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Just a little reminder for you guys...


Don't let your problems and struggles drag you down.  Just know that there's someone awesome up there that's handling everything for you.  Fighting!

Another month has ended and that means, it's time for another haul video.  I really apologize for super duper delayed skincare routine video.  I'm still trying to get back to my usual blogging schedule before things get super hectic again.

Have a nice weekend and safe travel as well for those who are going out of town for All Souls' Day.

Browse my previous posts!

Haul | September 2015

Make Up And Hair (MUAH) - The Saem Saemmul Real Tint in Pink

Skin Care 101 - Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser and Acid Toner

Nuat Thai, Libis

Caronia 3-Step Hand & Foot Care System

your sweetest drug,

    

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I no longer go to nail salons to have my feet pampered.  I figured, it's just costing me at least 200 php every month.  Sometimes, twice a month.  So, in order to save up a little, I do my pedi at home.  And thanks to Caronia, I can now treat myself for an indulging foot spa too because of their 3-step hand and foot care kit!


Initially, I thought it would be very tiresome to do that whole hand and foot pampering thing and most likely, you'd just end up feeling unrelaxed because you're doing the task yourself.  But surprisingly, I enjoyed it.

All of these three products have the same scent.  It's not exactly green tea.  I think it's more of a herbal-ish fragrance.  Something that you'd probably smell in a spa.  I love it so much and especially how it fills my room with that relaxing, therapeutic aroma.  Talking about setting the mood for a hand and foot spa!

Revitalizing Soak & Wash


A luxurious blend of Green Tea fragrance, soothing menthol and skin-softening Dead Sea Salt. Cleanses, soothes and softens hands & feet.

This one's my favorite!  If you're not in the mood to do the all the scrubbing but your feet badly need some TLC, all you need is to mix this in warm water and soak those abused toes in.  You can even do it while watching TV!


After 10 to 15 minutes, my heels felt softer and smoother.  Yep, just like that.


Renewing Scrub


A gentle exfoliating mix of apricot seeds and white wax beads and the calming infusion of Green Tea fragrance massage oils and menthol. Exfoliates dead skin cells and eases tired hand & foot muscles. It’s tough on rough spots like the heels but it’s also gentle on your hands.

This baby reminds me of St. Ives Apricot Scrub minus the scent.  It can't completely remove stubborn, tough skin but it helps get rid of cracked heels as it makes those areas smoother.


I prefer rinsing my feet with the same soak+water I used and just towel-dry my feet after.  

The beads are not too fine nor too large so it also gives a nice massaging touch as you rub it on.


Nourishing Creme


A nourishing mix of Panthenol combined with soothing Green Tea fragrance. Smoothens and hydrates hands and feet.

Your cuticles might thank you for using this.  

This one is perfect to apply to cap off your foot-spa-at-home sesh.  The formula is not too sticky and it dries fast while leaving a good amount of moisture.


And again, the scent is so calming.  Sometimes, I use it just to spread the fragrance all over my room.


All of them are available in 200 and 500 ml as well at a very affordable price.  Go check them out!

What do you think?

Like Caronia on Facebook and visit their website for info. 


your sweetest drug,

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September 23rd, one day before our 3rd anniversary, we thought of getting some relaxing body massage.  We didn't have much time to look for a new spa place so we thought, why not try Nuat Thai again but go for a different branch.  Apparently, that's Kris' favorite and besides, it's very affordable too.

We headed to Libis for our pampering sesh and here's what I have to say about it.


Reservation was a breeze.  Well, it was a weekday so that explains why.  Kris called around noon, got a confirmation and we got there past 5 o'clock. 

It's not so hard finding the place.  Just use your usual Eastwood route and you can spot Nuat That at the opposite side of Shopwise.  

From the outside, you'd think that the whole place is just small but as you enter and as you walk down the halls, you'd see the spacious rooms.


I chose a body scrub and Swedish massage package (850 php) and the whole treatment lasted for two hours.  Actually, I was kinda hesitating to get a massage 'cause my body was still recovering from the intense conditioning I did during our dance rehearsals.  My legs were aching.  My arms were super sore.  I could barely walk properly that day and the next day.  Anyway, I still went for it.  

Yep, it hurt.  However, I still enjoyed it.  


And oh, before heading to our rooms, they gave us a quick foot scrub at this area.

I have nothing to say about the cleanliness and service.  I think we got the same level of that nice pampering experience as with the other branches we've been to.  Even the shower and comfort rooms were spotless.  The body wash gel was great as well.  I just wished that the body scrub they used on me was more fragrant.


You can definitely have a below-500-php de-stressing moment with Nuat Thai.  Since they have accessible branches all over the metro, you can just drop by let's say after a tiring work day or whenever you are in the mood for some body rub or stretching.  We might also bump into each other because we will surely go back.  :)


I really had a good sleep that night.  Yay!


What do you think?

Like Nuat Thai on Facebook and visit their website for more info.


your sweetest drug,

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Hello from rainy Baguio City!  Temperature check, it's 17 degrees Celsius here.  I'm so sensitive to very cold weather so I don't even know how I will survive bedtime and worse, the shower tomorrow.  Haha!

Anyway, our first day (or half day) was not too hectic so I decided to do a blog post before hitting the sack.

Let me talk about these two Mario Badescu products, but before we get into details, here's a quick introduction first.


The brand is committed to create botanically-based and customized skincare.  Its vision is to brighten up the world with our time-tested skin care products and treatments, in order to provide customers with the beautiful and healthy skin every human being is entitled to.

One thing I immediately noticed about the products is the very simple, no-frills yet sturdy packaging.  The reason why they did that is because they believe that it's not as important as the good stuff inside them.  That allows them to provide quality products at a very affordable price.  Some drugstore skincare lines almost have the same price so I can't say that Mario Badescu is on the high end side.

You might be wondering why I picked glycolic-based products.  Here's the story.

I'm very milia-prone.  In case you're not aware of that, milias are like white, hard bumps on the skin's surface, containing hardened skin cells and oil.  They are so stubborn, they will stay with you forever.  The only way to get rid of them is through pricking/incision.  (Thanks to Bioessence for the treatment!)

I did some research about it and I read some articles saying that one way to avoid getting them is by exfoliation.  Now, I do that regularly but I find it not enough.  To cut the story short, I became interested to chemical exfoliation and glycolic acid is one of the perfect actives for that.

I bought these two at amazon.com and if I'm not mistaken, I paid around 800 php for each including shipping fee.


Product Description

Help soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles while smoothing the skin with the anti-aging ingredients found in our Glycolic Acid-based toner. Glycolic Acid and the Alpha Hydroxy Acid found naturally in Papaya Extract help accelerate skin cell turnover for younger-looking skin. Aloe Vera is added to soothe your complexion. Alcohol free.

This toner is for Combination and Dry skin as seen on the label above.  Speaking of that, I like how Mario Badescu categorizes their products based on all skin care type and all skin issues.


What I love about it

- I don't know what an actual grapefruit smells like but I just like the pleasant scent of this toner
- gentle enough to be used twice a day
- also removes dirt residue 
- doesn't break me out
- packaging is safe for travel, no leaks!
- no super tight feeling after
- makes skin feel so smooth 
- helps maintain unclogged pores
- has brightening effect


My only concern is that, it doesn't help in minimizing pores too much.  Other than that, I'm happy.


Product Description

For dull, congested skin, this lathering, deep cleanser has the exfoliating powers of Glycolic Acid to break down build-up from skins surface, reduce minor discoloration and leave skin radiant and smooth. Formulated with Herbal Extracts for soothing benefits. Best when used 2-3 times weekly or as recommended by your skin specialist based on your skins needs.

Next is this cleanser which I use alternately with my other foaming wash.  Reason is that, the formula is too strong to be used everyday (at least for me). 


What I love about it

- no strong scent
- works as an exfoliator
- makes the face look brighter after every wash


To be honest, I'm still not quite sure if I like this cleanser or what.  I want to but I don't know.  It just doesn't impress me that much.


Watch-outs

- makes the skin super tight
- don't expect that this will remove all of your makeup completely
- I double cleanse when I have heavy makeup on
- doesn't lather too much but it's not an issue for me
- stings my eyes like crazy

I'm actually thinking of selling this one.  Let me know if you're interested to try it.  As you can see, there's like 90% left.


So the question is, did it help with my milia problem?  Yea, somehow.  After my treatment at Bioessence last July and after using these two since then, almost nothing popped out.  By almost, I mean I got 2 which are visible on my chin and 1 turned into a pimple, and the most prone area which is my under eye, barely has signs of new milia.  Yea!

I'm not sure though which of the two works better.  :)

So that's that!  Watching Heroes Reborn now.  Haha!


What do you think?


your sweetest drug,
  


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It's sad to realize that I still haven't gained my momentum in blogging but I'm very hopeful that in the next few days, 3-to-4-posts-a-week habit will be back.  Let's just take it slow, guys.  There's really no pressure anyways.

One way to warm up the engine is to do my product review backlogs and here's one of them.


I'm a lip-tint-over-lipstick kind of gal (I think I'll also love matte liquid lipsticks once I try them out) as you might have probably known.  I always wanna have different types of formula in my stash just for variety.  So after finishing a tube of Etude House Dear Darling, I immediately looked for another gel-ish tint.

This is one of the cheapest I saw and I haven't tried anything from The Saem so I thought I'd give it a shot.


It's housed in a usual lip tint packaging and comes with a doe-foot applicator.

Color

I picked the pink shade over orange and red.  Actually, I find it as a red-pink color and sometimes, it's hard to tell if it really gives a pink hue.  There's not much difference I guess.

In terms of intensity, I do like the pigmentation.  If Tony Moly Delight Tony is the most vibrant of all the ones I tried so far, this is a runner up.  However, this still wins against Etude House Dear Darling.  Scroll down for the swatch comparison.


Application

It's very forgiving to apply provided that you blend away immediately.  It will give you "harsh edges" otherwise.  It also doesn't go anywhere outside the lips since it's not too watery.  


Formula

It glides pretty smoothly on lips and on skin.  I don't find it overly drying but I also like prepping and topping my lips with balm.  It didn't give me irritations as well when I use it on my cheeks.


Longevity

It gives an intense stained effect for hours but the color fades as you wet your lips.  On the cheeks, one application almost survives one whole day as long as you don't touch up with powder or face makeup with too much coverage.  

Similar with other tints, it would cling better on bare skin or lips.  


As a cheek stain, I like it better than Delight Tony because it dries out slightly longer, giving me more time to blend the product evenly.

See the youthful, pinched-cheek effect?


I'm REALly impressed with The Saem's REAL Tint!  It works great on cheeks and it's easy to do gradient lips with it as well.  Even though Delight Tony still wins in the pigmentation department, not a big deal for me as it still gives a nice amount of color and convenience in terms of application (Don't get me wrong.  It's still intense guys!).

This is definitely for keeps!  


One problem though is availability since it's not being sold here in the Philippines.  But let me know if you're interested to try this tint or any The Saem products.  I'd be happy to help. :)

Oh and one last tip before I end this post...

If you think the finish makes your lips look so dry, you can top it off with a colorless lip gloss or lip balm.  

What do you think?


your sweetest drug,




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This is it!  Finally, I had the guts to face the camera while talking and to create an actual haul video.  You can laugh all you want.  Don't worry.  I won't get mad.  Haha!  Truth is, I was on face-palm mode too.  Embarrassing!  Obviously, I suck at this.  However, I thought I'd still give it a try and put the shame aside.  Hopefully, I'd get better overtime.

Before hitting the play button, let me say sorry first about the not-so-great lighting and audio quality.  I couldn't do my normal voice volume because I didn't want others to hear me while filming.


As mentioned in the video, this is apparently a no-makeup haul.  On the next one, for sure you'll see a few.  So, I have here skin care, lip care, body care and hair care products plus, some fashion pieces.

Product List

Olay Deep Moisture with Honey Foaming Body Wash (less than 100 php because it was on sale when I bought it at Watson's)


It's very moisturizing!  You can skip lotion!

Vaseline Lip Therapy (around 70 php)


The perfect lip windburn treatment!  The Laneige Sleeping Lip Mask helped too but this one healed my extremely dry and chappy lips completely.  Ignore the petroleum jelly in plastic jars because this one's more convenient, handy and hygienic to use.

Quick FX Tinted Moisturizer (49 php)


A tinted moisturizer below 50 php?!

I haven't tried it yet but based on the swatch, I'm assuming it will barely give coverage.  Stay tuned for the review!

Bifesta Bright Up Cleansing Lotion (419 php)


It's time to get a new makeup remover and I thought I'd try a popular one (at least here in the Philippines).  Just a few pumps and it instantly became a favorite of mine as well.

Bioré UV Perfect Milk Sunscreen (395 php)


Bifesta products were right next to Bioré at SM Megamall Department Store's shelves and at that time, I was also looking for an everyday face sunscreen.  I decided not to look any further and just try this brand.

Unfortunately, it seems that my skin is reacting as I've noticed irritations on my forehead and cheekbone area but I still want to give it a second shot.

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Shampoo (100++ php)


This helps lessen my hair fall while making my hair smooth.  However, it gives me dandruff sometimes.  But I still like it!

Forever 21 Hair Ties (160 php)


This is my fave type of hair ties.  They double up as arm bands too!

Cotton On T-Shirt Dress (559 php - regular price: 799 php)


This one is more like a you-were-too-stressed-you-deserve-a-treat gift for myself.  I love the casual/sporty vibe.

Cotton On Sandals (559 php - regular price: 799 php)


I also got a new pair of sandals because the other old ones I have look so worn off already.


That's all for last month's haul!  

Thanks for watching!

Time for the Quickie Update!

Currently Loving: For food, fruit smoothies and sour cream flavored fries.  For beauty, it's my Heroine Make Jewelry Eye Color and my Laneige Sleeping Mask.  Random favorite is video clips of "pandas being pandas".  Haha!

My LSS:  I Was Made For Loving You by Tori Kelly feat, Ed Sheeran, Love Don't Change by Jeremih and Pumpin Blood by Nonono.

Recently Watched:  Last month, Kris and I watched Heneral Luna, Maze Runner The Scorch Trials and Blended.

Craving For:  Ramen Nagi Butao!


your sweetest drug,



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Hi! I'm ICHI.

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      • FRIDAY Flashback - Posts You Might Have Missed
      • Caronia 3-Step Hand & Foot Care System
      • Nuat Thai, Libis
      • Skin Care 101 - Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cle...
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      • Haul | September 2015
      • FRIDAY Flashback - Posts You Might Have Missed
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