and honestly, my acne-prone face has been cleared of acne and it has never looked better!!!

So I started to go about my days with only 2-steps to my skincare routine aside from the REALLY long one I had before -> Cleanse + Moisturize/SPF

After that I got really pissed at myself for being a “capitalist slave” (lol) and always succumbing to the claims of companies that WHEN YOU USE THIS PRODUCT, 99% OF ACNE GO AWAY! or that NO MORE WRINKLES AFTER 7 DAYS! … I just thought “well, if that was true, everyone should have clear skin by now. and no one would be aging…lol”

Honestly, I feel like the only ingredients that work for anti-acne skincare are Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid and Retinol. that’s it. And those usually come very affordable without the insignificant ingredients in harsh toners or serums.

Here are the 2 things you will need to remember when dealing with oily skin…

1.) Foam Cleansers work wonders! These formulas are perfect as they don’t leave any form of oily residue most oil-based/cream-based cleansers do. I’ve found that most of them are also very gentle to sensitive skin. I’m very partial to these 3 brands, so if you can get yourself one of these, you’d be happy as I am! :D

The only downside I could see to this is that it may not work 100% when removing makeup so get a gentle makeup remover for the evening. (your regular baby oil or olive oil would be good enough!)

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2.) Your sunblock is moisturizing enough to be used by itself in the morning. No need to use a separate moisturizer beforehand! Sunblock lotions are very emollient. In fact, my old dermatologist recommended that instead of using a regular moisturizer, I use sunblock instead for my dry patchy face from when I came from abroad.

If you pile on too much moisture on your face, it causes the skin to break out because of all the product going into the pores!

So use your regular moisturizer at night for when there’s no sun. :D

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3.) The more products you use, the more your pores get clogged. And when the pores get clogged, that’s when you develop acne (pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, etc)

Companies will always insist that we use their complete 3-step or 4-step regimen, that we should buy the cleanser, toner, serum, eye cream and moisturizers. Nope, we shouldn’t listen to this anymore. Not only does it cost a ton of money, it also weighs down our face and rids it of the natural oils which are supposed to protect it in the first place.

If you’re getting acne, my number one suggestion would be to GO TO THE DERMATOLOGIST! Acne is not always superficial (i.e. it’s not always because of a dirty face or because of too much oils) Sometimes it’s hormonal. Sometimes it’s bacterial. Sometimes the acne has gone too deep into the skin that you need stronger prescription medicines to fight it off (like Retin-A).

Self-medicating and buying all these creams and toners would most likely not do anything or even make the acne worse! And in the long run, we might just waste all these products and we would have lost more money than we would have spent on the dermatologist. Soo…. Let’s leave it to the experts :D

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Bottom line: Keep it simple! Stick to the basic rules of cleansing and moisturizing, and after some days of regular use, you’ll see the difference it makes. (and how you’ll get out of the bathroom a lot faster too! lol!)

Any more skin care tips of oily skinned girls like us? Best products? Worst products? Comment below!

PS Like “Hello Beauty” on Facebook! And Follow me on twitter if you want! I have instagram too! @DionneCo

I gave away my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette just because I wasn’t using it anymore thanks to this! It’s THAT good!

Still a bit unsure on whether to get this or not? Here are some swatches and the full review…

I got the Feeling Naughty packaging of theBalm Nude Tude Palette (there’s also a Feeling Nice one which looked very plain and a bit boring for me. teehehee) I’ve been using this palette for about 3 weeks now and it gives a GREAT color payoff just with the first swatch. The quality of the eyeshadows are extremely soft too – almost buttery in texture when you slide your fingers through it. It doesn’t have that chalky look that some eyeshadows have.

It does come with a double-ended brush which was pretty bad. Low quality and the handle was uncomfortable to use so I just gave it away to my sister (who accepts everything hehe)

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Sassy is a bold, pearly white. It’s one of the most pigmented colors in the palette. A bit too bold to be used as a base color for the daytime, but it looks awesome when you’re doing a stronger eye makeup.

Stubbornis a shimmery light ballet-pink color with some traces of peach in it.

Selfishis a warm shimmery gray color with some hints of brown.

Sophisticated looks like a deep burgundy color with a lot of glitter in the pan, but when swatched, it’s more of a shimmery auburn color with some gray undertones.

Sexyis a very dark red with some hints of burgundy. It goes on matte and despite the strong color, it’s very wearable. This is one of my favorites from the palette as I’ve never really seen any color quite like it!

Serious is your typical matte black color.

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Snobby is a pale yellow-golden color which has some bit of shimmer in it. It’s the least pigmented of the bunch and it’s also the most “skin tone looking” so I’m assuming this was made to be the base color.

Stand-offish is a glittery beige-pink that isn’t too over the top with the glitters that you can’t wear it during the day time.

Sultry is a matte taupe. This is one of my favorites! It’s a perfect color for that cliche “no-makeup makeup” look that we all like doing sometimes, lol! I use it to contour my crease, for deep set looking eyes O_O

Schitzo is a shimmery bronze color.

Silly is a glittery dark brown. Surprisingly, it’s also not that pigmented compared to the other colors…

Sleek is a very dark brown which goes on matte.

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A lot of people have compared this one to the Urban Decay Naked 2. First, the Naked2 costs about Php. 3,500.00 here in Manila (I don’t know why because it should only cost around Php. 2,100 or $50.00). I bought the Nude Tude Palette at CareFreeShopper for about Php. 2,500.00-Php 2,700.00. (I think it’s no longer On Hand in her shop but you can always preorder it along with her regular Sephora pre-orders!)

Why you’ll like it

• Great color payoff and pigmentation
• Wearable shades for both daytime and nighttime
• The packaging is very sturdy (I’ve dropped it a lot of times already and it’s still in tiptop shape!)
• Warm skinned girls will LOVE this!
• Value for money: Around Php. 225.00 – Php. 240.00 per eyeshadow color which is a GREAT DEAL! (Think of all those MAC Eyeshadows that cost Php. 1,000.00 each!)

• The brush that comes with it is almost useless
• The colors best suit warm skin tones so if you’re cool toned, I’d say Urban Decay Naked 2 would suit you more!
• The Php. 2,700.00 price by itself is pretty intimidating if you don’t really consider what each shadow color is worth

Here’s a look I made with theBalm Nude Tude Palette

on the left eye, I used Sassy as the base, Sultry for the midtone and Sexy for the outer-V of the eye. On the right eye, I didn’t use Sexy yet and left it with the midtone Sultry :D

Ingredients:

Let me just share with you one of the products they gave out: The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Moisturizer with SPF 30 PA++ !!!

If you’ve got OILY/COMBINATION SKIN like me, read on! This will be the best ever moisturizer for you!

Honestly this made me stop using my old Clarins moisturizers haha! Take a look why..

I love gel moisturizers because I have oily skin. And it’s pretty common knowledge that gel products (cleansers/moisturizers) are best for oily skin because they provide enough moisturization without the over-stickiness cream products have.

With the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Moisturizer, it promises adequate moisturization all the while promising a NO-STICKY feeling. And it does what it says!

Another thing that I love about this moisturizer is how it doesn’t have that “moist/wet” feeling as if you still need to wait for your moisturizer to “sink into” your skin! (Have you had experience with a moisturizer that you had to fan your face so it would absorb faster?)

Once you apply it on your face, your skin absorbs it FAST leaving almost zero waiting time for your moisturizer to set in.

The packaging is pretty sleek and hygienic. It comes with a pump dispenser so you can get the right amount without overusing the product

1/2 pump dispenses this amount of product. It goes on a nice blue color…

… but turns transparent when you spread it out :D

Have I mentioned the BEST part?

It comes with SPF 30 PA ++!!! It’s a great moisturizer AND sunblock in one!

Anything that could make your morning routine faster (and give you a few more minutes of sleep..) should be worth taking a look at! :D

Something worth noting as well is that this product was made in Korea. And we all know how Koreans are extra meticulous about their skin care routine! We can easily trust this one! :D

I swear by Neutrogena as it’s always has been my go-to brand for my acne and for when I need the gentlest skin care products that would NEVER break me out :)

In a nutshell: The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Moisturizer with SPF 30 PA++ promises to keep your skin hydrated the whole day all the while protecting it from the harmful rays of the sun. It’s one of the best products I’ve ever used on my skin. It’s also a great plus that it speeds up my morning routine by a lot of time!

Will you be getting your own bottle?

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Anyway! I’ve been meaning to make a post on contouring products as I’ve acquired a bit of a bloat on my face/chin hehehe so yes I’ve been face sculpting a lot lately! (New to face sculpting? Read this first!)

This is going to be a quick list of my favorite contouring products!

the detailed list, from top to bottom, left to right

1.) Sleek Makeup Face Contour Kit (in Light) 

2.)Etude House Face Color Corset (in #06 Sexy Shading Fit) – At around 290 pesos, this has the best value for money! Although it goes on sheer and won’t probably contour well for those with darker skin tones. This would look very natural on light-medium skinned girls :)

3.) Canmake Nose Shading Powder – oooh I do hope we start having Canmake here in the Philippines! Japanese brands are my favorite! ^_^ I got this from my Korea trip and it’s probably the most natural “nose” shadow I’ve ever used!

4.) theBalm Bahama Mama – OMG! THIS IS THE BEST CONTOURING POWDER I’VE EVER USED! It’s matte and isn’t reddish at all! Has the most natural finish! It’s easy to apply too! theBalm is one of the best makeup brands ever! They rarely have bad products!

5.) Benefit Hoola – I think this is better for girls with darker skin :) It looks a little muddy on lighter skin! Good thing is that it goes on matte without a red tone (like theBalm’s Bahama Mama!)

SPECIAL MENTION:

Make Up For Ever Sculpting Kit

This was the first contour kit I used back in high school. This is a definite MUST BUY when it comes to PERFECT face sculpting! When I’ve run out of my theBalm Bahama Mama, I’ll probably go back to this. :D

What’s your favorite bronzer/contour kit for slimming down your face/nose? :) Share it with me. I’m always on the lookout for the best contour kits!

p.s. Please like Hello Beauty on Facebook! :)

I was looking for the perfect moisturizer that could also act as an anti-acne product. I couldn’t find anything locally so I decided to check on Amazon.com (the trustiest online shop in the world!)

True enough, Neutrogena USA has a new anti-acne line called Acne Stress Control. All of the products have 2% Salicylic Acid on it so it saves a lot of time for spot-treating your acne one by one!

The Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Moisturizer promises 3 things:

1.) Treats acne EVEN BEFORE it emerges

2.) Hydrates and softens skin

3.) Reduces redness

It also has MicroClear technology which is “an exclusive technology that is clinically proven to boost the delivery of acne medicine to help unclog congested pores. With powerful dissolving agents, MicroClear breaks though oil and dirt and helps clear the way for acne medicine to get to the source of your breakouts, even before they appear.”

Pros:

• Lightweight, non-greasy
• Oil-free
• Keeps me acne-free like it promises
• Fragrance-free
• Non-drying even with salicylic acid

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Since this isn’t available locally and I’m set out to buy a bunch of stocks for myself, you can send me an email if you want and I can add some more stocks for you! :)

(The base fee for this is around $10.00 – around Php. 420.00 (Base price of $6.00 + shipping fee to US house of $4.00)! I’ll have to compute the shipping/handling fee to Manila added to that :) 

I wish Neutrogena would bring this Acne Stress Control line locally! It’s amaaazing! :D I’ve only had one or two pimples since I started using this (and it was just the hormonal PMS pimple which went away fast!)

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For this post, I’m only going over the basic makeup tools we need for PERSONAL use! A professional brush set would require maybe more than 20 different brushes, and 2 sets of those (that’s over 40 brushes!) but maybe I can make a post on that next time if the need arises. :D For the basics, I’ve found that I only ever need 9.

I’ll also be answering questions about brush sets and which are the best etc etc! :D

Here are the 9 tools you need in detail:

1.) Powder Brush

Laura Mercier Powder Brush

Powders are very basic to every girl’s makeup kit. I find that using a powder puff (which comes with most powders) deliver a heavier coverage than when using a powder brush.

I use this for loose powders and powder foundation for an even and sheer finish.

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2.) Blush Brush

Charm Pro Blush Brush

I don’t use blush-ons that often, if not at all (since I have naturally red face and when I put on blush, it looks like I’m sweating! Not just cheeks yung red, FACE talaga! LOL!) But I know that almost all girls use powder blushes on their cheeks :)

I use my blush brush for highlighting the high points of my face instead of using a blusher.

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3.) Angled Blush Brush

Laura Mercier Angled Contour Brush

This is something I could never do without! :D For contouring the cheekbones and the jawline, an angled blush brush is essential. I’ve used this in my How to Look Slimmer post and even the older ones. I’ve had this brush for quite some time now and if the time comes that all the hairs fall out, I’ll definitely buy another one!

For contouring the cheekbones, jawline and adding warmth to the entire face with a matte bronzer.

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4.) Blending Brush / Fluffy Brush

from Kryolan, Blending Brush

If you ask me what eye brush I can’t live without, I would say the blending brush! I find this crucial especially when doing a smokey eye!

I need 5 of these!!!

For applying colors on the lid or crease. For feathering out harsh eyeshadow lines. For blending colors seamlessly! :D

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5.) Angled Eyeshadow Brush

Lancome Angled Eyeshadow Brush

If you need a finer application on the crease. This is perfect for when you’re using medium-dark/dark accent eyeshadow colors!

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6.) Eyeliner Brush

MAC 208 Brush

For your basic eyeliner brush, it’s very important to buy something with hard hairs (not the fluffy, feathery ones with hairs that easily stray).

You’d want to get a MAC 208 for your eyeliner brush since the hairs don’t stray so when you use it, it won’t accidentally poke your eye with the stray hairs! ouch! This brush is actually an Eyebrow brush but I find it’s better suited for gel eyeliners.

I use this mainly for tightlining the upper lash line, and lining the waterline.

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7.) Medium Eyeshadow Brush

Japonesque Medium Eyeshadow Brush

The most basic eyeshadow brush of them all is versatile. Depending on the quality and the hairs, you can use this as an all-over brush for your lid, or you can control the application for your accent colors on the crease.

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8.) Eyelash Curler

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

EVERYONE NEEDS THIS! But a tip for singkit/chinita/monolid eyes, you’ll find that the Shiseido eyelash curler is better suited to your eye shape! :D

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9.) Beauty Blender

Beauty Blender

The Beauty Blender is a relatively new makeup tool. This is my substitute for a stippling brush / foundation brush! I’ve found that Beauty Blenders are easier to handle (bouncing a sponge egg off of your face… it’s not that hard! lol!), they’re much faster to use, and it’s always fun to use them! :)

I might make a separate post exclusively for the Beauty Blender because I think everyone should switch to these sponge eggs for foundation application! They give the BEST coverage with a flawless AIRBRUSHED finish too! :)

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Q: What’s the best makeup brush set?

Some of my brushes that I use on makeup shoots :)

A: If you’re on a budget and you just want to buy the whole set, I’d say it would be the Charm Vegan Essentials Brush Set :) It’s the pink one! But if you’ve got money to spare, the Sigma Mr. Bunny Essentials brush set is the BEST. You can get it at Stuff in Style!

But personally I don’t like buying sets! The brush quality in brush sets are usually inconsistent – some are really good and some have the poorest quality! I’d suggest selecting brushes one by one and just building your own set.

(Check at Charm, Suesh, Elf Studio and Etude House for the best budget picks. My favorite department store brushes come from MAC and Laura Mercier. For medium-range priced brushes, you can check out Sigma and the Body Shop brushes)

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If you’ve got any more questions about brushes, please leave a message in the comments section! :)

Also, I’ve updated the blog sale page! I’m selling an Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette, some skin care stuff from my trip to Korea, Shu Uemura foundations, BB Creams and maany more at more than 50% off! :) check it out!

p.s. please Like Hello Beauty on Facebook!

follow me on twitter!

Raise your hand if acne scars have been a problem for you! *raises hand* I’ve come to realize that acne scars have been the most stubborn facial impurities I’ve come across. Even worse than acne itself because scars take ten times as long to fade away (even with expensive treatments like Diamond Peel or Microdermabrasion)

I made a post on how to DIY a natural anti-acne scar serum before! And let me tell you it works even better when you apply Hiruscar after it :)

It promises to zap acne scars, keloid scars, even surgical scars throughout a specific time span. Take a look, and read more to know how you can win one of the 5 gift packs I’m giving away!

Be one of the 5 winners!

The gift pack comes with an info leaflet:

Why should you choose Hiruscar? Here’s why:

Hiruscar isn’t only limited for the elimination of acne scars. You can also use it for surgery scars, accident scars, and even burns! The leaflet tells you how long you should be using it and how you should use it for maximum results. :)

It comes out as a clear, transparent gel! :D I have sensitive skin and this does NOT irritate me at all!

GIVEAWAY MECHANICS:

Prizes:

5 lucky winners will receive one tube of Hiruscar …

plus a sky-blue colored cosmetic pouch! It’s big enough to contain your makeup essentials, but small enough to fit inside your bag. :D

How to join and win:

1.) Follow me on twitter
2.) Like Hello Beauty on Facebook
3.) Like Hiruscar Philippines on Facebook
4.) Share this blog post on your Wall and type in: “I’m saying goodbye to my permanent scars! @Hello Beauty is giving away 5 tubes of @Hiruscar Philippines ! Join the giveaway now!”
5.) Tweet “Want to get rid of facial scars and other permanent marks? Join @dionneco Hiruscar giveaway on #HelloBeauty! http://www.hellobeauty.ph”
6.) Comment below! Complete the statement: I have a scar because of _______(acne? an accident? surgery?). I want to use Hiruscar to get rid of it for good because ______.”

Goodluck! Contest ends on July 4, 2012! :D

Thanks to Tiff Uy of Media Magnet and to Hiruscar Philippines for being generous with their giveaways :)

I was looking for a sunblock one day and I came across Shiseido. Not a stranger to the brand’s sunblock lotions, I assumed that just because it’s Shiseido it should be good. Nope! How wrong I was…! /facepalm

This is just the worst sunblock I’ve ever come across! It leaves a blue-white cast THAT DOESN’T GO AWAY! It broke me out too! And another thing why it just annoys me is because it set me back Php. 2,500.00 :( what a waste of good money :( Well now I just use it for my body and not for my face. le sigh!

What are your horror stories with regards to a beauty product? What’s the absolute worst product you have ever bought? Comment below! :D

Anyway I’m back with a new review! And I’m sure you guys will LOVE this!!

Yesterday I went over to Shang to have dinner and scout a few cosmetics (cause I’m trying to build a professional makeup collection – trying! lol!) and anyway, I took a stop at Beauty Bar and it’s always an instinct for me to circle the entire store for all the brands even if I had no plans of getting anything there lol!

Prestige has been one of my favorite brands for their pencil products! For the price we pay for their products, we sure get something really worthwhile from it!

Today I’ll be reviewing the Prestige Browliner. It’s their version of the eyebrow pencil! Take a look and see why I love it so much! I’ll also be comparing it with my favorite Shu Uemura Hard Brow Pencil in Walnut so you need to check this out! :D

It looks like other Prestige pencils from the very first glance, with their signature silver/gray packaging. Although what makes this different is that it comes with a brow brush stuck on the pencil’s cap. I find this very useful! :D

This is how it looks. Following the rule of always having lighter brows than your hair (if you’re a brunette), I got the shade “Blond”.

Here’s the roadtest!

Here are my unruly brows (yes I am due for a session at Browhaus, teehee!) and on the left eyebrow, I’ll be applying the Prestige Browliner in Blond. And the right eyebrow I’ll be filling in using the Shu Uemura Hard Brow pencil in Walnut.

… ta-da!

I just love how soft the Prestige Browliner is. It kind of has the same texture as the Shu Uemura brow pencil – in the same way that the pencil’s so soft, you can never have overdone brows. :)

For the low price of Php. 275.00, the Prestige Browliner definitely beats the Shu Uemura Hard Brow Pencil (Php. 1,400.00).

Prestige | Shu Uemura

The Verdict:

Pros: very affordable at Php. 275.00, easy to use, has the quality of a high-end eyebrow pencil

Cons: I don’t see any :P

Repurchase: Yes

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I would recommend everyone to buy one of these pencils! I think it also comes in other shades if you’re the type of person who like really strong, edgy brows :)

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I’m giving away 5 pairs of tickets to Bloggers United 3! Have you joined yet? :D

Ta-da! I did the makeup for Alisa Sazonova, one of the top models from Elite Models. This was for a workshop by Xander Angeles and Niko Villegas. :D Thanks Xander for all the wonderful opportunities!!!

The outfit is actually by Leeroy New! He did Lady Gaga’s outfit in Marry the Night :) The stylist Ashley Cayuca was able to pull out some of his clothes! Cool!

I also did Daiana Menezes’ makeup for one of our shoots last Friday. Also at Edge of Light…

maybe the nicest celebrity here in manila :D

The awesome styling is by Daryl Shannon of Red Lollipop Lingerie! Visit her blog at http://www.femmefatalesinthemaking.tumblr.com

here's another layout! will post all the pics once xander is done post-processing :D

yay!! feels really good to be doing something you love with people who are equally as passionate.. :)

Remember to Like Hello Beauty on Facebook! Follow me on twitter too! :D thank you guys!