In the interest of finding new make-up last year, I came across vegan make-up. Vegan make-up means it was not tested on animals and does not have any ingredients derived from animals such as honey, goat’s milk, etc. It’s an interesting discovery because it’s nice to know that there are companies who care to create vegan cosmetics to help the environment. It’s also a great option for those are are advocates of vegan.
I started my love affair with Korean beauty products in 2011. It all started with a curiosity for BB Cream. One night, I checked out online articles on BB Creams and a few days after, I finally decided to purchase my first BB Cream. In 2012, I wrote about the things I learned about BB Cream, why I’ve come to love them and enumerated the BB Creams I’ve tried.
In 2013, I went back to Seoul and bought several Korean beauty products I wanted to try. Seoul is beauty haven! It’s considered one of the best places in Asia for cosmetic shopping. In an article I’ve read, Korean women start taking good care of their skin as early as 9-years old while another article shared their 10-step skincare routine. In shopping areas, they have streets all lined up with cosmetic shops, it was like candyland for women. The best part was getting a lot of freebies whenever you make a purchase. After our last visit in Seoul, my make-up kit has been taken over by mostly Korean brands. Here are a few products I took home with me from my travels in Seoul and shopping in Sydney:
Skin Moisturisers. My first few choices for Korean moisturisers were Etude House’ Collagen Moistfull Sleeping Pack & Eye Cream and Nature Republic’s Acqua Cream. I bought all three products in Seoul and was able to use them during two Summer seasons. They’re gel-based moisturisers and perfect for warm season as the formulation is light.
I’m working on Beauty Stash entries featuring the stuff I bought during our travels in Korea and Japan but I received a message from a blog reader named Lyn who asked me to share my skin care routine and the make-up I use. So before sharing my stash from Korea and Japan, I’m going to share the current products I use.
Before I give a rundown of the products I use, I feel it’s vital I share my skin care habits as it has an influence in my product choices. So here goes…
I’m low maintenance and not brand conscious. I look for products that are reasonably-priced, doesn’t make my face oily and break out. I like trying out a new product once in a while but if it makes my skin condition worse, I throw it away. I don’t like very expensive products simply because it is something that needs to be maintained. I have this belief that one can always find a reasonably-priced product for any kind of skin. My skin care choices varies from supermarket brands to organic products. I often buy cosmetics during travel because it’s cheaper to buy in a brand’s country origin. As for skin profile, I have oily skin especially on the T-zone areas. However, my skin gets dry during Winter. I have acne scars and once in a while still get a pimple or two. My face is on the fair shade of brown and I have medium-sized pores.
Below are the current products I use. As in on a daily basis, this is what I use.
Cleansing. I cleanse in the morning with Perfect Whip Foam. When I arrive home in the afternoon, I start off with massaging Perfect Watery Oil on my face and then rinsing it off with Perfect Whip Foam. These two products are made by Shiseido which I picked up when I was in Tokyo in February. I think they’re the cheapest product line of Shiseido with the foam not more than AUD$5.00 and the cleansing oil not more than AUD$10.00. I found a few Asian beauty shops who sell them here but as usual, it’s about three times the price in Japan. The watery oil feels lights and easily cleans make-up. The cleansing foam makes my skin pores feel clean and tightened. I use a Clarisonic Mia once or twice a week as as way to exfoliate my facial skin. I use a dry brush for my body before I get into the shower.
A few weeks back, I’ve shared my love for Human Nature products. Today, I’ll share my other loved beauty stash from Manila, Philippines.
I love buying cosmetics, bath stuff, perfume and colognes. I’m such a girl when it comes to these things. I make it a point to bring home some beauty products I discover during travel. In Manila, they’ve got lots of good beauty products that are reasonably priced. Here are some of my favourites:
Camay Bath Shower Gels in Grapefruit, Rose and Vanilla variants. I remember Camay soap bars came out when I was young and when I came back to Manila last year, they now come in the form of shower gels. I bought all the three variants and used them during my stay. The Husband loved them too. I loved how fragrant they are and how they made my skin supple shower after shower. My favourite from all them was the Grapefruit variant as it’s the most refreshing of all three.
These aren’t new but two of my most loved fragrances come from Johnson’s Baby Cologne and Baby Bench Colognia. These are the most refreshing fragrances especially in Summer.
Ever Bilena Magic Lipstick and Color Pencil. I use the Color Pencil for shaping my eyebrows and it stays on for the whole day. The Magic Lipstick is called such because it stays on for a long time…as in! I use the Magic Lipstick as a lipstick base and then layer up with another lip colour. It goes well with most lip colours. The best thing about these two products is that they are very affordable.
Kokuryu Placenta Cream is a Japanese brand but I found it in an SM Department Store. We have placenta creams here in Australia but I found Kokuryu better. It’s runny and very greasy–you may not like the feel of it–but it never makes my skin oily during the day. I wake up with skin that’s hydrated and fresh. It’s my best Winter moisturiser to date. I finished a small bottle last year and my face never went dry even during the coldest days of Winter. I asked my Mom to get me another bottle for this year’s winter season which she brought with her last November. The best thing about it is it’s very affordable (not more than P300).
The Philippines have a lot of beauty and well-being products and I hope to discover some of them when I visit again.
