Volcanic Cooling Body Scrub from Human Nature (Review)

The color purple grabbed my eye when I went to the Human Nature website. There were three new rosemary-themed products on the front page, so I decided to give them a go. I ordered the Rosemary Strengthening Plus Shampoo (Php 159.75) and Conditioner (Php 159.75) and the Volcanic Cooling Scrub (Php 495).

Purple!

For this review, I'm only going to do the review on the Volcanic Cooling Scrub.

I've only used the Rosemary Strengthening Plus Shampoo and Conditioner once so I don't see any immediate effects yet. All I can say is that it smells like rosemary but in a "relaxing-spa-way" rather than the "roasted-rosemary-chicken-way". I can't tell at one use if it gave me stronger and fuller hair, but studies show that rosemary helps with hair growth (see rosemary benefits).

Going back to the Volcanic Cooling Scrub, it contains rosemary oil, eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, bamboo charcoal, and volcanic sand. The essential oils mixture cools the body and smells great. The bamboo charcoal (read benefits) and volcanic sand (read benefits) helps with drawing out toxins from the skin. Overall, it's designed to give you that home spa experience.

When it comes at the price, Php 495 for a 200ml bottle seems a little steep. It's nearly double the price of Human Nature's Natural Body Scrub (Php 275) and the St. Ives scrubs you find in the supermarket. Spas also have minty foot scrubs but I'm not sure how much they are and if they're even for sale. However, the incremental premium you're paying for is the bamboo charcoal (also known as activated charcoal) -- it's a trendy ingredient in today's beauty products.

Back-label of the Volcanic Cooling Scrub. Now, I'm curious, where did they get the volcanic sand from?

Upon squeezing out a bit at first, the product is dark grey. I'm guessing the bamboo charcoal is uniformly mixed into the liquid portion while the black scrubby beads are the volcanic sand. I'm happy they didn't skimp on the volcanic sand so the exfoliation part was quite effective.

What the Volcanic Cooling Scrub looks like

After lathering and scrubbing, I left it on for about 3 minutes. It doesn't say in the instruction to leave it on, but I just thought I ought to give the bamboo charcoal some time to absorb the toxins and for the rosemary, eucalyptus, and peppermint oils to sink in. It would be such a waste to rinse it off so quickly!

While rinsing it off, the minty-ness stuck around. I felt the coolness even more when contrasted with hot shower water. I could still feel the coolness while towel-drying. It was super relaxing. My skin felt so soft. The entire bathroom smelled like mint. *Heaven*

Final thoughts: At first use, I loved it. I thought at first it was expensive, but then this product is unique (for now) and the incremental benefits were worth it. When this bottle is finished, I'm definitely going to reorder.

Make the Most of Metro Manila Traffic

Metro Manila traffic must be the bane of every working Manileño's existence. Every year, travel time is incrementally worse. I had a friend that measured travel time every year on the final Friday before Christmas. He found that every year, same route, it takes him 20 minutes longer to get home from work. 

However, Manila traffic as of now is just something we need to make the best of. It takes me 1-1.5 hours to get home everyday. People who haven't been to Metro Manila in years are shocked at how much worse it is.

Personally, it's not something to get pissed at, because I'm used to it already. I'm sure a lot of us have gotten used to it and found ways to cope. Here are the ways I've been making the most of the downtime. Perhaps after I've shared mine, you can also share yours in the comment section!

Listen to an Audio Book from Audible

Audible App while listening to "Einstein: His Life and Universe"

I've been a subscriber of Audible (from Amazon) for 2 years and I've been able to finish over 20 audio books. Each year, I pay $149.50 for 12 credits, where 1 credit is 1 audio book. I use my credits on books that cost more than $13 to make the most of each credit. The length of each audio book can range from 6 hours to 40 hours. By the way, the first audio book is free during 30-day trial membership!

This is a very good way to keep learning (or entertained), even with your eyes closed -- that is, if you're not behind the wheel! The most recent audio book I finished was The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder. Last year, I finished the entire Eragon series through Audible. I'm currently on Einstein: His Life and Universe.

One of the major conveniences of listening to audio books on Audible is that you can pause in the middle and easily get back to where you stopped. It also syncs across all the devices you use, so you can switch from mobile > tablet > PC without getting lost.

This option is not only good for traffic jam. It's also good for generally anything that requires waiting. Like waiting for your turn at the doctor.

Learn a new language for free

Duolingo's web version

Prior to our European trip, each of us in the group decided we should learn a bit of local language. My friend recommended I check out Duolingo. It's a free app that teaches you the basics of the language. They have courses on most European languages, and then there's also Japanese, Turkish, Vietnamese, Swahili. Aside from writing and reading, the app also trains your listening and speaking skills. With Duolingo, I learned pronouns, numbers, and food.

I guess if you're not preparing for a trip abroad, there's not much motivation behind learning a new language. It's quite tough keeping the discipline to learn a new language if you don't have reason to do so. If you don't use it, you lose it. As of now, my French is back to near-zero as I haven't any practice after the trip.

Read the Local News

Philippine Daily Inquirer on Kindle App

In the morning on the way to work, I usually read the Philippine Daily Inquirer on my Kindle App or on my Kindle device. The fee is $10.99/month (~ 550php). Subscribing through the Inquirer Plus mobile app is cheaper at $9.99/month. I prefer the Kindle to lessen eye strain (no back lights).

If you're not too keen on paying for news, just visit the websites directly and bear with the ads that pop up in the middle of reading (seriously, very annoying) and potential eye strain.

Reading the news regularly is a good investment. One way to make sure you read everything is to actually pay for it. (Manghihinayang ka kung hindi mo babasahin lahat.). Don't get caught up relying on Facebook for your news. Chances are, most of what you see are driven by biases or lies. People only post news that support their opinions or agenda. The best way to be informed and get ahead of the pack is to read everything with an open mind.

I like reading the Opinion section because it's where news gets broken down and analyzed by intelligent people. I like the Business section because it's where I get ideas on how my stocks are doing or what to buy next. I like Biz Buzz on Inquirer because it's kind of like Gossip Girl but in the Philippine business world.

This option may not be for you if you easily get motion sickness in a moving vehicle. Of course, it's also not an option if you're the designated driver.

Watch Your Favorite TV shows or DVD's

Saving an episode offline on Hooq App

Cars these days can get customized with a built in TV with DVD player. You can get one of those TV Plus devices so you can catch up on your teleserye. 

If you're not into the local TV scene, just save the episodes/movies offline on your mobile app Netflix/Iflix/Hooq while you're on wifi connection. While in the car, pop in your earphones then watch the way home. 

This option is not for you if you easily get motion sickness in a moving vehicle and DEFINITELY NOT if you're the driver. Stick to the radio.

Sing-Along to the Radio or Your MP3 Player

via GIPHY

Depending on who is in the car with you, you can sing your heart out on the way home. It really helps calm one down when you're stuck in traffic jam. Just make a singing playlist from your favorite era then practice your singing for the next karaoke session with the barkada.

By the way, I only do this when I'm driving by myself.

Catch up on Sleep

via GIPHY

If none of the options above appeal to you, just close your eyes and float off to dreamland. Don't do this is you're commuting home by yourself. You might find all your valuables missing when you wake up.

via GIPHY

My Top 3 Lessons in Bag Online-Shopping

In the past two+ years of running the Bag Lust Philippines Instagram account, I've purchased a lot of things that have caught my eye. The activity of scouring what's available online and re-posting them into the baglust.ph account (which I do for free, by the way) is like daily window-shopping and wish-listing. I've ended up buying a lot more than I should!

I've had the pleasure of experiencing the good and the bad when it comes to online shopping. I'll be sharing with you some of the lessons that I've learned in the past 2 years. Feel free to add your inputs and share your experiences in the comments!

#1 Before buying, see and feel the bag yourself!

Most of the time, what you see in the picture is a lot different in person. Online stores will always put the best angle and lighting of the products.  It's not always going to look that way when you receive the actual item.

With leather, you really need to have a feel first before buying. Not all "genuine leathers" are created equally (See Here's The Truth About 'Genuine' Leather'). I ordered before one 'genuine leather' bag whose leather wrinkled in a way that I just hated. I ended up using it once then gave it away after.

Another reason why you have to check it out in person is to see if it fits you. Try it out and look in a full length mirror. Personally, I ask myself: "Does this bag make my butt look big?". There are plenty of websites that say what kind of bags look food for certain body types, but I say let your instincts kick in on what looks good on you.

As much as possible, visit the physical store or check them out in pop ups and bazaars. Perhaps you can also ask a friend to show you if they've previously bought one before. However, going through the hassle of seeing it in person has to correlate to the risk of how much the item is. The pricier it is, the more you have to check it out in person. I know it defeats the purpose of "online shopping" but I'd rather make sure my purchase was worth it. 

#2 What is practical for your lifestyle?

I've crossed paths with several really cute clutches on Instagram and I've purchased some of them. I fell in love with the pictures and thought "They are so cute! I have to have them!". Fast forward to later on, they don't get taken out of the closet much. Why? I realized that since I don't go to a lot of parties (Loserrr! J.K.) I don't need them as much. For casual social activities, I also realized that I'm more likely to leave my bag behind if it's not hands free.

Huwag maging takaw-tingin! (To non-Tagalog speakers, this is a phrase we use when we over-order in restaurants). Ask yourself, what do you need? What are the colors that you usually wear? What do you usually bring during the weekdays and what do you bring during the weekend? What kind of image do you want to project? Invest more on the things you'll use more often vs. the things you'll only use once or twice a year.

On the bright side, in my attempts to salvage my unused purchases, I've forced myself to be more adventurous and creative... to go outside of my comfort zone.

#3 Don't Ask Leather Artisans to Copy a Luxury Handbag

Do not fool yourself. This is a surefire way to get disappointed. The materials that luxury bag designers will use are a lot different from a customized 5000 php bag. It will never behave in the same way in your head vs. what the actual outcome. It'll come out looking like the zombie-fied version of the luxury handbag. You might as well just get a counterfeit bag from tiangge, it would have been cheaper. 

Instead, when customizing bags, have a feel of the type of leather to be used (very important!) and create a design that fits you. It's like getting a prom dress made -- you need to know the design AND the material. You can take elements that you like from luxury handbags but don't do an exact copy.

One example of customization that I like is Ni-Qua's Bespoke. They have set template designs which work well with the type of leather they use so it would always behave in the way you'd expect. You can choose colors and add brass/silver/gold hardware (where it makes sense). Check them out when they hold a pop-up store near you!