Glow by Lady E

Every now and then, you come across a product that everyone seems to be raving about. You see it in influencer routines, flatlays, TikTok “holy grail” lists, and even inside glossy skincare mini-fridges. That’s how I first found this essence. It was everywhere.  I'm talking about the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. And because rosacea, MCAS, and a face that flares faster than a matchstick leave me with super dry skin, I was cautious, but curious. So I didn’t go for the full-sized bottle right away. I got a travel-sized version. And here’s the thing: I loved it. It was calming. It didn’t sting. No redness, no flare-ups. The rashes on my face actually diminished for a while, and my face felt smooth and hydrated.  I finished that little bottle. Emptied it completely.  And with a hopeful heart, I upgraded to the big one. 🚨 Then Everything Changed I wish I could say the full-sized bottle worked just as beautifully. But it didn’t. A few days in, I noticed itching ...

  For years, I couldn’t wear makeup. Not because I didn’t want to—but because I physically couldn’t. I went from chronic idiopathic urticaria to painful, huge cystic acne, and now I’m managing rosacea, MCAS, and histamine sensitivity. All side effects of years of medication from a wrong diagnosis. My skin became a battleground. It flared at everything—stress, heat, products, even food. So I stopped. I stopped wearing makeup. I stopped showing up on camera. And, in many ways, I stopped showing up for myself. I showed up for my son, my family, for other people. But forgot about myself. Why I Stopped Caring About Beauty (And Why That Wasn't Me) I used to know every new release. I used to swatch lipsticks in-store like it was a sacred ritual. But when your face burns at the mere touch of a product, beauty becomes the enemy. At first my reason was I was a new mom and my son came first...in everything. So, I started alloting all my time, all my money, energy, resources to this tiny human...

Fast Facts: 🌿 Key Ingredient: Honey extract — moisturizing and calming 👃🏻 Scent: Mild and pleasant. Not overpowering. Let's talk about my favorite mask in my current stash - Molang X The Face Shop.  I normally use masks in the morning, but this time I thought of using it after removing makeup.  I don't reapply moisturizer after I remove makeup so I thought I'd use this moisturize my face.  I wore this for 15 minutes and my skin felt hydrated and calm after. I rinsed some of the product off with water, but I made sure to still leave a little on my face to continue hydrating. I don't leave all the product on because my skin might react, plus I don't like the heavy feeling.  I skipped my facial wash that night and just let the shower water run over my face. The next day, the rosacea flare was significantly reduced and almost no redness!  ❤️ Rosacea Note: I have papulopustular rosacea and this calmed my skin impressively. BUT — always patch test first, especially...

This is part of my Baguio 2025 series.  When I pack for Baguio, I don’t just bring sweaters —I bring sheet masks. A girl’s gotta stay glowing while braving fog and market runs, right? After a long day of exploring Baguio's markets and museums, I always carve out a little me-time to wind down. No fancy spa needed — just a comfy bed, clean skin, and a beauty mask I packed for the trip. For this trip, I brought two: one was the Pearl Essence Mask Sheet by Esfolio. I got it randomly from either Watsons or Shopwise (yes, Shopwise has surprisingly good skincare finds!). It promised a lot: pearl extract, green tea, ginseng, and even portulaca extract—fancy names, but would it soothe my MCAS-prone, rosacea-reactive skin?  I also picked it because the mermaid design was too cute to resist, and I thought the pearl essence might calm my redness from the heat and altitude. 🌬️ Wind-down Ritual: After a long day of walking and exploring, I washed my face, skipped the toner (my skin is alre...

  T his is a part of my Baguio 2025 Series.  Whenever we're in Baguio, I always drop by SM. I know we have tons of SM here in Manila, but there's something magical about SM Baguio for me. I always find the perfect-fitting clothes or discover new HG skincare, etc. This trip wasn't an exception. I visited The Face Shop just to look around, but found the White Seed Facial Wash! It's always out of stock in Manila. I grabbed both tubes, of course! The attendant said that's their last two! I told her that it's so hard to find it in Manila. Aside from that, I also found this Pamplemousse (Grapefruit) Lotion. My son and I have been using the Avocado version of this line, and we are very happy with it. (Review coming soon!) Let me tell you a little something about TFS' White Seed Exfoliating Cleansing Foam and why it has a cult following, from the perspective of someone who has very sensitive and rosacea/MCAS/histamine flare-prone skin. Texture It has the perfect tex...