Review: Avon Naturals Bearberry Yoghurt Facial Mask

I love facial masks! I know I haven't posted any reviews about them yet, but I really like using one since I've tried Etude House and Tony Moly face masks.

Avon Naturals Bearberry Yoghurt Facial Mask

But this one is not about those two brands. This review is for Avon Naturals Bearberry Yoghurt Facial Mask. I think this one is new, along with the Cucumber variant, because I haven't seen them before except for the last four or five brochures released. I'm not actually fond of purchasing skin care products from Avon, but I've felt that I need to try this. (or something like that)

Actually, the first time I saw it, I ordered Cucumber but my mom's Avon lady weren't able to get one. But once I've registered as a FD (thanks to my classmate's mom) for personal purchases, I've made sure to get one. However, I notice that only the Bearberry variant is always available on the shelves.

The packaging is similar to the Etude House I Need You Yoghurt except that the Avon Naturals Bearberry Yoghurt comes in a box.

The box says:

"A refreshing facial mask that instantly lightens skin. This special formulation is made with bearberry extracts and yoghurt to moisturize and stimulate skin turnover to make skin tone look less dull and helps reduce dry skin texture. Its microbeads helps remove dry and flaky skin to reveal fair skin. Thus, skin looks refreshed and naturally fair."

I find Bearberry really thick and creamy. Actually, if I don't know that it's a facial mask, I just might eat it. LOL. And it's true! You can actually mistake this one for an edible yoghurt. And adding to the confusion is the smell. It smells like strawberry! (I know it's bearberry, but I haven't had one and I think it smells like strawberry. LOL.) The smell, the consistency and texture is indeed very similar with a strawberry yoghurt.

And as you can see, there is even a warning that the product is really not edible. LOL.

Click to enlarge photo and read details about the product

I've been using this product for a month now, twice every week, and so far, I didn't have any breakout. I even have lesser pimples now. ;) It is also a good moisturizer. My face feels smooth, soft and supple after every use. Not bad, really. :) Plus, it is said to have instant whitening properties though I'm not really after that.

And it's only P120 for 40g! One box lasted me a month and I use it two times a week. If you do the math, I use about half of one container for every use. I just don't feel like stuffing the whole 10g on my face. LOL. That's just too much, I guess. Currently, I'm using it alternately with my Tony Moly Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream. :)

Sophie Paris J'adore Lipstick in Summer Pink

Yey! for another post. :D And this time, it's about lips and lipstick. ;)

This one is from Sophie Paris. (I think they changed their name from Sophie Martin to Sophie Paris.) And it's none other than a lippie from their very affordable J'adore Lipstick line, the Summer Pink lippie.

Sophie Paris J'adore Lipstick in Summer Pink (P79)

What I really love about this one (aside from the price) is the shade. It's bold compared to Avon lippies. But if you want a bolder shade of pink, go for Ice Pink from the same line since it's really what you can call hot pink. Summer Pink is the subtler version which is perfect for everyday use. (But I didn't say that you can't use Ice Pink everyday. ;) )

It shows the manufacturing batch and the expiration date!

Additionally, Summer Pink (and Ice Pink) has that blue tinge that suggests ladies with cool skin tones can pull it off best. :) But you know, until now, I'm not sure what undertone I have. LOL. I just always label myself neutral. Haha.

The J'adore Lipstick line from Sophie Paris is matte. So you've gotta be careful if you already have dry and chapped lips like me. LOL. Yes, I still use it because I like the shade though it's quite drying. Maybe I'll stop when I already have a new pink lippie. Anyway, you and I can always put on lip balm first so I guess we're still saved. :D

without flash

With that, please excuse my chapped lips on the photos. :D I've been using this lippie for a few consecutive days now.

with flash

Lastly, it's very affordable for only P79! And what's even better, since you're ordering from a "Sophie lady" (uhmm..I dunno what to call them so I've got to borrow from Avon), you can pay for it for a whole month. LOL.

with sunlight

I got this from my classmate who sold Sophie Paris two to three months ago. And I was thinking that since she already stopped selling, I wouldn't be able to collect other shades from the line. My sister got lucky coz she already had three shades.

Review: Gatsby Oil Clear Sheet

I just felt that I wanted to make a product review again, so I got my make up kit and saw my everyday oily face savior--the Gatsby Oil Clear Sheet.

Update: Around P100 P119.25 for 70 sheets

I've been meaning to do a review on this one ever since I purchased it, but always kept forgetting to. If you've read some of my posts, you would've probably come across me complaining about my oily face over and over again. LOL. But if you are one, you'll know how we, girls, with this type of skin, will craze over products that claims to reduce oil.

Mine really looks tattered. :P

And what product can instantly make your oily face refreshed on a hot humid day but an oil blotting paper. :D It's definitely your face's friend!

There are several oil blotting sheets in Watsons, but I chose Gatsby Oil Clear Sheet because, among other products, it looks promising and is, if I remember correctly, cheaper than Clean and Clear Oil Control Film, not to mention that it catches your attention with its Japanese packaging.

UPDATE: I checked Watsons for these items (Gatsby and Clean and Clear) and found out that Clean and Clear was only P117, but that was for only 60 sheets. So, technically, Gatsby would be cheaper since it had 70 sheets.

And since I can't read Japanese, I browsed a little and found out that it removes oil from deep inside pores with its advanced micro holes. You can enlarge the picture below to see those micro holes by clicking on it.

See the microholes for better oil absorption?

And hey! It didn't let me down. It easily absorbs oil from my face with a single swipe. And actually, I consume all the space on the sheet for my whole face. LOL. The sheet always looks icky after it has made contact with my face.

NOTE: This sheet is swiped only once across my nose. LOL.

Another thing, the sheet does not tear, even after trying to tear it off. I tried my best and failed on that. LOL.

That's all. What can I say more but it's definitely a great product. I'm going to purchase it again. And I really recommend it to sisters (and even brothers) out there who have an oily skin type like me. If I'm to give it a rating, it's 5/5. :D

Review: Tony Moly Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream

Hiya all! In case you're wondering what's with all these posts suddenly, well, I just want to take advantage of the time I have before I review for the Final exams. LOL. Yeah. I kinda don't want review right now. Hehehe. :P

So, here's a review again. And this time, it's from Tony Moly--the other product besides Tomatox, the Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream. I got this from my mini haul last July.

Yeah, I actually don't know why Tomatox is more popular than this one, when in fact they are equally interesting. Hmmm...but probably, it's with Tony Moly's advertising, dontcha think?

Anyway, let's go to what we can easily see--the packaging. But of course! The Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream stands out along with the Tomatox and Appletox Honey Cream. They're just great. I really, really love it! <3 In fact, the boyfriend told me to give him the apple packaging after I'd used up all the cream. He even had this crazy idea of putting the cream in another container, so that he could have the apple container and use it as a paperweight. I was like no, no, no! LOL.

Next, the smell is really nice. Really, really nice. Aren't I in love with the product? LOL. It actually smells like apple--subtle yet sweet and fresh. Sometimes, I actually want to eat a real apple while using the cream. LOL.

And of course, the cream. I've used this product for more than two months already for my face. So far, I haven't had breakouts because of it. I also think that it does its best peeling the dead skin cells away and bringing a supple, soft and smooth skin. I could also feel my face always hydrated and moisturized afterwards. Additionally, according to Tony Moly, it also promises to enliven the skin through its massage function.

Tony Moly Philippines actually says that the product is...

"...a multi-functional that effectively removes dead skin cells and doubles up as a massage cream with a nourishing pack function. Containing green apple extract, AHA, and papaya extract, this Appletox pack provides excellent exfoliation of dead skin cells and aged keratin. Skin is kept smooth and radiant.

• Specialized for the ladies who want strong exfoliation for uneven skin tone, bright skin and enhance skin complexion. 

•  From massage cream to moisturizer to exfoliator. Also recommended for ladies who needs immediate skin rehydration. 

•  Improved moisturization and skin protection."

Directions for Use:

I just followed the advice of Tony Moly Philippines on how to use it. Actually, the beauty advisor told me to generously apply it on the skin, massage it until the cream peels off, and wash with warm water. She also told me that I could use it on other parts of the body. That's actually correct based on Tony Moly's instructions.

However, I also asked her how often should I use it and she told me that I could use it everyday. I actually believed her, but while talking with my sister I realized that if it was an exfoliator, then it shouldn't be used everyday, right.

So, there. Good thing I found about that early and confirmed with Tony Moly Philippines that it should only be used twice or thrice a week like the Tomatox.

1. Use your facial cleansing foam and dry your skin thoroughly.
2. Apply the Appletox cream on your face (or any other body area) generously.
3. Spread and massage it onto the skin for 1~2 minutes.
4. Leave on for about 30 seconds.
5. Wash with lukewarm water.

Peeling starts

Cream peeling off along with dead skin cells

After washing Pic 1

After washing Pic 2

And oh, did I say that it's only P528.00? It's cheaper by twenty bucks compared to Tomatox. I'm regularly using it every three days, yet I'm thinking that it'll still last for a month. If I'm correct, I'll be using up this product for more than 3 months, not bad huh?

There you go. That's it for Tony Moly Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream. And I would like to recommend it to everyone who wishes to have an even skin tone, moisturized, soft and supple skin. If I'm to give it a rating, I'll give it a 9/10. Great! ;)

I'm Back! (With a Not-So-Red Hair): Etude House Bubble Hair Coloring in Red Wine 04

Yey! I missed blogging so much. I've been busy the past days because of school work. But thank God, this semester is most nearly finished! :) Whew! You bet, it's one of those semesters that really tire you out and make you look forward to the sembreak.

And oh, I'm back with a colored hair! :D I've never had my hair colored, rebonded, cellophane-d. I just used to have my hair relaxed. But they say it's not good for the hair, so I now only go to the salon for a hot oil treatment, some other treatments I'm sales-talked to and a haircut. LOL.

This was the first time for me so I was really scared. O_O

My never-been-colored not-so-black hair

I wanted to have a reddish sort of hair. I just found it exciting and new. So there I went choosing between Etude House Bubble Hair Coloring in Red Wine 04 and Tony Moly Berry Trendy Hair Color Cream in Cherry Wine 4R. The latter was cheaper by around P30 to P40 so I visited Tony Moly in SM Megamall first only to find that it was out-of-stock. Sigh. LOL. And so, I went for the EH Bubble Hair Coloring. Anyway, I read that it was easier to apply than a normal hair color cream. Good thing, it was not OOS too.

Etude House Bubble Hair Coloring in Red Wine 04 (P378)

Ooh, wasn't I really excited. LOL. I decided to use it the next day after I'd bought it. But I was not really expecting my hair to be the same red as with that lady in the box. Since it was my first time, I was quite open to anything that would happen. I was just hoping that it'd be not anything drastic or disappointing.

"Chemical" No. 1 is the large pink sachet
"Chemical" No. 2 is in the pump bottle
Conditioner is the Silky Perfumed Treatment (purple one)
Cape, gloves and manual is in the transparent resealable plastic

Though there was a manual included in the box, I couldn't read it so I didn't even bother to look at it and proceeded with the steps I read from other beauty bloggers. (There were several, BTW.) And the picture outside the box confirmed that they're correct.

4 Steps to Coloring Your Hair

For me, the most fun part was the mixing. Didn't I love it. LOL. It was actually even more fun than dyeing my hair.

So, you mix "chemical" no. 1 with "chemical" no. 2 in the bottle. Then, you gently shake it. Not actually shake, you know, but more of tilting it to right side and then the left side. This solution actually feels warm or "hot", thus it is called the Hot Style. ;)

However, I was confused with this shaking part. I thought I was going to see the bubbles after a minute or two of gently shaking the bottle. So, what I did was tilt it right and left for around 5 minutes. LOL. After that, I still didn't see what I was waiting for. I tried to pump a bit of the solution and, charan!, there went the suds or bubbles. LOL. Silly me. -_-

Also, since I thought that I over-shook it, the suds were color violet, unlike from what I saw from other blogs. Theirs were purple. LOL.

But still, it colored my hair. I just thought that I was not really good at the application part because my hair was not evenly colored. Yeah. But it's okay, it's still manageable. :) And I'm actually planning on buying another Red Wine after two months so the red will be more visible. :D

Now, I have something to blame for "my" temper! LOL.

Whatcha think folks? Does it suit me? ;)

P.S. I've read raves about the Silky Perfumed Treatment or the EH conditioner, but I've just found that my expectations are not really met. First, they say that the smell was great. But I thought that, with all the conditioners I've tried and used, the smell was similar to Pantene or Palmolive conditioner. Correct me here if I'm wrong. :) Also, the consistency was again similar to Palmolive. But one thing I like was how soft it made my hair after coloring. Nevertheless, I think my favorites Creamsilk and L'oreal can do that too. :)

In2It Oil Control Face Powder in Harvest OCP 03

I've been using In2It Oil Control Face Powder longer than I've had this blog.

Back then, I was really annoyed at my usual oily face and was looking for a face powder that would probably help in the absorption of the excess oil of my face. At first, I really couldn't decide on which one to buy because I was quite determined in looking for the face powder with that particular oil control feature. I could've used the usual loose face powder given the powder-and-go person that I was before, right? But nah, I just wanted to try something new. :P

So, there we were on a trip to the mall (Robinson's Galleria, this time) when I spotted the In2It Oil Control Face Powder. You couldn't fathom how happy I was to see those words, i.e. Oil Control on this one. LOLJK.

In2It Oil Control Face Powder in OCP 03 Harvest

Additionally, If I could remember this correctly, there were four shades to this one, Harvest being the darkest. So, that was a plus for me, because naturally, we wanted everything complementing our complexion.

Lastly, as I've used this on my face, I notice that it has a very light coverage. You won't be needing to have your foundation retouched, this one's already fine for retouching.

But still, though there were certainly good features, I found this one a bit pricey for a face powder since I only used Pond's, Avon and the like as my face powder. It was around P400 if I could remember correctly. And because of that, I had second thoughts in buying this one, but I really couldn't resist the words, "oil control". LOL.

Pros:

• Has an oil control feature

• Is available in four shades

• Has no fragrance or bad smell

• Finely milled

• I didn't have breakouts.

• Includes the manufacturing and expiration date of the item

• The box says it has SPF15.

• The box says that it has silica for oil control. I researched about it and found that silica is an ingredient mostly found in mineral makeup to absorb sweat and oil.

• The box says it contains vitamin E for enhanced moisturization.

Cons:

• Although the box says that it is long wearing, well, I just have to disagree. I mean, it helps control oil for an hour or two, but after that, I can see my nose starting to get shiny. Yep, that's how oily my face is. But I already have my Gatsby Oil Clear Sheet to do its job.

• Other than that, it's overall good.

Here's my face with just the In2It Oil Control Face Powder in Harvest OCP 03. :D

I really need to have eyebrows done, don't I? LOL

To learn more about In2It and its products, visit www.in2itcosmetics.com.

How about you? What face powder do you use?