I have combination skin which tends to get greasy when it's humid. It has always plagued me because even with powder and make-up the oil still shines through and I look horrid in pictures. A lot of the time I have to Photoshop the oil away from my face.

Anyways I read about Awake Sebum Regulating Lotion in one of Marie Claire magazine's Tried & Tested features and was lucky enough to have bought a bottle at 50% off during Rustans' employee sale some weeks back. I must say it really works. I applied the lotion at around 11am and I still wasn't shining come 5pm. My face would usually shine like a mirror a couple of hours after applying face powder but not with Awake Sebum Regulating Lotion.

I love Kiehl's products in general, but I'd have to say that this particular one doesn't deliver what it promises (the label is pictured on the right).

Yes, it's gentle... but it's so gentle that it takes a lot of product and repeated applications before it can do the job of removing your eye make-up. Eye shadows are no problem, it's the eyeliner and mascara that Kiehl's Supremely Gentle Eye Makeup Remover has trouble with. It takes me at least 2 cotton buds per eye soaked in this to completely remove eyeliner (whereas it takes only one bud with Shu Uemura's Cleansing Oil), and countless more buds (say 5-6 per eye) to remove water-resistant (not waterproof) mascara. After the cotton buds, you'd have to use a cotton ball over your entire eye area to make sure everything is off. I used Shu Uemura's Cleansing Oil and it took two cotton buds and a single cotton ball do rid my eye area of ALL make-up.

This is not to say that it doesn't have its uses. I find it really efficient in taking make-up off the rest of your face... but then that's not really what it's for.

Facials are a rare treat for me. For one thing I can't be bothered to go somewhere to have my face done in between driving our kids to and from two different schools, among the list of other things to do.

Using Origins Modern Friction is like getting a facial in the comfort of your own bathroom. You simply rub the scrub all over your face and then rinse it off. I can't believe how smooth and flawless my skin felt right after. Even the little bumps that would form at the sides of my nose (product residue or simply grime build-up?) were totally gone. I could've sworn my face felt exactly like it did right after my basic facial at Facial Care Center.

Anyways here's the product blurb from the Origins website: Skin-refining Rice Starch, cushioned in cream, shows real affinity for rapidly removing sluggish cells, uneven patches and signs of skin damage and discolorations. Lemon Oil kick starts the process of illumination. Another age-sweeping action: skin-menacing molecules are mopped up. All while Aloe keeps skin calm and comfy. There’s no ouch, extra steps or other complications. No redness or flaking follows. The before-and-afters are amazing. Signs of fine lines and size of pores appear to shrink in size. Skin looks perfectly polished, smooth and luminous. And the perk-me-up aromas of Bergamot and Peppermint help you look on the bright side.

All true, I tell you.

I've always preferred loose powder to pressed powder. I don't like the fully made-up cakey look and I just use powder sparingly to keep my face from becoming a shiny spectacle.

Incredibly light and fine, Shu Uemura Face Powder gives your face that fresh and natural look. It's like you're not wearing any powder at all. It looks and feels so good! I got the sheer colorless variant because that's what the Shu girl in Tokyo recommended, my mom bought the matte darker-shaded variant and got addicted as well.

Shu Uemura Face Powder comes with a powder puff you can use for application. You can also buy one of their luxurious face brushes to go with it if you prefer.

There is one problem though... L'oreal Philippines' pricing for Shu Uemura products is akin to highway robbery!!! I bought my face powder in Tokyo for about 1,200 pesos. My mom bought hers in the US for about 1,500 pesos. Here in Manila, it costs way more than 2000 pesos. If I'm not mistaken it's around 2.7 or 2.8k, about double the prices in Japan and the US.

Celeteque Facial Moisturizer can be considered almost perfect -- it's extremely cheap and effective plus it's perfect for the summer since it's light and leaves no greasy feeling.

Celeteque is a clear, fluid gel which is absolutely fragrance-free and hypoallergenic. My face gets very dry after washing to the point that my cheeks are rough when you touch it. After putting this on, my face is suddenly soft, smooth, and supple. It doesn't feel like you put on anything. The product is absorbed so fast nothing is left -- just your beautiful bare skin.

The best part is, Celeteque is really cheap. It's about 200 pesos (190+ from Mercury Drugstore) for a 100ml tube. Now if only they could find a way to incorporate some SPF into it...

I'm not really the type whose face gets acne-infested, in fact I've never been to a dermatologist. The closest was a couple of free sessions at Facial Care Center and that's that.

I do get a pimple every now and then though. Ever since 1998 I've been using Origins Spot Remover to get rid of it... fast. This little baby is a lifesaver. I just apply it on the pimple and it disappears in a day or two. No scar, no dark mark... it's as if it never happened.

I made the grave error of trying Pan-Oxyl by Stiefel on a zit on my chin a couple of weeks ago. As usual, I got it for free as part of Stiefel's gift pack from Health Today magazine. It succeeded in drying the skin all around the pimple but the pimple was still one big living bump. It was darkening to boot! Oh the horror! In fairness though Pan-Oxyl worked for a tiny little zit on my forehead, but I guess that's the extent of its effectivity -- tiny little zits that are more like visible whiteheads and not a full blown pimple.

I quickly switched back to Origins Spot Remover for that big bumpy pimple on my chin and just after two nights it's significantly smaller. By Monday I guess it's going to be history. It only lasted this long because I tried to get rid of it via Pan-Oxyl... it's back to Origins Spot Remover for me.

Oh yeah you can actually get Origins products at Rustans Makati. Their price is almost the same as the US price, if not just a little higher.

I've been using this moisturizer for 2 years now. Although I am in the habit of trying out a wide variety of skin care products, I always go back to my trusty Origins Perfect World Moisturizer.

This moisturizer glides on like a dream. You can feel your skin's texture improve the moment you put it on. It's rich but it's light -- I never would've thought such a combination was possible. It has a refreshing and natural citrus scent that does not come across as perfume (it seems rather herbal in nature), so going to sleep with this on your face is just lovely.

Origins A Perfect World moisturizer also provides protection against free radicals and anti-oxidants that can make your face age before it's time. I guess it works because a lot of people say I look young for my age, ha ha.

Moisturizing, aromatherapeutic, and maybe about quadruple the price of drugstore brands like Olay and Ponds but well worth the investment since one jar can last 2 years if used only at night. It takes little to get a lot of coverage since the product is so rich.

It's still the best of all the moisturizers I've used, and I've used a lot...

With the full media coverage it's getting, it's time for Animetric to review Olay Total Effects.

I got to try this way before it was released in Metro Manila. I was given one whole bottle to sample by a survey group and all I can say is it ain't as cracked up as it's supposed to be.

The first thing I noticed about Olay Total Effects is the strong make-up-y scent. The lotion/cream is thick and flesh-colored as well so it not only smells like foundation, it also shares the thick and cakey feeling of foundation. Being the adventurous type when it comes to beauty products I still applied it on my face. There was a strange stinging sensation, and then a flash of hotness and itchiness until I was practically fanning my face. I told myself maybe it's just a coincidence and proceeded to use it for the next couple of nights, always getting the same reaction. I then concluded that this product is not for me.

Maybe I was allergic, but whichever the case I really can't stand the scent and the heavy make-up-y feel of Olay Total Effects. I can't imagine using this before going to bed. I'll stick to my Origins White Tea moisturizer for now thank you.