Since I dye my hair quite often, I make it a point that my brow color stays in harmony with my crowning glory's. I first met the Andrea Gentle Creme Bleach when I grew tired of hearing beauty attendants saying that the Sally Hansen bleaching cream is out of stock. I knew right then I had to look for another effective brow bleaching brand.

Where to buy: Beauty Bar

How much: 300php for 42g of bleach and 28g of activator

Shelf-life/Expiration: 24M

Application and Results. Preparing the product is easy. Quite easier than the Sally Hansen bleaching cream because the activator comes in cream form and not in the usual difficult-to-scoop-out granules. The Andrea Gentle Creme Bleach contains an instruction guide but allow me to repost, in photos, what the guide says:

1. Squeeze 2 1/2-inch strip of Creme Bleach into mixing cup. Measure by squeezing creme in a full circle once around the inside of the bottom rim of the mixing cup.
2. Squeeze Creme Activator into the mixing cup making a semicircle on top of the bleaching creme. 
3. Using the spatula provided, mix the two cremes thoroughly with rapid strokes.

If you hate the Sally Hansen bleach for its strong ammonium-ish odour, Andrea's rather faint scent may come as a surprise (and an advantage!) for you. I apply the creamy mixture as shown in the photo below and make sure that all the hairs are covered from roots to tips.

The first time I used it, I failed to cover all the hair (see photo below) and missed on sweeping the spatula toward the nasal area. The result? Unevenly bleached brows with the hair roots remaining black. It wasn't anything stark obvious but upon close scrutiny, it's a silent disaster. 

Bleach it right by following the tip given on the above photo and covering all the hair like how I did it in this post.

I leave the mixture on for 8 minutes. I find that this a gentler version of Sally H's because I rarely worry about overbleaching. You know how I leave on Sally H bleach in two bouts: first 4 minutes and the second 4 minutes? I do it in that manner because I always end up with orange brow tips when I do a full 8-minutes. 

Sally Hansen Replacement? Nope. But it's a good back up whenever Sally Hansen isn't available. Also, Andrea Gentle Creme Bleach appears to give me coppery brows while Sally H keeps hair bronzed out.

Andrea's hair lightening properties are a little weak and therefore, the risk of overbleaching is low.

What I love about it:

• cheaper than Sally H's and never goes out of stock (don't you just hate it when you need something so bad and stores tell you that they ran out of it?)
• I end up with a more natural-looking, lightened brow color
• no-drip, creamy formula (you never have to worry about drowning your eyes in bleach)
• faint ammonium scent
• the activator does not dry out. have you ever experienced Sally H's activator grains melting out despite tightly sealing the container?

Uh-ohs:

• first time I used it, it stung so bad (even after passing the patch test) and caused the skin around the brow area to redden
• it still did up to the third time I bleached
• bleach dies down fast relative to Sally H's

It's ironic that I find the Andrea Creme Bleach a less stronger formulation (i.e, milder scent, no need to section application into 2 sets, bleach wears out faster) but has caused stinging and redness on my skin. 

Recommendation. Highly recommended to those who consider brow bleaching paramount to their primping habits and can hardly get hold of the Sally Hansen bleaching kit. I'm still thinking if I'll repurchase the Andrea Gentle Creme Bleach. I rebleach so soon with it but when I think about Sally Hansen's activator powder melting (rendering it useless) after 4 uses, I begin to consider switching brow bleaching brands.

Doing anything for the weekend? If you plan to just laze around because you still haven't thought of anything yet, why not treat yourself with these delightful sales and workshop?

The Bodyshop x SM Advantage Card Promo  (For SMAC holders only) 

If you wanna try out bath and body care from the Bodyshop and would like to get some few pesos saved, this is the best time to get them! Buy one and get the next item, of lower or equal value, for only 100php! 

FREE Shiseido Workshop 

Now, this is something you must not miss -- learning great tips on Japanese skincare and makeup for free! Call up Shiseido Greenbelt 5 (7299853) to reserve a slot today! Please confirm the time from them because I know that the Trinoma workshop happened at 3-6PM.

VMV VSRC Promos for July

Dear Calendar, Seriously? Less than a week before July ends? You gotta reserve slots ASAP.

Revlon Colorsilk Free Color Application (Landmark, Trinoma)

Colorsilk and Luminista dyes are ready to kiss you hair (love how it puckered up mine)! Get them applied on your hair for FREE when you purchase them. I believe there's also a 10% discount on these products. TIP: Don't wait till Revlon's last day (July 31st) since you might not be catered to because of the very long queue!

And I do hope that 70% OFF Bluecross Sale at Debenhams starts tomorrow!

Don't miss out on the workshop if you live nearby Greenbelt, okay? Which sales are you most likely to give in to? Are you as sad as I am that we're hanging on to July by a thread? Time flies. so. fast. *Sigh*

Mandaue Foam, a proudly Cebuano-owned furniture company, offers an array of great home treats for the modern Pinoy family. I first learned about them when I read Patty Laurel's blog. She and her fiance (or are they already married? I'm not sure.) were shopping for their future home.

So silly me started imagining present BF becoming my fiance and us shopping for great stuff for our Zen-themed living room (syempre, ako lang nag decide nyan at di pa nya alam...). My first three picks include:

An L-shaped sofa - This one's sleek and perfectly Zen

Continue reading »

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!