ADVERTORIAL 

The struggle is real, ladies and gentlemen. As Filipinas (or Asians), we have been taught to love the skin we're in, but in reality, fairer skin just seems more desirable when you're living in the Far East, the Philippines in particular. I tried to wrap my head around it for the longest time but alas, whitening and lightening products are just inevitable as the humidity that hangs in the air. Well, if you can't beat them, just join them, right? Or blame it on Maslow's hierarchy of needs or simple peer pressure.

So it's usually after summer vacation that I go around hunting for the most effective whitening product, when I'm ready for my tan to fade faster. Again, if I haven't emphasized it enough in my previous whitening soap reviews, I don't want paper white skin. But since my skin burns really fast, I always end up with uneven skintone and getting the right powder/foundation shade becomes a burning issue.

When I was in high school, I heavily relied on soaps and lotions to maintain a fairer and more even skintone. Having to stay under the scorching heat of the sun during school activities was not something I looked forward to. We didn't have airconditioned classrooms so we had to open windows, right? Considering vanity as my favorite sin, I have had researched and learned decades ago that even the light that reflects on the concrete pavement was not good for the skin. As much as possible I tried to stay in the shade, but you know there were times where it was simply unavoidable.

Fast forward 15 years later, I've come across 2 soaps that reminded me of what it was like the first time I stumbled into the world of whitening soaps.



Wait, hang on just a minute... what do we have here? These whitening soaps are from OLAY! And they’re very affordable (even for students!) since you can try out the small ones for just PHP15! But take note this isn't like those old school super cheap but apparently harsh bleaching soaps like the ones from C.Y. Gabriel. Check out the ingredients and see if there's anything you might be allergic to.


Some whitening soaps that I've tried, mainly ones that I suspect contain bleach, make my skin itch like crazy. Olay Natural White soap doesn't do that to my skin. I've used Olay products for years, mostly their moisturizers and facial creams and right now I'm actually using Olay Aquaction products which I'll soon be reviewing, too. Since Olay has been around for ages and is actually known as the World’s # 1 Facial Skincare brand, I was excited to try out the Olay Natural White soaps even before summer begins. You know I'm all for trying out all sorts of beauty products but if it comes from an internationally renowned and premium skin care brand which is trusted by millions of women worldwide, it's simply a no-brainer. And do you know that Olay happens to be also #1 in the Philippines?


I've tried both variants already. The one with papaya extract which is specially made for the Philippine market reminds me a lot of those organic papaya soaps I've tried before. It smells so delicious and moisturizes my skin well. I can vouch for the effectiveness of papaya extract after all these years of using products that contain this essential ingredient.


On the other hand, if papaya extract isn't your cup of tea, then the Olay Natural White soap with the grape seed extract (that's 20 x Vitamin C!) is an alternative which smells like a baby's soap, you know almost like the gentle Tender Care soaps if I'm not mistaken. Vitamin C, based on my experience, is also effective when it comes to skin whitening.


So what makes the Olay Natural White soaps so special? I believe it's the TRIPLE WHITENING SYSTEM. Why use different soaps when you can use one that does everything? First, it exfoliates, then it brightens and in the end, you'll have even skintone! And those are exactly the things that I look for in whitening soaps..

Olay Natural White soaps with Triple Whitening System

It's got basically everything I need in a single soap! Why settle for anything less when you can get the best? Oh and I really love how it lathers up and how sudsy it gets.

• Use Olay Natural White soap in the shower twice a day – in the morning and in the evening before you sleep.
• While in shower, lather liberally especially in areas that require extra attention (areas that are rougher, a bit darker in skin tone, or are subjected to friction from clothes or other fabric).  Use a puff for a more indulgent feel. This will also enhance the effect of the exfoliation.
• Treat your skin with care.  Pat your skin dry with a clean towel after shower.  Make sure you don’t scrub your skin to avoid friction which causes skin irritation.

MyMaria Loves Olay Natural White!

Truth be told, going blonde wasn't one of the sporadic decisions I've made in my life because I had actually given it a lot of thought beforehand. It's not like dyeing your hair to a different shade of brown because as soon as your hair grows, those dark roots can be a tad ugly in contrast with your blonde mane. I'm blessed (cursed?) with hair that grows super slow, so that means it would take at least a month of growth before it looks obvious that it would call for a "retouch" of those roots.

It's 2015 and I'm still blonde!

You can read about my Blonde Ambition journey HERE, HERE, and HERE. First of all, you need to remember that it is a process. Blonde hair doesn't happen in one go, especially if you're a brunette. Because if you do that, you might as well shave your head since you'll be left with nothing but a mop of dead hair. Apparently, bleaching your hair is essentially killing it already.

TIP: Buying powder bleach in bulk comes out cheaper.

Because I'm all for DIY (do-it-yourself) projects, I found two ways to get rid of those dark roots without professional assistance. You can do these right at home. First, there's the typical bleach. I prefer using the powder one (the blue-colored powder) over any gel/cream/liquid/whatever is there. Some would add hydrogen peroxide to their mixture but I don't. I only use either a 30 vol. or 40 vol. (9% or 12%) developer/oxidation lotion for my solution. Bleach is the easier and fastest way to lighten your hair but know that you take the risk of damaging your hair.

Using powder bleach to touch up those dark roots.

Do remember to wear gloves when you apply this to your hair because bleach is pretty strong and it burns the skin. (It smells like pee, too!) Which is why it isn't really advisable to apply it on your scalp and you have to wash it off in just a matter of minutes. The results, however, are always satisfactory, at least for me since I have fine hair and it doesn't take much to get it colored.


Sometimes my hair gets too yellow or too brassy over time, so in order to get that particular shade of blonde which I like, either Pale Golden Blonde or Light Ash Blonde, I'd have to use my own homemade purple toner/shampoo/conditioner. (Read This!)


Another way to touch up those dark roots is by using the lightest hair color you can find such as the Palty Sparkling Blonde hair color or the above pictured super affordable Best Lure Joynna hair color in Fade/0.0 which costs only Php 40 from my local beauty supply store. Same drill as the bleach by mixing it with a 30 vol. or 40 vol. (9% or 12%) developer/oxidation lotion.

Using the lightest shade of hair coloring dye for dark roots.

For its price, you'd expect the cheap hair dye to smell like crap but not this one! I also tried the Best Lure Joynna hair color in Lightest Ash Blonde 11.1 and it really doesn't have any of that strong off-putting scent. In my experience, it doesn't leave hair dry but still don't forget to use conditioner or treatment when you wash it off. I like to use Cream Silk daily treatment + conditioner every day when I take a shower. But once a week I shampoo my hair and I reach out for my favorite shampoo/conditioner, which as of the moment is the white Palmolive one that's made for dull hair.


It gets my hair clean and doesn't leave it dry at all. It also seems to make my blonde hair shine all the more. And isn't that the whole point of having blonde hair?

Giving Rapunzel a run for her money.

One of the advantages of going blonde is that I can play with all sorts of temporary/semi-permanent  hair dyes, too. Bottomline is it's just more fun being blonde. Period.


Additionally, there are also a few more products that I use to keep it healthy and full of life. Devoid of its natural color, one would assume my hair is practically dead. But it doesn't have to be that way thanks to these products that I've discovered through SampleRoom and BDJ Box.


These are lightweight products that are suitable for fine hair. The Lucido-L hair supplements, the Curling Milk and the Treatment Oil, are products I never thought would do my hair any good. But I absolutely love them! For styling purposes, I needed just 2 drops of the Curling Milk to give my hair volume. I apply it on my damp hair then blow dry the heck out of it using nothing else but my hands. It's also a great setting lotion.

 
The same goes for the Vitress hair cuticle coats for times when I'm feeling glamorous and want a bit of wave/curl to my hair while protecting it from further damage with all the heat. The Cynos Moroccan Argan Oil is what I use after bleaching my hair because it does a superb job at preventing dryness. The rich argan oil easily brings it back to life and makes it shiny and soft, too! The Dove daily hair vitamins breathe life to my hair easily with no effort at all and leave my golden mane looking so naturally soft and shiny as you can see in the pic below.


As you can plainly see, for over a year now, I've been sporting this blonde hair and there's still no sign of brittleness nor split ends! (Or maybe it's too light that I can't hardly see it?) Can you believe it's been well over a year and a half since I got a pixie cut and my hair is still this short?!? So in conclusion, with the right products, one can get super shiny natural looking blonde hair that would make any Barbie jealous and without having to sell and arm or a leg, too. Tee hee.

French braids are so pretty.

Now that my crowning glory has grown a bit longer, I can start experimenting with different hairstyles again! Looking forward to more hair adventures this 2015 and also thinking of doing pastel hair soon. What do you think?

☞ CLICK HERE to read the first part of my Blonde Ambition and how it all started.☜