Gommage What?

I have no idea why Korean (and Japanese) brands are so enamored with the French. You see the Eiffel Tower in most stationeries, anime characters usually inject French words into their conversations and now I see beauty products with French words on them. Take this for example:

I’ve been lemming for these products since Etude House opened but unfortunately, it was always out of stock when I visit Megamall. There was one time that it was there but I didn’t have the budget to buy it. So finally, last January, I was on perfect timing.

Let’s start with the gommage first:

I certainly did not know how to use this so I used it as I would a regular scrub – on a wet face then I scrubbed gently with the finger gloves then rinsed. I’ve been doing this for months until I finally decided to do some research on it. Turns out, you need to use this on dry skin. It’s like applying a mask. You slather this all over your nose then wait for it to dry a bit then you rub. The rubbing causes the dirt to stick to the gommage. I’ll be honest. I was scared of this rubbing part as my nose might develop pimples because of sensitivity. Nevertheless, all in the name of beauty, I did it. My nose was red afterwards even after careful and gentle rubbing. I used the finger gloves to remove most of the product as I was having a hard time removing it from my nose. I also rinsed my nose with water afterwards.

A few days later, I saw the tip of my nose red. It was starting to develop a zit. I did all preventive measures (as the SuperSale Bazaar was coming). I didn’t want to face my clients looking like Rudolph. Luckily it didn’t develop.

 

The silicone finger gloves have 2 sides – one is that ridged side you can see on the left and the other side has small bristles. They are both gentle on my skin. For wet application, I use the bristles to clean my nose and gently rub the product around then I use the ridged one to remove the remaining product then I rinse. For dry application, I just use the ridged side to remove the gommage.

I find that wet application suits me best. With the dry application, I could still see some leftover dirt and whiteheads on my nose. With using it wet, I can really see and feel that my nose and the surrounding areas clean. Does that defeat the purpose of the gommage in the first place? Well, maybe yes but I will not use a product and follow its rules even though it’s not working for me. I’d rather use it in its full potential that benefits me. I’m very satisfied with this product. I will not go back to using blackhead masks just because this gommage saves me a lot of time and doesn’t make my nose itchy after application (masks make my nose itchy).

I think the gommage retails for Php300+ while the gloves are less than Php200.

Have you tried this product yet? How do you find it?

Of Bundle Kits and Freebies

I am ever so loyal to Whisper but ever since Kotex Luxe came out, I became torn and eventually added it to my monthly list. I am really getting very impressed with the Marketing team of Kotex as they have been seriously gearing up their standards and promotions. Here’s the latest promo:

What’s inside?




Here’s the tank top:

It’s just a simple, thin tank top that’s perfect for sleeping on very hot summer nights. I wouldn’t wear this outside. I bought this kit because I was curious about it. And I think that’s what makes their gimmicks effective – they tickle the curiosity of the buyers.

And of course, I am not in any way affiliated with Kotex. I blogged about this because I really like the brand and the promos they offer.

NOTD: Make U Smile

This definitely made me smile:



Courtesy of:

TFS BL604 and Nicole by OPI Justin Bieber Collection, Make U Smile

The Justin Bieber collection of Nicole by OPI is available at Hyphen.

The Falsies

The Maybelline Falsies was quite the eye catcher in the recently held SuperSale Bazaar at The Grove by Rockwell.

Why wouldn’t it with its striking color and intriguing name?

I didn’t plan on using this mascara, well, because I’m supposed to sell it! But one day I found that my Magnum was drying up and clumping like crazy so I decided to raid my stocks. I’m very happy that I did.

Hyphen only carries the regular Falsies and I was worried that with the heat, it will run off all over my lids and face. But I was really surprised that it holds up quite nicely. Of course it will rub off with water but I still need to use a mascara remover to completely clean my eyes so I guess it’s not completely water washable.

I’m very happy that it doesn’t make my eyes itch. It’s only recently that I’ve noticed that after several hours of wearing The Magnum, my eyes itch. The Falsies doesn’t do that even after a long day at the bazaar.

Here’s how it looks like on me:

It doesn’t make my lashes look like Falsies but I’m very happy that it enhances its natural features and that’s enough for me.

The Falsies is available at Hyphen.

Slick in the City Part 2

I just got back from a recent trip abroad and I did a lot of walking there. I wasn’t able to use an umbrella aside from the one day that it rained. How can I, my hands were too full of shopping bags = ) . So I made sure that I used a sunblock for my face and body every single day. In part 1 of this post, I told you that the Clinique  City Block Sheer made my face ashy. So, I looked for another product and found this:

I got the Neutrogena Fine Fairness Brightening UV Moisture a few days before I left. I immediately road tested it and I’m happy to report that it didn’t make my face ashy.  In spite of the SPF50+ PA+++, it didn’t harm my sensitive skin. It doesn’t make my face dry nor oily. It’s also lightweight and is good to use under makeup. It costs Php660 at Watsons. I know, I was shocked with the price too but Neutrogena is one of those very few brands that I can trust with my skin. I had to bite the bullet. And I’m glad I did.

This product is great but the thing is, when I got back, Baby of Clinique said that I look darker. Hmmmm… I probably put too little of the product? Or I was just really exposed to the sun. I should have re-applied all throughout the day. But here back home, I have no problems with a one-time application.

Lastly, the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock for the body. It’s SPF50+ PA+++. It’s ultra light and gives you a clean feeling. It leaves skin soft and smooth. It’s also waterproof so you can use it while swimming but of course, you’d have to re-apply throughout the day. It’s sweatproof and resists rub-off, non-comedogenic and oil free.

Can I just say that this is the best body sunblock I’ve tried so far? It’s even better than lotion. It has such a good light finish that applying sunblock has turned from chore to joy. I will not go and look for another sunblock because of this. It fits my needs perfectly. I like the fact that I don’t get sticky when I sweat. It’s also a bit steep though. It costs Php500-600+ at Watsons. Sorry, forgot the price as I bought this a long time ago. This is my first tube and it’s so sulit. I still have about 60% of the product.

These two are now officially my summer protectors. How are you coping with the summer heart?

For your reference, here is a review of another sunblock.

See You at the SuperSale Bazaar Tomorrow!

Don’t forget, bits+treats followers get a 10% discount on all makeup!

Slick in the City

It’s summer and you can start feeling the heat already. I go out almost every day so I need to be protected. I found 3 products to help me with that:







Let’s start with the Clinique City Block Sheer:



I got this in December at Rustan’s Makati for Php1,450 . It’s pricey but you only need a small amount plus it doubles as a makeup base as it’s tinted. It’s SPF25. There’s another variant in a higher SPF but I didn’t go for that because of my sensitive skin.

It looks like this:




It really goes on sheer:

I used this until early March. Why did I stop? One day I noticed that I looked ashy. It couldn’t be because of the other products that I was using as I’ve been using them for a long time already. I also thought about the Clinique foundation (reviews coming) but didn’t believe it as Baby swatched it on my cheek before picking the best shade. Aside from that, the foundation is one shade lighter as I’m acidic. One day I  forgot to use this sunblock and found out that it was the culprit! I gave it to my mom and so far she has no complaints.

This is a really good product but it just didn’t suit my skin. The SPF is good, it doesn’t make my skin oily, it doesn’t make my skin itch and the tube packaging is great. You can control the product very well. The only glitch is you have to shake this before using as the oils separate from the product. I have no idea why it does that. It’s ironic because on the box it says “oil-free daily face protector”. On my first try, I squirted oil all over my hand.

It protects you from UVA and UVB. It’s also antioxidant-enriched and is appropriate for the eye area and sensitive skin as it’s allergy tested.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this review

So Sulit Purchase!

This was supposed to be one of my birthday gifts for myself but it arrived more than a month later. I’m not complaining because it’s soooo sulit!

I bought these two:



And got this bag:




And these:

(pot of moisturizer missing as I gave it to mum)

FOR FREE!!!

Isn’t that amazing? I originally bought 3 lippies but the other shade was out of stock and they couldn’t replace it anymore so I told them that I will just change my order but they said they can’t tinker with the system anymore but they will still include the gift with purchase. Yay!

What’s your recent so sulit purchase?

Acerola

I got intrigued with The Face Shop line of facial washes after using the Mung Bean facial wash. This Acerola facial wash is also a keeper. I started using this in December and stopped in January just because I switched to the Clinique 3-Step System but in the duration of my usage of this product, I was very satisfied.

What are its merits? Number one, the price. It’s very affordable at only Php200+ at any TFS store.  It also lasts a long time so your 200 pesos goes a long, long way.

The scent is lovely. At first I thought Acerola is aratilis but a quick Googling proved me wrong. Acerola is actually like a cherry. It is native in the Americas but is also cultivated in some of our Asian neighbors. So why would  they use acerola in a facial wash? Acerola has very high vitamin C content and other nutrients. And we all know that vitamin C is good for our bodies in and out. It’s a very good anti-oxidant.

After using this, I am left with a brighter face. My cheeks are also softer and I can definitely feel that my face is clean. It doesn’t make my skin oily after several hours. When used with a good moisturizer, the effects can be long-lasting.

After several weeks of using the Clinique 3-Step System, I tried using this facial wash again. Sadly, I ended up with rashes as my skin dried up. I think I developed sensitivity to this product. My skin is really like that. Now, I’m scared to use any other facial wash aside from Clinique.

For ladies who are looking for a good, affordable facial wash, I recommend you try either the Mung Bean or Acerola TFS facial wash. While you’re at it, why not try both and see what works best for your skin.

EOTD: Sunday Green

This photo was taken in January but I had a similar EOTD yesterday. I wasn’t able to take pictures and so I'm using this one:

This is a green/gold look using my Fashion 21 palette:



I’ve been neglecting this palette lately so I decided to give it some luv.

On another note, you can also use these photos as the “before” reference to test how effective the Clinique All About Eyes is.

More Makeup Organization

I’ve acquired more makeup since I showed you my Muji Drawer so I needed to re-arrange and organize my vanity again. Here’s how it looks like now:

I needed the space so I decided to put my Muji Drawers upright. I just put a bunch of paper bags on the side for support. Believe me, it has ample support as I have tons of paper bags, LOL.

MB and I made a quick trip to Muji Powerplant last Saturday because I was really itching to organize my stuff and room. I have so much stuff on the floor and it’s becoming hard to navigate my small room.

So I got those plastic organizers (the one holding the lipsticks and the one with the scissors) together with a couple of drawers which I will show you later.

At the back of the drawer rests my Etude House box housing my palettes. Then my earring organizer then another EH organizer that holds my random brushes then the necklace organizer that Kitten and I bought.

Underneath the lipstick case is where I put my ipod and zen stuff. Then we have random bottles and lotion. The two red boxes are the bracelets MB gave me last December.  In front is my Sigma brush holder. The one on the left houses the clean brushes. The one on the right holds the used ones that need spot cleaning. To the right are MB’s Clinique stuff. The one with the gold cap is my Estee Lauder Time Zone Night Cream.

That pretty box is my Anna Sui Beauty Box that holds my bangles and bracelets.

I have a huge vanity actually but with a small table. My vanity has some space above which I use for my other stuff, like toiletries, etc. On the right side of the table is a full length mirror that has shelves at the back when you flip it. It houses our perfumes, other toiletries and my nail polish collection. It has a glass door.

Further to the right is where I have these plastic boxes:

I put my bags and purses in the 2 bottom boxes (other box not seen here). The one in the middle is the Muji drawer that I bought last Saturday. It contains my perfume stocks and other toiletries that I have yet to use.

It looked like that on Saturday night then I decided to organize it a bit last night:

Now it also houses my new Too Faced Pixie Pin-Ups palette (available at Hyphen, by the way), my custom MAC palettes and my Too Faced Marie Antoinette Makeup Kit (also available at Hyphen). All the Clinique stuff are gifts and freebies.

The top drawer houses new makeup:

On the left (top to bottom): palettes, mascaras and random NARS stuff, lipsticks and lip glosses.

On the right: MAC foundation, Wonder Woman blush, eye shadow palettes, empty MAC pots.

I still need to do a bit more organizing. I’ll see what I can come up with in the following days.  Organizing makeup (and other kikay stuff) is therapeutic for me. I would love to see your vanity and how you organize your makeup. If you've made a post about it, please put the link on the comments section. I look forward to hearing from you ladies!

First MAC Palette

This is actually my first MAC “Empty” Palette. My first MAC palette is the Wonder Woman collection.



I just finished depotting my three single eyeshadows and they look like this now:

The eyeshadows are Vex, Ricepaper and Twinks (top to bottom). I’d like to get more but I have a lot of palettes right now and I want to use them first before buying new ones again. (Kitten, I will not buy the Majolica Majorca palette!) I seem to be getting very obsessed with makeup lately. It must be because of Hyphen. Hmmmm…

How are you spending your Sunday night so far?

Maybelline ColorSensational and Revlon Just Bitten - The Battle of the Lip Stains

I’m not a huge fan of stains (lip, cheek and of course clothes, lol) but these two made me see the light. It made me realize how useful and practical it is to use a lip stain on very busy days.

I will start with the Revlon Just Bitten:

I bought this in January and I can say that I haven’t used it that much, maybe less than 10 times. Why? It stings my lips whenever I use it. The lip balm on the other end doesn’t help. Even if I put a lot of lip balm (Revlon or Maybelline) it just stings.

The other thing that I hate about this is the lip balm on the other end. We all know that it’s bound to break. Mine did. Although I knew that it was inevitable, I couldn’t help getting pissed off especially since it happened when I was at a restroom inside the mall, meaning I wouldn’t be able to retouch for the rest of the day as I didn’t have a spare lip balm with me.

The other turn off is the price. I think I bought this for Php700+.

One thing I like about this though is how long the color lasts. I can truly say that I only need a few touch ups throughout the day. You can also go really red by layering the stain on. I like wearing mine like this:

If it’s your first time using this particular lip stain, start with light strokes and just build up the color from there. Remember, it’s easy to add but it’s hard to remove. You also have to be quick with applying as the stain dries up pretty fast. It also dries up my lips so I’d have to re-apply lip balm throughout the day.

Let’s go to the other side, the Maybelline ColorSensational Lip Stain. This is Cherry Pop:

Now, most of you may know that this is available at my online store Hyphen. I want you to know that this review is honest. I know my ethical duties as a blogger and as a writer. I will only write what I feel is my honest opinion.

The main reason why I decided to carry this product on my online store is because Revlon Just Bitten was a disappointment. Being a Maybelline fan for so long, I was hoping that this product would be better. And yes, it did not disappoint. It has its merits but it also has its faults.

First off, the color payoff is okay although if you want that exact shade on the packaging, you’d have to layer on a lot. It doesn’t last as much as Just Bitten but that’s fine with me as this does not sting my lips. It actually works well with my HG lip balm. Probably because they’re both Maybelline.

I use this whenever I join bazaars as I don’t have the time to retouch or run to the bathroom as much as I want to. I guess my constant opening and closing has made the pen a bit dry. It’s either that or the product is running out. Like Just Bitten, this also makes my lips a bit dry but not as dry as with Revlon.

I like using this because I don’t need a mirror unlike Just Bitten because as I’ve said, you need to layer it on to get the exact shade on the cap. I’m just too scared that I might end up with very red lips with Revlon that’s why I always use a mirror whenever I apply this.

Price, of course, the Maybelline ColorSensational Lip Stain is only Php550. This is not available in drugstores and local beauty shops but you can get it at Hyphen. (Shameless plugging here).

Now the big question, will I buy Just Bitten again? Absolutely not. I don’t like the stinging effect. I think that’s the reason why your lips should look just bitten, unfortunately, my lips still look the same. Will I use Maybelline ColorSensational Lip Stain again? Nope. Why? I’m just really not a fan of lip stains. I will stick to my “normal” lippies, thank you very much. But if you’re a fan of lip stains, I highly recommend either one.

What’s New at Hyphen?

We’ve got new Urban Decay palettes for all you UD addicts out there!















There are only 2 of each palette (4 for the Naked) so better order now! Head on over to Hyphen. Remember, followers of this blog get a 10% discount!

If Only I Could Turn Back Time

Well, actually, I can with the new Estee Lauder Time Zone Night Anti-Line/Wrinkle Cream.

I just turned 29 and of course, I am very keen on protecting and maintaining my skin. I don’t want to have lines and wrinkles before I turn 30. But let’s face it. We, living in the city, are exposed to dust, pollution, irritants, chemicals and what have you. The list does not yet even include our activities and the things that we put inside our bodies.

I live a very hectic life nowadays what with taking care of my family, cats, managing Hyphen, going to bazaars and manning our booth, etc. etc. etc. When I was at the La Salle Bazaar, I noticed that I developed this very deep line from under my eyes running to almost the spot where the bone starts. That’s under my left eye. With the combination of Clinique’s Moisture Rich Eye Cream and the Estee Lauder Time Zone Night Cream, that line is no longer as deep as it was 3 weeks ago.

I apply the Clinique Moisture Rich under my eyes and on the area surrounding that, I apply Time Zone. After a week, the lines were not as deep anymore. My skin also became radiant.

In two months of using this, I’ve noticed that my skin is tighter and there are less to zero lines. My face looks brighter too.

I have no makeup in the photo above and you can clearly see that the lines under my eyes are not deep. They used to be. Further down to my cheeks, there are no visible lines. Back in December, I wouldn’t have posted a photo of my face with no makeup. The skin surrounding my nose has greatly improved in texture and color.

I also have less rashes and itchiness because of this cream. It was truly a life saver especially during the very cold early weeks of January. When the skin on my face gets dry, I get nasty rashes which are very itchy and develop  bumps that eventually become zits. This cream was really a face saver.

This cream is so good that you can actually use it as a day cream. I don’t though as I still have to use up my day cream. I’ll probably try that when I hit pan.

If you’re thinking about getting an oily face when you wake up, well that won’t be a problem with this cream. I have dry/combination skin and when I wake up, there’s no oil on my t-zone.

This product is quite pricey but if you’re nearing that age when you must be concerned about age lines, spots, etc. I recommend that you make the investment. This is also a great gift for your mom or grandmother. Visit the Estee Lauder counters at Rustan’s Makati or Shangri-la to have a FREE consultation, skin typing and discover the wonders of this new Time Zone Cream.

Ze Blushes

I think of all the makeup types, blushes and eye liners are the least that I buy. I believe in hitting the pan first before buying another blush. But this thought proved to be frustrating several times in the past when I would do an eye look and couldn’t find the perfect shade of blush or when I do another person’s makeup.

So, last December I started to explore my horizons when it comes to blushes. Here, I will feature 3 blushes from affordable to high end.

Let’s go with the high end first:

As you can see, the compact is lovely. It stays closed too and is not hard to open.



Isn’t that gorgeous? I’m smitten when I see monochromatic makeup.  Here’s a swatch:

I exaggerated this a bit so that you can see the shade. This blush is awesome. I used this for C’s prom look. It has a very silky feel and the shimmers are subtle. Staying power is good. It lasts several hours, more if you spray on MAC Fix or Urban Decay All-Nighter.  This blush costs Php1,800. When I paid for this, I told Rose, the beauty specialist at EL Rustan’s Makati to just get my card and get it over with. I didn’t even go with her to the counter. I was extremely guilty of buying such an expensive blush. Now, I’m very happy that I did because after several uses, it still looks new. So sulit! And it makes my cheeks look so pretty too!

The next one is a mid-range makeup:

 

This is the Stila Custom Color Blush or more commonly known as the Ph blush. It adjusts to your skin’s Ph level, giving you the perfect shade of pink. Does it work? You betcha! I’ve tried this on me and other people and I can truly see the difference. In the picture it looks too washed out but in reality, the blush looks very pink. Don’t worry, it will still adjust to your skin.

Packaging is very cute and very functional:

 

It costs Php1,250 and is also available at Rustan’s like the Estee Lauder blush. Color lasts a long time on my cheeks.

Lastly, we go to something affordable:

The color is pretty for a natural everyday look but the pigmentation is terrible. I need to apply a lot to get even that faintest look on my hand. Staying power is also not great as I have to re-apply several times a day. I have two shades of this NYX grinding blush. I haven’t opened the other one. I plan to finish this first. I have no idea how much this costs as I forgot to ask when I bought it but it’s NYX so you can be sure that it’s affordable. I will not repurchase as I’m quite happy with the other 2 blushes above. Even my ELF blush has better staying power than this.I would go with ELF any day. I think the same goes true with their lipstick as I’ve read other bloggers review the lipstick and staying power is also a concern.  I don’t have oily skin and the blush still slides off easily. But, I must say that the packaging is fun and unique (oh, not unique as this was a rip off from Smashbox). But aside from being quirky, the cap doesn’t lock into place. Sometimes the cap is already off when I open my makeup kit. Luckily, the blush inside is solid and there’s a protective metal cover otherwise, the blush would be ruined and everything inside my kit will be covered in blush.

I think if you’re a MUA or an aspiring MUA, it’s best that you invest in high quality products. It’s good for you and impresses the clients. Or, if you want to spoil yourself, I recommend that you get high end makeup. You will really feel luxurious.  If price is of a concern but you still want quality, go with a brand that has both. For everyday use, you can stick with the most affordable brand that suits your skin type and skin needs. I, on the other hand, find the mid-range to expensive brands best for my everyday needs. I am very busy and I don’t like to spend a lot of time doing my makeup and retouching. I like my makeup to stay put and I want to forget about it and go on with more important things during the day. If you think about it, it’s actually much cheaper compared to the lower priced brands as I only need to apply 1-3x a day whereas the others, I’d have to re-apply at least 5x throughout the day. I’ve realized this when I started investing in higher priced brands. I am really saving money. (Separate post on this).

Do you invest in expensive makeup? Why?