I Heart Argan Oil

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />Recently, I was introduced to argan oil via <a href="http://purearganoil.co.uk/">Pure Argan Oil</a>, a website in UK that sells 100% pure oil imported from Morocco. She sent me a 15ml roller ball vial to try and after a couple of uses, I was hooked! Yes, I have tried olive, jojoba, and even coconut oils on my skin but this argan oil tops them all!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFXM5nMUw1W3lOsy0dklnMeHuGihhd5MHRqhN8sIjVmoPJbIW4SOz2j2J7cp45C9ZrXsxTk31Yi568o82vxdViz4N1xOCsTKZd41qWEGPkCITGu3TTa8vuPKe1GIn-I-2LydWu5EFWCk/s1600/IMG_7354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFXM5nMUw1W3lOsy0dklnMeHuGihhd5MHRqhN8sIjVmoPJbIW4SOz2j2J7cp45C9ZrXsxTk31Yi568o82vxdViz4N1xOCsTKZd41qWEGPkCITGu3TTa8vuPKe1GIn-I-2LydWu5EFWCk/s640/IMG_7354.JPG" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 15ml sample I received</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyWMsnEosWL0LigdjSwMOGNuCKgr6d7Ij2iLzZVbvDvvP-CTTza8L2JipPf3ot0qeEt8OXnHYAq7tNUvByfuZ0qFwl1bXUp2vPrFjrClvT1NFcu6rnvHPmRGKvdIT9-wBR2ESPgGiRGU/s1600/IMG_7355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyWMsnEosWL0LigdjSwMOGNuCKgr6d7Ij2iLzZVbvDvvP-CTTza8L2JipPf3ot0qeEt8OXnHYAq7tNUvByfuZ0qFwl1bXUp2vPrFjrClvT1NFcu6rnvHPmRGKvdIT9-wBR2ESPgGiRGU/s640/IMG_7355.JPG" width="374" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It has a roller ball on top, which is nifty to apply on my skin without wasting too much product</td></tr></tbody></table> First of all, unlike the other oils I tried, argan oil does not feel oily. I have tried jojoba oil before and although it is technically a wax, I still feel like it sits on my skin when I use too much of it. Both olive and coconut oils are thicker but they both feel oily as well. However, argan oil is quite unique: while it is a heavy oil with lots of fatty acids, it permeates into the skin well without making me feel too oily.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfi8z-27Bne6lZvf8EvM77olOvtOKnttuYOpLATIu1hJ9IlYGq5GuI3a-Bk5nUAo9VrPnduHIGVoncAXNDd3EgRVEa78o_52OU13A372Bj0brDPEhuO0Pu2iygWO1niB3BoZTvoF8nYCQ/s1600/IMG_7356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfi8z-27Bne6lZvf8EvM77olOvtOKnttuYOpLATIu1hJ9IlYGq5GuI3a-Bk5nUAo9VrPnduHIGVoncAXNDd3EgRVEa78o_52OU13A372Bj0brDPEhuO0Pu2iygWO1niB3BoZTvoF8nYCQ/s400/IMG_7356.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little bit of argan oil on my skin</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzX3wQcSuUE8UkDE5EjNVIae_wUx_RPsvKD-09BhxRDRor_ppnGsztuTIToFWFVOSZCqAE3TDuAPyAID0HnEUExrDOSu45dvvmcYyvR0kHLdeeQOZnW3nYqr8xmT05LMhvDwFFKPRgek/s1600/IMG_7357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzX3wQcSuUE8UkDE5EjNVIae_wUx_RPsvKD-09BhxRDRor_ppnGsztuTIToFWFVOSZCqAE3TDuAPyAID0HnEUExrDOSu45dvvmcYyvR0kHLdeeQOZnW3nYqr8xmT05LMhvDwFFKPRgek/s400/IMG_7357.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then I rubbed it. The skin looks significantly smoother already!</td></tr></tbody></table>Prior to using it, I was trying a $350 USD face cream which left my skin both oily and dry at the same time. Then, I switched over to Kurahito, which hydrated my skin to a certain extend. But once it started using this pure argan oil, things went for the better. For the first time ever, the skin areas underneath my eyes were moist! And I have been using expensive eye creams that vowed to do the same job but they did not!<br /><br />Insane, right?<br /><br />Turns out argan oil contains vitamin E, phenols, squalenr, carotene, and 80% unsaturated fatty acids. It is also deemed to be more stable than olive oil when it comes to being oxidized. On top of that, you can use argan oil on your skin, hair, nails, and even lips! This is an edible oil like olive and coconut oils!<br /><br />I used it religiously for a month and I've noticed 2 things: I only need to use a tiny bit of argan oil right after washing my face and it does pull the plugs out of my skin similarly to jojoba oil. Also, it smooths hair flyaways without making my hair look greasy at all.<br /><br />If I have to choose between the expensive Moroccan Oil (a hair care oil) vs. pure argan oil from Morocco, I would take the later one in a heart beat. Moroccan Oil is full of dimethicone, which makes hair look smooth, sleek and lustrous but it does not have the healing power that argan oil has. Also, the amount of argan oil in Moroccan Oil is little. It's better to use the original and natural oil anyway.<br /><br />That's all for now, folks! I hope you are having a fantastic week ahead!<br /><br />Love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: The <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/skintritious-giveaway.html">Skitritious giveaway</a> ends at 11:59 PM EST tonight. Please join before it's too late!<br /><br />P.P.S: New readers and lurkers, please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

I Heart Argan Oil

Hi everyone, Recently, I was introduced to argan oil via Pure Argan Oil , a website in UK that sells 100% pure oil imported from Morocco. Sh...

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New Product Alert: Shu Uemura TSUYA Skin

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />Guess what? I have another first: the first time I get to receive a product before it launches, yes! Can I have the highest of five, por favor?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJFaWdN3r878c1coMI_cZLv2UBWcNOAjPw-Mm6wcLNN9_hizyP3iklNjM8aodOFPV2XKGtXvzrD8MkfYSkkryfe8dUZoHL2z43pH-5G6YQi0iXMbwbOgfgNlpU_-6N8FWnm3xLtVmjjE/s1600/IMG_7248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJFaWdN3r878c1coMI_cZLv2UBWcNOAjPw-Mm6wcLNN9_hizyP3iklNjM8aodOFPV2XKGtXvzrD8MkfYSkkryfe8dUZoHL2z43pH-5G6YQi0iXMbwbOgfgNlpU_-6N8FWnm3xLtVmjjE/s640/IMG_7248.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><br /><br />Very recently, the kind folks at Shu Uemura Vietnam sent me a bottle of their newest product called <a href="http://www.shuuemura.com/_en/_ww/products/skincare/tsuya-skin.aspx">TSUYA Skin</a>. It is going to be launched on September 15th but I got a hold of it already! As a blogger, this is a dream comes true.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIR6DFH_krR-CO4a0JxhEJitwVHaODY9jZLlqC5is8HH__D-0QbWW5md59a32VtOf3-lGmyg9QsxmdU4yoXSxPo6nGUTTE4TY8kIf3JQq5dGLL_gpWBpn07Ofey6Q5xZXeNoOqkMvAKg/s1600/IMG_7251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIR6DFH_krR-CO4a0JxhEJitwVHaODY9jZLlqC5is8HH__D-0QbWW5md59a32VtOf3-lGmyg9QsxmdU4yoXSxPo6nGUTTE4TY8kIf3JQq5dGLL_gpWBpn07Ofey6Q5xZXeNoOqkMvAKg/s640/IMG_7251.JPG" width="446" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSBLGLiQorNRdW8fghOsYzEDaz4M-mWJSI_wlaRIAc-8fsi2zbWqixLvlEow-SiXYxQ7gcsKXoIAlEc2wrWDyXxvLn4zLIjFuZzbEnzilG_ByMAforGDj2j1NoeJYYeajs7NlOM0EqQ0/s1600/IMG_7254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSBLGLiQorNRdW8fghOsYzEDaz4M-mWJSI_wlaRIAc-8fsi2zbWqixLvlEow-SiXYxQ7gcsKXoIAlEc2wrWDyXxvLn4zLIjFuZzbEnzilG_ByMAforGDj2j1NoeJYYeajs7NlOM0EqQ0/s640/IMG_7254.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br />I felt so emotional the moment I took out the bottle of TSUYA skin. The whole thing is soooo beautiful! It felt heavy in my hand and the white outer layer of the bottle has an opalescent that reminds me of mother of pearls. I cracked open the dropper part and gasped! The liquid inside is even more beautiful!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OLi_9t_sP7Gl_j3IdyD8_J21AzvwylFMyq09CJ-26lDuLxNWcvyEs32dfmA4-nvyBJIqI2_e5CcGjHnptTxx_OhpZ0lFy14gW5hDn4tDoSfXQCvqMax5Fg4U0mRSMzG6g3OOAzRuJr4/s1600/IMG_7255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OLi_9t_sP7Gl_j3IdyD8_J21AzvwylFMyq09CJ-26lDuLxNWcvyEs32dfmA4-nvyBJIqI2_e5CcGjHnptTxx_OhpZ0lFy14gW5hDn4tDoSfXQCvqMax5Fg4U0mRSMzG6g3OOAzRuJr4/s640/IMG_7255.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Pardon my camera and bad weather but each drop looks like tiny beads of pearls! It reminds me of Strobe Cream but TSUYA Skin has more complexity in it. I applied 2 drops on my clean skin and it smells exactly like <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/bath-and-body-works-twilight-woods-let.html">Bath and Body Works Twilight Woods</a>, which is a little strange for a skincare product from Shu Uemura. This scent, I believe, is from the Enju flower, which is known for its longevity and is an inspiration for TSUYA Skin.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0ivCsdNKdXiLHdKZWw2stZZmzEJGnJuSVF4WkuFdVZ-Bq8TlvrtoY77WBzGnV81BZqbCpM7xGnQykmqxIWQJ6H2o0D0xQlU60xzITShefznPoaIZXBHvx4o65HrJXhukOrCxk7P0k-U/s1600/IMG_7258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0ivCsdNKdXiLHdKZWw2stZZmzEJGnJuSVF4WkuFdVZ-Bq8TlvrtoY77WBzGnV81BZqbCpM7xGnQykmqxIWQJ6H2o0D0xQlU60xzITShefznPoaIZXBHvx4o65HrJXhukOrCxk7P0k-U/s640/IMG_7258.JPG" width="488" /></a></div><br /><br />In Japanese, the term for perfect skin is tsuya. Shu Uemura has done so many years of research and found out rhamnose, a sugar molecule found in human skin, functions as a cellular receptor to regulate skin healing and regeneration. When I took Cell Biology, we learned briefly about cell-cell communication and cellular receptors. At that time, my professor mentioned an immense application of this technology towards everyday life. And then, when I took Carbohydrate Biochemistry, we learned about rhamnose. Little did I know back then that a few years later I would be holding a bottle of products that merges the two things I learned! As a former biochemistry major, this took me by surprise and I was very excited!<br /><br />The two main purposes of TSUYA Skin are to strengthen the inner skin structure and to restore the light for overflowing perfect skin. They even promise that you will see results in as little as 7 days.  Currently, I am sandwiching it between the <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/skincare-discovery-kurahito-skin-white.html">Kurahito lotion and cream</a>. It calms my skin while allowing moisture to penetrate even more. Right now, I am on day 3 and let me tell you this: my skin is a lot softer today than it was 3 days ago. A lot of the rough spots I have tried to exfoliate are gone! On top of that, it tends to retain moisture a lot better as well. Also, last night I caught my own reflection in the bathroom mirror and I was surprised to see a fairy-like ethereal glow. Just think of how moonlight bounces off your skin and that was how it looked last night!<br /><br />I was floored!<br /><br />Seriously, I'm not that young anymore. Even in my teens, my skin didn't even glow like that! Maybe before I hit puberty that my skin had that kind of characteristic. And I saw it only after 2.5 days! Wow! I know this may have something to do with those opalescent pigments in this serum but I only used 2 tiny green bean-size droplets, come on! We all know how good Shu Uemura products are but this is in the upper echelon of ridiculously good, it's insane!<br /><br />Price-wise, I heard somewhere on the interwebz that it's going to cost you $108 USD. I know it's expensive and we're still in recession and all but believe me, this is money well spent. Shu Uemura is the only company I've ever tried that does not disappoint me at all. I know their products are expensive but it's so worth it. If you can score a sample to try, I would say go for it.<br /><br /><div>Thank you, Shu Uemura, for sending TSUYA Skin to me. I am going to try it for 30 days before doing a complete review. Please consider this a teaser and I can't wait to report back after 30 days.</div><br />Last but not least, please join the <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/skintritious-giveaway.html">ongoing giveaway by Skintritious</a>. It's very simple to do so and the products are good!<br /><br />With love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

New Product Alert: Shu Uemura TSUYA Skin

Hi everyone, Guess what? I have another first: the first time I get to receive a product before it launches, yes! Can I have the highest of ...

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Inside Out Beautification with Skintritious

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">About a month ago, Meg, the wonderful owner of <a href="http://www.skintritious.com/shop.html"><b>Skintritious</b></a> contacted me regarding a reviewing opportunity for products from her company. After a little bit of research, I said yes, as Skintritious products are made from natural ingredients and free of preservatives. After a couple of weeks, I received a package with the delectable Orange Blossom Body Scrub and Skin Tea (both can be seen <a href="http://www.skintritious.com/shop.html">here</a>.) However, during transition, the body scrub was leaked and I lost 1/3 of the products. I shed some bitter tears over it. After all, the body scrub smells awesome and it totally works!</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvEMKwt0onTbgpX0xvmucAtIAlvovvuYUomwuYj9OA307XahsmCrd7_sjLRCC-rta162AskxMIRqhDA-SJQQChO-wQuJJZnZ8gugKpSBt0ZBzRGypNvnea4q6zmJwCjpJWw0jivVKOD4/s1600/Body+Scrub+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvEMKwt0onTbgpX0xvmucAtIAlvovvuYUomwuYj9OA307XahsmCrd7_sjLRCC-rta162AskxMIRqhDA-SJQQChO-wQuJJZnZ8gugKpSBt0ZBzRGypNvnea4q6zmJwCjpJWw0jivVKOD4/s640/Body+Scrub+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Skintritious Orange Blossom Body Scrub ($13 USD)</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSns6k-3D_uUt1gekP297ni5yAcuLvI0Iphyphenhyphen5f2XAYAxLrNVzP7I4Xp2weeCA4I1wqCrfsWcE-gD5I0msGzaS8aunr8KG90EMiKwT84wocW51fSjr0vDBiZKboLY-Ejo-61yUfSk7JMKs/s1600/IMG_7079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSns6k-3D_uUt1gekP297ni5yAcuLvI0Iphyphenhyphen5f2XAYAxLrNVzP7I4Xp2weeCA4I1wqCrfsWcE-gD5I0msGzaS8aunr8KG90EMiKwT84wocW51fSjr0vDBiZKboLY-Ejo-61yUfSk7JMKs/s640/IMG_7079.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cap with direction, caution, and ingredients<br />It was soaked with oil, hence the blurry words :(</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_Ry6RsK08djbUlM6TlrxVFXWgUlphS8HFy0GaNHOsEicOwHxtp05u1w1MmLNI7MReFDG0gOdn96M87hV_RW5sMr6y7dCXfBTCPr5iHZ0zNIRlFk39l4AUWGcatI1ukPRLRbk-2mRmq8/s1600/IMG_7075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_Ry6RsK08djbUlM6TlrxVFXWgUlphS8HFy0GaNHOsEicOwHxtp05u1w1MmLNI7MReFDG0gOdn96M87hV_RW5sMr6y7dCXfBTCPr5iHZ0zNIRlFk39l4AUWGcatI1ukPRLRbk-2mRmq8/s640/IMG_7075.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />The body scrub is a mixture of brown sugar with olive oil, vitamin E oil, and minerals with a lovely orange blossom scent. During the transition, the package leaked and I received the jar with a lot less oil than it was supposed to be. Instead of a slushy mix, what I got has a wet sand texture. While that is not a bad thing, I would prefer more yummy scented oil in the mix.<br /><br />However, it was not Meg's fault as I'm sure the transition from the U.S to Vietnam can be rough. The body scrub is awesome! The first time I used it was on my hands and I have had dry and itchy cuticles for a while now. The scrub not only removes dead skin cells but also replenishes moisture. My hands felt so soft that I braved up and scrubbed my body from the neck down.<br /><br />Since I had a rough day, the orange blossom scent was heavenly. It picked me up and the oil was enough to keep my body moist. I love how it softened the rough parts on my heels. I came out of the shower not only feeling better about myself but had much, much softer skin as well! My only wish was Meg to come up with a face scrub with the same scent. It would be fabulous!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dOBzt1bxb5w1tMuuUnS9UGSmvjUmsYjHFzMndsRJu1KuRo26zSX4jE0qPfKQuEBJ5adrvSiNwDIQxRc8_x8s1qFv0WkjskbN-e42jICyNrdC5X5g19-lCHfO3Ljh3JXflUlpqlY_paA/s1600/SkinTea1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dOBzt1bxb5w1tMuuUnS9UGSmvjUmsYjHFzMndsRJu1KuRo26zSX4jE0qPfKQuEBJ5adrvSiNwDIQxRc8_x8s1qFv0WkjskbN-e42jICyNrdC5X5g19-lCHfO3Ljh3JXflUlpqlY_paA/s640/SkinTea1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Skin Tea ($8 USD)</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3NxuLvT8qytUbC3Zsr0ADLJ3xoP3jPWBge_8bHHdOLCoqI5i2cVk11lcnNuUDiFsrW1OZ-X0EWWh-5rs9a6KStaagAt-DDEnCV60TtvrDb2AmLbkc6tIN6aP6Wy-cf89g7EbldbpAYY/s1600/IMG_7055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3NxuLvT8qytUbC3Zsr0ADLJ3xoP3jPWBge_8bHHdOLCoqI5i2cVk11lcnNuUDiFsrW1OZ-X0EWWh-5rs9a6KStaagAt-DDEnCV60TtvrDb2AmLbkc6tIN6aP6Wy-cf89g7EbldbpAYY/s640/IMG_7055.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsiG9ReFwGn30x0GuUZi5Z_5aZcDG5sENt9yoIHrqiQubVRzaAmj3eogONPEWN4F-BRYlMu9ibMThoH8NY45LzwoxpcBV3Y_PfNkJrUkmcIo9np9QuziFTxBxRtvZUEQCawc2Iz4OK64/s1600/IMG_7058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsiG9ReFwGn30x0GuUZi5Z_5aZcDG5sENt9yoIHrqiQubVRzaAmj3eogONPEWN4F-BRYlMu9ibMThoH8NY45LzwoxpcBV3Y_PfNkJrUkmcIo9np9QuziFTxBxRtvZUEQCawc2Iz4OK64/s640/IMG_7058.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />For $8, you get 2 pouches of herb mix made of green tea, spices, and crushed food to use in your steam bath as a facial steamer. As it is an edible product, you can drink it as a tea, too! Since I was aching for some tea, I boiled some water and drank it. The smell was earthy but the taste was not something I am used to. Nevertheless, I drank and went back to work.<br /><br />The skin tea is a nifty product to try if you are into DIY facials at home. In fact, it is the least perishable product Skintritious carries. Meg chose these two products for me after knowing my skin type. The body scrub can last up to 6 months if you put it in a cool, dry place. I've found out as long as you don't let it sit in the open for too long and has water dripping over it, you are fine. With water and air contact, the sugar granules can lump together but after a quick stir, everything is fine.<br /><br />Overall, I'm madly in love with <b>Skintritious Orange Blossom Body Scrub</b>. I think it is a wonderful products for those who have dry and flaky skins. Also, since it is packed full of oil, it is a good product to use during the winter months as well. However, it can cause a slippery surface so be very careful when you use it. Personally, I would like to use it for my hands as it keeps them soft and moist. The <b>Skin Tea</b> is a nice product for those who love facials and tea, although I would not advocate drinking it, though. Skintritious has friendly pricing for their handcrafted products and if you don't know what to get and/or want to improve your skin conditions, Meg offers a skincare consultant at $30/half hour. She is, after all, an experienced aesthetician whose clients are stars.<br /><br />Last but not least, Skintritious ships products to the U.S and Canada only and buyers pay for shipping.<br /><br />That's all for today, folks! I hope you are having a wonderful Monday!<br /><br />With love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />Disclosure: The reviewer received press samples for reviewing purposes.<br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

Inside Out Beautification with Skintritious

Hi everyone, About a month ago, Meg, the wonderful owner of Skintritious contacted me regarding a reviewing opportunity for products from h...

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The Real Deal: Coastal Scents Shea Butter

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Around Thanksgiving in 2010, I braved up and bought 1lb of <b>pure shea butter</b> from <a href="http://www.coastalscents.com/">Coastal Scents</a>. That winter was the first time my skin was extremely dry. I tried all the lotions but none of them could make the flakes on my calves go away. However, I noticed that my face seemed to love moisturizers with shea butter. I think Coastal Scents had a Thanksgiving sale that drove the price down even more so I made my own little purchase. A couple of weeks later and this arrived at my door:</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBcAHGm3Nc7DLKUc6Ed7kbgdBXZnGg2GsW4HEaW4Tu4VHeO0518rvwZ-osOqhpmMRYSB9c2UNMY4rnKE8TzDLo3NeKrZsQRzu1ebCQeRLy0GzwADEFQnMUS5-DMu0yN52riPBVg-P-9U/s1600/IMG_3513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBcAHGm3Nc7DLKUc6Ed7kbgdBXZnGg2GsW4HEaW4Tu4VHeO0518rvwZ-osOqhpmMRYSB9c2UNMY4rnKE8TzDLo3NeKrZsQRzu1ebCQeRLy0GzwADEFQnMUS5-DMu0yN52riPBVg-P-9U/s640/IMG_3513.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 1-lb bag of shea butter!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIADAri_JavCQMRPNf8jA41uOWJcI_cb4KvFSfmjfrYqLhuqFbclC5Lt7QHoB-94szJxofBK6pK6QXqYguGJ4WTcSlSfqRKOU3FIALgHGASQigcArFhydh9NSuXYJmkaiX5LegXw9qXE/s1600/IMG_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIADAri_JavCQMRPNf8jA41uOWJcI_cb4KvFSfmjfrYqLhuqFbclC5Lt7QHoB-94szJxofBK6pK6QXqYguGJ4WTcSlSfqRKOU3FIALgHGASQigcArFhydh9NSuXYJmkaiX5LegXw9qXE/s640/IMG_0153.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After almost two years later, I still feel giddy while looking at this picture.<br />I mean, can you imagine a pound full of moisturizing goodness?</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="http://www.coastalscents.com/bath-and-body/made-in-africa/body-butter/bw-002.html">Coastal Scents shea butte</a>r is made in Ghana. From what I read in the website, Coastal Scents has a partnership with a village in Ghana to produce high quality unrefined shea butter for the company. In return, the money helps the village to thrive and send kids to school. Since the practice sounded fair to me and the price was right as a result of no middle men, I decided to get me the smallest quantity of shea butter, which is 1 lb.<br /><br />For those who are not familiar with shea butter, it is the product of the nuts of the karite trees. It has a thick consistency that is en par of cocoa butter. When it comes to purchasing shea butter, it is advisable to buy unrefined butter as all the skincare goodness is still retained. The shea butter is unbleached and the original scent is still there. The scent is quite earthy and pleasant, although not quite as noticeable as that of cocoa butter.<br /><br />The first thing I did was to scoop a tiny bit of shea butter in a jar and microwave it so the butter could fix in the jar nicely. Since I had a pound of stuff, I split with a friend who had sensitive and flaky skin.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9cIH0Str5wkn7b1dPD1pa8wKQ79_4QBbEp5tRA13jWklcr8K7VWP89A0Q9Tjpn_0TYXsltMPPLm6PkqbIb5cReSF8rnKHYjjHX-oAxZIHZgWiM8qihjjNI6t8GKgguc24BRYZba7xzU/s1600/IMG_0159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9cIH0Str5wkn7b1dPD1pa8wKQ79_4QBbEp5tRA13jWklcr8K7VWP89A0Q9Tjpn_0TYXsltMPPLm6PkqbIb5cReSF8rnKHYjjHX-oAxZIHZgWiM8qihjjNI6t8GKgguc24BRYZba7xzU/s640/IMG_0159.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />If you are familiar with Bath and Body Works, they have a couple of shea-infuse moisturizers priced utterly high. However, the percentage of shea butter in those products are at 20% maximum and you pay a lot more for a small tube of synthetic materials mixed with some shea butter. With this, you get the real deal.<br /><br />I rubbed a tiny bit on the palm on my hand and watched it melt. Shea butter is solid at room temperature but melts on your skin. Once it melted, I rubbed it all over my hands and waited...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1vTuBHojugVh6rO9K_oS9R2ocVoNbvfYE7jyh_VGjkH4hZli-vPBfGny7XM7vYrxZD4e4KisQfkyRWp3SdiE7jxqPdQ-ElglG2N4L0ZxmnbCtsDwvcNwfm-EzwhUzJXPIxJi9dr-M28/s1600/IMG_0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1vTuBHojugVh6rO9K_oS9R2ocVoNbvfYE7jyh_VGjkH4hZli-vPBfGny7XM7vYrxZD4e4KisQfkyRWp3SdiE7jxqPdQ-ElglG2N4L0ZxmnbCtsDwvcNwfm-EzwhUzJXPIxJi9dr-M28/s640/IMG_0161.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />At first, it was a little bit tacky and oily. I told myself this stuff didn't work. But then, something miraculous happened: the thick and sticky shea butter sank into my skin!<br /><br />I mean, look at it! Amazing, right?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8_1jTIjIeFldQ_3b2ioMlwMLpKGg0M876e6-GwUoNiLGu4-SFdRLJKgJP13fMkQ8vfgMXA18pVzgEqdKZRmbe9zf5yV36g7yPmUZX21K07NDAr-WnWar0v1DOW6FSXk_Ar0b2N6wa7M/s1600/IMG_0162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8_1jTIjIeFldQ_3b2ioMlwMLpKGg0M876e6-GwUoNiLGu4-SFdRLJKgJP13fMkQ8vfgMXA18pVzgEqdKZRmbe9zf5yV36g7yPmUZX21K07NDAr-WnWar0v1DOW6FSXk_Ar0b2N6wa7M/s640/IMG_0162.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />I was so happy that I rubbed it all over my arms, legs, and feet before going to bed. When I woke up, my body felt so soft and amazing! I felt so happy that I made the right choice of choosing the real deal over synthetic stuff!<br /><br />Now, here's the precaution: shea butter is made from tree nuts and you should not use it if you are allergic to nuts. Also, while it is an awesome moisturizer, it is advisable not to use shea butter on your face if you have acne, as it can clog pores. I personally did not have issues with either problems, although my skin was still misbehaving back in 2010.<br /><br />I'm so glad that I got a chance to try shea butter and finally get to write up about it. If you have dry skin and not allergic to nuts (pine nuts, tree nuts, and regular nuts), please get yourself a pound of shea butter. Believe me, it is the cheapest pound of moisturizer you can get and you can use it in so many ways. I melted some shea butter and used it as a hair mask and my hair felt really amazing as well.<br /><br />Right now, I'm looking at the pictures with longing in my eyes. I really miss that 1lb bag of shea butter, I really do!<br /><br />With love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

The Real Deal: Coastal Scents Shea Butter

Hi everyone, Around Thanksgiving in 2010, I braved up and bought 1lb of pure shea butter from Coastal Scents . That winter was the first ti...

Read more »

Skincare Discovery: KURAHITO Skin White Lotion and Cream

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />I hope you enjoyed yesterday's post when I talked about makeup master <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-i-learned-from-makeup-magician.html">Atsushi Kokawa</a>. In line of the Japanese theme, today we are talking about my new skincare discovery from the <a href="http://www.choiceessentials.com/products-by-brand/kurahito"><b>Kurahito Skin White line</b></a>. When <a href="http://www.choiceessentials.com/products-by-brand/kurahito"><b>Choice Essentials</b></a> contacted me, they wanted me to try Kurahito products and I thought to myself, why not! After reading about the ingredients, I was intrigued!<br /><br />The lovely Val from Choice Essentials sent me two products from the Skin White line: the Skin Toning Lotion and Skin Cream. When I received the package, I committed myself to a month-long trial. But it didn't take me that long to see results.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6vFhr2bray8HwjqNck7w3wNHOxXcooxpRcefMqtdYBPNYTQCZS9l_3dfJXF-jG_3Ra694yV7phkbt6GnDxGe9G9fGhWNkVGrtEVxdoJ2mGv_AK6qVEuoD3Ni4GNSTW4sD1L6TLFksiw/s1600/IMG_6842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6vFhr2bray8HwjqNck7w3wNHOxXcooxpRcefMqtdYBPNYTQCZS9l_3dfJXF-jG_3Ra694yV7phkbt6GnDxGe9G9fGhWNkVGrtEVxdoJ2mGv_AK6qVEuoD3Ni4GNSTW4sD1L6TLFksiw/s640/IMG_6842.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(L-R): Kurahito <a href="http://www.choiceessentials.com/products-by-brand/kurahito/kurahito-toning-lotion.html">Skin Lotion</a> and <a href="http://www.choiceessentials.com/products-by-brand/kurahito/kurahito-moisturining-cream-whitening.html">Skin Cream</a> (both are $41.54)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiryVlmZqCl8-DsmZOd-LsIJOSA9SV6DOxxaTmFhEGNmtp9Zv_kA4qzoh2T6XnZ9hFA2hPaQyuhc8b5qhlRIadZ-IlTF3qL9vmH-OzOmPZ0syTcta4pcG3G7C5N6obN3XFiLmNH4dDRY/s1600/IMG_6844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiryVlmZqCl8-DsmZOd-LsIJOSA9SV6DOxxaTmFhEGNmtp9Zv_kA4qzoh2T6XnZ9hFA2hPaQyuhc8b5qhlRIadZ-IlTF3qL9vmH-OzOmPZ0syTcta4pcG3G7C5N6obN3XFiLmNH4dDRY/s640/IMG_6844.JPG" width="470" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kurahito Skin Lotion</td></tr></tbody></table>First of all, I love the simple pink plastic container the Skin Lotion is housed. If you are not familiar with Japanese skincare products, a lotion is not a moisturizer. Instead, it is en par with Western toners but with moisturizing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin. Also, you don't use a cotton pad to apply the liquid on your face but use your hands to pat and gently slap it onto your skin. You don't need to use a lot of products, either. I put 5 drops of this Skin Lotion on my palm and apply it to my face when it is still damped.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0agDa-J1GBsvy2bIDOudD3PCmNYc5sovScPJCrJrLXNOkJRDiIsQ8bgJC2ECNX5xeZE3AKDO81Hz6NpnMArCas30zoSETNsktN-ADw61GG_i0hyzqeUtXqzww8WpL_LdGbngU8dPd4Y/s1600/IMG_6846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0agDa-J1GBsvy2bIDOudD3PCmNYc5sovScPJCrJrLXNOkJRDiIsQ8bgJC2ECNX5xeZE3AKDO81Hz6NpnMArCas30zoSETNsktN-ADw61GG_i0hyzqeUtXqzww8WpL_LdGbngU8dPd4Y/s640/IMG_6846.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup, I only use that much of stuff!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARzdaL3TRk70jjrwTMbeUBQngRVOfh9Q0RwSKF6n4vbhB34HMvmnLFxLe1HM0TLyJK2U5-IN90Jf1l-BovBsWgbLVUW3pk4Xro6WxCsObThEPWz3Ni-FpC-i-Trje3cbqsI8ptywHOVw/s1600/IMG_6847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARzdaL3TRk70jjrwTMbeUBQngRVOfh9Q0RwSKF6n4vbhB34HMvmnLFxLe1HM0TLyJK2U5-IN90Jf1l-BovBsWgbLVUW3pk4Xro6WxCsObThEPWz3Ni-FpC-i-Trje3cbqsI8ptywHOVw/s640/IMG_6847.JPG" width="354" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredient list and direction</td></tr></tbody></table>This is a huge bottle of toner: with 185ml and 6 months of use after opening, I wonder if I can finish it by the expiration time period. Since it does not contain any preservatives, I believe it will go bad after 6 months. As a skin toner, Kurahito Skin Lotion is on a thin side. It is more liquidy than the other toners I used before. However, the second ingredient on the list is rice ferment filtrate, which is the extract from junmai-shu, a type of good sake. As I mentioned in <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/sunblock-discovery-toji-hiyakedome.html">my review</a> of TOJI sunblock, sake is an ingredient traditionally used in Japanese skincare as it is full of the good stuff such as minerals, vitamin B, polysaccharides, and amino acids. Beside junmai-shu, Kurahito Skin Lotion also contains soluble collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, and licorice. The last one is the whitening agent that is responsible for my much, much more lightened complex!<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbPGWIDUAjRbIDKTnnjeDe0lQTXG7DzzH0CrVCnS2rlnlyCY5YHEEAJoqn68kTgeBI9WyoqtU9_cVJ1pJqt4JyG6nAsleM5ACy-M0NRq6v6oW3DqSdJYNfEFqNXg98bt5UfnrR-znRJ0/s1600/IMG_6848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbPGWIDUAjRbIDKTnnjeDe0lQTXG7DzzH0CrVCnS2rlnlyCY5YHEEAJoqn68kTgeBI9WyoqtU9_cVJ1pJqt4JyG6nAsleM5ACy-M0NRq6v6oW3DqSdJYNfEFqNXg98bt5UfnrR-znRJ0/s640/IMG_6848.JPG" width="542" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kurahito Skin Cream</td></tr></tbody></table>This skin cream contains 43g, which is more than the usual 30g/ml that we usually get when we buy a jar of facial moisturizer. The cream is thick and very creamy. I did an experiment when I held the jar upside down and nothing dropped down at all!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cq2xVYs0A-yWMyrCB9q-LZ4jmlUQFJXHEC3T_rSlrLRVj9LMHABs5N-Nj0wIkODAqhBipuROU64fob4euXmbbLduY_Utvw0a50I9CEydsL6J9S3S-ENkWlpThlzzFYbc6Ck2A1mGJrM/s1600/IMG_6854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cq2xVYs0A-yWMyrCB9q-LZ4jmlUQFJXHEC3T_rSlrLRVj9LMHABs5N-Nj0wIkODAqhBipuROU64fob4euXmbbLduY_Utvw0a50I9CEydsL6J9S3S-ENkWlpThlzzFYbc6Ck2A1mGJrM/s640/IMG_6854.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thick with a light pink tint</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWX0WZAklEx91OJ9hheXHU-xjMZY2By3GX0zSGZ7wUYeIb5mMCocB8qql0o0gFKjfrmwj3FyWckRpc5mbU0O0bJz42w_x9d9RivrOE0BexkOwjlUeGBmqPxYeaYHuEZsjflKXNF2X1o1I/s1600/IMG_6855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWX0WZAklEx91OJ9hheXHU-xjMZY2By3GX0zSGZ7wUYeIb5mMCocB8qql0o0gFKjfrmwj3FyWckRpc5mbU0O0bJz42w_x9d9RivrOE0BexkOwjlUeGBmqPxYeaYHuEZsjflKXNF2X1o1I/s640/IMG_6855.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients and directions</td></tr></tbody></table>Like the Skin Lotion, this skin cream can only be used for 6 months because of the lack of preservatives. On top of that, it also contains junmai-shu, hyaluronic acid, licorice root extract, soluble collagen and elastic. If you notice, the ingredient list also contains other moisturizing compounds such as squalane, glycerin, and jojoba seed oil. It also contains two anti-oxidants: retinyl palmitate (a weak derivative of vitamin A) and beta-carotene.<br /><br />The one thing I like about this product is despite the thickness, this is a rather light-weight moisturizer that does the job quite deeply. After I apply (read: slap) the skin lotion on my face, I use only a pea-size amount of Kurahito skin cream on my face. It soaks in immediately and I can wake up with my skin feeling like buttah! However, during the first few days, I did notice some minor discomforts as my skin was adjusting itself to the new skincare regimen. After that, it was all peachy!<br /><br />The two major things I noticed during my month-long trial:<br /><br />1. The scent of junmai-shu: I can smell it in these products and if you guys are familiar with rice wine, it is that smell. It is light and somewhat pleasant. It also goes away quickly. I dug around to see if this rice ferment filtrate from junmai-shu contains alcohol at all and I could not find anything. However, if my knowledge of rice wine is correct, it would contain around 5-8% of alcohol for rice wine, which is not enough to dry out your skin or anything. Your Sea Breeze toner has much, much more percentage of alcohol than that!<br /><br />2. The lightening power: after two weeks of use, my face became about a shade lighter than my neck, which is something I have never experienced before! So, I did the only logical thing: I applied the lotion and cream on my neck and chest as well.<br /><br />Right now, I am using these two products in conjunction with my <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/hada-labo-arbutin-wash-is-what-dry-skin.html">Hada Labo Arbutin Wash</a> facial cleanser. These three Japanese skincare products work very well together and since I have normal skin now, I only use them once a day but the moisturizing power remains for approximately 24 hours. I know these products are not that cheap but I only use very little at a time. On top of that, my skin is in tip-top shape, which means I don't have to look for another skincare brand to try for the next 5 months or so. However, I may need to split the toner with my mom so both of us can finish it by the end of the year.<br /><br /><i><u>Last but not least:</u></i> Choice Essentials offer a <b>15% discount</b> to MMB readers when you buy any product from their site and pay with PayPal. You need to write <b>"mymakeupblog"</b> in the remark section to qualify for the discount, btw. This is very generous of them and as usual, I don't earn any commissions from this.<br /><br />That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by, folks!<br /><br />With love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />Disclaimer: I received the products as press samples.<br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

Skincare Discovery: KURAHITO Skin White Lotion and Cream

Hi everyone, I hope you enjoyed yesterday's post when I talked about makeup master Atsushi Kokawa . In line of the Japanese theme, today...

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Sunblock Discovery: TOJI Hiyakedome Lotion

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="GingerNoCheckStart"></span>Hi everyone,<br /><br />I'm <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="169b0d59f962ff4af3d3f92e0b591e65c1718339" grtype="null" id="GRmark_169b0d59f962ff4af3d3f92e0b591e65c1718339_baaaack:0">baaaack</span>! Since I discovered how wonderful Japanese sunblocks are, I have been using them for a while and they don't disappoint. Recently, the friendly Val from <a href="http://www.choiceessentials.com/">Choice Essentials</a> in Singapore contacted me and asked me if I wanted to review a couple of skincare products from Japan. Since I know how amazing Japanese skincare products can be, I had to say yes! And now I have a new sunblock to love as well!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfjCUWaFt6qCXdyIFwTywPwpAtoqbVGOWDAxUkX_2Qf7vftcoZcvFRc6a9rXYwocFG_2e1gWEpxFDl6G-jPq4TiH0QAGro5U2GePHqzgPOynGbnP8HRV4mXX2RKI-j1wENqRc3V83pKs/s1600/IMG_6832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfjCUWaFt6qCXdyIFwTywPwpAtoqbVGOWDAxUkX_2Qf7vftcoZcvFRc6a9rXYwocFG_2e1gWEpxFDl6G-jPq4TiH0QAGro5U2GePHqzgPOynGbnP8HRV4mXX2RKI-j1wENqRc3V83pKs/s640/IMG_6832.JPG" width="568" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.choiceessentials.com/products-by-country/japanese-range/toji-sunblock-lotion-spf-30-pa-25ml.html"><b>TOJI Hiyakedome Lotion</b></a> ($31.54 USD)<br />(TOJI Sunblock Skin Whitening Lotion SPF 30 PA++ (25ml))</td></tr></tbody></table>First of all, I have to say I did not know the price until I wrote this review. Therefore, this sunblock from TOJI is the most expensive sunscreen I have ever used! It has 25ml of products and has SPF 30, which makes it suitable for everyday use. I have been applying it on my face and arms before going to work and it is a nice and non-oily sunblock. So far, after a month of using it, I haven't had any breakouts, which is a big deal when it comes to sunscreens. Also, it doesn't feel heavy or cakey, either.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMluiG3f-xohazlyY7i1_Zn-Ctnv-V0_atQrc_NJzG5ZiyDtMjXtjih479bpaO81S6Pm8-HXM8UIlVsRLt4tC7gZw-c4n3NfTRbULjggU5eY-hzTseLH7SbAPh5bnA2t0WaRNRdrnqpfo/s1600/IMG_6836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMluiG3f-xohazlyY7i1_Zn-Ctnv-V0_atQrc_NJzG5ZiyDtMjXtjih479bpaO81S6Pm8-HXM8UIlVsRLt4tC7gZw-c4n3NfTRbULjggU5eY-hzTseLH7SbAPh5bnA2t0WaRNRdrnqpfo/s640/IMG_6836.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cute bottle<br />See the two green bottles next to the word SPF 30 PA++? We are going to talk about it in a second.</td></tr></tbody></table>The one thing I appreciate about Japanese skincare is their ability to incorporate traditional ingredients to their products. With TOJI, they use junmai-shu, the rice ferment filtrate from the Japanese rice wine sake. Sake is known to have skin nourishing and whitening activities and geishas are known to use it as a toner for their skins. With modern technology, they use junmai-shu, one of the three types of sake, as the essence used in skin care as it contains 19 amino acids, vitamin B, minerals and polysaccharides that are good for the skin. TOJI uses junmai-shu in their sunscreen <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="7ba8c08a4367047eab1776c321c453b472ed3554" grtype="null" id="GRmark_418e965ce4bb2eec9edd817ea75be952451fdcdf_but:2">but</span> in a rather small quantity compared to the other skin care products that I tried.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW4rxsMzII2IkIpdkzbmwVCm_RCqRweqaEjfVGKztwMp8-UglSDjfQZWv9bcvDNMraBbO5dUwTO_AZFvAJwmAjrvRNsIss_laQiIy5epjEbMZFu7GCJxBMdkQ2tDpd8TZfRe7Qm5DFck/s1600/IMG_6833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW4rxsMzII2IkIpdkzbmwVCm_RCqRweqaEjfVGKztwMp8-UglSDjfQZWv9bcvDNMraBbO5dUwTO_AZFvAJwmAjrvRNsIss_laQiIy5epjEbMZFu7GCJxBMdkQ2tDpd8TZfRe7Qm5DFck/s640/IMG_6833.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jkomACcBAtrYcyyYFGTbvk8gfAq8JDLdlM9bmbSjWFiexx9qYah98IYFdD7_sVmsVD52KYxuAGq3qRVEICpZbo3YpJ2D-B49wW9jZcpZJtoKylKyPpy-bYCO9Nhx4XqI9IFNMLyUaZw/s1600/IMG_6834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jkomACcBAtrYcyyYFGTbvk8gfAq8JDLdlM9bmbSjWFiexx9qYah98IYFdD7_sVmsVD52KYxuAGq3qRVEICpZbo3YpJ2D-B49wW9jZcpZJtoKylKyPpy-bYCO9Nhx4XqI9IFNMLyUaZw/s640/IMG_6834.JPG" width="398" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJoUH3yTcej4ppZ6EC5AB9g8qjUZ5nrwj5YlFMh360KJGnhRptCMf1k6rtYijPa5JESQjMSfwNHyTq6C7sMDYjUxtXGlS8sZvdpRAeobaKBLNj4Byax8pgtXuSxOyUR-ysIINzkE-3Ig/s1600/IMG_6837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJoUH3yTcej4ppZ6EC5AB9g8qjUZ5nrwj5YlFMh360KJGnhRptCMf1k6rtYijPa5JESQjMSfwNHyTq6C7sMDYjUxtXGlS8sZvdpRAeobaKBLNj4Byax8pgtXuSxOyUR-ysIINzkE-3Ig/s640/IMG_6837.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />I got to test out its waterproof property as an accident when I went out on a rainy day. Since the first ingredient is <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="76280d166e9b399f34d45e15eba3a1d1f66e14f7" grtype="null" id="GRmark_76280d166e9b399f34d45e15eba3a1d1f66e14f7_cyclomethicone:0">cyclomethicone</span>, I figured out I can skip a foundation primer and applied my mineral makeup right on top. It worked really well and despite the rain, my makeup stayed put for about 4 hours.<br /><br />Unlike many other sunscreens I've tried, this one is tinted. It has a light beige tone that matches my skin when I don't get a lot of sun exposure. At first, I thought it was an anomaly but after I did some research on Japanese sunscreens, the tint seen on TOJI is a norm. It works out nicely for me as the coverage is decent and since it is a <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="09be1e6ca23bcca250b90410ba982197614f2613" grtype="null" id="GRmark_09be1e6ca23bcca250b90410ba982197614f2613_mattifying:0">mattifying</span> sunscreen, I don't need to use any foundations on top unless I want to. To me, it's like a BB cream minus the grease.<br /><br />I guess the biggest problem for people with darker skin is the amount of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide present in the products. While they are excellent sunblock ingredients, they are also light reflective. And if you use a physical sunblock like TOJI underneath your foundation, you might end up looking like Snow White in pictures. If you don't believe me, take a look at this:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIy4LtCbO9zkY08xT1_0Q6liT0R_iJ5tx7FScv3l7VAIWF7iUjiZD4sWQUZ4_1yDwAr4C0Uo0x8Te4gaqMVAkFhuPV0H7juecPnjsXhGdRSAhd2ar19mJhQuWWV7oEg3EwrdsE0AYWCFM/s1600/Toji.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIy4LtCbO9zkY08xT1_0Q6liT0R_iJ5tx7FScv3l7VAIWF7iUjiZD4sWQUZ4_1yDwAr4C0Uo0x8Te4gaqMVAkFhuPV0H7juecPnjsXhGdRSAhd2ar19mJhQuWWV7oEg3EwrdsE0AYWCFM/s640/Toji.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not kidding: it's the same skin area but the before and after <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="f3a6f2b9fbfd0e97925dd33b06c057a4a58c9411" grtype="null" id="GRmark_f3a6f2b9fbfd0e97925dd33b06c057a4a58c9411_are:0">are</span> in two different shades!</td></tr></tbody></table>Therefore, while it is an excellent sunblock that I can vouch for, those with darker skins than <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="d63d685205265be679ba0fb922ba936ca8b2476a" grtype="null" id="GRmark_d63d685205265be679ba0fb922ba936ca8b2476a_me:0">me</span> should be aware as it can make your skin look too light and ashy. However, as I look closer at my "after" picture, I can see how much smoother my skin look. It's the -cones at work after all!<br /><br />In conclusion, I believe TOJI Hiyakedome lotion is a decent sunblock. It is lightweight and tinted. Also, during the time I used it (and I'm still using it!), I did not get any breakouts. On top of that, it is a good foundation primer and if you don't want to use foundation, this sunblock provides decent coverage as well. However, the two things I don't like are the price and the whitening effect.<br /><br />If you choose to purchase this product from <a href="http://www.choiceessentials.com/products-by-country/japanese-range/toji-sunblock-lotion-spf-30-pa-25ml.html">Choice Essentials</a>, they do ship internationally and their shipping time is very fast. Also, customer service is good and they will answer your questions very promptly. Thank you, Val, for sending TOJI sunblock lotion to me. I really appreciate it!<br /><br />With love,<br /><span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="8ab3454420561a7e7d00528fe53ec45aaa204bb4" grtype="null" id="GRmark_8ab3454420561a7e7d00528fe53ec45aaa204bb4_Dao:0">Dao</span> <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="8ab3454420561a7e7d00528fe53ec45aaa204bb4" grtype="null" id="GRmark_8ab3454420561a7e7d00528fe53ec45aaa204bb4_xoxo:1">xoxo</span><br /><br />Disclosure: I received this product as a press sample<br /><br /><span class="GingerNoCheckStart"></span>P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!<br /><span class="GingerNoCheckEnd"></span><span class="GingerNoCheckEnd"></span></div>

Sunblock Discovery: TOJI Hiyakedome Lotion

Hi everyone, I'm baaaack ! Since I discovered how wonderful Japanese sunblocks are, I have been using them for a while and they don'...

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Four Reasons to Make the Switch to Waxing

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />We have a guest blogger today. Monica is going to tell us about why we should switch to waxing. I hope you will find this article helpful.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosy4Lf5GN3Qf8f7TGmLHOSmAMe5TarBlUMfiaLhiC-R59g2pdGWbN0OzS28aJS36tugt6Y6yrARp08dZD9a7jf9_Ydl71S8kmHQ5ezDsXXpxlGpBwY55a3vi2DGpjZaOmLDxmYDE3cPvS/s1600/waxing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosy4Lf5GN3Qf8f7TGmLHOSmAMe5TarBlUMfiaLhiC-R59g2pdGWbN0OzS28aJS36tugt6Y6yrARp08dZD9a7jf9_Ydl71S8kmHQ5ezDsXXpxlGpBwY55a3vi2DGpjZaOmLDxmYDE3cPvS/s400/waxing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bonneviesalon.com/services_waxing.php">Source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Although many people consider shaving to be the standard method of hair removal, waxing has become much more popular. Check out these four reasons why you should make the switch to waxing today.<br /><br />1. Shaving leaves skin feeling smooth for only a day or two, and that's if you're lucky. Some people begin to notice re-growth the same day they shave. With waxing, you can expect to be hair-free for three to six weeks. Not only will you experience longer-lasting results with waxing, but when your hair does grow back, it will feel finer. When you wax, you remove the entire hair from the root; shaving merely cuts off the hair at the skin's surface. Because the middle part of the hair, which is the thickest, emerges from the skin first, re-growth from shaving often feels coarser than the hair did originally. <br /><br />2. Unlike shaving, you can wax virtually any part of your body. Many people prefer to remove facial hair with wax. Since the area is so visible, they don't want to risk getting razor burn or cuts from shaving. Also, as mentioned above, the re-growth is far less noticeable with waxing. You can also use wax to safely and efficiently remove hair from legs, arms, and the bikini area. <br /><br />3. Waxing doesn't have to break the bank. Although many people view waxing as a luxury salon service, it can actually be more cost effective than shaving. Once you add up the cost of a nice razor, multiple replacement blades, and shaving cream, waxing about once a month may actually be a cheaper option. It also saves you precious time since you don't have to wax daily to achieve a hairless result. <br /><br />4. For those that lack the time for a salon appointment or simply don't want to have their hair removed by a stranger, waxing at home is a simple, cheap, and easy solution. Apply a numbing cream to the area you're going to wax about an hour prior to waxing to dull the sting. Wax will grip dry hair better than wet, so don't use any lotion prior to waxing. Use baby powder to remove any excess moisture on your skin right before you begin. After applying the wax, be sure to pull it off against the grain of your hair to get the best result. When you're done, exfoliate your skin and apply lotion for a flawless, long-lasting result you'll love. <br /><br /><b>Author's Biography:</b> Monica Dwyer is an experienced blogger and content writer specializing in the area of health and beauty. She has written this article on behalf of <a href="http://www.urbana.ie/">www.urbana.ie</a> who offer laser hair removal and waxing services in Dublin, Ireland. <br /><br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!<br /><div><br /></div></div>

Four Reasons to Make the Switch to Waxing

Hi everyone, We have a guest blogger today. Monica is going to tell us about why we should switch to waxing. I hope you will find this artic...

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Hada Labo Arbutin Wash Is What Dry Skin Needs

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />Boy, I feel so rough! A week of being under the weather drives me absolutely bonkers! I don't know what it is but this cold just refuses to leave my body. On top of that, the weather has been gloomy as if I were in London in the middle of a stormy season or something. This is rather strange for such a sunny place like Saigon.<br /><br />Anyway, more than a week of being infirm has left my face in a devastating state: it dries and I have bags and lines under my eyes. Que horror! The dryness can be easily improved now that I have a new weapon under my belt: Hada Labo Arbutin Wash!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CY5N_7nkKTBrn_7GIy_p2Q-NzT3pRVOzKUcC1f8CHiru3DIdoFxPc64qfgJQQkXznXqkKcNXiP_H7c694nwS6E96C5FHRY80qlv5M4vDuoIv9Qyi2oE2uBB_l4HS4uALrR1tStMWQbF7/s1600/IMG_6498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CY5N_7nkKTBrn_7GIy_p2Q-NzT3pRVOzKUcC1f8CHiru3DIdoFxPc64qfgJQQkXznXqkKcNXiP_H7c694nwS6E96C5FHRY80qlv5M4vDuoIv9Qyi2oE2uBB_l4HS4uALrR1tStMWQbF7/s640/IMG_6498.JPG" width="576" /></a></div><br />I got it as a gift with purchase from a magazine. Therefore, I have no idea how much this bottle of cleanser from Hada Labo costs. However, after consulting the ongoing at the market, it costs around $4 USD. Hada Labo is a drugstore brand here and despite being a cult favorite of so many bloggers in the U.S and Canada, it just doesn't sell that well here in Vietnam. You wanna know why? Just look at the packaging. In Vietnam as well as the rest of Asia, you want to sell something, you make sure it is housed in the most gorgeous container possible. This is a shame because I've seen the bottles (and jars) of Hada Labo sold in Japan and Singapore. They are just gorgeous! Coming to Vietnam and you got something like this. Undermine us much, Hada Labo?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcNQzcbWsPfVArUgBsoqNcGyOOQSGQkFidVBhyphenhyphenkxITn5scHrxSyB5s7Hjlc91sAoPA1W2kh2if6sCwOs0FbfBnpiWXl0G-xjp8YhdbW1KOZqNyrzQLF6CYIKRpJ8k_-3ahzS0AVGYaF8t/s1600/IMG_6501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcNQzcbWsPfVArUgBsoqNcGyOOQSGQkFidVBhyphenhyphenkxITn5scHrxSyB5s7Hjlc91sAoPA1W2kh2if6sCwOs0FbfBnpiWXl0G-xjp8YhdbW1KOZqNyrzQLF6CYIKRpJ8k_-3ahzS0AVGYaF8t/s400/IMG_6501.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredient list</td></tr></tbody></table>The one thing that puts Hada Labo and so many Japanese skincare products a touch above is hyaluronic acid. This skin plumping ingredient is everywhere in Japanese skincare nowadays. Coupled with some skin lightening ingredients and you get the perfect product for the Asian market. For Asians, skincare is very simple, really: it's all about whitening first before anti-aging. On top of that, Asians don't like harsh skincare products. Therefore, this cleanser as well as many other products from Hada Labo feels like water.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5lOshfZ4OKypHuEQgwCRRkTpUOsZW6CH32JTkydrnBpVEd4cjg8LHBRi8vP1LdRnuV0SnsjgiDsUkm2lwqW9Febk1lSytff2LSELF7PkeIMLzuWExlsgYBmgr9iaZgIGCIp4M26GyE1s/s1600/IMG_6503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5lOshfZ4OKypHuEQgwCRRkTpUOsZW6CH32JTkydrnBpVEd4cjg8LHBRi8vP1LdRnuV0SnsjgiDsUkm2lwqW9Febk1lSytff2LSELF7PkeIMLzuWExlsgYBmgr9iaZgIGCIp4M26GyE1s/s640/IMG_6503.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look how creamy it is!</td></tr></tbody></table>With all seriousness, I would not think of using a cream cleanser but a free product with the name Hada Labo pushed me over the edge. You see, Hada Labo is famous for its toning water that is choke full of hyaluronic acid. It is so revolutionary that for a while, I've seen and heard about it from a lot of my beauty blogger friends. I wanted to try Hada Labo for ages just because of its cult status but a bottle of the water from Sasa is expensive and shipping can take forever. Therefore, when I got the opportunity to try this cleanser, I jumped on it with a promise that if it doesn't work for me, I would give it to my mom who has dry skin.<br /><br />Needless to say, this Arbutin Wash cleanser is still in my room and I am using it. For the first time in my life, I have experienced true moisture and comfort from a cleanser. I don't know how they did it but I absolutely feel no filmy residues after washing my face. It feels clean, soft, and comfortable like baby skin. Really amazing! On top of that, the cleanser does not smell like anything, which works for me as I do not like strong smells.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiETssp1xVZba3CULy8T7DcC2mewsM86UZUnjxHR3NIle1f1DAtpaqE_tiCAgxve0zS5Wc5Wc7nWYsCHEJUAXKJPktS0YDGt6O5ImsALmTvXk9wuybpybXjJsWGHPMfVT6DxfxxM6kN4zi/s1600/IMG_6506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiETssp1xVZba3CULy8T7DcC2mewsM86UZUnjxHR3NIle1f1DAtpaqE_tiCAgxve0zS5Wc5Wc7nWYsCHEJUAXKJPktS0YDGt6O5ImsALmTvXk9wuybpybXjJsWGHPMfVT6DxfxxM6kN4zi/s640/IMG_6506.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The three cleansers I put on rotation</td></tr></tbody></table>With all that said, I'm not 100% on Hada Labo Arbutin Wash. I only use it during cold days as it helps preserving moisture on my skin. The <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/time-to-switch-facial-cleanser-hazeline.html">Hazeline</a> is the one for hot days while the <a href="http://mymakeupblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/ponds-black-ponds.html">black Pond's</a> is something I use for some days in between. I guess this is my secret: you can't have a one-size-fits-all cleanser but you need to use a few different ones to cater to the reality of your skin.<br /><br />About the whitening property: yes, it does even my skin out <i>a lot</i>. Considering it a cleanser and me using it once a day, I was surprised at how well my skin has changed every time I use it. Don't believe me? See for yourself.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggA76lGUIeLI5H0P3ir7IT4leRp7Ow2Wg7SHdlM6X_OP0ntTBUHTISCIPsCrxIMLAMLWDZ924HiTIMn75g9SFSBcZ9-gYlVDDnafda8EXRKgNpt87xL_d7OjH_SwVCHzErM3FG1yS_xEZV/s1600/IMG_6509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggA76lGUIeLI5H0P3ir7IT4leRp7Ow2Wg7SHdlM6X_OP0ntTBUHTISCIPsCrxIMLAMLWDZ924HiTIMn75g9SFSBcZ9-gYlVDDnafda8EXRKgNpt87xL_d7OjH_SwVCHzErM3FG1yS_xEZV/s400/IMG_6509.JPG" width="283" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture of me taken today. To have skin that good while being sick is unbelievable.<br />Thank you Hada Labo!</td></tr></tbody></table>If you have dry skin and you want to boost moisture as well as improve your skin's clarity, Hada Labo Arbutin Wash is your answer. Unfortunately, I have no idea where you can find it outside of the Asian market. Sasa does sell Hada Labo (<a href="http://www.sasa.com/SasaWeb/eng/product/searchProduct.jspa?categoryId=201010000&brandId=7874&l=2&type=1">click here</a>) but I just don't see this product there. I feel bad for writing this review as I know how good it is, yet unable to give you a website where you can buy it. However, if you live in New York City or Los Angeles and you can get to a Japanese market, you may have a chance to find it. And if you do, just get it. Hada Labo is truly amazing and I'm a convert now.<br /><br />And btw, I hope you don't mind my goofy bang. I just got a new haircut. It's fabulous but the bang is really, really short. I can't wait for it to grow out.<br /><br />That's all for now, folks! Have a nice day!<br /><br />Love,<br />Dao xoxo<br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

Hada Labo Arbutin Wash Is What Dry Skin Needs

Hi everyone, Boy, I feel so rough! A week of being under the weather drives me absolutely bonkers! I don't know what it is but this cold...

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The Tale of Two Deodorants

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi everyone,<br /><br />Perhaps one of the categories least reviewed in this blog is deodorants. It's not like everyday that I run out of deodorants and have the need to get a new one, you know. But it's been hot lately and those who are following me via Twitter know I have been lamenting about it. The heat brings sweats, which may or may not give the body a certain type of unpleasant body odor. On top of that, I am now exercising more frequently and rigorously, which means only one thing: I stink louder than a locker room after a football practice.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8j9cc4htkFNKzkXGcMpP5O7g7GDhEc90sj57QOqI5jO6rB8o6y-4BfuDyXTA9FGcPwW7sdvseCiJfR25PbakRRfzA_cMoV_sP0T5FwP5X7cVMIr86gjqIVy65cyXTMZiMFFEYQhyphenhyphenvArR8/s1600/IMG_6427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8j9cc4htkFNKzkXGcMpP5O7g7GDhEc90sj57QOqI5jO6rB8o6y-4BfuDyXTA9FGcPwW7sdvseCiJfR25PbakRRfzA_cMoV_sP0T5FwP5X7cVMIr86gjqIVy65cyXTMZiMFFEYQhyphenhyphenvArR8/s640/IMG_6427.JPG" width="554" /></a></div><br />The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nivea-Whitening-Minimizer-Antiperspirant-Deodorant/dp/B000X5LUYC">Nivea Extra Whitening anti-perspirant</a> was something I used for almost a year. The only reason I bought it was the two words written in pink. Yeah, the promise of having extra-whitening armpits got me. It claims to have cell repair properties and can make darken armpits a lot lighter with the help of licorice extracts, witch hazel and avocado oil.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rexona-Light-Antiperspirant-Deodorant-Roll-On/dp/B0058BX6GG">Rexona Skin Light anti-perspirant</a> is a recent purchase. This claims to also lighten the armpits with the help of sunflower seed oil. All whitening, all giving a 24-hour of stink-free armpits with almost the same prices. Which one comes out on top?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9wko_N0LarxhOgve-76RIg_1Ijj8G8avv6zWMUDBvVxrrEtVokrb9s14HT-biOL7cxlCpMpL_3T1P4Win2OaQkbkk9mRjVaL46UQyIFqSzrgkuiWKOiGcug5bH9nlHvqlDqubkPayLSV/s1600/IMG_6431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9wko_N0LarxhOgve-76RIg_1Ijj8G8avv6zWMUDBvVxrrEtVokrb9s14HT-biOL7cxlCpMpL_3T1P4Win2OaQkbkk9mRjVaL46UQyIFqSzrgkuiWKOiGcug5bH9nlHvqlDqubkPayLSV/s640/IMG_6431.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />First of all, let me talk about the Nivea Extra Whitening deodorant. It was the first of its kind in the market and I loved, loved, loved the glass jar. It felt cool and solid in my hand. Also, Nivea has a good reputation for making affordable and reliable products. And it came with a free scarf, too. Sold!<br /><br />I must have bought it before the heat came last year. The first few days were fine as I smelled nice and dandy, like a flower almost. Then, the heat came and that was when the Nivea deodorant showed its true color. It was gentle and felt like a lotion to me. Because of that, it took forever to dry. Usually, I would put on my deodorant after showering with hope that it would work better. Well, it did while I was sleeping. But when I was awake and kicking some kempo ass, the efficacy wore off. I stank even worse than before I used it with a mixture of BO and floral fragrance, yuck!<br /><br />Well, since it was not such a good deodorant, I was hoping it would lighten up my armpits. That was the reason that kept me from chucking it. I kept on applying and applying on a daily basis and saw almost no change at all. So I did a test: I stopped using the product and to my surprise, my armpits actually became lighter from the scrubbing I did during showering.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9cYkdXekawXG1i4CjlehVj-iKfh5Sgsy8tnNaHvGVXCKwCZWBxz7lZ42H5odUHIJNlL6pWWLfG5inhzdM9xWxqRrW4jS8dU6beR8M8HTgKhuiGf9_zL2Scxk-k4LvPllYAELIU67jdHP/s1600/IMG_6428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9cYkdXekawXG1i4CjlehVj-iKfh5Sgsy8tnNaHvGVXCKwCZWBxz7lZ42H5odUHIJNlL6pWWLfG5inhzdM9xWxqRrW4jS8dU6beR8M8HTgKhuiGf9_zL2Scxk-k4LvPllYAELIU67jdHP/s320/IMG_6428.JPG" width="315" /></a></div><br />To my discourse, I kept on using it while looking for a replacement. Then came the Rexona Skin Light deodorant. Have I told you Asians have a thing for lightening skincare products? While I may not approve the use of skin bleaches, skin lightening deodorants are the necessary evils. I want to be able to put my hands up while wearing tank tops, ok?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ySmHnWkaycywIbxJlMXFj-TLhwDu3gGJ_p7SQrY1Uv0EwgaoPdQPMMId0P89ZtoUJQ6pqysQN7FLfQnnsAvhB6z6zIdMmfW3kf_6vdVR5tnWIHn69IHSj1WxW7FEQr9i7f2zG5-8cvf8/s1600/IMG_6433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ySmHnWkaycywIbxJlMXFj-TLhwDu3gGJ_p7SQrY1Uv0EwgaoPdQPMMId0P89ZtoUJQ6pqysQN7FLfQnnsAvhB6z6zIdMmfW3kf_6vdVR5tnWIHn69IHSj1WxW7FEQr9i7f2zG5-8cvf8/s640/IMG_6433.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />The Rexona Skin Light was a new product as Rexona, a brand from Unilever, only had regular non-skin whitening deodorants before. I have to admit buying this product because of the cute lilac color and the weird egg-like packaging.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf03G0kupmACdSpgeq1wMzg2IceGEa6RsWMhQRhbjlNV95ZSZC_XR1_hZCqZSNtQWiyrR7Ej1mTd9vmcMKZ7aLsoMkODjLlXC5DOGXypJ0tUJ81Txx9K7ok8FNbAYIblw8Urxh9Sx5ety8/s1600/IMG_6434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf03G0kupmACdSpgeq1wMzg2IceGEa6RsWMhQRhbjlNV95ZSZC_XR1_hZCqZSNtQWiyrR7Ej1mTd9vmcMKZ7aLsoMkODjLlXC5DOGXypJ0tUJ81Txx9K7ok8FNbAYIblw8Urxh9Sx5ety8/s320/IMG_6434.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />This product has everything that the Nivea deodorant lacks: it actually keeps me smelling fresh for 24 hours while manages to whiten my armpits. I ain't gonna lie, I was surprised that the wings beneath my wings got lighter, too! The only downside is it tends to cling on to the skin and I have to scrub it out harder than usual. Maybe that's how I lighten up my armpits? But anyways, it works under extreme heat and P90X. I have to give it credit for that.<br /><br />In conclusion: buy Rexona, not Nivea. Also, if you have Dove Clinical Care deodorant, buy that one, too. It's a good anti-perspirant without the skin lightening property. Also, while writing this, I realized these deodorants are available at Amazon.com but at marked up prices. Here, I got them for less than $2 USD but at Amazon.com, the Rexona one is on sale for 9 bucks!<br /><br /><b><u>Change-change-change!</u></b><br /><br />Have you noticed some changes around the blog lately? Well, I am in a slow and painful process of giving the blog a different look. The last time I did a new banner was last year and that was it. No changes in the structure of the blog at all. Now that I am in a different part of my life, I think this blog should reflect that as well. From now on, there will be no more ads on this blog. I don't see a point of doing so. The ads only clutter up my blog and I don't earn a lot of money from it at all. Without them, my blog loads faster and looks less cluttered as well.<br /><br />At this point, it is still a work-in-progress. I have a few ideas to do with the blog and hopefully, it will come together soon.<br /><br />Also, and this is a major also, I am not going to blog as often. With all the assignments I have, once a week is all I can do without feeling like I'm killing myself. Those deadlines do run fast and some articles require research as well. So please don't miss me. I'm sure there are interesting things you can find in the archives as well as in my friends' blogs.<br /><br />Love y'all!<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Dao</i></span> xoxo<br /><br /><br />P.S: Please show your support by following my blog and <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyMakeupBlog" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">subscribing to my feed.</a> Thanks a lot!</div>

The Tale of Two Deodorants

Hi everyone, Perhaps one of the categories least reviewed in this blog is deodorants. It's not like everyday that I run out of deodorant...

Read more »