Review: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel

In a tropical country like the Philippines where the sun is like a death ray, sun protection is an absolute must!  Summer 2014 seems like one of those exceptionally warm ones, and I thought of purchasing a new face sunblock.  As I was waltzing around Watsons, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel caught my eye. I have been testing it out for about a month now so I can provide a fair review for this product.

Product and Packaging:

The product comes in a blue, glass bottle.  The packaging is quite tough, as I've already dropped mine a couple of times, and I found no cracks whatsoever. 

In keeping with its blue theme, the product itself is also blue in colour.  It is lightweight and has more of a thin and watery consistency when spread out. It has a fresh scent to it that goes away a few minutes after application. I only needed half a pump to cover my whole face and neck. 

Half a pump of the Hydro Boost Gel

What the product looks like when spread out

Claims:

The Health Beauty Circle website claims that:

Neutrogena® Hydro Boost™ Gel SPF 30 PA++ has long-lasting hydration with sun protection for soft and supple skin with a lasting healthy glow.

Dermatologist tested • Oil-free • Non-comedogenic

On the box, the product further claims the following:

Long-lasting hydration with sun protection for soft and supple skin with a lasting healthy glow. Refreshing gel formula contains Hyaluronic Acid and Olive Extracts that provides up to 4 times more moisture to dry skin cells continuously over 12 hours. Ingredients: From the ingredients below, I don't see any paragons used in creating this product, which I think is a plus for me! :)

What I like about this product:

• Quite affordable (it costs Php830.00 for 40 ml or 1.35 fluid ounce of product)
• A little of the product goes a long way;
• The pump for hygienic purpose and also for convenience;
• The scent;
• Sturdy packaging;
• No white cast when the product is applied, unlike most sunblock;
• Ample SPF for everyday use (SPF 30 PA++ with UVA/UVB protection);
• Gentle on skin;
• Doesn't break me out;
• Moisturizes very well but is also not greasy at the same time; and
• Sits well under make-up

What I did not like about this product:

• The packaging is opaque so I can't see if I'm running out or not;
• Quite hard-to-find as not all Watsons carry it, but it can be ordered online on the Health Beauty Circle website

The Verdict:

Given my oily combination and morena skin, finding a good sunblock that does not make me look like Casper and/or a grease pan has been quite a challenge! I love that this product looks good both in person and in photos! I may have just found my new sunblock favourite. May I also add that I do believe that the Hyaluronic Acid seems to be working well because I have been mistaken as (up to 5 years!) younger than my real age. Hihi! ;) 

All in all, I give this product a 4.8 out of 5 rating! :)

Any beauty products you would want us to review?  Drop us a line on the comments section down below. :)

Ciao~!

Nailed It: Dinosaur Eggs!

Godzilla is now showing in the Philippines!  As a child, I have always seen Godzilla as some sort of a dinosaur clone gone wrong. Hihi!  In honor of that silly childhood memory, I thought of making a really easy and simple nail art inspired by dinosaur eggs. 

Fun dino nails!

 To achieve this really easy effect, you'll need:

• a base coat
• a top coat
• I used ORLY Top2Bottom which works both as a top coat and base coat.
• a dark blue nail polish
• I used Nature Republic Colorwaltz BL509 Deep Sea Blue (Php55.00).
• a sea green nail polish
• I used The Face Shop Lovely:ME ex GR509 (Php95.00).
• a black nail polish
• I used Chic 2-way Nail Design Pen & Brush in Ebony (~Php30.00).
• a dotting tool or a toothpick
• q-tips and nail polish remover to clean up around the edges

What to do:

1. Apply a thin layer of base coat on all your nails.
2. Apply a layer of the dark blue nail polish on all nails except the ring finger nails.
3. On the ring finger nail, apply a coat of the sea green nail polish. This will serve as your accent nail.
4. Apply an additional layer if you need more opacity.
5. Wait for the base colors to dry.
6. On your accent nail, apply random dots of black nail polish.
7. Once dried, apply top coat.

Easy, isn't it? Try it out for yourself.  If you have any tutorial suggestions, leave us a comment! :)