I think I am currently on my fourth bottle of this micellar water. Needless to say, I think I am pretty much "hiyang" with this product. Personally, I am okay with my micellar water being just that: something for removing makeup, no frills or extra functions needed. Pond's micellar water gives us something extra because it is infused with Vitamin B3, commonly known in skin care jargon as niacinamide which brightens the skin and tightens pores. It effectively removes makeup and my skin feels clean and fresh after using it. I think I do at least 3 passes before I get a satisfying clean. What else do I say? I will keep repurchasing it, especially that my other favorites, the Garnier and Nivea Micellar Waters are nowhere to be found in my locality atm. 

➤Klorane Waterproof Eye Make-up Remover/Price: $16.00 for 3.3 floz /Where I Bought: My favorite seller on Instagram

This product is quiet pricey and I am glad that I was able to try it out with this travel sized bottle which I bought on Instagram. What do I say? Hmmmm. This product actually reminds me of the Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Make-up Remover. They both make use of cornflower extract, they both have plant based oil and the same blue tinge. Most of all, they are both great in melting down waterproof eye makeup with just the slightest force of swiping in the eye area. If you can't afford the Klorane one, then there's always Nivea. ;)

I have not yet used the following products so I can't really give a feedback for now so I'll just give an overview. They're both part of the Sephora Play! Dessert Island Essentials so they are just minis or travel-sizes:

➤Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover/Price $19.50 for 125 mL (clinique.com) 

"Dissolves and "lifts away" long-wearing makeup, even waterproof mascara. Non-irritating, non-stinging. This product is free of synthetic colors, gluten, denatured alcohol, SLS, SLES, talc. It’s also vegan."

➤Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup Melting Butter Cleanser/Price: $34.00 for full size (drunkelephant.com)

"Slaai™ is an innovative cleansing balm that melts all traces of dirt, makeup and sunscreen from skin. Gentle enough to be used around the eye area, it quickly transforms from oil to milk upon contact with water. Skin compatible Slaai™ effortlessly removes even water-resistant formulations and is free of PEGs and essential oils." 

➤Banilla Co. Clean It Zero Original/Price: Php 995.00 for 100 mL, but this one I have here is a mini so I bought it for a tiny fraction of that price/Where To Buy: www.beautymnl.com

This is a balm-type cleanser and I love how it melts into oil upon contact with my skin. It easily dissolves makeup, even hard to remove mascara. I also love the light floral scent. I get a small amount of the product and massage it on my entire face. Then I wash it off with lukewarm water to get rid of the oily feel together with my preferred facial wash for my second cleansing. No tight and dry feeling after using but instead, it keeps my skin soft and supple. Sometimes I just can't help touching my face.

➤Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for Oily, Acne-Prone Skin - click here for a review

➤Nivea Acne Clear MicellAIR Cleanser 0% Alcohol - click here for a review

➤Estee Lauder Take It Away Makeup Remover Lotion/Price $30.00 for full size (esteelauder.com)

Here's another pricey product that I was able to try out because of my fave IG seller who sells travel/mini sized products, be it drugstore, mid-range or high end. All I can say is...some pricey products are pricey for a reason. This one is a gem. It is lotion type but it feels oh so light on the skin. You only need a small amount of the product to work. There is no greasy feel, and on the contrary, it leaves a cooling effect. Upon application, I really felt that the makeup was coming off without struggle. Ha ha. I could only wish that I can afford to get the full sized one. Until then, I will just make tambay on IG and wait for the next sale. Baka after the lockdown pa. 😆

Name: Pond's Age Miracle Wrinkle Corrector Day Cream SPF 18 PA++

Price: Free

Where I Got It: Sample Room//www.sampleroom.ph

Also available at: drugstores and department stores nationwide

In a nutshell, it is a light day cream that releases retinol which works non stop to help reduce wrinkle appearance. It also contains SPF 18 which helps protect against the sun's harmful rays.

Labels and Ingredients

The manufacturing and expiry dates are well printed in the packaging. Just to give you an idea about the size of the tub, here it is. It's really cute.

This pinkish cream has a bit of a mousy consistency. It smells sickly sweet, but not in a bothersome way, at least for me. When I used it, I applied it in dots all over my face and then just blended it out. It blends out easily and really nicely; no tugging. After application, the face looks a little bit pinkish and I noticed that my skin looked smooth - no kidding. It minimized the appearance of my pores. I topped it with foundation and it looked great even without a primer. Although my face looked a bit shiny after about two hours, I still looked alright and I just needed to blot out the excess oil. There's no hot or heavy feeling even when I used it under a foundation.

Here's the hitch - after using the product straight for two days, I spotted a few zits on face. That is unusual because I don't break out easily. I had a pimple on my forehead, on my right cheek and on my chin and I'm still far away from that time of the month. So I decided to stop using it. It's a shame though because I thought I could use it as a pre-foundation moisturizer but it turned out that it's not compatible with my skin. 

Will I buy the full size?

Maybe. I'm just neutral about it. But it's not a bad choice.

Sometimes, a facial foam is a facial is a facial foam and there is nothing really remarkable about the experience of using it. Well, my skin felt soft after using it. It didn't feel tight or dry. I didn't get any breakouts while using it. If you love wearing makeup, you ought to pre-cleanse before using this because it can't really clean deeply as I still see some residue if I use this alone for cleansing. It says that it washes away dead skin cells and dullness to reveal a pinkish white skin but a cleanser can only do so much. If you don't back it up with a cream or sun protection, there's a huge chance that optimal whitening may not be achieved.

Will I buy it again?

Yes! Definitely! My skin feels fresher, smoother and cleaner every time I use this. It doesn't sting and it really helps in minimizing my pores, even just for a while. I was having a breakout along my jawline and this toner just came in time. I have not had a single zit in that area, or anywhere in my face since I started using it. Salicylic Acid and Tea Tree Oil has always been good to me. :)

Will I buy the full size?

Maybe. More on the Yes side of Maybe. :)

I love the brightening effect that this product gives to my face. It does give a powdery, even dry finish however it doesn't keep my face oil-free for long because I am quiet oily. I have also observed that my face heats up when I have this on - so it traps the heat and I just sweat a lot. I think the sweat contributes to the oiliness too. The package also doesn't specifically say if it has any SPF so it's a bummer since we all know how necessary any amount of sun protection is.

But I still gave it a maybe since it makes my face look bright and glowing. There are days that I really need something like this. :) I just partner is with a good ol' powder like the Maybelline White Superfresh which mattifies my skin and has an SPF 34. And keep a hanky at bay.

XO,

Carissa

Uneven skin tone, blemishes, and dark spots - these are the most common problems any girl can swear to. By the time you go out of that door, you are prone to skin issues due to sun exposure. Prevent this from happening with the help of the Pond’s Flawless White Dewy Rose Whitening Soft Cream SPF 30 PA+++.

The Pond’s Flawless White Dewy Rose Whitening Soft Cream SPF 30 PA+++ re-energizes your skin to bring back the lost radiance of aging skin cells. The resilient Alpine rose blooms soft petals even in the high altitudes of the Swiss Alps due to its hydrating ability. Pond's Institute uses advanced technology to combine precious Rose Lumiere complex with whitening GenActiv.

How it Works:

Increase your skin’s radiance in 7 days with a formula that brightens and clears up your complexion. Created with GenActiv™ technology, this breakthrough formula reaches deep into your skin to regulate and adapt to the DNA that produces melanin– the first ever skin-lightening cream that adapts to your skin!

FULL SIZE: 10g / 50g

PRICE: PHP 179 / PHP 429
-www.sampleroom.ph

Up close, you can see that this cream is pinkish in color. The cream is somewhat mousy in consistency.

In Action

Pramis darlings, walang edit. :)

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Whenever I get some products from Sample Room, I can't help but reminisce about the past: when I was just starting out. Nag start din ako sa 100 points, yung tag isang item lang ang kayang i-order. But here I am now, getting as many as three items, which is the maximum for one transaction. It sustains my addiction of trying out new products.  Nakakatipid talaga ako. When somebody sees the pile of products arriving via LBC, I'm not even sure if they believe me when I say that I got them for free. Well anyway, if you're reading this and haven't heard of Sample Room yet you better believe. LOL. 

Now, on to the Sneak Peek.

-Easily a favorite. The lotion has a rich and thick consistency yet it doesn't feel heavy on the skin. It also smells wonderful. Sample Room says it's floral but to me it smells like Jelly Ace. A 90's kid would know. Ha ha

↭↭↭

Belo SunExpert After Sun Gel can soothe sunburn and inflammation with its nourishing formula that is infused with almond oil and skin vitamins. It relieves sun-stressed skin from UV radiation damage, restores natural skin moisture, and hydrates dry or rough skin. It is also hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and dermatologist-tested.

Usage: Apply and massage a generous amount on face or body immediately after sun exposure. Re-apply as needed.

FULL SIZE: 100ml

PRICE: PHP 259.75

Ingredients + Deets of Belo SunExpert After Sun Gel

Today’s woman lives a 24/7 on-the-go life. Finally, The Pond’s Institute introduces the best anti-aging technology yet from Pond’s – NEW Pond’s Age Miracle, with Retinol-C Complex that works 24 hours non-stop. It helps reduce wrinkles, for a youthful glow.

Pond’s Age Miracle is the latest innovation from The Pond’s Institute, a pioneer of skincare since its inception in 1992. Today, NEW Age Miracle is Pond’s first ever gold standard anti-aging formula with the Retinol-C Complex, a new game-changing technology that works 24 hour non-stop for rapid wrinkle repair and boosted youthful radiance.

- I got really curious about this product. I don't have any visible wrinkles yet but I know every single day brings me closer to getting them. This'll be the first anti-wrinkle anything that I'll ever try, so wish me luck. LOL. One thing I can tell you is that the think cream smells sweet. I will post a detailed review about this soon.

So that's about it. I hope you had a great time reading this little sneak peek. 

XO,

Carissa