Miley Cyrus poses nude and almost unrecognizable for W magazine's March 2014 cover. Her toned body, crimped hair and bleached out brows sure made a statement altogether!

“I just don’t get what half the girls are wearing. Everyone to me seems like Vanna White. I’m trying to tell girls, like, ‘Fuck that. You don’t have to wear makeup. You don’t have to have long blonde hair and big titties. That’s not what it’s about. It’s, like, personal style.’..."

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I've gone overboard crazy about whitening soaps in the past that I've completely ignored the power of a good anti-bacterial soap. After all, flawless, fair skin must not just be white but also clean and germ-free-- protected from harmful agents that may cause irritation that will harbor ugly marks and rashes.

Just recently, I started incorporating two anti-bacterial soaps in my skin primping regimen: Leading Brand (white variant) and Shield Cleansing White. I've been using both for weeks now and I see no reason not making either of them a bath mainstay.

Leading Brand

Its label says that it has been proven effective in removing skin germs that may cause skin infection and perspiration odor.

Price:  P14.75 for 60g and  P25.00 for 120g

(Also comes in two other variants: Pink and Beige)

Shield Cleansing White

Label says: "Shield is formulated with an anti-bacterial ingredient that provides a long lasting protection against skin bacteria that may cause disease and body odor. It is also infused with active skin moisturizers (she butter) that help maintain the skin's natural moisture while cleansing."

Price:  P11.25 for 60g and P19.75 for 120g

(Also comes in two other variants: Blooming Pink and Calming Beige)

The Anti-bacterial Soap Experience

I'm not a newbie to germicidal bath soaps but the experience using these two turned out to be an exciting one.

Both Shield and the Leading Brand leaves a just-got-off-the-shower scent that I've never experienced when solely using a whitening soap. What's more, that feeling of freshness lingers for hours which can be empowering-- the cleaner I feel, the more confident I am!

Shield Cleansing White may seem to have a winning edge over the Leading Brand (white variant) because of the active skin moisturizers it contains, but I found both to be equally moisturizing. Using either of the two gives my skin a smooth, soft feel.

The big difference lies in the fragrance. Shield has a more striking fresh scent.

It's also interesting that the Leading Brand lathers a bit more easily than Shield. Because of that, I ended up with a smaller bar of soap with Shield after using both soaps for two weeks. That may well explain why the Leading Brand is a few more pesos pricier.

Both are great anti-bacterial soaps, too! I should tell you about...

My Horrible Bug Bite Experience

Before I was sent these soaps to try out, I suffered nasty flea bites from occasionally petting a neighborhood cat (lesson learned, please don't tell me I should've known better :( ). Our general physician prescribed an antibacterial liquid soap and an anti-itch cream, which actually worked. If I used my usual whitening soap alone, my bug bites would blister and leave huge, hideous marks.

When the soaps came, I used Shield and the Leading Brand, in place of the liquid soap, using one bar after the other to isolate results. For a fraction of the liquid soap's price, these two worked surprisingly well! The stung areas no longer formed blisters hence, my marks looked a lot more acceptable as they healed.

Antibacterial agents help in bug bites by minimizing infection to the affected area. Less infection means less inflammation ergo, less trauma to the skin. (If you ask where the infection would come from, it's from the environment and from scratching the itchy area as anti-itch creams are not foolproof).


I will not hesitate to recommend these two affordable, very similar antibacterial soaps. Those who prefer a more toned-down refreshing scent will find the Leading Brand (white variant) more fitting while Shield is ideal for those who are on the go and would not want to fuss about spraying fragrance after bathing. They both leave the skin smooth and feeling fresh for hours and are genuinely effective germ-busters.


Disclaimer: Products were sent to me for review purposes. Post contains my unbiased personal experience while using the two soaps, the Leading Brand (white variant) and Shield Cleansing White.

When I turned 33 this year, I noticed that my feet looked a lot drier than before making wearing fitflops and any open-toed shoes a bit of a nightmare for me. I was already carting a heavy moisturizer I found on the internet when the kind people from Vibelle sent me two highly moisturizing Jergens lotions- the Overnight Repair and Ultra Healing. Yes, how convenient!

Jergens Overnight Repair and Ultra Healing lotions, 100mL, P100.

I know there are specific creams and lotions for the feet but I've always experienced that regular body lotions worked well enough anyway. Although I must admit, I may have to follow a completely different school of thought when I turn 40.

The Experiment:

In an experiment, I tested both water-based moisturizers for their ability to:
(1) smoothen the skin on my toes, and
(2) eliminate the cracks on my heels

Every night for 30 days, I smoothed Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin on the left foot and Jergens Overnight Repair on the right, massaging a lot more product on all toes and both heels. I also covered both feet with socks; it's not a quick ritual but hey, when is curing a disease (omg, a disease!) ever an easy task?

Care to guess which lotion worked better for my feet?

Jergens Ultra Healing vs. Jergens Overnight Repair

	Jergens Ultra Healing - Heal & Soften	Jergens Overnight Repair - Repair & Restore
Product Info	this fast absorbing body lotion goes deep beneath skin's surface to lock in moisture for 24 hours of relief. With continued use, it actually triples skin's moisture content, healing dryness at the source to prevent its unwelcome return. Use daily, giving special attention to elbows, knees, hands and other dry area	repairs and rejuvenates overnight so you can sleep beautifully and wake up to revived skin. With it's effective formula of antioxidant vitamins and healing hydrators, this body lotion replenishes skin's moisture reserves and quenches dry skin as you sleep. It softens and smooths to repair a week's worth of damage in just one night.
Key Ingredients	Vitamins A, C, and Pro-Vitamin B5	evening primrose, shea butter, jasmine, acerola
Scent	classic Jergens	faint floral, very pleasant
Texture & Feel	very creamy, takes more time to get absorbed by skin	creamy, absorbs quickly
Greasy?	Yes + very shiny nails	No. very cool and satin-y afterfeel
Moisturizing?	Highly	Highly
MUA rating	4.3 /5 with 84% of the 229 raters repurchasing	4.1 /5 with 83% of the 19 raters repurchasing

While the ugly cracks on my heels weren't completely eliminated by Day 30, they are less noticeable now and more visibly so on the right heel. The very dry skin covering the phallanges of my right foot have been significantly improved, too. Clearly, Jergens Overnight Repair fared better than the Ultra Healing variant in this experiment.

I spend the least over body moisturizers as I have a generally problem-free skin from the neck down. However, when my feet started to look very dehydrated this year, I convinced myself to invest in pricier heavy moisturizers. Even toyed with the idea of getting an expensive foot care set. But then, with the discovery of what the 100-peso Jergens Overnight Repair lotion (and socks!) can do for me, I just saved myself from  a couple of unnecessary spending!

Disclaimer: Products were sent to me for review purposes. Post content is in accordance with my personal experience while using the Jergens Ultra Healing and Overnight Repair lotions. I tested these products on my own two feet and never on kitty nor wabbit paws.

I'm alive and baaaack from my 5-month long hiatus (long and tiring story...) and I can't contain my excitement on getting back to blogging and reading my fave blogs!

Over the course I've been absent from the blogosphere, I haven't stopped thinking about the stuff I wish I could share with you. Now that I'm finally and officially back, let me give you a rough picture of some of the beauty products I've been crazy about these past months. Presenting...

Six Products I Like So Much (with a short intro/ review about why I love each):

1. Relumins Advance White Oral Whitening Formula. Finally, an oral glutathione that doesn't make me too yellow like tathion 307. I've been on it for a week now and I have to say I'm quite impressed with the effects.

2. Avon Skin So Soft Lotion (especially the soft & white with marula variants). After basking under the summer sun from previous vacations, the intensive whitening lotions from Avon have aided me in evening out and actually improving my body's overall fairness. 

3. Tony Moly Acerola Sheet Masks. My cheeks have gotten so annoyingly dry lately and these sheet masks have done a good job in helping me wake up to better-looking skin. Too bad these red packets are almost always OOS in stores :(

4. Banana Boat Sport Sunscreen SPF 110. My second most awesome purchase for the summer. I use this for the face during trips to the beach and it has never failed me. Proofs in a lengthier review to follow!

5. Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation. I've purchased this last year, loved it back then but failed to blog about it. I'm still very much in love with it now especially since it fakes a fresh face in this sweltering heat. I top it off with Joppa MMU in Grecian Gold to improve its hold.

6. Clarisonic Mia. I consider this my best beauty purchase for the first half of the year (review coming up!!!). It just really works for me and the results are instant: I get cleaner, clearer and healthy-looking skin after using this. I use the Mia with Clinique liquid facial soap/ Neutrogena Mulberry Ultra Foam Cleanser and with the deep-pore cleansing brush head.

If you are keen enough, you may have noticed how these product faves are mostly about keeping the skin fair. I noticed that too just now and I don't have a damn good reason why. I will be reviewing each of these products in detail very soon and perhaps by then, I can tell you why I'm such a whitening whore!

I've already told you how I use the Camaru Bamboo Charcoal soap to spot-treat pimples on my face. I haven't tried cleansing my entire face with the soap as it can be very drying, but I can attest to how much this bar can brighten my body in a few weeks' use.

I suggest you:

• use it twice a day
• work the soap into a rich lather on the body
• let the soap sink in the skin for 5-10mins (only for the first week; succeeding weeks, I don't wait for the soap to get completely absorbed into the skin)
• use Vaseline Healthy White lotion after bathing
• use Asian Secrets Lulur thrice a week to ensure optimum effects of any whitening product on the skin

It stung like crazy when I allowed the soap to sink into my skin during the first week. My body (and hands!) exfoliated intensely which didn't look very pleasant at all. Thanks to the bits of patience left in me, I reaped impressive benefits after 3 weeks of using the bamboo charcoal soap.

Coping With Its Imperfections

The bamboo charcoal soap has a few cons:

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Last weekend, I experienced my first organic foot spa at the Beauty and Butter Megamall. This Vegan foot, nail and leg pampering uses soothing and relaxing products from eco-friendly brand, SpaRitual.

The Beauty and Butter Organic Foot Spa Experience

The buttercups, the girls who work at the salon, politely showed me where to sit and handed me an iPad. While waiting for my buttercup, I was intrigued by the place's pop-art walls. I also thought it was space-savingly cool that the foot sinks were built in the platform and were concealed underneath colorful pillow-ish squares. 

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I got this in the mail and it didn't take a lot of effort for these three to intrigue me. How can something as black as charcoal promote whitening? And what-the-H is Acerola? Camaru Naturals sent me their best sellers, Bamboo Charcoal and Acerola White C face and body soaps. Since anything whitening can degrade the skin's moisture, Camaru guys threw in an intriguing bottle of Camellia Rose moisturizer.

I am honored to try these products out (they're proudly Pinoy!). I usually give soaps a good 3-4weeks trial time before the verdict, but if these two deliver fast, I may have to fill you in quite sooner.

Check out their benefits:

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The first time I got my hands on Asian Secrets Lulur, I got so excited that I forgot to read the label.  I used it on my damp skin and was not too happy with the results.

My skintone went surprisingly darker after bathing.  I suddenly questioned why so many raved about it, but then I thought I shouldn't judge too early.

Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Scrub, 135g tub

Lo and behold, the label read, 'best applied on dry skin'.  And the rest is history.  It's now among my staple beauty products and I eventually discovered the best way it can work for the skin.

If you want to experience the best of what this product can offer your skin, here are some tips:

• If you are gaga about whitening soaps, creams and lotions, then you should exfoliate the skin at least twice a week to get those expensive products working.  Asian Secrets Lulur is the best way to go because it is safe for daily use (I do it every other day though because I don't want to run out of it so soon).  Imagine all those papain, arbutin and other bleaching ingredients seeping through your skin optimally.
• Use the product on DRY SKIN. Many have used it after wetting the skin, myself included, and the results weren't as thrilling as when applied before bathing.
• Use a spatula (or a teaspoon) in scooping the product out.  I noticed my small tub turning sour since I just dip my hands to get the product.
• Scrub per body segment instead of randomly slathering the product to your body.  This is crucial to make sure you are not missing out a spot on your skin (ha, I'm so OC!).  Think: (1) shoulders and arms, (2) upper leg, (3) lower leg and dorsum of foot, (4) low back and butt area, (5) chest and tummy.  Put this body map in your head when scrubbing and you're in for a serious brightening treat. It seems a lot at first, but when you do it often, it'll be a breeze, really.

Body diagram edited from this page

• Scrub the skin well till almost all the beads melt into the skin.  You'll know it's time to move on to the next segment if you start seeing flaky white remnants of the product.

nope, that's not the 'flaky, white remnants yet'
 if you still see this much product on the skin, you're at least 10 scrubbing strokes away from completion

• Use Asian Secrets Lulur generously on the skin.  Generously. (that's why I feel that the tubs aren't cost-efficient. i can finish up one small tub in 5 whole-body scrubbing sessions)
• Let the product seep through the skin for a few minutes.  You'll know it's time to wash off when you feel the skin growing warmer (approx 4mins).
• If you have decided to stock on the product, grab the bigger tub.  You save more by doing this.
• It isn't necessary to use this daily.  Results are carried over within 2 days post-scrubbing.  It's best to use this 2x-3x a week.  

Some users claim that they can work with the product better with the skin damp, while majority agree that the best effects are seen when Asian Secrets Lulur is used as a dry brushing agent.  The above tips are drawn from how I've been using the product to achieve a nicer and more radiant skin, but it is not limited to these.

You can try experimenting with your Asian Secrets Lulur scrub and see what works for you!

The title must have given it all already.  By now you must've guessed that I'm giving this product a two-thumbs up rating with the tagline inclusion, "the greatest exfoliation experience".  Well, Asian Secrets Lulur is simply that.  For those who are looking for a skin brightening experience that's easy on the pocket, this might be the tub you'll need to stock up on.

Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub, 250g and 135g
available @ Watson's Beauty Store, 130php and 80php respectively

This exfoliator, unlike the Abonne milk spa salt scrub I reviewed earlier, isn't harsh on the body.  Submaximum scrubbing can be done since the beads are finer and easier on the skin.  We all know how beneficial dry scrubbing is to the skin, and Asian Secrets Lulur elevated this essential primping procedure to a higher level.  

Why so?  Because the skin feels nothing but regal with the Tommy girl floral scent it leaves the skin (and it sure does linger!).  Adding to that is the radiance the skin gets after washing the product off the body.

you'll definitely leave the bathroom smelling like you've put on Tommy girl

Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub is a beauty treatment inspired by a most luxurious Javanese ritual called Lulur. The ritual was originally intended for the bride-to-be in order to beautify, smoothen, and whiten her skin before her wedding day. Lulur originated from the royal palaces of Java, Indonesia and products inspired by this traditional treatment are still used by Indonesian women today.

An Indonesian royalty ritual rolled in an inexpensive tub?  Sounds real promising, huh?  And here's more.

Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub claims that:

• It gently exfoliates the skin and removes dead skin cells to soften the skin and give it a radiant glow.
• Frequent usage reduces skin pigmentation and evens out skin tone by getting rid of dark patches, especially in areas prone to darkening such as the elbows, knees, armpits, and the area between the thighs.
• It contains Vitamin E and Green Tea extract, powerful antioxidants that protect your skin from free radicals to keep it healthy and young-looking.
• It also contains Squalene and Olive Oil that help maintain moisture on your skin.

I've been using this product for more than a month now (hence, the purchase of a new and bigger tub).  I loved the way the scent lingers on the skin.  It's like you've spritzed on perfume after bathing (but if you hate Tommy girl's scent, you might be better off with Abonne spa milk salt scrub).

I noticed how it evened out my skintone every after scrub like there's no dark film masking the radiance of my skin.  However, if you skip dry brushing using Asian Secrets Lulur 3 days in a row, you'll see how the skin's radiance diminishes.

The available tubs are not cost-efficient for me, though.  They should come up with bigger packaging (I will not hesitate to buy a pail of Asian Secrets Lulur, seriously) because this product is a keeper.  I finished off the small tub in a span of 7 whole-body scrub sessions.  I have yet to gauge how long the 250g tub will last me.

Asian Secrets Lulur whitening scrub, 135g --- perfect for giving the product a shot

Now, the big question is if it's worthy to be labelled, "whitening body scrub".  In a month's time, I can attest that it is, coupled with a moisturizing lotion (I use Revlon Aquamarine) and a whitening soap.  It has the power to really brighten the skin and make it look relatively translucent to your previous skintone that's why I'm claiming that it can whiten.

In my opinion, its whitening effect can be best appreciated with NC30 and lighter skin tones.  Application of whitening products, say a whitening soap bar (I use Likas Papaya soap), can help hugely to appreciate Asian Secrets Lulur's contribution to a brighter skin.  I've tried using just Likas Papaya soap sans scrubbing for a week and the whitening regimen just doesn't look and feel the same without it.

Check out what Pammy, Kira and Maria had to say.

Significant whitening results are not achieved using this product as a sole source for whitening.  

Inside the tub: Asian Secrets Lulur is white and creamy!

I will be posting the best ways to maximize this scrub to achieve optimum effects tomorrow, so stay tuned.  Try it for yourself and tip me off if I'm right about Asian Secrets Lulur being a cheap yet effective whitening product!

I love this product because of the wonderful milky scent it gives my skin after baths.  A Bonne Spa Milk Power Salt Scrub is so cheap at 80+php, you wouldn't think twice about buying a product that's both whitening and firming!

A Bonne Spa Milk Power Salt Scrub, 300g, 80+php (~$1.50)
available at Watson's and in most supermarts

Directions: Apply gently to wet skin in circular movement.  Leave on for 3 minutes, and then rinse off with water.

The product boasts of a powerful triumvirate that works to keep your skin fair and firm: Allantoin that scrapes off impurities, dead skin cells, and helps in blood circulation; Milk Proteins that keeps the skin smooth and moisturized; and Dermawhite that leaves the complexion bright, refined and evened out.  Collagen extracts are also present to fade out visible lines and wrinkles.

A Bonne Milk Power scrub contains micronized salts that will help you exfoliate the skin well.  I just had a problem applying this product on its own because of its unrefined salt crystals.  It was too "sharp" for my liking.

A Bonne's Spa Milk Salt Scrub crystals

The antidote is to mix this with a liquid soap (try Johnson's baby milk bath just to reinforce the creamy, milky scent).  Scrubbing is less painful and you are able to give yourself optimum exfoliation.

What I love about it:

• the scent is just so addicting
• delivers well in exfoliating the skin, and as a result, a brighter-looking skin
• cheap and locally available
• skin feels soft and supple after scrubs
• value for money - 80 bucks for 300g

Uh-ohs:

• can hurt the skin without other diluting agents other than water
• the pretty scent does not linger long on the skin

Tips:

• before bathing, get a handful amount of salt into a plastic bowl to avoid wetting the product (also, this is where you can mix the salt with the Johnson's baby milk bath)
• avoid getting the product over wounds or popped zits --- it can sting

I'm halfway through the bottle and I'm still not seeing significant whitening or firming effects.  But it is too early to tell.  As of now, I'm wishing that Abonne's Spa Milk Salt Scrub has a more lingering scent.  You'll understand what I mean if you get to come across this product.

'Japan' is actually a pseudonym for the world's largest vanity haven.  Slimming capsules, skin smoothening tabs and tools, breast and butt enhancers, whitening creams and medications, and not to mention a long list of reputable makeup and skincare brands women of all ethnicities have learned to adore.

Name it, and they might just actually have it.

Beauty Gone Mad: Nose Enhancers: Bibana and HanaHana

Now, glutathione is Japan's godsend to every Filipina wanting to have a fairer and finer skin complexion.  Used mainly for its whitening side effect, glutathione can be taken orally (tablets like Shiseido Whisis, Tathion307, ph338) or via the bloodstream route (intravenous shot like Tationil and Reiki) to achieve a whiter, evened-out skintone.

I got the chance to compare 2 warring japanese oral glutathione brands: Tathion307 and ph338.  Both are reputable and have earned mixed reviews from users.  And here's my take.

I took ph338 from March to June 2009, while tathion last May 2010 up till now.

The Dosage.  To achieve significant whitening, both tabs must be taken 3x a day, each pill along with Vitamin C (500mg).  Most users recommend 'cocktailing' where additional supplements are taken daily to enhance the glutathione's effect (like NAC, ALA, grapeseed, etc).  Since I'm not after the paperwhite effect, I took these whitening candies daily, 30mins - 1hour before breakfast, along with 500mg of Kirkland chewable Vitamin C's.  I was only after the much raved 'glow' that it gives.

PH338 (100mg/tab) - I got the glow in a week's time (I took it 2x a day, took it once daily thereafter), my skintone became half a MAC shade lighter (this soooo subjective! but what can I do? I've no whitening meter) after 2 1/2 weeks, and I noticed that I gained a handful of weight a month after taking it.

TATHION307 (100mg/tab) - I got the glow in a few day's use and my skintone was headed to a MAC shade higher in a little over a week's time!  Seriously, I was rather appalled that these little pills are so powerful!  Although I didn't notice any significant weight gain during my intake, I disliked how more yellow my skintone became.  I reduced my intake to every other day and luckily, I'm achieving the kind of glow I want!

The Availability.  I'm getting stocks from a multiply seller (Cheska's Store).  I've noticed that there are more ph338 sellers than tathion's.  On the issue of fake glutathione brands, I'm happy to say that there is no circulation of these fraudulent whitening tabs YET.

back part of ph338

back part of tathion307

The Price.  I chose to buy from multiply sites since Ebay.ph will let you shell out an additional 18-20% of multiply resellers' cost.  Ph338 will cost you 1500-1900php ($30-40) for 90 tabs, while Tathion's price ranges from 2000-2400php ($42-50) for the same number of tabs.

The Verdict?  I wouldn't hesitate to say that these two whitening agents are really effective.  They are amazing.  But I'm choosing to keep Tathion.  It's a runaway winner since:

Tathion307, Japan Glutathione, 2000-2400php/90tabs

1. it is more cost-effective for me.  I know that Tathion is 500 bucks more expensive than ph338, but since I'm taking it every other day, my 2000 bucks is good for half a year's use. While 6 months on ph338 will cost me 3000php.  I'm a cheapskate, I know!

2. i don't feel fat with it like I did with ph338.  Now, this is a controversial point.  Most users claim that there's no weight gain with ph338, while a handful of us swear we grew like hippos!  I find that I'm more hiyang with tathion in terms of the weight gain issue. (NOT SO FAST... Please check my tathion weight gain story!)

3. it gives me a celebrity-ish glow. I honestly have bad skin.  Derma+gluta is actually my savior.  I'm supposed to include 'healthy lifestyle' in the equation for great skin but I'm still working on that department (I sleep really late, I bask in the glory of palengke french fries and pringles).  Ph338 gives me a nice kind of glow that's kinda sossy but Tathion grabs the trophy by allowing me to be capable of turning most guy's heads.  Mwahahaha.  I'm kidding.  It's a hyperbole that people notice me more now that I've got this nice flawless look.

HK trip, 2009, a month after using ph338

Malaysia Trip, 2010, a few weeks of using Tathion

Your choice of glutathione will largely depend on your budget and on how white you want to be.  Ph338 never made me yellowish while giving me the glow, but it took longer for me to see results.  Tathion on the other hand was really a fast deliverer (albeit being 50mg lower in dose than ph338!), but it did some altering on my skintone that I wish it never did.  I suggest you try cheap testers first before getting the full set (trial blisters for ph338 ranges from 600-800/30tabs, 800-1000/30tabs for tathion).  Happy whitening, and happy gluta hunting!

I've done a little experiment with dry brushing to check if it truly deserves an additional few minutes to my already long bath time.

I tried dry brushing for a week.

And then another week sans the procedure.

And then this past work week with it in my routine again.

The verdict: it's a must in my bath routine. Why? Primarily because I noticed how my skin looked softer and noticeably fairer when I combo-ed it with my fave moisturizing products. Dry brushing CAN boost my kikay products' effects!

Related effects of this healthy pre-bath procedure includes:

• Removes dead skin cells allowing you to see a finer skin texture
• Results to firmer and more radiant skin since it stimulates microcirculation beneath the brushed areas.
• Ample amounts of blood distributed in these areas via microcirculation will mean more oxygenation. Imagine how much spas and salons charge us for oxygenation procedures!
• Can serve as an adjunct to an alkaline diet program + regular exercise to ward off ghastly cellulites.
• Stimulates the detox process that stimulates the lymph canals to drain toxic muccoid matter into the colon.

You may want to check how I do dry brushing.

Skinfood's Pineapple Hand Cream perfectly fits the summer season mainly because it smells like real pineapple. Before you get freaked out by the scent, let me tell you that it smells like pineapple... IN A VERY POSITIVE WAY. Everytime I put this on, my folks would tell me how nice it smells.

Skinfood Pineapple Hand Cream, 45mL
Around 600+PHP (~ 13)

The Edge:

• scent spells out summer: it's pineapple right at your fingertips! (pun intended)

• moisturizes the driest hands

• small amount should do; product goes a long way

Uh-ohs:

• feels kinda greasy if you accidentally put on too much

• tends to make the hands too shiny instead of moisturized-matte (perhaps because I don't have dry skin type)

• it's too liquefied. it should be a cream, duh!

Less is more: a little amount is good enough to minimize the ugly lines on your hand
and moisturize it!

(L): I accidentally squeezed out too much product
(R): Too flowy. I sort of expected a creamier prod

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ROYAL RATING: Spend-worthy? Not really. There are cheaper alternatives. I just use this product during special occassions, say, holding hands with boyfie *royal chuckle*. No, really. That's when I use it coz he loves the scent on my hands.
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Hands are so precious that it needs to be pampered after a long day's work. Why not try giving your hands some massage using a hand cream/lotion? It's a stress reliever for me!

Royally yours, Bleak

It was love-at-first-slather.

I first used it on my elbow that was bound for a keloid scar. I got that wound from being dragged by my 9-month old pit who chased a ball while I was walking him (think: asphalted road kissing my skin. and i was too dumb not to let go of my pup's leash).

The wound I had was at its earliest stage of forming an ugly keloid when I used Revlon Aquamarine lotion on it. Thank God for friction massage plus Revlon Aquamarine's collagen-rich formulation, my wound skipped the trip bound to ugly keloidness (is there such a word?), and now, I can barely see the scar.

Revlon Aquamarine Body Lotion for Extra Dry Skin, 437 mL
Vitamin A and Collagen enriched
Purchased at Watson's (also availble in selected grocery marts), 140PHP (~ $3)

The Edge:

• cheaper than your Victoria's Secret, Calgon and B&BW haul

• softly scented; boyfie'll tell you, "ang bango mo naman!"

• love how easily it seeps through the skin! no greasy feel!

• it's a moisturizer and a keloid-buster in one (for keloids, use Revlon Aquamarine in conjunction with cross-fiber massage)
  

• skin gives a healthy glow after application

• stubborn and dry skin will truly be moisturized!

• a pea-size covers a big area because of its thick consistency. One big bottle lasts me three months daily use (AM and PM)
  

Uh-ohs:

• sooner or later, Revlon Aquamarine won't be available locally (my relatives in the US are having a hard time looking for this already. BTW, US stores sell this for a little over a dollar)
  

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ROYAL RATING: Spend-worthy? Absolutely! It should get an award. I'm giving it
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Slathering it on area B

You don't need to shell out a lot to get a superb body moisturizer. I say Revlon Aquamarine Lotion deserves to be tested. I've been using it for more than three years now since that fateful pulled-by-the-pup incident (he was technically a pup, he's just 9 months... weighing 27 kilos and with superb gameness). I sure hope you gals can try it out too and relate to the rave I'm doing on the web :)

What's your body lotion staple? Will you want to try Revlon Aquamarine out? Lemme know.

Royally yours, Bleak