JIGOTT Snail Repairing Cream

I'll be honest. Like frogs and bugs, I find snails icky and you'd have to offer me a lot of money to make me even touch one. But would I slather my face with snail byproducts? YOU BET! I've actually been using the Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream for over a year now. Since I love it so much, I decided why not add another snail-y step to my skin care regime?

Now I never heard of the brand JIGOTT before but apparently it's pretty well known? I scored this from my bff who was selling all kinds of skin care stuff at the Flair pop-up bazaar last month. I also don't know the exact price because I see it being sold on Shopee and the like for Php 900 and up. I got this for just Php 600 though.

So the product's name and the little blurb under it are the only English text on the box. Everything else was in Korean. But thanks to the power of the internet, I quickly found a description off Amazon:

The product makes skin bright and healthy by protecting it from external stimulus including stress as nourishing cream containing various moisturizing factors. Its snail secretion filtrate gives skin flexibility and softness.

Seoul White Korea Instant White Tone-Up Whitening Cream and Double White Soap

Annyeong! *makes the obligatory tiny heart with my thumb and forefinger* What are two things lots of Filipina women love? Whitening products and anything Korean. K-dramas, Korean food, Korean boy bands, you name it. And of course, getting that sought after Korean complexion - fair, glowing, and flawless.

Seoul White Korea steps in to give the best of both worlds by coming out with two, whitening skin care products for every Filipina looking to achieve that fair, chok-chok (dewy) look. It's their Double White Whitening Soap and Instant White Tone-Up Whitening Cream.

Review: Hada Labo Retinol Lifting + Firming Cream

At 26 years old, I’ve come to accept that I am just not getting any younger. Of course I’m far from being considered ‘old’, but I’m at an age where if I don’t seriously and consistently take care of my skin I know I’m going to regret it later on. As I mentioned before, when it comes to my skin care, I like to use as little products as possible. Using too many all at once can do more harm than good. One of the most important steps with my skin care, because of my dry skin, is moisturizing. That’s why I try to choose moisturizers that have anti-aging properties already so that my skin is hydrated while at the same time, I’m reassured I’m doing what I can to keep pre-mature aging at bay.

As I’ve always believed, Japan really does have some of the best skin care products in the world, so it was only natural for me to decide to try this Retinol Lifting + Firming Cream from one of my favorite brands, Hada Labo.

Product info:

• Extreme nourishing cream helps to lift & firm-up skin.
• Retinol Vitamin A helps to improve skins elasticity & refine skin to regain its youthful radiance. 
• Hydrolyzed Collagen helps to promote skin’s firmness.
• Skin pH balanced. Low irritation.
• Free of fragrances, mineral oil, alcohol and colorant.

All the products in the Lifting + Firming range feature what is called Insta-3D Moisture-Lock Technology. According to Hada Labo, this is a “combination of 4 types of Hyaluronic Acid (3D Hyaluronic Acid, Nano Hyaluronic Acid, Super Hyaluronic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid) that are linked together to form a 3D moisture net that wraps your skin to lock-in moisture for continuous hydration.” There are also 2 key anti-ageing ingredients, which are a Retinol Vitamin A Derivative and Hydrolyzed Collagen.

Review: Bench Perfect Skin Whitening Facial Moisturizer

My search for the perfect (day) moisturizer still continues. I have yet to find one that is light enough that it absorbs quickly so that I don't have to wait ages before moving onto my makeup, but also moisturizing enough to take care of the pesky areas on my face that end up flaking and causing my makeup to cling onto them in dry patches. Of course, for it to have added SPF would be a lovely bonus too.

With that, I decided to give another quite recent find of mine a shot: Bench's Perfect Skin Whitening Facial Moisturizer.

This is one of the products from their 'Perfect Skin' line that also consists of a face wash, toner, and serum. I heard the entire line is specially formulated for men, but I've only seen that info come from one source and it isn't specified on the packaging or anywhere else so I'm not entirely sure that it is.

A gentle facial moisturizer that helps whiten skin and reduces dark spots. It has SPF 15 that protects skin from harmful UV rays. 

Enriched with Arbutin, a whitening agent that optimizes and evens skin tone for visibly lighter and fairer skin. 

Contains Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that restores skin's radiance and natural glow. 

With Avocado oil, known for its moisturizing and nourishing properties, it assists in the rejuvenation of the skin.

The product comes in a simple squeeze tube that holds 20g of product. It's quite small and I managed to finish the entire thing within 2-3 weeks (using it daily, once a day), but it is very affordable. Enough so that you can stock up on this and buy a couple or even a few tubes at once if you like it.

Review: Daily Sun Protect (Myra)

I've noticed in the past few months or so that my skin has started to become quite dry. As I've mentioned once or twice before in other entries, I have combination skin so I've always had dry areas on my face, namely my cheeks and around my nose, while my t-zone has remained as oily as it ever was. But it seems my dry areas have grown even drier and I can't really figure out why. Perhaps it's because I'm getting older? Aging usually leads to drier skin after all. Yes, I'm only 24, but it doesn't mean my skin won't start changing already, right?

If you're like me, or just have dry skin overall, you'll know what a pain it is when you take the effort to moisturize, apply your makeup, and see that your skin is still dry and only emphasized because of your makeup. In my case, it usually happens once I apply powder and it 'gathers' and 'clumps' around dry patches on my face. Now I'm on the hunt for a good moisturizer that'll not only effectively hydrate my skin, but also not add to the already existing oiliness of my t-zone.

So what did I decide to go with first? Myra's Daily Sun Protect Facial Moisturizer (Double Sunscreen Protection w/ SPF 15).

I was immediately attracted to this product because I really liked the idea of a moisturizer with added SPF so I don't have to worry about applying sunblock anymore as well, and SPF 15-20 is the minimum needed for necessary everyday protection from the sun.

Oh, and it's also enriched with Vitamin E as you'd expect from Myra, so at least you'll be nourishing your skin too at the same time.