Review: Leivy Naturally Double Moisturising Shower Cream and Ivy Naturale Brightening Shower Cream

*Updated 9/10/2015 to include additional prices* Identifying Information Product name: Leivy Naturally Double Moisturising Shower Cream and Ivy Naturale Brightening Shower Cream;  *From what I've seen online, Leivy and Ivy seem to be different lines of shower cream by the same manufacturer. Websites still display both lines so I suppose that they both still exist and one is not a replacement of the other. Ivy has a variant with goat's milk too and Leivy has one with papaya and licorice. Price: Leivy Naturally Double Moisturising Shower Cream 250mL - PhP 99.00 [500mL bottle - PhP 170.00 and 450mL refill - PhP 150.00] Ivy Naturale Brightening Shower Cream 1L - PhP 199.00 (I got it on sale for PhP 169.00) Description:  Leivy Naturally Double Moisturising Shower Cream

• with purified goat's milk and milk protein
• lightens skin tone
• double moisturising for very dry skin
• From the Ivy website:
• Ideal for very dry skin.
• Mild and gentle formulation with double moisturising effect to restore and retain moisture to body.
• Rich with vitamin A, B and E, protein, minerals and fatty acids.
• Also contains sodium caseinate and lactic acid.

Ivy Naturale Brightening Shower Cream

• with papaya extract, licorice extract, Nanowhite and Moist 24
• 24 hour moisturising
• smoothing and brightening
• for fairer and softer skin
• Copied word for word from the description at the back of the bottle:
• "Papaya has always been known to clean the skin and act as a natural and gentle peeling agent, thus making the skin smoother and softer."
• "A gentle shower cream formulated with Papaya Extract and Licorice Extract that leave skin visible refreshed, with a radiant glow. Papain--the enzyme that promote elimination of dead skin cells. Licorice Extract is plant substance with proven skin brightening functions."
• "Nanowhite is a combination of brightening and anti-oxidant ingredients. Nanowhite contains Arbutin from bearberry leaves that brightens skin tone and helps against pigmentation disorder. Nanowhite also contains glutathione, which is a strong anti-oxidant to protect your skin from harsh environment. Its vitamin that anti-oxidant, anti-aging and brightening proterties as well."

Product Origin: Malaysia Where I bought it: Watsons, SM Supercenter Pasig *I went to SM Supercenter/Hypermarket Pasig earlier and I saw the Leivy shower creams on display. They were in a different packaging compared to the one I have and they were more expensive too. If I remember correctly, they were priced at PhP 239.00 (or was it PhP 289.00? Hmm.) for the 1L bottles. The different kinds I saw were the Simply Nourishing Shower Cream with Royal Jelly and Honey; Double Moisturising, Brightening and Firming Shower Cream Enriched with Goat's Milk, Papaya and Licorice; and the Brightening Shower Cream with Papaya Enzyme and Licorice Extract. These products are locally distributed by a company named Genson Distribution, Inc. For more information on the products, visit their website. History: I bought the Leivy goat's milk shower cream back in February 2015 and I purchased the Ivy papaya shower cream last month, June 2015.
Physical Examination:

Review: Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control

Identifying Information Product name: Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control in No. 21 Natural Beige, 15g Price: PhP 1,950.00  Description: "New concept Cushion BB for Pore Control + Pore Coverage + Semi-matt Finish + Water resistant + Long lasting + Sunscreen + Cooling Effect" Here's a photo containing the description, claims, shades and instructions for use of this BB cushion. I'm placing it here since it's a lot easier to read/look at. ;)
Photo taken from the Laneige Malaysia website:

Product Origin: South Korea Where I bought it: Laneige, SM Megamall History: I purchased this for my birthday last November 2014. I have since finished up the original BB cushion in the case and I've put in the refill. I believe there's roughly about 30-40% left in it at present.

Review: Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation

Identifying Information Product name: Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Fresh Complexion Oil Free Foundation in 115 Buff Beige, 30ml Price: PhP 495.00 Description: "One simple step for a flawless, natural look that lasts all day. The formula blends easily to even skin tone and reduces shine all day. Oil free. Won't clog pores. Suitable for sensitive skin. Lasts all day." Product Origin: USA Where I bought it: SM Megamall Department Store History: I purchased it about a month ago and I've been using it regularly since then. 
Physical Examination:

This was taken a few hours after the photo above was taken. Notice the shine on my nose and forehead. I have combination-oily skin and for me that shine you see is still tolerable. 

HAHAHA

Sorry for the poor quality of the photo. The point of this photo was to show how my face with foundation on compares (or matches) to the skin on my neck.

Ingredients:

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Propylene Glycol, Talc, Dimethicone, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Sodium Chloride, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, PVP, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer, Trihydroxystearin, Arachidyl Behenate, Methicone, Silica, Sodium Benzoate, Synthetic Wax, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Hexyl Laurate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Ethylene Brassylate, Behenic Acid, Polyethylene. May Contain/Peut Contenir: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides.

Salient Features Positives:

• Feels lightweight on the skin
• Easy to apply using fingers and/or makeup sponge 
• I don't use makeup brushes to apply foundation so I can't comment on that aspect. I'm planning to buy a foundation brush soon though!
• Good oil control
• I used this on an extremely hot and humid day. I applied my makeup at around noontime and topped it off with a light dusting of the Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous powder foundation and 3W Clinic's Natural Makeup Powder. As this was a special occasion, I also used Innisfree's No Sebum Primer. I was sweating buckets prior to the graduation march because we lined up outside the venue and we were under the scorching heat of the sun. My makeup stayed in place! I didn't blot my face or anything but my makeup still looked good in photos after the event. My family, my boyfriend and I had dinner and I still didn't blot before or after that. Of course my face was getting oily towards the end of the day but it was the good kind. It was not the bad, gross kind wherein I needed to blot and touch up stat. 
• On a regular hot and sweaty day here in the Philippines though and using this foundation without any primer, my face would get oily at about 4 - 5 hours. Oiliness would be most evident on my nose. Shine would still be tolerable as I don't find the urgency to blot right away. The amount of oil is definitely reduced compared to when I'm using other products. The foundation does claim to reduce shine, not totally eliminate it. I believe this is what a natural look is supposed to be.
• Does not get cakey when layered, when I get oily, or when topped with powder
• I don't see any clumps of product on the sides of my nose even when the foundation has mixed with sebum.
• Has a demi-matte finish
• The packaging is superb. It is made of an easy to squeeze plastic tube with a nozzle. It dispenses the right amount of product and is not messy at all. No problems with breakage or taking it with you during travels.
• No allergic reactions, no skin irritations
• Barely discernible scent
• It has a faint chemical smell but I can only smell it if I put the nozzle extremely close to my nares (nostrils) and sniff it from there. I don't smell it when I'm applying it on my face. My nose is fairly sensitive and this does not trigger my allergic rhinitis. 
• Did not cause me to breakout
• Does not settle in or emphasize pores
• No SPF
• This is a positive feature for me since I needed a foundation with no SPF for the occasion I purchased this product for. I needed a foundation with no SPF to make sure that there would be no white cast during flash photography.
• The manufacturing date is printed on a sticker.
• Good for 12 months once opened

Negatives:

• Feels faintly sticky upon application
• Powders can be easily blended on top of it so it's not a big deal for me.
• Compared to other base make-up products I've tried, this would be considered as barely to not sticky!
• May oxidize a little bit
• However it's barely noticeable, well at least for me
• Limited shade range available here in the Philippines - however this is the company's or distributor's responsibility, not the product's fault
• No safety seal/sticker on the cap or nozzle
• I'm sure the saleslady gave me a new tube since she got it from a cabinet but this safety seal would provide more assurance as to the freshness of the product. :)

Impression/Rating: 8/10

Discussion: Graduation day was coming and I was in need of a new foundation for my graduation makeup. The bottles of liquid foundation I had were all old and needed to be disposed of. The other base makeup products that I had were all BB creams and powder foundations but I didn't want to use them for the occasion. This led me to research on good and affordable foundations. I watched several videos on YouTube about top drugstore foundations and saw this one. In depth video and blog reviews on it were all praises about it so I made my purchase and I'm glad I did. It's good for daily use and it also proved itself worthy of use during special occasions. 

Prognosis: I will continue using this product and it is highly likely that I will repurchase it once I run out. I may try other foundation makeup in the future (like the Covergirl Outlast 3-in-1 foundation, but that's more expensive) but the important thing to me is that I now know of a foundation that I can rely on. If you're looking for a new foundation and you'd like to try something affordable but has good quality, I highly recommend this one.

Other things I want to say not related to the product being reviewed:
Hello! If you're reading this part of my blog post, I would like to thank you for the time you spent reading! I'm going to try and blog more regularly/often from now on. I will also try to take photos using a proper camera for better quality. I do not edit my photos or add filters to them. The only editing I do is adding my blog's URL on the photos. I'm not really the artistic type so I'm also not adept at taking pictures. *Cue Bigbang's Loser*

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, feel free to post it below or reach me thru different social media. :)