Archive for 2013

Watsons Sale last weekend and I bought everything full price! Hmph. :/

Last weekend there was a Watsons Sale (I've read it around on other Filipino blogs) so I have made plans to pass by to check out some items and buy some stuff. Lo and behold, the sale is actually 10% off for a minimum purchase of P1500! Like hell I'll spend P1500! I didn't go to a sale to actually spend more (although that happens too). I was just shocked you know. So I just roamed around and looked at stuff, then decided to get some toiletries.

But then one of the SAs there gave us a coupon. :D A "50 pesos off for a minimum of P300 purchase" coupon. So I was definitely on board. I was pretty excited to buy something on "sale" so to speak. But then we reached the counter, and the cashier told us the coupon was only valid for Watson branded products. Argh! Our Watsons product didn't reach P300 so we weren't able to avail the P50 discount. :( Epic fail.

Well, okay, just shrug it off. It was only P50 anyway. But while I was checking out other blogs, I happen to read that drugstore cosmetic brands are on sale up to 50% off in other branches. Facepalm! T.T

This is a picture taken by Carizza Chua. Check out her post on Watsons Sale.

What I bought

Watsons Treatment Shampoo with Henna extract
Watsons Treatment Shampoo with Beer

Bought the two at P189. It's Watsons' usual "buy one take one" deal.

Watsons wooden cushion hairbrush

I needed a new comb/brush. Been taking hand-me-downs from siblings. I know, weird, but they keep giving them to me. I don't actually remember the last time I bought a comb for myself. Or at all.

Beauty Buffet red grapes moist mask
Beauty Buffet apple & evening primrose facial mask

Bought the two at P59. Another of Watsons' deal. Each costs P44.

LipIce Mentholatum lip balm in strawberry

Yeah another lip balm. My Maybelline Baby Lips has expired, so I went and bought out another one. This one has been recommended by Holly. :)
Bought at P89.

So yeah, haven't actually bought everything at full price. That's just me being exaggerated. Hehe. Although, the deals I've got weren't anything special. Watsons have these deals year round, I think.

So that's it for my first haul post. :) Not exactly the most exciting, is it? Hahaha. See you in my next post then. :)

My last pressed powder from the Face Shop already hit pan, and since I liked it well enough I thought I would get another from the same brand. I got myself this time a Lovely Me:Ex Angel Skin Powder Pact.

What I look for in a powder is the ability to control my oil and some semblance of coverage since I only use a BB cream underneath. So far, I haven't been regretting my decision to buy this powder. Read on for my review. :)

Description

The Lovely Me:Ex powder pact from the Face Shop has a beautiful pearly pink case that shaped unconventionally. It is oval in my opinion, while I've read in other reviews that it is egg-shaped. It has a weird depression/indention at the top of the pact (the photo isn't making this obvious) that makes it look like it got squished or something. I am not sure what that depression's purpose is, but I'm thinking that from the way I use it, it's to give me a better grip on the pact when snapping it shut with one hand.

The front of the pact also has a label situated near the clasp in a cute brown font with 2 hearts.

The back of the pact has the name, shade, weight and expiration date. There is also an "open" tab where you lift the paper and the you will see more information underneath, like the description, directions, caution and ingredients.

*I didn't get a photo of that*

Various spherical powders that absorb sebum with a time difference so the skin will be matte and fresh looking all day without any dryness.

I picked out the RB35 shade. There were 4 shades available in the store and I picked the second lightest one. It's not the same shade as my previous Face Shop powder which was NB21, so now I'm a little confused as to what shade I really am. Be that as it may, this powder matched my skin tone as well.

Inside, the powder pact houses a mirror on the cover and includes a puff with a plastic separator sitting on top of the powder. The mirror is pretty large, taking up the entire flat plane of the cover.

The puff is cream colored with a pink ribbon and the same labeling as the one on the front of the pact. It looks dainty. :) I really appreciate powder pacts with this kind of puff included because it's so much easier to hold the puff and apply the powder onto the face.

That's the underside of the puff, so soft and cushiony. :D It doesn't take too much powder unless if you really rub it in the pan. The soft, even surface also allows for an even application of product to the face.

I also appreciate having the plastic separator. It can be a bit of a hassle to take it off every time I apply, but I am not chucking it out. I do wish there's a better way than tipping the entire pact over just to take the separator out. *Getting lazy, aren't I?*

I would also like to point out that the surface of the powder has an engraving of the product label. :D Pretty cute.

Swatches

The powder is finely milled and softly packed in the pan. It is easy to get a lot with a little pressure. That is why I use the puff and not a brush on this. I feel like it'll all go flying with a swirl of a brush.

But I never had problem with the application though. After patting it on, it stayed put on my face. It doesn't settle on any lines and had kept it's promise of keeping oil at bay, although I need a retouch every 4 hours or so.

Yep, that's my face. I had applied the Lovely Me:Ex powder pact on my T-zone and used my old almost-empty powder swirled with a brush on the other parts of my face. And lookie here! My forehead is shining! O_o And the usual greasy culprits, like the nose and cheeks, were matte and smooth. Cool!

Scent

Smells so nice! Like a kid freshly bathed. Lol! I don't know. I always have difficulty describing scents. According to the ingredients, this product has a lot of fruit, flower and leaf extracts (mango, papaya, banana, rosemary, tea tree, chamomile) so that should be an indication of how nicely this smells. It doesn't smell too strongly though, and I am sure that is not a fruity scent. :)

Oh yeah, just a thought. Maybe I think it smells like a freshly bathed kid because kids use powder after bathing? Hehehe. It just smells so nice, take my word for it. :P

Price & Availability

This Lovely Me:Ex Powder Pact retails at P395. Just average priced for a powder pact this good. It can be purchased at any The Face Shop store.

Verdict

I'm in love with this powder. It keeps me matte for several hours and gives me additional coverage, making the complexion more even toned.

Will I repurchase? Definitely yes!

So that's it for my review of this lovely powder from the Face Shop. Have you tried this yet? If so, how would you describe the scent? Lol. *I know, weird question.* :D Any thoughts and comments are welcome! :)

The time has finally come for my review of the Etude House Green Tea Cleansing Foam. It has been over a month since I started using this and now it's judgment time! How did it fare? Will it be staying in my skincare regimen? Read more to find out.

I have bought this cleanser seeking something to combat my oily (and somewhat reactive) skin. Why do I feel that my skin was way clearer back when I didn't went crazy trying all sorts of cosmetic and skincare products? Lol! *desperately holding back regrets* Sometimes I feel that I might have to try again those basic cleansers that I used when I was younger. But I would never forsake skincare again. I'm growing older, and I need products to protect myself.

Anyway, I was happy to try out this cleanser from Etude House because for a big tube of 150ml it's only worth P148! :) And, I bought this during a 20% off sale so I only shelled out P118.40. :D For my non-Filipino friends, P40 = 1 USD (roughly).

This is a big squeeze tube with yellow-green/green label. It has a picture of a tea bag supposedly being dipped in green liquid. :D It also has a green patch at the upper right corner with a picture of a teapot and the words "Tea Cleansing".

The design on the back is also yellow-green with a pattern of leaves, keeping in theme with what's on the front.

"Supplies abundant foam nad refreshing tea scent to cleanse and nourish complexion. Contains Green Tea extract for clarifying."

The cap and mouth of the tube is cream colored. The cap locks securely in place and it has this thingy that doesn't allow the product to leak. Anyway, it's not like the cleanser is runny or fluid-like. But it isn't too stiff either. It creates a good foam to wash my face with. As for the scent, it has a mild tea scent that is not overpowering.

*I don't have any swatches. It's difficult getting swatches if it requires me to wet my hands then hold my device.*

Does this clean my face? Yes. I only use a mascara remover before using this cleansing foam to wash my face and when I use toner afterwards, there's no residue left from any makeup or from Manila's pollution. :D I still get oily though. Every time I wake up, there's like a film of oil on my face, but after I wash my face with this, my face feels nice and soft. I don't get any breakouts from using this green tea cleanser, which is good. I might have to check the other variants of this line from Etude House, if they have something specifically for oily skin (reduce oil exactly).

Will I repurchase? No. It's good, and it's nice. But it's not what I'm looking for. :D

I would like to thank Mira for nominating me for this award. :) I've recently just found her blog while bloghopping/joining giveaways lol! And I'm grateful to strike a friendship with her (not just because she nominated me :D ) but because she's also a newbie beauty blogger with a lot of reviews already written under a 2-month period. She definitely works hard on her blog. Check her blog out if you are into Asian/Korean cosmetics and skincare because that's her specialty. :)

Anyway, the rules for this award are as follows:

Thank the person who nominated you.
Include a link to their blog.
Nominate 15 bloggers you've recently discovered.
Write down 7 facts about yourself.

Nominees

I don't think I've recently discovered 15 new bloggers. I'll just have to make do with 5. :D

Camille | http://secretsofcamille.blogspot.com/
Ann | http://fatiguechic.blogspot.com/
Apple | http://bubblemilkk.blogspot.com
Fifi | http://beautifyinglifee.blogspot.com
Gin | http://pandagin.blogspot.com/

7 Facts About Me

I'm a Zamboanguena but I'm currently living in Metro Manila with my brother. Since coming to Manila I've encountered a lot of beauty and skincare products that weren't sold in Zamboanga (there's no SM there) which sparked my current obsession.
I have extremely oily skin and scalp and extremely dry skin on my body. Why don't they balance out?
I'm only 5'0" tall and have size 5 feet. :D
I usually get teased about my voice that's why I am quite quiet in person. Not a big problem online, right? :D That is one reason why I enjoy blogging.
I have been blogging since who-knows-when, back when Multiply was still a site for blogging and not for marketing. And now, Multiply's defunct. I have switched to Blogger when Multiply was overrun with online stores and all my comments were ads to these stores. Lol.
I'm 28 years old, a licensed architect, and have a boyfriend of 9 years. But I am still childish... {sometimes}. :D
I love watching animes and j-dorama. I am not updated with k-dramas though. :D My youngest sister is a big influence on this particular aspect of my life. She's crazier than me when it comes to this. My bf also watches and suggests animes to watch, but sometimes they seem a little too violent for me. Hehe.

And that's the end of this tag/award. I hope you enjoyed the tidbit facts I shared. Hehe.

I have been at The Face Shop the other weekend because I have ran out of my sample sized powder and I thought of getting one from The Face Shop again. *I'll blog about that powder soon.* Anyway, while looking around at the other stuff at the shop, the SA recommended me this lip balm. Maybe she noticed I have semi dry lips (because I always do ;) ) which is why a lip balm is what she recommended out of all the products there. *Sometimes I feel that way when an SA recommends something, like she noticed something wrong with me, lol!* This Sweet Kiss Balm comes in two flavors: strawberry and chocolate, and I was really leaning towards the chocolate but the SA dissuaded me, saying that one's for men. Lol! I was really disappointed hearing that, I even asked her if it won't be effective if a woman uses them. :D

Anyway I had been thinking of getting a lip balm that I could wear under lipsticks. Don't get me wrong, I am totally happy with my current lip balm, the Maybelline Baby Lips (review here) but that one is thick and waxy so I don't like wearing it under my lipsticks at all, because it feels too weird and heavy. That is why I included this item in my purchase as well.

The box it came in has the feel of a watercolor painting on recycled paper, with pink and brown text. There is a huge flap with a drawing of a girl leaning out to kiss. The chocolate version has more brown than pink, and the drawing is of a boy leaning to kiss on the left part of the flap. If you put the two side by side, the boy and girl would be kissing. *Ayii!* The SA actually showed it to me, to illustrate that the chocolate was the boy's. :D

Here is how it looks from the back. It has a "To & From" part so you can give this as a gift as it is. Maybe gift the chocolate one to your guy if he's suffering from dry lips?

*Sorry pictures are blurry, I forgotten to take them and remembered on a rainy day.*

The packaging of this lip balm is like any ordinary lip balm twist up tube. It has the same design as the box', with the fonts and the drawing. The cap is in pale pink which is similar to the balm itself. I have noticed that there are patches of darker pink in the bullet. I thought this is consistent all through out but on the part where I am now, the bullet has an even pale pink color. There is no difference is scent, flavor and texture between the two colors anyway.

Speaking of scent and flavor, it's obviously strawberry. It smells nice, nothing too overpowering. As for the texture, it applies thinly and isn't waxy at all. I am actually loving this lip balm. For the purpose I bought it, this proves to be a great product.

Hand swatch: shows a wash of pale pink plus some slight sheen.

Lip swatch: I love how the sheen and the tint of pink makes my lips look healthier (compared to a clear balm's dead slug lips effect).

Anyway, as for the moisturizing/nourishing factor, I find that it isn't as moisturizing as the Maybelline Baby Lips. It does prevent my lips from chapping, but once it's already chapped, it doesn't really do much to heal it.

I would also like to point out that since I am using this under lipsticks, I would have been happier if this has SPF. It's funny how I use a non-SPF product during the day and keep the one which has SPF just to use at night. Lol.

And another thing to comment about: this retails at P395. That's expensive! Baby Lips is only at P79. O_o

So, would I repurchase it again? Maybe. If I can't find anything better. But this is already very nice.

I've got a new lipstick y'all! And this one is from Etude House, a lipstick from their Dear My Blooming Lips Talk line. I have always been saying I love Etude House, mostly because of their very adorable packaging, but I've never really bought anything cosmetic from them yet, only skin care items and some tools.

Anyway, I have been wanting to buy a lipstick from Etude House ever since I discovered them 2 years ago while I was here at Manila for my review and exam. I've never really gotten around to buying anything that time, even this year when I came back, because there were just too many choices that I couldn't decide which one!

I finally found time (and money) and I went with this color. :)

It's a red, right? But the label says BE104, so it's a dark beige to them. :) Their reds starts with RD##. It actually isn't a true red. It has brown/beige undertones and fades into a nude color after a few hours or after eating and drinking.

Etude House's lipsticks have this trademark engraving on the bullet. It's so cute! The problem is, you won't get to see that engraving every time you apply lipstick because you have to twist the entire bullet out to see it, and no one applies lipstick that way. Be that as it may, it is still very cute! Makes you feel secretly special. ;)

If they made the effort to make the lipstick bullet extra girly, then I don't think you'll be surprised to know that the outer appearance is just as sweet. Some girls/ladies may not be into this kind of sugary sweet appearance of items, but I am not one of them. I love everything feminine!

The box is in 2 shades of pink, with black and white text, adorned in doodles of hearts and a sketch of the lipstick it contains. The top flap has the label with the swatch of the color. The back is written in Korean but one of the sides is in English.

"Smooth textured lipstick supplies vivid color and moist shine."

As for the lipstick packaging itself, it has this pink porcelain-like casing (it's plastic though) shaped like what I could best describe as a pitcher (or a pitcher plant? lol). It is tied around the middle with a metallic pink bow. The cap part of the lipstick begins right above the bow. The inner casing that holds the bullet is a usual metal tube.

Here you can see the only thing I am not happy about the item I received. Whenever I twist up the bullet, the side gets mushed into the contraption inside the tube. It such a waste of product, and it messes up the engraving. :( I think the lipstick bullet isn't standing straight, that's why this happens.

Swatches and Review

Hand swatch

Lip swatch

The lip swatch isn't showing the true color. It looks a bright pink here. The hand swatch shows how it actually looks in person. It's reddish with brown undertones. This lip color looks good with those with yellow/warm skin tones. And because it is a dark shade, it could suit a vast range of skin colors as well.

As for the application, it glides smoothly on the lips and doesn't settle on the chaps and lines. I should know, I easily get chapped lips. And even when choosing this shade, I tried a few others from the store and some of them accentuated my dry lips. This one doesn't though. Which is one reason why I chose this shade.

The lipstick's pigmentation is good. I get that color with 1-2 swipes. As for the staying power, it fades after eating, but without eating and drinking, it lasts about 3-4 hours. The scent is this lipstick (and the entire line from Etude) is sweet, like candy. I just can't pinpoint exactly what candy it is. :D

This lipstick costs P478. I can't decide whether it's expensive or just about average. It is expensive for me, especially since I know there are a lot of other lipsticks that are way cheaper. But then again, there are a lot more lipsticks that are way more expensive, so just average priced right? ;) And even if you stay it's expensive (as most Etude House products are), I would have to defend with - It's worth it. :D

Misc

Tadaa! The cashier asked me if I have a membership card. I said no, then asked how to avail. She said for a minimum purchase of P500 I would receive a card, so I immediately took something from the nearest shelf to add to my purchase. That something was an oil-control film priced at P128. So now I've got an Etude House Pink Membership plus she gave me a sample size CC cream freebie. Hurray!

Privileges for the pink membership includes a 2% rebates for every P100 purchase. :D Exciting!

Verdict

I love Etude House! :D

As for the lipstick, I love it too. The color is perfect (for me). It is a red/dark lip without being too dark or too crazy or too conspicuous. It's a very wearable color. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. :)

That's it for my long post. I hope you enjoyed it. :) Have a nice day!

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Verdict

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Shop 2

Scent

Price and Availability

My Experience

Verdict

What I bought

Description

Swatches

Scent

Price & Availability

Verdict

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7 Facts About Me

Swatches and Review

Misc

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