Keep Calm & Beautify

Availability

Repurchase?

I just want to share with you what I got last December. Some of this things I bought for myself, while others were gifted to me by friends and loved ones. Is it so obvious that beauty products makes me happy? :D

All of these products/brands are my first time to try them, so I'm quite ecstatic to try them out and give you my opinion. If there's any product among this list that you want to read about, just let me know. :)


From top left:
Oryspa Champorado Body Scrub. Oryspa is known to use rice bran as their primary ingredient and to use 100% organic ingredients in all their products. Champorado is a Filipino snack made of rice and chocolate (and sometimes milk). This body scrub is obviously made with rice bran and chocolate. So excited to try this out.
China Glaze in Champagne Bubbles and Tinsel Town. I've already made a post on Champagne Bubbles, and yet to post on Tinsel Town.
Hand Cream Therapy Set. My sis gave this to me after she read a comment I wrote (and was reflected on Google+) about my curiosity with hand creams. I'm trying out Ocean Bliss right now and it's so moisturizing.
Ellana Strawberry Vanilla Lip Scrub. I have an eternal dry lips problem and was wondering if lip scrubs would help. I've tried this once and wasn't very impressed.
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I got one in medium and it is perfect for my skin tone. It is creamy but isn't too heavy.
Happy Skin Shut Up & Kiss Me Moisturizing Lippie in Just Say Yes. Took me a very long time to choose this color. There's so many to choose from their site. This lippie promises a three-fold function: shine like gloss, pigment like lipstick and hydration like balm. I'll share with you my opinions in another post. This color is a rare choice for me since I usually go for red/berry shades. I am not that disappointed with this color.
Shiseido Medicated Baby Powder. I'm seeing a lot of people reviewing this product nowadays. So weird because I promise I didn't buy this just to jump on the band wagon. Saw this product at Zalora at a reasonable price. It promises to be effective against oil and that was basically enough for me to go ahead and try it out. I have been using this for a few weeks and it does feel like baby powder. :D
Wet n Wild in Walking on Eggshells. Heard so many good things about this eye shadow palette and I just thought it might come in handy.
Sweet Macaron Lip. This balm promises to make pigmented lips naturally pink again. Will let you know if this works on me.

Fashion

Just two big ticket stuff: a little black dress from Something Borrowed and a pink envelope clutch from Ezra. The LBD was what I decided on when I was searching for a dress to wear to an event (more about that dress search here). Too bad I didn't end up attending the event because there was news of a super typhoon then so I cancelled my plans on travelling.


This is how the dress looks like when worn. That's from the Zalora website. Lol, that's not me. I haven't worn the dress yet, but I am sure I would find another opportunity to wear it.

The envelope clutch was the perfect bag to bring when travelling. It easily fits in my bag without taking up much space. It can go from casual to formal just by detaching the wrist strap. It's also big enough to carry most of my necessities when I go out.

So that's all for my new beauty and fashion products for December. Who knows when I'll have another haul post again. Hahaha. :D December really is something else, isn't it? I'm curious to know what new stuff you're all testing out right now. :) Let me know in the comments, or leave your links if you've already posted about it. :) See you in my next post.

Merry Christmas everyone! It's 2:45 am here in the Philippines and I'm still awake after all the Christmas rush yesterday. :) So I wanted to make this short post about what I have on my nails. It's China Glaze's Champagne Bubbles. I only have one coat on and I like how it looks sheer in some angles. I'm sure it will be more vibrant with another coat but I like how the semi-sheerness of a one coat makes a gold lacquer more wearable. :)

That's all for my post today. For New Year I'm planning on wearing a silver nail lacquer, so stay tuned for that. :)

Hi! I'm back with a review this time and it's about the Etude House Blotting Paper Pact. You all know how much I suffer from oily skin, so blotting papers are essential to my makeup kit. So when I was at Etude House to buy another pack of blotting papers, I saw this "Blotting Paper Pact" and was both enthralled by the look of it and curious as to what a blotting paper pact could be.

Well, it was a big duh moment for me when I opened the box later on and discovered the answer to my question. It was blotting papers. In a compact. Complete with mirror and puff.

It was different and interesting though, so I was excited to give this a try.

Front Back / Left / Right

Let's start with the box. It is pink with white and black design and font. The back and left side has Korean description while the right side contains the English description.


The compact resembles the design of the box, except it doesn't have any writings/descriptions at the sides and back.


When opened, you will see a puff with the Etude House logo and a decent size mirror.


Taking out the puff, you will see how blotting paper and compact are merged together. The sheet sticks to the puff via an adhesive that is also stuck to the puff. You can then press that puff to your face, to blot the oiliness away. You can also seek the help of the mirror to find out if you've missed a spot or something.


After blotting, or if you've soiled the entire sheet and need another, you just need to peel off that used sheet and press the puff back (with the adhesive side down) on the container where the sheets are (and where the powder is usually contained in a typical compact). It will then adhere to another sheet and you can easily pick one out without having to tilt the compact to dislodge the sheets.

What I don't find easy though is placing the puff back into the container perfectly every time, because I can't just slip it in or something, it has to be put in perfectly squared right on top of the sheets or else the top sheet will stick to it haphazardly and it will wrinkle because it will still have to be kept and fit in that square box.

My other dislike about the product: it is too bulky for my taste. I usually bring a packet of blotting papers in my back pocket when I go out on an errand. Most of the time I don't bring a bag, and with that my comb, compact (powder), lip balm. But I still bring with me blotting papers, just to make sure I am somewhat presentable still. The easiest way for me to retouch is to just blot. :) So with this blotting paper pact, I can't do that anymore, except maybe if I take out a couple sheets and put those in my back pocket, but that's gross.

I am thinking though of placing them in the old Etude House blotting paper envelope so I could easily carry them. And for this lovely compact, I'm thinking if maybe I could peel out the adhesive from the puff and use this to carry loose powder or something.

Will I buy this again? I don't think so. I like the old one from Etude better - Etude House Oil Control Film (I have a pic of that in this post). Why? For it's portability, for it's effectivity (those blue sheets are more effective than these parchments in my opinion), and it's price (cheaper than this).

So how about you? Will you try something like a blotting paper pact?

*On the front of the pact, there's a bluish stain there. I smeared stamp pad ink there with my thumb and I couldn't wipe it off. Just saying that that's not how it looks when newly bought.

How long has it been since I last posted? Anyway, I decided to make a short post just to get things rolling again. Hopefully I get to stick to a pattern and churn out posts on a regular basis.

Forgive me if I'm a little rusty with all this review writing thing.

Anyway, I got this lotion several months ago for my dry skin (I have dry skin for my body and oily for my face - which is weird). The scent is cherry which I have mentioned in previous posts as one of my faves, but I know several if not most people hate this strong scent.

This Jergens lotion is pretty thick and heavy. It really doesn't get absorbed much into the skin. I have tried it once while my skin was still damp and it felt like oil sitting on top of water. And it stuck onto my clothes when I put them on.

Pretty inexpensive at less than P50 for 100ml bottle {absolutely forgotten the real price by now}, but I won't be making this buy again. :D

That's all for my review. :D Nyahaha I told you it'll be short.

I've been browsing the Sophie Paris brochure when I noticed there are new cosmetics in the issue. I immediately thought, "Oooh, Sophie Paris is trying to catch up with the trends" since some of them looked like products that are popular right now, like a jumbo lip pencil or a trio blush.

I'm not sure if all these are mainstream products. Sophie Paris does have a tendency to release limited editions every now and then, so I decided to share these with you while they are still available. :D

Clockwise from top left:

• Koshize Soft and Shiny Lip Pencil

This Anti-Sebum Cleansing Foam from Innisfree looks to be the answer to my facial oil problems. It effectively removes oils and keeps my face oil-free for hours. Unfortunately I am not loving it too much. Sometimes I feel it is a little bit too harsh that it also strips it of moisture.

And a confusion: The label says it is from Herbtea, with the brand name Innisfree also printed on it. I used to think Herbtea is a line from Innisfree, but looking at the website I can't find if it is true. It could be a collab product between two companies, so if anyone knows for certain, do enlighten me.




The label at the back is in Korean.


A pet peeve: messy caps and flaps. The cap of this product was designed to irritate OCDs out there.

The opening of the tube is smaller than the opening of the cap. And there is a gap between the two so product accumulates there. After squeezing some products in my hand, what's left inside the rim of the cap doesn't get suctioned back into the tube because the opening is smaller, it just stays there. So when you close the cap, the product oozes out and messes up the cap and its flap.

I used to clean it up every time, but I finally gave up. It's now covered all over with cleanser.


The cleanser has a "normal" consistency. It lathers fairly well and rinses easily. It doesn't leave any film or residue on my face. It does somehow makes my skin a little drier.

Availability

Verdict

Hi everyone. It's been quite sometime since I made a blog post. I'm back today with a review of the Nichido Liquid Eyeliner. I bought this last month before going on vacation because I figured I would have enough time to practice using it since this is my first liquid eyeliner and I heard the difficulty level of this cosmetic item is pretty darn high for newbies.

I chose Nichido because the price is low since most products from Nichido are on the bargain side. This small tube of liquid eyeliner is only priced at P68.00. It didn't however came in any plastic seal (as far as I could remember) or any paper packaging, and the back and bottom parts of the tube has no more additional information. This is just it when you purchase it. Somehow I need more information.

Swatches

The color I purchased is black, but as you can see it isn't very dark especially if the application is light or thin. The ink also smudges easily after application especially the parts heavily applied. It takes a couple of minutes for it to dry.

This isn't also waterproof since I tried washing my hand afterwards and it easily came off. I do however still have problems cleaning it from my eyes since it smudges like crazy during cleanup time (It doesn't smudge during the day though). I even use a mascara remover and it still took quite a while for me to get everything off. But I guess that's just how liquid eyeliners are. :)


Application was easy. Just a slight wobble and it's barely noticeable too. These are pics I took from my second attempt at using it and although I have doubts of making the perfect flick or cat eye, I am still pretty happy that I don't look as crazy as I have expected.

I have also experienced lining the white of my eye, lol, and I was surprised that it didn't hurt at all. The brush wasn't abrasive and the ink didn't irritate me. I just blinked rapidly and it washed away to the corner of my eye where I just wiped it away. A friend of mine gave me a Nichido all-over stick last year and she has proudly said that the company uses only safe ingredients with their products. Maybe that's why it didn't hurt at all. I have no way of confirming this since the product have no information with it, and I can't seem to find any information online (or maybe I just didn't look hard enough).

Verdict

Anyway, I have to say I am pretty impressed with this liquid eyeliner. I don't know about other liners out there, but for a newbie who happen to be also a klutz, I am pretty lucky to have chosen this particular brand for my first liquid eyeliner.

So will I repurchase again? Of course. Until I get the hang of this I'll stick to something I know won't irritate me.

And before I go, I just wanna share a look I created with the Nichido Liquid Eyeliner.

Thanks for reading! :)

Finally! Gotten around to buying an eyeshadow palette. Actually this is still last month's purchase, just haven't found time to make a review yet. What I have bought is the IN2IT eye color palette in Sorbet Deluxe. There are 3 palettes of this line, and I almost bought the all neutral one since it contains a beautiful copper, but I decided I might want a little color to play with.

I haven't gotten around to playing with it so much though. Aside from sweeping just one color all over the lids, anything more artistic seems like a daunting challenge that requires more time and effort, both in low supply right now. I'm not even sure if my eye shape would allow any of those beautiful eyeshadow applications I see around. But I might have some time soon, after the festivities are over. ;)

So let's start with the review.


This eyeshadow palette from IN2IT is very small, it fits in the palm of my hand. It looks decent enough with its white and clear plastic packaging and the silver print and decorations on the front.


The back has a metallic paper with the palette name, decription, directions and ingredients printed on it. It also has the weight, manufacturing date and expiry at the bottom.


Inside there is a mirror which is enough to see just one eye at a time up close. :D

The shadows are placed in a semi-herringbone pattern with four shades of equal length and only a small one allocated in the middle. Three of the colors are neutrals and the remaining two are in the pink/red range.


Here are the colors:

1. Satin tan with silver glitters
2. Shimmery, glittery light pink
3. Satin buff/champagne with silver glitters
4. Satin plum with glitters
5. Matte dark brown with pink glitters

Price and Availability

Verdict

I have a couple of items purchased last month through online shops but I still haven't gotten around to making the reviews yet, so I think I'll just go ahead and make this post prior to the reviews and maybe make the spot light on the online shops instead of the products, you know, just to mix things up a bit.

Shop 1

I was looking for a certain product (Mizon Snail Gel) and contacted HipStyle Online Shop after searching the web and found they have low price for it. But it turns out the item I was looking for was for pre-order so I just ordered something else. And as you would know, I am always on the lookout for oil-controlling skin care products so I decided to give this Anti-Sebum Cleanser from Innisfree a try.

My purchase came with a Tony Moly Aura CC Cream sample and a melon flavored candy, and also a short note from the seller. :) The package arrived within 3 days from payment. She had specifically mentioned on her store that there's "No Rush Shipping", but it actually didn't take long at all.

She accepts Paypal as payment method, which is my most preferred method for online purchases because of its ease of use and security.

Here's more info about the seller: