Skin Care

It’s Glow Time with the Pacifica Island Glow Beautiful Body Kit

June 21st, 2011 by Karen 33 Comments

When my eyes lighted upon the Pacifica Island Glow Beautiful Body Kit at Sephora last Sunday, I felt like a tourist browsing shops along a beach-side promenade. I was “just looking around” at the time (haha, we all know how that usually goes), and before I knew it, I was clutching the cute box in my hands!

The $24 kit comes with four of Pacifica’s newest products to buff, moisturize and make summer skin sparkle…

Kona Coffee & Sugar Detox Whole Body Scrub — I like this one a latte. 🙂 First, the granulated sugar, powdered coffee seed and sea salt buff the skin, before the safflower, soybean and coconut oils moisturize it into blissful submission. I prefer to use it while my skin is dry, so I’ll bring it into the tub with me to exfoliate before turning on the shower. After rinsing, it leaves behind a light but moisturizing film and a heavenly dark chocolate coffee scent. I using this in the morning and then can’t wait to have a cup of coffee when I’m done.
Coconut Crushed Pearl Luminizing Body Butter — Pacifica was not shy with the shimmery mica in this coco-nutty body butter. It feels a little thinner and less moisturizing than most of their body butters, but I love the scent and how it makes me look like I just stepped out from under a shower of silver shimmer.
Coconut Crushed Pearl Bronzing Body Butter — Without a tan, I might worry about this leaving light orange streaks on my legs. Like a darker, bronze version of Pacifica’s Luminizing Body Butter, it might not be a perfect fit for lighter lovelies (maybe if you just use a little for a hint of color and shine), but it should sing from the rafters on tanned temptresses and darker divas.
Coconut Pearls Lip Quench — NOM! This smooth, non-sticky lip balm imparts a subtle sheen while kissing lips with a moisturizing coconut macaroon flavor, and tempting noses with the same yummy scent.

[Continue reading…]

A Blast from the Past, L’Occitane Pivoine Flora Beauty Cream Blooms Like a Retro Rose

June 13th, 2011 by Karen 39 Comments

Even though the scent of L’Occitane Pivoine Flora Beauty Cream ($36) reminds me of my ninang (the Tagalog word for godmother), I’m gonna assume the folks at L’Occitane weren’t shooting for eau de high maintenance Filipino godmother divas when they developed it. 🙂

I love the scent, which smells more to me like a mix of old school Oil of Olay (the one that came in the pink bottle), floral soaps and roses than the peonies it contains. I can picture something similar sitting on the dressing table of a young woman in the ’50s, or see it sitting on a shelf today in the home of an older woman who still remembers being that girl. While I think it suits girls of all ages, those who prefer scents on the mature side may like it more than, say, the fruity bubblegum body sprays that sparkle in most drugstores.

[Continue reading…]

This MAC Sized To Go Eye Makeup Remover Is a Pro

June 7th, 2011 by Karen 41 Comments

When it comes to skincare products, I have commitment issues, and it’s probably one of the many reasons I like the little bottles and jars in MAC Sized to Go.

By shrinking nine products down to 1-oz. in size and setting their prices (almost) accordingly, MAC made the products easier to travel with and try.

Like the $10 Sized to Go Pro Eye Makeup Remover, one of the gentlest, most soothing (it contains cucumber extract) and hydrating eye makeup removers my eyes have ever seen. Unlike many other removers, it neither stings my peepers nor makes me see clouds. And even when I use it to remove makeup along my waterlines, I don’t shed a single tear (a rare thing).

A few drops on a cotton ball take care of everything from light powders to heavy duty stuff like Fluidline and Prolongwear Concealer, all without leaving an oily residue behind. I don’t even have to rinse if off with water, as if it wasn’t awesome enough, and after using it my skin feels clean, hydrated and fresh.

I have a feeling I’ll be reaching for it often, since it’s small enough to hide in a pocket or a small purse.

But like Achilles, every hero has a weakness.
[Continue reading…]

Patience Is a Virtue MAC Cleanse Off Oil/Tranquil Makeup Remover/Cleanser Doesn’t Have

June 5th, 2011 by Karen 23 Comments

I’ve been wanting to try MAC Cleanse Off Oil/Tranquil (a makeup remover/cleanser) for ages, but every time I came close to bringing a bottle home with me from a MAC counter, something eye-catching would always steal my attention away. More often than not, it was something sparkly, or pink, or sparkly AND pink.

But I bet I still would have pulled the trigger anyway if it hadn’t been for the price… Thirty dollars for a 5-oz. bottle? Fuggedaboutit.

The new $10 MAC Sized to Go version of Cleanse is harder to ignore. It packs 1-oz. of the same oil-based makeup remover/cleanser into a handy, TSA-approved bottle. Other than the smaller size and the fact that this bottle’s clear (the larger one is blue), the products are exactly the same. In terms of value, however, the larger bottle is a much better deal ($6/ounce instead of $10), but it’s also too large for carry-on air travel.

Designed for dry, “mature” and/or stressed-out skin, Cleanse is one of two cleansing oils in the MAC skincare line. If you’re sensitive to mineral oil, it doesn’t contain a drop. Instead, it contains a bunch of botanicals like sea grass extract, peach leaf and bisabolol (a colorless oil derived from chamomile; used for hundreds of years in cosmetics for its purported anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties).

The full-size 5-oz. bottle costs $30; the 1-oz. MAC Size to Go version costs $10
[Continue reading…]

Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, I Hope the New Bliss Poetic Waxing Strips Body Kit Also Works Well for You

May 26th, 2011 by Karen 38 Comments

Bliss Poetic Waxing Wax Strips Body Review

Three weeks. Probably TMI (so what else is new?), but that’s how long I went without shaving my legs to test the new Bliss Poetic Waxing Wax Strips Body kit ($36). 🙂

I’ve used similar kits from other brands like Sally Hansen before, but the strips included with this one are made of a loosely-woven cotton fabric called muslin, instead of cardboard or plastic. You get 36 pre-waxed strips and the tiniest, Grinch-who-stole-Christmas-sized bottle of soothing azulene oil to condition your skin and remove any remaining wax when you’re done. In addition to the muslin strips, which I find easier to grip than the smooth plastic ones that come with some other kits, the wax Bliss uses also feels slightly thicker than most.

Bliss Poetic Waxing Wax Strips Body Review
So small!

Having tried so many waxing kits before on so many different parts of my bod, I expected the usual trubs — the strips missing a lot of hair, the wax being too sticky and hard to remove, or the kit not coming with enough strips. Basically, from kits like this one, I came to expect half-@ssed results.

Bliss Poetic Waxing Wax Strips Body Review instructions
[Continue reading…]

Guys and Gals Get Clean with Dirty, Lush’s Latest Launch

May 25th, 2011 by Karen 42 Comments

lush dirty all closed

Never have I been so excited to get dirty! 🙂

Wait — did that sound pervy? I’m actually talking about a new line of unisex hair and body products from Lush.

Available now at Lush stores and also online, the four-piece Dirty collection features stuff to cleanse, smooth and style both you and your boo.

The collection includes…

Dirty Springwash Shower Gel
Dirty Shaving Cream
Dirty Hair Styling Cream
Dirty Body Spray

lush dirty all open

Lush had fun with these fragrances, creating for each product a unique scent that not only stands on its own, but also complements the others in the release. Since all four of the products are designed for guys AND gals, I roped El Hub into trying two of them (you’re such a good sport, sweetie!).

Dirty Springwash Shower Gel

El Hub and I both like this salty spearmint-scented gel so much that we’re fighting over who gets the rest! El Hub says it’s one of the best shower gels he’s used in years because it removes oils from his skin and hair but doesn’t strip them bare. It also builds into a nice lather yet remains easy to rinse. I like how it doesn’t leave a film behind, and I adore the fresh, crisp scent. If you’re planning frequent sleepovers at your honey’s house, this might be nice to have in the shower. $9.95 for a 3.3-oz. bottle, $17.95 for 8.4 oz., $26.95 for 16.9 oz.. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

lush dirty shower gel

lush dirty shower gel ingredients

Dirty Shaving Cream

El Hub tried it on his face; I tried it on my ‘pits. Neither of us like it much, despite the soothing oat, lavender and sandalwood scent. The fact that it doesn’t build into a lather or foam means you have to use a lot. El says his shaves with it kinda hurt, which he thought could be due to the absence of aloe or menthol, which many other shave creams contain. Both of us also dislike the thick, greasy residue it leaves behind, but we do like the scent. $12.95 for a 3.5-oz tub. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B-

lush dirty shaving cream
[Continue reading…]

EOS Shave Cream in Vanilla Bliss Shaves Hair and a Few Minutes Every Time

May 10th, 2011 by Karen 38 Comments

eos shave cream vanilla bliss

My BFF Cindy is a practical girl, and lawd she knows me well. Fed up with me arriving late to our homegirl dates, she gave me an ultimatem after the last time, threatening to take away my lipgloss if I ever did it again.

Got. My. Attention.

With horror like that hanging over my head, I was extra careful to set aside enough time to get ready last Friday before our ballet date.

I was ahead of schedule when I finished my hair and makeup, so I pulled up Google Images on my computer to take a really quick break.

“S h i r t l e s s C h a n n i n g T a t u m” [ENTER]

When I bolted back to consciousness 15 minutes later, I was, as usual, running late. “No problem,” I told myself in a soothing voice. “Lots of time.” And then I glanced down at my legs and noticed — WHOA! — a thicket of fur on my shins (enough to make a full-length coat).

It has been said that Asian women don’t have a lot of body hair. Well, tonight on MythBusters: my furry legs. 🙂

Thank ye beauty gods for EOS Shave Cream ($3.49)! It delivered one of my fastest shaves ever.

eos shave cream vanilla bliss

I’ve actually used the same cream in a different scent before. Last summer, I hacked away my body hair with the Pomegranate Raspberry version. I loved how soft it left my legs, how quick it made my shaves and how it never gave me bumps, but I couldn’t stand the scent (sickly sweet). Still, I liked how well it worked enough to finish the bottle.

But then I moved on to other things, discouraged by the scent, and forgot about EOS Shave Cream…until I tried Vanilla Bliss! It’s just as creamy and moisturizing as the Raspberry one, and also works with or without water. It’s one of six flavors in the EOS Shave Cream line.

eos shave cream vanilla bliss

The scent? Like vanilla ice cream and warm apple pie… And SO much better than the one in Pomegranate Raspberry (at least to me). It’s a softer scent and not at all overwhelmingly sweet.
[Continue reading…]

Let’s Give a Big Round of Applause for the Lush Tiny Hands Moisturizing Bar

May 3rd, 2011 by Karen 24 Comments

Okay, so it kinda looks like an artifact from Raiders of the Lost Ark — a relic buried long ago in a booby trapped cave. But it’s not. The new Lush Tiny Hands Moisturizing Bar shouldn’t be hidden from prying eyes. No, it should be cautiously (more on that in a sec) brought forth from its little tin and given a big round of applause.

After doing some spring cleaning last weekend, my hands looked rough, cracked and felt sore (and don’t even get me started on my cuticles). My paws needed a hand, so I took it as an opportunity to test Lush’s solid moisturizing bar.

[Continue reading…]