Of Online Stores and Hyped Products: Let's Face It Tropifruit Might Be a Decade Early

I think it was a decade or more ago that Let's Face It Facial Salon came out with Tropifruit, a body care line consisting of a shower gel, a hand and body lotion and a body mist. 

It didn't fly. It was only available at their salon, most likely limiting buyers to just salon customers. Online shops have yet to boom. It was competing with products that had more exposure. I only learned of their existence after I was gifted a set.

It didn't help that scents were, like this line, short-lived. I remember the body spray smelling fruity,  the distinct smell of ripe balimbing / star fruit / carambola coming through. The hand and body lotion in a tube was kinda sticky, the sweet scent fruity with a hint of rose. The shower gel was in a clear plastic bottle with a tin cap. It smelled of jellyace and tiny bit floral. Sudsiness was okay and it wasn't slippery. The products are actually better used independent of each other. 

So maybe they were not cut out yet to offer body care products. Still, Bioessence and Lay Bare are some salons now selling products online and  doing relatively well. Lazada, Shoppee and tiktok sure changed the retail landscape. 

Current beauty companies are lucky they have social media to promote their products. One only needs to trend or go viral on Facebook or tiktok to make a killing. Never mind sucking. That is until someone calls out that the emperor has no clothes. But then that someone still needs a ton of followers. 

I don't think I have ever succumbed to tiktok trends though. If I ever have purchased a hyped product, I would have had learned about it from Reddit, Facebook groups and certain accounts on Facebook and blogs. Kinda gives away my age, huh?

Ellips Hair Mask Hair Repair Review

I had high hopes for Ellips Vitamin Hair Mask Hair Repair variant since Ellips Hair Vitamin Hair Treatment variant did wonders for my hair. 

I bought a tube hoping it will combat frizzy, dry hair brought on by hot temp and humidity. While work from home has become an acceptable set-up for some companies following the pandemic, almost everyone now is out and about. So it's back to trying to looking presentable when environmental factors and stress want you to look haggard.

Apart from hair treatments in tubs and jars, I don't think I've tried other hair masks before aside from the no longer available Human Nature Avocado and Gugo Hair Mask. I remember it not being  potent enough for my hair.

So, Ellips Hair Mask is applied to hair pretty much how you would conditioners. Just leave it on far longer before washing it off. It is why I use it only on weekends, when I have time to spare.

After a month of use, Ellips Hair Mask seems to be only at par with most conditioners. It's better to get those hair treatment products instead. HBC's Color Hair Spa is one of best I've tried, too bad it's been discontinued. They have other hair treatment products though. Or maybe I'll just stick with the Ellips Hair Vitamins.

Brilliant Skin Rejuvinating Facial Set Review

I finally gave in and used the Brilliant Skin Rejuv Set I was gifted with. I didn't want to use this during summer because that would only result in darker skin. 

Frankly, I am not thrilled with rejuv sets when they started flooding the market. For me, they are nothing but repackaged, remarketed facial toners and creams loaded with hydroquinone and tretinoin (The packaging in the photo do not list these two as ingredients but I can smell them there. It's a smell you never forget.) which were the rage a decade or two ago. Dr Alvin and Brilliant Skin are today's Maxipeel and Extraderm. They position themselves as a cure-all and promise smooth, whiter skin, no more blemishes, acne, dark spots, pigmentation, blackheads, whiteheads, a happily ever after and a new car! 

I used both Maxipeel and Extraderm during my teenage years. I didn't think my already problematic skin could get worse. I got more pimples, more blemishes. My skin never lightened. It became oilier. They were very harsh on my face.  I sought the help of a dermatologist after dabbling with both.

On to Brilliant Skin Rejuvinating Facial Set. I'm using this because, eh, you're supposed to get glass skin (clap, clap to the marketman who coined this) with this said several influencers and youtubers.  Curious cat wants to know what's that. Also, it's a gift. 

Anyways, the sting comes from the kojic acid soap, especially if you don't wash it off immediately, and the brilliant rejuv topical solution or toner. Never ever have the toner touch broken skin. It's gonna hurt. That's my issue with this and Extraderm and Maxipeel. How the hell are you supposed to use them to address your acne when chances are, if you have acne, you are bound to have broken skin?! Most people who use these are those that have really bad breakouts. Just look at the pics and youTube videos of those supposedly using these.

When I wake up in the morning, my face is very oily, the pores very large. A week of usage and there's peeling. I remember these all too well. If it was promising what was drawn at the back of the box, then it gave me three of six. Except it was supposed to address those six. 

Frankly, those who claimed that this gave them great skin then posted before and then edited after pictures, or after pictures with different lighting, or blurred pics, are not doing the product any good. 

I didn't like how my face is starting to look and feel so I'm changing sets next week, after my third week. Maybe the lightening one is better. Sister says it does not sting. I may even try the Tomato. Walang kadala-dala.

Here's the thing, after using 2 rejuv sets sporadically, my sister's coworkers noticed that the tone of her face lightened. A lot told her so. When she stopped using the sets altogether, her skin tone went back to how it was. So, what does not work for me, still has a chance of working for you. 

If still getting this, cut kojic soap into smaller pieces to prevent its entirety from melting when wet. The accompanying spf cream won't  last for a month. Buy and use more sunscreen.