Purple Matte

Here is another one of those Matte nail polishes that I love:

It’s also from LA Girl and yeah, I got it from Hyphen too. This particular shade is really strong as it took 4 days before it chipped. I was already getting tired of it so I was hoping that all my chores would finally make it chip (no, I don’t want to just change shades. Sayang!). But it took only the 4th night to finally give it a dent and in only 2 nails! The rest were still good. Well, that was reason enough for me to change shades. = )

Pan

Here are my October 2012 empties:

The only thing from the October Cosmetics collection that I was able to finish is the OPI wine red nail polish. Actually, I didn’t finish it but it needs to be disposed of already. The polish was already too thick and it was not drying up anymore on my nails. I’ve also hit pan on my Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic Kit so I’m quite happy about that. I did not post it here because my Project Pan should be called Project Empties because I need to use up a product before I consider it “Panned”.

Next is the Human Heart Nature Sunflower oil. This is an okay product. I used it once on my face and I broke out. I sometimes use it when I run out of Veet oil but I make sure to remove the sunflower oil once my skin relaxes. Oh, it’s a great product to use on hair. My hair is damaged because of the Etude House Bubble Hair and I’ve been using different hair treatments so that I can have a perm again. I applied the sunflower oil to the tips of my hair and I can truly say that my hair is softer and looks a bit better now. There are also lesser split ends.

On top of the oil bottle is a lipstick from Etude House which I truly enjoyed. It’s almost the same shade as NARS Dolce Vita.

Lastly, the St. Ives Firming Lotion. This is a good lotion. My only problem with it was it took too long to finish. There are so many lotions out there to try and I can’t be tied to one. Yes, lotion is my new obsession nowadays. 

Tomorrow I will post my November Makeup Pouch so stay tuned for that.

Perfect Pink

I finally had the time to photograph a swatch of this liquid lipstick:







As you can see, it’s too sheer, too nude for me. It’s like I’m just wearing clear gloss so yes, I’m not a big fan of this shade. I like the Strawberry shade better which I blogged about several days ago. Thankfully I got this on sale for only Php119. I now use this as gloss over some of my lipsticks. It’s also included in my October Cosmetics Set. hope I can finish at least one product. *Fingers crossed*

TBS Sale Haul

The Body Shop has been on sale for the past few weeks and I took the opportunity to go Christmas Gift Shopping.






The sale ended last Thursday. Some of these items are mine and most will go out as gifts. Most of these items I got at 50-70% off so you can just imagine my savings.

How about you ladies? Were you able to take advantage of the sale?

October Cosmetics

As mentioned in my previous post,  I will be grouping my cosmetics monthly so that I will be able to use all of them. If you only knew how much cosmetics I have! I really want to use and finish them all. So I hope I can have good results with this experiment. Here are my October Cosmetics:



I know it looks chaotic but don’t worry! I grouped them and took individual photos. Let’s start with the face:

I seriously need to finish my Laura Mercier cream foundation (Bamboo Beige). It’s hanging by a thread and I think I only have 3 uses left for this tube. Next is the Palgantong Powder in Pearl Beige. I haven’t used this yet although I have used it on my clients. Let’s see if it can at least live with my acidic face for a couple of hours. This Benefit That Gal primer is also hanging by a thread so I better finish it fast. Next is Benefit High Beam and ELF HD Undereye Setting Powder (to be blogged soon). Lastly, the Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic kit. This is another product that I seriously have to finish. I have this bad habit of hanging on to stuff that needs to be gotten rid of.  Tsk, tsk.

On to the eyes:

I’ve been giving my NARS 15th Anniversary Palette some love lately and I plan to continue doing that. For most of you who have the Urban Decay NAKED palette, I think this is one of the most used palettes in your collection. Not me. I rarely use this palette so I’m giving it some love this month. At the bottom is my VS palette and Maybelline Cream palettes in Pedal to the Metal and Flash of Forest and of course, my Maybelline Diamond Glow Palette in Copper Brown which I totally forgot about.

I will also use these Maybelline Color Tattoos more this month. Here are Pomegranate Punk, Painted Purple and Audacious Asphalt.



Finally for the eye category, my Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara and my Urban Decay Duo Liner in Zero and Whiskey. You see my bad habit?

Now to the cheeks. This is an ELF blush that has no label. It’s a deep, warm pink. Next is MAC Giggly and my NARS Maui and Palm Beach blush and bronzer duo which I depotted last month.

For the lips, here are my choice products – Too Faced Girls Dig Pearls Mermaid, Maybelline Nude Pearl, Revlon Gumdrop, Avon Violet Beauty, Kiss Me 04, Estee Lauder Candy, NARS Dolce Vita and EOS Lemon Drop.

Finally, for my nails – OPI Not Like the Movies, OPI for Sephora matte purple and gray, Burlesque for OPI, OPI matte black and China Glaze Pelican Gray.

I seldom leave the house nowadays so I’m hoping that I can at least make a dent on these products. These products will be left on my vanity for the rest of October. Come November, I will show you a new batch. I’m quite excited really.

What’s in my Makeup Pouch–October

I was reading Project Pan blog posts the other day and thought how envious I was of ladies who can finish several products in a month’s time. I saw one blogger with several bottles of lotion on one go.  How do they do it? I read some of her tips but they don’t differ from mine. So, seeing that my makeup collection is still steadily growing, I decided to rotate them according to the season/month/occasion. Hence, the what’s in my pouch post. I will be updating my makeup pouch every month so that I will be able to use all my cosmetics. I will take this further by setting aside a group of products on my vanity to be used for a month. I will keep the others so that I won’t be tempted to use them. This is how I will deal with my Project Pan. = )

Without further ado, here’s my October pouch:

 

This is the Forever 21 pink glitter pouch gifted by Ahne for my birthday.



These are the contents. I just emptied my pouch and took a picture. = )

Let me see now. That's my Paul & Joe foundation compact. Above it is a Clinique lipstick in RSVPink. Then there’s the ELF Cover Everything Concealer (which I have yet to blog about). Above that is the ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Perfect Pink (which needs to be blogged too) and the Too Faced Luster Liner in Akoya and my Aranaz mirror. To the left is the Benefit Dandelion Blush. To the right is Carmex and beside that is my Kiss Me Milky Color Lipstick in 03. The gloss is Bobbi Brown in Bronzed Pink (to be blogged as well) and of course my every reliable Kleenex Oil Control Film. I really hope I’ll be able to finish some products by the end of October. Wish me luck!

 

Revlon PhotoReady Foundation

This is another one of those products that I can’t believe I’ve only recently tried.

I tend to ignore foundations especially drugstore ones because my skin is sooooo acidic that only BB creams work. Foundations from Clinique, MAC, Maybelline and Bobbi Brown have failed me in the past. Well, that is until I tried the Revlon PhotoReady Foundation.

I purchased this mainly for use on my clients. I have another bottle in Cool Beige. This one is Golden Beige. This is what I’ve been using (supposedly). Actually, it’s fortunate that I am writing this post because I found out that I have been using the wrong shade for the past few weeks. I made the mistake of mixing up shades after my wedding gig. My skin is a bit yellow and I’ve been using Cool Beige. I look ashy after a few hours of application. I thought it was due to my skin being hyper acidic. But when I looked at this photo, I realized that I’ve been using the wrong shade. Golden Beige is a bit yellow so it disappears into my skin. This is my shade.

I sometimes blend a drop of BB cream into this foundation to slow down oxidation. You will see my face really white right after makeup application but it gets darker eventually. I can apply this using my fingers or my TFS Circle Brush.

It’s surprising that I didn’t break out with this foundation on my first try. It feels a bit sticky and cakey after application but with a dab of my Paul & Joe powder foundation, that problem is solved. Also, my skin tends to become oily with this foundation especially my nose and forehead areas. I’ve also noticed the same effect on my clients.

This is affordable at less than 1,000 pesos considering that you only need a tiny amount to cover your entire face and neck area. I still prefer my BB creams and my Laura Mercier cream foundation but this does the trick for regular days in the mall, running errands or work. Since it’s the cheapest of all my foundations, this is a good everyday alternative.

Etude House Treatment Nail Salve

This is the last item in my Etude House haul. This also costs over Php200. I got this because my cuticles are very dry and I want to give my nails some TLC.

The first time I used this, I applied it before I slept and in the morning, the area around my fingernails and toes were already peeling. It had that same effect for around 3 days and then the peeling stopped. I guess this product gets rid of old, dry skin to reveal a new layer of skin that is softer. I don’t cut my cuticles. I just push them back and I can say that this product has made my fingernails and toe nails better looking. I still have the occasional dryness but at least it’s not like before. I still use this treatment salve in my nightly rituals.

Give your nails some love with the Etude House Help My Finger Treatment Nail Salve. This is great if you wear nail polish a lot. 

Etude House Quick Dry Drop

This is also part of the Etude House haul I made a few weeks ago. This is different from other Quick Dry products. Why? Well, for one, it works! And in only under 60 seconds. I can apply nail polish anywhere as long as I have these drops. One tiny drop is enough for each nail.  In the box it says around 2-3 drops for each nail. That’s too much unless you have really big nails which I doubt.

It costs over Php200. It’s affordable in my opinion because I will use this for a really long time. Don’t use this with the Jelly Pop top coat as your nail polish won’t last long. Use them separately. I only use this when I really have to change my chipped nail polish but have no time to dry it out.

It gives your nails a nice shine, like you applied a top coat. I don’t use any top coats when I use these drops. My nail polish lasted a couple of days (with chores – lots of washing, etc.). It’s definitely a great buy if you’re a busy woman like me. = )

Shop n Save Alert!

Watsons Greenbelt is having a special sale on Asian Secrets Lulur Body Scrubs! Buy the smallest tub for only Php80 then buy your second tub for only 40 pesos!

It was great timing as my jar is only good for one more use. I was thinking of buying this and when I went to Watsons yesterday, I saw the promotion! Don’t forget to ask for coupons when you check out. Happy shopping girls!

Luscious Lips by ELF

A few posts back, I featured a haul I did during the ELF sale at Landmark. Here’s the Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Strawberry:



I love this! I know there are a lot of negative reviews about this product but I am totally loving it. It's cheap (I only got it for Php119) and it has a clicking mechanism too! = ) The color payoff is nice and it lasts for a considerable amount of time.



I think the secret to make it last is to have a good lip base. I used Carmex (review ni in the archives)  before swiping this. I’ll try to use this with my Etude House lip primer to see if it will work.

I also like the applicator. It’s not harsh on my lips and delivers the right amount of product every time. I wipe it with tissue after application to clean it. I do that for my lip gloss applicators also.

I have another one but this shade is my favorite. It has a bit of minty flavor which is not overwhelming. Just from the looks of it, you can already deduce that it’s sticky. When it’s a bit windy I end up with my hair stuck to my lips. LOL. So as much as possible, use this lippy when you’re wearing a ponytail. I will buy more shades once a stick runs out.

Does this look like a heart to you? It totally does to me!

Jelly Pop

In one of my very old posts, I mentioned that I was looking for the perfect top coat. I know Seche Vite is at the top of the list but I didn’t want to buy an expensive top coat. That’s just me. I have nothing against Seche Vite. As a matter of fact, when I have the budget I will try it.

So my search took me to Etude House where I found this Jelly Pop Nail Top Coat. I asked the SA if they had the fast drying top coat as that seems to be the best one I’ve tried. She offered this to me instead and said that it’s their best top coat. It costs around Php200+ so I got it.

It really makes my nails glossy and gives it the appearance of jelly. You know how a gelatin gleams when hit by light? It kinda has that effect on my nails.

The photo does not give it justice. You have to see the actual swatch to appreciate it.

I can’t comment much about the lasting ability as I do a lot of typing and chores around the house so this pink manicure only lasted for a day. I’m wearing a different color now. I think if you don’t do a lot of washing, typing, etc., it will last longer.

I’ve noticed that the product is already getting thicker and that means that it’s slowly drying up. I sure hope I can at least finish 3/4 of the bottle before it completely thickens up.

This is a good product that’s reasonably priced. I think it’s a better alternative to the TFS top coat and Etude House’s regular top coats. You will only have to add 100 pesos anyway and this comes in a big bottle.

Etude House Acetone-Free Nail Polish Remover

I was super intrigued when I discovered this product at Etude House. I’ve never seen a cream nail polish remover before. It costs over Php200 so I gave it a go.

At first I thought it was going to be economical as I will avoid spills and excess product application. Boy, was I wrong. This is such a waste of money! I apply the product directly on my nail. It looks and feels like lotion, by the way. Then I rub my nail with a cotton pad. It took a few tries to remove my regular flat nail polish. On my first try, the nail polish wouldn’t budge so I used my finger to rub the product in and waited for a minute thinking that I might have to give the product time to settle/penetrate the nail polish. Wrong! I had to re-apply about 3-5 times to completely remove the polish on one nail. It takes sooo long to remove the nail polish. I was really frustrated so I went back to my TFS nail polish removers.

The other night, I forgot to remove the nail polish on my toes and I just did my manicure so I asked MB if he could remove the polish. I gave this product to him to use. *evil grin* This is not the first time that I asked MB to remove my nail polish. He was pretty pissed with this nail polish remover too. He said that it’s so hard to remove the polish with this product.

I haven’t tried using this with a glitter polish. I don’t think I will. I don’t know how long that will take! This is such a waste of time, money and energy. I do not recommend this product unless of course you want an acetone-free product and you have the patience to remove all 10 or 20 nail polish swatches on your fingers and toes. Does anyone have a better experience with this product? Maybe I’m just doing things wrong, I don’t know. I’d appreciate some enlightenment.

Asian Secrets Bengkoang Soap

I’ve been using this product for so long now that I was surprised to find that I haven’t blogged about this. I saw this at Watsons for the first time and since it’s a whitening soap, I immediately asked the whitening product expert, Kitten. I’m afraid to use whitening soaps as they tend to make me itch but I was using Dove Go Fresh soap at that time and it was making me itch so I needed a replacement. Kitten said that this soap is okay and it smelled really nice so I immediately got it.

Like the body scrub, this works well on my uber sensitive skin too. I do experience a bit of dryness but nothing that a good lotion can fix. I guess most whitening products do that to your skin.

I have no idea if the whitening stuff works. I use this soap because it’s one of the few soaps in the market that doesn’t give me allergies. I’m looking at my skin right now and I don’t think I became whiter. Maybe you have to use this religiously. I don’t. I change soaps every now and then to avoid the allergies.

The Asian Secrets soap is a bit expensive for around Php60 per bar but it’s a big bar and it lasts for a good amount of time. It’s also always out-of-stock and that is why I discovered Kojie San.

It’s Never Too Late

I can’t believe I only tried this product recently:

For a lip balm addict, I sure am slow… I know Carmex has been around for some time and I’ve read and heard all the great things about it. I just kept putting off buying it. I guess I got swayed by all the pretty packaging of the other brands. Well, you have to admit. Red and yellow is not really very attractive for a lip balm. It kinda reminds me of McDonald’s. But anyway, that red and yellow combo is a classic and people identify with it. So who am I to judge a classic?

So what else can I say that’s new about this product? Absolutely nothing! It’s a great product. It does not taste weird (in my opinion), it doesn’t smell weird. It makes a great base for my ELF liquid lipsticks (more on that soon) and other lipsticks. It makes my lips soft. Actually, it made my lips better. Before Carmex, my lips would dry out whenever I don’t have lip balm on. With Carmex, my lips are no longer that dry. But what I really love about it is the ‘turn click’. I love it! I love the clicking sound it makes every time I push more product out. I know, I’m crazy.

By the way, which one is better, Carmex or Burt’s Bees? Yes, I also haven’t tried Burt’s yet.

The Best Treatment for Dry Skin

Do you suffer from really dry skin? I do. My skin is scaly, like a snake’s. It looks worse when I’m “molting” LOL. I’ve tried different dry skin lotions – Nivea, St. Ives, Jergens, etc. Some offered temporary relief why others were a real disappointment. Thankfully, I have found my cure:

Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Cream is the best treatment I’ve tried so far. My mom got this for me at S&R early this year. One tub costs around Php600. It’s expensive, I know but it really works. During the –ber cold months until February, my skin is at its worst. It’s dry and itchy and flaky. Aveeno offered me a much needed relief from all the scratching. I apply this once in the morning and once in the evening. I used this until summer rolled around. I will probably use this again in the coming weeks depending on the temperature.

If you’re having a hard time dealing with your dry skin, try this product out. One tub will last you a long, long time.

Nails Like Candy Yum Yum

I just realized today that this shade looks like MAC Candy Yum Yum.



I’ve had this for so long and it’s only now that I’ve learned to appreciate it. This is from Hyphen. I’m just not sure if this shade is still available. I have to check the store but it’s currently at 50% off. You can get the Matte Collection for only Php135 each.

Lily Cole for The Body Shop Puff on Radiance

I wanted this ever since I saw it at TBS Greenbelt but it wasn’t in the budget that time. When I had the budget, it was already out of stock. Well, good thing I waited because I saw it again at MOA 2 weekends ago and it was on sale! Most of you know that The Body Shop PH is on sale up to 50%. I did some early Christmas shopping so I bought a lot of items and they were entitled to the 50% discount. The Puff on Radiance was originally priced at around Php900 something and I got this for around Php400+ after the discount.

Isn’t it pretty? It’s like Guerlain Meteorites but it’s nothing like it. This is very sheer, very light. I use a brush to apply this on my face but I have to apply several times to get a decent highlight. I tried using the puff but it’s worse. 

Look, you can hardly see it:

I use this for a light day makeup. I think this will be better to use as a body shimmer. It’s not a great product and I’m really glad I got it for half the price otherwise I would have been really disappointed. Anyway, it looks really good on my vanity. = )

Benefit Cha Cha Tint

I like this better than Posie Tint. It lasts much longer and the color shows better on my skin. Here’s the swatch:

I usually swipe the brush twice on my cheeks, being careful to apply very light strokes then I blend right away. That swatch on the photograph is not blended yet because I want you to see the mango shade.

The product dries fast so if you don’t blend quickly, it will leave a mark on your cheeks. I did this once and I was left with 2 lines on my cheeks even after applying another coat on top of the 2 lines. The 2 lines were really prominent inside the cloud of tint. = )

I won’t repurchase as I have far too many products that I need to finish and by the time I do so, this product has been probably discontinued or Benefit has already come up with something better.

Watsons and ELF Haul

MB needed a few things from Watsons so I took the opportunity to “save”. I still have a few Php50 coupons so I got a few Watsons brand items. That was the first purchase which is not pictured here. In the first purchase, I saved about Phph119.50. He forgot something so we came back. Seeing as he was buying another Watsons item, I added a few more to make the total Php300 so that I could use another coupon. For the second transaction, I saved 90 pesos so that’s a Php210 total savings today!

I got the Watsons Foot Ease Refreshing Foot Spray and the Watsons Stretch Mark Minimizer. The others are just wet tissues and hand soaps. By the way, the foot spray was on sale that’s why I had an extra savings of 20 pesos.

MB is attending a wedding today so I asked him to drop me off at Landmark to check out the cosmetics sale. I tried, I really tried but I ended up buying 6 items from ELF! Good thing they were on sale at 10% off. I got 2 Luscious Liquid Lipsticks, the High Definition Undereye Setting Powder,  the Eyelid Primer, the Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter and the Cover Everything Concealer. All items were marked down except for the Cover Everything Concealer. I don’t know if this is included in the sale or not so I’m going back tomorrow to Landmark to check. If it’s included in the sale then I will get my Php2o back. = )

It’s good that I only buy on sale items nowadays. It makes me feel less guilty about my impulse purchases.
= ) And why is it that when I feel so stressed, I end up buying cosmetics and body care stuff? Do you experience the same thing or do you crave for something else like clothes, shoes or accessories? Leave a comment, I’d like to know!

Pan!

Oh, yes, it’s another pan post!

I’m so happy that I am finally able to finish a lot of my products. The first tube is the 7-Day Scrub Cream from Clinique. This costs Php1,600 and it lasted for, are you ready for this? 2 years! Yes, 2 years! That is totally worth the price! I use this at least once a week, twice at the most. I found a scrub that works just as well from Etude House but it is currently out of stock. That tube is also running out so I may have to buy another Clinique Scrub Cream. I think I already reviewed this product so if you want to read it, just make a quick search on the search box.

Next is the Skin Protec antibacterial hand sanitizer. Nothing special about this but I like it because it doesn’t dry up my hands and it’s cheap at Php49 BOGO at Watsons. Next is the Lip Ice lemon lip balm. It took so long to finish this! I won’t buy Lip Ice products anymore because they don’t work so well on me. They don’t last a long time and sometimes they tend to make my lips even drier.

Lastly, the Etude House Mascara Remover which is my favorite makeup remover. I use this to remove all makeup on my whole face. It’s super affordable at Php199. I wipe my face with wet wipes after this just to remove that oily feeling. It also leaves my skin so soft.

I am really on a roll when it comes to finishing products. I hope to finish more soon so that I can go shopping again!

Benefit Posie Tint

This is a mini bottle which I got with the Finding Mr. Bright kit. I’m not very impressed with this product.

It’s great to use as part of your everyday makeup. I think this is best for students, teenagers and young working women who need a little bit of color on their cheeks. The shade is a very sheer pink. I did not blend the liquid too much as it will disappear. I usually apply around 2-3 strokes on my cheek to achieve the pink shade that I want. I use this when I just want some light makeup on.

It lasts for a few hours then you have to re-apply. I don’t usually take this with me when I go out because I find re-applying cheek tints troublesome. I bring a blush compact instead. It’s part of a kit so I don’t have any regrets. It’s an okay product but I won’t purchase a full bottle when this runs out. But if you’re a fan of cheek tints and you like light makeup, this one is great for you.

Caspian

This is another Too Faced Luster Liner. It’s called Caspian, if I’m not mistaken.



According to the description, it’s a golden plum shade.



It’s definitely not a day color. I think I can use this for more mature clients as deeper, bolder colors look good on them.



This is topped with the Mermaid Girls Dig Pearls Gloss. I think I can get away with it if I top it with gloss. Otherwise, I look too mature.

I also found that these liners dry up my lips so if you are using them, be sure to moisturize your lips. But, they’re great and they last a long time. It’s also fun to sharpen them! You wouldn’t understand unless you own one. = )

Parisian

I know I told Salmon Cat that the hauling will stop but my cousin broke a pair of shoes that she borrowed from me. I don’t always buy shoes but when I do, I buy more than one. Regulars of this blog know that my feet have a weird size so when I see a pair that fits me perfectly, I buy them right away. I usually wait until a pair breaks before I buy. I’ve already made a few pairs retire and I was putting off buying because I wanted to use my other pairs but I guess it was really time to buy.

My usual boutiques are So Fab and Chesca but unfortunately, they didn’t have my sizes when I visited them last weekend. I decided to checkout SM as the Parisian line sometimes has my size. I was in luck and got these:

Blue is not my favorite color. It just so happened that all the shoes that I liked were in this color. Plus I only have one pair of blue shoes so blue is actually not a bad choice.

The flats are unbelievably comfortable. I haven’t worn any of these shoes for a whole day though but I think they’re all comfy. I do have a slight problem with the snake skin shoes. The rim of the back side is not smooth and it rubs my ankles. I think it will give me blisters when I wear this so I’m going to rub a candle on that side to make it better. The wax will make it smoother. Did you know that some people actually bite that part of the shoes so that the shoes won’t ‘bite’ them back? I think it’s an old pamahiin (belief). I’ve actually seen a customer do that when she bought a pair from my friend. Well, I think I will stick to the candle method. = )