The Nose Knows: Not another beauty blog

 

I once read that our sense of smell is closely linked with memory, probably more so than any of our senses. Supposedly, memories triggered by scent have some of the strongest emotional connection and are found to be more intense than other memory triggers. I couldn't agree more. I had one such emotional  experience with my sister, Liz because of this particular perfume that left me almost in tears. I have been obsessed with perfumes lately and, yesterday I had the chance to do a wear taste on Chanel Chance Eau Tendre. By the way, this perfume is pretty strong on projection and sillage so never at any point did any one of us took off our face masks to get a good whiff of its scent.

At the store, I had a few spritzes on my left arm and, almost immediately I remembered something distinctly similar to a perfume from my younger years. I told my sister that it definitely smelled familiar. I was sure that it was a scent that someone close to me from way back used to wear. I just couldn't put my finger on it and on who. Over dinner, I checked the drydown on my skin and it now smelled like a "mommy" scent to me, a fragrance for someone more mature. I told Liz and she agreed. She said that after the initial spray that's how it smelled to her but she kept her thoughts to herself.  When we got home, I did a last smell check and then it finally hit me! I could actually see the moment and the person who smelled like it on my mind. It was our Mama! I excitedly told Liz that it was Mama that I was actually remembering all along. Her reaction was one of surprise and disbelief because she had the exact same realization early on. Truth was, from the moment she caught the opening notes of the initial spray she already knew. Good for her. It reminded her of Mama but she didn't say anything thinking that it was just her and, that she could be wrong. She didn't trust her nose enough these days as she's been having problems with her overly sensitive sense of smell lately. We both couldn't believe it. Mama probably got frustrated already and decided that my faulty memory needed a little nudge in the right direction. 🙈

It was such an overwhelming, powerful feeling to be able to feel her presence in a most unexpected way. I had to make Mat and Nadine take a sniff of the perfume in my arm so they'll know how their lola Eleanor smelled like. I even described to them the memory of Mama that this powdery floral scent evoked- the clothes she was wearing, her jewelries and, how her hair was styled. It must have been a Dior perfume that she owned or, something from Chanel but, whatever it was, I'm just grateful for that moment. A good friend said after hearing this story that she found it really touching and that Mama is still watching over us. She is our angel. We may sometimes forget her when we get too caught up in our own lives but, now I know for sure she will always be there looking out for us, no matter how much time has passed or how old we become. 💗

Indian Aztec Healing Clay: YAY or NAY?

I first heard of this "miracle" product several months back when I came across this obviously sponsored feature article on Facebook. Droves of people would line up outside this store in Manila eager to get their hands on this tub of healing clay powder, touted to be the world's most powerful facial, or so it claims.  This beauty junkie's curiosity was instantly piqued. Haha! I did my research by reading reviews and watching videos on anything and everything about Indian Aztec Healing Clay that I could find on the net and, there were a lot!

The more I learned about the product, the more excited I became in wanting to try it myself. I was able to purchase a tub at a Healthy Options store in Alabang for under six hundred pesos. I was worried that they wouldn't have it on stock because it was such on high demand and, it wasn't on their shelves. Turns out they keep all their stocks in a cabinet in the payment counter and, you just have to ask for it. Since then, I have been consistently using it once a week for more than eight months now. More than enough time for a product to produce results and, for me to evaluate if  it can deliver its promised benefits.  

A medium size tub sold in retail outlets contains one pound of clay powder that is supposedly good for 15 facials. I am only halfway through the product and, I've used it for more than twice that number so I'm still good for at least thirty more. Preparing the clay mask is fairly easy. You simply mix equal amounts of clay powder and your preferred solvent, either water or apple cider vinegar, then stir the mixture until you get a smooth paste. Add a little more liquid if necessary to get the desired consistency.

Apply the mask to the face, avoiding the eye and lip area and, leave it to dry for 5 to 20 minutes depending on your skin sensitivity. Two things to expect during and after application - pulsating sensation while the clay hardens and your skin begins to tighten and, slight redness after rinsing. I have only experienced that throbbing sensation maybe twice since I started using it so I don't know if that's a bad thing or not. As for redness, it is a normal skin reaction that should go away after several minutes. In my case, I didn't change my skincare routine so after my facial, I always still follow it up with toning and moisturizing. I read that this type of facial mask has the tendency to dry out your skin so don't skip your moisturizer. In place of my regular night moisturizer, however, I use my Nature Republic Aloe Vera gel because of its calming properties and cooling effect on the skin.

I tried using water and apple cider vinegar as solvent for comparison. Between the two, I find that it's easier to achieve a smoother paste with the vinegar. Using water to dissolve the clay powder can be quite tricky.  Removing the clay mask from your face is the bigger challenge, though. I made the mistake of washing my face in our bathroom sink and within weeks, we had a clogged drain. What I do now is to use a 'tabo' or dipper half filled with water to slowly rinse off the mask and, then I dump the dirty water on the toilet. I do this process about three or four times until my face is completely clean and there are no clay residues left. The clay + vinegar mixture dries up faster compared to the clay + water mixture which does not harden so you don't really feel that pulling and tightening sensation on your skin. Which is why washing it off your face can be a bit frustrating because it feels like thick cream that doesn't want to come off.  The smell of the apple cider vinegar is something that you need to get used to but I prefer it over water not just for reasons already mentioned but, also because its combination with the clay powder produces a more potent solution. 

Vinegar mixture (L) versus Water mixture (R)

So what is it exactly and will it live up to its hype? The main and only ingredient listed on its packaging is 100% Natural Calcium Bentonite Clay. It is an absorbent type of clay that is formed from aged volcanic ashes. Its unique composition can absorb negatively charged toxins and because of its ability to cleanse impurities from the skin it has become a popular ingredient in skincare products. With regular use, your skin is supposed to look and feel better because of what the product promises to do namely:

- unclog skin pores and shrinks them (from big pores to no pores)
- control overproduction of sebum (goodbye oily skin!)
- soften skin and give your face that 'glow' from within
- exfoliate and remove dead skin cells when mixed with apple cider vinegar
- reduce the appearance of scars
- give you an even skin tone 

My skin type is normal to dry. I never had problems with oiliness and, though I have small pores I do experience minor breakouts occasionally because of hormonal imbalance. When I started doing this clay mask facial, I had a few small bumps on my forehead which I was hoping this product would take care of. I waited for weeks for this product to amaze me and I even asked my son to use it himself . After months of continuous use, I did not see any visible dramatic change on my skin. The small bumps on my forehead were still there. A small pimple would still pop up here and there. I'd wake up to find that pimple still looking exactly the same as it did before my facial the night before. The slight discoloration on a tiny area on my left cheek because of a skin allergy from years ago did not lighten at all.     

This is not to say that the product is bogus. I so badly wanted it to do its job plus, I didn't want it to be a complete waste of money but, it just didn't work for me. As for my son, he used it a few times but he also didn't notice or feel any positive difference on his skin. Maybe it's more suitable for those with problematic skin conditions but, I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying out this product. What I would suggest is to look for legit sellers who repack and sell this in smaller sizes so you can test it out first. 

I'm happy that those pesky tiny bumps on my forehead are no longer there and, that spot on my right check has improved considerably, no thanks to this product. It took just a few days of use of this Korean snail essence to do what this product couldn't in several months. So if you'll ask me, I will continue using what's left of the product but, I will definitely NOT repurchase. It didn't break me out or made my skin worse so, I will just treat it as a regular deep cleanser. Yes, I am disappointed but hey, that's how it goes with skincare. Each person's skin is unique and so, you have to be prepared to go through a few "trials and errors", hopefully with no major or permanent damage to your skin, in that quest to find your own Holy Grail, the one that's perfect for you.

Get more bang for the buck with your Citibank rewards points

If you have a Citibank credit card and, you enjoy shopping on credit to earn rewards points that you can use to redeem an item or, to pay for your recent and future purchases then, this is for you.

Have you ever received an SMS from Citiph that looks like the picture below? Well, I always get one after almost every transaction that I make using my Citibank card. 

My husband had been encouraging me to use my points because he was worried that I might forget about them. He was so thrilled at the thought that Citibank made it so much easier for their cardholders to pay for their purchases like food, gasoline, groceries, utilities, clothes etc, using your points. All it takes is just one click at the link provided in their text message; no more waiting, no more phone calls to their customer hotline. Great, right? Well, that’s what we thought.

I have been using their card since 1995 and, was able to redeem gift checks and shop using my points quite a few times in the past. And for as long as I can remember, the conversion has always been 1 peso for every 10 points. In their website, it gives you exactly the same information. 

Over a month ago, I bought an item from Charles & Keith and, decided to use my points to pay for it. I waited for the SMS from Citibank and clicked the link, which by the way expires after 24 hours from receipt, that will take me to their website. It was my first time so, I was both excited and anxious that something might go wrong during the processing and, I would end up losing my points. Thankfully, nothing of that sort happened. I was just happy to be able to buy something for "FREE". Well, almost.

Fast forward to November. With Christmas just around the corner, it’s shopping season once again so, I can certainly use whatever is left of my hard earned  points that I have been collecting over the years. I checked the balance of my rewards points on my current statement and, was surprised and confused that it was lower than what I expected. So, I retrieved my previous statement from my file and, discovered that the number of points deducted from my account was indeed higher than my own computation. I thought at first that I might have used my points again for another transaction but, just couldn’t remember or account for it. I decided to give Citibank a call for clarification.

After almost a week of making follow-up calls and talking to four different Citiphone officers, who couldn’t really give me a definitive explanation, I was finally told that redeeming points through the SMS link is actually a promotional offer so the computation is different. Basically, you’re paying a premium for the added convenience. So instead of the usual 1 is to 10, the conversion becomes 1 peso is to 15 points. Whoa! Of course, I raised hell over this but, that’s a different story. 😄 Mind you that this information was never communicated to their cardholders through email, snail mail or SMS. Seems they just conveniently forgot to include that fine print in all of their correspondences with their clients. So anyway, it wasn’t possible for them to credit back the extra 14000 points that I was contesting and, the best solution they could offer was to charge back the cost of the item to my card and, credit back all the points deducted to my account. I agreed to it right away but, with all the stress that this brouhaha gave me I wasn’t going to settle for a not-so-happy ending. I asked the Citiphone officer if there was a way for me to still redeem my points using the original conversion and, she said that I can do it directly through the website.

So how does it work? First, go to the Citibank online website on your mobile phone or laptop. If you don’t have an online account yet, this is the time to create one. 

Log in with your username and password, and you will be directed to a page that shows you your available rewards points as well as your outstanding balance. 

Next, click on Rewards & Offers (Picture A) and, a window will pop up asking you to authenticate your identity by providing one-time PIN that will be sent to your mobile number (Picture B).

 

Picture A

Picture B

Key in the OTP and once you're done, you should be able to see the Home page of the Rewards program. 

Click REDEEM NOW then choose Vouchers and Cash option. 

 

 

 

Cash credits are available in different denominations and, the best part is the conversion is lower compared to points redemption via the SMS link. So you see, doing it through their website is not really that hard if you think about it. As far as convenience is concerned, as long as you have internet connection you can do it anytime and anywhere because you don’t have to worry about the 24-hour deadline.

I don’t know about you, but for me every point counts so, I don’t mind spending a few more minutes on my cellphone or laptop if that means getting more value for my money. In other words, if you’re like me just ignore those text messages from Citiph and, do it the hard way. The first time might be a bit tricky for the technologically-challenged but, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. Eventually. Haha. Remember, anything worth having is worth the extra sweat. 😉

Goin' gaga over Korean skincare

Currently obsessed with Korean skincare. Haha. I figured there must be something in their products that's making their skin dewy and glassy-looking. Except for the occasional pimples here and there and, a few tiny bumps on my forehead, I really have no major skin issues. But, since my skin can now be classified as "mature", I had to do some research to find out if my skincare regimen was still suitable for my age. I tried the much raved about 10-step Korean skincare method and, though it did work wonders on my skin it's not really something I can do every single night. It's too much work. So, with some tweaking I came up with my own daily skincare routine that's more manageable and, just right for what my skin needs using products that I already have along with a few new purchases.  More importantly, I've picked up a few tricks & secrets about Korean skincare that seem simple enough yet, often ignored but, actually make a lot of difference.  First, pat don't rub products on your skin for better absorption. Second, don't forget that your neck and eyes need TLC, too. Third, everything that you put on your face will be rendered useless if you don't wear sunblock. Even if it's cloudy, the sun is still there. Fourth, you're never too young to use serum or an essence on top of your regular moisturizer. Fifth, exfoliate at least once a week. Lastly, double cleansing with an oil-based cleanser followed by a water-based facial wash, is the way to go. There ain't no shortcuts if you want a picture-perfect skin. So who says old dogs can't learn new tricks? This almost golden girl is just getting started.