Achieve Korean Skin Under P500

You can never get enough glow! Since I can no longer drink my supplements such as glutathione and collagen due to my gastritis. So, I've been once again out on the hunt for alternatives on anti-aging products. 

Long ago, Korean products have invaded our local market and a cornucopia of skincare choices scattered like mushrooms. The very reason why I refused to delve in their products because simply put, they were TOO many to choose from! </3

LUXURIA CHARCOAL SOAPFrom Strokes By Momoi Supe Greenbelt 1

What made me finally try Korean products was from the CHARCOAL SOAP I got as a sample from Strokes By Momoi Supe. SRP is 200 for the regular size.

 It has activated charcoal as the main ingredient infused with Vit. C and Salicylic Acid! Works great as a skin brightener, antioxidant and dries pimples fast accordingly. 

More about Activated Charcoal from Allure.com:

 Activated charcoal, which is carbon that's been treated to increase its absorbency, isn't new. It's been used in hospital emergency rooms for years to treat alcohol poisoning and drug overdoses. It works by attaching to toxins in the stomach and absorbing them before the bloodstream can. The theory behind including activated charcoal in beauty products is similar: It'll act like a magnet to attract and absorb dirt and oil. And the experts say that theory holds water. "When dirt and oil in your pores come in contact with the carbon, they stick to it and then get washed away when you rinse," explains cosmetic chemist Ni'Kita Wilson.

Benefits on skin according to beverlyhillsmd.com:

1. Deep cleanses

2. Purifies complexion

3. Fights blackhead

4. Balances oily skin

5. Gently Exfoliates

Photos below were taken after the 2nd use of the charcoal soap above. How my complexion brightened and improved greatly in an instant! Absorbing toxins and balancing the oil holds true for activated charcoal. We've been training for airsoft from 10am - 330pm a total of 6 hours and 30 mins. of heat and sweat but I didn't seem to oil up almost at all. No blotting papers used mind you! I didn't break out too. And I've noticed how it can kill acne - whether cystic ones or small bumps, in 1-2 days time. Also made my pores smaller!
* CONS: Stopped working after a month. It couldn't prevent pimples any longer but PERFECT for controlling oil and making your skin glow and drying pimples 1-2 days time.

Then recently, a group was referred by a fellow blogger selling really CHEAP and quality Korean skincare at SaeliYuriMelissaLee's All About Korean Cosmetics and Skin Care.

 You'll have to hunt for the items though as each distributor sells limited varieties of Korean brands and checking availability has been an SOP furthermore, asking for recommendations. It can be quite confusing however, these 3 products are names that frequently pops up in the threads and posts!

I installed and purchased all items through Shopee because it was easier to search which was already onhand.
The best thing about these is that you can buy it in what they call "takal." It comes in 10g giving the leeway to try it out first instead of buying the entire thing at a steeper price and just finding out it doesn't work in the end.

REAL KILL BLACK 9.9 Horse Oil Cream

Takal 10g

SRP: P120.00 + P65.00 shipping

Shopee Account: themakeuphubph
When to apply: PM only

Description: Contains horse oil from je-ju island that forms a thin moisturizing and protective layer on dry skin. Prevents evaporation of moisture and leaves skin dewy. Skin-whitening and highly moisturizing hempseed oil cream. Whitening, good for dark spots, pimple marks, stretch marks, whitening of dark underarms, knees, elbows and back of neck. (Also treats chicken skin)

SCENT: Smells watery! I was bothered at first but got used to it!

APPLICATION: On the blemishes on my legs from post bug bites, my underarm and entire face in the evening. 

VERDICT:

PROS

* Fades blemishes on my face

* Whitens my complexion

* I look fresh in the morning

* Reduced chicken skin on my face

* Faded my stubborn blemishes on my thighs.

* Whitened my underarms.

* No breakouts for the 1st month.

CONS

* I BROKE OUT ON MY FACE AFTER ONE MONTH. (Accdg. to my Derma, oily/acne prone skin should avoid any oil-based products). No problem whatsoever on my underarms or legs though.

VELVETY WHITE CREAM

Takal 10g

SRP: P100.00

Shopee Account: qaka3na

When to apply: AM only

Description: Moisturizng/Anti-wrinkle, whitening, nourishment, soothing, tone correction and waterproof.

Ingredients: With Niacinamide to make skin tone clear and bright. Contains snail secretion filtrate, grapefruit peel extract and adenosine.

 

SCENT: Light floral and feminine. Quite a heavenly smell!

APPLICATION: On face

VERDICT:

PROS

* Whitens and brightens complexion instantly!

* Hides dark undereye circles

* Made my complexion less oily as if I have normal skin. Wowed by this!

* My face was VERY soft to the touch!

* Smells really good!

* Somehow made my face look younger! Like wow!

* Reduced my pore size greatly!

CONS

* Broke me out after a month as well! :(

WHITENING PACK (facial mask)

100 ml tube (I haven't read anything about this being available in takal or 10g size)

SRP: P250.00 (price is still not bad though!)

Shopee Account: shaynne88

When to apply: 2-3 times a week only, apply enough amount of face and rinse after 3 mins.

Description: A whitening pack containing whitening ingredient and niacinamide which helps keep skin white and clean through effective management of skin tones.

 

SCENT: Mix of Pond's and iWhite fragrance! For me I like this smell best of all because I'm not really a fan of strong scents. It is quite neutral but a whiff of freshness.

APPLICATION: I wash with water first then spread the whitening pack all over my face. Rinse then wash using your facial cleanser (as for me I use Luxuria Charcoal Soap).

VERDICT: 

PROS

* Whitens your face instantly (tried only once because I was already happy with the RK Black and Velvety White Cream). I'll give more updates soon!

* Face is soft to the touch after.

CONS

* Leaves a white cast when unwashed with soap/cleanser.

* I get huge painful bumps the next day! :(

AFTER MORE THAN A WEEK OF USING GOWOORI, no makeup except lip tint to channel the Korean in me and no filter! Taken with Fujifilm XA3 flipcam in natural light!

PIECE OF ADVICE: I could have saved more if I only stuck to one seller. In my case, I purchased from 3 different Shopee accounts adding a shipping fee on top of the SRP for each product. Try to connect with one seller as much as you can by browsing through one account. Sometimes, they would have all these in one place. Or join SaeliYuriMelissaLee's All About Korean Cosmetics and Skin Care in group in FB. Not only you'll get the right seller for you but proper recommendations!

DISCLAIMER: You might think, why in the world did I even blog about this if it breaks you out? Firs of, I created this blog on my new site at www.ayaezmaria.com months ago and was still in the testing the waters phase. Now, that I decided to add this here on Blogger it's pretty much updated.

Also, I can still claim how porcelain looking my skin was and it has never been better upon using these products and I'm just as frustrated I cannot use them anymore. BUT, WHAT MIGHT NOT WORK FOR ME, MIGHT STILL WORK FOR YOU. Now, atleast you have precautionary measures to go with it. Maybe it would work better on DRY/COMBINATION skin. Since us oilies have to avoid oil-based products.

Feel free to comment below for questions! :D

Yours truly,

Pink Paradox

My Final and Staple Skincare Routine with Lanelle Products

I've already told you my tale of skin woes. But, just for a short BG check I have ACNE-PRONE, OILY, and SENSITIVE SKIN. And you can see my pores a mile away. 

Products that only worked for me so far is BEAUCHE, BELO PRESCRIPTIVES and finally LANELLE. The latter is something we have to dab on. 

For product review on BELO PRESCRIPTIVES just click on the link.

I've dealt with my acne, oil, scars and blemishes half of my life.

So, why did I suddenly transfer to Lanelle if the 2 former products work? Simple. IT KILLED THE GLOW. Okay fine, we had the acne under control but my skin never looked so dull! And yes! What happened next was my search for that FINAL AND STAPLE skincare routine. The Holy Grail. Because my skin and I are tired from all the experimentation of possibly breaking out from new treatments. 

What I want? NO ACNE, ANTI-AGING and GLOW ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I guess, we are bound to change routines as we grow older. As our skin needs will vary with age. And hey, we're are definitely not getting any younger! 

Now, without any further adeu here are my FOREVER products: LANELLE with a few mixes in the set. I never get any pimples anymore even on my periods! Only at times where I FORGET to wash my face. That's why ladies and gents, no matter how tired you are WASH YOUR FACE IN THE AM AND PM! As for me, I was having a terrible stomach pain problems so imagine how I had to fight that every night just to wash my face and go about my nightly routine. 

I apologize though because I don't have any before pics that I can show. Hard to be fan of selfies having bumps poking out of your face with hideous scars. But, I do wish this pic will give you hope as well:

 Above snap is me now! No makeup whatsoever on my face. Just YUMI LASHES and 3D Eyebrows from Strokes By Momoi Supe. Review on this click here.

MORNING:

1.  Start washing face with Lanelle Kojic Soap. (Forgive the image for it has been soaked whenever we take showers in the bathroom). My brother and I found out that using it like this without cutting is more "tipid". This is like the HG of all. Me missing just one wash in the evening makes me breakout the following days! :(( I've learned from my years and yeaaaaaarrss of experience how the soap alone is already a game changer! I always need to have this in my stash or else! XD I may change my anti-aging creams but this is something I'll never or can never give up!

 PRICE: 210.00 php per bar

2. TONE. Get a cotton ball and apply on face in circular motion. I may have modified my kit since using Lanelle Toner contains stronger ingredients such as Retinoic Acid, I use SKIN 101's 2% Clindamycin Toner as alternative. This is to avoid my face getting red since I do have sensitive skin.

I forgot the price but I think it's around 250-350 php. It's been more than half a year and I still haven't purchased a new bottle.

Clindamycin is an antibacterial agent great to fight and prevent acne. Alcohol is not too strong based on the scent.

3. DRY THOSE PIMPLES! I used to apply BENZOYL PEROXIDE 5% from Benzac AC. Be careful though, percentage differ on the patient from mild to severe conditions. There's also 2.5% which is the milder one. You may start with that. However, since a tube costs around 350.00 php or more in drugstores per 60g. I decided to shift to a cheaper BUT not having to sacrifice quality.

This is pretty handy dandy moreso portable and cheap! Only 55.00 php in Watson's. A pack goes a loooong way! Not sure if they have it in other drugstores tho. But best place to look are in SM Malls.

Feel free to read the description for more of its purposes.

Remember: This is a SPOT TREATMENT only for AM and PM. I don't use it on the whole face. Not sure if you can. It has key ingredients such as Salicylic Acid (great for drying zits and unclogging pores) + Glycolic Acid for exfoliation. It hits 2 birds in one stone: DRIES PIMPLES and HEALS BLEMISHES. Works like a charm! I think they released ones in tubes now! 

Just an added bonus, here are other variants of QUICK FX, all costing 55.00 php only each.

Credits to blogger www.askmewhats.com for the pics!

CREDITS TO www.askmewhats.com for the pics on GOOGLE.

 4. FIGHT THOSE EYEBAGS! I used SNOE BEE HAPPY before. But, took the leeway of trying something new! I came across OLAY. It's not exactly tinted. I recalled the saleslady saying it somehow corrects the dark circles upon application hence the nude color. Works fine though!
around 1,299 php as far as I can remember. Sorry, I happen to find almost all eye creams are expensive! Huhu! I shifted to this because SNOE was around 1,500 php. Well, to no luck on cheaper eye creams except the QUICK FX.

5.  PUT ON THE SUNSCREEN (also my moisturizer btw)! 2nd personal favorite of mine: Lanelle SBF Collagen Cream with SPF 30. Why is it pink? Becaaauuuse to give you that rosy effect! Hehe! And the best thing about it is the powdery finish. Whatever redness you have on your face it helps fade it out. Which in turn giving you a fresher and glowy look! Collagen and sunscreen in one! And, yes! You may skip the foundation!
PRICE: 450.00php

Almost out! Don't leave home without it! This is my nth product!

You may read more of its benefits here.

Almost there!

EVENING:
1. Wash with Lanelle Kojic Soap Again.
2. TONE. This time I use Lanelle Whitening Toner. Also a game changer! It's anti-aging and also clears out blemishes! I blew up the images so you may read description and benefits!
You know what to do, 3 drops on a cotton ball is enough for me. Then I use upward strokes. This lasts me to almost a year. But in the end, it really depends on the user.

3. Apply Quick FX to dry zits.

4. GOODBYE BLEMISHES. I apply Lanelle Bleaching Cream on my dark spots and post-acne marks. Although, you may put them on pimples you see brewing blemises underneath for a faster cure. 

Depending on your skin condition, some put this on their entire face to even out skin tone. If you do, you will experience peeling in the next few days and maybe redness with itching. This is normal, eventually your skin will shed those and be back to normal. This is amazing because I used to have a huge scrape on my face hit by a rattan stick. After the scab fell off it left a blemish which the bleaching cream miraculously eradicated without a trace! Truly, heaven sent!

PRICE: 350.00php

5. Apply OLAY for the eyebags again.

6. FIGHT AGING! As soon as you hit 25 y/o., start using products to help delay aging. As for me I drink YOUTHEORY Collagen Supplements as my internal care. I will review more about it soon so you're not overwhelmed with too much info for now. Anyways, as a topical nightly treatment there's a lot that I tried including ETUDE Moistfull Collagen Water Jelly Cream. It was really nice because it feels like my face just drank water after and adds a cooling effect. Great for summer! However, when I ran out I was given a free sample from Lanelle called the Wonder Cream.

It's placenta and Vitamin E. I wake up with a more glowing and fresher skin. I noticed a whitening effect as well. 

NOTE: With anti-aging products, I think this is something you can still play around on which works for you. As long as you have your acne already under control, stick to those products. While anti-aging ones are safe to try. However, if you notice a breakout observe for a few days more before you give up on it. I've been wanting to try out serums these days! Especially Kiehl's. Though it costs 2,895.00 php that is only good for 3 months. So, no thank you! XD LOL.

For now, the wonder cream may also be a keeper! Been using it since March 2017 - 5 months and I still have this amount left. :)

ADDITIONAL TIPS:

** You can ICE your face! Lol. Use a cold compress or wrap ice around your hanky before you wash your face in the morning. It helps depuff eyebags, delays aging, reduces blemishes and minimizes pores.

** Massage face and undereye area to distribute equally blood and promote circulation.

** For permanent or Icepick Scars and stubborn blemishes you can resort to lasers. Check out my REVLITE review in Skin 101 here.

I've been taking Lanelle Products going 2 years now and have no regrets! I hope you may find it helpful and effective for you too!

More pics of my bare face: one on date night and one in the beach! :D 

I am even confident to go bare for SLR shots. Snaps taken with Fujifilm XT10:

Stay tuned: 

** DIY Home Remedy Mask to tighten and reduce pores!

** Skin supplement to make you look younger and attain glow from the inside out!

As promised here is my YOUTHEORY COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENT REVIEW.

BAKING SODA TO RELIEVE ITCHING

Last week, I was back playing Airsoft from months of hiatus. And lucky me, because it's June and it's the rainy season! More to getting down and dirty! So much for the getting down part tho because there were a lot of prone positioning I executed. With that, I was scratching and itching at the end of the day.
2 days of being bitten, I didn't know sand mites were the culprit yet. It was the most tormenting experience of my life. I couldn't sleep at all and I was either massaging or clawing at the red bumps 24/7. Cry I would, but no tears couldn't come out. There were a cornucopia of remedies I've applied just to find relief. Caladryl, Betamethasone and raw vinegar. Which only gave seconds to NO relief at all. In my mind, I wanted to rush myself to the hospital and get injected or something.
What's worse, we were taping for a certain film that time and also scheduled for an out of town with church peepz. To top it all off, I had an ulcer attack in between. Imagine the torture I've been through.

I am terribly sorry about this pic, but I posted this so you would know what sand mite bites look like.

WHERE ARE SAND MITES a.k.a NIK NIK found?

"They’re found mainly in tropical and subtropical climates. They breed in places with a lot of moisture, such as decaying plants, moss, and mud. In the United States they’re mostly found in the southern states.
Sand flies eat nectar and sap, but females also feed on the blood of animals and humans." - www.healthline.com

WHAT DO SAND FLEA BITES ON HUMANS LOOK LIKE?

"Even though the sand fleas are quite small they can cause severe skin problems. They typically bite the feet, ankles and legs because they are closest to the ground. Sand fleas can only jump around 20-40 cm, so there’s much less chance of getting bitten on the upper body unless you’re lying down in the sand. When you do get bitten, it’s most likely to happen during the evening, night or at dawn. This is when the sand fleas are most active, so be on guard if you’re on the beach at this time." - www.fleabites.net

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

** DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST FOR RELIEF NOT CURE. BEST TO GO TO THE DERMA TO BE PRESCRIBED OF THE RIGHT TOPICAL CREAMS AND ANTIBIOTICS/ANTIHISTAMINES. **

1. BAKING SODA

This is a lifesaver! It relieved itching instantly! It does sting a 'lil on some parts. Maybe because of scratching. Best not to use it on wounded areas or watery blisters. You can use this on different kind of rashes and allergies not only sand mite bites. Generally, it relieves whatever kind of itching even on scalp!

Baking Soda is an HG and has plethora of uses which I will blog about soon as well. Great for the skin even on face!

* Add one tablespoon of water

* 2 tablespoon of baking soda

* Mix to create paste

* Apply on areas of itching

2. ALOE VERA

To soothe and moisturize skin. It has cooling effect too!

Only 189.00 pesos from bench! It can also be applied on face and body to relieve it from sunburn or just as a daily moisturizer.

3. CALMOSEPTINE

Photo courtesy of Google

Only 36.00 pesos in Mercury Drug!
Apply 2-4 times daily! I found it more effective than Caladryl and Clobetasol. Consistency is very thick so make sure you massage it until the skin absorbs it.

4. COLD COMPRESS
Get ice and wrap it in cloth or whatever compresses you can buy in the market would do. Rest it on top of the area to calm itching. Instead of clawing at it, this is your best alternative.

** THINGS TO AVOID **
Swimming in the beach and pool! I found that it really makes your skin itchier after! I had to find this the hard way. XD

NOTE: There are other home remedies such as oatmeal that you can do. However, above stated are all the things that I personally tried and worked for me.

** IF ALL ELSE FAILS. GO TO THE DOCTOR! **

HOW TO WHITEN YOUR UNDERARMS & LESSEN CHICKEN SKIN

2 CHEAP SIMPLE STEPS TO ACHIEVE WHITER PITS AND REDUCE CHICKEN SKIN

I would like to credit Ann Salas for the tips which a few I took and now sharing you the results in just a week. :)

Photo by Jhet McLane

Photo by EJ Orpilla

***

I've noticed how well taken care of our faces are that we forget about the pits! Dark underarms is a result of the continuous rubbing or friction on the skin.  Also caused by tops/shirts that are TOO TIGHT and applying deodorant. Yikes!

My UA condition: every girl's nightmare - dark & with chicken skin (heard chicken skin is hereditary). I actually plan to go for lasers or Revlite nonetheless, I've invested in so much this season that it's off the table for now. How timely that I've discovered this miracle worker and that's very CHEAP too! Less than a hundred bucks!

Okaaay, so I don't have anymore BEFORE pics as not to scare the pits err..wits out of ya.

So, I picked up 2 tips from Ann Salas and whaddya know, it works! :p

All are DRUGSTORE products. SUPERBLY cheap and easy to find even in sari-sari stores!

STEP ONE:

1. As we take care of our face, so should we give attention also to our underarms. Are you ready? Ten-tene-nen!

POND'S FACIAL WASH (accdg. to Ann, you can use any type) So far, I've used:

--> POND'S WHITE BEAUTY FACIAL WASH (pink one). I buy mine in sachets btw, costs around 22.00 php

--> POND'S MEN: ENERGY CHARGE FACE WASH (tried this because of the small exfoliating beads). 

And guess what? Both worked! XD But, I've stuck with the classic POND'S WHITE BEAUTY FACIAL WASH coz of its more well, floral-feminine smell. XD

** Do this MORNING AND NIGHT along with your facial regimen so it's not too hassle doing so many routines or when you take a bath**

STEP TWO:

2. TONING with ESKINOL CLASSIC WHITE DEEP CLEANSER

** Grab a cotton ball. Squeeze a few drops and gently apply and wipe on your underarm. Just a theory but make sure don't create too much friction as it's one leading cause of UA darkening.

I'm amazed how results were visible in just a week! My chicken skin was reduced too making it smoother and better in texture! OMG! 

And that's it! Was it a bit anti-climactic? Were you thinking a hundred steps to treat those stubborn pits? Well okay, there's one more bonus from my book. While we put a creams on our face for repair, so we can also do the same for the pits.

OPTIONAL:

GLUTA-C

(Can be bought in drugstores as well, price is at 199.75 php for 20ml)

* WHitens Dark UA

* It delays hair regrowth

* Softens & Smothens Skin

* Antibacterial

* Fragrance Free

>> Gel type so, easily absorbed by skin.

Apply this AM & PM after washing and putting on toner on your UA.

Things it claims to do (also good for BIKINI AREAS):

So far, so good! I'll do a more in-depth review on this soon. Which btw, I also apply this on my knees since it darkened from kneeling too much due to Airsoft. Nonetheless, I've seen significant improvement on those areas, both UA and knees. Plus, I think it did help delay the growth. I pluck lesser than my usual.

It's not perfectly white but I am really happy with the outcome! A confidence booster! I can raise my arms up in the air like I just don't care! XD Definitely, sticking with this routine! :D

Read on what I use for waxing: Honey Magic Wax

If you wanna purchase the whole kit you can get in LAZADA:

https://www.lazada.com.ph/products/honey-magic-honey-waxing-kit-i112672840-s115336188.html

---

I've also read testimonies that LILY'S TOUCH MIRACLE CREAM not only whitens the face (I can attest to this though since I'm using it and will review on it soon) but has been effective on the underarm as well. This is the cheapest I can find and you can avail here:

https://www.lazada.com.ph/products/lilys-touch-miracle-cream-50ml-i112254086-s114764960.html

More UNDERARM tips given by Ann Salas on her facebook page: Mini Review | Tips & Tuts

Who's Ann Salas? :)

Former cosplayer, currently a model and is a young entrepreneur. She owns an online budget-friendly store with a wide array of cosmetics, contact lenses to trendy apparels and handy-dandy gadgets to choose from!

Drop by her online shop, Serendipity Btq to see what the shop has to offer! :)

Also, follow her blog at maybe, Serendipity for more product reviews, life hacks, budgetarian travels, resto's and inspirational reads! Thank you so much sis, looking forward to more of your beauty tips n' tricks and journeys. <3

xoxoxo