This summer, fresh scents are needed. Yes, needed.

Actually, I’m just making up an excuse. I love fresh, floral scents all year round. Even if the weather demands fragrances somewhat “warmer” to the senses, my fresh, floral scents are my default. See my undying love for DKNY Be Delicious Scents? There you have it.

When DKNY released its Pure line, I was absolutely psyched to have pureVerbena. It was my dream scent. It was so fresh and clean, and took me to the beautiful hills, ala Maria Von Trapp. I’ve been using this fragrance frequently as the bottle is almost empty. It’s going to join its other DKNY bottle-sisters, soon! Continue reading

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Clinique Chubby Sticks, how I love thee. I love thee with thy greatest love…

Okay stop. I’m not a poet. I was just illustrating on how much I love Clinique Chubby Sticks!

It just has to be the best invention in the lip color world! I’ve been whining far too long about lip products that give out great color, but are drying on the lips. Oh, my lips can be chapped at times, and it just shows, specially when you apply color on them!

Clinique invented such a great lip product and truly listened to its consumers. It fulfilled all my fantasies of a perfect lip product :

* Natural, luscious-looking lip color
Okay, I do have those moods when I only wear really basic makeup, and I’d love to pull off that natural look. Clinique Chubby Sticks give you that your lips-but-better look! Continue reading

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I admit. I admit! I really love high end brands. I feel that my skin is safe with them, at least. But that’s just my mentality, so please don’t judge me. I don’t usually go below 800 PhP specially for a liquid foundation because I believe that my complexion is already as “complex” as it is ( hahaha! ), and my skin, being not so nice, deserves something good. I can get even a low-priced lip product, but for foundation, I’m not taking any risks. If you ask me what my favorite foundation brands are – may they be liquid or in powder form, I would have to say Lancome, Clinique and Coverfx. There are even other high end liquid foundations that feel so heavy on the skin, that I don’t really like them, even. These top three loves of mine feel really light, look natural, and have crazy nice light diffusers that create the illusion of really flawless skin.

As alot of my readers are asking me about budget makeup finds, I am really, really trying my best and am constantly on the lookout for the best budget finds, and I must admit that sometimes I find it hard to find good budget foundation. The reason would be my skin is far from perfect. I have large pores, I have depressed scars, and I recently explained to a friend of mine that I need a skin care that is water-based that can prevent oily skin and banish my breakouts, but also cannot be too matte that it would magnify my pores, and show my depressed scars. My skin is so weird – it needs to be balanced and dewy – just right, just the way my skin wants it. Same goes for liquid foundation – I’m really really particular about it, that I’ve thrown away alot of foundations that I thought of giving a try, but end up disappointing me. Alot of good-skinned gals have found their loves with really affordable foundation brands ( even below 500 – you’re really lucky! ) and as for me, I’m having a hard time. I was able to find my favorite foundations in high end brands, but it’s a good day today, that I’m about to share to you one of the great exceptions, and one really good budget find for foundation!

It’s the L’Oreal Lucent Magique Two-Way Cake Foundation

Light. Translucent. Fair. The 1st skin luminating Tri-powder foundation for a seamless lit-from-within skin complexion. A finest quality powder foundation with seamless trace coverage. Infused with 3 powder finish: Luminating Pink Tourmaline, Translucent Light Pearls and Vitamin C whitening Complex.

Skin is transformed with the lit-from-within skin finish. Sensorial upon touch with the light as a feather texture that lets your skin breathe. Suited for the young modern woman.

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I admit. I admit! My hair has been a tangled mess lately. I’ve been diving more and more, as I am just about an addicted scuba diver loving the wonders of the underwater landscape and wildlife. I told myself at the beginning that I am going to take care of my really bleached hair and will not let it be exposed to saltwater, but here I am, risking all just to enjoy the thing I really love to do. Oh, my hair is just a tangled mess everytime I ascend to land, and it’s a pain to wash it, being all stiff, tangled, and really dry afterwards. My hair has been poofier than usual and a little bit more damaged, so I have been trying for some ways to prevent further hair damage. Oh, the things you do for love!

Going back, colored hair really requires devotion. You take a step further in changing your hair color – it’s like topping each of your existing hair strands with a fresh coat of paint. If you compare it to a newly painted wall, the painted wall is wiped clean with wet cloth every week or so to remove dust, and the paint won’t really change in color unless it’s light, and will just deteriorate with being exposed to light and with it getting old. With your hair, just look at this – you “paint” your hair, and wash it every single day with shampoo. The hair color ( analogous to “paint” ) will look tired with frequent washings, and the once-bright hair color would turn dull in no time if you keep on shampooing it. The culprit ingredient? Surfactants, or sulfates.
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I really love eyeshadow primers. They’re just the idea of heaven for those who have oily lids like me. Heck, even my eyebrows have oil glands that I need really waterproof eyebrow pens, eyeliners, and even eyeshadow primers. I need makeup products to stay put, and trust me, it’s not cheap. I think my skin’s just too demanding and challenging. *pouts*

For reference, before we go further, I’m defining what eyeshadow primers are. Eyeshadow primers are what you apply on your lids just right before you apply your eyeshadow, to make the eyeshadow “stick” to the primer, and remain there, preventing oxidation, and oiling up of lids which can make the eyeshadow run all over your lids ( which is messy ). Eyeshadow primers can actually be concealer, but they’re just too moisturizing. A good eyeshadow primer is usually sort of a cream with not much moisture, a bit dry, to help the eyeshadow just stick on the lids, and just stay put there. For me, it’s imperative to get one if you’re into eye makeup. It gives you security!

I’ve been using Urban Decay Primer Potion, and as much as I love it, and I know how effective it is, I can’t help but have some difficulty getting it in the Philippines. It’s also a bit hard and sorta tricky to blend eyeshadows with the Primer Potion. But then, I’ve always thought that it’s the only thing that works, so I just stayed faithful to it for years. I’ve had tubes of Urban Decay Primer Potion all used up and some just dried from time, I think I’ve used more than 5 tubes in this lifetime already.

But then something came along that made me change my mind about things.

Yes, this! The Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Vanilla is my new HG Eyeshadow Primer. Continue reading

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I’ll make this short and quick.

Oh, how I love the new Nivea SUN Protect & Refresh Invisible Cooling Mist!

As summer is my favorite time of the year, I just feel so happy to be near at sea. I can even feel that it’s summer year round in my heart as my dives have been more frequent. The closer I am to water, the happier I get, and the more refreshed and calm my mind becomes. Oh, I dream of owning a resort one day! If only.

Going back, with the warm sunshine filling my senses with good vibes, I still need protection for my skin, as it can burn without sun protection. Nivea is one of my trusted brands in sun care, with my favorite tanning oil from them. The Nivea SUN Protect & Refresh Invisible Cooling Mist is a genius innovation – it’s a spray-on sunblock.
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Two weeks ago, Sample Room Partner Bloggers were given a treat to an afternoon of beauty pampering, and makeover, courtesy of Shiseido Philippines. We all met up at SM Makati, at their current pop-up store at the ground floor, near the SM Department Store there. We were given a chance to try Shiseido’s newest breakthrough product that promises you that your dark spots will be erased, and what would be left, is only beautiful, even, bright, beautiful skin.

Shiseido White Lucent The Ultimate Whitening Pair works hand in hand, as the Shiseido White Lucent Spot Targeting Serum+ crushes all the hardened melanin on our skin ( our dark spots caused by aging, sun exposure, and even hormones ), and Shiseido White Lucent Power Brightening Mask ejects all the existing crushed melanin.

This is the Shiseido pop-up store at SM Makati. There, they offer free consultation ( no purchase required ), and makeovers and facials with a minimum purchase. There, you can also see Shiseido makeup that you can actually swatch and check for your perfect shade!
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It’s the end of my challenge with Kiehl’s! Overall I had a good experience with it, and I’ve definitely seen results.

To sum up my Kiehl’s Midnight Skin Recovery Challenge, here are my notes about it :

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate

The Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate earns goodie points as it made my skin softer, and definitely that brightening effect when I would wake up. I feel that my skin is more hydrated and protected from the A/C when I sleep, so I wake up with good skin. What I am not accustomed with, is the oil base, though. As an oil-phobic gal, I must admit that I do not feel that great when I use oil products. Though this is really good, and I see this so promising with dry skin, and normal skin, I just think I have issues with it being oil-based. I wish they would have a water-based serum. Knowing Kiehl’s, a brand that develops really good skin care products ( I swear with them with all my heart – the Blue Herbal line is just love, ), I would get a water-based serum from them in a heartbeat!

I think that this is Holy Grail material, for those who have no trouble with oil-based products. I see really great potential for this for those who have normal and dry skin, and I have no problems recommending it to my friends who have that skin type! Continue reading

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Apparently, I’m not yet done with my lipstick love, that all I can be experimental about this year would be lipsticks. Yes, I go out on most days for meetings, and it is important to be presentable, but I find myself having that “minimalist” look lately – using foundation, defining my eyebrows ( VERY important for me ), lining my eyes with my trusty black eyeliner, mascara, blush, and lipstick. Still too much for you? That has been my day look lately. Eyeshadows would have to take a backseat for night events and dinners, when I have more time.

Moving forward, I’m here to introduce to you one of the newest makeup brands in the Metro. BYS Cosmetics is an Australian drugstore makeup brand that is really well-received, and I’ve seen alot of them when I was doing my rounds of cosmetics hunting in Australia in one of their bigger groceries. Continue reading

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As I am still on a lipstick frenzy, catching up with the lipsticks I have in my collection, please bear with me. Lipsticks are therapeutic anyway, as they can just lighten up your mood in any bad day, don’t you think? Or even make a good day even better, and happier I suppose! I believe that lipsticks just give our face that nice glow, and just does wonders in a swipe or two!

I posted about this lipstick in my Instagram account early this January, and I didn’t expect it to be that popular, with even friends from out of town sending me SMS messages so as to what brand and shade I was using in that certain picture. It was funny, my friend was planning to have her mom shop for her this shade abroad, thinking it was MAC or some high end brand. Well, for the great reveal, I’m now telling you, this amazeballs lipstick that I just sported a look was from Tupperware Brands, Colour Collection’s Color Intense Lipstick in Walnut!
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