My Hair Story

Lately I've been losing massive amounts of hair. It's like everytime I touch it, a handful would fall out. There's hair all over the place. I've never had hair on my pillow before and now everytime I wake up I see a sad ten or so strands next to my face. In the shower my hair clogs the drain! It's really scary and I've never had this much hair loss before. I don't know if it's stress or my hormones, but I decided to treat it with Queen Helene's Deoderized Garlic Shampoo and taking 2 Biotin tablets a day. Since I've just started, no results yet, but I did measure my hair by grasping it and noticed how much volume is gone T_T Hair is a woman's crowning glory, if I go bald I think I would have to be placed in an asylum!

I know you might think...."EW! Garlic shampoo? WTF?!" But it doesn't smell like Garlic at all because they've deoderized it. In fact the shampoo itself smells like baby powder. I used to use this years ago because it was gentle on colored hair (no sls) and it really worked. Now I'm back on it to see if it'll help me with the hair loss.Here's the product description:

[Stop finding strands of hair on your brush or in the sink. Pure deodorized Garlic Extract helps prevent excessive breakage and loss of hair. Relieve dry, scratchy scalp while enjoying stronger, fuller hair. See improvement after only a few washes. Get a head of hair you're proud to run your fingers through.]

As for the Biotin, it's a well known Vitamin B supplement that helps with hair growth. It is even said to help darken and grow lashes. We'll see about that!

My Skin Story

Despite the fact that I've been using Acne.org religiously my skin has broken out around my mouth hence why I'm not taking any pictures of myself or doing any FOTDs. I 've got a pimple, a few blemishes and a cystic zit that's taking a week+ to heal. I haven't gotten a zit this bad in ages. I'm wondering if my skin is getting used to the treatment or if it's the result of me being lazy and not taking care of my skin properly for even just a few days. Either way, I'm back on Acne.org full force, but it doesn't work as quickly as it used to. Then again I'm on that time of the month and also it's hot and humid so that could've also triggered my sudden onset of acne. I'm not sure, but I'm quite worried and I know it's going to leave a scar that's going to take even LONGER to heal...sigh. I hate my skin! Anyway, thinking of going back to taking Zinc supplements again to help! Hope it works...

Oh and I've decided to get the Vitacreme B12 instead of the Egyptian Magic Cream. Why? Because Egyptian Magic cream goes on thick and anything thick suffocates my skin which results in blemishes despite the fact that it's all natural. Thanks to the many people who reviewed it I finally made my choice = P. Vitacreme B12 wins because it absorbs quickly and penetrates deeper in the epidermis. I will get my hands on it as soon as I can and review it ^_^ Thanks so much for those of you who tried to help me chose! I really appreciate it!

WHOA! Long post LOL!

Currently I am running out of both my Olay Complete and Acne.Org facial moisturizers and it's driving me a little insane. I've been doing a lot of research and have gotten down to four candidates for my next purchase and here they are listed in no particular order:

Dr. Ci:Labo Aqua Collagen Gel- Got 3 samples of this and LOVED it. Only downside is it's really pricey and comes in a tub = [

Za Deep Moisture Gel (not pictured)- Always wanted to try this. It's in a cute opaque little jar and is priced reasonably. Only problem is that I can only get it in Asia.

Steamcream- Heard amazing things about this, has a lot of natural ingredients and is dirt cheap. Pretty creative packaging too!

Hazeline Snow- Tried and true ever since I was young. Cheap as FRACK. I hate the fact that it's in a tub! In fact all of these moisturizers I just listed are in tubs! >_<

*Please do recommend or give me any suggestions if any of you have tried one of these! I would gladly appreciate your opinions, thanks!*

I really wish I can look like Angelababy! She is just soooooooooooo PRETTY; my newest beauty muse! I envy her nose the most!

With those big doe shaped eyes, pale golden skin, and glowing baby cheeks, she's the epitome of Asian beauty in my opinion, although I'm not sure if she's 100% Chinese, she looks mixed to me though I may be wrong.

Now I originally bought this for my Mother to correct her uneven skin tone and saw pretty good results so I decided to jump on the bandwagon as well. The only thing is, I use this as an under eye cream as it helps lighten my dark circles. It's also pretty good with fading hyper-pigmentation but it takes a while to see results, in fact my Acne.org's AHA+ works faster at getting rid of dark marks. Either way I love this product. This cream is supposed to be used on the whole face so jar is big enough to last me forever since I only use it on the eye area. I saw results within a couple of days it was amazing! Of course when I get lazy and I stop using it my circles come back with a vengeance so this will always be in my regimen. Keep in mind this is not a miracle product, I still have dark circles they're just not as prevalent.

Here is the product description from Avon's Site

I just ran out of Neutrogena's Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover so I went to my local CVS to serach for a new one I can try out. I happened to chance upon this beauty. Just like most eye makeup removers out there trying to dupe Lancome's Bi-Facil (which is still my HG till this day!), Lumene's version is also blue and is double phased, meaning you need to shake the oil and liquid content together for the remover to be effective. The sad thing is, it is not the best dupe of Bi-Facil. At first glance, only the packaging is elegant. The contents not so much. It does not do a great job at removing waterproof mascaras despite the fact that it advertises that it does. Ah false advertisement, I should sue for all the money you've mugged from me throughout the years...Anyway, while using this I have to swipe at my eyes a little more harshly than usual just to get mascaras off, which is of course a bad thing because I'll be causing premature aging around the eyes AHHHHHHHHH!!!! As if I don't have hereditary bags and dark circles already, I'll be adding crows feet in a good few years! The only saving grace for this remover is the fact that it is not as oily as other double phase removers and it does not dry out my eye area. Overall, this cost me as much as my previous remover but comes in a smaller bottle, thus less product which is a con for me, as most drugstore eye makeup removers at least give the same amount of product- about 5 fl. oz, this one delivers at 3.4 fl oz.

Rating- 2/5

Buy Again?- Hellz to the no!

If you've been keeping up with my posts since the beginning then you all would know that I'm a worshipper of Dan's Acne.org products. I've been on the regimen for more than 3 months now and am completely clear of any types of acne except blackeads . Originally I just used his starter kit plus jojoba oil and a moisturizer with SPF for the day time. Recently, in order to replenish my treatment, I ordered his recommended AHA+ (alpha hydroxy acid) to give it a try on smoothing out any existing uneveness and stubborn blackheads that linger on my nose. Since this product contains 10% glycolic acid, it is revered as a great fine line, wrinkle and dullness reducer. It's also an awesome moisturizer! The lichochalcone (licorice root extract) added into the ingredients helps to soothe redness and also lightens/brightens hyperpigmentation (acne scars most prevalent on people of color). Now I've used a 2.5% glycolic acid in pad form before and thought it was awesome, my skin was perfect! Problem is, for 30 pads at $10, it was quite expensive and also pretty hard to find. It is said that if you want glycolic acid in higher concentrations then you would need to consult with your dermatologist. Anyway, Neutrogena and RoC also have glycolic acid in some of their lines, albeit in small concentrations of course, but for the amount given and the price tag, I felt it was not worth it. Dan's AHA+ however, caught my eye right away! His glycolic acid comes in a HUGE 6 oz. tube and only very little is needed boasting 10% glycolic acid AND licorice root extract at a price tag of $16! I've been using this for 2 weeks now and have seen significant improvement in the fading of my hyperpigmentation. Oh and of course, no more blackheads on my nose!!!

If you want to learn more about glycolic acid click here.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of licorice root extract click here

Interested in trying out Acne.org products? Click Acne.org

Yay I finally got around to making an actual post! So here's a review I promised you all on the Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream (what a mouthful!).

My first reaction was WOW. I actually thought the tube would be smaller but it's pretty big. Love the packaging on this one. The fact that it has a pump excites me to no end. Now enough rambling about how it looks on the outside, it's whats on the inside that counts. Let's just say that this DID NOT disappoint. The shade was perfect (I'm an NC30-35), it completely melted into my skin. No oiliness or stickiness here, I did not blot my face once with powder! It was a breeze to blend and it absorbed quickly as well. Also, I love that it has jojoba oil listed as one of its ingredients because it compliments my acne.org skincare regimen. The only con I can think of is that it doesn't have any sunscreen labeled on the package and since I can't read in Korean I can't find it listed on the ingredients label. Anyway, this tube should last me a couple of months since a little bit goes a long way. I'm looking forward to trying the other BB creams that Lioele carries as well to see how they fare up.

Rating: 5/5

Buy Again? : HELLZ YEAH!

Edit* I found Titanium Dioxide in the list of ingredients on the box (I overlooked this in the beginning) which is a type of sunscreen. YAY!

I've been using this regimen for removing makeup and cleansing for quite some time now. Maybe 3 months? This is what has kept my skin clearer than it's ever been (also with the help of acne.org products!) so I thought I would share with you all the products that I've been using.

pdc CELDIE AHA cleansing oil- I remove makeup with this wonder. I used to use DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil which I LOVED. Then I ran out and I wasn't so willing to shell out $17 to $21 for a new one when I could find an alternative that is just as good or even better. Lucky for me I chanced upon this one during one of my many trips to Little Tokyo. It was the only cleansing oil that didn't list mineral oil as one of it's main ingredients (mineral oil breaks me out!) so I bought it.  Now I'm not sure if DHC's cleansing oil had mineral oil in it, but I think it did as I never felt satisfied using it alone; always did a double step cleansing process with a soap-free gel cleanser to get rid of any residue left behind...just in case. But with this cleanser, WOW! It completely washes off so I never feel paranoid about it clinging on to my skin! Not only that ,but it smells like sour green apples, is cheap as FRACK ($7+/-) and has this luxurious serum feeling to it during application. It cleanses so well, you can actually see the makeup getting removed unlike the DHC one. It's amazing! I've also noticed that because of the AHA, my really stubborn blemishes on my forehead and chin COMPLETELY disappeared. LIKE WOW!!! I'm amazed with this cleanser, just in awe at it's ability to remove makeup, cleanse, AND treat in one convenient pump bottle. Will repurchase for the sake of my well being, hopefully they don't discontinue it!

RATING - 5/5

BUY AGAIN? - HELL YES!

mark that's deep purifying (soap-free) gel cleanser- This is the cleanser I use for mornings. At night I use it following the cleansing oil. I love that it's soap-free, which means it doesn't leave residue behind. The fact that it's a gel cleanser makes it one of the best surfactants for removing build-up of pore clogging materials deep in your pores that foam and milk cleansers usually miss. Before this beauty, I used to use Neutrogena's Oil-Free Acne Wash and Mario Badescu's Enzyme Gel Cleanser. Both were OK, I wasn't satisfied that Neutrogena's cleanser was a foaming type and Mario Badescu's was over priced so I was always on the look-out for something that was similar to Mario's quality yet at a Neutrogena price tag and I think I've found it! This cleanser has natural foaming ingredients but it does not sud up like crazy! It still remains a gel cleanser. It removes oil but doesn't leave me dry, smells like fresh floral herbs, and is REALLY affordable. $7 a bottle for a good quality cleanser? Can't beat that! The only thing I can complain about is that it lacks a pump for easier usage...

RATING - 4.8/5

BUY AGAIN? - YES

Well that's all folks! Hope that review helped out any of you on a budget or on the look-out for better alternatives ^_^

Next post: 'Spring Hot List' inspired by ALLURE Magazine

I just purchased this last night based on some very interesting reviews:

Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream

Bought from eBay seller legendeux

I can't wait till it comes in the mail. The seller told me it'll probably take 15-25 days shipping from South Korea, YIKES! It was so worth it though, since I got it at a great price. At first, I never thought I would give in to the BB cream craze, but this tube is just too pretty AND it has a pump! The fact that it has jojoba and macadamia nut oils helped me to cave in as well = P It's a win/lose situation for me but a win-win situation for you since I will be reviewing this after some usage. I also bought 2 extra stippling brushes which should probably come sometime next week. If you want to learn more about BB Creams visit makeupforlife.net

Mini Update: For my birthday, my best friends bought me a digital camera, but the problem is that one of the keys does not function so I have to get it fixed = [ Also, typing is a chore for me since my little bunny, Bebe went bat shit crazy on me and decided to give me a 'Friday the 13th bite from hell' It was horrendous I tell you, there was blood everywhere and I was left with a huge gaping wound! Never thought that rabbits had that type of bite in them! Note to self: Just because it's cute don't mean it won't bite!

Since my junior high days, I've been dealing with random zits that occur every now and then during or before that time of the month. Throughout these years, I always thought that just using a spot treatment would help, even though it never really prevented the new zits from forming. Keep in mind I didn't actually break out and have problematic acne in my earlier years, my skin was pretty much on the clear side with the exception of a cystic zit or two once a month that would take weeks to heal and months to undo the damage (scarring/hyper-pigmentation) . I always wanted to have 100% clear skin and I NEVER did.

Lately, especially during these past few years, I noticed that my skin got worse. It would take longer to heal and the scarring would take almost a whole year to completely vanish. Also, my skin seemed oilier than ever. My face not only got 2-3 zits a month, but I now also had to deal with stubborn black heads, white heads, and blemishes on my forehead. I hated the fact that I always had to use concealer to cover any imperfections. It made me self conscious and I felt unattractive...

One day, while doing my daily ritual of browsing on youtube, I stumbled on a video that enlightened me. It was about a review on a skin care regimen featured on acne.org. Sure enough, from the positive customer reviews, I just had to try it and so I placed an order! ^_^

So far, the only thing I can complain about is that this regimen (the starter kit to be exact) was very drying and really itchy on the first week of trial. But those side effects were expected from using benzoyl peroxide. After awhile my skin got used to the drying (thanks to Jojoba Oil) and  my oiliness is no longer an issue. I am now happy to say that I am blemish, white head, and black head free! Oh and no zits! I haven't been this clear in years!!! I completely recommend anyone with light or mild acne to try Daniel Kern's products. I completely sound like an advertisement, but I'm just so happy with the results I had to share = P

This is the kit I used. It is extremely affordable, environmentally friendly, and lasts for much longer than your usual OTC acne topical medications.

If anyone has any questions, then please feel free to comment!