Wellness and Skincare Haul - All Local and Mostly Organic!

Hello, lovelies! It's been months since my last post, so today I'm going to share my latest purchase at BeautyMNL, the slight hiccup on my order, how I got additional freebies, and shopping credit. I bought several items that mostly consist of wellness and skincare products that I have been eyeing for days and some for months! Well, the products they carry sell fast so when I get notifications from my email that the waitlist items are back in stock, they go directly to my shopping cart. 😊

My order was placed and paid on May 22 and the estimated delivery will be the following day. I was really excited to receive them but I never got an email or text by May 23. I never experienced this before but I thought to myself the slight delay must have been caused by their Flash Sale. On May 24 I have a DFA appointment so I didn't bother to check on the status of my order. I got home late in the afternoon and decided to send an email later at night to their customer service department. The next day I got a response from their team, it turns out that there was a glitch in their system. I was able to place an order even though the product is already out of stock. It was the Algynatural Seaweeds Intimate Wash. I was a bit disappointed because I really wanted to try it (I love natural and local products). They informed me that I can exchange it for an item with the same price, refund the money through Paypal reversal, bank deposit or shopping credits. I decided to take the shopping credit because it's less of a hassle and it's non-expiring anyway. They also told me that they'd request for the package to be delivered on Sunday, May 27. I didn't receive it on that day but I didn't really care at that time.




Fast-forward to Monday, May 28 I received the package early in the morning. I checked the items and as usual, they were wrapped nicely. I was surprised to see that they gave me additional freebies. Yay!



Here are the products I bought, all locally-made (support our own!) and mostly organic.

The Breakdown

1. Organic Quinoa Rice Grain (200g) by The Green Tummy - ₱200.00
It's a healthy substitute for rice that is packed with essential amino acids; offers a complete source fiber and proteins; contains iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin B6 and E.

2. Flower Tea (10g) by Manila Superfoods - ₱115.00
This is a caffeine-free, herbal beverage made from dried butterfly pea flower which is very interesting because this is a color-changing tea. Yep, like a magical potion. It starts out blue and turns violet once you squeeze in a lemon wedge into it. I am actually excited to try it out.

3. 100% Natural Tinted Lip Balm by Human ❤ Nature - ₱100.00
I love this one, it's all-natural and it's tinted. Perfect for dry lips and lazy days.

4. Heal All Tamanu Oil by Skin Genie (10ml) - ₱200.00Again, another favorite local skincare brand. I haven't tried this before but I was curious because this one got high reviews on BeautyMNL website. Plus, it has multiple uses. According to the site, this is formulated with pure tamanu oil which promotes the formation of new tissue and healthy skin growth; speeds up wound healing; can be used on scars, acne, age spots, rashes, rosacea, dry skin, sores, burns, stretch marks, psoriasis, eczema, cuts, insect bites, cuts, wrinkles, and sunburn; also helps with hyperpigmentation, athlete’s foot, and chapped lips; moisturizing and nourishing formula.
So this little roll-on bottle might be the answer to my dark spots caused by my recent breakout. 😢

5. Refreshing Apple Pocket Soap (50ml) by Human ❤ Nature - ₱63.00
My hands are highly sensitive to harsh soaps and I dread using public restrooms that do not provide one. I mean, why? So this is a good buy for me because it is Triclosan-free and paraben-free, smells like apple and travel-friendly.

6. Duo Steel Straw Set by SIP PH - ₱200.00 (Silver) ₱280.00 (Black and Rose Gold)

The Freebies

1. VitaGreen-C Sampler by Easy Cures
2. Peckish Rice Crisps in Sweet Chili Flavor
3. Cornitos Nacho Crisps in Barbeque Flavor
4. Dove Intense Repair Shampoo and Conditioner Sachets
5. Esfolio Moisture Soothing Gel Aloe Vera 92% Sampler
6. Snoe Torrid Beso Balm
7. Bath Junkies Bath Bar

I was only supposed to get a VitaGreen-C Sampler, Rice Crisps, and Nacho Chips but they added these stuff on my bag. I gotta say they did well making up for late delivery. My only opinion for service improvement is for them to take the initiative to inform the customer regarding such inventory issues. It would make the process faster and much more pro-consumer. Nevertheless, I still love shopping at BeautyMNL.😊

 

4 Products To Keep Your Bleached Blonde Hair
- Bright and Healthy

You've managed to achieve the blonde shade you've been dreaming about. Excellent job!
But your bleached blonde hair isn't gonna maintain its beauty by itself. You need to take care of it more than ever or else your hair will get dry, brittle, and eventually turn brassy. And who likes that?
So, I listed the 4 products to keep your bleached blonde hair - Bright and Healthy.

But before I begin, I'm gonna share a photo of my hair. Tadaaaah~



I think this was the lightest shade I achieved and it was a looooooong process. What makes it more challenging for me is that I did all by myself. Okay, I did ask for my sister's help for the back part of my head. 😊 My hair was long at that time and it would be nearly impossible to do it solely on my own. Now, my main purpose for bleaching my hair was to make it a good canvas for semi-permanent dyes.

THE PRODUCTS

1.  Purple / Silver Shampoo

You need to invest in purple/silver shampoo because your hair eventually turns brassy over time. This is why you need a shampoo that will neutralize these unwanted tones. As much as I want to try Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Shampoo, at that time it was hard finding it locally available in the Philippines. But I got my hands on Lush Daddy-O Purple Shampoo. I bought it at the Lush store in Shangri-la. It smells fresh and lathers well. What I didn't like is it makes my hair dry even though I only use it 1-2 times a week.

I do recommend Bleach London Silver Shampoo. I prefer this over the Lush purple shampoo because I think it toned my hair better. It removed the yellow tint on my hair and made it almost platinum after few washes. But just like any other purple shampoo, you have to keep conditioning your hair to prevent your hair from drying. This leads us to the 2nd product, conditioner.


2.  Conditioner. Conditioner. Conditioner.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to condition your hair when you go blonde. Getting blonde DRIES up your hair. A LOT. You don't want to have a straw-like hair because it is brittle. I skip shampoo but I condition my hair every day. You might think it's icky especially if you live in a tropical country where the sun is always happy to shine. But, I found a local brand that produces a cleansing conditioner. Hair Heroes Intense 5-in-1 Cleansing Conditioner can replace your shampoo because it cleanses your hair while conditioning it. It does not lather like a regular shampoo but you can really feel that your hair is clean and soft after using it. It smells great too because it contains Argan oil. It can be used as a detangler, just use it on a damp hair and use a wide tooth comb. I also use this as a deep-moisture hair mask on weekends to nourish my hair after I use my purple shampoo. I'm really amazed by this product that I posted it on my Instagram account. Another great product to try is Virgin Coconut Oil and I swear by it! It's natural and easy to find especially in the Philippines. I put VCO on my hair at least once a week and leave it on for half an hour (or more!) and wash it with lukewarm water. My hair's texture has improved and my hairstylist was surprised to see that I maintained a good hair condition despite bleaching my hair on my own. A good local product would be Human Heart Nature Pure Virgin Coconut Oil.




 

3.  Dry Shampoo

Bad hair day is a no-no! So, for days when you cannot shampoo your hair, always reach for a dry shampoo. It will strip away the oil from your hair and leave it smelling fresh. My favorites are the Dove Hair Therapy Refresh+Care and Lush No Drought Dry Shampoos. Both are great kinds but comes in different packaging. The Dove one comes in a spray bottle which makes it easier to dispense because the Lush is a bit messy to use. I also find it easier to spread the shampoo evenly with Dove. I got to say that Dove smells so great you'd find yourself smelling your hair more.
However, if you are constantly on-the-go, Lush is easier to bring because you can put in a smaller container which makes it travel-friendly.






4.  Toner

Your roots will show up and you can embrace 'em or bleach 'em but you cannot skip the toning part. Because brassy tones will definitely remind you that you are not a real blonde. Lol. So you gotta tone your hair from time to time. My choice of weapons, Manic Panic's Virgin Snow and Wella Color Charm - T18 Lightest Ash Blonde, both works wonders to my hair. If you want to avoid using more chemicals, use Manic Panic instead because it's vegan and will condition your hair as you use it. You can read more about them here.


 

There you have it, hope you have as much fun as I had with blonde hair!

Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off

Today, I will be reviewing a skincare product from a popular Korean brand, Skinfood. I've tried several products from them but this is my first time to try their wash off mask. I read so many good reviews about it and decided to purchase one for myself. Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off is an exfoliating scrub and mask that gently sloughs off dead skin cells, dirt, and oils with its main ingredient, organic black sugar.


Product Details
Black Sugar Mask Wash Off, according to Skinfood's official website, is their most popular product and I wouldn't wonder why. Black sugar is rich in vitamins and minerals and restores nutrients and moisture to the skin.

Ingredients
Sucrose, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Lanolin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Sorbitan Laurate, Bht, Butylparaben, Fragrance, Caramel



How To Use
After cleansing, massage gently into damp skin, or mix with water/cosmetic water and apply. Avoid skin around the eyes and lips. After 10-15 minutes, rinse with lukewarm water. Recommended to use it once or twice a week.


Price
$10 per 100g tub Skinfood Website
₱330 per 100g tub BeautyMNL and Althea Korea Websites
(It is kind of challenging to purchase this product though because it is almost always sold out.)

 

The Packaging
The mask comes in a white plastic tub with English and Korean product descriptions. It has an additional protective lid covering with embossed logo of the brand. The downside with the packaging is that the product doesn't come with a spatula but I do recommend to use one for hygiene reasons.


Texture and Fragrance
Since the mask's primary ingredient is black sugar, you will definitely feel the grains when you massage it on your skin so it is important to put on this product on a damp face or mix it with an alcohol-free toner. Also keep in mind to gently massage it onto your face to avoid abrasion on your skin. The sugar granules will melt while you wait for 10-15 minutes, which will leave your skin hydrated because it draws the moisture onto the skin. While I prefer unscented skincare products, I do not mind the sweet and citrusy smell of this mask. It smells fresh and clean without giving an overwhelming scent.




Overall Experience
I have been using Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off for a little over a month now and I got to say that it made a significant improvement on my dry skin. On my first use, it made my skin feel smooth and supple as a baby. I cannot stop myself from touching my face. Yes, the hype is real! Unlike other masks, it does not leave your skin feel tight and squeaky instead, it made my skin moisturized and smooth to touch. I used to have dry patches around my nose but since the mask acts as an exfoliator too, it removed the dry patches which is another plus point for me. I also noticed that it has a brightening effect that gives the appearance of a healthy glow.

Because this is an exfoliator, my main concern is the primary exfoliating agent and I am quite pleased that they use real organic black sugar grains. I avoid scrubs containing microbeads because these tiny plastic particles could end up in the sea and harm the marine creatures.

I have tried a lot of masks in the past but this one tops on my favorite list. I did not experience any break-outs and I noticed that my pores stay clear from blackheads and whiteheads longer than before.

Will I Repurchase?
Definitely, yes!

Have you tried Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off? What are your thoughts about it? Let me know in the comments section below.