It is a pressed powder that promises to do more than control oil. It has Bright Plus technology and SPF 19 which protects skin from the sun and pollution while locking in moisture.

I love the black packaging - it instantly makes anything look chic. It's also very sleek so it's very convenient to use, especially for us office girls. It's not made of a sturdy kind of plastic though so handle it with care because it won't survive a fall.

I have a light-medium skin tone with warm undertones and I think I made a good choice in picking the shade MP102 Oriental. I also have an oily skin so when I read in the label that it is specially designed for controlling oil, I was very eager to try it.

So, to break it down, here are my comments.

The powder is very fine and it feels soft and smooth to touch when applied. It is very lightweight and doesn't feel chalky.  It has a muted powdery scent which is not bothersome. 

It might look too yellow on the pan but it doesn't look like it at all when applied, as you can see on my before and after photos. Take time to study my bare face. LOL. This powder gives a light coverage. It won't go beyond that no matter how many times you layer it. I've tried going overboard but it also didn't get cakey, thankfully.

My dark circles were reduced a bit. A few dark spots were also partially covered. My skin tone was evened out. I think the best part of it was that my pores were minimized.

Since the coverage is only on the light level, I prefer using this as a setting powder to my foundation or bb cream.

By the fourth hour of wearing this, I can see the oil seeping on my nose and my chin. But I still looked good...so hey, this powder's not bad.

Quelch is a non-sticky deodorant cream that promises to help stop sweat, keep the underarms dry and odor free and also to whiten it in 1 week.

The Spring Blosson variety has a sweet floral scent.

The product comes in a standard light blue squeeze tube. The cap closes up well with a snap but notice how the excess cream solidifies at the opening which causes blockage.

I have used this product for about two months and I can attest to the truthfulness of SOME of its claims. Yes, SOME and NOT ALL. :) It is indeed non-sticky and spreads easily on skin contact. It also dries pretty quickly: less than 15 seconds methinks. It helps stop sweat for basically the whole day. I've never felt the need to reapply even on the most sweltering day. The scent is also pleasant and even if the scent has gone away, I still find myself odor-free.

Now here's the hiccup, straight up: it darkened my underarms. Oh no! And not only that, the skin on my underarms also feel a bit thicker. I don't know if other consumers have experienced the same situation but here we are. I've noticed though that this is a popular Avon product and that it's been on the catalog for forever. I'm pretty sure I've encountered this product as far as 10 or 15 years back so this must still have a demand in the Philippine market and it that worked well for others. 

But for me? Nah, never again. :) I'm scrubbing calamansi on my pits every bathing time to bounce back.

Thanks for reading this post.

XO,

Carissa

PS. Have you experienced using this product? I hope it didn't make your underarms dark. Drop a comment or two and let's talk.

I bought this pair in the middle of May and it took me roughly four months to consume them both. These two make up one of my favorite wash-toner combos. Now that I've emptied them I will try other brands but no matter how far I stray they will remain among my dependable ones. They are specially designed for oily skin so they are a boon to my existence. 

'Til my next empties post!

XO,

Carissa

If you haven't already heard about it, Influencia is a company that makes versions of certain popular (and pricey) scents. I got this one from my officemate who is a reseller. She brought in some testers and I went around sniffing each one until I got dizzy. Strong scents have that effect on me. I was looking for something fruity and when I came across Influencia's version of Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey, I just knew I had to have it.

I honestly don't know if how close Influencia's version compares to the real thing because I have never tried it. However, I've read some Facebook posts that features some Filipino celebrities that say that Influencia's are very similar to it's inspiration, so that's definitely something to begin with.

Anyway, I checked Fragrantica about the description of the Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey and it says that it is Floral Fruity Gourmand scent for men and women. Top notes are: green notes, black currant, and petitgrain. Middle notes are nectarine and black locust. Base notes are vetiver, peach and plum. Source: www.fragrantica.com.

Some of these stuff are very foreign to me but I can definitely recognize fruits and yes it dries down to a very peachy scent. It smells so sweet and definitely makes me feel very girly. It's like stepping into the fruits section of the market and your mouth just waters. Longevity is under four hours. I just spray it on my clothes to make the scent last longer.

Here's on the the most popular scents from Avon: the classic Forest Interlude is a bestseller. I have memories of a former teacher who loved this scent so I decided to order one from an Avon lady. It took forever to arrive, I honestly thought it wouldn't. Had it arrived earlier, I would not have decided to purchase the Influencia one. It arrived like two days after I got the Influencia so now I have two new scents on hand. However, they are not going to waste naman so it's okay. 

Forest Interlude is described by Fragrantica as a scent for men and women. It has floral notes, woody notes and leather. Source: www.fragrantica.com

When I sprayed it on straight out of the box, I kinda regretted ordering it. It didn't smell like how I remembered it and worst of all, I got nauseated and it gave me a headache. So I didn't touch it for days and I decided that I would just give it away come Christmas.

Well guess what? I'm in love with it now. I don't know what happened the first time I sprayed it on. Maybe the bottle got shaken I lot before it got to my hands that's why it didn't smell nice. 

You get  sweet floral top notes, then there's like a warm embrace of exotic woody notes and then there's a spicy-creamy (sorry that's how I perceive it) leathery smell. It lasts up to 4 hours on me.

Okay, she's one of the reasons why I purchased a bottle of Forest Interlude, although she's into the Imari campaign now.

Last in this lineup is the Avon Scent Essence Lime Verbena which is something that I've had for two months now and is more than half-way gone. The fragrance features lemon, lemon verbena, freesia and musk.

I'd like to call this scent "freshness in a bottle" because that's just how it feels whenever I get a sniff of it. It's smells clean and if you love lemony or citrusy stuff with just the right hint of floral, you will love this thing. I just wish it would stay on longer. It fades on the 3 - 4 hour mark.

Packaging

Forest Interlude could've looked more classy if it came with a metallic cap and not this brown plastic one. I'm okay with the clear, print-free bottle. No fuzz, not bulky; I can easily carry it in my purse.

Influencia's got the metal cap and sprayer, but it would've looked chic if there aren't a lot of things going on with the label. Agreed?

Scent Essence just looks dainty and cute. It doesn't have a cap. I love the print and surprisingly, it hasn't budged a bit after two months.

Meanwhile, I also got something for my husband from Influencia: D & G Light Blue for Men. He says he doesn't like it and that it's too old school for his taste. I say I love citrusy scents and I purchased it and he doesn't have a choice so I'll make sure that he consumes it to the last drop. (*_*)

At the rate that I'm going, it looks like I will empty the Scent Essence very soon and most likely the Influencia one after that since it's only 30 ML. It will take a while before I purchase another bottle of fragrance.

Me thinks I will check out Influencia's other versions of Jo Malone's scents on my next buy. I'm all curious about her creations now.

XO,

Carissa

How do we even begin to explain the popularity of Avon in the Philippines?  Of course it is a popular brand the world over, but here in our country... it's the stuff that we've seen our mothers, grandmothers and their amigas using while we were growing up. It's also the first lipstick brand I owned while I was in college. Yung inutang ko pa sa classmate ko tapos one month to pay. He he. Well, here we are, I've been a huge fan of cosmetics back then as I still am now. Once upon a time though glossy lipsticks were more popular than matte but now, there's been a shakeup and matte is just everywhere. 

Price: Php 399.00 (and it came with a free Ideal Oil Control Pressed Powder)

Where I Got It: from An Avon Lady

My Take

On the lips: Top- Natural lighting; Bottom - With Flash

July 2016's short but sweet list. All good things, all good things. All affordable things, too. ;)

If I have not experienced any major pimple issue for the past few months, I owe it all to this facial wash. I have previously used their Balancing Facial Wash and I loved it, too but I feel that this Acne Defense is more appropriate for my greasy and pimple prone skin. I use them alternately for now, but this one especially when it's that time of the month.Tea Tree is great indeed. It kills the pimps and is non-drying to the skin. I love the herbaceous scent too!

I have reaped the benefits of constant exfoliation that it has become a cardinal rule for me now. My companion for this thrice a week ritual is the Human Nature Coffee Body Scrub. It smells like ice cream and it has coffee granules that serve as exfoliators. It is also very much moisturizing, it feels like a body butter and scrub at the same time (but of course you have to rinse this off).

"The Keep You Hands Soft and Clean Combo"

Muzu Hand Cream and Human Nature Natural Sanitizer in Fruit Burst

I discovered the Muzu Hand Cream while walking down the hallowed aisles of Watsons last April. I love that it's very affordable and yet really works in keeping the hands soft and nourished. The scent is also very subtle. It contains olive oil, horse fat (yes), sunflower seed extract, coconut oil, shea butter and vitamin e so that's a helluva lot of a good stuff. A little goes a long way too, so this little bottle here has lasted a loooooong time.

..And here's another product from Human Nature: the Natural Sanitizer in Fruit Burst. I've purchased other variants of this and I think this 'flavor' is the latest addition to the bunch. Let's just say that I thank the Heavens that this variant was developed since I didn't like the scent of the other ones I tried. :) 

"For the Stay Pretty Bunch"

A Little Bit of Everything

I've been using the BYS 8 Neutral Palette almost everyday  ever since I got it. I don't do anything intricate to my eye make anyway so there's no need for complicated stuff. And I veer away from glitters so this matte palette is perfect for me. I use it on my eyebrows, I use it as an eyeliner, I use it for defining my eyes. I love it! ;)

For my lips, I've been trying to rock the matte pink with the Avon Perfectly Matte Lipstick in Pure Pink but I figured I can't make it perfect without using a trusty lip balm in the same shade so this favorite from April, the Human Nature Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Orchid made a comeback. And boy they do work great together like they're related.

Also in this list is the purple-tinged e.l.f. Tone Adjusting Face Primer. Prior to purchasing this, I researched a bit and I learned that this one has positive feed backs, statements that go as far as "If you won't get anything else from e.l.f., you should get this', and well, I couldn't agree more with that statement. It's lightweight and instantly brightens the face and makes for a smooth canvas prior to makeup application. A real bang for your buck!

I've also been using the Hypercurl Volum' Express mascara from Maybelline. It's already quiet affordable at Php 199.00 but I chanced upon it at Watsons (again) and it went for Php 169.00 and I knew I had to grab it. It's waterproof, it doesn't smudge.

"The Wellness Duo"

Human Nature Rescue Balm and Soothing Balm

I have recently reviewed these two and you can read it here.

xxx

...And that's about it. those are favorite products for the past three months or so. The good news it, everything on this list is affordable; nothing over expensive, knowing the spendthrift that I am. But they all work great and that is what's really important. ;) Ayt?! Ayt!

'Till next month's list. Buh bye!

XO,

Carissa

I'll admit that I'm a bit scared of wearing bright pinks such as fuchsia or magenta, especially in matte formula. I've always associated it with being too bright or that it can make your teeth look yellow. That being said, I know that I won't buy something of this color on my own account. I got hold of this product because my mother gave it to me. So, did it work for me? I'll tell you after the jump! :)