All-Around Pinay Mama

My Current Vanilla Obsession

January 21, 2018

Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla! Oh, I am crazy over vanilla! From ice cream, lip balm, candles, up to beauty products, I prefer vanilla. Aside from lavender, it's the scent that calms me down. Whenever I smell it on my skin, I feel so fresh, feminine, young, and rejuvenated.

I never mention so often how I like vanilla. It so happened that most of the time, I receive gifts with a hint of vanilla.

Last year, I got four new vanilla beauty stuff that I fell in love at first use. Thanks to my thoughtful friends and family who knew exactly what I wanted. Here they are:

Cocoline Naturals, Caress Body Wash, Victoria's Secret Vanilla Lace, Dove Purely pampering Shea Butter Cream Bar

These vanilla beauty finds given by my friends and loved-ones are my favorites. Thanks to them! They know me so well!

Cocoline Naturals Intense Moisturizing Body Wash and Lotion

COCO Health Products, Inc., the maker of Cocoline Naturals, sent me two sets of two variants of its product line for review and giveaway. Not a fan of lotion but a lover of body wash, I was excited to use the body wash regularly and planned to use the lotion for review purposes only. The experience that I had the first time that I used both especially the Intense Moisture variant, was truly amazing. With continuous usage, my skin achieved the best state. My skin problems started to disappear. See my full review HERE.

Dove Purely Pampering Shea Butter Beauty Cream Bar

It has been an accidental discovery by Paps, my dear husband, who loves to give me random gifts and simple surprises. I love how it made my skin smooth, supple, soft, and fragrant.

Victoria's Secret Vanilla Lace

My good friend, Nedy Lazo of www.nedylazo.com, gave her guests including me, a cute bottle of VS Vanilla Lace as souvenir during her 40th birthday celebration. I tried spraying a bit after taking a shower using Dove Purely Pampering Shea Butter Beauty Cream Bar and Cocoline Naturals Intense Moisturizng Lotion to layer my vanilla scent. It came out perfectly, just the way I wanted! I was happy that the scent matched my body chemistry. I even get compliments when I wear this scent.

Caress Endless Kiss- Silkening (with Vanilla Flower and Sandalwood) Body Wash

I received this body wash as an exchange gift from a blogger friend, Serene of www.thesupermomma.com, at Mommy Bloggers Philippines Christmas in Bloom Party. I liked how it made my skin super soft and silky. It was already added to my most favorite body washes list.

In 2018, I hope that I will find other awesome vanilla beauty stuff. How about you? Do you also like vanilla? What are your best vanilla beauty finds? Don't hesitate to share it with us!

Happy new year!

REVIEW + GIVEAWAY (OCTOBER 2016): COCOLINE Naturals

October 03, 2016

I am in the state that I am into using moisturizing soap, body wash, and lotion due to my age. I am almost 40 thus my skin needs a lot of moisture. For months, I'm already stuck with using only two brands. I am loving them because they fit me and satisfy my needs and lifestyle as well. Aside from very effective, they are affordable too.

Just recently, I was given a chance to try and test a local brand, COCOLINE Naturals, that honestly, I didn’t hear of. These were the company’s advocacies that made me decide to say yes to the collaboration:

- to provide better health and beauty alternatives in personal care that will delight the modern consumers through sight, smell, and feel

- to increase awareness on the importance of using natural ingredients in products

- to create a local trend of real world class quality product not only in looks, but also in formulation

- to compete in the world mass-market arena with the credibility of the quality of coconuts

- to help our economy and grow the Philippine coconut industry

After a few weeks, the products were delivered right on our doorstep and the package smelled really, really good! On that same day, I started using the products.

Aren't you gonna feel #kiligtothebones when an award-winning local skin care brand sends you bags of its raved products right on your doorstep? Surely you will like I do! . . Thank you so much, @cocolinenaturals, for the #lovemail! My family will try, test, and review these and of course, I will give the two bags to my two lucky readers/followers soon. . . #allaroundpinaymama #cocoline #CocolineNaturals #aapmcollaboration #aapcosmeticfixation #bloggermail #igersmanila #momblogger #productreviewer #mommybloggersphilippines #certifiedbloggers #momswhoblogph #8september2016

A photo posted by SJ Valdez (@allaroundpinaymama) on Sep 7, 2016 at 11:31pm PDT

First and foremost, let me tell you more about the company and its humble beginnings before I proceed with my thoughts about its products. The following information and excerpts were lifted from www.cocolinenaturals.com.

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Miss Rica King, Entrepreneur and President of Coco Health Products, Inc., has worked most of her career managing a global skincare brand to leadership positions during her stint. She played an integral part in marketing, research, and product development in this highly competitive personal care market. She has then retired in 2010, to spend more time with her family. Unknowingly, her interest and studies on Natural Alternatives would propel her to come back with an advocacy ready to ride against tough competition.

Here are some wisdom-filled excerpts compiled from various press and consumer interviews with Miss Rica King.

Q: What sparked the idea behind COCOLINE Naturals?

RK: “Upon retiring from 25 years in the corporate world, I embarked on adapting a holistic lifestyle for my family. The search for Natural Alternatives for health solutions is endless. I personally wanted products that are natural, safe, and effective, but are also pleasant to use.”

“I was fascinated by the unmatched powers of coconut oil and the facts surrounding it. It was two decades of managing a skincare brand in the past that spurred more curiosity in me to do further research. The biggest nudge, however, was the devastation brought about by the storm Yolanda to the coconut farmers in 2013 that made me decide to put all gathered knowledge into action.”

Q: Why zero-in on Coconut?

RK: “Numerous studies revealed Coconut oil as the most powerful oil you can put on your body for intense health and beauty benefits. Scientists call it ‘The Miracle Fruit’ as it far outweighs the benefits of other more popular oils. Hollywood celebrity A-listers are now claiming coconut to be their best beauty secret, which propelled its moniker the ‘it’ fruit.”

“The Philippines also happens to be the source of the best quality of coconut oil in the world. If there is any country who can come up with the best line-up of coconut-related products, it should be us.”

Q: Coconut Oil has been in the market for a while. What makes COCOLINE Naturals different?

RK: “Unfortunately, most Filipinos see coconut oil as old-fashioned, and marred with concerns on inconvenience such as being too sticky, warm, and ‘amoy lola’ or ‘amoy latik’. COCOLINE Naturals aims to change this by giving coconut oil a modern twist. Its lotions, body wash, and beauty bars are all Virgin Coconut Oil based, complemented with other natural ingredients to delightfully smell fresh, feel cool & non-sticky on skin, and pleasant to use daily.”

Q: What makes your products different from those of other brands?

RK: “It is the Power of Coconut in a bottle. It is jam-packed with benefits certified by SGS International laboratories. Our high Anti-oxidant levels help keep skin’s youthful qualities with 24-hour moisture. It provides up to 99.99% Anti-bacterial and Anti-fungal qualities, helping prevent infections, breakouts, body odor, and so many other skin problems. The lab scores were so high that even SGS executives were very impressed, especially because the ingredients were Natural and skin friendly”.

“COCOLINE Naturals products are Paraben-free, making it safer to use than synthetic-laden products.” (Parabens are highly linked to breast cancer and other illnesses. It seeps deep into the skin tissues and are not easily washed away.)

Q: What values does COCOLINE Naturals stand for?

RK: “Going Natural means you care enough to live longer for yourself and your loved ones. It’s a kind of beauty care that goes way beyond vanity. This is true beauty care, inside and out.”

“In whatever you do, whether it is healing, caring, or how you act, how you give, how you pray, how you smile, or how you express beauty… Natural is always best.”

“When asked what products they should buy…we don’t just say ‘Buy us’. We would rather teach consumers how to think, how to decide what is better for their skin, health and beauty needs. It’s all about a sincere care for consumers and providing them a better choice.”

“COCOLINE Naturals upholds honesty, good health, family values, and relationships. We support our coconut farmers and rally behind them.”

“There is soul behind the brand… deep sincerity, caring, and natural.”

Source: www.cocolinenaturals.com/category/articles

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Now here’s my review about COCOLINE Naturals.

For your information, COCOLINE Naturals has the following variants of its beauty line:

INTENSE COCONUT MOISTURIZING (COCONUT + MILK + LICORICE) Soap, Body Wash, and Lotion

These have the following ingredients:

Virgin Coconut Oil – effective moisturizer with Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Fungal, and Anti-Oxidant properties

Hydrolyzed Milk Protein – naturally hydrates & moisturizes for extra soft and smooth skin

Licorice Extract – helps soothe irritated skin and lighten blemishes

SOAP (BEAUTY BAR)

Color: white

Consistency: solid

Scent: coconut +vanilla

Price: Php68.00 (135 grams)

PROS- I used it on my face and body for three consecutive days while my eldest son used it continuously. Only a small amount was needed to make it lather. The cleaning power was intense but didn’t dry the skin. My son loved it to bits and I let him finish the entire bar. At first we had mistaken it to smell like “Perla”, the popular coconut detergent bar soap in the country but it wasn't. It could leave a nice, clean, soft vanilla scent on the skin. A tweener with changing body chemistry due to hormonal changes didn’t smell “maasim” after continuous usage.

CONS- It easily melted but waste was avoided by placing it in a soap dish without holes.

Rating: 4/5

BODY WASH and LOTION

Color: Body Wash- light green, translucent; Lotion- white

Consistency: thick and creamy

Scent: vanilla (It reminded me of Victoria’s Secret Amber Romance but a lighter version.)

Prices: Body Wash-Php159.75 (340 ml); Lotion- Php198.00 (340 ml)

PROS- I am using both for almost a month every morning. My skin feels very smooth, tout, supple, and moisturized with a nice vanilla scent that lasts for the entire day.

I only need two pumps of the body wash to make it lather using a bath sponge or face towel and cleanse the entire body. To layer the scent and to make it last, I immediately apply the body lotion while my skin is still damp after bathing. They are both moisturizing but don’t leave any greasy after-feel even if my skin is not too dry. I am hearing compliments from friends and loved-ones that I smell really, really good when I’ve started using these two.

No wonder that the lotion is award-winning. It’s Cosmo PH Beauty Awards Best Body Lotion awardee from 2015 to 2016. Yay!

CONS- There was once I applied too much lotion especially on my thorso. I experienced stickiness when I perspired. So the lesson that I learned was too much of everything was bad. Just a little amount could do which in turn has made it last longer. Tipid sulit naman.

Rating: 5/5

TRIPLE WHITENING (PAPA +KOJIC + VITAMIN C) Soap, Body Wash, and Lotion

These have the following ingredients:

Virgin Coconut Oil – effective moisturizer with Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Fungal, & Anti-Oxidant properties

Papaya Enzyme – helps exfoliate dead skin cells that aids to whiten, soften, and smoothen skin

Kojic Acid – naturally lightens skin pigmentation

SOAP (BEAUTY BAR)

Color: orange

Consistency: solid

Scent: light Cucumber + Melon scent (It doesn’t smell Papaya for me. It reminds me of Bath and Body Works Cucumber Melon Hand Soap.)

Price: Php68.00 (135 grams)

PROS- My son is now using it everytime he takes a shower after finishing the Intense Moisturizing Beauty Bar while I use it over a week on my face. He has dark elbows and I haven't seen any tremendous changes yet but I hope the skin on those areas would eventually become lighter. Like the latter, only a small amount was needed to make it lather. The cleaning power was intense too but didn’t dry the skin. It could leave a nice clean scent on my son’s skin too. As I’ve mentioned, a tweener with changing body chemistry due to hormonal changes doesn’t smell “maasim” after continuously using this. He still smells fresh after a busy day in school.

I notice a big change on my face. The dark circles on my eyes become lighter and my pores become smaller. I have convinced my mom, who is not so adventurous when it comes to trying different skin care products, to use it and feel it herself.

After all, it can do wonders. It was a recipient of 2015 Cosmo PH Awards Best Brightening Beauty Bar.

CONS- It melts easily but waste is being avoided by placing it in a soap dish without holes.

Rating: 5/5

BODY WASH and LOTION

Color: Body Wash- light yellow, transparent; Lotion- off white

Consistency: thick and creamy

Scent: light Cucumber + Melon scent (They don’t smell Papaya for me. They remind me of Bath and Body Works Cucumber Melon Body Wash and Lotion.)

Prices: Body Wash-Php159.75 (340 ml); Lotion- Php198.00 (340 ml)

PROS- I am using both for almost a month every evening. My body feels very smooth, tout, supple, and moisturized with a sweet light Cucumber + Melon scent from night until morning when I wake up. My husband loves the scent very much! With regard to the whitening effect, I can't tell because my skin is fair. All I can say is that my skin tone becomes even.

I also need two pumps of the body wash to make it lather using a bath sponge or face towel and cleanse the entire body. To layer the scent and to make it last, I immediately apply the body lotion while my skin is still damp after bathing. They are moisturizing and non-drying unlike other products with Kojic acid.

They deserved to win last year's Cosmo PH Awards Best Brightening Body Wash and Lotion.

Rating: 5/5

Synthesis

All the insights that Ms. Rica discussed were inspiring and true. My son and I have tried and tested the two product variants of COCOLINE Naturals for weeks and I am so happy with the results. The scents are so enticing, not overpowering, and last longer, although personally I prefer the vanilla scent of the Intense Moisturizing variant.

COCOLINE Naturals is at par with leading and imported brands and super affordable too. It's all natural and Paraben-free that makes it safe to use. It is locally produced that gives livelihood to our countrymen especially the coconut farmers.

It has become one of my most favorite beauty product brands and I am not going to stop using it. I am the type of person who is honest when it comes to sharing my thoughts about products. When I say that they work, they really work although what works for me might not work for you. I am also the type of person that when I start loving certain products, I continuously use and recommend them along with my other favorites. I am now a loyal user of COCOLINE Naturals and I want you to try it and see and feel the wonders yourself. I tell you, you are going to love it too!

In line with this, COCOLINE Naturals is very generous that it wants TWO of you, my readers, to win a set of any variant of its product line for the month of October 2016. One set costs Php425.75 each.

The steps are very easy:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway is open to my readers residing in the Philippines only. You don't have to be my social media account followers to join. Giveaway period is from October 4 to October 31, 2016 only. Winner will be chosen by random.org.

Winner #1 will receive the Moisture Intense Gift Pack while Winner #2 will get the Triple Whitening Gift Pack.

I will announce the winner on my Facebook Page on November 1, 2016 and he/she will be notified though Facebook private message on the same day. I will be responsible in shipping the prizes to the winners. Good luck!

By the way, COCOLINE Naturals product lines are available in leading supermarkets, drugtores, and malls nationwide. If they are not available in your place, you may order online through http://cocolinenaturals.shopmasy.com/.

For inquiries you may send an email at healthbeauty@cocolinenaturals.com. You may also visit COCOLINE Naturals’ website and social media accounts:

Website:

http://www.cocolinenaturals.com

Faceboook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/COCOLINE-Naturals/397053027118625

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/COCOLINEcares

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/cocolinenaturals/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuX3OQcwTBWrRK6XW74U6rQ