Pan Project 2018: The Faceshop Fresh Milk Cream ♥

One of the many items for my Pan Project 2018. The hoarder in me bought it in 2017 just because it was on sale for only 28.00AED now I need to use it up or throw it out. No excuses. No beauty products are allowed to reach in 2019. 

Pan Project 2018: Nature Republic Aloe Vera Gel ♥

One of the many items for my Pan Project 2018. I wish to finish this year or finally throw it out. Hopefully. PS: for those who are curious this brand is not available in UAE I got it online for 60.00AED.

Korean Beauty Products ♥

Hello! Been posting various photo as I am deleting them from my PC at work. What happened was I take photos of just about anything then saving them at the said PC. But then since I am no longer sure until when will I be in the company that I started cleaning it up. I mean personal files and photos like this one.

Back on the photo. One item is Aloe Vera Gel from Nature Republic the said brand is from Korea and not yet available in UAE market. But do not worry there is now a shop in DFC called Mumuso and they also have their own version of aloe vera gel. Sometimes Daiso has it too. But Daiso UAE is not stocking up much when it comes to beauty products. I cannot comment yet on how the product is as I am not yet using it. One of the many items I hoarded in the past. I will be doing my Pan Project until 2018!

Second item is from The Faceshop. It is called Fresh Milk Cream and as you can see not yet opened. I bought it on impulse just because it was on sale. Again I kept it and it belongs to the items that will be in Pan Project 2018. I was a hoarder. I am a recovering hoarder. 2017 I still made a lot of purchase. But at least it is a great improvement comparing to 2016 or 2015 especially in 2014! I am still very far from my goal of having my items fit into 2 suitcases but the more I declutter or pan project the more I see that it is possible. Ciao!

The Face Shop Rice Ceramide Moisture Cream 🌸

The last time I posted about TFS Chia Seed Cream I was not able to show the inside of the bottle and so here it is. I was not able to do so as no time left to take a photo haha. You can see the it is a clear kind of cream. And I finished it off in the month of September.

Looks like a gel right? Looks sticky but believe me the skin absorbs it immediately. And this is the most expensive cream from The Faceshop that I ever tried. Goodbye to it and hello the Rice Ceramide Moisture Cream. I had to do this one in and one out scenario, to make sure I finish all the creams. And at the same time they will not create clutter in my dresser.

The Faceshop Rice Ceramide Moisture Cream. I bought it last year. I cannot remember if I got it on sale but I purchased it because of the word rice. I have this thought that rice will be good on the skin. 

Sadly my initial impression with this Rice Ceramide Moisture Cream was not good. I love the smell. But the cream was very heavy to my skin. Or maybe because it was start of summer that year? I kept it thinking I could use it as a body lotion later on. But I know now that time won't come as I have many body lotions in the drawer.

Now even though I do not like it much I will use it just to avoid wasting it. Probably in the morning I will mix it with BB cream. As this will work well for someone with oily skin. And I have a combination skin. What can I do? I bought it out of curiosity and here we do not get sample sachets of the products.

I only have until November to place an order via Ebay. All orders by then will come by December. And next year when VAT has been implemented I am not sure if buying my Ebay will have tax or not. But even then I cannot bring myself yet to order anything as I do not know if I will be able to finish it in a month or more. And I think I still have 3 or more than moisturizers that I must finish before they expire.

The Faceshop Rice Ceramide Moisture Cream does not come with a box unlike the first two The Faceshop creams I used. But I do not mind. To avoid the waste. I took a lot of photos of the back of the tube for those who are curious or interested in other details and ingredients. I stopped doing that. I just listen to what my skin says. 

Rice Ceramide also has toner, serum and essence. Which I did not bother to buy anymore since I am not really happy with the cream. I think the only line from The Faceshop that I bought on complete set was their Green Tea Line.

And that's all for today. If there is anything else that I can add up regarding this cream then I will just edit this post. But for now I cannot think of any.

Now moving on to different topic. Regarding the VAT. I do not know why Middle East want to implement such. But as a lowly employee who has been around here for a decade, I can feel the changes around me. And this is not a good kind of change. I know many of you thinks that the salary here is very awesome as there is not salary tax. But from where are you basing that thought? Maybe if you are thinking about Westerners in top management positions. But if you will look at the lowly employees like me, I doubt that you can still say the same. 

I am doing my Pan Project and Decluttering because maybe deep inside of me I know that the life here that I had known is about to get harder. And with that I had no idea until when will I be here or until when can I last? The salary has been stagnant for a decade. But the expenses won't stop going up. Vat will surely affect everything else. I maybe talking about ordering from Ebay but not really sure about that. As the months passes by, money gets tighter too. Sorry to end the post in a bad light. 

November 19, 2017: It is over a month now and I am not yet finished with The Faceshop Rice Ceramide Moisture Cream as I am using it only in the morning. Now there is something weird. I am sure that last year when I first use it, it feels sticky/slimy to my face. But then when I started using it again I do not feel the same sticky/slimy I felt upon the first use. Could the weather played a part? We do not have the extremely cold winter here. But the weather has changed from extremely hot to tolerable as of October. Could it also be that I am not applying layers of skin care? Like in the morning I only use this moisturizer and sunscreen. And last week with the addition of Japanese emulsion. So since it is the cheapest cream The Faceshop can offer then it will do. 

Hada Labo Sunscreen 🌸

This Hada Labo sunscreen was from the first and only batch of sunscreens I ordered from Ebay. Thought I'd write a post to share photos and for me to remember this brand in the future if I ever run out of sunscreens.

Bought myself Hada Labo and Biore from Ebay but I was not able to finish them all off as I also purchased all the variants of Biore Japan back home. Anyway first photo is the front side of the tube and the packaging. And as usual this next photo is the back side. Name at the front is the only English on this product and I am fine with that. After all it is meant for Japanese people.

Once you started using Japanese sunscreen there is no going back to other brands from other countries. They are inexpensive. Sinks in to the skin easily. And moisturizing as well. Even though it contains alcohol I do not mind. Sadly it is not available in UAE probably because of the alcohol content. Which is weird since we are not drinking it.

Price was around 40AED and I think if you are in Japan you will get it for as low as 15AED. 50grams will last for a month or two. In my case it has taken months as I have other variants that I am using as well. Expiration date is not mentioned but usually it is up to one year only.

It is a cream type. Seems that it has more alcohol than Biore but I don't mind as the smell disappears as quickly as it has been there.

That's all for today. As in the background you can see my more than 100 items on top of my dresser that I am trying so hard to discard. Slowly.

The Face Shop Chia Seed Cream 🌸

Another moisturizer from the past. I bought this The Faceshop Chia Seed from an online seller back in 2014 or 2015. I know that time that The Faceshop is available in UAE but I was not yet their customer.

I bought this during the time I was on my hoarding phase and I was hoping to have the chok chok skin that Koreans have. Take a lot of photos for this post. At least before throwing the cute box away (boxes was one of the reasons for my mess inside the tiny room). Anyway it said to be perfect for oil control and since my Tzone never stops producing oil I thought this might help.

Took photos of all the sides of the box without really reading them. Well the older I get, the more I don't care much. I mean all I want/need now is an affordable moisturizer that works. Whether the packaging is cute or not. And this one said to be GMO free. Not really avoiding it. Seriously.

This Chia Seed Cream comes with a scoop. Do you use one? I don't. Don't believe in it anyway. Because I am the only one who uses my cream. And before putting anything on my face I make sure that I wash my hands properly. Actually I always wash my hands well to avoid getting sick. As I do not want to be sick anymore.

So it is one in and one out. I finished the olive face cream and now will try to finish this chia seed cream. Chia seed cream is transparent gel cream while olive cream is the usual white cream. On my face chia seed cream feels to be thicker than olive cream. Both are same 150grams but because of the bottle chia seed looks like it has more on it. But do not be deceived.

Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First Serum 🌸

I cannot what I ordered from Ebay or from which seller but I got this Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First Serum for free. Maybe together with the other samples I posted before.

It is serum so I was expecting it to be a light cream but instead it is a clear liquid. Was not able to take a photo of that one as I accidentally spilled some on the floor and immediately used up the remaining liquid. Well it was fine but I cannot say if it will be in the long run as the serum was for one time used only. And right now I cannot buy anything for the face as I still have many stocks.

Just posting it to document that I was able to use this brand/product and take note for the future if ever I run out of facial products. Other items worth trying out also: 
Etude House Honey Cera
Tony Moly Snail Cream
Tony Moly Black Tea Cream
Etude House Sunscreen
But maybe, just maybe, Korean product works well with me because they are specifically designed for Asian skin?

The Face Shop Olive Face Cream 🌸

Hello to all! I wish this is an in depth review but this is not. For those who do not want to read the long story, The Face Shop Olive Face Cream is available in The Face Shop UAE. Price is below 100AED but I bought mine on sale. I have a combination skin and its working great on me. When I say working great what I meant is: sinks in to the skin easily without any greasy feeling. Does not irritate the skin. You know the usual way how the moisturizer really works. But to be honest in the last 2 months I experienced better moisturizers but sadly those brands are not available in UAE. So this one will do. As long as it can moisturize well without funny effects on the skin.

For the photos I used my camera. As it is already collecting dust in the drawer. But then after 2 years (?) of having it I still cannot work on my way into taking close up photos. But anyway, I just want to show how the product looks like. It came in a small bottle. Without a box, which is fine with me as to helping the Mother Earth even in a smallest way. And it does not have a scoop either. Others have. Then again I do not mind. I use my fingers which I wash first with soap and water before dipping it into the bottle of cream. 

Anyway I think it is self explanatory that the name is Olive. Meaning one of the ingredients in making this cream is olive. Olive has been known to be good on health and so it is not surprising to find this in skin care products s well. Although I am not really a huge fan. I purchased my The Face Shop Olive Face Cream because it was on sale and I thought I'd just try it out. Purchased last January 2017. About this finish before August ends. It has taken me time to finish because I'm using other brands/creams at the same time. I mean I am alternating them.

Last winter, even though the winter here is not much cold, I was able to consume too many moisturizers as I am doing it the Korean and Japanese way. But comes summer I cannot as I find them too uncomfortable and feels like my skin cannot handle layers of skin care and makeup. So if I could go back in time I would not purchase so many skin care products. Only consolation is since some are still unopened and the expiration date is on 2019.

This is what the cream looks like. Nothing extra ordinary. Just like any other moisturizing cream I own. As much as I want to move on to other creams I cannot as I am still trying to finish it. Maybe I will be able to buy new creams only in 2018. Or in 2019. Don't know. Not because I do not have a budget for it but the usual story of having too much of it.

Tada! 1/8 of my stash that I am trying to finish! I doubt that I can finish them all by end of this year. But it is okay since they will not yet expire anytime soon. Most are not yet opened. But soon enough I will be discarding a lot of makeup. Summer makes my skin crazy that for a few days I find myself with flaky skin. To think that I eat a lot of vegetables and fruits. I eat fish. I drink a lot of water to the point that I need to pee a lot because of it. Plus I moisturizer. And I do not use facial wash that strong for my face. Maybe it has something to do with age. The older we get, the drier our skin will be.

That's all for today. And I hope my post makes sense somehow. I am writing just an outlet. To break the ice from my busy life from work. And to steer my thoughts away even just for a few minutes. Once again I find myself having problems which I did not create in the first place. You know, it was not my choice to be the eldest and the bread winner. Ciao!

A few days after writing this post I was able to finish the tube of the cream and before throwing the bottle I opened the sticker and the bottom. Took photos for those who are curious or interested. But then as of me it is yay! Another item off my magic dresser. I call my dresser magic because seems like it never runs out of stuff on it. I keep on saying that it only has 100 items but no matter how many items I either used up or discarded, it is still overflowing as ever. If only.. If only I did not waste my money is so many things..

Victoria's Secret Fantasy Series

PHOTOS are not mine. Got them from Pinterest. Well this is the old packaging of Victoria's Secret for their Fantasy Line. Sharing it to say that their body butters and body washes are great. If you can't afford them like me, then better wait on their annual sale.

Baby Foot Lavender and Baby Foot Men

Back in 2015 when I found the Baby Foot in Carrefour. No one told me about it and I did not read about it in the internet. I was curious as who would not want to have a soft feet anyway? So I bought one which I wore for 2 hours and my foot peeled in a week. 

I was not able to buy again because it is too expensive for me. And I let my feet on its natural state of being dry since then. And fast forward 2017 when I became a regular buyer from Ebay and I purchased Rolanjona from China thinking that it is a cheap alternative of Baby Foot but I was wrong.

But I want to have a soft feet at least before I die. I mean can I not have this little pleasure in life? And so without blinking I finally made a purchase again from Carrefour. At least I am sure that they do sell legit items than Ebay. Please don't get me wrong I do not have problems with my other purchases from Ebay. Just except for this one. That does not work.

And here are my Baby Foot from Carrefour. The white one is for women. With lavender scent that I failed to notice upon using. Price is 62.00AED while the black which is meant for men is 68.00AED. The old one I had to wear for two hours. This new one I had to wear for only one hour.

In the old one my foot peeled right away and kept on peeling for several days. In this new one my foot started peeling after 2 days. But I will not complain nor bash the product. Besides I was not able to clean thoroughly my foot before using the product and did not set the alarm. So I was at fault if the peeling is slow. But I still have my faith on it. And this product is really working unlike the cheap one I got from Ebay. It says that peeling will last up to two weeks. Now I do not know if it is safe to apply it again after that period of time. I will ask Google or experiment with it.

I know for a year now I had been talking about being a minimalist and frugal. Maybe an extreme frugal will not spend money on this. Anyway one can live with dry foot. Maybe the frugal will just make a DIY. But I am not really good in that. My DIY body scrub is still in the bathroom for 3 months now. 

But lately I had been really down. And thinking a lot about life like I always do. I still believe in concept of minimalism and frugal but then it is not something like one size fits all. It will really vary on each person. For me as long as it will not break my bank account then it is okay. Maybe I will fully stop buying items when I no longer have a job. But for now while I still work I want to reward myself for little things like this. 

Also I do not know how much it would cost if I will go to salon or clinic for the same procedure but I predict the amount will be higher than amount of Baby Foot. I might do it twice a month if allowed until I achieved desired results. I am planning on going to Japan but I cannot think of what products I can stock up. As after all the allowed baggage will only be 20 to 25 kilos. 

Empty Bottle #115: Cathy Doll One Day Whitener Body Cleanser

Bought this Cathy Doll One Day Whitener Body Cleanser last September 2016 and again I do not need it when I made the purchase. I am just curious and I was having a bad skin after my vacation. So I thought of pampering myself with loads of skin care products.

And for the simple reason that I have too much that I managed to finish it only on the 2nd quarter of 2017. The verdict? Sadly it was just a waste of money. But I am not kicking myself over it. As of being a cleanser there is no question about it as it delivers. But it is expensive. And as of whitening? Haha. If all the whitening products in the market are for real the probably there will be no more dark skinned or brown skinned people in the world. 

Just another lesson learned from me. Move on and never to make the same mistake again. And somehow there has been little progress on my side because this was the last time I ever purchased body washes/body gels/body liquids. Even though in those months there has been sale repeatedly on various shop across the UAE. Being able to say no and focus on finishing off my stash was something.

So that's all for today.
Thank you for dropping by.

Etude House Honey Cera

I got this Etude House Honey Cera cream for free from one of my purchases in Ebay back in February. Decided to finish off the free samples I've got before they expire. Feedback? Sorry Etude House, this cream is not for me. You see I am not really hard to please when it comes to  moisturizer but my skin must feel something extraordinary compared to all the creams I used in the past, before I sing praises. In short there is nothing in this brand that makes it stood out.

The Faceshop Calendula Moisture Toner

I read online where people says that Korean brand of cosmetics are so affordable. But in spite of it only The Faceshop managed to come here in the Gulf and the prices are not exactly affordable. 

Today let me share with you The Faceshop Calendula Moisture Toner. I forgot the exact price but I got mine on sale around 50.00AED for 150ML. This said to be a moisture toner.

Calendula is said to be a flower but unfortunately I haven't seen one so I do not know the real smell and to where to compare its smell. And I cannot figure it out either. I know the smell of roses and sampaguita too well. But not this one. I bought this Calendula Moisture Toner just to try it out. It has a faint flowery smell and said to be moisturizing on the skin. Above photo is the box where the Hangul is written which is something I do not understand. Next photo is written in English with ingredients list.

Next photo is how the Calendula Moisture Toner looks like. Thicker than the usual toner I used in the past. But not as thick as serum or essence. It can remove make up and dirt but I simply run out of time to take photos as a sample. (When did I ever have an ample of time anyway?)

I have 3 variants of toner from The Faceshop but this is my least favorite due to smell. As of the alcohol even though it is not alcohol free my skin does not feel funny nor heavy. And to be honest I also tried the 7 skin steps which was a Korean craze a few weeks ago. Meaning you will use a skin/softener/toner 7 times not necessarily mean you need to have 7 brands or 7 variants. Did I like it? Well yes but then it was cold that time but as soon as March came it became hot (weather) and I don't like applying too many products on my face anymore.

It was 2014 when I decided I wanted to have a beautiful skin. Beautiful in a sense that it does not dry out. Dry skin is not cool as it can be itchy and flaking does not look good. I tried different brands and included toner in my beauty regime. But since 2014 you will hear me say contradicting views regarding toner. The factors are the price and the weather. 

Some says that when the weather is cold that is the time they experience extremely dry skin. But seems like it is the opposite for me. When the weather is hot that is the time that my skin goes crazy. Name it. Dry skin. Oily nose all the time. Whiteheads on my nose 24/7 no matter how I clean, scrub and moisturize. By the time I finished writing this post the bottle would be emptied out. But even so I do not have plans to repurchase it.

No plans to repurchase yet as I still have other toners at home. In UAE even though it is extremely hot almost all the establishments do have air conditioner. And since I am working inside the office I will not be exposed that much under the sun. So even though my skin is going through some craziness I still do not need much face products. As too many face products will lead to feeling sticky and heavy. As well as irritating. Just a cleanser and moisturizer will do. Being inside the air conditioned areas + not being exposed to sun makes my skin not produced much oil and whiteheads.

But if I am in Turkey or Philippines or any place with the opposite condition in UAE meaning the summer is not as hot as UAE but then not all establishments do not have air conditioner, and I will be exposed under the sun ~ that is the time that I will still need all the toners in the world. To prevent my nose from producing too much oil. As well as prevent the whiteheads. Or at least slow them down. 

And since I've used far too many brands of toners that I do not have a specific favorite anymore. Since most works the same. Difference would be the price and the scent. But then financially wise once I lost my job I probably would not even bother to purchase a toner at all.

A minimalist mantra as a friendly reminder.

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence

And I am back with another sunscreen post. This is not a thorough review. I just taken a lot of photos for product familiarization. And I feel like it is worth sharing as this is a great sunscreen and so let's begin.

The only English part of this is the name that says Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence and the rest are all written in Japanese which I do not understand. Sharing them here anyway for those who are interested.

Biore Japanese products among with other Japanese goods are not available in the UAE or in Middle East but easily accessible in my home country, Philippines. And Biore sold over there have English translations at the back. Unlike this.

Please be aware that all Biore sunscreens have alcohol so this can be tricky. DHL will not allow sending it to UAE due to customs restriction regarding alcohol but then I got this one from Ebay without any problems. Will the airplane going to explode if they are carrying sunscreens?

Cosme Award 2014. Don't know how the Cosme Award works but it sure can be trusted. Surely all Japanese sunscreens have different characteristics but I love them all the same. For those who are curious about the price I got it for only around 10USD and one month waiting time.

Just more photos... By the way I have a combination skin. Nose is the only oily part while the rest can be normal to dry. Our UAE winter is not extremely cold. I am sharing this because maybe those things play a part too why the sunscreen works well with me.

In this photo up on my hand is the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence while down is the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel. Even though I do not know the ingredients I have a feeling that they are the same except for the consistency. One is gel while the other one is watery.

Showing how these sunscreens are when spread. I just did not spread it properly. And I am now following the rule of teaspoon full for the whole face and re applying after a few hours.

I am a broken record whenever I describe any Japanese sunscreen. For example this Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence:

• Affordable
• Sinks in the skin easily
• Turns matte afterwards
• Moisturizing
• Blends well with other skin care products
• Blends well with other make up
• Does not ball up on the skin
• Does not leave a white cast
• Alcohol smell goes away immediately
• No greasy feeling

But of course I am not sure if it will work the same well for others. You might want to consider skin type and climate. I still have to see yet how it will work when summer comes and it becomes extremely hot over here. Especially on June to August when it feels like the country is one big oven.

I am using these Biore alternately. And these 4 sunscreens are the first purchased I had on Ebay. I cannot differentiate them from one another except maybe the Hada Labo feels like one of my moisturizing creams. So you can choose any brand and you will be just fine.

Don't know what is wrong sometimes my photos are turning up this way. That is all for today. And thanks for visiting my page.

NOW ON OTHER THINGS. I am currently and I do not know when it will end, shedding items I own. Until I reach my goal of having material possessions that would fit only on one or two luggage. So almost everyday I am writing down a Goodbye Post Series.

But even though I am shedding down my items, I bought a handful of skin care products from December to February. Well I started my Asian Skin Care Regime last 2015 but then in between there has been a stoppage. For various reasons. So this year I decided to at least give it one shot and see how it will be as the year ends.

Purchased loads of sunscreens. Purchased loads of toners and emulsions. Waiting for loads of face powders. And lots of face creams. I almost fall into the category of hoarding again. Except that I am using everything alternately and trying to figure out which one will works best. But one thing is for sure I will definitely ditch the Korean Skin Care Regime soon. All in one creams will suite well my budget and lifestyle.

I love essences but when I am using one I feel like its enough and I cant go on with emulsion and cream anymore. I love emulsions but then pairing it with essence and cream can lead to a sticky face. But my main concern upon switching with all in one cream is: the brands I have my eyes on are hard to ship in the UAE. Because they are coming from Japan.