New drops from Althea!!!
2019 is arguably Althea’s year, with a full blown makeup launch, new bamboo pads and skin relief cream, and collaborations left and right. As the fairy godmother of all things K-beauty to Southeast Asians, Althea does it again with a range of high quality but affordable K-beauty staples––now they have their own range of mask sheets and makeup sponges. Plus their blackhead stick, too!
Say hello to Althea A’Bloom!
Obviously, this skincare range is meant to make your skin bloom. But my own insight is that with really affordably priced products, it will be easier for people to build mask sheet habits with this range. Mask sheets usually only produce noticeable results once one has been using them regularly for a certain period of time, so with this kind of pricing, everybody can now build their mask sheet regimen!
Before that, may we all just coo over A’Bloom Baby Meringue Puffs (Php140 per box)?! These are sooooooo cute!!!! If you’re looking for sponges that can comfortably reach the corners of your eyes, the sides of your nose, and the corners of your lips, then this is it! This, I think, is also a good choice for applying concealer because since they’re smaller, they technically will also soak up less product, compared to a full sized beauty sponge. In turn, it will help to save product and to make a more concentrated application.
Of course, if these are babies, there are mommies, too! Swooning over A’Bloom Giant Meringue Puff (Php100 each) as well. This, of course, is what you can rely on for daily foundation application and baking. This is made with the same material as what the baby puffs are made out of, only bigger. There are already many beauty sponges in the market, and while this is uber cute, what I think really sets this apart is that Althea got formal certification that these sponges are free from lead, mercury, chrome, cadmium, and antimony. I feel like there are so many beauty sponges in bazaars and flea markets these days, but there isn’t really any governing body that is making the manufacturers accountable for the materials they use in the sponges.
Php100 as it is is already very affordable for puffs in general, but if you think about the bundled peace of mind that comes from knowing that these sponges are free from heavy metals, Php100 feels like such a steal. There’s no use buying a really cheap sponge from a flea market only for it to be made out of dangerous or unsanitary materials. These sponges are also latex free so they’ll work on those who might have latex allergies.
As for the mask sheets, I am so shocked that each sheet is only Php20 but is legit Korean and of high quality!!! I’ve heard of mask sheets that are Php20, but usually they are really cheap knockoffs of legit Korean brands and are of questionable origins.
These mask sheets are just too good to be true! These are made in Korea, and are all dermatologist tested. The sheets are made from 100% eucalyptus tree, and contain no optical brighteners, formaldehyde, nor heavy metals. There are 4 variants for different concerns!
Their Brightening Lemon Lime Mask Sheets (Php20/sheet) are loaded with Vitamin C from lemons to brighten skin, and green tea extract to brighten and calm skin. If you have issues with dark spots and an uneven skintone, you will like this variant. This also has niacinamide to help improve skin texture and to tackle pores.
Their Nourishing Avocado Mask Sheets (Php20/sheet) are loaded with avocado extracts and hibiscus to nourish skin and keep it youthful. This is also enriched with shea butter and sodium hyaluronate to make skin bouncy and moist. If you don’t want to be attacked by the first signs of aging, then this is the right variant for you.
While their Anti-Blemish Peach Mask Sheets (Php20/sheet) are enriched with peach extracts and tea tree oil to purify and clarify skin without sacrificing moisture. Tea tree is long known for its anti-blemish properties, but I’m also amused that peach extracts apparently have blemish-banishing properties! To balance the blemish-clearing properties, this is enriched with panthenol which penetrates the skin and keeps it moist. Contrary to the reddish packaging, this variant helps to get rid of redness in the skin.
And then they have Moisturizing Watermelon Mask Sheets (Php20/sheet), which are enriched with watermelon extracts to hydrate skin and lavender extracts to calm skin. This variant is like a watering can for the skin, to get rid of the discomforts brought about by dry skin. I’ve been eating watermelons all summer long to stay cool in this heat, so it makes perfect sense to turn the extracts into a mask sheet! This also has hydrogenated lecithin for maximum emollience and hydrating effect.
Althea also knew that we’ve been having nasty cases of blackheads due to the summer heat, so they released their A’Bloom BHA Blackhead Blaster Stick (Php200 for 8g)! This has BHA from white willow to attack blackheads, charcoal to control oil, apricot seeds to slough off impurities, and tea tree oil to keep skin blemish free. It can be painful and time consuming to manually remove blackheads and whiteheads, especially on the nose area. So for those looking for a quick, gentle, but effective method, simply rub this stick over your nose, massage it, and then rinse off with warm water.
Up close, this is how the stick looks like. What I like is that this not only helps to get rid of blackheads and whiteheads but also works to keep blemishes away for longer. It’s prolly gonna get used up real fast if you will use it on your whole face, but for the nose, I think this is the perfect size.
Well, what now? I’m excited for whatever Althea is gonna do next because every month I just get blown away by all the cool stuff they come up with! I did see in their IG stories some studies about house brand blushes, so the blush addict in me is hoping that that’s what they’ll release soon…
The mask sheets actually are already sold out as of writing, so be sure to stock up on the meringue sponges and the blackhead blaster sticks before those run out, too!
Doll Up Mari: Top Beauty and Female Lifestyle Blogger Manila, Philippines
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