Review: Deep Cleansing Nose Pore Strips by Beauty Formula

Bothered several days already by unsightly darkened pores on my nose, I have been on a cleansing regime to rid my nose of these. I used my Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Treatment mask faithfully but to no avail - sure it cleaned my face and the pores on my nose, but it did not clear the icky black dots on the sides of my nostrils.  Then I remembered something I used to use - the Biore pore strips that I first heard about and used more than 10 years ago.  I would ask a flight attendant friend to buy them for me.  I recalled looking at them at the local Shen Shiong in Singapore, but not buying.  I think they were around Sing 3-5 per box of 6 strips, same brand, Biore.   The strips have an adhesive side which you stick on your (wet) nose.  You leave the strip on for around 10-15 minutes (or more if you like), and peel it off carefully.  If you're brave enough to look at what's on the peel, you'll be gratified to note little plugs that come off with the peel - blackheads and oil plugs!    Anyway, I looked for Biore locally but could not find them.

I took a look at Watson's Greenbelt but could not find any pore strips. Finally, today, I found a similar product at Watson's Mall of Asia!  I asked two sales girls about pore strips but they pointed me to the facial stuff, but nope, no pore strips (sometimes it seems like they don't know what they have in-store).  But on the way out I spotted the Beauty Formula Deep Cleansing Pore Strips (see right).

Update:  Went to Singapore last June and came back with the Biore Pore Pack.  It was Sing $4.95 for 10 pcs, a much better deal and a much better product!

The instructions say to clean your face first (wash with soap), and then stick the pore strip on a wet nose. The pore strips are shaped, meaning they're cut into a shape which folds neatly on your nose, and the sides of your nose.  If your hands are wet when you apply the pore strip, you run the risk of having the adhesive run, and you lose adhesive on the strip that you stick on your nose. No goo, no sticky stuff, and the strip won't adhere to your nose. I kept it on for 20 minutes and peeled it away.. a slight pulling sensation, not painful, occurs when you peel the strip off.  And viola...! You have the pleasure of seeing all the plugs on the cleansing strip!  A good enough deal at P179 for a 6-pack.

 I think the Biore is cheaper and has a better adhesive (gets more gunk off)  but the flipside is it's not available here.  Will buy the Biore in Singapore and compare it with this Beauty Formula nose pore strips.  Ta!

Review: the Ped Egg

I'm sure you've noticed, I haven't been a (beauty) blogger long.  But I've always been a fan of make up, lotions, hair things, beauty gear (that is, affordable beauty gear - if it's expensive, I figure let the experts use it on me, right, rather than me doing things with an expensive contraption via trial and error) ...  Well, anyway, this post is about an implement not many get to use, I think.. and this is the remarkable Ped Egg!

We normally take our feet for granted, thinking that its baby softness will last forever.  With wear and tear, however, I noticed my feet - that is, my heels - were starting to feel thick and rough.  The clincher was when a pair of stockings tore in contact with my heel when I was putting on stockings.  That did it.  It was either go for a foot spa of some sort (no time, too busy) or buy a Ped Egg.  I'd first seen the Ped Egg locally in True Value, where it cost something in the region of P1200 (not too sure about this price, but sure that it was more than P1000). I wanted to try it out, but it was a bit hard to swallow specially since the price of one on Amazon was at most $10.  I settled for slathering on foot moisturizer on my heels before going to bed, and wearing socks.  My heels were softer and smoother, but not baby soft.  Well, on a recent trip to Vancouver I found the Ped Egg on sale for CAD4.99 - and I held off, thinking I might find it even cheaper across the border in Seattle, but no luck - it cost US6.99.  So I finally bought it in Canada.

It's essentially a sort of foot grater, which is meant to shave off the hardened skin of the heels and feet.  It's in the shape of an egg, and when opened you have the plastic cover, and the shaver, sort of a grater, which is locked closed over a container (the other part of the egg) which catches the dead skin cells etc.

The grater is meant to be used on dry feet.  You start by taking the grater and rubbing it over the rough areas of your feet (in my case, heels).  That's all it takes.  The rough bits (which are the hardened skin cells) are whittled away and fall into the container. You throw the stuff that's collected in the container.  I admit to an unhealthy fascination with the dead skin in the container.  It was just SO darned satisfying grating them off, seeing the fluttery byproduct in the container, and seeing and feeling smoother, baby soft skin on the heels of my feet again.

I'd definitely buy another one if this one wore out.

Review: the Body Shop Tea Tree Oil

I am almost out of The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil and I decided I'd write about this tiny wonder bottle.  It's 15% tea tree oil (diluted, unfortunately) and this is what the bottle says:

This antibacterial oil is diluted to 15% to help soothe and cleanse.  Apply directly to the skin to help combat spots.

Ingredients are the following:  aqua (water), alcohol denat (denatured alcohol?), melaleuca alternifolia (the tea tree oil), polysorbate 60

If we're to go by conventional wisdom, the first ingredient in an ingredient list is the most plentiful in volume, so I guess this little bottle (10ml) is actually mostly water and alcohol denat.  My next bottle is either going to be more of the same (The Body Shop) or I may spring for one of the other brands that I saw the last time I was at Beauty Bar Greenbelt 5, which have a higher percentage of melaleuca oil.

The bottle has a sort of eucalyptus-y scent, so it's actually rather pleasant.  It's definitely an oil.  I use it to  treat my skin when I feel a pimple on its way - the dreaded bump under the skin that means a pimple is on the way - no head on it - but definitely there.  I dab a little oil on the emerging pimple with a clean fingertip and that's it,  I forget about it. I re-apply at night.  Next day, the bump is smaller.  I apply some more for 2 or 3 more days to make sure that it's gone, and that's it. Usually, it's a case of "Voila!  Pimple gone!" (I also use a little of it on my feet to make sure my feet stay fresh-smelling. Sort of like foot deodorant.. Tea tree oil works!)