Review: Carmen Claire Shine Patrol Powder

How's everyone? We are currently celebrating a 4-day holiday right now here in the Philippines for Holy Week.  It's really the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time w/my family & to be thankful for all the blessings we have received. I just hoped that I am not spending it sick like now.. the changing of weather brought me cough & colds. anyhow, I'm feeling better now so I can do my thing here & review this product.

I first encounter this product in one of Say's Youtube video wherein she road-tested this Carmen Claire Shine Patrol powder throughout the day. I got intrigued because it is a local brand & based on their website they use high quality ingredients from the US. So I did purchase myself in Medium Light. 

*photo from carmenclair.com 

Mine is still in the old packaging which is in a black square case w/o the plastic shield for the sponge.Pardon the state of my compact, it's well loved so it got a little battered inside my kikay kit hehe.

 

PRODUCT INFO:

Net Wt: 0.4 oz or 11.3g

4 Shades available

Price: Php 415.00

Made in USA

More info regarding the product in the website.

MY REVIEW:

YAY!

 - It controls oil very well. I don't usually need to touch up throughout the day (maybe around 8hrs) if I applied this w/a sponge on top of my foundation. That is an important point, because when I applied it using a brush it didn't do well & I oiled up quite fast. I guess you need to pack in the product to do its job.

-It didn't made me itch even when I am perspiring. I have skin asthma & it's a good sign if I don't get irritated during hot weather.

 

- Cruelty free. It has a bunny logo in the label and it's really hard to find options for cruelty free brands here in the country so this is definitely a big plus.

- Talc & Paraben Free. For those sensitive skin ladies, this a good product to try.

- They add in 2 more shades now so they already have 4 shades available to choose from.

NAY!

- Like I said, the oil control of this product is kind of a hit or miss every time I use it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It's great on top of foundation but if I use it alone on bare skin I still oil up. 

- Can give you a cakey matte look because you need to use the sponge for it to work well.

 

- Not sure if this is causing me comedones or not. I will try it again after my skin clear up to double check. 

- I can't use the whole pan because after a couple of uses, a hard surface on the powder appear & it stays even if I try to scrape the top layer.

- Quite pricey for almost P500. It's almost the same price as Ben Nye banana powder & that contains more product & it's a famous brand. 

OVER-ALL RATING: 

It's a 4/5 if it works but a 2/5 on days it doesn't. So all in, I give this product a 3/5. There are better products out there for the price. I wouldn't repurchase this after I used it up because I love my products to be consistent in their performance.

What about you guys? Have you tried this or wanted to? Have you tried other  Carmen Claire Cosmetics products? Do share them in the comments section below so I can check them out :)

Thanks for dropping by!

 

Review: ELF Clarifying Pressed Powder

Happy Thursday everyone! It's the last day of work for those working in the Philippines because it is a long weekend. Yay! Where will you go for vacation? Me, I'm going with my whole family to Tagaytay and the Land Cruiser Club of the Philippines. We are having our annual jamboree this weekend and I'm so excited to see all our friends. LCCP is composed of members that are Land Cruiser enthusiasts and my dad is one of the founders of the club. I am proud to be part of this club because it is family oriented and we always get to bond during family events like this :)

Today, I will review one product that I have been testing for a week now. I got it because I was curious and it's stated to contain salicylic acid so it's perfect for acne prone skin like mine.

ELF Clarifying pressed powder

SHADE I GOT: Ivory

NET WT.: 5g
PRICE: Php125 (so expensive compared to the US which is $1 = Php40 only)
INGREDIENTS:
Active: Salicylic Acid 1%

Ingredients : Talc, Mica, Kaolin, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Titanium Dioxide, Cyclomethicone, Zinc Stearate, Petrolatum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Fragrance (Aroma) May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Red No.27 Lake (CI 45410), Red No.7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow No.5 Lake (CI 19140), Blue No.1 Lake (CI 42090), Ultramarines (CI 77007)
MY REVIEW:

PROS:

- Controls oils for 4 hours thanks to the kaolin content. This is a great setting powder for oily skin girls.

- I like the size of it. It fits perfectly on my pocket or my small pouch. Perfect to bring during parties for retouch because it have a sponge.

- This gives a little coverage. Just enough to even your skin tone. I used this on top of my moisturizer and I can go out without worrying about looking greasy.

- Gives a matte but natural looking skin. Very light on the face too.

- This contains salicylic acid 1% as the active ingredient. 

- ELF is a cruelty free brand :)

CONS

-  This broke me out! I don't know why when it is meant for acne-prone skin.  I tried it a couple of times and it always give me small bumps on the face at the end of the day.

- I believe I can get through this quite fast if I use it everyday and for retouch because after I used it 2x the embossed "elf logo" disappeared already.

- The hiked up price! It's ridiculously x3 compared to the price in the US. $1 = Php40 so even with the tax it should only cost less than a hundred. This product is sold for $3 here in Pinas :(


OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5

I will still be objective about it. Even though it broke me out, I was still happy with the performance while I was using it :)


Thanks for dropping by!
 

Review: Alba Botanica Natural Acne Dote Oil Control Lotion

Hello! First of all, I want to say keep safe to all of you who are gonna go on a trip this long weekend for the All Soul's Day. I might be going to Nueva Ecija (like always) tomorrow with my family because that's where our love ones are buried. SO yeah, I'm not sure if this is gonna be my last post or I will post again tonight for a Halloween makeup look. This will depend if I like the result of my makeup haha :)

Okay, now, let's go to the review! 

BRAND: Alba Botanica
LINE: Natural Acne Dote
TYPE: Oil Control Lotion (Maximum Strength)

NET WT: 57g / 2oz
PRICE: Php359

 INGREDIENTS:

This comes in a white tube. I actually liked the packaging because you can easily control the amount of product you will dispense and also this is very hygienic :)

I got this last October 2 and I have been using this twice a day ever since :)

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS:

- As I've said, I liked the hygienic packaging. I hate dipping my fingers in the product.

- This is an anti-acne, oil-free/mattifying and moisturizer in one. If I can save time by using only one product instead of 3, then I am happy.

- This contains 2% Salicylic Acid that is said to be naturally derived from Willow Bark Extract to combat acne. We all know that the less chemicals we use the better.

- It didn't aggravate my acne-prone skin. I also didn't experienced any itching or allergic reactions.

- This is a very light moisturizer and perfect for oily skin. This gives enough moisture for me coz anything heavier will cause my skin to over produce oil.

- It absorbs very quickly so you can apply makeup right after. I just need to wait for a minute or two and it will be totally absorbed :)

- Very easy to blend/spread on the skin  so you just need a pea size amount of product to be used all over the face and neck. I think this will last me months.

- This does not have unnecessary ingredients that causes irritations like:

- This is 100% vegetarian and cruelty free. It has a Leaping Bunny logo too to prove their cruelty free status.


WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

- Others might hate the medical scent of this moisturizer. It has a very strong salicylic acid smell.I don't mind coz I'm used to it already from the many years I've used SA to treat my skin.

-  This did not prevent any future breakouts nor treat the existing ones. I still get pimples on my forehead because I get oily there the most and I was hoping this would work in that area, but sadly, I still have bumps until now (1 month of use). I guess you will need an additional product for spot treatment to clear your skin.

- It is not good if you have very dry skin. The skin around my nose became drier with this moisturizer. I also can't use this on thin skin like around the eyes and mouth because it will sting.

- This does not mattify the skin as the label suggested. I still get so oily at the end of the day. The mattifying effect will only last for less than 4-5 hours and never long term.


OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5

 I bought this for acne solutions but this disappointed me in that aspect. I then moved on to the mattifying claim, but that disappointed me too. Now, why am I giving this a 4 if I got disappointed? It's because this works great as an oil-free moisturizer that doesn't aggravate my skin. It is quite hard to find good moisturizers for acne prone oily skin so I am definitely happy in that regard. PLUS, this came from a brand that is natural and cruelty free which makes me happy.

WILL I REPURCHASE? Probably not in the near future. I am the type of person that loves trying new products so I will probably end up getting another one haha :)


Thanks for dropping by! Have a nice long weekend :)

Review: Finess Oil Control Sheets

Happy Friday! Time really flies so fast. It's already weekend again and I felt like I haven't accomplished anything this week =/ The holiday season is coming soon so fast! 

By the way, have you noticed how hot our weather these past few days? Well, it's uber hot here in Manila and I am getting oilier again so one of my must-have items in my bag became my best friend again -- my blotting sheets! So I had wondered if I have already reviewed my go-to brand of blotting sheets and I believe I haven't so that's what I'm gonna do right now.

FINESS OIL CONTROL SHEET
(made in Japan)

I always gravitate towards this brand whenever I am shopping for blotting sheets because (1) it's affordable (only Php35 for 100 sheets) and (2) it does the job of absorbing oil on my face + some.

I wear glasses so it is quite handy that I have this on my makeup bag if I left my wipes at home...I can still have clear clean glasses :)

I also love the fact that this is bigger than the regular oil absorbing sheets like Gatsby or Clean and Clear. It can really cover a lot of areas before it got soaked.

My only complain about this brand is that it is so easy to get 2 sheets at once since it is so thin, but aside from that, it is perfect. 

OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5

Love love love this brand. I definitely recommend this to everyone especially to the students or those on a budget coz this is really a good find :)


WOULD I REPURCHASE THIS? Definitely! I have been buying the Finess oil control sheets for years now since I've discovered it. I never went back to Clean and Clear since that one is over Php100 while this is less than Php50.

Thank you for dropping by! Have a nice weekend! ^_^

Review: LUSH Fresh Farmacy

Happy Tuesday! 
Finally! I was able to take some pictures for my reviews using the DSLR of my sister...it was so hard to operate compared to my point&shoot digital camera. So please pardon me for the quality of the photos (until I get a new digicam or until I get the hang of this cam) hehe I really don't know what I'm doing ^_^

I have been using the LUSH Fresh Farmacy facial soap 2x a day for more than a month already. I have chosen to try this because it had garnered a lot of raves from acne prone skin people all over the world and also LUSH is part of the cruelty-free brands available locally.

Here's a close up look of the label so you can see the description of the product, ingredients and the price.

 

PRICE: P395 per 100g.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Calamine and Chamomile

I had mine cut into smaller pieces (about 2-3 inches cube) at the store so that I can keep them fresh a lot longer and to prevent them from melting all at once. The SA at SM NORTH was so nice because she even wrapped them individually with paper :)

WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THE PRODUCT:

- It helped in calming my skin. My breakouts was also lessened -- I believed this because I don't have any acne treatment on my skin care regimen now.

- I liked the scent of calamine and chamomile. It makes me feel like I am putting some good quality natural stuff on my face which won't aggravate my skin condition haha ^_^

- This lathers really well. It's not bubbly/foamy like regular cleansers but at least it lathers enough for me to feel like I am cleaning my skin. I am not a fan of cleansers like Cetaphil because it doesn't lather at all.

- You can use everything up to the last melted soap to clean your face. I just scrape the container clean with my fingers :)

- Great for traveling. You won't need to worry about spilling anything on your bag because this is a solid soap.

- This product is 100% cruelty-free!


WHAT I HATE:

- It melts so fast! You really need to place this in a dry cool place because it melts quite easily. A small piece of soap can last me 2-3 weeks depending on how I store my used soap.

- This made my skin a lot drier. Now, I have oily skin and my face feels taut right after washing my face. I can't imagine people with dry skin using this.

- This is unhygienic. I prefer soaps in liquid form because I hate the idea of dipping my fingers and contaminating the rest of the product.

- I think it's a little pricey for some people especially if you're not used to buying higher end brands of skin care products.


OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5

It works great on oily, acne prone and sensitive skin. I just hope it doesn't melt that easily.


WOULD I REPURCHASE? Maybe. I am the type of person who likes trying new stuff so I'll probably buy something different once I used this up. I only have 2 more cubes and I'm done.

What's your favorite LUSH product? Do share them with me so I can check them out. I am definitely gonna try their other stuffs :)


Thank you for dropping by!

Review: Etude House Skin Malgam Toner in Smoother

Hello everyone! I am back with another skin care product review and this time it is a toner from Etude House. I have already used up half the bottle of this product and I apply it 2x a day since I got it last March 2012.

Etude House had launched a new line of hypoallergenic skin toners called Skin Malgam. Malgam is a Korean word that means cleanliness, clarity and purity. This toners are meant to promote clean, clear and pure complexion with moisturizing and pore cleansing formulas. (info found on the box of the product)

This line of toners have 6 variants that will fit normal, dry and oily skin. They also have a moisturizing serum for all skin types under this hypoallergenic line.

I got the variant for oily, acne prone skin which is called Smoother. Skin Malgam Smoother is an exfoliation toner that contains alcohol for disinfecting the skin...or so the speaker at the Etude House event last month said hehe ^_^

 

 This bottle contains 250ml of product and it comes in an opaque plastic bottle.

You can click the picture to see the ingredients list but the first ingredient is water and the second is alcohol.

 Also on the box, it is stated that this toner can be used 4 ways:

1. As a regular toner

2. As spot treatment - you just put some product in a piece of cotton pad and place that on the problematic area and wait for 30 mins.

3. As a refreshing spray.

4. As a mask to be used once a week.

Of course, I was talked into about getting the mask tray so I can try if this will work great as a mask. 

 You just need to get one piece and put it on the tray. Pour around 15ml of product on the sheet. You will see that it will expand quickly like so.

You will then spread the mask sheet soaked with the product and put it on your face like so.

WARNING: scary! 

I suggest you avoid placing it around your eyes coz it might sting and dry the sensitive skin of your eyes. I got this based from experience.

Wait for 20 minutes before removing the mask. And here's the finish result.

I have not noticed any redness or irritation after the mask. I will discuss the effect on my review.

PROS:

- This is hypoallergenic.

- Cleanses very well. I really love toners that cleanses my skin thoroughly.

- Doesn't sting. Even though this contains alcohol, I have never experienced any stinging on my skin.

- The packaging is very nice. I love that it is not a brittle type of plastic and it doesn't spill if  bring it on trips.

- It helped in smoothing my skin. I have a lot of small bumps on my skin before I used this and it is now gone after 1 month of continuous use.

-  I believe it helps in controlling any breakouts because I did not get any acne or pimples even during my period.

- I love the fact that this line of toner can become essence mask too (the moisturizing variants)

- I love how my skin feels cleansed and refreshed after use.

- I like the scent too. Very very mild and fresh.

- Available on any Etude House store.

CONS:

- Can be a bit drying sometimes because of the alcohol content.

- Do not use the Smoother toner as a mask coz it is very drying especially around the eyes. My skin became wrinkled after I removed the mask sheet so I did not repeat it to test any effectiveness. I think it is better to use the moisturizing variant for mask use instead of this one.

- This is not suitable for someone with normal to dry skin. I have combination-oily skin and my cheeks became a drier with this. CHOOSE THE RIGHT VARIANT FOR YOUR SKIN TYPE.

OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5 - I love how this cleanses my face from dirt and oils that I accumulated throughout the day. It leaves my skin feeling fresh and primed for moisturizer.

WILL I REPURCHASE? I might try another variant to compare. I wanted the one for normal skin if it would work great on me too since I have combination-oily skin. But if I would not like it that much, I will repurchase this for night time use and the variant for normal skin during mornings :)

TIPS:

- Choose the best variant for your skin type.

- Don't forget to apply moisturizer after toning.

- Use just a small amount of product...just enough to wet a cotton pad and not soak it.

I am looking forward to getting the moisturizing serum under this line. I wanted to try it since I am oilier this summer and my current moisturizer is becoming too heavy for me now.

Thank you for dropping by! ^_^

Review: Baviphat BB Magic Girls + BB Cream

As you can see, I'm still on the hunt for the best BB cream for my skin type. I have a combination skin (oily on T-Zone and dry on cheeks) and it's very sensitive and easy to breakout. I have tried a lot already and they either break me out, disappear on my skin because of the oiliness or oxidize badly in the middle of the day. And since BB creams tend to be expensive especially if you won't be able to finish them up because it didn't work for you, I've decided to buy BB cream samples online instead of the full size.

This search lead me to Baviphat BB Magic Girls + BB Cream. I got mine in shade #1 and this is formulated for oily skin. I got 2 sachets and just transferred them in a pot. 1 sachet can be used for around 10x depending on the thickness/coverage you want.

Here's a swatch of the product on the back of my hand. I think it's a good shade for me because it have a good amount of yellow undertone and it's not too light.

Here's how it looked applied on my face. I used a stippling brush to apply this because it spreads it evenly and flawlessly. It saves on the product too compared to when I use my fingers to apply.

As you can see in the picture, it gives me a glowy look. It helps in the oiliness but did not dried out the drier areas on my face. It also matches my skintone perfectly. I have no worries that I look like I have too much makeup on.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT:

- It contains SPF30 PA++

- It can control the oiliness on my forehead but did not accentuate the dryness of my cheeks

- Perfect shade match on my skintone

- No oxidation. I still look fresh even after 8hrs without retouching with powder.

- I can just use a blotting sheet in the middle of the day and I'm fine until evening. I did not even soaked the blotting sheet like I used to.

- Buildable coverage. It can be light, medium or heavy.

- Very light on the skin. I don't feel like I have foundation on even if I applied a lot for a fuller coverage.

- No irritations and breakouts.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE:

- Not available locally. I need to order online.

OVER-ALL RATING: 4.5/5 - If only this is available locally. I LOVE this product so much! This is the best BB Cream by far. Although I am not closing my door to other brands of BB cream but I know Baviphat BB cream will stay on my top 5 BB creams for a long time.

WILL I BUY FULL SIZE? Definitely! I will place an order as soon as I finished my samples of this product since I bought quite a few for testing.

Review: MBM Stay Matte Pressed Powder

Hello everyone! It's been raining the whole day and it's so cool that we don't need any fan. I personally don't like rain but I do love love cold weather hehe so I am enjoying staying inside the house today ^_^

I am back with another review and this is dedicated to my readers requesting a detailed review of My Beautiful Me's Stay Matte Pressed Powder. I started using this late last year and even though I know the owner of this brand and I am helping with her online support, I still don't want to give a false opinion on a product when someone asks me "Is this good?" I am known as a very honest reviewer (and even seller--I sometimes help my sister sell Ellana products hehe) and I tell these possible clients if I have personal experience with the products or not. SO yeah, here is my review for this one. I used it everyday since November so that I can give a very detailed review of the product.

This comes with a yellow box with printed flowers. Since this does not contain chemicals

like parabens, preservatives and such; the brand is promoting it for sensitive skin and natural.

It has SPF 15 in the content and comes in two shades: Mestiza and Morena. It is said in the description that it gives a matte finish and helps blur out the pores.

Ingredients: talc, titanium dioxide, vitamin E and sunblock

The compact case is very Clinique -like in my opinion. When I first saw this, I thought "Wow! It doesn't look cheap. It looks like my Clinique powder that I used when I was young." The compact has a mirror inside too so perfect for retouching during the day.

It comes with a powder puff inside.

Here's my opinion on the product.

I LOVE THIS because:

- The packaging is very nice. I love the fact that it doesn't look cheap and it has a good quality mirror inside.

- The shade Mestiza is perfect for me. I can use this alone or on top of a base.

- This is a light powder so it's perfect for setting liquid foundation.

- It gives a natural matte finish. I have oily skin so I tend to love matte powders.

- It doesn't contain parabens or other harsh chemicals and preservatives.

- It is made by a Filipina dermatologist for Filipino skin. I really love the fact that this is specifically made with things like our weather and skin type in mind.

- It did not broke me out. I did not experience any itchiness too.

- It doesn't cake on me even if I reapply during the day.

- Very affordable. This compact is only Php250.00!

- This is available locally and can easily be purchased at Sta. Lucia Mall 3rd floor or at their Facebook page...just click here.

I DON'T LIKE THIS because:

- I hate the powder puff that comes with it. It is kinda scratchy so I just threw it away and used a powder brush for applying.

- It crumbles a little on the surface if you use a sponge. Using a powder brush is the best way since I did not experience this kind of problem anymore after I switched ^_^

- It contains talc--I know that there are some people who don't like talc.

- It doesn't last that long especially on hot weather. I need to reapply around 3-4 hours.

OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5 - I love it but I just hope it has a buildable coverage especially on days that I want to use this alone BUT this is a pressed powder and not a foundation so I guess it is expected hehe. No harm in wishing right? hehe ^_^

WILL I REPURCHASE? Definitely! I love how it sets my BB cream and sunblock.

I definitely recommend this to people who are in need of an affordable but still with good quality setting powder and also to teenagers who still can't wear foundation. Perfect for acne prone and sensitive skin too since I did not experience any irritations with this ^_^

What about you guys? What is your setting powder? Please share them with me! I wanted to try ^_^

Thanks for dropping by! Till my next post ^_^