Five Beauty Faves For December

Ending November and starting the week right with five beauty finds I discovered and have been using for weeks now. Safe to say they’re on the top shelf of my make up and skin care trolley. I couldn’t believe I’ve accumulated so much – one shelf is for lipstick alone– well, better late at trying than never right? 🙂

With a lot of products that are still waiting to be tried and tested, I’ll try my very best to post a monthly five faves so that you can check out what’s worth buying and trying.

from left: MAC Prep+Prime CC Cream, Etude House Curl Fix, Maxipeel Fresh And Natural Skin Purifier, The Body Shop Lip Liner, and Avéne Thermal Spring Water.

Maxi Peel Fresh and Natural Skin Purifier, 50ml at P79

Available at Sample Room and leading department stores.

A first of its kind in the skin care market that clears the skin from external and internal contaminants delivering purified, healthy and fresh-looking skin. Only Fresh & Natural Skin Purifier has MicroPurifiers, a unique blend of safe and potent ingredients that moves beyond the skin’s surface down throughout the skin layers.

It has glycolic acid-occurs naturally in sugar cane effectively removes skin contaminants; lactic and salicylic acid- improves overall skin texture and keeps pores unclogged and tight; tetrahydrodiferulolylmethane- from turmeric root (ginger) that suppresses melanin production, niacin amide that brightens skin complexion; retinol that helps mitigate acne and improve aging skin and vitamins C & E which protect cells from damage.

I was at first hesitant to use it as I have used Maxipeel before and it can be harsh to one’s skin when you try it for the first time, especially if you’re not used to peeling since it is after all, a peeling product. But then the packaging and the overall vibe of Fresh & Natural lured me into trying it. It works like a toner for me, rids of impurities that are still on my skin despite cleansing. My cotton pad was marked with dirt after swiping Fresh & Natural on my face. First time I applied it, it gave the same reaction to my skin – redness and warmth. I didn’t panic though as I already had a hunch it was going to be like that but what I liked about it was that there was no peeling in the succeeding days and I woke up the next day with a SUPER soft and smooth face. Baby’s bum soft to be exact! My tiny bumps and rough blackheads flattened out and it felt like my skin got renewed overnight. Since trying it, I’ve been using it regularly – 2-3 times a week only and NOT everyday – and apply it only at night. It’s probably the best P70 skincare product I’ve tried. If you’re gonna try this, I suggest do a skin patch test first (on your jaw area) and see if your skin will react to it. If not, congratulations! You’re on your way to smooth, soft skin! Oh, and don’t forget to apply liberal  amount of sunblock in the morning before you head out – yes, even if it’s gloomy, don’t forget to apply sunblock okay?

If you’re a Sample Room member, you still can get free samples! 😉

MAC Prep+Prime CC cream, 30ml at P2,000.

Available at all MAC counters: Rustan’s Department Stores, SM Beauty Store Makati & all MAC stores.

The trend of BB & CC creams isn’t over and I believe they’re here to stay. I find it challenging to find the right one but still, I took a leap of faith and went ahead and got myself a CC cream from MAC – it comes in 4 variants. I choose Recharge because of the apricot-ish color which can help counter and conceal my dark eye bags and this color can totally (I sound so blonde! LOL) give your face a warmer look because of its orange-y tint.

Here’s what it looks like when swatched. It gives a sheer coverage, like a tinted moisturizer but when set with powder, that’s when I saw how it corrected the dark areas of my face. I like how it helped even out my skin especially the dark areas like my under eyes and cheeks. When I use this, I don’t put on concealer na so as not to pile too much make up especially when I want to achieve that “no-make up look”. Did I mention it has SPF30? It’s a good base if you need to color correct. So head on over to any MAC counters and try which shade is for you. I’ll try my hardest to do a #FOTD aside from my usual #OOTD posts on my Instagram so you can see how it fairs.

The Body Shop Lip Liner in Pink Brown, 1.2 g at P300+

Available at all The Body Shop Stores.

I love wearing lipstick. As I said over and over again, it’s one make up product I can’t live without. But for some reason, I always end up having clown lips and it’s not a flattering sight to see. The solution? I’ve recently learned how to set my lips with either foundation or powder before applying lipstick. While most times it works, other times it doesn’t. So this lead me to try wearing lip liner to “contain” the lipstick on my lips and of course to define my lips more (we all want the Kylie Jenner lips, aminin!).

 Since I mostly wear pinks and nudes, I opted to try The Body Shop Lip Liner in Pink Brown and I like how it works whether I wear pink, nude or even red lipstick. It resembles the color of my lips, which makes it as natural looking as possible. Although I find applying it a bit rough on my lips – literally like using a pencil – I apply lip balm first before using it so it can glide more smoothly. Winner yung shade di ba? I believe this would work well on most Filipinas.

Etude House Curl Fix, P848

Available at all Etude House Stores.

This is a curl fix mascara that completes powerfully curled up fine eyelashes for 24 hours with its strongly adhering Curl 24HR Technology™ on drooped lashes.

I find myself using mascara now more than ever. I was once not a fan because most of them give me clump lashes and they’re hard to remove – I hate having panda eyes after! But after discovering Etude House Curl Fix, I’ve been a convert. I apply it more than I apply eyeliner (which is a first since eyeliner is a must for me ha!) because it instantly brightens my eyes and gives me that long, curled lashes. Want to know how AMAZING this mascara is? Check out my before and after photos below.

         left: curled lashes without mascara | right: curled lashes with one coat of Etude House Curl Fix

I’ve gotten a lot of compliments every time I’m wearing Etude House Curl Fix. Most of them thought I was wearing falsies because of how long, thick and curled my lashes are. I usually apply two coats of it for a full effect. Removing it is also a breeze. A few swipes of Nivea Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes is all I need to remove Etude House Curl Fix on my lashes and yes, no lashes where harmed upon removing. Winner!

Avéne Thermal Spring Water, 50ml at P530

Available at select Watsons Stores, SM Beauty Stores and Mercury Drug Stores.

The magic of Avéne came from a thermal spring near Avene in France. It has curative properties that have been proven over the years, thus many rave about it’s magic. Dermatologist, skin care junkies swear by Avéne and how effective it is in clearing one’s skin. I myself have proven how effective this magic water is. It’s weird that I always breakout whenever my monthly period comes (because I never had any skin issues in my teen years – as usual, better late than never ang peg ko!). Anyway, though it may be expensive for water, it’s something that I invested in because I find it instantly “refreshes” my skin. I spray it on my face after cleansing and let it set for a few seconds to a minute, dab gently and while it’s still damp, I apply my moisturizer and let it dry. It gives the skin a plump feel, like I went to a sauna without the heat and redness.

My five faves are quite random but I like how they work well on my skin. From revitalising, to correcting, containing, volumizing and refreshing. These products are five of the many favorite things I’m happy to share with you all. Can’t wait to share more from the products I’m currently testing and trying out. I just hope I find time to write about them sooner rather than later.

Got any beauty and skin care products you’ve tried and tested that you want to rave about? Share them on the comments section below and I’ll gladly try them for myself! 😉