Review and how to use Nature Republic Forest Garden Argan Cleansing Oil | Close dupe for Shu Uemura

I adore Shu Uemura cleansing oil, but as we know, it costs an arm and a leg. I saw a Cebu-based seller on Instagram carrying Korean products for lower than retail prices, and this Nature Republic cleansing oil looked interesting to me.



I had never heard of Nature Republic before, so I did a bit of reading online before deciding to buy this. I chose the Argan one for its nourishing benefits. The cleansing oil also comes in a few other varieties, like chamomile and green tea. I like the packaging; it's pretty with the floral design, and the pump dispenses just the right amount.

The instructions on the carton say you should use two or three pumps, but really, just one pump is enough. That's all I needed to remove a full face of makeup - foundation, brows, eyeshadow and liner, mascara, lipstick.

To use, start with clean hands and a dry face. Dispense one pump's worth onto your palms, then massage all over the face. I leave the eye area last so I don't spread my liner and mascara everywhere. I use my fingertips to massage the product over eye makeup. If it feels too sticky or it's not emulsifying enough, add just a little water on your palms, then continue to massage it all over the face. Rinse thoroughly.

I noticed that this does need a bit more rinsing than the Shu Uemura cleansing oil, but I was so pleased with the result that this doesn't bother me. All my makeup had come off and my skin felt really soft and smooth, and clean without that dry or tight feeling that you may get from normal facial washes. Overall, it worked very similarly to Shu Uemura cleansing oil for me and also gave me a very similar result after cleansing, although Shu is just a little bit more moisturizing than this one.

To see if the product had really removed most of my makeup, I followed it up with a toner by Etude House that I also bought from the same seller. Very little excess makeup came off, mostly in areas like my neck and near my ears that I had missed with the oil.

I purchased this 200ml bottle for P550 from Dara Cafe on La Guardia St. in Lahug. You can also view their products on their Instagram account @darabeautymarket.

Breaking, melting and contouring: Fat reduction at Lohas Skin and Slimming Center

Summer means it's time to bare more skin. On many days, the heat just won't allow us to continue wearing jeans or long-sleeved tops, and of course, we have to dress appropriately in swimwear when we go for a dip in the pool or ocean. Exposing more of our bodies can be stressful for a lot of women, with the societal pressure of being thin.

There was no pain through the procedure, which took around 45 minutes. At times when it gets a bit uncomfortable because it feels like a very hard massage, you can always ask the therapist for a quick break.

Review and swatch: Mary Kay liquid eyeliner pen in black

I am one of those people who does not have the steadiest of hands, so when it comes to liquid eyeliner, I prefer the marker type instead of the brush type. I still need to use up my K-Palette liquid liner, but I don't dare use it when I am in a hurry because that one definitely needs a few extra seconds of holding your breath while trying to maintain steadiness!

I have been quite happy with the Mary Kay liquid eyeliner pen:




On my hand it doesn't look like a very deep black, but on the eyelids, it shows up as a true black.The nib dispenses just the right amount of product so that it's not too wet or dry, and one stroke gives full color payoff. It applies very smoothly without any tugging and dries quickly.

Although the tip isn't ultra-fine, you still get a lot of control. You can make the line thinner or thicker depending on how you hold the pen.

After a good 12 hours of wear, the liner was still intact, although faded to a dark gray. I tried rubbing it off with a finger, and it still did not smudge. It washed off easily with my regular facial wash, with no need for makeup remover.

I would highly recommend this if you like the look of liquid eyeliner, but still need some practice with those super-precise brush tips - or just want a very easy-to-use eyeliner pen.

Tip: Store liner pens horizontally and not vertically, so they don't dry out so fast.

This product was kindly sent to me by Mary Kay Philippines. It has a catalog price of P700. In Cebu, Mary Kay is located in Cebu Grand Hotel, Escario Street.

Review: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturizing Body Oil

Although I applied sunblock on a recent beach trip, I still got sunburned after one hour under the noontime sun. Sunburn is never fun. I dread the stinging and hate to think of the damage the sun has caused to my skin.

I badly needed a heavy-duty moisturizer to help my skin heal and regain moisture, but didn't want anything too thick or heavy since it's summer and already so humid. This light body oil seemed like the perfect solution while I was looking at shelves of moisturizers at the supermarket. I have been using Palmer's body butter for years but hadn't tried this.


I was worried that it might be heavy, but it isn't, at all. I love the formula because it absorbs immediately into the skin without any slick or greasy feeling whatsoever, like other body oils. Skin feels very silky and not at all slimy after use. The healthy-looking, sexy sheen it leaves stays on even after a shower, well into the next day!

I started using it four days after sun exposure. Unfortunately, my shoulders started to peel a week after sun exposure : ( So I suppose the oil could not help prevent the peeling, but to me, it helped a lot with regaining moisture. I don't know how much the oil helped, but peeling did not hurt as it usually does.

On the bottle, it says "Lightly scented, fast absorbing, leaves skin silky soft." Two big checks for the last two items, but I would not agree with that first claim. I don't have an ultra-sensitive nose, but to me, this has a pretty strong, sort of chocolatey scent. The smell seems to fade away quickly after application, though.

When you first open the bottle, you have to unscrew the cap and remove the seal across the top. My tip is to punch a small hole instead of removing the entire seal, so that you don't dispense too much product at once; easy to do with liquids like this.

I use it after showering and towel-drying, as I would use lotion. If you have a bath tub (which not many people in the Philippines do), you can also pour a few capfuls of this into your bath.

I got this 250ml bottle at Rustan's Supermarket in Ayala for around P450. I recommend it if you are looking for a good lightweight moisturizer that doesn't leave that sticky feel, but be warned of the scent if you are sensitive to fragrances.

Review and swatch: Clinique Cheek Pop blush in Plum Pop

I'll admit that what really drew me at first to this product is the gorgeous packaging. I mean, how beautiful is that floral design stamped on the blush and the clear case? After seeing it on my Instagram feed from a local seller and reading a few good reviews online, I made up my mind to get my hands on this. It's also been ages since I bought a Clinique blush.





I'm absolutely thrilled with this product and it's one of my current favorites, and will probably be one of my favorites for a long time. It has the interesting combination of being pigmented but quite translucent at the same time. With most powder blushes, you can tell there is powder sitting on skin. With this one, it's very soft, seamless and natural-looking, but not too subtle that you can't see it anymore.

You can apply a soft wash of color with a couple of swipes of your brush; it's pretty pigmented, but not overly so that you have to be super careful when picking up product and applying. You can also layer on the product for a more obvious flush, without it looking harsh.

I love the color itself. I wouldn't call it plum at all, but more of a berry pink. (There's another one called Berry Pop in this line.) I think it's really flattering on me; not too bright, and will go with many different eye and lip colors.

On my combination skin (cheeks are normal to dry), this lasted for 7 hours before it started to fade. As I almost never retouch my makeup after I've left the house except powder and lipstick, I was pleased to see that this is a long-wearing product.

I think this is a great blush for those who want that really natural-looking flush, want something that is very easy to use and blend - and are suckers for packaging!

I purchased this for P1,050 from Cebu-based seller @le_cose_belle on Instagram.