Nella Porevah!

How did I discover this new product, you may ask? Of course, through my all-time favorite, Althea.

I included this in my cart mainly because of how affordable it is (Php 360), and that it comes with a pore brush! How convenient is that?!

As per Althea, Nella Black & Black Pore Cleaning Package is:

And yes, I do agree with all of the above claims! It is also said to be the first product in Korea that contains up to nine black foods, namely: Black Rice, Mulberry, Black Sesame, Black Garlic, Black Berry, Asai, Black Soybean, Juniper Fruit and Blueberry. Plus, you also get the benefits from Charcoal Powder which helps in the absorption of waste and in purifying the skin.

So the product comes packed like so:

 

The product is gray-black in color. The pore brush is super soft and fluffy. 

 

It is very easy to lather on the face and it foams real well. I found that the brush really helped in thoroughly cleaning my pores. After rinsing, I found that it left my skin feeling powdery smooth.

I have tried using the product without the brush, and it just doesn't foam a lot. I can say that it still left my face feeling squeaky clean, but the "buffing" effect wasn't there.

I do recommend using the foam with the brush!

Overall, I love this product. This is what I have been using every night, for over a month now. It's really gentle and non-irritating. 

Oh, and here's a sneak peek on my latest hoard:

*Other items not captured in picture ;)

K-BEAUTYFUL REVIEW (Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Foam)

So for today, I'd like to share my experience with using the Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Foam which I bought from Athea, for just Php 370.

This product is known to effectively minimize the appearance of pores, with regular use. It is said to contain bits of volcanic scoria from the Jeju volcano which helps to absorb sebum and unclog pores.

Like all K-beauty products, it's spout is sealed with a foil to ensure that no contamination takes place. The product has a nice, creamy consistency. I didn't find it to be too thick, it was just right and lathers very well.

 

If you look closely, you can see some sort of bead like particles mixed with the cream. I think these are the Jeju volcanic scoria. These particles act as a mini facial scrub which helps in ridding your face of all the dirt and oil.

 

It foams up well and spreads out easily. A little goes a long way. After rinsing and drying, it leaves your skin feeling squeaky clean and firm. 

Been using it for over two weeks (during the day), but I haven't really seen any drastic visible changes with my pores. Will update my progress as I continue to use it as a regular part of my daily routine. 

K-BEAUTYFUL (Product Reviews)

So I've currently been addicted with Korean beauty products and have done my fair share of hoarding from Althea.

I've consistently used some of these K-BEAUTY goodies and here's my take on them:

ELIZAVECCA SKIN LIAR PRIMER

Super cute packaging! Looks like it was taken from some retro game. :D

 

I've been using this for more than 2 weeks now, and I can honestly say that it's not as impressive as I thought it would be.

As the name implies, it should be able to cover your pores on its own and make your skin look flawless, like magic.

Image taken from Althea

Well...the picture on the left is me with just my moisturizer, prior to using the Skin Liar. While the one on the right is the one after I've used the Skin Liar.

 

Notice any difference? Nah, nothing noticeable really, my pores are still there. On the good side, it does give you a soft, powdery finish that makes your skin feel soft to the touch. Also, it mattified my skin a bit and reduced the shine around my t-zone. I like using it before my compact powder, for a "no make up" look.

MY CERA CREAM and  IOPE Air Cushion ® (Natural Glow) in Natural Beige

I started using these items the day that I received them. I have to admit that I was really excited with these two items, specially the Air Cushion.

My Cera Cream promises to be the only cream that you will ever need. It will act as your toner, moisturizer, emulsion, ampuole, and whitening cream in one! 

Image taken from Althea

Next is the Iope Air Cushion. I got the Natural Glow variety in Natural Beige (N21) shade.

Image taken from Althea

The product comes in a blue chrome box, and inside is the cushion and the refill.

 

 

The compact itself is very attractive looking and comes in an ivory-like color. It's sealed properly and it can be seen that the cushion itself has a 3D honeycomb shape, which is said to lock in the moisture of the product better than other cushions.

By the way, I just had my hair cut short last October 30, so yeah. Short hair me. 

So here's my picture story: (All pictures taken with indoor light)

STEP 1: APPLY MY CERA CREAM (after using toner)

  

I use My Cera Cream as my day and night moisturizing cream. I have to admit that it does a great job keeping my skin hydrated and feel super soft. I love the effects of this cream on my skin!

STEP 2: APPLY ELIZAVECCA SKIN LIAR PRIMER

*I had to change my clothes, hence, messing up my hair. >.< 

As you can see, after applying the Skin Liar Primer, my skin was mattified. It also feels soft, but the pores are still visible.

I am showing the my blemish found on my right cheek so I can highlight the effect of the Iope Air Cushion, after this step.

  

STEP 3: APPLY A DECENT AMOUNT OF IOPE AIR CUSHION

*Dispensed this amount of product after three taps. Applied it first on the right side of my face to show the difference after application and the coverage it can give.

  

Applied on entire face:

  

I love the instant brightening effect that it gives my face. The subtle dewy finish and the amount of coverage that makes it look so natural! Also, it doesn't have any strong scent. I have found the one!!

I honestly think that this beauty routine works very well. From prepping the skin to applying the perfect cushion. The best thing is that all of these products are very skin-friendly and didn't break me out.

UPDATE:

The Iope Air Cushion lasts me for over 6 hours, without any need for touch-ups. It doesn't cake on me and it stays in place. Sooooooo in love with it!!!

Looks like I'll be hooked with Althea for a very long time. ^_^

K-BEAUTYFUL (Unboxing)

So today I want to share my unboxing experience of the new loot I got from Althea.

Together with my friends, I placed 2 new orders with Althea. The first set of orders were placed around early afternoon of October 21, 2016. While I placed another order early evening of the same day. Both orders were tagged as "Complete" on October 24, 2016. So I was anxiously waiting for the arrival of 2 packages.

Our first set of orders (Box #1) arrived on October 26, 2016, an impressive 5 days after I placed my order, and just in time for the long weekend. Unfortunately, the second set of orders (Box #2) arrived on November 2, 2016. I felt a bit of disappointment about this delay since both orders were placed and completed on the same day. I believe that this was due to the delay of the courier chosen. Box #1 was coursed through eCargo, while Box#2 was given to Rincos. Hence, I hope that they don't use Rincos as a courier, since their service was really disappointing.

On to the boxes!

Box #1

As with before, a list of items ordered is pasted on the initial packaging:

• 2 sets Nella Black & Black Pore Cleansing Set
• 2 pcs Tony Moly Panda's Dream Brightening Eye Base
• 2 pcs Gold Monkey Glamour Lip 3 Step
• 1 Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner (250ml)
• 1 Etude House Moistful Collagen Cream
• 1 Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion SPF 50 PA+++ in Rosy Beige
• 2 Elizavecca Skin Liar Primer (30ml)
• 1 Witch's Pouch Selfie Like Shot Dual Lipstick (0.8g) in Orange and Nudie

All of this for an affordable price of Php 4,014 and since I had 150 points, I used it to make my bill get further reduced to Php 3,864, yay!!

Since this was a group order, my hoard for this batch were just:

  

After waiting for another seven (7) days, Box #2 was finally delivered!!

For this order, I got:

• Iope Air Cushion ® (Natural Glow) 15g + refill 15g in Natural Beige (N21)
• My Cera Cream (30ml)
• Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Foam

All I paid for this batch was just Php 1,970. It's pretty much a super great deal! I've browsed around and saw that the Iope Air Cushion alone retails from Php 2,000 - Php 2,500. So yeah, definitely a great deal from Althea!

I've been consistently using some of the items here and I'll be posting product reviews of them soon, so please stay tuned!

고맙습니다

Booky + Hukad

I've long been a member of the Booky App, and I can say that it's a wonderful discount app, specially for foodies.

Booky provides you with a various number of restaurants that offers discounts ranging from Php 500 - Php 100, depending on the day and time, for a minimum purchase of Php 1,000.

Reminder: You have to book atleast 30 minutes in advance and can't be late for more than 15 minutes, otherwise, you forfeit your discount.

I was looking for a new place to dine in Trinoma and I found Hukad in Booky, offering a Php 300 discount.

So I booked a table for 6PM, for 2 pax. We were welcomed with very warm and accommodating smiles from the servers and were seated in the middle of the restaurant. It actually felt awkward being seated in the middle of the restaurant, specially when it's also the main walkway.

Anyway, Hukad is a native Cebu Restaurant, and offers its well-known Cebu Lechon Belly.

With that in mind, we made sure to order 1/2 kilo of their lechon belly (Php 480). In addition to the belly, we had the Tortang Talong (Php 130), Crispy Pork Kare-kare (Php 310) and two Garlic Rice (Php 60ea).

Food was served after 20 minutes. In order of appearance:

We loved their lechon! The skin was crunchy and the meat was super tasty! The Crispy Kare-kare was also delicious, crispy pork belly slices with the perfect peanut sauce and shrimp paste! Unfortunately, the Tortang talong failed to deliver a "wow" factor. It actually looked quite sad.

While having dinner, Booky sent me an SMS asking me to rate my experience. If you choose to answer the survey, you will be able to get a free dessert, on top of your discount. So answer I did.

We were given a leche flan for dessert. Wasn't able to take a picture of it, but the taste was less than impressive.

Overall, I enjoyed the food served by Hukad.

Thank you Booky for making our experience more affordable!