I'm B-A-C-K!

After years of not posting (well not really, just a year and 2 months), I am now finally trying to find the time to write again and update this blog. A lot has happened since I last posted here, I got preggo and gave birth last May to a very beautiful baby girl!
Since I got preggo, I veered away from using cosmetics and used my usual natural/organic stuff so there is nothing really new to make a review about (aside from the lotion I used to avoid the dreadful stretchies). Now my baby will be turning 6 months so it's safe to say that I am now trying new products and would happily share it with you luvvies!


Here's a list of products that I will post a review, hopefully in the next few weeks:

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream (in Antwerp and San Paulo)
Naturactor Powder Foundation (in 252)
Naturactor Cover Face (in 151)

Read More

Review: Foot Appeal Foot Peeling Mask

Warning: Some photos might be too eeekky, not for the faint-hearted ;)

I've been very busy this couple of months and had no time to blog (excuses!). So let me end that three-month long hiatus with this zombie-gore-fest yet every-girls-secret-weapon foot beautifier! Ha!

Ok, we all know guys love a pretty face and of course sexy body..but they are also very keen on well-manicured, pretty feet! Too bad,  not everyone have the time and money to splurge on nail salons and foot spas, so what's the best way to do than to start fresh, like baby fresh skin on your feet. C'mon, peel it!

Foot Appeal Foot Peeling Mask

This Foot Appeal Foot Peeling Mask (399-499php) is so easy to use. Here's what I did (you can also read instructions written on the box):
1. Open the box, pull off 2 socks-shaped plastic.
2. Cut the plastic on the dotted line.
3. Wear as socks, make sure to tape ends so as not to spill contents (better if you wear fitting socks outside)
4. Wait for 60-90 mins.
5. Remove fitted socks and the medicated plastic socks.
6. Wait for 2-3 days. Feet will start to peel, do not pull!
7. Wait for a week to complete the peeling process.
8. Voila! Callous-free, whiter feet!

After 3 days, feet started to peel on toe areas.

eeeek day 3

After 5 days, major peeling! Some peeling on the top of feet also.

eeeek day 5

Ok enough of the gore-fest! It took around 1 1/2 to 2 weeks for the whole feet to peel but no need to worry because it is not painful, just a bit uncomfortable :D You can buy this at: First Aid Greenbelt 3, Shopwise, Unimart...for me, I just asked my friend to get me one hehe :D

Enjoy!

*check their facebook page here

Read More

M.I.A!!!

I've been MIA for a couple of days (or weeks) because I was busy with my surgery and just got out of the hospital last week and still recovering. Yep, I did undergo the knife..(or tubes) but I really have a good doctor, Dr. Chiaoling Sua-Lao, so everything's ok. If you ever want to know more about this surgery or my doctor, just drop me a line and I will try to answer your queries.

Soooo...yep I missed a lot and that's also equivalent to zero mall hopping!

As I am now a prison here at home, I've got nothing else to do but sit, read some Anne Rice, play Sims 3 etc..and shop online yay!

So what did I buy? I got Hairagami Total Hair Makeover Kit, Salon Express Nail Stamping Kit and some items from Monkee Business (still waiting for these items to hit my doorstep)

the hairagami and salon express nail stamp kit

I do get to go out today because of my check-up, so I made sure to drop by Watson's and got me some nail polish from China Glaze (I got the Stellar and Diva Bride).

I also got the time to try that Foot Appeal Foot Peeling Mask. So that's a lot of products to try and review (plus the lip sticks I got the last time).

Read More

Review: Benefit's Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! Foundation

I've been lemming for this foundation for weeks! And as you can read from my last haul post, I bought this first week of April. So, let me get started with my review as I am very much excited with this product.

Let me give you a little background on my make-up habit: NONE. Ha!

I don't know how to use a foundation, a sponge, how to pick the right blush, how to use eyeliner, basically I know nothing about make-up! So I try to watch videos, read forums and buy stuff to try. I got interested with Benefit's Hellow Flawless Oxygen Wow! because I read that it's so easy to apply, just like some tinted moisturizer...and true enough it is!

(dreamy...haha) 

I bought this at their Greenbelt 5 boutique for 1900php (not cheap!) and got the color in beige (as suggested by the SA). As for the scent, I don't think there is any so no problem with that.

(a free sample of Porefessional Pore Minimizer inside the box :D)

I then searched for a way on how to apply foundation over at Youtube, and figured that a penny size is enough!

(taken with  a flash, a bit of a white cast but still ok :D)

I tried to use my fingers, it blends well but I read somewhere that using a wet sponge will provide a more flawless finish. So I bought some cheap sponge (I'm a cheapskate hehe!) and tried to wet it and voila! It really is easier and the finish is dewy. As for the coverage, I think it is buildable from light to medium to heavy. But I would rather stay with the light-medium range, I hate looking too made up so I still got some spots uncovered (I think a concealer will do the trick for this)

So here it is!...Gaah I'm soo excited. Note: Camera used is only a camera fone (yep, no P&S camera yet)..no flash just bright living room light 

(too light coverage, see that spot on my chin, ok don't mind the mole on my lips hehe)

Ok, so I road tested it last weekend on a wedding I attended in Tagaytay (not as hot as Manila) and after four hours, oil started to build up on my t-zone. So yeah, lasting power is not that much, but hey, I still love it to bits :D

(road tested it when I attended a wedding last weekend)

How about you? Have you tried this foundation?

Scent - 5/5

Value - 4/5

Effectiveness - 4/5

Repurchase - Yes!

Read More

Review: Snoe's Here Comes the Sunblock

Summer heat is getting verrrrry hot with each passing day! We all know how harmful these UV rays are, and I don't want to give a lecture on this one again (we all hear these things anyway e-v-e-r-y-d-a-y even if it's the rainy season). So let me give you a review on one of the sunblocks I have tried from Snoe, the Here Comes the Sunblock.

(photo from Snoe Beauty)

From the Snoe website, this product claims to moisurize, whiten (and instantly whiten), and protects skin from damage. It has anti-oxidants, is non-greasy, and paraben-free. This product contains:

• De-ionized water
• Dimethicone ( Cetearly Dimethicone)
• Cethyl Alcohol
• Prophyl Alcohol
• PPG, Cropolymer
• Bengkoang
• Papain Enzyme
• Glutathione
• Allantoin
• Sodium ascorl Phosphate
• Tecopherol
• Phenoxyethanol
• Zinc Oxide
• Titanium Dioxide
• Neheliupan BB
• Ascorbate
• Beeswax
• Aloe Vera Extract
• Lycopene
• Fragrance

Ok, Here Comes the Sunblock is SPF 45 (that's a good one). Unlike other sunblocks, this one is non-greasy(point!) and the fragrance is pleasant (for me anyway, another good point) or tolerable for some.

BUT...it claims to instantly whiten the skin and it does in a very mediocre way. I mean, don't expect that your skin will really be fair instantly. After applying, your skin will only get this whitish chalky cast which for me, is really not good!

( see how hard it will be to get an even BODY skin tone everytime? you have to blend really good!)

Of course I don't want to look have this uneven white patches on my skin! I mean really, this is hilarious. Ha!

Scent - 4/5

Value - 4/5

Effectiveness - 3/5

Repurchase - No (because of the "instant white effect")

Read More

Holiday Haul! Make-Up Starter

I've been MIA this whole holy week, mostly because of the work-ups with the doctor and I just needed really to take a break (it's emotionally draining, really). So I went on mall hopping and got me some retail therapy!

Ok, I've been thinking what to buy if I wanted to start my make-up kit. I already bought some brush (and mineral make-up) from Ellana when I TRIED using mineral make-up last year. I think that will do for now, I just have to clean them as they are gathering dust in my closet.

After some magazine reading (at the doctor's office) and people watching (or staring) at Greenbelt, I then realized that the best facial enhancer is a good lipstick.

As I am really a beginner at this, I tried first the most affordable brands. So I bought:

• Avon Ultra Moisture Rich in Deep Pomegranate
• Avon Ultra Moisture Rich in Barely There
• Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Lollipop

...and then, as it is already April and if you read my lemming post, I am reeeeaaaaalllyy looking forward to grabbing this Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! foundation...sooo....I got one in beige yay!!! I also tried to get some affordable lip and cheek tint, so I got the In2It L/C tint in peach.

Will post a review as soon as I tried everything on. I am sooo excited! Is this a nice make-up starter or what?

Read More

Review: Snoe's S Skin SPF30 Stem Cell Sunblock Cream

As I have seen you luvvies are interested with this product line, might as well make a review of another product from Snoe, the S Skin SPF30 Stem Cell Sunblock Cream.

(photo from Snoe)

I bought this because the moisturizer I was using at that time has no SPF (Lush Celestial), and I was noticing some sun spots (dark spots) on my face. Another thing is, you know my fixation right now for anti-aging creams right? Their claim on "stem cell" in this sunblock cream bought me!

From the Snoe website, this product contains:

• Dimethicone (and) Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
• Water
• Isonyl Isononano.Te
• Cyclopenant Asiloxane
• Sorbitan Isostearate
• Lauroyl lysine
• Polyglycery-4
• Isostearate
• Hexyl Laurate
• Sesamum Indicum (sesame seed oil)
• Diazolidinyl Urea (0.20%)
• Lecithin
• Citric Acid
• Deionized Water
• Sodium Chloride
• Titanium Dioxide
• Iron Oxides
• Xanthan Gum
• Fragrance
• Cetyl Alcohol
• Steryl Alcohol
• Propylene Glycol
• Phenoxyethanol
• Rh-Oligopeptide-1
• Lecithin
• Butylene Glycol
• Phenyl Trimethicone
• Glycine
• Tricetereth-4 Phospate
• Vitis Vinifera (Grape)seed Oil
• Sodium Hyaluronate

It claims to: 

• Reduced wrinkles
• Firmir skin
• Smoothed hydrated skin
• Protect from UV damage
• Make up glides more smoothly
• Toned skin
• Even skin tone
• Dark spot prevention and repair
• Over all luminous white skin
• Refined skin texture

The first thing I noticed about this product when I opened it was the pink tinge. Aside from that, it has a very thick, creamy consistency and a very strong fragrance (though I am not really bothered by it, I think the scent is ok)

(thick pink cream)

At first I thought it will bring a very white cast on photos with flash, but you can see here that it is not really the case with this sunblock cream...well maybe a bit.

(shot comparison: hard vs soft light)  

I like that it makes my face smooth and my pores smaller when applied. Maybe the effects on wrinkles and whitening will be visible after weeks of use, but I cannot really attest to that as I am using a night cream and an eye cream.

Aside from being a sunblock cream, they claim that you can also use it as a make-up base. I tried this once, and never again. Ha! Everything on my face just slid off (tint and highlight), so maybe it's better to wear this alone. I also find it kinda heavy for a very humid climate, so better use this inside with the aircon on, or you can use it outside if the weather is cold.

Scent - 3/5

Value - 4/5

Effectiveness - 3/5

Repurchase - No (Not as sunblock cream, I really find this very heavy on the face, but will still use sometime as it makes my pore look smaller)

Read More