Angela Andaluz

This review will be very brief. If you were following me for quite some time, you would know how much I love SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. It has changed my skincare game, BIGTIME. My face would not survive this world without it. Pak! Ganern. Ganon katindi.

I got the MISSHA First Treatment Essence Intensive Moist (2016 NEW) from Althea Korea Philippines. Read how my first Althea shopping experience here. I was SO excited to try the MISSHA FTE. I was hoping to get a dupe for my SK-II FTE because, well, we all know SK-II is not cheap.

I used the MISSHA FTE for a good solid month. Used it day and night. I noticed that it was great in controlling oil on my T-zone. I was not blotting (my face) much when I was using it. Sadly, it was not able to prevent the pimples from coming.

Yep. I was breaking out during the time that I used MISSHA FTE. At first, small bumps started appearing on the sides of my face and on my chin area. Then these bumps slowly turned into pimples. And I said to myself, nope. I could not do this to myself. I struggled hard to keep my face pimple free for the longest time. I was not letting MISSHA ruin it for me. I started using MISSHA FTE less and less, only once a day. I made it part of my day time skincare routine because it was good at controlling my oil. But the pimples and blemishes kept on coming. And I decided not to use it anymore.

In the end, MISSHA FTE could not replace my SK-II FTE. It is not a dupe for it. Well, not for me. But what I can tell you is that it did a good job of controlling my face oil production. In case you do not have any facial issues other than being oily, try the MISSHA FTE. I am selling mine here if you are interested to try it. Your skin might love it.

If I remember correctly, there was a time when dark lips was a thing. I think it was late last year, 2016. It took me the longest time to try it for myself since I have no desire to look so, uhm, dark. Haha! I look mature kasi when I have dark lips.

Anyway, I tried the dark lip both in crème and matte formulas. Let me tell you how it went.

I first bought the Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte in Burgundy Blush for two hundred ninety nine pesos (Php 299.00) because I thought it would stay longer on my lips because it was matte.

It is very dark. What did I expect, no? Hahahaha!

I first used this when I went to Ypao Beach in Guam for a short swim. I knew I would look pale when I dip into the water and then feel the cold.

Look! I had some color on my lips left here. Hehe. I was so happy I did not look dead in any of my pictures while I was there.

I also used this during a trip in Baguio where I knew I would look pale ‘cause of the “cold” weather.

It is difficult to apply because, again, it is matte. I had to put at least two (2) coats to get the full color. Staying power depends. The full color stays on my lips until I drink or eat something. It transfers. And it usually leaves color at the outline of my lips that I’m not a fan of.

When I grew fond of the dark lip look, I looked for a more comfortable formula. I remember loving the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Rum Raisin because of its formula and staying power. I used this most of the time during my first year as a lawyer. It was such a beautiful, no-effort shade. Saan pa nga ba ako maghahanap, edi doon sa subok na. So I googled for the closest shade to the Burgundy Blush. It was the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry. I do not recall how much I bought it. I think it was less than four hundred pesos (Php 400.00).

It is in crème formula, thus, easier to apply. Full color is also achieved by two (2) swipes. Staying power is not so good since it transfers when I eat and drink but it leaves a pretty red stain on lips.

So which between the Burgundy Blush and Black Cherry do I prefer using?

Black Cherry please! Both give me a beautiful “dark” look perfect during a gloomy or rainy day but as always, I prefer comfortable, wearable and reliable lipsticks. I really wanted Burgundy Blush because it looks so neat when properly applied. It is so comfy to wear, too. As if I was not wearing any lipstick. BUT it left me with a weird looking outline on my lips after eating. No thanks, k bye. Such a deal breaker. Black Cherry did not do that to me. It always left my lips moisturized though it felt sticky on the lips. It left me with a pretty stain when the color fades away, too!

Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte in Burgundy Blush Longevity: 2/5 Moisture: 1/5 Price: 3/5 Overall rating: 2/5

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry Longevity: 3/5 Moisture: 3/5 Price: 3/5 Overall rating: 3/5

Half of the year is over. And I'm happy to tell you that I discovered several lip products since January that have become my "ride or die."

The Battle of the Lippies is a series in my blog where I review all lip products that I bought this year (and late last year, around December). I’ve got so many lip products that I’m so excited to share with you. By the way, if you want me to review a certain lippie, don't be shy. Okay? Let me know! I’m always on the market for great lippies.

To keep my review brief, I will limit the factors considered to the following: (a) longevity, (b) moisture, and (c) price. These three (3) are the main factors I consider in determining whether or not a product gets into my makeup bag. In short, something I carry on a daily basis.

The first product for the Battle of the Lippies Series is the L'Oreal Paris in Chocolat Rouge.

L'Oreal Paris Chocolat Rouge is from the Matte Parisian Browns collection. A collection of modern matte lipsticks in shades of nudes and browns inspired by the allure of Paris. Wew. Hehe.

Honestly, I got this out of impulse. I was just walking around the Beauty Section of SM Department Store when I decided, "The hell, I want a new lipstick!" Oh God, I hate myself.. But that money was WELL spent 'cause this one has quickly made its way into my makeup bag.

I don't know why but Chocolat Rouge makes me feel beautiful. Two (2) swipes of this on my lips and I’m good to go. I won’t need any other beauty product, seriously. Chocolat Rouge stays on my lips for more or less five (5) hours even without re-application, which is pretty long in my opinion. My lips neither look and feel dry nor patchy whenever I use this. It has a creamy application, too. It does not tug my lips.

Let me show you how it works magic on mah fes. Below is a photo of me in "I-woke-up-like-this" mode. My lip color is literally white. Hahaha!

After 2 swipes of Chocolat Rouge and voila. Check me out! I look so alive.

I cannot remember how much this was when I bought it but I'm sure it was less than five hundred pesos (Php 500.00). Since I was impulse buying at that time, I didn't mind the price. But now I realize that if I was not craving for a lippie, I wouldn’t buy this one. In terms of shopping for lip products, I consider anything above three hundred pesos (Php 300.00) as too much. I don’t know. What do you think?

What I love about Chocolat Rouge is that it does not let me down. I hate lip products that disappear on me. Ung iiwan ka lang sa ere. Nagmumuka akong zombie or may sakit or stressed e. Everyone loves a reliable lip product. I love how Chocolat Rouge literally gives life not only to my lips but also to my life. Yikkeee!

This is how I look like after I did my brows and put on some concealer on my under eye area and subtle blush on my cheeks. Pak na pak ang no-makeup makeup look diba!? Taray to the highest level.

What I do not love about Chocolat Rouge is NONE. I love it. Iz my preciouz. Hahaha!

Longevity: 4/5 Moisture: 4/5 Price: 3/5

Overall rating: 3.7/5

So, what is your favorite L'Oreal Paris lipstick?

My question sounds about right. Do you need to satisfy your K-beauty cravings? Well, Althea Korea is the perfect online shop for you. Aside from the hassle free transaction, I would commend their prompt customer service.

Months ago, I badly wanted to get myself the what they call the “most painful” peeling mask ever or the Milky Piggy Hell-Pore Clean Up Mask by Elizavecca. The most painful peel off products that I’ve tried so far are from Biore and Cathy Doll. I hate the pain while peeling them off. (I always end up with teary eyes.) But, seriously, I love how my face feels so incredibly clean and fresh afterwards. I thought, maybe the Hell-Pore will hurt a lot more than what I’ve tried before but will make my face clean AF. So I searched for the Hell-Pore in different multi-brand lifestyle stores but I failed. I did saw a number of Korean stores on Instagram and Shoppee that sell it but I wanted to make sure that I get a legit(imate) one. So I opened a new tab on Chrome and googled where I can get one here in Manila. I ended up clicking the link going to the website of Althea Korea because I heard of that site before. I got that feeling that if I get it from Althea, then the product would be genuine and not fake. I registered to make an Althea account. I found out that I can get a free shipping if I buy above nine hundred ninety nine pesos (Php 999.00) worth of products so I looked around Althea to check out stuff I might need (or want) to try. Hehe. After a while, I bumped into The First Treatment Essence Intensive Moist (2016 NEW) by Missha which was at 32% off. Alam na this! I wanted to get dupe(s) of the SK II Facial Treatment Essence for the longest time (w'all know SK II is hell expensive). I put the Missha FTE in my cart together with the Hell-Pore and clicked “Check Out”. I originally put my residence address for the delivery but then I realized that there will be no one at home to receive them. After I got the email confirming my order, I immediately sent a message to the Customer Service asking to deliver the items to my work address instead. After a couple of hours, I got a confirmation email of my change of address. They said that I advised me that I will be getting my items after fifteen (15) days from the day of order confirmation. But then I got my stuff only after twelve (12) days. I was so happy that I got the items early. I did not have to worry whether they will be coming or not.

True enough, Althea is a hassle-free and legitimate online store. I strongly recommend it to all Korean beauty lovers out there. Below are the stuff I got from Althea. I’m so happy I decided to buy from Althea, seriously.

I am a sucker for matte lips. You see, I have thin lips. And I noticed that matte lip products make them look thicker. Or maybe, its just my imagination. I dunno. Haha! I just like matte lips. Well, anyway, I have been following Ever Bilena (EB) on Instagram for a while after I fell in love with the EB Matte Lipstick in Siennas. That lipstick used to be My-Lips-But-Better (MLBB) lipstick back in law school.

Not long ago, EB posted the above photo of the Ultra Matte Water Proof Lipstick collection and the rest is history. I got excited and decided to get all six (6) shades so that I can do this review for girls and women who are, like me, on the lookout for budget friendly long lasting matte lipsticks here in the Philippines. It is sold at only One Hundred Sixty Five Pesos (PhP 165.00) a pop. By the way, I found and bought all of the shades from Watsons in SM Marikina. I tried to buy them from the EB booth in Ladmark, Trinoma but they were not available.

Below are all the magical colors. Hehe.

Innocence

Innocence is a peachy nude lip shade. It did not wash me out. I had difficulty in application though as it tugged my lips while applying. It did not dry my lips out but it did look patchy. I had to re-apply often ‘cause the shade won’t stay much. I would definitely wear this shade to work.

Passion

Unlike Innocence, Passion was easier to apply. The shade is definitely not a nude lip shade for me but I love it for everyday use in the office. You see, I am not a red lippy kind of gal. I prefer MLBBs or nude-y brown lips for my daily look. This shade reminds me of my favorite Wet N Wild Megalast Lipstick, Sand Storm. The application and texture is almost the same but Passion stays on my lips longer than the WNW one. P.S. I love Passion among all the colors in the EB Ultra Matte Water Proof Lipstick collection.

Elegance

I have mixed feelings about this one. The first time I used this, I did not like it as it made my teeth look yellow but I did like how it defined my *thin* lips and made them pop. But when I used it the second time, I was more comfy. I thought it was perfect if you want to achieve that vintage red lip look ‘cause that’s exactly how I felt. Elegant.

Royalty

At first, I looked dead when I applied this on my lips. Do you know that infected or zombie look in TWD? I looked like that 'cause of the dark purplish shade. I’m not used to this kind of shade so nanibago talaga ako. But then after five (5) minutes, my lips looked as if I applied a deep red lipstick. I did not like how unevenly it applied. I reapplied this more or less six (6) times during eleven (11) hour-period just to maintain the shade. It did left a pretty pink stain whenever I ate or drank something. But the patchiness due to reapplication became really apparent that even my boyfriend noticed how dry my lips was and the texture of the lipstick was kinda chalky.

Sassy

True to its name, this shade gives you the sassy and girly look. It is the pinky berry shade among the collection. Like Royalty, it also left a pretty pink stain on my lips. I recommend this one if you are into vibrant pink lipsticks. Like Innocence, this one did not dry out my lips. Unfortunately, like Royalty, I had a hard time applying this one on my lips because of the formula.

Seduction

Red lipstick lovers need to get this. The color payoff is great. I don’t remember having a hard time applying this too. What I don’t like about this is how it transfers to everything. Literally, EVERYTHING. Then after eating or drinking, the color stayed only at the outline of my lips. That look was NOT nice.

Overall, I would wear this lipstick on a daily basis. Why? Because it is affordable and the color stays on the lips longer than the average lipstick. The fact that the color fades after eating or drinking means that the “waterproof” aspect of this lipstick obviously failed. But I would say that some of the shades, particularly Royalty and Sassy left pretty stain on my lips. Plus, even though it is “ultra matte”, it did not overly dry my lips out.

What I do not like about the product is the difficulty in application. Take note that most of the shades tugged my lips. Some had creamier texture and were easier to apply. Beware not to apply too much layer though as your lips will look patchy. Obviously, I do not recommend this for those who have dry lips. If you really want to try them out, you should apply lip balm first.

I can live with all the cons of these lipsticks considering, again, the price and the “ultra matte” feature that makes the color stay longer on my lips.

Have you tried any EB Ultra Matte Water Proof Lipstick before? Which one is your favorite shade?

Here’s a quick review of my recent purchase from one of my favorite Korean brands, Etude House. Etude House website claims that Toning White C Radiance Emulsion is a vitamin whitening emulsion that smoothens and brightens skin by tidying up skin with moisturizing mineral substances.

I was using the Tony Moly Goat Milk Moisture Essence as my daily moisturizer before I got this. I have combination skin and I get oily on my T zone and on my chin so I’m really not a fan of moisturizer. But I do acknowledge the fact that my skin needs moisture or hydration throughout the day, otherwise my skin breaks out.

Now, the reason why I got the Toning White C Radiance Emulsion was because my Tony Moly one was running out. Don’t get me wrong, the Goat Milk Moisture Essence is a goodie. I do believe that it helped my face heal and recover from acne and acne scars. But as curious as I am, I wanted to get one from Etude House. To see if they have something like it or something better.

Then, I saw the Toning White C Radiance Emulsion. I bought it because of the letter "C". Hahaha! Seriously, I'm inclined to get products with Vitamin C 'cause, I swear, The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Moisturiser gives me that healthy natural glow whenever I use it.

Do you remember the photo below from my Instragram?

I look super oily! Right? But I wasn’t feeling oily. Then one of my friends commented that I was actually glowing. So yeah, here is the secret if you want to glow. Use Etude House Toning White C Radiance Emulsion.

I use this everyday after cleansing and toning. It does take time to dry. It might feel sticky too when the weather is very humid. What I do is I put one (1) pump on my palm then using my middle/ring finger, I dot the product around my face. Then I gently spread the product using my point and middle fingers. You might find your face too oily at some point during the day. What I do is I just dab my T zone and chin (most oily parts of my face) with tissue to tame the glow.

What I like about this product is that it gives me a healthy glow while keeping my skin moisturized. You won't need to apply highlighter if you use this. But what I do not like about it is that it can make you look super oily.

Personally, I don't mind looking oily 'cause I'm naturally oily. Hahaha! Ako nalang mag-aadjust. (I will be the one to adjust.) I strongly recommend this product to you if you want to glow like there's no tomorrow.

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People close to me know that I was struggling from adult acne this time last year. The situation went worst when I started working in a law firm. I always thought that I was breaking out because of stress. But lately did I realize that stress is not the only thing that made me breakout. I was not eating healthy nor drinking enough water. And I was not taking good care of my skin. I started watching Korean skincare videos on Youtube to have ideas of products that I could get here in the Philippines. After a few months, I had a good amount of Korean facial wash, cleansing balms and creams but nothing seemed to work. I even went to the dermatologist and got myself a facial and some products that specifically fight acne but nothing worked. Instead, I started using makeup. Yes. I started to wear makeup when I was breaking out. Such a bad idea. I know right? But I had to cover up the pimples. I was already working and I had to look my best during client meetings and court appearances. I have been using Laneige BB Cushion for about two to three months. It had a very nice coverage but my acne was not getting any better. So I watched more Youtube videos and most, if not all of them, mentioned how effective and “expensive” SK-II Facial Treatment Essence (“FTE”) was. Hahaha. So when I went to Guam, USA last December for vacation, I decided to get myself the smallest bottle to try out. And I got to say that it really helped improve the texture and condition of my face after a month of use.

A friend requested this particular review because she’s on the market for a peeling/exfoliating product. Are you also?

Heeey! Thanks for asking. I might do some in the near future. Stay tuned! ;)