Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence with BB: Review

Last December, I got a surprise package from the good people of Vibelle Corporation. I wasn't expecting anything from anyone so imagine my surprise when I saw a parcel addressed to me arrive. When I finally opened the package, I was extremely happy to see this goodness.

iWhite Korea 2 Minute Whitening Miracle: Review

I noticed that a lot of beauty bloggers and youtubers have been going on about this iWhite 2 Minute Whitening Miracle and although I wanted to jump in on the bandwagon sooner, I couldn't find this particular product in the nearby supermarket and Watsons in my area. Last month, I dropped by Megamall to get my prizes from a video contest I joined and I chanced upon this product in the beauty section of SM Department Store.

Ariul Stress Relieving Purefull Cleansing Foam: Reviw

Who likes a good stress reliever? I know I do! Today, I'll be talking about the Stress Relieving Purefull Cleansing Foam. This is a part of the Memebox I got last year and I've only tried it a couple of months ago.

It's been some time since I last used a cleansing foam. Over the past four months, I've been using facial bar soaps and it was only when I used this that I remembered how nice it is to use a cleansing foam. This particular product has 75ml packaged in a really cute bright teal and yellow packaging. I absolutely adore how it looks.

This particular product is claimed to gently cleanse and leave skin moisturized through three steps of purifying, soothing and moisturizing. Natural fragrances are supposed to freshen your senses and removes microdust and impurities for healthier "purefull" skin.

After using the product, I can say that it works just as well as other gentle cleansers out in the market. It foams up pretty nicely and cleanses without irritating the skin. It isn't harsh at all. It does leave the skin a bit moisturized but you still have to go through all the steps of your skin care as you will still need a moisturizer.

The thing that I like about this product is the scent. It smells really nice. A bit of citrus, natural herb and clay scents (sorry, I'm bad at describing scents) makes it a good stress reliever, at least for me. I am a sucker for natural fragrances.

This is a pretty good product. I would recommend this to people who do not have problematic skin and doesn't have any particular area that he/she would want to focus on. 

With Love,
Anna Luisa

Maybelline White Superfresh Long Lasting UV Cake Powder: Review

One of the things I decided to change with my routine is how often I use liquid BB creams and foundations. Back then, whenever I'd leave the house for work, I'd always use these kinds of makeup bases. This time, I decided to focus on concealing problem areas and just leaving the rest of the face powdered.

I am not blessed with perfect skin. This is why this goal didn't come as easy as I thought it would be. I searched for different brands of different powder foundations for something that can provide me with a little coverage, melts just right on the skin and keeps me looking matte or glowy for the rest of the day. The drugstore winner from my collection is this Maybelline Super White Fresh Powder Foundation.

C20 Pure Vitamin C 21.5 Advanced Serum: Review

Hi guys! Did you miss me? I missed blogging a lot! I've been too busy with work that I didn't have time to write reviews as much as I wanted to. I haven't shared this yet but I've gone back to being a nurse. I still work in the ICU. The only difference is that I'm working for a smaller hospital near my house instead of my previous one. Anyway, I won't get into that. I'll get on with the review. :)

Today, I'm going to be reviewing this Vitamin C 21.5 serum from Wishtrend. I was lucky enough to be offered to write down a review regarding this product. I tested it out for about 2 months just to make sure that I can give you an in depth review of the product. I also tried taking before and after photos for reference.

I usually use this product twice a day after I apply toner.

Holika Holika Egg Soap Special Set: Review

Happy Easter everyone! I may not have easter eggs to show off but I have this- Holika Holika Egg Soap Special Set. Holika Holika Philippines was kind enough to send me this for review. I've tried some Holika Holika makeup but not skin care. I figured it's about time that I do so which is why I wholeheartedly accepted the offer.

They have an ongoing promo where a purchase of any egg soap product, whether 2-pc or 4-pc, will get you a Jelly Cleansing Puff which retails for PHP165 until supplies last.

I searched online for existing reviews on this line and surprisingly, it has good reviews. This set comes in four variants- white egg, green tea, red clay and charcoal. The white egg soap is for pore tightening, green tea is for moisturizing, red clay is for removing dead skin cells and charcoal is for sebum control. I have oily, acne prone sensitive skin and we all know that April is the start of summer here. The temperature gets warmer and warmer plus the humidity makes us sweat more than ever. This is the reason why I chose to try the charcoal soap first.

2014 Beauty and Nonbeauty Favorites

This post is long overdue but I just finished uploading videos for both my beauty and nonbeauty favorites today. I thought it was a good idea to just make a single post for both so that you can see what are my favorites for the past year on a single post.

This post will mostly focus on my beauty favorites. I'm gonna list them all down below but I will also embed my nonbeauty favorites for those who are interested in what my favorites are in the anime, k-pop, drama, book, apps, etc. category.

Current Skin Care Routine (Acne Control): January 2015

One of the biggest problem (for me) that a beauty blogger can have is being plagued with acne on various parts of the face. As a beauty blogger, there are expectations one must meet. One of them is having (almost) perfect skin. It's like an unspoken rule for beauty bloggers to always look flawless. I know this rule isn't absolute but sometimes I feel that the struggle is real. The case is also true when I try to film beauty videos. I feel pressured to do something about my problematic skin. Most of the time, I am ashamed of my skin condition.

The thing is, we don't choose what kind of skin we have from birth. Unfortunately, I have oily, acne prone, sensitive skin. This means I get greasy easily, I get acne (sometimes cystic) and that my skin easily reacts to different skin care products. Just because it works for someone else, doesn't mean it'll work for me too. It also doesn't mean I don't take care of my skin. I am very religious with skin care. I take a shower everyday and wash my face at least twice a day. Despite all these, I still can't eradicate all my skin  problems.

Today, I will be sharing with you the products I am currently using to help with my current skin condition. These are all products prescribed to me by my dermatologist from Skin 101. If you didn't know, I regularly get facials and treatments at Skin 101 SM Muntinlupa. After trying to manage my skin on my own for such a long time (but not getting the results I want), I finally decided to consult their in-house dermatologist and was prescribed with a whole new skin care routine.

Tony Moly Changing U Magic Mask Sheet Box: Review

There are times, when I roam around drugstore beauty sections or boutiques, I stop and ask myself, "Which face mask should I buy? Should I get the Aloe one or the Green Tea one?" After a long pause, I choose one over the other and end up buying two more variants lying around the display. It sounds stupid but the dilemma is real, at least on my part.

Just as I previously said about face masks and face packs, I rarely find significant result differences in most face masks/packs of different brands and of different variants. They just moisturize my skin and leave it soft and smooth after application. That is why whenever I look for a new face mask to try, I like to experiment with new variants I haven't tried before or I just randomly get whatever catches my eye. Bottom line is, I like the variety. It's the main reason why I was happy when I saw this face mask set box from Tony Moly Philippines.

Innisfree It's Real Red Cabbage Mask: Review + Wishtrend Black Friday Sale

I noticed it's been quite a while since my face last received TLC with the use of face mask. The last time I had it was when I used this one from Innisfree. I have a good reason for skipping on face masks though (This is another story.).

While looking through my blog photos folder, I noticed this one from the lot and I realized I haven't made a post about it yet so here I am!

This face mask, supposedly, is made to give vitality and energy to your skin. Whatever may that mean, this face mask just functions like any other face mask I've tried out there. What's different, for me, is only the variant, which is Red Cabbage. I haven't tried it before so it was something new.

Performance wise, it was pretty much just the same as any other road shop brand face mask. It didn't break me out, made my skin soft and feel supple. Frankly speaking, it was nothing out of the ordinary. Don't get me wrong, though. I would still recommend this product to anyone who's interested in trying out face masks especially those who wants to try the 'One Mask A Day' skin treatment and wants different variants.

On another note, which is completely different from the product mentioned above, I would just like to inform you that Wishtrend, home of great Korean skin care and cosmetics, is having a Black Friday Week sale. For those who are interested, feel free to visit their website here:

I normally don't post stuff about these stuff but I went to the site and saw great deals so I couldn't resist sharing it with you, guys. If I had extra money, I'd definitely grab the chance to buy one. The only thing stopping me is my pending trip to South Korea (December 2-7), where I plan to spend the little money I have left with me.

With Love,
Anna Luisa

Holika Holika Holiday Vita B Daily Mask: Review

Here in the Philippines, most people would be satisfied to just look at the product description and instructions when choosing a product for themselves. In Korea, they go as far as looking at each of the product's ingredients as they are very familiar with each of them. They're very meticulous when it comes to skin care. This is the very reason why I trust Korean skin care trends. If South Koreans are very careful on choosing products that they apply on their skin, then that means I can trust their routines.

One of the trends that they follow would have to be the "One Mask A Day" routine. This is a trend that was popularized by Korean actresses and was revealed to be one of the secrets as to how they keep their skin youthful and glowy.

Personally, I was hesitant to try this trend. I do apply face masks but only once or twice a week. I never go more that that because I'm afraid that everyday mask sheets would be too rich for my oily, acne prone, sensitive skin. That's why I never tried it out until I bought this Holika Holika Holiday Vita B Daily Mask.

This product is actually a pack of 10 mask sheets that you can use for 10 consecutive days. It claims to be a product that would help make your skin clean and clear. I got this from a Korean online store called Kkochipida for the price of PHP195. There are other variants for this line too. If I'm not mistaken, there's an 'A' and a 'C' too. But because I am plagued with a lot of blemishes, I felt that the 'B' description fits me better.

 Once opened, the product expires in 3 months.

I used this particular item for 9 consecutive nights in replacement for my serum and moisturizer. So after washing my face and applying toner, I immediately applied the mask sheet and left it on my face for about 20 minutes. For storage, I like to keep the pack inside a cool place (refrigerator) just so it gives a refreshing feeling when I finally use it.

To my delight, it yielded to the same face mask results that I was expecting. It made my skin soft, moisturized and it helped to calm down some of my active breakouts. Now that I've tried it out for myself, I find it funny that I was previously scared of trying it out.

I would definitely repurchase this if Kkochipida restocks on this. I'm not sure if this product is available here in the Philippines as there are no nearby Holika Holika boutique near my place but fret not, because you can just order it online like I did!

Etude House Every Month Cleansing Foam (#7- Aloe Vera): Review

Because I don't want you to get confused with the product name, let me just put it out there that even though this item is called the "Every Month" cleansing foam, it doesn't follow that you can only use this once a month. Honestly, when I first read the product name, I was confused but I trusted on my better judgment that cleansing foams are products that can be safely used for everyday.

The reason why it is called Every Month Cleansing Foam is because this particular line has 12 variants for 12 different skin types. Each of the variant corresponds to a month since as you probably have already guessed, we have 12 months in a year.

I got this particular product in the #7 variant, Aloe Vera Soothing Relief. I'm supposing this is the July counter part from the 12 and even though it wasn't really stipulated in the description, I believe they placed the Aloe variant as #7 because July is generally a part of the summer season in South Korea. A soothing product would definitely fit that type of weather.

Frankly speaking, my friend who got this for me only bought this because she knew that my favorite number is 7. It was only a bonus that I liked Aloe skin care products because I know that Aloe products are good for irritated skin.

 Note how the product description has a major mistake. Instead of "aloe vera extracts that soothes irritated skin", they ended up with "aloe vera extract that soothes and irritates skin". (First line of description pictured above.) Oh well, you can pretty much tell what they were trying to say anyway. :)

When I first tried it, I didn't really find anything new to note of this product. The product itself looks like a clear gel and it just basically foams up like any other cleansing foams I've tried. I initially expected it to be cooling at some point but it wasn't. It was very typical and I didn't really find myself being impressed nor disappointed with the product. It didn't break me out  but it didn't really help with my current skin troubles so again, I just felt in between.

It's sealed! Yay!

During a swimming getaway that I had with friends, however, I slightly burned the high points of my face particularly the center of my nose and cheeks and it turned a bright pink from over exposure to sun. I used this facial foam for that along with my Nature Republic Soothing Aloe Gel which I reckoned would do the trick to calm my skin down. True to my expectations, just with one use, I woke up to a better non-pink, no-sore face situation. With that, I concluded that I would finally step out of the neutral orb and consider this product with a positive thought.

Though I wouldn't really recommend this for acne prone skin to treat/diminish blemishes, it is still a good product to try for 'aggravated' skin due to the harmful effects of the sun. It instantly soothes and relieves the skin from irritations, just as it promised in its description. I personally don't know how much this costs because this was given to me as a birthday gift but you can visit Etude House's facebook page and website for more details.

Out of all the 12 variants, which one have you tried or do you want to try the most? Please let me know in the comment section below.

Klairs Be Clean Natural Soap | WISHTREND: Giveaway

Hi guys! I'm back with another giveaway!!! I'm so happy to be writing about this post, you just don't know how giddy I feel inside. Today is a Wednesday and just a few hours ago, I received an e-mail from Wishtrend and they informed me that I can host a giveaway for you! Wishtrend is the same company that brought to us one of my favorite skin care sets, CELLBN. So before anything else, let us take this moment to give Wishtrend a warm round of applause. *clap, clap, clap*

In this giveaway, a few of you will have the chance to win a Klairs Be Clean Natural Soap of their choice. If you didn't already know, Klairs is a well established Korean brand that produced great products such as the Klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream and the ever-so-popular Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Mask. This is the very reason why I feel good about these natural soaps that are up for grabs.

Before I talk about the mechanics, I would like to give you a little bit of an overview of the the said product. Klairs Be Clean Natural Soap has 5 types. There's Hasuo Healthy Shampoo Soap (Hair), Rich Moist Facial Soap (Face), Manuka Honey & Choco Body Soap (Body), Teatree & Hinoki Hand Soap (Hand) and Peppermint Cooling Foot Soap (Foot). They help keep you clean from head to toe. If you want to know more about each of the product, make sure to click on the links as it will lead you to Wishtrend's page which has more in depth information regarding its ingredients and to whom each product is recommended for.

To expound more on the giveaway, I am pleased to announce that there will be not one, not two but THREE (3) lucky winners who will be chosen to receive one (1) Klairs Natural Soap of their choice. The giveaway will last for a week and I will try to announce the winner in all possible methods I can think of (social media, blog, youtube).

This giveaway will mainly run through youtube so you at least have to have a youtube or google account to join. The rest of the mechanics will be listed below:

1. You must be subscribed to both my youtube channel (sweetkissesbyanna) and WishtrendTV (www.wishtrendtv.com).
2. You must have or create a Wishtrend.com account. Registration is free. You can use my invitation code: 192094803 to get 5USD voucher upon signing up or simply go to this link: https://www.wishtrend.com:48598/?s=192094803 :)
3. You must leave a comment on the youtube video (below) saying which soap you would like among the 5 and the reason behind your choice. Leave your wishtrend account (e-mail used to sign up).
4. Optional: Follow my blog (bloglovin) and social media accounts (linked on my blog banner). This is not required. This will just help you keep track with the winner announcement.

 Giveaway will last for one week until September 13, 2014 at 2PM GMT+8.

HERE'S THE LINK. :)

That's it! It totally doesn't cost a thing to join this giveaway so I'm definitely encouraging everyone to participate and you just might be chosen as the lucky winner. Make sure that you do all the required steps to avoid disqualification.

Good luck to everyone and let's all give thanks, once again, to the good people behind Wishtrend. Remember: I am only able to share this happiness with you because of them. Kamsahamnida, Wishtrend! :)

THEFACESHOP Natural Sun Super Perfect Sun Cream: Review

It's hard to believe that over half of my good friends don't use sunscreen on a daily basis. Living in Philippines, a tropical country that people regard as the place where summer never ends, would make you think people here have the best knowledge about sun protection. After all, sun is almost always present here. But lo and behold, majority of the people here take sunblocks for granted.

I'm pretty sure for most people, the depleting ozone layer was discussed at least once in class. People are also noticing that the sun is becoming more and more intense as time passes. This observation is no joke. The blazing heat not only causes burnt skin but also contributes to premature wrinkles. That is why if you want to preserve your youthful self, make sure you equip yourself with a good amount of SPF to protect your skin.

 THEFACESHOP Natural Sun Super Perfect Sun Cream

I guess it comes as no surprise that I was tempted to buy this product although this was easily a few hundred pesos more than my previous sunscreen (Celeteque- to be reviewed soon). Firstly, this is from a brand called THEFACESHOP and so far, THEFACESHOP delivers the best skin care products in the market. Also, who would say "no" to a product that has "Super Perfect" as a part of its product name? I know I wouldn't!

It comes in an orange sunrise gradient packaging befitting its purpose. It is in a typical squeeze tube packaging which is something that I'm not particularly fond nor resentful of. What I like about it, though, is the nozzle tip. It certainly helps in controlling the amount of product you want to dispense.

Something that I'm particular with when choosing a sunscreen is its texture. Since this will be on top of all my skin care and will be the layer before my makeup, I prefer it to be nonsticky and light, which is what it exactly is. On the other hand, the amount of SPF doesn't matter much. As long as it doesn't go below SPF 30, then I'm good to go. PA protection is considered a plus factor to me. Thankfully, THEFACESHOP Natural Sun Sun Cream has SPF 50 and a PA of +++ which basically means it offers both UVA abd UVB protection.

So far, this product is the lightest formula I've tried which is similar to a regular emulsion consistency. Usual sunblocks I've tried are pretty hard to spread and blend. This one isn't. Also, other sunscreens leave a noticeable white cast on the face but this gets eaten up by the skin thoroughly with almost no trace of its existence.

After getting absorbed

Over all, I'm pretty satisfied with this product. If I had to choose my favorite commercial sun cream, I would easily choose this over other brands. Admittedly, I'm not using this at the moment because 1.) I already used this product up. 2.) I'm currently using a product that's a part of a prescription set. Otherwise, I would definitely buy another tube with no second thoughts.

As you might have guessed, I highly recommend this product. For more information, feel free to visit THEFACESHOP Philippines' facebook page.

Note: This is not sponsored. I bought this with my own money.

PS- My Disqus is going crazy. I don't know what to do. T_T

Nature Republic (BB Cream, Powder, Mask Sheets, etc.): Haul

My love for Korean beauty and skin care products has been established over the last 3 years but my love for Nature Republic didn't shine through until late last year, when the models were changed to SNSD's Taeyeon and EXO. Fangirl at heart, I couldn't resist the temptation of buying products from the brand because both models are my favorites.

I now have my membership card! Card no. smudged, of course. ;)

A little over a month ago, while strolling around Festival Mall Alabang, I passed by the Nature Republic boutique and decided for myself that I would finally purchase enough products to get myself a membership card. To get a membership card, you must have a single receipt purchase of at least PHP 1000.

Nature Republic By Flower Powder Pact and BB Cream

 

My sister was in need of a new powder pact so I got one for her and I threw in this BB Cream from the same line, with the intention of giving it away as gift. But just so you know, the BB Cream is still with me and I'm still contemplating whether I should give it to my friend or not. ;p

 Nature Republic Given By Nature Orange Mask Sheet

Nature Republic Given By Nature Green Tea Mask Sheet

I also bought a few face masks because I'm such a sucker for them. Of course, I didn't forget about my favorite Orange Mask Sheet. I also got the Green Tea variant because the saleslady said it's the best choice for oily skin.

And because the things I bought weren't exactly on the high end lines, the total price didn't reach PHP 1000. Good thing I was shopping with a friend and she got a few stuff like (more) mask sheets and the Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel. She knew I wanted a membership card so she just had her purchases punched together with mine to reach exactly PHP 1000! Yay!

Just like any other Korean brands, they gave me some freebies to try out. I got a (Not for Sale) Argan Oil Mask Sheet with an EXO print and a sample sachet of the Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream.

 

Now, I only have one problem left. I can't bear opening the EXO face mask! Hahahaha! I view it as a collectible so I highly doubt the product to be of use anytime soon.

To end this post, let me leave you a random photo of my nails using a Cherry Picnic design that I got from elle & ish. I know my recreation is not even half as good as the original but I'm fine with it. ;)

Etude House Blackhead Gassoul Clay Sleeping Paste: Review

Hi guys! I simply cannot believe that it's already August, my birth month! Time really flies quickly. In a couple of days, I will turn 25 and honestly, if you tell my 16-year-old self that I would be turning 25 without me noticing, I probably wouldn't believe you. But here I am, clueless as to how I got through all those years. Everything's a blur and no matter how I try to stop myself from aging, I am continuously doing so. Nevertheless, it's proof that I'm still alive and I can only be thankful for that.

So enough about me. Today, I'm going to be talking about a product that I've tried about 2 years ago but never got to review. I'm not sure if you're aware but I'm trying to clean up my hard drive with all these photos of products to review that have accumulated over the past two years. I know I can just delete them to make my life easier but I feel that that move is not a smart move. So yes, instead of deleting them, I'm trying to catch up by trying to blog about all those products as much as I can.

Today's product feature would be from the famous Korean brand, Etude House. The product is called the Blackhead Gassoul Clay Sleeping Paste. It's basically a clay sleeping pack. It's a treatment product that helps with blackheads. As the name suggests, it is a clay product that you leave on your skin while you sleep.

 

Box information says it's a "sleeping pack to clean sebum to take care of blackheads". To use, you apply the product on your forehead, nose and neck area and wash off with warm water. It is recommended to be used 1-2 times in a week and has a total shelf life of 12 months after opening.

 

The product is a thick paste (clay) in white. You definitely cannot pull this off in the morning when you go out unless you're aiming to look like a geisha of some sort.

I know this photo emphasizes my large pores. (Sigh, the things I do for my readers.) Haha. But that's okay. At least you have an idea of how it looks like.

Sadly, I don't really think it can solely take care of blackhead situations just because when I washed this off, I can still see my blackheads. On the other hand, it does tighten my skin and I feel like it reduces oiliness overall.

This is priced at PHP528 and I got it in an Etude House boutique in SM Sta. Rosa. I'm not sure if it is still available in stores but it is still pictured in the website. For more details, you can ask Etude House Philippines by yourself by visiting their facebook page or twitter.

This is not a sponsored post. I bought this with my own money.