Quick Beauty Fixes when You’re Sick

I’m not in my best condition health-wise but that is not an excuse to look like crap. Whenever I’m sick, I always make it a point to look as good as I can. I’m not saying that I get all dolled up while confined in bed. What I mean is I don’t neglect my beauty routine even when I’m on house arrest or have attacks. I especially don’t skip my beauty routine when I only have some cough and colds and I still need to go out to work. But, I do change my routine a bit depending on my strength and condition. Here are a few beauty quick fixes I do:

Facial Mist
Instead of a moisturizer, I use a facial mist. It cools off my face and neck and does not give me that heavy feeling that moisturizers give. If you have a fever, choose cooling facial mists that have skin smoothing ingredients. If you can’t find a cooling mist, put the bottle in the ref for maximum relief. This will also prevent your skin from getting blotchy.



Shampoo
My doctor tells me to take a shower whenever I have a fever. This will cool my entire body off. While there, I don’t forget to shampoo my hair to get rid of the buildup of sweat and oils that have accumulated from hours and hours of lying down. If you can’t stand the showers,  find dry shampoo instead.

Photo from Dove website

Soothing Lotion
Do you know that feeling when you have a fever and your skin gets so hot and the slightest touch hurts? Mine feels like someone is touching me with needles. There are also times when my skin gets so dry (yeah, drier than my present condition) from rubbing with a cold towel. In these instances, I rely on my soothing lotions and Aveeno.




Healing Balms
If your skin is cracking from blowing your nose or wiping, apply some healing balm. I use my Rosebud Salve.




Lip Balms
Lip balms are my best friend whether I’m sick or not but more so when I’m sick. My current favorite is EOS Tangerine. If you need to go out, opt for a tinted lip balm instead so you don’t do the extra step of applying lipstick.




Hydrate
Remember to hydrate. Drink lots of water or natural fruit juices. If you are too dehydrated, drink some Gatorade. You can also try flavored water if you don’t like water. Being hydrated will prevent your skin from looking dull. It will also make you feel better faster.

Thank you MB!

I’ve been so busy today with work that’s why I posted late. Next, some quick makeup fixes when you’re sick.

Dove Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Care

I’ve tried this product before and I didn’t like it. I was looking for the biggest Dove conditioner in the supermarket and I saw this one and the repair one but I didn’t want to use the repair one anymore as I think my hair has already healed so I grabbed this without even reading it.

The first time I used this, it was too hard to rinse off. Now it’s a bit better. But the product still feels heavy on my hair probably because it’s a treatment/hair spa thing. I don’t have any conditioners in my stash so I use this daily and that probably adds to the weight.  I just use a small amount so it won’t feel too heavy when my hair dries.

My hair looks great though even after I remove my hair clamp. I just run my fingers through my hair and it’s fixed. I’m really not sure if I would repurchase. I’ll decide when I’m about to run out.

Gold Hardware

My Favorite Too Faced Products

I’m trying to review/make an inventory of my makeup and I’m trying to figure out which ones I like and would likely repurchase and the ones that I won’t repurchase anymore. With Too Faced, here are my favorite products.

First of all, Shadow Insurance is my favorite eyeshadow primer. I have a backup of this plus the lemon variant which I still need to try.

I love the shades in the Pixie Pin-Ups palette and in January, I used this and the Romantic Eye palette almost daily.



This is the Romantic Eye palette. Some shades are for daily use while the others are for adding an extra oomph to your look.



Too Faced eyeshadows are not the same quality as Urban Decay shadows but they do a nice job. I like them for every day use. I won’t repurchase the palettes as it will take a long time for me to finish them plus I still have a ton more in my collection. I will repurchase Shadow Insurance though once my stock runs out.

My Urban Decay Wish List

I have a lot of Urban Decay products in my collection but that does not stop me from wanting more! I probably won’t be able to buy these anyway so there’s no harm in making a wish list.

1. Naked Skin – Ever since this product came out, I’ve been wanting to try it but I still have several foundations to finish so this would have to wait.

2. OZ Palettes – I know I have a ton of palettes but I just can’t resist these!

3. Naked Flushed – Among these 4 products, I will likely purchase this palette.

4. Cooling Setting Spray – I am intrigued with this product. The description says this is perfect for dry and combination skin so this is perfect for me! I would also like to try this. Maybe I’ll purchase this and the Naked Flushed.

My Top Concealers

I blogged about my top liquid concealers for my under eyes. Now, here are my favorite concealers.

First is the Tinted Eye Brightener from Bobbi Brown which is also included in the other concealer post. It’s really a good versatile concealer.

Next is the Erase Paste from Benefit. I got this pot from my Confessions of a Concealaholic palette. This is the best concealer in that palette. It’s very versatile too.

Then there’s the Bobbi Brown Corrector. This is technically not a concealer but I can actually use this alone. I didn’t buy the concealer anymore as this gives me good coverage already. I’ve also been saving this and I only use this on special occasions. I already bought a backup pot because as you can see, it’s running out. This is the best in the bunch.

Finally, the NARS Custard and Ginger duo which I depotted. I haven’t been using this for a while but when I did, I was really amazed. It glided so smoothly on my super dry skin and it didn’t cake the whole day! The Erase Paste cakes depending on my skin condition. I was able to blend it well in spite of my flakey skin. I was really surprised as I used to ignore this duo. I still have another palette which also needs to be depotted eventually as it’s already too dirty. Now I’m glad that I bought two.

I’ve heard great things about the Revlon concealer. What other concealers would you girls recommend?

3 Products I’m Currently Obsessed With

These are not new in my stash but I suddenly found myself reaching out for them more frequently. I stopped using the Watsons Stretch Mark Minimizer for a while because I used another product. Now, I’ve been using this again every day.

I’m still stuck at home but I use the Bifesta Bright Up to remove my makeup after I make an EOTD. It’s very refreshing especially now that it’s soooooo hot.

I’ve been using the Lily Cole for The Body Shop shimmer beads a lot. I use it every single time I go to the hospital for a checkup. I used to ignore this because it’s really not a stellar highlighter but I found a new liking for it.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday!

My Favorite Benefit Products

I have several Benefit products but these are my ultimate favorites. I would purchase them again once I run out.



Girl Meets Pearl
This is a great highlighter. Actually, I thought that this was a face primer so that’s how I used it before. As a primer, it gives me a nice glow. I usually use this with my BB creams or my Laura Mercier Liquid Foundation. I haven’t tried using this as a highlighter yet. This is my backup tube and I haven’t opened it yet.

Erase Paste
This is at the top of my concealer list. I love this and I’ve been saving it although I still have another backup jar in my stash. It’s great for under eyes, the sides of the nose, blemishes, etc. Definitely one of the best concealers I’ve ever tried.

That Gal
This is one of my favorite primers. I stopped using this for a while because I want to finish my Stila 3-in-1 first as I bought that way before That Gal. Once I finish the Stila primer, this will be my every day primer.

I want to try a few products from Benefit such as the Porefessional but they would have to wait until I get better. What about you ladies? Any recommendations from Benefit?

Uniqlo Soon to Open in Glorietta!

Finally! My favorite store for all things comfy is coming to Glorietta in June! I just read this news yesterday and I’m so excited! I already told my mom about it as I asked her to get me a few things there just the other day.

Here are my picks:

Relaco Leaves – Php590

Dry Steteco – Php590

Relaco Flowers – Php590

Denim Skirt – Php990

Laduree Shirt – Php790 (LOVE Uniqlo shirts!)

I hope their store is big here as well. Oooooh, I can’t wait! I hope I’m better by then.

How do you organize your bracelets and bangles?

First off, a special shoutout goes to Lyndale and Miss Shopcoholic for visiting and following my blog! I appreciate your messages and your tips! For the rest of you ladies and lurkers, thank you for your support and please keep those comments coming! I love hearing from you!

I have yet to find an effective organization method for my arm candies but until then, this is how I store them:



It’s a mishmash of sorts but it somewhat works for me right now.



This is probably the best organizer as I can clearly see all my bracelets in one go. The problem with this is it’s too small to fit my entire collection. Dust and dirt also stick to it like glue and it’s hard to clean especially now that I’m forbidden to move around and do some cleaning. I have another bangle organizer which we use for Hyphen but that’s too bulky for my room.



This is an old pail from Beabi. It’s hard to open. I need a coin every time I open this. Also, the rim and the top get rusty. This used to house my sponges which I transferred to my Anna Sui jar.



This is a black organizer I got from Etude House. I have two of these and the other one houses a lot of my knick knacks. This houses my chunky bangles.



Finally, this oversized mug from Tony Moly which I got in Singapore. It has all my leather and slimmer bracelets.

My SIL found some drawers in Ikea Singapore which I think would be a better organizer for my bangles. I can separate them and they can be safe from dust and dirt. It’s quite heavy so I need to go there to purchase it personally but I do hope I can find a similar one here because it will take some time for me to be able to travel again. If you have any suggestions on how to organize bracelets, please leave a comment. I would appreciate the help!

What’s the least amount of makeup you can wear when going out?

I love makeup and I spend some time getting all dolled up before going out. The only times that I don’t wear any trace of makeup is when I am being rushed to the hospital. Other than that, you will always find me with a touch of makeup on my face. Here’s the least I can get away with:

I have pimple marks on my face so I need to apply foundation or at least a BB cream. This is from Etude House and it’s a great product. I made a review of this product if you are interested. Before applying foundation or BB cream, I always apply a primer. I don’t feel comfortable without a primer. But on days when I need to get out the door fast, I just use the BB cream.

I also use the Clinique Chubby Stick as my lips are super dry. I don’t need to apply lip balm anymore with this product. When I just have to run an errand or pick up my husband from work, I can get away with just the lip balm.

If I still have a few minutes left, I would groom my brows:



This is my Bobbi Brown palette and those two brown eyeshadows are what I use for my brows. I can’t live without these colors. I will be devastated if they discontinue these.

What about you? Can you go au naturel or do you at least need to swipe some lipstick on? Share!

The Best Liquid Concealers for My Under Eye Area

If you’ve noticed the word “my”, that’s because these are the products that work for me. They may not necessarily work for you.



For example, this ELF Under Eye Concealer gets a lot of complaints from other bloggers. They say that the coverage is not enough. This works just fine for me. I don’t have dark circles and that’s why this gives me ample coverage. It’s also very easy to blend and gets absorbed fast by my skin.

Next is the Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener. I love this product! It’s very versatile too as I can use it to conceal other areas of my face like the sides of my nose and other red areas. This is quite expensive for a concealer and I will not repurchase because I have several alternatives that work just as well but are more affordable.

Lastly, the Etude House Surprise Essence Concealer. It’s one of my first concealers and I’ve gone through a few of these. It’s affordable and it will give you more coverage than the ELF concealer. Between this and ELF, I’d choose this.

I will be blogging about my other concealers in the coming days so if you are looking for a good concealer, stay tuned for that!

Mariposa

Tools of the trade:

Stila palette

Urban Decay Rollergirl Palette

Maybelline Color Tattoo Tenacious Teal

Sigma Brushes

Urban Decay Shadow Pencil in Clash

Kiss Me Liquid Liner

UDPP

not in photo: NYX Milk

Perfect Combination

I’ve always felt that Benefit Posie Tint is not enough. In my opinion, it’s for ladies with very fair skin. I have to apply a lot of product to make the color show on my cheeks. Then, one day, I saw a video that used one of the Benefit tints as base and one of the boxed blushes to set it. So I thought about which blush in my collection would be perfect with Posie Tint and I came up with this:






This is a swatch of each:



I purposely did not blend Posie Tint so that you will able to see the shade.

I think my Estee Lauder Rose Nuance goes perfectly well with Posie Tint:

The result is a light, fresh pink that’s perfect for everyday wear. Posie Tint is what I’ve been using for the past month or so whenever I go to the hospital and I just added Rose Nuance to my kit.

My Summer Picks from Dior Cosmetics

I’m very excited to try Dior cosmetics. I will do so as soon as I get better. In the mean time, here are my summer picks from the brand:




These are lipsticks in Bow and Mischievous.



These lip glosses are what I’ve been lemming for. These are Diablotine and Rose En Diable.



More glosses in Delice and Fairy Pink



I also want to try the vernis. These are Mango and Pasteque.

My Travel Pouches

Hey gals! This is another travel-related post. Cosmetics and toiletries are important parts of my travel list so it is only natural that I have several pouches reserved for those days. Here are my travel pouches:

Let’s look at them one by one:



First is this Agnes B. pouch which I got in Singapore. I usually bring this to domestic travels.



It has compartments inside to separate my cosmetics. This is good for an overnight trip.



This is the Avon jewelry organizer. This is fairly new and I’ve only used it once this year.



You can hang your bangles and bracelets on the pink straps and put the rest of your jewelry inside the pouch.




Most of you have already seen this. This was a gift from my best friend M last Christmas. I love this and it has become a staple in my travel gear.



It still has a few things inside.  I don’t remove them anymore so that I can pack easily and quickly next time.



This is my ultimate favorite kit and it’s from Clinique. It can store a lot of my bath products and toiletries.



My mom also has this pouch and she uses it every time she travels.



I use this Harajuku Lovers pouch for road trips.



This Hello Kitty pouch is also for road trips. It usually stores my toothbrush and toothpaste and other stuff. I got this from Japan Home Center.






This is another pouch I got in Singapore. I actually used this for my makeup gigs but I will surely use this for future travels from now on as I was able to buy new organizers for my traincase.



This will be great for short trips as well to house my makeup and brushes.



Finally, this is my husband’s pouch from Givenchy. I put all his toiletries inside and they all fit!



I’m a pouch addict and I’m pretty much OC when it comes to organizing my travel bag so you will always find a combination of these pouches in my bag. That system works for me because I know exactly where everything is and I can just grab one pouch when I’m going to take a bath or when I’m going to apply makeup.