A Saturday of Eating and Shopping

My tita's friend and her daughter and her daughter's friend (phew!) came to the Philippines from Australia a few days ago. My sister stayed in their place when she was enrolling to one of the universities in Australia so now that they're here, we went out and treat them at Mall of Asia.

We got there around 4 in the afternoon. We decided to grab cakes and coffee at our favorite dessert place, Chocolat. I super love their cheesecakes and milkshakes. Also a favorite from there is their Death by Tablea.

We went shopping for a while. They were buying a lot! Around 6-8 pairs of shoes, bags of clothes and so on! While I, on the other hand, bought art materials for an oil painting I've been planning to do. :P My sis and I also went to Watsons to buy some toiletries and makeup (will be posting the stuff we bought later on this post).

For dinner, we went to Gumbo.
When we have no idea where to eat or if we aren't in the mood to experiment on trying a new restaurant, we always go for Gumbo. We really like the food there, especially their Baked Artichoke Formaggio and Strawberry and Chocolate Cheesecake! :P

A shot of our orders. That's quite a lot for us. We weren't able to finish it so we got it wrapped. Every dish was very DELISH!

Oh, and we also played with the crazy hats there! Haha! :)

So here's our little haul from Watsons.

My sister, Trace, bought the following (she's going to Australia and staying there for a loooooong while so she has to stock up on makeup since most of the makeup she uses are priced higher there):

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara

(She was jealous of mine so she bought one for herself)

2 Nichido Black Liquid Liners

Nichido Spot Concealer in Natural

A Bonne Salt Scrub and Myra Vita White Whitening Face Lotion

Wet 'n Wild i-Shimmer

Fanny Serrano Two-Way Cake in Chino

(The other one is mine)

And I wanted to buy a cute blush but I didn't find anything of my liking today. So I just bought these:

3 Eyeliners from Wet 'n Wild:

MegaChrome Eyeliner Pencil Crayon Ligneur in 150

Idol Eyes Creme Shadow Pencil in 130 Pixie

ColorIcon Eyeliner in 661C Amethyst

Celeteque Toner and Cyleina Soaps

And my purchase from a seller in Girltalk already arrived! Yaaaay!

MAC DSquared2 Sculpt and Shape Powder in Bone Beige Emphasize

So excited to use this new baby of mine. ♥

And before I end this post, I saw this earlier!!!

This is where Marionnaud in Mall of Asia used to be situated. Why is it gone?!?

Anyone knows if it's gone for good or is it just under renovation?

I wish it's just the latter.

Cheers,
DAWN

My Top 3 Whitening Soaps: Dermablend, Belo and Cyleina

As a kid, I had the most tanned skin in our bunch. My 7-year old picture (that flagrantly boasts my star complex) above shows I am easily a NC35. Now, the shot beside it taken a week ago presents that I am a stable NC25 ---- light-skinned enough to be mistaken as Chinese (by a Chinese tourist group in Disneyland, California), Japanese (by OFWs in Japan when I was en route to Manila) and Korean (by Koreans in school). My mom is flabbergasted as to why I am whiter than all of my siblings ("Nung pinanganak kita ikaw pinaka-maitim! Bakit ka nagkaganyan?!").


Yes, I've experimented with Glutathione (oral and IV) and DIY bleaching treatments but I've never taken/done these on a regular basis. To keep myself consistently fair-skinned, I have relied on body scrubs and soaps (and lotions if I remember to put them on).

Anyway, these are my favorite soaps which I have been repurchasing over and over for the past years:


1. Dermablend Papaya Orange Skin Whitening Soap

This is the "Sam Milby Soap" - I always forget the name of this brand, so I always tell people who ask me what soap I use to buy the one with Sam Milby on the cover! This product allows for mild micropeeling and never fails to help whiten scars and exfoliate the body. The orangey scent is lovely, too. It can be a bit drying though, so I alternate with Belo. I buy mine in bulk at the grocery. I've tried the other orange/papaya soaps (Likas Papaya, Silka, Kojic, etc) but I always go back to this one.

2. Belo Essentials Smoothening Whitening Body Bar

I like the pink variant because it whitens and moisturizes at the same time. This soap actually provides no micropeeling and no significant whitening if used on its own, so I find it effective only when used after exfoliating soaps (like the "Sam Milby Soap" and Cyleina). The scent is very pleasant as well! Plus, I love it when Belo goes on sale at the local department/grocery store, because you can get three for the price of two!

3. Cyleina Organic Rice Bran Soap

This one I like not because it whitens, but because it exfoliates VERY WELL. I get itchy when I use it daily, so I limit myself to thrice a week at night (and lotion after)! My sister Dawn adores this soap - even considers it her HG "magic" soap - since it's very good at controlling bacne. I find it helps with eliminating ingrown hair too. So in a way, good exfoliation leads to better whitening results! Use a good whitening/smoothening lotion and you're good to go. You can find multiply sellers everywhere to buy Cyleina.

Cheers,

Trace

PS. So as to appease any possibility of mestiza-mentality-debate here in the blog - please take this post lightly. I don't have a problem if anyone else's preference is different from mine. I just happen to think I look better with fairer skin as opposed to being morena (in the same light that I prefer my hair straight over curly). OK? Peace out, folks. And do try the soaps, I hope they work for you. =)

Review: Local Body Scrubs! Nanay Earth, Vanilla and Co., Indulgence White, Asian Secrets

I am a big fan of body scrubs. 


Yes, I've professed my love for The Body Shop Spa Wisdom Africa Ximenia and Salt Scrub, but I have a couple more in my personal arsenal (because a tub is too expensive!). Here are my requirements:

1. The scrub should smell mouthwateringly good. I prefer yummy, oven-baked scents and occasionally florals and citrusy ones. Best also if the scent lingers.
2. It should have a pleasant balance of scrubby bits and creamy moisture. I first started hoarding scrubs because of the ingrown hair from waxing and shaving, and I find that using scrubs help a lot in sloughing off the top layer but without making the skin crack.
3. Because I like scrubbing myself down 3x a week, I like my scrub affordable and locally available!
4. As a matter of preference, I like it if the scrub professes semi or super whitening powers.

Think I've set the bar too high? You'll be surprised that locally available scrubs can fit the bill! Now my notable indulgences, most of which can be bought online:


Nanay Earth Body Scrub Cream
200g - P120
Order at: http://nanayearthco.multiply.com/
Special Ingredients: emu oil, shea butter, milk proteins, aloe, vitamin e, honey bearberry, carica papaya, glutathione, and kojic acid

Review: One of my best finds ever, because this specific scrub fulfills all my requirements! Even if the texture is a bit runny compared to other brands, I find this suits my already oily skin well so that I don't get breakouts when I use this... daily (haha!). I hoarded when the price was just P108 and I think I have tried almost all the variants - yes, I am excessive like that) - Aloe-ha beach buddy, Vanilla Manilla, Strawberry Milkshake, Ripe Mangoes, Warm Milk, and Chocolate Truffle. Unfortunately I don't like all the scents, except for the highly addictive Strawberry Milkshake and Warm Milk. 


Dana is also a darling to deal with, and she gives out freebies too (since I have tried a lot of her stuff). I like the Drama Cream and the Flowers and the Bees Premium Lotion.


Vanilla and Co. Organic Whipped Buttercream Scrub
180g - P199 / 300g - P299
Order at: http://vanillacompany.multiply.com
Special Ingredients: Enriched with Organic Shea Butter and crushed Apricot seeds to effectively exfoliate your skin without the harmful reactions of chemicals.

Review: Uhm, okay I admit I have used almost 1/3 of the available gazillion variants from Vanilla and Co. The best thing about this brand is that ALL OF THE FLAVORS SMELL GREAT! I've never been disappointed (which is why I've bought from the brand about 5-6x already), and my favorites are still Vanilla Paradise, White Chocolate and Cocoa Whipped Buttercream. I haven't ordered anything this year though, because (1) I finish up a Vanilla and Co. tub very fast so it's not too affordable for me; (2) the creaminess of the scrub, which I think explains why the scent stays on the skin, scares me that I might get breakouts on the back!


On a different note, you can also try their Crystal Grapeseed Polish, which is (and tastes) sweet! Their products (especially the Whipped Buttercreams) are lovely and I am happy to have tried them but I guess I am just too lazy to put layers and layers on. I hope to repurchase soon though, when I have cash on hand.


Strip It Indulgence White Whitening Apricot Body Scrub
150g - P135 / 500g - P350 / 1kg - P580
Order at: http://stripit.multiply.com/
Special Ingredients: Papain, Calamansi, Tea Tree, Kojic Acid, Glutathione and Vit C

Review: I ordered a small tub a year ago online and I must say that I was impressed with it. The Olive variant is wonderful (the smell is very close to The Body Shop's) and the scrubby bits do their job well. For people who like clean scents, this should be on your list! Also, it isn't too creamy to the point that you think you're slathering on lotion. It just leaves your skin cool and lightly moisturized, apt for the tropical weather. Unfortunately, when I ordered a 500g tub a couple of months ago, I was disappointed. There's not much scrubby grains and the formula doesn't moisturize well anymore. I also find that it didn't help much in whitening the dark areas of my skin too. Will not repurchase because the quality isn't the same.


Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub
250g - P130 / 135g - P80
Available at Watson's.

From Liz of ProjectVanity

Review: I am pleasantly surprised that I am in love with the scent of this scrub. Fulfills all my requirements and the softness of the skin post-scrubbing is really noteworthy. Will probably repurchase FOREVER after buying my first tub one lovely day at MOA. 


Read more happy raves and see pictures of this amazing find from Project Vanity, Shopaholic Girl, Women's Central, and TracietheDiva. The blog reviews have enticed me to try this out, and I am so happy I believed you guys!


Honorable Mention: This isn't a scrub, but whenever I use Cyleina Organic Soap in Honey Oatmeal, I think I get the same smooth, silky results. 

I like it so much I hoarded six pieces yesterday. Try it, it's cheap at 65! Well, I've been using it twice a day and I am almost finished with one block of soap. My seller is Patty of AllOrganicsOnline, who is one of the kindest online sellers I've ever transacted with.

That's it! 

I hope this post... makes you want to spend more money on body scrubs. Haha!

Cheers,

Tracy