Holika Holika 3 Step Pig-nose Clear Blackhead

Hello my loves! I am back again with another review. This time it's from the brand Holika Holika. 

Disclaimer: This product was bought with my own money for the purpose of research. This was not sponsored in any way. I'll always try my best to give the best unbiased review in my blog. 

Anyway, I bought this from my favorite Korean Cosmetic supplier Ji Yuri. She had a flash sale a couple of days ago and I've decided to dive in and try it. 

What it is

This is a 3 step Pore Strip pack. It cleans your skin with impurities such as black heads and white heads. 

How to use it

Steps are pretty simple although everything is written in Korean language so I cannot decipher what it actually says but basically just do all 3. 

First step: Use the first pack which is like an essence that will open your pores and make your pores open so that the impurities can be easily removed. 

That is how it looks like. You need to leave it on your skin for at least 15 mins. 

So after 15 minutes, you go to step two. 

Step Two: The second step is using the actual pore strip that removes the impurities. You need to wet your nose first before putting on the second strip. If your nose isn't wet, the strip would not adhere. You need to leave it on your nose for another 15 minutes. 

**WARNING*** 

Gross picture ahead

After 15 minutes (30 minutes total including the 1st step) this is what my strip looked like

It did remove a lot of black heads and white heads. 

Afterwards, you need to do the last step 

Step 3: Use the last pore strip to soothe your nose. Basically, it's like the healing step of the 3. 

Pros 

- easily available in the market (there's a Holika Holika kiosk in Watsons) 

- you can also buy it online 

- it does the job 

Neutral 

- it can be a little messy to do 

Cons 

- a little bit more expensive than the usual pore strips available 

Would i recommend it to others?

Yes definitely

Would you buy it again?

Yes, I would repurchase 

Product Name: Holika Holika 3 Step Pig-nose Clear Blackhead 

Price: I bought it for PHP80 from Ji Yuri 

Where to Buy: Watsons, Online Shops 

Banila Co. Clean It Zero

I am back with another review! This time it's from the Korean Brand Banila Co. The product that I'm reviewing is their best selling product which is the Clean It Zero. 

Disclaimer: I bought the product with my own money for the purpose of research. Nothing here is sponsored. 

Banila Co. is one of those Korean brands that is popular around the world. In fact, it already has its own physical kiosk here in Manila. Everyone in the beauty sphere has been raving about this product and I finally had the opportunity to try it. 

I was able to buy a sample size of it from my favorite Korean Cosmetic supplier Ji Yuri. Best part of it is that I only paid PHP40 / US$0.85 per tub. She only had the pink tub available which is suitable for those who have normal skin. 

Claims

It claims to instantly removes makeup. It also claims to be an exfoliator and it breaks down dead skin cells. 

Product Ingredients

-Papaya extract

-Acerola Extract 

Usage 

Take a small amount and massage gently on to the skin. Rinse with lukewarm water or use facial tissue to wipe off the balm. 

Verdict:

I really like the product. It's easy to use and it does the claims. It doesn't leave any residue on your face. It is better used with lukewarm water then rinse it than using with a facial tissue.

Pros

-Easy to use 

- readily available at Banila Co. (It has a physical store in Landmark, Trinoma) 

- price is on point and worth the money

- It is also available world wide via other websites like TesterKorea 

Neutral 

- it has a very flowery spring scent. It smells really good but I know not every one likes scented products 

Cons

- none I can think of 

Would i repurchase it?

Yes, definitely. It's a must-have. I am planning to buy the full-size product next time. 

Would i recommend it to others?

Yes! Specially to those who have sensitive skin. 

Product Rundown

Product Name: Banila Co Clean It Zero 

Where to Buy: Banila Co Trinoma, AltheaKorea, TesterKorea, or from sis Ji Yuri if you live in the Philippines 

Price: PHP1,040 or US$22.12 (100 g/full size) I bought the sample size for PHP40 or US$0.83 per tub 

Variety: I bought the pink one which is for Normal skin, there are 3 more varieties. 

First Impression: A'pieu Air Fit Nude Foundation

Hello Guys! I am back with another review. This time, I'll be reviewing a product from the Korean brand A'pieu. The product that I'll be reviewing is the A'pieu Air Fit Nude Foundation. 

Disclaimer: This product was not sponsored in any way. This was bought by me for the purpose of research.

 

As you can guess, aside from looking into liquid lipsticks, I have been on the hunt for the perfect foundation. For the months of June and July alone, I think I already have bought 5 to 6 liquid foundations. 

Packaging 

- Packaging of the product is simple. Product is inside a plastic cylinder with a dropper top. It contains 18g of product which is equivalent to only 0.60 FL.OZ.  It's not the standard amount since you get 1 FL OZ/30 ML for a standard liquid foundation. 

Product Materials

Since I cannot read Korean language, I opted to do a little research of the elements that make the foundation and I found out that it contains mineral water, water essence, plant oil, Apple mint extract and rose water plant extract. 

Claims

The product claims that it will give you a soft skin look, it will cover skin blemishes and will sooth your skin because of the aloe vera element. 

How to use

- Shake Well 

- Use puff or hands and apply gently on the skin. 

This is how it looked like when I applied it on my face. 

A little bit of background

I have normal to dry skin. I'm NC35. Korean foundations usually have 2 shades (no.21 and no.23). I choose shade 23 because it's darker than 21. 

As you can see, it did some color correction and covered some of the dark spots on my skin. It gave a dewy finish on my skin which is a plus for me. It also doesn't have a flash back when taking pictures which is another plus. Though being nc35, the shade looks a little bit light. Although I have noticed that it is a trend in Korea that their foundation doesn't really match their skin tone. 

Pros 

- lightweight foundation 

- dewy finish 

- no harmful ingredients 

- has soothing factor 

- covers dark spots and blemishes 

- travel size 

- you only need a few drops to get full-coverage 

- cheap compared to other makeup brands 

Neutral 

- has a scent but it begins to diminish once applied on the skin 

- product amount is small but I think size doesn't matter because a small amount will give you enough coverage 

Cons

- only has 2 shades (no.21 and no.23), not suitable for women of color 

- not readily available in the Philippine Market (no physical store unlike Etude House, Tony Moly, Banila Co., etc.) 

- if you do not do proper hydration (toner, Essence, serum, primer) prior to putting on the foundation, it would look patchy 

- dries up fast, you need to work fast in blending the product, I find using the brush and then working with a beauty blender better than using your hands. 

Would i repurchase it? 

I probably will repurchase for back-up. I like the foundation although it's a bit too light for me

Would I recommend it to others? 

Yes! Highly recommend it to those who have normal to dry skin. Even those with oily skin because when it dries, it kinda dries with a powdery texture and it sticks to your face. Plus it has a luminous effect. 

Product Rundown

Product Name: A'pieu Air Fit Nude Foundation 

Price: PHP282 or US$6 

Where to Buy: if you live outside South Korea, you can buy it from TesterKorea or Korean Depart 

If you live in the Philippines, you can get it from Yuri Ji of Korean Cosmetics Supplier PHILIPPINES 

Shades: Shade 21 (Light) Shade 23 (Light Beige) 

Ministar Professional Makeup Liquid Lipsticks

Another Liquid Lipstick post :) 

In search of the perfect liquid lipstick, I have been buying a lot of different brands that are out in the market and I came across the brand Ministar Professional Makeup. 

Packaging

Packaging is very straight forward. Round clear cylinder with a black top handle with the print Ministar Professional Makeup printed on it. I think there are 9 shades available. I only bought 4. Shades do not have a name. It only has numbers like 101 to 109 if I'm not mistaken. Inside is a straight doe foot applicator. 

Performance as a product

Pigment wise, you need to at least do 2 swipes on your lips for the colors to show. It also takes some time for the product to dry. It dries up matte which is a plus. Oil based makeup remover is a must. 

Price

Price wise, it is very cheap. It only costs PHP120 for each tube (it's around US $2.55 - talk about cheap?!) 

The Rundown 

Pros 

- very cheap 

- comes in a lot of shades, some even comparable to high end liquid lipsticks 

- you can buy it from a physical store in Shaw, Mandaluyong or you can buy it online 

Neutral 

- takes a bit of time to dry up 

Cons

- It has a powdery plasticky smell which bothers me a lot but once it's dried the smell goes off 

Would i recommend it to others?

For those who are in a tight budget, you can try and buy it but be aware that there is a scent. 

Would I repurchase? 

- Probably not. It has a lot of product. I probably won't finish the tubes by the end of the year.

Product: Ministar Professional Makeup Liquid Lipsticks 

Where to Buy: Sparkle Cosmetiks Shop they have a physical store at StarMall Mandaluyong 

Price: PHP120 per liquid lipstick (US$2.55 per lipstick)  

Liquid Lipstick Review: Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in I'm Nude

I'm in my search of the best liquid lipstick in the market at the moment and I finally bought the Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick. There has been so much hype for this lipstick and I wanted to see if the hype was real. 

I bought the shade I'm Nude. 

It has a doe foot applicator which has a unique shape. 

Swatches:

It's really pale and I look flushed on it with my skintone. 

The Rundown

Pros:

-Has a lot of product. It has 0.19 FL Oz/5.6 ML as compared to the KYLIE Lipstick which only has 0.11 FL OZ /3.25 ML 

- I like the finish. It's not drying on the lips and it feels lightweight 

- Scent is not strong which is a plus for me 

- has more shades 

Neutral

- cheaper than the Kylie Lipkits

Cons

- shipping is a ton load for my part of the world 

Is it worth the hype?

I would say yes. I like the formula of the lipstick compared to others in the market. It also has a lot of lovely shades. 

Would i recommend it to others?

Yes 

Would i repurchase?

Probably not because I probably won't be able to finish this one before the year ends but I would definitely buy other shades 

Product: Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstocks 

Shade: I'm Nude 

Where to buy: Jeffree Star website, Morphe Website, Beautylish website 

Where to buy in Manila: Online shops 

US Price: $18 

Manila Price: PHP1,300 to PHP1,600

Hot or Not: KYLIE Lip Kit in Candy K

I finally bought the KYLIE Lip Kit. I needed to give it a try since there has been so much hype for the product. 

I bought the shade Candy K. I was really debating at first on whether I'll buy Koko K or Candy K. Koko K seems fit for my skin tone but in the end I bought Candy K. 

Swatches 

Left swatch is the lip liner and the right one is the lipstick. The shade is really mauve-y. I was thinking it was a light pink shade because of the swatches online but every skin is different. 

This is how it looks on my lips 

The rundown: 

Pros: 

- It has a good amount of product 

- Has a lip liner 

- Super long lasting 

- It's super matte 

Neutral:

- It has this scent that reminds me of medicine that's about to spoil. It bothers me a little but once it is dry, I'm okay with it 

- when you start to eat oily food, it immediately runs off but all lipsticks in general are like that. 

Cons:

- I find it a bit expensive. Well, for my part of the world, I have to pay a lot for shipping and handling. 

- Super drying. From a far it looks good but up close, you will see the cracks on my lips. 

- Kylie Jenner Lipkits in general has limited shades. 

In a nutshell, I like the formula of the lipsticks. It's very long lasting and hard to remove. Although it is a bit expensive I must say. There are other brands which are cheaper and does the same job. 

Should you buy one? 

I say, why not? If you have the money to splurge on lip products :) 

Would I repurchase? 

Probably not. It has a decent amount and I wouldn't probably be able to finish it by the end of the year. I would try her glosses though. 

Product: Kylie Jenner Lip Kit in Candy K 

Where to buy: Kyliecosmetics 

Where to buy in Manila: only available via online sellers 

Price: Website $30 ; Online sellers in Manila ranges from PHP1,900 to PHP2,600 

Exploring Phuket, Thailand - Part 3

Day 3 of our Phuket Adventure, we booked a Day tour for the whole of Phuket. Interestingly enough, even though it is smaller than Bangkok, there is so much to see in the island. 

The trip starts at 7:00 a.m. and they will bring you to different locations. This was the first stop. It was a place where you can see most of the beaches in Phuket and it would give you a view of the Big Buddha. 

The next stop was the Big Buddha. They said that this was the project of the Princess of Thailand and it is still under construction. They mainly rely on donation money for the construction of the Buddha. It is a majestic view. 

This was the base of the Buddha. You have to go up several plights to get a good view of the Big Buddha. 

This is where they collect donation money from tourists. 

The Buddha that was dedicated to the princess of Thailand. 

A small replica of the wat pho in Bangkok. 

Afterwards, we were taken to another place where there were a lot of temples. 

After that we went to a botannical garden. I wasn't able to take much photos because it was hot. 

The last part of the trip was going to a bee farm. The tour ended past 2:00pm. It was worth it though because you will be able to tour around of Phuket. 

For the afternoon, we were supposed to watch the Simon Cabaret Show but I had a little accident in our bathroom and I wasn't able to stand up the rest of the day that's why we opted to miss the show. 

It was a good trip though and we would want to go back there in the future. They have the best massage place in the world and it's very cheap.