FOTD: Neutrals for work

For months now, I got so used to just having a single color on my lids, a liner and mascara for my eye makeup. So last Monday (got up a bit earlier than usual), I got more time to at least define my crease...yey!

I'll be wearing a bright red shirt dress that day so I went for neutrals:

MAC brows in Spiked

MAC browset in GirlBoy

UDPP

MAC e/s in Pattina (entire lid) and Carbon (outer crease)

Maybelline High Impact Express liner

Prestige eyeliner in White

Maybelline Cat Eyes mascara

hmmm, i'm all red in this picture...

geesh, i miss posing for my camera like this!

i wish i can do tutorials soon!

Saizen virgin, no more!

for a long time now, i've been hearing a lot of raves about Saizen, this Japanese store where you can buy (almost) all sort of stuff: from food, to toiletries, to kitchenware....errr, everything! i used to live far from its branch in Robinsons Galleria so I really haven't got the chance to pay a visit. so now that i moved just across the street, i just know i shouldn't wait any longer.

my Saizen loot

some kitchen stuff, because i'm still high from moving to a new pad

random stuff that X got

now i realized that my loot is such a bore...hehehe, blame it on X who have been impatient with me the whole time i was inside the store. he kept on saying that i don't really need anything...hhehhee, of course i do!

but i admit, store is like heaven. i can spend hours inside checking out their stuff. some are really worth the price (Php88 or Php85), most especially the big items...but some aren't. so, be wise!

now that X is gone, i'm sure i'll be visiting again and this time...with revenge.
LOL!

Something New: Ponds Gold Radiance

Months ago, I got a dinner invite from Ponds that served as a sort of soft launch for their new skin care line:

Pond’s Gold Radiance is the first Pond’s product which has real gold micro particles. These gold micro particles is blended with Pond’s patented anti-aging ingredients which in harmony fights dullness and recaptures youthful radiance and gives instant glow to the skin.

Facial Foam, has rich creamy formula with luxurious lather designed for aging skin. Gently exfoliates to reveal youthful radiance. Php 249/ 100g

Day Cream, proven to lift away dullness and reveal skin's youthful radiance. With SPF 15 PA++ for sun protection. Use daily in the morning. Php 799/ 50g

Serum, has 50x more real gold microparticles than the day cream. It helps boost skin radiance to give instant glow on the skin and has Vitamin B3 proven to reduce age spots. Php799/ 30ml

Eye cream, refreshes tired eyes and diminishes puffiness and dark circles to make eyes look instantly brighter and younger. Php 699/ 15ml

two more Ponds Radiance products will become available early next year:

Cleansing Mousse, transforms into a light, satiny yet thoroughly effective cleansing foam to lift away dullness and reveal youthful radiance without making skin feel dry. Php399 / 150ml

Night Cream, rejuvenates and regenerates skin while sleeping to recapture youthful radiance. Php799 / 50g

among the items from this new line from Ponds, I find this one the most interesting:

Ponds Radiance serum, which reminds me of the face primer (also with gold speckles) from another luxury brand. I've tried it a couple of times and it does give the face a brightening effect. Don't get intimidated with the tiny specks of gold, you won't look like a disco ball, i promise!

the gold specks make me feel rich! imagine applying GOLD on your skin?

But is Gold safe for the skin?
Being a natural mineral, gold have no known adverse reactions on skin. Also, the amount of gold in this new line from Ponds have been tested to be safe for all skin types. So all you get is instant radiance to the skin while enhancing skin's renewal process and skin elasticity.

What other ingredients are in Ponds Radiance aside from Gold?
Ponds Gold Radiance employs the patented technology of Ponds anti-aging with these ingredients:
1. CLA to stimulate natural cell turnover
2. AHA to weaken bonds of old/dead skin cells on the upper layer and promote skin renewal
3. Retinol/Retinol derivatives to stimulate collagen and elastin production
4. Retinol boosters to enhance the Retinol efficacy

I am looking forward to trying this line soon...but I would have to put this on hold since i am currently under skin medication. I've been a Ponds user (cold cream, facial scrubs and detox creams) for years now and I'm sure this new line from them is promising!

watch out for a review, ladies!

(i might ask somebody else to try this in case I won't be able to use it on myself)

more from Forever 21...

i admit, i am addicted to Forever 21. a week won't pass that i won't pay that huge store a visit, to get stuff that will help me ease the stress i get from work.

yep, accessories!

i love, love, LOOOVEEE their accessories. well, i am confined to just their earrings and necklaces. i wish i can be that adventurous (and stylish) to sport their bracelets and headbands soon. don't get me wrong, i love their clothing line but i just get too confused whenever it's time for me to pay and i'll pass by another piece which is better looking than what i already have. for the past two instances that i've been there to buy clothes, i always ended up going beyond my shopping budget because i just had to get everything i think is cute.

so yeah, i'll stay in their accessories section for now. beh!

i moved!

last month, i finally decided to move out of my old place where X and I lived for more than 2 years, and move in somewhere near my work. i must say it was quite a hard decision to make because: 1) i got so used to that old place 2) it's where X and i stayed together (yep, i am that sentimental)...3) and lastly, the rent is a LOT cheaper.

but the driving after a long day at work (working more than 12-14hrs a day) has finally taken its toll on me. not to mention coming in super, duper late to work the next day which equates to my salary getting deducted which is not good. hahaha!

so i took a deep breath and told myself that as long as i come in to work on time, i can afford my rent that increased to 3x my previous. agh! i can do this....i can do this (chanting).

here's a few shots at my new place while i was trying to cleanup and fix my things:

my vanity table which i just got recently. i've been wanting to get one eversince but my old place is so small that another piece of junk can no longer fit in.

such a disaster, hahaha. i still have some makeup stuff elsewhere and i have no effin' idea how they will fit in here!

i got myself some containers as per Sol's advice. i hope these will help me organize my makeup stuff

and here's the (small) living room:

i'm sure there's a big snake somewhere....LOL!

i've been pulling and pushing stuff from one place to another and i just get tired from doing all these alone. i was shocked when i heard something fell and saw this:

sniff!

oh well..gotta be a lot careful next time. i am still arranging stuff hoping that my place would be a lot presentable and conducive to (decent) living...soon! it's been a month and i am still trying to drive that snake out of my house! hahahaa.

so, do i get to work on time these days?

that's gonna be a secret.

^_^

Publish Post

Etude House's AC Clinic line to the rescue??

my face gets worse everyday and i don't think my current skincare regimen would work,not until these nasty pimples dry up first. i should've gotten either Glytone or Clinique but i don't have (quick) access on these two brands that worked wonders on my skin problems before, so I decided to get an alternative from the mall near my work.

Etude House's AC Clinic skincare

AC Clinic Toner and Gel

AC Clinic Pink Powder Spot Patches

I really am not sure why I decided to go for these...hmm, maybe the green packaging that somehow reminds me of The Body Shop's Tea Tree line? or maybe the scent that gave me the impression that since it smells like medicine, it will work on my problematic skin?

I honestly don't know why...LOL! But I am keeping my fingers crossed that they would work...or at least won't make it worse.

wish me luck!

FOTD: Fresh green and Barbie-pink lips...

it's been a while since I last posted an FOTD. Actually,i haven't been wearing much makeup lately. I rarely get to wear colorful e/s at work, just a liner on top of a frosty beige lid wash. I guess today's a bit special since I decided to wake up earlier to do my makeup.

Smashbox photofinish primer/corrector in green
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation
MAC MSF Natural in Light
PAC brow kit topped with MAC brow set in Girl Boy
MAC e/s in Fresh Green Mix
Maybelline High Impact liquid liner
MM Lash Expander
MAC True Romantic

NYX lipstick in Spoiled

yep, my skin's still breaking out because of the pool's chlorine when X and I had a vacation. you should see how bad my skin is without makeup...sniff!

I also had my hair colored some 3wks ago...i tried to give you a good look of my haircolor, but yep...i failed!

and here's me taking a shot of my usual getup for work:

yeah, I know I don't look like I'm on my way to work..and yes, I was late (again).

let's go wild with Wet n Wild...

my first encounter with this brand was years ago, probably in highschool (now don't dare ask me how long that was!), when a relative from the US went home and gave me tubes of lipsticks, blushes and some eyeshadows as pasalubong. i was only 14 y/o at that time, and back in those days, it's not so often to see a teenager wearing makeup unless there's an event or something. i sniffed the products and found the scent to be too strong so I gave them away to my aunts and older friends.

yeah, i am one mean girl giving away stuff given to me as pasalubong...but that was before! ^_^

fast forward 10 years, i was already starting out to apply makeup and i often get disappointed from trying out some cheaper brands, hoping to save my hard-earned moolah (yep, i was already working when i started applying makeup...probably i've been working for 2-3yrs when i started). from then on, I try to stay away from "cheap-priced" products thinking that their quality will just make me end up getting frustrated, and my money wasted. i've watched some YT videos of some makeup gurus raving on Wet n Wild and hoped that the product will soon be available here.

and so when I read from Twitter that they're here, i made sure i got some stuff as soon as I got out from work:

I got these items for less than Php200 each. I haven't played with the rest of the stuff but I must say that their eyeshadows are great! i love the pigmentation and the staying power..oh yes, no smudging/creasing even without a primer!

how about you? have you tried any of their products? did you love it or not? please let me know, I want to get more of their must-buys!

tata!

Meet, Greet and Test all you want!

tired of ordering makeup online only to find out that the shades you got don't suit you?

or tired from going through the entire ordering process all over again after receiving your (initial) order, but you just wanted to get more?

now, you don't have to be...

it's a chance to finally check out the shades you've been seeing from online swatches...aside from that, this is one great opportunity to meet up with fellow makeup enthusiasts you've been dealing with online.

don't miss it!

click here for more details.

not another addiction...

I can't bring myself to say that I have a new addiction, because my friends would kill me...friends who I used to question a lot how come they just go crazy and buy pairs of shoes all in one day. At that time, I am so much into makeup and I told them that I won't be like them..ever.

Okay, I've eaten my words. But still, I wouldn't say that I am addicted.

My first pairs of Aldo shoes:

yeah, I bought these pairs one evening after I got off work. I also got 3 more pairs of those sturdy, and cutey sandals from GIBI. Addiction? Naahhh, just stressed!

^_^

Product Review: Nichido Girls' Night Out Eye PencColor Intense Eye Pencils

Eversince I started wearing eyeliners some 2 to 3 years ago, I'd feel like my makeup's incomplete whenever I would go out without it. I used to think that liners would make my eyes "too strong," but when people started taking notice and giving me compliments, I know it's something I shouldn't take out of my makeup regimen. :)

I started with browns, went to blacks and when I discovered the magic of mineral eyeshadows + mixing mediums, I took a notch higher by wearing colorful liners. I am now a proud owner of a number of eyeliners -- pencils, liquids, creams and even the gel ones from different known brands. But my love for eyeliners won't stop there, as I see to it that I continue to check out other brands that can add up to my growing collection of eye pencils.

I just didn't expect that a recent fave would come from our very own local brand, Nichido.

Nichido Girls' Night Out Eye Pencils

(L-R) Vivid Turquoise, Deep Plum, 24K

Priced at Php80, these liners are creamy and colors are indeed intense. They remind me of my Urban Decay 24/7 liners because of their color intensity, but these pencils smudge (when rubbed, so hands off!) and they aren't waterproof either. I only wear them on my upper lash lines with a primer beneath and it will surely last all day (again, no rubbing!) They are easy to apply and soft enough not to poke my lids but stiff enough not to break off easily.

Vivid Turquoise on my lashlines

Left: Swatches were smudged once with fingers
Right: Swatches are smudged with water

So if you are looking for a cheaper alternative for those well-known brands, you might want to consider these eye pencils from Nichido. These babies taught me not to snob local makeup brands as we might be able to find one or two items that are worth keeping.

Beauty & Minerals at the Moonlit Bazaar...

Now that Christmas is just around the corner, it's time to start shopping for gifts! It's better to start early to avoid the holiday rush, and prices tend to get a bit higher when it's already Christmas season. It's also the time of bazaars, where we could also get great finds at affordable prices.

To start off the bazaar season, our very own Beautynomist is sending out an invitation:

if you happen to be there this weekend, please drop by her booth and say HI...and shop! :)
see you there...