Product Review: ELF-C Bright Putty Primer

 e.l.f. Cosmetics has a newly launched addition to their Putty Primer collection - the ELF-C Bright Putty Primer. With the success of their best selling Poreless Putty Primer, they have created the same smooth all-day wear formula but with 2% Vitamin C; to give you a natural radiant flawless complexion in a jar! 

I don't usually wear primers just because I find them too much to layer with on top of my skincare routine. But this one feels so velvety smooth, doesn't pill up and minimizes the appearance of my pores. Surprisingly, non-greasy and lightweight. 

However, I have not seen it do much for my dark spots. But it does a good job in gripping my makeup very well as I have noticed my blush and foundation would last longer when I have it on. Would I recommend? For $12, this one is a steal! Definitely!

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Ooh La Lash Opens At Unimart Greenhills + Helpful Trivias About Eyelash Extensions!

I'm not born with dark double lashes like Elizabeth Taylor. When I was young, they've even resorted to trimming these short fringes in hopes of having it grow longer and thicker. You name it, volumizing mascaras, curling mascaras, lengthening mascaras, waterproof /water-based mascaras and even 3d fiber lash mascaras I have already experimented with just to achieve that. On some special occasions I'd even go all out and adorn my peepers with a set of falsies. I usually wear false lashes with invisible clear bands so it wouldn't look as fake and feel heavy.

Along with other beauty bloggers, I got invited to the Grand Opening of Ooh La Lash, Hey Sugar and Nailaholics at their newest branch in Unimart, Greenhills (Mezzanine Level) last Friday. Nothing prepared me for what was going to happen! I know I wasn't blessed with beautiful, long thick lashes AND I wasn't sure if I was ready for such a commitment but.. I GOT MY EYELASH EXTENSIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME!

Beauty Feature: Blushing Beauty Opens at SM Mall of Asia

When we think about aesthetic clinics, the first thing that comes to mind is they're there for people who wants to look more young or fresh than they were. What we're forgetting is even the young millenials now are just as obsessed about their appearance themselves. Especially now with Facebook Live and Snapchat being the new in thing, it's hard not to look selfie-ready since you'll never know when the cameras come pointing at you!

The interesting discovery I had last weekend was this new pretty cute skin care clinic that caters best for the young image-conscious millenials out there. I ended up there because I got invited by Ms. Abi to their Grand Opening at SM Mall of Asia. This finding was very timely since my skin is starting to look terrible again from all that lack of sleep and the amount of stress that I got the past few weeks.

Product Review: Swan Dance Kabuki Makeup Brush

Here's a fact: No one likes applying makeup with a scratchy sparse makeup brush. Ever.

Why? It won't help apply and blend your makeup in a seamlessly flawless manner if the bristles are too sparse. Chances are it will end up a looking bit streaky, so don't expect an "airbrushed" look with that application. In addition to that, it will be harder to pickup more product from the pan if the bristles aren't dense enough. And that's not very helpful at all. Isn't it?

For the longest time, I have been contemplating buying any ultra dense makeup brush that I could get my hands on. More specifically, I was eyeing every Oval Paddle Brush, Kabuki Brush and Mushroom Brush in the market. So happy to say that I've already crossed out one from my beauty wishlist.

Bioessence Unveils New Product Lines for Different Skin Ages

On my pursuit of trying to be the best version of myself, one of the things that I always wanted to achieve was to have a clear complexion. How you present yourself is a reflection of how you take care of yourself. And we certainly don't want people to think that we can't manage ourselves properly, right?

What I've learned last Friday during the Bioessence Launch that was that you should also consider your age when it comes to buying beauty products particularly skin care products to properly address different skin concerns. For example, why bother slathering on anti-acne products if you're already at your 80's? Let's be honest. There is no such thing as a "miracle product" that could fix all skin problems in just one go.

Eau Thermale Avene Introduces Hydrating Make-up Remover To Filipinas

It's a known fact, sleeping with your makeup on is an ultimate no-no! Cosmetic products exist to help women improve their facial features or cover imperfections. But while an average woman uses 12 different products everyday—which all in all contains about 170 ingredients according to a research by U.S. organization Skin Deep—their desire to look good might do more harm than good especially when proper skin regimen is not practiced.

This is the very reason why Eau Thermale Avène—the leading dermo-cosmetic brand in Europe—recently invited some of the country’s most prestigious beauty and wellness bloggers and members of the media at the Salon Beauvoir in Makati, City to educate them on how to properly care for their skin before, during and after applying make-up.

Product Review: Proactiv Solution Integrated Acne Treatment System (60 Day Kit)

Growing up, I'm guessing that most of us have been through that awkward phase during our puberty that we have to deal with stubborn acne breakouts. I remembered during my elementary days that I had a big zit on the center of my forehead and had to resort having bangs just to cover it up!

Even as a young adult, some of us still have to live with it due to hormonal imbalance, lifestyle change and most definitely stress. A few months ago, I have encountered a product that caused me to have severe acne breakouts to the extent of having 1-2 pimples a day growing out at that rate! What's worse is it was THAT bad I even had some growing on my neck. So gross.

Product Review: Chacott Finishing Powder Sparkle in Lavender

I love multitasking and I'm sure most of us do. So how about a multitasking beauty product that works as much as you? Picture this.. a makeup that could take the place of three products!

Introducing the Chacott Finishing Powder Sparkle from Beauty Shopper PH! It's a long lasting, fragrance-free translucent fine powder from Japan that has won awards and has been highly raved online!

November 2015 Beauty Empties

For this month's set of empties you might be a bit surprised that I haven't "consumed" a lot of products lately. What happened? I started going freelance and worked from home a few months ago. That means less stuff to put on the face since no one could see what I look like at home. So awesome. I also don't have to deal with the hellish traffic that's going on especially now with Christmas fast approaching. But that's another story.

Without further ado.. Here are some of the products that I have tried and tested up to the last drop!

From L-R: Pond's Perfect Care Facial Wash and Vaseline Healthy White UV Lightening

1.) Pond's Perfect Care Facial Wash - When it comes to facial washes, I never had a problem with Pond's. This one didn't dry my skin as much and didn't cause breakouts. However, it didn't do much on my skin. I still prefer their other variants like Pond's Clear Balance Smooth Pores and Pond's Clear Balance No Blackheads.

2.) Vaseline Healthy White UV Lightening - I purchased a smaller version of this just so I could test it on my skin. It feels light on the skin and it smells good too. However, I think I need to commit to getting the full size version of this if I really really want to see drastic results. So far I haven't seen much difference on my skin yet.

Physiogel Hypoallergenic Lotion

3.) Physiogel Hypoallergenic Lotion - Even though they've already released a new and improved version of this lotion, I still think Physiogel should start creating a new line of products with sun protection! I really love how much this product instantly hydrates dry skin especially when you're in air conditioned places. Surprisingly as hydrating as it is, it doesn't feel heavy on the skin at all. The consistency of this isn't as thick as your regular lotions so a little goes a long way.

Erase Tretinoin Anti-Acne and Depigmenting Solution

4.) Erase Tretinoin Anti-Acne and Depigmenting Solution - This is a must for my night regimen since I like to pop my zits a lot. I know, I know. It's disgusting and it's bad to pop them because they'll leave you with nasty scars and all. To counter it, I spot treat my scars with this. It is inexpensive for P99 because I find it effective. It got rid of the less severe scars that I had, but I couldn't guarantee that it'll remove everything. The only thing I don't like about it is sometimes my skin peels and it doesn't look good when I go out. Nevertheless, it's a good product and it's nothing that a good moisturizer could remedy. Definitely repurchasing this.

How about you? Any HG beauty product that you'd like to recommend? Let me know!

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Pure & Pampered: Health & Beauty Fair

Don't have anything planned for today?
How about spending your Saturday the way it deserves to be, being pampered and looking great!

Have your free skin consultation with basic facial treatments and get an on the spot makeover that includes hairstyling, makeup and nails. What's not to love, right?

You could even get to meet and greet the beautiful stars Pauleen Luna and Sofia Andres!

Interested? Just check out the mechanics and head down to Trinoma Activity Center today until 10am-7pm! Let's go!

December 2014 Empties & Quick Reviews

Sometimes, I think I really suck at trying to be a beauty blogger. The products I always use up, I tend to throw away involuntarily. Ugh.. Some of the products you'll get to see here are "survivors".

I'm not a fan of hanging on to things so maybe next time I'll try my best not to throw away stuff. Lol

I may or may not have given some updates on certain products that I've promised to review since they are indeed a handful. However, these are some of the products I do have tried and tested to the point of emptying the whole product, some even repurchased. Armed with full honesty, here are my product empties for the month of December. Hope you guys could check it out!

From L-R: Celeteque Advanced Anti-Aging Cleansing Oil, Bath and Body Works Pleasures Mango Mandarin Body Lotion, Fashion 21 Perfect Stick, Cetaphil DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion, The Cream Factory SCRUB-in-a-TUB, Syoss Airy Curl Cream, Snoe Body Ritual Recipes Honey Bath Syrup, Celeteque Brightening Tri-Benefit Power Cream, Snoe Magic Apple Whitening S-Rub, Opti-Free Replenish, Candii Nail Polish Remover Wipes and Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15

1.) Celeteque Advanced Anti-Aging Cleansing Oil - Ever since I started wearing waterproof make up, oil based makeup removers have always been a staple. I'm currently using the full-sized version since I have already finished a lot of these sample sized version. Check out how it easily melts off my eye makeup here.

2.) Bath and Body Works Pleasures Mango Mandarin Body Lotion - I got this from my grandma. It's a thick scented lotion that does the job at moisturizing the skin. However, I only get to wear this at night because it doesn't have any SPF on it. You can't have it all, right?

3.) Fashion 21 Perfect Stick in Almond - I loooooooove this! This was one of those impulse buys that I didn't regret having! Although it tends to crease when concealing the under-eye area, it does a marvelous job at concealing my pimple scars. Plus, it is difficult to find something close to my skintone. I love yellow undertones on my concealers since it blends well on most asian skin, like mine. I would repurchase this as soon as I get to finish up my current BB cream.

4.) Cetaphil DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion - Staying in air-conditioned room for hours tend to dry my skin. This lotion is very hydrating without that greasy feel. However, like the Bath and Body Works Lotion... I only get to wear this at night due to the lack of SPF.

5.) The Cream Factory SCRUB-in-a-TUB - This is indeed a dessert for the skin. If you haven't seen my full review of this, check it out here.

6.) Syoss Airy Curl Cream - WHYYYYYYYYY. WHY DO THEY HAVE TO PHASE THIS OUT?!?!?! If I were to recommend a great and affordable styling product to everyone with curly or wavy hair. THIS IS THE HOLY GRAIL. Even better than everyone's HG product, the Monea's Curling Defining Milk Lotion. Trust me. Tough luck finding this as I've been searching EVERYWHERE for more than 6 months for this. (UPDATE: Finally, they already have these on stock! However, I find the P120 to P160 price increase a little bit steep. Because of this, I might try to find a more affordable curling cream in the future...)

7.) Snoe Body Ritual Recipes Honey Bath Syrup in Strawberry Smoothie - It a fruity scented body wash with bits of strawberry seeds to keep you smelling great while exfoliating the skin. Best paired with the Scrumptious Body Spritz.

8.) Celeteque Brightening Tri-Benefit Power Cream - I don't know if my skin brightened because of this, but I like this as my moisturizer because it doesn't leave my skin looking shiny. However, I will not commit to the full sized one because I might consider trying out their Celeteque Sun Care Matte Moisturizer soon.

9.) Snoe Magic Apple Whitening S-Rub - My elbows and knees lightened a little bit when I started using this product. If you like products that would last you forever, this is it! I remembered I bought this way back when I was an intern.

10.) OptiFree Replenish - Sadly, my eyes doesn't like every other contact lens solution brand out there. ReNu, Septocare, Lens Care, etc.You name it. If you haven't seen my detailed blog post about my very sensitive eyes. Check it out here.

11.) Candii Nail Polish Remover Wipes - I got this from my mom. It smells good and it's non-drying. I'd say this is a good idea when you're always on the go. However, it dries out if left unused for too long.

12.) Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15 - I'm not sure if I got a bad stock but sometimes this product irritates my skin a little, which is weird because the samples I've tried before didn't do the same. I like this product especially on the holidays because it really moisturizes the skin well.

There you go! A quick rundown on some quality products I have tried till the last drop!
Hope you guys could check out my next batch of empties soon!

Defying Time at the Aqua Mineral Bondate

Here's something I haven't told anyone..
I only review products and services that I really like and have personally tried.

If a certain beauty product broke me out or I had a severe reaction to it, I don't bother blogging about it. If I don't have anything good to say, I'd rather not say anything at all. Besides, bad publicity is still publicity at the end of the day.. right?

Last Sunday, I was invited by Jonah to an exclusive bloggers' event hosted by Aqua Mineral at the Gramercy Residences near the newly built Century City in Makati.



If the name Aqua Mineral rings a bell, you probably have heard of it since it's been around for almost 10 years in 56 different countries all over the world. Aqua Mineral is not really into heavy advertisements so chances are you've heard it through word of mouth or probably seen their charming booth at the mall.

Check out the breathtaking view inside Gramercy Residences.

Infinity pools are just awesome.

It was an intimate gathering of beauty bloggers where we all got to know the philosophy behind the brand and a little trivia about Dead Sea Salt which I would share with you in a while.

Aqua Mineral is a complete beauty line based on the naturally occurring Dead Sea Salts and minerals which are famous for counteracting the effects of aging and improving the skin's well being. 

Dead Sea Salt is a naturally occuring product of the Dead Sea and it's very common in Israel and Jordan.

Since the sea is pretty much "dead" since it's too salty for animals and plants to live in; it's located at the lowest elevation on land and 427 below sea level, it's really clean and untouched.

Remember the Dead Sea in Jordan? People go all the way there because of the healing properties of the Dead Sea. It is said that having a dip at the Dead Sea could help treat psoriasis, skin asthma, eczema, rhinosinusitis, osteoarthritis and many more. However, not everyone has the luxury of money and time to travel there. Luckily, we don't have to wonder how the Dead Sea Salt would feel on the skin. Imagine having the benefits of the Dead Sea in a jar?

I know what you're thinking, this must be one hell of an expensive product since it's imported from Israel. Honestly, it is quite pricey and they don't have cheap products. Imagine their most expensive set, the Optima + would range around P56,000 (roughly around $1302).

The philosophy of the brand is they don't have cheap products (the ones with tons of SLS, parabens and other harmful chemical additives) because they don't like cheating their customers into buying products that won't work wonders. They believe the products speaks for itself and it's more of an investment. As they say, investments are something you get back.

Exactly a year ago, I was supposed to meet someone and that person was one hour late! I decided to pass some time at the mall and checked out the Aqua Mineral booth at SM North. I remembered my grandmother loves bathing at the Dead Sea so I was really curious on how this one works.

You will be amazed. This is something you should try personally! I recalled I had a shower prior to going to the mall but I was shocked to see how excellent of a job it does at moisturizing AND exfoliating the skin at the same time! 

Check out my video to find out what I'm talking about!

A pyramid of Aqua Mineral Blissful Body Butter in Springtime. I have tried this product last year and not does it highly moisturizes but it also smells really expensive too. Imagine if Chanel No. 5 and Clinique Happy Men had a baby, this would be it. I love it!

Each Aqua Mineral Professional Nail Kit comes with a Nail buffer, Cuticle Oil, Velvet Touch Hand and Body Lotion and Nail File. Available in three different variants: Midnight Magic, Delicate Dew and Gold Charm.

Check out this nifty nail buffer! According to them this four-sided nail buffer comes with the professional nail kit. Take note: with a free lifetime guarantee. Just bring your old worn out nail buffer and they'll give you a new one free of charge! From what I've heard, the nails buffed by this would continue to be shiny for 2-3 weeks. How lovely!

From L-R: Before and after using the nail buffer from the Aqua Mineral Professional Nail Kit

Other than those we've tried above, they also have other product lines that would suit everyone's different skin needs. Young or old, male or female.. chances are they have it since they usually come up with 10 new products every year!

As I've mentioned earlier, it's not just for the women..here's their exclusive set for the men!

From L-R: The Extensor Uplifting Mask, Juveness De-Wrinkle Cream and the Optima+ Supreme Thermal Mask

Here's the very elusive Optima + set! According to them, this is some of our local celebrities' must-haves since it deemed to remove 40% to 60% of the skin's wrinkles. All products are formulated with provitamin B5 and coenzyme Q-10 and based on the patented ResistemTM. I was afraid to touch it because I can't afford it. Jk



Watch out as I'd be reviewing the Total Silk Body Scrub and Blissful Body Butter soon!
 Here's a toast to a youthful healthy skin!

For more information on Aqua Mineral and their other products, check out:
www.aquamineralspa.com
http://facebook.com/aquaMineralph
http://twitter.com/PhAquaMineral

MAC Technique Makeup Workshop

 

If there's a makeup brand that everyone knows, it's MAC. If you checked out every beauty blogs out there, they'll usually mention that their skin tone is NC 30, NW 40 or any of the variety. I'm very honored to be invited to their store at Glorietta and be taught how to execute a flawless look by using MAC Cosmetics.

 

 I know you guys are rolling your eyes and telling me, do you REALLY need this? You'll be surprised that I've learned new techniques from MAC and its best selling products as well. After reading this, you'll be equipped with an extra knowledge on which things you should get!

The well-known Makeup Maven, Sabs Hernandez is usually the one handling the brushes. 

But for this workshop she's turning the tables and sat down as a model. Gorgeous as always.

Day to Night Transformation

The theme of the workshop is Femme to Fierce. Our highly-skilled MAC Facilitator, Frances taught us a simple day to night makeup transformation for the forever busy girls that are always on the go! 

Here are some expert notes that could help you channel the inner beauty guru in you!

SKIN CARE

• Skincare first. Never ever scrimp on your skin! Concealing unhealthy skin can only do as much. Cameras are now more HD and unforgiving compared from the past.
• If you want your makeup last longer, a good base / primer is a must! Primers are not only for the foundation but they have lip and eyelid primers as well. The one they used for Sabs are Prep + Prime Lip (for the lips) and Prep + Prime Highlighter (for the eyes). Prep + Prime Lip Primer is one of their best selling products that is quite handy in preventing unflattering lines on your lips.
• Since the weather of the Philippines is truly humid, a Translucent Powder is great for setting your liquid foundation and blotting oil to keep your makeup from melting away!

EYES

• Eye makeup is not generic. Some might have deeper set eyes and some might have hooded lids, not everyone has the same eyes. The same applies to eye makeup, you have to understand your eye shape first to learn how to enhance the features of your eyes.
• Chinitas should veer away from metallic eyeshadows. It will reflect the light and will make your eyes appear smaller.
• Set your eyeliner with eyeshadow to make it last longer.
• Embark is a flattering shade for warm Asian skin since it's a brown purple eyeshadow that is not too black or red. It's an honest brown really. Shroom is good to use with this as a highlight because it's not too frosted like Nylon.
• Finish the look by defining the eyes with a waterproof eyeliner pencil in the shade of Engrave or Black Tide. But if you're into very black eyeliners like me, I say Carbon is the best way to go!
• Some of the eyeshadow brushes that are great to invest on are the 107 and 224. The bristles are made of soft goat's hair and I believe these are Sabs' personal favorite to use on her clients. For more defined strokes, opt for their pencil brush: 119.

BLUSH / CONTOURING

 

Limited Edition Alluring Aquatics Refined Golden. A perfect not too brown or not too red bronzer.

• Do not apply your makeup downwards as it will appear to make your face pulled down. 
• Frances loves using the angled contour blush brush, 167 for applying bronzers that gives the illusion of well-sculpted cheekbones.
• Highlight the apples of the cheek only. Unless you're planning to look tan, don't put bronzers all around your cheek! Remember, highlight the parts you want to emphasize and shade the areas you want to hide.
• The blush shades Blush Baby and Melba are beautiful on Filipina skin.

LIPS

 From Top to Bottom: Viva Glam 1, Viva Glam Rihanna & Russian Red. My camera didn't do the colors much justice.

• Bold eyes can be paired with bold lips as long as the colors compliment each other.
• Highlight the Cupid's Bow and the side of your lips to make them appear more plump.
• Ruby Woo is their one of their best selling red lipstick ever.
• Kinda Sexy is a new matte shade that is not very nude and not very pink at the same time. It's great worn alone or paired to tone down bold colored lipsticks. Frances highly recommends this universally flattering shade.
• Their lip brush which is the 106 is highly recommended if you're into blending two lipstick shades together.

Rocking MAC Heroine with my friends! Still on the lookout for something similar to MAC Riri Talk That Talk. *sigh*

I'm glad I learned a thing or two from my visit to MAC. I'm sorry it took me a while to post new things here. I recently started working full time so I had to learn effective time management skills. Lol. I promise I'll still keep this blog very much alive than it was before.

 

Anyway, for those who are interested in their workshops do visit their stores to learn more! I'll keep you guys posted if they have these workshops in the future. TGIF! Hope you guys enjoy the start of this wonderful weekend!

Miss Philippines 2014 in a Beauty DIY with Mader Ricky

It was a fun-filled day as we beauty bloggers and Miss Philippines-Earth candidates got to learn how to achieve a stunning pageant make-up and quick hairstyling from the beauty expert himself, Mader Ricky!

These beautiful bloggers Sol, Sheena, Denise and Alice were there as well.

You might be wondering why teach these Miss Philippines-Earth some beauty DIY, right?

Contrary to popular belief, a day in the life of a beauty pageant contestant is not all glamour and fun. Believe it or not, these girls are always on-the-go hopping to the next venue to the next, packing suitcases, attending endless rehearsals with minimal rest and sleep. Always under the public eye, a beauty pageant candidate must always look her best even in case a professional makeup artist is not on hand to do their makeup.

Here's a quick rundown of some essential makeup tips and tricks we've learned from Mader Ricky to achieve that right look...

How to Choose the Right Kojic Acid Soap

So I've been reviewing a lot of good products in general lately and people are starting to wonder if I've ever encountered any terrifying product at all...

The answer is YES. I've encountered some products that I didn't like at all.
One of which is a Double Strength Kojic Acid Soap I bought at a local online shop in Multiply ages ago. I had no issues at all with the seller. But the product is something I couldn't recommend to everyone. Read more below to find out why..

Rustan's Beauty Workshop with Clarins

Planning on whitening your skin, pronto? Worry not! I'm here to share with you some skincare tips I've learned from Clarins PH. Read more below because these are skincare tips are quite interesting!

Clinique's Cocktail Party

After the BDJ BOX x Revlon Nail Party, Jacqui, Arcee and I wanted to make the most of our weekend and

decided to visit Clinique's Cocktail Party at SM Aura. For those who aren't familiar with Clinique, it's one of the prestige skin care brands known for their gentle and allergy tested products that are 100% fragrance free. Except for their best-selling fragrances like Clinique Happy Heart of course. Personally, Clinique Happy Men is my favorite. I don't know why.