Biore UV Bright Face Milk

Though the weather seems to be turning - rainy season is on its way - I'd like to say a little about my summer's unsung hero: Biore UV Bright Face Milk with SPF 50+ and PA+++. Mind you, this bottle is an older formulation - the newer one is supposed to have PA ++++ under the new rating system.

At first, I didn't much like it because of the distinct smell of alcohol when first sniffed and applied, but I gradually changed my mind. It doesn't sting, dries quickly and leaves a nice powdery matte finish that lasts all day. I don't quite remember how much I paid for it, but it was at a drugstore price -very cheap. I'd buy it or its ilk if I could since this bottle is now empty.

Goodbye summer!

Lemon Deal: Asia's Lashes Full Body Wax

Have you ever had a lemon deal? A deal voucher that promises a lot of things but under-delivers? It's not my first time to have one, and it probably won't be my last.

I bought a voucher for a full body wax session at Asia's Lashes - a P1950 value for P399. However, when I got there - I was told that I would be given only four services: upper lip, underarm, bikini wax and full leg waxing. According to their price list, value is only actually at P1280 value. Now, for P399, it's not a bad deal - but still false advertising... unless either my math is wrong or their full body wax session entails only those 4 services.

Total lemon.

While there are other reasons for me not to continue using this establishment, outside the scope of this post,  this is one major turn-off.

Thankfully, not all deals are lemons. Hoping I have less of those in the future.

Benefit Brow Wax Beneficence - Maleficence

Benefit had half off on their brow waxing service for a week, lasting until today. On one hand, my eyebrows have never before looked more groomed. On the other hand, it took out a giant chunk of skin at the end of my left eyebrow.

Benefit Brow Wax Effect

You can see it as a triangular patch that starts at the end of my eyebrow. At first I thought it was simple swelling, but when I got home, I saw otherwise.

So, i'm never doing that again. I think I'll stick to tweezing and threading instead.

Hoping for tips on how to regrow the skin properly without getting a scar. I can't wait until I can wash the area so i can seal it up. :(

Choco-late de Batirol

What is a trip to Baguio without the ubiquitous trip to Camp John Hay?

Some people go for the shopping, I go for the food. It's a good thing that Baguio is much cooler than Manila, especially in summer - so you can best enjoy hot chocolate and other goodies such as suman and bibingka. I had this as a mid-morning snack after the long drive up, and it's the perfect pick me-up to start sight-seeing.

Different sets were available, and what we got came with their signature batirol hot chocolate, suman and bibingka. For those who don't know, a batirol, batidor or molinillo is a wooden implement used to whisk the hot chocolate. This version, while frothy also contains a lot of "grit" which gives it a nice texture as well as flavor. Note that this hot chocolate is not as sweet or as creamy as your standard Starbucks hot chocolate. It does not overwhelm the tongue, which pairs it well with both the bibingka and the suman. The serving of hot chocolate is generous, but the food was not enough for our hungry tummies - we had to order another serving of delicious bibingka.

Suman (F), Choco-late de Batirol (M) and Bibinka (B) at Choco-late de Batirol

It is possible to order a concentrate of the product at their store. However, included instructions were a bit too complicated for me right now. Maybe in the future, or at one of their other branches.

Choco-late de Batirol
Camp John Hay
Baguio City, Philippines