Neutrogena Hydro Boost SPF 50 Review

      I'll be in the Philippines this month, and as you know, my country is tropical with lots of blazing heat. I'm going to be out and about around 70% of the time, so what better product to received than this new Neutrogena HydroBoost Water Gel Sunscreen SPF 50! It has Helioplex technology that protects the skin from broadspectrum UVA/UVB rays.

     What I like about this is that it has a water gel formula that is very lightweight and much less greasy than other sunscreens. It absorbs into the skin nicely and doesn't interfere with other products I use on my face. For the face I can still feel a little greasiness, but you wouldn't notice it at all when applied to your body. It also doesn't leave any white-cast so it's perfect for picture taking! What's also great is that it has hyaluronic acid, glycerin and vitamin E that gives your skin a boost of hydration, and it's non-comedogenic so you don't have to worry about breaking out!

     You wouldn't walk in the rain without an umbrella, so protect your skin from the sun! This is now available in major drug and grocery stores across Canada!

More info about the product here:
https://www.neutrogena.com/sun/sun-adult/hydro-boost-water-gel-lotion-spf-50/6811342.html

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L'Oreal Pure-Clay Mask Review

     I recently joined Shopper Army, and saw the L'oreal Pure-Clay Masks and Pure-Sugar Scrubs as their offer. As I've seen this on Instagram for a while now, I was curious how their new skin care line is. All their Pure-Clay mask products have a blend of 3 mineral clays: Kaolin, Montmorillonite and Moroccan Lava. One of the choices was this Yuzu clay mask that clarifies and smoothens.  It claims it solves rough and uneven skin problems. It's designed for blemished, rough and dull skin. Even though it doesn't claim to have Vitamin C, I picked the Yuzu mask  as I am alway after brightening.

    First thing I noticed when I opened the jar, is this invigorating citrus scent. It smells so lovely and not too overpowering. The consistency of the product is thick, but it smooths out easily on the skin. It also has this seeds or beads which helps with exfoliating, so I like that it's kind of 2-in-1. However, because of the thick consistency of the product, I don't think they should have placed it in a jar as it is difficult to pick up the product with your fingers. It should have come with a small spatula if they were going to place it in a jar.

     After leaving on for 10 minutes, it dried up completely but it didn't leave my skin tight like other clay masks. It left my skin smooth, soft, and feeling refreshed. I've only used it twice in a span of 10 days, and I will try to continue using it if it does even out my complexion, and helps with my breakouts.

Korean Beauty Additions

     Everyone knows how popular Korean skin care products are today. I'm curious, so I thought I should give it a try. I have combination skin that is oily on the T-zone and normal on the rest. My main concerns are dull, uneven skin tone, and hyperpigmentation from post-acne. I actually saw these products from Wishtrend's YouTube videos about getting rid of acne scars and brightening. Then I ordered from YesStyle.

    First of course is toner. This is Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner, and it is the most popular toner in the market today. It balances the skins pH, and moisturizes it. It prepares the skin for the next product for better absorption. The main ingredients are Sodium Hyaluronate and Lipidure for locking in moisture, Beta-Glucan for soothing skin irritation, and Centenella Asiatica Extract for anti-oxidant. It's also suitable for sensitive skin types as it contains minimal number of artificial chemicals. From the ingredient list, most of it is from botanical extracts. I was also surprised that it has Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, which is a Vitamin C derivative! A 180 mL/6.08 oz bottle costs $22, and will last up to 2 months!

     What is Korean skin care routine without essence? This is Skin&Lab's Dr. O2 Clinic Oxygen Ultimate Brightening Essence. It has Bamboo extract, and Spirulina for moisture and clarity, Cynara Scolymus leaf extract for oil-control, and Oxygen water and Niacinamide for brightening!

     This product is super fun to use because it bubbles up! The product feels a little sticky after applying, but it goes away after about 30 minutes. The downside of this however is that it is heavily fragranced so it might not be good for sensitive skin types.

      Last is this moisturizer from Chica Y Chico, Nude Fantasy Whitening Cream. You might be confused why I picked up a product that says "whitening". Although whitening is everything in the Filipino and Asian cultures, I simply do not believe in that. Let's embrace our kayumanggi skin Filipino people! From what I heard from the videos I watched, it might have been just a bad translation. Instead of whitening, they just mean brightening.

     Although it's not labeled as an SPF, it also has Titanium Dioxide, which what lightens the skin instantly, but what I'm after is the niacinamide and arbutin in this product to fade my hyperpigmentation. I use this during night time because i think the "whitening" effect looks like a bad, uneven, patchy white-cast.

     After 2 weeks of trying these products, I did notice that my complexion has brightened and faded my acne scars.

Before

After. The big red acne mark has faded! But ignore the white cast from the cream. Look also at the dewy glow from the toner!

Mauve Eyeshadow Look

 Hi guys! I'm finally posting a new eyeshadow look! This was inspired by the nail look I did for Valentine's which used mauve tones.

I used the Laura Mercier Artist's Palette to achieve the mauve look, along with the Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Vape, Tattoo Liner in Trooper, They're Real Mascara, Decadent Lashes in Celine, and of course, Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

I used Real Techniques and E.L.F brushes. From left to right: deluxe crease brush, base shadow brush, contour brush, smudge brudge, accent brush.

I've already primed my lids, filled my brows (I used Benefit Cosmetics Ka-Brow), and dusted my lids with Vanilla Nuts using the deluxe crease brush.

 I then applied Fresco on the outer V and crease as a transition shade, using the deluxe crease brush.

Using the base shadow brush, I darkened the outer V with Truffle.

I used concealer to define the crease so that I have a blank slate to put my shimmery shade. I used e.l.f. smudge brush since that is the flattest eyeshadow brush I own.

 Using the same smudge brush, I applied African Violet on the centre and inner part of the lids to add that shimmery mauve color, similar to Nails Inc Holler-Graphic in Ghetto Galactic which I used for my accent/ring nail.

 I didn't think the shimmer was enough so I added Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Vape to my lids, still using the same brush, and on my inner corner using Real Techniques accent brush.

 

I added a little purple tone to my crease using Violet Ink, because it was coming off too brown. Then lastly, I applied eyeliner, mascara and falsies.

So this is the final look! Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog!

I hope I get to post another eyeshadow look soon, instead of taking months. This is what happens when you're cursed with laziness. 😅 Let me know what kind of look you want me to see do next in the comments!

Benefit #BeneFaves VoxBox Review

Disclaimer: All product are received complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

This month, I was one of the lucky people who received this generous VoxBox from Influenster and Benefit Cosmetics. It includes a deluxe sample Porefessional Face Primer, deluxe sample Hoola Bronzer, full-sized They're Real Mascara and full-sized Ka-Brow! These are all bestselling products from Benefit!

The Porefessional Face Primer minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines. It can be applied under or over makeup.

The primer is very smooth and silky. It feels siliconey like other primers but not greasy. It almost feels powder-like. It also has this lovely mild floral scent. I've had this primer before as a sample from Sephora and I really like how it applies and how it mattifies my skin.

I decided to wear the primer by itself so you can see the full effect of it. On the left is before application, and right is after. Because of the mattifying effect, it smooths out the skin which reduces the look of pores, and in my case, my acne scars.

I'm very excited to try Hoola, as I hear so many good things about it. It is meant to use as a bronzer to have a sun-kissed look. But since it is matte, it is very good for contouring, too.

I really like that it comes with a brush. It is perfectly sized to swipe under the cheek bones to create a shadow. I didn't expect that the handle would be made of wood!

It's about a shade darker than my skintone and it's not too warm

 

On the before and after pictures, you can see how it creates enough depth. But not too much, so it still looks natural.

I have tried They're Real mascara before when I got a deluxe sample from Sephora. This was the first mid-range mascara I've tried then, and one that first amazed me.

On the right is just my bare lashes, and on the left is with the mascara. The consistency is smooth, not too thin or thick. Because of that, it lengthens and volumizes the lashes without clumping! The rush is also quite different from the ones I've seen before. The bristles help with separating the lashes so that they all get coated. I've also tried using it with the primer version, and it volumizes even more with it.

Ka-Brow! is the first brow product I've tried from Benefit. I think the packaging was done in a clever way so that you get a full-sized brush!

It was very easy to use. I was able to fill up my brows in under a minute! You only need a little bit of the product so be careful. Just dot the brush on the gel each time. It took me only 3 dots to fill one brow, so you're really saving on product!

So here is all the products I used, and nothing else. Hope this helped you decide if you're interested in buying these products from Benefit, but in my experience, I say go for it!