeup

- No oily, sticky residue on your face

- Can be used on the lips too for removing lipsticks coz it doesn't taste weird if you accidentally tasted it.

- Affordable. I think this is only P400+ for a 110ml bottle that can last you a long time.


What I don't like:

- I can only get this from Mary Kay sellers coz they don't have a shop.

OVERALL Rating: 4.5/5

Will I repurchase? Yes! Definitely a good buy. ^_^

*But I'll still be on the lookout for the best eyemakeup remover on the planet haha
I don't think I can stop myself from trying out products since I'm a beauty junkie ^_^

TIPS

- Shake the bottle well before use to mix the content.

- Use a cotton pad instead of a cotton ball so that you will only need a small amount for removing makeup. Cotton balls only absorbs the product.


What about you? What's your favorite eyemakeup remover? ^_^

Review: Missha Perfect B.B. Deep Cleansing Oil

Hi everyone! It's monday again and it is so hard to wake up..but I need to coz I have so many chores to finish today haha :)

I want to start my day with a review first..I decided to do a review on Missha Perfect B.B. Deep Cleansing Oil since I have tried the sample i have already. Many are telling me that the best makeup remover for waterproof makeup (mascaras and eyeliners) are oil based, and I sort of believe them coz whenever I use oil based makeup removers, my eye makeup just glides off and I don't need to wipe my eyelids repeatedly. Even with good experiences as this, I still am reluctant with oil based makeup removers coz they tend to make my eyes blurry but I still need a good makeup remover to remove mascaras and eyeliners so I decided to use this sample. Here's my review:

PROS
- has a very nice mild scent
- easily removes eyemakeup..I just placed a small amount of the product on the cotton pad, pressed it for a few seconds on my lids then wiped it downwards..then the makeup is gone! no need to go back :)
- the oiliness can easily be washed off..no residue (unlike with VCO and VOO)

CONS
- makes my eyes itchy, blurry and red
- not available locally

Will I purchase this? No. Even if it works great as a makeup remover, I'm afraid it will damage my eyes due to irritation.

I really want to get Lancome Bi-Facil makeup remover but it is so expensive! Any other makeup remover I should try? I guess there's the Loreal one but I heard they test on animals..is this true? please enlighten me..I'm very particular on that one..thanks! :)

I just want to end this post with a picture of my niece. Her name is Saiskia Megan (I hope I spelled it right haha) and she's only 10 days old..so cute noh? I visited my cousin yesterday just to see her baby haha ^_^


I hope to hear from you! Till my next post :)

Review: Mandom Cleansing Express Age Care + Update

Hi everyone! We've been having bad weather here in the country lately and while many are getting sick because it changes so frequently, it will get hot then later will rain very hard, I'm experiencing the effect of these sudden changes on my skin. I'm experiencing dry skin! Yeah, my oil mine face turned into a peeling, dry skin which rarely happens to me. It was pointed out to me by my dermatologist when I visited her late last week for a checkup. She then gave me a thick moisturizer to be used instead of my usual Celeteque moisturizer. I also try to help my skin by not using oil controlling products such as my silica finishing powders and primers and my cleansers and makeup removers. This lead me to use my Mandom Cleansing Express in Age Care. I believe that anti-aging products have moisturizing properties because they are meant for mature skin that usually have dry skin. I've been using this product for a couple of days now and this is my review of it :)
PROS
- has anti-aging properties
- not drying to the skin
- removes dirt and makeup well
- comes in a big 300ml pump bottle (very hygienic)
- affordable (if you buy from Japan)

CONS
- not available locally
- the pump sometimes expel a large amount of product

Over-all Rating: 4/5. I'll give this a 5 if only it is available locally and the pump can be controlled better.

Will I buy this again? Definitely! I will ask my brother or my friend to get me this again hehe I love this way way better than the Sebum one (because it was too drying for me now).


oOo

Just an update about what I've been doing lately. I'm currently reviewing for my IELTS and I'm having a difficult time with it because my vocabulary and pronounciation is not that good (too much watching Asian dramas) huhu so wish me luck and please pray for me. I'm aiming for very high scores in this exam (around 8.5-9.0) so that I can work as an instructor there while I'm still waiting for a better opportunity for me as a nurse. Thank you! ^_^

Review: Mandom Cleansing Express Sebum

I have read so many great reviews about Mandom Cleansing Express Sebum on the net and I got really curious coz I'm really on the look out for a great makeup remover. I love putting on eyeshadow but it's hard for me to remove it at the end of the day. I use olive oil but it makes my vision a little blurry afterwards, and it can't totally remove my eye makeup. I usually need to repeat it with wet wipes. I also have trouble using oilive oil for my acne prone skin coz it gives me blackheads and bumps. So after I read about Mandom, I said to myself that I will try it.

What really sold me into trying this product are these:
- water based
- affordable (compared to other famous makeup remover)
- has great reviews from people here in our blogger world
- I can use it both on my eyes and face

I got lucky coz my Japanese brother was in vacation last month to his hometown in Japan. So I asked him to get me one bottle of Mandom to try. He said he will and when he came back here, she gave me my very first Mandom bottle..and he didn't allowed me to pay him so THANK YOU KUYA SHINCHAN! I'm so lucky to have an elder brother (we're just actually his family whenever he's here in the Philippines) :)

Here's my take on it:

PROS:
- very big pump bottle - it's very sanitary
- affordable
- water based - it doesn't make me oily afterwards
- keeps my skin moisturized - my skin don't feel tight after wiping my face with cotton pads
- doesn't sting my eyes
- can really cleanse my face - you can actually see the dirts and makeup on the cotton pads
- I just need one cotton pad for my whole face

CONS:
- it's not available locally
- the pump bottle leaks a little so I can't bring it when I travel - I need to buy a spritzer for travelling
- if you're not careful, you'll definitely squirt some products anywhere hehe
Till my next post! :)