Hello everyone! I'm back with another review on several products I got from Sample Room. If you're still unaware, Sample Room is the only sampling website in the Philippines dedicated to empowering consumers with the privilege to try out certain products before buying. It's unfortunate that our local market doesn't prioritize sampling and only offer trial products to purchasing customers. What about those who don't want to splurge on stuff they know nothing about? Good thing Sample Room debuted in 2012!

PRODUCT EMPTIES

Hey everyone! I'm back with an empties post which is very timely because I've finished a pile of skincare products recently. Since I started doing the 10 steps to Korean skin care, my stockpile of used products have doubled, making it a little more challenging for me to keep the reviews coming. You know how we sometimes put off doing a task until it's too late and you end up skipping it completely? I tend to have those with newly acquired products which is why I decided to do an empties post instead to let you in on what I've used up in the past months.

BELO: Intensive Whitening Bar

Hey guys! I've always been an avid user of Kojic Acid Soap for more than a decade now and I've been loving the results so much that I rarely try other bath soaps. For years, this generic soap from Beauchamps Pharmacy has served me well and has kept my skin in good shape. It was only in the past couple of years when I started trying different brands of facial wash but I remained loyal to Kojic Acid as my bath soap.

This long love for Kojic Acid made me all giddy and excited on learning that Belo came up with their own version of this iconic soap.

The Belo Intensive Whitening Bar features both Kojic Acid and Tranexamic Acid as active ingredients that target to lessen melanin production. This combination is clinically proven to whiten skin better than Kojic Acid alone.

I'm impressed with the neat packaging and I also like seeing the expiration date on the label. 

I like that Belo also thought of including an easy to open seal with its peel off tab on one side. 

This soap has a subtle scent and builds up a thin lather. The size is just enough for personal use at 65 grams/bar but a bit more expensive at 59.75 Php compared to other soaps containing Kojic Acid. Like other Kojic Acid soaps, the Belo Intensive Whitening Bar easily melts so make sure to use a soap dish. I noticed that it tends to dry the skin after each use but doesn't cause visible peeling. I haven't really seen its whitening effects after one week but I'm pretty hopeful in the next days.

Any thoughts on the Belo Intensive Whitening Bar? Do share them on the comments below. Thank you for reading this post and have an awesome Christmas! 

♥♥♥

BELO: SunExpert Transparent Mist

Hey guys! We really don't need much reminder that it's summer especially when we feel its burning presence each time we step out of the house. A trip to the mall also gives us a clear mental note that it's time to show off some skin but in doing so, let's not forget to protect ourselves from continued exposure to the sun. This is why I am ever so thankful to Sample Room for featuring the Belo SunExpert Transparent Mist just in time for summer. 

Belo SunExpert Transparent Mist SPF 50 (449.75 Php/ 100ml)

This summer must have comes in a transparent 100ml bottle. Looking through the container, you'll see that the product is clear and has a fluid consistency. It also gives off a pleasant floral scent that doesn't linger. 

It may look and feel greasy when initially sprayed over the skin but it only takes several minutes to get totally absorbed. You'd be surprised how your skin turns into looking naturally moisturized and not at all oily. Although I avoid sun exposure as much as I can, this sunscreen still appeals to me because it provides broad spectrum protection against harmful UV rays with SPF 50. It didn't irritate my skin or cause any adverse reactions. 

The bottle comes with a spray dispensing the product like a mist. I love that the spray works at any angle so you can easily apply this all over your body. It's also water resistant so you may use this when swimming. 

Overall, I really love this transparent mist because it does the job of protecting your skin from the sun while keeping it moisturized and fresh. It's also priced reasonably but you may want to check out Sample Room first for a free bottle. Otherwise, you can get one from leading stores nationwide. I do recommend everyone to try this product so you'd be as hooked as I am. 

Any thoughts on the Belo SunExpert Transparent Mist? Do share them on the comments section below. Thanks for reading and have an awesome week!

♥♥♥

My Most Repurchased Products

We all have products that we LOVE so much they never fail to make it in our shopping list. These are items we keep on buying or stuff we always come back to even if we tried other brands. Just last night, I was mentally listing down products I'm running out of while doing my nightly skin care routine. I realized I have more than a few products I'm pretty much loyal to in the past years.

YSA's erythromycin and acne lotion are the two toners I can't live without. I use them hand in hand to prevent and treat pimple break outs I never fail to have every month. I've been a loyal user, believer and advocate of these medicated toners since I was 18, the time I started seeking professional skin care consult. 

I've been using Kojic acid soap since it became a fad during my post graduate years. Though I use other bar soaps, bath gels and body wash from different brands, I always go back to using this for my face and entire body. 

Olay total effects serum is the very first anti-aging product I tried and has become a mainstay in my skin care routine. I've repurchased this more than a few times because it delivers visible results and I really haven't found any substitute that can match this serum's performance.

I got to try The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil a little over a year ago and it did wonders on my pimple prone skin. So much so that I bought the entire tea tree line from The Body Shop including facial wash/foam, toner, moisturizer and even concealer. Though I haven't been reaching for this lately, it's still included in my most repurchased items.

Burt's bees lip shimmer is one of the greatest lip products to hit the beauty industry. I love the shades fig and rhubarb because they match my skin tone perfectly. They give just the right hint of color to your lips leaving them with a naturally moisturized finish. 

The Face Shop's Flower shimmer finish pact is my most repurchased compact a few years ago. I remember replenishing this even if I still have more left to use. Sad thing is they don't make them anymore. This powder is not at all too shimmery, it gives your face just the right glow for a naturally radiant finish. I still haven't found anything like this from other brands but I do hope The Face Shop will come to their senses and get this amazing product back on their shelves.

Moschino funny  is my mostly repurchased perfume because it smells so clean and fresh. It doesn't give off a strong scent and it can be used in any occasion. I love that it stays on for a decent amount of time.

Belo essentials lotion with spf15 has been my daily moisturizer and sunblock  for the past 2 years. I actually mentioned this instead of the newer version that has spf 30 because this is the particular product I've repurchased for several times before the new version was released.

Aveeno daily moisturizing lotion is another body lotion I've repurchased for so many times. I love that S&R usually have this on sale because my friends and I get to stock up. I usually apply this at night before bedtime to keep my skin moisturized overnight.

Tony Moly's luminous sheer base is one of my TM favorites that I've repurchased several times and luckily almost always during a promo. I recently got this for 50% off a few weeks ago and I got it in the same discounted tag during my previous purchase. 

Aveeno leave-on treatment is the only hair care product I've repurchased over and over. I don't usually put on hair treatment products but I do love maintaining my hair with Aveeno. This stuff smells quite like vanilla which I don't really like, but the scent goes off after application.

I was planning on making this list really short but I can't help sharing all my most repurchased and replenished products. How about you, what stuff have you been repurchasing? I would love to hear about them so we can compare notes. Just key them in the comments section below.

BELO ESSENTIALS: Whitening Lotion SPF 30

It was just a few weeks ago when I saw something different from the familiar line up of beauty products stacked in one of the shelves at Landmark. That's actually a trait I'm pretty much gifted with, a hawk's eye on newly released products. Anyway, I was thrilled to notice that the entire display area for Belo Essentials were filled with the same stuff but with a new look. I eagerly scanned through them and almost jumped with excitement when I saw this..

The new and improved Belo Essentials whitening lotion NOW with SPF 30! Okay, this may sound a little over the top but I'm very much particular with sun protection. So much so that even if I slathered on a hefty amount of sunscreen, I still avoid direct sun exposure even for just a few minutes. This is why I salute Belo essentials for taking the bar a notch higher in terms of skin protection by increasing the SPF content without the additional cost. 

You read that right. I was keeping my fingers crossed as I looked for the tag and was more ecstatic to find out that the price didn't change at all despite the improved formula. By the way, I have this habit of keeping the tag on so I'd know how much I purchased a certain item. I also write the date of purchase on the  tag so I'd keep track of how long it lasted. 

What the label says is quite catchy especially the part saying 'it visibly whitens in just 7 days'. The micro-encapsulated technology is another thing that drew my attention. It says that this technology encloses active ingredients in microspheres to ensure maximum whitening power. These are claims that I do hope Belo essentials can truly deliver.

Pros:

Nice packaging

Blends effortlessly and gets absorbed fast 

Leaves your skin hydrated without feeling sticky

Pleasant scent

Affordable price for a product that offers SPF 30 with protection from UVA and UVB rays

Cons:

*crickets*

I don't have any issues about this product but I do hope they can live up to their claims and truly deliver maximum whitening power with visibly whiter skin in 7 days.

In Conclusion:
Maintaining skin cleanliness and moisture are not enough to keep your skin healthy. You must also PROTECT your  skin from sun damage hence you need a product that doesn't only moisturize but also offers an SPF of at least 30 and protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Fortunately, Belo essentials have all these which is why I recommend this to all my friends. Will I repurchase? Yes, this product is a must-have on my list.