The best part of becoming a VIP at SampleRoom PH is that I was able to grab the complete sampler set of Shiseido's latest skincare line, IBUKI, designed for women of the Millenials whose lifestyle is pretty much like mine.

So here's the story of my life right now. I am a medical transcription editor and a writer for various publications who maintains 2 blogs and a couple of websites. Between those mentally taxing occupations, I also find time to manage social media accounts for family businesses and my own (which btw is more than I can count with my fingers). There's also our own café I run and sometimes cook for and I buy groceries more or less 2 x a week. In spite of all that, I spend time with my husband watching TV shows over lunch or dinner and play with our Little Mao/Noodlelito who is quite a sponge nowadays learning and absorbing everything around him. Then of course, I haven't stopped breastfeeding him... because why not? There are also times I need to perform my duty as a Barangay Councilor who heads the Health and Sanitation Committee in our district. All these and you might wonder how I manage to get around my daily life, camwhoring and doing selfies after I experiment with makeup? Well, there's no secret except to be ready for anything.

Let me explain further. I am a bit insecure (just a little bit!) because my skin lately has been awful. Dang! Before I got pregnant, my hormones were already acting up but I had enough moolah to buy all the beauty products and supplements I need to maintain a radiant glow and glorious skin. And only tried a glutathione injection once but I didn't pursue it. It was just an experiment because you know me, I'd try anything as long as it won't get me killed or convicted. Tee hee. I do embrace my own skin tone and do not want to be super fair FYI. So anyway, fast forward to 3 years later, happily married with a bouncing baby boy, my finances cannot support my old beauty regimen as I have other priorities now (read: immunization and vaccines) and so I have to be wise as a mother and a wife.

Enter Shiseido Ibuki skincare. Makeup is only the icing on the cake. For me to regain my confidence to be able to brave the world out there without insecurities is to have great skin. If you have it, then you're sure to look good even without makeup. I used to need a ton of beauty products but when I used Shiseido's Ibuki line, it all just boiled down to 4-5 items. It's basically everything a working woman in her 20's and 30's need to get that clean, glowing skin that masks all the stress and the late nights she has to put up with in this day and age. Here, I'll show you.

First, there's a Purifying Cleanser. I love the exfoliating effect of this product. People who are sensitive to fragrances may need to adjust to Shiseido's signature scent because it can be pretty strong for some. I love the totally floral smell of it. It has these super tiny microbeads that gets rid of those dead skin layer on your face. It is recommended to use it sporadically but I have oily skin and I find it best that I use it daily. Also, you only need a wee bit pea-size amount to clean your whole face! I imagine this 30 mL tube would last me at least 2 months. For people who have normal skin, I think their Gentle Cleanser is more suited.


The next thing to do after cleaning your skin is, of course, to use a toner. Cleansers can be drying and we don't want that for our face. Imagine concrete roads, they crack under the heat of the sun. Hosing it down with water is pretty much the kindness you can do to avoid any accidents. I know it's weird to compare your face to a cement road, but why not? You get the picture. So now the toner or the Softening Concentrate, as what Shiseido's Ibuki line calls it, is by far the best-smelling toner I've used. The Purifying Cleanser leaves my face squeaky clean but when I apply the toner, it's as supple as my baby's bum! No really, it does make skin automatically feel hydrated. It's like rain on a hot summer's day. Visualize it.


Okay, next we have two types of moisturizers. The Protective Moisturizer with SPF 15 is obviously for daytime use and the Refining Moisturizer is for nighttime. They both do the same thing as they intensively correct the appearance of unevenness, i.e., pores, breakout or blemish marks, and roughness of the skin. The major thing I noticed is how it made my skin feel soooooooooo smooth. Like 100% smoother! Which means, putting on my foundation, concealers, and powder is so much easier. The daytime formula is a bit thicker compared to the runny consistency of the nighttime formula.


The last product I got to test, which I think is definitely the best thing in the Ibuki line, is the Eye Correcting Cream. I've been using different eye creams in the recent months but this Ibuki one is the only thing that helped to conceal the dark circles under my eyes. You know now that I sleep at least 4 hours a day only so you can just imagine the Panda eyes the moment I wake up. It's true! I'm scary like that when I've just woken up.
The Eye Correcting Cream does wonders at cooling my puffy eyes and because it is salmon-colored, this is probably why it helps in diminishing my dark circles. Although I would still need a concealer to effectively cover the dark circles, nevertheless, the Eye Correcting Cream is like caffeine for the eyes! For me, it instantly brightens my sleepy-looking tired peepers.


Overall, my experience with the Ibuki line is nothing but terrific! You know I need all the beauty doses I can get and even though sleep is really the best cure out there, some of us don't have the luxury of enjoying it. But now, with Shiseido's Ibuki line which is a premium skincare for the women of today, even stressed out Maria Claras who juggle work and family life like a pro circus member can experience the luxurious skincare and treatment tailor made just for us. I believe that the continued use of these products will prolong the aging process that stress can cause. Makeup enthusiasts such as myself can never underestimate the power of skincare. Plus this is a Japanese brand!!! You can never go wrong... like ever.

How does one become ready for anything? To do this, you’ll need to manage your priorities first. Stress is the biggest enemy but if you summon your “ibuki” (息吹) which is your inner strength then you can do anything. As a huge fan of everything Japanese and believing that IBUKI means inner strength, renewal and resilient enough to endure and emerge beautiful, I now know that Shiseido Ibuki is the answer to my skin troubles. Apparently, stress manifests a lot physically; it has taken a toll on my skin and I need all the help I can get being awake for 20 hours a day to get the job done as an editor, blogger, tech support, entrepreneur, public servant, breastfeeding mom, and basically, an all-around Jill of all trades.

This is what I do and I love it!

The moment you wake up each day you have choices to make. Before anything else, I give thanks for a brand-new day, take a shower, wash my face, follow my skincare routine religiously, apply makeup if I have to, and try to look my best for the day so I can conquer it. I take my list of Things To Do. Prioritize then do the tasks as required. It does help to finish the easier chores first, and then move on to the more difficult ones. (Siri also reminds me of things I need to accomplish... like A LOT of times throughout the day.) Bottomline: I can be ready for anything if I have good time management. Honestly, it's all about timing. As an editor, I usually do the shorter files first then go on and deal with the longer ones. I seem to finish faster that way and I get more time to do the other things I have to. I also multitask a lot, e.g., breastfeeding while managing social network accounts, doing inventory and buying groceries for both stores and for our own consumption, and taking care of my skin with Shiseido Ibuki products at the same time healing them from stress-related problems.

#TBT #ThrowbackThursday from 5 years ago when I used Shiseido products exclusively -- Benefique, Whisis, Purewhite, Perfect Whip, and just the medicated baby powder. MUST GET THIS BACK NO MATTER WHAT!

If my skin can be brought back to life, there’s no reason for me not to bring life to everything that I do. I think balance and harmony can easily be achieved if you surround yourself in beauty and see the beautiful things around you.

Big thanks to SampleRoom.PH for introducing me to the awesome Shiseido Ibuki skincare line. Register now and be a part of a great community where you can find and test the right products for you. Try before you buy! 

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