I'm back! ^_^

Hello everyone!!!

First of, I want to greet everybody a Happy Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year (Kung Hei Fat Choi)!!! ^_^

I miss you guys so much! And I miss blogging and blog hopping too!
Oh, and I'm so happy that I reached 102 subscribers already!!! I am so happy!! Thank you, thank you, thank you all for subscribing!!! I'm thinking of a simple giveaway contest for summer..I'm still thinking what to give out as prizes so please just wait for the mechanics in the near future..this is to thank all of you for your continuous support ^_^

Also, thank you so much for all the well wishes..I'm feeling a lot better now..Putting a hoodie really works in protecting my head from cold air :)

Me and my bf celebrated V-Day early (Feb. 12)..we really don't like going out to places where there are so many people..anyways, we decided to have dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant, A Venetto, and ordered Spaghetti ala Putanesca (I hope the spelling is correct haha) and vegetarian pizza (this is really yummy!)..I really got full that night so I was unable to eat dessert hehe ^_^

You might be wondering what he gave me..Well, he bought me a new swimsuit...we are planning on an outing by March so he wanted me to be prepared haha it's really sweet of him..He really knows I won't get myself an expensive one so he got me one instead ^_^

I also want to share with you all my very memorable weekend..My parents celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary this Saturday (Feb. 13)..We just had a small gathering with close family and friends and church-mates. It's really a happy day for us..After eating at our place, we transferred to the house of my dad's best friend (he lives near us..maybe four houses from my place) to celebrate the Chinese new year :)

Then, on Valentine's Day itself, we celebrated as a family..and also, as with the tradition in our church, my parents together with other married couples, renewed their vows to each other..this is done every Valentine's Day so we really look forward to it..but this year is special since it's my parents' silver wedding ^_^



If you want to see more pictures, you may click here ...We borrowed my cousin's camera for this special event in our family..you guessed it right..I still can't find the charger of our cam haha ^_^

And I'm so lucky to have an FOTD again! haha..My sister took a picture of me using her cellphone so the colors can't be seen that well but at least you will be able to see my face again haha :)

FACE:
-Beauty Credit Lovely Green Tea BB cream (I used Etude House Duo Fiber brush)
-Dayna's Minerals Foundie in G2
-Ellana Sheer Velvet powder
-Ellana Blush/Bronzer in Patience

EYES:
-MAC Paintpot in Painterly
-Skinfood Salmon Undereye Concealer
-Ellana concealer in Awake
-Coastal Scents 88 Matte Palette - highlighter and eyebrows
-MUFE star powder mix to create a salmon colored shadow (all over lid)
-Ellana MPM in Ethereal - eyeliner
-Maybelline Hypercurl mascara

LIPS:
-Petroleum Jelly
-Ellana lip color in Sensual (my HG lip tint)

And here's a shot with my new Ipod..I got it second hand and cheap from my bf's brother..it's in good condition so I didn't hesitate to get it..I'm so glad I did got it..I love listening to my favorite songs anytime anywhere ^_^

I hope this post can keep you guys for a while..I think I can blog another time this week and more next week (i'll tell you why next time)..I'm crossing my fingers that everything will went well ^_^

Till next time! Love you guys! Mwah*

Love,
Gale

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! :)

How I apply MY makeup

Hi guys! I've been so tired these last few days coz we've been general cleaning my room. The windows in my room are renovated so we need to move out all our stuff (all our drawers are in my room coz our house lacks storage area haha) and now that the new windows are installed, we are having a hard time putting everything back! haha we have so many stuff so I talked my mom out of donating all the clothes that we are not using...We are still not done so wish me luck!

I am loving my new windows! it provides perfect lighting for my makeup application..my room now is brighter :)

Now let's go to the main point of my post..one of my readers requested me to show how I apply my makeup..she said she likes my looks..I'm always flattered whenever someone compliments me that my makeup looks good and since she's the first one to request me for this one, I'm dedicating this to her..I hope this will help :)

1. After my skin care routine I apply my sunblock or BB cream with sun protection. I use my clean fingers in the application coz it is easier for me to control how much product I use and where to apply. Wait for a couple of minutes for your sunblock to be absorbed.




Don't forget to moisturize your undereyes and lips too prior to everything. This way, your skin will have enough time to absorb your skin care products before you put all your makeup.

2. I then apply my concealer. I put a small amount of product on the back of my non-dominant hand and use my ring finger of my dominant hand to put some products on my undereye area. I do this to conserve my concealer and to not contaminate the tube.



I then blend the dots using light tapping movements..I use my ring finger because it gives the least pressure among all my fingers. This is important in preventing premature wrinkles on our eye area :)

Repeat this step until you achieve your desired coverage. Just remember to use small amount of product per layer as to prevent it from creasing. Then set this with a loose powder (I use a fluffy concealer brush for this). I love using Ellana Awake concealer or Bare Escentuals Well Rested concealer coz these two can give my undereyes added brightness so I look fresh.

3. Apply your eyeshadow base. I love using an eyeshadow base because it not only makes my eyeshadows stay put during the day but also makes the colors more vibrant so I use less product each application. I use MAC Paintpot in Painterly but I want to buy UDPP or Smashbox Photo-op eyeshadow base. I love untinted or neutral bases coz I can use them for any color of eyeshadows :)

You can use a fluffly brush like MAC 217 in applying this but I prefer using my ring finger coz it's easier hehe :)

4. You can now apply your eye makeup! For this step, everyone has their own technique.

This is my technique regardless of colors I use. I prefer this because it is very simple and easy to follow :)

I use whites or the lightest shade of eyeshadows for my highlighting. You just use a fluffy brush like ELF e/s brush in putting color on your browbone. Then apply your mid tone shades or any color you want on the inner half of your lids using any flat shader brush you like. Then apply your darkest color on the outer half and V of your lids using a crease brush.Don't forget to blend!blend! blend! I love my MAC 217 brush for this purpose..It is super easy to blend using this brush.


I then put black or dark brown eyeliner on my upper lashline using my angled eyeliner brush. Curl my lashes and sometimes apply one coat of mascara. Lately, I use my contour brush from Ellana for applying some color on my lower lashline and white shadow in the inner corners of my eyes. I also apply white eyeliner on my waterline for that awake look :)

I always do my eyemakeup first before doing my whole face. This way, it is easier to clean up the fallouts from my eyeshadows. I don't need to worry about dfestroying my whole face makeup too :)


You are probably aware that I'm an MMU enthusiast so I only use mineral makeup for my face. I already posted an MMU tutorial before so I won't repeat it again..It is very detailed and has step-by-step on how I apply my MMU everyday :)

my personal MMU application


After applying your foundation, finishing powder and blush..apply your lipstick or liptint to your already moisturized lips..Remember we applied lipbalm before we started the whole makeup application? well this is the reason why. It is better to apply your lip colors to a well moisturized lips to prevent any cracking and dryness because lipsticks tends to dry your lips. If you apply lipbalm just prior to your lip color, your lipstick will probably disappear sooner coz it will just slide off.


Here's my FOTD/EOTD yesterday..I tried doing a neutral look with a cat-eye effect..I'm not used in making winged eyeliner so I want to practice and practice hehe :)



EYES
- Mary Kay Signature concealer in Ivory (undereyes) topped with
- Ellana Awake concealer
- MAC Paintpot in Painterly
- Twisted Fayte Breathe Deeply e/s (applied dry all over lid)
- MAC unorthodoz e/s (as highlight)
- La pensee dark brown e/s (for crease)
- Ellana Ethereal e/s (foiled as eyeliner)
- The Face Shop white eyeliner (on waterline)
- Clinique high impact mascara in Black




FACE
- Ellana Sheer Velvet Primer in White Chocolate
- Dayna's Minerals foundation in G2 & Vely (50-50 mix)
- Aromaleigh URFP in Peaches & Cream
- Ellana Finishing Powder in Pumpkin Pie (transluscent)
- Meow firefly blush in Radiance

LIPS
- Venus & Mars Emu lip balm
- Lancome lipstick (it came from Japan so I don't know the shade hehe)
- Clarins color quench lip balm in 00

I hope this helps! Till next time!

Update + FOTN/EOTN

Hi guys! I know I promised you a falsies post but I still can't put mine properly haha I think I've tried putting them on at least 5x already but it look so sloppy..so I'll just be posting my first FOTN since my skin asthma attack. This is taken during my Angkong's 72nd birthday last April 24 at Chinatown Restaurant :)

Skin Update: This is my 2nd day using Skin 79 BB cream since the itchies went away..I'm sure that I have no pimples 2 days ago..but now I have small ones on my whole face! I really am not sure if this is because of Skin 79 or it is just because I have very sensitive skin now and I react with anything I put on my face..I don't know..I'll keep on testing until I reach a conclusion..I don't want to let go of my Skin 79 BB cream yet hehe :)

Here's a shot with my Angkong. I think he looks so happy coz he's with his family again after 3 months of being away. You know, every birthday of his doubles as a family reunion, and since he is based in Mindanao and wents home here in Manila every 3 months for 2 weeks only, we really miss each other. And I'm happy that he got a good news as a birthday gift (my Mamang who was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast Cancer last 2 months ago but she doesn't need chemotherapy coz it is benign and is responding well with oral treatments) so he's happy about that :)

I used the following products:

FACE
- Skin 79 Triple Function BB Cream (hot pink)
- Dayna's Mineral Foundation in G2
- Ellana Minerals Sheer Velvet powder
- MAC Blot powder in Medium
- Dayna's Mineral Glow in Violet Vesper


With my baby sister Mei..I'm really a proud Ate (elder sister) haha :)

EYES
- Mary Kay Signature Concealer in Ivory topped with Ellana Concealer in Awake
- MAC Paintpot in Painterly
- Coastal Scents 88 e/s matte palette
*highlight - upper right, 2nd from top (bone color)
*lid wash - left side, 3rd row from the left, 5th down (red color)
*crease - lower left, 2nd row from the left, 3rd up from bottom (bronze color)
- MakeUp Forever Star Powder in 926 (White gold)
- MAC pigment in Blue Brown
- Estee Lauder High definition mascara in Black


Here's a shot of me after 5 hours without blotting..I still look good right? not that oily even after I ate a lot of oily foods hehe..this is the reason why I love my BB cream and MMU..keeps me looking fresh..My aunts all commented I look blooming the whole night :)


Ciao!

My Everyday Look

Okay, you probably have noticed that I'm not posting FOTD/EOTD for a long time already..this is because my look everyday is the same..I'm not allowed to wear bright colored makeup and also I have no urge to wear colorful eyeshadows..sad but true..my look is so boring lately..I'll probably try doing something fun this weekend..hmmm :)

So here's my everyday look whenever I go to work :)

FACE:
- Ellana Sheer Velvet Primer in White Chocolate
- Meow Frisky Abyssinian in Pampered Puss Formulation
- Joppa Finishing Powder in Rosey
- Ellana blush in Patience
- Dayna's Minerals Glow in Violet Vesper

LIPS:
- Venus & Mars Lip Detox
- Bare Naturals Lip tint in Bellafina

EYES:
- Mary Kay Signature Concealer in Ivory
- Ellana Concealer in Awake
- MAC e/s in Unorthodox
- MAC e/s in Relaxing
- Clarins Eyeliner pencil in Parme-Soft Plum
- The Face Shop Eyeliner Pencil in White


If I'm in the mood or I have a lot of time, I use Ellana MPM in Ethereal appliet wet to line my upper lash line..but since I'm bored with my look, I just used a colored liner instead :)


FYI, I didn't use any base for my MAC shadows and they still lasted me 12 hours! Even the Clarins eyeliner pencil stayed put..although they are not thta vibrant anymore, you can still see the colors at the end of the day..cool right? :)


Here's a shot of me wearing my white uniform..I really missed wearing white! I love being a nurse...the only thing I don't like about it is the ease of finding work in a hospital and of course the local compensation..but anyways, still love my profession..Ciao! :)

Aromaleigh URFP & Dayna's Glow

Hi guys! Pardon me for not posting for a few days..I've been quite stressed because of my taking NCLEX this week..I'll get in the swing of blogging again after I receive the result of my exam hehe..anyways, here's an FOTD taken yesterday.

I used Aromaleigh URFP in Transluscent and Dayna's Glow in Violet Vesper..both are getting quite a number of raves from different blogs and forums so I did my best to get some samples so that I can try them myself..Here's my take on these 2 babies :)

Aromaleigh URFP is L-O-V-E..It not only gave me a beautiful finish, it also helped in controlling my oilies..I only need to use 2-3 oil blotting sheets in a day..and that is an achievement already for my oily face..although I am not fond of the Transluscent variant of the URFP (it makes my foundie dark..check my last FOTD pic) I will still get a full size of this when I get a budget..I'll get the 'clear' version next time and maybe a sample of 'peaches and cream'...This is definitely in my mmu-to-buy list for Christmas..the only con I can see with this product is that it is quite expensive compared to other finishing powder haha :)

I also am getting used to Dayna's Violet Vesper Glow..At first, I didn't like it coz I can't see any difference from other glows that I have tried before..but lately, I realized that it does make a difference to your overall look..it gives you a subtle glow on your cheeks without the glittery effect (I hate glows that will make me a glitter bomb)..I'm loving the sheen it gives me..looks more natural than using shimmery blushes..now I want to get the other shades of her Glows :)

*with flash*

*with flash but facing a window*

* natural lighting *

FACE:
- Lauress Kickstart Primer in Medium

- Milan Oil at Bay primer

- Meow foundation Mix in Flawless Feline (dry)

- Aromaleigh URFP in Transluscent

- Ellana blush/bronzer in Patience

- Dayna's Glow in Violet Vesper

EYES:

- Mary Kay Signature concealer in Ivory topped with

- Signature Minerals concealer in Sleen in a jar

- MAC Paintpot in Painterly (as base)

- MAC e/s in Unorthodox (highlight)

- Clinique beige e/s from Beach Plum palette (all over lid)

- Artdeco e/s in #20 (crease)

- Ellana e/s in Ethereal as eyeliner (foiled)

- The Face Shop white eyeliner (inner corner and waterline)


Here's what I'm telling you guys about..I look toasted/tanned with AL's URFP in Transluscent..there are times that my sister asks me whether I got sunburned whenever I am wearing it hehe..so I'm really aiming for the Clear version so as not to alter the shade of my foundation :)

Thanx again for dropping by! If you know any other MMU brand that has a URFP quality, please let me know so that I can check it too! Ciao!

MMU all over + a story of a fan

I attended an anniversary celebration of my favorite Filipino author, Martha Cecilia..She celebrated her 13 years of Romance Writing yesterday, October 25, 2008 at Jade Valley Restaurant in Tomas Morato.

I began reading Matha Cecilia's works when I was still in high school (year 2000)..I collect her Kristine and Sweetheart Series..those are my favorites..then in July of 2005, I read in one of her books an email address where we can contact her..of course, being a fan of her works, I emailed her immediately..I actually gave her a testimonial haha..and when she replied, I was really ecstatic..she told me that I can join her forum (made by one of her fans for her www.eirycat.proboards50.com)..luckily, I was part of the first ever EB/get together of the forum and that was when I met her personally and the time we started to become friends..fast forward to today..it has been more than 3 years already but we are still close..seeing each other whenever there are book signings or just simple get togethers on food courts and malls..and I am happy that I can really feel I am special in her eyes :)

This is my look yesterday night..I wore a very simple dress and a white knitted bolero and silver peep toe flats...I didn't wear the black dress and beige high-heeled sandals Vanessa helped me to choose (thanx for that sis!) because I was told there are a lot who will wear black that night and I realized that I need to be on my feet for most of the time since I was an organizer of the party too :)

My makeup is simple..and of course, all MMU..I really can't say enough that I love love how MMU can make me look flawless in pictures haha :D

Face:
- Lauress Kickstart primer in Medium
- Milan Oil at Bay primer
- Pure Anada foundation Mix topped with Dayna's Mineral foundation in G2
- Milan Perfect Presentation finishing powder
- Ellana bronzer in Patience
- Meow blush in Cat got your tongue topped with
- Dayna's glow in Violet Vesper

Eyes:
- Mary Kay Signature concealer in Ivory topped with
- Dayna's Minerals foundation in Vely and
- MEOW undereye concealer in Frisky Chartreux
- MAC paintpot in Painterly
- MAC Unorthodox e/s as highlighter
- MUFE starpowder in #926 (all-over lid..dry)
- Artdeco e/s in #20 as crease
- Ellana e/s in Ethereal as eyeliner (applied dry on upper lashline only)
- Clinique waterproof mascara
Lip:
- The Body Shop lip and cheek tint
- Shu Uemura lipstick in #949
- petroleum jelly as gloss

I also used MMU for my legs since I was wearing a dress..I used Dreamworld foundie in Luna formulation all over my legs and I looked like I have stockings on! Cool hehe..check this picture out..it looks flawless even though I have so many insect bites on my legs :)

Try using your MMU foundies on your body too! it really works ..very photogenic :)
Till next time! mwah*

Sun Up to Sunrise makeup

I really can't think of a more fitting title than this one..coz this post is all about my incredible experience with my FOTD/EOTD last September 13. .My makeup lasted me for more than 22 hours!! I only did a couple of retouching in between with blotting paper and loose powder.. It's amazing right?! So good..and I loved every minute of it coz I got compliments during the night from my aunts and that's after 12 hours from my application time already :)

By the way, I have enough courage now to post my picture with my new do..I'm still not liking it but I'm used to it already coz I can't do anything about it anyway...I'm hoping my hair will grow fast this time so that I can have a new hairstyle by Christmas.. I'll definitely sport a longer do from now on..but what do you guys think? does it look okay on me?

Here's my FOTD taken around 8am (Sept. 13)..still looking fresh...I've used my Dreamworld foundation mix (nimue + freyja + amenti in Luna formulation) for concealing my blemishes and as a first layer too..this really works in concealing coz it can really fool many that I have clear skin haha..very photogenic too!..my aunts even thought I have no more breakouts! good coverage...I then applied a layer or two of either Dayna's Minerals foundation in G2 or Lauress Minimalist in Pure Yellow to add some yellow tone on my face since my DW mix is kind of pale..I've also used Milan Oil at Bay as primer to control my oilies :)

FOTD:
- Milan Oil at Bay as primer
- Dreamworld foundation mix (applied dry with concealer brush)
- Dayna's G2 or Lauress Pure Yellow
- Milan Perfect Presentation
- Meow Blush in Cat Got Your Tongue?
- Meow Firefly blush in Glisten


LIPS:
- Petroleum Jelly
- The Body Shop Lip and Cheek Tint
- Lancome 214 Lipstick

Here's my EOTD...I road tested my Aromaleigh Indelible Eyeliner Sealant that I got from sis Nikki of Not Just Minerals (thanx sis!)..I love this product coz it really delivers..Imagine, my eyemakeup lasted from 7am upto 4:30am without even smudging or fading?! And I have pretty oily lids even with a base..I'm so raving about this product..this is the best mixing medium that I have tried!
EYES:

• Yellow cream concealer topped with
• Meow Undereye concealer in Frisky Chartreux
• MAC Painterly Paintpot all over lid
• MAC Unorthodox E/s
• Pure Luxe e/s in Darling
• Bonnie MPM shimmer
• Christian Dior dark brown e/s
• Artdeco #20 e/s
• Clinique Waterproof mascara

By the way, I applied my loose mineral pigments foiled using sponge tip applicators..I've learned this technique from Vanessa of Nessassary makeup (thanx Nessa!)..she posted in her blog that she prefer using sponge tip applicators for loose pigments coz it's easy and mess free compared to applying it with a brush..and so I decided to try it since my EDM e/s brush doesn't work very well..and I agree, it did worked pretty well..I easily get good color payoffs from the shadows :)

This is my FOTN taken around 6pm...I just retouched with Milan Oil at Bay around 5pm and some oil blotting sheets during the day..I also added some Artdeco #20 e/s on the crease and outer V to smokify my peepers for the night...I then retouched again at around 11pm before we go out again to the bar..and this makeup is still looking good around 4:30am (Sept. 14) when I got home :)
I really love Mineral Makeup because you look better as the hours go by..and it looks natural so you can really enhance your features instead of hiding your face..and it doesn't feel heavy..I applied around 4 layers of foundation for this look but it did not cake nor feel like a mask the whole time..what more can I ask for? I'm raving haha :D

What about you guys? Do you have any tested MMU products that has very good staying power? I would like to hear them ..till next time! God bless :)

Dreamworld + Dayna's FOTD

Me and my bf went to our school this morning to request for a re-copy of our TOR and Summary of RLE which we will be needing for applying jobs in the near future..but sadly, we're not able to request for it because the line in the cashier was too long..we didn't know it's exam week so tuition payment week..so we decided to just come back :)

before going home, we ate lunch at A Venetto Pizzeria at Trinoma..we had Putanesca and hawaiian pizza w/ extra cheese..yummy yummy! this is our fave Italian resto coz the foods are great and affordable :)

here's my FOTD today..I used my Dreamworld foundation in Luna formula (this is a mix of Freyja and Nimue coz they both don't match me haha that's why I mixed them) ..I really love DW's foundation coz they give a very nice coverage and it has good staying power..but since I have the wrong shades, I can't use them frequently..I'm still in the process of deciding which shades will be perfect to mix with these two shades to make it my match..any suggestions? I would really appreciate it..I need something yellow coz this two really don't have any :D

FACE:
-Dreamworld foundation in Luna formulation (freyja + nimue)
- Dayna's Minerals foundation in G2 - one layer to add some yellow
- Milan Oil at Bay
- Ellana blush in Coral Pink
- Clinique bronzer on top

And here's a shot taken after 7 hours without any retouch or blotting paper ..cool right? I still look fresh even though my makeup is already fading :)

here's a picture of us when he brought me home earlier..we look weird haha :)

thanx for dropping by guys! :)