Miss BBF: April 2019

Product : Mary Kay ClearProof Deep Cleansing Charcoal Mask

Price : PHP 899

Availability : Authorized Mary Kay Dealers

It seems that all the rage in skincare right now is about mask - clay , charcoal and your fave face mask that's loaded with ingredients claiming to benefit your skin. I personally like using masks because its an instant pamper routine. After a long week at school or work , you know there's something to look forward to. Getting your skin dirty to make it fresh and clean? That's how Mary Kay ClearProof Deep Cleansing Charcoal Mask does it job. Its claims according to their website (https://www.marykay.com/en-us/products/all/clearproof-deepcleansing-charcoal-mask-301029#tabbed4) :

" Enjoy clearer-looking skin with the newest addition to the Clear Proof® Acne System. The triple-action mask deeply cleanses skin, immediately reduces shine and features an effective complex of botanical extracts to help clear the way to beautiful skin.

The mask is formulated with activated charcoal, an ingredient so powerful, it can bind up to double its weight in pore-clogging impurities. Think of it like a powerful magnet withdrawing dirt and debris from deep within pores. Plus, mineral clay ingredients, kaolin and bentonite, boost the mask’s absorbency. You’ll love how the mask soaks up excess oil to deliver a smooth, matte appearance.

If you suffer from problem skin, you may have experienced dark spots and lingering discoloration. This multitasking mask was formulated to help with that too! Clear Proof® Deep-Cleansing Charcoal Mask contains honeysuckle and navy bean extracts shown to target the appearance of skin discoloration."

That's quite long so lets get down to how it feels on the skin. It comes in a gray soft cream texture that easily spreads into your skin. We don't want a product that's difficult to use! You put it on a clean face then wait for around 10-20 mins before washing off. You don't have to mixed a batch of ingredients because once that creamy mask comes from the tube , it can be easily applied.

It comes in gray soft creamy texture

It doesn't tingle upon application and its not hard to wash off when your timer stops. It doesn't really remove all the dirt like your blackheads but its not claiming to be a black head remover either. The mask contains activated charcoal and mineral clays to absorb pore-clogging impurities and excess oil. As a result, your complexion looks clearer and healthier, and pores appear minimized. I have used it since January 2019 every month because I'm sometimes lazy. I don't know if it can cause breakouts to other people, but I actually gotten a few after using this. I can't exactly say that this was the cause of acne breakout because I was using a lot new skin care products so I just stopped using it for a while. I only used it on my T-zone area because my cheeks tend to breakout a lot these days.

Pros :

Ease of use is fantastic ; you don't need to mixed it with other ingredients and its not messy.
Makes your skin smooth and soft after use

Cons:

Broke me out but still giving this product a chance!
I don't really think it sucks out all the dirt like how the aesthestician does but for a charcoal mask, my skin doesn't feel tight or irritated.

Do I recommend it? Yes it can make your skin less oily thereby less breakouts but for those with sensitive skin, better do a patch test as well as those acne prone skin. I got breakouts from this but I'm just using it once a while when I'm in the mood. It makes my skin smooth and supple. But for a budget pamper routine for your skin, this product might just what you need.

Till next time,

Miss BBF

Your Budget Beauty Finder

Product: Caladryl Lotion

Price: Around PHP 120

Availability: Drugstores , Pharmacies or Groceries

Have you ever had clear skin then suddenly out of nowhere your skin goes out of whack? What remedies do you use? I've had pimple gels and acne patches but it was getting expensive especially the acne patches (I personally loved Cosrx Pimple Patch ). So I searched around the internet and found that calamine lotion works as well. Its actually an ingredient of the ever famous Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. But I don't have the budget for that especially for an acne treatment. I tried this Caladryl Lotion which contains Calamine and Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride. I know what you're thinking , what's this for? Isn't Calamine lotion used for itchy skin? Yes they are but according to https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-163078/caladryl-with-diphenhydramine-topical/details " It is used to treat itching and pain caused by minor burns/cuts/scrapes, sunburn, insect bites or minor skin irritations or rashes. And isn't a pimple a skin irritation? It helps to dry out your pimple fast within 3 days (in my case) and its cheap. According to https://www.mdacne.com/questions/calamine-lotion-for-acne-does-it-work "Unfortunately, calamine has nothing in it to kill bacteria, reduce skin inflammation or unclog skin pores." It works by drying up the pimple fast so you can cover it up with concealer if you wear makeup. Its not an overnight treatment that when you wake up, your pimple is gone. Its more of like an emergency spot treatment when your fave acne drying lotion or pimple gel is out of stock. And its a cheap alternative too.

Its not sticky whatsoever and the traditional pink color you always see is what you can expect. I use it by shaking it then applying a small amount to my pimple and I leave it on for the rest of the day. It also helps when your zit itches or its painful. Overall its not a miracle worker at a jiffy but it sure helps your acne ridden skin. Its cheap and readily available and won't irritate your skin. Although patch testing is still the best bet especially if you're not using in putting some calamine lotion in your skin.

Pros :

Affordable and readily available
Works in drying up your pimple

Cons:

May not work for severe cases of acne, the best remedy is to see a dermatologist.

Do I recommend it? Yes ! It works and is really cheap and would last a long time. Its a remedy for skin irritation from insect bites or allergies and its effective in drying up your pesky pimple.Although if your trusty acne drying lotion is working for you, its advisable you continue it rather than changing up your skin care routine.

Till next time,

Miss BBF

Your Budget Beauty Finder

Product: Philips Satinelle HP6420

Price: PHP 2,999

Availability: Watsons, Beauty Department Stores, Online Stores

like Lazada or Shopee

Hair removal, ingrown hair, waxing, plucking, shaving and epilating - Whatever you call it, there's bound to be pain. But that feeling of silky smooth skin for days or weeks is the best feeling. I'm quite hairy , on my legs and arms. I feel as if I have man hair honestly. I have fine and long hair on my arms as well as my upper thighs but on my lower leg, I have thick coarse hair that seems to grow after a few days. I used to patronize a hair removal cream before because it was quick and painless but the price of buying it was economically driving me to bankruptcy. I also tried waxing, you name it from soft wax to hard wax even sugar wax! I feel like my skin has experience a lot of waxes in a short period of time! I also gotten into wax strips because of the messy experience I usually got from waxes. Heating it up, using a spatula to scoop it then applying and ripping if off and seeing that hair afterwards. And as I got into wax strips, it was more fast and quick. But then being cash strapped sometimes, I thought I'm gonna buy wax strips almost for the rest of my life! Whew! So I learned about epilating that you only buy it once or so because it would last you a couple of years.

What is an epilator?

An epilator is basically a series of tweezer heads on a spinning wheel. Once you turn it on while rolling it up and down your skin, the tweezers will grasp and yank out hair from the root. Basically in my own understanding, its like a tweezers mowing your hair at a fast speed. I know - sounds horrible! But wait , epilating means, grabbing the hair from root the same as waxing so you'll no stubble unlike waxing.

And now I bought my first epilator from Lazada during their 7th Birthday Sale last March 2019 and this Philips Epilator HP6420 was on sale for only PHP 1750! I also got an additional discount because of my Paymaya card. I paid around 1650 inclusive of shipping fee.

Philips Satinelle HP6420 Epilator

Product description:

Profiled, ergonomic grip for comfortable handling
Gentle tweezing discs remove hairs without pulling the skin
Washable epilation head for extra hygiene and easy cleaning
Efficient epilation system pulls out the hairs from the root

This is my first time ever epilating and the experience is a painful agonizing one. This is much more painful than waxing! I can feel the tweezers plucking my hair and the longer they are , the more painful! Its like a little torture device thats mowing your skin every month or so!!! But the best thing about it is that it can grab your hair , much shorter than waxing so there's less time waiting so you can flaunt your skin whenever you want it. The epilator is corded so you can use it without waiting for it to be charged. It is actually noisy too for a small device.

What the box contains

Pros :

Works well , can grab tiny hairs
Hair free for 2 weeks but it depends on your hair growth
Affordable , assuming this would last me years if properly used and kept

Cons :

One word is painful, to be honest its an understatement, but beauty is pain right?
Noisy

Do I recommend it? Yes for those who are used to waxing this would be an upgrade, you no longer need to set an appointment or buy wax kits or strips every time you want to be hair free. You just plug it in , and off your hair goes. Stubble free for weeks to come. But I wouldn't recommend this for those who have low pain threshold , this is too much painful and it won't be a pleasant experience. But overall for me, who's on the lookout for budget ways to cut down my expenses from buying wax strips, this is perfect for hair removal that's cheap, works well and gives me results that would last several weeks

Till next time,

Miss BBF

Your Budget Beauty Finder