Event: Meeting Pond's Gold image model Tweetie de Leon

The Pond's Gold line includes a cleansing mouse, a cleansing foam,
a day cream, a night repair cream, an eye cream and a serum.

Had a lovely lunch the other day. Hosted by Unilever, the lunch was at the luxurious Shang Palace at Makati Shangri-la, in a private room decked in golden touches. Along with other editors, I had an intimate lunch with Pond's Gold image model Tweetie de Leon.

This is her first endorsement of a beauty brand in a long, long time. She told us that she tested Pond's Gold for a couple of months and when she saw the fab results, only then did she agree to sign up as its endorser. I guess she really believes in this anti-aging line! Well, I saw the results up close since I sat right beside her. Tweetie is drop-dead gorgeous and she only had eye makeup on!

Tweetie said that she uses all the products in the line but that her favorites are the cleanser and the serum. She confessed that she's actually very lazy with skincare, hence she quickly found what works best--cleaning and treatment!

Unilever's Jacque Yuengtian (right) said, "No matter
how we try, when we pose beside Tweetie, we just
can't look that good!" I agree, Jacque, but only for me.
You look smashing as always =)

She also revealed that beauty is all about having a beautiful life. If your life is happy, your relationships are great and your body is healthy, it will really show on your skin. So yes, she recommended Pond's Gold as a skincare regime, but she also encouraged us to live happy, healthy and full lives so that our beauty will shine through to everybody!

Pond's Gold gave me a beautiful golden box with the day cream, night cream and serum. I'll just finish testing this other skincare line and then I'll start with Pond's Gold. Watch this space for my review!

Win a special beauty kit! It's Hollywood's anti-aging secret!

If you've been wondering what the skin secret of Madonna is, then I reveal it here: It's O2 Intraceuticals. Aside from her strictly healthy lifestyle, the 51-year-old superstar relies on this skincare line to keep her looking young.

I met O2 Intraceuticals' training manager Patricia Steel just before I gave birth. Here's OK! magazine's feature [September 2010] on the line:

click to enlarge and read

The treatment starts with a facial--together with the line's active and natural ingredients and extracts, pure oxygen is pumped into the surface of the skin. It's so effective, the facialist usually does half your face first so you can see the instant difference! And it doesn't have ugly results (ya know, like peeling, redness, swelling, etc) so Hollywood celebs can actually have a facial right before stepping onto the red carpet!

I loved how the products are so safe. Being pregnant then, I was wary of using anything that can be toxic to the developing life inside me. But because the line uses oxygen and natural ingredients, it's super safe!

I'm giving this away!

I'm giving you the chance to try out this line. All you have to do is type this on OK! Philippines's Facebook page: "I want Hollywood's anti-aging secret to look great in 2011!" Then just tag 3 of your friends. That's it!

The O2 Intraceuticals oxygen faciala nd skincare line are exclusively offered by The Spa Acropolis. Call (02) 631-5790 to 92 or (0918)884-3772 for inquiries.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Diaries Challenge: Day 12

There's some improvement from the last report: Now that I've gone back to applying just the prescribed 2 drops on my face, my ginormous pimple has dried up. Pretty quickly, if I may add!

So today is the 12th day since I started using Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. My skin is super soft. Do you want super soft skin, too? Then you can get a chance to win your very own bottle of this concentrate worth P2,880!

Here's what you have to do:
1. Just finish this sentence in a post on your blog: "I want to try Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate because..."
2. Then finish that blog post with this sentence: "I hope I win my very own bottle of Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate from Beauty For A Living!"
3. Leave a comment on this post with your post's URL link so I can check if you link to my blog!

That's it! Judging the winner is entirely up to me! But a fun and creative post will definitely help things along for you. Sob stories are welcome, if that's your thing. Flattering me may help, too! Joke, joke, joke. I just feel really fat and heavy now that I'm about to give birth but I'm digressing...

So I'll announce the winner on the very last day of this Midnight Diaries Challenge, which is on July 20! You have 3 days, beauty-zens! Good luck!

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Diaries Challenge: Day 9

It's Day 9 of my Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Diaries Challenge and today I have some bad news. I have a huge pimple on my right cheek. Like, giant.

The thing is I don't know if this is because of the concentrate or because I can't sleep well anymore due to my advanced pregnancy (heartburn, back pain, an overall feeling of heaviness, frequent urination, etc).

I asked OK! beauty editor-at-large Nicole delos Angeles about this and she said the oil could be too rich for me. I sheepishly confessed that instead of the prescribed 2 drops for the entire face, I lavish my skin with 4 to even 6 drops! That's how much I love how soft my skin feels now! Nicole just looked at me with exasperation and said I should follow directions!

So, folks, I took a rest from the concentrate last night but will apply again tonight--this time, with only the recommended 2 drops!

And remember to stay tuned to this blog for instructions on how you, too, can have your very own bottle of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate! Just a gentle reminder: Use 2 drops only!

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Diaries Challenge: Day 6

It's been almost a week since I started applying the elixir, Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, and so far, I like what I feel.

To those who just dropped by this blog, I've agreed to take on the Midnight Recovery Diaries of Kiehl's, which is to sleep well and to apply this oil on my face and neck for 15 days. Unfortunately, due to my schedule and my pregnancy, I can't really sleep that well. But that doesn't mean I don't feel and see any good changes to my skin!

I apply the concentrate on my face, neck and hands. Kiehl's said to just put 2 drops; I like putting 4! I emulsify the oil with my fingers first then when it's nice and warm, I spread it on my face, neck and whatever's left over I rub all over my hands. And now all of those parts mentioned are super supple. I like touching my cheeks and neck and hands now!

Appearance-wise, well, the skin looks very moist, but not oily. I don't know what this elixir is supposed to do actually (whiten? brighten? remove wrinkles? reduce size of pores?) since my skin looks the same, except for the fact that it looks very supple... and young. Well, I guess that's what it's supposed to do! After all, its tag line does say, "One night. Two drops. Younger-looking skin by morning."

And since you're all with me in the middle of this challenge, I am offering one lucky reader the chance to take on the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Diaries Challenge, too! Just follow my diaries first--it will be over by next week--and I'll tell you how to get your very own bottle of youth!

 

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Diaries Challenge: Day 3

Oh, I'm so sleepy now. Must either be the fact that I'm pregnant or the fact that I'm also doing the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Diaries Challenge and today, Thursday, is Day 3.

My observations so far:
My skin doesn't look any better but it does feel softer and smoother. My face and neck really feel moist and supple. Best of all, no greasiness. Yep, even though the Midnight Recovery Concentrate is pure oil, my skin is not so oily anymore. How weird is that?! So my skin's texture has definitely improved but when I look in the mirror, I still look the same!

I do have hope that I'll start to see--not just feel--a change at the end of this challenge (15 days, baby!). Actually, 15 days is quite brief. Studies show that it takes about 6-8 weeks for skin cells to renew themselves. So a slow change is best for our skin.

I'll be offering more updates on Day 6. For now, since it's almost midnight, it's time for my beauty sleep. Good night!

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Diaries Challenge: Day 1

So you all know I'm doing this review of the new Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. All I have to do is sleep by midnight, get at least 7 hours of sleep, oh and apply 2-3 drops of the elixir on my face before I nod off. The details of the challenge are here.

So how did I do last night?

Well, I had strawberries and my prenatal milk and also had a nice warm shower before bedtime. Then I put a few drops of the concentrate on my cleansed face. For the purposes of this review, I only used the concentrate and will use just that product at night for the next 15 nights.

This morning, I woke up to... looking okay! No miraculous amazing beautiful skin but I do like the fact that I don't look greasy. The concentrate, you see, is oil, and I was worried that my already oily skin will get even greasier. But the 3 drops I spread all over my face and neck were quickly absorbed and I didn't react negatively to the oil (meaning, no breakouts!) so... So far, so good!

Will update again on the third day!

I'm taking on Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Challenge

Sheena Dy of Kiehl's sent over this beautiful blue bottle of magic, the Midnight Recovery Concentrate. The label says that it's a "replenishing elixir of pure essential oils and distilled botanicals to visibly restore the appearance of skin by morning."

Sheena then invited me to take part in the "Midnight Recovery Diaries Challenge." Here's what I have to do:
1. Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.
2. Drink soothing beverages like herbal infusions or milk before bedtime.
3. Avoid exercise near sleepy time.
4. In the afternoon and early evening, stay away from stimulants like coffee, green tea and colas.
5. Enjoy relaxing activities, like a warm bath, before going to sleep.
6. Shut the TV off when you're ready to sleep.
7. Curb your alcohol consumption.

Guerlain's new "hormones of beauty" is the latest in anti-aging

French beauty brand Guerlain has just released a new line targeted to menopausal women. As these women know, when menopause sets in, skin loses its elasticity, firmness and density rapidly. That's because the hormone estrogen, which used to be abundant in all of us women, is now depleted with menopause. If you're one of these women, what can you do then? Well, aside from getting estrogen therapy, you can apply Guerlain's latest skincare system, Success Age Splendid.
Guerlain's research team has discovered that the magnolia plant, specifically the Magnolia Sieboldii mimics estrogen, restoring the skin's balance and structure. Tests say that 80% of their subjects reported less skin slackening, 91% believed their skin was more toned and nourished. Wow!
It's said that life begins at 40 and if you get the complete line (in gorgeous jeweled blue and gold colors), your skin will definitely feel a new beginning!

Guerlain sent me a jar of the Success Age Splendid Deep-Action Day Care Cream (thank you, lovely Luxasia ladies!!!). I'm not using it since I'm far from menopausal but the mom of OK!'s associate fashion and beauty editor Kristine Ching will try it out. Watch this space for the results!

Guerlain Success Age Splendid skincare line (Deep-Action Day Care Cream, P7,850; Deep-Action Night Care Cream, P9,950; Deep-Action Oil Serum, P8,950; Eye Tech Cream, price unavailable) is available at Rustan's Dept Stores.

Mary Kay's MelaCEP Whitening Set not very effective

I've been using the Mary Kay MelaCEP Whitening System for a month now and I see absolutely no improvement in my complexion. The set consists of a facial wash, a freshener, a dark spot serum, an essence, a day moisturizer, a night cream and a moisture-rich mask. I'm terribly low-maintenance so the many products were a bit of a turn off. Yet I religiously followed the 7-step program night and day. In the end, I saw no visible lightening of spots or even the promise of a glowing complexion. And for P9,030 for the entire set... Well, that's a bit expensive for stuff that doesn't really work!

And it smells like spoiled milk, too.

The Beauty Writer

*product photo courtesy of Mary Kay