Category: Skin Care & Grooming

Drei Talks ‘DreiTalks’

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Skin care is something I am really passionate about, like most of you know, and I do everything just to have a clear complexion.  You’ve all witnessed how much money, time, and effort I invest in skin care per se. My affinity for this started two years ago when I had a terrible case of acne. It was the worst I’ve ever had in my lifetime and my self-esteem was absolutely on the line. Nodules here and there, with pustules on the side, leaving stubborn acne scars afterwards. I felt really really bad about myself. Yikes. However, the seemingly bad situation made me discover that I do have a knack for doing skin product reviews because I tried everything I can just to cure my acne. Months and ten skin products later, my skin was at its prime. It was crystal clear and my skin quality has improved significantly.  I never thought it will be at its best. Thus, my love for skin care reached greater heights.

Last December, I thought of sharing new product reviews online because it’s been a while since I last did. But I don’t know where to post them, they weren’t blog worthy and I don’t like seeing them on my main Twitter account. Then it just occurred to me, “Why don’t I create a new handle dedicated to all my skin product reviews, lifestyle opinions and choices, and everything in between?“. Hence, I asked my Twitter followers to answer a poll about creating a new account dedicated for skin care tips, product reviews, and lifestyle talks. To my surprise, most of them wanted me to create a new one! Lo and behold, @DreiTalks was born.

Why create a new handle? It’s because I don’t want my reviews and tips to be combined with my personal tweets. I want a separate account for my lifestyle opinions because they might mix up with my personal thoughts and convictions. I want a microblog dedicated solely to skin care and lifestyle. This account is a compilation of my vanity and musings. Here I can talk about almost everything. Be it skin care, fashion, food, travel, arts, life tips, or anything I’m good at. It’s also a testament of my spontaneity because whatever comes into my mind, I usually post it here without reservations. When I get random ideas, I ask my followers to answer polls before posting. Another reason why I create polls is because I value my engagement with these people. They’re the reason why I continue doing this and they’re also one of the reasons why I get to do what I love and love what I do in return!  I post reviews about both expensive and affordable products because I have diverse followers. Some can afford proven and tested products while others settle for cheap yet effective ones. Nothing wrong with the latter, what matters is that it works!

Moving on, Why ‘DreiTalks’? Obviously, it’s just me who’s doing all the talking. Hence the name, Andrei Talks. Drei Talks. This account is a more honest @andreiparas. You guys are aware of that if you follow me on both handles!

In DreiTalks, I initially followed my friends and some loyal followers. But as days pass by, I noticed that there are other people who follow me aside from my friends and school mates. To my surprise, random people follow and message me too! Some of them are total strangers who ask for pieces of advice and I just get surprised that other people know me pala! This account is dedicated to all those who struggle with skin issues. What I love about creating this is that I get more connected to my followers and readers and this makes me value my relationship with them. It just feels so fulfilling when they send me messages that I’ve helped them, that their skin has cleared up, that I helped them gain confidence by imparting my knowledge. It just makes me instantly happy that I’m able to extend a helping hand to others. May magandang epekto naman pala mga capricho ko. Haha! And recently, this got me thinking if I should consider taking up medicine after I finish my course. I want to see myself become a dermatologist who owns a clinic and who develops his own skin products. Ahhh, what a concept! I’ll do my best to make it happen and not just let it become a ‘concept’. Who knows what’s going to happen next? Follow me @DreiTalks!

Photos by Verneil Batiller, HMUA: Carmela Cunan, as seen on FOCUS magazine January issue

 

Night Skin Care Routine + Two Miracle Skin Products (Anti-Acne)

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This skin care post is long overdue but better late than never, right?  It’s an 8-step (Anti-acne) night skin care routine that I made based from the products I regularly use. Eight products. Every night. Time consuming? Yes, but in the name of good skin, it’s worth it. Trust me. This is currently my routine and these are the products I use at the moment and I’m pretty sure it’s going to change until I find better products. I’m no dermatologist but these helped in clearing my face and in preventing acne. I have combination skin, by the way. Just religiously follow this routine and you’ll see results soon! Let’s get started!

My Night Skin Care Routine:

The first step is that I massage my face with ice cubes. Yes. Cold. I use 6-10 cubes for my face and I gently rub them all over my face until each cube melts.  Believe me when I say it cleared my skin for months. I’ve been doing it since December until now and it made me avoid acne!

The next thing I do is to wash my face with Ponds Acne Clear Facial Wash and use Ponds Acne Clear Pore Conditioning Toner right after. I love that Ponds’ products really work and deliver the results they promise.

SONY DSCHuman Nature Tea Tree Oil – aka Miracle product #1. This is a dupe product (but works well) because I just can’t afford the one from The Body Shop. I love how the dropper works because it makes you apply just the right amount.  Two drops of this oil is enough! I apply it on my trouble areas and on my breakouts. It helped in clearing my acne  and it reduced the inflammation but it took days. I use it under the Ponds acne gel, by the way. The scent of this oil is so strong but once you get used to it, it smells good naman. Smells something like an old perfume or mint, I can’t explain. Basta matapang yung amoy.  It’s not really bad but if you want quick results, use The Body Shop.

Human Nature Sunflower oil – after applying the tea tree oil, I go on to the next step which is to apply two pumps of this amazing sunflower oil from Human Nature. I tried this way back 2012 but I stopped because I hate how greasy it feels back then. I wish I knew how to use it sparingly. Two drops are enough for your face, don’t go overboard unless you want to look like a human pizza! It leaves a nasty smell once you apply too much. Ew. I’ve been using it since November, it moisturized my dry skin and removed my tan lines which I got from last year’s sports fest. It also lightened some of my spots and helped in retaining my skin’s moisture!

Garnier Light Complete Night restore cream – You can’t rely on oils alone so use a night cream. I slather this on my face over the sunflower oil and it just gives amazing results. I started using this since August and my skin stays really moisturized and soft ever since.

SONY DSCGarnier Light Complete Multi-action Brightening Eye Roll-on – This is my substitute for an eye cream because I’m still on search for a good and affordable one. I found myself buying this during the last week of school to help prevent dark undereye circles but boy, I was fooled. I use it day and night but I can’t see any significant change. Yes it moisturizes your skin but it doesn’t lighten or remove eye bags. They’re still pretty obvious after weeks of use. I just like the cool sensation when you apply it though. It also absorbs quickly! I’m gonna hunt for a good eye cream once I finish this product.

SONY DSCPonds Anti-acne Leave-on expert clearing gel – aka Miracle product #2. The last part of my skin care routine! This gel is a hidden gem. I searched for this product everywhere that I just bought one online. I love how fast this product works! Plus points for its amazing scent! It takes overnight for whiteheads and small zits to disappear and two to three days maximum for papules and/or cystic acne. It depends on the case of your acne. What I love is that it leaves zero marks for pustules and lesser marks for papules! Unlike the Belo acne gel, this doesn’t sting at all. I wish it has a peeling effect though, because the Belo product has that effect which sloughs off your dead skin leaving absolutely zero marks, even with terrible cases of acne. I use this along with tea tree oil! It’s the last part of my routine because I apply this when the tea tree oil has been absorbed by my skin. This product is the bomb. I’d rate it 9 over 10.

That’s it! That’s my night skin care routine for 2017. Message me for more questions or leave a comment below! Hope this helps! 🙂

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. 

Garnier and Ponds Products are available in Watsons while Human Nature is available online and in their stores. Message me for inquiries! 

LIFE LATELY : Post Grade 11 + New hobby + My future career?!

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IT’S SUMMER!!!!!!! Yes, it’s the start of my loooooong break! I survived the first year of Senior High and that’s something to smile about because it means I made it this far and I’ve accomplished everything on time! On another note, it’s just sad because the coming year will be my last in High School and I still haven’t figured out which course to take and which school should I attend. I know, nakakastress talagang tumanda. Why can’t I be in High School forever?! The future is seriously scary and exciting. Bahala na! It’s going to be okay in the end. Well, now that school’s over, I’m back to business and back to blogging! So life lately has been all about:

  • Online Shopping – What do you do after surviving 10 months of school? Treat yo’self. This was actually a result of my boredom. One night after doing school work, I got curious how COD works and I also wanted try online shopping by myself so I checked Lazada and tadaaaa, I just discovered something. I now have a new hobby! *evil laugh*  Personally, Lazada has the fastest service because your order arrives within 48 hours….right at your doorstep. I ordered some skin stuff and it arrived one day later. That is just uh-mey-zing.
  • Post-school cleaning – I’m ready to let go of my notes and my bad memories with them so I’m about to set them on fire. Joke lang! Of course, since school is over, I have to keep these old goodies (no matter how much I struggled with them) because I might use them later on. (I have a separate post for this, watch out.) If you’re reading this right now, keep your damn notes and books and never ever throw or sell them. You’ll thank me later.
  • Hosting stints – The past two months were all about getting out of my comfort zone by hosting events. I had three stints in just one month and I actually enjoyed it because I met new people and it made me more confident. Future career maybe?  It’s fun and I’m actually looking forward to hosting more events soon! School events muna, baby steps pa lang. LOL. I’ll get there soon, slowly but surely. (Fun fact: the photos above were from one of my events!)
  • Addiction to skin care – After weeks of stress and puyat, I’m de-stressing myself by slathering on all sorts of skin products I can use. I have a few zits right now and I’m afraid that they’ll get worse by next month or so. Knock on wood! Let’s be honest, I’m willing to spend lots just to get good skin.
  • Healthy eating – Since I don’t want to break out just like what I’ve experienced last year, I’m all for healthy eating. I avoid junk food at all costs because I believe they were the main culprit of my worst break out period before. I remember myself binge-eating ice cream, potato chips and sweets last summer and little did I know that they were the ingredients for a major acne breakout. Bye flawless skin. Now that I learned my lesson, I’m into fruits and ~healthy~ food now because I do everything in the name of good skin and it makes me feel healthy  af. When it comes to acne, prevention is key.
  • Travel Ideas – Travel kuno, wala naman akong pera. I’m really really itching to travel because it’s summer and I know we all deserve it. Mommy, daddy pleeeeeaaaaaase! Let’s go out of Pampanga naman, I’m dying to go out of the country or just somewhere new because I believe that experience is far more valuable than money and life is not meant to be lived in one place alone. (Oh ano, laban?) Life is too short to not enjoy it, rightttt? I have a list of places I want to visit this summer and visiting them is actually ~possible~ because they’re just 30-45 minutes away from home. Philippines muna before other countries, if traveling abroad can’t happen. But I’m not closing my doors to any possibilities of traveling this year! Who knows?
  • Catching up on sleep and Kdramas – and movies!!! Okay, I’m not a big fan of movies but I want to watch Beauty and the Beast because I heard it was good, and Emma Watson is Belle and it’s from Disney so it’s a way to relive my childhood memories. Summer is all about sleeeeeping late and waking up late, ugh wtf. At least I get to rest for two months. It’s also a way for me to catch up on my fave Kdramas because I’m so busy with school that I don’t have time to watch anymore.

Photo by Lucas Gantioqui 

How to Get Away with Acne

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Hey you! This is a long read but if you struggle with acne, this is for you.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. 

Acne is my worst nightmare to the point that I  panic when I feel a small bump on my face. I slather all these skin products on my face but doing so caused more and more and more pimples. Last summer, I had the worst case of acne in my life and it’s not even cystic acne, I just have four zits which happen to appear at the same time. It hurts so much when you see that acne starts to invade your clear face. During my early teens, I normally have a pimple every two to three months just because of stress or my unhealthy eating habits. That was it back then. I was never a victim of cystic acne. Don’t you just hate it when two pimples become one?! And worse, these annoying zits leave a stubborn mark on your face.

Having acne is totally common among teenagers because of puberty. But this can also affect their self-confidence and body image. Don’t you worry, that zit on your face will be gone soon. Acne is inevitable. It may leave a scar but remember that that zit will vanish in time.  I know most of you can relate because acne is every teenager’s pet peeve. Who in the right mind would want to have a acne-ridden face anyway? I may not be that flawless but allow me to spill all my acne secrets – every single product I use and everything I do to have this good skin. This is my most requested blog post and it’s finally up! My skin relies on these products and nothing else. And for the record, I don’t visit a dermatologist and I’ve never undergone a peel or facial treatment. (Unless you want to sponsor me, why not?)

My Skin Routine:

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This is my everyday skin routine and I finally found the products that are perfect for my skin type. I have combination skin and these products work well for my skin type. I suggest that you should research about your skin type before trying out products!

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DSC060101. Ponds Acne Clear Facial Wash &  Ponds Acne Clear Toner – I use the facial wash first. Ever since Ponds launched their latest Acne Clear line, I immediately went to the nearest Watsons to grab these goodies. My usual facial wash was Ponds Men Acne Clear or Energy Charge but I gave this product a try, and honestly, it’s the best ever. My face was pimple-free for one month!

DSC059932. Belo Acne Gel – I swear by this product. It’s the best pimple gel I’ve tried so far, and the Ponds Acne Gel is very hard to find so I just settled with this Belo Acne Gel. After moisturizing, apply a small amount to your zits. The best thing about this product? Your pimple will really peel after two to three days depending on the severity of your acne. It can dry up pimples overnight! Take note: moisturize first before using this, it stings after every application. (Specially when you have pustules and papules)

DSC060393. Garnier Light Complete (Night Restore) – So far, this is the best remedy for acne scars and pimple marks. I noticed that they vanished so quickly after using this for a month!

DSC06002 4. Celeteque Sunscreen – The only thing I can never not apply on my face is sunscreen. I always use this everyday, even when it’s rainy or when I’m at home. Exposure to UV rays is really harmful and can cause skin cancer, dark spots, and freckles. And you wouldn’t want to experience that! I use SPF 15 everyday and I reapply whenever I feel. Haha! And SPF 30 when I’m exposed to the sun for so long. Plus, wearing sunscreen can prevent aging. This video from two years ago really encouraged me to wear SPF. Been doing it for two years now and it’s actually worth it!

DSC060346. Celeteque Moisturizer – I use this when I have alive zits (LOL, you know what I mean right?!) because the cream can be too harsh on my skin when I’m having breakouts. This can be used anytime of the day!

DSC060337. St. Ives Apricot scrub – Exfoliants like St. Ives are only used once or twice a week. Scrubbing your face more than that can cause you more and more breakouts!

HACKS:

DSC06013 1. Vicks vapor rub + ice cube – This is the best acne hack ever. If you don’t want to splurge on acne gels, then this rub is the solution. Wrap an ice cube in a thin cloth and gently place it on top of your pimple. Do this for a minute and apply a small amount of Vicks then your pimple is gone overnight! This is worth trying!

DSC060352. Quick FX Pimple eraser – This product doesn’t guarantee overnight results but once you use it regularly, it can reduce your acne scars and it can help prevent pimples.

3. Antibiotic ointments (Terramycin) – I’ve tried using these ointments when I have pustules. I only applied it like the vapor rub and the zit was gone the next day. Depends on your case of acne, I guess!

4. Tea Tree Oil – Probably the best and safest acne treatment in the world because of its antibacterial properties. Haven’t tried this but I heard that it really works!

5. Coconut oil – Just apply a small amount on your trouble areas and you’ll notice that your skin will get clearer after regular use!

6. Honey – Honey works wonders. You can apply honey directly on your pimple and place a bandaid afterwards. You can also mix honey and lemon juice to remove pimple marks, super effective!

What I do to prevent acne:

Change sheets everyday  – something you need to do if you have terrible acne. I change pillowcases everyday. Your sheets absorb  oil and dirt and you don’t want to transfer those germs to your face right?

Drink lots of water – I drink 2 – 3 Liters of water everyday. I don’t drink softdrinks! Keep hydrated if you want glowing skin!

Drink Green tea – As much as I can, I drink tea two hours before I sleep. It helps!

Take vitamins – Specially when you are tired or sleep deprived! I take Vitamin C and multivitamins after breakfast.

Sleep – Unless you want puffy eyes and dull skin. Sleep will always be a priority. I told you to not trade sleep for school work, right? Time management lang yan guys! Dapat kahit stressed mukha pa ring fresh. LOL

Stay away from the sun and from dusty and dirty places – Wear a mask or a hat and don’t forget sunscreen!

Clean your phone – We always bring our phones everywhere we go – bedroom, kitchen, outside the house, and even in the bathroom. And all the germs in your phone will eventually get in contact with your face. Yikes.

Cut down sugar and fatty food –  Honestly, I don’t eat junk food, processed food and all things junk. I try to avoid these as much as possible. Also, try to avoid oily food, you don’t want to look like a pizza dude. Oily food can cause acne.  Your skin tells a lot about what you eat. (But heck, I can’t say no to fried chicken.)

Use different towels – One towel for your hair, for your body, and for your face. Enough said.

Use new razors or sterilize them before use – For guys out there, sterilize razors before using them by rinsing them using hot water or just use a new razor if possible. I always do the latter. Hahaha!

Drink probiotics – Seems odd but this is true. At least for me. You can read more about this here and here.

Cleanse. Tone. Moisturize.   – Wash your face twice a day and use products that are perfect for your skin type!

 

Golden Rule: Don’t touch your face.

Your hands are the dirtiest part of your body because you touch different things everyday – your phone, your keyboard, switches, doorknobs and everything. And through this, dirt and germs stay in your hands and you don’t want to transfer that to your face! Touching can lead to picking and can lead to scarring. Touching your face too often can cause breakouts. Yeah, I know this is difficult to do but in the name of good skin, it’s a must. Read more here.

That’s it! That’s how I take care of my skin. And if you like this post or if you want to try out these hacks, let me know by leaving comments below! Don’t forget to share or like and subscribe if you wanna see more!

(All products are available in Watsons and in other leading drugstores nationwide)