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Favorite Facial Toners

July 26, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Facial Toners are probably the skincare product I used to skip a lot. I don’t remember exactly what had gotten me to start using them diligently, it must be that I just really took my skincare rituals seriously since I’m tired of seeing zits and blemishes on my face. I’ve been hooked into Facial Toners for a couple of years now and since then, I noticed a big improvement in my skin. We may not realize it, but toners do play an important role in skincare. I have probably experimented on a lot of Toners in the past, and still, I feel like there’s not really a lot of good Face Toners out there. However, I did find a few that seems to work for my skin. So here now are my favorite Facial Toners, a few of them have been a constant favorite for years, and also, there are some that are current favorites or new discoveries and are definitely holy grail-worthy.

One of the first and my most favorite Facial Toner of all time is the SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion Toner (5.4 oz: $76). This toner is gentle and calming to use. It doesn’t leave any residue on the skin and it’s non-drying. There’s almost no scent and it gives a refreshing feel. Its main ingredients are AHA and Pitera – which is rich in amino acids. With that being said, this toner gives a youthful glow over time, and it pretty much balances my skin tone and it also improves and evens my skin texture. My skin used to look dull and tired-looking, but after using this toner for more than 2 years now, my skin has been looking radiant. It also seemed to control my hormonal breakouts, and it brightens and heals whatever zits I have, which is amazing because it usually takes a while for my blemishes to go away. I usually use this Toner right after washing my face, and I soak a cotton pad full of it and just dab it deeply into my open pores and it preps my skin for any serum or moisturizer. It usually takes a while to see this Toner’s effect, but with time, you’ll notice the difference. As with almost all of my reviews talking about SK-II products, I definitely feel like my good skin days always happen whenever I use SK-II. My face overall just looks smooth, glowy, and my oily T-zone seems less likely so. Because of that, I also use their Facial Treatment Essence, which is also great at making my skin look its best. The only drawback with this Toner and as with most SK-II products are the prices. This is definitely a pricey toner even though its packaging is large enough to last me about 2 months. I do try to use it conservatively though as much as I can. But yeah, by now, you know that I really love SK-II products and I highly recommend them.

Probably the closest dupe to the SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion is the Son & Park Beauty Water (11.49 oz: $30). It comes in a really large plastic square bottle and you could find it right now at Sephora. It is a K-beauty favorite and has really good reviews online. I’ve also heard about the popular K-beauty brand Missha as having a similar ingredient/toner to the SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion, it’s called Time Revolution Toner, but I haven’t tried it yet. Anyway, back to this Beauty Water by Son & Park. I usually purchased this Toner whenever I don’t have a budget for the SK-II one. It’s not exactly alike, but it’s similar enough. It’s also a very mild Toner with faint fruity ginger scent, kinda like the scent of the Belif True Cream Aqua Bomb. All throughout my use of this, I noticed that it’s good at removing some remaining makeup residues and it doesn’t dry my skin. It made my skintone look more even and it also feels very calming and so refreshing. I even use this as a face mist and it leaves my skin supple.

This Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner (8.4 oz: $44) is an Allure Best of Beauty Winner 2017 and I was surprised to have fallen in love with this at first try. I thought this would be too harsh for my skin, but it’s not. This is actually so refreshing and so calming that I literally zone out every time I use this. LOL. Also, this toner’s packaging is too cute to use and is simply pretty to look at. Although I’ve heard some people say that it looks like one of those jars in their chemistry labs filled with some experimental stuff, LOL again. But anyway, this toner is definitely gentle and I can attest to this since this is pretty much alcohol-free, non-drying and this seems to moisturize a bit. For me, this has all the bells and whistles of a perfect Face Toner like removing debris and purifying the pores, as well as removing extra makeup residue left. But what I love about this is how it really helps soothe my face during breakouts. I just love using this Toner whenever I get those raging hormonal zits and it seems to calm it down, leaving my breakouts reduced in size and almost cured the next day. So, for me, this toner has a therapeutic effect which helped my skin a lot. The packaging is pretty large too, so you can use this for some time.

Next thing is the Dr. Andrew Weil For Origins Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion (6.7 oz: $34), which is a Toner that got the clean skincare seal from Sephora and is fairly new to me. I’ve only been testing this for a couple of weeks now and who knew mushroom skincare can be so good for the skin? This is literally a very gentle toner even though the scent may not be so gentle, but it’s not bad. It has an aromatic herb-like scent which is soothing of course at least for me, but for some, it may be too much (but I doubt it). I haven’t noticed any dramatic results or improvement of this Toner on my skin yet, but what I do notice is that it never broke me out, I mean, it’s expected because it’s made of clean ingredients like reishi mushroom (anti-inflammatory) and probiotics among other things. It also seems very calming on the skin and it pretty much relieved my skin’s redness.

Last but not the least is the Caudalie Beauty Elixir (1-3.4 oz: $18-49). This is also a new discovery for me, but from the moment I tried this, I literally was like “Where have this toner been all my life?” Apparently, this product has a cult following and I wasn’t a follower of it? Hmmm… I don’t know what kind of sorcery is in here but I was really impressed the moment I sprayed this on my face. It literally made my face smooth and soft and my pores didn’t feel so rough at all. It actually kinda tightened it and my skin looks glowy. Furthermore, it feels soothing with its rosemary, mint, and rose scent. It also has some orange flower water. I usually use this prior to applying a serum or moisturizer during the day and also as a face mist to refresh my face during the afternoon and evening. It’s also great as a setting spray for makeup and it really evens it out, reducing any chances of cakiness. This is definitely on my holy grail list now and it’s definitely worthy of being called a beauty elixir.

Bottom line, it’s good to use Face Toners regardless of what brand you’re using or planning to use. I personally think that you shouldn’t skip on this skincare ritual since it’s very important to prep the skin after washing the face. Also, Facial Toners remove extra residues of makeup and dirt that may not have been removed by usual face cleaning, even after double cleansing. On top of that, Facial Toners are very beneficial in purifying the pores. The only downside about Toners is that they get used up a lot, so it’s always a good idea to purchase them in the largest packaging possible, even though most of them are already housed in large containers. So yeah, there goes my favorite Toners of all time, I hope it helps you in finding a favorite one as well.

Wishing you good skin days all of the time. Muah!

xx.

Tatcha Bestsellers Set Review

May 1, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Why Hello There! If you’re looking for the perfect skincare set this Mother’s Day or in any other occasion, I truly recommend this limited edition Tatcha Bestsellers Set. All the products contained in this set are absolutely perfect and are also very useful for traveling.

Tatcha is an American luxury brand that promotes Geisha (Japanese) inspired beauty rituals or beauty products. This is my first time trying out Tatcha’s skin care and my first impressions are very positive. The products are generally mild and innovative. The scents are not overpowering and my skin seems to like their products quite well. Additionally, it has a whole k-beauty feel and quality to it and pretty much neck in neck with Sulwhasoo or SK II. Also, their pricing varies a lot depending on the size of the product. Some are pretty much affordable, while some can be just really pricey. It’s always good to try some starter sizes to see if the product works for you.

Let’s take a look at what’s inside their Bestsellers Set:

Pure One Step Camillia Cleansing Oil (0.8 oz: $15, 5.1 oz $48) – This is a mild makeup remover and facial cleanser at the same time. It’s basically a lightweight camellia oil that totally removes all traces of makeup. Then you add some water to create a foam and it cleanses your face just like a normal facial cleanser would do. It’s basically like double cleansing but with just one product. For me, I really enjoy using this. It saves time and effort on my skin care routine and it’s mild for daily use. Love the pump of the glass container as well.

Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Powder (0.35 oz: $15, 2.1 oz $65) – This product is nothing like I’ve seen before. It’s almost magical. It comes off as a plain white powder that you put on your palm and as soon as you add a few drops of water on it, it becomes a foamy scrub that smells and feels like little bits of rice or rice water. It exfoliates the face mildly and it doesn’t irritate. The result is a smooth skin without the harshness of most facial scrubs. Love it.

Supple Moisture Rich Silk Cream (1.7 oz: $120) – This is a gel-like cream that feels like silk and is also non-irritating on the skin. It’s ideal for combo to dry skin, but I think it’s also very perfect for oily skin due to its gel consistency. In fact, this is very similar to Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb, both in scent and texture. It’s almost hard to tell the difference between the two. This silk cream is an ideal moisturizer base right before any makeup product and it feels very lightweight. Wish it had Spf though.

Luminous Dewy Skin Mist (1.35 oz: $48) – Probably the best face mist in the market to use during dry or winter season. It’s slightly oily so it’s ideal when you need maximum hydration on the face, like when you’re traveling or during the cold months. It may be too much for the summer as the effect of this face mist could make you look very dewy. The pump feels robust and it releases very fine mists. Also, the scent is divine.

Verdict: Tatcha makes award-worthy products and they’re really fun to use with. Every application of each product is an experience that is worth your time and has a very relaxing feel to it. Their Bestsellers Set is really worth it as each product delivers and their sizes are very versatile. The Luminous Dewy Skin Mist is definitely a holy grail for me, and I could see the Camellia Cleansing Oil and Rice Enzyme Powder as now part of my daily skin care routine for a very long time.

This Tatcha Bestsellers Set is available exclusively at: Sephora.com

Hello May!

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Sephora Play! October 2016

October 31, 2016 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Trick or Treat! Hey guys Happy Halloween! Before we end this month, I’d like to share with you my Sephora Play October Box contents. For the life of me, I don’t know why it took so long for this particular box to arrive. But better “almost late” than never, right? Anyways, this month’s box is themed “The Cool Cut” or “The Shades of Cool.” It’s all about the next big thing, the next cool product to watch for.

At first, I wasn’t sure about the contents that I got from this month’s box. I was a bit confused as to what they are, what they’re meant to be, and to be honest, I was expecting more lipsticks and more makeups, but I realize that it’s all about skincare, or at least that was my first impression.

BLINC. Mascara Amplified – Meant to be water-resistant and easy to remove mascara that won’t smudge or flake. For me, this feels like any other good mascara, the applications was easy, separated my lashes fairly well, non-clumpy, but it didn’t add volume. It’s indeed easy to remove as claimed. FYI: the packaging takes a lot of patience to open. Wink!
CHRISTOPHE ROBIN – Regenerating Mask with Rare Prickly Pear Seed Oil. A hair mask that’s meant to strengthen your hair and enhances its color. At first, I really thought that this was a facial moisturizer, I guess because of its packaging and its delightful baby powder scent. But thank god I stopped myself and read the instructions. Apparently, it’s a mask that you apply on your hair right after shampooing. Then leave it on for a while and rinse. The result is tamed and relaxed-looking gorgeous hair. I love this!
SKIN INC. Pure Revival Peel – A non-abrasive gentle peel from Japan. I wasn’t so sure about this at first as well. I thought this was still gonna be harsh as a peel, but since I’ve tried it, I’m definitely hooked. Just apply a bit on your skin, leave it for 10 seconds, massage in circular motion and voila! I literally saw tiny pieces of my dead skin sloughing gently. It does a really great job at exfoliating and can be used 2-3 x per week. I highly recommend this.
YVES SAINT LAURENT. Mon Paris – A fruity-floral fragrance that reminds me of those concoction of scents you’d smell every time you enter a Sephora. 🙂 I lurve it!
BELIF. The True Cream Aqua Bomb – Dry skin rejoice! this lightweight gel-cream moisturizer from Korea has the right kind of thickness that delivers extreme hydration to skin. So good for this dropping temps. It can also work as a mask. I really like this moisturizer’s formulation, and I’m thinking of getting its full size.
SMASHBOX. Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in Driver’s Seat – Reviewed HERE.

Verdict: I thought I wasn’t gonna like this month’s Sephora Play box, but I was wrong. It’s nice to learn, try and see new and innovative products each month, and it’s also very interesting to see what other brands of skin care can offer nowadays. For this month’s box, my likes are: Christophe Robin’s Regenerating Mask with Prickly Pear Seed Oil, Skin Inc Pure Revival Peel, and Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb. Oh and add YSL’s Mon Paris Perfume.

Alright guys, HAPPY HALLOWEEN again! Trick or Treat! Chicken Feet!

Bye October, Hello November!

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