Glow by Lady E

  I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that I'm going through something. It just so happened that this trip is a blessing as it will help me think about what's going on and will help me see things from a new perspective. 

  There’s something sacred about your bathroom. It’s where you unwind, remove the day, and care for the parts of you no one else sees. But when you travel — whether for work, a conference, or to visit family — you're suddenly sharing someone else's space. And even if the hotel is luxurious, there's nothing like your own tiny rituals that make you feel whole again. Are you one of those ladies who need to frequently travel for work?So, you know how hotel bathrooms can be hit or miss, right?  Whether you’re staying somewhere swanky or just okay, nothing beats the feeling of your own bathroom. My Favorite Skincare Duo We don't travel as often as we used to but whenever we do, I always bring this little duo with me — The Face Shop Avocado Body Wash and Lotion. These are the travel sizes (50ml!), but they also come in full sizes if you fall in love. The Deets The scent? Fruity floral, gentle, not overpowering. Is the lotion effective for my super dry skin? A little, if I appl...

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...

  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...

Back in 2015, I shared How I Packed My Baguio Vanity Kit — and looking back, I realize how timeless some of those essentials were. This year, I returned to the cool Baguio breeze with a curated kit of products that do it all: hydrate, enhance, and perform — even in mountain weather. My vanity kit this time? Fierce and functional, housed in a bold red NARS pouch that I got last year as a GWP. Thank you, NARS!  Here's a peek at what made the cut: 💄 NARS Foundation Weightless, buildable, and my skin but better. A must for evenings out and cozy café moments. Since getting MCAS/Histamine flares and rosacea, this NARS foundation has been my go-to foundation to cover up all the rashes and the redness on my face. Let me know in the comments if you want a review for red/acne/rosacea prone skin.  🎨 Bobbi Brown Palette For subtle daytime definition and quick smoky eyes at night. It also includes a blush! ✨ Chanel Eyebrow Kit I used to use Bobbi Brown eyeshadows for my brows but ...

If sunshine had a scent, this would be it. 🌞 Light, bright, and citrusy — The Face Shop’s Botanic Lemon Verbena Lotion brings an instant mood lift without overwhelming the senses. The scent reminds me of Clinique Happy — cheerful, not clingy. 💛 What I love: Absorbs quickly : No sticky feeling even in the heat of summer Perfect for everyday use : Hydrating but never greasy Family-safe : Even my son, who has eczema-prone skin, uses it on his arms and legs with great results Skin-friendly : His eczema wounds have healed and haven't flared up since using this 💡 Caution: If you're very sensitive to scents or have eczema, always do a patch test first : Apply a small amount to the inside of your elbow, wait 15 minutes, and observe. If you react, wash the area immediately with soap and water. If there's no reaction, try it on a small area of skin before applying more. Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) Price:  Less than ₱1,000 Where to buy:  The Face Shop 📝 Final Thoughts: This...

I’m really happy that I was able to finish a lot of makeup in May aside from the usual toiletries. The Face Shop Nail Polish Remover and Johnson’s Cooling Powder I don’t usually apply powders but May was really tough and nights were so unbearably hot. My husband would “bathe” himself in this cooling powder. He would then apply some on my back. We would have a bit of relief, enough to fall asleep. Etude House Surprise Liquid Concealer and NARS Palm Beach This concealer is one of the best budget concealers out there. Back when I reviewed the NARS Palm Beach, I said that it was too dark for me but when summer hit, it was the perfect shade so I’m glad that I hit pan before summer ends. I finally finished this annoying nail polish remover from Etude House! Will definitely NOT repurchase. I super love this hand cream from The Body Shop. I just don’t like the packaging as the sides burst open. I won’t repurchase as there are tons of products out there that have bet...

This is my current obsession. I bought this because I fell in love with the smell. I’m not used to applying lotions and body butters before I sleep because I don’t like that sticky feeling when I sweat but this is an exception. I apply this morning and night after bathing. I love grapes – grape fruit, grape juice and grape scents so this one is right up my alley. If you are not fond of fruit scents, better steer clear from this product. It’s sweet smelling but not overpowering. I love that the scent lasts for a long time although the cream itself is not very effective in moisturizing my super dry skin. If you have normal skin, you are in luck. I’m almost done with this tub. I will not repurchase for a while as I have a ton of lotions and body butters to finish but I will definitely buy another tub some time this year.

I used to believe that only the expensive, branded brushes are good. I was surely proven wrong with the TFS Circle Brush and this angled brush from The Face Shop. This costs only 315 pesos, if I’m not mistaken. I can’t believe I’ve been ignoring this brush. This works so well with my gel liners, both Maybelline and Bobbi Brown. The hairs are soft but they’re arranged in such a way that they are stiff and strong so they draw a nice line. This is also great when making cat eyes. I also love that the bristles are short unlike my Bobbi Brown angled brush. It’s also very easy to clean with the Ellana Brush Cleaner and very easy to rinse out with Sunsilk green. I used this brush for my wedding gig and I’m satisfied with the results. I will probably buy a backup when I get another makeup gig. If you need a cheat brush for cat eyes, I recommend this brush.

I’ve been looking for the perfect circle brush for my foundation application forever! The search has finally ended with The Face Shop’s Face It Circle Face Brush. I love, love this brush! I don’t have anything negative to say about it. I’ve used it to apply liquid foundation, BB cream and cream foundation. I also used it to apply powder blush and cheek stains and I’ve had no problems with it. Although, I have to say that this is best used for liquid foundation application. I reach out for this brush when I use my Revlon PhotoReady Foundation. I have yet to use this for contouring and highlighter application. The brush is so soft. It costs around Php575. MB got this for me. I returned to TFS to buy another one for my makeup gig but they sold out! The box comes with a guide that teaches you different techniques on applying different products. I apply foundation using a circular motion and buff it out. The guide says that this brush has fine hairs to fill in pores and cre...

Watsons was on sale again last weekend. I was able to visit on the last day of the sale, which was yesterday. I got a few things: It’s cheap and it’s Sesame Street Staple in the kitchen sink The Marionnaud brush is a dual ended brush. One end is for the eyebrows, the other a slanted brush. I only use the eyebrow brush. It served me a long time. It’s cheap at only 59.75 pesos. Good thing they re-stocked the Kleenex oil blotters as it was sold out the last time I went there. It, too, is on sale. I got this as a GWP: I also bought other things: I thought Etude House in SM was on sale when I got the eye makeup remover. Turns out, it’s 10% off for every 1,500 purchase. The Ellana brush cleaner is my favorite cleanser. It was out of stock for a few months and then yesterday I was shocked at the price – Php320. I compared this new bottle to my old bottle and it is smaller and more expensive. If you know any good brush cleaners, I would appreciate a shoutout. ...

That’s my opinion. I have tried different cleansers from The Face Shop and other brands and this turned out to be the best. It helped keep my breakouts at bay. I breakout when my period is near. With this cleanser, the pimples only last for 2-3 days then they shrink and dry out. I also use The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil in conjunction with this. I have a new cleanser and it kinda sucks. I tried it because it also has tea tree oil, an ingredient that seems to go well with my skin. My period has been long over but my breakouts are still very visible even with the use of TBS Tea Tree Oil and Clinique’s acne gel. This Acne Solution Foam Cleansing is expensive at Php600+ but is totally worth it. It’s cheaper than Clinique’s facial wash which I used before. My friend Kitten is scandalized (for lack of a better humorous term) with the prices of my things and so I am in search for cheaper alternatives. It’s doing me a lot of good, alright. I will buy this again once my cleanser hits pan. ...

I love haul posts! I love looking at photos of what kikay girls shop for. I’m more interested in beauty hauls than fashion hauls. Here’s one that I made last weekend. Maybelline Baby Lips Pink Glow, TFS Emery Board, TFS Eyebrow Shavers There’s a missing facial cleanser in the photo. It’s already in the bathroom and I’m too lazy to take a photo of it. I will probably post it here when it runs out. I’ll make a review of it at the same time. Love the packaging of the Baby Lips. I haven’t opened it yet. Will also make a review after I finish the product. I think reviews are more credible that way. It’s been so long since I last went crazy shopping. I’ve only been buying toiletries and groceries. Must be because I own a clothes/accessories/cosmetics shop so I get all my stuff there. I have too much makeup already and my goal is to finish at least one palette before I go and buy another one. I love palettes. I get to buy different products at an affordable price. Can you sense t...

I’ve been using Clinique products for my skin care routine for over a year now. I've been happy with most of them. But recently, I’ve been having second thoughts about the facial wash. I guess it is just something that washes the dirt off my face. It’s the only Clinique product that I have that runs out fast and honestly, it’s not cheap. Well, that and my sister probably sneaks off to use it. Anyway, there’s nothing special about it so why should I continue shelling out that much money? MB ran 0ut of his facial wash and I was running out of mine too so it was the perfect timing to try something new. Since I’ve had good results with The Face Shop line of products, I decided to go there first. I saw this:   I received a sample of this product about 2 years ago. I wasn’t able to try it but MB did. There was an emergency and he was out the whole night and I had to bring him some clothes and toiletries. I immediately noticed that his face was brighter even after a whole night without ...

I love honey! I use it when I cook, bake, I use it as a substitute sweetener (instead of sugar), I use it on my salad dressings and now I use it on my face! I bought this product in April but I’ve only used it twice. And in both times, I was satisfied. My schedule is very hectic and when I get home, more often than not, I doze off after removing my makeup. Sometimes I eat dinner at 10. (Sorry, Kitten!) Then I check my mails then shut down the laptop and watch TV just to stop my brain from thinking about the things that I still have to do. The TV serves as my brain’s R&R time then I watch until I fall asleep. So when can I have the time to do these DIY spa treatments? In short, I’m too tired to bother. But I noticed that there were rashes on my cheek the other night. Reason being my period came early. I used this mask hoping that it will prevent the rashes from becoming a full pledged pimple. Oh, I’m so glad it worked! The first time that I used this mask, I noticed that my rash...

I am on the hunt for a good makeup remover. If you can recall, I'm using this makeup remover from TFS to remove makeup on my face. But since this is cream-based, I won't be able to use it on all skin types. Good thing I found this at TFS: I initially used this only for eye makeup removal but the other day I went to TFS to ask if they have a water-based makeup remover for the face. The SA said that it was out of stock so I asked if I could use the Black Bamboo Lip & Eye Makeup Remover for the face. She said yes. When I got home I tried it immediately. It was a success! I didn't use this to remove all my makeup though. I'm saving this for client use. I used the fruity makeup remover for the residue. Water-based makeup remover is great for oily skin. I have combination/dry skin and if I use this product too much (say when I'm doing several EOTD's), my skin tends to hurt because of too much dryness. Hmmm... That leaves me thinking. Maybe I should include t...

Today, we will talk about munggo . I love ginisang munggo (sauteed mung beans) but unfortunately, my knees hurt whenever I eat this dish so I try to avoid it as much as possible or try to resist it anyway. Luckily, The Face Shop offers mung beans in a different form: You may recognize this photo from a haul post back in October. I’ve been using the Herb Day Cleansing Foam in Mung Beans ever since and I can truly say that I’m very satisfied with it. The label says for all skin types. I did have a few rashes on my first week of usage but I think that’s because my skin was still adjusting. After that, I didn’t have break outs anymore. I like the scent. You’ll be surprised that it smells differently from what we believe to be a mung bean’s scent. It lathers nicely with the bubble net but you can also use it in its original form as it is very creamy. Just be careful when you press the tube as the product slips out very easily. It’s not a thick cream like Pond’s. The color is a nice gre...