IAMBRIGITTE

Since the holidays is just around the corner, I'd be posting the holiday collections from some of my favorite brands to help you cross out some on your gifts list.  I'm pretty sure most of you are still trying to complete your gifts list and hopefully this post (and the several others that will follow) will be able to help you.  Me, I haven't even started! LOL. Though for the past years, I've ended up just giving away gift vouchers/money to spare myself from thinking what to give who.  But honestly, shopping for gifts is so exciting. And well, it's much more personal.  (wink)   For today, check out the holiday offerings from Kiehl's:      Kiehl's 2015 Holidays Collection   Each year, Kiehl's collaborates with the artist community to adorn some of the brand's selected most loved products for its holiday collection. In keeping with this tradition, Kiehl's partners this year with the art legend Peter Max.  Th...

Prevention is ALWAYS better than cure. If you don't agree then stop reading this blog right at this moment.    'kidding! ^_^   But with all seriousness, I know that you'll all agree on my first statement is absolutely correct.  When it comes to our skin, it is never too early to start taking care of it  and making sure that we keep all skin problems at bay. The earlier we try to avoid aging, the better.   On that note, let's all welcome (with open arms, I should say) the newest anti-ageing skincare line from Boots.    No7 Early Defence Skincare   This new skincare line is consists of a day cream, a night cream and an eye cream. The line works as a stepping stone to help in the transition from everyday skincare to proactively delaying the signs of ageing.    The key to this new skincare range is No7's new and most effective patent pending daily protection called Double Defence, combin...

The last time I had a facial was last August and that was when I was still in PH.  It's been a while yes, but you see I can be quite picky when it comes to entrusting my skin to a facial clinic. I mean, aren't we all?  Well I guess not everybody, but seriously, we should all be.    So when I got the chance to try out a facial treatment from Kaya Skin Clinic, I didn't think twice. Not because I know I'd be getting the service for free, but because they are known to be one of the trusted skincare clinics here in the UAE. As a blogger, I also sometimes get an invite to try out skin treatments but I don't always say "Yes."  You might think I'm being a diva, but I am definitely not. I'm just being careful as I don't want to be just grabbing anything free that comes my way and then end up being sorry or ranting online when it doesn't turn out good.  And remember, it's my skin we are dealing with here.  I'm sure you'd do the same....

Nail polish addicts, here's one more reason to rejoice and add a bottle or two (or more) to your collection... ESSIE Cashmere Matte Collection The nail polishes are created with a soft matte finish with a gorgeous reflective pearl colour. There are 6 available shades all of which are inspired by a luxurious neutral color palette of rich cashmere. Spun in Luxe Black base with blue shimmer     Wrap Me Up Whitish Beige     Just Stitched Baby Pink with blue shimmer

 Dermalogica is a skin care company whose product portfolio includes cleansers, exfoliants, toners, masques, treatments targeting specific skin concerns, moisturizers, sun protection, as well as acne treatment products for younger skins.  Men don't need to fret, as Dermalogica offers products for both men and women. Their packaging is pretty straightforward too. No fancy packaging here as you'd see that their products are mostly packaged in simple white and silver/gray packaging. Their products have been tested and proven effective, hence their confidence that they don't need a flamboyant packaging just to capture attention. They are the kind of products you'd be looking for in an ocean of products with fancy and extravagant packaging. Simply because, you know they work. And they do because these products are being used by skincare professionals themselves.       I've used a number of their products and if you're interested on how it fared on my sk...

  Make Up Forever Plexi Gloss (AED 95)   Make Up Forever launched this range of lip glosses a few months back and from the swatches I've been seeing online, I just knew these are worth checking out.  They are highly-pigmented, ultra-shiny lip glosses which also come with a promise that they stay put and  that they don't bleed.    This line has a wide selection of shades, starting from the softest to the most show-stopping and is divided into 5 categories: 100s are nudes, 200s are corals, 300s are pinks, 400s are reds and the 500s are the artsy shades.   swatches of 104 - 204 - 406   Shade #104   This shade is a beautiful soft brown which I think can be a great topper on most lipstick shades.  It's nude, but no worries as it won't make you look like a zombie when worn on its own.   These glosses have this funky-looking split-tip applicator but it really does a good job in applying...

   Two weeks ago, yours truly got an invite to attend the grand opening of Studio XY, a cool new salon located at the NYU Campus in Abu Dhabi. We know that ladies (and well, men too!) consider a salon as one of the best places to de-stress.  It's basically one of the places that we go to for some good "Me" time. I've been to some salons here in the UAE and I have my favorites already, but that won't stop me from checking out new places where me and my girls can spend a day pampering ourselves and getting ready for let's say, another crazy week at work. And of course, I'd be more than happy to share with you my awesome finds...be it about makeup or not. ^_^   When we arrived at the venue, we were surprised that there are actually 2 salons: Studio X for ladies and Studio Y for gents.  Cool!     Studio X Ladies Salon        When you enter the salon, first area you'd see is their Nail Services section: ...

I can't remember the last time I held a gorgeous eyeshadow palette, but I'm guessing that the last was the Viseart Matte Eyeshadow palette which I ordered from DTCMakeup a year ago. (gasp) Has it been that long? Wow!    Anyway, today I'd be talking (or writing) about this Nomadic Eyeshadow Palette from the Illamasqua Earth Collection.  It's my first time to try out products from Illamasqua and I must say I am really impressed.    Nomadic Eyeshadow Palette (AED 255)          The palette features 4 beautiful shades in either matte or metallic finish. The shades are: Loam (deep earth green/matte), Terra (clay red/matte), Solitude (grayish taupe/matte) and Gravity (pewter gray/metallic).

Make Up Forever Ultra HD Foundation (AED 210) When Make Up Forever came up with their original HD foundation a few years back, I had to make sure I have at least 3 shades of it (light, medium and dark) in my makeup kit.   If you also do make up on other people, I'm sure you'd understand why. (wink) I mostly use that foundation on weddings because it never fails to give me that naturally flawless look and airbrushed finish on and off camera. I had so many clients who ended up buying that foundation because they loved the effect on them. And I really can't blame them.  I used it too, but not for long. Not because I ended up liking it less, but because I have lots of other foundations to try and use.  #beautybloggerproblems ^_^ So when I got the invitation to attend the launch of their improved HD foundation which they now called Ultra HD Foundation, I know I won't dare miss it for the world. And today, I am finally sharing with you my thoughts. ...

Rimowa has finally opened its first store in the UAE and it's located in the ground floor of the Abu Dhabi Mall (right across Sephora).  The store was inaugurated by HH Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Social Development of UAE in the presence of HE Dr. Eckhard Lubkemeier, the German Ambassador to the UAE, RIMOWA President & CEO Dieter Morszeck and Tony Jashanmal, Group Director of Jashanmal Group.       The 185sqm store resembles the clean, sleek and modern aesthetic of the RIMOWA cases and their signature grooves.  

Have you ever come to a point when you just realize that no matter what you do and how hard you try, you will never be enough?     I am not saying I am perfect, I have flaws too. In fact, I might have a lot. But so are other people...and yet I don't take their imperfections against them.  Yes I get angry when they come at fault, but it's normal.  But what's not normal is when you commit a mistake and people hold on to that mistake of yours as if all those good things you did in the past have been erased.  And what hurts the most is when they keep on reminding you of what you did wrong just to get away for what they have been doing wrong.   Do you know that I am so good at pretending?  I pretend that everything's alright when it's not. I pretend to be okay when in fact I am falling apart. But I get tired too.  And now I am just so tired all I want to do is sleep. Sleep is my escape you know.  Because when I am awake,...

I'm sure that by now you already know that Happy Skin has finally opened their first standalone store. It's located near the entrance of Rustan's in Glorietta 3.  Also, they have released their Holiday 2015 Collection called Read My Lips. Yes my loves, it's all about giving our puckers a whole lot of love. Well, the brand is most well-known for their lippies in the first place, so why not!?  This time, the lippies are packaged in hardbound "books" which you can recycle and use to store your abubots.     They have release a total of 4 books, but I skipped the How To Conquer The World because I already have Hear Me Roar and Royal Treatment lip lacquers.  To check swatches, please click here .   I initially thought of skipping the other new shades because 1) I'm not due to receive another box from PH (My Mom/Aunt sends me a package with all the stuff I get from our PR friends back home and some stuff that I use and cannot find here) and 2) I have to...

  The event was held at the lovely Fortnum & Mason in Downtown Dubai,  known as one of London's most famous stores when it comes to luxury food items and quintessential English afternoon tea.   As soon as I stepped inside, I already felt the girly, carefree vibe because there's a lot of pinkness going on.  Each table were adorned with mini Givenchy goodies that were included in the Givenchy-exclusive Glambox some months ago, and of course with Fortnum and Mason's mouthwatering high tea delights.           Givenchy and Glambox specially curated box for the month of July featuring the former's signature products    

And just like that, it's a Sunday once again. While my friends back in PH are still enjoying their weekend, and maybe spending time with their friends and family at the cemetery because today is what we call Undas , I am on the other hand is back to work.  I did had a great weekend though. We had some friends from PH who were here for a convention and we brought them to a desert safari. Unlike my first experience which is a total "blah," I really had a great time this time around. We really felt like we were in a roller coaster ride.  Kudos to our driver who have been doing it for more than 10 years so I guess, he can do it even with his eyes closed.   I had a full day last Friday: hubby's basketball game around noon, desert safari from late afternoon until around 9pm and a get together with another circle of friends until around 3am.  I usually just spend weekends at home, but it's nice to have some activities from time to time.    One thing that ...