Bath and Body Works Haul

Bath and Body Works is on mega sale. I got a few things.




I wanted to buy the sanitizers here but they cost Php100 at Landmark and Php150 at PCX! They only cost a dollar each in the US! The lotions and body wash on the other hand cost Php600+. Here’s a breakdown:










I also got these pouches because I’m a pouch addict!



Now I think my lotion stash will last me the whole year and I hope the rest will last me until the next sale.

Fashion Haul

Some Sale News first:

*Uniqlo opens today at G5 with introductory prices
*SM Department store is on clearance sale
*Mango and Kamiseta are still on sale
*I think ZARA is on sale as well
*Greenbelt is having a mall wide sale starting today
*Forever 21 is having their end of the season sale

So many sales, so little time! And while all that is going on, I’m stuck at home on bed rest! Good thing I was able to do a bit of hauling before I gave birth. Here’s what I got from Kamiseta:









I went crazy over shorts because it’s been so long since I’ve last worn them! I also mentioned waaaay before that I needed more shorts in my wardrobe.



I also got this skirt and this cardi:



From Mango, I was only able to buy 2 pieces. I wanted to buy the dresses but I couldn’t fit them as I was still pregnant at that time. I will splurge on dresses once I go back to my regular size.

Love the comfy shirts at Mango

The summer collection was all about whites and laces. I wanted a lot of dresses in that collection but well, you know so I ended up with this top.

I also bought a gift for one of my best friends from Kamiseta. For my husband, I got him 2 cargo shorts and 2 shirts from Aeropostale and a leather jacket from Bershka. After 5 months of no shopping, this was really a happy day for me!

News

Hey everyone! A lot has happened during the past few days. We have a new addition to our family – a baby boy! This is the reason why I haven’t been blogging a lot. I had a complicated pregnancy and up to the end, it was really hard. We are all thankful to the Lord that our baby is healthy and doing great. In spite of all the things we’ve gone through, I can truly say that we are blessed.

Anyway, in other news, if you haven’t heard it yet, Uniqlo is opening tomorrow at Glorietta 5. My husband and I would really love to go but unfortunately we can’t. I’m still on bed rest and we don’t want to take our little one out yet.

Another good news is Etude House is opening at the Greenbelt bridgeway, in front of The Body Shop. That’s actually an interesting place for me as TBS is there along with TFS and PCX and now Etude House. Cousin C and I can’t wait for it to open!

Finally, last Friday, I went shopping with my mom and C. In true shopalic spirit, I was actually having contractions while shopping. That night, I was admitted to the hospital. Here’s a preview of what I got:

Thank you cuz for modeling my stuff! = )

I will try to resume blogging as soon as possible.

Arm Candies

I got me some more Hyphen Love:

I also got this pair of earrings.

The Body Shop Goodies

The Body Shop was on sale last week and I managed to get a few goodies:

My Satsuma Oil is about to run out so I got this Olive Oil which my doctor highly recommends. It was on sale.  I also got these two soaps in Strawberry and Mango. I’ve read good reviews about the Strawberry Soap while my SIL recommends the Mango scent.

By the way, I finally found the photo of  the heart cranberry soap that I reviewed a couple of weeks back:

It’s a shame that I dropped this but this was the reason why I bought the bar soaps. As you know, I’m not a huge fan of bar soaps but I’m willing to give them a try because of this.

I admit that I am fairly new to the brand’s products. If you have any recommendations as to what I should try, feel free to drop a comment. = )

Last Week’s Makeup Box

Hey everyone! I’m sorry for the lack of posts. It’s been crazy for the last week and a half. I spent a few days in the hospital last week then my doctor finally lifted my house arrest and ordered me to get some exercise starting with walking so that’s what we’ve been doing. We’ve been walking around a lot, catching up on  chores and errands.

Anyway, I’m really glad I was able to use my makeup again. Here’s last week’s makeup box.



I wasn’t able to get shots of my FOTD’s as my phone couldn’t capture the colors. My camera is somewhere and I just don’t have the energy to look for it.

Here’s a rundown:

MAC Fix
Shu Uemura BB Mousse'
Revlon PhotoReady Liquid Foundation
Stila 3 in 1
Bobbi Brown palette
Bobbi Brown Corrector
Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Black
Estee Lauder Mascara
Guerlain Meteorites
Bobbi Brown Brow Shaper
NARS 15 Bronzer
UDPP
Etude House Surprise Stick Concealer
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler
Rosebud Salve
Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette
MAC Foundation

I’m happy to say that I’ve hit pan on my NARS bronzer. I hope I can empty it soon.

I can’t say that I’m back for good as there are still just too many things going on but I will try to blog as often as I can.

Hyphen Love

Can’t wait to wear these! And of course, I got rid of 4 pieces from my collection. 4 in, 4 out.

This week I’m obsessed with…

that heart soap on the bottom right corner. I accidentally deleted the photo that is why I don’t have a close up version.

I loved this soap. It’s cranberry scented. It has small beads for exfoliation although I’m not a huge fan of them because they are a bit harsh on my skin. I’m still happy with this soap though as it’s non-drying. The problem is I accidentally dropped it in the toilet. I was able to use it for a week, twice a day. It would have lasted me the whole week.  This is a Christmas edition soap so I guess it’s not available nowadays. I probably won’t repurchase individually but I will probably repurchase this set come Christmas time.

I wasn’t feeling yesterday. All I did was sleep and lounge in bed that’s why I was not able to blog. Next week will be a very busy week for work but I hope to be able to blog regularly.

Etude House Baking Powder Pore Cleansing Foam

I got this as a GWP last year from Etude House. I wanted to use this for my travels but when our usual TFS facial wash ran out, I had to bring this out to use because I can’t go out and get another tube at TFS.

I used this only for 2 weeks because one day my husband went home with a TFS bag containing the facial wash. I never imagined he could go inside TFS and buy that. I was really surprised.

Anyway, the first week of using this product was great. I didn’t experience any break outs, it didn’t make my skin oily and it made my face feel refreshed every time I used it. A week after, I started breaking out on my chin and forehead. I used this twice a day for 2 weeks straight. I'm not a huge fan of the smell but it will suffice. This is pretty big for a travel size tube. It will last me many travels.

The cluster of pimples healed when I switched back to our regular facial wash.

This went back to my travel toiletries drawer. I can use it for a few days, nothing longer to avoid breakouts.

Question of the Week

Do you allow your guy to dictate what you wear especially on date nights?

Filipino guys are a different breed. They are very conservative. My husband is no exception. When we first started going out, he did not have an opinion about my outfits. As the relationship went on, he would start asking about my choice of clothing. He would ask, “are you going to wear that out?” or “are you going to wear something underneath (or over) that?”

Some guys like looking at girls who wear sexy outfits but they don’t exactly like it when their girlfriend/wife wears the same thing. Does it have to do something about being possessive? Do they just feel uncomfortable when other men look at their girl?

I wear whatever I want. Sometimes I’m conservative, sometimes I like to wear something sexy (not cheap and slutty). It all depends on the occasion and where we’re going. When I dress sexily, of course I would elicit stares from other men. Any woman would.  My husband would ignore those stares but he will subtly wrap his arm around my waist or my shoulder. Do your guys do that as well? I bet they do!

I read an article in Glamour that featured guys’ “ideal date night outfits”. Here are some of them.

Guys like this because it has a casual vibe to it and the skirt is a bit flirty. The length is also just right. I think local guys would like this also.



Western guys like this but I think most of the guys here would say no.



This is another no-no for the local boys. The shorts are just too short.



This is a yes even for local boys. The long sleeves, high neckline and the length  are just right. Western lads like this outfit because “it gives them a glimpse of how the girl would look like wearing their shirt the morning after”.



A bodycon dress is probably one of the most popular choices here. It’s sexy but subtle.



This is also something that guys here would approve of.



Finally, this is another big NO! The cleavage and the legs will just be too much for the Filipino guy.

I buy whatever outfits I like and I wear whatever I like but if it makes my husband uncomfortable, I try to compromise. I want him to enjoy our date and not constantly be annoyed by all the stares from other men. But there are also some days when I feel naughty and want to annoy him so I don’t compromise. = )  I think you ladies do that too. Am I right?

*All photos from Glamour

Dealing with Rough Skin

I have 3 problem areas that are always dry and rough – my elbows, knees and heels. I think most of you have the same problem as well. It doesn’t help that I had a lot of wounds and bruises when I was a kid in these areas as I was always out playing on the streets. When I got older, I still had a lot of wounds due to my sports. My elbows and knees were really battered and bruised. 

I’d like to share with you what I do to get rid of rough skin.

Elbows

I always apply lotion right after I take a bath. I have no particular lotion for my elbows. I just apply whatever body lotion I’m using at the moment.

I also scrub them twice a week. I use this:

After washing my hands, I apply lotion to my hands and elbows. I don’t forget this step. Last year, I had really rough, patchy elbows and I made sure to apply lotion throughout the day after washing my hands. This is my current hand lotion:

If you like resting your elbows on your desk, avoid this practice as much as possible. If you can’t help yourself, be sure to place a cardigan or jacket to make the surface softer, smoother and easier on your elbows.

Heels

This is a huge problem of mine! I rarely wear closed shoes because I just can’t find the right size for my feet so I always buy sandals and wedges. Back when I was still out and about, my feet would be exposed to the elements so at night, my heels would be super dry and calloused. Even the lines became very deep. Aside from that, dirt seeps into these lines which can be hard to remove even if I scrub a lot.

What I do is I scrub twice a week using this:

and I apply lotion at night. Now that I’m always at home, I apply lotion after my morning shower. I don’t apply lotion on my feet during the day if I’m going out because my feet become a bit slimy and slippery when I sweat. I don’t do the moisturize and then wear socks thing either because I just can’t sleep with socks on even on very cold nights. This method works for me as long as I regularly do it.

My favorite foot lotion now is this:

Knees

I treat my knees the same way I treat my elbows. I scrub them twice a week using the same scrub. I also apply lotion to my knees after applying lotion to my elbows after washing my hands. I use the same hand lotion.  My knees are dark because of bumps, falls and wounds when I was younger so I guess they will stay that way. I don’t think they will become lighter even with whitening products. Oh, well. At least they’re not rough anymore. = )

It’s easy to manage rough skin when I’m just at home. The real challenge comes when I start going out again.

Beauty News: Is it the End for Avon?

Photo from Avon Philippines

Avon has been a part of Filipinas for many generations. The company has been very successful in the country, to say the least but rumors are buzzing in the US that they are about to close.

According to 24/7 Wall St., the brand may be extinct by the end of the year. Avon ladies are very popular here in the country but in the US, they are a dying breed.

So what’s going on with the company? Back in January 2012, the company’s vice chairman was fired due to ongoing investigations about bribery.  After that, they got into trouble with the FDA after some new products in the ANEW line were found to carry claims prohibited by FDA guidelines.  In December, Avon announced that they were planning to cut 1,500 jobs worldwide and will be pulling out of Vietnam and South Korea. Those are our neighbors, are we next?

I, personally won’t be affected if Avon pulls out from the PH. Sure, I had a good run with them but last year I found most of their products disappointing. I don’t like the quality of their makeup anymore. I focused on other items such as accessories. They were great in the beginning but the prices have become too steep for me. I would rather invest in, say, a good brand of bag that costs about the same than buy one from them.

Will you be affected if Avon pulls out of the PH?

May Neutrals

Lip Sync-Off with John Krasinski

There's nothing like starting your day with a good laugh. This totally made my Saturday morning, I just had to share!





Happy weekend everyone!

May 2013 Empties

I’m really happy that I was able to finish a lot of makeup in May aside from the usual toiletries.

The Face Shop Nail Polish Remover and Johnson’s Cooling Powder

I don’t usually apply powders but May was really tough and nights were so unbearably hot. My husband would “bathe” himself in this cooling powder. He would then apply some on my back. We would have a bit of relief, enough to fall asleep.

Etude House Surprise Liquid Concealer and NARS Palm Beach

This concealer is one of the best budget concealers out there. Back when I reviewed the NARS Palm Beach, I said that it was too dark for me but when summer hit, it was the perfect shade so I’m glad that I hit pan before summer ends.

I finally finished this annoying nail polish remover from Etude House! Will definitely NOT repurchase.



I super love this hand cream from The Body Shop. I just don’t like the packaging as the sides burst open. I won’t repurchase as there are tons of products out there that have better packaging.

I was really hoping that this will last me for 2-3 months so I was really surprised to see that I hit pan in mid-May. I have no idea if my sister was also using this. Anyway, I found a similar variant at Watsons but with a different scent.

I was also able to finish a tube of this Etude House Black Head Gommage which I use as a face scrub. This product is really superb. Too bad, it’s always out of stock.

I accidentally deleted the photo of the Maybelline gel liner in black. I haven’t hit pan but I’ve used up more than half then it dried up.

Well, that’s all I have for May. I want to finish more makeup in June but with this house arrest, I don’t know how I’ll manage to do that. Well, unless I do FOTD’s every single day. = )