Essence Makeup Haul Part 6

August is my birth month and recently I celebrated my birthday. I'm not the type who would tell people that it's my birthday. Having a party is not my thing. But then as my friend says I should be happy and celebrate it as life is meant to be celebrated. Well what can he expect from the drama queen like me? And because of my birthday I decided to treat myself to some make up. But honestly it left me with guilt feelings afterwards as I barely wear make up and it might just be one of those items I purchased but I never use. Anyway, I can't return these anymore and I opened them already so since I have I might as well share them with you through photos:

Essence is a brand of make up from Germany. And so far it still holds the top spot of being the most affordable makeup in UAE. The only shops I know that carries them are the Carrefour in Oasis Mall and Geant in IBN Battura. But if I were you don't bother visiting Geant as they seem to be always out of stock unlike Carrefour Express that seems to replenish the items from time to time.

It is so affordable that I'm able to have an almost complete collection. I have all the lipstick shades that I like. I think I also have all the shades/line of lipgloss. All the shades of Essence Silky Touch Blush. And I don't know what has gotten into me that I purchased a lot of Essence Mono Eyeshadows and now as I think about it I should have just spent the money into buying another Timberland Boots. Each Essence Mono Eyeshadow costs only 9.00AED. While the Essence Silky Touch Blush in Sweetheart costs only 23.00AED. That's all for now. Thanks for dropping by. Will post some swatches as soon as I get time to take photos.

Why do I have so many face products?

Women has so many different products and let me try to explain them (and it is making me smile.. me out of all the people when I can't even explain myself properly most of the time. But what the heck, ha!) in the best way that I can. 

Facial Wash ~ is it a soap designed for the face only. As we know face is sensitive compared to other parts of our body. Using a body soap or a body wash in our face is a big no no. I love trying out different brands due to their smell but I don't pay much attention to their claims as it is usually for marketing purposes only. 

Facial Cleanser ~ they come in different forms and usually being used at night to clean the face from make up and other dirt and impurities after the long day. Micelle solution is the current trend of facial cleanser right now as they are the most gentle. But if it is not available in your area then it is okay as the market has too much to offer. Others love to use cleansing oil. Wipes. Rose water. Even toner is a type of facial cleanser too. Did I miss anything out? 

Toner ~ as I have said above toner is a type of facial cleanser too. You have to use it after cleaning your face with a cleanser to make sure that there's no more residue left by the cleanser and/or make up. It is believed to be restoring the PH balance of the skin too. Honestly I think it is just a personal preference. I always have a toner but I don't use it on daily basis especially on the days that I don't even wear make up. 

Exfoliator ~ product meant to remove the dead skin cells. The top layer of the skin. So we will have a glowing skin. But exfoliating shouldn't be done on daily basis. 2 to 3 times a week is the recommended use. But then I am still skeptical if it is really the dead skin cells being removed from my face. Because it does not look like dead skin to me. I think exfoliator is just another facial cleanser with different ingredients/formulation. But still I do so to pamper myself. As it feels great.

Scrub ~ it is a product with micro beads. It claims to soften the skin and open the pores (here we go again with opening the pores thing) so the active ingredients can penetrate the skin and promises to give a youthful look because of this. It is safe to use on daily basis.  But methinks this is the same thing with exfoliator just in another name. Again it is a person's choice is he wants to use scrub even if he is already using an exfoliator. If it makes him feel good then go ahead. 

Hope this little post helps anyway. Till next time.

Fino Leatherware License Card Holder

Fino Leatherware License Card Holder

Price: 595.00PHP @ Fino MOA

Made in Philippines

Good morning/good evening guys wherever you are. Well I had been checking my stats and I have seen that some who dropped by are people who are looking for information about Fino Leatherware. For those who doesn't know Fino is a Philippine brand of leather goods. They had been around for 2 decades if I am not mistaken. You can check them on Facebook, Instagram or just visit their website.

I came to know about this brand a little late and I'm already here in the Middle East. Fino License Card Holder is the 3rd Fino product I own. What I love about Fino is they offer small leather goods in different colors. I visited some leather shops in the UAE and I'd say only Fino has this license card holder. If ever that others might have then expect it to be in black or brown color only. Price starts from 195.00PHP (keychain). Guys I'm sorry but I have to go now and I don't have much to share with you. If you have any questions just leave me a comment and I'll try to answer them. Okay? Ciao! 

Current Brands I'm Using

I still have so many items that I would like to share with all of you. Why am I doing so? Well even here in the Middle East the price of gasoline became high. And expect the prices of other goods to follow. I personally don't like it but then just like the rest there is nothing I can do about it but just take it or leave it. Even if the cost of living is so high that it's hard for all to make ends meet BUT still we are all consumer. We all have to eat. We all buy cosmetics. And women like me still buy make up. We still have other needs. 

What I am doing is to keep on looking in the market for the items that would cost less than the other brands we all know. And I want to share them more of public awareness that a certain product exists. No photos for me to share now but here are some affordable brands that I'm using and they are available in UAE Market. I think blogs help as sometime we will not just pick up a brand that we don't know about. When we shop we usually go for brands that we trust. We trust because we had been using it since forever or we see them all the time in advertisements. Or personally recommended by a friend. Blogs introduces us to many brands we don't know exists and actually good. Brands that will not pay for advertisements so they can keep their prices low. Since ads can cost a fortune.

Daiso ~ this is a Japanese shop that we can all compare to a Dollar Store. As much as I can I am writing posts about items that I purchased from them. I know there are still people who are skeptical to use Daiso products but please at least try as I am a living proof that not because they are cheap means they are harmful. I had been shopping to since late last year and it helps to stretch my budget. 

Byphasse ~ it is a Spanish brand of cosmetics that happens to be so affordable and in Dubai it is available in the Tati Shop. Unfortunately there's only one Tati Shop and it is in Mirdif City Centre. I don't know if there are any plans of expansion. I hope so.

Nectar of Nature ~ it is a French brand of affordable cosmetics and available in Carrefour across the UAE. So far the items I tried are water mist, wax strips and body washes. So far so good.

Now to get the best deal I usually buy when there is an on going promo or sale. But not with Daiso. They'll never go on sale as their prices are already the cheapest in the market. Even though I am enjoying these brands for now I will still try to look for cheaper brands if ever there is. And expect me to share them all with you. That's all for now. Thanks for dropping by. Feel free to leave me a comment if there is any questions or suggestions. Good night!

Nectar of Nature

I grew up using limited brand of products and I don't know why. Most of us back then in Manila only knows Colgate and I keep on forgetting that it is a toothpaste and there are so many brands available in the market. Same goes with soap that if you want something that smells nice and luxurious then Dove is the answer. I could go on and on with others. And whatever I was using when I was in Manila I did not switch brands when I landed here in UAE. There are handful of grocery stores that offer Filipino products. And when I'm feeling extravagant then I'll go for Loreal. Yes. Loreal was the most expensive product I knew of.

My products knowledge broaden only when I became addicted to skin care products and decided to treat some skin issues I'm having. For a moment I became obsessed with French, Japan and Korean brands (only those well known or highly recommended by beauty gurus which can be soooo expensive at least for me). But then that obsession was short lived as I had to go back in reality that I'm not rich enough to sustain those prices and I used enough products that does not really work. Especially the whitening ones. This is where the Nectar of Nature brand enters. 

I found some blogs about this brand but they are in another language that I don't bother to read anymore. All I know is Nectar of Nature is a French brand of cosmetics that aims to provide affordable products to every family as the cost of living just keeps on getting higher. Their slogan is 'Beauty is not a luxury. It is a right'. It is available in Carrefour across the UAE but I don't know since when? I had been shopping in Carrefour since 2006 but then I don't go to areas where there are SAs (I'm sorry ladies I know you are just doing your job) and they are stationed in cosmetics area. I found Nectar of Nature in the aisle of sale items and that is one of the sections where no SA will persuade you to choose a product.

What draws me to the Nectar of Nature was their body wash has so many variants that looks good and smells good. Plus it was on sale. Price was lower compared to other brands I know. That I went ahead to give it a try. And after my good experience with the body wash I came back again to try other products from the line. But only those that are on sale. The body wash as can be seen in this photo. I got it for only 8.00AED on the promo of buy 1 take 1. 

I know the world right now has so many problems. I am just a poor girl having to work overseas and for sure a lot can relate to my situation. But then in spite of being a poor I am still a consumer. I still have to purchase. Food. Make up. Toiletries. We can't do anything (quick solution) about the cost of living skyrocketing. The only thing I can do is to hunt down the market for the most affordable I can find. What others called dirt cheap. And writing about them to let other women know about it too. Though I haven't gotten around into posting about food and recipes. One of these days I hope. 

That's all for now. Expect me to introduce some more Nectar of Nature products soon. Thanks for dropping by. Ciao!

Daiso Haul Part 8

I keep on saying that I am broke. I will not spend anymore. I will first finish whatever products I have on hand. Which takes up much of the space in the tiny room. But then I visited Daiso in Dubai Mall and my plans of not spending dirhams anymore flew out of the window. But still I'd like to think that I am a smart spender. Because I did not buy items that would cost me an arm and leg. And even though I hoarded a little these items would last for months. Maybe until next year just before they expired. Isn't it one of the things smart spender do? When there is an item that you always use and they are on sale better buy it in bulk if you can. 

 

I love Daiso Dubai Mall because I think it is the only Daiso in UAE that keeps on selling new products. This time I got myself Daiso Almond Peeling Gel and Daiso Lemon Peeling Gel as can be seen in this photo:

Peeling Gels! I bought myself 6 pieces each because I know once the stocks are finished it will take time for Daiso to replenish. A tube costs only 7.00AED and contains 100grams. And for those who wants to know what is peeling gel is, it is a gentle exfoliator. I would like to say that this is big in Asia but the none of my friends and family knows about it. Even in my loop in Social Media are pretty clueless about it. So much for me for saying about it being a BIIIGGGG thing! Well maybe for those who are updated about beauty products.

I was about to say that there is no counterpart of it in western products. But then this has the same function with western facial scrubs. Peeling Gel and Facial Scrub both do the same job of skin exfoliation. But just made of different ingredients. Both I'd say are gentle on the skin. But I'm sticking around to this Daiso product because of the price. I ain't going to spend a fortune again for another product. 

Daiso Peeling Gels are available in 2 variants. Daiso Almond Peeling Gel and Daiso Lemon Peeling Gel. I know there are still some people who would not give a Daiso product a chance just because of the price and they think it will ruin their skin or something. I hope you guys will change your mind and give it a try. This has been my nth Daiso product and so far so good. That's all for now. Thanks for dropping by. 

Empties Part 3

It has been a long time since the last time I have written a post. Well life has been harder since July. Company owners decided to apply for ISO Certification. Well I am not against it but for those who are working in an ISO certified company knows that there's too much documents needed for it. I have gotten busier than ever that I don't even have time to share a favorite song like I used to do. Plus July weather was unbelievably so hot. That I don't know anymore what to do. If you are in a cold weather just put on layers of clothing and walk a lot and you'll be fine but in extremely hot weather like this all I can think about is staying in the shower the whole day if possible. Even with umbrella while walking outside was not enough. I don't even want to cook not because laziness creeping up but every time I want to cry and just run away from here as it is so damn hot in the kitchen too. Feels like I'm inside a big oven. Weather is the main reason why I'm wishing to land a job somewhere cold. But still lady luck hasn't smiled on me yet on that area. 

Moving on.. Today I'll be sharing the 3rd part of my empties post. Before I don't really pay attention that much in whatever I was using (cosmetics) only last year when I started observing closely and noting down if there will be at least changes depending on what I was trying to achieve.

From left to right: Olay Refreshing Toner, Bioderma Face Wash and Clearasil Face Wash.

Clearasil Face Wash ~ this is affordable and easily available. I used this at that time I was desperate to find a cure for my whiteheads. Yes I thought it can be cured. I read a lot and some says that whitehead is also an acne so I treated it as one. People who are acne prone uses oil free products even on facial wash. And so did I hoping to see some results. I use nose strips on regular basis but of course it came to a point that I don't want to do it anymore and I searched for a permanent solution. I'm sorry if you landed here in my post hoping to see an in depth reviews of the products but I don't have. It is not my forte and I even lack in writing skills. I'm just listening to my pocket and my skin. As of this Clearasil Face Wash all I can say is it is really good as it does not irritate the skin. It does not hurt the skin. It does not have a scent. Cleans properly. But as of my whiteheads it did not help me at all. I did not notice any difference. It was good that it did not aggravate it but it did not lessen them either. And for that reason that I decided to try an oil free facial wash in the first place. Did not repurchase and moved on to another brand.

Olay Refreshing Toner ~ it a very affordable alcohol free toner in the market. I tried it as aside from my concern regarding my whiteheads I also started taking care of my aging and dry skin. It has been said that using Alcohol Free products will be a big help in maintaining the moisture of the skin. But honestly I tried so many toners hoping one of them might miraculously help in lessening the whiteheads but to no avail. I spent a fortune before it finally dawned on me that no facial wash or cleanser in the world not even a toner that can help with making those white bumps vanish! Nose strip is the only way. Meaning I clean my face everyday but without using a nose strip then it will not be gone. Olay Refreshing Toner is true to its name. Using it feels like your skin being refresh as it has a cooling sensation. Does not dry out the skin as it is alcohol free. I did not repurchase because of the reason that I can't stand the smell of it.

Bioderma Purifying Cleansing Foaming Gel ~ and because Bioderma Micelle Solution is so good that I went ahead and purchase other Bioderma products I can find. If I were to compare Bioderma to other quite known French brands then this line is affordable. But then according to my financial status it is still expensive. I bought the items with my eyes closed thinking it is worth it if it will help my skin to get better. This Bioderma Purifying Cleansing Foaming Gel is created for combination/oily skin yay that's me! It is also oil free which is advisable for acne prone skin. And I think one more selling point of this is being suitable to sensitive skin. I'm sorry but I will be just repeating the words I have written above about Clearasil. The only difference is Bioderma is Paraben Free compared to Clearasil. But then I don't really care about Parabens. I have tons of products at home with Parabens and I'm still alive and kicking. Bioderma is a good face wash. No scent at all. Gentle on the skin. Cleans properly. Just leaning on the expensive side. And how about the whiteheads? If I will stumble upon a product that will help me about whiteheads to the point that I can give the nose strips for good then I'll be jumping with joy and might write about it daily no matter how busy I am.

Overall the above products are good only if you are looking for something to clean your face. If there is a specific problem in your skin then you must use a separate product designed for it. That's all  and thanks for dropping by.

There's no excellent beauty products.. yet!

I am working in a customer service industry that being said even if we know in ourselves that we are giving our best to the clients does not mean that they can call us (customers) excellent or even give us praises. The only time that they might do so is when we go out from what are expected from us. And so whenever I write a review/feedback to whatever beauty product I am using so far only a few I had been called the best but usually for the lame reasons.

There will never be an 'excellent' beauty product as long as the product just delivers what it is meant to be and most of the time they tend to promise heaven and earth and yet under delivered. So most of the time I'll just use the word 'okay' or 'good enough' in each of them.

As a customer I am not hard to please. As long as it is affordable. Easily available. Does not harm the skin. But as much as I am easy to please does not mean it is easy to earn my loyalty. The best customers in the world are the repeat customers. Those who keeps coming back. But there will always be a brand that will challenge an existing brands when it comes to affordability and availability. That's the reason why I don't really stick to one brand. Not unless they can offer something that others cant.

Just sharing.

Current sale in UAE shops

Just a quick post as I was lucky enough to visit at least 3 malls over the weekend. And here are the shops that are still on sale right now:

Tchibo is a shop in UAE that offers affordable clothing and household items and they are still on sale. They are offering 30% off on clothing items.

While Centrepoint/Splash is having a clearance sale. Meaning everything must go. Old collections of clothing.

And in Outlet Mall almost all the shops are having a massive discount too! So if you need anything this is the right time to purchase. And I can't say prices will still be the same in the years to come. It might be the last year that we all can enjoy this kind of sale.

That's all for now. Ciao!

I am always broke

I'm not really sure if I should write a post like this. But I just want to let it off my chest. And at the same time try to tell to my fellow Filipinos back home that being an OFW is not easy. And I hope time will come that the we will not be synonymous to rich. Yes this is about my life and my financial status but a lot of OFW's are in the same boat with me. First of all I did not come from a rich family. I used to think that we belong to the middle class but later on in life I start to question that. And just a month ago I had a discussion with a colleague as he was insisting that yes we belong to the middle class. And I strongly contradicts him by saying that even though we are OFW's we belong to the group of people living in Poverty. He says that people living in poverty line doesn't have anything to eat anymore. I think poor people are those people like me who has work but living on hand to mouth kind of life and those who doesn't have work at all and have to beg. In the end it is still all the same both don't have money in the pocket. So both are poor.

Well for me middle class means you have an extra money in your bank account for other things. Or you have a budget for your every needs. But I don't even have an extra budget and therefore I consider myself poor. Yes I have work but the salary is just enough to pay bills and send home. I don't have budget for other things like clothes, shoes, bags, cosmetics, gadgets and vacation. If ever that I'm able to afford any of those things still it does not make me belong to the middle class. If ever here is what I do. Either I don't pay my bills on time or I just pay it partially. Or I take a loan. Second quarter of the year I purchased a lot of items that I need and wants. At the expense of my supposed to be ticket money so instead of going home for vacation I just stayed at home. This month I was able to hoard toiletries but then I used all my food money. Do people in middle class families to that?

There are far too many factors why I am broke and not only me but most of us. The salary is not equal to the cost of living. If I will rant about it and so the millions of people all over the world. I guess this is the way it is everywhere. Everything are so expensive nowadays. Both in the Philippines and in the UAE. And how can I not help my family when helping them was the main reason why I have chosen to work overseas in the first place. Well I'm the one who send one of the brothers to college and right now he's working. He got work after applying for companies for 6 months. And the other one is still studying and yes I am the one supporting him. He'll finish by October next year. Because of this I have to send up to 60% of my salary. And even if he finish studying it will not mean that my financial status will change. By then I will be paying whatever loans/arrears I'm having now. Not advisable but I can't avoid most of the time. Even if I am done helping my family here comes another factor. The cost of living here just keeps on going up. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide.

I don't know when will my situation (or every OFW's situation) will change. I don't know if there is still hope. One thing is for sure. Life goes on. As with it one must he happy in spite of whatever circumstances he is in. And that is what I am doing. Trying to be happy. Trying to be positive. But then at times I'm getting depressed. But I am fighting it. I just turn into writing so at least even once I can release the emotions building up inside of me.

Just another Byphasse Haul from Tati

Ramadan is over. Supposed to be during Ramadan we should have 2 days off but then management of each department has the last word. If they say that Friday is the only off day for us then there is nothing we can do about it. Complain and you are the villain. And I know that a lot of OFW's have longer working hours than us so I have to tell myself that it wasn't so bad and I must just comply like the rest of my colleagues after all I have to work to survive. So finally when it's over I had my two days off over the weekend. Friday is the counterpart of Sunday in the Philippines. All offices across the UAE are closed during Fridays. Saturday well that's my day off. Years ago we used to spent the weekends or holidays roaming around the country or the nearby country. But time has changed. Life gets busier. And so my weekend was nothing new compared to all the weekends I had. This is not exactly a complain (defensive mode haha) just feel like sharing it for those who plans to move in the UAE to work. So not surprising that I was in the Mirdif City Centre and since I was there I checked if Tati Shop is still on sale. For those who doesn't know and visited my page for the first time ~ Tati is a French department store that sells affordable clothing, household items and cosmetics. Cosmetics brand that they carries are Modelite, Evoluderm and Byphasse. Broke that I am I spent my remaining precious dirhams on Tati. I'm supposed to spend in food but ended up spending it in toiletries and so be it. In short this post is about my another Byphasse haul from Tati and here they are:

This time around I got myself Byphasse Body Wash and only 1 Byphasse Baby Cleansing Lotion. Each items are 500ML and so far they are the cheapest brand I can find in the UAE. As soon as I get time I will write a separate post for each well better term will be a photo blog as I don't have much to say but to show a lot of photos so the you can be familiar with the product even without seeing it personally.

All these Byphasse items were on sale. Discount was no more than 5AED but it was still a discount nonetheless and if you are living on a tight budget like me you'll understand where I am coming from and why even this small amount of discount matters a lot and already a big help. The most expensive on this batch is the 1Litre body wash for sensitive skin that costs me 17.00AED. 

I'm sorry if I keep on repeating about my financial status is almost every post that I am writing. I'm not asking for people to pity me. I have to state it because until now there is an impression back home about OFW's. As if we have overflowing money in our bank accounts so we can always afford to shop. That is making me state my reasons why do I hoard and when do I hoard? And how on earth can I afford to hoard at times? There are sacrifices being made in each time I'm spending my hard earned money. If I spent the money on food that food would last only for a week or more but then I spent it on toiletries which will last for months and by the time I finish it all then probably there is a sale again and I'll be stocking up again.

This Byphasse body wash has six variants and I have chosen only 4 variants with smell that I like the most. I don't want to get them all then end up with a short money when I'm about to pay :)

Thanks for dropping by to my page and I'll do a little more research about this product like why it is good for the skin as I tend to ignore that very important information. I only seem to care about the smell and the price. Forgetting that some people are visiting the page hoping for further details.

Skinfood from South Korea

Skinfood is a brand of skin care and make up from South Korea. As I understood from the write ups this brand was created to cater to young women. Those who are in high school and college with limited budget. So it is supposed to be an affordable line of cosmetics. It has one shop in Dubai Festival City which I haven't visited yet but based on their prices via website I would not label it as affordable. I'd call it expensive. All my Skinfood items, I got it from an online seller from Instagram. The prices are much lower than the shop in Dubai but still in the expensive side. But I ain't complaining or ranting about the prices. Merely sharing the information. If price is not an issue then I'd say I'm almost happy with Skinfood products.

'Almost' happy as I haven't found products yet that works 100%. Right now my concern is how to clear my nose from whiteheads. For good. What is happening is whenever I clean my face and use a nose strips there will still be some left. Then the next day instead of seeing them lessening they just seem to be procreating. In spite of the technology and thousand products in the market still there is no solution for this. I even tried using Benzoyl Peroxide which made me looks like a descendant of Rudolf with an asphalt nose. Skinfood Peach Sake Pore Serum is able to control the oil but only for a few hours. Skinfood Peach Sake Toner is able to matte the nose upon cleaning at night but then it lasts for at least an hour or so only. Premium price to pay for a few hours of being oil free.

Skinfood Peach Sake BB Cream ~ I want to write a separate post about it as soon as I can but to just show photos and swatch only. It has been only a year since I started using BB creams so I can't say that I have much extensive experience about this. But so far I am satisfied with what Skinfood BB Cream can give. Does not help me with whiteheads but does not aggravate it either. So I am fine with that.

Skinfood Peach Sake Silky Finish Powder ~ I haven't gotten around in using it on daily basis but my initial impression was good. It smells good. It is really translucent. This requires another post too. But I think this is a promising product. That's all for now and thank you for visiting my page.

Soap and Glory: Scrub Your Nose In It

Soap and Glory Scrub Your Nose In It

Price: 50.00AED @ Boots Pharmcy Dubai

Promo Buy 1 Take 1

Made in UK

I don't normally shop at Boots Pharmacy. They do not have a branch in Ajman. And seeing a lot of SA inside always making me run away from them. I don't dislike SA. They are people with decent jobs. But then SA's persuasion and me are not a good combination. The first time I shopped at Boots was in their branch at Lamcy Plaza. The SA was kind enough when I told her I don't know yet what will I purchase, I would look around first and let her know if I need anything. And the reason I finally decide to go inside a Boots Pharmacy was seeing the magic words "Buy 1, Take 1". In short I purchased this product even without reading reviews first because I got curious and not because some SA persuaded me to do so with matching lines how they are personally using it. 

This is the box. This purchase was sometime in April and during that time I was crazy and keen on finding products I could that would solve my concern about controlling the oil in my nose. As I really hate the whiteheads/white bumps on my nose. I wanted something aside from nose strips since using those strips on daily basis is not advisable. Scrub your nose in it. Nose. My nose was my main concern. My hopes were high. 

Special Pore Refining Formula ~ yes I need that in my life. Years of using nose strips and sometimes taking out the whiteheads with various tools has finally taken its toll on me. My pores in the nose has become big and some even have scars. 

AHA Facial Scrub ~ much has been said all over the internet how AHA is good for the skin. But the thing is I can't remember a single thing to write about AHA right now. If a lot of people swear by it then it must be good. 

To be honest I don't know what is Superfruit Yuzu is but it sounds good anyway. (Note to myself: google it later). More photos first before I share my experience with it:

Moment of Truth: well I will not contradict those people who swear by that it can remove dirt and impurities. But then I haven't found yet a facial wash or facial scrub that can't do that job. Facial wash and scrub were created for the purpose for crying out loud! But then the reason I purchase it was not to just clean my nose as I can buy other facial scrub in the market for a lower price.

I purchased it hoping that my pores in the nose will get better. Call me crazy or obsessed with my whiteheads as this is already the nth product I used for the purpose of making those white bumps go away. Fine this was able to scrub my nose properly. Does it helps making my pores refined or smaller? No. Does it helps in eliminating my whiteheads? No. I was hoping that by scrubbing my nose with this those nasty whiteheads will go away along with the scrub but I was wrong. In conclusion there is not scrub in the world that can remove the whiteheads so why spend money on expensive scrubs then? I'll just go back to the good old St. Ives or hunt down the market for more affordable brands.

Byphasse Micelle Solution

Byphasse Micelle Solution

Price: 18.00AED @ Tati Shop in MCC
Made in EU

Byphasse is a brand of cosmetics from Barcelona, Spain. The aim of the brand is to provide skin care products to all at an affordable price. They said to be distributing their products at 50 countries worldwide but honestly I didn't know about them until recently. It was sometime in April or May when I first visited the Tati Shop in Mirdif City Centre. Tati on the other hand is a department store from France that carries affordable clothing. Aside from the clothing they also carries skin care and make up products. They carry Byphasse and Evoluderm. In the UAE market I haven't seen them anywhere else but on Tati.

Micelle Solution is a facial cleanser/makeup remover that consists mainly of water making it the safest and most gentle product out there. Well there are small molecules of oil suspended in the water but then it majority of the ingredients is water. The reason why this has become so famous. If I'm not mistaken Bioderma is the pioneer. But then Bioderma is quite expensive and there are still countries/areas in the world that it is not available. So it is good to know that now there are too many drug store brands of micellar water to choose from now. It is not meant to be a facial wash but a cleanser to remove the makeup.

Sans Parabene of Paraben Free seems to be trend when it comes to skin care products in Europe. As I see it in almost every European cosmetics I purchased. There are people who believes that parabens can cause cancer that they are avoiding products containing this ingredient. As for me I am not really keen into avoiding products with parabens at all. If I'm using something without it then it's good but if it has I don't mind as long as the product will perform well as expected. Micellar water is the perfect product for people with sensitive, dry or irritated skin.

My experience with Byphasse Micelle Solution: well my experience will surely differ from others as I don't wear heavy make up or complete make up. Even if I wear one the whole day I use a facial mist a lot especially now that it's summer time and the brands I'm using doesn't seem to be long lasting even when I use a make up base so at night when I come home there is hardly make residue at the cotton pad. But just some dirt. So in removing make up I can say that Byphasse delivers. Actually all the micelle solution I have tried. But if I were to compare Byphasse to Bioderma this one seems to be a little sticky but not always it could be the other products on my face but nevertheless Byphasse can compete.

I use it to remove my eye make up. I can say that it is safe to use as it doesn't sting. Whenever I'm using a product I'm always watching out if it will feel like drying my skin. Or it will irritate me my skin. If none of those happened then the product is good enough for me. And so I'll say that Byphasse is a good product. And a good deal that you'll get a 500ML for it's price. But as of June 2015 the price became 20.00AED. Even so it is still the cheapest brand of micelle solution in the UAE.

Added this photo to show how it works. The first swatch is the Essence Lipstick I applied at least 3 or 4 layers so it was heavy. The yellow one is a Mac eye shadow in gold shade. Last is the Daiso Mascara which happens to be waterproof. But I don't always use mascara. Maybe at least twice a month?

Here's the result after using one cotton pad with Byphasse Micelle Solution.

That's all for now. Thanks for dropping by and I hope this post of mine is helpful to some of you. Till next time.

Toners

Facial Toners. It is a liquid product meant to clean the face. The second step after the facial cleanser or make up remover. To make sure that whatever residue left behind by the facial cleanser or make up will be removed. But not all people uses Toner. Some says you can skip it as it is just a waste of time and money. Some says it is needed as extra care for the skin. As for me prior 2014 I don't have an exact skin care regime. Meaning I just clean my face with just about anything I can get my hands on. Soap. Eskinol. Any facial cleanser. RDL. I was young back then. Being young comes with a smooth and soft skin. When sun spots starts appearing along with thousand of whiteheads that is when I realized I should have taken care of my skin properly as early as possible. Now my skin is aging. And has been drier than before. Prevention is better than cure. I included Toner in my regime, hoping my skin will get better. Here are some of my facial toners:

From left to right: Avene Gentle Toner, La Roche Posay Physiological Soothing Toner, Botanics Cleansing Toner, Skinfood Peach Sake Toner, Byphasse Soft Toner Lotion and Olay Refreshing Toner. Inshallah if my busy schedule will permit me to do so I'll take up more photos and write a post for each product.

It has been more than a year that I'm using toner religiously. I can't remember anymore how many brands I tried. I am avoiding Alcohol Denat but then some of the brands I own have them. How's my experience with toners? Well none of them helps as far as sun spots and whiteheads are concern. But then none of them promised to be able to do so. With the current brands I own only 1 claims to have a brightening solution or effect and that is the Botanics Cleansing Toner but it will probably fall into the category of 'products I used to brighten/whiten the skin but did not able to do so'. As I have repeatedly said that I haven't found any brightening/whitening products yet that truly works. Somehow in a way it slows down the aging process of my skin. Not because it has components to fight off the wrinkles. But because of this step I became more attentive to my skin instead of just slapping my face with products. I observe my skin's reaction. I became gentle with my skin. I listen to it. But this post does not mean that I am relying only on toner. Toner is just a part of the regime. Sometimes I follow the Korean steps in applying skin care. Sometimes I just follow the basic.

I'll continue using toners as a way to give an extra pampering to my skin. But as of the brand I don't think I will shell out money again ever to expensive brands since all of them can clean the face properly. That's all for now. Thanks for dropping by to my page. Till next time, Ciao!

90's Alternative/Rock

List of Songs:
00:00 Live ~ Selling The Drama
03:31 Candlebox ~ Far Behind
08:40 Green Day ~ Basket Case
11:46 4 Non Blondes ~ What's Up
16:50 Better Than Ezra ~ Good
1956 Blind Melon ~ No Rain
25:47 Collective Soul ~ Shine
31:08 Creed ~ My Own Prison
35:25 Deadeye Dick ~ New Age Girl
38:43 Foo Fighters ~ Big Me
40:54 Gin Blossoms ~ As Long As It Matters
45:19 Goo Goo Dolls ~ Iris
48:54 Nirvana ~ Smells Like Teen Spirit
53:31 Oasis ~ Champagne Supernova
1:01:01 Pearl Jam ~ Alive
1:09:16 R.E.M ~ The One I Love
1:13:30 Stone Temple Pilots ~ Interstate Love Song
1:16:45 The Cranberries ~ Zombie
1:21:55 Smashing Pumpkims ~ Bullet With Butterfly Wings
1:26:27 Ugly Kid Joe - Cats In The Cradle

Byphasse + Evoluderm Haul at Tati Shop

Last Friday I visited the Tati Shop in Mirdif City Centre. For those who doesn't know Tati, it is a department store from France that carries affordable clothing. Admittedly my first impression with anything about France is associated with the word expensive. Only now that the impression is shifting. France just like any other countries in the world has expensive and dirt cheap products. But for me not all items from Tati are really dirt cheap not unless they are on sale. And they happened to be on sale when  I went to their shop.  But if you will compare their price range with other brands coming from France then they are definitely affordable. Tati carries not only clothing items they also have make up (Modelite Makeup) and skin care products. As of skin care they do have Byphasse which is a brand from Spain or a collaboration between Spain and France. And also Evoluderm. Evoluderm is a another French brand of affordable cosmetics. I wanted to pick up some shirts that costs only 9.00AED but I had to choose what I need urgently? Couple of new shirts or cosmetics? It is the latter. I can't afford to have both anyways. So here's my haul from Tati shop consists of Byphasse and Evoluderm:

Price range from 9AED to 18AED. Afterwards I went to Carrefour to compare prices with other French brands like LCS and Nectar of Nature to be sure that I really got a good deal. Byphasse and Evoluderm normally carries the biggest size. So seeing 500ML is very common in them. It is now summer in the UAE and my skin becomes drier that I consume a lot of creams. I used to be a fan of some expensive brands but not anymore since whatever the price range is both can do the same job.

Prices for those who wants to know:
Byphasse Hair Mask ~ 18.00AED
Byphasse Baby Cleansing Lotion ~ 11.00AED
Byphasse Gel Wash ~ 14.00AED
Byphasse Hand Cream ~ 9.00AED
But please bear in mind that these are sale prices. If they are not on sale there's a price difference between 2AED to 5AED. And for us who are in a tight budget this matters.

Evoluderm Hand Cream ~ 9.00AED
Evoluderm Lotion ~ 12.00AED
As of the quality they are good enough. I mean nothing extraordinary that will blow your mind but not bad either. For example the lotion will moisturize you enough but nothing extra like it will whiten your skin or something like that. Or will work as anti aging and the likes. But at least they don't have empty promises. The only downside is Evoluderm and Byphasse has a lot of products to offer but then in the UAE market it is quite limited. I hope Tati UAE can just bring them all. And I'm willing to try them all. That's all for now. Thanks for dropping by. I will write a separate posts full of photos as soon as my time will allow me to do so. Ciao!

Bioderma Sebium Gel Moussant

Bioderma Sebium Gel Moussant

Facial Wash/Facial Cleanser

Price: 89.00AED for 200ML @ Aster Pharmacy

Made in France

Purchased this Bioderma Sebium Gel Moussant out of curiosity. This was my first costly facial wash or facial cleanser. What made me bought it was it has been said that gel are good for combination skin. I have dry cheeks but very oily Tzone. Oily nose eventually leads to having  thousand whiteheads everyday. Even after cleaning my face and/or using nose strips. 

Not much photos to share as this is already an empty bottle. The gel comes in blue color. Very gentle and non drying. No scent. No parabens. Oil free. It has been a year since I used it so that's all I can say. But then I can't remember anything about it that I don't like. I did not repurchase not because it was a bad product but because it is overpriced in UAE market. And I still have tons of other facial wash to try. This will work well for people with sensitive skin as I have said that this is very gentle on the skin. 

But then the very reason I picked it up was I'm hoping it will help me regarding the oiliness of my nose. Sadly it did not. But not blaming the product though as it did not promise such thing. It's only meant to clean the face without irritating the skin. And it delivers when it comes to that. And to be fair I haven't found a facial wash/facial cleanser that actually helps in controlling the oil and lessening the whiteheads. So in conclusion I could use any facial wash/cleanser that is affordable and easily available. As long as it can clean the face that's all should matter. 

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting my page. Ciao!

[Galderma] Benzoyl Peroxide Gel

Benzoyl Peroxide Gel

Price: 20.00AED @ Aster Pharmacy

Made in France

I had been reading a lot of blogs and write ups regarding whiteheads as I badly wanted them out of my nose for good. It has been said that actually whitehead and blackhead are mild forms of acne. And so if that is the case I take it that acne solutions will also work for whitehead. Because of that from using different kind of toners and facial cleansers my attention has shifted into finding a cure against acne. And one of the solutions being offered out there is using Benzoyl Peroxide. After a few days of thinking about it I finally went ahead and searched for it sometime in April. I found it at Aster Pharmacy in Dubai for only 20.00AED.

When I first try it I used other face products along with it. So during the first time I did not really notice anything. Or feel anything that I kept the product in my drawer. But alas last week of June I decided to take it out and use it. As I am already exhausting other products I have to fight the whiteheads but to no avail. Actually I'm trying hard to control the oil. Controlling the oil will lead me to be whitehead free nose, right?

Here's the list of ingredients for people who wants to know. Whatever it is that's written on the box is also written in the tube. While the photo below states the name and location of the company.

Directions.

And here is what I experienced the second time around of using it. I applied it for 2 consecutive nights. Without applying anything else on my face. I figure it will be better that way. Since the first time did not really work as there were layers of skin care products on my face.  Instead of applying in my nose only I was not able to avoid to spread some of the cream in some parts of my cheeks.

And what happened? The next day after the second night the first thing I noticed was my nose and near it was very red. It resembles to when I applied some blush on to my cheeks. I had to stop using blusher as it will look like as if I decided to use it on my nose too. It was fine with me. As there is a price for everything right? And I thought the redness will go away quickly but it did not. I read the manual later where it states that the user will experience redness and should avoid sun exposure. Redness then is the skin's natural reaction to the product. But seriously how can I avoid the sun exposure when it's extremely hot. After all it is summer in the Middle East. I should have use it on winter instead.

I have dry cheeks but even so my cheeks are soft to touch. What Benzoyl Peroxide Gel has done to my nose was it dried it out but not in a good way as the skin where I used the product was rough to touch. Imagine the asphalt. Imagine touching it. That's how I feel whenever I touch my nose. Although somehow it did managed to sort of close my pores. If there is such a thing. But that's how it looks like to me. It was able to minimize the oil from my nose. But it did not make me a 100% free from whiteheads. Now Benzoyl Peroxide is back in the drawer and I don't know when will I use it again or will I ever use it again. I should now accept that having a very oily nose full of whiteheads is natural. And no permanent solution. I will continue using nose strips but I must stay away from taking drastic measures like this one. 

On the other hand it got me thinking. That there is a possibility that they can create a pore minimizing product that really works. As Benzoyl Peroxide was able to do that for my nose. Maybe I could just try mixing this product with an oil controlling cream. Just maybe. Thanks for dropping by sweeties. Till next time.