A majority of Filipinas may be hesitant when it comes to makeup, but you can bet that we loooove our bath and body products. Actually we just love our baths, period. We're no Frenchmen.

It's no wonder that aisles and aisles of drugstores and supermarkets are dedicated just for the riot of body care products. There's always something new, something exciting to buy and try! One of them is Watsons' latest bath and body care line called H Bella.

It's a pretty solid collection. I tried everything and all of them met my criteria for body products - they're light, non-sticky, not scratchy at all, and most importantly, they smell great. Here's my quick review of each product in the line:

Protect & Nourish Hand Cream. It's very light and gets absorbed by my skin quickly. Do you hate the greasy feeling of hand lotions? Do you hate how they turn greasy again after you wet your hands? This is not one of those hand creams. 

When I was younger and still living in my parents house, an ylang-ylang plant used to grow near my window. It bloomed only seasonally, but when it did, our house smelled like flowers. I always looked forward to evenings when the ylang-ylang would open up; I loved lying in bed just smelling it and listening to cheesy songs on the radio.

Well, the ylang-ylang is gone now and I no longer listen to the radio, but the memory still remains with me. It's not something I think about on a normal day, but when I got the Yves Rocher Jardins du Monde Ylang-ylang Body Wash (~P200), I was pleasantly reminded of those bygone, simpler days.

Nostalgia aside, I like this Yves Rocher body wash because it lathers up nicely and doesn't dry my skin. It's a basic body wash that does the job without fuss! The real killer is the scent.

Being forced to stay home for a week because of the chemical peel caused my life to flash before my eyes. Well, this house arrest made me re-evaluate my priorities that's for sure! These are the things I learned while recovering from my "extreme" skincare adventure.

1. Take care of your face. It's your biggest asset since it's the first thing people see and judge you by! Before spending on expensive makeup and clothes, make sure that your face has everything it could possibly need to be healthy and glowing. 

We're not all blessed with good looks, so the next best thing we can aim for is to have good skin!

2. Prevention is better yaddah yaddah. If you see a problem cropping up, nip it at the roots and don't wait for the nastiness to erupt all over your face. Stop using that new shampoo you bought - or toothpaste, foundation, whatever new product that recently touched your face. Use your previous skin medication. See your derma stat. Whatever it takes.

3. If you have serious skin problems, consult a dermatologist. Don't self-medicate and take what you read online at face value. It only costs around P500 to get a consultation from a licensed derma so there's no reason not to see one. Your skin will thank you for it in the long run! A dermatologist is the only qualified person who can recommend products for your specific skin type and concerns.  

The ennui that went with my Blue Peel experience is perhaps the biggest challenge I've hurdled so far. I couldn't go out of the house for long during the day because the sun makes my face feel hot and slightly itchy, so I felt bored and confined. I also felt sad because my face looked bad, so much that I questioned my decision to do the peel.

Now that I'm on my sixth day though, I feel better because I've already seen a drastic reduction of my blemishes and blackheads. I'd say it's three to four days before all the peeling skin is completely gone, and I can't wait! Seriously. I can't.

Day 3: It all falls apart

After the skin dried from the chemicals in Day 2, it became a hard, tight shell. I couldn't move my face much. It was in Day 3 when my face started cracking, beginning in the chin area. 

I'm already on my fifth day of the Obagi Blue Peel. My face is peeling heavily, but I love the skin that I see peeking from under the old layer! You'll see when I post pictures tomorrow. For now I want to talk about the two skincare products that I've decided to stick to while I'm still recovering from the chemical peel.

I came across the Sebamed Liquid Face & Body Wash (P870/200ml) around two years ago. I got a tiny 5ml bottle of it as part of a press kit, but when I ran out I didn't purchase. At that time I found it expensive at P750 for a bottle, considering my facial washes never cost more than P100-200 before! So I skipped it and forgot about it.

After the chemical peel though, I had to switch to a gentle facial cleanser that wouldn't excessively dry up my peeling and hypersensitive skin

Last night, Anna of Vogue Concepts dropped these Yves Rocher goodies by our place. I've been feeling a little down because my face is a mess and I can't stop touching it (!) so this gift cheered me up big time!

Quick recap: Yves Rocher is a brand founded in 1959 that's all about botanical beauty. Botanical beauty, what? It means that all their products are heavily based on plants with beautifying properties. They grow, harvest, manufacture, and distribute their own products from France. It's a one-stop store that has everything for your hair, body, face, and makeup needs. The prices are friendly too!

Out of all the stuff I got, I'm most interested in the Yves Rocher Couleurs Nature concealer kit (oh, you know me and concealers) and the Jardins du Monde Ylang-ylang body wash.

I've been breaking out heavily this past month - underscore on "heavily". I use a lot of stuff on my face for this blog then couple that with stress and you've got a dangerous playground for acne! I've lost track of what makes me break out at this point. I was running out of options so I turned to the House of Obagi, a clinic famous for their skincare products and medical procedures.

HOO has been asking me if I could review their Blue Peel since July, I think, but I kept saying no because while my skin was far from ideal, it was alright. Nothing makeup and my regular skincare couldn't solve then! But after the Skin Hell Month that was August, I was ready to try anything to get rid of the acne and the numerous dark scars it left behind.

I want to emphasize that I wouldn't do this if I didn't need it. But my acne and scars were out of control; this was the best solution.

Observe:

I've received a lot of inquiries from readers about the contact lenses that I use. If you've seen any of my FOTDs, you'd have noticed the nice greenish tint of my eyes! I used to wear only clear lenses but I found that boring. Besides, colored contact lenses can be worn for up to three months, whereas most clear lenses are only good for a month. I'm waaay too lazy to visit the optical store every month so colored lenses are a more practical option.

So! I bought these contact lenses at Executive Optical. They're called Flexwear Colors and are surprisingly cheap at only P650 a pair. Did I say they were graded, too? They're really affordable. I used to buy my clear contact lenses at Sarabia, but they cost around P600 for a pair. At EO, the clear lenses are only P200 (I think).

If you've ever been to a Tony Moly store, you'll know that the place is stocked with beauty products from floor to ceiling. The Megamall store in particular is small but the first time I went there, I spent 15 minutes going through everything! There was just so much to take in. However, even though Tony Moly carries an extensive line already, that doesn't stop the brand from bringing in more, more, more.

Here are some of the brand's latest products. A few of these may not be available yet so better inquire at the Tony Moly Facebook Page to be sure.

It's a lot! There's something for the hair, feet, face, and of course TM's cute makeup. Oh, the makeup. They look like toys so I wasn't initially inclined to take them seriously. Well I do now after using them!

Berry Trendy Style Hair Glaze (P378), Backstage Paint Eye Pot in Lavender (P448), Shiny Foot Baby Skin Heel Patch (P178), Petite Bunny Gloss Bar (P278), Lovely Girl Eau de toillete (P748)

I love me a brand that innovates and constantly tries to improve on its past products. Human Heart Nature, for instance, never sits on its laurels. It recently released three new products for organic lovers out there. Check out the latest goodies!

 Kids Natural Shampoo & Body Wash with Protein Care System (P139), 100% Natural Lip Balm(P70), and the Mineral Eyeshadow in Enchanted Evening (P275)

I am super intrigued by the new eyeshadow palette, if only because of its lovely packaging! I particularly like the box, but other than that I think the dusky violet shades are quite classy and wearable.

I unfortunately only have one face. Even though I want to review everything I get personally, I just can't, at the risk of breaking out continuously! Besides, it'd be great to hear from other skin types. This time, Nikki, a good friend, reviews the Nivea Visage Sparkling White Day Care and UV Blocker.

Say hello to Nikki!

I think we all know that sun protection is key to beautiful skin and living in this awesome tropical country, the sun is both a blessing and a curse! So when asked me to try Nivea's Sparkling White line, particularly the Day Cream and the UV Blocker variants, I was ready and willing!

Now, I just have to give you a background on my skin type. It sits in the very delicate balance between oiliness and dryness. You see, my skin is super oily. After putting on makeup, I oil up like a middle eastern country by two hours! But I can't skip moisturizer either because I have seborrhoeic dermatitis which means that my face gets flaky when not hydrated properly. So, you can see my dilemma: I need something that isn't heavy which may cause oiliness while at the same time, something that effectively hydrates my skin! Enter Nivea's day cream! 

The Nivea Visage Sparkling White Day Cream (P315) promises to whiten and control shine, bringing out your inner glow.

I have had this uneasy impression that organic products, owing to their lack of synthesized chemicals and special ingredients ("chorva complex"), don't work as well as the usual drugstore brands. Sure they're good for the skin and the environment but I don't want to sacrifice instant comfort and efficacy for something as vague as those things. Besides, organic products tend to be more expensive than what we can find in drugstores.

Thus, I had very minimal expectations for the Human Heart Nature Natural Feminine Wash in Chamomile Fresh (50ml/ P60 and 200ml/ P160). I've been using this drugstore brand for almost ten years now and I'm completely happy with it, so why take a chance with a new - and oh no, organic - product? Simple, I ran out, and this HHN wash was there waiting to be opened. :P

I'm glad I tried it!

What I love about the product

• The citrus-chamomile scent is not overwhelming and disappears after rinsing. 
• Gel lathers very well even if you use only a small amount. Area feels clean and fresh after washing.

I'm not a huge fan of overall body whitening simply because I think that Filipina skin is beautiful. It has a golden warmth to it that can never compare to the pale complexion of the Japanese, Koreans, or Caucasians. Why whiten when you're already born with a gorgeous shade? That's just me though. I also believe that a girl (or guy) should do whatever makes her feel most confident and most beautiful.

That said, while I'm not into whitening, I think it's essential that we try to lighten our darker areas. Mosbeau presents some possible solutions with some of its best-selling products: the Underarm and Inner Thigh Cream and the Placenta White All-In-One Set.

The Mosbeau Underarm and Thigh Cream (P980) is supposed to lighten the aforementioned areas by inhibiting the production of melanin.

It's a little mind-boggling for me that there are so many lip balm brands out there. You see, at the end of the day, they're all made of the same stuff and does more or less the same thing. The only differences are the packaging and how light or waxy they feel on the lips. 

No, scratch that. There is another important feature that oddly enough not all lip balms do well - that is, healing chapped lips. I had high hopes for Vaseline Lip Therapy because the balm feels light and cushy on my lips. Unfortunately, it doesn't do much for chapping.

Then again, it's also a matter of being "hiyang" to lip balm. In any case I don't often get chapped lips, so Vaseline Lip Therapy is nice to use for normal lip days.

What I love about the product

• Feels satiny and light on the lips; there is none of that icky waxy sensation when I wear this.
• Cherry tastes nice! It's slightly sweetish. It also smells nice - lightly scented, it doesn't have that strong chemical cherry fragrance.

It's always a treat to hang out with fellow beauty bloggers, no matter where or what for. You see, most of us have day jobs that are worlds away from what we gab about online, so getting together is the best opportunity to actually talk about makeup and skincare as true-blue hobbyists. It's not like we talk beauty - in-depth - to our bosses and friends, no?

Bambi, me, Kira

The House of Obagi dinner was one such opportunity to get together. The best beauty and fashion bloggers, as well as members of the press, got to hang out and of course find out more about the brand's new skincare line called Obagi 360. It's hard to explain thoroughly in just a few sentences, but I'll try (and you can always refer to the document below for more information)!

Obagi 360 is a collection of HOO's best selling individual products that are put together to work "synergistically" with your skin. It carries the Obagi Nu-Derm Foaming Gel, Toner, Clear, Exfoderm, Blender, Physical Sunscreen SPF 32, Pro-C 10%, Elastiderm Eye Cream, and TR Complex - HOO's dream team. Obagi 360 also recommends its treatments to go along with 360 for your best skin yet.

Here are more photos of the event!

Lissa Kahayon, Marj Sia, Sophie Uy

One product I've only recently tried is the Dove Foaming Makeup Remover (P350). It was introduced to beauty writers just last Tuesday at the Watsons Beauty Lab so it's literally fresh off the shelves.

It's a great product, but I have to say that it's not new. Pond's has the same thing called the Gold Radiance Boosting Cleansing Mousse which they launched last October. I'm a fan of it alright (I finished off a 150ml bottle), but it has limitations - it can't take off eyeliner or mascara so it's really more for removing face makeup. The Dove Foaming Makeup Remover has no such limitation! It comes with a couple of caveats though.

What I love about the product

• Melts off face makeup (foundation, concealer, powder, blush) quickly and efficiently. It dissolves eyeliner and non-waterproof mascara with gentle rubbing so it's a one-stop makeup remover for the whole face.
• A little goes a long way. I use three pumps for my whole face.

This year has played host to a few successful beauty brand debuts - and it's only August! This time, let's take a break from Asia and give the floor to an intriguing French brand that has been around since 1959.

Saw this big store-to-be last weekend when I visited SM Southmall

Yves Rocher has different skincare lines for myriad concerns (aging, blemishing, even slimming among other things) as well as everyday natural makeup for the uncomplicated woman. Yves Rocher sets itself apart from other brands by being in charge of harvesting natural ingredients used in their beauty products, manufacturing them, and distributing them. That is how the brand can maintain the quality they claim while keeping the prices down. Yes, it's not super expensive!

It's 2 am as I'm writing this. I am starting this week with a feeling of anticipation, mixed with a healthy dose of dread - I'm going to need a lot of patience and energy to get through it! Today, Monday, is going to be dedicated to meetings so I need to finish my tasks as early as humanly possible!

So anyway, let's talk about moisturizers (again). Body moisturizers don't need to do a lot of things to impress me. I just require three things: that it moisturizes, feels comfortable, and smells good but not overwhelming. One product that I am loving right now is the Nivea Express Hydration Body Lotion because it delivers these three requirements exceptionally well. I am pleasantly surprised because it's unlike the other Nivea lotions I've tried before!

Texture and feel. The Nivea Express Hydration is, hands down, the lightest body lotion I've tried to date. It's watery and absorbs almost immediately on skin without any sticky or greasy residue. It doesn't feel "thick" even when it's super hot and I'm all sweaty. Plus plus plus points - I can't stand greasy lotion.

You'll remember that I liked the Nivea UV Protection Body Lotion because of its lightness compared to other Nivea lotions. Well, the Express Hydration is considerably lighter than UV Protection!

Fluffy, watery texture