Holika Holika Pore Sea Stem Cover Balm

Hey guys! A few weeks after Holika Holika opened its first branch in the Philippines, I decided to check it out just to see if there was anything that I'd actually be interested in trying.

The first balm I've ever tried was Lioele's Rich Pore Balm. I thought about buying the full-sized one then realized I should probably look for a cheaper alternative since the one from Lioele is over a thousand bucks. 

This cover balm retails for 485.00 Php for a 20g tub. It's of the same consistency with the one from Lioele-- almost a pasty non-oily balm. According to the SA, this can actually improve the skin's texture and the size of pores.

The Verdict:

I actually love this balm just as I loved the one from Lioele. It's not as expensive but it works just as well. It makes the skin feel velvety smooth and it helps in oil control. This actually allows me to blot at lunch time and not right after I step into the office. It covers a lot of my small pores-- kind of like those under the eye area--but not the big ones. Application of foundation and everything else is a breeze. It can also be used as a finishing balm because of its powdery texture.

Since it's a cover balm, it can be used for target application, say around the T-zone area. But if you want to use it on your entire face, you can opt to mix it with your moisturizer. I see a lot of Korean MUAs doing this. ^^ Just get a small amount of balm and about a pump of your moisturizer and proceed with application. ^^

This balm is awesome because it's not that expensive considering the amount of product you'd need to cover your entire face. I actually just run my fingers through (which is not very hygienic) and dab the product onto my nose, forehead, and cheeks.

This is probably one product I'd bring with me all the time. It's very versatile and just what I need to help with my oiliness. The oil control only lasts for about 4 hours or so but it's awesome all the same.

Have you tried a cover balm before? Lemme know. Cheerio!

April 2013 Hit Listers

Hi guys. It's time for another round up of the stuff that have made the month of April smashing for me despite the almost-unbearable summer heat. Anyways, let me give you a heads-up that the list might be a little, well, Korean. If you're up to it, then read away. ^^

1. Lioele Secret Pore Rich Balm
-My first primer/pore filler has set the bars quite high. This one's an awesome product to check out if you're searching for something that has good oil control. Sample reviewed here.

2. Wong Fu Productions
- I first watched their mini series Away We Happened last year (mentioned here) and absolutely loved it. Since then, I've been a big fan of their short films. ^^ Check out their hilarious and inspiring shorts on their website, Wong Fu Productions. Ted, Phil, and Wes are just geniuses. You might be familiar with their short, The Last. Must-watch: Hugger, Shell, Somewhere Like This, and This is How We Never Met.

3. Lioele Fresh Sun Screen SPF 45 PA++
-A lightweight sun cream with a high SPF, and it's waterproof. The perfect weapon this summer. ^^ Sample reviewed here.

4. San San Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Brown

- This one is my sister's. I've yet to buy my own, but this one is definitely a keeper. Stays on all day with such a sharp color. Reviewed here.

 5. You're the Best Lee Soon Shin
-I've been waiting for IU to return to acting. She was sooo good in Dream High that I figured she'd be great if she had a lead role. And here we are! You're the Best Lee Soon Shin is not even halfway through yet (it's a 50-episoder show) but it looks quite promising. It's an inspiring and amusing series about Lee Soon Shin (IU) who struggles to find herself and her purpose, sort of to prove herself to her family, others, and maybe herself. Watch it and find yourself saying that people can be so mean to her.

ohkpop.com

6. Frozen Yogurt
- I don't really care what's with it, as long as it's really really cold, frozen yogurt would always be the best way to beat the summer heat.

vivonet.com

7. Etude House Drawing Eye Brow #3

-I haven't reviewed this but this retractable eyebrow pencil is an absolute must-have! Not only is it awesome for having the perfect shape of product to draw your brows, but also you don't need to sharpen it and it's refillable.

8. Lee Hi

-Don't let this 16-year-old's baby face and petite figure fool you, because like Ailee and Demi, I think Lee Hi (Lee Ha Yi) has a machine for lungs. With a voice reminiscent of Duffy, I think Lee Hi would surely make it big. She has one of the most unique voices I've ever heard. She is the runner up of the 2011 K-pop Star. If you're into K-pop, listen to her singles Rose, It's Over, and 1,2,3,4. If not, listen to her renditions of Rolling in the Deep and Mercy. ^^

goboiano.com

9. Cutepolish

-I absolutely love this YouTube channel! I'm always looking for nail art inspirations and cutepolish has the most awesome ones. Check out the channel here.

thecrypticbeauty.blogspot.com

10. Jarmaine Santiago of Jlovesmac1

-The news of her recent meet and greet in Manila led me to her channel. She is so hilarious and talented! Watching her videos never fail to make me laugh. She actually reminds me of Raven Symone. Such a talented Filipina! ^^

Check out her channel here.

What are your April favorites? Lemme know. Cheerio!

Just Sampling: Lioele Secret Pore Rich Balm

Hi again! You know what it feels like when it's so hot and humid outside that your usual life savers aka those that prevent you from looking like you're glistening like a pig are giving up on you? Well, this time of the year, no matter what I put on that used to last on me for hours now start to melt after an hour or two, and it's driving me crazy! That's why I decided to search for a primer, which is supposed to help me through.

I've been checking out this Lioele Secret Pore Rich Balm for quite sometime and when I found out that Lioele Market Market is having a 30% off sale on all items til April 30, I thought I'd grab a few samples to see if it works. I don't know if it's more of a primer or a pore filler, but I like it.

hikosencara-nz.com

A 20-ml tub costs 1, 250 pesos, and I got my samples for 100 bucks for 3 sachets. Each would last you for about a week.

The Verdict:
I love it. It's the first sort-of-primer I've ever tried and I absolutely love it, except of course the hefty price tag. But, it is a great primer/base/pore filler. The texture is reminiscent of lip balm except it doesn't have a greasy feel. A little goes a long way too. I think it's meant as a target primer, or you just put it on where you need a little help like the T-zone area. But I used it all over my face. I put on two layers on my T-zone area. It has a velvety finish which I love, and it makes foundation application a breeze.

It extends the oil-control power of everything I have on for an hour or two. These days, I usually blot an hour after I get to the office, but now, I can blot at around lunchtime and it's not even that noticeably-oily situation yet.

It's supposed to make the pores look less visible, but I really didn't see any changes in my pores but it still held up the oil in a little longer. Also, it has silica, which might cause allergies to some people.

This would definitely be a primer that I'd be willing to save for. But for now, my mission is to find a less expensive counterpart, if I find any. But if you have a few bucks to splurge, try this one.

Cheerio!

Just Sampling: Lioele Fresh Sun Screen SPF 45 PA ++

Hey guys! As promised weeks ago, here's my take on the Lioele Fresh Sun Screen SPF 45 PA++. I purchased this during Lioele's 30% off on all items sale in Market! Market!, which is until April 30.

I just wanted to check out a new sun screen and since Lioele was selling samples, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try it.

mylioele.com

Here's how the real thing looks like, well, the regular sized one. A tube costs 990 for 80 ml. I bought mine for 100 bucks for 3 tubes.

The Verdict: 
The first thing I liked about this sunscreen is that it feels light on the skin. Most sun screens with high SPF tend to feel heavy, at least in my experience. So I like that it doesn't feel too thick but it has SPF 45. It smells good too, kinda powdery. I like the sample itself too because it's easier to carry and it has quite a lot of product. I haven't finished my first tube, and I've been using it for about 3 weeks.

It has a bit of a dewy finish. That part I didn't quite like, but nothing a good powder can't fix. I like sun screens with a powder finish better, but if you're into the dewy finish, this one is good. Price of the regular sized one is a little steep though. But if you want, you might want to sample it first.

All in all, this one's an awesome sun screen. According to the Lioele website, it's waterproof too and infused with green tea and other extracts. Given that I never experienced sunburn during the time I'm wearing this, and I'm very prone to sunburn, I'd say it's true. ^^

Be sure to grab a tube of this during Lioele's sale in Market Market til April 30. Cheerio!

Look What I Bought: Korean Samples

Hi. Just a quick post here to show you a couple of samples I got this weekend. I haven't been posting my reviews on samples mainly because I haven't had the chance to test new ones. ^^

Lioele is one of the Korean brands I've always wanted to try so when I saw on their Facebook page that their branch in Market Market is having a 30% off sale on all items, I took that chance to grab a few samples.

The samples from Nature Republic goodies are freebies from my purchase a few hours ago. I bought my mom her new hair color set for her birthday. ^^

Green Tea Emulsion and Moist Steam Cream samples from Nature Republic. Can't wait to try Green Tea Emulsion after I finish my third tub of their cool Aloe gel. ^^

These are the samples I bought from Lioele. Since it's a new brand, I wanted to test out first a few of their product. I bought three tubes of their sunscreen (3 for 100 pesos; originally retails for 50 each) and their Pore Rich Balm, which is basically a primer, also for 3 for 100.

I'll get back to you once I test out these babies. ^^ Cheerio!