Review: Snoe Emutox

As I was running out of my L'Oreal Hydrafresh Mattifying Gel, I knew I had to find another moisturizer to replace it. I've had my share of good times with it, but since I was at the office a lot more and was inside an air-conditioned environment, I found that my skin became dry, especially since I have combination skin. I got dry patches (even to the point of flaking, unfortunately) and oilier in my nose area.

It's a known fact that the more dehydrated our skin gets, the harder it compensates by producing more sebum. You might think that just because it's not humid, your skin will stay matte, well think again. Quite frankly, my previous moisturizer, didn't do much justice for my skin anymore. Hence, my quest for the next best skin-thirst-quencher.

 I found just that and more in Snoe EmuTox. It's more than just a moisturizer, it also works as:

 Anti-wrinkle

Anti-oxidant

Hypoallergenic

Anti-inflammatory

Damage Repair

Skin Regenerator

Skin Repair

Skin Protection

Moisturizing

Non-comedogenic

Whitening

Anti-bacterial

Pain management

100% Beautiful Skin

According to Snoe:

Pushing innovation to its limit, Snoe Emutox’ cutting edge serum fortified with Emu Oil and Acai Berry gives your skin a youthful lift making you look and feel instantly younger. Acai Berry’s potent anti-aging properties defend against the accumulation of pre-mature wrinkles while the Emu Oil’s amazing rejuvenating and moisturizing effects hastens its smoothening effect. Can be used as a primer before you apply your SPF lotion under your make up.

How to Use:

Gently apply the cream by placing a pea-sized amount on the tips of your fingers and spread evenly on your face in an upward and outward motion.

* It's not so much of a cream, it's really more of a gel. Just to show you a swatch:

One pea-sized amount is enough. :)

When blended lightly.

When fully blended into and absorbed by the skin

Warnings:

For external use only. Discontinue use if signs of irritation occur. If eye contact occurs, wash with water immediately. Do not swallow product. Keep out of reach of children

Active Ingridients:

Deionize Water, Carbopol, Propylene Glycol, Acai, Phenoxyethanol, Penetyleneglycol, PEG 40, Triceth-9, Emu Oil, Lycopene, Bengkoang, Vit.b3(niacinamide), Hyaluronic Acid, Arbutin, Retinylpalmitate, Tocopherol (vit.e), Vit C

It may sound a little intimidating because of the Botox Serum on the label, but it also has emu oil and acai essence. I know what you're thinking. Botox?! I'm 21 years old, what can I possibly want botox for?! It's not that bad, really. Plus, it really helps bring out the best in my skin every time I apply it. Lately, my skin has been anything but stellar, perhaps due to stress, lack of sleep, and overall fluctuations, no thanks to my erratic hormones. So yeah. Want my take on it? Here you go:

What I like about it:
- It helped improve the clarity of my skin. I've been battling with small bumps, occasional breakouts, and uneven skin tone for a while.
- It works well with itchy bumps and rashes.
- Dries almost instantly, I don't have to wait a few minutes for it to be absorbed by my skin.
- Light-wearing, not too heavy.
- Removed premature fine lines in my undereye area
- I noticed that my dark undereye circles lightened. Before, I used tons of concealer to cover them. Now, I'm good with just a light swipe of concealer. Hopefully, with continued use, I can step right out without makeup (every girl's dream).
- There's so much product in one bottle! Talk about sulit! One bottle costs Php 449 in all Snoe outlets.
- Helps keep my skin firm yet supple (perhaps thanks to the Botox Serum ingredient?)
- The packaging is really cute! Snoe never fails to tickle my fancy!
- The pump dispenser makes for a more hygienic use of the product. 
- The bottle is made of a really sturdy glass material. It can definitely withstand wear and tear in my luggage. ;)

What I dislike about it:
- The scent - it smells weird. 

Overall, I give this elixir of sorts a thumbs up! Drop by any Snoe outlet (they have plenty) or check out their website for more info on this product and so much more: Snoe Beauty

All That MATTE-ters

In this hot and humid weather, it's hard to stay matte and oil-free. There seems to be no escaping the curse of the oil! If you're like me who barely has the time to touch-up, especially when I'm on-the-go, you then ask yourself, how can I maintain looking fresh for the longest time possible? Easy. Just carry a small book of powdered blotting paper like this one I found called Lehcaresor Papier Poudre.

I used to carry a pack of oil-blotting paper but I always lose it or place it elsewhere. Eventually, I got tired of lugging a kawaii-designed pack. Unfortunately, I had to retouch every so often to get rid of the sheen on my face. :( I'm type of girl kasi who wants to do her makeup one time and let it be for the rest of the day. Not a big fan of regular touch-ups. Even if I use clarifying or oil-reducing products on my face prior to my makeup (and even oily skin-friendly makeup), I still can't just tell my face to shut its pores and oil glands up! 

My problem area is my T-zone or my forehead and my nose, because I have combination skin. I now know how important blotting paper is for harabas girls like myself. ;)

This small packet of joy was spotted in the supermarket - of all places! I got it from Makati Supermart in Alabang. I also saw a similar one in PCX. Mom got one too.

I actually remembered this because when I was a kid, my mom always carried a pack in her kikay kit. I'm glad it's still around!

What I like about it:

• The price, duh. Mine's Php 76.95 while the one my Mom got was Php 73. Not bad, really. You get a booklet of about 100 sheets.
• It gets rid of the shine, pronto!
• Doesn't leave behind icky powdery evidence.
• Doesn't clog my pores.
• Slight powdery scent. I like that.
• Takes less than 10 seconds to pull, pat, and pretty up!
• Fits in my kikay kit or any other compartment in my purse/bag. Very compact.
• Ideal to use in formal parties and events (where you tend to bring a small purse or clutch) so you won't have to bring with you your entire powder pact and brush. 

What I dislike about it:

• The availability. So far I've only seen it in Alabang Town Center. If you know where else this is in store, please feel free to comment below. :)

This is originally from Great Britain.
The Victorian lady must give it away! ;)

The instructions on how to use.
Oh, rip off a page!

Small but terrible!

The face of every page. Looks like handmade paper.

The back of every page is where the blotting power is!
It's powdered. It will automatically match your powder shade so you
won't have a white spot on your oily areas.

The price.

 How it works:

BEFORE

Warning: Oily face up ahead!

 USING IT

Warning: Dork face up ahead!

1. Pull out a sheet from the booklet.

2. Pat your oily and yucky worries away!

2.5 Make sure all bases are covered.

AFTER

No more oil, yay!

AFTER THE AFTER PHOTO...

THE CATASTROPHE!!!

I know it's gross, sorry. But I had to post this for emphasis. :)

I say it's a must-have! I'm loving it so far!

Love,
SGT <3

Human Nature Series: Organic Aloe-Guava Facial Wash

Hello, girls! Sorry for taking a two-day hiatus. Had to take care of a few things... but now I'm back! So, shall we continue with our Human Nature series of reviews, yeah?

Today's flavor: aloe and guava... in a facial cleanser, that is. It doesn't matter if you're a hardcore follower of a beauty regimen day in and day out or if you're just looking for the next product to use since you're running low on your chemical-laden, commercial tube of facial wash, then you might want to check this baby out.

As it says on the label, it's organic. Human Nature prides their company on three things: being pro-Philippines, pro-poor, and pro-environment. Using locally-grown organic ingredients (from poor farming communities) is their main advocacy. As a result, their products come at a lower price and you're sure to get all-natural beauty staples.

A 100mL bottle is priced at Php 149.75 (around $4)

Did I mention it has a yummy scent to boot?  It smells so good, you're gonna want to eat it! But please don't. ;)

So this Organic Aloe Vera and Guava Facial Wash can do two things, as you can see in the label. First, it can soften and moisturize your skin, then it can also firm up and tighten your skin. It says that it's also best for oily and acne-prone skin. I actually have combination skin, but this works wonderfully on my oily T-zone area (which is my nose line and my forehead).

The instruction indicates that only a button-sized amount of the product should be used but I use an extra squeeze because just a dot doesn't exactly do much for my face. It has no chemicals which probably explains why it doesn't give much lather (or bubbles) than commercial-brand washes. So yeah, I would recommend that you use a bit more product than instructed, to your discretion, of course.

After use, you will feel a little tightening and firming, but that's your pores closing up. What's even better is that even though this effect is taking place, it doesn't leave your skin dry as a desert. You may want to supplement moisturizer after (as with every cleanser) of course. Subsequently, it will give you an even better canvas for when you put on makeup. If you have oily skin, your pores will spit out less sebum than usual with this wash. On the other hand, I would not recommend this to those who have dry skin. Your pores are rigid as it is, you might want to use more moisturizing washes. Human Nature has them too.

I also noticed that I don't break out as much once I started using this facial wash. (Perhaps my tea tree oil concealer and PanOxyl help too, but more on those later.)

The packaging may look small but I think there's a lot of product in it than you would expect. With its gel formulation, it can take some getting used to, especially to the lack of lather. Plus, it can get a little difficult to squeeze it out onto your palms. Just be patient. Haha. You may also want to consume the entire container within 6 months due to its lack of preservatives (I can hear your face sing hallelujah already!).

If you're looking for a healthier alternative to expensive facial cleansers, this one's a pretty good substitute. It's safe for daily use, again, don't forget to use moisturizer, even at night, and let your skin breathe.

What's your favorite facial wash/cleanser? :)

Love,

SGT <3