THE FACE SHOP Cherry Blossom & Perfume Seed Travel Kit

I had this travel kit for free (or was it?) while I was shopping for some skin care products at THE FACE SHOP. Who doesn't like free items before check out? Even though its size is suited for traveling, I do not have the patience to wait.

Here is a photo I took months ago. :)

According to the sales person, I got it for FREE... but something tells me it wasn't.

TA-DAAAH! Here's a clear image of the product. I love Cherry Blossoms! The packaging is cute, floral, pink and feminine. Excited to give this a try!

Pamper yourself with a complete set of four essential products for your hair and body care needs. A perfumed body and hair care line with natural plant seed ingredients and ultra fine capsules delivers soft aromatic velvet body skin.

Cherry Blossom Shampoo (50ml)

A shampoo that has romantic fragrance and plenty of moisturizing agent and it cleanses the scalp with rich creamy foam.

Cherry Blossom Rinse (50ml)

A conditioner that has romantic fragrance and plenty of moisturizing agent. It coats each strand of hair, making it soft & glossy after shampooing.

Perfume Seed Capsule Body Wash (50ml)

A perfumed body wash with natural plant seed ingredients and ultra fine capsules that deliver soft aromatic velvet body skin.

Perfume Seed Velvet Body Milk (30ml)

A perfumed body milk with natural plant seed ingredients and ultra fine capsules that deliver soft aromatic velvet body skin.

The scent is heavenly and 'romantic' with its floral packaging. It's one of those products I like to sink myself into when I am pampering myself after a long day. I almost liked the PERFUME SEED CAPSULE BODY WASH because of the scent, but it wasn't moisturizing as I thought it would be... and I really wish it was. The CHERRY BLOSSOM SHAMPOO, CHERRY BLOSSOM RINSE and PERFUME SEED VELVET BODY MILK, however, I didn't like it. Again, the scent is nice but it didn't provided my hair and skin the nutrients I was looking for.


xoxo,
Chloe

The Vimala Alphabet: My First 40-Day Challenge

Nope. You didn't missed any of the updates. I've decided to jump this post on Day 40 with you, right now. You can read my previous post here of what I am talking about.

I have completed the 40-day Vimala Alphabet Challenge! I feel good and I got to say, I am never this excited to write. I have learned a lot and mindfully writing every letters as I practice my 'new' handwriting. I look back at the previous days since I started the challenge and I could see the progress. I keep in mind the affirmation behind the letters' strokes and curves. I gave myself the space to write for 40 days. Why 40 days? The number 40 is the number of transformation which takes the neurons in our brain realign; it is advised not to skip a day -- ever!

So... I haven't bought the book yet. For now, I copy (online) the proper form of writing letters as suggested by Vimala Rodgers. I also get to read some do's and don'ts on how to write letters. It's kind of amazing how my three letters that I intuitively chose speaks a ton about myself; it's kind of scary and accurate! I got myself started and write on a blank unlined piece of paper (in landscape) with my trusty pen. It was also suggested to write row of words starting with the chosen letter, row of words that contain the letter in the middle and another row of words that end with that letter. It wasn't easy at first because it also means I had to look at the Vimala Alphabet closely as possible and see how the other letters are written. I'm not going to lie, but it was frustrating! But as the old saying goes, practice makes perfect.

There are times the "old" way I write letters creeps back. I simply rewrite it with the "new" way of writing. I sometimes find myself pausing for a while before I write either. Besides, who doesn't want to show off their 'new' handwriting? LOL! I started slow and steady and it gets challenging over time but surely I enjoyed the progress. I practiced writing fast while remembering the importance of letters of how it is supposed to be written. I love my handwriting! I am never this excited to grab a pen and paper and write! I can't believe how smooth and gentle I was as I write these wonderful letters. Everything paid off!

Improvements has got to do a lot with inner work and it takes time. Changing the handwriting, as what Vimala Rodgers suggested, will help rewire the neuropathways in our brain. It reverses and retrains the aspects of the brain and releasing from old patterns. It's a personal story for everyone as it expands one's perspective every single day on these changes.

From The Five Noble Truths of Integral Handwriting, I got to say, this speaks true from my experience. "The degree of difficulty in mastering a stroke change is directly proportional to the value it will have in your life. The greater the difficulty, the greater the value".

Below is my handwriting from Day 39:

...and below are my handwriting for Day 40. I chose to write a quote from Rumi. :)

Just looking at my handwriting, I can already see (and feel) what my next three letters need to work on. Any guesses? :) I am going to continue writing every day and watch the progress before my eyes. Letters. are. no. longer. just. letters.


Visit their website.
Visit their Facebook Page.

xoxo,
Chloe

ETUDE HOUSE Collagen Moistfull Emulsion

I've been using ETUDE HOUSE's Moistfull Aloe Soothing Lotion for some time which is good. But I like to switch things up with my skin care routine. I had to try ETUDE HOUSE Collagen Moistfull Emulsion because of the collagen content inside! We know how important collagen is to our skin.

ETUDE HOUSE Collagen Moistfull Emulsion 180ml | Php700+

A concentrated moisturizer that immerses skin in rich moisture to improve skin health and moisture level. Fortified with Baobab Tree extract and collagen, skin is treated to advanced moisture with a dramatic improvement in texture and tone in as little as a few days of use. Increases skin elasticity and reduced the appearances of fine lines.

Directions: After Facial Freshner (toner), apply an appropriate amount all over the face. Tap lightly to help absorption.

Benefits: Moisturizes. Increases Elasticity. Increases Collagen Synthesis. Retains Moisture. Improves Skin Health.

The packaging is beautiful and slender just like Moistfull Aloe Soothing Lotion. I knew it doesn't come with a dispenser; I had to tilt the bottle to get myself a hold on the cream and it didn't look me long to get some it either. It had a nice scent to it. It is not too thick nor too runny; it is just right. Currently, I use this as my morning and evening moisturizer. I use a little amount of cream for my face, neck, decolletage and my hands to keep it these areas healthy, fresh, soft and smooth. I wait for it to fully absorb in the morning before I apply a layer of sunblock. (We got to keep ourselves protected from the sun!) And on evenings, I like to layer this with another moisturizer. It works well. After applying the product on to my face, it makes me feel a little greasy, but it doesn't matter and I don't let it bother me. It makes my skin look dewy on every application and in the long run! I could see the awesome results every time I look in the mirror. For an oily skin myself, it certainly makes my skin a lot shinier! I had to use blotting sheets throughout the day to keep the oiliness at bay.

xoxo,
Chloe

Marc Anthony Healing Macadamia Oil Body Wash and Lotion

I was browsing several bath products months ago at a supermarket. I love to see what's new while I read labels and ask questions (if any) to the sales person. I instantly had my eyes on MACADAMIA OIL and its beautiful rich chocolate brown packaging. (I've been loving the color BROWN lately, have you noticed?) I am almost ran out of body wash I was using so I needed back-up.

Healing Macadamia Oil Sulfate Free Body Wash 500ml | Php300

This Sulfate Free Body Wash infused with healing Macadamia Oil, Hibiscus, Green Tea and Vitamin E to gently cleanse and calm rough, dry, damaged skin while a light Tahitian Vanilla scent soothes the body. It moisturizes and restore a youthful, soft, supple glow. It is Sulfate Free so it is gentle enough for all skin types.

Healing Macadamia Oil Rejuvenating Body Lotion 500ml | Php300

This fast absorbing Body Lotion is infused with healing Macadamia Oil, Hibiscus, Green Tea and Vitamin E to calm and correct stressed, dry, damaged skin. It hydrates, softens and restores a youthful, soft supple glow. It is lightweight enough to be suitable for all skin types and offers protection to tired, aging skin.

The body wash is sulfate free, lathers well and moisturizing. The body lotion, on the other hand,  is creamy, nourishing and quickly absorbs to the skin without making me feel greasy. They are infused with Macadamia Oil,  Hibiscus,  Green Tea and Vitamin E.  My skin is not flaky or dry. I adore products that has 'extra moisturizing' written on the packaging to provide my skin an extra treat. The macadamia nut scent and a hint of vanilla on these products are heavenly! I love to smell my skin after I applied lotion...  and sometimes, I like to think of it as chocolate. My skin feels smooth throughout the day.

I would love to try the hand cream, body oil and body butter to keep that scent I love last throughout the day.

Visit their website.


xoxo,
Chloe

SNOE White Special Black Beauty Bar

This is one of the popular soaps from Snoe Beauty. I never really gave this soap a thought but it was always recommended to me by the sales person every time I had the chance to look around and see what's new from Snoe. So I thought to give this soap a shot. Many women are coming back for this soap, so it must be good. Summer may have ended months ago here in the Philippines, but it doesn't stop anyone to keep their skin looking good. Just think about next summer and the next after that! But then again, it doesn't just have to be summer to remind ourselves to have a supple and smooth skin.

SNOE White Special Black Beauty Bar 150g | Php349

Multi-Fruit Acids. EGF Technology. Deoxyarbutin. Tomato.

New, improved version of our best selling beauty bar for luminous skin. Like any magic recipe, Snoe Beauty's special formulation helps bring out your fairest. This product will effectively help fade dark spots, blemishes, freckles and melasma for renewed clarity and effective hyper pigmentation correction.

Snoe's Special Black Beauty Bar removes impurities to refine skin tone and promote cell renewal for a complexion with inner radiance. It will remove dead surface cells to boost clarity and luminosity.

Ingredients:

EGF Technology - it can repair the epidermis, delay aging, fade scars and speckles, inhibit wrinkles, moisten skin, and minimize pores by improving the texture and condition of the skin.

Multi fruit acids - loosens the skin cells and provides even exfoliation to help cell turnover.

Deoxy arbutin - the largest ingredient in skin brightening! It safely lightens away dark spots, blemishes, freckles and melasma for renewed skin clarity and effective hyper pigmentation correction.

Tomato - evens out the skin and revives the glow giving you healthy-looking skin. It contains high amounts of Vitamin C to brighten the skin.

+ + +

Recommended Use:

Use continuously for three months only then shift to another Snoe Beauty bar variant to let your skin rest. Resume use after one month.

Sunburn Alert:

This product contains Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) which may increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun and the possibility of sunburn. Use a sunscreen, wear protective clothing and limit sun exposure while using this product and a week after discontinuing use.

+ + +

I love that the packaging has a written, "SNOE WHITE". :)

The soap may be in BLACK, but it is a special black bar that can help lighten the skin with regular use. Its ingredients can bring out the new skin underneath the dead skin. This soap smells like licorice which is really interesting. I let the soap suds sit on my skin for 2 minutes before I rinse. I didn't experience any tingling or prickly sensation. It is recommended to use this soap for 3 months and use a different soap from Snoe Beauty to give the skin time to rest. You can resume using this soap after one month. I did not use this soap on my face.

I was a little hesitant to use the soap right away because I knew, with continuous use of whitening products, my skin will be sensitive to the sun's rays. Without proper protection from the sun, every effort used to keep the skin lighten will eventually backfire! It will only cause the skin to get darken and irritated. I am very careful when I used this on my first 7 days. My skin is not "too dark" nor "too white". I like the soap, but I knew I had to keep in mind the consequences; I had to switch soaps every week from Snoe's Black Beauty Bar to a moisturizing soap. It didn't caused my skin to dry though I think it should happen because it just means the dead skin slowly sloughs off. It is actually expected to see "erasure-like shavings" from the skin within the first 3 months of use to reveal new skin. A moisturizing lotion with sunblock is a must before stepping out of the house. Oh wait! I think protecting the skin should be 24/7 whether we are inside our house or not. And while we are at it, a balanced diet, recommended hours of sleep and exercise will keep our skin happy.

Trying to even out the skin tone can be a challenge. Sunblock is the best protection there is from the sun. Wherever we are, sunblock is important and not just because we are at the beach. Wearing sunblock prevents skin discolorations, blotchiness and slows down the development of premature aging. Be sure to reapply sunblock every 2 hours. Stay away from the sun between 10am-3pm. Wear sunglasses and bring an umbrella with you wherever you go. Protect yourself from the sun no matter what the climate is. Your skin will thank you 5...10...15...20 years from now!

Purchase here.

xoxo,
Chloe

The Vimala Alphabet

Everyone's handwriting says a lot about our personality. We get caught up on technology that we rely on it so much, we tend to 'forget' how to write with pen and paper. Handwriting is an art and many of us think it's just letters on paper. Letters are letters, right? As long as I write, that's all it matters. Um... not necessarily. That's what I also think years back, but something wasn't right. I read what it means how we write a certain letter such as an 'o' or 't', which fascinates me, but I never get that answer how can I improve. I knew I need to do something, but nobody told me how to do it "perfectly". I was left hanging in the air with the question on HOW.

Just a week or two ago, I listened to an hour long webinar and I believe it was destiny. This was the answer I was looking for for years. This was it. She mentioned the VIMALA ALPHABET. I love how she described each letter and its significance. I love how Vimala Rodgers categorize these letters in families.

1. Family of Communication (A, O, D, G, Q, P)
2. Family of Learning and Evaluating (Y, U, W, V)
3. Family of Honoring and Expressing (M, N, H)
4. Family of Insight (L, E, I, J)
5. Family of Creativity (F, R, S)
6. Family of Status (T, K, B)
7. Family of Trusting and Inner Authority (C, X)
8. Grandfather Zed - Letter of Contentment (Z)
9. Ligature of Flexibility (Th)

It's like learning the alphabet again in a refreshing way. I love it! I thought letters were just letters until I understood the importance of writing letters in a manner that can help transform one's life. I wish this was taught in schools all over the globe!!! I wish I knew this when I was in kindergarten.

I got myself started and practice for my first 40 days. I chose my first 3 letters because I find it beautiful how it was written -- and I want it! I read further about those letters, and now I knew why I chose them based from my intuition. Isn't it amazing how these letters speak to us? I am now conscious how I write my letters. I put it on practice everyday to write and it feels rewarding!

Here are the steps to begin: (Transform Your Life Through Handwriting)
1. Write at least 3 lines of upper and lowercase letters.
2. Write on unlined paper in the landscape direction.
3. No pencils, please. Use a pen.
4. Begin by writing once, at the top of the page, the Declaration of Intent of the initial of your first name.
5. Write the first and third letters for at least 40 consecutive days. If you skip a day, start over. 40 is the number of transformation; it takes 40 days for the neurons in the brain to realign themselves, which is what the process of adopting self-affirming handwriting pattern does.
6. Write the third letter for a single week.

It has been officially a week since I started practicing the Vimala Alphabet. I compare my 'old' handwriting to my present handwriting, and it's like, was that how I write? Well, that's a thing of the past! I am learning a lot and I love it.

1. The way you write reflects your self-image.
2. Each of the Vimala Letters reinforces your noblest soul self, your true gifts.
3. By adopting the Vimala Letters as your chosen writing system, your self-image will come alive with who you really are -- you you've been hiding all these years -- and your unique gifts will then be able to help heal the world!

-It's All In the Pen by Vimala Rodgers

I am still on the hunt for a copy of her book. If I don't find a physical copy, I'd get one online. I promise! I would love to read the meaning behind the letters that I never knew about. I would love to get to know these letters in an intimate way.

Visit their website.
Go to their Facebook Page.
 
xoxo,
Chloe

CURE Series Japanese Exfoliating Bath Towel

I can't stand limp wash cloths or anything too rough on my skin that could cause my skin to bleed to wash myself. I've only used this thrice and I got to say I already love it! How can I be certain it's my favorite after three uses? I can never look back on regular wash cloths again. Not even a loofah! I bought this online at Amazon two years ago. (It took me that long before I can use it) This gem has been right under my nose all this time.

Cure Series Japanese Exfoliating Bath Towel 120cm | $5.07USD

Made of textured nylon, in a stronger weave suited to exfoliating all over body. Makes luxurious lather of almost any soap, and longer length lets you reach your back effortlessly. Softens skin, stimulates circulation, helps reduce cellulite. Rinses easily, dries quickly and hygienically for multiply baths or showers. Made in Japan, comes in English ingredients and usage instructions.

I read a lot of positive reviews online and decided to get this one. I pulled it out and the size of this bath towel blew me away because it was twice its size. I immediately thought of cutting it in half, but I am glad I didn't. I don't think I'm supposed to. It felt soft and thin unlike any other wash cloths I have tried. It lathers pretty good with just a minimal amount of body wash. Its texture on the skin feels just right; coarse enough to scrub away dead skin but soft enough to leave skin unharmed even though it says SUPER HARD WEAVE. It feels amazing and relaxing as I use this. I applied my body lotion after shower and my skin feels soft, smooth, clean and refreshed! Rinse it out and hung on a hook to dry. This is way better than cotton wash cloths.

I am so happy!!! I will definitely repurchase.

xoxo,
Chloe