Shiseido's Pre-Christmas Sale

Time to buy back-ups and products you've always wished would go a few pesos lower!

Shiseido Trinoma Mall branch is having a 20% off sale on all Shiseido products

November 29 - December 2, 2012

Dear Perfect Refining Foundation, I've Never Given Any Foundation This Much Chance

I've had the Shiseido Perfect Refining Foundation for almost half a year now and during these times, it's mostly just sitting on my dresser. Not that it's a horrible product (I actually like how it performs and find myself wanting to use it on most days), but it has consistently aggravated pustules every time I use it.

I know it's a serious problem and that I should just get rid of the black bottle, but the advantages I get from it outweigh its most unnerving flaw. I seriously don't understand why Shiseido foundations are acting funny on my skin (even the Perfect Smoothing foundation, which I loved to bits until the day it broke me out). 

• Enjoy Paris' review of the foundation
• Miss Glitzy's compares it to Clarins Skin Illusion
• See why Claire thinks it's at par with NARS Sheer Glow 

I give you an ultimatum my dear Shiseido Perfect Refining foundation. Today, I have an almost clear skin and if you mess with that one pimple persisting on my cheek, I have no other choice but to let you go.

Marnie's Wedding

Do you still remember Marnie from "Ang TV"? She's not as popular as most of her contemporaries but because I find myself singing to do-wah diddy-diddy dum diddy-do every after school during my younger years, I'm able to put a face to that name. 

(Her real name is Marie France Arcilla)

Marnie, or rather, Marie France, currently works as a stage and TV actress in New York. Her most celebrated TV stint to date may be her Gossip Girl appearance as Blair Waldorf's seamstress (she had lines!).

I learned she got married last year. While I usually don't click on nuptial videos of  people outside my circle, I ended up watching Marnie's and felt lucky I did so. Nakakapangarap.

     Julien: Nine years ago, on this island, we became a couple. I remember telling you at that time, "If you're ever going to marry somebody, please let it be me."

     Marnie: I remember one day when you came up to me to say, "You are so beautiful baby ko, i love you so much" ...but on that particular day, I smiled and turned to look at you and was reminded by the kitchen mirror that i was covered with chicken pox! And that's when i knew i would never find anyone who'll love me the way that you do-- absolutely, unequivocally and unconditionally.

The video is like a long trailer for an extraordinary love story movie:

By posting this, I thought I could share two things with you (and even a third one, too: Marnie's beautiful Pronovias gown) : a video done so beautifully and a partnership that has tied two cultures in genuine love. I hope you take time two watch the 6-minute footage. I promise you it's some few minutes put to good use.

Fractional CO2 Laser Timeline

Skin resurfacing using fractional CO2 laser has a more severe downtime than my well-loved pampa-blooming TCA peel procedure. Despite this unfortunate consequence, it is able to improve my deepest & most discouraging acne scars better than any chemical peel. 

But before you commit to a more aggressive acne scar treatment, you may want to check the kind of downtime this scar-busting procedure can give your skin. 

Day 0: I look severely, overly, very, annoyingly RED immediately after the treatment (as shown on my first fraxel* post). Positive facial swelling. Dot marks on the skin only visible upon close scrutiny.

Self-Consciousness Factor: 4/5 

I feel abnormally self-conscious because I came to the clinic with a normal-looking face and went out looking bloody red. However, since I come out of the clinic after dusk (around 7pm), I get less uncomfortably conscious about my reddened face making the 4/5 rating drop to 2/5.

Days 1-2: Less reddish but notably more swollen. Untreated areas of the skin, for some reason, look soft and nice. Dot marks still less visible but begins to turn brownish towards the end of Day 2.

Self-Consciousness Factor: 2/5 

I'm still able to meet people but I'm definitely aware that they're whispering behind my back saying, "mukhang nagpaderma." Definitely not the best time to see someone you have a crush on so better be around two types of people only: those who love you for who you are and those you care less about.

Days 3-4: Burnt-look. Dotted marks start to look very brown, almost scab-like, and micropeeling around the "screen wounds" take place. Skin looks rough especially on the nose area. Facial swelling is remarkably reduced by Day 4 though.

Self-Consciousness Factor: 4-5/5

I hang around with only one type of people: those who love me for who I am. I stay home and refuse to go out by Day 4.

Day 5: Major peeling happens on Day 5. Still, I refuse to leave home.

Self-Consciousness Factor: 5/5 

Days 6,7, 8: Redemption Days. Approx 90% of the scabs completely peel off to reveal better-looking skin on Day 6. The scabs that are the last to go off are those on the sides of my face, nose, and on the temples. Some dot marks especially those on the nasal area may still be rough-looking.

Self-Consciousness Factor: 0-1/5

There may still be scabs and dot marks on some areas of the face but the new skin that has resurfaced definitely makes up for it decreasing the self-conscious factor at its lowest. Still, Day 6 is not the best day to be seen by the guy who makes you swoon --- only because you want everything to be perfect when he's around.

Day 6 of Laser Resurfacing session 2: 90% peeled! Do you notice the dot marks along my lower mandible area?

.................................

This timeline is what has generally happened to my skin post-fractional CO2 laser treatment on sessions 1-3. My latest treatment, just last Thursday, yielded a quicker-paced timeline perhaps because Doctor Foronda shifted my retinoids from 0.05% to a 0.1%. 

There's a catch to the early onset of peeling, though. I've never had post-fraxel peeling as unsightly as this:

Day 4 heavy peeling. Day 3 had more of those unsightly peeling scabs.

It may be a cliche but the good old saying holds very true for skin resurfacing via fractional CO2 laser: No pain, no gain. If you're ready to go through purposeful scabbing while becoming overly self-conscious for days, then you're definitely a step closer to better skin with less embarrassing acne scars!

*fraxel - I only use this term to shorten fractional CO2 laser. The Multixel machine is used for my treatment.

The 1-Minute Hair Twist Using Goody Spin Pins

I use Goody's Mini Spin Pins to secure my no fuss half bun. Ever since I got these innovative hair screws, I retired my collection of good old hair clamps which makes securing the twisted hair style very obvious. Goody's spin pins are almost invisible it wows my girl friends I can pull my hair up in a bun like magic!

If you think I spend so much time with the bun and pins, I don't. After several practices, I am now able to come up with a no-brainer, one minute do. Here's how I twist, spin and pin:

1. I pull my hair in a half pony, twist it counter-clockwise into a tight bun.
2. The spin pins mini come in sets of three. I use the first pin to secure the middlemost part of the bun.
3. The second and third pins go to the left and right lower areas of the bun respectively. This further secures the hair style so that it doesn't fall apart.

Voila, I'm set to go! 

What makes it an easy task is that I don't have to be mindful of hair strays and a loose bun throughout the twist, spin and pin steps. It comes out sexy and effortless with the imperfections. I definitely feel that my 1-minute Goody mini spin pin half bun is worthy of becoming my perennial hair style!