Truderm Papaya Tropical Fruits Soap Review

Asians, Southeast Asians in particular, usually have dark complexion. But we are also the people that love whitening our skin the most. There are lots of whitening treatments, creams and products in the market. And if you are one of the people that want to whiten your skin, I am sure you have also tried almost all of those. 

Here in the Philippines, one of the most popular and most effective way of whitening our skin is by using Papaya Soap. Papaya soap is effective in skin whitening because it contains Papain, a natural enzyme that promotes skin renewal and cell turnover.

In this post, I will be using Truderm Papaya Soap. It has papaya extracts and also loaded with tropical fruits extracts that is specially formulated to whiten skin and keep it clear, fair and pimple-free.

Here are the other ingredients of the Truderm Papaya Soap :
Watermelon - Loaded with Vitamin A that assists to reduce the size of pores on the skin and consequently minimize excessive secretion of oil.
Mangosteen - Proved to be naturally anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-microbial. Helps to relieve or completely eliminate acne and skin disorders.
Pineapple - High concentrations of malic and citric acid. These acids in pineapple soap help lift and wash away dead skin cells, revealing brighter skin.

Watch my review and demonstration on the Truderm Papaya Soap here :

PROS :

• Natural and effective
• Contains fruit extracts that are good for the skin
• Price is very affordable
• Local brand
• Makes skin less oily
• Doesn't make the skin dry
• Improves the complexion of skin
• The scent of the soap is heavenly

CONS :

• Gives a bit of stinging effect, especially on the first use
• Gives a bit of reddish color, especially on the cheek area

Overall, this is a nice new soap brand to try! What I love most about this brand is that it smells so, so good! Lathering it on your face and body will surely be heavenly, because you know it will eventually whiten your skin and because it smells so good. The price is also very inexpensive compared to other whitening products. What's also good is that it is a Filipino product so every time you buy a bar, you are supporting a local brand. This is safe for everyday use and with regular use, you will notice your skin become cleared, smoother ans whiter!

Here's how my skin looks after using the soap for just more than a week. I can't find the BEFORE photos I took so I hope you watched the video above to see how my skin looked before using the soap.

For more information about the Truderm Papaya Soap, please check out their Facebook Page HERE or check out their official website HERE.

♥

Kristine

Soniclear (Michael Todd) Anti-Microbial Facial Cleansing Brush Review

I have tried a lot of products for my skin and for my acne. Some of them improved my skin while some of them only worked for a short time then my skin broke out again. I was going to believe acne and bad skin are two things I have to deal with for the rest of my life. Until I realized that beautification must begin from within. Right where everything should start and end - CLEANSING YOUR SKIN.

I was sent this brush called SONICLEAR a few months back. But I was not able to review it right away because, as always, I wanted to use the product first and make sure it works before I recommend it to you guys.

The product is called Soniclear by Michael Todd. It is a facial cleansing brush that aims to keep skin clean, fresh and dirt and germ-free!

WHERE TO GET IT : www.michealtoddusa.com 

PRICE : The Soniclear cleansing brush sells for $149. The set comes with the brush, charging pod, charger cord/adapter, manual and an extra bigger brush for the body.

Here is the video showing how to charge and use your Soniclear brush plus Before and After clips!

This is my skin after the initial use of the Soniclear brush. As you can see, I have a red mark on the left cheek. My skin doesn't have a lot of pimples but the problem with my skin is that it looks old because of the ice-pick scars and some dry/flaky areas. I also dislike that my skin is super oily. After the first use of Soniclear brush, I noticed that my skin became tighter and has that instant glow! It also looks bit brighter because the deep-seated dirt has been removed by the brush. 

After more than a month of using the Soniclear, I noticed that my skin became less oily. I also like that it made my skin appear tighter and so much brighter because dirt that my oily skin acquired throughout the day doesn't get left-out on my skin. 

PROS :

• It is effective
• It is safe, natural and non-harmful to the skin
• It leaves skin feeling and looking fresh
• It removes dirt, oil and bacteria 
• Effective in removing excess makeup
• Prevents breakout because your skin is always clean and fresh after every use
• No stingy feel
• It is also relaxing as it feels like you are massaging your face while cleansing it

CONS :

• A bit pricey
• Product must be shipped fro the USA to where you are

Overall, this is a nice product to try. If you have extra bucks to spend, I suggest getting this brush. It is always better to have clean skin rather than investing in "beautifying" topical products. The brush is sturdy and lasts for a long time. An overnight charging of the brush will keep it working for over a month, which means you get to save electricity as well.  It is safe to use everyday, even with some pimple spots on the face. I really like this brush and I like how it keeps my skin clean and renewed each night!

If you are interested in buying your own Soniclear Cleansing Brush, be sure so check out their website at www.michaeltoddusa.com.

♥

Kristine

Skin Whitening : Renew Placenta Whitening Set

A unique and naturally-tanned skin is what Filipinos are known for. But sometimes, the tan color overpowers; wrinkles and lines start to show up and Filipinos tend to overthink on what to do with it. How can we achieve an ageless and improved skin? 

Renew Placenta, a 100% pure Filipino product, has the answer a decade and six years ago.
Placenta is a temporary organ known for its skin rejuvinating effect was introduced for beauty consumption back in 1998. Renew Placenta became the pioneer of Placenta beauty products in the Philippine market. Since then, Filipinos enjoyed an additional option in stores other than the conventional body soaps and beauty products.

Placenta has been known for its numerous health benefits. The discoveries from this natural wonder became a trend that scientists found a way to include it in soaps. Placenta today is known as an anti-aging product because it lessens wrinkles and lines, scars, and stretch marks. It also prevents the appearance of blemishes and at the same time, gives long-lasting moisture from Protein. It also very effective for skin whitening and skin regeneration which then results to a newer and lighter skin. All of these are proudly present in Renew Placenta.

RENEW PLACENTA SOAP - Php 85 per piece

Start the routing by using Renew Placenta Classic Soap. This has natural placenta extracts that cleans, refreshes and whitens the skin. It also increases moisture and suppleness, leaving the skin young, smooth and white.

RENEW PLACENTA TONER- Php 115 per bottle

Next step is to apply toner on your face. This is a gentle, intensive toner with biologically active herbal ingredients. It cleanses, refreshes and tones while minimizes skin pores making it whiter and younger. 

RENEW PLACENTA BEAUTY CREAM - Php 115 per bottle

After washing and using toner on the face, use a face cream to even out the skin complexion. This Renew cream contains natural active ingredients that help in the prevention of wrinkles and delays the process involved in skin ageing. A well-balanced, moisturizing cream with UV (ultra0violet) filters and natural active ingredients that delay premature skin ageing. It is also ideal as a make-up base that has protection against UV rays.

RENEW PLACENTA LOTION - Php 99 per tube

 To complete the routine, use a hand and body lotion that would help moisturize the skin and increase it's suppleness with active whitening ingredients. This will leave skin feeling silky smooth and white.

Do this for a couple of weeks and you will say hello to a white and young-looking you! This is also perfect if you want to flaunt your smooth skin this summer in those pretty dresses and bikinis!

If you want to know more about Renew Placenta products, simply Visit their website HERE or Like their Facebook account HERE.

Have a great weekend!

♥

Kristine

ACNE SCARS Treatment : Flawless Fractional Needling Therapy (FNT)

The most asked questions to me are questions about acne and acne scars. Getting rid of acne is one thing and getting rid of acne scars is another thing. Based on my experience, I can say that getting rid of acne scars is as difficult as getting rid of acne.

I have tried a lot of products and treatments to get rid of acne scars. Some of them worked while some didn't. And since this blog is quite popular for acne products, tips and recommendations, I decided to introduce to you guys a new treatment that I tried recently. 

I went to Flawless for an FNT treatment. FNT is Fractional Needling Therapy. This is a micro needling treatment that is a cost-effective skin solution to scars, acne, wrinkles, dark spots, stretch marks and hair loss. It uses tiny needles to penetrate hard-to-reach areas and infuses effective and safe serums that lift, smoothen, lighten, refine and restore the youth and radiance back to the skin, So you can say hi to a more beautiful and flawless skin!

Watch the full video, review, demonstration and result here:

My main concern were the black/dark spots that I got due to recent pimple spots. I also have a lot of deep, ice pick scars on the temple and jaw area. My skin looks fine from afar and when you're looking at me from the front. But when I turn to the side, that's when you will notice the open pores on those areas.

ABOUT FNT :

*Each treatment costs Php 4,500 (Could be less or more, depending on the area you want to be treated.)

*The treatment may seem scary at first because of the word "NEEDLES", but it won't hurt because of anesthesia. The anesthesia will be applied on the area and will be left there for 45 minutes to allow the area to numb.

*The needling treatment will last for 30 minutes.

*This treatment needs at least 4 days to heal and rejuvinate.

*The treatment will be done by a professional doctor.

This treatment promises to improve the overall appearance of the skin especially acne scars, dark spots, wrinkles, stretch marks and hair loss. The only downside to it is that your skin/face will get really red for 3 days! The attendant at Flawless will give you a face mask to cover your face just in case you feel too shy to be seen by people with extreme red face.

Here's how my skin looked after the FNT treatment.

Just like most skin treatments, the skin/face will look really bad so all you have to do is bare with it and just think that you'll be rewarded with better skin in a few days! The red marks that I had the previous day became a bit darker.

On the second day, the dark spots started getting drier and some areas started peeling.

On the third day, the dark/red spots peeled off and reveled a better looking skin. My skin also appeared tighter and lighter.

On the fourth and final day, my skin looks so much better! The treatment rejuvinated my skin revealing so much lighter, tighter and fresher looking skin. The deep, ice pick scars are still visible but some of the dark, acne spots became lighter. I also love that my skin looks less drier and flaky!

A lot of people have read and tried the Easy Peel treatment also from Flawless that I blogged a few years ago. And that treatment is also one of my favorite treatments for my face. After trying the FNT, I can say that this will also now become another favorite Flawless treatment!

PROS :

• Flawless has a lot of branches so you can have it done near your home.
• It rejuvinates the skin
• It makes acne scars and dark spots lighter
• It makes skin look a few years younger
• The treatment is not painful
• The treatment is done by a professional doctor

CONS :

• A bit pricey, depending on your need and budget
• Downtime could reach up to 4 days
• You won't be able to wear your favorite makeup/cosmetics/regimen for a few days

For a better comparison, here's how my skin looked BEFORE and AFTER the Flawless FNT treatment.

This is just the first session. I am scheduled to have 6 session so you can only imagine how much better my skin will look then! I am sooo excited for my skin! hehe

I hope you like this blog post and found it helpful. If you want to know more about this treatment, please visit Flawless' website HERE or visit your favorite Flawless clinic at the nearest mall!

Please leave your comments and questions below and I will get back to you as soon as I can!

♥

Kristine

Oily Skin Solution : Gatsby Powdered Oil Clear Paper

I have extremely oily skin that it's not even funny. My skin produces too much oil even in just a short period of time. Some people could last the whole day without re-applying powder or checking their self in the mirror once but I have to do it many times in one day if I want to make sure I still look good. I won't start telling you about how oily my face is when I wake up in the morning because that is a different story. hehe

So you pretty much get an idea of how oily my face gets. Some people would resort to simply retouching their powder but it doesn't work for me because powder will just sit on my face and cake. Good thing powdered paper/oil absorbent paper were invented! Today I'll share with you guys my favorite oil absorbent paper ever!

Gatsby Powdered Oil Clear Sheet

PRICE : Php 99.75 (blue version) | Php 129.75 (red version)

Where to get it : Watsons, Mercury Drugstores, SM Department Stores and other leading department stores

So this oil absorbent sheet works like other absorbent sheets - absorb oil on the face, But what sets this apart is that it is powdered so it leaves skin feeling and looking extra matte, smooth and oil-free! I prefer the blue version because it is powdered and I found that it works better on me. The red one is more expensive, too.

Some people get confused when using it. The darker smooth side is the "outside" part while the lighter rough side is the area you should stick on your face.    

Here's how ridiculously oily my skin gets in just a short period of time. So what I did was do my makeup like how I would normally do it and sat in my room for 2 hours while editing some videos. I purposely did not wipe the oil to show you how much nasty things get. hehe

I wasn't even under the sun nor doing any activities but my face still got so oily!

Now it's time to show you the magic!

HOW TO USE IT : Take the powdered rough side of the paper and gently put it on different areas of your face. Remember that you should gently dab instead of wipe. In that way you still let your makeup/foundation sit on your face undisturbed. 

Some people only use 1 sheet while I have to use 2. On days when I stay under the sun for too long or have done any sporty or tiring activity, I usually require 3-4 sheets.

You see now that the Gatsby paper absorbed all the oil on my face and left it looking matte. The best thing is that it is powdered so I won't have to bother re-applying powder anymore.

LIKES :

• Absorbs oil
• Leaves skin looking and feeling matte
• Doesn't irritate the skin
• You get the value for it's price
• Japanese product (if you like Japanese products)

DISLIKES :

• Leaves some ugly powder marks on face

If you noticed in the photo, there are some white marks on my face like on the temple and forehead area. I remember when I went to my cousins wedding in December. I couldn't go to the powder room to retouch because we were having so much fun that I just resorted to quickly and discreetly using some of the sheets while at the table. I didn't bother checking myself in the mirror and proceeded to taking more photos with my cousins. When I got home, que horror! I had some white streaks on my face due to the sheets! haha Other than that, I really love this brand of powdered paper and this is the best I have tried, ever. I really recommend this to people with oily skin like me. It really helps to remove the oil first before re-applying your pwder. It prevents caking and leaves your skin looking so fresh like you just applied your foundation.

I love it so much! And no, this is not a sponsored post! hehe

Thanks for reading!

♥

Kristine

How to Remove ACNE in Photoshop

Since I always talk about acne and different ways of getting rid of it, I thought of teaching you another way to remove it. Err, at least in pictures.

These days, it has somehow become a norm to use filters and other photo editing apps to make photos for Instagram and for Facebook a whole lot better. Here is a quick tutorial on how to remove your acne using Photoshop!

Th photo that I used in the tutorial was taken in 2012 when I had severe acne breakout. However, I thought it won't be appropriate to make you guys cringe because of the sight of my ugly acne so I decided not to post the "before" picture. Be sure to watch the video to see it!

I hope you like this quick tutorial. I thought it would be nice to have a tutorial in a different genre but still has something to do with skin and acne.

Let us know if you have any questions or suggestions by leaving a comment below.

♥

Kristine

Foundation and Concealer Routine for Acne Prone Skin

I've already posted an old foundation and concealer routine tutorial last year but that was when I still had bad skin. Since some of you requested for an updated one, I decided to film one last Christmas. Which explains why there's still a tree behind me in January! hehe I got caught up with stuff that I only had the time to finally finish editing this video today.

Some people may be curious why my skin looks good in pictures and in videos. Aside from the skin care routine and skin treatments that I use, I also rely on makeup sometimes. 

Here's how my skin looks before and after applying foundation and concealer:

Watch the video here to find out how I conceal my acne spots and scars 
using my favorite foundation and concealer :

PRODUCTS I USED :

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Face Primer

Sleek Makeup Creme to Powder Foundation (Bamboo)

Etude House Sponge Applicator

Naturactor Concealer (151)

Revlon Nearly Naked Powder (020 Light Pale)

Those products are my favorites because they all work together to give me better looking skin. I have tried using each product alone and with another product but I have observed that they work better when used together, especially with my skin type. Though I recently got a Beauty Blender sponge so I will try using it soon instead of the Korean brand sponge. I'll let you know which one works better! ;)

♥

Kristine