Essential Tools for the Eyes ^_^

Hello everyone! I just want to share my essential tools for my eyes. I noticed lately that even though I have quite a number of brushes, I usually reach for these ones (also I can do any look I want if I only have these). Why essential? because I want to believe that they are the basic tools you should have if you are just starting your makeup collection :)

My number 1 must-have tool is the eyelash curler. I think this is the first tool you should have (unless of course you have naturally curled lashes already hehe) because this can make your eyes look more awake and pretty even without any eye makeup. I think investing in a good quality eyelash curler is a must. I'm not saying that you must buy the most expensive brand available coz not all high end brands are the best..you just need to test it on your own to know which one suits the shape of your eyes better..this will help in preventing you from accidentally pinching your eyelids, pulling out your lashes and unable to properly curl your lashes (leaving you with a checked lashes that doesn't look flattering at all). For example, I have tried both the Shu Uemura and Shiseido eyelash curler but Shu is not meant for my eye shape and so I ended up frequently pinching my eyelids even if I'm careful so I just sold it after a few weeks (even though Shu curler has a huge number of followers)..but the Shieseido one is perfect for me and it gives me a natural curl that is very close to my lashline everytime..it is very sturdy too. My curler is already 3 y/o and I just need to replace its rubber every after 1 1/2 years. All I'm saying is that, every individual is different and they have different qualification on what works or not for them so it is really up to you on what brand to buy as long as it works great for you then that curler will be the best to have in your kikay kit^_^

For the eyeshadow brushes, I made it into 2 optional sets. One is for those who are just starting and is not that fond of eye makeup and the other set is for those who love to apply eyeshadows.

SET#1 - I can create a decent eye makeup with just these three brushes. I usually bring only these 3 when I travel because they are sufficient enough in creating different looks with ease :)

- Concealer Brush - This is mainly used for applying and setting your concealer. I normally just use this for setting coz I prefer using my ring finger in applying and blending my undereye concealer. I use this brush to put my loose powder concealer on top to set my cream concealer to make it lasts longer.

- Eyeliner Brush - I prefer using an angled eyeliner brush coz I can apply a straighter line faster with this than a pointed one. It can also be used in applying your brow makeup. You might ask why use an eyeliner brush if you can just buy pencil or liquid liners that don't need a separate brush for application. My answer to that is, I like to use my eyeshadows as eyeliners. I have a lot of eyeshadows and if I need a certain color of eyeliner to create a look, I just need to wet my brush and dip it in the shade I need and voila! I have that shade of eyeliner without spending a single centavo :)

- Shading/Blending brush - I love my MAC 217 for this (even though it is a little scratchy) because it is a very versatile brush. I can use it for packing colors on the lid and crease, for blending (we need to blend our eyeshadows or else we will look wierd), for applying highlighter and even applying bases. If I need to choose only one brush to recommend, I'll definitely answer MAC 217 in a heartbeat.

SET # 2 - The 3 basic above + flat shader brush and pencil brush. If you love to create detailed eye makeup and you can splurge a little more, I suggest you get these two additional brushes :)

- flat shader brush - this kind of brush can easily pack colors on your lids. Compared to MAC 217, this eyeshadow brush has a denser hair so more colors can picked by the hairs and easily deposited on your lids.

- pointed pencil brush - this is perfect for putting precise colors on your crease and lashline..especially the inner corners and lower lashline..This brush must be stiff enough to give you control on your application. I sometimes use this to smudge my shadows around the eyes to create a subtle smokey look :)

Brushes featured: MAC 217, Charm angled eyeliner brush, Charm concealer brush, ELF eyeshadow brush, Ellana contour brush

I suggest you invest on good quality brushes too because they will last you a very long time if taken cared for properly. My MAC brush is already more than 1 year old and my Charm brushes are already 3 years old (yup! I got the very first batch haha)..and they all still work the same as when I got them. The brand is not important, it's the quality :)

There you go guys! These are my most essential tools for my eyes. I hope I helped some of you in deciding which brushes to buy first. What about you? What is your most essential tool for our precious eyes? So post them in the comments section..I want to hear from you :)

Till next time! Bye! ^_^

Review: Skin Food Salmon Concealer + Lioele Water Drop BB cream

Hello everyone! I know, I promised to post about my review on the latest haul that I got but I was unable to road test each one thoroughly so I was unable to formulate an in-depth opinion about them. I don't want to give you guys a review that I myself is unsure of whether I like them or not..So I used the Skin Food Salmon Concealer Shade #2 and Lioele WaterDrop BB cream for 2 straight days to test them. I think 2 days is enough for me to know if I'm okay with a face product or not because based on my experience, either I will get new pimples on the 3rd day if my skin don't like the new product or I will itch terribly while I have it on. And of course, you will know immediately if a concealer works good or not. So here's my review ^_^

SKIN FOOD SALMON DARKCIRCLE CONCEALER CREAM Shade#2

PROS

- I think the shade is perfect for me. It's enough to even out my dark circles without making me look like a reverse racoon

- very creamy. I can skip my eye cream and it will not make my undereyes drier

- very easy to blend because it has a thin consistency

- buildable..you can build up the product little by little until you reach your desired coverage and it still won't cake

- it doesn't settle on my fine lines

- doesn't cake if you accidentally placed too much product

- this will last me a long time because it has many products on the pot..like the size of a MAC Paintpot (which lasted me more than a year)

- affordable if you buy it from Korea (I got mine for less than Php 500..compared to P1k here)

CONS

- it is sheer so you need at least 3 layers before you can notice any difference

- you can't put it on top of a very moisturizing eye cream because this will slide off easily

- very expensive if you buy it locally

Over-all RATING: 4.5/5 - I love it!

Will you Re-PURCHASE? Yes! As soon as I finished this up..unless I find something better int he future :)

Can you see the difference? I think my eyes look naturally-dark-circles-free (if there's such a word hehe) instead of has-a-concealer-look..This is the main reason I like this product..I don't look too made-up..and it doesn't give me a reverse raccoon eyes even if I applied a brightening concealer on top.

LIOELE WATERDROP BB CREAM

I got this sample for free so I can test it out. I have very sensittive and acne-prone skin so I easily breakout from any products I use (reagardless if they are organic,natural or traditional)..

PROS

- has SPF 27 PA++

- smells good..like a just-took-a-bath smell
- thin consistency so it is easy to blend

- has no grayish tint

- shade looks natural on me..it blends with my skin tone after a couple of minutes

- gives a natural finish..as if your skin is healthy

- lasts 5-6 hours on my oily skin
- did not broke me out

CONS

- doesn't help with my oily skin (because it is not meant to control oil)

- I need to blot every 3 hours or so because I feel oily

- it made me itch the whole time I was wearing it especially if it's hot and I'm perspiring

Over-all RATING: 3/5. I like the performance but it makes me oily a lot easier and also made my skin itch.

WIll I purchase this? Probably not. I'm gonna test out another brand of BB cream after this..I'm really thankful that Clau gave me some free samples of bb creams from diferent brands so I can test them out thoroughly.

After blending..see how healthy my skin glow? I love the finish!

Here's a shot of me wearing Lioele Waterdrop BB cream. I just topped it off with Ellana Sheer Velvet to help with controlling the oilies. Then I used Meow Cat got your Toungue blush on my cheeks. Used my neutrals from my Coastal Scents palette and some mascara (Lancome mascara) too. And my Estee Lauder lipstick in Pink Berry topped with Clearagen lip therapy.

I got the Skin Food Salmon concealer and Lioele BB cream from Clau. You might want to check out her online shop here. She sells very affordable Korean brands :)

Thanks for dropping by! Till next time! ^_^

Korean Products Haul

Hello guys! Just a quick update. I already got my package from Claudia! I joined her pre-order last month for some Korean brands like Lioele, Skinfood and Laneige. I ordered 3 items: Laneige strawberry yogurt peeling gel, Skinfood Salmon concealer and Laneige water sleeping pact..Sadly, the latter was not included in the package she received so i won't be able to try that one..maybe next time :)

The way Clau packaged my items is so cute :)

Here's the content...

The infamous Laneige Strawberry Yogurt Peeling Gel. It garnered a lot of good reviews so I decided to try it..I'm planning to use this one or twice a week to exfoliate my skin. The one I'm currently using can sometimes be too harsh for me so I think this will be better since it does not have any "beads" for exfoliation (I noticed this when I tried this in their store last month). I'll give you all a review once I used this already for a month. I want to see if it will cause me any breakouts or any improvements on my skin ^_^

I got a lot of freebies! thank you Clau! I can't wait to try your recommendation (Lioele Water Drop BB cream)..I hope I will like it too :)

Here's my SkinFood Salmon concealer in Shade #2 (I chose this shade because this is the one used by sis Sutil hehe). This is supposed to be good for covering dark undereyes.

I swatched it on the back of my hand and it is creamy and very easy to blend. I can't wait to try it tomorrow! I'll try to take a picture when I used this to show you guys how it worked for my dark circles :)

Watch out for my post tomorrow! It will consist of my initial review on these two products (maybe 3..coz i'm planning to test out Lioele waterdrop BB cream too!) ^_^

Happy weekend everyone!!!! ^_^

FOTD + my cat

Hello everyone! It's weekend already!! yipee!! hehe I really like to rest :)

It has been quite some time since my last FOTD so I decided to post one today..actually this FOTD will serve as a swatch for my new blush..I got a loot bag during our Japanese friend's birthday party. The bag has some cute fake nals (but I don't know how to attach those hehe), hair clips and these two palettes.

What caught my eyes is this palette..I so love the shade of the blushes! Very pretty and fresh. Sadly, it doesn't lasts the whole day on my oily skin but i'm happy that it lasts for 4-5 hours. I'm not sure though if it causes breakouts or not coz I got itchy when I wore it and the weather was super hot..I'm not sure...

Here's a swatch on my cheeks under natural lighting..isn't it the prettiest? ^_^

It looks so natural! I used both shades and I applied it using my Lumiere stippling brush.

Here are some looks that showed the blush on my cheeks. This is my look lately coz I'm trying to minimize the products that I use on my face to help my skin breath while it is healing from breakouts.

FACE

- Ellana Sheer Velvet powder primer in White Chocolate

- Meow Frisky Abyssinian in Flawless Feline formula

- Aromaleigh URFP in Peaches and Cream

EYES

- Mary Kay Signature Concealer in Ivory (all over lid and undereye area)

- Ellana undereye concealer in Awake (all over lid and undereye area)

- Artdeco e/s in #20 (on upper lashline)
- The Face Shop white eyeliner pencil (on lower lashline and inner corners)

LIPS

- Clarins lipliner in Naturale-Soft Nude

- Stila lipgloss in Vanilla? (I'm not sure on the shade name coz the sticker was gone haha)

Here's a close up swatch..I just applied my Clarins lipliner all over my lips and then topped it with my Stila lipgloss (it's a sheer bronzey shade with gold flecks) :)

Here's another one ^_^

FACE

- Ellana Sheer Velvet primer

- Ellana foundation in French Vanilla (glow formula..this was discontinued already)

EYES

- MAC Painterly paintpot

- Mary Kay signature concealer in Ivory
- eyeshadows from the Japanese palette (green, brown and white) <-- :="" and="" pigmentation="" poor="" power="" span="" staying="">

- Black eyeshadow from Coastal Scents 88 palette as eyeliner on upper lashline (dry)

LIPS

- Venus & Mars lip balm

- Ellana moisturizing lip color in Lady Love

I'm in love with blush's shade but I want something that lasts the whole day..I hate retouching during the day..If any of you knows a blush with high quality pigmentation and staying power with the same shade as this, please post them on the comment section below..I would like to have a peachy pink blush that has sheen and a little shimmer (not glitters).. I'm looking forward for your recommendations! Thank you! ^_^

I want to end my post with a picture of my cat "Muning". This is how she looks like when she's sleeping and "sun-bathing" on her favorite spot (in my window)..She can stay a long time like that without moving :)

Till my next post! Thanks! ^_^

Review: Make Up For Ever Star Powders + Award

Hello everyone! Thank so much for the warm response on my previous post..I really enjoyed reading the comments..even my sister had fun reading them :)

Today, I want to review my all time favorite eyeshadows. This surpased my love for mineral eyeshadows..if you want to know why, keep reading ^_^

MakeUp For Ever (MUFE) is somewhat a high-end brand. It's an imported brand of makeup that is made in France. They have I think 2 or 3 branches only here in the Philippines (Shangrila Mall & SM Mall of Asia..not sure if there's one in Makati). In my opinion, their products are way better than MAC in quality (no offense to MAC lovers out there) but their prices are a little higher too. They are famous for their HD foundations and powders and also their concealers but my favorite product form them are their star powders.

I only have 2 star powders because I want to finish them up first before I buy again hehe the thrifty me is kicking again lol ^_^

I have Star Powder No. 902 (white gold) and 926 (dark pink). I swatched them for you guys with and without a base (I used MAC Painterly Paintpot).

When I look at the swatches, I noticed that there's no big difference in the quality of the eyeshadows even with a base underneath. The color and shimmer is still quite the same. Don't you think so?

Here's my review:

PROS:

- very pigmented - I only need to use a small amount to be able for the color to show on my lids

- lasts long on my oily lids even without a base

- finely milled - I can easily blend it

- it's shimmery but not glittery - this is what I love about this..it does not look like a glitter bomb

- packaging is very nice..it is a sifter jar! i like having tight sifters on my pots of loose pigments to prevent the products from spilling when i accidentally tipped it too much.

- no expiration date (according to the MUA at MUFE Marionnaud)

CONS

- a lot expensive than my mineral eyeshadows

- the shops are too far from my place (their branch at SM North closed already)

- the shades are in numbers and not names like MAC..so it is very hard to memorize them

- a little messy since it is in loose powder form

OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5 in quality and packaging..4/5 in price hehe

WILL I Re-PURCHASE? Yes! I want to have a peachy or champagne color..do you have any suggestions? :)

I also want to buy one of their eyeshadow palette..I want to test if it is as pigmented as their star powders ^_^

oOo

I also received an award from Emily of Pink Monkey

thanks so much for this blogger buddie award! ^_^

Thanks for taking some time to read my blog! Have a nice day everyone!

Playing with colors ^_^

Hello everyone! It's a great day today because it is very sunny but not too hot..I hope everyone will have a great day ^_^

Me and my sis had the urge to play last night with my Coastal Scents 88 matte eyeshadow palette. We chose 2 rainbow eyes tutorial from Youtube to copy and this is what we came up with..yeah she have different makeup for each eye haha :)

HER LEFT eye makeup is from this tutorial by geisha1254..she also used her CS 88 palette so we tried to match the shades she used..I think we did a pretty good job in finding the exact match of the shades lol :)
HER RIGHT eye makeup is from this tutorial by MissChievous..she used different products and the CS shadows are not as vibrant..but we found some close shade match of what she used and I think we came close :)

My sister is the one applying the colors and I helped in blending and giving her the makeups she needs (yup! I'm the assistant in this project haha)..I'm also the photographer..I don't have any photography skills so these shots are to my best of ability already haha :)
Just having fun with the camera! If you want to see more pictures of my sister, you can chek out her blog here..she put up all of her pictures there :)

Here's a shot of her promoting her new product hehe ^_^

That's Ellana Minerals new packaging for their lip products (moisturizing lip colors and lip balms)..it contains the same amount of product and it still retails at Php150. They also released a couple of new shades and this is one of them.

Lady Love is a pretty light pink color. I think this is perfect for a natural look or to pair with dark eye makeup.

Here's my review:

PROS

- non drying to the lips..it has moisturizing properties

- affordable and accessible to buy

- sanitary - you don't need to dip your finger in the pot anymore in order to get the product

- travel friendly - the tube is a slim,plastic tube so it can easily fit in any size of purse

CONS

- it's not as pigmented as the ones in the pot..I need to layer this to have a decent shade on my lips

- it has a noticeable mint to it..i think the original one don't have any mint on their moisturizing lip colors

- this worked and feel the same as my Bare Naturals lip tints

OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5 . I like the new packaging because it'smore sanitary but I love the quality of the original one better..I hope the other shades are more pigmented than this one.

WILL I RE-PURCHASE? hmm I'm not yet sure..probably..if there's a new shade that I like to get :)

WHERE TO PURCHASE: you can purchase any Ellana Mineral products at www.itzmei.multiply.com

Thank you for dropping by! and Have a nice day everyone! ^__^

Skin Care Diary Update + an Award

Hello everyone! I want to share with you all the result of my derma visit yesterday. I went to Dra. Manuel's clinic around 4pm with my aunt because she wants to have her cystic acnes to be checked so I joined her. Dra. Manuel did not do anything on my face because I just got a diamond peel and cleaning 2 weeks ago so she just checked my skin's condition and we did some medication review. I told her that I'm using The Face Shop Clean Face White foaming cleanser (at night only), acne lotion (2x a day), moisturizer (at night only), tretinoin (at night; every other night), and sunblock of spf 80 (in the morning). After reviewing, she added something on my skin regimen to help with my whiteheads. She explained to me that my skin is producing dead skin cells fast lately and that these dead skin cells can't go out and got stucked on my pores that's why i have so many bumps on my skin. She don't want to give me something harsh (because I have a history of using harsh chemicals (like clindamycin and erythromycin toners before from my previous dermatologists and they just aggravated my skin's condition) so instead of tweaking and increasing the concentration of my acne lotion, she opted to add a toner that has salicylic as the main ingredient. Here is my current regimen:

AM
- wash face 
- tone with Acne Toner Plus
- treat with Acne Lotion
- moisturizer 
- sunblock spf80

PM
- wash face with TFS foaming cleanser 
- tone face with Acne Toner Plus
- treat with Acne Lotion
- Moisturize
- Tretinoin 

Once a week/ 2x a month
- Exfoliate with my Ionax Scrub

I need to comeback to her after 2 weeks so that she can check my skin's condition after starting this new regimen..I'm really hoping that this could help me with the pimples, the pores and the dryness. And I also had a go signal to use makeup again! I'm so happy hehe ^_^

Oh before I forget, I asked my derma about Korean stuffs and she told me that I should just be careful in using them because there are some products that have pore clogging ingredients. So before I use it on my whole face, I need to test it first on my jaw area and at the back of my ears where my skin is the most sensitive. This should be done for 3 straight days and if there's no untoward reactions then I can apply it on my skin. This is actually good news for me because I bought a lot of Korean skin care and makeup lately and I plan on buying more Laneige stuff in the near future haha :)

Thank you for the advices ladies! And thank you for the prayers. They helped me alot that time that I was down because of my breakouts. Till my next post! Bye! ^_^

oOo

I was given this Kreativ Blogger award by Crystal .. Thank you for this award sis! ^_^

To accept this award do the following:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.

5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.

6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

7 things about me that you might be interested in knowing ^_^

1. Apart from being a makeup and skincare junkie, I'm also a collector of many things..I love to collect books written by Julie Garwood (and some authors that I like), DVDs of asian dramas (I watch my fave dramas over and over again haha), and also doggy stuffs (figurines, stickers, pillows, etc..as long as it has a dog image, for sure I will buy it) 

2. I can't use any high heeled shoes that are not wedged because I can't walk with them (I wobble a lot haha) and I can only use them for a short time only because my feet will hurt very bad. I got so used wearing rubber shoes and flat doll shoes all through out my college days that I forgot how to wear high heels hehe 

3. I can only see clearly 1-2 feet away from me if I don't have my glasses on. And this has been the case for 8 years already. It sucks being "blind" :(

4. I'm a home budddy. I enjoy being alone in my room where I can do all the things I love. I don't need to go out to enjoy because the happiness I feel when I'm reading a good book is the same feeling I get when I go out with my friends so I just opt to choose the cheaper alternative soI can save money lol

5. I love to eat! You will really wonder where I put all the food I take in because I'm still 102lbs even if I eat like a guy haha 

6. I dream of having twins in the future. I really love kids and since I think having twins is fun and practical (for me anyways haha) I wanted to have one :)

7. I hate my teeth because I feel like they have a mind of their own. After I got my braces removed, my 2 front teeth (top and bottom) started to move out of the straight line I achieved with 6 years of having braces. I'ts so frustrating! My dentist is also having a hard time because she can't control them..I have used a lot of appliances already but they still move huhu :(

I'm passing this award to:

1. Jamie of Mizzmakeup

2. Nikki of Askmewhats

3. Nikkiz of Not just minerals

4. Julia of Misschievous

5. Emily of Pink Monkey

6. Ida of Naturals and Minerals

7. Fuz of Fuzkittie

Tag: "What's in my bag?"

Hello everyone! I noticed that many are doing the "What's in your purse?" tag here in blogger and in Youtube and I really love reading and watching them..I don't know why I enjoy knowing the stuffs on someone else's bags haha maybe it's just a girls' thing? I don't know lol ^_^

Anyways, I decided to post my own since I love this tag so much. I have 2 kinds of bags..one is for casual everyday going out and the other is my bag whenever I go to my review classes. Since I go to my classes almost everyday, all my stuffs are in there so I decided to post that one.

Here's what my bag looks like. It's a big, black, faux leather bag of my mom. The brand of this bag is EGG, it's a gift to my mom so I'm not sure if this was from the EGG shop in the mall or not hehe. I love it because it has many pockets with zipper and it's big enough to fit all my stuffs without looking bulky.

Here are the things I always bring with me on classes. Usually, I have candies and crackers but I finished all of them already so I don't have them in this picture.

CONTENTS:
- study materials: pencil case, notebook, paper and book

- water bottle - I use Lock & Lock 1.2L water bottle everytime because it doesn't spill and since it's big, I don't need to buy or refill my water bottle frequently hehe :)

- umbrella - of course, with our weather lately, you can't be sure if it's going to be sunny or rainy the whole day. This umbrella is from Japan. It is very lightweight so I don't mind carrying it always.

- wallet and coin purse - I don't want to put coins on my Liz Claiborne wallet (it has my IDs, credit card and atm) because I'm afraid my wallet will get snatched in jeepneys if I put it out to get money to pay. I'm so paranoid haha. I don't even bring this sometimes especially if I'm with my mom who pays for everything when we go out lol

- my cellphone - of course, I need it to keep in touch with everyone.

- facial tissue - I don't use face towels and hankies to wipe my face because I think it is more hygienic to use tissues. My favorite brand is Tisyu (a local brand) because the sheets are sturdy and soft plus it is very affordable.

- loose powder - I love Johnson's baby powder or Mark and Spencers' talcum powders because they smell good and keep my ithcies away. my neck itches when I perspire and the weather is so hot (I have skin asthma) so I always bring with me a bottle of loose powder to stop the sweat.

- kikay kit - here's a close up of what is inside my kikay purse. This purse is the container of Orbis skin care (from Japan) that was given to me 1-2 years ago. Since that brand did not worked for me, I just finished them up and kept the pouch to be used as my kikay kit since I love blue and it has a magnetic lock so my stuff won't spill in my bag :)

It holds my: Johnson's baby cologne, Bench oil absorbing sheet (this looks like parchment paper. It absorbs oil and it is cheaper than other brands), mirror (this is from my Fasio compact haha), comb, lip balms (Clearagen and Venus and Mars), Loccitane lotion, Carefree breathable pantyliners (just in case my monthly came without warning), Australian Emu oil cream (for muscle pains and itchies) and a cloth for cleaning my eye glasses.

As you might notice, I don't bring makeups in my bag. I do bring a lipstick sometimes but not always. I don't need to retouch during the day so I just use oil blotting sheets when I get oily. My makeup stays put until I want to remove it so I'm very happy with that..makes my life so hussle free haha :)

Thank you for dropping by and for reading my long post. Till next time! Have a nice day everyone! ^_^

Spend vs Save: Nail Polishes

Hello everyone! How's your week so far? I'm so happy I could post again..my internet connection is weird..I'm having intermittent sync for quite a while now but when I complained in Bayantel about it they can't find any problem (or the tech support who answered my call is just lazy to do something..he sounded really bored)..so I'll probably call again tomorrow so that they can send someone to fix it.

Anyway, I will be blogging about my contribution to the spend vs save topic that has been going around to majority of the blog sites, forums and even youtube..I hope this could be of help to someone :)

I'm not in anyway an expert about nail polishes..these points I'm sharing are based on my personal experiences on these two brands of nail polishes.

SPEND: The Face Shop Php 95
SAVE: Caress Php 22.75

I swatched both on my nails. Here's a picture with only one coat of nail polish.

As you can see, even with just a single coat, you can already achieve a good color pay-off for both brands. This is done without any base.

Now let's try to look at a picture with 2 coats of the polish.

The color became darker and they appear to be the same as with the color on the bottle. Let's take a closer look for comparison.

As you can notice, the The Face Shop nail polish is the one closest to the color in the bottle with just 2 coats while you need to apply a third coat for the Caress nail polish to match the color in the bottle.

-

SIMILARITIES:

- can last on my nails without any base or top coat for around a week

- the shine and quality of the polish (without any base and top coat) lasts for at least 3 days

- doesn't chip that easily

- are available locally

- doesn't dry or thickens easily

- have wide range of colors to choose from

-

DIFFERENCES:

- TFS nail polishes are harder to remove. The color are really hard to take off with any kind of nail polish remover (even with the use of TFS nail polish remover).

- TFS comes in a bigger bottle. Have more content.

- Caress makes my nails a little yellow if I don't remove the polish for at least a week. This does not happen with TFS nail polish

- the price is a big factor

- TFS have more unique colors to choose from, IMO

-

CONCLUSION

Over all, I think for someone who is on a tight budget, purchasing Caress over The Face Shop nail polishes is the more practical choice. You can get almost the same quality with regards to color pay-off and staying power for more than half the price. And you can get around 4 Caress nail polishes of different colors with the price of 1 TFS. That is a huge difference! And when you have the budget to splurge, then you can purchase a TFS polish too ^_^

-

WARNING: As with all the brand of nail polishes, be careful in buying without swatching them because not all shades have good color payoff. Some shades, especially the light ones (according to some) needs more coats to achieve the shade in the bottle because the polish is very fluidy.

-

What about you? What is your Splurge vs Save items? I want to hear about them too!

Thanks for dropping by! Till next time. Bye! ^_^

Skin Diary Update

It's been months since my last skin diary update so I want to make one now to inform you guys what has been happening on my face lately hehe :)

I went to my dermatologist 2 weeks ago for a cleaning and diamond peel because my skin got congested from commuting along EDSA and Quezon Avenue and these place have a very polluted air arrg! Also, I was unable to go visit her for 3-4 months (my bad I know)..so I was told by my derma that I needed thorough cleaning...after that, I got clear skin again..I'm so lucky that I did not get cystic acne again (only 1-2 on my right cheek because it's the time of the month that time) all over my face. Aside from the small bumps on my forehead, the only problem I had was dry skin and it was taken care of by a good moisturizer my derma whipped for me.

After having clear skin for a week, I am now starting to have small bumps on my forehead again and I just noticed after removing my makeup that I have 1 cystic acne on my right cheek (again)! Now I'm getting worried..I don't know what's causing my skin to breakout..I'm considering the following:

- from using The Face Shop Clean Face White foaming cleanser - but this is a cleanser so I wash it off immediately..also I just use it at night so I''m doubting this is the cause..

- from trying out so many brands of bb creams - maybe my skin got congested from using bb creams everyday..my derma told me that Korean skin stuffs are not that good..

- from using makeup in general - I'm wearing makeup everyday and since I travel in a polluted area, maybe it mixes with oils and dirt and stays long on my skin so my skin got congested..

- from my shampoo and conditioner - I'm using Shiseido Tsubaki hair care..but I'm not getting pimples elsewhere (e.g. on the back and on the chest) like when I use a certain shampoo before that caused me to breakout..

- from using Mandom makeup remover - I use this almost everyday to remove the dirt and makeup from my face...it can be a cause right? since I use it everyday..i don't know..

- lastly, from touching my face often to check if I'm oily or not - this has a high probability so I'm trying to stop myself from doing this..

Huhu I really don't know..I hope these bumps would stop multiplying already..I'm planning to stop using any kind of makeup on my face starting tomorrow to help my skin breathe and also I'll probably visit my dermatologist within this week to have a cleaning again..I'm really hoping to get my skin back to normal..I want to have clear skin again so I can do FOTDs again...

Can you suggest more stuffs to help me prevent getting more breakouts? All your thoughts will be highly appreciated..thank you! ^_^

Random haul ^_^

Hello everyone! Me and my mom did some bonding today after finishing our chores (washing clothes and cleaning). We went to Trinoma to buy a steam iron (she said she likes one just like that of my aunt hehe) but we ended up buying something else lol ^_^

We took advantage of the bra sale in La Senza. Actually, I'm quite sad because I don't have that many choices..majority of the sizes available are big sizes (for me anyways)..I have a small bust so it took me a long time to find a good pair that will fit me..me and my mom ended up with 3 pairs all in all..one for me, for my mom and for my sister..Mine cost Php795 from Php1,695 while the other 2 pairs are only Php1,295 (they cost Php1,300 each if bought individually)..I think we got a good deal! I'm just annoyed with myself coz I left my Bench card at home so I can't put this purchase there.
We also went to Japan Home Center/Daiso where everything is sold for Php88 (Php66 for Daiso items). We bought some plastic cover for clothes, some office supplies and a tie for my brother and a very unique cleaning slipper for me hehe..check it out! I was so attracted by it that I asked my mom to get me one haha :)
It's a slipper and rug in one! how cute is that? I can easily clean and shine our floor by simply walking around the house..I'm so lazy so this is great for me..very convenient..Here's a closeup shot:

What do you think?

Thanks for dropping by! Till my next post. Bye! ^_^

Tagged: "Getting to know each other"

Create a New Blog Post, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your title as "Getting to Know Each Other!", then tagged as many people as you like :)

1. What time did you get up this morning? 8:00 AM
2. How do you like your steak? well done
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Harry Potter
4. What is your favorite TV show? XMAN (the 1st and 2nd season), We Got Married (1st Season) and CSI (all 3 of them)
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Here in the Philippines (in Tagaytay or Baguio so that the climate is always cool)
6. What did you have for breakfast? Taho
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Italian and American cuisines
8. What foods do you dislike? Anything spicy and bitter..oh and I don't like Ampalaya and Okra
9. Favorite place to eat? at home..coz it's free haha :)
10. Favorite dressing? Caesar dressing
11. What kind of vehicle do you drive? I don't have a car..my dad won't let me drive haha
12. What are your favorite clothes? shirt and jeans, long blouses and leggings
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? I would like to go to South Korea, Japan, and Italy
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? I like to think 1/2 full but whenever I'm down, it's half empty
15. Where would you want to retire? In my own house here in the Philippines
16. Favorite time of day? morning
17. Where were you born? Mandaluyong City
18. What is your favorite sport to watch? UAAP basketball (the one and only tournament I watch haha)
19. Who do you think will not tag you back? I don't know :)
20. Person you expect to tag you back first? I don't know too
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? everyone!
22. Bird watcher? Ha?
23. Are you a morning person or a night person? morning..I like to sleep at night.
24. Do you have any pets? Yup! I have 11 dogs and 1 cat (then my father have 2 ducks and 3 birds and my sister have 1 fish) ^_^
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? I'm still job hunting... :(
26. What did you want to be when you were little? Doctor
27. What is your best childhood memory? Every family reunion (Christmas, New year, my grandparents' birthdays)
28. Are you a cat or dog person? I'm definitely a dog person
29. Are you married? Not yet
30. Always wear your seat belt? Nope! our car has no seat belt for back seat passengers hehe
31. Been in a car accident? Nope. Hopefully never
32. Any pet peeves? I'm very talkative
33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Cheese!
34. Favorite Flower? I'm not fond of flowers..but I can say orchids and paper roses coz they lasts long
35. Favorite ice cream? Double Dutch
36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Mcdonald's
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? I haven't taken it yet
38. From whom did you get your last email? they are all updates from facebook, blogger and multiply hehe
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? hmm only one? probably RUSTANS makati..because they have makeups, skincare, clothes and shoes..oh and even foods!
40. Do anything spontaneous lately? nope
41. Like your job? I don't have a job :(
42. Broccoli? love it!
43. What was your favorite vacation? Every outing with my family and bf is my favorite :)
44. Last person you went out to dinner with? My family
45. What are you listening to right now? no sounds
46. What is your favorite color? Blue, yellow and white
47. How many tattoos do you have? None
48. How many are you tagging for this quiz? Unlimited
49. What time did you finish this quiz? 15 mnutes
50. Coffee drinker? I am a Coffee drinker before but now I can't already because of my heart condition

I'm passing this fun tag to all of you who wants to do this ^_^

Review: Lush Soap (Honey)

Hi everyone! Remember my Japan gifts post? There's a lot of Lush products there but I only tried this soap because the other one is for bath tubs and I don't have a bath tub to use it..anyway, the bar looks and smells like honey. I'm not really sure of the name of this because the label is in Japanese but I did a research in the net and I'm thinking that this might be the name..

Honey I Washed The Kids


According to the site:
"Mouth-watering honey soap for washing you, the kids, the dog and the granny. Real honey hand and body soap to soothe and sweetly scent your skin."
Price: Php 245.00
Although my bar looks different from the one on the site, I'm really guessing that they are the same because it was the only honey soap there haha ^_^

I have tried this soap and here's my review:

PROS
- smells great
- moisturizing
- doesn't melt that easily (if kept dry)
- soft on the skin (unlike some organic bath soaps that scratches because of the content)
- the size can be cut into 3-4 pieces..so it is a big bar


CONS
- the smell it leaves on the skin only lasts for a couple of minutes :(
- a little expensive for me


Will I purchase this? hmm I still can't decide. If ever it did something good on my skin after I finished the whole bar, then I will buy it if not..probably not..I'll just get a good smelling body wash from Marks & Spencer (the scent of these last long on me).


What about you? Have you tried any Lush products? Are they worth the price? Share your experiences in the comments area..or you can put the link of your review so I can read them..Thank yoU! till my next post! ^_^

Review: Missha Perfect B.B. Deep Cleansing Oil

Hi everyone! It's monday again and it is so hard to wake up..but I need to coz I have so many chores to finish today haha :)

I want to start my day with a review first..I decided to do a review on Missha Perfect B.B. Deep Cleansing Oil since I have tried the sample i have already. Many are telling me that the best makeup remover for waterproof makeup (mascaras and eyeliners) are oil based, and I sort of believe them coz whenever I use oil based makeup removers, my eye makeup just glides off and I don't need to wipe my eyelids repeatedly. Even with good experiences as this, I still am reluctant with oil based makeup removers coz they tend to make my eyes blurry but I still need a good makeup remover to remove mascaras and eyeliners so I decided to use this sample. Here's my review:

PROS
- has a very nice mild scent
- easily removes eyemakeup..I just placed a small amount of the product on the cotton pad, pressed it for a few seconds on my lids then wiped it downwards..then the makeup is gone! no need to go back :)
- the oiliness can easily be washed off..no residue (unlike with VCO and VOO)

CONS
- makes my eyes itchy, blurry and red
- not available locally

Will I purchase this? No. Even if it works great as a makeup remover, I'm afraid it will damage my eyes due to irritation.

I really want to get Lancome Bi-Facil makeup remover but it is so expensive! Any other makeup remover I should try? I guess there's the Loreal one but I heard they test on animals..is this true? please enlighten me..I'm very particular on that one..thanks! :)

I just want to end this post with a picture of my niece. Her name is Saiskia Megan (I hope I spelled it right haha) and she's only 10 days old..so cute noh? I visited my cousin yesterday just to see her baby haha ^_^


I hope to hear from you! Till my next post :)

Review: Mandom Cleansing Express Age Care + Update

Hi everyone! We've been having bad weather here in the country lately and while many are getting sick because it changes so frequently, it will get hot then later will rain very hard, I'm experiencing the effect of these sudden changes on my skin. I'm experiencing dry skin! Yeah, my oil mine face turned into a peeling, dry skin which rarely happens to me. It was pointed out to me by my dermatologist when I visited her late last week for a checkup. She then gave me a thick moisturizer to be used instead of my usual Celeteque moisturizer. I also try to help my skin by not using oil controlling products such as my silica finishing powders and primers and my cleansers and makeup removers. This lead me to use my Mandom Cleansing Express in Age Care. I believe that anti-aging products have moisturizing properties because they are meant for mature skin that usually have dry skin. I've been using this product for a couple of days now and this is my review of it :)
PROS
- has anti-aging properties
- not drying to the skin
- removes dirt and makeup well
- comes in a big 300ml pump bottle (very hygienic)
- affordable (if you buy from Japan)

CONS
- not available locally
- the pump sometimes expel a large amount of product

Over-all Rating: 4/5. I'll give this a 5 if only it is available locally and the pump can be controlled better.

Will I buy this again? Definitely! I will ask my brother or my friend to get me this again hehe I love this way way better than the Sebum one (because it was too drying for me now).


oOo

Just an update about what I've been doing lately. I'm currently reviewing for my IELTS and I'm having a difficult time with it because my vocabulary and pronounciation is not that good (too much watching Asian dramas) huhu so wish me luck and please pray for me. I'm aiming for very high scores in this exam (around 8.5-9.0) so that I can work as an instructor there while I'm still waiting for a better opportunity for me as a nurse. Thank you! ^_^

Review: Helena Rubinstein (HR) lipstick + Green FOTD

How's everyone? Did you guys enjoyed your weekends? I did! So I hope you are as recharged as me to last for the whole week :)

Anyways, one of my readers asked me to do a review on HR lipsticks since I have a bunch of them (all are gifts by my friends from Japan) . Sorry gurl, if it took a long time before I was able to do this review..I was quite distracted by my Lancome lipsticks these past weeks hehe :)

Here's my review:

PROS
- pretty colors to choose from and majority of them are very weareable for any skin tone
- color is lasting on the lips
- has a sleek packaging..since it is shiny, you can use it as a mirror whenever you want to do touch ups

CONS
- not available locally
- very obvious glitters when applied to the lips
- since it's long wearing, it makes my dry lips drier (so make sure to put a good moisturizing lipbalm underneath to prevent chapping)
- this does not apply smoothly on my lips unlike my Lancome lipsticks

Over-all Rating: 3/5 - Although I love the colors and staying power, I'm more after to the moisturizing properties of lipsticks.

Here's a shot of one of my HR lipsticks..I used this today for my FOTD..Color is so pretty on the lips ^_^
Very cute right? I just hope it's more moisturizing..This is the main reason why I rarely use them..anyways, I'll try using different lipbalms underneath to see which one works for this lipstick coz I do love the color :)

oOo

Now, for my FOTD..
I was attracted to the greens and yellows of the Coastal Scents 88 palette so I decided to do a yellow-green look for today ^_^
FACE

- Innisfree Trouble Care BB Cream

- Ellana Sheer Velvet Primer in White Chocolate 

- Meow blush in Cat Got Your Tongue

- Dayna's Minerals Glow in Violet Vesper

* all face products are applied using a stippling brush


LIPS

- Venus and Mars emu oil lip balm

- HR lipstick #44



EYES

- Mary Kay Signature Concealer in Ivory

- Ellana Minerals concealer in Awake

- MAC Paintpot in Painterly

- Coastal Scents 88 Matte Palette (green, yellow, yellow-gold and gold)

- Ellana Minerals MPM in Ethereal as eyeliner (applied wet using Aromaleigh eyeliner sealant)

* I did not use any mascara because I hate removing them haha ^_^


^ This is the inspiration for my look today. A mint green hoodie T-shirt dress ^_^

I hope you all liked it! Till next time. Bye! :)