When I was often being asked by my friends “How do you (and Mark) normally celebrate your anniversaries” I’d say, “Pretty Simple. We just dine out, then go home and watch movies” well that’s because… More
Affordable Gift Ideas for Him and Her this Valentines Day
Hey guys! Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and this is the time of the month that we start thinking of gift idea’s to give to our S.O.! I know how difficult it can be to find the perfect gift for your partner, so today I’ve listed down some affordable items that won’t break the bank.
So here are some of the few finds that are perfect for your partner’s hobbies and personalities:
For the Travelers
Dry Bags – If your partner loves to travel, he/she will definitely love to have one of these dry bags from Rackley Philippines which they can use to their next adventure! Price ranges from P249-P1059.
Power Banks – Don’t let your partner missed a selfie/groufie because of low batteries. Why don’t you gift him/her with one of these Jaguar power banks from Kimstore. With a capacity of 10,000mAh – 20,000mAh for as low as P550-P800, these are perfect for someone who is always on the go!
For the Creatives
Pendants – This vintage photo pendant might do the trick this Valentine’s day. Personalized items as lovely as these will never go out of style, plus you can put your own photos to make it more personalized.
https://www.instagram.com/kaban_keepsakes/
https://m.facebook.com/kabanph/
Handcrafted Bracelets – Your artistic girl would absolutely appreciate this handcrafted bracelet from BeadsnBreakfast with price ranges from P50-P70 only. You may want to add some sweet note and it’s good to go!
https://m.facebook.com/BeadsAndBreakfast/
https://www.instagram.com/beadsnbreakfast/
Art Supplies – You may also want to check out this Art Store, Deovir Art Supplies where you can get lots of Art supplies for your partner’s next project. Price starts from P498 above.
http://www.deovirarts.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DeovirArtsInc/
For the Professionals
Grooming Set – You know that your man needs to be presentable at all times at work. Why don’t you gift him a grooming set from Human Nature to keep him look fresh and clean everyday.
http://www.humanheartnature.com/
https://www.instagram.com/humanheartnature/
Perfumes/Colognes: Come on! Who doesn’t love perfumes, right? Check Perfumes Philippines for more affordable perfumes you can gift to your man and woman this Valentines Day. Price ranges from P600 and above.
Personalized Leather Wallet/Card Holder/Phone Cases– These customized wallets and phone cases from The Leather PH may do the trick for him and her this Valentine’s day. Not only they’re fashionable, they’re customized too! This is probably the pricier item in this list buy with price starts from P1399 let me tell you, the materials are real leather and the quality is superb making it worth it to buy for your partner.
https://leather.ph/
https://www.instagram.com/theleatherguyph/
For Beauty Junkies
BeautyMNL Give Cards – Does she loves skincare and make up but you do not know what items she would like? Beauty Gift Certificates from BeautyMNL will definitely make the job easier for you. This shop offers GC’s for as low as P100-1000. Head on to their website as their GC’s sells out fast!
And there you have it! Flowers and Chocolates are sweet and classic but giving something that is based on your SO hobbies and personalities is definitely sweeter because that only shows how well you know your partners. Just don’t forget to add a sweet note to make it even more sweet and romantic. Happy Valentine’s day lovelies!
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Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off Review
When I started to get into K-beauty, I’ve become so curious to try lots of Korean skincare products and one of the first products I was so eager to try is the Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off. I’ve already finished my first tub so let me share with you my thoughts about this very popular exfoliating product.
What is it
Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Of is a wash-off mask featuring organic black sugar granules as its star ingredient that safely and effectively exfoliate and nourish skin for a smooth, clean complexion.
It claims to exfoliate the top layer of skin by sloughing off dead skin, dirt and oils while leaving your skin smooth, nourished and moisturized.
Ingredients
Organic Black Sugar – enriched with vitamins and minerals to hydrate and nourish skin.
Sucrose, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Lanolin, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Caramel, Sorbitan Laurate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Water, Fragrance
Packaging
It is housed in a white plastic tub with brown paper label on top of the cover. Product details are written in Korean and English and has the expiry date underneath the tub. This product doesn’t come with a spatula but you can simply scoop the product using your fingers or spoon for hygienic purposes.
Consistency/Texture/Scent
This being a sugar mask, texture is grainy and the product is thick like honey and caramel but nonetheless, it’s still easy to scoop out and massage on the skin. Scent is more of like lemon instead of sugary sweet but I personally like it. It smells like spa to me.
How to use
After cleansing, scoop some mask and gently massage it onto a slightly damped skin avoiding the eye and mouth area for at least 60 seconds, then leave the mask on for 10-15 minutes. Finally, rinse off with lukewarm water.
Verdict
Even though the sugar easily melts in water, this black sugar mask can still be a bit abrasive for others and might cause skin irritation instead of gentle exfoliation especially to those with acne-prone and sensitive skin. If you have delicate skin, you can probably just use this as a wash-off mask instead of a scrub or you may simply opt for a more gentle exfoliating products like a peeling gel or something. But if you have normal, dry, or oily skin, you will probably love this product as it really does its job well in terms of removing dirt, and scrubbing off dead skin cells. I personally love this product and I enjoy using this while I am in the shower. I simply scoop out the product using dry fingers, gently massage it onto my face and neck then rinse off. I instantly felt my skin is softer and smoother.
I bought 2 tub of this product and I am glad I did because it really works well on my dry skin. I only use this once or twice a week and my first tub lasted for 2-3 months. I liked that it didn’t irritate my skin nor caused me breakouts, instead, it helped me reduce few whiteheads, tiny bumps, dry patches and acne scars on my face. My pores were minimized too! Yey! Now my skin felt smoother and looks clear and healthy like baby skin.
“Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off is a delicious treat for my skin and gives me a spa-like facial experience at home”
I totally recommend this Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off to people who is likely to have less delicate skin. It’s inexpensive and does a good job in exfoliating the skin. It looks freakin’ delicious too! This can be a bit gritty on the skin that’s why you really have to be very gentle and don’t put a lot of pressure when massaging your face with this but overall, I love this product and will definitely repurchase. Skinfood has different kinds of wash off masks and I am also planning to try their Strawberry one next time!
You may purchase this product from Skinfood’s physical stores or from K-Beauty online stores. Check out my 5 trusted K-beauty online store here.
So, have you tried this Black Sugar Wash-off Mask from Skinfood? Share your thoughts 🙂
This is not a sponsored post and I am no way compensated for this review. I bought the products using my own money and I am also no skin expert and it’s best if you will seek professional advise.
How to Determine your Skin Type
Ever wonder why products don’t work on you but works wonderfully on others? If you do, then I’m glad you’re on this page because today, I will share with you the basic things I know about skin care. It’s a brand new year and if you are someone who tends to forget about your skin then maybe it’s time to re-consider and start taking care of it. Trust me, that is something your 40 year-old self would thank you for in the future. So first, let us start from the basic yet the most important step which is determining and understanding your skin type.
The 4 common skin types are dry, normal, combination and oily and here’s how you can determine which skin type you have.
Step 1: Wash your face with your trusted facial cleanser to remove oil, dirt and any make up.
Step 2: Don’t apply any products on and just let your skin return to its normal state.
Step 3: After an hour or so, try to examine your skin for any visible shine, flakiness, or oiliness. If your skin feels tight when you do facial movements or see some flakiness then you have dry skin. If you notice shine or oil on some areas like forehead and nose (T-zone), you are likely to have a combination skin. But if you see oil or shine on areas like cheeks, chin, forehead and nose then your skin is likely oily. Then finally, if you don’t notice any of those mentioned above then congrats because you are blessed to have a normal skin.
Skin Types
Once you start to understand your skin type and its specific needs, not only it will help you choose the right and suited products but you will also be surprised how your skin will transform from worst to better or even best.
Dry Skin
Your skin feels tight all the time and there are cases when you will notice flakiness and dry patches especially during summer or winter. These harsh conditions cause your skin to lose its natural oils making your skin dryer than normal. When you have dry skin type, it’s best for you have a moisturizer that is more on a heavier kind. It is also okay for you to exfoliate at least 2-3 times a week to help you remove dead skin cells but never ever over exfoliate as this may lead your skin to become sensitive and dry even more.
Recommendation: Products with Vitamin E, Olive oil, Hyaluronic acid, Glycerin are a great option as these are known for its hydrating and moisturizing properties.
Oily Skin
Oily skin tends to produce more sebum than normal which causes pores to become larger and more visible and is likely to get blackheads, whiteheads and more prone to experience breakouts. Avoid products with drying ingredients like alcohol as this will trigger your skin to produce more oil which will cause you bigger problems. Even though you have oily skin, you still need to keep your skin moisturized. Moisturizers with lightweight-formula are best suited for you. You may also try to switch your moisturizer to an emulsions or facial skin lotions which are more curated for people with oily skin.
Recommendation: Products with AHA, BHA, Salicylic acids which are great chemical exfoliant for oily skin. Retinol and Niacinamide which are both great in unclogging pores and improve the appearance of enlarged pores. Green tea is also a great ingredient to look out for as this treats oily skin.
Combination Skin
This skin type is more likely to have an oily t-zone and normal to dry on the rest of areas of the face. This is probably the skin type that is a bit hard to take care of since you have to consider that your skin is a combination of dry and oily. Good thing about it is that there are now a lot of products available in the market that caters this type of skin. I guess the best way to treat you combo skin is to have a balance moisture. Apply a little bit of your moisturizer to areas that tends to get oily. There are also gel-type moisturizers which you can go for.
Recommendation: Products with Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, Glycerin and Aloe Vera are also good for this skin type. Hydra Balance Smart Moisturizer for Combination Skin from the brand VMV Hypoallergenics is also good option. This product is specifically curated for Combination skin. I have tried this product and it gives a good amount of moisture on the skin. Not too thick and not too heavy.
Normal Skin
A normal skin type is an ideal type because it is very easy to take care of and is likely to to get breakouts. If you have a normal skin type, you can focus on protecting and improving your skin condition by doing regular exfoliation, moisturizing and keeping your skin healthier. But just because you have a normal skin type, doesn’t mean you can overdo things as this would just throw off your skin’s normal state instead of improving it more.
Recommendation: Most (not all) product ingredients are good for normal skin type. Vitamins C, AHA or BHA, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic acid are some good ingredients to look for.
There’s another skin type that most of you know about which is the Sensitive skin type. People with dry, oily or combination can have sensitive skin too and this is another thing to consider when choosing a product. Sensitive skin types are most likely to have redness or skin inflammation and easily reacts to beauty products. The challenging part for this skin type is to determine which ingredients cause sensitivity to know which products/ingredients you need to avoid. That is why if you have sensitive skin, patch testing is a MUST! Though it is always recommended to always patch test regardless of which skin type you have.
Recommendation: Products with soothing and calming ingredients are what this skin type will love. Number one ingredient on my list is the Centella asiatica which I personally love. You will see numerous products with this ingredient list and that is how good this is. Centella asiatica extract is known to have great benefits and is being used in Chinese medicine to heal, repair and calm skin. My favorite Dear, Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner also has this ingredient making it suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin. Another ingredient to look for is Aloe Vera which is also calms and soothes skin irritation because of its anti-bacterial properties. Avoid products that would aggravate inflammation as this would make your skin condition worse like Alcohol and Fragrance. Might as well look for products that are gentle enough to be used even by babies.
Final Thoughts
Everyone is different and all skin types has its specific skin needs, the same reason why some products don’t work on you but works great on others regardless of how great or expensive the products are. Always keep in mind that our skin and skin needs changes depending on the season that’s why it’s essential for us to know and examine our skin every now and then, after all, it is us who will also benefit from it.
So that is all for today. I hope this post help you in any way possible and good luck on your skincare journey this 2019. Stay be-YOU-tiful. 🙂
Love,
Please note that I am no skin expert and only have basic knowledge about our skin and it’s always best if you will seek professional advise for any skin concerns.
2018 Favorites
Hello everyone!
I hope ya’ll are having the best holiday break ever. 2018 is almost over, can you believe that? While we are counting the remaining hours before we officially say goodbye to 2018, here’s a new blog post for you where I have put together in one list all my favorite things this year which falls in these 3 categories: Skincare, Makeup, and, Gadgets and Accessories. Enjoy 🙂
Skincare
Ever since I decided to become more serious with skincare, I never stop looking for products that would help me achieve glowing and healthy skin. I have a lot of favorites this 2018 and here are some of the few products that transformed my skin big time. These are the ones I am currently using and I love them because they are very effective, gentle and never broke me out.
- Supple Preparation Facial Toner, by Dear, Klairs – This is my holy grail toner and I love it so much! It’s very hydrating and it helps with acne scarring and because it has Centella Asiatica as one of its ingredients. I’ve been using this the entire 2018 and I will definitely purchase another bottle of this over and over again.
- Hydra Balance Smart Moisturizer (For combination skin), by VMV Hypoallergenics – Here’s my favorite morning moisturizer because it has creamy and milky texture and consistency yet it’s very lightweight and non-sticky. I am almost done with my tube and I’m planning on repurchasing another. It has SPF too that makes it really perfect for day time.
- All-around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk, by Missha – I bought this one when I ran out of my Biore Sunscreen and I like that its lightweight and doesn’t suffocate my skin in the morning. It has SPF50+ / PA +++ and didn’t break me out.
- Time Revolution Moisture Essence, by Missha – This is a treatment essence that does something amazing to the skin. It targets certain issues on the skin like, acne, dark spots, dryness, etc. and this product helped me with my acne scars and rough and dry skin. I used to have rough skin but now my skin is plump and smoother.
- Good Morning Low PH Gel Cleanser by CosRX, Here’s the last item on this category. My current morning gel cleanser. It’s very gentle and does the job pretty well. Makes my skin clean, smooth and no break outs.
Makeup
In case you don’t know, I am not a makeup person and I only own a few makeup items in my kikay kit. But I really do love buying lip tints and lipsticks as well that I only use if there are special events or if I need to add a little life on my face. Here are some of my 2018 favorites.
- Fluffmatte Lipstick in Girl Crush and Major, Sunnies Face – Sunnies Face is a Filipino lipstick brand and officially opened only August of this year. They offer 9 lovely different shades and all sells out fast. Few of my favorite shades are the Girl Crush, Major, Hot Sauce and Vacay.
- Travels Collector’s Edition lipsticks in shades Dubai & Hong Kong, BLK Cosmetics – I’m a fan of Anne Curtis because of her beauty and simplicity . I adore her because she likes going out even with no make up despite her being a popular Filipino celebrity. BLK cosmetics is actually owned by her and I love it. Few of my favorite shades in her Travel edition are Dubai, South Africa and New Zealand.
Gadgets and Accessories
These ones are the gadgets and accessories I mainly use for my blog. These were given to me by my boyfriend. He supports me with everything I do, especially my blogging journey and he inspires me to do better. Isn’t he the sweetest?
- Yoga series laptop, Lenovo – I love this Yoga laptop because I can use it as a laptop and a tablet as well. I can bring it wherever I go and it’s just perfect for blogging.
- Tripod, Yun Teng – This was given to me as an advanced Christmas present. It’s sturdy, decent and does it’s job pretty well. I use it for blogging and just makes taking photos a lot easier now.
And that is it for today. These are pretty much all of the products that made it on my list of favorites this year. Wishing everyone of you a happy and prosperous New Year!
Love,
This is not a sponsored post and I am no way compensated for this review. I bought the products using my own money.
Review: Huxley Secret of Sahara Cream; Anti-Gravity
People with dry skin like me always look for products that deeply moisturize our skin however, living in a tropical country like Philippines, wearing moisturizers is a bit heavy specially during daytime. But today I will be reviewing a product that was raved by many beauty bloggers because of its non-greasy yet very moisturizing formula and instantly become a cult favorite which is none other than, the Huxley Secret of Sahara Cream: Anti-Gravity. Continue reading “Review: Huxley Secret of Sahara Cream; Anti-Gravity”
Anti Haul: Skincare Products I Won’t be Repurchasing
Hi everyone!
It’s long weekend here in Manila and I’m excited to share another beauty haul. Though this one is totally different because if you have seen my post last week in which I shared about my recent skincare haul, this time what I’ll be doing is an Anti-haul of all the products that I won’t be repurchasing.
Continue reading “Anti Haul: Skincare Products I Won’t be Repurchasing”
Japanese Skincare Haul + Where to buy them in the Philippines
I’ve always been fascinated by Japan. I grew up watching Japanese anime shows, movies and cartoons. Doraemon and Studio Ghibli characters are definitely my favorites. I also played Japanese toys when I was younger such as Tamagochi, Tamiya, Hello Kitty stuffed toys and Japanese video games. But now that I’m older, I still watch Japanese cartoons and movies but I’d say I am more into their culture and beauty secrets so today I will be sharing all the Japanese skincare stuff I was able to collect for the last couple of months.
Continue reading “Japanese Skincare Haul + Where to buy them in the Philippines”
Beauty Review: Innisfree Orchid Eye Cream
We all know that the area around our eyes is very delicate and actually needs a lot of extra care compared to other areas of our face. The first signs of aging usually starts with the eye that’s why it is important to keep them moisturized and taken care of all the time. I’m on my late twenties now and not gonna lie, I already have few visible lines under my eye area and wanted to have an eye product that would help me get rid of that or at least, help me minimize it. Then I’ve read a lot of reviews online as to what effective eye cream that targets ageing and came across this Innisfree Orchid Eye Cream and was so excited to get my hands on it.
Continue reading “Beauty Review: Innisfree Orchid Eye Cream”
Product Review: Meiji Amino Collagen (Classic)
Hey guys! If you’ve been following this blog then you probably have an idea that I review beauty products that help me achieve a glowing and healthier looking skin. It was actually last year that I have decided to take my skincare and beauty regimen to the next level by taking beauty supplements as well. I’m now on my late 20’s and quite honestly, I don’t normally eat healthy foods (please don’t judge) but I would like to stay younger and healthy looking as much as I could by taking supplements that has lots of great benefits on my skin and my body as well.
Today what I will be talking about is a beauty supplement that I’ve recently taken that helped me achieve and maintain a healthier skin inside and out, the Meiji Amino Collagen Classic. You probably have heard and read a lot about this from other blogs but let me give you my personal take on how effective this is. If you wanna learn more about this product, then just keep on reading. Continue reading “Product Review: Meiji Amino Collagen (Classic)”
Life with Laine 