Year-end countdown ^_^

Hello everyone!

I would like to share with you my most-used products for the year 2009..This is not a list of products that I just bought this year and liked but it is a list of products that I love and used continously for the whole year :)

In no particular order:

1. Venus and Mars Emu oil lip detox

- I keep on coming back to this lip balm..it really soothes my dry lips and keep it moisturized the whole day :)


2. The Face Shop Cllean Face White acne solution foam cleanser

- I use this 2x a day since I bought it. Keeps my face clean. Although I did not find any positive result for my acne, it still does a good job in cleaning my face :)
3. Shiseido eyelash curler

- It's not until early this year that I started to appreciate the power of a good eyelash curler hehe..before, I can go out with just powder on my face (lazy days) but now, it's a must to have my lashes curled + oil control powder before I can feel confident going out without makeup haha ^_^

4. Coastal Scents 88 matte e/s palette

- This is one of the products I bought this year that I really am grateful that I did not sell. I loved how I can create many looks with just this palette..plus, it is so affordable that I don't mind using it whenever I want to play makeup..very bang-for-the-buck purchase IMO.

5. Skin Food Salmon Darkcircle Concealer

- I love this concealer! I use this almost everyday since day 1. I love how creamy it is (keeps my undereye from dryness) and how good it conceal my racoon eyes hehe..and for the amount of product I got from such an affordable price, I can't complain anymore..this is my HG concealer as of the moment :)

6. Ellana Buffer brush

- I'm really, really, really thankful that my sister gave this to me last Christmas..After a year, its condition is still the same when I got it new. It did not shed, still soft and dense and big enough to finish the job fast. This is my HG face brush..I love this more than my other kabuki brushes :)

7. MAC paintpot in Painterly

- This primer is almost finished already and I will be needing a new one soon. Although I'm not yet sure if I'll get another one of this (it tends to dry out easily in the pot), this item will still have a space in my heart. It served its purpose very well for the last 2 years or so. Keeps my eyeshadow intact and vibrant the whole day. It's pricey but still a good buy since you'll be able to use it for almost 2 years if used everyday.

8. Mandom Cleansing Express Sebum

- I love this make-up remover! I use this every night to remove my makeup and the dirt and oil, accumulated during the day, from my face. This is very mild for my sensitive skin (no stinging sensation on eye area) yet still does the job pretty well. It's affordable too! I already have finished 3 bottles of this and I don't see myself changing to another brand anytime soon :)

9. Ellana Moisturizing Lip Color in Sensual

- This is my favorite lip color for this year. I use this almost everyday because it doesn't dry out my lips and gives me a lasting color like a lip tint. Aside from it being a mineral makeup, I also love the fact that a pot lasts for more than a year even if used frequently everyday. You really get the value for your money. I use this a lot and I still haven't finished up half of the product yet. Love this :)

10. ELF Eyeshadow brush

- This brush works great in packing color to my eyelids. After using this for a time, I stopped getting the urge to buy a MAC 239 brush. Even though it's not as soft as I like it to be, it still does the job pretty well and it doesn't shed. And since the price is so cheap, I can buy myself a lot for different colors. I'm so happy that I did not regret buying this hehe :)

That's it! Those are my top 10 products that I loved (and still loving) for the year 2009. I can really see myself re-purching majority of the products listed when I finished them up. I really am happy to purchase these stuff with my hard-earned money :)

This will be my last post for the year. Time really pass us so fast noh? When I wake up tomorrow, it will be January 1, 2010 already.

Thank you so much for being with me this year! I hope to stay in contact with all of you for more years to come. Happy New Year Everyone!

I wish everyone will be healthier, happier and more prosperous this coming 2010. God bless everyone! ^_^

I love you all!

An Invite (good news) + Rant (bad news)

Hello everyone! How was your weekend? I have spent my weekend with my mom and grandma..we went shopping at Trinoma mall and SM North haha should I say mall-hopping? My grandma bought some stuff that she will need in Mindanao. She's going back there on Friday and will stay there for another 3 months or so before they (my grandpa is based there for his work) come back here at Manila for a visit. I hope you also had a great weekend like me ^_^

Also, I'm both ecstatic and sad today. Hmm which should I share first? I think I'll go for the bad news first..

Here goes...Half of my pocketbooks/novels collection are destroyed by termites! Yes, you heard that right. TERMITES!!! I hate them huhu I bought a wooden bookshelf a year ago to house my big collection of books in my room (I want to organize them and keep them in good condition). I know I'm risking it because our house is really infested with termites already (our house is already 22 years old and 70% of it is made of wood) and buying a furniture made of wood is a bad idea BUT I fell in love with the shelf. I really love the design and that it was on sale the day I bought it was an added plus. But now, I'm regretting getting it coz I was unable to notice the infestation a lot earlier since it has a cover in front. I only noticed it when I returned a novel inside the shelf and I tried to get another book from the back portion of the shelf. I was so shocked that the termites was there and one of my hard-to-find hard bound novel was already eaten (20% of it) and majority of the novels at the back part are damaged (around 25-30 pieces) already...I actually cried that first night I found out about it..I am still on the process of saving the books and looking for a new container for them..I might go back to buying plastic containers again...I still can't let it go..I can't help but feel so sad that the books I bought and cherished are not in pristine conditions now...

Check out what is a termite here.


AND NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS ^_^

I want to inform you all that Venus and Mars Botanicals / Pure Glow is joining the Noel Bazaar at the World Trade Center this end of Novemeber. I will also be there on the 29th and 30th the whole day to help out Jamie (owner of V&M) in her booth. So I am inviting everyone to drop by and say hello. I would love to meet you all! And I will be very happy to assist you guys in choosing and testing out their beautiful products. Most of you already know that I'm an avid user of V&M products and I am so excited that they had already launched their own line of mineral makeup (Pure Glow). They contain very few but high grade ingredients so they are perfect for people like me with sensitive skin. I will give out an intensive review on each of the products once I have tried them for at least 2 weeks (I do get late reactions lately) so I can give out a good review for you guys.

*from the website*

WHAT: Noel Bazaar: A Christmas Shop Expo

WHERE: World Trade Center

Booth #47 under High Prime Full Booth PURE GLOW/ VENUS & MARS

WHEN: November 25-30, 2009

Weekdays: 11am-9pm

Weekends: 11am-10pm

Jamie's Mobile Number: 0927-924-0961

What to expect from the bazaar:

1. DISCOUNTS and SPECIAL PROMOS!

(for V&M, Pureglow Mineral Cosmetics and Traditonal Makeup)

2. Special Gift Packages

3. Limited Edition sizes/products

4. Resellers may claim their bulk orders from the booth. (CONTACT JAMIE).

5. CHANCE to TEST the products!

6. Makeover yourself with Pureglow Mineral Cosmetics!

There will be about 500 concessionares participating in this bazaar so expect a very fulfilling Christmas shopping experience! This shopping event is for the benefit of of chosen organizations and their worthy causes: Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation, GMA Kapuso Foundation, Associate Missionary of Assumption.

I really hope to see you guys there! Let's have some fun and chat and do makeovers ^_^

See you soon! Bye!

Makeup/Skincare Daily Routine Tag + Award

I was tagged by Thiamere and Pammy. Thanks girls for thinking of me ^_^

Here's my daily routine:

SKINCARE

Every morning, after I take a bath, I will wash my face with The Face Shop Clean Acne Solution foam cleanser then I apply my acne toner and acne lotion. If I'm not going to use bb cream (that has SPF) as my foundation, I will apply sunblock first before my makeup.

At night, I will remove all my makeup and the dirts accumulated during the day using my Mandom Cleansing Express. Then I will proceed to washing my face and applying my acne toner, acne lotion, moisturizer and tretinoin.

I use Laneige strawberry yougurt peeling gel once a week. Usually every Sunday night after I wash my face.

MAKEUP

I will either use one of my mineral foundations (I use my Ellana Buffer brush in applying) or my bb cream of choice (I use my MAC 187SE). Then I will proceed to applying my finishing powder (my current fave is Ellana sheer velvet because it helps a lot in controlling my oiliness) using my buffer brush again and my blush (my default blush of choice is Meow firefly blush in Radiance) using my Lumiere stippling brush.

For the eyes, I can live with only a concealer, eyeliner and an eyelash curler. My eyeshadow depends on my mood for the day so I did not include it anymore and lately, I'm not putting any e/s on because I'm not in the mood. Anyways, I always apply a base on my lids (MAC painterly paintpot) then a concealer (SkinFood Salmon concealer) on my undereyes and then set it with a highlighting loose powder (Ellana Awake concealer). I then will apply my black eyeliner (Ellana Ethereal MPM) using a wet brush (I wet my eyeshadow with Aromaleigh eyeshadow/eyeliner sealant). I'll finish the look by curling my lashes.

I just use my Venus&Mars lip balm on my bare lips then apply the lipcolor of my choice (my fave lip tint is Ellana lipcolor in Sensual). During the day, I usually top it with Clearagen lip therapy to add some gloss and moisture.

And that's it! My everyday routine is very simple and basic. I only do eye makeup when I'm going out or whenever I feel like it so I don't consider it part of the daily routine.

Now....who will I tag? Hmmm..I know! I'm tagging YOU! I want to read about your daily ritual too. Please comment below if you did this tag so I can read your post..Till next time! Thank you for dropping by my blog. Bye!

oOo

I also got an award from a fellow girltalker and blogger. Thank you Lelila for these awards! ^_^

I have already finished doing the Kreativ Blogger so you can just check out my answers here :)

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! :)

My 1st Make-up Tutorial: "Eye Candy"

Hi guys! I got an urge yesterday morning to do a makeup tutorial (maybe due to too much watching of youtube makeup gurus) hehe. Well, I decided to try it just to check if I can or can't do it. So please comment so I can hear some feedbacks ^_^

*WARNING: picture heavy*

Okay, let's start! We are aiming for a wearable "eye candy" look. This is fun and colorful but you can still wear it in school or in work coz I tried to make it subdued for a daytime look. Hope you'll like it :)

Here's the look we're going to do:

Let's start with the base. I used Innisfree Trouble Care all over my face. I applied it using my finger tips. Don't forget to conceal the areas that needs to be concealed so that we can achieve a flawless canvass.

Now, let's do the eyes. Apply your eyeshadow base of choice to help your shadows adhere to your eyelids and give a better color pay-off. I used MAC paintpot in Painterly.

Apply it using with your ring finger and then dab it until you covered your eyelids (from lashline to browbone. Also apply some base on your lower lashline coz we are going to put some colors there later.

Using your flat shader brush, I use ELF eyeshadow brush, pick up a bright pink shadow. I'm using my Coastal Scents 88 matte palette.

Apply the pink eyeshadow with dabbing motion all over your lids until crease. It should look like this:

Get your fluffy blending brush, I'm using my MAC 217 brush, and pick up an orange color. This is the orange beside the pink shade from the CS palette.

Apply it on the crease, overlapping with the pink, using a wiper motion. Don't forget to blend, blend, blend! You can retouch the pink and the orange until you achieved the intensity of the shade you want. Since I'm going to wear it out, I chose to make it subtle.

Then using any fluffy brush you have, you can also use your flat shader brush for this, pick up a white eyeshadow for highlighting the browbone. This is the shade on the upper left corner of the palette. It is a matte white.

Sweep the shadow on your browbone area and blend it with your orange crease color. Blending can help you achieve the flawless transition of the colors. You should not be able to see where each color ends and starts.

This is how your eyes should look like now.

Using your contour or pencil brush, I'm using Ellana contour brush, pick up a purple shade. This is the color just below the pink eyeshadow we used for the lids.

Apply the purple on your lower lashline (3/4 from the outer corner).

The using the same brush, pick up a golden yellow eyeshadow.

Apply it on the inner corners of your eyes and blend it.

Then line your eyes with black eyeliner. Since I don't have any liners, I'm going to use my black eyeshadow for this purpose. I'm going to wet my angled liner brush with a sealant (you can use water too) and make a paste using my black eyeshadow. Then I lined my upper lashline (I also tightlined using the same brush).

It should look like this:

Curl your lashes once the eyeliner has dried already. I used my Shiseido eyelash curler for this step.
Then apply your favorite mascara to help hold the curl of yuor lashes. I used Lancome High Definition mascara in black then removed excess products using a clean spoolie.
Then if you have any fallouts or mistakes, just use a wet cotton buds to remove them. Once dried, apply a highlighter on your undereyes. I use Ellana Awake concealer and applied it using my Charm concealer brush.

This also sets your undereye concealer so that it can last longer aside from making your eyes appear more awake.

And this is our finished eye makeup!

Now for the face:
I applied my setting powder, I used Aromaleigh URFP in Peaches and Cream, all over my face using a stippling brush (MAC 187) to help control the oiliness and also set my makeup.

Your face will look more polished after you applied your finishing powder.

Then apply your blush of choice. I choose a pink one, Lumiere Ditt "O" blush, and applied it using a stippling brush, I used my Lumiere duo fiber powder brush because it has a smaller head than my MAC 187 so it fits my cheeks pretty well. Using a stippling brush also produce a "soft" blushing effect but you can also use your regular blush brush.

Apply your blush on the apples of your cheeks for a more youthful look.

Finish your look with your favorite lipstick on top of your lipbalm. I chose to use my HG lipbalm, Venus and Mars Emu oil lipbalm, and topped it with my fave lipstick from Lancome.

All done! Here's the final look in different lighting. Pardon me for the quality of the pictures. I think the light washed out the colors so the it is not that vibrant on film. I'll try to set up my digital camera better next time (I'm still learning about the proper setting for it) ^_^

And here's my outfit for today. I wore a long white tank top and blue jeans paired with baby blue flipflops. I also wore a hoodie on top since it's raining.

Thank you for reading my very long post! Please suggest on what I can do to make my tutorials better. Tell me what you think. Post a comment! I'll be waiting for them :)

Till next time! Bye! ^_^