If you are up-to-date with my cleansing oil posts, you know how I'm madly in love with Shu Uemura's High Perf Balancing Cleansing Oil. But there was one morning this year when I sat down and conferred with my finances; I sheepishly asked permission to restock my Shu cleansing oil in the midst of a budget crisis.

Wallet: Well, go ahead. Just make sure the money that gets out of me gets replaced.

Bank Acct: Don't look at me. You know I can't be withdrawn.

Bank Acct 2: Why exactly do you need to spend that much on some bottled-up oil again?

Long story short, budget denied. Your finances will never understand the power of a pricey makeup remover.

And that was how I met Pure Beauty's Perfect Cleansing Oil. Forgive the long prologue. 

Pure Beauty is a saving product especially for those who know the great benefits of removing makeup with oil but is reluctant to break the bank for a cleanser. Do you really need to shell out thousands of pesos to get a superbly clean face? No. 

But let me tell you that Pure Beauty is a far cry from Shu Uemura --- it just doesn't give you the peace of mind that you already have a clean face because it feels and smells a lot like grease. It took me a week to get convinced that this makeup remover really melts off all the foreign stuff on my face. I also hoped to see some skin glow after completely rinsing off this cleanser, as I do with Shu, but no, that may just be a higher price to pay for. 

Tips: Application- Spread 2 1/2 to 3 pumps (yes, it's possible to control the amount of product pumped out! great, huh?) of the makeup remover on your UNWASHED, DRY face. Gently massage all over the face and feel the deep-seated dirt and makeup disintegrate. Use another pump of product when dealing with eye makeup. Rinsing (very important) - cup a tiny amount of water on your hand and massage on the face to turn the oil into a soapy state. Oil gets emulsified in this manner rather than rinsing with TOO MUCH WATER. It's a tedious job but it's a fair price to pay for this inexpensive yet effective product.


Follow up with your usual cleanser after completely removing oil. The Neutrogena Deep Clean Revitalizing Cleanser (pink grapefruit) tandems with the cleansing oil well.

What's to like? The inexpensive price tag! For 149php, I got something that does a good job in removing waterproof makeup and to some degree, mascara and liquid eyeliner. I've used this since January of this year and I never broke out from it. It's also nice that most Watsons outlets, if not all, carry Pure Beauty cleansing oils. 

Uh-ohs. If you are accustomed to Shu High Perf Balancing Cleansing Oil's luxurious scent and feel, then be ready to shake the hand of disappointment with using something that smells and feels like cooking oil. This makeup remover takes time in getting completely rinsed off. And if you just splash water and don't rinse off well, expect the face to feel tacky to the touch.

190 mL, 150php, available at Watsons
shelf life: 3 years

Recommendation. I'd highly recommend to acne-prone girls who use longwearing/or waterproof makeup and sunscreen. It's safe and gentle to use on a daily basis, just make sure not to rub the oil too hard on the face. I definitely choose this over Kanebo Freshel cleansing oil because it works just as good and is 5x less expensive. 

I will NOT recommend to:

• those who already have a budget for the Shu cleansing oil 
• those who barely have time to primp their faces at night --- won't work for you since it can be a pain to emulsify and rinse the oil off.

Through the years I've incorporated oil cleansing method in my evening skincare, I have grown to appreciate the benefits of a perfectly cleansed face. I've tried deep cleansers that barely does the job right and my acne-prone skin acts up whenever I get too lazy to get the cleansing part of my regimen right.

Cleansing oils help save the day (or night!) because it  makes me less susceptible to breakouts. Pure Beauty cleansing oil has proven that no one needs to to bite the bullet for a Shu cleansing oil to ensure clear skin. It's good to know that pimply girls like me can steer clear from horrible zits with just 150 a pop!

We live in the groupon era where it's wisest to go bulk buying. These are hard times and the growth of group buying sites may just be the best thing that has happened in our desire to get a bite of life's luxury.

But thanks to Watsons Switch and Save, anybody can spend economically on their home basics even without buying wholesale! From cotton buds to mouth washes, to your facial tissues and Vitamin C (never miss out on this in your homes! health is an investment): everything is all about letting you save more money to spend for the good life.

Celebrities like Divine Lee, Victor Basa, Patty Laurel and the iconic Tessa Prieto-Valdez have swtiched and saved with Watsons, too! Here's what they have to say:

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I love how the 4U2 Glitz Shimmer Brow Mascara works wonders for me! I got the dark brown shade (which looked black to me) which suited me just fine.

I initially wanted to get shade 02, which is brown, since I felt it suited my colored hair better. However, it ended up streaking my brow with this weird whitish color at the tips. But it could've been the tester, i'll sure be back to give that prettier shade a second chance!

4U2 Glitz Shimmer Brow Mascara 01 swatch

4U2 Brow Mascara costs a fraction of a MAC browset. It delivers satisfactorily despite the cheap tag (not as marvelous as MAC's, though). This is available in all 4U2 Cosmetics counters in Watson's and SM Department Stores priced at P 234.00.

Will definitely recommend this to those who can't afford a MAC browset and wants to prettify the face further by enhancing the brows. I often use this after using the In2it or ELF Brow Kit to keep my brows in place but on lazy days, I plainly use a dash of the 4U2 brow mascara on my brows to frame my face.

1: Thick application of the Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner
2: perfect brows to frame the face (thanks to 4U2 brow mascara)
3: after 2 hours on my oily lids... smokey look na
4: effect of 4U2 brow mascara + maybelline gel liner
5: bare face: before Pure Anada Minerals+4U2+Maybelline
6: don't let the shimmers freak you out; not shimmery at all on the brows
7: brow mascara 6.5g, P234; gel liner, P449

Learning to apply the product properly on the brows for makeup newbs will definitely want them to repurchase. I discourage those who do not plan to use this often as I noticed that this brow mascara dries up in the bottle gradually over time.

I love the 4U2 Glitz Shimmer Brow Mascara to bits. It's cheap, effective and definitely something that can revamp the way your face looks!