Braun Silk Epil Soft Pefection 3170 Epilator

I was born balbon so I have unwanted hair all over my body. Grr. I learned about epilators about 5 years ago but I just bought one, December of last year. In between those times, I survived by doing DIY waxing or by avoiding wearing shorts and skirts whenever I can't wax. I was already doing okay with waxing but after some time I felt that using an epilator would be more convenient and in the long run would save me money. So I asked my friend's mom to buy one for me in the States. I did some researching and found out that Braun is an affordable and reliable brand so I bought its Soft Perfection 3170 Model.

Silk Epil Soft Perfection 3170 Model includes:

• Massaging rollers clip - makes epilation ultra gentle. Its pulsating movement stimulates and relaxes the skin to offset the pulling sensation.
• Efficiency Pro clip - provides a thorough epilation that is now even faster. Ensuring maximum skin contact and the optimum usage position, it allows removal of even more hairs per stroke
• Epilation Head
• Epilation Body
  
• Cord Connector
• Mini Brush

The product's claim:

"Braun Silk-epil SoftPefection has been designed to make the removal of unwanted hair as efficient, gentle and easy as possible. Its proven epilation system removes hair at the root, leaving your skin smooth for weeks. With the innovative SoftLift tips and the unique arangement of tweezers it provides an exra close epilation for perfectly smooth skin, allowing the removal of hairs as short as 0.5mm as well as flatlying hairs. AS the hair that re-grows is fine and soft, there will be no more stubble.

My Experience: The first time I used it was about 6 months ago but I can still remember it very well. I was about to epilate my lower legs. I cleaned my legs and patted them dry. I got the epilator's body out of the box and attached the Epilation head. It looks like an electric shaver but with mini tweezers on top. It was very handy. Its size and shape fit my hand very well. I attached the cord to the epilator's body. First problem - I was afraid to plug it in. Since it was bought from the States I thought it uses a different voltage but it turns out it is compatible with 220V. Thank God! So I plugged it in and the moment I turned the epilator on, I had second thoughts of using it. Second problem - its loud whirring sound made me feel like it will mow my whole leg rather than just the hair and to think that it was just speed 1. I checked out how speed 2 would be and the sound got louder which is of course very discouraging. It took me a lot of courage before I can finally lay it on my legs and surprisingly it was not as painful as I thought it would be and no blood shed. hehe. Probably my experience in waxing also made me immune to the pain. I can even use it without the massaging rollers clip making epilating faster. I felt a little pulling sensation but it was very bearable. My legs became bumpy and red afterwards but it was all gone the next day and all that was left is smooth and whiter (because no more hair) legs. Yey!

Until now, I only use it on my lower legs. It takes me 15-20 minutes to epilate each of my lower leg. Sometimes one stroke is not enough to get rid of the hair in a particular area, but I can always run over it again to remove everything. I have tried it once on my underarms and I never did it again. The pulling mechanism is kinda brutal for the armpit's thin skin. I have tried it also on the bikini area and unexpectedly it was less painful than on my armpits. haha! But it would leave me weak afterwards and I would feel the discomfort as I wouldgo on. I think the smaller epilation head, which is available in other models, is meant for the sensitive parts of the body.

Recently-made Demo:
2x2 inches area on my thigh
Result: 3 side by side vertical strokes leave about 5-6 hairs. My skin got reddish and bumpy afterwards but that disappeared after a few hours as shown in third picture (with flash).


Why I Love it Over Waxing:

• I can start to epilate once hair regrowth reaches 2-5mm. wow!
• I am able to save money, cause I can use it over and over again anytime. Although initially I spent almost P3000 for this, still in the long run I would save a lot. It is run by electricity so I don't have to spend extra on batteries. With waxing kits like Sally Hansen Cold Wax I would have to spend almost P1,000 and I think I can only do my legs with that.

Wy I Love it Over Shaving: Although I have not shaved my legs, I know the effects of such because I regrettingly do this on other parts of my body.

• Epilating does not make hair regrowth thicker.
• Full hair regrowth is almost a month for me.
• No nasty nicks and cuts.
  

Why I Hate: Not readily available locally so if it gets broken I don't know how I would get it fixed. Epilating can get kinda messy, much like shaving, unlike waxing where the hair is stuck on the paper. Initial expenditure of almost P3,000 kinda hurt my student budget.

Availability: I bought mine at Amazon. I emailed Braun's customer service to ask about their local distributors. Braun epilators are sold at SM The Block Appliance Center but it doesn't include this model.
Price: P4,000-P4,500

The Face Shop Brightening Rice Water Cleansing Oil (Migamsu)

This is the first Cleansing Oil I have ever bought and used. I purchased this product because I started to use Blemish Balm creams and I feel that my Celeteque Facial Wash is too gentle to remove all traces of BB Cream. Everything written is just my observation and opinion.

I have used this once on the face when I had Dr. Jart's BB Cream on and I had bumps the next day. I don't blame it solely on the product though cause I felt that I applied it all wrong. I had difficulty using this product because it is very runny, almost water-like. I've known about this the first time I tried it on TFS but I thought that that is how cleansing oils are so I bought it anyway. But then when I started using it, it drips out of my hand so fast before I can even put it on my face. I also don't know how much cleansing oil I should use and I think I did not use warm water afterwards. I just rinsed it off with tap water and then proceeded immediately with my facial wash. One thing I am very sure about though is that it stings the eyes big time so I had difficulty removing the concealer under my eyes. And I also like its mild scent.

So this product must have not worked for me mainly because I don't know how to use it, not because it is really not effective. So just to demonstrate how effective it is in removing make up I roadtested it on my hand.

The product's claim:

"A refreshingly light cleansing oil for exquisitely clean skin."

Formulated with the traditional rice oil used by women of the Korean Royal Court as well as botanical Moringa Oil, this refreshingly light cleansing oil thoroughly removes even the heaviest makeup and washes off easily with water.

Experiment:
Maybelline Ultra Liner Waterproof
Shiseido Dual Balancing Foundation topped with
Ellana Sheer Velvet High Definition Mineral Finishing Powder (White Chocolate)
Cotton
TFS Brightening Rice Water Cleansing Oil

Result:
For a 1/4 pump of the oil, it was able to remove the foundation including the ballpen ink, haha! It also erased the waterproof eyeliner, however, only after rubbing it in a circular motion for like 20 times or so. Imagine if that was your eyes. Que Horror! It left an oily residue but was easily removed with warm water. My hand feels, looks and smells clean afterwards, so much more if it was double cleansed with facial wash.

Ingredients: Isopropyl Myristate, Cetyl Ethylhexandate, Caprylic Triglyceride, Sorbeth-30 Tetraolaeate, Fragrance, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Water, Butylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Oil, Aleurities Moluccana Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract
Packaging: With box. Very oriental and calming design. Hygienic and avoids waste with its easy-pump bottle with lock. The container is slender enough so it won't take up so much space.
Availability: The Face Shop Stores
Price: P600+ for 150 mL/5.07 FL OZ

Aspirin Mask

I first came to know about Aspirin Mask on GT and from then on I started researching about its effectiveness before I put it to the test. It has a lot of positive feedbacks on MUA, Acne.Org and also different blogs, and the reviews are enough to convince me to try it myself. Now, the key thing in doing this mask is moderation. Once or twice a week for oily and blemished skin. For dry and sensitive skin, twice a month. Never over do it or it would lose its effects. It may also dry out the skin and cause flaking. Plus, it's bad to take too much aspirin cause even if this is applied on your face and not taken internally, still it gets absorbed and processed by the body.

There are alot of versions of this mask but I try to keep it plain and simple to see the real effects of aspirin.

How I do it:
I dissolve 3 pieces of uncoated aspirin into a half a tsp. of distilled water.
This should form a grainy mixture.
I apply it on my clean and dry face using my fingers in a circular motion.
I let the grains exfoliate my skin at the same time.
I avoid the eye area and I make sure nothing gets in my nose or I'll sneeze a lot.
Wait for 20-30 minutes and then I rinse with plain water.
Use Toner and Moisturizer.

Sometimes I add a dollop of honey into the mixture.
The honey serves as my binding agent and moisturizer.
Plus it smells really sweet and yummy! hehe


Why it should Work:
Aspirin is made out of Salicylic Acid or BetraHydroxy Acid (BHA) which is also a component of many skincare products. BHA is known to help tremendously with cleaning pores from deep inside and therefore contribute to keeping our skin blemish-free. BHAs are efficient on existing blemishes as well, by helping them heal faster and keeping pores clean afterwards.

Why I Love: It is effective yet very very very cheap! Whenever I do this I feel like a thin film coats my face which makes it soft and supple. I can also see that my face looks cleaner as it exfoliates dead skin cells and removes white heads. It is not a blackhead extractor but it lessens the blackheads in my nose a bit. The pores on my cheek also appear smaller and it help tame down the redness of my zits. On the average like 1 out of 3 tiny zits.

Ingredients: Distilled water, 80mg Bayer uncoated aspirin, honey (optional)
Availability: Drugstores. I think Mercury sells it cheaper than Watson's
Price: P1.60 - P2 for 80mg

I keep on doing this once a week to exfoliate my skin and also to control my pimples. I love this mask so so much! :)

(pictures to follow)

Update as of 06/26/2009: I was not able to do this for 2 weeks but recently I felt the need to do this mask again cause I am having a major breakout huhu like 10 very red pimples popped out. Because of my face's worsened condition I increased the number of aspirins i used to 5 pieces and fortunately it helped soothed some of them like they are not as red as before. It also brightened up my face and it looks cleaner despite the pimples I have. I am still too lazy to take pictures haha

The benefit of aspirin is lifted from http://ezinearticles.com/?DIY-Skin-Savers:-The-Aspirin-Mask&id=171592

DIY Green Tea Toner

Sinc Bragg's ACV toner did not work for me, I continued searching for another naturally-made toner and this is what I found.

How I do it:
I drop one tea bag to a cup of hot water. Leave it for about 10 minutes.
Remove the tea bag. Drink about 3/4 of it and the rest I let cool.
Once cooled, I transfer it into a clean atomizer/spritz bottle (available at Watson's P35-P45)
I then pour the contents of Fern-C 500mg capsule, shake and store in the fridge.
I apply it cold after washing my face.
I just spray it directly to my face or use a cotton ball.
I let my face dry.
Note: Any brand of green tea and Vitamin C will do. I just use Lipton and Fern C because that is what I have.


Why it should work:
Benefits of Green Tea to the Skin
Green tea contains a cocktail of potent antioxidants called catechins, which help fight damage caused by free radicals and ultimately skin cancer. It has antiseptic properties, so can be used to treat minor cuts and rashes, and can be effective when applied to spots and blemishes. It is also shown to neutralize the damage done by exposure to UV rays. These are just some of the benefits, you get the point.

My Experience: At first I tried the toner without the Vitamin C and I think that it works better with it coz I noticed that it helped tone down the redness of my small yet flaring zit (grr!). Anyway, my face feels sticky when I apply the toner, like my face is tightening up a little bit. It's sweet smell, which gradually fades away as the toner dries up, also adds up to that sticky feeling. This bothered me at first, cause I was afraid that ants might feed on my face when I sleep. Thank god they didn't, so now I am able to sleep soundly.

Why I Love: It is cheap and natural and the effect is instant. My face looks a little bit shiny, but its not because of oil. It is like the light reflection produces a glow, specially on the cheek area. It also makes my face look cleaner and calmer. Applying it cold regularly helps in making my pores look smaller.

Why I Hate: First, it has a short shelf life so I have to make a fresh new batch every 3 days. I am not a tea-drinker so I have to give time to make one. Second, it does not control my oilies. After 3 hours of staying at home on a rainy day, I am still able to use up half of a Clean and Clear blotting film (yuck!). Lastly, it doesn't do much in lessening and preventing blackheads and whiteheads.

Ingredients: 1 cup hot distilled water, 1 Lipton green tea bag, 1 Fern-C capsule
Availability: Available in leading supermarkets and drugstores.
Price: Lipton Green Tea is P67-P70 for 10 bags.

Since I have no other toner to use, I will stick with this one until I find my HG.

The benefits of green tea are quoted from the following sites:
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/beauty/skincare/aging/articles/0,,547681_642867,00.html
http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/green-tea-skin.html

Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar (Organic) Toner and Hair Rinse

I've never used a toner in my life, not until I discovered Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), which is by the way just about a month ago. I came to know about this multi-purpose product on Girltalk and have read good reviews about it in drying up pimples and minimizing the appearance of pores, so it only took a while before I bought a bottle for myself. The recommended brand is Bragg's because it is organic and unfiltered. It contains "the mother" which are like apple deposits. So if you spot this brand and see some floating residue on top, don't be afraid, that is just normal.

Recipe for ACV Toner:
Be sure to shake the bottle to mix up "the mother".
Mix 1 part distilled/mineral water to 1 part ACV
For sensitive skin, just increase amount of water.
Green tea can replace water to alleviate its strong smell.
Recommended to be used at night followed by a moisturizer.

My Experience: I combined 3 parts water to 1 part ACV so the solution would not be harsh. The smell is still strong but not as pungent as compared to the pure one. For me, it smells like stinky feet, but the odor goes away after it dries up (about 3-5 minutes). I think I like the smell of pure ACV though coz I like vinegar. On the first night, I felt a little tightening on my face and I did not use any moisturizer afterwards. The result: the next day I saw that it lessened the redness of my pimples. I also saw an improvement on my pores. They became less visible. My skin was getting better the next 3 days. My face looked cleaner and the small red pimples were gone without a mark. Yey! However, I experienced negative effects about a week of using it. I saw more blackheads on my nose and my pores got enlarged (larger than the original). I continued using it thinking that it might be just a purging stage, and after all the ugliness would be glorious beauty. But after two days I gave up on ACV as a toner. I can't stand seeing my face on the mirror every morning with very visible pores. It is frustrating coz it was larger than its original state. The black spots on my nose were also very distressing. But I think it does well in treating pimples. But that is not my main problem so goodbye to ACV toner.

I found out that ACV can also be used in removing shampoo residue.

How I do it:
3 caps full of ACV to a dipper of water.
After shampooing and squeezing out the excess water I dip my hair in the solution.
And then I pour the rest on my head.
I do a little massaging and let it stay for about a minute or so.
And then I rinse it out and apply my regular conditioner.
Rinse after 3-5 minutes.
I do this once a week.
For a more convenient and controlled application you might also want to try putting it in a spray bottle.

My Experience: I am so glad I tried this. At first I was hesitant coz the smell of vinegar might stay on my hair. But after conditioning, the smell is all gone and what I have is silky, shiny and soft hair. No exaggeration! Better than just using plain conditioner and my hair feels so light and healthy! Two thumbs-up!

Ingredients: Certified Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is unfiltered, unheated, unpasteurized and 5% acidity. Contains the amazing Mother of Vinegar which occurs naturally as strand-like enzymes of connected protein molecules.
Packaging: Looks like a rugby bottle to me. It looks like it is bought at a hardware rather than at a supermarket. It might not fit to be put beside your other skincare products so better try transferring it into a more attractive container. But if you are not bothered by its appearance then you can store it as it is. For the toner though you must make a solution in another container.
Availability: Rustan's Supermarket and Healthy Options.
Price: P135-P150 for a 473 mL bottle. Very affordable coz it can be used for months.

I would repurchase because I was impressed with the results on my hair. I plan to do this twice a week once school starts. As for the toner I still try to do it twice a week. I guess the hope is still there.

Mistine White Spa Extra Whitening Lotion

I rarely use lotion but when I went back home from a beach trip, with an uneven skin tone due to too much sun exposure, I knew I had to slather some whitening lotion on my arms and legs. I searched the net and came across Mistine White Spa Extra Whitening Lotion. It has good reviews on Girltalk so I had to try it to see if it works.

Why I Love: It makes my skin soft and smooth. The lotion is easy to apply.
Why I Hate: First the smell. I get easily nauseous with overly scented products and this lotion is just too fragrant for me. Its floral scent is overpowering for me and it stays on for a while, which is usually a good thing for lotions, but not for me coz I just can't breathe. hehe! Second, I don't see myself using this when classes starts. I use lotion with SPF in the morning and I just can't always shower when I get home tired from school at night so I think I won't be able to use this when school starts because it has no SPF. Third, this item is so hard to find cause SM and Watson's always run out of this product

Ingredient: Main whitening ingredients are Alpha and Beta Arbutin.
Packaging: Very feminine with its pink color. The bottle is kinda tall because of its really big cap (1/3 of the whole bottle is the cap), which is very deceiving in terms of the content. It is easy to get the lotion out even if there's only a few left. All I need is a little shake and squeeze.
Availability: SM Department Stores, Watsons, Tutuban, 168, multiply, Hongkong. Recently this product is being phased out in the malls making it hard to find.
Price: I bought mine for P160 at SM cause it was on sale but its regular price is P200 for a 200mL bottle. It is also P200 online excluding shipping.

I've almost consumed the whole 200mL bottle applying the lotion on my arms and legs and I just don't see any significant changes. I don't know if I am just impatient or the product is really not working for me. Either way I won't repurchase.

Venus and Mars Lip Detox

I've always thought that my lips are hopeless. I thought that it's in its nature to be chappy and therefore ugly. I use petroleum jelly (pj) at night before I go to sleep to relieve it from chapping. PJ gives a temporary cure, cause in the morning there is peeling, revealing smoother lips. Toothbrushing it would do the trick and my lips would be all prepped up to apply lipgloss. But as I have said, PJ only gives temporary relief, cause after a few hours my lips would get dry and then would chap again and the lipgloss on my mouth would look yucky. I don't like to use PJ when I get out cause I don't want to look like I have just eaten lechon so I bring a balm instead and that is what I use. I've only used a few balms, one from nivea and the other from lipsmackers. Both disappointed me, but I never blamed it on the products cause I thought the problem was my lips. I totally lost hope and then I read about Venus and Mars Lip Detox. There were many raves about this product so I gave lip balms another chance and ordered this item online.


Why I Love: It is organic! I've been using this for about a month and it totally smoothened my lips even on just the first night of using it. Continued use and I said goodbye to chapped lips forever. hah! I have to reapply once or twice a day but that is okay cause it is not greasy. It has a minty effect on the lips, just like when you've just brushed your teeth, that would last for about 5 minutes or so. I only put lipgloss on top and I am all set. Happy! :)

Ingredients: Emu oil, Avocado Butter, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Sunflower Oil, Jojoba Wax, Peppermint, Beeswax, Vitamin E Oil
Packaging: Clean, cute and very handy.
Availability: Can be ordered online through Venusandmars08.multiply.com but there are also resellers so meet-ups can also be done.
Price: Reasonable price. It costs P170 but I paid P220 including P50 shipping. Not that pricey cause it would last for months.

Would definitely purchase this product again! My HG lipbalm :)